WAY BACK IN DAYS OF OLD

there was a legend told about a hero known as GALAVANT.

[sirgal]

# SIRGAL.       sir gary galavant  of abc’s musical comedy series,  galavant.  selective and private.  est. 13 jul 2022.  mutuals only.  multi - ship, multi - verse.  crossover friendly.  moderate activity.  adult themes may be present.  minors dni.  handled by  sloane,  she/her, 30+.

temporary rules.  carrd coming soon.

[sirgal]

wtrss​.

“ seems to be a favorite past time of yours. ”   now, realistically she understands she is being unfair. directing her anger at the one person who’s as much caught up in circumstance as she is -  albeit the difference being that he is at least getting paid for it. and well, she assumes.  he is doing his job;  dutifully and without complaints and it irks her beyond belief.  it’s the   BLIND LOYALTY   that makes her skin crawl.  the way any person within their right mind could possibly stand in a room with her father and take request  ( orders, really )  from him with a genuine sense of purpose …  it irritates her more because she knows how thorough peter swanson is in his selection.  no doubt gary wasn’t picked for   good looks   and  charm  -  though she is certain it brings the man some sick, twisted kind of joy knowing that he can add that to the long list of things that upset her about her bodyguard.  certainly he knows;  it’s the way he observes and files away information that has gotten him this far as a lawyer to begin with,  there is simply no way he is not aware that gary galavant gets under his daughter’s skin.  and apparently,   THE MAN HIMSELF   seems perfectly aware as well.  she entertains it because she’s sick in the head, gets a kick out of the defiance, dances their little dance until she trips.  so stubborn eyes set on features too gentle for someone who, supposedly, should be ready to kill for her.    “ humor me, then, gareth.  what   CREATIVE   names do you have up your sleeves? ” 

          HE PRIDES HIMSELF ON BEING A FUNDAMENTALLY GOOD PERSON, HE BELIEVES, AND TRIES TO LIVE UP TO IT.       but  good  and  nice  are not necessarily synonymous  -  and he knows perfectly well that he’s more than capable of being an   ENORMOUS   pain in the ass when he wishes to.  gal has his moods, his irritations ;  he’s almost certainly a bit of a  snob  and his heart is a little too easily wounded for somebody who opens it too quickly.  and as for the set of his loyalty  -  well  ...  that could, he supposes, be argued every which way.  he fancies that he is loyal, yes, but not   BLINDLY   so.  if peter swanson knows almost everything, he seems to miss the fact that gal cannot be  bought,  at least not longterm.   (  a  job  is something everyone needs, of course, but as his employment’s scope becomes more clear to him, he quickly loses any pretended devotion to the family patriarch.  )   

          ❝   I’m not sure about  favorite,  I do have   SOME   hobbies, you know hard as that is to believe, I’m sure.   ❞   less a barb than a  playful quip,  almost as though he’s trying to joke with her  -  under the thinnest veil of professionalism, of course.  her next question gives him pause for a moment and he lifts a brow, weighing it carefully in his mind even as he   (  poorly  )   fights the twitch of a smile threatening to overtake his expression.   ❝   I’m not sure I can do much better than  gareth.  it’s almost impressive, the way you   INSIST   on pretending so stubbornly like you don’t know my name.   ❞   he finally allows himself to smile, just slightly,  almost invisibly.   ❝   I admit  brat  has come to mind a time or two, when you’re particularly vexing.  sometimes I look at you and think  tiny,  although you’re a bit too mighty for your size.  maybe  princess,  if I get it in my head to really try to get under your skin.   ❞   again, more of a   JEST   than anything else, followed by a pause.   ❝   but if I’m being  honest,  I think I’d rather just call you by your name, although I suppose some might consider that unprofessional.   ❞

[sirgal]

wtrss​.

