queen of hearts ;; delilah

[cavalrychoir]

[align=center][div style="width:60%;font-family:arial;font-size:11px;text-align:justify;line-height:130%;word-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:0.5px;"]To say he didn't have a motive wasn't a lie. However, to say he did have one wasn't that far of a stretch either. He had... Taken an interest in the pretty pastel medic, he could admit that much. It was a miracle they got along so well, the two being polar opposites after all. She was soft, caring, nurturing and diligent. Upon first meeting her, it's hard not to be drawn to her. One would either want to protect her due to her timid nature, or be alongside her by means of friendship. She was a refreshing sight, a breath of fresh air and he knew several that would agree with him. Delilah was beautiful inside and out... Unlike him. He was scarred both physically, mentally and emotionally... Perhaps spiritually as well considering no soul habits his body. He was a hollowed out cave due to his own choice of taking the many lives of the people he once called family. Not counting their blood, he's taken so many other lives. The scars on his body are proof of the countless of fights he's been in. Now lifeless dark red eyes have seen the dozens corpses scattered across the battlefield after every fight. Violence was necessary in getting what one wanted. Things like negotiation and compromise were for cowards too afraid to draw their sword. They were weaklings who were either cast out, enslaved or killed for their timid thoughts. Only those who valued strength, conquest and the art of combat were revered - Ren being one of those individuals. For so long was he blinded by what he was taught. For so long did he take pride in taking another's life or leading others to victory against those who didn't deserve to be beaten into submission. He grew up in a disgusting place and for so long, they convinced him what they were doing was right. Of course, now he knows he was wrong. Everything he's done was wrong and monstrous but it was like he could change the past. As far as he knew, he couldn't die either. He was damned to walk the earth for eternity, forced to ponder over his past. Even if he could die, he would disappear into nothingness; nothing would be left and he will be forgotten in time. A peaceful thought... A merciful thought... He didn't deserve mercy. Looking to his past, it appears he doesn't know the meaning of the word mercy. He was the last person who deserved anything along those lines. Isolation was the only thing he could think of. Secluding himself from others to prevent from hurting anyone.

He's caused enough pain as it is. He doesn't want to do that anymore.

Every fiber in his body was telling him to run. Run away from the intrusive thoughts, run away from Tanglewood- run away from Delilah. It was to save them and himself from what he's capable of doing. It was a coward way to go about things - arguably selfish too - but he was running out of options. He could easily leave behind Tanglewood as he has no ties with them. He wasn't ready to devote his life to another group as his last one left a sour taste in his mouth. They were an alright bunch, he suppose, so they shouldn't have much problems without him. He hasn't contributed much anyways so as far as functionality, they were fine. If he were to leave, would anyone try to stop him? Would anyone shed tears for him? Would they care enough to ask if he'll ever return? All hypothetical questions that he couldn't care less about. They would have entered his mind and be immediately dismissed and never brought back up again, but one outlier keeps bring it back: Delilah. Of course. She seems to be the only thing on his mind. The only one he genuinely cares about. Would she cry if he were to leave? He forcibly convinced himself she wouldn't as he doesn't want to imagine her crying. He'd never tell her he was leaving, even as a joke. She had become his source of strength, his courage, over the duration of their time together. He wasn't sure how or when she became this symbol of power to him but he very much needed the stability she seems to effortlessly provide. There was nothing in this world or the other realms he would do for her. They were... Friends after all. A-and friends looked after each other in times of need. He was still new to the idea of having a genuine friend and he wasn't quite sure he knew what he was doing but he did know he wanted to do everything he could to protect and support her. He knew he had the firepower and willpower to pull it off but the small seed of doubt planted in his mind was enough to make him hesitate which resulted in the distance between them. That same distance held it's position despite the two living so close, even going as far as sharing a living space. As much as he detested it, he wasn't sure if he wanted to remove that distance. It kept him sharp and on guard. Picking and choosing his words grew exhausting but he'd much rather that in oppose to saying something wrong and being hated.

