The Pendant

A Larva/Miyu story

All characters do not belong to me, with the exceptional of a few original, minor characters, but I do claim the rights to the story. After a hectic life, this story continues. ;)

Oh yes, Larva thought, curving an amused smile. Look at her, the picturesque vision of an angel. Her claws now sheathed, her eyelids gently closed, breathing in and out soundly, her breasts heaving up and down, her lips slightly parted. Her dark hair was fanned beneath her, her skin as smooth as porcelain. If she weren't so incredibly complex like the she-devil herself when conscious, one could almost think she could rival even the most glorious maiden in all of the Fairy Bless.

"But of course, without all that hot air, she'd never be as charming," contemplated Larva, thoughtfully. "Certainly she has the looks, but what good does it do when it comes with an empty shell? Or, God forbid, an empty head?"

"...what are you mumbling about now, you evil cretin?" Miyu mumbled, sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Startled, Larva turned to her, finding her shifting herself in an upright position and glancing at him in daze. When it became apparent to her just who was sitting a good few inches away from her, the mist in her head cleared and her eyes took on that familiar look of wariness. Larva didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed. Annoyance seemed to win, as Miyu pointed at him, and then the bed sheets.

"You," she pointed at him. "Me. In this bed?" She shook her head violently. "Never. Get off now before I kick your arse right out of this door. And believe me, I will not hesitate."

Larva's humor returned. "No doubt you will hold onto your promise, dear girl, but you must remember: it's easier said than done. Without a shadow of a doubt, you can certainly try... but will you succeed?" Larva tilted his head to the side, easily dodging the pillow hurled at him. "I think not, given your, um, elfin feminine frame."

"In other words, I'm just a puny little girl, is that it?" Miyu scowled, frustrated by how lightly he was taking things. "For the last time, get off!"

"Kicked off from my own bed?" Larva's tone was a blend of incredulity and laughter. "I don't think so, but of course, you're more than welcome to join me if you wish, if only for the sake of a warm bed."

Miyu was off from the bed even before he had finished speaking. The crimson flush on her cheeks couldn't be missed; Larva couldn't help but laugh. "I was merely jesting, dear girl. But you see..." Elegantly, he held out a foot, which caused Miyu to nearly stumble when she began making her way to the door. Larva bit back his laughter; Miyu's glare at him was positively scathing. "I wasn't jesting about the warm bed. Unaccustomed to the climate of my world, you will definitely not fare well alone."

"I can manage fine," she protested, eyeing him warily. "You're really not giving me the credit I deserved, and if you mean the other way, God help me, I will bash your head to the wall-"

Larva held up his hands, smiling. "There's no need to rush into specific details, really. But I should've known better than to pretty up words for you, indeed, I should," he murmured, almost to himself.

Aloud, he said to her easily," You see, there is naught a more handsome gentleman you will ever lay eyes on in the Fairy Bless, Miyu, aside from the very one you lay eyes on now." He held up a hand when he saw her made an incredulous face. "This is not excessive arrogance on my part, for this is fact." He whacked the pillows on his bed a good three times before lying down comfortably, never mind that he was leaving Miyu standing alone. "An appealing young man, who unknowingly captured the heart of a young sorceress one fine day, braved through the hordes of young and old wenches day by day, not knowing any moment of privacy except when caged behind the bars of an enormous mansion."

"My heart bleeds for you," Miyu mumbled, sarcastically. But as she wouldn't crawl into bed with him, she sat cross-legged on the floor, her curiosity piqued. About time that Larva went forth and spilled the entire story.

Larva went on as if he didn't hear her. "This sorceress, though comely, could not compare to the significant other of the man she loved, who's known for her exquisite beauty and shrewdness, hence she participated in the forbidden black arts." He sighed and closed his eyes, recalling everything. "Black arts can be used for good or evil, depends on the path you're taking. Anyway, days went by as she ceaselessly declared her love for this fine man, and ceaselessly did he politely refuse her declarations, simply because it bothered him to see this amazingly deep level of obsession. Until finally, she spotted him conversing with some ladies-"

"Conversing?" Miyu interrupted, raising her eyebrows. "I find that totally hard to believe."

