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Post by Ceyla Regenwald on Aug 9, 2016 11:54:03 GMT -6
❝
Feeling Alburn’s hand brush against her hair, Ceyla released a comforted sigh as her hold around him tightened a bit. It was a sensation she still had some getting used to, but it managed to fulfill what she imagined was its intended goal. She felt safe, cared for - things she hadn’t felt in quite a long time. As she listened to his heartbeat, she found herself lost in her thoughts. Ceyla recalled her time with Elijah, and how she had longed to feel like this while spending time with him - despite best efforts, such a thing never happened. That wasn’t to say he didn’t try, or that his attempts were disingenuous, rather that things stopped clicking after a certain amount of time.
In the case of Officer Redgrave, the exact opposite was happening.
As time went on, she found herself more inclined to seek his company, growing more and more attached to him as they spent more time together. She had grown accustomed to his face, in a sense. Alburn had, over time, become a person that Ceyla couldn’t really see life without. He was her friend - by all regard her best friend. There was that part of her, however, that sometimes entertained the idea of them becoming more than that. It was these thoughts that served as ammunition of Lucile’s casual teasing, paired with Ceyla’s unwillingness to outright lie. Whatever her feelings towards Alburn were, they started with a spark and were slowly trying to burn.
"What am I going to do with you?" The young man muttered. "Making me feel like this...." With a cheerful smile, she looked up at him, slowly letting her hold on him go as he nudged himself away. Ceyla’s first response was a giggle, followed by an exaggerated shrug. She didn’t really have much to say in return, but she felt a great sense of joy in seeing Alburn looking so happy. The smiles, the laughter - they were all things she had started seeing from the young man as of late. It was a far cry from how he was when they first met, even for the first few times they were together following the open house. If it was because of her, and remained in her power, then Ceyla resolved to make sure he stayed happy.
But what did he mean by "making me feel like this"?
While she thought about what to say next, Alburn took initiative and continued the conversation. "Thanks for today." He said with a pause. Her smile grew as she rested her arms behind her back, rocking slightly on her heels. She knew this was something she had waited to hear. "Because of you, I'm really having the best time of my life, and tell you what: Next time, I'll prepare a little something for us." Bingo. Ceyla’s face grew red, and she glanced away in an effort to hide it. Her heart fluttered, the rush of blood sending a tingling sensation throughout her body. She could feel the blushing all over. Her cheeks, ears, nose - a heat only comparable to the fire on that pier so long ago.
“It’s been my pleasure, Alburn.” She said in a farouche tone. Ceyla could feel her eyes misting up as she urged herself to continue speaking, whether or not it was noticeable she didn’t know. “Having you around lately has meant a lot to me. You’ve…you’ve been a great friend and…I…” Her voice seized up as an invisible lump formed in her throat. She could feel her body gently trembling as she struggled to go on. So this was real anxiety? It was something so alien to her that in her mind, the first instinctual reaction was to activate her Semblance to combat it. Luckily, she prevented that from happening, instead looking up towards Alburn.
“I was…thinking that, maybe, if you wanted…if you didn’t mind…” She stammered, trying of little avail to swallow down that lump that had formed moments ago. “Maybe we could go out or something.” The embarrassment had gotten to be too much, and Ceyla shyly turned towards the picnic blanket on the ground. “Like…not like we’ve been doing, I mean like…on a date or something.” Finally getting the word out released all of the pent up anxiety, and she let out a loud huff as a breeze blew up from the river. God it felt good. Of course, now Ceyla only had one thing to worry about, something that rattled her to her very core.
