Amelia Eva Steinbeck 📚 Teacher 📚 Witch 📚 Available for pop culture consultation regarding the arts, literature, and other foreign mediums of expression.
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NAME: Amelia Eva Steinbeck BIRTHDAY: February 28th FAV CAKE FLAVOR: Mixed berries, whipped cream, and lemon curd
WHAT THEY WANT MOST FOR THEIR BIRTHDAY: For her AP Lit. class to pass their test w/ a 3 or higher.
[His response is immediate— it had not required a single moment of thought; staying with her seemed natural, the only logical choice, especially when she was in this state, and yet she sounds as though she considers it a favor, as though it's somehow burdening him. That could not be further from the truth.]
There's nowhere I would rather be.
[He gently tucks her head beneath his chin as he embraces her fully, and the spell that follows is seamless— there's a slight tugging sensation as they're pulled through the ether, but the chatter of the restaurant falls away and they find themselves surrounded by the quiet comfort of Amelia's own sitting room.
He loosens his own hold only slightly as they find themselves on her familiar sofa, exhaling steadily.]
[One of her wind chimes that hangs from the ceiling, softly tingles as if to welcome them back. The lights in her room are dim and the illusory outside reflects a dark evening sky.
Amelia's chest rises and falls as she lays against Gale's chest, her arms slackening, but not away from him. For a long moment, all is silent with only the barely perceptible tick of one of her clocks filling the air.
She finally speaks up, quietly and wearily.]
It's not your fault.
[She repeats herself for his sake. Just being here for her and holding her like this helps somewhat.]
[For that long moment, he simply allows her to be, drinking in the near-silence, letting the faint tick of the clock keep him calm even as worry eats at him— it was so rare, to see Amelia anything but composed, let alone to see her distressed. When she finally speaks, he gently cards his fingers through her hair to offer reassurance, making no move to pull away, his arm still securely around her middle as she rests against him.]
I'm sorry if I— perhaps stirred a memory that would have been best left untouched.
[It's all he can think of at the moment, even if she insists it wasn't his fault. He exhales steadily, dropping a chaste kiss against the top of her head.]
... Just stay like this for a little longer. That's all.
[It speaks volumes that she keeps him here with her instead of turning away and casting him out. Years ago, Amelia hated having anyone see her in pain, even Michael who had already witnessed it firsthand. To show weakness was a type of failure, and failure meant pain, death, or both. It was something that the Witch King had engrained in her, a survival instinct.
She focuses on Gale's touch, his fingers through her hair, and the weight of him beneath her. His voice and kiss on her head draw her back to the present.
For a couple of seconds, she says nothing. When Amelia does speak up, her voice is quiet and serenely somber.]
When you grew your skills in magic... What was it like?
[An odd question; it's almost like redirection, but it had more purpose behind it, subtle as it was.]
[He only nods in response, confirming with a gentle tightening of his embrace. As he'd said before, he would stay here with her exactly like this for as long as she wished— if she needed him, there was nothing else he would rather do.
There's a weighted pause before he answers her question. He knows what his answer will be with certainty, but what he's learned of her past, of how her teacher had abandoned her when he was through—
He knew just enough to know that the pursuit of magic had been a very, very different experience for the two of them.]
It did. I cast my first spell when I was but a babe— it always felt as though it was what I was meant to do. I felt called to it. At the time, I had believed magic itself to be the love of my life. It was my entire heart, my world.
[It was as much a part of him as the very blood in his veins, and remained so, even if his perspective had broadened.]
[Her heartbeat has slowed down, its pulse steady against Gale's chest. She focuses on his voice and how he recalls his experiences with magic. He may have embroiled himself in harsh, life threatening circumstances, but he was still him. Warm, kind, devoted and wanting her as she is. Magic was his world, and that came with both the good and the bad.
Had she ever been able to truly accept the ails that magic had rained down upon her?
There's silence again for a couple of seconds before she speaks again.]
When my teacher, the Witch King, revealed the world to magic to me as a child... I felt special. The life I knew before, the one where the arcane and mysteries of the world were simply fanciful stories, was dull and less bright.
[Her fingers curl into his sleeves.]
But I was a fool. A child who fell in love with the glamor without understanding what I was throwing away.
[He's patient, allowing her to speak and share in her own time rather than urging her onward, though a frown does tug at the corners of his lips when she at last does so. What little she has shared of her past with him, she has always done so with hesitance, caution; it had been plain enough that her youth had not been a happy one, and he has known for some time now that should he have the opportunity to learn more, he would only come to disapprove of her teacher even more than he already had.
