IG: ousíapoeticaok

rpcdev trick or treat day 22

open / @affcgato

he’d heard the commotion the night before. so much shouting and people running, everything was so loud he could even hear it over the fierce wind that whipped the branches overhead. at first, he’d thought that he’d been found, but it hadn’t taken very long to realise that everyone was going well PAST his current hideaway. he’d managed to hold out nearly an hour after the majority of the mob had run by before his curiosity had gotten the better of him. there was something BIG going on and given that he was trying to go as unnoticed as possible, knowing what was going on and if he needed to move on is just strategically smart. 

the docks were both bustling and eerily EMPTY when he reached them finally, brows drawing down into a frown. he managed to find a group of older women clustered together, talking quietly among themselves, shirking his jacket before turning his gait into a rushed step as he yanked it back on as if just roused from his bed. they were distracted enough to not realise the ruse, filling him in on the alarm raised for two incoming ships blown off course that they were already off due to coming across each other in the dark. they had both run aground and now that the alarm had been raised, every able bodied person had rushed to the docks, taking out boats to try and find any survivors in the dark waters.

now he’s sat on the dunes having tested the winds and watching the water for a little while. the barest hint of a glow has started on the far off horizon is starting. he feels… a little guilty that he’s sat here and not out helping on the water, but he needs to take advantage of anything that washes up on shore, which should be any moment now. any supplies could be helpful in trying to survive away from civilisation until he gets far enough away that he’s not at risk being around other people.

which is why the sudden appearance of another person on the dunes startles him. the rustle of the grasses snaps his head around and he stares for a long moment. “uh… hello?”

rpcdev trick or treat day 21

every step he takes crunches unsettlingly underfoot, the dead grass almost CRISPY under his boots. it’s sad to see a place like this fallen away to neglect. at one point, he can imagine that this little space would have been absolutely gorgeous. but now, with the lack of care and upkeep, everything is dry and dead or dying. the cool autumn breeze makes its way through the hedgerow, stirring the dried leaves and stems of what used to be beautiful and vibrant flowers. the sound sends an involuntary shiver down his spine. he can’t put his finger on it, but the sound is oddly unsettling. 

huffing a quiet sigh, Steve looks around himself again, trying to pick the best place to start. he’d never really taken on a project as big as this, but now that he’s finally picked a place to really SETTLE, he feels he needs to make it feel settled in. which is why he’s out looking at the overgrown garden of dead things with a whole pallet of plants recommended to him by the kindly lady at the little nursery he’d found. hardy plants that may not be the prettiest or most vibrant, but were pretty hard to kill so he’d have a good base to start with and if he followed her tips on the sketch of the space he’d made, he would have room to put in more vibrant, eye-catching flowers and things in the coming years as his confidence in his ability to keep things alive grew. but, none of that can happen until he clears out everything else. he’d already set up a large bin for compost and had the first lawn trimmings sitting in there. still, he plans on burning most of the dried out stuff he pulls from the garden to mix the cooled ash into the compost bin to help give it good nutrients when he does end up using it in the garden. again, more tips from Nancy at the nursery. she’s going to be the only hope for the garden plans he has to start off with.

finally, Steve settles on a spot where there seems to be a lot of tall, twiggy like stems of things. they look like they’ll be easy to pull and the first gentle tug on one proves him right. shallow roots allow the stiff plant to come right out without any real trouble. it’s a promising start and he chooses to take it as a good omen for the garden.

rpcdev trick or treat day 20

open

it doesn’t feel like morning when she wakes. the sky is dark and overcast, the rain cold against her skin as it patters down. blinking against the water in her eyes, Alina pushes herself to sit up, one hand moving to shove damp hair away from her face. sleeping in the outdoors certainly presents its challenges. the weather being a significant one. waking up to find herself and everything damp is not a pleasant way to start the day and she knows it will make getting the day started even harder. the darkness of the morning makes her want to pretend it’s still night and crawl back into her sleeping pack and sleep through the rain and wake to drier weather. but that’s not an option.

groaning and pushing back the temptation to summon a little light and warmth to fight the chill she’s taken on from the night, Alina struggles out of her wet pack. she surveys their surroundings for a long moment before raking her hair back from her face and using a loose string to tie it back a bit. scrubbing a hand over her face to wipe away the grime, she looks over at the shadowy lump that is her companion with a quiet snort. picking up a pebble, she flicks it at them. when they don’t rouse, she flicks a second, slightly larger pebble at them. “come on, wake up. I don’t plan on being the only one awake and dealing with this miserable rain.”

