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 Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 10:24 am
Takes place on Christmas Eve. Quote: Prompt 7 (Snowbunnies): Winter seems to bring out the cutest of all rodents; this isn’t the first time that small, white rabbits have infested Destiny City. They’re small, rarely larger than a guinea pig, and have large eyes and wiggling noses. They are always pure white and seem to show up whenever there’s snow. They aren't menacing or evil, they're just everywhere. They seem strangely domesticated; they are sweet, curious, and friendly creatures that will eat anything you give them. They always seem cold to the touch, and when they shake, little snowflakes sprinkle off of them. While they seem to be social creatures who seem to appreciate anything warm and will cuddle up to steal body heat, they are too skittish and fast to be kept for pets. They can show up just about anywhere, either alone or--often--in pairs. They tend to wander off on their own without any trouble, but if you surprise them or try to catch or hurt them, they may bite. Their little teeth are enough to break skin, but after one bite they run away. The bite itself isn’t bad, but the effects are a bit unpleasant: for roughly two days after the bite, the injury is cold and the victim will feel random, cold, shooting pains. Their core body temperature will drop and they will often be sent into random fits of shivering. No medicine seems to help, and no amounts of blankets or hot baths can soothe the chill. You're just going to have to deal with it and hope it gets better… Most experiences with the bunnies are perfectly pleasant, you just have to worry about them burrowing. There are holes peppering Destiny City, and with the fresh fallen snow it can be impossible to tell where they are hiding. The holes range from small holes to several feet deep, so can be a minor inconvenience to a potential hazard. On the bright side, sometimes you wind up covered in bunnies looking for warmth from their sudden guest. On the other hand, there are a rising number of trips to the hospital for twists and sprains. The bunnies always leave with the snow, so best to enjoy them--or avoid them--for as long as you can.
This wouldn’t normally concern Lovely as long as they stayed out of his way, but their burrows and hideyholes meant walking in the snow was even more treacherous than usual. His thigh, though healing well, still ached on occasion. His shoulders, though returned to their former range of motion, remained tender. His hand, promised to be removed from its cast after Christmas, might not support his weight if he went down.
Which was the excuse he used for having an arm around Ilian. The snow was thick beneath their feet, the bunnies plentiful. Obviously he had to be careful not to injure himself again.
Especially now, when Ilian insisted upon being reckless.
Lovely’s breath was a thin white cloud in the cold night air as he sighed.
“I can’t even try to talk you out of it this time,” he said.
A walk around the neighborhood was meant to be a cure for his restlessness. Their neighbors were the type to go all out during the holidays, covering their houses and lawns in all manner of decorations. A part of Lovely liked it. They didn’t have this when they lived in their dumpy apartment. Back then, they didn’t have a lot of things.
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 5:08 pm
Despite what Lovely probably thought, Ilian did feel guilty for diving into things. But Lovely had always known he was a bit impulsive. Better now than he had been before, but when he set his mind to something he was very rarely talked out of it.
He kept his arm around Lovely’s back as Lovely had his around him, not wanting to give him the chance to slip and fall, or step on one of these bunnies that kept hovering underfoot. For a few moments he didn’t say anything in response as they walked, taking in the sight of the houses covered in lights and lawns with decorations.
“You know I don’t want anyone else risking themselves for this,” he said quietly, the words coming out with the breath of white. “It’s only a plan. I don’t even know if we’ll get the opportunity,” he admitted. They might end up with no additional information, or the White Moon would fail at whatever they were trying to do, or they would all suffer for whatever they ended up putting together.
One General in place of the rest of the Negaverse seemed like an easy choice for the Queen to agree to. And as Faustite would say, they were all expendable.
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 5:27 pm
Lovely would agree. They were all expendable — to Metallia, who would sacrifice whomever or whatever was necessary. Even the Queen wasn’t safe, and the General Sovereigns. All the pawns below them had no hope. If they lived, they were fortunate; if they didn’t, it was no great loss, for someone else would replace them.
But Ilian was not expendable to him.
If Lovely could talk him out of it, he would. This time, he didn’t waste his breath. Jet promised the Queen; he couldn’t exactly back out on that. All Lovely could do was remind Ilian, in whatever small ways he knew how, that losing Ilian was not an option he was willing to accept without a fight.
They slowed on their walk as they drew closer to their own house. Lovely glanced up at Ilian, watching the way their neighbor’s lights played over his face. There was snow in Ilian’s curls. His cheeks were faintly colored from the cold. Lovely’s heart ached to look at him.
Hearts were stupid, he decided.
Everything was stupid. The entire war was ridiculous.
“This was always my favorite time of year,” he said, because he realized he never had before, and he thought Ilian should know. “When we were in that dump of an apartment. The rest of the year was hot and gross and miserable, but at least at the end of it you were happy.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:02 pm
Ilian slowed with Lovely did, looking down at him in mild surprise. Somehow he already knew this was Lovely’s favorite time of the year. He was just surprised that Lovely would say it out loud. There were a lot of things that Ilian knew about Lovely that he didn’t always say out loud.
“I had the chance to play all day at the department stores,” he said with a smile, lifting a hand to gently brush the snow from Lovely’s hair and from his shoulder. “It was always difficult to go so long without being able to play anything. My fingers felt like they were restless. And you seemed happy, too, so of course I was happy then.”
