⫯ holiday room

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ "That! Uhm..." Kaladin chuckled, pointing a finger at her before he broke out into a laugh, shrugging as he picked up the second stack of boxes, giving Emerald a mischievous smile. "Okay you got me there. And my forearm, by the way. You'll see." leaning over to peck her on the head, Kaladin turned to pull her towards the door, sticking his tongue out at Claire, who snorted and called after them: "Hope you trip, Kal! It was nice meeting you too, Emerald. Run while you still can!"
"Oh piss off", Kaladin shot back with a roll of his eyes, holding the door open for Emerald to pass through, the crisp winter air washing around them and into the Cafe. When they finally stepped out onto the street, Kaladin let out a small breath, air puffing off his lips as white smoke, the boxes in his hand a comfortable warmth. "Should we find a hidden spot and Apparate back? I don't think I have a bag we could use the extention charm on right now." It was comfortable, walking hand in hand like this, something Kaladin had never enjoyed suddenly a sense of home, a sense of security, even while the boxes of food were cradled against his chest and stomach, the city around them still oddly quiet as they walked away from the Cafe and into the morning.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ "Don't you think it's kind of odd that you speak of marriage when we had done it before we professed our love to one another?" She leaned away with a coy smile, picking up the glass of water that had been forgotten, taking a small sip as she gave him a pointed stare. Setting the glass down, she pushed herself off of her seat, turning around and slipping her arms through her jacket before pinching both of his cheeks with a single hand, pressing an obnoxious smooch to his lips. "Depends on where you're getting your tattoo, baby. I certainly won't be able to lay on my back for a while. At least, not comfortably." She grabbed a bag of stacked boxes in one hand while the other reached out to lace her fingers with his, one last kiss pressed to his cheek. Turning around, she raised her box-holding hand in an attempt to wave, a grateful smile flashed towards Claire. "Thank you for the delicious breakfast," she said with the most authentic, cheerful voice that she could ever give someone else. "It was lovely meeting you, Claire. Now," she continued, turning to Kaladin with an enamored gaze. "Shall we, my love?"

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ With a fake gasp Kaladin leaned back in his chair a little more, one hand already reaching for his jacket to pull out his wallet, voice low so Claire wouldn't hear his reply, knowing full well that the waitress knew everything that was going on in her Cafe, was aware of every word spoken, no matter how quiet. "Scandalous, my dear. Such shameless suggestions. Before marriage! My, my. If my mother knew, she'd... Nah wait my mum wouldn't care. Come on, let's go." Pushing himself out of his chair Kaladin reached for her jacket, holding it out to her as his smile grew a little darker, the honey of his eyes grew a little deeper, his voice just a breath when he added: "And we'll see about the activities. We're both getting a tattoo, my love. Although I certainly won't care about a little pain if it means I get to pick you up. Hopefully the walls aren't thin, I guess." Shrugging into his own coat Kaladin pulled a couple of bills from his wallet, folding then between his fingers before giving Claire a small signal, waving the money at her, resulting in her only making a gesture towards the table, her face utterly disgusted at this point. "You're so boned", the waitress mouthed his way and Kaladin rolled his eyes, holding out a hand for Emerald to take. "Think we can manage to hold hands /and/ carry all this stuff?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ "Oh I'm suggesting both, my love," she whispered while leaning forward, teeth sinking into her lower lip as her eyes coruscated with suggestive intent. Glancing back at the pair of eyes that studied them, a soft laugh effused from her jubilant smile, absolutely amused even though she would normally shy away from public displays of affection when it became too public. Or, in this case, when someone was clearly watching them. Yet, she didn't mind, turning back to meet Kaladin's eyes with a raised brow and a hand resting on his thigh. "And does it have to be horizontal? But nevermind that, we'll talk about it later. We better get back to this 'ty, creaky, probably moldy inn' before we're late. It looks like we have an appointment."

