Lost and Found [Rainore & Ronan]

[Rainore Riverscar - Council]

Water was gushing down with a mighty force with all intentions of drowning and suffocating the poor victim who had done nothing wrong other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. By being there, he was being assaulted by her, talons and all as well as the restricting water that encompassed them both. The clear water became inky with darkness and shadow with a tinge of silky red as she took a generous chunk from his neck. His taste overwhelmed her, sweet and delicious but more importantly, it tasted like home. A foreign yet familiar taste, one which she couldn't tell if she wanted to devour him whole and keep that feeling of home within her, or allow him to live and slowly nourish herself with him alive and on land. 

The latter won. Why? It was a decision only Poseidon himself knew. But just as she broke the surface, her dream brought her back to her present; alone and nomad - friends and allies scarce. The turntable of emotions had Rainore tugged back into consciousness and found herself in a pool of damp sheets ridden with sweat. "Ugh. Gross" With a grimace, she peeled herself away from the sheets. It had been a while since she last had that dream, but it plagued her with a reminder that she let him go even if her very persona often pushed people away. Rain rummaged through to the back of her closet and found the box she intentionally put to the back to gather dust.  A box of memories she wanted to keep locked away for reasons very much like this one. 

With a sudden exhale, Rainore blew away the collected dust; her nose wrinkled as she fought a sneeze. She rummaged through the box before the worn fabric caressed her fingertips; she lifted it carefully, making sure not to catch the feeble fabric on anything sharp. Whilst it smelt old her Siren enhanced senses could still smell his scent upon it - regardless of the blood stains which painted it. Bloody hell, Rainore. Stop it. She hissed to herself, and pushed the box and the tshirt back where it belonged - she wasn’t sappy, she wasn’t one that needed anyone else. She was Rainore fucking Riverscar and she thrived on being alone and independent. 

It was likely the reason why she hadn’t yet confronted Aquada and her bloodline, regardless of if she had a following or not to stand a chance against the kingdom. Rain was content with the distance between her and her blood relatives for now, however, she knew her colonies redolence well enough that when it brushed past her in the small, cosy cafe and bookshop, she froze. 

The Princess of Aquada froze.  

Had her Grandfather caught wind she was alive? Of her potential plans to claim her royal title?

Either way, centuries later, Rain was in no place to face that music. And so, she lowered her head toward her book, her gaze transfixed upon the beautiful siren as she collected her order and left again. There was a familiar perfume that this other siren carried - not just the one from Aquada, but something else; so despite the close call, Rainore couldn’t ignore the wind which seemingly pushed her, asking her to follow her Kin to see why she was here of all places. 

[Ronan Havelock]

The way in which the van rocked shocked him awake. "Damn dude, I knew about the shark bite on your neck but never the one on your arm..." he never said it was a shark bite. "Yeah." He never said it wasn't either. It was easier to let people believe what they wanted there. He ran his thumb over the fading scar on his arm as he sat up. The rough terrain they were driving over told him he and his bandmates were close to home. "Must've been one hell of a fight, mate. I'm glad you survived. " Ronan sighed as he stretched. Sleeping in the back of the tour van for the months they had had been rough on all of them. Each man responding differently on the days that were harder for them. Today, Ro didn't feel like speaking, and his mates quickly caught on and left him alone. 

Ever since that tragic day, there was this ringing in his ears. Clearing like a radio frequency when her song would come to haunt him. And it always did. He held his head, feeling a familiar pressure building up the closer to home, they drove, and his heart went into a slightly panicked rhythm as the van rocked like a boat. His PTSD was closing in around him, and that ringing in his ears turned to a loud hum. He felt like someone was holding both ears and squeezing his head together. The buzz of his phone in his pocket saved him from his curse, causing an outburst.  He held the small device in his hands as he breathed deeply for a second. The murky image of her face appears right behind his eyelids every time his eyes close. There was something calming about the blurred image but also something blocking him from remembering and seeing that face clearly. 

