(no subject)
Summary: Rook attempts to seduce Thesia to the Darkside..
The main square of Traverse Town is a lively place, even at night, although people are fewer and far between and only the truly brave will venture out into the dark streets which are often overrun by the Heartless. Beyond the main square, there is a large wooden door to the east that heads towards the business district, and a set of wide stairs heading to the upper level of town. There are also various nooks and crannies leading towards back allies and other dark areas where creatures of the night like to lurk. Towards the west is a small yet inviting cafe next to an alley, and above that is a small inn. To the north are more stores such as Cid's item shop, as well as a weapons shop and even candy shops. Fluorescent lamp posts emit a soft amber glow from every corner of the town, lighting up a large map towards the upper right corner of the square, next to the stairway. There is also a bright red post box located here, and a post office not far away..
Contents:
Rook
Obvious exits:
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Outskirts']
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Business District']
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Upper Level']
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Cid's Workshop']
[leads to 'Sidewalk Cafe - Traverse Town']
It is another quiet night in Traverse Town, and for once, there are no heartless about which is a good thing cuz things have been getting waay too crazy around here. Stepping out of the sidewalk cafe emerges Thesia, dressed for once in casual clothing that makes her look considerably different from her usual harsher SOLDIER appearance. She's wearing rather normal looking khakis with a pink silk shirt and even a cute pink bow in her hair, pulling it back into a long ponytail. If one didnt know better, they might almost mistake her for being 'cute and harmless'. Which is never a good thing to do. She's still carrying a cup of half-finished ice tea in her hands as she heads down the street towards the Inn although as always she seems deep in thought, thinking about what Ruby's fortune had revealed about her possible future with Rook..
An odd energy sweeps through the street, though most likely only felt by the soldier as it passes by her. Then suddenly, a portal opens, and it's right in front of her! Could it be more heartless coming to attack Traverse Town? One never knows with these things. The swirling darkness in front of her might seem a bit alluring, nothing comes out of it right away, but it does begin to pull her some as it grows larger, enough for her to fit through, and then she might get that strange feeling that Rook is around, but he's actually no where in sight and it doesn't seem like he's about to step out of the portal anytime soon. Perhaps this is his way of summoning her to him?
"Huh..? What the.." she frowns, pulling out her glaive as the portal appears and expecting more heartless to pop out like they always do. But instead, there's nothing there and she narrows her eyes intently upon the portal. Hmm, is this a trap perhaps? or could it be Rook, summoning her? whatever the case, her curiosity outweighs whatever fear she might be feeling (if any at all) and she boldly steps through the portal, though still keeps her glaive at hand..
Like always, there is two sides to one of these portals, and at the other end of the portal is the following...
It's quite a beautiful scene one gazed upon, it's seemingly in the middle of no where, no visible landscapes that might give away where the location of this hidden valley is. At the edge of a cliff, is someone... could it be Rook? Well, anyhow.. this person is wearing some kind of formal clothing it appears like. Perhaps more casual than formal, but it's still pretty fancy, with a black silk shirt, and a pair of leather dress pants, as well as a pair of pointy-toed dress boots, not cowboy boots, but like the 'city folk' used to wear in the old days.
On this planet, the sun is setting to the east just behind the mountains on the other side of this hidden valley which seems to be surrounded by mountains. It's purity still in tact as it has yet to be touched by heartless. The knight slowly turns his head, glancing over his shoulder,"Don't be shy... Come here.." He then turns to look back out over the valley. There is a small town within the valley, a few farming areas, it's really quite a sight to say the least.
Thesia gasps as she steps into the world..A world untouched by the heartless. "Huh...It's so...So beautiful.." she murmurs as her gaze sweeps over the serene sunset, and she closes her eyes briefly, feeling the cool yet gentle breeze against her azure skin. It's only as she opens them once more that she hears that familiar voice, that beloved voice that she would recognize anywhere, even if he is dressed rather oddly..And she cant help but blush a little at the sight of him, looking more handsome than ever. "Huh..Horai..?" she asks uncertainly as she climbs up the slight incline to join him. "What is this place..Where are we?"
Rook continues to stand there for a moment longer until she gets closer to him. He finally turns about to face her and then smiles a little, shaking his head as he takes a few steps toward her now to close the gap between them. "It doesn't matter where we are." He shrugs his shoulders a little,"I've been many places, and this is one of the places that I thought I'd share with you." He narrows his eyes on her slightly, and then offers her a hand,"Come.. take my hand, Thesia. Enjoy this moment with me."
Thesia bites her lip, eyeing his hand warily, "But..But, where are we going? And why are you dressed like that?" she sighs, staring down beyond the cliff's edge, looking terribly confused, lost even. Is this another trick, some kinda..Trap? Maybe it's not even Rook, but some other heartless..But he seemed so real..Even this place was real, somehow. "I thought..You wanted me to gather information about this town and about the tournament...Do we really hate time for this?"
Rook chuckles softly, and shakes his head. "We can always make time for one another, can't we Thesia?" He sighs and slowly turns his gaze away from her,"Forget about the tournament, forget about everything but us... We are here, let's enjoy the moment please?" He slowly lifts his head as that bloody crimson gaze locks onto her own eyes intently. "Please... stop worrying so much and just live in the moment as it is and don't question it so much." He extends his hand out to her a little further,"Please.. "
"But...You're acting so..So strange, so different. Why this, all of a sudden?" all the same, how could she resist the temptation? this is what she's always wanted afterall, right? "Hmm...Horai? Is this really what you want, to be with me?" slowly, carefully, almost hesitantly, she reaches for his hand, though once she takes it, she grasps it tightly as if she were afraid he might let go. "You know I'd go with you wherever you take me..I cant think of anything else but you..But..I.." she bites her lip, looking away towards the cliff's edge again, still holding something back, still feeling somehow..wary about all of this, but why?
