Opening up | Dance to my sway (M)

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Some posts in this RP contains graphically sexual content, this is contained to just a few posts, and a warning will be put up before those posts so you may skip them if you wish.

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The ash had passed but the damage it had caused was still present. Ayaka was coming back from her trip to the temple when she was called out to by Lee, a young nekojin with pantherlike features. He was one of the town guard, a new recruit who took his job too fucking seriously. “High Priestess!”

Just walk faster, get home. Yes. Home was good.

“High Priestess!” He called out again. Ignore.

Ignore him. Maybe he will take the fucking hint and go away.

“Ayaaka!”

“WHAT!” Ayaka turned on her wooden heel and spun to meet Lee face to face. The young full blooded Nekojin reeled and took a few steps back. “I - ah - that is to say we….”

“Look.” Ayaka sighed as she held the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “I don’t mean to be blunt the last few days have been stressful. I have had countless people asking me to pray on their behalf. I’ve had to deal with an influx of refugees from the North an I am dealing with fuckin’ seedy mc Snakepants at home.”

“That’s….what we are worried about. Have you seen his soul? He’s not-”

“Have you seen mine?” Ayaka shot back.

Lee froze. His eyes breezed over her form and he nodded.

“What is the fuckin’ difference?”

“Y-yours has a wonderful blue centre, his has -”

Ayaka cut him off. She didn’t need to hear the placating bullshit today. “One that looks like the fucking evening sky, when you all stop beng so fuckin’ judgemental it’d be hell on earth.” That statement wasn’t too far from the truth. “I’m fine. Really. If he wanted me dead don;t you think he would have done so by now? Please calm your tiger titties and go back to your duties. And-” Her tone softened as Ayaka paused as she turned back to Lee. “Let me know if that potion is working for Jin.” Lee nodded, thanked her and left.

A number of the Nekojin who didn’t stay indoors during the storm caught a dreadful chest infection, from inhaling the ash. Most of them were soldiers, and Ayaka had given her potions freely to those affected. She was moved by coin, but at the same time, these were her people. She was supposed to be their high priestess. What good was she if she didn’t help out at least that much?

With a quick stop off to her potion store to pick up supplies she headed back home. The small, dilapidated house was a pleasant sight. The overgrown garden full of various herbs, the rickety door and single window. The slated roof missing several tiles. It was small, it was crusty, but it was her home.

Ayaka pushed open the door and found Estus sitting at her kitchen table. He was looking over one of the maps she had given him. He wouldn’t be able to understand her, not at present. She fished around in the satchel she wore and pulled out the same, yellowed potion from before and sat it in front of him. It wasn’t expensive to make, so she didn’t mind it that much. He had used a few bottles by now, what a few more, eh?

I blinked and looked at the bottle for a moment, my eyes unfocused. I had been poring over the map for a while now - since Ayaka had given it to me and left the house this morning. Topography swirled around in my mind’s eyes, back and forth, unvisited landscapes making themselves known before - I blinked again, and the world around me snapped into place properly. I bit my tongue internally at the recognition of the bottle. I knew that, for now, Ayaka was giving me charity in regards to these potions, and it irritated the Shade out of me. I did not like being in debt to someone, even if I was slowly trying to convince her to align herself with me. Still - Ayaka had refused to let me outside for the last few days, despite frequently leaving herself, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I came back with the lung infection that was afflicting her townsfolk, she would laugh me right out the door. So I had had no opportunities to begin rectifying my money situation. And I didn’t know if she could trade my coin for coin worthwhile here, which left me in the rather unenviable position of being destitute.

I detested it. Still - I was grateful to the felinoid. I reached out and picked up the bottle, and slowly drank the contents. It was as bitter as the first time, and I didn’t think I would ever get used to it. I was slowly picked up the language by listening to it - it had a rolling, lilting quality to it that actually felt similar to my own native tongue, so it was a matter of learning it.

I heard her muttering to herself as she sat at her alchemy table in the other corner of the singular large room. “Fuckin’ cocksuckers wouldn’t know what to do if I shoved it down their pathetic fuckin’ throats.”

“Choke and die, most likely, though they wouldn’t understand what was going on.” I smoothly stood up from the table, letting the map roll closed once more. I held back my immediate response, which would normally have been to offer to kill whatever had irritated her. I had done that before, and while she had almost seemed tempted by the offer - she had always declined, saying that ‘she was their high priestess, she had to protect them, not set them up to die even if their fucking idiotic asses really did deserve it’. Instead, I shifted beside her, examining what she was doing - to see if it was safe for me to approach her more closely.

I was becoming more used to reading her moods. At some points, she truly did not want my company beyond a certain extent, often when she was working on a dangerous project. Other times, she would act standoffish, but slowly approach me. At those times, I would let her come to me at her own pace, and it would often end with her asking me about my home world as she nestled into my side. Other times- well, other times, she was rather demanding, incessantly asking questions with an almost fervent glee.

She blinked and looked up at me then at what she was doing. Grinding a purple plant into a powder. “Oh. More aid for the infections. I swear, this shit is gonna send me broke....” She mused as she stared back down at her work. “The ash has stopped falling now yanno.”I blinked. Repeatedly. Was that -

“Are you trying to throw me out? Or perhaps, you have work for me…. Or rather, know something I can do.” She knew, and was well aware, of what I did. It was probably part of the reason why she had kept me inside - she didn’t want me plying my trade on ‘her’ townsfolk after all. But if she had an idea of something I could do… or a target.. Well. I was feeling pent up.

“What?” She gave me a confused look as her face scrunched up. She looked as though she were about to say something but changed her mind. Instead she turned back to her work and started grinding with less vigor. “I ain’t got work for you. I figured you’d be bored. I’m not much for company, and this is a new world for ya.” She stopped and set her tools down. “So who the fuck am I to stop your shiny ass from walking out here now that its safe?”

