Author's notes:


2021-07-27: Hey, I want to share a short preview of what I'm working on as of now. I'm thinking about trying out something with this chapter. I hope you will like it. If not, you know the drill by now. The comment section is for you :D

2021-07-30: Hey, it seems that the chapter will be even longer than I initially expected. So, I have uploaded a couple of fragments more. See you soon with the rest of this part :)

2021-08-08: Hey, the chapter is finished. I thought that it would be longer than 10k words. However, at some point I have realised that it would be much longer than that. So, I have decided to split it into two seperate chapters, finishing at some sort of a milestone. Please, let me know what do you think.

As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)

Changelog:
[2021-07-27]: A preview was released.
[2021-07-30]: Added a couple of pages. (around 700 - 800 words).
[2021-08-08]: The chapter was finished and released.

Info: The winner of the previous poll was 'My home is where my heart lies'. From now on, I would like you to decide what will be written. The new poll has been already created, and the link can be found at the end of the section.

Schedule for the nearest future:
1. Mass Effect fic (possibly regarding the Citadel dlc).
2. My home is where my heart lies (a long, possibly 10k + words chapter).

Bonuses' section:
A new story taking place in the Warhammer 40k universe.
A story regarding KaiKali (aka Akali x Kai'sa) (Will you look past my mistakes?).
Sometimes it's just better not to know (possibly rewrite).
Kiss the rain (more than likely rewrite).
Whispers in the Dark (extending beyond 2 chapters story).
Story of one lost soul (translation of 2 of my old texts - previously written in polish).
Story of one lost soul: The war call: rewrite.

*bonuses will be worked on when I don't feel like writing the chapters pointed out in the schedule :D

** It is possible for me to change the schedule a little. So stay tuned for the upcoming information.


Vote poll:
Service: strawpoll
Hash:
fw9wf77ay


End of author's notes.


Akali's POV (Friday):


One could easily justify saying that time is a weird, complex construct that rules over our lives. How could one explain that sometimes it seems that time would pass slowly; one could say tardily. But, on the other hand, it would not be difficult to think about the times when weeks seemed to last less than a blink of an eye.

Unfortunately, Akali needed to deal with the second case. Before the raven-haired girl could even really notice, the whole week passed, leaving her with little to no time left to make her final decision. After everything that unfolded recently, the black-haired teen was not really keen on going out. However, on the other hand, sitting at home would have never resolved her problems. The ninja allowed herself to sigh heavily to express her frustration; she did not like to be put into such situations. Truth be told, she hated that feeling.

Deep down inside herself, Akali knew that the decision had been made long ago.

Yet another heavy sigh escaped her slightly parted lips. Then, Rogue reached toward the phone with her eyes closed, unlocking it with a simple swipe. Formulating the message took her less than a couple of moments. After all, only a couple of simple words were needed, nothing else.

As expected, the response came nearly instantly. The quiet beep announced it; however, the raven-haired girl opted to ignore her phone, pressing forward. Even though she had every right to stay home throughout the entirety of this week, she had decided not to. As always, Akali opted to be the perfect girl, pressing forward against all odds.

The teen would have never told it up loud, but walking was still posing a real difficulty for her. Yet as the perfect girl she was, she decided to walk forward with a mask on, openly lying about her current state.

"It is going to be an interesting weekend," the girl murmured under her breath. "However, I am not entirely sure whether I want to know what hides under that term," she added, limping forward.

Evelynn's POV (more or less at the same time):


The piles of papers were covering every single inch of Evelynn's desk. Deep inside, she knew that she needed to start working, but she was unable to proceed. The endless mess of papers seemed to be ruling everywhere, but one small area. In there, a crimson-red-covered folder lay. Even without looking at it, the magenta-haired lawyer knew what it contained. How could she not? After all, it was the very beginning of some of her problems. But… on the other hand, it was the beginning of some matters that meant a world to her.

"Miss Smith?" the calm voice of her assistant – Lux – sounded. "Is there everything alright? Do you feel unwell, Miss?" she kept asking questions through their internal voice communicator.

"No, nothing is fine, Lux," Eve dared to reveal a little bit of truth. "However, it can't be helped, at least, not as of now," she added in a sad and exhausted tone. "I'll need some help with the folders that are flooding my desk. Shall we look at them during lunch?"

"Of course, Miss Smith," the assistant replied immediately. "What would you like to have for the lunch, then?" she asked.

"Get me a chilly chicken from the restaurant we spoke of as of late," the siren uttered. "And… thank you for your help, Lux; I appreciate your dedication."

"Not a problem, Miss," Lux responded back.

Without averting her eyes away from her display, Evelynn hid the crimson-red-covered folder. It was stored in one of many drawers that her desk was equipped with.

"If it waited that long, it wouldn't change a thing to wait a couple of days more," the lawyer quietly uttered. "However, the time of the clash approaches fastly."

