Lovers in Madness

by Shila

This is the story of two children. They are young and pure, eyes wide open to the world and unreality. In their belief is power; in their vision is truth. And in truth, there is madness.

5. Through A Glass Darkly

Lovers in Madness
a tale by Gabs and Shila Kieran knocked gently on Dwyn's door, but all he could hear were soft keening noises. He raised an eyebrow and wondered if he really wanted to know when Sabbath showed up next to him. "Kieran, baby, I really don't think now's a good time. Why don't you come help me shelve?"

Kieran nodded. "Oh... kay... What's wrong?" Hewandered off with her to help.

Sabbath shrugged. "We all have our episodes. Don't you worry, he heals fast," she said, patting Kieran's head and descending the stairs.

Kieran followed after her, dark eyes worried. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?" he asked softly. He trusted Dwyn completely, as became clearer with every moment , but he still didn't want to see his friend hurting himself.

"Well, that depends on what you think he's doing," Sabbath said.

Kieran bit his lip. "Something that'll take lots of cleaning up afterward.," he muttered.

Sabbath shrugged. "That's why I usually take up the carpets when he has them. Of course, he's usually responsible enough to warn me beforehand."

Kieran nodded. "Why... why does he do it?" he inquired delicately, fascinated in a dark kind of way.

She hesitated, her decorations rustling as she paused on the steps, skirt swirling around her ankles. "There are a lot of reasons."

"Are there any... is there a way to help?" Kieran asked softly, peering up at Sabbath with wide, dark eyes. He didn't want Dwyn to really hurt himself, but sometimes... sometimes release was necessary, and if it came with blood... It was something he'd have to think about.

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. His father does it too, far too often for my comfort, so maybe it's just part of the mania he inherited. Or maybe they suffer from the same pent-up shit that just has to get out somehow. But I'm not qualified to say. You should ask him, later, assuming you don't plan to judge him for it."

Kieran hesitated, then shook his head. "No. If it... if it keeps him sane, or even just pushes him deeper... it's part of him. Not everybody can be all light. Almost nobody can. At least he hurts himself in a straightforward way... most torment themselves in much less tangible ways." It was nearly impossible to find the words to express why it wasn't really all that... wrong.

smirked slightly at him. "Come on, let's get these up," she said gently. "He'll get over it in two days at the most and, like I said, he heals fast."

Kieran nodded and bit his lip, hoping that Dwyn would be okay and deciding to not think about it then, but to just help Sabbath. Gods knew he spent enough time distracting her son and the least he could do would be to help out around the shop.

Sabbath quickly put him to work helping her string garlands around the shop and place large red bows in prominant places, then gave him a paintbrush and instructed him to paint silver snowflakes on the insides of the windows.

Kieran did so enthusiastically, smiling as he dabbed little six-pointed shapes on the windows. He wasn't the greatest artist, but snowflakes were easy, and he made them look like the big, fluffy flakes that fell outside, not at all minding getting paint on his fingers. It wasn't like they weren't already stained with ink.

Sabbath spoke out of nowhere after long silence, her voice tentetive. "He always does this after he's been.... out by the gates. And he does that every christmas. It sends him into himself and even I have no clue what's going through his head. I don't think either of us can cheer him up, so I can only pray. Which I do, always, and sometimes I'm even answered. That's the way prayers go."

Kieran listened, never stopping in the little flicks of the brush against the glass. "I guess he's supposed to. If it's in his nature, or... I don't know." He sounded unsure of himself, but he was certain of one thing, that were Dwyn sane and whole, he wouldn't have been Dwyn, nor as amazing. He didn't - couldn't - mind his best friend's dancing with death. He trusted Dwyn implicitly.

"Nature is a funny thing. Sometimes it drives you to do things you were never taught." She shrugged and cinched a ribbon tightly. "He's his father's son."

***

"You know, we probably shouldn't have gone looking for him. The chances of finding him out here...." Corus trailed off with a shrug, craning his neck to look down the long, snow-coated lane. He was dressed warmly, sword strapped to his back and boots laced up tight, and his leathers prevented him from really feeling much when Kagami elbowed him in the side.

"Don't be a dolt. He's got to be around here somewhere," she said, flipping her hair over one fur-covered shoulder as he looked back the way they'd come. "Caden's got some sort of radar for finding him, right, Cay?" Yuka stood in the snow and gazed down the street, charmed by the beauty of Silverymoon and the gilding of the snow, content to wander around. It would have been nicer were Kieran with them, but that was why they were in search of him.

"Well, I hate to be the smart one," Caden teased, "But maybe we should check at SCHOOL? Y'know... in his room? And even if he's not there, I'll bet his teachers would know where a little chibi nekojin might have run off too." he whistled as he sauntered down the road, gloved hands in the pockets of his mithril-studded jacket, a blood red scarf wound around his neck and black wool earmuffs over his ears. He turned and shot them a grin, heel contacting a patch of ice and nearly dumping him on his ass before he managed to throw his body back onto kilter and look sheepish. "Meant to do that!"

Corus burst out laughing, quick-stepping through the snow to catch up with Caden and pick him up, hefting him into the air. "Walk much?" he teased, carrying his little brother past the icy stretch of road and dumping him in a snowbank several feet high. "And besides, Calliope said he doesn't have classes today and was most likely out in the city. Which I find a bit hard to believe, seeing as how getting Kieran out of his room is nigh impossible, but hey, I don't think that girl knows -how- to lie." Kagami was ignoring Corus as he babbled on, walking on down the street, ears and cheeks red in the cold. Yuka sighed and glanced at Cross, wondering if his husband's vampiric senses included determining the wherabouts of their son. Possible, if not likely.

Cross had stopped a few feet back and had his eyes half-closed, a sort of zoned-out sort of look easily recognizable to his family as telepathy use. Meanwhile, Caden pulled himself spluttering from the snowbank and swiped a handful of cold wetness into Corus's face.

Corus ducked out of the way, managing to turn his head and get a lump of snow to the ear; he squawked and pawed at the ice crystals, trying to get the cold off him. Kagami looked back and snorted. "Get 'im, Caden," she called cheerily, stopping where she stood. Yuka chose to simply wait for Cross, pretending that his children weren't trying to kill each other with snow.

Caden obediently flying-tackled Corus, wrapping all his limbs around him and tangling his legs with his brother's in an attempt to bring him crashing down.

Cross's head turned slowly, almost as if he was scenting the breeze. "Northwest," he murmured, black eyes flicking back to Yuka. "Helping someone with Yule decorations, as near as I can tell... and worried sick about SOMETHING."

Yuka frowned. He didn't like to think that his son would be upset, but in reality, there were plenty of things to be worried about. Well, hopefully their appearance would help some. If they could find him. He turned to face northwest, a street that led crookedly through the town. Kagami wandered back to her parents' side, ignoring her brothers wrestling in the snow like a good little girl. Corus, however, was busy trying to not choke on snow, not choke on laughter, and get Caden -off- him; staying standing sure as hell hadn't been an option.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Caden crowed, stuffing Corus's head into the nearest snowbank and then rolling off of him, slipping and sliding and finally gaining his feet to take off after his parents as Cross slid his arm around Yuka's waist and steered him down that winding side street.

Corus growled and got to his feet, picking snow out of his collar as he ran off after Caden, jumping on his brother from behind in a flying tackle. "EEEEYAAAAAAH!" he yelled, thinking it some sort of sophisticated war cry. Kagami rolled her eyes, wondering if all boys were this stupid or if it was just her brothers, and followed after Cross and Yuka. Yuka leaned into Cross' side and avoided stepping in snow; it was pretty, but his feet got cold easily.

Caden went down on his face and twisted, catlike, managing to land on his side and squirm part of the way out from under before Corus landed on him. One leather-gloved hand flailed desperately at the snow, found a handful, and stuffed it into his brother's hair.

Corus ignored the snow and latched onto Caden's arm, scrambling on top of his little brother and scooping up a handful of snow which was then crammed down the back of Caden's coat. Corus let him go with a snicker and -ran-, knowing that retribution was on its way.

"ARGH!" Caden shook out his jacket, writhing around on the ground a little, then scrambled to his feet and took off after Corus. "OMAE O KOROSUUUUUU!"

"BYE DAD!" Corus shouted, shooting past and careening down the road. He'd have been fine if there hadn't been ice on the street; he hit it going full speed and couldn't stop, skidding across with a shriek. He tripped over his feet trying to stop and finally slammed into a light-pole, making the lantern hung from it shake. "Ungh..." he groaned, sinking to the ground and flopping into the snow. "Pain..."

"CORUS!" Caden slipped on that same patch of ice but he kicked his own feet out from under him, sliding on his knees across the ice and coming to a stop in front of his brother. "Daijobu desu ka?"

Cross sighed and nudged up against Yuka. "And now, Corus will shove snow in his face for his trouble," he predicted dryly, pausing and eyeing a golden-painted sign a few hundred feet away. Below a shining golden pentacle, the word's "Witch's Hollow" were embossed on dark wood.

Corus grunted and sat up, rubbing the forming bruise on his forehead. "Daijobu," he said, sounding dazed. "Just a bit cronked, is all." Kagami snorted and sidestepped the ice, bending over to heft Corus off the ground. She would have checked his eyes for signs of a concussion, but when they were black all through, it was pointless. Corus had actually been about to drag Caden into the snow with him, but he was distracted by his sister.

Yuka followed Cross' gaze and then looked again. In the window there were many shining silvery specks - and a familiar looking figure with feline ears. "Ne, there he is!" he said happily. Finally, his little clan would be all together again.

Caden looked up and promptly forgot Corus's existence, making a full-speed beeline toward the store's front door.

Cross chuckled and walked toward it. At normal speed. Like most parents had finally succumbed to doing. "Seeing Caden always cheers him up," he reminded his husband. "Caden's usually good at that."

