Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
canon:ace35.5:chapter3 [12/04/2026 17:01] – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1canon:ace35.5:chapter3 [12/04/2026 17:01] (current) – ↷ Page moved from chapter3 to canon:ace35.5:chapter3 kkurzex
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
 +
 +**ACE 35.5 — “Afterimage”** \\
 +**Chapter 3 — Slightly Offbeat**
 +
 +No one said anything for a while.
 +
 +That, by itself, wasn’t unusual.
 +
 +What was—
 +
 +was that the silence didn’t land at the same time.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace leaned back against the edge of the table.
 +
 +Shammy stood just close enough that the air between them felt shared.
 +
 +Mai—
 +
 +remained exactly where she was.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The triangle existed.
 +
 +It just didn’t… settle.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…this is stupid,” Ace said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The words came out flat.
 +
 +Not annoyed.
 +
 +Not dismissive.
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +early.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy blinked.
 +
 +A fraction too late.
 +
 +“…what is.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t answer immediately.
 +
 +Her gaze moved between them—
 +
 +measuring something she wasn’t putting into words.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…we’re trying too hard,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai’s lips twitched.
 +
 +Not quite a smile.
 +
 +“…you’re saying that,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace shrugged.
 +
 +Slight.
 +
 +Contained.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…yeah.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +The timing almost lined up.
 +
 +Almost.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy let out a small breath.
 +
 +The air followed.
 +
 +Closer now.
 +
 +More responsive.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…she’s not wrong,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai turned—
 +
 +but spoke before she fully did.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“That doesn’t make it useful.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +The sentence overlapped itself.
 +
 +Just enough to feel like it had been said twice.
 +
 +----
 +
 +They all noticed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +No one pointed it out.
 +
 +----
 +
 +That, too, was new.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace pushed off the table.
 +
 +Walked toward the kitchen.
 +
 +Not carefully.
 +
 +Not compensating.
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +moving.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The floor creaked.
 +
 +On time.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She stopped.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…okay, that’s new,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy tilted her head slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…what.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace tapped the floor once with her foot.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Creak.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Perfect.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…it’s catching up,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai exhaled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“That’s not reassuring.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace smirked.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…it is a little.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +The smirk came a fraction before the thought that caused it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy laughed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The sound landed in the room—
 +
 +clean.
 +
 +----
 +
 +For a moment—
 +
 +----
 +
 +everything aligned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Then—
 +
 +----
 +
 +it slipped again.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai walked into the kitchen.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not because she needed anything.
 +
 +Because movement—
 +
 +seemed easier than stillness.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She reached for the cabinet.
 +
 +Opened it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Paused.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…we’re out of coffee,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace turned—
 +
 +already halfway through the motion—
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…no we’re not.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai blinked.
 +
 +Looked inside.
 +
 +----
 +
 +There was coffee.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Exactly where it should be.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She closed the cabinet.
 +
 +Slow.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…I know that,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy leaned against the counter.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…you said it anyway.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t answer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because that was the problem.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace grabbed the coffee container.
 +
 +Set it down.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The sound hit the counter—
 +
 +perfectly timed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She froze.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…okay,” she said slowly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…that’s definitely new.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy’s lips curved.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…you like it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace glanced at her.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…a little.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…don’t tell Mai.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t look at them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“I heard that.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +The timing was perfect.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Too perfect.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace winced slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…yeah, no, that’s worse.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy laughed again.
 +
 +----
 +
 +This time—
 +
 +the air followed smoothly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai poured coffee.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The liquid hit the cup—
 +
 +on time.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She stared at it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…we’re stabilizing,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy nodded.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…a little.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace leaned against the counter.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…too much?”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t answer immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She lifted the cup.
 +
 +----
 +
 +For a moment—
 +
 +everything held.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Perfect.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Then—
 +
 +----
 +
 +she took a sip—
 +
 +----
 +
 +and the warmth hit
 +
 +before the liquid touched her lips.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She froze.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…no,” she said quietly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…not stable.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy’s smile faded.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…just closer.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace set her own cup down—
 +
 +carefully—
 +
 +watching the timing.
 +
 +----
 +
 +It landed exactly when it should.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She stared at it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…this is messing with me,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy leaned closer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…you love it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t deny it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…a little,” she admitted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai shook her head.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You’re impossible.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +The words overlapped—
 +
 +just slightly—
 +
 +with the movement of her turning.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace grinned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…and you’re trying too hard.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy looked between them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…she’s right,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai exhaled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Slow.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…I know.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…I just don’t like it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The room settled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not perfect.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not aligned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +But—
 +
 +lighter.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The gaps were still there.
 +
 +----
 +
 +But now—
 +
 +----
 +
 +they weren’t the only thing in the space.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace stepped closer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not calculating.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not compensating.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +choosing.
 +
 +----
 +
 +She stopped near Mai.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Close enough to matter.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The timing—
 +
 +didn’t line up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t need to.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…you’re overthinking it,” she said quietly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t move away.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…I know.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…I always do.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy stepped in—
 +
 +closing the space between them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air shifted—
 +
 +not perfectly—
 +
 +but together.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…then don’t,” she said softly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Silence.
 +
 +----
 +
 +This one—
 +
 +----
 +
 +landed
 +
 +at the same time.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai looked at both of them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not analyzing.
 +
 +Not measuring.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +seeing.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…that’s not how this works,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace’s voice came immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…maybe it is now.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy’s hand brushed lightly against Mai’s arm.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not deliberate.
 +
 +Not calculated.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +there.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air followed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Soft.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Warm.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not aligned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shared.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +And for the first time since they had come back—
 +
 +----
 +
 +the gap between them
 +
 +didn’t feel like something to fix.
 +
 +----
 +
 +It felt like something
 +
 +they could
 +
 +step through.
 +