@sirgal​​   /  gary  :  spotify  wrapped  prompt  -  currently accepting                                picked from:  illicit affairs - taylor swift  ( 19 )

“ don’t call me kid. ”    it adds insult to injury in ways she has no doubt he isn’t even aware of  ( and doesn’t that just make it worse?! ).  the tenderness in his tone is a backhanded slap across the face, rejection neatly dressed up as professionalism and under a more realistic light perhaps precisely what she needs. a reminder of where they stand, of what this is.  A JOB -   not more or less than.  she can’t recall the last time she felt more like a mess, a fool …  and him, ever dutiful just blinking so blissfully unaware.  so just for emphasize  “ … don’t call me kid. ”

          FOR ALL THE HUMANITY HE KNOWS HE POSSESSES, HE ALSO KNOWS THERE’S SO LITTLE OF IT HE CAN DISPLAY UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.       for as much as he’s driven by the genuine nature of his heart, he also does not take lightly the responsibility of duty, and frankly, never has.  if he cannot define himself by his integrity, by his   LOYALTY,   then how can he truly define himself at all?  his purpose here is to protect, to place himself between her and danger, and as much as she  cannot  stand it  -  or, as far as he can tell,   HIM,   most of the time  -  he knows his role.   (  whether he likes his role, whether he’s tempted to step  outside  his role on various occasions, is a different question entirely.  )   ❝   I’ve offended again, I see,   ❞   he sighs, casting a cursory glance around the room, just to make sure.   ❝   if you don’t tell me what you prefer, I will have to start getting more   CREATIVE   and I can’t guarantee you’ll like those results, either.   ❞   at least he maintains  some  humor.

[ohisms]

↪     𝑴𝑼𝑺𝑰𝑪 ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑳 .    (  a  collection  of  various unsorted lyric starters .  adjust  phrasing  as  necessary .   will be updated frequently .  )

i’m not sticking around to watch you go down .

i hope that you don’t suffer ,  but take the pain .

the truth is , i’ve never seen a mouth that i would kill to kiss .

we will be everything that we’d ever need .

you only listen to your fucking friends .

you made a few mistakes .  it’s alright ,  it’s okay .

i’m trying to get better , but i can’t do that when everything is about you .

i can name a couple ways this shit might go .

can you feel my heartbeat fuckin’ kickin ?

you were my everything and all you did was make me fuckin sad .

it’s kind of tripping me up , i’ve got it bad for you .

i’m on my own , i had some space to deal with it .

i’ve got it too good to cry .

i don’t know where i am or where i’ve been .

don’t treat me like some situation that needs to be handled .

finish up the bottle , then we’ll go .

this room is so suffocating .

motherfucker , don’t play with me .

there’s no doubt in my mind that if you could ,  then you would try .

i’m not the type to be out past dawn .

it’s been a long time since i felt this good on my own .

i really wish that i could say it to your face .

i kinda like it when you talk to me the way you do .

i’ve got something up my sleeve , i walk my talk .

i love you , but i know i’ve gotta let you go .

it’s getting hard to find a silver lining .

of course it hurt , of course it fucking hurt .

i know that you’re hiding something from me .

i don’t need to be loved by you .

trying to ignore it is fucking boring .

i tried to pretend ,  but it just doesn’t feel right .

i just can’t take it anymore .

i’m not trying to change your mind .

living in the city isn’t where it’s at .

don’t waste the time i don’t have ,  don’t try to make me feel bad .

i almost did it … glad that i didn’t .

you better run , you better do what you can .

yeah , i don’t really wanna be here .

pretty things should be seen and not heard .

can’t you bother someone else ?

now i’m sitting here wondering , when did this all start ?

i’m terrified but i can’t resist .

is there someone else or not ?

i’ve been around long enough now to know that good things never last .

i’d rather be the girl that got away than be under your thumb .

it ain’t so bad if i wanna make a few mistakes .

wish i could get some fuckin’ sleep without wasting all my weed .

you scared me to death ,  but i’m wasting my breath .

i feel like a kid again .

you were always taught to believe that everything you think is the truth .

nothing comes without a consequence or cost .

i don’t deserve someone loyal to me .

thought you were headed somewhere new .

touch me like tonight we’re gonna die .

can we go back to the world we had ? 

you should know right now that i never stay in one place .

i’d suffers hell if you’d tell me what you’d do to me tonight .

the games you played were never fun .

you said you’d stay , but then you ran .

if i can’t hold you like a lover , i won’t hold you at all .

you and i have history ,  or don’t you remember ?

i’ll be the one to deliver the news .

i’m better than this ,  i know my worth .

there’s something tragic about you .

you don’t know what it’s like , waiting up all night .