“I am no Kalun - Tiger folk form my world - to charge in blindly without paying attention and learning.” I tilted my head to one side and then the other. “I haven’t had a single issue with your company, kitten, and have in fact rather enjoyed it. It has been a pleasant respite from… well. Constant scheming and plotting and backstabbing to stay alive. So yes, I would rather stay here, and learn, than rush out to the wolves like an idiot. I would not, however, be adverse to accompanying you out if you feel like going out. Perhaps I can help you collect herbs?I am not used to those used in medicines, but I think we’ve established I can at least recognize the poisonous ones.” I chuckled.

“You’d actually…” She shook her head. “Nothings good for picking. It’s all covered in ash.” She put down her pestle and swivled around to face me. Those large yellow eyes studied me. I tilted my head to the other side, and flicked my tail back and forth slightly. She knew about it, so I didn’t care if she saw it moving. “Did you want to kill something?”

I blinked, and my motions paused. Froze, really, my muscles tensing in place. That was an odd question, how had she possibly - ah. “My soul, I take it?” She nodded. I shrugged. “I was raised from a young age to accept killing. Got used to it, the rush of taking a life. The bad ones get stuck at that stage, crave that rush constantly. The rest of us learn to control it. It’s like an itch at the back of my mind, but it isn’t something I necessarily need to give in to. It’s.. in the same vein as ‘wanting’ a specific kind of meal, I suppose. You want it, know you want it - but you’re perfectly fine getting by without it.” I shrugged.

“I have a mark for you if you are interested.” I paused again, and my tail, which had just begun to flick again, froze, and stiffened. Oh? That was interesting. I leaned against the wall. I had no reason to try hiding the obvious interest I had - I had no way of controlling my soul, after all, so I let it show on my face.

“An old man was murdered, he had no family or nothin’ but his house was looted. They broke into a few other places, stole some things. And are apparently holed up in a cave just outside of town. Most the town guard is down, or busy with some of the refugees. I suspect it was one of them. Fuckers. You give a little and you get fucked over… Judging from description I think it’s a half elf. Humanoid with pointy ears. Normally...they’d be imprisoned but I don’t give a fuck if he dies.”


“Or just fucked, in our case.” I quipped, though my mind was running over the information she’d given me. THere was a predatory edge to my gaze now. “Humanoid, pointy ears. Are there others in the cave that we need to be concerned for?” I was an assassin, not a serial killer, I wasn’t just going to run in and kill with collateral.

“Not that I am aware of, if there are, they are accomplices. I unno what the fuck he took but its considered lost.” I was realizing what she was getting at. “This is paid work. If you accept I’ll get you something that will let you walk through the town without anyone bothering you.” I stared at her for a long few moments.

“I’ll take care of it, for you. And I appreciate the gesture - the only one I really need the positive opinion of is you, the rest of the judgmental idiots can go hang - but it’ll make it easier to deal with them, I suppose.”

She gave me a weak smile as she stood up. “No. They’d impede you, here. Follow me.” She lead me to her room and to her closet. She pulled out a long white sash made of silk. It was lined with red ribbon. She then pulled out what looked like ink and a brush. I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back slightly, dropping my tail to the ground as I watched her spread it out flat across the floor - and painted strange pictures, markings over the material.

“This is essentially marking you as mine.” She paused as her eyes flicked up to me. I bared my fangs, licking them and eyeing her, before smirking and putting them away with a slight shrug. “It’s my sigil. My home name. My honor. I’m…” She hesitated. “I am trusting you with this. I want it back after today. If you wear this across your shoulders no one will question you.” She leaned back away from the silk, waiting for it to dry. I studied her, watching her eyes flick to me, and away, repeatedly.

I knew honor, family name. Hadn’t given mine, here, because in this world it was nothing. I would have to make a new one. But she, she had one, and it was valuable to her. I knelt down in front of the sash, and stared across it to her. “Thank you, kitten.” My voice was soft, steady, lulling. “I will wear it only as long as needed. And I will hide it away outside of the cave, so that it is not involved with the act.”

“Don’t fuckin’ thank me, you’re doing me a favor.” She spat as she turned her gaze away from me. This had not gone unnoticed. I felt like she was almost pushing me away. The way her past had gone, it did not surprise me. It only reassured me that I was crawling under her skin. She wouldn’t be trying to push me away if I was not getting close to her. Give and take.

“So, then.” I’d let her have this for a few moments. “What’s the fastest way out of town? And is there anything that is missing that needs to be recovered? And what should I bring you to show the deed is done?” Behind me, my tail flicked up. It was difficult, to relax only the muscles at the tip of my tail, but I had been getting practice. Light began dancing around the room as my tail bobbed and weaved, to get her attention back on me.

“Their heads.” She saw me nod, completely serious, and shook her own. “No, that was a joke. Honestly. I don’t fuckin’ know. Nothing needs to be retrieved. It was just material, expensive shit. Any coin you find, let’s split it. If anything looks important we can return it to the families.” Her eyes stayed on my tail and her ears swivelled toward me. I nodded, once. Then slowly stood up and slid around the silk sash, moving closer to her. I leaned over her smoothly.

Her head tilted toward me still watching the light dance over my scales. I let my tail droop down, her eyes following it, until it traced along her jawline, a whisper-soft touch. She stilled her breath as her eyes rose to meet mine. “You can put this out of your mind for now, kitten. Focus on making your potions. Your town guard needs to be on its feet again swiftly, so that this kind of thing doesn’t become normal.” I could tell it tore her up to set me loose on someone, even if they did deserve it. I could work with that. If she could accept that some people did deserve it, it was a small step to not feeling as bad when she was involved in their ending.

“What? I-” She paused when she caught the glittering light bounce off his scales on his shoulders. HIs voice spoke in a low, soft rumble that reverberated through her ears. “Focus on your potions.”

“Right.” Ayaka said as she struggled to tear her eyes away from his. He held out one hand to her as he straightened up. She ignored his hand and stood up on her own accord. “It should be almost dry. When you’re ready you can leave.”