Akali's POV (a couple of hours later):


To say that the raven-haired girl was angry would be an utter understatement; she was pissed off. Not only she had to endure yet another day of her peers bitching over nearly everything, but it seemed that some of them had some beef toward her. It was so annoyingly tiresome to endure all negative comments made toward her. But, unfortunately, as always, she opted to play nice. So, the mask of a perfect girl had been put back on. Akali could feel herself cringing whilst trying to fake a broad smile playing on her lips. As it was said before, it was annoying and more so tiresome.

The only positive side effect was the quick passing of time. Before she could even notice, her school day was over. So, Rogue decided to treat herself to a bowl of delicious spicy ramen. However, the problem was that the place she had in mind was a good couple of minutes of walk away from her school. It was going to be a bit troublesome, but in the end, the girl was more than certain that a little trip would be worth all the pain and effort.

Akali hated the fact that she was currently forced to move slower due to her injury. To her, it sounded like a cheap excuse that tried to explain being a burden to someone. And… if there was a thing that Akali hated wholeheartedly, it would be it.

As quickly as her current state allowed her, the raven-haired girl proceeded through the school's corridors. The warm rays of the afternoon's light filled the hallways. It was a pleasant occurrence; her walk might be manageable in the end. The mobile was pulled out of the pocket. Akali wanted to know whether there was a shorter path leading to that particular restaurant.

After a couple of moments of seeking, something or someone was spotted with the corner of her eye. Still, before she could react, someone jumped out from seemingly nowhere. She tried to stop immediately, but unfortunately, she put her weight onto her wounded leg, making her fall as a result.

"My, my, my," she heard a very familiar voice of Katarina. "Who's a clumsy kitten today?" she asked cheesily.

"If you do not intend to help me stand up, just move back a little," Akali sighed, annoyed. "You have an awful timing," she added coldly.

"Oh…," the redhead faked the gasp. "It's just a coincidence that we met here," she lied in a sweet voice.

"I would not call this situation a coincidence," the raven-haired teen huffed loudly. "Knowing you, I am pretty certain that you ended up standing here for a couple of minutes, waiting for me," she added, slowly standing up. "I thank you for the help that you did not provide," the girl allowed herself to utter between the groans of pain. But, unfortunately, her leg was far from being fully healed.

"Don't act like that, my little-badass," Katarina tried to act her magic. "I'd have helped you if I've thought that you'd need it," she tried to convince the black-haired girl. "Anyways, I'm delighted that you're going to join me for that party. It's going to be amazing; you can count on it!" the redhead exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Is that everything you wanted to tell me?" the annoyed teen asked. "If so, I will take my leave. I have a couple of things that need my attention," she added as politely as she could.

"How about spending some time with me instead? Hmmm… how does this idea sound?"

"No," the ninja replied immediately. "Do not take it wrongly; I just need some time to think. After all, you will still see me at the party," Rogue tried to explain as soon as possible.

"Fine," Katarina responded. But, based on the tone of her voice, she was not pleased with what she had heard. "You better repay me for that later," she added, winking playfully at the teen.

"You are a tease," the raven-haired girl made a comment. "But, fine, fine. I will be at the party, and then we will discuss that matter."

"Works for me," the crimson-red-haired woman giggled. "See you soon, then," she added with yet another wink, followed by the chuckle.

"She is going to be the death of me," the ninja sighed heavily deep inside her mind.

Without anything more to say, she started walking toward the nearest exit. After all, she had a decent distance to cover before she would be able to consume her favourite ramen.

Evelynn's POV (around an hour later):


"I need to speak with you," the magenta-haired lawyer started her call with these words. No greetings were needed, in her opinion.

"It's good to hear you too, Evelynn," Fiora replied with a small chuckle. "I assume you need something of me; I'm all ears, then," she added immediately.

"It has been a week since the 'incident' during the match," the siren started. A hint of rage could be easily heard in her voice. "How's the situation progressing? Was that dumbass-kid punished for what he had done?" she finished, asking a few questions.

"I'd really, really love to say that they did something, but, in reality, he just received a red card for his actions," the headmistress slowly responded. "He'll be benched for some time, but realistically, no serious consequence for this kid. I've specifically asked his school to immediately throw him out of the team. I've also asked them to handle the police case. However, it seems that nothing was reported to the police," she added, allowing her voice to represent her feelings. The head of the school was annoyed, exhausted, disgusted with how the situation was handled.

"Can you report it then, please?" Evelynn asked. "I want this kid to pay for his doings, and… I'm not the only one," the lawyer added with a slightly risen tone.

"I'd assume that Akali wants to see him facing the consequences, am I right? Fiora asked. "Don't get me wrong; she deserves a bit of justice after what happened to her. However, I don't really think that violence or accusations will bring back anything good," the head of the school uttered quietly, choosing her words carefully.

"I'd want you to report this case to the police," the diva uttered in a much colder tone; one might call it hostile.

"I'll do it," the headmistress responded immediately. "I just really hope she'll not seek the revenge," she added, conflicted.

"As far as I know Akali, she'll act properly, no matter how difficult this situation was for her," Eve assured her friend from college years. "She might be risen up in an orphanage, but she's a way better person than most of us."

"I can agree on that," Fiora replied. "Do you need anything else? After all, I don't expect you to call me to chitchat."