As she places her hand in his own, he squeezes her hand tightly, but carefully not to break it or something as he slowly tugs her to him now, looking to pull her out of her defensive stance and bring her into his embrace and slide his other arm around her waist. "Thesia.. relax. If I wanted to kill you, I would have by now." He sighs as he watches her gaze drift. He slowly tilts his head as he tries to meet her gaze,"Look at me Thesia.. Look me in the eyes please.." He smiles a little more warmly as he then slides his hand about her hip whether she comes to him or not freely he now pulls her closer, pressing his body against her own as his face is less than an inch from her own, his cheek brushing against her own caressingly as he whispers,"Let go of your worries...and dance with me." Despite there being no music, other than what might be in his head, he begins to force her, though slowly at first as he tries to get her to move to his rythm. His body begins to sway from side to side, resting his face against her own as he closes his eyes and whispers into her ear,"I desperately...hmm.. I desperately want to love you and I do not know why, but I am no longer questioning it. If you are my only hope, then whatever it takes Thesia... whatever it takes." He then grows silently for now as he continues to dance to his own slow beat, taking a step to the left, a step back, and continuing to follow this rather simple technique as he slowly turns her about in a circle.
"Hmm..Horai.." she closes her eyes then, letting herself be swept up into his gaze, into his overwhelming presence which is both somehow..Comforting yet frightening for her, and she bites her lip as she gazes softly into his eyes though rather slowly, haltingly as if she feared those dark, crimsom eyes of his. "But tell me..Who are you...Really? Are you my Horai? is this..Some kind of dream? Have you returned to me?" if only he had..But why cant she shake off this feeling? It's almost..Too easy, there's GOT to be a catch, somewhere..But maybe it doesnt matter anymore, and she closes her eyes, resting her head against the knight's powerful chest, letting herself be carried away by the inaudible music as she glides gracefully, elegantly across the invisible dance floor..No longer is she dressed in casual street clothes, but in her beautiful heartless gown, smiling gently as she continues to close her eyes yet somehow manages to keep in perfect rythm with her partner as if she had been dancing like this all her life..As if they were one. And slowly, gradually she seems to relax just a bit, no longer afraid, no longer on her guard, even clasping her hand all the more tightly about his - those same hands that countless times tried to kill her, had tortured her, and hurt her so much in the past..But it wasnt Horai, was it..?
To be honest, it's a bit of both, but that's for him to know and her to find out. He is acting rather strangely, though as she gives in more to his rythmatic persuasion, all the worries in the world could easily be lifted off ones shoulders at a time like this. The knight continues to hold her securely in his embrace as he slowly steps back and turns repeatedly, swaying her body gently in the breeze as the sun sets off in the background. His eyes snap open again, though he continues what he is doing, his head laying ontop of her own. He lifts her hand in his own high above their shoulders and then just enough to reach above her head as his other hand moves out to her hip again and he spins her about, twirling her about elegantly.
Thesia seems to smile a little, if even a bit, though it's a sort of sad smile as she lets herself be carried in the breeze. Her own steps are quickenning too, stepping out to twirl and spin before she's pulled back again, her eyes finally openning to gaze searchingly in your own. "Mm..What is it, Horai? What are you thinking? Wont you tell me? I wanna know..I dont want anymore secrets between us..Please?" still, she continues to dance as she speaks, feeling somehow calm and relaxed like this..Almost enough to completely shake off that uneasy feeling..Almost but not quite. Is she really so paranoid?
Rook sighs and slowly comes to a hault now as he tips her over backwards, near to the ground, releasing her hand from his own as he reaches down behind her while having her leaning over backwards while his arm is about behind her lower back, holding her in place, his hips against her own as he simply plucks a wild flower from the ground at their feet and as he brings her back up to her feet, he reaches up with the flower and slowly slides it behind her ear. He then leans in closer to her. He whispers in that deep voice softly,"Shh..." He takes the same hand he put the flower behind her ear and places a single finger over her lips before letting it drop off, and down to her waist now as he leans in further, like a predictable script it's about that time when the knight gives the princess he's trying to seduce a kiss .... and that's exactly what he does, giving her a peck on the cheek right at the corner of her lush lips gently.
Strange, how he avoids her questions like that..why's he being so dodgy anyway? What's he got to hide..? Hmm, isnt it obvious? He's...He's...She closes her eyes then as she leans back, reaching out her arm to brush the breeze with her fingertips as if she could, trying to forget all her worries and fears - afterall, this is exactly what she wanted, isnt it? To be with her Horai, just the two of them, together again..Not a care in the world. So why cant she shake the feeling completely? Why cant she just..Hmm..Relax a little. She opens her eyes again as the flower is pressed against her ear, shivering a little as if she were cold somehow, as the goosebumps rise up on her neck at the touch..And the kiss, which causes her to blush a little more as she rises once more, clutching tightly to her Horai? Rook? Who knows..Maybe it doesnt even matter anymore. "I'm glad you feel the same..I'm glad we got to be together afterall.." she smiles, snuggling up to him some more as if trying to shake off that cold feeling she gets - forgetting almost that she is a snow nymph afterall..And then those doubts, those questions, that guardedness she had felt a second ago..It's slowly ebbing away, somehow, not gone entirely but..Almost.
Right now, the knight is thinking... well, he's thinking jackpot. Why? Because he has her right where he wants her, under his control... "Oh Thesia... I wish this night could go on forever.." He smiles a little and wraps his arms around her lithe body a bit more, hugging her tightly as he holds her gently in his embrace. His eyes locked on her own now, just staring deeply into them, almost finding himself lost in that beautiful gaze of her's. He sighs and closes his eyes for just a second before opening them up again, only to be hypnotized by that beauty that can be compared the first snowfall of a winter season, that fresh, untouched sea of white, kind of like her hair, those eyes, like reflecting puddles of frozen ice as he stares at his reflection in them intently. He finally frees one of his hands and lifts it up, sliding his fingers along her arm and up over her shoulder, across her neck as he brings his hand up to brush his fingers lightly against her cheek, pushing a few locks of that pure white hair behind her ear slowly... "I've never realized just how beautiful you really were before now.."
