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Post by Emiko on Jul 23, 2020 21:13:08 GMT -6
The measures that Celaine had taken to show Ravenna the truth about her intentions and feelings got her as far as Ravenna wanting to put her trust in Celaine... However, it didn't quite get her through the door in the way Celaine was hoping it would... Deep down, Ravenna seemed like she really did want to put her whole, total trust in Celaine, but...she just couldn't right now. At least, not until she got to know Celaine a little better and a bit of time elapsed. While Celaine could certainly understand where Ravenna was coming from, it...unfortunately didn't make the rejection any easier... Celaine felt like she had sacrificed so much and went to such extreme lengths for Ravenna's sake just to get to the door only to find out...she wouldn't get to come in metaphorically speaking...
Not exactly taking the news all that well, Celaine's hold around Ravenna suddenly went limp causing her arms to slide off her Ravenna's waist and back to her own sides. Not sure what to say initially, she quietly turned her back to the young thief and looked up to the ceiling above trying to contemplate what to do next, what to say... As she looked up, she could see a faint glimmer of light shining off one of the bells overhead and started to reminisce about their wonderful moment in dance yesterday... It was because of that moment that Celaine had went out of her way for Ravenna's sake. Though...the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like maybe she had actually done it in the hopes that something special might blossom between the two of them with it...? At this point, Celaine was honestly starting to question her own motives and even began to wonder why she agreed to an arrangement like this so carelessly... It was hard on her enough that she was unable to contain a sad sigh...
"...I can sympathize with how you feel... Truth is, I'm...not all that great at trusting other people either. I never have been since my love betrayed me and shattered my heart..." Celaine lightly commented as she lowered her gaze back towards the display cases. "...Still...somehow, something in me...allowed me to get past that and make enormous sacrifices for someone I didn't even know just because...we shared a special moment together. I don't know though... Maybe I just don't know any better or haven't really learned my lesson... I know it's not fair of me to expect someone to do or feel the same things as I do... I just question if...maybe all of my efforts were really just pointless and meaningless in the end..."
With another sad sigh, Celaine moved over quietly to the display case she had just finished cleaning and grabbed her cleaning cloth again. Like before, she moved over to the next display case in line, opened it up, and began to dust the contents of it once more. As she did, she tried to ponder what she should do or say at this point as she was honestly lost for words... After a bit, she did finally speak again, though...what she said to Ravenna might prove to be something bittersweet...
"...Fine...You take all the time you need to figure this out... I know that there isn't anything more I can say or do to convince you of my true intentions. I promise I'll respect your wishes and I won't ask for your trust again. I do wish you could give it to me though because...if I could trust you, Mistress would trust you, too... If you had her trust, even just a little, you could probably get your coat and possessions back, some freedoms, and maybe even earn some rich rewards for doing jobs like this one. For me personally though...I just wish I could have your trust so that I know that all I've done hasn't been in vein... I don't blame you not being able to put your trust in me, but...please understand that I won't be able to fully trust you without your own in me... I'm sorry..."
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Post by yooom on Jul 24, 2020 21:09:06 GMT -6
Celaine slid away from Ravenna, and Ravenna rested a hand against the case, gritting her teeth. She knew this wasn’t going the way Celaine wanted to, and it wasn’t going the way Ravenna wanted to either. She wanted to be able to trust her, to be able to tenderly hold her without tensing up at the slightest mention of Celaine and Saveria’s hypnosis, but...she couldn’t do it yet. She just couldn’t. She had spent so many years flinching, flying from conflict, to think that she just had to accept such casual threats to her mind, to her very being, didn’t sit well with her, even when all evidence pointed to the fact that she HAD to accept it. It was her situation, like it or not.
She listened to Celaine talk, knowing full well what had happened the last time Celaine had trusted someone. The woman’s face came to her mind immediately, and now she felt angry at her, for hurting poor Celaine, for forcing her to Saveria. A thought came to Ravenna. If she could explain why she struggled with trust, perhaps she might be able to help Celaine see things through her eyes. After all, she had seen all of Celaine’s life, albeit in a very jumbled way, when they had linked up during Saveria’s attack, and after that, Celaine had explained in no uncertain terms what circumstances had brought her to this terrible place.
And yet, as Celanie continued to speak, Ravenna felt that there was something more she needed to say to her. The very mention of Celaine’s ‘Mistress’ sent shivers down her spine. She hated this feeling, this weakness, this complete vulnerability, and the inability to run away, like she had done from anything that proved too much of a challenge for her. She reached out, gently resting a hand on Celaine’s shoulder, so that she could tell that she wasn’t lying, or holding anything back.
“I don’t trust Saveria...and I don’t think I ever will trust her,” she said, plainly. “And I think that goes both ways. I don’t think she’ll trust me. But I want your trust...and I want to trust you. You seem like a good person, despite our little fight yesterday, and...I want to be worthy of what you’ve done for me. I don’t need my coat, if you don’t trust me with it...I’m okay with that.” She said, smiling slightly at her.
