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 Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:47 pm
He heard the fragile voice just before he made it out of the room. Whirling, Azra'iel saw Ruria practically hiding behind the doorframe he has just fallen against. Her demeanor was broken and child-like and his heart cracked a little seeing such a strong creature lost and almost... confused.
In that moment, she almost reminded him, painfully, of his younger sister.
Moving quietly and hoping to not startle her, Azra'iel came to one knee in front of Ruria. Sitting back on his heel, one elbow on his raised knee, he gently caught her chin, lifting with a surprisingly delicate touch.
Trying to catch her dimmed crimson eyes, he spoke seriously with no hint of anger or condemnation in his voice. "Ruria. I am unharmed." He squeezed her chin ever so slightly, to be sure he had her attention. "You stopped yourself even before I parried... you are not as far beyond control as I suspect you fear."
Cringing inwardly, perhaps fear was not the best word to have chosen, Azra'iel waited patiently to see if the girl had heard him. He was never before quite so appreciative of the opportunities he had received working with his father and training young recruits. He did not commonly get this close to them, but he hoped his stoic presence could soothe his temporary partner as he normally could trainees. She had a great deal of power and when combined with powerful emotion it seemed it could spiral beyond her control. Judging by how shaken she was, Ruria was not expecting to have lost control, but the Knight had a strong suspicion this had occurred before.
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Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:01 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
In truth, she hadn't expected the person whose head she had nearly decapitated to approach her, let alone with gentility. She looked up at him with wide, round eyes, confused as to his gentle touch, but relieved by it. "But I..you..." Though her eyes were dry and void of tears, they swirled with deep, unsettled and suffocating emotion as they met with the soft yellow hues that now looked down at her. What was he thinking? Was he looking at her as the monster she truly was deep inside?
"I could have killed you." she murmured, trying to hide her face again, but found it impossible due to his grip on her chin, so she merely looked away to the side, unable to meet his gaze, brows furrowed in anxiety. "One second more and your head would have parted from your body. I saw you as I saw them..I couldn't tell the difference. I thought... I'd had control of this, recently, but this proves I still am not strong enough. Az...I'm...a weapon, only. I .... was the one who killed my parents with this magic. Both of them. W-what if ...I..kill....you...too...?" her last sentence finally wavered, threatening to crack into a weak sob. It scared her deeply to think of killing one she wasn't meant to, one she had known.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 8:22 pm
Narrowing his eyes, Azra'iel released Ruria's chin and watched her bangs fall to mask her face.
It had been a close thing, really. Closer than he knew at the time; he would not have been fast enough to save himself if she hadn't stopped on her own. What if she killed him... he was slightly surprised she had voiced the thought. It seemed to be one of her more deep-seated fears and she did not strike him as one to willingly offer up anything that could be percieved as a weakness. He was somewhat touched that she had.
'And,' Azra'iel decided, 'we are both being far too serious.'
Hand still hovering near her head, he reached out and gave the closer pigtail a light tug.
"I suppose that would mean you would not get stuck having to do any more missions with me. Or perhaps it would prove you the better warrior." He deadpanned, waiting to see if his companion would look up.
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Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 8:55 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
The soft yank of her hair caused her to partially snap out of her lamentations, and she gave a small distressed cry. "Bully!"
She shook her head at his words, standing back up to her full height (which wasn't really much). "It wouldn't mean I was the better warrior...You could never fight me at your full power. I think your heart and intentions are too good and noble. Thus, it would be a severe handicap. It wouldn't be fair at all. But..that's a good thing!" she flailed her arms defensively. "I'm not calling you weak, quite the opposite. I think it takes a lot of strength to have a noble heart." She let her gaze fall to the ground, chewing her lip before she continued. "Besides, you're not all bad to work with." she mumbled softly, taking a few steps past him.
"I suppose we should get out of here, it's quite frankly putrid in this place."
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 4:30 pm
Looking down to his hand laying against his knee, Azra'iel hid a half smile.
"Not all bad to work with, hmm?" Quite the string of compliments he had just received. Bracing his hand on his leg, Azra'iel rose to his feet and snorted softly at Ruria's choice of words. It was putrid. And it would be very exciting to get out into the fresh air.
Offering his arm and a charming smile, he added a lofty air to his tone; "putrid indeed. Well milady, shall we take a tour of the tunnels? It must get better where the company is rats instead of fallen... and I believe we may have missed the sights on our first trip through."
