i'll be your detonater

{ porcelain } valentin pavlovic. croatian. guard. not here for your shit, barely here for the duchess'. + ( pointless, needless suffering and pain? i don’t suppose it would help if i told you that was the way life is. the good suffer, the evil flourish, and all that is mortal passes away ) +

[guard-valpavlovic]

Headcanon | Windows

Glass windows that pan taller than his own height and open areas looking out at shrouded, high greenery have been slowly driving Valentin nuts since his arrival.

There are too many places on this island with large windows covering entire walls, and he's yet to once step into any of them without instinctively finding a wall or a couch, or an anything to use as possible cover if anything were to happen. A soldier, trained to almost a fault (with a past that's only made him even more suspicious of most anything), he's acutely aware of open areas. Exposed is vulnerable, and vulnerable is useless.

He wants the fucking windows gone.

[ivanaprincessofbulgaria]

There’s no way I’m going back to that room and finish watching that crazy and stupid movie.

[guard-valpavlovic]

He was just passing down the hall when the girl bolted out a door and ran into him, then...proceeded to tell him she's refusing to watch some film...? 'Heeere's Johnny!', he heard the voice in her room say. Oh, that film. He grinned down at her then glanced to her open door. "You're not exactly in a shining mood right now, your highness, huh?" Yeah, he was proud of that one.

"Did you want me to go in there and shut the film off for you?" Professionalism was just as important as puns, he must remember.

[guard-valpavlovic]

"No one can live with nothing. Andrej is all I have."

[littlemoon-guided]

It would be nice

[littlemoon-guided]

If I wanted sarcasm, I would have asked for that instead of food. It’s not like I asked to be here, the least I could have is some food from my country occasionally. Please reconsider your attitude again before speaking.

[guard-valpavlovic]

"I've no idea what you're talking about, I really do want world peace. Don't you?" He's being a little shit, sure, but the world's kinda gone to full-out shit anyway so, whatever.

"You could, you know...make the food. Or help with it. Not to offend, your highness, but I'm here as a guard. Not an entertainer. My sour attitude pales in comparison to my ability to keep you safe, in regards to my duties."

[sofie-of-the-netherlands]

"Very fashion effective." She smiled. "Just so long as they aren’t suede, they don’t react to liquid well." Sofie sniffled. She frowned for a moment when she noted that some green was transferring onto the tissue from the blotting and it just hurt for her to see. She labored over this dress and it was entirely ruined.. It hurt.  She looked back at the guard with a small smile, "I don’t mind it when people look at me. It’s touching that I won’t tolerate. If someone touches me and I don’t want them to I won’t respond well, but looking I don’t mind in the slightest." When he joked about the lingerie, she let out a laugh and touched his upper arm lightly, squeezing it a bit before letting go. "Yours? Or a girlfriends?" She teased lightly, using the clean side of the tissue to wipe her nose, smiling at him lightly. "Can we go fix this?"

[guard-valpavlovic]

"It's really the only way to go about this, high heel beatings and lace strangling." Look, he's just very big on self expression. Fashion's definitely the greatest form of that. That's all. "I think vinegar powder'll be just as effective as liquid, since the dress' already damp. The stain hasn't been there too long, has it? As long as you don't mind having to put up with a bit of vinegar stench on that dress for a bit, I think we can take care of that without damaging the color any further." He saw her eye the now-coloring cloth with weak-willed desperation, willing the color to seep right back onto the dress. He stretched his arm out, palm open to retrieve the cloth from her. She'll keep watching the green dissipate on the cloth if he lets her. He let his eyes fall to her dress again at her words, more to assess the fabrics again than anything. They lingered, though, and he's sure that wasn't about any fabrics. Whatever, she's a gorgeous girl. "Yeah, if any of that touching ever happens, you just call. We can tag team, you with the heels and I'll do fists." He grinned, watched her laugh and the heaviness around her dissolve a little. Then she touched his arm, held on for a moment, and he instinctively got a little stiffer. Fuck, he's too wary of any touches that aren't Andrej's. "Hers, but it did look better on me, so." He loosened up again, the combination of her teasing and her smile easing him into her, and lifted his arm for hers to hook into...just because. "Let's." Starting to steer her towards the guard quarters, he hoped she wouldn't get any wrong ideas. It's just a shortcut to the kitchen.

