⚘ serenity square

@⚘ : serene b 。 "Hm?" Erwin quipped softly, turning back to look at her properly before he hummed, trying to explain it to her. "Due to the difference in the amount of light we receive down there, we have different colored eyes. Those closer to the beach and land will have similar eyes as yours while the ones that are so deep in the sea will have colored eyes just like yours truly. I live so deep in the sea that my eyes are like these." He quietly explained, a small smile on his face as he listened to Serene's explanation. He fixed his posture, sitting erect on the chair before leaning slightly closer. "Is it that bad? Here? I mean, I can't trust anyone? Including businesses?"

"I'm short of money, and I bring about just enough to last me around a week while I look for a job. But since you mentioned it like that, how do I know what's the best price for accommodation and which company is a good company to apply at. I can't risk failing now. I can't go back." He continued, his tone faltering as if he had already admitted defeat.

@♆ : erwin l 。 she examined the male’s rare eye color. “i didn’t think thalassans had certain types of eye colors. do all thalassans have the same color as you? or are they all different?” momentarily tilts her head before slipping her pale delicate hands into her back pockets. his smile was charming, especially when his dimples showed through. “no problem. don’t trust anyone here. i have no other plans since it’s already ruined, but i’m glad i was able to help you out.” serene imagined him being by himself — most likely would be lost. what if she wasn’t there or if she decided to not help him. lots of guilt if she didn’t help him. “are you sure you want to search by yourself? do you have enough money? if not, you can stay at my place.” she offered to him with a meek smile engraved onto her tiers. for some reason, she wanted to get to know erwin better. was it just because he was a thalassan? he seemed interesting, from the incident it looked like he trusted people easily.

the sunset still kept that warm tone in the room. it was as if it was a painting, well-blended colors like: purple, pink, peach, orange, and yellow. it was different. it reminded her of her mother whom loved painting and drawing. it reminded of herself, how much she enjoyed painting, but at the same time how much she’s afraid. when she looked into his orbs, it was a sign. she didn’t know what for sure.

@⚘ : serene b 。 erwin turned to serene, an amused smile lingering on his lips before he nodded. "i thought it's kinda clear," he breathed out, leaning slightly just closer to the female, blinking his eyes and looking at her straight in the eyes. "i don't think any terran have this kind of colored eyes. especially when it's this color, it's specifically for us living deep in the uncharted." he continued before turning back his focus to the sunset, eyes not flinching away from the depth of the light. he flinched slightly at the dab of alcohol on his wound, eyes rounding as he eyed serene working on the wound before he looked away.

better not pressure the girl, he thought as he stayed quiet as she tended to her wounds, small sighs left his lips from time to time. once she has slapped the bandage over the wound, he turned back to her, checking the end result before thanking her with a smile. "thanks. it will feel better soon, it always does. anyways, are you sure it's okay to take more of your time? if you're busy, it's okay. i can search for a motel on my own."

@♆ : erwin l 。 the corners of her tiers tugged upwards at his approval, she was glad to help him with his wound. serene followed behind the male to the table, to fix him up. her eyes guided themselves to the sunset out the window — it was beautiful. she never really took a good look at it before, not until now. it changed the room into a warm tone; soft like a roasted marshmallow. “so... you’re a thalassan?” that explains basically everything. why he was so clueless and wondering around serenity square. “nope...” she replied back. she could barely relate with thalassans because they have different perspectives than humans. somehow, they were the same in a way. “i never really paid attention to sunsets, who knew it could be this pretty.” the view was comforting. as she turned to gaze up at him, his orbs reflected off of the sunset. she was curious about how the sunset appeared underwater. how could it not be this beautiful.

serene averts her attention to his wound with a concerned expression. opening up the kit as he unties the shirt wrapped around his elbow. it was still oozing out his vibrant red blood. she positions herself into a more comfortable state, crouching down to his elbow level. “no no, i’ve done stuff like this before. don’t worry about it and let me take care of it.” she pulls out the antiseptic wipes and rips the packaging carefully, using the wipe over his wound to clear away any germs. finally planting a medium sized bandage on top of it to catch his blood. “all done.” she closes the kit and stands up to throw away the packagings, sauntering over to him. “now a motel. does your elbow feel better?” she looked up at him with a grin.