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ "Did you mean terribly whipped?", Kaladin replied immediately, giving his best impression of his phone's AI assistant. The smile that took over his lips at the kiss she placed on his cheek could only be described as being slightly stupid, eyes creasing and hair flopping across his forehead when he stifled a laugh in his fist. He had never been like this, really, so hopelessly enamored with anybody in his life and yet one simple peck to the cheek and he suddenly felt like blushing. But maybe it was Claire, watching them with an amused yet disgusted face from behind the counter, their table now stacked with boxes. "I mean...", he started, only to cut himself off as his eyes grew a little wider, head leaning backwards to give her one long, pointed stare. "Miss de Lisle. I beg your pardon? Are you suggesting we /cuddle/ instead of going out and getting drunk? Or, dare I say, are you suggesting horizontal activities? Because, Merlin, I'm in. No but seriously. You're right." Kaladin paused, taking a moment to look at their takeout with a small crease between his brows, gnawing on his bottom lip as he did so. "Let's go do the other stuff this week. Because this ty, creaky, probably moldy inn does sound like heaven."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ "Ever the romantic, aren't you?" She whispered in his ear, a chuckle laced between her words. With a kiss to his cheek, she pulled away, sparing a small glance towards Claire, only to bring her undivided attention back to Kaladin, who looked ethereal underneath the morning light. Merlin, she must be deep in love, if even the mere sight of him sitting by the window entranced her like it did. And yet she couldn't seem to snap out of it, even if she wanted to try. "But I want to at least try doing some of your plans. If anything, we can do the rest tomorrow. We still have a week on holiday, right? We don't have to have a busy day. And if I'm being honest," she lowered her voice into a murmur, leaning in once more with her lips ghosting over his ear, one hand over the side of as she whispered, "You make me happy. So if you asked me what I wanted to do, I would want to go back to that creaky little inn and stay there for a couple of hours."

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ "A lot of ideas?", he repeated, grin growing a little lopsided, eyes glazing over as he tried to imagine her covered in tattoos, a slightly dazed expression taking over his features. "I say go for it, my love. Whatever makes you happy. Then again, you could walk around in a burlap sack and I'd still think you're the most beautiful woman on this planet. So I'm literally the worst person to ask for advice on this", Kaladin muttered around a smile then, one hand rubbing at the nape of his neck as he breathed out a small, embarrassed laugh. He nearly jumped out of his own skin when Claire dropped the first stack of boxes on their table, saying "never listen to him, period" before turning on her heel and walking back to the counter with yet another arm full of plates. "I hate her, did I mention that?", Kaladin rolled his eyes with a click of his tongue, patting Emerald on the knee, eyes soft when he said: "If you want to get a few today, we totally can. This day is for the both of us, baby. We can do whatever we feel like. Screw my plans. Honestly. We'll do whatever makes us happy."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ "I actually had a lot of ideas for a tattoo," she murmured, pressing her lips against his, not paying any attention to Claire, who, with impeccable timing, approached their table with to-go boxes, only to walk back to her station behind the counter, dropping off the boxes there to instead bring as many plates as she could to pack up their food where the couple wasn't kissing. A hilarious sight, really, if Emerald cared to pay attention to anyone besides the man she kissed a few more times. "Who knows, I might get all of them at once, depending on what they say. What do you think, baby?"

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ "Uhhh.....", Kaladin made slowly, eyes flickering over to her face, although it made him go a little cross eyed. "Actually!", he exclaimed then, turning in his seat to grasp her face between his palms, squishing her cheeks a little bit to plant a kiss on her now puckered lips, giving her the brightest, most reckless grin. "It's a small shop. You can just come in and ask for a tattoo. Mine doesn't even take as long as I thought, really. I decided on a smaller one, so. God you'd look so y with a tattoo. Not that you're not drop dead gorgeous already. Just saying."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ "Go get you inked up?" Emerald knew that he listed just about a thousand things in this "list" he apparently wrote in his notes app, but it was all background noise in comparison to the small detail she picked out, interest piquing and displaying shamelessly on her features. It truly was a wonder, looking at her now. She used to be the least expressive girl on campus, her gaze usually stoic with not a hint of emotion, save for the times she raised or furrowed her eyebrows whenever a student did something incredibly stupid. Which, not-so surprisingly enough, happened very often. "You're getting a tattoo?!" She gasped, eyes wide as she leaned in, palms resting on his shoulder. It was easy for her excitement to disappear, however, her gaze becoming more incredulous with a tinge of offense. "Wait but what if I wanted to get a tattoo, too? Don't they only take appointments? Damn."

