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Post by Emiko on Nov 10, 2020 20:48:57 GMT -6
Celaine found herself strangely surprised when Ravenna moved her way over towards her and clasped her hands onto the young maiden's shoulders. Not understanding the reasoning behind this, Celaine's body proved to be more tense to Ravenna's touch than perhaps what either of them were expecting. While naturally surprised and tense, the nervous fear that Celaine released through the fearful vibrations of her body were not easily missed. Somehow, it triggered something in Ravenna to tighten her hold around Celaine's shoulders for reasons that...she honestly didn't understand...
Celaine didn't have the ability to read minds and had no idea that Ravenna was cursing Saveria in her thoughts for all the things she had done. Even as Ravenna's grip grew tighter, somewhat to the alarm of Celaine herself, she found herself wondering just what was going on or...why there was such a sudden change in Ravenna's character that...quite frankly hadn't ever shown itself in this way before.
Thankfully, the tense moment came to somewhat of an end as Ravenna returned to smiling and slid her hands down to hold Celaine's warmly. This was followed by an exchange of words assuring Celaine that Ravenna wouldn't let anything happen to her which did cause Celaine to smile somewhat warmly. While the young maiden felt a sense of peace and happiness holding the hands of her crush, she was still feeling the nervous emotions from before. And those emotions...seemed to have an unintended side effect that Ravenna might not be prepared for...
Unable to control her fears in full, Celaine hadn't...realized that her magical eye had been inadvertently activated. Hidden under an eye patch, even Ravenna wouldn't be able to see the glowing of Celaine's eye. However, she would 'see' its effects in her minds eye almost immediately. For within a mere moment of questioning the idea of Pavia as an alias, a former memory from Celaine's past would flash into and play out in her mind...
In her mind's eye, Ravenna could see that familiar woman Celaine referred to as her fiancee holding onto a happy Celaine in similar way as Ravenna was. The two women looked so happy together as they sat at a small table holding each other's hands warmly and safely. As the two girls stared lovingly into each others eyes, Ravenna could hear the warm, soft voice of the blonde haired girl whispering their plans for the time to come.
"Tomorrow's the day, Celaine..." The beautiful blonde said following with a giggle. Giving Celaine's hand a tender squeeze, she went on to say, "...We'll pack up everything we own and leave this town for Paris to open that little clothing shop we planned. You just have to meet me in that alley by the jewelry store and we'll be on our way. I can't wait to start our new exciting life together."
...A moment later, the scene in Ravenna's mind would flash to Celaine being forced to kneel in chains before a crowd of frenzy people. As she sits on her knees shivering in fear, Celaine looks up to this same girl she had been holding the hands of standing with a group of men clearly intent on punishing her... In fearful shock, Celaine watches as the girl she loves points to the kneeling maiden and callously accuses her of the taboo without the slightest hint of the love Ravenna had seen in the previous scene...
"...Everything she's is being accused of is true. She admitted to me last night that she loves me and wanted to marry me..." The blonde girl said, acting as a 'witness' against a criminal... "...It made me sick to hear those things and endure acting so long to find out the truth for you. She's a sinner and guilty of what you all accuse her of..."
It isn't but a moment after this scene plays out that the 'memories' from Celaine fade out of Ravenna's mind. As soon as they do, she can see a happy Celaine starting at her with a cheerful smile on her face. However, the hold that she has on Ravenna's hands is...somewhat tight as if there is some sort of fear behind her own grip. After what Ravenna had just seen in her mind's eye...it might make sense why...
"...Pavia? That sounds like a lovely alias to me..." Celaine responded, seeming to show no signs or even knowledge that she was even aware of what Ravenna had just seen... "...I'll be sure to call you that for the time we are in town as long as you remember my alias. After we complete our small task and leave the town, we should be fine to go by our usual names again."
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Post by yooom on Nov 13, 2020 19:33:44 GMT -6
Ravenna continued to hold on to Celaine’s hands for a moment longer, gazing at her face, trying to put on an encouraging face before Celaine’s eyes. She didn’t have long to look at Celaine, however, for a moment later Celaine’s glass, magical eye sparked to life. There was a rather sudden flash from it, and quite suddenly, Ravenna was staring at someone else entirely. It was a beautiful face, and one Ravenna remembered instantly from the last moment their memories had fused, that very near deadly night when she had first broken into Sanctuaire Sacre. Celaine’s would-be fiance, the woman who had betrayed her, who still dominated so much of Celaine’s thoughts. It was strange, seeing her face so calm, so loving, when Ravenna had seen the light fading from that same face, and knew exactly how this “love” story would end. They were both of them doomed.
