snow flower

skin as white as snow, hair as black as night, lips as red as blood

[lady-snow-flower]

xuemei song // snow song

Name: Xuemei Snow Song Nicknames: Xue, Snow Magic status: Sorcerer- Necromancy specialty / potions specialty to anyone who asks Nationality: American Ethnicity: Chinese Pronouns: She/her Accent: Valley girl-ish Height: 5'5, but she's almost always in heels, so most people think she's taller Build: On the smaller side but she definitely still has curves, more womanly than lean. She has long limbs/ a long neck from early years of ballet training Complexion: Very pale, as if she's never seen the sun a day in her life Eye colour: Dark brown Hair colour/length/style: Black, straight, and long, going half-way down her back. She usually takes a few inches off once it pasts her waist, but she has never had it shorter than that. On the day to day, she does put a relaxed wave into her hair. She loves to do elaborate updos though. Tattoos/piercings/daily jewelry: She only has pierced ears. She is constantly wearing jewelry, usually earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Her favorite bracelet is a charm bracelet with a yin-yang symbol on it that her mother gifted her when she Emerged.

What would you find if you Googled them? If you googled 'Snow Song,' you'd turn up information about the Hauntley Manor Inn.

If you found out her real name and Googled 'Xuemei Song' you could pretty easily come across the old articles and videos that covered her sex-and-attempted-murder scandal with Estella Myer, the CEO of Queen's Bridal, a wedding planning company that serviced A-list celebrities. Xuemei was Myer's executive assistant when they slept together; Myer was tried for an attempt at murder and found guilty.

What natives would know about them: 

She is the manager of the Hauntley Manor Inn, which is a spooky inn owned by vampires that was part of a murder investigation during the fall of 2023. She is a potions sorcerer. She dated Bruce White and Thomas Harrington. She won prom queen with Holley in 2023. Most people also think she cheated on Tom Harrington with Gem Morey.

Insta: @singalittlesong Twitter: @singalittlesong Lives: Hauntley Manor Inn

[lady-snow-flower]

Fight For Me🔥[Snow Quartz]

[gem-mohanty]

Snow broke away from him and then laughed, her eyes lighting up.

He shook his head at her, but was smiling a little too. It was good for her to feel confident. That meant she wouldn’t be as afraid.

“Okay, let’s try again,” he told her, gesturing for her wrist. He clasped it in his hand, tight again.

“Where my thumb and fingers meet, that’s the weakest part of a grip—so when you’re pulling away, make sure that is the place you are pulling against. I’m stronger than you and most people that might want to hurt you probably are gonna be, so you have to learn how to use leverage and break holds.

And while you’re twisting away, make sure to keep your other arm up—“ he gestured with his own free hand, “—so you can block any hits I may throw at your face. And once you back away, keep your hands up too, guarding yourself until you’re far enough away, okay?”

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

It seemed really unlikely to Snow that she'd have the mind to pay attention to her assailant's grip in such detail-- noting the position of the thumb and fingers. Though, as she was right now, she knew that she'd probably simply freeze if someone attacked her. Just like she had in the past.

That was the purpose of these lessons. She needed to retrain her instincts and convince herself that she wasn't as helpless as she felt. Whether it was with her magic or knowing something basic like how to get out of a hold-- she was capable of doing something, rather than nothing.

"Right. Yes. Okay," she said. Her brow furrowed deeply on her forehead, trying to remember it all.

She yanked her arm against the place where Gem told her to, twisting her body. She put her hand up too, but once she had gotten out of the hold, she didn't spring away quite as quickly as she probably had to. Her brain just felt scrambled as it tried to follow all the directions-- and so Gem caught her again.

"Hey! I was working on it," she complained and blushed a little.

@gem-mohanty

[lady-snow-flower]

Name: Snow Song OCCUPATION: Corporate Art Consultant SECTION: Fuselage SURVIVAL SKILL: She is skilled with a needle/power tools from DIY projects! too bad we have no power tools... MAGICAL SKILL: Mediumship PERSONAL ITEM: An unopened pregnancy test. REASON FOR BEING ON FLIGHT 2015: Under the guise of the medical conference, she was meeting Gem so she could elope <3

PERSON OF SCIENCE/FAITH: Person of Faith

BIOGRAPHY:

Snow Song has lived a life of privilege and comfort.

