DASHING AND BRAVE

not quite angrily, not quite as pointedly as one in her position perhaps had ought to be. instead, there is a small, defeated smirk that curls there at the edges of her mouth, almost in mocking. the stupid, hopeful little girl, who made friends with the anonymous sailor boy. the very same one whom she did not think further to investigate the background of. she had simply... trusted him. she had simply had faith. she had planted a sense of nobility she thought everyone would aspire to.

she trusted the queen as well. she had absolute faith in her father. whatever she commanded, rhea had been so willing to follow. whatever he decreed to be good for the prospect of their house's future, rhea had believed. she had sought so much of honour at the feet of the targaryens, hoped so much that there'd be a day when such injustice will finally be met with consequences — they do not. now the queen is kept in her crypt; her lord husband make his way through the street of silks or any whore houses who would accept him.

rhea is left with the pieces. she has always been left with only pieces.

how shocked could she be that it is the same with klaus ?

❝  not entirely. as i've said, one either lies, or he does not. you must choose your poison, your grace. the boy i knew was no king. he was the son of a sea merchant. he was— kind, and adventurous, and lively. he was... he is dear to me.  ❞

and the sea took him. or rather, a war had emerged, and rhea was already someone else's bride that longing and wishful letters would have been inappropriate; salacious, at most, for her to send. or maybe it's a different option altogether : klaus had never existed. therefore, why would the summers they spent together be any more real than her marriage which is entirely only in name ?

still, is this not hurt that lodges itself deep in her throat ? is this not heartache that she feels when her brown eyes land on him, as if re-visiting whether he is there at all, that he has not yet disappeared, not existing in some distant imagination she remembers holding on to in the early years when he was gone, and her marriage was slowly unfolding itself to be a ruined one, an abandoned one ? when she looks to him, does apart of her not want to spring into his arms, to fly back into their past, to spring down those shores and hills and gather the shells and berries for the picking ?

how could that not be real ? how could that not have existed ? why would he lie at all ? — rhea does not ask any of that. instead,

rhea is the one person who knows him. not his title, or his accomplishments, or any of his many claims to fame ( for there are many ) which have spread across the world. despite all the lies, and again there were way too many, he was always himself around her. she got to see not just a glimpse of the man behind the masks, but the full picture; never obsfucated, or eclipsed. in front of her, in spite of all of it, the truth reigned supreme.

his version of the full truth, anyway.

❛⠀⠀i might as well be. i've heard rumors i'm the son of a footman, of a diplomat from westeros, and even the bastard son of a powerful sorcerer. i have no idea which one is the truth, but i can assure you, i'm the son of no king. ⠀ ⠀ ❜ ⠀ ⠀nikolai knows that this is not what she meant. rhea was attempting to build a wall between them by pointing out the hundreds of lies he used to build their kingdom. the only weapon he has in his arsenal against such a defense, is a frontal attack, shattering the wall with the truth.

he is the son of no king. the bastard prince of ravka, their king of scars.

❛⠀⠀ don't misunderstand me. i wouldn't wish to be the son of a sailor. i have a duty to my kingdom. you understand that. ⠀ ⠀ ❜

more than anyone, she's always understood the burdens of duty. nikolai goes in search of it now. it was a subject he couldn't indulge her as a child, only listening politely, asking few questions, trying to not let it show how much he was absorbing and using it to build his own code.

now he comes charging forward, hand reaching forward between them.

and elia does not for a moment believe that he does not know it.

but though her fingers should perhaps not be trusted with anything but her music, to suggest as much would be to admit her error, and to him she cannot. when his crew demands to know what she was thinking, she may humbly apologize and confess that she herself does not know. but to him, instead, she laughs.

