Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

To be honest, he didn’t know how the heck he let those brutes drag him in that nonsense. 

Unlike them, Ruth was busy. He had several things to do: work, projects, research, chores that needed to be done (it wasn't as if someone else would clean his flat -which, by the way, started to smell quite unpleasantly). Even a much-needed nap would be better and more productive than being in that place.

Scratching the back of his head, he reclined in his chair deeper, trying to look at everything but the new person in front of him. 

Small talks weren't his favourite thing in life. What's the point in superficial conversations where each new company was set on repeat with almost the same facade and the same topics?

Weather? It had been checked at least ten times in the last hour. 

The restaurant? Yes, beautiful. Everybody had seen it. 

Work? It was unbelievable how he got sick of having the same conversation about his job and awards more than fifteen times in a row. After a while, even bragging had lost its charm. 

Food? Well, thinking about that, he hadn't eaten anything yet, not even a snack or an appetizer. 

Where is the food?

He inspected the table in front of him and the nearby ones. The only thing on top was wine. Maybe the organisers were aware of how tedious the event could be and considered they would get better results if everyone were drunk. 

Completely understandable.

At that pace, it would be needed to be insane to endure the whole night sober. However, food was one of his main reasons for coming here in the first place.

Touching his belly, he recalled the words that the orange brute said while trying to convince them to attend that special event for which he recently got passes.

'... There'll be free food,' were the words that reverberated in his head.

It sounded reasonably tempting at the moment. Imagine a fancy dinner, completely free, in a nice place Ruth could enjoy. It would be a good reward after all the hardships he had to endure in the last months. If he got the luck to have a bearable company in the process would be a plus. Although, it didn’t matter.

However, he didn't take into consideration a teensy-weensy, but ever so crucial little tiny detail within his calculations: his stamina for social interactions wasn’t as big as he thought. In fact, almost losing it all so fast wasn’t part of the plan.

"The weather is nice, isn't it?" A taut voice from the other side of the table pronounced the same sentence he had heard more times than necessary that night.

Really? Has human creativity become this?

Nodding absently, he looked at the other tables, wondering if the food would be worth the bothersome of having to pass through the same pre-programmed conversations on repeat when he spotted the leader of those brutes shifting his position every five seconds.  

Oh! That was the other reason.

Riftan wasn't the type of man who showed interest in those activities or any activity that required a certain sense of manners or sensibility. Let's be real; everything about socialising wasn't part of his strengths. Not even think about romantic feelings.

After knowing a person for more than ten years ago, you learn a thing or two about them. One thing he learned about Riftan, aside from his sharp mind and physical skills, was that he had no interest in the opposite sex -or any sex-. It was baffling how that man would find himself in so many situations with women and men who had (literally and metaphorically) thrown themselves into his arms and still, he had no other reaction but clear disgust. 

What could possess a person to even think about approaching that man? Has nobody seen those murderous eyes?

Anyways, just thinking about Mr Sunshine accepting the invitation to participate in a speed dating event was intriguing enough to make space on his busy agenda. How many other chances would he have to witness such a show in life? 

‘This was a golden opportunity he would not let slip by.

Riftan was sitting a couple of tables from Ruth, just next to Hebaron's table. Saying he seemed annoyed would be an understatement. Even in the military, Ruth hadn’t seen that man so uncomfortable in his life. His aura was so dark, hostile as if he were about to kill someone at any moment. 

Looking at the poor woman in front of Riftan, he scratched his head again. The young lady seemed frightened. ‘Like a tiny trembling mouse cornered in front of a panther. It was impossible not to feel pity for the girl or anyone who dared to try to be a part of Riftan's non-existent love life. She never stood a chance. 

By God, why cannot he drop that attitude for a second?

Thinking about that, after hearing a positive response to Hebaron’s invitation, Ruth expected something different. Maybe, Riftan finally got some curiosity about relationships. Perhaps, he was feeling lonely, as anyone else would feel at a certain point in their lives. Or there was a possibility that the war affected him more than he would let others know. In the end, it didn’t matter what the reason would be Ruth was sure there was a logical explanation for his uncommon behaviour. And he was willing to discover that (for research purposes, obviously).

A loud ring pierced his ears, waking him from his internal ramblings. It was time to move to the following table. 

He ambled to the chair indicated by the assistant, trying to keep a -not so obvious- eye on where his mates were placed. Now, Riftan was sitting almost next to him. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of what was about to happen. Finally, he would get some details.

“Do you know when the food will be served?”

Before he could take a seat, the young woman, with brown hair and tanned skin, at the table inquired. She looked exhausted or… bored… Maybe both. 

“I expect soon,” Ruth said, sitting at the assigned chair. It seemed he wasn’t the only one worried about the food.

With a disappointed gesture, she proceeded to put her complete attention to her phone. At the same time, Ruth tried not to roll his eyes at the boring and quite uncomfortable situation that was happening at the table located a few kevets from him. 

Riftan was sitting straight with his arms crossed, quiet. So unbelievably quiet. Even though his face was expressionless, something was unsettling in his aura. In the last rounds, it seemed that he said one or two phrases, at least. But now, no matter what the other person said or did, he kept silent. His body seemed tense with his jaw completely clenched as if he were restraining himself from saying or doing anything.

A frightening stillness.

Why is he here?

With the behaviour he was witnessing, Ruth was surprised his friend hadn’t stormed out of the place yet.

“Once you have chosen your partner for the rest of the night, you can move to the area where dinner will be served.” One of the assistants stated after the dark-haired woman on the opposite side of the table inquired about the food one more time, leaving them with a small reverence. Both of them were caught groaning in unison after the statement. Again, it seemed they were thinking the same thing.

He observed Riftan looking in the distance as if he was trying to dissociate his mind from the moment. Why would that man do something like that? He wasn't even trying to get to know someone which left his comrades questioning the reasons why his friend would be in that place. 

With a hand on his chin, Ruth was lost in thought, reconsidering his decision to participate in that event. There was a reason behind his actions. He was sure about that. Someone could have said there was some political move if romance wasn’t the cause. However, that was very unlikely; Riftan wasn’t the type to be interested in politics, even though he had a high-ranking position within Whedon’s militia, and they were surrounded by some of the high-class members of the country.

After all, Riftan wasn’t the type of person who did things without thinking. Well, most of the time. So, seeing him doing something completely foreign to his personality was quite intriguing. Funny even. But, at that point, it was more uncomfortable than he initially would have thought.

And it was one of the things that Ruth didn’t want to witness at all.

“He’s quite attractive,” she said, grabbing a glass and taking a sip, “but I don’t think you’d have a chance.”

Ruth arched his brow, redirecting his attention to the woman at the other side of the table. ‘Confused by the sudden comment, taking his time to process her words.

"It seems like a lost battle." She asserted, turning her gaze from Ruth to Riftan and back to Ruth.

“Wait... WHAT?!” Ruth, who was resting his arms over the table, shouted, clumsily jumping from his seat - moving the table as a result of his theatrical movements, almost knocking the wine and his chair onto the floor. It was evident that his dramatic reaction attracted the attention of a good number of attendees. 

“What kind of nonsense are you saying?!” He exclaimed, throwing his arms up to the ceiling.

“Relax. I’m not judging.” She interjected, raising her hands in defeat. However, it did little to appease an impassive Ruth. “I’d say ‘go ahead, you’ve nothing to lose ’, but that man seems… uninterested, to say the least.”

“I’m not interested in him!” He exploded, paying no mind to the unnecessary attention he was attracting,  “I’m not here for that.” Ruth finalised, sitting again on his chair and crossing his arms - feeling insulted by the sole thought of someone associating him with Riftan in that way.

“If you say so.”

"Not even in the deepest desperation," Ruth said, starting to feel a growing pain in his head.

"Yeah…"

“I’m here for the food only. Nothing else.” He pointed, hitting a finger against the table to make his statement even clearer.

"The beefcake, I see," she quipped with a witty smile.

 “Seriously? Are you even paying attention?” Ruth grumbled, rubbing his hair harshly.

“Yep. That’s why I saw you paying attention to Mr Smiley since you came to my table.” She said with a nonchalant demeanour.

“That’s not... We are just friends, ok?” 

“Ouch! Friendzone. Feel ya.” she said, raising the wine bottle, leaning it towards his glass, “you’ll find someone else. In the meantime, take a drink.” She finalised, smiling at him.

‘This is going to be insufferable.

Ruth rubbed his temples in undisguised annoyance. It was clear it didn’t make sense to continue with that conversation. But why did she have to think he was interested in such stupid things? And what’s worse… with Riftan?! That simple thought would be a nightmare material for the following nights.

“Why are you here?” He inquired, rubbing his brow as if to soothe a headache. It was better to redirect the conversation to any other topic before he could suffer a stroke.

"I lost a bet," she sighed, looking at her cup. 

Ruth arched a brow with arms crossed over his chest, pondering whether to ask for elaboration or ignore her. Would it be reasonable to engage in a possible interesting conversation? Or would it be better to ignore that woman for his own sake? 

Looking at the atmosphere, it was probable that the number of reasons to regret having come to that place was increasing for Ruth and the most annoyed person in the room.

