Dylan’s common sense didn’t say much when he landed him in situations like this. Its resignation was still sitting on whatever desk it is that conceptual functions of the mind go to in order to resign, dusty and unattended to. Over the years it had grown rather lazy, sitting with a bowl of popcorn in a corner of his mind, watching time and life wander by. Now and then a twinge to interfere would tickle at the bottom of its heart, but even the most potent hormones weren’t enough to rouse it. But now, given the ability, Dyl was fairly certain it wouldn’t have nodded in approval. An enormous stock of defense mechanisms helped out with that little problem of his. The future could be avoided. The past could be denied. He could run away from her right here, right now. People of the present were as selfish as he was, keeping love close to their heart and stripping everything around them bare to feed it. Social webs were dangerous, thus avoided, and the entire world was just amusing. He stopped as soon as she’d begun to protest, violently blushing and shutting his mouth. [I… yes.] He held her close, as tight as he would’ve were they in the face of the apocalypse, in the end of the world, and then he danced with her. --- Requiem kissed him at the curve of where his jaw met his throat, running his hands through Cay’s hair. "Yeah. I guess you can go find them, sweetie, but I have to go play one song. Just one, I promise. I wrote it for you." He pecked him on the forehead before beckoning to him, slipping through the bar to the back of an elevated stage. A few minutes later he emerged with an acid-green and snow-white guitar. ‘Quiem walked to the front of the stage, his boyishly handsome grin on his face. He touched a string; the note sounded in the silence pure, sweet, hesitant as a question - he heard someone loose a breath. His fingers strayed over the strings aimlessly for a moment, then wandered into the gentle haunting chords of the piece he'd wrote for Case. His fingers drew the song faultlessly from the flashing, close-set strings, his skilled hands and voice tuned to precision traced the paths and patterns of the number. “Today is gonna be the day That they're gonna throw it back to you. By now you should've somehow Realized what you got to do. I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now…" The band burst into the heartwrenching song of strings, the notes tearing at the silence like tiny birds. They beat a harmony under his singing, burning hot and bright with fire. “Back-beat, the word was on the street That the fire in your heart is out I'm sure you've heard it all before, But you never really had a doubt - I don't believe that anybody feels The way I do about you now." Requiem flashed a grin to Cayson, smiling so hard it looked as though he was going to rip the flesh of his mouth. “And all the roads we have to walk along are winding And all the lights that lead us there are blinding There are many things that I would Like to say to you But I don't know how… Because maybe You're gonna be the one who saves me - And after all You're my wonderwall…"
There had been a moment when a lick of fear had jabbed at Koani's heart. She'd thought that perhaps Dylan would be disgusted, if not completely repulsed by her. She certainly wasn't viewing herself in the brightest of lights at the moment. Just what exactly was he thinking? So many years had passed between them. There had been so many moments that they had not shared. So many thoughts... and of course all of those things that had been left unsaid. Would they build a bridge between now and the past? Would he slip out of her life again? Ever since Koani's return to Ramath-lehi they hadn't even brushed shoulders until recently. At first Koani had simply been glad to learn Dylan was alive. She hadn't been wanting to meddle in his life. Then she had heard his horrible stories. Despite the tragedies they contained, for some sick reason, it'd seemed just like old times. The world fell down around them. They suffered cuts and bruises... but ultimately, they were still left standing. Savagely weathered perhaps, but still standing. As they continued to dance together, Koani closed her eyes. [I hope I didn't completely ruin your night. I really do want to talk about everything. When you feel ready, of course.] ~ Cayson wriggled gleefully about in his seat, his barbed tail swaying to and fro. However his wriggling died a little prematurely when Requiem announced that he had to go. Ultimately Case had known this was coming, still, his glee was taken down a notch. However it surprise him to hear that the song Requiem was about to sing had been written for him. He twisted his head to the side as his mouth gaped a little. A song written for him. Requiem was a singer after all, so it made sense. Still Cayson couldn't help but feel both amazed and awed by the prospect of having his own song. Written and soon to be performed by his own boyfriend no less. After Requiem had parted, leaving Cayson with a cute kiss, the orange arden slipped away from his seat. He made his way closer to the elevated stage, wanting to get the full experience of what Requiem had in store. His beautiful, talented Crow. Cay wasn't prepared for what happened next. His boyfriend's lithe form up on that stage was like something out of a dream. Even the lighting was magnificent. When the music actually started and Requiem's voice rang out, Case felt breathless. All around him the crowd was cheering, swaying, rocking out, and trying to follow along with the song. Only Cayson stood motionless, his eyes fixated upon Requiem. He took in every word, every movement, every musical note as it was launched into the air, dripping with emotion. Cayson's smile turned into an ever widening grin, mimicking Requiem's. His chest was quite fit to burst. Rapture.