Hit the jackpot? Maybe..Maybe not. All she knows is that she's caught in the moment, unable to think of anything else but her dear Horai..Afterall, could a heartless really feel such emotions as this? Why..It could only be Horai and not Rook..Couldnt it? Besides, this is what she's always wanted. Just the two of them, alone..Together, for eternity..She just smiles as he holds her closer, resting her against his chest as she reaches down slowly to clutch his hand and bringing it carefully to her lips as if to brush them against his fingertips. "Horai..? Can we really do this? Wont the others be mad? I mean..You're still a heartless knight, right? Or is this the end of it all...?" for a moment she seems a little worried as she lowers his hand, chancing a lingering glance towards his crimson eyes..Such cruel, evil eyes they are still, and yet she stares back at him for the longest time as if searching for the Horai she once knew and loved..Is he really in there, somewhere?
The knight only feints a smile and shakes his head,"Please, don't worry much, my dear Thesia..." He sighs and pulls her closer, reaching up and placing his hand behind her head and pressing her head back to his chest again as he lays his cheek down on top of her own head. He then grins a little devilishly while she can't see it. Try the three of them, alone and together ... perhaps for an eternity, no one knows. Rook simply holds her for the longest moment in silence now, his chest slowly rising and falling as he breaths lightly, his heartbeat is faint, very faint and a slow rythmatic beat that declines at times and speeds up during other times, right now it's kind of mellow, it's still very slow but it's alive and kicking none the less, more like a casual, dying heart's last attempts at clinging to life ..thump, thump thump .... thump ...... thump....thump thump, thump ....
Thesia blinks a bit as she's pulled closer, and tries to relax, clenching her eyes shut again as she listens carefully to his heartbeat which seems enough to calm her down a bit; At least her own heart isnt racing as much as it was, and she isnt shivering so much either as if she were in the fight or flight response - honestly, what is she so afraid of, anyway? She smiles shaking her head a little as she continues to snuggle up to him - it's been too long since she got this close to anyone, really. "I'm sorry...It's just...I'm so confused..Your actions, they dont seem to make sense to me..I'm not even sure who you are anymore.."
The knight continues to hold her for a long time in silence. After a few moments, he finally pulls away from her slightly so he can glance down at her again. He forces a smile to his lips as he stares her in the eyes,"You know who I am, Thesia... you just have to open your eyes to the truth." He shrugs his shoulders a bit, and then slowly takes a step away from her, moving his hands to grasp her own in them. He glances down at her hands for a moment as he runs his thumbs over them caressingly, and then lifts her hands up to his lips, kissing the back of them softly, seductively,"Just relax and give in to me... stop worrying so much. Your making this more difficult than it has to be."
Thesia shakes her head, narrowing her eyes slightly..And tensing once more. "No..That's not true, you couldnt be a heartless. You're not like the rest!" she sighs, hanging her head, refusing to see..Whatever the 'truth' may be. "I know..Because the heartless cannot love, they're not capable of love, and yet can you possibly tell me to my face that you dont feel the same way about me? That this isnt just another lie of yours?" she frowns now, staring down at his hands, wanting to believe...But afraid of letting go, lest she lose Horai forever. "If I submit to you now, then...Then what happens to Horai?" but even as she says that, she knows what the answer would be. But is this the only way there is?
Rook sighs and shakes his head, he tugs at her hands, pulling her closer to him yet again. He then raises her hands up to put them around his neck and then lowers his hands back down to her hips as he holds her close. Those bloody crimson eyes gazing deeply into her own,"You don't get it do you. I am Horai. I've always been Horai. Maybe a little different now than I were before, but I'm still here, and I'll always be here." He shrugs his shoulders a little and taps his fingers on her hips a bit as he contemplates his words for a minute or two before tilting his head to the side slightly, giving her a quizzical look,"I need you to be complete... I can never be complete without you heartless or not. Why can't you understand this?"
Thesia frowns, shaking her head, though she doesnt resist as her arms are wrapped around his neck, gazing into his eyes gently, almost inquisitively. "Horai? You dont mean that...I know what you've always wanted and it wasnt this!" she sighs, pulling him close again, close enough so that her frost tinged lips barely brush his own, yet remain far enough away as if to tease him as she leans in close, almost conspiratorily in a whisper; Lest some random heartless spy should hear them speak, "Listen to me..Everything that I've done, everything that I sacrificed for you, was to free you from this place..From this hell. As long as you stay here, as long as you embrace the darkness within, then you will never be free, and you will NEVER be complete. Dont you see, this darkness is slowly destroying you, all you care about is power, and death no matter what the cost. You've become..A monster.." she tilts her head a little as she gazes once more into his eyes with those firey, determined golden orbs of hers. "You are Horai, you were a paladin, a beacon of light. You used your strength to protect others, not destroy them. Dont you see, it's only by helping others, and saving lives..By truly LOVING other people that you can be complete..Not like this. If you continue to embrace the darkness, then it will destroy you. And you'll be left with nothing but emptiness. As your guardian, I cant let that happen to you..Even if I have to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect you from the darkness, then I will...For you.."
"A monster.." The words are uttered quietly from his lips...
Rook narrows his eyes on her intently, and then he withdraws one of his hands from her own slowly, then he cocks it back as if ready to strike her. His upper lip curling in distaste as he stares at her long and hard for a moment. He then lowers his hand and just stares at her coldly. "Since we've decided to be so open and honest with one another, despite my attempts at trying to free you of your worries and actually show you a good time, then fine, that's what we'll do." He pulls his other hand away from her now and then takes a step back and gestures to himself by pointing his hands at his chest,"Look at me, Thesia. Come on.. Get a good look at me!" He steps toward her and then reaches out and grabs her chin, forcefully lifting her head so she'll have to look at him. "You continue to call me Horai, when you know damn well that I am not him anymore. Look around you long and hard.. there is only two of us here... that's me, and you. There is no third person here. Just me.. Rook... and you.. Thesia. Open your eyes, your blinded by that stupid hope you have that makes you think you can SAVE me from this .. this.. MONSTER you think I am! But in all reality, you and I both know.. that Horai .. me... that I am this monster." The knight shrugs his shoulders, he then reaches out in an attempt to grab her glaive and strip it away from her now, and if he does so, her heartless dress will dissappear. "I don't even know why I keep you around anymore other than for some sick twisted amusement that is really started to bore me to be honest with you."