She got so caught up in the revelation of who she was looking at, she almost missed what Celaine’s love was saying. It was a bit of a revelation, for Ravenna, to find out that Celaine had, in fact, planned before to leave this quiet part of France for the city. It made sense, she supposed, people would be bound to get away with more in one of Europe’s largest cities than they were in a quiet, rural place like this.
Ravenna did not have long to take in this curious moment, for it vanished in another moment, and a second later the woman was accused before an angry mob. Ravenna knew what had unfolded that fateful night quite well, she doubted she would ever forget Celaine’s tearful narration of those events, but it was still difficult to watch the scene itself unravel before her eyes. She could feel Celaine’s betrayal, her mounting anger, and her suffocating fear as she realized what it was that was about to happen. Or were those Ravenna’s own feelings?
A second later Ravenna was “back,” shivering herself, less due to anxiety about the scenes that had unfolded, and more from the strange feeling of being rather abruptly hit by Celaine’s magic. It left with an odd, tingling sort of buzz in her arms and legs, and she gently pulled away from Celaine, with a somewhat ragged cough.
“Yes, it...I think it should work,” she mumbled hastily, before quickly addressing the real matter now on her mind. “Look, are you sure you’re okay with this? I know it’s a dangerous place, but do you think you can keep your um...emotions under control? You know, with the, um…”Ravenna gestured awkwardly to Celaine’s eye. “Magic!” she added, hastily, not wanting it to seem like she was being rude. She took another step back, seating herself on the end of the bed, rocking slightly, nervous.
Ravenna wanted to explain more about what she meant, but, truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure what it was that had happened herself. Was it something to do with the connection they’d made that first night? Or, if Celaine was feeling emotional, could that happen to anyone? In which case...what might happen to them if Celaine accidentally exposed a personal memory like that to a villager in this town? Given what Celaine had only just told her about the town, nothing good, that much was certain.
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Post by Emiko on Nov 14, 2020 11:12:16 GMT -6
Celaine had absolutely no idea that Ravenna had once again been given access to her memories just like she had that very first night. The act of holding her hands the way her fiancee had all those years ago triggered the quiet, but painful memories inside of her head. And the unique timing of the magic activating due to emotional turmoil with Ravenna's hands on Celaine's sent the magic into the only place it could go... It was an experience that only Ravenna would be aware of and feel for now...which brought Celaine to a curious pause when her crush suddenly released her and stepped away.
Not quite understanding what was going on, Celaine quietly watched as Ravenna moved back and let out something of a ragged cough that almost felt...forced. A curious head tilt would follow when Ravenna out of the blue asked in an almost timid sort of way whether or not Celaine would be capable of controlling her emotions and even her magic itself. This...curious confusion would only grow when Ravenna took a seat on the bed and began to rock herself quietly clearly trying to steady herself. It...all combined to make Celaine fearful that maybe she had said or do something that got to Ravenna... Was Ravenna suddenly scared of the town after everything that Celaine had said about it...?
Truly thinking that Ravenna had became frightened by what she herself had said, quite contrary to what had REALLY happened, Celaine smiled and moved to where Ravenna was sitting. With the most gentle of ease, the young maiden coaxed the thief to standing back on her feet and playfully turned Ravenna til her back was facing Celaine. Once in this position, Celaine quietly wrapped her arms around Ravenna from behind and pulled her into a warm, soft, and safe embrace against her body. There, she held her and reminded her of something she had once before told Ravenna...
"...I'll be fine, love... I've had years of practice to master my magical eye. If anyone ever tries to hurt us, they...won't stand for long..." Celaine quietly whispered showing that she had somehow misinterpreted Ravenna's question... This misinterpretation would only further reveal it self as she went on trying to offer assurance to Ravenna for something she wasn't even necessarily worried about. "...Like I told you once before, you are safe here in my embrace... I'll watch over you and protect you as if you were a priceless treasure because to me...you are... The townspeople; anyone...will...die if they ever they lay a hurting hand on you..."
...It was sadly within a moment after Celaine spoke these words that Ravenna would find herself exposed yet again to another memory from Celaine... In a flash, the room around the poor thief would shift and change to a romantic, but dimly lite little cottage where once again, Celaine's beautiful fiancee was standing before Ravenna in Celaine's place. The spirited blonde let out the most happy of giggles before twirling about showing the two were in a dance. As her fiancee came to face her again, her words were as sweet and carefree as could be. "...I love when we dance together... I can just...let go and be myself in your arms..."
...A moment later, the scene would once again flash for Ravenna to see the same blonde girl standing before Celaine with a noose around her neck and her hands tied behind her back... Obviously about to hang for what happened, she looks to Ravenna/Celaine with tears streaming down her eyes and speaks fearfully, pleading for her life... "...Please, Celaine... I never meant for any of this to happen... The village found me out and threatened to kill us both without a trial if I didn't confess... Celaine please, don't do this... I love you... I've always loved you and always will! Please!"