A chill gripped the base of Dyl's spine and began to climb, pressing the tips of its icy claws into the spaces between his vertebrae.Accidental or not, Dylan felt it said something about his subconscious – the expression of dark and wicked genes he was absolutely convinced had snuck across the family tree. [I'm ready when you are,] he offered quietly. His eye caught Requiem, who was now singing on the stage. His voice was like an uprising from the underground, swelling until it broke on the air like a hurricane-spawned wave. He finished the song with a flourish, his bangs hanging in his eyes (courtesy of his father's genes), and as he did, he smiled at his father before returning another grin to an orange smudge across the room, sitting at one of the booths at the bar. [Is that Cay?] he asked, squinting. Come here, he mouthed to Requiem. The boy nodded back at him. Dyl dared to squeeze Koani's hand before closing his eyes, swaying in time with the notes of the music. --- With sleek, shadow-gray hair broken up by a streaks of neon-green and excessively painted, soulful acid-colored eyes, Requiem was the picture-perfect poster-boy for EmoCon 81381. Tumhuem (his least favorite part of the year, due to all the heat) only exacerbated the effect by stealing away his appetite, leaving the introspective Yki angular and even thinner. Set against a black patchwork and skinny jeans, he looked ghostly – and those select few who had ever gotten close enough would know to think twice about that analogy. He nodded to his father before setting down his guitar and slinking back to Cayson, giving him a tight hug. "You liked it?" he asked, grinning. "Annnnd. My father wants to see you," he added. It would probably be an interesting - if not dramatic - experience. Not that 'Quiem liked much drama in his life – had the world been tailored to suit his needs, which it hadn't, nothing much would ever happen. Molecules would cease moving, lest against impossible odds they should unlock a portal to a different dimension, fraught with war, hatred, and far too much trouble for him to even consider possible. "Let's goooo," he said, tugging at Cay's sleeve and proceeding to drag him towards their parents.
Koani had been ready for ages. That talk - the one they were supposed to have a lifetime ago. It was long overdue. The late fees were at an all time high. All they really needed as an appropriate time... and unfortunately, this wasn't quite it. The Grader smiled in response. Maybe he wouldn't run away after all. [Cay?] Koani followed Dylan's gaze as it pierced the crowd. [Yes. He looks an awful lot like Sabe when he was around that age.] Their likenesses were uncanny. While Cayson was decidedly more effeminate than Saber, the similarities were still there. It was mostly in their fur colourations and similar markings. He was always going to be a constant reminder of what once was. In a way, Cay was both a blessing as well as a curse. Despite that, Koani still loved him dearly. ~ “More like loved it!" Cayson exclaimed as he clung to Requiem. “The way you moved up there, and they way you sang! And oh-gosh, the song!" He nipped at Requiem's ear, the giddy feeling in his stomach never leaving. “You were amazing," he said firmly, his eyes bright with mirth. “You're father though? Oh." Cayson's mouth formed a small o. He wasn't sure at all what sort of a pendragon Requiem's father was. Aside from a rich one of course, and someone who made expensive clothing. However his knowledge sort of stopped there. He let Requiem drag him through the crowd. It wasn't long before Case caught sight of his mother and the arden who must be Requiem's father. Koani waved to the two of them as they headed their way, a slight smirk upon her face. Finally they were within talking range. For one reason for another, Cayson was feeling a little flustered. Nobody had mentioned to him that Arsenic was a lukuo – not that that was exactly an issue. He was just so tall, and with those horns, he most likely had an easy time being intimidating without even having to try. “Uh... hi. I'm Cayson Lapices, sir." He said as he held out his right hand.
