It wasn't the place you found in the city, but rather one that leaned on the edge of town, just between the rotting down buildings and the hustle and bustle of the acknowledged world. It reclined on the edge, standing on both sides, defying the very nature of things with it's existance. Places like this weren't supposed to exist. Places like this weren't supposed to be acknowledged if they did exist. They were illusions, apparitions tucked away in the back of one's head. You looked past them, through them, never straight at them. And you never spoke of them, never.
On rainy nights like this, the place seemed to glow with a ghostly light, perfectly fitting into the place which society had given it. People passed by on the street, cringing in their coats and under their newspapers, adverting their eyes from the monstrosity with watery red lights. If you didn't look at it, it didn't exist. If you didn't acknowledge it, it didn't exist.
But it still haunted the back of your mind.
A lone figure darted through the rain, trying to avoid being soaked more, if that were even possible. His head was ducked into his clothing, not even caring about where he was going. So perhaps that is why when he stumbled into that door way, he didn't seem to care. It was almost like he didn't see the signs, or rather felt that his warmth and driness was more important then any societal notions of right and wrong. Or he could just have been from out of town, and couldn't have known better.
The door opened before him, a young boy standing there in a flowing outfit that looked quite comfortable, but was also quite modest, surprisingly. The young boy had long, thin hair, that was none the less smooth and shone in the dim light, perfectly framing his young and almost exotic looking face and deep brown eyes with the slightest tint of icy blue. The boy flashed a welcoming smile and beckoned the wet man in, already having a towel ready to hand to him.
"Come in, sir. It's warm here, and you are welcome to stay and rest until the rain stops."
The stranger greatfully took the towel and used it to dry off his face and head, then slid out of his coat quickly, still dripping on the floor. The boy responded and took the coat, hanging it on a ready coat hanger next to a few others. Places like this were always ready to serve their guests in every way possible.
"We have dry clothes," the boy added, gesturing to an adjacent room.
"Thank you." The stranger regarded the boy with a suspicious look. "Wait... how much of this am I going to have to pay for? I don't have any money."
The boy favored the man with a sweet smile and a soft laugh. "Don't worry sir, this is simply common curtosy. You'll know when they are services you have to pay for." With that the boy turned and lead the stranger into the adjacent room, letting the door close behind them.
**
A warm shower later and the stranger was completely refreshed. He stepped out of the bathroom and gave a sigh of pleasure as his feet met the plush carpet. A fluffy towel wrapped around his waist, he found one of the softest robes in the world waiting for him on a small stool right outside the bathroom door, and a loose but comfortable looking outfit lying on the bed for him. He stopped from drying his hair and glanced across the room, surprised to still find the young boy standing by the door paciently.
He blinked at the boy, then shrugged and made his way over to the large bed covered in velvet covers. Letting go of the towel, and disregarding the clothes lying out for him, he flopped down on the bed and gave a loud sigh of happiness.
"Now this is heaven."
The boy let out a soft laugh, which echoed around the room like a light breeze. Aside from the soft sound, the boy hadn't moved since the stranger entered the room, at least not that he'd seen. The boy simply waited by the door, watching him with light and child-like interest. The stranger rolled over on the bed to regard him, and to his surprise, the boy looked right back, not bothered at all.
"You think that's funny?"
The boy simply smiled. "Heaven comes in many shapes and sizes I suppose."
"Smart ass," the stranger muttered as he rolled back over and looked up at the ceiling. He blinked as he realized that the ceiling above him was made completely of a mirror, with a vine lattrice pattern crawling over it. Large bed, draping cloth, huge bathroom, mirrored ceiling... the strange sat up, suddenly reminded completely where he was. Without looking back at the boy he slid on the pants laying next to him, and then discarded the towel and pulled on the loose shirt. Standing up he took a few test steps, testing out how the clothing felt. It was strange, after spending a night dressed in soaking wet jeans and thin t-shirts and now this...
"How the hell do you live in clothes like this? I feel naked."
The boy's lips tugged into a small smirk. "I assure you, you are quite dressed."
"Cute, real cute. So um, who's in charge here, I suppose I kinda need to ask permission to stay."
The boy responded with a shrug. "You don't have to, least not tonight, but if you feel so inclined, I'll take you."
The strange nodded and the boy gave a simple nod back. Turning on his heels in a movement that flowed like water around a creek, the boy slid open the door and headed off down the hall. The stranger quickly fell into step behind him, trying to keep up as his eyes scanned the world unfolding around him.
Places like this didn't exist in real life. Places like this existed tucked in your mom's underwear drawer, hidden beneath the panties that showed so much more then they hid. Places like this existed in the shoe box under your best friend's bed, buried somewhere between the magazine of blonds and the postcards of red heads. Places like this were tucked behind bedroom doors, hidden under bathroom cupboards and slipped under pillows. Places like this were kept secret, unrevealed. Places and feelings tucked away, because they won't supposed to exist.