thank you for teaching me how i could live without you .

tell me what it is you wanna know .

you’re not a monster ,  you’re just human .

maybe i need better friends . or maybe i need a wake up call .

there’s so much to do , i’ll never have the wherewithal to do it .

i know i’d miss you ,  if i left right now .

i don’t like anyone better than you .

they told me once nothing grows when a house isn’t a home .

what makes you sure you’re all i need ?

i know you feel the way i do .

forever never really felt so right .

i overcommunicate and feel too much .

you say you’ve changed and you’re sorry ,  but i don’t wanna know .

i know i’ve got friends ,  i still get so lonely .

i’ve been doing greater good for a long time .

i’m no hero ,  but i can take a punch .

i thought it would all be great when i was older .

i used to be the one that was lying .

i can’t stand your condescending tone when you talk to me .

we’re still going cause we’re not quite dead .

i wanna scream ,  but what’s the use ?

i know what’s going on in your head .

you know ,  i never wanted to hurt you .

i don’t want to be a prisoner to who i used to be .

if we could stay this way forever , would it be enough ?

can’t you see that i’m getting bored ?

i hope you don’t think that shit’s fair .

i never knew you had such a dirty mind .

sometimes i don’t have a filter .

i’m the worst mistake that god has ever made .

you know i love you , but i’m still learning to love myself .

darling , you’re sick in the head .

am i someone you can’t live without ?

if you don’t come back , at least i’ve got nothing to lose .

did you think that i should listen to you ?

the meds aren’t working for me anymore .

goodbye to my good side ,  it only ever got me hurt .

you know ,  you’ve got a real smart mouth .

i know i’m where i belong .  deep down inside ,  i’ve known all along .

i’ve been putting myself on the sideline .

i was worth something , and it felt better in my mouth than fresh warm food .

i know i took the path that you would never want for me .

my tongue’s gotten real tired of me biting it .

you’re acting like your deadbeat dad .  you’re better than that .

i swear i changed my ways for the better .

i hate it when dudes try to chase me .

when you’re in love ,  you get so cruel .

sorry , but i guess i’ve gotta let you down again .

just fucking leave me alone .

i walk through this world just trying to be nice .

i can’t be your savior ,  i don’t have the power .

will heaven step in ?  will it save us from our sin ?

follow my lead ,  take my hand .

you should’ve made some plans with me ,  you knew that i was free .

there are things that we’ll never say , but we know .

the only way you can know is to give it all you have .

i’m not gonna stay and watch you circle the drain .

you get me through every dark night .

i know that i’ve done some wrong ,  but i’m trying to make it right .

now you’re over there ,  and i’m way over here , what are we gonna do ?

think about what you believe in .

if i keep my eyes closed ,  he looks just like you .

i don’t wanna feel better .  no one’s ever gonna love me like that again .

there are things that you say ,  and you don’t say .

all my filthy life i loved someone i barely knew .

bless your soul ,  you’ve got your head in the clouds .

what did you say ?  you’re breaking up on me .

if you adore me ,   why do you ignore me ?

you’re not as brave as you were at the start .

it was a bad idea ,  calling you up .

i see it on your face ,  you’ve had a bad day .

people are so fake ,  this world is a cruel place .

i’d rather be hunter than the prey .

someone’s gonna hate ,  it’s never gonna change .

you used to be so kind .

never gonna be easy ,  was it ?

every day’s another shot but all i do is fuck it up .

i can take the hate and all the pain .

it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right .

tell your baby that i’m your baby .

they’ll kick you and they’ll beat you ,  and they’ll tell you it’s fair .

i wanted to pretend that this time was the end .

no one around me knows who i am or what i’ve done .

i would’ve gave it all for you .

i won’t run ,  i’m not afraid .

same way that they come ,  that’s the way they go .

somehow ,  i just want you more .

i never regretted the day that i called you mine .

i don’t want to get over you .

take it out on me .  i don’t mind if we fight if you make me bleed .

you look better in that dress than i do .

i know i let you down ,  didn’t i ?

it’s a cruel ,  cruel world .

i know i don’t want to live without you .

i’m always tired ,  i just can’t fight it .

i’m too consumed with my own life .

you didn’t think it’d be so much fun .

i won’t let you go ,  so don’t let go of me .

