Circle Game 4: Oh My Demi God!
A/N: Welcome back! And thank you so much for your kind comments. Here we have a formal introduction to our uninvited guest. He has a few things to say to Chris, and as he is who he is, Chris takes note. But after all is said and done, we wonder, is he truly uninvited after all?
As always I do not own Fruits Basket. And while he is an OC, I don't really own the uninvited guest either as he owns himself and is very good at throwing his weight around. Consider me his biographer :)
Chris is Concerned
By the time we were ready to leave the restaurant, Gure was almost dead weight, which made it difficult to maneuver him given his superior height and solid form. I figure what had happened to him had effected him more than I thought, but Tori took his pulse and looked into his eyes and said,
"He's likely just tired. Take him home and monitor him. If he seems to get worse, call an ambulance and then call me and I'll help you see him."
"Thanks Tori."
With his help I was able to get him to my car and after promising to check in, I took Gure to my apartment so that I could keep an eye on him. After getting him ready for bed, I tucked him in and sat next to him while he dozed to make sure he was ok. When he finally went to sleep I kissed him on the forehead and I left him to sleep. Remembering that he had planned to go back home that night, I called Eichi, asking how the kids were as Gure was sleeping.
"My uncle, Tori's dad, is looking in on them. They won't start trouble. It's peaceful here."
"Thanks. He's fine. He's just a bit tuckered out.""
"Wow, I owe Gure a lot. Thank him for me again."
"I will."
We signed off and, after getting myself of cup of herbal tea, I sat down to read the paper, figuring I'd have a quiet night while Gure recuperated. But after a few minutes I heard him softly call my name. Walking into my bedroom, I saw him sprawled on my bed like he had been the night after the Hanami. If possible he was even more beautiful than usual. His open robe displayed his toned upper body; His skin glowed in the moonlight; and his eyes were kind but full of a serenity I had never seen in him. They seemed to be ages old, and infinitely wise. He smiled at me, and the hairs at the nape of my neck rose. I must have looked transfixed as a note of amusement entered his eyes and he said.
"The full moon's light favors me. Please, sit down beside me, I believe I owe you a story. I won't bite. Or if I do it will be below your collar line."
He gave me a lopsided grin as usual but I suddenly felt a bit scared about what he was going to say. I still hadn't gotten over the scene in the club, and I worried that what he would tell me would be just as terrifying.
"It can wait."
I'm afraid it can't. We are reaching an important date and there are several things that must be in place before that happens. And in order for that to happen, you must hear my tale."
He reached out for my hand. He was so warm. I feared he was ill so I moved to put my hand on his forehead. Seeing the worry in my face he said,
"I'm fine Chris, really I am. I'm still just a bit nerved up from the club. Now please get comfortable. I'm going to tell you a bedtime story."
He pulled me close and I put my head on his shoulder. I was curious, so even though I was scared I got comfortable and prepared myself for whatever was going to come. Looking down at me tenderly, he kissed me on the forehead. He then straightened as if readying himself to recite one of his poems. He began to speak in a soothingly musical voice I had never heard him use before. I tried to see the expression in his eyes, but he had closed them, as if trying to remember a tale from a distant past.
"Listen Chris," he intoned, "Listen well while I tell you of a time long, long ago; And while it has been a very long time since it was told in its entirety and although the details slip through my mind like sifting sand in an hourglass, I will attempt to tell you a tale of a time before any of us walked the earth; A tale about a time when a capricious God and a jilted Water Goddess entered a most dangerous game of chance; A time when two Deities picked up dice and played a game for the souls of those who had done no wrong other than to be caught up in that game, that game of spinning cycles, that circle game. And so my love, I present to you my tale, entitled, The Circle Game.
