HELLO TO ALL MY LOYAL FANS! (All seven of you 3)
I know I haven't updated in a REEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAALLY long time... I'm trying to finish my senior year of high school, so finding time to write is... difficult, at best. BUT, good news is, I have my next scene for Shadows of the Mind all planned out, so the first moment I get, I'm gonna type it out and publish (unless my editor feels like tearing it apart first, but she's really but she's really busy, too :-/)
Anywho... I guess I should introduce this little peice here...
Yeah, as you can guess from the title, this is a Yu Yu Hakusho one-shot. Sorry for the lack of creativity in the title... I think I used up all my literary skills for the next seven years working on this... and I really have no idea what to call it anyway. You'll only recognize two characters from YYH anyway, and I'll give you a guess each as to which ones they are. ;)
This story represents my gift to my two bestest friends on the whole planet: Eminakotek-Nightmare and KitsunixShi. I believe, at this point, this encompasses two Christmases and a birthday for each of you... *shameface* yeah... but the good news is, I have been idly working on it for that WHOLE time, so it SHOULD (in theory) be really, really good. :) Literally speaking, I sorta went for broke on this piece, meaning it's either gonna be amazing or awful, but i specifically went and tried to make this the best thing I'd ever written... so if it's really the thought/effort that counts, I should be good. Good enough for a year and a half of work? I dunno... I leave that to you two to decide.
So, to Eminakotek-Nightmare and KitsunexShi, my best friends and most amazing editors, this is for you. I love you both so much 3 3 3 happy belated Christmases and birthdays. :)
For the rest of you, I love you, too 3 So don't feel left out. :) But be warned: this MAY be a little hard to fallow if you aren't one of the people mentioned above... so I apologize in advance.
Happy reading :) Please check out my other story, Shadows of the Mind, and tell me what you think if you haven't already. I'm working on the next installment, I swear.
The two characters pointedly not named in this story belong to the creators of Yu Yu Hakusho, not me... please don't sue me... I might cry... :(
The clock read exactly 6 pm.
A pair of wicked, scarlet eyes slides casually sideways, acknowledging the small numbers as they record the precise moment that the hour turns.
Having dutifully noted the time, the orbs return their sharp gaze towards an open closet, considering its contents through a curtain of stark white hair. Innumerable dresses and luxurious gowns pass before the scrutiny of these eyes, as the girl behind them considers each one in a thoughtful, calculating manner: too short, too long, cut too low, waist too high. Those that pass a cursory examination are regarded more carefully: too much sparkle, too dull of sheen, ugly pattern, probably won't match what he'll be wearing. By now, the selection had shrunk to a bare few possibilities. The examination process was extended to the hands, whose delicate fingers ran softly over the cloth beneath them: too thick, too thin, too tight, too rough around the middle.
The lips pursed in annoyance, as the eyes and hands managed to eliminate the final dress, leaving no further possibilities. After a moments pause, the lips parted and the mouth sighed as the eyes restarted their search, in the hopes that they'd missed something in the first run.
Somewhere in the background, the ears picked up the sound of running water.
The steady, all-encompassing thrum shrouded her like a veil, as rivulets of warm liquid ran smoothly across her tan skin. It collected in her thick brown hair, running all the way down to her head and soaking into her scalp. The water flowed into her, absorbing all the unpleasantness throughout her being and carrying it far and away into the drain.
She closed her deep brown eyes against the torrent and ran her hands across her body, feeling the soapy film that coated her from head to foot. She felt smooth and graceful amidst the hot steam that enveloped her, like she was floating in a world outside of time and space, a world without fear or care to speak of. In this world, nothing was uncontrollable. There was no need to escape, because the world was an escape. No need to run from the past, hide from the present, or fight for the future. No one relied on you, and so no one was ever disappointed.
In this perfect world, there were no secrets. There were no masquerades or clever facades. You knew exactly who people were, and they knew you. There was no need to hide your true self, your true nature, from anyone, not even from yourself. You could lose yourself in this world, you could drop all restraints, and there would be no consequences. You could remove any amount of restraints from yourself, purge your body of all the pain and sorrow you'd built up, and there would be no retribution. No tragedies would resound from your actions, no damage reports would make headlines tallying the results of your activities.
And in this perfect, sublime world, whenever anything did happen that you couldn't handle, or couldn't control, you could always run home. Whenever anything leaped out at you from the dark, or took a swipe where you were most vulnerable, you could still find safe refuge in your home. And when you got there, sobbing hysterically as tears streamed down your dimpled cheeks, there would be you mother, kneeling down to hold you in her arms and telling you to hush now, it's going to be alright. And you would look over her shoulder through the curtain of her hair and there would be your father, looking up from his newspaper, and you would see the concern radiating from his features as he stood from his chair to ask what was wrong. In this world, beneath your father's strong, protective gaze and your mother's warm, consoling embrace, the darkness would be cast out, chased back into its hole forever, and you would dry your eyes and calm your sobs and your mother would take you inside and make you some hot chocolate.
The water ran across her, sending swirls of steam roiling about her and warming her from all angles. She allowed herself a few more moments in it, feeling the numbing effects of the warm water, hot steam, and gentle buzz of the water as it massaged her shoulders and forearms.
Then she reached out and turned the water off, feeling her warm, steamy world slowly drift upward, rising up and over the shower curtain and leaving her naked and shivering in the cold, porcelain tub.
With a flick of her wrist, she swiped the curtain aside and stepped back into reality.