darling , you’re so pretty it hurts .

how’d i ever get so off my rocks ?

tell me where i went wrong .

what’s a king to a god ?  what’s a god to a non-believer ?

they’re out to get you ,  better leave while you can .

i know i’ll never know just what to say .

goddamn it ,  i was worth something .

we don’t need to be enemies .

should’ve kept my ass in bed .

i tried to love you ,  but you’re not my type .

there’s something here that i just can’t explain .

baby ,  is that really what you want ?

i’m not good at making friends .

i keep a close watch on this heart of mine .

i’m obsessed ,  i’ve never met someone like you .

can’t you see that you’re lost without me ?

when i’m like this , you’re the one i trust .

i was born into this , won’t hesitate to use my fists .

i always get my revenge .

the world thinks i’m a mess .

there’s something wrong with me ,  cause all i wanna do is get high .

it’s been a long time since i gave a shit .

sometimes i have these thoughts , they leave me all confused .

when i said take me home ,  that wasn’t what i meant .

oh my god ,  why are you sad again ?

you have to show them that you’re really not scared .

i don’t have many friends .  most of them are pretend .

i had my cake ,  and i ate it too .

i’m too afraid about the things i might say .

shit wasn’t real ,  it was all in my head .

it’s too late to apologize .

i know my disposition gets confusing .

you’ve gotta be so cold to make it in this world .

satisfaction is a distant memory .

no one can ever know .

there’s you in everything i do .

i wish i could say that i’m sorry ,  but i’m over that now .

you’re playing with your life ,  this ain’t no truth or dare .

fool me twice ,  and i know that’s all i need .

i hope if everyone leaves ,  you choose to stay .

i was afraid to leave you on your own .

where along the line did we stop seeing eye to eye ?

if they laugh ,  then fuck them all .

i’m sick and tired of everyone in this place .

i miss the way you made me feel .

he’ll never stay . they never do .

take a dose of something to forget .

aren’t we too young for this ?

i’m not the type to admit i’m wrong .

i shouldn’t think the things i’m thinking .

i don’t wanna know where you’ve been ,  or where you go .

[roadtogalavant]

Galavant | Sir Gary Galavant for Medieval Times photoshoot

[sirgal]

          SOFTNESS AND CONFLICT EBB AND FLOW BETWEEN THEM LIKE UNPREDICTABLE TIDES, AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN.       even in their youths, gary galavant could never quite decide if she considered him a friend or if she simply  hated  everything that he represented, everything about the world in which they were raised that she despised.  it’s hardly any different now, he thinks, and he often finds himself transported back, in her presence, to a childhood of   EXCITEMENT   and   UNCERTAINTY.   he had cared for her then,  in ways that he’d never imagined she could reciprocate  -  then or now.  a more mature version of himself would like to think he’s moved past it, that he is not the sort of man to linger on childish fruitless affection for a girl who surely would not want somebody like  him.  he’s grown now, a law graduate, a rising star in the political world in which he was raised, a man who often receives more attention than he knows what to do with ;  he should not have the time to   LINGER   in the past.

          and yet  ...

          he hadn’t left her alone all evening, to the best of his ability.  by attending the function in the first place, gal knew what a sacrifice she was making for him.  that’s how things  are  between them, how they   ALWAYS   were ;  they bicker and argue and yet the  consistency  between them seems not to have wavered in the interim.   (  they lost contact when she ran from the family slipped into obscurity, only encountering one another again by chance.  )   there was never anybody he’d been able to depend on quite like her  -  not to be present and certainly not for the   TRUTH.   even now, he feels guilt for asking her along in the first place, knowing perfectly well the request had been ever so  selfish,  that he’d been unnerved by the concept of selling himself as a new candidate and gravitated toward what comforted him, without stopping for a moment to think about any of the   IMPLICATIONS   of that, one way or another.  they’d stuck to each other like glue as often as they could, and while he could not stop feeling utterly calmed and  grateful  for her presence, a part of him feels almost like a villain.

          now they stand outside the door to her apartment, his suit jacket draped over his arm and his other hand shoved deep into the pocket of his pants.  paige fiddles with her keys for a few moments ;  if gal didn’t know better, he’d think she was   STALLING,   and he tries not to let the thought make his heart leap in his chest.   (  father always used to warn him against becoming a romantic fool but gal had never  quite  been able to listen.  )   for a beat, and then another, he lingers before letting a breath out and summoning a smile to his face.

