fragility of glass

(World—EX) Maya has neglected taking her daily dose of Arcaea, until it almost costed her existence. Insight interferes.

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  EX — 3

“Say ah, Maya,” Insight cooed, holding a piece of Arcaea against Maya’s mouth.

Maya doesn't utter anything, though her eyes briefly shone with contempt, her lips forming a small line as she turned her gaze away from the piece offered to her. It's not that she hates it. Just that…

Insight shuffled closer to Maya on the soft sheets, still patiently holding the damned shard against Maya's mouth, trying to pry those lips open with a sense of hurry.

“Come on, you don't want to crumble, don't you?”

“N-no, I don't want to…” Maya’s face scrunched up slightly, followed with a wince as the phantom sensation of having Arcaea in her mouth hit her. Logic and distaste were at war with each other inside her thoughts.

The soft light made the translucent surface of the piece of Arcaea glimmer, and Maya could almost see the reflection of memories contained within.

Those precious smiles…

Maya frowned, her lips twitching slightly.

“That's— that's your fault,” Maya stuttered a bit, trying not to open her lips so as to prevent it from getting shoved inside her mouth, “that I need to consume these absolutely… inedible and unappetizing shards,” she finished with an awkward tone.

A disapproving hum sounded behind Maya, still stubbornly trying to breach the barrier that is Maya's shut teeth. Seems like it was going to be quite hard to coax those lips open willingly.

Insight’s left hand took Maya's own hand, “Besides, you've neglected taking them yourself without my interference,” then it moved to the slowly deteriorating cracks on the palm of Maya's hands while stroking them softly, “and I certainly won't allow you to take your own life, Maya,” reprimanded Insight with a hushed tone.

Only the sound of steady little cracks filled the silence, adding to the feeling of racing with grains of time. Maya cringed slightly.

Insight’s gaze narrowed as she tilted her head slightly, retracting the shard to temporarily place it down beside the plate of assorted chocolate on the stand. “Hmm… or do you prefer it crushed as a powder instead, darling?”

Maya's eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Mmhm…” her eyes flickered briefly to her side. She asked without a second thought, “Can it even be crushed?”

“Of course, Maya, I can change its structure if that is how you’d prefer it—”

“Wait! I don't need that… I'm not a child!” Maya interrupted, shaking her head fervently at the suggestion.

“But I already know everything about you. So there's no need to hide your feelings from me, is there?” she murmured, her other hand moving to tuck the blonde strands obscuring Maya's face gently.

Maya’s worry was slowly easing just from Insight’s gestures and the smell of delicious chocolate… How she has gotten too comfortable with the one that made her be forced to eat these every quarter of the month! Had she not been vulnerable—

Insight reached out to take the shard again, only to falter when a hand grasped her wrist— “Mm?” —then it promptly loosened, until the hand was just resting lightly on her wrist with another noise. Insight let out a delighted, questioning hum.

“You can hold onto me if you wish, Maya dear,” she added, the shard in her hand reflecting a bright light through its clear surface. Having received the response she wanted from Maya with her touches, she patted Maya's head with her unoccupied hand, tilting Maya's head up so she could appreciate her beautifully carved two colored eyes of her dearest.

A plan was brewing inside her thoughts. How to make Maya consume this Arcaea in a way that won't make her lose her darling’s fragile trust… What to do, what to do…

Maya stiffly gazed back on Insight’s deep blue eyes with an awkward silence, trying not to gaze too deep. After all, eyes are the window to the soul. Oh, and she could see impatience lingering in those, especially.

Unpredictably, Insight suddenly cracked a small piece of Maya's face with a smile, eliciting a startled squeal from the girl. With her current state broken, Maya glared at her own shard (?) with a bewildered expression. Her hand immediately found its way to the missing part of her face.

“Um–? Insight?”

Dramatically, Insight declared, “Because you wouldn't even hold me in your sleep yesterday. To play with my heart like this…” Insight stashed away the piece she took from Maya unnoticeably.

With her eyes closed, Maya huffed. “Is this really necessary?”

Yes it is. Stealing the chance, Insight snuck a chunk of chocolate from the plate beside her in her hand.

“As an apology, how unfortunate for you. You'd have to consume these ‘absolutely inedible and unappetizing shards’.”

Maya opened her mouth to question, “Eh?” 

That proved to be a mistake, as two long and slender fingers jammed their way inside her mouth in a vulnerable moment. “Mmfgh–!” her eyes widened, then she gagged slightly from how deep the fingers were prodding.

“Good,” Insight’s eyes slanted in satisfaction seeing Maya turn so docile when she stroked the soft and warm roof of Maya's mouth. Before Maya could try to bite, those fingers had already parted her teeth wide, rendering her defenseless. Maya whined in protest.

