HEARTSICK .

magdalena corvinus as loved by ren for underworld fm. i am curious in my sadness & i am curious in my joy . i am everseeking , everfeeling .

[rosewilts]

immortalfm​:

ZADE : [ uzi vc ] ya ya ya  ZADE : come thru 2 clairs apartment it can be just us ZADE : i’m doing alright theres a lot going on tbh ZADE : u know. death dealer shit ZADE : always soemthing

LENA  :  ew that sounds stressful LENA  :  hopefully it clears up soon!!!! :( LENA  :  ok ok i’m gonna get everything together & head overrr 💖💖 see u soon 😘

[sapphicpinkyverse]

hope mikaelson + cute hairstyle

[kuromilesbian-deactivated202205]

i LOVE HEART SHAPED THINGS!!!!!! HEART SHAPED CLOUDS??? HEART SHAPED CHOCOLATES???? THATS WHAT BEING ALIVE IS ABOUT

[bronzyglow]

i want my whole life to be pink

[rosewilts]

perpetuitys​:

— if you don’t pull me back, it wakes a thousand eyes

starring: magdalena corvinus ( @rosewilts​ ), michel de la rue setting: undisclosed location

they’ve exchanged passing interactions, whether it be the drunken times at the midnight rose or the occasional back-and-forth that came from their groupchat. but none of those times were comparable to this — the risk factors, the tension, the one-on-one nature of this encounter. michel could honestly give less of a shit about the coven would think of this, because for one, it was none of their business and it wasn’t going to be. but he knew how this could look on magdalena, how it would look to aleksander, and the guilt would probably consume him if he put her in a position for any potential danger. 

as michel saw her approach, a small smile spreads across his features and you know what, maybe, his eyes might have prickled too. not that it was the first time he’s seen her since everything happened, but because it was almost like they were in their own bubble again. it felt so refreshing. he greets her with an embrace because it just feels like the right thing to do and fuck. he’s missed her so much. a couple moments pass before they pull away, though it feels too soon, and he takes a fox charm necklace out of his pocket, straightening it out with both hands from its minor entanglement before offering it to her. “brought you this.” there’s a small smile there as he tilts his head slightly and looks to her expression. he is unsure of what the future holds and what’s in store for their ever-changing eternity, but it brings him comfort that, for however much longer it’s safer to keep away, she would at least have something to remember him by. when he left, it all felt so sudden. hardly enough time to collect his things, let alone his thoughts. or even a goodbye to the one person who deserved it most. but at least he had this moment and if he was able to undo any of those wrongs, it was worth a try.

“thought since i mentioned it… might as well…” and he doesn’t manage to complete a thought, hoping the words he left implied what he meant. he can’t tell if he’s nervous or elated or apprehensive or anything, because all of it feels surreal and nostalgic. for decades, time spent alone together had always been the standard not the exception and in some ways, it feels as if there’s been no hiatus — the air is so familiar that if they weren’t where they were and in such a clandestine context, it’s almost like it was just another day for them. and as much as his instincts are telling him to deflect these scrambled emotions, like any other time there was difficulty to process, he knows lena taught him better than that. “how’ve you been though?” he asks, brows coming together subtly almost like he felt sort of stupid for asking. not that it was a bad thing to ask, but more so because of how fucking simple it sounded — almost as if a mortal could’ve asked it — despite how fiercely complicated their entire situation is. instead, he wanted to ask how she felt when he left. and how she feels about him now. has any of it changed? does she feel differently about him in the same way everyone around her does? and perhaps more importantly, does she miss him? or has some other figure in the coven already replaced him? but truthfully, maybe he’s a little afraid of what the answers would be.

