melodiesoflife | 001 Arrow of Love

Entry tags:

001 Arrow of Love | Auction Dates

Who: Raven/Rukia & Raven/Zelda
What: Auction Dates in Action
When: Oct 7th & Oct 8th
Where: House B-03 & Balicea
Warnings: None so far.

[ Prompt I ]

Raven thought it fit to spend the date doing something they were both familiar with. It was how they originally met, only this time they would make dessert instead, crepes in particular. He himself wasn't too fond of sweets, but he knew women typically were.

Rukia would hear a knock on the door, though they had scheduled this "date" so she wouldn't be all too surprised to find him at her door step. He wen't through the trouble of gathering the necessary ingredients so they could start right away. Perhaps they would get to know each other, though he was more likely to inquire about her than to share about himself.

Upon opening the door, she would find the gruffy man stationed on the welcome mat, if there was one, with a friendly smile. He carried a bag that had everything they would need for the treat. Raven figured that she deserved something nice. After the display of her determination to win a bid for him, of all people. He didn't think he was worthless, but that brought about a different value.

"Hey there!"

[ Prompt II ]

| BEACH |
It was a tad rainy to fully enjoy the beach, which was kind of a drag since this was the first time Raven had ventured outside of the mainland since he arrived here. He had done a lot of traveling back on his world, and while he wasn't fond of it, he still wanted to know what he was dragged into. He just so happened to use this date with Zelda as a guise to get out in a casual sense, without raising any unwanted suspicion.

At the very least they could enjoy the indoor pools that weren't far from the shore. Raven figured it might be nice for Zelda as well, though she was the one who won the bid. Her intentions weren't clear to him, but he had things in mind he wanted to do, she just happened to agree to them. Outside of their initial contact, he didn't really know her.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No reaction? Not even a twitch of the brow. ...Disappointing. She followed his instructions, glancing at his face and trying to read it. Either he wasn't used to this kind of behavior, or she'd stepped over another line.

Had she gone too far? Renji told her she always thought about things too much, but now she wasn't sure.

She slid in a slab of butter, tilting the pan to let it melt and coat the the hot surface before measuring out the batter and spreading it thin.

"...Did I misspeak?" She had to ask. This dating stuff was difficult to figure out.

He was taken aback yet again. It was difficult to gauge her experience. She claimed to be centuries old, but still made errors someone of a sheltered life would make. It was very perplexing.

"Add the batter in a nice thin layer, when ya see the edges start taking bubble, flip it. Be careful though, it'll fall apart if ya aren't gentle with it."

He wanted to provide instructions first since this was a quick delicate process. He wasn't uncomfortable or anything, or anything she might think he'd be.

"So what is a Shinigami anyway?"

It's not that he didn't want to answer her question, but rather he couldn't think of the right way to word an answer.

She stared intently at the crepe, not wanting to make a mistake. She needed to be watchful, and gentle. Rukia didn't realize so much care went into a dessert she had assumed to be fairly simple.

Just when she was starting to fear that she'd made another irreparable social blunder, he posed his question. Rukia lifted her head, blinking, and looked at him. That was...the first thing he'd asked her about herself.

It made her a little happy.

"I suppose the term most people are familiar with is 'Soul Reaper,' she clarified, carefully edging the tip of the metal spatula under the crepe to ease it out of the pan and flip it. It wrinkled despite her best efforts, but she tried to straighten it out. "It is our job to guide departed souls to the afterlife, as well as to exorcise those souls that have become twisted and monstrous so that they too might know peace." The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile. "It is a duty in which I take great pride."

Raven wasn't as forwarding as some of her other colleagues were. His walls were a little more sturdy, and outside of his gang who was there when he came to a resolve for his used-to-be ongoing issues, he wasn't one to really open up to others. At least not directly. However, Rukia had proved herself after pleading for amends, and the vigorously bidding on him not long after. Raven knew that she was willing to put up with his antics to get to know him. Naivete aside, she was a good person, even if aloof.

"Soul Reaper." He repeated, wrapping his brain around the term. Which would make her...dead? It would explain why she didn't follow the culture of living, traditionally, and why he was oblivious to some of what's around her. It made much more sense in this context.

"I assume yer good at it?"

He won't ask for the nitty-gritty details, but it was interesting to know.

"I wouldn't know how to answer that," she laughed, relaxing. She scooped up the crepe to place it on a plate, then began to work on another. This one, she was sure, would turn out much better than the previous one. "According to my file, I was about to be promoted to serve as my captain's lieutenant. It's an enormous honor."

