Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Boy, she had no idea being tickled took more out of her then a trek through the Dalmascan Westersand. Once he stopped, she found herself breathing in and out heavily, trying to control her air intake. A few giggles still escaped here and there, but where they came from she had no idea, all she knew was that she did not like that and would not like to experience it anytime soon. When he threatened her to do it again, she held out her hand, signaling her surrender. "No! No, I...I concede, anything but that torture!" She pleaded him, though found it somewhat ironic that he was the one that was supposed to beg, now she was the one begging him.

Emiri looked up at Jaakuna, her breathing pattern steadying somewhat as the last of her laughs left her system. She opened her mouth to tell him her answer, only to chicken out at the last second. She did not want to be tickled again, however, so she forced herself to just come on out with it. "I said...That is, what my response to her...I..." She started, trying to string together the right words as she recalled her own words. "It was something that I hadn't quite realized. When she asked me, I was so surprised by it. She asked it so plainly and upfront...it threw me off guard. I suppose...in a sense Ii should thank her, it made me really think about how I felt...and...and why I was in denial." She closed her eyes, though she had a small smile on her face. "I just wanted you all to myself...it hurt so much to hear what you did for her, even if that thing may have no been a good thing. But I said that I didn't care what you did so long as I could stay by your side, I promised, remember? I promised I would protect you, no matter what." She frowned a bit. "But I was so scared...I was scared to admit how I really felt. I didn't understand, I never really wanted to be with someone like this before. But...but none of that matters. The past just doesn't matter anymore, you see. I just want the next moment, I just want the future...and...and I..."

At this point she slowly opened her eyes, her cheeks entirely red at this point. "Jaakuna, I...I love you."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

She really wasn't sure what his goal was, but she felt his lips on her skin. Still, what followed had thrown her off guard. "Ah--!" Emiri let out a gasp of surprise, as she didn't really see the tickling coming. She hadn't really been tickled before, and found the sensation to be mildly funny yet torturous somehow. She bit her lip, suppressing her giggles, but she couldn't hold it in. That giddy schoolgirl from before had been unleashed, and now she was squirming under him, trying to get free. It was weird, it was such a weird feeling, and while maybe she didn't hate it she wanted it to stop. "N-No, I c-can't--!" She spoke between giggles, though at this point, she tried to push him off.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Emiri bit her lip, trying not to laugh at Jaakuna's begging. His begging needed some work because she was not buying it for a second. He seemed to have taken the hint, as he did stop. Instead he began crawling towards her. As he got closer, she inched away a bit. Closer and closer, and she let out a small gasp as she fell backwards onto the bed. There he was, hovering over her, and she looked up right at him. He wasn't touching her, but she could feel the heat from his body on her skin. She felt somewhat dizzy in this heated passion, though when she thought he had done his worst, he lowered his head to her neck. She didn't think it was possible for her heart to beat faster, but it sure proved her wrong. Her body shifted slightly underneath him, somewhat nervous. She could feel his breath on her skin, and for one reason or another, it drove her crazy. She couldn't even think to speak, no words came out no matter how hard she tried to form them.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Emiri didn't want to admit it, but she was somewhat enjoying this. She briefly recalled when he had teased her way back when, so revenge felt somewhat sweet. At the same time, she was just perhaps avoiding the question. How was she supposed to just up and admit it to him? It made her feel on edge, somewhat. His staring did not help at all, either. She deliberately avoided his eyes, trying not to get caught under them again. This proved difficult, and unfortunately for her, she accidentally looked at him. She cursed herself mentally, and her face flushed a bright red as she let out a small cough. Oh, there it is again. Her heart was probably racing, but she couldn't think too much at the moment.

"You...don't have to beg." She mumbled, somewhat embarrassed as she blushed under his intense gaze.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

That certainly got his attention. She kept her melancholy expression, but on the inside she was as giddy as a giggling schoolgirl. His expression gave him away, and for once she actually felt like she was the one in control, just this once. She put on a more serious face, crossing her arms against her chest as she thought about. This would stretch on as she would pretend to think, though after a while she would uncross her arms and look at him directly. This was her mistake: he had been staring so intently at her that her more serious demeanor shattered like a glass hitting the floor. She bit her lip, trying not to smile, but that was a losing battle.

"Not telling." She stated triumphantly, smiling broadly. "Unless you really, really want to know."

