A Cup of Tea and Magick

Favorite way to receive affection? 

Favorite way to give affection?

Non-sexual thing that always makes the muse melt?

Places they don’t like being touched non-sexually?

Do they like giving nicknames to their significant other?

Do they like being called a nickname?

What’s something their significant other can do to make them feel safe?

What’s the best way to calm down your muse when they’re angry?

Little things your muse does to show their significant other they care?

PDA that’s a definite ‘no’?

Does your muse want to have kids? If so, how many and what’s the reasoning behind the number?

Are they loud and proud about their relationships, or do they keep it private?

Do they workout or put on makeup for their significant other?

Do dirty jokes go over their head, or are they the one making the dirty jokes?

Do they find a need to be in a relationship, or do they have a ‘if it happens it happens’ feeling?

What food or drink can be given to them to show that their partner really cares?

Is your muse good with kids? What ages?

Would your muse be the one doing most of the cooking or not?

Ruth Wilson and Colin Farrell in a deleted scene called “Stargaze” from movie Saving Mr. Banks (John Lee Hancock, 2013)

They were like lovesick teenagers. Seridyn’s heart had ached for Elle every day that he was gone. He’d missed her, missed the kids, missed home. He knew that this was better for everyone in the long run, but it didn’t mean that he was necessarily happy about it. They were doing what needed to be done, he knew neither of them liked it, and they were sure to express just how much they’d missed each other tonight when the kids were in bed. 

He kissed her back and his eyes searched hers when she said she had news “Oh?” brows lifted and when she reached for his hand, she didn’t even have to get to her belly for him to understand what was going on. He looked surprised, blinking a little bit and his mouth fell open a bit, thick brows furrowing in confusion. 

That’s when she continued. “Wait wha…?!” He didn’t finish, that outraged word stopping short as his brain actually registered what she was saying. “Oh!” he grinned “That’s great!” he leaned in and kissed her “Did you tell Scarlet? Is she excited? You told her that she has to take it right? She can’t give it back once the baby is handed over…” he teased. He was beaming. He loved Elle pregnant, he did, he liked the way she looked and the way she glowed and everything about it, and at the end of this pregnancy, they didn’t have another mouth to feed. For Seridyn, it was kind of a win/win situation. “I’m excited for her. I think it’s loovely what you’re doing for your friend.” his hand went to her cheek and he gave her another soft kiss. Every day, Elle gave him another reason to love her. 

Elle chuckled, letting go of his hand. For a woman who had, in the past, been called prudish and waspish... she had moments of being an absolute shit to her husband, winding him up for no damn reason. He figured it out fairly quickly and when he started grinning down at her, she couldn’t help but smile right back. He was infectious. 

“I told Scarlet, but not Quin. She said she wanted to be the one to tell him. I can’t blame her at all... it’s a big moment for them.” She was curious though, wishing she could be a fly on the wall for when Scarlet told him that they were going to be parents. “But yes... she was very excited.”

Seridyn called what she was doing lovely and she lifted bright eyes to regard him. “I can’t take all the credit.” she reminded him. It was, after all, his idea. “The rest of the children are with Aden and Dierdre at the moment. She likely has them running drills.” Huffing, she looked down at the floor. “I was going to collect them after dinner. You should stay here and surprise them when we return.”

“I’ll make sure I get you a naga tail.” he told her, he probably wouldn’t get her a taxidermied real one, but he may have someone make something that looked akin to it. Not a life-sized one, maybe he could convince Aelwynn he could only get the last foot of it. Maybe. 

Seridyn didn’t even realize Aelwynn was behind him, no, he was fearing the worst and completely preparing himself for what he’d see. Seeing Elle alive and well had nearly brought him to his knees. He got over it rather quickly when she came to him though, his arms going around her and he breathed her in, his fingers fisting in the material of the back of her dress. 

She pulled back and he looked to her only to shake his head and huff at Wynnie’s newest weird game. The girl was an odd one, always had been a bit morbid and macabre, but she was who she was. “She’s a mess…” he stated with a chuckle, he was so thankful everyone was okay that it didn’t even matter that he’d just feared for their lives. 

Her hand on his cheek, Seridyn grinned in return, bright and happy to see her. He leaned in, his forehead going to her own gently and affectionately “Oh I can.” He assured her kissing her affectionately, his arms pulling her in a bit closer. “My heart and soul lie with you, Andi. I’m not whole without you around. I’ve missed you so fookin much…” he kissed her again “I’m just happy to be home.” 