"No," the magenta-haired woman responded back. "I think it's all I wanted. But… I need to say one more thing; thank you."

"Should I mark this day with a big label 'Evelynn said; thank you' on my calendar?" the headmistress allowed herself to joke. "After all, it's a rare occasion for you to do so without one to remind you about politeness," the raven-haired head of the school chuckled. "Anyways, you're welcome."

"Keep it to yourself, but… it's nice to have friends sometimes," the siren quietly whispered. "It's good to have you as a friend, Fiora."

"I'll most likely need someone to slap me across my face after the call," the head of the school continued to joke. "I can sense that something heavy is bothering you. Otherwise, you wouldn't call such compliments as easily as you just did. Can I help?"

"No, no," the siren uttered quietly. "It's something that I need to deal with alone," she added with a bit more confidence in her voice. "However, I do appreciate your question and the offer hidden underneath it."

"Fair enough," Fiora said. A heavy sigh was allowed to escape her throat. "Look… if you need help, don't overthink; just call. And… for now, till the next time."

"I'll keep that in mind; thank you," the magenta-haired lawyer responded before throwing the mobile across her desk.

For a couple of prolonged moments, the diva visibly froze. More than a couple of problematic thoughts bothered her mind, making her uneasy, conflicted, confused to some extent. There were so many things that needed her personal attendance, attention to be dealt with. However, she seemed unable to get a hold of herself, to focus on the goals set before her. Heavy droplets of sweat started to gather upon her brow. So, she quickly wiped it out with a handkerchief.

When the first wave of uncertainty faded away, the lawyer focused her gaze on her computer. A decent portion of her main display was taken by the scheduler app. Yet another heavy sigh was allowed to sound; the magenta-haired woman knew what was hiding there. Just one simple click revealed a long list of tasks that she had either thought of or had been assigned to. Truth be told, the sheer size of that list was discouraging. Still, at some point, these tasks needed to be taken care of. Evelynn gave her eyes a quick massage before going through them and choosing what to do next.

It took her more than a couple of minutes to read all the notes she had prepared earlier. Finally, she opted to start with the tasks relating to her current lawyer's cases. She would most likely proceed with this idea if not for the email notification that appeared abruptly on her screen. In most cases, the sire would ignore the email, leaving it for the later part of the day. However, the message came from someone she would have never expected to receive an email from. It was sent by Miss Hindler, the woman who had made Akali's life in the orphanage a living hell. Without much thinking, Evelynn opened the mail, starting to dig into it immediately.

At first, she froze. The magenta-haired woman could not believe that something like that was permitted to be sent to her. But, unfortunately, it seemed that she was wrong. After the first phase ended, the outrage came. A thick vein manifested itself on her brow, pulsing rapidly.

"It must have been a mistake," Evelynn thought to herself. However, the idea was nearly instantly discarded when she reminded herself with whom she was dealing.

The application was closed with just a simple click. The whole system soon followed the email app whilst the lawyer picked up her things from the desk. Finally, with vastly stronger than required push, the laptop was closed. At that moment, the magenta-haired diva did not care about any potential damage she could cause. She had business to deal with in the orphanage.

Akali's POV (more or less at the same time):


It had taken her more time to reach the restaurant than she had anticipated, even in the worst-case scenario. Cold sweat was shining on her brow; her clothes were utterly dumped. The heavy fabric which was used in their production had soaked everything to the last droplet of sweat. But, unfortunately, the smell could not be got rid of that easily. Akali could feel that she stank. For her, it was not an option to go like this into the restaurant. So, the raven-haired girl ended up visiting the nearby chemist firstly.

Thankfully, her visit there had been a short one. After just a couple of minutes, she had exited the store with a flacon of wonderfully smelling perfumes. Funnily enough, the flacon had not been as expensive as one would have thought.

With the smell of perfume covering her sweating aroma – at least partially – she was free to proceed to the restaurant. Even though her leg was sending a shiver after a shiver of painful sensation, she had still a broad smile glued to her beautiful face. After all, it was perfectly normal for the recently injured person to face periodical pains, especially after tiresome physical activities just like her long walk.

She could be considered a regular visitor to that particular restaurant. Throughout this school year, she had been coming here at least once a week. Still, something about this place appealed to her. Maybe… it was the localisation of the restaurant; perhaps it was the interior. However, the most likely answer would be the atmosphere. It could be felt that everyone there, whether the owner – Mister Tia – or any employee, was part of a family of sort. Akali liked that a lot. With every single visit, she could swear that she was learning something new about these people, that family. Not to mention that she always left a hefty tip as a token of gratitude for a unique visit. These tips had earned her the appreciation and friendliness of many people. Soon enough, it had reached the point when these people started trying to give her money back. After a couple of conversations between her, the waiters, and the owners, they had settled that matter. They had agreed on the max tip they would have accepted.

