Chaos in a glass cage

under my shirt

not moving

just warm

just there

just reminding me

that touch does not have to lead anywhere

Weariness settled deep within his bones as the king trudged back up the now quiet battlefield, but his face lit up as soon as he set eyes upon his still-new wife. Although Cenred knew she had battled just as hard as he, she looked decidedly more at ease than he did - she wasn't splattered head to toe with blood and mud, for a start.

She had known of the animosity between the realms, but to see it firsthand so soon after marrying Cenred…

Lilé let Cenred pull her in, smiling as he kissed her. She gave in to the embrace, sighing longingly, and touched his arm as he pulled back to examine her.

“No, I am not,” she soothed. “Relatively unscathed.”

He might be coated in blood and mud, but he had never looked more beautiful to her. Alive, powerful, and entirely capable. Her shadows wove around him, checking for injury in turn. She had spent time healing what she could for the soldiers on the spent battlefield; though it was not obvious, her magic was exhausted.

“And you, mo ghrá?” she asked, cupping his cheek, thumb stroking the blood-streaked skin. “Are you hurt, or just tired?”

"Good. I'm not hurt, not really," he assured, wrinkled his nose as he glanced down to examine himself. At least the vast majority of the blood was not his own. "A few scratches, and I may have cracked a rib," he reluctantly admitted, "but nothing a healer can't fix."

As expected, Uther's army had taken the worst of the casualties...but there were still far too many injuries within his own men. Not all of them would survive the night. The king would have the grim task of informing their families in the morning, but nobody would begrudge him this time, now, with his wife.

Gods, a bath sounded perfect. Hot water, aching muscles…

“A bath would be wonderful,” she admitted, gently squeezing his hand. As they walked, she ignored the agonising wrench in her ankle; her shadows would soothe it soon enough. That said, she knew Cenred would riot if he saw the bruising she suspected had bloomed around the injury. Quite how she would hide it from him if they were bathing together, Lilé had no idea. Said ankle was not broken, that much she understood. If it was… she wouldn’t have been able to even hobble.

Returning his tender kiss, she squeezed his hand. “Let’s go, mo ghrá. I would do more, but I am… exhausted. My reserves for healing are dry. We both need rest.”

She shot a pained, guilt-ridden glance towards the many, many injured, but she could barely focus what little she had left on bracing her husband’s ribs.

It did not escape her that even as he stepped back, his hands still held hers. As though he could not bear to let her go. Her heart twinged.

His question, however, had her eyebrow cock ever so slightly. It would not be appropriate, surely? Was the King not meant to dance with others? It was a celebration for him, after all. But in the end, Lilé did not voice her concerns. The urgency in Cenred’s voice dismissed all else. He needed an exit from the scene. So she simply nodded.

There were only a handful of couples outside in the evening air, and once Cenred led them through to the rose garden, they were finally alone.

"That's better," he smiled, relieved to be surrounded by his beloved plants rather than hoards of people. But, even then, he barely gave the elaborate blooms a glance; Lilé, as always, had captivated his full attention.

When he spoke the nickname he had for her, however, she tensed the smallest amount. Barely perceptible to a stranger. It threw memories in her face, from his younger teasing, to his laughter, and finally, terribly, the way he had snapped her nickname mockingly. Lilé knew Cenred had been under too much stress then, and grief for his late father. But she had flinched that day - and now, she fought to hide that same flinch. Such a nickname seemed to belong to a different, sadder time.

Swallowing, she tried to pull back her composure, trying to shield her heart from further hurt.

starting over - are you a little overwhelmed with where our thread is going? let me know, and i'd be happy to start a new one with you!

pausing - if you're feeling one thread more than another we have going on, that's perfectly fine! you're welcome to let me know if you'd like, but it's not a necessity.

multiples - if we have a ship that you love and you have many ideas for them, always feel welcome to throw them at me no matter what! while it may affect my reply speed due to having more, it doesn't affect my interest at all!

regrouping - maybe we initially had an idea that didn't pan out but you don't know how to say it? just shoot me a message and let me know you'd like to plot further/something else.

Caring & Reassuring Sentences, Vol. 10

(Sentences from various sources for muses that care for each other. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"Just because something seems inevitable doesn't mean there isn't hope."

"I never want to see you hurt. Not even a bruise."