...The scene would sadly progress with the platform under her fiancee's feet opening sending the girl falling to hang from the noose in a frightened yelp. As the rope snapped stiff, the scene would flash away bringing Ravenna back to Sanctuaire Sacre once more... Back to the place where reality was and at the moment, in the arms of someone who seemed capable of both love...and murder...
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Post by yooom on Dec 21, 2020 18:56:04 GMT -6
Ravenna watched, not a little nervous, as Celaine talked in a quiet, hushed voice. It was a little creepy, hearing her talk so gently, so tenderly about hurting people. Even if they were people Ravenna knew she had every right to hate, it sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t want Celaine to hurt people. She hated to think that this gentle girl was capable of violence, and hearing her talk about it so calmly, so encouragingly, disturbed the young thief.
As if to punctuate Ravenna’s apprehensions, another scene went flashing across Ravenna’s eyes, a barrage of tender moments she’d had with her fiancee. Ravenna watched them go by, an icy feeling of dread filling her, for she knew where those two were headed, knew the pain they’d both inflict on each other. Sure enough, there was a flash of that dark day. She could see the woman’s desperate, urgent face, begging for her own life, could feel a fiery rage fill Ravenna’s body, an anger that was not her own, heard the snap as the rope went taut and then…
And then she was back in Celaine’s bedroom, Celaine’s eyes now gazing at her, with the same affection and longing that her fiancee had once had, in those flashing memories of a peace Celaine had long forgotten. Ravenna raised a still shaking hand on Celaine’s shoulder, trying in part to steady herself, in part to try to impress upon the girl her point. Ravenna gazed, for a moment, at her own quivering hand. It wasn’t rage that caused it to quake like that, it was an odd kind of queasiness. An effect of the magic, perhaps? Or was it her own fear of Celaine surfacing again? She knew she had nothing to fear from Celaine. She cared deeply for her, and yet...Ravenna had only just seen a moment ago what Celaine could do to the people she loved. Ravenna wasn’t exactly planning to betray Celaine, but...well, she was planning to attempt to escape. Would Celaine consider that a betrayal? Would she turn on her, the way she had turned on her last love?
Ravenna’s fingers squeezed slightly, her voice faintly raspy as she spoke, as if she had been silent for a very long time. “N-no, that’s not what I meant,” she stuttered. “You’re...you did it again…”she mumbled, trying to put into words what it was the guardian was doing. “Some...some kind of magic,” she offered. “I...I keep seeing her face...your memories.” She gazed wordlessly at Celaine, though her mouth continued to move, trying to come up with some way to express what had happened. “Have...Do you know what I’m talking about?” she asked, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks, feeling awkward at her ignorance of this strange magic.
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Post by Emiko on Dec 23, 2020 18:11:37 GMT -6
The reaction that Ravenna ultimately gave to Celaine was far different than the one she had been expecting to see... Unaware that Ravenna was once more seeing her memories, it took Celaine completely by surprise when the thief broke from their tender embrace and Ravenna looked to her with even more concern that she had moments ago... For Celaine, she couldn't understand why there was such a sudden and drastic change in the young thief's mood that she wasn't able to quell...
The raw, nervous emotions that Ravenna displayed only became more pronounced as Ravenna lift up a shivering hand that quivered all the way until it touched Celaine's shoulder. As she let that nervous hand tightly grasp onto Celaine, the young maiden could tell that there was something seriously, seriously wrong... Celaine's gaze fell into a soft look of worry as she was unsure what was behind this sudden fear. Soon enough though, Ravenna nervously revealed...at least in part, the reason behind her jittery actions.
Celaine listened carefully as Ravenna revealed that it wasn't necessarily what the villagers could do to her that had her scared. Instead, it was something Celaine was doing... Or rather, something that Ravenna was sure Celaine was behind with that being the fact that she was seeing 'her face' and Celaine's memories once again. Hearing those things suddenly started to make Celaine herself feel a bit nervous... It was strong enough that she fell into a scared silence letting her imagination run a bit wild...
For Celaine, if what Ravenna had said was true, then that meant the things she had thought about when holding Ravenna; the events that had happened long ago causing the dramatic mixed emotions within Celaine were on full display... Ravenna had seen those...sensitive, tender moments that Celaine had kept the details of hidden deep within her heart and no longer were they secret. Celaine never once tried to hide the truth and had been quiet open about all of it! But...the finer details that she didn't want to reveal came to the surface... And now...in light of that knowledge, Ravenna was showing signs of great fear; frightened by something that Celaine could only deduce was none other than herself...
Truly believing in her heart that Ravenna was quite scared of her, Celaine started to feel really down... Even if it wasn't necessarily why Ravenna was so timid in that moment, there was a grain of truth there. Celaine had done what she could to this point to show Ravenna that she wasn't some serial killer, but a tender girl at heart who would do anything to protect herself and those she cared about. Somehow though...that wasn't the perception that Ravenna got and it started to make the young maiden think nothing would ever come out of this...
