<aside> 🌸 gallery / fics / au list / canon lore / dynamics / about arina

</aside>

Untitled

$\large \textsf{\textbf{\color{F6F3F9}}}\large \textsf{\textbf{\color{F6F3F9}HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN INTO YOU?}}\hspace{-7.2cm}\footnotesize\color{a89dbb}\frac{\ \ \ }{}\ h~o~w~l~o~n~g~h~a~v~e~i~b~e~e~n~i~n~t~o~y~o~u~?\ \frac{\ \ \ }{}$

https://www.tickcounter.com/countup/300102/my-count-up

$\large \textsf{\textbf{\color{F6F3F9}}}\large \textsf{\textbf{\color{F6F3F9}20.8.23. 12:46 PM.}}\hspace{-3.6cm}\footnotesize\color{a89dbb}\frac{\ \ \ }{}\ 2~0.~8.~2~3.~~12:46~p~m.\ \frac{\ \ \ }{}$

https://www.tickcounter.com/countup/312922/aaaaaaaaaaa


$\large \textsf{\textbf{\color{F6F3F9}}}\large \textsf{\textbf{\color{F6F3F9}TAKE ME BACK TO THEN}}\hspace{-4cm}\footnotesize\color{a89dbb}\frac{\ \ \ }{}\ c~a~n~o~n~~~l~o~r~e\ \frac{\ \ \ }{}$

$\color{palevioletred}\utilde{when~i~first~laid~eyes~on~you}$

During her first year in Yumenosaki, Arina never knew anything about UNDEAD - heard of them vaguely, but never saw them, never had any thoughts about them. As her growth as a producer stalled and she was arranged to be UNDEAD’s manager, she met them for the first time. The four men were only older than her by a year or two, but with her years of not being used around guys ever, their auras were intimidating in different ways - including Adonis’. Her first impression of him was the same as the others, only piled on by the fact that he was the most silent out of everyone, and she couldn’t read his mood at all.

The stiff awkward air only thickened as it was apparent she would be focusing more on managing the two members still in school (Kaoru and Rei had more free time and support from their agency), and Koga basically refused to be babysat for, and that left her with solely managing Adonis’ work. Having to spend a lot of her time around someone who didn’t talk much wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t helped by the fact that she herself didn’t know what to say to him.

$\color{palevioletred}\utilde{when~you~started~to~look~at~me}$

It was plenty outrageous for Arina to bring men home, but at the time her parents demanded to know her progress with work, and she’d had to ask Rei for help - she knew they probably expected something more artsy and elegant from her, more akin to Valkyrie’s art, how was she gonna tell them she was in charge of making messy, punk-rock themes totally unsuited for her style? They came up with the idea to just present herself as Adonis’ personal manager, and to be honest, it was what she was already doing anyway. They might focus more on his safer projects so far, but if it worked it worked.

The meeting was somewhat painful to go through. Despite their best efforts to make a good impression, everything kept returning back to their expectations, what did they send her to France for if she just ended up being a manager, what had she been doing during her first year (even if this one was totally justified). She was growing frustrated and it was going nowhere, but Adonis didn’t stop trying. He repeated points Arina and Rei told him to say to impress her parents, and more: he would take care of her the way she would take care of him.

Perhaps it was the pure insistence, or perhaps they just grew bored and gave up, but her parents let them off after that with an unconvinced wave. Usually this would’ve led into Arina feeling like a failure, but at that time something in her clicked. She hadn’t been receptive towards Adonis at all, and perhaps that was the reason why he was so hard to talk to - she never gave him the opening. Perhaps it would do well to try again.

$\color{palevioletred}\utilde{when~i~was~still~unsure~how~i~felt~about~you}$

Adonis made well on his promise - he did treat her well. She was still somewhat nervous around him, still finding herself having trouble talking to him beyond a couple sentences, but being around him had gotten easier. Natural, even. Having to spend much time around him had gotten her familiar to his presence. She started to know his friends, his preferences, his tendencies. His tendencies to care for others in the littlest of ways - offering them food, his naturally protective behavior towards anyone smaller.

His friends, whom he treated all the same, from the starry-eyed swordsman to the superstar producer whom he looked at with the same kind eyes he gave her.

$\color{palevioletred}\utilde{but~then~i~fell,~and~dear,~i~fell~hard}$

Her love grew from the smallest actions. When they walked together and he would guide her away from the street, walking slightly in front of her because he knew she liked to hide behind him a little. When he would insist on feeding her meat at any possible moment. Whenever she felt his soft eyes on her, she felt safe and protected.

And yet her love also bore ugly feelings: jealousy, guilt. Jealous that he was that nice to everyone. Guilty that she thought that way. Guilty because she didn’t want to burden him further with her love - she already was feeling bad that they were stuck together by her circumstances, she knew how good of a person he was, and how he would probably do these same things to others. Guilty that she wanted to take him for herself.

But if there was one thing Arina had going on for her, it was her resolve. She knew she loved him by now, and if she wanted something, she would do anything to get it. Beyond her guilt, beyond her awkwardness, beyond her embarrassment and shame over being so forward! She wanted to express her love for him, and she would do it.

$\color{palevioletred}\utilde{and~now~here~we~are}$

Her happiness colors her days in Yumenosaki nowadays. Just like how she feels when she pursues art, she feels freedom whenever she’s around Adonis. Understanding her feelings set her free to do what she wants, and what she wants is him. Showing him her secret hiding spot at the garden, convincing him to skip class with her and spend time reading under the shade. Asking him to go to the museum with her under the guise of gathering inspiration for future UNDEAD projects, but she just wants to spend time with him. Wanting to hold his hand, feeling embarrassed and at the same time stunned by her own forwardness.