I'm in the clouds, you hold me there

There's magic in the air, but darling, this ain't make believe

”Wait!” His palm holds up towards her, as if by voice alone it wouldn’t be enough to freeze her in place. ”Don’t. Move.” He says each word with enough forceful command, eyes wide in what could be fear, that he’s nearly inclined to go immobile himself. He doesn’t though. Instead, he reaches into the depths of the basket that’s between them, pulling out the camera. With a swiftness that nearly drags the basket closer to him, he turns the camera onto her and snaps a photo of her about to bite into the cracker sandwich she’d been diligently crafting up until now, having already enjoyed a few beforehand.

His face pokes out from around the side of the camera, smiling innocently at her. ”Sorry, you looked so cute, I needed to capture it forever.” Which could just about be his excuse for every photo he takes of her, and his new desire to pivot to a carteer as her personal papparazzi.

”I N C O M I N G!” he softly shouts as he keels over and flops his head onto her side, using her like a pillow. Holding up the camera in what he hopes is a good angle, because it’s a selfie without a screen to check, he cheeses up at it and clicks one of them together. He keeps going as he wriggles and worms his way beneath her arms, head tilting up to kiss beneath her chin.

---

Quest req: Complete a thread capturing starlight (interpretation up to you).

Kaisel

The happy ending starts with you and me

Darling, you're the one I want

The sharpness of Kai's command arrests her instantly. Flora freezes mid-motion as though someone has pressed pause on the entire universe, the cracker hovering halfway to her mouth while her lips remain parted around the edge of it. Her breath stops with equal commitment, chest held carefully still as her mind immediately jumps to the only logical explanation: there must be some horrifying bug somewhere on her person. Her eyes dart downward toward Kaisel, the only part of her that dares move, wide and suspicious as she tries to determine whether this is a life-or-death entomological emergency or simply one of his schemes.

As the camera appears followed by a little click, Flora exhales sharply through her nose, the breath she’s been holding escaping in a soft, indignant huff of laughter as her eyes roll skyward. "You," she accuses around the mouthful of cracker, the word carrying equal parts fondness and betrayal.

When he suddenly keels over beside her, announcing his arrival like an incoming meteor, she tips partway onto her side with him, sticking her tongue out dramatically while scrunching her nose at the camera as it snaps another photo. The moment grows progressively more chaotic as he wriggles closer, laughter bubbling helplessly out of her while the blanket bunches beneath them and the camera continues capturing whatever ridiculous shapes they collapse into next.

By the time he worms his way beneath her arms she’s laughing too hard to attempt to look cute for his polaroids anymore, her hands rising to cradle his chin as he tilts his face upward toward hers. She leans down and kisses him upside down, the contact quick and bright and slightly crooked from the angle, her laughter still vibrating softly through it as the camera inevitably catches that too.

in paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

There's magic in the air, but darling, this ain't make believe

The upside-down kiss catches him in the middle of a breath, which he doesn’t finish. Every part of their surroundings always gets put on pause the moment they connect, and this time is no different. The whole world seems to tilt with him, leaving her lips as the only steadying force left. Even crooked by the angle, even half tangled in laughter, the contact lands with that same familiar, electric certainty.

Her laughter trembles through the kiss, slipping into him like music, his favorite song on tireless repeat. He feels a warmth spread wildly in response. A bright rush of joy that’s become so natural with her that he’s certain it could replace his dependency on air. Surely he needs nothing more than her smile against his mouth and the ridiculous angle of them both collapsing into one another.

The camera whirs, the mechanical hum breaking through the muted collision between them like a tiny trumpet fanfare, and one of Kaisel’s eyes pops open. From where the camera is still clutched in his hand above them, the photo slides free, drifting down in a lazy crash on top of their faces. ”That’s gotta be a good one,” he grins into the corner of her cheek, pulling away to grab the glossy little square. On the blanket, several more have gathered from his shots prior, and he’s effectively made it rain. Normally money is required, but he’s never felt richer than now.

He sets the camera down and flaps the photo into view, slouching against her with a long, contented sigh. ”Is that really what I look like when I kiss you?” he wonders with a crinkle to his nose, lips puckering this way and that as if he could train a better look into them with enough practice. ”I’m even luckier than I ever realized.” Safe to say he’d not kiss himself.

