All of our exchanges are by candle light, I just realised
He’ll walk through the walls and creep up behind
Make sense of the maze that you were stuck outside, cover your eyes
"You're looking for someone," he said, simply.
They let out a slow breath.
"I'm looking for lots of people," they deflected, despising the heat that rose into their face.
"You don't say," Volke hummed, quirking up the edge of his lip.
They clenched their jaw.
He slid off of their desk. "Well, I have others to pry into the business of!"
"Mm," they hummed, held out their hand for the orb. "Don't let me keep you. I'll likely summon…later tonight."
"The full moon? Are we desperate enough for superstition?" he asked.
They shrugged. In truth, they'd forgotten the phase. Too much happening, too often.
"I'll pick for you, if you like. Fifty, per orb," he chuckled.
You'll only cut me if I let you
No, we ain't doing this just for pleasure
Either learn me or I'm a lesson gone oh
If you want me don't take me for granted, yeah, yeah
If I'm worth more than you could manage, baby
"I don't hope like that," they blurted before they could think.
Don't fall.
"What do you hope like?" he asked.
"I'm always prepared for the worst. Anything else is just a dream. A diversion."
He chuckled.
"It isn't a dream."
"Say it," they breathed. "Please." Take the plunge first for me.
In this hell of a season
Give me more of a reason
To be with you
Be with you, yeah
Say you'll be better
I'll keep waiting forever
You know I do
"What stays your hand?" he asked, piercing gaze on theirs.
They were quiet, trying to find some artful phrasing. They gave up.
"Love," they said.
As still as the air grew between them, they were about to ask if they'd not actually managed to say it aloud, if he'd heard them.
"Is it?" he asked.
"Yes, I love you," they said, softly.
"I see," he said.
They were a thousand miles away from there, in that moment, as though staring from a great distance, watching through their own eyes as some third party.
"You… are certain?" he asked, though it barely felt like a question and hit them as though they were underwater.
"Yes," came a voice that was theirs, but they felt they barely controlled.
"… good," he murmured. "Then… I have not been a fool to carry that feeling so long."
You don't have to cover your face any longer,
I'm always going to see you for whatever you are
You can go any place, no matter how low,
I'm coming with you, I'm not afraid of the dark
They were about to give up on his answering, move to another topic.
"To feel you trust me."
"To feel… I… mmm. I see," they said.
They studied him in profile as he watched the shifting clouds, air heavy with prior rain, sky still hiding itself.
Put on your dancing shoes
And show me what to do
I know you've got the moves
All my own stunts
High noon has changed its tune
"Stop trying to be a damned god!"
They saw some realization on his face, some shock. Maybe that he hadn't meant to yell, or maybe it was that they felt their eyes burn with a sudden spring of tears welling up.
"I'm not- I'm not a god, but- but how fucked up would it be to have this power and not use it?! To not do everything I can to keep the people I love alive?!" they bit back, voice sharp despite how it shook. "If I'd gotten that body back-"
"Mark! If!"
"I wouldn't have given up! I gave up for this! I gave up for you!"
Cross my heart, hope to die (Uh)
To my lover, I'd never lie (I love you baby)
He said, "Be true," I swear I'll try
In the end, it's him and I
He's out his head, I'm out my mind
We got that love; the crazy kind
I am his, and he is mine
In the end, it's him and I
They held his gaze, and expected him to say something, anything, but he just gave them a small nod.
Mark returned it, just as small of a motion.
"… Yes, I'll be fine," they finally said, though still lingering in Volke's hold a long moment until he gave their shoulders a faint squeeze, then released.
"Good," Volke said, then pulled the cape around their shoulders, fastened the clasp – the Askr crest stamped into it – with nimble fingers. "Then, off with you, and you'll see us around."
They fingered at the clasp briefly, tracing the raised pattern on it.
"Mm. Mhmm. See you."
Karel reached for them and before he'd even made contact, they stilled, turned towards him. The kiss he pressed to their lips was a brief thing, but warm.
"Now, go," he said, a faint, placid smile on his lips.
tactics, blood, & money
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Miracle Aligner - The Last Shadow Puppets
All of our exchanges are by candle light, I just realised
He’ll walk through the walls and creep up behind
Make sense of the maze that you were stuck outside, cover your eyes
"You're looking for someone," he said, simply.
They let out a slow breath.
"I'm looking for lots of people," they deflected, despising the heat that rose into their face.
"You don't say," Volke hummed, quirking up the edge of his lip.
They clenched their jaw.
He slid off of their desk. "Well, I have others to pry into the business of!"
"Mm," they hummed, held out their hand for the orb. "Don't let me keep you. I'll likely summon…later tonight."
"The full moon? Are we desperate enough for superstition?" he asked.
They shrugged. In truth, they'd forgotten the phase. Too much happening, too often.
"I'll pick for you, if you like. Fifty, per orb," he chuckled.
Doubt (demo) - 21 Pilots
I'm not sure if I can see this ever stopping
Shaking hands with the dark parts of my thoughts, no
You are all that I've got, no
Don't forget about me
He pulled back with eyes heavy-lidded.
"I have always been a blade in your hand, have I not?"
"Yes. But also more…"
"More, later. For now, set my blade loose as to your need."
