"The Queen is the most powerful piece. She can move anywhere on the board, and she can move the length she desires. She may be powerful, but you only have one Queen. Use her wisely."

________

Soft, soft grass.

With the shining sun, and the puffy white clouds. Where the blue birds are dancing in the branches of the full trees. Where ladybugs and butterflies flutter from flower to flower. Oh what a beautiful day it was. Though my body was cold, and my heart felt like stone, the place where I was at, at this very moment, was warm. It was as if I had been injected with a hot drug, and it felt amazing.

I spun in a circle, listening for the leaves to crunch beneath my feet, but to my dismay there was so sound. I sighed sadly, but in content too. I felt home.

I was in a place I knew well. I went here almost every single week of my life. A little wooded area, right off one of the trails at the local park. It was nothing special, just a couple of trees, wild flowers, and shrubs and foliage, but to me it was amazing. There was this perfectly fallen tree, just placed where I could sit on it. And when it rained, there was the most tiniest of ponds, but really just a puddle.

I was confused though, why was I here? So far, of all the memories I've had, they were terrible. They were so shockingly harsh and it physically ached to remember them. Now, here, was a wonderful memory. Nothing bad ever happened here, so why was I here? To find out, I looked for Yeosang.

He sat there, criss-cross on the fallen tree. He had a tiny grin on his place, twirling a small yellow wild flower in his fingers. It was so beautiful, so elegant in his hands. The tiny flower stood so brightly against his dark clothes, yet it seemed to fit perfectly in with them. Yeosang was just perfect. On top of that, he practically glowed in the speckles of light from the trees that shielded him. It was ravishing.

"Why are we here?" I ask.

Yeosang furrowed his eyebrows, "Is this place not important to you?"

"It is."

"Then that is why."

"But the other memories- no the relivings?- were terrible. Why are we in this place?"

Yeosang looked away, and laid back on the tree. "Your life wasn't all terrible you know. And when I said we're going to relive your life, did you really think it would be all bad?"

"Well the first two times was shit."

The small boy chuckled. "I guess so, but isn't this lovely?"

I hummed to him, and walked towards the tree. Yeosang was really pretty right now. So soft, so angelic, with closed eyes, and eyelashes that flitted against his cheeks.

"You look pretty right now," I say, surprised by my own voice.

The eyes of the boy shot open. His face turned a semi-pink color. "Um, sure."

Welp, already said that much, might as well go in further. "Really, really pretty. Your skin looks so soft."

"Uh- thank you." He says in a small voice.

"And your hair looks so cute, did you know that?"

"No."

"Well now you do."

"Mhm."

Silence, and a long pause.

"Can I touch your hair?" I ask.

He cranes his neck at me, obviously shocked. If I were him I would probably feel the same way, but right now, it just did not feel like anything. Maybe it was because my head just felt so clouded, or maybe it was because I really do want to touch his hair. From watching my mother die, and hearing her goodbyes, and to seeing my dad breakdown from an older mindset, it really made things feel so dense. I guess when it is this bad, things really cannot get worst, can they? Embarrassment of getting rejected would be nothing compared to everything else.

Damn. Maybe I really was bipolar.

To my surprise though, Yeosang nodded a little. It was tiny, but certainly cute. This made me smile, so with sudden confidence I put my hand to his head and stroked his hair. It was so much more softer, so much more silkier than I could ever imagine. It was perfect. And maybe it was because he was not real, but for some reason, my dead heart seemed to beat faster.

Yeosangs eyes stared up at me, wide, as I petted his head. I badly wanted to pull his head into my lap, to just have him a little closer, but could I? That would be a little much.

"Do it." He whispers gently.

"Hmm? What did you say?" I say, in a soft tone after getting pulled from my trance.

Once I looked at his eyes, they flickered away quickly, looking anywhere but me. He twirled that little yellow flower around in his hand more quicker then before now, as he tried readjusting himself multiple times. Was he nervous?

"I said, um, do it."

"Do what Yeosang?"