The Circle Game
Once upon a time, as tales of this nature go, there was a beautiful Water Goddess named Katoha. And while she had the forest animals to keep her company, and oh so many spirits came to visit, very few stayed to chat and their passing conversations barely kept her interest. Thus she found her life very dull for she had yet to find true love. She had spent eons alone, splashing in her pond, trying to capture the attention of someone to fill her lonely, unfulfilled days. She wished for that person, that fulfilling person to call her own. But she feared her prayers would never be answered and that she would remain forever alone. But this is a love story of sorts. So her state was ephemeral. The God of all thing listened to her pleas, and promised that someone would come to fill her life with something, if not meaning or love. One must be very careful how one wishes as the Gods can be capricious and have a habit of being maliciously literal minded. And literal minded he was, much to her future dismay.
And so it came to pass that a newcomer found his way to her remote pool. He was different from any being that she had ever seen as he walked on two legs and seemed anchored to the ground. He was lost, and parched, and soon collapsed at the edge of her pool after wandering for hours in her forest. Saddened to see the newcomer fall, she leaned forward and kissed his lips and let a bit of her essence flow into him, thus slaking his thirst and reviving him from his stupor. The first view he saw as he woke was of the Water Goddess, and he drew back in fear. But her essence calmed him, reassured him, brought him rest.
As she was a water deity, she was a playful soul by nature. Her burbling laughter filled his ears with joy and her body flowed around him catching him in her wake and spinning him in the eddies of her ebullient mood. The sunlight caught in her hair like jewels and her eyes sparkled with the dancing light of sun-dappled pools.
He was captivated. And soon he fell in lust. The two became one and he pledged his life to her, a sacred bond in the spirit world. And this would have been all well and good had the man respected that vow. But as things happen, the call of distant shores reached him even in that secluded place. And he left her. For 13 years she mourned her abandonment. Thirteen long years. And for every year of her abandonment, a spirit was born from her body, a twisted child of a loveless union, each personifying the emotions she had felt at the time of their births. And on that 13th year, she cried her last tear. And then she got even. Calling to the God of all things, she prostrated herself before him and pleaded that he answer her prayers of revenge. She called for him to ensure that that man's family would be cursed forever more; That his family be visited with children born wrapped up in those angry spirits so that they too would know
her anger
her sadness
her loneliness
and her rage.
The God agreed, and invited her children to a dinner party where they were told of their fate. The cycle was set in motion during that party with the spirit of the cat being left out from the celebration altogether. Each spirit was formed into an animal that held their essential nature and thus the Zodiac was born. The Cat was a special case, born that last year of agony, born tangled up in his mother's loneliness and despair. He was destined to be a loner; destined to never feel the family's love; destined to fight against a family that would exclude him.
And after he had completed his work, The God decided to make a wager with the Water Goddess as he was a gambler at heart. "I have granted you your wish," He said to her. "This family will be cursed to succor your vengeful children. But let us make this interesting as I am a betting man. Let us make a wager. Let us bet on if one of the vessels who will carry your children can break the chains of the curse that binds them. But how? Oh yes, let's say that they can do this by convincing an outsider to love them despite the curse. The curse will break when true love breaks through the darkness to reveal their hidden light."
"And what will you give me should they remain bound within the curse?"
"My hand in marriage and an unbroken curse."
"And your prize if you are victorious?"
"The broken curse. And your banishment to the outer realms where you will meet no one forever more."
"And the time span?"
"83 turnings of the cycle of 12."
The God even volunteered to follow them through the shifting cycles of 12 to keep the spirits in line and to attempt to keep the curse intact. It was only fair as so much was riding on that wager.
The Water Goddess accepted his terms as if he had not spoken of eternal banishment.
For she knew in her heart of hearts that no one could love her children, born from her
sadness
and loneliness
torture
and rage.
So she sat by her pool, which reflected the passage of time, watching and waiting to see if anyone could break that curse. Her curse on that family…..
The family…
Sohma.
And thus began a most dangerous game.
For almost a thousand years, the bonds of that curse held strong. None could or would fall in love with those vessels. The secret of their fate was well kept and for those who dared draw near, only torture and sadness was guaranteed.