“I think I just need one other thing before I go.” His voice was a low, thoughtful hiss, shivering down her bones.

“What?” She had finished patting down her clothes and was almost out the room when she paused to turn back to look at him. The fucker had scooped up the sash carefully, and was behind her - damn his long legs. She looked up at him, was he hungry? He as an able cook. “There’s food in the icebox.” He smirked - then suddenly dipped his head down, and darted one hand behind her head and held her in place as he kissed her, roughly.

“I think I’ll take that as my payment from you.” He slid around her, out of the room, his voice teasing and amused.

Ayaka gasped as he broke the kiss. “What the fuck snakeboy?” She hissed as she wiped her mouth. She hadn’t expected that. They hadn’t done anything sexual since his first night here and she pinned it down to a one time thing. He smirked at her, wider, and laid his finger against the corner of his mouth.

“You’ve been busy and distracted. But my offer still stands. Now, have fun with potions.” He started to move down the hall.

Offer? To what? Bang? She clenched her teeth. “Go fuck a fucking cactus!” She shouted out after him as he left.

“I’d rather fuck a brown-haired catgirl!” He called back, brazenly.

Fucker. He was right. It was a mistake to ever let him use that potion. Ayaka recalled him saying it was a mistake, but never recalled the why. She dismissed the thought of that, and of his lips from her mind. He was right. She had far more important things to concern herself with than the feel of his body against hers. Or how he tasted. Or anything like that. Fuck.

Flustered she stormed back to her small alchemy bench in the corner of the large room in the house, sectioned off into four corners. If she concentrated she’d easily have it all done before he got back. But what then?

She threw the lavender into the small stone bowl and began grinding. What then? They were barely acquaintances. She knew next to nothing about him. They had sex. Whoopdee fuckn’ do. That meant diddly squat.

She paused her work. They’d had sex. And he had stayed after, holding her. That was...weird. Her hand found its way to her neck. She could feel bumps and ridges, puncture wounds where he had bitten her. His fangs piercing her flesh. Asshole had tried drugging her a few times with his own brand of aphrodisiac. She…. hated to admit it, but missed the rush of it. That wasn’t a good thing either. Her memory of that part of the night was fuzzy but she vaguely remembered him telling her he wanted to avoid using it on her, with good reason.

She didn’t want him to use it on her, well. She did. But no. She wanted to harness it. She wanted to see what it was like compared to her own concoction. She wanted to test the other toxin too, and create an antidote for it. Just in case. But she had a feeling he wouldn’t stay.

He had an entire world to fuck off and explore and she was…. She was ok with that. She’d miss the bites, hell. If he wasn’t such a gloating asshole about it she may, just may miss the kissing. Ayaka would definitely miss the glittery way his body moved - but they were all trivial things.

Sides it was better that way. It was better for her to return to being alone. She didn’t need to rely on anyone. It was part of the reason she sent him away. He would get a taste of outside. He’d get back into the groove of his assassination profession and he would toddle off with a fat coin purse. The only thing he didn’t have was a supply of the potion she had made.

Ayaka sighed as she lifted up the mortar and dipped the contents into a bubbling beaker. She set the bunsen burner to low and stirred the contents till the liquid turned a deep purple. She stood and headed over to the icebox. Caramel tail swishing idly side to side as she worked in silence.

THe catgirl opened up the icebox and pulled out a white liquid. Sap. The last ingredient for the potion. She sauntered back to her station and began to scoop the contents into the bubbling beaker. She stirred it and the contents became a pale, milky purple.

There.

Now all she had to do was wait for the last of the sediment accumulating on top to burn off , and a little sugar for flavour and it was done.

“Now….” She mused as she turned to a small wooden box at the side of the desk. She lifted the lid. In it contained several small vials of the translation potion she had been feeding Estus. There was nothing more to do with them. She simply stared. It was enough for a week - and if he was alright with half doses, or skipping a day here and there. Maybe closer to two. If he was real fuckin’ careful that is. Giving this to the man. It was practically a ‘see you later’

She imagined his hungry eyes drawing in the potions, picking them up and with a turn of his decadant fuckin’ eyes and tail he’d leave.

“Good riddance.” She hissed.

It’d be far, far better that way

Outside, I carefully tied the sash at my neck, draping it across my shoulders. It settled a bit oddly on my frame - the sash was clearly meant to be worn by Ayaka, and dear kitten had a different frame than I did. Still, I managed it, and headed down the street, heading… I had forgotten to ask which side of town it was on. Well, no. I was a damn assassin, and trained, and I could fully fucking well figure out where to goddamn go on my fucking own without having her spoonfeed me information. I set my face into a solid, stern expression and strode down the road. The people around me scattered, and I remembered that they apparently could all see my soul.

I wonder, what was it like? Ayaka had called it twisted, but also said she liked it. She also said it was similar to hers… what was hers like then? Hmm. Wonder if there was a way to temporarily acquire this power of theirs? I shelved that thought for later as a somewhat familiar figure in armor planted himself in front of me, his arms at his sides, hovering near his weapon.

“Lee, isn’t it?” It was either Lee, or Jin. I remembered their names, vaguely, but I didn’t remember which was which. I apparently got it right, because he gave me a very stiff nod. “Can I help you with something?”

“What are you doing out, monster?” I paused, and tilted my head to the side, examining him. He remained resolute, so I gave him some credit. I slowly stepped closer, and brought one hand up to the sash around my shoulders. His eyes followed my hand, obviously tracking the movement - and then froze when he took in the sash.

“Did you steal that?” He spat.I froze, and then my hand immediately dropped to the hilt of my blade. I was an assassin. Not a common thief. Especially not from someone I was trying to get to trust me - who had just shown she trusted me. I snarled, and I felt the bloodlust, the urge to kill this impudent little worm well up inside of me. But I held it, throttled it, choked it down, and pulled my hand away. Because the sash was her honor, and I would not tarnish it for this little worm.