[sofie-of-the-netherlands]

Sofie looked up at him and she let out a weak laugh. “Vincent.” She let out with a sniffle. “You can get his nose and his jaw. I plan on beating him with a pair of heels.” She laughed gently, almost a weak giggle.

She accepted his hand, planting her feet so she could use his hand to pull herself up. She thanked him and smoothed down her dress in the back. “I do,” She said, nodding lightly, plotting at the top again, “The top layer is hand dyed lace and I made the base of the dress with chiffon. I’m so afraid that the alcohol is going to  tarnish the color. It was such a specific dye I used.. ” She trailed off when she looked up and caught him looking at her. She gave a small smile, “You can look, it’s alright. I’m use to people looking at me. I’ a model, it’s part of the job.”

[guard-valpavlovic]

"Vincent." He repeated with a nod, professionalism entirely lacing his voice with that one, singular word. Royal or not, he really doesn't stand for abusive men. No matter how mild the abuse. Besides, he's heard of this Vincent before, it's about time he paid him a visit. "Fashion effective, I can respect that." He nodded, couldn't really help a big smile. He not enjoying her company. He's just glad she's a little alright now, whatever.

"Anytime," and he thinks he...means it. She was just such a princess. And he's not even thinking that maliciously, she genuinely acts so poised and...like a princess, even now, with a small, missed smudge of mascara underneath her left eye. He contemplated rubbing it off for her, she'll probably want it gone, but refrained. He watched her hand travel across the dress, explaining the used materials. He was very surprised to hear she'd made the dress, and he doesn't think he did too good a job hiding his surprise. He cleared his throat and tried for a small smile to match her own, but kept his eyes from drifting back to look at the dress. He didn't know what really happened with that Vincent, not entirely, he's not about to make her uncomfortable after an experience like that. "Doesn't mean you always have to put up with it if you don't want to." He spoke directly to her face, never letting his eyes wander. She might like the attention most days, but she also likes being pretty and feeling pretty. Right now, she must feel a bit...well, shit, considering. "And while I don't think I've ever had to take care of stained lace...Oh, wait, there was that one lingerie set I had on once..." He grinned her way, then shook himself out of it because he's not here to make jokes and get her laughing. Much.

[littlemoon-guided]

It would be nice

to have some food that I would find spicy, Rajma perhaps or even Kofta.

[guard-valpavlovic]

"Yes, I know, it's horrible. We can't even have world peace or total virus eradication, what kind of service is this?"

[sofie-of-the-netherlands]

"Well, I’m not happy." She said simply in response, shrugging a bit. She shook her head and looked down, still trying to blot out her dress. "That creep ruined my hair and makeup and my dress and my party." She said, swallowing hard as she tried to stop more tears. Sofie hated this. She was use to getting her way, being in charge, not being knocked down in her own element. It threw her off entirely.  She looked back up at him, quiet for a moment. She gave him a weak smile before nodding, "I’d really appreciate that."

[guard-valpavlovic]

I'm not happy. Well, okay, he had that coming, really. Internal warning bells shook and rang at the mention of whoever she was talking about, and he instantly stood even stiffer, regarding her more carefully. "Name?" He asked, and it came off too firm. This is not his area. Andrej should be here. For probably the hundredth time with this conversation, he threw all his care aside because this mattered more. "Look, if I'mna be punching his nose in, I'mna need a name at least." She looked determined not too cry, hands angry but eyes shaken. "Fine, you can have the nose. I'll settle for the jaw." She could take a man, he thinks, if prompted enough.