Her parents ran Mittelos Bioscience, a pharmaceutical company specializing in groundbreaking medicine. She grew up mostly in California, and had everything she could ever want-- her parents only asked that she get a business degree and stay involved with the company in some capacity. While her true passion was for art and design, she followed their orders and has since worked for Mittelos by providing art for their corporate offices. One day, she would have been taken under her father's wings and taught more about the business. One day, she would be expected to take over. But that day never came. Instead, she met a charismatic and intelligent young investigative reporter. She didn't know that he was working on a whistleblowing piece at first. By the time she found out-- it was too late. She loved him. He loved her. And when he told her about the terrible business practices at her family's company, she believed him. Naively, she confronted her parents, believing that they simply didn't know the true damage that Mittelos was doing. They responded by cutting off her credit cards and telling her to break up with Gem Mohanty. They even tried to persecute him to make sure they'd never see each other again. But Snow's heart had changed. She lied to them-- agreed to their terms, arranged to appear at their latest medical conference in full support...

Instead, she got onto a plane headed to London, and will elope once they arrive. She's throwing her life of comfort away-- following her heart is worth it.

[hauntingly-veronika]

Nachtschatten | Vow

[hauntingly-veronika]

"Danke Snow," Veronika said softly. This could be the solution she needed. Maybe she had simply been too stubborn to see a prime opportunity for a replacement to her bad behavior and cravings. It would be wonderful if the solution were that simple.

She reached for the goblet full of boneblood, taking a moment to sniff at it. It smelled enough like blood. Perhaps this was a great answer. "I see. It is very clever of you to have come up with this," Veronika remarked as she hesitated a moment longer before she finally lifted the goblet and took a careful sip of it.

The blood was warm like blood should be... but it only took a minute for it to hit her tongue and make her fight the instinct to gag. Her nose wrinkled as the taste truly hit her. It was comparable to drinking diet coke in an attempt to replace the original. The flavor was different and... well it didn't feel like it was even close to as good. She shivered and forced herself to take another sip of it.

The second sip was as unsatisfying as the first, and she finally opted to set the goblet down on a counter. "That is... definitely unique," Veronika finally managed to say. She could not put the words together to compliment such a concoction anymore.

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

Well, Snow did not come up with this-- once, bonebleeding had been a regular practice for many necromancers and had been used for vampires along with other purposes...

But Snow didn't bother with that history. She still appreciated the compliment, and she grinned while watching Veronika eagerly. Oh, she hoped that she liked it!

But Veronika wrinkled her nose.

Oh dear.

Snow's shoulders fell. She knew that the taste could be an adjustment, so she wasn't going to take it personally.

"It's okay if you don't like that," she said at once, offering a sympathetic smile. "Though I've been told that it is an acquired taste! Many vampires get used to it," she offered.

@hauntingly-veronika

[it-is-your-destiny]

A Cupcake for Your Woes? ~~ [Snowy]

[it-is-your-destiny]

Destiny smiled at the mention of boxes. How fun! She had never moved. Well, she had moved into Hibiscus Hall, but she didn't really remember it all that well. She thought it must be so exciting, and so lovely, to move into a new place with your partner.

Her heart swelled with just the thought.

She didn't think that would ever be something that could happen for her. Maybe...maybe...if she had a partner that wanted to, they could move in with her and her mother but otherwise...Destiny had to take care of her mother.

That was alright, though. It was an important job.

"Wow, that all sounds amazing," she asked, and she really meant it. She wished she could offer help, but she'd be hopeless at painting walls or unpacking boxes or anything useful.

"I'm so happy for you. This must be so nice, just you and Gem. It--it is, isn't it? I mean...you and Gem--you're good?" She had, of course, found out about the wedding postponement, after all.

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

"Gem and me? Oh! Yes, of course!" Snow exclaimed.

She hadn't even considered that someone might have seen their wedding...delay as a sign that something might be wrong with their relationship. But that's because Snow's belief in her relationship was stronger than steel. Even as things fell apart around her, she could hold onto Gem, confident that he'd help her stand. That he'd stand with her. And if they couldn't stand, then they'd fall together.

