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@DaGlobster Prowling was a good word for what she was doing. Gardenia was larger than any beast in the forest though she had a few wolves following her the occasional look over her shoulder kept them from being too much of a problem. The night was late and the full moon hung bright and fat in the sky. Gardenia wasn't totally a beast, but she wasn't herself in this form and the claw marks she left in the trees while she wandered were a clear indicator.
There was no attempt to hide her form or keep to the shadows. At one point in the night there was even some happy bouncing around. Her long tail flicked behind her and eventually Gardenia began to run. The part of her that was the beast reveled in the running, the way her paws felt against the ground, the roots of the trees trying to trip her as she went. The human inside wanted to shrink away and hide. Wanted to duck her head and press it to a tree until she woke up human again.
Gardenia had escaped from her handlers. When a full moon was on the way she went to a remote area of the forest and was kept to a small patch of forest. There were trust worthy guards and a lock on the door. This time she'd burst from the door and with the instructions not to hurt her the guards could only watch as she escaped at speeds they couldn't keep up with.
The only thing telling about Gardenia was the cloak she had tied around her throat, though it was a comical look for the giant beast, it was practical wear for when she woke up naked.
Brightness is the sky had the beast turning and glaring at it, giving a sniff until, off in the distance. A scent. Turning her head, Gardenia moved closer to it. It was unusual, something she didn't know. With neither caution or fear she moved towards it, giving deep sniffs of the unfamiliar scent before she lowered her head and stared with odd eyes at it. The noise that came out of her mouth could have sounded like 'what' but the possibility of words was slim.
Even Varian had to admit, there were times when it was all too much. The madness, the forbidden knowledge, seeing the world for what it truly looked... He would rejoin his fathers, seep back into the starless void from which he was sired.
But not tonight.
Instead, Varian was content to stare, to allow his irredeemably twisted mind to piece itself back into a state of calm. He loved watching the stars move in the sky more than anything else in the world, to lay on the grass and take in just how delightfully insignificant it all was.
However, there was something... Else.
Varian sat up, eyes scanning the small clearing around him. There was something else here with him, and this time, it wasn't one of his brothers or sisters.
Ah.
There it was.
Gardenia followed the scent to a clearing and stared at the man as he stared at the stars.
A quiet whuff and she moved closer before completely invading his space, standing over him and looking down at him. A quiet, very brief growl and a series of quiet barks was some attempt at communicating but she quickly lost interest and instead sat.
Her hands were in front of herself, far too human looking to be a giant wolfs. The delicate antlers that sprouted from the black hair on her head were jarring on the head of a beast. A friend. This was clearly a friend. Gardenia tipped back her head and let out a howl before looking down at this new friend expectantly.
Varian looked on at the werewolf. He didn't quite know how long they'd been looking at each other for, but it wasn't too long. He felt revulsed and warm at the same time. Werewolves were not his kin, yet they were abberrations all the same. Perhaps it was why this werewolf was being unusually calm...
He stood up slowly as the creature approached him, hands at his sides with the palms open. She had caught him before he could take off any clothing, so his freakish anatomiy was almost completely hidden to her. The only thing that remained visible was his left eye, a black void sprinkled with what apeared to be stars.
He'd long lost any desire for personal space, or other etiquettes. He didn't even flinch at Gardenia's advance.
She sat down in front of him, looking at him expectantly, and he smiled. He didn't quite know what to make of all this yet, but he could definitely start.
He reached out with a gloved hand, slow and tentative, and set it down on Gardenia's head. He began to pet her, curious to see the result.
"Are you lost?"
Friiiiiieeeends.
Gardenia pressed her head into the hand, moving it so he was rubbing by the little antlers that sprouted from her head. The vocalizing began and she just made a bunch of noises, clearly telling this fellow a story. While petting the top of her head with his hand she stiffed and turned slowly, looking into the slowly brightening sky behind the trees.
Gently, Gardenia took his hand in her mouth - which seemed impossible for all the fangs - and started to lead him away from the light, making noises and 'talking' all the way. A meaningful look at the sky where the sun would come up and she continued to lead him away. If she was going to run away from the sunrise then she's gonna take her new friend with her, damnit!
Before long she dropped his hand and sat down again, her tail flicking back and forth.
"P-plaaaaay." And she looked extremely pleased with herself, a quick run around in the spot and she sat down again and repeated herself, still looking pleased.
Mostly out of curiosity, Varian allowed himself to be led away by this werewolf. There was something delightful about it all, and this sort of experience wasn't completely new to him. Sometimes, his brothers and sisters would find him, and lead him off on similar tangents. They were aberrant beasts, similar to Gardenia, although their origins...
She set his hand down, and he snapped back out of his mental tangent.
"P-plaaaaay."
Varian raised an eyebrow.
"Play?"
He laughed, glancing around before returning his eyes to Gardenia. He pet her again, this time with a bit more energy.
"All right, then... Let's play."
Again, more pets.
Gardenia leaned into them before she began to leap and bound, giving yips and generally having a lot of fun playing by herself. There was someone new here though which meant they were playing together. The cloak that had been tied around the werewolf's neck had fluttered to the ground and the sky got brighter. Curiously the beast moved towards the fabric, giving it a sniff. Curious as to why it smelled like her, but not her.
Then the sun came up.
Not paying attention, Gardenia lept towards the new friend, pressing her head into his hand again before the first rays of sunshine licked at her black fur. The beast took another turn, her lips peeled back to reveal violent fangs and she snarled and barked at Varian before she grew silent. Clawed hands grabbed at the ground in an effort to hold on but still the sun rose and the beast shuddered violent before hunching over, making pained noises as cracks and pops were heard.
Soon enough, the noises were done and in the wolfs place was a girl. Small, young. Gardenias hands on the ground, dirt beneath her nails and clumps of grass in her hands. A sheen of sweat was on her skin and her hair stuck to her face. Panting and staring at the ground, she closed her eyes for a moment before she remembered. Someone was there.
Gardenia turned towards the stranger, her more logical instincts told her to get away, but she remembered. This person hadn't turned violent. She looked towards the mans hand she'd grabbed in her mouth and then back at his face. "I..." She swallowed, "I've never talked before, who are you?"
A few steady breaths and she looked towards her cloak. All the way over there. Slowly her hands rose to hide her breasts and her legs tucked in closer to herself to hide everything else.
Varian quickly found himself to be joyful, and before long, his usually fake smile turned into a genuine one. There was something about the playfulness of this beast that just brought something else out him. Could this beast be one of his kin? She certainly didn't smell, or feel, or even look like one...
All aloofness disappeared, however, when Gardenia snarled at him. Varian retreated his hand. He tightened them into fists, expecting Gardenia to turn on him, but when he saw the source of her agitation, he loosened up.
He watched her turn back, first with curiosity, but then with hedonistic glee. Her question snapped him out of it, and he considered his answer.
Finally, he smiled.
"A friend."
"A friend?"
It was soft and she let her head drop down for a moment before standing up quickly, rushing towards her cloak and whipping it on. It was one thing to prance around as a furry fanged beast, it was another entirely to be completely naked in front of a strange man. A strange friend. A born and bred lady, Gardenia didn't really feel comfortable naked in front of anyone, even the maids that helped her wear her more elaborate dresses.
Poking her arms through the sleeves she did the buttons up of the cloak and looked around. She was very much lost. The dawn light made her wince and she rubbed at her eyes and rolled her shoulders.
"I... I apologize." She nodded towards his hand, fully aware of what she'd done. "I'm not myself when I'm... Her." Gardenia looked around, her toes pressing against the ground while she stood there feeling quite awkward. "You... You're not afraid of me." Even the guards were afraid of her, "Why?"
"Well, of course I'm not afraid of you," Varian said, and crossed his arms.
He adjusted his own clothing slightly, feeling less comfortable now that the stars were waning. He fixed his collar, and took a few adjustory steps towards her.
"Just like you, I'm... Different."
He pulled his gloves on a bit tighter.
"You don't need to apologize, you were rather nice, actually. All things considered..."
When he stepped towards her she took a few back. Not an animal anymore she was far less trusting. Still, this man had seen the worst side of her and she was hesitant to throw that away.
"Different?" She watched him pull his gloves and she held her hands together, fingers intertwining. Gardenia bit her lip and nodded slowly, blushing lightly at being called 'rather nice'. That was a beast. It was a monster and she felt shame burn in her chest that someone had seen her. What's worse, now she was lost. She had no idea where she had run to. Surely they had the tracker guards after her, the beast was clumsy.
"I... How are you different? Are you like me or... Different-different?"
Varian stopped walking towards her when she backed away to keep their distance. He found it a tad difficult to remain still, however, and just took to pacing slowly.
"No, not a lycanthrope, I... Well..."
Varian took off his hat so she could see his mismatching eyes better. One normal, one a black, starry void.
"It's complicated, but I have a question for you. You said you were never able to speak in your best form?"
Gardenia stared at his eyes. They were a more creepy version of hers. Though one wasn't gold and one blue. Instead, this man had a sky in his. Openly she stared at him, blinking at him before offering a kind smile. Which slowly turned to a slightly disappointed one. He wasn't a lycanthrope. Not like her. His question surprised her and she shuffled her feet where she stood.
"I... I've never tried." She admitted, "People are frightened of me. And... I found you and... You were a friend and I wanted to play so... so I wanted to tell you that." Gardenia looked around. "I.. I stay inside when I become Her where I'm closely guarded."
Varian nodded.
"People fear what they do not understand. They fear me, fear you... I find it amusing how even a nation like Serendipity can hold its reservations."
He took one more step towards her, but only to lean slightly against a tree. He took his hat off, holding the brim delicately in his hands. He looked back up to Gardenia, and smiled warmly.
He offered a hand for her to take. Behind his calm and civilized exterior, the cackling madman was hard at work.
"My name is Varian Whately. May I have the pleasure of knowing yours, milady?"
Remembering herself she moved closer and accepted the hand, she shook it calmly and then blushed and moved her hands to her mouth. Like a proper lady she curtsied and ducked her head down.
"I am Gardenia Silinrul."
Perhaps it was a bad idea to mention it, but he gave his first. The man had probably no idea who she was, and that was going to be nice. She supposed.
"I think.. It's just because I can be violent. Surely I was violent to burst out of the cottage." Probably scared the poor guards half to death. Gardenia held her hands at her sides and then looked around at the forest, "May I ask what you were doing out here?" She tried to recall what she had interrupted and looked up at the sky, "Star gazing?"
"A pleasure, Gardenia," Varian said, giving her a somewhat proper bow as well. When she asked her question, he nodded.
"Yes..."
Varian looked up. The dawn was fast approaching, yet some stars still remained. He sighed, the mere sight of them bringing him warmth.
"Watching the stars is where I find solace. There is an incredible amout of peace to be found by just studying them."
Still she stared up at them, glad that even the smallest amount of it being not nighttime made her turn back. It made it easier for her to face the day. Unless she was naked in the woods with a stranger. That made the day a little harder to face.
"Is there?" Interested she moved closer, curious as to what he saw when he looked up. Then she looked back at him, moving closer, one bare leg peeking out of her cloak when she took a step closer. "I've never really taken notice. They're always just... There." Gently she bit her lip.
"Can anyone find peace by studying them? Or is that unique to you?" Maybe if she started star gazing her troubles and worries would just... Go away.
Varian, unlike Gardenia, was perfectly fine with her standing closer to him. He read her body language, kept his own open and approachable.
At her question, he crossed his arms, thinking about the answer. Finally, after a couple seconds, he answered.
"I suppose anybody can meditate under the stars. But me, I have a connection to them. In a way, I'm very similar to you. When the stars align in the right fashion, I change too."
Of course, that last bit was a lie. He was always a monster, but right now, he knew making himself relatable and approachable was key. If it ever came down to it, he could hide the body he kept hidden under clothing with magic.
Wide eyes looked up and her mouth parted slightly before she politely shut it. Her lips thinned and she looked up and then back at him. If she turned into a giant beast during the full moon, what would he become. Gardenia studied him closely, looking him up and down before remembering that she herself, didn't resemble her wolf.
Except for the eyes. That part was pretty obvious.
"Do you? I don't think I'd like it if it was just because of stars." Gardenia looked up, tilting her head, pushing her hair back while she did so. "There are so many. It would be difficult to keep track of." Her head snapped back and she gently bit her lip, "Though, I don't know the process for you. Is it just one star? Or ... How does that work." Ever curious, she kept her head tilted and stared up at them.
She'd never noticed how beautiful they were before.
"Well, there's a chain of sixteen stars. They form an ancient constellation every three months. Under the light of that, I change."
He leaned up off of the tree, and stepped next to Gardenia, looking up at the sky. Then, he looked back at her, meeting her eyes. He tilted his head curiously.
"Your eyes, they're rather striking..."
"Oh dear." She pressed her finger tips to her lips while she looked at the sky, "That sounds far more complicated." What did he turn into, she wondered. A biggest beast? Were there other things to turn into? She turned to look at him and she simply smiled when he complimented her eyes.
"Yes. I know." It wasn't an unusual thing to hear, Gardenia had always figured it was why she turned into a beast. The race of humans that looked like her didn't have blue eyes. Then she remembered herself.
"I mean, thank you, Varian, you do, too. I mean your eyes. They're striking too."
She bit her lip and looked down at the ground. At her bare toes. Gardenia made sure all the clasps and buttons were closed, the poor man had already seen too much of her exposed self. Though she was sure he hadn't minded. "What do you become if you don't become like me?" She moved her hand to tap at her lips, grinning widely for a moment, "Is it a bird? With big fangs? And snakes for a tail?" It seemed outlandish and the idea of a bird with snakes for a tail just had her grinning wider.
Varian raised an eyebrow when Gardenia complimented his own eyes, and he smirked. He finished fiddling with his hat, and placed it right back onto his head.
"What I become is significantly less friendly than you, that's for sure. I do not quite remember what it is, but it is something altogether not of this world," Varian explained.
He glanced around the slowly lighting forest, sighing. The brightening light made him slightly uncomfortable, so he took his shaded spectacles from his coat pocket, and slipped them on to cover his eyes.
"A lady shouldn't be out in the forest at a time like this. May I escort you back to your home?"
"Oh." That was a 'stop askin questions now' if she'd ever heard one. Gardenia snapped her mouth shut and quickly looked back down at the ground. It was rude of her. Gently she bit her lip and looked back at the Varian fellow, a little lost at to what to do.
"I wasn't a lady when I got out here," she gave a small sad smile and then nodded, turning so her back was too her new friend. "Please though, I would like the company." Her hands were figity and she moved them to cross her arms over her chest before moving them quickly to hang at her side.
"Do you know where we are? I'm afraid I'm quite lost." If she'd been running, Gardenia didn't want to think about how far away from the cottage she was.
"We're about half a mile off the road that leads north," Varian said.
"If your home's in the wester highlands, you're still in that region, so you don't need to worry about that, either."
He started to walk alongside her, stretching his arms and neck. Just like the stars, there was something about the deep dark woods that just called to him as well.
"It's been a while since I've had any kind of company..."
"I live in Jadenshine but... When I have... When the moon..." Gardenia cleared her throat and tried again, "I come out here when I turn, there's more forests." A small smile was presented after she turned to Varian and then she quickly turned away, more aware than ever at how absolutely undressed she was. She was surprised she didn't have a constant blush on her face. This was awful.
"I don't think I've ever met anyone alone before," She admitted, giving a soft chuckle, "Usually It's at a ball or... Or one of Papa's associates, and then Papa or Ara are there." Gardenia moved her hand to tap at her lower lip while she thought, "I don't think I'm ever really alone, now that I think about it."
"How fortunate for you, to have a family that loves and supports you despite your nature. The village I was born in, they... They ran me out and killed my mother. I was just a child by then..."
His voice went somber, but he quickly brought it back up to a friendly tone.
"I know the way to Jadenshine from here."
He was quiet for a few seconds, thinking about what to say next.
"It was pretty fortunate you ran into me."
Gardenia's heart broke for this man as a little boy. Her mind ran through all the possible outcomes of what could have happened to her. Her fingers twitched and she moved her hands to the top of her coat and she held it simply because there was nothing else to hold onto. Sympathetic, she looked at Varian and she mostly missed his claim to know how to get to Jadenshine.
That was it? 'hey my village killed my family i know how to get you home'? Her hand reached out slowly and she pressed it gently to his upper arm, holding it for a moment because it was far too soon to be hugging the man. Gardenia was proper.
"I'm sorry." Sorry for the little boy, sorry for his mothers death, she squeezed his arm and then brought her hand down to her side again. Nodding when he told her she was fortunate to meet him. Gardenia offered a smile, and nodded a few times.
"I agree. I would have been very lost and very alone if I hadn't met you." Though if she hadn't met him she'd have probably just wandered aimlessly for a while until the guards found her. "I've never been good with being alone." Gardenia wrinkled her nose, "So thank you." Clearing her throat she looked up at the sky and then offered another friendly smile, "Do you live around here?"
Varian looked at her a bit oddly. He wasn't used to displays of tenderness, so he was almost tempted to shy away from her touch. However, he wasn't opposed to it, either. He smiled, happy to have her so entranced in his story.
It wasn't completely true, but it was true enough. His village had killed his mother, and aimed to kill him too. Circumstances were... different.
"Don't be sorry. It's all in the past, now. As for where I live, I don't really live anywhere. I just wander."
He chuckled.
"I never thought I'd run into a friendly werewolf in all my years."
Just wander?
Gardenia's eyebrows went up and she blinked at him owlishly. People did that? Just wandered around? Living where they could? She could admire that. Gardenia loved her creature comforts far too much to just... Wander around forever.
A friendly... She licked her lips and bit down on her lip, sort of shrinking while she looked down at the ground. "I..." Gardenia didn't have anything to say to that. "Is that bad? Am I... Am I werewolfing wrong? I've... I've always been one. I don't know how else to... be."
"Oh, it's hardly a bad thing, Gardenia!" Varian said, stepping closer to her.
"You're a great werewolf, and a kind girl."
When he told her she was a great werewolf she looked like she'd been struck. Her head dropped down and she wrung her hands together.
"I'm okay with being kind." She let out a shuddering breath and squeezed her eyes shut, one fat tear drop trailed down her cheek, "but I don't want to be a werewolf. I'm a monster." her hands went to her face and she fell to her knees. "I don't want to be a monster. I just... I just want to be normal."
Varian sighed, and placed a hand on Gardenia's shoulder.
"Look, I... I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry..."
He lowered his hand, glancing around.
"However... I may be able to help you."
Gardenia leaned into the hand and nodded gently.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm a noble woman. Noble's don't turn into monsters. Even nice ones."
His hand left her shoulder and she looked up at him, her eyes wide and owlish. Her lips parted and she just blinked before she licked her lips, curious.
"You can? How?" Her hand moved to grab his, the contact comforting for her.
Varian's eyes widened when Gardenia took his hand. Nobody'd ever taken his hand before...
"The stars are linked with powerful, dark sorceries. They're not the pretties forms of magic, but I am learned in them," He explained.
He placed his other hand over hers, so that he was holding it with both hands.
"I might be able to alleviate your lycanthropy, although I don't know if I can cure it completely."
With her hand in his she stood up, looking at him with woeful eyes. No teenage girl wanted to become a beast once a month. The sheer amount of time she had to spend thinking about when the next full moon was already stressful enough. Not to mention having to get married and have children. What if her children had what she had? That would be terrible.
"You can?" Sure he said might, but Gardenia wasn't above getting excited. Her other hand went to hold his and she gently squeezed the hand between her own, "Oh please. I'll do anything. Magic doesn't frighten me." Well, not Serenian magic. Of course she had no idea what this man had but... A chance for it to even be alleviated? That would be... Wonderful.
Varian smiled and nodded.
"I'll have to do some research, but I would love to help you. First thing's first, though..."
He let go of one of her hands, but he still held the other. He walked forwards a few steps, guiding her along.
"Let's get you home."
Gardenia gripped his hand tightly, a wide grin on her face. She gave their hands a happy swing while they walked and she began to hum a little tune. This could have been worse!
"We can meet again!" She exclaimed, tilting her head as they walked hand in hand towards their destination occasionally wincing slightly. Of course her feet were bothering her, she wasn't exactly made to walk through a forest in bare feet but she didn't want to complain.
"I'm only this far away at this time of the month." Gardenia licked her lips, "I could only come here next month." And then be cured! Well. Alleviated. What did that even mean? Not that she really cared about the details.
"Well, I'd rather not wait a whole other month to see you again, It's been quite the charming night. I'll come visit you, yes? My magic makes me very... mobile."