          ❝   thank you, paige.  I know it wasn’t ideal, that it wasn’t somewhere you  ...  wanted  to be, but  ...  you’ve   NO IDEA   how much it means to me that you came with me.  I would have drowned out there without you.   ❞   the words feel hollow without the  real  meaning behind them, without the thousand confessions filed away and stored throughout the many years of their strange friendship, without mentioning the way she’d made his heart race in that dress from the beginning of the evening.  he wills his concrete feet to move, first shifting side to side before taking a single step toward her and catching her hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips for a single soft kiss.   ❝   I owe you dinner.  and I’ll be by the bar this week.   ❞

@wtrss​  sent  :  ❛ don’t go. please. ❜

          he has only just turned half away when he hears it.  his chest tightens and his breath stops for a moment.  time seems to slow as he turns his gaze back to her, finding her blinking up at him with those impossible doe eyes wide.  paige swanson rarely looks   VULNERABLE   and it takes him momentarily aback, even though there’s no part of it that  doesn’t  make sense after the evening they’ve had.  the rational part of him remains certain she simply craves support after a situation that  he  was callous enough to put her in,  does not dare to hope  that there could be some reason she asks him to stay behind  -  but he’s never been able to quite shake the romantic notions that always gather in the back of his mind.   COULD IT BE THAT HE IS SOMEBODY THAT SHE COULD LOVE? 

          ❝   yes,   ❞   he responds with an immediacy that some might find embarrassing.  after a moment of blinking, a moment of gathering his thoughts, he drops his gaze and rubs the back of his neck with an almost bashful chuckle, realizing that he hasn’t answered in a way that makes much   SENSE.   ❝   I mean  ...  of course I’ll  -  I don’t want to go, I  ...  let’s go inside, shall we?  I’ve nothing to wear, so I hope you won’t be scandalized if I sleep in an undershirt and briefs.   ❞

[vendriin]

A Knight’s Tale (2001)

[winterswake]

BEFORE SUNRISE (1995) dir. Richard Linklater

[sirgal]

wtrss​.

SHE IS NOT AS EXPERIENCED A FIGHTER AS HE IS.  HER BATTLES, UNLIKE THE KINGHT’S, HAVE BEEN FOUGHT QUIETLY AND RATHER UNCEREMONIOUSLY.  her successes where limited to defying her father’s orders and there was no glory in winning - in fact, there was no permanent victory at all. and yet, like any experienced soldier, she understands that battle scars do not always have to be visible and that there are more things than blades and spikes that can maim you. while she will not claim that she knows him, she often believes she recognizes something in him. a quiet echo of the things that haunt her - like looking into a faded mirror vaguely recognizing a shape that feels familiar in a way only in the haunting way a reflection can. it is perhaps how she found herself looking for him tonight in the first place. it is certainly why she feels   FOOLISH   now.  stubborn, petulant but determined to hold his gaze even as her own softens slightly at what at the very least sounds like genuine concern.

        or perhaps it is pity - the sharpest of all blades. everybody has to admit defeat when being met with pity.

        ❝    i will hardly get lost in the woods. i can leave crumbs to find my way back -   ❞   feeble attempt to be in any way amusing, she knows picking an argument now that she approached him is going to be pointless. it was her mistake to begin with, now she has to face the consequences -  they will take a walk. perhaps her lack of any argument, any retort, is the biggest sign that she’s had a rather upsetting evening that left her on the verge of feeling dazed.  more so, the small sigh and the half muttered       ❝   thank you  …   ❞    ought to feel nearly alarming. it is his touch that shakes her out of it, if only for a moment. with the fight out of her body, the aftershocks of a nightmare howling through her bones like fables in the night, she almost welcomes the warm hand on her skin, almost craves it.   ❝   i would not bother you if i had anywhere else to go - and i did not intent to startle you.  I WILL GET SOME AIR -  feel free to come along if you want, but i do not request it. i mean it, i won’t get lost.   ❞