“Watch. Your. Tongue. Cat.” I snarled each word out, furious hissing coloring my words. Thankfully the potion kept me intelligible through my anger, though I don’t really know if he was listening to me any more. No, his eyes seemed to be focused on me, through me - and I realized he was staring at my soul. I leaned in closer. “I do not steal from the friends, and the High Priestess is quite alive, and at home frantically working on medicine for you judgmental fools. It astonishes me that you can take her kindness and generosity, and beg her to pray on your behalf - but when she asks one simple fucking thing, you ignore her. I know full well that she has told you to bite your tongue in regards to me, and yet you continue to poke and prod. It seems to me like you, and fools like you, certainly do not deserve her. Be careful, little fucking fool, or you will drive her away with your feeble, pathetic attempts at ‘protecting’ her.” I strode past him, leaving him shell-shocked as I quite deliberately walked through him, shoving him to the street with my shoulder as he bounced off of me.

I had no idea what he was seeing in my soul, but whatever it was, it seemed to have rattled him. Good. Ayaka liked my soul, so she hadn’t really ever feared me - hell, I currently didn’t want her to fear me, I was content with slowly enticing her into my clutches. But I had been used to being feared, had enjoyed being feared - I was a Shadow House Ssulitani, with dark hair, I was used to being feared and avoided, or respected when they couldn’t escape me.

I shoved the idiot cat out of my mind and pressed on out of town. I had seen the shattered windows of some of the houses - and the ones that had been taken down by the ash were clearly different than those that had been broken inwards, busted at the hinges by an enterprising lout. I passed several - and knew I had to be going in the right direction. The thieves probably struck the closest house to their cave first, then ranged inwards, deeper into town as they grew bolder. So by following the trail of attacks back… yes, that was the edge of town ahead.


It took me nearly twenty minutes to reach the cave, some of which was admittedly spent searching for it because by the Shades, I was a city-dweller not some heathen running about in the wilderness. Still, I managed it, and I could hear a faint voice inside.

“No, no, they won’t send anyone after you. The poor cats don’t have anyone who could come after you, all their guard is sick with the ash-lung, yes, yes, ash lung laid them down to rest. Keep them sick in bed, you can get away safe and sound with all this. Get somewhere nice, far away from the devastation coming. Yes, yes that sounds good for you.” Curious, I moved into the shadows. Ayaka had said he was alone, but ‘you’ indicated someone else. Who then? I crept around slowly, circling the man to see who or what he was talking to - but he was holding something.

A … fucking mirror. The man before me was mad. Talking to himself in a mirror, surrounded by baubles and scattered coins. This, this thing had killed an old man? He looked like he could barely think straight, let alone attack someone else. Bizarre. But - it wasn’t my place to judge him now. No, I had been asked to do something very simple. I pulled out my Fang, and ran my finger along the edge, a very faint rasp of scale against metal echoing in the cave. The man immediately spun and looked towards the entrance to the cave. Fool. I softly slid up behind him, silent footfalls neatly avoiding fallen objects.

“NO, no no they won’t send anyone after you!” He lifted the mirror up to shout at himself - and froze, when he saw my orange eyes glittering behind him. The humanoid started to turn, to scream - but it was far too late for that. In fact, his turning, merely made it easier for me to draw my blade across his throat, the jagged serration tearing through his flesh with ease. He crumpled to the ground, dropping at the mirror to clutch at his throat, trying to stem the spurts of his precious life’s blood.

I stomped down on his hand, hard. “They did, though. They sent me. I’m not of the town guard. I am far, far worse.” I smirked, cruelly. “Good night.” I finished stomping, driving his fingers into the cut on his own throat. His eyes went wide, then soft, then glazed. I pulled my foot back and wiped the blood off on the dirt on the cavern floor, then set about gathering up all the scattered objects that looked to have gold or gems. And the scattered coins themselves - the mad half-elf seemed to have taken to throwing them about as he ranted, it seemed. As I was leaving, I paused, and picked up the mirror.

An ordinary mirror. He truly had gone mad. I tossed it over my shoulder, and watched it break before shrugging, and heading back to town. Along the way, I picked back up the sash - as I told Ayaka, I had taken it off before entering the cave, so her family name was not involved with the death.



When I finally returned to Ayaka’s house and opened the door he expected her to have moved. Instead he found her slumped at the alchemy table in the far left corner of the large room. I approached her. Noticing first that the kitchen table was full with a good twenty vials of lavender liquid. The thing she had been passing out to people. The second thing I noticed, right next to her dozing form. A small wooden box with vials in it. Glistening with the sickly yellow chemical that aided my speech. I froze, mind whirling. What?

“Kitten, kitten.” I dropped the sash to the table and strode over to her slumped form, gripping her shoulders and shaking her. Damn it to the SHadowlands, had someone -

“T’s Ayaka….” I head her grumble as her ears flicked, she slowly sat up with a yawn. “What?”

“You...are ok. Good.” I sagged slightly with relief. Good. That would have been several levels of problem. “You shouldn’t sleep in your chair, kitten. Here, let me help you up.” SHe was tired, sleepy, and it was all too easy for me to relax my muscles and let light play across my scales, further entrancing her. I needed her cooperative, not ornery as she normally was.

“I’m fine. I’m fine…” She tried to wave me off as she rubbed her eyes. “Here.” She gestured to the box. I turned my orange eyes to it.. “I made them a little sweeter for you an-” She paused as she looked in my direction. I looked back to her, an eyebrow raising. Why had she paused?

“Ah-that swirling. It’s also jutting out a lil. Excitement maybe?” She wrinkled her nose. With each passing second she seemed more and more awake. “I don’t smell as much blood as I would have thought.” I snorted.

“I’m an assassin, kitten. Not a bloodthirsty beast. The kill is the rush, not the blood.” She was waking up enough that I didn’t think I needed to force her to bed. I tensed back up, letting my scales settle tight against my flesh once more. “Now then. Thank you for making them sweeter, but why make so many?” I tilted my head to the side. She’d made a stockpile, but - maybe she thought I could buy them straight now?

