@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
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"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
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Post by Rina Croft on Jul 26, 2023 20:55:58 GMT -5
Rina followed quietly behind Shiro as he led her down the streets. Dread was building up in her with each step. She knew that Shiro would be departing from her once again and she just couldn't cope with that. Whenever she closed her eyes images of her mother's lifeless eyes or Shiro being tortured and shot would rotate through her mind. It made her sick to be alone in her thoughts.
She forced a smile and thanked the innkeeper and thanked Shiro for giving her a room. It was small and cozy, warm candles making the room glow. Shiro squeezed her hand, trying to make her smile, but only making her frown deeper. He bade her goodnight and turned to leave but Rina grabbed his hand.
"Please. I know this is a lot. I know how much you worry. I can see it on your face. But you cannot leave me. Not tonight. Please Shiro. I'm terrified!" Rina's voice cracked and tears streamed down her face. "Please stay with me." She pulled him across the threshold. "We don't have to talk. Not right now…I'm just…scared of the dark tonight…"
—------- Leaning on the innkeepers continued kindness she was able to borrow a soft sleeping gown from his daughter and some sleep clothes for Shiro so their clothes could dry in front of the stoked fire. Rina elected to bathe first because she knew Shiro would insist and she wanted to attempt to compose herself. Using her fingers she combed out the tangles as best as she could before tying her hair up and out of the way. She peeled away the soaked clothing, hissing with pain as she brushed against the bruises left from Fear's bullets. Even though it wasn't really real she had still been marked. She gently poked at her hip, watching the purple blanch white.
The bathroom was rustic, but had all of the essentials. A claw foot tub was tucked in the corner. Rina pushed the stopper in and turned the knobs watching the tub slowly fill. With a soft huff of laughter she tested the water, wishing she had something that would scent the water and the steam. Something minty that would soothe her skin and ebb away at the headache that all of this was causing.
When the tub was filled and ready she sunk slowly in letting the warm water heal all of her hurts. She stayed until the water had turned cool before pulling her sore body out to dry off. She wrapped the towel tight around her but still hid slightly behind the door. The pair had become quite familiar but not that familiar. Her head peeked out to spy Shiro, unable to hide the mottled bruise of her already scarred shoulder.
"Want me to draw you a bath?"
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@nivwit
Message Fear
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Soldier
Evil
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Post by Fear on Jul 27, 2023 6:44:23 GMT -5
CHANGE IS NON-EXISTENT WITHOUT ACTION. Shiro was stunned as the woman grabbed his hand, pleading that he stayed with her. It felt almost necessary for him to leave, but he couldn’t bear the sight of Rina in tears. There was a danger to them staying together, but maybe that was a risk he was willing to take to keep her feeling secure. The man nodded at her request, replying softly and gently, “Okay, ofcourse”. As she pulled him through the door, he let out a soft chuckle at her insistence, “But I call the floor for sleeping, okay? Nothing softer than a hardwood floor.”
Blackout took an assessment of the room; candle lit and not too shabby. There was a mini bookshelf that contained various books, looking to be from various worlds. As he was checking for any familiar titles, Rina proposed that she clean up first. No issues with that proposition, he gave her a nod and a smile, “Absolutely, go ahead.” The intellect whisked one of the books off the shelf at random and then moved towards the bed. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he watched as Rina entered the bathroom and shut the door. Skimming through the book, he noticed it was a journal of a traveler that came from a world where they lived in the sea. Apparently the protagonist had difficulty sleeping once they arrived at Traverse Town, their thoughts running too rampant compared to in water. By the time he had finished a couple entries, the door squeaked slightly open. Rina’s beautiful head popped into his sight, asking him if he’d like a bath to be drawn. “That’d be wonderful; thank you so much.” She disappeared for a minute or two, which Shiro used to assess a small oval mirror hanging up at the back of the room. A thought of his, nagged at Blackout. Getting himself up to his feet, he sat the book on the nearby shelf and removed his shirt with ease, given it was Fear’s jacket that mainly got wet; then the soldier tried to get a good angle of his back with the mirror. Trying to stretch his neck as much as he could, he couldn’t see if the heartless emblem still rested on his back. Upon hearing the door squeak once again, Shiro shifted his attention towards Rina as she departed from the bathroom. She was equipped with clean clothes, letting him know that the bath was