He held up ther clasped together hands, passing his gloved thumb over the back of her hand quite slowly. He chuckled, and let their hands drop back into the swing.
He took up her other hand, so that he held both of them. He looked into her eyes.
"I'll have to study you if I am to tailor a spell towards you. I'm not sure how long it'll take, as well," Varian said, his voice taking a more serious tone.
"I'll have to research lycanthropes, and ritual-craft is a lengthy, painstaking process."
Visit her? Gardenia's eyebrows shot up and she looked at him. "I..." What did that mean? Very mobile? She smiled and then gave a nod, allowing him to caress her hand and then they shared some eye contact. His claim of having to study her sent a shiver down her spine, and she wasn't sure if it was good or bad.
"What do you mean study?" Though she smiled, she was curious. She pulled his hands to the side ti bring him closer, "And do you mean to visit me at my home in Jadenshine? That's very bold of you."
Varian's eyes were something alien and human at the same time. His emerald normal eye peered into her just as well as the black, starry void in his other one. He held onto her hand a bit tighter, squeezing tenderly.
"Well, I inted to learn about you while I'm visiting. The more I know, the better I can tailor the spell."
He took the opportunity to get a bit closer. Now they were intimately close, the two of them.
"I trust we'll get to know eachother very well."
Maybe her mind was going places it shoulder. Some teenage rebellion bubbled up somewhere. Maybe all those romance novels were a decidedly bad idea. The closeness and the idea of 'getting to know each other' had Gardenia blushing. It added a nice rose to her tanned skin.
"I... Um.. I see." She swallowed and gave a shy smile, not knowing what else to do with the situation. "We can start now? What do you need to know?" And she began to walk again, finding holding hands and eye gazing just a little bit too new an experience.
Varian nodded, and walked alongside her.
"Well, when did you first start turning? I know it's a rough question, but it's a necessary one."
Gardenia frowned slightly. When did she start?
"I've... Always turned. Ever since I can remember. Is that not normal?" Was she a freak of monsters? Her teeth sunk into her lower lip and she deflated, her shoulders slumped and her chin went down. Slowly she pulled her hand away from Varian's and moved to clutch them together at her waist.
"Hush, don't beat yourself up over it. Some. Lycanthropes start later than others, it's a natural question," Varian said, trying not to get too hung up on the fact that they were waist-to-waist.
He put his own arms around her, seeing no other logical place to put them.
Gardenia gave a quiet chuckle and shrugged, "I only sort of knew what I was until you told me." She pushed her hair over her shoulder, "It's a big secret, you see. I'm a High Lords daughter... Those don't turn into monsters."
There was a soft chuckle, "You're very nice, Varian. Thank you." She pat at his arm and took a breath, "I've never met anyone that understood what I am so well."
Varian's eyes widened a bit.
"The daughter of a High Lord?"
He chuckled, visibly impressed by her title. He gave Gardenia a short bow, smiling when he came back up.
"Can't say I've ever met one. Forgive me if I've been too forthcoming, Gardenia."
What? Gardenia just looked at him, shocked. Was he going to act all proper now?
"That isn't why I mentioned it!" Her hands went up and she looked at them, frowning before squeezing her hands into fists. "I can't talk to anyone about... This." She motioned to herself, implying the part where she turns into a giant beast, "you're... Special. You already know I'm a monster. Yet... Here you are escorting me back to where I need to be."
Gardenia sighed and rubbed her hands together, "if there's anything you need from me, I'll do whatever I can to help you. In return for helping me, I mean."
Varian's smile disappeared slightly, and he rubbed his elbow.
"I... Appreciate the gratitude, but there's nothing you need to do for me, Gardenia. Kindness is its own reward."
He put his hands on her shoulders, sighing out of his nose.
"Who knows about your condition?"
His hands on her shoulders made her look up in worry. Was something wrong?
"My father." She stared at him with her 'thinking face' on. Her lower lip stuck out with her eyebrows pulled down to make it look like she was pout-frowning. "Ara. The guards who protect the area around me when I'm turned." Gardenia moved her hands to his and leaned in slightly, "And you."
She smiled and gave a nod, "You know, too. So that's... Five people. Is that important?"
It was important to her, simply because it was such a well kept secret.
"Well, it's rather important that things like this are kept within the family. I know it sounds rather harsh, but there are very few people out there you can trust outside of family. I have... experience in these matters."
Varian leaned in a bit along with Gardenia, bringing their faces closer together.
"You needn't worry, Gardenia. Your secret's safe with me. That being said, however..."
He moved their hands down from her shoulders, holding her hands in front of his chest.
"... Perhaps if I were present when you turned, I'd be able to keep you much more docile. Perhaps even prevent you from leaving the cottage. Unless of course, if you want to go for a moonlight run with me..."
Gardenia offered him a kind smile. "This is actually one of few times I've been restless enough to leave the cottage." Then it turned sour and she let her head drop forward, his chest almost hitting her chest it was down so far. "I'd rather not turn at all. I don't want to moonlight run..." Her head bolted up, "I'd love to moonlight run with you! Just ... In general. If it was a moonlight run or... Not needing one, I'd... I'd rather not need to."
She sighed and looked at their hands, this man was very... Hand touchy. Not that she minded. Extended contact from someone who'd seen her as a giant furry beast was nice. It soothed her nerves. Made her just a little bit less ashamed. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"
"No, I don't need a reward. Helping out is its own reward," Varian said.
While Gardenia would like to have her curse removed, Varian looked at it in a much more different light. To be an aberration, a mutant, was to be closer to divinity. The more terrible a person's bloodline, the better.
There was a certain angle Varian was playing here, and it definitely wasn't a long-term cure.
"And who says you can't go for a little midnight tryst as a human?"
Gardenia made an effort to huff and look away in a pout, like him denying her giving him a reward was some insult to her being. Still, she looked at him wide eyed, her eyebrows up.
"As... me?" That was... She blushed and gently shook her head, "I.. I'm not nearly as athletic as she is. I couldn't go for a midnight run at all."
"Oh, that's a shame..."
He looked back down at the ground, orienting his own eyes towards Gardenia's.
"Well, I take it my visits will be time enough."
She chuckled and gave his hands a gentle squeeze, "It's not you. I'm... I'm better at writing fancy letters about why I can't go out and sewing than I am at running." Gently she bit her lip and began to walk again, surely they guards were around somewhere. Hopefully they had her clothes. This man being so close kept reminding her how not clothed she was under her cloak.
"You could.. You could come visit anyway. And... Midnight walks would be okay." She smiled, "I can do that."
Varian sensed the presence of two humans, quite a ways away. He looked at Gardenia with a sudden face of urgency.
"Your guards are nearby and coming this way, Gardenia. They must not see you with me!"
He tightened his grip on her hands.
"I'll come visit you, two nights from now. Don't worry how, I'll find you. Stay here, your guards are on their way."
With that, Varian dipped down, left a kiss on Gardenia's hand, and popped back up. He stepped into the shadow of a tree, and he was gone without a trace.
It happened so quickly that she was left there alone.
The way her hand tingled led her to believe that it hadn't been all in her imagination after all and she stood there in the forest, alone and waited.
The look she gave the guards was of slight surprise, but the two men gave a relieved smile and moved closer to her, "Lady Gardenia! We've been looking for you since you left." Which had been hours ago, the poor men. Gardenia offered them a sympathetic smile and muttered a quiet sorry. One guard noticed her bare feet and gave her a concerned look but she ignored it and began to move.
It wasn't concerning to her that they were in mostly armor since they set out looking for a werewolf. Sure enough, Gardenia didn't mention the strange man, though she kept rubbing at the spot he'd kissed as the three left to return home.
Varian watched Gardenia from the shadows, from the crevasses between space and time. He spent quite a bit more time with her that she knew.
However, it was finally time for them to part, and Varian went his own way.
[You want to do the timeskip to their next meeting?]
It had been two nights, the travel back to Jadenshine was smooth and Gardenia went back to her life of mostly idly living. Being old enough to not have tutors anymore left her mostly alone with little to occupy her time but hobbies. Usually reading romance novels about knights and princesses on grand adventures. Currently the book of the day was about a beautiful mage woman in Connlaoth who's fallen in love with a knight, sword to remove said mages.
Dressed in her nightgown and getting ready to sleep, it wasn't until that she'd gone to close her the door to her personal veranda that she remembered Varian and his promise to visit. To help cure her. Alleviate her symptoms. Whatever it was. Gently she gnawed on her lip before she stepped out onto the porch, bare feet cold against the stone.
How did he plan on getting here? Was she forgetting something about their meeting again?
Gardenia stood on the porch, her hands on the railing while she looked out at the clear night sky, waiting.
She looked up at the stars, and something peculiar happened. Everything was calm at first, when suddenly, a random star got much brighter for a few seconds.
From behind her, Varian's voice rang out.
"Gardenia..."
He was standing with his arms out and open, perhaps expecting a hug or some kind of return gesture.
Part of her had been expecting it.
The other part of her jumped and she whipped around, eyes wide because people didn't just appear out of no where. Still, there he was and she looked at his open arms for a moment before going close, against her better judgement, and wrapping her arms around his torso. Perhaps he craved touch, and who was she to deny him something as innocent as a hug?
With her head resting on his shoulder she leaned back and smiled at him, " I almost forgot," she said quietly, "Do you always...?" She motioned to the stars and then him, not sure how to describe simply appearing.
Varian accepted her into the hug, wrapping his arms around her. He let her speak, basking silently in her affection until it was his turn to open his mouth.
"My magic allows me to slip into many places without being seen or noticed."
He continued to hold her silently for a few more seconds before he let her go.
"Have you anywhere to sit and talk in your room?"
Gardenia looked past him into her room, looking between the one chair in the corner beside the bookshelf and the larger bed opposite that. She supposed they could sit on that. "Just the bed. I don't usually have guests in my room, so... Not many places to sit." Gently she took his hand and guided him to her bed before letting him go and moving to sit on it.
Hands on her knees, legs tucked underneath her she smiled at Varian. "Shall we get started?"
Varian sat down next to Gardenia, nothing but friendliness on his face. He scooted a bit closer, wanting to see how much he could pierce those intimate barriers.
"Yes, we should."
Varian covered one of Gardenia's hands with both of his. He looked at her rather tenderly.
"Tell me as much as you can about your family history."
Gardenia watched him as he moved closer and while her instant reaction was to lean away she resisted and stayed where she was, blinking at him. Perhaps being so starved of affection had made him a little more insistent on being close to someone else. His hand on hers had her looking down and she turned her hand around so they were palm to palm.
Instantly she frowned and then looked down at herself, her family history?
"Uhm... My mother is the daughter of an Adelan merchant family." Which would only partly explain why she was so much more dark than Sereniens. Of course she knew the real story. He already knew she was a werewolf and it was one of those unspoken secrets everyone knew about, "The man who got her pregnant was not my father, it was a man she'd brought here from Adela. He was Duhjari. I don't know anything about him and I've never cared to ask and I don't mean to."
She leaned in smiling slightly, "Trying to see if this curse of mine was passed down from someone? Or are you just curious about why I look nothing like my father."
"Duhjari... That's interesting..."
Varian felt Gardenia's hands, felt her palms. For a brief moment he wondered what it would be like if she could do the same to him? He didn't want her to see his hands...
"The Duhjari have a strong connection to the primal magics. Their traditions are not too far away from my practices. It's feasible some kind of blood taint came from that side of the family. Something that resurfaced in you."
Gardenia frowned, her free hand clenching her nightgown. Angry at her mother and the man she'd been with. If her mother had just been faithful. If that woman hadn't done something so selfish then none of this... Gardenia went quiet and seethed. If this man was right, if it was that part of her that was at fault.
"I have even less of an interest in learning about him now." She gave a cold stare to Varian, her shoulders straightened, "What else is there you wish to know so that you can fix me?"
Varian tightened his hand on Gardenia's, reassuring her with the sensation. His face grew somber and sympathetic, eyes softening up.
"Well, are there any more instances of lycanthropy in the family? Any aunts, uncles, or cousins?"
Slowly she looked down at their hands and then tilted her head to look better at his face. Slowly she sighed, her shoulders dropped, "No. My mother is dead and I don't know where he was from."
Frowning, knowing she'd walked into this she gently removed her hand from Varian's and moved to lay down on her bed, her back to him. She'd never noticed how much it bothered her to talk about that, probably because no one ever mentioned it. "Is there anything else?"
Varian looked down at Gardenia, taking some odd pleasure in the fact that she was viewing him upside down. Given the geometrically non-euclidean nature of his ancestry, it brought a small degree of warmth to his heart.
"Well, if you don't want to talk, we don't have to, Gardenia. We can always just... Talk."
Gardenia rolled over to face him, her knees tucked up with her hands pressed between them. Giving him an odd look she pursed her lips. "Talk about what?" Her tone brightened, pleased with the idea that they wouldn't be talking about her less than noble ancestry. "How old are you?"
"How old?"
Varian chuckled a bit, and turned to face her a bit more.
"It's hardly an impressive number. I'm twenty-five."
Gardenia relaxed, tucking her hands behind her head. That was it? "Oh. You seem... Older." Gardenia smiled and wiggled closer to examine him. "Not that you look old. You just seem... Wise." Gardenia bit her lip and looked away. "Twenty-five is a good age. I suppose I'll be married and have children by that age. Do you? Have a wife and children?"
Varian sat still so Gardenia could get as close as she desired. He placed his hand on her elbow, although it wasn't the kind of motion that told her to back off. It was an idle touch, perhaps even an invitation to come closer still.
At her question, Varian shook his head.
"No, I..."
He looked away for a few moments, before looking back at her.
"I'm a monster, Gardenia. There's a reason why even when inside, I wear all this clothing. But you've been the only one who's understood me, so far..."
He placed a hand on Gardenia's cheek.
"The only one who's ever really talked to me."
With his hand on her cheek her face went hot and she stared at him. Gently she placed her hand over his and smiled kindly, still blushing. This was... Untraveled territory for her. A man in her room for one and now he was cupping her cheek. Audibly she swallowed and looked him up and down, what was he hiding under the clothing? Bestial fur? "Well, you met me when I was a monster." She gave his hand a pat and smiled brightly in an attempt to lighten the mood, "I can only show you the same courte--- shhhh"
Gardenia lifted her head and looked over at the door. Footsteps in the hallway. Gardenia threw back her covers, grabbed Varians hands and tugged him towards her before pushing him flat on his back and throwing the blanket over both of them.
"My lady?" It was a maids voice, Gardenia popped her head out from under the blankets, rubbing her eyes and generally just trying to look like she'd been woken up. "Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry. I thought I heard voices. Go back to sleep, Sweet Lamb." Gardenia nodded and laid back down, throwing the blanket over her head and giving an audible sigh of relief.
"I'm not supposed to have people in my room after dark." She informed her guest.
Varian was about to say something when Gardenia pulled them both down, knowing better than to say anything or ask any questions. He was surprised that he wasn't noticed, given the fact that he was still wearing his full set of clothing.
However the moment passed, and he couldn't help but notice that Gardenia was content to stay under the covers with him. He continued speaking in a whisper.
"I could show you, but... You have to promise me to keep an open mind. I know it sounds silly of me to ask you, given what we both are, but you need to promise me."
Still under the covers she stared at him, wide eyed and then nodded. "Well, I turn into a furry monster with fangs and claws." She looked at his chest, assuming he had some ... strange thing? What could be under there? A tiny pair of wings? Did he have a few breasts he was ashamed of? Varian looked like a man, was he actually a woman?
Gardenia pulled the covers under her chin and watched him before offering him a kind smile, "I promise not to... Be mean?"
Varian sat up, and pushed the covers up off of himself. He was quiet for a few moments, just sitting there.
"I... I usually keep myself under magical concealment when I'm not wearing clothes. There's nothing wrong with my face, but the rest of my body gets different. very different. I... I didn't want to show you because I don't want you to be afraid of me, and... I'm afraid you'll push me away..."
Gardenia sat up, also, but kept the covers close to her chin. She'd never seen someone look so vulnerable before, gently she inched closer and smiled at Varian. Her eyebrows were up and she looked at him, staying quiet for a moment before she looked at his arms, then his chest. "You sound like you want to propose marriage. You know we only met two days ago. It's alright if you don't want to show me."
"I..."
Varian looked at the ground.
"You're right. I'm sorry I wasted your time..."
He sat back down next to her. He smiled.
"Perhaps another time."
Dropping the blanket she held out her hands , "I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just meant... You could wait until you're more comfortable around me. You seemed hesitant. I don't want you to feel ashamed of something you can't help."
"I think I'll wait..."
He took her hands again, smiling.
Now she was just curious. Someone bolder would probably start undoing his shirt. As it was, Gardenia was not bold and simply looked down at their hands before she yawned loudly and flopped back onto her bed. "I find myself quite sleepy. If you have no further questions, Sir Varian, I think I might sleep now." Gardenia bit her look and looked away, flushing slightly, "you could stay here if you've no where to go tonight."
Mostly because she thought he was a lonely homeless guy. No one could say Gardenia wasn't a kind girl.
"Oh, I'd rather not inconvenience you..." Varian said,
"Then again..."
He sat himself back down on the bed.
"I guess there's no harm in staying."
Gardenia offered a sleepy smile, seeing no problem in inviting someone to sleep with her in her bed. So, she curled herself up on her side and snuggled into the plush pillow. "Have sweet dreams, Varian." And then she was asleep.
Varian shrugged his coat off, using his magical concealment to make him look normal with his undershirt and breeches. He slipped into Gardenia's.
He laid down on his side, facing Gardenia.
He smiled, something which turned into a mad, wide-eyed grin, another windo to the frothing insanity within him.
The grin quickly passed, however, and Gardenia wouldn't notice. He just laid his head to sleep.
Sometime during the night she'd rolled over and shuffled closer to the other source of warmth. Which was Varian. Still curled up, her back pressed against him, the sounds of birds greeting dawn. The cool morning breeze.
Hm, she'd forgotten to shut the door to outside. Her odd eyes shot open and she stared at her bedroom door. Which was closed, thankfully. Slowly turning her head she spoke in a whisper, "are you awake?"
Varian stirred against her. His arms had come to be wrapped around her waist during the night, his face nestled behind her neck.
He looked over her shoulder, into her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm up."
"Good! You should leave!" Gardenia carefully removed herself from his grasp and looked at the door nervously before she stumbled out of bed, getting her foot wrapped around the blanket and landing on the floor with a grunt. Not her most graceful.
"Before the maid sees you! I'll be grounded for the rest of my life." She motioned towards the open door to outside while she stood and held the hem of her nightgown in one hand, ready to whip it off and change as soon as he was out of the room. Every few moments she looked over her shoulder at the door, dreading the ceremonial two-knock door open that happened every morning she was home.
Varian was up in a flash, whipping his coat back on and taking his hat. He knelt by her to make sure she was alright, before quickly taking her hand.
"I'll see you soon, Gardenia. If you ever need to see me, just whisper my name to the stars. I'll be there..."
He kissed her hand, and started out of the room. If she had something to say to him, this was her chance.
The kiss on her hand got a sleepy laugh out of her but she simply smiled, "Thank you, Varian." Ah, that was delightfully cheesy, whisper his name to the stars. Sure it'd probably work, he seemed super magical. For the time being, her being a werewolf was the farthest thing from her mind, because it wouldn't happen for another month or so.
So once he was out of sight, she simply went about her business and got ready for the day of lessons and mundane teenage girl things. He was an interesting man and waking up with someone against her back had been an interesting experience. It was times like these she wish she had a mother, as it was, her personal maid would have to do and Gardenia couldn't wait to give her tid-bits so they could gossip and come up with strange unlikely scenarios that involved white horses and knights.
Varian didn't stop, although he acknowledged her words with a little chuckle of his own.
He was out of the room and over the railing in a mere second, disappearing as suddenly as he had appeared the last time he showed up.
In reality, he wasn't going far.
Varian usually had other ventures to manage, but this one... this one came at a time when he was most unusually unoccupied. He felt both willing and able to devote plenty of time to observing Gardenia, even if she wasn't particularly aware of it.
So he remained close by, studying her invisibly from the shadows and pockets between space and time.
Waiting for her to call out to him yet again...
It would be a while before she called for him. At least a week. Reading one of her novels - she had a maid smuggle it in - Gardenia jerked up and stared at the patio door. Her own door was closed, the sunlight was slowly fading and it occurred to her that she hadn't seen Varian. Maybe he wasn't going to come visit unless she actually called for him?
Of course part of her waited. Not wanting to bother someone who could have so much to do.
A week was good, right?