It did not surprise Akali that a familiar voice started calling her as soon as she reached the food court. It took her less than a fraction of a second to recognise the voice. So, of course, it was the place's owner – Mister Tia. He was an average heigh man with a strong line of muscles clearly visible through his white shirt. Even though Mister Tia was around 63 – if she remembered correctly – he remained fit. After all, he was actively working in the restaurant, and let me tell you – there was a lot of work there. As usually, his decently long hair was put into a ponytail. The raven-haired girl, without much effort, spotted another strand of grey hair when she got closer. So, currently, the man had very little of his hair in its original colour of deep, dark brown. It was a sad realisation. Mister Tia looked surprisingly well with his original hair. However, with them steadily turning grey, he resembled more and more of a good Asian grandpa.

"Akali, it's so nice to see you, child," he greeted the raven-haired teen as soon as she got closer. "The usual, I assume?" he asked, giggling slightly.

"Hello, Mister Tia," Akali replied with a wide smile. "Yes, I would have the usual, please," she added as a response to his question.

"Oh no, you aren't paying today, young lady," he said when the teen reached out to her pocket. "Take your seat, and wait for the ramen. Ichika will take care of you today. What happened with your leg?" he asked, passing a short note to one of his employees.

"An accident," Akali responded with a heavy sigh. "Or… at least, a lot of people would call it like that. But, in reality, an asshole started to kick me after the soccer match cause he could not stand the fact that he lost," she explained whilst giving her eyes a soft massage.

"Was he punished?" the owner asked, his smile fading away.

"As far as I know, not really," the ninja replied honestly. "The only consequences he faced - aside from getting a couple of punches from me – was a bench."

"It seems that justice doesn't exist in this world anymore," the old man uttered in a cold tone. "I'd love to get a kid like this in my arms' reach. I'd teach him some manners," he added angrily. "However, what's done, is done. We can't do anything about it. So, please, take a seat. Ichika will come soon," Mister Tia said, changing his tone once again.

"Yeah, I will be at my usual spot," Rogue replied simply.

With these words, she slowly headed to the table hidden inside one of the alcoves. She considered this place special because of its surroundings. Beautiful flowers were hanging all over the alcove, filling it with a wonderful smell. It was an intoxicating experience.

Sadly, the pain in her wounded leg only grew over time. So even though the raven-haired did not want to show it, she clenched her teeth when the next wave came. Against her will, she needed to slow down. The pain level was only increasing and increasing, testing her endurance.

After a couple of moments of intense fight, she managed to reach the table. Considering her current state, she allowed her wounder leg to rest on the other chair whilst she sought the painkillers. It took a while, but she found them in one of her many pockets in the end. A half moan, a half gasp escaped her throat when the double dose of painkiller was swallowed. Her brain registered the action, but the pain did not go away instantly. Rogue closed her eyes, focusing solely on fighting the wave after wave of unpleasant sensations.

"Akali, are you alright?" the familiar voice of Ichika sounded in her ears. It was a soft whisper, pleasant and warm.

"Agh… not really," the raven-haired teen gasped while replying. "Possibly, I have overestimated my capabilities. Especially, considering the recently wounded leg," she added, sweat once again coming on her brow.

"Mister Tia mentioned about that," the waitress lowered her voice even more. "I think it's horrible that every single time, you're the one who's faced with these incidents. I'm really sorry, Akali; I really am."

"I believe you," Rogue responded, opening her eyes slowly. "You look as gorgeous as ever, Ichika," she uttered a clumsy compliment.

"You and your compliment. Geez, don't do that cause soon you'll make me blush," Ichika giggled, holding Akali's left hand. "You might have not noticed, but your ramen is already served on the table. So, eat; we'll talk when you finish," she added before leaving.

Ichika was the youngest of the restaurant's waitresses; she was only 21 years old. However, she might be the most lovely person Akali had a chance to meet. No matter what was happening in or outside her work, she was always smiling, trying to cheer up the others. Quite funnily, her name could not have been chosen more accurately. In her long, as dark as night hair, she had a sakura flower settled in. If she could, she would have had more than thousands of flower petals on her. The young Asian girl loved flowers very much.

With the corner of her eye, Rogue could spot that a couple of shady looking men entered the food court. But, unfortunately, they looked like they were only looking for a reason to put up a fight. The teen allowed herself to sighed heavily. Such people could not be labelled other than assholes. And… to her utter dissatisfaction, she had a lot of experience dealing with them.

Akali decided to keep an eye on the newcomers whilst eating the deliciously smelling ramen. The loud rumble of her stomach reminded her how hangry she was. To keep up with her plan, she needed to readjust herself a little. Even though the bowl was thick, the heat quite easily penetrated it. She would not be able to hold it by hand; the surface of the bowl was just too hot. So, she moved her chair slightly to the side. It allowed her to place ramen just at the very edge of the table whilst maintaining a good sight over the food court.

A couple of next minutes passed relatively peaceful. These men had ordered some food, had sat beside one of the nearby tables, waiting for their order. The raven-haired girl was chewing and slurping the noodles alternatively. As always, the dish was delicious, spiced perfectly.

Usually, the teen would have been already done with her bow, possibly considering ordering an additional one. However, today, she allowed herself to eat way slower. So, she tried to savour her meal to the fullest.

As it was to be expected, the peace did not last forever. When Akali was finishing her bowl, she spotted Ichika heading toward the men with her hands full due to their massive order. The ninja did not like the spare glanced that these shady dudes were sending in the waitress's way. Something was about to happen, and she was damn sure she would not like it.

