((Note: This is actually an excerpt from a WIP for my non-Warden Amell, who specializes primarily in the school of entropy.))
“I heard it from the Knight Commander himself this afternoon: they’re planning to summon you for your Harrowing at midnight.”
The girl allowed herself a tiny smile at both the news and at the way the young man worried over the message he delivered, but her expression was hidden almost entirely by the shadows that hid them. Hidden or not, he must have sensed how pleased she was, because he scowled. “I’m touched by your concern.”
“It’s not some trifling matter, Vrania,” he hissed, and the touch of a smile on her lips widened into an open grin. “I didn’t just randomly overhear the order. I’m to be in attendance. I— I’m…”
“…to strike down the horrible abomination that I’ll become as a result?” she teased. “You know as well as I do that’s not going to happen. For one thing, I’d have to fail for that to even be an issue.” Winding her arms around his neck, Vrania scraped her nails through the dark blonde curls at the nape of his neck and pulled him as close as his armor allowed her. “And as for the other possibility, I don’t think you could hurt me if you wanted to.”
Stiffening, he tried to push her away; when she wouldn’t release her grip on him he relented. “Maker’s breath, woman, what do you think you’re doing?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
“I should think that’s quite obvious,” she replied, lifting on her toes and almost brushing her lips against his. “Come off it, Cullen, meeting me after curfew every third night since Wintersend at least? You may as well admit why; no matter what happens at this point, we’re both in the same amount of trouble if your Knight Commander were to find out about our visits.”
Vrania could just make out the crease in his brow as he frowned. “Then this is the last time you’ll be seeing me like this.”
“No it’s not,” she smiled knowingly, bringing one arm from behind his neck and tracing a casual line along his jaw. “Not only can you not stay away, you know how those idiot apprentices are with their rumors. No, we’re safe only so long as they don’t sense a change in either of us.”
The templar frowned, shaking his head as if clearing a fog. He smiled softly afterward, though, twirling a bit of her dark pink hair between his fingers. “I still can’t believe you can get this color in your hair from a few cups of raspberry juice,” he commented as if they’d been discussing her hair dyes the entire evening.
“It took a bit of practice to get the color even,” she admitted, just as careful to keep him away from where this conversation could lead as she was to avoid earlier topics. There was no reason for him to know that she’d not used anything but her own will to maintain the color in months. If he was new enough at this templar business not to recognize magic, there was no reason to point out any more of her power’s signature than necessary.
“It suits you, though.”
Grinning, Vrania grabbed the throat of his breastplate and pulled him back down where she could reach him and glued her lips to his. He didn’t even resist, his hands tangling in her short hair. After a few moments his eyes widened as he finally realized what he was doing, and he pulled away.
“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t keep you,” he stammered, “considering what you have ahead of you, of course.”
“I’m up late most nights, Cullen,” the grin from earlier still hadn’t faded as she very deliberately eyed him head to toe and back again. “I think I can handle a late night tonight, Harrowing or no.” Shock turned to mild horror as he finally understood her implication and took a number of steps back. “I- no- that wouldn’t be proper, I’m sorry.”
“Fuck proper,” Vrania laughed and he paled even further.
“I- I’ll see you later toni- another time, Apprentice Vrania,” he bowed stiffly before fleeing down the dark corridor toward the barracks.
Still smirking slightly, Vrania waited a few moments before beginning the trip back to the apprentice dorm.
Re: Cullen/F!Amell or Surana - T/PG-13 for language
“I heard it from the Knight Commander himself this afternoon: they’re planning to summon you for your Harrowing at midnight.”
The girl allowed herself a tiny smile at both the news and at the way the young man worried over the message he delivered, but her expression was hidden almost entirely by the shadows that hid them. Hidden or not, he must have sensed how pleased she was, because he scowled. “I’m touched by your concern.”
“It’s not some trifling matter, Vrania,” he hissed, and the touch of a smile on her lips widened into an open grin. “I didn’t just randomly overhear the order. I’m to be in attendance. I— I’m…”
“…to strike down the horrible abomination that I’ll become as a result?” she teased. “You know as well as I do that’s not going to happen. For one thing, I’d have to fail for that to even be an issue.”
Winding her arms around his neck, Vrania scraped her nails through the dark blonde curls at the nape of his neck and pulled him as close as his armor allowed her. “And as for the other possibility, I don’t think you could hurt me if you wanted to.”
Stiffening, he tried to push her away; when she wouldn’t release her grip on him he relented. “Maker’s breath, woman, what do you think you’re doing?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
“I should think that’s quite obvious,” she replied, lifting on her toes and almost brushing her lips against his. “Come off it, Cullen, meeting me after curfew every third night since Wintersend at least? You may as well admit why; no matter what happens at this point, we’re both in the same amount of trouble if your Knight Commander were to find out about our visits.”
Vrania could just make out the crease in his brow as he frowned. “Then this is the last time you’ll be seeing me like this.”
“No it’s not,” she smiled knowingly, bringing one arm from behind his neck and tracing a casual line along his jaw. “Not only can you not stay away, you know how those idiot apprentices are with their rumors. No, we’re safe only so long as they don’t sense a change in either of us.”
The templar frowned, shaking his head as if clearing a fog. He smiled softly afterward, though, twirling a bit of her dark pink hair between his fingers. “I still can’t believe you can get this color in your hair from a few cups of raspberry juice,” he commented as if they’d been discussing her hair dyes the entire evening.
“It took a bit of practice to get the color even,” she admitted, just as careful to keep him away from where this conversation could lead as she was to avoid earlier topics. There was no reason for him to know that she’d not used anything but her own will to maintain the color in months. If he was new enough at this templar business not to recognize magic, there was no reason to point out any more of her power’s signature than necessary.
“It suits you, though.”
Grinning, Vrania grabbed the throat of his breastplate and pulled him back down where she could reach him and glued her lips to his. He didn’t even resist, his hands tangling in her short hair. After a few moments his eyes widened as he finally realized what he was doing, and he pulled away.
“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t keep you,” he stammered, “considering what you have ahead of you, of course.”
“I’m up late most nights, Cullen,” the grin from earlier still hadn’t faded as she very deliberately eyed him head to toe and back again. “I think I can handle a late night tonight, Harrowing or no.”
Shock turned to mild horror as he finally understood her implication and took a number of steps back. “I- no- that wouldn’t be proper, I’m sorry.”
“Fuck proper,” Vrania laughed and he paled even further.
“I- I’ll see you later toni- another time, Apprentice Vrania,” he bowed stiffly before fleeing down the dark corridor toward the barracks.
Still smirking slightly, Vrania waited a few moments before beginning the trip back to the apprentice dorm.