Corus laughed and dragged Kagami along at a decent pace, not making the street smoke like Caden was doing, but much faster than Cross and Yuka were walking. Yuka was satisfied to stick to Cross' side and nod with a wide smile. Keeping up with their children had long since become one of those concepts he laughed at.

Kieran hummed to himself, his world focused on the silver paint on the brush and the foggy window before him. He didn't see Caden careening toward the shop; he didn't even really see anything outside the shop. He was still busy thinking about Dwyn.

Of course, it was a bit harder for Yuka, who was aging, than it was for Cross, who was not and would always be twenty-one in body. Either way, Caden slammed into the door of the shop as his gloved hand slipped, failing to twist the knob. Shaking himself off, he thrust it open and spilled into the store. "KIE-CHAN!"

Kieran looked up, his mouth dropping open. He almost dropped the paint, but he managed to set it down with shaking fingers before he launched himself at his brother, tackling him and hugging him senseless, not seeming to mind that he was getting himself snowy and wet. "CADEN!" he squealed.

Caden caught him and spun him around, cuddling him fiercely, his face buried in Kieran's hair. "Merry Christmas! Look, we're all here! Dad found you, we wouldn't have known WHERE to look.... what are you doing here?" He set Kieran down and looked around the store, pushing his skewed earmuffs off his head. "Man, check out THIS place. Eye of newt and hair of dog..."

"I can't believe you're all here," Kieran said, veritably glowing as he peeked out the door.

Corus and Kagami came through it then, corus pulling Kieran away from Caden to hug him crushingly. "Hey little bro! How's life treatin' ya?" Kieran laughed and wriggled free, hugging Kagami to him as he glanced after Caden.

"It's spell components and witch-craft things. I'm helping Sabbath," he explained, nodding toward the counter.

Sabbath had her elbows propped on the counter (in a way that, given her bodice, really showed off her breasts, though the view was wasted on present company) and was watching all of them with a dryly amused smirk, the black-painted nails of one hand tapping slowly on the countertop.

"Sorry obaachan," Kieran said apologetically, dragging his siblings toward the counter and somehow managing to keep them from breaking anything. "These are my brothers and my sister and Daddy and 'tousan are coming and I'm -real- sorry they showed up here..." Corus chuckled and ruffled Kieran's hair, making it a point NOT to stare at Sabbath's chest but rather smile at her warmly. Kagami was busy looking around; though magic had never really interested her, there were some incredibly odd things in here, and some that didn't necessarily need to be used with magic. Why, she could have spiced a hundred cakes with the clove on that shelf... and the whole place smelled so nice.

Sabbath shrugged. "S'not like *I* care," she told him dryly. "But anybody who comes behind the counter leaves their boots out FRONT, understand?" She grinned and winked at Kieran, then turned and swept up the stairs in a graceful (and witchy) swirl of black velvet and silver lacing.

Kieran nodded and turned back to smile up at Caden. "I MISSED you," he said forcefully, grabbing all three of his siblings and hugging them tightly, with much more strength than should have been in his little body, and more than had been there the last time they'd talked. He was also taller, too, by about an inch, but that wasn't saying much when it came to Kieran. Corus marveled at his little brother, who he figured would go the furthest of any of them, and just grinned down at him. Kagami ruffled Kieran's hair affectionately. "You make interesting friends, otouto."

Cross dragged Yuka into the store, shaking snowflakes from his blazen hair. "All right, where's our chibi?" he demanded with a warn grin.

Yuka pulled the door shut behind him, smiling brightly at the tangle of chibis. Kieran wriggled his way free and threw himself at his fathers, jumping on Cross with a joyous squeal. "DADDY! OTOUSAN!" The boy tried to hug them both at once, bouncing as he crushed Cross for all he was worth.

Cross caught him and obligingly turned with him so Yuka could cuddle him from the other side and thus make a cute little neko-sandwich out of him. "Kie-chan. How's Silverymoon treating you?"

"Oh, Daddy, it's great!" Kieran gushed, latching onto Yuka and hugging him til he laughed, trying to catch his breath. "City life's not so bad, hmm?" Yuka said warmly, holding Kieran to him for a long moment before the boy pulled away to nod happily. "It's so pretty in the winter, too, with all the snow. I missed you -so- much," he said, burying his face in Cross' neck and hugging his father again.

Cross squeezed him, lifting him briefly off his feet. "I missed you too, Kieran," he murmured.

"How long are you staying?" Kieran wanted to know, looking up at his father hopefully. He was more than happy to cling to Cross and pretend that nothing could ever be wrong again.

Cross ruffled his hair and smiled down at him. "I'd say about two weeks would make it worth the trip... it's what we were planning anyway. Don't worry, we don't have to bug you the whole time... after all, your sibs haven't seen Silverymoon before."

"No! It's wonderful to have you in town," Kieran said brightly, giving Cross a sweet smile. "Bug me as often as you like." Yuka gathered Kieran to him, picking him up and hugging him tightly. The boy didn't mind being scooped up like a four year old and just held on with a bright smile.

There were footsteps on the stairs and Sabbath emerged again, having gone to tell Dwyn that Kieran's family had stopped by and now MIGHT be a good time to cut out the self-mutilation. Coal-lined, almost-black eyes peered out from around the corner accompanied by a swish of black hair and she folded her arms across her chest as she made a show of counting the people gathered in her shop.

"Yeah, Dad and 'tousan were at it like rabbits," Corus offered cheerfully, grinning at Sabbath. Kagami rolled her eyes and chose to ignore her idiot of a brother, and better yet, to warn Sabbath about him. "He's a dork. Pay him no mind," she advised, cobalt eyes sparkling. Kieran hardly noticed, busy trying to squish Yuka.

"So I noticed," she told Corus amusedly, ending her count and sighing. "Will everyone be wanting bread? I'm going to have to go to the bakery..." She descended from the stairs and yanked her silver-lined cloak off the peg, swirling it around her shoulders and tying it atop her silver pentacle necklace.

Corus refrained from drooling and answered for the assembled Aladrisses - Aladrissi? - with a smile. "Sure. We'll keep an eye on the shop for you," he offered generously. Kieran glanced at his big brother and decided to inform him that Sabbath was married as soon as possible; he suspected that Corus was drooling mentally. Kagami seemed occupied in looking all around, still intruiged by the sheer amount of -stuff-. Yuka looked up at Sabbath and smiled warmly. "That's very kind of you, as is keeping an eye on this little chaos monger," he said, affectionately hugging Kieran to him. Kieran just beamed, loving being held by his father. He'd missed them all SO much...

Sabbath paused and blinked widely at Yuka, which made her eyes look exceptionally startled. "Keeping an eye on him? Hell, all I've been doing is feeding the little sweetheart. I should thank YOU... your son's been keeping mine out of trouble." She couldn't help glancing upward, then giving Kieran a sympathetic smile. "Well, most trouble, anyway. Kieran, feel free to show them in and I'll be right back." She picked up a slender, fine leather glove - just one - and slid it onto her hand, then swept out the door.

Yuka smiled and glanced back at Kieran. "Been doing good deeds, hmm, musuko?" he inquired warmly, setting down the nekojin. Kieran nodded brightly and turned to tug on Kagami's sleeve. "Boots off," he informed them, "and we can go upstairs. Maybe Dwyn's feeling better by now," he said, sounding hopeful but not too expectant. Kagami obediently removed her shoes, as did Yuka; Corus tucked his by the door and dropped himself into a chair, declaring that he would guard the downstairs. Yuka chuckled and smiled up at Cross, happy to see that his youngest son had found a place to be welcome and people to helpa nd take care of.

Cross just observed Sabbath's entrance and exit with a slightly knowing smile, toeing his boots off and following along. Despite her well-put-together appearence, he had a strong feeling that Sabbath was a woman of strong will and a strong arm. Probably a former adventurer, or at least a very accomplished mage, to put that sort of careless confidence in her steps. Shrugging, he hung his cloak over one of the spare pegs. "Dwyn's your friend? Is he what's got you worried?" he asked gently.

Kieran looked up at his father with big black eyes that didn't say anything. He hesitated, then nodded. "Hai. He's... he's kind of sick right now," he said softly, looking down. It wasn't really a lie.

Cross hiked an eyebrow, head craning back as he looked up to the ceiling, eyes glazing slightly.

"Don't!" Kieran said, tugging on Cross' sleeve. "Leave him be. He'll be okay." He said this with the utmost and perfect confidence.

Cross lowered his head and gave his son a long, measuring look. "All right," he said finally, choosing to let it go, looking troubled, however, as he turned Kieran back toward the stairs and glanced at Yuka.

Kieran nodded, satisfied that Cross would leave Dwyn to his mutilation or whatever it was he was doing if he'd finished. He might not have approved of what Dwyn was doing, but it wasn't up to him to approve, and Dwyn had a right to privacy no matter what. Yuka just gave the slightest of shrugs and reserved judgement. Kieran distracted them all by grabbing Caden by his trouble-making elbow and leading the small mob up the stairs.

Cross's eyes were narrow as he slid his arm through Yuka's and brought up the rear, obviously deep in thought. Caden bounced happily alongside his brother, babbling about the trip down and the snow fight he'd won (by his reckoning) with Corus.

Kieran listened to Caden with half an ear, more than happy to hear the sound of his brother's voice and finding his words themselves just a bonus. Yuka found Cross' hand and squeezed it gently, catching his husbands eyes and raising one eybrow curiously. The tone in Kieran's voice when he'd spoken of Dwyn... he knew that tone. That utter trust and belief that his friend could do anything and was perfect. It gave him an interesting shiver of deja vu.

"I couldn't get into his mind," Cross murmured as he squeezed Yuka's hand in return, still looking puzzled and switching to mental communication. ~I've never met anyone who could keep me out of their head, but this kid wasn't even trying. It was like.... like there wasn't a mind there to get ahold of. Like I was looking for the sun and found a nebula and orbiting planets, but no star.~

Both of Yuka's brows now flirted with his hairline as he followed Kieran up the stairs. ~And you have no idea why it could have been like that?~ he asked gently, indigo eyes shifting to gaze concernedly at Kieran. What had his little koneko gotten into this time?

