Onsets of Madness (Open)

[Jocelyn]

Jocelyn tried to put herself in Rion's place, tried to imagine what it would be like with another voice in her head, no, with two. It was almost impossible to comprehend, yet her beloved found himself stuck in that situation, something that surely made him feel as though he were slowly going mad, that his curse was catching up with him. Pain gnawed at her as she watched a tear trickle down his cheek, evidence of just how deeply terrified he was. How she longed to comfort him, to take away his fears...but she didn't know how, and that made her feel so helpless.

 

"The other scares me more than the fact that he is there. He's....He would be what I like if I ever lost complete control. They both come and go but at least once a day." Clearly the other was not a friendly voice, if any voice intruding in someone's mind could be called such. A shudder passed through her as her imagination ran wild, picturing Rion losing control. It was not a pleasant image, and she hastily pushed it aside. Wondering would help nothing. She would focus on the here and now, on the man she loved.

 

Jocelyn's arms tightened about Rion, as though the simple contact could remove the pain, and she lowered her head, resting it against his as she closed her eyes against the pain that arose from seeing him so. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, wishing again there was something more she could do. "I want you to know, that no matter what, my love for you will never change. Whatever this...voice tells you, it is not you. You are a wonderful man, you are caring and kind, and I will not let anything take you from me. I love you Rion." Lifting her head once more, Jocelyn sought Rion's gaze, making him meet her eyes and see just how serious she was. "Nothing will take you from me." She repeated firmly, waiting until Rion slowly nodded, whether he was convinced or not.

 

Kissing him softly on the brow, she wiped his cheek softly with her thumb, tracing the path his tear had taken. "Do you..." She hesitated, swallowing, suddenly unsure of the question, but wanting to know the answer. She wanted him to be open with her, the least she could do was voice her own concerns for his benefit. "Do you answer the voices?" She asked softly. She didn't know what she would think of his response, however he answered, but she wanted to know, was trying to understand, however difficult it was. If only this was happening to someone else! Why Rion, the most undeserving man she knew? Light, but the pattern was not fair.

 

Jocelyn

[Kael]

Rion's lips trembled slightly as Jocelyn spoke, her words giving him streangth to control the tears threatening to pour forth undeterred. He could hear a touch of hopelessness that matched what he felt inside of him. The knoweldge that there was almost nothing that he could possibly do to change his imminent fate. "Nothing will take you from me."

 

Rion took a trembeling breath, composing himself before nodding slowly as he looked into the determined gaze of the woman he loved. It was strange to see that she seemed to have more hope for him than he did, making his love for her soar even within the depths of despair that he felt. If there was nothing else this would be reason enough to love her, knowing that she would never leave him.

 

"Do you..." Rion looked into Jocelyn's eyes, waiting and dreading what questions may come. Perhaps without reason he was nervous as the what questions Jocelyn may ask of him, what the answers to those questions could change her view of him. "Do you answer the voices?" Rion let his gaze fall for a moment as he gathered his scattered thoughts to answer.

 

He looked back up into Jocelyn's eyes and moved his arms tighter around her waist. His voice was soft and contained still the pain he felt in his chest. "Sometimes..." Rion breathed slowly for a moment before continuing. "They will stop if I answer....and other times I answer without thinking about it. I'm scared that they are becoming to familier, that I'm beginning to think of them as another person entirely and that will be the end of any hope I have for getting rid of them."

 

 

Rion

[Jocelyn]

Jocelyn chewed her lip in silence as she absorbed the last piece of information, turning it over in her head, trying to make some sense from it. No wonder Rion was so worried, he must feel as though he is going mad, knowing he is replying to voices that exist only in his mind. "There is always hope." Jocelyn said softly, though even she didn't know how much of that she believed. But one could never give up hope, or all was surely lost before it had begun.

 

"I wish I could understand better what you're going through." Jocelyn sighed softly, stroking a hand over Rion's hair soothingly. "I can only begin to imagine what it must be like, and it still scares me. So I can only hint at knowing how you're feeling." She dropped a soft kiss on Rion's furrowed brow, wishing there was more she could do or say, to take away his worry and pain. It made her feel terribly helpless, knowing that she could do little more than stand by and watch, and that was disconcerting. Jocelyn had always taken her life into her own hands, had always been in control. Now she felt so adrift.

 

"But I do know that no matter what happens, you are still the same wonderful man I fell in love with, and you always will be. Whatever these...voices are, they are not you, and they never will be. Somehow, someway, we will get rid of them. We just have to be positive." Jocelyn tried a smile, hoping it appeared stronger than it felt. How on earth were they supposed to get rid of something they not only couldn't see, but only Rion could hear? Were these real voices, or Rion's imagination? So many questions, so many unknowns, and Jocelyn doubted they would ever have the answers. It was like a dark cloud had descended on her bright future, making it somewhat undescernable, uncertain. No! She would not let this change anything. She loved Rion, and for better or worse, she was going to share his life, have the future she had dreamed of.