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ "Oh no, how dare the tea get cold", Kaladin gasped, a laugh woven into his words even while he leaned in to press a quick kiss against her cheek. "Alright, forget about the tea. One second." He turned in his seat then, giving Claire a quick wave and a small gesture, letting her know that they would be taking the rest of their food with them, causing her to roll her eyes at them, making kissy faces back at him across the Café. "Mhhh, let's see", Kaladin said then, fishing his phone from his pocket, flipping through his notes app, bottom lip caught between his teeth, fingers playing with the unruly locks that had fallen into his forehead and eyes. He really needed a haircut. "I have this appointment in three hours", he muttered quietly, thumb slowly sliding up on his screen, jaw working back and forth, nose scrunching up in thought. "We'd have to rush to get to the museum, but we could totally just take a walk in Kensington Gardens if you want? Relax a little, go get me inked up and then we can go to the museum? How does that sound?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ "I can't finish my tea," she whined quietly after taking a sip of said beverage, disdained with the way it tasted after it leaving it untouched for so long. "The tea has gone cold." Straightening up in her seat, she looked over at the wide array of food that remained uneaten, wondering how the hell someone could finish this much food in so little time. Perhaps, if they weren't in a rush, Emerald would have gladly taken a bite out of everything. But then again, it wasn't much really their schedule to blame as it was her own management of time, having had talked about her sentiments for the past hour because Kaladin made her so... emotional. And not necessarily in a bad way, either. After all, she had opened up to him more in the past week than she had with anyone for most of her life. Suddenly the trivial issue of not being able to eat her helpings from the buffet her boyfriend ordered wasn't such an issue after all. "So where to next?" She asked, not bothering to hide the excitement that made home in her features as she turned to him.

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ If Kaladin could turn one moment in bus life into a snow globe and live inside of it forever, it would be this one. It was peaceful, sitting here with Emerald tucked into his side, the cup of coffee he picked up to finish still slightly warm, the smell of their breakfast wrapped around them like a warm, homely embrace. It was easy to imagine the future like this - a small apartment, a balcony overlooking the city of London and it's endless rooftops, a Sunday morning with tea they'd share and simple, home-cooked food. The thought would have made him cringe and shy away mere months ago. Now, with an "I love you too" on his lips, it was all he could possibly wish for. If everything else failed, all their dreams failed, he could easily settle for something simple like this. "We should", he nodded, giving Claire a small sign to let her know they'd take the rest home with them. "We'll probably need it when we come back to the inn after we're done with everything. Dancing tends to make people hungry, after all. Come on, love, finish your tea. And then we'll get going."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ There was an unwavering fondness in her gaze even when she rolled her eyes, his comment so very typical of him and yet, despite how simple it may have been, had made her fall harder for him even more than she already was. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed this much, her face sore from smiling so much that all of it was surreal. So surreal that in fact, she felt her eyes twinkle like they way they did in shows, adoration pouring out from every single inch of her. And though it was so painfully obvious, she didn’t mind, didn’t mind how lovesick she looked when he kissed her cheek. “I love you,” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder before reaching out to take the remnants of her toast with two fingers. “Yeah,” she said with full, carefully inspecting the last bite of her toast just to pop it in not a second after. “Are we dropping the food off at the inn, though?”

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ "Someone /might/ have told me that before, I think", Kaladin chuckled at her words, leaning back in his chair to tap a finger against his chin as if in deep thought, eyebrows knitting together. "I can't quite remember who that was, really. Tiny, really good at crushing my ego, responsible for said ego most days. /Really/ pretty. Maybe you know her." He knew she'd probably roll her eyes at him for it, call him an idiot and yet he leaned in to place a quick peck against her cheek, casting a quick, contemplative glance at their table, still over-flowing with food. "Don't praise the day just yet, my love, you might hate the rest of what's to come. I mean, I sure hope you won't but at least breakfast is a success, ha."

Reaching into his pocket he fished out his phone, checking the time with the smallest of frowns etched onto his mouth, the corners of his lips pulling back into a tight little grimace. "Should we take the rest to go? We might be running late for some stuff if we spend more time here, I fear. We could totally skip some stuff, though. What do you think, love?"

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ It was incredible, really, how her heart fluttered as if it were the first time he ever looked at her. How her mind was completely blank, and how she found herself at a loss for words when he spoke so lowly as he held her in his arms. It was hard to contain the giggle that effused past a gleeful smile, her eyes scintillating with apparent adoration when she leaned in to press her forehead against his. A small hum followed and she closed her eyes, as she realized that it was harder than she thought it would be, to resist kissing him more at that very table. It was hard indeed. But she, at least, in a very selfish manner, still allowed herself to press her lips against his soft, pillowy pair for two devastatingly chaste kisses.

“You become quite the poet when you speak of your love,” she murmured, repeating the very words she had said to him once upon an afternoon. Her eyes were directed to the pendant she held between two fingers, her smile dimming but not in its affection. “So romantic,” she whispered at last, returning her gaze to meet his own. She released his necklace from her grasp, only to reach out and brush a stray curl that had fallen in front of his eyes before placing another kiss upon those irritatingly irresistible lips of his. “Just like the fact that you planned this whole day out for us. How lucky could I be?”

