Completed [Windswept Condos] Legacy (Rinya)

[Jorin Ertihan]

One of the things that had changed drastically since their first few shy, awkward times was just how natural and easy it was for them to tease each other. Jorin never really thought about it anymore; he just did it because it felt right, and because it was yet another way to show Rinya that he loved her. Rinya's comment that she should perhaps take a page from his book caused Jorin to quirk and eyebrow, but her hand tracing circles on his thigh caused him to gasp involuntarily, as she undoubtedly felt the sudden surge through his body just from the light contact.

"I guess I've corrupted you too then, my love," he grinned, somewhat breathless from the motion of Rinya's fingers. "If you're now taking pages from my book." Jorin's tone and emotions, however, clearly showed he was absolutely not remorseful for 'corrupting' Rinya in this way. Despite the involuntary shiver that ran through his body at her touch, he very much enjoyed when she fired back during his teasing.

Rinya, however, decided not to tease him too much, drawing back her hand to rest on his stomach and shooting him a bright smile which he returned. It was truly impressive, how much communication occurred with just a light touch and a smile, and the emotions that sang across the bond. Words were not really necessary; the clumsy approximations of what they were really feeling.

Alliteration was an important part of poetry. It, along with pentameter and of course rhyme, were considered the holy trinity of poems; ideally a poem should have a good cadence, a good rhyme, and good alliteration. Though Jorin would agree that having their potential childrens' names rhyme would be overkill, even for him, having them alliterate didn't seem too bad. Nonetheless, Rinya was clearly not a big fan of it, and Jorin was loathe to press the issue. It wasn't really that important to him anyway.

Rinya wasn't able to really explain in words why she didn't like Aeryn. He suspected it might have been because he brought up the fact that the names would then be alliterative, but it was also possible that it simply did not feel right for her. Names, after all, were an important thing. They would follow you until the day you died; and unlike most things were not something you could actually choose for yourself.

Jorin understood that saddling their child with a name that they might later regret, or a name that did not suit them, was not something either of them wanted. If Aeryn did not feel right, Jorin was not inclined to push it, especially since there were very many good names out there they could use. So rather than make Rinya answer any further, Jorin had kissed her, and enjoyed her reaction to the tender contact.

Jorin had to admit he rather loved this side of his wife. Well, he loved every side of her; but this one just caused the warmth of love for Rinya balloon and swell inside his heart. It was the soft, vulnerable Rinya, a part of her he was sure she never showed anyone else, at least not to this extent. Rinya was not a naturally trusting person, so for her to so completely trust him was something Jorin treasured, and that was one of many reasons why he was able to love her so very easily.

But Jorin's question about the name, 'Inara', that she'd murmured softy caused his wife to stiffen slightly in his arms. He felt a ripple of surprise and a bit of fear across the bond as she admitted that it was indeed her mother's name, or at least what her father had told her. She asked him if it was weird that she would choose the name of a woman she had never met, but Jorin shook his head.

"Not at all," he insisted, even as his wife squeezed shut her eyes and pressed herself into his chest. He stroked her back in the usual calming fashion, kissing the top of her head and soothing her. "Your mother... I am sure she was a wonderful person. Had to have been, to have given birth to a woman as beautiful and amazing as you. I'm sure wherever she is now, she would be very proud to have our daughter named after her." Jorin pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"Inara is a wonderful name. And I'm sure our daughter would be just as beautiful as her mother," he insisted. "I think it might be a good thing, Rinya," he commented. "After all, I think a name should have meaning. Shouldn't just be a word slapped onto a child because hey it sounds nice. Both Adric and Inara were important to our family. Are important to our family. It seems... appropriate, somehow, that their names live on in our child. Or children."

Rinya seemed to be afraid, though, and Jorin suspected it might have been because of how she was brought into the world. He remembered her telling him that her parents were breeding Kelvics -- forced to breed and produce her against their will. He had no idea if her father ever loved her mother, but it was doubtful given the circumstances they were in. He suspected Rinya might even be considering that her mother may well resent her very existence.

But Jorin didn't think so. There was no logical reasoning behind his belief, of course. He didn't know Rinya's mother; she could very well resent her. But Jorin chose to believe that Inara was a good person. Had to have been, to have given birth to a woman as beautiful, and wonderful, as his wife. Logic had its uses, no doubt. But when it came to his love for Rinya, Jorin discarded it with an ease that would have greatly angered his father if he'd known about it.

Deciding that Rinya needed a distraction, Jorin drew her up a bit, cupping her face with his hand and planting gentle kisses onto her soft lips. He could still feel twinges of her fear across the bond and he wanted to wipe it out. He flooded their bond with his love as he pressed his lips to hers, wordlessly telling her that regardless of circumstance, she would have at least one person in all the world who would never abandon her. That there was at least one person who believed in her, with all his heart.

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[Rinya]

Rinya couldn’t help but snort at his corruption comment. It was her distinct impression that she had started it--no matter how timid it may have been at first. Jorin however was the one that did take it to another level she supposed. But Rinya counted her willingness towards him as part of the reason he was capable of teasing her at all. "Or maybe you’re just a copycat." Rinya breezed easily. Honestly she supposed it didn’t actually matter in the long run… he was the one ahead none the less. She was going to have to figure a way to change that if she was going to keep up with him.

Though if nothing else, Rinya found herself appreciating the bond more than she ever thought she would. Before Jorin, she knew what the basics of the bond could bring, especially since she got the very slight taste from her first bondmate. There was no telling how long it would have taken them to get to this very point without the bond however--if they could even manage at all. Rinya had trusted Jorin even before the bond, but her constant issue with words even now meant that so many things could be missed or lost in translation. If she really thought about it the bond had certainly accelerated their relationship, but being able to feel each other certainly spoiled them as well.

As Rinya inwardly freaked out however, Jorin remained his usual steadfast self. His fingers simply continued their routine across the skin of her back as he insisted that wasn’t at all strange that she may want to name their child after her mother. True to his optimistic views, he continued that her mother must have been a wonderful person to have produced someone like her. Rinya wanted to believe that… her father never actually spoke about what her mother was like. She wasn’t sure if it was simply bad memories period, or if at some point he cared enough to at least have liked the woman. He had never even told her if she looked anything like her mother…

"I wish I could believe that. But you know that isn’t necessarily true Jorin." It was true that some women were just not meant to be mothers. Had no interest in being a mother, or anything attached to children. Rinya herself couldn’t imagine not living her life with Jorin and not having a little boy or girl hiked up on his shoulders, begging their father for a story. Belated she also realized she would probably have to learn how to cook--the both of them would. They had only really tried once together, but a child wasn’t going to live on fish or half cooked eggs alone. Even her father had some semblance of knowledge in terms of cooking.

