#chartreusian

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Ahhhh! The 'Ways to Say I Love You' prompts!!! 💛 They're all too cute but I'd love to see what you could do with number 19 (for Teslen because I am utterly hopeless).

Yay, thank you so much!

Teslen with #19: “Don’t worry, I knew what you meant.” (from this prompt list)

_____

Helen really should have expected what came with showing Nikola Praxian technology, considering what had happened when he had been introduced to the holographic map of the city itself.

The technology had been a gift from Ranna on behalf of Praxis, because Helen had warned the city of the impending destruction while she had been setting up the Underground Sanctuary, and the majority of the population had evacuated before it had happened.

In thanks for the Praxian lives, Ranna and the council had become slightly more lenient in allowing them access to the technology.

Nikola had been delighted when Helen had told him and asked for his help with this, but Helen really should have investigated it more on her own first.

He didn't have a care for safety, despite the fact that the hologram had nearly blown them up because of the traces of the Source Blood in their veins.

Though it really was her fault.

Helen was feeling a little tired--taking full command of the new Sanctuary was tiresome and now that everyone had come down, it was complicated--and had turned her back on Nikola to pick up the instructions Ranna had sent with it.

Nikola was going on a spiel about certain aspects of the technology that she was already aware of, so it seemed safe to turn her back and pick up the tablet.

Then Nikola said one of the worst things he possibly could have said the moment she did that.

"Hmm. Maybe if I do this."

She heard a whirring noise as he touched something with the holographic interface and whipped around.

"Nikola!"

He tossed a lazy smile over his shoulder, even as he touched more symbols.

"It's fine, Helen. I'm wearing the vampire shield, there's no way the Praxian technology can call me akhkharu or any other unsavory names."

"Stop that." Helen said annoyed, walking towards him quickly, though it really was too late to stop what he had already started. "We can't possibly know what it will--"

All the lights in the room, including the ones that were part of the Sanctuary's system, suddenly went out, leaving them in pitch blackness.

"Well, that's interesting." Nikola said.

Helen huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"If you've knocked out all the power in my home once more, Nikola, I shall--"

Before she could finish, there was the unmistakable sound of the device powering up and a flash of light that shot out in a thin beam, bright enough to illuminate Nikola just as it struck him.

Helen felt like her heart nearly stopped and she rushed forward, even as her vision was dazzled by the lights coming back on.

"Nikola!"

Nikola was laying on his back on the floor, hands on his abdomen and Helen froze for a moment, because that position dragged up memories of Nikola on the floor because of the defense system in Afina's chambers, bleeding out as she desperately tried to find a way to save him.

She shook herself and rushed to his side, ignoring the fact that the device could do the same thing to her.

Helen put her hands over his, hesitating before pulling his hands away to see what damage had been inflicted.

There was nothing, not even a hole or burn in his shirt.

She stared, then looked at his face as Nikola's features scrunched up and he opened his eyes.

"Ow."

"Are you all right?"

"Nasty shock, but I'll live. Vampire, remember?"

Nikola sat up, rubbing his abdomen where he had been struck, hair standing on end more than usual, looking disgruntled as if the device had gone out of its way to do something to him.

"You're certain?" Helen breathed, heart still pounding rapidly against her chest.

"Yeah."

"You stupid bastard!" Helen hit him in the chest, anger welling up. "You bloody stupid arse! I told you not to go touching things until we had read the material that Ranna sent and you ignored me! You know what happened with the map, with the vampire defense system, and you still did it!"

She kept pounding on him, Nikola seeming bewildered as he attempted to block her attacks, but Helen didn't care.

Her heart was still pounding and the anger was a byproduct of fear. Helen knew that.

She had felt the same thing when Ashley and Henry had done things that had scared her, when they had needlessly put themselves in danger.

Did Nikola not understand she couldn't bear to go through him nearly dying on her again? Did he not understand that she cared about him and he was too reckless for his own good?

"Helen!" Nikola caught her wrists and Helen stared at him.

"I--bloody hell, this is coming out all wrong." she snapped, glaring at him.

"Don't worry, I know what you meant." Nikola said, smiling in a tender way.

She looked at him warily.

Nikola leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently.

"I do. I love you too, Helen. I'm sorry."

The confession and the apology both made Helen's heart feel like it was welling with too much emotion and she nearly pulled away from Nikola out of instinct.

But she forced herself not to, because this Nikol and she didn't want to ruin things by making it seem like she was rejecting him or denying what he had said.

She was glad he understood what she struggled so hard to say.

So, Helen nodded and swallowed.

Nikola released her and Helen stood, brushing her legs off and reaching down for Nikola and pulling him to his feet as well.

"Shall we try again?" Nikola asked brightly, grinning at her.

"Will you wait for the instructions before touching things?" Helen asked, managing a small smile of her own.

"Yes."

"Good." Helen moved back to the table and picked up the tablet.

"Mostly."

Helen took a breath, looking up for a moment and telling herself that Nikola being Nikola was what she wanted, even when it irritated and scared her.

"All right."

She turned back to him, holding the tablet in his direction in invitation for him to join her so that they could figure this out together.

[tinknevertalks]

Oh you are so Gerard Way in the 2000s. Also strawberry, seasoned with my favourite purple AND purple glitter ❤️

This is for what colours am I and whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! GWay in the 00s?! Purples yes, Gerard Way? 👀

💜💜💜

Also yes strawberry! I am so organising a bake-ation for the Sanctuary fan, istg. XD

[mintchipnicecream]

the chartreusian microtechnics was appalled at the rumble of thunder and this opened bottle of cream soda. casting away their pretentiousness in favor of genuine presentation, our friends positioned the mirror of nature onto the wall of their house, showing off how lucky they had been. the emerald green vibration tasted amazing, and the introspective activities of their guests were appropriated by the journey of the aconites and alliums. queer theory and historical scholarship were adjoined together, bounded by a light pink syntax and an eternal memory geared toward the heavenly skies.