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xxxHome. She didn't know if anything had ever felt as much of a home to her as his presence did, or if anything ever could. She had just met him, but he already felt like more of a home than what she thought had been hers ever had. Until this very moment, or rather, until they had bumped into each other and he saved her from falling to a most painful, terrible death of the only end by burning fire and hungry flame a Valyrian could ever meet, she had thought her only home was Valyria, that it was on the back of her beloved dragon as they soared together through the sky, that her home was the bed and the room she had always known, the feel of her mother's arms wrapped around her as she was pulled into a hug, the memory of her father, but now she was not so sure. She had never once questioned where her home was, or even what it was, but now she was beginning to, and she could feel herself beginning to doubt it all. There was just some feeling that surrounded him that she couldn't explain, that came off of him in a flood and wrapped around her like a warm, comforting blanket, that made her question everything she had once thought about that word and the place and feelings she had ascribed it to for as long as she had known the feeling, even before she had ever known what it meant. She had a home, stone walls and a soft familiar bed with warm inviting food waiting for her to return to every night or whenever she wished to feel it's comforts, but it didn't feel like this, it didn't feel like he did with nothing but his very presence. Her mother's arms had always felt like a home, a comfort, ever since she had been a small babe swaddled in her parent's arm who knew nothing but them and that they were the feeling of home, but now that she had met him that feeling she had thought she knew completely better than she knew most things, couldn't even begin to compare. It was almost as if they never could, not even before. The four walls she had always known felt like an illusion of a home, an illusion of what her home should be but not longer was, now that she had met him, like a book with pages of dark stories and grim realities hidden behind pages of bright beautiful colors and untruths that a man had spent days getting perfect and right that could only be pried apart with a certain tool lest they be ripped to unrecognizable shreds. The man before her was the proper tool in her book of stories, and he had pried the pages apart to show him beneath, in hidden parts she had never known were there. Just meeting him, seeing him, and feeling his skin against her own like a roaring flame enrapturing her in a comforting hug, had unlocked so many feelings she hadn't ever known were there, and had changed all she knew that had been. Like a home, his presence was comforting, a place she felt she could return to after the longest of days. Like a home, he felt just right. Like a home, she wanted to return to him, to see him again, to wake up to him, to go to sleep beside him, because maybe then she wouldn't have the dreams. He knew a part of her no one else ever could, and that no one else ever had - except for possibly her dragon if she sensed how terribly they plagued her, and perhaps if she saw the nightmares and visions too-, like the walls of her rooms held secrets of what they had seen of her that they could never share. His presence felt warm like her blankets, like her mother's arms, and familiar, so wonderfully familiar, like the wind in her hair, and the coldness that touched the sky as she flew higher, igniting the dragon's fire in her veins. His eyes were welcoming, and so beautiful, so deep, eyes she never wanted to look away from, not ever. Absolutely every part of him and every feeling that surrounded him felt like a home, more so than anything else. It was odd, and it shouldn't be, and yet it was, and she never wanted to rot go of that feeling, to lose it, or ever change. She would much rather he, the one who knew her deepest pain, what gave her her deepest fear and plagued her all hours of the night and day, be her home, than the scent of her home on a blanket in her room within the walls she had always known. There had always been something missing there, she now realized plainly, but with him, he felt whole; there was no missing piece, and he felt so wonderfully like a place she could, and wanted to, call home. No place, no thing, no other feeling could compare, even if that was exactly what they, with their unknown missing piece had been before this day had began. He had changed everything, and turned all she had known of that word and what it meant to her so upside down.
xxxRhaemi had just met him, and already he had changed so much, changed what she thought, and challenged the entirety of what she had thought had been her home, something she had known so well, that she had always thought was set in stone. How was that even possible? How had he managed to do such a thing? Why? How was it that he could challenge things she had once known on such a fundamental level before she even knew his name? How was it that the moment she met another who shared in the dreams she had been plagued with for as long as she had been able to dream, he seemed to change absolutely everything and feel so perfectly like home? She felt like she had known him forever, that they had never been a part, always tied some how, destined to meet, like soulmates in silly stories, but far, far more than that. As far as she knew, they were the only two to know the dreams, the terrors, and their horrors, how was it that those horrible nightmares could play a hand in that too? He had been in them before she had ever seen his face, the only one to survive as everything and everyone else burned around them in smoke and flames and blackened, scorched earth, did that mean there was something more to this that she could not ever know? Something greater than either of them could ever know? She wasn't sure, and she didn't know if she ever could be sure, at least not until she saw the seer, but she was sure that he felt like home, a true, unwavering home that was no illusion, no harsh inky blackness painted over beautifully gilded gold, and she didn't want him to go, to leave, not ever, and she hoped, deep down in some hidden shy part of her that didn't want to admit it to anyone including herself just yet, that she felt like a home to him too, more than whatever he had known was his home before he laid eyes on her.
xxxThough she had sacrificed the pleasure of his skin against her own in fear of him disliking or taking offense to the gesture or finding it unpleasant, and she would still sacrifice that for him and his comfort every time, she wished she had not let it go so soon, and she would be lying if she did not say there was some deep seated, hidden, incredibly and entirely selfish regret that she had lost the wondrous feeling so terribly soon. She would always put him and his feelings and comfort and desires first, because he was far more special than anything she could ever imagine, but she so longed to feel his touch again and to never stop. There was an almost emptiness that she felt now, and a longing for that emptiness to be filled again, but before she could continue down that path of longing, she was given a brief reprieve from her torrent of thoughts at the sight of the man before her moving, and her eyes focusing in on him once again. He had straightened after the absence of her hand, after it had fallen away from his chiseled features in fear of causing some upset, although when she searched his features, she found nothing. Her brows furrowed, and then they furrowed further when she heard his soothing voice. She needn't apologize? What? She saw confusion written evidently upon his features as she searched his face for an answer to what his response meant, and she was sure it was mirrored perfectly tenfold upon her own. He wasn't.. upset? He was not displeased or offended or uncomfortable? Had it been okay to do that, to touch him so without warning or asking first? Had her touch not upset him? Had it been alright? Could she have felt his warmth, the fire of his skin against her palm as it kissed her own for a moment longer? Had she just been a fool imagining horrible worries and fears that were never there, that were baseless and would never come to pass outside the thousands of terrible scenarios that played on repeat within her mind? Had hear fear of losing him and chasing him away caused her to force it's goodbye too soon? His words should have eased her, they should have settled her mind, but they instead just brighten more questions, more worries, and more terrible regrets and an unmistakable desire to kick herself as his words slowly sunk in further and she began to realize it had been alright, and that her hand could have stayed for awhile, that she could have enjoyed that closeness for awhile. Why hadn't she waited a moment, why hadn't she asked if it had been okay? Why was she still afraid she had damaged whatever there was between them? Why did she miss his touch so terribly, and long for it so? Her hand against his cheek had felt like a flame, it had felt as if they very blood had been calling out to meet when she touched his skin, as if the dragon's blood running through their veins had found a kindred soul it wished to run beside, and she had quelled the flame of it too soon. She knew she had done so even sooner than too soon, now that he had told her she had no need to apologize, and she could trust that if was alright. Why did she have to be so afraid about this all? Why could she do nothing but worry and overthink? Gods how she missed his touch, how she wished to again feel the pleasant burning of his skin against her own, as his fire called out to hers like a lover or dear old friend, and oh how furious she was with herself for letting it go, now fearing that she may never get to feel it again. The warmth of him against her palm had settled her, calmed her thoughts and eased her in ways nothing else could, and now she was rushing, and could no longer think again. Her fingers had only left his cheek mere moments ago, and yet it already plunged her back into the madness of her thoughts, and it already so deeply saddened her that the feeling of him against her palm was no longer anything more than a memory, no more than the ghost of the feeling upon the tips of her fingers that wished for and wanting nothing more than to feel him again, to cup his face, and to brush his curled, beautiful light white hair through her delicate fingers. His hair had to be soft, like silken satin in the most delicate waves, softer than anything she had ever before felt. The brief touch she had gotten to feel of it had not nearly been enough, it had ended far too soon, and the edge certainly could not even begin to tell her what she wanted to feel, She so wished she would get the chance to feel it, to tangle her fingers gently within and discover how soft his locks truly were, but she forced herself to move on, to return her thoughts to what they had been speaking of before she had gotten lost in him and placed her hand to his cheek. It was hard to focus as she spoke and did her best to ignore the burning desire to reach out for him again, but she noticed that his brows had shot up as she answered his previous questions, and that his eyes widened ever so slightly as he did. Was that good? Was that bad? Had she said something wrong and upset him? She swallowed, beginning to feel her worry bubble up and overflow all over again until he spoke, replying to her words with an admittance that echoed her own. She was.. what? Had she heard him correctly? Rhaemi's thoughts paused again, his words stunning her and bringing her entire being to a halt, and she looked up as he admitted she was the only life he saw beyond the destruction of his dreams. Her violet eyes searched his face, and then his eyes, looking for any hint of a lie, and then she searched them again, too stunned to form words even within her mind as an odd feeling of being touched beyond words by what he had just told her, and that she was the same in his dreams as he was in hers. Did that mean he understood? That he knew her dreams and want she went through? Did that mean she was so incredibly special in his dreams, too? Did that mean in his dreams the sight of her was his reprieve as he was in her own? Was she as special to him as he was to her? Why was she even so flattered by those words, and starting to smile? It was no confession of his thoughts of her beauty, or any other romantic thing no man had ever said to her before. He had just told her she was the only thing that didn't die within his horrible dreams, and that meant more to her than even knew new. He was a safety, a happiness, a reprieve, a joy that helped to make the horrors easier to bear whenever he appeared, and now that she knew his face and that he existed, her meant impossibly more, and even if she did not have the same affect as he did with her, it still meant so much, and calmed her thoughts a great deal. She did hope he felt the same though, although in truth she was just glad to no longer be so terribly alone, and touched that she had appeared in his dreams at all as the only one who lived through it all. Just I knowing that she had graced his thoughts before and possibly given him some reprieve when he felt so much like a home to her meant everything.