The hair flipped back effortlessly as the hands finished adjusting the dress. The girl within it twirled once, watching how the red cloth flashed and fluttered around her ankles. Overall, the effect was pleasing, catching the eye with its flair and engaging the mind with its subtle suggestions. The curve of the hips and the cut of the collar were honest, and frankly so, causing the gaze to travel across the profile and the mind to wander through visions of the wondrous beauty concealed behind this ruby curtain.
But this dress did not stand alone against the world's critique. The feet traveled towards the dresser and the hair was flung back from the face, as the hands selected their instruments. First, eyeliner and mascara were applied gently, just strong enough to darken the blood-red irises of the eyes. Then, more colors were applied, various subtle shades of blush and shadow, laid with an artist's touch across the smooth white canvas of the face. A cherry-red color was applied to the lips, bridging the blank, white gap between the eyes and the dress, and a thin layer of gloss ensured that the color rolled smoothly around every syllable that passed through it. Finally, a fine white powder was applied, blending the artificial colors into a smooth, natural state that blossomed seductively from beneath the flowing curtains of hair.
The mouth smirked as the eyes inspected the results. The perfect, pure absence of pigment in her skin made for the perfect background, causing the quiet, mellow tones of the makeup to explode from her face like neon signs. The eyes looked across the ensemble and saw the bright, alluring colors and dazzling contrasts, and the plain, pale person beneath them was forgotten…
Well, not forgotten. Just unseen. The world saw the makeup, the mask, the façade. All you needed to do was slap on some colors and the world would never see you.
And tonight, that was the way she wanted it.
Satisfied with the look, the eyes dropped their gaze from the mirror and the feet carried the body out the bedroom door and through the living room. The long red dress swept behind her small frame as she neared the kitchen, and flowed out around her as she stopped.
The other figure occupying the kitchen was just finishing filling a water bottle from the tap. This figure turned, slipping the bottle into a pouch on her shoulder bag, and smiled at the recognition of a friendly face. The two exchanged pleasantries for a short while, and then with a kiss on the cheek and mutual good luck wishes, the other is out the door, setting off on her own evening adventure.
The girl was once again left alone. To busy themselves, the hands began tidying up their surroundings, straightening rugs and rearranging the sofa cushions while the eyes traversed he dwelling and evaluated each and every corner. The mind, having nothing more to do, wandered for a time, until the sharp, resounding tone of the doorbell tugged it back into place.
The feet pattered quickly towards the door, and the hands gently eased it open. He stood just behind it, slightly back but precisely center, as was polite to do. His long, tufted hair framed his gentle features, and its maroon hue set off the emerald orbs that gazed out from beneath its unruly locks. A small, hopeful smile appeared below his delicate nose as he stepped exactly two feet forward, putting himself respectfully in the doorway, and presented his gift: six roses of pure white, with a single red petal adorning each. The flowers were cut at precisely the same length, with the same number of thorns set at exact distances along the stems.
The hands gently took the six tokens of perfection and held them tenderly. After a moment, the eyes rose to meet his and the lips formed a genuine smile, bending without hesitation around the unfamiliar expression.
Then the mask returned. She stepped smartly beside him, and the two departed from the doorway.
She tread through the dense forest, feet following a path her eyes could not see. Here hair was contained carefully within a pair of buns that sat atop her head, with just a single stream of bangs trailing playfully across her left eye. He baby-blue shoulder bag was slung low by her hip, for better balance as she navigated the tight confines of the prickly foliage. The shirt and shorts were composed of dark greens and blues, diluting her profile into the murky shadows of the brush as she pushed her way calmly and confidently along her invisible path.
Her loose, heavily worn sneakers treaded with near silence upon the leafy ground, and this was important, because absolute silence in such a heavy forest gave your presence away as though you were accompanied by a brass band. In an area where the slightest breeze drew a susurrus from all the bushes and branches, a small, traveling pocket of noiselessness could be picked out like a firefly on a moonless night. You had to know how to move with the breeze, how to step like a settling oak tree onto a patch of thickly-layered leaves, squishy with dirt and decay. Most everyone in this world seemed so intent on trying to get around the world's various parts and pieces. No one ever seemed to think to try and move with them.
It was one of the few things he'd ever taught her. He wasn't really the teaching sort, you see.
Moving with the woods, feeling the path that could not be seen, she strode purposefully onward. Her footsteps pressed upon the turf gently, in irregular rhythm, as the world guided where her feet should be.
Eventually, the forest broke.
Crisp, clear moonlight fell upon her tanned skin as she stepped beneath the sky once more. The openness gaped at her, calling her out from the tight confines of the trees onto the wide, flat terrain. Beneath her feet lay a rough, ragged surface of dirt and gravel, and before her stretched the vast, desolate expanse of the open water.
The small, windswept waves of the lake lapped gently at the shore, adding a calm, soothing backdrop to the moonlit scene. They would crest at the low height of a few inches, flow modestly across the glassy surface of the water, and then bow courteously as they exited, thanking her for viewing their humble performance and allowing their brethren to present themselves.
Standing alongside this serene display, she finally calmed her persistent stride, drawing her worn sneakers to a halt. She reached to her side bag, drawing her bottle from it and taking a long, cool sip of water. When she lowered it, she was no longer alone.
A single, massive boulder broke the smooth line of the shore, projecting into the sky like a guardian outpost against an unseen enemy.
Atop this spire, a small man stood tall, gazing out across the lake with the air of a last, lone knight standing fearless against the armies of his enemies. His hair stood straight from his scalp, issuing a direct challenge to the laws of physics that dared question its upright position. A long black cloak flapped in the breeze beneath squarely folded arms, dancing about the man's knees, while his posture remained stolid and unwavering, the epitome of power in a figure five-feet high.