 

"The important thing is that I love you, with all of my heart, and always will. No matter what happens." Jocelyn tilted Rion's face up with a finger under his chin, so she could look into his eyes, let him see just how strongly she meant the words, the love she had for him shining in her gaze. Softly she pressed her lips to his, as though sealing her words, making them a promise she would always keep. "There is always hope." She repeated her earlier words, softly stroking the cheek of the man she loved so well.

 

Jocelyn

[Kael]

Only twice in his life had Rion ever been torn between two seperate emotions so thoroughly. Once before when Jocelyn had tried to leave the tower, leave him behind forever. And how hard it had been to overcome that battle, how long it had taken, some deep suspicion told him this would be much more difficult.

 

Hope and despair. The helpless feeling inside of him fueling the fire for despair as the love in Jocelyn's eyes and the streangth in her words stood Hope upon a shaky platform. It may waver and threaten to fall constantly but it was still there, weak and shaky but as long as Rion had Jocelyn it would still be there.

 

Rion leaned his head in and pressed his lips against Jocelyn's once again, lingering for many long moments as the worst of the sorrow began to recede and once again he was able to take control of his outwards emotion and calm the floodtides coursing through his body. He took a slow shaky deep breath as he lifted his head and looked into the Jocelyn's loving gaze.

 

His voice was little more of a whisper but it was no longer choked by despair and held some of the hope that wavered in his chest. "Thank you. I'm not sure how I would be able to get through this if I didn't have you." Rion paused and focused on breathing slowly for a few moments, taking the reins on his emotions. "Thank you." He whispered again looking up inot Jocelyn's eyes with all the love he felt for her evident in his gaze. He looked into the sun, moon and stars of his world and slowly the legs standing up his hope began to streangthen and he began to truly beleive that maybe it would be possible to overcome this.

 

"I truly am lucky to have you and was a fool to have doubted your love." Rion smiled tremulously but it was still a smile, a small amount of progress. "I don't care what happens, just as long as I have you everything will be alright." Hope is man's greatest weakness. And his greatest streangth.

 

 

Rion

[Jocelyn]

Jocelyn felt a small surge of relief as she watched Rion regain control over his shattered emotions, saw him find some calm. Light, she would give anything, her very life if need be, if she could take this burden from him. "I don't care what happens, just as long as I have you everything will be alright." Jocelyn allowed a small smile and rested her forehead against Rion's, her fingers softly caressing his hair. "Exactly, and you will always have my love, no matter what happens." She replied softly.

 

Pressing her lips to his brow softly, Jocelyn wrapped her arms around Rion and again rested her head against his. Closing her eyes, she simply enjoyed the embrace, trying to push all the unpleasant thoughts from her mind and just focus on the positives. Once again her future brightened in her mind, a long and happy life spent with the man she loved. Marriage, children...she would not let anything take those away from her, especially not something she could not see nor comprehend. Love could and would conquer all. She didn't need anything else but Rion for her life to be complete. And she refused to lose him to anything, not after fighting so hard to earn his trust, gain his love.

 

"I think I could get used to this." She mumbled with a smile, snuggling a little closer on Rion's lap and tightening her arms about him. Sitting like this, she could easily forget they had any worries at all, indeed she could forget there was an outside world at all. Everything that mattered was here in her arms, and she was not going to let it go. "I love you Rion. Always and forever." Her voice was soft, but the words were heartfelt as she forgot about everything and simply felt, her heart full to overflowing with the love she had for this man.

 

Jocelyn

[Kael]

Rion's lips brushed against Jocelyn's neck in a small kiss as she moved closer to him. Always and forever. Rion was farm from used to this much of a rollercoaster of emotions. Despair and happiness as his mind shifted from the voices in his head to the love emanating from Jocelyn and shining in her eyes.

 

How can you really beleive her? When you finally go mad we shall see how much she loves you. Will you? And down again. His mood taking a dip as he brushed his lips again on the soft skin of Jocelyn's neck. Of course I beleive. I can see it in her eyes, in her words even her touch. And I will always. I know this feeling inside my heart and the way everything is suddenly better when I see here. How simply thinking about her brings a smile to my face and I can't think of anyone else I want to spend the rest of my life with.

Foolish.

 

Rion let out a long breath and set the hand wrapped around Jocelyn's waist and began moving up and down slowly. He took streangth in the touch and the simply gestures and touch, instead of recoiling from it as he had before Jocelyn had come into his life. Laying his head on her shoulder. He kissed her once more at the base of her neck before turning his head his gaze moving...not that way at least. Rion blushed lightly and was thankful that Jocelyn hadn't been looking at him. Becoming a man eh? The laughter that followed in his head only made him blush more.

 

He lifted his head to keep himself from embaressing himself further and hoped Jocelyn took the red on his cheeks to be from the tears of only a few moments ago. "I love you too, and even forever cannot express for how long I will. Jocelyn, my Jocelyn." He smiled a small smile as the love for her shone in his eyes. "Though I'm not sure how much I can show it in this state." Rion chuckled lightyl and scrubbed at hs eyes with his free hand, enveloped in what he hoped would be more than a fleeting good mood.