rpcdev trick or treat day 19

for @affcgato - Brock

when you live a life of insanity, you get used to having to stay in weird places. and considering she’s lived in a van (down by the river!), staying in a safe house that’s ACTUALLY a house is far from weird. except maybe this is weird. it’s somehow simultaneously better and worse than being dumped in that weird not actually wooden cabin in the middle of the woods unexpectedly after gaining her Inhuman powers. at least this time she isn’t basically in a cage meant to keep dangerous things in. the sinking feeling of seeing and touching the Hulk-sized fist dent in the wall is not something she’ll ever forget, realising that they saw her as dangerous… needing to be contained for the safety of others. not that she had entirely DISAGREED, but it still felt… hollow. 

pushing the thoughts from her mind, Daisy grabs the kit bag from the rusty truck bed and slings it over her shoulder. she has everything she needs for a week. longer than that and she’ll have to consider a supply run into town, but since she’s supposed to be completely off the radar, that’s a risky thing to consider. she’s not anyone super fancy or overly stand out-ish, but in a small town? yeah, people notice anyone new. and someone will start talking and then a lot of people will be talking and eventually someone will wonder where she’s staying, driving a truck like she’s got won’t get her far so she can’t be traveling. well, it’s designed to look like that, at least. the reality is the run down look of the truck is just that… a look. it’ll get her the hell out of Dodge in a real hurry if she needs to, but doesn’t stand out in the surrounding area.

taking another lingering look around the acres of property with the overgrown and weedy fields, the half standing fences, and old barns, the golden light of the setting sun gives it all an eerie glow that sends a shiver down her spine. nope. she might be able to live anywhere, but at heart, Daisy is definitely a city girl. this is too much like every bad horror movie she’s ever watched. so much for sleeping tonight. 

letting herself into the farmhouse, screen door screeching on rusty hinges before clattering hard back into place after she’s stepped through, Daisy takes in a slow breath. well, at the very least, the authentic look also provides additional security. no one is coming through that door quietly. locking the door behind herself, Daisy sets the kit bag on the table in the eat-in kitchen. there’s nothing that needs to be unpacked immediately and she wants to explore the space and see what’s available to her here. the first thing she wants to find is the secure rooms so she knows where to go for any emergency, so she slips into the narrow hall.

a creak of floorboards makes her spin around, eyes wide. shifting her weight to her toes, Daisy makes her way down the narrow hall, keeping close to the walls to prevent as much creaking as possible. when a figure emerges from one of the doorways in front of her, close enough she nearly walked into them, she instinctively brings her hands up with a yelp. she can feel the blast forming and barely reins it in to keep from possibly sending whoever it is through the next three walls, but let enough of a blast free to at least knock them back or knock them down. as she lowers her hands after a long moment, Daisy's eyes widen in shock when she realises who is in the safe house with her.

“what the fuck are you doing here?!”

rpcdev trick or treat day 18

for @affcgato - Poe

in all honesty… he’s seen worse. given the various places (and times) he’s lived through, there’s almost always going to have been worse. but that doesn’t necessarily stop the little prickle along the back of his neck that makes his shoulders straighten slightly, drawing himself to his full height as he scans the area. if he’d been paying attention, Steve never would have missed his stop and found himself… wherever the hell he is now. but, alas the science podcast thing he’d been listening to while sketching absently had been a little too interesting, holding his attention too tightly as the subway car rattled and hummed gently along. inconvenient since he doesn’t know how FAR past his actual stop he is, but not the end of the world. if he felt really ambitious, Steve’s sure he could run back just as fast, but there’s still something about the subway he enjoys.

most of the time.

in fairness, he’s pretty sure he’ll enjoy the subway ride. he just doesn’t particularly enjoy this station. it feels… dead. or staged. it’s nearly empty, just a few other people milling about. no one had gotten off with him and no one new seems to be coming in to wait. the light just down from him is flickering almost ominously and if he was in a horror movie, Steve would have expected something twisted and evil to spring from the shadows at any moment. he shifts his weight absently, feeling and hearing the crunch of the bits of broken tile under his feet as he does. letting his bag down from his shoulder, Steve tucks his sketchpad inside followed by his headphones. something tells him he’s going to want to be fully aware of his surroundings. there’s just… something off. he just can’t tell what.

no one else seems to take notice when the lights further down towards the end of the station blink out, plunging the area into darkness. even the few people who had been standing down there that he can now just barely make out don’t bother to move into the light. his stomach tenses slightly and without realising it, he’s shifting his centre of balance, eyes scanning along the few people that remain. his head turns as he catches movement from the corner of his eye, a little surprised to actually see someone new coming down the stairs into the station. watching him closely for a long moment, Steve can’t help but step into his path as the man seems intent on walking straight down into the darkness.

