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 Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:32 pm
Rhonann was exhausted; physically, mentally, emotionally, and every other way one could be tired that didn't have a name. She barely had the energy to sit upright, but the view was worth it. Hard blue eyes flickered with a mildly green hue as the orange firelight reflected in them, sucking up the sight like one would suck up water when dehydrated. She was probably that, too... but water could come later. The relief she was getting from watching the previously sturdy tent burning down to ash was something she had begun to believe she would never get. To be honest, it was less about the building than what was inside the building...
In a dark twist, it was really the bodies burning within that were lifting the weight of fear and shame off of her shoulders. One body in particular was currently baking to a satisfying crisp within those hungry flames. It made all of the frustration of hunting him down and searching for him and paying sources and irrational snarling at poor Kian all worth it. It made the blood oozing down her face and the broken fingers worth it. It made all the bruises worth it.
Rhonann had gained a new lease on life, and it was all thanks to Kylldra's corpse and the blood on her hands; despite how they trembled with the falling adrenaline.
What a twist that death had both ruined her life and renewed it...
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Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:59 pm
"Talk about a way to start off the new year." Kian murmured next to Rhonann once he had finally climbed up the hill to flop onto the ground next to his lover. There was just something symbolic about fire that the mystic adored. His own rebirth from Ciaran to Kian as an older teen had been the first time fire had marked a change in his life, then when Nero's pyre had lit up the night sky another change had taken hold of him bringing him out of the darkness and now while he sat next to the woman he loved it appeared that fire was marking a new chapter for the both of them. His bi-colored gaze swept over the fire thoughtfully, his expression almost solemn in the moment instead of the usual trickster as he settled on the ground. This time the fire wasn't burning solely for him but more so for Rhonann. This was her rebirth, an ending to an era full of pain and hopefully the beginning to something so much more wonderful and free. It was strange to see the destruction that brought a conclusion to the story that had allowed them to meet but Kian felt another budding of a new chapter finally opening up for them. If anything the man was optimistic about what other adventures awaited them now that it seemed they both had settled their troubled histories.
After a long moment his hand tentatively reached out for Rhonann's trembling ones. The lightest caress of magic came with his touch, a rare warmth promising healing radiating from his fingers and dancing onto her skin. "Here." Kian held out a water flask with his other hand and gestured towards Rhonann. "Either take a sip or let me pour it over your hands?" He had sat quietly there to let her relish in the moment but worry also crossed his mind as he studied her hands. Kian had wanted to take care of this himself but the mystic understood how important the task was to Rhonann and so he had sat back and only held other outsiders at bay while letting her take her vengeance on the vile man who had ruined so many lives before. She was much stronger now and he had to place his faith in her to protect their family, something which she had accomplished tonight with the proof burning in the raging flames below.
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Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 9:17 pm
With a sharp snort, Rhonann barely managed to pull her gaze away from the fire to look over the incredible man beside her. The fact that he had come this far with her... She simply could not have gotten here without him. And where was here? She looked back to the fire and sighed slowly. "New year... I fergot 'bout that." A little smirk rose. "Better than them fancy fireworks, ain't it?" Certainly a lot more meaningful for her than being holed up in that sanctuary for another turn. The burden of so many years crackling and shining in the night...
The warmth that spread through her hands under his touch was just the anchor needed to more fully bring her back to the present. She closed her eyes briefly, allowing the trembling to disperse and fade as the breaks in her fingers gently healed back into place. She could feel deeper wounds that had been savagely torn open during the altercation slowly healing up as well; wounds that no one could physically touch. She knew there would always be marks within her, but perhaps they could now mend into smoother scars rather than the rough scabs they had been all this time.