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ In the midst of his horrified, avocado induced shudder, Kaladin almost missed the way Emerald looked at him in that very moment. Yet that split second of catching her smile and the tiniest of an delighted chuckle that flickered in and out of his mind - like the wings of an overzealous bird in the earliest days of spring - was enough to make him freeze in his movements, hand outstretched to pick up his lukewarm coffee to chase down the taste of the bite he had just taken.
"Whaff?", he made, half-way through bits of toast that somehow refused to be swallowed, eyebrows shooting up in a display of utter confusion, eyelashes fluttering across his freckled cheeks while he watched her move.
"I mean", Kaladin started, emptying his coffee cup, gaze following Emerald's chair with amusement shimmering through. "I love you too, but what did I do? Hm?"

At the kiss she planted on his cheek, Kaladin couldn't help but laugh, not even bothering to tune down the sound despite the rather small space they were sitting in, an arm curling around her middle to pull her closer still, fingers splayed wide across her ribs and dipping into the negative spaces, lips peppering little butterfly kisses across her nose and onto her temple, voice hushed in a way that made it obvious the words were only meant for her, when he whispered: "Your smile is brighter than the morning sun today, love. Careful with that, unless you want me to kiss you senseless at this very table. We'd miss everything I had planned for today, if I did."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ Emerald’s eyes found home in the image of the man before her. It was strange, really: this pounding feeling that made itself apparent in the middle of her chest whenever he looked at her. Or the feeling of the muscles in her face aching, because her lips would pull at the corners, and stay that way as if it were pinned there. Or the way she could tell her eyes squinted, if only just a tad, closing just slightly in conjunction with the smile plastered on her face as she stared into his eyes. She was, in every bit, enamored with the man in front of her, and that alone was a rare discovery on its own.

Kaladin Ravenwood was the man she passed as they walked in opposite directions of the halls, and sat next to but paid very little attention to. Many girls gave him a lot of attention, in fact, but she was not one of them. Emerald minded her business. She never eyed men in hopes to have one of them be her own, nor did she daydream about the day a handsome knight would sweep her off her feet. If she did, Kaladin would not be the picture she would imagine. No. Not at all. He was everything she should have despised in a man: he was arrogant, egotistic, and gave his attention to all that wanted it. And yet, here she was, as enamored as any other one of those people–perhaps even more–wanting nothing but the feeling of his arms around her in a warm embrace, and to taste the sweetness of his lips with her own. Because Kaladin may be arrogant, egotistic, and he may have given his attention to many people in the past, but he was also confident, extraordinarily handsome, and perhaps the most attentive partner anyone could ask for. He was not perfect, she knew that, but he was perfect for what she needed. Or, at least, what she didn’t know she needed. Because Kaladin had been the man her mind and heart yearned for before she knew it and, with him offering all of the typical, mundane, disgustingly romantic things she would normally pull away from with comical disgust, she knew she would never stop falling. Ever.

Emerald could only manage an amused chuckle in the midst of her love-stricken expression, mouthing an “I love you” right before taking a sip of her surprisingly still-warm hot chocolate. She placed the cup down beside her platter and stood up, scooting her chair over right beside his before plopping down with a satisfied sigh, then greeting him with a shameless kiss smacked on his cheek. She giggled, not minding if it’s so unlike her, because as she wound her arms tightly around his neck, she realized that being exactly like those lovesick girls in movies wasn’t so bad after all.

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：skylar rivera。⁰² just like any other day you could find this man exploring the wilderness of whichever lies beyond him. jacob had the tendency to study a lot even if they didn't have an exam. if not that then he would move on to practice quidditch with his hufflepuff team members. the boy was always on the go and almost hated the fact of not being productive in his daily life schedule. his schedule also consisted of rest which included of talking to his friends, random classmates or simply lying down with his pet companion, lucky.

it's a good hobby to walk and reward himself some fresh air after all his hard work. it gives him more opportunity to meet his fellow acquaintances and possibly garner new friends along the way. however, what he can't tolerate every time he pass through the hallways of the institute were bullies.

the joy he felt of being absolutely free from his dorm room had escalated downwards once he saw someone being made fun of. a male hufflepuff student caught his line of vision whom he saw more than once before and a group of muggles. how dare they pick on him? he didn't do anything wrong and meant no harm to them. jacob assumed the male was clearly minding his own business until these people showed up to torment him. with his blood running high, jacob made the move to stop them from causing any more trouble.

it was a habit he gained when he was still in the orphanage. jacob had the tendencies to protect those who are around him no matter who they are. "hey, sto-." he was quite caught off guard from this situation though. right in front of his eyes, jacob witnessed the victim casting a spell towards his oppressors. that could sure land the man in trouble but he couldn't help but watch and bite in a laugh watching the group prance away.

once they were gone jacob made the effort to walk towards the wizard with a grin and small chuckle sounding through his lips. "that was a good move back there."