❛ you'll deny anything and anyone, when it suits you. ❜ and therein lies the whole problem, for it doesn't suit him to relinquish the damn hat. he may act chivalrous all he wishes, but she knows better.

not even the open-ended, oh-so-dangerous promise of something better had tempted him from the hat, yet still she changes tactics once more. placing her hands upon his chest, she pretends to consider the hat. ❛ while you and I appreciate it properly, I think your crew is going to hate me for it. I'd rather they not decide I'm their enemy and take a page out of your book when it comes to stabbing enemies in the back the next time I'm on the ship. ❜

as a prince, he can only have one love, ravka, and the seas already claimed their position as his mistress, when he dons his privateer garb. there shouldn’t be any space in his heart for her to worm her way into. and yet she is there all the same, with her twinkling eyes and spirited laugh, unbeknownst to him, she slipped past his defenses and claimed the land.

pesky girl.

she thinks he knows what she means. the endless assembly with ravkan officials and vasily. they go on and on and on, taking up precious time they can instead allocate to strategize further about the darkling. to figure out how they can find the firebird. the empty circle of alina's wrist burns like a brand, impressing an undeniable urgency in her to find the third amplifier, to be complete. ❛ if i can get access to the older maps and have the time to scour them, maybe i can find the ruins behind the firebird in the illustrations. ❜ she and mal can go and hunt the mythical beast, just like they did morozova's herd. maybe if they get away from this place, they can salvage whatever it is that remains of their friendship.

he pulls up the chair next to her, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, perching his head on a closed fist to look up at her. as horrible as these meetings are, they are also necessary, his presence there is paramount in order to ensure that vasily doesn't find a new way to screw up the war campaign, that the soldiers get the resources they need. he can't not go.

but there are other ways to comply with her request.

there is no victory without their sun summoner.

if she wants to be selfish for a change, he isn't going to act as her jailor. besides, the rogue is a role which suits him far better.

hands.  for your muse to take a hold of my muse’s hand.

tie.  for your muse to adjust an article of clothing on my muse.

combat.  for our muses to train together in combat.

pin.  for your muse to pin mine to ( the ground / the wall / a surface ).

push.  for your muse to push mine in a playful manner.

shove.  for your muse to shove mine in an aggressive manner.

tend.  for your muse to help tend to my muse’s injuries.

trace.  for your muse to trace their hand along my muse’s ( skin / scars ).

gag.  for your muse to place their hand over my muse’s mouth, to try to keep them quiet.

kiss.  for your muse to kiss my muse.

hair.  for your muse to brush my muse’s hair from their face.

pull.  for your muse to pull my muse close to them.

sit.  for your muse to encourage mine to sit and rest.

lap.  for your muse to pull my muse onto their lap.

tackle.  for your muse to tackle my muse to the ground.

fight.  for your muse to physically attack my muse ( by hitting / punching / kicking / etc).

neck.  for your muse to place their hand around my muse’s neck.

throat.  for your muse to hold something against my muse’s throat.

collapse.  for your muse to catch mine, preventing them from falling to the ground.

carry.  for your muse to insist on carrying my muse when injured.

warmth.  for our muses to seek warmth from each other, after being caught in a ( snow storm / rain shower ).

morning after.  for our muses to wake up together the next morning, after having a one night stand.

wake.  for your muse to wake mine up by kissing their ( shoulder / neck / lips / etc ).

dance.  for your muse to force my muse to dance with them.

drink.  for our muses to spend time together whilst drunk.

swim.  for our muses to go for a late night swim.

intimacy.  for our muses to embrace each other after sex.

death.  for your muse to comfort mine after they have lost a loved one.

Is anybody dead back there?

 What happened to your hand?!

I got hit.

… but let’s make sure that I’m tucked in bed before we do anything…

 I’m really fine.

I hit my head on the ground.

I wouldn’t know anything about that.

Didn’t you hear me shouting for you?

Are you– are you in a lot of pain?

Are you lying?

You are brave.

I’m just so happy to see you.

When all this is over, tell the press, don’t tell the press. It’s entirely up to you.

Tell me what’s happening!

I shouldn’t be at this meeting.

[name] was cutting me off because he knew I was gonna say that. He knew I was gonna say that because I have said it, what?

It’s what magicians call “misdirection.”

You don’t seem to be having a very good time lately.

In the meantime, cheer up, and get off my ass.

Why does he yell at the squirrels?

I mean, we’re dumb, but we’re not that dumb.

Nah. I think we’re exactly that dumb.

You want to go grab a hot dog or something?

I’m saying, I’m just, um, I’m um, having a brain problem.

Okay. Listen, I should go, I got to go. I should let you—

It’s good seeing you. I miss you.

I can’t believe no one ever wrote a folk song about that.

You’ve got a pretty bad poker face.