Jorin continued to insist that their daughter would be just as beautiful as she was. Her face instantly flushed red and Rinya couldn’t help but shake her head a little. For some reason she could only picture their children taking after Jorin. She knew that wasn’t likely in the long run, but Jorin was the kinder, gentler of the two of them. Something so innocent in the beginning would certainly take after their father. Though he was probably right… she was going to be sappy with their children as well. But in the long run Rinya had the feeling she would also be the one that disciplined their children. Jorin could barely manage stern for her, a doe eyed child would more than likely melt his heart.

"I suppose names should have meaning..." Rinya had never honestly thought about it. What her name meant, or why her parents had chosen to name her. But it was a sort of continuation that she knew was common--especially with humans. At least as far as she knew… she didn’t enough of other races to know if it was common with them as well. Humans were the only race besides Akalak that she had been exposed to for an extended period of time. Although… the Akalak tended to mix their names from both the father and mother. It was another version of a family name carried on, just differently--it wouldn’t be a wild thought that each culture had their own version of that as well. But Jorin stated it would be appropriate to have their children carry on the names of important people in their lives… though Jorin didn’t actually know who ‘Adric’ was… then again she didn’t know ‘Inara’ either.

"So… we have our names then..." Rinya murmured against his chest. Pressing the idea that her mother could have very well hated her as always a hard one to push away. Even with never knowing the woman, no child wanted to know that their parents hated them. It was times like these she was surprised she even let herself get close to Jorin at all. Her self worth tended to be a problem right along side his--but it rarely showed itself. Jorin grew up knowing love… even if his father had been harsh and calculating. He had been created by love, and she had not. It was difficult at times to show him love when she had grown up very nearly solitary.

Jorin was always doting attention on her, and at the moment it sat heavy in her stomach that she did not always do the same. She made her own grand gestures of course--like marriage--but most of the time it was Jorin that led the way. Even now, as he pulled her up higher so he could reach her lips again to place short tender kisses on her lips that caused her heart to clench, the most she could do was react. Maybe that was enough… if she was stationary and unmoving what did that mean over what she felt for him? It wasn’t that thought that caused her to move, but because she needed his presence to bring her back from the darker places in her mind.

So she shifted against him, using one arm to press herself up from his side so she could remove the leg from between his legs to throw it over his hips instead. Rinya settled herself over him instead of next to him, letting her chest press against his as her knees settled on either side of him. Staring down at him, she wasn’t quite able to smile, but she did lean forward to kiss him again lightly. She would let him flood her with emotions and let them press her negative ones from her mind instead. "I love you..." She mumbled against his lips, not even entirely aware that she said the words--but she always meant them.

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[Jorin Ertihan]

There had never been any doubt in Jorin's mind that Rinya's mother must have been a wonderful person. Perhaps it was his natural optimism shining through, or perhaps it was just how he saw her, but he could not imagine her mother any other way. Of course, he realized that a life of being a breeding Kelvic, and being forced to bear a daughter she did not necessarily want, may have turned her bitter, but Jorin refused to believe Inara was not a wonderful person, at least inside.

Jorin appreciated the bond, of course. And technically, it had formed long before their love had truly crystallized in their hearts. The love between them had always been real, but it took some time before it could become deep. In between, there was a lot of uncertainly about what they actually were. it was all shy kisses and all-around awkwardness between them, and Jorin had at one point not even any real idea what to call them. Were they bondmates? Were they friends? Were they more?

It had always been Jorin's unconscious that had done him the most favors in his life. It had accepted the Bond with Rinya for him, even though he only consciously realized it later. The Bond could not be formed unwillingly; so somewhere inside, he'd wanted to be bonded to Rinya. But he recognized that consciously, he might not have made that choice.

And then later, despite the fact that it had caused their first real fight, his subconscious had made him reach out to stroke his wife's feathers... something he now recognized as necessary for their relationship to progress to the next level. So in a very real way, his subconscious did him a huge favor, yet again.

And his subconscious made him do what he was doing now. Just holding onto his wife and assuring her with actions if not words, to try to comfort her when the bond told him she was uncertain. Jorin had long since learned that his instincts would never lead him astray, not when it came to Rinya.

The simple fact was, he had literally only one other relationship to his name prior to Rinya. But regardless of what one wanted to classify his time with Farline as, it bore little to no resemblance to what he had with Rinya. Even if the bond had never formed between them, Jorin knew he'd still love and trust Rinya with all his heart, and he knew she'd do the same. Their love might have formed slower, but he was absolutely certain it would have still formed.

And so he was slowly but surely beginning to realize that none of the things he 'learned' from Farline had any application whatsoever in the exciting new adventure that was his marriage to Rinya. Rinya was not Farline. She did not look like her, did not talk like her, and certainly did not react like her. Perhaps on a high-level, intellectual level he already knew that, but it was also starting to sink in on a deeper level too.

"It is necessarily true, Rinya," he insisted softly, as he continued to stroke her back lovingly. "I have no doubts whatsoever on it. People do change. That's absolutely true. But the fundamentals of who a person is... that does not change. And I believe that any person as wonderful as you could only have been born to someone just as amazing."

It wasn't that Jorin thought Rinya was completely flawless. He knew she possessed quite the temper, which often flared when she was tired or upset. She could be unreasonable sometimes, especially when annoyed. And the both of them often got quite jealous; even after marriage he could feel it surging across the bond on occasion, especially since all her friends were for some reason male, and all his were for equally unknown reasons female. But despite whatever flaws she had, Jorin nonetheless thought she was perfect for him.

Jorin nodded when RInya agreed that names ought to have meaning. "It's just... for most people, their name will stick with them the rest of their lives," he tried to explain. "It's something you carry with you at all times; and in some ways, your name can even define you. Something that important to who someone is... should have meaning, I feel." Perhaps Jorin was being overly sentimental about the whole thing, but from his perspective it seemed utterly appropriate.

But they had their names. Adric if it was a boy, or Inara if it was a girl. And though Jorin still thought (rather irrationally) that their first child would come out male, the truth was they both knew he would love a little girl just as much. In any event, Jorin had decided to bring Rinya up to kiss her, as he sensed her fear and wished to wipe it out with the pleasant feel of their love.

Though, it was strange; there was some sort of heavy weight across the bond. Rinya, as Jorin had discovered from his two and a half seasons of knowing her, tended to think toward the negative about things. It was, he supposed, a good balance for his unending optimism, tapering it with the occasional proverbial bucket of cold water. And though Jorin did not know what specifically she was thinking about - the bond was as always not nearly that specific - he suspected it might have had something to do with what they had been talking about.

In addition to the heaviness, there was an almost desperate need across the bond. It was not the need of desire, but just a general need, like Rinya desperately wanted to just be with him, almost like as though she wanted to be by his side once more after a long absence. Rinya had chosen to straddle his chest instead of her usual cuddling position, pressing her chest against his and sliding up so she could look down with an unreadable expression on her face.