[post deleted by owner]

@⚘ : serene b 。 Erwin couldn't help but smile, nodding his head at her question. He shook his head. It was inevitable, something that both of them couldn't avoid, especially her. The least he could do to make it better is to cover the wound. When the pharmacist came back with the first aid kit, he quickly thanked her, paying upfront for the things he would be using, reaching for the clear bag of first aid kit on the counter only to have taken it from him first. He turned to his left, eyes quickly on her, fluttering his lashes, eyes blinking.

He glanced over to the kit before looking up back to her, nodding. "If you're alright with it, I'm thankful for the offer." He whispered before heading to the table situated right at the corner of the pharmacy that is to be used by customers. The sun is slowly setting, and Erwin turned to view the sunset, his eyes mirroring the view itself. "I finally get to see this view. The view you get looking from underneath the water is different. I like this view better."

"How about you? Have you visited Thalassan before? Did you get to see the sunset view?" He asked as his interest quipped. He pulls his chair closer to the female, untying the knot and pulled the shirt off, putting it on his lap and waited for the girl to clean the wound.

"Oh, right. If you're not okay looking at it, I can do it by myself."

@♆ : erwin l 。 her eyes staggered, “was it that obvious?” she raised up her hand to rub her nape feeling a bit embarrassed that it showed. “eh, don’t worry about it. stuff like this always happen, so don’t apologize.” her eyes crinkles into crescents trying her best to appear bright and positive to him. after a couple more steps they finally make it to the pharmacy, she followed behind him as he seemed like he knew what to do already. as the pharmacist begun searching serene glanced over his way, she couldn’t help but notice his eyes. it was a color she had never seen before in her whole life. it was refreshing, pleasant to gaze at. she felt a bit strange.

serene just met this random dude who got pickpocketed and decided to help him. /barely/ know each other, but act like they’re friends already. she shouldn’t open up to this guy, he can be sketchy. despite that he seemed caring in those eyes, she had to keep her distance in case. the pharmacist slides a first aid kit onto the counter, serene takes hold of it and gazes into his alluring orbs. “may i? it looks hard for you to do it yourself,” she perks her brows with a thin simper.

@⚘ : serene b 。 Erwin clasped his suitcase once more, bringing it up in his arms, cradling it as he looked at Hyewon. "I saw you eyeing my wound. I know a fraction of people can start to feel unwell seeing blood. You must be one of them, so I apologise. I didn't know." He explained, a small smile on his face. He nodded at her words, following after her as her legs started to take off into a direction. His injury wasn't hurting anymore, it was throbbing, but he would like it if they could get a few disinfectants from the pharmacy and possibly a bandage to keep the wound clean.

They quickly arrived at the said pharmacy and Erwin headed to the counter, asking for the supplies needed to clean a wound. While the pharmacist went to search behind the counter, his eyes wandered around in the small pharmacy. The smell of disinfectant, the sparkly white floor - it does remind him of the pharmacy back at home. But this pharmacy was much neater compared to all the drawers of dried ingredients and pestle dusted with the previous customer's medicine.

@♆ : erwin l 。 as they walked beside each other she couldn’t help but notice him hold tight so dearly to his suitcase, there was probably somethings really valuable in there. especially the weight that she had carried when she was in hold of the suitcase earlier. the crowds of people seemed to ease after the incident, everyone carried on with their day. she nodded at his response, she really wanted to carry his suitcase because she felt bad he was already in pain — he’s fine though. his smile was reassuring, her lips mirroring his own. after looking over his elbow she really wanted to give that guy a piece of her fist. she’s not the strongest in the world, but it would definitely help cool her down than before.

serene halted, curious why erwin had to suddenly stop his pace. she observes him wrapping his own elbow, he sure has everything in that suitcase of his. she would typically help him, he wasn’t in need of help though, he needed to be independent. she was just used to helping people with everything. “oh my- no need to say sorry erwin!” she wriggles her head frantically, gesturing him to continue to follow her lead. “we’ll head to a nearby pharmacy, then go to a motel that you can stay at.” she squints her eyes in the distance, seeking a pharmacy. “we’re close, a few more big steps.”