GRIEF WAS A  parasite  ,  a greedy little creature festering in the wound of her broken heart  ,  devouring whatever it could find  &  always hunting for more  .  it spoke in eerie little whispers  ,  sinking its talons into even the happiest of memories  ;  what’s this  ,  it would ask  ,  and without waiting for an answer it would tuck in  ,  giving magdalena little time to beg for mercy  .  nothing was sacred  .  anything could be taken  ,  twisted  &  destroyed  .  the leech never went hungry  ,  especially when it had memories of michel to feed off of  —  endless  ,  they were  ,  each one as vivid as the day they’d been made  .  it wasn’t rare for her to reminisce on them only to find herself doleful  &  aching  ,  or burning with anger  ,  never quite being able to enjoy them for what they were after his exile  .

and she was still heartbroken  .  still angry  .  still confused  .  but beneath the corrosive layer of mourning  ,  she was still left wanting  :  wanting to see him  ,  to hear his voice  ,  his laugh  ,  to glimpse the little crinkle of his eyes when he smiled  .  seeing his occasional quip in the group chat wasn’t enough  .  equally as important  ,  of course  ,  were the answers she needed  .  what had really happened the night he left  ?  why hadn’t he said goodbye  ,  or anything else  ,  for that matter  ?  the night at the rose had been the catalyst that led to her reaching out to him separately  ,  arranging this meeting in the hopes of  ...  something  .  preferably some sort of resolution  .  it nearly felt like treason  ,  to seek him out like this  —  but she’d been committing quite a lot of that  ,  as of late  ,  so what was the difference anymore  ?  

she watches michel with a hint of hesitation when she spots him  ,  stomach knotting anxiously  .  seeing him still causes a spear of pain to lance through her chest  ,  but the hurt is almost desperate as it throbs  ,  begging  please  ,  please don’t turn away from me again  ,  please don’t leave  .  with an unsteady inhale drawn  ,  lena approaches him  ,  the quiet click of her heels echoing across the night to announce her presence  .    ❝    ...  michel  —   ❞    and before anything else can follow  ,  she’s in his arms  ,  face pressed into his shoulder as she tries not to break  &  cry at the gentle embrace  .  it feels like coming home  .  like all the days when  ,  as a child  ,  he’d spent countless hours reading to her  ,  or coaching her as she recited passages from the books he’d bought her  .  like all the little crayon drawings she’d made of them  ,  together  ,  wide fanged smiles scribbled on their faces  .  the monsters under her bed he’d fought off without a moment’s hesitation  .  it fades as soon as the embrace is broken  ,  and lena tries not to cling to his shirt as they pull apart  ,  focusing instead on how he fishes in his pockets  .  dainty fingers rub at her throat as he produces the necklace  ,  the bob when she swallows shifting her fingertips  .  a smile splits anxiety worn features  ,  ocean eyes dotted with little stars as they shine  .    ❝    it’s so cute  ...    ❞    her touch is gentle when she takes the necklace from him  ,  marveling over the little fox charm a moment longer as he continues to speak  .  lena tucks the necklace into her chanel bag  ,  careful not to tangle the chain  ,  another secret she intends to keep from the coven’s ever present prying eyes  .

there’s still a gaping schism between them  ,  rippling with uncertainty as they shift awkwardly in the pause  .  she’s not sure where to begin  ,  and evidently neither is he  ,  as the question catches her on uncertain footing  .

❝    how have i .. been  ?   ❞    she parrots him  ,  whispering his question to herself incredulously  .  how is she expected to answer that  ?  it leaves a bitter taste on her tongue  ,  a tacky film over the roof of her mouth  ,  the back of her throat  .  her anger clamps its teeth around the bait  ,  and she’s flooded with reminders of how betrayed  &  abandoned his departure left her feeling  .     ❝    you disappear  ,  you don’t say anything to anyone  ,  you don’t say  goodbye  or  i love you  or  i’m sorry  ...  you pop up every so often when you feel fit to  —  how have i been since  when  ,  exactly  ?  since you left  ?  since the incident at the rose  ?  since  ,  i don’t know  ,  last tuesday  ?   ❞    she can already feel tears beading at the corners of her eyes  ,  burning until she closes her eyes and releases a tense  ,  shaken exhale  .     ❝    why didn’t you  ...  why didn’t you at least say  goodbye  ,  michel  ?    ❞

