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It was eerily calm, Kim Winter noticed.
Being in Kwangya didn't feel like a suffocating nightmare anymore. It was just a world like any other now.
Sometimes the girl would venture to the FLAT through a SYNK DIVE from her æ, enjoying the light and tranquil setting the place gave. It was relaxing, and she would frequently visit with Giselle.
Out of all the girls, she was closest to Giselle. Ningning was too loud for her sometimes, and Karina pissed her off. Giselle was.. normal and nice, and didn't add any unnecessary chaos to Winter's chaotic life. Besides sitting down together, they just walked, talking about random things.
That's not what she was doing right now. Winter gripped her katana tightly, walking through the dark cobblestone of the area, catching glimpses of cracks emitting light green ether.
Winter was bored, and one can never know when the next attack is. She had to be the offensive force for the team, it was her duty at this point. But it's been a while since she's held her katana. Ever since she pointed the blade to her fellow team member- no, friend, Ningning, she couldn't stand the sight of it.
A tormenting and anguishing guilt began gnawing at her brain. The lingering feeling coiled around the organ like a black snake to its prey.
The only person who was there to comfort her throughout that was Karina. Karina, who annoyed Winter to no end. Karina, the perfectionist who seemed too focused on others instead of herself, and that made Winter terribly frustrated.
In this irrational world, Winter thought, why would one care about others more than themselves? Winter ponders if she could ever care for the girls more than she would care for her own being.
Winter stops, breathing hitching and grip on the katana faltering as she finds herself hesitating to answer her own question.
Nonetheless, Winter eyes the area, looking for something to slash. The bob cut girl settles for some random machinery laying around.
For every slash she strikes, a glimpse of the memory of Karina comforting her plays in Winter's mind. It's weird, Winter finds herself thinking about the leader more often than before.
She doesn't dwell too much on it, instead focusing on how to perfect the blade.
"There you are." A raspy voice calls out, causing Winter to grunt and turn around.
There stood the object of her thoughts for the past week. "Practicing so early?" Karina asks, walking closer to the younger girl.
"Yup." Winter puts her katana back in its sheath, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.
They both stood there, looking at each other not uttering a word. It didn't feel awkward or bad, instead, the pair found the silence quite comforting.
Winter averted her eyes first, breaking the silence. "Don't you have things to be doing in the Real World?"
Karina looks to the side. She probably did have something to do.. a shoot perhaps, but that didn't matter at this moment. All Karina wanted to do was be near her precious Winter.
"Doesn't matter, come sit." Karina grabs her wrist, dragging her along to sit on the hard stone of the wasteland. Winter has noticed how Karina has increasingly become more demanding with her, especially about affection.
She's been like this ever since Winter killed Black Mamba. The younger girl likes to think that the stress from chasing down Black Mamba was over for Karina, and that she was returning to some state of normalcy.
"You know," Karina starts, "You've been the only one that's constantly been on my side. You can try to deny it all you want, but you and I have a special bond." Karina goes from holding Winter's wrist to holding her hand, intertwining her fingers and gripping tightly.
Winter blushes before looking directly into Karina's heterochromic eyes. Pink and blue eyes stared intensely into Winter's brown eyes.
"What are you getting at?" Karina scoffs at Winter's words. "I can't try to be close to you?"
"You've never wanted to before." Winter stands up, bringing Winter up alongside her. "Winter.. I was just scared and too focused on killing that stupid snake. I want you." Karina inches closer to the shorter girl, looking down at her with a weird look in her eyes Winter couldn't recognize.
The reddish-purple haired girl brought her hands to Winter's cheeks, holding her tenderly. Winter's eyes quickly glanced at Karina's lips.
The feelings Winter had pushed deep inside of her were now resurfacing. It was too much, Winter notes, and she closed her eyes tightly, not seeing how Karina was smiling at her.
"Are you being shy right now? That's adorable." And that gets Winter out of her spiraling thoughts, pushing the taller girl away.
"I'm going to go back to the Real World.' Winter begins to walk away, before Karina follows her and puts her hand on her shoulder.
"Why won't you stay? Do you hate me that bad?" Karina envelops Winter in a hug, resting her head on Winter's shoulder. She hugs her waist, a finger tracing small circles around Winter's belly button.
Winter shudders, feeling her breathing become jagged. "I don't hate you." She reassured.
Karina hugs her tighter. "I wasn't lying when I said I wanted you. Stay?" Winter turns around, Karina readjusts herself so that her hands are holding Winter's face again.
"You're the only one who believed in me when they accused me. You don't know how much that means to me." Karina looks at Winter's lips. Karina makes her intention clear.
"That's because I knew you weren't a traitor. It just didn't make sense to me. I know how you are, I watched you."
Karina giggles, "You've watched me?"
Winter looks away. "Of course I have. I watch all of you."
"I do too, but you interest me the most, Winter. You're special." Winter feels her ears redden at the praise.
"Whatever I uhm… I should get going-"
"Can I kiss you?"
Winter gulps at the sudden question. "Why?"
"I just.. really want to." Karina leaned in so that both of their noses were touching.
Winter is the first to close her eyes and press her lips against the other girl for a kiss. Winter doesn't know what this will mean for the pair, but she didn't care.
Karina snakes a hand around Winter's waist, pulling her closer as the other hand goes to move Winter's bangs out of her face. Winter was grabbing at the collar of Karina's shirt with both of her hands.
They stay like that for a bit, not deepening the kiss, just content with the feeling of their lips connecting.
Winter pulls away first, looking down at the ground and letting go of Karina.
Karina smiles softly at Winter. Winter wanted to ask what it meant, or to put it better, if it meant anything.
Karina tilts Winter's head up with two fingers, making Winter stare directly in her eyes.
"We should get going now." Karina moves to stand beside Winter, intertwining their fingers.
"Right." Winter responds, walking alongside her.
Winter fails to notice Karina's forearm turning pitch black, claws growing and scales shining brightly under the pale glow that Kwangya emitted.