Everything had returned to its former normality, as the SYNK between the Real World and the FLAT had been restored. The æ were back to coexisting with people the same way as before. 

It's clear that everyone had missed them a lot. 

And a newcomer had joined them too: their friend nævis. 

After she was once again brought up by the interstellar god-like entities for her inevitable punishment, she had decided she wanted to live in the Real World. 

The girls greeted her with open arms and a big portion of the people did too.

Others are taking a while longer to recognize and accept her as it brings up a weird dilemma in people’s heads: they’re used to æ being digital versions of already existing people. 

The fact that nævis had no real world counterpart brought up unease and suspicion, especially after the whole Black Mamba incident. Some arguments ranged from “other æ are valid because they’re actually based on real people” to claims that she was “Black Mamba’s new attempt at coming to the real world again”.

But except for that slight turbulence, the reintegration of the æ in society went very well. It’s as if they never left. 

Everything was sailing smoothly.

Well, not everything.

Although all had seemed to go back to how it was, some things changed. Mainly between the well known group of friends.

Winter had noticed that Karina had become colder and more reserved ever since the Black Mamba incident. They all noticed it, she's sure.

Karina has been isolating herself from them. 

When she’s not invited to hang out with them, she spends her days polishing her dancing in the practice room. She's also found in Winter’s room at random intervals. 

Karina used to ask whenever she wanted in but she no longer does. 

It weirds Winter out, because Karina doesn’t talk to her when she’s there. She’d know because she had tried to get conversations going and it never works . She either receives one liners or shrugs as answers.

The older girl only stares or does her own thing. 

As creepy as it is, Winter allows it. What if being in her room is helping Karina recover? Maybe it soothes her in some way. She doesn’t want to get in the way of her getting better.

Also, her æ is never in sight. 

From the looks of it, they don’t seem to be getting along at all.

(She wants to ask æ-karina about it but she is, frankly, scared of the answer).

When Winter brought it up to the girls, they shrugged and said that Karina went through a rougher patch than them with the Black Mamba. It’s understandable that she’s taking more time to recover. And so, they don't take it to heart and are giving her space. 

Despite it, they keep inviting Karina to hang out, thinking that she'd appreciate the company even if she was still processing the that happened.

(Winter feels as though this is more of a Giselle coded answer that Ningning has adopted as a way to not think about it. An answer that sounds plausible enough as to convince herself not to worry too much. She knows how much of a worrier the youngest can be).

Winter doesn't understand how they do it, because she’s personally taking it very to heart…Maybe to a fault. 

At first Winter was very concerned for her friend and tried to cheer her up. Initially, it would somewhat work. Karina would crack a smile and banter with her for a bit. 

But that was merely during the first week after the incident.

It seemed that she had slowly become more and more reserved, those nicer moments between them practically gone.

(Her eyes had become so cold too; they seem to have a weird calculative glow, as if she’s contemplating something. Her stares when she’s in her room are always so haunting). 

Winter is even more concerned because Karina isn’t just being quieter. She’d be okay with that.

Karina is being downright cold. And so oddly possessive. 

And it felt really weird to the smaller girl because Karina had never been too physically affectionate before. She used to be very shy when it came to it, actually. Karina had opened up to her once about how she’s insecure with affection, worried she’d be pushing herself on them. Winter had assured her she wasn’t and they’d love her affection which reassured the taller woman but it seemed she still felt like an intrusion.

But now all of a sudden, the taller girl seemed to be clinging to Winter a lot more. 

She slips her arm around her waist when they’re with others. Even with their friends. 

Even when she’s not talking or paying a single of attention to Winter, which is more often than not, she’s gripping her arm or hand. They’re almost never talking, but Karina is always present, watching her or just being in her near vicinity.

(Her hold will sometimes tighten to a painful degree but Winter allows it. She’ll always allow it if it means she gets to be with her more often . She misses her so much).

To add insult to injury, Karina would now make a fuss about her talking to others, in a very condescending way. 

She is never mad about it or loud, but Winter almost preferred it if she were. 

Her disappointed gazes are so much worse . It’s as if being disappointed is all she had to say to Winter, as if Winter had to work to deserve their previous relationship back. Like she’s not worth her full acknowledgement and disappointment is all that Winter deserves from her.

These weird possessive moments were their only interactions these past few days.

It was disturbing, if she were being honest.

(As much as she had been harboring the slightest of crushes on the girl, the sudden change was so off putting and she can’t tell how she feels anymore. She misses her but this hurts).

