lionscout

[lionscout]

as they do , the captain and his rowdy men swarm the tavern with their jovial roguish cheer . always mayhem , but ale and food meant the entertainment of drunken scallywags and their shenanigans . ' i  bet  ye  ne'er  had  a  friday  night  like  this ! ' his boisterous clamor creeps up as he near the bar , arm draping in a friendly plop across the blond patron's shoulder . though they're not , the captain feigns rapport as they're old time friends . // @shoveoff

𝐀  𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑  𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐑  𝐈𝐒  𝐀𝐋𝐋  𝐇𝐄  𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃  𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐃  𝐀𝐓  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓,  𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇  𝐇𝐈𝐌  𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐃  𝐓𝐎  𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒,  𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒  𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐍𝐎𝐒𝐄  𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐃  𝐅𝐎𝐑  𝐀𝐍𝐘  𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇  𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄  𝐓𝐎  𝐂𝐈𝐃.          besides  ,  he  wasn’t  one  for  drinking  on  the  job,  it  was  when  he  was  back  in  the  hideaway  when  he  could  really  wash  away  all  of  his  lingering  woes.  the  noise  was  enough  to  draw  any  man  or  womans  attention,  he  put  his  cup  to  his  lips  and  turned  around  to  take  a  look  at  the  band  of  pirates  who  have  began  to  fill  the  bar  —  if  gav  were  anyone  else,  perhaps  this  would  have  meant  trouble,  in  an  attempt  to  blend  in  more,  he  lifted  his  glass  with  a  cheer.   ❛  cheers  lads!  ❜  then  his  drink  went  back  to  his  lips.  offering  a  awkward,  almost  uncomfortable  smile  to  the  man  as  his  arm  went  around  him.  ❛  ehh...  hah  -  no...  ❜  he  shifts  himself  out  of  his  arm  and  pats  him  on  the  back,  friendly  enough.  ❛  don't  believe  i  have  -  though,  i  imagine  you'll  show  me  a  good  time,  like.  ❜  he  regretted  the  words  as  soon  as  they  left  his  mouth.

@shoveoff

[lionscout]

[lionscout]

arms are folded across her waist , silently wondering-- slightly assuming . . . if he was truly asleep or not . which also prompt the thought it if was a good night out or purely exhaustion that may have knocked him out . poking with a lone finger , it starts with prodding his shoulder-- ' wake  up ' she cooes , being pleasant prior to now poking his cheek . ' i  know  you  can  hear  me ' she says , more in a sing - song kind of tone ( a kind in which one could tell she is wearing a smile . ) // @fcragil

𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄  𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓  𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒,  𝐋𝐈𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐑  𝐇𝐀𝐃  𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐆  𝐆𝐀𝐕  𝐀  𝐋𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘,  𝐋𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐇𝐈𝐌  𝐎𝐅𝐅  𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎  𝐒𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑.   it  helped  him  sleep  through  the  night  fully  (  if  he  were  lucky  )   it  was  sadly  the  only  way  he  could  ever  feel  fully  rested,  given  he  were  ever  allowed  rest  in  the  first  place  —  due  to  being  gone  so  often,  home  was  starting  to  feel  more  like  a second  home  to  him.   he  sat  at  the  table  with  his  head  rested  against  his  arms,  he’d  not  even  attempted  to  make  it  to  bed.  it  was  easier  this  way,  he'd  be  right  up  and  back  to  work  the  second  the  sun  decided  to  rear  its  head. 

  he  groaned,  trying  to  pull  himself  from  his  deep  sleep,  eyes  flickering  wildly  as  though  he  is  fighting  for  consciousness.   finally,  he  gains  it.     ❛   mmm?   ❜   he  hums,  curious.  ❛  don't  tell  me  i’ve  overslept...  ❜  his  words  are  slurred.  after  moment  of  silence  he  pushes  himself  up  in  a  start.  ❛  fuck!  huh?...  aerith...  sorry.  ❜  he  rubs  the  back  of  his  head  ,  awkwardly  -  he  wonders  if  she  was  worried  ,  or  even  worse...  he'd  heard  he  whinged  in  his  sleep,  well,  according  to  charon,  anyway.  ❛  y’alright,  aerith?  ❜  he  return  a  half  smile,  the  best  as  anyone  who  was  barely  awake  could.  ❛  don't  reckon  i  could  catch  a  few  more  minutes  before  i  head  back.   er...  so  long  as  you  don't  tell  the  others,  like.   ❜    

