Author's notes:


2021-09-21: Hey, here's a short preview of the upcoming chapter of the story. I want you to know what I'm currently working on. I would want to experiment a little during this chapter. So, expect something new, maybe even something that you would not have anticipated previously. In the end, we will see how it will be shaped. I would like to focus even more so on the emotional side of my characters, their relationships. And... as you might already expect, I would pretty much want to introduce new threads into the plot.

2021-09-23: Hey, added the missing parts from the preview. I think I should be able to finish the chapter by the end of the week.

2021-10-01: Hey, it has taken much more time than anticipated, and frankly the chapter is much shorter than I wanted it to be. Let's just say that my free time was reduced to zero. I'm sorry that you had to wait for the full release. There is a possibility that I will post less in the next couple of weeks. As I said earlier, sorry. I still hope, the chapter is good enough. If it is not the case, please, do tell.

Don't forget to comment. I really appreciate your feedback.

Note that the dialogues written in italic are thoughts.

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

Changelog:
[2021-09-21]: A preview was released.
[2021-09-23]: Added some missing parts from the preview.
[2021-10-01]: A chapter was finally released.

Info: I will be trying to focus on finishing some of the stories, rewriting some parts.
Info: I have decided to put 'The war call' into its own separate story. There, I will be slowly rewriting it and adjusting. However, it will take me some time to do so.
Info: Overall, the current plan is for me to write 'My home is where my heart lies' and 'Family tree' alternatively. Between the updates of these stories, I will try to upload other texts. Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to finish some of the short stories. However, I truly doubt that. It seems that most if not all of the stories will be extended both in terms of the time and the number of chapters.

Schedule for the nearest future:
1. My home is where my heart lies.
2. Family tree.
3. The rise of the Blood Moons' servants.
4. Fully original story.
5. Story of one lost soul.
6. Will you look past my mistakes?
7. Last Christmas.

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.

References:
Pallisades - Memories

*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.


End of author's notes.


Akali's POV:


"What do you mean by that?" Rogue asked immediately, already exhausted with the whole situation. "I am not in the mood for your games, Kat. As you can clearly see, I am drenched to the storm raging outside," she sighed heavily.

"Yo? Boys, can you move somewhere else and find something to do?" the red-haired assistant uttered toward the still staring men. "She's already taken. So, don't even try anything funny around her, am I clear?!" she said in a little bit harsher tone.

"You're unfair sometimes, Kat!" one of the boys dared to complain. "You always take all the hot chicks for yourself. Let at least her decide whether she wants to hang out with you or us!"

"Brad!" the redhead hissed, clearly annoyed. "Must I remind you, you're in my house? So, I'll just put that as simple as possible, my home equals my rules. So, take it or leave it!"

"Pfff!" Brad scoffed loudly. "Come, Mike, we'll find some other chicks that are still available," he said toward his buddy.

The man called Mike did not utter a single word, yet he followed his friend. Though it must have been pointed out, he was swaying way too much. Apparently, someone had a couple of swings too much. Akali was not even fractionally interested in what these two would do next. So, she just opted to return to the main topic. She cleared her throat noticeably loud to gain the attention of the certain bloody-red-haired woman.

"So… can you lend me some clothes?" the raven-haired teen asked again. "And… I swear, if you try to give me something lewd, I am going to call Evelynn to take me back home," she threatened.

"Sheesh!" Katarina started to giggle once again. "What or who pissed you off today? Look, it's not even that late, and you're already so angry and upset. I'm certain you'll bite me tonight if it's allowed to proceed that way."

"Ehhh," Akali sighed deeply, clearing both her lungs and mind. "It is not like you would not like it. I guess you would still find some twisted way to make it appealing to you. Not to mention that when you uttered that… your eyes started lighting up. So, I am more than sure you already thought about something naughty and lewd. Lastly, I have no plans to bite anyone here. It is inappropriate and frankly disgusting," she spoke up her mind.

"Oh no!" the assistant faked the gasp, theatrically putting a hand over her eyes. "The smartass side is too powerful in that one. We must deal with that instantly."

"Funny," the raven-haired teen uttered emotionlessly. "Let me know when you are going to say something truly hilarious. Then, I will mark that day on my calendar, and I will wait for it to come on my toes," she mocked, clearly not in a mood for such a conversation.

"Come on!" the redhead exclaimed loudly. "Take that stick out of your arse. We were supposed to have fun today, have you already forgotten? With such an attitude, it might be hard to create a mood for later," she stated, winking at the latter at the end.