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ Kaladin's eyes were creasing at the corners, he knew, as he scoffed softly at her words, a shake of his head accompanied by the faintest of little chuckles that was breathed out across the edge of his coffee cup, the sturdy piece of China balanced on his ring finger as he gave her a little, yet devious smile from behind it.
"Doesn't have to be meatballs", he confided then after a brief pause, his head tilting to the side ever so slightly as he leaned back in his chair, an arm slung across his ribs, his other elbow resting against his wirst, as if he was planning to sit like this for another hour, watching her slowly eat their shared breakfast. A scene so perfectly serene, Kaladin wondered if this was what all the movies and love songs always talked about. The quiet morning with the perfect lighting, that lets you know that you arrived exactly where you were supposed to be. And suddenly the drunken morning with no cash and an empty phone battery, the worst hangover of his life and a scolding from his father when he finally came to pick him up at this little hidden cafe, seemed worth it. Almost as if he had been here at the wrong time, only for it to turn out exactly what he needed later in life.
"But that's what I wanted to do today", he pouted dramatically, taking another sip from his cup, across his lips to chase after the bitter taste and the hints of darkness and chocolate that clung to this tongue. "If you want the meatball Wednesdays, we should start by being horribly, disgustingly in love all over London. /All/ over London."

With a small grin, he carefully put the cup down once again, leaning forward in his chair, a hand pressed into the space between his knees as his grin widened and he grasped her chin with his free hand, pressing their lips together nearly awkwardly, what with the way he was smiling into the kiss. "But yes, I'll stop wooing you long enough for us to finish breakfast. But be prepared, my love. I'll probably end up quoting some really random and very cheesy poem for you when we arrive at the museum. Been stocking up my repertoire for a week", he said as soon as he broke away from her, winking before plucking his fork of the table, huffing out a breath.
"With that being said", he announced, straightening in his seat, hand placed over his heart. "If you're going to one day end up eating meatballs just for me, I might as well do the same for you. So. I guess. Cheers."
Reaching over he cut himself a piece of the rest her toast, eyeing it only for a second, before stuffing it into his mouth, lips pulling downward profusely as he started chewing, nose scrunched up and brows furrowed, managing nothing but a muffled "ew, nope" as he did so, shoulders pulling up towards his neck as he shuddered.

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@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ Emerald took in a deep breath as if she had expelled all air from her lungs with her confession. It was not the first time she had opened up to him – she had done so several times before – yet every single word that echoed each fragment of her memory were reminiscent of the little thorns that once caged her in before. Yet, it became easier every time. She had done well to notice that; notice the little smile that curved upon her lips when he had reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. It was a small gesture. Seemingly meaningless. Yet, it was as if he had done it to remind her that he was there; present when no one else was. And then the memory of her childhood faded as it was: a memory and nothing more. A soft chuckle emanated from her growing smile and filled the space around them, effusing to the corners of the little shop that were otherwise unoccupied. At that moment she tore herself away from the bitter recollection and decided to instead focus on the image before her.

It was so simple: here they were, seated at the corner of a little café eating breakfast as normal people would do, and yet it was nothing short of odd for her. Because while it was ordinary for others, this was something new for the girl who knew only of the world her parents have shown her as a young child. But she didn’t grow up sheltered, not at all. She had access to all the riches her parents’ wealth could offer her, and while that would have been enough to offer her the world, she never had the chance to enjoy the small, ordinary things in the fields of luxury. She never took a second to appreciate things like this. Like the obnoxious smell of coffee that masked an otherwise aromatic breakfast, and the smiles exchanged in between bites if they could manage to properly finish chewing before. The scenarios he let spill from his lips in a bout of excitement were just another few she would have never thought of experiencing, if it weren’t for him. If it weren’t for him at all. While she lamented over the what ifs and resented her parents for what little affection they provided, she failed, until now, to realize that she could have all she could dream of. Now. She could have it all, including the so-called “greasy take-out Fridays” that he speaks of with such gaiety. Emerald laughed, genuinely this time, eyes twinkling with both wonder and adoration as her heart blossomed underneath his gaze. “You’re so cute,” she remarked as her teeth sunk into her lower lip. “I love you. And I want all of that too, including these ‘meatball Wednesdays’ you talk about. Doesn’t sound fun; I don’t like meatballs. But for you, I’ll try anything.” She blushed, a shy smile curling upon her lips as she tilted her head down to look at her nearly half-eaten breakfast, poking the edge gently with her fork. “Now,” she cleared , gingerly picking up the cup of tea to lift it to her lips, lightly blowing at the liquid as she eyed him with an amused simper. “Stop trying to woo me in public, Ravenwood. Or else we’ll never get to finish breakfast and do all of those things you planned.”