@⚘ : serene b 。 "Really? Ah, maybe it's got something to do with my origin," Erwin mumbled, smiling softly at the girl, following after the girl. The crowd next to the street had simmered away pretty quickly, and by the time they started walking, the two of them are alone. They walked side by side and Erwin hugged his suitcase to his chest. His train of thoughts jogged, and he was sure he was just sceptical that it might get stolen again. "No, it's okay, Hyewon but thanks for the offer." He replied, waving his hand dismissively, a smile on his face.

But Erwin noticed something and he quickly stopped in his track. "Hey, let me wrap this wound up. I'll be quick." He whispered, putting down his suitcase and unlocked it. He grabbed the lightest shirt he could find, and it was a Hawaiian red themed shirt. Erwin twisted the before wrapping it around his elbow, tugging on one end with his teeth while the other with his hand. Hyewon seemed to always check-up on his wound, and her expression wasn't right, and he noticed. "Now, better. Sorry, Hyewon."

@♆ : erwin l 。 “mh. okay,” she furrowed her brows evident concerned for him. her digits wrapped around his hand, lightly shaking it before releasing from his grip. “erwin, that’s a unique name. i’ve never heard of before,” elicits a small laugh that showcased her pearly white teeth. ‘cheap motel’ he was new, no wonder why he got pickpocketed. why was he in serenity square though? she brushed her locks behind her ears, clearing .

“aa yes, uhm - follow me.” she couldn’t help but feel super bad for him. “do you need help carrying your suitcase? you’re already in pain,” she looks up at him biting her lower tier a bit. serene wanted to make sure he was comfortable with a state, his wound oozing a few of his blood out. she disliked blood, it made her feel disgusting inside, her stomach wanting to push all of her food out.

@⚘ : serene b 。 Erwin checked the condition of his suitcase, brushing his palm against the surface, lightly dusting off the dust on it. He looked up at her question, blinking before he turned to his injured elbow, making a small knowing sound. "Ah, this?" He showed her the wound, shaking his head. "It's okay, I think. I'll just go to the pharmacy and get some bandaids or something but thank you," Erwin said, grateful that this girl had helped him a lot yet she was still checking up on him, making sure he was okay.

He eyed the hand she was offering, taking it with a smile blooming on his face, his teeth showing. "Erwin, or Win for short. Once again, thank you for saving this -" He said, lifting his suitcase into her view before looking at her. "You must be local. Do you know the closest pharmacy and maybe, a cheap motel around here?"

@♆ : erwin l 。 once he noticed her she pursed her lips into a soft grin. “a-ah,” she was speechless at his height — she really felt like a midget. she slightly nodded her head at his ‘thank you’, being in and out of his words. finally noticing his injury, she felt bad. his wound wasn’t in good state, it could get infected if not being treated correctly. seeing the man in pain ached her heart, she hate seeing people in pain. because she was too focused on his wound, he snatched his suitcase, snapping herself into reality. her orbs retracting to his own.

“u-uhm no, but you’re hurt. are you okay?” her index finger directing to his elbow. was she going to help this dude again or let him be? “someone helped me catch the guy and i figured there was valuable items in your suitcase there,” she shrugged only assuming. she already screwed her day by getting involved, so might as well help the dude out. her hand stretched out towards the man, a reassuring smile painted on her lips. “i’m hyewon by the way, you?” she questioned, tilting her head briefly.

