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Post by Ruby on Mar 4, 2013 20:59:47 GMT -5
It was rare, this peace that had settled in her soul. She had awoken alone in Dorian's opulent bed, still deliciously sore from another night of wild pleasure. It had been a week or more since he had seduced her back to his body and not a day had gone by that he hadn't taken her at least once... not that she was complaining. Her muscles still trembled with desire just remembering his touch and the way he had looked beneath her, above her, next to her, behind her. If she lived only as a slave to his desire she would be content. He had ruined her for anyone else. She blinked back the sleep from her eyes and stretched, groaning as her joints popped and her sore muscles spoke their protest. She could already begin to feel the soreness ebb away, the joys of a werewolf's healing ability. Sunlight filtered in through the drawn curtains and she wondered just how late it was, with a grunt of defiance she rolled over to curl into her lover only to be met with empty space. She frowned, moaning her loss of body heat and sat up, now curious as to where her lover had gone.
With a sigh, she slipped from the bed, and against her better judgment, she decided to actually get dressed in something presentable, corset, undershirt, skirts, boots, even some undergarments. She bathed, combed out her unruly hair, even put on a touch of make-up and finally descended the stairs. She would not be pleased once she reached the bottom. Her Dorian was nowhere to be seen. Damn. She missed him already. With a grunt of annoyance at her own attachment to him, she drifted into the kitchen, thanking Victor as he presented her with a cup of her favorite tea, although he would tell her not where her duke had ventured off too.
She retreated to the foyer, a grin creeping across her mouth as she caught a glimpse of the divan. She had no desire to leave his mansion, and she still had two weeks off from the Inn. In about six days she would begin the journey to her secret place, she knew it must be killing him, his curiosity was almost as insatiable as his desire. She curled up, sipping the tea slowly, savoring the taste. She was utterly relaxed and not even a run in the woods appealed to her at the moment... but what to do? The piano, vaguely hidden from her view caught her eye and she blinked, did Dorian play? She set her tea to the side, rising with hidden grace and gently moved to the instrument, her fingers trailed over the ivory keys and she smiled. Granny had taught her to play when they had been moved to earth, but it had been several months. No one was here, who would she have to embarrass but herself? She sat before it with a gentle smile, Claire de Lune rippling to life as she lost herself in the music.
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Post by Dorian Gray on Mar 4, 2013 21:21:18 GMT -5
Dorian had left very early, just before the sun came up. He had gotten dressed in a bit of a haste, and once his habit and riding boots were on, he smiled to the sleeping figure in his bed and closed the door to his chambers. He made his way downstairs, where Victor was waiting loyally for his master, and Dorian nodded to him. In a low voice, thanks to the hour, he asked for a horse and Victor had the stable boy awoken immediately and the horse prepared. As he waited, Dorian sipped a rousing bout of tea and took a quick smoke of a cigarette, one of the few that had made it here with him. Soon enough was the horse ready and Dorian about to set off. He nodded to his men and then rode off into the still-dark morning.
He made it to town by the time the sun had risen, just barely, and went into the shop where his order had already been ready for purchase and picking up. He went in, and the man there was awaiting him. A trade was quickly made, and Dorian murmured, "Thank you kindly, sir." He pocketed his purchase and grinned with either malicious intent or wild mischief. He remounted his horse and began the ride back to his estate. On the way, he was pondering what he was going to say upon bestowing this gift. Words were one of his strong suits, but... Alas.
When he'd made it back, the sun was well up and the winter morning was as warm as ever it would be. Little snow was left, but it was still winter, and Dorian dismounted his steed with haste in his stride. He nodded to the stable-boy and went inside, hand on the pocket where the little box was. When he entered the door, Dorian heard something he hadn't expected--the piano. Victor didn't play, and the only other here was... Ruby. "Sweetheart?" he called out, then going ahead into the parlor where he knew he'd find her. Sure enough, there she was. He joined her momentarily on the piano bench, leaning down to plant a gentle kiss on her neck and whispering, "Chopin, Ruby. Play Chopin." He smiled and left her. Chopin was his favorite.
Dorian took a seat on the divan, his arm resting on the top and his posture relaxed. He listened to her play another song and then he chuckled, hoping she'd turn around. "Do you remember that you promised you'd love me even when I was not good to you? Even when I took other lovers? Do you recall that it is not me, but rather my curse, that keeps me from a normal life, from being capable of said love? Tell me, Ruby, do you really love me?" He smiled at her, but it was forlorn. He had to play his cards right. The ring in his pocket counted on it.