 

 

Rion

[Jocelyn]

"Jocelyn, my Jocelyn." She smiled, liking the sound of that. She truly was Rion's, heart, body and soul. Now if only she could work out how to broach the subject of marriage, she could show him just what he owned, and no doubt it would be a pleasant discovery for both of them. Rion's cheeks were tinged with a slight blush, and Jocelyn wondered for a moment if he had read where her thoughts had headed, but quickly dismissed the idea, he was quite the innocent, after all. Well for now he was, anyway...

 

"Though I'm not sure how much I can show it in this state."Jocelyn chuckled softly and caressed Rion's cheek, before kissing it softly. "You show me in everything you do and say, Rion." Jocelyn replied fondly. "And I will never get tired of it." She rubbed her nose against his affectionately, before fishing in her neckline and withdrawing a handkerchief. The blush on Rion's cheeks was unmistakeable this time, but Jocelyn simply smiled to herself as she offered it to him to wipe his face.

 

Marry me and I'll teach you all you want to know...thought Jocelyn as she admired the blush that had stained Rion's cheeks and neck, idly wondering if the rest of his skin turned that delightful shade. She shook her head slightly to try and rid herself of the image of Rion's sculpted form. It was hard enough refraining from giving him a lesson or two without thoughts like that.

 

"You always look perfect to me." Jocelyn continued with a smile, unable to resist some teasing. "Especially from behind, you have one delectable backside...I could happily watch it all day." Her eyes glinted emerald mischief at Rion's flush, and she bent her head to nibble on his ear, unable to help herself. "Perhaps you need another training session...with the quaterstaff..." Jocelyn broke off into a husky laugh, her breath tickling Rion's ear as she contemplated all the lessons she could teach him.

 

Jocelyn

[Kael]

Rion's blush deepened as he followed Jocelyn's hand to her kneckline, their situation putting his eyes closer than what he was used to. The heat shot through his blood and Rion looked back up quickly to prevent that, taking he offered hankercheif and wiping his eyes and the tear stains on his cheeks.

 

"Especially from behind, you have one delectable backside...I could happily watch it all day." Rion flushed deeper, the redness spreading from his neck downwards as he felt Jocelyn nibbling lightly on his ear, his blush as much from the feelings her lips were sending through him as much from the compliment, one he surely had never heard before. His stomach leaped at the touch. "Perhaps you need another training session...with the quaterstaff..."

 

Jocelyn's laugh was one that had become rather familier, low in her throat and one to make Rion's stomach leap to his throat. The one that always told him he would end up blushing. Well it was already to late, his usually pale skin having a more than faint tinge of red. He felt the same feelng as when he was nervous, a fluttering in his stomach from the prospect of what another one of those lessons would be like.

 

He opened his mouth to try and return the compliment, though the words like Jocelyn had spoken were so foriegn they felt strange even being said inside of his head. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, every part of her. How she looked when she walked, how he simply watching her could bring a smile to his face.

 

But when he tried to force the words out, the combine feelings coming from his stomach, the touch sending waves of heat through his body the words wouldn't leave his lips. "I...you..." Instead Rion simply buried himself in Jocelyn's neck, kissing her neck softly as he tried to cover from his inability to speak.

 

Rion

[Jocelyn]

The expression on Rion's face was priceless, shock and pleasure and who knew what else, mingling and deepening his blush. "I...you..."Jocelyn chuckled softly as he buried his face in her neck, wrapping her arms about him and hugging him tight, dropping an affectionate kiss in his hair. His shyness really was endearing, Jocelyn had never known anyone like him.

 

"I wonder if that was a yes or a no..." Mused Jocelyn, enjoying the light pressure of Rion's lips at her neck. It really was dreadful of her to tease him so much, but she could never help herself, much like she couldn't but touch him, love him with all her heart. It was as natural to her as breathing. She would sooner lose a limb than stop loving this incredible man!

 

Tightening her arms about Rion, Jocelyn gave him a squeeze. "There will be planty of time for such lessons my sweet, I am not going anywhere." Her palms smoothed over his shoulders and back, relishing the firmness of toned muscle beneath. Light but he was beautiful. "Soon enough you will be more than skilled...with the staff." Jocelyn giggled softly, as once again she could not resist putting a hidden meaning into her words. It seemed Rion brought out the best in her, while also the worst tease.

 

Jocelyn lifted Rion's chin with a finger, so she could look into the depth of his blue gaze, a small smile playing about her lips. "I love you." She said softly, bending her head to rub her nose against hism so full of love it was overwhelming, pushing everything else out of her mind and heart til only it remained. "And I am not going to leave you." Her voice was soft as she rained light kisses over Rion's face. A broad grin curved her lips. "So you have much more teasing to endure yet!"

 

Jocelyn