𝐥𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬  𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 :  𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥  —  ’ 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞  𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐤𝐲 ’  ( 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟐 ) ( accepting . ) / @fcragil

[lionscout]

happy late sunday... gavs ASSets

[lionscout]

𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭  𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞  𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟  [  …  ]  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬  𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭  𝐨𝐧  𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥’𝐬  𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩.  they’d  have  to  move  on  before  long  even  if  you  hadn’t’ve  turned  up  [  .  .  .  ]   they’ll  find  a  new  home,  trust  me.   𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫  𝐚𝐥𝐥,  𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬  𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭  𝐮𝐬  𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝  𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬  𝐝𝐨. 

𝙶𝙰𝚅 , 𝙵𝙸𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚈 𝚇𝚅𝙸 , 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽 𝙱𝚈 𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚂𝙸

𝐈.    [   𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒   ]   𝐈𝐈.    [   𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒   ]   𝐈𝐈𝐈.    [   𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄   ]    𝐈𝐕.    [  𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃   ]

[lionscout]

𝐀𝐋𝐋  𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐓  𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐈𝐍  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃,  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐊𝐘  𝐁𝐄  𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐍𝐄𝐃,  𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐀’𝐒  𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄  𝐖𝐀𝐒  𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇  𝐓𝐎  𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀,      or  gav  thought  so  anyway…  he  stared  slack-jaw  at  her  beauty,  embarrassing  really…  but  it  was  hard  to  bring  him  back  down  to  earth  with  her  in  front  of  him.  ❛  eh...  i  think  so?  ❜  he  tilted  his  head,  curiously.  ❛  never  quite  tasted  something  like  that  before...  heh..  got  a  little  ahead  of  myself,  maybe.  ❜  the  chuckle  was  small  as  it  slipped  from  his  lips. 

❛  i  think  i  could  do  with  a  few  more  though!   don’t  think  that  one  cup’ll  do.  ❜   maybe  he  indulged  too  much,  but  with  a  job  like  his  no  one  could  blame  him?  besides  -  this  gave  him  time  to  bond  with  the  others.     or  at  the  very  least  helped  him  get  to  sleep.  a  beat  passes  with  silence  as  she  continues  making  drinks,  small  talk  wasn’t  something  he  was  good  at,  not  like  this…  he  musters  up  courage  and  speaks:  ❛  where  did  you  learn  to  make  drinks  like  this?  ❜  the  question  came  fast  before  he  could  stop  himself  -  gav  had  tried  not  to  pry  into  tifas  business…  he  wouldn't  want  others  prying  into  his  (  not  that  they  needed  too,  given  enough  drinks  gav  would  sing  to  whatever  tune  was  on  the  orchestrion  )  ❛  aa  — you  don't  haf'ta  answer  if  its  too  personal,  like.  ❜ 

𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐚  𝐠𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝  𝐚𝐧𝐝  𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭  𝐡𝐞𝐫  𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝  𝐭𝐨  𝐡𝐞𝐫  𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡—𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞  𝐨𝐟  𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭  𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐭𝐨  𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞  𝐡𝐞𝐫  𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡  𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫  𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐝  𝐭𝐨𝐨  𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡.  she  couldn’t  believe  how  quickly  he  had  seen  to  the  contents  inside  of  his  glass,      then  again  it  was  a  much  smaller  amount  then  what  she  had  seen  him  deal  with  before. 

❛  you  sure?  ❜  she  tilted  her  head  as  she  watched  him  sway  ever  so  slightly.  not  quite  finished  yet,      she  thought.  since  he  usually  made  a  habit  of  swaying  like  a  on  a  sailing  ship  before  the  night  ended.  she  knew  how  hard  his  job  was,      so  most  nights,      she  would  would  indulge  him  and  give  him  her  undivided  attention,      while  maeve  handled  the  others.  she  didn’t  mind.  gav  always  had  a  lot  of  stories  to  tell,      and  she  loved  to  listen.

