Soul Resonance, Let's Go!

((My sincerest apologies for this super late and overdue post... BUT... here I am but for real, I did NOT see that coming. That was brilliant my friend! Seriously, I did not see that coming at all. Well done ^^ and you of course added a couple cute moments in there WOOT page 6!))

~ y u m e ~

Each night seemed to pass by with a little more ease since the first day Yume was overcome with what was originally Kureno's illness, thanks to him playing nurse for a few days. Strangely, there were a couple times where he wouldn't respond to her calls, as if he was stuck in thought. Which struck her fear of him leaving her alone in the apartment. By the fourth day, the weapon felt well enough to begin taking care of herself again. She hadn't showered much during her unwanted downtime, so first thing she did on that fourth day was head straight to the bathroom. About half an hour later, a fresh Yume stepped out of the bathroom, coughing somewhat since the flu/cold hadn't completely gone away yet. Kureno didn't seem to be in the apartment when she peeked in every room to find him. He is normally in plain sight at this time of morning. Maybe he just went out for a bit... Yume guessed. After tossing her pajamas in the hamper, the kitchen is where she headed. While preparing herself breakfast, the slightest movement out of the corner of her eye turned her attention to the balcony door where it came from. She assumed it was Kureno out there. Curious as to why he was purposefully staying out of plain sight, she tiptoed to the opposite side of the door from him and tried to melt into the wall as much as she could so as not to be seen by her partner. The blonde peered her head around slightly to sneak a peak at him, and instantly wished she would have just stayed in the kitchen and pay no attention to her apartment-mate. The smoke coming from his mouth made it crystal clear as to what he was doing. Kureno was staring off into the distance as he brought up his cigarette to his mouth, the disgusting thing gently held up by his black leather-covered hand. Yume couldn't decide if she wanted to angrily open the door and begin lecturing him or lock herself in her room and cry about it for the rest of the day. How can Kureno be a smoker? It's the most disgusting habit anyone can pick up. I mean, doesn't he have any respect for himself and his body? He's slowly killing himself with that thing! More anger began to bubble inside her as her thoughts continued to stir. How long has he done this? Has he developed cancer yet? Is he purposefully keeping it from me? How often does he do it? How stupid can he be? It took every ounce of the girl to pull her hand back from the door handle and resist ruffling up their right-now smooth relationship. Instead she quickly tiptoed back to the kitchen and continued the preparation of her breakfast, deciding not to say anything to him right now in hopes that he was fully aware of what he was doing and was doing everything in his power to quit smoking.

When Kureno walked back inside a few minutes later, he barely said hi to Yume and rushed to his room, only to return a minute later, reeking of way too much cologne. Trying to mask the smell... She sneered at him when he wasn't looking. "Glad to see you're feeling well enough to cook for yourself," He ruffled her hair like one would do to a pet. The blonde laughed it off, trying to sound as genuine as she could. "Yeah, didn't want to burden you anymore." The brunette returned with his usual sarcasm. "Me, be burdened by YOU, Miss Yume? I can't imagine! Oh, by the way, got a text from Kid this morning. He's invited us to his MANSION for his new year's party tomorrow. Care to be my date, m'lady?" He got down on one knee, looking like he was about to propose to her. She responded with slapping him in the face. Gently, but hard enough that he would feel some degree of pain. It was only she that knew the slap was for more reasons than one. "You're not my type, Mr. Hanuraichi," Yume flipped her hair a bit as she took her breakfast to the couch, making no attempts to invite Kureno to join her.

((soo... I hope you're okay with this ^^' I figured starting the smoking thing now was as good a time as ever. If you don't like it, I can change it! That's why I didn't have them talk about it or anything, cause I wanted to of course talk to you about it I thought their little conversation was very typical Yume and Kureno hehe. And I kinda just made up the party at Kid's mansion, obviously. Sounds like something that would happen, right? I doubt Yume and Kureno could handle another party at their apartment anytime soon lolol. I'll change anything if you don't like it! Just say the word and it's done. But yeah. This is one of my better posts ^^'))

((No no it's fine!! Yeah now was probably as good a time as any though. But augh Kureno you buttttttt. You gon' get a talking to. But yus I loved the little banter there that was fab xD but yeah maybe like Kureno HAS done it before since he's known Yume for a while now, like he's smoked before during the time that she's lived with him, but he's always kind of discreet about it and she just never really thought much about him having extra cologne or something sometimes BUT NOW SHE KNOWWWWS *gasp* :O so yeah. yeah. perf hun<3 but no no i likedd the part with Kid's mansion, it makes sense ;3))

As Yume strode off into the other room to eat her breakfast, Kureno rose back to his feet, resisting the urge to put a hand to his cheek where she'd slapped him. It hadn't hurt, not really, but he couldn't help but guiltily wonder if she'd seen him. Seen what he'd been doing. He'd thought she might have before too, when he'd come back and even their usual banter always made him afraid she was mad at him for something other than the pseudo-anger they wore at times when they bantered, the kind that dissipated just as quickly as it was summoned. He knew he was probably just being paranoid, and so he--as usual--tried to push it to the back of his mind and act as if nothing new was going on. And in truth, nothing new was going on. He'd taken up smoking years ago, before he'd enrolled in the DWMA. He'd gotten close to quitting multiple times, but had never actually been completely clean. He didn't consider it that big of a deal--it was just something he did. It was better than some of the things he used to do in addition to smoking--he'd been clean from those less legal forms of addiction since a little after he'd begun classes at DWMA. But he couldn't bring himself to quit everything--thus his well-hidden supplies of cigarettes stored in various places in his room.

Either way, he certainly wasn't going to bring it up. The meister ran a hand through his hair and blinked a couple times, realising he'd been staring off at nothing while lost in thought yet again. Cool eyes slipped over to where Yume was determinedly watching tv, eating her food with a bit more fury than usual. She definitely had something on her mind she was wrestling with...no, Kureno, it's nothing. She couldn't know. It's none of her business anyway--she's probably just hoping to feel 100% better soon is all. Even though she'd made no indication that he was welcome to sit with her, Kureno made his way into the living room. She was seated firmly in the middle of the couch, making sitting on either side of her a bit uncomfortable. Not that Kureno would mind. He strolled around to her left side, plopping gracefully down in the small space beside her. She didn't react at first, but then her face scrunched up and she scooted away from him. "Got enough cologne on?" she grumbled, sliding her food with her as she moved a bit away, "I can taste it, it's so heavy," she complained, shoveling another mouthful of food in. Kureno put his head in his hands, watching her, as an amused hum sounded from his throat before he answered, "Mm, you don't like it?" he deflected smoothly, "What would you prefer, then? I have been trying a few new ones to see your reaction," he continued, looking out the window with a bemused expression still light on his face, "You seemed rather enraptured with one I tried a couple weeks ago...but then again," he eyes shifted back to her as a smirk lifted his lips, "perhaps that was just me." Kureno watched with satisfaction as her cheeks reddened just a bit, and he could tell she was rolling her eyes as she leaned forward to take another bite. He moved his hands to circle his fingers around his wrist, rubbing a bit harshly on the smooth skin--one of his nervous ticks he got cravings, but again, nothing new. Though, he had noticed he'd been having worse cravings for the past couple days. It would be fine. Wouldn't get in the way of anything. He brought the smile back to his face as Yume straightened again, still refusing to look at him at the moment.


((Sooo I wasn't sure if you wanted her to bring it up now, or perhaps later after she sees him do it some more. I dun mind :3

((ugh... losing a post takes a while to get over... Normally for me it takes at least a couple days but I'm just so eager to keep posting so... here I am! But omg Kureno, you kill me xD <3 you have a very angry Yume on your hands... I think what I'm gonna do is have Yume hold off on confronting him, for now at least. I'm not quite sure when/where/how I want her to do it eventually, so for now, she's just gonna lay low and see if things work themselves out.))

~ y u m e ~

Yume's attempts at getting rid of her apartment-mate had failed when he followed her into the living room and squeezed in between her and the end of the couch. His overwhelming cologne, for the most part, masked the horrible smoky smell but it still leaked through slightly. Assuming Kureno always applied cologne after smoking, she wondered why she never noticed the sudden appearance of it whenever she was around him. Maybe he saw her spying on him earlier so he tried even harder to cover it up today, not realizing how much that would backfire. Her eyes traveled down to his lap, while keeping her head facing forward at the TV so as not to give away her peeking at him, and saw that his fingers were circling his wrists. Not just something that people do when concentrating on something without realizing. Hmph... He must be craving it again. And yet he just came back from it! Her hands began to form into fists out of anger towards the brunette meister, but immediately released them in fear of him noticing. Regardless, he still noticed, because he put all of his weight on her side and turned her head toward his with one finger to bring it within kissing distance of his. "Is there something bothering you, Miss Yume?" His words were spoken right in her face, indicating to her that he had apparently failed to make sure his breath was cleansed of cigarette, and they sent her running to her room and into a coughing rage. She slammed the door behind her and grabbed the trash can, fearing the worst. Thankfully she was well enough that the trash can wasn't needed, but now her throat felt like it had been clawed at by a tiger and her nostrils objected to the odor that still slightly lingered. Great, he's gonna be coming in here any second... And right on cue, Kureno swung the door open. "Are you okay? What happened? I thought you were feeling better," The concern in his voice was obvious. Not wanting to face the issue of his smoking, at least right now, she insisted that she felt fine, and it was nothing more than some coughing. Which wasn't a lie, after all. But failing to mention it was because of his deadly habit, and not because of her illness, was. Yume was tired of blowing up at Kureno every time an issue formed, so she had decided to attempt to keep things to herself and see if the habit would disappear on its own. Their relationship currently was on a less rocky note; she didn't want it to go sour so soon after they had just seemed to patch things up again. Especially with another party coming up. The weapon was almost dreading it because parties have never seemed to work in their favor.