For Riftan, the little tantrum of the mage served as a well-deserved break from the living hell he had had to get through - for only God knows how much time he had been there. Little mattered the reasons for his childish ruckus. Riftan just needed something to distract himself from the moment.

Each time he had to change tables had been a torment, meeting a new snob on every possible occasion. If he knew the event would be packed with so many entitled, stupid rich layabouts, he wouldn’t have accepted Hebaron’s invitation. 

He had nothing in common or an actual interest to be associated with them. But Agnes’ conversation moved something within him, making it incredibly difficult to ignore the opportunity.

Surveying the room, he started wondering if what he heard was wrong. It wasn’t as if Riftan liked to gossip or eavesdrop on other people’s conversations.  It was a mere coincidence when he walked through the corridor of the training facility and heard the blonde talking over the phone about that event. At first, he didn’t even pay attention to the topic of conversation until she mentioned the name of that red-haired: Maxi, the one who had chased his dreams since he saw her in that camp for the first time - one of the youngest members of the infirmary unit.

Anyone would have known Agnes wasn't what someone would call a completely reliable source of information, but he had no other chance. ‘The moment he heard that both of them would be attending a speed dating in one of Drachium’s most famous restaurants, he was determined to seize the moment to approach her. If he needed to participate in a stupid event like that one, he would do it. 

But he never had thought that would be so hard to accomplish. After almost an hour, there were no signs of that ginger.

And, it wouldn’t be as if he could ask for help - death would be a better destiny instead of such exposure.

What the hell am I doing?

He looked at the other tables, wondering how many were left. There weren't so many remaining tables he needed to visit, that was for sure. Therefore, that would only mean he was closer. He just needed to endure a little bit more. 

However, something was missing, and Riftan couldn’t help but feel a sharp pain in his heart each time he looked at the other tables and found no sign of red hair - her red hair.

The fact of not being able to see all the people at once within the intricate structure of the room was even more irritating. What was the point of so many divider walls and sections? He needed to go through the whole process instead of skipping it and going directly to where he wanted. 

And it wasn’t as if he had more choices. Every time he wanted to skip the nonsense, he was stopped by an employee or Hebaron. The risk of making a scene and ruining his image in front of her was high. ‘Just the idea of Maxi appearing in the worst moment was frightening enough to make him sweat. If he needed to play along to have a real chance with her, he would do it, that and more.

The bell rang again. It was time to move to another table. 

Standing from his seat, he tried to look around one more time before reaching the following table. Why has this to be so complicated?

"No way!" A feminine laugh broke his concentration.

"It's true! Those brutes wouldn’t be alive if it weren't for me." Ruth smiled, tilting his head slightly back.

The laughter drew his attention back to the table in front of him. It seemed that Ruth was enjoying himself way too much. Riftan couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the scene. After such a dramatic show he made up some minutes ago, he was there sharing stories and laughing like he were with an old friend. 

It was as if the mage knew no shame. 

Before Riftan could reach the table, couples from all over the place started leaving for the next section. His heartbeat was running in a crescendo, flooding his senses. He looked at his surroundings through the sea of people moving and chatting, trying to catch her image. Anything: a glimpse of red clouds, the sparkles of her silver fire eyes that could warm everything on a winter night, or the golden dust that graciously adorned her pale skin. 

He wasn’t ready to give up, not at that moment. 

Ignoring the voice of the assistant, he strode through the crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of red hair or grey eyes. He moved his head from left to right, running his fingers through his hair, and looking at the couples disappear behind the greenery entrance. There was no sign of crimson and silver. 

The tiny threads of hope he held onto were slowly disappearing.

Maybe, they decided they wouldn’t attend that event in the end. And Riftan wouldn’t blame them. However, if she wasn’t there, it meant he wasted his time and energy for nothing.

“Hey, Captain. Are you okay?” Hebaron grabbed Riftan by the shoulder with a concerned look, stopping him a couple of kevets in front of the host, who was checking all couples' passes.

Riftan rubbed his face harshly. It was foolish to think he would meet her like that. And what would he do or say? It wasn’t as if he didn’t have any opportunity before.

During those months in the Dristan War, he could barely stand in front of her. Each time he dared to say something, it was almost understandable in the best case. Most of the time, he would just say something rude, dumb or both. 

Who was he trying to fool? He was doomed from the beginning. Even if she had come to that restaurant, there was no possibility he could do something positive for his own sake. In the end, that was one hour of his life he never would get back.

“Nothing, just…“ He wanted to leave that place and meant to say it. If he would have said: ‘I call it a night. Enjoy yourselves’, left the place, drove his car to his flat, and took a long bath to relax his body; he could have pretended that hour didn’t happen at all. That would have been so easy and less troublesome to do. If only he would have seen Hebaron in the eyes instead of stealing a glance across the greenery arc.

But, that moment she crossed the place at the other side of the arc, he lost absolute control of his body. Across the dining area entrance, delicately decorated with white roses and dark green foliage, the tiny silhouette of a red-haired lady in a blue cocktail dress was seen crossing the room to the right. She moved as if she were floating, with the end of her ponytail swaying graciously from side to side. It seemed as if the light were complotting with her, making her skin glow in harmony with her delicate features. She was a vision, and he was captivated by her. 

Without thinking, his body moved. As if he was a mere piece of metal pulled by a magnet, letting the forces of nature act on him to reach his destination.

“E-Excuse me, Sir. You cannot enter without a companion.” The hostess said with a trembling voice, stopping his march to the entrance.

He met the eyes of the staff woman, watching her harshly and grimacing in discontent. Riftan was about to push her away when he looked back to his only reason to be in that stupid place, walking by the arm of a brown-haired man.

He was late. So fucking late. 

At that moment, a sharp pain struck his chest. He felt numb, with his brain struggling to catch what was happening in his surroundings. The complaints of the hostess, Hebaron's voice at his back, and the chatters of the other members of the staff and couples; all the sounds around made him dizzy.  

As he remained in his place, other employees redirected the people waiting to join the dinner area to the other side. Unable to move him. All the other couples were walking by his side while he had his feet glued to the ground. 

That couldn’t end like that, could it?

Fuck it! He thought after what felt like an eternity. He didn’t come so far and endured people's bullshit for so long to give up easily. Who cares if she was with a company? If he didn’t have an opportunity, he would create one.

A mix of grey hair and an annoying laugh passed by his side, catching his attention by the corner of his eye and giving him an idea. After all, the only condition to access that part of the building was that they needed to go in pairs. Riftan only needed someone to pair off with until he could get close to her. 

Ruth was with that bronzed woman from before, still immersed in the conversation. They walked at a slow, relaxed pace towards the entrance and gave their passes to one of the hosts before they could get access to the area where dinner would be served. 

"I hope the food will be as good as they advertised," she said by Ruth's side smiling, looking at how the host registered their passes before guiding them to a table.

Before Ruth could reply, Riftan grabbed the mage by the collar of his suit jacket, pulling him back and almost lifting him with the action.

"Wha…?!" Ruth shrieked, looking at his surroundings, feeling helpless for the force applied to drawing him far away from the arc.

"You're coming with me," Riftan said, in a cold tone, not even looking at the mage.

"Wa-wait! What are you d…!"  Ruth struggled, trying to break himself free of Riftan's grasp.

Riftan approached the hostess on his side of the entry with steady steps, dragging Ruth by the collar. The poor mage hassled under his powerful grip, screaming and writhing, trying to run away in vain. No matter what he tried to do, his weak movements were stopped by Riftan's force without effort.

Ignoring the murmurs, laughs, and complaints around him, Riftan demanded his access and a table. Meanwhile, Ruth, who was almost at his feet, opened his bluish-silvery eyes impossibly wide when Riftan extended his left arm to him, requesting his ticket pass. Dismay filled his body from head to toe.

‘This should be a nightmare . Paralysed, Ruth remained still, not believing what he was living. Why do these things happen to me? He was sure God kept punishing him for something he did. Maybe he was paying for the sins he committed in a past life.

"Quick. I don't have all night," Riftan pressured, shaking the mage to wake him from the trance.

"No! I already have a companion!" Ruth complained, still trying to escape from his captor.

"Don't make me repeat it, Ruth."

"Come on, mage. This is your big chance," Hebaron mocked before collapsing into laughter. His guffaws echoed through the hall, causing strangers to look at him.

“Why on Earth are you doing this to me?!” Unable to continue with his humiliation, Ruth fought with more energy against Riftan's grasp. 

After a moment, he slipped out of his jacket, falling on his buttocks on the floor. Despite the pain, he ran as fast as he could to reach his companion without a second to spare - putting himself behind her and grabbing her by the shoulders like she was some sort of human shield. 

"I've told you. I already have my date. Find yours as normal people do." Ruth whined from behind the woman.

"What the…?" The brunette woman stirred a little, almost hiding a mocking smile. Although without much success.

"Run!" Ruth blurted, grabbing her hand before pulling her inside the dining area with him. He was not disposed to give those men another chance to abuse him any longer.

"So bad. Better luck next time, Captain." Hebaron teased Riftan after the mage disappeared behind the green arc, patting him lightly on the back. “I’m sure you can find better prospects.”

