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 Post subject: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:28 am 
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Ruqqayah made her way slowly in the dark toward the back way into the estate that she'd been meeting "Ban" recently. Her injuries didn't allow her to go much faster. Truth be told, she just counted herself lucky that she hadn't gotten so injured that it seemed to have disrupted anything important. Some part of her brain tried to complain that she'd stain the cushions. She wasn't thinking completely straight with the pain.

Finally, she arrived, stepping into the building and closing the door behind her, climbing the stairs to their room.



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:35 am 
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It would still be some time before he would arrive; some time to spend on her own. The estate had a bath, however, and other comforts, not just the room she was used to calling their own.



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:01 am 
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Ruqqayah was a little relieved in some sense. Truth be told, she wasn't entirely sure if the estate's comforts were something she should use, but... She was a little desperate to wash off the day. She left a small note letting him know where she was if he returned and she wasn't present, and headed off to take a bath and to do what she could to clean the wounds. She was far too exhausted to even try to heal herself, her reserves tapped out.



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"Promising Theologian"
Unicorn Clan • Sahir • Heiress • Researcher • Foreign Heritage • Gaijin Name • Ex-Twin • Filled With Determination
Honor: Untrustworthy - Glory: 2.2 - Status: 4.0
Carries/Owns: Wakizashi, Tanto, Musket, Fan
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:05 am 
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The bath was actually not wooden, but metal and round, over a ceramic floor. Water could be heated in a tank over the fireplace.



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:50 am 
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It wasn't something she'd never seen before - metals were a little handier in the Sands at times than wood - so she went about filling the tank and starting it heating over the fireplace. As she waited, she sat near it, letting the fire warm her. Despite the warmth of the island, the late night left her feeling a little chilly. She just had to resist falling asleep there before the water heated up.

When it finally did, she went through the work of filling the tub, heating another tank if she had to, and was finally able to divest herself of clothing and begin the process of washing. The hot water stung a little bit despite giving it a chance to cool, especially on the injuries.



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Honor: Untrustworthy - Glory: 2.2 - Status: 4.0
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:24 am 
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The quiet time in hot water when the wounds stopped to be felt acutely helped reminisce the events of the day in semi-dreamlike fashion...



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 3:55 am 
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It wasn't sleep, exactly, what the warm-to-hot water lulled her into. It was a sort of strange dozing half-dream where her mind conjured up images of the day earlier for it. The steam seemed to swirl into shapes before her eyes faded closed and formed further in her imagination.

The battle had been chaos... most of it was a blur in her mind, and it made the images a literal blur in her dream. Movement of men dressed in purple with guns around her flowed one into another. Small spikes of pain she couldn't place the source of. The sound of Anzai's voice not far away. It was nice not to have had to go in alone, though she would have done it. The image of those around her vanishing made her feel it, but unlike other times, she could feel a core of iron within that fear couldn't trip away.

The thought flowed into the image of herself hidden away in the Mosque only scant weeks ago, worried about who would come to seek her out. When had she changed from the lonely and grief-stricken girl who can arrived on Kameyama Jima to who she was now? It wasn't her relationship, though certainly feeling that someone was with her was part of it... Images flowed together of her cheerful conversation with Anzai, spending time with Utsusemi talking and painting and preparing for the ball, of Bellena and their talks and seeking out the map, of the many connections she'd made on her own. It had really culminated before... she pictured herself at the table with Jama and Saionji and Bellena, speaking up and confidently like she had never done even when their father had talked to she and her brother, when she had let her twin represent both of them.

She had changed. She'd become someone new on her own. Strange dreamlike images formed of giving little parts of herself away to each person, parts that reformed on her as she shared them, not diminishing her, and receiving small bits of their strength in return, becoming more than she was without diminishing them.

Her mind wandered back to the battle at the thought of strength. In the caldera. She could almost see the black tendrils of magic that rose all over the island, raising whatever they touched, and her own, tinged with violet, crushing them until they dispersed into motes of shadow. Of light growing more and more as she worked frantically with Tori and Edogawa and Anzai translating the Naga text until it burst into light. Every bit of pain she dealt with now felt worth it for it's beauty.

