fondofapples | Inbox -- Genessia

Regina Mills
~~Queen~~ ~~Mayor~~ Mother
Sorceress
Fond of Plants

"You've reached the inbox of Regina Mills. Leave a message. If it's urgent, it's probably too late."

(text, voice, video, action, ooc planning if necessary for Genessia only)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

fondofapples

[ Much of the day has been devoted to putting out tiny fires, most of the related to the ridiculous rumor that she's been selling cursed objects. She's more annoyed than anything, because it's a waste of her precious time. As if she would do anything so gauche and irresponsible.

She's got a headache and her temper is rising.

So she's glad when she returns to her desk and finds she has a call from Neil. If anyone can put her mood back in order, it's him.

But when she connects the call, it's not his face or his smile but his goddamned gorgeous body she sees, and he's throwing himself headlong into a brutal workout.

For short while, she watches appreciatively, because it's definitely the best thing she's seen today, but then ]

Did you call to entertain me with your athletic prowess or was there something else?

From:

hellorhighwater

[The moment she speaks, one of the little sprites flies at Neil, and in the middle one of his push ups, slams into his shoulderblade, leaving an angry red burn that almost immediately begins to heal, but still makes him hiss and lose his rhythm. He collapses, but immediately rolls onto his back and up to his feet, rolling his shoulder to ease the sting of his little 'alarm' as he walks over to pick up his phone. He's worked up a healthy sweat at this point, and is breathless when the phone steadies to capture his head and bare shoulders.]

Hey, Beautiful--nah, just left the line open so the sprite'd hear ya. [He hesitates, rolling his lips together--yeah, he's breathless and blown himself up with a workout, but he's no less homicidal than he was earlier. Tapping his mouth with the fingers of one hand, he finally takes a deep breath, and...]

Indulge your favorite asshole: tell me not to kill the next random dude on the street by setting his fucking heart on goddamn fire just so I can watch his eyeballs pop and smoke shoot out his nose. Tell me not to do the thing, 'cause if you tell me not to? I probably won't do it. But if someone I trust doesn't tell me not to do the thing? I'm probably gonna do the thing. About...oh, nine or ten times. [He gives that genuine thought, then lights up with A Bad Idea.]

Twenty seven. I'll set twenty seven hearts on fire. I dunno, twenty seven just feels like a nice, round, fun number of people to kill just to make myself feel better.

From:

fondofapples

[ She's tempted to be amused by the request until she realizes he's serious, or very close to it. Then she frowns and presses her lips together in a thin, tight line.

She knows this kind of rage all too well. There are hearts in her vault, and crushed hearts in dust all over her kingdom, with no names attached because of the sort of Very Bad Idea that starts as nine or ten and ends up at twenty-seven hearts on fire.

And if he or anyone thinks she doesn't still feel that desire sometimes, if they're not aware that a rumor might send her into the kind of tantrum that begins with who dares? and ends in off with her head or out with his heart then they just haven't been paying attention. She wants to rip hearts from bodies often. She just wants to be good, wants to be the mother Henry (and Evie and Arya and Charlie) deserve more.

Which is why her tone is sharp as a dragon bone blade when she says ]

No.

Unacceptable.

I don't care what you're homicidal about. We don't kill to make ourselves feel better.

[ Not you, Neil. We, you and I. ]

From:

hellorhighwater

[That tone, that command serves only to deepen the fury, to remind him why he was angry--and to remind him what he had waiting for him on the other side of bloodlust.

His eyes narrowed, pupils flashing openly with the red-orange of his magic. His head bows as he draws a deep breath, exhales it on a snarl...and instead of hitting something, he channels that anger back into his power, feeding it to the dragon fire in his blood. Steam begins to rise from his skin as his power forces its way up through flesh, vaporizing his sweat with its heat.

He's quiet for a long moment. When he lifts his head again, his eyes have gone dark again, and though agitated, he's visibly calmer.]

Thank you. I needed that.

From:

fondofapples

[ It doesn't occur to her to think he won't heed. In bed, in love, she yields as often as he does, but he's expressed more than once that whether she wants to hold his leash or not, he believes he needs one.

Since she won't countenance anyone else holding any part of him, let alone controlling him, she's taken that control. If he wants her to have it, then he will obey. She won't have it any other way.