Gardenia closed her book, setting it on the table beside the chair she'd been sitting in. Still in the dress she'd worn that day, her black hair back in a pretty blue headband. Stepping out onto the patio she looked up at the sky. He said to whisper to his name to the stars. There were none, not until the sun went down completely.
"Varian?" It was quiet, and she felt silly calling out the name. Maybe she'd try when the sky was dark and the stars were out. There was no one here but her, and while she would have enjoyed some sort of... Ability to not be a monster anymore perhaps she was just a passing interest to the man. Not that she could blame him.
At first, her call to the stars was met with silence. Despite the fact that they weren't visible, they were still out there. However, the clarity of night allowed for a more seamless response.
There was a whisper, carried softly down the wind, followed by a familiar whoosh of wind behind her. Before she could turn around, Varian's hands were on her shoulders.
"Oh, Gardenia... It's been too long..."
Yup, that was still weird.
Gardenia jumped slightly at the hands on her shoulders and turned around to face him. "It hasn't been that long," she scuffed her shoe against the floor and looked everywhere but the companion she'd called upon. Finally she smiled at him, "I figured you were busy, so I left you alone." Her hands went to clasp in front of her waist, "Have you made any progress? With my problem, I mean."
Varian nodded excitedly.
"My only cause for busyness has been researching your particular problem. Please, feel free to call on me anytime, Gardenia."
He carried a tome under his arm, dusty, old, and written in some ancient tongue. He motioned to the inside, still smiling.
"I've made considerable progress, yes..."
He took his coat off, remembering to place some magical concealment on himself again. he folded it and hid it behind her dresser, in case a servant came in and he needed to hide. A coat like his was hardly befitting of a lady, and would no doubt look amiss to her servant. He re-approached her.
"Lycanthropy is a blood curse, so only another tinge of the blood can override it. I've been studying this book, trying to develop a suitable 'curse'. However, transmission is an issue. I must give the curse to myself, and then pass it on to you. Ritual magics must be used, and the whole thing will be overtly complex...but..."
He reached down and gently took up one of her hands.
"... You just may be cured yet."
Her hand trembled in his, wide eyed she stared at him until she gave a happy noise as flung her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. "That's wonderful news!" But then the rest of his words sunk in and she pulled away. "Curse yourself?" Her hands pulled in and she pressed them to her cheeks, "I don't want you to put yourself at risk for me!"
"Oh, no. You misunderstand, Gardenia," Varian said, and he idly rubbed his cheek. He placed his hands on her sides and scooted in a bit closer.
"The blood curse will exist solely to wipe out lycanthropy. I'm not a lycanthrope, so it'll have absolutely no effect on me. Everything will be fine!"
He got more and more excited with every word, but he stayed quiet, remembering how crucial it was.
"I've almost cracked it. Just a few more days now."
A few more days? Gardenia blinked, tilting her head. Then her grin spread and she wrapped her arms around Varian again. "Oh, thank you." The word were muffled against his shoulder and she let go, leaning back to just smile at him. "How... How will you pass it onto me?" She looked down at her wrists, "something to do with blood?"
"Well, lycanthropy, your strain in particular, is a picky disease. The strains that turn their victims into slavering beasts is adapted to transmit through bites. Your strain, however, was passed down, er... through heredity."
Varian's tone was slightly awkward, but he managed to maintain all pretenses of seriousness as he looked into her eyes.
"Do you know where I'm going with this?"
She did not.
Gardenia stared, sure she understood that this particular trait was from her biological father. However, her mind didn't go farther than that and she just stared at him, "you're... Going ... To be my father?" Sure this man seemed pretty amazing, but that was a lot of work just to help some strange girl he'd met by accident.
"No, no. Erm..."
Varian placed his hands in Gardenia's.
"I'm not quite sure how to put this politely, Gardenia, but your strain was transmitted sexually. So, only a curse of the same structure, a curse also transmitted sexually, can ever affect it."
Varian looked down. It was clear there was nothing but hesitation and good will in his voice. A far as she could tell, he didn't seem to want to take advantage of her.
He spoke the truth.
"The ritual to cure you, I'll... A union is required."
Violently she threw his hands from hers and took a step away. "I beg your pardon?" Of course it was something like that. Tears filled her eyes and she took more steps back, pressing against the railings. How could she have been so stupid? Taking a deep breath she looked away. " I won't do that. I've been like this my whole life. I can stay like this."
Gardenia didnt look at him, she stood stone faced against the railing and glared at the wall beside him.
"I know how it sounds, Gardenia," Varian started.
He didn't move, but instead he crossed his hands over one another.
"But can you? Can you really?"
He glanced towards the door, ever watchful.
"I don't want to hurt you, Gardenia. If I wanted to take advantage of you, I sure as hell wouldn't have waited this long. Please, just hear me out. Gardenia..."
He tried to meet her eyes with his, to try and catch her with his passively hypnotic qualities.
"Please..."
Gardenia caught Varians eyes and she calmed, though she still glared. "That's the most stupid way to fix a curse. Ever." Her arms were crossed over her chest and she pressed her hands to her face. Her fingers went to her temples and she looked away. "How do you know it will work."
Varian chuckled.
"Well, there's definitely worse ways."
He picked up his ancient tome, and held it up. It was in a language very few living people knew, but Varian was quick to explain it.
"I've cross referenced this grimoire of curses with a few other readings I've done on Lycanthropy. The curse must be removed the way it was brought on."
There was a shrewd look on her face while she eyed the book, still frowning deeply. Gardenia took a deep breath, thinking of all the things she would be able to do if she wasn't cursed. Taking a deep breath she felt her cheeks heat up and she wrapped her arms around her middle. "I... I've never. What happens if it doesn't work?"
Varian frowned at the question.
"It will work, Gardenia."
He dared to take a step towards her, turning his frown into a smile.
"This is a pretty big leap for me too, Gardenia. I've never, well..."
Gardenia shuffled along the railing, staying just away enough. Just out if reach. "You've never what?" She started, her tone still a little on the hot side, "fucked the curse out of someone before?"
"Well, I've never fucked period, so... yeah. I suppose so, yeah."
Once he saw that she was trying to stay out of his reach, he stopped moving, respecting her space.
"You're not the only one with fears, or doubts."
Frowning, his words did little to change her mood and she just looked everywhere but him. Resisting the words that were on the tip of her tongue she crossed her arms over her chest. "When would it be done?"
"If I am to give it to myself and then transmit it to you, I need to finish my research and then apply the curse to myself. Another three days, at the least."
He frowned, and crossed his arms. It was clear that he was hurt. He knew Gardenia had a right to be annoyed or angry, but it wasn't Varian's fault! That's how the curses worked, and he couldn't do anything to change it.
His hurt should have made her feel bad, in fact there was a twitch to her fingers. Gardenia hated hurting people, but if he had even expecting a good reaction to that information... He obviously didn't know how young ladies worked. "If you can apply the curse to yourself without having sex, why can't you just so that to me? I got this by being born..." She paused and really glared at him, "you're not going to get me with child, are you?" Her tone was flat and she looked about ready to run into her closet and slam the door.
"Oh, heavens above, no!" Varian said, absolutely mortified at the concept. Perhaps, he thought, he needed to lay the emotions on a bit thinner, but he felt he was acting in the right direction.
"No children, no..."
He leaned against the railing, and looked towards the slowly rising moon. Now that the stars were coming out, he'd be able to exert more of his subtle influences on her.
"The curse needs a starting point. To pull off what you suggest, you'll have to be the one casting the curse onto yourself. Seeing as how you lack even basic training in the magical arts, that's an impossibility."
Looking crestfallen, Gardenia sighed and her posture relaxed. Giving a long look at Varian she moved closer and took a deep breath. "I didn't want to make you feel bad." Her voice was soft and she clasped her elbows in her hands. "I just... That was the last thing I'd even think of expecting."
"I know, I was pretty shocked myself when I found out. I was so terrified of telling you, I didn't know how you'd take it. I feared that you'd push me away, or kick me out..."
He gave her a comforting smile.
"Do you have gardens in your home?"
The smile was forced. She had wanted to do all those things. Was tempted to still do it. Still she moved closer and offered her arm. "Yes. Though the best Garden is right here." The wide grin and pause, waiting for the pun to sink in. "Why? Have you an interest in the gardens?"
Varian chuckled to himself when the pun sank in, the facetiousness of it all catching him off guard in a pleasant way. He took the offered arm.
"Indeed it is..."
He smiled.
"I've always loved gardens. They're such great places to speak."
She looked out over the railings and then up to the night sky. The stars were burning brightly and she stared for a few moments, lost in how lovely they were. "I've never liked talking in gardens. My nanny told me that flowers eavesdrop and I've always been worried about it since." Gardenia smiled at Varian, and gave his hand a pat.
The ritual was out of her mind. She decided not to think about it. Talking in a garden she could do. "How do you suppose we get to a garden?" She looked towards her bedroom door, frowning slightly. No one would be in bed yet, asleep.
"Well, if you close your eyes, I can take us there. It'll only be an instant."
He raised his eyebrows, curious to hear her response.
Giving Varian a skeptical look she smiled faintly and closed her eyes. "Alright, but I'll be disappointed if I open my eyes and we're still outside my room."
Varian smirked.
"So would I."
For the faintest moment, it became cold, and the air just felt... odd. Was that wind that whooshed in her ears? Or whispers?
Varian did not teleport through space, nor even through time. Varian slipped the both of them into the dimension outside of reality, where the true geometries of the universe existed and the mere sight of the things that existed there caused madness.
However, as promised, it was only for an instant, and soon, the cool night air was felt on her skin.
They were now, in fact, standing in the gardens at Gardenia's house, in front of a bench overlooking a fountain surrounded by blooming flowers. Hedge walls kept their meeting discrete.
"You can open your eyes now."
Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around. At first she was startled, giving him an amazed look. If he could do this, why did he need to -- No. She wasn't going to think of that. For now, it was just the nice man she'd met while she'd been a monster, the one who pat her head. Offered to help her.
"I suppose that is faster than taking the stairs. And sneaking through the house." Gardenia gazed at the fountain, going over and sitting on the edge to look down at the water. To listen to the splashes. "Did you want to talk about anything specific?"
"Frankly," Varian started.
He sat down next to her, watching the ripples in the fountain.
"I enjoy conversation, no matter the topic. Perhaps it's the company," he said, trying to meet her eyes again.
"How have things been this past week?"
Gardenia looked at Varian's eyes, focusing on the one that wasn't quite right. It took a moment for her to process his question, she'd been staring and focusing so hard on that one eye. "Normal." Gardenia shrugged, "Parties. Lessons. I'm still bad with the piano." She wiggled her fingers as if playing some invisible piano. "Another horse gave birth. Nothing interesting, I'm a High Lord's daughter, if someone isn't watching me I'm in my room." She looked around, taking in her surroundings again, "Or in the garden with a man who... poofed me here." Gardenia smiled again, tucking her hair behind her ears and slowly turning back to look down at her reflection. "And you? You didn't look for a way to fix my problem the whole time, did you?"
"Actually, I'm a man who's interests are fairly singular. It was very much refreshing to actually have a purpose, and a noble one at that. I have spent this past week poring over tomes, scrolls, and parchments."
He turned his hand upwards, offering it for Gardenia to take.
"I've had nothing but yourself on my mind."
A noble purpose that ends up with him getting -- No. Not thinking of that. Gardenia smiled and took his offered hand, curious as to if he was going to lead her somewhere or if he just wanted to hold hands. Owlishly she blinked at his statement of having nothing but her on his mind. "My... That sounds terribly boring." She looked at him, sympathetic. "I'm afraid of quite boring except for the monthly curse." She paused for a moment before blushing, "The wolf curse."
"Well, there are many who don't think they're interesting, only to be immensely wrong. It's been so long since I had a proper purpose. Even longer since I helped someone."
He continued to hold her hand, slowly passing over her knuckles with his thumb.
Gardenia just stared at the water and let Varian rub her hand. "That's sweet of you to say, but I really am not that interesting." She shrugged and looked at their hands, lifting her hand to hold his up, "are you trying to woo me?"
Varian looked at their joined hands, and blushed a tad bit fiercely.
"We-Well, uh..."
Despite the embarrassment, he managed to hold onto Gardenia's hand. He looked up at her, and smiled.
"Maybe?"
Her eyes turned sad and she placed his hand on her lap, holding his own between the both of hers. "You're capable of... Moving us from my room to here," she stated, moving to idly play with his fingers. "What interest is there in me? I can't do anything amazing. I'm sure you could find someone like yourself. Someone powerful like you are."
Varian shook his head.
"Nobody'd accept me, Gardenia. You're the first who's ever listened, and I get the feeling that you'll be the last. I've seen some pretty powerful people, and none of them have ever been as interesting to me as you."
"Varian..." Gardenia went quiet and she just looked at him. She stayed silent for a time, simply holding his hand. This was perhaps the loneliest person she'd ever met. "Am I interesting because I'm a noble woman who turns into a beast?" She smiled, leaning in, "or perhaps it's my eyes. Those always interest people."
Without waiting for a reply, Gardenia stood. Still holding his hands she smiled at him, "dance with me." She swung their hands and gave him a sheepish grin, "please?"
Varian looked on at Gardenia, her form highlighted by the twinkling lights of the stars behind her. For a few moments, Varian might have actually felt some kind of emotion towards her. His inhuman heart, twisted beyond recognition, felt like that of a human once more.
He smiled, ever so tenderly, and stood up with her, gazing into her eyes.
"Gladly."
Another bright smile and she took his hands, placing one on her waist before she placed one on his shoulder and held their hands out to the side. "You have a nice smile." And Gardenia began to move, slowly at first, letting Varian follow her feet. just in case, which were a little hard to see under the dress she wore. "Have you danced before?" she inquired gently, her voice soft, "I love dancing. Sometimes I wish I could do this alone, but..." Gardenia smiled, "I usually just close my eyes and pretend the person I'm dancing with isn't there." It made for terrible conversation and her eyes weren't closed now.
It was safe to say that Varian had never danced before. However, his unnatural senses kept him from stepping on Gardenia's feet, or stumbling. He held her properly, though, and his fingers locked with hers as he fell into the rhythm.
Varian gently shushed her, wanting to put an end to the awkward conversation.
"There is someone here, Gardenia," he said, tightening his hold on her a bit.
"And he finds your dancing quite enchanting..."
Gardenia wasn't one to go quiet and blush. While she wasn't usually outright rude, there was hardly anything she couldn't say something too. However, his compliments made her blush and she looked away, smiling slightly. "I..." She leaned in for a moment and then leaned back out, "Thank you." As a seasoned dancer, she could tell he wasn't used to it, so she kept the pace slow, the rhythm steady and even. Still, as they danced, she couldn't help but wonder why this man was trying so hard to help her, and finally she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Varian, are you lonely?"
Varian studied Gardenia's reaction closely, noting the restraint and how she cut herself off. Varian liked to entertain the thought that he almost had her there.
Although he wasn't used to it, Varian acclimated to the pace and rhythm quite nicely, reading her movements without even having to look.
For a moment, he lost himself, but the squeeze on his shoulder brought him back into reality. Gardenia's question snapped the rest of him back, as well.
Varian was visibly troubled by the question.
"I..."
It was a tough question, because it wouldn't even be a lie. He was lonely. Deep down inside, in the pits of a heart not even Varian himself wanted to explore, there was a desperate, lonely child, lashing out at the world.
"...I am."
The pause had her stop dancing and she stood there with him, her on on his shoulder, his hand on her waist. Gardenia squeezed his hand and tilted her head, offering him a kind smile that held just a bit of shyness. Perhaps by the way she kept looking away after a few moments of eye contact. "Well, if it would make you a little less lonely, we could be friends."
"Friends..." Varian repeated, his kind smile returning.
He was fully away of his hand, which had remained on Gardenia's waist, and of the intimately still position the two of them were in.
Slowly, Varian started the dance back up.
"I rather like the sound of that..."
Gardenia grinned brightly and moved along with the dancing, picking up the pace just a little bit. "Friends are lovely things to have. I can't imagine being... Completely alone." She went quiet, trying to imagine such a world. There was only one time she was alone, and that was mostly by her choice. " We shall be friends, Varian. Tell me." She grew bold and leaned in, "Have you never kissed anyone before? This is something friends talk about, I assure you." Or so she assumed.
This time, even if she didn't notice, Varian was slowly leading them in a circle around the fountain, so that they orbited the beautiful thing as they danced. Gardenia's next question brought some chuckles out of Varian, yet he held her closer as she leaned in.
"No, I haven't. Have you?" He asked, turning the question on her with a grin of his own.
It was a quick peck. Not much of a kiss at all, not worth missing a beat, but she leaned in quickly, pressed her lips to his and then leaned back, a wicked smirk on her face. "Yes. Just now. It was okay."
Surprisingly, Varian was able to hold the pace and flow of the dance, despite Gardenia's little surprise. For his whole life, Varian never thought he'd get his first kiss.
"Okay?" Varian asked, his voice rife with coyness.
"Let me try and fix that."
He slowed down their dance, and leaned in for another kiss, this time wanting to take it slower, and more passionately.
The return kiss caught her off guard and she made a little noise of surprise and her eyes fluttered closed, the dancing had stopped completely. Gardenia leaned back from the kiss and was flushed red, and then she threw back her head and laughed, though her hand went from his shoulder to her mouth to cover it. Remembering that she probably wasn't supposed to be out here with a strange man. Still grinning she looked at Varian, eyes full of mirth, "I think you fixed it."
Varian nodded. He himself was desperately close to laughter, such was the joy of the moment. Inside his mind, the diabolical gears were turning, lubricated by genuine emotion.
"Good," he teased.
"Why don't we sit back down, hm? I bet it'll be more comfortable there," he whispered, eyes promising forbidden trysts and midnight romps.
Gardenia nodded, taking his hand and moving back to the fountain, taking a seat and breathing easy. Leaning back, her hands on the edge of the fountain she looked at him. "May I ask why your eye is like that?" She tilted her head, pursing her lips, "Can you see? " There was no pupil, maybe that eye was blind... Or... "Does it see somewhere else?"
"My eye?" Varian asked, and leaned a bit closer.
"It's all part of my bloodline. You see, my curse comes from up there--" Varian points at the stars. "--Somewhere in my family tree, something alien entered my bloodline."
He pointed to his starry eye.
"This eye is my mark. It works just like a normal eye, actually."
Gardenia thought about her own odd eye. The blue one. Which was neither Adelan or Duhjari. Perhaps it was something like that. It was the beast. She looked at his eye as an object before focusing on them, to simply look at his other eye. They were interesting, she could admit that. "Well, it's good thing you can't see through things with it. That would be a terribly awkward thing to have to go about with daily, I imagine." She leaned back, frowning at the idea of seeing through peoples clothes, found herself blushing and quickly dismissed the idea.
"It's getting late, Varian." She looked up at the stars and sighed, "I should go to bed soon, I've more lessons in the morning."
"Yes, it is late..."
Varian looked up at the stars, able to tell the exact time, just by studying them. He was so familiar with them, they were almost like family to him.
He raised a gloved hand, and stroked Gardenia's cheek. He was content with some silence, some peace, before he kissed her. It was a fleeting kiss, long yet hurried. After he did so, he stood.
"See you tomorrow night?"
At the confirmation of the hour she was filled with a little dread for no reason in particular that she would be very tired tomorrow. Her head jerked up and she blinked at him when he placed his hand on her cheek, the kiss was a surprise but she simply closed her eyes and let it happen. She chuckled again, "Tomorrow?" She stood up too, her hands at her sides, "What would we do tomorrow?" She titled her head, smiling slightly, "talk more? I'm running out of questions to ask you, you know."
Varian chuckled at Gardenia's little joke. Was it a joke? He found himself too distracted to really think too deeply on it.
"Well, there's this old circle of stones a few miles from your home. It gets very peaceful at night. Romantic, even," he said, giving Gardenia a sly wink.
Romantic? Gardenia felt her cheeks turn rosy and she looked down at her dress, her hands clutching at the skirts for a moment before she smoothed out the wrinkles. "I.. That sounds like a nice place to talk." She'd think of more questions to ask him tomorrow and she paused for a moment, "Can we.. Um... Put me back on my balcony? The servants would ask questions if I walked into the house from the gardens, I'm supposed to be in my room." Gently she bit her lip before giving Varian a small smile.
"Of course!"
Varian approached her, and took up both of her hands in each of his. He took a few seconds to just appreciate the feeling of her smooth, pristine hands, before he spoke.
"Remember to close your eyes."
He waited for her to close her eyes, and then he transported them up onto her balcony in a flash.