His very presence exudes strength; Confidence radiates from his every pore; sheer and total indefatigability shine out defiantly from his crimson eyes, flashing in the moonlight.
But there is something else behind those eyes, something that she recognizes. She sees something in those eyes that they never intended to show.
Her mouth finds itself tugged into a smile at the sight of this small, sure sentinel perched atop his rocky tower. She finds her feet have started up once more, bearing her closer to the enormous stone, but she smiles wider and does not resist.
The eyes trail all around the crowded market, sparkling in the light of a thousand lanterns strung helter-skelter across the causeway. They are drawn from the dazzling display of lights to the fabulous windows of the shops that lined the street on both sides, and then to the hundreds of fellow pedestrians, all dressed to the nines and strutting through the crowds on the arms of their luckiest suitors.
Then the eyes look sharply away, back to the floor, but not before they note the looks that the eyes of the crowd shoot their way, the intent, disbelieving gazes and the sharp, painful glares. Behind the eyes, the girl knows what these looks are for: she knows her mask has proven ineffective, just as she thought it might. The face she wished the world to see was weak and flimsy, and the scrutiny of the crowd was tearing it apart, exposing her for the terrible, disfigured horror that she was…
Then the ears offer their input, picking up the mutterings of these ogling pedestrians. At first, they seem to verify what the eyes have seen: whispers of the skin's unnatural paleness or the eyes' scarlet sheen drift across the lane and slide into the ears like serpents, striking hard, painful blows into the mind. These words speak of confusion, of startling eccentricity, even of definite revulsion, all brought on by the very sight of her.
But there are other whispers, too, whispers that accompany gazes not drawn to her, but to him.
He stands beside her, matching her stride evenly despite the difference in height. Looking him over, the eyes note grimly that they each appear to be photonegatives of the other: his shirt and pants are pure white, broken only by the presence of a pink sash around his waist, while his hair is a nearly identical shade to her dress. In fact, the only trait of his she seemed not to mirror was his eyes. Like brilliant emeralds, his deep green eyes took in the world with an air of precision, showing an expression of a man who is never unsure of himself, never at a loss in any situation. The eyes spoke of knowledge in every conceivable area, taking in the world around them and cataloging every minute detail of information that could be useful at a later date.
His eyes looked now and saw the various gazes around them, those directed with scorn and disdain at her, and those filled with awe and desire for him. Then his eyes looked down at her, and saw her gaze directed at the cobblestones the feet shuffled upon.
The shoulders registered a strong, protective arm as it was placed around them. The eyes looked up in time to see his brilliant emerald orbs staring down a group of heavily-dressed and heavily-intoxicated females that, the ears had noticed, had been discussing the true, horrific origins of the skin's bleached tone. Beneath his glare, their whispers melted into slag, and they group shuffled their feet embarrassedly before moving off.
The eyes looked up and met his. He gave her a warm smile and squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. The lips returned the smile and one of the arms wrapped lovingly around his waist as the pair continued through the market.
The small, black-robed sentinel remains motionless as she clambers up the boulder beside him. He doesn't glance over and smile warmly as she draws level with him, nor does his hand come to rest softly on her back as she sits beside him.
In complete silence, the two gaze out at the glassy surface of the lake, watching the outline of the moon shimmer across it, gently rolling and undulating with the passage of the waves. In the wake of such a peaceful, picturesque scene, the man's hand doesn't gently massage her neck and shoulder, nor does she allow one of her own hands to reach up and take his hand in return. He does not then take a seat beside her, spiked hair barely stretching past the level of her eyes, and she, in turn, does not graciously adjust her position so that she may still rest her head upon his small, powerful shoulder. He doesn't allow himself a small smile at this gesture, doesn't reach up to gently caress her delicate, rounded face, and never inclined his head to plant a light, affectionate kiss on her forehead.
The silence continued. The two figures looked out over the unmoving horizon, not enjoying the other's company as the moments became minutes and the minutes became hours. Time became irrelevant, a silly, imagined construct designed only for those that refused to move with the world.
Right now, the world moved around them.
A gentle breeze continued, constant and unchanging, across the water.
Finally, after eons had passed by through moments, she felt a small, almost indefinable prod against her mind. It was such an indescribable, alien sensation, that you had to be straining with every mental neuron to be able to sense it when it came. At its touch, her consciousness opened up, coiling itself around the probe and immersing it within her own psyche, feeling the strange, almost ticklish sensation of the foreign presence wriggling about in her mind of its own accord. After allowing it to roam for a moment, she bent her consciousness not around the probe, but around the arm that directed it. She latched onto this astral arm, climbing backwards along it, stretching her mind further and further until she reached the source.
After a moment, she stretched out again and prodded the source with her own psyche.
She felt the presence in her mind flinch backwards almost immediately, nearly wrenching it from the center of her consciousness. She concentrated, applying as strong of a mental grip as she could, trying to sooth the panicked consciousness she held in her head. It flailed and struggled, but its struggles were only half-hearted, and she was soon able to sooth it back to comfort within the heavy layers of her mind.
After she was sure the presence had calmed down, she stretched back along the arm again, arrived at the same source psyche, and, very gently, applied her own pressure once more.
The foreign consciousness flinched again, pulling back almost as hard against her touch, but again, she latched onto the probe within her mind and held it there, soothing it and calming its hysteria until it had ceased pulling against her, before she released it again, allowing it to roam freely within her mind once more.