Now that her hands had calmed, she reached over to accept the water. She hadn't felt her thirst until the water touched her tongue, and making herself stop to leave some for the trip to the nearest town was exceedingly difficult. "It's really done, then," she observed slowly, forcing herself to hold the flask back out. "Ye okay there?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:15 pm
A sly grin crossed over Kian's lips as he listened to Rhonann's reaction. "How could ya forget something so important?" He quipped back lightly as he turned his gaze back towards the flickering flames that were casting an amber glow on the valley below. Even now it looked like the fire was hungry for more and he was certain it would last until the next morning with all of the fodder they had given it. "Thought that was the main reason for all the pizzazz." He gave a dramatic flick of his hand before taking the flask back and taking a swig for himself. The cool water was refreshing against the back of his throat, the smoke having irritated it while they were still in the midst of all of the earlier chaos. Kian took a long moment to enjoy the feeling before giving a nod towards Rhonnan. He was fine, perhaps a bit exhausted since he hadn't fought like this in a few years but other than that the mystic was holding up with a few slight injuries that could be easily taken care of later. Perhaps even the one cut from some exploding glass that traced along the outer edge of his cheek could turn into some sort of handsome trademark? One could possibly hope so, right?
"It's just like any other evening spent during my younger years." Kian replied with a small smile, somewhat playful yet at the same time somewhat brutally honest. After a moment his smile faded and he found himself studying Rhonann. "Are you doing okay?" He asked quietly, his gaze searching her own. Even if she had gotten rid of the man who had caused her so much harm it didn't mean that it immediately made things better but Kian was hopeful that Rhonann could at least breathe more freely now. Though speaking of breathing more freely....his lips pursed as he glanced towards the gray sky and the gathering smoke from the fire which would come their way soon enough. Perhaps it would be best to see if he could ask for some rain while they were thirsty? Kian let out a sigh before shifting, his body aching with the movement as he slowly braced himself to pull back up and away from the ground. "I suppose we can't linger too much longer." He mused as he kept an eye on Rhonann.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:21 am
"Guess I was a bit distracted." She brushed at the blood trying to drip into her eye and inspected it as it glistened on her hand. It had been years since Rho's last legitimate fight, and she was not usually the up close kind of fighter. The crossbow was mean for hunting from a distance, for sniping out a target with stealth and speed, but that hadn't been an option that day. She'd had to get close. She'd had to put herself into the middle of the fray in order to defeat the menace that had been plaguing her since her youth. To top it off, this fight had been excessively personal to her. It had all been strange, to say the least.
She glanced over when her own condition was questioned, gaze lingering on Kian's for a long moment before they turned away again. "I'm okay," she murmured half-heartedly. Perhaps there was more to it that simply 'okay,' but there was still a lot of processing to go through. She would have been content enough to remain and watch the whole building burn to dust, but Kian had a point. The bandit hub was a fair distance from town, but the size of the fire left the heavy smoke and the thin clouds above glowing brightly. They didn't want to be there if anyone happened to notice and decided to inspect what was going on.
With just a hint of reluctance, she held out her hand for assistance in getting to her feet. "They ain't worth lingerin' on anyway," she muttered sourly. "World's better off fergettin' 'em all." Her gaze rose again, and gave the slightest hint of softening. "We got better stuff ta get onta."
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 3:10 pm
"Agreed." Kian smiled as he took Rhonann's hand and helped her to her feet. The mystic's own body protested from weariness but he made certain to keep himself standing firmly on the ground. Before he would have perhaps been a dramatic brat about not getting to sleep right away but this Kian was much more mature, a strange thing indeed. Instead he found himself supporting Rhonann and even mustering enough energy to point out a series of wildflowers growing further along the hillside. He recognized them as the poofy ones that you could simply blow the petals away from whenever they were towards the end of their short lifespans. "Look." Kian gestured towards them with a grin. "Why not use this moment to blow away the bitterness of the past and make wishes for the future?" It was after all the beginning of a new year so why not? It was something silly that he vaguely remembered from the rare, happier moments of his childhood whenever his father was still with them and they got to enjoy spring down in southern Zena before returning to the bitterness of the northern mountains.