I don’t understand. I don’t understand, is – is it serious?

I’ll get back to you on that.

I don’t believe [name] knows more than I do; I just believe they’re willing to tell you more.

There’ll be free chicken.

Well, there was a while back there when I was in elementary school.

You gotta be impressed with my consistency.

I have no new information since the last time you asked me that question.

Do you enjoy losing?

You really didn’t understand any of that, right?

Yeah, I screwed you on that one.

I understand the point he was making. I was sitting next to him when he made it, my ears are connected to my brain just like every body else.

So you made that decision on your own.

I think you’ll find I’ll be making a lot of decisions on my own so get used to it.

Act as if ye have faith and faith shall be given to you. Put it another way, fake it till you make it.

Do you want to throw some water on your face?

You know, I should ask. Is there anything I’m supposed to be doing right now?

I have a thing. I have a thing I was going to mention, just a proposal to throw out there.

We had an expression, “no idea was too stupid to say out loud,” so here it is, bear me out.

That’s a perfectly fair question. What the hell are you talking about?

I think I have an obligation.

And it’s also the right thing to do.

Congratulations, and it must, you know, feel good being that powerful.

He thinks you’re a smart mouth.

Yeah, well, maybe, kind of, uh, try to feel your way to dry land?

I’m climbing out of the pool, my clothes will be clingy, avert your eyes!

Nothing. I’d rather not do it, but obviously.

There’s no way that you can exceed expectations, all you can hope for is an “as expected”, and there’s always the possibility that you could embarrass yourself.

He’s very easy to like, once you get to know him.

I may have been overstating it a little.

Okay, when I said I graduated, I may have been overstating a little?

I think that question is of a personal nature?

Look. I think I might be good at this.

I think you might find me valuable.

Why not? I saved your life.

I didn’t want you to feel beholden to me. I didn’t want it to be like an episode of “I Dream of Jeannie” where now you have to save my life …the time-space continuum, where you have to follow me around with coconut oil and hot towels…

Can I have my necklace back?

You can say it, you know. It’s not like I haven’t heard it before.

In the meantime, you want to kick something, kick me.

I have to go. — Firebird. You’d really leave me to rally the troops at Zvedya all by myself? — Guess you’ll have to “focus on the task at hand, saving Ravka.” – I love it when you quote me.

Lines taken from episodes s01e20 - s01e36 of the web series Carmilla. Feel free to change as needed. Part one is here.

❛ This need of yours to document everything borders the pathological. ❜

❛ Posterity doesn’t care. I should know, I live in it. ❜

❛ Whoa, you can’t tell it like that, like some boring history lesson! This is dangerous! This is exciting! This is flashback material! ❜

❛ You don’t think perhaps this makes light of my tragic back story? ❜

❛ I knew nothing of her, except she was very old and very wise and had pried apart the jaws of death to enact my rescue. ❜

❛ The wide world did open before me in death as it had never been in life. ❜

❛ I was never an abductor. I was a lure. ❜

❛ I couldn’t bear to give her up. ❜

❛ I had taken great lengths to hide what I was from her. But, [ name ] went to her in secret and revealed my true nature in the most horrifying light. ❜

❛ And so, my price for the disobedience was to watch [ name ] be taken away to some…certain doom. ❜

❛ I pretended to go along. I had no choice! ❜

❛ There can be great satisfaction in small revenges. ❜

❛ It doesn’t change the fact that my mom will scoop out your eyeballs and serve them in martinis. ❜

❛ Sorry, I’m not on board with untying someone who may eat me. ❜

❛ Pop culture has so much to answer for. ❜

❛ That’s some big talk, fresh meat. ❜

❛ Untie me and we’ll find out. That is what you’re here for, isn’t it? ❜

❛ Oh, yeah, victims who fight back are so inconvenient. ❜

❛ We don’t kill the targets! ❜

❛ Thank you for not letting him eat me. ❜

❛ That’s it? You just use me as a human juice box and I don’t even get an explanation? ❜

❛ Ugh, I’m a vampire and I’m pissed off. What were you expecting? ❜

❛ You never had much of a chance anyway. Sorry, cutie. Nothing personal. ❜

❛ Funny the way things work out, huh? ❜

❛ Fine. But only because I have nothing resembling a better plan. ❜

❛ Ugh, what are you whining about now? ❜

❛ Ethics are a ridiculous game played by children who think they can impose order on an arbitrary universe. ❜