((Not sure what you wanna do with your next post, either fast-forwarding or writing more posts like these until the party at Kid's mansion, but whatever you wanna do, I'm totally cool with it!! ^^))

((Kureno you bumhead xP but yas yas that's perf!!! mmmmm i might skip, idk, i mean it's pretty close to the party right? ^^' I guess I'll just see how I feel when I'm writing <;3 if that's okay<3 but yes your post is great and ugh i feel bad for Yume but she's being a good person and doing her best to calm herself and augh they're too perf okay i cannota;uwetnj))

Kureno frowned, his brow furrowing, at her response, but took it anyway and turned to leave her room, his lips pressed in a thin line.'I wonder if she...no, everything's fine. It doesn't matter,' he told himself, shaking unpleasant thoughts from his head. The meister took the couple steps that took him from her doorway to the door of his own room, and slipped inside, shutting the door quietly behind him. He checked over his hiding places--the one stuffed into a little pocket that was only accessible from the inside of the messenger bag that also carried his school supplies, the pack hidden under his socks in the top drawer of his dresser--the underclothing and sock drawer--, and last but not least, his stash between the top and bottom mattresses of his bed. He couldn't help but be paranoid sometimes, but mostly he didn't worry. It's not like he was going to run out, and it wasn't like he couldn't get more. He resisted the urge to sneak another cigarette, knowing he didn't need another yet. It really was getting ridiculous--though he tended to have worse cravings when he was more stressed, and what with them both being sick and all the drama before that, it was difficult to keep his mind clear without the aid of the nicotine. He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, and grabbed his earphones and phone and left his room to return to the living room. Yume wasn't there, but no doubt she would come back eventually. As he passed by her door, he could hear some sounds within her room--almost like she was pacing. Kureno resisted the urge to check on her and assure that she was indeed fine, and instead he strode over to the couch and gracefully flopped down on it, clicking the earphones into the bottom of his phone and tapping onto his music as he fit the headphones into his ears. Turning the volume up, Kureno put an arm over his eyes and sighed. His breath caught in the sleeve of his shirt, and he smelt the familiar scent of smoke. 'Dammit,' he sighed to himself in annoyance, 'I forgot to brush my teeth, or take a mint before I...' Suddenly, the meister shot up to a sitting position, light eyes wide. 'Before I...' he cursed himself for his idiocy, remembering the way he'd gotten so close to Yume. No doubt he had been the one to cause her coughing fit. He was angry with himself for causing her distress, but also because now there was indeed a chance that she knew. She wasn't too much of a moron, after all. Worry flared in his mind as he stood and hurried to the bathroom furiously brushing his teeth and even swishing around a good amount of mouthwash for several minutes before deeming himself less conspicuous. He rubbed his eyes in annoyance and yet again returned to the living room, dropping to lay down on the couch again with a groan and moodily threw his arm over his face yet again, turning the music up until he would most likely not be able to notice if his partner came in to speak with him. 'If it's not one thing, it's another...' He could just see her face, green eyes shimmering with anger and sadness, and the worst--disappointment. Her voice would start out wondering, maybe a bit awkward as she brought it up, but it would quickly spark into anger, then she would yell. And so would he. Then maybe she would let her sadness get the best of her, and she'd plead, or keep yelling at him--but her tears would give her away. She would be disgusted. Maybe she would hate him. He didn't know if he could stand seeing that in her eyes. Not now, not after everything.


((ohhh our bbys <3 I hope this was okay <:3 if you want you can skip to the party time now, I don't mind <33333))

((yes I was gonna skip to the party now :3 ahhh I love you Kureno you feel so bad and you loooooove her. I love imagining myself talking to him and pointing out what he's so blind to, i.e. how much he loves Yume xP))

~ y u m e ~

It was 6:51 p.m. when Yume was putting on the last of her makeup. She didn't wear makeup often, but tonight she felt daring and even decided to try winged eyeliner. The party at Kid's mansion was scheduled to start at 7, and it took about 10 minutes to get there on foot. Checking herself one more time in the mirror, and admiring the plum-colored dress that stopped right above the knees and flared slightly, along with the gold heels to match, she flicked off the lights in her room and made her way into the living room. Kureno was still getting ready, but only 20 seconds later did he make his entrance. He seemed distracted while walking out, but it didn't stop him from gaping at his partner for a few seconds. Yume could feel the heat in her cheeks. If she was perhaps as distracted as he seemed to be, she probably would have done the same. Even Kureno dressed up more than he normally did, and the blonde loved what she was seeing. She didn't realize her cheeks could become any warmer. "Ready to go?" she asked as she pushed her distracted thoughts to the back of her mind. As if her words struck a chord within him, his eyes lit up. "I forgot something, just wait outside, I'll be out in a minute!" he announced while almost running back to his room. "Yeah... wouldn't want you to forget an extra pack for tonight," she mumbled so that it was barely audible. Once again she was reminded of his horrible habit that she had recently discovered. She tried so hard to forget about it because she couldn't stand the angry and disappointed feelings that arose, but her efforts were usually useless. Not even 15 seconds later, the brunette returned and offered his arm to Yume. "Ready whenever you are," he purred. "Pfft, in your dreams," she pushed away his arm and grabbed her jacket and wristlet. There was not much snow left on the ground, but the wind was strong, and Yume's jacket didn't prove to be enough. She began shivering and began to walk a bit faster so that they could arrive at Kid's mansion sooner. A soft frightened noise sounded from her mouth as a hand wrapped itself around her shoulder. She looked to the side and noticed that her partner had wrapped his arm around her in attempts to keep her warm. Her eyes traveled up to his face, expecting to see a sly grin or something along the lines of flirtatious, but there was nothing to be detected. He stared straight ahead and held the same blank expression as had kept the entire walk, again looking like he was lost in thought. The blonde didn't try to pull away or hit him, but instead let him keep his hand where it was and even slightly rested her head against his arm, thankful to have him in her life. Snow began to fall gently from the sky, glistening against the streetlights. In that moment, all of their previous struggles and negative emotions they threw at each other practically every day seemed to disappear. It was just Yume and Kureno. The rest of the world felt invisible. She was suddenly snapped back to reality as the supporting arm disappeared from her back. Yume hadn't even realized that they had arrived at the party. While waiting for someone to answer to their knock on the door, she took a deep breath to brace herself for whatever crazy events would take place tonight, and she was fairly sure she heard Kureno do the same.

((I'm sorry, I had to throw in that cute moment. I couldn't help it. I need to be put down xD hope you like it darling <3))

((yES IT WAS PERF AND AUGH I KNOW I SENT YOU THAT SNAPCHAT BUT SERIOUSLY THE PART WITH THE WALK AND THE ARM AND THE WARM AND I CANNNNTTTT LIKE I ALMOST CRIED IDK IDK MAN THIS RP THO THIS RP))

After a couple minutes of leaving the apartment, Kureno broke himself out of his thoughts long enough to realise that Yume had began softly shivering, her shoulders hitched up and her arms wrapped tightly around herself to clutch the material of her jacket closer to her body. Without much thought--which was a bit out-of-character for him--he smoothly laced an arm around her and even as he felt her stiffen slightly to the touch he moved closer to her as they continued to walk, attempting to keep her warmer, before allowing himself to be swept up by his thoughts again.

Before long, the two reached the young Death Lord's mansion and waited, their breath hovering in the air, for someone to answer the door. It came quickly, and a very symmetrically-dressed butler opened the door with a slight bow, greeting them as 'Lord Kureno' and 'Lady Yume', offering to take their coats before directing them to the ballroom and adjacent sitting room/mini dining area where the rest of their friends were. The weapon and meister partners made their way through the mansion to the sounds of music and laughter, easily following the overzealous noise of BlackStar's rambunctious voice. Kureno reached to open one of the double doors, bowing his head and gesturing with the other hand while looking at Yume with a quiet, "After you, My Lady," to which he received a scoff, an eye roll, and the hint of a smile. Kureno followed the blonde girl inside, and within seconds was nearly blindsided as a small purple-ish cat that seemed awfully heavy for it's size lept for his chest. His hands reached up in reflex to catch the animal, and he held it against his torso for a moment with bewildered eyes before it giggled at him. "Oooh, you have such wonderful hands, Kureno~" the meister blinked a couple times, remembering quickly, and didn't react much as he let his hands fall while the creature grew in his arms. The cat morphed into the very feminine form of Blair as a human, but despite him not holding the small cat to himself anymore, that did not stop her from being just as close to him. He thought he could practically hear Yume roll her eyes and clear her throat behind him. Blair put her elbows on Kureno's shoulders, her arms falling lightly so her hands could lace around his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair. "Mmm, I missed you so much, but Maka wouldn't let me come visit you no matter how much I begged..." she pouted, tilting her head to the side cutely, her eyes quite obviously on his lips as he gave a small smirk. "Ah, yes, Maka can be so very stern at times, but I find that she, most often, turns out to be right," he answered smoothly, ducking gracefully away from her hold on him to meet Maka halfway--as the girl was already headed over with a mixture of a disgruntled glare at Blair and an excited smile at the two newest arrivals to the party. As Maka neared, Kureno took the last couple strides to close the distance between them and swept the girl up into a hug, twirling her around once before letting her down again, smiling as she laughed lightly. "It's so good to see you again, Kureno and Yume!" Maka's green eyes were bright as she stepped back to get a good look at her friends. "And you, as always, Maka," he returned with a slight nod and a smile to match as the girl pulled Yume in for a tight hug. His smile faltered as he felt annoyingly familiar fingers lightly tracing his shoulder blades. "However, if I may ask a favour--could you please control your cat?" he asked, his eyes darting over his shoulder to catch the kitty-girl culprit behind him, who giggled innocently. Maka rolled her eyes, glaring at Blair, "I've told you Blair, you can't bother people like that! I was serious when I said you would have to go home if you kept it up! I will lock you in that cat crate!" Maka grabbed the promiscuous woman's hand and sent Kureno and Yume an apologetic look before dragging her off towards one of the available couches, but not before Blair whispered a sensual, "I'll be back~" in Kureno's ear as she passed. He raised one eyebrow, and was unsurprised to hear Yume's heavy sigh of annoyance beside him. With a shared glance of understanding, the two were more than happy to join in with the festivities.

The partners mingled with their friends, Kureno mostly sticking with Soul and Kid for a while before everyone began playing games and interacting as a group. It was a nice, festive get-together, and it was of course all the more fantastic by having it in Kid's mansion with all the accommodations that such a place brought. After everyone had mostly had their fill of food, most of their group of friends began dancing. Kureno stayed off of the dance floor, preferring to stand on the sidelines and watch with cool eyes as his friends laughed and smiled and danced together. Kureno smoothly declined Blair's seventh invitation for a dance, and as she walked away while longingly watching him over her shoulder, Kureno scanned the room for his partner. She and Maka had finally gotten Tsubaki on the dance floor, and the three girls seemed to be having a good time, 'and not paying the slightest attention to me,' the meister added with the smallest tinge of satisfaction and excitement that he could slip away for a few moments unnoticed. Kureno strode confidently to the doors of the ballroom, hands in the pockets of a pair of his dressier pants, and opened the same door that he and Yume had entered from. After a quick question as to if he might have his coat for a moment, Kureno slipped on the garment and made his way out to one of the balconies that was far enough away from the ballroom that he could only just hear the music. He glanced behind him as he let the curtain in front of the balcony door fall back into place, shutting the glass door as he stepped out into the chilly air. Wishing he had a hood to put over his head to protect the sides of his face from the wind, Kureno took his leather gloves from his jacket pocket, slipped them on, and took out a cigarette and his lighter from the inside chest pocket. Cupping around the tip with one gloved hand to make a barrier from the wind, Kureno flicked the lighter to life and teased the flame against the cigarette until smoke began curling from the end. He replaced the lighter in his pocket, the cigarette held lightly in his teeth, and took a deep inhale of the smoke before taking it delicately between two gloved fingers and exhaling a trail of grey that was rapidly swept away by the wind.

