Noel whistled as he walked down the street, the noonday sun in a losing competition with his dazzling grin. He was making his way home from the markets, canvas bags full of food for the next few days. Normally Yeul would be with him, skipping through the stalls and smiling as they perused merchandise. A simple but happy life.
Afterwards they would walk towards the beach to watch the waves crash upon the shore, clear aqua water lapping against the white sand. It wasn't like he was a huge fan of the beach; it just seemed like something they should do. Like the water needed to be acknowledged, an obsession he could not quite place his finger on.
However, today Yeul stayed homehavingbeen too tired to walk to the market. His smile radiated as he thought of the former Seeress; his Yeul, the one he had spent half a millennium to find again.
Those dark days were behind him, the lonely nights he spent in front of the Oracle Drive watching her. The way she smiled as she ran through the field, silver hair flowing in the breeze, emerald eyes sparkling as she came towards him. That vision had always left him with an ache he could never relieve.
Noel had known from a young age that he wanted to protect Yeul, to be her guardian. Noel wished he could say he had done his best to comfort and welcome her into the tribe. At the time, she had worn her hair in two braids down her back. Tugging on them was his way of welcoming her, to let her know he was there for her. Yeul's guardian had not found the act amusing. Noel had been six the first time Caius had drawn his blade on him. Instead of being frightened, the boy had been intrigued. It was then that he swore he would become Yeul's guardian and wield an awesome yet impractical blade in order to look cool.
Noel's eyes held back tears as he thought of the last guardian. Caius had been more than just a mentor to him, he had been a friend. And though he would never admit it out loud, Noel had been jealous of Caius. Yeul had trusted the older man implicitly, yet had hidden things from Noel before her death.
Now, thanks to Caius, it was just the two of them; there would be no more secrets to keep.
When they had been reborn, the the ex-hunter and ex-seeress had settled for an island life filled with leisure and relaxation. Their two bedroom home the perfect sanctuary, allowing them a chance to be around people, yet have privacy when they wanted. They stillslept in separate rooms, both wishing to take the next step slowly.
Looking at the time, Noel rummaged in one of the bags for a paper sack, pulling out some gummy bears a vendor had sold him.
"Munch, munch, munch." He sang happilyas he ate his candies, walking past brightly painted houses where their house lay at the end of a cul-de-sac. Soon, the summer festivals would begin andthe entire block would gather together to share food and play games.
There would also be fireworks, filling up the night sky with colored lights like stars made of diamonds. He especially liked it when Yeul sat next to him, her eyes sparkling as the explosions reflected in her eyes. His pace quickened the closer he came to a bright blue building, their home; he couldn't wait to see her.
"I'm back." Noel called out as he shut the front door.
Yeul didn't answer like she normally did, silence filling the house. A lump formed in his throat, memories from their life before rushing to the forefront. She said she was tired but he couldn't stop the panic welling in his chest that perhaps not all was well. Why did he leave her alone? Trepidatiously, Noel made his way to her room, not bothering to knock as he turned the doorknob. Yeul lay peacefully on her canopy bed, her hair fanned out, porcelain skin perfect in the sunlight like an angel. The breath left his body like he had been sucker punchedwhen he noticed her stillness.
No,his Yeul was different, no longer tied to that horrible fate. This was different... had to be different. They were together again, they couldn't be parted now.
A very loud and unladylike snore escaped Yeul's lips and Noel's hand connected to his forehead as he chuckled nervously; of course she would be sleeping. He pushed his irrational fears back to the dark recesses of his mind. Good things did happen, he still had her. Tranquility framed her petite features even in sleep; he could stay like that all day, lost in her beauty. Soon, her eyes fluttered open, two emeralds pupils turned to look at him, a smile forming on her lips.
"Good morning." She yawned.
"Good afternoon, sleepyhead." Noel grinned. "Have a good dream?"
"Y-yes." Yeul replied nervously as she shifted in bed.
Noel sat on the bed's edge next to her, placing a hand on her arm. Instantly Yeul's breath caught before she let out a squeal of delight. As always,Yeul was very sensitive to his touch and it excited him how much pleasure such asimple act brought. He continued tracing his fingers up and down her bare arm, relishing in every sound she made. She placed a hand around the back of his neck, pulling herself uptowards him. Their lips met, electricity surging through his body, his lips parting slightly and that was all the invitation she needed.
