#glacialhero

          ❛   ah, yeah. I’d say you went a little overboard.   ❜

          typical. a little tap he says. there’s a shake of the head, his laughter hushed yet viciously sardonic. he’s trying to understand what process of thought made him consider aggression as a viable solution. the car was inanimate, harmless in its stillness. in what world was a punch an acceptable approach ? a finger raises to jut in the direction of Snow’s fresh wounds, pointing out the obvious.

✿ _____ Her final concoction is evenly distributed among three short glasses, expending the remaining contents of whichever liquor bottle had dwindled down the fastest by the end of the night. It shimmers a golden bronze beneath the sparse lighting of the closing cafe, and its pungent odor wafts past their nostrils as she slides the glasses across the counter, one at a time, toward their ready hands. Her own drink is then lifted in subtle ceremony, with her words cutting through their idle prattle.         

         again today was one of those days where she seemed to be running late. it happens quite a bit when Noel was out of town. she, often wandered to the library when she thought there was time to waste. today, she thought was one of those days --- unfortunately, it was not. she’s known about this arrangement for months now, but as of late she’s been pushed and shoved into meetings to make sure she was really ready to be the wife of a prince and a future queen. truthfully, she was not ready for either of those, but she’d oblige to the meetings, as they were inevitable. besides, if she were to take over for her mother she’d need to know more than she already did.

         if she ran fast enough, ( despite that not being a very good idea ), she might make it before they start sending search parties. but as her luck would have it, she trips over the bottom of her dress, and she’s preparing for impact with the ground with her eyes shut. she, however is shocked to find she’s ( rather forcefully ) fallen into something soft, but strangely, not falling. instead, she clings to whatever has caught her fall, it doesn’t register what it could be until she hears what she thinks is a chuckle.

✿ _____ ‘Tis not by any strong personal desire that she finds herself sequestered within the glittering confines of the finest jewelry shop in town that particularly sun-soaked afternoon. Rather, her dutiful presence is offered as support, born from the empathy that all but overwhelmed her the moment she saw her dear friend circling his third lap around the winding rows of display cases, helpless and fruitless. Although it seems as though they have already studied every piece of available inventory, weighing and re-weighing options of such trivial detail, neither stubborn soul is willing to admit defeat until the ideal solution is found -- an ideal accessory befitting the most ideal occasion.                

Idly does she wander to his side once more, with fingertips grazing along the top of a polished display case, amber eyes catching glimpses of the glinting metals and jewels that lay within. Engagement rings -- small, expensive promises of forever.