All the while, she felt a hand in hers, or she imagined herself to, as she watched the images form and disperse slowly in her mind. "I guess we're not two halves anymore, are we?" A kind, young voice next to her said. It wasn't accusatory, like it sometimes was in her dream. "It feels like you've started growing back the part I took..."

"That's... not true."

"You're being silly. You were afraid, weren't you?"

"The world was scary without you."

"It feels..."

"... like I'm not anymore. Maybe the world..."

"... isn't so scary. That's what I was trying to show you the whole time, stupid."

"... I knew that. But then, you..."

"... went and died. I know. It must have seemed terrifying all over again."

"... Yeah."

"Is it still like that?"

"... No. I feel okay about it."

"You can handle it without me now. Even with the big stuff that's coming."

"... I don't want to."

"Come on now. You can do it."

Her mind wandered again, conjuring up an image of her brother and her standing on either side of a small ravine.

"You can do it. I'm right behind you," he promised, voice sounding like the 10 years old he was then.

She looked back at him and nodded, then took a running leap. Somehow, she cleared it, skidding to a halt. Unlike her childhood, there was a whole new landscape in front of her, big and intimidating, but calling for her to explore it. She looked back to call for her brother, but he was slowly fading away.

"You go ahead... This one's all yours. Good luck," he said with a smile, waving to her before disappearing.

"Wait..!"

Ruqqayah jerked a little in the bath, realizing she'd nearly fallen asleep and sat up, wiping tears from her cheeks. Damn it... She took a deep breath before making sure she was fully clean. She got up and began to dry off.



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:04 am 
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Before she would actually rise from the baths she would be embraced from behind and kissed on the shoulder.

"Make space for me."

Jama would say, pouring moderately hot water onto her back while running fingers along her spine to let her know how he would like to slip in.



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:14 pm 
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The truth was, she wanted to nearly jump out of the bath and hug him. He'd been missing with no word the previous night, only for her to see him just fine the next day, but with something... different. She slid forward in the bath, though, rinsing her face with water to try and hide the remnants of emotion from the half dream and making room for him.

Instead of anything else, she just said, "Welcome home," in a warm tone. More than anything she was happy to see him.



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"Promising Theologian"
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 6:43 pm 
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He was quick to slide into the bath and embrace her from behind for them both to fit into the limited space neatly, but with a twist of the body that would allow them to face each other. Her vision had not played games on her; he looked older, by several years. Boyish pout was gone, his features sharpened, a shade of a stubble covered his chin, his gaze seemed more distant, detached as if suffering had been ingrained in him in ways that made him reconcile with it rather than reject it. While it was hard to find enthusiasm in him, his grip was yearning, even desperate, as if he retrieved a treasure long lost. But one thing didn't change at all, how he was focusing his gaze on her. Toward many people he was dismissive, what rendered him unrelatable, but never toward her.

The marks she had left on his body two nights before were long gone.

His hand went toward her face, and his fingers palpated the familiar features as if they were unfamiliar.

"I missed you."



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 6:55 pm 
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Her delicate fingers traced over his changed features, his changed expression, the stubble, brows knitting in worry. Any concerns, everything she was going to tell him was gone in light of that. How could he have become a man with so much suffering in him so quickly?

"I missed you, too, but... Somehow, that's different. What happened, my love?"



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"Promising Theologian"
Unicorn Clan • Sahir • Heiress • Researcher • Foreign Heritage • Gaijin Name • Ex-Twin • Filled With Determination
Honor: Untrustworthy - Glory: 2.2 - Status: 4.0
Carries/Owns: Wakizashi, Tanto, Musket, Fan
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:05 pm 
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"A lot, Rukaya. I was... imprisoned, beyond time. By will more powerful than mine... back then. With no hope to be released."

He thinned his lips and leaned in for a kiss that had the uncertainty of the first before it recalled its ways.

"But I managed to return. And it's all that matters now."



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"The great questions of the day will not be decided by courtly discussions or pious prayers to the Heavens, but by blood and iron."
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:29 pm 
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"Yes..." She kissed him back, deeply. Her hands touched his cheeks, one stroking down to his neck and the other through his hair. Her movements did her best to communicate years worth of comfort through her touch, even if there was only so much she could do at once.