There weren’t many people Ilian would bother spending so much time with. He and Lovely didn’t have the best start, but they learned to grow with each other, and Ilian appreciated that about Lovely. He was dependable where others weren’t.
“Now I can play any time I want,” he grinned, and then laughed softly at how much things had changed for them. “I’m not about to give that up. And I’m not going to leave you in that huge house all by yourself,” he promised. And because he could, leaned close to press a kiss against Lovely’s forehead.
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:22 pm
“Gross,” Lovely complained, because forehead kisses were for people who were capable of expressing and accepting affection, and he had never really been that.
Even so, he didn’t pull away. Ilian’s lips were warm against his forehead. The gesture sent Lovely’s insides squirming in the most uncomfortable way. Maybe it was gas. Maybe it was an illness and he was about to throw up their dinner. Maybe it was those metaphorical butterflies people always talked about. Maybe it was all his imagination. Maybe this was a bad dream, and he’d wake up to find that there were no Senshi and no aliens and no war.
But then he might not be with Ilian, and Lovely was fairly certain he wouldn’t like his life as much if that were the case.
He probably wouldn’t like his life at all.
A rabbit hopped by, brushing against Lovely’s leg, but he ignored it. He threw both arms around Ilian and held on tight, afraid to let go.
Ilian wasn’t even going anywhere, but the further his plans went, the more Lovely continued to feel as if they were running out of time.
“I wouldn’t stay in that huge house by myself,” he said, voice quiet. “I told you before. When you die, I die.”
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:37 pm
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Ilian said softly in return, but there was a sadness in his voice. It made his chest tight and uncomfortable, and he placed his arms around Lovely to hold him in return. They didn’t often express affection, physical or not, but when Lovely did, Ilian knew it was serious.
“Hey,” he mumbled after a moment, one hand lifting up to brush at Lovely’s hair some more. The snow was gone, but he liked to touch the golden curls and waves. “I’m not going to die. I’m already coming up with a plan to make sure everything is taken care of,” he promised.
A few bunnies hopped around their feet, but Ilian ignored them for the moment. He couldn’t pay attention to anything else when Lovely had that look in his eyes like that.
“What else about winter do you like? We could make a snowman if you want,” he offered with a small smile. “I can push you into the snow again and we can makeout.” Because no sparring match ended better than with making out.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:33 am
Lovely glanced up at Ilian and stared into his eyes, in search of sincerity and certainty. He found it, of course. There was no doubt that Ilian believed his plan would work, but belief meant very little to Lovely. They could be wrong about everything, and they wouldn’t know until it was too late.
Ilian wanted to put himself at Ganymede’s mercy, and he wanted Lovely to stand back and let him. Just the thought made Lovely sick. All he could rely on for comfort was Ilian’s loyalty to him — his care, his concern — and hope it was enough to strengthen him, to keep him fighting when a Princess and her knights wanted him dead.
“You’re disgusting,” Lovely said, but there was no heat in his voice. The words almost choked off in his throat.
What could he say? What could he do? He’d never felt so powerless, so defeated before the fight even began.
Lovely closed the gap between them and kissed Ilian’s smile, softly, like he’d disappear if Lovely wasn’t careful. He kissed Ilian’s mouth, and his cheek, and the freckle by his eye. He kissed the cold tip of Ilian’s nose, then the unfurrowed space between his brows. Ilian wasn’t even visibly worried. Either he truly had no second thoughts, and he’d gotten better at hiding it.
“I like the cold,” Lovely said when their foreheads came to rest against one another. “But only when you’re here.”
Don’t go, Lovely wanted to say. Don’t do this.
But he knew he couldn’t, this time. He knew Ilian wouldn’t listen, not because Ilian didn’t care, but because at this point there was little choice in the matter.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:53 am
Ilian continued to smile softly at each kiss Lovely gave him. He leaned into them, lowering his head just a bit for Lovely to reach easier. Their heights weren’t so different that it was difficult for Lovely to reach where he wanted, but they had been the same at one point. Now Ilian was taller. He’d filled out more than he had as a scrawny teenager who only had his name and nothing else.
Now he had Lovely. He had the Negaverse. There were too many for him to name, but he could see them in his mind’s eye when he thought about why he had to do what he promised the Queen.
If it wasn’t him, it would likely be someone else at the White Moon’s mercy. He knew what he could control. And he did have a plan. It was just a matter of everything falling into place. And if it didn’t, then he was confident they would improvise.
“You like the cold when I’m here?” he hummed softly in amusement as their foreheads were pressed together. He took the opportunity to quickly slide one of his hands underneath Lovely’s jacket and tug at his shirt so he could place a cold hand against the small of his back.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:14 am
Lovely squirmed and shivered, eyes narrowed in a glare of warning, but it was half-hearted at best. He jerked away from Ilian’s cold hand, then leaned back into it. His own hand, the good one, clutched one of Ilian’s lapels; the other, the injured one, came to rest against his shoulder.
“Disgusting,” he complained again.
There were words rising through the despair, fighting to be spoken, hanging there on the tip of Lovely’s tongue. He swallowed them down instead, using the last fraying threads of stubbornness to keep them contained.
Maybe they were obvious, the words he couldn’t say. Maybe Ilian could sense them in Lovely’s desperate kiss, out amongst the twinkling lights and falling snow.
A few rabbits continued to congregate around their legs, but neither of them paid them any mind.
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