ready. At first, his gaze only met her eyes, but drifted down towards a bruise on her shoulder. “Very kind of you; thanks again,” he told her politely, but with concern; his voice echoing that guilt was starting to form at the realization that it was his fault. His facial expression readjusted as his thoughts shifted elsewhere. “I have an odd request for you; would you look at my back and tell me if the heartless emblem is still there.”If Rina were to accept, she’d notice the disfigured heart still present on the upper half of his back, but the yellow veins of Fear were nowhere to be found. He’d nod at the realistic expectation being found, but still disappointed; walking into the bathroom and thanking her again before shutting the door. Feelings and thoughts, of it being him to blame for Rina’s injury, travelled viciously across his brainwaves. Shiro undressed entirely and found his way into the tub, washing himself with the essentials. He was a little tall for the tub and needed to wash his hair; at that point, he got clever and shifted his gravity so he sank into the tub with ease, sliding his legs out the tub slightly, letting them hang outside the tub. The soldier held his breath as his head was submerged, feeling the thoughts of worry and fear slow down. Remaining under water until he could only feel his heartbeat, he then returned to the reality of anxiety and concern, taking a deep breath of air as his prize. Not only could the man hear his own breath, but another’s faint gasp shortly away. His diamond eyes darted to connect with those of ocean blue, raising an eyebrow at the peaking brunette. The corner of his mouth smirked lightly with a little color tinting his cheeks; Rina blushed and instantly shut the door. A small chuckle escaped the man; she must have checked on him because he was taking his time in there, right? That had to be the only reason, right? Allowing the water to start draining, Shiro stepped out of the tub. Dressing himself in the innkeeper’s v-neck white tee and gray joggers, he opened the door to greet a still-blushing Rina. The soldier smiled as soon as she was within view; he wasn’t going to bring that up if she wasn’t. “Have you checked out their book collection?” he asked, his eyes gesturing towards the nearby shelf. “What would you like to do now? To be honest, I haven’t spent a night in company since I’ve woken with the heartless in my head. I’d read, but I wouldn’t want to bore you.”the fall of humankind The everlasting light MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
likes
380
posts
"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
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Post by Rina Croft on Jul 27, 2023 10:53:27 GMT -5
Happy to oblige Shiro, she began to refill the tub with fresh, warm water. She unfolded and shook out the shift she was given to sleep in. As she was able to pull it over her head she realized something. All of her clothes including undergarments were still drying out. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head she roughly pulled the dress over her head. It wasn’t that big of a deal, right? Shiro wouldn’t know and besides he was a soldier right? Going commando was a military thing, right? Right? Still worrying she tried to look at her backside in the mirror to see if everything that needed to be covered, was. “Stop! Stop. You’re being silly.”
Trying to act like a normal human being instead of a shy school girl, Rina exited the bathroom to see Shiro standing in front of the mirror on the wall. He was craning his neck around trying to look at his back. In the reflection she could see what he was trying to see. The Heartless Emblem. Rina accepted his request to look over his back and turned Shiro around so that now he was facing the mirror completely. Rina’s warm hands traced the raised outline of the emblem. It was a strange thing. It looked almost like a tattoo but up close you could tell it was more like a 2nd skin. A strange scar over his back. Rina nodded. Yes, the emblem was still there. After a beat of silence and Rina’s continued tracing of the emblem she realized that she hadn’t answered aloud. “Yes. It’s still here…but Fear isn’t present. Just you.” Rina had lowered her hands to the small of his back before going back up, trying to chase away the cold from his skin. She could feel how tense he was and how loud his fears and doubts were. Rina knew that he was still wanting to leave, to run and hide his darkness away to protect her. It didn’t matter that she was asking him to stay. He didn’t agree. HIs Heartless still remaining was not the answer he wanted/ Rina leaned against him, nearly brushing his shoulder with a kiss, “Shiro…” Her voice fell flat as Shiro gently pulled himself away. She was too close. He thanked her once again for her kindness and walked to the bathroom.
Whilst he was gone, Rina paced from one end of the toom to the other, unable to be still. She had browsed all of the books on the shelf, including the one Shiro had pulled. Maybe they could find something to read together. Finally aiming to sit down and wait, Rina's stomach growled so loudly that it actually started her. Oh. Something human at last. She noticed that she was hungry and probably dehydrated. Shiro had to be as well. Snacks were in order.