This cycle continued, constantly repeating for an immeasurable amount of time. Every time, she would touch source, and every time, the probe she held on to would flinch away violently, and she would have to draw away from the source and latch onto the probe with all her might to prevent it from escaping. She would sooth the alien psyche back into a state of calm, and then the cycle would return to its beginning.
But each time it did so, the source became just that much easier to touch, and the mind would flinch away just that much less. Each time the cycle repeated, the process of soothing the mind into calm became a little faster, a little less delicate.
Eventually, the mind was calmed again, and she was able to reach out and touch the probe's source almost immediately. This time, however, the probe flinched, but did not pull away. Her touch against the mind remained steady and constant, and after a few hesitant moments, it eventually opened up to her and swept her within it's folds.
No matter how many times she would enter this mind, she knew she would never cease to be awestruck by it. The swirling undercurrent of thought was always the same, throughout: a deep, absolute, unrelenting sadness. This mind was in a constant state of turmoil, never able to rest, never able to find peace with itself. This in turn led to small pools of anger, aggression, and rage scattered across it's landscape like trip mines, waiting to explode in ultimate fury should anything stray across them.
Things had happened to this proud, powerful psyche that no mind should ever be forced to live through. Pain, loss, abandonment, all of these emotions boiled about within its memories, ravenously tearing at the mind's inner structure and threatening to ignite every enraged land mine in a single, terrible black force that would consume everything it came upon.
She gazed upon this horribly disfigured psyche with a mixture of wonder, outrage, and sympathy. But what stood out most to her was a single, overarching factor that shone out from the center of it all, a foreign body both to her mind and the mind she gazed upon: restraint. Presiding over each and every image, every emotion, and every savage impulse that leaped and tumbled about inside the confines of this mind was kept in check by pure, un-enhanced self-restraint. It was the kind of restraint that took a will of iron to create, and was pure torture to maintain.
Looking upon it, she could feel a familiar twinge within her own mind as a similar cage of restraint subdued her own darker desires.
The mind she viewed danced and swirled about her, investigating her presence even as she examined it. She could feel this foreign psyche flowing through her, swelling her very being as it entered the innermost chambers of her mind. She could feel a growing tension, both within herself and within her partnered mind, that pulled and tugged at their respective restraints, causing even greater discomfort and agony.
The mind swirled about her more intensely, as it conveyed its single greatest desire: release.
She felt back along he mental link to where the mind's probe danced about within her own psyche, wrapping around it tightly and conveying a single, solitary word: release.
Simultaneously, the minds reached into each other, feeling their way towards the intense ball of restraint at the center. As one, they reached forward, focused themselves, and dissolved the shining orbs of self-control.
The hand raised another forkful of food up to the mouth, which accepted it heartily. The tongue rolled about amongst the bits of substance as the teeth carefully disintegrated them, savoring the rich, meaty flavor that reminded the girl of happier, wilder days long, long ago.
Then the throat swallowed the sustenance, and the hand raised another bite upwards to replace it.
As the mouth and hand continued their cyclic ritual, the eyes took in the surroundings, registering the bright, gaudy lighting of the restaurant, the flashing, sparkling dresses of the other patrons, and, of course, him.
He sat across from her, eyes down respectfully, elbows carefully retracted from the tabletop. His every move spoke of poise and politeness, from his relaxed, upright posture in his chair to the small, even bites he took from his meal, each one sized almost identically to its followers and predecessors. Every now and again, the eyes would meet his, and a brief, intimate sparkle would be shared before the eyes returned to her plate, or to examining their surroundings.
The eyes wandered across a small cluster of females, all luxuriously dressed, who were obviously captivated by the white-robed figure seated across from her. They eyes focused on them, imposing their gaze until they were sure they had the attention of the entire group.
The mask was then lifted, briefly, just long enough for the girl behind it to shoot a petrifying glare across the dining area. By the time it was lowered again, abject terror had dispensed the female assembly.
The gaze of her redheaded dining companion rose, oblivious to his departed fan base. At the sight of her scornful countenance, his delicate features became marred with concern, and a confused but comforting hand came to rest on hers across the table.
The eyes softened their stern expression, and the hand shifted to clasp his. The mouth smiled slightly at his ignorance while the head shook away his concerns.
His grip tightened on hers. He was unconvinced.
The other hand came to rest reassuringly on his. There really was no trouble, everything was fine.
His face continued to show concern for a moment, but it softened beneath her grip. He glanced down at her plate, which was nearly emptied, and was very obviously struck by some idea. His free hand plucked a few leafy scraps from his cleaned salad bowl and sprinkled them before her. His hand waved over them for a few moments in a mystic fashion, before he drew it away with a snap of his fingers.
A complete garden salad now occupied her dish, nearly overflowing it with green lettuce and red cherry tomatoes.
After a moment, the mouth laughed, and the eyes shot him a mischievous look. The hands applauded him wildly as he rose both arms in a theatrical gesture, and then reached out and ruffled his vibrant hair as he bowed to his singular audience.
Even while focused on him, though, the eyes still noted the gazes of others. In the restaurant, she could spot them, mulling over the way in which he managed to consume a three-course meal without even a single crumb landing on his flawless, white clothing. She could feel these gazes upon her as she and her partner left the establishment, returning to the lively streets of the marketplace, as pedestrians from all sides became suddenly enthralled by her sweeping ruby dress that ran smoothly across the contours of her body. And whether in curiosity over the skin's pale tone and the eyes' blood-red hue or over the stark contrast his maroon hair provided for his bright green eyes, the looks and glances of bystanders managed to follow them back down the road, all the way to her front door.