Her playful tone masked the rather intense beating of her heart. She was actually nervous somewhat. She did want to admit it, but she hesitated. It was just such an intimate thing, and even though it had been easy to admit it to a general who probably wanted to cut her head off it was much more difficult admitting it to his face. But she wanted to say it. She did.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

It was interesting, hearing his tale. She understood him a little better, so to speak. Still, it was quite the story, it was unlike anything she had ever heard before. It almost felt like he was making it up, so to speak, but that was out of the question. It was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Seeing him tear up like that, however, made her wish she didn't ask. She had questions, but she wanted to let him finish, and as he kept talking, most of them were answered anyway. Once he was finished, she let out a long, low whistle. What was the appropriate thing to say after hearing something like that?

"Why would I leave?" She found herself saying without really thinking about it. She paused for a moment, taking in a breath as she sat up. "That admission seemed to affect Savayna a lot. She came to me afterwards...I was sure she was going to maim me, but instead she asked me if I loved you." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Maybe that's why she changed sides."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

For a moment, Emiri somewhat regretted asking. It was a touchy subject for sure, but she did not want to assume anything, she just wanted the truth. Besides, she had already made up her mind that no matter what, she would stay by him anyway. She may as well hear the complete version from him rather then a corrupted version from anyone else. She also wanted to know his feelings on the matter, what it meant, if he regretted it, and if this was what made him the man who he is today. He wanted to know what she had heard. She didn't hear much, but she was sure his outburst was pretty much heard by everyone.

"I only heard you tell her that you did it for her. That your father did not make you Emperor because of your marriage to her." Emiri told him, scratching her cheek. "I know you and her probably said things before and after, but I did not hear them."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Just a dream, huh? Yes, that was right. That had just been a figment of her imagination, that much she understood. Then why did it make her feel so uneasy? Jaakuna was right: yesterday had been one hell of a day. And as he kissed her, for a brief moment, she recalled when Grant kissed her. She felt so guilty, so terrible, she wished it would just go away. Yet when he kissed her again, she could feel some of her uneasiness go away. She was safe. As long as Jaakuna was around, she would be safe. He wasn't like Grant. He wasn't like him at all--he would never do anything to hurt her, right? As he suggested their next action, she contemplated the options. She had no idea what time it was, but if Nadeline had yet to kick down the door to wake her up, she was sure it couldn't be too late.

Emiri stretched her arms out, letting out a little squeal of pleasure as she felt her shoulders unstiffen slightly. She then put a hand on her shoulder, looking at Jaakuna. She didn't feel much like getting up. With a small yawn, she plopped back down on the bed, laying on her back. Yesterday, huh? She didn't want to beat a dead horse, but there were two things they still had to talk about. Well, technically one thing, the other one was something she needed to say to him. Taking in a deep breath, she put her arm over her eyes, covering them.

"I have to ask. Did you really...did you really kill your father...for her?" She spoke. "I mean it's...none of my business, but I thought I would ask."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

It looked like Emiri wasn't going to get out of this one. Still, she didn't want to worry him...except the nightmare truly troubled her. "Where would I even start? It was entirely bizarre." She replied with a melancholy tone. She then looked at ceiling, as if searching for the right words there. "I dreamt...that I was murdered." Her words were quiet, somewhat reluctant even as she looked at him uncertainly. "It started as a wedding, all in white, as I have always imagined it. But there was blood everywhere...I thought Grant was the source, I was so upset with him, he had ruined everything. And then the scene shifted to the Ark, where I was imprisoned. This time he had brandished a knife, stating that I was the damsel in distress and he was the villain. But there was no hero. And when I looked at him again it was..."

At this point she looked away from him, avoiding eye contact as her voice struggled not to waver. "I was so terrified...I couldn't believe it. There was no hero coming to save me. And the villain wasn't Grant anymore. It was...it was you...and you killed me." Emiri finished, putting her head on her knees.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Jaakuna's voice brought her back to reality, so to speak. She took in a deep breath, holding for a few seconds, and then released it. Her hands seemed to steady themselves, and she clenched them into fists. It was just a dream. A bad dream...Jaakuna would never hurt me. That won't ever happen. She reminded herself as she closed her eyes. Her heart was still beating something fierce, but she felt better. She let out a low groan, ruffling her ponytail somewhat. She then looked at Jaakuna for a moment, studying his face carefully. For some reason, she ended up giving him a small smile.

"It's nothing, just a bad dream." She responded reassuringly, hugging her knees. "I apologize if I woke you up." It was just a dream, and yet she couldn't shake off the uneasiness she had when she looked at him.