"I am not going to stay for the night," Rogue replied plainly. "Sadly, I have things to take care of. So, I can not really stay all that long," she added, softening her voice slightly.

"I'll convince you to say," the red-haired assistant said confidently, sticking her tongue slightly. "Let's look for some change clothes for you, firstly. Then, we can join the others. Though, I wouldn't mind having you naked for myself," she commented, flashing a smirk.

Without uttering another word, the redhead grabbed her hand, pulling her closer. Then, she started leading the upset teen toward the stairs. After all, it would not have been the wisest idea to have her girlfriend changing up around so many people.

Within the next couple of moments, they left the building's ground floor, vanishing from everyones' sight. Rogue allowed the redhead to lead her by the hand; however, the thought about ending the skin to skin contact was growing more and more appealing. There was no reason for her to look around. After all, she did not plan to stay too long. Frankly, the shortest her visit here would be would provide her with a better final outcome. Katarina could not be trusted in such matters. As soon as most of the visitors would have either gone sleep or left, she would have tried something on Akali. So, the easiest and most reliable way to get out of that sticky situation would be to decrease the amount of time she would spend in the redhead's house.

"At least… it is a solid starter," the raven-haired teen thought to herself. "As long as I do not give her an opening, I should be fine."

Thankfully, it was not long before they reached the red-haired woman's room. Or… at least of many rooms that technically belonged to her. The girl needed to constantly battle her own twisted habits. One of them was to always know her surrounding in case of the darkest scenario. So, not following the instincts required a lot of effort that could not have been spotted easily. Frankly, all she wanted from the redhead were clothes that could replace her soaked ones. Although, she wholehearted doubted that it would be as easy as she would have liked it to be.

"Some particular clothes on your mind?" Katarina asked fixed her gaze back on the teen. "Or should I pick something 'special' for you?"

"Look, Kat," Rogue sighed heavily. The situation was getting more and more exhausting with each passing second. "I want something casual; so, pick me some baggy pants, a long-sleeved tee and some underwear. That would be all. There is no need for you to seek something spectacular or fancy," the girl tried to narrow down her point of view.

"Yoga pants would do?" the red-haired assistant asked, sending a smirk toward her girlfriend.

"God forbids!" the ninja loudly protested. "I know you would want to see me in those, but no. I want something comfortable, baggy!" she demanded.

"Oh… fine, fine, fine," the house owner began gesturing defensively. "I think I'll be able to find something that will suit your needs. Though I'm sad, I really really wanted to see your cute ass in those skin-tight yoga pants. I bought that especially for you," she started complaining.

"I will repeat myself only once, Kat!" Akali raised her tone slightly. "I do not want any yoga pants! I do not want to look like some sort of candy wrapped fancy just for the people to gawk at me! I am not a piece of meat for your friend to catch their eyes on. Or… god forbids, jerk off looking at!" she added. If this discussion had continued, she would have snapped furiously at Katarina soon.

"Ok," the assistant replied, slightly surprised by the teen's outburst. "You know how much you mean to me, right? So I won't allow these degenerates to even get as close to bothering you. Not to mention, I won't let them touch you in any foreseeable way. That much… you can take for granted. You mean quite a lot to me," she continued speaking.

"Can we already finish this topic?" the annoyed raven-haired girl asked. "I have spoken everything that I have in mind. I guess… there is no point in delving deeper into that matter. So, let's pretend that nothing happened. Is that ok with you?"

"Do I have any other options?" Katarina threw a question. "I'll proceed under your conditions, then," she added as soon as no indication of response was given by Akali. "Let's settle for your rules, my little badass," she added, winking at her girlfriend.

"What have you planned us doing on that part of yours, then?" Rogue asked. "You know that I am not an enthusiast of drinking alcohol. On top of that… I would really prefer not to get in close proximity of people, basically drolling over how I look. So… have you invited at least some people who are decent? Like people who do not think about bedding someone as soon as their gazes meet?" more questions was uttered rapidly.

"Oh…," the redhead sighed heavily, patting her own nape. "I think it's safe to say that there're some civilised people down there. But… at least a decent percentage would fall into one of the mentioned categories. Let me explain it a bit further whilst you're changing. Shall we?"

"No," the raven-haired teen simply replied. "Give me the clothes, then I will go change, then we can speak."