((okay hope that was alright!!!! But yeah you can make Yume to have followed him. He's like 'psh she hasn't followed me yet, I'm fine, whatevs' and it's like WHUT REALLY KURENO YOU KEEP THINKIN THAT MUCHACHO yeah. ^^' <3333333333 wuvvvvvvv you and im SUPER excited to read your post >:3 and sorry about the Blair stuff, I couldn't resist, it's so entertaining okay 'xD ))

((AHHHHH I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOUR POSTS I JUST LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS POST OUR RP IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND I FREAKIN LOVE THE PARTS WITH BLAIR THEY'RE HILARIOUS FEEL FREE TO KEEP WRITING THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST GREAT))

~ y u m e ~

The time got away from Yume as she danced alongside Maka and Tsubaki for what seemed like hours. She could feel the sweat gathering under her arms but didn't worry about it or anything else around her. Even though the Christmas party she and Kureno held was not too long ago, it felt as if she hadn't had this much fun in a long time. After the 6th song, she finally decided a break was in order. The weapon looked around for Kureno to ask if he was enjoying himself, but there was no sign of him in the main ballroom. Worried that he might not be feeling well, and not even considering the alternative, she decided to go searching for him. The hallway she was led into from the door she previously entered the ballroom contained many doors leading different directions. One could easily become lost if not familiar with the layout of the building. Some of them seemed to lead to balconies, and if Yume knew Kureno at all, that's probably where he went, more than likely for some fresh air. Still unsure as to which one he chose, she cracked open each door until she found him. On the fourth try, Yume found something, but not what she was looking for. What she wanted to find was Kureno, her meister, simply reserving some time for himself after socializing to get some fresh air. Instead, she found Kureno, her meister, with a cigarette in his hand and exhaling smoke from his mouth. At the sound of the door opening, he whipped himself around and, for the first time, contained fear in his eyes. Yume had not planned to discuss the issue with him so soon, but there was no turning back now. She didn't feel the need to yell or punch him this time. Instead she walked forward and closed the door behind her, walking over to lean forward against the balcony. Kureno turned around and did the same. The wind seemed to pick up even more, blowing the snow in all directions, making looking ahead nearly impossible, so the weapon had no choice but to point her head down.

This time, it was Kureno that broke the silence. "You shouldn't be out here, it's freezing, and you don't even have a jacket on," he spoke in a low tone, also with his head down. Completely disregarded the elephant in the room. "Is that all you have to say?" Yume calmly asked him. He sighed heavily as if he were trying to find the right words. It took him a minute to respond. "It's no big deal, and it's none of your business anyway." This upset her a bit. "Whether you think it is or not, I'm still involved. I honestly didn't mean to get involved, but here I-" She was interrupted by the brunette. He turned himself to face her, suddenly speaking with a louder tone. "That's the thing with you! You're always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Just because we live together, doesn't mean you need to know every little thing about me." His anger was obvious now. "Kureno, this isn't a little thing. This is serious. You're putting your health at risk, don't you care about that? I just wanna help-" the blonde raised her arm to reach out to him, but again she was interrupted by her arm being slapped away. "I don't need your help! It wasn't a problem until you came into my life!" He showed signs of his anger taking over, and it was clear that it did when he shoved his partner away from him. But it didn't stop Yume. She walked toward him and forcing him to the other side of the balcony, trying to speak through her crying but she found no success. The tears felt like bathwater against her cold cheeks. Once his back was against the railing, she finally reached her goal of embracing him, tears still flowing down her face. She curled her fingers into fists as her hands pressed against his back, while his arms were in midair, cigarette still in between his index and middle finger, unsure of what to do. Her face felt warm as it was buried in his chest, but she needed to lift it up to speak. "You idiot. If I don't help you, who will?" Since you seem to have developed another nasty habit of pushing away people who care about you." Suddenly the embrace was released. Yume took a step back from her partner. "But, it seems that I serve no purpose in your life. If you've decided that I make you miserable, I will pack up my things and be gone from your apartment before you return home later. Your choice." And with her last remark, she took a step toward the door and was fully ready to formally hear her banishment from her more-than-likely ex-partner's apartment, and, more painfully, his life.

((soo that kinda played out differently in my head. I had this image in my head of how I wanted this post to go, but it didn't exactly go the same way. But actually, I like where it went! Definitely different from their usual confrontations. Ahhh I hope it is to your liking ^^ <3 Your move, Kureno...))

((I'm sorry it didn't go like you'd planned, but AUGH I LOVED IT STILL THAT WAS SO SWEET AND PERF AUGGGHH I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE THEM AND I JUST AIUWHTENJWATNGAJG YOU. YOU ARE PERF. ALWAYS PERF I LOVE YOU.))

Kureno felt as if the very air had blown into his bones, freezing his body to the spot. He could only watch the girl's retreating frame as she walked away from him, dress and hair blowing in the wind. He felt a chill on his chest where her tears and seeped into his clothes. Yume had stopped right in front of the door, perhaps collecting herself, perhaps crying rivers down her cheeks reddened from the cold, he didn't know. He didn't know much of anything at the moment. His voice was only a whisper as it was carried away by the wind, "Yume..." it was so quiet that he wasn't sure if he'd spoken at all. Yume seemed to have taken his silence as his answer, because he heard her sniffle softly before reaching a shaking hand for the balcony door. That small movement was enough to snap him to his senses, as his pale eyes widened and he heard his voice call out, louder this time, "Yume!" He took a few quick steps towards her, but when she didn't turn around he hesitated. "I-it's okay, Kureno..." she murmured, turning halfway towards him, her eyes downcast. She glanced up at him, unshed tears ready to follow their predecessors down her cheeks, and that was all Kureno needed. He swiftly closed the gap between them, wrapping the girl's smaller form in his arms, one gloved hand reaching up to gently cup the back of her head as he turned his own head towards her to bury his face in her soft hair. "No, it's not," he mumbled quietly, unsure if she heard over the wind and the way she muffled his voice by being so close. She finally, tentatively, reached one arm up to return the hug, but her embrace was much lighter, more unsure. Kureno tightened his arms around her, squeezing lightly before pulling away. He stayed close, though, less than an arm's length away. She had now turned fully towards him, her eyes still shining with unshed tears and slight confusion, resignation, and perhaps the tiniest spark of hope. She still thought he wanted her gone. Kureno then realised he had dropped that dreadful cigarette when he'd stopped Yume from leaving. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the thing smoldering lightly on the floor of the balcony. He turned, bent to pick it up, and walked over to the railing to grind the end of it in the snow that had collected there, putting it out. He crushed the flexible stick in his palm, pocketing it to dispose of at the nearest rubbish bin. His mind flashed back to their conversation, Yume's word's burning in his mind, as he turned back to her. He felt as if everything important to him was riding on his next words, but he felt like he was going to mess it up no matter what. But, if she was going to leave, he wanted to make sure she knew one thing. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, so he looked off to the ground beside him, his hair flicking every which way in the wind and thankfully covering his eyes. He voice was low and quiet, but he knew she could hear him nonetheless. "...Don't you say that. Don't ever say that." his brow was furrowed, his hands in his pockets. The silence seemed to last forever, but it probably only lasted a couple seconds as Yume worked through his words, her voice breaking slightly around her emotions as she questioned quietly, "What?" Kureno forced himself to look into her eyes, trying to convey his seriousness and determination as he looked at her confused expression, "Don't you ever say that you mean nothing to me," he stated, his voice strong, but he faltered and his eyes fell again as he finished quieter, "You're wrong..." his breath caught in his throat, and he stood, feeling very alone as the wind blew harshly around them, until he eventually heard a quiet, choking sniffle. His eyes flicked up to Yume, who's cheeks were covered in the tears that were flowing from her pretty green eyes. Kureno's face contorted in worry, and he removed one of his gloves as he reached up to wipe his fingers across her cheek lightly, brushing warm tears away. The girl let out a sort of choking laugh, so mixed up in her emotions, and she stepped forward to bury her head against his chest, arms wrapping around his middle to clasp him in a tight hug. Kureno felt himself relax, breathe for what felt like hours, and he returned the embrace happily. The boy lowered his chin to the top of her head, one arm wrapped around her waist, and the other hand without the leather layer of the glove again gently cupped her head, light but still holding her close. His eyes closed and he let out a breath, and as the girl in his arms shook with her quiet sobs muffled in the cloth of his jacket, he murmured to her, "You couldn't make me miserable if you tried."

((yay okay i hope that was alright ^^' it didn't go totally as i planned either, and some parts i don't know how i feel about, maybe like all of it but...yeah. hah xD yeah <3 so here it is and yes ^^'))

((ohmygod will I ever stop fangirling super hardcore at these posts?.... probably not. They're just so great and amazing and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Heyyyyyyy look at me not doing homework and working on my post instead! Priorities...))

~ y u m e ~

Kureno's words were like a warm glowing fire, bringing Yume warmth and relief. The shock at what she had announced she was about to do was finally settling down. Whether she wanted to or not, she was walking out that door and leaving her partner behind, and she didn't realize how much it pained her to do so until he pulled her back. It felt right being where she stood now. His hand at her waist shifted slightly upward and pressed a bit harder, pulling her closer to him, resulting in Yume receiving a second layer of goosebumps. The wind was still strong, and it was now stating to maker her shiver. The brunette must have noticed because he released her and removed his jacket and wrapped her up in it. She looked toward the ground in fear of him seeing the shade of red her face had just turned. It smelled of smoke, but Yume was too cold to give it up. She then nodded her head toward the door, letting the tall meister know that she yearned to go inside. He stretched one arm out toward the door, giving the "ladies first" gesture, and she took the lead. "Well now that you've given up smoking I'm gonna wash every single bit of clothing you own because I'm sure they-" She stopped in her tracks, realizing that her partner had quit following and stood with his feet planted firmly on the ground and his arms crossed. "Who said I was giving up smoking?" His voice went a little higher to match the shock on his face. He let out a little scoff. "I believe you misunderstood me. Just because I said what I said back there doesn't mean that I'm suddenly going to quit just because you don't approve. It's my life, and you needn't worry yourself with my troubles. Worry about you every once in a while, Yume." The blonde sighed in replacement of a nasty retort, and her arms hung heavily at her sides. So he hadn't changed as much as she thought he did. She tried to swallow with ease but failed. "I just... I like worrying about you." This earned her a smile and blow of air through the nose from the man standing in front of her. "I hate what you're doing to yourself. And as much as I hate you for doing it... you'd best believe that I'm gonna do everything in my power to stop you." Kureno laughed but stopped himself when he was being stared at by those green eyes that always seemed to distract him. "I accept your challenge, Miss Yume," he bowed at saying her name, then lifted his head up and winked at her. Yume playfully pushed his head to the side and began walking back to the party, desperately hoping none of their friends would question either of them about their absence. Quick footsteps sounded behind her and a second later the jacket was stolen from her torso. Kureno ran past her and turned around to dangle his jacket teasingly in front of her, then began walking toward the party as well. "Chew some gum before you go back in there!" The blonde yelled at him from across the room. When he was out of sight, she snickered to herself as she glanced down at her hand that held the pack of cigarettes from Kureno's jacket. "One down, probably a million more to go."