"Like, you know, how like, I can, like, sorta-kinda hear- no feel- thoughts? Well, like, my head, soft, your- um-"

I put my hand over his mouth, him and I both shocked by the sudden motion. It was quick, and odd, but at the same time, I felt so excited. Like sparks or fireworks had been sent through out my body when I had touched Yeosang. He really did not need to finish that sentence though, it was painfully awkward, and he said 'like' more times than I could count. On top of that it would make me feel very uncomfortable too.

So instead, I scooted right to the edge of his head, careful not to sit on his fluffy hair. I gently patted my lap, signaling him to come up and put his head there. Yet, he did not, and he instead looked to be in a daze.

"Yeosang, you can put your head in my lap."

He still sat, looking up to me. His eyes were so wide and innocent that they literally sparkled. It made now feel so incredibly real, and it was saddening, because this was not real. But I did not care right now, so I gently lifted the boy and placed his head in my legs. Yeosang was as light as a feather, and from that one touch, I could have sworn I felt heat. It was warming.

Tenderly tracing a finger down Yeosangs face, he slightly tilted towards my hand. He bit his bottom lip making direct eye contact with me. It was so ethereal, so pretty. He really gotta stop.

"Your skin is so smooth." I compliment him.

"Thank you." He replies.

"And your eyes are so sparkly," I tell him.

"Thank you~" he says back in a playful tone.

"Your hair is so bouncy and soft."

"Thank you."

"And you're so small and cute."

"T-Thank you."

"You're just really, really warm."

Yeosang looked away, and readjusted himself so he was lying on his side. "I physically cannot be warm."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, illusions~" the smaller says, doing jazz hands. His voice though, sounded immensely sad. It was empty in a sense, and I knew it was probably because he was not 'real', but I'm really starting to get tired of the real and the fake. Should it matter? No. If Yeosang was warm to me, he was warm to me. Actuality was only something that mattered on the real world, and here, we weren't there.

"I don't care, you're still warm," I retaliate to him.

"Sure, what ever you say Seonghwa."

"Yes, whatever I say, I am an almighty soul."

"Is that so?" Yeosang inquires.

"Of course it is so," I argue.

Yeosang sits up, stretching a little, but then looks to me. I was a little disappointed he was no longer in my lap, because it felt very bare now. He then, smiled at me with a glint in his eyes, and says, "Prove it."

I smirk back, "I will prove it. Don't doubt me little boy."

He snorts, "Little boy?"

I laugh, realizing what I said, "Sure. You are small. Pocket-sized and I want to put you in my pocket and take you everywhere."

Yeosang looked away at this, flushing a little. Why? I don't know. "Just get on with the proving dumbass."

"Fine fine," I say standing up.

Unfortunately, I still had yet to decide what I was going to do to prove it. My head was empty of ideas, well good ideas, so it was a little embarrassing, just standing here in front Yeosang. Thing is though, I was just feeling so oddly comfortable right now. Time was just slowing down. But really! The wind felt like it blew a little softer, and the sunlight seemed to burn a little longer. Even the butterflies and birds seemed to be moving at this fatigued pace. When the leaves would tumble by the breeze, it was almost as if they waltzed with one another. Truly, it was magical.

Then an idea popped into my mind. The thought just made me smile, as Yeosang just looked at me, with a slight tilt to his head, sitting criss-cross once more. I have no idea why I know this, or how or when I learned it, but all I know that it is an iconic song. A masterpiece.

I started to sing, might I add terribly, Fancy, by Twice. I sang it with all I could, practically shouting it at the top of my lungs. Now, I know what you're think, 'SeOnghWa, you're just singing, that's lame, anybody can do that uhuh.' well you are wrong! Because I am also doing the choreography. Fancy is for real an amazing bop.

Whilst doing this though, Yeosang was laughing joyously at me. Maybe it was how confident I was, or maybe it was because I was the funniest comedian there is, but he laughed like I was not dead. He laughed like a human. With a hand in front of his mouth, and eyes that had squinted from smiling, he really was so human. It was mind boggling how often he told me was not, for right now, it felt so real.

