From an ask from a few weeks ago from the wonderful @cloudyimpression in which a character is interrupted mid-sentence with a kiss.
Words: 1297
Characters: Ella the Apprentice, Julian Devorak
Outside the open window, Ella can hear owls calling out into the darkness. It’s late, very late, but she hasn’t been able to sleep a wink. She hasn’t really slept in weeks, but tonight it had been impossible to get any rest. To her right, Julian is fast asleep, breathing gently through slightly parted lips. She watches him sleep for a while, resisting the urge to push a stray auburn curl from his forehead.
Maybe she should wake him. But what would she say?
Sighing, she turns her attention back to the window. Her limbs feel restless. She thinks about getting out of bed to pace, try to work out some of this anxious energy, but she knows she would wake Julian with the movement.
She casts a sideways glance at her husband and sighs again.
Screw it.
As carefully as possible, Ella pulls herself out of bed, holding her breath as she removes Julian’s hand from her abdomen and sets it gently on her pillow. Julian grumbles in his sleep, his hand grasping for something, but his eyes stay shut as he finds her pillow and pulls it closer to him.
Ella grabs her robe from the chair at the foot of the bed and pads silently out of the bedroom, pulling the door partially closed behind her. She walks on her tiptoes as she heads down the stairs, careful to avoid the squeaky spots of the worn wood. After she has successfully descended, she heads to the kitchen and busies herself making tea as her mind continues to race.
The sleeplessness started a few weeks ago. She knew exactly what caused it. Early one morning, she and Julian were in the market, picking up a few ingredients that they didn’t grow in their garden. As Julian was haggling over the price of some imported Wolfsbane, Ella surveyed the crowd around them.
Across the stall from them, a woman carried a baby on her hip, allowing the child’s head to rest on her shoulder. The child’s gaze met Ella’s, and they smiled, a toothless, chubby smile, and Ella found herself imagining what her and Julian’s babies would look like. Cute, that’s for sure.
The thought caught her completely off guard. She had really never thought about having kids. She liked them, she wanted them, maybe, at some point, but she never actually thought about having children. Did she want kids? No… right?
That month, she didn’t bleed like normal. Initially, she didn’t think much of it, but after a week she began to worry. Was she pregnant? Did she want to be? When she woke up the following morning, she was both relieved and disappointed to discover she wasn’t pregnant.
And then there were babies everywhere. Gods, who would have known there were so many children in Vesuvia? Each one cuter than the last. Every time she saw one, her mind pulled her back to the image of a tiny, chubby, auburn haired baby she had come to think of as theirs.
Ella chewed on her lower lip as she pulled a mug down from the shelf. She knew she should just talk to Julian about it. Just tell him she wanted kids. They were married, after all. She should be able to tell her husband anything. That’s the point of marriage, right?
But it scared her. They had never actually talked about having kids. Julian was great with children and enjoyed being around them, but did he want kids of his own? Even if he didn’t really want kids, she knew he would do anything to make her happy, even if he wasn’t completely sold on the idea. But in that cause, would he resent her for it?
Would she even be a good parent?
Sighing again, Ella cupped her mug tightly in her hands and carried the steaming drink out onto the back porch. Shifting the mug into one hand, she pulled her robe around her tighter as she took a long sip of her tea.
She wanted to have a baby. She couldn’t deny it anymore.
She needed to talk to Julian.
“But what should I say? He’s going to freak out,” she muttered to no one in particular, pushing a lock of hair back behind her ear. “I definitely can’t just tell him we need to talk. He’d freak out,” she repeated.
She began to pace, silently musing over the different ways the conversation could go, mumbling to herself as she acted out the scenarios. What if he said yes? Great. But what if he said no?
Ella groaned, rubbing her right temple with her free hand. It was almost dawn. She should get back in bed before Julian wakes up. She would talk to him… eventually.
She turned to head back inside and froze when she saw Julian leaning against the doorframe, his expression unreadable, his arms folded across his chest. His smoke gray eyes met hers, the faintest lines of concern forming at their corners.
“Julian! What are you doing up?”
“What are you doing up?” He raised his left eyebrow as the worry began to spread across his face. “You’ve been out here for hours.”
Caught off guard, Ella frowned, mirroring his stance and folding her arms across her chest. “Have you been watching me? This whole time?”
Julian blushed, averting his gaze to the sun beginning to surface on the horizon. “Um. Maybe.”
They lapsed into silence. Ella knew she had to ask. To tell him how she’s been feeling. He needed to know, and she needed to know. She drew in a deep breath, causing Julian to turn his attention back to her.
“Julian… Gods I just…” She ran her hands through her hair before clasping them in front of her. She began to pick at the skin around her thumbnail keeping her eyes on his. “I don’t know how to say this.”