Her fingers curl into his sleeve, and he tightens his hold around her waist ever-so-slightly, offering what small bit of security he can.]
That was hardly your fault. You are not a fool.
[On that, he will stand firm.]
Your teacher took advantage of your youth and offered you a choice that no child could ever possibly be equipped to make, even one so brilliant as I'm certain you must have been. That he did so was cruel and unfair, but no fault of your own, Amelia.
[They're familiar words, ones that remind her of Michael and Berna who understood the Witch King's nature, and of Adam whose face twisted with anger on her behalf when he realized the gravity of her situation.
It's so strange, even after all these years, about having people who cared especially when it was too late.]
... He's only ever done one thing I would consider good.
[But it might as well have been the worst and he had no hand in instrumenting what happened next.]
That one good thing is gone now. And it only reminded me that I'm so very human...
[She closes her eyes trying to center herself against Gale again.]
[His brow furrows, that frown of his persisting as he gently cards his fingers through her hair, letting his thumb brush against her cheek as it moves past.]
Being human is not so terrible. We are vulnerable, yes— but capable of so much more than many would give us credit for.
[The human spirit could be a truly wondrous thing, though he had also seen it bent to wicked deeds.]
What he did... it's related to what you heard in the Vale that day, yes?
[She had heard the voice of someone who had loved her dearly. Someone who was no longer with them.]
[She doesn’t reply at first. That day in the Vale wasn’t so long ago and yet Amelia realizes that her memory of their voice felt faint. The words, she could remember, but the past was ebbing away from her in ways she wasn’t prepared for.]
… Gale.
[Amelia slowly lifts herself up and pulls away from Gale, but not without letting her hands move to intertwine with his fingers. Her eyes don’t meet his, but instead focuses on his palms.]
What did you think about that voice you heard back there? About what he said?
[He hesitates as well, choosing his words with care. There was much about their day in the Vale that had stayed with him, and the memories that it had chosen to confront the both of them with remained fresh in his mind, as though it had been hours instead of months.]
I thought that whoever the voice belonged to, they must have loved you very, very much.
[That was an understatement, given the words that had been used, and given Amelia's reaction at the time.]
You told me then that it was a wonderful memory— and while it was already clear they were quite special to you, I imagine they must have been worthy of you, as well.
[What little he knows about her past... he can only imagine the circumstances of such a bond had to have been extraordinary.]
... It's odd, really. He wasn't strong at all. Helpless. But when he was gone, he hurt me the most.
[Amelia may have given Briar form, but he was the one who reminded her that her heart was significant that there was always opportunities for seeds to be planted and grow in the aftermath of a drought like hers.
She looks up and into Gale's eyes and moves her thumb to trace the line of his cheekbone.]
... You're different, Gale. In the best way possible.
[Her voice is quiet, but her meaning is genuine even with the internal struggle that plagues her.]
I don't feel like you've ever doubted me even when I doubt myself.
[He meets and holds her gaze when she looks up at him, his heartbeat quickening slightly as she outlines the structure of his face, and heavy as the moment is, he gives her a small smile of reassurance. Wasn't he the one who was supposed to be saying things like that to her?]
I'm still amazed that someone like you could ever have doubts— but I believe you to be far stronger than even you know.
[He threads his fingers through her hair once more, gently guiding some of it back and away from her brow.]
I don't yet know every chapter of your story, my dear heart, but I don't need to know to be assured of your strength of will.
[He feels his breath catch as she presses her lips to his fingertips, soft and warm and inviting, and the words that he's been so careful to keep from uttering in full in his effort to meet her at her pace come tumbling out, almost without his permission.]
I'm in love with you.
[If not tonight of all nights, then when? There would never be a better time.
He exhales, bringing a hand to rest gently against her wrist as she guides the other. It's been no secret, he knows; he has made every effort to show what he chose not to say as often as he could.]
I know we've both had our reasons for doubt, but this... I have never been more certain of anything, Amelia.
[It's been said many times (perhaps too many), that actions speak louder than words. Truly, if that were so, that would make Gale's a thunderous choir. But when the words are formed and brought to life, there is a power in which it seizes her heart upon hearing them. It's like a new song that steadily spreads joy and pleasure to the senses, and added to the long list of melodies that bring happiness, melancholy, pain, and all other complexities that create the music that was the story of her life.
The reality of it causes a pang within, but not unpleasantly and not in a way which could have made her run and hide. Being loved and being told so had lost its sting. She looks at Gale, really looks at him, searching for that doubt and finding none when he makes his declaration.
