[center] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180804/59e33c13301c63b568e5eb178a837406.png[/img][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/4Q1QloC.png[/img][/center] Lily watched as Alex had his Keijo match with Shion, and waited for Alex to leave the building before she approached him with a wave of her arm. [color=fff200]“Hey Alex. That was a great match,”[/color] she complimented her, sounding more reserved than her usual spastic mannerisms. [color=fff200]“I was worried there for a moment when you fell into the water. Looks like we both lost...Not that it’s a good thing, heh.”[/color] She glanced away while biting her lip, and then took his hand. [color=fff200]“Could we go somewhere? I know of this one beach that’s not that popular. I’d like to talk...Just the two of us.”[/color] She looked nervous, and fidgeted a bit as she looked around to ensure nobody was eavesdropping on them. Alexander raised an eyebrow, a little worried at how...low energy Lily seemed to be “[color=aba000]Sure, that’s fine. Are you alright, because you seem...off. Does this have anything to do with...whatever that thing in your match was? You got upset enough to go into your berserk mode, and the last time that happened was when the stomach shanker got me, so I was kind of worried about you.[/color]” Lily simply nodded, and without further ado, began leading Alex away. After some time, the two reached their destination: a lone strand of sand tucked away at an untouched corner of the islands. Lily took a deep breath, savoring the salty breeze that drifted from the sea, and turned to look at Alex, her hands clasped together. [color=fff200]“Alex...The reason I lost control again...It’s because of something that happened a long, long time ago.”[/color] She averted her eyes. [color=fff200]“Before I was a magical girl. It was...six or seven years ago...maybe. I was in high school back then, and...bullied.”[/color] She looked down at a lone hermit crab scuttling away. [color=fff200]“Sounds really cliche, I know, but these girls were mean. I think it’s because I refused to do their homework one time that they wanted to torment me. Well, I wasn’t super smart or anything, I just happened to get an A one time because I worked hard for it...”[/color] She realized she was rambling, and put a hand to her mouth. [color=fff200]“Sorry, I’m throwing a lot of stuff at you when it’s only my problem.”[/color] Alexander shrugged “[color=aba000]Eh, I don’t really mind. I’m pretty sure lending an ear when you need to vent is kind of my job as your boyfriend...at least I [i]think[/i] I’m your boyfriend. Not sure how long you have to be dating to be boyfriend and girlfriend-and I’m getting off topic[/color]” He shook his head “[color=aba000]The point is; I don’t mind if you need to vent, so go ahead and talk my ear off.[/color]” The idea of Lily having been bullied both enraged and bewildered Alexander ‘[color=aba000][i]I just can’t see Lily letting people push her around. But[/i] man [i]does the thought of it make me want to punch people.[/i][/color]’ Lily managed a small smile when she listened to him. [color=fff200]“That’s sweet Alex, thanks..”[/color] The two walked along the shoreline as Lily continued relating her bad experiences, until the topic shifted to something that caught Alex’ attention. [color=fff200]“And then, there was Chad. He was a boy I had a crush on...And Heather learned about it. One time, I received an invitation to a party, with his signature.”[/color] She stopped walking, and sat down on the beach, holding her knees. [color=fff200]“It was a trap. Chad never sent me an invitation; it was a fake one Heather planted to humiliate me. And there, as Chad was watching, the girls confronted me, saying horrible things and then pushing me into the pool.”[/color] A couple of tears formed in her eyes as she shook, struggling with her trauma. [color=fff200]“I ran away from home that night. I couldn’t go back home; I couldn’t see the shamed look on my parents’ faces.”[/color] She paused for a moment, recollecting her feelings. [color=fff200]“I remember just wandering, looking as people passed by. Then, I wished, for more than anything else, to move on with my life, to be free and pursue my dreams. That’s when I heard Ixion’s voice.”[/color] She wiped her tears. [color=fff200]“He offered me a chance to let go of my old life and become the heroine I always wanted to be. So...Not as glamorous a beginning as comic books have, huh?”[/color] She asked, looking in Alex’ direction. Alexander sat down beside her “[color=aba000]I’m an orphan who got cornered in an ally by some cannon fodder monsters and needed Sol to lend me some power to not die. I mean, you remember how hopeless I was at actually fighting back then, and even so once I got my magic I was easily able to kill the monsters that had almost killed me before. At least [i]you[/i] had some traumatic incident first, I almost got wasted by bottom of the barrel mooks. Although if I were you, I probably wouldn’t have left without breaking at least one of their noses. In my experience, anger and rage are great for dealing with depression. Just channel all those sad thoughts into frustration, and you can let it all out much faster and without any of the lingering resentment that depression comes with. Kind of like what you did in the match; now that I understand that shakespeare girl was someone who bullied you, your response makes so much more sense. [/color]” He took a deep breath and let it out “[color=aba000]It feels so good to get all of that out at once, doesn’t it. All that stuff weighing you down gone, just like that. There’s nothing else quite like it.