i'm done running, done hiding

reuben serein

Once they’d formally agreed to make their fake relationship official, Reuben could tell immediately that Rayne’s mood was lighter than it had been. A way out had been offered out of the dilemma without making her feel responsible for the boy’s feelings. Reuben really didn't care too much about a stranger he’d never met, but Rayne was a different story. She made him want to be a little selfless and that was unlike him. He’d spent most of his life rebelling against his mother and avoiding the responsibilities she gave him. The irony was that the day she left her wish was granted. Reuben enlisted into the Jacobian Army to take some of the burden of paying for their father's medical treatment off of Sulliven. The doctor had claimed to be able to cure his blindness and the boys did what they could to get ahold of the medicine that was promised.

Her banter made his lips twitch with amusement. Him, cuddly? He honestly didn't know since he’d never shared a bed with anyone other than his brother. ”Cuddly like an adorable bunny? Or cuddly like a bear that you want to hug, but probably shouldn't?” he joked back. He didn't mind if she thought of him as cute or adorable. It meant that she felt safe with him and that was enough for him.

It turned out that Rayne knew about medicine and or was learning about it. He’d always believed that Sulliven could have excelled at the college if they’d ever had the chance to choose their own path. ”Well it kinda hurts. Can you make it better, Doc?” he whined playfully and lowered his head so she had access to the crown of his head. There was no visible bump, but he could feel a bruise forming.

She tapped at her chin lightly at his question, "I think it's a fine line between both of those actually, I would dare hug a bear even if it tried to bite." She laughed lightly at the thought because in truth she actually would not try to hug a bear, but figuratively she would. His ocean gaze rested on the top of his crown as he lowered his head, there was no blood which was good, nor was there a goose egg sized bump. "Hmm," she squinted at the area, it was a tad bit red and she thought a possibly bruise would form as well as a headache. "The swelling will go down with a cold compress, as for a headache, some herbs can help with that when brewed into a tea if you would like." A small smile touched her lips, even though it had only been a short amount of time why was their interaction seeming more real by the minute? "I don't think you won that fight though to be honest." She moved from him momentarily so she could grab the herbs and filled her basin with water before settling it on a makeshift fire. It came second nature to her, being a survivalist and all. She poured the tea for him and gathered the cold compress to put atop his crown. "So I am thinking maybe if we spend every other week together, or weekend, there will be more of a chance to run into him together. If not than that's okay too, maybe he will get over it sooner rather than later." Or she could hope in the very least. "Thanks again for doing this," she mentioned softly.

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reuben serein

To be compared to both a bunny and a bear was quite complimentary. Reuben had never seen a bear, but he knew they were fearsome creatures that a wolf would struggle to kill. They were apex predators and rivals to their lupine foes. ”You can call me bunny-bear if you want,” he laughed, green eyes full of mirth at the ridiculousness of the pet name he suggested. If Rayne did call him that in public he would probably try to find a wolf sized rock he could crawl under. It didn't stop him from joking around about it however and giving her ammunition to tease him back. It was his first attempt at romance, albeit a fake one so he was winging it and making it up as he went along.

His ears twitched self-consciously as she scrutinised his crown. It was the closest she had gotten to him since their noses almost touched and it made him all the more aware of her as he looked down. It was over before he could think too much about it. ”Ah, but even the strongest wolf would be defeated by a dryad,” he jested, speaking of course of the tree dwelling fairies and the way Rayne had suddenly popped out as if from within the tree itself.

The sudden fire that bloomed as if summoned by her earned a oooh of appreciation and his tail slapped the ground in applause. ”Was that…magic?” Reuben asked, feeling a little foolish for asking her so seriously. He was raised with highlander superstitions and although he was more of a sceptic than a believer he couldn't help asking.

Once the cold compress was applied he felt the ache in his head soothing slightly. He was thankful that the dye had dried properly so the wet compress wouldn't reveal the markings beneath the dye. He was thankful then that he had decided to go with berries instead of ash or earth which could be washed away all too easily.