Rina made her way to the tavern, noticing how the background hum had dulled considerably. There wasn’t a soul to be seen at the bar except for the innkeeper cleaning up. She smiled shyly and went up to him. “I’m sorry. We didn’t realize how late it was when we came in. Could you spare some bread and water? Or ale? Um or wine?” Rina laughed and looked down. She promised to pay the keep twiceover once she was back in town. He just laughed and handed her a basket. “Anything for Shiro and his girl. Didn’t know he had one, he’s a quiet one isn’t he? The wife will be happy that he has a girl as nice as you to take care of him. The daughter not so much!” He laughed a big boisterous laugh, Rina laughed nervously in response, too flustered to correct the man that it wasn’t like that with them. She bade him goodnight and walked briskly back to their room. Surely he would be out by now.
But he wasn’t. He had been in there much longer than Rina had been. Was he okay? Maybe something happened. Rina placed the basket on the bed and went to the wooden door. She knocked a couple of times. “Shiro? Are you okay? The innkeeper gave us some food.” There was no answer. Rina placed her hand on the door handle debating on going in. Most likely he was perfectly fine but there was that nagging feeling that what if he was not fine?! After a few more seconds of silence Rina opened the door and stepped in enough that she could see. Shiro was still in the tub, with his long legs sticking out of the water, his head completely submerged. Rina gasped and stepped closer…right as Shiro came up with a gasp of his own. Their eyes connected. He was fine, yup, totally fine. Rina squeaked out an apology and shut the door a bit harder than she needed to.
Shiro emerged a short time later with a smile still on his lips. Rina couldn’t meet his eyes. “Sorry…you were in there for so long. I was worried.” Her cheeks continued to color as she still had that smile on his face. She gestured to where she had placed the basket. “Got us some food…we could snack. You could read. That’s fine with me. Like a picnic.” She returned Shiro’s smile then. She poured them both a glass of wine and sat against the headboard of the bed.
“Let’s read that one.”
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@nivwit
Message Fear
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Soldier
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Post by Fear on Jul 28, 2023 1:02:54 GMT -5
CHANGE IS NON-EXISTENT WITHOUT ACTION. As she graced him with her gentle tracing of the symbol along his back, color lit up his cheeks slightly; not having expected her showcase of affection. The soldier’s heart felt warm; how could he be feeling such dread of the news, yet feel so cozy on the inside at the same time. When she planted a small kiss on his shoulder, he could feel goosebumps raise out of nervousness. “Rina…” he replied as he gently removed himself from her touch, locking eyes with her and forming a conflicted smile, “Thank you again.” - Shiro gave her an appreciative grin, “I certainly forgot about that for today,” he commented as he paced his way over to the basket of bread. Rina poured the two of them wine, which he raised an eyebrow at as he was handed a glass. “I’m going to be honest; I’ve never drank before.” With that being said, down the hatch the wine went with a sip or two. The analyst focused on the oaky and fruity hints from the red. It was a new experience for him so his thoughts might change in hindsight, but at that point of time, he stated, “It’s rather nice.”Grabbing the book that Rina pointed to on the shelf, he sat down next to her and flipped it open. It was a fantasy about these two halflings that went on an adventure with a wizard and a ring of sorts. Surprisingly, the avid reader got lost in the details as Rina cozied up to him as he read, putting his mind and body on edge in a pleasant way. They’d talk and drink after each chapter, enjoying each other’s company and laughter. The two of them both agreed that there were some romantic subtleties to the male halfling protagonists’ relationship, despite the author presenting them as just good friends. A couple chapters in, the wine was starting to really hit him and apparently Rina too. When he noticed that she was starting to doze off as they read, he told her, “Let’s call it a night, shall we?” He attempted to remove himself from the bed to sleep on the floor, but Rina’s grip tightened on his arm as she asked him to stay. He was taken back by the request; that was not a request he was used to, but he tried not to show it too much by giving her a nod and repositioned himself to get comfortable with her in bed. Blackout was a soldier at the end of the day, one that had respect that was ingrained in his DNA. He didn’t want to put Rina in an uncomfortable state, but when their hands crossed paths as he settled in, he instinctively folded his fingers into hers, taking a gentle hold. Quickly, Shiro blew out the candle on his side of the bed to hide the rosy pink that started to take shape on his cheeks, leaving the two in the dark once again. It was a