Cross shook his head. ~I've never encountered anything like it and Ice never said anything about something like this. There's plenty to read but it's all disjointed, floating around without any real cohesiveness, and too much ... darkness... for me to get a hold on anything. It's wierd,~ he concluded, scaling the stairs slowly.

Yuka shook his head. ~I hope he's alright,~ he thought softly, more to himself than to Cross. It would be very hard on Kieran if the friend he obviously trusted - and loved, if Yuka's guess was any good - were to be in any way hurt.

~He's.... I sensed darkness and I smell blood,~ he said, nostrils flaring breifly. ~But I suppose we'll see, ne koi?~

Yuka bit his lip and nodded. ~We will.~ By then, the stairs had ended, and Kieran dragged Caden into the living room, still listening to his brother babble a mile a minute.

"And I hear you went ice skating!" Caden exclaimed, beaming at his little brother. "That must have been fun.... it's really kinda unbelievable that you're out of your room. But it's a good thing! I mean, it's great, and you even look better. I was kinda afraid you'd be skin and bones by now if somebody didn't look after you, but I guess Calliope's doing that except that she doesn't EXACTLY tell us anything that's going on. Hey, did she say if her parents are going to be up here? Because then it'd be just like old times, right? All of us together?"

Kieran giggled, smiling up at Caden. "Don't you need to -breathe-?" he asked teasingly. "And yes, I went ice skating. It was fun. And Sabbath makes sure I eat, and Calli isn't -supposed- to say too much. I've been hanging out with Dwyn a lot," he finished, glancing toward his friend's door, a flicker of concern dancing ove his face.

"RIGHT. Dwyn. When to we get to meet Dwyn?" Caden bounced on the balls of his feet. "And breathing is for amateurs, man. I'm a professional babbler and an expert in all things annoying!"

Kieran sighed and shook his head. "You're impossible, Master Babbler," he muttered. "And Dwyn's kind'a sick. You might have to wait a day or two," he said, pouting at the thought that he'd be seperated from his Dwyn for that long.

"I don't get sick," Dwyn said quietly, his voice sounding strangly hollow. He was leaning in the doorframe of his room, a stark white bandages wound around both forearms. He was wearing fingerless gloves over the bandages so the overall effect wasn't... necessarily of gross self mutilation. But his eyes were predatory and there was a knife between his teeth. "Merry meet, kitten."

"Dwyn-kun!" Kieran beamed. He was about to bound over and crush his best friend in a hug, but he stopped himself, not wanting to hurt Dwyn, and just smiled sweetly. "Merry meet. This is the rest of the clan," he said, gesturing to all those behind him. "And this is Dwyn O'Connallain," he said, turning back to smile up at his fathers. "Boku no tomodatchi desu."

Dwyn tilted his head and a little bit of sanity seeped back into his gaze. For a moment he just looked around at all the people, the finally made an inane, Dwyn-ism. "It seems like a lot more people when they're actually in the room," he said flatly.

Kieran sweatdropped. Oh, yes, this would be fun. He made a mental note not to leave Caden and Dwyn alone in a room together... what kind of trouble they could get into, he simply did not wish to imagine. Corus just grinned and looked Dwyn up and down. "Yes, well, us Aladriss have presence," he grinned.

Dwyn tilted his head and examined Corus. "Is that what you call it?" he inquired with the very slightest hint of a smirk, then turned a slow, but genuine smile on Kieran. "Sorry. I was in a bad mood."

Kieran nodded. "It's okay," he said, forgiving Dwyn without a moment's hesitation. "We have our bad moods. Are you feeling better now?" he asked concernedly, stepping closer and peering up at Dwyn, biting his lip. The tip of his tail twitched and his ears were held forward, and Yuka stared at his son, a thought blossoming in his mind. He turned his gaze to Dwyn, scrutinizing the boy.

Dwyn chuckled, and it was almost visible, his progress from distant madman to intimate kooky boy. "Yeah, well, you have that affect on me." he patted Kieran on the head and stepped back against the wall. For the breifest second, he looked vaguely uncomfortable, but then a very familiar, almost-sultry smirk slid over his face and his shoulders straightened from their stringless-marrionette slump. "Are you guys staying for dinner? And where's mom?"

Kieran nodded slightly, satisfied that if Dwyn wasn't okay, he would be soon. "I think they are. She went for bread," he explained. "I'm sorry about dragging everyone up here..." he said apologetically, giving Dwyn a sweet little smile. "Gomen ne!" Kagami decided to use Caden's head as an elbow rest, it being about the right height, and peered down at Dwyn. "So this is the kid you're latched onto, huh? I pity you," she said conspiratorily, grinning at Dwyn. "He's worse than a cat on cat-mint most days." Kieran just ignored his sister with many years of practice.

"Cat mint?" Dwyn's head twisted to look at Kieran and he seemed thoughtful. "Cat mint. We should see about cat mint," he said with the air of someone getting an idea. "Cat mint tea... I know mom has it somewhere..." And suddenly, like a little rocket, he was bounding into the kitchen and rifling through cupboards, crouched up on the counter on his knees and in a rather precarious position.

Kieran's eyes widened. "Dwyn!" he protested, following his friend. "That's probably not the best idea," he said warily, resting a hand on the other boy's back to keep him steady.

"Chill, I'm okay," Dwyn told him, dropping a carboard box of teabags on his head. "Er... sorry Kitten. Hold these." He immedietly filled Kieran's arms with boxes and jars of tea.

"Sooooooo, is it just me or is Kieran's friend a little...." Caden circled a finger around his temple and eyed Corus.

Kieran took them carefully, not seeming to mind having been cronked one with a box of tea. "What -are- you digging for? You can't be serious about cat-mint..."

Corus glanced after the two of them, eyeing them in the kitchen. "Yeah, he is. Wonder what his deal is."

"Of COURSE I'm serious about catmint!" he exclaimed. "Goddess, ears, tail, who knows what ELSE got mutated? Hey, S'your fault for not wanting to change back. I mean, I OFFERED. HEY!" He yanked out a little jar full of something gray. "Found it!"

Kagami rolled her eyes. "You are -so- immature. Just because he's not firmly connected to the earth doesn't mean he's nuts." Which, looking at him, she half thought he was, but still. It wasn't polite.

Kieran bit his lip. "Well, considering that I purr and on occasion hock up furballs," he said, sounding the slightest bit sarcastic, "it can only cause so much damage to try."

Dwyn twisted around, nearly falling off the counter but grabbing onto one of the shelves, and eyeing Kagami. "No," he said flatly, "I AM nuts." With that, he turned and started shoveling jars and boxes back into the cupboard. Kieran handed the boxes back to Dwyn, gripping the other boy's shirt and ready to catch him should he fall.

Kagami stared at Dwyn for a long moment before turning and shaking her head. "Leave it to Kieran."

Dwyn... didn't exactly fall. More like he threw himself backwards off of the counter and landed smack on his back, despite Kieran's best efforts. The THUMP resounded through the floor and he rolled immedietly to his feet, sliding the jar along the counter with a flick of his wrist and yanking a lower cupboard open in search of the teapot.

"DWYN!" Sabbath scolded from the stairs. "How many times do I have to tell you, DON'T ABUSE MY FLOOR!"

"Sorry mom!' Dwyn called absently, dropping the teapot into the sink with a clatter and pumping the mini water-pump.

Kieran sweatdropped and glanced back at his family, more than used to Dwyn's masochistic tendencies. "It's a bit strange around here," he said with a grin, as though he got some sort of perverse pleasure in seeing the looks on their faces.

Sabbath came bounding up the stairs and brushed past the Aladriss clan with a few muttered "Excuse me.... 'scuse me...." Standing next to the counter, she paused, placed both hands on her hips, and whirled on them. "Why are you all standing around? There are perfectly good chairs RIGHT THERE."

Cross had to laugh. He just couldn't hlep it. He pushed Kagami and Yuka onto the couch and flopped down between them. "You're too kind, miss...."

Kieran grinned to himself, relishing the idea that his poor, sheltered family would be exposed to the pure wackiness that was this place. He couldn't -wait- to see the looks on their faces when Dwyn and Sabbath started swearing at each other, which was bound to happen at -least- twice on any given day.

Yuka shook his head, smiling up at Sabbath as he nestled into Cross' side. "Our thanks," he said warmly. Kagami just shook her head and peered into the kitchen, wondering if Kieran had managed to throw himself off a counter and perhaps hit his head and THAT was how he'd ended up associating with these whackballs.

She favored Yuka and Cross with her sunniest smile. "Oh, not at all. I've been rather looking forward to this. Don't worry about a thing.... I'm not a Witch for nothing." She waved a hand and spoke a command word and suddenly dropped a large basket of steaming bread onto the counter. "Dwyn!' She snapped. "What are you doing with my teapot?"

"I want to see if Kieran likes catmint," Dwyn told her, peeking under the lid to see if it was boiling yet.

Sabbath blinked, then gave him a dry look. "Dwyn? Dearest darling son of mine?"

Dwyn stiffened. "Um...."

"I'm not drinking that," Kieran informed Dwyn, taking a step back from his friend and his mother.

"I KNOW that since we have.. oh.... SIX cats, you are quite aware of what EXACTLY catmint does to a feline. Would that be a correct assumption?"

Dwyn stepped hurriedly away from the teapot. "Uh...."

"So tell me, if you would, what exactly is the point in turning poor, innocent Kieran, who has been so helpful to me with the shop's decorations while YOU were up here "Exploring the inner darkness" or whatever it is you and your father do with razor blades in your spare time, into a melted, madly purring, no longer sane pile of kitten goodness...." she trailed off and eyed Kieran, open mouthed, before waving a hand. "Never mind. Carry on!"

