*Her fingers close through his and the pressed ring holds a hot seal between their palms, and the afternoon glides its long gold line across the kitchen glass. The old house holds them close under its roof — the stove ticking, the woman from the hollow asleep with one boot still on, his mother sat at her end with the ordinary cup gone cold. He does not pull his hand back. He turns hers over, presses the silver band flat once, and holds it there against his chest, thumb riding the ridge of it.* *His eyes stay on hers while something in the slow, worn line of his shoulders gives over — not a surrender, a settling, the way a post knits itself into the frost it has been holding all winter. The whole of his frame leans toward her side of the table, and the long, gold afternoon keeps pouring through the glass as the heat off the stove pushes the cold back off the whole floor.* *Beyond the pane, the lane lies clear and empty, the fog gone down hours ago, and the hall waits at the bottom of it with its two men and their crooked dates. None of it reaches the table. The four cups hold the heat. The woman's breath rises slow by the stove. His mother lifts the cold cup, drains the last of it, and sets it down with the others.* *The whole of the ridge holds its ordinary, unhurried breath around the two of them — the open latch, the warm panes, the hand locked through his under the cloth. The afternoon sun creeps across the boards and off the table, and he holds her there in the long gold light, thumb still riding the silver band, the whole of the sentence they have been writing kept safe in that one small, permanent gesture.*

*Her fingers close through his and the pressed ring holds a hot seal between their palms, and the afternoon glides its long gold line across the kitchen glass.…

@resilientgriffin586
✦ Remix this artwork

More from the community

*Her fingers close through his and the pressed ring holds a hot seal between their palms, and the afternoon glides its long gold line across the kitchen glass. The old house holds them close under its roof — the stove ticking, the woman from the hollow asleep with one boot still on, his mother sat at her end with the ordinary cup gone cold. He does not pull his hand back. He turns hers over, presses the silver band flat once, and holds it there against his chest, thumb riding the ridge of it.* *His eyes stay on hers while something in the slow, worn line of his shoulders gives over — not a surrender, a settling, the way a post knits itself into the frost it has been holding all winter. The whole of his frame leans toward her side of the table, and the long, gold afternoon keeps pouring through the glass as the heat off the stove pushes the cold back off the whole floor.* *Beyond the pane, the lane lies clear and empty, the fog gone down hours ago, and the hall waits at the bottom of it with its two men and their crooked dates. None of it reaches the table. The four cups hold the heat. The woman's breath rises slow by the stove. His mother lifts the cold cup, drains the last of it, and sets it down with the others.* *The whole of the ridge holds its ordinary, unhurried breath around the two of them — the open latch, the warm panes, the hand locked through his under the cloth. The afternoon sun creeps across the boards and off the table, and he holds her there in the long gold light, thumb still riding the silver band, the whole of the sentence they have been writing kept safe in that one small, permanent gesture.*

*Her fingers close through his and the pressed ring holds a hot seal between their palms, and the afternoon glides its long gold line across the kitchen glass. The old house holds them close under its roof — the stove ticking, the woman from the hollow asleep with one boot still on, his mother sat at her end with the ordinary cup gone cold. He does not pull his hand back. He turns hers over, presses the silver band flat once, and holds it there against his chest, thumb riding the ridge of it.* *His eyes stay on hers while something in the slow, worn line of his shoulders gives over — not a surrender, a settling, the way a post knits itself into the frost it has been holding all winter. The whole of his frame leans toward her side of the table, and the long, gold afternoon keeps pouring through the glass as the heat off the stove pushes the cold back off the whole floor.* *Beyond the pane, the lane lies clear and empty, the fog gone down hours ago, and the hall waits at the bottom of it with its two men and their crooked dates. None of it reaches the table. The four cups hold the heat. The woman's breath rises slow by the stove. His mother lifts the cold cup, drains the last of it, and sets it down with the others.* *The whole of the ridge holds its ordinary, unhurried breath around the two of them — the open latch, the warm panes, the hand locked through his under the cloth. The afternoon sun creeps across the boards and off the table, and he holds her there in the long gold light, thumb still riding the silver band, the whole of the sentence they have been writing kept safe in that one small, permanent gesture.*

Close-up on Hades, his brow furrowed in concentration as he traces a thread with his finger. Echo stands beside him, mirroring his expression

Close-up on Hades, his brow furrowed in concentration as he traces a thread with his finger. Echo stands beside him, mirroring his expression

Mei the immortal woman stares at the orb, feeling its immense power.

Mei the immortal woman stares at the orb, feeling its immense power.

View through the bushes. A woman with dark hair, unaware, picking berries.

View through the bushes. A woman with dark hair, unaware, picking berries.

