#vulosp

( to be sitting across from him eating &. drinking proffered meal is MARKED difference in behavior compared to many nights previous. upon being first IMPRISONED good doctor would refuse to leave quarters or - if forced - would GLARE across length of table with red-rimmed hues, ABSTAINING from touching anything laid before her. van helsing had rebuffed changing for dinner as well, often wearing clothes for days on end &. flaming curls DISHEVELED. days &. days &. days of denying basic comforts until gradually, FINALLY, mind-numbing hunger distracted from work &. doctor was OBLIGED to acclimate. )

( academic had even replaced practical tweeds for EVERGREEN gown, though it would be RATIONALIZED it was for her benefit after hours of work in previous skirts. dress exposed shoulders, swan's curve of throat, UNADORNED save for finest watercolor touches of indigo &. violet PULSING beneath skin. coppery curls partially unbound, sweetly framing such DELICATE features even as expression remains INTENSELY serious. flower blooming at midnight hour, BEAUTIFUL when shedding stiff cocoon. )

( cup is refilled for third time in as many minutes, wine burning ROSY flush to cheeks &. decolletage. his gaze had been ROOTED to her all evening, stomach twisting when sapphires had courage to meet deep umber. his responses further dizziness, near DELIRIUM fueled by wine burning in chest &. confidence of his DESIRES. dry chuckle perhaps a giggle? as scholar shakes CRIMSON curls, reaching for her own glass as he did. )

' you overreach with your arrogance yet again, i see. yours ... am i to be owned? '

( drink has loosened tongue, her mother's TEMPER gleaming in lapis gaze. eleanor notes near DESPERATION as he feasts, grip of goblet in his fingers. is she truly so ENTICING to dark companion, even seated across the room? nectar-induced BRAVERY lowers preservational inhibition - loose curls pulled back from milky throat, seemingly CASUAL as doctor shifts position. always testing him &. his capacity for BLOODLUST. )

( it had been nights, &. nights, &. nights, &. nights, &. nights ... NIGHTS of slow, creeping, MADDENING torment. nights of fervent prayer whispered over howling wolves, nights of tangled sweat-soaked sheets, nights of hands pressed DESPERATELY to ears in vain attempt to silence the SILKEN tones echoing in her head. nights of pacing - ever pacing - of aching fingers CLUTCHING wooden stake, of SCREAMING into the night, of documenting her increasing madness through writing &. sketching in attempt to stay awake. yet she was POWERLESS before him - nothing stopped the patient, INEVITABLE pace of the vampyr. )

( waifish scholar could feel her mind being UNWOUND as if he were doing it himself, pulling her apart to peer past fleshy exterior into TARNISHED soul. enough - enough! doctor erupted from domicile with the enraged RESTLESSNESS of one who hasn't slept in many days, not knowing if FERVID shadow was behind or ahead, only sure the shifting darkness of pine would be enough to draw him out, to face her. )

( &. yet when good doctor finally crosses his path it is not a MARTYR defeating a devil, but a mortal witnessing the true form of a god &. BURNING before him. digits - once so sure in driving gripped STAKE through his heart - drop wooden weapon with SHARP inhale of breath, instead pressing to full mouth in sheer HORROR. neat, tight braid had long since come undone, the FLAME of her hair curling about frightened pallor. her father's SAPPHIRE hues peer from delicate features, BLOODSHOT &. wide with lunacy. stumbling over cotton nightdress, her back presses into cold, unfeeling bark of a pine too soon, too soon! )

' where will you take me? '

( thick dutch cadence is BROKEN with exhaustion, with terror. fingertips grip silver CRUCIFIX about her neck so tightly they bleed, but somehow she knows it will not be enough. her faith is wavering - god has not been made manifest, yet the DEVIL stands before her offering his hand. )

@vulosp | "Stop   looking   at   me   like   that." for Lucy from hubby tension. | accepting

' i don't quite know what you mean - ! '

( flush rising to stain features so SWEETLY tells otherwise. diamond of the first water dances in arms of broad-shouldered STRANGER who has arrested sunlit attentions all evening. pair have been swirl of CONTRASTING color - blushing rose against midnight black - gazes hardly leaving other dance after dance after dance. to great jealousy of competing DEBUTANTES - miss westenra is not for lack of handsome, EAGER suitors, yet she collects another just the same? greed, greed! )