"You know, change can be a good thing. The future is a curious creature."

"You did your job, and you did it very well. For that, you should be proud."

"Just promise me that if you get lost, we get lost together?"

"I wasn't there to protect you once. I won't make that same mistake again."

"I don't want you to every give up, alright? Promise me you won't ever get bitter, or cynical, or tired?"

"I'm not your dad. I'm not going to do what he did."

"It's okay if you're scared right now. I know I am."

"Whatever's wrong with you is wrong with me too."

"I know you. I can see the real you."

"We're never alone. Don't you know that?"

"I promised to stay, and I will."

"I care about you. I want to make sure you're making the right decisions."

"You know, sometimes we think we have to do something, but we really don't."

"I know what it's like to be alone. Believe me."

"For whatever it's worth, I thought what you did today was pretty damn terrific."

"I wish I knew what to say to make it all better, but I don't have the answers. Nobody does."

"You've been looking behind you. Try looking ahead."

"This moment is not about me. It's about you."

"You are more than the stone and steel face you show the stars. You are allowed to be open."

"For me to help you, you're going to have to talk to me at some point."

"You know where I am if you need me, but don't leave it too late."

"When you think about this later, it'll just seem like some nightmare you had."

"Being frightened is a normal, natural human function, just like breathing. It's how you react to fright that really counts."

“They can, should the occasion call for it. They are extremely protective of those they consider kin. If somebody attacked you, for example, they would defend you, since we are now bound.”

Fingers fastened buttons, laces, boots. Even with the bond quelled somewhat, it still grumbled. It still craved skin-to-skin contact. In an effort to soothe it before they opened the door to their fate, Lilé leant up to kiss Cenred. One more embrace to bolster them both.

“Even kings need a little flush of courage,” she purred against his mouth, smiling. Fingers adjusted his hair. “But the question remains: are you staying here tonight? Or will you journey back to Essetir? We still need to make some sort of treaty, even with the bond.”

And there were surely no warriors stronger than a newly mated pair, so it would be foolish indeed for any other kingdoms to risk attacking. Perhaps, just perhaps, this would be not quite so awful as it had seemed.

"I was intending to return to Essetir as swiftly as possible," he admitted, his smile growing as she brushed fingers through his hair. "But I cannot, without you." His words were matter-of-fact, for the bond was already rebelling at such a thought. "Perhaps we should both stay here, another night, until the terms of a treaty have been finalised."

They had been even unhappier when they realised she meant to go with Cenred to Essetir. That had resulted in arguments aplenty - arguments she had warned Cenred to stay out of - and it had taken the best part of an hour to convince her guards and advisors that she would not be murdered by the enemy. Only when Lilé agreed to let her main two guards to accompany her did they all relent.

And so it was that her guards rode alongside the carriage that held Lilé and her mate. A carriage she had applied a soundproofing spell upon, because she was sat back against Cenred’s chest on his lap, cock sheathed within her. It seemed the only way to assuage the bond; the jolting of the carriage often sent frissons of pleasure through her.

“If anyone opens the door… they will be in for a show,” Lilé mused with a mischievous smile. The laces of her blouse were carelessly undone, her golden curls dishevelled by their exertions. “How long will it take to reach your home?”

how long have you been sober?

i heard the first 90 days are the toughest.

i know it doesn't add up, but i get something from holding onto this.

we're going the wrong way!

oh please, [ NAME ], could you not patronize me?

hey, can you keep it down please?

you know i hate it when you don't take the things i say seriously.

come on sweetheart, i just had a rough day today.

you're drunk, what a surprise!

that's not it, it never is!

you've been saying that for years!

everything looks okay after ten beers.

i could use a little help.

that's a real low blow.

don't you know how tough this is for me?

at least one of us is having a good time.

reminds me of some creepy cult.

this is a valuable, rare, and sought-after collection.

i'd like to have a bath in peace.

the devil himself would struggle with you.

this place is crazy enough without your two cents.

what's all the noise about?

[ NAME ], help! what should i do?!

stop, it's too late!

i'm sure there's nothing to worry about.

there was nothing you could do.

what's happened has happened.

do you trust your head, or your heart?

my advice, for what it's worth, is... to thine own self be true.

i'm not supposed to interfere.

what do you want me to do, [ NAME ]?!

calm down, genius, i already tried making a call.

hey, [ NAME ], how are you doing?

i don't remember being in any crash.

you're probably in mild shock.

i'm fine, thanks for asking.

think of it as a character building exercise.

teamwork at its finest.

i've got no signal either, must be a dead spot.