xxxViolet eyes watched as he gave a nod in reply to her question, and she felt herself begin to fill with even more hope, and a strange excitement. At last she may finally have some answers, and she could get them with him, the one who felt so special and so like a home. She had been so terrified of what she may find and learn if the seer even agreed to help, but with him by her side, she felt like she could face whatever it may be, and if they got nothing, she, no they, were at least no longer alone in their dreams and they could go through this together and figure out some other path, no longer needing to forge it blindly, terrified and alone. She could now hardly contain the excitement that was filling her as she watched and listened to him agree that her proposal sounded wise, and then wasted no time in agreeing again with a decisive nod, echoing what she had said. She felt herself being in to perk up more than she had in so long, and her lips began to bloom into a smile. "I am..." Rhaemi couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks. "so glad that you agree." Rhaemi breathed, giving him another smile. He thought it was wise. He thought it was wise that they go together. They were going to go together. She didn't have to say goodbye to him just yet, she'd have him by her side still. She could never go back to the way things had been before she discovered the man in her dreams was real and before her, because he had changed so much already, but she didn't have to confront that fear just yet, nor did she need to say goodbye. There was still a change she could hold his hand or cup his cheek again, and even if she couldn't, she would at least get a little more time with him, and more time spend together that she could never, ever forget, and would always look upon with the greatest fondness she could ever possess. She would never forget him that she knew within her bones and very soul, and there was nothing that could change that. If he left now she would at least have that part of him, but he wasn't going to go just yet, and she could spend more time with the man she had never even dared to hope actually existed. They were going to seek help together, and she could only hope that that time together would lead to something and that she'd never have to lose him, or see him be a part of the burning flames. Her attention flickered back to him as she heard his voice again, and she listened, eyes focused completely on him. His words were framed as a question, but she doubted it was because he was uncertain of what he had been told, and more that it was he was unsure if she had heard the same. Thankfully, that was exactly what she had heard, too. Just down the alley near where they were. She nodded, probably a bit too enthusiastically, as soon as the final word left his mouth. "That is what I was told as well." Rhaemi replied, grinning again and feeling the excitement fill her even further as she glanced toward the direction she had been told. The possibility they had planned to see different seers had been there, and it had worried her, but she was so glad that would never come to pass, and truly, after all, how many seers could there be in Valyria when just the one she had managed to hear tell of had been so difficult to find? If it was at all easy or commonplace, she was certain he'd have found others, and with more ease than she.
xxxAs he spoke again, Rhaemi turned, focusing her attention back on him when she heard his voice, quickly noticing that his brows had furrowed, and that the edges of his lips had been pulled ever so slightly upward. She tilted her head curiously as she waited for want he was about to say, and then gave the largest smile she had ever given as he told her his name, his beautiful name. Baelyx. His name was Baelyx. How beautiful, and perfect. She loved it. She absolutely, positively, wholeheartedly, utterly and completely, and emphatically, loved it. No other name could possibly be more fitting to him. Baelyx. She so hoped she'd get a chance to say that soon, again and again and again. "Rhaemi. My name is Rhaemi." Rhaemi smiled, the joy clearly evident in her voice as she told him her name in turn. She realized then, that she probably should have given a more formal introduction given that he had been appearing in her dreams for so long and that they had nearly knocked each other in the lava and she had nearly met her end to it until he pulled her to safety, but there could always be time for that later, and she felt like she had already known him for years, so she didn't mind just knowing his first. She wouldn't want to use his last name anyway. His whole family held that, but only he held his name, and she wanted to speak his name, and only his, because it was the one that belonged to him and no one else. They had also already seen each other through dreams before ever meeting, so there was that too, and she supposed that meant they were already far closer than either of them could currently imagine. He was far more than just some handsome stranger who had run into her on the street and saved her form a painful death, he was a man who felt like home, who seemed to be tied to her by some sort of destiny or fate or even the stars and their thousands of never ending designs. Before she could think on it more though, something happened to make her heart sink. She felt herself feel nothing but a flood of disappointment as he finally released his hold on her, the places where his hands had held her leaving behind an emptiness she wasn't sure how to fill, and her wide smile dropping from her lips. He hadn't relinquished his old in it's entirely since he had first saved her from falling, and now that it was gone she couldn't deny that she missed it dearly. It was even more painful than it had been to let her hand fall from his dashingly handsome face. He gazed down at her though, and then was quick to offer her hand. She blinked. She regarded him with a moment of confusion in her gaze before he spoke, and then she found herself smiling, far more than she should have, as he did. He wanted her to take his hand, and she would get to feel him again. "Oh. Yes. I do believe that would be most wise." Rhaemi beamed, agreeing quickly and giving a nod. She had missed his finally touch as he had finally released her instantly, but she was going to get to hold him again, and that more than eased that moment of loss. His feel would no longer be just a brief memory, it could be a feeling she could hold onto and then never let go of as soon as it came to an end. She was more than happy to take the excuse to feel him again, any excuse, and this was certainly a perfect, if not the best, one.