So he suppose he did have a motive. He wanted to get to know more about the medic. Her likes, dislikes, what she was like as a child, did she have siblings, when is her birthday and what was her favourite colour. They were small questions, but they meant the world to him. He figured if he knew more about her, he could somehow trick his brain into thinking he could drop his guard even if it's just a little. Which is why he decided a little outing would do them good. She was the one he was the most comfortable around and with no one watching, he could loosen up a tad. Not too much as he could still very much kill her on the spot... A terrifying thought but he was trained to be a killing machine. A-ah, maybe being alone with her is a bad idea after all. Too late to back out now. He was already standing before her den, the scent of cherry blossoms were both welcoming and encouraging. She undoubtedly noticed his arrival if she was in there. "Delilah?" He rumbled, a soft underlay in his tone. Before waiting for a response, the large wildcat entered the den. "I um, hope I am not interrupting anything." He finished, lifting a paw to rub his eyes as they got adjusted to the change in lighting.

[member=1277]DELILAH.[/member]

[DELILAH.]

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DELILAH EVERGARDEN

— Take a moment to think of just

[size=8pt]tags - plotting - reference

tanglewood
- medic
18 months old

physically medium
emotionally easy
mentally easy

demiheterosexual
heteroromantic
in love with renegadeanthems

androphobic
skittish & sensitive

nature faerie
earth manipulation
telekinesis
x-ray vision

[/td][td]

The past was something that Delilah had once forgotten, the memories of her forest- her kingdom- was buried into her mind, only to be shoveled back up the moment she had flashbacks. Terrible, cruel flashbacks. She didn't like to remember those who didn't enjoy her presence- her siblings, Kasper in particular- was a thought she didn't want to remember. He was always about duty, shunning her for her being born wingless- proof that she was going to grow up impure. Her future was impure.

Faeries of royal blood were to stay pure until marriage, until they had found someone to pass on their bloodline with. Delilah broke that rule when she ran off with her lover- and then.. When she was enslaved. Now, she was stuck with inky black wings, dripping with charcoal-colored igor that stained the grass and made the nymphs cringe at just the sight.

She was pitiful.

Delilah had often thought of Renegadeanthem, about how he was doing while she was working- the pastel felidae was glad he seemed to talk to some people, he even defended her when the ghosts came around and tried to attack her. She couldn't admit it openly, but he was her hero- Without him, she would constantly think about the past, her mental health would slowly begin to degrade itself again, she couldn't really help it.

Paranoia wasn't something Delilah was happy that she had, she always seemed to second-guess everything around her, unwilling to trust even the nicest man who tried to talk to her about directions in the swamp. She could tolerate very few males- Vigenere, Morgan, Leroy, and Renny. Just thinking about being in the same room as any other guy made her uncomfortable, made her eyes widen to the size of saucers before she actually got to reply to the guy. She felt bad, but they should have known. Everyone knows how much of a coward Delilah is.

When she heard the floor creak, Delilah tensed slightly, inhaling the scent in the air quickly to make sure she could turn around. Renny. Renny was here. Quickly, Delilah set her satchel onto the ground, her claws making soft clicking sounds against the ground as she shuffled over to the lynx on three unstable legs. "Renny!" Came the sing-song voice of Delilah as she greeted her friend and roommate with a gentle, rare smile. "Nope, I just finished what I was doing. What's up? Do you feel unwell?" She asked curiously, fondly glancing over the scarred feline's body. Maybe a bit too much staring, but Delilah didn't understand the whole 'just because you're a medic doesn't mean you can stare excessively at muscles' part of her job. Not yet, at least.

After all, he was just a friend. What wasn't there to admire about him?

FLEXIBILITY, LOVE, & TRUST —

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[W]isker

[cavalrychoir]

[align=center][div style="width:60%;font-family:arial;font-size:11px;text-align:justify;line-height:130%;word-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:0.5px;"]Unbeknownst to him, he was one of the factors that led to her paranoia. He should have known what he and his tribe was doing was wrong. He should have put an end to it much sooner than he had done but he didn't. He sat and watched in silence, admiring the misery he helped bring about. And if he were to know she had been caught in the midst of it, he would detach himself from her without hesitation. And why shouldn't he? He couldn't live with himself knowing he caused her so much pain. To know her fears were partially because of him would be too much for the already suffering demon to withstand. He said, he promised, to protect her from all those who cause her harm, but what about him? He had no right to say anything about the individuals who abused her - he was no better than them. And yet, the soft smile that greeted him when he walked in was enough to make his knees weak and heart flutter. The nervous butterflies that tickled the inside of his stomach made him anxious, but he had no intentions of leaving. The butterflies and the irregular beating of his heart was... Nice... Considering it was Delilah that made him feel this way. Only Delilah could possibly draw out such emotions. A terrifying thought. Ren didn't like opening himself up and being vulnerable around others. He had a hard, militant-like personality but that all seems to change around the medic.