[lionscout]

𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐞 :   𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒄  𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒓  𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄  𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝐥𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬  𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 :  𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥  —  ’ 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞  𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐤𝐲 ’  ( 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟐 )

‘  why  the  fuck  wouldn’t  you  say  something ?  ’

‘  please ,  don’t  abandon  me .  ’

‘  i  cannot  spend  another  night  in  this  home .  ’

‘  what’s  the  difference  when  you  beg  for  love ?  ’

‘  this  is  a  wasteland .  ’

‘  we  fell  in  love  and  now  we’re  both  alone .  ’

‘  i  know  it’s  hard ,  but  who  are  you  to  fall  apart  on  me ?  ’

‘  i  still  think  you’re  beautiful .  ’

‘  i  don’t  ever  want  to  lose  my  best  friend .  ’

‘  i  hate  this  flavor  with  a  passion  and  i  fucking  hate  the  aftertaste .  ’

‘  how  does  it  feel ?  well ,  it  feels  like  i’m  on  fire .  ’

‘  wake  up ,  i  know  you  can  hear  me .  ’

‘  i  bet  you  never  had  a  friday  night  like  this .  ’

‘  so  sick  of  playing ,  i  don’t  want  this  anymore .  ’

‘  the  thought  of  you’s  no  fucking  fun .  ’

‘  you  want  a  martyr ,  i’ll  be  one .  ’

‘  enough’s  enough ,  we’re  done .  ’

‘  i  don’t  wanna  feel  a  thing  anymore .  ’

‘  i  know  you  well ,  but  this  ain’t  a  game .  ’

‘  dying  is  a  gift ,  so  close  your  eyes  and  rest  in  peace .  ’

‘  do  you  know  i  count  your  heartbeats  before  you  sleep ?  ’

‘  i  really  hope  you  enjoy  the  show .  ’

‘  i  really  hope  you  enjoy  the  show  because  for  me  it’s  just  a  bad  day .  ’

‘  you  need  people  like  me  to  feel .  ’

‘  maybe  we’re  just  having  too  much  fun .  ’

‘  don’t  you  threaten  me  with  a  good  time .  ’

‘  i’m  sorry ,  i  can’t  see  that  you  truly  loved  me .  ’

‘  please  don’t  take  this  out  on  me .  ’

‘  you’re  the  only  thing  that’s  keeping  me  alive .  ’

‘  i’m  sorry ,  but  i’ve  made  up  my  mind .  ’

‘  you’re  about  to  miss  everything .  ’

‘  we’ve  got  poison  in  our  wells .  ’

‘  come  at  me  with  everything  you’ve  got .  ’

‘  when  i’m  sober  i  feel  pain .  ’

‘  separate  me  from  my  own  two  hands ,  i’ve  killed  so  many  times .  ’

‘  i’ve  killed  so  many  times .  ’

‘  i  can’t  save  the  world  from  the  creatures  that  won’t  die .  ’

‘  kinda  like  the  way  you  tell  me  “baby ,  please  come  home ” .  ’

‘  i  know  you’re  tortured  within .  ’

‘  i’ve  killed  so  many  times ,  but  i  can’t  save  the  world  from  the  creatures  that  won’t  die .  ’

‘  your  eyes  look  hungry  again .  ’

‘  i’ll  never  wander ,  my  friend .  ’

‘  am  i  the  only  one  that  thinks  that  you  should  stay  alive ?  ’

‘  please  don’t  be  afraid  of  me .  ’

‘  i  never  meant  to  hurt  you ,  no .  i  only  meant  to  do  this  to  myself .  ’

‘  let’s  go  in  style .  ’

‘  darling ,  it’s  cold  outside .  ’

‘  let’s  go  inside ,  it’ll  be  alright .  ’

‘  well ,  fuck ,  what  am  i  supposed  to  be ,  impressed ?  ’

‘  you’re  just  another  set  of  bones  to  lay  to  rest .  ’

‘  i  guess  it’s  time  to  say  goodnight ,  hope  you  had  a  really  good  time .  ’

‘  this  will  be  a  night  we  won’t  forget .  ’

‘  i  don’t  want  to  miss  when  you  cry .  ’

‘  it’s  good  enough  to  make  me  wanna  fall  in  love .  ’

‘  why  can’t  we  just  be  friends ? ’

‘  it’s  not  that  easy .  ’

‘  i  can’t  wait  to  see  your  brilliant  face .  ’

‘  can  you  come  over ?  i  got  something  to  tell  you  and  it  just  can’t  wait .  ’

‘  nightmares  no  longer  wait  for  sleep .  ’

‘  i  changed  your  mind  and  ended  up  here .  ’

‘  fine ,  maybe  i’ll  pretend  right  now .  ’