With a muffled groan, Akali managed to stand up. The resting did wonders to her wounded leg; however, it also had a side effect, a consequence. The wounded limb became stiff, and walking possed much more challenger than before. Rogue ignored it as much as she could; her teeth got clenched, and she forced herself to move.

She did not have to wait long to witness her speculations fulfilling. As soon as the dark-haired waitress tried to leave, one of the men grabbed Ichika's hand, forcefully pulling her closer to himself. The pull was so sudden and surprising to the dark-haired woman that she dropped the tray that fell onto the ground with a loud thud sound. It took her a little over a moment to realise what was going on. As soon as it happened, she started to wriggle intensively, trying to break from the man's grasp.

Even though Akali suspected that something like that might happened, she still found herself shocked, disgusted with the action. So, not caring much about her weakened leg, she forced herself to move faster. Within moments, she reached the mens' table, her grimace showing only rage and disgust.

"I would strongly recommend you letting her go," she managed to utter in a stone-cold tone.

"And… who're you exactly?" one of the men nonchalantly asked. He must have been much taller than her. Based on a single glance, he might be around 2m in height. "A princess on a white stead?" he started mocking. He was a perfect example of Aryan blood, tall, muscular, blonde, blue-eyed.

"It does not really matter," Akali replied. "Let her go. Otherwise, I will make sure you pay dearly for what you are currently doing," she threatened; however, her exhausted tone betrayed her.

"Don't be ridiculous, girl," the other man said. "Your leg must be pretty fucked up. But you still try to threaten us. I'd reconsider that decision if I were you," he burst into laughter. This man was more or less on her height. His shoulder blades were wide and muscular. The same could be said about his chest; however, he must have been slightly overweight. A decently-sized belly could be spotted through the thin tee he was wearing. His red hair was translucent; possibly, he started bolding earlier than expected. The eyes of pure green continued inspecting the teen all the time. "You're not ugly, though. One could say that you're even prettier than this little flower there," he added, pointing out at the waitress.

"Yeah," the third and final member of the group sounded. "Maybe you'd like to join us? Your friend wouldn't mind, I presume. One could say that she might feel a bit more relaxed," the brown-haired man chuckled. "You can expect quality time with us. If you're not sure, ask around; many women were in your place in the past. And… now, some of them are regularly visiting us," he continued his speech. Based on a couple of glances, he was the leader of the group. He was not as tall as the blonde one; however, he looked like an actor. Perfectly trimmed short hair, well-groomed beard, noble facial features. The eyes of dark chocolate were in a constant motion. For a second, they were fixed upon Akali; in the next, they were spectating the surrounding. The top two buttons of his expensive, elegant shirt were undone. Inside the gap, the heavy Christian cross could be spotted.

The raven-haired teen's nostrils were overwhelmed with a strong scent of expensive men's cologne. She could safely assume that the smell was coming from the brown-haired man.

"Look at you," Akali started. "You are pathetic. If you are so gorgeous, nice, and all, why do you not find girls less forcefully?" she asked; the disgust could be easily heard in her voice.

"Maybe," the brown-haired man replied, shrugging off her comment. "Still, you see, there's a lot at stake if you consider playing along. I'm very generous, you know. Every lady that cooperates with me or my lads always receives gifts from me. So, interested?" he asked, chuckling.

"No," Rogue raised her voice slightly. "All I want from you and your dogs is to let my friend go. Do it, and we can forget about this situation," she added with her teeth clenched and grimace of annoyance. "You have 5 seconds to make up your mind," she threatened.

"Look at you," the blonde one uttered. "What such a cutie could do to such men like us? Claw us with your nails, bite. But, let's be realistic for a moment; the only option for you is to play along. Who's to say whether you'll like our company or not; why don't you find out yourself?" the man continued to mock. His tone was filled with venom, which he did not even try to hide.

"I do not care about your immoral proposition," the teen spatted. "I have asked you to let the waitress go; I have given you an opportunity to make up your mind; you have wasted it. So, now, it is pay time," she continued to spat through the clenched teeth.

"And… what exactly will you do, kitten?" the blondie mocked. "Will you start crying or calling for help?"

"No," Akali responded with a nasty smirk. "I will make you looking for your teeth."

Before the man could react, the raven-haired teen lunched a punch forward. To reach her target, she squeezed her wounded leg, putting some weight onto it. She ended up turning the wounded limb slightly, enhancing her reach and strength. Sadly, her action caused a lot of pain.

When Akali's fist reached the blonde's face, Ichika broke free easily. The sheer force of the punch caused the man to shudder. Rogue could feel something wet covered her fist. It might have been blood, but she did not care enough to even check. Immediately, she pulled her friend closer to herself. She would want to whisper that they were alright, that everything would be ok. However, her breathing was shallow, rigged. The wounded limb was emitting so much pain.

"Call Mister Tia, Ichika," she whispered into the ear of her friend. "I will need some backup today."