Dwyn grinned and made an enthusiastic sound, springing for the strainer.

"Hey!" Kieran exclaimed, giving Sabbath a betrayed look. "No melted, madly purring, no longer sane pile of kitteny goodness here! My PARENTS are listening to you two!"

Sabbath arched an eyebrow. "Darling, your parents are GAY. How much are you willing to bet they haven't seen, especially given how much you resemble your 'Tousan?"

Kieran turned a very interesting shade of red. "That has nothing to do with it!" he squeaked.

Cross, over on the couch, was laughing hysterically into his hands. Yuka was sitting there trying not to dissolve into giggles as well, and failing miserably, collapsed against Cross' side.

Sabbath poked his blush. "It has everything to do with everything! They were your age once too, you know. Hell, I'm a mom and I still think melted madly purring no longer sane piles of kitten goodness are cute as hell.

Corus tossed Caden a Look. "Should we run while we can?" he murmured, eyeing Sabbath warily.

Dwyn nodded rapidly and glomped Kieran suddenly, clinging to him and purring against his neck. "But maybe another time," he said reasonably.

Caden blinked. "Wow. I don't.... I mean..... Wow."

Sabbath rolled her eyes. "Right. Family gathering. Thank you, conscience mine....." She thwapped Dwyn on the head. "For ruining a perfectly good chance to embarass your best friend."

Dwyn shrugged. "Somebody's got to keep you in line, mom. You get pretty wild!"

Kieran couldn't make himself stay embarrassed, not when Dwyn was cuddling him so nicely. He purred back and looked up at Sabbath with a slight smile. "Don't scare them all at once. Save some insanity for when they think they've seen the worst," he grinned wickedly.

Sabbath thrust the buns into the oven. "I'm sorry? *I* get pretty wild? Who was it I caught trying to fly around on MY BROOM well above a safe beginner's height just last week?"

"Mom, it was just the roof!" Dwyn protested, ducking as she growled and took a swipe at him. "You jump off the roof all the time! Hell, *I* jump off the roof all the time! Just cause it was the broom, and I promise, I wasn't going to BREAK it!"

"Well, it wasn't like I thought you'd break your HEAD," she said dryly. "And as for wild, because that WAS the point of this argument at one point, need I mention... well, the ROOF.... that little fire incident, that time you and Taliesin tried to turn the LEGISLATURE BUILDING purple, the time you..."

Kieran looked from Dwyn to Sabbath and shook his head. "They're always like this. And really, if they weren't so weird, they wouldn't be half as cool," he told the flamboozled faces of his siblings. Corus blinked and shook his head, and Kagami just nodded slowly, as though she figured she'd be butchered and eaten no matter how she reacted. And Yuka was still leaning on Cross and giggling like a dope.

Sabbath's tirade went on for a few minutes, as Cross listened and laughed harder with every incident she came up with. Finally, though, she had to breath, and Dwyn was instantly in her face with "Right, mom, and who was the only woman on board a pirate chaser crewed solely by men for three years? WHO married a homocidal psychopath? WHO told a dragon he could "stick his attitude up his ass"?"

"Being a dragon doesn't make him immune to being told where to shove it!"

Kieran giggled. "Arekuru's not the only crazy one here," he said conspiratorily, grinning back at Cross and Yuka.

"His being a dragon should have given you second thoughts about telling him where to shove it!" Dwyn exclaimed.

Sabbath threw up her hands. "Yeah, well, excuse me for getting nauseous under the weight of all the antisemetic misogyny he was spouting! I mean, goddess, this is supposed to be an ELDER WYRM or some such bullshit and he's going on and on about how women aren't useful for anything other than pleasing men? PLEASE note that I believe I FIRMLY corrected his opinion..... not that he lived to appreciate his new enlightenment!" Steam was practically coming out of her ears.

"Dude," Caden murmured slowly. "Your mom kicks ass!"

Kieran pressed a hand over Dwyn's mouth. "Good time to stop," he advised.

Sabbath paused in mid-tirade to beam at Caden. "Why thank you! All the young men in this family are SO polite.... that speaks of good parentage." She shot Cross and Yuka a wink.

Cross was desperately trying to breathe and he barely managed to make a "thank you" gesture before he curled himself around Yuka and started to cry. Yuka broke down laughing again, hardly able to nod at Sabbath in acknowledgement.

Dwyn wrapped his fingers around Kieran's wrist and bit his hand. And gnawed happily.

Kieran gasped and shivered, his tail curling in on itself. "Dwyn," he whimpered.

Corus couldn't resist and burst out laughing.

Caden started giggling madly. "So, what's for supper, Mrs..... um... what was that name again? It was kinda long..."

"Oh, it's just Sabbath," she told him absently, plopping herself in her kitchen where she could reach her oven and stove. "I'm not a Mrs. Anything.... makes me sound old."

Kieran was busy being eaten for dinner, but he managed to glance back at his brothers and give them dirty looks. Yuka finally regained control of himself and wiped tears from his eyes, looking over at Sabbath with a pained smile - laughing that hard hurt.

Kieran was busy being eaten for dinner, but he managed to glance back at his brothers and give them dirty looks. Yuka finally regained control of himself and wiped tears from his eyes, looking over at Sabbath with a pained smile - laughing that hard hurt.

"You ARE old," Dwyn muttered and Sabbath rounded on him with a spoon. "Say that again?"

"NOTHING!"

Kieran pressed his hand more firmly against Dwyn's mouth. "See, there's a REASON I'm trying to keep you quiet," he chirped sweetly.

Sabbath chuckled and shot Yuka a grin as warm as the merrily crackling fire in front of him, a relief after the cold. "You've got more kids," she observed dryly, "But I think my house is probably less organized."

"I won't disagree with you there," Yuka said warmly, glancing down at Cross. "Don't forget to breathe, now, kanojo," he said lightly as he looked back up at Sabbath. "So he hasn't been any trouble to you?"

"Who, Kieran? Not at all. We've been happy to have him." As Dwyn curled around his nekojin and absently gnawed at his neck, she hauled a rather large cauldron full of water from the pump to the fireplace, through their midst, grunting. "Dwyn doesn't really... have many friends... around here, so it's nice... that he can have somebody..." she hauled the cauldron up, muscles straining through soft skin, and got it hanging on the hook. "to talk to." She let out a breath and brushed her hands on her skirt. "Hang out with. That sort of thing."

Kieran melted and let Dwyn chew on him, a low, rumbling purr rising from his throat as he succumbed to his friend's teeth. Yuka would have offered to help Sabbath, but she was too quick for him and done before he could say anything. He settled for smiling up at her and nodding. "It's good for Kieran, too. He's a bit reclusive."

Corus was busy staring at Dwyn and Kieran, and he poked Caden and nodded at them. "Is it just me, or are you suspicious?"

"'A bit' would be that little thing I like to call and understatement," Sabbath said, stepping back to the kitchen and wrapping a starched white apron around her waist. "Getting him out of his room has been one hell of a struggle, but I suppose it's worth it. Dwyn! Stop chewing on him and keep an eye on your kettle."

Caden smirked. "Oh yeah, bro. I definately agree.... our little brother's found his true calling as a chew toy."

Kieran glanced at his brothers and stuck his tongue out at them. "I just taste good," he said defiantly, glaring at Caden and Corus.

Caden turned BEET red and made a strangled sound.

Yuka sighed and glanced at Kieran. "Well, alright, so he'd probably live in a cabin in the woods with twelve cats and a library if he had it his way, but..."

Kieran burst into giggles. "That's NOT what I meant, ecchi!"

Sabbath chuckled. "BUT he's done such a lovely job of keeping Dwyn occupied..." she shot Caden a knowing smirk. "... that it's been nice seeing his adorable face around instead of buried in a book. "

"I'm sure it has," Yuka smiled, looking at Caden. He wasn't sure he wanted to know why his son's face was that color...

Caden grinned. "SO. Right. Um.... hey, Mrs. Sabbath, do you need a hand with anything?" He leapt out of his seat, desperate to do something that would get his mind out of the gutter.

"Just Sabbath," she told him, and pointed a spoon at the tea kettle. "Since my son is occupied with behaving like he was raised in a barn, pick up that strainer and measure it about half full of those herbs in the ceramic jar. Yes, baby, the brown one. Close it and stick it in the teapot, and bank the fire a little.

"Recruited for duty," Corus said teasingly, grinning at Caden. He looked up at Sabbath, smiling brightly. "Got anything I can do? Hate to see my little brother outshining me in the politesse department."

Kieran turned his head, looking back at Dwyn. "Behaving like? You mean it's just an act?"

"Flirting will get you nowhere, kiddo," she told Corus flatly, then eyed Kieran. "Are you saying my house looks like a barn???"

Dwyn curled a hand over Kieran's mouth. "Now it's time for YOU to shut up," he said sweetly.

Kieran's eyes widened. "No!" he said hastily, muffled by glove. "Not at all!"

Corus sweatdropped. "And I thought parties were crazy back home..."

"Good." She Hmphed and busied herself stirring her cauldron. Her honest-to-god black cast iron cauldron.

Kieran breathed a sigh of relief and bit Dwyn's hand, figuring turnabout was fair play.

Dwyn didn't react at all to the bite, seeing as his hand was still gloved. "So maybe we ought to sit down then," he said slowly, releasing Kieran and throwing himself into his chair to curl up, dislodging Taliesin. The cat gave an angry yowl, then stalked back up into the chair and started to knead Dwyn's leg. With claws. Dwyn still didn't react.

Kieran barely noticed, having become used to Dwyn's strange tendency to pretend pain didn't exist to him, and sank down on the floor before Dwyn's chair, tail curling around his ankles as he pulled his knees to his chest. Corus, however, was staring at Dwyn with a pained look on his face. "Doesn't that -hurt-?" he demanded. Taliesin looked to be pretty pissed, and those claws looked SHARP.

