Yule in Port of Pearls [Private]

[TrashRabbit]

"Okay," He said digesting the information quickly as he did most new things, "But that sounds terminally fancy. Are we gonna have to go back early to cook?" He wouldn't complain if yes. Like Nicola he too yearned to be inside with a book.

 

[wickedlittlecritta]

"It's a little fancy," Cathal said. "And we still have time. Why, are you hungry already? Or are you just tired of being the better skater?"

 

[TrashRabbit]

"I thought about being home where the books are and got hopeful," He admitted shamelessly.

 

[wickedlittlecritta]

Cathal groaned theatrically. "Can't take a wizard anywhere," he lamented. "I will take you home soon, but I'm going to make you chop potatoes."

 

[TrashRabbit]

"I mean this is fun- I just wouldn't complain if we had to go back early to chop potatoes. Pretend I didn't say anything-" He says and moving Cathal through the paces of the dance on ice.

 

[theunearthlyfool]

It hadn’t occurred to her until the first magpie appeared that her song might call Tuesday back to her; she probably would’ve played a few anyway before going back to town. But it didn’t break her heart that he returned before the first one was over. As the parliament slowly gathered, her heart soared and you could hear the smile in her voice as she sang.

When Molly finished her song she didn’t move for fear of frightening him away again, instead resting her chin on her guitar and taking in the sight of her sweetheart in the snow. “Welcome back,” she said softly. “I missed you. Nicola says she’s sorry for startling you, she really didn’t mean anything by it."

 

[wickedlittlecritta]

"But it's so much more fun to tease you, " Cathal said, and nearly tipped them both over because he couldn't resist leaning in to kiss Tom on the nose.

 

[TrashRabbit]

Tom flustered and didn't seem to know what to do with being smooched on the and attempted to make a comeback but instead stuttered in a circle around making any coherent sentences.

___

"That was just a moment ago though?" He asks tentatively, as if afraid that he had not only startled away but lost track of time significantly, and it showed on his face, "These things were easier to manage when I was a man."

 

[theunearthlyfool]

“Oh yes, sorry. It was just a moment, I just meant-” In having to clarify, Molly lost some of her boldness. “Well, we were having a nice conversation, and also I like being around you, so…” She smiled bashfully. “So I missed you when you were gone, is all. I guess. I... had been looking forward to spending the day with you.”

Flustered, she looked down at her guitar and quietly strummed a few chords. Her stomach felt like it had plunged down into her toes. “Anyway, I’ve been a person all my life and am terrible at keeping track of the time, so. You’re doing all right.” Molly giggled.

 

[wickedlittlecritta]

Cathal laughed gleefully at making Tom stutter. "Oh, it does appear that the cat has won the wizard's tongue," he teased. "Come back to me, love, I'd like to do it again."

 

[CelticSol]

"I would never let you break anything, Nikki - if I let you fall, it will be painless and solely for my amusement," Jackie says with a wink and a squeeze of Nicola's hand, chugging down the rest of her cider in a single gulp. She plunks down on a bench to lace up her skates, then kneels in front of Nicola to help her with her skates, drawing all the laces loose so she can draw them tightly closed.

"You want them tight around your ankles, it'll keep you from rolling an ankle," Jackie explains as she double knots the skates' laces, "They're supposed to be tied real tight. I did, after all, promise that I wouldn't let you break a bone, ankles included."

Jackie rises to her full height on the skates, balancing effortlessly as she holds out her hands for Nicola to take, "Lets see if you can balance on solid ground before we get you on the ice."

 

[TrashRabbit]

Reassurance that time was cooperating with him seemed to cheer him and he scrabbled up to his feet and came to sit besides her on the the stump. He wasn't sure he could spend a whole day in a human space when he was feral enough that a whistle and a strong emotion could send him flying. But he did want to spend the day with her.

"You kissed me," He acussed her while not looking directly at her.

 

[theunearthlyfool]

Though she was extremely pleased that he came to sit next to her (scooting away just a tiny bit to try and give him more room), the guitar betrayed Molly’s panic when it squawked unhappily as his accusation made her clench the neck a little too tightly.

“Yeeeessssss…” She also didn’t look at him, focusing on her guitar again. “Sort of. I mean, you started it. Is…” Molly dared a glance up at him. “Is that okay?”

 

[TrashRabbit]

"That's more than alright?" He said, "You like kisses better than sticks, so I'll give you as many as you like."

 

[theunearthlyfool]

“Oh, gee, thanks.” Nicola flushed when Jackie bent to adjust the laces on her skates. “Ah, I probably could’ve done that.” She hated letting others do things for her, but her real fear at falling and making an ass of herself pushed back against it. “Thank you, though. Very gallant of you.”

She hesitated when Jackie offered to help her stand up. “Uh, I don’t anticipate that I can stand with these things on my feet,” she worried. “Just a… just a heads-up.”

Long ago a professor had taught her to count backwards from three before doing a task. The rule was, no matter how much you didn’t want to do the thing, when you reached zero you had to get off your backside and go to work. She was surprised how well it worked for her still. Taking Jackie’s hands, Nicola counted to herself: three... two... one... zero, and then pulled herself to her feet.

 

[theunearthlyfool]

Molly beamed at him. “That might be the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” She sat up straight, going to give him another peck on the lips, but in her haste kind of missed and got the corner of his mouth instead. “Oh, oops.” With an embarrassed giggle she looked away, screaming internally.

 

[TrashRabbit]

He laughed as well, cupped her face, leaned in and really kissed her like he was the prince of magpie and terribly in love with her.

 

[theunearthlyfool]

All her life, the inside of Molly's head had been a riot of sound: a constant storm of anxious thoughts, hopes & dreams, nightmares real and imagined. And all of that set to music; constant music that never left her, even when she slept.

For the first time, now, her heart was quiet. There was nothing in the world besides this moment, at the edge of the winter woods where snow muted all sound. For once Molly's mind was speechless… save for one troubling little realization, as she returned the magpie prince's kiss.

Oh, no… I think I'm actually in love with him.