@⚘ : serene b 。 Erwin almost flung himself around when someone prodded him. He held his wounded elbow close to his chest, eyeing the petite girl in front of him. His eyes quickly fixated on the suitcase in her hand. Erwin nodded, pointing at the suitcase before he pointed back at himself. "Thank you, miss. That's mine. Where did you find it? And can I get the suitcase back, there are some important things in there." He gasped in pain, eyeing his elbow.

It seemed that the wind was getting stronger, and the breezes hitting his injury was sending jolts of pain straight to his core. He reached out to take back suitcase from the girl, blinking at her when she was only staring at him. "Yes? Did I get injured on my face too?

@♆ : erwin l 。 a bold word that spoke out to her ‘suitcase’ it was the guy who was pickpocketed. serene walked around hastily, near the place that it happened. very soon she noticed his silhouette that was familiar to her, beginning to walk towards him. she prodded his shoulder a couple times halting, being behind his much taller stature. “e-excuse me? is this your suitcase?” her dark chocolate orbs averts to his shoes and up, her roseate tiers pursing into a unsure grin. showcasing the suitcase wrapped in her slender digits to the lad. this better be the right guy.

by now, she would’ve been running her errands already. what was she doing instead? helping a clueless man being pickpocketed. she was genuinely glad that she helped him. having a thought as she held the heavyweight suitcase, what was in there? maybe files, money, and random piece of papers.

@⚘ : serene b 。 Erwin picked himself off the ground, wincing slightly since his elbow scraped the ground. He needed to get his suitcase back, so he walked towards the direction that Chun had left him for, eyes searching for the sight of the man and asking whoever he was passing by whether they had seen a man carrying a suitcase plastered with stickers. He loved the suitcase that he had pasted a lot of his precious stickers, especially the ones he received when he was away at the IT convention that came once every two years to Thalassan.

His ears picked up to the sound of people screaming, bashing and whispering and Erwin turned to see what the commotion was about. He picked up his pace when he saw Chun getting taken away in a police car and huffed. "W-Wait, my suitcase. He took my suitcase. Has anyone seen my suitcase?"

@♆ : erwin l 。 unconsciously sighs, feeling bad for the young man. she tightened her pony before cracking her neck side to side, then stepping into the alleyway. awaiting for the action to happen. “i can’t believe i’m doing this, why can’t i just go home,” she said in disbelief. she wondered if this dude was new around these areas, who would trust strangers so easily here? plus, who would trust a stranger in alleyways, haven’t he seen movies. eyeing them attentively, she noticed them coming to a sudden stop, it was showtime.

the suspicious man took hold of the lad’s suitcase. the guy running towards serene’s direction without noticing her petite figure standing in the way. she rolled her eyes evident irritated. her arm extends outwards, showing the guy her palm. hopefully this time he would stop, she didn’t feel like running. the man halting in front of her, “s-stop.” she tried her best to put on her serious expression because she was born with innocent features. her brows furrowing and clenching her pearly teeth.

the guy didn’t care and ran passed her, she should’ve tried harder? serene /really/ didn’t want to run, but her big heart caused her to chase after the guy. looking like a crazy woman yelling, “catch him!” repeatedly aloud. her slim pale figure wasn’t strong enough to handle that guy, thankfully a buffer lad came by and stopped the dude. she bowed to the savior saying her ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye’. serene diverts her attention to the lad whom was pickpocketed. luckily she remembered his silhouette clearly, since she was spying on him. wondering around with his suitcase in hand, “where is he?” she muttered annoyingly.

@⚘ : serene b 。 Chun continued walking, and so Erwin kept following until he realised that Chun was bringing him seemed sketchy. So he started asking questions, about the day, the weather, how old was Chun and so on. His eyes were darting from left to right, and he held onto his suitcase and rucksack dearly to himself. But he tried to rationalise everything that was going on inside his head. Perhaps, Chun was using a shortcut so they could get faster to the help centre and no, no, nothing seemed sketchy about Chun. He was polite and had been very friendly with Erwin.

