The sky was a perfect interrupted blue; with a bright yellow orb shining in the empyreans above, casting its sun rays all over the entire city of Crocus. The white haired maiden swallowed a lungful of the warm morning air as she stared out past the window located right by the side of her bed. The harsh gales blew across the land, causing the curtains to billow into the room and out the other like pale flags. Snowflake had been unable to sleep the entire night, tossing and turning in her bed with her blanket clutched over her chest while her eyes sparkled with excitement. Due to her moving around so often, her companion, Vysella, was unsuccessful in having a good night’s sleep as well. The youth would never miss a night of her precious sleep even if it meant saving someone else’s life, for sleep was extremely important to her. It was a very rare occasion for something like this to take place, since she was never affected by anything in her life since the death of her parents.

What would be so important that Snowflake risked losing her sleep?

”What’d you think?”

The silver haired woman stared at her own reflection in the mirror located in front of her, her question directed to no other than Vysella, who had been staring at her for the longest time. Though she knew that she wouldn’t get a response out of Vysella, it was a silly habit of hers to talk to her own companion every now and then as if it was human. Snowflake was dressed in a white gown that fell just slightly above her knees. Compared to the dresses that she normally wore, the attire was the most feminine outfit that she has ever worn in her life. The straps of the dress hung loosely around her arms, exposing much of her shoulders and collarbone and those white heels that she had just purchased the other day highly complimented her creamy legs.

A few weeks ago, Chelvaric had invited her out on a date while they were out completing a quest together. The human-neko had popped the question after they were done with the mission and considering that they have been good friends since the moment they met, Snowflake decided that she might as well give him a chance. Despite how much they’ve spent so much time together doing quests, they barely did anything together outside of their job apart from the time they hung out together at a Halloween festival. It was the first time that she had met him and her first impression of him had exceeded her expectations; a genuine, kind-hearted man. Thus, she decided that she would learn more about her partner on this particular date.

”We should leave. I don’t want to be late.”

Snowflake picked up her tiny purse and swung the handle of it over her shoulder and with a final twirl of her body, she gazed at her own reflection one last time to make sure she was representable enough for the date and slipped out of her room in a rush. Heels clacked against the hard ground as her grip on the strap of her purse tightened. Would people call this being nervous?, she questioned to her herself and stared down at the ground while Vysella stared up at her owner with an apprehensive look. Snowflake glanced around her surroundings and suddenly, almost everything looked so unfamiliar to her. Another quick glance at her wrist watch only seemed to confirm that it was almost time, her stomach knotted up. Her mind was jumbled up with all the possibilities that she might screw up the date somehow and all of a sudden, her confidence dropped to zero.

”Calm down.”

She re-assured herself and proceeded onwards to the location of the date. It wasn’t too extravagant, nor too shabby either and she preferred it that way since she wanted the date to be as casual as possible, otherwise she might just embarrass herself from being so uncomfortable. The wooden door creaked open, followed by the soft ring of the bells and she would be greeted by the sight of amiable people and her date of the day, seated at one of the tables. She’d give a small wave towards him before approaching the table.

”Sorry, was I too late?” – was the first thing she could manage out of her lips.

It was very courteous of him to pull the seat for her to sit as she neatly tucked her dress underneath her and plopped herself onto the chair. Chivalry isn’t dead, yet, the thought crossed her mind and she couldn’t help but stifle a smile to herself. Cerulean orbs glanced around the area, taking in everything that entered the sight and honestly, she was very satisfied with the choice of restaurant that Chelvaric had picked. The place was very cozy, its amicable ambience similar to that of a warm family and she loved the adornments decorated around the shop. Soft tunes played in the background while the workers silently worked behind the counter after they greeted her with a smile. The fragrance of wild flowers nearby, from the pots that were located by the side of the store assailed into her nostrils, along with the scent of food that was being cooked in the kitchen.

”I love the place.”

The words trailed out of her lips, although she had no intention of saying it but it seemed like it answered Chelvaric’s question at the same time. The store did not have many customers and it was not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, she had wished some silent, quality time with Chelvaric and presumed that they would get to know each other better that way, unlike being in stores crowded with numerous people. From her seat, she had the view of the entrance and noticed how only couples came and left. The girl fidgeted, adjusting the strap of her dress and stared down at the empty plate placed in front of her until Chelvaric broke the silence once again. Upon hearing the word ‘cakes’, her head titled ever so slightly and her mouth watered.