And after all that has gone down tonight, that is what gives her true relief.]
... And here I thought you'd keep me guessing this whole time.
[And finally there is a jest and a sweet reciprocation as she kisses the seam of his lips.]
[He lets out a breathless laugh as he meets her for that kiss, and though it only lasts for a brief moment, it feels terribly significant, as though the kiss itself is a benediction, months of words and feelings left unspoken at last resulting in a moment of perfect understanding.]
You have nothing to apologize for.
[He remembers well what she had said at the start of the new year— that she wanted to look forward, to focus on what she had called 'the story of us.'
That was a story he was keen to read the next chapters of, as well— though not so eager that he wishes to rush through the one they've found themselves in the middle of. This place had given them the gift of time, and as ever, he intends to use it wisely.]
You are more than worth waiting for, in every possible way. Though, now that you mention it... I might have had a bit of fun keeping you guessing at it a bit longer, hm?
[His smile warms, eyes alight with amusement. He knows himself, at least in this regard. He couldn't have kept her guessing if he'd tried, the way he's always worn his heart on his sleeve.]
[There were still so many chapters left in their story and when Gale laughs and meets her kiss, a new wish blooms in her heart. If possible, she didn't want the story to end. Every chapter she would write with him and a smaller burden is lifted in her heart when the witch remembers that a new story didn't mean forgetting.
Briar will always remain in the weave of her magic. He loved her, he loved the world, and he would love the person she was tonight with Gale Dekarios.]
That's what a good story should do; keep you guessing.
[Amelia moves off of him, but takes hold of both of his hands to tug him off of the sofa.]
You are my favorite story tonight, Gale. Tonight, tomorrow... Perhaps I'll let you be that for many days more.
[His smile pulls wider as she tugs him forward; their hands fit together easily, as though they were made for it, and he can feel the shift in the air as her spirits lift, burdens eased as he joins her.]
Given my own great love of stories, I can think of no greater compliment.
[He squeezes her hands as he steps forward to close the distance between them— there had been no question of how they felt for one another, even though they had left it unsaid, but he feels as though the future, uncertain though it may be, is beginning to take shape. He knows what he wants it to be, what he wants to fight for— and he knows that he won't be allowing himself to settle for a future without her in it.]
Our favorite stories are always the ones we cherish for years to come, yes? It is my dearest wish to be the sort that endures and stands the test of time.
[Her words trail off and she gazes into his eyes thinking of what else needs to be said, what could be said before they fade into the night. Then she remembers that his gift is still on her person.
Wordlessly, she lets go of his hands and puts the bracelet around her wrist. When she finally speaks, it's in a murmur but the volume of it is immense.]
Whatever happens to us, even if we were to wake up and separated by various means, I want you to keep this somewhere in your mind even if it's deep down where you can barely reach.
[The rose charm glints in the low lights of her room as Amelia takes his hands again.]
I love you more than I could ever promise.
[His hands are squeezed and she casts her gaze to the floor smiling.]
[Even as she casts her gaze downwards, his smile blooms, catching the soft gleam of the bracelet on her wrist out of the corner of his eye as she takes his hands again, but the bracelet itself is a mere trinket compared to the treasure she has offered.
He draws her towards him as their hands are joined, taking a step forward to meet her, and gives a faint shake of his head.]
'Adequate' is too poor a word for anything you could ever offer me, my heart.
[He knows that his inclination towards pretty words and grand compliments can be a bit much at times, but tonight, he feels they are most certainly called for.]
Whatever may come, I will cherish those words. Wherever we may find ourselves, you have my heart and everlasting devotion— entirely.
[He will always be thankful to this strange place for that, for her. He releases one of her hands, only to light brush her hair back from her face and gently turn her chin upwards so that he can meet her gaze.]
I am yours, Amelia.
[He has said it before, but now it no longer needs to serve as a stand-in for what he feels— now, all that those words promise is known.]
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no subject
[His response is immediate— it had not required a single moment of thought; staying with her seemed natural, the only logical choice, especially when she was in this state, and yet she sounds as though she considers it a favor, as though it's somehow burdening him. That could not be further from the truth.]
There's nowhere I would rather be.
[He gently tucks her head beneath his chin as he embraces her fully, and the spell that follows is seamless— there's a slight tugging sensation as they're pulled through the ether, but the chatter of the restaurant falls away and they find themselves surrounded by the quiet comfort of Amelia's own sitting room.
