~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
        Lily normally got worried whenever Kassandra would go quiet for too long, but they supposed they could understand it in this instance. She had been more active around Magnolia the following day or two, but she eventually retreated to her quiet, reserved state. They could sense her, and she wasn’t ill or anything. Troubling, but, it was nothing really out of the ordinary. They assumed her intrigue with those luscious soft chords was but a phase, and enacting out her urges with their Mistress satiated her.
        Magnolia even asked about her, inquiring as to if she was okay. They felt Kassandra bristle and got the feeling she needed space. Magnolia respected her silent request, before going onto drag Lily away from what they were doing and doing things to them that surely pushed Kassandra further away.
        She was fine, about as good as she’d be. For Lily, that was good enough.
        At least, Lily assumed that was the case, until they went off to meet with Pierre yet again. This time, Kassandra didn’t shove them out of the front per se, but when Lily had a sudden wave of anxious nausea, they sighed, closed their eyes, and indulged her.
        What’s going on, Kass? I haven’t heard from you.
        So? she demanded, what, I can’t be quiet now?
        N-no, of course you can. That’s not what I–
        Then if I can be quiet, there’s no issue, is there? Just get off my case, okay?!
        The way Lily felt talking to her was… weird. They felt her abrasiveness, sure, but it didn’t feel like sandpaper. It didn’t make them feel on edge or sad like it usually did when she was in one of her moods. And her anger – the way she pushed Lily away – didn’t feel natural. It was forced.
        But they felt something underneath it. Something… indescribable. It felt familiar to Lily, but completely alien to Kassandra. But before Lily could ruminate more of it, their eyes
        grew
        heavy
        And they blinked a few times. A splitting headache suddenly manifested, making Lily feel as though they were being stabbed in the head repeatedly. They knew what that feeling meant.
        Come on, Lily murmured internally as Kassandra took the front. We can’t keep traumadumping on Pierre…
        Thankfully, Pierre was understanding – if anything, he wanted to know how it went instantly. So being able to get Kassandra’s report instantly was convenient for him. But just when Kassandra was able to tell the tale, she clammed up. Weirdly enough, all the gusto she got to seek his advice vanished in but an instant.
        “You really didn’t have to get me one of these,” he said, though he accepted the bundle of newly tied rope graciously. “I would have bought one off of you anyways.”
        “Don’t… mention it,” Kassandra muttered quietly. “You helped me, so I have to repay the favor.” It was only polite to do so – at least, in Kassandra’s eyes – after dragging him into all of this. She’d have to think of a different gift after dragging him into this again.
        “Point taken. Well, I’ll buy the next one off you, so don’t bother giving me another one, aight?” Pierre said casually, putting the bundle away in his messenger bag. “So your little experiment went well, then?” 
        Kassandra looked away shyly, furrowing her eyebrows. “I guess as well as it could have…” A beat of silence passed by the both of them. Unfortunately, Kassandra had no idea what else to say – or, she did, but she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth.
        “Aaand… what’s next for you and Magnolia?”
        Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean what’s next? I got my answer. It was… good. Dunno why I’d want to do anything else.”
        “Then I’m guessing you want to get tied up again? I mean, seeing how you knitted one of these in a couple hours, that seems to be the case.”
        Kassandra looked away and crossed her arms. “N-no. No! I’m fine, I did it, it was good! Why would I need to do it again…?” Lily scribbled something in the notebook, and once they were done she murmured it aloud – “maybe next time you won’t fall aslee– hey!”
        “Oof, you fell asleep? How’d Magnolia take that?”
        Kassandra didn’t reply, but she allowed Lily to write down their additions. Ugh, this was a good idea to facilitate both of them being able to talk, but gods it was embarrassing for Lily to spill immediately. Pierre took the notebook and read it over, cooing softly. “Aww, she stayed up for you? That’s so cute! That must have taken dedication.”
        “Sh-shut up! It was the least she could do!” But you got offended when she did it, didn’t you? And Lily couldn’t be any less sassy in their head; hell, if anything, they got more sassy now that they had a way to verbalize their other thoughts.
        “Fine, fine,” he held his hands up defensively, trying to not let anymore laughs slip through. “But if you had such a good time, why are you so against spending more time with her? Are you actually satisfied? Because you seem pretty unfulfilled, just from the way you’re acting.”
        “I…” Kassandra looked away and coughed nervously. “I’ve – I’ve had enough of her for a lifetime. If anything, I want her to do less!” You’re not convincing anyone, Kass. She shook her head, ignored Lily, and asked, “What is there to even do left?”
        Pierre shrugged and tilted his head in thought. “I mean, other things that are soft and/or make you feel secure? Sensation play, praise kink, certain kinds of predicament play, petrification…”
        “Wh… What are all those words? What are you even talking about?” Some of them, Kassandra could guess, but what the hell was petrification? That sounded like the opposite of anything soft or comforting. And with every new thing she learned, Kassandra felt as though she knew and understood less.
        “Okay, I understand ‘predicament’ and ‘petrification’ sound scary, but you can’t be scared of praise.”
        “Of course I am, it feels the worst!” Kassandra growled, and then begun to backtrack when Pierre raised an eyebrow at her. “A-and I-I’m not scared of praise, it just feels awful!”
        “Alright, if you say so,” Pierre said smoothly, very obviously not believing her but unwilling to stretch this conversation much further. “You may need to think more about it? Y’know, do some internet searches. Meditate on it. Get angry and throw shit until it comes to you. Ideally, the best course of action would be to talk to Magnolia about it. She’s not a mind reader, y’know?”
        Even though she’s pretty good at reading me ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ, Lily jotted down in the journal.
        Kassandra sighed. She hadn’t met Pierre’s gaze in a while. At least she could trust him to be honest if anything, despite how embarrassing the situation is.
        Her eyes grew heavy. She was kind of done.
        Kassandra was done thinking about any of this.
        “...I think she probably needs to think,” Lily said, their voice cracking a bit as they regained their lucidity. As they continued their planned hangout, Lily filled him in on… whatever details felt appropriate and reasonable to share. In the recesses of Lily’s mind, Kassandra continued ruminating.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
        Lily (and Kassandra) laid down on their stomach on the field. It was a cloudy, chilly day, so thankfully their rumination session wouldn’t be interrupted by rowdy kids. As they thought, they chronicled in their journal, the best place for them to have an honest discussion about… about everything.