They entered the house, closing the door behind them. She locked the door and leaned heavily against it for a moment, as the hairs on the back of the neck finally settled flat. The eyes finally relaxed closed, and the feeling of those innumerable gazes finally left her.
In the comfort and solitude of her dwelling, the mask began to feel heavy against her. The mind began to wander farther and farther as the eyes slid sideways towards her redheaded companion, and soon the feet slid along after them, carrying her towards his unwary form.
The hand gently touched his shoulder causing him to turn. Before he could move, the other hand reached up to caress his face, gently luring him downwards so that the lips could meet his in a quiet, loving kiss.
The kiss was immediately returned, but very lightly, as if the lips were a rare, vintage wine that was meant to be drunk only sparingly and savored to the highest degree.
His face detached softly from hers, leaving only a quiet shiver in its wake. The mouth smiled at the sensation, and the mask slid slightly askew.
The hands' lifted from their gentle caressing of his face to slither around behind his head, drawing him down more forcefully into the second kiss.
The lips engaged his with just the slightest hint of intensity, enticing and inviting. The intensity was returned, to a degree, but his kiss was still careful, still confined to the scope of calculating politeness that dominated his very existence.
The second kiss broke, and the eyes gazed into his emerald orbs, which jostled with a mixture of amusement, arousal, and confusion at the obvious deviation from civility. The eyes simply flashed merrily at him, and the mouth fixed him with a wicked grin, knocking the mask further askew. The hands reached farther, drawing the arms with them as they curled around his neck and hauled his protesting face into a third, fiery kiss, heavily laced with threads of aggression and desire. The return kiss was similar to the last, still desperately trying to hold on to the ideas of politeness and courtesy. At the breaking of this kiss, the eyes looked him over, watching the confusion roll across his expression. This was not the confusion of a man suddenly accosted by a gorgeous woman, though, but the confusion of a man undergoing a period of true uncertainty, unable to grasp who he even was at that particular instant.
The heart twinged painfully at the sight of his confusion, but she ignored it, knowing that it would fade. With a final effort, the mask was dissolved from her as she forced him against the wall and brought her face to his, climbing across his body to engage in a deep, impassioned kiss, fueled entirely by carnal desire and animal ferocity.
She felt his face beneath hers, at first struggling helplessly, but then exploding with a fierce intensity that nearly dwarfed her own. She felt her body swing away from him as strong, powerful arms grasped her and forced her down.
The final kiss broke, and she found herself gazing into his golden eyes.
The trees tore past her like meteors as she moved against the world. The darkness of the inner forest disintegrated beneath the gaze of her glaring, golden eyes, which picked out every leaf on every twig, and every bug beneath every rotted leaf across the spongy ground.
Emotions swirled through her head like a vicious tornado, obscuring all other conscious thought and replacing it with pure, unfiltered sensation. Feelings and impulses ran wild, charging across her mental landscape like a rampaging demon and tearing apart everything it came upon. Urges, raw and intense, swelled within her, driving her mindlessly onward.
A sudden flash of insight sent her leaping to the side, avoiding the figure that drove a merciless fist into the ground where she had stood. They stood upright simultaneously and faced each other.
Even as she was consumed by the flames of emotion, she could feel him inside her. His presence stood out within her mind like a lighthouse in a thick fog, burning brightly across her mental landscape. His every move, his every motion, was projected from his mind, just as her every whim and impulse were drawn in towards his vast, all-imposing psyche.
His lunge towards her came a mere moment after his mind envisioned it. Her hands flew downwards in a raking arc as she leapt above him, a beat after she thought to do so. Her claws sliced through the air as he spun away from them, gracefully resetting his stance as she tumbled into hers.
She could feel his mind rolling, twisting about in hers, even as she lashed out at him again. She could feel herself moving and flowing within his own mind as well, feeling his retaliatory strike a single heartbeat before it was delivered.
Every move they made was countered, every attack dodged or deflected. Blows that could crush the mightiest of monsters missed their mark by the smallest of distances, betrayed to their targets by their own intentions.
For time incalculable this deadly dance continued, sinuous and elegant in its ferocity. Through each moment of each hour, the dancers wove in and around each other, dueling in perfect, synchronous harmony. The dance went back and forth in perfect, two-step rhythm, as each matched the other's speed and intensity in spectacular, cooperative combat.
Minds melded as one, they attacked one another without hesitation, without regret. The matters and concerns of the world meant nothing to them now, as they focused solely on working further into each other, deepening and strengthening their savagely intimate connection.
Deep within her, she could feel the fiery swell of emotion, building from deep within her core as she redoubled her attacks against him. It burned brighter with every movement, every motion, and every strike that missed its mark as the pair of them tumbled about each other. She could feel the same dark, incendiary sensation within him, smoldering with heat in a similar fashion. She could feel it driving him, fueling his efforts, turning his small, slight form into an unstoppable juggernaut of strength and power.
A blow that could shatter a boulder into a thousand pieces flew past her face faster than the eye could see. She bared her fangs angrily and swiped at him with claws that could shred solid steel.
The emotional swell grew ever larger, demanding release, as the savage dance raged on.
She stumbled swiftly into the bedroom, half-carried by the powerful figure she clung to. His corded arms rippled beneath her as he hauled her roughly upright and drew her into a full, deep kiss. She returned it wholly, entangling her hands roughly within his smooth, silver locks, using them as leverage as she lifted herself high enough to nibble at his small, tufted ears. They twitched angrily beneath her nips, and she felt him push her away with a snarl.