Her tongue explored his mouth caressing inside with her tongue as Noel clumsily followed her lead. Yeul's body stiffened as she pulled back, holding in a scream as her body shuddered,goose bumps breaking out over her skin. The grin on his face grew as he held her through the sensations. Who knew something as easy as kissing could get this kind of reaction? He must be a natural and it made him very happy to see her like this.
Still, it had been almost a year since they moved in together. If he could make her this excited from just kissing, he could only imagine her reaction if they did more. "I love you." Noel told her as Yeul panted out his name, stroking her back until she calmed down.
"I love you too." Yeul replied.
"Maybe tonight I could stay here with you?" He asked nervously. "It'll be like a sleepover." It was a dumb thing to say and he knew it. Yeul turned away from his grasp. She wasn't ready; he shouldn't have pushed her. This was not something they should rush into especially when he knew he was going to be with Yeul forever and he'd wait for as long as she needed. It would make it all the more special when they finally made love for the first time.
"When two people are in love…" She began slowly, "They share everything, right?"
"Right." Noel replied, "There's no need for secrets between us Yeul. No matter what, I'll always be here for you. I promised."
"There's something I need to tell you."
Two days later, Noel found himself at A.K. Bar and Grill, picking at some fried calamari while he waited at the corner booth. He had no idea what to do, the story she told him was so unbelievably farfetched. So he did the only thing he could do; call on the most rational person he knew for advice: Hope.
"Sorry, that was Light." Hope apologized as he closed his flip phone, sliding into the booth beside Noel. "Serah's staying overnight for a few days and-"
"Is trying to redecorate the entire house." Noel finished for the silver haired man. "She sent me pics. Something about Lightning having nothing but the basics?"
"You know Light, always practical." Hope sighed. "Though I'm sure Serah could have done something less-"
"Girly-girl?" Noel helped.
"Girly-girl." Hope agreed. "But we're not here to talk about Serah's decorating skills. What did Yeul tell you?"
Noel took a deep breath and began.
In the Unseen Realm, Caius yawned, a scowl across his lips. In spite of it being a never-ending task; assisting the souls of the dead on their way to be reborn, there was a surprising amount of downtime. This night, if it could be counted as such in this timeless place, was one of those nights. The Yeuls' were throwing another one of their parties, though he had long ago given up remembering what exactly it was they were celebrating.
Instead he opted to sit bored out of his mind, on Etro's old throne. When everything had been swept up in the Chaos, it had found its way to him. It was comfy, as much as a throne could be and Yeuls' number thirteen, twenty-six, and thirty-nine thought he looked quite dashing sitting on it. They had placed it at the head of what they considered their grand hall within the Chaos, so he may watch all the festivities.
The invited guests were already seated on large overstuffed pillows as seventy-one Yeuls' in various states of undress danced feverishly around them. Yeul number seventy-two had been cast away, given to the boy so Caius would not have to spend eternity with him. Noel wasn't a bad guy, but it put him in an awkward position whenever he was called to service a Yeul and only number seventy-two seemed to truly fancy him.
A hint of a smile formed on the corner of his face; did Noel even know how to please her? His scowl quickly returned as his ears were assaulted with a hideous laugh. Why did Yeul number five invite Ultros again? Hadn't she learned from the last party what boorish manners the creature held? There he went, his tentacles caught in the proverbial cookie jar again; that damned octopus never having the patience to wait until after the dance.
"Caius, why are you up here all alone?" Number forty-two asked. "Don't you want to dance?"
He stood as he scanned the rest of the party, there were less and less Yeuls' dancing now and some guests were already beginning to enjoy the full hospitality of their hosts. Yeuls' arched their backs as they sat in the laps of various acquaintances. Number sixty-nine had once again lost her clothes alongside seventy, their heads in between each other's thighs. Number ten had brought out the toys, number fifty writing underneath her.
"I see the entertainment has already started." Caius replied dryly as he patted his lap.
Forty-two smiled as she crawled into his lap, her bodice long ago lost on the dance floor, pulling the short skirt up around her waist. Her face buried into his shoulder as fingers clawed against his shirt, hips bucking uncontrollably against his hips before her entire body shuddered, a cry muffled into his shirt. A smirk formed on his face as she calmed down. The hive mind of the Yeul's had its advantages, each one feeling what the others felt. Absently, he began to stroke the lithe form resting against him, one gloved finger tracing across her breasts, breath hitching as he rubbed against the rising pink nub, a familiar moan escaping her lips as he continued to play. Caius didn't bother to look at what he was doing; he had memorized every crevice of her body ages ago.