Julian’s face blanched, the corners of his mouth turning down ever so slightly, but he kept his eyes on her and made no move to leave. He nodded in encouragement, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. “Just… try, love.”
“I want a baby.”
Both of them stood silent, Julian’s mouth now open a fraction, still leaning against the doorway. She didn’t mean to blurt it out like that, but now that it was out there… Ella swallowed hard before continuing, pulling her gaze from Julian’s face to her feet.
“I mean, I know we haven’t talked about this, and I truthfully didn’t even know if I wanted kids, but Gods, it's all I can think about.” She waves her hands as she speaks, hoping the movement will help her express all these feelings. “I just love you so, so, much, Julian, and I would love to have another part of you to love--”
Her sentence is cut short by Julian’s lips against her mouth and his hands on her face. The kiss lasts only a few seconds before he pulls away quickly, leaving Ella breathless and stunned, her hand still hovering in the air mid-thought.
“You want a baby,” Julian says, his eyes shining, a smile stretching across his features.
“I want a baby,” Ella echoes.
Suddenly, Julian laughs, picking her up by the waist and spinning her in a circle. He kisses her again, and all the stress and worry and anxiety leave her body as she pulls herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and exhaling a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.
“I love you, Julian,”
“I love you most, Ella.”
They hold each other like this for a few minutes, Ella’s nose touching Julian’s, both of them smiling uncontrollably. After a while, Julian pulls away, kissing her quickly on the mouth before smirking, his eyebrows arching mischievously into his hairline, as he bites into his lower lip.
I’ve been tossing this idea around in my head all day and it ended up being a lot shorter than I thought it would be rip :’)
I hope I did good with your lad @lazyvoyager !!
After splitting with Asra, Illian begins searching for Julian Devorak: a doctor in supposed need of a new apprentice. Eventually he reaches the shop of Ame Malakhi, Julian’s former apprentice who had been ordered to leave a short while before for the sake of his health. While Illian hopes to prove himself as a valuable asset to assisting the search for a cure to the plague, Ame finds himself standing in the same but opposite place as he was a few months prior.
The soft knocking of the door rustled Ame from his sleep. His head lifted, momentarily bringing along a paper stuck to his cheek. The blond blinked, pausing to process the world around him before the door knocked again. Lazily he pulled himself from his stool. His hand found the door handle and his face was greeted by the drizzly morning air.
“Excuse me?”, Two hazel eyes looked hopefully at him, “Do you know Doctor Devorak?” Whatever sleep rested in his mind had vanished. Ame’s heart stopped for a second at the mention of his mentor’s name. He furrowed his brow, “Yes, c-can I ask who’s l-looking?”
The ginger perked at the response. He took a small gulp before continuing, ”My name is Illian, I heard the palace is looking for anyone who could help with the plague.”
”I wanted to ask if there is any way you could help me find the doctor. I want to become his apprentice.” A replacement? Ame’s hand slowly stroked the bandage wrapped around his neck. He’s already looking for a replacement?
Illian’s eyes wandered downward. ”I can’t find him. I knew he had an apprentice before but I heard that they left for personal reasons.” Ame’s knuckles grew paler as his hand held onto the door frame.
Something in the stranger's hands crunched. Ame’s eyes caught sight of a scroll being twisted. “I...I know now might not be the best time but if you could deliver this to him.”
”If he needs any assistance at all I’m willing to aid him. I don’t have many skills but I’m willing to learn.” His head finally lowered, voice soft with some distant sadness ”I-I just want to help people.”
For a moment Ame could have sworn he was looking in a mirror. The same fearful eyes looked back to him. There was same hesitant voice balance carefully between courage and breaking. He knew what he was about to say. He knew what he wanted to ask.
He knew how things would end.
Illian’s voice grew, leaning forward as he began to plea "Please just talk to him, i'd do anything!"
Is this how you felt? It wasn’t like working in the dungeon, this life was one he could save. This life was one he could keep away from the dangers of what was to come. This is someone who has a chance to live and yet they’re ready to throw it all away out of pride.
"I just want to save the ones I care about. Surely you know what it's like!" He licked his lips, frantically begging once more “Please, I don’t have anything left but-”
Slowly Ame reached out a hand. Illian paused, releasing the tension in his arms to hand him the paper. His watery eyes waited expectantly. This had to be his choice. And now he must help them see it through until the end.
“I’ll see w-what I can do.”
A night out at the Raven is just what they needed.
Characters: Ella the apprentice, Julian Devorak, Isabel the apprentice
Words: 2639
Ella fiddled anxiously with the piece of parchment in her hands. She glanced down at it briefly, rereading the elegant handwriting to be sure she was in the right place, even though she had read the directions enough times to recite it by heart. Returning her gaze to the building, she frowned as she read the worn wooden sign above the door inviting her into The Rowdy Raven.