        I don’t understand why this is happening, Kassandra wrote. What the hell is wrong with me
        Nothing, Lily wrote.
        They sighed and continued to write –
        I don’t know what you’re feeling Kassandra, whatever it is it’s different from what I feel, I don’t know where this all came from either, but nothing’s wrong with you.
        A pause.
        OK?
        Kassandra sighed, stretched her wrist to prevent cramping, and wrote whatever came to mind. Sorry, she murmured to herself, I’m going to be brutally honest for a bit. She said that as if Kassandra was ever not brutally honest.
        I don’t know what I’m feeling. Or why I’m feeling it. I hate her, Lily, I hate what she did to you, I hate that she took away your freedom, if she cared about you she would have just bought you and helped you. But she didn’t. She made you her property. Lily’s heart tried to stay afloat as they read her thoughts; Kassandra didn’t need to hear their pushback. I’ve hated her this whole time. So why do I suddenly… care? I shouldn’t care about someone who hurt you like this - fuck, even if you, for some miraculous reason, think she hasn’t hurt you. 
But I just want her to look my way. 
Lily blinked as they read that part. She wanted… huh?
I want her to see me. To look at me the kind of way she looks at you, just less possessive. And I’ve never wanted that. I’ve just wanted to stay in the background and help whenever you need me. I want that, but I don’t want to feel this way. It hurts, Lily. Thanks to it I’m having all these complicated, unnecessary feelings. I just want these feelings to die, to trample them until there’s nothing left. I don’t want to want her. It would be easier to not.
Lily suddenly understood. They understood why they couldn’t comprehend how Kassandra felt. It was so unexpected. More unexpected than her sudden interest in soft shibari. 
How Kassandra felt… It was love. 
Nearly imperceptible love, but love. Contained in a secure box, but overflowing onto Lily, onto their headspace, leaking everywhere. It was foreign, uncertain, in a way Lily couldn’t really describe themself. Kassandra picked up that Lily knew now – and that Lily (correctly) identified how she felt. And oh, she so desperately wanted them to forget everything they finally understood. And now that they did, they wouldn’t be letting it go quite that easily.
Kassandra loved Magnolia.
Kassandra loved Lily’s Mistress.
…Feelings can die over time, Lily, she commented quietly.
Feelings can also change over time. It doesn’t have to die.
It’s worse if it doesn’t! That’s why I don’t want to bring it up. Okay? I just want – I just want to be alone until this dies. Lily frowned listening to that. It was so heartbreakingly sad and lonely that it almost made them start tearing up. Look, don’t give me that look. As long as I have time to decompress on my own, I’ll be okay. And we won’t ever have to think of it again. And you won’t feel sick because of me anymore. It’s fine. As long as we don’t indulge the feelings, it’s fine.
Lily had no idea how to reply to that. And even in their state of awakeness, they felt as though they woke up from a long, uncomfortable nap, with dried tears at the corners of their eyes.
One spare comment broke through the silence in their mind–
If you tell her any of this, I’ll never forgive you.
Despite the threatening tone, Lily didn’t feel threatened. They just felt more sorry for her than anything.
She didn’t deserve to feel this miserable. What she did deserve, though – Lily couldn’t quite place a finger on it. They wanted her to be happy, sure, but was ignoring her feelings until they dissipated really the best way to accomplish that? Kassandra seemed sure of that, but was Lily?
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
        Lily hadn’t noticed the nausea or unease coursing through their body until then. But once Lily got home, a bit before Mistress would usually get home, they felt unsteady on their feet. Dinner would probably be a bit difficult to do like this. Surely their Mistress wouldn’t mind getting takeout, but she’d be kind of worried…
        At first, Lily wanted to dissect their sudden illness. But they knew the answer. And more importantly, they knew it would be nigh impossible to hide. With shaky fingers, lowering themself to the couch, they messaged Mistress–
Dear Mistress,
I am feeling unwell today. Would it be alright for us to order takeout? I apologize sincerely and beg for your forgiveness and mercy.
Love,
Lily Anderson-Hawkins
It didn’t take long for Magnolia to reply; the curtness of her response doubling down on Lily’s anxiety.
        Very well, plaything. Check in when I return.
        A very reasonable request. And yet, they felt a tugging feeling from Kassandra. Kassandra almost certainly knew that Magnolia was going to ask, and that Lily was going to be honest if she did. A part of her felt resignation. Lily was too tired, too dizzy, to really notice any of that. They grabbed a trashcan out of an abundance of caution and rested until Mistress returned.
…
…
…
“…ly. Lily, wake up!”
Upon hearing their Mistress’ voice, Lily scrambled upwards. They hadn’t even realized they dozed off. And they didn’t feel any less nauseous. Lily tried to hide it on their face, but they had a tendency to wear their heart on their sleeve. Their anxiety on this sleeve, in this instant.
They rubbed their bleary eyes. The takeout bags were already on the table. Normally Lily would be excited to see their favorite restaurant, but at that point it just made them feel more nauseous. They’d have to force themself to eat.
“H-hello, Mistress,” they said quietly, standing up. “How… how was work today?”
“The usual,” Magnolia mused, moving next to them and suddenly grabbing their ass roughly. Lily squeaked, gasping in surprise as they tried to get their bearings, to stand steady on their feet. “Annoying meetings, annoying subordinates, annoying administrative work… must be nice to be you, plaything. No thoughts, no decision making skills, just obeying me.”
Lily flushed a bright red. “I… I suppose you’re right, Mistress.”
“Of course I am.” She lightly nipped their ear, almost making Lily give out and collapse back to the ground. “Enough about me. What’s going on, plaything?”
Somewhere deep in Lily, Kassandra — gagging as she watched the lewd display going on — felt a surge of defensiveness and anxiety. 
Magnolia was definitely going to ask. And Lily was definitely going to tell her. Kassandra supposed they couldn’t blame them, with how much they relied on the predictability of obedience. It was their crutch. It just wasn’t Kassandra’s.
She wanted to be bitter; she couldn’t.
“I… I, um…”
Lily tried to think of an excuse to not tell, or a lie or falsehood. But even if they could and felt comfortable lying, their brain melted in front of their Mistress. A simple narrowing of the eyes was enough to get them to break under the pressure.
“It’s… it’s Kassandra.”
Magnolia raised an eyebrow, motioning for Lily to continue.