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Post by Ruby on Mar 4, 2013 22:05:44 GMT -5
Her fingers, nimble and quick, stroked the keys with loving care and one melody was spun into the next. Her voice a soft soprano, mimicked the sound in a gentle hum, her eyes fluttered shut and her body swayed with the stroke of the keys as she played. She had forgotten how soothing such an activity could be and it seemed only to further her state of relaxation. She let the music flood her senses, let her body become one with the gentle melody. She wasn't sure how long she played, nor was she aware of the servant that came to collect her cup. The deep voice of her lover was the only thing that snapped her from her thoughts as her pretty green eyes opened, trained on the door, her fingers moving ever faster, spinning the sounds of la campanella now.
He entered, looking as dashingly handsome and flawless as ever and without a word, captured her breath. The familiar endearment fell from his lips in a question and she smiled for him, that barely there smile filled with emotion that belonged solely to him. He stalked towards her, joining her on the bench, his body heat close enough for her to feel and her smile only grew. He lowered his head, his lips pressing to her pulse and she giggled ever so softly at the teasing touch, his request reached her ears and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth and casting a glance in his direction before he left her. She finished the fast paced melody and paused for only a second before she glanced down at the keys, willing her fingers to spin the infamous fantasie impromptu for him. She finished with flourish and the smile faltered only slightly at his chuckle.
She glided with ease from the piano, there was something far more appealing in the room and she wished to be entranced by it, even if he only spun her away with words. She merely wanted to be near him. She was halfway too him before he spoke and his choice of topic made her pause. Love, was not something they spoke of or discussed often, it made him uncomfortable, alerted his curse to the fact that Ruby returned him to his mind. She tried not to speak of her love for him, more than she needed too, but once he had finished his inquiries, it was her turn to chuckle. She shook her head, now dry hair falling absently about her shoulders as she approached him with grace, folding her legs beneath her and perching herself beside him. Gently, delicately, she laced her fingers with his own, stroking the digits absently and catching his chin with the other, softly turning his head towards her. She rested her forehead against his own, green eyes glittering with amusement.
"I love you more than I have ever loved anything or anyone. I would give up everything just to sit at your side. I would fight an army to hear the low timbre of your voice. I would give up my wolf to feel your lips against my skin. You are my world Dorian Gray and you would be foolish to think otherwise." Her words were murmured, barely there whispers, and when she was done she kissed him gently, reverently before releasing him.
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Post by Dorian Gray on Mar 5, 2013 13:29:49 GMT -5
Dorian had been to the jeweler's that morning, to pick up a ring that he had ordered two days ago and paid extra for the haste. But to be honest, he did not know how she was going to respond. Because although yes, he was going to propose to her, he needed her to know that their relationship would little be altered from the way it was now. He was still Dorian Gray. He was still only half of a real man, forever young but forever cursed. His soul was still elsewhere, incapable of what he once was and especially in the fields of love and trust and fidelity. Dorian would not be able to promise that he would not still take other lovers, that he would not indulge in whatever pleasures suited him at the moment. He was still an impulsive, singularly-minded male. And he always would be. This proposal only went to say that he cared for her as a companion and a lover enough to want her to be the holder of his title. She would be a duchess. No more would she need to work at the inn.
It was a good offer. Really, it was. But the problem seemed to be that Ruby had feelings for him, that she'd explicitly told him she loved him. And he'd responded. He had responded with the same. He had told her that he loved her and now he was going to see if she really did want to spend many years with him... and at the front end promise her an uncivil marriage. Och. This was a hard decision, but Dorian had already made it. He smiled from his sear on the divan as her music shifted to something else, to things he wanted to hear. He had not known that she had a talent for music.
When she'd finished she joined him and Dorian swallowed hard. He did not know that she'd come to join him, though he should have guessed as much. It did not take long for him to notice that she was responding warily to his questioning. It was likely because of his choice of starting topic... but he wanted to get to his point. She was holding his hand now, her fingers so gingerly fitting in the spaces between his. Her words were lovely, and her face so close. When she finished he felt the gentle brush of her lips, and let out a low, "Mmm." With a smile, he replied, "That was lovely, Ruby. As are you."