[sillyzone]

My last brain cell is heart shaped

[rosewilts]

kingspavvn​:

ZADE : hiii ZADE : yes :(( ZADE : i miss u 2 it has been Lonely ZADE : but i think we should talk , yeah … ZADE : things have been weird ZADE : how are u

LENA  :  things have been SUPER weird LENA  :  i’m okay ig?? , better now than i was that’s for sure lmao LENA  :  but what about you ?? LENA  :  we should meet up ! when works best for u ?? i can bring all my good skincare stuff. we can wear facemasks & talk & watch rhony or smth ! or u can come here if you want ofc 💖💖💖💖

[rosewilts]

(  1  )  NEW iMESSAGE FOR ZADE  !  /  @kingspavvn

LENA  :  hey LENA  :  can we talk sometime soon ?? LENA  :  not to bring up ~bad vibes~ bc i know we’ve BEEN talking a lil  ...  but i think we need to Talk about everything LENA  :  for like transparency’s sake & stuff LENA  :  & bc i miss you like a TOONNN 😔

[rosewilts]

wlfbitcs​:

                    He knew this was probably a bad idea. After everything that had happened that night at the Rose, Zac knew that continuing to get close to the youngest vampire princess was definitely a bad idea. He had always found himself drawn to the forbidden fruit, but even now with more more at stake he couldn’t find it in himself to pull away. Instead when his screen lit up with a message from Lena, Zac found himself rearranging his schedule to meet up with her.  

                    All of the usual what ifs ran through his head as he quickly walked through Manhattan’s streets. What if her family had found out? What if Zade had told Aleksander? What if she was hurt? He didn’t want to think of what might happen if any of that were true. Aleksander wouldn’t stand to lose another of his children like this. Especially not because of someone like him. His gait slowed as a new thought crept forward, teasing him with an evil little smile. What if this was a trap. Perhaps his brother had put it all together and used the princess’ phone to make him show up with his guard down.

                    His worries quieted down though, as soon as Lena’s small figure came into view. And Zac found himself smiling at the young vampire as she crossed to his side. “Of course,” his words were soft on arm wrapping around her protectively. “How are you? Are things okay?”

AS SOMEONE WHO  thrived off of creature comforts  ,  it was all too easy for lena to fall into his gentle  ,  one armed embrace  .  he was warm beside her  ,  easing away some of the chill that always seemed to nip at her bones as they fell into step  ;  nestling into his side while he spoke  ,  lena considered the weight of his question in near silence  .  were things okay  ?  not by half  .  but she was trying her best to hold onto hope  ,  even as she fought against the tide each day doing so  .  sometimes it slipped from between her fingertips  ,  drifted out to sea  ...  a soft hum drifted  ,  broke up the background noise of the city  .     ❝    well  ,  truth be told  ,  things could be  ...  better  .  but i think it’s going to take time for them to get there  ,  you know  ?    ❞    true enough  ,  even putting it lightly  .  teeth sunk into the inside of her cheek as she mulled over her own answer  ,  not finding it satisfactory in the least  .

❝    i just wish i could talk to him  ,  that we could try to make sense of things together  ...  but i know it’s still too early to expect such a thing  .  ❞    they were both still cooling off  .  while lena had begun edging towards a better understanding of his side of things  ,  or at least  attempting  to  ,  she was still finding herself skewed by indignation  &  hurt  .  the corners of her mouth drooped downwards into an uncertain frown  .    ❝    i’m upset with the way he handled it  —  the way he treated me  ,  spoke to me like i was an  enemy  .  though  ..  the more i think about it  ,  the more i suppose i can see why he would .  but it still hurt  .  he’s my best friend  .    ❞

lying by omission was still lying  ,  magdalena was well aware  .  had the situation been reversed  ,  she would’ve felt just as spurned  ,  been just as angry with him  .  but she was tired of feeling as though she couldn’t have anything for herself  ,  that others still deemed it fit to make decisions for her  .  pinched brows smoothed and lifted as she smiled once more  ,  far softer this time  ,  peeking up at zacharie through her eyelashes  .     ❝    what about you  ,  though  ?  he hasn’t come after you  ,  has he  ...  ?    ❞

[rosewilts]

🤗 - hug my muse.

