Lucifer Marigold @lucifermarigolds-askbox - Tumblr Blog

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> They regret it. Oh, Coffee regrets it. Fae sees the distraught look on Luce's face every time they close faer eyes, hears the heartbreak of her voice ring in their ears. Fae's slept.... once, they think. A nightmare from the start, red canon kill flashing with the last punch in the Pit, a monster where Luce stands, Skulk creeping through Logtopia, Rex dying.

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

> They huff quietly, glancing through the wood chest. More spruce is required if fae wants to keep warm. A storm's moving in, so they move quickly to retrieve faer axe from the Ender chest, settling its weight on their shoulders. Fae climbs the stairs, pulling on a bear fur jacket, then sighs as fae opens the front door.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> Faer eyes land on her. She looks just as bad as they feel. The knotted look of her hair reflects the snarls fae hasn't bothered to get out. Her rumpled uniform, wine stain on her shirt, looks only slightly better than their comfort sweater vest, unironed button-up shirt.

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

> It's likely a minor miracle she made it from Log to the Refuge without getting caught. Fae frowns, glancing Luce over. She doesn't seem injured. Not blackout, then. Or she's only been drinking since she got here. How long has she been standing at the door, they wonder idly. Couple hours?

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

> Fae picks their way down the stairs, brushing snow to the side with faer foot to clear a path. Coffee glances back to see Luce coming down as well, and pauses to make sure she doesn't slip before continuing around the side of the house to the wood pile.

> They put barely any more thought towards why Luce is acting so strangely as Coffee starts chopping wood effortlessly, faer signature weapon easy and familiar in their hands. The work lessens Chat's buzzing in faer ear.

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> Round one of the firewood is put in Luce's arms. She mutters something Coffee doesn't quite catch, but they're already turning back to chopping, so fae ignores it. Once they have a big enough stack (about twice the size of the one fae gave Luce), Coffee turns back towards indoors. They're careful going back up the stairs, nudging the front door with faer hip to go inside.

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

"You're out in the snow, staring at my door. The moment I step outside, you're erratic, twitchy, jumpy. You're talking weird. You say you want to talk to me. And now you're practically jumping for the door."

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She blinks again, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"Yeah, okay. Let's talk." Lucy inhales, cigarette still pursed between her lips every few seconds. "I'm sorry."

An apology. A rarity. It's something, an olive branch.

"I regret what I said. They needed to be said, but I-" She swallows down a noise. "I should've said things differently."

> Coffee stills momentarily, surprised to hear the apology. Knowing how rare it is to hear. They run a hand through faer hair and chuckle awkwardly.

"You're not at fault. It was..."

> They sink into the chair behind faer, gesturing for Lucy to sit as well.

"I'm sorry. I should've known something was wrong the moment TSchlatt asked me up to that stage and locked T0mmmy in. I..."

> A slow breath in, then one out. Coffee's hands are shaking, they tense them to stop it.

"I shouldn't have been so hostile. I should've considered things better, once we were back in Log. I shouldn't have....."

> Don't you want revenge, Lullah??

> The cold, yet heartbroken look in Luce's eyes. The daggers of her expression, poised against faer.

"I should've remained level-headed."

"It wasn't your fault." She wants to say it's hers, but she bites her tongue.

Lucy shuffled into the chair, glancing sideways back at Coffee.

"They're your kids too, Coffee."

She paused, lingering on the words for a long moment in the quiet, nothing but the nearby hearth flickering in the background.

"You promised. It's supposed to be us. Us against them, against everything else. So what if I... If I went against the plans we made with Crow. You promised."

There's emotion jumping up in her throat, strangling her.

She wants to cry but her tears had long since dried. Gone was the casual mood, snuffed out like a hopeful ember.

"I feel foolish." She admits like a sin.

> Foolish. Yeah, Coffee certainly feels that way too. They strangle a huff, then disguise a frown as Floof leaves faer side to go sniff Luce. Damn wolf.

"I.....did promise. I just thought....."

> Thought she wouldn't blow up the White House. Thought she wouldn't blow up the van. Thought she'd be more rational, thought she'd think it through better-

".....Thought you would've told me."

> They sigh at the same time Floof plops its head on Luce's lap.

"I'm. A bit at fault for that too. I should've told you about accepting the invitation."

> Did you learn that TSchlatt can't swim from your experiments in that hidey hole of a lab you're in all day?!

"....There's no excuse for that behavior, I know."

"I thought you would've told me too." She answers back, slightly bitterly. "You're right, there isn't an excuse."

"I meant what I said. I can apologise, but I'm not taking back what I said. Because there is only one thing I fucking care about. And that's you."

She raises from the chair, brushing past the dog. She stepped forward, pressing a finger against Coffee's chest.

"It has always been you." She half snarls, half waveringly states.

"And I fucking hate that."

She shook her head.

"I hate it because it makes me feel stupid for believing things, that love, could be any different."

> Love.

> Oh. Right. That's probably why she's acting so strange. (They're impressed she's managing to touch faer without flaring red further, despite the simplicity of it.) Nevermind the fact Coffee never returned it. Nevermind the fact they still don't.

> Fae resists the urge to say "skill issue". That would probably be too far.

> They opt to move on and pretend Luce didn't just remind faer of that.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am."