"You're a cockblock sometimes," the teacher commented. "But… in the end, I still love you," she added, smiling a little.

"Let me correct that statement of yours," Akali uttered instantly. "You do not love me; all you love about me is my body. That is evident."

"Is there anything I can say or do to change that perception?" the house owner asked.

"Now… no. But, if you play alongside set rules. I might give you another chance in the future," the black-haired girl responded after a moment of hesitation.

"Ok, I guess… it's more than I should have expected after your last visit here," the red-haired woman whispered quietly.

"She is trying so hard to fool me," Rogue thought to herself. "I wish I could believe her, but it would not have been the wisest decision to put even an ounce of trust into her, not after the last time. Maybe with time, the situation will improve. But… for now, it looks dire."

Without uttering another word, she came toward the bed, situating herself upon its edge. Of course, she needed the clothes that Katarina had promised to provide earlier to proceed with her plan. So, she was left with no other option than to wait for her so-called 'girlfriend' to finally do as she had said.

Collecting the pieces of clothing took the redhead way more time than Akali had anticipated. From time to time, the assistant had turned around, showing clothes she had in her hands. It would not have been Katarina if she had not tried to give her something much more revealing than needed. But, in the end, the teen relied on her so-called 'girlfriend' for the time being. Rogue had decided not to engage in prolonged conversation over picking her backup clothing. Instead, she had opted to utter a single word deciding whether to pick the piece or not. This little game had lasted for a quite long time. After all, Katarina had a quite large wardrobe where all her clothes had been accumulated.

Finally, after 30 minutes or so, the backup outfit was gathered. A loud sigh of annoyance and exhaustion could not have been muffled in time. So, it was unfortunately allowed to sound. The raven-haired teen blushed a little, embarrassed with what happened. Then, she jumped onto her feet, grabbed the clothing, and vanished behind the door leading to the bathroom.

It felt good to be finally separated from the horny red-haired woman. A little bit of free space was all Akali needed at that very moment. Before she stripped from her soaked clothes, she turned on the lock to prevent her so-called 'girlfriend' from trying something funny. Then, a heavy sight was allowed to escape her tightened throat. It had already been an exhausting day… and sadly, there was no hope for it to end on a better note. Frankly, she did not have to wait too long to be thankful for her earlier precaution. Out of a sudden, someone tried to push the door open only to find them securely closed.

"Damn it!" Katarina's voice sounded. "Honey, can I come in, please? I need something from the bathroom," she asked sweetly.

"No!" Rogue replied coldly. "I have not changed my wet clothing. So, you will be waiting outside till I do so. Not to mention that you should have been cast straight into the horny jail. But, for real, Kat, why are you always so horny? If you want, I can just bonk you into that horny head of yours before I put you into that prison!"

"How low have I fallen?" the confusing question was uttered by the redhead. "How low have I fallen that my own girlfriend is memeing me?" she repeated before bursting into laughter. "How can't I be horny all the time with you as my girl? When was the last time you've looked into the mirror? You're smoking hot if you haven't noticed already. So, don't put the blame on me! Who am I to resist your charm. I bet you secretly love the control you have over me, don't you?"

"Kat?!" the raven-haired teen uttered coldly. "You are going to see a doctor regarding that addiction of yours. I will bring your arse there myself if I have to!"

"Will you carry me bridal style? Or… somewhat a bit rougher? I'm not entirely sure which approach I'd prefer, honestly," the assistant started speaking her mind. One could have said that she began daydreaming a little.

"Could you please stop daydreaming?" the more and more irritated girl asked. "Is it that hard to take care of yourself? This addiction of yours will lead you to the downfall. And… I can already see you speedy getting there!" she added. In the meantime, she tried her hardest to change her clothing. Even though she was furious about what Katarina was doing or even thinking about… she wanted to help. That must have been admitted… she cared for that redhead; she cared way too much for her own good.

"Oh?" the assistant hummed before starting to uncontrollably giggling. "Did I speak it aloud? My bad, hon. I don't want to bother you; I can clearly see that you're upset already. But… please, put on that damned clothes already and let us go downstairs. I have a wonderful idea!" Kat exclaimed, excited.

"Ehhh," a heavy sigh was drawn by Akali. "Give me 2 more minutes," she uttered back.

"I wonder how many times have I already suspected that she will be the death of me?" the raven-haired girl thought.