Oh right. Her eyes closed instantly at the reminder - though part of her wanted to see - and finally when the air felt normal again she popped them open again and looked in wonder. "That's still an amazing skill, Varian." His hands still in hers she smiled at him and leaned in, giving him a brief chaste kiss on the cheek before backing up into her room. "I hope you'll have a nice night?"
"I will, Gardenia."
Fondly, he watched her back into her room, smiling.
"Sweet dreams."
As usual, he leaped over the railing, and he was gone.
Like a good girl, Gardenia changed and promptly went to bed, falling asleep with ease and in the morning went about her day. Though the note she'd gotten from her father that day - who was out on business as usual - told her he'd have something important to discuss with her, tomorrow. Still, for her to get a note instead of telling him herself the day of, that was pretty important!
Today, Gardenia wore a more fancy dress. An empire waist left the bottom of the dress flowing prettily, she always though she looked just a little more Serenian when she wore pretty dresses like this - because she very much wasn't in any other way. Gardenia had kept her dress on and gave a large yawn, pretending to be tired so she could go to her room early instead of cross-stitch.
The sun was down and she carefully snuck to her balcony, cupping her hands and looked up to the stars, in a stage whisper she called "Vaaaaariiiaaaaan." She bounced on the balls of her feet while she waited barefoot because going to sleep with shoes on would be suspicious!
Varian didn't quite know what it was, but when he'd left Gardenia, he was just so full of energy that he couldn't bring himself to sleep. He didn't sleep much, but for a creature like him to miss out on it, it was pretty important indeed!
So, he spent his day waiting and doing research, nailing down the details of the ritual in the grand library of Arca. He was confident that he had it down, despite its difficulty. To cure lycanthropy was mere child's play. But to do what he was doing?
Very difficult indeed.
He'd stopped working when it had started to get late, eagerly awaiting Gardenia's call. And when it came, he didn't hesitate to answer.
Varian appeared behind her, as he had the last time.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?"
Leaning over the railing the voice startled her, it always would, but she didn't jump and she didn't turn around. Instead she stayed leaned over and looking up, smiling all the while. "It is! Thank you for noticing," she gve her straight black hair a puff and turned to look over her shoulder, smiling at Varian. Finally she turned around and tucked her hands behind her back, "did you have a nice day?"
"I did. I trust you had one too?" Varian asked, stepping closer until he was close enough to take her by the waist, giving her a mirthful peck on the cheek.
He passed a hand over the fabric of her dress, humming happily.
"Beautiful dress, too. And the girl wearing it?"
He kissed her again this time on the lips.
"Sublime."
His hands on her waist was cause enough to blush, the time he'd complimented her and her dress she was about as red as her dusky skin could get. Gardenia leaned into the kiss before pulling away and clearing her throat, looking off to the side at a loss of words. "I had a lovely day. I'm excited!" She pressed her palms together, smiling, though still red. "My father has something important to tell me, I can't wait to find out what it is. Perhaps it's a new horse? Or that necklace I asked him for!" Her rambling died off and she cleared her throat again and pressed her hands to her sides.
"So, when are we going? I'm afraid I don't have shoes tonight, I had to pretend to go to bed."
"No shoes?" Varian asked, and glanced down to her bare feet.
"Don't you have shoes in your closet? Or your room?"
Her eyebrows rose and she looked down at her bare feet, leaning back on her heels to wiggle her toes. "Do they offend you, good sir?" She teased before she looked into her room, "I have slippers, but if they get dirty I'll be questioned. A lot. I might even have to tell them about you." She plucked her skirt out to hide her feet agaib, "besides, I hate wearing shoes."
"Gardenia, no part of you can offend me," Varian teased, and moved to her side, leaning his back on the railing as well. He wrapped his arm around her from behind, and gazed up at the stars.
"We can go whenever you want..."
Gardenia blushed again, not used to compliments from someone she's kissed before. His arm felt nice and she leaned into him. "Do I close my eyes again? I'm ready to go now." Though, for good measure she closed her eyes anyway. The rebellious part of her, though small, urged her that this was a very good idea.
Varian nodded, and when Gardenia closed her eyes, he took a step forwards so that they wouldn't be leaning backwards when they teleported. Again, there was that momentary whoosh, and then they were at their destination.
It was a small forest clearing, outlined by several standing stones. Glittering fireflies floated about, and at the center of the stone circle, there was a large disc, big enough for both of them to lie down comfortable on it, if they so desired.
"What do you think?"
The whoosh was done and she slowly opened her eyes. A soft gasp left her lips and she stepped away from Varian, looking around in wonder. "It's beautiful." Slowly she walked around, running her fingers over the stone pillars. "What did you want to do here?" Gardenia turned back to Varian, smiling widely. While not talented in magic, something here was pulling at her and she chuckled at the goose bumps on her arm.
Varian walked besides Gardenia as she explored the stone circle.
"Just to spend time with you," he said, and picked up both of her hands.
"To bask in your company..."
He leaned in to kiss her, quickly and playfully.
"Making out works too," he teased.
Gardenia smiled at him but her eyebrows went up. Making out? "What's that?"
"Well... it's like kissing. But there's a lot of it."
He chuckled.
"People do it all the time."
Gardenia looked up at the stars, stared for a moment at the firefly's and then looked back to Varian. "Well, that sounds dreadfully boring." Who wanted to just do nothing else but kiss? "I know people... Just kiss a lot and.." She swallowed and turned a little red, "other things." She looked up, "I'd rather watch the fireflies."
"Then watch the fireflies we will. Maybe we could lie down after. Watch the stars...""
He started walking towards the stone disc in the middle, taking her along as he held her hand.
Gardenia followed him to the middle disk, looking at it hesitantly before she laid down on her and placed her hands in her stomach. "Do you see shapes in the stars?" She pointed up, "I see a bunny." A smile and she shifted slightly, laying in stone wasn't nearly as comfortable as one would assume it could be. "What do you see?"
Varian laid down next to Gardenia, putting his arm around and holding her tenderly to him. If she felt like getting more comfortable, she could always curl into him.
He smiled at her question.
"I see many things. Wolves, hunters, I can identify all the constellations by heart..."
He turned his head to look at her, still smiling.
Gardenia made prompt use of Varian as a head rest, trying to see these wolves and hunters. She saw a face, but eventually it turned into a horse. "Look! There's a spoon," Gardenia grinned and looked at Varian. "It really is quite lovely out here. Thank you for showing me," as thanks she gave him a peck on the cheek and got comfortable again, looking up at the stars.
"There's places like this all over Serendipity and Connlaoth. There's ancient magic in these places."
He cuddled up with Gardenia a bit more, appreciative of her little thank-you kiss.
He pointed up at the stars.
"If you look closely right there, you can spot a red star. Do you see it?"
Ancient places of magic. Her skin still tingled and she closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the feeling of the air. Gardenia leaned in to Varian to see where he was pointing, squinting for a moment before she made a noise. "I do! It's lovely. What's it's name?"
"It doesn't have a name," Varian said in a poetic tone.
The both of them were pressed into each other, but for decency's sake, Varian pretended not to notice.
He chuckled some more, and brushed some of Gardenia's hair out of her face.
"We should give it one!"
Gardenia chuckle slightly at the idea of naming a star. "Mmmm.... A name." She moved her hand to tap at her lips, looking up at it. "What about Lucian. It looks like a Lucian kinda star to me."
"Lucian... That's..."
He knitted his brow in thought.
"... I like that name."
Gardenia chuckled, "since we named it, does that mean we're it's parents?" She nudged him in the side, curling closer to his warmth as the night grew cold
Varian laughed.
"That's one way of looking at it."
He kissed Gardenia again, and curled into her as well. Now, they were just full-on snuggling.
A smile and she moved her hand to her mouth to yawn. Snuggled up so close was comforting and she returned the kiss sleepily. "Was the star important?" She blinked her eyes wide in an attempt to wake herself up. "You wouldn't have pointed it out for no reason, I'm sorry for making it silly"
"Well, I pointed it out because I thought you'd like the color," Varian admitted.
"Don't be sorry, it's a great name for a star," he said, and reassured her with another kiss.
Gardenia closed her eyes briefly and snuggled closer, turning on her side to press against him. "I thought it would be a dashing name for a star," she said sleepily, moving an arm to rest on Varians chest. "I take it you enjoy kissing. You do it a lot."
Varian's smile faded somewhat.
"Does it bother you?" he asked, placing one of his hands on top of the arm that was resting on his chest.
"Mmm," she paused to think about it, "no. It doesn't bother me." She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. Content with the situation. She leaned up then and looked down at him, he ran her hand over his chest. "Before, you said you wanted to how me something. Are you comfortable enough yet?" Her tone was soft and she tilted her head, leaning up on one arm while her fingers idly followed an invisible pattern on his arm.
"I did, but now that we're close, like this..."
He grew distressed, an emotion plainly visible on his face.
"If I show you, you're gonna be scared. You... you won't want to be near me anymore, Gardenia," Varian said, a tear running down his cheek.
"I don't want to lose you..."
Well, that didn't go well. She sat up straight, sitting back with her legs tucked up under her. "So, you've seen me naked, and you want to cure me with a magic sex ritual." She lifted her nose to look down at him, since he was laying down and she was not. "That's not very fair. What, were you just gonna unzip your pants and take me over a candle soaked desk?" That was how it usually happened in the stories! Which usually kinda grossed her out, so much candle was. Eugh.
"What?"
Varian looked surprised. Shocked, even. He sat straight up to meet her eyes, confusion flush on his face.
"No, Gardenia! This isn't like that at all, and that's not how it's going to be. If there was another way, I'd find it."
Her arms crossed she looked away, pouting. "Then what's it like. You know... You know everything about me." Gardenia wilted slightly, moving to sit cross legged, her skirts up around her knees now. "I don't know anything about you. Why won't you tell me?"
"You want to know? Fine."
Varian sat down at the edge of the stone disk, and sighed. He tried to meet Gardenia's eyes, trying to calm her down with that passive hypnotism of his.
"Ask away, Gardenia."
She turned to look at him, met his eyes and she sighed. "What makes you think I'll be afraid? You've... You've seen me changed. You pet my head, I took your hand in my mouth and you followed." Gardenia's eyebrows drew together and she looked down at her hands. "I won't be afraid. You've been so kind to me and..." All that kissing, she turned red at the thought. "You can trust me. I promise."
Varian nodded.
"Okay."
He stood up from the stone disc for the second time, and started slipping off his gloves. He took off his overcoat, and he was standing there in his shirt and pants. He motioned to himself.
"All this is magical concealment. I... I shift my shape so I can fit in better."
He closed his eyes, sighed, and dropped the magical concealment, revealing his alien anatomy to Gardenia.
"This is me. The real me. I haven't shown it in so long, it... it feels strange."
Rudely, she stared. Though not in horror, mostly curiosity. Slowly, Gardenia rose too, standing to look at him more closely, while she turned into what looked like a huge emancipated wolf, this a what he always looked like. Gardenia gave Varian a weary look before she reached out to hold his ungloved hand, hesitant if he didn't want her to touch him. "Well, I have antlers when I'm a puppy. Wolves don't have those."
[I know it's kinda rude to ask, but did you read Varian's description beforehand? I usually don't describe my characters mid-roleplay, kinda because I'm lazy:P. I'm just making sure so nobody gets confused, ^_^]
Varian, genuinely surprised, eagerly accepted Gardenia's hand. The black matter that his hand was made of had the feel of skin, but the way it wriggled momentarily beneath her touch suggested that it was anything but flesh.
His tail swayed idly, and a smile found its way onto his face. He laughed at her little joke.
"You're... fine with this?"
[i am totally aware of how weird he looks. : D Gardenia is just that nice. Also, she grows twice her size and has a copious amount of hair. She can't judge.]
Gardenia pulled his hand closer to examine it and the flick of a tail caught her eye. She grinned. She remembered the feeling of her own tail and she leaned over to look at it. "You're my friend, Varian. Of course I'm fine with it."
[Oh, okay! I've just had some confusing experiences with peeps in the past because I forgot to mention my policy on character description. Just covering my bases.]
Varian's tail leaned over to look right back at her. It hissed, glowing blue saliva dripping from its toothy mouth, before going back to swaying. Varian himself looked absolutely overjoyed at Gardenia's words. He placed his other hand on her shoulder, a bright, genuine smile on her face.
"Oh, Gardenia..."
He pulled her into a hug.
"Thank you..."
The hissing had her eyes open wide and she looked between him and it. That was unexpected but she just laughed and looked at him in amazement. "Your tail hissed at me!" Wide awake now she was still chuckling when Varian pulled her into a hug and she wrapped her arms around in turn, only slightly worried the tail would bite her. "I can see why you were afraid of showing me, your tail is quite rude."
"Well, nobody's ever been nice to it. Or to me..."
He placed a few fingers beneath her chin, and slowly turned her head upwards, so he could look into her eyes. He was at a loss for words, so he just kissed her again.
"You're the only one who's ever understood."
Gardenia smiled at him sadly, "well, I'd like to be friends with it, too." She closed her eyes for the kiss and again, leaned over to look at the tail. "Can you control it? Is it you or is it.. It's self?" Gardenia leaned back again, smiling widely. "When I'm a puppy sometimes I find being the littlest pleased just... Makes my tail wag."
"It has a mind of its own, but I can tell it what to do," Varian explained.
The tail peeked out at her when she leaned over to look at it, and followed her when she leaned back.
"It's sort of like... a minion. Except it's attached to me."
Gardenia smiled again and she took both his hands, they felt weird but she wasn't about to day that. The poor man had been rejected all his life for how he looked. "Are you more comfortable like this? Or do you like the coat and gloves better?" She looked down at their hands and she smoothed her fingers over his knuckles, "your hands feel warm."
"Well, to be honest, I think it'd be more comfortable for the both of us if I resumed my concealment," Varian said, and his form shifted back into the clothing he wore underneath his coat. It was a plain white cloth shirt, with a pair of similarly plain black breeches. The shirt was open down the middle, so Gardenia could see how well-muscled and lean he was in his "disguise" form.
He looked down at her fingers, and smiled.
"Want to sit back down?"
Gardenia tried very hard not to look at his chest. Her eyes went up and she looked up at the stars again. The chest was a lie. That wasn't his real chest. Don't make him feel bad by ogling at his not real chest-chest. Gardenia smiled at him and nodded, "I was sleepy, but now that I know you have a bitey tail I'm wide awake," she lifted her skirts and sat cross legged, tucking her feet under the fabric so they wouldn't get cold. "Do you come here often?"
Varian sat ext to Gardenia on the stone disc, glad that things simmered back down, and absolutely overjoyed that she didn't see him as a monster.
"Well, not here specifically, but there are many places like this scattered around the continent. I do tend to visit them in my travels."
He looked up at the stars.
"You don't have to worry about the tail when I'm like this. This appearance--" He motioned to himself, "--Isn't an illusion. I've changed my shape, so it's just as real as you are."
Gardenia took Varian's now human looking hand and pulled it onto her lap, finding it far more interesting to examine than the stars above. "What are they for?" A peek at his chest and then back to his hand, wiggling his fingers and pressing along his thumb. Gardenia looked up at him for a moment, her hair obscuring most of her face, "I mean the stones, not your hand."
Varian was utterly captivated by Gardenia's keen interest in his hand. He let her do whatever she wished, providing no resistance as she played with his fingers. He only looked up when she asked him the question.
"The stones?" he repeated, brushing Gardenia's hair out of her face with his free hand.
"I guess they must've been used to worship, or maybe for some magic. Or perhaps, they're landmarks."
Still playing with his hand, mesmerized by what they were. By what they looked like now. By his power. The ability to teleport them? The ability to change how he looked? What he looked like. She looked up at him when he pushed her hair away and she briefly leaned into his hand, holding his hand still.
"Landmarks." She repeated looking around and then back up at the stars, "This place makes my skin tingle. I can't do magic, but... It's..." Her hands simply held his one in her lap and she smiled at him, "It's nice."
The hand that Gardenia was holding in her lap remained still, while the one she leaned into remained in place.
Varian, caught in the moment, could only muster a few words.
"it is..."
A kiss only felt appropriate at the moment, so he gave her another. This time, it was slow and passionate, like the one they shared while dancing around the fountain.
Gardenia leaned into the kiss, shifting her weight and moving closer. As a rather bold move she moved one hand to his waist pressed harder into the kiss, raising up onto her knees as she did so. Pulling away she smiled down at him and moved her hands away. "So, what did you really bring me here for?"
Gardenia grabbed Varian's waist, and Varian responded in kind, caressing the back of her neck for as long as the kiss lasted. She pulled away, and Varian's eyes opened.
"Well, like I said, I brought you here to spend time with you. Didn't really plan out how, though..." he said with a grin, and he started slipping his arms out of his shirt.
She stuck her tongue out at him, "Though?" And he started to take his arms out of his shirt. Gardenia swallowed and tried not to watch. Gardenia leaned back and put her hands on her lap, clearing her throat, "Are you, um, getting warm or something?"
Varian remained silent for a bit, before answering her question.
"Nope. Just getting more comfortable," he said, tossing his shirt out to the center of the stone disc.
"It's okay to look, you know."
Gardenia was red as a beet and she cast a moments glance before turning away and looking everywhere but Varian. "I.. Um." She cleared her throat and watched his shirt go flying. Oh dear. "I.. It would be rude and... You're half naked and I'm a lady." What were people supposed to do when someone was half naked? Sure she'd been naked a few times around people, but that was after being wolfy and usually she had a cloak and now he was totally topless.
Slowly she swallowed and cast him a fast curious look before her odd eyes were again looking up at the stars. Which was far more interesting now than they were ever before, interesting.
"It's not rude," Varian teased, scooting a bit closer.
"I find it really curious how you can look at my true form, yet can't bring yourself too look at my disguise form."
Gardenia looked back at him, but kept her gaze above the shoulder. Now she was sitting on her legs, her knees tight together and her hands pressed on her thighs. Looking a bit like a statue, sitting there so still and so tense. "It's..." She looked away, "Not proper. You're not different anymore now you... You're just a half naked man." She cleared her throat and looked away for a moment before she gave him a quick once over, blushed and then stared at his face. "It's different. And you took off your shirt on purpose." Gardenia swallowed and cleared her throat, "Do you enjoy making me blush?"
Varian pursed his lips, giving Gardenia a wry smile.
"I must admit, you blush so beautifully, but really..."
He motioned to the wilderness around them.
"We're five miles from any sort of civilization, sitting in an ancient stone circle. We can be improper if we want," Varian teased.
He leaned in real close, giving Gardenia a flirty little wink.
"It'll be between the two of us."
And then, almost instantly she took in the image of him. "Oh... No." She looked back up, giving him a concerned look, "I can't. I... " she bit her lip and she nodded, "I know it'll be between us." Who did he have to tell? "I just... You're..." Gardenia blushed and looked away, not moving when he leaned in close. "I... Don't... Do this." She looked around, looked at him, "I just read about it."
"You can't read books forever, you know."
He decided it was worth taking the risk, and he cupped her chin in his fingers, trying to direct her eyes into his once again.
"Just... relax."
And then he kissed her.
"Well no, but - " she caught his eyes and she took a breath, looking away for a moment before she looked into his eyes again let him kiss her. Relax. Relax for what. "Books are safe." Gardenia looked away after a moment, remembering her mother. Her father. The fact that the man who raised her wasn't even her blood related father. "I don't want to turn into my mother."
Varian sighed, and took her hands into his again.
"This is nothing like that, Gardenia. What your mother did was inexcusable. But us? We're just two friends, spending time with each other."
Gardenia laughed then and gave him a bold once over, "Frien..." No. Friends didn't kiss that often. Nor did they cuddle or fall asleep together in a bed. "I don't... I can't say I've ever spent time with a topless friend. Are you sure you're not just showing off?" She looked at his chest with a more curious clinical look, instead of looking at him like he was a man, "Could you teach me how to do that?"
Varian raised his eyebrows.
"Do what?"
Gardenia looked down at herself, "Change! What I look like." She looked down at herself, her hands. Her very not Serenian self. "I guess not. I don't really... Do magic." She smiled anyway and then took a deep breath, giving him a long look. "Can you look like anything with your... Magic?"
"Yeah, you need to be pretty good at magic to even start trying to learn about changing shape. Shapeshifting is one of the hardest things you can do, mostly because you're making a real body, and not an illusion."
He extended a bicep towards Gardenia.
"Feel it, and tell me if it's an illusion or not."