“Honestly. I assumed you’d be ready to leave soon.” Her hands smoothed out the creases in the white silk sash as she began to fold it back up. Ayaka would need to pack it safely away now that her seal was painted on it. Ayaka was doing her best not to look him in the eyes. She didn't need to be swayed by them now.

“They aren’t that expensive to make, just time consuming - but I’ve been cooped up and dealing with the storm so it wasn’t like I had anything else to fuckin’ do.”

“Kitten.” He was close again. Damn this fucker why did he constantly do that? He just suddenly fucking loomed, like he had absolutely no concept of personal space. And why was he so damn warm? Wasn’t he a snake fuck? Shouldn’t he be cold-blooded?

“I am not going to just up and leave you.” Why the fuck did he say it like that? Like...like she was the one not wanting him to go? Like he was the one who wanted to stay? What kind of crock O shit was this?

“Why do I care if you stay or go?” Ayaka huffed as she turned her head further away from him. “If you gonna insist on staying here, I’ll have to start charging you rent. I’m not a fuckin’ charity. How the hell you gonna pay me?” Here, he jingled a rather full bag on his hip. The sound was heavy and noisy. Smart ass.

“I would prefer we settle that sort of matter more personally.” His voice was a soft hissing whisper that vibrated in her ears. “But if the matter is so drastic, then.. Well. Your issue is dealt with, and I have a bit of a surplus of funds now. But I would rather stay, yes.”

Ayaka stilled. Her fingers drummed against the table. This was not something she was expecting. How the fuck...how the fuck was she expected to deal with this? This creature just literally fell into her life and now wanted to stay? To be all buddy, buddy and cozy?

“I don’t know what you expect.” She began. “I ain’t real good nor friendly. Now - you can’t see it but I ain’t a good person. My soul is probably just as fucked as yours. If you’re expecting friendsh-”

He let out a sharp laugh, a very sharp laugh that had a dark, malicious edge to it, cutting her off. “Kitten. Your little guard worshipper, Lee. Tried to interrupt me, then accused me of stealing that sash. While I tore him a new asshole for that presumption, He was so terrified of what he was seeing in my soul that I do believe he nearly pissed himself. I am not a good person, nor a particularly moral one. As for friendly - I like you, I admit freely. But unfortunately, in my world, liking someone? You’re also useful to me, because you can keep me alive in this world. I cannot believe how lucky I was to meet you. If I hadn’t liked you - I could have just gone on. But you fascinate me. So no, I won’t just ‘expect’ friendship, nor trust. Those have to be built in my world, in my life. What I want? Is for you to give me the chance to do that.” He cut himself off abruptly, and turned away, his tail lashing about angrily.

“Surprised the kid didn’t charge over after he recovered himself to check on you.” THis was said almost as an afterthought -but he was looking towards the front door. Perhaps wondering if Lee had?

Ayaka clenched her teeth. She had hoped that he meant figuratively. Figuratively tearing Lee a new asshole. He was a good kid, mostly. Ayaka wasn’t surprised that the interaction went down, nor that Lee was scared. Most people would have been. Ayaka wasn’t because when she saw herself in the mirror she saw those same tinges of red and black around herself. Granted they weren’t nearly as deep rooted as his but they were there. Even as it spiked around him, dancing in a suffocating daze- she wasn’t afraid.

“Yanno - people constantly tell me I’m an idiot for not being more afraid.” She shook her head as she pushed frizzy strands of caramel away from tired, bloodshot eyes. “No. He didn’t come. I- I don’t know how to give you that chance.” She admitted.

He turned around to look at her, his orange eyes narrow. She couldn’t tell what that expression was. Finally he stalked to her, invading her space once more. He stood above her, silent, studying her. “Then I'll take it of my own accord. Unless you wish me to leave, I will stay. I have no pressing need to wander about, not now.”

“Ugh…” Ayaka didn’t tell him he couldn’t stay. She couldn’t lie, life had gotten more interesting with him around. Albeit frustrating as fuck. But interesting. “Do what you damn well want.” She muttered. His hand came up and cupped her chin, forcing her to look at his eyes.

“Careful with that offer, kitten.” His voice was a sibilant whisper, staring at her then her lips, before he let go again.

Ayaka fumed as she swatted at the blank air between them. The way his soul had flared up in that instant. Jeez. Fucker was almost as moody as she was. “For the damn record...Lee is probably right to be afraid. I should be too. But I ain’t. The way it does that is unnatural.”

“Does what?”

“IT’s hard to explain… here.. I actually picked this up the other day. I figured it’d come up in conversation at some point...hang on..”

Ayaka was expecting this. So she grabbed it n advance. She shifted from the alchemy desk and disappeared into her room, returning a few moments later with a glowing vial of red liquid. “My little sisters fiance is a blood alchemist. He can take a sample of your blood and infuse it into a potion that mimics their ability. Now - my sister has the same ability as me. She can see souls. You drink this you would be able to see yours in a mirror, and mine.”

Ayaka tossed it to Estus who caught it, studying the swirling red liquid with an intense gaze.

Crossing her arms the nekojin sighed. “She should have been high priestess. She can pull souls out of bodies, cut them, reattach them. Hell..she even sewed a bunch together to make a fuckin’ soul scarf.”

“Hmm. Then why wasn't she?” He asked as he uncorked the vial and downed it - trusting her on what it would do, that she hadn't poisoned him.

Ayaka’s ears flattened against her head as she watched the obsidian haired man. “She doesn’t have a soul They’d treat her worse than you.”

Ayaka’s soul wasn’t anything like mine. I wasn’t sure what the hell she was on about. The centre of her soul was white, around that blue a soft blue that reminded me of the sky. Sure, surrounding that was similar bands of crimson and black - they matched my own shades. But they were creeping in at the edges, like they were seeping through.

