(♞) Trapped & Alone

She couldn’t help it. Apologies were the only words her lips could shape. Her heart was grieving too much to allow for anything but. 

Her shoulders tense at the sudden contact, not expecting him to be able to even lift his hand. She blinks, tears rolling off her lashes && making their way down her stained cheeks,&& lifts her free hand to meet his. She traces little circles on the back of his fingers, hoping offer him some comfort in what appeared to be his final moments.

Her lips tremble as she raises her brow at him, “ Wha- ”

The warm light breaks her focus. She glances down at her hand && sees the glow emitting from his wound, sees the edges of his wounds closing. Her heart skips a beat as her eyelids flutter, blinking away the last of her tears. 

“ Kra-kravitz what’s– ”

As soon as the words flow from her lips, the light from her hand shines BRIGHTER. The paladin inhales sharply; completely unaware of how she was doing this but not willing to question it, fearing if she did–for even a moment–it would disappear.

“ Kr-kravitz I, I don’t know what’s going on b-but I’m… I-I’m sure it’s ok. It’s ok. You’re going to be ok. ”  Corners of her lips pull up in something sort of resembling a smile, “ T-tell me something. Anything. Keep your eyes on me, ok? Just… ”  She blinks, smile becoming more identifiable now,  “ Tell me about your family, Kravitz.  You know all about me and, and the ones I love. What about you? ”

     The warmth was welcome, comforting. It swept through him like a tidal wave, carrying away the majority of the pain that strung him along. The tie to the plane kept growing stronger, thickening wth Julia’s assistance. The wound starting to close. 

     The ex-bard can’t help, but give a shuddering breathe of awe. It grew brighter, growing warmer, and he lulled his head back. Eyes blinked, slowly, as if still coming to the realization that he wasn’t dead. 

     “ I’m going to be ok. ” It was a weird phrase to mutter when you were quite sure that this would be your last second on this plane. She smiled, and he couldn’t help, but give his own. It was weak, tired, but it was there. He did as directed, eyes scaning back up to his best friend’s features. 

                             there’s  something  like  laughter.    a  throaty  chuckle  that  swells  from  deep  within  stomach  /  releases  in  form  of  elation  &  tension  seems  to  die  on  impact.     or  …  something  like  that.    it’s  still  a  little  awkward  &  he  doesn’t  quite  know  where  to  put  hands  or  direct  gaze,     but  magnus  is  brighter.    smiles  a  little  wider,     lets  shoulders  fall  with  release  of  this  sudden  weight  from  him  as  other  speaks  /  lets  himself  soften.    a  shrug  as  hands  raise  to  rest  on  waist  &  chin  tilts  elsewhere.    lips  purse  /  he  considers  question.    ❝   well,    yea.    i  figured  that  one  out  myself,   my  man.    i  didn’t,   like,    think  you  were  here  to  see  merle  or  whatever,    you  know  ?   ❞     tone  is  almost  something  condescending,    though  smile,    genuine  now,    once  more  finds  home  on  corners  of  lips  before  question  warrants  enough  for  pause  &  brow  quirks  in  honest  confusion.    ❝   huh  ?  oh  —  uh,    i’m  …  not  sure,    actually  ?  just  some  …  wacky  roommate  biz,   i  guess.     dude’s  in  a  hurry,    our  pants  look  vaguely  the  same  if  you  squint  hard  enough,    he’s  a  little  shit  …   you  know  how  it  is.    it  might  also  have  something  to  do  with  the  fact  that  it’s  his  turn  to  do  the  laundry,    though,     but  i’unno  if  your  relationship’s  at  the  stage  where  i  can  start  puttin’  your  boyfriend  on  blast  like  that.     i  think  he  left  his  stone  of  far  speech  here,    so  that  idea’s  kinda  kaput,     but  you’re,   uh,    free  to  stay  here  ’till  he  gets  back  !  i,    for  one,   have  been  dyin’  to  hear  whatever  hot  goss  you  got  on  taak.   ❞ 

The laughter does make him feel better, makes it feel like the situation wasn’t as strange as he was making it. Even though one of them was still PANTSLESS. Kravitz’s fingers curl around his chin, rubbing the smooth space there. 