Ignoring Riftan’s scornful eyes, Hebaron let out a boastful laugh. It was surprising how Hebaron managed to look unperturbed while part of the staff was trembling behind Riftan. He even wiped a tear that was running down his cheek, completely oblivious to the menacing aura of his Commander at the same time he continued cracking up jokes.

Riftan approached him slowly but steadily, in complete silence, overlooking the mocking comments of Hebaron and throwing away Ruth’s suit jacket. With a fast movement, he snatched a piece of paper from his comrade’s hand and handled it to the Hostess behind him, alongside his own pass.

“Uhh… Commander… What… What are you doing?” Hebaron questioned, perplexed. He gave Riftan a troubled look, hesitant of whether to see or not the moment when his leader registered both of them for the same table.

Covering his forehead with his hand, Hebaron paused before seeing his partner for the night through the corner of his eye. She was looking at him, irritation seeped from her pores. After regarding him for some seconds, she huffed and spat bitterly “I should have chosen the one with amber eyes,” before turning on her heels.

After finally getting access to the dining area, Riftan followed one of the waiters to their table, paying no mind to Hebaron's complaints. Before long, he noticed their table was next to Ruth’s. The universe liked to play with them, that was for sure. 

As soon as Ruth saw them approaching the table on the side, he tensed; looking warily at both husky men and the places they were choosing. 

Once Riftan sat on the chair aligned with Ruth unintentionally, the last, without hesitation, stood up, grabbed his chair, and dragged it as close to the woman accompanying him as he could - putting all the distance possible between him and Riftan. 

Riftan just rolled his eyes at such ridiculous actions. 

Through the distance, he observed the table of the red-haired lady. Riftan tried to determine the right moment to approach her and what he should say once the situation arrived. He didn’t want to scare her again and revive that incident in the infirmary unit during the war when instead of greeting her and trying to create a decent conversation, he ended up scolding Maxi for her lack of self-care (in a rude way). 

No need to say those comments weren’t well received.

“It seems the mage is the only one having fun here,” A grumpy Hebaron said after emptying the bottle of wine that was on their table. 

Passing his comrade's disgusted face, he looked at the mage’s table. Those two were enjoying an elated conversation again. ‘Talking about things he didn’t really understand. For a moment, he was surprised by their interaction. Even an annoying rascal like him could socialise so easily and naturally; while he was there, struggling to say a simple greeting word like Hello . 

In a trice, their annoyance was transformed into uneasiness when the lively chatters stopped and the mage cast a spell over the table.

“Prove it. Let’s see what you can do,” Ruth teased, resting a hand on the table in front of her. Over his hand, he hexed a ball of wind. The sphere was floating a short distance from his fingers.

She looked at him defiantly while Riftan and Hebaron shifted on their chairs nervously. After having met Ruth for some time, they were very aware of how talented the grumpy mage was; although, sometimes he was capable of demonstrating a high level of intelligence and an equal level of stupidity. Otherwise, there was no reason to do something so dangerous in a public space.

Ignoring the tense face of Hebaron, Riftan started to number all the possibilities of that imprudence. Someone could get hurt, something in the spell could go wrong, and being surrounded by some of the wealthiest people in the country didn’t make it better. Everything in that scene could lead to a disastrous political incident.

Before Riftan could stand from his seat or Hebaron could say something, a feminine voice responded, accepting the challenge.

They looked nervously at how she positioned herself at an angle, ready to do something to the air sphere. To Riftan’s increased worries, it seemed the woman was also a mage. After an odd movement of fingers, a second ball appeared inside the one Ruth created, smaller in size and with an air flux hastened. 

“Boring.” Ruth yawned unapologetically, unimpressed by her demonstration of magic control.

“Wait a minute, I haven’t finished yet,” She said, inclining her body over her right arm with eyes focused on the spheres. 

The small one started moving, hastening its rotation and changing its colour. Sucking a bit of air, she threw a tiny ray of light that passed through the big sphere, striking the small one, making it collapse, shine and finally display several subtle colours for some seconds before disappearing into Ruth’s sphere.

“So cliché. I see there is no creativity nowadays,” Ruth sneered.

“Hey! It’s a classic. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“That’s a poor excuse for a waste of mana,” Ruth snorted while moving his hand to disappear the spell.

“Ugh. Now your turn. Impress me.”

She narrowed her eyes just before putting more of her concentration into crafting a slightly more complex challenge for her rude partner, who hadn't stopped teasing her since he displayed that little show earlier. While she hexed an oval with a small tornado on the inside with wind magic over her hand, Ruth rolled his sleeves theatrically. 

It seemed he was ready to put on a show. 

Hovering a hand over the oval, he let out a small white light from his index finger. When it touched its surface,  a light covered the inside of the oval. 

After inspecting the spell for a moment, he nodded with a child-like smile, “that would be enough.”

The woman and some couples at the nearby tables widened their eyes in awe the moment the light disappeared, revealing the inside of the oval. He replaced the little tornado with tiny sparkles floating within its limits. With each second that passed, it seemed the glimmer was growing in number.

“Touch them.” He grinned, encouraging her to do it with a few pats on the arm. 

She regarded him for a few seconds with wary eyes. Still trying to decide whether to trust him or not. Analysing the spell, she didn’t detect any abnormality or something that could harm her physique or dignity. 

‘Disappearing the oval, the sparkles fell over her hand bit a bit, as if they were so airy to dance in the space under the light that gravity didn’t affect them like any other object in that place. When the first sparkle touched her skin, her face brightened as her eyes grew wide. She could feel the coldness of that tiny thing over her, running her palm.

“Snow?!” She diverted her gaze from the glittery snowflakes falling over her hand to meet Ruth’s eyes. He was sitting next to her with a confident smile, nodding proudly.

“That’s…!” She stopped, looking at the tiny snowflakes on her hand, not melting nor disappearing, just glimmering against the light. After staring at them for some time, the brunette finalised with a hum. “.... not bad.” 

Chortling, Hebaron took the bottle of wine a waiter delivered over their table a minute ago, shaking his head in the middle of the murmurs from the nearby tables. 

“The mage with more luck than me. The world is turning upside down.” He said before emptying a bottle - his second bottle in a row. 

That would be a long night, for sure, and Hebaron was way too sober to survive.

Riftan rubbed his face, trying to suppress the urge to hit either or both of those troublesome men. He wondered if it was remarkably challenging for them to behave in public properly.

On one side, that orange drunkard was ready to flirt with a blonde on the other table, ignoring the heated partner of said woman. And on the other side, a stupid, reckless mage that should be recluded in his lab, instead of putting people at risk with his nonsense.

Remembering his only reason to be there, he put his complete attention to Maxi’s table. She looked beautiful under the dim light of the candlelights. The beauty of the white and red roses adorning the table paled in comparison. If only they had met before, now he could be in the place of the jerk who was accompanying her.

How could I approach her?

While Riftan was thinking of feasible ways to get rid of her partner, the brown-haired man accompanying her stood from his seat and walked away from her table - leaving Maxi alone.

Before waiting for the man to walk a proper distance from Maxi’s table, Riftan stood up and marched towards her. His pulse quickened by the minute. With each step taken closer to her, he could hear his own heartbeat throbbing in his ears. 

That was his chance, and God forbid he would mess it up again.

"Hey, Calypse!" Someone shouted from behind him, but he couldn't care less about his surroundings. 

As he watched her distant figure grow with each step taken, he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander through her pale complexion. From the delicious curls that tumbled gently in reddish hues to her tiny waist, passing over her white nape and narrow shoulders. Everything in her was breathtaking.

There was no clear memory of when the little mage bewitched his heart. The only thing he knew was the swelling urge of being a part of her life.

In front of her, he stopped, wiping his damped palms on his trousers. 

Maxi was reviewing the menu, with her brows furrowed, trying to choose something edible between the eccentric names of the dishes and their unusual descriptions. Everything seemed so extravagant and out of the top. 

She bit her lower lip while reading one of the descriptions: ‘Pâté of roasted indigenous legumes, paired with a compote of seasonal berries, served on hearty sprouted wheat bread ’. It sounded even more complicated (and expensive) than the potions she prepared in the laboratory. 

Although it sounded oddly familiar, it wasn’t exactly what she would like to eat on a Saturday night. 

Even if Agnes found a way to convince her to attend that event, she couldn’t help but feel out of place. Doing something so different from her usual routine and liking left her with an uncomfortable feeling. 

Her normal weekends would be spent in the laboratory or hanging out with her friends, Sidina and Anette. 

Sometimes, travelling with Agnes, she would visit Whedon’s capital and other important cities and centres across the country, participating in numerous activities of any kind. Most of the time, Maxi would be excited about the new adventures and discoveries they would experience in their journeys. Nonetheless, there were moments when Maxi regretted agreeing with her friend. And that day was a good example of that.

Reviewing the menu again and still clueless about what she should eat, she sighed. I should ask Sejour when he comes back.

It was better to wait for Sejour and his expert guidance. After all, he was used to this kind of environment. ‘Always moving between the most important and exclusive events and places in every country of the Western Continent.

She was relieved when they met in the second round; it was always better to meet a familiar face in those standoffish places. 

Riftan cleared his throat after standing idle for some time by her table. Maxi was so concentrated on the menu that it seemed she didn’t notice his presence. Clearing his throat for a second time - louder, making her jump from her seat, snapping her head to the source of the sound, he tried to say something. 

