Name: shadowsong26
Story: What if I should meet Love, once again?
'Verse: Feredar
Colors: Valentine's Day Pink, Paprika #3. Tonight is the night when two become one.
Supplies and Materials: saturation, miniature collection, photography, eraser (fifteen non-canon couples), brush (billet-doux), fabric, novelty beads ("Book of Love," Dar Williams), yarn, glitter,
Word Count: 1500
Rating: R
Characters: Kesshare, Taz, Rema, Sorell, Kes, Deshell, Kirana, Isshiri, Nida, Ineku, Mel, Andrell, Mellir, Nolani, Tova, Lonura, Keta, Odaki, Sola, Deva, Kit, Fera, Dallu, Kellom
Warnings: Um. There's one incest pairing, one that comments on a pretty significant age difference, Kesshare, Kit, Kellom, and Rema are all on here. Uh. One murder, a couple segments that are super creepy/involve some level of deception of a romantic/sexual partner. Nothing explicit, but some are fairly sexual/racy. Uh. If I missed anything, please let me know?
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always. Some of these could be canon, if you tilt your head and squint, some of them could spin off into proper AUs because I have no life... Title comes from Convalescent, by Dorothy Parker.


1, red--Kesshare/Taz

Kesshare never joined Taz on the Glory. She might've been insulted for her ship, were it not certain it wasn’t about him.

Perhaps because fire-mages did poorly at sea--Kesshare hated being vulnerable. Perhaps because, as Captain, Taz reigned supreme.

In truth, she didn't mind, though sometimes she wished her crimson princess at her side. But it was better for one to conquer on land; the other at sea.

Besides, long separations made meeting on the beach much better.

They devoured one another under the sunset-stained sky; then parted, knowing no one could match them like they matched each other.


2. pink--Rema/Sorell

Rema hadn't expected to regret it.

Sorell was a monster. He had to die. Rema knew this.

So why...

Why was she fixated on the smudge on his cheek, where she'd kissed him as she handed him the poisoned wine; the same pink as the froth that had bubbled up between his lips as he died?

Why did she dwell on the ghost of his hands, resting on her belly; his joy when he felt their child kick in response?

If only, she thought, if only he hadn't been a monster. I could have loved him, I think.

If only.


3. white--Kes/Deshell

Kes met him at the White Whale tavern. He bought her a drink, she beat him at darts, they exchanged names. He said his was Deshell; she'd figured it for the truth and responded in kind before taking his hand and tugging him into the alley.

And why not? He was handsome and congenial, and seemed to find her so. It wouldn't lead to anything permanent, but as ships passing in the night--a glimpse of white sails on the horizon--they could certainly please each other.

After, Kes decided it was one of the nicer shore leaves she'd had.


4. love--Kirana/Isshiri

Kirana always knew how to make her brother smile. Not because of her visions--but her love for him. (And his for her, hopefully--some things, even she couldn’t see.)

She’d struggled with it. Glass had few taboos, but siblings were one of them. Then again, who would it hurt? True, 'Sshiri's children could have been heirs, which wasn't exactly fair to Nolani's son, but was that reason enough to deny themselves?

Besides, she never saw it end badly…

So. She had decided. When he returned, she would kiss him, and make him smile, and know he loved her, too.


5. card--Nida/Ineku

Nida had met Ineku only once, years ago, when they were scarcely more than children.

It had been early spring; he and his family had come out of the desert to trade. She had kissed him, at the end of that week, before blushing and backing away shyly, and exchanging a promise to write.

She could no longer quite recall his face, though she remembered he was handsome--there were too many years between them for that. But she had kept and still treasured his letters; little droplets of sunshine and the innocence of youth, to brighten her darkest days.


6. heart--Mel/Andrell

They were two of a kind--traitors, oathbreakers--noble heroes who did The Right Thing.

They knew, as no one else could, there was something true to both versions. They knew what it was to be paralyzed with doubt, a decade after their brothers' downfalls. They knew the comfort in reassuring each other that, whatever their personal sacrifices, the world was better for what they'd done.

The comfort of not being alone.

Every morning, Mel woke up and found peace in Andrell sleeping by his side--the one person who understood.

The one person he trusted with his entire heart.


7. chocolate--Mellir/Nolani

With Mellir, it was--pure sex, pure joy. They took some wine and chocolates and locked themselves in Nolani's suite, taking turns picking from the box, assigning meanings to the flavors--positions, techniques, toys...

