#v. tbd

[wintersovereign]

@formedfrommist || cont.

A bitter chuckle escaped from his lips at her words. If he had discovered such thing, then for sure he wouldn't have ended up there. He was thankful to have Elsa in his life, but he couldn't deny what had brough him there to begin with. He understood what these kind of dreams did to one person all too well, his own filled with moments with Avatar Sonem. Things he could have done differently, things he could have worded better. Heck, even things he should have thought differently. He knew that too well. Tagah moved, pulling Elsa closer before resting his chin on top of her hair, inhaling deeply. Her scent had a calming effect on him but he doubted it would be useful to allow her to sleep. — You can't change the past, Elsa. Believe me, I've tried that. We can only follow the path that destiny has appointed to us and learn from our mistakes. I will stay here for as long as you wll have me. That feeling would never go away, but there was a saying that time healed all wounds. Still, for people like them it took a little longer than they would have wanted. — Sadly, if there is such secret, Sonem never taught me. — Tagah replied, keeping his tone light. — I do know some ancient airbending breathing tecniques, good to falling asleep fast, that I can teach you if you want.

Elsa melted into his embrace without thinking, her forehead resting lightly against his shoulder as he drew her closer. She listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, finding herself matching her breathing to it almost unconsciously as his words gently settled over her. She smiled faintly at his mention of trying to change the past. “I believe you have,” she murmured. “Which means you know exactly how impossible it is to win that argument with yourself.” There was something strangely comforting in that. She hated that he understood this kind of grief so intimately, but she was grateful she didn't have to explain it.

When he offered to stay for as long as she would have him, her eyes closed for a moment. “I hope you realize that's a dangerous promise to make,” her tone was warm and touched with affection, “because I may decide the answer is always.”  She tilted her head just enough to look up at him, a teasing glimmer returning to her eyes.

“And yes, I would like to learn these mysterious Air Nomad techniques. I've practiced controlling my breathing whenever I was afraid. Slow breaths. Measured breaths. Enough to keep my bending from slipping.” Her fingers intertwined with his. “But I've never really breathed just to find peace.” She looked up at him once more, “Please... teach me.”

[wintersovereign]

@formedfrommist || cont.

Tagah couldn't help but to chuckle when she guessed about his little scheme with Gale. The spirit would, hopefully, give them more than five minutes to leave but considering what he had seen (and heard) about Gerda, they shouldn't bet on the spirit managing to keep her occupied for too long. — I am but if we are to make an escape, we better hurry then. — The Air Nomad replied before gently pulling Elsa into his arms for a hug and leading her out of the office and towards the courtyard where his Sky Bison was patiently waiting for them. He wished his 'rescue' could be more romantic, with him holding her close, kissing her and just enjoying being in her presence for a little before departing but he would have the rest of the afternoon in the springs to do that. Heck, as soon as they left the ground if she allowed him to be so bold. He helped her to get onto the saddle and climbed up himself, landing graciously on the beast's head before they took off. From their point of view, he could see Gale still making Gerda go around some loops to catch the run away paper. Good, they made it in time to not have Elsa get in trouble. He would totally carry the blame of her disappearance later, claiming that it had been a spiritual business that required her attention. Well, he would require her attention for sure. — Ready for an afternoon of relaxation and not a glimpse of royal duties, my dear?

Elsa couldn’t remember the last time she'd abandoned the palace in such an undignified rush. It was exhilarating. The moment they slipped beyond the office doors, she found herself laughing under her breath, trying and failing to compose herself as they hurried through the corridors. More than once she glanced behind them, half-expecting Gerda to appear with that formidable calendar tucked beneath one arm and an expression that could halt an invading army.

Fortunately, only Gale's delighted chirping echoed through the halls.

By the time they reached the courtyard, Elsa's earlier exhaustion had already begun to melt away. The crisp air greeted her like an old friend, and seeing Zopa patiently waiting only made her smile grow. “Thank you,” she said softly as Tagah helped her into the saddle, the words carrying far more meaning than simply assisting her aboard.

As the great sky bison rose into the air, Arendelle unfurled beneath them in a tapestry of snow-dusted rooftops and glittering fjord waters. Elsa looked down just in time to spot Gale continuing his relentless campaign against poor Gerda's paperwork.

Elsa winced, “I really do owe Gerda an apology...Eventually.” An entirely unapologetic smile accompanied the admission. Turning her attention back to Tagah, she found him already watching her, the wind tugging at his hair as effortlessly as it did her own. There was something wonderfully freeing about seeing him here, where he belonged in the open sky, with nothing above them but endless blue.

His question drew a softer expression from her and instead of answering immediately, Elsa leaned forward, one hand lifting to gently cradle his jaw. Her fingers curled beneath his chin, encouraging him to turn toward her. “You rescued me,” she murmured, her voice nearly lost beneath the rushing wind. With a fond smile, she closed the remaining distance and captured his lips in a slow, unhurried kiss that lingered for several heartbeats before she finally drew back and rested her forehead, smiling. “I am now.” Her thumb traced lightly along his jaw before her hand slipped away.