It was about now that Gardenia wished she'd read things other than smutty romance novels. Maybe if she'd asked her father about how his magic worked it would be interesting. Or if she'd read more books that didn't need to be hidden under her bed. Gardenia reached over and touched his arm, giving it an experimental squeeze. "It's... Not? Was that a trick question? If I were Serenian I could probably do magic." Her hand moved down his arm and she felt along his forearm and finally was back to his hand. "So. Do you bring all the girls here?" She teased, smiling slightly.
"Well, since you're the only girl I've ever been with, and I brought you here, then I guess the answer to that question is yes," Varian said, unable to contain his chuckle.
He smirked, and turned to face her.
"Only by a technicality, though."
He looked down to the stone disc, and hummed thoughtfully.
"You want to lie back down?"
Giving a stretch she smiled at Varian and his technicality comment and spread herself out on the stone disc. No one had to know she was with a topless man in the middle of the night! She could relax. A deep breath and she blew it out slowly, once again folding her hands over her stomach and looking up at the stars. "Well, when you find a girl you like, you should bring her here. It's lovely." Gardenia bit her lip and she looked thoughtful, "don't tell her you brought me here though, that may lead to trouble."
Varian laid down next to Gardenia, looking up at the stars once again. He put his arm around her so they could be comfortable, like last time.
"But Gardenia..."
He looked into her eyes.
"What if it's you I like?"
The feel of skin against her cheek had her flushed still but she still looked up at the stars. Their eyes met and she looked at him sadly. "Oh, Varian." She moved to hold his hand and she sighed, "that's a terrible idea." Ignoring the fact he was topless she wrapped an arm around his chest and pressed her cheek to his shoulder, "you'll only be disappointed when I get married off."
"I don't care if it's a terrible idea, Gardenia," Varian said with rising passion. He held her hand tightly, and held her a bit closer.
"You're the only one who's ever understood me, who's ever really cared. If I get disappointed, so be it. As long as I get to be with you..."
Gardenia snuggled closer, giving a sad sigh. "I don't want you to be more sad," her hand moved up and down his side, while she thought on what to say. Gardenia moved up to press a tender kiss to his cheek, "no one gets everything they want all the time," and again she pressed her cheek to his shoulder and closed her eyes, "but I'll be with you a long as I can."
"I've never gotten anything I wanted, Gardenia, but when I'm with you, I don't feel like an outcast anymore. I feel like I belong, like I'm appreciated."
He kissed her, caressing her hair as their lips made contact.
Gardenia sat up, gathered her skirts and boldly sat down on his thighs, one leg on either side of his. Her heart began to pound and she moved to bend over him, one hand on either shoulder. "Was that making out? The laying down and the cuddling?" She paused for a beat, "and the kissing."
Varian looked up at Gardenia as she straddled his thighs, his own cheeks coloring a bit as he drew in a breath. His hands held onto her sides, and he watched her keenly.
"It was, sorta..."
Observant, Gardenia noticed the tinge on his cheeks and she grinned. "I guess that was okay." It was nice, not as boring as she anticipated. The night was growing colder and a wind blew by. "I'm getting cold." Gardenia leaned back to stretch, her hips subtly pressing against his legs, and her hands moved down to cover her mouth while she yawned, "and terribly sleepy."
"Mmm..."
Gardenia leaned back up, still straddling him, and Varian just continued to hold her by the sides. She looked absolutely stunning with the stars twinkling behind her, and despite his best efforts, he found himself slowly getting aroused.
"You want to go back to your room?"
Another yarn and she smiled, stretching again. "I think I'm about ready for bed time. Spending time with you at night makes me terribly tired." Gardenia flopped forward, her head on his chest, her hair fanned out - probably even ending up on his face. "Do I have to move for you to make us change places?" Her voice was muffled and awkward sounding, pressed against his chest as it was.
Varian emitted a surprised little gasp when Gardenia flopped down on top of him, but the surprise passed after a few seconds. His hands on her hips, he kissed her forehead.
"Just keep your eyes closed."
He kissed her forehead again, and before she knew it, they were laying in her bed, in the exact same position.
It was odd how everything changed so quickly. Suddenly there was some give underneath her human bed and while it was still chilly, the feeling of blankets under her legs was far more of a comfort. "Hmm, this is nicer than a stone disc," she murmured, "not nearly as tingly on my skin though." Gardenia turned her head to kind of look at him, "do you want me to get off of you before I fall asleep?"
Varian grinned, and hugged Gardenia a bit tighter to him.
"Only if you want to."
She yawned again and snuggled closer, nuzzling at his chest. Gardenia peeled an eye open promptly closed it. "I'm comfy. Sweet dreams, Varian." And her not long after, her body relaxed sprawled out over too his and her breathing was easy and deep.
Varian gave Gardenia a good night kiss, and waited for her to fall asleep. Once she did, he'd use his teleporting powers to rearrange them so they were actually under the sheets, and not out in the open. He didn't, however, change their positioning.
It was a bit after she'd fallen asleep, when she sat up and looked down, giving a roll of her hips to either wake up her human bed or turn a strange dream into a nice one. She'd changed. Her hair was shaggier, there was a slight point to her ears. A wide fanged tooth grin while she looked down at Varian in the dark and she had two delicate antlers on her head, poking up through her bangs.
"Those stones." Gardenia took a breath and let it out slowly, her hand going to his neck. Her fingers had gotten longer, the nails pointed dangerously. Her hand went down his chest to where their bodies met ad she gave a breathy sigh.
"I haven't been this awake since I've been born." She smiled widely, "you seek to cure her of herself?" Gardenia laughed quietly, still aware on some level of who she was, "that's so very adorable."
Varian was a lightly sleeper, so Gardenia sitting up was enough to stir him. He grumbled pleasantly, arms moving up Gardenia's back. When she rolled her hips and rubbed against him, however, his eyes shot open. He looked up at Gardenia, in a half-wolf form, and only smiled lightly.
If she sought to intimidate, or to discourage him, it failed. He never even took his hands off of her.
"The stones, they awoke something primal in you, didn't they?" he said in wonderment.
"Something beautiful..."
Gardenia leaned in, pressing her face to his neck, the little antlers no doubt poking him in the face. "You smell like the stars do." And he leaned back, her hands on his shoulders, frowning at him. Gardenia sat back up, tilting her head. "They didn't wake up anything, they just fed me. Being a normal girl is terribly boring." She pouted looking off to the side. "But I like it. Like the stories I read." Her hands went to his throat and she stared down at him, "every instinct inside me tells me you're a very dangerous powerful man. I wish to keep my vesse- myself safe." Her fingers tightened oh so slowly and she watched him, "but you've been so kind to me."
"And you will be safe," Varian said, ignoring the finger slowly tightening around his neck. He reached up to cup one of her cheeks with his hand.
"And I will continue to be kind to you..."
Varian propped himself up a bit on his elbows, but still didn't try to shake the fingers around his throat. In fact, it seemed he enjoyed that contact.
"Is there something you desire from me?"
Gardenia's hands didn't leave his neck, in fact she moved her fingers to dig in the sharps of her nails. Though she leaned into the hand caressing her cheek, her eyes were hard and she gave another roll of her hips, simply because she could. "I desire everything, why do you think I chose this? Spirits have nothing. Humans? They can touch and taste and feel." Gardenia tilted her head back and she gave an inhuman purr before looking back down at her prey. "What should I desire from you first?" She leaned in and bit his ear. Gently.
Varian sucked in more air through his teeth, at both the introduction of her nails to his neck, and to the roll of her hips.
When she bit his ear, Varian was all about that. He dropped his magical concealment, so that the both of them were warped, and chuckled.
"That is for you to decide..."
And then Gardenia, or rather the true Gardenia plucked at her skirt and slowly pulled it off. "The human is far too shy," the dress got caught on one of the delicate antlers as she threw it across the room. It got a nasty glare as she now sat in little more than under garments. Gardenia looked down at him, curious of his form. "You don't desire me?" She tilted her head, looking at him curiously. The garment covering her breasts was taken off and she passed her hand over them. "You're naught but a man. And men only want one thing."
[You should probably go back to the first post and edit the title with the [M] tag]
Varian remained still, albeit slowly growing more aroused. In his true form, he had a big, potent member, and its full length slowly swelled as Gardenia stripped. She was wrong about one thing, though. He was far from human.
"I desire to help you, Gardenia," Varian said, even as his hands slid from her sides down to her hips.
"But if this is what you want, I won't hesitate to give it to you."
[mature rating for the mature rating gods! Not the booooooooobs.]
Gardenia gasped and looked down, frowning slightly. "Help me?" She tilted her head, leaned back to cross her arms over her chest. "Help me with what? Your desire is for naught, I need no help."
[Hah!]
Varian nodded, slowly rubbing Gardenia's hip. His tail, normally hostile towards her, just started slithering along one of her thighs. He sat up so he could look her level in the eyes, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Then yes. I admit that I do desire you, Gardenia."
He leaned forwards, and (Gardenia allowing!) kissed her.
Varian's eyes slowly wandered down her body after that, and he leaned forwards to take in her smell, just as she'd taken in his.
Gardenia looked at the tail, curious as to what it might be up to before she gave it a scritch in the head with her finger. Her eyes flicked to his and she closed them briefly when he kissed her, but she caught his lower lip between her teeth and bit down hard enough to draw blood. Giving his lips a lick she turned her head and gave a shudder. In another lifetime, Varian would have been a tasty snack. Now she was a simple girl and while he tasted delicious it wasn't appropriate to eat ones conquests.
Her hands moved up and down his arms and she left scratches behind, "this will all be a terribly embarrassing dream to me when I wake up." She said, smiling coldly.
Oh, yes.
Varian pulled away from that kiss with a surprised look on his face, lip bleeding bright red. When she was done licking his lips, he gave himself a pass with his tongue, tasting his own blood. A wild look entered his eyes. The stars in his odd eye shimmered.
Beneath her nails, the black flesh of his arms gave way, but healed right back up after the scratches had been left.
"Well, then let's make it as embarrassing as we can."
He shot forwards to kiss her with fierce passion, arms holding her tightly by the back and pressing her to him, so that her breasts and nipples rubbed up against his chest.
It was Gardenia. On some level. The stones had called the spirit that slept with in her and nourished her body, the body her mothers lover had sold to the spirit the moment of her conception, and then he'd so coldly thrown his life away like the woman who gave birth to her. Still, Gardenia in all her abnormal beauty was herself. There was just more. And perhaps this would be the last time there was more. Gardenia the girl would remember this as a dream, but now?
Now it was her turn to play and she gnashed her teeth at him when he pressed forward to kiss her, giving it back with sharp teeth and tongue. Her hands roamed over his shoulders and she leaned back, giving his chest a look. "You left your shirt on the stone disc." Was her idle comment while she rolled her hips into his and looked at him curiously, far more calculating than someone should be in such a situation.
Gardenia leaned in, pressing her lips to his tenderly while she moved up her cheek to press her lips to his cheek under his odd starry eye. "I wonder if it tastes like knowledge, hmm?" Another kiss to his eyelid and she leaned back, carding her fingers through his hair while she ground down against him. There were so many emotions and feelings to take in, it was almost overwhelming, the primal spirit growled low but she grinned a fanged tooth grin.
Frankly, Varian could care less that he left his shirt at the circle of stones, but he supposed it was nice to have that reminder. He made a mental note to go retrieve it whenever he got the chance.
For now, though, there were more pressing matters.
Literally.
Her grinding had Varian hissing with need and desire, and before long, he was as hard as he could be, even if their clothing separated them from touching. Varian continued to devour her with his kisses, bringing a hand up from her hips to fondle one of her breasts.
"Knowledge?" Varian repeated, pulling away to chuckle, even as a thin line of saliva still connected them.
"It doesn't taste like anything. There isn't anything there."
Gardenia blinked at him, not caring that he had a hand on her breast.
Now she was just curious about his eye.
"Nothing?" Well she couldn't eat nothing. Well, she was eating nothing right now if she thought hard about it. "How unfortunate. No knowledge then." Well that was disappointing. Her thumbs moved up to wipe the saliva from his mouth, frowning slightly in the process. "How do you know it doesn't taste like anything? Have you tried it before?" She leaned in, pressing their foreheads together and stared into his eyes while her hands moved down her body to rid herself of her remaining undergarments.
"Well," Varian started, dragging his thumb over her nipple and gazing deep into her eyes, as she gazed into his.
He took his other hand, and put his index finger right into his starry eye. It passed through, as if his eye socket was an open door to some unknown region of the sky. He showed her the finger, which was completely dry, if not a bit cold.
"There's just nothing there," he repeated.
He chuckled, and sneaked in another kiss from her.
A delightful shiver and she grabbed his finger, leaning back to look at it. Then examined his eye better. The sneaky kiss didn't break her concentration and she just frowned at his hand. "You're an interesting creature." Was her final comment before she dropped his hand and now sat naked on his lap. Far more comfortable now without those silly mortal fabric traps.
Another frowny look at his eye, "Do you hide things in there?"
"No, I don't."
He slipped out of his loose breeches, and rolled to the side, leaving Gardenia on her back with him looming above her, fully erect and ready to enter. Rather than go in immediately, though, he opted for a little more foreplay, leaning down to continue kissing Gardenia.
One of his hands slipped between her legs, and he teased her folds with his fingers.
Gardenia looked down when he touched her, sighing softly and giving him an odd look. "But if it's empty...." What else was it good for if not to hide things? She rolled her hips into his hand and moved her own to his shoulders, her cheeks flushed and her lips parted. "Is this making out, then?" Licking her lips she pressed her nails into his shoulder and wrapped one leg around his, her heel pressing into the back (or the front?) of his knee.
Varian smiled, and shook his head.
"We're past making out, Gardenia," he said, and dropped back down to keep kissing her, compounding that sensation by pushing his index and middle fingers into her.
Gardenia pulled back from the kiss and moaned softly, clenching her teeth at the new feeling. An experimental roll of her hips and another soft sigh and she turned her head to stare at him, wide eyed and curious. Her hands roamed up and down his back and she nuzzled at his chin, undulating her hips before her hands moved to his hair and she gripped it in tight fists. "Is this making love then?"
Varian answered her question with another kiss, this time to her neck.
"It is..."
He found he rather liked the taste of her neck, so he kissed her there for a bit. At the same time, his fingers fell into rhythm with her hips, thrusting as she undulated. He paused, only to pass his thumb over her clit, and he smiled.
"I love you, Gardenia."
Gardenia's fingers tightened in his hair and she pulled him closer, her legs going up around his hips. Another soft sigh and she looked at him. "You love me?" She asked softly, her fingers loosening in his hair, her hands were trembling from the sensations and she moved her hands to hold his cheeks. Searching his eyes she shook her head, "Do you even know what love is, Varian?"
Biting at her lip she looked down between them again, reaching down to touch him. Her hand going around him, "Do you think that's love? Your fingers in me? My hands on you? That isn't love. That's lust." She moved her hand from his member and grabbed his hand from her, trailing it up her body, placing his hand on her breast. "Do you feel my heart? Do you know how many people I've seen who truely love each other?" Gardenia smiled widely and shifted her hips. "Perhaps you could learn to love," She drew her sharp teeth over his neck before she pulled him closer with her legs, "You lust for me and it's dangerous for the poor human girl I'll be again at dawn." Good thing the danger made it better.
While somebody normal might frown at having their concepts of love thrown out the window, Varian just nodded. To be honest, Varian didn't know what love was. He'd never felt it, never experienced it, or never been the recipient of it.
"Perhaps I could learn. I suppose the roots of it are there... But until then, we'll have to settle for lust..."
The tip of his cock rubbed against her entrance when she pulled him in, although Varian managed to stop it before it got in. He pulled his fingers out, and used that very same hand to stroke her thigh as he teased her with his tip.
The feeling was unfamiliar. A little bit like being invaded and Gardenia simply smiled at him, the same fanged smile. It wasn't Gardenia's smile. The bright one that made her eyes squint slightly. The cold calculating smile that was so unfamiliar on her usually bright face. Oh yes, this was entirely selfish of her, but it was her body, she'd just never been so aware before.
"Lust is less dangerous," She whispered, her hand stroking the back of his neck, going into his hair, "People do stupid things for love," A soft chuckle, "How do you think I managed to be human? Chance? Begging?" Gardenia shifted her hips, pulling him closer. Craving the extra contact. The sensation. The new experience.
"Oh no. It was love. Love helped create me." She chewed on her lip and she moved her hands from his neck to his lower back, dragging her nails all the way, pressing at his back, urging him on. "If I have to assert my presence over yours, I'll do it." Gardenia leaned away to look at him in the eyes, grinning a dangerous grin, "Don't doubt me."
Varian grinned, glad to be a part of this little corrupting experience for Gardenia, followed her wishes. No longer did he tease her! He reached down and spread her legs wide open.
"I never doubted you for a second."
With that, he started pushing in, eager to steal away Gardenia's virginity.
It stung a little and she frowned at him. This wasn't that great of an experience after all. Still, she lifted her hips, drawing him in deeper. Curious as to why this simple act of slapping flesh together turned people into stupid animals. Her nails dug into his shoulder's and she took a calm steady breath, closing her eyes for a brief moment and giving a halting gasp.
With a shove of his shoulder she flipped them over again so she was straddling his hips, hovering above him. Gardenia lowered herself again, making jerking motions with her hips while she frowned and then looked down at Varian, slowly she took him in and she stayed still after a moment. A number of expressions passed her face, some curious, some frowning.
Finally her eyes snapped open and she stared down at him while she rolled her hips. "I guess this feels nice."
It seemed Varian was a little uncomfortable in the beginning as well. Perhaps, if he had been smaller of girth and length, he'd be in heaven, but the fact that Gardenia was just so tight...
It mattered little, though, because there was still plenty of pleasure to be had.
"I think it'll get better with time," Varian said a bit breathlessly, hands on her hips to help guide her. Before long, though, they were right back onto her chest, feeling her breasts and playing with the nipples.
There were a number of perfunctory jerks of her hips while she waited for it to start feel good instead of just like a strange burning stretch. The look on her face was generally looking not impressed and she almost wished she'd just let him keep his hand down there. A few more undulating movements and his hands on her chest, Gardenia closed her eyes again and concentrated.
With his hands on her chest, she moved her own up and down his arms before they remained above his, keeping his hands where they were. A soft gasp of pleasure and she squeezed her eyes shut, her mouth hanging open slightly, the whites of her fangs visible before she gently bit her lower lip. Her movements increased in pace and before long she was jerking her hips quickly against him, giving soft breathy moans all the while. "Varian," She was flushed and looked down at the fellow participant in the current event.
Something dangerous crossed her eyes and she leaned down, her hand going to his throat again and she wrapped her hand around it, easily covering more area than she would otherwise with the freakishly long fingers. "This is nicer," She purred held his head steady, pressing her lips to his before she gently bit him again, never ceasing the movement of her hips.
Varian's eye widened a bit as Gardenia found her stride, and his starry one twinkled a bit. Her window, which had been left slightly cracked open, began to flow with wind. The curtains rippled, and Varian released a slow breath.
Again, her hand met his throat, and he relished the contact. He kissed and bit her back, tightly grabbing the back of her hair as she'd done with him. He started to buck his hips upwards, meeting her motions and adding impact to their collective movement.
"It is..."
Slowly at first but the pace picking up she rocked her hips and sat up, her head tilting back while she rode out her pleasure, giving little gasps and moans while she picked up the pace. Gardenia moved her hand down from Varian's neck to drag down his chest until she moved her hands to her breasts while she rocked upon him. With little thought to his pleasure she jerked her hips and finally, they became frantic, the bed protesting quietly against the rabid movements of her hips against his.
Concentration was on her face, chasing that little spark that rested somewhere in her gut and finally she rose up and down along with the undulating motions and with one loud slap of skin against skin she went still. Her hands on his chest dug into his flesh, the claws sinking in oh so easily while she orgasmed. The soft growl, the low breathy moan while she twitched around him. Giving a tremble she stopped moving and simply flopped forward on top of him, her head resting on his chest while she shivered and twitched, her hands moving up and down his sides. That part was okay. She could see why people did that at every chance they could. Gardenia laid on his chest, panting softly and almost forgot that he was there and wasn't just an instrument for her pleasure.
Varian was close to his own climax, but not nearly finished by the time Gardenia hurried along her own climax. He was almost shocked out the mood when Gardenia came to a sudden stop and dug her claws into his flesh. Of course, he didn't care about the blood or pain, since he regenerated that, but he wasn't finished.
He rolled back over, placing Gardenia on her back. He gave her a bit to catch her breath, before he started to thrust, deciding that it was his turn to do the fucking.