"...I...I see now... So you've been seeing...those moments...and that's what this is about..." Celaine replied quietly, as she turned away from Ravenna and sighed sadly... Moving over to her desk, Celaine grabbed the hair brush that had been laying on the side and began to brush out the tangles in her hair as the last act of preparation before leaving... "...I don't know why you're seeing those things..." She said with an almost sad sort of tone. "...But...I'm sorry that you have... I live in remorse over the things I've done everyday of my life... But...it doesn't change that I've done it and...you are scared of me deep down because of it... You...don't have to go with me into town today... You can stay here where you'll be safe from them...and me..."
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Post by yooom on Dec 28, 2020 21:26:14 GMT -6
Ravenna had felt nervous, when she’d been trying to explain what it was she’d been experiencing these past few seconds. It was a somewhat confusing thing she was trying to say. Ravenna, at least, didn’t really know what it was that Celaine was unintentionally doing. It meant that Celaine could interpret what she had said in any number of ways.
Unfortunately, Celaine seemed to take this in the very worst way, taking Ravenna’s shell shock at having been abruptly exposed to Celaine’s very darkest memories all at once for fear of Celaine herself. She turned from Ravenna, hiding her face from her, brushing her hair. Ravenna watched her, listening as she spoke, her tone beleaguered, depressed. She sounded exhausted, and Ravenna’s heart went out to her. She had only seen those scattered moments a few seconds ago, and still felt rather queasy about them. Poor Celaine had LIVED those moments. Ravenna was sure she’d been tormented by those moments ever since they’d happened, however many years ago that had been. And yet, she hadn’t let those past cruelties define her. She’d been so nice to Ravenna, had saved her life, had become truly attached to her. And, to see Ravenna afraid of her like she seemed to think she was...well, her morose attitude was understandable.
That being said, Ravenna’s expression grew quite alarmed when Celaine suggested she would be better off staying behind. “No!” she said, perhaps a little too loudly. She flinched, at the sound of her own voice echoing slightly in the stone room, glancing nervously at the door for a second, before quickly striding over to Celaine, taking her shoulder firmly with a hand, holding it firmly. “I don’t want to stay here. Without you here, I..I wouldn’t feel safe here, surrounded by nothing but Saveria and her drones.” She leaned in closer, gently winding her own arms around Celaine’s shoulders, hugging her from behind. “I’m not scared of you,” she murmured softly in her ear.
Ravenna leaned in closer, her face almost brushing against Celaine’s own, but something stopped her, kept her from making that intimate contact with her. She wasn’t entirely sure what. It wasn’t fear, she knew that much. She knew that Celaine wouldn’t hurt her. It was...something else. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she knew just how strongly Celaine felt for her, and that those feelings weren’t quite reciprocated. Certainly, Ravenna cared for Celaine, didn’t want to see the poor girl suffer a moment longer. She wasn’t sure she even COULD have feelings as strong as Celaine seemed to have. Something about that level of trust, in anyone, didn’t sit well with her. Still, she held onto Celaine a little while longer. Even if it was just to reassure her, it felt nice to be this affectionate. It was a few moments before she spoke again.
“I’m...I’m scared for you,” she said, quietly. “If...if you can’t control your magic...if someone sees what I saw...even if you disguise yourself...they’ll know everything.” She pulled away from her, leaning against the wall, gazing at her face. “I only want you to be safe. Are you sure you can control it while we go out?” Ravenna heard what she said, and instantly felt her face flush slightly. “I didn’t mean...while we’re out,” she said hastily.
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Post by Emiko on Jan 1, 2021 12:36:16 GMT -6
The sudden outburst that Ravenna gave at the idea of staying behind where it might have been safest came completely to Celaine's surprise. In fact, it was so sudden and unexpected that Celaine nearly jumped in a bit of a startled fright. Just as Celaine was about to turn to question the meaning of her actions, Celaine felt Ravenna clasp a hand onto her shoulder securely before pulling the confused maiden into a backwards embrace. As this all unfolded, Celaine fell into a bit of a paralyzed silence, blushing hard from how Ravenna had held her...
For a moment, by the way Ravenna held her and spoke to her; even the words she uttered at first made Celaine think maybe Ravenna was starting to feel something for her. However...that all came crashing down quite swiftly when, like Ravenna, Celaine noticed the intimacy of the moment stopping just short of where it could have been... A loving nuzzle of their cheeks, words of genuine compassion wanting to protect the other... None of it came... Instead, what Ravenna offered was something more akin to concern for a friend and nothing more...
