#sanctuary prompts

[tanglepelt]

Dc x dp idea 46

Danny and Dani are able to sense clones. Not like being able to hunt them but the vibes. Clones don’t feel right.

So really any ghost can tell. There age doesn’t match the body. They can feel that the soul or whatever had only been there for less then the age they are.

It does mean that if someone is like frozen physical but they age. They could tell the ages don’t match up. Neither have experienced anything like that. So they just always assume it a clone thing.

Danny meets Connor somehow.

Danny clocks him. Kinda groans and pulls out a pamphlet. Dani made him promise to give it to anyone he clocked.

Then he goes into a whole tangent about how he knows Connor is a clone. The look on his face cements it as fact.

Then asks how is your original or creator. They good. Or like need to go. Danny essentially questions his entire home life. Has to make sure he is safe.

Says he knows a guy who could help if not.

The pamphlet is Dani’s creation. One that has her number a way to contact Danny. The pamphlet guarantees her original will kick butt for them. (Danny is unaware of the part). The guy he knows is himself but he wasn’t going to tell them that. It also has a mandatory monthly check in. But don’t work she’ll come to you.

Danny does warn Connor she likes to pull pranks. Mostly on the originals or creators. Mentions how she and him destroyed the lab of the man who created her.

Dani just wants to befriend all the clones. Danny is willing to help her achieve her dreams.

[bloodweavesanctuary]

Bloodweave Sanctuary Whumptember 2024

Greetings and salutations, darlings~ The Bloodweave Sanctuary Whumptember 2024 prompt calendar is now live! The guidelines are simple: ► Reference the Prompt Calendar ► Write or draw the prompts that interest you ► Try to keep in Bloodweave ► If you share on social media such as here, please consider using the tag "BW Sanctuary Whumptember" We also have an AO3 Collection that can be found: HERE

[geraskierfanficprompts]

Prompt 68

The witcher boys run a sanctuary for monsters. Lambert is off on his honeymoon with Aiden, and they're down a pair of hands, so they go about hiring someone to help around the plot. Only problem is only one person shows up to try and get the job. A twink with bright eyes and a big smile, in fancy colorful clothing, who admitted to knowing NOTHING about any of the monsters, and wants to do all of this for "Song Material." Geralt doubts he'll last a week. Eskel puts Geralt in charge of training him. Godsdamn it all.

[chaoswarfare]

dp x dc prompt #25

Vlad is usually pretty bad at dealing with humans on a personal level. good thing cats aren’t people.

after his plans for the Fentons fell through, Vlad put all his energy into his cat, Maddie. soon, cats took over his personal life and he had a small army of furry companions. but since there were only so many cats he could take care of himself, he started funding animal shelters. and the most underfunded shelters happened to be in one Gotham city.

He didn’t plan on the Wayne child also volunteering undercover at shelters, or beginning to see him as more of a son. Maybe it just took someone just as bad at dealing with people as him to start feeling human again.

or- the redeemed animal shelter volunteer Vlad that nobody but my brain asked for.

[faun-draws]

After Illiamer had been resurrected by Withers, the former high priestess started to heal Mintharas mind. Every day for weeks she used up all of her magic to retrieve her memories. It was a tiring process that took a lot of energy, especially from Minthara. Because reclaiming decades of memories also meant remembering all the things that Orin had done to her.

[lilac-hecox]

DAMANGELA VAMPIRE AU PLZZZZZZZZ

(ANON OFFERS ME A VAMPIRE AU AND I SAY OH YES)

Vampire!Damien + Angela - Vampire AU - Damangela

--

Damien has been a vampire for a long time. Coincidentally, he’s been alone for a long time. Damien has learned long ago to not build a lot of relationships, friendships, unless they are a fellow vampire, someone he can trust, someone that will be around, someone Damien won’t end up mourning for centuries. 

It’s late into the evening when Damien first sees her. He had been out to ‘hunt’ and by hunt he mainly means traveling to the vampiric sanctuary building where humans offer to consensually give up their blood as a meal for a vampire to feed upon. It’s less barbaric than hunting and drinking from someone who isn’t consenting, who is scared, and helpless. The line between vampires who are willing to visit the sanctuary and those who hunt ‘old school’ is thick, making enemies of those who choose the differing sides. 