((hehe, very sneaky Yume... Ahhh I actually love how this post turned out! I wasn't planning on doing that thing at the end until I started writing "Chew some gum before you go back in there!" and then I was like "hmmmm..." it's up to you what you wanna do next, but we can talk about it tomorrow/today, depending on when you read this ))

((AUGH YAAAAAAAAS THAT WAS SO PERF. Like ohmygod perf <3333 that was..AUGH. so perf. the part where he stole his jacket back though was so cute and YUME IS SO SNEAKY YUS. <333 you are perf <3))

The meister jogged his way back to the door that led to the ballroom where the party was held, smoothly slowing to a walk as he slung his jacket over one arm. He waited for Yume to catch up, and wrapped his fingers around the door handle and bowing to her with a sweep of his arm as he opened the door for her. He heard her scoff as she strode into the room, and he didn't bother keeping the smile from his face as he followed her.

The remainder of the party was spent much how it had gone all night--with fun, laughter, and of course the usual shenanigans; BlackStar's loud voice, and of course Blaire's antics. Still, Yume and Kureno enjoyed themselves, along with all their friends. When it was time to depart, the dark-haired meister and his blonde weapon bode their friends a fond farewell, thanking Kid for inviting them, and went on their way. As they walked, they smiled and joked about the goings-on of the nights events, and Kureno smirked with gentle satisfaction when Yume did not push away his arm when he offered it to her, but rather laced hers through his own, and allowed him to pull her closer in an effort to keep them both warm as they walked amidst the light snow flurries of that blustery winter night.

Laying in his bed that night, after they had both retired to their respective rooms, Kureno found himself paying no attention to the book open in his lap, his mind elsewhere than the words printed on the page before him. He went through the nights events in his head, remembering the confrontation on the balcony. He supposed it went as well as he could have hoped. He then remembered he had left a pack of cigarettes in his jacket pocket, and slid out of bed to retrieve them and replace them in one of the hiding spots in his room. Kureno reached the coat hangar by the door, reaching a pale hand into the pocket of his jacket. Empty. Hm, maybe he'd put them in the other? No, not there either. In fact, all the pockets were empty, and he'd checked the pockets of the pants he'd worn as well before throwing them in the laundry when he'd changed into pyjamas. He wondered if he'd dropped it, but suddenly the memory of draping that same jacket over Yume flashed through his mind, and his eyes narrowed. 'Should have known.' he sighed to himself, making his way back to his bedroom and clicking off the light, pulling the covers over his head. It's only the beginning.

~*little bit of a TIME SKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP*~

Kureno had missed classes far more than he'd thought. It was nice to have a real reason to get out of the apartment now that DWMA had started up it's spring semester classes. They had started that previous Tuesday, and now it was their last class on Friday. On their first day back, much to Kureno's embarrassment, Yume had made him come up with her to announce their partnership to Professor Stein, as the deadline for choosing your meister/weapon partner had come upon them. Kureno had kept his gaze away to the side the entire time, hands in his pockets, hoping his expression was as impassive as he was trying to make it. He felt Stein appraise them both, and heard the whispers of many female classmates behind him--not that that was anything new, really, but now they would surely talk. After a few moments, Stein grunted his approval, "Very well. Good luck, the both of you," he looked at them over the edge of his glasses, and now Kureno turned his gaze towards his golden-eyed professor to nod curtly and reply in a strong voice, "Thank you, sir." Yume balled her hands into fists at her sides, eyes shining with determination as she chimed in with a smile, "We'll give it our best!" And with that, Kureno had put a hand on her shoulder and practically dragged her back to their seats--now beside one another--hiding his face with his hair as he strode across the room, his other hand still jammed in his pocket.

It had been a long week, but things felt good--back to normal. Kureno was surprised when the bell sounded, as it felt like that last class had gone by so quickly. Students already were packing up and heading out the door, even as the professor raised his voice to give last-minute reminders. Yume and Kureno got their supplies together in their bags, Kureno slinging his over his shoulder and standing, looking down at the blonde girl as he waited for her to join them as they walked home.

((teeeeheehee hope that's okay ^^' I figured it would be best if you post about the 'reunion' ;3 IASUHBGTAWIJKEGNwgiujn I'M SO EXCITED))

((EEEEEEEEEEE5EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THEY MAKE ME SO HAPPY BUT OF COURSE THINGS CAN'T STAY NORMAL FOR LONG ;3))

~ y u m e ~

The first week of classes was long and challenging, but it didn't have much of an affect on Yume, since her life at home finally seemed to settle down and be enjoyable. There was no tension between her and her partner, which improved her focus in class drastically. Announcing her partnership with Kureno to Professor Stein was a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, since she figured that he had his suspicions about them. After the last bell rang, her partner waited for her to walk home together as she gathered her belongings. The walk home was as normal as the rest of them had been earlier in the week. At least, that's what they thought. About halfway home, while in the middle of a conversation, a call sounded from behind them a few yards. "YUME!" The voice was loud enough for half of Death City to hear. The meister and weapon stopped in their tracks and turned inward to see who could be calling for Yume. A tall blonde male was sprinting towards the two, waving one arm at the blonde female. "Who the hell is that?" Kureno mumbled, leaning over toward his partner right at the same time as she exclaimed "Hibiki?!" and began running toward him with open arms. They both slammed into each other and landed in a hug. Hibiki was about the same height as Kureno, maybe even a bit taller than him, so Yume was buried in his chest when they embraced. "Oh my god Hibiki, what are you doing here?" Yume asked after they released each other. "Oh I thought I'd visit Death City for a few days as a tourist, since I've never been here before but have always wanted to. I didn't know you were here! Do you live here somewhere?" The male blonde enthusiastically responded. "Yeah, I attend the Death Weapon Meister Academy. I guess I never had the chance to tell you that I'm a weapon, after I, you know, ran away..." Her words trailed off at the remembrance of her parents' tragic deaths. She was comforted by Hibiki putting his arm around her. "Well anyways, it's so good to see you! We should totally hang out while I'm here. I've really missed you..." he smiled and cocked his head to the side, which made Yume blush a bit. Their gazing into each other's eyes was interrupted by Kureno loudly clearing his throat with his arms crossed. She had embarrassingly forgotten he was with them. "Oh, uh, Kureno, this is Hibiki, Hibiki, this is Kureno," Yume stepped out from between them to allow the two males to shake hands. "Nice to meet you!" Hibiki giddily held out his hand for Kureno. Being the polar opposite of Hibiki that he is, he slowly took his hand out of his pocket and barely shook the other's hand. "Hibiki, Kureno is my meister. "Kureno, Hibiki and I were childhood friends back when I lived in my previous home." The dark-haired male only raised his head at his partner's explanation, which irritated Yume a bit. But Hibiki was very responsive, quite the opposite of Kureno. "Well I'm glad Yume was able to find such a great guy to fill my shoes," Hibiki playfully punched Kureno's arm, to which he responded with an obvious-to-Yume fake laugh. He wasn't pleasing Yume right now, but she figured he didn't care for meeting new people much. Feeling bad for interrupting their walk home, she decided to dismiss Hibiki, gave him her phone number, and told him she would text him tomorrow. They went their separate ways and the rest of the walk home fell to nothing but silence.

((oh Kureno..... you jealous. xP I hope this was okay! I hope I didn't write Kureno too ooc, but it just seemed how he would react. If you want me to change anything you can! I kinda left it open for you to do whatever, and we can always talk about it if you're not sure what you wanna do but YAY it's done I'm so excited))

((huehuehue i'm so exciteeeeeeddd >:3 so good yusssss Kureno you green jelly bean and omg Yume ily--and Hibiki's super adorbs btw ;D))

Once that annoying boy left the two, the continued on their way in a more uncomfortable silence than usual. From his peripheral vision, Kureno knew that Yume was staring ahead, seemingly forcing herself to believe that everything was fine and normal. Kureno, hands in his pockets, fumed. After several minutes, without breaking his sightline straight, he commented neutrally, "Well, he was certainly...friendly," his pale eyes flicked once towards her, waiting for her reply. He noticed her brow furrowing ever so slightly, before she spoke in a falsely-kind voice, "Yes, he was. Unlike you." She stated shortly. Kureno scoffed, refraining from saying, Only because I'm not the one so obviously vying for your rather undivided attenion, and instead calmly replied, "Perhaps next time he comes gallivanting up to you, I will find it in me to be more pleasant, he paused for a short moment before adding in a quieter tone, for you." He partly hoped that his addendum would calm the frustration she was ovbiously radiating towards him, and he hoped that she might understand that he was still there, and this...this Hibiki hadn't been, not when she had no place to go. As far as he was concerned, he would be the only one who was truly always there for his weapon. All he knew was, he hoped this foolish boy's vacation in Death City did not last very long. And, if he knew what was good for him, it wouldn't.

"Don't say that like it's some great gift to me, like you're so great for even considering it!" she raised her voice, fists clenching--obviously his words hadn't exactly had the effect he'd intended. "I didn't mean--" he tried, but she interrupted him, glaring. Oh, that glare, that oh-so-familiar glare. "It's common courtesy, Kureno!" The meister averted his gaze, looking away from her, and muttered, "...I guess I'm just uncommon, then," and to that, he received a laboured sigh and some sort of muttered curse around the lines of "stubborn asshole" as the two continued on their way. As they finally reached the apartment, it felt the tension had at least somewhat cleared between them. It never truly lasted long. Kureno put on his best apologetic smile and slipped his hand down to grab Yume's just as the apartment came into view. Her gaze zipped down to their now-intertwined hands and she demanded, "What are you doing?" To which Kureno answered smoothly, "What? Is it such a crime to hold my partner's hand?" As he expected, Kureno was gifted the sight of a blush gracing the girl's cheeks, her eyes wide, just before she sighed in annoyance and jerked her hand away from him. But he knew she would forgive him now. She hadn't hit him, so that was a plus. And, with a small smile on his face, Kureno beat his weapon up the stairs and gestured for her to enter with his customary, "Ladies first," and her customary eye-roll and scoff. Yes, perhaps life would continue as normal.


