Vermilion Blur

You began to stretch your limbs, extending your legs outward underneath the coffee table. With a yawn, you reached out for the mug over the cluttered table. It was merely covered in pens, highlighters, and notes, leaving little to no room for anything else. You brought the mug full of coffee to your lips, expecting to taste the warm liquid. Nothing but the cold taste of french vanilla rested on your tastebuds.

"And... The coffee went cold again." You sighed as you put the mug back down onto the small space set aside for it. Getting back your motivation for a moment, you leaned forwards and began to type on your laptop into the dead of night.

It wasn't until something soft rubbed against your leg that broke you out of the trance. Glancing down, you saw Lumin, your small puppy begging for attention. Leaning back, you began to pet the soft white fur.

He let out a small yip, now hopping into your lap. "You said it... This paper is going to kill me." You had been working for hours on this paper, only to go nowhere with it. The small dog jumped onto your chest, licking the exposed area. "Hm, maybe you can tell me Lumin?" What else you supposed to do? Write one sentence, then just erase it a moment later? "How would you define the presence of opposite/similar quirks in a relationship and how would affect the outcome?"

He looked at you, clearly confused about the words that just left your mouth. His reaction only made you laugh. "Even the dog doesn't know what the professor meant!" You chuckled, leaning against the couch. Gently you took the dog off your lap. "I guess that means it's time for a break, yeah?"

Standing, you began to stretch your limbs and wings even further. Feeling the sore muscles crack and loosen with your stretch. Lumin stretched with you, letting out a cute yawn. Picking up the mug of cold coffee, you placed it on a different counter for safekeeping. You were pretty sure that you would cry if another one of your "Back off peasant" or "Fuck off, I'm Studying" mugs broke again. Lumin followed you by the heels, wagging his small tale.

"Okay, okay, I get it, buddy." You giggled, now reaching up for the harness hanging on your key rack. He yipped happily, sitting at your feet patiently waiting for you.

You, on the other hand, were trying to find a good jacket. Once you had found one that you liked, you slipped it on. Lumin was tired of waiting, so he jumped up on your leg. Holding the harness in your mouth, you grabbed the keys off the rack and shoved them into the pocket. Lumin jumped into your lap the minute you had knelt to place it on him. "Someone is excited." You giggled. Lumin gave a cute bark as you put his last paw into the harness. He hopped off and immediately went to the door as you placed the leash around your wrist. Pulling your wings close around you so you can fit through the door quickly.

"2 AM walk it is." You sighed. Lumin was tugging on the leash, attempting you to move faster. Once the door was locked, you turned to leave down the hall. Lumin was walking in front of you, his tail wagging back and forth as you walked the elevator. It was a relatively short ride since you lived on the second floor of the building. It wasn't worth the effort to fly off your balcony.

While you did want to live in the dorms, it wasn't exactly easy to get on the list. So, you were comfortable where you were in your small place. You walked out the front door, remember to wave to the night patrol guard. "Another walk? Isn't it a little late?" He chuckled, resting his cheek on his hand with a smile. "Not when you're a junior in college." You sighed, glancing at the clock. "Oh, I forget that sometimes... You look like an older 3rd year."

You puffed out your cheeks, turning towards the guard. "Excuse me, sir! I'm well over 21!" Lumin tugged at the leash, inches from the walking area just outside the door. You turned to look at Lumin before waving again to the guard.

Lumin gave a happy bark when his pink paws met the grass area outside. The crisp night breeze brushed on your skin. You let Lumin wonder since it was an enclosed area just outside the building. You curled your wings around your body to keep the cool breeze from getting to you.

From here, you could see your balcony with your plants all over it. The vines wrapped around the handles and grew down the sides. You had taken a lot of care into those plants and consider them your babies. Other than Lumin, that is.

Speaking on which, he was running in circles chasing after a firefly. You watched as the glow insect landed on his nose, flickering. Lumin playfully bared his teeth and barked at it until it flew off again.

You let out a chuckle watching your small puppy play before you shifted to the sky. The stars were twinkling in the dead of night. With little to no clouds, the milky way could be seen stretching across the sky. Some of the stars began to fall, meaning a meteor shower.