My soul though, it was black and red, shaded in vivid hues. The dark colors swirled around an orange center, shading in and out, and I raised an eyebrow as I looked back to hers. “Beautiful.” I made sure I was staring directly at her I said this. I leaned against the wall, studying the swirls on her soul, losing myself in the evershifting patterns.

“No. Not really. That colour I see those swirls every day in every living thing. Others can willingly turn that sight off. I can’t.” I grimaced at that, and nodded. I could see how that would be aggravating. No wonder she was so moody.

“Well. Yours is quite spectacular to look at. Keep in mind I don't grasp the colors, though I'm assuming blacks and reds are negative ones.” I shrugged and stood up, and slowly began walking towards her. As I did there was a spike in the red, toward me. Curious. I reached out and poked it, confused as to what it was.

Ayaka reeled, her back hitting the weathered wall. Her cheeks red. “Do you fuckin mind?” Oh? What's this? I smirked, and reached out, caressing the spike that still lingered in the air between us.

“Estus, that’s my soul you’re getting all grabby with I-I’d appreciate it if you stopped. Do you have any idea how that fuckin’ feels?” She hissed at me as she pushed herself off the wall, and used that momentum to push me away. Well.

“No, not really.” I wasn’t about to try I pulling on it - I didn't want to yank it out of her. But I did… Caress another surge of color with my tail, away from where my hands were. I couldn't tell if she was liking this, or absolutely hating it. Knowing her it was a mix of both.

She huffed and backed up against the wall before sliding down to the floor. “It’s very invas...invasive. It feels like someone is tugging on your fuckng insides. And it is RUDE as FUCK. I was trying to do something nice you fuckin’ ass.”

“And exposing my scales and waving them around is rude as sin in my lands. You love me doing it.” I countered, folding my arms over my chest. Wow, her soul was bouncing about, arching towards me and - what. The? Fuck!

Why the everloving SHADE did a band of my black just dance against her spikes of red? And why did it feel so fucking… wooof. That was not an easy sensation to describe. I staggered, gripping at the wall.

She didn’t seem to get the same sensation I did. Ah. Her sister had more potent magic than her. Ayaka had burried her face into her knees. All bark, very little bite this one. I pushed off my wall and approached her, carefully sliding through the spikes and weaves in her soul until I couldn't avoid them any more, because I was reaching out to touch Ayaka directly.

“Kitten. Talk to me.” My voice was a soft command as I tried to go figure out how to get closer to her.

“Eteri always was teh fucking protege when it came to soul magic.Hows it feel weilding it?” Her face didn’t leave her knees.

“Very fucking weird at this point. Your soul is getting frisky with mine. Is your sister nuts by any chance?”

“Very.” Ayaka rose her head to meet my eyes. Her entire face was red. “Hows that whole you’re gonna stay thing workin out for you?”

“As I said, your soul is getting frisky with mine. Let me decide if I like it or not. Though I gotta say, getting past the initial weirdness of it… you always know how someone feels around you, don't you?” I frowned. That had to be absolute hell, nearly the depths of the Shadow lands.

“No. Not really. I don’t see such changes as subtle as that. I grasp that from body language.” She tilted her head to the side. “Is that what you see? Wait- what? What the fuck do you think I Feel?”

“Currently? A bit irritated, but mostly embarrassed and aroused. And curious. And wow that is weird, how long does this last?” I did NOT need to know how my victims felt.

Ayaka shook her head, she didn’t know. “I imagine it’d wear off soon. It wore off me in a matter of minutes, but….”

But… ah, fuck. She didn't know. How could she I don't think it had come up. I swallowed - and tried to keep my eyes off the way her body was reacting to my closeness. Damn it it was getting to me too. Fucking souls getting it on around us! And they were ours! Fuckers!

“Can you see why others are afraid of yours? It threatens to engulf things around it. It suffocates weaker souls.”

“Not really? Oh.” I blinked. It did NOT look like my soul was engulfing hers. Mixing, dancing, sliding and caressing - but engulfing, no. “So doesn't that just mean that… I don't know. That feels like they're lashing out in fear because they're weak.” I mean, it made sense. People did that all the time. I suppose it made sense, it was a more literal threat than just the ‘that man is a dark Serpent, fear him”.

She shrugged. “I fear very little.” The swirl of colors around us faded down, and the feeling of… The feeling of arousal and confusion died with it. I glanced to Ayaka to see if she was being relieved by the dissipation as well as I was, or if it still was affecting her. Or, now that I could touch her without directly manhandling her soul, if I was as I took her shoulder in a firm grip.

“What?” She asked.

“Staying seems to be working out for me.” I shifted and sat down next to her. Seeing her soul, feeling it - and mine interact. Well. They definately meshed well. I wasn’t sure if it helped me or impeded me knowing how the more intimate parts of her worked. She was more prone to suggestion than I thought.

“Mmm. That was a mistake though.”

“Oh?”

“I wanted to show you how crazy your soul is. How bad mine is. To deter you from wanting anything to do with me.” I laughed. I couldn't help it, I dropped my head back against the wooden wall behind us with a thump and laughed hard.

“Deter? If that was your intention than yes it was a mistake, because if anything now I want more to do with you. And your soul is not bad - it is no crime to be powerful, to be strong.” She was silent as she stared out ahead. Damn.I felt like I was loosing my hold on her.

I stood up swiftly and smoothly. “Now then. I'll begin sorting out what this bandit had made off with, if you wish to join me you can when you're ready.” Let her think, let her stew. When she was ready she would speak - if I kept pushing now, I risked pushing her away.

“Mmhmm.”

I settled down at the table and began sorting out the things I had collected from the bandit cave, setting things in piles based on what I could tell of their value. Things that looked like they were merely sentimental, I set aside - perhaps the high Priestess could return things to her flock. I turned to sorting out the coins, basing them purely on their metal make and nothing else - I didn't know enough to tell if there were different currencies here.