Jorin wasn't sure what to do at that moment. Though she said "I love you" with conviction, the bond echoing with her love for him, she hadn't been able to muster a smile for him and that saddened Jorin slightly. He loved seeing her smile. Ever since the very first day he had met her, he loved it just as he loved everything else about her. Rinya's smile had the ability to light up her whole face. Her whole soul.

Jorin wanted to see it again.

He wanted Rinya happy, filled with love and joy and none of whatever negative emotions where currently clouding her thoughts. He surged forward and locked his lips to hers, focusing on just the feeling of her lips and her presence there and how it made him feel. He felt love, of course. But he also felt a sense of calm, and the soft glow of appreciation. He understood just how much his wife was trusting him at that moment; he could sense the vulnerability at that moment.

No, Rinya was not a delicate wallflower. Nor would Jorin ever treat her as such. But sometimes, he knew she just needed him, as he so often needed her. And Jorin decided that was what being a good husband was all about. Being there for your spouse when they need you most. So he opened himself to her in all ways, pouring all he was into the kiss and leaving nothing out.

As their kiss broke - both of them gasping somewhat for breath - Jorin brought up a hand to stroke her cheek softly. "I love you, too," he replied, as he smiled gently at her. "And no matter what my love, I am yours... and you are mine. I will always love you, now and forever." It was a simple statement, like so many others they made to each other. Yet, in one short sentence, he'd said all that he wanted to say.

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[Rinya]

For as willing as Jorin was unconsciously over accepting the bond, Rinya never honestly took into account she had been just as willing. The bond required both sides to be accepting of the fact, but Rinya had been so focused on being worried that she never thought she would actually be leaving herself open to the possibility. When she had left the park that day, she had felt the oddest twinge of regret… that she might not ever see the young artist again. It was only several days later when she met up with him at the aquarium that she began to realize that Jorin very well might have bonded to her… it especially fueled her reluctance at explaining the bond to him at the time.

Though she couldn’t say that instinct always helped her with Jorin. The far more instinctive side of her tended to be that of her animal nature. While she was both, Rinya had grown up taught to listen to that side of her. In terms of survival there was no better instinct, but when it came to Jorin--well it often led to jealousy and anger that she had no idea how to control. She had to learn the softer side of her that she was currently exhibiting to him now. Even now she was terrible with it in her opinion. Showering him with affection was still rather foreign to her, though she did want to.

Rinya couldn’t help but disagree with him however as he insisted that her mother had to be a good person. "I know people change Jorin. And even if the situation they were in might not have deteriorated everything they cared for… that doesn’t mean she was a wonderful person. After all my father is part of who I am as well. He gave me the skills to survive, but if I turn out anything like him..." Rinya couldn’t help but trail off on that sentence. She wasn’t keen on keeping secrets from her mate anymore than he was, but the subject of her father was far more complicated than she knew how to express.

His mental state--she wasn’t sure if it came from being a slave or just the stress period--but wasn’t entirely healthy… and that was harder for her to admit than she liked. There could have been anything that led to his state of mind becoming unstable and the worst part was she had no knowledge of mental disabilities--it was just simply that obvious. If the way Jorin spoke was true… well perhaps he wasn’t so far off the track. Until she had met Jorin, she was very much the spitting image of her father--minus the complete mental instability. So maybe it was true that she had a bit of her mother in her, it was certainly easier to think that way. That her softer side that she felt with Jorin was an indirect influence from her mother.

"I never thought about names that way." Rinya shrugged slightly. "I can see the point but, a name isn’t something that can ever define you. It’s how others do it." It was just another version of caring what others thought. Infamous or not, a name could never actually define someone. It was what was inside that defined who someone was--but she could understand that for Jorin he couldn’t see it the same way. He was notorious for over thinking about what others thought. He even admitted to ‘wearing a mask’ around others, as he was afraid of offending them. In that way Rinya did feel especially… special. He never had to wear a mask with her--even if he did she could feel right past it.

Jorin didn’t bother to resist her own growing instincts however--and that’s exactly what they were. In the past, before they were living together, she would have never done this. Leaned on him so heavily emotionally to help her feel better rather than doing it herself. It would have taken her days to eventually pull herself out of the emotional pit she had dropped herself into, but Jorin seemed to be the grip that kept her from falling into it completely in the first place. He practically lunged forward to meet her lips and Rinya couldn’t help but shudder above him. It wasn’t simply desire he flooded her with--though as usual there was traces of it through the bond--but everything he could muster. The feelings almost seemed to have a life of their own as they crawled across her skin and did their best to wipe her memory altogether.

It wasn’t as if their kisses didn’t usually trail all of the emotions she felt from him in the first place, but to focus so keenly on them made them so much stronger--and much more potent. Rinya could feel her own heart swell at the fact that he could simply understand that she needed him, and there was little doubt he could have felt that even without the bond. But again, it was easily a spoiler on both of them--the ability to just feel instead of having the need to explain what was wrong. Rinya barely had a state of mind to pull away for air she was so encompassed in feeling what he was so willing to give, that she followed his lips before realizing that it was probably better to breathe.

Jorin stroked her face softly, murmuring that he loved her too. That no matter what he would be there for her because they belonged to each other. It really was the simplest of statements, but Rinya always found herself reacting to him more when he phrased things like that. But if she let herself they would get caught up in each other--and while that wasn’t a bad thing, there was something else Rinya wanted to do to get her mind focused off her mother and what the woman could have possible felt for her. Sighing softly, she leaned forward again only to nuzzle her face against his neck delicately.

"So… if I’m going to bear you children, I need to know how to spell their names.” Rinya lifted her face to smile weakly at him. Jorin wasn’t likely to turn her down, and as far as she could remember he only had a few letters left to teach her--and then they could move onto the difficult part of learning how to read.

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[Jorin Ertihan]

There were only a few certainties in life. Dira would eventually claim him. Syna rose every morning. One and one made two. And Jorin loved his wife with all his being, and she loved him right back just as fiercely. It was not something to be debated or mulled over in his mind, like it might have been seasons ago. It was cold, hard fact in his mind. For once, the iron vicegrip that his logical mind sometimes made of certain things worked in his favor. Once he had accepted this as an established fact, no force on Mizahar was going to change it.

It was why he was able to tell her that he thought her mother must have been a wonderful person with such conviction. Rinya had disagreed, pointing out that if she had turned out anything like her father, but trailed off before the sentence could finish. He had, of course, remembered her telling him of the harshness of her father. His insistence on her learning to survive, and how he had rarely displayed any form of real affection. Jorin could sympathize, as it reminded him of his own father, and his stern harshness as he insisted that Jorin meet, then exceed expectations, every time moving the goal line just a bit further back.

