lightning-eclair

[lightning-eclair]

ivory-paragon‌:

“You know, you don’t need to thank me.”

Of course she would say that. It was just in his nature to be polite if someone was actually aiding him in some way that wasn’t necessarily benefiting them. It was something rare to witness and he would treasure it with the kindness of words. “I know I don’t.. I will anyway.” His eyes bore into hers as if he was trying to challenge. When she moved to the coffee, he took it with a nod. “Will you chastise me if I said ‘thank you’?” A small smile formed while his hands wrapped around the warm mug.

He never saw her drink coffee before– he figures she was being polite in not declining his offer. The setting made him almost chuckle. Instead, he brought it up to his lips to take a sip, watching to see if she would mirror his move or not. It warmed his core and he gave a small sigh while taking a spot on the bed. He would rest easy tonight– at least he hoped. Lately, his dreams were rigged with shadowed demons tearing apart his flesh. Now that he rid of them of his body – to a degree – he wondered what he would see now.

“Are you still searching for your sister?” He knew her small goals or at least things she dare not speak in front of him in case the thought of abandoning was initiated. “I heard the whispers back in Midgar. Your questions towards the crowds about a certain individual. It only makes sense it is that of your kin, a bond that is treasured even more in this world.”

Carefully, she poured the coffee into both mugs, once finished she placed the pot back. Her glacial blues stared at the steam that rolled from the cup, the scent of coffee filling the room. Usually, she wasn't one for coffee, but under recent circumstances, this would do nicely. "No, I suppose not." The hint of a smirk pulled to her lips when she shook her head, moments before she reached for her cup of coffee. Lightning raised the cup to her lips, pausing for a moment out of hesitation before allowing herself to gently blow across the black water and then took a sip. Perhaps coffee wasn't a choice she'd often go for, it wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good. 

There wasn't much joy or relaxation to come from the coffee, maybe a warm sensation from the drink itself but not much more to it. Light remained where she stood for a moment, the only movement to come from her was resting her elbows on the counter while leaning forward. Her gaze followed Rufus to where he took a seat on the bed, she had to admit, a moment of downtime was needed. Even if she found it difficult to fully relax with how everything had been going lately.

Drawn from her thoughts, Lightning looked up with surprise, had it become so obvious? Where surprise once swept her features she was quick to cover it with a stern expression while her brows furrowed together. "How-" She would have started, but it appeared the blond male already had an answer for that one. Regret pitted in her stomach at how reckless she had been for gossip to reach Rufus's ears clear enough for him to ask her about it.  She let out a long sigh, her cup being set down on the counter as she stood straight once more. "On my own time, yes." Why lie? She paused for a moment, "Though, I hold doubts I'll be finding her anytime soon." Lumina stood in her way, as did many others. 

"Why do you ask?"

[lightning-eclair]

ivory-paragon‌:

The mirror displayed her movements while he sat, straight, on the bed. The slight feeling of tugging and constriction was felt, a comforting sense of security for some odd reason. Hardly did her fingertips touch the surface of his skin, she was deft in the way she bandaged—the mark of a soldier being able to care for the wounded on the battlefield. What battles did she endure to be able to do this with such ease? There was very little Rufus knew of his bodyguard and in essence, it was the same with him. Just a mutual agreement that history didn’t matter much, they were there for one another at the present.

“Thank you,” he breathed out when he could at last exhale slowly enough so there was no slack between any coverings. He felt warm, not the familiar feverish warm that he was so accustomed to now. There was a dull ache behind his eyes but for the most part, he felt better now that he was able to soak into a bathtub. It was a pity that the floor he was staying on did not harbor one of these luxuries. He made a mental note to get one installed somewhere if the aches were once again causing his senses to be dulled.

While she was finishing up the hard to reach places, he proceeded with a few battering of the flesh on his arm. She never asked too many questions and he was grateful for that. Things could be different had he given in to the nagging feeling of telling all. Fingers swept the damp bangs away from his vision, the scent of coffee wafted through the air mixing with the fresh fragrance of soap from the bathroom. There were a few cups to the right of the coffee maker along with a packet of cream and sugar.

“Would you like a cup?” He asked, shifting to put the last of the bandages in the bag he brought along with him.

The moment the female finished bandaging she leaned back, her eyes quickly sweeping over his figure to look at her handy work. It clung to his body, but not too tightly, there was enough room from him to breath and move around as needed. She allowed herself a moment of silence as it dawned upon her that this wasn't the first time she had bandaged him, and she held doubts that this would be the last time either. Rufus was often doing something��as to what that was she was either informed or discovered it in the last minute such as now. 

In the end, she supposed she didn't mind it as long as in the end, Rufus was still in one piece and not dying. Whatever it was that brought him to this exact situation would be revealed in all due time, but while waiting she would remain by his side and offer her support. After all, she did take the role of his bodyguard and she served her purpose whether she was directed by his side or somewhere else. This wouldn't be the first time that Lightning sought him out after letting him go to do his own things.