He thought about several phrases to say, the tone he should use, how to introduce himself properly, and even his body language. Riftan wanted to make a good impression and, hopefully, erase from her head the memories of their scattered (and uncomfortable) encounters months ago during the war.

His thoughts were running wild, recapitulating, selecting and discarding all the options he could think of. From cliché phrases, movie quotes, and dialogues he heard on sitcoms, even recalling the infamous pick-up lines of Gabel and Hebaron. He looked for anything that could help.

He needed a great start. Something memorable, unforgettable. Anything that could make a new starting point in their history. 

When she locked eyes with him, he was ready to give it all in right there and there. 

It was his last opportunity to get close to her. 

And he was ready and prepared.

He got that.

That was his moment.  

‘The D-day.

“Hi,” Riftan blurted, feeling as tense as he had ever before. It was worst than being on the battlefield surrounded by enemy forces.

“Hi,” Maxi replied, a light blush appearing on her cheekbones. She was starlet by the enormous presence that just appeared in front of her.

They remained in their places among the noise of the nearby conversations, people moving, and the silence between them. Riftan scratched his brain for some topics of conversation, but he found his mind blank. 

Not now, idiot; just say something, anything.

“The weather is nice,” he said without thinking.

“Uh. Yes, I think so,” Maxi replied, trying to remember the weather before entering the building.

“It’s a nice place,” He said after a moment of silence, with an undertone full of nervousness.

“Yes… Um… very elegant…”

“I… I saw you from afar,” Riftan made a pause, hoping he would not look like a creep and scare her (again), “It’s been a while.”

“Oh… Yes. Eight months, right?” Maxi shifted in her seat, unsure of what she should do. She didn’t expect to meet the Command Sergeant of Whedon’s army in that restaurant or any place. 

It was a strange sight. Even more, after remembering all the amicable encounters where he disregarded her support in the expeditionary units. It didn't matter how well-trained she was or her position within their ranks; he always disrespectfully treated her. 

She wondered countless times how a person could be so terribly handsome and rude on an equal level.

It was such a pity.

On top of that, she didn’t know whether to feel happy or disappointed when the war ended and they were separated. Although, it wasn’t as if they were together either. While he was assigned to some port city in South Whedon, she ended up in Drachium with Agnes (after hopping between Nornui and the Continent for some time).

Every time they met, whether would be in the camp or the expeditionary units, they had a strange feeling spreading from the inside out. 

It seemed that, after eight months, nothing had changed. Even in that restaurant, she couldn’t help to feel butterflies under his gaze, and he couldn’t help but let his nervousness lead his actions.

Sejour walked through the restroom door, taking a deep breath. The night wasn’t going as he would have expected. Although, it wasn’t like he would complain though.

The event wasn’t that bad. But it would be a lie to say Sejour would have gone if he knew what kind of event it was beforehand. In the end, it was his fault. ‘The moment he received Agnes’ invitation, he should have asked what speed date meant or at least done some research before accepting it without thinking. 

Thankfully, having Maxi as his partner made the whole experience more bearable. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had a reason to stay there.

He stopped near his table, looking at the unusual scene in front of him with curiosity. Maxi who was still in her seat, had her face almost as red as her hair with her eyes fixed on a tall brunette man standing by their table.

Calypse? Why is he here?

After a few moments of analysing the situation, he put his hand on his forehead, watching the most lamentable display of courtesy and flirting he had witnessed - in his life. 

Riftan was stumbling at his own words, apologising for his rudeness in every sentence. He seemed so nervous and indecisive, taking a step to the front and back constantly. 

Wondering whether or not to save that man of himself, he barely contained the laugh when one of Riftan's movements knocked a bottle of wine, which, by the way, he tried to catch in the air quite clumsily. Who would have said that the man with one of the best records in war games was capable of clumsiness?

'Between his chuckles, Sejour looked at the ceiling like a man praying to God. After thinking about it twice - thrice, he sighed in resignation and stared for some time at the future couple before approaching them.

“I guess this is why I am here.”

Chapter Text

“Riftan Calypse. Long time no see!” Sejour approached the table with a beaming smile. His cheerful call broke the awkward tension surrounding Maxi and Riftan.

“What are you doing here?” Riftan’s mood changed drastically, turning into a stoic and menacing man, leaving no traces of the nervousness he had displayed before.

Maxi was baffled by how quickly the man could change. No more than a few seconds ago, he was a completely different person, soft and gentle. His cold reaction to Sejour’s friendly greeting made her wonder if she just imagined everything.

“I happen to have dinner with my lovely Maxi,” Sejour said with a wink, looking at Maxi’s eyes and making her blush. “And you?” He questioned, taking his seat beside her.

Riftan balled his hands into fists so hard they were about to bleed. Of all the men in this vast world, that jerk had to be the one sharing a table with Maxi. The very same, who hadn’t stopped bothering him since they met in the war games some time ago. He didn’t even know how that idiot got his number in the first place!

How could life be so unfair? Riftan spent the last months mortified about his relationship with Maxi – if it could be called that–. No matter how much he tried to find an excuse to meet her, the universe seemed to be working against him. 

When he finally could visit Nornui –after all those months of procedures and endless paperwork– it was too late; she was already gone on a mission. Since then, he had followed her lead all the way to this day. Just with the hopes that after a meeting and a proper conversation, she wouldn’t hate him anymore.

And he was at peace with that idea. To become good acquaintances, maybe friends if he was lucky. Riftan knew he already killed all possibilities of romance between them with that last argument before the end of the war.

A friendship with Maxi. He dreamed of the idea of being able to send her a message or even the luxury of calling her every now or then. What a wonderful world it would be!

But dreams belonged to the land of fantasy. In his damned reality, he was just there, standing in front of one of the most annoying bastards he had the misfortune of meeting. And what was even worse, that same bastard dared to have a date with her. Dear God! What kind of karma was he paying for?

“But, how rude of me. Please, take a seat,” Sejour said with an exaggerated demeanor before Riftan could utter a word. Quickly, he requested a chair for Riftan –who reluctantly accepted it and sat next to Maxi.

A strange trio. 

The puzzled waiter stood in a trance, looking at the unique scene before him, utterly clueless about what he should do next. After all, Riftan took the chair out of his hands with so much vigor that the poor waiter almost stumbled to the ground. On top of that, it seemed that everybody forgot about his existence as they were promptly involved in a quite distressing “battle of glances”.

It was as if there were no other people around. Riftan and Sejour sat in front of each other, unable to break eye contact. In this challenge, Sejour was smiling brightly, completely unbothered –almost oblivious– by Riftan's murderous aura. 

Uncomfortable with the situation she was suddenly involved in, Maxi cleared her throat awkwardly to break the tension. “Sh-Shall we order something?” Maybe food could distract those men long enough to end the evening without an incident.

Sejour widened his smile. Taking one of the menus, he nodded. “Have you chosen something, Maxi?”

Maxi stiffened, regretting her decision to intercede. Now, under the intense gaze of Riftan, and Sejour’s perspicacious eyes, she found herself sweating, trying to hide her face behind the menu card. “I-I was thinking that, maybe, this one could be a good option.” She quietly mumbled one of the restaurant specialties –the infamous pâté.

“Although, I love the simple things of life as you, my dear Maxi. Allow me to suggest a more delectable option,” Sejour pointed to what seemed a fish cooked with fine herbs and vegetables.

“If Maxi wants pâté, she’ll have it. Who the hell are you to say otherwise?!” Riftan spat, hitting the table as if the action would convey the message better. 

“I’m sure Maxi could enjoy something better than peanut butter and jelly on toast,” Sejour said, lifting his hands in defeat to pacify Riftan's aggressive impulsiveness. 

On the other hand, Maxi was baffled by the revelations –such a complex description of something she could do any day in her apartment.

“But Riftan is right. The decision is yours, Maxi,” Sejour’s warm eyes and gentle smile eased some tension bulbing in Maxi with the constant sway of emotions.

“I-I’d want fish. It sounds tasty.” 

Riftan’s cheek twitched. He wanted so hard to scream, to take her and ask her about all the things she liked or disliked. If only he could have the opportunity, every wish or desire she would ever have would be granted. Nothing would be too small or too big if that would give him a chance to be closer to her heart. 

However, he wasn’t sure how she’d react. What if he ended up scaring her again? What if she rejected him? What if she ended up running away from him as that day in the infirmary? What if–?

“Fish will be.” Sejour woke the waiter up and ordered what they would eat for dinner. Riftan, annoyed, hastily selected the first thing with meat he spotted on the –in his opinion– overly ridiculous menu.

This is way harder than I thought. Sejour scratched his head with a nervous laugh after the Command Sergeant of Whedon’s forces threatened him for the fifth time. The reason? An innocent joke to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, it didn’t work as Sejour expected. 

Riftan’s territorial behavior was an inconvenient surprise. Each strategy, tactic, or joke he had tried had failed miserably. He didn’t expect this evening to get so complicated. However, Sejour was sure he still could get through that problematic opposition with enough time. 

He took a sip of wine, looking at the soon-to-be couple in front of him with troubled eyes. There was something that fell off between them. Like an invisible wall. That wall was a challenge of its own. It was the worst part and something that started frustrating him. 