She didn’t really want to venture this far into the city tonight, but Isabel had asked, no, demanded, that Ella meet her out at the Raven.
Isabel had very quickly become Ella’s closest friend at the palace. She was an incredibly intelligent medical apprentice, working directly with Dr. Satrinava. Isabel was always willing to teach Ella about medicine, and she was very interested in using magic to assist treatments, which wasn’t something Dr. Devorak was comfortable with. Over the last few weeks, Isabel and Ella had spent lots of time together.
“You work too hard,” Isabel had said earlier today, pulling the almost-completed reports from Ella’s hand. Ignoring Ella’s pleas for her work to be returned, Isabel had scribbled quick directions on the bottom of one of the pages before handing them back to her. “You need a break. Come out tonight. No is not an answer I’ll take.”
“You know I have to redo that page now,” Ella had pouted as she snatched the page back from Isabel. “I can’t come out. I have a lot of work to get done.”
Crossing her arms and narrowing her deep brown eyes at her, Isabel shook her head. “I better see you tonight. I have a surprise lined up for you.” Before Ella could protest, Isabel had turned and exited the office, tossing a wave behind her shoulder. “I’ll see you tonight!”
So here she was. Ella sighed and tucked the parchment into her bag, pulling her cloak tighter around her. Isabel was right, she did need a break. In the weeks she had been working at the palace, she had barely found enough time for herself to eat, let alone leave the palace. She didn’t mind the work, but… it was definitely time for a break.
She just wasn't sure an establishment called the “Rowdy Raven” would be a good place to unwind.
Ella hadn’t been to the South End in years. Although she was sure she knew the way, she almost got lost multiple times on her way into the city from the palace. She supposed that was because Asra had always led the way, so she never spent much time focused on the directions.
The Raven was nestled snugly in between its neighboring buildings, with a soft glow of light and the sound of upbeat music, clinking glasses and laughter drifting out of the partially opened windows. Sighing one last time and tucking her hair behind her ears, she pushed open the doors to the tavern and stepped inside.
The tavern was crowded. Patrons lined up at the counter ordering drinks, others sat at tables scattered throughout the establishment, and more still were gathered toward the back, dancing in time with the music. Ella removed her cloak as she scanned the crowd, maneuvering carefully through the people in search of her friend.
It took a moment for Ella to find Isabel, sitting at a table near the band, laughing at something an unseen companion had said. As if sensing eyes on her, Isabel looked Ella’s way and waved her over, a smile stretched across her pretty face.
“Ella, you made it!” Isabel called out as Ella approached. “Come, pull up a chair!”
“Yes, well, you didn’t give me much of a choice now, did you?” Ella tossed Isabel a fake exasperated expression before smiling. “Anyway, thank you for inviting me out.”
“Have you ever been here before? It’s quite the place.”
“No, I can’t say I have.”
Isabel nodded as she took a sip of her drink. “It doesn’t quite seem like it would be your go-to establishment.” She quickly gave Ella a once-over and smiled.
“You look good, honey. Trying to catch someone’s attention?” Isabel wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, laughing at Ella’s flustered expression. “Oh, I’m just teasing. What are the odds you’d run into him here anyway?”
Blushing, Ella rolled her eyes, feigning innocence. “I don’t know who you could possibly be talking about,” she said, but she found her mind immediately pulling up images of a mess of auburn curls, misty gray eyes, long, pale limbs...
Isabel’s voice pulled her attention away from her wayward thoughts. “Sure, love. Drink?” Ella nods, and Isabel calls over a barmaid, orders three more drinks and turns back to Ella, her dark eyes glowing with mischief. “You’re lucky you came tonight, the band is on fire.”
Ella followed Isabel’s gaze to the band, where four members, each with different instruments were striking up a chord to start a new song. The women at the table listened to the music for a few minutes, tapping their fingers in time with the beat, before Isabel turns her gaze back to Ella.
“How have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen much of you around lately.”
“I’ve been working,” Ella says, nodding to the barmaid as she dropped off the drinks on the table. “There’s been lots to do. Dr. Devorak has taken on more patients, and is trying a new combination of treatments.”
Isabel pulled one of the steins toward her, taking a long sip before leaning back in her chair, her dark braids falling over her shoulder. “Hm. Dr. Devorak keeping you up late into the night?” She wiggled her eyebrows over the rim of her drink as she took another sip.
Ignoring the suggestion, Ella brought her drink to her lips, hoping the blush spreading across her cheeks wasn’t too obvious. As the drink touched her tongue, she grimaced, quickly setting the drink back down. “Oh, gods. What is this?”
“Salty Bitters,” a deep voice from behind her said, causing her to jump in her seat. “They start to taste better the more you have.”