He stretched his hand out to her, smile intact – a royal is a royal after all, and waited for her to take his before helping her stand. He didn't actually mind giving her the royal treatment right now, weirdly. "I don't suppose you know what material this dress is, do you?" He needs to know what he'll use to remove the stain. (Too many nights of getting his own shirt stained back home, and he didn't even drink.) He belatedly realized he's eyeing the dress, and by extension her, and he quickly tore his eyes away, mumbled an apology.

[sofie-of-the-netherlands]

Sofie had stopped when she heard a voice and she turned. Tears were still in her eyes and her face was red from getting emotional and the burning of the alcohol that’d been splashed on her. “No.” She murmured. She hesitantly took the napkin and cleaned her eyes with it, at least trying to get the running mascara off of her face. “Thank you..” She said, sniffling, “God, I must look awful.” Sofie mumbled, shaking her head as she tried to blot at the splash on the top of her dress from the alcohol.

[guard-valpavlovic]

She looked a little...scared. Of conversing, or something, he's not sure. She didn't exactly strike him as someone who got scared. (He thinks he saw her walk past a few times before, she radiated self-worth.) "It's no trouble." He sounds much too soft for his own liking, but he cannot for the life of him be cruel right now.

He doesn't do comforting. The only one he does it for is Andrej. But he can't walk away either, for some reason. "You look just fine." He fixes his stance like the good soldier he is, stands upright with hands atop one another in front of him. "I mean...you don't look happy, though." and wow, there, Mr Observations of the Century. He sighed, then decided to throw care to the wind and be nice. Then worry about being his usual, bitch self. "That's too pretty a dress to ruin, miss. If you'll come with me to the kitchen for a moment, I can get that stain right off." He thinks he smiled her way a little. Ugh.

[sofie-of-the-netherlands]

[guard-valpavlovic]

"...Miss, are you...alright?" He'd spotted her from a fair distance, and had grabbed a cloth and dampened it with his water bottle as he made his way there. "Here you, uh, go, you've got a little..." He handed her the wet napkin, quickly surveyed the scene around them before his attention was back to her. She stinks of alcohol. He wonders why he's not as pissed off as he should be about fucking royals getting wasted while the world outside goes to hell. (It probably has something to do with how fucking sad she looks, alcohol stench or not.)

[maid-abigail-deactivated2015022]

Be nice to the people you meet on the way up, cause they just might be the same people you meet on the way down… Kindness is a virtue I live by and I naturally give it to all those I meet. It is revoked, not earned. You give it right away and take it away if need be.

[guard-valpavlovic]

"Yeah, no, that doesn't apply to someone who plans to die by the age of thirty or so, sweets. I don't plan on finding my way down, you see, so I won't be seeing anyone twice." Anyone but Andrej, but this perky, little blonde's probably never latched onto something as desperately as he did Andrej, so she doesn't need to know that. "Kay, well...good on ya, Miss. I still don't believe this nice thing you're doing but...to each their fucking own, I guess. You keep doing what you do, but you can save a little kindness on me 'cause I really don't care whether you're nice or not." He wonders if his kindness' been revoked yet. He hopes so. He really doesn't need some nice maid thinking well of him. He might actually...sympathize, or something. Even worse, Andrej might like her. They can't be having that shit.

[guard-valpavlovic]

Headcanon | (To Love and To Cherish) Til Death Do Me This Favor

Ever since Valentin could think (and to think is to realize having nothing is not the norm and certainly not the right), he's wanted to die for the one thing that mattered to him - deserved justice. And ever since Valentin could love (and to love is to meet the boy at the Blacksmith's shop with a smile that loved the world itself), Valentin swore that smile was the very beacon of justice deserved. And Valentin swore to die for it.