"Ugh..." she stumbles back, cringing a bit as she's about to get struck, although she manages to dart out of the way before the glaive can be ripped away from her, pulling it close to her as she shakes her head. "Wait..What are you doing?" she sighs, stumbling back, looking down at her hands in stunned silence for a moment, though she clenches them after a while, her eyes narrowing as she peers back at him, "Tell me then, why do you keep me around anymore? Why dont you just get it over with already...You know I'll never become one of the heartless..Not after what they did to me, and to you!! And yet..You accept it instead of trying to fight it like I do!" her eyes darken a tinge then, an almost dark smile playing on her lips, "I understand now, maybe it's too late, I was a fool to think you could even be capable of love anymore..You're a heartless afterall, just a cold empty shell filled with meaningless memories..And now, all I am is a constant nightmare to you..How about I make it easier for you...You dont ever have to worry about me getting in your way again.." clutching the glaive in her hands, she closes her eyes as she holds it close to her heart and pauses there a moment as if pondering..If there is but a shred of the real Horai left then maybe he might be able to save her and perhaps even save himself in the process - if not, well she really has no wish to live without him.
Rook tilts his head to one side slighty, giving her a questionable look for a second or two, taking a step closer to her now. "Thesia, what are you doing? Give me the glaive." He keeps a cold, serious expression on his face, peering at her intently with that bloody murderous gaze.
The knight shakes his head and then stops just a foot from her, watching her closely now. He lowers his head for a second, looking down to the ground, and then says,"There is very little of me left that could ever love you Thesia, and I am clinging to it, even now... I don't know what I'm capable of anymore. I don't even know what the point of all of this is.. I'm just ...going out on a limb here, hoping to find something worthwhile maybe. Is that what you wanted to hear? That I'm using you to achieve ultimate power rather than you saving me from the darkness that consumes, I want to delve myself into it entirely and come out stronger than ever? .. Is that really what you want to hear Thesia?! BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRUTH!"
Rage fills his eyes now as he stares at her, he starts approaching her again, reaching out his hand,"-GIVE ME- the glaive, Thesia.. don't do anything foolish." He continues to approach her now, rather quickly too, still a stone cold expression on his face, though those raging murderous red orbs show more emotion than anything, but the emotion is like a mixed variety of every emotion ever felt which then becomes a hateful anger. "I don't want to hurt you. I want you to join me.. to give up this foolishness and accept what we've become.... I have already accepted it."
Ah yes, it would be so easy just to surrender and give in, but...Thesia was never one to surrender so easily to anyone, even if it would mean she could have her Horai - even if it were only in a superficial sense..Could she ever truly be happy, being little more than someone else's little 'pet?' Slowly, she opens her eyes again, glaring back at him defiantly, clutching the glaive ever tighter in her hands and pressing the cold metal against her neck, close enough to draw a little blood, though she does not flinch. She could never be so weak.."No..I will not..I will NOT be your little pet anymore..And I will not be the instrument to your ultimate power.." she frowns, backing away now, shaking her head, though her voice still remains steady even so, her golden eyes hardenning, "I could never give you what you want, so what's the point? I thought a part of you still cared about me, but obviously you just want to use me, so shut up! Let me just die in peace, before I forget everything about Horai..Before I forget why I loved him so..." she draws the blade closer to her neck then, laughing a little as she steps towards the very edge of the cliff now; Her laughter nearly on the verge of insanity, "Heh, you could always find yourself another little 'pet', I'm sure I'm easily replacable afterall..What's the difference between me and some other pretty girl? I've always just been that, havent I? A pretty little ornament!"
"Thesia..." Her name is murmured from his lips. He continues to approach her steadily while he talks,"You've no choice. If you kill yourself now, then tell me, who will save me?" He inclines his head to the side a little more, watching her closely,"If you aren't by my side, then there is nothing that will ever stop me. Do you really want to do that?"
His plan is to make her reconsider her actions long enough for him to snatch the glaive from her hands. He slowly but surely continues to move closer to her. When he's within range, he'll suddenly leap out at her, his right hand going for the glaive to pull it away, his other hand going for her body as he'll try to push her away and strip the glaive from her hand. "I will not give you up so easily!"
Thesia laughs a little crazily, shaking her head as she continues to back up, the heels of her boots skimming the very edge of the cliffside so that they send bits of rock crumbling down the side of the mountain, vanishing into the echoing depths below. "You fool...You really think I'll give up so easily?" golden eyes flash wildly, laughing like mad as she continues to back away. "Farewell, my Horai..." for a brief moment, a gentle smile seems to grace her slender lips as she closes her eyes and leaps backwards, off the edge of the precipice and vanishes from sight, for a heartracingly 20 seconds that may seem like an eternity..
And then..Slowly she rises again in a blinding white light as those feathery white angel wings burst from her back once more, lifting her ever upwards into the air so that she now stares down at him, that crazy look still present in her eagle like gaze, and it's only then that it becomes more obvious that the wild, insane esper half of her seemed to take over for just a second. She still clutches the glaive, though she spins it around expertly in her hands, stretching it out so that the deadly blades point only inches from his face should he dare to come so close..One wrong move is all it takes. "And you, my dear Horai...I will never give you up to the heartless so easily as well..." only for a moment does she rest the glaive there, but quickly, before he can react, she brings it up again, still laughing insanely, "Farewell, my Horai..Til we meet again..I will always love you, even if you are possessed by the heartless..And one day, I shall free you.." and as she speaks, the dark mist emanating from her glaive slowly swirls around her, coalescing with her own icy, frigid magic as she slowly, yet very dramatically vanishes before his very eyes..This isnt the end yet!