But it's still painful to watch him reining himself in. Rewarding, in some way she can't quite identify, but painful. She honors him by waiting and watching, nodding when he thanks her. ]

Yes, you did.

Now tell me what happened.

From:

hellorhighwater

[That gets a sharp, humorless laugh and a shake of his head. Oh, he's still mad, he still wants to break something or someone--but he's got her voice in his ears now, echoing in his head with that no he needs. He can follow the memory of her voice to her nails and teeth on his skin, feed his bloodlust that way when he starts to itch, when the white noise wants to take over and his ears are straining for voices speaking the name Kingslayer in fearful, hushed whispers.

He's angry, but there's no white noise, no craving--no Black Fire. He's just Neil again, and so the rage is safe.]

Buncha fuckin' gossips with nothing better to goddamn do, that's what. Someone's talking shit about you and illegal fucking curses.

[He's stalking around the gym as he talks, and the last expletive he emphasizes by kicking the box he'd been working with before, the wood clattering noisily as it rattles across the floor.]

I've been trying to track it to a source, but it doesn't fucking exist. So the more I hear about it? The madder I get. The madder I get, the hotter I burn...you get the idea.

From:

fondofapples

[ Regina's not sure whether to be furious or touched, and in the end she settles more toward touched. More, but not completely. ]

I'm perfectly capable of handling rumors. Without bloodshed. And if there were a way to track the rumors, I'd already have done it. Instead, I've spent the day assuring my clients that it is just gossip.

[ She sighs at him and shakes her head. ]

Thank you for caring, but--

You're not doing my reputation any good by defending me like a mad dog. If I need that kind of protection, then I probably am guilty. So don't. Defend my person, my children, but leave my honor to me.

From:

hellorhighwater

Hey--grew up at court, nobody knows evidence of guilt better than me. I haven't been defending you, just...crabbing about gossip. And seething.

[Neil finally sinks down onto the floor of the gym and flops back--treating Regina to a view of him sprawled on his back, barechested, looking up into his phone.]

And it's got nothing to do with honor--it's not some kinda...knight thing.

[That brings a smile to his face--bright and fond and just a little bit full of pride. When she says it, he can't stop the way he gets all warm inside, and when he says it, acknowledges it...it feels big and heavy in his chest. It makes him feel cherished.

...wait, what's he talking about?...honor! Right.]

It's a...stupid macho dating thing where my girlfriend's gotta deal with stupid shit and it's like nails on a chalkboard and knives in my brain.

From:

fondofapples

[ Neil's distracted with his feelings, she knows it from his big, bright grin and the softness in his eyes and the way he briefly puffs up with pride at saying the word 'knight'.

She's distracted by his bare broad chest and the fact he's lying on his back, practically begging her to come ride him. It's enough she almost doesn't hear him when he starts talking again, because her tongue is raking across her top lip and she's calculating whether or not she can leave work now.

She'll have to work at home tonight, but with the days she's had... ]

One-minute warning. If you don't sit up, I'm leaving work early.

From:

hellorhighwater

[Neil blinks up at his phone with a momentary expression of confusion, wondering what one has to do with the other--but he catches that thing with her tongue and understanding fills his eyes.

And because there's more than one way to deal with anger--like channeling it into something far more pleasant--he shifts to tuck one arm beneath his head instead, making no move to sit up.]

Yeah? Why, not busy?

[Yes, he's grinning like a Cheshire cat. Yes, he's being a brat. He's aggravated--sue him.]

From:

fondofapples

My favorite asshole is in danger of freezing to death.

[ What? He's the one who said he could freeze to death because of his powers. It's not her fault she remembers it.

Also, she's satisfied she's given him a sufficient teleportation warning, but because she doesn't want to trigger him when he's aggravated, she announces ] Incoming [ before the screen goes blank and she's caught up in her teleportation mist].

---
As it was a new location, she didn't arrive standing over him, but in the doorway, where she had time to change out of work clothes into jeans and a t-shirt she didn't mind him mussing before she strode in like she owned the room and not just the man in it.

Edited Date: 2018-09-20 06:33 am (UTC)

From:

hellorhighwater

It was stupid and inconsequential, but the fact she remembered that--specifically now, when he'd fed the fire and it was looking, hungry, cooling his skin in a half empty gym that was a goddamn sweat box. He wasn't gonna freeze, but he was gonna get cold later.