The last vestiges of the mask were thrown off with reckless abandon, all mannerisms dropped and all restraints lifted. The arms slid free of the straps even as he tore the dress from her body, and the face smudged the extensive makeup as it collided with his ravenous kiss. Her every defense was stripped away, given gladly to satiate his desires and leaving her pure, animalistic core exposed to his whims.
She paused for a moment, quivering with excitement, as the eyes watched his eyes roam shamelessly across her body. Then the mouth grinned, baring its fangs, as the hands shot towards him, tearing his simple clothing from his gorgeous frame, shredding the expensive jacket and slicing the sash into small, silk strips.
She felt the tail twitch with excitement behind her, as the eyes drank in his unblemished, uninhibited form. They carefully noted the way that his strong limbs warped and bent smoothly, each titanic muscle flowing into the next, as though a continuous line of raw power had been used to trace his image on the canvas of reality. They carefully inspected the curve of his hips, the way that his waist shrank and then expanded outwards, seemingly into infinity, before finally concluding at and around his mighty shoulders. They especially dwelled upon the contrast between his shining, silver mane and tail, and his uniformly-tanned skin.
The mouth blew a strand of red-tipped hair from her face. It grinned at him playfully, but with just a hint of malice, of raw animal need. He returned the expression in full.
Before she could move, he was upon her, drawing her into a kiss lush with carnal desire, tongues exploring deeply and thoroughly. She could feel his hands wandering across her skin, caressing her various curves and swells, even as she traced the contours along his lean, muscular body.
The hands grasped his shoulders and silver locks and pulled the body upward, drawing the face level with his as the kiss deepened yet farther. She felt a strong arm slide beneath her, and she wound her tail around its length as it bore her yet higher. The legs curled tightly around his waist, and a wave of pleasure washed over her as she felt him enter her. The voice emitted a breathless moan, even as the kiss continued, and the hips began to rock rhythmically of their own accord.
In moments, she felt the bedsprings compress beneath her back, and his weight press down upon her as he drove himself deeper within her body. Pleasure and ecstasy invaded her mind, driving out all coherent thought as she fought to keep up with his demonic pace. The voice emitted a slight grunt in perfect time to the slam of his hips against hers, and the hands slid vigorously across his body. She could feel his hands against her skin, could feel their grip tightening against her small back as each passing moment multiplied the rapture tenfold.
The ears twitched compulsively atop her head, as the body shuddered beneath another wave of bliss. The fangs caught his exploring tongue sharply as the head snapped back in reflex to his aggressive actions. He jerked away with a snarl, snapping at her left cheek. She hissed angrily at him as she felt him draw blood, before the arms snapped out and caught his chest. The hands gripped his flawless skin harshly as the arms twisted, tossing his powerful frame to one side. She rolled with him, keeping him safely within her even as she swung up over top of him and forcefully set her own pace.
He smirked up at her, and his corded arms pushed his torso upwards, drawing her body down into another kiss. She melted into it for a moment, savoring the pleasures above and below the waist, before the lips drew back from it and the arms slammed him roughly back down into the mattress.
She heard him snarl as he hit the sheets and grinned down at him, continuing at her own speed. In a flash, he pushed himself back up, slamming a massive hand into the small of her back, and she was forced to increase her pace as she felt his nails dig into her pale skin. His other hand clamped down on the wrist as the hand reached towards the first one, but with a hiss, the other hand disengaged it. Both hands knocked his arms away roughly before shooting into his chest and slamming him downwards once again.
The action caused her balance to falter, and she fell forward atop his chest. In a flash, he had an arm up and around her body, pinning the arms in place and drawing her into another fiery kiss. The other hand drove up into her stomach, and she felt something crack within her abdomen as she was flung to one side. In a single, smooth motion, she was flipped back over, and her powerful partner sat astride her, returning back to the pace he preferred.
His arms came down beside her like pylons as he lowered himself towards her. She felt her breasts press against his smooth, sturdy pectorals as he kissed her again, and the arms wrapped lazily around his shoulders as she became lost in the pleasure.
As his fist struck the ground, blasting a massive crater in the soil, she could feel herself nearing the final threshold, the ultimate climax of emotion and feeling that even now threatened to tear her apart at the seams.
Her claws raked towards him, glinting in the moonlight, and shredded a small tree as he dodged them. His counterblow was swiftly parried, but the proceeding attack tore through empty space as he ducked from between her outstretched arms. She felt him behind her, sensed his intent to attack, and with a thrust of her wings, sent herself hurtling upwards above his blow. She beat the air downwards a second time, throwing herself higher, as he recovered and launched towards her with a devastating uppercut. She shot downwards after him, talons flashing, but he bounced away the instant he landed, leaving her to slam into the earth on all fours, screeching in frustration.
His motions around her matched those within her head, where she could feel him twisting, rolling, turning, gliding about her psyche as if it were his own. His sheer, unfocused fury rampaged across her mind like a force of nature, setting fire to all it came across as it sought to satiate its boundless rage. She felt its incendiary effects wash over her, basking in their purity as they ignited her own raw, instinctive anger and aggression. She felt her caution and restraint burn away, like the snapping of the chains keeping a rogue lion at bay. In her mind, she swirled upwards, empowered by his inferno and sustained by his impassioned wrath, flying across their insubstantial link to assault his own psyche. Her strength and energy became infused with his mind as she ran riot across it, burning away at his self-control even as he incinerated hers.
She spun away from another blow, snapping out a wing to catch the back of his head. He ducked before it reached him, rolling beneath it and delivering a sharp, destabilizing kick towards her ankles. She flipped backwards over it, landing in perfect fighting stance before dodging the aerial snap-kick aimed between her eyes. He claws flicked out, attempting to catch the wayward leg, but he had already passed her, rolling upright some meters away. She turned to face him, poising her body to unleash another deadly series of attacks.