But she supposed, from the outside, people might have questions.

"Right, we-- the wedding wasn't canceled because of anything serious," said Snow, though immediately, that was a lie.

Being attacked and hunted by a dangerous criminal was very serious.

"We-- well, we realized we were rushing. And getting a bit...stressed with the uh, house," said Snow. Those weren't lies, right? "We want to be married very badly and felt attached to the symbolism of July 15, you see, but then we realized that...well, being attached to a date like that is silly. So we're going to reschedule. Probably, um, in the fall."

Sometime. She had no idea when. Hopefully, she sounded convincing to Destiny.

@it-is-your-destiny

[gem-mohanty]

The Harder the Rain, the Sweeter the Sun🔥[Snow Quartz]

[gem-mohanty]

Gem chuckled, humming into the kiss. "I dunno about that," he told her.

Not that he was complaining. Gem never complained when Snow wanted to kiss him. He would never again forget the miracle that it was. Not just that she wanted to, but that she could.

That they could kiss and hold each other.

So many people took such things for granted, but to Gem it was still the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him. And every time their lips touched or they got their hands on one another--even just when they walked down the street side by side and Snow grabbed his hand or he grabbed hers--

He remembered how precious it was.

Even now, with the heat rising between them, Gem kissed her softly. His knuckles ran over her shoulder, down the soft skin of her arm until he wrapped both of his hands around her waist.

The smell of her perfume, freshly reapplied, filled his nose. It still made him dizzy.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he told her between kisses. His hands ran up and down her back, delighting in the silky, cool texture of the dress. "Think I might've forgotten to say that. I've got good taste." His hand slipped back up her arm to her shoulder, where he pulled the thin strap to the side and kissed her cool skin where it had been resting.

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

Gem's lips kept finding new places to decorate-- kissing her cheeks, behind her ear, the place where her neck and jaw met. Snow closed her eyes, each kiss and each touch feather-light and irresistible. She was warm all over and only getting warmer. She might pull Gem to the ground in a second. Who cared if it might be a little uncomfortable to lie on their hardwood floors?

In fact, she wanted to appreciate those hardwood floors. She wanted to relish not only Gem kissing her, his naughty hand removing the strap of her dress, but that he was doing it in their living room. They couldn't do this kind of kissing anywhere in the Hauntley besides the Hideaway room, which had been Snow's for years and years. It was an apt name. But Snow didn't want to hide away her love anymore.

Now, they could kiss anywhere within the walls of their home. They could kiss here. They could kiss in the kitchen. They could kiss while dancing up the stairs. They could kiss in the hallway.

She giggled as Gem kissed her bare shoulder. "Of course you do. My fiancé has to have good taste if he's going to marry me," she teased.

Her own hands were greedy, slipping down Gem's sides and then underneath his coat to rest on his hips. Then she made herself pull away-- though not so far that Gem couldn't easily pull her right back to him.

"If we don't stop, the curry might get cold," she said--almost like a warning, though she could easily be convinced to keep going.

@gem-mohanty

[lady-snow-flower]

Fight For Me🔥[Snow Quartz]

[gem-mohanty]

Gem chuckled, shaking his head at her.

"Alright, Rambo. Calm down. We'll get to that part," he told her.

And they would. He also knew that he did her no favors by going gently on her. But there would be no point in knocking her over or having her try to knock him over if he didn't give her some instructions first. You needed to lay foundations before you could build a house, after all.

"Next thing," he said, stepping back again to face her. "The most important strategy you're ever gonna have is getting away. Okay? So--that's what we are gonna focus on. Not fighting necessarily, but breaking holds. Blocking punches, that kinda thing.

"Here, grab my wrist." He held out his arm to her.

He gave a little tug until she had a good hold. Then, he turned his shoulders and twisted his arm, breaking her hold.

"Now, give me yours." Gem took her thin, soft wrist between his hand. He gripped it. Tight enough to pinch a little. "Do the same thing to me."

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

Getting away.