Looking down at the delicate girl, he noted the drying blood and unidentifiable dark sludge coating both of them and he dropped the playful attitude, instead speaking with quiet concern. "Or if you prefer, I would be happy to open my home to you if you would like to get cleaned up before heading off to ...your next task."
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:15 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
"...I...I am fairly filthy," she said sulkily. "W-Would it be okay to make use of your bath?" She didn't really have a next task. Much of the time, Sibelius floated between giving her free reign over her missions, and assigning her far more than an abundance. "It's for you to remember I'm still in charge," he'd tell her.
It wasn't long before they found their way out of the grimy labyrinth, and Ruria peered into the doorway of Az's home. She'd never been into a man's room, or house, before, and it was a new experience, and thus must be approached with tactical restraint and care. "It smells like you in here," she murmured, cautiously stepping inside. "But, I don't understand...where are the fabled pile of dirty magazines? I was quite curious to see them."
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:56 pm
Pausing as he was closing the front door, Azra'iel shot an amused look at the back of Ruria's head. Closing and absently latching the door, he turned to watch the girl move further into his foyer.
"Perhaps they are precisely that; fables." A smile could be heard hiding in his voice as he stowed his sword in a weapon rack at the base of the stairs. He would clean it more thoroughly that after he directed Ruria to her bath and removed the sludge from his armor. Leaning back against the banister, arms crossed, Azra'iel watched the girl cautiously try to contain her curiosity. His home was probably larger than he needed; all stately dark wood, sturdy furniture, and generous windows; but it suited him, and almost more importantly, suited his parents when they ...invaded.
"The larger door in front of you leads to the great room; the one on the left, to the library. The kitchen is back there as well. Upstairs is my room, a guest room, and the bath."
Somewhat slowly forcing himself to stand again, the Knight started up the stairs, pausing when he did not hear footsteps following.
"Your bath awaits up here, milady. I will show you where you can find towels ...and perhaps a robe, if you are fortunate." Rubbing the back his neck, he continued walking, wondering if his mother or sister had left anything Ruria might be able to use if she wanted to wash her clothing.
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:10 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
Ruria followed Az up the stairs with saucer-like eyes, her behavior akin to a cat being relocated and finally creeping out from under the bed to explore. Every creak caused her to glance warily around, but as he showed her into the bath, she relaxed in the small bubble of privacy. Only her face peeked out above the water, her hair floating around her like pale seaweed. She hated to be filthy, or feel the stickiness of blood on her skin.
Though she would have gladly stayed in the water until she begun to take on the features of the eldery, Ruria left it as soon as she was clean, wrapping herself in a towel, fluffing her hair until it was mostly dry. Giving a wayward glance at her still dirtied clothes, she wondered absentmindedly if Az had managed to locate a robe.
Ruria slithered out of the bathroom with the towel still wrapped around her, secured at her bosom, and crept into the room opposite, what she guessed was his, if only by the fact it seemed to smell the most of him, and seemed rather lived in. "A boy's room," she murmured. It seemed void of him at the moment, but curiosity got the best of her -- she would find those dirty magazines she'd heard sibelius go on about so much. Just what were they, anyways? What made them dirty?
'A man has to hide his secret goods from the ladyfolk,' he'd told her. 'It's not for the eyes of women -- They're not in my fridge, Ruria!'
At first, Ruria just sat on Azra'iel's bed, letting her gaze slowly wash over the inside of his room, before lunging halfway over the side of it on her belly, peering underneath the bed, oblivious to anything else as she tried to peer through the darkness, reaching blindly.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 5:06 pm
Returning upstairs, Azra'iel was slightly surprised to see the door to the bathroom already open; having generally expected his guest to take longer in the warm water. He has taken the time to shed his armor, scrub his face and hair in the kitchen, and had grabbed a change of clothing from his training gym in the back yard. Noticing as he reached the top of the stairs that the door to his room was open wider than he had left it, he moved to the doorway only to stop and stare; rather bemused at the sight of Ruria hanging over the side of his bed wearing only a towel and ...looking for something?
Titling his head, Azra'iel leaned against the doorframe, tucking the sweats he had brought up with him under his arm as he crossed it over his chest to support the opposite elbow, one finger curled over his lips, thumb resting under his chin. She murmured something to herself as she squirmed further over the edge and his eyebrows rose in helpless male appreciation of long, exposed legs. Clearing his throat before she unknowingly put on more of a show, the Knight averted his eyes and worked to maintain a straight face.