Her eyes were closed and she was breathing shallowly, her hands were up by her head and she was so comfortable. Gardenia remembered where she was at the movement and she moaned lowly, her hands drawing up and down his back. She gave a whole body shudder and she tightened her knees against his hips, drawing him close. "I'm going to be dreadfully tired tomorrow," she panted out, trusting her hips up to meet his. "Dawn is coming," she pulled him down to whisper in his ear before giving it a playful nibble.
Varian nodded, understanding the urgency of the impending dawn. He glanced outside, taking note of the light and the stars visible out the window. Dawn would arrive in around ten minutes, so he had time to finish up with her.
He looked back to her, burying his face in her neck as his breath came hot and quickly. After two more minutes passionate thrusting, Varian hit his climax, and finished inside of Gardenia. Each final thrust brought another spurt of his corrupt seed into her depths, where it would remain undetected. If he finished on her, or somewhere else, it ran the risk of being discovered when Gardenia woke up from her "dream."
He slumped over, just like Gardenia had slumped over when she orgasmed, and came to rest at her side.
"Do not worry, my seed can't bear fruit. I'm sterile," Varian said quickly, and started pulling his discarded breeches back on.
"Should I leave? Before you wake up, that is?"
With the act completed she gave his back a few more gentle strokes before she sat up and placed her clothing back on. Or rather, going to her dresser and grabbing a night gown. She pulled it over her naked body and have a cat like stretch making her way back to her bed. She crawled towards Varian on her hands and knees, "it would probably be for the best if you --" and the first light of dawn poured through the window and the antlers melted away and she was simply Gardenia again and fast asleep on top of her covers, face first in the sheets.
Varian was just about to bid Gardenia a good night kiss before he left, but then she flopped down in front of him, apparently asleep. He sat there for a couple seconds, mostly surprised that dawn affected her that quickly, before he disappeared from the room.
Gardenia woke up on top of her blankets, curled up around a pillow and everything ached. Was it because she'd fallen asleep on Varian with her legs out? The sun was just risen and she rubbed at her chest when the smell hit her. Sweat and something else she couldn't name. Covering her mouth to keep herself from gagging she ran to the balcony to throw open the doors and managed to open the doors and step onto the balcony when her dream hit her.
Oh dear.
Slowly she looked over at her bed, frowning slightly. Her hands went to her forehead to check for delicate antlers and one hand went down to her belly to press against it. Well, that meant it was just a dream. Thank goodness. Her dream had her making love to Varian until her legs burned - which they did now but she'd slept funny so that was probably it - and then again. He'd.... Her hands remained on her lower stomach while she remembered the rest of it. She'd gotten pregnant and had given birth to a child with no face.
Or rather, there was a face, it was a mass of eyes, blinking darkly. Tentacles for limbs. Too many hands. Too many everything. A mouth on it's stomach. With a tremble of her hands she ran to her bed and ripped off the blankets, not looking at them in her haste to tear away the bad dream and finally tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was panting heavily in her efforts to rid the big bed of blankets.
"My lady?" Was a voice through the door, but she didn't stop, "We've come to get you ready for your fathers announcement" And they opened the door to see Gardenia standing in her nightgown, crying. "Oh, Gardenia, Darling," The maid moved to her, an older woman who wrapped Gardenia in her arms and pressed her head to her chest, "Why are you crying? Are you worried about the news?" Gardenia snuggled into the familiar feeling, her arms going around the maid - a woman who had once functioned as a wet nurse and was practically a sometimes mother.
"No, I had a bad dream." Gardenia snuggled into the warmth while she calmed herself down, taking deep breaths while the woman pet down her hair and whispered nice things.
"Come now, we must get you ready for your fathers news. You're to look beautiful, not that you don't already, you're the most exotic looking noblewoman in Serendipity!" Mostly because she wasn't Serenian by blood. Being wrapped up in the woman's joyful demeanor Gardenia was able to forget the dream, though it didn't make the ache in her legs or her belly go away.
Finally, hour's later the day was done and Gardenia was alone having snuck away before her maids could attack her and get her ready for bed. Still she looked like a vision, her hair was done up in coils with flowers leaving a trail like a waterfall, her dress showed off her modest bust and gave her a lovely hour glass shape.
The moon was high in the sky and she played with a new ring on her finger, looking down at it thoughtfully with a less than joyful expression on her face. With her hands pressed to her stomach, something she'd been doing all day because she ached inside. Everything about Gardenia was sad. The way her shoulders were slumped, the way she looked at the stars - trying in vain to find Lucian, but to no avail. Gardenia licked her lips and stared down at the balcony floor, on which she was seated, her knees tucked to her chin and free arm around her legs. "Varian?"
Varian had remained awake, as he always had done. Except, the labors of that day were different.
He had it figured out. The ritual, the "cure", everything. It was all in place, all ready to be performed, so what was the problem?
Something felt wrong to Varian. Something weighed his heart down, keeping him from feeling satisfied over his discovery. He was morose the entire afternoon, and the most frustrating thing was that he didn't even know why. The feeling was distant, yet all too personal.
Perhaps...
He looked off in the direction of Gardenia's home. From the entrance of the cave he'd made his temporary home, Gardenia's house laid directly in front of it, in a straight line a few miles long.
He came to the realization that perhaps it wasn't him who was sad. He knew something was wrong, but...
"Varian?"
His head shot up, and he answered the call. He appeared behind her, in his usual manner. This time, however, when he appeared, he wasn't wearing a smile. He could feel Gardenia's sadness.
He knelt behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Gardenia?"
As always, she jerked in response but today she actually shouldered his hands off of her and tucked her face into her arms. Who knew everything could go so wrong in just one day? One short day and everything was different. The bad dream had been enough to ruin her day, but the rest of it?
"I had a bad dream," she said softly her voice muffled in her dress, "You were in it." She swallowed and took a steady breath. Slowly she looked over at her bed, the new blankets on it, looking pristine like the night before never happened. "We had a child and it was..." Gardenia's eyes filled with tears, "It was awful."
"A... child?"
Varian moved in front of her, and sat down.
A child? That was impossible... He wasn't capable of breeding. Was he? He reached out with his mind, thankful that he didn't sense any other presences.
"Oh, Gardenia..."
He opened his arms, offering her a hug.
Gardenia shuffled slightly, leaning into him. Still, she looked very put out and she let her hands rest on her lap. "It had a mouth on it's stomach and it's face was nothing but eyes." She frowned, scrubbing her palms over her own eyes before squeezing them shut. She didn't mention the first part of the dream, the part that lead to the baby. "I'm so tired I feel like I haven't slept a wink," She whined softly, her eyes closed for a moment before they snapped open "But every time I close my eyes I feel it looking at me."
A moment passed by and she played with the new ring on her finger, twirling it around, the weight of it unfamiliar. "I wasn't afraid while I was dreaming, but I was afraid after I woke up. Is that still a nightmare?"
Varian took her into his arms, hugging her with all the tenderness he could muster.
"I guess so," he said.
A glint caught his eyes, and he glanced downwards, catching sight of the ring. It was also around that moment that he noticed just how beautifully dressed she was.
Gently, he took the hand with the ring into his own, and a passed a thumb over the new piece of metal.
"Oh... Oh no..."
Her heart lurched when he noticed the ring, another part of her was glad she didn't have to tell him. Why was she so sad to let him know? They barely knew one another, perhaps it was the familiarity. The fact he knew things about her so few did. Knew and accepted. Or didn't. "I'm engaged." She said, trying to offer him a sad smile, "It was made official today." Gardenia put a hand to her hair, plucking out a few of the flowers and holding them in her other hand.
"I guess I did get a new piece of jewelry." Bitter was a good word for it. It was different knowing that someday she'd be married off to supply her family with something of worth. It was another having it happen. It was another knowing the man she was to marry was just as displeased with the arrangement as her, though from what she understood, a far different reason. "I'm sorry, Varian, you're so kind to me. I thought... It would be best if you knew right away, so that..." She licked her lips, "So that we might still be friends."
This time, it wasn't Gardenia's sorrow that bled into him via their slowly growing connection. It was Varian's turn to be sorrowful, now. He was still, his only motion being that of his thumb, slowly gliding over her ring.
He closed his eyes, and a single black tear streamed from his starry one. In the distance, some clouds parted, and Lucian was made visible.
"The ritual's ready, Gardenia. Your cure..."
It was blunt. Varian wasn't in the mood for blanketing anything. He looked up to her, urgency in his eyes.
"The stars are aligning, even as we speak."
Her hand moved from his to his cheek to wipe away the odd coloured tear and she just shook her head. "I..." She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut, "I don't want to." Her hands went to her stomach and she held them there, balled into fists, "What if I change? What if... What if it doesn't work? What if I'm not me anymore."
Gardenia cast her odd eyes up at Varian and she gently bit her lip before looking at his, growing red at the dream she'd had, the taste of blood in her mouth. "Maybe... Maybe you should just forget about it. You ... You'll find another friend. You'll find someone who can love you and your rude tail and you'll forget all about me."
"Wh... What?"
Complete, paralyzing shock. After all this time, all this effort, all this... everything!
"Gardenia, it'll work!" Varian said, the urgency from his face carried into his voice. "I've done nothing but work on it for the past couple of weeks, Gardenia. I've poured my soul into perfecting it. Are..."
He balled his own hands into fists.
"Was it all for nothing? Did I do it all just to have it thrown away? To lose you?"
A new emotion was creeping back into him. His magically concealed form faltered, allowing Gardenia to glimpse shadowed flickers of his true form.
Rage. The kind of rage that Gardenia's kindness and understanding had kept at bay, the rage that her friendship and affection had helped remove.
Truly, he believed he had a lifelong friend. Betrayal, it seemed, was an inevitability for him.
Concern was on her face and while the flickering of his form should have had her afraid she simply just looked at him sadly. "I'm a noble woman, Varian. I'm a High Lords daughter." She rubbed at her chest, which was slowly starting to feel hollow, Gardenia looked down at the ground for a moment before she took a deep breath and kissed his cheek. Quickly she stood up and rushed back into her room, removing the ring after a moment of contemplation and placing it inside one of her books for safe keeping.
Maybe if she did this without the ring on, she wouldn't feel so bad? Maybe.
Her heart was pounding when she went back outside, looking nothing short of out of a fairy tale. "I... Don't want to throw all your hard work away. You've tried so hard for me and..." The idea of the ritual still disgusted her, having to do that simply to cure her of her lycanthropy... But, he looked so angry. So frustrated. So... Disappointed. All that hard work just for her to throw it away.
"You won't lose me..." Gardenia said softly, her fingers pressing together, "Even after I'm married, I'll always be here for you. I just thought that... Maybe if there was someone else who could give you what I can't you wouldn't be so lonely."
Go ahead, return to your room...
For Varian, the wound was complete. To see Gardenia retreating into her room after kissing his cheek, he thought that was the last he'd ever see of her. He was ready to let go, to just become the monster he'd been before, but...
She returned.
Varian looked up, and noticed that the ring wasn't on her finger. He stood up, and approached her, his expression softening up.
"I don't think there'll be anyone else like you, Gardenia. You were kind, when others were afraid. Gentle, where others hated and feared. I'm never going to forget you."
He extended a hand, and smiled.
"Shall we?"
Slowly, hesitantly she reached for his hand, swallowing. Butterflies were in her stomach and her heart was thumping harshly. "Don't forget that we met when I was a big furry beast," she said softly, smiling at him slightly, "There isn't really much room for me to be afraid of you when I was bigger and had far sharper teeth." For now, she was slightly shorter and her teeth were much less sharp.
"You may never forget me Varian, but I only want the best for you and that may have to be without me." Gardenia gave a shallow breath, nervous, excited? Mostly nervous.
Varian looked like he as going to say something else, but he opted to be quiet. Tightly, he held her hand.
"Keep your eyes closed until I tell you. We're going a bit farther than usual tonight."
He waited for her to do so, and then brought her into his arms. He took a few deep breaths, steeling himself for the long teleport ahead of them. They disappeared, and they were in the aether for much longer than usual. A full minute, which spoke of the distance they traveled.
When they reappeared, they were on a massive, flat outcropping of rock, somewhere in Yoreiq. Ahead of them was a grand altar, sheared out of the rock and assembled with magic. It depicted a star, with spikes of stone jutting out in random direction. Beneath it, a large altar table, decorated with several small artifacts and carved on signs.
Lucian hung in the sky directly above them.
"We're here..."
The feeling in her chest, she pressed her hands briefly over her heart and took shuddering shallow breaths. Promptly she shut her eyes and leaned into the warmth of Varian and then they were gone and everything felt strange and Gardenia was far too glad to be somewhere again before she felt nauseated and pushed away from Varian in fear she would ruin his clothing. The way her heart was pounding before and then the disorientation of being gone. She gave him a steady look, staring at him while she stayed oh so still and got over the urge to vomit.
"Where's here?" She asked softly, still sort of hunched over, one hand at her neck and the other over her belly. Gardenia took no notice of the red star hanging up in the sky, preoccupied with Varian right there and the dream from the night before and the... Ritual that was looming so close on the horizon of events. "Are these like the stones from last night?"
"We're in Yoreiq. This was the only place where I could find the right conditions to recreate the proper energies," Varian explained, standing near her in case she needed help.
"I created the altar stones myself, through magic."
Wide eyes she reached out to hold his arm and she looked around in awe. Swallowing carefully she looked at it as if it was art instead of a ritual alter. "Oh, Varian, it's beautiful." As some stones it was interesting, amazing even. As something someone made? "You're very talented." Her hand went to his and she conveniently forgot the fact they were in Yoreiq, not wanting to get nauseas again at how far away from her balcony she was.
Gardenia took Varian's hand and held it in both of hers, again examing his fingers before holding it carefully. "What do I do?" Sure she knew what the ritual entailed, she trusted Varian enough to go through with it. Did she? Was this the right choice? He'd been so disheartened when she'd told him to forget it. Maybe this would really help her.
She'd be normal.
But then she wouldn't have anything in common with Varian and he'd probably never visit her again. Gardenia swallowed and placed his hand on her chest, below her neck. "My heart is pounding, I'm so nervous." A steady breath and she closed her eyes, "I think I'm ready?"
Varian was surprised when she complimented his altar work. He didn't want to mention that he'd constructed them before, for less savory purposes. Instead, he smiled as usual, and focused on feeling her heartbeat through his hands. He spread his fingers, liking the feel of her skin.
He remembered what she said to him when they made love, (or lust, as she described it), remembered the whole experience.
"Just... Be ready. I need to do some chanting, and... Well."
He smiled. He wanted to kiss her again, but he wasn't sure how she'd take it. Instead, he opted to caress the back of her neck and laid his forehead against hers.
"Just relax. I'll... get it over with as quickly as possible, okay?"
Holding his hand to her chest she took a steadying few breaths and moved her hands to his cheeks when he pressed their foreheads together. Her thumbs caressed as his cheek bones and she leaned up, brushing her lips to his in a gentle kiss. The dream (Or was it a nightmare?) from the night before made her flush and in a moment of boldness pressed her lips to his with more pressure. Part of her was afraid and she didn't know how to tell him.
"I'm sorry, Varian," She didn't pull away, how was she to know she'd grow so attached so quickly? A few deep breaths and she lowered her hands and held them in front of her dress. Her hair was still covered in flowers and her fancy dress was still on. "Do I just... Stand here? I thought," Gardenia pressed her hands to her skirts, "I thought we had to..." She cleared her throat and looked off to the side, "Y'know."
"Well, we will, just..."
Varian cleared his throat. He was blushing a little too, and Gardenia could no doubt feel the warmth rising up to his cheeks as she kissed him a couple of times.
"You need to get out of your dress, and, er... Lie on the altar. When I finish the incantations, we'll... Yeah."
He kissed her again.
Gardenia actually laughed and looked down at her dress. There was yards of fabric and petticoats and she turned around, facing away. At least getting undressed would leave ample time for her to calm down. This was going to be life changing. She wouldn't turn into a monster anymore. It took a while and there was a pile of clothing at her feet, but eventually all she was left in was her shift and she took a breath and removed that too. Dropping it into the pile of fabric the dress looked like now. She didn't look at Varian, instead she simply pressed her hands to her stomach again where the weird ache was.
This was going to be just as awkward and awful for Varian, too, right? A quick glance over her shoulder at him and she walked towards the altar, going to the middle before she slowly sunk to her knees and carefully laid down on her back, keeping as little of herself exposed as she could. Her legs were pressed tightly together and her hands covered her breasts.
Steady breaths.
Gardenia's eyes filled with tears while she stared at the sky and trembled on the altar, "Varian, I'm afraid."
Varian took a thin, leather-bound journal out of his coat. He sighed, and shrugged his coat off. Beneath his coat, he was in his true form, not feeling it necesary to cover up his alienness from Gardenia anymore.
"Don't be afraid, Gardenia. I wouldn't dare do anything with you if your health was at risk..."
Even as he said that, though, he realized that he was preparing the ritual that would warp her. He would take out the wolf, but introduce something else. Something she would love, she would embrace. No, he wasn't going to lose her! She would be his loving thrall, unaware of her invisible captivity!
He flipped the journal open, and alowly started to step towards the altar, reading as he went.
"So let my cries ring out, ever full of clarity. And from the wells of time to the gulfs of space, and from the gulfs of space to the wells of time. Ever the praises of great Tsathoggua, of Hastur, and of he who shall not be named. Nemesis star, shed your light!"
He reached up to the sky, and Lucian started shining incredibly bright. Its light focused on them, and the rock outcropping upon which the ritual took place was bathed in an energetic red light.
"Praise ever be to Shüb Niggürath, the black wolf of the woods with a thousand young!" The artifacts strewn on the altar started to glow, and he approached ever closer.
"Sing the night, for the gaunts have fed, and a soul requires cleansing. Baptism!"
the wind picked up, the earth rumbled. Varian clapped his hands together, and it all ceased. The red light, the glowing artifacts, everything. He continued to walk up to the altar, until he was at the rim, standing over Gardenia's prone form.
"Are you ready?"
This wasn't just a nice nervous anymore.
The anticipation of something good happening. The fear of the unknown was why she was afraid before, but now the fear that coursed through her veins was potent and she stared up at the sky and then the bright light from Lucien shone down she screamed and covered her face with her arms. With her hands covering her face she was mostly oblivious to the ritual and simply tried to breath and not fall apart at the seems.
Then the noises were over and she sat bolt right, her arms trembling and she stared in horror at Varian. She shook her head no gently but didn't move Gardenia didn't bother covering her chest and she just watched Varian get closer. "This... This doesn't feel right. I..." She let out a quiet breath, holding back tears, "I trust you." Was this how it was supposed to go? "You... You're sure I won't be different? I..." She shook her head, the flowers in her hair falling down around her, landing on her legs.
Slowly the black hair fell from it's coils and down around her shoulders and she let it curtain her face, "I'm afraid. What if we remove the beast and I'm not me anymore. What if... What if I change. I don't want to change, Varian."
"Please, Gardenia. Relax, deep breaths. I would never do anything to hurt you. Nothing's going to change with you. You'll just be you, without the wolf inside."
Varian lowered himself a bit so he could meet Gardenia's eyes. He brushed her hair out of the way, and touched her shoulders, rubbing them soothingly.
"Please."
Gardenia searched his eyes. Or rather, she looked deeply into the hazel one and she reached for his hands, drawing her thumbs over his knuckles and took the deep breaths he told her to. "But ... Without the wolf we won't have anything in common." On the verge of tears again her naked state was forgotten while she spoke, " I'm not smart or ... Or have magic." Gardenia looked around and she leaned forward slightly, "When I transform I'm closer to you, we could run around and I could... We could play. I don't want to lose the one thing I have in common with my friend, I did before, but.... I don't want to anymore. You won't like me when I'm just a boring girl, you won't be my friend anymore."
"G...Gardenia, I..."
Varian sucked in an emotional breath, tears on the verge of pouring out.
"I adore you for who you are, the kind girl who introduced light to my life. It doesn't matter to me whether you're a lycanthrope or not, you'll always be special in my heart," he said, and kissed her, urgently and with burning passion.
"But, if that's how you feel, I... We don't have to go through with this."
Were those tears?
While his were unshed, her own were drifting down her cheeks, leaving wet trails behind and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment while he spoke. There was a moments hiccup and suddenly he was kissing her with far more passion than she could comprehend and her arms went up and around his neck and she hugged him tight after the kiss ended, nuzzling her face against the side of his head.