The notion of this 'friendly' concern only made itself more evident as Ravenna peeled herself away and even went to correct herself about the interpreted meaning of their outing. In that moment, it became crystal clear to Celaine how Ravenna was feeling which...in some ways stung her more than the previous misconception she had about Ravenna being scared of her... Celaine wasn't so naive to think that Ravenna was going to outright love her after just two days, but...it didn't feel like anything of that nature was producing itself from the generous seeds of kindness she had been planting... Was this...really as far as things would go...?
Somehow, despite how warm and considerate Ravenna's words were, the thoughts of them being just the words of a friend caused a single, painful tear to run down Celaine's cheek. Being the ever dutiful girl that she was, refusing to show her emotions in front of anyone, she was swift to wipe it away and cleared her throat to attempt to address the concerns Ravenna had... That...in spite of the perhaps obvious fact that Celaine's mind wasn't quite on the same things that Ravenne herself was concerned about...
"...I...I'll be fine..." Celaine replied somewhat weakly, sadly even before her voice became stronger and more natural. "...I've...taken a couple of trips into town on my Mistress' behalf before without incident. And I don't see any reason why this trip would be any different..." Upon saying this, Celaine slowly turned to Ravenna and offered her something of a pleasant smile. That smile though would prove to be a false one as Celaine went on to parrot Ravenna's interpretation of what the day meant with the shaky tone of sadness returning as she did... "...After all, we're not doing anything special, right...? Just...a simple errand for Mistress and a break from this place...nothing more..."
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Post by yooom on Jan 15, 2021 10:53:48 GMT -6
Ravenna had felt nervous and awkward enough when she’d been attempting to share her concerns for Celaine’s safety. It was a little strange for the loner, to try and pressure someone to make sure they were okay. Being comforting like this at all was well outside of her comfort zone. What made things worse was that it was quite clear that she’d bungled things horribly. Ravenna watched Celaine’s firm resolve wilt under her words, and began panicking as a tear rolled gently down her cheek. She let go of Celaine swiftly, her hands twisting as she paced before her nervously, uncertain what to do, what to say. She had done something horribly wrong, but...what? Was Celaine just scared of the town? That would certainly make sense, considering what had happened. Had she just been putting on a brave face Ravenna had inadvertently punctured? Or was this Ravenna’s fault more directly? Had she realized how broken Ravenna was, how incapable of the kind of romance Celaine had once had, and, despite what had happened in that relationship, still pined for. Ravenna’s hands clenched together, her own throat feeling rather dry.
She kept her eyes on the ground by Celaine’s feet, feeling embarrassed and guilty. “I’m sorry, I...sorry,” was all she managed to mumble out, turning away from her, heading for the door. “I’ll...see you there in a bit,” she called, shutting the door behind her hastily.
Ravenna leaned against the hallway, taking deep, slow, steadying breaths. She felt her nervous, no, anxious, about what had just happened. Talking with Celaine could be uniquely stressful. Saveria was at least somewhat simple. She wanted Ravenna to fail so she could make her mindless doll. Ravenna didn’t like her one bit, but...she understood her. Celaine, on the other hand was...complicated. Dangerous, vengeful at times, perhaps, but...not to Ravenna. She wasn’t a threat in the least. So why was she so nervous around her? The answer, as she asked it to herself, was obvious. Because she cared for her. And perhaps it wasn’t quite in the way Celaine wanted, but… Frustrated, she ground her teeth, glaring at the hallway, at Sanctuaire Sacre in general. If this was any other place on earth there would be people, people who knew something about relationships, or love, or Celaine in particular. Here there was only Saveria and her drones. No one could help her understand how to...well, Ravenna wasn’t entirely sure what it was she wanted to understand. With another glare at the hall, she took off, making her way towards the entrance, where she would wait for Celaine, and hopefully come up with something better to say.
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Post by Emiko on Jan 15, 2021 17:04:46 GMT -6
To Celaine's words and her tears, all Ravenna could offer in return were the words 'I'm sorry'... They were a far cry from the words that Celaine wanted and...even needed to hear; about how she might potentially care or...feel something towards the young maiden... It wasn't meant to be however, and as Ravenna walked out of the room closing the door behind her, it put the final nail in the coffin, killing the potentially tender moment it could have been... And to this, Celaine couldn't help but shut her eyes tight, bury her head in her hands, and start to cry a little... It became quite obvious to her in that moment that Ravenna didn't feel anything towards her and...perhaps never would breaking her heart...
After leaving the room, Ravenna wouldn't find many obstacles in her way towards the entrance of the church. Most of the staff were busy at this time of the day doing their various chores to keep the place going. And anyone that did catch sight of Ravenna wouldn't interfere with here as frankly, they had no reason to. The only one that might have potentially stopped her at all was Stephanie, but she was elsewhere on the estate attending to the church's affairs. While Ravenna would be spared the displeasure of seeing Stephanie at least, she would ultimately run into someone else and quite possibly the last person she wanted to see...