But Rinya had not even so much as met her mother. His entire belief that she had to have been a wonderful person was entirely based on a gut feeling he had, something he believed because of what he knew of her, and nothing else. Jorin had nothing to base this belief on. No concrete evidence to present to Rinya as definitive proof. If all he had to go by was his father, would he have turned out differently? If he had not, would that have been Kari's invisible hand guiding his soul to still be the gentle person he was?

"Family will always be... difficult to deal with," Jorin admitted. "But we are all a product of more than just our upbringing. I want to believe my artistic side came from my mother. Even I had never met her, I want to believe it would have still shone through. You're the most incredible woman I've ever met, Rinya. You love me, despite my many flaws. You never once judged me, and you accept me for all that I am." Jorin shrugged. "Just as I am the product of both my parents, so you are also the product of yours. That is why I believe so strongly that your mother must be a wonderful person."

Jorin shook his head slightly. "You're right of course, Rinya," he sighed. "Not everything in life is certain. In some sense it may simply my own wishful thinking. But there is nothing wrong with a bit of optimism, my love. The world tries hard enough to push us down." For himself, Jorin tried not to think too much of Rosik. His own complicated relationship with his father aside, he knew that thinking of it would only depress the both of them, and that was the last thing they needed.

Rinya mentioned that she hadn't thought of names quite that way, and commented that it was what was inside that truly defined a person. Jorin supposed that was true; as someone who spent so much time on stage, it was almost second nature to consider how others saw him. Once again he was struck by how much he needed Rinya. If it had not been for her, he could very well have lost himself in his own pretense. Just... destroyed the real Jorin in his effort to become the masks he wore.

"You're right, love," he agreed again. "So much of an actor's life is defined by what other people think. Be it the stage master, or the audience, or a critic, or hai, even another actor. It's all about what others think." Jorin shrugged. "But... I know who I am now, Rinya. I am an actor who loves his art. A man who loves to write poetry in the mornings and curl up with his wife in the evenings. I am a person who loves one woman with his entire being, and I am the man that woman loves right back." Jorin smiled gently at her now, trying to find his wife inside the slight depression he was feeling from her.

"I used to hate that man," he reminded her. "You remember, right? Acting was my escape. My way of becoming someone else. Anyone else. But now...?" Jorin's face took on a somewhat faraway look. "Now I'm happy to act, but I am not defined by it. I am my own person, true to myself. If I lost my job tomorrow - regardless of circumstance - I would still be the Jorin that you love. I'd still be the man you chose for a mate, and who chose you." A slight pause.

"So I suppose you are right. Regardless of where I work, or what I do, or what my name is, I would still be that man. In some sense, your name can't define who you are." Jorin shrugged slightly. "But a name... is still important. I almost think of it as a gift, from us to our children. And in my mind, any gift should be given with thought and purpose." It was why Jorin wanted to give RInya the gift of a poem. To him, such a gift would mean more than the most expensive jewel, because it would carry meaning. Anyone with Mizas could buy Rinya a necklace. But only he could give her one of his poems. It would be a gift uniquely Jorin in nature.

But in the end, all his words and insistence fell by the wayside, replaced by the sheer emotion that always passed through them whenever they kissed. Especially when they kissed like this. Jorin knew that opening himself up would be quite the rush, and like always it was. He felt everything; from the soft love to almost desperate need of his wife as she kissed him lovingly and passionately back, shuddering in his arms with sheer relief at the fact that he truly understood what it was she needed and wanted from him.

Jorin would never refuse Rinya anything she wanted. They both knew that, but the truth was he never wanted to refuse her. The nature of their particular brand of love meant they were constantly giving of themselves to each other. Giving, yet getting so very much in return, so that they became stronger than the sum of their parts. When he was with her, things were clearer. On stage, facing an audience, mask firmly in place, Jorin could sometimes feel a little lost in the role, but even the memory of their love was sufficient to bring him back.

Despite his breathlessness, Jorin nonetheless smiled for Rinya as she pulled back from the kiss, nuzzling him lightly and giving him a weak smile. Jorin returned it, knowing that she was doing so just for him. She mentioned that if she was to bear their children, she needed to know how to spell their names. Jorin nodded, releasing his wife slightly to reach over to fetch the poetry book that was always by their bedside these days. Jorin discovered that inspiration sometimes struck at the oddest hours and therefore kept the book around, just in case.

"As a matter of fact, you can spell then with the letters you already have," he noted, "But since we only have a few letters remaining, I can show you them and then we can get to actual spelling of words."

Jorin flipped the pages of the tome almost impatiently, looking for something that would be appropriate. Very few poems actually contained the final few letters, them being among the least popular of letters, especially 'y' and 'z'. He suspected he'd simply have to write out words onto the page for her to see those particular ones, so he kissed her softly once, holding her tight and burning the memory of her warmth into his memory before releasing her to get his ink and quill. Her quill.

When he returned, Jorin made sure to snuggle as close as he could. He never liked leaving Rinya's side; whenever he did, for some reason the whole world felt a bit colder. He knew she would recognize the quill; its feather was one of her own. And he fully intended to use it to write her poem as well, but first things first. Jorin carefully set a small vial of ink on a nearby table, dipped the quill into it and wrote the words 'victory' and 'love' onto the smooth creamy page. Carefully setting aside the quill, Jorin blew on the page a few times, waiting for the ink to dry before showing Rinya.

"This is the word 'victory', and it starts with our next letter," he explained. "That letter is 'v', and you'll notice that it looks very similar to the previous letter, 'u'. But notice how the dip in the letter is much sharper." Jorin drew the letter gently onto his wife's arm, before trailing down to the palm of her right hand, tracing the rune a few times for her to see, then smiling to encourage her.

"And now you know how to spell 'love'," he noted, pointing to the next word. He punctuated the sentence with yet another kiss as he gently tugging Rinya closer. His lips pressed gently against hers as he fought back against Rinya's demons, using the only weapon he had at his disposal: his undying love for her.

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[Rinya]

Rinya was sorely tempted to snort at Jorin when he admitted that family tended to be difficult. She already knew without a doubt if she ever saw her father again, he would hate Jorin with a passion. In some ways her father was much like Rosik--just on opposite sides of the spectrum at the same time. Rosik apparently--from what Jorin had told her--wanted him to continue on the math prodigy… he didn’t see a point in the arts despite having a wife of all people that was one. Her father found art just as useless, but only because art was not capable of keeping you alive--neither was math in his opinion. All those numbers could come in handy, but numbers alone wouldn’t allow you to swing a sword that you’ve never picked up before and take on a master.

It kind of stung her actually, that she knew most people couldn’t see a point in Jorin. It was views that he was useless that he carried around on his own--no one was needed to make it worse. Jorin didn’t think he was good enough, and apparently no one else but her did either. But just as easily as Jorin had his logic, she had her steadfast decisions. She never made a decision easily and very rarely backed out of it. Rinya was as positive of her love for him as he was for her. There was no questioning it, especially when it rebounded between them. She was absolutely positive in him however… that she needed him, and that there wasn’t anyone else that could take his place and get the same softness from her.