MEME /  still accepting  !

it’s an easy task  ,  to slip into the cradle of his open arms  ,  to tuck her head snugly into the crook of his neck  &  let her eyes flutter closed  .  easy as breathing  ,  really  ,  and it comes with the same desperate need for comfort as a heavy inhale does for oxygen  ;  the silent that passes is cozy  &  warm as her lithe arms wind around him  &  her fingers cling to the back of his shirt  .  tension bleeds away from her back when one of his palms rests there  ,  and lena hums just so  ,  a soft little trill of thankfulness as her gaze lifts to meet his own  .    ❝    sometimes ... i wonder what it would be like to  disappear  ,  even if just for a day  ,  but then i think of moments like this ... and i can’t help but want to stay forever  .    ❞    /    @kingspavvn​  !

[kingspavvn]

* lena !

ZADE : kjdfngkjdnfgkjdnfgkjdfng i lich rally do not know what else to say ZADE : i took her to a club so she could have a venue 2 play in ZADE : KJDNFKJN AND IM FLIRTINGKJFN please help ZADE : im scawed

[rosewilts]

LENA: you touched her arm zade! her arm!

LENA: don’t you know that’s an obvious sign that you want to fuck her ??

LENA: in like, the victorian era or whatever timeline she’s living in... bc it’s clearly not this one

LENA: seriously though. fuck her, her behavior is repulsive. are you okay?

[kingspavvn]

* lena / @rosewilts !

ZADE : [ 4 image attachments ; screenshots of his conversation with evelyn. ] ZADE : i am straight up not having a good time bro.

[rosewilts]

LENA: hold on ... hold on

LENA: let me move my mf bang.. bc i know i didn’t just read all that

LENA: “u literally owe me an apology & at least two gifts for wasting my time” 🗿 type shit 💫

[rosewilts]

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITS  -  ?  /  ?  ;  insta  +  red  .

[rosewilts]

ofperidots​:

1 NEW SNAPCHAT FOR @rosewilts​

i’m using this gorgeous picture of myself to tell you, you’re a shit bag and i hate you.

LENA  :  wow honestly lu i feel so bad for you LENA  :  it must be hard being so ugly both inside & out :(((

[rosewilts]

enpcssant​:

HIS REFLECTION WOULD SHOW HER the way his lips came together in his disbelief , the way typically wide eyes was narrow just a tick at the blatant way she attempted to to lie – to him , of all people. sinclair chewed on his tongue for a beat , his previous self - pity falling to the wayside as he wondered which impulse to follow. did he back off & let her brood ? or did he…

– clair snorted lightly at lena’s ear , “ right , & i’m charlemagne. okay , on three. one - ” & he didn’t really give her any choice or time to argue as long arms wrapped around her tiny form , lifting her off her feet with ease , a hand coming just under her knee to support her fully before he turned & put himself back on the trail to his room. he had a small grin on his lips , eyebrows raised at the way she peered up at him , " tu es un terrible menteur , ma chérie. ” it didn’t take another full minute for him to be before his old door , thankful that the hallway was empty as he brought the two of them inside. his original idea was to sit her down by herself , but as he toed off his shoes & listened to an almost silent sniff , he thought better of it. clair crossed the room , sitting himself down in an overly large , plush velvet chair he’d spent too much money on , pulling lena into his lap , arms embracing her lightly , internallly afraid that she’d fall to pieces in his hands if he held on too tight.

