𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 .

𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩.

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚.

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

there's plenty to do. you just need to find something.

need help?

[𝗛𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗦. @amaurotshades]

absolutely not, I would rather say boredom .

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

( stands, brushes himself off and offers a hand. )

we should return to our friends. i cannot leave emet-selch unattended for long, after all.

( hythlodaeus chuckles, flashing a wink. he needed to be anywhere else. )

come.

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

( a peek, one eye opening, the smile easily returning to his lips. he shakes his head. )

worry not, and keep your apologies.

( using the heels of his hands, he pulls himself upright, crouching beside her. )

i hope, when you find out, you will tell me. vanessa. ────

[𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖲: 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖯𝖨𝖤. @ICARUSFL0WN]

you can't be satisfied with that .ᐟ

( it's blurted out, her own frustrations seeping into her words; tired of feeling on the back foot, chasing to keep up with... herself .ᐣ with hydaelyn .ᐣ

↓

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

the star. but that couldn't be soon. he had a job to do, and people to protect. he was unfulfilled. )

time will tell.

( they settle on, hand dropping back to the grass and eyes falling shut. he couldnt show the difficulty they felt in accepting that. )

it always does.

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

you're connected to this time, this place. to me.

( a frown twists soft features into something troubled, just for a moment, before they smooth out. perhaps he wasn't meant to know. one of life's great mysteries── one he would look forward to unpicking when he returned to ─

[𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖲: 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖯𝖨𝖤. @ICARUSFL0WN]

that's not fair, you have an advantage.

( she's unflinching at their touch, aside for the traitorous skip of her heartbeat, worsened by the curve of his smile. )

intertwined...

( repeated under her breath, the concept made her sigh, almost shuddering with it, fanciful.

↓

[† @crimsonheirloom]

veiled bridal princess

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

intertwined, you and i.

( he couldn't explain it, though the feeling was not alien to them. they experienced it with hades, with azem. the warmth of home. )

do not ask me how. i have no answers for you. but i feel it. who exactly are you?

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

easy to see. for me.

( turning his torso to face her fully, hythlodaeus' hand reaches out, pressing against her collarbone, and then moving to the core of her chest. he watches carefully for any sign of discomfort, any tell of wanting to pull away, and smiles. eyes crinkling. )

[𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖲: 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖯𝖨𝖤. @ICARUSFL0WN]

( yet. a stupid hopeful word that made vane's stomach twist. but not as much as his pulling his gaze from her. moving to sit cross-legged and face him fully, words made her freeze. )

i'm your–

( it was too big of a lie to continue, no matter the stakes.

↓

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

/ ☔️

torturing venus is a full time job 😊

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

towards her, so close to his relationship with azem. the calm she instilled in them. it made him ache. enough to pull his gaze away. )

my soul knows yours.

( deliberate choice of words, one he could offer no explanation for. they spoke from the heart. )

i feel it.

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

( a small shrug, braid falling from its place on his shoulder to hang against his back. deceptively unburdened. )

there's much you're yet to learn about me.

( yet. he was counting on more time. but all good things come to an end, as they say. the intimacy he felt ───

[𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖲: 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖯𝖨𝖤. @ICARUSFL0WN]

( eyes usually so sharp and shrew soften as he speaks. there's no way she could have known this, no matter how good at reading people they may be. so she pushed back the part of her that felt like she was being reminded rather than told. )

↓

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

@ICARUSFL0WN https://t.co/hFxpNIQ5cv

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

sharpens. it takes its toll on me. when it's over, i'm. . . exhausted. ashamed. i rarely act on it. the times i do, it takes longer to recover.

i prefer talking things through where possible. but i'm not afraid of fire.

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

my anger?

( he'll indulge her, not out of obligation, but because it feels like speaking to someone he'd known since he was small. a new old friend. )

it comes before i can stop it. before i can control it. a snap of energy and then. . . my hands are shaking. my focus -

[𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖲: 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖯𝖨𝖤. @ICARUSFL0WN]

i know that more than most.

( usually so careful with her words, with themselves, and not all that revealing. but more than she'd willingly admit to even alphinaud. she tries to get the conversation back on track. )

so tell me about yours.

[violet✧*｡ @violettweets_]

purple aesthetic.

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

that's a complicated statement.

( violet eyes find hers, warm and inquisitive. the shape of her soul was loud, and felt like an anchor to his heart, grounding him firmly in this moment. this time. it felt. . . fleeting. painful. he shook his head. )

anger is part of us all.

[𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖲: 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖯𝖨𝖤. @ICARUSFL0WN]

( she takes the moment unobserved to observe them. to try and understand. all it did was send a pang through her heart. )

who doesn't .ᐣ aside from those who don't, of course.

you say that like anger is... not something you indulge in.

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

displays of affection?

( straightens his spine, palms propping him up against the grass. their head tilts back, eyes closing briefly. )

no, that's never bothered me. i encourage it. i like it to be known i'm loved.

mm. lip smacking. fills me with a white hot rage.

[𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖲: 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖯𝖨𝖤. @ICARUSFL0WN]

( she finds herself leaning in for the "secret", drawn to him as he moved. perhaps this had been a bad idea. vane doesn't pull away. )

so you don't hate when people chew with their mouth open, or excessive public displays of affection .ᐣ nothing like that .ᐣ

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

https://t.co/hFxpNIQD23

gasp, a celebrity followed me,,,,,,

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

( he settled, both legs tucked beneath him. laughing at her question, he leaned toward her like it was a conspiracy. )

well, boring, but when people i care for fail to take care of themselves. not irrational perhaps, but irritation all the same.

also down-talkers. infuriating

[𝖠𝖫𝖨𝖠𝖲: 𝖬𝖠𝖦𝖯𝖨𝖤. @ICARUSFL0WN]

ㅤ
ㅤ(ㅤif aymeric could see how well she did as she was told, he'd laugh. but she sat, leaning back on her hands and rolling her head to keep her eyes on him.ㅤ)

ㅤㅤokay... what's something that makes you irrationally irritated?
ㅤ

[𝑆𝑂𝑈𝐿𝑆𝐸𝐸𝑅 . @stareturned]

hm.

( a knock against his chin, thinking for a moment. no, they'd leave it alone for now. things would unravel in time. )

doesn't make yours any less magnificent. there's more to you than meets the eye.

[𝙝𝙮𝙙𝙖𝙚𝙡𝙮𝙣'𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙬𝙣. @HOPESLEG4CY]

i'm known to be quite the worrier.

( a pitiful attempt at saving herself, though her expression would throw her under the chocobo carriage. )

just that it must be something you're accustomed to. seeing souls.

( like her ability to read aether made her any less curious. )