He pulled back his head, though, and took her face between his hands. "Ruby Red..." he faltered, almost. "I don't exactly know how to ask this of you. But I think you deserve more than being simply my mistress, my wanton little... you know. You already live here with me. I think that, should you choose to remain, you need more than just to be in my manor." She was about to speak, he saw, and he placed a hushing finger over her lips. "You might think you know what I am implying, I'm not sure. But know that we will be little different in our relationship once justified. I am still only half of a man. But while one half might stray from time to time, there is another half that has already confessed his love for you the woman."
He kept her silent, but slipped from the divan to kneel in front of her. With the ring now in his hand, he took a breath. "Marry me, Ruby. Be my duchess." He held the box in front of her, the shining gold ring for her to see. It was embedded with fourteen rubies.
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Post by Ruby on Mar 5, 2013 14:44:39 GMT -5
Red was a woman like any other. She enjoyed the company of those she cared about, she loved to laugh, to tell a good story, a bit uncouth and probably a touch to reckless to be considered proper, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel. Her feelings for her lover were overwhelmingly strong, they beat in tune with her heart, and she was keenly aware of every move he made, his habits, his likes, his dislikes. She knew his favorite foods, she knew his favorite novels, she knew his habits and his quirks and she adored each and every one of them, even the portrait itself and she would fight for him with everything she was if he asked it of her. But she was also aware of her own curse. The curse that sucked the goodness from her, turned laughter into screams of agony, turned joy into pain and suffering, turned pleasure and love into bloodshed. The wolf, within her, was a monster. It could not be loved, it could not be cherished, it was a beast who knew only destruction and chaos and that was a fact that had been proven time and time again. She loved Dorian with every breath her lungs drew in, but she was tainted by the creature and it held nothing good.
Her own doubts began to resurface as the silence grew after her soft confession, he knew of her demons and she knew of his, but were they even? Were they truly similar? His demon sucked his soul from him and hers merely controlled her, forced her hand in the most vile of sins. Perhaps he had finally realized that she was no good for him, perhaps he thought finally to send her away. Her heart cracked at such a thought and she quickly dispelled it, she would not think on such things, could not. But why ask her to reiterate her love for him? She knew he loved to hear her speak such things, it gave his considerably large ego a gentle stroke. He knew he owned her, he knew she was his, he no longer needed her to tell him. He swallowed hard and Ruby furrowed her brow in confusion, her thumb trailing gently over his knuckles in an effort to soothe him. He called her lovely and her nerves were stilled only slightly, he could tell her anything she would think no less of him. She had chosen him. There was no one else for her.
He pulled his hand from her gentle grasp to clutch her face and she was his willing captive, her eyes trapped by his own and her attention on him solely. He spoke her names so softly, so gently, paused for only a moment and continued. His words were elusive and softly spoken, but as he spoke of her living here and their relationship her brain slowly began to catch up with what he was attempting to ask her. She opened her mouth to speak, to tell him he didn't have to do this, that she was content being forever at his side, he didn't have to bestow upon her fancy titles and a gorgeous ring, she never wished to trap him, to see him unhappy, but he shushed her before she could with a finger to her mouth and as always she could do naught but obey.
She knew he could never change, his curse demanded pleasure, whether of body or substance, it mattered little, but he had accepted her and all of her demons and when she had returned to Aledon she had decided to do the same. It wounded her, sure, but she had accepted him long ago. She could not live without him and she would rather be his and be forced to share than to be without him. He slipped from her and she obediently remained silent as he kneeled before her, her heart forgot how to beat. He spoke softly, reiterating what she already knew and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as he presented her the box with the most gorgeous ring she had ever seen, of course, laden with rubies. Her throat closed up and she couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Her heart stuttered painfully in her chest. Never... never had she expected Dorian to ever propose to her. He had told her multiple times he could never wed her and she had come to terms with such things, but now here he knelt, not promising to be eternally faithful, but promising that he did, in fact love her.
It dawned on her that she had fallen silent and he was still waiting for her response. How cruel of her. She nodded vehemently, unable to speak as she stubbornly kept her tears back, she leaned forward meeting his mouth, her body trembling and the smile that spread across her face threatened to break the kiss she had so lovingly bestowed upon him. Her clever fingers, trapped his face, kissing him again and again and again unable to process that such an impossibility was becoming reality.