only once they had sunk into the cushions behind him did he speak , his tone soft & quiet. “ i’m sorry if you had other plans , because now you’re going to sit here & talk to me…”

he had noticed that night at the midnight rose , how familiar magdalena had been with one zacharie hendricks , & yes , it unsettled the hell out of him… but he didn’t feel the need to stop it , he wasn’t abhorrently against it in the same manner zaiden obviously was. clair was familiar enough with the leader of the liberation & he trusted him , to the point that it was no longer an odd thing to think. he used the silence to chew on his tongue once more , wondering just how much of that would be appropriate to share with the princess in his arms…

AS A CHILD  ,  lena had built herself a home in her mind  ;  a little cottage  ,  surrounded by bright  ,  blooming flowers  ,  their soft petals upturned towards the warmth of the sun  ,  everything in lovely hues of white  &  pink  &  cream  .  their fragile  ,  soft petals never wilted  ,  never burnt beneath the light  ,  eternal in their blossoming  &  always dewkissed in the morning  .  inside the cottage  ,  her father  &  mother would rush to greet her  ,  dust kisses across her cheeks  ,  smooth silken hair back from her cherubic face  .  there you are  ,  sweetling  ,  they would say  .  were you out adventuring  ?  what did you find  ?  let me see that scrape on your knee  ,  a kiss will make it better  .  tell me about your day  .  they would hold her in their arms and pride would shine in their eyes as she regaled them with tales of her day  .  she would never once doubt their love for her  ,  their faith in her  ,  their pride  .  her siblings would laugh  &  hold her hands  ,  lift her up and hug her close  ,  her little head tucked in the crooks of their shoulders so very perfectly  .  and at night  ,  they would all be tucked into bed  ,  buried beneath mounds of love  &  blankets so soft it would’ve been unimaginable to anyone but a child that relied on daydreams for comfort  &  safety  .  it was all so docile  &  so very  human  ,  so gentle  &  beguiling that lena had spent most of her time there  ,  shying away from the razored bite of reality as her childhood crumbled like a centuries old castle no longer able to withstand the onslaught of war  .

and now  ,  the cottage sat empty  .  the lights were off  ,  the flowers wilted  ,  vines  &  moss devouring the exterior  .  the roof had begun to rot  &  cave in  ,  all her delicate lace curtains  &  doilies moth eaten  ,  the pink paint on the front door chipped  ,  walls bending and creaking with each passing wind  .  it was a sad place now  ,  no longer the refuge that the younger lena had crafted for herself  ,  sitting haunted  &  desolate in the middle of a dying forest  .  she could picture herself walking into the home  ,  the door sticking and needing to be forced as the hinges groaned their dissent  .  the picture of her family that’d once sat proudly as a centerpiece on the mantle was face down  ,  gilded frame now covered in a thick layer of dust  ,  the faces in the picture obscured  &  blurry  .  the windows had been shattered  ;  a cold wind howled and stirred the dirt  ,  sent a spread of goosebumps across her skin  .  she could feel the cottage caving in on top of her  .  heavy with thoughts of what could have been  ,  why hadn’t it been  ?

it took no small amount of effort to keep herself held together as clair’s gentle touch encircled her  &  carried her off to his room  .  there was a sort of unsteady anticipation  ,  almost fearful  ,  like a sailor watching storm churned waves that rattled within her  .  she could feel it coming  &  tried so hard to bite it back  ,  build her dams  ,  claw her way to higher ground  .  but the moment they found themselves sunk into the velvet cushions  —  so very like the plush couch she’d imagined  ,  big enough to fit herself  ,  her siblings  ,  and her parents  —  it all broke apart  .  her sadness  ,  bursting like a drop of rain against his window  ,  tore its way out of her in the form of a horrid  ,  choking sob  .  it swelled up  &  spilled forth  ,  one giant wave after the next until she was flooded with it  ,  tears splattering messily  ;  carving out rivers on her dulled porcelain cheeks that flowed down  &  dripped off her chin  ,  onto her collarbone  ,  her shirt  —  nothing was safe from the storm of her grief  .  head tipped back  ,  hands brought to her face to push hair out of the way  ,  wipe messily at her eyes  .     ❝    i’m sorry  ,  i  —    ❞    hiccuping cries eroded away at her words  ,  rendered her speechless for a fashion as she attempted to pull in deep breaths  ,  hold herself steady  .  reddened eyes hollowed out by shadows found a point of focus on the wall  .