"You know, you don't need to thank me." It was part of her job, to help him, but even beyond that, she would still offer the same aid to the male.

After Lightning had finished looking over her works, she turned her attention towards what he was working on. The scent of coffee filling the air caused her to stand up straight, her fingers running across the sides of her clothing while he placed his bandages away. The lasting silence was cut by the male's voice as she turned her head to look in his direction before glancing back to the coffee she had started up. "I suppose a cup would be fine." Usually, she'd deny any beverage besides water and on rare occasion alcohol. But sleep would not be coming tonight, that much she knew on her end.

Naturally, she moved towards the coffee machine, grabbing two cups, one for her, one for him and placed them down before casting a glance in his direction. 

[lightning-eclair]

Send “Make Me Feel”

for me to randomly generate a number between 1 and 100 to write a starter based on any of the prompts below!

A mix of fluff, angst, sadness, and anything to make you feel if executed right. proceed at your own risk! Some content might be triggering.

Keep reading

[lightning-eclair]

.Tags.

[lightning-eclair]

ivory-paragon‌:

Ten minutes later and his flesh finally had a bit of life to it. Pink settled on the pigment where the scalding hot water had soaked into. The streaks of branching blackness seemed to have faded a bit—but like a permanent marker, it appeared they were there to stay for quite some time. He scrubbed himself to the best of his ability before it started to sting and he was careful not to cater too long to the areas that were still tender to the touch—it was akin to a bruised fruit. The infection still lingering just under the surface.

When he removed himself from the tub he observed how discolored the water was. This ‘ick’ did not easily dissipate when being rinsed with water and the dark ring that encircled the tub made it obvious. With the draining of the water, he wrapped one of the hotel towels around his waist, eyes examining the mirror once more and noting the amount of muscle he had lost from the endeavor. He’d have to work on eating more or he’d further shrink down into nothingness.

Emerging from the bathroom with a steam-filled plume, he made his way to the bandages that were scattered along the bed. “Can you?” He asked, grabbing the bundle and handing them to her. “I’m afraid I can’t bandage very well when it comes to circling around my chest.”

On her back she stayed, her eyes staring at the ceiling and the designing of the paint that was imprinted in it. There were plenty of Inns, hotels, whatever someone wished to name them, each having something different. It wasn’t like Lightning had much to do in these given moments. The coffee that Rufus had requested was already in the process of being made, anything she could have done she had done earlier when alone and travelling. If anything, she was waiting for Rufus to finish with his bath to continue assisting him if he needed. Which in the end, she knew he would, it had been apparent to her that he was wearing bandages once again, though, she hadn’t asked any questions about that, due to her being more persistent on figuring out what it was that Rufus had done. Why was he being so vague with her?

The thought was quickly dismissed as she could feel it like a toxin settling beneath her skin and bringing forth irritation of why. As the door to the bathroom opened, Lightning sat up, starting on her elbows to watch the stream roll out before eventually sitting up straight when he approached the bed, the new bandages were already out, and she knew just as well as he did, he wouldn’t be able to wrap everywhere that was needed.

Her hands were already out before she even gave him the verbal response, “Yes,” She wouldn’t tell someone to do the near impossible, and although the male may have been able to wrap it, it wouldn’t have been well enough and in moments like this, the bandage job mattered. A small gesture was made for him to take a seat, “Sit, and make sure to sit upright.” Slouching wasn’t going to help her, but once he did follow her order, she was careful when placing the bandage on his skin, for she was not sure if it was sensitive to the touch or something far different than that. “Be still.” She commented while knowing he most likely wouldn’t have to begin with.  

[lightning-eclair]

ivory-paragon‌:

She was nearly as stiff as him when it came to things– always putting her duties first. A smile spread across his face thinking this when she helped with his jacket, a shaking of his head was granted then after. “Coffee, if you can.” He was sure there was something in the room on one of the tables. He hadn’t tasted the bitter flavor of any for weeks on end. It was a commodity he just didn’t bother to think about when rushing from one point to another. Ironic really, it was the first thing in the morning he put on this tongue.

“Thank you,” ever the courteous one, he gave her a motion to be dismissed and shut the door behind her. His eyes traveled to the mirror, something he couldn’t quite get away from. Carefully he started to unbutton the collared shirt, his movements slow but steady. The bandages that were tightly woven around his chest were soiled and he picked at the straps, slowly peeling them away. It was an odd sensation to feel on the flesh; a numbing kind that tingled whenever it was exposed or touched.

He grimaced when the last of it was thrown in the bin of the sink. It wasn’t a pretty sight but he hoped the water would cleanse some of it away. Time was no longer an issue with him as he sank under the steam-filled water, soaking it in all his sore muscles and exhaling slowly. Blackness oozed from the wounds, dispelling in the water and fading partly on his flesh. He’s scrub it rigorously if he thought it would diminish all the way.

