Nature's great masterpiece : an elephant ; the only harmless great thing.

His great mass continued forward, thankfully not colliding with his winged Queen. She flew past him, a snowy blur of anger and pain— both retreating and fighting. His head twisted to the side, eyes squinted from the pain in his nose, watching as she swung to face him. His ears tilted backwards, to hear her cry, before milky wings raise to shield her from his view.

Massive ivory hooves bite into the earth to halt his colossal momentum and his knee painfully protests, pushing a groan from his bruised mouth. But he managed to stop his great body, and he stood silently for a moment, ears trained backwards and great slabs of sides moving in exertion of the spar. His right hind leg trembled once, alerting the Elephant of how much damage he had inflicted on himself while trying to use the ripped muscles during the spar.

A deep breath, let out as a long and low sigh, heralded the slow and cautious turn he made to face Elsa. His lips pursed— then quickly un-pursed when he was reminded of his bruised mouth— as she stood before him, shaking. Something stirred in his barrel, something ugly. It was not his resident demon, but something different…

Ignoring the annoying trickle of russet from behind his right stifle, he gingerly limped towards the Queen, marginally closing the great gap of distance between them. The words he wanted to say did not need to be yelled across this fateful clearing. He stopped when he was closer, still giving the now-apologizing Queen a wide berth, should she desire it. Should he need it. He was not able to move quickly now, and he did not know how she would react to him. It was clear, be her trembles and the crazed looks and attacks in their spar, that she was battling more than just an Elephant.

“No, my Queen. I am sorry. I thought—” he cuts himself off, he had thought this spar would be good, that it would solidify the ruling relationship of the monarchs. But he, in the newness of his reign, had been wrong. Another heavy breath left his nostrils, cobalt gaze trying to probe her sapphires, “Elsa, tell me, who needs to get out of your head?” There was a quiet plea in the low rumble.

Elsa

All these pity parties. She couldn’t take it. Of course his intention were good, but at the moment, it seemed as if the entire world was bearing down upon her. The addict was laughing at her, she was the one out of her mind. Her twins were right- she was useless as a mother. And now what, this little conspiracy to watch her fall as queen? Who had she pissed off enough to have that happen? The last time she checked she’d only ever met with the God of Earth- and even then he was always so embarrassed by her. She felt like a child being scolded by its mother every time even a glimpse of him came into view. She needed out of her own goddamn head, and she couldn’t. There was only one way to do that, and she knew Tembovu would more than likely not let her leave.

And so the anger welled.

It broiled so deep in her stomach that there was no stopping the inferno that was in its fledgling stages. He didn’t deserve this, and the little part in the back of her mind screamed for her to stop. He knew she had problems, it kept reminding her. He listened to you, it would scream. But that didn’t matter, right now he was standing in the tracks of her runaway train. ”Stop asking those questions! Nothing could help.” She hissed, closing the rest of the distance until she was a little too close for comfort. Edgar screeched, and she hardly paid attention to him. He left her head, lingering in the air for a moment. Wide eyes looked to Tembovu- he had no advice. She’d never been this mad at someone else before. This outrage was usually self-contained. Quickly he fled to his previous perch, closing his eyes and trying to will her anger away from his mind. He liked Tembovu, but with her emotions right now… it was giving him a headache trying to fight it. ”I tried the other day, you know, to escape myself. And you stopped me. Tembovu have you any idea what it’s like being trapped in your own body?” Venom, anger, it bled through loud and clear. There was no vague words or actions, she was firm, demanding, and very straightforward.