Her father probably would have disagreed too--that she needed that side of her. It was something she probably could argue until she was blue in the face and never convince anyone--not even Jorin--about her decision to be with him and stay there. Luckily he didn’t choose to argue that fact very often, only when he was feeling down… and lately it took quite a bit to bring him down to that level of insisting she should find someone ‘better’. It actually angered her to no end however when he did that--the point of even violence against him. Rinya found it incredibly frustrating being told what to do, she never had an easy time with it even with her father. Jorin did not escape that frustration very often when he did choose to push it.

”It tries hard enough and it often succeeds Jorin. The point for me is that optimism has never actually made that better, or easier to handle for my part. The only thing I am ever optimistic about is you." Rinya shrugged as if it wasn’t that big of a deal. Her faith and trust in him was probably what most would have called ‘blind’ or an ‘effect of her Kelvic status’, but it didn’t matter to her what caused it, just that it existed. It made her happy--the very same happy she wanted to be when she first met him and he gave her the disarming smile that wormed so easily past the walls around her heart as if they didn’t exist at all.

Rinya couldn’t help but wince however when Jorin mentioned that he used to hate the man he was now. He had enjoyed pretending to be someone else--was quite good at it. It always hurt to know he thought so little of himself. It seemed just yesterday he was replying that he had no idea who he was when she requested that he just be himself. Though it did warm her to no end that if nothing else--if they didn’t last for whatever reason--at least he had a sense of it now. Someone so very capable of love and enjoying his art without having to get completely lost in it. The smile that tugged at her lips was much more real and unforced than the others before it.

"Of course names should be important Jorin, I don’t disagree there either. It’s just… not something that should define you. The names we’re chosen--they’re important." Rinya nodded slightly with conviction if nothing else. The very first gift they could give a child was a name, something that could mean the world to someone else. While Jorin’s name was just letters--they did not define him--they still represented the man. His name was linked to him specifically. If she ever met someone with the same name, the first person that would still come to mind would be him. The letters of his name were burned into her mind before everything else. Someday their child’s name could mean the same to someone else.

Her mate released her for just a moment to reach over to snag the poetry book at her request without complaint--not that she was expecting one. He never told her no when he could avoid it. Though she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows as he mentioned that she could spell their chosen names already. While Rinya may have known the letters, she still had no idea how to put them together to mean something. She had never seen her mother’s name spelled out, she just knew the sounds of it. He seemed to be looking for something as he flipped through the pages before he finally seemed to give up on the idea entirely.

He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before sliding from the bed. Rinya groaned slightly, curling up against the heat of the sheets that he had left and closed her eyes for a moment. He wouldn’t be gone long, but the bed had become a place that they would both occupy--even if he normally abandoned it in the early morning in favor of quarterstaff practice. She was used to the heat he left in the bed, but she moved only slightly to let him return to the bed so that she could curl against his side again. In some ways she would have much rather stayed on top of him, but she couldn’t see the book nearly as well as he would attempt to try and teach her new letters. He scribbled letters down on the page in a quick flourish with her feather quill before setting it aside as if it was glass. At this rate the feather would last a very long time in his hands.

Rinya focused her attention from the quill to the page as he pointed out the very next letter for her to learn. He was correct of course that ‘v’ and ‘u’ were very close in resemblance, but she did note the very subtle differences between them. It would be a few days later when the real test would prove if she remembered that or not however. His finger went about tracing the easy letter into her skin down to her palm and Rinya watched the movement with keen eyes. Before she got the chance to respond--or even show him she had learned the letter--he murmured that she now knew how to spell ‘love’... and pulled her into a kiss. Rinya couldn’t help but hum lightly, before forcing herself to pull back. Her mate was rather the tease when it came to teaching her letters, and she was determined to finish the last few letters before he pulled her into distraction--again.

Her left hand came up to rest over his heart as usual, tracing the letter ‘v’ into his skin lightly before she continued to copy the word ‘love’ across his chest in individual letters. It was an important word too--though nowhere nearly as important as his name--but in the very least it described them, and everything they felt into one solid word.

white

[Jorin Ertihan]

Jorin had never really considered what his father would think of his wife. He knew that he loved her - that was usually more than enough. He hadn't really considered what his parents would think. Well, that wasn't true. Jorin knew his father, knew the man had a logical mind that was filled with rationality and numbers. It was not a mind that would take kindly to his son marrying and having children with a woman who wouldn't be able to live a full, human-length life with him. He'd see their union as pointless.

But just as he knew Rosik would be utterly disdainful of his marriage to Rinya, he knew his mother would be very supportive of it. Kari had always insisted, even on the very eve of his departure from Zeltiva, that his happiness was all that mattered to her. That she would support him in anything he chose for himself in life, so long as it was his choice. It was interesting, actually, how similar Rinya and Kari could be, in certain ways. They were both strong, independent women who have told him at various points in his life that he was perfect for them just the way he was.

Rinya had insisted that optimism had never made anything actually better for her. That the only thing she was ever optimistic about was him. Jorin could feel her frustration sometimes; whether it be with her time at the Warren, or with some idiot Akalak, or just with life in general. Jorin knew that his wife sometimes got rather depressed at times, the emotion rolling across the bond like a heavy fog, as she oftentimes saw the worst in things. Times like those, Jorin knew that

"I'm glad," Jorin admitted, smiling gently at her as he stroked her cheek. "I'm glad that I could give you something to be optimistic about." Jorin rarely said anything about her 'finding someone better' anymore. It was an argument that his wife was not very happy having. In fact, few things made her angrier than to hear that particular argument. Somewhere inside, Jorin would likely always believe he wasn't quite worthy of Rinya's love. But that did not mean he did not want it or treasure it.

And when he mentioned that he truly knew who he was now, and accepted that part of himself, Rinya's face broke into a true smile. Jorin couldn't help but feel a swell of happiness to see it; as always it lit up her face, and he felt as though he'd won the best prize he could have ever hoped for. Jorin attached little value to Mizas beyond the bare necessities they could purchase. Material things came and went, but every smile that graced his wife's lips was like a precious gem, and he stored away the image, burning her smile into his memory, to call up any time he felt lonely or sad.

Rinya was quite attentive when he showed her the letter 'v', watching carefully as he drew the rune on her arm and palm, her golden eyes glued to his roving finger. As always, the bond hummed with the usual mixture of happiness, love, and calm. And even though he felt it throughout the day, it was especially strong in the evenings when they could just simply be with each other. Jorin loved spending time with his wife, of course, regardless of venue. But it was especially rewarding in their own home. It was not the four walls that made this condo his home, but the woman laying next to him.