Well, Snow agreed with that. She didn't want to become a fighter. She didn't want to hurt anyone; she didn't want to kill anyone else. John Cunningham's death was heavy enough; she dragged his corpse along with her every step she took, like he still had a mangled hand gripping one of her ankles.

When she asked Gem to learn self-defense, that was precisely what she meant: defense. She wanted to get out of situations.

So Snow nodded. She clenched her jaw a little, her eyes focusing, as she grabbed Gem's wrist like he instructed. She tried to have a firm grip, firm enough that she'd be ready if he tried to yank away. Though when he did-- she was still surprised by how quick and easy it was.

Hopefully, it would be that easy for her.

As a former dancer, Snow was used to picking up choreography. She was also used to mirroring, which was what she had to do now since Gem was standing opposite her. So she twisted her wrist and her shoulders the same way that he had, pulling hard until Gem let go.

Instantly, she grinned. "Oh! That actually worked!" Snow giggled and clapped her hands, proud of herself.

@gem-mohanty

[lady-snow-flower]

Aftershocks || Snow Wolf

[wolf-innsheepsclothing]

"Perhaps-" Wolf countered. He was by no means so convinced that Mal was entirely innocent. There were magicks who could shift their shape or appearance to appear innocent and young, to keep playing on Snow's heartstrings.

Had MAFIA known, he wondered, about the baby? Was this all another cruel tactic designed to manipulate her pain and love? The thought alone made him want to curl his fist so tight it might crack a pen.

"But if he reaches out, we have to be aware that Carmen might be behind it. It could easily be another trap." She had used the boy once before, whether he went willingly or not, and would not hesitate to do it again, he had no doubt. "You cannot trust that she is not using him again."

The boy was ... if indeed a boy he was, potentially in the woman's power. "She will know you are good." Wolf said more softly. "She will try to use it against you."

The boy would be an ample source of danger for that. Perhaps he would have counselled that she should cut herself off from him instantly, if it weren't for the memory of a small hand in his that tugged at him like a leash.

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

Snow glanced away.

She knew that Wolf was right. Carmen saw her kindness as weakness. Sometimes, she thought that her friends did too-- that it was something that Wolf and Gem, so often at odds, agreed on. Were they really wrong? Hadn't her kindness blinded her to John Cunningham's intentions? Hadn't it already gotten her in trouble again with Mal? How often had the world dug its claws into her because she showed it her soft underbelly?

But she couldn't stop either, could she?

Even if she wanted to-- even if she tried very hard. Snow didn't think she could look at the world the way that Wolf did or Gem did. For better or for worse, she had a heart that was stubborn in its softness. She couldn't even think about turning Mal away if he came to her again.

"We'll-- need to come up with a strategy then. That's all," said Snow. "Some way where we can still help Mal and stop Carmen. We can do that, right, Wolf? That has to be some way."

@wolf-innsheepsclothing

[gem-mohanty]

A Powder Keg About to Explode🔥[Snow Quartz + RAS agents]

In which Gem's past catches up to him...again. [takes place: July 22]

@lady-snow-flower, @miss-holleyshiftwell, @boomer-winche

PAST RELEVANT THREADS: Location Scouting If You Give a Magical Boy a Cookie School’s Out Straw to Sticks to Stone Would You Like to Form an Alliance? Pasts That We Were Never Gonna Change Futures That Were Never Going to Come

[cw -- mentions of child abuse/neglect, car crash, thoughts of death, violence, blood, injuries, burning, pregnancy]

🔥🔥🔥.

SNOW: Tonight was date night. 

And very typical of their date nights, things had gotten derailed and delayed. This time, that dreadful basement ghost had had one of his fits and shut off the power to the entire first floor. Thankfully, Gem had already arrived in his truck. Snow had greeted him with a kiss, followed by an apology— “Do you think you can just pop down really quick to reset the power?” she’d said, though depending on the severity of the basement ghost’s tantrum, he might need to replace a few parts. She was crossing her fingers that it wasn’t the case. She was starving, and it had been such a long day.

So Gem was downstairs. She opened the basement door and poked her head in. “How’s it going? Should I come down there?”

She sometimes tried to reason with the basement ghost if things got especially sticky, or if he tried to throw sparks Gem’s way.