“She’s having… a lot of anxiety.” And considering who they were standing next to now, that anxiety had only got worse. “I… ah, s-sorry Mistress, please give me a second…”
Magnolia guided them to sit back down, and sat next to them, putting an arm around them. Kassandra bristled lightly. She’s so close… I can’t tell if it’s worse to have them say it, or be forced to say it.
After an excruciating moment, Lily continued. “And because she feels nauseous from anxiety, well, so do I.”
“Hm. I see,” Magnolia said, lightly stroking their hand. “Does this have anything to do with our shibari session from the other day?”
Lily averted their eyes, before Magnolia grabbed their chin and forced them back into eye contact. “I-I think so, Mistress,” they stammered nervously. “Well— kinda? She was quiet for a while, b-but now…”
They closed their eyes and sighed. “Then, is her wellbeing alright? If she needs to decompress more, or to talk about it…”
“That’s not it,” Kassandra said through Lily’s lips all of a sudden. Her voice lowered and seemed a bit more… grainy? “I— I mean— I feel fine about that night, okay? You don’t need to ask anymore.”
Magnolia removed her arm and gave Kassandra a comfortable amount of space. No, she didn’t have to move, but I can’t tell her that.
“Then will you tell me what’s going on? Your anxiety is making my plaything sick. I’m not going to tell you to not be anxious, I’m asking what’s causing it.”
That’s the thing… you are, Magnolia…
“And I’m sure they know, but they’re not to come back out until you tell me.”
Their shared head nodded quietly. God damn it, Lily! At least push back a little! “That isn’t fair,” Kassandra murmured.
“And? Our relationship has neither been fair, unlike the one you and I have, Kassandra.” Could have picked a better label than ‘relationship’…
“We d-don’t have a relationship,” Kassandra retorted.
Magnolia smirked, “so we’re strangers, then? How hurtful.”
“That’s not what I meant!” Kassandra hissed. “And you know that!”
“I do. Apologies. I couldn’t help but tease you just a little.”
Sheesh… hard to believe out of literally everyone on the planet, this is who I develop any feelings for…?
“That said, I believe I know what’s going on.”
“Oh? Guess away, then,” Kassandra challenged.
Magnolia shifted; was this uncomfortable for her too? Surely less so than Kassandra. “You have… romantic feelings. For myself. Am I incorrect in assuming so?”
“They’re not romantic,” Kassandra sneered, glaring daggers at Magnolia. Who didn’t flinch, naturally. “They’re just… strong. And came out of nowhere. And completely unreasonable! Like, it’s offensive that you’d even suggest that… why the fuck would I like you in that way? After all you’ve done to Lily? After how you bought them? God, you’re… you’re fucking sick, you know that…? It’s a miracle that Lily even likes you at all. Besides, I’m asexual! And I’ve never had any romantic attraction! So it’s not even possible! How – how delusional can you get?! So… so please just leave me alone. Please let me get rid of these feelings by trampling on them. It’s better that they die, isn’t it? Then Lily will feel okay, and you’ll never have to think about someone like me again.”
Despite all the insults and hurtful words she threw Magnolia’s way, Magnolia didn’t flinch, didn’t change her expression, didn’t cower in the face of Kassandra’s blind rage. And Kassandra didn’t blame her. Hell, even the way she spoke betrayed how she was actually acting. Curled up into a ball, eyes looking anywhere but at Magnolia, and shaking – her! Kassandra! Shaking! For whatever goddamn reason.
Maybe she wore her heart on her sleeve just as much as Lily did.
“Are you done?” Magnolia asked.
Kassandra’s fire flared for a brief second, and then she fell silent. “Yeah.”
Magnolia hummed and took a while to reply. A long while. Just as Kassandra was about to speak up again–
“If you don’t know what your feelings are, then why not just… explore them?” Kassandra tilted her head, which was enough to convince Magnolia to continue. “If you don’t know if you have romantic feelings, I don’t know either. But I can tell your feelings are strong. So maybe it’s worth at least entertaining, if anything, to understand yourself better. And if it’s not what you imagined, then you can go back to isolating yourself and stomping out your own feelings. But you can’t fully crush them until you test that they’re real and tangible. Can you?”
Kassandra… didn’t know how to reply. Her eyes lidded over. She only just now realized how completely and utterly exhausted she was. “I suppose that can’t hurt. You’re – you’re not going to hurt me, are you?!”
Magnolia shook her head.
“Even with how much I insulted you? You’re not going to…” Her face contorted in disgust, “make me… apologize to you?”
“Perhaps later,” Magnolia mused. “If anything, because it’s a bit odd to insult someone you’re so clearly fond of.”
“I’m not fond of you,” Kassandra protested, sans any of the usual spunk that accompanied her presence.
Magnolia chuckled softly. Kassandra wanted to tear into her flesh for that. Maybe she would later. “Then if you’re up for exploring these feelings with me, I can take the day off tomorrow.” You… you don’t have to do that, Kassandra wanted to say. But it would be a lie to say she didn’t want that, either. “Allow me to ask: If you could go anywhere on a date, where would it be?”
“I wouldn’t go on a date,” Kassandra replied, dodging the question with the elegance of a goose trying to get out of traffic.
Magnolia sighed. Clearly this was annoying her, and Kassandra felt bad or guilty, sure whatever, but she couldn’t think to respond in any other way. “Let me ask you a different question then, where do you feel most relaxed or calm?”
Kassandra’s brain halted in its overloaded processing. She closed her eyes and thought back. Truthfully, the times where she felt okay since being owned by Magnolia could be counted on one hand. But… before then, and when they did have time to themselves… 
“Libraries and bookstores, I guess,” Kassandra shrugged.
“...huh, interesting.” Magnolia blinked. “But I suppose that makes sense.”
“It… does?”
“Yes. You’re quiet and reserved. You don’t have many moments of peace since you’re always on the lookout for new threats. But when your peace is disrupted, you instantly go into fight or flight. It’s hard to disrupt someone’s peace at a library. And yet, it’s easy to get lost in them without ever landing in any sort of danger. They’re quiet sanctuaries; an introvert’s ideal living space. I’m guessing you’re the kind of person who wished they could live there.”
Kassandra’s jaw dropped. She was at a loss for words. Magnolia really gathered all of that from a single suggestion? Or had she put that together about Kassandra long ago?
“But if we’re going on a…” Date. She could say date… nevermind, she couldn’t. “If we’re hanging out at the library, we won’t be talking. Isn’t that the whole point?” The point was lost long ago; she shouldn’t have even been entertaining this absurd idea. 