xxxShe had been feeling so lost and alone for so long, but with him, and his sweet touch, she needed no map to guide her; she didn't know if she could ever feel lost with him, and she felt found as her hand began to reach for his proffered hand to take. Once more she felt the flames of his touch, and the warmth that spread through her veins as she took his hand. It felt so wonderful feel him again, so beyond phenomenal. This time it was stronger, more intense, their flames melding together and entwining and never wishing to separate, to let go. To anyone else it may have burned, but they were of the blood of the dragon; it brought no burn, no pain, it only lapped at them and the tips of their fingers as if they were old friends, and his touch felt like a most pleasant, gentle flame that welcomed her like lover's outstretched arms. She never wanted to let go of this feeling, to ever let go of him again until he wished for her to, and even then she hoped he never wished that. She just wanted to swim in this bliss forever, in the joy of feeling his hand and his skin right next to her own, and she allowed herself to for a moment, but then something began to gnaw at her, and she bit her lip. She thought for a moment, weighing whether she should ask it at all or not, and then after another moment, she looked up, feeling somehow smaller now, and worried again. "Ah, if I may, how long have you been having the dreams? I don't think I've ever gone a night without them, save for the one time it was different." She swallowed, hoping this wouldn't be too much to share, and feeling the painful sting of the memory and the tears that came with it resurface again. "That night I dreamt of my father's death, and shortly after he died just as he had in the dream. It has me fearing greatly what the ones we've seen could mean, and what disaster they may spell if there's any truth to them as there was for that dream." Rhaemi confessed softly, taking in a shaky breath as she managed to get out the words. They were both hard to say for the worries and fears she didn't know if she could ever accept or make it though, and for the pain of losing one she and loved. Suddenly, though, as the pain of the words began to ease and allow for new thoughts to creep through, it occurred to her that she likely should have taken more care with her words and thought more of their weight rather than just their pain before she spoke, for it probably wasn't at all even remotely the best idea, and she had probably just greatly alarmed him with the possibility the dreams' silent threats could ring true to reality, and she did not wish to scare him off and lose him, the only person who could share this burden and pain, who's presence felt like home and eyes a loving storm, so soon. Her violet eyes shot to his, darting about his features, worried, and afraid, her hand holding onto his ever so slightly tighter as if he were an anchor keeping her same from drifting away into her worries. "I just- I truly do not wish to alarm you, and I am deeply sorry if I have, but-" Rhaemi looked into Baelyx's eyes, struggling to find the words she needed to explain as she frantically searched his face. "but I have been afraid and alone in this for long, and I am fearful of what they might mean and now that I am no longer alone in this and they just keep getting worse and more frequent I.." Rhaemi paused, starting to feel her panic rising, her voice speeding up as she spoke and rising in speed with her panic as her eyes continued to dart about his features and rapidly search for any sign that this was okay and that she wasn't going to lose him now. She took a breath, and felt herself deflate, feeling even smaller than she had. "I don't want to keep this fear to myself anymore. I don't want to be afraid of it any longer. I don't want to be alone in it anymore." Rhaemi admitted quietly, hoping she didn't sound as if she were about to cry as her voice broke when she began. Would this cause him to leave her now? Could she upset him with this? Would he let go of her hand? Would she lose him? She didn't want to lose him, and she didn't want to let go of him. His touch eased her, comforted her, kept her still, and she was so afraid of losing it because she had said too much and burned him to greatly. He was so special, Baelyx felt incredible and like a home and see cared for him more than see ever should already; she never wanted to burden him or encumber him or weigh him down with her fears or cause anything unpleasant and she didn't know if she could fix if if she had because she was already in such a fearful state, and that had her even more afraid that she was going to lose him forever. She didn't want to lose Baelyx forever she truly didn't, and she didn't want to leave him now. She just hoped she was most incredibly, deeply, and impossibly, wrong, about upsetting him, and even more so, about the dreams, because if she was right, she didn't know what to do.
xxxRhaemi had just met him, and already he had changed so much, changed what she thought, and challenged the entirety of what she had thought had been her home, something she had known so well, that she had always thought was set in stone. How was that even possible? How had he managed to do such a thing? Why? How was it that he could challenge things she had once known on such a fundamental level before she even knew his name? How was it that the moment she met another who shared in the dreams she had been plagued with for as long as she had been able to dream, he seemed to change absolutely everything and feel so perfectly like home? She felt like she had known him forever, that they had never been a part, always tied some how, destined to meet, like soulmates in silly stories, but far, far more than that. As far as she knew, they were the only two to know the dreams, the terrors, and their horrors, how was it that those horrible nightmares could play a hand in that too? He had been in them before she had ever seen his face, the only one to survive as everything and everyone else burned around them in smoke and flames and blackened, scorched earth, did that mean there was something more to this that she could not ever know? Something greater than either of them could ever know? She wasn't sure, and she didn't know if she ever could be sure, at least not until she saw the seer, but she was sure that he felt like home, a true, unwavering home that was no illusion, no harsh inky blackness painted over beautifully gilded gold, and she didn't want him to go, to leave, not ever, and she hoped, deep down in some hidden shy part of her that didn't want to admit it to anyone including herself just yet, that she felt like a home to him too, more than whatever he had known was his home before he laid eyes on her.
xxxThough she had sacrificed the pleasure of his skin against her own in fear of him disliking or taking offense to the gesture or finding it unpleasant, and she would still sacrifice that for him and his comfort every time, she wished she had not let it go so soon, and she would be lying if she did not say there was some deep seated, hidden, incredibly and entirely selfish regret that she had lost the wondrous feeling so terribly soon. She would always put him and his feelings and comfort and desires first, because he was far more special than anything she could ever imagine, but she so longed to feel his touch again and to never stop. There was an almost emptiness that she felt now, and a longing for that emptiness to be filled again, but before she could continue down that path of longing, she was given a brief reprieve from her torrent of thoughts at the sight of the man before her moving, and her eyes focusing in on him once again. He had straightened after the absence of her hand, after it had fallen away from his chiseled features in fear of causing some upset, although when she searched his features, she found nothing. Her brows furrowed, and then they furrowed further when she heard his soothing voice. She needn't apologize? What? She saw confusion written evidently upon his features as she searched his face for an answer to what his response meant, and she was sure it was mirrored perfectly tenfold upon her own. He wasn't.. upset? He was not displeased or offended or uncomfortable? Had it been okay to do that, to touch him so without warning or asking first? Had her touch not upset him? Had it been alright? Could she have felt his warmth, the fire of his skin against her palm as it kissed her own for a moment longer? Had she just been a fool imagining horrible worries and fears that were never there, that were baseless and would never come to pass outside the thousands of terrible scenarios that played on repeat within her mind? Had hear fear of losing him and chasing him away caused her to force it's goodbye too soon? His words should have eased her, they should have settled her mind, but they instead just brighten more questions, more worries, and more terrible regrets and an unmistakable desire to kick herself as his words slowly sunk in further and she began to realize it had been alright, and that her hand could have stayed for awhile, that she could have enjoyed that closeness for awhile. Why hadn't she waited a moment, why hadn't she asked if it had been okay? Why was she still afraid she had damaged whatever there was between them? Why did she miss his touch so terribly, and long for it so? Her hand against his cheek had felt like a flame, it had felt as if they very blood had been calling out to meet when she touched his skin, as if the dragon's blood running through their veins had found a kindred soul it wished to run beside, and she had quelled the flame of it too soon. She knew she had done so even sooner than too soon, now that he had told her she had no need to apologize, and she could trust that if was alright. Why did she have to be so afraid about this all? Why could she do nothing but worry and overthink? Gods how she missed his touch, how she wished to again feel the pleasant burning of his skin against her own, as his fire called out to hers like a lover or dear old friend, and oh how furious she was with herself for letting it go, now fearing that she may never get to feel it again. The warmth of him against her palm had settled her, calmed her thoughts and eased her in ways nothing else could, and now she was rushing, and could no longer think again. Her fingers had only left his cheek mere moments ago, and yet it already plunged her back into the madness of her thoughts, and it already so deeply saddened her that the feeling of him against her palm was no longer anything more than a memory, no more than the ghost of the feeling upon the tips of her fingers that wished for and wanting nothing more than to feel him again, to cup his face, and to brush his curled, beautiful light white hair through her delicate fingers. His hair had to be soft, like silken satin in the most delicate waves, softer than anything she had ever before felt. The brief touch she had gotten to feel of it had not nearly been enough, it had ended far too soon, and the edge certainly could not even begin to tell her what she wanted to feel, She so wished she would get the chance to feel it, to tangle her fingers gently within and discover how soft his locks truly were, but she forced herself to move on, to return her thoughts to what they had been speaking of before she had gotten lost in him and placed her hand to his cheek. It was hard to focus as she spoke and did her best to ignore the burning desire to reach out for him again, but she noticed that his brows had shot up as she answered his previous questions, and that his eyes widened ever so slightly as he did. Was that good? Was that bad? Had she said something wrong and upset him? She swallowed, beginning to feel her worry bubble up and overflow all over again until he spoke, replying to her words with an admittance that echoed her own. She was.. what? Had she heard him correctly? Rhaemi's thoughts paused again, his words stunning her and bringing her entire being to a halt, and she looked up as he admitted she was the only life he saw beyond the destruction of his dreams. Her violet eyes searched his face, and then his eyes, looking for any hint of a lie, and then she searched them again, too stunned to form words even within her mind as an odd feeling of being touched beyond words by what he had just told her, and that she was the same in his dreams as he was in hers. Did that mean he understood? That he knew her dreams and want she went through? Did that mean she was so incredibly special in his dreams, too? Did that mean in his dreams the sight of her was his reprieve as he was in her own? Was she as special to him as he was to her? Why was she even so flattered by those words, and starting to smile? It was no confession of his thoughts of her beauty, or any other romantic thing no man had ever said to her before. He had just told her she was the only thing that didn't die within his horrible dreams, and that meant more to her than even knew new. He was a safety, a happiness, a reprieve, a joy that helped to make the horrors easier to bear whenever he appeared, and now that she knew his face and that he existed, her meant impossibly more, and even if she did not have the same affect as he did with her, it still meant so much, and calmed her thoughts a great deal. She did hope he felt the same though, although in truth she was just glad to no longer be so terribly alone, and touched that she had appeared in his dreams at all as the only one who lived through it all. Just I knowing that she had graced his thoughts before and possibly given him some reprieve when he felt so much like a home to her meant everything.