Dylan watched Cay and Requiem approach, comprehending, after a few brief moments, that they were holding hands. [He does look like Saber...] added to Koani's words, not adding attention to the point he'd just registered. Running a hand through his hair, giving Case a firm handshake. "By. Fromina," he said, supressing a giggle. "Caaaay? You've gotten so big! I knew you when you were this tall," he said, raising a hand flat at his stomach. "You look like your father," he added quietly, a half-grin creeping up one side of his fox-like muzzle. The mask on his face stood out in sharp relief against the gray and orange of his face and the smile that accompanied it. --- Requiem grinned widely as Koani Grader, in all her gorish glory, came over his horizon line of vision once more. He nodded to her, his boyishly handsome countenence fixed on hers. "Mrs. Grader... my father seems delighted to see your son. He's a wonderful young gentleman - I hope you know that." He smirked, tossing a glance to Cay. Moving closer, he squeezed his hand and gave Cayson a close-lipped peck at the corner of his mouth. "Dad?" he snorted, laughing at his Cayson-directed antics. "You're... probably embaressing him. Stop it."
Koani's friendly smile turned into a smirk. Her eyes thinly veiled themselves with what could only be mischievous intention. She cast a short glance at Dylan then turned her attentions to Requiem. She was quite aware of the two young arden holding hands. She'd picked it up on the small detail soon after Dylan had. She hadn't even known that the two youngsters had known each other. So this came as a surprise. “Oh, he is quite the gentleman. Ahh... however, what good would parents be if we weren't allowed to embarrass the younger generation?" That mischievous light still remained in her eyes. “Want to know something about Cay'ni here? Ever since he was little, he's been a screamer. Screamed about everything... food, not having his favourite toy, bath time... I had to take to wearing ear plugs because he'd give me such terrible headaches." ~ Cayson wasn't prepared for this sort of reception. He held fast to Requiem's hand as Arsenic spoke and gestured. “Um... thanks?" He knew that he looked like his father – it was what nearly everyone told him. It bothered him a little. He hadn't seen his father for years and for the life of him, couldn't really remember what he looked like. All he remember was the orange fur... and his voice. He knew that Koani kept pictures of him somewhere, but he still hadn't mustered up the courage yet to ask her about them. “I sort of don't remember... errr." Cayson came to a stalling stop when he realized what Koani was telling Requiem. His previously unlighted tail ignited into flame and a red hot blush hit him square in the face.
A wide grin tore at Dyl's face. He couldn't decide whether it was because there was something very strange about Cay, or very familiar. He decided it was the latter - he did remind him of Saber. "Fancy that... I knew your father. He was a wonderful man." And just like that, he'd spilled personal details into the air like the wine he'd been forced to serve to the extra 20 people who hadn't technically been invited to the party. He pressed his lips together so hard that the color drained out of them. His eye caught on Requiem, and teasingly, he raised a brow at what Koani was telling his son. The fashion designer suppressed a snort by clasping a hand to his oblong muzzle, his eyes reduced to slivers of neon-blue with laughter. He was still nervous about Koani. His discomfort circled him like a swarm of fireflies . He couldn't seem to shake it. Awkwardness had dulled his devilish streak, betraying the cautious skepticism that pulsed like a raw infection at his core. --- Requiem burst out into laughter, his glowstick-green eyes, the color of an antique computer monitor, looking into the nebula-like pools set in Koani's face. "Really?" he giggled. "Heh. Caaaaay," he jested, playfully poking the arden in the ribs. "Awwww. You must've been so cute in a bathtub with your little rubber duckie... haha." Clucking his tongue, he turned his attention to Cayson's tail. "I didn't know you had a tail, puijhuijs," he added, playfully nipping his boyfriend's ear. "Koani," he said. '"Do you have any pictures of Cay when he was little? I'd like to see."