There was a beat as the heat well to the rest of her face. Her pale skin was more than likely tinted red as the blood rushed to her head. Her ears slid ever so slightly backward, still furiously shaking. ”And considering my options, those rocks need me much more than anyone else does.” Her voice had quieted an octave, but it still seethed with her red hot emotions. ”I am incapable of feeling anymore. I can’t feel love, I can’t give it. Did you ever stop to wonder why only one of the twins returned here?” Another pause, it was a rhetorical question but she wanted that to embed itself in his brain. ”It’s because I am expendable. I did my job, spread my crazy ass genes. Loved a goddamn man who can’t be bothered to love me anymore. There is nothing else for me to screw up. I’m beginning to think that this whole leader fiasco that occurred is the Goddess’s grand finale for me. It would give so many others a pleasure to watch me fall.” She was deadpan now, still hot with anger, but not raging. Instead he was left with the embers. Her eyes were glassy as she refused to rain on his burning fire. ”I can’t do this anymore Tembovu.” Her voice faltered, cracked at the end. She shouldn’t be here still. Gritting her teeth, she simply leaned forward toward the larger man, head aimed to uncomfortably shove at his chest. ”You can’t keep trying to be nice to me. I’m not worthy of the kindness. I was born in the shadows, and in the shadows I shall die.” If he hadn’t already moved away from her, she pulled back her head slightly. Shame rushed through her, and she took a few more uncomfortable steps backward. ”You didn’t deserve this. But I can’t do it anymore. The happiness is getting harder and harder to fake.” Dead, raw, and so exposed. She felt like a caged animal, out for the whole world to see.

"Morbi vestibulum mollis nibh a varius."
Idk manssss. ;-;

________________________________________

sometimes we expect too much of ourselves,

afterall, we are only mortal.

The Icebound

Nature's great masterpiece : an elephant ; the only harmless great thing.

She hissed, angry and empty words, advancing on him like a raptor rather than the beautiful passerine. He leaned backwards, weight awkwardly distributing on his wounded haunches— but he still held his ground in the face of her irate and irrational fury. He knew that their spar was not the source of her anger— he knew there were so many more layers beneath the icy exterior of his Queen. Her Addict, his betrayal, the abandonment of her children, the invasion of her home. It was this understanding that held his great columns of legs rooted to the spot, for he could see the pain glimmering with shards as sharp as the broken glass wall beneath all this outrage.

An ear swiveled to follow Edgar’s retreat, but the King’s widened, navy eyes do not dare leave the venom-spewing mare so close in front of him. His eyes watch hers, burning with fury. They stray to the red that warms her cheek as rage makes itself physically present in the flush of her snowy skin. There would be a raw beauty in this fervent display of untamed emotion, if not for the anguish at the root of it.

“I tried the other day, you know, to escape myself. And you stopped me…Those rocks need me much more than anyone else does.”

His eyes darkened as he interrupted her, “I would stop you again, Elsa,” his rumble was quiet, but firm, “This herd needs you more than those rocks. I need you. You are my Queen, my partner, the other half to this reign. I cannot do it without you, you just proved that by besting me in this spar,” a spar he never should have started, he inwardly cursed himself.

“I am incapable of feeling anymore…” His brows raise, “You are capable of feeling, look at yourself now. Someone ‘unfeeling’ would not be screaming at her King,” his head dropped as her voice cracked, head following hers as he thought she was going to pull away from him. But, instead, she painfully pushed against his chest, the power of her lithe form strong against his sore muscles. But, remembering both her avoidance of his touch and the hurried gentle caress she gave his cheek as and afterthought, he lowered his giant head to try and trap her against his broad chest. (Perhaps taking his life into his own hands, but he felt that this raging, angry woman needed to be held.)

“Elsa, do not ask me to do something I am incapable of. I will ‘be nice’ to you. And I did deserve this. We should have waited to spar, I should have known better…” his low voice faded as a grimace of shame crossed his masked features. “I’m sorry, my Queen. Forgive me?” the low murmur rumbled from his chest.

Elsa

Stopping her? Hardly. If she truly didn’t want to be here. She wouldn’t be standing here now screaming at him like a crazed maniac. Elsa was more than capable of escaping unnoticed. It was a skill she had mastered long ago. If she didn’t have such a good hidden conscious she would have taken the path of a sleuth. She was never easy to catch. Unbeknownst to her, she was able to do pretty much everything if her own conscious didn’t hold her back.

In the end, if there wasn’t a mustard seed of doubt, Tembovu would never be able to stop her. Either by night or by force, she could take what she wanted. Part of her wanted to continue to rant, to tell him how stupid he sounded. Was he not standing right here? Did he not see her? He was practically dealing with the devil herself and he wanted to say these things? She was screaming because she had given up. She was screaming because the last shred of her was warning everyone to run as far in the opposite direction as her. Elsa had watched herself degrade slowly over the past months, years even. Maybe there had been a slight slump of hope somewhere, but now she could see that the only direction is down.