xxxViolet eyes watched as he gave a nod in reply to her question, and she felt herself begin to fill with even more hope, and a strange excitement. At last she may finally have some answers, and she could get them with him, the one who felt so special and so like a home. She had been so terrified of what she may find and learn if the seer even agreed to help, but with him by her side, she felt like she could face whatever it may be, and if they got nothing, she, no they, were at least no longer alone in their dreams and they could go through this together and figure out some other path, no longer needing to forge it blindly, terrified and alone. She could now hardly contain the excitement that was filling her as she watched and listened to him agree that her proposal sounded wise, and then wasted no time in agreeing again with a decisive nod, echoing what she had said. She felt herself being in to perk up more than she had in so long, and her lips began to bloom into a smile. "I am..." Rhaemi couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks. "so glad that you agree." Rhaemi breathed, giving him another smile. He thought it was wise. He thought it was wise that they go together. They were going to go together. She didn't have to say goodbye to him just yet, she'd have him by her side still. She could never go back to the way things had been before she discovered the man in her dreams was real and before her, because he had changed so much already, but she didn't have to confront that fear just yet, nor did she need to say goodbye. There was still a change she could hold his hand or cup his cheek again, and even if she couldn't, she would at least get a little more time with him, and more time spend together that she could never, ever forget, and would always look upon with the greatest fondness she could ever possess. She would never forget him that she knew within her bones and very soul, and there was nothing that could change that. If he left now she would at least have that part of him, but he wasn't going to go just yet, and she could spend more time with the man she had never even dared to hope actually existed. They were going to seek help together, and she could only hope that that time together would lead to something and that she'd never have to lose him, or see him be a part of the burning flames. Her attention flickered back to him as she heard his voice again, and she listened, eyes focused completely on him. His words were framed as a question, but she doubted it was because he was uncertain of what he had been told, and more that it was he was unsure if she had heard the same. Thankfully, that was exactly what she had heard, too. Just down the alley near where they were. She nodded, probably a bit too enthusiastically, as soon as the final word left his mouth. "That is what I was told as well." Rhaemi replied, grinning again and feeling the excitement fill her even further as she glanced toward the direction she had been told. The possibility they had planned to see different seers had been there, and it had worried her, but she was so glad that would never come to pass, and truly, after all, how many seers could there be in Valyria when just the one she had managed to hear tell of had been so difficult to find? If it was at all easy or commonplace, she was certain he'd have found others, and with more ease than she.
xxxAs he spoke again, Rhaemi turned, focusing her attention back on him when she heard his voice, quickly noticing that his brows had furrowed, and that the edges of his lips had been pulled ever so slightly upward. She tilted her head curiously as she waited for want he was about to say, and then gave the largest smile she had ever given as he told her his name, his beautiful name. Baelyx. His name was Baelyx. How beautiful, and perfect. She loved it. She absolutely, positively, wholeheartedly, utterly and completely, and emphatically, loved it. No other name could possibly be more fitting to him. Baelyx. She so hoped she'd get a chance to say that soon, again and again and again. "Rhaemi. My name is Rhaemi." Rhaemi smiled, the joy clearly evident in her voice as she told him her name in turn. She realized then, that she probably should have given a more formal introduction given that he had been appearing in her dreams for so long and that they had nearly knocked each other in the lava and she had nearly met her end to it until he pulled her to safety, but there could always be time for that later, and she felt like she had already known him for years, so she didn't mind just knowing his first. She wouldn't want to use his last name anyway. His whole family held that, but only he held his name, and she wanted to speak his name, and only his, because it was the one that belonged to him and no one else. They had also already seen each other through dreams before ever meeting, so there was that too, and she supposed that meant they were already far closer than either of them could currently imagine. He was far more than just some handsome stranger who had run into her on the street and saved her form a painful death, he was a man who felt like home, who seemed to be tied to her by some sort of destiny or fate or even the stars and their thousands of never ending designs. Before she could think on it more though, something happened to make her heart sink. She felt herself feel nothing but a flood of disappointment as he finally released his hold on her, the places where his hands had held her leaving behind an emptiness she wasn't sure how to fill, and her wide smile dropping from her lips. He hadn't relinquished his old in it's entirely since he had first saved her from falling, and now that it was gone she couldn't deny that she missed it dearly. It was even more painful than it had been to let her hand fall from his dashingly handsome face. He gazed down at her though, and then was quick to offer her hand. She blinked. She regarded him with a moment of confusion in her gaze before he spoke, and then she found herself smiling, far more than she should have, as he did. He wanted her to take his hand, and she would get to feel him again. "Oh. Yes. I do believe that would be most wise." Rhaemi beamed, agreeing quickly and giving a nod. She had missed his finally touch as he had finally released her instantly, but she was going to get to hold him again, and that more than eased that moment of loss. His feel would no longer be just a brief memory, it could be a feeling she could hold onto and then never let go of as soon as it came to an end. She was more than happy to take the excuse to feel him again, any excuse, and this was certainly a perfect, if not the best, one.