❛ But the fact that we’re both not messily dead bodes well. ❜

❛ At what point in the last century did people give up on knocking? ❜

❛ The vampires loose. Why is the vampire loose? ❜

❛ Feel like telling me the secrets of your antediluvian vampire cult today? ❜

❛ So, after everything that she’s done to you, your big revenge is to be annoying? ❜

❛ And you know how you get to be centuries old? You pick your battles. ❜

❛ Not to ruin your big heroic entrance, Xena, but she’s not the one in trouble. ❜

❛ I have been doing my very best to be patient about the ambush and the hostage-taking and the starvation diet, but I am having difficulty remembering why it is I haven’t torn out your spine. ❜

❛ I was just…I was scared for you. ❜

❛ I care about you! Of course it’s my job to keep you safe. ❜

❛ Well, I’m sorry that my making my own decisions and being reckless is making it hard for you to do your job. ❜

❛ I like you. I really do. I like that you’re brave and strong and all kinds of righteous, but I don’t need a dad. I’ve already got that one covered. ❜

❛ It’s just, me and you…needing different things, y’know? ❜

❛ God, I hate this place. ❜

❛ So, it was kind of a long night last night. Seems the Alchemy Club lost control of this giant underground fungus. ❜

❛ Okay, you can stop pretending to be all callous and indifferent. They saw you save me. ❜

❛ Side note: what is it with people trying to burn that place down? Didn’t they already torch it back in 1904? ❜

❛ Well, nobody likes theater students. ❜

❛ Did you see [ name ] out there? Good thing she’s on our side, cause that was violent. ❜

❛ Yeah, I’d steer clear of her for a little while. Especially if she’s armed. ❜

❛ Yeah, sure. Okay, let’s just dissect my deeply painful past in excruciating detail. ❜

❛ Uh, yeah, crushes-on-vampires. ❜

❛ No! No. Okay. These are not things that happen. Vampires and evil, weird brain parasites, and giant mushrooms? No. ❜

❛ This needs to stop happening. I demand this stops happening. Just…be normal! ❜

❛ I get that this is all big fun for you. But you can’t just expect everyone to go along with all of this insanity. ❜

❛ Like it or not, weird is the way it is. ❜

❛ Yeah, or maybe just for tonight we stuff our faces with popcorn and watch bad scifi. ❜

❛ Blood…there was blood everywhere again. ❜

❛ Nothing should shine like that. Like the rotted heart of the world. ❜

❛ So, that’s not creepy. ❜

❛ Awesome. I didn’t need to sleep again ever. ❜

❛ Not to get all fascinated by weird things, but maybe it’s a clue. ❜

❛ How did you idiots ever trap me? ❜

❛ And since, uh, the subbasement where the archives are housed only exists after dark, a day trip was out of the question. ❜

❛ We are ready for the weird. We thrive on it. We tape our flamethrowers to our pulse rifles and we make the weird submit. ❜

❛ So we survived the research trip! Which, we should probably never speak of again. ❜

❛ Because somebody really did get absorbed into the Library catalogue. ❜

❛ Yeah, that’s the problem with the existence of horrors from beyond the dawn of time. Their lack of subtlety. ❜

❛ Eh, 1871 was a dull year. I decided to read Gilgamesh. ❜

❛ I thought I’d just…check to make sure you weren’t dead. And you’re not. So, that’s fine. ❜

❛ Don’t start expecting heroic vampire crap from me, cupcake. ❜

❛ I sure as hell know better than to spit in the eye of something old enough to think it’s a god. ❜

❛ If you want me to stop having heroic notions about you, you should probably stop saving my life. ❜

❛ I did dream about that weird black cat thing again, but I think that’s just my subconscious being weird. ❜

❛ If anyone had told me before college that fighting evil required this much paperwork, I would not have believed them. ❜

❛ Because A) she meddled in things that were none of her business, B) Did you really think we wouldn’t find out what you were up to C) we are ancient and terrible D) None of you are safe; we’ll take anyone we want. ❜