He loosens his own hold only slightly as they find themselves on her familiar sofa, exhaling steadily.]
There— much better.
no subject
Amelia's chest rises and falls as she lays against Gale's chest, her arms slackening, but not away from him. For a long moment, all is silent with only the barely perceptible tick of one of her clocks filling the air.
She finally speaks up, quietly and wearily.]
It's not your fault.
[She repeats herself for his sake. Just being here for her and holding her like this helps somewhat.]
no subject
I'm sorry if I— perhaps stirred a memory that would have been best left untouched.
[It's all he can think of at the moment, even if she insists it wasn't his fault. He exhales steadily, dropping a chaste kiss against the top of her head.]
What can I do for you?
no subject
[It speaks volumes that she keeps him here with her instead of turning away and casting him out. Years ago, Amelia hated having anyone see her in pain, even Michael who had already witnessed it firsthand. To show weakness was a type of failure, and failure meant pain, death, or both. It was something that the Witch King had engrained in her, a survival instinct.
She focuses on Gale's touch, his fingers through her hair, and the weight of him beneath her. His voice and kiss on her head draw her back to the present.
For a couple of seconds, she says nothing. When Amelia does speak up, her voice is quiet and serenely somber.]
When you grew your skills in magic... What was it like?
[An odd question; it's almost like redirection, but it had more purpose behind it, subtle as it was.]
Did it make you happy, Gale?
no subject
There's a weighted pause before he answers her question. He knows what his answer will be with certainty, but what he's learned of her past, of how her teacher had abandoned her when he was through—
He knew just enough to know that the pursuit of magic had been a very, very different experience for the two of them.]
It did. I cast my first spell when I was but a babe— it always felt as though it was what I was meant to do. I felt called to it. At the time, I had believed magic itself to be the love of my life. It was my entire heart, my world.
[It was as much a part of him as the very blood in his veins, and remained so, even if his perspective had broadened.]
no subject
Had she ever been able to truly accept the ails that magic had rained down upon her?
There's silence again for a couple of seconds before she speaks again.]
When my teacher, the Witch King, revealed the world to magic to me as a child... I felt special. The life I knew before, the one where the arcane and mysteries of the world were simply fanciful stories, was dull and less bright.
[Her fingers curl into his sleeves.]
But I was a fool. A child who fell in love with the glamor without understanding what I was throwing away.
no subject
Her fingers curl into his sleeve, and he tightens his hold around her waist ever-so-slightly, offering what small bit of security he can.]
That was hardly your fault. You are not a fool.
[On that, he will stand firm.]
Your teacher took advantage of your youth and offered you a choice that no child could ever possibly be equipped to make, even one so brilliant as I'm certain you must have been. That he did so was cruel and unfair, but no fault of your own, Amelia.
no subject
It's so strange, even after all these years, about having people who cared especially when it was too late.]
... He's only ever done one thing I would consider good.
[But it might as well have been the worst and he had no hand in instrumenting what happened next.]
That one good thing is gone now. And it only reminded me that I'm so very human...
[She closes her eyes trying to center herself against Gale again.]
And so very tired.
no subject
Being human is not so terrible. We are vulnerable, yes— but capable of so much more than many would give us credit for.
[The human spirit could be a truly wondrous thing, though he had also seen it bent to wicked deeds.]
What he did... it's related to what you heard in the Vale that day, yes?
[She had heard the voice of someone who had loved her dearly. Someone who was no longer with them.]
no subject
… Gale.
[Amelia slowly lifts herself up and pulls away from Gale, but not without letting her hands move to intertwine with his fingers. Her eyes don’t meet his, but instead focuses on his palms.]
What did you think about that voice you heard back there? About what he said?
no subject
I thought that whoever the voice belonged to, they must have loved you very, very much.
[That was an understatement, given the words that had been used, and given Amelia's reaction at the time.]
You told me then that it was a wonderful memory— and while it was already clear they were quite special to you, I imagine they must have been worthy of you, as well.
[What little he knows about her past... he can only imagine the circumstances of such a bond had to have been extraordinary.]
no subject
[Amelia may have given Briar form, but he was the one who reminded her that her heart was significant that there was always opportunities for seeds to be planted and grow in the aftermath of a drought like hers.
She looks up and into Gale's eyes and moves her thumb to trace the line of his cheekbone.]
... You're different, Gale. In the best way possible.
[Her voice is quiet, but her meaning is genuine even with the internal struggle that plagues her.]