She smiled at Raven, then tipped her head back to cast her gaze to the ceiling. "Captain Ukitake is a very kind man, well-liked and respected by all his subordinates. He hasn't filled the lieutenant's vacancy in forty years." She didn't think she could ever fill Kaien's sandals, but she had already made up her mind to do everything she could to act in a manner that would have pleased him.

"I understand that your men held a great deal of respect and admiration for you as well, did they not?"

And there lied some of her motivation, at least he assumed it to be since she held this Ukitake character in such high regard. There various types of relationships and a various forms of respect, he could only imagine how there's might have been. It was something he would eventually have to question her about, but he wasn't sure if now was exactly appropriate.

"I suppose." He worded casually. The Schwann Brigade wasn't one could call a high performing one, but he was proud of them nonetheless. When it came down to it, they did their best to perform their duty, and they pulled through in the end when it came to helping the civilians. He couldn't have asked for a better brigade.

"You truly are unnecessarily modest," she smiled, flipping the crepe with more certainty. Perhaps he still harbored some degree of guilt over his past. There was likely little she could do to boost his spirits in that regard. But she could do her best to be a good date and ensure he had an enjoyable evening.

One more flip, and the crepe landed neatly on the plate. Rukia studied the results, then perked up. "--Oh! That one came out great!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "What do you think? I'm getting the hang of this!"

How someone could be so proud of such a small accomplishment was a mystery indeed.

"What shall we do after this? Do you have any favorite hobbies? Sights you would like to see?"

"Now all that's left is to taste test it." Since she had completed everything else. The real test was how it tastes, and if it was anything like their previous dish, he's certain this one would be good too. Eventually she would be able make her own, original food, without the need of following directions.

"I was thinkin' we could go out fer a nice stroll." What the stroll entailed was still up for debate.

"Ah, good! A traditional dating activity," she nodded sagely, a little relieved that the task would be a simple one. She would have been at a loss if he'd suggested skating, or some sort of sport. "I should be able to perform adequately, then." Walks were common in the scenarios she'd studied.

Rukia tackled the ugly crepe first, for practice. She couldn't recall the specifics of how the crepe stall assembled their desserts. Spread the sauce...? That looked right. Then load it with filling and fold! It...looked a little lumpy. Hm. Perhaps if she only put it in one half and then folded it over.

The second was far more presentable, and as she took more pride in the results, that was what she offered to Raven...unaware that he didn't care for it either way.

"Fine work! Thank you, you've taught me well."

Traditional dating activity. He could tell she was putting a little more effort than necessary into this. Especially considering he was well above the age of youthful love. He might have tried that hard had he been the young, foolish man he was years ago. His beat has since changed, but it was nice to see that kind of energy be attempted still.

He wasn't thrilled to have been given a crepe, he didn't really like sweets, but it would be rather rude to just turn down her hard effort that he helped her teach. The older gentleman took the one offered to him, and followed up with a small bite (more than tiny, but less than average). He hummed briefly inspecting the taste. It was a little off, but not bad. Very much still edible.

"Could use some work, but crepes are hard. Not bad for yer first try."

"Ah, thank you," she beamed. She was enjoying hers, ugly as it was. And since she wasn't aware of Raven's culinary preferences, she assumed he was teaching her the dishes that he himself preferred to eat.

There would be a mountain of crepes in his future. Suffer.

Even if her first attempt wasn't perfect, she hadn't expected to be an instant master. There was still much to learn and hours of practice to dedicate to the art of cooking. She would try again and again. ...And Raven could sample the results.

She finished her bite before she raised her eyebrows questioningly. "What shall I do differently next time?" She thought she'd followed the instructions closely, but perhaps not closely enough.

"Well worry about it later." He chimed, content as one could be when eating a disliked food. He would finish as much as could, but in the end, he wouldn't be able to eat all of it. It just wasn't something he could bring himself to do. "I think I'm full." After one crepe, he wasn't really full, but he did eat something prior to arriving here.

"When do ya wanna go on that stroll?"

They could sit out the dessert for a little bit if she didn't want to be active right after. He preferred to laze around after meals himself, but he was also use to moving after eating. Saving the world didn't happen just by staying in one place after all.

"We can leave shortly," she promised, taking his plate and eating what was left. One did not waste food in the slums, and even though that was years ago, the habit hadn't died. Besides, she hadn't eaten dinner, so there was plenty of room. "Allow me to clean up, then I'll grab my jacket."