The God roared that none would prevail. He kept them in line, and quashed any relationships that could bring about success. Any encounter that could yield a child caused the spirits' animalistic side to take over their bodies, transforming their watery forms into their corresponding Zodiac animals. This generally brought the love affair to an end full stop as you can imagine. And if they continued despite the curse, the God stamped upon their growing relationship as if someone stamping out an igniting fire. Relationships between men were not encouraged but the God turned a blind eye to them, unless they seemed to be edging too close towards love. And when that happened, disaster befell the two.
He felt me shudder beside him, and he took a moment to hold me close and whispered soothing things to me. When I calmed he continued.
Their parents were told they bore tainted children that must be kept secret and the reigning thirteen were kept far away from love's warmth for generations. They lived in darkness and grew twisted and stunted as they were not allowed to thrive.
The bonds of that curse remained strong until one day, a young woman, pure of heart and sweet of temper saw something gleaming behind those dark and twisted souls; found beauty in the ugliness; refused to shy away when the spirits reared back in anger and fear; Found love where none had survived before. The young woman bravely faced the God despite all his wrath. And with true loves' kiss, she brought forth a resounding CRACK! that reverberated through the Goddess' pool and caused her to cry out in rage! For it was the Cat, the most rejected of her children, that broke the first link in that chain that would lead to the end of the curse forever.
The Dog spirit, born of his mothers' scheming guile, saw the curse begin to shatter like ice on a pond on a mild spring day and began to hope against hope that escape was possible. Pushing his brother spirits to find their own loves, he watched link after link break until only he and the God remained under its control. He tried very hard, but his link still remained. And even when there was an opportunity to snap his own leash at the price of another's freedom he sacrificed his chance for love and rather did all he could to break his brother's chain.
The Fates saw his selfless act, and sent someone to him; someone who was very sweet, and very kind, and infinitely patient; someone who could love him despite his curse; someone who could break the final links in that chain and set free those remaining souls.
Chris Talks to Gure?
Opening his eyes, he smiled that amazing smile and said,
"This old Dog will always be thankful for that crack because it provides him with hope of escape from a tiresome cycle of birth, death and rebirth. And,"
He touched my cheek,
"Because it led me to you. For that I am grateful as you are going to help me finally break that curse by binding your soul to Gure's through a sacred ritual. It doesn't matter which one; the important thing is that you pledge your love to him and vow to love him forever."
He stroked my cheek, obviously meaning to soften the responsibility he had placed on my shoulders.
But instead of taking comfort in his gesture, I felt terrified. For I knew I was not speaking to Gure. As he finished his tale, the clouds that had been obscuring the moonbeams shifted, bathing him in a silvery glow. I thought I could make out the spectral outline of very pointed ears on the top of his head and I saw that the slight glow had returned to his eyes. However, playful embers danced there rather than the smoldering flamesthat had turned his gray eyes to ash. So my fear dissipated. He looked tired, but his eyes were filled with love. Taking my hands in his, he said,
"I know you're afraid, but I mean you no harm. Far from it."
And while I had no doubt that I was in the presence of a deity; and while I should have been terrified speechless or in complete denial of the truth of his existence, his expression was so caring that I came to believe three important things in that moment:
1. Deities could walk among us.
2. When they did so they were sexy as hell.
And most importantly,
3. That even if they had a mouth full of sharp teeth they didn't always mean to bite you, unless it was gently, and well below your collar line.
So I mustered up my courage, (hoping my question wasn't too impertinent), bowed to him and asked,
"Are, are you a god?"
He smiled at me and said,
"I could be called a Demi God I suppose, as I am the son of a Water Goddess and a feckless human. But given our animosity towards our births, we've never really used such terminology for ourselves. I've always been merely Lord Dog, The Dog, or the Dog Spirit. Or more often than not, That Meddling Dog. But you may call me Inu, as that has become my name."
"Is Gure listening to us?"
"He slumbers. I find it easier not having to fight for control when I have something to say. It doesn't happen often but this situation called for it. So if you have anything to say, or ask me that you'd rather not say in front of Gure feel free."