Rejection. |
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Post by Alburn Redgrave on Aug 10, 2016 4:46:10 GMT -6
 | TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME | |
Already the Officer thought of a few places where he ought to take her for their next outing - rather for 'hanging out', per say in the wise words of a certain someone back at the Police Station. From what he'd gathered thus far, as far as his police officer's intuitions old him, Ceyla seemed to appreciate simple everyday scenery, like this river, away from civilization. Fortunately, after all the work he'd done, Alburn had a few places in his mind she could truly appreciate. Then, as he watched her face turn red, the male took it as a form of confirmation that he had definitely done something right with what he'd said, and she seemed pretty happy about it too. Never in his life had he wanted to make someone so happy before, let alone see someone smile so much, even if it was no more than a fleeting thing. To him seeing her smile - just brought him the kind of peace in his own soul in ways that he'd never felt before. Unknowingly, even the Officer felt himself changing along with her, together. However, while lost in his own thoughts, Ceyla snapped him back to reality with a reply of her own: “It’s been my pleasure, Alburn," Her eyes were quite misty, but for what reasons, he wondered. “Having you around lately has meant a lot to me. You’ve…you’ve been a great friend and… I.... I was…thinking that, maybe, if you wanted…if you didn’t mind…” Alburn quickly noticed the stammering in her words. They were often sure telltale signs of a nervousness, anxiety, and fear out of a person. What was she so afraid of? He didn't know. Instead of directly asking Ceyla, he simply decided to wait it out as he tilted his head in an angle slightly to the side. However, his answer to the curiosity came in a form in ways that he couldn't possibly expect: “Maybe we could go out or something.” Going... out? He left himself to wonder the reasoning behind the overall question, because quite frankly, they've been already doing that already. Weren't they already going places together, as friends would? What could she possibly mean? "Well, we've already been kind of doing that, haven't we?" “Like…not like we’ve been doing, I mean like…on a date or something.” It took Alburn's thoughts a few moments to register what was really happening. He recalled his experience back at the Vytal academy when someone had asked him something similar in regard, and of course, being who he was back then, he outright rejected her without even giving it a second thought. This time, instead of him being asked to formally enter a much more close, intimidate relationship by some girl that he didn't know, the Officer found himself being asked by a woman he came to be particularly fond. More specifically, Ceyla Regenwald, the Prime Minister of the Legion - as well as his former enemy who he'd crossed swords many times before. At that moment, Alburn's eyes widened, and he simply stopped breathing because of how unexpected this was. It was not often that the Officer found himself so astonished, more so than the time when Ceyla wanted to know who he was in midst of combat during their first meeting at the pier. Now, it was he who found himself feeling the same thing the woman was experiencing. His stomach felt like it was going to turn over any second, his had started to begin beating much faster than it did a few moments ago. The answer to her question was so obvious - yet he found himself being unable to say it. Why was he so nervous? All it took was no more than a simple yes. However, something kept him from doing so. The Officer recalled the moments when he walked home from school alone as a child that day. How he saw his father, a strong man that he once knew before, lying broken, bloodied on the street. How his mother was so devastated by his death afterwards. How broken he was. His soul was torn asunder. Nobody had the right to lose someone they loved, someone so precious to be simply taken away from them. What if same thing happened to him? What if Ceyla never smiled afterwards? It made him recall the times when he chose solitude, to fight alone without anyone by his side. However, seeing this woman in front of him made him think: He was not alone. Not anymore. She brought him out, she unchained him from those fears. With her, he could take on the world, at least, that's how he'd felt. "... I...." He paused, "Alright, but let's make one thing clear:"
Alburn took a deep breath, but he found himself unable to say the feeling that was welling up in his chest. "I love you, Ceyla." ▲ |
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Post by Ceyla Regenwald on Aug 10, 2016 7:48:14 GMT -6
❝
"…I…" Alburn said with a pause. "Alright, but let's make one thing clear." She didn’t know whether to settle down and accept that as a yes, or seize up and take it as rejection. Alright may not have been the sort of response she was expecting at the time, but with how out of the blue this was for their little outing, she couldn’t blame him for being a little surprised or something. What Ceyla truly didn’t expect was what came next. A few words, but ones with the power to make or break another person. Words she had grown so afraid of in recent times. Before they even came out of his mouth, she could feel them coming.
"I love you, Ceyla."
The words echoed in her head, her eyes widening with surprise. In a similar manner to when she first cried in front on him, one single tear rolled down her face. Then another, followed by another, until it was an almost persistent flow. She could feel how much harder her heart was pounding, how much it hurt her chest and her ears. The only thing she could do at that time was stave off the urge to start sobbing. Despite all this, it was clear that the expression on her face was not one of sadness. Despite being scared, despite having nothing else to say - Ceyla was smiling. Holding her hands together in front of her, she cupped her hands over her face and sniffled quietly as she drew in a calming breath.