The stranger found himself emmersed in a world exactly like that, filled with deep reds, vivrant greens and shimmering golds. Walls covered with intricate paintings, rather then wallpaper surrounding him, leading him down what looked like a tunnel from his own dreams, deeper and deeper into darkness, led by a young boy who moved more like an element of nature then a human.
Walls of intricate patterns and colors flowed down, giving way to what looked like panes of glass, each one holding one scene or another that looked like a different area of the world. One fill of ice and snow, with water just quietly dripping off of stalagtites from the ceiling, while another reflected the hot desert of somewhere in the equalterial regions. And the stranger's steps became slower as he felt eyes, watching him. He slowed to a stop at a crossroads in the hallways, and finally gave into his curiosity, turning to look into one of those strange windowed rooms.
His eyes met with the image of a cavern, small purple and blue lights cast shadows around the small area and suddenly he realized he wasn't looking through a strange window, but rather a glass door. And what lay inside looked to be a complete differnet world, placed into the size of a small bedroom, yet large enough to be considered elegant. And then, tucked in the back, he spotted the occupants.
A blond, with hair that curled just the slightest at the ends, hinting at a body that wasn't quite into adulthood, or just wouldn't let a hint of that innocence go. His skin was pale, contrasted against the dark grey of the cavern setting and the remenents of his business suit strewn about. Even more of a contrast was the one sleeping next to him, one arm lazily draped across the blond in a hint of possession.
This one wasn't sleeping.
The stranger found himself staring into a pair of deep golden eyes, that watched him curiously in spite of the fact that they were heavy lidded from whatever activites had sent the blond off to sleep. His own skin was more of an olive, hinting at a natural tan, which would have looked pale had it not been next to the blond's complexion for comparison. But, most striking of all, was the long silver hair, which flowed down the back of his body and spilled around him as if it were made of liquid. It couldn't be completely from his head, but the only other explination would have been a tai-
The boy cleared his breath behind the stranger, causing him to jump and turn around quickly in shock. He was greeted by the same friendly smile on the boy's face, though he'd obviously spotted something that wasn't supposed to be shared. He glanced away from the boy but only found the glass to the room was now darkened, now becoming a one way mirror to his sight. He frowned a bit and turned back only to find the boy walking again down the hall. Quickening his steps he followed.
But those golden eyes were burned deep into his mind. Eyes like that, even in an ordinary creature, weren't something easily forgotten.
On rainy nights like this, the place seemed to glow with a ghostly light, perfectly fitting into the place which society had given it. People passed by on the street, cringing in their coats and under their newspapers, adverting their eyes from the monstrosity with watery red lights. If you didn't look at it, it didn't exist. If you didn't acknowledge it, it didn't exist.
But it still haunted the back of your mind.
A lone figure darted through the rain, trying to avoid being soaked more, if that were even possible. His head was ducked into his clothing, not even caring about where he was going. So perhaps that is why when he stumbled into that door way, he didn't seem to care. It was almost like he didn't see the signs, or rather felt that his warmth and driness was more important then any societal notions of right and wrong. Or he could just have been from out of town, and couldn't have known better.
The door opened before him, a young boy standing there in a flowing outfit that looked quite comfortable, but was also quite modest, surprisingly. The young boy had long, thin hair, that was none the less smooth and shone in the dim light, perfectly framing his young and almost exotic looking face and deep brown eyes with the slightest tint of icy blue. The boy flashed a welcoming smile and beckoned the wet man in, already having a towel ready to hand to him.
"Come in, sir. It's warm here, and you are welcome to stay and rest until the rain stops."
The stranger greatfully took the towel and used it to dry off his face and head, then slid out of his coat quickly, still dripping on the floor. The boy responded and took the coat, hanging it on a ready coat hanger next to a few others. Places like this were always ready to serve their guests in every way possible.
"We have dry clothes," the boy added, gesturing to an adjacent room.
"Thank you." The stranger regarded the boy with a suspicious look. "Wait... how much of this am I going to have to pay for? I don't have any money."
The boy favored the man with a sweet smile and a soft laugh. "Don't worry sir, this is simply common curtosy. You'll know when they are services you have to pay for." With that the boy turned and lead the stranger into the adjacent room, letting the door close behind them.
**
A warm shower later and the stranger was completely refreshed. He stepped out of the bathroom and gave a sigh of pleasure as his feet met the plush carpet. A fluffy towel wrapped around his waist, he found one of the softest robes in the world waiting for him on a small stool right outside the bathroom door, and a loose but comfortable looking outfit lying on the bed for him. He stopped from drying his hair and glanced across the room, surprised to still find the young boy standing by the door paciently.