"I forgot this was supposed to happen tonight." The stars streaked across the Milky Way, leaving the white trails of dust. "Hey, Lumin... Make a wish?" The white dog stopped chasing the fireflies to cutely cock its head at you.

Silently, you put your hands together. "I just want to finish my term paper..." You began to chuckle at your wish when Lumin was still looking at you funny. Lowering your hands, you gave him a funny face in return. "What is that such a strange wish?"

Lumin didn't seem to respond to your question; instead, he was glaring at the sky. "Hey, don't ignore me..." He was always one to react in some way. Then, Lumin started barking, now running to your side. He jumped up at your leg, wanting to be picked up. Your wings puffed, setting you on edge.

"What's gotten into you?" You picked up the small white dog in your arms, feeling him shake. His blue eyes set out onto the horizon of buildings. You followed his gaze to see a large blue star streaking across the sky. "Wow, that one is... wait." The longer you looked, the more you could see what it was.

'That's a person!?" You barely had enough time to register what happened when they crashed into your balcony. All the blood flushed from your face. Dirt and leaves flew up into the air. "My babies!!!"

With Lumin in your arms, you began to rush inside, not bothering to fly. "Whoa, what's the rush?" The guard asked, "I forgot to water my plants!" You panted, now dashing to the stairs. Climbing them quickly, you rushed to your door. After fumbling with your keys, you messily unlocked the door. Throwing it open and closing it behind you, you ran to the glass door that led to the balcony, only to find it abandoned.

Not minding that, you had left it open before you left. You looked at the different plants, some of them crushed and torn. Lumin crawled up beside you, sniffing the plants. Tears began to poke at the edges of your vision, seeing them ripped apart.

It looks like they might have skidded a bit before getting up to leave. You looked up to see the sky ablaze with red. Large smoke plumes rising from the city. Fear pulsed in your veins as voices echoed from the streets close to you. Several men walked out from an alley yelling orders.

You stood and leaned over the balcony, your feathers puffed up with anger. "You ruined my garden! Fu-" That's when a hand clasped over your mouth, pulling you back into the privacy of your apartment. A large red feather closed the door and shut the blinds once Lumin followed you inside.

Too scared to move, you could hear panting from whoever held a hand over your mouth. "I'm sorry about this, kid." Is this man calling you a child? Rude.

You knocked your head back into his face making him release you. Before you could turn around, there was a loud crash. All of the terms notes were floating in the air, the laptop now on its side on the floor. There beside just behind him, the table knocked over.

He seemed to be a slim man of average height, fluffy blonde hair, slicked back lazily, leaving a few strands sticking up or hanging loose. He has thick eyebrows and a 5 o'clock shadow, along with two massive red wings protruding from his back. These wings are feathered, with longer feathers the further down the wing gets.

He seemed to be a little older than you were. Your wings closed around yourself, a protective action you did when threatened. Lumin walked up by your feet, letting out a growl. Curiosity getting the best of you again, you got closer to him. He wore a peach jacket and a black shirt, yellow glasses that had a crackdown in the middle. Lumin walked up to him, sniffing his cheek.

"He must have hit the table..." You sighed. Lumin walked around him, sniffing every part of his clothes that he could get to. You were at least glad to have moved your mug. You began to take a closer look.

He seemed to be a bit roughed up, more than you had previously thought. There was a cut across his cheek, dirt clinging to his clothes, some parts of them being bloodied himself. Not finding it in yourself to call the cops, only because he looked like a hero to you, among other reasons you convinced yourself with.

Lumin sat by his head, looking at you. "You too, huh?" The small dog let out a yip. Sighing, you stood and grabbed his hand. Although he was troublesome for you to lift, you managed to put him onto the couch. You were careful enough to position the wings comfortably.

You began to place all of your school items into your room. You shuffled through your bathroom, looking for your first aid kit. Lumin didn't leave the winged guy's side, sitting on the couch merely looking at him. You set the aid kit on the counter and slowly began to take off his jacket, careful to avoid the wings.

The shirt he wore was much tighter than you thought, it being riped on one side. Based on other injuries, he was the one who skids across your balcony. Sighing, you turned to Lumin.

"It's gonna be a long night, eh Lumin?" The small dog gave you a bark in response. You looked towards the ceiling, the term paper now long forgotten in the confines of your laptop.