Before she could hear Gem’s response— CRASH!

Snow spun around, her hand flying to her heart in shock. Her eyes widened at what she found– Mal. She hadn’t seen him since the attack at the school. But now he was lying on the floor, having knocked over one of the kitchen chairs on his way in. 

But that made no sense. The door was still firmly shut; the windows were closed. He had phased through the walls but run into the chair—? 

Snow rushed toward him, leaving the question behind. It didn’t matter. Because he was here, and he was crying—looking sick and sweaty and pale. 

“Mal!” She immediately fell to her knees and pulled him in close. Mal didn’t resist. He began to sob against her chest. 

She embraced him, squeezing him and ducking her lips to his hair— he smelled terrible. He hadn’t had a bath in weeks. “Oh sweetie, what’s going on? You’re okay. You’re okay now.”

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “I didn’t mean to.” 

“No, I know,” she squeezed him again, frightened that he might slip through her grasp like sand in a fist. Her heart pounded frantically. Then she lifted her head and called— “GEM! GEM, COME HERE!” 

🔥🔥🔥.

[read here]

🔥🔥🔥.

[lady-snow-flower]

Let's Catch Up! || Snow & Enid

[enid-mohanty]

Enid didn't really care.

She didn't much like the sun or the heat, but she wasn't going to say that. Enid very really rocked the boat in such a way. She just went with the flow, more often than not. Followed the crowd.

At least it gave her an excuse to put on her sunglasses, which she did. And the sun did warm her up, just a bit, but she knew it would soon become sweltering and unpleasant and she'd have to go back to work feeling gross.

"It's fine," Enid said. She disliked talking about the weather. How cliche. Hadn't Gem told Snow anything about Enid? Probably not, knowing him. She sighed. Might as well check up on her wayward little brother while she had the opportunity.

"How has Gem been? Are you ready to pack him up and ship him back to us yet?"

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

She smiled at the question almost fondly. "Unfortunately, I think I have to keep him," she said.

Though she wasn't actually sure how to answer that question.

In many ways, she thought Gem was doing well. He had gotten back into the swing at work. He was actually very busy. And they were working out their new routine. She missed seeing him at the Hauntley more, missed sleeping in herself-- but it was kind of nice, coming home and Gem waiting for her, more often than not.

Did Gem enjoy waiting? She wasn't sure.

"I think he's doing pretty well," she settled on. "We're both figuring out our routines with the house. You should come by! You could meet Alice and Dudley," she mentioned.

They hadn't quite moved on yet-- though their presence was very minimal. She had a feeling Alice wanted to see what Snow was going to do with the place.

@enid-mohanty

[hauntingly-veronika]

Nachtschatten | Vow

[hauntingly-veronika]

"Admittedly I wasn't so sure it was for me," Veronika said after a moment. She had simply decided that it wouldn't suit her without having tried it. But now... well now she felt a bit more desperate. If she didn't try this then... it was better not to think about how much worse it could be. Because it was going to get better!

"I do know him. He wants to buy a ranch at some point I believe." A fascinating choice. Not one that Veronika would want to make. But she preferred other things. "I'm glad he did end up coming to the Hauntley. I was telling him that he should," Veronika added.

It was nice to know he had taken up that suggestion. "But yes I would really like to try it. See if I can go a different route with feeding. Because I don't think how I'm doing things now is working as well as it should."

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

Hm, that sounded a bit worrisome.

But Snow didn't think it was polite to prod. A vampire's feeding habits were intensely personal, whether they opted for blood banks, willing volunteers or... assault. Well, Snow didn't endorse assault, obviously, and thankfully, as far as she knew, every vampire who came to the Hauntley didn't do so...anymore. If not for moral reasons, then, as she had discovered through conversation, "it's just too messy."

And that was true. Vampire powers could cover their tracks, but mistakes happened, and many vampires didn't want to deal with the hassle of legal action...or a mob!

Anyway, Snow was going to let the comment lie.

"Well, I'm happy to provide the alternative! Give me just one moment, and I'll get you a glass."

Indeed, Snow was only gone for about five minutes before she returned with a goblet full of her warmed boneblood.