Damien is on his way back to his home when he hears a desperate plea for help, the words distraught and loud on the wind of the night breeze. 

He winds a corner, then two, and then he sees a young woman backing up towards a brick wall, a decidedly human man inching in towards her. 

“H-Here,” she says, thrusting her black purse towards the man, “take it.” 

The man grins, and he grabs the bag from where she thrusts it towards his chest, but he doesn’t stop advancing towards her. 

“Are you sure that’s all you got for me?” he asks, his voice dark, making Damien’s undead blood run cold (if it could). 

The woman turns her head and her eyes slide closed in fear and Damien feels his body propel forward on instinct. He swoops in out of the darkness edging the alley and the building, and clocks the man square in the jaw. The punch connects perfectly and Damien’s vampiric strength leaves the man knocked out cold. 

The woman screamed as Damien leapt out at the man. Now she was shaking like a small, frightened animal. Damien can hear the rapid beating of her heart. Her breathing heavy and terrified. 

“It’s okay,” Damien says, glancing at her before bending down and picking up her purse. He hands it out for her, and only then does he get a good look at this woman. 

She’s short, her dark hair brushing her shoulders. Her eyes are big and brown as she stares at him, possibly trying to register what has happened. 

Damien knows how he looks. His skin is pale, his veins a purple that dance across the skin of his hands. His hair is silver and ruffled by the wind. His eyes an unhuman shade of deep, deep red. He knows he’s scary. He knows she’s scared of him despite the fact that he saved her. 

“I won’t hurt you,” Damien adds, offering her purse out with a still hand, as if she were a skittish animal he was trying to feed. 

The woman, she takes her purse from him with shaking hands, her fingers brushing his own, warm and alive. 

“Th-Thank you,” she stammers out, “really.” 

Damien nods. “Do you need me to walk you somewhere where you’ll be safe?” 

“I…I was walking to my best friend's house,” she says. “He, ah, just lives a couple of blocks away.” 

Damien nods, taking that as his cue to leave her to the rest of her journey. He turns to leave. 

“Wait!” she says quickly. Damien stops and turns to look at her, “I would…feel better if you walked me.” 

That’s how he ends up walking this human woman to her best friend’s apartment in the late hours of the night. Damien, who works very hard to keep his distance, to not get entangled in human affairs, to not be known by anyone other than the specific few he chooses. Suddenly, he finds himself protecting this woman. 

They walk in the quiet of the night, him a half step behind her. 

“Um,” she says after a long moment, her voice calmer now, “what’s your name?” 

Damien debates giving an honest answer. 

“Damien,” he says simply, offering nothing else in way of identification. 

“Damien,” she says, his name rolling off her tongue like a fine wine. “I’m Angela.” 

“Angela,” he says, mimicking her, and he catches a slight smile pass over her face. 

“Damien,” she says, as they wait at a stop light to pass to the next block, her eyes glancing over at him, “are you…I mean, it’s probably fucked to even ask, but…you’re one of them aren’t you? You’re a vampire?” 

The question isn’t surprising. It’s been a long time since humans believed vampires were only fictional beings from stories. He nods. 

“I am.” 

“Wow,” Angela says, her eyes getting bigger. “I’ve never met a vampire before.” 

In this moment, the orange of the counting down crosswalk sign catches her face, and the way she’s looking at him, with intrigue and maybe excitement. It reminds Damien of Shayne. It reminds him of exactly why he doesn’t interfere with humans anymore. 

The crosswalk turns white to signal them to cross and they do. After that it’s just a few streets further before Angela stops them outside of a brick apartment building. 

“Thank you, Damien,” she says. “You saved my life.” 

Damien lets himself smile, holding back his teeth where his fangs would show. Angela has a sweet smile, big, doe eyes. She’s cute, and she’s warm, and so very alive that Damien could feel he could lose hours in just talking with her if she’d let him, if he’d let himself. 

“You’re very welcome.” 

There is a silence that stretches between them. A conclusion to their time and their chance meeting. Their worlds do not interlap save for the fact that they were both out this evening, that he heard her cry for help. 