        Magnolia shrugged. “There’s a lot you can learn from silence alone. In fact, talking sometimes worsens a connection. Imagine you insulting me 24/7, or me chastising you every waking hour. Or us trying to be cordial at every moment, waiting for enough threads to snap. I think you already know the value of silence, though, considering how relaxed you were the second I ordered you to stop talking during our scene.”
        Kassandra turned away. “...You didn’t order me to do anything.”
        Magnolia sighed, “if you believe so. Well? I’d love to go to the library with you, Kassandra. What say you?”
        What was she even supposed to say to that? She’d be forced into it even if she refused, right? Well… she didn’t know. But did she want to find out? Her head swam with questions. A part of her wanted to insist that it would be pointless and she would learn fuck and all. 
        Kassandra groaned and shook her head. If she turned back, she’d never sleep easy again. Maybe she’d understand more than her feelings for Lily’s Mistress. Maybe she’d also understand when, why, and how she lost her marbles so spectacularly, where this insane change in personality came from, and where the fuck she was even going.
        “Fuck it. I… guess until tomorrow, then.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
        If it wasn’t a date, why did I even get dressed up? 
Kassandra pondered to herself. Truthfully, though, dressing up for an outing with Lily’s Owner was amongst the least concerning things she’d done recently. Besides, it’s not as if she couldn’t go for a departure from her baggy hoodies and loose-fitting jeans. 
Kassandra never got the interest in fancy rich people clothes. Why pay exponentially more for clothes that look the exact same? But upon looking at the nice dress shirt and well-fitting slacks, coupled with a pair of comfortable loafers broken in long ago, she supposed she saw the appeal. She guessed she didn’t realize just how uncomfortable her clothes were until she tried them on. Still, though, it didn’t mean she could let her guard down.
If only she could get the damn collar off… but that was too much to ask. She knew that. And yet, it felt unnatural, cold, violating in and of its presence alone. Alas.
        How ya feeling? Lily asked cautiously, in a sing-song voice, trying to dispel the uncertainty and discomfort in the situation. Kassandra almost wanted to manifest Lily just to beat the shit out of them. Almost. Hey, I’m just checking in…
        … “This is all your fault, you know that, right?” Kassandra asked, narrowing her eyes. Even she knew she was being a bit uncharitable. All Lily did was ask her how she was feeling, and really, Kassandra needed their shoulder to lean on. Excitement fluttered within her. Butterflies floated around in her gut as her stomach did a bunch of flip-flops. A part of her wanted to cancel just to stop the feeling; it was foreign, unusual, and uncomfortable.
        She kept wanting to think that Magnolia must have done something to her… but she couldn’t even convince herself of that.
        Instead of having her personal driver take both of them over, Magnolia opted to drive herself in her equally expensive SUV. She probably thought that having a driver take them a couple miles would be a gross showing of her wealth, but truly, the luxury vehicle gave the same vibe. At least it wasn’t a cybertruck.
        The ride was uncomfortably silent. Kassandra wanted to understand the appeal of silence, she really did. And to an extent, she did. But good god it was beyond uncomfortable. Besides, this felt less like a comfortable silence and more so like neither of them knew what the hell to say.
        Magnolia found a parking spot. A legal one. Surprisingly, since Kassandra assumed she was the kind of rich person to consider a parking ticket just the cost to park her car. Of course, she wouldn’t say that out loud. After doing so, she walked around, Kassandra’s eyes staying on her the entire time.
        Upon the door opening, Magnolia beckoned Kassandra outside. I could have opened it myself… She held back a sigh. It was going to take a lot to keep her witty insults in check. Magnolia probably knew to expect a few. Old habits died hard, after all, and it was not like Kass was ever going to be a picture perfect copy of Lily. 
        Both of them strolled out, Magnolia locking the car behind her. Kassandra, distantly, could feel Lily watching through her eyes with the intrigue of watching a tense movie. She could almost taste the popcorn.
        You’re putting too much pressure on me, Kassandra grumbled, Just don’t expect anything to come out of this. Alright?
        I’m not, Lily protested, I’m just interested.
        Kassandra sighed longsufferingly. What in the hell did Lily have to be so interested in, anyways?
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
        Kassandra never realized how noisy the outside world was until she stepped from a car with a loud motor into a dead silent library. Well, she knew objectively, but it wasn’t like she ever fully registered it. They took one of the many empty tables, with Magnolia tenderly placing her expensive purse on the hardwood and Kassandra taking off her sweatshirt and flinging it around the back of the chair.
        And now she wasn’t sure what to do. Shit, why didn’t she bring a fidget toy or anything…?
        “Would you be alright–” Magnolia started. Kassandra whipped her head around, waiting for her to make some kind of degrading or outlandish request. Magnolia narrowed her eyes at Kassandra’s intense, suspicious expression, and sighed. “Watching over my belongings while I find something to read? I trust you not to steal anything, but make sure no one else does.”
        “Uh, sure. What… whatever.” Kassandra tried to play it cool, despite feeling 100% like a total weirdo in her suspicion. What did Kassandra think Magnolia was even going to ask of her? I don’t know, you just keep assuming something terrible is going to happen. 
“Yeah, that’s kinda my job, idiot,” Kassandra murmured under her breath. “Besides, I’ve clearly been caught off guard more than a few times within the last week. Who’s to say she’s not going to take advantage of that and push her luck a bit more?”
Lily shrugged and sighed. Kassandra had to suppress those actions. When Magnolia returned, Kassandra took that as her queue to stand and find something for herself. Except… the only library whose layout she knew by heart was their childhood one. Before it got torn down. Now she was in another completely different place, and she didn’t exactly care for walking around blindly. Especially not while being left alone with her own thoughts.
Eventually, she realized how long she’d been gone. No need to have Magnolia hunting her down. Ooh, that would be a good scene idea though. For her and me, that is. Kassandra hated that Lily had to add that clarification now. She picked up a random manga she’d never heard of and scurried back to the table.
“Back. Spaced out for a bit, sorry,” she explained, trying to play it off cool. “So, uh… whatcha reading?”
“How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Magnolia replied dryly. Kassandra couldn’t tell whether or not she saw the irony in that title. She chuckled and continued, “Don’t give me that look. It’s actually a fascinating read. Focused on business negotiations, yes, but equally as valuable for speaking with those you wish to grow closer with.”
Kassandra narrowed her eyes and tried to think of a good comeback.