Ceyla turned towards Alburn, her face still covered, even though it was noticeable that she was grinning like a massive dork. “I…” She said, beginning to stammer again. There were even signs of a bit of shy laughter in her voice. How did she respond to this? It took some reflection - a dive to heart, if you will - for her to finally find her answer. She recounted the day the two first met, and all the days of cat and mouse that came afterward. Even in the days as the Red-eyed Maiden, Ceyla knew something like this between them was possible, if the circumstances were different. Now, of course, the circumstances were different.
After that came that night at the open house.
That night was one of the most memorable to her, and an event she intended to cherish forever. It was the night they finally, officially, met one another. The night their friendship began, and the very catalyst to the events leading up to now. The two had learned much about the other, and with any two people there was still much to know, but the only thing that mattered right now was how they were both feeling. Over the last several months, Ceyla had grown to care more for Alburn than she had any person before him. Even her feelings for Elijah, whom she had seen for almost a year before his untimely death, came nowhere close to this.
She knew exactly how she felt, and knew exactly how to respond. Something simple.
“I love you, too.” She finally replied, looking up at Alburn with nervous eyes. It took a few minutes to settle down, but once she did, Ceyla approached the young man and looped her arms around him once again. She didn’t want to let him go, and if she were to have her way, she would stand there forever and hold onto him. With a heavy, stifled sigh, Ceyla smiled. “I love you, Alburn.” She added for reassurance, emphasizing her feelings to the best of her ability. She had meant what she said to him before, that she didn’t care what anyone thought of him or their spending time together. The people that mattered already knew where Ceyla would go, who she was with, and - more importantly - how she felt about the person she was with.
Her arms moved from being around his waist to once again being looped over his neck. Like she had before, she used the leverage to pull herself up, placing another soft kiss on his cheek. Instead of withdrawing right away, however, Ceyla’s face lingered close to his. “Thank you for everything, Alburn.” She said in a whispered tone. “I’m pretty sure I’ve never…never been this happy. Ever.” The day had proven to be much more than, as far as she believed, either of them expected. Both of them had seemingly broken free of a shell. For Ceyla, it made anything like this seem impossible. She had accepted that true happiness only existed in stories, yet here she was - grinning like a damned fool and the happiest she had ever been.
“I’ll never leave.” tag(s) : Alburn Redgrave -- words: 823 --- notes: this ship has set sail m8 |
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Post by Alburn Redgrave on Aug 12, 2016 5:17:11 GMT -6
| TAKE ME TO VALHALLA WHERE MY BROTHERS WAIT FOR ME | |
It all began as series of sparks - and those sparks ignited something within him like fireworks going off within his heart each time he encountered Ceyla. It kept growing, and growing until it became flames raging within him, coursing through his veins like the fire that engulfed the pier on the day they first met. If this was what it felt like to fall in love with someone, then he didn't know what else. Though they were enemies at first, Alburn began to care for her more than anybody he'd encountered previously, and it was a total far cry from the time they first met at the Police Headquarters, as well as from how he was before. He changed because of her. As the Officer watched as Ceyla shyly cover up her face, Alburn began to ponder if he'd said something wrong. He was getting worried - perhaps he picked the wrong timing, or the wrong place to make such confession. Well, he never really saw himself as a romantic person in the first place, anyway. If she had a complaint to go with it, saying how this wasn't the right place - or the right time, he was more than willing to hear it. Instead of what he was expecting, the woman was returning the very same feelings that he poured out for her - only three times over. The younger woman latched her arms around his waist, and the male found his arms naturally forming itself around her much smaller frame firmly as if she were about to disappear at any minute. "I love you, too," She looked up to him, and her answer sent waves of emotions through the very core of his being like which he'd never experienced before. This... feeling, it was extraordinarily difficult to describe, but Alburn felt as if he were on the very top of the world, that he could take on anything, and he definitely didn't want it to stop. He wanted to keep holding onto her, to cherish this moment. If it were possible, he did not want to let her go. No, he will NEVER let go. Not as long as he continued to linger on this world with Ceyla at his side. At this point, it didn't matter