#praesparo

[saintspoetic]

@praesparo, in the role of wally; continued from here.

a deep heat blooms underneath the skin of her cheeks. it wasn't that artemis had been snooping around his room, more that she'd found herself in the home of the wests and had sought comfort amongst familiar surroundings. the room had still smelt like him, and she had been clinging so desperately to everything he had left behind. she'd only wanted one thing. a shirt, or a souvenir, or something. she's stumbled across the ring on accident, but had known deep in her heart that it was meant for her. that he would have wanted her to have either. otherwise, why buy it . . right?

but now it felt wrong to keep it.

❝ you didn't hide it very well. ❞ remanence of a smile tugs at her lips, a teasing lilt to her voice. it feels wrong to tell him of the comfort the ring gave her. how having it rest close to her heart felt like he was with her. how she would clutch it in the darkest hours, tears flowing down her cheeks, wishing with all her might for his return. instead, she takes his hand in hers, turning it so his palm his upright. she places the ring down gently, the golden chain pooling around it. her fingers nudge his closed around it, touch lingering for a moment before her hands fall back into her lap. ❝ tell me about it. ❞

[studiodrafts]

˗ˏˋ     ᵃᵗᵉˡⁱᵉʳ·     dear   james   bond   ﹙   @praesparo   ﹚   ﹕   can   i   cook   you   something   ?   warmest   regards   ,   midna.

the   hotel   room   is   in   complete   &   utter   disarray   ,   a   whirlwind   of   clothes   scattered   all   over   the   floor   along   with   a   few   non   -   important   gadgets   that   were   hastily   set   aside.   it's   not   like   them   to   let   their   space   be   so   unorganized   , even   for   a   short   time   ,   but   for   now   ,   the   princess   makes   no   motion   to   try   &   fix   it   ,   too   comfortable   in   bed   with   the   agent   after   what   feels   like   an   eternity   of   waiting for what transpired the night before.   the   morning   air would   be   too cold for her   if   not   for   the   warmth   james   provides   ,   her   body   pressed   beside   him   under the covers as   her   head   rests   on   his   shoulder , her arm draped over him.   maybe   allowing   this   to   happen   wasn't   one   of   her   more   wisest   moves   ,   but   she   couldn't   care   less   right   now.   for   a   brief   &   fleeting   moment   ,   she   was   happy.   happy   ,   tired   &   perhaps   even   in   love   ,   if   she   could   ever   allow   herself   to   be.

at   james'   mention   of   making   food   ,   midna   merely   huffs   in   response as if he just insulted her.   she   does   enjoy   the   food   that   he's   introduced   her   to   thus   far   ,   but   if   he   thinks   he'd   leaving   this   bed   right   now   ,   he   has   another   thing   coming.   ❝   really   james   ?   you   finally   get   me   in   bed   only   to   want   to   leave   ?   i   thought   you   were   smarter   than   that.   ❞   grinning   ,   midna   presses   a   soft   kiss   to   his   cheek & another to the tip of his nose   ,   the   tenderness   a   stark   contrast   to   their   earlier   actions   the   night   prior. she smiles at the memory , still in disbelief over how things transpired over a slight bit of jealousy. only slight , she thinks , because even she won't ever admit it aloud.   ❝   hmmm   ,   no.   i   think   you'll   have   to   stay   here   for   a   bit   &   starve , at   least   until   i   can   wake   up   a   bit   more.   consider   it   my   first   real   order   as   a   princess   to   you.   ❞

[saintspoetic]

@praesparo, in the role of mollymauk; i wouldn't expect you to trust me.

❝ why do i sense there's a big but coming - ❞ lips momentarily quirk. she thinks of scanlan, who would have something massively inappropriate to say, and of grog whose booming laugh would have echoed around the tent, and of vex'halia who would have lovingly rolled her eyes. the ghosts of vox machina haunt her. they've all moved on, now. grown into new lifts. she's the voice of the fucking tempest. yet, she can't shake the echoes of a life once lived. she clears her throat awkwardly, gaze dancing around the tent. she's only been to a carnival once before.

❝ so, what's your trick? ❞ if she remembers right, then they all have one. an act they perform to a mesmerised crowd. some would swing from one platform to another, others walk across the tiniest piece of rope, all with no net to catch them if they fell. feet carry her in a small circle around the room, gaze peering down at the various trinkets on display. she comes to a stop at a crystal ball, green eye magnified by the rounded glass as she looks within. ❝ are you going to tell my future? ❞

[ravildan]

@praesparo sent: i'm asking you to open your heart to chaos.

ever since he was a child, all vax'ildan had known was chaos. thrown between his mother and father's homes, running away as a teenager, realizing his mother had died and he couldn't have done anything to stop it — not to mention, each and every second spent with vox machina. and now, he was in the service of the raven queen. all he knew was chaos. sometimes, he wished he could make it fun like this tiefling could, apparently.