“You seem pretty caught off guard,” Magnolia remarked, the cocky smirk never leaving her lips. Kassandra felt heated blood flow to her face. “Is the concept of getting closer to me – or rather, getting closer to anyone - so viscerally disgusting to you?”
“I-it’s not that,” Kassandra seethed. “I just… I don’t like you like that! Obviously not!”
“Hm.” Magnolia’s eyes looked down to the book she was holding. “Is that a series from the mid-aughts?”
“Ah?” Kassandra looked down. “I dunno. I just picked it up. Why?”
Magnolia’s grin curled further upwards. “I figured you might be studying the ancient texts and taking notes on how tsunderes act, for our da– hang out.”
Kassandra bit her tongue before she could say she was going to kill Magnolia, but her face said all the same. Luckily for both of them, Magnolia’s teasing ended there – for now – leaving both of them to do their reading in silence.
I don’t like her like that, she grumbled internally, not really paying attention to what she was reading. I… I don’t.
She was convincing absolutely nobody, not even herself. How could she trample this feeling? Surely hanging around her wasn’t helping. Maybe after this she should just go back to the back of Lily’s mind and disappear. It honestly seemed appealing.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
        “Ma’ams? The library will close in fifteen minutes.”
        “Ah–” Kassandra jolted back to attention, scrambling to her feet. Almost doing so, anyways. Before she could make a scene and draw unnecessary attention to them both, Magnolia put a firm hand on her knee. Which definitely kept her in place, sure, but unnecessarily flustered her more than she already was.
        “Thank you for letting us know,” Magnolia said calmly. “We’ll be taking our leave momentarily.”
        The librarian simply nodded curtly before walking away. Magnolia turned her head to prompt Kassandra to get ready to head out, only to see the younger one staring incredulously at Magnolia.
        “Something wrong? We should get going.”
        Kassandra didn’t reply with words, instead opting to stare daggers at Magnolia’s hand. Which was still on her knee. Quickly, Magnolia removed it. “My apologies,” she sighed, “force of habit. Besides, I’d rather you not make a scene.”
        “Surely making a scene is a better scenario than crossing my physical boundaries?” Kassandra hissed.
        “Point,” Magnolia pursed her lips. “Regardless, we should be off.”
        “Y…you’re telling me…” Fuck! She can’t keep throwing me off like this, Kassandra thought as a massive headache came on. She left the book on the table, as did Magnolia, as she was led out. Hell, even being led out by her felt insulting. This was stupid, she was being stupid, how the hell did she end up in this situation anyways? And fuck, Lily needed to stop laughing at her from the back of their mind!
        “By the by, I couldn’t help but notice you picked up one with a French translation. Surely there were some English copies, no? Perhaps that’s why you can hardly remember it.”
        “I can speak French,” Kassandra stated blankly. “What, you can’t? It’s kind of the most bougie language.”
        …you remember all that? Yes. Kassandra remembered every single language she studied in middle and high school. Well, anytime she was out, anyways. It made sense Lily didn’t, considering Lily was more concerned with… it didn’t matter. But Kassandra had retained enough that it had become a second language to her. Fifth, actually, following Spanish, Japanese (from her weeb phase), and Latin.
It’s pretty amazing. You’re really cool, Kassandra.
Kassandra scoffed underneath her breath. What was the huge deal? She learned things and she remembered things. Was that such a novel concept to Lily 
“Hm. You continue to amaze me daily. Both of you, that is. But no, to answer your question, I do not speak French. Fluently, that is— I know a couple words and basic greetings from business trips.”
Kassandra squinted, as if trying to locate a fly on the wall. “Didn’t you take Lily to some weird ass experimental French movie early on? Une limace, a slug?”
Magnolia chuckled under her breath. “You don’t necessarily need to know a language to understand its emotions, pl— Kassandra.”
“Really that hard for you?” Kassandra grumbled. 
“It’s not exactly easy when you look and speak the same. Could you give me a tidbit of credit?”
“Sure. So, uh… what now?” Ending here felt awkward, and uncomfortable for reasons Kassandra couldn’t describe. But what else was there to do?
        Luckily, Magnolia read her mind. As they got back into the car, Magnolia made eye contact and asked – “Dinner now, then?”
        Kassandra groaned. “Yeah, yeah. Can’t end a day without a bougie meal, can you?”
        Magnolia narrowed her eyes. “Fine then, I suppose we’ll go home.”
        “Wait! I didn’t mean—”
        Magnolia smirked at Kassandra. Ah, she got played like a fiddle again. She needed to stop falling for these obvious traps.
        Lily, internally, rolled their eyes so far back that Kassandra got a mild headache from it. You’re so dramatic. You’re acting like you’re not enjoying this at all.
        Shut up! I don’t need to hear that from you!
“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Magnolia replied smugly.
        Kassandra lightly – jokingly – punched Magnolia’s arm as they walked side by side. “Yeah, yeah. You got me. Don’t test your luck, though.”
        “I could give you the same advice.” Magnolia returned the motion, making Kassandra crack a small smile and a light blush. “Let us be off.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“This is… a lot less extravagant than I expected,” Kassandra murmured, looking around the 50s-styled diner. When she was told she was getting taken to dinner, she assumed she’d see menus without prices, people dressed as richly as Magnolia, glass chandeliers, and a “no hat” policy. She definitely didn’t expect something that her and Lily could afford after a lucky week. They were surrounded by families, yes, but luckily no shrieking children. Thank god.
Magnolia raised an eyebrow. “But of course. I knew that pampering or spoiling you as I do with Lily would only put you on edge.” And she was right. Kassandra would have definitely felt as though she was trying to buy Kassandra’s consent for any of the debauchery she put Lily through. At least she thought that through. 
The nostalgic diner really only set Kassandra at ease. It reminded them of the kind of places their ex girlfriends would take them to during their honeymoon phases. 
But Magnolia wasn’t her girlfriend. Not Kassandra’s, anyways. This was not a date. There was no honeymoon phase. 
They were just hanging out.
…That’s what Kassandra kept needing to tell herself, anyways.
Only when they started eating did Kassandra realize how utterly famished she was. She’d considered herself a light eater. Then she ate through both the sides they got. Then appetizers and a full meal. It had been such a long time since she had food this good. 
Come to think of it, she hadn’t even been fronting at any point to eat, certainly not with Magnolia. Was her last meal in the front really when they were back on the streets…? And even then, didn’t she allow Lily to indulge in all of the nice meals?