Koani had hit something in Cayson. The ignition of his tail surprised even her. She hadn't even known that he was even capable of lighting up his flame. When he had been born there hadn't even been a hint of a spark. If it hadn't been for that screaming of his, they just might have assumed he was dead. She wondered just when Cay had discovered his fire – for surely this wasn't the first time. He didn't seem surprised by it at all. Of course, he was also still soaking in embarrassment. The playfulness in the air was infectious, and even Cayson, she noticed, was wearing a smile despite the shots he was receiving. His smile became most noticeable when Requiem asked her about photographs. “Yes I do actually. Not on me of course." She looked at Dylan, her smirk broadening slightly. “You know... I also have a few videos. Even a couple of Acer here while we were still at school. Maybe we could have the two of you over sometime." ~ Even the tips of Cayson's ears were burning. He found it strange to hear people talking about his father. It was a topic that he rarely breeched with Koani. Even his conversations with Jaceen about Saber always seemed awkward. It was almost as if something even more horrible had happened at Candrice – if that were possible. “Psh... I wasn't cute. I was a menace." Cayson grinned. He playfully poked Requiem back. “Ah... I don't usually have a tail flame. It just happens sometimes. It'll probably die out in a bit..." Even as Cayson was speaking, the flame was weakening. He'd never been good with magic and he supposed that it was partially due to him being unable to control his own personal piece of Fronima. It was when Requiem asked Koani about photos that Cayson's ears perked and an eager smile came to his face. The question that Case had had been yearning to ask came out of Requiem so easily. He was even more surprised by Koani's reception of the idea.
Dylan nearly had an aneurysm at the thought of going over 'Ani's house. You fucktard! his head screamed. Stop your stupid... silly thoughts about her. You'll talk to her later! Gritting his teeth until they threatened to splinter in his mouth, Dyl steeled his mind against the onslaught of thoughts, and gave a smile to echo Koani's. Time to seemed to slow momentarily, and he was snapped out of his trance as Cay spoke. "We'd love to come over!" he said, happiness growing like a blooming cancer at his very core. She might not want this, you know. --- Cay must've had a wonderful childhood. How blissful, eclipsed by his darker memories of the jack-knifed building he and his small family had once called home, oily smoke billowing into the night and hardy deterred by pinprick drizzles. They’d set it to fire after he'd run away when he was fourteen and they'd thought all the Falahau's were dead, and Requiem had watched from an icy spire. The fire had crawled up from a punctured fuel tank, stripping and curling the paint into cyanide, melting the rubber and blackening the shattered glass – every jagged line telling the story of a broken heart which no fourteen-year-old boy should ever have to recollect let alone see. He'd come back the next night, and had lived with his aunt until he'd been sent away to Dragonbach's. "Aw," he murmured. "Your tail is cool enough without it. My dad's is usually unlighted - his lights up, too, when he gets emotional. Ehheh." He winked in his father's direction. "I'd love to see those, though, too. Of my dad, too, haha."