He reaches out to begin assembling a cracker sandwich, generously layering on the cheese and meat. He squishes it down, pressing in just until the cracker ends feel like they might give. ”So, next phase of planning is the wedding, y’know.” He lifts his creation up and up, seeming to offer it up to her, to feed her by hand even with exaggerated generosity. ”Koa will be my best man, I assume Soh your Maid of Honor?” He holds it there for exactly half a second, then lightning quick diverts it back to his mouth and shoves it in triumphantly.

Kaisel

The happy ending starts with you and me

Darling, you're the one I want

When the photo flutters down over them, Flora bursts into laughter, the sound bubbling up bright and helpless before tipping into an undignified little snort as she reaches up to peel the glossy square off their faces. Kaisel’s question about how he looks kissing her only makes her grin widen, aqua eyes sparkling as she studies the picture for a moment before flicking her gaze back to him with theatrical disbelief. "You clearly never spent hours in front of a mirror as a kid learning all your best angles," she says, widening her eyes dramatically as though the revelation is devastating.

Her amusement softens into something warmer as he sighs beside her, the blanket rumpled beneath them and the scattered photos glinting faintly in the twilight. When he mentions the next phase of planning, she inhales with exaggerated delight that’s only half performance, the grin that spreads across her face far too genuine to hide. She leans forward just as eagerly when he lifts the cracker sandwich toward her, mouth already opening to chomp the offered bite, only for the betrayal to unfold in real time as he diverts it back to himself. The second the cracker disappears into his mouth, Flora pounces.

Her hands land immediately at his sides, fingers digging in with ruthless precision as she attempts to tickle some decency back into him. Laughter spills out of her in uncontrollable bursts as she wriggles against him, determined in her assault. "Oh no you don’t," she manages between giggles, voice bright with mock outrage. "If you keep this up Soh and Koa are going to have to drag you down the aisle because you won’t have the use of your arms or legs!" She pauses just long enough to glare pointedly down at him, trying and failing to keep a straight face. "And NO," she adds firmly, wagging a finger at him with great seriousness, "not in the fun way either."

Before he can commit further culinary crimes, she reaches decisively for the basket and confiscates the crackers entirely, dragging them out of his reach with the righteous efficiency of someone restoring law and order. A moment later she assembles her own creation with solemn focus: a single cracker sandwiched between two dramatically thick slabs of cheese. Only once it’s complete does she glance back at him, holding her ridiculous masterpiece with quiet pride. "Did you still want to have it up in the Infinity Fields, do you think?" She asks, brushing crumbs from her fingers as she settles beside him again.

in paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Among the most magical of the enclosures, you find the Qilin, its form both ethereal and majestic. The creature's single, spiraled horn gleams with an inner light, and its scales shimmer in a kaleidoscope of colors. The Qilin moves with a grace that seems to bend the very fabric of reality, and its eyes hold a wisdom that spans eons. As you watch, the Qilin seems to acknowledge your presence with a nod, and a sense of profound peace and good fortune washes over you. The air around the enclosure feels charged with ancient, benevolent magic.

---

You’ve encountered a Qilin. This counts as a rare creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention.

---

Qilin Areas Found: Hak Etme — Rare A mythical, one-horned creature meant to symbolize the arrival or passing of an imminent ruler, luck, protection, or success, they are revered as generally good omens. They are a rare sight - one would have to be privileged to ever come across one. Seeing one in the desert likely signals a hallucination rather than the real thing. Challenge Rating: Brutal | Mythical | Admin approval needed HP: 3,951 | To Hit: +116 | Dmg: 435 Movement: Walk 50 ft.; Gallop 80 ft.; Sand Stride 40 ft. SPECIAL SKILLS Omen of Sovereignty: its appearance is tied to the arrival or passing of an imminent ruler; Luck’s Aegis: those it favors find hazards easing and fortunes turning for the better; Mirage Doubt: many “sightings” are mirages; discerning the true Qilin requires calm, respect, and signs like cooling wind or dew on sand; Guardian Aspect: lingers unseen near the worthy, subtly diverting danger

