i try. you can broach anything with me, nikolai. there’s a time and a place for falling down rabbit holes, and i need to find a way to drag you back when you fall too deep. hypothetically speaking.
i know he does. the fact he was calling her hair bouncy and not other parts made it obvious. maybe you should, but only after your meddling is over. mal doesn’t deserved to be dragged into the sphere of aleksander’s bullshit again. and then after that’s done, you can apologize to him. i figure that will be a painful enough punishment for you.
perfect princely nikolai likes tumbling around in the dirt? think of the scandal. you could see me in person. your argument was a little convincing. i’ll even send you a picture in the meantime if you want.
well. i'll think of something effective. and scientific. and not traumatizing like confiscating my devices and/or reading materials. that was my least favored suggestion.
do they know each other well? mal and aleksander. i don't see what i have to apologize for. i wasn't being malicious toward him. he never really crossed my mind during the whole thing, really. just vaguely.
perfectly princely nikolai likes anything that sends his mother into a tizzy. your carriage is on the way. would you? i do want. somehow i miss you even more knowing that i'll see you rather soon. makes the minutes even harder to bear.
i like that suggestion. maybe i could put them through the paper shredder? just for good measure.
they know each other well enough. more than they'd like to know each other. aleksander was always jealous of mal. i doubt he would ever admit that, but he was. christ, nikolai. the fact that he didn't cross your mind is the exact reason you should be apologizing. you meddled in his life, whether you want to admit it or not. it doesn't matter if it wasn't intentional.
is that what this is? late onset teenage rebellion? i hope your driver doesn't mind waiting while i wipe the filth off. keeping you waiting is a little fun, though. is that terrible? it's probably terrible. are you suffering? i need a 'yes' before i send this.
mal does seem to have a highly coveted spot in regards to you. which i am not threatened by or jealous of, to be clear. how was i to know he'd developed actual feelings? it was an honest mistake on my part, but i will talk to zoya and i will apologize to mal. and i will make a note to consider him in all of my future decisions.
it's never too late to be a rebel. the paint i understand, but why are you covered in dirt, may i ask? were you hunting for truffles? yes. greatly. i believe this level of suffering requires an entry into sainthood.
🤐 you can't blame me for trying to eliminate all of my competition for your attention.
well, you shouldn't be. you have your own highly coveted spot in regards to me. it was that easy? i was ready to argue with you for another five minutes. thank you, nik. really. it means a lot to me. maybe don't apologize to him in person, though. i can't guarantee your safety.
i could have been experimenting with running away from humanity to become a witch of the woods. genya would also have murdered me if i smoked anything inside, so there's that. don't martyr yourself, saint nikolai.
[ true to her word, messy streaks of paint cling to random strands of her hair in an array of vivid purples and soft pinks — but nothing is as great a victim as the arm she has haphazrdly covering the soft curve of her bare chest, dappled in a various palette of greens that smudge up into her shoulders, and do nothing to hide the bright smile in the picture she sends before she can think better of it. ]
i would say there's plenty of my attention to go around, but i'm not sure that's an assertion i should be making right now.
i'm glad to know exactly how many minutes of defending mal deserves. i can use this knowledge to time my apology. it will be grand, and he will likely wish i'd never opened my mouth. oh, it must be in person. otherwise how will he admire my face and know that i'm sincere?
don't tell me you've had this entire conversation high.
[ he isn't expecting a picture despite his requests, and when it does come through he spends several moments admiring her paint-splattered skin, the ache in his chest easing at the sight of her vibrant smile. ]
much. you're beautiful. and so colorful. you're all i can think about right now.
i can help you by telling you it isn't. we agreed on no lies.
so he'll be making the same wish i have on a daily basis? this is going to be another time i have to say "i told you so", isn't it. don't come crying to me when you get punched, puppy.
then i won't tell you. i'm mapping out a mural, but there's no point in painting anything if the color isn't exploding everywhere. only right now, though? what do i have to do to level up to "always"?
are you going to start making that argument? it would be a waste of time. we've already established that i win all of our arguments.
i'm going to regret telling you that, aren't i? i take it back. when i said it, i thought it was officially opposite day. good luck. it won't save you, but i'll remember pre-broken nose nikolai fondly.
never? you don't want that. you would get sick of me eventually.
i don't know if i'm willing to concede to that just yet. tonight might have been special, but all days can't be.
you can't take back your affectionate statements about me. they're carved in stone and hanging somewhere important, like the side of a grand mountain. i will need nursing and attention if mal hits me. he might also, but he can find it elsewhere.
you underestimate both me and yourself. does one get sick of the starlight?
you said i was special, which means all nights are special, which means i'll always win. see? flawless logic.
and here i thought you printed those and hung them on your wall. i could send over aleksander's mother to nurse you back to health. the agony of listening to her insult you will distract from the pain.
the sun certainly does, or it would stop rising every morning. think of how sick you'll get of me winning every argument.