if she was a Prime Minister of the Legion, because all he saw was a woman who'd stolen his heart, and that reaffirming statement coming from her only strengthened that. Then using her arms moving towards the back of his neck, she attempted to pull herself up to him. Seeing the obviously difference between their height, Alburn leaned down to help her what she was clearly intending on doing. He felt that no matter how many times she'd do this to him in the future, the Officer felt as if he'd never be able to get used to it. “Thank you for everything, Alburn.” She whispered to his ear, so close that he could feel her soft breath brushing gently against the scar on his face. “I’m pretty sure I’ve never…never been this happy. Ever.” A small laughter left him when she said this. If there was anyone who ought to be thankful for this, then he felt that person should obviously be himself of all people. “I’ll never leave.”"No, if there's anyone who should feel thankful, then it's me." He muttered, and met his forehead against hers. Ceyla had given him so many things, yet Alburn felt as if he'd only returned so little of it - only a fraction. He felt quite blessed to have such a woman who loved him so. Not only that, she was the single greatest friend he'd had. "Thank you." He gently pressed his lips to her forehead. It truly felt like a classic ending to a fairy tale that his father used to read to him every night he went bed as a child, but this was not an ending - rather it was a start of a new beginning for them on a road that they'd walk on. Two souls, traveling on a same road. The male didn't know what the future had in store for them, but whatever it was... he'd face it head on. As he always did. Then, he gently pulled away from her, with a smile formed on his face. However, his stomach started to growl, finally making him realize that he hadn't eaten much of anything since his departure from his apartment. Ceyla did say that she cooked up something - so he was actually looking forward to what was in that basket. Alburn hoped that his obviously empty stomach wasn't killing the mood between the two too much. "Sorry, seems my stomach is thinking more about food more than you," He shrugged nonchalantly, "What's for lunch anyway?" ▲ |
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Post by Ceyla Regenwald on Aug 12, 2016 14:52:30 GMT -6
❝
She felt like the luckiest person in the world, standing there with him.
Resting comfortably against him, Ceyla resisted every reflex to let go. A sense of peace had fallen upon her, a feeling she was in no hurry to bring to an end. "No, if there's anyone who should feel thankful, then it's me." He said back to her, resting his forehead against her’s. With a smile, Ceyla brushed the tip of her nose against him ”Thank you.” He added, his lips finding their mark on her forehead. Ceyla did her best to fight smirking as she blushed, her face having just returned to its normal tone. Despite her best efforts, a coy smile grew across her face. “You’re welcome, Alburn.” She said, keeping it short as to not ruin their little moment.
Love. It was an emotion Ceyla usually had a hard time trying to convey. From her family to her friends, even to Eli, love was simply a concept the young woman didn’t understand. Yet, here she was, feeling it - experiencing it. As far as she was concerned, every decision she had ever made at this point - beginning back when she left home, all the way to striking a bargain with the Chairman months ago - brought her to here. It brought her to Alburn. It brought her to love. Now, despite - for the longest time - believing she’d never get to experience it, her love for Alburn would be what drove her. If Ceyla had no reason to push herself to do the very best for the Kingdom, she did now.
As Alburn eased away, she noticed the look on his face almost instantly. She worried if she had said something wrong, acted inappropriately in some way. The concern faded away at the grumbling of his stomach. Ceyla managed to suppress her urge to laugh, instead giving Alburn’s hands a gentle squeeze. "Sorry, seems my stomach is thinking more about food more than you." He said with a casual shrug. "What's for lunch anyway?" Taking a few steps away from him, Ceyla beamed with excitement. “I thought you’d never ask!” She replied with a gleeful laugh. “I mean, honestly, it’s not super fascinating or anything.”
Strolling over to the picnic blanket, she took a seat and began rummaging through the basket, setting each item to the side as she did so. “Rather plain sandwiches. Cheese and meat - meats include turkey, ham, roast beef. Pretty normal stuff, I think.” She went on. “For fruit, I brought a lot more to choose from. Watermelon, a few apples, two different kinds of grapes, and berries - all kinds of berries.” Looking at him with a smile, she motioned for Alburn to join her. “And because it was simple, I brought us some lemonade and water. It was all quite heavy.” She added. “So hopefully there’s something you’ll like!”
[OOC: This one’s a little shorter cuz I wrote it from my phone.] |
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