"Do allow me to finish this sordid tale, if you don't mind. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, this simple incident caused her to go overboard, indulging herself completely into the lost magics, and for some odd reason, it was not the women he daily socialized with, not even the lovely gem of a lover he had by his side..."

"...but the man himself," Miyu finished, dully. "Why am I not surprised?"

"It was an unjust action," he protested, injured. "One that exceeds even the limits of boundaries in principles of a human. The man was so obviously not at fault here, and yet, he bears the burden abruptly inflicted on his already heavy shoulders. Tis' the start of a new period of his life, sealed in a dastardly pendant, and in the slender hands of no men, but women themselves. Perhaps she sensed his revulsion, of being completely in the mercy of a woman. How utterly smart of her, indeed, to cast the delicate creatures as mistress of a wild and untamed spirit as me- I mean, him."

"How clever of you to label yourself as a horse."

"You really won't offer me the condolences that I so completely deserve, would you?"

"Can't say I would, when I feel more pity for the sorceress in question, which is odd."

"What an unsympathetic girl," the man sighed, and rose from the bed. "A heart as ice, they say."

Miyu tried to edge away from the neared footsteps as much as she could without being too obvious. "So... is there any cure to it?"

Larva's smile was anything but assuring. Obviously, he wasn't the least bit concerned over his imprisonment at all; it seemed his mind was focusing on other essential issues. Judging by the way he was looking at her, Miyu didn't think she wanted to delve under the surface at all. Bloody hell, could the man not think of anything else but sexual innuendos?

"So about that bed..."

"If you'll excuse me," Miyu returned just as smoothly, quickly rising to her feet. "I think I ought to be going now."

"Oh, for God's sake, Miyu." His hand quickly latched onto hers just as she marched to the other direction. She could practically feel him laughing. "I told you, I was just jesting. Whether you think I think only of my flesh or not, I'm a honorable man and I do believe I mean it when I said you're as frail as a man's little sister." His meaning was unmistakable.

Miyu was stung. Why she felt stung, she didn't know. "Then little sisters shouldn't be sleeping together with their grown brothers, should they?" Miyu tugged on her wrist, which he obviously didn't release. "I really want to get out of this room, away from you preferably."

Larva stared at her for a long moment. "I made you mad," he stated simply, as if he was stating an obvious fact.

"Hardly," she shook her head, unconvincingly, forcing herself not to flinch when his arms came around her. She could feel his breath prickling her ear. "How amusing you can be, dear girl, though it's a bloody shame I almost didn't remember it until now. No one faults you for lusting for the prize that holds you as the center of his world, and with the extra-ordinary looks thrown in the bargain too."

"And how remarkable you can be, to say all of that with a straight face."

"Now, now," Larva couldn't help but laugh. "Perhaps I may go overboard at times, but what is a man, really, if he is not prideful?"

"You, of all people, should know the unimaginable stress when hurled in completely foreign worlds, and as bizarre as a world like this, I can't say I'm settling down well enough... yet."

"If it were anyone but you who used that flimsy excuse, I wouldn't have believed it in an instant. But given your incredible intricacy and character..." he could hear Miyu stiffen indignantly. "I guess anything's possible." He released her after that, almost regretting it after the warmth left him. Ah, but she was sadly off-limits. "Good night to you, dear girl, but remember," he wagged a winger at her. "The offer still stands. As an alluring mistress of a certain scoundrel before you, I could say you're within a very good chance to get yourself in trouble as well."

Miyu blinked, confused. "Why?"

Larva smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Everyone knows she lurks within a radius of where I'm standing."