At the main entrance of the church was none other than Lady Saveria herself who was leaning back against the stone walls casually, using her closed parasol to support her. She was exactly the same as how Ravenna had last saw her save for a large envelope in her hand quite clearly filled with contents that were of great value. What this envelope was for was anyone's guess, but...Ravenna would have other problems as Saveria spotted the young thief coming down to the entrance and wasted no time reaching out...
"Ah, it seems like the little thief is the first to join me. My-my, you must be eager to come down and greet me by yourself..." The dark sorceress commented before sitting up and looking around expecting Celaine to not be far behind. But...when her ward didn't show immediately, Saveria grew curious... Her gaze narrowed towards Ravenna suspiciously after a bit, and she asked a strange question in quite the firm, displeased tone of voice. "...Just...where is Celaine, little thief...? The two of you were getting ready to run my errand and go on your outing...weren't you...?"
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Post by yooom on Jan 16, 2021 17:05:10 GMT -6
Ravenna had hated being alone, but, the moment she realized that she would be waiting by the gate with no one but Saveria for company, she found herself immediately longing for the quiet agony of isolation. Better that than a minute with Saveria. And yet, with each interaction, she found herself less and less frightened of the sorceress. Certainly, she was cautious around her, but, as Saveria had explained, she wasn’t going to hurt Ravenna...until Celaine gave her up, that is. She swallowed. Even though the statement was itself a threat, she didn’t trust the witch enough to hold her to her word.
The seconds ticked on, each one an eternity to spend with this spiteful woman, and, as the sorceress herself seemed to grow bored of waiting, Ravenna also felt herself grow a little nervous. What was taking Celaine so long? She’d left her by herself, and the girl knew this place far better than Ravenna herself. She felt like kicking herself. Why had she left her? It was a stupid thing to do, and being stuck with Saveria was the least problematic element of it. Celaine didn’t want to be alone. It was why she’d saved Ravenna’s life in the first place. She had just been thinking about how she wanted company. Ravenna had ruined this outing, before it had even begun, she thought, biting her lip nervously.
Still, she wasn’t about to tell Saveria any of that. She knew that Saveria was just waiting for the slightest indication that their relationship was anything shy of perfect to drag her off and make her an empty, giggly slave. She was not about to give her any excuse to do that. She cleared her throat, nervously, before speaking.
“Yes, well, we decided that I should get out here a little earlier. We have to…” she paused, lost for a split second, before suddenly remembering why she’d wanted to go out in the first place, raising her arm up to Saveria, shaking the bracelet on her arm. “Well, you have to get this thing off me, remember?” She said, with a nervous laugh. “Can’t really go and get you things if I can’t leave the grounds, can I?” As she spoke, she turned, looking over her shoulder to the path back to the Cathedral, hoping to spy Celaine making her way to join them.
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Post by Emiko on Jan 17, 2021 0:54:53 GMT -6
A good five minutes or so passed with no sign of Celaine anywhere to be seen. And as the minutes ticked on, Saveria became increasingly impatient about it all. She was not accustomed to waiting for long periods of time and that was especially true of Celaine who almost NEVER kept her waiting for anything... The fact she didn't arrive shortly after Ravenna did started to make the dark sorceress suspicious...and quite angry...
As Ravenna attempted to explain the situation, Saveria glared at her with utter disdain and disbelief... What she said, whether true or not didn't exactly stick or make the moment any less tense. In fact, it actually seemed to rile up Saveria even more who detected those nervous laughs and glances as a sign that something was wrong... To that thought, Savaria performed a similarly frightening move to the one she had shown Ravenna last night by rising a finger upwards and allowing a dark halo to form. Once fully formed, she began to threateningly spin it around her finger as if it were a mere toy showing Ravenna where this was heading if she had to continue waiting...
Thankfully for Ravenna, she would only be lost in this threatening moment for a short time before the sound of slow moving, feminine foot steps could be heard on the balcony above coming towards the church entrance. Not long after these sounds started, Celaine finally came into view carrying a rather large picnic basket in both of her hands. It...seemed that her tardiness was caused by gathering up the food for their outing later.
"...It's about time that you got down here, Celaine..." Saveria responded, letting the halo fade away and examining her ward closely for any sign that something was amiss. "...Is everything all right, dear? It's not like you to keep me waiting like this..."
"...Everything's fine, Mistress..." Celaine responded with her usual, dutiful voice. It was obvious from her blood shot right eye though that she had been crying about something... To deflect any suspicion though from Saveria, for the first time ever...Celaine actually looked to Ravenna and put her on the spot... "...I was busy getting the food... Before that, Ravenna and I were just...talking and clarifying what today was about... That it's just business and a break away from this place...right?"