‘  i  swear  to  god ,  i’m  gonna  change  the  world .  ’

‘  i  promise  you  someday  we’ll  tell  ourselves  “ oh  my  god ,  this  is  paradise ”.  ’

‘  this  is  paradise  and  it’s  so  goddamn  good.  ’

‘  did  you  search  for  me ?  ’

‘  i’ve  been  up  here  so  long ,  i’m  going  crazy .  ’

‘  this  love  was  out  of  control .  where  did  it  go ?  ’

‘  now  don’t  be  crazy ,  yes  of  course ,  you  can  stay  here .  ’

‘  big  deal ,  i  guess  you’re  official .  ’

‘  i  only  said  it  because  i  know  what  it’s  like  to  feel  burned  out !  ’

‘  we’ve  all  been  there  sometimes .  ’

‘  tonight  i’ll  make  you  feel  beautiful  once  again .  ’

‘  darling ,  you’ll  be  okay .  ’

‘  if  you  were  me ,  you’d  do  the  same .  ’

[lionscout]

[lionscout]

When in need of a smile~

[lionscout]

𝐡𝐢𝐬  𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭  𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬  𝐚𝐬  𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬  𝐭𝐨  𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝  𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬  𝐭𝐨  𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞  𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭  𝐢𝐬  𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭  𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫  𝐡𝐞𝐫  𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬  𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥  𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦  𝐡𝐞𝐫  𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬,  𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬  𝐚𝐭  𝐡𝐞𝐫  —  his  mouth  opens,  but  nothing  escapes  it  except  sighs  and  small  whimpers.  he’d  not  wanted  to  argue  —  he  had  simply  wanted  her  to  come  home.  ❛  i'll  have  you  know...  ❜  he  stiffens  his  shoulders  and  holds  himself  proudly  ❛  i'm  an  invaluable  asset  to  the  hideaway  now  --  even  if  they  did  get  tired  of  me,  which  they  didn't,  they  couldn't  kick  me  out.  ❜  a  proud  smile  broke  against  his  words,  they  came  out  clumsy  with  a  rush  of  negative  thoughts.  ❛  and...  i  am...  ❜  he  added,  softly,  so  soft  it  was  whisper-like.  ❛  you're  always  welcome  back  home,  y'know...  we  all  miss  you.  ❜  he  spoke  mainly  for  himself  as  others  understood  why  she  left,  even  gav  himself  understood,  𝐡𝐞  𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭  𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐝  𝐡𝐢𝐬  𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬  𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭  𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡  𝐭𝐨  𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐡𝐞𝐫  𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.    

❛  𝐢𝐭'𝐬  𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐭𝐨  𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥  𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬  𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞  𝐚  𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞,  𝐚𝐧𝐝  𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞  𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞  𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞  𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐟𝐨𝐫  𝐦𝐞  𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧  𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞  𝐨𝐮𝐭  𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞…  ❜  she  doesn't  bother  turning  to  face  him,  not  at  first.  she's  tending  to  her  fire,  making  sure  it'll  hold  before  she  looks  his  direction.  she  can't  help  the  slight  smile,  revealing  the  fondness  she  has  for  the  man.  ❛  𝐨𝐫  𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞  𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲  𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲  𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝  𝐲𝐨𝐮  𝐨𝐮𝐭  𝐨𝐟  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲?  ❜ @lionscout ( ❤ )

[lionscout]

gav has had enough of her slander. @wieldsrage

[lionscout]

𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧,  so  was  the  company…  in  many  ways,  way  more  pleasant  for  sure  and  most  certainly  easy  on  the  eyes…  he’d  admit  in  hindsight  that  maybe  it  was  a sorry  attempt  to  impress  her,  but  for  now…  ❛  aye,  that  was  good.  real  sweet  too,  ❜  he  hoped  he  couldnt  tell  he  meant  her.  ❛  unlike  anything  i've  ever  had  before  -  i’ll  take  three  more.  makes  me  feel  like  a  new  man.  ❜  he  gave  a  smile,  followed  by  a  small  laugh,  he  felt  the  alcohol  settling  in  his  stomach  already...  ❛  eh,  what'dyou  put  in  that,  anyway?  ❜  he  looks  down  to  his  empty  glass  then  back  to  tifa,  he  was  certain  she  grew  prettier  with  each  passing  moment.  a  flush  beginning  to  grow  on  his  face,  half  alcohol  induced  and  half  embarrassment.    