“I wouldn’t go down there.”

rpcdev trick or treat day 16

she hadn’t expected there to be anyone else to be there. there have been a few times when there are a couple of other people in the area, doing the same sorts of things she is, but to see a large group is strange. unsettling. putting her vehicle in park, she makes no move to get out just yet, watching the group as it shifts and breaks off a little, a few people making for their own vehicles. it won’t be until later that she realises that she can’t make out anyone’s faces.

her fingers tap lightly at her hip where the seatbelt is still clasped. it shouldn’t unnerve her the way that it does, but any time she sees a group of people in black, heads down and away from the light, part of her is taken back to when SHE was the one in black, head bowed to hide her tears. and now, she realises, she’s been a part of that group too often. the one that will never dim in her memory, no matter how many years it’s been, is for her own parents. both gone in one fell swoop, buried together while she and her brother clung to each other for support, her drowning in her own guilt for her part in the whole fiasco. 

that’s part of why she’s here now, visiting her parents’ graves. but she can’t quite make herself get out of the car with mourners still milling around. she knows she could easily get to where  she plans on being without intruding on their private grief at all, but the heavy air and dark aura that hangs around with funerals… she just can’t face it right now when she’s already so wrapped up in her own lingering grief. glancing over to the passenger seat, she gently touches the petals of one of the flowers laying there, waiting. the soft, velvety surface of the flower is oddly grounding and she smiles softly to herself, remembering the way her mother used to talk about her favourite flowers. it pushes the grief and the weight of the air back just a little and Garcia glances out at the lingering mourners again.

straightening her shoulders, she leans over and plucks a single calla lily from the bouquet, chosen for its soft blush colour that reminds her of her mother’s smile. taking the singled out bloom and the bouquet, Garcia finally slips from the car, choosing her path carefully along the lot until she finds herself near the woman who seems to be being surrounded and supported the most, the glisten of tears evident even behind the dark veil covering her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs softly, offering the lily to the woman with a sympathetic smile, not pressing for more of an interaction when she moves to take the offered flower. touching her shoulder lightly, Garcia then quietly moves on and deeper into the cemetery herself, following a very familiar path to her destination.

“hi mom… dad… it’s been a while.”

rpcdev trick or treat day 15

there are so many moments in her life that Daisy would really rather not relive. the repeated dumpings back into care. betrayals by people she thought genuinely cared about her. being shot. but the one that always comes back is the one she can never fully forgive HERSELF for. even if she knows, logically, that she was not at fault for what happened. in some ways, she knows, deep down, that she is to blame. if she hadn’t done the things she did, they never would have been in that situation to begin with. if she had just WAITED instead of running after Raina, Tripp never would have followed her. he never would have been exposed to the Terrigen Mist. he never would have died in that horrible way, thinking he was saving her when the reality was that she was leading him to his death. so many nights she wakes screaming, the whole building shaking with a force that rattles her bones to the point that she fears shaking herself apart the way he had just… crumbled. those nights, there is no getting back to sleep and she sits up, drinking chamomile tea or anything she can think to help settle her nerves enough to keep the tremors in check. and if she can’t, she runs. runs like she can outrun the past, like she can run back to that moment and change everything.

rpcdev trick or treat day 14

there are plenty of places he doesn’t know that he knows until he’s THERE, standing in a place he’d stood before in another, far more fucked up lifetime. and this is one of them. standing in the cool air of the forest, he’s overcome with the urge to just fold in on himself and be violently ill, phantom pain in a limb that no longer exists searing the severed connections to his brain, telling it that he’s in a fatal kind of pain. swallowing thickly, he has to force his spine straight again to keep from following through with that urge to curl in and be sick. tightening his jaw like he can force his body to keep from revolting on him by purely refusing to give it a way out, Bucky hikes his pack further up on his shoulder.

