At Night, On The Ship, She Could Almost Hear The Real World. The Creak Of The Timbers, The Splash Of

At night, on the ship, she could almost hear the real world. The creak of the timbers, the splash of the water against the hull, the faint sound of the wind in the sails...all of them seemed close at hand. So on the second night, with the moon shining down coldly, Rae concentrated on doing something she'd not done for a very long time.

Touching something.

Newly dead, she'd tried often, attempting to move objects, to press against people. Anything to show them she was there, more than just an odd draft, a strange feeling. It had cost her, making her feel even more ephemeral and weak for hours after. And she had rarely accomplished anything.

Rae wasn't sure if it was the presence of her person -- and she had begun to think of Ciara as hers in way that was more fond than possessive -- or the late hour or the utter silence, but she knew she had to try.

First, it was shifting a screw. She'd noted it when Ciara had settled down for the night. Now, she concentrated very hard, focusing all of her being on her hand. And gently, slowly she reached out and brushed her hand against the screw.

It twirled in a little circle for a moment before coming to a halt.

Rae had the biggest grin on her face. She turned to Ciara, wishing she could share her happiness with someone. But the only person she had didn't know she existed.

Scooting to the sleeping woman's side, Rae reached out again. She wasn't as tired as she'd expected and she wanted to touch Ciara. Show her gentleness and caring. Focusing on her hand, she brushed at the woman's forehead, sweeping a long lock of aqua hair away from her face.

The touch was electrifying. Warm in a way she didn't know she'd lost. And she felt stronger for having done so. She did it again, then a third time. Gentle caresses. But despite the strength she'd gained from touching the woman, she was still exhausted quickly.

Rae lay down beside Ciara, grinning and watching her sleep. "Thank you," she spoke. "You've given me back something I lost. Hope."

Hella Rad GW2 follower giveaway

 I passed a milestone at some point, and despite me having ups and downs you guys stick with me anyways, so I decided that I need to show my appreciation somehow.

  What you can get:

 Any giftable item from gem store worth 800 gems. Can be multiple items, just as long as it’s 800 gems in total.

5 Unidentified Dyes. Who knows maybe you’ll get a pricey one.

10 chocolate cakes because why the hell not

RULES:

Must be following me. It’s a follower giveaway. I’ll be checking.

LIKE and REBLOG to get 2 entries.

No giveaway blogs.

Be comfortable with giving me your GW2 account name. Doesn’t matter if you are on EU or NA server. 

Must have ask box open.

Giveaway will end on January 8th at 1PM Tarnished Coast Server Time. 

~ Good luck everyone!

She felt his heartbeat against her back, his breath against her ear. His arms were firm around her. There was safety in him, security. And a divine sort of rest that she'd not found before, something that lulled her to sleep as nothing but exhaustion ever had.

Aellarian would keep the nightmares at bay. And if they broke through anyway, he would be there to offer comfort. And Milli knew he would. She kissed him one last time and curled up close. His. All his.

He ought to have a gift. It was nearly Wintersday. That's what you did with the ones you love, or so she'd been told. Her first thought was a pistol, something sturdy and solid, like him. But that was such a practical thing. Something she would make for him anyway. She wanted to show him she cared, give him something that was frivolous but lovely. A cuff, something to wear around his wrist and remind him of her. Her work with leather wasn't as good as her work with metal. She wasn't as practiced. But she set her mark high and did her best. She dyed the leather red, nearly as dark as his hair. Embossed it with swirling patterns in darker hues, carving it meticulously. She worked fervently when he wasn't around, which wasn't often. She wanted it to be a surprise. Finally, she was off to the market to find a clasp, something lovely, but not girly. What she found was a jade crescent a few shades lighter than his eyes, rimmed with bronze. Milli wrapped it carefully in a length of linen and put it in a wooden box with a bow. It would sit on the counter until Wintersday, taunting him. She smiled. She thought she might rather like the idea of giving presents after all.

Make a whole new set for the lower and do it now. That's gorgeous!

Help meh.  The top is Butcher’s current zerk set.  I like it, but I really like HOW armor as well.  Should I just change it to the second or should I just make a whole new set?  (Probably a Knights for tougher content)

She watched the woman often. Well, there were many she watched in the haunting twilight between the world and the Mists where she was trapped, but some seemed to shine more brightly than others. Rae wasn't sure why.

She had been a girl, once, just sixteen. Lovely and in love. But that was gone now and something had snapped inside her when she died, some connection that left her lost, stranded. Wandering.

But the woman was interesting. She spoke harshly to some, gently to others. She laughed at herself. But not in a way that seemed a joke, and that made Rae sad. When the woman did so, usually all alone, Rae would hover near, an echo at her shoulder. The woman wouldn't see her, she knew, wouldn't feel her. But such a person shouldn't be left all alone, Rae thought.

And when the woman sat in front of her fire on the outskirts of nowhere, Rae sat beside her. Though her voice had not seen use for decades, she spoke, "You are not alone. You are still free. You should smile." The sound was a croak in her own ears and likely sounded like nothing more than the wind to the woman, but she had said it. Made it plain. That was all she could do for her, really.

Her obsession grew. She knew the woman would die, pass into the Mists and leave her alone again. But what else was there to do with eternity. So she followed this one that needed someone and had none. Another lost soul.

It took some time and some intense concentration, but eventually she was able to make out the woman's name from another person's lips, whispery and vague.

Though the name itself sounded like a whisper, even to Rae. She spoke it quietly beside her charge that night. "Ciara."