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：jacob caxton。⁰³ he does not have the patience to deal with this nonsense. their mockery towards him has turned into some sort of background noise. he is not paying attention to a single word the other is saying, but as far as he’s concerned—it is irrelevant.

a frustrated growl leaves him, which expectedly earns negative responses from the group of muggles right in front of him. it is the sudden feeling of his burning cheek, together with how his eyes shut closed, that prompts him to process what happened next; he got slapped. the pain starts to surge in his face, causing him to wince. the slap was definitely a hard one, and it makes his blood boil. there is an indescribable feeling of rage that bubbles inside him, and he feels his face warm up as it flushed with pale pink. his heart seems to get the message from his body; it hammered so roughly against his chest, as if telling him to do something. anything. it is not every day you can see skylar this furious. god, he is fuming.

there is an idea that intrudes his mind, but he knows there is no going back if he does it. the consequences do not bother him much at this point, he just wants them to stay away from him; the further the better. maybe a scare will do.

only the constant sound of his heavy breathing fills the silence. his hands clutch tightly onto his wand as he gives it a little twirl, the tip pointing at them, while uttering the charm, “tarantallegra!” his eyes gleam with merriment as he watches the group of friends prance their way out of his sight. ignoring the constant cries of help, he waves his hands goodbye to them with a triumphant smile.

that will teach them.

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ Watching her in that moment felt a little like breaking his heart, for her. And yet there was something else, too, an emotion he didn't know how to sort away into the little drawers inside his chest, a feeling akin to relief, as if each word that was falling from her lips felt a little like liberty, now, a piece of her that he would carefully hold between his hands, until he was able to put it where it belonged, in the crystalline picture he was slowly building of her, a window to his own soul, all stained glass and brilliant gemstones. Some people might have gotten angry at her, would have accused her of bringing down the mood, but to Kaladin this moment was just as precious as all her smiles, all the little kisses they exchanged. This was her, her pain, her sentiment and Kaladin watched her as he drank it in, only reaching out for her hand beneath the table when he sensed that she was almost done talking, his fingers dancing over the matching bracelet she wore, the pad of his finger catching on the little diamonds as he slid it over the rose gold band, eyes gentle as they studied her face. And yet before he spoke, he set down his spoon, bringing up her hand to his face, pressing his lips to her knuckles, the back of her hand, her palm when he turned her fingers between his own, uncaring if anybody saw, if anybody would judge them for it, as the world once more narrowed down to them and nothing else. "Thank you", he breathed when he finally laced their fingers together, resting their hands on the table between them, his free hand reaching out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "For sharing that with me."

Biting his bottom lip, he fell quiet, if only momentarily, gaze unsure and yet brave as he said: "I'm sorry I made you feel like that, when I talked about my family and Christmas. And... I... well, not to rush things, but Im planning on making so many memories, of establishing every little tradition with you that I can get. Holiday or not, Emerald. I want the tradition of a Sunday morning in bed, listening to the rain outside, the Wednesday meatballs, the greasy takeout Fridays." He paused, his thumb pressing into the negative space between her knuckles, stroking over them with the flash of a memory gripping him, a tower in the night beneath a starry sky, their breaths clouding between them. Kaladin smiled, in that moment, eyes flickering away from her face and toward the window, almost as if he was shy of the words that spilled forth from his mouth, now. "I'm selfish, you know? I planned this day to make you happy, to make you remember this holiday break maybe forever. To… make these places /our/ places. Because I want to share with you what I love, because I love you and... that's why I'm thankful that you said all that, just now. It only makes me love you more, it only makes me want all of that with you even more. It's probably a lot to ask, but I might be secretly hoping that this is the start of something that is just ours. Without family, without school. Just you and I, building something entirely new. And if you ask me why, I don't even have a new answer, it's always just because I love you."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ It was funny. She was the one who had asked the question, hoping his jocund response would distract her from the thoughts that lingered in her mind. Yet, it had done nothing of the sort. She could only offer a sliver of a smile that did nothing to hide what disturbed her peace, no matter how slight the melancholy might’ve been. Emerald forked at her food, taking only a small bite and a sip of her English Breakfast, before carefully setting the utensil down beside the plate with a quiet sigh. Perhaps it was his silence, or maybe she saw his look of concern in her peripheral. Maybe she felt guilt in not sharing, when she had promised transparency time and time again. Or maybe, just maybe, there was regret in the unfamiliar, and resentment towards what she had known. “I spent every winter break with family,” Emerald began, lightly nudging her cup of tea away from her as she squeezed her hands between her thighs underneath the table. She shivered, and though it may have been clear that the gust of air had taken its chance inside the shop right before Claire had closed the door, she knew that it was partially from the chilliness of the memory. “I say winter break instead of holiday because, even with the amount of presents they showered me with, it never felt like a holiday with them.