The main square of Traverse Town is a lively place, even at night, although people are fewer and far between and only the truly brave will venture out into the dark streets which are often overrun by the Heartless. Beyond the main square, there is a large wooden door to the east that heads towards the business district, and a set of wide stairs heading to the upper level of town. There are also various nooks and crannies leading towards back allies and other dark areas where creatures of the night like to lurk. Towards the west is a small yet inviting cafe next to an alley, and above that is a small inn. To the north are more stores such as Cid's item shop, as well as a weapons shop and even candy shops. Fluorescent lamp posts emit a soft amber glow from every corner of the town, lighting up a large map towards the upper right corner of the square, next to the stairway. There is also a bright red post box located here, and a post office not far away..
Contents:
Rook
Obvious exits:
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Outskirts']
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Business District']
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Upper Level']
[leads to 'Traverse Town - Cid's Workshop']
[leads to 'Sidewalk Cafe - Traverse Town']
It is another quiet night in Traverse Town, and for once, there are no heartless about which is a good thing cuz things have been getting waay too crazy around here. Stepping out of the sidewalk cafe emerges Thesia, dressed for once in casual clothing that makes her look considerably different from her usual harsher SOLDIER appearance. She's wearing rather normal looking khakis with a pink silk shirt and even a cute pink bow in her hair, pulling it back into a long ponytail. If one didnt know better, they might almost mistake her for being 'cute and harmless'. Which is never a good thing to do. She's still carrying a cup of half-finished ice tea in her hands as she heads down the street towards the Inn although as always she seems deep in thought, thinking about what Ruby's fortune had revealed about her possible future with Rook..
An odd energy sweeps through the street, though most likely only felt by the soldier as it passes by her. Then suddenly, a portal opens, and it's right in front of her! Could it be more heartless coming to attack Traverse Town? One never knows with these things. The swirling darkness in front of her might seem a bit alluring, nothing comes out of it right away, but it does begin to pull her some as it grows larger, enough for her to fit through, and then she might get that strange feeling that Rook is around, but he's actually no where in sight and it doesn't seem like he's about to step out of the portal anytime soon. Perhaps this is his way of summoning her to him?
"Huh..? What the.." she frowns, pulling out her glaive as the portal appears and expecting more heartless to pop out like they always do. But instead, there's nothing there and she narrows her eyes intently upon the portal. Hmm, is this a trap perhaps? or could it be Rook, summoning her? whatever the case, her curiosity outweighs whatever fear she might be feeling (if any at all) and she boldly steps through the portal, though still keeps her glaive at hand..
Like always, there is two sides to one of these portals, and at the other end of the portal is the following...
It's quite a beautiful scene one gazed upon, it's seemingly in the middle of no where, no visible landscapes that might give away where the location of this hidden valley is. At the edge of a cliff, is someone... could it be Rook? Well, anyhow.. this person is wearing some kind of formal clothing it appears like. Perhaps more casual than formal, but it's still pretty fancy, with a black silk shirt, and a pair of leather dress pants, as well as a pair of pointy-toed dress boots, not cowboy boots, but like the 'city folk' used to wear in the old days.
On this planet, the sun is setting to the east just behind the mountains on the other side of this hidden valley which seems to be surrounded by mountains. It's purity still in tact as it has yet to be touched by heartless. The knight slowly turns his head, glancing over his shoulder,"Don't be shy... Come here.." He then turns to look back out over the valley. There is a small town within the valley, a few farming areas, it's really quite a sight to say the least.
Thesia gasps as she steps into the world..A world untouched by the heartless. "Huh...It's so...So beautiful.." she murmurs as her gaze sweeps over the serene sunset, and she closes her eyes briefly, feeling the cool yet gentle breeze against her azure skin. It's only as she opens them once more that she hears that familiar voice, that beloved voice that she would recognize anywhere, even if he is dressed rather oddly..And she cant help but blush a little at the sight of him, looking more handsome than ever. "Huh..Horai..?" she asks uncertainly as she climbs up the slight incline to join him. "What is this place..Where are we?"
Rook continues to stand there for a moment longer until she gets closer to him. He finally turns about to face her and then smiles a little, shaking his head as he takes a few steps toward her now to close the gap between them. "It doesn't matter where we are." He shrugs his shoulders a little,"I've been many places, and this is one of the places that I thought I'd share with you." He narrows his eyes on her slightly, and then offers her a hand,"Come.. take my hand, Thesia. Enjoy this moment with me."
Thesia bites her lip, eyeing his hand warily, "But..But, where are we going? And why are you dressed like that?" she sighs, staring down beyond the cliff's edge, looking terribly confused, lost even. Is this another trick, some kinda..Trap? Maybe it's not even Rook, but some other heartless..But he seemed so real..Even this place was real, somehow. "I thought..You wanted me to gather information about this town and about the tournament...Do we really hate time for this?"
Rook chuckles softly, and shakes his head. "We can always make time for one another, can't we Thesia?" He sighs and slowly turns his gaze away from her,"Forget about the tournament, forget about everything but us... We are here, let's enjoy the moment please?" He slowly lifts his head as that bloody crimson gaze locks onto her own eyes intently. "Please... stop worrying so much and just live in the moment as it is and don't question it so much." He extends his hand out to her a little further,"Please.. "
"But...You're acting so..So strange, so different. Why this, all of a sudden?" all the same, how could she resist the temptation? this is what she's always wanted afterall, right? "Hmm...Horai? Is this really what you want, to be with me?" slowly, carefully, almost hesitantly, she reaches for his hand, though once she takes it, she grasps it tightly as if she were afraid he might let go. "You know I'd go with you wherever you take me..I cant think of anything else but you..But..I.." she bites her lip, looking away towards the cliff's edge again, still holding something back, still feeling somehow..wary about all of this, but why?