[/color]” Lily nodded occasionally as she listened to Alex’ tale, looking sad upon hearing how rough his life has been as well. [color=fff200]“I’m sorry to hear that...”[/color] She mumbled at some point. Gradually, as he gave her advice on how to resolve her emotions, she smiled...Until her Keijo opponent was mentioned. She shook her head, looking upset. [color=fff200]“No, she wasn’t! I just...She just happened to look like Heather, and...I got anxiety issues again. I was afraid she might attack me. But she’s actually a nice person. I made an assumption based on first impressions...I’m terrible.”[/color] She put her hands to her face, and made deep breaths as she resisted the urge to cry. She lowered them, and looked at the little fish swimming near the surface of the water. [color=fff200]“But you’re right, it did feel a lot better than when I kept that stuff bottled in. Maybe went a bit overboard with it.”[/color] She drew a circle in the sand. [color=fff200]“But talking about it...It’s a big help.”[/color] “[color=aba000]...Maybe try limiting your physical venting to appropriate or willing targets in the future.[/color]” Alexander suggested “[color=aba000]But that does explain why you always seemed to have some kind of beef with her. I mean sure, her speaking in shakespearean english [i]is[/i] unnerving, but thinking back, you seemed to have some kind of personal grudge against her. Speaking of her;-[/color]” Alexander turned to face Lily “[color=aba000]-What’s this about ‘stealing me’ and why did I just hear about it in the match? Attempted kidnappings aren’t the kind of thing you keep secret. Granted, with everything I know now, It probably was a misunderstanding or something. But still, I need to know these kinds of things.[/color]” Lily drew a star inside the circle. [color=fff200]“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.”[/color] She blushed a bit as Alex brought up a new topic, and blinked. [color=fff200]“It’s...Not a kidnapping thing. At least, not usually.”[/color] She turned her eyes to look at Alex. [color=fff200]“At first, I just went from town to town, fighting off monsters, saving people, but ever since I met you, it all changed. You gave me a reason to stay in Penrose. You’ve saved me from villains, tolerated my dumb stuff...”[/color] She slowly reached for Alex’ hand. [color=fff200]“So I was afraid...another girl might try to turn you against me, and then you’d leave me.”[/color] She inched a bit closer to her. [color=fff200]“But now I know that you’d never do that. You’re a kind person, Alex. Thank you for staying with me.”[/color] And then, she kissed Alex in the cheek, before blushing and going back to drawing shapes in the sand. When Lily’s lips touched his cheek, it felt like that part of his body had just been sprayed with fire, yet was somehow pleasant. It took him a little while to get his mind back in working order “[color=aba000]I should be thanking you; you’re the first person I had any kind of emotional connection to. The closest thing I had before was unspoken agreements with other kids in the orphanage to beat each other up as a way of venting our shared frustrations. Not even my parents made me feel anything like the way you do. I’m...grateful that you were able to put up with me. I know I’m not easy to be around, and that I’m kind of an asshole, so...thanks.[/color]” Not sure what to do next and acting on pure instinct, Alexander extended an arm out and pulled Lily into a side hug ‘[color=aba000][i]She just kissed me, so this is alright...right?[/i][/color]’ Lily froze when Alex got close, surprised, but not rejecting the closeness. [color=fff200]“Oh!”[/color] She smiled, and leaned her head against his shoulder, taking in a breath of relief. [color=fff200]“You can be a bit grumpy at times...But that’s because you actually care.”[/color] She stayed still, listening as the waves swooshed upon the sand, as happy as can be. After some time passed, Lily stood up, a wide smile on her face. [color=fff200]“Would you like to go and spectate some of the other matches? I’d like to cheer my friends on, so they can all do their best~”[/color] Alexander, not really caring one way or the other, just shrugged and said “[color=aba000]Sure. It really is a weird sport. I know my match felt awkward, consider how much I had to alter my approach to fighting.[/color]” [color=fff200]“Yeah, there’s a lot more strategy to it than you’d think,”[/color] Lily replied in a ditzy fashion, having missed the point. [color=fff200]“I bet if Amaryllis fought against Alicia, she would find a way to counter the light magic...”[/color] She continued babbling on about Keijo as the two went off. [color=fff200]“Oh, but maybe Alicia is matched against Kimble! Wouldn’t that be really exciting!”[/color] As Lily babbled on, A thought occurred to Alexander, one that surprisingly bothered him ‘[color=aba000][i]I…don’t know any of these names. Why does that suddenly make me feel...cold?[/i][/color]’ As he was lost in his own thoughts and Lily’s ramblings, his hand subconsciously grabbed Lily’s and held it tightly.