Understandable. Ren found himself drawn to strong individuals and she possessed an abundance of strength. The last thing that came to mind when thinking of her was pitiful or impure. He was fond of everything about her: the way her magenta eyes shone in natural light, the ginger touches, shy glances, her soft pastel fur, the way the blossoms that roll off her back fall neatly at delicate paws and so much more. The dark faerie wings placed on her back were a harsh contrast to her lightly coloured fur, but he found it was hard not to adore that too. Everything about her was captivating and he sometimes has to remind himself not to stare. After everything she's been through, she still finds the courage to go on and Ren will forever be thankful for that. Watching her face and overcome challenges is fuel to him and in turn, makes him want to do his best as well. She was so small compared to him, but so strong. He wanted to hold her in his arms and keep her safe and warm. He knew the bond between them couldn't be broken, he'll always be there to dry her tears. 'Cause she'll be in his heart, yes she'll be in his heart. From this day on, now and forever more. But if one day she decides she doesn't want to be around him anymore, he decided he wouldn't put up a fight. Instead, he would politely dip his head and disappear the following day. When she no longer needs him, he'll ignore the pain in his heart and the tears that threaten to run down his cheeks as he looks down at the smaller feline. He would try to mask the pain with his usual stoic expression but it wouldn't work - he could never keep a straight face around her. Why did he think it would work now? Ren didn't want to think about being tossed to the side by the one person he genuinely cared about, but with his history, it was plausible.

Dull red eyes were slightly lidded as invisible brows furrowed a bit, a fond expression surfacing before quickly being replaced with something less smitten and more friendly. A low purr rumbled in his throat as he watched her walk up to him, her movements clumsy and not graceful at all which prompted an amused, "Whoa, careful." As large forepaws stretched out to catch her if she fell or stable her should she lose her balance. Taking his paws back only when he was sure she could stand on her own, he shook his head in response to her question. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but stopped when a thought passed through his conscious: why was he here? He wanted to see her, of course, but it's not like he could just say that! Well, he could but that was way to embarrassing! Shit, his window to say something before it becomes awkward was depleting at an alarming rate! Okay, okay... He just needed to say something cool and summarize his thoughts at the same time. Easier said than done, right? Dark luminaries followed magenta ones to his body, wondering what she was staring at before replying. "I just wanted to check up on you... Help you organize or stock up on herbs too... I-if that is something that needs to be done." He said, doing his best to not look as awkward at he sounded as he mentally hissed at himself for choosing a "cool" thing to say but not executing it in a "cool" way.

[DELILAH.]

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DELILAH EVERGARDEN

— Take a moment to think of just

[size=8pt]tags - plotting - reference

tanglewood
- medic
18 months old

physically medium
emotionally easy
mentally easy

demiheterosexual
heteroromantic
in love with renegadeanthems

androphobic
skittish & sensitive

nature faerie
earth manipulation
telekinesis
x-ray vision

[/td][td]

Pastel features moved closer to the lynx with hardened determination as she glanced over his face once, twice, once more to be sure he wasn't lying to her. When she was satisfied enough with his answer, the pink felidae let her inky wings disappear, black igor staining the ground under her but she didn't seem to mind. It would dissolve eventually- if not, she could just go and clean it up later. Or get Matias to.

Herb hunting? That sounded fun at least. Delilah had always been rather fond of herb hunting since way before she even became a medic, studying under Malphas as his student and apprentice despite him being seven months younger than her. "Just as long as you're okay with all of the walking. Let me metalbend a prosthetic for my leg.." She murmured, turning to a pile of scrap metal across the room. Shuffling through it enough to find some light, sturdy metal, she used earth manipulation to shape the minerals in the metal, bending it all and mending it together to create a temporarily prosthetic.