As she places her hand in his own, he squeezes her hand tightly, but carefully not to break it or something as he slowly tugs her to him now, looking to pull her out of her defensive stance and bring her into his embrace and slide his other arm around her waist. "Thesia.. relax. If I wanted to kill you, I would have by now." He sighs as he watches her gaze drift. He slowly tilts his head as he tries to meet her gaze,"Look at me Thesia.. Look me in the eyes please.." He smiles a little more warmly as he then slides his hand about her hip whether she comes to him or not freely he now pulls her closer, pressing his body against her own as his face is less than an inch from her own, his cheek brushing against her own caressingly as he whispers,"Let go of your worries...and dance with me." Despite there being no music, other than what might be in his head, he begins to force her, though slowly at first as he tries to get her to move to his rythm. His body begins to sway from side to side, resting his face against her own as he closes his eyes and whispers into her ear,"I desperately...hmm.. I desperately want to love you and I do not know why, but I am no longer questioning it. If you are my only hope, then whatever it takes Thesia... whatever it takes." He then grows silently for now as he continues to dance to his own slow beat, taking a step to the left, a step back, and continuing to follow this rather simple technique as he slowly turns her about in a circle.
"Hmm..Horai.." she closes her eyes then, letting herself be swept up into his gaze, into his overwhelming presence which is both somehow..Comforting yet frightening for her, and she bites her lip as she gazes softly into his eyes though rather slowly, haltingly as if she feared those dark, crimsom eyes of his. "But tell me..Who are you...Really? Are you my Horai? is this..Some kind of dream? Have you returned to me?" if only he had..But why cant she shake off this feeling? It's almost..Too easy, there's GOT to be a catch, somewhere..But maybe it doesnt matter anymore, and she closes her eyes, resting her head against the knight's powerful chest, letting herself be carried away by the inaudible music as she glides gracefully, elegantly across the invisible dance floor..No longer is she dressed in casual street clothes, but in her beautiful heartless gown, smiling gently as she continues to close her eyes yet somehow manages to keep in perfect rythm with her partner as if she had been dancing like this all her life..As if they were one. And slowly, gradually she seems to relax just a bit, no longer afraid, no longer on her guard, even clasping her hand all the more tightly about his - those same hands that countless times tried to kill her, had tortured her, and hurt her so much in the past..But it wasnt Horai, was it..?
To be honest, it's a bit of both, but that's for him to know and her to find out. He is acting rather strangely, though as she gives in more to his rythmatic persuasion, all the worries in the world could easily be lifted off ones shoulders at a time like this. The knight continues to hold her securely in his embrace as he slowly steps back and turns repeatedly, swaying her body gently in the breeze as the sun sets off in the background. His eyes snap open again, though he continues what he is doing, his head laying ontop of her own. He lifts her hand in his own high above their shoulders and then just enough to reach above her head as his other hand moves out to her hip again and he spins her about, twirling her about elegantly.
Thesia seems to smile a little, if even a bit, though it's a sort of sad smile as she lets herself be carried in the breeze. Her own steps are quickenning too, stepping out to twirl and spin before she's pulled back again, her eyes finally openning to gaze searchingly in your own. "Mm..What is it, Horai? What are you thinking? Wont you tell me? I wanna know..I dont want anymore secrets between us..Please?" still, she continues to dance as she speaks, feeling somehow calm and relaxed like this..Almost enough to completely shake off that uneasy feeling..Almost but not quite. Is she really so paranoid?
Rook sighs and slowly comes to a hault now as he tips her over backwards, near to the ground, releasing her hand from his own as he reaches down behind her while having her leaning over backwards while his arm is about behind her lower back, holding her in place, his hips against her own as he simply plucks a wild flower from the ground at their feet and as he brings her back up to her feet, he reaches up with the flower and slowly slides it behind her ear. He then leans in closer to her. He whispers in that deep voice softly,"Shh..." He takes the same hand he put the flower behind her ear and places a single finger over her lips before letting it drop off, and down to her waist now as he leans in further, like a predictable script it's about that time when the knight gives the princess he's trying to seduce a kiss .... and that's exactly what he does, giving her a peck on the cheek right at the corner of her lush lips gently.
Strange, how he avoids her questions like that..why's he being so dodgy anyway? What's he got to hide..? Hmm, isnt it obvious? He's...He's...She closes her eyes then as she leans back, reaching out her arm to brush the breeze with her fingertips as if she could, trying to forget all her worries and fears - afterall, this is exactly what she wanted, isnt it? To be with her Horai, just the two of them, together again..Not a care in the world. So why cant she shake the feeling completely? Why cant she just..Hmm..Relax a little. She opens her eyes again as the flower is pressed against her ear, shivering a little as if she were cold somehow, as the goosebumps rise up on her neck at the touch..And the kiss, which causes her to blush a little more as she rises once more, clutching tightly to her Horai? Rook? Who knows..Maybe it doesnt even matter anymore. "I'm glad you feel the same..I'm glad we got to be together afterall.." she smiles, snuggling up to him some more as if trying to shake off that cold feeling she gets - forgetting almost that she is a snow nymph afterall..And then those doubts, those questions, that guardedness she had felt a second ago..It's slowly ebbing away, somehow, not gone entirely but..Almost.
Right now, the knight is thinking... well, he's thinking jackpot. Why? Because he has her right where he wants her, under his control... "Oh Thesia... I wish this night could go on forever.." He smiles a little and wraps his arms around her lithe body a bit more, hugging her tightly as he holds her gently in his embrace. His eyes locked on her own now, just staring deeply into them, almost finding himself lost in that beautiful gaze of her's. He sighs and closes his eyes for just a second before opening them up again, only to be hypnotized by that beauty that can be compared the first snowfall of a winter season, that fresh, untouched sea of white, kind of like her hair, those eyes, like reflecting puddles of frozen ice as he stares at his reflection in them intently. He finally frees one of his hands and lifts it up, sliding his fingers along her arm and up over her shoulder, across her neck as he brings his hand up to brush his fingers lightly against her cheek, pushing a few locks of that pure white hair behind her ear slowly... "I've never realized just how beautiful you really were before now.."
