[They don't share a Bond, but Ozymandias can feel the surge of emotion from Caren while he is this close to her. She fights against it in all the usual ways, trembling in her efforts to keep herself steady. She still speaks as though there is a chance he is wrong, desperate for him to admit the same through any means possible. It would be easier for her if Ozymandias would hurt her as so many before him have, but it's not what she wants. She betrays that truth with the prick of her claws and her unnecessary attempts to keep him close to her.]
There are things beyond even my control, [he says, the hand over hers tightening.] I cannot lie to you and say that there shall never be pain, that my own actions or words at times might not bring about harm. I cannot guarantee that this place shall not find it fit to separate us.
[Her tears wet the hand that remains at her cheek, but still he does not brush them away, allowing those that land just right to slip further and those less fortunate to begin to dry against her cheek and his hand.]
But what reason do I have to worry? Such joy as I feel with you is worth the possibility of pain. And whatever pain there might be shall be eclipsed by that joy, not the other way around. I would gladly face whatever hardships are to come a thousand times over for the time I have already been fortunate enough to have with you, never mind for what might yet be.
The only way that I could ever bear any regret with you is if I remained a fool and never said anything, but quite fortunately, I've come to my senses. [Ozymandias catches a tear as he kisses her cheek.] I am right here. If you will have me. But I will not be angry with you or resent you if you choose otherwise.
Your happiness is too important to me to be so petty and childish.
[There's a relief that comes with his grip. A relief, and fear too. He could have told her she was too much. Her eyes hurt and sting, and she's trying so hard to breathe so she doesn't break down.
No one cared if there was a breakdown. It never worked. Never got attention, never helped...never never ever.]
Idiot...idiot.
[Her voice was quiet, without its usual sting. It's difficult to say if she's scolding him or her, or both. She's not even sure. She sniffs, and with the kiss, she pulls away his face-only to bury her face briefly against his chest.
One of her favorite places to put her face. And too, a place to soak up her tears while she makes her breath steady. When she manages to pull away, her eyes are bloodshot, and her nose keeps wrinkling from the sniffles she keeps trying to hold back.]
Has anyone ever told you you're too smooth for your own good?
[She likely had, at some point. Maybe right when he managed to dance out of a blistering of her tongue, or convince her five more minutes, which turned into an hour of one thing or another.]
You know I can't promise to be anything but what I am. Sometimes there will be pain. That's life.
There...I think we both know that some things will take me time to believe. Truly believe. And- you need to look out for yourself too. Your own happiness is important too.
I know I don't act as if I don't care. But that is among my highest priorities, if not the highest priority.
[Which is...not bizarre? But his personal happiness makes her happy too. Maybe that's why she even tried to mimic his sphinx caring behavior and gave him some privacy.
Well. When they weren't just enjoying a good gossip session.]
[It is not enough to welcome her there. To Ozymandias, it is far more important that she feel anchored by the return of his embrace more than anything else. Caren moves in close to take her spot with her face buried in his chest and Ozymandias' arms wrap around her tightly. As she steadies herself, he begins rubbing small, slow circles between her wings almost as though he is trying to give her something to focus her breathing on until she manages to regain her composure.]
[Her half-hearted chastising when she pulls back draws out a gentle smile and a soft sound of amusement from Ozymandias. It wasn't the first time she said something like that and Ozymandias felt confident it certainly wouldn't be the last. As she continues, speaking with honesty that likely does not always seem the wisest to give away to anyone, he takes one of her hands into his own and listens without interruption. To some, it might appear as though she is issuing a warning that to care for her is folly and to love her might bring about one's own ruin. But he does not take it that way. Ozymandias sees it as a confession of sorts, an acknowledgment of the layers of armor and protection that exist around her heart that are so very difficult for her to shed. But she is willing to try. In starts and stops. In likely failures intermingling with successes. It is a lifetime that she must unlearn, and although her lifetime may be drastically shorter than his own, that is still no easy feat.]
I've never doubted you or your intentions, [he says. Even as she's tried to create distances or held him at arm's length from time to time. Ozymandias kisses the pads on her fingertips.] But for you, I shall promise that nothing you might say or do in a moment of hardship or even plain weakness will ever blind me to what truly lies within your heart. Only when you speak from it as you do now with such bravery and honesty will I ever take to be the truth.
[He knows how to soothe her. But then, they've spent so much time together, and he is clever when it comes to people. He knows the type of touch that would soothe her, at least physically, so she can gather herself to speak again.
And she knows that hand contact is important to him- if only so he could feel the cat-like pads of her fingers. (She knows it's not that. The idea that he's smitten with her is something she knows but doesn't want to think too much about. It's too easy to become wild shy, to bolt again).]