"I don't want to," Gardenia leaned back, "When I was alone I wanted nothing more than to be just... Normal... But then I met you," she gave a wet laugh, pressing her hands to her face to wipe away the tears, "And you made me feel normal and you... You showed me things you were afraid of and... You're so wonderful to me." She leaned forward to press their foreheads together before she gave him a quick chaste kiss on the lips and pulled back, her eyes staring down at the ground.
Varian nodded.
He couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to do it, and that was the most terrifying part of it all to him. He'd never hesitated before, yet now, even with Lucian's red light shining down on them, he couldn't do it.
"Oh!"
He sobbed out, and brought her in again, this time for a hug.
"I'm not going to stop visiting you. I'll find a way, and we can run off for the night, like we do now..."
(I couldn't help myself)
Gently her hands went around to his back and she tucked her head against his, leaning into the hug. Gardenia's hands moved up and down his back gently in soothing motions and she calmed down slowly, pressing her wet cheeks to his chest before taking a shuddering breath. "And then I'll be always waiting for the night (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=18870.0)." She said softly, drawing back to smile at him.
"Maybe not every night though," She said softly, "I feel like I haven't slept in two days and my legs hurt and I've been having the worst muscle cramps in the strangest places," Slowly she looked around at where they were and what state they were in and she leaned into press a kiss to his cheek before she took his hand and started to lead him away from the ritual circle, "I know you put a lot of work into... Fixing me. But... I like this me better right now." The flowers were still falling from where they'd been placed in her hair and she plucked one out, one of the larger ones by her ear and gave it a kiss before handing it to Varian.
"It's a small token of my gratitude to you," and she stood, naked by her discarded dress with the flower in her hand, holding it out to him, "Will you accept it? You and your rude tail?"
"Oh, of course I'll accept it!" Varian said, smiling the biggest he ever had. He approached her and took it into his black hand, and then looped his arms around her waist. He kissed her, channeling all his overflowing emotions into the joining of their lips.
He pulled away, cheeks beet red.
"Y-you know, uh..."
He brushed a little more of her hair out of the way.
"We can still, you know, um..."
A sly smirk was on her lips and she pressed against him. "We can...?" Gardenia looked up at the stars for a moment and then down at her discarded dress, not wanting to imagine the amount of trouble she would get into for getting it dirty. It wasn't a wedding dress, but it was still expensive and made of however many yards of fabric. Which meant it would probably be comfortable to lay on. "We can... Dance again?" She teased, taking his hands and putting them on her waist, placing her hands on his elbows as she pulled him farther away from the ritual circle towards her pile of dress.
"We can... Talk all night?" Her hands moved from his elbows down to his and he placed them on her chest, pressing them against her breasts. Heart pounding, short of breath, this could be it. Maybe the could run away together at night and simply be, but this would be the last night there would be no guilt in it. It would always be a secret, but tonight, the last night where she wouldn't wear her ring she would revel in it and worry about the consequences later.
"We could make love?" Gardenia suggested softly against his lips, closing her eyes before she pressed her lips to his. "I don't know if I can bear to to this with you after tonight, I fear being a woman like my mother was, the way it ruined my father." She pressed her lips to his again, adding more pressure, "But tonight, I'll be all yours."
Varian's eyes didn't shoot wide open, but he reddened a bit more at Gardenia's suggestion. He didn't know why, but with Gardenia like this, it felt completely different. He didn't turn back from his true form, deciding that if she accepted him like this, he didn't need to change anymore.
his hands remained on Gardenia's breasts for a moment, before he brought one down to the back of her thigh and held her closer. The kissing heated up, and Varian sighed.
"Then we'll just have to make the most out of tonight, Gardenia. All night..."
"All night?" She repeated, her eyes wide. Looking at the sky, did Yoreiq have a different time? The sun had gone down not long ago in Jadenshine, was it later here or earlier? Would this be like her dream? Gardenia flushed and chewed on her lip, moving back to lay down against her dress, the silks and soft cottons far softer than the hard ground. Flushed brightly, nervous, she looked up at Varian and swallowed thickly.
"I'm nervous. I've..." She tried not to look at him so she stared at his face, "I've only read about this. I heard it's supposed to hurt," Gardenia pressed her hands to her chest, "Will you be gentle?" Her words were a breath, barely a whisper while she closed her eyes for a moment and drawing her legs up, her knees still touching. This wasn't the Gardenia from the night before, there were no antlers or claws. There was also no confidence.
Varian didn't quite know if it'd hurt for her or not. She thought she still was still a virgin, but he knew she wasn't anymore. In this situation, though, was that necessarily a bad thing? Without the discomfort, it would be all pleasure...
In his true form, Varian usually kept his member concealed with magic, since, well... having it swinging around wasn't the most practical thing ever. He dropped that concealment, however, and Gardenia'd be able to see that in this form, his cock (despite the fact that it wasn't human) was like something out of her novels. Its girth and length promised an eventful night indeed...
He lowered himself with her, continuing to kiss and feel her.
"I'll be gentle, Gardenia. As gentle as you want me to be..."
At the sight of that Gardenia stared for a moment before she felt like her eyebrows were going to lift right off her forehead. "O-oh, I'd like you to be very gentle." Shifting her hips and parting her knees slightly so Varian could be more comfortable, anticipation made her heart pound. "You're a little..." Have swallowed and fell back onto her dress, looking up at the stars but stayed quiet for the moment, "okay!" She ran her hands up and down his arms, "I'm ready! I think."
Varian chuckles, and he just kept on kissing her. He placed a hand on Gardenia's belly for a few seconds, before he dared to slip it downwards and touch her.
His hand between her legs had a breathy moan push past her lips and she squeezed her legs together for a moment before she relaxed. Gardenia was sure she'd never been so flushed or nervous in her life and she gave her hips an experimental jerk upwards, rubbing herself against his hand. Another soft sigh and she closed her eyes, her hand brushing against his cheek, "What... What should I do?"
It was one thing to read about it, those ladies always seemed so sure of themselves and so wanton, this was possibly both the most exhilarating and embarrassing thing she'd ever done. On her engagement dress no less.
Varian shrugged, tail swaying idly behind him.
"I, I don't quite know. Just do what comes natural, I guess," he said, and his smaller arms on his abdomen felt at her breasts. Gardenia seemed to have no objections to him touching her, so he intensified that effort.
It was like making love to her for the first time all over again!
He started introducing his tongue into their kisses, wanting to see how that would go.
Do what comes natural he said and then touched breasts with his extra little arms. Gardenia laughed loudly at the juxtaposition of the phrase and the act but she felt her mood lighten somewhat and she rolled her hips into his hand, closing her eyes for a few moments before he kissed her again. The tongue was a surprise but she pressed her own against his, wrapping her arms around his neck and moving a leg to curl around the back of his. "Varian," She whispered as she pulled away, pressing her forehead to his, smiling, "You're wonderful. And kind. " Her thumbs gently brushed over his cheeks before she pulled him down for a deeper kiss, "I'll remember tonight forever, I'll remember the stars in the sky and only be a little embarrassed that they're watching us."
"You flatter me," Varian chuckled, and he leaned back upwards. he stroked Gardenia's knees a bit before he gently spread them aside. He throbbed between her legs, ready for entry.
"The same can be said for you, Gardenia."
A shudder ran through her body and when he parted her knees and she looked down at him only to quickly look away. Maybe if she didn't see it, it wouldn't be as frightening. "You think I'm wonderful?" Gardenia's words were soft and she smiled before she laid back getting comfortable in the discarded dress, still flushed, still breathing slow deep calming breaths. Finally she opened her arms like she was expecting a hug, her knees on either side of his hips and waiting for him to come to her.
"The most wonderful girl in the world," Varian continued, and he lowered himself down to wrap Gardenia in his arms.
At the same time, he started to push in, compounding the whole experience with the best kiss he'd ever given her.
The kiss helped distract her from the strange (but so familiar) stretch. There was the slightest amount of discomfort but she shifted her hips a little and held tight to him, giving little moans and whimpers, pulling away to press her face to his neck and bite at it when him inside her felt too good. "Varian," She whimpered, not knowing what to ask for or how to even vocalize what she was feeling. The Gardenia from the night before had been a silent selfish lover, this one was moans and whimpers and finally she moved her hands to his lower back and gave her hips a roll to urge him on, digging her fingers into his back.
Varian tried to say Gardenia's name as well, but just like last time, he was rendered speechless by the entry. He kept going until he was all the way in, and then he started to thrust. He bobbed his head down to kiss one of Gardenia's breasts, acutely aware of how her engagement dress was being slowly ruined.
"You're perfect, Gardenia..."
He left a kiss on her chest, then her neck, then her jaw, and then her lips.
Gently her fingers went through his hair, brushing it out of his face while he was bent over her. Each thrust had her gasp and she squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, pressing them closed. She felt hot. Like she was burning up inside, her eyes snapped open and she gave a whimper when he said she was perfect. Was she?
Of course she didn't notice it, she was so caught up in everything else, but the antlers from the night before formed on her head and she only realized it when he kissed her and she threw her head back to give a husky moan... And whacked the antlers on the ground. Gardenia startled, wrapping her legs around Varians waist while she moved her hands to the antlers. "Wait, wait, Varian stop for a second." She pressed a hand to his chest to give her some room and so she didn't accidentally elbow him in the fact.
Even with him deep inside her she was concerned. She'd never just had her antlers before and while what she and Varian were doing felt really good, this was.... New. Gardenia's hands went to her antlers and she grabbed both of them, staring at him wide eyed, "What did you do? This isn't funny!" Her hands hurt suddenly and she arched her back and held them to her chest when those slowly changed, wincing at the all too familiar pain of turning. "No, no, no. There's no moon. Varian what's happening? You should... You should move before I change completely." Her strange hands were on his chest ready to push him away but the change didn't continue, both clinging to him with her legs and holding him back with her hands, she stared at him, confused more than anything.
"Wait, Gardenia. Wait!"
Varian's hands shot up to Gardenia's, not to pin them against his chest or anything, but to just hold them. He stared down at her, still smiling, and waited to see what would happen.
"I didn't do anything..."
Once he made sure that her half-transformation had stopped, he caressed Gardenia's cheek.
"Maybe you just got a little excited? I don't think anything bad's going to happen."
The first thing she wanted to complain about was how unsightly she must be but then she remembered. It was Varian. He wouldn't care about the antlers or the hands that had fingers that were too long. And claws. Her nails had sunk into her chest, and she sat up when he caressed her cheek to press her palms to the shallow cuts. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't even notice." She kissed his chest where she'd hurt him and kissed up his neck before giving him a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Do you want to continue? I ..." She blushed fiercly and looked away, "I don't want to go full on Puppy when we're doing..." Gardenia looked down to where they were connected so intimately and flushed brighter before looking away. Her hands - which she was very careful with - held his biceps carefully so she didn't cut him again with the claws.
Varian bared through the pain of having his chest scratched up, but ultimately, the black flesh of that area was malleable, and recovered easily. He hadn't shown Gardenia the true nature of that black flesh, because he secretly feared that even she would be frightened by it.
"It'd be quite the hiccup if we just stopped, wouldn't it?" Varian teasingly asked. Now that Gardenia was sitting up against him, he looped his arms by the small of her back to keep her upright and semi-riding him.
"Transformed or not, I still can't get enough of you."
"I'd be left wanting," Gardenia admitted softly - repeating something she'd read in a book even. Slowly she wrapped her arms around his shoulders when he moved his to her back. Biting her lip softly and giving an experimental jerk of her hips and sighed softly, nuzzling closer to his neck while she clung to him. "Can't get enough of me? You've barely had me." She leaned back to look him in the eyes, giving her hips a wiggle as some form of competition which quickly turned into a small smile and she stuck her tongue out at him after a moment.
Varian took Gardenia's extended tongue as an invitation to catch her with a kiss and resume his movements. After the kiss was concluded, he straightened himself back up, so that he was vertical and she horizontal. he traced some abstract lines across her hips with his fingers, gazing down at her eyes the entire time.
Gardenia was a ball of moans and whimpers and the lady in her feared for the state her hair would be in when this was all over. His name became a chant on her lips, her hands reaching down in an attempt to pull him closer but instead she just placed her hands on her chest and undulated her hips. Eventually her motions started to turn frantic , her eyes were squeezed shut and the noises she made began to get high pitched. Gardenia shifted her weight, propping herself up with her head thrown back, grinding herself against him. "Vaaaa- please. I... I want-" what did she want?
Who cares! Well, besides her.
"Please," she cried out, her voice a low moan, her breaths hot pants and soft cries.
Varian's head shot forward as he devoured her neck with kisses, hands roaming all over her body as they bounced together in this seemingly perfect union. Varian's breathing came quickly, almost to the time of his thrusts.
He had an idea of what Gardenia wanted, so he sped up and went harder.
Each thrust had her give a little squeaky moan and before long she threw a hand over her mouth to muffle her cries. The look she gave was almost pained before she went tense and stopped moving, arching deliciously into the sensation. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and she dug her heels into his back to hold him in while she twitched and trembled around him, her hand still covering her mouth, though it did little to keep her quiet.
Gardenia stopped moving, and Varian took the chance to catch his breath as well. He set her down on her back again, and he brushed her now messy hair out of her face.
"Need a breather?" he asked, before giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.
Still shivering and twitching, her eyes hooded as she looked at Varian sleepily. "You didn't..." Her eyes fluttered, concern washed over her face. Was that healthy? "You didn't..." Her face flushed for a different reason and she ran her hands over his chest and down to his hips to press between them. "A breather?" She said finally, confused, her heart was still pounding. The dress stuck to Gardenia's back where she'd sweated with the movements and the act. Maybe she could accidentally set it on fire after instead of try to explain how it'd gotten so... Ruined.
Varian's expression turned to mild concern as well, not exactly sure what was going on.
"Gar...Gardenia? Are you alright?" He asked, and dipped downwards to plant a kiss on her lips.
Accepting the kiss with closed eyes she opened them again, looking away, "I'm wonderful," she said breathlessly, moving her hands up to cover her breasts. More of a habit to place her hands somewhere than out of shame or shyness, "But..." Gardenia swallowed and looked away, her voice got quiet, "You didn't... Y'know... Did you? Am... I not good?" That was an important part of this! In all those book's she'd read there was some mutual satisfaction goin' on and she felt like she was... Cheating. Or at least getting all the good bits. Gardenia went to bite her lower lip but she yelped in shock when the sharp fangs sunk in, drawing blood. Her hand went to her mouth and she covered it with her fingers, on the verge of tears from the pain, carefully looking up past Varian.
Some perfect night this was turning out to be. She was just ruining everything by being... A weird half-puppy version of herself.
"Oh, no Gardenia you were amazing, it's just, some people need more... uh, yeah, than others..."
His eyes went wide when she bit herself by accident, and he passed his thumb tenderly over her lip to wipe away some of the blood. He leaned down, kissed her punctured lip, and started moving again.
"You've been nothing but wonderful. You didn't mess anything up."
His movements were slow and languid. He wanted to savor the moment a bit more.
"You want to be on top for a bit?"
His movements had her tilt her head back and give another breathy moan. There was some evidence of their night now, her swollen lip.
Then him asking her if she wanted to be on top had her stare up at him in shock. "On top?" Her voice was a squeak and she quickly shook her head, ladies did not do that. "I like this," she admitted, "I like having you over me." She swallowed and looked away, her eyes still sleepy "But if... if you want me ... up there, I can... I... I suppose."
"Well, if you'd rather have me over you, then I'll oblige your wishes," Varian said.
He kissed her beneath the ear, keeping their lovemaking slow and passionate. It wouldn't be long, now... Varian was nearly at his climax.
With her arms wrapped around his neck Gardenia urged him on with her hips, moving her hands to stroke at his back and her hot breath and quiet moans in his ear. Impulse sat in and she gave another shudder and sunk her teeth into his neck.
Varian was about to hit the precipice when Gardenia bit his neck. Thankfully, he was into that kinda contact, and the sensation actually sent him over the edge. He shoved in deep as his climax hit him like a wave of electric pleasure.
"Gardenia!"
Gardenia ripped her mouth away, blood smearing her lips before she tucked her face into the other side of his neck and wrapped all her limbs around him. She didn't move, though her hand went to his neck while she trembled beneath him. "Oh, Varian, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." Gently she shifted her weight slightly so that he could rest his head against her chest. The strange heat within her had her rub at his back and think of her dream. The nightmare. The child with many eyes.
She didn't want one of those.
"Are you okay?"
Varian rested his head on her chest, wincing now that the ecstasy of sex slowly started to bleed away, quite literally. He quickly regenrated the minor wounds, but the pain remained. It was a sweet kind of pain, pain inflicted by an act so beautiful, he could hardly mind.
"I'm fine, Gardenia," he said as he laid on her, holding her tightly. He hadn't pulled out yet, so he took the opportunity to do so.
With her fingers, she ran them through his hair, her eyes closed for the time being. Then he was pulling away, she caught his hips with her legs, holding him against her. "No...!" If he moved the moment would be over. "Let's stay like this. Just a little bit longer." She sighed softly, her eyes falling closed as she ran her hands over his shoulders.
Varian looked surprised. He had no intention to leave, but if she wanted him to remain inside her, then he would. He snuggled up to her while lying on top, his face coming to rest against her neck, where he gently kissed her.
"I will always be here for you, Gardenia..."
Gardenia was content. She gave her hips a shift to be more comfortable but her hands ran up and down his back and gave a sad sigh. She supposed this was what happened when all her emotions bubbled up and explodes into a shower of... Not regret, but maybe not the best choice she'd ever made. "Oh, please don't say that." She whispered softly, rubbing her chin against his head. "It would hurt you far more than I could bear," Gardenia swallowed thickly and squeezed her eyes shut.
"I wish I could regret what we've done, but I'm glad I got to share it with you." She held him close and sighed loudly, giving her ringless hand a look. "Why couldn't you have been so wonderful to someone who could keep you?"
"You can keep me, Gardenia. You'll keep me in your heart, won't you?" Varian asked, blanketing her lips with a kiss. He let out a tiny sob of joy, and smiled down at Gardenia.
"If you ever want to talk, or...dance, you'll know how to reach me. We're connected, you and I. Our hearts..."
He placed a hand on Gardenia's chest.
"... are one."
With his hand on her chest, Gardenia's eyes welled up with tears. Though she smiled at him, "that's not fair for you at all. I'm selfish, but I'm not selfish enough..." Gardenia sighed and placed her hand over his, " you have terrible taste. You and any one else could have run away together." Her tone was teasing, "but you had to go and... Like me."
"And what's stopping us from running away together?" Varian asked. His grip on her hand tightened passionately.
"What's keeping us from being together?"
Oh no.
Gardenia moved her hand to thread her fingers between his and she looked at him sadly. "I have a duty. To my father, to my fiancé, to my country." Her hand went to brush against his cheek and she gently kissed his forehead. "I was raised to know that my personal happiness is second place, this, doing this with you is so incredibly selfish of me." Slowly she sat up, pulling herself away from him and sat back on her legs with her hands in her lap. She was normal looking now, the little antlers gone and her hands were just as small and dainty as ever. "It's not because I don't care for you, though, never think that."
Varian rose to his knees as well.
"I understand, Gardenia, and I know you mean nothing but the best for me," Varian said, although there was sorrow in his voice. However, he took her hands into his, staring longingly into her eyes.
"I know that we can still be great friends, and that I can visit you from time to time, but... I... I..."
He wanted to say that he loved her, but how could he knew that what he felt was love? The way they cared for each other, how they interacted, how could it be anything but love? Yet, he didn't want to hurt her any more than he already did. He didn't want her to know how broken his heart was.
So, instead of saying the obvious, he pulled her into a hug, and started to cry softly.
"Oh, Gardenia..."
Gardenia smiled and cupped Varians face, giving him a gentle soft kiss. "I love you," she pressed ther foreheads together and she gave him another quick peck on the lips. "You and your rude tail." Her arms went around his shoulders and she held him while he cried. "I'm sorry you're hurting. I didn't.... I didn't think it would come to this or I would have tried to stop it."
Varian smiled, even though the tears kept coming.
"I love you too, Gardenia. More than anything else in the world..."
She kissed him, and he kissed her. All the while, his tail came around from behind, and rubbed idly against her thigh.
Varian laid onto his back, taking Gardenia down with him so that she laid on top of him, just like last night. With all this kissing and touching, Varian was slowly starting to get aroused again.
(Shall we skip to dawn after this? 'Cause they're just gonna be doing it all night.)
Gardenia looked down at Varian in shock, already? Gently she worried her tongue over her lower lip and looked down at him. "A-again?" She looked up at the sky before looking down at him, fixing their positions before she lowered her self down with a soft cry. Pleasure blossomed through her and she shivered slightly. "I'm all yours until dawn, Varian." And then she would put on the ring. And not take it off.