Hit the jackpot? Maybe..Maybe not. All she knows is that she's caught in the moment, unable to think of anything else but her dear Horai..Afterall, could a heartless really feel such emotions as this? Why..It could only be Horai and not Rook..Couldnt it? Besides, this is what she's always wanted. Just the two of them, alone..Together, for eternity..She just smiles as he holds her closer, resting her against his chest as she reaches down slowly to clutch his hand and bringing it carefully to her lips as if to brush them against his fingertips. "Horai..? Can we really do this? Wont the others be mad? I mean..You're still a heartless knight, right? Or is this the end of it all...?" for a moment she seems a little worried as she lowers his hand, chancing a lingering glance towards his crimson eyes..Such cruel, evil eyes they are still, and yet she stares back at him for the longest time as if searching for the Horai she once knew and loved..Is he really in there, somewhere?
The knight only feints a smile and shakes his head,"Please, don't worry much, my dear Thesia..." He sighs and pulls her closer, reaching up and placing his hand behind her head and pressing her head back to his chest again as he lays his cheek down on top of her own head. He then grins a little devilishly while she can't see it. Try the three of them, alone and together ... perhaps for an eternity, no one knows. Rook simply holds her for the longest moment in silence now, his chest slowly rising and falling as he breaths lightly, his heartbeat is faint, very faint and a slow rythmatic beat that declines at times and speeds up during other times, right now it's kind of mellow, it's still very slow but it's alive and kicking none the less, more like a casual, dying heart's last attempts at clinging to life ..thump, thump thump .... thump ...... thump....thump thump, thump ....
Thesia blinks a bit as she's pulled closer, and tries to relax, clenching her eyes shut again as she listens carefully to his heartbeat which seems enough to calm her down a bit; At least her own heart isnt racing as much as it was, and she isnt shivering so much either as if she were in the fight or flight response - honestly, what is she so afraid of, anyway? She smiles shaking her head a little as she continues to snuggle up to him - it's been too long since she got this close to anyone, really. "I'm sorry...It's just...I'm so confused..Your actions, they dont seem to make sense to me..I'm not even sure who you are anymore.."
The knight continues to hold her for a long time in silence. After a few moments, he finally pulls away from her slightly so he can glance down at her again. He forces a smile to his lips as he stares her in the eyes,"You know who I am, Thesia... you just have to open your eyes to the truth." He shrugs his shoulders a bit, and then slowly takes a step away from her, moving his hands to grasp her own in them. He glances down at her hands for a moment as he runs his thumbs over them caressingly, and then lifts her hands up to his lips, kissing the back of them softly, seductively,"Just relax and give in to me... stop worrying so much. Your making this more difficult than it has to be."
Thesia shakes her head, narrowing her eyes slightly..And tensing once more. "No..That's not true, you couldnt be a heartless. You're not like the rest!" she sighs, hanging her head, refusing to see..Whatever the 'truth' may be. "I know..Because the heartless cannot love, they're not capable of love, and yet can you possibly tell me to my face that you dont feel the same way about me? That this isnt just another lie of yours?" she frowns now, staring down at his hands, wanting to believe...But afraid of letting go, lest she lose Horai forever. "If I submit to you now, then...Then what happens to Horai?" but even as she says that, she knows what the answer would be. But is this the only way there is?
Rook sighs and shakes his head, he tugs at her hands, pulling her closer to him yet again. He then raises her hands up to put them around his neck and then lowers his hands back down to her hips as he holds her close. Those bloody crimson eyes gazing deeply into her own,"You don't get it do you. I am Horai. I've always been Horai. Maybe a little different now than I were before, but I'm still here, and I'll always be here." He shrugs his shoulders a little and taps his fingers on her hips a bit as he contemplates his words for a minute or two before tilting his head to the side slightly, giving her a quizzical look,"I need you to be complete... I can never be complete without you heartless or not. Why can't you understand this?"
Thesia frowns, shaking her head, though she doesnt resist as her arms are wrapped around his neck, gazing into his eyes gently, almost inquisitively. "Horai? You dont mean that...I know what you've always wanted and it wasnt this!" she sighs, pulling him close again, close enough so that her frost tinged lips barely brush his own, yet remain far enough away as if to tease him as she leans in close, almost conspiratorily in a whisper; Lest some random heartless spy should hear them speak, "Listen to me..Everything that I've done, everything that I sacrificed for you, was to free you from this place..From this hell. As long as you stay here, as long as you embrace the darkness within, then you will never be free, and you will NEVER be complete. Dont you see, this darkness is slowly destroying you, all you care about is power, and death no matter what the cost. You've become..A monster.." she tilts her head a little as she gazes once more into his eyes with those firey, determined golden orbs of hers. "You are Horai, you were a paladin, a beacon of light. You used your strength to protect others, not destroy them. Dont you see, it's only by helping others, and saving lives..By truly LOVING other people that you can be complete..Not like this. If you continue to embrace the darkness, then it will destroy you. And you'll be left with nothing but emptiness. As your guardian, I cant let that happen to you..Even if I have to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect you from the darkness, then I will...For you.."
"A monster.." The words are uttered quietly from his lips...
Rook narrows his eyes on her intently, and then he withdraws one of his hands from her own slowly, then he cocks it back as if ready to strike her. His upper lip curling in distaste as he stares at her long and hard for a moment. He then lowers his hand and just stares at her coldly. "Since we've decided to be so open and honest with one another, despite my attempts at trying to free you of your worries and actually show you a good time, then fine, that's what we'll do." He pulls his other hand away from her now and then takes a step back and gestures to himself by pointing his hands at his chest,"Look at me, Thesia. Come on.. Get a good look at me!" He steps toward her and then reaches out and grabs her chin, forcefully lifting her head so she'll have to look at him. "You continue to call me Horai, when you know damn well that I am not him anymore. Look around you long and hard.. there is only two of us here... that's me, and you. There is no third person here. Just me.. Rook... and you.. Thesia. Open your eyes, your blinded by that stupid hope you have that makes you think you can SAVE me from this .. this.. MONSTER you think I am! But in all reality, you and I both know.. that Horai .. me... that I am this monster." The knight shrugs his shoulders, he then reaches out in an attempt to grab her glaive and strip it away from her now, and if he does so, her heartless dress will dissappear. "I don't even know why I keep you around anymore other than for some sick twisted amusement that is really started to bore me to be honest with you."