There was something wrong with that logic. "And you think I would be safe from her if I sleep on the same bed with you? The very man she loved enough to curse?" she said disbelievingly, her eyes round. "Am I the only one who thinks there's something wrong with that?"

"Tis the bond between a master and slave," he shrugged, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "The curse she used makes sure of that. I've seemed to always work that into an advantage, though it can't be done about it, since the black arts is like a double-edged sword. In my lovable sorceress' case, she knows we share a bond, but she can't do anything about it. A side-effect, you could call it," he shrugged again. "It's painful for her, yes."

"But with pain... comes pleasure." Larva looked squarely at his hands, and if Miyu didn't know any better, she'd reckon Larva almost looked momentarily lost. "And there was no one more aware of that than herself."

It was pouring the next morning. Miyu had woken up feeling tired and groggy, and then remembered the room she had slept in. Looking down the beds, she found Larva sprawled under a couple of bed sheets, completely dead to the world. Shaking her head, she quietly hopped out of bed, careful to tiptoe around Larva so she wouldn't disturb the man; she nearly went tumbling to the ground when he lightly cradled her ankle, most probably by accident. Her frown on her face was slight as she managed to work her ankle out of his grasp and calmly resisted the temptation to stomp on the man himself.

She didn't expect to encounter Garline at so early a morning. Though his greeting to her was jovial, she could tell he was a little unsure as to how to act around her, a total foreigner from another world summoned to his, though judging by the looks of hers, it was no wonder Garline was eyeing her oddly. Blushing against her will, Miyu tried to smother down her hair as nonchalantly as possible, while attempting to strike up a light conversation. Oh yes, a conversation about the weather. How thrilling.

At least he managed to sense her efforts, and was seemingly contributing to it as well.

"... rains every bloody day," the other man was saying casually, walking to the chamber doors and spreading them open. The sounds of rain beating down the rooftops filled their ears. "It's hard to have a good walk around the area without soaking your jacket, much less make it to the other side of the town."

"But there are umbrellas; don't you use them?" she inquired, crinkling her eyebrows.

"Umbre...llas?" Garline frowned, apparently confused. Realizing her mistake, Miyu silently kicked herself for her little blunder. Obviously, those things didn't exist in his world, after all. "We use them for shelter," she explained. "People take them for granted, but they're really useful conveniences." She gestured with her hands, demonstrating the wonders of a little umbrella.

The conversation grew more relaxed after that, and Miyu discovered a few tidbits about Garline that she wouldn't have thought of as well – that he loved to provoke his brother at the slightest chance, if only to see that moderate temper run wild, to have himself distanced from tons of friends and women, simply because he couldn't tolerate standing out in a crowd, to prefer pies over cake, and the likes.

"...should you be accustomed here in time," he was saying. "Give a few more days, and you'll settle down in no time, dear."

Miyu paused, looked at her hands and managed to get out a," But you see..." before a flash of blue hurricane whizzed past the entrance doors. Instantly alert, Miyu instinctively took a step backwards, completely taken aback and narrow-eyed. What in the world was that? Garline, on the other hand, did not look completely nonplussed as she, even seeming to fight down a smile.

"Tis a habit she has, the little darling," he explained, holding out his hands helplessly. "A detestable habit, but where she is concerned, I'm liable to make exceptions to her."

"Her?" Miyu echoed.

As truth told it, it was indeed a girl... no, a woman in fact. Locks of blond hair neatly held back by white ribbons that trailed down her back, warm blue eyes that reminded of a cerulean sea; Miyu felt like a shy schoolboy when standing next to her, with a rumpled shirt that was obviously too big for her. And yet, when she narrowed her eyes at Miyu's figure, apparently captivated by the shirt, Larva's shirt, in fact, Miyu could suddenly feel the atmosphere change.

"Why, hello, dearie," she cooed, her lips curling into a small smile. "And who might you be, considering that Lord Garline and Larva had naught a charming little sister?"