With another huff, he checked the text he received.  "Oi, take me to the bar instead." He mates looked at each before glancing back him. "Pretty sure your nice warm bed would be better..." he couldn't hear what was said. He pressed his hand to his forhead as the ringing grew more intense. More than it ever had before. "My coworker went into labour." He peeked through his pain out of the nearest window, so see what they were driving passed. The book cafe... nothing significant. So why was this suddenly different from every other time he passed this shop? It wasn't long after that the van finally came to stop. He stretched as his feet hit the ground. Squinting harshly as the sun hit his eyes. 

"AY, I still got your key, so we'll drop your luggage off at your house." With a thanks, he watched them drive off before entering the bar. The dark ambiance was a high contrast to the bright morning sun, and it took his eyes a minute to adjust to the dark. "YOU MADE IT!" He boss gleamed from behind the bar as she drowned in orders. "Fresh off the road. Probably still smell like it." He gave a small smirk as he made his way to her. All the usuals welcoming him home. He hopped behind the bar and, after washing his hands, began to help clear the orders piled up. It didn't take him long, and with his boss to help everyone was merrily drinking in no time. "Where'd you go this time again, River?" He looked up from the text he was sending to the men sitting at the bar. It'd been a while since anyone had called him that. "Nothern Ireland. Parts of England. " he topped off their drinks.

The light from outside streamed in as the door swung open. No one looked, and the darkness quickly returned as the door slammed closed. Again, the light came in as the door opened once more. Again, no one looked. But that ringing in his ears became more intense. "So I had to find out through text you were home!!!" Everyone looked. Megan stood at a distance in front of Ronan. "After I waited all these months for you." Everyone was staring at her, but only one person was immediately under her spell. Faintly, her song curled around him and covered his eyes with side blinders so all he could see, all of a sudden, was her.

She smiled to ease the heavy tension bubbling in the bar, and everyone chuckled as she did, believing she was joking. Pulsing Soundwaves created a tunnel in his vision around her as she drew near. She was all he could hear. She was all he could see. She was microdosing him with her song right before everyone's eyes, but no one knew. "Sorry love, Linda went into labour." It was clear she genuinely didn't know that, but as a means to not appear as heartless, she smiled once more as she leaned on the bar. "Well, in that case, I guess I'm not mad, but you forgot I'm headed out of town for family matters today." She poutted to continue her innocent act. "So our passionate reunion will have to wait." She winked. He stayed silent. 

Her song kept him quiet. 

And when she knew she had to leave, she used her song to reel him in for a soft kiss. His hands gently cupped her face as their lips met. He was fully fooled by her song. So drugged by it, he didn't even hear the men in the bar howling and cheering him on until she was walking out to the door. He shot a harsh breath out of his nose as if trying to clear his mind from one too many shots. "How long have you been together?"How did you end up with her when you're always touring?"

They were good questions. Ronan found himself stumped by them actually as he halted cleaning off the bar to glance at the door she'd just left through. His eyes flicked around as he thought and landed on Rain, but with the ill lit room, it was clear he couldn't actually see her completely. "A few years or so, and I met her while I was touring, actually. " he scrounged up a good enough lie for everyone to be satisfied, but the truth was he didn't know the answer to those questions. And the intense ringing in his ears seemed to only worsen. What was near? He skimmed the bar a bit better this time before a glass mug came to a shattering crash near where Rain sat. "Ah fuck!" 

He tossed his rag over his shoulder and grabbed the dust pale and broom. "Someone call Bobby's wife! He's drunk off his arse again!" One man immediately got on his phone as Ro swept up the drunkards rogue drink. Kneeling down to pick up the shards that were too small or far out of reach for the broom. "Pardon." He had to kneel right beside her and get a few pieces near her boot when that ringing cleared and her song came into focus. He halted on his hands and knees as his heart tried to match the tune with its own rhythm. Making it suddenly hard to breathe. Slowly, he looked at her. Taking her in in the dim light. The song that haunted him all these decades slowly overpowering all the years Megan's song had kept him under her thumb. 