"Here you are! This was brewed two days ago," she said, very proud. "I just heated it a little on the stove."

@hauntingly-veronika

[lady-snow-flower]

Fight For Me🔥[Snow Quartz]

[gem-mohanty]

Gem found unsure Snow to be very cute. She was always rather confident. Confident in her decisions, in the clothes she wore, in the things she knew about--magic, gardening, how to be emotionally available. He had been drawn to that confidence. At first, he had thought there wasn't anything that Snow wasn't confident about.

He quickly realized that she was a very good actress. Which he also admired, considering he wore his emotions on his sleeves and could never keep his mouth shut.

As much as he loved her confidence, her self-consciousness wasn't a turn off. He found it sweet. It made him wanna wrap his arms around her and protect her.

Couldn't do that now. There was a different way he was trying to protect her.

"Okay, first: we're gonna work on your base. The most important thing you can do is be hard to knock over." Gem shifted his own feet a little, bending his knees, one slightly out in front.

"You wanna keep your feet spread apart, like you're taking a step and then holding it. And drop your hips a little, if your legs are too straight you aren't engaging muscles and you'll be able to get knocked over. And once you're on the ground...well, it's a bad place to be."

He stood up again, watching her mimic him. Once she had settled into a position, he went over to her and gave her a gentle shove at her shoulders. She wobbled.

"Here." Gem got his foot behind hers and scooted it. Then, he put his hands on her hips, pushing her down a little more. "There." Gem tried to shove her again, but she stayed more in place. "Feel the difference?"

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

Snow knew a little bit about having a good base.

She once was a ballerina, after all. And having a strong core and knowing how to stay balanced were essential skills. Still, the way you did so in ballet was quite different than when trying to defend yourself.

So she did her best to follow Gem's instructions, so they were nearly mirror images in all the ways she could be a mirror image. Her lips pursed slightly as she concentrated and adjusted--

Then squeaked as Gem pushed her. Her hands moved on their own, grasping at Gem's arm, though she didn't really need to.

Gem shuffled closer and adjusted her feet for her again. And actually, Snow did feel more stable. She glanced down at her feet and then up at Gem, her smile lifting her cheeks.

"Oh, yeah. That does feel better," she agreed. "Though I think if you were really trying to assault me, you'd probably come at me much harder."

It was a little bit of a challenge. Because she knew that Gem didn't want to hurt her, and well, she didn't want to be hurt either, but she needed to be prepared.

@gem-mohanty

[it-is-your-destiny]

A Cupcake for Your Woes? ~~ [Snowy]

[it-is-your-destiny]

Destiny liked yellow. Well, some yellows. Mostly dark, bright yellows. Like a canary or an American school bus. A faded, more butter yellow was nearly impossible to see. Her favorite colors were always highly saturated and bright.

Still, she tried to picture it, even if she had little other information on the layout of the kitchen yet.

"That sounds so fun!" Destiny agreed. She loved an art project, after all. Not that she could do many, but she painted sometimes and she liked to knit as well. Baking was a kind of artistry, she thought, though she kept that opinion to herself for the most part. She didn't want to offend anyone else.

"Wow. It's so nice that you get to do whatever you want to this place. How big is it? What's it like?"

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

"Oh! We can definitely go on a tour later," said Snow. "Though, then again, we have a lot of boxes everywhere, so maybe that can wait. But it's wonderful. It's just the size we need."

That was not quite true. It was too big-- at least, right now. But it wasn't going to be too big. Snow had dreams of filling this place with children. Gem came from a big family, and so Snow loved the idea of... really, five or six kids, some of them their own and some of them adopted. Just like the Mohantys.

"On the first floor-- we're in the kitchen right now, obviously. But we got the dining room right next to us. And then this great library space with these huge windows that look out into the front yard and the lake. I'm excited for it; I think Gem will fill it with books. He loves books," she said. Did Destiny know that? Probably not. Most people didn't.

"And then we have the living room, which has a gorgeous fireplace that I can't wait to use when it gets a little chilly. It will make the whole house feel alive," she continued. "And then, down the hall, leads to the mudroom and the staircase upstairs. The backyard is pretty overgrown at this point. Eventually, I want to have a porch, build a fence, and plant a garden. I'd love to grow plenty of our own food."