tifa lockhart  : gav. / @lionscout

❛ so...  what do you think? ❜ she waited with bated breath asking even before he had tasted the drink.    𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐞.   tifa could not help but giggle knowing that the alcohol would hit gav even harder than his usual spirit.   ❛ hope you got to taste it at least—it’s not bad right? ❜ 

[lionscout]

𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐝𝐚𝐲  𝐡𝐚𝐝  𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧  𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 ,    𝐚𝐧𝐝  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ,    𝐢𝐟  𝐠𝐚𝐯  𝐰𝐚𝐬  𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 ,    𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝  𝐛𝐞  𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧  𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫  —  though ,  clive  had  told  him  to  take  the  night  to  rest ,    still ,  even  now  in  this  new  hideaway  gav  found  himself  uneasy  at  night.    his  dreams  haunted  by  those  lost  to  titan ,    those  he  couldn’t  save…  it  ate  away  at  him ,    pulling  his  mind  back  to  when  he  lost  his  family ,    he  added  to  his  unwritten  list  of  reasons  to  turn  to  the  drink ,    if  anything ,    the  drink  would  dull  the  pain  of  it  all.    

he  leaned  against  the  bar ,    laughing  with  maeve  as  she  spoke  on  and  on  about  her  facts.    so  smart ,    he  thought  while  taking  a  sip  from  his  cup.    ❛  where'd  you  learn  all  of  this  stuff  anyhow?  ❜  he  asks ,    and  as  she  starts  to  explain  he  can  feel  himself  start  to  drift  from  the  conversation.    ❛  ehh...    yeah ,    i  figured  it  was  from  the  books.    ❜  he  looks  into  his  glass  and  lets  lose  another  chuckle.    ❛  i  got  my  own  random—    ❜  he  turns  when  he  hears  his  name  called ,    he  could  recognize  her  by  voice  alone. 

❛  there  she  is!  ❜  he  said ,    he  felt  his  mood  instantly  improve ,    she  was  made  of  magic ,    that  was  the  conclusion  he  came  to.    ❛    i  was  wondering  where  you  got  off  too  —  tried  looking  for  you  when  i  got  back.    i  reckon  you  missed  me  then?  ❜  he  smiled ,    almost  too  hard.    if  felt  nice  to  be  welcomed  back  by  her.    ❛  neither  !    —  i  had  to  be  real  quite  like ,    sneak  around.  .  .    got  the  information  without  a  sound  and  made  my  way  back.    did  run  into  some  wolves  on  the  way  back  —    easy  work  that.      but  enough  about  me ,    how  was  home?  ❜  

𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬—𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩, 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. some part of her still scared people and she wanted to feel okay with that, but at times it bothered her. she knew tieflings were a rare sight in valisthea, and especially ones with flaming hearts. what mattered was she was on their side, right?

now that her day was done she searched the hideaway for a friendly familiar face. one that would offer her more than a grimace or a quick chat. the tub and crown was her first stop and sure enough there he was, leaned against the bar counter, chatting with maeve.

❛ gav! ❜ she called out with a wave and scurried to his side. maeve was a kind soul—filled her a pint as soon as she saw her. ❛ i don’t see enough of you lately. ❜ karlach grinned widely, hiding the fact that she wanted to pout about his absence. ❛ so, what was it this time? something simple and easy, or were you battling a hoard of aevises? ❜ / @lionscout

[lionscout]

I wish I could unscrew my head from its hinges, pull it the fuck apart, and rip out every single shitty memory that's tainted my skin.

𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐯 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 , 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. not just anger but sorrow seems to claw at her , and in turn , it twists alike inside gav , he clears his throat and puts a hand to the back of his head , letting out an awkward sound ❛ eh… ❜ he pauses , a moment passes before he speaks again , ❛ maybe… don’t … do that. ❜ it fumbles from his lips , he tries to force a laugh — make the air light around them but its thin and he feels himself struggle to breathe. i was never good at things like this , he thinks… doubting himself.

❛ how about instead we focus on the… good memories? ❜ he hated the words as soon as they left his lips , they felt presumptuous , what if she has no good memories? he asked himself… idiot. ❛ if.. eh.. if you have any of those? — i got plenty of bad myself but i can name at least one that keeps me from ripping my own head off… ❜ he offers a smile , it’s not much , and probably won’t make a difference in this situation , but letting her know that he can be vulnerable could potentially make her feel safe and heard.

𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 &. 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫  ❨ currently accepting. ❩ @twinbladed

[lionscout]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥 — 𝐢𝐟 𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 , 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 , 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐣𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬.   she would know being out in the field never cause such a flood of anxiety inside him.   he heaved a few deep breaths outside of the infirmary door ,   he tried not to be too overwhelming.   she’d just lost everything she knew ,   her home ,   her family ,   her husband… he knew how she felt , once upon a time he too lost everything and everyone he ever loved ,   though the difference was the whole time gav was cowering ,   like the coward he is.   but edda is strong ,   he thought to himself ,  and at the very least ,   she was protecting something besides herself… that’s more than he could say for himself.   the cries of his baby sister still haunt him ,   the screams of his siblings and parents as they met their end — he wondered if they would ever let him rest...   he wondered if they could ever forgive their foolish brother...   son…

he opened the door as silently as he could — a thought crossed his mind.   what if she is asleep? he shook it from his thoughts and greeted tarja all the same ,   though a hint of awkwardness laced his tone.   if edda were sleeping he’d at least take the time to glance at her ,   and make sure she was well ,   though judging by tarjas response and eye movements edda was awake , tarja knew his plans of visiting in.   he peeked around the corner ,   a grin on his face ,   he gave a small wave ,   and spoke in a loud voice.   ❛ i hope you weren’t too lonely ,   i’ve been meaning to visit whenever i can — just gets busy ,   y’know.   ❜  he crouches ,   meeting her eye level.   ❛ you been getting enough rest ,   eh? can’t have you tired ,   what with the bairn… er ,   baby… due any second now ,   like.   ❜ his eyes move to her stomach , and he can feel the smile on his face grow even bigger , but he stares too long and feels a bit invasive with his stares then quickly moves them back to her eyes with a short laugh.   ❛ and how’s the little one doing ,   you’ve been eating well for the both of you ,   haven’t you? if you need i can go and grab you something.   ❜

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.   𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬,    𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬.   𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬.   𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬.   the novelty of a new home seemed brighter than the bleakness that had befallen eistla.   the warmth was appreciated,    but her heart still longed for the familiarity of waloed.   in the silence she could not help but recall every memory in her head.   it played over and over—and each time she was left helpless.   when her memories would bring her to tears she was not consoled nor comforted—she was given the space to grieve.   oh,    how her grief filled her up like and empty crater flooded with water.   in the depths of the night when her nightmares would awaken her to the blackness of night,    she would outstretch her hand for her darling husband.   she prayed to whatever god would answer that this was all just a nightmare.   when the sadness had passed she was able to remember what brought her joy at her new home.   though it could not be often due to the world heading towards the end of it all—she did enjoy the company of the hideaway’s best scout and their leader,    cid.

she would wait for them each day.   sometimes they could not spare a long visit,    but they would pop in to say their hellos before returning to work.   a few others had taken to doing the same thing.   when they looked at her she could see hope in their eyes.   she wondered how long it had been since they’d seen a baby.   with countless people dying day by day,    finally… the sign of new life.   edda rubbed her hand over her belly and felt her little one stir,    ❛ oh,    you are awake and filled with so much energy today… ❜

edda raised her head as she heard the infirmary door open with a creak,    it did not take long for her to recognized the lilt in the voice of the visitor.   a smile formed her lips without thinking much on it.   ❛ do you hear that? it it gav—he has come to pay you a visit i bet.   ❜ her hand rested on her stomach as she waited for him to appear from behind the curtain.   she smiled wider upon seeing his face.   ❛ we were hoping you would come to visit today,    milord.   ❜ / @lionscout

[lionscout]

𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝,  his muscles sore and throbbing as he leans against the bar with a wince, he’d not taken a break for days now, he was determined, if clive were going to work his hardest then gav wouldn’t slack off and kick his feet up, he’d be the loyal scout he’d always been for cid. he tapped his finger against the bar and offered maeve a smile ❛ if y'don't mind. ❜ he gives a sheepish smile. he’d been down one already when he takes notice of the prince — any man or woman would take in the sight, 𝑑𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑑… though he looked more downtrodden than what the bards sing, captivating still nonetheless, perhaps even more so, there was something beautiful about the sadness in his eyes and try as he might gav couldn’t take his eye off of him as he sipped casually from his mug, unusual for him, spilling out the corner of his mouth, which he wipes mindlessly with his sleeve.