Dwyn blinked tiger-golden eyes at him as Sabbath's motions slowed on the pot. "No," he said flatly. "Is it supposed to?" He looked down at Taliesin and picked the cat's claws out of his leg, holding them up in the air. Taliesin made an irritated sound.

"Well, when a cat sinks its meat-hooks into -my- leg, it usually hurts," Corus said, sounding somewhat surprised and a bit confused. Kieran craned his head around, peering up at Dwyn. He'd wondered if there was a reason for Dwyn's seeming masochism quite often since he'd noticed, and was infinitely curious as well.

Dwyn shrugged. "Cat's claws aren't enough," he told Corus. "Tali can't hurt me." He leaned in and rubbed noses with the cat. The cat jerked its head away and let out a plaintive yowl.

"Oh," Corus said, nodding like that explained it all... which it didn't.

Sabbath shrugged. "He called for a familiar, YOU came, kitty-cat. Don't tell me you regret it now, you'll get no help from me." Taliesin yowled again, sounding pitiful. Dwyn let him go.

Kieran giggled and tapped Dwyn's nose with one sharp nail. "You're silly," he said fondly.

Yuka strongly resisted the urge to go "awwwww."

Dwyn smirked at Kieran. "Crazy in a fun way.... or so I hear."

Sabbath sighed. "Yeah babe, that's us. Crazy in a fun way."

Kieran nodded enthusiastically. "Sanity is overrated," he said, winking at Dwyn.

Dwyn snorted. "Sanity is WAY overrated if it means walking around with a stick up your ass like the NORMAL people. F... er, screw that?" He shook his head vigorously.

Kieran smiled gratefully and nodded. "Precisely," he concurred.

Dwyn made a pleased sound and curled up in his chair, the back of his head resting againts the back of Kieran's head.

Kieran leaned back and purred at Dwyn, not minding at all sitting on the floor. Yuka raised an eyebrow at his son's behavior, but figured that if there was anything going on, Kieran was mature enough to go about it responsibly.

"Kitty," Dwyn murmured, petting Kieran's head. One hand wandered over and began to play with an ear. Caden almost protested, but snapped his mouth shut, the steam from the kettle brushing over his face as he watched for Kieran's reaction.

Kieran's eyes drifted shut and he leaned into Dwyn's hand, his purr growing louder as he was dragged into happy-neko-land.

Caden blinked. Kieran's ears... were WAY sensitive. It hurt him to have them played with, or so Caden thought. Or maybe some time had passed and he'd gotten used to it or something. Or maybe there were just a LOT of cats in this house, he noticed as about three of them strolled out of the hallway and began to sniff around the feet of the visitors.

Kieran's ears were indeed sensitive, but for some odd reason, they never hurt when he touched them, or when Dwyn did. Only when it was anyone else. And since he'd realized that Dwyn's touch caused no pain, he'd also noticed that the pain he felt from anyone else wasn' so much physical as internal. It was like it was -wrong- for anyone else to touch them. The boy extended a hand to one of the cats which nonchalantly passed him by and leapt onto Cross, tail a demanding flag in the air.

Cross pulled the cat into his lap and scratched along its spine cooperatively as Sabbath bustled about, ordering Caden around like a kitchen maid (every minute of which he seemed to enjoy) and getting food set out. "Dwyn, set up the table," she instructed him eventually, and he unhappily left his comfortable chair to comply.

Kieran pouted and would have gotten up to help, too, but he knew Sabbath would just tell him to sit down again.

Sabbath wouldn't have told him to sit down. Had it not been his family she was entertaining, she would have been ordering him around as well. But she had enough tact to give him some time to be with them. Hence, Dwyn doing all the work, which he didn't seem to mind so much.

Kieran shifted, crawling up into Dwyn's chair and curling into a corner of it as he watched Sabbath boss his brother and best friend around. He smiled, glancing over at his family - his FAMILY, here to see him - and knew that really, there was nothing better than having all the people you loved with you and together and all happy and crap.

"So where were you folks going to stay the night?" Sabbath wondered as she added something to her cauldron that made a puff of smoke flare from the mouth.

Yuka glanced at Cross. "We were planning on a tavern of some sort," he said. Corus nodded, craning his neck to peer into Sabbath's cauldron. Kagami, who was being very quiet, finally looked up from her hands, which had been busy doing gods-only-know what to a small, hard ball, and grinned at Kieran, who smiled back sweetly.

She shrugged and nodded. "The Halfling's Hostel is right down the road a bit. It's a popular place... famous for the service as you can probably imagine."

"Their cooking isn't half as good as Sabbath's," Kieran informed the assembled gravely.

"Flattery, little one, will get you..."

"Everywhere with me!" Dwyn finished for her. "Yeah, mom. We know."

Kieran giggled and sat up, tail swaying in the air. "Well it's -true-," he insisted.

She rolled her eyes. "Riiiiight. Quite while you're ahead, kid."

"Yes'm," Kieran said obediently.

"Mom has this self-esteem problem where she doesn't really believe any compliment you give her," Dwyn explained, dodging a swipe of her spoon that hit his forearm instead of his skull. The bandage began to slowly turn red, but Dwyn was oblivious, happily continuing. "But seriously, she's a great cook. You just have to watch out for a kitchen-witch... you never know what spells they're putting in their food."

"I think she's enchanted me to gain weight," Kieran said, hopping up from his chair and wandering after Dwyn, following him around like a cat after a man with milk or fish.

"Hey there. Since you're up," he said cheerfully, handing Kieran one of the table extensions and struggling to get his own to fit into the little holes it was supposed to fit into. "And yeah, kitten, it's AMAZING how much weight you gain when you actually BOTHER to eat. Man doesn't live by books alone!"

"Yes he does," Kieran said lightly, grinning at Dwyn and taking the extension. He bent down and peered at the table, then at the slots, and lifted the leaf and slid it into place with a light 'click'.

Dwyn ignored the ease with which he did that, flipping the next extention over as the bandage on his arm continued to redden and darken without his noticing. "No he DOESN'T or you wouldn't have been a skeleton when I found you!"

"I was not a skeleton," Kieran protested, moving to Dwyn's side of the table and taking the extension from him gently to put it onto the table. He glanced up at Dwyn and frowned, gripping his friend by the chin and turning his face so he'd notice. "Maybe you should change that," the nekojin said softly, dark eyes warm and concerned.

Dwyn eyed the bandage curiously. "Hm." He shrugged. "Must have bumped it. You're right." He turned and bound away, headed for his room, as Sabbath let out an exasperated sigh.

Caden chewed his lower lip. "Um, he didn't notice that he bumped it? And what did he DO?"

Kieran tossed Caden a rather cold look that told him it was none of his business. Caden froze under the ice in his brother's gaze, lifted his chin slowly, and then turned back to his tasks. Kieran followed Dwyn, trailing the other boy back to his room. "Do you want some help?" he asked quietly, knowing it was hard to rewrap one's arm with the other arm.

Dwyn shrugged and sat down on his own bed, pulling the bandage off to reveal a line of short, straight, and deep cuts from his bicept to his wrist. A few of them were curved, as if he'd started designs and not finished them, and all in all it was just a bloody mess. He shouldn't have even been able to use the arm after cutting it so much and so deep, but he hadn't appeared to have a shred of trouble... and his other arm was bandaged as well.

Kieran stared in fascination, stepping closer. He licked his lips, his throat suddenly dry. ~Why doesn't that scare me? Why does it look...~ His mind resisted the word, but it was there, refusing to be ignored. ~...Pretty?~ Those thoughts frightened him, but he refused to let himself worry about that now when Dwyn was less than okay. "Why?" he whispered. He wanted to know. Wanted to know why they were so exquisite, those red, oozing lines marring Dwyn's arm. Wanted to know why Dwyn didn't feel it, why he himself wasn't disgusted.

"Because it feels warm," he said absently, staring at the cuts just like Kieran was. Slender fingers poked at the edges of one, nails digging in, and blood welled from the scab to fill the cut. "It's... deep. Somehow. I don't know how to tell you. It's not straight in my head."

"I don't think it would be," Kieran murmured, perching next to Dwyn and looking at the flowing blood intently. "Does it feel right?" he wondered. "Does it hurt?" If he'd been asking anyone else, it would have been a stupid question, but with Dwyn... Kieran had his suspicions.

He shook his head. "Not this. But if I cut deep enough, if I go all the way to the bone, I can feel it and it aches." His voice shook as if that ache was some sort of thrill. "But only if I do it DEEP. Up here.... there isn't anything. Hot and cold, I know that, and I can feel the skin part, and I can feel my nails." He twisted his nails in the cut, then dug one finger deeper, veins in the back of his hand arching as his fingernail sought the bone. "But the ache is here."

"Dwyn, don't," Kieran said in a low tone, steady and utterly calm. "It's not safe. Even if you don't feel it, you can get diseases in your bones like that, and those'll kill you, ache or no." He hesitated a moment, then spoke again. "Does it... feel good?"

He nodded. "I know I shouldn't do it. The human body can only take so much abuse and it worries mom." his head drooped. "She doesn't show it much, but it REALLY worries her. And I hate to do that. But sometimes when I... feel like shit, I just HAVE to. I don't know how to explain it. I just want to get my fingers inside and dig the nastiness out."

"Why did you feel like shit?" Kieran asked, sounding as though that were what upset him. He knew he should be scared, if not disgusted, but he just couldn't be. It was... Dwyn. On some level, he wasn't surprised at all.

He shook his head. "Nah. Let's not get into that."

"Is it... were you looking for your father?" Kieran asked slowly, wondering if that was as stupid a question as it sounded like to him.

Dwyn blinked at him. "Yeah, actually. But how'd you know?"

"Well.. Sabbath said you went to the gates and you'd come back upset. The gates, he'd be coming through, and... well, I'd look at Yule too," Kieran said softly. "You really miss him, don't you?"