“But...do you have anything with longer sleeves?” she asked, gesturing at her bare forearms. “I’m just...used to a bit more clothing than this,” she mumbled, embarrassed.
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Post by Emiko on Jul 24, 2020 22:45:41 GMT -6
For every word Ravenna said, for every action she made, Celaine refused to look at her and acknowledge anything. She didn't necessarily resist her actions and did listen to the things that Ravenna wanted to tell her. Celaine though was quite firm in controlling her emotions and tending to her duties making it seem like she was in some ways ignoring Ravenna... Honestly, Celaine could be quite stubborn when she was hurt and...Ravenna was actually about to see just how stubborn she could be...
"...I nearly lost my life so you could keep yours... I relinquished my right to be with someone tomorrow so that you could keep your will today... I gave up my bed so that you could have a good night's sleep and recover... You've taken all of that for granted and...still want more without offering anything in return...?" Celaine coldly pointed out and questioned as she cleaned the last of the relics and carefully closed the display case... "...You seem have a bad habit of taking things from others without much care as to how you could repay the favor... No doubt, it's something you picked up from the occupation you've chosen for yourself..."
With the display cases cleaned, Celaine threw the cleaning rag on top of the case she had just finished dusting and walked over towards an open space in the middle of the room. Still facing away from Ravenna, she gently swept a hand over her bangs to push them out of her face to rest behind her ear. And then...she grabbed the eye patch concealing her magical eye and pulled it off before discarding it on the floor. Not a moment later, she turned back to Ravenna and made sure she could see the sincerity on her face and hear her voice.
"...I can make you new clothes to your liking... I can continue to happily provide you the support you want and need while you're here... I may even be able to get you back everything you've lost... But nothing comes for free, and you've incurred a massive debt to me without as much as a willing, genuine thank you..." Celaine commented as her eyes sharpened and narrowed towards Ravenna. "...Your thanks and trust would have been payment in full, but I understand that's hard for you to give me right now. Still...a promise tomorrow is nothing of tangible value today... So if want my continued support...I need something from you in return..."
For a brief moment, Celaine just glared to Ravenna with that same, serious look in her eyes. It...seemed as if she were just about to give Ravenna some sort of ultimatum and...that wasn't far off from what she was actually going to do. Celaine did indeed want something in return for all that she'd done and would continue to do for her guest. While there were a thousand possible things that she might request from Ravenna as payment, what she actually desired was something she hoped that Ravenna wouldn't find objectionable... Without wasting a moment longer, Celaine lightly offered her hand towards Ravenna and let her request be known...
"...I want you to dance me...just like we did yesterday... I want you to look into my eyes, and I want you to trust me enough to tell me your story and everything about you like I did last night... I want you to trust my promise that for the duration of this dance, I will not enchant or hypnotize your mind at all... All I'm asking...is for your complete trust for just a small dance... If you'll give me that, I will consider your debt paid in full and I will continue to offer you my help as much as I can. That includes new outfits sewn to your liking... Can you at least grant me this?"
Celaine truly did understand that everything was happening so fast for Ravenna and the ground hadn't even settled for her yet. Still...she couldn't continue helping her to the extent that she had without something, anything to offer her the sense that...something would come out of this... And to a small extent...she hoped it would help Ravenna as well... All she wanted was a small dance, Ravenna's story, and a trust in her promise just for a short time. That's all Celaine desired and her face would actually change from that stern look to a much calmer, warming appearance. She even smiled to Ravenna hoping that she would take her hand and oblige her request... Celaine honestly needed it as much as Ravenna probably did...
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Post by yooom on Jul 26, 2020 9:00:47 GMT -6
It was a little disheartening for Ravenna to see Celaine resolutely keep her gaze from Ravenna as she attempted to begin to open up to her. It wasn’t a good sign, but, as she began to speak again, she had to admit that she had a bit of a point. She hadn’t even considered the fact that she’d spent the night in Celaine’s bed, everything that had happened to her had distracted her from that fact. She disagreed that she’d picked up this habit from her thieving years, if anything it had been quite the opposite, but she had a feeling that this wasn’t quite the time to quibble about such minutiae.
As Celaine continued to talk, Ravenna felt more and more guilty. Sure, she hadn’t asked for Celaine to step in, but ever since that moment Ravenna had been benefiting at Celaine’s cost, sleeping in her bed, wearing her clothes, that she was only just now realizing her handmade. Despite her displeasure with being practically imprisoned at Sanctuaire Sacre, she didn’t like the idea of being a burden on Celaine, the one person who had shown her the slightest kindness in this place, at least, had shown her kindness of her own volition.