gav watched as he moved toward the bar and witnessed the silent exchange with maeve, who before had been egging gav on in approaching him as though he was a child with a crush, though now he had begun to wonder if maybe she had just wanted him to comfort the prince and had not noticed anything else, still.. the thought sent blood straight to his already alcohol-flushed cheeks, the alcohol hadn’t made him that brave — he waited until dion went quietly back to his seat, watching him closely... when their eyes met gav’s body betrayed him in letting out a noise of audible shock, followed by embarrassing laughter, his cheeks burning a bit hotter now. ❛ no need to apologize to me, prince. ❜ he shot a glance at maeve, who just cocked her head, with that he approached, drink in one hand , placing his free hand on a seat, laughing still, awkwardly. ❛ eh... i don't s'pose i could join you, prince dion? ❜  

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞—𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐛 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧.  𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲,   he seldom glanced up from his deep thoughts as of late.  his thoughts rushed in a circle inside of his head,   and there is no end to the maze of guilt that he felt.  though not all eyes are filled with scorn—but many looked upon him with distrust,   fear,   and anger.  he did not blame them for their feelings of doubt,   hurt,   and grief,   for how could he? as the night went on he raised his glance to watch them come and go.  when the crowd died down he moved away from the wall and leaned against the bar.  he felt maeve’s look of confusion run over him before she put a pint down in front of him.  no words were exchanged.  her expression seemed to tell him that she had not known what to say.  dion took his pint and sat at the table furthest from the bar.

he took one long gulp from the pint before wiping his mouth.  it was bitter and stung as it went down.  nothing like the taste of red wine.  the taste had an odd sour flavor that he could not quite pin,   ❛ how do they drink this? ❜ he whispered with his eyes cast down into the mug.  against his better judgment,   he lifted the mug back up to his mouth and took another long gulp.  already,   he could feel the weight drifting away like some form of magic had just taken hold of him.  ❛ do i even deserve to partake in such pleasures to rid myself of the weight of my guilt? ❜ he said aloud,   albeit softly.  he had almost finished his pint when he noticed gav.  he could not tell if it was a mere stolen glance or if he had been watching him this whole time.  when his mouth reached for words he was met with a loud belch.  instead of feeling embarrassed by his action,   he began to chuckle softly until his laughter spilled out.  ❛ please excuse my rudeness…  ❜ he finished the rest of his pint and let his hand fall to place it on the table.  /  @lionscout​

[lionscout]

 ❝  i don’t know how to stay tender with this much blood in my mouth.  ❞

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦 , 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨. gav adjusts in his seat, so that he might face her, letting his remaining eye, with worry, gaze upon her countenance. it hurt to see her this way… not a single tear fell , she held them behind her eyes filled with sorrow and pain. he knew her heart ached ❨ her words were proof enough ❩ for all the ones she hurt and those who she had left to fend for themselves in this cruel world ❨ perhaps even those to come still, which she may inflict pain upon. ❩ — he knew that she was left without choice, only with regret and sin. he allowed the silence build between them, quietly hoping that within the silence she would see in herself what her allies saw, what gav saw. she needed room to breathe through the thundering emotions cracking underneath her surface and he could only offer words of comfort, but even still, he was shit at comforting words. he’d never been in her situation, though empathetic, how could he relate to the pain she continues to push through?

nervous and cautiously, he lifts his hand, gently placing it on her upper back, rubbing circles as an attempt to soothe her, though certain that no amount of touch can soothe the lifetime of pain she endured as a captive in the iron kingdom. ❛ eh… ❜ he starts, softly. ❛ try not to focus too hard on trying to be something else for our sake, jill… ❜ he speaks softly, holding her gaze best he can. ❛ no one here expects you to be anything you’re not… y’know that… don’t you? ❜ offering a gentle smile. ❛ and if it all gets too tough… you can lean on ol’ gav, ❜ he gives her a warm smile, an attempt to lighten her spirits. ❛ if it’ll lift the weight burden you’ve been carrying … i’d gladly help you carry that weight… though, hah, we both may topple over eventually — ❜ he chuckles ❛ ah — lucky though, clive’ll be there to catch the both of us. ❜

misc poetry sentence starters ❨ currently accepting. ❩ @praymetia