#sanctidente

It was a quiet and secluded area, well-beyond the palace grounds, that she would venture to feed strays less fortunate than the animals within her own stone walls. Jasper didn’t permit her to travel without appropriate levels of protection, which she found to be both sensible and reasonable - but there were times when those words were as far from her mind as they could get. After all, such restrictions did not allow for the freedom she so desperately sought.

Still, she had been fully-cloaked and shrouded from anyone that might recognise her, at least until she had reached her destination and tugged back the hood. This cat often leisured here, and seemed to be waiting for her to bring along scraps from the Mercurius kitchens each time she visited. 

This was routine for them, now, unlike the voice that called out to here. Ironically, though, her run-ins with this particular Sabertooth mage were becoming more frequent. Hopefully he wouldn’t tell her brother he’d seen her here... 

     “ Oh, Sting-san, it’s you  --- yes, I feed this cat quite often. I didn’t know anyone else was tending to them... I take it that’s what you came to do? ”

♡ @sanctidente

She raises her brows and simply focuses on her drink: plain orange juice, this time. Unsurprisingly, she finds it much easier to keep her unfocused stare fixed on the glass, than to meet Sterling's gaze.

Her eyes are tired, and, despite the ponytail, her hair's a mess, too. It's no wonder he's connecting dots to the obvious. ❝I actually haven't even started yet,❞ she admits, leaning against the counter rigidly.

❝I think this is... Maybe the longest I've ever gone on April fourth? No, I'm...❞ She trails off, setting the glass down as her fogged gaze lowers to the floor. ❝... Today's hard. My eyes are red 'cause I haven't really slept. And also because I needed to cry. A lot. Don't feel bad, Sting, I know─I look hungover.❞ She laughs, awkwardly.

The crash had broken her leg and a couple of fingers, but despite that, she had not noticed it until the paramedics took care of her. Sebastian had been taken from them too quickly for anyone to even have a chance at saving him.

She takes a breath. ❝Uh, today makes five years since my brother died. And it fucks me up. Usually, I run from this. I cope how I see fit... But last night I felt like I just... Needed to let it sink in.❞

For once.

She lifts her stare to meet his, and her hands ball up into fists. ❝I know I've never told you that. I try not to talk about it... Because I hate getting into it.❞ She admits - a little emptily. ❝It was my fault, you know? And my parents have never blamed me. But I kind of wish someone would...❞

🗡 @sanctidente

Talon: You often use humor to deflect trauma. Sting: Thank you. Talon: I didn't say that was a good thing. Sting: What I'm hearing is, you think I'm funny.

send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it

more.....

i. the wine that bee!sting and ultear had at that dinner is now hanging in their flower shop as decoration

ii. lector and frosch in this verse exist as actual cats. they get adopted after the whole suing humanity thing and frosch in this verse helps rogue out after his injury from the trial

iii. because solur are good parents, i think they take Everything rather well. sure they miss jellal but sting is such a gentle...bee???

iv. the colony sting grew up in was called sabeetooth

discontentment rolled off her in heavy waves as she chose to sort this out,  but it was not the only thing she felt.  turning her head towards the spot where her ever gracious host tended to be,  she sighed.  ‘ ‘ that is better not amusement what i’m feeling there, ’ ’  she muttered gravely,  though her voice lacked its usual bite.  she was very grateful for the shelter,  even appreciated the company  ---  it made it easier to stay in the moment instead of slipping away into another excruciatingly slow analysis of where she had gone wrong.  into speculations about when her younger brother’s eyes had grown cold,  treacherous.

>  this will be one of them

/ @ gajeel, probably spamming some cursed shit

@sanctidente

── Sting.

9:54 PM. Bro

9:54 PM. What the fuck is this shit man.

9:56 PM. Why. i hate this.

10:00 PM. ...... Why did you have to send that shit with the turtles

really, it wasn’t such a big deal. the job listing did say the bandits needed to be caught dead or alive, and if they decided to annoy her to the point where she’d choose the former, that was their doing. she was not exactly known for being forgiving, after all. they should’ve expected something like this. the village was now safe, and she had been able to take her anger out on criminals.

it was a win-win, in her books.