She digs into her purse and she’s offering him a wrinkled five dollar bill. 

“Here,” she says. 

Damien smiles again. He has no use for human currency. Maybe she realizes that at the flush of her cheeks, the way she still offers it out to him.

“It would just make me feel better.” 

Damien takes the paper money from her, swearing he can feel the heat lingering from where her fingers had held it. 

She smiles at him, and then turns to walk up the stone steps and press the buzzer to be let in. As Damien walks away he hears the static crackle of a voice. 

“Angela! I was worried it was taking you so long.” 

“Chanse! Let me in, quick! You’re not going to believe what happened!” 

Then Damien steps into his own world of the darkness and leaves Angela to her business. The paper money in his hand still smells like her.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Welcome to the prompt list for platonic and romantic love for February 2024!

18 prompts, 9 regular and 9 dialogue to choose from, open to gen ficcers and shippers alike.

Only rules required is you must properly tag your writing so no one is triggered or misled.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions!

Prompts are also listed below the cut.

Regular Prompts:

1.Flowers

2. Favorite Meal

3. Gentle Touch

4. Trying the other's favorite pastime

5. Outdoor Activity

6. Blanket

7. Silly Memory

8. Handmade gift

9. Forehead kiss

Dialogue Prompts:

"Give me your hand."

2. "We're going to be late!"

3. "You did this for me?"

4. "Can I hug you?"

5. "Just for tonight."

6. "Just come here already."

7. "Please?"

8. "I already told you!"

9. "This was not what I planned on."

Thanks to amphytrionwrites for the lovely graphic! Prompts done by yours truly.

@tinknevertalks I promised I'd tag you, so here you go! 🥰

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 34

 Danny Phantom Httyd-esque Au

 I mean, think about it: Amity fighting against ghosts for years, generations maybe. The town was founded by ghost hunters, and that just never stopped. 

 You even have terrible terror equivalents in blob ghosts, which are harmless until you get ones like say Skulker who built himself an ecto-mech suit. More dangerous ghosts that aren’t too dangerous like Johnny or Ember, to deadly powerful ones like Fright Knight. Hell, you can even have a Red Death equivalent with the ghost king Pariah Dark, and other Alpha equivalents in other ancients. Does this mean newborn ancient Danny? Perhaps, up to you honestly. 

 Maybe ghosts even look semi draconic or straight up like dragons (maybe more eastern/serpentine shapes but honestly up to the writer. 

 Danny is freaking out after the accident- his parents were going to start Ghost training soon, but now he’s also a ghost, a half ghost, whatever, and now they’re also after him half the time- He’s not having a good time but at least the ghosts not in the training area of the city grounds seem to be pretty chill…?

[avirael]

FFxivWrite 2024

Day 18 - Hackneyed

With a curious expression A’viloh looked up to the giant statue of some saint in the middle of the plaza. It was beautifully crafted from a block of white stone and depitected a knight wearing cloak and armour. His face was hidden by a helmet.

“Don’t you think they all look the same somehow?”

“A bit. I assume this whole heroically fighting against the dragons story can get a little overused and repetitive in 1000 years…”, Rael offered and turned their attention to the statue in front of them too.

The Miqo’te furrowed his brows.

“But don’t you think each of them must have been a lot more individual than that with their own dreams and hopes? It doesn’t seem fair that they all look the same, their faces hidden by a mask…”

Somehow the idea of having all their stories reduced to almost identical, grey, expressionless faces of stone was a sad one. But Rael assumed that this was what time did to memories sometimes, once no one was left to remember their faces or how things had actuall happened.

“Maybe if our plan works, they one day built one of these for you or me too. The ears should be recognisable at least…”, Rael joked in an attempt to brighten the mood. “Saint A’viloh - he bravely fought against the dragon brood on the Steps of Faith and brought peace to Ishgard…”

But imagining that seemed to make A’viloh even more thoughtful. “I’m not sure I want to fight against the dragons. Vishap was already terrifying, can you imagine how horrible the great wyrms must be? Besides, don’t all saints die some horrible and painful death?”