It was a surprisingly easy decision. A long time coming, but one he started to incorporat it into his life properly and instinctively the day Andrej had come knocking on his barely-held-together door the night Lucija's body was found. Andrej's sister was dead, and Andrej was in his arms, in tears and in pieces and when he eventually cried the very heart of himself out and fell to sleep, still in Val's arms, it hit him. This would be Andrej, one day, when Val dies. He'd cry til his body gave out then wake up and attempt to start again, probably. (He wondered who he'll cry to for a second. He thinks he remembers falling asleep crying too, eventually.)

They fell asleep early, dark morning, and woke up bright and late. Andrej'd woken up with heavy limbs and a heart barely trying to keep beating. Valentin woke up with a heart renewed and set on living to just die for Andrej.

[guard-adrian-gallagher]

Adrian gladly grabbed onto his arm, and hoisted himself onto the dock, The man pushed the sopping wet hair out of his faced and looked up at the person who helped him. “Working on the soaking wet part, though I’ll try to avoid being attacked by a seagull next time.” he grinned. 

[guard-valpavlovic]

"Probably a good idea." He smiled back, turned to pick up a towel from the small stack stocked up by the water. Fucking royals had their fucking towels all ready and folded if they ever needed a little, spontaneous dip. He barely repressed the scoff that fought its way out his throat. "And here, to help with the soaking wet bit." He handed him one before taking a step back and waiting for the man to follow him off the shore.

[guard-valpavlovic]

"I've no idea what you're on about, lovelies."

"No, but in all seriousness......I do believe at least two or three men and women have, unfortunately fallen slain to my good looks. So better start being more careful, I suppose, eh?"

[the-great-and-terrible-beauty]

*smoking*

[the-great-and-terrible-beauty]

"Yeah, mine doesn’t seem like that. What’s the point when I was just born to be married off against my will, hm? I have four other siblings who my father is constantly saying are much better royals than I, so at this point what’s one more disappointment? If I die, no one would give a damn."

[guard-valpavlovic]

"Listen...I'm a little worn because it's my first day here so I might be saying a few things I wouldn't particularly say otherwise but...I won't pretend to be much a fan of your father's right now. Or ever. I don't even know who your father is and I still don't like him, really. Not to offend, but I'm not even certain I like you all that much, to be frank. But you remind me of someone I know, and if there's one thing they've learned, it's that their will is no one's but their own. Excuse my French, your highness, but you can fuck all marry who you'd like and disappoint who you please. That's one privilege of owning your own will, royalty or not."

"That said, if you're no good at being royal then...don't be. See, I don't know if you'll be any good, being queen and whatnot. But if you can pull it off - be good to your people, then all hail the fucking queen! But if you know you can't, then...don't be. People are not there to be fucked over."

[agnesofgreece]

"Nice to meet you as well, saint Val. It’s great to have more security around, especially after that one incident. Well, the only things I’m good at is math, pulling pranks and making baklava, so I guess those are your options. Oh, you can add ‘ruining great relationships’ to that list as well, it’s my new specialty."

[guard-valpavlovic]

"Saint? Oh, I'm afraid you're way off with that one, beautiful. I'm no saint. Incident, huh? I'll take the baklava. And possibly a prank on Andrej sometime later to loosen him up. Boy gets ridiculously stressed about the job sometimes. I would've hit him for it already if he didn't look entirely too good when he's stressed." Stress makes Andrej look the angriest he ever looks, it's brilliant.

"Ah, well that's one list of credentials that even Harvard can't refuse. You've clearly got a great future ahead of you."

[guard-adrian-gallagher]

"This is definitely not the first impression I wanted to make on anyone."

[guard-valpavlovic]

"Certainly not, especially considering your job here." He stretched his arm down and out for the fallen guard. He smiled, controlled but not entirely disheartened. The man just looked too amusing all drenched, honestly.

"I doubt anyone'd like a soaking wet, clumsy big guy maintaining their safety. Y'might wanna work on that." His tone wasn't malicious, though. Just passive, maybe a little teasing. He'd gotten a notice about a new guard.This guy seemed okay.