So when he trapped her, at first she fought against it. She tried to pull away, but in the same moment she collapsed. And here she was crying again, trying to refrain from beating on him anymore than she already had. It was like being a child again, scared and afraid. Somehow she liked it. But she couldn’t. That would only hurt her more- it would only take her back the same way it had before. Stop apologizing, Tembovu. ”Don’t.” She said brokenly, trying to silence his want for her forgiveness. He didn’t need it. He should be getting her apologies.

And for a few heartbeats she was quiet. Enjoying the last moments her mind could consciously accept. From here on out, he knew enough. He couldn’t possibly get closer. She needed to spare him the trouble of having to leave later. That’s what everyone did- they packed up and left town. He was too good for the Edge, they needed him. She couldn’t ruin him like she did everyone else.

Her mind was trying to spin words together. There was no way he felt the same- he was like this with everyone. So why did she feel so special? It was because she was broken, easily manipulated and then crushed again. It was binding, and suddenly she felt like she was suffocating. It was hard to keep her breaths from exhaling in panic. He didn’t give a damn- well at least he shouldn’t. ”You can’t be sorry for my problems. If anything this spar kept me here at least a couple more days. I gotta see how badly I messed you up.” She laughed weakly at her poorly formulated joke. But again everything snapped back to sadness. The inevitable pit. Carefully she moved her head against his shoulder, trying to dry her eyes as incognito as possible.
 
What was all this? This relationship- this partnership- it was endlessly confusing.

"Morbi vestibulum mollis nibh a varius."
awk elsa is awk

________________________________________

sometimes we expect too much of ourselves,

afterall, we are only mortal.

The Icebound

Nature's great masterpiece : an elephant ; the only harmless great thing.

Elsa struggled against his embrace, as he had predicted (but had hoped she would not). He grunted softly as his spar-battered body strained to keep the battle-savvy Queen against his chest. And, with little more struggle, she suddenly collapsed against him, wetness as icicles against her pale cheeks. On the battlefield, she was a fierce force, but here… Here in this embrace, she was a hurt woman broken by the abandonment of all that she held close to her heart.

He acquiesced to her broken request, falling silent as the slow rhythm of his breaths unconsciously tried to soothe her tear-fragmented breathing. His great heart, stung by the tears that fell in the face of such a simple kindness, beat powerfully and slowly where her silken coat pressed against his coarse hide.

The silence lasted, a false calm falling over the two monarchs.

And then, he felt her breathing accelerate, panicked words rushing from her lips— the flood trying to replace the distance between them that he felt he had just diminished, with weak laughs and off jokes. An ear slanted sideways, as she carefully dried her eyes against his shoulder. He didn’t mind— what he did mind was the substance beneath her joke, for isn’t the root of all humor found in truth?

Was she truly intending to leave the Edge— to leave him? Alone to rule, alone in his solitude of regency. At first, he had accepted the Kingship alone, for Torliek had been a King only in name. But now that he had a Queen alongside him… the loneliness that threatened sounded like purgatory to the Elephant.

But, quietly, he retuned her joking words in kind, “I think my chest works better for drying tears, my Queen.” But there was a sadness, a new melancholy to his voice, as his eyes closed for a moment against the dejection. “And I guess, in a few days, I will need to challenge you again.” If that’s what it takes to make you stay. And gently, without much thought (or perhaps too much of it), he reached to lip the skin at her withers.

Elsa

It felt tense- waiting for him to respond. She knew her joke was a defense mechanism. It was the only way she knew to avert situations that could result in feelings. The beat that fell during the transition of their conversation felt like an eternity to Elsa. But finally he spoke, and it felt comfortable curled against his chest like this. She closed her eyes once again- trying day after day how he called her my queen. She’d seen enough of him to know that this was not exclusive to her- he had quite the way with ladies. And part of her was actually becoming jealous of that fact. More power to him if he’s able to move from girl to girl so quickly.

But her soured thoughts were quickly snuffed at the sound of his voice. It wasn’t as joyful or playful as she had expected. He saw right through her diversion- he knew that she was trying to pretend what she said before wasn’t true. His touch didn’t help either. She just had to stand there- liking it but afraid to say anything. Her words could just as quickly diminish this thing they had.