Upon realizing this, Kassandra slowed her bites into her extravagant sundae. 
“Something on your mind, Kassandra?” Magnolia had stopped her bites as well, her eyes boring holes into Kassandra's. Kassandra winced, the spoon knocking against the glass with how much she shook.
        Why was she fucking scared? She shouldn't be. She was in public, there was... no risk of Magnolia trying anything. But Magnolia's cruelty knew no bounds when it came to Lily. So she had a perfectly good reason TO be scared. Who was to say she wasn't intending to use Kassandra's new, foreign, uncomfortable feelings to take advantage of her?
        Objectively, Kassandra knew she should have just given some sort of bullshit answer. But she didn't. The thoughts, the feelings, began to spill out through widening cracks in the dams of her walls.
        “To be honest, this is the first nice meal I've had in... ever.”
        Magnolia raised an eyebrow. “Even before I met you both?”
        “Yeah. I always just let Lily enjoy any extravagant meals we got to have. It wasn't my place to take away their fleeting moments of joy. I just needed to protect them. That was it.”
        “Hm. I suppose it makes sense why you would be so emotional about it, then,” Magnolia replied calmly. It was reassuring, yes, but why the fuck couldn't she be scared with Kassandra? That would be easier! ...Surely, somehow. “I suppose I also affirm that this won't be a one time thing. You'll get more extravagant meals. Or meals like this. The fact you haven't even lived to appreciate decent food is a crime and inexcusable, frankly."
        Magnolia was getting way too heated about this. It was just food, and it was how they survived. Deep inside, Lily tensed up in anxiety and confusion. Without thinking for a second, Kassandra's protective instincts kicked in.
        "It's not that big of a deal," Kassandra murmured, a bit of heat entering her voice. “It was just… food. It’s just how we sustained ourselves. Not all of us got to live in luxury–” Kassandra’s breath hitched. Magnolia didn’t grow up rich. She’s one of the few billionaires who didn’t earn their wealth by being a nepo baby. “And not all of us were talented or smart or functional enough to get to the heights you are.” Did she just call Magnolia talented and smart indirectly? She steamrolled over that realization and continued. “It doesn’t matter whether I ate spoiled gruel or like some kinda prince. At the end of the day, it just let us survive.”
        Kass didn’t realize just how much more she started shaking since she started her spiel. It didn’t affect her much. It didn’t. Or… she couldn’t let it affect her. But it was, now. Of all the people to allow to see her like this, it just had to be this bit… this bitc… this lady.
        Magnolia hadn’t broken eye contact with her. Her expression was soft, yet unreadable. Kassandra braced herself for more attacks to her walls, and it seemed she was right to expect it.
        “You say all this as if you don’t deserve the same luxuries you offered to Lily,” Magnolia stated flatly.
        Kassandra scoffed, this time smart enough to hide it under her breath. “Yeah? I don’t need them like they do.”
        “Except it seems less a matter of needs and more so a matter of who gets to savor the small joys in life. Up until now, you’ve allowed Lily even as it ate away at you. Why, Kassandra?”
        The hairs on Kassandra’s back stood straight up. “Why the hell does this even matter?” She was getting nervous and didn’t catch herself in time to hide it.
        Magnolia smiled thinly. “You’re not great at answering questions, are you?” she teased.
        “Don’t mock me! I just don’t know why you’re so invested in psychoanalyzing me!”
        “It’s a simple question to get to know you better, Kassandra. What else would we talk about on dates?”
        “This isn’t a date.”
        Magnolia sighed and shook her head. “Denying it until the bitter end, I see. I suppose I should have expected no less from a heated fireball like you.”
        Kassandra looked away. Magnolia was going to win that argument, it was true; if not now, eventually. But she wasn’t going to let her see Kass admit defeat and give her a chance to gloat. Bringing them back to an earlier topic was the best course of action for the stubborn ember she embodied.
        “Then allow me to be more direct, fireball. Taking an educated guess here, but I’d wager you prefer that more than beating around the bush.” Magnolia sighed, readjusted in her seat, and fixed her glasses. 
And – what, was ‘fireball’ supposed to be her nickname now…? She supposed naturally finding nicknames wasn't unusual. This was the longest time they’d spent together with Kassandra willing to. 
“You care deeply about Lily. A type of love akin to those of siblings. Siblings who bicker and argue, sure, but siblings regardless. Even though you’re mentally younger than Lily – quoting you, by the by – you acted as an older sibling. It wasn’t just about making sure they were safe from harm. You wanted to keep them happy, give them momentary blips of happiness and comfort, even if it meant sacrificing your own. You didn’t just protect them, Kassandra. You made sure they had enough reason to keep going. And so, I’m grateful you were there for them, so that they’d lead themself to me.”
“You… I… how the fuck did you…” Kassandra sputtered. The words didn’t leave her mouth properly, but the question got across just fine.
“It’s simple logic, really. If I didn’t figure at least that much out, I’d not be wrong to call myself just as dull as Lily,” the infuriating owner responded with a chuckle. “I told you, didn’t I? You can learn a lot about someone from silence alone. You may believe yourself to be impervious, but you and Lily both wear your hearts on your sleeves. Makes my job quite easy, to be honest.”
Kassandra averted her eyes. She didn’t want Magnolia to see weakness in her, though to be fair, that ship had already sailed. “You said they’re like a picture book or some shit, right?”
“Something of the sort,” Magnolia smirked condescendingly, “the exact words escape me now. But I could say similarly of you.”
“Hey! Don’t patronise me!” Kassandra fumed, trying her damndest to regain her ground. Trying to find a retort, she grabbed the first thought that came to mind. “You haven’t even told me anything about yourself, and you know so much about me! Feels a bit unfair, don’t you think?”
        “I haven’t even told Lily that much about myself. I’m just a naturally private person, as you’re a naturally angry one.”
“That’s not… I... I mean, why… ugh, fuck it, I don’t have a good comeback to that.” Kassandra looked down, not wanting to wither looking at Magnolia’s smug expression. Her hands shook harder, light rhythmic noises against the glass, her shoe tapping the marble floor impatiently. “Gonna be real, I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me.”
“Nothing,” Magnolia replied without missing a beat. “You’re having a moment of confusion, and just that – a moment. We all have those times. Miraculously, myself included,” she chuckled lowly. Really? Was now the time for self-aggrandizing jokes? “Or do you mean what you are feeling? I — and I'm sure Lily — have reassured you it's normal, no?”