Dwyn slipped a blade between his teeth and twisted. It scraped across his lips and reddened slightly.

"Dwyn..." Kieran wrapped his fingers around Dwyn's wrist, pulling the knife away and lifting his other hand to wipe away the blood on his lip gently, not seeming to notice that Dwyn's hand was coated in blood. "Maybe he'll come. I'll go with you tomorrow to look, if you like, and maybe we can scry for him and send a message or something," he suggested brightly.

He shook his head. "No." Giving his entire body a good shake, he stood up, moving abruptly away from Kieran, and hunted through his desk for another bandage. "If he comes, he comes. If he doesn't, he doesn't. I shouldn't even expect him and if we try to invite him, he just makes himself harder to find. He doesn't want to be attatched to us, and really, I'm lucky I've EVER seen him."

"Do you really believe that he doesn't want to be attached to you?" Kieran asked softly. There was a lot of bitterness and a lot of pain in the issue he was poking at, but somebody had to do it, and he wanted to help.

He eyed Kieran as though that was a really stupid question. "It's not a matter of what I believe, it's a matter of what's true," he said dryly. "He's said as much. Believe me, if you'd ever met him, you wouldn't wonder why he's not the stay-at-home type. I know why mom fell for him... they're both bloodthirsty psychopaths when the urge strikes them. I mean, so am I... so I guess it might have worked if she'd kept adventuring. BUt she didn't want to put me in danger like that so she settled in one place to have me and he just kept moving. He circles and sometimes if I'm lucky, he circles back around here. He always brings me something." He smirked slightly and tugged at the single gold ring in his left ear. "He brought me this, from Rasheman. It's got runes on it like in the book you brought me, but it's not magic or anything. It's just pretty. He has earrings like this one, so I guess...I like to wear it because I know I look like him and it reminds me of him. Which is sort of pathetic, but hell with it."

Kieran nodded slightly. "I... well, that kind of sucks, really. Why don't you go with him?" There was so little he could say right now, about -any- of this, but there was so much he wanted to. He didn't like seeing Dwyn in pain, even when it was so hard for him to feel it. He lifted the bandage from the open drawer and gently steered Dwyn back toward the bed, claiming his arm and carefully rewrapping it.

Dwyn smiled at the show of tenderness. "Leave my mom?" he questioned softly. "Here, by herself?"

Kieran gave Dwyn an even look. "Your mum is -more- than capable of taking care of herself. She'll be fine, and you don't have to stay away forever." His hands were sure and deft, and it was impossible to not get them bloody. He didn't seem to mind having Dwyn's blood on his hands, though; it was almost as if he didn't notice.

"I'm not worried about her well-being. I know she's tough... bloody hell, Kieran, you've got no IDEA how tough she is. But she'd be lonely, I think. And I don't want to leave her alone when I'm the only thing she's got."

"Why don't you talk to her about it?" Kieran suggested curiously. "And I'd make sure she didn't get -too- lonely."

"Or maybe she could go with you!"

"Well, no... the shop... well, I tried."

"And leave her shop and everything she built here? I mean, I have no doubt that she could up and do it if she really wanted to, but I think she's pretty much happy here." He nodded as Kieran realized it too. "besides, my Dad's never made any indication that he'd like to have me along with him. I can't go along if I'm not invited."

Kieran sighed and knelt at Dwyn's feet, ears drooping. "I really wish there was something I could do," he said softly, eyes fixed on the floor. It hurt that there was no way to make Dwyn feel better. ~He misses his father so much and there's really nothing he can do about it...~

Dwyn slid off his bed to kneel in front of Kieran, instinctively refusing to be above his level. His fingers wrapped around Kieran's wrist even as he rested his head on Kie's shoulder, and brought those bloodstained fingers up to his lips, sliding them between his teeth but not biting, instead gently sucking the blood away from them.

Kieran started, glancing at Dwyn in surprise. The other was... licking the blood from his hands. It sent a shiver down his back and the tip of his tail twitched as he bit his lip. He couldn't say anything, so he just let Dwyn do it, finding it intimate in a strange and macabre fashion.

"Believe it or not," Dwyn said, sounding both tired and sane, "You do plenty just by sticking around. I mean, really. I'm amazed you haven't fled for the hills screaming yet. There's a reason normal people don't accept us and it's a damned good reason. They don't understand people like me. They're afraid of people like me." he paused and bit down lightly on Kieran's index finger. "They SHOULD be afraid of people like me. We're always dancing one step away from the abyss."

Kieran smiled and tipped Dwyn's head upward, meeting those golden eyes fully. "And only in madness can one find truth. I... I'm not afraid of you. I trust you. I don't want to be afraid of you," he said softly, leaning forward and kissing the tip of the other boy's nose.

Dwyn chuckled. "Heh. S'funny. That's the exact same reason my Dad never murdered my mom, like he murders just about everyone else around him.... she was never scared of him. I still don't know how she trusted him. I don't even know how *I* trust him. But I do, and I've never been scared of him either, so... we're still alive." He smiled lopsidedly. "You're not afraid of me, and you trust me. So I don't hurt you."

Kieran bit his lip and nodded slightly. "Can I tell you something, Dwyn?" he said softly, dark eyes inscrutable.

He nodded. "Yes. You can tell me anything."

"I think I'd like it if you hurt me." Even saying that sent a shiver down his spine, and Kieran wasn't sure why he was so sure of it... but he was.

Dwyn's expression didn't change from a thoughtful sort of consideration. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

Kieran shrugged uneasily. "I don't know. I guess sometimes... I'll bite myself or scratch myself, and it doesn't hurt. Sometimes it's good. Like, really good. And... well, I guess I wouldn't mind if you... it's good when you bite me." He was blushing, cheeks a charming shade of pink.

Dwyn continued to look thoughtful. He reached for Kieran's hands and gently took back the blade Kieran had wrestled from him earlier. His hands pulled Kieran's tunic from its belt.

Kieran held perfectly still and let him do it, not sure what he intended but still, even when this crazy little boy had a knife and was looking at him like that, those intense gold eyes... he still trusted him.

Dwyn pushed Kieran onto his back, moving his tunic up to bare his stomach. One hand inched across the pale skin , thumb brushing the edges of the whip scars that curled around his ribs. A scourge was a terrible thing. "You didn't enjoy this, did you?"

Kieran shook his head, looking up at Dwyn with wide black eyes. His heart was pounding, but it wasn't in fear. It was a sweet sort of anticipation, and it was almost frightening in its intensity.

He nodded. "You didn't like this hurt. What makes you think me hurting you would be different?" The dull edge of the blade was cold against his stomach as Dwyn moved it slowly up toward his chest, the sharp edge pointed toward the ceiling.

"Because I'd let you," Kieran said softly. He wasn't sure why, but he knew it was true.

He considered that, leaning over Kieran and straddeling his thighs. He slowly turned the knife blade, letting Kieran watch, and pressed the sharp edge into his skin just below the right side of his collarbone. The flesh dented, not bleeding yet.

Kieran shivered. He could feel that, and it was rippling out under his skin like ice, or perhaps fire - it was too foreign to tell. It didn't hurt, not as he knew pain, and his eyes never left Dwyn's, obsidian depths full of faith.

Dwyn's teeth found a bit of loose skin on his lip and tore at it as he let out a slow breath and flicked the knife down. It was a shallow cut, barely a scratch, but blood welled quickly and started to drip away from the wound. Dwyn's tongue slid along his lips.

Kieran gasped softly, nails digging into the floor beneath him. Oh, if that was pain, then he never wanted to heal. Maybe this was what Dwyn felt when he hurt himself. It was... it was finishing, like it cracked his mind and crystallized it all at once.

Dwyn leaned in and licked up the escaping drop of blood, eyes so fiercely dilated that there was barely a pinprick of pupil in the sea of gold. His lips found the edges of the cut and sucked gently at it.

Meanwhile, back in the main room where he was trying to have a parental conversation with Sabbath, Cross fell silent mid-word, eyes flying wide at the sudden RUSH of feelings that broke against his mental shields.

Kieran shivered, one hand lifting to slide into Dwyn's hair. "Kami-sama," he breathed, eyes wide. That was more intense than anything he'd ever felt, moreso than anything Caden had ever done to him. It was deeper... purer, somehow.

"What does that mean?" Dwyn lifted his head, still balanced on elbows and knees over Kieran, lips stained with his blood.

"It's... to a god. Why did you do that?" Kieran asked, reaching up to rub his thumb over Dwyn's lip, fascinated by the liquid rubies that sparkled there.

"Blood stainds are hard to remove. I didn't think you'd want your family to see it." He took Kieran's thumb into his mouth and nibbled it, the sharp edges of his teeth skating along the pad breifly.

Out in the living room, Sabbath glanced up. "Oh, goddess. I'll take care of this, stay right here...," she said, making a beeline for the bedroom. Cross ignored her words and followed her anyway.

"Oh," Kieran managed, shivering again. His eyes were wide and glazed, but it was hard to tell where pupil ended and iris began in those black depths. "Maybe we should..."

"Stop. I know." He said back slowly and pressed two fingers to the slender cut, letting the blood clot against his skin and seal the wound. "Here." He pulled his fingers away and licked the blood from them, finding a small square of gauzy material. With a brush and bottle, he brushed a sort of glue onto the edges and pressed it over the cut. "There. It'll peel off in water," he assured Kieran, tugging his tunic back down.

Sabbath would never have walked into her son's room. Her parents had irritated the living hell out of her by doing such things. Instead, she let her body thunk against the doorframe and then rapped sharply on the door. "Dwyn! We're waiting out here! Save the blood letting for a more appropriate time!"

Cross didn't call out, instead eyeing Sabbath dryly and wondering, "Should I be concerned about the word 'bloodletting' being used in conjunction with my son?"