Their kiss bubbled with happy emotions, and Jorin's heart soared knowing he had succeeded at driving off at least some of Rinya's worry and sadness. They'd be back, of course. It was a never-ending battle, but one he was willing to fight. His wife was well worth it; a sentiment Jorin honestly had neer thought he'd have about another person until he had met her. So when she hummed against his lips his hand stole up and grasped her neck, pressing her gently against him. And despite the slight disappointment he felt when she broke the kiss, he gave her the same encouraging open smile he'd given her the first day he met her.

He never told her but... it had been the first time his mask had faltered. That smile had been unadulterated, unforced. It had been real. And he knew why he'd given her that smile. It was because he so desperately wanted to see her smile. And even though much had changed since then, Jorin still loved seeing her smile. It had the ability to brighten every aspect of his day.

Rinya's left hand had come up, and pressed against his heart. He briefly covered it with his right, holding it over his heart as he looked into Rinya's golden eyes, noting that they shimmered and shone in the flickering light, giving her gaze an almost otherworldly look in the low light. Jorin had made this observation once before. The very second time he'd met her, actually, at the aquarium. The light had shone upwards and wrapped around her, giving her the same ethereal quality.

As Rinya's face took on a mask of concentration, her finger carefully drawing the word 'love' across his chest, Jorin couldn't help but notice how the bond hummed with the very emotion the word was describing, how she projected it without even realizing it. Her soft brown hair seemed to almost shimmer and fleck with gold as she instinctively brushed it away from her face, the concentration still evident as she drew the word.

Jorin was silent for the few ticks it took her to draw the word, and the letter that it had come with. When she was finished, he nodded and grinned. "You did perfectly, as always love," he beamed. "I'm so very proud of you. And not to worry, Rinya. There aren't very many letters left."

Reaching over, Jorin picked up the quill again, cracking the spine of the poetry book and glancing at the empty page staring back at him. It had actually been some time since he'd come up with an original composition. He'd thought to save his creative juices for Rinya's poem, but he seriously considered inventing a poem for the remaining four letters. But Jorin quickly squelched the idea - 'w', 'x', 'y' and 'z' weren't exactly commonly used letters in the Common alphabet. He would be very hard-pressed to squeeze them all into a single poem and have the petching thing make any amount of sense.

Instead, he carefully wrote 'writing' on the page, his hand taking its customary flourish as it left the parchment. It was, perhaps, not the best habit to have; the flourishes that adorned his letters were undoubtedly unnecessarily florid and what was worse, he was passing it onto his wife, as well. Nonetheless, he couldn't find it in himself to feel too bad. His wife's handwriting was now beginning to resemble his own, incorporating her own versions of his flourishes.

Once he had finished writing the new word on the page, Jorin made sure to carefully set aside Rinya's feather again. He always took great care with the quill; he knew it must not have been pleasant to pluck that feather for him, and Jorin was determined to keep her feather for as long as he could. It had been a gift filled with thought, and he wanted to show her he appreciated it deeply.

Shuffling closer, Jorin showed Rinya the word he'd written. "This word represents what I spend a lot of time doing," he explained. "The word here is 'writing', and it begins with the word 'w'. Now, if you listen to how the letter is actually pronounced, it's said as 'double u'. When in fact, it's actually spelled like two 'v's." Jorin grinned slightly. "I know, it's strange. Common can be weird like that. Suffice it to say, there's probably some historical reason for this; likely sometime in the past it was spelled like two 'u's. In any case..."

Jorin trailed off as he traced the rune onto his wife's arm and palm again, before pulling her a bit closer and taking her hand and pressing it gently against his heart once more. He leaned forward and quietly pressed his lips against her neck, kissing her Cheva's mark that denoted their bond of marriage. Despite the softness of the kiss, Jorin still felt his wife react, and he smiled slightly against her skin.

"I can't help it," he grinned slightly, as he pulled back. He really couldn't. Every moment he spent with his wife he loved to show her in various ways how he felt for her, and it never grew dull. Nonetheless, he squeezed her hand with his, still pressed to his heart, and he tilted his head slightly. "So, try to spell 'w' a few times, love," he prompted, as he reminded her of the shape by drawing it lightly onto the back of her hand.

black

[Rinya]

In some ways it made Jorin just as happy as she was over the fact that she did indeed have something to be optimistic about. And honestly it was partly complete force of will, and partly because it was impossible not to believe him. She had started their relationship believing that it was going to fail--for one reason or another--and that it would have proven to of been a mistake to try. But that had not stopped her from falling for him, even as Farline showed up and quite tried her hardest to get in between them. It would have been easy to give up on him… but it would have been impossible to live with the regret that would have followed. And yet… it had been so incredibly simple to just finally let herself admit that she loved him.

It truly did not matter in the end. They were together now and Jorin’s constant attentions really did make it easy for her to leave their home and have complete confidence that when she returned he would feel the same. That she didn’t have to fear some actress drawing him away from her like she had with Farline--though at the time she had proper reason to feel that way at least. Those two had been together at one point… and sometimes feelings were known to bubble up from the past. Rinya just considered it her luck that Jorin had been intent building something with her by that point.

She was hard pressed not to continue kissing him however as his hand came up to her neck, keeping her pressed to him. Rinya had the feeling the two of them would never got bored with kissing the other, not when they reacted as they did to each other. His disappointment wasn’t anything new however, and it mixed with her own--but she had set her mind into finishing this task. She wanted to know how to read, and getting caught up in her husband as she so often did was not going to get her there. His smile however caused her stomach to twist slightly--the very smile she had just been thinking about not chimes before. The one she had always called ‘contagious’, seeing as she couldn’t help but smile gently back at him. It never failed…

His hand stalled hers for just a moment and she glanced briefly up at him to find him staring at her. Nothing new really so she focused her attention back on the letters she needed to draw first. It wasn’t until she had finished the letters and brushed the hair from her face and turned to look back up at him that she noticed he was still staring at her rather intently. Her face flushed slightly and she cocked her head to the side slightly. "W-what?" For a tick he didn’t answer, before he just insisted that she done perfect, pride from him swelling across the bond. Rinya wanted to point out that he had technically avoided her question, but he was already reaching across to retrieve his quill.

Rinya pursed her lips as she watched him swirl the quill across the page again. When Rinya actually thought about it… she hadn’t actually used a quill to write any of the letters yet. Only her fingers had ever done the drawing and she wondered if it would be different--then again she would probably be discovering that here in the next few lessons. Snapping out of her daze she glanced back at the word he had written as Jorin went about explaining the word. She actually knew all the other letters in the word--recognized them with ease now. Rinya couldn’t help but roll her eyes slightly as Jorin went about explaining how ‘w’ was pronounced.