“You don’t need to make me clothes,” Ravenna mumbled, beginning to apologize, but she stopped as Celaine abruptly tugged her eyepatch off. Ravenna gazed at her, as she glared firmly at her, her magical eye absent of that blue, hypnotic glow. She extended her hand forwards to Ravenna, but it took Ravenna until Celaine asked for her to dance with her for Ravenna to understand what she was offering.
She gazed at Celaine for a moment. The last time she had taken her hand to dance with her, she had woken up tied up on the floor of this very hall. Some small part of her knew it was foolish to take it again, especially while the guardian’s magical eye was exposed like this. And yet, it was only too easy for Ravenna to quiet her paranoia. Celaine was the one person she trusted in this whole place, her lifeline, and Ravenna was more than happy to dance with her.
“I..I don’t want to be a burden on you, Celaine,” she said. “I...I can help you with your duties! Cleaning this place, and-” Ravenna stopped talking, to hastily rub off where she’d left her fingerprints on the case she’d been leaning on, before stepping closer to Celaine. “I can tell you my story...how I ended up here.” She walked closer, and gazed down into Celaine’s eyes. If she so desired, it would be only too easy for Celaine to hypnotize her again, but Ravenna trusted Celaine’s words, and believed that she wouldn’t. She reached out, and took Celaine’s hand. “But yes,” she said, solemnly. “I will dance with you. Though I will confess,” she said, her tone getting a little more mischievous. “when not hypnotized, I’m really not a good dancer. You’ll have to lead again.”
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Post by Emiko on Jul 26, 2020 9:45:05 GMT -6
Celaine wasn't honestly sure if Ravenna would take her up on the request that she made. Not that she blamed Ravenna, but...Celaine had made attempt after attempt to coax something of a willing bit of trust out her with nothing bearing any fruit. And...she honestly had her doubts about this as well until Ravenna actually decided to take a chance on her. With her smile and face growing more warm and accepting, Celaine's heart started to melt with warmth again as Ravenna moved in her direction and actually took her hand willingly... She was willing to dance with Celaine again, to give her a beautiful moment like the one they shared yesterday. And the best part for Celaine...? This wasn't a fantasy...
"...I'll be happy to lead... Though...truth be told, I'm...not an expert dancer either..." Celaine warmly commented with a blush as she gently pulled Ravenna a little further into the room purposely away from the treasures and everything else that might distract them... It was just going to be her and Ravenna shrouded in the dimly lite shadows with no one or nothing to disturb them.
After making it a short distance away, Celaine took the greatest of care to gently pull Ravenna in just a bit closer. Once they were in position facing each other, Celaine carefully maneuvered one of Ravenna's hands onto her waist while gently lifting the other in her own. Placing her own hand on Ravenna's waist, Celaine started to lightly sway the two of them in a slow, non-moving sway-waltz. Just...something slow and light to get things started. Celaine wanted Ravenna to feel as calm and comfortable as possible and would take things as slow as Ravenna needed...
As they danced, Ravenna might take notice of how warm and naturally bright Celaine's eyes were despite the dreary setting around them. If nothing else, the joy that Celaine felt was plastered all over her face with a joyous smile and a look of peace unlike anything Ravenna had seen in her up to this point. Celaine honestly treasured these things and was so purposely careful with what she did that it was sure to show. Even still...if her actions didn't reveal her joyous warmth, her voice which was much sweeter and gentler than anytime before certainly would...
"...I...I'm grateful for this...more than you'll ever know..." Celaine commented softly as she pulled Ravenna just a bit closer for a sense of security. "...Thank you for trusting me enough to dance with me and for trusting my promise to not enchant you which I will honor... But...you're story... Could you please trust me enough with that, too...? I...hardly know anything about you... Where you come from, why you're a thief... You know pretty much everything about me and...I'd...like to find out all about you if...you'd trust me enough to share?"
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Post by yooom on Jul 26, 2020 10:47:15 GMT -6
Celaine pulled Ravenna close, guiding them to a clearing where they would have more room to maneuver, and, after arranging Ravenna’s pose correctly, setting Ravenna’s hand to her waist, the dance began. There was no music,and yet the two of them moved in perfect sync, Ravenna finding it only too easy to follow Celaine’s lead in the slow, swaying. Ravenna found herself relaxing, gazing affectionately into the bright, warm gaze of Celaine, grateful that the warmth was from Celaine herself, and not her enchanted eye.
Dancing with Celaine while unhypnotized was something of a different experience from the enchanted waltz they’d had yesterday. While it was surprisingly easy to keep pace with Celaine, she found herself distracted easily in Celaine’s face as she gazed, instead of being rigidly focused on that single, gleaming eye. Her beam was infectious, and even without the slightest bit of hypnosis Ravenna found herself smiling back at her. She could be quite emotional, frigid one moment and warm the next, but Celaine’s smile was quite beautiful.