“Excellent. I'll pester you for a time and date sometime soon. It'll most likely have to be in the evening, after dinner." Koani was still outwardly smiling, but inside she was wondering just what exactly she was setting herself up for. As of late, it almost seemed as if some sort of curse had befallen the Grader's mansion. Zamfir and Karryasa had been an integral part of the building. They had filled it with something she could never replicate. It was almost as if they themselves had been part of the walls, the roofs.... the foundation. Now the mansion was just large and quite empty. Almost all of the rooms went unused. A skeleton crew stopped by to do cleaning every now and then. Sometimes a few of Koani's siblings would stop by for a visit. Yet no one would ever stay. No one ever wanted to. Of course, the ghosts were enough company for her. ~ Cayson watched the exchange between Arsenic and Koani. He still found it strange how easily the subject of viewing the photo album had come up. He had always been under the impression that that album was Koani's and Koani's alone. Private. Not something that was meant to be shared. The only reason why Cayson even knew it existed was because he'd caught a glimpse of it before Koani had put it under lock and key. Memories, locked away. “Thanks," Cay murmured as he slipped his arm around Requiem in a half hug. It was a multifaceted thanks. The compliment. The prospect of those photos. The song and performance from earlier. Requiem himself. “Yeah, videos would be awesome. Though... kind of weird if they're around our age in them. Somehow I doubt Koani ever was a niotie..."
He didn’t want to be Arsenic. He’d never wanted to be, but guessed inevitability was freeing black ink from puncture wounds in his fortress of a heart. It was a resigned Dylan that accepted Koani’s invitation – both the one that told him to say "We'll come any time,", and the other, unspoken one that had him gently place a hand at 'Ani's shoulder before letting his arm drift back down to his side. Both with the hopelessness of someone with a terminal disease breaking their insides apart. Both with gratitude. From what he’d observed from a relatively young age, watching his parents spiral off towards the capital city of La-La Land, he was destined for the same route. Or at least Arsenic was. Dylan wasn't. --- He love the fact that Cay’s touch offered instantaneous relief with the first drop of water down a parched throat. A calmed exhale made itself plainly obvious as he settled against the orange arden’s shoulder, turning inwards and burying his face in the crook of the offered neck. Something like a nervous habit lifted one hand from its pocket grave, then the other, maneuvering both to rest against Cay's hips. The sensation left him pleasantly empty, giving mind as much to focus on as closed eyes against warm skin – welcome release to someone whose affection had finally peaked. "I love you, Cay'ni," he purred, nuzzling his neck and kissing his throat. "I've never seen any photos or anything of my dad when he was a kid... maybe he has them stashed away or something."
Koani raised an eyebrow at Cayson's teasing comment. He was a brat. A teasing little brat. Even though they both lived quite separate lives, she liked to think that they'd gotten at least a little bit closer over the past few years. Of course, they still kept secrets from one another. They still didn't share their feelings. Jaceen had always been Cay's support. They talked. They got along great. They had fun. Koani would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous. She smiled at Dyl when he touched her shoulder. It was a small gesture, but it didn't go unnoticed. Koani still couldn't read him fully. It was a little frustrating in a way. She was so used to being able to tune into other's emotions. She could read Cayson like a book. However Dyl still retained his blockade. The tangible mask upon his face wasn't the only mask he was wearing. There were flickers of his old self in there, that much she could tell. Her Dylan, her friend. The guy whom she'd entrusted her world with. The Grader grinned then gently nudged Dylan. With a slight tilt of her head she indicated Cayson and Requiem. They appeared to have drifted off into their own little world. “You know," she half whispered, “they're pretty cute." ~ “And I you," Case said softly as he cupped the side of Requiem's face. Was there ever a time when he had felt this much adoration? Cayson didn't think so. He dropped his hands down to his hips and gently placed them over top of Requiem's. Then, not looking away from his boyfriend's acidic eyes, he slid his hands up Requiem's arms simultaneously. They came to a rest upon the arden's shoulders. Once there, Cayson's grip tightened noticeably. He didn't want to let go. He never wanted to let go. What had they been talking about? “Oh... I haven't either. Seen pictures of my dad I mean. When he was younger... or older. It's weird. I used to remember what he looked like, but now I don't. It's all gone. A faded blur. I've got a lot of memories like that. Sometimes I'm not even sure what's real. But oh, 'Quiem, you're real. You're so very real."