”I’d love to try it out after the meal. Should we get the menu?”

The white haired girl had been famished the entire morning since she did not have any breakfast, for she was using all her time to dress herself up and even attempted to do some makeup. She was not one to look all fancy but she wished to look her best on the date since it was her first, after all. The maiden raised her hand above her, in an attempt to catch the attention of the waiters behind the counter and once noticed, the employee would rush to their side with a thin book held in her hands.

Azure orbs scanned over the lines written on the menu as she struggled with what food to eat since all the pictures that were put on display looked yummy enough to be devoured by her. Filpping through the pages, she pondered on what she wanted to eat but she had already decided on what she wanted to drink. ”Can I have lime juice please?” The waiter nodded with a smile and jotted down in his notebook. In the heady heat of August, refreshing juices would be the best option that would cool down your body. Another option would jumping into a pool of water. Speaking of which, a swim at the beach would be perfect in this season. Even though it was summer, Snowflake had never got an opportunity to travel towards the beach since she was mostly busy with missions.

”…And a porterhouse?”

”What kind of gravy would you like, ma’dam?” The waiter was much older than her and the moment he spoke, Snowflake noticed his thick accent and couldn’t help but be surprised. She figured that the man wasn’t from this place but quickly pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and continued.

”Mushroom gravy, please. Thank you.”

The waiter walked away after taking every order from both customers and Snowflake located her elbows on the table before clasping her hands. When Chelvaric had questioned her the reason she was eating food, she couldn’t help but tilt her head at the question in confusion. It took her a moment to rephrase the entire sentence and register it into her mind before she fully understood it. ”Oh, I’m still partly human.” She explained but paused for a brief moment before adding, ”…I suppose.” It was a confusing topic, actually. She never understood it either, why she was able to consume even when she was a cyborg herself. Her doctor never discussed much about it but just informed her that she was able to do anything she wanted after she transformed her body.

While other average females would be content with a plate of salad to flatter their dates, Snowflake, on the other hand, was not going to sacrifice great food just for the sake of making herself look like she doesn’t eat much. It would not be true, for Snowflake was not one to eat so little, but instead would binge down food like a giant and she simply does not care how she would appear to be while she does so. Silence reigned supreme within the area and the sound that could only be heard was the soft clang of cutlery in a distance and some whispers and giggles from the couple nearby. Her eyes were fastened onto the couple beside her while she sipped her lime juice, observing every action they made. It was quite adorable to see other lovers being so cozy with each other, however, she wasn’t sure if she wanted anything of that sort.

Snowflake was not one to act so close with someone – let alone having a lover for herself and she was not sure if she had any feelings for anyone around her. Cerulean eyes drifted back to the man sitting in front of her. Subtly, she let her eyes wander over the features of his face and studied him. No doubt, he was a good-looking man and he has a gentle as well as a pure heart. While she sipped her drink, she pondered about those things and imagined herself being together with Chelvaric. Immediately, she pushed her thoughts out of her mind.

”…I don’t remember.”

The topic that Chelvaric suddenly brought up changed the atmosphere. The girl went silent briefly as she stared down at her own plate. It was tragic that she couldn’t even remember where she came from, not even how her parents looked like. She never had images of them as well. It’s been so long that the pain from her heart had vanished and whenever she was required to discuss about these topics, she wouldn’t feel anything. ”I just know that I was travelling alone around the country.” She continued and took another sip from her drink.

”What about you?”  

Shortly after, the food was delivered at their table. Even from this distance, she could smell the rich fragrance of meat lingering in the air, mixed with the scent of flowers before assailing into her nostrils. Her stomach grumbled lowly and when the waiter pushed the kitchen doors open, there was a glint of sparkle in her eyes and she couldn’t help but feel excited for the food to be placed in front of her. The meal consisted of the porterhouse itself, accompanied with some salad and chips, as well as a jar of mushroom gravy that she had ordered. Even before digging into her meal, she was satisfied by the look of how delicious the meat looked. Chelvaric seemed to have order steak as well but a different kind with some takoyaki as dressings on the plate. It was really fancy but she was sure that it would taste amazing, just like her dish.