xxxShe had been feeling so lost and alone for so long, but with him, and his sweet touch, she needed no map to guide her; she didn't know if she could ever feel lost with him, and she felt found as her hand began to reach for his proffered hand to take. Once more she felt the flames of his touch, and the warmth that spread through her veins as she took his hand. It felt so wonderful feel him again, so beyond phenomenal. This time it was stronger, more intense, their flames melding together and entwining and never wishing to separate, to let go. To anyone else it may have burned, but they were of the blood of the dragon; it brought no burn, no pain, it only lapped at them and the tips of their fingers as if they were old friends, and his touch felt like a most pleasant, gentle flame that welcomed her like lover's outstretched arms. She never wanted to let go of this feeling, to ever let go of him again until he wished for her to, and even then she hoped he never wished that. She just wanted to swim in this bliss forever, in the joy of feeling his hand and his skin right next to her own, and she allowed herself to for a moment, but then something began to gnaw at her, and she bit her lip. She thought for a moment, weighing whether she should ask it at all or not, and then after another moment, she looked up, feeling somehow smaller now, and worried again. "Ah, if I may, how long have you been having the dreams? I don't think I've ever gone a night without them, save for the one time it was different." She swallowed, hoping this wouldn't be too much to share, and feeling the painful sting of the memory and the tears that came with it resurface again. "That night I dreamt of my father's death, and shortly after he died just as he had in the dream. It has me fearing greatly what the ones we've seen could mean, and what disaster they may spell if there's any truth to them as there was for that dream." Rhaemi confessed softly, taking in a shaky breath as she managed to get out the words. They were both hard to say for the worries and fears she didn't know if she could ever accept or make it though, and for the pain of losing one she and loved. Suddenly, though, as the pain of the words began to ease and allow for new thoughts to creep through, it occurred to her that she likely should have taken more care with her words and thought more of their weight rather than just their pain before she spoke, for it probably wasn't at all even remotely the best idea, and she had probably just greatly alarmed him with the possibility the dreams' silent threats could ring true to reality, and she did not wish to scare him off and lose him, the only person who could share this burden and pain, who's presence felt like home and eyes a loving storm, so soon. Her violet eyes shot to his, darting about his features, worried, and afraid, her hand holding onto his ever so slightly tighter as if he were an anchor keeping her same from drifting away into her worries. "I just- I truly do not wish to alarm you, and I am deeply sorry if I have, but-" Rhaemi looked into Baelyx's eyes, struggling to find the words she needed to explain as she frantically searched his face. "but I have been afraid and alone in this for long, and I am fearful of what they might mean and now that I am no longer alone in this and they just keep getting worse and more frequent I.." Rhaemi paused, starting to feel her panic rising, her voice speeding up as she spoke and rising in speed with her panic as her eyes continued to dart about his features and rapidly search for any sign that this was okay and that she wasn't going to lose him now. She took a breath, and felt herself deflate, feeling even smaller than she had. "I don't want to keep this fear to myself anymore. I don't want to be afraid of it any longer. I don't want to be alone in it anymore." Rhaemi admitted quietly, hoping she didn't sound as if she were about to cry as her voice broke when she began. Would this cause him to leave her now? Could she upset him with this? Would he let go of her hand? Would she lose him? She didn't want to lose him, and she didn't want to let go of him. His touch eased her, comforted her, kept her still, and she was so afraid of losing it because she had said too much and burned him to greatly. He was so special, Baelyx felt incredible and like a home and see cared for him more than see ever should already; she never wanted to burden him or encumber him or weigh him down with her fears or cause anything unpleasant and she didn't know if she could fix if if she had because she was already in such a fearful state, and that had her even more afraid that she was going to lose him forever. She didn't want to lose Baelyx forever she truly didn't, and she didn't want to leave him now. She just hoped she was most incredibly, deeply, and impossibly, wrong, about upsetting him, and even more so, about the dreams, because if she was right, she didn't know what to do.
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━━━━not broken, bowed,━━
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━nor bent━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
xxxNow that she was up close, right before him, a gift to his eyes, he could truly appreciate her beauty, no, her radiance, for she was far, far passed beauty and onto a different tier entirely, one which no one or any thing could ever hope to compare to, not even the sun who's own radiance was far out-shined by her very presence. She was his sun now, the light that gave him life, the beautiful fire he worshipped and revolved around, and she would continue to be his sun until the end of his very days. Her radiance could sustain him for a thousand years, and even though he probably should so he did not unnerve her with staring, he never, ever wanted to look away from her. Oh his lovely lady, before him at last, ever more beautiful than he could have possibly dreamed or imagined, he so hoped that she would desire him, too. The way her still vaguely wind whipped dark curls- not too dissimilar to his own but still beautifully and perfectly different and entirely her- cascaded down her shoulders and framed her chest was breathtaking, especially so up close, and the sight of that along with her presence just being so near kindled something within him he had never felt before. She made something stir within that he did not entirely understand, but never wanted to stop feeling because it was undoubtedly caused by her and how beautiful and perfect he was. It was not his heart that was stirring- although it certainly was unceasingly for her-, for he already knew where his heart stood with her and it only filled with true and utter love for her each and every moment that passed, but whatever it was, he could never mind it, and he hoped that the feeling would remain. Just seeing her evoked it; looking into her eyes, her beautiful smile. Gods, her smile. It was the most radiant thing of all besides her heart and soul that gave it it's radiance and light. He would do anything to see her smile again, to see her smile every moment of each and every day, he would dedicate his life in a heartbeat to making her smile, to cheering her up whenever she was down, and making sure she never doubted his love for her, and that she always had a reason to grin. He had already promised her before even meeting her that he would, because he had vowed to love her unconditionally until his very last breath and moment in whatever eternal beyond there may be, for as long as she'd have him in her life, for however she wanted that to be and for him to be within it. No matter how she felt towards him, he just hoped she would let him give her a smile at least now and then, though if she wanted nothing to do with him, he would respect without question or protest, because he never wanted to upset her, and was prepared to be whatever she needed him to be, even if that was away from her. He had gotten to see the most beautiful sight of all, her, and her smile, and that would easily tied him over for the rest of time and he could die happy for having seen it, for having seen her, all of her, and her godly, ethereal beauty and light. He did not yet know what gods he believed in, for there were so many and he had been raised with most, and had always found more interest in the more earthly pleasures of his heart, body, and mind through his favorite things of wine, sex, and his art, but there was no doubt in his mind that she had been touched by them all, blessed at birth and each and every day since. Some god or goddess- hopefully one of the lovely fun ones that enjoyed his favorite pleasures and wines like those of the Summer Isles-, had to have spent centuries carving her from the most beautiful stone to ever exist, and taken the utmost care with expert fingers and painstaking effort and time. They had to have cared for her more than anyone or anything else there was, and out all they were into creating her, into thinking her up, into carving each and every part of her gorgeous soul and perfecting each and every shape and line. They had to have taken even more care in painting on her beautiful colors; her deep, gorgeous sun kissed skin, her swooping ringlets of dark almost black brown curled hair, her dresses, her lips, and most importantly her brown eyes, eyes he would happily stare into forever into the end of time that felt like safety and home and nothing but good things. Then they had to have breathed all their life into her with the final touch and final stroke, so that she could be born into this world, and touched with gifts and blessings by each and every god every day since that breathed a life into her to and made her become even more perfect to him by every second. No, wait, that was wrong. That was all wrong. How could he have been so foolish, so blind? How dare he even think such a thing? It was nothing but an insult to her, his lady love. There was no god who could ever even hope to dream up someone even a fraction as beautiful as her. Her beauty transcended all their reach throughout all their realms. Not even they, the gods, the mightiest of all, were worthy to gaze upon her. None could ever even hope to be worthy. The gods could be cruel, and more imperfect than most. Some stood for horrible terrible things and others allowed atrocities to be committed in their name. They were no better than whatever people worshipped and believed in them and whoever breathed them into existence, and wish some, they were far worse. He felt awful for even thinking one was good enough to create her, to give them that credit, and insult her or endanger her by thinking hear. She was too splendid for this world, too good and and untouched by it's true horrors for a place that could be so ruthlessly, unrelentingly cruel. He did not know her yet, he only knew what he had seen of her thus far, and what he had heard, but there was nothing telling him that she wasn't kind, with a good heart, and the most splendiferous smile of all. No god was worthy of thinking of her, or seeing her, or anything associated with her, absolutely none. He knew he wasn't either, but he would spend every moment, every second, every thought and day and heartbeat until the end of his days proving that he could be. He could not offer an eternity to prove it as a god could, but he could give her all he was, and his heart, his full, strong, loving heart, and try. Every breath would be spent proving that he could be worthy. Not a day would go by where he wouldn't give everything he was to her, to show that maybe some day, he could be worthy. He was no god, or no perfect prince, and he certainly was no charming prince whisking her off her feet for a dance or saving her some beast or an unclimbable tower, but he was going to be good to her, and kind, and he was ready to give to her all he was and all he ever could and would be. He couldn't promise her anything special, but he could promise to love her for eternity and never let her feel unloved, and to always try and make her smile and feel as beautiful as he saw her to be inside and out, and perhaps, maybe one day, when he was old and gray and still faithfully and unwaveringly by her side, he could prove he was worthy.