"Ahhh, Ruria? I have some clothes that you should be able to adjust enough to fit into, if you like... and I have some dinner I could heat quickly as well." Unable to help himself, really, he glanced back up to meet her eyes, his own lit with laughter. "Is there something I could assist you in finding under there?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 5:46 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
By the time Az had averted his gaze and looked back, Ruria was...nowhere to be seen. For a moment, anyways. Her response from underneath his bed was muffled, followed by the sound of shifting objects, and a pale hand reaching out from underneath it.
"Dirty...mag..a..zines..." she cried from underneath. "Why are there NONE!?" She slowly started to pull herself out from the crevice between his bed and the floor, a look of wild determination in her eyes -- so determined, so she did not realize the towel being pulled against the floor and revealing more and more cleavage, her breasts threatening to practically spill out of the bit of cloth wrapped around them.
"I-I... I'm stuck!" she cried out in distress, clawing desperately at the floor in a bid for freedom. "You've booby-trapped it, you've booby-trapped it, I want out, I hate it, I hate it!"
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 6:36 pm
'Dirty magazines? She is still after...'
Sliding the hand he had been resting his chin on up to scrub over his face; Azra'iel closed his eyes, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. She was too much, really. And the unintentional show she was providing was bound to get him in trouble, somehow.
"Ruria..." He listened to her struggles, eyes still closed behind his hand and choked on another laugh. "RURIA! Your towel is about to fall off."
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 6:45 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
She did not like being trapped under here, not one bit, not at all! The claustrophobia was kicking in, who cared about a towel! With a terrible sounding, growling roar, Ruria launched herself out from underneath the bed, scrabbling across the wood floor like something out of a horror story. She looked distressed and offended as she gripped bits of Az's clothing to use as a ladder to stand back up, gripping her towel as anger flushed across her face while she stared him in the eye, face barely an inch from his.
"BETRAYAL," she growled in a dark voice. "You were going to let it EAT ME." she pointed an accusing finger at the bed, still huffing and puffing. "Is this revenge for nearly taking off your head?"
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:04 pm
At the sound of Ruria's growl, the Knight's eyes reflexively shot open in case he needed to protect his person. Looking through his fingers, he carefully swallowed the lingering chuckles that wanted to escape his throat as the girl scrabbled across the floor to his feet. Clawing her way up his body was one very unhappy and still nearly naked Blackheart.
Moving the hand away from his eyes, dancing gold clashed with simmering crimson. Reaching down to the clothes tucked under his left arm, Azra'iel allowed the pants to drop to the floor as he gathered the sweatshirt in such a manner that he could drop it over the head of the irate female in front of him.
"Nonsense. I told you those magazines were a fable. And, I do not recall commanding you anywhere near my bed, much less under it." Gently tugging a dust bunny out of her bangs, Azra'iel brushed the unruly strands lightly away from the frazzled girl's eyes and reaching out, caught her outstretched, accusatory hand and carefully manipulated it into an over-large sleeve. "And since when can an inanimate object eat you. Though, speaking of eating... any interest in a meal of some variety, or do you prefer to continue searching for dirty magazines?" As he spoke, he attempted to disengage the hand tangled in his shirt with a death grip, but it seemed Ruria was not quite out of steam from her battle with the bed.
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:21 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
Ruria thrashed her arms around as Az fought to bring the sweatshirt down over her, her hands not quite coming through the sleeves as she held her mini-tantrum, towel dropping to her feet as he brought it down over her, and she clung violently to his hands like an escaped ape from the zoo, dangling off him with her feet even off the ground.
"I don't want it, I don't want itttt!" Her legs ascended up him as she stubbornly fought (For no real reason other than to be a hassle) until she had secured them around his middle, violently flapping her sweater-wings in disapproval. "You knew I'd look, you didn't stop me! Your fingers brushed my breast when you put this thing on me! Why is it so big?! I want meat, meat or pudding, but not meat in pudding -- why can't my hands come outtttt!?"
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 9:20 pm
Rolling his eyes, Azra'iel attempted to be patient and wait out the tantrum... but he had never been particularly good with irrational female displays. Once she had finished climbing him and started flapping her arms, he decided he had been patient enough. Turning, Azra'iel pinned Ruria against the wall, holding her wrists off to either side of her head on a level with her eyes. Invading her space to the point of his nose nearly brushing hers, he slowly raised a single eyebrow.
"Your hands will not come out because apparently now the shirt is trying to eat you."
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