Slipping it over her stumpy leg, she put some pressure on the prosthetic before testing it out. It felt stable enough- she could deal with this. "I had to fiddle with this power a bit- but I can metalbend pretty easily." She meowed cheerfully, the soft clanking of her metal claws permeating through her den before she pushed her side up against Ren's own as she walked past him, her tail coming up to cup his chin swiftly before walking out of her den, telekinesis lifting her satchel up and carrying it outside with her.

"Don't fall behind, Renny! Wouldn't want my prince in shining armor to get lo- OOF!" Delilah stumpled, her metal leg getting caught on a root, causing her to fall forward. Her chin hit the ground, Delilah silently scolding herself for being so fucking clumsy. Why was she so damn clumsy? What she didn't know was that as she rolled onto her back to pull her metal leg out of the root, her fur was brushed aside, the branding on her stomach visible. But who cared? Renny wouldn't mind her scars- it wasn't like he caused them or something like that.

Oh, she was in for an emotional rollercoaster..

FLEXIBILITY, LOVE, & TRUST —

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[W]isker

[cavalrychoir]

[align=center][div style="border-width:0px; width: 60%; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 140%;word-spacing:-1px;"]The wildcat didn't move as she looked at him a bit longer, head slightly tilted to the side. Dark red eyes then slowly shifted to the side to look elsewhere when she drew closer to him, his tail tip twitching nervously at the closing distance between them. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath until she chirped up once more, agreeing with his offer to aid her in herb gathering. Asking someone out was nerve-wracking as he forced his body not to tremble from anticipation. Or fear or whatever emotion he was feeling right now. It wasn't anything bad, that much was certain but it did leave him feeling weak. He wasn't sure why that was but he'll think about it on a later date. Inhaling slowly, he pushed all intrusive and worrisome thoughts to the side and focused on the femme in front of him. What did she mean as long as he was okay? She needed to be more concerned about herself in situations like this. He really shouldn't be this overjoyed from her showing concerns for his well-being. "I do not mind at all," he started with a shake of his head. Of course he wouldn't mind. Why would he mind something like that? He relishes in any moment he can spend time with her. "Take as much time as you need." He added, impressed at her ability to metalbend. He himself didn't have any special powers, at least, none at the moment. He wasn't sure what kind of abilities he'd have... Not that he was sure he had an option of choosing them. Maybe something with fire? No, no... Fire was destructive and feared by most. He didn't want a power that made others scared of him. The thought was enough to send a shiver down his spine. "Oh?" He rumbled in response to her progression in regards to her metal manipulation. "I would have never guessed." He continued, referring to how effortless she makes it look.

Dark luminaries watched curiously as she walked towards him when she finished fitting the prosthetic to her missing limb. Although he will forever regret not protecting her from the trap that cost her the limb, he does think she looks cool with it. More tweaking needed to be done in order for it to perfectly fit her, but he thought she looked pretty badass. This realization caused his heart to pound wildly in his chest, though his exterior remained calm and collected. At least, it was until he felt her brush against him, a long and wonderfully fluffy tail sliding under his chin. He bit down on his tongue to stop himself from purring as sharp claws dug into the floor to prevent his body from hypnotically following after her. Staying still, he watched as the satchel magically lifted and followed her out of the den. Only when she left the den did he lift both his paws and put them on his face, a soft groan leaving his mouth as he struggled to keep himself together. What the fuck was that?! There were several emotions stirring up within him, none of which he could explain. When that happens, the demon decides to ignore them and this situation was no different. Shoving them to the back of his mind, he followed after the medic, his once soft stare now hardened upon entering the public eye. Abruptly, his appearance was the last thing on his mind when Delilah's voice reached his ears once more. As much as he wanted to stop and appreciate her calling him her Knight in Shining Armour, the demon felt his heart lurch when she tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground. The large feline quickly found himself at her side, brows furrowed in concern. Ren opened his mouth to ask if she was alright, but stopped momentarily when something else caught his eye. Right on her stomach was a familiar symbol... Annoyingly familiar. He's seen it before - it was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't seem to remember it. He found himself lost in thought for a second before movement brought him back to reality. Right, Delilah had fallen. "Are you alright?" He asked, taking a hold of her scruff and picking her up before placing her back down on her paws. When she was situated, Ren applied a bit of pressure to the root to move it ever so slightly away from the prosthetic leg to give himself more room to pull it out. Once it was freed from the root, he handed it to her. "Here. Please be more careful." He murmured, whiskers twitching with amusement now that he knew she wasn't hurt.