In his eyes, they had everything to be together. All the ingredients were there: shy looks, the tension, the obvious and almost oblivious interest in each other… even the awkwardness. However, it seemed it was too hard for them to communicate – even with help –. And Riftan wasn’t disposed to cooperate with him to change it.

As soon as the desserts arrived, he realized that that could be his last attempt to be a good Samaritan. God knew he was trying his best despite his terrible results. However, he was still hopeful there was something to get them a little bit closer. Maybe, he could craft an excuse to force them to interact more at least. Sejour just needed to think deeper, better. 

The distant sound of a known ringtone gave him the idea he was so desperately looking for. 

This was his last shot. If it didn’t work, he'd mark their relationship as a lost cause once and for all. “Are you going to Anatol’s Spring Festival?” 

“Not my thing,” Riftan said curtly before he drank a glass of wine. Sejour rolled his eyes —nothing surprising for that man.

“And you, Maxi? I know the Temple’s Child will have a special performance,” Sejour said with a knowing gaze. He knew for a fact that particular liking of her ginger friend. 

That singular road trip they had with Agnes was a fun and, now , quite convenient event. Hours filled with jokes, stories, and a wide variety of songs that they would sing out loud –including a good number from that well-known boy band– while he drove them through the highways of Livadon. An adventure of its own that filled his brain with valuable intel that he would draw on as much as possible this evening.

“Temple’s Child!? Are you sure?” Maxi’s face brightened. Her eyes glimmered at the sole mention of her beloved band.

“Absolutely! They’ll reunite for their anniversary.” 

“I’d love to!” Despite Maxi's visible excitement, suddenly, her glow faded away. “But I don’t think I can get a ticket now.” It was the biggest festival in Whedon. The most important artists from around the Western Continent, and even from other parts of the world, would perform in a three-day-long event. Tickets usually would sell out in a matter of days. No matter how hard she wanted to go, and her willingness to spend her savings on a single ticket in exchange for the possibility of seeing her idols from afar, it was virtually impossible to get one now. It was better if she didn’t harbor any illusions. Anyways, she still would have fan videos to enjoy in the comfort of her bedroom.

“Don’t worry, Maxi. I’m sure Riftan can get you special tickets for you,” Sejour's smirk turned into a wide smile. This was good. Finally, they were moving in the right direction.

“I can?” Riftan blurted by instinct. He was so immersed in his thoughts –trying to not kill that man and overprocessing each one of Maxi’s actions, registering what she ate, how she ate it and more– that he almost missed the moment Sejour included him in the conversation.

“Yes. With your contacts .” Sejour assured with a mischievous smile. 

“That’s…”Riftan scowled. One of the things he hated the most was being used in people’s plans and schemes. The rich and powerful always tried to do it. Use him as a tool to accomplish their selfish desires. And he was sure Sejour was plotting something on his own accord. Riftan could recognize the signs anywhere. He was just missing what kind of benefit he would get from this. 

After analyzing all the possibilities in seconds, he was about to reject and confront that stupid Livadonian when he looked at Maxi. Her eyes seemed too bright, like stars of silver hope. Her shine was so dazzling that he felt like a deer caught in the headlights of Maxi’s gracious beauty just to be crushed in her bliss. His heart constricted. He felt a strange pressure and a sense of responsibility to keep that light of hope lit. Dear God! How could he possibly say no now?

“I will,” Riftan said with a solemn expression as if he were making a vow. 

“With backstage passes included,” Sejour said to Maxi, making her almost jump in excitement.

With Sejour and Maxi's excited chatter in front of him, Riftan’s eye twitched. He barely knew anything about festivals or that festival in particular. If he dared to be honest, he would say he was clueless. How could he even get tickets? Internet? Was there a center or a specific place? And Sejour wasn’t even helpful, adding an endless list of additional –stupid– nonsense. 

With Maxi’s enthusiastic smile, Riftan was in inner turmoil. The more they talked, the more pressure was added to Riftan to make that festival the best experience Maxi would have in her entire life.

On second thought, Maxi deserved that and more. He was willing to go to the end of the world if he could have the opportunity to be the reason for that smile. No matter the challenge, he wanted to give her everything she ever wanted or desired so he could be blessed with her light. Being the reason behind her happiness was more than he would have dared to ask for in a lifetime.

Soon he was lost thinking about all the possible things he had to do to accomplish this gigantic mission. Resources, network, accomplices that would volunteer –by force if needed–, anything to guarantee its success…

This was an opportunity to make up for past errors or annihilate his dreams once and for all.

"Hey, mage! Change that moody attitude. It’s been an hour now," Hebaron yelled, looking at the rear-view mirror to see a grumpy Ruth, who had been complaining all the way until they reached the parking lot. Meanwhile, Gabel just sighed, turning up the music even more with some hope it could help muffle the noise.

"Give me the keys, and you won't have to hear me anymore," Ruth said as Hebaron parked the car. He didn’t know where they were going or why he had to be on that ride with those two brutes.

Ruth looked at the park not so far from where they parked. The distant sounds of music and a bustling crowd were growing as he walked out of the car. A festival? Ruth groaned loudly after he realized what kind of place Gabel and Hebaron had taken him by force. 

"If you didn't want to come, why are you here mage?" Ulyseon said, not willing to hear Ruth’s complaints as they approached them.

"Excuse me?! These two brutes just dragged me here against my will!" Ruth almost shrieked, pointing to Gabel and Hebaron as he walked alongside them to the fence, where Elliot, Garrow, and Ulyseon awaited under the shadow of an oak tree.

"You are late,” Ulyseon said as he ended their bickering. “What’s the mission?” His exasperation and apparent obnoxiousness made Ruth snort loudly. Ignoring the mage, he approached Hebaron, demanding an answer. After waiting for them for almost an hour, he was already quite irritated.

As if something possessed his body, Hebaron’s demeanor switched instantly. He stood tall and solemn in front of his team. His serious expression forced them to straighten their posture. Each one of them could feel their muscles tense. There were a few times when Hebaron behaved like a true leader. That never stopped surprising them, though. The moments he got that type of aura that always managed to inspire them on the battlefield were a sight to behold.

Elliot, Ulyseon, Garrow, and Gabel were in front of him, expectantly waiting for their orders. It should be an important matter to request their assistance all of a sudden. Maybe, they needed to escort a person of national significance, or there was a risk of a possible terrorist attack. No matter the case, they were ready to face any challenge ahead. This was their life –their duty: dedicate their lives to their nation.

“Listen, kids. This will be one of the most important moments in your life,” His voice was low as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Ruth shook his head as he crouched close to the fence. Why did those brutes always have to drag him into their antics? He already had had enough of their stupidity for two lifetimes – at least –, and now he just wanted the well-deserved reward to dedicate to what mattered to him. I want to sleep.

“But first of all. Mage, come here!” Hebaron shouted to Ruth, who was looking at the sky as if he were praying to the heavens for some mercy. “We need your abilities.”

Ruth side-eyed the man who was pointing to the fence with his thumb. He squinted –something smelled fishy for sure. After observing the wall and what he suspected to be the origin of the noise carefully, he stood up and proceeded to walk to the nearest bus stop.

“Oi mage!”

“I’m not going to help all of you cross illegally!” Ruth fumed. He was ready to leave those brutes right there – paying no mind to their complaints. It was what they deserved after they dared to take him out of his comfortable place in the lab –in the middle of one of the most satisfying dreams he had had in a long time.

The mage continued his way, ignoring the voices behind him. 

As he walked, he reached into one of his pockets, thinking it would be better if he prepared everything for the bus fare beforehand. His hand slipped into the end of the pocket. 

Nothing. 

Then, he inspected another one. Shocked, he stopped a few kevettes from the group. A cold sweat ran down his spine. He wished, hoped, to find something: a wallet, small change, his phone at least… Anything that could help him get out of that place. 

But what did he find? Nothing, zero, zip, zilch, nada. No matter how many times he rummaged in his pockets, they were empty. 

Painfully empty.

 “My cursed luck,” He mumbled under his breath after accepting his heart-wrenching reality. He was there, with a group of bullies, far far away from his home, without his wallet and phone.

“We have a mission to complete,” Hebaron said with a smile, after watching the mage idle in one place. “Everyone’s participation is strictly required.”

Ruth frowned. Without money, it would take him four hours at least to get to his flat if he decided to walk, let alone think to get back to the lab. To make matters worse, he was sure the mission didn’t exist. But if, and only if, for some doomed coincidence, that mission were real, he wasn’t eager to participate in it either. And he wasn’t obligated to obey now. Even more when there wasn’t any benefit for him. 

In fact, there were more disadvantages. If they were caught by the guards or the magical system placed in the perimeter to prevent any fence hopper from sneaking into the festival, the monetary consequences would be more significant than the cost of a couple of tickets.

If only I… The unexpected sound of his stomach cut his thoughts. He grumbled under his breath and walked back to the group, as the voices of his comrades growing irritably added another level of pressure to his already unfortunate situation.

I hope there is at least food.

After a bit more than a month, Riftan got two VIP tickets.

It took far more effort than he expected, and some sacrifices were made down the line. Some of them would haunt him for the next months – maybe for the rest of his life . Shivers would run down his spine every time he thought about that. Anyway, the only thing that mattered was that he could fulfill his promise.