((lol no it won't. heh. yeh. hope that was okay....i was going to end it a lot sooner because i didn't wanna write too much Yume cuz i didn't wanna like step on your toes but then it was reallly short x/ but seriously if you want me to change anything just say the word, as always! I know we always say that xP we really don't have to at this point tbh lol xDDD <3 ))

((awww Kureno, you're so jealous, and it's adorable. But seriously, I think the dialogue in your last post was fabulous! Very in character but ohmygod THE PARTNER COMMENT I know I snapchatted you about it but STILL IT WAS FAB AND YOU KILL ME GKADJGKDAJGKLDJAGK <33333 I know, we always say that, but we always like what each other writes I still feel like I should say it, even though I know you know it))

~ y u m e ~

For the rest of the evening, Yume and Kureno remained in their apartment, quietly doing homework with the occasional question to the other of what they had as an answer for a question. Kureno seemed to be a bit tense whenever he spoke, and Yume guessed she knew the answer as to why he was acting the way he was acting. It was obvious he didn't like Hibiki the moment he called out to her, but he didn't have to make it so obvious to the male blonde. He was simply a childhood friend that wanted to catch up with another childhood friend. Yume's small crush that she had on him back in the day meant absolutely nothing now. She felt devoted to Kureno now, even though they weren't anywhere near a couple. The blonde hoped that the jealousy would pass over soon enough so that she could enjoy having Hibiki around for a little while without having to worry about what Kureno would do or say to him. Around 11 p.m. is when the partners finally called it a night and bid their goodnight's to each other. A nervous feeling in her gut kept the weapon up much longer after she had slipped under the covers.

Yume had slept longer than she intended to, due to the fact that falling asleep proved to be a challenge the night before. When she slowly opened her eyes, an alarm suddenly sounded inside of her and she whipped her head to the side to check what time it was. The clock on her nightstand read 11:09 a.m. and right as the time changed to 11:10, her phone lit up. There were 4 unread texts from Hibiki, the earliest one sent at 9 a.m.:

Hey! Wanna meet at this sushi restaurant at about 11:30? You still like sushi, right?

So sushi at 11:30, cool?

Yumeeeee wake up. Don't tell me you're still sleeping!

I'll be at the restaurant at 11:30, you better show up!

He would be there in 20 minutes and Yume hadn't even showered yet. She finally replied, telling him that she overslept and would be there as soon as she could. Hopping off the bed and rummaging through her drawers to pick out an outfit, the weapon ran into the bathroom to shower. 20 minutes, black jeans, and a white sweater later, she was putting on her shoes and chapstick. "And where might you be going?" Kureno teasingly asked as he sat up straighter on the couch. "I'm meeting Hibiki for lunch and I'm running really late," Yume panted after running around the apartment. "I don't know how long I'll be gone but don't wait up for me!" Grabbing her purse and phone, she waved goodbye to her partner and made her exit, knowing that he, more than likely, was holding a look of disdain on his face. She feared that he would try to stop her, which is partly why she was hurriedly getting ready. It's not like he was trying to replace Kureno as Yume's meister, so what was the big deal? This question loomed in her mind all the way to the restaurant. Upon arriving, she was happily greeted by Hibiki with a tight hug. She found that she couldn't get rid of the smile that appeared at the sight of her former friend.

((wahhhhhh I feel bad for Kureno :c he's just being protective, it's actually freakin' adorable ^^))

((hehehe yesss i agree xDD poor Kureno, but AUGH im so excited yes they are so cute aiuetngaweijgk as always ;D))

As the door swung closed, Kureno knew he still had a scowl on his face. He snorted a sigh, discontent. Of course she would rush to meet her beloved Hibiki as soon as she woke. He should have expected it. He sighed again, running a hand through his hair, alone in his apartment. He knew he used to be alone all the time, but for some reason, the rooms just felt so...quiet, so empty, without the blonde girl around. The meister stood with determination, swiping his phone from the table and plugging the cord for the speakers under the tv into the auxiliary jack. Turning the volume fairly high, he proceeded to blast music, singing along even though his voice was drowned out by the sound pounding through the thin walls of the apartment. He let his feet carry him where they would, and time passed.

Kureno finally turned the music down, glancing at the clock. It was a quarter after two. He estimated it would take them an hour to eat, and the by the location of their apartment, there weren't many decent restaurants that weren't within a fifteen minute walk. It was safe to assume that his weapon and her companion had finished eating by 1 o'clock at the latest. That meant they had been off doing Lord-knows-what for at least an hour, most likely more. He gritted his teeth, ripping his phone from the cord and roughly putting a jacket on, swiping his keys from the counter, slipping on his shoes, and striding out the door. The meister walked in the chilly afternoon air with his coat collar turned up, eyes downcast as he strode through Death City. His thoughts swirled around Yume and Hibiki, wondering what kind of relationship they had had when they were younger, and what that meant now. He knew the likelihood of at least a one-sided crush between childhood friends was drastically high. One of them had to have had a crush on the other, and perhaps that person's feelings had been reciprocated. Or perhaps those feelings had not melted away with time, or had returned once the two had been reunited. It was definitely possible, most likely probable. If he had to guess, there was at least a sixty-percent chance. 'And that is far too high for my liking,' the meister thought bitterly. However, before long he tried to force himself to see things from another point of view--something he very rarely, if ever, did. He supposed she did have a childhood friend she hadn't seen in a long time, and he supposed that she did most likely want to spend time with that friend. He supposed he himself was her meister, and if he had anything to say about it that wasn't going to change. She wouldn't betray him or abandon him--she was far too sensitive for that. Perhaps he could stand to be a bit kinder.

Just as he reached this conclusion, Kureno raised his head and spotted two figures on the path ahead of him. He had wandered into one of Death City's parks, and only a few people were out in the chilly weekend weather. However, as soon as he saw them, he knew who the two people were. He didn't risk raising his head long enough to tell if they were walking toward him or away from him, but quickly lowered his gaze again and pulled the hood of his black sweater over his head, hands in his pockets as he walked on, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. 'Dammit.'

((giggle giggle you know i had too ^^' heheh idk what you wanna do with it though whatever you want~))

((ohmYGOD I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. WELL DONE MY FRIEND. YOU ARE JUST PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. Took me a bit to figure out what I'm gonna do buuuut I think I've got it figured out. I think you're gonna love this ))

~ y u m e ~

After stuffing themselves with sushi throughout most of the early afternoon, Yume and Hibiki were wandering around Death City, with Yume pointing out the many nooks and crannies of her current town to her old friend. It felt like they had just seen each other yesterday. Neither of them had bothered to check the time, but Yume was purposefully ignoring her phone, afraid to find an angry or threatening text from her partner waiting for her. It killed her that he was unable to see the good in Hibiki, but she was not about to blow him off only to please Kureno. After a while, the two blondes decided they needed to rest for a bit and walked to the nearest park and sat on the first bench they could find. "Wow, I can't believe you live here! It's such a wonderful city," Hibiki admitted, observing and admiring the park they were at. "So, you live with that brunette I met yesterday?" The weapon deeply appreciated his being civil and curiosity about her newest and closest male in her life. "Yeah, we haven't been living together for very long. I was actually forced to leave my dorm because my roommate bailed on me, and I tried living with every one of my other friends but they didn't work out, so Kureno was kind of a last resort. But I don't see it as that now, I like our situation, even though he drives me insane most of the time," Yume chuckled. Until now, she had never reflected on her living condition, and it wasn't until now that she realized how good she's got it. "If he drives you so crazy, why don't you just move out?" Hibiki questioned, looking slightly concerned. "Oh, I'm only saying that as a joke. Truth is, I really do care about him. It's obvious that he doesn't convey his feelings well, when he has feelings at all, but when he does, it's the sweetest thing. He took me in when I felt helpless, nursed me back to health when I was sick, donated an entire room of his apartment to me and made it mine, and, even though he would never admit it, he always looks out for me. I... I don't want to imagine my life without him in it..." Yume gushingly admitted, feeling the heat enter her cheeks at the mention of her partner. She'd be lying if she said she regretted moving in with him and becoming his partner. Similar to her living situation, she had never stepped back to consider Kureno like this until now. "Well he sounds like a truly wonderful guy. You are a lucky girl, Yume. But please..." Hibiki's hand shifted onto her knee and started to slowly slide up. "If you ever, ever need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. You have my number now, and I will always have it near me." Yume uncomfortably picked his hand up and placed it in his lap. So his feelings for me are still there... She had feared this ever since she saw him the day before, but her suspicions weren't confirmed until now. Thankfully, her kind rejection settled well with her friend. Either that, or he had a call for acting.

Suddenly an idea popped into her head. She hesitantly brought out her phone and inhaled deeply to brace herself for any texts from Kureno. No texts since the ones from Hibiki earlier in the morning. She quickly typed out a message,

Wanna get dinner with me tonight? About 5:30?

And sent it to her partner. It was in her hopes that she could drag him out of the apartment and force him and Hibiki to sit down together and realize that they both have nothing to worry about. It was about a quarter after two when she sent the message and when they both decided to continue the city tour. She was completely sure, but she swore that Kureno was up ahead in their walking path, but attempted to convince herself that there was no way it was him. Her suspicions were unfortunately confirmed when the man pulled out his phone right after she sent her text. The man was wearing the exact same gloves that Kureno owns. Her heart sank to the ground, feeling both pity and rage at the same time.

((sooo... there's that. I couldn't help but add in some fluffy stuff, you know I couldn't help it! ;3 so if you wanna leave the 3 of them meeting up for dinner to me and have your next post be kinda short, that is totally fine with me! Or if you wanna start the meetup, that is also totally fine with me! I just felt like this was a good place to stop, and I kinda wanted to leave Kureno getting the text to you. Hehe I hope you enjoyed <333))

((AIYUHRJAWETK THE FLUFF. SUCH FLUFF. OMG. FEELS. I SQUEALED. Seriously though augh that was a really nice post x3 they never talk about each other to another person, so it really offered a different perspective, I loved it!!! :DDD And heheheh okay yus, I shall probably just see how this post leads me as a write and we can go from there! ;D))

Kureno's pale eyes swiftly read his partner's short message. His expression passive, with just the hint of a smirk, he quickly thumbed in his response,

I would be honoured, my lady~ What, may I ask, is the occasion for such an invitation?

