cold as ice swift as wind the whole world i'll acquire

It wasn’t a cold evening, nor was it a warm one, but it was quiet and lonely, and there were far more whispering breezes over the roar of crowds. The evening passed on as restless as ever, the stars were burning their cores and neon lights were buzzing at the hyper-sound of migraines and ladies in up-tight skirts were dancing across the palm of men as they threw their money at the roulette—to win or not, which excited them. People sought the glee and wonder of a night-time refuge to hopefully distance themselves from their lives when the sun calls them in. But, one young woman could only settle her tired, beaten body on a vacant cold bench that night. The stranger stared beyond her, into nothingness as she watched the lights from the buildings flicker in the distance, across the verdant lawns.

As night deepened, random lights of fireflies blinked more frequently until the canopy below, billowing in dark waves, sparked with benign, green embers under a star-speckled sky. Nothing seemed to be on her mind, and she was genuinely enjoying the tranquillity around her much more than she had expected. The stillness wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was the sort of silence that her body came to crave somehow over time. Quiet places like these had always been her favourite, more than bars or pubs, though she must admit that she enjoyed drinking especially after a long restless day. While the woman laid bare on the bench, tiny droplets of water descended from the sky as she gazed up at the empyreans above her.

It started to rain.

Pushing her tired being off the bench, she made a quick note to herself to hurry home before she would be completely soaked wet, and she didn’t want that, especially not after she’d bought the outfit she was wearing most recently. It was a pale lavender buttoned up shirt, tucked neatly behind a skirt with flowers embroidered onto the fabric; black in colour. The outfit was simple, yet, cute, which was the mere reason why she had purchased it. The ruffles of her skirt billowed each step she took, heels impatiently clacking against the cobblestones while she had only one objective in mind—to get home as fast as possible.

Shortly after, Snowflake was found breathing heavily with her short wet hair glued to the nape of her neck in a grubby fashion. Clothes tightly clung to her body like a child to its mother, and were unrelenting in the harsh gales that blew across the undulating lands of Magnolia. Her body was drenched, though not completely—yet—as she struggled to find a shelter from the pouring rain. How come everything appears closed just when she was in desperate need of a roof? Fortunately enough, a convenience store came into view as she hastily sought for the shelter of the shop and she was astonished to find that she was not alone, but with a young female who settled beside her. Perhaps she was running away from the downpour as well? The thoughts crossed her mind while the woman stood under the roof, wiping raindrops off her body.

Her efforts of not getting soaked was all sought in vain.

Curious, the demon studied the girl laid beside her. Cuddled up to her own knees, the stranger appeared frail and fragile—almost like the smallest insecure being she'd ever seen. The frosty beauty didn’t see any reason as to why she should concern over someone she’d never known, and yet, the angel within her was telling her to help her up and be there for her. Why should she? Albeit, the sight of a female completely in distraught was heartbreaking to her.

”Are you alright?” the words escaped her lips, breathlessly. She was still panting from the running she had done, with beads of sweat mixed with rain lining her temple.