With a knife and a fork, she began to slice out the meat that was still cooked medium rare. The knife easily cut through the meat even with such little effort and when she saw the red meat inside, her mouth immediately watered. Placing it inside her mouth, she was surprised by how appetizing it was that she couldn’t help but let out a soft ’Mmm’ out of her lips. Savouring the flavour on her tongue, she let the chewed bits roll down her throat, on its way to digestion. While she continued to eat, Chelvaric would share his story and the white haired wizard would nod in appropriate areas. She could see a glint of spark in his eyes and although she didn’t want to believe it, it seemed that tears were welling up his eyes.

”…I’m sorry to hear that.”

Her words wouldn’t do anything much but she hoped that he would feel better. It would indeed a horrible sight to have seen your comrades being slaughtered, despite how Snowflake had never made one before. But, now that she has become a mage, she was beginning to experience so many new things and even made acquaintances with the members of Blue Pegasus. Somehow, she was glad that Chelvaric was opening up to her more about his life when Snowflake was still struggling to share her story about how she had decided to become a cyborg.  

Snowflake looked up from the plate she was eating and slowed down her pace as Chelvaric confessed that she was the first person that he had ever told the stories about his past to. She understood the pain of bottling up feelings and was highly aware that it was a terrible method, since she had experienced everything herself. Gaining trust from her fellow friend was something that made her elated as well. It was an indescribable feeling but it was something warm spreading inside her, from her heart reaching out to the rest of her body. So, it feels like this to gain trust, she thought to herself and dropped the cutlery in her plate. Her hand reached out for Chelvaric’s across the table and held it for a long moment.

”Don’t bottle up feelings. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

Being someone who is terrible at intercommunication, it was the best advice she could give him and undoubtedly, she will stay by her word when she makes promises. In fact, Snowflake is also a good listener, despite how she may not look like one. Releasing his hand, she wondered if her actions were too rash but did not bother to dread on her thoughts for too long and immediately continued eating. The change in topics released the tension in the air and she was glad that Chelvaric moved on quick after what he had just explained. ”To be honest, I haven’t been to the guild much either.” The girl admitted. The first time that she had ever seen the guild was when she decided to join Blue Pegasus and received an emblem engraved in her skin as a form of proof that she is indeed, a member of the guild.

”We should visit the guild together sometime.”

When Chelvaric suddenly asked her to open her mouth, the girl blinked owlishly, wondering the reason why but quickly obeyed his request anyway. Once she did so, she received a ball of takoyaki inside her mouth and chewed onto the food. ”It’s really good.” Her eyes widened by the rich taste of the food and slice up a part of the meat from her plate and transferred it onto his. Shortly after they would finish their meals, the so-called famous cakes would be delivered to their tables and it was the part that she had been expecting the most over the course of their meal.

Having a travel partner would be helpful since Snowflake mostly travels with Vysella alone and their journey was boring and exhausting most of the time, not that she minded. If Chelvaric would join her in travelling, at least she’ll have some fun company and perhaps, time might go faster that way. So far, the date had been going incredible. Snowflake was starting to feel very comfortable despite how she was acting like a wreck of nerves the moment she entered the restaurant. Mayhap, the ambience of the store assisted her to be able to adapt quickly to her surroundings. Shortly after, she finished her meal and no doubt, she had her enormous fill of food. Her stomach slightly protruded outwards as she rubbed her hand against her abdomen.

”I think I ate too much.”

The maiden leaned back in her chair and heaved out a sigh, followed by a small smile, almost barely noticeable, after witnessing herself in such a ridiculous state. Shortly after, the waiter emerged once again, but with a plate of cake held in his hands. Despite how she was unable to fit any more food inside her stomach, if it was dessert, she would thrust the food down her throat even if it meant that her stomach would burst open. The cake was something she had been waiting the entire time after all. The waiter removed the empty dishes and replaced it with the cake. Even with just a single glance, she could see the soft texture of the cake. Lightly, she poked it with a knife and noticed how the cutlery easily bounced off the surface like a sponge.