But what confuses her heart the most is that, despite being so physically possessive, Karina isn’t as affectionate with her words as she was before. 

It's like she sprinkles them throughout their days, making them rarer, precious and therefore more meaningful, as they become a necessity for Winter to chase after... Winter misses the affectionate terms like one would miss water, drowning in them for her own self worth. 

When the older girl uses some sort of pet name or endearment term, it feels just like before, the warm feeling that she’d get from knowing she makes Karina proud. When Karina tells her she’s done good, she feels it, she agrees , even if the taller girl goes back to ignoring her again. She always comes back to hear Karina be proud of her, to hear her call her ‘honey’, ‘darling’ or even something as seemingly derogatory as ‘puppy’.

That is why these changes are bothering her so much. 

Karina meant so much, still does, and her being more affectionate was nicer but… it wasn't the same. 

And she missed it, how they were before. She misses talking to her for hours.

She doesn't like this almost controlling Karina, who did not like her seeing her friends but also wouldn't talk to her either or the others. 

The smaller girl usually doesn't fight back when Karina makes off handed comments about their friends because they always seem to take it in stride. But she’s been getting so fed up with it recently because she knows that, deep down, it hurts them. Especially with how insecure Giselle is and how much of a people pleaser Ningning can be.

And Karina should’ve known that… 

After being ignored by Karina the whole day and only being talked to when she was playing a video game with Ningning (Karina kept bringing up that she “saw Ningning just enough already and she doesn't need to be home all the time”), Winter felt she finally had had enough . 

Ningning shakes her head solemnly and gives Winter a hesitant smile, telling her it’s okay right as she senses the smaller girl was about to apologize for Karina’s behavior. She suggests that maybe they all should talk to the taller girl about her behavior. They need to keep pressing her to open up to them even if she keeps refusing their help. It’s clear this situation bothers Ningning, even when she tries to hide it.

Winter couldn’t agree more. This has gone for far too long. 

But she first wanted to put her foot down before they all confronted her together. She is fuming and even if Karina gives her nothing but a blank stare, she needs to speak her mind.

After Ningning’s departure, Winter drops her controllers on the sofa and storms in the direction of Karina’s room, where said woman had gone after making that comment to their friend. Karina might’ve anticipated her anger, because she is usually found in Winter’s room instead.

She knocks and demands Karina to open up because they need to talk. She's trying to hold herself back from shouting for her to come out faster, even though she had just knocked.

Her hands tighten into fists on her sides as Karina opens the door and stares her down before letting her in.

They had yet to open their mouths but Karina was already being her newly frigid and condescending self. Just as expected, really. But it doesn’t stop Winter from feeling like strangling someone.

As Winter walks in, Karina closes the door behind them and surprises Winter for being the first to speak:

“Finally done ‘hanging out’?” 

It sounds so damn condescending that it has Winter gritting her teeth and furrowing her brows. Karina knows she enjoys playing video games a lot but never puts her work aside for it, so why is she trying to make it sound like she’s wasting her time? And it’s also their friend. Why would Ningning’s presence bother her so much?

“What is actually wrong with you? Why can’t I hang out with our friend?” 

“I just think you’re spending way too much time with her lately. Don’t tell me you like her?” 

Winter blinks and her jaw tightens with the tension of her teeth grinding against each other. 

The taller woman seems to have no other emotions except cold indifference these days.

Karina doesn’t even begin to know why Winter’s been hanging out with Ningning more lately: it’s because the youngest has been quite concerned with Karina and is trying to bottle it all up, so Winter offers to take her mind off things.

And even if she couldn’t possibly know, it feels so ungrateful on Karina’s part.

So, Winter explodes.

“What does that even ing mean?! She is your friend too! Our friend! What do you mean if I like her ? She’s my friend, of course I do! Why the can’t I be with her-”

“-You don't need more time with friends! This is our shared space- I think the time I’m forced to share with them for your sake is more than enough !” 

Karina snaps for the first time in weeks, her cold exterior broken. 

Winter’s eyes widen slightly and she unconsciously takes a step back. 

She wasn’t expecting it. She doesn't even remember the last time Karina said something so passionately. This is the most emotion she’s gathered out of her in a while. 

And it's not looking good. 

Winter should’ve anticipated Karina getting angry but for some reason, she really didn’t think of it as a possible response. She kinda thought she’d explode and the taller girl would simply stare her down and leave.

Winter feels her courage deflating immediately.  .