And when I had finished my concert, it took him some time to calm himself. The boisterous laughs fizzled to tiny giggles, and I could have sworn he bit bottom lip, trying not to smile anymore. Once Yeosang was done though, he stared at me with those brown eyes. With the sun, shining right on them, they looked golden almost. It reminded me of a golden ticket, or a shimmering ballroom.

He smiled once more, standing up, "Though that was a wonderful show, I still do not believe you're the almighty."

I gasped at him, acting hurt, "How dare you disrespect Fancy like that, anybody who sings it and does the choreography is automatically amazing. I should smack you."

"You won't." Yeosang persisted, crossing his arms, putting weight on one leg.

"I will."

"Then do it."

"Alright, come 'ere then, lemme whack."

The other boy shuddered. "Ugh that sentence was bad."

Grinning, I replied, "No, you're just old and uncultured."

"Sure, sure."

"Any who," I started, turning away from Yeosang, and walking towards a certain tree. (We all knew I would never whack him, I'm not a monster.) The tree was nothing special, just your regular pine tree, with rough bark and pokey pines, but it was my favorite tree. Every time I would ever come here, I would mark the tree. I would bring a pocket knife or kitchen knife, and make a line, or scratch of some sort, just to keep count. There was no special reason, I just liked seeing all the times I've ever been here. Walking up to it though, I realized all the marks I have ever made were there. This was confusing, seeing as previously I had experienced memories, but this was modern. Turning to Yeosang, I continued, "Why are all of the marks here?"

"Marks?"

"Yes, marks," I turned to the tree, touching them delicately. "Every time I would visit this place I would cut this tree. This poor tree- but really, why are they here? Shouldn't we be in the past or something?"

Yeosangs face lit up, knowing an answer. He walked towards the tree and stared at it, admiring the marks. I was looking down on him, seeing as he was shorter, as he explained. "Well, this place was special. There is no apparent memory of any kind, so we get to just see it. We are just, well you are just, relishing in it, you know? So I took you to the present time."

"You mean, this is what it looks like right now?"

"Yep."

"Damn it looks prettier than usual."

Yeosang laughed a little, "That's typically what happens."

This made me confused. "What do you mean?"

Yeosang touched the tree, a content stare. "When you die, people either see things more beautifully or more dull. They take the pain, and those horrid memories, and though they may cry and feel as if they were just as real as before, they're thankful it happened. Most of the people I have met said they see things more gloriously here. They say they understand the people more, or they notice the way the water sparkles or the way the trees sway. They'll ask me, 'Why does it hurt so much? Why does it look so much better now that I am gone?' And well, it is because you are gone. You no longer have to worry about school or work or your friends or your family, you only have what you have right now until you move on."

Yeosang finished, and we settled into a silence of serenity. I thought over what he said, and honestly, he was probably right. I mean maybe this place has always looked like this, I just have not appreciated it until now. It is like someone saying 'you never know how much you're going to kissing something until it is gone', and quite frankly, they are right.

Despite this though, as much as I want to live, and continue, there was just something about Yeosang that was making me enjoy my time in this death. The more time I spent with him the more captivating he seemed to come. It feels like minutes ago I hated his guts, but now his presence was conciliating. This made me wonder how much time really has went by. A day? An hour? A whole entire eon?

Time really was just an illusion now. It was tranquilizing, time was, but Yeosang made it not feel that way. Just like the queen from a game of chess, Yeosang was strong, and he was powerful. He just had an effect on me, like the queen has over her people. He could go anywhere he wanted, he could do anything he wanted, and no one could stop him.

He was like a queen. And somewhere deep inside me, I wish he was my queen.

________

a/n: is that an update? yeah it is bitch, yeah it is.
I updated in like two days, and that's a new record for me. somebody give me a Grammy or something.

I'll leave you be now though, as much as my presence is oh so wonderful. have a grandiloquent day!

(and go listen to Fancy)