Her face wasn't immediately recognizable due to the mix of trauma and Megan making him forget. Her eyes, however, were burned into his mind, and while something deeply buried within his heart was telling him to focus on that and let her gaze soothe him. Everything else was screaming danger! As he realized exactly who she was every bite mark on his body left from her grew tight. As if aware of their creator being right there. He shot to his feet and rushed back to the bar. Disappearing to the back. There was a murmur of a quick exchange before "go get the rest you need" was heard clearly as his boss came out to cover the bar again. 

He flew out and leapt over the bar with a grace that seemed to shock everyone. Barreling out the door and not waiting for his eyes to adjust to the harsh sunlight. "Go get ya, girl, River!" The men in the bar cheered him on assuming he was chasing down his girl. When in truth, he was running from her.

[Rainore Riverscar - Council]

Why was she doing this? What did she hope to achieve by following this woman when at the present, she didn’t want anything to do with her Colony. Conflicting thoughts overwhelmed her, triggering a headache behind her eyes as she fought against the very urge to go back to the Book Cafe and remain huddled by the crackling fire, reading whatever fantasy book she could get a hold of. She supposed it was pure and simple curiosity, she hadn’t come across her colony kin on land, and in particular, this close to her; mainly due to doing her best to avoid them, as well as other Sirens in general - despite siren’s being social creatures, and often hunting within a pack. This woman was walking with a mission, and Rain was sure she saw smoke drifting from her heels as she walked with such determination; however, whilst following her, Rain made sure that she remained downwind, ensuring her scent remained away from the other siren. Despite her attempts of staying away and out of sight, Rain was not naive to believe the mousy blonde ahead was unaware of someone trailing her.  

Rainore paused ahead of the pub which her prey had entered and she glanced upward at the name; she quirked a brow. It was rundown, a bit gloomy and she had a feeling the floorboards or, heaven forbid, carpets, would stick to the sole of her shoes. The mere possibility of sticky flooring made Rain’s skin crawl, resulting in a visible shudder. “You’ve been in worse places” Rain reminded herself, and took a steadying breath before pushing through the door to be greeted by darkness and a stench which offended her nostrils. Nevertheless, she remained composed, and too aware of her surroundings - taking note of every exit, and anything that could be used as a weapon; pool sticks, stools and the like. 

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she stole a quick glance at the message. “Shit” She mumbled, and made note to apologise profoundly to Danika for missing their bottomless brunch.  With her phone stuffed back into her jean pocket, she took a seat at the far end of the bar, ensuring she was shrouded by shadows. 

“What you drinkin’ Darlin’” A scruffy looking barman approached her, a tea towel flung over his shoulder. 

It was hard to take her gaze off the commotion across the room, and the tension that filled the air when the other siren spoke; the tone of her voice was both fiery and icy. Rain followed the direction of the tone of voice as to who it fell upon; and it was as if someone had clutched her heart in their fists and squeezed. She almost forgot to breathe, and her skin seemed to have dried and she desperately wanted the sea. She was unable to verbalise her answer as to what she wanted to drink before she averted her gaze to give the loving couple some privacy - something that the other punters had forgotten to do.

Why she felt the way she did at the kiss dumbfounded her - she was angry and quite frankly, pissed off. Yet would she do anything about it? Absolutely not. “Gin.” She spoke matter of factly, and watched the familiar male come by her, in a fluster to sort out the broken glass around her. Rainore smiled but it didn’t quite reach the eyes - it was predatory and many of those who had received that smile didn’t live much longer.

The commotion which followed was all completely unnecessary in her eyes, but she supposed if he did remember who she was then she couldn’t entirely blame him; after all, the scars of her venomous bites continued to crawl up his neck and out of his collar. Rainore inhaled deeply and internally counted to ten as she weighed up her options as to whether she remained here or followed, she was never one to chase - and chase that of a male? Out of the question. Perhaps it would’ve been if he had been alone, but considering the siren lover, there was more than what met the eye. 