          WHAT MASQUERADES AS ANNOYANCE MANIFESTS IN SOMETHING FAR MORE GENTLE AND CARING.       their relationship balances on the edge of a knife, between mutual distaste and a deep and strange sort of connection.  often, they clash like now, but it is equally true that she possesses more of him now than anybody does ;  his time, his allegiance, his waking thoughts.   (  whether she enters his dreams, too, is something he chooses not to dwell upon, lest he become   TANGLED UP   in the implications of it.  )   his hand lingers upon her elbow and his head cants slightly to the side as he listens to her.  something has her alarmed.  whether it be frightening dreams or other very real worries, he isn’t certain, nor will he pry enough to ask, but it’s hardly  pity  which wills him out of his chair without further negotiation.

          ❝   I think all the storybooks pointed out quite well why leaving a  trail of crumbs  to follow is a bad idea.  don’t the birds always wind up eating them and leaving the poor heroes stranded?   ❞   of course, he knows it was a joke on her end, just as it was on him, his trademark deadpan delivery aside.   (  mother always said it was   SO DIFFICULT   to determine when he was telling a joke.  )   the corners of his mouth draw upward just slightly, the only  real  indication of his humor, and he lifts a brow as he extends a hand to help her up.  she won’t talk him out of this,  although by the looks of it, she doesn’t even plan to attempt it this time ;  in fact, when it comes to the way the two of them tend to communicate, by their standards, she’s practically   INVITING   him along, if not requesting.   ❝   I’m not letting you walk out there alone, but in any case, this ale has gone to my head and I could use a little air myself, I think.  you can tell me about this dream of yours.  unless you think it’s too much for my  delicate constitution  to handle.   ❞

[sirgal]

wtrss​.

THE TOUCH SENDS A SHIVER DOWN HER SPINE AND, WITH A GENTLE BREATH, ALL THE WAY BACK UP AGAIN.  she is certain he is barely aware of it, the movement basically subconscious, tracing an invisible line with light pressure. her own eyes flutter, then close just briefly as she lets herself memorize the feel of it, the pad of his thumb rough against her skin.  it’s dangerous to walk out of the shallows like that, treading in more unpredictable waters and she knows if she slips and loses her footing, she might drown…  unless he catches her.

from a certain angle, this might seem simple to explain.  HE SAVED HER AND SHE FEELS GRATEFUL.  naturally there is comfort in proximity. naturally she feels safe around him because she is - he has proven so time and time again. naturally he watches her carefully, has to thoroughly check if she is alright. he is a knight, it is his duty.  SIMPLE.

she blinks up at him, feels the heat rise in her cheeks under his burning gaze but does not avert hers -  can’t !   his eyes look like the forest. shades of green and brown, all warmth and depth and positively tantalizing in the way they seem to lure her in, beckon her to explore. she has always loved the woods, never hesitant to venture in. she finds them   MAGICAL  …

    ❝   YES.   you did.   ❞  the answer comes promptly, even if she’s aware of the teasing tone, the glint in his eyes.  the day’s events to prominent at the forefront of her mind to feign indifference or counter his quip with a clever response.  HE HAD HER WORRIED  -  and she does emphasize that by grabbing his wrist, tighter than she has to, half locking the hand still holding on to her chin in place, half steadying herself against the aftershocks of panic.   ❝   i lost sight of you for a moment back there and i -  am i   feeling   alright ?  i … suppose i could use a bath.  YOU SAVED ME.   you could’ve gotten hurt.  ❞

          IT TAKES HIM FAR TOO LONG TO REMOVE HIS HAND FROM HER CHIN, LONG ENOUGH THAT HE KNOWS IT MUST BE NOTICEABLE.       he’s been caught by the spring green in her eyes, that oh-so-specific hue that reminds him of fresh dewy grass in a vast morning meadow.  he’s always been too poetic,  a trait summarily discouraged by parents who spent half their time ripping each other to shreds and the other half making love.   (  none of that, of course, appropriate to consider in this strange and small bubble with a little princess with whom he has absolutely no romantic connection  ...  right?  )   finally, he lets his hand fall softly to his side, tucking a hand to the base of his ribcage, not entirely realizing that he’s bringing her hand along with him, too ;  he’s not sure if he’s just bruised or if he’s bleeding a little, but what he knows for certain is that it isn’t serious  ...  and that she’ll be a little    TOO WORRIED   if she sees.