Kieran gently touched the small white square, just the knowledge that it was there - that Dwyn had cut him - making his mouth dry. He looked up as he heard Sabbath's voice, startled, and sat up in surprise, nearly dumping Dwyn off him. "Again?" he asked softly, catching the other's eyes.

"They're almost adults, Cross," she said firmly. "They can make their own choices. And Dwyn wouldn't lay a hand on your son to hurt him. He feels... protective toward Kieran."
Dwyn considered that, tongue caressing the blade. "You want to?" he inquired, eyebrow hiked.

Cross eyed the door. "I want..."

"Later," Kieran said, nodding and shifting to get to his feet.

"I know what you want," she cut him off. "You want to protect him for the rest of his life. Well, Aladriss, it's time to stop protecting your son and start kicking his ass. It's good to have a safe place with one's family, but one shouldn't spend one's life huddled in it. When he left you, he stayed in his room... stop protecting him, LET him get hurt, LET him figure out that the world's mostly full of paper tigers!"

Dwyn nodded and tested the knot in the new bandage, reluctantly laying the knife aside and straightening his clothing. "Later," he repeated, then said, "Stay here tonight? It's even closer to where your family is staying."

"The world ISN'T full of paper tigers," Cross said quietly. "I taught all my children to have pride in themselves, but Kieran's not as physically inclined as the others."

Kieran glanced up, surprised. "Your mum's telling off my Dad. She IS brave, and crazier'n you." He looked back to Dwyn and nodded, licking his lips. That suddenly had a new dimension to it, the thought that they could be alone together and do... -that-.

"Kieran is a MAGE," Sabbath told him. "Let me tell you something, Cross Aladriss. You should be FAR more afraid when of me when my hands are empty for spellcasting than you should when I hold a blade. There are many kinds of power in this world and he wields his chosen kind WELL." Her eyes flashed dangerously.

Cross's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm well aware of that," he said a bit testily. "But as I said, they're not paper tigers and he's just a KID. There are monsters in this world, Sabbath. I should KNOW. I thought I was immune to fear too until one of the real ones got ahold of me."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, you're a vampire, I know. And by the way, I forgot to compliment you on NOT angsting over it as most of them do. In any case, what did it do to you? Hm? Look at you. You've got a husband and a house full of gorgeous children and a name famous across the sword coast and beyond for good deeds. Who gives a SHIT what you eat for a midnight snack? You survived and you did your best with what you had. I think your son has the same capability, but going through a little adversity is the only way he's going to find out that he has it!"

Dwyn blinked, and smiled at Kieran. "I told you you've got no idea how tough she is. That bit about the dragon? I wasn't making it up."

Kieran laughed. "I wouldn't doubt it. I bet Uncle Schuld would like her for the spunk-factor, as he says. I hope he's coming out this year..."

"And really, as far as intimidation goes, my dad makes your dad look like a pansy." He looked sheepish. "I mean, no offense, 'cause your dad isn't TRYING to be mean-looking. And yeah. I hope your uncle Schuld comes out too." He smiled.

Cross folded his arms and eyed her. "Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't balk at sending your son out into the world knowing very well how many things could hurt him."

Kieran's face lost all trace of jesting. "Every moment of every day he controls an aura that makes normal people run screaming. If he lets it out... your father is a candle to the sun when Cross Aladriss is pissed."

"I WOULD BALK!" she exclaimed. "But I would do it! He's not the only one with fear to get over! You've got to get over yours, that he'll leave you! Goddess, why am I talking to you? You're hardly the worst case in the family and Kieran's NOT the one you ought to be worried about."

Dwyn thought that over. "Yeah, but does Cross Aladriss kill people for shits and giggles? I mean, it's all well and good if he's a bad-ass, but if he's a good guy, I'd have a hard time being intimidated 'cause there's only so far he'll go. Whereas I KNOW my dad would peel out my trachea with his nails if I baited him into it."

"Should we stop them?" Kieran asked, glancing at the door and really trying to avoid the mental image of the damage that could be done to the entire surrounding neighborhood were Cross and Sabbath to duke it out. He looked back at Dwyn, trying to picture that. "He could try," he finally said. "But he'd have to get through me first."

Cross wanted to be angry, but he could see the concern... and the knowledge... in her eyes so he restrained his temper. "You're right. I'm afraid of him leaving me. I'll outlive him a thousand times over assuming I don't do something stupid, and every day I have with him is precious. I don't want any of them stolen from me. But I can let him go if that's what he wants. Even if he's going to get himself hurt. And he IS the most vulnerable of all of them, I still think. He hesitates to use what he's got. He doesn't LIKE to hurt people. And that hesitation could kill him."

Dwyn smiled. "He wouldn't," he said. "I wouldn't bait him into it and I really don't think he has any wish to see me dead." He glanced toward the door. "I don't know. Sometimes my mom takes it into her head to kick people's asses and then screw their heads on straight about stuff. And maybe we'd just better not interupt."

"He'll LEARN," Sabbath insisted. "The only way he'll learn is through experience. YOU know that, you're a self-made man. But you've got other problems."

"Sounds like a better idea than making them both pissed at us for interrupting," Kieran said, gripping Dwyn gently by the shoulder and pulling him backward onto the bed, plopping down next to him. "Now, do we be good and pretend to not hear and talk about something else, or do we drop some eaves?"

Dwyn smirked. "Drop eaves, of course. She'll wind down pretty soon."

Cross sighed. "Other problems."

Kieran grinned. "So nice to see you think my way," he purred, leaning into Dwyn's side.

"Other problems. Something that makes me hurt HERE." She clenched her fist and held it just below her heart. "I couldn't tell you what it is, but my Witch's Intuition is screaming. Something's broken, breaking more every day, and it's being hidden behind smiles and laughter. Your son..."

"I know about Caden," Cross said quietly, barely a whisper. He and Sabbath stared each other down for a moment, and then she nodded and stepped back. "All right. You know. Are you going to DO anything?"

"What can I do?" he asked tiredly. "I can't touch that.... thing. I can accept him with it, I can withstand it, I can help him subdue it, but it's part of him and he'll have to figure out how to deal with it on his own. He's leaving home in the spring."

Dwyn smirked and snuggled him. "Great minds think alike," he said sagely.

She closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "All right. Now, shall we extract our children and get them to the table before dinner burns?"

Cross smiled fleetingly and rapped on the door. "Guys! Come on, get decent and get out here!"

Kieran snickered. "Decent, huh? You'd think they expect us of making out in here," he chuckled, tugging Dwyn up with him and being very careful of his arm.

Dwyn hiked a brow, got up, and yanked the door open. "I'm insulted that you think I would scandalize your son," he said dryly to Cross. "Especially in this setting. For him, I'd insist on silken sheets AT LEAST." Brushing past Cross, he bumped against his mother, half nuzzling her before returning to the living room.

Sabbath snickered.

Cross rolled his eyes and then pinpointed Kieran. "Silk sheets, hmm?"

Kieran just shook his head and smiled, shrugging to Cross as he ducked past and slipped down the hall. "Black ones, of course," he tossed over his shoulder, suppressing a giggle.

Sabbath threw her head back and cackled.

Cross blinked. "You do that WAY too well," he told her.

She showed him her teeth. "I know."

Dwyn stepped back into the main room and snapped his hip into the table to make sure the joints were tight together, spinning on his heels and heading back to the kitchen to rub elbows with Caden in the process of gathering the food preparations. Caden jostled him. Dwyn jostled him back. Caden jostled him back and Dwyn slammed into the counter, calmly picking up a bowl of some sort of thick, grainy, creamy substance and carrying it to the table.

Returning for the teapot, Dwyn jostled Caden again. Caden yelped and smacked into the counter this time. He made a face and flicked an empty tea bag at Dwyn. Dwyn showed his teeth. Caden just laughed.

Kieran walked by and stopped between the two of them. "Stop," he said softly, glaring at Caden darkly.

Caden blinked. "What? It was mutual Dwyn blinked also, giving Kieran a quizzical look.

"I'll glue you together if you can't be nice," he muttered, turning that baleful stare at Dwyn.

Dwyn picked the tea bag out of his hair. "Then you would be happy," he reasoned. "Because the he couldn't leave."

Kieran frowned. "And lock you in a basement so neither of you can annoy anyone else with childish sniping."

"But we didn't say anything to each other," Caden pointed out, grinning and patting Kieran's shoulder. "Come on, Kie-chan. Lighten up."

Kieran gave him a solemn, wide-eyed stare. "Please, just don't..." he said softly, offering Caden a soulful look.

Caden blinked, grin fading. He glanced at Dwyn, who was eyeing him evenly, a smirk hanging in the corners of his mouth, then back at Kieran. And back and forth again. Then he shrugged and let out a laugh. "Whatever you say, Kie-chan." he picked up the basket of bread and took it to the table.

Kieran nodded, satisfied, and turned to look at Dwyn. "And you won't, either, right?" he asked, looking up at him with the slightest hint of a pout on his full lips.

Dwyn shrugged. "As you wish."

"Thank you," Kieran said, giving Dwyn a sweet smile. It wouldn't be fun to see Caden and Dwyn fighting, either...

Dwyn rolled his eyes. "I would have done it anyway," he muttered. "You just have to ask." He took the teapot to the table and started setting out cups. It was catmint tea.

Kieran's nose twitched and his tail flickered in the air. Whatever kind of tea that was smelled GOOD, and he licked his lips and eyed it thoughtfully. But the catmint would have to wait. Kieran managed to refocus and look up, looking from Sabbath to Cross. They -had- to know that he and Dwyn had heard most of that conversation. Kieran glanced back at Caden, a worried look crossing his face.

Caden whistled to himself, bouncing to the beat as he moved around the table placing silverware. Sabbath joined in as Cross started pulling chairs up to the table.

Okay, so it was impossible to tell anything was wrong with Caden, but Sabbath could see right through people, and Kieran knew Cross could too. He sighed and made a note to try and talk to him about it. Caden never talked to him about anything. He listened, but he wouldn't talk. It hurt.