“so… care to tell me why we’re HERE of all places? of literally any other place on this whole fucking planet… why right here?” he asks bluntly, hating the rasp in his voice and clearing his throat to try and rid himself of any evidence of his inner turmoil. he’s not sure he wants to know, but if they’re speaking to each other, he doesn’t have to listen to the quiet whispers of the past he can still hear through the trees. he doesn’t dare even look around, knowing he’s bound to be betrayed by his own stupid, broken brain. he doesn’t need the illusionary trail of bloody snow to know exactly where he is… where it all started. where he was supposed to have just DIED and wasn’t permitted to.

And that when all this is over, you're going to open a tab for me at the club of my choosing!

(More Gifs by me!)

rpcdev trick or treat - day 13

open

she actually can’t remember the last time that she went swimming. sometime long ago in a stolen moment somewhere on the orphanage estate. she was sure she can remember chancing upon some lake, or maybe it was only a pond but had felt so vast and enchanting enough as to be a lake, but they had found it and it had been theirs. 

this, however, is a proper lake, stretching out far enough that the opposite shore is visible but not overly clear. if she were a strong swimmer, Alina would like to think she could make it across. but, she’s not so she won’t even consider it. however, along this lonely stretch of almost sandy soil leading into the lake with no one else in sight, she’ll allow herself the pleasure of the cool water. traveling as off the proper roads as possible is hard work and she’s hot and uncomfortable. it makes the lake’s still, glassy surface seem even more inviting.

the first few steps in had nearly made her rethink her choice, the slimy rocks underfoot making her nose crinkle in disgust. but the cool water on aching muscles was a pull she couldn’t ignore, pushing her to wade further until she was able to float properly and keep her feet off the bottom. the slight murk in the water made seeing to the bottom nearly impossible fairly quickly, but Alina didn’t have a mind to worry about what might be in the water with her. if anything, proof of life in the lake would be a good sign, wouldn’t it? freshly caught fish would make for a fine meal at the end of the day. better then more dried or smoked or otherwise cured meats that took more effort to chew than seemed worth having.

sighing softly, Alina rolled over in the water, resigning herself to needing to get out of the soothing coolness soon so she could have a chance to dry herself out before it started to get dark. there was no good to come of being cold and wet when the night air settled in. turning slightly to look for her things on the shore to give herself a point of direction, a little sound caught her attention and Alina spun in the water as quickly as she could, floundering a little in her haste. aside from the her own splashing and disturbance, the lake’s surface remained glassy further away from her.

no… wait. there. a flash of something. just light off the water, but off a ripple in the water that bent the light there in ways it wasn’t in other places.

feeling her brow knit together, Alina tries to push paranoid thoughts down. she’s in a lake. it's probably just a fish after a bug on the surface, nothing to be worried about. still, the idea of things in the lake coming up to the surface makes her heart race slightly and she turns back towards shore, kicking hard to start her way back, head turned slightly to keep an eye on the water around her as she does.

rpcdev trick or treat - day 12

open // @affcgato for Brock

there are a lot of things she’s experienced in her life, but honestly? a party in the woods? it feels like something she should have experienced when she was YOUNGER, not now. but, then again, if not now then when? still, it seems off somehow and Daisy isn’t completely sure she’s comfortable with any of this. pulling her jacket around her a little tighter, she’s glad that she opted for it considering the not so warm outfit she’s in. it is a party, after all. she won’t be going to a party without looking good. at the very least she had thought ahead to NOT wear heels. as much as she wanted to wear a pair and boost her height slightly, but as soon as she heard the words woods and path, Daisy had known that fashionably low-heeled boots were the proper way to go.

“so, you never really did tell me whose party this is…?” she hedges gently, realising that AS she’s picking her way through a relatively narrow trail in the woods with someone is maybe not the best of times to be trying to get information on where exactly they’re going. she shifts her small bag under her arm, pressing it against herself to feel the reassuring shape of the pepper spray. she may be stupid, but she’s not THAT stupid, thanks. 

looking up as they round a bend and a glow becomes visible from a clearing ahead, Daisy almost wants to let herself relax. a bonfire? those are fun. though, honestly, who has a bonfire IN the woods these days? so irresponsible. maybe she’ll make herself stick around until it’s all over to be sure that it gets put out properly and they don’t risk burning the whole goddamned woods down for a party. at least people seem to be having a good time already, if the vague shapes that look like they’re dancing around are anything to go by.