@it-is-your-destiny

[lady-snow-flower]

Let's Catch Up! || Snow & Enid

[enid-mohanty]

Enid could have foreseen that comment coming. Even if Snow had just lied, Enid still could have predicted it. Snow was, predictably, sweet enough to rot your teeth.

This wasn't, necessarily, a bad thing. But it did confuse Enid.

What did she see in Gem? Lol.

"Sure," she sighed, kissing her plans of locking the archive doors and squirreling into the back of the stacks to read AO3 until her designated hour was over. (Or maybe a little longer...)

They moved up in the line and Enid ordered before stepping aside to let Snow do so.

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

Oh, nice! Snow had expected Enid to wiggle out of it. And Snow would have let her-- maybe asked one more time--but Snow didn't want to throw anyone off their schedule. Enid had a very important job anyway, so if she was just too busy, well, that was just fine.

But she agreed! Snow grinned, feeling warmth spread in her chest. This would be fun!

She quickly ordered herself-- a lox bagel that she'd put some hot sauce on because, well, she often put hot sauce on everything. Their food came quickly, and Snow found a lovely seat right outside under an umbrella.

"Is this okay? I just love the summer. It's been rather hot for England this year, but that's a nice change of pace, I think!" said Snow. She sat down and sipped some of her jasmine tea.

@enid-mohanty

[gem-mohanty]

The Harder the Rain, the Sweeter the Sun🔥[Snow Quartz]

[gem-mohanty]

Gem was still a little nervous. After all, he hadn't done this before. He'd been robbed of their first anniversary. Not that he had anyone to blame for that but himself. It had been horrible, though. A year had been a marvel to him. Sometimes, he still didn't fully understand Snow's capacity for forgiveness, but he was grateful for it.

He never wanted to take advantage of it again. He wanted to prove to her that she had made the right choice. That her confidence in him was not unfounded. That her choosing him wasn't anything she'd ever regret.

Two years felt so--heavy. Not in a bad way. In the way a heavy blanket felt in the winter. Or the pleasant strain of his muscles when he picked something up that he could barely lift. Heavy like the way Snow felt in his arms: solid, familiar, and warm.

Her words made him chuckle, but his gut tightened too. Sex was definitely on the to do list for the evening. (It was on there more than once, if Gem had his way.) He just hadn't expected her to kiss him.

He laughed into the kiss, but his humor quickly dropped away for his ravenous hunger.

His hand slipped further down her waist, over her silky dress. His other went to the back of her neck, pulling her close. They still swayed a little bit, but Gem was sufficiently distracted. He broke the kiss but only so he could trail kisses down her neck, then over her shoulder. His hand slid up her arm around his neck, followed by his lips, kissing up her bicep.

"That plan sounds good to me," he murmured against her elbow. "Though, you keep looking at me like that, we're not gonna get much dancing done." He kissed her again.

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

They kissed, and time disappeared like it always did.

It could be any other day-- like the lazy mornings they often spent, with Snow curling over into Gem's arms and exchanging kisses that didn't go anywhere (though often, they did). She loved kissing Gem. She was so grateful that they had two years of kissing between them now, instead of the handful of kisses that felt more like sticks of dynamite, so hot and explosive they had always brought Snow to her knees.

Though this kiss had quite a lot in common with dynamite, too. It quickly got away from them. Snow's breath quickened, then grew heavy as Gem's lips fell onto her neck, his tongue carving new pathways, his teeth nibbling at her skin. She tilted her neck for him, as her grip on his suit tightened too.

She let herself relish it all. Especially the heat of it: the heat of Gem's hands, the heat of his breath, the heat of her own blood.

She laughed a little, laughed into the kiss-- then barely leaned away from him. "This is a kind of dancing through, don't you think?" She whispered it, feeling naughty. Like they were kids skipping class, necking in the hallway or the bathroom.

She leaned in again, kissing him-- her fingers threaded through his hair. Their bodies pressed together.

Maybe this was how they should start the night. Who said they couldn't have dessert first?