She wanted to save the rest of the batter for later, so she put the bowl into the icebox. She was certain her roommates would enjoy the treat, and Rukia would enjoy the extra cooking experience.

"Where will we be going? Is it a surprise?" She looked pumped about the experience, whatever it happened to be. "Would you like me to hold your hand, or your arm?" She didn't seem shy about either option.

The best part about being a guest as he had a lot less work. Raven wasn't fond of the clean up that came with cooking either, so he would gladly allow her to do that. Though he would undoubtedly clean if it would have been his place.

He was caught off guard by the comment. Was he actually supposed to treat this like a date because if he did, he certainly didn't prepare for it properly. He could probably think up a destination on the spot, Raven had scoured the city enough to become familiar with it.

"The arm is fine." The contact isn't direct, at least, so it wouldn't be as unusual right? Holdin' hands wasn't something Raven could say he's done before, or often. At least as of late. "And it's a surprise." Since it'd be a shame to disappoint her with the reality of not having anything planned. He should have taken this more seriously. He really was irresponsible.

Or maybe he just had the misfortune to bid on someone who was just that excited about being able to experience a traditional courtship ritual of the living, who was desperate to ensure that she played her role exceptionally well.

Or both. They could both be fully blamed, really.

Her face lit up at the mention of a surprise, and she nodded sharply. "Understood. I'll return shortly!" Flicking the dishwater from her hands, Rukia rushed up the stairs and turned into her room. When she came back, she was pulling on the purple peacoat she'd bought along with the rest of the outfit, drawing her hair out of the collar and buttoning up the front.

When she got to the bottom of the steps, she paused to look at Raven, sizing him up and down. "We match!" she declared triumphantly, giving him a thumbs up. That hadn't even been intentional, but she was quite pleased at the coincidence.

With everything tidied up, Rukia was ready to go, and it seemed Raven was as well. She followed him out the front door, turning to lock up behind them. Once they reached the bottom of the steps, she curled her fingers around the crook of his elbow. "Ready."

That is what happens when two unpracticed people decide to go on a date together. Especially one won through a bid of all things. It wasn't so traditional when gauged in a perspective where the date was essentially bought out.

He was torn between whether how wise or unwise all of this was. It was supposed to be her first date, if he remembered correctly, and it'd be a shame to ruin it for her if things were to go unfavorably. While Raven could joke and play at the dating game, it wasn't something he had done for a long time, and when he did, it was out of use to pry for information. He had gone undercover for quite sometime after all. This the first time in awhile he had taken things seriously outside of being dishonest to the other party.

Skipping to the last statement, Raven gave a subtle on.

"Let's be on our way, then." He casually linked his arm with hers, though it might have been frigid along the way. He had to remember to take this ernest and not something else.

He did seem a little stiff, she noticed. Was he nervous? She had a few ideas as to what was contributing to any possible tension he held, but thought it wise to keep those theories to herself. Instead, she just gave his arm a pat with her other hand.

"Relax," she smiled up at him. "We're friends. And you're doing just fine." So far, this date was turning out to closely match what she'd studied. It wasn't quite so dramatic, but she figured that was due more to the fictional element in the books that was meant to hook the reader.

It was pretty clear from the look on her face that she was fully enjoying herself. It was nice to spend some quality time together, just the two of them. She could understand why people would bid on dates at an auction.

She kept pace at his side, the black flats she wore tapping lightly on the cobbled streets as she took in the sights. She wasn't sure where they were going, but she liked the mystery.

"You've been on many dates in the past, have you not?" she asked, lifting her chin to look up at him. "What's your favorite kind?"

"That obvious, huh?" Though she likely misinterpret his body language to be something else, she picked up on it nevertheless. Raven gave a silent sigh, as if to relinquish whatever it was that could have been bothering him. She was even supportive, and it did help to a degree. He had another date to account for as well, so this was a good precedent to set.

He had time to think up of a place they could venture, and he could even claim that they could a scenic route if he wanted to stall. He was still a convincing liar when he wanted to be after all. (Though that wasn't always the case nowadays). It couldn't be food since they had just done that in the comfort of her home, so it would have to be of a different activity.

"Hmm." He chewed on the question a little before coming to an answer suitable for it. "I've been on a few." For some reason or another, so he couldn't recall if one was ever his favorite since he had underlying objectives to them. "Can't say I have a favorite."

"Not in appearance, if it's any consolation." If she hadn't taken his arm, she likely wouldn't have guessed. Perhaps he thought her expectations were unrealistically high, given her intensive studies? It was a good thing she didn't show him her notes, then, as she wasn't sure he was physically up to the part where they chased each other and laughed and sparkled. His heart was sort of not there, after all.