She pulled her in closer still, her voice quiet, but as warm and gentle as her expression had been a moment ago. Ravenna felt another shiver run down her spine at her words, thanking her dancing with her, but it wasn’t that same shiver of fear, no, she felt pleased, happy to have put Celaine in such a good mode. “Thank you,” she murmured back, the hand on Celaine’s waist squeezing tenderly. At Celaine’s request, however, she fell silent for a moment. It wasn’t exactly a story she liked to think about, much less tell, but she had forced Celaine to relive the worst day of her life. Plus, with such a ray of light so close to her, she doubted even her childhood could sour Celaine’s mood right now. And so she gave Celaine an indulgent smile, and began to talk.
“Well, where to begin. I was raised in a little abbey in Lombardy, with about twenty other girls. They were all about my age, maybe five years older or younger?” she began, and, while her eyes were still on Celaine, they focused on something else, as Ravenna recalled the abbey. “It was...it was a beautiful place, Celaine. At the foot of the Alps. We used to go on excursions up the mountains in the summer, and you could see forever. The fields, the cities, all of it, stretched out before your very eyes. It’s...I’ve been to some very beautiful places, but...nothing comes close to that place,” she said, with a nostalgic sigh.
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Post by Emiko on Jul 26, 2020 11:17:59 GMT -6
The place that Ravenna began to describe sounded like an absolutely beautiful location. Celaine, due to her peasant lineage had never really ventured that far from her home town and had therefore never seen the Alps, or any other precious natural sites like that. Even when she came to live here, she had never been allowed to leave despite Saveria's travels all over Europe so...Celaine was undoubtedly a little jealous when she heard the brief, but beautiful description of where Ravenna lived. Still...she didn't let it at all sour the moment.
Picking up the pace in their dance just slightly, Celaine began to lightly, but slowly move with Ravenna to a non-existent tune making the dance a little more lively. Ravenna seemed to be following along to this point on her own and Celaine felt a little more energy, even just a small bit of speed would make the dance a bit more interesting and fun. Yet still, while Celaine did start moving, she was absolutely careful to make sure that she didn't go too fast for Ravenna and would slow down at any point that she needed.
While focused on her tempo and careful leadership in the dance, Ravenna's facial expressions weren't...far from Celaine's eyes. She offered Celaine a contented smile that was just so...gorgeous and happy. She could tell that it was a genuine smile and that fact alone was enough to make Celaine fall in love with it. What really stood out to her though was the fact that Ravenna's smile was for her coming from a sense of security and happiness... Celaine found herself even more wanting to protect that smile and do whatever she could to keep it on Ravenna's face. It...was that precious to Celaine...
"...It sounds absolutely beautiful. I'm honestly really jealous that you got to live by some place so beautiful..." Celaine commented with a hint of obvious passion in her voice. The dance they were in did gradually pick up in pace, but...their conversation would remain stable and steady with Celaine eager to hear more. "...This little abbey of yours in the mountain... How did you end up there, and did you enjoy your time when you lived there? What was life like where you lived growing up?"
Celaine in no way meant to pry, but...she was just so curious. She hadn't ever known anything but the life of a simple peasant and other than books, had no other means to learn about the different walks of life other people got to experience. That didn't mean she wasn't curious by any stretch of the imagination, quite the contrary in fact. She dreamed of being able to hear about things like this and was thoroughly enjoying what felt like a wonderful, god blessed opportunity.
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Post by yooom on Jul 26, 2020 16:10:15 GMT -6
The dance began to speed up, and the two of them drew closer together still, as Ravenna continued to talk about her childhood. Ravenna heard the longing in Celaine’s voice, and was quick to reply to it. “We can go there!” she said, eagerly. “Well, not that exact abbey, but the Alps are beautiful right across the region.” It occurred to Ravenna, as she looked into Celaine’s eyes, that the girl had never travelled from the Sanctuaire Sacre, had probably never left this sleepy French province, much less seen the Alps in all their beauty. She doubted Saveria would let her, but Celaine had more than earned months worth of vacation time, as far as Ravenna was concerned. She deserved to see something of the beauty of this world, instead of being trapped up here, cleaning these dusty artifacts.
“I don’t remember how I came to the abbey, I would have been just a baby,” Ravenna continued. “My parents, I was told, gave me to the nuns, they weren’t able to take care of me,” she said, her voice growing a little quieter, though she did not seem to be saddened by her words. The times when she’d longed for parents had long, long passed. Now it was simply a fact of her life. “We had…” her voice trailed off for a moment, as Ravenna struggled to describe her rather curious childhood. “We had a good time growing up. The nuns kept us fed, so we never went hungry, and they taught us all manner of devotion.” The two of them swayed together, pacing slightly across the floor, as Ravenna listed off her lessons, from so many years ago. “I was taught Latin, French, Italian...flute...choir, of course...and of course we learned a lot about the Church. Well, we learned what they wanted us to know about the Church.”