> Coffee glances away, at the cowboy painting by the fireplace. Anything but to see the daggers again. Anything but to see that look.

Her stomach drops, Coffee's face doing the same. They turn away, they turn away from her.

Oh. Oh.

Coffee doesn't care.

Not in the same way she does. Never in the same way she does.

It makes her furious.

"I love you. I have always fucking loved you!" She hissed.

"You have left a hole in me that can't ever be filled. And I hate that you don't care." She grows callous, lips pursed as she pulls back, rapidly shouting.

Maybe this was pointless.

"I shouldn't have come here! You clearly don't give a shit!"

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She blinks again, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"Yeah, okay. Let's talk." Lucy inhales, cigarette still pursed between her lips every few seconds. "I'm sorry."

An apology. A rarity. It's something, an olive branch.

"I regret what I said. They needed to be said, but I-" She swallows down a noise. "I should've said things differently."

> Coffee stills momentarily, surprised to hear the apology. Knowing how rare it is to hear. They run a hand through faer hair and chuckle awkwardly.

"You're not at fault. It was..."

> They sink into the chair behind faer, gesturing for Lucy to sit as well.

"I'm sorry. I should've known something was wrong the moment TSchlatt asked me up to that stage and locked T0mmmy in. I..."

> A slow breath in, then one out. Coffee's hands are shaking, they tense them to stop it.

"I shouldn't have been so hostile. I should've considered things better, once we were back in Log. I shouldn't have....."

> Don't you want revenge, Lullah??

> The cold, yet heartbroken look in Luce's eyes. The daggers of her expression, poised against faer.

"I should've remained level-headed."

"It wasn't your fault." She wants to say it's hers, but she bites her tongue.

Lucy shuffled into the chair, glancing sideways back at Coffee.

"They're your kids too, Coffee."

She paused, lingering on the words for a long moment in the quiet, nothing but the nearby hearth flickering in the background.

"You promised. It's supposed to be us. Us against them, against everything else. So what if I... If I went against the plans we made with Crow. You promised."

There's emotion jumping up in her throat, strangling her.

She wants to cry but her tears had long since dried. Gone was the casual mood, snuffed out like a hopeful ember.

"I feel foolish." She admits like a sin.

> Foolish. Yeah, Coffee certainly feels that way too. They strangle a huff, then disguise a frown as Floof leaves faer side to go sniff Luce. Damn wolf.

"I.....did promise. I just thought....."

> Thought she wouldn't blow up the White House. Thought she wouldn't blow up the van. Thought she'd be more rational, thought she'd think it through better-

".....Thought you would've told me."

> They sigh at the same time Floof plops its head on Luce's lap.

"I'm. A bit at fault for that too. I should've told you about accepting the invitation."

> Did you learn that TSchlatt can't swim from your experiments in that hidey hole of a lab you're in all day?!

"....There's no excuse for that behavior, I know."

"I thought you would've told me too." She answers back, slightly bitterly. "You're right, there isn't an excuse."

"I meant what I said. I can apologise, but I'm not taking back what I said. Because there is only one thing I fucking care about. And that's you."

She raises from the chair, brushing past the dog. She stepped forward, pressing a finger against Coffee's chest.

"It has always been you." She half snarls, half waveringly states.

"And I fucking hate that."

She shook her head.

"I hate it because it makes me feel stupid for believing things, that love, could be any different."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She blinks again, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"Yeah, okay. Let's talk." Lucy inhales, cigarette still pursed between her lips every few seconds. "I'm sorry."

An apology. A rarity. It's something, an olive branch.

"I regret what I said. They needed to be said, but I-" She swallows down a noise. "I should've said things differently."

> Coffee stills momentarily, surprised to hear the apology. Knowing how rare it is to hear. They run a hand through faer hair and chuckle awkwardly.

"You're not at fault. It was..."

> They sink into the chair behind faer, gesturing for Lucy to sit as well.

"I'm sorry. I should've known something was wrong the moment TSchlatt asked me up to that stage and locked T0mmmy in. I..."

> A slow breath in, then one out. Coffee's hands are shaking, they tense them to stop it.

"I shouldn't have been so hostile. I should've considered things better, once we were back in Log. I shouldn't have....."

> Don't you want revenge, Lullah??

> The cold, yet heartbroken look in Luce's eyes. The daggers of her expression, poised against faer.

"I should've remained level-headed."

"It wasn't your fault." She wants to say it's hers, but she bites her tongue.

Lucy shuffled into the chair, glancing sideways back at Coffee.

"They're your kids too, Coffee."

She paused, lingering on the words for a long moment in the quiet, nothing but the nearby hearth flickering in the background.

"You promised. It's supposed to be us. Us against them, against everything else. So what if I... If I went against the plans we made with Crow. You promised."

There's emotion jumping up in her throat, strangling her.

She wants to cry but her tears had long since dried. Gone was the casual mood, snuffed out like a hopeful ember.

"I feel foolish." She admits like a sin.

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She blinks again, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"Yeah, okay. Let's talk." Lucy inhales, cigarette still pursed between her lips every few seconds. "I'm sorry."

An apology. A rarity. It's something, an olive branch.

"I regret what I said. They needed to be said, but I-" She swallows down a noise. "I should've said things differently."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

tall

lucifer-marigold