"You crazy bitch!" the blondie shouted on top of his lungs. "You'll pay for messing up my face. Look at what you've done!" he continued to shout.

A bruise was easily visible on his right cheek. At the corners of his thin mouth, a couple drops of blood could be spotted. It seemed that Akali hit the man harder than she anticipated initially. Without thinking, Rogue shoved Ichika behind herself, using her frame as some sort of a shield.

"Pff," the raven-haired teen scoffed. "You deserved that punch, asshole!" she allowed herself to spat. "You were told your options, and still you preferred no to take my words seriously."

"Fierce, aren't we?" the man flashed a mischievous smile. "I'll take double pleasure in taming you. So, come here, bitch!" he taunted before taking a step in her direction.

"What's going on there?!" the unusually angry voice of Mister Tia sounded. "What's the meaning of this?!" he demanded answers.

"Fuck…," the blondie started uttering.

"Vincent shut that mouth hole of yours!" the brown-haired man ordered, interrupting his colleague. Akali could easily notice that his eyes were not fixed upon Mister Tia or the blonde one. Instead, he was looking past them; someone or something must have been in the distance, behind them. "I'm deeply sorry for any inconveniences caused by my friend. Mister Tia, I'd love to discuss the matter with you privately, sir," he said toward the restaurant's owner.

"But…," the blonde man was interrupted again.

"No buts!" the group's leader thundered, standing up. "We'll talk about your behaviour later, but, for now, it'll do," he added whilst closing in.

Out of a sudden, the brow-haired man raised his hand swiftly, slapping his colleague across his face. The strength put into the slap was enough to move the blondie slightly to the side. Within seconds, the cheek started to get red.

"I'm sorry, David," Vincent apologised.

"That's better, Vincent," David made a comment. "And… for now, let me settle the case with Mister Tia. "Ichika? That's your name, right? Can you pack our order as a take-away?" he politely asked the waitress.

"I'll do it myself," Mister Tia responded, picking up the tray from the floor and putting the food onto it. "You want to talk, heh? Come to the counter then," the owner informed the brown-haired man.

"As you wish, Mister Tia," the man replied humbly. "Vincent, Adam, go retrieve our package from the apothecary," he gave a direct order before following the restaurant's owner.

A couple of moments passed before the two brutes obeyed their leader's demand. Vincent was especially unwilling to follow the order; however, it seemed that he came to mind after a second or two. The brown-haired man must have been far more dangerous than Rogue anticipated. And… unfortunately, she might have already made yet another enemy. Quite frankly, she was excellent in that field, even if she was not trying at all.

"I know you are not ok, but I must ask, did he hurt you?" Rogue asked Ichika when she stopped to tremble. Then, without much thinking, she pulled her once again toward herself, giving a bear hug.

"I… I'd… want… to live in a world when I'm not considered eye candy, piece of meat, or a price to be won," the waitress mumbled quietly. Then, she allowed her face to hide between Akali's breasts. She acted just like a small child that tries to hide from some sort of danger.

"I know," the raven-haired teen replied, smoothing the waitress's hair. "I have experienced the same treatment many times in the past. I know, it sucks. I really do," the ninja started whispering.

"Just hold me," Ichika pleaded quietly.

"I am here," Akali replied, strengthening the hug. "I would also want this part of being human to shred to pieces, removed, abandoned. But, it is unrealistic," the teen continued speaking whilst smoothing the friend's hair. "People are stupid in many ways. We tend to believe what we see, making visual sensations superior to nearly anything. So, in most cases, the men are stepping over that line. Led by their carnal desires, they tend to objective other beings. But, trust me, it is not only the problem of men. Some women would go further down the line than even most men would dare. In the eyes of some people, we are just things. The toys that they keep playing with as long as they find us amusing, useful, interesting. Then, throw you away as if you were nothing. I know; it is sad to hear all of it. But, in the end, we are left with a choice. We can go forward or back down, give up. With baby steps, we will build a better future one day," she added, planting a soft kiss on top of Ichika's head.

"Please, don't speak anymore; just hold me in silence," the waitress requested.

"As you wish, Ichika," Rogue replied. The raven-haired teen pulled her friend toward the nearest chair. In a matter of the next seconds, she sat down, pulling the waitress onto her lap. "I am here as long as you need me to be," she whispered into Ichika's ear.

"I couldn't ask for more," the restaurant's employee uttered quietly. Then, a moment later, she finally started to tear up. The waitress used Akali's chest as means to muffle her cries.

Evelynn's POV (30 – 60 min later):


"I've told you that I'm cutting off all our allegations!" Evelynn said in a dangerously low tone. "I've met all your requirements. The deal was signed months ago. And now, what's the reason behind you – of all people – contacting me?" she spatted.

"The situation changed, I'm afraid," Miss Hindler replied unmoved.

"What exactly changed?" the annoyed lawyer asked.

"We came to the conclusion that the amount of money we had asked you to provide was insufficient," the orphanage's employee answered, not even looking at Evelynn.

"Insufficient, you say, hmm?" the siren faked the hum. "The law isn't working backwards. I assume you and your boss should know it. Pfff, amateurs," she scoffed.