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


One of the strands of the magenta hair was moved to the side. A couple of droplets could have been spotted, pearling on the woman's forehead. It must have been sweat; after all, the temperature in the room was far higher than really necessary. She could not remind herself what she had been on her mind that she had decided to pay Fiora a visit. The reasoning standing behind that unexpected visit seemed to be unobtainable currently. Even though the situation was clearly impacting Evelynn's nerves, she opted to play her usual self.

The headmistress was sitting in front of her in one of the majestic armchairs. Surprisingly, she wore an elegant set consisting of suit pants and a shirt. The head of the school had not put even an ounce of the makeup today. So, the signs of fatigue could be easily spotted. Her bloodshot eyes could tell the story of the numerous unslept nights. The raven-haired teacher was slowly sipping from the large glass. The liquid had a strong, define smell. According to the headmistress, it must have spent at least a couple of years inside the winery. The magenta-haired woman had taken that statement for granted. After all, it was definitely the most expensive beverage the raven-haired teacher had.

"So… can you tell me what has brought you here tonight?" Fiora asked, emptying her drink in one go. Her face slightly twisted thanks to the bitterness of the liquid.

"Frankly, I don't know," the diva replied cooly, nonchalantly shrugging. "For the record… do I even need a reason to visit my friend?" she decided to answer with the question.

"Whom do you want to fool… you or me?" the headmistress responded after a moment of thinking. "I don't think we've ever been so close for you to visit me without reason. Or, should I say without a need?" she asked, eyeing the living goddess. "What's on your mind?"

"You know… the usual," the golden-eyed woman opted to play dumb.

"Which means Akali," Fiora commented immediately. "Where's she now?" the woman asked, somehow interested.

"Well… she went to Katarina's party," the lawyer replied, realising her own mistake.

"So you're worrying," another comment was exclaimed. "It's understandable considering your relationship. Shall I say… difficult, complex relationship?" the head of the school smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Evelynn continued to play dumb, turning her head to the side.

"Oh?" the black-haired teacher started to giggle. "Is that a blush? So you're blushing, Evie?" she mocked openly. "How adorable you're looking right now. Hmmm… this makes me wonder awkward you must act while Akali is around," the mockery continued.

"Don't you even dare to start that topic!" the siren raised her voice slightly. Then, she fixed her gaze on her friend. But, unfortunately, by doing so, she only presented the headmistress with a better view all over her reddened face. "By no fucking means I'm jealous!" she roared.

"Oh… my dear Evie," the teacher decided to continue giggling. "Your actions speak much louder than your words. And… it might be regrettable for you, but you're completely smitten. Not to mention that you're a terrible loser and a little jealous."

"Don't you fucking dare to continue that topic, or…"

"Or what?" Fiora chuckled. "As far as I know… we're currently in my house. So, you can't ask me to leave. It's quite the opposite situation, frankly. If you don't like our conversation, you're free to leave. However, I wouldn't suggest doing so," she whispered before taking a small break. "As I said before… you aren't the person who would randomly visit your friends. You've come here because you had some reason. Look, I know our history isn't exactly the brightest, but you can trust me," the teacher tried to assure the magenta-haired diva.

"I can handle these things myself," the lawyer responded proudly.

"Fine, fine, fine, god, sometimes you're too stubborn, I swear," the raven-haired woman uttered, gesturing defensively. "Don't mind me, but haven't you mentioned that Katarina's and Akali's relationship was kind of reaching a stalemate? So what's then for you to worry about?"

"I don't know… really; I can't say anything with certainty," the magenta-haired siren sighed out. "To me… it seems like they have some bad moments from time to time; however, Akali is still trying to making that whole thing works. Or… I don't know… I feel like it'd be something that she'd have done," the woman trying to explain her conflicted thoughts. "I wish I knew her better. I can't say that I'm sure about what I'm going to say next. But I feel like I'm failing her somehow. She might be struggling with something, but she doesn't want to talk about her problems."

"Have you tried talking to her? I mean… like trying to delve deeper, try to find something to prove or disprove your speculations?" the head of the school asked, picking her words carefully.

"That's the problem," the living goddess sighed out. "Whenever we're actually having a conversation, she's avoiding some topics. Akali always shrugs off certain questions, considering them not worth mentioning. She's far more intrigued with what's going on in my actual work as a lawyer than talking about her school and problems."