Truth was, she was trying to find a reason to stay. He was becoming her reason, and that’s why she was desperate as ever to find a way out. Her path was one of destruction, but he was showing her one that was too good to be true. So instead of doing anything- she was still for a long while. Her breaths were shallow, almost inaudible as she was lost in her mind. But it wasn’t because she was trying to find words, it was because she knew what she wanted to say it- but for his own good she shouldn’t. She ground her teeth for a moment as she just inhaled his scent. This would be a really nice time to have some premonition magic or something.
Her body craved an answer- as well as her mind. She couldn’t live this life of what ifs anymore. It sucked. Elsa needed to know what they were. How they were to continue. If she could continue coming to him. If she needed to leave. If she needed to deal with another wave of heartbreak.

But this time she was equipped to handle such disasters. It was a plan she had put in place mere moments after she had been abandoned. Outcast life could suit her just fine. There she would be alone and off the radar. Everyone could forget her like last night’s dream, and they would be happy. She was the only one that needed to be hurt. ”Tembovu…” She murmured quietly, pressing her nose against his shoulder. Breathing in his scent one more time, she spoke in one large exhale of anxiety. ”Give me a reason to stay.” She closed her eyes, shaking gently, preparing for a sudden absence of the embrace. Embarrassment ran rapid through her body- making all of her body tinted a light pink. Tears prickled at her eyes, and she tried to hold it back as much as possible. No use making her face uglier than it was by mixing salty tears with dried blood.

Her mind ticked away the reasons he would leave. She was incapable. She was half blind. She’d already been ruined- no longer fresh out of the package. The worst part was him interpreting this wrong. She knew nothing about his life- so she could easily gain a response along the lines of mutual respect. A sort of “friendzone” line if you will. But did she even mean it romantically? Of course she did. Because as much as she wanted to hide it- she had been both jealous of him and awe. At first, it was easy to forget it. He didn’t speak to her like this. He didn’t make her feel like this.

’But I am simply a recycled toy. Any decent man would prefer the newer model.’ She thought quietly. For the sake of her sanity, she just hoped he would leave her quietly. Another reprimanding was the last thing she needed. To her, silence spoke louder than words- and was much easier to walk away from.


"Morbi vestibulum mollis nibh a varius."
-cough- wtf. this was not supposed to happen. >.>>>>>

________________________________________

sometimes we expect too much of ourselves,

afterall, we are only mortal.

The Icebound

Nature's great masterpiece : an elephant ; the only harmless great thing.

He is surprised relieved that the Icebound remained against his chest moments longer— deceptively calm moments stolen from a past that both haunted and ruined the Queen. She is still beneath the gentle movements of his lips— silent save for teeth grinding against whatever vehemence wishes to spew from her mouth. But he takes it, he takes these fleeting moments— moments where he is a stanchion, a support, rather than a forefront of pain or useless pleasantries.

He feels needed, with the soft murmur of his name on her breath, the gentle push of a velvet muzzle against the slope of his shoulder. A long, low sigh escapes him— one he does not know he passes in relief. The simple, sad joy of being needed— it is a sensation the Elephant would not soon forget.

”Give me a reason to stay.” Her words, spoken on an exhale, were an embarrassed plea ushered from a shaking body. The ivory skin beneath his lips pinked with her flush, but his own eyes were drawn to her trembles. Amid the tranquility he had found in this quiet embrace, something ugly once again roused as he saw her quiver beneath him.

He could not name this feeling— it was akin to the sensation he had felt when using another for information in his past life, but not quite the same. Regardless, he needed her trembling to stop; he needed her…

”Give me a reason to stay.” They echoed in his skull, which rested silently above her neck and withers. Was the herd not reason enough? Was he not? No, that is not what her breathy, shaking question inquired. He knew that. She, in all her self-doubt, needed a verbal confession. He took a deep breath, slowly untangling himself from her— he had to watch her face as he spoke these words.

Backing only enough so that their faces were close, he paused at the sight of her tear-bright eyes. Navy pools probed her sapphires as words, both selfish and sincere, began to quietly rumble from his chest, “If you will let me, I will be your reason. In my past, I have been a brutal— a ruinous force. But here, for you…” his husky words pause, beseeching eyes searching hers, “I don't want to be those things. I want to be… more.” His own admissions seemed so paltry in the face her own, but they were what he had to give.