<blockquote>A wicked smile bloomed and died like a bad omen on his lips, and Dylan snickered at 'Ani's comment. "Aw. Aren't they?" he asked. His folded his arms against his thin chest, the nervous, teenage boy part of him surfacing again for a moment. A calm had come over him. Like one of those spa advertisements on TV, or brochures of oceans blue enough to be classed as a scam. HeÂ’d always wanted to go somewhere like that. To watch the sun set. Something cheesy like that. --- A thin veil crossed Requiem's eyes, hazed with love, like the red curtain at the conclusion of a particularly heart-wrenching piece of theatre. He stepped back a further few centimeters, one of CaseÂ’s wrists held loosely in one hand and their faces still close enough to allow a brief, eyes-wide-shut kiss its three seconds of existence. "I want to dance with you." he murmured against Cay's mouth. And then, pulling away, he added, "And do you think you can stay over for the night? There's a room we can share," he said, giggling and winking coyly before planting a kiss on Cay's nose. "I want to see how much he looks like you, ehheh." A half-grin licking up one side of his muzzle, he teasingly poked Cayson in the ribs. "Aw, don't say mean things about your mom," he said, flashing a million-watt grin to Koani. "You're lucky you have one. Mine was a mean drunken bitch..." Dylan raised one thin eyebrow at him. "You know... your mom was always kind of... uh. Snappish." He grimaced.</blockquote>
Koani nodded. She wasn't exactly surprised by Cayson and Requiem. After all, Cayson's first love had been a boy. Then there had been Radin. Cay and Radin had been near inseparable. Koani hadn't seen him around for a bit, which made her wonder. Of course, he was undergoing medical training which could be an explanation for him consistently being absent. Requiem was still but a stranger to Koani. He seemed cordial enough, and overlooking the public displays of affection, a decent match for her son. Quite unlike Cayson's previous choice... of course, everyone made mistakes. At least she could be certain that the two of them weren't together simply because of money. It was disheartening to hear Cayson talk about Saber like that. Maybe if he had of come forward earlier... shared his feelings. To be forgotten was a fate much worse than death. Losing memories was a horrible thing. Koani pulled a black streak of hair out of her face and casually flipped it over her shoulder. Her attentions returned back to Dylan and she fixed him with her eyes. “Just so I know. Would you mind having that talk tonight? Or would some other evening be better?" ~ Cayson was lost. Requiem had run away with his heart and soul. He was now a mere puppet. A delightful possession of the rock star's. A rumbling purr sounded in his throat as he kissed Requiem back. “I want to dance with you too... and I've got no plans for tonight. So I'm all yours. For forever, and ever, and ever, and a day." “Hehe. Yeah, I guess I am lucky. I've sort of got two moms in a way. You haven't really told me much about yours though..." Cay stood on his tip-toes for a brief moment and gently nipped Requiem's right ear before giving it a small lick around its outer edge.