– and we've already concluded this conversation.

no need for a vote, decision's been made.

we really don't have time to be arguing.

try to be civil, it costs nothing.

try sticking up for yourself sometime.

i'm not wasting another breath on you.

the last thing we need is you causing trouble.

you wanna come along and wait with me?

i still think the smart move is to stick together.

how'd we end up back here?

there's a rational explanation for what's happening.

i'm doing my best to understand this, just like you.

we're trapped in a nightmare.

we have to get outta here right fucking now.

this isn't helping us find help!

there's nowhere else we can go except into that damn town.

i'm not sure this is such a great idea.

we're really going to get into this now?

i need to know 100% that i can rely on you.

we standing here all night or are we going inside?

life moves on, but we don't all go with it.

there's a phone, but it's been dead for years.

anything you can do would be greatly appreciated.

i saw someone in the woods.

nobody would be out here at this ungodly hour.

okay, very good, i'm freaked. who's there?

[ NAME ]? where are you? this isn't funny!

what is your name, sir?

what treachery is this now, [ NAME ]?

[ NAME ], come back here!

how can you not have seen that?!

"stressed", my ass!

you got a better idea?

i'm just gonna say it ... this is exactly what goes down in horror movies.

what the hell do we do now?

i'll deal with this, you stay right here.

who are you? what are you doing here?

what the hell are you? what do you want?!

a black tongue full of riddles, i'll have none of it.

fix your gaze elsewhere!

i am very far from okay ... i'm terrified and confused.

you're blowing this out of proportion, [ NAME ].

fuck that, i'm going another way.

don't you watch horror movies? you never, ever split up.

those movies are dumb.

can we just take a breath and think about what our next move is?

it's not safe for you to be hanging out here on your own.

thanks for coming after me.

the hell are you doing with a gun?

what we don't need is to get someone killed.

make sure the damn thing stays in your pants.

that "terrifying creature" was, in, fact, a cat.

there must be a radio or a working phone inside.

gimme that, i'll smash the window.

if you're feeling under pressure, let someone else do it.

even if you make it, there's no way i'm following.

i might've made a bad call here.

woah, you can't be doing that!

tell me that didn't just happen.

get away or they'll find me!

let's not hang around here, it's time to go.

seriously? you're going in there?

i don't like the idea of being out here on my own.

i'll be as fast as i can, okay?

[ NAME ], the door won't open.

woah, hey, take it easy.

can you stop reacting to every setback like a child?

we'll find a way out of here. we have to.

i appreciate you checking in with me.

who would want land in this godforsaken town?

tell me that didn't just happen.

who would say such a thing?

you look freaked, what's up?

you saw something else, right?

we're really screwed up, here.

can you tell me what you're upset about?

what's going on with you?

i'm going to help you out here if i can, but i need to know your name.

you cannot talk of our secret.

we have an understanding, do we not?

what more proof is needed that the devil walks among us?

the devil is here in this very room.

what the hell was that shit? was that for real?

like i say, i have no good explanation.

when you first told me, i thought you were messing with me.

let's try to force the handle.

still think splitting up was the right move?

personally, i think we're in deep shit here.

maybe the answer lies down the one path we haven't taken yet.

this is fucking crazy, we have no clue what we're getting ourselves into.

[ NAME ], you need to see this.

we were never meant to make it out of here.

i can't see for shit.

you keep saying you're in charge, so... you first.

we can't stay here.

you ever have any family here?

it's already been a hell of a night, but i'm sure we'll pull through.

you don't know that it's safe.

let us pray in silence.

i've done no wrong!

i do not deserve death, i beg you!

who are you ? and how come you look just like [ NAME ]?

the devil is in the wind, seeking to help his own.

[ NAME ], let us conclude our business here swiftly.

