‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡

[‍‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗪 ‍‍* ‍𝕯𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗢𝗡. @shadowedragon]

⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

@cfthewiIds https://t.co/0cZBKGOHBr

yeah, it's very rough depending on decisions you make 😭😭

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

https://t.co/0cZBKGOHBr

i finished veilguard last night and my eyes are swollen from crying 😭😭

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

— her voice wasn't quite ready to work just yet.

⠀⠀ “ is that good or bad? ” verdant hues finally focused on a smile that was a rarity upon their features, and that damned fluttering began again. a taste, and yet, she wanted to try again.

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

lace felt dizzy, like her head was floating somewhere unattached to her body, and yet, that voice brought her back, guiding her to this moment that was very much real, and not another one of her newfound dreams. eyelids slowly fluttered open, and she let out a soft hum, as if —

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

— too surprised and too scared of what this might do to react, but when a second passed and no pain seemed prevalent, lace allowed herself to relax and realize what was happening. hands lightly found a home on broad shoulders, and lips pursed just enough to reciprocate.

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

“ i — ” mouth opened to speak, but she was silenced effectively before words could ever leave. small stature was no match for their brawn, as if she would fight it anyway, and she found herself caught in a kiss she wouldn't allow herself to expect.

⠀⠀for a moment, she froze, —

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

— forward step, now close enough that the front of her brushed against those burly arms. both of her hands lifted to lightly rest against either side of that face. “ i'm teasing you. it's my way of flirting. it just means i like you...”

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

those brows lifted ever higher at the sudden tantrum leaving the dragon hunter, amusement flickering behind green eyes. if she had been serious, maybe this would have prompted a more concerned reaction, but her jest had only been that.

⠀⠀ “ hey, ” she spoke, gambling another —

[Lucanis. @thecorvidblade]

❝ if it were another person, I could solve this with a knife. ❞

⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀the demon of vyrantium, lucanis dellamorte. assassin of the antivan crows. abomination. ships w/ chem. era flexible. adult themes ahead. another by #ᴘᴇɴᴇᴍᴜᴇʟ

RT?

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

— feel the cold metal of that piercing.

⠀⠀ “ are you saying i'm not worth patience? ” a teasing remark, not at all serious, but a ginger brow arched, slowly pulling her touch back.

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

lace knew taash was strong, more than anyone could guess, but this was — ...surprising. that comment caused harding's lips to curve into a wide smile, a subtle shake of her head as she took a step closer. her thumb shifted, a ghost like brush over taash's lower lip, moving to —

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

— it was impossible and stupid to deny what was right in front of her.

⠀⠀“ when said woman is terrified of hurting someone she cares about? yes. always. ” she spoke just above a whisper, taking note of their face, watching for those telling blue lines to appear from her touch.

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

it wasn't *just them. that attraction had been there, but there was so much more to it than that. when they met, lace had still been reeling from learning about her powers. and now, she was reeling from everything that came with it. the dreams, the lyrium, all of it. and yet, —

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

was that lucanis yelling?

⠀⠀ or was it spite?

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

— like the glowing butterflies so often found in the fade.

⠀⠀ “ you can't see them if you're looking over there, ” she spoke, doing what she could to keep that momentum, and she lifted a hand, fingers barely touching that strong jaw to guide their gaze back to her.

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

for a moment, lace hadn't been blushing, holding a conversation without stumbling over her words. it's why she felt confident enough to move where she could see taash, but then they complimented her, like it was fact, and she felt ... not quite nerves, but something fluttering —

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

— indignation came from a place that lace would never truly understand, but she understood how it affected taash. “ because, ” she spoke, relinquishing that braid to step around in front of them, “ kids are clumsy enough without having bright red hair getting in their eyes. ”

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

in truth, lace was more hesitant to allow her bare skin to touch taash, save for the comforting gesture given a moment prior. what if it made them sick? what if she hurt them or worse? fear was like a disease, but the last thing she wanted was to cause harm to them.

⠀⠀ that —

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

— her palm was lifted, only to find that braid once more, admiring the simplicity of it with her fingers.

⠀⠀ “ my ma taught me to braid my hair too, but it was mostly because she was tired of trying to keep it out of my face when i was little. ”

[‍ ‍𝙎𝘾꩜𝙐𝙏 ‍ 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿͟𝙄͟𝙉͟𝙂 ‍ 彡 @HVRDING]

lace knew that softness, what it meant, what it held, and instinctively, the calloused palm of her hand was laid upon a broad, muscled shoulder. loss was hard enough as it is, but the manner of loss, of life leading up to it was — ...well, it didn't make it any easier. —