“True…”, Rael mused. “But even though Iceheart may have a point, I don’t think this conflict can just be ended as easily as everybody seems to hope right now…”

“But aren’t they all tired of fighting by now? Isn’t all this talk of holy wars and heresy getting old?”, A’viloh asked and looked distressed, like he himself was already tired of it.

The Viera sighed and remembered their kins hatred for the Garleans. The conflict for Golmore was by far not that old yet as this war but had already produced so much bloodshed too.

“It’s not that easy, A’vi. A thousand years are a long time. One cruelty avenged by another and another and another. The Ishgardians? They were born and raised in this war, it’s everything they know. And the dragons? You heard Midgardsormr. They live long enough to remember all of this bloody war… It doesn’t matter anymore who was right in the first place. Neither of them are just going to give up and admit they were wrong. Both sides feel justified in their hate and this will make it difficult to find a peaceful solution…”

For a moment A’viloh was quiet, silently contemplating what Rael had said.

“But what can we do about this at all?”

“I don’t know. But you heard what Thordan said. And if the Ascians are involved behind the scenes, we can’t just ignore this. I have no perfect answer for solving this conflict but neither does Iceheart or Aymeric or anybody else… But we have to try anyway. Maybe together we can find a solution…”

[alpineshift]

Hi! Prompts! Yay!

I really loved the miscommunication April prompt fic so I wonder if you could please use that world for prompt 23. I thought I lost you. ? Except it’s just Nico being over dramatic when he can’t find Jack on the magic school campus (he’s just in the library basement trying to find a rare book for his latest research paper).

(More thoughts: I love the idea Nico being the softy cute dramatic one & Jack is just like why my guy? I know I look good but no one wants a pretty face that has opinions (only want that pretty mouth for other things). So he’s kinda suspicious and that’s also why the flowers were such an insult!!!! Because Jack took it as ‘I don’t want you for your thoughts, just be pretty & dumb for me’ and that’s happened so many times before that he’s had Enough. And has started to respect himself more (no dick is worth being undervalued like that) so courting Nico is a Big Deal. And sometimes he hides out in the library buried under his books & research. But nico thinks he’s lost! And searches all the other libraries and greenhouses before finding him. And Jack has to reassure him that no I do like spending time with you I’m not hiding from u but this is new because I haven’t been courted / dated someone before that o want to make it work with and it’s a lot to process. And Nico reassures him like baby I love that u study pls let me proof read ur drafts (j’s sentences are too long because he writes like he thinks so there’s no breaks which is also how I write oops) and rant to me about the archaic views you read about today.

(then they fuck about it) and they all lived happily ever after

lol this is probably longer than ur bullet stories would be but here ya go 🎁

anon I think you may have already written the prompt yourself LOOL (ilu ❤️). for context, this is the OG miscommunication prompt fill!

23. “I thought I’d lost you.”

After their absolutely ridiculous first meeting (and first misunderstanding!) Nico, understandably, takes it slow with courting Jack.

Slow, because he thinks it's unwise to go all in for a fresh relationship anyway, unintentional offences notwithstanding, but also slow because Nico's paranoid he's going to make another awful faux pas and gift Jack flowers that accidentally says his ass is flat or something. He's spending an absurd of time researching American courting culture and losing sleep over it.

"Just bring him out to dinner and go for a walk to see the sunset," Timo tells him, exasperated. "You're trying to date a guy, not an alien from outer space."

Look, Nico just wants to do a good job, okay? And hopefully charm himself into Jack's good graces while he's at it. Except, it's getting weirdly difficult to find Jack, to bring him food or gifts or ask him out on a date. The Bern Campus isn't actually that big; where on earth can Jack be? He wanders across the grounds, trying and failing not to look like a sad puppy as he searches for the other witch. What did he do wrong? Was it too late to beg for forgiveness?

And suddenly--there's a frenzy of people rushing down to the lake. "One of the Americans fell in!"

Nico nearly pulls a muscle rushing over, only to stop short when he sees one of Jack's colleagues crawling out of the water (he remembers them; he was one of the few snickering the night Nico insulted Jack with the flowers), furiously embarrassed after getting caught goofing off in a restricted area on the docks. And suddenly, there's someone standing next to him, a snort, and a familiar voice. "Man, way to live up to the asshole stereotypes, just what we needed."