❛ Told you I’m not the hero of this piece. ❜

❛ What if the last thing she remembers is that I was awful to her? ❜

❛ You are ridiculous and headstrong, and naive, and this whole Lois Lane, Jr. gig is doomed, okay? ❜

❛ You can send a dude to college, but you can’t make him think. ❜

❛ Must be nice sometimes, though. To be normal. Or oblivious. ❜

❛ We drank a lot and danced like fools. Waltzing was fun. It had a frisson scandal back then. ❜

❛ Partners were face-to-face. Chest to chest. All of that, um…whirling. In 1698, it may as well have been sex. ❜

❛ Worst crush ever. ❜

❛ Are we calling the police? Possibly hiring a private investigator? Mercenaries? Bloodthirsty killers for hire? We can do that, right? ❜

❛ Is that new stuff appearing on the book because you spilled blood on it? Right, of course it is. ❜

❛ God, this just gets creepier and creepier. ❜

❛ What do you mean I’m back? I didn’t go anywhere. Did I…go somewhere? ❜

❛ Please tell me you didn’t waste an entire day making brownies. ❜

❛ Well, why does anyone start a cult? Wealth, power, eternal youth, to get back at people you knew in high school… ❜

❛ Did you record your own kidnapping? ❜

❛ Well, hey! If we get sucked into an underground evil, your deadline will be moved. ❜

❛ Can I have an extension on my term paper? Just for, like, a week, until the big soul-sucking ritual I have to thwart is over. ❜

❛ If you can’t keep your supernatural affairs in order long enough to get your assignments done, that’s your business. ❜

❛ This place was cleaner when you were tied up. ❜

❛ We just need something a little epic quest and a little more “borrowed from the museum of warfare and atrocities”. Maybe a nice bazooka… ❜

❛ Don’t be an idiot. Of course I’m doing it for you. ❜

❛ You didn’t come when I sent for you. ❜

❛ So if you’re gonna kill me, why not just come yourself? ❜

❛ Kill you? When you think of the lengths I’ve gone to save you from your own foolishness? No, but I thought we should talk without your little “friends” listening in. ❜

❛ Threats to the Sacrifice cannot be tolerated. One day, you’ll understand. ❜

❛ I think you’re a practical girl and you’ll see that everything I do, I do for the best. ❜

❛ That silly little creature couldn’t’ve loved you ❜

❛ Oh, darling, there’s no way for you to fight and nothing to fight with. Sometimes, that’s just the way of the world. And we must learn to bear it as best we can. ❜

❛ So if it’s all doomed, why even bother coming to tell me? ❜

❛ I thought I’d offer you a deal. If you can keep your little…pet here from making more trouble, I’ll let you keep her. ❜

❛ Y’know, we’re up to being big damn heroes. ❜

❛ Remember, she’s safe so long as you keep her from meddling. If either of you get in the way again, all bets are off. ❜

❛ I will feel a lot better when we are all together and heavily-armed. ❜

❛ This plan keeps you safe. It keeps your friends here safe. That’s all we can do. ❜

❛ You’re right; it’s all that we can do, but what if there were more of us? ❜

❛ And then, unfortunately, I was hit in the head with a tomato. ❜

❛ And like all of their arguments, it quickly escalated into a free-for-all, with paintballs and quarterstaff combat and no concern for the destruction of property. ❜

❛ I won’t let you take her. ❜

❛ After everything, you didn’t even try. ❜

❛ Go away. Go run and hide. We’re done. ❜

❛ So, college isn’t turning out quite like I thought it would. ❜

❛ I won’t try and force you. There’s no way that we can win. We might not even be able to make a dent. ❜

❛ Some things are more important than whether you can win. ❜

❛ Goddamnit. Of all the imbecilic, idiot, suicidal…you just had to go and get yourself eaten. ❜

❛ I just got a text “Trapped in basement of old chapel. Come quick. Bring stakes.” ❜

❛ Yeah, I think we’re supposed to be filming our soppy heartfelt goodbyes or something. ❜

❛ We won. We actually won. We won, and [ name ]’s dead. ❜

❛ No, no, no, no. That was hardcore. We do not apologize for the hardcore. ❜

❛ The light was everywhere. You could see these figures in it, reaching out for you. ❜