"Ugh..." she stumbles back, cringing a bit as she's about to get struck, although she manages to dart out of the way before the glaive can be ripped away from her, pulling it close to her as she shakes her head. "Wait..What are you doing?" she sighs, stumbling back, looking down at her hands in stunned silence for a moment, though she clenches them after a while, her eyes narrowing as she peers back at him, "Tell me then, why do you keep me around anymore? Why dont you just get it over with already...You know I'll never become one of the heartless..Not after what they did to me, and to you!! And yet..You accept it instead of trying to fight it like I do!" her eyes darken a tinge then, an almost dark smile playing on her lips, "I understand now, maybe it's too late, I was a fool to think you could even be capable of love anymore..You're a heartless afterall, just a cold empty shell filled with meaningless memories..And now, all I am is a constant nightmare to you..How about I make it easier for you...You dont ever have to worry about me getting in your way again.." clutching the glaive in her hands, she closes her eyes as she holds it close to her heart and pauses there a moment as if pondering..If there is but a shred of the real Horai left then maybe he might be able to save her and perhaps even save himself in the process - if not, well she really has no wish to live without him.
Rook tilts his head to one side slighty, giving her a questionable look for a second or two, taking a step closer to her now. "Thesia, what are you doing? Give me the glaive." He keeps a cold, serious expression on his face, peering at her intently with that bloody murderous gaze.
The knight shakes his head and then stops just a foot from her, watching her closely now. He lowers his head for a second, looking down to the ground, and then says,"There is very little of me left that could ever love you Thesia, and I am clinging to it, even now... I don't know what I'm capable of anymore. I don't even know what the point of all of this is.. I'm just ...going out on a limb here, hoping to find something worthwhile maybe. Is that what you wanted to hear? That I'm using you to achieve ultimate power rather than you saving me from the darkness that consumes, I want to delve myself into it entirely and come out stronger than ever? .. Is that really what you want to hear Thesia?! BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRUTH!"
Rage fills his eyes now as he stares at her, he starts approaching her again, reaching out his hand,"-GIVE ME- the glaive, Thesia.. don't do anything foolish." He continues to approach her now, rather quickly too, still a stone cold expression on his face, though those raging murderous red orbs show more emotion than anything, but the emotion is like a mixed variety of every emotion ever felt which then becomes a hateful anger. "I don't want to hurt you. I want you to join me.. to give up this foolishness and accept what we've become.... I have already accepted it."
Ah yes, it would be so easy just to surrender and give in, but...Thesia was never one to surrender so easily to anyone, even if it would mean she could have her Horai - even if it were only in a superficial sense..Could she ever truly be happy, being little more than someone else's little 'pet?' Slowly, she opens her eyes again, glaring back at him defiantly, clutching the glaive ever tighter in her hands and pressing the cold metal against her neck, close enough to draw a little blood, though she does not flinch. She could never be so weak.."No..I will not..I will NOT be your little pet anymore..And I will not be the instrument to your ultimate power.." she frowns, backing away now, shaking her head, though her voice still remains steady even so, her golden eyes hardenning, "I could never give you what you want, so what's the point? I thought a part of you still cared about me, but obviously you just want to use me, so shut up! Let me just die in peace, before I forget everything about Horai..Before I forget why I loved him so..." she draws the blade closer to her neck then, laughing a little as she steps towards the very edge of the cliff now; Her laughter nearly on the verge of insanity, "Heh, you could always find yourself another little 'pet', I'm sure I'm easily replacable afterall..What's the difference between me and some other pretty girl? I've always just been that, havent I? A pretty little ornament!"
"Thesia..." Her name is murmured from his lips. He continues to approach her steadily while he talks,"You've no choice. If you kill yourself now, then tell me, who will save me?" He inclines his head to the side a little more, watching her closely,"If you aren't by my side, then there is nothing that will ever stop me. Do you really want to do that?"
His plan is to make her reconsider her actions long enough for him to snatch the glaive from her hands. He slowly but surely continues to move closer to her. When he's within range, he'll suddenly leap out at her, his right hand going for the glaive to pull it away, his other hand going for her body as he'll try to push her away and strip the glaive from her hand. "I will not give you up so easily!"
Thesia laughs a little crazily, shaking her head as she continues to back up, the heels of her boots skimming the very edge of the cliffside so that they send bits of rock crumbling down the side of the mountain, vanishing into the echoing depths below. "You fool...You really think I'll give up so easily?" golden eyes flash wildly, laughing like mad as she continues to back away. "Farewell, my Horai..." for a brief moment, a gentle smile seems to grace her slender lips as she closes her eyes and leaps backwards, off the edge of the precipice and vanishes from sight, for a heartracingly 20 seconds that may seem like an eternity..
And then..Slowly she rises again in a blinding white light as those feathery white angel wings burst from her back once more, lifting her ever upwards into the air so that she now stares down at him, that crazy look still present in her eagle like gaze, and it's only then that it becomes more obvious that the wild, insane esper half of her seemed to take over for just a second. She still clutches the glaive, though she spins it around expertly in her hands, stretching it out so that the deadly blades point only inches from his face should he dare to come so close..One wrong move is all it takes. "And you, my dear Horai...I will never give you up to the heartless so easily as well..." only for a moment does she rest the glaive there, but quickly, before he can react, she brings it up again, still laughing insanely, "Farewell, my Horai..Til we meet again..I will always love you, even if you are possessed by the heartless..And one day, I shall free you.." and as she speaks, the dark mist emanating from her glaive slowly swirls around her, coalescing with her own icy, frigid magic as she slowly, yet very dramatically vanishes before his very eyes..This isnt the end yet!