"I..." Miyu didn't know what to say, so she turned to Garline for assistance.

"Miyu, allow me to introduce you to my brother's... cohort, Lady Carlua. Carlua dear, Miyu, Larva's, uh... mistress for the time being." Miyu did not have to be told that this woman was undoubtedly aware of the curse Larva was under.

He made a face when Carlua pinched him. Then, she explained," There's no need to flower such a sentence when all you could've said was simply 'lover'. Though I'm afraid I'm now dreadfully appalled by my abrupt streak... I think I've been lingering around you too much, Lord Garline."

The two women then stared at each other for a long while, with Garline blissfully unaware of the slight tension between them, looking out the window and all.

"Ah, yes," Carlua clapped her hands together, as if she'd forgotten something. "I heard Larva was back, so I decided to pay him a little visit; just where is the dear man, anyway?" Her shoulders slumped slightly. "Most probably, he's still sleeping at this time of the morning, so..." her voice trailed off.

Miyu's eyes fluttered shut and hoped to God that Carlua didn't expect her to ask just how she had come to find that out.

"Well, he does love surprises," she tapped her chin. "So I'll be off to his bedchambers, delightfully surprising him. It has been an extraordinarily long time, hasn't it?" She bowed her head slightly to Miyu. "My apologies for not being able to converse with you more, Miyu dear, but I really have got to go. Perhaps we could chit-chat sometime later?" She waved before lifting up her skirts and trudging deeper into the halls, where the bedrooms were. "It's been truly a pleasure meeting Larva's mistress, truly it is!" And she was off, leaving Garline and Miyu staring after her.

"Well, she certainly is a cheerful one, isn't she?" he asked, after a long while.

Miyu nodded in agreement, looking down. Garline, the ever tactful one, noted her composure. For a moment, he debated on whether to say something or to just keep his mouth shut, but always, sentiments overruled logic in his book. And so, whether or not he was just being brutally honest or adding into the fire, he couldn't help himself and commented," Dear girl, perhaps it's time to set your sights on another, seeing that this one is already taken. I've seen many a heart shattered to pieces once the lady marks her status, and believe me, tis not a pretty sight, I say."

"Not a pretty sight?"

Garline sighed, apparently overwhelmed with memories. "Yes. Those ladies that came banging onto our doors, whether they would want me or my brother to receive them; it's simply too much for us to handle... thankfully, it died down a couple of nights ago, but still, we hadn't dared step a foot outside lest we get ourselves into more trouble than we already once were. I suggest you look elsewhere for a suitor, because that rogue of a brother of mine will, in any case, never settle down."

"A suitor?" Miyu finally looked up. Garline saw that she was smiling. "You must be mistaken. I think of Larva as a... a brother of mine, if you will. As he'd said before, he regarded me solely as a sister and nothing but a sister at that-"

"Hogwash," Garline couldn't help but snort. "I've seen how the man looks at you-"

"Nothing that is meant to be interpreted wrongly," she countered. "If he looks at me, then it's not me that he really sees; it's the representation of a woman that I am to him. He lusts for a woman and no wonder too, because he's been deprived of that issue ever since I summoned him to my world, unintentionally by the way. You regarded him as a rogue, and even he had all but admitted it out loud for the world to hear. A different woman, morning, noon and night, he told me. We've only arrived last night, and when the sun finally rises up and high, you can bet he'd be out of here in a flash and pampering himself to the ladies' affections like a sponge soaking up water."

Garline had been making strange gestures in the middle of her speech, and now that she was fully taking the scene in, she saw that he was looking behind her shoulder, and had an odd face as well. Just what was he doing, anyway, waving his fingers and shaking his head? After a long moment of watching Garline, then it sank in. Then Miyu was still; she didn't have to know what – or who – was behind her, not even when a long arm slipped on her shoulders and pulled her close. Her breath caught.

"Pampering himself to the ladies' affections, you say?" the horrifically familiar tone murmured into her ear.