“Ah, Julian. Nice of you to find your way back to the table,” Isabel said, her eyes focused on Ella’s reaction. “Ella was just telling me she had to break out of the shackles you left her in to get here tonight. You’re working her too hard, Julian.”
Dr. Devorak slid his thin frame into the chair next to Ella, reaching for the third, untouched drink on the table. Ella felt her breath catch in her throat when his forearm brushed her hand as he pulled the glass toward him.
“Ah, yes, well. Ella is the most dedicated apprentice I’ve ever worked with, I suppose I was just trying to take advantage.” He turned to look at her, a lazy, half-drunk, sexy smile spreading across his features. “I am surprised you managed to break out of the shackles, though. I had Valdemar themselves design the restraints.”
As Isabel laughed, Ella blushed, tearing her eyes away from the doctor’s. She took three long sips from her drink, wincing before slamming the empty cup on the table. She shot Isabel a look, trying to telepathically express her fury with her friend over the fact she was not warned her boss, and her crush, was the surprise Isabel had in store for her.
Why in the name of the gods had she told Isabel she found him attractive?
Isabel smirked, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of her full lips. “Another, Ella? You look like you need it.”
“Please,” Ella hissed through gritted teeth.
This time, instead of waving over a barmaid, Isabel stood up from her chair and made her way over to the counter to order, leaving Julian and Ella alone at the table. The two of them sat in silence, Ella’s eyes focused back on the band. After a moment, the doctor cleared his throat.
“I am surprised you came tonight,” Julian hums, leaning back in his chair. “Isabel mentioned she invited you, but… You seem like you’re always working.”
Ella shrugs, turning her gaze back to him. “I could say the same about you, Dr. Devorak. I don’t think I’ve seen you leave your office all week.”
Julian sighs, taking another sip of his drink. “I hadn’t. That is until Isabel threatened my life if I didn’t come out tonight.”
The corners of Julian’s mouth pull upward as Ella laughs, tucking a loose strand of hair back into place behind her ear. “You too, huh? She’s quite demanding. And quite dramatic.” She glances toward the counter, where Isabel catches her eye and gives her a thumbs up.
Mentally kicking herself for ever revealing her feelings for the doctor to someone, Ella turned back to Julian, who still had his eyes fixed on her.
“Mm, yes. Quite dramatic. She’d be wonderful in theatre. Thankfully, she’s a brilliant apprentice, so it’s easy to overlook her bossiness.”
“She is very intelligent. And she’s a wonderful friend. Also very eager to use magic in treatments.” She tilted her head to the side and offered a smirk. “Unlike some people.”
Julian let out a laugh as he brought his drink back to his mouth. Ella found herself unable to tear her eyes away from his lips as they pressed against the stein, wondering what they would feel like pressed against her skin...
Flushing furiously at the direction of her thoughts, she brought her hand to her cheeks to cover the blush creeping across them.
“I’ve never understood magic.,” Julian starts. “Don’t get me wrong, my dear, I’m sure you’re very good at what you do…” he hesitates, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looks toward the band.
“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”
He smirks, his gray eyes settling back on hers. “But it's all just…” He waves his hand in the air as he grasps for his next word. “Weird.”
Before Ella can respond, Isabel returns, holding two drinks in her hand. She hovers momentarily to drop off the drinks, hurriedly informing the two at the table that she would be leaving with a friend and that she would catch both of them at work tomorrow.
After waving quickly goodbye and shooting daggers at the back of her friend’s skull, Ella pulls her drink to her and takes a deep drink, wincing again much to Julian’s amusement.
“I promise, by the third one, it’ll start tasting better.” He flags down the barmaid who sets two more down on the table.
In unison with Julian, she downs her drink and reaches for the other one. They must be fairly strong, she can already feel the alcohol warming her cheeks and the tips of her ears. “Dr. Devorak, are you trying to get me drunk?”
Julian splutters into his drink, his eyebrows creased together as he quickly turns his eyes back to her, only to catch her amused expression. Once it dawns on him that she was only joking, his worry ceases and a smile returns to his thin face.
“Maybe.” He pauses, his drink hovering in the air. “Will that get you to dance with me?” He raises his eyebrow, a crooked, dashing smile spreading across his features.
Ella takes another sip of her drink to try to wash away the excitement caused by the image of his hands on her. She taps her fingernails on her chin, pretending to think about it. “I don’t know. I am a pretty good dancer. I wouldn’t want to show you up.”
Julian laughs, standing up and offering Ella his hand. “I’d love to see you try.”
Accepting both his hand and the challenge, they make their way to the dance floor, just as the band plays the opening notes of a new, upbeat song. A bit cautiously, Ella places her free hand on his chest as he rests his hand on her waist, looking to her to ensure she’s okay with the contact. She feels slightly dizzy; whether it's from the Salty Bitters or her proximity to Julian, she isn’t sure, but she nods all the same.