Still, she was curious. She could either wonder silently and harbor her own assumptions, or just flat out ask him. If he didn't want to answer, he could just ignore her, change the subject, or decline straight up.

"So what's bothering you?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "You needn't answer if you are uncomfortable doing so. But if you would have me adjust my role, I would gladly affect a change."

More questions he didn't really have answers too, or rather, he couldn't answer them honestly. Not that he didn't trust her, but he himself wasn't ready to confess. Raven had many skeletons in his closet, and it was in the last few months that they started to trickle out.

"It's nothin' ya need ta worry about." At least not for now, and he wasn't so comfortable, that she would have to adjust her mindset for them to make this possible. Moving back into the expectations of a date, something came to mind for Raven.

He would guide them to the third district, a district dedicated to historical information, documented or otherwise. There weren't many "date worthy" attractions in this city, so he settled for something a little more contemporary. The museum seemed like a good place to go. It'd be a good chance for her to maybe brush up on this world's culture. He had come here previously on his own to do some information digging.

"Here we are. Sorry it's nothin' romantic, Aqures Ixen doesn't have much outside of Blitzball."

"Of course I'm worried, it's only natural." If her date wasn't having a good time, then she needed to try harder. But she didn't push the issue. He was such a private person, and she'd already dug up so much information about him. Were she to forcefully wring out anything more, they may as well be married. "Just let me know what I must do to ensure you enjoy this as much as I am."

That's impossible, Rukia.

Maybe she just needed to relax, herself. It might take more of the pressure off of him. She looked up at the museum with a smile. Ah, so this was it! What a pleasant surprise!

"I haven't been here before," she stated, and grinned at Raven. "Do not worry. Romance doesn't really suit me. This is an ideal location." Not bad, for a spur of the moment decision. What was more, she could learn about this world outside of a book, and she was curious to see what kind of displays they had.

Well it doubled well since this was her first visit. The museum as lacking in some historical elements, and mostly focused of Heroes of Light, but it pertained to her involvement, so she would surely find it interesting because of that. Raven didn't buy into everything that was displayed, but he did make notes of it. The Crystal of Fire, in particular was one of the more interesting artifacts and he would make it a point to visit the information surrounding it.

"Shall we?" He questioned as he did the gentlemanly thing to do, and that was to hold open the door so she could enter first.

"Why thank you!" she laid a hand on her cheek, practically *shining* with demure, maidenly charm. ...Okay, maybe she was laying it on a little thick. She was having fun, though.

Her steps echoed in the vast halls, and she paused for a moment to take in as much as she could. She wondered if this place mentioned the previous heroes of light from two millenniums ago. Her brow furrowed faintly. That particular point had been nagging at her for a while.

But her frown vanished as soon as Raven stepped up beside her, and she was all sparkle and charm once more. "Let's start on the right and make our way around?"

"Sounds like a plan." He replied in compliance. He didn't have a preference either way and was here for her sake at this point. She seemed to be enjoying herself at the very least, so he didn't feel bad about springing a surprise like this last minute, as ill-planned as it was. There was some old text written in the ancient language, a language that could only be deciphered from a seasoned scholar, which they were not. Still it did have information regarding its discovery and where it was located.

"It's kinda vague." He admitted. Not to mention much of the information he did look up was a bunch of lip service that painted the Heroes of Light out to be legends. It didn't have much fact behind the details that made them such besides your traditional "good beats evil" and the like.

"Yes," she agreed, growing more and more pensive the further they went. At the very least, the sculptures and paintings meant to serve as an homage were beautifully crafted. She did like looking at them. But as far as historical facts went, there wasn't much there she didn't already know after scouring the library with Robin. If anything, the accounts were drastically simplified.

"I wonder...if our fates will be the same," she mused soberly as they stood in front of a particular painting called "The Sacrifice." It was annoyingly abstract; she might have liked a little more information on this particular subject.

Rukia held her arms, heaving a quick sigh of frustration.

"Well," she conceded, bowing her head. "The art is lovely. I'll have to return here once I've mastered the Scholar job. I should like to know what some of these old writings truly say."

001 Arrow of Love | Auction Dates

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Dx I think this is my undoing for the night!

/ded <3

<3

<3!

❤ ♡ ❤

HOW DID YOU DO THAT

With love ❤

/squints ............... ❤

❤ 1/2

❤ 2/2

❤ ❤ ❤

❤ ❤ ❤