I paused and turned my head to Ayaka as I watched her get up and walk across the large room to the bathroom. Within a few minutes I heard the shower going.

I walked toward the bathroom and peered my head in. She had finished her shower and was now laying in the tub. Her eyes were closed and her breathing steady She had a folded washcloth on her forehead, her ears tilted back. I . She wasn’t asleep. But I could tell she was resting. “Kitten?”

“Ayaka.” She corrected. I ignored it, as I always did.

“Care to share what's on your mind?” Had she seen, or felt, something in my soul that had been too much?

“I’m not good with someone being around me. I’m no good. I am selfish. I don’t give a shit about others. I do what I need to do and nothing more. I Thought I had things set. Then you fuckin’ show up.”

Ah. That was… Well this was an opportunity. I had to handle it right. I slowly stalked into the bathroom, shifting and itching as the moisture clung to me. Damn it this was rather irritating. I sat down beside the tub, with my back against it so I sat facing away from her - giving her a modicum of privacy, not that I thought she really cared about it.

“I'll address that all out of order, I think. No, most of those can be addressed with the same statement.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “There's nothing wrong with that. Or with you. Being selfish is perfectly fucking fine. We have to be selfish to have any kind of fucking drive in the world. The only people who want others to be ‘selfless’? They fucking want something from the person they're asking to be selfless. And you lie - you do give a shit, you've just been hurt before and so you feel it isn't worth the time to try. How do I know - ah ah, I do know. If you didn't care, if you gave no shits?” I leaned my head back, obsidian colored strands of hair trailing in the water.

“You made those language potions for me. And more than that, you made them sweeter, because you saw - and I know I never mentioned it so you had to be paying attention to me - you saw that I was struggling with how bitter they were.” Press her, push her. Don't let her wallow - and tie her to me, by reassuring her and giving her comfort and guidance.

I heard the water shift behind me, then - warmth. Ignoring the water that spilled over the edges of the tub onto the tiled floor. She wrapped two wet arms around my shoulders and I felt the wet of her cheek against my own. I blinked, several times. “Kitten?”

“Shut up. I’m trying to thank you. Fuckin’ idiot.”

I shut up, chuckling. She pulled back away from me and I smiled at the sentiment she shared with me.

She wasn’t sure why - but it felt strange to hear such words come from the snake man. She stared at the back of the short, messy obsidian haired head of his. Some of the lower strands had dipped into the water and the nekojin absently reached out to curl the strands around her finger. She didn’t need to deal with this shit. His hair was wetter now

She really didn’t need to deal with this fucking shit.

So...it was nice to hear them from him. She was terrible at expressing gratitude so did it the only way she really knew how. Through physical gestures. He was confused when she did - had apparently not expected her to move. “DId I soak you a lil too much?” Ayaka asked as she continued to tug on the strands of hair absently. “I’m almost done here, you can climb in after if you like.”


“It's not how I would have preferred you to get me wet and - no, very much so, no. Water baths to NOT agree with me. I might join, to join you, but not alone. No, no no.”

“Why?” She was curious. Ayaka knew of many water snakes, and many desert snakes. She wasn’t sure where his species sat on the spetrum.

“I couldn't really tell you. Just always detested getting into baths. Showers I can stand, barely. But if I'm going to get in a bath I need it to be a hot sand one.”

She snorted, feeling her energy slowly return after the low blow of a realisation that her damn fucking little sister was still far better than her in every aspect of life without even TRYING. “And here I thought I may have to drug you with truth serum again to get an answer
from you, snakeboy.” He snorted, amusingly echoing her own sound.

“No, the only thing you need to consider dosing me with is an aphrodisiac and that is only a maybe.” He chuckled.

Now. There was a thought. “I doubt you need it.” She mused as she drummed her fingers over the waters surface. “Yours makes someone feel incredibly hot, like they’re floating. We’ve proven I have the willpower to fight it. Even if my body does its own thing.”

Now why the hell did he snort there? Was he - no put that aside for now.

“I wonder if it feels similar to a bath. That Strange floating, euphoric feeling it brings. Rather - I’m beginning to wonder if it really is just an aphrodisiac or if its something more. It’s more complex than what I’ve worked with. It works the body in overdrive but it also lulls the mind. It’s...a strange concoction.” Ayaka laughed. “And it’s competely fuckin’ natural to you. Fuck. I need to work harder on my own contagions.”

He laughed. “And my toxin is just as bad. It numbs the injection site, so you don't feel it dissolving you. Goes inert in minutes. And is totally natural to my species as well.”

Ayaka stood, allowing the water to run off the tanned curvatures of her body. She stepped past Estus and grabbed a towel to immediately wrap around her lower half. “I was going to- “ She stopped as he interrupted her.

“Damn, love that view.” He blinked. “Sorry, you were saying?”

Ayaka swished her tail up at him, flicking him with water. She was going to tell him that she was considering trying this aphrodisiac whilst calming lying in water. To see if the effects on the body, or the mind were stronger. She wanted to see if she could pinpoint the key differences between the two. But no… “I don’t think it matters.” She said.

“I disagree. Go ahead and say it. Nothing ventured nothing gained.” He stood up smoothly, rising into his normal stance.”

“Tch. Make me.” She muttered as she went to turn away.

“Kitten.” His voice was soft, but stern. Oh no, he wasn’t going to tempt her that way - fuck, there were lights, familiar ones, glittering against the walls. She saw a glint of shimmer dart in and out of the corner of her view. Ayaka ignored it as she began to dry her legs. “I’m drying myself here, snakeboy.” Or at least she was, until scintillating hands covered hers, and she felt his body behind her, surrounding her. He was humming, and Ayaka could feel the vibrations bouncing between their bodies.

“What?” Ayaka lingered, only for a moment before turning. His arms wouldn’t allow her to step back. She was about to give him a smart ass comment about him wanting to-wanting to….something...with her breasts. Fuck he was bright.