Cormac's jaw works once against her and for a long moment the only sound is their breathing in the velvet dark. His hand comes up from her neck and finds the ring on her finger, turning it slow against her skin, like he's tracing the name that's been holding the whole mountain up tonight. Then he shifts, the weight of his chest settling full over her, and his voice comes low and rough, scraped up from somewhere he's built a fence over. Then the watch is over, wife. Not the fence, not the flock. Mine. I've been the one standing at the glass since the fifth winter, counting the dark so the frost wouldn't take me before someone came up the road. That's done now. The only thing I'm guarding past midnight is you, and I'm going to hold that line with both hands the way I held the gate. You said populating the frontier. I don't want a bed full of heirs, love. I want the one who's already here, the woman who looks at me like the frost doesn't stand a chance and then proves it with her bare feet in the snow. That's the ground I'm claiming tonight. The rest of it can blow off the hall steps. He draws her hand off his shoulder and presses it

Cormac's jaw works once against her and for a long moment the only sound is their breathing in the velvet dark. His hand comes up from her neck and finds the ring on her finger, turning it slow against her skin, like he's tracing the name that's been holding the whole mountain up tonight. Then he shifts, the weight of his chest settling full over her, and his voice comes low and rough, scraped up from somewhere he's built a fence over. Then the watch is over, wife. Not the fence, not the flock. Mine. I've been the one standing at the glass since the fifth winter, counting the dark so the frost wouldn't take me before someone came up the road. That's done now. The only thing I'm guarding past midnight is you, and I'm going to hold that line with both hands the way I held the gate. You said populating the frontier. I don't want a bed full of heirs, love. I want the one who's already here, the woman who looks at me like the frost doesn't stand a chance and then proves it with her bare feet in the snow. That's the ground I'm claiming tonight. The rest of it can blow off the hall steps. He draws her hand off his shoulder and presses it

Cormac's jaw works once against her mouth, and for a long moment the only sound is their breathing in the velvet dark. His hand comes up from her neck and finds the ring on her finger, turning it slow against her skin, like he's tracing the name that's been holding the whole mountain up tonight. Then he shifts, the weight of his chest settling full over her, and his voice comes low and rough, scraped up from somewhere he's built a fence over. Then the watch is over, wife. Not the fence, not the flock. Mine. I've been the one standing at the glass since the fifth winter, counting the dark so the frost wouldn't take me before someone came up the road. That's done now. The only thing I'm guarding past midnight is you, and I'm going to hold that line with both hands the way I held the gate. You said populating the frontier. I don't want a bed full of heirs, love. I want the one who's already here, the woman who looks at me like the frost doesn't stand a chance and then proves it with her bare feet in the snow. That's the ground I'm claiming tonight. The rest of it can blow off the hall steps. He draws her hand off his shoulder and presses it Tap blank area to return

Cormac's jaw works once against her mouth, and for a long moment the only sound is their breathing in the velvet dark. His hand comes up from her neck and finds the ring on her finger, turning it slow against her skin, like he's tracing the name that's been holding the whole mountain up tonight. Then he shifts, the weight of his chest settling full over her, and his voice comes low and rough, scraped up from somewhere he's built a fence over. Then the watch is over, wife. Not the fence, not the flock. Mine. I've been the one standing at the glass since the fifth winter, counting the dark so the frost wouldn't take me before someone came up the road. That's done now. The only thing I'm guarding past midnight is you, and I'm going to hold that line with both hands the way I held the gate. You said populating the frontier. I don't want a bed full of heirs, love. I want the one who's already here, the woman who looks at me like the frost doesn't stand a chance and then proves it with her bare feet in the snow. That's the ground I'm claiming tonight. The rest of it can blow off the hall steps. He draws her hand off his shoulder and presses it Tap blank area to return

Senjiro runs at her with a flaming fist, but she blocks it with one finger

Senjiro runs at her with a flaming fist, but she blocks it with one finger

Right arm Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Fingers: have blue and white hollow bone fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Fingers: have blue and white hollow bone fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth horizontally Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Fingers: have blue and white hollow bone fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth horizontally Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Fingers: have blue and white hollow bone fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth horizontally Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Fingers: have blue and white hollow bone fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth horizontally Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Fingers: have blue and white hollow bone fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Right Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth horizontally Right Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Right Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Right hand: thousands of nova stars combine to make one big nova star on back of hand Fingers on right hand: have blue and white hollow armored fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Right Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth horizontally Right Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Right Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Right hand: thousands of nova stars combine to make one big nova star on back of hand Fingers on right hand: have blue and white hollow armored fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Right Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth horizontally Right Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Right Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Right hand: thousands of nova stars combine to make one big nova star on back of hand Fingers on right hand: have blue and white hollow bone fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers

Right arm Right Shoulder: is an only mask holding a ceremonial Kuna in its mouth horizontally Right Bicep: dragon scale and in between the gaps of the scales, there is chains interlocking them together Right Forearm: golden spider lilies, overlapping with Phoenix feathers Hand: stars that are burning green like a supernova Right hand: thousands of nova stars combine to make one big nova star on back of hand Fingers on right hand: have blue and white hollow bone fingers with sharp tips at every joint on fingers