❝    s - sometimes i just  ...  i get so  sad  ,  clair  ,  like   —  like a boulder on my chest  ,  so heavy i can’t breath  ,  or like weights tied to my hands  &  feet  .  like i can’t move  .  can’t get away from it  ,  can’t  exist  without it dragging me down  .    ❞    her tone  ,  hitching  &  half breathless  ,  laced through with a hint of disgust  .  as though she couldn’t stand herself for speaking the words  ,  or feeling what she did  ,  what she tried so hard to fight  .  brows pinched together  &  head shook  ,  fingers winding  &  bunching tightly in the soft fabric of her shirt  .    ❝    and i don’t want it  .  i don’t  !  i try so hard to get away from it  ,  leave it behind me  ...  bury it in an unmarked grave so i don’t ever have to go looking for it again  .  but it won’t  go away  .  it won’t leave me alone  .  i  hate  it  .  i hate myself  —  hate my life sometimes  ...    ❞    a shaken laugh  ,  acidic  &  derisive  ,  followed on her next exhale  .  the smile that tugged at chapped petal lips was far from her usual genuine  ,  well meant curl that clair was so often greeted with  .

❝    i sound so spoiled  ,  don’t i  ?  i have everything in the world at my fingertips  .  i’ll live a hundred lifetimes indulging in riches i’ve never had to work for  ,  no blood on my hands or aching scars  .  all i’ve ever had to do is smile  &  behave  ,  and here i am  ,  wanting for more  ,  putting people in danger because i just can’t listen  .  i know what people say about me when they think i won’t hear  —   maybe they’re right about what i really am  .  spoiled  .  childish  .  stupid  ...    ❞

[rosewilts]

enpcssant​:

* @rosewilts​ ! 

THE COVEN HAD BEEN SEEING less & less of one sinclair portier in the last few weeks. he answered his summons & he did his job – but only that. no more , no less. he had bigger concerns & more important things to put his time into. getting information from liberation leechers , plotting against said coven & it’s king – & above all else , being quite literally wrapped up with that king’s right hand… oh yes. much bigger fish to fry.  with the distance he’d placed between himself & the bloodsworn , physical & otherwise ; combined with the way he’d always been an outsider , especially considering the way he’d climbed the ranks… it left him feeling like a stranger as he walked through the hand - carved double doors of the manor. aquamarines caught a few familiar gazes , & pointedly ignored some others. the air felt thick in his throat , & he couldn’t help but to internally falter at the weight of the realization that he truly did no longer belong. teeth clenched , fingers curled into a fist , his posture was rigid beneath his forced fluidity , & his steps were quick & silent as he made his way to his room. there were a few things he & zaiden had left behind , & he was only here to collect , & leave. 

though , nothing ever went according to plan for him , did it ? not that he minded turning a corner to see magdalena there ( over anyone that he knew was currently in the building he’d prefer it to be her ) , but the fact remained that he’d have to endure the stifling atmosphere longer than he’d intended. she stood in the hallway , looking out a wide window at the end  , shoulders drawn in & arms around her middle , actively trying to make herself as small as possible. sinclair sighed , shoulders heaving with the act as he made his way towards her , bending his long frame over to lightly lay his chin on her shoulder , his tone low & soft , “ salut princesse. are you okay ? ”

zaiden had refused to talk about it , but sinclair knew how harsh he could be , & he was fully aware of the reason the other death dealer had dragged lena outside the club that night. maybe he could finally learn what was said , & hopefully be able to offer her some comfort in the process…