The waiter helped them slice the cake and placed it into different plates for the two of them. Digging into it with her fork, she placed it in her mouth and was immediately surprised by how soft and gooey it felt. It was as if she was eating a sponge, but a good one. From the taste of it, it was definitely a cheesecake. Although the cake did not appear special or too fancy, the taste and the texture of it was divine, no wonder it was famous throughout the entire city. She didn’t want the date to be over just yet. It would be too boring for the day to end with just a lunch so she decided that they should add an extra event to their date. ”Would you like to go to an amusement park afterwards?”

Going to an amusement park had always been her childhood dream, however, having a family that doesn’t do much did not help anything – let alone travelling another town for vacation. It did not bother her much since she was always buried underneath books but it didn’t mean she could hide the fact that she wanted to be like other children with their families; going to the beaches and parks. And now, she was finally having her childhood dream fulfilled. Excited, she finished her cup of lime juice while the waiter came by once again to deliver the bills. As she prepared to take out some jewels out of her purse, Chelvaric had already paid everything for the meal. Even though it was a date, she didn’t mind splitting the bills since she was sure enough that she had enough money with her.

”Thank you for the treat.”

The young woman displayed her gratitude before getting up her seat. Since it was lunch time, she assumed that Vysella would be hungry as well and thus, ordered some meat as a takeout, which she paid it for herself. Exiting the store, she would be greeted by the sight of her companion quietly seated by the corner and sat on her knees to give her the food. With a ruffle of her soft fur, Snowflake let her dig into her meal. ”Hope you didn’t wait too long.”

Snowflake turned to face her date afterwards and let him lead the way towards the amusement park, since she was still not familiar with the roads in the town and the coordinates of their destination was still unknown to her. Even if they did not know the way, they could ask the nearby pedestrians, or so she figured. As she trailed along Chelvaric’s shadow, she noticed how his tall height easily towered above others, including hers while she struggled to match his pace. Her fingers clutched onto the strap of her purse and gazed beyond her, the blue sky stretching for eons without seeing the end to it and the bright, yellow orb shining brightly in the empyreans above. Somehow, she was glad that the weather was perfect for the day.

Along the way, the two wizards weaved through the dense flow of people. Surprisingly, Crocus was a bit more crowded than it usually was. As they edged through the crowds, Snowflake would often bump into Chelvaric due to people pushing each other. Their skins grazed against each other and for the first time, she could feel goosebumps climbing onto her skin. Much to her surprise, Chelvaric grabbed a hold of her hand gently and it was the least thing she had expected during that moment. A wave of colour rose from her neck and flushed her cheeks. Embarrassed, the youth gazed down at the space between her feet as she attempted to hide her blushing face. Her fingers curled around his hand and she could feel how large and warm they were. Her heart pounded fast against her chest and threatened to burst out of her ribs.

Is this love?

It was a feeling she had never experienced before and somehow, she seemed to be enjoying it. By foot, it did not take them long to arrive at their destination, which was an amusement park. She was immediately greeted by the loud screaming of people and the sight of large machines twirling and rolling around. Some people would be scared senseless at first sight but for her, she was in awe. Excitement rushed through her body and for the first time, she felt like a child. A variety of colours were thrown everywhere and characters from cartoons and animes existed in this world. It was as if she was in a dreamworld that she had so much wanted to be. The first thing that caught her attention was the ride that twisted and twirled with fast speed.

”What is that thing? I wanna try it.”

One could see the excitement in her eyes albeit, it was concealed with a dark cloth that acted as her visor. Without bothering to wait for an answer from Chelvaric, Snowflake grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the ride.

Rollercoaster – or so was it called. The word repeated in her head until it was engraved on her brain. Everything that occurred for the day was bound to be imprinted in her mind, as well as her experiences of taking these ridiculous rides and her first time of being on a date. Glancing around, she noticed how the townsfolk were holding tickets in their hands after they returned from the booth located in the middle of the park. Assuming that these rides would require tickets, Snowflake dragged Chelvaric behind her as they approached the booth.

”Tickets for two, please.”