peaceful dark however; one that the man took solace in as his head filled with worry and concern once again. His anxieties started to boom like thunder, more and more as Rina started to fall asleep, leaving Shiro in silence. Several minutes passed after it was time to sleep and their conversation ceased, but the soldier never felt more awake. All Shiro could wish for was his brain to feel like it had submerged underwater- he wanted peace within his head. What if he fell asleep and Fear would wake? What if they co-existing within the same room brought danger upon Rina once again? What if the existential terror that Shiro tried to push aside, brought Rina’s darkness crawling back to the forefront? He had never slept in the same bed as another human before, at least not that he could remember; so the inexperienced man made the judgment call that Rina was asleep. Perhaps he couldn’t reduce the oxygen to his brain via water, but maybe if he let his thoughts air out- that’d cool down the waves of insecurities within him. “It’s not just that I don't want to talk about it; I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I want to celebrate with you, but also give you time to grieve,” he softly spoke into the room’s atmosphere, only intending for that to be heard by him and the books that rested upon the shelf. It was relieving to put it out in the open, for the words to escape his heavy chest. A single tear crept down the side of his face. “I can’t help but feel a certain way about you. I want to be close to you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”fade away to the wicked world we live and i become the dark of you MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
likes
380
posts
"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
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Post by Rina Croft on Jul 28, 2023 12:11:49 GMT -5
Rina’s eyes widened in surprise as Shiro admitted to never drinking before. Rina had quite the experience in drinking and even dabbling in other recreational drugs. She nodded sagely as he expressed interest in the beverage. “This is something nice to start with, Mild, smooth, and I think it’s local too. They use enchanted grapes or something.” Rina took another sip of the wine. “Something that withstands the dark…hm.” Rina of course meant the perpetual night of Traverse Town but in the setting she found herself in it took a different meaning. She shook her head and finished her glass, setting it on the bedside stand and settled in close to Shiro. “What is it that I picked?”
Rina looked at the cover and hummed. She’d heard of this book and even had read the prequel, but couldn’t ever make it through the rest of them. But with Shiro there to discuss the story made the read so much better. They would check in with each other to make sure the next was ready to turn the page. Rina was in awe of one of the protagonists. He seemed more of a secondary character but was one that bolstered the main character. The main character would be far less interesting without his companion. And he was so selfless. He’d do anything for his friend. Anything at all. He would always be there…
Rina’s eyes grew heavy and she tried to stifle yawns but they kept coming. Shiro marked their place in the book and made to stand but Rina caught his wrist. She knew he was going to protest since he had already claimed the floor to sleep on. “Stay…?” Stay with me. She saw the hesitation and dropped his wrist. She was overstepping, making it weird. But he relented anyway. So maybe Rina hadn’t gone over the line yet.
As Shiro took her hand and made himself comfortable on one side of the bed, Rina shifted herself as well. She ended up with her back against his chest, hand resting on her side with Shiro’s hand still entwined with hers. She pulled his hand closer so his arm was wrapped around her middle. She closed her eyes and let out a breath she hadn’t been meaning to hold. For the first time in hours all of the tension left her body. She felt so safe in this tiny little moment. She could hear the rain continue to fall outside. Would it ever stop? Shiro’s breathing was a little fast, but he was still holding her and that’s all she had really wanted. Moonlight trickled in through the small window near them, Her breathing continued to slow and even out and she would soon be asleep. She wanted to ask Shiro if he was okay, she wanted to say goodnight. She very nearly turned to face him but stopped when he began to speak softly.
Shiro’s words were painful. He was letting his pain out into the universe instead of burdening it to Rina even though Rina would have been more than happy to receive his pain, if that would make him feel better. Rina felt her heart squeeze in her chest when he admitted to feeling a certain way about her. Vague as that was, she hoped it meant the same as what she felt towards him. Rina wanted Shiro. All of him, even the bad parts. She wasn’t fully made of Light either and she hadn’t found anyone who understood that as well as Shiro. They were the same. Except Shiro was so scared and Rina was not. Not of him at least.