And she remembered.

He had all of sixty seconds to lay there, grinning like an idiot while he shut off his phone and extinguished his remaining sprite from flat on his back before the hair on his arms stood up, the awareness of eyes on him triggering that predator's survival instinct and making him lift his head, survey the room--then tip it back against the floor to crane his neck and spy Regina in the doorway.

"Have I mentioned how much I love how little you fuck around?" He asked by way of greeting, still watching her upside down with a smile. "Well--unless I'm the one you wanna fuck around with."

From:

fondofapples

"You may have mentioned your appreciation for my predilection for monogamy," came her amused and, admittedly, somewhat impudent response. She knew perfectly well what he meant, but she owed him for the whole lying on the floor half-naked stunt.

She walked over to him, the heels of her ankle boots clicking on the floor of the gym, and didn't stop until he was looking the long way up her body from what might otherwise be perilously near those heels. "I assumed that was your macho propensity toward murdering anyone who expresses so much as a hint of interest in my direction."

From:

hellorhighwater

The long view was a nice one when he let his head lay flat on the floor again, staring unabashedly because he could--because that beautiful body and the queen inside it were all fucking his, and while the fire in his blood was starting a slow turn on his body, it was seeping into his thoughts a little, too--sharpening those possessive thoughts, echoing its hunger to burn in his hunger to touch and taste and take what belonged to him.

"Hey, do I look like a punk? I don't plan the murder any men or women that look at you." he protested. Reaching back to plant his palms on the floor, he rocked his knees up to his chest and used his arms to help spring himself to his feet so he was standing in front of her instead with a Cheshire grin.

"I plan torture. Way more fun. And it lasts longer."

From:

fondofapples

"Torture is messy. Manipulation makes a better long game."

Regina watched, eyes dark and predatory over an appreciative half-smirk as he sprang to his feet. Many of her male partners had been pleasantly well built with some measure of athletic skill, but none of them neared Neil for strength, power, and prowess. When he showed off with no one to see but her, it did things to her. Heated, sensual why are we still wearing clothes? things.

"And murder is more efficient, if you must." Since they were clearly in kidding territory, she felt comfortable saying as much; especially since she'd reached out to get her hands on his sides. "It leaves more time to spend with me when you're done."

From:

hellorhighwater

Showing off was fun, but there was something singular about the way Regina looked at him when he was showing off physically--strength or reflex or speed, something he'd acquired as a soldier and not just his power. When he felt the warmth of her eyes on him, heavy against his skin when he did something like taking to his feet, it was always exciting...but that heat that rose just beneath his skin also came from the fact that she wasn't appraising him, she was admiring him. He could feel her thoughts in her gaze, every moment she spent in his arms and in his bed.

Knowing that the weapon he'd been made into by the Night Dragon could be appreciated for his skill to bring someone pleasure or contentment--there was an odd sense of pride and safety in it when she devoured him with her eyes.

"Good point--you're way more fun than torture." he agreed playfully, draping his arms around her shoulders when she drew close, hands settling on his sides in a manner that was becoming blessedly familiar. It took the edge off those sharp, hungry edges that the dragon fire brought to his thoughts--and she was warm, too, lending him heat even though his skin was borderline feverish under her hands.

"Might have a point about manipulation, though." he teased, bending to steal a kiss. "I'd ask for pointers, but I have a gorgeous queen in my arms and zero patience for the long game today."

From:

fondofapples

"Zero patience for the long game, and a need for an external heat source." It was strange to say that, to know it, when the skin over his flanks felt too hot to be safe. The lessons she'd learned as a mother, to know fever from a kiss or a touch, warned her he was dangerously hot; her brain translated it to at risk of chill, but she still had to think about how to address it.

She drew in close, at the same time offering her mouth for as much of a kiss as he would take. And when it turned out to be somewhat more than a greeting, she ran her hands over his chest appreciatively. "Any chance of a shower behind a locked door?" No point in pretending they weren't going to fuck until at least she couldn't stand up, and if she was fastidious about some things, where she had sex wasn't one of them.

