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.

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"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."

"Ya might learn more that way."

It was somewhat disappointing indeed, but he had one last thing to show in all of this and the time they spent together. It wasn't told to him explicitly, he sought the information and stumbled upon it by accident. He guided her back to the crystal of fire, the very crystal they woke up next to.

"Apparently this is the beacon that summons us." Or so legends dictate. Whether their fates were to be the same as the heroes before them or not, was to their discretion. Raven personally thought they could change the outcome. Just because something seemed unlikely didn't make it so. He learned that first hand when traveling with those kids. "But that's not the most interestin' part about it."

He gently took her hand, regardless of whether she was aware of what was to happen or not. Raven moved her hand to the crystal and placed her palm on top of it, his hand overlapping hers. If the effect was universal, she would soon feel warm, and feel as though she were back on her own world. He didn't know the details of this happening. His best guess being that the crystal still linked to their worlds if it truly was the beacon that brought them.

"...I remember," she blinked, gazing up at the Crystal. She took a step closer, then another. She hadn't paid the Crystal much heed at the time. It had seemed like part of the background and little more. The Moogles captured her interest first, then the other Heroes. And yet, the Crystal of Fire was apparently very important, as she'd learned later. It had been the target of attacks in the past. Why, she didn't know.

She blinked as Raven's hand took hers, guiding it to the Crystal. Her fingertips recoiled slightly -- she hadn't expected it to be so warm. But once she was sure it wouldn't burn her, she relaxed, spreading her fingers wide and placing her palm on its surface. She could feel the roughness of Raven's palm against the back of her hand, a gentle reassurance of his presence and support.

Rukia closed her eyes. The warmth slowly spread to her wrist and through her arm, filling her up inside with the sensations with which she was once so familiar. She could almost smell the fragrant cherry blossoms of the trees in Byakuya's garden, and feel the sunlight on her cheek. She remembered Renji's unrestrained and good-natured laughter, her captain's gentle smile, Kaien's words of encouragement. And Ichigo... Yes, she remembered the pride she felt as well, seeing him grow so strong, determined to protect everyone that touched his life.

"This...this is wonderful..." she murmured, her throat just a little tight. "I had no idea."

Slowly she parted her lashes and took a deep breath. The feelings were just that: feelings. She wasn't truly standing in the courts of the Seireitei, she knew. But it almost felt as if she could reach out and touch that place. The safety of that world she loved depended on whether or not they could succeed in this world. It was a good reminder, chasing away the gloom of uncertainty.

Looking back at her friend, she smiled with warm gratitude. "Thank you, Raven. I think I needed this."

So this was her first exposure to the Crystal of Fire outside of being woken next to it. He figured it'd be a good reminder of what she was supposed to be fighting for. Raven wasn't entirely sold on helping this world, but he didn't want his to fall with it, so with that in mind, he'd do what he could for now.

"We all need a little encouragement." He eventually pulled his hand back, removing it from hers. That was perhaps the first time he's ever touched someone in that manner in a long time. It wasn't in vain though, and he felt the results were worth the effort. Rukia was a good person, that much was evident.

"Did ya want ta do anythin' else?"

It definitely wasn't in vain. When Rukia's fingertips finally fell away from the Crystal, she felt warm, inside and out. She took a quick breath, and smiled. This had been a very good date.

She turned to face him with a faint nod. "I think we've fulfilled the basic requirements." Her gaze drifted to the side as she tugged at the scarf hanging loose from her neck. "...But I wouldn't mind taking the long route to get home."

Rukia grinned, looking up at him again, then moved to take her place at his side once more. "Maybe you can tell me more about how you came to be a part of Yuri's guild on the way back."

Met the basic requirements? She took this dating thing a little too seriously with all the notes. He wondered if she'll eventually come to find that love couldn't be planned. It was something that just happened, even when you didn't want it to. Raven would save it for later, preferably for her t find out for herself, but he'd assist her along the way.

"I'm more interested in that Soul Reaper lifestyle of yers."

More that he didn't feel like talking about him, but also the fact that he was genuinely interested in what her world had to offer. It certainly sounded nothing like his, so he found himself curious about it. Not to mention she seemed to have unusual understandings of somethings while being sound in others. It wasn't a mix a personal typically had.

