Fire and Ice (Ravvus/Open)

[Minerva]

The world spun still, its grand course unaffected by the explosion of fire and ice, of the power of the moment, of its mighty weight and significance. To the world, the brief starburst of intimacy would remain only that - nothing more than a fleeting pinprick of light on the vast black road of Time. But in the moment, in the slowly warming igloo, the world had stopped still, and all creation froze, powerless to stop the hunger and desire that had burst forth into bloom.

Minerva thought back as Ravvus pulled away. Even from the beginning, in the restaurant... This hunger had been gnawing at her stomach, gnawing and filling her with that restless, needy, vicious little voice, that petulant and whining echo that demanded what could clearly not be had. But today, today she had won out, her dream brought to fruition, and her body receiving a nourishment that was so easy to find but so hard to make enjoyable and sweet. The fruit had ripened, not bruised by a fall from lofty heights or eaten by worms and insects - no, the fruit hung full and juicy on the vine. All she had to do was pick it, reach up and pluck it and suck the sweet juices that only the tree of desire could provide.

And then the voice came, soft but strong, a musical murmur that snapped her eyes open and split her lips into a soft and irresistible smile.

"Oh, honey, I've been waiting for you to ask that... You had me hooked by the time we were halfway through the battle. You're irresistible... Unstoppable. I've been swept away in your warmth."

Minerva sat up, crawling onto Ravvus's lap and winking one last time. Her hands slipped, sliding gracefully to the edge and collar of his shirt, and then they found their way under, slowly tugging at the cloth and working it up, slowly, her eyes fixed and hungry for all that was to come...

[Cue graceful timeskip]

[Ravvus Wiseau]

Ravvus stood a few feet away from what had been Minerva's igloo. There, bareback, he held his leather jacket in one hand and a palm of fire in the other. It seemed that, in his excitement, the blond mage's aura had melted their temporary haven to but a few blocks of ice. Needless to say, the resulting deluge of cold water had left both the mages soaked. Ravvus had already dried his pants to the point where they were wearable. He was currently doing the same for his shirt.

The blond mage glanced at his orange cloak, which was laying where he'd left it at the start of the fight. He'd removed it for fear of Minerva setting the favored attire aflame. Yet such had not been the intentions of his feisty companion. In fact, Ravvus had turned out to be the one responsible for the damage done to their clothing. It was his fire that had melted down the igloo after all, his magic that had soaked their attire. An irony.

Ravvus' ignited hand bobbed above the surface of his jacket, coaxing out what water it could. The blond mage lost his focus, dispersed the flame, and took an elongated breath. The leather coat wasn't dry, but Ravvus could no longer preserve his spell. He was exhausted from extended use of the suit of fire. The mage had no idea how he'd been capable of maintaining the sheath for so long. Or how long 'long' had been for that matter. Enough time to melt the igloo, certainly, but how many minutes had that been? Five, fifteen, sixty? He didn't know, he'd lost track of time in the midst of all the excitement. Whatever the case, it had beaten his previous record for maintaining a fire spell by a long shot. It just went to show that, with the right incentive, anything was possible.

Breathing outward, Ravvus donned his armor/casual attire. He was glad that it was spring in Ilia. Normally standing outside in such meager clothing meant death in the snowy wasteland. But today, Ravvus had the luxury of the sun, of heat. He went to reclaim his orange cloak.

Ravvus reflected on the words Minerva used to describe him. 'Irresistible', 'Unstoppable', the kind of man who made it so she had to fight to control her passions. The blond mage had always wanted such terms, or rather the ideas of power behind those words, to describe his fighting ability. Hearing them in the other context was... well flattering to say the least. No... no it wasn't just flattering. It was elating. The notion that a woman, this woman, could lose herself in him so completely made him feel content. It made him feel complete, whole. Which was strange. He thought that mastering all of the known anima magic in the world would make him feel complete. That was his goal after all. His intentions, his conquests, had never been of the romantic variety. They had always been of the magical and martial. Romance, sexuality, those had never really been a part of his plan. Ravvus knew what he felt. He felt good. But he didn't know what to think.

Perhaps what he needed was to spend more time with the woman. Not now. No, the day had been confusing enough. He doubted he could handle anymore right now. But, perhaps some time in the future. Perhaps they could cross paths again later on. Yes. The mage wanted that. He wanted that very much. Ravvus returned to Minerva, a smile on his face. He looked at the remains of their ice haven, and the simultaneously burnt and wet grass within. ”Burnt right down to cinders, huh?” He rubbed his chin, eyes fixed on the sight. "Or maybe it's melted down to puddles in this case?"