Once she took back the metal leg and fitted it to her limb once more, he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "U-um... I did not know you had a tattoo." He meowed, pointing to his stomach to show the location of where it was on her own body. He's definitely seen it before but he doesn't know where. A dream, maybe? Or he saw it in a book once. Either way, the mystery was killing him.

[DELILAH.]

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DELILAH EVERGARDEN

— Take a moment to think of just

[size=8pt]tags - plotting - reference

tanglewood
- medic
18 months old

physically medium
emotionally easy
mentally easy

demiheterosexual heteroromantic
in love with renegadeanthems

completely blind
androphobic
skittish & sensitive

nature faerie
earth manipulation
telekinesis
x-ray vision

[/td][td]

Lies. Something Delilah only told when she absolutely needed to, or when she was incredibly nervous. She would always lie if it meant she survived, if it meant she didn't get the short end of the stick. If it meant she didn't die. She could have lied if it meant that her life was at stake, but it wasn't.

This was Renegade, after all. She couldn't ever lie to him.

Her fur brushed against his own as she stood up, being wrenched free from the tree root within a few seconds. While there were eyes on her, she was sure she could hear snickering and gossiping off to the sides, but forced herself to remain calm despite the dwelling bout of paranoia in her mind.

Ren's voice just so happened to snap her out of her paranoid daze. "Huh? Oh- Yeah, Sorry.. Clumsy.." Delilah huffed softly, amusement sparkling in soft magenta eyes as she fixed her prosthetic back onto her thigh, continuing her somewhat peaceful walk into the emerald forest, swamp life surrounding herself and her friend. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she knew it wasn't because of his question about her having a tattoo. It was him, his presence, his smell, everything about him. She felt intoxicated by his presence, but she knew it was too rude to ignore such an important question.

Lifting her head a bit, Delilah offered a skittish smile to the demon, before she replied to him, a shaky edge to her soft voice. "Not exactly a tattoo, more of a scar." She said nervously, her tail wavering behind her as her satchel moved to adjust itself onto her back, the strap wrapping around her neck to secure it. "I've got a pretty dark past, not exactly a topic I should talk about on the first date, huh?" She snickered, trying to cover up her nervousness with a very terrible joke about this being a date- this was a date though, wasn't it? No, they were friends. Renegades wouldn't see her as more than a friend, and Delilah was comfortable with that.

Besides, who would want to be with someone as impure as herself?

"I come from a line of.. Faeries. Like.. The faeries you hear about in fairy tales and lore. My mother is named Titania. Pureblooded faeries are sought after, we're rare, powerful, mysterious. Selling our kind would make mortals lots of money. Maybe that's why they took me.." Delilah found herself rambling aloud, her voice trailing off desperately as she tried to explain just what the scar meant without being too direct.

Then, she came to a stop in the middle of a field of grass, her claws latching onto a patch of chervil, snapping up the plant and lifting it up to glance at it idly. "I was enslaved by a group of men. I don't remember anything further than the cage I was in, but I remember that they were all men. Every single one of them. They had taken more of my kind with them, but only women." She stated bluntly, taking the chance to just talk about it with him. Maybe he could help her cope with it- she knew he must have come from a hard background as well, from all those scars he was covered in, but she never bothered to ask.