With the hand not gripping Celaine’s waist, she gestured across the room, at the assortment of magical artifacts. “I wasn’t taught about this stuff by the nuns. But,” she flashed Celaine another mischievous smile. “I think you know I have a habit of getting where I’m not supposed to. I used to spend quite a lot of time in the abbey library, and I learned all about magical artifacts, what makes them magical, how they can work, and even,” her voice drew slightly quieter, leaning in close to Celaine, as if she was sharing an intimate secret. “That there were magical artifacts hidden in that abbey itself.” She pulled her head back, smiling at Celaine. “I got in quite a lot of trouble trying to track down that artifact, but, after, oh...seven years of searching? I found it.” Her eyes flashed, with an odd kind of excitement, remembering that sweet moment, years of scrabbling through quiet, forgotten corners of the abbey, until she had last come across it, in the darkest and most ancient crypt of the abbey. “I got in soooo much trouble for taking it,” she said, with that same manic eagerness. “But it was completely worth it.”
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Post by Emiko on Jul 26, 2020 19:31:05 GMT -6
The things that Ravenna revealed to Celaine would shift in tone from time to time. At some points, things within Ravenna's story sounded a bit sad while at other points, they were a bit more upbeat. For the most part while Ravenna's story was a mix of emotions, to Celaine, it seemed she lived a life she wasn't too upset with. In fact, the excitement she expressed towards her joy for finding and stealing the abbey's treasure seemed like a life-long highlight for her. Naturally, it...did make Celaine curious as to why stealing from others was so important to a girl that had the gift of an education. More than Celaine herself had ever learned growing up and honestly wouldn't until she came to live at Sanctuaire Sacre...
Regardless of what was said, and how it was delivered, Celaine never let it interrupt their dance. The movements she lead Ravenna through steadily would become more lively and energetic, graceful and beautiful with each passing moment. It was an ironic contrast to the...unique story that Ravenna was revealing, but Celaine didn't seem to want the story to dictate the mood necessarily. If she had let her own story dictate what had happened the previous night, there's no telling what nightmares Ravenna would have ended up having. She understood the need for something joyful and light hence her intense focus to keep the dance fun and lively.
"...Your early life sounds quite adventurous. And I understand all to well the things the church keeps hidden from the average soul...." Celaine solemnly commented as she thought about the relics in this room. "...Before I was taken in by...her..." Celaine lightly referred to Saveria to not let the thoughts of her interrupt their moment. "...I didn't realize the existence, or even vast potential of magic like I do now. You have me curious though... Why did you start resorting to stealing things...? And...I assume that's been your life's work since your first theft? I don't quite understand the appeal in taking something that doesn't belong to you..."
Celaine truly was curious about the nature of the girl she was dancing with. Thanks to the trances and...even moments like this revealing little things about her, Ravenna didn't exactly seem like the kind of girl that Celaine would expect in the average thief. She seemed like a genuinely kind and caring woman under the right circumstances. Though...there was no denying that Ravenna could be a bit careless and reckless at times while also not giving much thought to the big picture in the end... She was genuinely curious though about the thrill that Ravenna got from taking things.
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Post by yooom on Jul 26, 2020 21:35:01 GMT -6
It was quite an enjoyable experience, watching Celaine’s face react to Ravenna’s story, smiling at the highs, looking nervous at the lows, even if she ultimately looked quite confused, and their dance did not slow as Celaine began to speak. It was only when she referred to “her” that Ravenna slipped slightly, holding onto Celaine tightly as she lost her balance for a split second, some of her present circumstances returning to her, but it was only too easy to push that nervousness aside, to focus just on Celaine, pressed tenderly against her, leading her along in their sweet little dance.
“Well, we were hardly average souls,” Ravenna protested. “We spent our whole lives in that place. It wasn’t fair for them to hide that from us.” She winced slightly at Celaine’s question. It was a bit of a pointed question, but, from the perspective of the honorable guardian, it was a fair one, though, when framed like that, it was a hard one to answer.
“Well, it’s...it’s not quite that easy to explain,” she said, stuttering for a few moments, though her pause did not slow her dance, and she continued to keep pace with Celaine, following her lead. It took her a few moments of thought before she spoke again.
“I was so excited when I found that first artifact. I told everyone, and I mean everyone. All the other girls knew that I’d discovered it. They weren’t that impressed,” she said, a little sadly. “But they told other people, and the nuns quickly confiscated my relic, and punished me for it.” She was quiet for another beat, before starting to speak again. “I...I loved Lombardy, but...I didn’t really like the abbey. No one liked me there...no one even understood me, really. Everything was a sin, and, when they took that artifact from me...that was the last straw, I suppose. I took it back, didn’t tell anyone, and, when I got the chance to split...I did.”