Elsa

That moment he pulled away she flinched. Taking a step backward she shied from the moment of weakness she had just displayed. If he reacted like she was expecting- she just ruined a completely good relationship. The rest of her life around him would just be muddled words and awkward interactions (not that they weren’t awkward in the first place). If he rejected her… what choice did she have? Everything would just fall down and suddenly she was aware that not only was her heart on the line- but her actual life. If she tripped and fell off this ledge, she could never live in the Edge. Once again, another land would be struck out, forever hidden away in her black book. The herd was better with him. He was the light. And she was the shadows. Quite contrary to their outer look. Her mother was right when she said looks could be deceiving.

Another pang of emotion flooded into her system as she briefly glanced back into the world of her past. She had done this once before- let her emotions get ahead of herself- and she destroyed the perfect life she had been living only hours ago. It was happening all over again. What comes around, goes back around. A carousel she dreaded being on. She couldn’t see what was around the next bend, and she was terrified and mortified all at once. The words though- the words. If you will let me… well shit. She looked at him, bracing for the impact. Shoved backwards the corner she had just crawled out from.  

But what slipped from his chest was something else entirely. For a moment she was locked in place, and an actual scoff passed her lips. There was no way- those words did not just come out of his mouth. Elsa was dumbfounded, and for the first time in a long time, she didn’t know what to say. No snarky remarks bounced onto her tongue- and instead it was just white noise.

Her mouth was open slightly, tilting her head for a moment in astonishment and terror. What does this mean… what does… her mind was stuttering. Her stomach on the other hand, she felt like she was going to be sick. Her heart was beating rapidly, trying to remind her she needed to breathe. Her face was flooded with heat. Her pain seemed to transcend right now- but unfortunately Edgar did not. ’Say something you idiot.’ He was acutely aware of what was going on, and tried not to step in. But between that fact that he was driven mad by Tembovu’s presence in her mind and his urge to avoid ruining this for her, he implored her to get herself under control.

SHE WASN’T READY.

Frankly she’d never be ready, but when you’re expecting the worse this kind of thing comes as a shock. Blinking one more moment, she slowly began to form some sort of coherent response. This was the number one reason he did all the talking. ”What- what kind of more?” She stuttered out the words like she was in trouble. A schoolgirl caught daydreaming. 

”Tembovu.” She said quietly, taking a step back towards him. The distance physically hurt right now, and since she was coming back down from her high she was acutely aware of the headache that lurked behind her eyes. ”I’m not- I- I can’t be temporary.” She knew about his ways with women, and she was self-conscious of that beyond belief. The details she knew nothing of, but she was more than sure that he had his fair share of consorts. After everything that’s happened, she can’t be another notch. ”What about everyone else?” What about your past that I know nothing of? What about the life you left behind? Would the skeletons in your close hurt me? She bit back the rush of questions. It wasn’t her right to know why he believes himself to be ruinous. That word was not negative in her life- it meant he left something he truly cared for. Whether or not that was a family, a love, a duty, she did not know.
 
And she paused for a moment, marinating on that word. He had done so much to help her- and yet she had done nothing. With another tentative step, she reached out her muzzle to brush it softly against the right side of his face. The height difference made her feel small in his shadow, but she tried her best to be a comfort anyways. Lingering there for a moment, she inhaled before she spoke. ”Tembovu you are capable of things you can’t even imagine. You have an effect on everyone- and you are far from ruinous. You saying that- you truly feeling that, it just lets everyone know how deep your emotions run. And that, my king, is nothing to be ashamed of.” Closing her eyes she lingered, just long enough to await to dream that was quickly going to come to an end. The longer this went on- the more comfortable she felt, but the bigger the fall would be when this came crashing down.


"Morbi vestibulum mollis nibh a varius."
uhm. so. wtf temb why you give me muse >.>

________________________________________

sometimes we expect too much of ourselves,

afterall, we are only mortal.

The Icebound

Nature's great masterpiece : an elephant ; the only harmless great thing.

He feels her move away from him as he disentangles from her silken coolness; he sees the flinch, the chagrin and emotion that flood her face before he can even voice words to bring her back to him. But then his words breach the air and her icy fortress, bringing her eyes to his and leave her mouth agape.

Black rimmed ears tilt backwards in uncertainty at the smarting effect of her scoff at his words— followed by a deafening silence. He aches to shift, to move closer to her, to turn and walk away; yet only manages to stand still and stare at her, waiting with a clenched jaw and deep breaths.