"Jorin…" She was tempted to tease him that she could pronounce ‘w’ very easily as he drew the letter into her arm, but decided against it. While he could easily take the teasing jab without issue, she would much rather focus on the hints he gave her on how to draw the letter instead. He was doing this out of the kindness of his own heart, and he was doing the best he could. Rinya wasn’t willing to let a tease become a possible issue later on. Plus the whole idea simply flew from her mind as he pressed his lips to her Cheva mark. Normally the two of them didn’t pay much attention to them--with the occasional brushing touch to them. Rinya often liked to trace his with her fingertips as she drifted off to sleep, but other than that they generally didn’t generate much attention from each other. The kiss caused her to shudder and Rinya bit her bottom lip at the tingle of desire it caused. "Jorin..." She couldn’t help but whine slightly this time as she said his name. He was being a tease again, and the only thing she could do was complain about it… without any actual argument behind it.

He just grinned at her as he stated he couldn’t help it. Rinya just shot him a heatless glare in response. That didn’t stop her from grumbling under her breath as she focused on his hand drawing ‘w’ into the back of hers a few times before she pressed on with the lesson and copied his movements of ‘w’ into his skin again. "I’m going to make you pay for this..." Rinya huffed as she finished the letter and glanced back up at him. "Focus would you?" While she did technically mean on the lesson--she left it rather open to interpretation. If he chose to focus on her instead… well she wasn’t bound to complain about that either. So long as it had to do with her.

white

[Jorin Ertihan]

Jorin was strangely glad that his wife was just as disappointed as he was when their kiss ended. He was half-tempted to simply forget about the lesson - just toss aside his book, draw her in even closer and kiss her again. He knew she would not protest very much; after all they both loved showering attention on the other and there was technically no reason they couldn't finish some other time.

But Rinya seemed determined to get the final few letters of the Common alphabet out of the way, and Jorin could not really blame her. There really weren't very many letters left; they were so close to finishing he could almost taste it. Once she had the whole alphabet down, it would be simply a matter of ensuring she had them down correctly, and then the hard part would come - learning to spell actual words.

But despite their convictions, Jorin couldn't help staring at Rinya. He could feel joy bubble up in his chest as she smiled back at him; exactly the way she had that day when he first saw her shift from her osprey form. A small, shy smile that she reserved just for him. He could honestly say he'd never seen that particular smile on her face any other time than here, when she was alone with him.

Jorin hadn't even realized he'd been staring until Rinya reddened slightly and asked him what he was thinking. He covered a little, telling her that she'd done perfectly but not actually answering her question. Jorin considered telling her, but he knew if he did, he'd want to act on it. Want to draw her in for a passionate kiss that would undoubtedly lead to... other things. Not that either of them ever denied their want for each other, but Rinya did want to finish her lessons.

Rinya roled her eyes when he explained how 'w' was pronounced. He just grinned when she sang out his name in a somewhat teasing manner, and his hand shot out and snagged her waist, drawing her up to him so he could nuzzle her neck. "Oh I know you know how to pronounce it, Rinya," he admitted. "I guess I just find history kind of interesting, is all. I mean, it's pronounced 'double u' and yet it's written as 'double v'. The history behind why that is..." Jorin shrugged. "I suppose for some people that's something boring and uninteresting, but to me it's fascinating."

It was one of those random things Jorin rarely admitted to other people. The silly little things he found interesting. He was always so afraid that someone would see it and judge him for it; tell him what a loser he was to find something that stupid interesting. But not Rinya - he knew she'd never judge him. The most she'd do was roll her eyes slightly, but in the end she accepted and loved all of him, including his silly little quirks. And he loved her all the more for that.

Rinya picked up 'w' quickly though, as Jorin knew she would. It wasn't that he had any doubts as to his wife's intelligence, but he didn't think she realized how quickly she was learning. He himself remembered how tough it had been when his father was teaching him mathematics. It was not nearly the same thing, he knew. But he'd not picked up mathematics nearly as quickly as Rinya was picking up letters, and he couldn't help but be proud of her.

The kiss on her Cheva's mark was a complete random act of affection. Ultimately, if Jorin had been pressed as to why he kissed her then, he wouldn't have been able to answer other than to say that he'd wanted to. But in his mind, that was the whole point of being in love. Of being married - that one did not have to have a reason to show affection. That one could kiss, or touch, or admire, and not have to give any reason other than the fact that he loved her.

Rinya whined his name as his lips pressed against the sensitive skin, and he couldn't help smiling, drawing in her scent as he took a deep breath at her neck and nibbling slightly. He knew his wife loved his teasing, for all the complaints, because he could feel her desire rise across the bond. Even her heatless glare or her huffing that she'd make him pay didn't diminish his happiness, and his only response to her asking him to focus was to grin even wider.

With a slight shrug, Jorin gave her a rather mischievous smile and dropped the book onto the bed between them, with a slight shrug. "Okay," he agreed easily. After all, she hadn't mentioned what to focus on, and Jorin decided he'd much rather focus on her. He surged forward, capturing her in his arms as he pressed a kiss onto her lips, closing his eyes as he did so and letting the emotions flow between them.

As requested, he made absolutely sure to focus entirely on his wife, blocking out all other distractions and just concentrating on what they were feeling for each other. One of his hands had gone to her waist, pressing her up against him while the other stole to her neck to keep her lips against his.

While of course his desire for his wife was ever-present, the kiss also encompassed everything about her that he loved. As their lips met and he slipped in his tongue to enhance the intimate contact, Jorin drew up in his memory all the things he loved most about her.

He thought about her steadfast devotion to him. He thought about the shy excitement in her voice, eyes, and through the bond when they agreed to trying for a child in spring. He thought about all the times he'd watched her, thinking how incredibly lucky he'd been to find her. All in all, the warmth of love surged just as strongly across the bond as the fire of need.

There was a strange ache in his lungs that caused Jorin to finally realize that he needed to breathe. It was fast becoming a common theme with their kisses; they wanted to stay connected so desperately they sometimes forgot their bodies had certain requirements to continue to live.

Gasping for breath, Jorin could help feeling the heat on his cheeks as he looked up at Rinya's flushed form. No matter how many times they kissed like that it never failed to have an effect on both of them. Jorin, however, still hated having space between them, so he closed the distance again and embraced his wife to himself, hugging her close and nestling his chin in the crook of her neck, closing his eyes and breathing her scent in deep.

"I love you," he whispered to her as he held her. "I'll always focus on you..." It was true. Jorin was absolutely, completely convinced that no matter what he would always focus first on his wife, and all else was secondary.

After a few more chimes of just holding his wife to him, feeling the softness of her skin against his and the comfort of her warmth against him, Jorin decided that perhaps their lesson should probably continue. There really weren't that many letters left and it would be a shame to stop now when they were so close.