as they get closer, Daisy realises that it’s not actually a clearing in the woods, it’s a total break in the trees completely and they’re heading towards an open field. hopefully an empty one. though, if anything is inhabiting the field, it’s probably long been scared away by the large fire and the hollering. although… she can’t hear the music they’re all dancing and yelling to. surely they’re not playing it quietly out of respect given the size of the fire and the amount of yelling and whooping they’re doing. frowning slightly, Daisy glances around, the trees behind her seeming much darker and yet somehow more inviting than the blaze of the bonfire that lays ahead of her across the field. 

a snap of a twig makes her head whip around, purple highlighted hair flying in her face. she can feel a hand tightening on her arm as she lifts her hand to brush her hair out of her eyes, scanning the dark of the woods again. “um… you know what? I don’t… actually, yeah, I don’t think I’m feeling up to a big party with a bunch of people I don’t know tonight,” she protests quietly, twisting her arm free and taking a hesitant step back deeper into the trees. “you go on. I can find my own way back.”

rpcdev trick or treat - day 9

the night before flying back home was always… something else. when things were finally over and a case was in the process of being properly closed, handed back over to the locals to be seen through to the end… there was always a sense of peace that she never seemed to find anywhere else.

standing on the balcony, cold beer in one hand, JJ takes a few slow, deep breaths, trying to let the weight of everything go. cases with kids were the worst to begin with, but with her own little man waiting back home, they were even harder these days. but, it was over now and she had to start the process of letting it go. part of that process was vowing that she’d try to avoid cases with kids for a while, even though she knows that her own personal bias plays into the cases she puts forward to the team. she tries to balance it the best she can, but it can be hard, knowing that if they go one place, they don’t go somewhere else and someone who goes without their help might end up hurt… or worse.

the soft call of a coyote off in the trees behind the motel breaks the thoughts spiraling in her head, bringing JJ back to the present as she turns towards the sound. a few answering calls were coming now, the sound haunting and chilling in the quiet darkness of the night. shivering despite the warm air, JJ wraps her arms around herself as she stares out into the treeline as if she might be able to pick up the glow of light reflecting in eyes looking back at her. the thought of it actually happening sends another shiver down her spine and she turns to head inside again. 

at least all the kids in THIS town are safely inside with their families, away from the haunting calls in the dark trees and the far more terrifying things that lurk in silence.

rpcdev trick or treat - day 8

he doesn’t mind night driving, he really doesn’t. what he minds is driving ALONE at night. especially in a place where the scenery doesn’t change enough to be interesting. he gets antsy and jittery and he hates everything. which is where he’s at now, wishing that he had anything that would actually make his mind focus properly. the music off is too quiet, but on is too noisy and makes it hard to concentrate on other things because his senses feel overloaded. windows down is also noisy and weird, but up feels stuffy since the AC doesn’t work and even at this time of year the desert is weirdly warm at night. all in all, he just hates everything right now. nothing feels right and he’s getting twitchy. which definitely means it’s time to get off the road. but the only option seems to be pulling off the on the shoulder and hoping like hell some semi doesn’t come around one of these winding turns too fast and sending the old Jeep disintegrating across the lonely, barren sands.

well, that’s a fun thought.

just as he’s starting to dwell on that a LITTLE too hard, there’s a vague blink in the distance. for a second, he almost thinks that he imagined it, but then it blinks again. “well, thank fuck… even if it’s just a creepy ass rest stop where we might be preyed on by a serial killer or five based on statistics… better than hoping for the best on this pathetic shoulder. I mean, I COULD pull off further into the dunes, this is technically an off road capable vehicle, but I mean… would I trust Roscoe to get us back on the road after sitting and sinking in the sand all night? nah… not really… so… blinky light it is! agreed? agreed.”

taking a slow breath, Stiles presses down on the accelerator a little harder, nudging the old Jeep on a bit faster. he’s not sure what that light is, but he knows he wants to reach it. even if it is just a rest stop, that’s better than nothing. so, he’s got them aimed at that light, even as it blinks weakly in and out of view.