xxxWhen he bowed before her and took her hand as gracefully as he was capable of being while completely entranced and starstruck, he knew isn't sky that he wanted to remember the feeling of her skin against his own forever. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt. Her skin was soft, and it felt even softer when he pressed his lips to the back of her hand in a featherlight kiss. It felt so right, so perfect, so like home, like it had always been meant to be, like they had always been meant to be, although that of course was too much to hope and he did not wish to unknowingly out any kind of pressure on her by having such thoughts and possibly acting a certain a ah because of them until he realized much too late. She was too wonderful for that and he never wanted to harm her, he just wanted to love her and to see her smile every day and moment they shared and for her to have a happy life her, even if it was not with him. He would be lying if he said he didn't want that life to be entwined with his, no matter how terrible he felt for hoping that. This just felt far too perfect, and he wanted to bask in the feeling forever and never let it go, to gaze into her eyes and rub his thumb over her own and make sure she felt loved. His touch was as gentle as he could possibly make it, and he hoped she could feel his love seep through his hand and his lips into her veins so she could always feel it. He watched as she watched him and his movements as he took her hand and brought it to his lips, and felt the smile within his eyes and upon his lips grow as her eyes remained locked on his, and her cheeks warmed pink with a blush, and she caught her breath again. Her cheeks warming with a blush was nothing heart of a beautiful sight, and he hoped he could cause her cheeks to warm again so that she may once more bless him with that sight. He also hoped that her gaze would never break from his. Her eyes and their gaze felt like a pleasant, most wonderful weight upon him he wished to bask in like a snake of sands in the sun, and nothing at all like the heavy and disapproving gazes of the certain few more responsible and serious members of his family that made him feel as if he were back in the shoes of his fifth name day where he had wanted to perform a small something for his family and all of their servants to give them a smile and thank them for the celebration, and he had seen the disapproval within their eyes and how he had certainly not brought a smile to them. Her gaze was steady, and true, and anything but like those kinds of gazes that weighed on him like a block of iron dragging him deep into the sea. He could feel his eyes on her forever, especially if her eyes were locked with her own and he got to stare into them and examine her beautiful face for eternity. He just hoped her gaze would remain after the moment his touch no longer did and his lips had to leave her skin and his hand hand had to most sorrowfully slip away from hers and fall back to her side where it would be forever lonely until he got to hold her again and entwine his fingers with hers.
xxxThe very moment his lips left her as he had to let go of her and step back he felt an emptiness, as if in that moment they had been joined in every possible way but mind and when he pulled back he had lost positively all of her. The feeling of her was already so greatly missed, the longing to feel it again rising up within him as a terrible ache that surrounded him. The feeling of her skin still lingered upon his lips, and it was a feeling he was sure to never forget, especially if it was one his lady Ashara allowed him to feel again, hopefully with more than just his lips upon her delicate hand. That was a possibility he longed for far more than he should, almost as much as he missed her touch and ached to feel her and her beautiful skin again, even if it was no more than just an accidental brush in the hall. Though he already so terribly missed her touch and his lips upon her, he hoped if she had any worries that they would be eased now. He would do anything to ease whatever worries she may have, and whatever fears may be plaguing her, because she was his love and there was nothing he wouldn't do to make her happy, and he did not ever want her to feel afraid or anything of the sort while she was with him because he would keep her safe, and he would protect her always, even if she wished for him to be a thousand feet away. He could just hope that he had, and that she was now more at ease, and he hoped the beautiful blush returning to her cheeks with more intensity was a sign that he had, for it did not seem to him from what he was able to see, to be caused by embarrassment. It seemed to only darken to an even more beautiful shade as he winked up to her, and he truly hoped that was a sign that he was right in her blush being of a more happy origin, and it made his heart flutter to know that at least part of it was his doing. She was still smiling, if not a little more so, her gaze remaining steadily on him, and he couldn't help but smile even more. That by far had to be his favorite sight, the most wonderful picture, her smiling, and he searched her features closely as he moved into his plan to watch and make sure it did not fade while he was offering to test her fate. Her brows furrowed quickly as she watched him step back, and he watched with great glee as they raised in surprise and what he hoped was delight as she watched him get on his knee and pull out his cards. Her smile pulled further at her breathtaking features, and he gave a wide grin even more gleeful than it had been, as her hand raised until the tips of her fingers pressed lightly against her lips, lips he so wanted to feel. She couldn't hide the delight in her face, and he imagined her lips had to be so softer, even softer than her hands, and he hoped to soon feel them upon his own, but only if she wished it took for he never wanted to push that upon her. He gave a nod at her question, smiling as her gaze moved from the cards back to his and he caught her beautiful eyes once more. He nearly beamed at her next words as she lauded with wide eyes, and he couldn't help but feel overjoyed that already she seemed to be enchanted by the cards, as he was so emphatically enchanted with her. He could not be happier to know she was enjoying this, that she found it fascinating. It always meant a great deal to him whenever someone thought that of his antics, but it was especially a true treasure coming from her, for her thoughts and opinions were now the ones that were by far most important to him, and it meant positively everything that she seemed to be enjoying something he loved, something that mattered to him. "I do hope you find them so, I've been practicing in hopes you would find them enjoyable." Zoroastarr replied, grinning with a hint of a smirk. Her eyes flickered from the cards and back to his again, returning to his gaze, and then back to the cards. He was sad to feel her gaze leave him, but he watched eagerly as she raised as hand, eyeing the cards carefully for a moment before they again raised to him, and she watched him with her head tilted ever so slightly to the side. He grinned at her, and saw her smile soften, but not leave her features for even a single moment as she quirked a brow. Zo watched with bated breath like his hawk would from the sky above as after a moment, her fingers reached forward to gently take a card, head still tilting as she watched him and it was only when she had the card in her grasp that she looked down from his eyes and to the card to see what she had drawn. He truly had no idea which she had picked, and he could not wait to discover it, and to see her reaction, and a hopeful wide smile that was carefree and bright cross his Ashara's features again. He missed her eyes locked with his own, but he knew it would not be long before he was once again blessed with the sight. He continued to watch her like his hawk as she moved the card so she could glance at the side hidden from her view, and his own. What had she drawn? What fortune was he about to spell for her? He could not wait to find out. His curiosity peaked when he watched her eyes widen and her face light up with delight and surprise, and her lips pull into an even wider smile before she finally let her gaze flicker back up to him again after a fleeting moment to give the card one last look. Zo grinned instantly at her question, basking in the sound of her beautiful voice and the way it rolled over him like the most beautiful, gentle waves of the ocean on a star filled night with the sky reflecting into it's depths and the moon alighting the world as she climbed higher in the sky, the world fading from pink, to orange, to purple, and then the blackened night reflecting into the sea where the stars ran free, and he watched as her eyes flickered back down. "If fate has brought you to me, then that is all I need to know to know she is kind and most fortuitous. A cruel fate would have never allowed me to meet you." Zoroastarr replied, nearly purring his words like some lavish, happy cat with a spectacular jacket. He knew the words didn't quite work there but he had to be lucky for fate to bless him with the sight of her, and he could argue with no destiny that lead her his way. As she spoke again, his eyes lit up, more than they ever had before, and his heart fluttered rapidly at the words, thundering happily in his chest, and he beamed more than he should have been capable at the sight of the card she had drawn as she gently flipped it so he could see. The Lovers. She had drawn the card he had been most hoping for. His smile grew even further when he noticed her own warm beaming and he couldn't possibly smile more as she finished, saying she was his as he was hers. Words so like the vows of weddings, words he so wanted to hear fall from her lips filled with love, as he just had. His own cheeks were warming now, and they certainly only darkened further as he realized. Did her words mean she felt for him too? Did she want to be with him? Could they be more than just friends with the title of husband and wife just thing them together, could they be lovers, and joined as one in every sense of the words too? Had his fears been unneeded worries? He was not certain, as much could still transpire, but he was certain that he had more hope than he should have dared to that he could be, and that they could be just like the card she had drawn, a fate Zo wanted more than anything.