She was quiet for another whirl. “But yes, I’ve been taking artifacts ever since. As for the appeal, well,” she gave Celaine another mischievous smile. “it’s the challenge of it. The first artifact I took, after I left the abbey, was the Returning Stone,” she said, a nostalgic grin on her face. “It was supposedly impossible to steal, a stone that always returned to its case, how could it possibly be taken? Well, I figured out that it was actually a pair of enchantments, one holding it to the cathedral, and one to the case. If one were to remove it from the case *after* removing it from the Cathedral, then it would essentially reset the magic.” She beamed at Celaine. “They’re like puzzles, I suppose. And the feeling you get from solving them, from pulling off that heist, it’s...quite intoxicating.” She looked at Celaine, curious. “Can you understand that? You seem like a very good, law abiding person, I can’t imagine you-” she cut herself off before she finished the sentence, for of course she was painfully aware of Celaine’s little crime, and the penalty she had suffered for it. She held Celaine a little tighter to her. “You are a good person,” she said, holding her.
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Post by Emiko on Jul 27, 2020 9:45:59 GMT -6
As Ravenna explained that for her it was more about the thrill of successfully completing a heist as opposed to what she was stealing, Celaine felt she could understand it at least a little. The best way Celaine interpreted it was that Ravenna in a manner of speaking enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and what it took to complete that hunt as opposed to the game she were actually hunting. While it wasn’t necessarily something she herself cared for, or could even really relate to, she at least understood now why Ravenna found thrill in what she was doing.
Despite understanding the appeal Ravenna found, it…did bring to light something that made Celaine worry a little… Ravenna had chosen a very dangerous career for herself and it was one she was doing more for the thrill as opposed to the rewards… The way she talked about it made it seem as if Ravenna were addicted to her lifestyle. And like all other addictions, she’d at some point have a craving, even a desperate need to fulfill that meaning in the end, she needed a great deal of freedom and mobility. Seeing as she had just lost all of that, Celaine had to worry that Ravenna might star trying to figuratively claw her way out of this place sooner rather than later… She was more or less an energetic, spirited, beautiful bird that had now been caged… There was no way this arrangement could last forever under the current circumstances…
Celaine’s thought would shift from Ravenna’s lifestyle and needs back to herself when her partner commented how she was a nice person. To these words, Celaine honestly had to look away for a brief moment with a twinge of guilt… A good person…? Maybe at heart, but…she had a fair amount of blood on her hands due to the nature of her job. Most of it was very much in self-defense, but it didn’t change the fact she had killed people before… There was also that ‘sinful nature’ of hers that caused people to see her differently, but…that was the least of her worries… She had done a great deal wrong and could hardly be seen by those that knew what she had truly done as a good person… Despite all that, she didn’t feel there was any need to ruin the moment with that…
Turning her attention back to Ravenna, Celaine smiled warmly once more and started to put just a tiny bit more energy into their movements. At this point, Celaine and Ravenna were moving as gracefully and beautifully as the two figures Celaine had manipulated in the mesmerizing embers of the fire the previous night. Though not quite as professional as a true ball room waltzing couple, the two girls seemed to make it work. And…even if it wasn’t fully right, Celaine was enjoying herself too much to really care. While the lively, joyful dancing was something wonderful to be sure, it didn’t reflect the mood of their conversation necessarily.
“…I thank you for the compliment, but…I have my faults… And I’ve done plenty that could put that claim to being a good person to question, but…thank you…” Celaine said with a smile as she gave Ravenna a couple of twirls before pulling her back into their magnificent dance. “…I do worry about you, though… You like what you do and your lifestyle and choices seem to say that you like to always be on the move… Do you even have a place to call home though or…any…special ties at all…?”
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Post by yooom on Jul 27, 2020 20:44:04 GMT -6
Ravenna was surprised, and rather disappointed, to see sadness etched on Celaine’s face when she called her a good person. She had, as Celaine had repeatedly reminded her of this morning, stuck her neck out in front of a very dangerous and very deadly Saveria to keep Ravenna from being completely mentally broken. To see her refuse being called even a good person was a bit of a shock for Ravenna. Sure, Ravenna had seen Celaine’s more vicious side, but, when she was like this, cheerily dancing with her across the floor of the reliquary, Ravenna could not imagine she had killed so much as a fly. For her own part, Ravenna had never killed anyone. It wasn’t her style, not to mention that murderers got quite a lot more attention than thieves. Still, she let it slide, focusing instead on what Celaine had said next.
“I do like to be on the move. Once a challenge is solved, well...people are going to look around town for the stolen artifact, so it’s generally not a good idea to stick around,” she said, with a little giggle. “But, even if that didn’t happen, you’re right. There are only so many sights to see in any one place, before you’ve seen it all. I think I usually spend a few months in any one place. The longest I’ve spent was...four months in Paris?” She sighed nostalgically, the sights and sounds of that magnificent city rushing back to her, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Seine. She hadn’t even stolen anything, no one specific artifact had caught her eye, before the mystique of Sanctuaire Sacre had brought her to this charming province. It had only been a few weeks ago, and yet, it seemed a lifetime away.