Then she felt it. The shudder. Her entire body shivered quietly, like a cold breeze had just come over her.
She shook her head, dizzy. She took a single, tottering step forward before a second shudder wracked her body, dropping her to her knees.
Deep within her soul, she could feel the release boiling out of her, like an unstoppable typhoon of emotion. She could feel the anger, the rage, the sadness, the fear, the confusion, all locked away behind their careful barriers for incalculable amounts of time, all waiting, desperate and hungry, for their release.
She could feel him, as well, fighting a losing battle against his own release. She looked up at him, standing across from her, and saw the living shadows that slithered and writhed about his bandaged arm, steadily dissolving the rough cloth. She saw the band around his head as it disintegrated beneath the searing, violet light that shone out from his brow, a single, shining beacon amidst an endless forest of darkness. And she saw his eyes, crimson irises twinkling below the lavender light, showing her the thoughts she could feel from within his mind as he fought to maintain control.
His eyes rose and met hers, smoldering with single, unmatchable power kept at bay by a virtual thread of self-regulation. She could tell by the burning itch at the front of her mind that she was returning his look in full.
She moved within his mind for a final time, locating that thin film of control he still maintained, and gently brushing it aside.
With a roar, he thrust his arm forward, releasing the living, writhing shadows that engulfed it. The power flew towards her, a snarling black creature of raw energy unleashed within a world that was never meant to experience its wrath. Tongues of pure darkness lashed out as the blast hurtled towards her, cutting across the dense vegetation of the forest. Every leaf and twig within several yards of the furious, burning shadow burst into brilliant flame instantaneously, while all that the shadows touched simply incinerated, ceasing to exist as soon as the blackness had claimed it.
The fiery darkness reached her in moments, enveloping her completely. She felt the tips of her wings and the ends of her hair start to burn as the black flame swept across them. In another instant, all that would remain of her would be a small, unfeeling pile of dust and soot.
She felt him twist within her mind, snapping the final thread of her own restraint before his presence retreated altogether.
She threw her head back and screamed to the heavens as energy flowed outwards from her body in all directions. Within its ever-growing reach, the world became meaningless, disoriented, as though reality itself had been turned inside-out, a universal photonegative effect.
This sphere of unreality spread outward, extinguishing the lives of all it encountered. The grass beneath her feet, those few blades that had not burned beneath the touch of the darkness flame, were reduced to dead, lifeless husks of dust, subsequently disintegrated and blown away by the torrents of power that flew around them.
This massive, expanding sphere of negation collided with the unrelenting darkness flame and halted. The two forces, both equally powerful, equally unstoppable, fought for dominance within their small slice of reality. The negation wave pushed outwards, struggling to claim the life force of the forest itself with an insatiable, vampiric intensity. The darkness flame swirled around it, pushing against it and burning away at its perimeter, causing the expanding, life-consuming sphere to gradually slow to a halt.
Having reached equilibrium, the two titanic forces raged against each other, a violent, chaotic storm of godlike power locked in an immoveable stalemate. The sphere could not continue its expansion, but the flame could force it no further in.
The storm raged on for what seemed to be eons, black flame battling the unreality.
Then, just as suddenly, the storm ended, having exhausted its power supplies to the point of collapse. In the wake of the chaotic and incomprehensible power struggle, the silence of the forest seemed almost deafening.
Surrounded by a single, cleared circle of lifeless ash, she sank slowly to her knees. Release had come and gone, leaving clear, crisp relief in its wake.
Standing just outside the circle's edge, he stumbled roughly to one knee, leaning heavily upon it and breathing deeply. Release had come for him as well, leaving him drained and weakened, and with the connection severed, she had no way of knowing what his true thoughts were.
He raised his head slowly. She wasn't sure what it was, she could never be sure about it, but as their eyes met, there was a distinct feeling of something being exchanged. It might have been a look of pure, mutual disdain and disgust for one another; but then, it might just as easily have been a different sort of look, one that came so strangely and unnaturally to his hardened features that it proved itself to be entirely indiscernible when it chose to make an appearance.
What ever it was, it was shared for a few precious moments. Then the eye contact was broken. He lowered his head, faded to a blur, and was gone.
She could feel the voice growing ragged as it emitted cries somewhere between pleasure and pain in perfect rhythm to his aggressive thrusts. The skin felt his hot breath across her neck as his lips left pockmarks of feeling across her body. The hands clenched tightly in his silver mane as his body slammed into hers over and over. Her back arched beneath her, fighting against his powerful thrusts as they drove her lower body deeper into the mattress.
The voice let out another scream, louder and more sustained than the others. His pace was unbearable. The ecstasy and agony grew as one sensation, threatening to completely overwhelm her. She could not keep up with him, his speed, his power. She could feel the fires of passion lapping at her mind, threatening to consume her entirely.
A wave of pleasure wracked her body, sending a violent shudder along the length of her spine. The shudder traveled down the arms, which wrapped securely about his chiseled torso. It reached the hands, causing them to convulse of their own accord. She felt the claws dig deep scratches into his skin, marring the perfect smoothness. The ears heard him snarl in pain before he lashed out like a snake, knocking both the arms away and slamming them securely into the headboard with a massive hand.