And best of all, Erwin didn't have anything on him. He had some cash on the go, some documents, his laptop and his wallet with debit cards. He hit himself on Chun's back when the man stopped walking, and Erwin rubbed lightly at his nose. "Chun, why did you stop?" He asked, looking around the area and finding himself once more in a maze of buildings. He quickly felt a dangerous tug on his suitcase, and Erwin promptly lost his grip on the said item, and he screamed. He screamed for help, reaching out once more for the bag only to fall face-first to the ground and Erwin meekly watched Chun, the thief ran away with his bag that had only contained his clothes and some stored cash.

@♆ : erwin l 。 serene wipes the droplet of sweat running from her forehead, it was a humid day. the ac just had to not work today apparently. she was irritated throughout her shift, arguing with customers who were being stubborn and saying her apologies — trying not to cause commotion. after a couple more hours, being the last one, it was time to lock it the place up. there was still daylight, but rarely anyone came due to the heat and the ac not working. she pressed the key into the keyhole and twisted her wrist until she heard a click, locked. eliciting a sigh of relief and brushing her locks back into a ponytail.

usually she would go home and relax, but she had to run some errands. averting her attention towards serenity square, on feet. finally arriving at the destination, she wondered, observing the strangers around her. something caught her attention, which she had seen many times. two men walking into an alleyway. was this young lad stupid? she had seen that man pickpocket a few of people, sending him to the police herself. she cracked her knuckles whilst steadily walking to the alleyway. “he’s so stupid,” she muttered to herself along with a titter, peeking behind a building. was she going to help the lad? it was a bad day for her, but still she had a good heart.

@⚘ : serene b 。 Erwin checked into the one room with one bed and a small bedside drawer, no closet, and a mini bathroom. He didn't have the money to spend much on his accommodation. Erwin put away his luggage and rucksack against the law, taking off his shoes and headed to the bathroom. He needed to wash off the long hours of exhaustion and get ready for bed. Erwin had traveled so far, from the middle ground of Thalassan to the shore, only to walk some more until he arrived at the serenity square. He looked up for some cheap hostels around the area and decided on this one which was closer to the water. He would be able to fall asleep if he could hear the sea. At least it didn't seem that far from home.

The next morning, he quickly checked out with an empty stomach. Erwin needed to travel some more so with his suitcase in one hand and his rucksack on his back, he walked. He would stop at local shops, asking questions on directions and places where Thalassans could check out if they were trying to settle down for a while. Any help would be helpful, so when a fellow gentleman came to him, asking him whether he needed help, Erwin nodded, and they conversed for a little while. The man, who called himself Chun decided to help out, taking Erwin's suitcase and guided him to the alleyway.

@♆ : seorella w 。 it was rare to find hazel anywhere near the limelight, preferring to stay behind unknown landmarks and fields. she finds that sort of business constricting to her more artistic and unchained ways of expressing her creativity. imagining the hustle and bustle of the staff behind the scenes to perfect the ideal shot, it leaves a bad taste in . clearly it differs from her lax approach to art and lifestyle in general, thus making it less ideal. regardless of the fact, she can't but respect people that take immense effort to producing beautiful shots. she's far from hating it, it simply wasn't her overall style. but she wasn't paid to give a cent-worth of opinions so what did she know?

stuck in the busy side of town, the red-head sat by the staff with eagle eyes looking on. although she was already paid to paint the backdrop and had the option to leave, she felt forced to be there. and by judging the last minute call to fix their set, her feelings behind the production was a little damaged. but she needed to prove her reasoning behind the slightly unprofessional shoot justified. that statement has yet to be clarified, otherwise, everything else was expected - she didn't fit in. everyone had some sort of role while hazel supervised the slight drippage of the mural that, most would say, was unamusing.