Something occurred to me. I remembered back to my conversations with Aya around the time of the Hanami. As this was a golden opportunity to straighten out things that still remained quite confused in my mind I asked,
"Did I talk to the Snake that night? I'm assuming that's who it was? Aya seemed to have me charmed like the prey of a cobra. And he was definitely not Aya while he did so."
Inu smiled at me and said,
"Very good Chris. Yes, the Snake had a good time with you. But Aya completed his task easily so He didn't have to take full control like I did. Gure Is being difficult. I thought I had him finally convinced that he was worthy of your love and that he shouldn't fear giving himself completely to you as you wouldn't reject him as others did. But he backpedaled when his parents rejected his olive branch. I almost manifested completely right then and there to give them a piece of my mind, but I decided to be gentle, and let Gure come around himself, fat lot of good that tack did. But at least I've gotten this opportunity to appeal to you. I think you can be just as persuasive in a far more pleasant manner than my own."
I gulped. There was that smile again. I turned the conversation back to my brothers' experiences with their own Demi Gods to save my pounding heart from breaking through my chest. I could tell he had more to say on Gure and I, but I wanted to delay as much as possible, as I was feeling faint.
"And what about Tori?"
"Ah poor, long suffering Hatori: a dutiful soul, saddled with the Dragon. He didn't deserve that lot in life, not that any of the Sohmas deserved the God's perversion. However, besides the Cat, the Dragon was the most vengeful of us all, born of our mother's wrath. He wanted to burn the system down and not deal with social niceties. Did his approach work? Yes. But it nearly cost us everything. And they call me the meddler…."
He looked down and began to grumble as if it was an old argument that still rankled. But he soon turned his gaze to me and I was completely bowled over with the look of love and affection he gave me.
"But come now," he continued, "give us a goodnight kiss and I'll wake sleeping beauty. And you'll both have a happy ending. Hopefully in all senses of the word."
He smirked and leaned into me.
A million questions came to mind as I sat in the presence of a Demi God. I knew he was trying to take his leave, but I had so much to ask. He looked at me with one eyebrow cocked in amusement as the questions spun through my mind. The one that seemed to stick was: did I have sex with Gure when the Dog was present or fronting? And if so, was it better than usual? I felt quite disloyal just thinking that as sex with Gure was impossibly hot. But I couldn't help it. My mind wandered trying to remember anything exceptional in the past few weeks, and then my mind caught on the night Gure had proposed. Gure had been so playful that night. So mischievous. His skin had glowed and he had called for me to worship him. The sex that night had been divine. And I immediately wondered if there was a reason for that.
And so I asked,
"Did I make love to you after we went to visit Gure's family?"
The dog responded with a sly grin.
"That was a fifty-fifty split. I must say I haven't had a night like that in a very long time. I mostly kept demurely in my corner of Gure's mind to give him privacy during his sexual encounters, but I couldn't help it that night as I was already so present and I wanted to show Gure how much you loved him. So I may have enhanced things a little bit, but just a bit. It was also a bit of selfishness on my part as well. The nature of the curse made it almost impossible for me to be loved, which was the whole point of course. But I didn't get much gratification either, as the curse made it nearly impossible to be with women and society made relations between men extremely difficult, bordering on criminal, during certain points in my life. Even when my host was a woman, I only occasionally got a taste for similar reasons. Most of my hosts lived celibate lives, totally crippled by the curse. Some eras were more accepting of couples like you and Gure and I was able to partake more often. The Edo period was a wonderful time for me. I reveled in the Floating World, taking pleasure in the hedonistic lifestyle of the Sohma samurai warriors. And that is why Gure and Aya had such a strong reaction to your shamisen performances. It recalled many wonderful nights in the red light district following kabuki plays.
I coughed, realizing I had just been likened to a courtesan. He smiled and said.
"Don't worry, they don't think of you that way now. At any rate, more often than not I spent my cycles very frustrated. That said, I feel better about leaving knowing I'm leaving him with you. I do thank you for that Christian Girard."