Quickly pressing send, the meister flicked his gaze up, careful to keep his head lowered. He knew it had to be Yume and her friend on the path before him, and by now he could tell that they were indeed walking towards him. Cursing silently to himself, he pretended to just be a regular teenage boy, out for a stroll, intent on his phone as his other hand was jammed in his pocket, his shoulders hunched and head down partly from the chill in the air, though mostly to conceal his identity as best he could. He had an inkling that Yume knew it was he himself, walking through the park, but he also had an inkling that she would not say anything to him. However, if Hibiki recognised him, he felt sure that the blonde oaf would exclaim his findings, most likely quite loudly. As they got closer, Kureno forced all of his attention on his phone, trying to appear as lost in it and as unapproachable as he could, deciding to scan through his and Yume's text conversations, only half-reading them. He tried to breathe normally as the three got close enough to touch, passing quietly. Just before he thought he might be in the clear, he felt eyes on him as Hibiki gave a double take and, as Kureno had been dreading, the annoying boy's voice loudly questioned, "Kureno? Is that you?" and, deciding he could not continue his ruse after being called out, he tried to put on a friendly expression before turning and pocketing his mobile phone. His gaze flashed once between them, before he spoke, "Ah, yes, I was just out for a walk since the ehm...the apartment was beginning to feel a bit stuffy with only myself for company," he flashed a smile, and Hibiki let out a chuckle that seemed far too happy--then again, the blonde was far, far different a person from the dark-haired meister standing across from him. "But, excuse me, I don't mean to, ah," he cleared his throat, continuing, "interrupt your afternoon--" the meister flinched as Hibiki laughed dismissively, striding forward to throw an arm around Kureno's shoulders in a brotherly manner. "Nonsense!" Yume's friend boomed, patting Kureno's arm with the hand that was still around the meister's shoulders, "You aren't interrupting a thing! In fact, we were just talking about you!" he smiled in a cheery manner at Kureno, who's eyes had gone just a bit wider at Hibiki's last comment. He couldn't help that his gaze switched quickly to Yume, who seemed to be blushing a bit and avoiding Kureno's gaze. He wasn't completely sure, though, as her cheeks could have just been pink from the chill. He quickly averted his gaze back to Hibiki, wiping the light surprise from his face and plastering on a smile, "Ah, I thought I felt my ears burning a bit ago," he joked, then swiftly but gently ducked out of Hibiki's hold, "Thank you for the invitation, but I really must be going," he did his best not to drop his smile as he talked, "I've got to pick up a couple things from the store, actually," he lied smoothly. Hibiki fell into a disgruntled expression, "Ohhh, okay. Well, that really is too bad. I was hoping you and I could talk for a bit," the blonde didn't take his eyes off Kureno, and the meister couldn't help but feel an underlying, secondary meaning to Hibiki's words. He shook it off, giving an apologetic smile, and lightly dismissed, "Another time, perhaps," and looked once at Yume, murmuring, "I...I shall see you later, when I return home," and nodded a goodbye to Hibiki before turning his back on them and walking at a quicker pace, heading towards the store to dispel suspicion, even though he didn't really know what he would do once he got there.

The meister took out his phone, staring at Yume's last text, and let out a sigh. Things were never uncomplicated, were they?

((heheh hope that was okay!! :3 *flail* yeh you can do the beginnings of the meetup at dinner and blah, I dun mind ;D weurhawuietjgnaweg <3 Hope everything was to your liking! ;3 ))

((Such awkward. Much uncomfortable. xD ahhh Kureno you're too much I LOVE IT. Hibiki's startin' to get serious... Very nicely done my friend ^^))

~ y u m e ~

Yume stared at Kureno while he walked away and buried himself in his phone as she tried to figure him out. She did so on a regular basis but was usually never able to come to a conclusion. It was obvious why they had run into him, despite how much he tried to play it off as a mere coincidence. But was it out of jealousy? Concern? There was no way he would ever give up his reasons but it didn't stop her from studying her partner. She pulled her sleeves down to cover as much of her hands as she could, since the wind seemed to pick up a bit, and flashed a smile at Hibiki, temporarily burying her mixed emotions towards Kureno to continue her day out with an old friend.

A couple more hours had passed since their previous encounter, and it was now time to attend the possibly-a-complete-disaster dinner with Hibiki and Kureno. After they continued their tour, Yume texted Kureno telling him where they shall meet, but received no response, so it was unclear to her as to whether or not he was going to show up. He didn't know Hibiki was going to be there, so as far as she knew, he had no reason to bail. Ever since the park, the male blonde was being a little bit too friendly and, not similar to the brunette, his reasons were quite obvious. It was starting to become too much for the weapon. Maybe Kureno keeping to himself often was more beneficial than she thought. It was going on 5:30 and still no sign of her partner. Perhaps he decided to bail after all... Just then, the door opened and in walked what looked like a flustered meister who seemed fairly nervous. Yume waved at him to indicate to him where they had been given a table. His face lit up at the spotting of his partner, but it didn't last more than a few seconds when Hibiki also stood up and waved aggressively like the over-the-top person he was. A scowl replaced the smile and his casual walk practically turned into stomping as he made his way over to the table. "I didn't know Kureno was gonna be here!" Hibiki shouted a bit too loud, which earned him an eye roll from both partners. Once Kureno was at the table, he crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows, waiting impatiently for an explanation from his blonde apartment-mate. "...uh, erm, Kureno, I thought that, the three of us having a civil dinner together could smooth out any rough edges there might be here." Yume rubbed her hands together to help her cope with the most awkward situation she put herself in, making her palms quite clammy in the process. Hibiki only smiled and agreed with her. His almost-too-positive attitude was not settling well with Kureno, which only made matters worse. The brunette plastered on the most fake smile and aggressively pulled out his chair, having to sit across from both his partner and worst enemy. "It would be AN HONOR to spend the evening with, the, two of you..." Nothing was said after that for a few minutes except for when a waitress took their drink orders. So far the night wasn't going as Yume planned so she decided it was up to her to lead the conversation. "Okay Kureno, here's the thing. Hibiki is simply a friend from my past. Besides my parents, he was the only one I had to rely on. He meant a lot to me, so of course I'm eager to spend time with him while he's in town. This is just two friends who are reconnecting and reminiscing about the old times, and that's it." She looked him straight in the eyes and warned him to not look away while she was addressing him. "And Hibiki, I know that you worry about me, but with Kureno as my partner and apartment-mate, I am completely safe from anything. He takes good care of me and brought me back up from a difficult time." His cheerfulness dimmed down when he was forced to hear about the girl that he still has feelings for and this new man in her life. "Now, can you both agree to shake hands and let all of this go?" Hibiki turned his head to make eye contact with Kureno, making it clear he was okay with Yume's request, and Kureno reluctantly held out his hand. They shook hands, but it was the brunette that was first to pull away, and very quickly. A couple minutes later the same waitress had returned with their drinks and then took their food orders. Yume decided to head to the bathroom, though she was very reluctant to leave the boys alone. They were in public, so there was no way Kureno would try anything. Right?

((ehh not sure if I'm completely satisfied with this post, but it'll do. I kinda set you up for a bit of a confrontation, soooo if you were thinking about doing that... there ya go ;3))

((HAH FINALLY omg it was actually kind of fun writing this in my iphone notes xDDD lolols ANYWAYS i have a sort of kind of idea for soonish like maybe my next post if it works out so yeh x3 but also, how long should we...like keep Hibiki around? xD like don't get me wrong I love this idea and it's really fun and ily and everything but I was wondering basically did you have plans about it? cuz i haven't really thought about it tbh lol ^^' but ANYWAYS yus. alsso omfg i was not expecting you to leave it hangin with the boys awkwardly alone omg x''''DDDDD))

The moment Kureno saw Hibiki seated with Yume at the table, the last of his remnants of vague hope flicked out like a breath to a candle. Unbidden, thoughts flashed through his mind. They were ridiculous, ludicrous, silly thoughts, but he thought them just the same. 'She's going to tell me he will be her partner now. They're going to say they are in a relationship and I need to back away, and never see her again. She's going to go back with him.' It hadn't been but a couple seconds, but these thoughts and similar raced through the meister's mind as he strode to the table and sat himself down, looking at Yume with an obvious 'what-the-hell-is-going-on-and-why-didn't-you-tell-me' expression. As she explained, voice quiet through the tense, awkward air around them, Kureno did his best to wipe away any telltale signs off his expression of his worry over his impending doom. The two males shook hands, per Yume's request. Kureno was surprised by the strength behind Hibiki's grip--obviously this mere handshake would not be enough to quell the indecisive awkwardness and jealousy between them. A few silent moments later, Yume excused herself for the restroom, leaving the two boys alone. Kureno avoided Hibiki's gaze for now, trying to sort through the situation he had so abruptly found himself in. He had to ride it out now--there was nothing he could do. If she wanted to leave him, he wouldn't stop her. He couldn't blame her. They were hardly friends...

Suddenly, memories flashed through his mind. Memories of them. Their arguing, so very frequent in those early moments of their relationship. He wondered, for the first time, if the things he had said or the way he had behaved towards her had ever caused her to cry. If she had laid awake at night in her dorm, wondering what she had done to deserve such treatment. However, Kureno barely had time to realise his pang of guilt before more memories rushed in. Yume, quite flustered and lost, standing outside his door with her arms full of belongings, and the start of something neither of them had ever come close to anticipating. He had let her into his home, his life, and just maybe...into his heart. Of course that last bit was the tiniest little whisper of a thought that Kureno swiftly ignored. Those first awkward couple weeks together, their friends finding out and the awful disagreement between himself and Yume that resulted, yet again, because of his actions. Christmas together, New Years, the smoking debacle that she was never supposed to find out about. He suppressed a smirk--she always seemed to wiggle her way into his life no matter how horribly he treated her. He had seen her cry of sadness, of anger; had seen her eyes shine with disappointment, betrayal, and possibly affection, all towards him. And, he was surprised to find most importantly to him, he had shared laughter with her. Memories that brought a smile to his face, even if at the time some of them might not have been as pleasing. They had shared arguments, thoughts, touches, and silent moments that would never happen again quite the same, no matter how much he wanted them too. He realised he wanted many more of those memories to be made. Memories of her, of him, of them. 'Yes,' Kureno thought then, mouth set in a determined line as he raised his gaze to the blonde boy across from him, 'She is my friend, and I will do whatever is necessary to keep her by my side so long as she'll have me. I won't give up without a fight.'

As Kureno's pale eyes met Hibiki's deep blue ones, the latter gave a small smile that seemed to have something hidden beneath the friendly exterior. He leaned forward over the table a bit, his eyes not leaving the dark-haired meister who watched him calmly, waiting. "It's good we finally have a chance to talk. I've been wanting to speak with you about some stuff..." his voice trailed off along with his gaze for a moment, and so Kureno nodded curtly and input a quick "As have I." Hibiki's eyes flicked up to him again. Blue eyes watched grey a moment more, and Kureno watched him watching him, those intent blue eyes flicking slightly as they studied his face. Exhaling and breathing deep once more, Hibiki broke the silence that wasn't as tense as Kureno had anticipated. "Yume is...my close friend. I care...I care about her a lot, really. I don't know if she knows, but she's a smart girl--as I'm sure you've noticed--and I know she's not oblivious...I know she hasn't exactly made many hints that she feels as strongly about me. Yet. But..." he paused, switching his gaze back to Kureno from where they'd been staring at his hands, "That doesn't mean I'll back off. While I'm here, I want to try and show Yume how much I missed her, and hopefully, how much she missed me. I won't give up, not yet."

Kureno didn't blink as he replied, his tone serious but not quite challenging, "She's my partner. I do not intend to give up any time soon, either." To his surprise, Hibiki broke into a smile, allowing a short chuckle out that further eased the atmosphere between them. "Good. She deserves someone who cares about her to the point where they won't give up easily," he winked lightly at Kureno, and their conversation fell into silence as Yume reappeared and took her seat again. She seemed to sense the shift in the atmosphere between them, from tense and uncomfortable to a more understanding, if still a bit tense, vibe. Kureno could tell this made her feel better, as her shoulders weren't as tense as before and she didn't fiddle with her napkin quite as much. The dinner continued, going somewhat smooth--as smooth as any dinner involving some sort of awkward triangle of friends such as these could go. Kureno knew he and Hibiki were not done, but his resolve was strengthened, and each glance at Yume only fortified him further. He would not lose her easily. He would fight.