“A home?” Ravenna echoed Celaine’s last question. “No, I don’t...really have any connections like that. I kind of burned my bridges at the abbey stealing that artifact...Not that it wasn’t worth it, I much prefer having that than going back,” she said, continuing to sway with Celaine. “There’s never been any place...or any person...that I’ve gotten very tied to.” Once she’d said it, Ravenna felt...sad. She’d seen so much of the world, and had enjoyed it, and yet, she’d never once had a relationship like Celaine had had...granted, Celaine had been tricked by her would-be partner, but still...had this quiet, provincial girl lived more than Ravenna? Was she missing out on something? on a home, on special ties? She’d never really wanted either, but, now that she was stuck here...would it hurt to try and form such bonds?
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Post by Emiko on Jul 27, 2020 21:10:25 GMT -6
The way that Ravenna spoke about never having any place or person to come back to made it immediately evident to Celaine that she felt a bit hallow as a result. Even if her words didn't say it, Celaine could see it on the faint traces of sadness on her face as well as feel it in the softer, weaker hold against her body... The way she was reading the situation, Ravenna was so caught up in the act of traveling that she hadn't taken time to put roots down anywhere and now...she seemed to be down about that...
In some ways, Celaine felt like she could relate to how Ravenna was feeling. Unlike Ravenna, she had never strayed too far from a place of safety and had therefore never seen the world beyond her small village, or eventually this cathedral. She felt like she was missing out on life by staying in the comfort of safety rather than seeing the beautiful sights this world had to offer. Their circumstances may have been complete opposites of each other, but...both could relate to feeling like they were missing something... Perhaps...they could find what they were missing in each other...?
That was the thought running through Celaine's head as she offered the warmest smile yet to Ravenna. She sped up the dance just slightly for a moment before twirling Ravenna several times happily. And then...everything came to a grinding halt as Celaine pulled her back in, but this time facing away from her with her back against Celaine's chest. Letting her arms wrap around Ravenna snugly, but very much securely, Celaine just held onto her dance partner in a sort of silent, romantic hold. For a few moments, she said nothing, nor did anything except hold Ravenna safely against her chest. When she did speak however, Ravenna could hear the soft, sweet sound of a seductive whisper in her right ear...
"...You could have a home...a person to form an attachment with..." Celaine seductively whispered, giving Ravenna something of a once-in-a-life-time sort of offer... "...Home doesn't have to be a building... Home could be as simple as finding some place where you feel safe and warm... Perhaps in the embrace of a trust friend, or...passionate lover... You could...possibly find a home right here...in my arms...with me... You'd be safe here in my embrace and would never be lonely with me...If you so desired..."
While part of the reason for her 'offer' was to lighten Ravenna's spirits with a bit of a tease, Celaine was also quietly giving this opportunity to Ravenna as something of a genuine offer. It...was very similar to the offer she gave to Ravenna when she was in trance yesterday, but...Celaine refuse to hold her to the answer she was given then due to the influence she was under at the time. Whether Ravenna saw this little teasing offer as just a joke, or something very serious, she was free to answer to it however she desired and Celaine was quite ready to respond accordingly either in jest or earnest. For the time being, she simply held Ravenna safely and warmly against her body waiting for her to choose how she wanted to respond. The choice was hers, and hers alone...
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Post by yooom on Jul 28, 2020 16:37:11 GMT -6
Celaine seemed to sense Ravenna’s unease, for she gave the thief a positively radiant smile that Ravenna couldn’t help but grin back to, even as she elegantly twirled her away from herself. Ravenna was surprised at how relaxed she felt. She hated talking about herself, sharing even the slightest detail about her life. She had only started to talk at all because of how good it felt to talk to Celaine at all, but, once she had started...the secrets had started flowing, until she had told Celaine everything she could think of, and more, thought processes she had never voiced before. She had been proud of her achievements, of having pilfered so many of Europe’s finest artifacts, and yet now...it all felt hollow, empty,especially considering that she’d lost all of those artifacts overnight.
And then Celaine quite abruptly brought their dance to an end, pulling her in again, and this time holding onto her, gently squeezing her from behind. Ravenna let out a slight gasp in surprise, but quickly eased up, gently swaying slightly, keeping up a bit of the dance even as their feet remained stationary, leaning faintly against Celaine. Ravenna let her eyes gently slide shut, savoring this lovely, peaceful moment, the first time she’d felt truly safe, truly at ease, since she’d woken up.