with hands curled against her freckled cheek, her mind drifted slightly until the photographer yelled something that she couldn't exactly catch. she glanced at the model whose mind seemed to be as distracted as hers. weird. in contrast to the model's look, she came to set with a muddied colored mini-dress with various patterns and blotches off paint all over. albeit, it was summer and the call was last minute so she had to string together a reasonable outfit. besides, she wasn't the model so her outfit was more relaxed.

her stagnant expression brightens as the photographer called end of the shoot. despite only being there for half an hour, she stood up from her spot and stretched her limbs. shortly after, she chit-chatted a bit with the photographer then thanked the staff. noting the dark bags under their eyes and wallow features, they needed the recognition they deserved and she gladly followed suit. shortly, and wasting no extra time, she packed up some of her things in her tote bag and made sure her graffiti cans and markers were in their place.

she paused, as if she was forgetting something.

paying no mind, she continued packing and securing her essentials with the appropriate lids and rubber bands. for a short time being, she forgot to acknowledge the model that was coincidentally coming her way. inches from scattering to her next impromptu destination like half the staff have already done, she was stopped by the star of the production herself. her eyebrows jumped, surprised. she's much prettier up close.

"i knew i forgot something.. well, it's a pleasure to meet you, you did great out there. i'm hazel, by the way." she blurts. her head knocked to the side then naturally turned back to see whatever she was pointing at - a man with a suspicious-looking grin. returning to face her, it took her a moment to think up a proper response but, seeing it was something juicy, a soft smile lifted her face. "you're lucky, i just cleared my schedule. lead the way." she threw her bag over her shoulder and reassured the model with a little nod.

@♆ : hazel c 。 concentration escaped from shuhua's grasp like a sand, pouring out of every crack and crevice even when she did her best to capture it. the female couldn't help but to lose her focus slightly in the photoshoot when something else was bothering her, or rather, someone that she wasn't unfamiliar with. in her eyes, strong familiarness was surrounding the male figure pacing across the street, yet strong trepidation that held on to her. it was none other than her avid fan — she wouldn't have minded if it was a mere fan, but this avid fan had made several attempts to follow her home... to put it in a blunt way, he was a little more obsessed than others and stalks her whereabouts.

it didn't really came off as a surprise to see him once again, just that this time round, she wasn't sure how to get rid of the stalker. she didn't have a partner this time round for the photoshoot, and the staff were all heading back to the company after the photoshoot and her friends were mostly out of town- somewhere, she wouldn't want to bother them to be very honest.

the voice of the photographer pushed shuhua back into a pit of reality, making her snap out of her thoughts. concentration- grasp it. she had to be professional in her shoot and not delay anyone else's time, so she did. her photoshoot is located at some artsy place in paradisi, where the main concept was to play around with the skateboard and endorse for the sports gear clothings. she was dressed in a sports bra and tights, feet standing rooted to the ground as she does her same last pose for the next few hours.

' good job! we'd wrap it up today! ' the photographer calls out, signalling the end of the photoshoot. the edges of shuhua's lips curve upwards to bow and thank all the staff for their hardwork- before glancing around at the street to notice the male figure still there, except, he had his gleeful expression on. he probably heard that the photoshoot's over... and it was his chance with shuhua. a heavy sigh escapes from her brims, as she fumbles with her phone to type away urgently on her keyboard, dialling up people she thought were available- but to no avail.

there was zero response from anyone.

this calls for a desperate measure, as shuhua scanned the situation in front of her. staffs were packing up the equipments, stylists were busy on the phone to meet up with the sponsers to return the clothings and... there was a lady who was around in the sidelines - she can't really recall what she's there for, but she looked free and this was the only opportunity shuhua had to get away from the stalker again. without further ado, the model saunters her way to the lady sitting down, leaning down to her ears to whisper about asking for her help.

' hi, i'm shuhua and i... kinda need some help from you. can you go with me somewhere first before i tell you the exact details? uh, that guy right there, i needa get away from him. ' shuhua hesitantly fixates her gaze at the figure across the street, prompting the lady about her crisis at the moment.