        “They're not normal, though,” Kassandra retorted. “And... why am I letting this ha— why do I want this? I hate it. I hate wanting this.” Kassandra knew very well she was in public, that people were beginning to see her mental collapse, cracks in her armor widening to chasms. “I shouldn't need any of this. You, these feelings, this date, the fact you somehow haven't taken any opportunity to torment me... fuck, I'm so confused. My head is spinning.”
The two sat in silence for a long, somehow comfortable minute or so. The waitress walked by with the check. Aside from a quick remark, neither of them paid any heed to it. Kassandra’s mental spiral continued, but her mouth was shut. She didn’t need to talk anymore about it. Kassandra talked more than she wanted to, anyways.
        And she was no less confused. Quite the opposite, in fact.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
        Kassandra felt like a tornado had split her spirit into pieces. If this little experiment was meant to help her realize some grand truth about herself, it failed miserably, because she felt she knew less than before. Even putting together the logical pieces led nowhere.
        Kassandra was a protective alter of Lily’s. Lily was Magnolia’s… partner. She still couldn’t call Lily Magnolia’s property or slave or plaything or whatever the hell she wanted, but the point stood. Kassandra was asexual and had no interest in romance, either. She didn’t even know what a crush felt like, now or in the past. Lily, on the other hand, readily accepted their role with excitement as soon as it was presented to them. Magnolia used soft rope on Lily that piqued Kassandra’s interest, who then decided to, against her better judgement, ask Magnolia to try it out on her. Kassandra enjoyed it to say the least, and let that experience sit in her consciousness. Something new bubbled to the surface, another feeling that was impossible to suppress, and sure, she could describe it as ‘love’ or ‘adoration’ if she wanted to throw away her dignity, the pieces of individuality she had – she thought she had, that is.
        Why was she feeling this way?
        Why this sudden change?
        Why did they start now, of all times?
        Why couldn’t she just push them back under and forget about them?
        Kassandra had no answers, and only more questions. So instead, she focused on what was true now: She cared for Magnolia, as much as she didn’t want to admit it. Whether it was love or care or a moment of losing her grip on reality – she felt oddly warm. Something inside her changed, something Kassandra couldn’t quite explain.
        But her questions only intensified when she realized they weren’t going back the right way. Her heartbeat quickened as Kassandra tried to figure out where they were going. Her head whipped around to Magnolia, suspicion and indignation in her eyes. Magnolia only acknowledged her with a smirk and a side-eye. Alright, so she wanted to take her out, was that it? Didn’t submit to her enough so Kassandra was going to get punished for it? Her fists clenched hard, but just as she was about to ask –
        “Would you mind terribly if we stopped by the oceanside? I find it a tranquil place to process… y’know. Things like this.”
        Kassandra furrowed her eyebrows. “Really? It’s already dark outside. Or what, is this where you lead me into the trap you have set up for me?!”
        “…I think you know that’s not true,” Magnolia stated correctly, “and you can’t even convince yourself that’s a possibility.”
Kassandra sighed, relinquishing her anger. “Point. So then, why are we going there? Don’t tell me the plan is just to sit in silence some more.”
“Would that truly be so bad? I knew your tastes were changing, but I suppose I underestimated how much you wanted to talk to me,” Magnolia chided her with a low chuckle. She was testing her luck! …and god damn it, Kassandra didn’t even want to slug her for doing so. “I simply like the ocean breeze, that’s all. The air feels clear. I go there whenever I can’t figure a problem out. Just breathing the fresh air in slow, deep inhales and exhales… it does wonders for the human brain, I can assure you.”
“I… suppose that’s fine,” Kassandra murmured. “Might clear my head, too. I feel so confused, like my head is going to split open.”
“Thought so. Which is good, because we’re already here.”
“H-huh? Oh, we are…” Kassandra’s heart fluttered lightly, as if her already malfunctioning parachute had a string snipped and she fell face first into a soft, plush mattress. “I mean – yeah, we are. Let’s go, aight?”
Magnolia smirked, the bits of light shimmering off her lipstick. “So we shall.”
She let herself out. Of course. As Kassandra was about to start ruminating, the door opened for her. Cutting off her own thoughts, Kassandra hesitantly got out of the car, and instinctively took a deep breath in.
The closest beach they grew up by could barely be called one. It was more of a mixture of a dumpster lot and gross soupy mixture of all sorts of oils and greases. So she supposed she expected polluted air. But it was clear. It was the freshest air Kassandra had ever taken, and the only breath she remembered she enjoyed taking. 
        “You’re right, I guess,” Kassandra said quietly. “As much as I hate to admit it…”
        Magnolia laughed. “What, were you afraid a little ocean air would kill you? I know you don’t trust easily, but this is a new level.”
        Kassandra couldn’t respond. Magnolia began to walk, and after a moment of contemplation, she followed. God, what am I doing, allowing her to pull me around like this? We were just going to the library to read in silence, but then she drags me to a restaurant and a walk on the beach… but this isn’t a date. It’s not a date. It looks like one, but it’s not. And I could’ve – should’ve – resisted more…
        Eventually Magnolia stopped, taking a seat on a bench that looked out into the horizon. She patted the seat next to her and Kassandra followed. All the while, she questioned what the hell she was doing…
        Magnolia reached a hand behind Kassandra’s back. The younger of the two raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at Magnolia. “Do you mind if I…”
        Put her hand on her back… yeah, Kassandra minded, and yet… “Go ahead, do whatever.”
        “‘Do whatever’? That’s a dangerous suggestion to give me,” Magnolia laughed.
        “You know what I meant!”
        They laughed for a moment together, and Magnolia closed the distance, lightly petting Kassandra’s back. On any other day, she would jump up and swiftly give whoever crossed her physical boundaries a quick kick to the abdomen. But for some reason, that option didn’t even cross her mind.
        “You were right, I s’pose,” Kassandra murmured, looking into the ocean as the sky grew yet darker. “This is a nice place. It’s… it does clear my mind, a little. I guess.”
        “Same with myself,” Magnolia responded quietly.
        Time passed.
        It passed and passed. Kassandra didn’t know how much time exactly. And for some reason, even though she was more aware of the flow of time than ever before, she felt like the seconds had stopped in place.
        “Have you reached a conclusion yet, Kassandra?”
