stuff us in boxes that's where you want us

cardboard is boring, we brought our matches - look how it burns

Harley finished the quick 'tattoo' sketch on the leather, a far less intricate variation of something she had on herself. It was simple enough to draw something that she didn't need a reference for, something she could practically do in her sleep without much thought. It was the perfect kind of thing to show Dorian the basics. She hardly expected the level of excitement from the kind-hearted fae as he declared some fancy word in an equally foreign tongue with one too many syllables. Besides her various knowledge of swear words in other languages. Dorian chuckled, amused having forgotten himself, claiming that he thought her doodle was.... Wonderful. The way he said it was like he did so with his whole heart. Then again, he did get excited about a drawing of a flower, so maybe this shouldn't have taken her aback as it did. "Oh, well thank you." She quickly moved on, giving him that opportunity to try his own hand at it. Although she was unsure why Lucas, the smallest of the guards seemed to tense like there was some hidden threat in that small but effective space. He reminded her of a helicopter parents who tried with all their might to hold back.

That was when Dorian began to share a hint of a disastrous tale of a microwave, although he had trouble remembering the word. But what stood out the most was that he didn't offer nearly enough details to her liking, simply because it looked like it was going to be a hell of a story even though she had thought it was a joke at first. Harley's own reply, the mention of tinfoil seemed to confuse the monarch so thoroughly that she only wished she could have bottled that look. Who didn't know what tinfoil? He further explained what he had done to turn his experience with a microwave so disastrous. Of course, putting random objects in the micro was certainly a quick way to cause a slew of problems. Hadn't anyone ever told him it was for mainly food alone? Her whole body shook with laughter.

"You did what? What did you put in it? A radio? I bet your parents had their hands full with you.. How old were you?" The leftover stain of laughter clung to those words, her eyes still shining with mischief at the thought of it. She had done plenty of things to make her parents rip out their hair, but messing with the microwave was not one of them. She pat his arm before realizing her mistake, oops probably shouldn't touch the king.

"Dorian... I don't say this much.. But you really are a riot. I think I needed that laugh. But if I can assure you of anything, microwaves are not a waste. They are amazing and useful technology. You don't even need to know how to cook to use it and it's a fast way to reheat leftovers. I don't have a lot of time to cook all the time so leftovers are a way of life, my fae friend." Hasn't he ever popped popcorn before? Reheated a beverage? How did he ever fend for himself? How many questions she had for him.... Countless.. Really. Nearly like kernels beginning to pop in her mind, one after another like popcorn only she didn't quite get the chance to utter them all.

The raven-haired artist then returned to her quick little lesson on how to operate the machine, allowing him a chance to play... it was certainly going to be easier than leaving him alone with a microwave. She was entirely certain. When Dorian attempted his little dot, he asked for a picture so he could show his husband what he had done. That was kind of cute. It was something that Lucas was more than happy to oblige even despite his obvious concern that lined his much too serious-looking face. See... this was not a bad idea at all. She was making memories happen. The thought made her almost a little too pleased with herself.

Much to her own surprise, she was patient and most importantly vigilant... encouraging the monarch to draw something more substantial than a dot. Whether it was her encouragement or something else that spurred his own confidence to attempt more, it hardly seemed to matter other than he was doing it. Truthfully, she was kind of getting a kick out of watching him. Which surprised her. Normally no one was allowed to touch that machine with the exception of her but this, she decided was well worth breaking routine. That and... it seemed like the best time to ask her one burning question that didn't quite seem to dissipate from the moment she had first thought it. It was annoying really how her mind refused to let it go. She had met plenty of people that did not decide to haunt her waking thoughts when they weren't around. But it truly was a sign of self-control she hadn't asked earlier. What was odd, was how purposefully she attempted to be vague, careful not to say too much, to not betray Sly or.... her curious, secret interest in the warlock. It was now or never, it wasn't like she was going to have a chance like this again. Dorian's name slipped from her lips to capture his attention after he had taken to drawing more upon his vacant spot. Although she couldn't get a good enough view to see what it was that he was drawing. She crossed her arms as if they somehow made her a perfectly unreadable wall, her stance as nonchalant as ever.

That prompt of a fiery soul seemed to interest the monarch with more questions than she thought. "I mean a soul made of flame." The raven-haired woman clarified simply before he claimed he had never seen a soul like the one she described and asked why she asked. Damn, disappointment seemed to settle upon her before his expression went what could only be described as contemplative. The monarch seemed more than content to think about his response before offering her more. Even though it seemed like a sensical hypothesis. It was honestly more than she had anticipated he would give, but those articulate words were certainly something to think about. He claimed that a person with a fiery soul was balanced. Hm. Balanced how? She had not expected that her hopefully casual appearing question would make him wish to see it for himself. Oh.. That she was certain she couldn't do. To do that would mean that it would be discovered that she had spoken about the warlock. That she had inquired about him. How she tried to slide that unreadable mask upon her face, to solidify it, but failed as a whole. If only it was not so obvious to Dorian as it was to herself.

Why was this making her feel..... like this was so difficult to speak of? She wasn't shy and yet was this what it felt like to feel like it? "Oh. I'm just speaking hypothetically. So, someone like this could be balanced but could also be capable of some serious destruction if not. Also sounds a lot like someone else I know." She huffed out a sound of amusement at the mention of destruction reminded her of a certain fae. But one thing for certain was Sly did come across balanced, ridiculously so. Especially with how he dealt with... stressful situations or anything she had thrown at him. Hell, he was at death's door and the only thing that worried him was not going to the hospital. When he had awoken and healed... he merely brushed it off like it was no big deal. He did not at all come across as chaotic and capable of massive destruction though. Was he? So maybe there was some truth to those words and yet she had only really just met the guy. Could she claim she knew what he was capable of?

"I just figured you might know something after our talk about auras and stuff. I just find myself... curious about him." Whoops, did she honestly just say him aka Sly? She swiftly amended her previous statement. "I mean.. Just curious in general." Curious, yeah.. That was one way to put it. " Hypothetically speaking." She flicked her gaze upward to Dorian's silver eyes, offering him a lame smile that probably look like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Which was unlikely the first nor the last time that's ever happened.

Harley Westward