Kian wasn't a simpleton nor was he so completely optimistic that he believed they could truly blow some flowers to erase the past but the action was something, a step forward to say the least. His own heart was heavy for Rhonann and even though the actual monsters were gone it didn't stop the pain that they had caused. "I think it would be nice to try." He mused quietly as he studied Rhonann and glanced back towards the field of swaying flowers that stood slightly apart from the grayness of the smoke shrouded valley. Maybe, just maybe if he had such support in his own past then he could have potentially made different choices in the end and saved those who he had lost during his struggle with the darkness. Either way all he could hope to do was be that support for Rhonann as she struggled with her own past and hopefully started on the path towards healing.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:25 pm
Knowing that Kian must have been exhausted as well made Rho even more appreciative of the support he was still giving her. They both could probably have curled up right there and slept until they woke from the pain of matching sunburns. Her head swung heavily to look over where Kian pointed and stared flatly while registering what was being said. ...Flowers? Kian was pointing out flowers? She squinted curiously up at her lover, brow knitting slightly. That was unexpected.
Once she was finished making her face, she sighed and felt a small smile curve her lips. "Ye're such a dork," she chuckled with a small nod. She wasn't one to indulge in the softer side of their relationship very often, but he was right. It was a new year, and a new chapter of life. One where they could be free again...
"I ain't gettin' back up if I sit," she warned, her grip tightening when she bent to pluck up one of the fluffy flowers for herself. A wish for the future... She glanced to Kian, and that warmth soothed the clutch in her belly a little further. Whatever the future held.. she wanted him to continue being there to experience it with her. "Here's ta not bein' afraid anymore," she said, raising her flower in a toasting gesture.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2021 3:48 pm
Kian tried his best to maintain his composure but the expression that Rhonann was studying him with made it hard to keep his lips from twitching upwards. Eventually when she chuckled the grin escaped him and he found himself nodding. "Always and forever." He replied lightly before watching her raise the flower almost as if in toast. "No more fear indeed. If anything you'll just be bothered by bad puns and affection this new year." Kian raised his own flower and blew against the white fluff. At his touch the fluff broke away into a flurry swept up by the wind and he watched as the pieces slowly disappeared into the horizon. It was amusing that a small flower could hold so much hope and promises for the future but at the same time Kian truly felt a burden lifted from his shoulders. He had done his best to keep Rhonann safe the past few years and he was thankful that her worries were now taken care of. Now they just had the better question of what to do moving forward. The thought made him purse his lips as he glanced back towards Rhonnan with an almost playful expression. "How do we celebrate this new found freedom?" He teased with a quirked brow towards his lover, the fields of flowers swaying around them a bright contrast to the gray area across the way. It seemed that the further they went away from the smoking mess that they had created only hours earlier the more colorful the fields became....Kian chuckled at the sight. How fitting.
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 6:38 pm
Mustering as deep a breath as she could, the soft fluff broke away from the flower head easily. The fluff of both flowers danced together as the wind caught them, and took some of Rho's pain with them. In not too long, the wind would also be carrying away the ashes of the fire. The warm breeze was cleansing. ..Perhaps not perfect, but it was a start.
The word 'freedom' made her pause. What.. what was she going to do now? Perhaps she should do what she had always done up to then. Trust her instincts. "Sleep," she answered firmly, smirking lightly as well in only a partial tease. Sighing, she leaned a bit more against Kian and gazed up at him with exhausted amusement. "Don't go makin' me think too much more right now. What're yer ideas?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:59 pm
Kian wrapped an arm around Rhonann and gave her a tight squeeze before placing a kiss against the top of her head. "Don't go worryin' yourself." He teased quietly with a small grin. "I'm good with sleep as well." His bi-colored gaze swept back towards the way they came and he tilted his head thoughtfully as if pondering their options. While he would definitely enjoy browsing through the fields of flowers a bit more closely the hybrid was also contemplating how nice a bath would be in the moment. A whole vacation sounded nice actually now that the shadows of Rhonann's past had dissipated like the faint traces of smoke curling upwards into the sky. Since his twin had reclaimed their heritage up in Zena it wasn't as if they were hard on coin either...Kian let out a chuckle as he squeezed Rhonann closer. Perhaps it would be nice to spoil themselves a bit considering everything that had recently transpired. He could already imagine other ways to indulge which made his gaze gleam with even more mischievousness.