He would never forget how happy Maxi was when he shared the good news. Those sleepless nights, resources invested, people bothered, deals… It was all worth it. He would treasure forever the moment she hugged him in complete ecstasy. No matter the outcome, this was already a win on his records.

“Are you sure you want to come?” Maxi asked tentatively, looking at the fast-moving landscape through the window of Riftan’s car. It didn’t stop surprising her how keen Riftan was to go to the festival with her. Why a person who seemed to dislike those kinds of events would want to attend the country’s biggest one all of a sudden?

“Absolutely. I’ve already prepared some things in advance,” Riftan reassured her as he took one of the water bottles he packed previously.

And he didn’t stop there. Riftan had made the festival his own personal crusade for Maxi’s happiness. He researched, learned as much of her likings as possible, everything about the festival and the lineup as he could, and prepared thoroughly. From arranging the ride, tents, food, water, and even a map to organizing their itinerary so she would not miss anything she liked. 

He prepared every little detail to ensure it would be the best experience of her life.

After an hour, they arrived at the festival. 

Maxi was almost bursting into excitement. The lively atmosphere of the crowd dancing and singing along to their favorite songs filled her vision. As they walked through the festival it came to her the realization that this was one of the first times she was surrounded by a whole spectrum of unique people. Some attendees looked like they had just stepped out of a Lady Rienna music video with their flamboyant costumes while others seemed that they just were out of the gym with their tank tops and shorts. 

No matter what people wore, groovy printed clothes, chunky shoes, iridescent cowboys… everybody shared the same energy and suffered from the humid, hot atmosphere. This Spring was particularly hot this year.

The hustle and bustle of chatter, people eating, drinking, and joking around, made Maxi remember her friends. 

They would have enjoyed this too . She made a silent promise to herself to plan their next getaway at a festival.

“Maxi, come here,” Riftan said by her side. 

All the guilt she felt for attending the festival without her friends was washed away when after turning around to follow Riftan, she saw one of the displays announcing Temple’s Child's special performance.  All her doubts were replaced with an explosion of feelings in her brain. The good sort of feelings. The type that carried more possibilities than she could ever imagine. 

If only I could have a chance to see him up close. After admiring the poster for a solid ten minutes, they continued walking.

Maxi looked around with eager curiosity. Booths, trucks, and tents filled the scenery. Workshops, dances, drums circles, games, vendors of all kinds. There were more activities than she ever imagined. 

They needed to cross some areas before getting close to the performance arenas.

From the food truck area, the smell of meat and other delicacies wafted in the air. She felt too tempted to ignore it. From afar, the vivid colors of the food spoke to its freshness and the bold flavors to come. As if she were enchanted, Maxi redirected her steps to the nearest truck.

“Test your strength! Give it a try and win a prize!”

Before she could reach the truck, the booming voice of a middle-aged man with a bushy beard echoed above the festival buzz. She turned to see him. The man was standing in front of a high striker. Maxi’s curiosity got picked. She approached the stand and looked at the prizes. With a sigh, she looked with deception at all the cheap trinkets the man was offering. Everything seemed to be worth less than the game’s price. 

As nothing on that stand really captured her attention, she was about to leave when a tiger plushy came into her range of vision. Golden and white and black attire. It was so fluffy, thick and soft, and completely, utterly adorable that she couldn’t hold back the urge to get it at all costs.

Before her common sense –or another person– could wake her up from her daze, she gave the man the money for a chance to win the plushy of her dreams.

“Since you didn’t wait for me to pay for it. I’ll do it for you,” Maxi was startled when Riftan spoke behind her. In her excitement, she almost forgot Riftan was still there. “You’re only going to hurt yourself if you try,”

Something in Riftan’s tone and words transported her to the battlefield, where Riftan constant actions seemed that he deemed her weak and incompetent. Soon, anger, or a pride she couldn’t recognize at first, flared inside her as she recalled all her efforts and achievements and how he blatantly ignored them. She wasn’t physically capable as a soldier, but she wouldn’t allow anyone to treat her like a convalescent patient, an incompetent, or a kid. Not anymore.

“I can do it myself,” With determination, she took the long handle of the heavy rubber mallet.

“Don’t be foolish. You won’t be able to lift it,” Riftan tried to take the mallet from Maxi, but she coldly shook off his hand.

“I can do more than you think. I’m not a kid,”

“The lady deserves the chance to prove her might and luck,” The man at the stand intervened before the argument escalated.

Although Riftan looked displeased, Maxi took that chance to place herself in front of the tower before he could say something else. The challenge was simple yet demanding. With both hands on the mallet, she tried to lift it, realizing it was much heavier than she had expected. 

Undeterred by the initial struggle, Maxi gathered her courage and mustered all her strength. There was no way she would fail in front of Riftan and give him a reason to look down at her. With a determined expression, she fixed her position and swung the mallet with all her might.

Unfortunately, the force wasn’t enough. 

Unable to swing it back to front, the mallet fell behind her, forcing her body to flex. 

The man in the stand laughed while Riftan just looked at her disapprovingly with his arms crossed over his chest. Feeling a mix of frustration and embarrassment, mixed with an unknown resolve, Maxi refused to give up. Maybe the game was designed for someone much bigger and stronger than her. But it was too late to back down.

She scratched her brain, looking for an alternative. Anxiety crept into her when she saw on her periphery that Riftan sighed and started to walk towards her. Desperate, she hastily started to cast a spell. She closed her eyes, and focused on the challenge ahead, drawing the runes and magic formula in her mind. Soon, the ground under the mallet trembled. Propelled by the sudden move of the earth, the mallet swung with incredible force, striking the base with a resounding thud. 

She watched in awe as the puck reached the top of the pole. A reassuring ding announced her triumph. 

“Ha! Who would have thought this little bird was that strong?!” The booming voice of the man broke the tension. “Here you have, young lady.” The man gave her a hydro water sports set.

“Actually, I’d prefer that plushy, please,” Maxi said pointing at the small golden tiger's plushy that was in one corner.

The man looked confused. After staring at her for some seconds as if to give her time to change her mind, he changed the set for the tiger plushy. 

As soon as it was in her hands, Maxi hugged the stuffed animal as if it were the softer and cutest plushy on earth.

Maxi looked back at Riftan with a triumphant smile, holding proudly the little tiger. Who would dare to say something now?

“Aren’t you supposed to be a powerful mage?” Gabel said in frustration, trying to hide behind a tent.

“Is not my fault you haven’t learned how to listen yet!” Ruth yelled, hiding behind Elliot.

“Shit! They are back. We should–”

“Wait! Where is the mage?!”

After Ruth had deactivated the first magical barrier and created an aperture through most of the alarms, the group decided to venture into the Spring Festival. Unfortunately, due to the noise and a good amount of distractions, nobody heard Ruth when he alerted them of the second magical system to catch intruders.

Despite his best efforts to free the group from the trap they stupidly had fallen into, it took him too much time to break all the seals —more than he thought. So, by the time the last soldier was freed, the security guards arrived at their location. 

In the run, the group was able to use the noisy crowd of already drunk attendants to their advantage, slipping away from the guards. 

Or that’s what they thought.

While they snuck through the camping area, one young man in uniform called for them, making the group start to run again. However, this time, Ruth used his magic to disappear, leaving a group of bulky soldiers in civil attire on the run.

“I didn’t join the Army to end up doing this,” Gabel said, walking backward, trying to hide from the guards. Somehow, he managed to lose the one that found them minutes ago and his comrades at the same time.

He was hiding successfully behind a tent, taking tentative steps. Gabel was so focused on avoiding the guard and finding Hebaron or Elliot that he didn’t note that slippery thing in the ground.

And he definitely didn’t see the inflatable pool on its side.

Before he could react, he fell, in a quite unceremoniously way, into the small pool, soaking and covering his clothes and hair with foam. Groaning he looked around, finding a group of ladies staring at him with puzzled eyes.

“Ladies,” Gabel said, pulling his hair back, and delivering his best seductive grin of the day.

The fact that he had to miss the guards and find his comrades didn’t mean that he couldn’t find joy –and perhaps a bit of pleasure too– in the process. In the end, nobody would deny he wasn’t passionate about performing his duty.

After finding a good place to set the tents, Maxi and Riftan went where the Temple’s Child would perform. They grabbed some snacks and water that Riftan had brought for the weekend. As they approached the main stage, Maxi felt disheartened by what she saw. The whole area was already cramped with a sea of people.

She let out a sigh, accepting her fate of having to enjoy the show from afar.

“There.” Riftan woke her up with his deep voice. “There is a place to see the performance,” he pointed to a big oak tree at one side. Miraculously nobody had claimed that spot to cover for the sun.

Although it was still aquarias, the days were getting hotter as summer became closer. In fact, they were lucky to find a spot to hide from the not-so-gently sun.

And then, silence.

Riftan stood next to Maxi, his arms unnaturally falling to his sides, looking at the stage, and then at Maxi. He opened his mouth but closed it at the last minute to redirect his eyes back to the stage. After three minutes that felt like an eternity, he looked back at her, opened his lips to finally close them again, and turned his head to look at anything else but her.

He clenched his jaw. 