[ LOCATION ] is already lost, shrouded in evil!

the devil takes many forms, you know that better than any!

while [ NAME ] still draws breath, [ LOCATION ] is beyond salvation.

i don't know how to tell you what i just saw.

give me a moment, will you? i've just gone through something pretty rough.

what the hell is that?!

don't leave me behind!

i'm coming back for you, [ NAME ]! hold on!

reach out and grab my hand!

that was really quite close.

not that there's anything particularly wrong with death.

that gun might prove to be a lifesaver. or the precise opposite.

this must be very confusing for you right now.

i dare say we'll find out, hmm?

what in the name of holy fuck was that?

it was like something from a nightmare, did you see how it looked?

whatever that thing was, it's gone now.

thank god we're okay.

you are going to tell me right now what happened.

let's ... stay away from that.

i'm all for putting as much distance between us and that hideous thing as possible.

can't a guy get some peace around here?

i don't think there is another way.

[ LOCATION ] isn't a place i want to revisit.

i'm taking this to protect you.

why can't you leave me alone?

it could be leading us into danger, even a trap!

stay close ... who knows what's up ahead.

what did they do to deserve that?

(starters inspired by too many drinks, city lights, and the kind of honesty that only comes after midnight)

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐑 𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆

“You look like you could use another drink… or a bad decision.”

“Don’t tell me you came here alone.”

“I’m not drunk, I’m just—emotionally flexible right now.”

“One more round, and I might actually tell you what I’m thinking.”

“I didn’t plan on running into you here.”

“You’ve got that look—like you’re either about to confess something or start a fight.”

“You’re staring again. Should I take that as an invitation?”

“You ever think about how many bad ideas start with a shot glass?”

“You dance like you’re trying to forget something.”

“It’s way past decent hours—what are you still doing out?”

𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆, 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓

“You can stop pretending you’re fine. Nobody believes it after their third drink.”

“I thought you didn’t drink anymore.”

“It’s funny—liquor makes you honest, but you still can’t say what you really want, can you?”

“You shouldn’t walk home alone. I’ll come with you.”

“You always talk like this when you’ve had too much.”

“You smell like smoke and regret. It suits you.”

“Let’s make a pact—we don’t talk about this in the morning.”

“You shouldn’t have kissed me. But I’m not asking you to stop.”

“You ever get drunk enough to think the world might love you back?”

“We’re both going to regret this tomorrow, aren’t we?”

𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑, 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐏

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done? I’ll go first.”

“Tell me a truth—just one. The kind you’d never say sober.”

“You’re going to forget this conversation in the morning, right?”

“If I told you I missed you, would you blame the alcohol?”

“You keep drinking like you’re trying to forget something. Or someone.”

“I didn’t mean to call you. My hands just remembered your number.”

“Why are you crying? Don’t tell me it’s just the gin.”

“You said you don’t love me anymore, but you’re still here.”

“Do you ever wonder how we got this lost?”

“Sometimes, I think the night listens better than people do.”

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐖 — quiet streets, unspoken things

“I’ll walk you home. You can pretend you don’t need me to.”

“It’s too late for goodbyes, isn’t it?”

“We shouldn’t have let it get this far.”

“You can hold my hand. Just for tonight.”

“Do you ever wish you’d met me sober?”

“Don’t fall asleep yet. The world feels softer when it’s still spinning.”

“Stay until the city forgets our names.”

“You look different under the streetlights.”

“Promise me you won’t vanish when morning comes.”

“I don’t know what I’ll remember most — the taste of the drink, or you.”

And so she leant into her King as they walked, perfectly content to stay as close to him as possible. The scent of the roses flooded her nose moments later, and she inhaled contentedly.

“Ha! No,” she reassured; as adventurous as she felt, the lake was too far away at this stage of pregnancy. Cenred would have been in bits trying to dissuade her. “No lake today. The roses are enough, mo ghrá.”

Delicately, Lilé stroked petals with her fingers, caressed rich green leaves. The thorns did not seem inclined to seek tribute, for which she was happily relieved. With a single click of her fingers, her shoes disappeared, leaving her feet bare on the grass. Pleased, Lilé flexed her toes, a blissful smile emerging.

He smiled, staying near-glued to his mate's side, as he watched her brush her fingertips against the petals and the leaves. "Of course. We can come out here whenever you wish, but you must promise me you won't try without me," he insisted, although it seemed the bond itself would not allow her to leave the safety of their rooms, unaccompanied.

“Fine. I will not go without you.”

She half turned to caress the petals of a wondrous white and bruise-purple bloom, only to feel his protective hand on the swell of her stomach. His words made her sigh again, although this time with affection.