As the song picks up rhythm, she and Julian glide effortlessly across the floor, Julian taking the lead. They move together as if they had been dancing together for years, each footstep matched, each movement mirrored. Every now and then she catches Julian’s eye and her heart nearly stops.
As they near the climax of the song, Julian leads them toward the edge of the dance floor. “Do you trust me?” He asks, his eyes glimmering with mischief and sincerity.
Ella nods, her hand tightening the grip on his. Julian grins, leading Ella toward a chair next to a table. Together they step up onto the chair, and with an effortless spin, they take another step up onto the table, carelessly knocking empty steins onto the floor. Without pause, Julian steps down onto another chair, braces her weight, and supports her until he steps down to the ground.
Ella is vaguely aware of the patrons of the Raven cheering as Julian lowers her into a dip and pulls her upright as the song ends, but her eyes are focused on Julian’s. His eyes are locked on hers, wearing a smile so wide it seems to stretch across his entire face.
He releases her hand from his and straightens out his shirt, running a hand through his hair to push his auburn curls back off his glistening forehead. “I must say, you’re almost a better dancer than me. And that’s saying something.”
“If that’s the best I’m going to get, I’ll take it. I suppose I’ll just have to pull out all the stops next time.”
Julian’s eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. “Next time, hm?”
Ella reaches forward, fixing the wayward collar of the doctor’s soft linen shirt. “Next time,” she echoes as she pulls her eyes upward to meet his.
His eyes darken fractionally as they shift from her eyes to her lips, to her hands resting on his chest, before returning to her eyes. Suddenly fully and painfully aware that he is still her boss, Ella pulls away, flushing with embarrassment.
She clears her throat, smoothing the front of her dress out as she takes a step back from him, nearly knocking over a nearby patron. A piece of hair falls in front of her face as she stumbles over her words. “Well, Dr. Devorak, ah, Julian, thank you for the dance, but I should be getting home…” She turns quickly on her heel, heading off the dance floor.
Julian frowns as he follows her back to the table. “You’re not planning to walk back to the palace tonight, are you?”
“Oh.” Ella pauses, thinking over her options. “Well, no, I suppose not. But my shop isn’t far from here, I could stay there for the night.”
Julian nods and pulls her cloak off the back of her chair, wrapping it around her shoulders before grabbing his own coat and gloves from another chair.
“Let me walk you home.”
She waves her hand, dismissing his offer. “Oh, no, I’ll be fine, I know the way—”
Suddenly, Julian reaches out, tucking the stubborn wave of brown hair back behind her ear. His touch lingers there for a second before he slowly pulls his hand away. “Let me walk you home,” he repeats, softer this time.
Ella hesitates, focusing on remembering to breathe. Eventually she nods. It was probably smart. She didn’t quite know her way out of the South End, especially in the dark, and a little drunk.
“Where will you stay?” She asks as they exit the Raven. It’s gotten much colder since she arrived, and she can feel rain on the horizon. She glances both ways down the street before turning left.
“I’ll probably stay in my clinic,” he responds simply, offering her the crook of his arm.
“The clinic full of sick patients?” She gives him a look before shaking her head. “No, you’ll stay the night at the shop.”
“Ella, I’ll be--”
“It’s not up for debate.”
Julian laughs. “Hm. And I thought Isabel was the bossy one,” he joked, nudging her with his elbow. “Come on, let's get you home.”
“You’ve got a fever. Of course I’m not going anywhere.”
Thank you for the ask, @poetic-emptiness-fanfic! Requested from this soft sentence starters list!
Characters: Julian, Ella the Apprentice
Words: 1317
Oh, Julian was not going to be happy. Not mad though, probably more disappointed than anything. This was going to ruin the day.
Ella had spent the previous day with Muriel and Asra at Muriel’s cottage. It was a lovely day spent feeding the chickens, digging in the garden and making a wonderful dinner that they ate outside in the warm spring evening.
Soon after dinner, the sky had become ominously dark and the breeze turned colder. The dark clouds that rolled lazily through the sky threatened to rain at any moment. Muriel, ever concerned with the safety of his friends, had suggested that Asra and Ella spend the night. If they wanted, of course.
Asra had insisted Ella stay with them, but she assured them she would be fine to walk back to the shop. She’d leave immediately, walk quickly, and be back before the storm started. She had a day trip planned for early the next morning with Julian, and she didn’t want to cause them to leave late. Although Asra and Muriel both tried to talk her out of it, Ella, as stubborn as ever, insisted she would be fine and left the hut.
Although Ella would never admit it, they were right. She should have stayed. A few minutes into her walk home, the sky opened up and dumped rain on her. The dense foliage from the trees provided some protection for a short while, but once she was out of the forest, there was nothing between her and the flood of water.