Rainore dumped her payment down on the bar, saluted the bartender and left. Such suspicious behaviour, before departing the bar and following the scent she knew just as much as her own. It didn’t take long to have him in her sights and she projected her voice so that he would hear her amongst the hustle and bustle of the street. “For the love of Poseidon'' She rolled her eyes, not a lot of love there. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be so now so stop running.”   

[Ronan Havelock]

Heart racing. Soul shattering. Rationale blinding fear. The kind that shakes your spirit. That steals away your logical thoughts. And sends your mind into a panic. Kidnaping all your courage inspired by past experiences and causing your instincts to make you take flight. Ronan's legs began to move faster than his mind could process his actions. His will to get away spurred on by the way his every scar burned in response to their creator being this near.

He didn't think straight. If he thought at all as his fatigued legs carried down the road. He didn't even really know where he was going. Would anywhere be far enough? Or were these marks a tracking device that led her straight to him? Why now? After all this time, where she had moments it'd have been easier for her to take advantage of him in his weakest points. All these questions flooded his vacant mind. And the fact she could manage to keep up with him made this whole ordeal feel surreal. Like he was stuck in a twisted nightmare where his legs couldn't move any faster and his punches probably couldn't even hurt a fly. 

“Stop

Running.”

He halted immediately. Like a soldier following orders. Her command woke something so very deep in his soul which caused him to be unable to disobey her. The Havelock's and Coventina's had always been loyal to the Riverscars. It is that loyalty that led to their banishment after all. His obedience was something that was written in the code of his very soul. 

Just another thing about her that would forever haunt him.

He panted to catch his breath. Those long endless hours on the road. Driving on end from town to town. Finally catching up with him as his sight slightly darkened but not enough for him to pass out. He was getting enough air to his lungs. He glanced at Rain from over his shoulder. His once empty mind drowned with every question he said he'd ask her if they ever met once again. He turned to face her fully as his mind grew too cloudy for him to latch on to just one clear question to start with. 

Flash! 

He lost his balance for just one second as he grabbed his head. Quickly catching himself. A grimace shone across his face. A flashback that Megan had somehow locked away within his mind swam through to the forefront of his mind. A memory that didn't line up with anything he recalled of Rain. All his memories of her had been of violence. From the way, she bit and dragged him deeper into the vast unknown depth of the great blue sea. To her song making him murder his fellow man. 

So why did he now recall the moment when their eyes met for the first time?

It wasn't a long drawn out moment. Nor one of any major significance. But it had been a favorite and comforting memory of his for so long that he heavily questioned when he forgot it and how. It was just them. Much like it was just them now. Laid out in the sand of that small islet. Both struggling to catch their breath considering he had nearly just been drowned and eaten by her and she instead decided to save him and got dragged with him here. A fact he didn't yet remember, that she saved his life. Starting with not eating him. What he did remember was his concern. Regardless of his pain he heard her struggling to breathe and through his struggles turned to check on her. 

She must have had the same idea. Who's to say but she turned at the same time and through all that chaos and turmoil all around their eyes met. 

And his World completely faded leaving nothing but her. 

They were just two teenagers trying to survive in a world that never really desired them. It must've been the look in her eyes and the silence between them that told him she understood. And he could only hope she saw the same in his. The memory faded as he rubbed his pounding head. Opening his eyes and immediately looking into hers. Curious if that look was still there. If she had found her place in this world or if it was just him drowning in a world that never wanted him.

But his fear was so great that he couldn't hold her gaze longer enough to see what he wanted. Please just… don't sing.” His deep pleasant voice whispers his plea. “I'll do just about anything if you just don't sing.” He hadn't had a cursed outburst in some time. As if the effects of her song had at last faded enough for him to find some peace. But seeing her again, knowing all she needed to do was loose just one note to get his curse to rear its ugly head.had his whole body turn rigid.