“ this is a joke, right? ” he asks, resisting the urge to scoff. he knows the other man probably doesn't mean anything by it, and if vax'ildan had heard this any number of years prior, he might have laughed too. he didn't really have it in him anymore. “ maybe you should close your heart to chaos. it is kinder in the long run. ”

[warplanet]

with @praesparo, sebastian and james. — you sure don't make it easy to follow you.

sebastian's head immediately pops up from behind the brick chimney he just climbed over. they're in the middle of what feels like an obstacle course, the two agents maneuvering over rooftops, leaping over gaps, dodging danger and long falls in favor of an ideal vantage point. is this bond's first time doing this... or is he just young and fond of causing problems? it's quite amusing. sebastian will deny it outloud, but he does enjoy the other man's remarks sometimes. adds a bit of levity to the seriousness of the situation. "i did say try to keep up. not keep up. try being the operative word here. did you not learn any parkour with MI6?" he climbs back over the chimney, reaches across the small gap in the rooftops, and beckons james to take his hand. "we're almost there. can't believe we're doing this one as a team. fucking shocking, is what it is, but you need my help, and i really need yours." once the two get back over the chimney, sebastian eases over another gap in the line of rooftops and points to the east. "see? there's your location. that rust-colored building right there. i thought it might help you to see it from my perspective first before you go in. that way we can coordinate together." sebastian pauses and gives james a look. "they still don't know we've teamed up for this, do they?"

[studiodrafts]

˗ˏˋ     ᵃᵗᵉˡⁱᵉʳ·     dear   link   ﹙   @praesparo   ﹚   ﹕   i   brought   you   soup.   warmest   regards   ,   princess   mipha.

❝   link.   ❞   a   small   ,   grateful   smile   brightens   up   the   zora   princess'   features   ,      the   hero's   sudden   surprise   visit   a   welcomed   sight   after   days   spent   alone   in   her   bedroom   chambers.   it's   rare   when   the   princess   allows   herself   a   moment   of   rest like this   ,   but   she   endured   too   much   training   as   of   late   with   the   other   champions   ,   forcing   her   to   remain   in   bed   for   a   time   at   her   father's   insistence.   many   of   the   zora   worry   over   her   pushing   herself   ,   especially   sidon   ,   her   incredibly   sweet   &   kind   younger   brother.   it   warmed   mipha's   heart   to   know   how   many   people   cared   for   her   ,   but   she   had   hoped   that   the   chosen   hero   would   come   to   grace   her   with   his   presence.   her   heart   leaps   in her chest when   link   signs   to   her as he enters   ,   a   steaming bowl   in   his   other   hand.   soup   .   .   .   no   doubt   a   hylian   delicacy.   the   zora   diet   usually   only   consists   of   raw   fish   &   vegetables   ,   but   she's   more   than   eager   to   try   what   her friend   has   made   for her.

sitting   up   slowly   ,   mipha   reaches   out   to   take   the   bowl   from   link's   hands.   the   warmth   of   the   ceramic   bowl   feels   wonderful   against   her   cold   palms.   the   smell   of   the   soup   is   delightful   to   her   ,   indulging   in   it   a   bit   before   placing   it   on   her   bedside.   she   will   eat   it   in   just   a   moment   ,   but   first   she   wants   to   give   link   her full attention.   ❝   i   hope   i   hadn't   worried   you   or   the   others   with   my   disappearance.   ❞   mipha   had   asked   her   father   to   send   word   to   zelda   &   her   champions   ,   not   wanting   to   worry   them   when   she   couldn't   come   to   her   training   exercises.   such   guilt   has   wracked   her   these   past   few   days   now   ━━   she   can   only   hope   zelda   isn't   too   mad   at   her.   ❝   i've   become   very   focused   on   becoming   a   better   fighter.   i'm   not   very   strong   ,   but   i   want   to   be.   ❞   mipha   blushes   ,   turning   away   from   link for a moment as her bashfulness takes over.   ❝   i   want   to   be   able   to   protect   those   i   care   about.   i   do   my   best   to   practice outside of our trainings   ,   but   father   thinks   i   pushed   myself   too   hard.   i   should   be   back   soon   ,   my   body   just   needs   time.   ❞

[warplanet]

with @praesparo, continued from here.

sympathy digs into her features, her frown taut. she listens to kanan and his concern, his pleading tone pulling sharp against her better judgment, but ahsoka's mind is made up. there are paths for her that do not cross with kanan and ezra's — not for a long, long time. for a while, they will run parallel, never touching, but always present in their minds and in the formidable presence of the force. "ezra needs someone like you," she returns evenly. "i have nothing more to teach him, but you... you will find you have many lessons ahead of you. trust me." ahsoka gently shakes her head. "you are more a jedi than you think, kanan jarrus. you must learn to trust your instincts more. they got you this far." a long bout of silence stretches between them, until... "where will you go?" turning this from herself and onto kanan, flipping the conversation so that he thinks inward — it is for the best. "they still hunt for all of us. you have to be careful."

[warplanet]

with @praesparo, emily and james. — so much for laying low.

"move. room on your left will take you to the stairwell." she's a blur at her computer station, monitors alive with movement and the faded sound of gunfire and yelling. she can see the action from multiple angles and multiple cameras, and emily jumps between each one to try and get the best view of james and his escape. the enemy swarms in from a small door at the leftmost corner of the space — fortunately there's a lot of tables and chairs for james to use as cover, but it won't work for long. "they've got an alarm system, but i just remotely turned it off. i'll keep an eye on it and make sure someone doesn't turn it back on and send more guys your way." she's rapidly typing on her keyboard, hastily swapping between cameras, all while scanning the plans of the building for escape routes and other hostiles incoming. "get to the stairwell and go down two floors. you can lose them in the kitchens. it's not busy." the gunfire is loud through her earpiece, but her eyes see james on camera as he holds his own — no injuries yet. knock on wood. she raps her knuckles on her desktop. "get moving, james! i can silence an alarm, but i can't stop them from hearing gunfire nearby! you have to move!"