Celaine's sudden, direct sort of tone did strike Saveria as a little strange... However, it did manage to deflect the reality of what Celaine had been doing... Unfortunately, it really put Ravenna in the bad spot as the dark sorceress was quick to turn her attention back to Ravenna. There, she simply stared to observe how the thief might react to what Celaine had just said... Depending on what Ravenna said next could end up either saving or hurting both of them... It was a bad position for her to be in but...it was what Celaine had to do to keep her crying and the reason why a secret. Still...it spoke volumes that for the first time ever, Celaine wasn't willing to necessarily stand up to Saveria and defend Ravenna...
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Post by yooom on Jan 17, 2021 20:26:26 GMT -6
Ravenna could sense, as her attempted explanation dragged on, that Saveria was having none of it. She stared imperiously down as the nervous girl floundered, trying her best to make a bad situation look better. To punctuate her impatience with Ravenna’s antics, she summoned back that dark, spectral halo, and Ravenna instantly felt her words die in her throat, shrinking back against the the side of the gate, her body crouching, half defensively, half submissively, feeling her face grow hot with shame.
She hated this. Hated being this helpless, hated that Saveria was able to silence her with just an idle gesture, hated being trapped in here, with certain doom on one end and a relationship she wasn’t ready to dive into on the other. Still, she was a little glad for Saveria’s hostility. It meant she didn’t have to think more about Celaine, and the anxiety she felt about the present state of their relationship. She focused on her hatred, that yawning terror she presented, and felt a little glum that this was preferable to her than trying to figure out her feelings for Celaine.
At the sound of what was surely Celaine’s footsteps, she turned swiftly, happy to no longer be alone with this monster. However, Ravenna’s face fell at the sight of the guardian’s face, her eyes a little puffy, watery. It was apparent that she’d been crying, and Ravenna instantly felt all her nerves return to her, not to mention a lot of guilt. She’d made Celaine cry. She was the one person who was looking out for her in this place. She was the only person who ever had looked out for her, ever had tried to keep her safe...and she’d made her cry.
Still, she only a moment to digest this, before Celaine abruptly turned to her, her tone straightforward, almost hostile, compared to what she’d been like when they’d last spoken. To make matters worse, Saveria also turned to her, her expression curious. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Ravenna could sense the maliciousness behind that expression, the wonder that Ravenna had tripped up so soon. The young thief could already feel the icy halo on her forehead, and, for the first time since Saveria had actually used her magic on Ravenna, she was completely and utterly lost for words. She stared blankly at the both of them, icy panic curling around her insides, and felt even more alone than she had a moment before. She’d made a mistake, and now she’d lost her one friend in this place. She bit her lip nervously, trying to swallow the lump of terror in her throat. Her eyes flitted, between the two women before her, uncertain of who to speak to, who to fear in that moment. Was Celaine about to give her up? Was Saveria going to use some kind of magic for hurting Celaine?
“I…” she murmured, her voice hoarse. “yes, just...looking forward to our….our excursion,” she said, a weak, nervous smile to Saveria. She stepped forward, between the two women, turning to flash Celaine a desperate expression, a wordless plea for her life, silently begging for her to not turn her over, before taking another step forward, looking at both Saveria and Celaine again. “I’m looking forward to it, it’s...it should be lovely,” she said, her voice still a little raspy.
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Post by Emiko on Jan 18, 2021 10:48:57 GMT -6
Ravenna's wishful pleas shown through her looks to Celaine were met with a straight face and a refusal to budge... How she was feeling in the moment, nothing Ravenna could do was going to make her go out of her way to help. Not this time at least; she just...couldn't... As for Saveria, the awkward exchange of words and nervousness Ravenna showed didn't exactly inspire confidence that things were as they appeared... And once Ravenna came to a stop beside them, her vision narrowed with great suspicion with an icy glare in the young thief's direction...
Saveria would stare at Ravenna for what might have felt like an eternity before she made her way over to the young thief and swiftly reached for her arm with her bracelet, grabbing it tightly and pulling it up. Holding it firm, she waved her free hand over Ravenna's bracelet causing a shadowy aura to engulf the relic before finally fading away. After that was done, she released Ravenna's hand and moved over to Celaine who had already rose her hand with her chain charm up as Saveria was on the way to repeat the process with her.
"...Fair enough... Just as long as the two of you complete the task I have asked for you...what you both choose to do with your time afterwards is up to you..." Saveria remarked as she finished casting a new spell on Celaine's bracelet and letting it go. "...I've adjusted the spells on your bracelets to allow you to leave these grounds. It will remain inactive until Midnight in which I expect both of you back. If not, the dark magnetic properties of my magic will reactivate and pull you both back here where...I will administer punishments for tardiness accordingly..."