❛ Y’know, I really am starting to hate this heroic vampire crap. ❜

❛ Oh, and she was doing the whole “you fools, you don’t know what you’ve done, you’ll regret this, zombies will eat your liver, blah blah blah blah” ❜

❛ People are finally coming around, realizing they probably should have been upset about going to a school that serves eyeballs in the cafeteria, has safety protocols for escaped cacodemons, and where mortal combat is a prerequisite for tenure. ❜

❛ You did it. You saved [ name ]. You saved almost everyone. ❜

❛ God, her sole possessions are, like, a pile of empty wallets and some punk rock t-shirts. ❜

❛ I’m gonna need all of the bleach. God, how did you not die? ❜

❛ So, we think she’s … I mean, she seems dead, but she’s a vampire, right? ❜

❛ Are you hurt? It looks like maybe you’re hurt. And I’m sorry I hugged you so hard that you’re hurt, it- it’s just that you were dead and- and now you’re not and- ❜

❛ Posterity can bite me. I have better things to do. ❜

she will believe the most preposterous of tales and yet challenge the logic of another in the next breath. perhaps it is the most incredible of stories that she will accept without hesitation, while the closer one verges toward reality, the greater her expectations of credibility.

or, perhaps the difference lies in the storytelling — legends have a pacing to them, an age-old pull, a rhythm that makes them nearly impossible to ruin.

❛ you don't know how to tell a story, do you know that? you ought to have started there: the amateur collector offered something unique yet incomplete. the frustrating years while you held onto it, searching. the fortuitous request from your friend, who, though oblivious to its importance, offers you the map in the fjerdan's possession in exchange for your assistance. the heist itself, the danger, the success. the later revelation that the map was your missing piece... ❜

don’t get him wrong. he is a little bit miffed. he is an excellent storyteller, silver-tongued and talented at spinning words to create magic. and him? frustrated? that’s improbable. her character-building requires some work as well.

leaning against the railing, he crosses his arms over his chest, blonde fringe falling over his eyes as he tilts his head to the side expectantly.

elia had not been insinuating anything, truly; she had not thought fully through what the eventually she described would look like. yet, his interpretation will suffice.

❛ I mean, what greater impossible battle is there? I wouldn't think you'd be satisfied with anything less. what else will you do when you run out of legends and treasure troves to chase? you'd be bored without some ridiculous project to use your stolen luck on. ❜

❛⠀⠀ ⠀and what will i do with all that conquered land? play king, emperor? the problem with world domination is that you have to play administrator for the rest of your life. i would die of boredom, sitting pretty on a lacquered throne and reading about, oh, what do they even read about? crop rotations?⠀⠀ ⠀ ❜

he says the words as if they were poison, eyes wide with fear of this imaginary paperwork. in truth, prince nikolai could not get enough of it, reading everything he could get his hands on. a kingdom cannot feed itself on gold and glory.

the sight of her smile softens his features. nikolai is sill smirking, but it is filled with something new, something more amused than arrogant, roguish even.

she has other matters to attend to, after all. ❛ I am already complying with a big request of yours, and that isn't enough to justify parting with the cat you said a few minutes ago you aren't even sure is a cat? ❜ he all but goes back on his word already. previously, it had been I can't stop you and who am I to stand in your way, and now it is comply with a small request, as if she hasn't agreed to cooperate with his harebrained plan.

never mind that his harebrained plan appealed, that she could scarcely resist the lure of legend. she had not been hard to convince, a fact he will clearly make her regret.

ravka’s university did not approve of his butchering of their ancient, traditional language, but that is because next to tradition he scribbled ‘something to be destroyed and rebuilt’.

and so, it's with a smile that she accuses ❛ you're a pirate, ❜ in a semi-whisper, soft enough not to carry through the store. ❛ since when do you care about being impolite? but I will get you a better gift, just give me back the hat. ❜

❛⠀since i was a small child! my parents taught me to bow properly, compliment pretty ladies and stab my friends in the back when they least expect it.⠀⠀ ⠀ ❜⠀⠀ ⠀there is a short beat before he adds, ⠀⠀ ⠀❛⠀⠀i changed it to enemies.⠀⠀ ⠀ ❜⠀⠀ ⠀ his ridiculous little speech has the unexpected benefit of being the truth. he can preen and smile without worrying if he is going to step over a lie.