Ella ran through the familiar streets, holding her bag above her head to try to shield herself from the elements even though her clothes were already completely soaked through. By the time she made it to the shop, it had begun to thunder with occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the sky.
Once safely inside, Ella quickly made her way to the living area, taking off her cold and damp clothing and changing into dry clothes. She thought about taking a warm bath before bed, but the combination of the run and the rain had left her exhausted, and she climbed into bed instead, falling asleep almost as soon as her damp head hit the pillow.
This morning when she woke up, she was freezing, shivering uncontrollably under her blankets. Her head felt foggy, and a thin layer of sweat was beading above her eyebrows. In the pit of her stomach, she knew she had gotten sick from being out in the rain so long.
Struggling to sit up in bed, Ella pushed her sweat-drenched hair off her face. Maybe once she bathed and got ready for the day she would feel better. Julian was so excited to take her on this day trip to an undisclosed location. He had been planning this for weeks. She didn’t want to let him down.
Ella grit her teeth and pulled herself out of bed, her limbs feeling like led as she made her way to the small bathroom. She took a quick peek at her reflection in the small mirror, frowning back at it. Her brown hair was plastered to her forehead and neck with sweat, dark rings almost worse than Julian’s circled her eyes, and her cheeks were flushed against the sickly pale of the rest of her skin.
A bath probably wasn’t going to fix this.
After filling up and heating the tub, she gingerly slid into the water, still shivering despite the warmth. As she sat in the bath, she mused over ways to make herself feel, or at least look better before Julian came. She could make some of Asra’s special soup, but that would take an hour at least, and she didn’t have that long.
She remembered Nadia had given her some makeup that she could try to apply to hide the sickly pallor of her skin. But Julian would notice if she had makeup on, since she’d only ever worn it a few times, after Portia insisted they give each other makeovers.
She sunk deeper into the bath, blowing air out of her nose into the water. Damn it. Why didn’t she just stay at Muriel’s? She could have just left early this morning. Idiot.
Julian was going to be so disappointed.
Almost as soon as she had gotten dressed, she heard Julian’s telltale knock at the front door. She made her way slowly down the stairs, a little woozy from the movement, and opened the door, plastering the most genuine smile on her face she could.
“Ella, my love, I hope you are ready for an adventure today!” He exclaimed as he strolled into the shop, his eye on the piece of paper he held in his hands. He finished reading it, nodded to himself and stuck the paper into the large bag slung over his shoulder. He began unfastening the buttons at the top of his coat, his back still toward her.
“I hope you’re ready for it,” he continued as he turned to face her, his hair flopping in front of his right eye. “You’re going to --”
Julian stopped mid sentence, his hands frozen at the last button on his coat. His eye narrowed fractionally as he looked at her. “You don’t look good.”
“Well that’s rude,” Ella teased, leaning on the counter to steady herself.
In two strides, Julian was across the shop, his face full of concern. He pulled off his gloves, pressing his hands to her forehead. Ella closed her eyes and savored the feel of his cool skin against her burning forehead.
“You’re sick,” he said, palpating down the sides of her neck.
Ella pushed his hands away weekly. “I’m fine. We should get going, I thought you said we needed to leave early if we were--”
“Ella, we aren’t going anywhere. You shouldn’t even be out of bed. You’re sick,” he repeated. He removed his hands from her neck, folding them across his chest as he looked at her.
Embarrassed that she thought she could fool a doctor, she opened her mouth to argue.Before she could say anything, Julian scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs. Ducking through the doorway to avoid clipping the top of his head, he brought her straight back to bed, pulling the covers up to her shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” Ella whispered, pulling the covers up even higher. She felt tears threatening in the corners of her eyes. “I ruined our day.”
Julian frowned, shrugging off his coat and setting it on the end of the bed. He placed a hand on the other side of her body, leaning on it as he studied her. “You didn’t ruin anything, Ella.” He placed his cold hand back on her forehead, smiling at her. “We can plan for another day. I’m just sorry you aren’t feeling well.”
Ella offered a small smile. “You don’t have to stay. You could get sick too..”
Julian leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve got a fever. Of course I’m not going anywhere. I am a doctor, you know,”
“A good one too. And quite cute.”
Julian smirked, leaning down again to give her another quick kiss. “Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear. As soon as you’re better, that is.”
“Hm. Hopefully I get better soon, then.” Ella smiled back at him, her heart aching with love for this man.
He stood up, rolling his loose sleeves up away from his forearms. “Now, you get some rest. I’ll make some of Mazelinka’s pep-up soup. That’ll have you better in no time.” He laid another blanket on top of her and turned, heading toward the kitchen.