"I believe that you missed the point, Miss Smith," Miss Hindler replied in a too-sweet tone. The siren wanted to puke as soon as she heard it. However, the positive outcome was that the woman finally focused solely on her. "You owe us the money. You can either pay it up or face the consequences!" she threatened.

"You have the audacity to threaten me? It's laughable," the magenta-haired woman made a comment. "Out of curiosity, how much you want to suck of me, again?"

"As I've mentioned in the massage, the total expenses had turned out to double what we had initially anticipated. So, following the logic, we require you to make up the difference. Additional one million dollars should be sufficient to cover up all our expenses," the employee informed.

"You're laughable, Hindler," Evelynn spatted. "Are you really prepared for the war? Obviously, you should've foreseen the outcome of this conversation, or you're just a band lunatic. Do you really think you can win against me? Not to mention my family? You're delusional. But, I need to thank you. Because of your own stupidity, you've managed to help me with one of my chores."

"We'll see you in a court, Miss Smith," Miss Hindler uttered in a plain, emotionless tone.

"You want to take me to court with your shady interests? I'd suggest rethinking this idea, or at least, I'd do so if I were you. But, for now, this meeting is over. I don't want to see you or hear anything from you. Do I make myself clear, Miss Bitch Hindler?"

"There'll be consequences of your actions. I can assure you about that!" Alice Hindler raised her tone significantly for the very first time. "We'll do everything to take her away from you. So, if you really care about her well-being, pay up the difference. After all, it should be a penny for you, considering how much you've gained on than banter."

"Have someone ever told you that there line that should have never been crossed?" Evelynn asked in a stone-cold tone. "Or… at least, not without facing imminent consequences? No, it's a pity. Cause you've crossed such a line. You're right; we'll see each other in court. So, please, do expect a massage from me shortly. I'll make sure we have a nice date in court. Bye, bitch," the siren finished, exiting the room and closing the door forcefully.

The sound of the shutting door was strangely pleasant. For a couple of next moments, Evelynn allowed her legs to carry her in any direction. To say that she was pissed would be a massive understatement; her blood was boiling inside of her. She needed to exit Miss Hindler's officer just to prevent herself from choking the life out of this dumb, slutty bitch. Though, it would be extremely satisfying to see the life fading away right in front of her eyes. But, unfortunately, it was not the right way to approach this matter. No matter what, she would be the one laughing at the very end. And… of course, she would savour every second of that laugh.

After she finally calmed down, the realisation of what she had done struck her. It was not the first time for her to get into trouble just because of her impatience, temper, stupidity. Frankly, at some point in her life, it had been a part of her daily life. The words had been uttered. It did not matter much whether they had been uttered in anger or not. The time for talks was past her. Sometimes, just sometimes, the lawyer wished to think first then act instead of the opposite.

With a lot of hesitation, Evelynn reached out for her phone. Within seconds it was unlocked. She was welcomed by the picture of Akali smiling broadly. Just by looking at this heartwarming image, the decision was made. With just a couple of swipes and clicks, the diva opened her contact list. Amongst the enormous list, there was one contact that she tried to avoid as if it was the fire. It might sound ridiculous that the contact she tried so desperately avoid was her mother. The only person Evelynn truly feared.

With images of Akali filling her mind, Evelynn crossed the line of her comfort and called her. Then, for the very first couple of seconds, there was silence. Even the signal of the line could not be heard. The diva found it surprising, but she did not decide to end the call.

Finally, after god-knows how long, the connection was established, and the voice she truly did not wish to hear again sounded.

"Amanda Smith speaking, how can I be of service?" her mother's voice was as always emotionless, so plain, disgusting.

"Hello, mother; it's me, Evelynn," the magenta-haired woman replied, trying to control her voice.

"Ohhh," Amanda gasped. "It's so good to hear your voice, sweety. How are you doing? What's going on? You're not calling me unless you have some sort of a problem. What's it?" Evelynn's mother flooded her with questions.

"Ehhh," the golden-eyed beauty sighed heavily. "Let me answer them in the same order. So, I'm doing mostly fine. I'm calling because I need your and father's help. It's connected with a very important person to me," the lawyer responded perfunctorily.

"Oh, so there's a man in your life," the diva's mother replied, happily giggling.

"No, it's not about any man. Instead, the matter involves a girl I've adopted," Evelynn said honestly.

"Hmmm… you've adopted a child? Why haven't you informed us about that?" Amanda Smith continued asking questions.

"Look, mother, my life has been hectic through the last year. I'd let you know around this year's Christmas; I swear," the magenta-haired woman responded.

"Ok, I think you had a valid reasoning behind your decision," the mother commented. "What's the problem regarding your child?" she asked politely.

"I'm being blackmailed by the orphanage that I had taken her from. They wanted me to pay for her," Eve replied, trying to provide at least some truth.

"Oh," Amanda Smith gasped. "Should I reach out for our contacts?"

"Yes, it'd be apricated. I'll be needing some help to deal with that matter," the living goddess whispered honestly.

"Ok, I'll make the preparation. So, please, do pass me the date of the trial."

"Of course, mother. I'll let you know as soon as I receive it," Evelynn promised.