It's Jack, in broad daylight, kind of under-dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt, chilling next to him. Nico gapes at him before Jack glances over, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Uh, Nico? You ok--?" And Nico just pulls him into a hug and blurts out, "I thought I'd lost you."

He'd be mortified at his own admission if he didn't hear Jack's breathing hitch by his ear, and feel Jack's arms immediately rest along the spot between his shoulder blades, hugging Nico back. "Lost me? But I'm right here?"

So Nico had been half-right; Jack isn't avoiding him, but he did lose track of time working in the basement of the library. Jack also doesn't hate him, but he does have a bit of a hard time believing Nico has no ulterior motives when it came to quote unquote 'buttering him up'

"People are assholes, Hischier, and I'm not saying you are but, look, there's just been a few jerks lately with all their assumptions that's put me off dating for little while, alright? They think they can send me cupid-charm cards or pay for dinner once and I take my pants off for them."

"Then I'll court you until you say you're ready to date, if you ever want that at all. We go at your pace, we pause when you think I'm being too much, and if you realize you don't like me at all--well, we'll call it off." (It hurts to say it, but more than anything, Nico just wants to reassure Jack). "I can respect that, I promise."

He needn't have worried, honestly. Because there's a slow, flustered smile creeping up on Jack's face, and his cheeks are rosy with the most endearing blush. "Well, hang on. I didn't say anything about calling anything off. Fuck, let's get outta here--last thing I want is an audience when we talk about our feelings. And the basement's actually not half bad."

send me a jacknico prompt!

[bloodweavesanctuary]

Bloodweave Sanctuary Kinktober 2024

Greetings and salutations, darlings~ The Bloodweave Sanctuary Kinktober 2024 prompt calendar is now live to give plenty of time for creating! The guidelines are simple: ► Reference the Prompt Calendar ► Write or draw the prompts that interest you ► Try to keep in Bloodweave ► If you share on social media such as here, please consider using the tag "BW Sanctuary Kinktober"

[tallbluelady]

Rowan could do many things, but it was beginning to be apparent that taking care of plants from sowing to harvest was not one of them...

[r4d14t3lov3]

(unknown artist)

This is my contribution for the @marshal-huntress Kotaloy Sanctuary spring event:

[sing-in-me-oh-muse]

Writer's Sanctuary June 2024 Writing Challenge

Writer's Sanctuary on Discord hosts monthly writing challenges to loosen everyone up and get those words flowing! Here's June's. :)

Your mission, should you accept, is to write a one shot based on one of the following quotes:

“Can I help you with that?”

“I’ll give you to a count of ten…”

“Worth its weight in gold”

“Not on my watch”

“No! My eyes!!!”

“You were never a scout”

“Not on my couch!”

“Have you ever considered that our story is enemies to lovers?”

Bonus points for using exact wording; you are allowed and encouraged to write to the spirit of the quote and not strictly the letter. Whatever inspires you first!

Length: Greater than 500 words.

Fandom: Any.

Features: Gen or any pairing.

Deadline: 11:59 am PST June 30th.

Don’t forget to post your completed fics in ⁠#share-your-works! Happy writing!

[chartreuseian]

Hi hi. So, I've been told to put this out there because other people might be keen...

So this came about because @truedairship and I were talking about what the follow up to Kneeling Nikola November would be and, because I have no chill at all I almost immediately came up with a list of monthly prompts that were very NSFW. And then I decided I actually wanted to do it. So I made them more SFW (with some lovely input from @ladyelysandra who is an excellent sounding board!) and then I decided I needed a pretty graphic to remind me to actually do it.

I'm not looking to make this into A Thing, but if anyone else wants to have a go at any of them, feel free! For me this is mostly an exercise in having a bit more fun with my writing, and trying to write more contained little moments, but you could totally use them as part of bigger projects or with other prompts. Honestly, do whatever! Go wild! The more unhinged, the better I reckon... 😅

(and also if you have suggestions for what I should do with said prompts, hit me up... I'm always open to ideas and love a challenge!)

[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.