But at the same time, the little amount of courage she has left is fueled by whatever the Karina just said.

“ W-What ? Karina! What the  are you talking about?! This has gone too far! I’m allowed to have friends! They are your friends too!” With anger coloring her features, the smaller girl straightens her back in an attempt to not look as intimidated as she feels, gathering all the rage she can find from those stupid accusations Karina had just thrown out.

For a while, they just glare at each other. Both fuming, the room feels so tense. It seemed like they were this close to choking each other.

It seems she doesn’t really achieve the desired effect when Karina takes a step forward after her lips curl up in a soft smile.

It almost looks like she’s not used to the motion anymore and is trying to pull up her facial muscles as far as they go. 

But even then, her smile is as beautiful as always. And she hasn’t seen it in so long .

“ Honey …”

Winter trips on her own feet as she steps back in shock. Where did that even come from? 

And why did it affect her so much?

She feels her legs hitting the edge of Karina’s bed and falls backwards, finding purchase on the bed sheets and grasping the fabric tightly under her fingers. 

Before she can think any further or do anything else, Karina is there and towering over her.

“ What -”

Winter is interrupted as the looming girl leans down and places her hands on the startled girl’s cheeks. Her hold is so soft and so gentle. 

Karina’s hands are even softer on her face than she could’ve imagined.

(And god, had she imagined ).

Face immediately heating up over those hands, her body slowly melts under the soft touch as she unconsciously leans and rests her head there, chasing after their comfort. 

She missed her warmth. 

She missed it so ing much.

This whole situation got her so mad, so emotional, that everything seems to be spilling out from her. She’s been bottling up everything she felt for Karina for so long, that it has her almost crying.

Oh , is she actually going to cry? -

“Don’t cry, puppy.” 

And now she’s definitely crying. Full on sobbing. Hiccuping and everything. 

How pathetic of her that she’s crying over a woman who changed so much, who’s been barely giving her attention lately, staring creepily at her and wanting to stop her from seeing their friends.

Winter brings her hand up and grasps Karina’s wrist, her grip shaking as she desperately wants her to keep holding her and to not let go.

“K-Karina… Please… ”

“What do you want?”

So many things. She wants her Karina back, wants her to smile more often again , wants her to be proud of her, wants-

“- Please stay with me? Please don’t leave…”

Karina slowly but surely brings her hands down to Winter’s chest, the younger girl’s body pliant under her touch. The towering woman pushes Winter to lay flat on her back, adjusting her further into the middle of the bed.

Slowly untangling Winter’s hands from its hold on her wrist, the smaller girl’s hands go limp and fall on her sides.

“Of course, honey. Only for you. Anything for you.”

Hearing those words, as much of a lie as they probably are… they reassure Winter.

Maybe if she were doing better emotionally and wasn’t having one of the worst breakdowns she’s had in recent memories, she’d notice that action for what it is: blatant manipulation fueled by Karina’s necessity to possess what she thinks belongs to her .

But she’s not in her right mind. 

Right now, she misses Karina so much , so ing much that she’d do anything to keep her close, to share her warmth.

Her sobs soften as she lets out a few sniffles, grasping onto the fabric of Karina’s shirt as the taller woman scoots over on the bed and lays down by Winter’s side. 

Gently bringing one hand to the youngest’s hair and the other on her cheek, Karina tangles their legs together, pushing one of hers on top of Winter’s. She leans down and rests her head on the girl’s shoulder, her breath hot on the smaller girl’s neck. Goosebumps break out on Winter’s skin and she whimpers, her hold on Karina’s clothes tightening as she tries to shift closer, chasing desperately after this newfound intimacy. 

“You’re doing so well puppy, aren’t you?. I promise to pay more attention to you. Wouldn’t want you to cry again.” With a smile, Karina sweeps her thumb under the girl’s eye, wiping a fallen tear. Winter stares up at her with an unfocused doe-like gaze yet so attentive to what the oldest is saying, hanging onto her every word. “Although, you cry so prettily. Especially when those tears are for me, hm?” Another whimper was pulled out of Winter, this time out of embarrassment. 

What was Karina even saying to her- what was even all this, she’s so so overwhelmed - but it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t .

It doesn’t because she’s here , she’s holding her and she’s being oh so gentle and it’s all Winter could’ve asked for.

Too bad Winter was too busy having her senses overwhelmed to notice the weird, black goo dripping from Karina’s hand or how the girl’s arm was being overtaken by a dark texture.

To Winter, she’s a nightmare dressed like a daydream.