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no subject
you can broach anything with me, nikolai.
there’s a time and a place for falling down rabbit holes, and i need to find a way to drag you back when you fall too deep.
hypothetically speaking.
i know he does.
the fact he was calling her hair bouncy and not other parts made it obvious.
maybe you should, but only after your meddling is over.
mal doesn’t deserved to be dragged into the sphere of aleksander’s bullshit again.
and then after that’s done, you can apologize to him.
i figure that will be a painful enough punishment for you.
perfect princely nikolai likes tumbling around in the dirt? think of the scandal.
you could see me in person. your argument was a little convincing.
i’ll even send you a picture in the meantime if you want.
no subject
and not traumatizing like confiscating my devices and/or reading materials.
that was my least favored suggestion.
do they know each other well? mal and aleksander.
i don't see what i have to apologize for. i wasn't being malicious toward him.
he never really crossed my mind during the whole thing, really. just vaguely.
perfectly princely nikolai likes anything that sends his mother into a tizzy.
your carriage is on the way.
would you? i do want.
somehow i miss you even more knowing that i'll see you rather soon.
makes the minutes even harder to bear.
no subject
just for good measure.
they know each other well enough. more than they'd like to know each other.
aleksander was always jealous of mal. i doubt he would ever admit that, but he was.
christ, nikolai.
the fact that he didn't cross your mind is the exact reason you should be apologizing.
you meddled in his life, whether you want to admit it or not. it doesn't matter if it wasn't intentional.
is that what this is? late onset teenage rebellion?
i hope your driver doesn't mind waiting while i wipe the filth off.
keeping you waiting is a little fun, though. is that terrible?
it's probably terrible. are you suffering? i need a 'yes' before i send this.
no subject
mal does seem to have a highly coveted spot in regards to you.
which i am not threatened by or jealous of, to be clear.
how was i to know he'd developed actual feelings?
it was an honest mistake on my part, but i will talk to zoya and i will apologize to mal.
and i will make a note to consider him in all of my future decisions.
it's never too late to be a rebel.
the paint i understand, but why are you covered in dirt, may i ask? were you hunting for truffles?
yes. greatly. i believe this level of suffering requires an entry into sainthood.
no subject
you can't blame me for trying to eliminate all of my competition for your attention.
well, you shouldn't be. you have your own highly coveted spot in regards to me.
it was that easy? i was ready to argue with you for another five minutes.
thank you, nik. really. it means a lot to me.
maybe don't apologize to him in person, though. i can't guarantee your safety.
i could have been experimenting with running away from humanity to become a witch of the woods.
genya would also have murdered me if i smoked anything inside, so there's that.
don't martyr yourself, saint nikolai.
[ true to her word, messy streaks of paint cling to random strands of her hair in an array of vivid purples and soft pinks — but nothing is as great a victim as the arm she has haphazrdly covering the soft curve of her bare chest, dappled in a various palette of greens that smudge up into her shoulders, and do nothing to hide the bright smile in the picture she sends before she can think better of it. ]
better?
no subject
i'm glad to know exactly how many minutes of defending mal deserves.
i can use this knowledge to time my apology. it will be grand, and he will likely wish i'd never opened my mouth.
oh, it must be in person. otherwise how will he admire my face and know that i'm sincere?
don't tell me you've had this entire conversation high.
[ he isn't expecting a picture despite his requests, and when it does come through he spends several moments admiring her paint-splattered skin, the ache in his chest easing at the sight of her vibrant smile. ]
much.
you're beautiful. and so colorful.
you're all i can think about right now.
no subject
so he'll be making the same wish i have on a daily basis?
this is going to be another time i have to say "i told you so", isn't it.
don't come crying to me when you get punched, puppy.
then i won't tell you.
i'm mapping out a mural, but there's no point in painting anything if the color isn't exploding everywhere.
only right now, though? what do i have to do to level up to "always"?
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i know that's not true. you love when i speak.
to punch someone in the middle of an apology is extremely crude. perhaps i'll start with that line.
never leave my side.
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it would be a waste of time. we've already established that i win all of our arguments.
i'm going to regret telling you that, aren't i?
i take it back. when i said it, i thought it was officially opposite day.
good luck. it won't save you, but i'll remember pre-broken nose nikolai fondly.
never? you don't want that.
you would get sick of me eventually.
no subject
tonight might have been special, but all days can't be.
you can't take back your affectionate statements about me.
they're carved in stone and hanging somewhere important, like the side of a grand mountain.
i will need nursing and attention if mal hits me.
he might also, but he can find it elsewhere.
you underestimate both me and yourself.
does one get sick of the starlight?
no subject
see? flawless logic.
and here i thought you printed those and hung them on your wall.
i could send over aleksander's mother to nurse you back to health.
the agony of listening to her insult you will distract from the pain.
the sun certainly does, or it would stop rising every morning.
think of how sick you'll get of me winning every argument.