What was the point of all that research he had just done the days before to finally have a proper conversation with her if he wasn’t able to utter a single word? What expectations of friendship could he have if they could not talk?

After the disastrous moment in that silly game, their interactions became more awkward and tense. He silently chastised himself for his rudeness. It seemed that he would never learn.

Through the corner of his eyes, he watched her eating. While holding that damned stuffed animal under her arm –that for some reason she didn't want to leave at the tent–, she was eating M&M's. Riftan smirked as he saw her picking blue and yellow ones first.

Maybe he stared at her for too long, because after some time she stopped and looked back at him warily. The moment she stopped eating and made an attempt to hide the bag of chocolates, he cursed under his breath. The last thing he wanted was to make the whole evening more uncomfortable.

“Maxi, I–”

“I can’t believe you two are here!”

Before Riftan could finish, or well, start saying whatever he wanted to say, a cheerful voice interrupted him. Godammit! Unfortunately, he knew quite well the cursed origin of that sound.

“Agnes!” Maxi said when she spotted The Commander of the Whedon forces behind Riftan. It was quite a surprise, since Maxi left the Army and joined the private sector, they had had little to no chances to meet again. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Riftan grumbled, annoyed, watching the two friends exchanging greetings.

“Oh my,” Agnes said with a hand over her chest, faking being hurt by Riftan’s words. “Am I not allowed to have fun enjoying some music and good company?”

Company? Something in those last words made Riftan’s blood run cold. Whatever that meant he wasn’t enticed to discover it yet. He was about to grab Maxi’s arm when he noticed a man walking with two cups in his hands. To his cursed look, he knew that face too.

“Maxi?! Riftan?! What a surprise to meet you here!” Sejour said as he approached Agnes and gave her one of the cups with her.

“You…” Riftan’s voice suddenly sounded grave. He moved, dangerously quick, toward Sejour. 

"Straight to the romancing, are we? Sejour said as Riftan leaned over him menacingly. 

Maxi didn’t know whether to feel terrified or impressed by Riftan and Sejour's interaction. It was clear that their dynamic relationship, while friendly and trusting, was… complicated. However, being aware of those facts didn’t ease the tension on her shoulders every time they exchanged words. And watching how Sejour padded Riftan’s shoulder, even though the latest was surrounded by a murderous aura, didn’t make it better.

“It seems the show is about to start,” Hebaron, who appeared out of nowhere without his shirt and a generous number of beers in hand, pointed to the stage and the large displays positioned at the sides, redirecting everybody's attention to something less dangerous. “Who’s next?”

Everybody looked back at him, puzzled, probably questioning how the heck the orange giant of a man popped into the scene, semi-naked, without anybody noticing.

“What?” Hebaron said, stopping halfway from drinking one of the beers.

“I-It’d be the turn for the Temple’s Child” Maxi said, ignoring the awkward scene, and subtly trying quite hard to contain her enthusiasm for what was to come.

“Are they still active?” Hebaron drank a beer, sitting in the grass just in front of the group.

“Sorta. They’ve had a hard time staying relevant after he left the group,” Sejour answered, sitting beside Hebaron.

“But his solo album is a bop! I can't wait to go to his concert,” Agnes commented, pushing and sitting between those bulky men, and taking one of the beers Hebaron offered.

“I couldn’t get tickets to his worldwide tour. It sold out in less than 5 minutes!” Maxi said, remembering that night when she stayed up for hours trying to buy a ticket, her slow internet, and how her computer froze –followed by her not-so-gently tapping to wake it up, and the frustration of seeing how everything had sold out when it worked again.

“Hey, mage!” Hebaron said, after noticing Ruth and stopping halfway through his beer. He was ready to voice out his complaints about the mage abandoning the crew.

A few kevettes from the group was Ruth. Visibly annoyed, he was grabbing the loose sleeves of a brunette's blouse for dear life while eating some snacks. Whether there was too much noise or he just blatantly ignored Hebaron’s screams, the mage kept his attention on the woman by his side.

Some minutes ago 

While Ruth was running away through the festival, he found a familiar person dancing and singing out loud. It was her, the same woman he ended up sharing a meal with on that disastrous but not-so-disastrous speed date. Exposed shoulders, long sleeves, crop top. She danced as if there were no worries in her life. 

He observed her, momentarily forgetting that he was escaping from the guards, pressing his lips to hold a laugh. A smile plastered on her face. She ran to meet him the moment their eyes met. 

“Ruth! I thought you’d be in the lab the whole weekend,”

“That was the plan,”

“What happened?”

“Tragedy," he said, wrapping his arms around himself, shuddering. "I've been kidnapped and thrown to the threshold of hell with no means to escape."

"It's not that bad," She patted his back.

"Look around. Insanity and, what’s even worse, stupidity, runs wild here," he shrieked, motioning to their surroundings. And as if he cast a spell to prove his point, a chanting of shots was heard, followed by a man passing out cold almost in front of them – the poor guy ended up falling and rolling down the small hill. "See?!"

“These are good,” Ruth said, taking another fry from her bacon cheese fries.

“Hey! Buy yours!” The woman said, slapping his hand out of her food.

“Did you forget it? You owe me!” Ruth snapped, trying to reach the fries once more.

“And I’ll pay you in due time.” She said, taking some steps away from him and blocking him from stealing her food.

“When is that supposed to be?” 

“Not today. That’s for sure” She turned around and was about to leave him for the sake of her stomach until the stage turned on. The hype of the crowd created by the dance of the lights was intensified with the music.

“It seems it’s about to–” she stopped abruptly when she noticed Ruth’s hand hovering over her food. “Stop stealing my food,” She said while slapping –again– Ruth’s hand. 

"How can you be so insensible with a man in need!" Ruth cried.

"In need?! I already bought you an order of nachos, a burger with fries. And now you are eating my fries!" She poked at his chest. "You know what, that's enough. I already paid my debt."

Ruth snorted. "That’s not even a quarter of what you owe me,"

"Aren't you too much?"

“You should stop participating in bets you will never win,” Ruth said with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning over her.

Her eyes twitched. "You are on your own now." With that last statement, she walked away from him, not minding his reaction.

“W-Wait! You can't leave me here!” Ruth panicked. He ran as fast as he could to catch the hem of her sleeve. Like a child gripping her mother’s clothes for fear of getting lost, Ruth followed her —not daring to release her sleeve—, ignoring her annoyed face.

The atmosphere was full of excitement. The lights illuminated the darkened stage at twilight. The enormous stage was rumbling with the sound of a single guitar as the band slowly started their first encore performance. When the members of the Temple’s Child appeared, one by one, the whole crowd exploded.

“I love that song!” Maxi said, unable to contain her thrill. She watched through the enormous displays of how each one of the members sang and danced to the rhythm of the music.

“Who do you think will play his part?” Hebaron asked.

“The ad said they will have a special guest,” Maxi answered, remembering the information she looked on the internet when Sejour mentioned the performance. 

“Maybe it’ll be someone like Ritchy Bada$$,” Agnes said, shrugging.

“I think Lady Reyra. She looks the type,” Hebaron remarked while sharing more beers with the group.

“Nah… Too snobby for these festivals,” Sejour said before taking a sip of his beer.

Maxi was enchanted with the performance. Despite being sitting on the ground, her feet moved, a little, mimicking the steps of their choreographies. After all, she remembered each one of the lyrics, arm moves, and steps they had performed throughout the years.

The Temple’s Child reached the bridge and one of the most complicated and iconic parts of the song when the lights and music turned down. And then, silence. Maxi held a breath. Each one of the boy band members kneeled, putting their heads down, almost disappearing in the dark.

Before anyone could process what was happening, a growing fog was covering the stage, and in the background, the sounds of recorded voices became louder little by little, until she –and everybody in the crowd– could identify whose voice it was.

“H-He cannot be here, r-right? He was touring,” Maxi said, her heart throbbing against her ribcage.

One of the group members stood up, a faint glow illuminating him from above. “We have been here for a very long time, together . We are a family, and we are here to celebrate a lifetime with all of you. And I’m really happy that all of our family is here today. As you may know, there weren’t just four temples. We’re five…!”

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.  

In a frenzy, Agnes grabbed Maxi’s arm and rushed toward the crowd. 

“I guess they really like their music,“ said Sejour with a smile, watching the girls running to the stage. Riftan was about to grab Maxi’s arm before he was stopped by Hebaron.

The recordings stopped at once, giving the entrance of a harmonious masculine voice. 

As the beat of the music got louder, the whole stage started to shake and vibrate. Maxi’s muscles tensed as more and more people started squeezing her while Agnes' strong grip dragged her through the audience. And when the people at the concert started to move, Maxi was forced to sway back and forth, left to right just like the crowd did. She felt like a kite in the wind. 

An overwhelming feeling to escape the crowd invaded her, but the desire to watch her idols as near as possible –and make the most of this unique opportunity– gave her a new rush of energy to endure the journey.

“Please give it up to our brother, the one and only… Kuahel!”

As if in sync, when the girls reached the front line, a young man jumped from the white haze and landed just in front of them. He started singing and dancing while the rest of the band followed suit.