Her forehead rested against his own and she lingered there with him in the entry way, breathing the same air and finding it a great comfort to be able to do so again. He confessed how much he missed her and Elle felt her chest tighten at the words, her eyes closing. If she didn’t change the subject, the two of them would end up crying over lost time like lovesick teenagers.

“I’m glad you’re home too, love. It hasn’t been the same since you’ve been gone.” She pressed her lips to his for a quick kiss and then smiled at him. “Oh, I have some news.” She waited for his curiosity, or common courtesy, to kick in and when he asked what it was, she reached down, taking his hand and gently setting it on her stomach. 

He knew what it meant. How many times now had she delivered the news of children to come in the same way? She waited long enough for him to let that news sink in and just when he started to react, no doubt overwhelmed by the thought of another child, she lifted up to give him a horridly smug little kiss.

“Don’t fret, love. It’s not your baby.”

Truth be told, it wasn’t hers, either.

“How about I take you fishing with me, and I’ll teach you how to scale them instead? You can’t come with me, it’s too dangerous.” though he was sure Aelwynn was going to grow up to be quite the brute regardless of what path she chose. 

He stood and she wasn’t having it, “What are you waiting on?” he asked her, surprised that she wasn’t following him inside in general. Usually, Aelwynn was happy to spend most of her time attached to his hip, but she wasn’t having it today. Her answer had his blood running cold. “…What?” if there’d been the usual yelling and laughing and sounds of children beyond the front door, he’d take it as one of her weird imaginations, but there wasn’t. It was quiet and Seridyn was suddenly terrified that Wynnie had a legitimate reason to be sitting on the steps looking sad. 

He walked to the front door, a hand on the hilt of his sword as he opened it slowly, preparing himself as much as he could for the possibility of a slaughter. Everything was quiet, the front room was without children, the house was silent. His fingers tightened around the handle of his sword and he made his way into the kitchen, only to see Elle standing there, her back to him, cooking dinner like nothing was wrong. 

A loud breath of relief left him, emotions nearly bringing him to his knees and his hand went out to stabilize him against the doorframe/arch. “Fook Andi…” he breathed again, his other hand went to his chest over his heart, his eyes closing, “Wynnie told me you were all dead…” 

“I can protect myself.” she promised, but she knew he wasn’t going to let her come. Even though she’d only help. “I was gonna keep it in my dresser. I cleaned out my underwear and everything.” Because raw meat of any sort in the top drawer of a dresser was a good idea. And when she said she cleaned it? What she really meant was that she took her underwear and shoved them in the closet. Cleaned!

He didn’t seem impressed by her game and when he walked into the main living area, she followed him curiously. Elle was in the kitchen, to his immediate left when he entered, her back to him, humming quietly to herself. But when he breathed out her name in relief, she turned.

There had been no word from him about when he’d be home. He just walked into their house after a month, like he’d been gone only hours. She let out a quick breath and rounded the kitchen counter to hug him tightly, abandoning her pan, but when he told her what Aelwynn had done, she froze a second in his arms and then pulled back. “Yes. I imagine she did. It’s her new favorite game to play... she pretends to be an orphan and I adopt her a few times a day. Sometimes I nurse her back to health from a grievous wound collected in battle, but most of the time I merely have to listen to how her family died.” 

She chuckled, and laid her hand on his cheek, breathing in the sight of him. “Go wash up for dinner, Aelwynn.” she said, not removing her eyes from the man in front of her. And after Wynnie left for the bathroom, Elle gave him a brilliant smile. “I’ve missed you. You cannot imagine...”

Aelwynn’s cry of delight had him hugging her tight. His eyes closed as he took that moment to let it sink in that he was home for the moment “Oof I missed you Wynnie.” he stated and kissed the side of her head. She leaned back and his brows furrowed, his head tipping a little to the side, his face getting very serious “No. But I’ll see what I can do next time, yeah?” 

He looked at her on the step and then the front door, standing fully and grinning at her “Should I go in and say hi to mum?” he asked and extended his hand for Aelwynn “Want to come in with me?” 

The look of disappointment on that little girl’s face was immense. She really thought he was going to bring her the severed tail of a naga! And now that he was home, she was thrilled... but she still wanted that tail. It wasn’t fair. “You can take me with you.” she offered. “Sometimes, um, mom lets me make my sanwiches and I do a really good job with the knife. I can do it!”

He stood up and she sat back down with a grump. She hadn’t asked for much. She was sure he killed lots of naga - it wasn’t like they were going to use them! He wanted to go inside to see her mom and she frowned. “You can’t. I’m waiting.” When he inevitably asked what she was waiting for, she looked up at him with surprisingly convincing eyes for a six year old. “Everyone’s dead... I’m waiting for someone to come adopt me.”