And then, after that eternity, she is stuttering words that boarded on bashfulness and hope. “What- what kind of more?” Teeth unclench as his tongue moves ahead of his thoughts, wanting to move quickly and rashly to assure her: ‘everything more.’ He traps the meaningless amelioration behind thick lips, not allowing it to take substance and meaning with his voice. Elsa, his Queen, the woman of both brokenness and strength, deserves more than his easy placations.

While he stops himself, and before he can give her the demanded definition of ‘more’, she is quietly saying his name— and he feels the three syllables rush through the base of his barrel as they come from her pale lips. She steps towards him, bringing closer the face he had so marked in their spar. He is still, rejection being beaten by a flare of hope behind navy eyes that study her face, her bruises, her scarred eye, her muzzle— all beauty marks of a life lived. Cream ears flick forwards, straining to be nearer to her, even though he does not allow himself to physically move closer (though his body, the sore and tired muscles, have leapt back to attention and are leaning towards her approach). “I can’t be temporary… What about everyone else?”

He blinks once, that is a question he can easily answer. “What of everyone else?” the quiet, husky rumble repeats her question, implying their unimportance, “You are not temporary. Everything about you is enduring,” an ear flicked sideways as his words failed to convey what he actually meant; what this actually meant. “Elsa, you, in the face of all you have suffered and lost, have remained both strong and just— so much so that a Goddess appointed you to lead a herd. I—I can only hope to be an equal beside you.” Indeed, for where she had been appointed by a Goddess, he had snatched Kingship from a dead daughter’s blood. Where she had been betrayed by a lover and left to find her children instead of revenge, he had destroyed lives in his vengeance.

“And that is what I mean by ‘more.’ You are beautiful, any man can see that. But there is more to this, more to our reign, more to us than figureheads and lust.” Finally his voice, which had grown deeper with his words, falls silent.

And she is there, soft muzzle moving against his right jaw. Cobalt eyes close and he leans into the comforting, compassionate touch— nostrils flare to inhale her closeness. His head shifts on instinct, broad muzzle seeking to return the caress in kind. Though his moving, seeking mouth pauses as she speaks, still against her skin. A long and low breath moves out in a rush of heat across her cheek while her lips tickle the side of his face with words that were spoken with a simple sincerity. “And that, my king, is nothing to be ashamed of.” Eyes, which had closed to fully feel her touch, open and stare downwards. Was he ashamed of the causing the Fall of Dorobo? Did he feel guilt? Is that where all this anger, this need of being wanted, came from?

This new light, shed by the simple phrases of Elsa, rocked his view of his past. Moved, he took a half step forward to try and close the little distance left between them. “My Queen, you do not know how good you are to me…” his voice trails as his ever-seeking muzzle reaches to trail down her neck and spine. But would she say these things if she knew his past? Perhaps that question— that uncertainty (that fear?)— is what drove his searching lips across her snowy skin. Part of him knew he should disentangle from her— so much had happened, so much shared. But he was a man, ’her king’, and his physical needs were so entwined with his emotional ones.

Elsa

But is vengeance really worse than searching? If Elsa had a single shred of an idea as to what he was thinking- she might just actually try and whack him over the head. Vengeance was a word she wished to add to her vocabulary of doings. It signified feelings, life, and emotions. Her searching in a way, was quite selfish. She just wanted her family back, but they had been torn apart for a reason. She would never know, but between the civil actions of Auriel and the harsh rebuff from Shida- they had moved on. She remained stuck in a cycle where she was the only one looping around. Everyone else had jumped ship and moved on.

Again, he had a way of satiating her feelings of guilt for a just a moment. He made her feel strong, like she actually mattered. With as much as she loved it- she was also terrified. It was taking another step into the unknown and as of now, her track record with those kind of actions was not great. Each time had led to an epic failure. First killing in her anger and fear, next losing an entire life in less than a couple hours, and then failing to be there for her children. Elsa could only hope that this would last long enough for her to patch up some holes before he ripped a new one.

He still stayed aloof about her question- but seemed sincere. If there was a grain of mistrust that she carried, it was about women. Maybe because she always thought herself good enough mentally (and of course physically) capable of keeping a lover pleased enough to not seek the help of others. He on the other hand, in both ways, seemed way out of her league. It was like a pedestal she knew she could not climb. Inhaling she had to close her eyes to ward off such thoughts. Something was bound to come up sooner or later- but for- now she wanted to –avoid it as much as possible. She wanted to exist in this fantasy where he was her center, and that she was his.