The slight condescension didn’t fit with the genuine smile, making him take a few minutes in attempting to undeerstand the aura that the other was trying to give off. A few seconds of this gave him no true answer, chalking it up to just how the other was. 

When his next statement was answered, he nodded once, “ That makes sense, he does seem the type. ” 

An affectionate laugh was given, before he cleared his throat, eyes directing away from the other to glance around their room for a few moments more. So he left his stone of far speech there, that left few options. 

“ Thank you, that would probably be for the best, but... hot goss ? ” He frowned, the term being unfamiliar to him, though he could assume it only made details or rumors he’s learned.

“ Like what ? ”

“I mean…I’m not gonna say ‘no’ to a kiss on th’ hand, my dude…” [he snorts, covering his mouth with his free hand. Lacing his fingers back with Kravitz’s hand.]

“Mmm, I was thinkin’ we could…I mean, maybe it sounds kinda lame compared to our usual outings but uhh…I was. Thinkin’ we could get some stuff from th’ market aaaaand maybe…Iunno, cook something…?” [There’s a hesitance in his voice and the way he looks at Kravitz. For one, because it was…it sounded tame compared to the usual glitzy places Taako would take him, but also…it was quite a rare thing for Taako to want to cook for anyone, these days. Especially people he cared about. But he figured if there was someone doing the cooking with him…there’s be less a chance of messing it up, right?]

He chuckles lightly with the other, tilting his head slightly at the other’s offer. A smile decorated his features quietly, nodding once. He had seen Taako cook a few times previous, but had never been able to eat anything created. Curiosity had gathered inthe reaper, and now given the opportunity, he actually felt himself looking forward to it. 

“ That’s not lame at all. That sounds exceptional. ”

He feels himself being... more careful then he usually was with Taako right now. Maybe it was the nervousness that radiated from him, the slight hesitance in the offer. 

    “ Oh, Kr-kravitz… ” 

Grief pumps through her veins as she weeps, silvery && glittery tears rolling down her cheeks and falling onto the ground below. Julia’s hands shake as she continues to press on the wound, being careful not to press too hard but finding it harder && harder to hold on to her self control. The newly appointed paladin had lost so much in so little time; barely enough time to properly grieve over them. The now very real possibility of losing Kravitz as well, who meant so much to her as her best friend, was just too much for Julia to take.

“ I-I’m s-s-sorry, I-I’m s-so-so s-sorry… ”

Sorry for losing. Sorry for failing to protect him. Sorry for dragging him into her whirlwind. Sorry for not staying in her plane like she was supposed to and wait for her loved one like everyone else had done. Her heart aches with every rapid beat. She eases the pressure on his wound; her experiences in medicine, though limited, told her there was nothing she could do now. Her tears blind her as her heart breaks over again.

Julia never took the time to get accustomed to or even become aware of her new abilities as a Paladin of the Raven Queen. It was all such a blur; too caught up in the excitement of becoming something new && winning her fight && being able to see her Maggie again—not just once, but whenever she would like to. She was unaware of the power && righteousness flowing through her. She was unaware of the divine Healing Pool in her.

Too distracted by her grief, Julia doesn’t notice her hands beginning to warm && glow a faint white. She doesn’t notice the blood flow beginning to cease. She doesn’t notice that, slowly but surely, she begins to  HEAL  him.

Tears were the last thing he wanted to see across her face, forcing a deeper frown across him. One made out of slightly displeasure and not just pain. A stuttering gasp escaped him as he felt more pressure applied, forcing the look from him. 

His hand flew out, grabbing her’s and squeezing tightly, a comfort to give her.

“ Stop apologizing; it’s not your fault, Julia. You have nothing to apologize for. ”

He squeezed once more, eyes flickering to look at her. Dark maroon watched her, pupils flickering across her features, attempting to see if the words had gotten through to her.

Kravitz closed his eyes, exhaustion pooling in his stomach and flooding through the rest of his limbs, making it hard to move them. A few moments of attempting to gather any strength were for naught, but it did allow him to recognize the warmth spreading across his wound. 

