PART 1

A flurry of colourful pictures elatedly proclaiming the wonders of food, love and happiness flooded Axelle’s phone screen. Yet expressionlessly, she merely slid her thumb down the screen, letting the pictures flash past in a sea of grey, just like the passing scenery of grey skies and heavy rain. The novelty of visually experiencing others’ lives had worn out, and her eyes were now attuned to be blind to all that. Her soul had long shut out the world, so it was no wonder that the windows to her soul - her eyes, could no longer see anything extraordinary of what she perceived as a dull grey world she had imprisoned herself in.

She had absolutely no inkling of when she had fallen into this abyss of physical, mental and emotional grey; she only knew why.

Just like every other teenager, she had gone through that phase of self-doubt, low self-esteem, insecurity, etc. etc. etc., which everyone would supposedly emerge from after a couple of years as an amazing and empowered adult. Instead, she had been thrown into limbo and was now still trapped in that phase.

Perhaps it was since then that Axelle was convinced that somehow fate had decided she was not worth manifesting into an "amazing and empowered adult". As she and similar energetic youths went out discovering the abundance of life, beauty and love in the world, those blessings would always find them - but not her. Axelle had once thought it must have been a mistake, for she did believe she was a worthy candidate of all that. However, as she continued being left out of anyone’s attention, care and love, she began to accept her assumed fate.

In the middle of those dense thoughts, the violent swerving of the bus, followed by the uncomfortable nudging of a body against Axelle shook her out of her grey bubble as her gaze shot up. A god-like human being with an aura of ultimate charisma and physical perfection had just placed himself in the seat beside her. A beaming smile nearly broke the dull visage and her eyes brightened - only to glaze over again into an expressionless face.. Axelle groaned inwardly; it was the same torturing encounter of “Godly Perfection vs the Normal Mortal”; the contrast of a rosy pink world against a boring grey one that darkened it even further in comparison. A triggered thought of “Too unworthy to be here, again” threw her back into her grey bubble and Godly Guy faded from her consciousness.

PART 2

God of the books; like God, he creates such beauty and grace in his writing

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God on two legs; absolute physical desire

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Krissus!

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…...

Kris let out an incredulous laugh (no, seriously, Krisus?!) as he glanced through the comments of yet another article recommending his newest "literary handiwork", or so they dubbed it. The rosy tint of happiness on Kris’ cheeks was a stark contrast to the grey skies and heavy rain around him.

Ever since Kris’ writing and even his face had appeared in the media limelight, the online community, or more specifically, his “devotees”, “worshippers” (or whatever else the fans had named themselves), had been praising him to the heavens – quite literally. In people’s eyes, he was already a god of so many things that Kris wondered what else he could probably attain. His legs carried him up the bus that had just arrived while his mind contemplated on.

Perhaps a God of Love…. I would find my goddess, finally after so many ---

The swerving of the bus brought Kris back to Earth with a bump – on the bus seat right in front of him. Fidgeting around to regain his balance, Kris’ eyes abruptly lay upon a face that had just turned around to meet his.

A frozen scene of a short second - a genuinely blissful expression with a faint but beautiful, genuine smile – and it was gone. In stark contrast, what followed the next second was suddenly just the side of a blank face with dull, cold eyes.

Kris was appalled. For a moment he had felt the presence of a blissful soul that had seen beauty. For a moment he saw what was nearly going to become the most genuine smile he had seen. For a moment he had seen a true goddess in all sense of the word. For a moment he thought he had experienced love at first sight.

Yet after seeing instead a lifeless, emotionless, soulless being soon after, there was so much to doubt. Nevertheless, it was doubt, not complete rejection of the girl. After so many years of seeing beauty, capturing it and creating it in his books, Kris knew what beauty was. Kris knew that he had just seen authentic beauty, even for that split second. He wanted more of it. He craved for it.  Like a true author who never gives up on potential plots, Kris would not give up on this potential beauty.

He was determined to merge his rosy world where one always saw true beauty with her dull, grey world where she imprisoned herself.

He was committed to make it happen.

He would inscribe it in his mind, his heart, his books until he inscribed it onto her heart.

“Pink and grey; a harmonious blend of uniqueness.

Happy and unhappy; a chance to turn all into happiness.”