“Julian?” He stopped in the doorway and turned to face her. “I love you.”
He smiled, his entire face lighting up as he gazed lovingly back at her. “I love you, too.”
Full disclosure: I’m a little drunk and feeling sappy so here goes
I only made this tumblr a few weeks ago but I want to let each and every single one of you know, I appreciate all your works! Writing, art, doodles, head canons, I can’t get enough! I always want to hear about your OCs and read your writing so keep it up!
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It had started as an itch, small but irritating, just behind her left eye. She hadn’t thought much of it, attributing the discomfort to the pollen in the air, since she had been spending so much time outdoors lately. She enjoyed completing her reports out in the palace gardens, away from the darkness of the dungeon. It was early spring, anyway. It was probably just allergies.
The mild itching lasted for a day or so, then the itching became more bothersome, almost painful. Worried she had gotten something stuck in her eye, she thought about asking Dr. Devorak to take a look, but thought better of it. He had been so stressed, so focused lately. He had been in his office for days, hunched over his work. She didn’t want to disturb him.
Instead, she found a small mirror in her room and sat in the dim light, pulling her eyelids back with long fingers and looking carefully for any foreign object. She found nothing. Irritated and in pain, Ella decided to return to work, and promised herself she would consult with one of the physicians in the morning if it still hurt.
But the next morning, it felt worse. Beyond annoyed, she began readying herself for the day. Once dressed, she gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror, trying to tame the mess of curls around her face.
Her reflection made her stop dead in her tracks, her heart seizing in panic. Hastily pushing her chestnut waves from her face, she pulled the mirror as close to her as she could, pulling her eyelid down with a shaky finger.
Red.
It was undeniable. This wasn’t because of exhaustion, or allergies, or a foreign object. This was red, blood red, like so many eyes she had looked into with pity before.
The outer corner of the sclera her left eye was the telltale crimson of the plague, creeping from the corner of her eye to the iris. She touched the eye tentatively, praying it was just a trick of the light. But deep down she knew.
Ella took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She knew this could happen. She had accepted that this was a very possible reality of the situation she put herself in. This was a reality she was prepared for. Or so she thought. She felt the sudden and inexplicable urge to laugh.
Okay, think. As far as she could tell, she had no other symptoms yet aside from the eye pain and redness. From the cases she had seen, she knew it would only be a matter of days before she became delirious from fever and weak. And within the week...
Death.
Ella paced back and forth in her small living space, chewing her thumbnail as she went over her options. She couldn’t allow herself to stay here while she was sick. Although by now they thought they were sure the main vector of disease were the beetles, there was no guarantee she wouldn't be able to pass it to someone else. And they needed the doctors to stay healthy. Everyday they made more progress, came up with a potential new treatment. Their work was too important to risk.
What else could she do? She could go back to the shop. But if she dies there... Gods, what a mess Asra would be left with.
Asra.
She thought back to her last conversation with Asra, where she had stumbled into the shop just as he was preparing to leave the city. The horrible things they said to each other. She felt sick thinking about how she had spoken to him, knowing now that those would be the last words she would ever say to him.
Ella collapsed on her bed, holding a shaky hand over her mouth to stifle a sob.
Collecting herself, forcing herself to try to think rationally, Ella knew there was only one place in all of Vesuvia that she could go, where there was no risk to anyone. A place she would end up anyway, in a matter of days.
Better to be proactive.
She began to pack her bag, pulling some clothes and important items together before stopping suddenly. It dawned on her that there was really no reason to bring anything with her. Sighing, she placed the items back in her wardrobe and worked on straightening up her bed, organizing her notes, and putting books back on her shelf.
Once her desk was clean, she sat down, staring at a blank piece of parchment in front of her. She thought about writing a note, but to who? She didn’t know where Asra was, or how to even attempt to reach him. Who knew if he would ever receive it? What would she say to him anyway? I’m sorry didn’t feel like nearly enough.
Her family? She didn’t know where they were, or if they would care. It had been so long since she had heard from them.
Tears began to flow freely from her eyes and she made no effort to stop them. Ella allowed herself to cry until there were no more tears to give, sobbing into her hands. She felt only mildly better afterward. She sat silently at her desk, staring at her reflection in her mirror, breathing deeply to try to calm down.
I’m dying.
She got up from her desk and pulled her black coat off the back of the chair. With trembling fingers, she fastened the buttons and straightened the collar before pulling her leather gloves on. She grabbed her mask off of the desk, staring into its glassy eyes. As she tucked it under her arm, she noticed her reports for Dr. Devorak sitting in the corner, ready to be delivered. She knew if she didn’t bring them to him, he would never think to seek them out.
Was it selfish to want to see him one last time? Will he even notice I’m gone?
Sighing, she picked up the stack and left her office for the last time, swallowing the bile rising in her throat.