“I want to be close to you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
Rina sucked in a breath. She turned in Shiro’s arms quickly, now putting them eye to eye. Rina ran her hand over his cheek, brushing away the stray tears that had gathered there. “Stop this! Stop, Shiro.” She put her forehead against his. There was so much in her heart right now that she wasn’t sure what all would come from her lips. “I…I…goddammit Blackout I like you. I am falling for you.I want to be with you or at least try or work up to it! Something! I’ve known the risks since day one and that hasn’t stopped me! Tonight hasn’t stopped me! I haven’t been able to get you out of my fucking head since you first looked at me!” She sat up fully now and pushed against Shiro’s chest. “You! Not Fear! Since you looked at me. I’ve thought of you nearly every day. You, you, you! I still have no fucking clue what will happen between us, but I know that I am not afraid of you.” Rina took Shiro’s hand and placed it over her rapidly beating heart. Warmth started there and went all through her body. “That is not Fear.”
Her anger started to dissipate and Rina leaned forward and placed a soft kiss against Shiro’s lips. “Whatever happens…we will deal with it together.” She moved back a little bit, giving Shiro some space. “I’ll take whatever you want to give me.”
“You can’t hurt me, Shiro.”
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@nivwit
Message Fear
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likes
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Soldier
Evil
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Post by Fear on Jul 29, 2023 3:34:15 GMT -5
CHANGE IS NON-EXISTENT WITHOUT ACTION. Well, it turned out that he was wrong to assume Rina fell asleep so fast. As she turned around and berated him with reassurance that they could work, the intellect just listened to her with a stunned expression. Firstly, never could he have imagined his former name being used in a scolding and so effective, but she really made it work. Shiro appreciated her thoughts and feelings on the matter, them definitely affecting his thought process on it all. On one hand, her not being afraid of the consequences of the two sticking together did not belittle or alleviate his own. On the other hand, her wanting to work through their issues together brought a hearty warmth that he could feel throughout his entire being. Never before, at least that he remembered, had he found himself drawn to another human being like he did Rina. She was passionate, absolutely gorgeous, and her charming personality was magnetic. He sat up as she did, his facial expression reverting to his calm demeanor. It took him a couple moments to process what he wanted to say, but then she placed his hand to her chest, letting him feel her rapidly beating heart. That is not Fear. There was a ring of poetry to her words, effectively communicating to him that what they had between them was real, not just the effects of some ploy of darkness. When she leaned in and kissed him, Shiro felt a jolt deep in the pit of his stomach. When their lips parted ways and she pulled away, he reached out to pull her back into a breath’s distance away. A couple strands of her hair remained between the two, which he brushed away behind her ear, leaving his right hand caressing her cheek. “You’re kind of scary when you’re passionate, you know?” He joked softly with a shy smile. “I’ve just never felt like connecting with someone, as beautiful and kind as you, would be part of my story. I’m glad you’re not scared, and that doesn’t change that I am. I’ve never had anyone to lose but myself for as long as I can remember; if I allow myself to feel for you the way that I want to, then everything changes.”He paused. The man leaned in and kissed her softly. “But I’ll try to be brave for you, for whatever this is,” he told her. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head either and I don’t want it to stop.” He leaned in slow; feeling as if time slowed down as he pressed his lips against her. One kiss had led to one more, and then another, and so on. Lips locked with another’s, his left fingers combed through the backside of her hair, taking a passionate hold as they leapt from one kiss to the next; the couple letting out small gasps for air in between. Shifting his weight to turn her over onto her backside, the man hovered over her as she lay, tasting the lingering oaky and fruity aroma of her lips. His heart was fluttering madly, as his left hand sensually traveled along the grooves of her arm before folding his fingers into her hand. His right hand made its way down and felt the movements of her hip. Lips parting once more, his diamond eyes connected with her pleasant blues. “Is this okay?” He asked for approval, before starting to kiss her tender cheek, making his way down to her impatient neck. [and we “fade to black.” Scene.]
It was difficult for the human body to tell when it was time to wake in the endless night of Traverse Town. The clocktower struck, sending a loud chime across the world, indicating it was 8am in the morning; time to start the day. Shiro started to pry his eyes open, having a difficult time desiring to wake up. He was greeted by the luscious locks of Rina’s hair, his nose slightly buried in the back of her head as they spooned under the covers. Groggily readjusting himself, he kissed the sleepy Rina on the cheek. “Good morning, gorgeous.”say a prayer for the wounded heart within as i become the dark of you MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS
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