Rayne swiftly moved the conversation on to future plans and he nodded. ”That’s fine with me. Gives us time to practise. I’ll be the best fake boyfriend you’ll ever have,” he promised her with a grin. Rescuing Sulliven came first, but he was certain he could help out Rayne for a while until he got his chance to free him.

Working with herbs came naturally, so much so she often forgot how fast she was able to brew and concoct such medicines. When he joked about magic a single paw would swipe at his shoulder playfully, "I could only imagine such a thing. I often think of the Fae and try to take into consideration if having magic is a blessing or a curse." She didn't want to live forever. To outlive others while she saw them born just to die. It was cruel and something she would not imagine on anyone. "Your head is going to be just fine bunny-bear, the bump should go down in about a day, and the headache won't last long now." She took a step back to give him some space as her gaze lingered on his dark features. "So do you have any family?" She thought about the counter question, though if he asked about her family she would not be offended, but she didn't quite know how to explain them. Her mother was a Adham lover, her father for Jakob and it was an interesting love story to say the least. The product of their love, however, came with bloodshed. To say the least a love like theirs would never happen between the kingdoms again, lest no one knew about it. It was why she chose the path she did, refusing to subject herself to such hatred due to silly politics and beliefs. Why should only one have a say to all that goes on? And when the world did go up in flames they allowed everyone else to fight a battle they started. No. It was tyranny, and she couldn't stand it.

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reuben serein

The fire was not magic and deep down he had known it was foolish to believe in it. His mother’s viper tongue hissed in his ears, scolding him for being such a child. Even a year after her departure her ghost still haunted him like a faithful echo. While their father had whispered fantasies of fae and magic; Aoife had filled their heads with the anxieties of reality. Dreams were for fools, she’d always said and Reuben resented her for that. Not for his own ruined innocence, but for the light in his brother's eyes that had dwindled because of her negativity. Reuben tried to encourage the dreamer in Ven and fill his greyscale world with a little colour. In the end he had made his younger brother suffer almost as much as Aoife.

”Have you ever met one of those wolves that got younger?” he asked suddenly, lifting his head and brightening as the bitter thoughts were pushed away forcefully. ”I met a fella that said he had gotten rid of his grey hairs, but I couldn't really tell,” he laughed lightly, not knowing whether he believed in fae sickness or not. “Can you imagine? I’d hate to get younger,” Reuben remarked dryly, still ruminating on his childhood. He was glad of the freedom that came with being an adult, but hated the responsibility.

”Thanks, Doc,” he playfully responded, green eyes twinkling with mischief. Surprise coloured his features when the subject of family was brought up. ”I have ..some, but we’re not in touch right now,” he answered vaguely, hoping that would be enough to satisfy her. His situation was complicated and while he did like Rayne he couldn't allow her to get closer than she was. He never knew when he might need to disappear from her life.

She began to clean her supplies and rid of the unused portions, feeding it back into the earth as she did not like to waste anything. A majority of it had been used on Reuben and she assumed the affects would last at least until the next day as she made it strong enough to work, but not so much so it would put him out for the night. ”Hmm?” Her attention strayed for a moment, but she had heard him. ” Actually, I have not,” she tapped at her chin, ”and yeah, I wouldn’t enjoy that either. To see those, you care about die around you, almost constantly. To see them born and age before you. It doesn’t seem like a blessing in my opinion.” She shrugged her shoulders lightly as she put the final bit of herb paste into the ground and covered it up. ”Oh?” She said in question to him stating he had family he hadn’t been in touch with. ”Why?” Immediately she waved her paw at him, ”wait no you don’t have to answer that actually, that is none of my business.” Her mouth often worked faster than her brain and there were times it got her in trouble. Though she did not think of this being one of those times she did not wish to pry in wounds that might have been open just to add salt. ”I am an only child,” she exhaled a short breath, ”the product of love between two people who had no business being in love.” Her soft smile faded, ”my mother was Jacobite and my father was as a Royalist. They had me, raised me for a year and than my father was ordered to kill my mother.” She snorted, ”he didn’t have to, but he did. He was to raise me as a royalist, but I ran from him. Not sure if he has been looking for me since.” While she wasn’t sure what side Reuben played a part on she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. ”Sometimes I am not sure which side I dislike more,” she admitted.