While they all looked the same, there were subtle differences between each Yeul. This one had a bit of a sweet tooth and it left a pleasant aftertaste as he broke the kiss. His hands continued to caress her body while he continued to watch the festivities; the guests fully enjoying the night's entertainment. Ultros was currently engaged with four and five, his tentacles mesmerizing them.
"You always overdress for these parties." Forty-two mock chided before claiming his lips. She tasted like honey, probably from overindulging with sweets.
"My apologies." He crooned as he took off his gloves. Now bare handed, he continued his explorations and she gasped as he guided her thighs apart before tracing the outline of her womanhood, already damp from earlier events. His finger slid in easily, her breath coming in ragged gasps as he worked more fingers in. Forty-two began mewling, begging for more as he continued slipping in and out at a faster pace. She trailed kisses down his neck before sinking her teeth into him just as she went over the edge. He shuddered as pleasurable pain shivered down his spine. The growing tightness of his pants reminding him that he was the only one still fully clothed. She smiled as she slid off of him, rejoining the party without a word. Perhaps he should join the party; the Yeuls' were enjoying themselves quite thoroughly and he could practically feel their contentment in the sea of Chaos.
Instead he continued to watch, it did his heart good to hear her so happy. An unholy cry of 'kupo' filled the air as Yeul number one held court at the opposite end of the hall. She was the oldest Yeul, the one whose vices tended to be more…exotic. Currently, she was engaged in unnatural acts with a small winged creature. Caius shook his head; after all this time she could still surprise him. He stood as numbers nine, thirteen, and twenty-six made their way to him. Three sets of eyes tried their best to looking seductively at him, their lust palatable. A noise behind him caused him to spin around. Forty-two was back, and with her fifty-two and sixty-five.
"I appear to be surrounded." He purred, putting his hands up in surrender.
Caius knew better than to fight them, Yeul always got her way in the end. Multiple hands began to caress him, tearing his clothing from his body, lips pressed furiously over flesh, tongues swirling around sensitive spots. His knees buckled as he was led safely to the floor. Futilely he reached for them; two Yeuls' placed his hands behind his back, binding them with silk. Twenty-six's doing, she particularly enjoyed these types of games. All sense left him as tongues reached between his legs, his head arching back as he gasped for breath. Variousamounts of nakedflesh pressed against him, her sweet scent filling his nostrils.
He matched their pace, licking and sucking whatever was put in front of him, his body doing whatever they willed. He had nearly lost it when the first slid on top of him, her warmth enveloping him fully. Caius could not see; did not care which Yeul was riding. They were one and the same in body, all different but still his Yeul. His Yeul was everywhere, huskily moaning his name between fevered gasps. It was too much, they were too much. He opened his mouth to scream as he went over the edge, the six quickly following him. Caius barely had a chance to catch his breath before it started again; a new circle of Yeuls' coming to play with him.
Hours later, most of the guests and Yeuls' slept in a tangled mass of limbs around the room. Caius had been freed of his bonds; two Yeul's sleeping soundly on his chest. It had been one of the better celebrations judging by the smiles on their faces. She had made her choice, choosing him and thisfor eternity. The serenity on their faces was something he could treasure forever.
"That's pretty much it." Noel explained. "Yeul is still connected to the Yeuls' in the Unseen Realm."
"Fascinating." Hope blinked. "It does make sense that she is still connected to the others. Since her soul had been fragmented after each rebirth; all the Yeuls' combined would make up one full soul. And as each soul is made up of Chaos, it stands to reason that since she will never truly be able to be free from their influence since she is part of a collective whole." Hope took a drink of water. "However, there is something that doesn't make sense about any of this."
"What is it?" Noel asked, hoping that the older man could help him.
"If your Yeul is connected with the other Yeuls', why did she tell you that story from Caius's perspective?"
"I…I have no idea." Noel replied honestly.
"Aplot hole." Hope nodded to himself. "That's the only explanation. You usually see it with really bad writing. The worst ones become so large and numerous you could drive a fleet oftrucks through them."
"That still doesn't help me." Noel sighed. "What am I going to do? I mean, I love her, but it's Caius bringing these…feelings out in her."
"You are going to sit here with me and get drunk. My treat." Hope told him as he set a hand down on Noel's upper thigh, causing the youth to arch his eyebrow before blushing as he looked into sage green eyes. "After that, we'll see what happens."