She had lifted her gaze to look at Rufus in the mirror for a moment before nodding, making coffee wouldn’t be too much of an issue for him. It was another small simple request from him, one that she would do before getting a moment to herself to think over everything that had occurred between them, as well as others in such a small amount of time. “You don’t need to thank me, Rufus.” She gently set his coat on the counter, in case he decided he would want it later before exiting to the main room. Lightning stood there for only a moment before walking over to prepare the coffee he had asked for.  

She moved across the room away from the bathroom to start on his coffee, her thoughts not focused on the task but autopilot allowing her to both prepare and make it.  

While waiting for the hot brew she moved back to the bed she had been on only moments before the two had started their discussion, to begin with. Eventually, she’d rest, there was a dull ache in her muscles that she found herself ignoring far too much as of late. If she wanted to work efficiently, she’d need the proper rest. But for now, she would remain awake, Lightning held her own concerns about multiple things, one of them being Rufus due to his behaviour and vagueness on what he had done before.  

Light shifted, her eyes moving to look where her belongings were, there was nothing for her to do besides wait. She leaned back to lay down, her eyes staring at the ceiling. This would have to do.  

[lightning-eclair]

"Because you know. Ain't no rest for the wicked.."

“There’s about to be, go to bed, you’re grounded.” 

[lightning-eclair]

*Aggressive flexing*

“I don’t know what to do with you...” “You’re grounded, go home.”

[lightning-eclair]

redreno‌:

“Careful. Your face might get stuck like that.” 

“I appreciate your concern, redhead, but I’m not too concerned about it.” 

[lightning-eclair]

facetious-wanderer‌:

“…”

“......” 

[lightning-eclair]

“Didn’t hear a thing, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.” 

lightning-eclair‌:

“….” - “No.”

“Did you hear that? It was the sound of my heart breaking.” 

[lightning-eclair]

“....” - “No.”

lightning-eclair‌:

“Is that something you really need to ask?”

“I think so. I’d like an honest answer.” 

[lightning-eclair]

facetious-wanderer‌:

“Ma’am I am calm.”

“Phfft, now you are.” 

[lightning-eclair]

“Is that something you really need to ask?”

“I dunno why everyone’s doubting me. It’s such a downer. Do I really look that untrustworthy?” 

[lightning-eclair]

“...Calm yourself, Bartz... I’m working on it.”

@lightning-eclair  “I’m waiting..”

[lightning-eclair]

ivory-paragon‌: 

While she busied herself with the drawing of the bath, he went to the bag he had been toting around and withdrew a few bandages. No doubt he’ll have to have her replace the ones he was about to shed. The ooze that came with the plague was still prevalent in his body. He had noticed that it had slowed since the release of it all and the death of Hades all in one combustion.

He could handle his arm fine enough, but it was the chest region that he always struggled to constrict. While she was checking the water temperature he leaned along the frame of the door, arms crossed over his chest as he silently observed her. “I bet you didn’t expect to take care of me in this way, did you?” He gave a scoff, shaking his head and turning his attention to the mirror in the bathroom. So much had changed in such a short amount of time, she was right about that.

“It is still appreciated all the same,” he slowly turned to her again, stepping forward a few strides until he stood over her. His hand reached out to place under her chin, a soft lifting of it so that he could examine her face. “My champion.” He stood there for a few seconds before releasing. “Mind if you help me with these?” His motions were stiff as he tried to shift his jacket off.

Lightning remained kneeled by the bath, her fingers consistently checking the temperature of the water while her other hand would continue to adjust the nozzle for the perfect temperature. Past the rushing water from the faucet, she could hear him moving about the room, but she chooses to remain in here and make sure the bath was prepped correctly. Not that she had to, but it was that she knew Rufus needed it, otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked her for such a small favour.  

She had tilted her head to the side when hearing him enter, looking past her shoulder for only a moment she could see him leaning against the frame and watching. Only a second of this was needed before she looked back to the water, the temperature had finally reached a near perfect temperature. Though Lightning’s own form of scoff remained to herself, she could only smirk to herself to his question, “I offered you my help, my aid.” She hadn’t, but she accepted it, Rufus seemed to be drawing towards some path that he kept hidden, she would not leave, but she’d have to keep a close eye on him... including in his current state.

The moment she felt his fingers beneath her chin, she lifted her head enough to make eye contact with him, her cerulean blues looking to his own. Where she may have held an impassive look towards others, there was a calmness hidden with her features that often showed through her eyes. Often times when around Rufus, when alone. When he released she pressed her hand to the side of the tub before standing once more, “Of course.”

Her steps were slow as she carefully moved behind him, her arms reaching around while her fingers gently brushed against the collar of his shirt to grab the folds of his jacket. She pulled it up to her it over his shoulders with ease before slowly pulling it down his back and past his arms. For a moment she held the fabrics in her hand before placing it over her forearm.  "Anything else?" Light knew she ought to ask now, rather than wait till later.

[lightning-eclair]

Send me   “ Don’t shut me out. Let me help. “   for my muse’s reaction.