          ❝   that’s always part of the risk, isn’t it?   ❞   almost despite himself, the corners of galavant’s mouth curl upward, a smile that would be intended to   COMFORT,   if he had intended it at all.  he is a knight, sworn to protect, although in the case of their association, it has been his choice and his alone to remain so   LOYAL.   (  he tells himself,  of course,  that it is chivalry which keeps him by her side with no perceivable benefit, conveniently ignoring the tiny voice of reason nearly taunting him in the back of his head with the truth.  )   ❝   if you question my judgment otherwise, trust me, at least, that I know what I’m doing in such things as  that,  won’t you?   ❞   his words may have been cutting at another time  -  but the way he phrases them now is   SOFT,   gentle, strangely good-spirited as they continue to stand just a  touch  too close together.   ❝   but we  ...  we should get you that bath.   ❞   finally, he pulls his eyes from hers, glancing downward and rubbing at the back of his neck with the hand not currently pressed to his side.   ❝   when  ...  when we get back, I’ll ask the innkeep to fetch warm water, and  -  and perhaps something a bit   STRONGER   for drinking.  calm the nerves.  and you’ll promise to tell me if you find anything?  I  ...  i-in the way of wounds, I mean.   ❞

[tonysopranobignaturals-deactiva]

saw some tiktoks making fun of girls who want to wear revealing clothes in public while in a relationship and I just want to say if you love her and she loves you why do you care. "what if another guy tries to get intimate with her" just kill him? what happened to chivalry

[horchatarevolution-deactivated2]

[thors]

[sirgal]

this is your sign to watch galavant, and if you have in fact seen it before, this is your sign to watch it again.

[sirgal]

wtrss​.

❝   -  it hardly matters. ❞     it is the truth and yet she sits, gaze fixed on the wavy grain pattern on the table, avoiding his gaze long enough to think about what she can actually tell him.  a sleepless night not    any more or any less   eventful than the rest of them - for how great an issue she made it sound to be, the reality of it is simply that she could not sleep.  hardly something worthy of bothering a man who already seems tired out by having to watch over a    stubborn  princess   who can not even offer decent pay.  

she feels his gaze burn into her profile, despite the surprising tenderness of it.  PITY   she thinks scorches more than    anger    and is much harder for her to respond to.  it is the first time since leaving the castle that she feels the uneasiness of knowing she isn’t welcomed, and it makes her frown deepen   ( it will leave lines, her mother said.  she’ll look old and miserable and withered before even a handful of springs have passed -   and didn’t her mother know everything about being miserable? )     ❝  just struggling to sleep.  i notice now that it was indeed rather pointless to seek you out -  there’s hardly anything you can do about it !  i just thought maybe i didn’t want to be …  ❞   alone.   even before she says it, she shakes her head in mild irritation at herself.  too silly to say aloud, considering how familiar a friend solitude is to her.  and when she meets his gaze again, only for a moment distracted by the warmth she finds, there’s a smile sitting on her face as comfortable as a too-tight-corset, but certainly expected to adorn a young lady at   times of distress.  quiet company is what she’ll opt for tonight.  ❝  i am not thirsty.  and i won’t bother you for too long -  i suppose i should maybe try and go for a walk. clearly -  ❞   and that is where the bite returns, if barely noticeable.  ❝  you think me a burden enough as it is. ❞     

          THEY BOTH KNOW PERFECTLY WELL THAT ANY CLAIM SHE’S DOING ALRIGHT OR THAT IT  DOESN’T MATTER  IS STRICT HORSESHIT.       they haven’t traveled together for  years  or anything, but certainly it’s been long enough to become at least somewhat attuned to each other’s quirks and mannerisms.  he would now know even without looking at her, in this case, that something isn’t quite right ;  sure, he led with dismissiveness, but it was her hesitation afterward which struck him as strange and   OUT OF PLACE,   in comparison to her typical demeanor  -  and in hindsight, even moments later, he finds himself regretting his own attitude, just a bit.  beneath all the success, he’s always been a proud man, one who can develop a bit of a   BITE,   when things don’t go his way.

          this is  different.