Eyes fluttered open, gaze flickering down to the bite, no longer feeling blood running from his body. He noticed the way his strength remained stagnant. He was still exhausted, but he wasn’t getting weaker. 

“ Pfft, what makes you say that? ”

Despite the teasing, Kravitz was right. Julia was utterly exhausted. It was true the aspects didn’t require any sort of sleep  ( being, well, DEAD )  &&the workload Raven was giving her wasn’t bad. But there was something churning in the pit of her stomach. Something she couldn’t shake. Physically, Julia was just fine. Mentally, she was strained.

Flashbacks && memories to that fateful day plagued her every waking moment.

“ Hey, um, ” She began to fidget with the hem of her apron,  “ Can I talk to you about something? That’s… That’s been bothering me lately. ”

“ I can just tell... I have been at this for quite awhile. ”

Kravitz gave her a slight concerned look, watchig as cogs began to churn in is friend’s mind. His eyes searched her face, trying to figure out what was going on to exhaust her this way. Finding nothing, he tore his eyes away hoping that she would give the explanation herself.

A few seconds later, he was proven correct.

His eyes flickered up to her when she spoke up, watching her fidget. At the question, a kind smile decorated his face, hovering his hand over her shoulder for a few beats before settling it there.

    Oh,  that was kind of…horrifying.  But he just kept a tiny dark hand resting around his wand,  not raised and not looking to start a fight;  just doing his best to keep himself calm,  it was a habit.  So,  just looking up towards the man  –  Kravitz  –  he nodded,  eyes already looking him over for the Bureau’s telltale bracer that everyone on the moon should have.  And when he didn’t spot one and Angus was back to focusing on his fac–oh!

    “Oh!  I know you,  sir,  you were at the Chug n’ Squeeze with Taako!”  He suddenly seemed a little more relaxed,  if not a bit excited.  “I’m Angus McDonald,  sir!”

Seeing the child’s face light up with recognition confused him. Kravitz had never seen this child, so unless he was mistaking him for someone else, there was no way         

At the mention of Taako’s name, Kravitz’s blinked a bit, surprised. When he uttered his own name, his own burst of recognition lit up his features. Taako had often mentioned a boy named Angus McDonald that he was attempting to teach magic. This must be that Angus McDonald.

“ Well... nice to meet you, Angus. ”

[ Taako listens, nodding his head lightly. Of course, the whole crew was worried about this whole…dealing with the Hunger thing. But he kind of supposed it wouldn’t do them good if they worried about it 24/7. He tilts his head, just sort of looking at Kravitz for a while.]

“ …I’m worried about it, not gonna lie. We all are…but you know. I like your thinking.” [ He wags a finger, lightly.]

“…I can, uhh. I’ll help you out if ya want, Krav. just say th’ word. Studying on free time ain’t exactly my vibe, usually, but….I want to help, if I can.”

     A smile played across his lips, fingers curling around his pencil. Fingers swept it back and forth, a mindless action to keep his busy hands moving. He tucked a strand of his own hair behind his ear.

     “ Yeah, we just got to keep trying. Maybe something will pop out at us eventually. ”

     At the offer, he blinked, surprised by the offer. He nodded once, tapping his pencil across the paper 

Send 💋+ a number to kiss my Muse! || ACCEPING

13: On the jawline.

Even though he didn’t need to sleep, Kravitz could feel himself fading off as his head lay in the other’s lap, his fingers brushing through his hair lightly. He fought off the sleep as much as he could, only a few times catching himself before completely sinking under. Sleepy eyes roamed upward after feeling a slight pressure against his jaw. Eyes sparkled as he curled closer, fingers reaching for the other’s hand to hold.

[He looks…touched, by the gesture, actually, his face turns a shade of red and his ears flick back lightly. A grin on his features.]

“So formal, what a fuckin’ nerd….”

His lips quirked, face returning from the surface of the other’s hand. A greeting that he gave when meeting the other for another outing. His features flickered to a smile when the reaction he got was immediate. 

“ Formal, yes, but you seemed to have liked it, so... worth the comment. ”

He straightened, hand not leaving the other’s, instead intertwining.