He kissed me gently and I nearly fainted. It isn't every day one hears you satisfied a Demi God. I took a minute to recover, during which Inu smiled at me in amusement. Something occurred to me at that moment.
"Did Gure really want to propose, or was that you proposing to me?"
"Yes, he did propose to you. He wanted very much to propose to you sooner, but he was holding back. I just gave him a bit of a kick that night. That's why it came out strangely. Too bad I didn't kick him harder; or hit him over the head. Gure can be stubborn. He's dragging his feet because he's scared of the enormity of his love for you. It's hard to go against years of being told you aren't worth love. He's always been Fickle Gure to protect his soul from the sting of rejection after rejection. He became the one to dump his lovers in the morning after a night of hot but fairly empty sex, leaving his partner to wonder what they had done to deserve such shallow treatment. And that was partly my fault I'm afraid. The curse got in the way of so many possibilities. But I don't regret it as it means I'm sitting here with you instead of someone else. And I for one prefer this ending than some he, and countless others would have penned for themselves."
He hugged men then, saying,
"But it is time to write that ending. Tie him to you. Encircle his finger in gold. Take his name for your own if you can. But please bring him to see the God. Make your intentions known before the family's Tanabata festival, for the stars will be in perfect alignment then. And then take that final step. The God is waiting for his escape as well. We're both so very tired of being trapped on this carousel for so long. This is our stop. We want to get off."
He looked so tired, as if manifesting himself was taking a lot of energy. But my curious thoughts still raced through my mind. He was a Demi God after all, when did one get to speak to one of those? But did I think to ask about what it was like to live through so much history? To watch so many technologies develop before his eyes? To see the world at peace and war? To see the terrible thunder of the atom bomb? and to see the East slowly open its doors to the West? No. In my addled condition, I couldn't help but think of my baser curiosities.
What would it be like to make love to a Demi God?
Or, to have one make love to you?
Would Gure feel it too?
Would it be right to ask for that?
Could I really ask for that, considering that that would be using Gure to get to someone else, something that was very much a touchy subject for him?
Was I being disloyal wanting to know what it would be like?
Could I live with myself in the morning if I did?
He chuckled and said to me,
"I promise that when you and Gure are bound together as one I will visit you that night. And if Gure is willing, I will thank you personally for everything you have done for him."
I blushed at that, as he had clearly read my mind. He smiled at me and said,
"You're adorable when you're flustered. I can tell you'll be a wonderful mate for our Gure. You have a sweetness to you that Gure needs to balance out his somewhat blunt nature. Well as much as I would love to stay and chat and answer all your questions about all I have seen during my nearly 1,000 years of life, I need to rest. It does take a lot of energy to be so present and I'm already weakened by the partial breaking of the curse. Please remember what I said. We're on a tight schedule and the stakes are high. And while it would be lovely to have more time with you, I do not wish to be bound to this cursed carousel for eternity. And you have the power to save me."
He once again caressed my cheek and pulled me close. Holding me in his warm embrace he whispered,
"I've come to love you Chris, as Gure loves you. "
I could feel my heart thump in my chest as he reclined, pulling me on top of him. Our lips touched and the warmth that I had felt shot through me and I nearly crested. He put his hands on the back of my head and deepened the kiss. I felt his tongue enter my mouth and the touch against mine was electrifying. I felt my mind spin, and suddenly it was filled with barely realized scenes of other times, other places, other faces. Only Inu's presence was constant. I recognized him even though the face he wore changed. The scenes flowed backward, as if I sat on a carousel that was running counter to its intended course. I felt incredibly dizzy and unsure as the faces spun before me, especially when the face in front of me belonged to a woman. But suddenly I felt myself stabilize as the carousel stopped spinning. I felt one last gentle caress of Inu's lips. After that parting kiss I knew that he had left me, for the kiss became the familiar, steadying kiss that had guided me home to Gure throughout my confusing encounters with the Snake. I opened my eyes and Gure was looking up at me with a sleepy smile. After I gently pulled away he said,
"Well, that was a lovely way to wake up. Hello my love. I'm sorry for falling asleep on you. But you look a bit winded yourself. Maybe we should just go to bed. I'm a bit tired so I am hoping you won't mind if my story waits until tomorrow."