 Maxi was on the verge of tears –tears of pure joy. For the first time ever, she was able to see her idols so close that she could see the beads of sweat as they were dancing. Nothing mattered at that moment: the loud, big, enormous speakers bumming at her ears or the crushing of the strangers in euphoria pressed her at the back, or the quite uncomfortable humid heat that was heightened within the crowd.

Pure chaos, but Maxi was having the time of her life. She sang along with Agnes. In moments of relief from the pressure of the audience, they even tried to perform some of the steps.

The band was shaking the place. 

In the middle of the show, Maxi spotted Kuahel walking along the limit of the stage, drying the sweat on his face. Before it was his turn to sing, their eyes met. She felt like her cheeks were burning. He was getting closer and closer, and as if her body had a mind on its own, she extended her arm, holding the plushy she had been fiercely protecting the whole afternoon. 

Kuahel looked at the tiger plushy and then back at her, and Maxi got nervous. She soon realized how stupid and childish the action was. How she dared to even try to give a cheap toy to a famous international superstar. But before she could retrieve it, Kuahel leaned from the stage. Despite the bodyguard preventing the action, he stretched himself to grab the stuffed animal, delivering a small smile.

Maxi was left with a tingling sensation on her hand after he took the toy and the bodyguard pressured him to get back to a safe distance.

The buzz of electricity filling her head resisted from disappearing through the rest of the show. Seeing him holding the plushy in each song, no matter how demanding the choreography was, filled her body with emotions each time.

She kept screaming each lyric that was burnt into the back of her mind after countless nights of listening to the same songs over and over again. Music, their music, was the reason she endured being around thousands of strangers.

After some hours, the lights went down. The music slowly disappeared. It was the end of the show of their lives. But the people kept swinging and jumping and moshing. They continued singing the last song off the top of their lungs.

As if the display of passion moved the band, they started talking to each other. Soon, Kuahel went backstage and promptly came back to the front of the stage and the lights turned on as well. 

Her heart was racing. Another round of songs was about to start.

Maxi was diving into another world, utterly enjoying the music, when, after one of the additional songs ended, the scene was rearranged in a different way. With Kuahel at the front sitting on a stool, he introduced one of the songs from his new album.

As he started to sing, his eyes met Maxi’s one more time, holding the plushy in one hand.

I found you, yeah I found you

Daydreaming in a Whedon bar

And I knew, I just knew

There won’t be someone else like you

Let’s talk about dreams

Let’s talk about you and me

Feeling so free

As if it’s meant to be

There’s something about you

Stubborn, reckless lady

Hard to explain, maybe

It's that silver gleam on you 

I’ll be there for you

We’ll get through

If anxiety is taking over

I’ll hold your hand, don’t worry

Chosen by will, something no one can undo

Like two hearts, one soul, it’s true

An eternal vow, our promises will do

Let’s talk about dreams

Let’s talk about you and me

Feeling so free

As if it’s meant to be

The show was near the end when one of the guards approached Maxi and Agnes. 

“Mr. Leon is inviting you to the VIP area,”

“K-Kuahel is inviting us?” Maxi repeated. 

“No, just you,” The emotionless guard said, motioning as if requesting an answer.

Her brain stuttered for a moment, every part of her went on pause while her thoughts caught up. Maxi was in a haze. Could that happen to her? Was this real? Agnes elbowed her, waking her up. Her friend mouthed a ‘go’ before pushing her to follow the guard.

Agnes looked at her excited friend with a smile, before sighing. Despite the happy moment, the reality was daring to strike back. Someone would have to give the ‘good news’ to Riftan.

“God, protect me.”

But before facing the wrath of the Magho, she could enjoy the festival a little bit longer. After all, she deserved a reward for helping her friend accomplish one of her dreams.

"My head," Ruth sank deeper in his seat, holding his throbbing head. After barely surviving one afternoon of that godforsaken festival, he wondered how people managed to go through the whole weekend in that hell.

"Come on. It wasn't that bad," She said playfully, eyes on the road. After Ruth’s persistent complaints, she conceded to leave the festival and give him a ride to his flat.

"It was worse than I could've imagined," Ruth groaned, looking at her through the gaps between his fingers -freeway lights crept into her face in intermittent luminescence.  Somehow, it felt peaceful. Traffic was almost non-existent. There was silence. It was just him and her, alone, in the middle of the night. Despite the growing pain, he was genuinely surprised she had agreed to miss the rest of the festival to give him a ride to his apartment. Although, it wasn’t as if he would say something against it. 

She wasn't looking at him, and still, he could see a glimpse of that glimmer in her eyes, like copper flakes twinkling against the light. As if she had felt his gaze on her, she turned slightly to look at him. It was just for a moment –a few seconds, but that was more than enough to spot that warm smile directed at him. The action caught him off-guard. His heart skipped a beat. 

Huh? Arrhythmia?. With a hand on his chest, he frowned.

"Here we are," She parked in front of Ruth’s building and exited before he could move or think of anything else.

“Thank God!” Ruth straightened his posture, feeling relieved for the first time in the day. He grabbed the door handle with more enthusiasm than he had shown all day. "Hey! Don’t leave me here!” Ruth screamed as he found the door locked. The pain in his head roared louder as his annoyance grew with every slow step she took to round her car until she reached the copilot door. 

"Sir," She said with a mocking smile and a light bow as she opened the door.

"About time," His eye twitched noticing the satisfaction in her face. It was the last thing he needed, someone taking advantage of his fragile state. As soon as the door was wide open, he exited the car and walked to his building, hoping to leave everything –and everyone– of that disastrous day behind, as far from him as possible. 

"You can go now. No need to accompany me to the door," Ruth grumbled, noticing the annoying woman walking beside him as if she were escorting him to the door.

"It’s dark, I have to! You know, my parents raised me well," She said, as a matter of fact.

"I highly doubt that,"

"Such a grumpy old man." 

They walked the last stairs to the main door. Then, she looked in her bag and took out two bottles of different colors. "Take these." 

Herbal Medicine? 

“This will help with the headache and this with an upset stomach. Make sure to take it before going to sleep. Space them, don’t mix them.”

"I know how herbal medicine works.” He pointed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thank you very much," 

“You're welcome. And Ruth… take care of you” She cupped his cheek, padding him gently. 

“Always,” Flustered, he took a step back and said as if she just had asked the dumbest request in the world. “You know I treat my body as if it were the finest jewel,” He finalized with a smug smile.

"Hey, look at you. What a beautiful smile,” she tilted her head. "You should do it more often." She finalized with a wink, before taking her leave. 

Ruth blinked and swallowed hard. It was only a smile, nothing more. Such a tiny thing represented nothing. Little did it cost in the giving. He followed with his eyes and returned the goodbye wave she gave before driving away to her home. 

A smile still plastered on his lips without knowing it. 

After had taken the herbal medicine and a quick shower he was on his bed. He stretched leisurely as a cat, before grabbing his phone. Ruth opened the messages finding one of her at the top of the list. He already read that night before as they agreed to watch a movie together, just to prove a certain point. The last thing missing was his response setting the hour and place.

Instead of texting his decision and canceling the plan –as logic told him to do, he found himself scrolling up throughout their conversation. Since that day they met, what was supposed to be an unexpected and unwanted one thing, turned out to be a recurrent event over the last month and a half. 

It started as a challenge. Their conversations always included a challenge. At the end of the speed dating, they were so caught up discussing the possible absence of mana in space and its implications that that night wasn't enough, and they felt a need to extend it to the day after –just to get a proper resolution he said. The meetings were more frequent. And when their constant conflicts in their schedules left them with no time to meet in person in a certain week, they took their conversations to their phones. Soon messages and calls with her filled his phone.

As he read old messages, it was odd to think about how mana physics led them into chemics, medicine, and art, to end up talking about cinema now. He imagined her pursing her lips as he re-read the counterarguments she sent or the way her brows danced every time she was deep in thought when he cornered in a discussion. It was as if her face had a mind of its own. At some point, the corner of his lips began to lift up, feeling his chest warm –like ignited by a sparkle or a flash.

The notification of a new message returned his attention to the present moment. It was her. Reminding him to take the medicine, and providing him with a sound excuse to postpone upcoming movie night. His smile grew as they exchanged messages again. Although the prospect of avoiding people as much as possible was tempting, he found himself inclined enough to meet again and win this new challenge. 

I should request her to buy me lunch for a week. Ruth started pondering all the possible prizes he would request when he ultimately won the challenge. 

Before he could think twice, he sent the message with the details of their next meeting. Her quick positive reply made his heart flutter.

After leaving the phone on the bedside table, he closed his eyes, sinking deeper into bed to finally get a well-deserved sleep. Safe and cozy in his cocoon, he left the lullaby of the crickets in the night to carry him to the land of dreams.

Until his eyes opened in a snap. Slowly, a horrid thought crept into Ruth’s brain. He felt his neck hairs stand to no end. He sat, took short breaths, and shook his head to erase the terrible ideas that were popping into his mind.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no…

That night in bed, he found himself spiraling into one of the worst realizations he had had in his entire life. The fact hit him like a brick wall. Against all the odds, his will, his own better judgment, his reason, and even against his character, he was… feeling.

He pressed his lips, collapsing in bed. Ruth rubbed his face harshly, moving his hands up until they could tug at his hair, and finally groaned in frustration:

“God must hate me.”