“I love Anna dearly, and I would gladly shoulder her responsibilities while she's away in Chatho...” she admitted with a quiet laugh. “But if I had endured one more meeting about grain tariffs or shipping manifests, I might have frozen Gerda's dreadful calendar into a block of ice and accidentally dropped it into the Arenfjord.” Her blue eyes sparkled with playful innocence. “Entirely by accident, of course.”  Elsa settled beside him, taking a deep, contented breath of the mountain air.

“So yes,” she said, her smile widening as she looked toward the distant peaks awaiting them. “I’m more than ready for an afternoon where no one asks me to sign anything, approve anything, or attend anything.” Her gaze returned to his, filled with quiet warmth. “I'd much rather spend it with you.”

[honorforged]

@wolf-eyes-wolf-soul said: Morren bows before Zuko — wait which hand is supposed to make the "flame" again? — and in the most sincere and formal tone she can manage greets him. "Flameo, Fire Lord Hotman."

A quiet sigh escaped through Zuko’s nose as one hand rose to pinch the bridge of it, shoulders sagging. “...He told you to say that, didn’t he.” It wasn't really a question. The corners of his mouth twitched despite himself, fighting a smile as he opened his eyes again, amber meeting hers.  “Aang wrote ahead about you. He said he'd be gone longer than he'd like, and he asked me to make sure you weren't left on your own while he handled Avatar business.” He inclined his head in welcome as he returned her bow. “It's good to finally meet you, Morren. And... despite Aang's best efforts to make us both look foolish...” another faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "...welcome to the Fire Nation.”

[thatboomerangguy]

@sumimasu said: Sumiko took Sokka's face between her hands to direct his line of sight on her. Her own expression looked intense behind her glasses while the slightest wrinkle between her brows appeared while she looked at his squished face between her palms. She then drew in a deep breath that filled her chest before huffing it out upward, making her bangs flutter. "Please. Eat. Slower. At least chew a few more times. Please."

Sokka froze mid chew at the seriousness in Sumiko’s voice. His cheeks were full, his jaw working far too quickly, and for once he had absolutely no clever remark ready to throw back, which, honestly, was saying something on it’s own.  He swallowed as best he could before giving her a sheepish look, though the guilt behind his eyes was harder to hide. His hands lifted slightly in surrender, even as he still held onto the steamed bun like someone might try to take it away from him.

“Okay, okay. Message received. Less eating like a starving wolf and more chewing like a civilized human being.” A small grin tugged at his mouth, but it faded when he saw the worry in her expression. Sokka's shoulders lowered a little, the humor in him fading as he glanced down at the bun in his hands, suddenly finding it a lot harder to meet her eyes.

“I haven't really eaten much the last few days.” The confession came out casually at first, like he was talking about the weather, but there was a heaviness underneath it. “There's been a lot of refugees coming into the lower ring. Families who barely made it out with anything. Kids who haven't had a real meal in days.” His fingers tightened slightly around the food. “They needed it more than I did.” Sokka gave a small shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I mean... I can handle missing a few meals. I've survived worse.”

The words were meant to be reassuring, but they carried the weight of someone who had spent years convincing himself that his own needs came last. Someone who had grown up measuring his worth by how much he could protect, how much he could give, how much he could endure.

Sokka carefully took a smaller bite this time, making a very obvious effort to chew slower, and lifted his brows at her before his expression turned more serious again. “...Thanks for making sure I actually take care of myself, too.”  That was the part he didn't say often enough. He was so used to being the person who noticed when everyone else was hungry, cold, scared, or hurting. He wasn't as good at letting someone notice when he was.

[wintersovereign]

@li-liaku || cont.

"Oh, I see. Uh...if you don't mind me asking, what's an automaton?" I don't think I've ever heard of anything like that back home...

“Steam powered machines that can replace human workers in mines,” Elsa leans in, speaking quietly. “Lord Wolfgang hopes he can use them to reinstate trade with Arendelle since the Queen cut ties with Weselton. But if he thinks a few fancy machines are going to change her mind…” Her eyes narrowed at the set of blueprints laid out on the table before them.

[prophetyse]

is this going to hurt? - from ilya!

╰› eat the ones you love , @mvnces .

her tongue is poked out between her teeth as she concentrates. she is no healer, no medic. actually spent much of her youth nauseous at the sight of blood - until her visions grew and she spent more and more time cleaning up her own. her hands are focused on threading a needle to sew the wound on his back shoulder blade - a prospect she is not eager to undertake.

she's almost startled when he speaks, dark eyes flicking up to his. "i feel like you should know better than me." there's a subtle look of incredulity on her face, "you can't tell me you've never had stitches done before, right?" please don't tell her this is your first time.

[prophetyse]

you make it sound worse than it is.

╰› eat the ones you love , @m0naghan .

the look she gives him is withering. a hard glare from under her dark brows. "i don't have to make anything sound worse." voice hard, she begins to lightly pace. a few steps back and forth as she works through her own thoughts. after several short (but seemingly agonizing) moments, it seems as though she has come to a decision. sighing and stopping her pacing to sit down in the closest seat to her. "i have a feeling that explaining why it's actually worse would be a waste of my breath." it's a little mean, but she can't help herself. " ― perhaps we should worry about how to fix it."

[honorforged]

[ @musemelodies for the long mouse ]

“Can you even drink tea?”