The woman behind the counter greeted them with a smile before making some stamps on the tickets and delivered it to them after she's paid for the tickets. It seemed that Snowflake was massively excited to try out the ride and thus, she ended up running out, rushing to places. Seeing how there was a long line of queue for the ride, it must be really popular among the visitors and guests. She fidgeted, her foot tapping against the hard ground, unable to contain her enthusiasm. Once it was their turn, she barely wasted any second and took a place right in the front of the ride. Back then, she heard it from other children that you get the best feeling when you ride at the front of a rollercoaster.

Before long, the machine started with a jolt and slowly climbed up the rail. Her heart thudded against her chest and the few seconds before the ride began was just slow torture. Fingers drumming against handle, she waited until it began. Everything was a blur. The second they reached the top of the rail, the ride immediately rushed down, twirling and twisting. It was as if she left a part of her soul behind. Adrenaline rushed through her body and before she knew, she was already screaming at the top of her lungs. When the ride was done, she was so stunned that she had to take a brief moment to maintain her posture.

”It’s amazing! Let’s try it again!”

It was the first time she had ever shown her excitement to someone else. This time everyone could see her loop-sided grin, the corners of her mouth stretching from ear to ear and fists curled into a tight ball in front of her.

Being not exactly a patient person, Snowflake hated waiting, especially when she was just going to get on a roller coaster ride. Since it was a weekend, there were many people vising the amusement park, albeit most of them were families or couples and a few groups of boys and girls. While she waited for her turn to get on the ride, she glanced around the park and observed the other ones located in the theme park so that she has the next ride planned after she finished the rollercoaster. The structures were so large that you could easily see them even from a distance.

Shortly after, it was their turn and it was no doubt that Snowflake would take the first seat in front once again. Although it was her second time experiencing the rollercoaster, she still didn’t get bore of it. Her heartbeat slowly rose as the ride climbed higher up the rail and once it thrusted down the path, she began to scream with adrenaline rushing through her body. This time, she had her arms up in the air, just like the few daring ones on the ride.

Silver hair flew in all directions and when the ride was done, she looked like a mess. Embarrassed, she combed her hair with her fingers and fixed the dark piece of cloth located around her eyes. She was glad that her dress didn’t flew up like her hair did in the middle of the ride when it twisted and turn to the entire opposite side. Coming to the amusement park was the correct decision after all, the girl thought and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. After they were done with the ride, Chelvaric mentioned about how painful it was bumping into the wall of the coaster. She couldn’t blame him, it did actually hurt but she was enjoying the ride so much that she didn’t even bother to care about the pain. Seeing how messy Chelvaric’s long hair had turned out, Snowflake couldn’t help but chuckle to herself and helped him sort out his hair by gently tugging through it.

The next ride was going to be the Haunted Mansion. She was growing to relish in the feeling of having thrills even from a single ride, so who knows what the haunted building might have for her. Pointing a finger towards the direction of the building, she made her decision.  

”That looks really fun. Let’s try that.”

The vibe from the Haunted Mansion was different from the other rides nearby and she presumed that the workers who had constructed the building turned out to make it that way. Eyes wander over the building and she noticed how it was decorated with faces of zombies, spiders and other creatures that might scare people, and somehow, it worked. Compared to the other rides, the queue for the mansion was much shorter and it seemed scary enough that only the daring ones would join the line. As they queued up, Chelvaric mentioned how she could use his arm if she ended up getting frightened inside the building. Snowflake couldn’t help but chuckle to herself at his comment, assuming that the haunted mansion wouldn’t be anything but a piece of cake.

Darkness surrounded them as they entered through the large doors, leading inside the building. The ride was a rather smaller one unlike the rollercoaster they had just ridden on, not that she minded. It began slow and steady, with not much happening throughout the ride but just zombies dropping from the ceiling. It did catch her off guard although it wasn’t scary enough to make her go screaming. As they rode through, they would encounter a location where the zombies reach out their hands towards them before they crashed into a glass-like structure. Of course, it was animated and through the cracks came out tons of spiders and god, it was nightmare for her. The next that occurred to her was something she had never expected.

The ride went backwards, but this time at a faster pace and suddenly, they were falling backwards into a dark hole. Her heart almost leaped out of her chest and a gasp escaped her lips while she tightened her grasp onto the bar in front of her.