          ❝   tea, then, at least.  something to calm your nerves.  you’re anxious, clearly, and it ought to help.   ❞   if he still sounds a bit  gruff,  at least his tone of voice has unquestionably softened quite a bit.  one glance at her proves her discomfort, that she’s come to him for   SOMETHING,   even if she herself does not quite know what that is.  he’s a fool, far clumsier in emotional situations than most would expect, considering his charm, and more often than he’d like to admit, he struggles with the words anymore.   (  they once came easily, he supposes, until he was kicked into the dirt.  )   ❝   I don’t think you’re a  ...  look,  princess, you startled me, that’s all.  you were meant to be asleep and now you’re  ...   ❞   a sigh escapes him them and he finishes off his ale, pushing the tankard to the side and observing her a little more closely for a moment.  the distress radiates off of her and his frown grows a bit deeper as he reaches out to set his hand at her elbow.   ❝   if it’s a walk you need, it’s too late and too dark to go alone.  I’ll come along.   ❞

[deviika]

Rachel Forrest // Unknown // S. C. Lourie

[sirgal]

i hate that i don’t actively hate this

[sirgal]

wtrss​.

❝   I AM UNHARMED.   ❞       it is as skillfully avoiding his actual question as she can manage given how shaken she feels.  something she should’ve predicted, of course, considering how it was her who went on and on about them being followed, about her father’s men undoubtedly on the lookout for them.  the fact that she was right isn’t nearly as satisfying as she’d hoped and it is predominantly   GUILT  that now gnaws at her -  he, experienced and quick, with sharp senses and a sharper sword, seems to have struggled very little with the ambush, came out of it not just apparently uninjured but also rather heroically.   and  yet   …  

THE  SHOCK    less a response to the attack itself -  hardly something she never witnessed before - but more so a reaction to how it frightened her when he appeared.  how she feared   for  him.  for as much as they argue and the whole plethora of things they’ve figured out they disagree on she is now finding herself unable to deny what, if she is completely honest with herself, she’s been well aware of for a good while.

SHE CARES ABOUT   HER   THE KNIGHT.

she takes him in like she’s only just now realizing he is there, watches in disbelief as he wipes the sword, moves closer and finally even touches.  she’d flinch if it didn’t catch her so off guard, index finger and thumb rough against her skin but moving her head with such tenderness it’s enough to nearly make her sigh. he guides, she follows, tilts her head this way then that with an uncharacteristic obedience but she’s afraid if she fights his touch, he will withdraw -  and she’s not yet ready. as not to startle him into letting go,  her voice is but a soft whisper.   ❝   i am being sincere, sir galavant. THANK YOU -  are you …  are you hurt?  ❞  

          THE SHOCK CERTAINLY ISN’T UNCOMMON FROM PEOPLE WHO DON’T OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES IN COMBAT.       truth be told, galavant regrets that she had to see it at all.  of course, being the proud man he is, he isn’t ashamed of what he’s done  -  and neither does he necessarily lament that she witnessed  his  heroics  -  but for as selfish he can be, he knows that the trauma itself isn’t worth him looking like some great   VICTOR.   keeping his touch upon her chin light, he breathes gently out, his brow slightly furrowing as he studies her carefully despite her assertion.

          her assertion which he’s certain is only  half true,  even if she doesn’t   REALIZE   it.

          perhaps he lingers longer than he has any business to, but even in the moment, he has himself convinced that it’s because of his own noble concern.  it’s because she looks nervous,  clearly,  because she’s   SHAKEN   by the event.  it certainly isn’t because of the way the adrenaline glows in her round cheeks, the curve of her lashes over the brilliant green of her eyes, the softness of her whisper.  it takes him a moment to realize that she’s asked him a question,  a moment too long,  and he clears his throat, unaware that his thumb is moving gently back and forth against the curve of her chin.

          ❝   no, I’m  -  no, nothing but a few  ...  a few bruises, that’s all.  I have some, uh  ...   EXPERIENCE.   ❞   it isn’t boasting, not  exactly,  but for a moment, he finds himself gazing at her for some approval, among other things.   ❝   did I have you worried?  perhaps I’m not so terrible after all.  quite the compliment, I’d say.  fear not, sweet princess, I’m unharmed.  are you   FEELING   quite alright?   ❞