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reuben serein

It seemed that Rayne's opinion of those blighted by the youthfulness of the fae was not favourable. Staying young forever seemed like an impossible dream. He had his doubts about the legitimacy of such claims. Time marched forwards, not backwards. “I guess it would get kind of boring,” Reuben conceded. “If you were alone.”

Without Sulliven even one year seemed like an eternity. He had to save him.

There was a flicker of unease in the bright emerald depths of his eyes when Rayne’s curiosity pushed forward with a question. Reuben’s family was a fractured mess, like many others, and there was no happy reunion in the cards for the Karsia family. What little love had tied Aoife Karsia to her mate and pups had died when Caim had lost his sight and her sons failed to meet her expectations.

”It's complicated,” he answered vaguely, nodding his head gratefully when she dropped it. Guilt sank into his heart like a hook when she opened up and told him of her traumatic past. Emotions were always something he struggled with. Sulliven was the gentle one, he was better at comforting others. “That's… terrible. I’m sorry,” were the words he managed to say. A tentative paw was placed gently atop hers, sympathy shining in his verdant gaze.

Sometimes I am not sure which side I dislike more.

More secrets to keep from her. If she knew of his Jacobian roots or his plan to join the Imperial Army it would only hurt her. “Is that why you're studying medicine?” he asked, subtly steering the conversation away from any pitfalls that could land him in trouble with her.

The placement of his paw against her own caused her heart to skip a beat suddenly. It was a gesture she did not expect, but it was one she would welcome wholeheartedly. It was actually nice to find the comfort in someone else instead of constantly relying on herself, even if it was made believe. Little did she know how dangerous of a game this actually was. To get close to a stranger from the means of something so simple, so innocent. She offered him a smile, "thank you," it was a long time since she had spoken of something of her past, honestly, she had been so bottled up in her own head she almost forgot the tragedy to be a reality. If she had been paying closer attention, she would have noticed the change of scenery with the conversation. Little did he want to speak of himself, and instead wished to know her better. "Yeah, I do best remaining neutral and studying at the college. It keeps my time occupied, and my mind busy." She shrugged her shoulders idly while a paw began to play in the dirt beneath her. A distant sound of rumbling began to bubble overhead, "a storm," he inhaled a soft breath. It meant their time spent together was coming to an end. She didn't wish to get caught up in the rain and to smell like a wet hound when in the confinements of her den. "I hope to see you soon," she offered him a soft smile before placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Have to make it feel real, right?" Saying nothing more she took off in the opposite direction, but not before offering him a shy smile over her shoulder. exit rayne

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reuben serein

Reuben wasn’t normally the type to care about anyone who wasn’t Sulliven. The twins had lived in their own world their entire lives up until he was forced to go to war to pay the doctor for his father’s cure. Even his father was an afterthought now that Ven was in danger. He knew that made him a bad son, but he was burned out. Half his life had been spent caring for a man that he resented, who their mother had abandoned them with. Rayne was the closest an outsider had come to breaching his little bubble world and he was adamant that she wouldn’t get any closer. Thank you. she offered her appreciation and he looked at her silently, trying to ignore the way his heart thumped a little harder when she smiled.

He was relieved when the subject shifted smoothly to her studies. Reuben didn’t have strong feelings towards Imperials or Royalists. There was plenty of wrong that had been done to them and by them. By his own paws one of their lives was taken and he still hadn’t allowed himself time to process that. His allegiance was still with the Jacobites, but he didn’t wish to involve himself with them anymore. Getting mixed up with them had caused him nothing, but trouble. “I think that’s pretty noble of you,” he remarked, both impressed and envious of her ability to be so selfless.

Green eyes drifted upwards at the announcement of a storm’s arrival. The rain would slow him down. In the brief moment he looked away Rayne was bidding him farewell and her lips were touching his cheek. Then she pulled away and he could still feel his cheek tingling where she had kissed. “Right,” he snapped out of his stupor and flashed her a cheeky grin. “I’ll take you on a date you won’t forget.” his voice called after her retreating form and again he wondered if he was doing the right thing. It was supposed to be just a favour, right?

Exit