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Post by Emiko on May 18, 2022 20:39:25 GMT -6
Celaine half expected some sort of reaction from Ravenna when she offered the thief her lap, and an invitation to the emotional warmth. What she expected though, and what Ravenna ended up giving her was something far different than she ever anticipated. Suffice it to say, she wasn't expecting the waterworks to start flying, but handled the situation remarkably well.
As Ravenna let the tears flow, Celaine did nothing to hinder Ravenna's sudden explosion of emotion. Instead, she allowed the girl to cry to her hearts content understanding mid-way through that there was a lot of emotion there. There were things that Ravenna was really feeling right now. Perhaps in full for the very first time judging by how intense her sobs were. And Celaine felt it was best not to interrupt it, but to let her cry those tears to get the cathartic benefit that came from it once it was done.
What Celaine did do however was provide Ravenna with comfort however she possibly could while she worked through this. At most, that meant letting her lap be a place of comfort and strength for Ravenna to cling to. At the least, she continued to stroke through the girl's hair tenderly to offer quiet comforts and little assurances that all of this was ok. Celaine knew Ravenna needed that more than anything, and made sure to provide whatever comforts she could for Ravenna's benefits.
After a fair amount of time, Ravenna seemed to get herself enough under control to apologize for suddenly sobbing like she had. She explained how she wasn't sure what came over her, and a blushing giggle helped Celaine to see how embarrassed that she was for letting go like that. But Celaine wasn't about to let Ravenna feel embarrassed for showing this sort of emotion to her. It took something special for someone to let go like that, and Celaine really wanted Ravenna to understand that.
"You have no need to apologize to me for letting your emotions show." She'd offer quietly, genuinely with care before smiling down at Ravenna. "...Heaven only knows how long it's been since you've been able to let go like that... I want to be someone you can be yourself and feel safe around." Celaine would pause for a brief moment to stroke a random strand of Ravenna's hair out of her eyes before following up with a simple finger gesture to wipe away a falling tear.
"...I promise I'll do my best to help you smile past the tears. Everyone deserves tender love and care, and you're no different. I don't know all you've been through, but...your lonely nights are over now. At any time you feel like you need to cry, or...need anything at all, I'm here for you."
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Post by yooom on Aug 15, 2022 17:45:35 GMT -6
It was as if a dam had broken against Ravenna’s lids, so free did water seem to flow. Ravenna wasn’t even sure how she was crying so much, much less why. It had been a very calm, gentle from Celaine, a calm, gentle soul…and the thought of that only made her cry all the harder. That someone could care for her in such a genuine way, so purely…Ravenna wept into Celaine’s knee at the thought of it. And through it all, Celaine accepted her emotions with quiet touches and gentle, soothing sounds, which made Ravenna love her all the more. Yes…she realized, almost triggering another flow of tears. Ravenna did love her. And it didn’t matter that it had only been a few days. She had learned o much about Celaine, had quite literally seen her every worst moment, and had marveled at what a pure soul Celaine had despite it. Celaine had done certain terrible things, certainly, but she had still, somehow, kept herself a sweet, soothing person.
Eventually, they were able to speak, Ravenna awkwardly wiping her sodden cheeks with the backs of her hands, keeping her head at all times pressed to Ravenna’s lap. She was still reeling from the sudden surge of affection that had shot through her with the realization that she was really, fundamentally, in love with Celaine, and wanted desperately to keep in contact with her at all cost. Celaine stroked Ravenna’s hair quietly, before helping wipe one of the many tears Ravenna had missed from her cheeks, and Ravenna instantly felt another rush of emotion, though she was able to keep from weeping a second time. Instead, she took a deep, shaky breath, and reached a hand up to caress Celaine’s cheek in turn.
Her lonely nights were over. It was a remark that quietly recast the life that she had once been fiercely proud of in a different light. She had seen much, done much, but she had done all of that alone. And, while she had treasured her memories, her collection, now largely taken away from her…Celaine was offering something that made all her precious artifacts seem dull in comparison. Companionship. She had scoffed it when she had first offered, when she had first been “given” to Celaine by Saveria. It had been worthless to her then, but now…now there was nothing she wanted more than it.
As much as she wanted to speak, to shout for the whole meadow to hear that she would match Celaine’s promise, that she would live her life for this precious, perfect being, it took Ravenna a few moments of silence to collect herself enough to speak. Even when she did, her voice was a bit raspy, her throat still taken by her tears. “I…promise…I promise to…” it wasn’t like the witty thief to be lost for words, but in this moment they simply did not come. She gazed helplessly tongue-tied, before another rush of emotion sent her body into motion. Before she even knew what it was she wanted to do, she had leaned forward, up from Celaine’s lap, and planted her lips on Celaine’s. She kissed her, deeply, a wordless pledge to return her promise in full, to be there for her, to be a confidante, and to confide…to love her.