@gem-mohanty

[lady-snow-flower]

Aftershocks || Snow Wolf

[wolf-innsheepsclothing]

"She might," Wolf agreed. It was a poor tactical decision, to attack a place on which they had the home advantage - at the Inn he had every manner of protection set up that they could manage, and he would be ensuring the same was true of Snow's new house as soon as he could.

But Carmen was a wounded beast now, snarling and raging. There was no knowing what she might do, and what consequences she did not fear to bring upon herself.

Desperate people were dangerous ones.

"But we cannot guarantee it. We will make sure that the new house is secure too," he said, solemnly, his voice taught with warning.

He had no such worries for Mal. As far as he was concerned, with what little he knew of it all, Mal had been complicit.

"Mal was with Carmen," he reminded her gently. "You must be careful now if he reaches out at all."

It would surely be another trap, trying to play on those tender heartstrings of hers.

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

"Mal is just a boy, Wolf," said Snow swiftly.

She had heard such protests and skepticism from Gem. He had so easily shut his heart to the boy, feeling no sympathy for him. Well, at least, he insisted he didn't-- but Snow suspected that Gem felt for him too, that Wolf must also feel some pity, despite Mal's actions. He couldn't be older than ten. Snow suspected he was closer to seven or eight. Either way, he had no parents. That, at least, was not a lie as far as Snow was concerned.

In fact, she didn't think Mal had lied to her at all. Yes, he had led her into a trap. But she saw his face. He hadn't realized what he had been doing. Carmen was the liar who had twisted Mal's mind and heart.

She needed to save him from her. Somehow.

"He didn't know what Carmen was planning. He might have thought he was saving me from a haunted house full of ghosts and monsters," Snow pointed out. "If he reaches out, I have to believe there's some way we can save him."

@wolf-innsheepsclothing

[gem-mohanty]

The Harder the Rain, the Sweeter the Sun🔥[Snow Quartz]

[gem-mohanty]

Snow looked even better than Gem had imagined when he'd picked the dress out for her. The satin shifted in the flickering candlelight as she came towards him, looking like the most beautiful flame. It made him miss his magic, just a little.

Though, probably for the best that he didn't have it, because as soon as she touched him, his heart went wild. As it often did when she was close, when he got a whiff of her perfume or a flash of her thigh.

He chuckled a little, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when she spoke.

Our house, she said and his heart filled up like a balloon, ready to burst.

"Made it into a dance floor, obviously." He slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Do you really like the dress?" he asked, unable to help himself.

He just--wanted everything to be perfect for her. So often, it wasn't. Even now, they were still being chased by Gem's mistakes and poor decisions. Just like they had been this time last year. The only difference, really, was that they were together this time.

And Gem wasn't going to take that for granted. He never had. Even if it might seem that way sometimes.

"We can still go to dinner, if you want, but I did make curry." He started turning her a little in a slow dance not much better than the kind teenagers might do at their first school dance. "We can do whatever you'd like," he promised.

@lady-snow-flower

[lady-snow-flower]

Whatever Snow wanted?

Right now, all Snow wanted was to kiss Gem.

Her desire came from every direction, from the shadows the candles cast and that sweet, eager-to-please light in Gem's eyes to the way his hand gripped her waist. She didn't really need the dress (which she loved very much), or the shoes, or the expensive dinner out. No, this was much better. She liked being in their house. She liked that she'd eat out of their bowls and drink out of their cups, bought from Whosits and Whatsits, of course.

She liked that, in seconds, if she wanted, she could drop the dress to the floor and show Gem exactly how much she wanted him.

She refrained, though it was hard, as she leaned into Gem and let him sway her left, then right. When they were alone like this, it was like they had never had those months apart. Even Gem's nightmares felt far away.

"I do love the dress, just like I love the sound of curry," she reassured him. Especially Gem's. It was a family recipe from Rohan and Padme. You could taste its history, how it had been slightly changed with each generation.

"I think I'd love to eat with you and dance with you..." Her hands roped around his neck as they turned, candles flickering all around them. "And I want to make love to you. And maybe not...necessarily in that order."

She gave in to her desire then, and kissed him.

@gem-mohanty