“There's those pretty eyes, kitten.” His voice seemed to creep into her ears, smoothly sliding inside and echoing in a lasting manner. Was he.. Was he gyrating? No, the scales themselves were moving, but his gaze kept catching hers, his intense orange eyes captivating hers. And that vibration that rattling that seemed to settle in her bones, that reverberated every fiber.

She didn’t know it, but he was employing his full hypnotic effect on her just like the first day they met. He was fishing for answers. “Now kitten what was that idea of yours? I'm sure it was something worth trying.”

Ayaka tilted her head, her ears low. “I… wanted to test the effects of the aphrodisiac in a calm state in the water. To see the differences between how it affects the mind and the body. Yours is very complex and I want to...to…” Her eyes furrowed. “Learn more so I can replicate it and sell it. I wanted to take advantage of you, you said I couldn’t use it without it being injected into me.”

“Ah.” He laughed, the sound sending interesting vibrations through her body. Why was he so bright and colorful? Wasn't it a problem for… For… crap She couldn’t think. Her thoughts shifted back to what she was thinking about in the tub.

There was a pause to her words then a lull with her head. “I want to become stronger. Should it matter how?”

“It doesn't. I actually respect it kitten.” Oh, that was his tongue on her neck tracing up and down. She could tell she knew that the fangs were near. Why had he not wanted to..

He dropped her into the tub unexpectedly, the sudden shock to her system jolting through her. Ayaka splashed, pushing herself to the surface. Why had he done that? She pushed strands of hair out of her eyes and shifted them to his shimmering form. Still glazed, still under his hypnotic trance. The unknowing Nekojin had walked into this. She couldn’t pick why but she felt warm, satisfied.

“What...was that for?”

Quote:

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Warning, the following post contains writing of a graphically sexual nature, please read at your own discretion.

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I wanted to dose her, I wanted to very, very badly. But I couldn't, even though she clearly wanted it. If I did, then she would be addicted to it, to me. Hm.. Why was that bad again? I had already decided I wanted to keep her with me, to have her attached and aligned to me. And she was a hot fuck, I loved how yielding and supple her body was… I dumped her into the water to buy myself a moment to think and - oh, my. Coming out of the water she looked stunning, so vulnerable as she looked up at me. I couldn't help myself.

I undid my pants and let my cock slide out, immediately drawing her attention with the glinting, shimmering jewel-like patterns of light that danced along it. Her eyes bounced with me, and her head followed. I slid forward, closer to her, and watched her eyes widen as my shaft got closer. “You want my aphrodisiac, kitten?” My hissing, vibrating voice filled the near silence of the bathroom, ignoring her question entirely. She nodded.

“Yes.” I smirked and reached out, stroking her wet caramel tresses, teasing her ears with my fingers. I hooked my fingers into her scalp, digging in just shy of painfully. I pulled her head forward and rubbed her face against my cock, dragging those lovely lips along my length.

I didn’t have to coax her. She opened her mouth and took me in. Almost in my entirety. I hadn’t expected that. I was going to goad her, tease her. Instead she had gone for it almost eagerly - apparently even without the aphrodisiac in her system, she was a horny little thing. Good. I pulled her down further, driving my cock down her throat, choking her on the thickness as I ground my hips against her cheeks. “Good girl. Earn it, and you'll get the venom, exactly like I told you.” I rocked my hops back, letting her breath again - she was no good unconscious.

Her hands reached up to hold onto my hips as she worked me. Fuck. She hungrily lapped at me, her sandpapery like tongue dragging across my length every time I pulled out. It was a bizarrely erotic sensation to feel her rough tongue dragging against the raised scales on my shaft. She groaned softly as she continued. Suckling, licking. Groaning, even bucking he own body toward me. I glanced down to … oh my. Her golden half lidded gaze stared up at me.

I smirked and rolled my tongue across my extended fangs, teasing her with what, even now, I knew she wanted in the back of her mind. But I wasn't just idly enjoying her enthusiasm. As her mouth bobbed back and forth, I slowly slid my tail into the tub, dragging it down along her body. As she buried my cock in her throat again, muscles convulsing around me as her body clamored for air - I thrust my tail inside of her, piercing into her tight folds. Oh the sounds she made. She gave a small yelp which turned into a groan as she pressed herself further down onto my tail. Her jaw widened and she worked me with renewed vigour.

I matched her pace, her movements on my cock giving me the tempo of my thrusts into her. She was mewling around my shaft, sharp, needle-like fangs scraping against me. Not enough to hurt, for which I was grateful. She was so desperate, so wanton for it, writhing on my tail as she suckled on me. I would be cruel not to give her what she wanted.

Without warning her, I lifted her up, dragging her mouth from my length with a sucking, wet pop. I kept my tail lazily thrusting into her as I held her up bringing her shoulder to my mouth. “Do you want it, kitten? To have my venom?” My fangs unfolded, and I tapped them against her skin.

“Please.” She breathed. Her legs shook and her breasts hung in the air. Her eyes didn’t leave mine. So sedated, so easy, so pliable, I felt giddy thinking what I could do with her if she were addicted to me. And she was, literally, asking for it.

I slid my fangs into her flesh, my tail stilling inside of her as I did so. I was pumping venom into her, flooding her system with it. I emptied the sacs, and kept going, pushing it into her as fast as my body created more. The entire time I stared into her eyes, slitted gaze unwavering. It may have been too much but I didn’t care. Best case scenario I’d have an able bodied sex kitten with brains. Worst case, I'd have an able bodied sex kitten.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as her body relaxed.Her cheeks became flush and her body twitched. I felt her leak juices out and over my tail. Slowly, methodically, I pulled my tail out, scraping the scales along her insides. When it was out, I adjusted her tiny body, bringing her in closer - so that her slick wet folds rested just above the head of my cock.

I finally, finally stopped pumping more venom into her system, and dragged my fangs out of her tender, sensitive flesh. And waited, watching - serpent’s trance still moving, dancing, shifting and scintillating around her.