She pulled away only far enough to see his eyes, those twin pools of ebony that she loved so much. Scattered laughter fell from her lips as she finally managed to find her voice. "Of course I will marry you my Dori. I love you so terribly much... haven't you realized that by now?" She quivered, unable to stop the tears that cascaded down her face. "When I came back to Aledon I accepted everything about you. The curse that steals you and the man beneath who owns my heart. I love you Dorian and that means my only wish is to see you happy, that's all love really means. I love everything about you and I always will. You could take a thousand lovers and I would still greet you with a kiss and a smile. I love you Dorian Gray. I love you. I love you. I love you." And she kissed him again, before he could answer her, because she needed to touch him, needed to feel him, to make him understand how true her words truly were.
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Post by Dorian Gray on Mar 5, 2013 21:32:34 GMT -5
Did he hate himself? Well, maybe not. Dorian had been cursed now for a long time, but he could never truly hate who he was. Because, well, he was stuck with it for eternity now. Or at least until Ruby got tired of him and tried the same thing Quincy had. She would be his now, though; he'd spent a long time meditating on the premise. He had given himself plenty of time to think it over, to make sure that he was doing what would be best in the end. And since they were both cursed, he figured this was the correct course. Where they married their destinies. Where they became one of the same, because both of them were monsters in their own rights. He was immortal but heartless; she shared her time with a beast.
So why didn't they belong together? They could be co-rulers of a dynasty that was based on some strange sort of love. Beginners of a line of power and... And he was not going to be a good husband was he? At least, not by the parameters of society. He would be unfaithful; he could already promise that this was not going to be a traditional marriage with the good faith and love that the lower classes got to feel. But, too, half of him had feelings for her. This would be a tidal ebb and flow of a relationship. But she deserved it.
Or, did she? Did she deserve to know that the one she loved couldn't be faithful? That he would claim her, give her his name and his title, and still not be the man that she deserved. She was a little too good for him, he thought, and perhaps this was not exactly right for him. But he was going to do what she wanted, and he thought this was it.
He held the box in steady hands. For this, he wasn't nervous. If she said no, he would understand, but... Well, she didn't so his feelings did not matter. She was nodding. This may have been one of the only times that Dorian was able to render his love speechless, and he was going to cherish it. Words were apparently not enough. Yes--he had done right by her, he hoped, and perhaps this gesture would mean what he thought it would. It was a gesture of love and companionship, not necessarily of devotion. He would be her lover whenever she needed him, wanted him. But his soul required more. The world, for him, was not made for one alone; it was made for to take delight in all pleasureable things. That was his curse. He was a narcissist. But now he was doing something for someone else.
He pulled the ring from the box, assuming these fervent nods meant that she would marry him. He looked into her beautiful green eyes as he slipped the rubies onto her finger and then brought her hand gently to his lips. She was going to be his now. He chuckled a little, saying, "Now you don't have to be my little bar wench anymore... Duchess Gray." Soon to be. She was going to have a noble standing because of this, and he was glad for that. That, she certainly deserved. Perhaps this would be better than he'd thought.
She took hisface suddenly in her hands, though, and kissed him with something he'd never quite felt before. He smiled into the kiss, letting her take the dominance this time. Her pretty lilting voice finally followed, bringing a big, sincere smile to his lips and colour to his cheeks. "I should know," he said quietly. He was glad to hear the next words--most importantly, she understood. She knew that he was an impossible husband to keep all to herself. "And this is why I love you, Ruby Red. Thank you. I'm so glad you accept me." And he spoke from the heart, he meant what he said. Ruby was now his, in name--well, soon enough, when they got themselves to a chapel and he had made a pair of rings for their wedding day. They would be one, soon. This was all for her, he recalled. This was not his moment right now.
"I love you, too."
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Post by Ruby on Mar 6, 2013 1:30:58 GMT -5
Red loved Dorian and she knew, at times he loved her too, no matter how rare it was that he told her as such. His curse was a vile thing, it stole from him all of his emotions and not only that, but it took his mind as well. It made him the lascivious pleasure seeker that he so often became. She knew that even with a ring upon her finger and his name following her own he would not belong solely to her and as much as it pained her to say it, she would never want him to be, because she would be caging him, and as much as she hated the thought of him with someone else, that life was a part of him, just as her wolf was a part of her and she loved Dorian Gray, which meant she loved every troubled piece of him. Flaws, habits, quirks, and all, and she would want him no other way. He was her Adonis, and she is Eris. He would always love her and she him, but their love would be chaotic, it could not be societies definition of the term, because neither one of them fit societies mold.