"And… about you and your adopted child. Why don't you visit us? How about the next weekend?" Evelynn's mother asked.

"Yes, of course, we'll pay a visit," the siren replied.

"So, it's settled," the mother uttered happily. "It's so nice to hear your voice, sweety. I wish you called us more often, but that's not up to me. See you next weekend, bye."

"Bye, mother," the magenta-haired woman bid her farewell with an exhausted voice.

"What have I gotten myself into?!" she allowed herself to ask a rhetorical question inside her mind. With realisation of her decision only now putting its weight onto her, she had one person to blame, herself. So, the next few minutes were filled with curses.

Akali's POV (Friday evening):


The beeping of her phone brought the raven-haired teen to reality. A few hours passed since she had come back home. However, the weight of today's events only started to burden the girl. It was so surrealistic to think that every single time something bad happened, she was in the very centre of it. It seemed as if someone above them wanted to see her suffering. Akali did not feel that it was fair treatment; but, there was no justice in this world, after all.

At least a couple of moments took the girl to locate the damn piece of technology. As soon as she managed to do so, she grabbed it, unlocked it, and checked the notifications feed. At the very top of that list, the text message from Ichika could be spotted. Intrigued by a sudden message, she clicked on it. Within moments, the messaging app launched, displaying the full text.

"That brown-haired guy gave Mister Tia 4 thousand dollars," Rogue red the very beginning of the message. "He dared to suggest giving me a lion portion of this money as a repercussion for his buddy's actions. Mister Tia wanted to provide me with the whole sum, but I refused to accept it. After a really long talk, we settled that I'll take 50% of it. So, today, I ended up being sexually harassed, offended, and given 2k dollars as a token of I don't know what. This whole situation is honestly so fucked up. But, in the end, I could use this money. I'll try to save them for a darker hour. My only worry is that these guys will eventually return. Have you seen that nobody cared about what they were doing? Like, there were a lot of people sitting in the food court, but nobody reacted. I could swear that I saw some guys from security that passed nearby. They didn't give a shit about us being harassed. I fear that they might return. After all, they seemed to be pissed when you hit that blondie. I feel like they only backed off because someone or something was behind us, in the distance. It was like a 180-degree turn in a span of a moment. At one moment, that pretty guy was mocking you, pretty much telling you to hook up with him and his buddies. But, at the next one, he stood up, slapped the blondie, and started to apologise for the inconvenience. I don't get it. I know he was faking it, acting. But damn, it's scary to think that the only thing that saved us from a straight up fight was something that we're not even positive about. As I said, it's fucked up. I don't know. I fear that the next time they come, you won't be there to save me. And… that feeling sucks. I'd love to be such a badass like you. But, in the end, I'm just a pretty face that people are targeting just for the sake of it. I fucking hate it. But… maybe, maybe you have some time to show me a couple of tricks? I'd be very grateful for any help now. I can pay you for such lessons. It feels bad to be a princess in distress. However, I really felt safe inside your arms. It felt so right. Fuck… don't listen to me. I feel like I had too much today. Anyways, please let me know what do you think about these lessons. I need to chill, relax. Maybe a little booze will help me sleep. Fuck… I have a shift tomorrow. I don't know how I'll manage to get to the restaurant completely wasted. But, yeah, it's my problem. See you next time. Still, I hope to hear from you sooner."

To say that Rogue was surprised with the block of text she had received would be an utter understatement. She was blown away. The teen had a feeling that Ichika started drinking a little earlier; that would at least explain the chaotic nature of this message. But, unfortunately, she was in no shape to prove it.

Feeling the exhaustion slowly creeping its way in, she typed a short reply to Ichika. Akali felt conflicted with what she had read. So, many things were filling her mind that, as of now, were not sorted, placed into their righteous place.

Before she could lock up her phone, the next message came in. Even though the teen was exhausted, she decided to read it before finally going to sleep.

"I might have overused alcohol," Ichika started her message that way. "I've never been attracted to another girl, but… it might have changed today. Of course, it's possible that what I'm writing currently is just the side effect of alcohol I've drunk; but, it felt so nice to be in your arms. Hearing the steady beating of your heart was so relaxing. It felt so right to be hidden between your boobs, inhaling your scent. I might be making a fool from myself, but, Akali Smith, you've attracted me. I've always thought of you as a beauty; still, today, something clicked inside of me. Don't know what, don't know why. Just something happened. I felt so strange, but at the same time, I felt as if I belonged there. Sorry for making a mess. I'm way too drunk, going to sleep. It's possibly just an affection outburst caused by alcohol intoxication. Sorry, once again."

The raven-haired woman blinked a couple of times after reading the message. If she had been conflicted before, now, she did not know what to do. The situation seemed to get out of hand in a span of few short moments.

"Just go sleep," she told herself. "It might be just alcohol intoxication she referred to."

With this thought, she tied to fall asleep. Sadly, someone above had too much fun watching her struggling. So, her sleep had been denied, leaving her in a constant state of rethinking what she had just learned. That particular night was long and painful.

*Ichika means 'one thousand flowers'.