xxx"Ah, The Lovers." Zo grinned up at her, slowly finding his voice again as he was still riding the bliss of her words. As you are mine, so I am yours. Oh Ashara, you do not know how much I love you, how I want that to be, how truly happy it makes me to hear those words. Nothing has ever made me happier, or given me more hope. He could stay in that moment forever, melting with love at her words that meant everything to him, but he had to continue, he couldn't just leave her there without a reading now that she had drawn a card, and he didn't want to. He could return to drowning in that bliss when he was alone again at night. Now was the time to bask in her glorious presence, in her. Now was the time for Ashara, and making her smile, and he didn't want to miss a moment of that and her smile by swimming in his ecstasy and bliss. "The Lovers is a card of duality, and union. It signals harmony, and a perfection within a love. The trust and strength the Lovers give empowers the other, and the bond they have created is most strong." Zoroastarr began, dark eyes going over the surface of the card, of the two partners painted upon it who shared in a true, unbreakable, unwavering love. "It foretells of a new partnership, and if it is not too bold of me to say, I do hope that that new partnership it speaks of for you, is ours." Zo hoped that the words would not be too bold, and that the love and charm dropping off them was not too much, and that it would be too much with her. He meant that with all he was, that was his deepest hope second only to whatever would bring about her greatest happiness, and he hoped that she could know that through his voice and his words, and the sincere love in his eyes as he pushed the cards back into the shape of their deck, and placed them back to where he had pulled them from, his eyes never leaving hers. His gaze remained locked on her own, and he hoped he could only further prove to her that he felt nothing but sincere and genuine and true love for him as he took her hand that clasped the card between his, and slowly rose, oh so gently folding her fingers over the care before she could offer to give it back. "Please, keep it my lady, let it be my first gift to you. The deck may no longer be complete but there is no one else I'd wish to give The Lovers to, as I am yours, and yours alone." Zo's voice was earnest, and soft, and lowered this time so only she could hear. It felt magnificent to feel her touch again, and even more so now that he had such hope that she would feel the same as he did, and they could be more than just friends or distant acquaintances bound only by gods and wedding vows and those ties. He so wanted them to be more than that, and for a few moments, his expression became soft, and vulnerable, as he bared all the love he could to through her eyes and all the features of her face. He stayed that way for a moment more, his eyes locked with her own, searching and filled with love and hope, enjoying the wondrous feeling of her skin against his own again he wished to feel forever and would never forget, and then gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and let her hand go, and his hands return to his side, consoled only by the hope he could feel her again soon if she accepted the arm he was about to offer. Straightening, he held out his arm, proffering it to her, and sent her another smirk, his usual demeanor and mischievous tint quickly returning, with his love for her still filling his eyes. He leaned in conspiratorially, his nose nearly touching her beautiful hair. "Now, my lady Ashara, before one of my mothers scolds me for not steering this forward, would you like to accompany me to the feast we have prepared for you as part of your welcome now, or would you prefer to pause a moment to settle? Whatever you wish, we will do. For you, I would hold up both the sun and the moon." Zoroastarr asked, allowing himself to stay that close for another moment before he leaned back again with his arm still outstretched for her to take. He quirked a brow questioningly at her, tilting his head and grinning warmly as he continued to smirk, curious for her answer. He also had to resist the urge to pull his deck of fate back out to find those two cards, pull them from the rest, and give them to her too. He could entertain her with more readings and deck tricks soon, now he had to be at least a bit more serious and responsible, and focus on being attentive to her and showing her that she could trust him and that he would be there doing his best to be sensitive to her every need, and that was something he didn't at all mind. He was more than ready to join her at the feast and talk with her and get it know her more and speak with her a bit more privately without every single gaze turned to them, and he was also ready to stay back her a moment more or go somewhere quiet if that was what she preferred, and if she needed a moment to recoup. Whatever she wished, he was ready, and as long as he was by her side, there was not a choice he wouldn't tremendously enjoy, because unless she was hurting and his heart was pulled to comforting her because he loved her so and never wished to see her sad and did not wish to take joy in her pain, there was not a single choice he would not utterly enjoy and savor until the end of time.
xxxWhen he bowed before her and took her hand as gracefully as he was capable of being while completely entranced and starstruck, he knew isn't sky that he wanted to remember the feeling of her skin against his own forever. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt. Her skin was soft, and it felt even softer when he pressed his lips to the back of her hand in a featherlight kiss. It felt so right, so perfect, so like home, like it had always been meant to be, like they had always been meant to be, although that of course was too much to hope and he did not wish to unknowingly out any kind of pressure on her by having such thoughts and possibly acting a certain a ah because of them until he realized much too late. She was too wonderful for that and he never wanted to harm her, he just wanted to love her and to see her smile every day and moment they shared and for her to have a happy life her, even if it was not with him. He would be lying if he said he didn't want that life to be entwined with his, no matter how terrible he felt for hoping that. This just felt far too perfect, and he wanted to bask in the feeling forever and never let it go, to gaze into her eyes and rub his thumb over her own and make sure she felt loved. His touch was as gentle as he could possibly make it, and he hoped she could feel his love seep through his hand and his lips into her veins so she could always feel it. He watched as she watched him and his movements as he took her hand and brought it to his lips, and felt the smile within his eyes and upon his lips grow as her eyes remained locked on his, and her cheeks warmed pink with a blush, and she caught her breath again. Her cheeks warming with a blush was nothing heart of a beautiful sight, and he hoped he could cause her cheeks to warm again so that she may once more bless him with that sight. He also hoped that her gaze would never break from his. Her eyes and their gaze felt like a pleasant, most wonderful weight upon him he wished to bask in like a snake of sands in the sun, and nothing at all like the heavy and disapproving gazes of the certain few more responsible and serious members of his family that made him feel as if he were back in the shoes of his fifth name day where he had wanted to perform a small something for his family and all of their servants to give them a smile and thank them for the celebration, and he had seen the disapproval within their eyes and how he had certainly not brought a smile to them. Her gaze was steady, and true, and anything but like those kinds of gazes that weighed on him like a block of iron dragging him deep into the sea. He could feel his eyes on her forever, especially if her eyes were locked with her own and he got to stare into them and examine her beautiful face for eternity. He just hoped her gaze would remain after the moment his touch no longer did and his lips had to leave her skin and his hand hand had to most sorrowfully slip away from hers and fall back to her side where it would be forever lonely until he got to hold her again and entwine his fingers with hers.