I don't feel like you've ever doubted me even when I doubt myself.
no subject
I'm still amazed that someone like you could ever have doubts— but I believe you to be far stronger than even you know.
[He threads his fingers through her hair once more, gently guiding some of it back and away from her brow.]
I don't yet know every chapter of your story, my dear heart, but I don't need to know to be assured of your strength of will.
no subject
But I don't doubt this.
[She takes hold of the hand in her hair, moves it to her lips, and kisses Gale's fingertips. The following murmur is low and warm.]
I don't doubt you.
no subject
I'm in love with you.
[If not tonight of all nights, then when? There would never be a better time.
He exhales, bringing a hand to rest gently against her wrist as she guides the other. It's been no secret, he knows; he has made every effort to show what he chose not to say as often as he could.]
I know we've both had our reasons for doubt, but this... I have never been more certain of anything, Amelia.
no subject
[It's been said many times (perhaps too many), that actions speak louder than words. Truly, if that were so, that would make Gale's a thunderous choir. But when the words are formed and brought to life, there is a power in which it seizes her heart upon hearing them. It's like a new song that steadily spreads joy and pleasure to the senses, and added to the long list of melodies that bring happiness, melancholy, pain, and all other complexities that create the music that was the story of her life.
The reality of it causes a pang within, but not unpleasantly and not in a way which could have made her run and hide. Being loved and being told so had lost its sting. She looks at Gale, really looks at him, searching for that doubt and finding none when he makes his declaration.
And after all that has gone down tonight, that is what gives her true relief.]
... And here I thought you'd keep me guessing this whole time.
[And finally there is a jest and a sweet reciprocation as she kisses the seam of his lips.]
I'm sorry I made you wait.
no subject
You have nothing to apologize for.
[He remembers well what she had said at the start of the new year— that she wanted to look forward, to focus on what she had called 'the story of us.'
That was a story he was keen to read the next chapters of, as well— though not so eager that he wishes to rush through the one they've found themselves in the middle of. This place had given them the gift of time, and as ever, he intends to use it wisely.]
You are more than worth waiting for, in every possible way. Though, now that you mention it... I might have had a bit of fun keeping you guessing at it a bit longer, hm?
[His smile warms, eyes alight with amusement. He knows himself, at least in this regard. He couldn't have kept her guessing if he'd tried, the way he's always worn his heart on his sleeve.]
no subject
Briar will always remain in the weave of her magic. He loved her, he loved the world, and he would love the person she was tonight with Gale Dekarios.]
That's what a good story should do; keep you guessing.
[Amelia moves off of him, but takes hold of both of his hands to tug him off of the sofa.]
You are my favorite story tonight, Gale. Tonight, tomorrow... Perhaps I'll let you be that for many days more.
no subject
Given my own great love of stories, I can think of no greater compliment.
[He squeezes her hands as he steps forward to close the distance between them— there had been no question of how they felt for one another, even though they had left it unsaid, but he feels as though the future, uncertain though it may be, is beginning to take shape. He knows what he wants it to be, what he wants to fight for— and he knows that he won't be allowing himself to settle for a future without her in it.]
Our favorite stories are always the ones we cherish for years to come, yes? It is my dearest wish to be the sort that endures and stands the test of time.
no subject
[Her words trail off and she gazes into his eyes thinking of what else needs to be said, what could be said before they fade into the night. Then she remembers that his gift is still on her person.
Wordlessly, she lets go of his hands and puts the bracelet around her wrist. When she finally speaks, it's in a murmur but the volume of it is immense.]
Whatever happens to us, even if we were to wake up and separated by various means, I want you to keep this somewhere in your mind even if it's deep down where you can barely reach.
[The rose charm glints in the low lights of her room as Amelia takes his hands again.]
I love you more than I could ever promise.
[His hands are squeezed and she casts her gaze to the floor smiling.]
I hope that's adequate.
no subject
He draws her towards him as their hands are joined, taking a step forward to meet her, and gives a faint shake of his head.]
'Adequate' is too poor a word for anything you could ever offer me, my heart.
[He knows that his inclination towards pretty words and grand compliments can be a bit much at times, but tonight, he feels they are most certainly called for.]
Whatever may come, I will cherish those words. Wherever we may find ourselves, you have my heart and everlasting devotion— entirely.
[He will always be thankful to this strange place for that, for her. He releases one of her hands, only to light brush her hair back from her face and gently turn her chin upwards so that he can meet her gaze.]
I am yours, Amelia.
[He has said it before, but now it no longer needs to serve as a stand-in for what he feels— now, all that those words promise is known.]