LIGHTS GLITTERED LIKE  jewels in a trove just beyond the window  ,  the city aflutter with life even as the darkness of night threatened to swallow them all whole  .  magdalena still had yet to decide on whether or not she envied those partaking in the bustle of the city  ;  on one hand  ,  she wished to run as far as she could  ,  fly far away from any last trace of what was left behind here  ,  the ruins of everything she’d managed to fuck up  —  on the other  ,  the mansion  ,  as much of a cage as it could often be  ,  was familiar  .  it had always been her home  .  not that she’d been given much choice  .

she felt very much  gnatlike  now more than ever  .  a little nuisance  ,  buzzing here  &  there  ,  generally unwanted by those she considered flitting towards  .  she’d been swatted away quite sharply  ,  all but crushed between a specific set of inked digits  .  a groan huffed  ,  clipped but still wounded all the same  ;  what was zaiden doing now  ,  anyway  ?  spending his time far away  ,  likely far better off  ,  certainly with clair  .  no time for spoilt princesses  .  self degradation would eventually morph into righteous anger   —  it had been a perpetual cycle since the disaster at the rose  ,  eating away at her incessantly like an ouroboros devouring its tail  .  the sights outside the window became little more than an unfocused blur as the plague of her thoughts pressed downwards  .  the shuffle of footsteps at her back roused her from her stupor very little  ,  figuring them to be just another passerby content with avoided the weary eyed princess  .

of course  ,  sinclair portier was not  ,  had  never  been  ,  just another passerby  .  the jolt that struck through magdalena at his sudden presence had her all but double  -  taking at both his voice and the image of him that greeted her in the fogged glass  .  was it simply just an illusion  ?  had she finally eluded sleep for too long  ?  words beaded on the tip of her tongue  ,  a tiny dewdrop of hesitancy  .     ❝    bonjour  ,  sinclair  .    ❞    okay was such a funny word  ;  so many different meanings  ,  whether others realized the weight of it or not  .      ❝    well  ,  i feel like shit  ,  but otherwise  ?  yeah  ,  i mean  ...  things are  kinda  terrible  ,  but it’s no big  .  another night in the lives of the rich  &  immortal  .    ❞

[rosewilts]

@wlfbitcs  !

IT’S AN IMPRUDENT  decision  ,  to slip out into the darkness of the city despite the consequences that are so often threatened  ,  and yet she does so anyway with a halfhearted smile in her eyes  .  at this rate  ,  any caution that she’d had left to stall her has been thrown to the wind  ;  her carelessness is in part fueled by irrationality spurred on by her recent spat with zaiden  ,  as if to say  look  ,  i’m doing it again  ,  and nothing is happening  ,  and where are you to come and yell at me  ?  where is my father  ,  your king  ?  ah  ,  that’s right  .  too busy to catch me  .  she walks until she no longer feels the mansion’s shadow swallowing her whole  ,  crossing streets and slinking down shortcuts  ,  the balmy breeze of the city rustling her curls as cars pass  &  clusters of friends talk amongst themselves on the sidewalks  .  she’d avoided calling for a car  ,  for obvious reasons  ,  and the same had gone for uber  &  lyft  .  no sense in leaving a paper trail  .  if she’s destined to be caught anyway  ,  what’s the fun in making it  easy  ?

she pulls her phone out to check the time as she lingers just outside a patch of light cast by a streetlamp  .  she’s early  ,  if her lockscreen is any indication  ,  but she doesn’t think it matters  —  she can see him approaching too  ,  and she softens all at once  ,  the rough edges of her indignation growing blunt  .  to some extent  ,  lena finds herself genuinely surprised that he still seems to hold some interest in her  ,  after the spectacle at the rose  .  it doesn’t stop her from being eager to see him again  ,  though  ,  and she figures that there must be some reason he agreed to meet up with her when he could be doing literally anything else on a thursday night  .  one last suspicious gaze is tossed over her shoulder before she crosses over to his side  ,  a smile settling on her features  .    ❝    hey  !  i know it’s a bit out of the way  ,  but i’m  really  glad you came  .    ❞