“Never felt like Christmas. Never felt like New Year’s day. It hasn’t felt that way since I was a little girl. There’s no love in my family. I don’t remember the last time I said, ‘I love you’ to them. They fake it, but I can see right through them. They’re probably staying together for me. Or for lust. My father’s probably with my mother because it looks good to the cameras, and my mother, well. She never passed off as the type of person who needed romance, I guess. Maybe she married for love, and is now staying for money. Or equal custody.” There was a small pause when she took a bite out of her toast, opting to lift the coated bread with her fingers instead of making use of the silverware. She took a moment to chew, rubbing her fingers together over the plate to get rid of any crumbs that lingered. When she spoke again, she looked out the window, if only for a second, before turning to meet his eyes. “I don’t know. I looked into their minds before and wondered if there was any sort of affection there. I’m still not sure. I just know that Christmas feels empty. We don’t even spend it with family. It’s always with others in fancy dresses I cared less and less for as I grew older.” She chuckled at the irony. There was once a time when she adored playing dress up. “If it was just the three of us, my mother and father are tucked in their own offices on opposite ends of the house, doing work. We were only in the same room for dinner and gift opening. But other than that, nothing. New Years’ was the same. Except to me, it was only a new year. Nothing that meant sentimental value with resolutions and whatnot. It was just a change of a number on the calendar. Also a bunch of numbers that held little significance to me aside from schedules and deadlines.” She sighed. Her lips were upturned, although barely, to manage a smile. She wore it with a heavy heart, and made no effort to fix it. “When you told me stories about your family and Christmas, I was a little jealous. I’ve always wished to have that kind of sentiment towards a holiday.” Her smile grew, and she averted her gaze to her wrist, the diamonds on the rose gold band catching the glimmer of the sun. “I guess I have that now.”

@－ ❛ s ❜：emerald de lisle。⁰⁴ He was watching her as she surveyed the food, grabbing her cutlery to slice into the piece of avocado toast included in their brunch, eyes fond as they rested on her face, taking in the sheer delight she displayed at the taste of such a simple meal. It was an expression that still felt foreign on his features, as if his muscles didn't really remember what it felt like to move in true fondness, in true affection. It had been years since he last felt like this, watching someone enjoy the little things and enjoy those with them through nothing but sitting by their side, observing. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Kaladin chuckled as he pushed a bite of his own dish into his mouth, chewing slowly, almost as if to stall for time, buying it with little pieces of corn popping between his teeth, with sour cream melting on his tongue - just enough time to watch her face, still, as her eyes sparkled. "I told you", he shrugged with a snicker, finally swallowing and reaching out for his coffee, chasing the piece of fritter down into his stomach with its bitterness. "I was hoping you'd enjoy it, actually. I can't really judge, avocado and all that, but I've been told it's good so I was kind of praying for it to really be this fantastic."