TRAITS One-Horned Herald: a single, radiant horn said to focus blessings and portents; Heat-Haze Silhouette: shimmers within desert mirage, leaving only faint hoofprints; Gentle Tread: hooves barely disturb sand, moving with unearthly grace; Timid Benevolence: avoids harm and conflict, intervening only to protect; Elusive Presence: vanishes the instant it is pursued or surrounded ACTIONS Horn Blessing: touches a creature or token to confer brief protection and good fortune; Mirage Step: slips a short distance, leaving a wavering afterimage that misleads pursuers; Desert Calm: a breath that settles wind and heat around travelers, easing fatigue; Omen Glance: meets a seeker’s eyes and imparts a fleeting vision of change to come

There's magic in the air, but darling, this ain't make believe

The snort that escapes her is a prize if ever he’s earned one. There could truly be no purer sound of complete submission to joy than a snort. His grin stretches wider, though he wisely says nothing about it, only stealing a quick sideways glance at her, eyes sparkling with mischief before he pretends to focus on the photograph again. “Oh I spent plenty of time in front of a mirror,” he assures her. His arm curls upward at once, flexing with dramatic seriousness as he presents a bicep for inspection. “Practicing these.” Much more important than kissing air, in his opinion.

The display doesn't last long, before he commits cracker betrayal and earns its well-deserved consequences. The moment her hands land at his sides, Kaisel tries to squirm away, writhing away from her arms like a slinky desperately making a break for it down a flight of stairs. Unfortunately the blanket is already in a disheveled state and thwarts some progress, and Flora has the tactical advantage (as usual - he really ought to time things better), which means his escape attempt devolves immediately into helpless wriggling beneath her assault. A laugh bursts out of him in a panicked rush, sending a puff of cracker crumbs spraying into the air as he desperately tries to chew, breathe, and survive all at once.

He tries to twist away again, batting at her hands like a kung-foo master, or maybe apprentice for all the help it's doing. When she threatens the future state of his limbs, he glances up at her with wide eyes and waggles his eyebrows dramatically, clearly not opposed to that particular arrangement. Not in the fun way she adds on, and he lets out an indignant scoff that sends another unfortunate burst of cracker dust escaping.

By the time she confiscates the crackers entirely, he’s managed to swallow the offending bite without choking, though it takes a few quick gulps of air to recover his well being. While she assembles her own suspiciously cheese-heavy creation, he leans over to fish a small bottle of juice from the basket and gulps away some lingering challenges in his throat. “Babygirl,” he says around a crooked grin, tone shamelessly sincere despite the joke he clearly knows is coming, “I’d crawl down the aisle to you if that’s what it took.”

Her masterpiece earns a raised brow and he wordlessly offers the juice over toward her, figuring she may require liquid assistance to endure the cheesening. Brushing some cracker residue off his shirt with a flick of his hand, the humor softens from his expression as he considers her question more seriously. “I think it’s a fitting place, for a lot of reasons. Or the Amphitheatre.” Flopping back against her, one arm draped against her waist like she is a lounge and not a person, he considers the merits of the locale.

“The Fields is where I finally found the bravery to love you out loud, seems like a good place to declare it to all again. And the Amphitheatre's where we already made our vows once, it’d be nice to do them again with everyone and some dry eyes this time.” A soft breath of laughter escapes him at that, already suspecting that might be an unrealistic goal. “Though I guess that might be wishful thinking. I’d settle for tears that come from being happy. Plus it has built in seating.” His fingers idly drum against her side. “Both places are beautiful. Nice destinations for someone to visit. Keeps anyone not on the guest list from wandering in too.” All those reasons also make it difficult for guests to attend though, which hopefully wouldn't be reason enough for someone not to show, but could be.

Then he shrugs lightly. “But, there are a lot of nice places in Caido. Maybe somewhere closer to home if you wanted. Torchline… the Greatwood…” His voice trails off mid-thought, because further down the Celestine, something catches his eye. He goes still for a moment, head tilting as he stares. Gently, he nudges her with his elbow into her chest and points towards the far end of what they can see. “Hey… look.” Standing quietly in its distant enclosure, a qilin watches them in return, appearing otherworldly in a way few creatures do, given the uncommon sighting.

Kaisel

The happy ending starts with you and me

Darling, you're the one I want

"Practicing what?" Flora asks with wide-eyed innocence, blinking at him as though the flex means absolutely nothing, her gaze drifting vaguely somewhere past his arm in a performance so deliberate it borders on insulting. A beat passes before her expression shifts, dawning understanding spreading with exaggerated slowness. "Ohhh, theeeeeese," she drawls, and with all the affectionate aggression of a woman who refuses to be impressed quietly, she leans down and sinks her teeth lightly into the curve of his bicep, a playful gnaw that weirdly does make her want to sink her teeth into the muscle she feels.