If she had ever had doubts that he didn't return at least a fraction of her feelings, they fled her now. Even if he did not return the full power of her love, he still cared for her deeply. He defied his curse, the very fabric of his being to propose to her. Everything that Dorian's curse was defied such a commitment. He was doing this for her, everything revolving around even the basic idea he had done for her. Everything he had done here, it was all for her. He really did love her to some degree and that touched her more than the finest trinkets or the most beautiful of gowns. He touched her. She loved him and she loved him so much in this moment that her heart actually bled.
Those onyx orbs, those gorgeous, stunning, beautiful onyx orbs were trained on her, she held his sole attention for this moment and she cherished it, her throat closing as emotions, too many too count flooded her eyes. She didn't think it was possible for anyone to love someone else as much as she loved her Duke. He took her hand and pulled the rubies from their box, sliding the gold band onto her finger, and still she never looked from his eyes, not all the gems in the world could compare to the beauty she saw in those inky pools of black. She could see his satisfaction at rendering her utterly speechless but so many emotions flooded her being she couldn't bring herself to care.
She kissed him reverently, pressing her mouth to his again, and again, and again. Her thumb traced his cheekbone as she deepened the touch, tracing her tongue along the seam of his lower lip, begging him to play with her. She needed to be closer to him, needed to feel him. She wanted him to surround her, his taste, his touch, his scent. She loved him and she wanted him always. She slipped from the divan, to join him on the floor, one arm slipping around his waist as she weaseled her way between his bent knee and the divan. She pulled his body to hers, cementing him to her and demanding his mouth, taking his passions and making them her own. She pulled away only when her lungs screamed for oxygen, but she didn't go far. "I love you more than you will ever know my Dori, my Adonis." She answered him, her voice laden with every emotion she felt for him.
Her wit was not something to be stifled and with eyes still glimmering with love and adoration, but now tainted with mischief she spoke. "Your true motive becomes clear to me. You just want my body at your beck and call... I seem to recall a promise of twine and a collar? I fear I may have gone a touch overboard with a few extra delights, if you will give me but a moment and allow me to borrow Victor... I promise I will show you how much I truly love you." She purred in a seductive drawl, oozing with sex and lust. She wanted to give him a treat for what he had offered her this day.
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Post by Dorian Gray on Mar 8, 2013 18:11:46 GMT -5
Dorian had felt love. At one point in his life, he had understood the entailings of that emotion that some called love. But for fifty years or so, that love had been slowly wasting away, receding into the depths of his soul, where he was having a hard time pulling it back out. For a long while, Dorian had been deteriorating, and Ruby was clearly trying now to pull him back out. It was funny; of all the people that could have helped him, he did not think that the one to actually do it would be someone who was a demon just like him. He'd been a monster for a long time, a sinner for even longer. And he had never thought he'd do something this crazy.
But he was doing it, indeed, and Ruby was going to be his wife. In name, in body. Perhaps partly in love. She deserved this bit of nobility and the little prestige that might come with being his wife. Of course, now she would have to go to court gatherings with him, as oft he was required to go to keep his social standing. Surely she wouldn't mind; she was already a friend of the queen. So surely she'd want to spend more time with the court?
Och, well, that didn't really matter. He knew that she wanted to marry him and she had for a while, and that was the reason that Dorian had finally proposed. He knew she deserved it. Not him; she was worth much more than just him, but her dreams she needed. That was why he kissed her hand when his ring was finally upon it; he needed her to know that this was her dream and not his, that he loved her enough to do something for her for a change. He responded to her sweet words in hushed tones, his voice only for her to hear. "And I love you, my Eris." She was with him now, on the floor instead of the divan, kissing the hell out of him and he knew this was not something he deserved. He blinked as she pulled away.
What? Oh, she'd done it now.
His serious side snapped at her words, and now he had to reign in the sheer passion in his eyes. He'd been so serious, and now... This promise she offered, it flickered in his eyes. "Oh, my dear.... Sweetheart, as you like it." He was trying not to think too much about this. If he did, he would lose his control. He released her from his hold so that she might leave him for whatever... surprise she had. Och. He was getting himself into a mess, marrying Ruby, for sure. A hot, beautiful mess.
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Post by Ruby on Mar 8, 2013 19:20:04 GMT -5
Right... you know damn good and well this cant stay here any longer.
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