He paused, eyebrows furrowing as he took in her mood slightly dampening, almost as if there was a sheer curtain being pulled over her mind, just thin enough for him to catch on to the sudden, even if slight, shift in her mood. Well, people said Kaladin had the tactfulness of a baseball bat sometimes, but he'd liked to disagree with them on most days. He could be blunt, could be tactless, but seeing his girlfriend just sitting there, momentarily staring off into the Café, he chose silence instead of comment, reaching for a clean teaspoon to scoop some yogurt into the small side bowl by his plate, stirring it together, swirls of honey and fruit disappearing and blending into the white.
"It does", he muttered, almost as if all he did was confirm her words and yet his tone held a hidden question, a hidden urge for her to share what was going on in her mind, eyes inquisitive as they searched for hers.
"Ah", Kaladin made then, a grin pulling his lips apart, spoon with yogurt hovering above his bow and slowly dripping until it was once more empty. "So."
He cleared his throat, setting his spoon down into the bowl, both hands now cradling his cup as his elbows rested on the table on either side of his plate, voice chipper and near excited as he started: "I have an appointment at a tattoo shop later this afternoon but I thought it'd be just enough time to a trip to the British Museum. Have you ever been there? /And/." He held up a finger, as if his following words were the most important of them all, voice dripping with mischief as he did so. "There's dinner and some clubbing involved in the evening plan. But! I don't tell you where we're going to go. That's going to be a surprise."

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：kaladin ravenwood。⁰⁴ It was quite easy to notice how relaxed Kaladin was in that environment, a quaint little shop with a table that could barely fit the amount of food he somehow had the appetite to order. It was cute, quite the adorable sight really, and the fact that there was no caution (despite his painfully obvious hopes that the waitress wouldn’t embarass him in front of her), nor apprehension present in his shoulders, she felt it all the more endearing to watch. He felt at home here, it didn’t take a legilimens like her to know that; what with the smile he wore in the wrinkle of his eyes and the completely constant display of his teeth, it was refreshing to see him like this. She noticed then that she hadn’t quite seen him interact with others, and if she did, the exchange was brief, unmemorable. This, by comparison, was much more special no matter how mundane it seemed. And it, she knew, would be cherished in the scrapbook of memories she’d hold close to her heart. With a chuckle, she finally tore her eyes from the heartwarming sight before her to direct her attention to the long-awaited food, in particular the avocado toast that her stomach grumbled impatiently for. “No, you didn’t,” she murmured, excitement in her brown spheres as she picked up a spoon and a fork, jabbing at the corner of the toast and slicing off a big enough piece that she would pop into , a hum eliciting behind closed lips as her eyes rolled back in satisfaction. “This might be one of the best I’ve had,” she whispered, leaning towards him with awe-filled eyes before taking yet another piece in .

“Not really, but I like it. It feels… homey.” Her expression dimmed just as she uttered that last word, only then remembering that this break, despite having been the best she had in years, was not the white walls and green and gold garlands she had gotten used to at this time of year. It embittered, her, really, the thought that she had suffered with doubt all those years, feeling like an outsider in her own home even if her parents had showered her with presents before. Material. That’s all they were. Materialistic items that never held sentimental value, and at this point it felt as though they had only showered her with jewelery and pretty clothing to distract her from the truth. But this, with her in a quaint little shop with a table that could barely fit the amount of food her boyfriend somehow had the appetite to order, was something she had yearned for. It was so simple. So mundane. And yet, she adored it more than the glamour and familiarity of her parents’ home. “So are you finally going to tell me what you have planned for us?”

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：hanami inazuma。⁰³ "well if that's the case, we shall go some shopping but I'll ask them to wrap it up as a present," she mentioned it as a cab just arrived and she opened the door while witnessing how saru and nami were eating their snacks on hanami's hand. winter carefully guide hanami in to the cab before she did as she told the driver to the location where they will be staying at. "ah nope, a cousin of mine have an extra apartment just in case if any of our family come to visit so we can stay over. not to mention that there's no one coming for the week so we can have the whole apartment by ourselves," exclaimed by her excitement as she knows the apartment well as much as her own house, showing hanami around the city while still in the cab

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：winter llewelyn。⁰³ ( H ) () it's okay ^^

"Really? But I don't want to see what you will gift for me." She fiddled her fingers before following her roommate as they ventured to the city of love. Saru and Nami climbed on Hanami's shoulders while squeaking at each other before she chuckled and gets their treats from her pockets before the two came down to her hand and starts feeding. "By the way, are we going to stay in a hotel?" She asked before blinking at her.

@－ ❛ ɢ ❜：hanami inazuma。⁰³ // sorry for the very late reply;;

"I'm good, actually perfect because you're here now with me to tour around!" winter exclaimed as she saw her pets on her arms with a wide smiles before patting both of the guinea pigs' head, she nodded before grabbing her arm and winter's other hand to take the luggage of hanami's. "i received and guess what, i couldn't find anything nice at home so i was thinking to get you on the spot. let's find something for you as a gift when we walk around for a little shopping," with them walking to the road side where winter hailed a cab down for them to head over to their accommodation.