The ensuing chaos of their tickle war leaves her victorious, breathless and grinning as she watches him recover, already bracing herself when he starts with babygirl, fully expecting nonsense to follow. Instead, the words that come out of him land soft and sincere, and it knocks the wind out of her in a far more dangerous way than anything physical could. For a second she forgets how to breathe properly, the smile that spreads across her face almost too bright to contain as she looks at him like he’s just handed her something fragile and infinite all at once.

"That’s—" she starts, then stops, laughing softly under her breath as though the feeling’s too big to fit neatly into language, her fingers brushing absently against his arm as she settles again. "Okay, well now you have to walk, because if you crawl I’m going to cry before we even get to the vows."

As he talks through the options, she nods along, her shoulder leaning comfortably into his side. "Pretty sure everyone we know can hitch a ride on the Sugatide, La Verbena, or the Firecracker," she says easily, ticking them off with a small movement of her hand, "or just fly themselves up." She’s halfway through considering if there’s somewhere else that might feel right when his voice trails off, the shift in him enough to snag her attention. "Hmm?" she murmurs, following the direction of his gesture before the sight of the qilin stills her.

She turns more fully, but slowly, carefully, as though any sudden movement might break whatever delicate, impossible thing stands before them. The creature’s presence seems to hum through the air, something ancient and quiet pressing gently against her senses, and Flora inhales softly. "I’ve never seen one before," she whispers, the words barely more than breath as her eyes linger on the shimmer of its form. She glances back at Kaisel then, voice still hushed, threaded with awe. "Have you?"

in paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

There's magic in the air, but darling, this ain't make believe

While he'd thought he'd brought out something other than the flash bangs, it's no surprise that she's found herself blinded by the display. The gun show can indeed be dangerous. "Mind blowing, right?" he offers as explanation for her confusion, and he's just about to put the deadly weapons away when she leans in with newfound awareness, teeth first.

The pressure isn’t painful, just enough to register—a sharp little pinch that sends something instinctive skittering down his spine. It catches low in his stomach, heat flaring quick and surprising, and his breath hitches as his gaze snaps to hers over the line of his arm. There’s something immediate in it, something reactive and alive, like his body is answering her before his mind can catch up.

His other hand moves without thinking, coming up to cradle, then hold, the back of her neck. Fingers tighten just enough to ground the moment as his thumb presses warm against her skin. “Careful,” he warns, voice dipped lower now, roughened faintly at the edges. His eyes don’t leave hers. “Would hate to get us banned from here.” The implication lingers there, as evident in his expression as his tone. Although her ring might give away how little he’d truly mind the risk in this moment.

Promptly, he breaks the grasp, shifting easily into the war of crackers. By the time the dust and crumbs settle, she’s threatening tears at the mere thought of him crawling down the aisle. He notices the way it lands, the way she holds it, and he tucks it away into his softening smile. He’d expected an eyeroll, an accusation of too much corn to pair well with the crackers, but she saw through the guise of bright, sugary additions to what the heart of the matter was underneath.

“We definitely can’t have that happening,” he agrees, of her tears not being permitted so soon. His hand lifts, pinching lightly at her chin, an affectionate little claim. His thumb brushes just beneath her bottom lip before he releases her, settling fully into her side like she is the portable couch he’d intended to bring along all this time.

Amid the plans, he scrunches up his face at one of her suggestions. “Uh, have you seen Mel drive—er—sail?” he adds, squinting slightly as if recalling a near-death experience. “Not sure you want her serving as valet. Not if you want those guests alive for the ceremony.” He thought she had your moments on the Sugar Tide, but that one trip with Mel, he’d been white knuckling the railing so hard he’s astonished his bones didn’t break through the skin. “Maybe we rent one of those party skyships. The ones with the on-deck band and that shoot off fireworks?” Usually better served for the day before the wedding, truth be told, but it could still be cost-effective and get everyone to the destination as a group.