<blockquote>It was the most satisfying feeling in the world. As he became increasingly more preoccupied with bringing as much happiness for the boys into the room as possible, Dylan forgot to contemplate the shadowy depths of memory lane. Things happened on a whim, born out of habit and topped off with a bit of quick thinking. Words materialized out of nothing, sharp and with no background thought to support their weight once they fell into the air. No shadow once they’d gone. The way things were meant to be. Koani's words caught him like a gunshot, swinging his attention back to the present. He could feel a light blush materialize on his cheeks under his gray fur, and smiled awkwardly at her. "Tonight's good," he said quietly. "We can talk in the lounge while they dance." --- "Oh, hooray." He shifted his weight, giving the room a mock nervous glance, smile still in place. "She had no heart. She was okay when I was really little. Then she slept with some guy, had my little sister, and started drinking... and everything just spiraled downwards after that." By this time, his voice had shifted intp an eerie whisper, borrowing heavily in character from The Ring. It could’ve been considered charming, but Requiem’s voice ensured it was anything but. Like a malicious phantom, what Death embodied reached out through him – cold and too close for comfort. He leant into Cayson's lick, a sweet, purr-like sound seeping out from between his teeth. "We'll dance this place to the ground..." he said, rubbing small, firey circles onto Cay's hips and moving the two of them onto the dance floor.</blockquote>
“Ah," Koani sighed softly. “That sounds good. I don't think I'd be able to sleep otherwise. Not that sleep's ever come easily. Although, hm... I also wouldn't mind seeing the stars." She absently rolled the ring she wore on her left ring finger around with her thumb. She wasn't quite sure what to think. Despite all the welcome distractions her thoughts continued to return to Dylan. Behind Koani was a tangled mess of failed relationships and meaningless flings. Even her marriage hadn't exactly been idyllic. ~ Cay's brow furrowed. He'd had it good as a child, even when the loss of his father and older sister were taken into account. Koani had always been nice to him – strict at times, but nice. Jaceen in contrast had been nothing but a complete sweetheart. Then of course his grandparents and his friends had cared for him as well. He had a bit of a hard time comprehending what Requiem had grown up facing. Alcoholic relationships were often abusive ones. Whatever hardships Requiem had gone through, Cayson was determined to obliterate them. When he was done with him, Requiem would be swimming happily in a sea of good memories. Case would draw out those poisons and give nothing but love in return. “Sad... but, it shouldn't have to matter anymore. I've got you, 'Quiem. I'll make sure that you see everything that's good in this universe. And yes, we'll dance."
<blockquote>"We can go out on the deck. You can follow me," he said, beckoning to Koani and starting up the stairs, which appeared as though they’d been built without support. It took the cake for being the nicest house Dyl had ever set foot in. Then again, maybe he was biased since it was his. And it took the crumbs for being the only one – excluding his when he was a kid – where his presence upstairs was a direct cause of him climbing the stairs, and not some drainpipe. Requiem, when he’d first come there, had sooner believed the house doubled as a catalogue than believe people actually lived in it, noting the absence of magazines piled on the stairs and boxers flung over tins of unopened cessi food balanced on the television. When Dyl was younger, spring cleaning in the Aciana household had consisted of piling things in a more orderly fashion, never quite knowing where to put that stray domino piece and always finding it two years later in the most obscure place. He finally arrived outside on the deck. In the black above, Xabu seemed to be rising up into the darkness above the world and dragging all the stars away, the constellations and the signature of Cussla all rising up through the phosphorus dark like a sea-net. --- Requiem loved the way Cay pressed against him as they danced, the way their bones and postures were made to click perfectly into place, the way their hips slid across each other’s and his own breath hissed pleasantly down the side of Cayson’s neck. He kissed him fiercely and ran his hands through his boyfriend’s hair, gyrating his hips in rhythm to the electronica, the bassline throbbing through him as though a monster from the underworld was about to break out of his skin. "I know you will," he said, grinning coyly. He slipped his tongue into Cay’s mouth, the barbell in the pink sliver friction, darting in and out and pressing into the roof of his mouth, tangling with the other arden’s tongue. </blockquote>
Koani was quite silent as she trailed Dylan. They appeared to pass through the crowds unnoticed like ghosts and not like the ghouls they were dressed up as. Everyone's eyes were focused upon Cayson and Requiem who had just taken to the dance floor. The tabloids would have fun with that one tomorrow... but they were happy. That was what mattered the most. She found her pink tinctured eyes drifting about. Dylan's abode had such a modern and sophisticated air to it. Even the stairs had been carefully considered for the design. Form and function at their finest. It was a designer's wet dream. In seeming no time at all they were out on the deck. The air was warm despite the underlying Ajita chill that Koani was quite trained at noticing. The night sky was a wondrous thing. Koani had always adored the constellations and Ramath-lehi's moons. They were such familiar and comforting sights. It was home. Koani reached for Dylan's left hand with her right, her eyes still trained upon the sky. “You know, I'm not even sure where to begin. I could tell you so many things." ~ This was how dancing should be. Hot, fiery and bound tightly together with emotion. He saw only Requiem. He felt only his touch... his breath. They were moving together like a well oiled machine. Every small movement, touch and caress being carried out with purpose. It was the type of dancing that made others envious. The type of dancing one could only do when one found their other half. That piece that fit into your heart so perfectly. The piece that completed you and marked you as whole. Requiem's tongue was inside his mouth and Cayson found himself breathless. The magnitude of the kiss had almost rendered him unable to think. He fought against the cogs that were slowing down in his brain. It was an easy enough task. Cay's body was already overflowing with adrenaline. Somewhere, a small little switch clicked back on. His breath returned to him and with his, Cayson also returned the fierce kissing. He let his own tongue play in Requiem's mouth, letting it tease and run along his boyfriend's teeth. “I love... how you make... me feel." Cay's words were somewhat slurred, considering that his mouth was rather preoccupied.