[Minerva]

The mage was busy stretching, slowly moving through her full range of motion and flexing herself into yoga-like poses, breathing deeply and collecting herself and her composure. That had been fun. Hell, no, that had been more than fun. That was an experience she'd classify as "to die for." Mm, too bad that they'd go their separate ways... But maybe that was how it was supposed to be. Just little starbursts, each one unparalleled in clarity and beauty, each one a new burst of happiness and joy and fulfilling, filling pleasure.

And now what? She figured that now she would be on her way, and Ravvus on his, each traveling to new adventures, new challenges, new places, new people. But she wouldn't forget him. She knew that much. And if she found him again? Well, that was... to be determined. That fireball hadn't flown yet, so no use predicting where it would fall.

Finishing drying her heavy cloak, Minerva slipped the attire on and moved to stand next to Ravvus, looking at the melted and melting remains of their icy love nest, chuckling once more as her mind flashed on the events of the past... How long had it been, anyway? Regardless, it had been crazy, especially when you added magic. Mages made better lovers, it was an undisputed fact. Mmm.

"It couldn't handle us. We were too intense, too powerful, too much of an explosion of power and passion. Hah!

But in all seriousness, Ravvus... That was wonderful. You were wonderful. I don't know what your plans are, if you'll be staying in Ilia or moving on, but I do know that I'd love to meet you again in the future. Perhaps then we'll be able to have another spar, each of us with new tricks and techniques... And of course, some of the same old ones. Heh. So... I wish you good luck, darling. A part of me knows that you won't stay with me. We're each on our own paths, each with our own adventures and our own callings... And while that makes me sad, to know that you're leaving... I have faith that you'll be back."

OOC: One more post apiece?

[Ravvus Wiseau]

OOC: Sounds b0ss, b0ss.

Ravvus couldn't help but chuckle. He moved closer to Minerva, grasping her hands with his. He pulled her close, allowing his hands to run along her forearms before stopping at her elbows. ”You” He started, a large grin spread across his face. were wonderful. His experience with Minerva left him a little bolder, a little more confident. His smile widened, threatening to split his head in two in its' goofy, bashful abundance. ”You are wonderful.” He planted a kiss on her forehead, before pulling away.

His smile faded slightly. There was a bittersweetness to everything Minerva said. Theirs had been the meeting of two passionate flames. Fires which danced and fueled each other, briefly becoming one in an intense and beautiful inferno. And as the day came to a close, it felt as if the two were but sputtering embers. Sparks too meek, too small to accomplish anything of substance. Was that all there was to them? Were they just a pair of fires destined to shine brightly before vanishing into the night? No. Ravvus would not have that. Maybe the two were a pair of flames. And maybe as flames, their interactions would be beautiful, yet brief. But Ravvus intended to burn for as long as he could. Until his flame met hers again.

”I travel a lot, Minerva.” The mage started. ”But I'll be in Remi between the end of next month and the beginning of the following month. And if you cannot be there then, I can come back here, to Veronia, three months from now.” Ravvus' eyes were soft, but his voice was softer. ”We could meet at the restaurant from earlier, light a few candles...” He said, alluding to the circumstance of how they met.

Then, an idea occurred to the mage. He flicked his thumb against his pointer finger, conjuring an ember. He opened his hand, allowing the small fire to rest just above his palm. Minerva had taught him how to do this, how to cast without consulting. He hoped the gesture was not lost on her. ”Though our paths may take us separate ways, I do not doubt for a moment that they will intertwine and that we will meet again as either kindred flames or as fire...” The mage stretched his lit hand out to his companion, awaiting her to meet it, and his sentence, with the element that balanced his fires so well.

[Minerva]

”But I'll be in Remi between the end of next month and the beginning of the following month. And if you cannot be there then, I can come back here, to Veronia, three months from now. We could meet at the restaurant from earlier, light a few candles...”

"Mmm."

The mage smiled, thinking back to that chance meeting, that fateful snap of her fingers that had lit a candle and kindled a relationship, that one click that had set the world as they knew it ablaze. It was a wonderful thought, really... That all this was the result of a single fire, blazing its way forward on a path no one had ever dreamed existed.

Ravvus brought forth a small flame, flickering delicately above his palm, and Minerva smiled gently as she saw him using the technique that came so naturally to her. His eyes shone, and it seemed with both great tenderness and great force that the ember burned, glowing brightly upon the hand of a man she'd gotten to know so intimately.

”Though our paths may take us separate ways, I do not doubt for a moment that they will intertwine and that we will meet again as either kindred flames or as fire...”

"And ice."

A simple end to the sentence. A simple thought, but one that meant so much for both of them. One that kept their dream alive, one that promised another meeting, one that glowed with anticipation.

"Until then... Goodbye, Ravvus. Perhaps when you're in Remi... Think of me and look around. You never know where the icy winds of Ilia will blow me!"

The blunette mage winked, giving Ravvus one last kiss and tousling his hair before the two parted, each going their separate way down the dusty road that stretched out into the future.

[Thread End]