They both still like cats that’ve locked onto a reflection, except this is real, he’s quite certain. He doesn’t answer her question right away. Instead, he shifts, already reaching for the camera again as he carefully rolls onto his stomach. He inches forward with a slow and deliberate army crawl, mindful that getting too close too quickly might shatter the moment. “No… never,” he breathes at last, voice hushed with something close to awe.

The qilin stands luminous in the distance, a creature of significance that watches them with a knowing gaze beneath the mantel of twilight. Kaisel squints through the viewfinder, the distance sure to dull the spectacular memory, impossible to do the creature justice, but he takes the picture anyway. This moment and its feeling might be borrowed, but he wants to hold onto its magnificence as long as he can.

Kaisel

The happy ending starts with you and me

Darling, you're the one I want

Her teeth leave his arm, but her gaze doesn’t, Flora’s eyes lifting to meet his over the line of his bicep, her pupils gone a shade darker, something sharper and more intent slipping into their bright blue as his hand comes up to cradle the back of her neck. The touch sends a quiet, electric heat down through her, pooling low and warm, her breath catching just slightly as his thumb presses against her skin. The ring at her finger gives the faintest pulse, subtle as a heartbeat, and when she finally leans back it’s slow, deliberate, her voice dropping to match his. "Who’s there to ban us?" she murmurs, the question edged with a knowing sort of mischief that suggests she wouldn’t mind finding out.

The moment folds neatly back into something softer as he settles against her, and she lets it, curling easily around him as though this is their natural resting shape, her fingers drifting up into his hair with absent affection. His comment about Mel earns an immediate, undignified snort, her nose scrunching as she tilts her head. "She is not that bad," she insists, though the protest lacks conviction, amusement tugging too obviously at the corners of her mouth.

The idea of party skyships brightens her outright, her grin turning wide and conspiratorial as she nods. "Okay, that’s actually perfect," she says, already picturing it, the ridiculousness of fireworks and music and all of them packed together in the sky feeling exactly right. "Everyone could meet in Torchline and leave from there, too, so the out-of-towners can keep their things at my place." The thought settles comfortably into place, practical wrapped in spectacle, and she starts to lean in slightly, something else clearly forming on her tongue. "Hey, speaking of—"

The Qilin and Kai's shift has her cutting herself off, and she stills as he begins to move, the careful, deliberate crawl enough to quiet even her breathing. Flora leans forward just slightly, holding herself in place as though any sudden motion might fracture the fragile, glowing stillness that’s settled over the moment. The qilin stands there, luminous and impossibly composed, and for a second she forgets everything else entirely. The click of the camera has the qilin blinking, slow and knowing, and then—like something dissolving into a dream—it turns and melts back into the shadows.

Flora exhales the breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding, the sound soft and almost reverent before she lowers herself onto her stomach and crawls forward after him, mirroring his earlier movement until she’s at his side. "How’d it turn out?" she asks, voice still hushed from the moment. "Lemme see."

in paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

There's magic in the air, but darling, this ain't make believe

As Kaisel lowers the camera, he just catches the tail end of the qilin slipping away with his own eye. Light bends strangely around it, its form slipping back into the shadow like it had never quite belonged to the world in the first place. For a heartbeat, it feels uncertain, as if he blinked, it might’ve never been there at all. Might’ve, if not for the camera that hums softly, the photo beginning to feed out.

He feels the brush of Flora squiggling into place beside him, and slowly he turns his head to look at her, that awe still lingering in his expression. It’s quickly chased over by a grin that breaks wide and boyish, bright with victory. Sprawled out like some wildlife photographer who’s just captured the shot of a lifetime and is sure to be featured on Nat Geo’s cover of the year, he flops the developing square toward her.

He leans in closer, shoulders bumping as he peers down at it too. Maybe a little less award-winning than infamous, much like Nessie’s famed shot, but still something. “Not even close to as good as the real thing,” he says, though there’s no disappointment in it, only that lingering, giddy disbelief that it happened at all.His gaze flicks from the photo to her. “But, at least we know it’s real.” Not that everything worth believing needs to be held or seen, but there’s always that desire to do so.

His star-studded band on his wrist sparkles as he tilts the camera in his hand again, angling it back toward them without much ceremony. The stars of the Celestine halo faintly above them as he snaps another selfie of the two of them. He presses a quick, stolen kiss to her arm. “Think we can arrange for a couple of those to be released after we say ‘I do’?” he asks, glancing at her with a cheeky grin. Of all the lofty ideas he’s tossed her way, he’s well aware that one’s the most absurd.