FLEXIBILITY, LOVE, & TRUST —

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[W]isker

[cavalrychoir]

[align=center][div style="border-width:0px; width: 60%; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 140%;word-spacing:-1px;"]Ren stared down at the medic, curiosity shone in his otherwise emotionless glare. Head tilted to the side, his ears twitched as he felt eyes shift to them but unlike Delilah, he paid no mind to it. If someone had something to say, they were free to say it. Their opinion would be rewarded with an annoyed growl or hiss and vengeful glare. Aside from Delilah, he wasn't very much a people person if that much wasn't already known. People disappoint him. No, he was kidding- but truthfully, they do like to waste his time. He could be doing much more with said time like making sure the only person he genuinely cares about is taking care of herself. He made sure to remain diligent when doing this. She was his only friend and medic so of course he was going to be even more determined to support her. She has a heavy responsibility on her back: keeping the clan healthy and somehow putting up with the wildcat beside her. Surely she was just putting up with him, right? Who would want to be around him on their own volition? He had more faults that promising traits and if he was being honest, she could have befriended anyone she wanted. She was wasting her time on him.

He hummed in response as she collected herself. "It is cute, though." He said without thinking. Seconds later, he realized his mistake and mentally face-palmed before quickly adding onto it. "It is a cute trait to have." He altered it from only her to in general. Begging his heart to stop beating so fast, he followed after her before falling into step at her side. Noticing the drastic difference in their strides, Ren slowed his walk to match her pace. There was a momentary awkward silence on his part before Delilah spoke up once more, answering his question regarding her tattoo- scar. It was a pretty intricate scar but he kept that bit to himself. And he was happy he did as she disclosed the next part, explaining it was from a dark time in her life. Curiosity and regret mingled in his stomach, wondering if he should apologize for bringing it up. He knew a thing or two about terrible upbringings so he didn't want to press her any more than he already have. He didn't like speaking about his past and unless instigated by that person, he doesn't ask anyone about theirs either. The twinge of happiness and nervousness that came with Delilah referring to their outing as a date was completely overshadowed by the painful thought of having her retell the horrid events in her life. Opening his mouth to apologize, he closed it when she started speaking.

He remained quiet, listening to everything she had to say - soaking in every detail. From the way her whiskers would twitch or the expressions she would make with every word. Nothing got past him. Even if he wanted to speak in that moment, what would he say? He thought it was cool she was related to the queen of faeries, Titania herself and that she was a faerie too. She was valuable and definitely a rarity. Faeries were hard to find, but a pureblood? The odds of that is close to none. As she continued, guilt washed over him in waves for thinking such a thing. That made him no better than the people who ripped her from her family for their own personal gains. As she went on to explain in further detail, Ren began to realize he really wasn't any better than those individuals. He was them. Memories of a passing group who offered faeries in exchange for peace between his tribe and them flooded back into his conscious. Sharing the same ideals, it wasn't long before his tribe integrated themselves with them. Though they lived separately, their bond grew overtime. He remembers seeing such beautiful creatures and so desperately wanting to own one. Own, not befriend. His breathing quickened as he stared at her for a moment before dull red eyes widened.

A branding.

He had to sit down. This was too much to process at once. Too many repressed thoughts being dug up- he felt weak... The emotions stirring inside of him were impossible to pinpoint. Everything was going numb. He caused this. He was one of the factors that was responsible for her pain. Her fears, mentality, emotional state... Everything was his fault. He felt sick. He couldn't tell her he's responsible for her tragic past. She'd hate him and he... He doesn't want to be hated or feared. Not by her. Please... Just not by her. Inhaling slowly, he struggled to steady himself as he rose to his paws. Walking to her side, he lifted a paw to touch her comfortingly but stopped halfway. He's killed people with that same paw. After what she revealed to him, it would be cruel to touch her. Just speaking to her now is cruel. "I did not mean to bring up such terrible memories for you." He apologized, deep voice thick with emotion. Swallowing down the lump that formed in his throat, he held himself back from pressing his face into her coat and instead stared at the patch of chervil. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again, an edge to his voice. "I... I will protect you, no matter what. From everything that intends to do you harm. I will always come to your aid."

[DELILAH.]

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[td]

DELILAH EVERGARDEN

— Take a moment to think of just

[size=8pt]tags - plotting - reference

tanglewood
- medic
18 months old

physically medium
emotionally easy
mentally easy

demiheterosexual heteroromantic
in love with renegadeanthems

completely blind
androphobic
skittish & sensitive

nature faerie
earth manipulation
telekinesis
x-ray vision

[/td][td]

Affection.