She was surprised to find the door to his office open, Dr. Devorak already (still?) awake, sitting at his desk, his shirt rolled up to his elbows and unbuttoned more than halfway. She froze outside his office, unsure if she should disturb him. Lingering just outside the door, she watched him furiously scribble on the parchment in front of him, his right hand covered in ink, the long fingers of his left hand pressed to his left temple.
As usual, she found herself blushing as she watched him. Embarrassed, she adjusted her hair to obscure her left eye, she knocked lightly on his door. He turned his attention briefly toward her, motioning her to enter as he continued to write.
“I just wanted to be sure you got these before I, um, left for the day,” Ella murmured, setting the papers down on the corner of his desk.
Dr. Devorak set his quill down, leaning back in his chair with his hands on his head, inhaling deeply. “Thank you, Ella. I appreciate it.” He glanced at her, his hands still tangled in his hair, his gray eyes rimmed with exhaustion. He offered her a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Sighing, he picked his quill back up and dipped it into the ink. Ella watched him for a moment before taking a half step toward him. “Dr. Devorak?”
“Hm?” Her head swam with words she wanted to say to him, but everything felt like it was caught behind her teeth. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to tell him how she felt, but instead she froze, standing just out of arms reach. Dr. Devorak looked up at her, setting his quill back down. “Ella?”
“I just... I want to let you know how much I enjoy working for you. You’re a good doctor, but you’re a great man, and I think you doubt both sometimes.” She offered him a smile before pulling her mask on over her face. “It’s morning. You should get some sleep.”
He frowned, opening his mouth to say something, but Ella turned quickly from the doorway and walked away, chewing hard on the inside of her cheek to keep the tears at bay.
“Doctor? Are you ready?”
The ferryman’s voice pulled Ella’s attention away from the Lazaret, sitting ominously in the distance. She turned her gaze away from her destination and back to the man on the dock, who had his hand outstretched, offering to help her into the boat.
“Oh, I’m not a doctor.” She placed a gloved hand into his hand and allowed him to assist her into the small gondola. She sat down on the smooth wood of the bench and stared back at the island through the glassy eyes of her mask.
The man shrugged as he pushed them away from the dock. “You all look the same with the masks.”
“Yes, I suppose we do.” They sat in silence for the rest of the journey, the only sound coming from the water lapping at the boat, and the crows circling overhead.
It didn’t take long to reach the Lazaret. Ella climbed off the boat, placed her entire pouch of coins in the man’s hand, and pulled off her mask. The sickly smell of decay and burning flesh lingered in the air, and Ella instinctively clamped a hand over her nose.
She took a moment to survey her surroundings. She hadn’t been to the Lazaret before, and wasn’t sure what she expected. She had heard tales of ghosts walking the beach, and screams that could be heard from the surrounding waters. But she heard nothing, saw no one.
The beach was narrow, stretching as far as the eye could see, the white sand covered with grey ash. Pretending she didn’t know where the ash came from, she noticed some grave markers off in the distance. Biting her lip, Ella quickly turned her attention to the forest in front of her.
She knew that people were sent here to die, and the thought of how many have died made her feel sick. How they were all sent here to meet the same fate. All those people they had failed, who were sick and scared, and she couldn’t save any of them.
And now she was one of them.
But she wasn’t scared anymore. After glancing across the water toward the city one last time, Ella set her mask down in the ash-covered sand of the beach. She turned and stared into the woods, her sights set on the single structure looming above the treeline, the last piece of Vesuvia she would ever see.
Ellian? Jella? Yikes those are a mess if anyone has any better suggestions please lemme know
8. What were their first impressions of each other?
answered here :)
9. Have they made each other cry?
answered here :)
19. If they could each write a single line in their marriage vows, what would they be?
Julian: “With you, I have found all I never dared dream I could deserve or have.”
Ella: “I promise to make you know you are loved, supported, and cherished, every day I am with you.”
22. If their lives were what was originally intended at birth, would they have still fallen in love?
answered here :)
26. What are their favorite parts about physical affection/sex?
When it comes to sex, Julian looooooves that although Ella is happy to let him take charge with daily activities, she is more than comfortable taking charge in the bedroom. Ella loves that Julian trusts her to push his limits.
In terms of physical affection, Ella loves that Julian isn’t shy about publicly displaying his affection for her, since it’s something she has had hard time reciprocating. Even in a room full of people, he looks at her as if she’s the only one there.
Julian loves the how all the physical affection Ella gives him comes as naturally as breathing to her, and she doesn’t even realize it. She’ll reach for his hand at the market, or will give him a kiss on the top of his head when she walks by him working at his desk. Or how she leans against his shoulder whenever they sit next to each other. It’s the small gestures that make him feel the most cherished.