He smiled at me mischievously,
"Unless, someone else decided to clue you in himself, totally stealing my fire."
"What gave it away?"
"You have the distinct air of someone who has been totally bowled over by a Demi God.
"Oh, Um..."
He traced my cheek and said,
"Plus, I wasn't quite asleep as he led you to believe. I think that was on purpose as he wanted me to hear your conversation with him without fearing you'd hold back because I was listening. I love you Chris. I want to stay with you forever. I've been a bit afraid yes, but I'm ready."
The look he gave me rivaled the one that Inu had given me and I felt such need shoot through me.
"Gure, I whispered, I need….."
He gave me a slow smile as he must have just noticed my rising need. His hand slipped down my body and I felt him caress me. He whispered,
"Mischievous Dog, what a tease. He gets you all hot and bothered and doesn't have the decency to let you finish."
He proceeded to take me in his mouth and the release I had wanted for quite some time shuddered through me. He looked up at me with his merry gray eyes and said,
"I can't wait for our wedding night."
"Does that mean…"
"Well you'll just have to wait a bit longer to find out."
He then kissed me deeply and any lingering thoughts of Inu melted away like morning mist on a remote pond. I thought I heard an angry splash, but Gure wrapped himself tightly around me and all I knew was his love.
Gure Falls Deeper In Love
I looked at Chris and felt the full depths of the love I had for him. While I had only caught the end of their conversation, I knew he had been encouraged to push me to make things official. I almost wanted to see how Chris planned to convince me, but as Inu had said, we were on deadline. I wouldn't drag my feet anymore. We would go see Kureno in the morning. I had no doubts that our plea would be accepted. Beyond that I wasn't sure what would happen, but I was excited to find out what the Fates had in store for us when the star bridge between Altair and Vega was fully realized, allowing two star-crossed lovers to be joined together.
He held me close and whispered,
"I always knew you had to be partially divine."
"Mmmmm, don't give him too much praise or he'll never want to leave. Inu is a sucker for compliments. Plus, he was only present that one night. The rest was all me."
"I'm kidding Gure, I know you're absolutely fabulous on your own."
I could tell he still wondered what it would be like to have Inu fully present in all his majesty in our bed, and I wondered too, but I wasn't quite sure I was willing to share at that moment as I was jealous that it had been he not me who had finally brought us to our current state of bliss. But I had to give credit where credit was due. Inu was a charmer, almost as charming as the Snake. And I owed him a lot.
Chris held me tight, and kissed me. All thoughts of Inu melted away. I heard the Water Goddess splash angrily in her pool and I was sure to give Chris a smile that I knew would turn in her heart like a knife. At that time, I had no sympathy for her as she had caused my family tortuous pain for generations. As we were exhausted, Chris changed for bed and the two of us lay dozing in each other's arms. Before drifting off I said a silent prayer of thanks to Inu for finally leading me out of the darkness that had surrounded me from birth. I could barely feel his presence, but I could feel the warmth flow through my body that I always felt when he was pleased with me. I heard him chuckle and say,
"You're a good boy Gure. Don't be afraid. He loves you. Just let yourself fall for him completely, and trust that he'll catch you. You won't get dropped this time. I promise."
With that encouragement, I held Chris tighter and fell asleep, and slept the sleep of those who finally have found the love for themselves that they needed to let someone love them.
A/N: I have to say I do love this chapter. And while his presence was known in earlier stories, this is when Inu really started to have a real personality and when his story took off. I do hope you have enjoyed it as much as I, and I do hope you enjoy reading as this love story continues to unfold. Please continue to R and R and as always, I remain, Acta!