"I hear that there's an inn across the way with access to hot springs. We could always go there to relax for a bit before heading home or wherever else you'd like to go." He murmured as he glanced towards Rhonann. "I personally think we could find plenty of ways to celebrate there..."
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:42 pm
Rhonann nodded and let her chin rest against Kian's chest, eyes drooping as she hummed out a light agreement. "We lost so much time.." she murmured, brow knitting sharply. She had tried teaching the boys about traveling, but that could only get them so far when they couldn't- when she wouldn't- leave Zena. Perhaps a real trip to apply those lessons? Better late than never, right? She wanted to know they would be alright on their own.
And then their was Kian. The life she had managed to build with him.. She could only look back on it in shock. How had this developed through the trials of the years? "Inn sounds good," she grunted, leaning a little more against her hybrid and attempted to give him a tight hug with what remaining strength she had left. "Mmm, let's order the biggest dessert they got. Somethin' with lots of sugar." If they were to be staying at an inn, she was going to indulge and enjoy herself! Sleep, eat, and.. make merry, to be subtle. "Gonna need the boost after I sleep fer a week."
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:52 pm
"But there's still plenty more ahead." Replied Kian warmly as he supported Rhonann. "Plus I would consider it an extended break from things rather than a waste. Perhaps they hadn't gotten to adventure or just travel as much as what they would have preferred but they did get to spend time with family and raise their boys. He knew Rhonann wanted them to see the rest of the world but there was a small protective part of Kian that was just thankful they could keep an eye on their boys for so long. A chuckle left his lips at the thought as he couldn't help teasing her a little bit. "If anything we can always travel around with more little ones in the near future after our small vacation." Before he would have never even joked about having children but after becoming a father and raising two mischievous yet good hearted sons Kian was a bit more open to the idea.
"For now though rest and all the dessert you like." He replied with a smile as he rubbed a hand along Rhonann's arm. "Want me to carry you there?" He teased quietly as he glanced across the horizon. A long warm bath and then some food and a comfortable bed with all the desserts and wines possible did sound amazing right now. If anything Kian would just be happy to know that he could sleep peacefully tonight with Rhonann tucked safely in his arms.
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:10 pm
Plenty more ahead.... He was right, of course. There was so much time ahead of them to enjoy. Time for them to build their relationship more, time to watch the boys grow and flourish in their own lives, time for- Her brow rose with surprise at the mention of a near future with little ones, cheeks flushing with delight. It was such an unexpected notion to hear out loud from Kian, but also so very welcome to her heart. They were heading into a new world for themselves, so if their celebrations resulted in a growing family as well... "I think I'd like that," she murmured bashfully. Another baby.. what if it was twins again?!
Snorting to herself, she turned and hopped to wrap her arms around Kian;'s neck, and her legs around his waist. "Mm-hm," she purred, stifling a yawn while she was nuzzling his neck. It was more than likely that she would be asleep by the time we got there. What would it be like to sleep without having a nightmare..?
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:18 pm
A smile of delight crossed his lips whenever Rhonann agreed with his suggestion. Admittedly he had been joking but now that she expressed her own willingness to expand their family he found himself actually looking forward towards it. It seemed that this New Year had allowed them to close one chapter so that they could move into a brand new one. A rush of happiness filled Kian and he didn't even mind when his wife jumped onto him. Usually he would give her some teasing remark but instead Kian just shifted so that he could support the extra weight, his weary body more than eager to carry his wife to their next destination. "Alright, we better get to that inn quickly~" He found himself teasing with a chuckle as he started moving forward away from the burning valley and towards the horizon where the rays of sun were starting to cut through smoky air to brighten up the skies.
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