From:

hellorhighwater

"S' what I got you for." he teased, enveloping her in a gentle bear hug to burrow close. "You're warm--just stick close for a while, I'll be good."

She was obliging in that department--along with a kiss or three that warmed him clear to his toes, at least in the moment. Had her pretty warm, too, when she asked about a shower, making him laugh a little as he pressed his nose against the top of her head...and just for a second, let himself steal a little of her body heat, letting the fire draw and pull it into his core for about three seconds before he let up again.

"I'll make the chance." he promised her, releasing Regina to catch her hand and tug her along as he started walking backwards towards his bag. "This gym's got a water heater that's gotta be run on dragon fire--hurts if you're not careful, but it'll warm me up just fine, and I can keep it from hurtin' you. C'mon."

From:

fondofapples

"Something you can protect me from--" Her grip on his hand tightened with a playful squeeze and she lifted one arched brow almost comically high. "Are you sure you didn't plan this, most gallant of boyfriend-knights?"

Though she teased, there was, as always, a solid dose of truth in the words. Both a recognition that he did want to protect her (just as she wanted to protect him) and a more graceful expression of gratitude than she could muster directly, usually. Although, she was aware, the moment probably called for something a little more direct.

In the shower. When it wouldn't seem so... bald, perhaps. Or just...

Regina sighed and raised her free hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. Not everything needed to be so complicated. So calculated. Even if she was only protecting herself.

"Thank you for wanting to. With the rumors."

There. Was that so hard?

Yes.

From:

hellorhighwater

"Happy accident, promise." he joked, laughing as he stooped to grab his bag...and lost his smile for a second when he straightened and he was pinching the bridge of her nose like she was getting a migraine or something.

Instead, she was thanking him--and it looked like pulling teeth, but it still made his chest tight with a warmth that restored his smile.

Rather than making it more difficult for her, he just brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed her fingers, holding her gaze as he did, letting his answer show there.

A knight protects his queen. I defend my home. I will always look out for what and who I love.

Letting their joined hands fall to hang between them, Neil tugged her along with that same soft smile.

"Showers are this way."

From:

fondofapples

For that alone, the fact he didn't make an issue of it in words, she could have loved him if she didn't already.

But she did, very much, which, of course, was the problem. If she didn't love him, so much of this would be simple. Negotiation conducted to her convenience with only matters of consent and pleasure to concern her. Sure, that would definitely have happened with the way they fell on each other like starving children offered a banquet.

Regina sighed at herself and shook her head, but even that wry self-awareness faded at the pure, unadulterated love in his eyes. It was hard to hold herself to the fire when he wanted to hold her, period.

When he kissed her fingers, she brushed her fingertips against his beard and thought I know, me too at him with her whole heart. And let her mouth make no less true, but less important words:

"I'm counting on that lock, Neil."

From:

hellorhighwater

Laughing, Neil gave her hand a sharper little tug to pull her closer, releasing her hand to drape his arm around her neck to keep her against his side.

"Assassin." he reminded her, steering her towards the locker room as he kissed the top of her head while they walked. "Trust me, if I can keep a pissed off storm dragon from bustin' down the door of a rundown cottage? I can keep some sweaty musclehead out of the locker room shower I'm fucking my girlfriend in. I may be without a shred of shame when it comes to gettin' my hands on you, but I can be classy about it, y'know?"

From:

fondofapples

Technically, she could keep said 'sweaty muscleheads' out also, but her methods required more preparatory spellcasting than she wanted to take the time for. She'd already spent more time talking than she'd wanted to take the time for, but she didn't regret that, even if he'd looked positively edible from the minute she'd answered his call.

"I'm not sure which of us is the more shameless," she observed instead, tone wry with self-knowledge. "I'm the one who left work early and teleported two cities over for a booty call."

From:

hellorhighwater

Neil smirked, opened his mouth--then shut it with a puzzled frown.

"'Booty call?'...You're makin' that shit up. C'mon, admit it."

From:

fondofapples

"I couldn't make something like that up if I tried." She huffed a soft laugh and reached behind him to pat his ass. "For some reason, 'tap that booty' means have sex. So a 'booty call' is a call made specifically to arrange sex."

She shrugged, cheeks vaguely pink, out of awkwardness with contemporary language rather than any embarrassment about the subject, this time. "I appreciate the bluntness."