Normally, if a male tried to touch her, she would have flinched away. She could barely even allow herself to touch Leroy and Morgan, and they were extremely close to her. She liked to consider herself friends with them, and saw Morgan more as an older brother figure than anything.

She noticed how often, Leroy had hesitated to touch her back, the memory of him hacking off her leg never leaving the older male's mind and memory. Every single glance towards her was a reminder of who he thought he was, but Delilah never blamed him. She never held it over his head, she never was angry over it. She would heal.

Even now, if she knew that Renegade had part in the schemes of suffering she was put through as a teenager, she would have never blamed him. He didn't know, it wasn't his fault. They were raised differently, it wasn't his fault that she ended up there, it wasn't his fault that she was tainted and scorned and defiled. He couldn't have stopped the chain of events, only she could have.

She had to save herself, and she did.

The silence was deafening, and then when she heard her friend clear his throat and speak, she could hear the twinge of emotion in his voice. Why was this happening? She wanted to reach out and touch him, she wanted to smooth her paw over his cheek, but there was distance. A wide, burdensome distance between the two of them.  A solid, clear wall. She couldn't find herself stepping through it- she was trapped on one side, stuck watching as Ren internally struggled with what she said.

"You.. You don't have to put so much work into protecting me. I'm just.. I'm just a burden,  I always get into trouble and.." She rambled on anxiously, holding her tail between her paws and stroking it in nervous tandems. She did this when her anxiety was acting up, but she couldn't help it. He didn't seem to want to touch her, he didn't want to push into her, and she wouldn't force the affections upon him.

"Just.. Stay by my side. No matter what, stay." Delilah muttered softly, her obsession with never being alone showing. She didn't want to be alone, she didn't want to be without Ren. She relied on him so much, just his existence was like an anchor for the traumatized female. She wanted to keep him here forever- he couldn't leave her, she didn't..

He's going to run. Just like everyone else. When will you learn?

FLEXIBILITY, LOVE, & TRUST —

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[W]isker

[cavalrychoir]

[align=center][div style="border-width:0px; width: 60%; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8.5pt; line-height: 140%;word-spacing:-1px;"]A burden. The thought alone was enough to make him weak, sick and furious at the same time. It was like being punched several times in the stomach and stabbed several more. Everything was suddenly too overwhelming and he knew better than to say anything else he may say something he'll regret. He didn't have enough control over himself to say what was on his mind without being malicious about it but it hurt to see someone he cared about think so lowly of themselves. It was fine when he did it because he knew it to be true. After every crime, every sin he's committed, death would be too good for him yet it's something he wishes; a selfish request. Many times he'd indulge in the idea of no longer existing and how safe others would be. How safe Delilah would be. He knew, one day, he was going to hurt her. As much as he wanted to stay with her, he needed to maintain his distance and observe from afar. It was painful, but it was for the best. If it meant keeping her safe from all harm - including himself - he'll have to ignore her own feelings and opinion on the matter.

Ren tried to keep a level-head, but he wasn't known for being calm, cool, and collected in the beginning of chaos. He ran rampant as if feeding off of the disharmony, pumped full of adrenaline. Itching to release it but with no outlet, it disperses from his body like powerful ripples. And like sound waves, it bounces off of nearby individuals and are projected back to him. The first to come back is the unlucky individual who must face his wrath. His anger could be compared to fire: burning, seething, swallowing anyone and everything- even himself. No one was safe and he detested it. He struggled to keep it under control, but it was a challenge. A challenge he more often than not loses. Such as now. "You are not a burden," he almost growled, anger pulsing through his body however seemingly nullified by the panic mixed in, leaving a stern tone and stiff body. "no one thinks you are so why do you? From day one you have been doing your utmost best and it shows in everything you do today. Your knowledge in medicine have and will continue to save countless of lives. Every tragedy, every misfortune, every struggle, has shaped you into who you are now: reliable, humble, compassionate, diligent, selfless, patient, and so much more." He could fill pages upon pages of compliments and they'd all be true. She was important and he would scream it from the mountains for all to hear until she understood. But he wasn't done ranting about how lovely she was in a mildly angry tone. "You have not the slightest clue of how reassuring your presence is and how important you are. I will not allow you to think so lowly of yourself." His anger seemed to dissolve by the time he finished before he sighed and hung his head. He rode his anger all the way to town, didn't he? All that remained was the burning sensation of embarrassment. Was it hot in here? His face was burning. It felt as though his entire body was on fire. Lifting his paw, he covered his face, pointed ears flattened a bit. "I... Did not mean to get so upset... But everything I said is true." He mumbled, dull red eyes glued to the ground.