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Post by Emiko on Sept 10, 2022 9:24:36 GMT -6
The side of Celaine that Ravenna was seeing right now could only remain in tact by the young maiden burying it deep within herself. She had to forget it's existence, grow cold and callous to do some of the things she did for her Mistress. And after how badly the outside world had treated her, even if it was just that one event in the town...it was easy to do; To see people around her as hypocrites whom needed to be punished. Those people weren't worth seeing this side of her, and she put that image on every criminal that tried to steal from Saveria.
Ravenna however...was different. Celaine hadn't noticed it when Ravenna first showed up, but their dance under the carol of the bells had opened Celaine's eyes to a degree. And when Saveria was on the verge of turning Ravenna into a mindless maid, Celaine's true heart surfaced... Ever since that, she had a soft spot for Ravenna and wanted to let her feelings grow. Everything after that moment as to WHY it was happening was beyond Celaine as she had condemned many other souls to death by her hands, or at Saveria's. But Ravenna was just...different...
Celaine was there to offer comfort to Ravenna through her entire emotional meltdown. It didn't matter to her right now if the thief was crying, laughing, scowling, or doing nothing at all. Celaine just wanted to be there in that moment to share in her emotions and spirit no matter how trivial it was. So every tear was respected, wiped away, and the simplest of comforts to help Ravenna work through these emotions.
The young maiden had no way of knowing what Ravenna was thinking. How she was starting to treasure Celaine's company and wanted Celaine to fulfill every promise she had made. Celaine had no knowledge of this...until Ravenna finally spoke out to say she 'promised'. She said this twice without...offering any other words after which did momentarily confuse Celaine as she wasn't sure what the thief wanted to say. But Ravenna's subsequent actions got the message across flawlessly.
Without much warning, Ravenna pushed herself up and placed her lips along Celaine's to kiss her deeply. It was honestly a shock to Celaine who, despite the affection she had shown, had not expected such from Ravenna. For a split second, there was a pause, even a nervousness to pull away showing how shy Celaine truly was. But...having not felt the affection for so, so long, it didn't take Celaine long to overcome it and accept it.
Her cheeks blushed intensely as Celaine too pushed into the kiss sharing it's depth with Ravenna tenderly. It was a beautiful kiss, and her first genuine one in three long years. And in that kiss, she understood what Ravenna was trying to say. That she wanted to be for Celaine exactly what the maiden had promised her. Somehow, the kiss - as deep and passionate as it could be for their first - seemed to be Celaine's own answer of acceptance. She was starting to realize that this little crush she had on Ravenna was much more than, and...could actually be more now.
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Post by yooom on Sept 11, 2022 6:14:28 GMT -6
Ravenna let her eyes slide gently shut, letting the meadow, the sky, the whole world fade away, save Celaine. She was all Ravenna wanted to feel, her warm body so close, her lips against hers, surprised and hesitant at first, but her surprise quickly faded, and in no time at all Celaine was kissed Ravenna with the same intensity that Ravenna felt in herself. Ravenna let out a quiet mumble of acknowledgement, of gratitude that Celaine felt the same way she did.
They stayed that way, pressed tight to each other, lips locked, for a long, long time. For that time, despite her circumstances, despite the specter of Saveria that loomed over her from the Sanctuaire Sacre’s distant spires, despite the train, her one potential escape from a life of servitude to that witch, Ravenna felt not the slightest worry. All she felt was Celaine, all she thought about was Celaine, and, when they finally drew away, her eyes opened and she sought out Celaine’s shining blue eye, her own eyes still wet with the tears she had so unexpectedly begun to shed. She felt changed, in a more profound and emotional way than she had ever thought she could. Ravenna had never really been one for relationships. For one, a childhood in an Alpine abbey had instilled in her a sense of danger when it came to any kind of romance, much less one with another woman. While she had never really bought into that ideology even as a child, the abbey had also subconsciously given her a great sense of distrust of any and everyone that she had kept into adulthood. Her former life of flitting across Europe’s cities was hardly conducive for longstanding relationships, nor had she ever tried to make one.
She blinked, taken aback at the realization that she had, in that moment, considered her life of thievery at an end. She had sensed it would be a great challenge to escape this place, a challenge made all the greater by the affection she had with Celaine. Now, as that affection grew deeper still, she found herself imagining not a return to her old ways of plunder, but of making a new life with Celaine. Having a house somewhere quiet and out of the way, where she could be with her constantly.
Ravenna gazed at Celaine, and felt a stab of nerves. Emotion had pushed her into the kiss with Celaine, and, as good as it had been, it had left Ravenna at the edge of something she had never contemplated, much less expected. They had made a promise, sealed with a kiss. But how would they go about living that promise of love and care, of being present for each other. She swallowed, feeling her emotions still running wild in her body, and asked, in a slightly shaky voice. “What do we do now?”
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