“Now say ah,”

Grabbing the shard in her hand, she held it against Maya's lips, then turned it into liquid with a soft light, letting it flow inside Maya's mouth. In order to not gag, Maya was forced to gulp it, recoiling slightly from the bland taste.

Another taste interrupted it when chocolate slipped into Maya’s mouth. Her taste buds were squealing in joy from the rich and sweet taste of the chocolate melting in her mouth. Maya grunted lowly from how tasteful it was.

It took a split moment for the absorbed Arcaea to take effect, with her head feeling like it was floating as energy slowly flowed back into the disrupted ebb and flow of Maya's balance.

It did wonders to replenish back life and order in her form. The cracks on her body regenerated back into its initial state, and her head gained clarity, allowing her to be sharper than ever. Maya immediately gritted her teeth together after Insight retracted her fingers, shutting her eyes with a small cry as the light somehow felt a little too bright as a sure side effect.

Insight fought back a wide grin as she watched. Maya truly is cute when she's in pain.

“Ah, there you go. That's not too hard, isn't it?”

Maya mumbled incoherently, another whine escaping her as she tried to reorient herself.

“Shh… shh…” Insight patted Maya's side, to which Maya wordlessly held onto Insight’s clothing as an anchor. Her breath was heavy, her head ringing. Insight murmurs for Maya's ear, “Next time, why don't you think twice about the consequences, mm?”

Maya snuggles closer to Insight for her own comfort, fiddling with the buttons of her jacket sheepishly.

“Open again,” Insight pushes another chunk of chocolate between Maya's lips. She shifted around to hold Maya against her front on her lap with Maya's head resting on her shoulder. “Does this one taste better than the one I gave you yesterday?”

Silence permeated the room for a while as Maya tried to recall her memory, but she couldn't find anything even with a clear mind. “I don't know,” Maya answered. “I forgot. I don't think I remember when I was given that…”

Insight hummed. “That must be one of the effects of this, Maya,” she wrapped her arms around Maya’s docile form protectively, “You're still fortunate it hasn't gotten much more severe, had I not interfered,” she kissed the top of Maya's head, “It would be worse.”

Maya's gasps eventually stabilized into soft breaths as another silence stretched out between them, just basking in each other's embraces. Eventually, she curiously eyed another piece of dark chocolate.

Catching Maya's intense gaze, Insight amusedly offered, “You’re certainly shy. Do you want another one?”

Maya tapped Insight’s shoulder with an affirmative noise. She contentedly sighed when another piece of sweetness melted, the soft and gentle texture of the chocolate spoiling her taste buds once more.

“But this is really tasty!” Maya bit into the melted chocolate, some of it smearing on her lips, “Where did you get these?” Maya backed away just to gaze back at the Ascendant.

“I made these myself, Maya. After all, there is nothing more sincere than pouring my love and effort for you…” then Insight asked with an unnoticeable vulnerability in her tone, “Do you like it?”

“Oh,” Maya’s cheeks slightly grew hot from the other’s raw and romantic admission. “It’s really good… I like it.”

It was really hard to believe that Insight would go to this length just for her.

“Maya,” Insight started again. She caressed Maya's cheek, her eyes lingering on the remains of chocolate on Maya's lips.

Insight softly wiped them off with her thumb. “You’re cute when you're messy.”

Maya doesn't know why, but the effect Insight's words evoked was more intense than usual this time, combined with the feeling of her thumb touching her lips.

“I'm not,” Maya denied, her cheeks taking a darker red hue, “I'm really not that cute.”

“That is incorrect,” Insight brought Maya's face closer by her cheek, still stroking it gently like Maya held everything, “You are the cutest little thing there is.”

Maya held onto Insight’s shoulder at the close proximity, her gesture hesitant at best. Her eyes expressed her permission when words couldn't, signalling for Insight to go for it already.

Their lips met with tenderness, the sweetness of the chocolate melting with their saliva. It was nevertheless sloppy, but it conveyed all their vulnerability and passion well. Maya closed her eyes as Insight greedily took all from her, to which she could only respond with a suppressed moan. Together, they indulged in sweetness, love, and a tinge of bitterness. And Insight could testify, the chocolate tasted as sweet as their love.

They parted with bated breaths, a trail of sweet saliva still connecting them as they grasped for air.

To love and cherish, in sickness and in health, until death do they part.

Reaching for the box of chocolate on the table beside the bed, Insight offered the box to Maya with slightly trembling hands and a smile.

Of course, with dilated pupils, Maya took the offering gracefully, an endearing red and a flattered expression adorning her face. She returned Insight's smile with her own, holding the box of chocolate close against her chest.

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Valentine's day special! This is my entry for the month, so I hope you enjoyed it! :p

tunabite~~~ please don't leave us~~~ /j

what is 68, sahroni propaganda