<blockquote>Dyl’s hands swung behind him, knotting tightly at the small of his back. But whatever it took to get past stage one was worth it. He could break down later. Thoughts were hammering behind the door shut by the need to attend to the present, threatening to burst through the worn woodwork and make themselves known once more. He couldn’t have it that way. Dylan relaxed as Koani reached for his hand, and he squeezed hers lightly. His electric-blue eyes drifted to hers, and he bit his lower lip – a bad habit of his that surfaced when he was nervous. His prehensile tail sparked into a jittery pink flame that stuttered at the tip of his blue-tufted tail, and he smiled awkwardly. "I… always saw how you and Saber were so happy together. I never wanted to interfere with that. I was jealous of him initially, and I regretted that I hadn’t acted earlier, but in the end, I was envious of the relationship you two had. I’d never had anything like that with anyone…" --- Out of the corner of his eye, ‘Quiem swore he saw the flash of a camera bulb, and decided to have his father screen for the tabloids even more the next time they had a party. His heart hammered at a dangerous rate in his chest, almost bursting through his ribcage with force and at a volume so loud that he swore Cay could hear it clearly. It was a buzz like no other, desire welling within him and getting him so high that suddenly he didn't for anything except the other boy pressed up against him His hands were hot to Cay’s ass. "Mmm…" he said, pulling away momentarily. "You… make me feel like a god, my prince." Molding his lips to Cayosn’s, Requiem kissed him fully, deeply, and closed his teeth instinctively around his lower lip, pulling it out gently as he pulled away before sliding his tongue in place, twisting and turning. </blockquote>
She was the epitome of placid. It was almost as if Koani had donned some sort of impenetrable cloak upon stepping outdoors. Whatever Dylan wanted to talk about, she was ready for it. It was going to be now, or quite possibly never. “Like I said before, Dyl. You were my best friend. Perhaps it's a little cliché... but I didn't want to ruin that. I did know that you loved me. I loved you too. What I didn't know was that you didn't let that torch die out. After I'd gotten together with Sabe... I thought that was the end of that." At this Koani smiled. It was a sad sort of smile, but also a contemplative one. “Looks can be deceiving. You should know that. Sabe and I had our moments. We came from two very different backgrounds. We actually fought quite a bit... but that was sometimes what made it fun. We even fought about you a few times. However, the final straw was really when Vela was murdered. Nothing really felt the same after that... but I still loved him. I still do." ~ “You are a god," Cayson murmured when he had the chance. He could feel the pounding of Requiem's heart... or was it his own? Cay couldn't quite distinguish between the two sounds. All he knew was the rush. That adrenaline filled feeling of falling. He was falling hard. Falling fast. Falling and screaming. Not screaming out of fear, but screaming due to pure exaltation. Cay's mouth still hadn't left Requiem's. Requiem was his aphrodisiac. Cay's hands clutched at Requiem's sides almost as if it were his final death grip. He'd never let him go. Never. Nothing short of the end of the world could tear them apart. Perhaps they could defy even that as well. If their onlookers had been hoping for a raunchy show, the two ardens surely weren't disappointing.