When she finally pulled back, her hands didn't move. "I was worried... I now know there was reason. I'm sorry... I should have been there. I should have gone to find you as soon as I knew you were late..."



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"Promising Theologian"
Unicorn Clan • Sahir • Heiress • Researcher • Foreign Heritage • Gaijin Name • Ex-Twin • Filled With Determination
Honor: Untrustworthy - Glory: 2.2 - Status: 4.0
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 10:40 pm 
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"No." He said with reflexive sharpness, making it up with a soft kiss a moment after as he found calm in her closeness. "That would have been the worst thing you could have done. There are wills more powerful than ours. As much as we are each other's strength we are also each other's weakness. We cannot expose our bond to the powers that can defile it, or turn us against each other. I would not have passed the trials I had if you were caught too." He placed his hand on her abdomen. "Our child is the most important. If you ever have to choose between between me and our child, don't choose me."



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:32 am 
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The tone stung, and she reacted not unlike she would to a slap, eyes squeezing shut briefly, jaw clenching slightly as though against impact, a small wince. Still, it was brief, almost unnoticeable if he wasn't as perceptive as he was, and the kiss didn't completely ease the sting - not after the last couple of days. Still, she opened her eyes again and didn't move away, returned the kiss at was given. At the explanation, she nodded.

"It's going to be a son, by the way," she replied quietly.



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"Promising Theologian"
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Honor: Untrustworthy - Glory: 2.2 - Status: 4.0
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 7:06 am 
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He knew his words had hurt her beyond what a simple sign of love could dismiss, but there was no way around it. Adisabah had already defiled their relationship by imposing an asymmetric rift in time on them. While she was still in the deeply romantic and euphoric stage of their bond when every naive belief about the future could be justified with the power of their mutual joy, he was much further, at a point when irresponsible convictions could no longer be excused and attachment was coded in the language of sacrifice. The body the rakshasa had tortured in what had been called 'lessons' was harder to muster; years of suppressing carnal desires despite Tsugiko's increasingly refined seductions were not easily U-turned even if memories of their bliss were now rushing back in force into his mind, making him convulse in small agony. He embraced her closer, his voice slightly broken by emotion.

"How... do you know?"



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"The great questions of the day will not be decided by courtly discussions or pious prayers to the Heavens, but by blood and iron."
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 7:56 am 
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"The Jinn of Qanon..." She explained quietly, holding close to him when he embraced her close. "We were attacked by an enormous spider... I couldn't escape the web quickly enough to join the fight, so I summoned him from the lamp. Now..." She paused. "I suppose you could say he's rejoined the family. Part of him, anyway."



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"Promising Theologian"
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Honor: Untrustworthy - Glory: 2.2 - Status: 4.0
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:39 am 
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He mulled it over while finding confidence and gentleness in him to lightly caress her, to bring their sensing back together. Discovering her anew after all these years when she didn't change more than a day was revolting against comprehension, but most of his comprehension was no longer normal if it had ever been. While it would be natural to gasp and be shocked about the revelation she had just imparted, with a thing as unfathomable and rare as possible, he simply included it, factored it in in a way that it did not upend any of his fundamental points of reference. After what he had learned from Adisabah there were fewer and fewer arcane possibilities in this world that would surprise him.

"That is your heritage. Has the infusion of jinn essence affected only you or our son too? I assume the latter."



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"The great questions of the day will not be decided by courtly discussions or pious prayers to the Heavens, but by blood and iron."
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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:52 am 
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"He implied the latter, but I don't think it's a negative consequence to him," she replied. "... Something feels different to me, as well." She sat up a little bit, looking across at him. Her expression had changed from pained to tired and depressed, if happy at least that he's there with her. "Have you ever... had a pain that you didn't realize was hurting until it stopped?"



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 Post subject: Re: Bent but Unbroken [LN12]
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:54 am 
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He nodded, but didn't elaborate. "The jinn has soothed you?" He watched her carefully, stroking the side of her face, taking wet strands of dark hair from her cheek.



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