The powerfully painful thrusts continued unabated, growing more unbearable by the moment. She could feel it now, the need for release, as though it were a solid knot of tension strung up in the pit of the stomach. It began to twist inside of her, testing its restraints, searching for a weak point, a way to break through the shell of control. She twisted and turned with it, searching for some way to appease its raw, potent desire. The hands pulled futilely at the paw that immobilized them, unable to find purchase or means of escape. The legs thrashed weakly at his thighs, stunned into immobility by the bludgeoning of his titanic hips, much as the torso was crushed into submission by his massive chest.
The head lashed out at his shoulder, driving the fangs deep into his flesh to appease the tension inside her. The jaw clenched, strengthening its hold as he sought to dislodge it from his shoulder. His grip on the wrists tightened as he brought his other hand up to grasp the back of the neck and tear the teeth free. The head was forcibly shoved back to the pillow, and the eyes stared up into his golden orbs, burning with passion. The tongue flicked out and sensually slid across the lips, drinking up the warm, metallic taste of the blood the teeth had left there.
The neck felt his hand release it, just before the blow came down across the face. His claws drew hot, sharp lines across the cheek as the head snapped away from the impact. The eyes flickered back up to him, vision blurred from the tears, and for a moment, the knot of tension peeked out from behind them, silently voicing its raw, emotional need. Before they could lock gaze with his, the lips felt his against them, igniting and redoubling the passionate fires within her in a single moment. The tongue snaked across his kiss, exploring with wild abandon, searching for a way to appease the desire and stave off its inevitable release.
And still, the pounding continued. The hips and thighs had long since retreated into unfeeling numbness beneath the onslaught of his slamming hips. With every thrust, the knot of tension grew, like a cancer within the belly. Its tendrils of agitation and desire stretched further and further, drawing her farther down beneath its influence. She struggled bitterly against it, fighting and clawing her way out of its mindless depths with every ounce of strength she had, but it was no use. The desire kept growing, the tension kept building, and the inner, animalistic hunger continued to claw at her will.
As she continued to fight her losing battle, she felt his strong hand slip beneath her back and bear her upwards to press against his body, thick claws digging into her shoulder blades. He kissed her again, and with this action, the monstrous desire within her suddenly leapt upwards, like water bursting from a dam.
She sighed and deepened the kiss as the wave of passion enveloped her mind and smothered her thoughts.
The door clicked quietly closed behind her, as though to trap her inside even before she turned and slid the deadbolt closed.
The room around her was well lit, a surprise at this hour of the night. She self-consciously adjusted her tattered clothing around her body, listening out for the sounds of others roaming about the flat. After a moment of silence, she exhaled, breathing the sigh of a child that has successfully avoided curfew.
Her thoughts weighed heavily on her tired shoulders as she shuffled through the living room. Thoughts of her, thoughts of him, thoughts of the future, thoughts of the past, all filed past in single file. She gave each and every one a cursory glance, as though she were a general reviewing her troops, before filing each of them away in their proper place. Thoughts of pain, and of responsibility, all stashed themselves neatly in their mental boxes. Thoughts of possibilities and what-ifs and where to go from here, they all went through her mind one after the other, one at a time, until finally the last of them shambled by and sat itself down for the night.
She paused her steps and flicked off the lights.
In the darkness, she heard a rustling of cloth from farther down the hall. She padded quietly across the carpet and looked in on the source of the noise.
The other stirred on the bed, nestled beside distinctive head of crimson hair. His locks fell smoothly across his trim shoulders, one arm thrown protectively across the other's slight frame. She smiled through the gloom as the other snuggled sleepily against his bare chest, before turning and creeping silently into her bedroom.
She stood in the center of her private sanctum, and removed her well-worn bag from across her shoulder. Then she relaxed her tired muscles, allowing her torn and shredded clothing to simply fall from her body.
She stepped easily from the pile of cloth around her feet, and quietly lay her naked form on the bed. She pulled the sheets over herself, feeling the soft caress of cloth across her skin. She felt clean, purified, relieved from the strain of existence. The pain, the guilt, the fear, all of it had been washed away from her soul, burned away by his dark flame.
Of course, the feeling wouldn't last. In the morning, it would all begin to creep back. The sadness, the self-loathing, the sorrow, it always found its way back eventually. But it was enough that it was gone for now. It wasn't happiness, precisely, nor contentment, nor even bitter satisfaction, but as she curled up beneath the sheets, she felt it was enough to last her until next time.
She closed her eyes and thought of next time.
And when she opened them again, she was no longer alone.
The ears registered a faint noise, and the body sat up smoothly. The hands pressed the sheets against the chest to preserve the modesty as the eyes scanned through the gloom. The ribs complained bitterly at the movement, while the skin registered each and every scored mark across them, but they were both willfully ignored.
Through the doorway, the moonlight illuminated the other's bedroom through a window above the bed. Silhouetted against the dim glare, a small figure crouched atop the mattress, the lines of its muscles distinguishable even in shadow. The legs tensed up, preparing to spring to the other's defense against this mysterious invader.
The figure raised its head, swiveling its spiked hairstyle upright like a radar antennae, and the eyes locked gaze with a pair of crimson orbs that matched them precisely in shade and hue, and seemed to glower through the night as though daring one to protest the figure's presence.
The legs relaxed, and the mouth drew up into a slight smirk whose mirth was not reflected in the eyes. The figure's defiant expression remained unchanged.
Then its spiked head turned away, and dark form lowered itself from the window and vanished from view.
The legs registered a stir on the bed. The head looked down at her bed companion, who shifted uncomfortably atop the mattress. The eyes gazed on him softly, and the hands ran their fingers gently through his unruly locks. Then the body lay down beside him, and the eyes closed.