xxxThe very moment his lips left her as he had to let go of her and step back he felt an emptiness, as if in that moment they had been joined in every possible way but mind and when he pulled back he had lost positively all of her. The feeling of her was already so greatly missed, the longing to feel it again rising up within him as a terrible ache that surrounded him. The feeling of her skin still lingered upon his lips, and it was a feeling he was sure to never forget, especially if it was one his lady Ashara allowed him to feel again, hopefully with more than just his lips upon her delicate hand. That was a possibility he longed for far more than he should, almost as much as he missed her touch and ached to feel her and her beautiful skin again, even if it was no more than just an accidental brush in the hall. Though he already so terribly missed her touch and his lips upon her, he hoped if she had any worries that they would be eased now. He would do anything to ease whatever worries she may have, and whatever fears may be plaguing her, because she was his love and there was nothing he wouldn't do to make her happy, and he did not ever want her to feel afraid or anything of the sort while she was with him because he would keep her safe, and he would protect her always, even if she wished for him to be a thousand feet away. He could just hope that he had, and that she was now more at ease, and he hoped the beautiful blush returning to her cheeks with more intensity was a sign that he had, for it did not seem to him from what he was able to see, to be caused by embarrassment. It seemed to only darken to an even more beautiful shade as he winked up to her, and he truly hoped that was a sign that he was right in her blush being of a more happy origin, and it made his heart flutter to know that at least part of it was his doing. She was still smiling, if not a little more so, her gaze remaining steadily on him, and he couldn't help but smile even more. That by far had to be his favorite sight, the most wonderful picture, her smiling, and he searched her features closely as he moved into his plan to watch and make sure it did not fade while he was offering to test her fate. Her brows furrowed quickly as she watched him step back, and he watched with great glee as they raised in surprise and what he hoped was delight as she watched him get on his knee and pull out his cards. Her smile pulled further at her breathtaking features, and he gave a wide grin even more gleeful than it had been, as her hand raised until the tips of her fingers pressed lightly against her lips, lips he so wanted to feel. She couldn't hide the delight in her face, and he imagined her lips had to be so softer, even softer than her hands, and he hoped to soon feel them upon his own, but only if she wished it took for he never wanted to push that upon her. He gave a nod at her question, smiling as her gaze moved from the cards back to his and he caught her beautiful eyes once more. He nearly beamed at her next words as she lauded with wide eyes, and he couldn't help but feel overjoyed that already she seemed to be enchanted by the cards, as he was so emphatically enchanted with her. He could not be happier to know she was enjoying this, that she found it fascinating. It always meant a great deal to him whenever someone thought that of his antics, but it was especially a true treasure coming from her, for her thoughts and opinions were now the ones that were by far most important to him, and it meant positively everything that she seemed to be enjoying something he loved, something that mattered to him. "I do hope you find them so, I've been practicing in hopes you would find them enjoyable." Zoroastarr replied, grinning with a hint of a smirk. Her eyes flickered from the cards and back to his again, returning to his gaze, and then back to the cards. He was sad to feel her gaze leave him, but he watched eagerly as she raised as hand, eyeing the cards carefully for a moment before they again raised to him, and she watched him with her head tilted ever so slightly to the side. He grinned at her, and saw her smile soften, but not leave her features for even a single moment as she quirked a brow. Zo watched with bated breath like his hawk would from the sky above as after a moment, her fingers reached forward to gently take a card, head still tilting as she watched him and it was only when she had the card in her grasp that she looked down from his eyes and to the card to see what she had drawn. He truly had no idea which she had picked, and he could not wait to discover it, and to see her reaction, and a hopeful wide smile that was carefree and bright cross his Ashara's features again. He missed her eyes locked with his own, but he knew it would not be long before he was once again blessed with the sight. He continued to watch her like his hawk as she moved the card so she could glance at the side hidden from her view, and his own. What had she drawn? What fortune was he about to spell for her? He could not wait to find out. His curiosity peaked when he watched her eyes widen and her face light up with delight and surprise, and her lips pull into an even wider smile before she finally let her gaze flicker back up to him again after a fleeting moment to give the card one last look. Zo grinned instantly at her question, basking in the sound of her beautiful voice and the way it rolled over him like the most beautiful, gentle waves of the ocean on a star filled night with the sky reflecting into it's depths and the moon alighting the world as she climbed higher in the sky, the world fading from pink, to orange, to purple, and then the blackened night reflecting into the sea where the stars ran free, and he watched as her eyes flickered back down. "If fate has brought you to me, then that is all I need to know to know she is kind and most fortuitous. A cruel fate would have never allowed me to meet you." Zoroastarr replied, nearly purring his words like some lavish, happy cat with a spectacular jacket. He knew the words didn't quite work there but he had to be lucky for fate to bless him with the sight of her, and he could argue with no destiny that lead her his way. As she spoke again, his eyes lit up, more than they ever had before, and his heart fluttered rapidly at the words, thundering happily in his chest, and he beamed more than he should have been capable at the sight of the card she had drawn as she gently flipped it so he could see. The Lovers. She had drawn the card he had been most hoping for. His smile grew even further when he noticed her own warm beaming and he couldn't possibly smile more as she finished, saying she was his as he was hers. Words so like the vows of weddings, words he so wanted to hear fall from her lips filled with love, as he just had. His own cheeks were warming now, and they certainly only darkened further as he realized. Did her words mean she felt for him too? Did she want to be with him? Could they be more than just friends with the title of husband and wife just thing them together, could they be lovers, and joined as one in every sense of the words too? Had his fears been unneeded worries? He was not certain, as much could still transpire, but he was certain that he had more hope than he should have dared to that he could be, and that they could be just like the card she had drawn, a fate Zo wanted more than anything.
xxx"Ah, The Lovers." Zo grinned up at her, slowly finding his voice again as he was still riding the bliss of her words. As you are mine, so I am yours. Oh Ashara, you do not know how much I love you, how I want that to be, how truly happy it makes me to hear those words. Nothing has ever made me happier, or given me more hope. He could stay in that moment forever, melting with love at her words that meant everything to him, but he had to continue, he couldn't just leave her there without a reading now that she had drawn a card, and he didn't want to. He could return to drowning in that bliss when he was alone again at night. Now was the time to bask in her glorious presence, in her. Now was the time for Ashara, and making her smile, and he didn't want to miss a moment of that and her smile by swimming in his ecstasy and bliss. "The Lovers is a card of duality, and union. It signals harmony, and a perfection within a love. The trust and strength the Lovers give empowers the other, and the bond they have created is most strong." Zoroastarr began, dark eyes going over the surface of the card, of the two partners painted upon it who shared in a true, unbreakable, unwavering love. "It foretells of a new partnership, and if it is not too bold of me to say, I do hope that that new partnership it speaks of for you, is ours." Zo hoped that the words would not be too bold, and that the love and charm dropping off them was not too much, and that it would be too much with her. He meant that with all he was, that was his deepest hope second only to whatever would bring about her greatest happiness, and he hoped that she could know that through his voice and his words, and the sincere love in his eyes as he pushed the cards back into the shape of their deck, and placed them back to where he had pulled them from, his eyes never leaving hers. His gaze remained locked on her own, and he hoped he could only further prove to her that he felt nothing but sincere and genuine and true love for him as he took her hand that clasped the card between his, and slowly rose, oh so gently folding her fingers over the care before she could offer to give it back. "Please, keep it my lady, let it be my first gift to you. The deck may no longer be complete but there is no one else I'd wish to give The Lovers to, as I am yours, and yours alone." Zo's voice was earnest, and soft, and lowered this time so only she could hear. It felt magnificent to feel her touch again, and even more so now that he had such hope that she would feel the same as he did, and they could be more than just friends or distant acquaintances bound only by gods and wedding vows and those ties. He so wanted them to be more than that, and for a few moments, his expression became soft, and vulnerable, as he bared all the love he could to through her eyes and all the features of her face. He stayed that way for a moment more, his eyes locked with her own, searching and filled with love and hope, enjoying the wondrous feeling of her skin against his own again he wished to feel forever and would never forget, and then gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and let her hand go, and his hands return to his side, consoled only by the hope he could feel her again soon if she accepted the arm he was about to offer. Straightening, he held out his arm, proffering it to her, and sent her another smirk, his usual demeanor and mischievous tint quickly returning, with his love for her still filling his eyes. He leaned in conspiratorially, his nose nearly touching her beautiful hair. "Now, my lady Ashara, before one of my mothers scolds me for not steering this forward, would you like to accompany me to the feast we have prepared for you as part of your welcome now, or would you prefer to pause a moment to settle? Whatever you wish, we will do. For you, I would hold up both the sun and the moon." Zoroastarr asked, allowing himself to stay that close for another moment before he leaned back again with his arm still outstretched for her to take. He quirked a brow questioningly at her, tilting his head and grinning warmly as he continued to smirk, curious for her answer. He also had to resist the urge to pull his deck of fate back out to find those two cards, pull them from the rest, and give them to her too. He could entertain her with more readings and deck tricks soon, now he had to be at least a bit more serious and responsible, and focus on being attentive to her and showing her that she could trust him and that he would be there doing his best to be sensitive to her every need, and that was something he didn't at all mind. He was more than ready to join her at the feast and talk with her and get it know her more and speak with her a bit more privately without every single gaze turned to them, and he was also ready to stay back her a moment more or go somewhere quiet if that was what she preferred, and if she needed a moment to recoup. Whatever she wished, he was ready, and as long as he was by her side, there was not a choice he wouldn't tremendously enjoy, because unless she was hurting and his heart was pulled to comforting her because he loved her so and never wished to see her sad and did not wish to take joy in her pain, there was not a single choice he would not utterly enjoy and savor until the end of time.