((WOOOO there. I hope that was okayyy ;D So yeah i don't know if i really got my intent across but like Kureno and Hibiki don't totally hate each other i feel like...like...I think they should like...oawngftowa explaining is hard 'xD like it's not really a contest, because obviously Yume isn't just some prize to be won. They are more like..like they understand that it would be hard on her to have a meister AND a boyfriend separately, especially one who lived further away and also Hibiki wants to make sure that Kureno would be good for Yume as a partner and as a potential significant other ;3 because he knows how things can go, with two people being friends and blah and eyeh. So it IS still a bit tense, like Kureno wants her to stay in Death City with him and he wants her to continue being his partner and blah and he's worried that if she were to return Hibiki's feelings she thiings would be far too different between them for them to stay partners and he doesn't know how to express his feelings that THEY ARE TOTALLY GONNA FALL IN LOVE IAUTKJEWGT so this is what he can do instead of that xD. And Hibiki obvi cares for her a lot and he wants to make sure he's safe. So basically they're both little sweeties xDD I hope that makes sense and sorry for all the ramble ^^' <3333 I look forward to reading your next post!! ;DD))

((jfljgklajgkjdkgls I can't decide which part was my favorite because every single part of that post was absolutely perfect <3333 I really favor the part where he's reminiscing about his memories with her GAH I can't take it ^^ I actually hadn't really thought about how long I wanted to keep him around, but your post gave me an idea so you'll just have to read to find out what'll happen... ;3))

~ y u m e ~


By the obvious change in atmosphere surrounding the table for 3, it was clear that words had been exchanged between Yume's past and present significant friend. The intensity seemed to simmer a bit, but there was still a hint of uncertainty toward each other. She chose to not question either of them and, instead, enjoy the fact that there was no interrupting event to disturb the evening. The rest of the night continued on in peace, with small talk happening with a bit more ease. Embarrassing stories of Yume from when she was younger were told by Hibiki, as were more embarrassing stories of her from the past couple months by Kureno. She made it seem like she was furious with them, but inside, she was beaming with joy at the sight of the two men laughing with each other.

After the meal was finished and the bill was paid, the trio walked outside to bid their goodnight's under the bright full moon. "Actually, this will have to be goodbye for good for me," Hibiki lifted his head up to gaze at the sky, hands in his pockets. "I believe I've overstayed my welcome." Kureno stared blankly at him but his partner walked towards him with her hands holding onto each other behind her. "I'm not sure I believe that... Will I ever see you again?" Yume softly asked with a subtle glint of disappointment in her eyes. She was brought into a hug by Hibiki. "Don't worry, I'll keep in touch." The veins in his arms were popping from his tight grip on his childhood friend. He then released her and walked over to Kureno. "Kureno, I wish you a prosperous life. And do me a favor- don't make the same mistake I made and let go of this one." He held out his hand for the brunette to complete the handshake. He was then brought in to a man hug and was subtly threatened in a low tone by the blonde. "Don't think this is the last you'll see of me. Yume means everything to me and I will do everything in my power to make sure she is happy." A smile instantly returned to his face when he released Kureno and turned around to face Yume once more. "Take care of yourself, Yume. You know where to reach me." His next move was quite surprising to both the weapon and meister, but it was hard to tell who was more surprised. Hibiki led Yume's head up and turned it to the side with his finger and planted a soft yet passionate kiss on her cheek. His thumb slightly stroked her cheek, as if he were attempting to wipe away his previous act. Yume's heartbeat rapidly increased. She couldn't bring herself to look at her partner due to the fact that she knew what he currently looked like. Hibiki then turned around for the last time and began to make his way to his next destination, wherever it may be. As he passed Kureno, he leaned his head in towards him and whispered ever so softly that it was almost lost in the wind. "Take notes."

((oh Hibiki... you would xD ya filthy but clever bastard. Ahhh that was fun to write, I hope it is as much fun to read! I sense a conversation about what to do next in the future? I am totally okay with this ))

((AHHHH YIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS IT WAS SO FUN TO READ DONT EVEN AUGUAIBENG <333 for a bit there i thought he was gonna kiss her like full on the mouth O_o It's probably good he didn't cuz then that might've been her first kiss [? maybe? I guess Kure and Yume haven'tt talked about their previous relationships, if they have any xD] and i don't know if she'd be exactly happy about it and i dont know it was perf tho perfperfperffffff afhaugnajwkgagwgwa but yes we probably will have to decide what to do next soon xD we can discuss it in this link here because idk when we'll have the opportunity to FT or somethin ;3 but we can always talk that way too if we can't find a solution in the chat xD))

Kureno was a bit surprised by Hibiki's farewell, but his expression remained blank as his arms crossed over his chest to stave off the chill of the evening. Hibiki's words were kind, and his handshake firm, and Kureno almost gave him a smile but instead mild shock flashed across his features as he was roughly pulled into a hug by the blond. The other young man's voice sounded quiet and low in his ear, and Kureno's brows knitted firmly at the words, but he kept any negative emotions from his face for Yume's sake. Instead, once the two pulled back, Kureno merely nodded curtly with a strong look of determination on his face. However, it was much harder to keep his shocked and upset emotions from his face as his eyes widened when Hibiki gave Yume a light, obviously unchaste kiss on the cheek. Emotions coursed through Kureno at the sight, and though he couldn't particularly identify the fire of them, his hands clenched into fists as he dug his fingernails into his palms. Sure, Yume had known Hibiki for longer, but she hadn't seen him in years--and he, Kureno, was her partner! They had barely shared as much physical touch between them in the past months as Hibiki had in a few short days, and it angered him. And there he was kissing her on the cheek. The only time Kureno had done anything similar was the dare from Blaire, and he hadn't completely done it of his own volition as Hibiki just had. Would she even want him to do something like that, like Hibiki had just done? He felt she would yell at him, perhaps punch him again, or perhaps the act would build a wall between them, once again upsetting the delicate balance their relationship always seemed to teeter upon.

Furiously convincing himself that he only felt this way because Yume was his partner and his friend and not because of any other reason whatsoever, Kureno pulled out of his tirade of thoughts as Hibiki finally parted from them and walked away. Kureno breathed out a scoff at Hibiki's words as he passed, and replied in a quiet, low voice, "I have my own." He thought he heard Hibiki chuckle, but then he was on his way down the street, turning after he was a good distance away and waved largely with both hands, walking backwards, and calling a goodbye to them. Yume jumped a couple times, waving her own goodbye and calling back. Kureno simply raised a hand in farewell, dropping it after a few moments and stared down, thinking, until he felt a small tug on the shoulder of his jacket. He looked down into bright green eyes.

Before he had the chance to say anything, thin arms wrapped around his waist and Yume's head buried in his chest. He didn't have a chance to return the embrace before she pulled back, smiling. "Thank you," she murmured, her smile growing even bigger. Kureno frowned lightly, Hibiki's farewell kiss to her still on his mind. She looked at him questioningly as he failed to respond, and she asked if he was okay. The dark-haired meister lowered his gaze, his hair covering his face as he stuttered out, "Y-yeah, I'm fine," and swiftly swiped his hand down to grab hers, shoving his other hand in his pocket and began trodding back towards the apartment, dragging a surprised Yume with him, who stumbled and questioned him in a high voice as she skidded and tripped over the snow in attempts to keep up with his pace.

((bleh i dunno how i feel. wellllll i felt like there had to be at least one filler post before we move on to the next idea or whatever it was we were gonna do next so yeh ^^' ))

((it's been too long!!! I miss this so much and GAH I forgot how cute Kureno was in the last post. As he usually is ;P but yeah, imma do my best with the writing of soul resonance. I feel like I won't do it justice, but we'll see ^^'))

~ y u m e ~

The rest of the weekend had passed by as they all normally do. A lazy Sunday found Yume and Kureno lounging around and completing any unfinished homework. Yume's mind continuously wandered to Saturday night's events. Hibiki made his departure and was soon only a memory for the weapon and meister. He lingered in her thoughts, and she wondered if she really would ever see him again. Kureno would probably do everything in his power to make sure that would never happen, and her brows furred at his presence in her mind. She reminded herself to never forget how possessive he acted over the past couple days, but to also remember that he meant well and his heart was in the right place. The annoyed expression turned into a smile and colored cheeks when she remembered his not-so-gentle but sweet act of placing her hand inside his. It was the first time she didn't pull away when he reached for her hand...

Monday morning appeared with a bit of sunshine for the first time what seemed like forever. So the walk to class was that much more enjoyable. Yume and Kureno made small talk with their friends upon arriving, as they normally did. When Professor Stein walked in, he announced the plans for today's class. The entire class verbally expressed their excitement when he announced that they would all be practicing soul resonance outside, rather than inside, since the day brought with it a warmer temperature. This would be the first time Yume and Kureno have practiced their soul resonance, and a nervous feeling haunted Yume's stomach. She wondered if Kureno felt the same way. There was no way they would have been able to resonate souls before they were partners, and even so when they first teamed up. But since then, they've slowly revealed bits and pieces of themselves to each other, so who knows how today's lesson would play out. The class walked out to the front of the building and Stein motioned for them to gather before they went off to practice. "Listen up everyone, there are some things you need to know first. If you have never practiced soul resonance before, be prepared to fail the first few times. It takes time and patience to successfully complete the resonance, and even more time and patience to master it. Keep in mind that both minds must be completely free of anything and everything. Any thought or stress not related to resonating could be your downfall in battle. Your focus should remain only on your partner during this time. I'll be watching you all to record your progress. Your notes hold valuable information but actually doing it is what really counts."

After Stein was finished speaking, the students dispersed and found an area separate from everyone else to practice. Kureno gazed around the area and as soon as his eyes fell upon a free spot, he motioned for Yume to follow and made his way. He then turned to his partner. "Well I guess we just have to dive in." Yume nodded in agreement and closed her eyes after seeing that her partner already did. Any thought or stress not related to resonating could be your downfall in battle. Your focus should remain only on your partner during this time. Stein's words echoed in Yume's mind, reminding her of how critical this lesson was. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, slowly letting unrelated thoughts disappear. She desperately wanted to open her eyes and examine how Kureno looked while he was also attempting to relax, but she mentally kicked herself for letting her mind slip to unnecessary thoughts and kept her head down. Her heartbeat began to slow down. If Yume wasn't still completely mentally aware of what was happening, the wind might have knocked her over. She heard Kureno breathing heavily, and her mind once again slipped away from the task at hand. Once she gathered herself again, she felt a force forming between her and Kureno. It tugged at the two and attempted to pull their souls together. In doing so, their bodies were also inching closer to each other, but neither of them were aware. This is it... Yume eagerly thought to herself. Suddenly the force between them disappeared and she quickly opened her eyes for an explanation. Kureno did the same. "You have to really concentrate. You cannot allow your mind to wander as it pleases," he harshly criticized. Yume crossed her arms and retorted "Why are you assuming it was only me who messed up?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sure she may have had issues with concentrating but it didn't completely excuse Kureno. "Because I know you, and you tend to mess things up," the meister insulted. "Let's try it again." The weapon did as her partner rudely instructed but again they were unsuccessful. And again. And again. And each time Kureno would become more frustrated with her. Yume couldn't figure out why he was being so rude suddenly. Professor Stein had mentioned to not expect results on the first try. After the fifth try, she interrupted Kureno by walking to the stairs and sitting down on the first step, making sure that he was completely out of her sight. If it weren't for the whole class being present, tears would have been falling down her face. Yume desperately hoped Stein wouldn't approach her and question why she wasn't participating with her partner.