"I… yes. Yes, I do have need."
Lullaby - NERO
Take it slow, in control
All I have to do is follow
You are my lullaby
"A blade needs more than honing the edge. You are already sharp… you need to be polished, oiled. Maintained."
"It's more than I expected."
"You expect me as I fight."
"No. Not only that…but I am used to anticipating your strongest traits."
"I have others."
"Obviously," they groused. "I'm not a fool."
Karel nudged in against their neck, mouth hot. Their breath hitched.
"You think of such violence. Lovely, I can undo you in other ways."
Casual Love - Autograf & The Griswolds
Just promise me my dear
Swear that we won't fall in love
I ain't looking for no ever-afters
It ain't working for me
They parted his collar, kissed at what of his chest they bared.
"And what do you expect from me? Love? To be your sweetheart?"
"… No. It is not romance. It is meeting needs, hopefully yours as well as mine."
He hummed, a little hitch in his breath as they kissed at his jaw.
"Ah. Then you won't mind if there's nothing dear about me."
Dangerous - Big Data
Yeah, understand I got a plan for us
I bet you didn't know that I was dangerous
It must be fate, I found a place for us
"I had eyes on you," he said.
In the shadows, they could still see how his skintone deepened at the edge of the mask. Their own skin didn't have such cover, ran hot.
His leather-covered palm pressed against their cheek.
"Don't… don't look at me like that," they said.
Their waterline burned at the softness in what of his expression they could see.
"Tch… One hundred to stop," he muttered, drew close to rest his forehead against theirs.
Damage - H.E.R.
You'll only cut me if I let you
No, we ain't doing this just for pleasure
Either learn me or I'm a lesson gone oh
If you want me don't take me for granted, yeah, yeah
If I'm worth more than you could manage, baby
"I don't hope like that," they blurted before they could think.
Don't fall.
"What do you hope like?" he asked.
"I'm always prepared for the worst. Anything else is just a dream. A diversion."
He chuckled.
"It isn't a dream."
"Say it," they breathed. "Please." Take the plunge first for me.
His lips showed a placid smile.
"Mark," he said. "I might love you."
Hell of a Season - Black Keys
In this hell of a season
Give me more of a reason
To be with you
Be with you, yeah
Say you'll be better
I'll keep waiting forever
You know I do
"What stays your hand?" he asked, piercing gaze on theirs.
They were quiet, trying to find some artful phrasing. They gave up.
"Love," they said.
As still as the air grew between them, they were about to ask if they'd not actually managed to say it aloud, if he'd heard them.
"Is it?" he asked.
"Yes, I love you," they said, softly.
"I see," he said.
They were a thousand miles away from there, in that moment, as though staring from a great distance, watching through their own eyes as some third party.
"You… are certain?" he asked, though it barely felt like a question and hit them as though they were underwater.
"Yes," came a voice that was theirs, but they felt they barely controlled.
"… good," he murmured. "Then… I have not been a fool to carry that feeling so long."
The Dark - Boom Jinx & Meredith Call
You don't have to cover your face any longer,
I'm always going to see you for whatever you are
You can go any place, no matter how low,
I'm coming with you, I'm not afraid of the dark
They were about to give up on his answering, move to another topic.
"To feel you trust me."
"To feel… I… mmm. I see," they said.
They studied him in profile as he watched the shifting clouds, air heavy with prior rain, sky still hiding itself.
"I do," they said.
"I know… For a moment, I think you forgot."
The cold shame writhed in them.
"I'm sorry," they said.
All My Own Stunts - Arctic Monkeys
Put on your dancing shoes
And show me what to do
I know you've got the moves
All my own stunts
High noon has changed its tune
"Stop trying to be a damned god!"
They saw some realization on his face, some shock. Maybe that he hadn't meant to yell, or maybe it was that they felt their eyes burn with a sudden spring of tears welling up.
"I'm not- I'm not a god, but- but how fucked up would it be to have this power and not use it?! To not do everything I can to keep the people I love alive?!" they bit back, voice sharp despite how it shook. "If I'd gotten that body back-"
"Mark! If!"
"I wouldn't have given up! I gave up for this! I gave up for you!"
They bit their tongue as his eyes narrowed.
Him & I - G-Eazy & Halsey
Cross my heart, hope to die (Uh)
To my lover, I'd never lie (I love you baby)
He said, "Be true," I swear I'll try
In the end, it's him and I
He's out his head, I'm out my mind
We got that love; the crazy kind
I am his, and he is mine
In the end, it's him and I
They held his gaze, and expected him to say something, anything, but he just gave them a small nod.
Mark returned it, just as small of a motion.
"… Yes, I'll be fine," they finally said, though still lingering in Volke's hold a long moment until he gave their shoulders a faint squeeze, then released.
"Good," Volke said, then pulled the cape around their shoulders, fastened the clasp – the Askr crest stamped into it – with nimble fingers. "Then, off with you, and you'll see us around."
They fingered at the clasp briefly, tracing the raised pattern on it.
"Mm. Mhmm. See you."
Karel reached for them and before he'd even made contact, they stilled, turned towards him. The kiss he pressed to their lips was a brief thing, but warm.
"Now, go," he said, a faint, placid smile on his lips.
#karel #mark #volke <3rehide