You should.
[There's that mix of tart and sweet again. There's only a single shake and flick of her tail again. It seems she's more in the mood to advise, rather then outright scold. Maybe the finger kiss helped, for all that she didn't pull away.]
Sometimes Ozymandias...I don't understand why you trust me so. This could all be just a ruse to break your heart, just for fun.
[The Servant, this boy...is so clever. But also so dumb.]
Perhaps, [he says, not believing her toying with him for such an end to be even a remote possibility. Even if Ozymandias doubted the sincerity of her feelings or suspected an ulterior motive, he doesn't think Caren would ever be so foolish as to betray him in such a manner. There is far too much for her to gain that such a decision would be throwing all away. And yet, regardless of whether or not it is pure fantasy, it is one that he would willingly succumb to without a second thought.] But I would prefer to trust you far too much and be a made fool of than to deny what I feel for you. I shall gladly risk my heart whether that is to be for your amusement or not.
Like the romantic you are. You would do that, wouldn't you?
[She could. She really could betray him, and there would be a part of her that would enjoy it...enjoy the hurt she inflicted on him, on herself. Her father would have, in her position. He would have bit Ozymandias' heart like a fruit, just to see the look of horror and despair.
It's a struggle, since there's always a part of her that wants to do that, just to feel...something stronger then a passing amusement.
Not here. Not now. She sighed quietly, and moved her hand up slow, careful, so she could cup his cheek against her hand. He always felt so warm, comforting, even when she could use a break from heat.]
Perhaps there's some merit to such a risk. So- what shall we do, since we've reconciled?
[The touch to his cheek is a welcomed one. Ozymandias' head tips slightly in its direction before he turns his head slightly to kiss at her wrist.]
We have a great deal of time to make up for. [Something he would probably declare even if she had only been absent for a day or two. The next he says more playfully.] And I have perhaps a great deal more to atone for. I think it is perhaps only fair that you ought to decide how exactly it is that I make my amends to you.
[She says it, all too amused with his declaration. He'd likely feel that way if she had been avoiding him for five minutes, let alone a day. While there's a lot in him that's catlike, he's more like a dog in how he pines for those he adores at the drop of a hat.
Not that she needs to tell him that. He knows it, she knows it, right now it's about gentle flirtation that they do so well when they're alone.]
And if I said it was something on the lines of giving you orders for a little while? Just you and I?
[She wasn't going to force him to do something he wasn't comfortable with. This is more for play than to actually atone. He had no way of knowing of what would happen, of what was going through her mind.]
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no subject
[They don't share a Bond, but Ozymandias can feel the surge of emotion from Caren while he is this close to her. She fights against it in all the usual ways, trembling in her efforts to keep herself steady. She still speaks as though there is a chance he is wrong, desperate for him to admit the same through any means possible. It would be easier for her if Ozymandias would hurt her as so many before him have, but it's not what she wants. She betrays that truth with the prick of her claws and her unnecessary attempts to keep him close to her.]
There are things beyond even my control, [he says, the hand over hers tightening.] I cannot lie to you and say that there shall never be pain, that my own actions or words at times might not bring about harm. I cannot guarantee that this place shall not find it fit to separate us.
[Her tears wet the hand that remains at her cheek, but still he does not brush them away, allowing those that land just right to slip further and those less fortunate to begin to dry against her cheek and his hand.]
But what reason do I have to worry? Such joy as I feel with you is worth the possibility of pain. And whatever pain there might be shall be eclipsed by that joy, not the other way around. I would gladly face whatever hardships are to come a thousand times over for the time I have already been fortunate enough to have with you, never mind for what might yet be.
The only way that I could ever bear any regret with you is if I remained a fool and never said anything, but quite fortunately, I've come to my senses. [Ozymandias catches a tear as he kisses her cheek.] I am right here. If you will have me. But I will not be angry with you or resent you if you choose otherwise.
Your happiness is too important to me to be so petty and childish.
no subject
No one cared if there was a breakdown. It never worked. Never got attention, never helped...never never ever.]
Idiot...idiot.
[Her voice was quiet, without its usual sting. It's difficult to say if she's scolding him or her, or both. She's not even sure. She sniffs, and with the kiss, she pulls away his face-only to bury her face briefly against his chest.
One of her favorite places to put her face. And too, a place to soak up her tears while she makes her breath steady. When she manages to pull away, her eyes are bloodshot, and her nose keeps wrinkling from the sniffles she keeps trying to hold back.]
Has anyone ever told you you're too smooth for your own good?
[She likely had, at some point. Maybe right when he managed to dance out of a blistering of her tongue, or convince her five more minutes, which turned into an hour of one thing or another.]