With a simple touch, he made her believe that such things were possible.

Unable to stand it anymore she pushed herself into his chest, nearly collapsing for both mental and physical stress. She laid her head against his shoulder, blinking a few times and just allowing it to happen. She liked it—she needed it. The Icebound tried to calm her breathing, focusing on the fact that he was here, and he was indeed real. No apparitions or smoke and mirrors. If she wasn’t still fearful of the wounds she had inflicted upon him, she would make an effort to stay here as long as possible. For once she just wanted to forget everything else existed and just focus on this moment in time.

”Thank you,” she finally murmured into his skin. In her mind her voice seemed like a whisper against the harsh pounding of her heart. It thundered around her body, both distracting and relieving her. At least it meant she was alive and had not yet died. ”Also I should probably apologize for beating you up. I don’t normally try to beat the living daylights out of others.” She smirked into his shoulder, holding back a huff of small and timid laughter. She just knew how to ruin a moment didn’t she? ”Why couldn’t you have been here earlier.” she mused, thinking of how drastically different things might have been if they had met sooner. Then she actually did manage a small snort at the selfishness of her next line of thoughts. Although she meant to censor them, they fell out of her throat like nothing. ”I might have to keep you away from the others you know, I’d like to keep you all to myself.”

It took a moment for her to register what she had just said and she blinked before cringing into his chest and heating up like an oven. Those were not words meant for the world- and especially for Tembovu- to hear. She stuttered incoherently for a few moments before finally giving up with a huff and falling silent. Hey. What else does she have to lose? Oh right. Him. Ouch Elsa, way to go. 'You incredibly stupid' Edgar finally burst into her thoughts before quickly locking him out again, only to know that he was hissing with laughter. 



"Morbi vestibulum mollis nibh a varius."
dude this thread might continue unless he shuts her up himself xDD

________________________________________

sometimes we expect too much of ourselves,

afterall, we are only mortal.

The Icebound

Nature's great masterpiece : an elephant ; the only harmless great thing.

She collapsed into him, and he readily absorbed her weight, rocking onto his haunches. Only he had forgotten of his wounds— his right leg nearly giving beneath the sudden need to support both himself and his Queen. But, aside from a gentle grunt and quick shift of weight to his uninjured hind leg, he takes her collapsing form, thick neck arching over hers and pulling her deeper into his sore chest. His mouth found the joint of her wing and withers, lips tracing the silken feathers that sprouted there.

He listened silently to her apology, thick hide rippling around where her lips spoke against it. He felt the strong beat of her pulse against his chest and neck, where their hides were pressed so closely together and felt the smirk and small huff of laughter at her words alluding to beating him up. He responded with a low, rumbling chuckle, teeth finding and softly tugging on a feather in rebuke of her ‘beating the living daylights of him.’

Though his chuckle died as he let her continue speaking— he couldn’t have been here earlier because he was busy. Busy destroying worlds, busy finding and fighting his darkness. “Indeed, why couldn’t you have been here sooner?” The thought was murmured aloud— how much easier this was than the soul-shredding of Rexanna. The thought shocked his battle-numbed mind; not once in this discourse had the gilded mare arose in his mind.

It was… a relief.

He was brought back to the present by the next, uncensored words of Elsa. “I might have to keep you away from the others, you know. I’d like to keep you all to myself.” His brows raised as an outright laugh shook his barrel— though he did not miss the sudden surge of heat beneath his barrel at the thought of what this white woman might do to him while keeping him to herself.

But his laugh was cut short as its reverberations sharply twinged his injured face— they both needed to have their injuries attended to. “While I’m extremely interested to hear what you have in mind while keeping me all your yourself, my Queen, I think it is time for us to find a healer for our injuries. You did, after all, ‘beat the living daylights to of me.’” A lopsided grin covered his face, a new and mischievous gleam in his eye as he slowly disentangled himself from the white mare. Though, before pulling entirely away, he paused to press his broad muzzle gently against the soft side of hers.

Then, slowly and reluctantly turning his gaze away from her, he began to sweep the forest, wondering where their Moon Doctors might be.