He blinked at the boy, then shrugged and made his way over to the large bed covered in velvet covers. Letting go of the towel, and disregarding the clothes lying out for him, he flopped down on the bed and gave a loud sigh of happiness.
"Now this is heaven."
The boy let out a soft laugh, which echoed around the room like a light breeze. Aside from the soft sound, the boy hadn't moved since the stranger entered the room, at least not that he'd seen. The boy simply waited by the door, watching him with light and child-like interest. The stranger rolled over on the bed to regard him, and to his surprise, the boy looked right back, not bothered at all.
"You think that's funny?"
The boy simply smiled. "Heaven comes in many shapes and sizes I suppose."
"Smart ass," the stranger muttered as he rolled back over and looked up at the ceiling. He blinked as he realized that the ceiling above him was made completely of a mirror, with a vine lattrice pattern crawling over it. Large bed, draping cloth, huge bathroom, mirrored ceiling... the strange sat up, suddenly reminded completely where he was. Without looking back at the boy he slid on the pants laying next to him, and then discarded the towel and pulled on the loose shirt. Standing up he took a few test steps, testing out how the clothing felt. It was strange, after spending a night dressed in soaking wet jeans and thin t-shirts and now this...
"How the hell do you live in clothes like this? I feel naked."
The boy's lips tugged into a small smirk. "I assure you, you are quite dressed."
"Cute, real cute. So um, who's in charge here, I suppose I kinda need to ask permission to stay."
The boy responded with a shrug. "You don't have to, least not tonight, but if you feel so inclined, I'll take you."
The strange nodded and the boy gave a simple nod back. Turning on his heels in a movement that flowed like water around a creek, the boy slid open the door and headed off down the hall. The stranger quickly fell into step behind him, trying to keep up as his eyes scanned the world unfolding around him.
Places like this didn't exist in real life. Places like this existed tucked in your mom's underwear drawer, hidden beneath the panties that showed so much more then they hid. Places like this existed in the shoe box under your best friend's bed, buried somewhere between the magazine of blonds and the postcards of red heads. Places like this were tucked behind bedroom doors, hidden under bathroom cupboards and slipped under pillows. Places like this were kept secret, unrevealed. Places and feelings tucked away, because they won't supposed to exist.
The stranger found himself emmersed in a world exactly like that, filled with deep reds, vivrant greens and shimmering golds. Walls covered with intricate paintings, rather then wallpaper surrounding him, leading him down what looked like a tunnel from his own dreams, deeper and deeper into darkness, led by a young boy who moved more like an element of nature then a human.
Walls of intricate patterns and colors flowed down, giving way to what looked like panes of glass, each one holding one scene or another that looked like a different area of the world. One fill of ice and snow, with water just quietly dripping off of stalagtites from the ceiling, while another reflected the hot desert of somewhere in the equalterial regions. And the stranger's steps became slower as he felt eyes, watching him. He slowed to a stop at a crossroads in the hallways, and finally gave into his curiosity, turning to look into one of those strange windowed rooms.
His eyes met with the image of a cavern, small purple and blue lights cast shadows around the small area and suddenly he realized he wasn't looking through a strange window, but rather a glass door. And what lay inside looked to be a complete differnet world, placed into the size of a small bedroom, yet large enough to be considered elegant. And then, tucked in the back, he spotted the occupants.
A blond, with hair that curled just the slightest at the ends, hinting at a body that wasn't quite into adulthood, or just wouldn't let a hint of that innocence go. His skin was pale, contrasted against the dark grey of the cavern setting and the remenents of his business suit strewn about. Even more of a contrast was the one sleeping next to him, one arm lazily draped across the blond in a hint of possession.
This one wasn't sleeping.
The stranger found himself staring into a pair of deep golden eyes, that watched him curiously in spite of the fact that they were heavy lidded from whatever activites had sent the blond off to sleep. His own skin was more of an olive, hinting at a natural tan, which would have looked pale had it not been next to the blond's complexion for comparison. But, most striking of all, was the long silver hair, which flowed down the back of his body and spilled around him as if it were made of liquid. It couldn't be completely from his head, but the only other explination would have been a tai-
The boy cleared his breath behind the stranger, causing him to jump and turn around quickly in shock. He was greeted by the same friendly smile on the boy's face, though he'd obviously spotted something that wasn't supposed to be shared. He glanced away from the boy but only found the glass to the room was now darkened, now becoming a one way mirror to his sight. He frowned a bit and turned back only to find the boy walking again down the hall. Quickening his steps he followed.
But those golden eyes were burned deep into his mind. Eyes like that, even in an ordinary creature, weren't something easily forgotten.