You know I can't promise to be anything but what I am. Sometimes there will be pain. That's life.
There...I think we both know that some things will take me time to believe. Truly believe. And- you need to look out for yourself too. Your own happiness is important too.
I know I don't act as if I don't care. But that is among my highest priorities, if not the highest priority.
[Which is...not bizarre? But his personal happiness makes her happy too. Maybe that's why she even tried to mimic his sphinx caring behavior and gave him some privacy.
Well. When they weren't just enjoying a good gossip session.]
no subject
[Her half-hearted chastising when she pulls back draws out a gentle smile and a soft sound of amusement from Ozymandias. It wasn't the first time she said something like that and Ozymandias felt confident it certainly wouldn't be the last. As she continues, speaking with honesty that likely does not always seem the wisest to give away to anyone, he takes one of her hands into his own and listens without interruption. To some, it might appear as though she is issuing a warning that to care for her is folly and to love her might bring about one's own ruin. But he does not take it that way. Ozymandias sees it as a confession of sorts, an acknowledgment of the layers of armor and protection that exist around her heart that are so very difficult for her to shed. But she is willing to try. In starts and stops. In likely failures intermingling with successes. It is a lifetime that she must unlearn, and although her lifetime may be drastically shorter than his own, that is still no easy feat.]
I've never doubted you or your intentions, [he says. Even as she's tried to create distances or held him at arm's length from time to time. Ozymandias kisses the pads on her fingertips.] But for you, I shall promise that nothing you might say or do in a moment of hardship or even plain weakness will ever blind me to what truly lies within your heart. Only when you speak from it as you do now with such bravery and honesty will I ever take to be the truth.
no subject
And she knows that hand contact is important to him- if only so he could feel the cat-like pads of her fingers. (She knows it's not that. The idea that he's smitten with her is something she knows but doesn't want to think too much about. It's too easy to become wild shy, to bolt again).]
You should.
[There's that mix of tart and sweet again. There's only a single shake and flick of her tail again. It seems she's more in the mood to advise, rather then outright scold. Maybe the finger kiss helped, for all that she didn't pull away.]
Sometimes Ozymandias...I don't understand why you trust me so. This could all be just a ruse to break your heart, just for fun.
[The Servant, this boy...is so clever. But also so dumb.]
no subject
Listen, sometimes INT is a dump stat...]Perhaps, [he says, not believing her toying with him for such an end to be even a remote possibility. Even if Ozymandias doubted the sincerity of her feelings or suspected an ulterior motive, he doesn't think Caren would ever be so foolish as to betray him in such a manner. There is far too much for her to gain that such a decision would be throwing all away. And yet, regardless of whether or not it is pure fantasy, it is one that he would willingly succumb to without a second thought.] But I would prefer to trust you far too much and be a made fool of than to deny what I feel for you. I shall gladly risk my heart whether that is to be for your amusement or not.
no subject
And sometimes they max out on charisma early...]Like the romantic you are. You would do that, wouldn't you?
[She could. She really could betray him, and there would be a part of her that would enjoy it...enjoy the hurt she inflicted on him, on herself. Her father would have, in her position. He would have bit Ozymandias' heart like a fruit, just to see the look of horror and despair.
It's a struggle, since there's always a part of her that wants to do that, just to feel...something stronger then a passing amusement.
Not here. Not now. She sighed quietly, and moved her hand up slow, careful, so she could cup his cheek against her hand. He always felt so warm, comforting, even when she could use a break from heat.]
Perhaps there's some merit to such a risk. So- what shall we do, since we've reconciled?
no subject
Don't judge. It's worked for him well so far.][The touch to his cheek is a welcomed one. Ozymandias' head tips slightly in its direction before he turns his head slightly to kiss at her wrist.]
We have a great deal of time to make up for. [Something he would probably declare even if she had only been absent for a day or two. The next he says more playfully.] And I have perhaps a great deal more to atone for. I think it is perhaps only fair that you ought to decide how exactly it is that I make my amends to you.
comes in way late with a tray of starbucks
This is why he's a bard]Do we?
[She says it, all too amused with his declaration. He'd likely feel that way if she had been avoiding him for five minutes, let alone a day. While there's a lot in him that's catlike, he's more like a dog in how he pines for those he adores at the drop of a hat.
Not that she needs to tell him that. He knows it, she knows it, right now it's about gentle flirtation that they do so well when they're alone.]
And if I said it was something on the lines of giving you orders for a little while? Just you and I?
[She wasn't going to force him to do something he wasn't comfortable with. This is more for play than to actually atone. He had no way of knowing of what would happen, of what was going through her mind.]