( still earth angel is UNTOUCHED &. uncaring for sharp murmurings, of gilded cage aureate beauty has been bred into. youth, temporary RADIANCE of nymphet is enjoyed to fullest extent - time for society dances, for entertaining doe-eyed ADORATION is so short before additional confines of marriage. miss westenra intends to sample all HEDONISTIC pursuit life can offer to her - even if it were simple pleasure of dancing all evening in arms of tall, dark, handsome. )

( it is why tone is HONEYED in its playfulness, viridian gaze glancing away in faux modesty. when hues return to his they glow with warm candlelight, skin scented honeysuckle &. seasalt. HEADY aroma intensified as florid beauty leans close so SILVERY melody is whispered into shell of his ear. )

@vulosp: send “🌿🍒” (or "mistletoe") for my muse's reaction to standing under a mistletoe with your muse  ♡ from Roger to Francine. He’s waiting too, puckered up lips and all. LOLOL. tbh he’s probably already tried this trick once before with Stan too.

francine was in the middle of bringing the christmas boxes from the basement when roger mentions it in the middle of the doorway. she knows she didn't put that there, and she couldn't help but wonder what ladder they used if roger put it there himself.

"How long do you intend to stay here?" His tone was soft, never inculpative, mostly confused. It wasn't that Vali didn't want the other fae there -- more of a shock that he even remained here this long. There was nothing, in his own mind at least, that would keep anyone here beyond abject desperation. The threat passed, the trap open. Why stay here, with him, of all fae?

He was at least grateful for the company.

𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐞 / accepting !

IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR SALLY TO MASK HER EMOTIONS. how could she not be concerned? her premonition had shown her what was destined to happen. this whole christmas was a farce. the holiday didn't rightfully belong to the citizens of halloween town. and it was wrong for them to even try to replicate the hard work of this santa claus and his minions. the ragdoll's lips curved into a keep frown as she finished the last touches on jack's outfit for the evening. he certainly looked the part, though that didn't stop the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. she almost felt complicit for helping him with his costume. ❝ jack, ❞ sally uttered softly. ❝ please think this through. i know you want to try something different. but is this really the right thing to do? i'm saying this as your friend. your friend who just wants you to be alright. ❞

( doctor examines remains behind gold-rimmed lenses, IMPASSIVITY settling on brow &. pursing lips. eleanor is in her element - CLINICAL scrutiny only legible emotion when regarding CHARRED remains. she had knelled beside captor, ignorant to depth of his emotion as doctor is occupied entirely with academic FASCINATION. digits tremble, dancing as if to touch caged SPECIMEN before pulling away, itching for tools of practice. )

( remark is said offhand - no MALICE intended, though relief in tone perhaps cannot be helped. scholar's own SENTIMENTS are complicated themselves, albeit different from his own storm of TUMULTUOUS feeling. physician feels sickened by any loss of life &. scientist frets over loss of knowledge, of EXPERIENCE represented by scorched corpse. yet still good doctor cannot MASK solace in murmured melody - sheep relieved to see bloodied corpse of wolf is it not natural? )

( it is why surprise &. no small measure of ANGER burns in chest as he storms away, voicing DISPLEASURE. mother's temper calm, calm! as academic rises quickly, AUBURN plait whipping with sharp turn of features. reaction before thought, as always - tweed skirts BILLOWING in autumnal wind with wrathful approach. vocals now incensed, hot with CHALLENGE. )

' us - cruel?! cruel for hunting predator who haunts our shadows, who kills indiscriminately? what of myself, hunted to all preternatural capacity by you? - ! '

( eleanor confronts further, DARING to step close even upon sensing fury from vampyr. RAGE the likes of which doctor has not yet seen, yet as always desires to EXPOSE to further scrutiny. weeks spent in his presence has made her plausibly too COMFORTABLE to not realize she risks life &. limb meeting his IRE with her own. there, there in sapphires is flame of DEFIANCE, provocation now that he has begun. )