(Mellir was endlessly creative and had a very clever tongue.)

And if they were a little frenetic, a little desperate, (more than) a little drunk--well, they needed the escape. Just for a while. It had been a long, hard war. This wouldn't last forever--and neither of them really wanted that--but while it did...

While it did, it was simple, and sweet, and fun.


8. ribbon--Tova/Lonura

It was the most natural thing in the world, Tova thought, that she and Lady Lonura had become friends. After all, they were often left to their own devices while the children had lessons and the royal couple had business that it would be impolitic for either mistress to attend.

Add to that the fact that Lady Lonura had a sweet, arresting voice; startling, soft grey eyes; and a positively wicked sense of humor...

Well, really, Tova thought with a sigh, as Lonura deftly and delicately unlaced the ribbons in her bodice, what could possibly be more natural than this?


9. candle--Keta/Isshiri

Keta knew who he was: the symbolic cause of the War, the boy who’d destroyed her entire world. If she could hate anyone, surely it was him.

But she’d gotten lost in a storm; he’d suddenly appeared, a flame in one hand, and given her shelter.

And he had kind eyes--

He's too damn young for you!

--and the sweetest smile--

Does he know who you are?

--and made her smile, and--

Oh, no.

When she kissed him, their third day snowed in, his response was warm, if shy, and she knew she was lost all over again.


10. rose--Odaki/Sola

Their affection started with their children--Odaki's pride in his daughter nearly equaled hers for her sons. And he adored her Nava, which made leaving home to marry him less unbearable.

Of course he made the right gestures, as she expected from a gentleman of his caliber. But it wasn't...she knew these games.

But then one night, he pulled her out into the palace garden, spun her under the moonlight, and tucked a desert rose into her graying braid, and she felt...

Sola had given up on love, long ago.

Until Prince Odaki braided roses in her hair, and smiled.


11. gift--Deva/Taz

Deva closed her eyes, leaning into the sensation of Taz's fingers on her neck, fastening a braided gold chain; followed by a soft, nibbling kiss just at her hairline.

She hummed a little, and turned her head to kiss her properly. Her own gift, a near-sheer bolt of azure silk, was draped across Taz's shoulders.

It was also the only thing she was wearing above her waist.

Taz grinned at her, and raised an eyebrow. Deva laughed, and pulled her own blouse off over her head, just in time for her lover to tackle her onto the bed to play.


12. ring--Kit/Sorell

The problem wasn't that Kit was a man; not the politics, either--the negotiations complicated things, but not that much. Besides, Sorell was hardly the first to...indulge...with an envoy.

No, the problem was...

He toyed with his ring; Nida's perfume ghosted through the air.

But then Kit padded up behind, snaking his arms around Sorell and holding him tight.

Almost too tight. He closed his eyes and let that thought drift away, leaning into the embrace. Letting it break the spell.

Because, whatever else he might be, Kit was warm, and here, and…with him, Sorell could almost forget his grief.


13. teddy bear--Fera/Lonura

Fera smiled at the dog curled up at her feet. He was asleep, twitching occasionally, chasing rabbits in his dreams. A gift from Lonura, weeks ago.

She had started that exchange--back when their love was new. She’d been so uncertain, on the edge of a brief separation. She'd made a little plush toy for Lonura to remember her by, and waited.

Then her lover returned, with a kiss and a puppy.

Fera giggled a little, bending down to scratch his ears. Lonura was away again, but this time she wasn't worried. She knew she was remembered and loved.


14. candy--Dallu/Mel

Dallu had fine hair, soft as spun sugar and nearly the same color, just a few shades up from pure white.

Mel couldn't get enough of it, toying with it every chance he got, braiding it, twining it around his fingers--even just petting it.

For his part, he had to admit that he loved the attention. And Mel’s hands, warm and strong and sure and smelling of fresh sea air. Besides, it never took much to unravel the tangles--just a little bit of time and patience. More than worth it.

(Mel was willing to brush it, too. Bliss.)


15. kiss--Kellom/Kirana

The seer’s lips were soft against his own, and not what Kellom had expected.

Not that he really knew what he had expected, not anymore, trapped by the marvel of her lips, her tongue, her arms around him as they kissed.

This is wrong stop it let her go stop--

And yet--they fit together, and he couldn't. He was drowning in her, unclean and sacred all at once. All that mattered was the seer in his arms, her mouth on his, his soul suspended in that weightless instant before a catastrophic fall.

Into what?

Only she could know.