She whispered seductively in Ravenna’s ears, and Ravenna let out a happy little mumbling moan, feeling a little sizzle of excitement break through the calm peace of Celaine’s hold on her, as she offered Ravenna...herself. Ravenna’s eyes opened again, as she considered the woman’s proposal. The idea of belonging somewhere had never much appealed to her. The idea of being attached to a person was even worse. She’d looked down on couples in her travels, bound to another. She had always preferred her own independence, to lovers, to friends, not that she had ever had many of either. She’d treasured her solitude, ever since her days at the abbey.
And yet...was this really so bad? To be able to spend her days in Celaine’s arms, gently soothed like this, to have a confidante, a friend...perhaps even a lover? It seemed a generous offer, especially considering she’d only known her for a day, and yet...Ravenna wondered what Celaine truly felt for her. From what she’d heard of Saveria’s accord with Celaine, it seemed that the bond Celaine had extended to Ravenna was a once in a lifetime offer, and...and it seemed likely, given what she knew of how those two had gotten to know each other, that the offer was for Celaine to find the happiness of a longstanding, romantic relationship. Could Celaine really want that with her, someone who had tried to escape this place with her Mistress’s treasures?
Ravenna was quiet for a long few moments, partially because she was considering her next words carefully, partially because Celaine’s warm hold was so lovely. She snuggled faintly deeper into her hold, as she slowly began to speak, her voice only slightly louder than Celaine’s whisper. “Thank you for this...it’s...it’s good to open up to you.” She was quiet for another moment, weighing her words carefully. She didn’t want to be too hasty, and yet...perhaps it was the fact that she felt trapped in this place, but...she did want to forge some kind of bond with the one person who had been nice to her. “I...I think I do desire that...to be with you,” she said, perhaps not as eager an acceptance as Celaine might have hoped for, but, Ravenna hoped, demonstrated an openness to any potential future.
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Post by Emiko on Jul 28, 2020 17:06:12 GMT -6
As Celaine held Ravenna close, she could feel the young girl sinking into her embrace showing that she felt happy and safe in it. Honestly, that would have been more than enough for Celaine to be satisfied. Just minutes before, Ravenna hadn't allowed herself to show any kind of willing trust towards Celaine whatsoever. Now after their dance...it seemed she felt safe enough to at least relax in her arms. And honestly...Celaine loved it. To be able to hold someone again and have them feel safe around her was so wonderful. Much different than most people cowering in fear of her at the end of her musket or trying to attack her for her just doing her job... This was...special...
Holding onto Ravenna, swaying with her as she moved, the moments of silence were absolutely golden. Even if they didn't yield any answer to her seductive offer, they were still nice in their own right. Celaine honestly didn't need an answer from Ravenna to enjoy the moment. However, as fate would have it, it seemed as if Ravenna had indeed come to some sort of consensus as to what she wanted to do... At least...a little bit it seemed...
With great anticipating, Celaine listened as Ravenna expressed her gratitude to her and commented how nice it was for her to open up to her. This was followed up by the girl not necessary saying she wanted to be with Celaine beyond a shadow of a doubt. However, she was thinking it was something she desired and that perhaps she did want to be with her. It was an answer similar to the one she had given Celaine earlier of 'wanting' to trust Celaine, but...not quite there yet. It honestly could have been another emotional blow to Celaine's heart to hear her less than enthusiastic reply. Unlike the previous time when she was rejected however...she responded quiet differently...
With a smile on her face, she lightly leaned up on her tip-toes and gave Ravenna a soft little kiss on the cheek. Afterwards, still from behind, she gently took both of Ravenna's hands into her own and lightly stretched out her own arms with Ravennas past her sides just slightly. Once their arms were outstretched, Ravenna's hands resting in hers, Celaine started to sway the two of them very lightly before leading Ravenna through a very slow, but guided waltz from behind. For a moment, she was silent as she did this before leaning in while they danced and whispering softly, seductively into her ears once more.
"...Your openness to the prospects is all I need. Truth be told, I'm...a little scared for what the future might hold for us, too..." Celaine warmly whispered, letting her true fragile fears be known. However, she wouldn't let her fears keep Ravenna from becoming scared herself as she offered her a very heart warming promise.. "...There is no pressure to rush things... I'll give you the space and time that you need to figure things out. Just know though that...you're always safe here in my arms like this... If you ever feel scared or need safety, don't ever be afraid to take my hand or come into my embrace... As long as you...treat me kindly and warmly...my embrace will always be yours..."
With her words delivered, Celaine offered a sweet little giggle before resting her head on Ravenna's back as they did their...reverse sort of waltz. She gave Ravenna's back a soft little nuzzle of her cheek showing her a great deal of affection and just...enjoyed the time they spent together... In this moment...even though Ravenna couldn't see Celaine behind her, she was experiencing a true glimpse of the person she was. Not the serious, moody guardian she had often portrayed herself to be. Rather, she was an innocent girl with a soft heart who simply liked the little things... It...was hard for her to be herself but right here...in this moment...she could...at least for a little while...
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