Kaisel

The happy ending starts with you and me

Darling, you're the one I want

Flora tilts her head as she settles in beside him, pressing a soft, absent kiss to his shoulder as their slow crawl comes to a stop, the warmth of him a far more compelling anchor than the fading magic beyond. She turns her attention to the photo as it develops, watching the image take shape before her mouth curves in a small, pleased smile. "Maybe not," she agrees gently, voice still quiet from the moment, "but it’s still something to remember it by." She leans into him just slightly as she says it, the sentiment stretching a touch further than the qilin alone, something broader and softer tucked into the edges of her tone.

The next click catches her mid-breath, her mouth likely open in the kind of expression that never quite translates well to paper, and she narrows one eye thoughtfully as though assessing the damage before letting herself flop fully onto her back. The blanket is abandoned without ceremony, grass cool beneath her as she stretches out, curls fanning slightly around her head while she stares up at the starlit canopy.

"Mayyyyybeee," she hums, drawing the word out while her nose wrinkles with consideration. "I know one of the old demigods used to have a qilin shift... I wonder if anyone else does." The thought lingers only briefly before her attention drifts again, gaze tracking the scatter of stars above them.

"Hey," she says after a moment, reaching a hand out lazily in his direction, "gimme the camera for a sec." Once it’s in her grasp, she lifts it overhead and snaps a quick photo of the sky, the quiet click punctuating the soft hush around them. Rolling slightly onto her side, she angles the developing picture toward him as it begins to form, her finger lifting to point at the emerging shapes. "See," she says, tracing the cluster with a grin creeping into her voice, "it kinda looks like a giant frog." She pauses just long enough for the name to feel appropriately important before adding, with complete certainty, "Starius Rupertus."

in paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

There's magic in the air, but darling, this ain't make believe

He follows suit not longer after her, lazily rolling onto his back at her side, part of him turning up and across her with the motion before he wriggles himself straight. Every part of his one side that can, fits in neatly next to her, looking like the end stages of a being undergoing a split. His arm threads easily with hers, fingers hooking without thought as his head tilts just enough that their hair tangles together in the in-between space. His breathing slows, evening out as he stares up at the scattered stars overhead.

Beside him, she works to find a solution for his silly suggestion, and a quiet chuckle slips out under his breath. Of course she would try to. "Well," he starts, voice wandering with a drawn out, lazy quality that always happens when imagination starts to spill in. Staring up at stars is always going to inspire a little bit of dreaming. "If we’re talking about shifts, maybe instead of walking you down the aisle, Remi and Ronin fly you in." A grin tugs at his mouth as the image builds. "Half air show, half wedding." He huffs a quiet laugh, imagining her dress billowing out behind her like a statement, then they'd drop her off gentle and angelic before him.

"Or maybe that’s when we kiss," he amends, improving upon his own idea in real time. "They lift us up and—" His voice trails as both hands come up now, the one lower where it stays inhibited by her arm, but both sketching out a grand scene in gestures that loosely mimic explosions by the end. His hands still and fall back down slowly. "Or maybe we stick to the basics," he considers after a beat more. A time and a place for going big, and it need not be with them vaulting above everyone like a Vegas show.

At her request, he glances over, "hm?" Without pause he reaches with his empty arm in the area beside himself, passing the camera over. As she positions it, he squints up, trying to find the point in the sky that's caught her. It's pretty, he admits, but he can't seem to see what she does, not until she holds up the emerging image. He half reaches for it too, gaze tracking along with her finger as she traces the shape.

A laugh bursts out of him, loud and unrestrained, his head tipping sideways as he buries it against her shoulder. "Uugh, don’t honor him with something like that!" he complains, the damn thief already getting more rights than is owed him as a codeword. He squints back at the photo again, unimpressed. "Starius Rupertus," he repeats, a smile breaking in despite himself, and he shakes his head as if offended by the seat of it. "C'mon, there's gotta be something better up there," and if it sounds a little pleading, he can't really help it.

Kaisel

The happy ending starts with you and me

Darling, you're the one I want

Flora settles more fully against him as he shifts beside her, her fingers sliding easily between his the moment his hand finds hers, the fit of it so natural she doesn’t even think about it. She nudges her foot against his, then again more deliberately until they’re lined up, pressed together not like they're about to be cut apart, but stitched together.