He messed everything up, didn't he? He just wanted to hold her in his arms, but he knew better than that. She was already too close to his heart, something like that in this situation will definitely close the gap. Delilah didn't need that. He knew better than to act on his feelings - his anger was the last that needed taming and you can see how that's going. It wasn't like it would get very far anyways. They were too different, hailing from two different worlds. Their paths may cross, but they weren't intertwined. He will remain by her side, nothing will change that. He'll remain there until she grows tired of him or decides he is no longer needed. He needed her more than he was willing to show and it was frightening how much he depended on her. Who would have thought this is where they'd be, considering their origin story. Truly ironic. Agonizingly ironic. People come and go. It'll only be a matter of time before they do the same. But until then, he relished in being her Knight in Shining Armour... Even if it's for a little bit longer.

He lowered his paw when she finished and lifted his right paw to put it over his heart. Bowing his head, he rumbled. "I cannot promise I will stay, but I will always return to you no matter what. I can promise that much." There will come times were they will be apart so Ren couldn't promise to always be by her side with a clear conscious. However, no matter how far apart they are or for how long, he will always find his place at her side.

[DELILAH.]

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DELILAH EVERGARDEN

— Take a moment to think of just

[size=8pt]tags - plotting - reference

tanglewood
- medic
19 months old

physically medium
emotionally easy
mentally easy

demiheterosexual heteroromantic
in love with renegadeanthems

completely blind
androphobic
skittish & sensitive

nature faerie
earth manipulation
telekinesis
x-ray vision

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Tendrils of vines wrapped around her legs as he spoke, anxiety growing further as an air of nervousness surrounded the pastel feline. Don't leave, don't leave. Please don't look away from me- I don't want you to look away. Please don't. His gaze was empty, his voice angry with frustration, but the girl never flinched. Shaky paws found their way to his neck, moving up to lift his head to gaze back at her. Pastel eyes searched the male's own for signs of hatred, hate towards her. If he hated her, she would leave- she couldn't stand the look of hatred in those she cared about's eyes. "I'll never amount to the way you speak about me. Once I die, whenever or however that may be, I'll return to the earth and rot, and all memory of me will cease to exist. Nobody remembers impurity." Her tone was gentle, but the look in those bright pink eyes were anything but. It was sad, broken, almost. It was tragic that one thought so lowly of herself, but it wasn't something she could just change in a day.

A careful lean forward caused the girl's forehead to press against her proclaimed Knight's own, the scent of cherry blossoms increasing in heavy amounts from her growing emotions. He would leave eventually, it was fated to happen, even Delilah knew such. Still, she wanted to be with him constantly, even when it wasn't physically. Slowly, steadily, the scent of flowers grew stronger, nearly overwhelming as the princess left her mark on her Knight, intending on unconsciously making a mental bond between the two. If successful, the memories of her past would rush to Ren's head, nothing being excluded (including her first lover- ah drama).

[If it failed, it would leave a harsh impact on her instead, a pain shooting through her head.]

Drawing back, Delilah let her lips quiver just for a moment, mouthing soft words, inaudible to straining ears.
I love you.
Her paws clenched to her chest, claws digging into her fur. She wasn't ready to confess- it wasn't time, but he should know everything about her. He had to know, it was now or never. Right? The feline seemed to stare at him for a moment, her tail flicking behind her. "If.. If you can't stay with me, I'll stay with you. I want.. To stick by your side, Ren." Delilah confessed, her voice breaking self-consciously. She wanted him to share with her, but a mental bond was formed by trust. He could merely choose to share his feelings, he never.. had to share his past, like she was.

FLEXIBILITY, LOVE, & TRUST —

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[W]isker