After giving the revelation of what she had done for Ravenna as well as her warning to both of the girls, Ravenna offered the envelope she had to which Celaine quietly took and stuffed into the picnic basket. It...may have been unclear just what was in that envelope until Saveria spoke up to reveal, "...You know how I operate in my business dealings. Offer a fair price and rise it steadily over time until you reach a settlement. You should have more than you need for this task. Return what's left after the fact."
Celaine only offered Saveria a nod of understanding before turning from her Mistress and walking to the door of the cathedral. She walked past both her and even Ravenna without giving them the slightest glances back, opened the door, and went on her way... Seeing this, Saveria basically had an understanding that something was amiss. Rather than acting on it aggressively towards Ravenna, she instead walked behind the young thief to remind her of their earlier conversation...
"...Remember how fragile your arrangements are here, little thief; how that all depends on her... Heed my advice... If you care about her at all, she's going to need you today... Best of luck..." With that, Saveria gave Ravenna a push out the door in Celaine's direction who was already moving down the path towards town. After Ravenna had been pushed out, Saveria closed the door behind her thus...ending the horrible tension...for now... It did though put a dark emphasis on where Ravenna was headed if these shadows remained unaltered...
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Post by yooom on Jan 21, 2021 19:48:41 GMT -6
Ravenna’s split second of eye contact with Celaine did nothing to boost her confidence. Celaine barely even acknowledged her presence, and Ravenna felt an icy spike of terror cut through her middle. She was alone again. No friends, no one to help her. She looked at Saveria’s face, and tried to hold back the terror that was filling her being, hoping that the perceptive woman had somehow missed this. From the suspicious glare she saw on Saveria’s face, that seemed doubtful. She watched, breathless, waiting for Saveria to make her move, whatever damnation that might be.
Even though she had been readying for the worst, she couldn’t help but let out a yelp as Saveria abruptly grabbed her arm. She flinched, turning away, eyes shutting tightly, not wanting to see whatever it was she was about to do, ready for unimaginable pain to fill her body. She was still, frozen in fear, but Saveria only waved a hand over the cursed bracelet on her arm, tinkering subtly with the enchantment. She opened her eyes, her hand still attached to her body, the bracelet still there, different, but in a way that was beyond Ravenna’s own perception.
She remained standing like that, the fear still keeping her still, as Celaine took what must have been money, and curtly made her way up the path. She let out another embarrassing yelp as Saveria hissed menacingly in her ear, and nearly toppled right over as she was unceremoniously shoved out of the gate, the heavy doors slamming shut behind her.
Saveria’s words echoed in her head. How fragile her arrangement was...who that all depended on...that Celaine would need her. She had to get back into Celaine’s good books. Her life quite literally depended on it. She let out a raspy gasp, and realized that she’d been holding her breath since Saveria had grabbed her. She leaned against the gate, trying not to hyperventilate, already feeling exhausted. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t make Celaine like her, and wasn’t ready for Celaine to love her. She was going to die. She closed her eyes, trying not to cry at the thought, that her one chance at survival had slipped through her fingers.
Her hands tightened into fists. No, it wasn’t over yet. She could still do this. She could still win Celaine over. Or at the very least, convince her not to turn her over to Saveria. She took a deep breath. The first matter was to apologize. “Celaine! Wait!” she called, jogging after her.
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Post by Emiko on Jan 21, 2021 20:20:34 GMT -6
Celaine was so duty bound to her Mistress that all she was thinking about upon leaving the cathedral was getting into town and getting this business deal done. She...didn't know what was going to happen after that, if anything at all. But she was always business first, pleasure second when it came to her Mistress... That's...just how it had always been and seemed how it would always be. That was especially true in light of recent events regarding Ravenna...
Speaking of which, it wasn't too long after she made it down the road that Celaine heard Ravenna calling out for her to wait. In fact, her voice seemed quite frantic to the point where even her jogging footsteps resounded with a faint echo in the forest they traveled. Still...Celaine didn't wait; she couldn't nor did she want to... She honestly just...wanted to get this job done and find some sort of value in the afternoon. For the moment, she didn't feel as if Ravenna was the way that was going to happen...
Celaine wouldn't stop moving down the path for an instant which...would force Ravenna to have to run to catch up. Nevertheless, she was poised and graceful as she moved down the path, walking in a firm manner with her hands daintily holding the large picnic basket in front of her. Despite how feminine she seemed, her words would reveal a slightly harsher woman when Ravenna actually caught up to her...
"...I'm not waiting, Ravenna..." Celaine said with a tone that was...almost cold... It certainly lacked the warmth and tenderness she had to this point... "...You need to keep up, or go back home. I just want to get this deal done for my Mistress and put as much distance between myself and the town as I can. If you're sticking with me, learn to keep up..."
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