        “What… do you m–?” she furrowed her eyebrows. Right. This was supposed to be an experiment. A way to figure out just how exactly she felt about Magnolia… And yet, she was still clueless. “I don’t know. I don’t… I don’t get any of this. I’m surprised you haven’t just called off this date yet.”
        Magnolia smiled thinly. “Finally, you acknowledge this is a date.”
        Kassandra groaned, rubbing the back of her head. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t gloat about it. It’s not like this will go anywhere. But I suppose it was–”
        “Who’s to say it has to end here?”
        Kassandra blinked. For a moment, she had to process what Magnolia just said. And then indignation filled her. “What do you mean?! We agreed this was just a one time thing, didn’t we?”
        “And?” Magnolia raised an eyebrow. “You enjoyed yourself, right? So we can do this again. Whenever you’d like. It isn’t as if you signed a contract or anything.”
        “Don’t play with me,” Kassandra hissed. Magnolia tilted her head and made a small hum of confusion, before Kassandra continued. “I know you don’t actually want to be with me, isn’t that right?”
        “Enough,” Magnolia sighed, “you need to cease this needless suspic–”
        “It’s not needless!” Kassandra shouted, shifting away suddenly from Magnolia’s arm. “You just want me out of the way! So you indulge my bizarre feelings so I won’t interfere with you and Lily anymore! I know that’s the reason. Why else would you spend so much time with me?! Why else would you decide to play with my heart?!”
“It’s because I do want to be with you, Kassandra!” Magnolia tried to temper her voice as soon as she noticed it rising. “I’ll admit, when I bought Lily at auction, I hadn’t expected they’d be a package deal. Of course, when you buy a person, you expect to own them in their entirety, right? Morally dubious as you believe it to be, but that’s the objective truth. But I knew forcing you would only damage the relationship I wanted to build with Lily.”
“So being nice to me and not, I dunno, not assaulting me was just so you could get in Lily’s pants? Just tell me I failed instead, at least that wastes less of your breath!”
Magnolia massaged her temples, taking a deep inhale before continuing. “Are you dense or just acting the part? You didn’t fail anything except if you were trying to not annoy me. I love Lily, yes, and I wanted you in my life, too. But up until now, you wanted no part of it. And I respected that because I knew forcing myself upon you would only push all of you further away.”
“How lovely you didn’t decide to assault me,” Kassandra hissed. “Maybe if you did you would have broken my brain instantly before making me take my neurons apart one by one like I am now!”
“You sound like you actually want me to! Maybe all the fresh air finally cleared those defunct brain cells from your head and you’re realizing what you really want from these little ‘experiments’!”
“Like hell I do! And don’t talk to me like you do to Lily! It’s barely acceptable when you do it to them!” Kassandra was grateful no one was around. Naturally. No one had to hear their childish argument except for them both. Nor would anyone call the cops on the myriad of crimes they’d both just admitted to. “Yeah, maybe I did enjoy today, and maybe I had a good time, but I’m not yours! But for some dumbass reason, I… I want…”
She didn’t want to be. Except that was yet another lie. Kassandra closed her eyes shut as Magnolia’s face and posture softened.
And then she said something truly out of the blue.
“I want to be with you, too, Kassandra.”
Kassandra’s eyes widened.
“I do want to be with you. As I said. And I’ve stayed patient, knowing there was a good chance you might never want yourself in my life. I cherish you, Kassandra. I know it will take time for you to return those feelings, and yet… And I still care for you, Kassandra.”
A pause.
“Love, perhaps.”
Something about that correction broke something in Kassandra. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to hold her emotions back. Realistically, she should have clammed up and given Lily’s owner the silent treatment. That was what she deserved, after all.
        “I mean… how can you expect me to understand any of this…? This is a bizarre situation beyond belief… I mean, even after five years it hasn’t made any more sense… How can Lily love you? And now, how can I…”
        The emotions came out in spades. Kassandra’s eyes welled up, and her whole body was shaking. Lily’s internal attempts to comfort her went nowhere, and their presence faded too. This is between me and Magnolia, Kassandra thought simply.
        Magnolia simply listened. Deep down, Kassandra knew her silence was a trap to keep Kassandra talking about herself. And yet, even knowing that, Kassandra eagerly wanted into the mousetrap, waiting for Magnolia to snap her neck. Metaphorically.
“Why would you be with someone whose instinct is to insult and attack you?” Kassandra tried to look angry, tough, whatever got her defensive instincts across, but it was too late. Tears were beading at the corners of her eyes. Her body was shaking uncontrollably. She didn’t know if she wanted to run away, deck Magnolia in the face, or simply crumple to the ground and give up. “You… you want someone who’ll fight back on you? Someone who you have to convince to love you? Don’t… don’t bullshit me, Magnolia. I’ve had enough fighting to last me a lifetime. I don’t want to fight anymore. I don’t want to be let down–”
Kassandra was abruptly cut off as Magnolia grabbed her side and pulled her in close. Kassandra yelped, immediately trying to break herself free. Magnolia was deceptively strong, her grip firm, the faint, comforting scent of lavender floating through the air. 
“Wh… what are you doing?” Kassandra asked softly. The fight and defiance in her voice had disappeared, and she knew the question was stupid.
“It’s not obvious? Holding you. Why? Is this wrong?”
Yes, she wanted to answer.
But it was a lie.
So instead, Kassandra just… didn’t answer. Not for a long time, anyways. She allowed them to stay like this. It wasn’t… wrong.
“You’re going to get burnt,” Kassandra whispered sadly. “I’m not a pushover like Lily.”
Magnolia sighed happily. “Who’s to say a little fire is bad? Besides, I can get my unconditional surrender needs from Lily, who I don’t think is capable of hurting a fly.”
She was… right. Lily and Kassandra were opposites, in a weird way. But sides of the same coin. The same coin Magnolia loved and cherished. Both sides who returned the feelings in kind.
Even if it took five years. Even if she was still terrified and confused and trapped in a maelstrom of confusion.
        “...I’m putting my trust in you. You know this. Right?”
        Magnolia held her tighter. With strands of Magnolia’s hair all over Kassandra’s face, softly nuzzling at her sensory input. But it didn’t feel bad, per se. In fact, that was the one thing, in her hurricane of confusion, that made sense.
        “I know. I will treat that trust as I would a luxurious glass artifact.”
        Kassandra smiled lightly, turning away so it wouldn’t be seen. Leave it up to Magnolia to sound extremely rich, even now. She let it pass. If she was handling Kassandra’s trust with care, Kassandra could only do the same.