"Of mine?" The question caught her by surprise, far more than his evasion of her own question. So far, she'd been pretty open about her life and upbringing with others. Rukia didn't feel as if she had any great secrets to hide. She took his arm again, her other hand resting against her chin and lip as she thought how she might best explain it.

"Well, I suppose I should start by saying that Soul Reapers are elected from two primary sources - those who were born from noble families in the Seireitei Courts of Soul Society, and those souls dwelling in the districts beyond that have a certain degree of spiritual power. I came from the latter group."

Her hand dropped back to her side as they descended the steps and moved back to the city streets.

"I passed away as an infant, probably at the same time as my older sister, Hisana. So I have no memory of my time spent among the living. The Soul Society was all I'd ever known until recently." There was no bitterness or regret in her voice; she harbored none. The only thing she might have wished for was to know her sister better.

"Hisana was unable to care for the both of us, so she reluctantly abandoned me in the slums. I grew up in the 78th of the 80 Districts, one that was heavily stricken with poverty. I became friends with a group of boys, one of which was named Renji. He had spiritual energy like myself. It was a difficult life for children, and our friends did not survive the years that passed. So, Renji and I decided to enroll in the shinigami academy and become Soul Reapers, to seek out a better life for ourselves. Shortly after that, I was adopted into one of the noble families, and my graduation was rushed to completion. My sister had married a man named Byakuya Kuchiki. When she passed away, she asked him to look after me as if I were his own sister. The transition from my life in the Rukongai to the Kuchiki Estate was..." She tipped her head back, thoughtful. "...Difficult. I no longer truly belonged to either social class. But the vice captain, Kaien, helped me to adjust to my duties, and was the first to treat me as a normal person might."

She smiled, tilting her head to regard him with a side glance. "Is that what you wished to know? Or was it too much?" She knew so much about his past already, it felt as if she needed to provide a little more than she usually would to better balance the scales.

He wasn't quite expecting her to divulge her childhood past along with the shinigami information, though he did find her passing to be interesting if anything else. Raven couldn't say he was very familiar with that life style or what warranted an operation of that sort to be organized, but he sure there were more long-winded explanations that coincided with her vocation.

"I don't have much ta say since I don't fully understand it." There was a pause in his speech. He contemplate if he should continue with his train of thought. "But it does give me a better idea of where yer comin' from." He admitted in a light tone. One not too serious.

As they walked back to her place, since it was only fitting to drop the woman off first when parting ways. Well not to mention she still didn't know where he lived, but that was a different matter not involving her influence. It was still odd to be arm in arm with someone, Rukia in particular. A person, no, a friend he had just met here. Of all places she was probably one of his newer stronger bonds, and there was no telling if more people from their worlds would even arrive. If they arrived.

Eventually they would find their way to her front door. The end of the chapter had just arrived, and her first experience of a date was drawing to a close. It wasn't something he anticipated would happen when he arrived here, but it did anyway. He imagined more unexpected things of different natures would occur that he probably wouldn't expect. Least to say, she should hopefully have a better grasp on the living's culture. It had inadvertently caused him to grow a little himself. Raven was still learning he no longer had to live as if he were already dead. Not anymore at least.

"Well. Here we are."

Rukia chuckled. "I'll have my notebook next time. Illustrations may help you to gain a better understanding of Soul Society's structure."

Or they would just make the story unexpectedly hilarious. Her drawings often had that effect.

When they arrived at her door, Rukia found that her overall experience had been very satisfying. She liked spending time with him, and though she hadn't learned much about him, she'd learned a couple of new things. They were closer now, and she was happy. What was more, now that she'd experienced a date, she would no longer have to wonder what it would be like. There was nothing more she could have hoped for.

"Yes," she smiled, releasing his arm and ascending the first step so she could better see Raven when she turned to face him. "I truly had a wonderful time. You have my thanks."

But it wasn't over JUST yet. There was still one more tradition to complete. "How shall we say good night?" she grinned, settling her hands on her hips. "I understand a hug or a kiss on the cheek is a common practice, but a handshake will do if that's what you prefer." After all, they were friends. She wasn't going to insist that they kiss, there was no need to play at intimacy where none existed.