"So… she might be more mature than you and me," Fiora chuckled a little. "After all, she's desperately trying to take care of you. She's acting as if your roles have been reversed. Though it must be said, it isn't healthy for her. She should have been acting way more careless, but she isn't. Frankly, every single time I have an opportunity to talk with her… I feel like I'm talking with someone much older than myself. It's weird, really weird, but she's just mature. She knows perfectly well what she's aiming for, what her goals are."

"Yeah, that's precisely the problem," the diva agreed, nodding slowly. "I don't know what I can do for her to feel safe enough to act like someone of her age. Considering that she's started to have nightmares regarding her past is pretty unsettling," she added in a grave tone.

"What? Nightmares regarding her past? What are you talking about?" the headmistress started to ask additional questions, intrigued with the development of the topic.

"Ehhhh," Evelynn sighed heavily, massaging her exhausted eyes. "Let's talk about that very topic in my car. I think I'll, unfortunately, need your help with Akali. So… shall we drive into that party?" she threw the question toward her friend.

"Wait for a second… you're asking me whether I'll bump into some party with you? Do I get it right?" the surprised teacher asked.

"You can describe it as such, yeah," Eve responded, a little unsure, scratching her right cheek.

"Ok, I guess," Fiora provided the answer after a couple of moments of thinking. "Let me change then. I assume that talk you've mentioned will be somehow connected with the topic we're going to discuss?"

"Yes," the lawyer answered simply. "There're matters a little bit more complicated than I'd want them to be. So… I'll need your help in explaining. I don't want this whole commitment to go sideways just because of my inability to express emotions," the siren confessed.

"Inability of expressing emotions, you say?" the headmistress hummed loudly. "I guess the situation is much more complicated than I've anticipated, even in the darkest scenario."

"Thank you, Fiora," the magenta-haired woman whispered. "I really appreciate what you're doing for me… for Akali."

"You're still a coward, aren't you?" the raven-haired woman chuckled, trying to loosen the situation. "I assume you wanted to say – 'what you're doing for us' – but you still don't have balls to say that aloud."

"Maybe," the living goddess whispered back, covering her face with the hand.

"Can you at least give me a hint of how complex the situation is?" the head of the school wanted to know.

"I guess… I owe you that much… whom am I trying to fool? I owe you much more," the siren presented her conflicted thoughts. "Ehhh," it drew a heavy sigh out of her. "Let's just say there was no car accident. Akali's parents didn't die by any sort of unfortunate turns of fate."

"So… were they?" Fiora stuttered a question.

"Yes, they were," the golden-eyes goddess whispered, nodding.

"You know that it won't be easy to explain, don't you?" the raven-haired teacher sought some sort of verification.

"I fear that revealing these details might completely ruin my already damaged relationship with her," Evelynn confessed. The lawyer did not even try to hide a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Do you have a plan?"

"No," the diva uttered simply. "But, I believe we'll be able to come up with something that might work."

"Ok, give me a couple of minutes; I need to change clothes," the head of the school informed her friend.

"Sure."

With no more words needed to be uttered, the teacher turned around, heading toward her bedroom. In any other situation, Evelynn would have taken advantage of that, trailing after her friend. Then, she would have pressed her body against Fiora's back, awaiting her reaction. It would have been highly possible to gain what she wanted within a couple of moments. After all, Evelynn was more than a talented actor… and an even more gifted charmer. However, the current situation was not suited for such an ending. No… it was so complex and exhausting that it needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

The magenta-haired woman was tapping time after time on her phone's display. She was not entirely sure whether she wanted to inform Akali about their arrival beforehand or allow the events to unfold as planned. After all, she could call her protégé a couple of minutes before they would reach Katarina's house. Moreover, in the case of any further complications, it would have granted her tools at her disposal.

A couple of moments had been allowed to pass before she made the decision. The piece of technology was thrown into her bag as if it was a piece of trash. The golden-eyed beauty wanted it to be put aside for her mental comfort. After all, the further the mobile was from her, the better.

Not caring at all, Evelynn refilled her glass up to the full. For more than a minute, she was starring into the reddish liquid as if it possessed the crucial intel that would solve her problems. After that, she drunk the glass's content on one go. The bitterness of the wine hit her taste buds, but she did not care. Her reflux did not receive the action caused by her stupidity lightly. As soon as the bitter liquid found its way past her mouth, she immediately regretted her decision. She felt sick; the magenta-haired woman wanted to vomit in an instant. But, in the end, she bent her body to her will.

"You're going to drive after all of these drinks?" Fiora asked.

"As if anyone in this damned city dared to stop me!"