Her head tips lazily to the side, bringing him into that soft, blurred edge of her vision where proximity and low light turn everything into impression rather than detail, and she laughs quietly as his imagination spins outward, her free hand lifting so he can sketch his ridiculous, wonderful ideas against it. "Why stop there?" she murmurs, the suggestion slipping easily from her as she watches the shapes he draws in the air. "We could each channel and have Safrin turn us into starlight for a few moments, or maybe Frey could turn us into birds or wind."

The idea is absurd, and she knows it, but there’s something about it that catches anyway, something soft and strange that settles just beneath the surface of her thoughts. The notion of becoming something that doesn’t have edges, something that could blur and fold and slip seamlessly into him, where there’s no distance at all, no space left to bridge, lingers there for a beat longer than it should before she lets it drift.

Her fingers squeeze his lightly as he ducks his head against her shoulder, and she giggles, the sound softening into a playful, indignant huff as she presses the camera back into his hand. "Okay then," she says, nudging it firmly into his grip, "let's see what you can find."

in paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

There's magic in the air, but darling, this ain't make believe

Too often pulled down from the heights he's climbed to, it's still a new feeling to be told, why stop there? He's always wondered where the ceiling of the sky is. Stormbreak felt like getting close, or at least showed there's a sense of towering above, enough to warrant glancing up and scaling even further. Skyships take it into the clouds, but has everyone ever just kept sailing, to find where the sun sleeps, or the stars are born?

It pulls his expression into something eager, like she's just pointed out a door he'd never noticed before. This is what forever and then some looks like, and the feeling of it threatens to overcome him so fully he struggles on his next inhale, no room left for air with the surge of adoration that fills him to the brim. "The wind," he repeats, slower now, the words catching just slightly as his throat works around the swell. It comes out rougher than intended, dangerously close to a Rupert grade croak. He's never even considered an idea like that, but it feels—right. Boundless, lifting, carried by feeling.

He goes still for just a second, letting it settle, and then it breaks out of him all at once. "YOU'RE A GENIUS!" It bursts from him full-bodied, his chest, his voice, even his limbs lifting with the force of it as he turns halfway over her. One arm braces near her head as he leans in, breathless laughter spilling out of him before he presses a fierce, unrestrained kiss to her lips. “I’m so in love with you,” he mumbles against her, the words half-lost between kisses, like if he doesn’t say it now it might burn a hole straight through him. He lingers just a second longer, just enough to fully take her in, before he finally lets himself fall back beside her again.

A long sigh escapes him as he melts back into place, fitting there like it has always been this easy to melt back into happiness, to know the shape of someone. He takes the camera back with a lazy tilt of his wrist, a patch of sky already in mind. He holds the camera up to the stars and clicks, flapping the print out. He passes it over for inspection, noting with the tap of his fingers the key points of the stars. "Who do you see in that?" he wonders, grinning around the edge. Barely pausing to let her guess, he spills the answer like it's killing him otherwise. "Spice!" It could be any dragon, but clearly this one is assembled in her honor. "Spiceous Majorus," he decrees formally.

His grin lingers as she looks over the photo, satisfaction bright and easy across his face. That doesn't fade, if anything, it deepens. That same feeling is still there, churning just beneath the surface, too big to sit still inside him for long. It presses outward, restless and warm and insistent, until it starts to spill into motion before he can quite decide what to do with it. “I see another one,” he quips, but he no longer means the photo, or the twilight. His hand comes up instead, brushing hers aside as he knocks the photo from between them, careless in the way it flutters down into the grass. The camera follows with a soft thump, forgotten entirely in favor of claiming her.

He turns into her fully this time, arm sliding around her waist as he pulls her closer in one smooth, instinctive motion. "We'd make a great constellation." The last of the laughter softens into something quieter and warmer as he leans in and kisses her again. Not quick this time, but lingering, trying to pour everything he’s feeling into the space between them instead of letting it just trickle over. His hand finds her jaw, thumb brushing along the curve of it before settling there, holding her gently but with no real intention of letting her go anytime soon. The stars hang somewhere above them, forgotten. There's no need to look up to feel like he’s found something endless.

[FIN]

Kaisel

The happy ending starts with you and me