Edited 2015-10-28 15:55 (UTC)

Raven wasn't so sure he wanted an explanation coupled with her illustrations. It took taking her seriously much more difficult when she did. It begged to question where she even picked up such a trait. Regardless, he would make some effort to understand if she came around to explaining more details he had no knowledge of. Raven didn't expect to learn everything, but a general understanding was more than enough to understand her in turn.

At the very least, he was grateful that she didn't have such a horrible time with him. Not that Raven viewed himself as a terrible date, but there were some aspects to his personality that his friends could probably live without, though she seemed complacent enough when challenged with them. He was by no means perfect, but he was lucky enough to strike out with the close friends he did have. While most of them were still back on his world, he was slowly making some new one heres, and he still had Yuri.

For the final chapter, he was somewhat taken by surprise, though not entirely. Raven wasn't sure how to approach ending the date. Considering he level of research, she was bound to have read an end involving a kiss at the door. He paused momentarily, both in shock and thought.

Well, he wasn't overly fond of physical affection. At least not seriously. Many-a-times he had joked about it, of course, but never pursuing past that. Least in the likes of his colleagues. Raven gave her a brief look before chuckling. Ah, she truly was youthful in her own right, and for that he was thankful. It proved that immortality wasn't all it was made out to be.

"I suppose one on the cheek couldn't hurt."

He wouldn't be the one to do it, though, not to her. So if she wanted to end the date in a traditional manner such as this, she would have to twist the ending to it to suit her needs. Raven didn't mind humoring Rukia, and she was trustworthy enough this stage of the game. He leaned in and turned his face.

"I knew you couldn't resist me." He joked at the end. Raven would always slip in a joke!

He was correct, in that most endings she'd studied ended with a full kiss to the mouth (if not much, much more). But if she had thought that kind of intimate romance was the only way to end a date, she would have skipped this part completely. They had three perfectly chaste alternatives, none of which prompted any objections on her part. And it seemed he didn't have any objections either. Good! It was settled, then.

She smiled and gave a single nod in agreement. Even if she'd never kissed anyone's cheek before, she sincerely doubted that it would be hard. She also doubted that she would slip on the step and wind up accidentally kissing him, like a certain romance comic she'd read a few days ago. This was safe. This was easy.

He presented his cheek, and she reached out to steady herself by clasping his sleeve between her thumb and forefinger. Just as she started to lean forward, she paused at his joke. Couldn't resist him? What the... Rukia blinked at him, furrowing her brow. Raven thoroughly perplexed her sometimes. But...it was a joke. "Tch," she huffed, with a faint smile.

Even with the extra step, she still had to rise up on her toes, lifting her chin and lightly brushing her lips against his cheek. He was warm to the touch, she noticed, and being so close to someone was enough to quicken her pulse just a little when she caught a hint of his scent. (So that's a manly musk!)

She withdrew an inch, studying his face curiously for a few moments, then slowly sank back down on her heels before she let go of his sleeve. Ending the date was a little sad, and there was a part of her that didn't really want to. It was enormously tempting to suggest that they do this again sometime, since she was certain they'd both had a good time. But that was expecting far too much, and she knew she should be satisfied with this alone. It would give her something pleasant to think about for the next couple of days until she reported to Esdham.

And that was that.

"Good night, Raven. Until next we meet."

Edited 2015-10-30 04:59 (UTC)

Raven wasn't overtly objected to it, he may have had one or two reserves, but nothing he felt was important enough to mention. He understood where there were times he needed growth too, and this was one of them. The archer straighten his posture as he pulled away from the front where Rukia stood. He raised his arm some to give her a proper departure. It was a casual wave, but one nonetheless.

"Sooner than ya think." He responded in his relaxed glee.

It was probably a good thing no one he knew was around to witness any of this, surely they would never let him live it down had they observed what evolved over the course of a few hours.

He would take his leave, the day turned out longer than he anticipated and he was overdue for a much needed nap. The world wasn't endanger just yet, so he had time to goof off until the time came.

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001 Arrow of Love | Auction Dates

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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

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❤ ❤ ❤