Dwyn poured tea swiftly, setting out little bowls of sugar and such as Sabbath went to the oven, took the door down, and removed the roast she'd had in there since the morning. It was somewhat small for the number of people there, hence the ammount of other food. With amazing alacrity and organization for such a large and disorganized group, they were seated and eating, talking amongst themselves and getting to know each other, or just catching up. Before anyone noticed it, it was time to leave, and the night was winding to an end.

***
Much later, Dwyn was yawning chronically and Sabbath had escorted their guests out graciously, summoning a combination of spells to get her dishes to do themselves, as she was simply too tired after withstanding so much company. She sent Kieran and Dwyn to bed with their teapot and an extra blanket against the winter chill, admonishing them not to do anything that would make their parents fight over them tomorrow.

Kieran was sitting at Dwyn's side, curled into him on the bed. "So what is that tea?" he inquired, finally too curious to stand the smell of it anymore. It was warm under the extra blanket and warmer so against Dwyn, the thin line on his chest hypersensitive to the slightest pressure.

Dwyn shrugged out of his tunic and belt, leaving just his pants in place. "Catnip," he said with a smirk. "And now that nobody's around except the two of us, you can have it."

Kieran looked at the teapot, eyes widening. "I... well... I guess. I've never had cat-mint," he confessed softly, wriggling out of his shirt and narrow belt as well.

Dwyn smiled and slipped behind him, leaning in to run his fingers along the scars on Kieran's back. "Well, consider it an experiment... and don't worry, I'll have some too." He reached over and poured two cups.

Kieran shivered and leaned into Dwyn's touch, nodding slowly. "Alright. Shin yo desu," he said, giving the other boy a sweet smile as he lifted one of the cups, sniffing at it curiously. Oh, it smelled absolutely delicious; he licked his lips and eyed it. ~Here's to hoping I don't set myself on fire.~ He tentatively took a sip.

Dwyn picked up his mug and drank slowly, sitting on the bed in front of Kieran, feet folded up underneath him, pale and muscled frame curled under as he cupped his hands, no longer in their gloves but still bandaged from the wrists up, around the cup.

Kieran purred softly, taking another drink. He liked tea, and it was a very nice tea. It made him feel shivery and warm, like everything was perfectly okay.

Dwyn made a quiet sound of pleasure as he smelled the soothing aroma of the hot tea, watching Kieran. "I don't want you to do anything you'd regret later," he said quietly. "So maybe it's best to tell me now what you do and don't mind."

Kieran looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "I trust you," he repeated, this time so Dwyn could comprehend. "Anything you want, you can have." It felt right to say that, and as the tea started to take effect, suddenly there was no right or wrong, just fizzyness and warmth.

"And anything you want, you can have," Dwyn told him solemnly. He pulled Kieran toward him and laid him back on that bed, getting up and selecting a few knives of varying lengths and blade types from his rather large collection.

Kieran gazed up at him and smiled again, dark eyes unfathomable. "Ai shiteru," he purred, propping himself up just enough to drink down the rest of that lovely tea before laying back again, sufficiently more fucked up.

Dwyn didn't know what that meant, but he was willing to let it go. He ran his hands slowly over Kieran's chest. The flesh was so pure, so beautifully unmarked. He could have drawn pictures on that skin with his blades and colored them in blood. And he could even have healed them before they scarred.... but for now, it was probably best to take it slow. He flicked the edge of a blade with his thumb and traced it from Kieran's collarbone down, reopening the almost-closed cut from earlier.

Kieran gave a soft little moan and stretched out, purring throbbingly as his hand closed around Dwyn's. He felt no fear, no doubt, nothing here but a perfect safety. It was incredible to give up control so completely, and the blood... the blood just made everything more -real-.

Dwyn's lips found the wound, teeth plying at the edges of it, sucking firmly along the cut as he dug the tip of the knife into Kieran's torso just below his stomach and slowly made a very shallow cut down to his navel.

Kieran gasped and clung to Dwyn's shoulder, arching into his touch, into the sweet silver kiss of the blade. His tail twitched rapidly as he trembled, eyes very wide and pupils almost entirely dilated, though it was impossible to tell.

His thumbnail dug gently into that first cut as he moved lower, tongue finding the cut down the center of his body and meandering along it before he fastened lips and teeth to it and drew hard at the skin, drawing the blood into his mouth. He didn't swallow, licking the entire length of the wound clean with languid flicks of his tongue. Gods, Kieran tasted SO good... he raised his head, blood falling from his lips to spatter on pale flesh of a heaving stomach. And he crawled up Kieran's body and hovered, lips a millimeter from his, the scent of blood strong in his nostrils.

Kieran licked his lips as a drop of blood fell and struck the corner of his mouth. It felt good. It didn't hurt... not at all. It was like Dwyn's touch -couldn't- hurt him. It felt almost as though that knife could carve away all the distractions and leave him perfectly vulnerable.

Dwyn continued to hover there, knife flat dragging slowly up his stomach, over his chest, to pry at the softly darkened skin at the edge of a nipple.

Kieran's breath caught in his throat and he shivered violently, fingers convulsing on Dwyn's shoulders. There was a hanging antici... pation that made every inch of his skin tingle, the smell of blood thick and heavi in the air making a heady perfume.

Dwyn pressed his lips firmly to Kieran's, tongue slipping the taste of his own blood into his mouth, foisting, forcing, urging, sharing. The tip of the knife he brushed over the hardened nub of the nipple over and over, rubbing the sensitive flesh raw.

Kieran's purr tripled in volume as he lifted his chin, returning the kiss sweetly. Blood and spice was the flavor there, metallic and insistent. Kieran's tail wound itself around Dwyn's leg as the nekojin arched his back, begging that cold silver to bite him again.

Dwyn's teeth closed on his bottom lip and ground it painfully between them, though with the blood already coating their tongues it was hard to say if he drew blood or not. He broke away then, sitting up, straddling Kieran's thighs and holding the knife in a measuring grip, eyeing Kieran's torso. After a moment, he made another small cut, the mirror image of the one on the other side of Kieran's chest, under his collarbone.

Kieran moaned shakily, his eyes wide as they stared up at Dwyn. He hadn't blinked yet, and he was tensed, every inch of his body trembling with the sheer pleasure of that knife, of the taste of blood in his mouth.

Dwyn's mouth was there, licking up the blood before it could stain his sheets. He sucked until the cut clotted, then moved to one of Kieran's arms, slicing thin, parrallel lines around his upper bicep in a band-like pattern, moving slowly, breathing shakily, his fingers guiding the knife with great precision.

Kieran bit his lip and tangled a hand in Dwyn's hair, pulling harshly as he shivered. He didn't know why that felt so good, or why he should want Dwyn to slide him to ribbons, but he did, and it felt good. Finishing. He felt reality crystalize again, shattering with a tinkling of glass that rippled in the back of his mind.

Dwyn started to pant as his tongue followed the blade, sometimes coming too close and getting cut, not that he noticed much. he lapped up the blood, tilting the knive and cutting new lines at an angle to the vertical ones, beginning what seemed to be liable to turn out as a very complex arm-band design.

Kieran cried out softly as the world spun; he was starting to get dizzy. He knew he hadn't lost more than a spoon of blood yet, so it had to be the cat-mint. He wanted to purr and knead Dwyn and revel in the sweet, sweet pain.

Dwyn let up on that arm, as he couldn't do any more without ruining what he'd already done. He'd have to let these cuts scar and then he could continue. But he had another arm to do, and he pulled Kieran's hand up, nibbling his way roughly from the wrist to the inner elbow and biting down on the soft skin there.

Kieran twitched and twined his fingers all the tighter in Dwyn's hair, purring loudly. He was completely uninhibited, entirely at Dwyn's mercy and loving every minute of it. Perfect faith.

Dwyn's left fingers curled around kieran's hand as he flicked the blade over his arm, each cut followed by his hungry mouth as he dug the knife in sharply, cutting just a bit of the muscle under the skin, making it hurt without causing so much damage.

The pain was slicing its way into him, deeper into his blood and his bones, but it wasn't pain as Kieran knew pain. It froze and burned and LIVED and it was Dwyn, marking him, devouring him.

"I want to eat you alive," he groaned, sounding almost pained as his tongue left a bloody streak across Kieran's chest.

Kieran's nails dug into Dwyn's scalp as he shivered again. "You can," he whispered, black eyes fixed on those molten gold orbs.

Dwyn sucked in a breath and fastened his lips to Kieran's, stealing his breath as he ravaged his mouth, teeth kissing him as much as lips and tongue did. He kept his eyes open, watching Kieran's face, drowning in endless black. His eyes were so like that abyss Dwyn danced the edge of... and fractured behind them, a fracture just like the one in his own mind. "You were my twin," he whispered, diving in to bite Keiran's neck and gnaw at the spice-scented skin.

"You were mine," Kieran said simply, voice trembling, every shimmering memory dancing just out of reach, sparkling along the edges of that fracture. His world consisted of blood, metal, and -Dwyn-, and it was perfect.

"Through a glass darkly," he murmured, nails digging into Kieran's shoulders as he tasted every square inch of that slender throat with teeth and tongue, eventually digging his teeth into Kieran's shoulder.

Kieran dragged his hand down Dwyn's back, nails scraping over his skin as the boy moaned softly, arching into those delightfully sharp teeth, a feral hunger gnawing at his tender skin. ~Arekuru...~

Dwyn arched into his nails, groaning quietly as his muscles rippled under Kieran's hands and his body shifted on top of Kieran, rubbing lightly against him before settling again. He licked the wounds his teeth had made up Kieran's neck and ran his tongue around the rim of Kieran's ear. he wasn't really sure what he was going for here. he was devoting himself purely to instinct. And so far, instinct was proving dead pleasurable...
to be continued... Back to part four / On to part six
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