when he finally gets close enough to see it and the roads seems to straighten out enough he can actually LOOK at it properly, Stiles realises that he’s been heading towards a motel. score! well… maybe. god, the place looks run down and creepy and he can’t help but start humming the crazy strings from psycho as he pulls in and finds a place to park. sighing quietly, he reaches over and shakes his passenger’s shoulder. “come on… wake up. it’s time to go get stabbed in the shower by a man who thinks he’s himself AND his mom…”

rpcdev trick or treat - day 7

for @affcgato's Kaz Brekker

the wind is cold and hateful like it always is this time of year. the damp goes right through him and he likes being warm, so he hates it even more than any other kind of wind. he had meant to be home long before now, but a late study session that had him falling asleep on the library table until being shaken awake and sent home just before closing now sees him walking home at fucking MIDNIGHT. he’s cold and tired and sore and he just wants to be at home in his own damn bed, rickety as it is. it’s his. and very warm. that’s all he really wants right now.

the startup of the siren a few blocks over makes him flinch. the city is still busy, even at this late hour, but it somehow feels like everything is muted, respecting the stillness of night. the siren cuts through that and makes him very aware of the rest of the traffic and noise around him. shivering slightly, Jes pulls the collar of his coat up higher and tucks his head down into it to block out the chill wind as best he can. he stretches his gait, long legs taking him faster along the sidewalk.

he’s still walking quickly along the path home when he turns a corner and slams bodily into something rather solid. instinctively, his hands come up to try and block himself, only finding purchase against whatever he’s run into. or, rather… WHOEVER, as it seems to be, fingers gently wrapping around the upper arms of the man he’d nearly bowled over.

“sorry, sorry… you all right?”

rpcdev trick or treat - day 6

for @affcgato's Brock Rumlow

they don’t always get a true choice in where they go and when, though she tries her best to schedule things so they wind up where they need to be in the best of times. this was… not one of those times. 

they had landed with time to spare and the course of the storm was still showing it as missing the area completely, but within a day of their being on the ground in Florida, the storm had turned sharply and was headed right for them. they could have flown out immediately, left and come back when it was safer, but they all knew that they would likely lose any chance at finding any of the missing women or the people responsible for making them missing. and none of them were ready to take that chance, so they had stayed and worked as long as it was safe to do so and then had battened down the hatches to weather out the storm with all of the locals.

stepping out the next morning, JJ could feel the heaviness in the air. and not just the pressure from the storm, the weight of everything filled the air and made it press down on her shoulders. while she knew the storm would peter out well before it reached far up enough north to even come close to hitting near home, it just makes her worry. sighing softly, she steps up to the man’s side, gently pressing a steaming cup into his hands. “I get the feeling this case is going to go cold for a while until this all gets cleared up?” she asks quietly, leaning in against his shoulder as her eyes sweep over the mess of devastation that’s laid out before them. “what do we do now? go home?”

rpcdev trick or treat

for @masterwcrk

he’s not a fan of the city, the second they stepped off the ship. it’s dirty, it’s oily, it’s… he doesn’t have words for it, really. it’s just not the clean, open air he’s used to. there’s too many people and too much going on all at once all the time and he struggles to keep track of it all. at least he doesn’t have to worry about Alina. how he’d managed to convince her to do something she didn’t really want to do was totally beyond him but for ONCE she had actually listened and done as she was told. it was safer for her to be out and on the move, leaving him behind to look into getting things set up for them before catching up so they can move on. until then, he needs to work on getting everything set.

and when he winds up in a small eatery, purely waiting for a potential sighting of someone who might be able to help. understandably, he’d had to be a bit evasive in asking his questions so he didn’t raise the wrong suspicions. which meant that the answers he got were equally evasive and he had to make assumptions and logical leaps and that led him to sitting here. which would be fine. which WAS fine. for a time, at least. but then the stares started. nothing significant at first or even anything too obvious, just glances that started to linger a little longer and then a little longer. he knows he doesn’t really fit in, but Mal didn’t think that he stood out THAT much. 

shifting slightly, he stretches out his back, feeling the way tension has started cramping it up. that’s when he catches a glimpse of what people are REALLY looking at. he thought he stood out a little, but it was nothing compared to the absolute flash of pale skin and red hair. well, those rumours hadn’t been an exaggeration. stretching again, he leaned his chair back in a casual manner, nonchalantly tipping back until his chair nearly touched hers, close enough that when he spoke softly, no one else would be able to hear him.

“don’t suppose you’re the Kaelish girl? the record keeper?”