((ehhh not sure if I'm 100% pleased with the end of the post, but it'll do. I'm glad we're finally getting to soul resonance and what not IT'S BEEN TOO LONG I MISS THIS RP JAKDGALHA;GDA))

((i KNOWWW I'VE MISSED THEM SO MUCHHH <3333 but no darlin your post was wonderful as always!))

Kureno stopped abruptly mid-tirade as Yume turned and walked away from him, turning the corner and disappearing from his sight. The meister sighed, running a hand through his hair, trying to force his tense shoulders to relax. He felt eyes upon him, and turned to see Stein watching him a ways away, between groups of partners. The professor gave a ghost of a smile and nodded slightly at Kureno, who scowled and turned away, shoving his hands in his pockets and gathering himself for a few moments before following in the direction Yume had stormed off. He found her sitting on the stairs, her feet on the step below her so that her knees were drawn up past her chest with her elbows resting upon her knees and her chin resting upon her arms, hair blowing slightly in the wind against her face. She didn't look at him, didn't acknowledge that she knew he was there, so Kureno--after pausing for a second--walked towards her and sat down next to her, not too close but not far away either.

"...Hey--" he began, but his voice was soft and cracked, so he cleared his throat before trying again, looking down at the ground, "Look, Yume...I apologise, I apologise for how rude I was. I...I suppose I just have things on my mind that prevented me from concentrating properly, and I took my frustration out on you." He paused again to catch his breath and think of what to say next, but she spoke up before him, "So you're admitting it?" he looked at her in question, and she elaborated without looking at him, "Admitting that it was your fault, and not mine." Kureno scoffed lightly, jokingly, and hoped she wasn't offended by that, "Me? Admit something as preposterous as being wrong? Why, I never," he smiled, elbowing her lightly in the side. Finally, she looked up at him, and he could see slight amusement past the upset emotions in her eyes, and a small smile upon her face. She lowered her eyes but her face stayed towards him as she murmured, "You're an A-grade ass, you know that?" Kureno laughed heartily in response, rising to his feet and offering her his hand. "Maybe so, but you're the one who wanted me for a partner, may I remind you," it was her turn to scoff as she took his offered hand and let him pull her up, and he slid his hand from hers to replace it gently on the small of her back and spoke softly as they walked back to the group, "Give me another chance, little dove?" and smiling just a bit as she jerked her head away from him but didn't push him away. He loved tormenting his little bird, but still he tried to never think of what he might do if she decided to one day fly away.

((that last line tho... it couldn't be more beautiful (heh... "I mean not fuller, you don't look fuller, but more beautiful"). But beautiful and fabulous as always my friend! ))

~ y u m e ~

As annoying as her partner could be, Yume usually never failed to remember that, in the end, Kureno had his own twisted way of demonstrating his feelings, if he did at all. And today was no different. His taking out his frustration on her only revealed that he truly cared about mastering soul resonance, with his one and, hopefully only, partner. His slight contact with the small of her back sent a chill through her spine as they returned to the group for their second go at practicing their resonance.

They had once again closed their eyes and began the process again. In the midst of Yume achieving a state of tranquility, her hands were suddenly grabbed from her sides and raised to eye level. Her opening her eyes revealed Kureno holding her hands up, with his fingers under hers and his thumbs on top of her fingers and ever so slightly stroking them. "I thought some physical contact would be helpful in the process," he purred with a sly grin attached to his face. A few months ago, her hand would have already met his face, leaving a bright red mark, but now, he only received a glare (though the butterflies inside her were dancing about). She again lowered her head and closed her eyes, and this time felt much more natural. The force between them formed yet again, and it continued to grow stronger. Kureno must have felt it it too, because his grip on her slightly tightened. Practically instinctively, they shouted "Let's go, soul resonance!" at the same time and Yume could picture their souls becoming one. Her right arm took the form of a scythe blade, and the rest of her body then shifted into the long handle. Before she fell to the ground, she felt a firm grip catching and skillfully wielding her. But it was more than a simple transformation to weapon form. The power surging through her was supernatural; unlike any rush she's felt before. At this moment in time, taking on an army of witches seemed a simple task. Plus, it was Kureno's first time wielding her, and he seemed to have no issues.

"We did it, little dove." The meister brought the blade close to his face to congratulate his partner up close. "Yes we did," Yume smiled brightly. Inspecting how the other students were doing, she briefly made eye contact with Professor Stein, who only gave a smirk in her direction while a cigarette hung from his mouth. She refrained from thinking where she would be at this moment if an obnoxious but solicitous Kureno had turned her away that day.

((okayyyyy so I'm not exactly sure what I want Yume's soul resonance technique to be yet, that's something that I need to think about, so I don't really like how I wrote this post, but I really wanted to write my next post and didn't want to keep you waiting ;P so yeah, there's that))

((haha thanks xDD but yeah thats fine no worries!!! awww they're so cute x333))

Kureno then lowered the blade of his Weapon down again, testing how it felt in his hands to wield. He practised for a little, twirling the staff around himself and hitting various positions both offensive and defensive. "Doing okay?" he asked his partner, to which she responded in a slightly more metallic voice than usual that yes, she was fine. He turned and hit imaginary enemies behind him, then swiftly slid the staff along his hands and stabbed the butt of the weapon into the stomach of another imaginary enemy. After a few more seconds, Kureno took a breath and closed his eyes, then smiled down at the Weapon before raising his hand and gently opening his fingers, letting the weapon start to slide out of his hand. Before the metal so much as fell from the tips of his fingers, a light surrounded it and formed into a shape beside him, revealing a kneeling Yume. She looked up at him and smiled, rising to her feet. They raised their arms, fists clenched, and struck their forearms together in congratulations, then went apart and high-fived nice and hard, clasping their hands together instead of pulling them away and giving shouts of "Yes!" and "Got it!" in happiness. Laughing at their own expense, they cast eyes around to see if others had had success too. A couple other groups had, but some were still seemingly struggling. BlackStar and Tsubaki had succeeded, and now BlackStar was loudly displaying that fact while swinging around the chained blades he now wielded--and now doubt their success was nearly entirely thanks to Tsubaki. Maka and Soul were, unsurprisingly, successful in that Maka now wielded a red and black scythe, and was arguing with it with a vein on her temple throbbing. A couple of other groups were in similar situations, and a few were seeming exhausted with the process and feeling quite helpless with their failings so far. Kureno had thought he and Yume would be the last people to complete soul resonance, but he was surprisingly incorrect.

He looked back at his partner, who seemed as pleased and invigorated with their progress as he did. They made eye contact, smiling and brows furrowing in determination, and closed their eyes once more. It didn't seem to happen any quicker, but perhaps a bit easier. They would have to work on it until they could do it in the midst of battle, even if they weren't standing right in front of one another. But now, they knew they could do it.

After class, all of the students had eventually managed some form of soul resonance, and one of the jock-types was yelling something about throwing a party that weekend and that everyone was invited. He began throwing around the few hand-made fliers he'd been able to write in his sloppy penmanship several minutes before, and one was shoved into Kureno's hands by one of the nicer popular girls, who fluttered her eyes at him and smiled, "You'll go, right, Kurenooo~?" she stepped closer to him, as he blinked in confusion before gathering himself and smiling slightly down at her. "Perhaps. We shall see, won't we?" she looked disgruntled, but smiled at him as she turned to leave, winking over her shoulder and calling, "Yes, we sure will!" with a girlish giggle before bounding off into the cheering mass of students that were all pumped up from this newest development in their training to be top meisters and weapons. Kureno intended to ignore the party, unless Yume expressed some interest in it. He, for one, had absolutely no intention of attending a foolish school party.

((mehhhh idk how i feel about this post it's really filler-y xP butttt cows we need to figure out what we're gonna do. i went ahead and offered a party thing, but we can always have them turn that one down and go to one some other time if you want idc xP i just felt like i had to have somethinggggg))

((that was great! You're right, we had to do something, and now is as good a time as ever. Although I think we had a few sub ideas on what exactly would happen at the party, so I'll make this post kinda vague as to what will happen and we can talk about it next time we facetime ))

~ y u m e ~

Yume noticed one of the overly-bubbly girls in their class talking to Kureno and shoving a flyer regarding the party into his hands, all while purposefully toying with him. It ground her gears to see any other girl throw themselves at him. But it wasn't anything new. She found herself wondering if Kureno had ever been in a relationship before. She had to admit, under the hard shell he built around himself, there was one of the sweetest gentlemen she'd ever met. The weapon then wondered if he had ever shed his shell for anyone else, or if anyone else had been able to break it themselves. The leaving of the students back into the building snapped Yume out of her trans and she jogged to catch up with Kureno. Sneaking up behind him, she snatched the flyer out of his hands. "A party, huh? Could be fun." Kureno's scoff perfectly revealed his feelings about the event. "Should've expect that... C'mon Kureno, we should at least check it out. If it sucks we can just do something else," she linked her fingers together behind her head casually, hoping she could sway her partner into going. He continued on his path, still looking straight ahead, and replied in a disinterested tone. "I wouldn't be caught dead at that party, or anything involving those jocks. I can't believe you're even the slightest bit interested." The weapon dropped her arms in disappointment. "You're no fun, you know that?" Yume then proceeded to begin walk ahead of her partner but didn't make it too far before her brunette suddenly appeared in front of her. His thumb was firmly placed on her chin, while his index finger remained under her chin. One foot was crossed over the other. He brought out his million dollar smile, and he seemed to be well-aware that it his partner's biggest weakness. "Is that so?" he growled. The mint he had just chewed made its appearance onto Yume's face. Half of her scolded herself for falling for his cheap tricks, but the other half had no problem with the minimal distance between their faces. Thankfully they were at the back of the crowd, and they were all ahead of them now. She couldn't believe he did this in plain sight. The ringing bell disturbed their shared moment and Yume began to run to her next class, but not before narrowing her eyes at her partner and silently scolding him, something she seemed to do often.

((pretty much another filler-y post but I figured I couldn't do much before we further discussed what we're gonna do ^^' notice the insertion of one of the phrases from that tumblr post? ;3 I thought it fit quite nicely))