Rinya would likely feel his reluctance as he released her, though he kept one arm snagged about her waist, to ensure that she was still mostly pressed up against him. It was rather awkward to write like that though, and Jorin struggled mightily to find a way to do it, but in the end with a sigh he had to release her in order to have both hands free. At that moment he rather envied the many-armed Eypharians. They surely did not have this problem, he thought.

Taking up the book, Jorin tapped his chin a few times with the feather-end of Rinya's quill, thinking what sort of word to use as an example. Very few words came to mind, as 'x' was by far one of the least-popular letters in the Common language, appearing in only a few words at best, and even those were not really very commonly seen. Shrugging helplessly, he decided on writing 'example' on the page, not really coming up with very many other words that would work much better.

"The next letter is 'x'," Jorin explained, as he set aside the quill and scooted closer to show his wife what he'd written. "It's the second letter in the word 'example' written here. It's... not exactly a very common letter in the Common alphabet. I was having difficulty coming up with a word that begins with it; the letter typically shows up within words rather than at the beginning."

Jorin shrugged, but kept the book up so that his wife could absorb the shape of the letter. Then he quietly started drawing the rune onto her arm, working his way down to her palm as usual. "I won't ever get tired of it, you know," he confessed. "Teasing you, I mean," he explained, off of Rinya's questioning look. "Sometimes I look at you and I can't help but feel lucky. Lucky to have found you... lucky that you are as in love with me, as I am in love with you. At moments like that I just..."

Jorin decided that rather than tell her, he'd show her, because honestly he was feeling that way right then. Taking her hand, he pressed it to his heart while surging forward and kissing her once more. It was, as ever, the best form of communication they had, and he poured his love and appreciation into the simple act. She could show him the letter 'x' after, but for the moment his father, the lesson, all other distracting thoughts were gone, replaced by just one person.

As it turned out, it was very easy for Jorin to focus, so long as what he was focusing on was RInya.

black

[Rinya]

"The history of a letter..." Rinya couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow at that one. History in general was not something she was versed in--at all. It really shouldn’t have been surprising that Jorin took an interest in the history of letters though. After all his favorite part of his art was his poems… letters and words that made up the pieces of his soul. While Rinya herself wouldn’t have called it ‘interesting’, she certainly wouldn’t begrudge him of his own fascination. "Couldn’t you write the letter with double ‘u’s and get about the same result though?" Rinya frowned slightly in concentration as she tried to trace the shape into his chest, rounding the 'w' at the bottom instead of pointing it sharply like the letter ‘v’.

Maybe it was just her--and partly because she couldn’t physically see the difference without writing it on a page, but as she drew it the letter itself did not look that much different. Humming slightly, she shrugged and gave up on the endeavor anyway. If she was going to remember the letter correctly, she didn’t need to be flourishing it differently and end up writing the letter wrong when she tried to practice it later. It was hard enough to remember the first letters now--practice left her missing some letters entirely and she would have to start all over again trying to put the missing letters into place.

Apparently the whine of his name however didn’t ward Jorin off like she thought it would. Instead he nipped at the skin of her neck and she groaned at the effect that flashed through her. Jorin being the clever man that he was easily picked up on her silent invitation however--that she was giving him a chance to get it out of his system before they tried to continue on their lessons. He agreed instantly, using his arms to pull her in close and pin her up against him and unsurprisingly kissed her. The surge of emotions almost sent her head reeling, but Rinya let them flow rather than try to stem the flow.

While Jorin’s kisses were always forefront, he was never quite so demanding before. He seemed so eager this night to keep her where she was, between the hand on her waist and the one caught behind her neck. As if she would actually try to pull away… okay so it wasn’t that hard to believe she might. After all while she was accepting of this temporary distraction, she did still want to finish the rest of the petching letters before they forgot why in the first place--which was always so very easy with their combined emotions. Besides... while Rinya loved his teasing, she rather liked his demanding side too. As it was he was simply the only one capable of demanding anything out of her.

Jorin intensified the kiss and Rinya couldn’t help the moan that escaped her. Part of her wondered if it would always be like this--so very powerful and intoxicating. They were young, but it certainly didn’t feel like something that would just die off. It had been a saying she had heard elders say about young teenagers--that they were young and would grow out of it. But then those relationships never did seem to last, there was always something to fight over or just simply… growing up. But while yes they were young as well--Rinya had the feeling it would simply shift with them so long as they continued down this path together. Things were bound to change--hai they had just agreed to have children. That was a big change right there…

Jorin seemed to realize the need for breath just ticks before she did. At some point she had closed her eyes and wrapped her own hand around the base of his neck to keep him close as well. It was amazing how literally instinctual this had become with him--she could remember a time when she was afraid to kiss him, their first kisses barely being a brush of lips against the other. Rinya considered the fact she had come a long way since the beginning of fall actually. The scared girl that was afraid of the emotions she felt--and felt from him. It had seemed so easy then to just avoid the situation--now she would deem it nearly impossible. He was staring at her again, and Rinya just counted herself lucky that she was already red from their activity, because she would have just turned red again. Jorin pulled her in close, hugging her to him and--petch the bloody tease--whispered to her that he loved her. Rinya grit her teeth, refusing to give him the usual reaction… beyond a shiver that she couldn’t suppress if she tried.

"Jorin..." She muttered his name this time in a real warning. He seemed to get the hint, content on simply holding her for several chimes before pulling away. Jorin seemed rather annoyed actually that he had to let her go at all to continue the lesson however, and Rinya couldn’t help but giggle at the concentration on his face as he tried to squirm his way around before giving in and letting her go. Her mate charged on, writing out another word into the forgotten poem book and pointed out the letter ‘x’ to her.

He began to trace the letter into her skin again and Rinya watched with rapt attention. It was a fairly easy letter with two crisscrossing lines at an angle. He confessed that he would ‘never get tired of it’, and Rinya lifted her eyes to look at him in confusion, brow furrowed slightly. He pressed on about the whole teasing ‘issue’. Rinya blinked at him several times as he counted himself the lucky one--as usual. It wasn’t the first time he had said it and she had a feeling it most certainly wouldn’t be the last. Honestly repetitiveness tended to annoy her, but it was comforting to hear it over and over again. Jorin leaned forward to kiss her again and she sighed contently against him. As if she doubted his words in the first place, but as he drew away she realized she hadn't returned the sentiment from before... when he had told her that the loved her.

"And I do you know…" Rinya trailed off slightly much like he had as she adjusted herself up against him. "Love you as much as you love me that is." Rinya flushed slightly and looked back down at his chest. Petch… was she ever going to be able to respond to him without acting like a shy girl instead of the wife that she was supposed to be? "I know I’m not great at showing it--or even saying it most of the time, but I do. And I know you feel it but..." It did still bother her that she wasn’t nearly as open as he was in the affection giving.

"I want to show it like you do." Rinya shrugged awkwardly.

white