[Yeah, I was gonna suggest that!]
"I'm all yours too, Gardenia," Varian said, running his hands up Gardenia's sides as she started to ride him. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. They were barely in their first half-hour, and the night was only just beginning...
----------
When the sun peaked over the edge of the rocky outcropping and kissed the two star-crossed lovers with its light, it was quite the sight. Varian and Gardenia laid all tangled up with one another. Leg over leg, arm over arm, indeed they looked like they had themselves quite the eventful night.
They made love and kissed until they could go no longer, and the evidence was clear.
So, he waited for Gardenia to wake up, soaking up the moment for as long as he could.
For a moment, there was bliss. Of course she was tired. Gardenia had a headache the size of her bedroom and the poor dress was ruined beyond repair now, she was pretty sure she'd half shifted again and tore through the fine silks. Her back was against his chest and his leg was tucked up between hers and she slowly took stock of where she was and what she'd done.
Mostly she just wanted to roll over and sleep, but she had things to do. Things to pretend to be happy about. A life to pretend she liked.
But making love under the stars with a strange non-human man were not in her cards anymore, so she savored the touch before she took his hand and gave his knuckles a kiss. "You should take me home, Varian," Gardenia whispered, though she didn't move.
Varian kissed the back of Gardenia's head once she spoke, and the hand she kissed opened up to caress her cheek.
"Yoreiq is ahead of Serendipity by a few hours," Varian said, resting his forehead on Gardenia's head. Varian's hand covered Gardenia's eyes, and before she knew it, they were back in her bedroom, under the bedsheets. He'd brought their clothing with them.
In Serendipity, it was still a couple hours until dawn.
"It won't be dawn here for another couple of hours. We can lie here, and enjoy the company..."
His other arm, which was wrapped around her abdomen, shifted a bit. He took that hand, and started tracing circles around her navel.
Varian shuddered to think about how much of his seed he'd pumped into her. Regardless, he couldn't have children. He knew so...
"I brought you a gift, too."
That was still jarring. Laying on a dress and now suddenly in her bed which -blessedly- didn't smell like they'd been making love all night. Gardenia gave a sleepy eyed look over her shoulder before looking again out at her window. Sure enough it was dark, the chill had set in and she shuffled backwards to press more of her back to Varians front.
"That tickles," She said huskily, catching his hand and laying it flat against her belly, giving a breathy laugh and turning to look at him, though it was a lazy motion. A small smile, "A gift? I know you didn't have time to get one since last night." A waggle of her eyebrows and she just flopped her head down again, letting her eyes drift closed. "Is it a flower?"
"I made it," Varian said proudly, and now that his hand was flat on her abdomen, he just rubbed it gently. He planted a kiss on her shoulder, and extended his other arm outwards. His clothing ruffled for a bit, when a small pendant came floating out and into his extended hand.
"It's a piece of the stone circle I took you to," he said wistfully, shifting a little so she could back into him more comfortably. He opened his palm so she could take it and look at it.
It was very simple in its make, with a golden string to serve as the chain. The pendant itself consisted of a perfectly square chip from the bluish rocks found at the stone circle. One one side, a hollow star with a burning eye in the middle. on the other side laid a heart, with a full moon engraved in the center.
"One side's for protection. The other's for love."
She moved her hand off of his and reached for the pendant. Holding it between her fingers she held it closer to her face and examined it. It wasn't made from fine jewelers but "You made it for me?" Gardenia smiled and blinked back tears, while it was simple, it already had more emotion attached to it than most of her jewelry. Her thumb drifted over the designs and she shifted, so that she was on her back and her side was pressing against him. "Protection from what?"
"Well, just protection in general. Think of it as... A good luck charm of sorts."
He took her cheek in his hand and kissed her lazily, idly. They'd kissed and copulated so much, that the joining of their lips was just par for the course, now.
"For my beautiful wolf girl..."
Clasping it in her hand she smiled and held it tightly, her eyes drifting closed. Gardenia nuzzled into Varian's kiss before she leaned away and gave him a sleepy eyed look. "Wolf girl," she laughed, "I didn't imagine this happening when I met you." Gardenia ran her hand over her stomach, below her belly button and frowned slightly, remember that they'd done nothing preventative.
"Varian. Before, when I asked you about..." She swallowed and looked away, paling slightly "children. You said there wouldn't be any. Did you mean that because you can't have them or because you... Made sure you couldn't."
"I can't have them," he said, not a drop of worry in his voice. "It's part of my curse. I'm just... not compatible with people anymore. Hey," he paused suddenly, and ran his thumb across her chin.
"Don't worry about it. If it'll make you feel better, though, I can bring you some herbs tonight. Okay?"
Don't worry about it.
Gardenia gave him an amused look and shuffled around for a moment before pulling the pendant on, letting it rest over her heart, the moon side facing away from her skin. "I..." Gardenia frowned and looked at him, drawing her fingers under his starry eye. "I would like that, I mean..." She looked down and her cheeks went red, "We did that an awful lot of times and... Life finds a way." Which would be awful.
Not because it was Varian. It was because on some level she was afraid of having a mutant child with nothing but eyes for a face. It was because soon she'd be someone elses wife and to be having another man's child would be the worst sort of slap in the face. While she knew her father loved her, a man like him for her own husband was unlikely.
Then, again, she took his hand and drew her fingers over his own, rubbing at his palm and tilting her head, "What are you?"
"A hybrid, of sorts," Varian said, and brushed a bit of Gardenia's hair out of the way.
"My mother was human, but my father... Well, I don't quite know what my father was. He must've been pretty strange," he said, chuckling a bit afterwards.
"The mob of villagers who killed my mother and ran me out of town said I was a child of the stars, that I was born out of some kind of ritual neither unholy or holy. My father came from the stars, not heaven or hell..."
Slowly she turned to look at the sky, at the stars.
"Is Lucien significant to your... Being?" Frowning slightly, "that star got very bright."
"Lucian was important to the ritual."
Varian got back to idly rubbing Gardenia's belly.
"But we're his parents, remember?"
Gardenia pressed her hand over his and sighed, "Perhaps in another lifetime, we can really be his parents." Not in this lifetime though. There was a moment when she tried to imagine it, Varian and her with their strange tentacled many eye'd child, laughing and giggling through the mouth on it's stomach.
Noooooope. No thank you, imagination, enough of that.
A shudder ran through her body and she closed her eyes, "I'm so tired. If I can't walk tomorrow," She gave a slight glare over her shoulder, "I'll know who to blame."
Varian smiled sheepishly, and gave Gardenia a kiss to alleviate her little glare.
"I proudly accept responsibility."
He hugged her a bit tighter, letting out a pleasant little hum.
"I love you."
"Of course you do," Gardenia stuck her tongue out at him after the kiss, giving a content sigh and another quick look to the sky. Frowning slightly that it was lightening up, dawn was fast approaching and she was surprised to find herself so sad. For once she was not happy with her station.
Slowly though, she was falling asleep and she smiled at his confession of love. "I love you, too," was her quiet murmured response before she closed her eyes and snuggled towards the warmth of her bed mate before falling asleep, clutching the pendant.
Varian held Gardenia closer, fully aware that her ass was pushing up against him and loving every second of it. To help her sleep easier, he left a few fleeting kisses behind her ear and on her neck.
He laid his head down and closed his eyes, though he didn't fall asleep. He'd remain with her until he couldn't stay any longer, and then, with a parting kiss and a whispered "Good bye, I love you," he was gone.
The maids found Gardenia in such a state after she failed to show up for first meal. The dress was a ruined mess and her being naked in her bed had them all talking. The rumours were that Gardenia had herself quite the temper tantrum about her engagement and took a pair of scissors to the dress so that it couldn't even be re-purposed into something else. No one noticed the lack of flowers that had been in her hair.
Still Gardenia played sick that day and had a bath brought to her room where she soaked in the warm water until it grew cold. Then she crawled right back into bed, not even bothering to get dressed again. The maids brought her meals to her. To them she was simply terribly sad, though the truth was she was exaughsted and between waking up from her naps and reading her books she remembered the ring.
Slowly she went to the book it was tucked in, the one she'd put down after the hero died because she couldn't bear to read a love story when one of them was dead. A soft sigh she crawled back into her bed, putting the ring on and resting her hands on her belly, her hands pressing over her it while she stared up at the ceiling.
The sun was going down and she supposed she should get dressed. Everything still ached and she pulled on a nightgown, giving quiet groans when she stretched to far one day or another. Gardenia tried not to look at her hand, but she'd been playing with the pendant all day and she ran her thumb over it again now. Finally, dressed, she sat on her bed, facing her balcony and waited for the night.
Varian was never really one for spending time grieving, but the morning he got back to his cave lair from Gardenia's estate, he was absolutely despondent. He spent the day laying about, and at some point or another, he found the time to dismantle the altar back on Yoreiq.
Such were the depths of his sorrow that he almost missed his daily chantings, and when he was done, he went right back to lazing about.
It was only the thinning of the daylight that caught his attention, and he stood from his makeshift cot, leaning on the cave wall at the very edge.
Waiting for the night, waiting for the call...
Finally, it was dark and she pushed herself off her bed, brushing her fingers over the charm around her neck and made her way to the balcony. Slowly. The lack of moving around during the day hadn't agreed with the physical ness of her activities the night before, so everything was still stiff and achy.
"Vaaaaariaaaaan," she said softly to the sky, her hands on the railing. This time she'd be expecting him behind her.
Varian eagerly answered the call, and within seconds, he was there. His arms looped around her back, joining themselves at her front while his familiar warmth could be felt against her.
He kissed her on fhe cheek, and let things be silent for a couple seconds before speaking.
"Hello, love..."
Part of her wanted to pull away, to save them from any further emotional connection. Considering the night they had though, she simply leaned into him and closed her eyes. Gardenia could pretend for a little longer. Just a little longer. "Do you want children?"
"Do I want children?" Varian repeated, and mulled the question over.
"I'm not sure about that. Why do you ask?"
Gardenia shrugged, "I'm just curious. I'm going to have children eventually." That she knew, there would need to be an heir and while she didn't have her fathers blood, she had his name. "I guess I kind of want one. Or two." She turned her head to look at him, "you know it's scandelous my father raised me at all. Jadenshine is his, and my mother... Had me with someone else."
"I suppose having kids sounds nice," Varian said, still holding her from behind. He hugged her a bit tighter when she explained her origins. She'd already told him this, but he listened either way, resting his chin on Gardenia's shoulder.
"The Duhjari, yes..."
"When I have some, you can come visit." She said brightly, though her face quickly fell, "if it isn't... Too difficult, I mean." Gardenia pursed her lips and sighed, "why do you care for me?" She turned her head slightly, "is it simply because I'm nice to you?" Another pause, "I'm sure you can find another girl, and you can... Run away and be happy with her."
"Gardenia..." Varian started, and moved to her side, so he could talk to her directly and gaze into her eyes.
"In all my years of life, you're the only one who's ever understood me. I... I met a few other girls before you, but they feared my true self. One of them even brought the rest of the town down against me."
He passed his knuckles over her cheek, smiling sadly.
"The truth is, you're the first, and probably the last girl who'll ever treat me this way. With kindness, and understanding."
Gardenia's expression grew sad and she let her head fall, so she could stare at the ground, her hair a thick black curtain around her face. "Don't think so little of yourself. You could be wonderful to someone who could keep you." Gardenia gave him a peck on the cheek and then looked down at her ring, frowning at it before she dropped her hand down to hide it in the folds of her nightgown.
"If I had met you anywhere else I would probably have been afraid of you, you make me feel tiny, even though you aren't much taller than I am."
At that last bit, Varian's face lost some of its warmth. That comment wounded deep, even it didn't show.
Varian closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, caresing the back of Gardenia's neck as he laid his forehead against hers.
"Does he love you? Your future husband? Is he a nice man?"
"Is he...?"
Gardenia paused and sighed softly, "we only met before the engagement was announced." Then she gave a soft laugh, "and I'm afraid I was terribly cranky. I'd had odd... Dreams that night." And she blushed, because she remembered every detail. Even things she shouldn't have known. Gardenia frowned slightly, "so no, Varian, he doesn't love me. It's ... Political. Their son joins my family and my father gets wealthy backers. There's no love involved and he might be nice. I guess I'll find out once we've married."
"It's a damn shame..."
His hands rubbed her shoulders , before gripping her own. He started to walk back to her room, leading her towards her bed. He had no intention of making love to her tonight, mostly because he knew she was probably sore all over from last night.
However, that didn't mean he couldn't cuddle up with her and spend the night.
"If he ever mistreats you, Gardenia... You let me know, okay?"
Gardenia let herself be led into her bedroom and she blushed. Her bed wasn't even made, the sheets rumpled from her day of lazing about. Her hand went to the pendant and she smiled at Varian, "mistreat me how?" She poked his side stil smiling, "sleep with another woman? That would be terribly hypocritical of us."
"Well, you don't even love each other, so I don't see too big a problem with that. But, you know..."
He shrugged his coat off. He was wearing only his breeches beneath it, and this time around, he was in his magically concealed form. He snuck a kiss from Gardenia, pulling her towards him.
"If he doesn't treat you with respect, or if he's mean to you, you let me know, and I'll set him straight."
Maybe just one more night of playing pretend.
"I'll remember that," she said softly, entertained on some strange level. "I guess I won't be allowed to get jealous if he already has a lover." Gardenia pursed her lips and frowned ever so slightly, "it would explain why he's so unhappy."
"After all, you're only husband and wife by name, aren't you? If he holds a lover, what's to keep you from doing the same?" Varian asked, and he let go of her hands, walking towards her bed and sitting down. He patted his lap, and smiled again.
"Come here, beautiful..."
There was a step, but the weight on her hand had her move no further. "I can't," she sighed, holding the front of her nightgown tighty. "We can't be together, Varian." Reality was setting in and she didn't really enjoy the taste. "I can't let you be some... Man I keep off to the side. It's not fair, I won't do that to you." A deep breath and she hung her head, "I said you had me until dawn and dawn's happened," Her tears wet her night gown and she kept her head down, hiding her face with her hair, "don't do this to yourself. Please."
Varian's face slowly straightened out, and no matter how hard he tried, the truth of it all was starting to rear its ugly head.
He couldn't be with her anymore...
Tears started to strem from his own eyes, as he sat there, stunned, before he stood up. He took Gardenia into his arms, hugging her tightly, as if it could keep her here with him.
Gardenia accepted the hug and wiped the tears from his face.
"Please don't cry," She said softly, a hypocritical comment, as she herself was crying.
"There will be someone else, someone wonderful and ... And you'll love her more than you ever loved me. And you'll think of me fondly and..."
She pulled him down, pressing her lips to his for one last lingering kiss, "You'll be the wonderful man you are with me," Another kiss to his cheek and finally she pulled away.
"I can't be my mother," A breathy sob and she held his cheeks, "She was so selfish Varian. She'd rather kill herself with that lover than be with me or my father. I don't want to be that selfish, I can't be that selfish." Gardenia took quiet breaths, "I know you're hurting and I'm sorry I'm not selfish enough to run away."
Varian continued to sob silently, touching a few fingers to his lips as they still tingled with the remnants of her kiss. He took the sides of her head into his hands. Immediately, all regrets came back to haunt him.
He should've corrupted her when he had the chance, he should've done this, should've done that... He banished the dark thoughts by taking one of her hands off his his cheeks and kissing it, even as he locked his fingers with her.
"I don't think I'm capable of loving anyone more than I love you, my beautiful wolf girl. You changed me, you really did, and for that, you'll never be anything less than the light of my life..."
He swallowed his heart, and took a single step away. He might as well have been chained to the building, because that one step was the hardest he'd ever taken in his life.
He caved, and surged back in to give her one last kiss of his own, filled with all the fire in his heart, before he separated from her again.
Slowly, he started to walk backwards, towards the balcony.
"Seek me out when the moon is full, or if you need someone to talk to. Remember, that my ear will always be waiting for your call..."
He was through the doors, now, slowly approaching the balcony.
"I will always love you, Gardenia, until the oceans run dry and the land crumbles to dust..."
Changed him?
Gardenia was confused, tilting her head while she looked at him, but she stayed quiet. It occurred to her that besides how odd he looked and his strange origins, she knew nothing of him. Now it was too late to ask. They had been unimportant details, who he was. Did she change him for the better, she wondered.
Licking her lips after his heated kiss she followed him a few steps before closing her eyes and not moving. What she wouldn't do to just... Run away.
But she couldn't.
And she watched him leave.
"I love you, you and your rude tail." And Gardenia took a few steps back and simply sat on her bed with her head down, and she cried.
Varian tried his best to smile, and smile he did.
It was a sad smile, ripped straight from his heart and thrown out for her to see. More tears flowed from his eyes as he kissed his hand, and then held it out to Gardenia.
And with that, he surmounted the balcony railing, and he was gone.
Varian reappeared in his cave lair, solemn and silent. He didn't wait or do anything else except just throw himself into his bed, and start crying his heart out.
It would be almost Two and a half months before she called to Varian again.
The ring was different, fare more ornate, a showing of money and power between the newly wed pair. They didn't sleep together, their marriage night had been a laughable disaster but all the evidence pointed to them having consummated so, that was a small blessing. They did nothing but awkward decide to lie about it, she'd cut her thigh so there was blood and the rest was history. Or at least some semblance of a fond memory.
It wasn't that he wasn't on her mind.
It just wasn't fair for him.
Now she had questions, that's why she wanted to talk, it wasn't because she missed him - Or at least that's what she kept lying about.
Gardenia fiddled with the ring on her finger and slowly pressed at the pendant. Two moon's have come and gone and she'd spent them alone. Or rather, she spent one alone. The other she'd found a friend and in the process they'd bonded. More questions arose and she rubbed the flat of her palm against her stomach. The balcony doors were closed and she looked into the empty room. Her husband lived here now, though they generally avoided one another, she was still outside her room - Her husband having given a separate one for him to work from and sleep in.
"Varian?" It was a quiet whisper, a name she hadn't said in what felt like forever. Gardenia placed her hand over the pendant and looked up at the sky and waited.
Gardenia's call went unanswered for a good minute or two. She stood there in silence, until that familiar whooshing sound came from behind her.
This time, no hands fell on her from behind. No amorous kiss or playful hug.
Varian stood behind her, wearing a different coat but the same face. His expression was confused and stunned and sad and happy all at the same time, and fifteen more emotions that didn't show.
"Gardenia?"
It was hard to understand why she was so sad when no one came. The ache in her chest made her frown and she clutched at the pendant. Then she jumped about a foot in the air when she heard someone say her name and she whipped around.... And smiled.
"Varian," she whispered, "you came." and she moved to wrap her arms around him and just as quickly dropped them. The hand wearing the wedding ring was unconsciously hidden in the folds of her dress and she smiled at him, "I... I hope I didn't interrupt anything important?"
Varian rubbed one of his elbows.
"No, not really. I just... wasn't expecting you to call."
He noticed that she stopped herself from hugging him. That hurt. However, he saw that she was wearing the stone pendant he gave her, and he took a step forwards, picking it up in his fingers.
"You're still wearing it," Varian said with a smile.
When Varian picked up the pendant Gardenia snuck in under his arm and wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing her cheek to his shoulder and closing her eyes. "Of course I'm still wearing it," she sighed, pulling way slightly. "When people ask about it I tell them I got it in a dream." She pulled back and smiled slightly. "I didn't... I didn't call because I... I wanted to give you time. Have you been well?"
Varian looked surprised to be hugged so suddenly (it'd been so long, he'd almost forgotten how it felt), but he picked up where Gardenia left off, wrapping his own arms around her and leaving a kiss on her forehead. He stroked her hair, so unbelievably happy to hold her again.
"I've been well enough, I suppose. I've gone back to wandering, been by myself most of the time."
There was a soft chuckle and she leaned back, looking at Varian and shaking her head slightly. "You'll never get a girlfriend if you wander around alone." Gardenia's lips were dry and she licked her lips after a moment. Her hands went up to his face and she gently rubbed at his cheeks with her thumbs, "I ... Can we go somewhere else? We might be heard if we talk."
Varian nodded, and looked up into the sky. He looked back down at her, still in his arms, still as beautiful as ever. His eyes fell on her lips. He wanted to kiss her, oh so desperately, but he didn't know if she'd let him.
"Just name a place, and we'll go."
Gardenia smiled and rested her head on his chest, "can we go back to the stone circle? I liked how it made my skin tingle."
"Of course we can," Varian said, and placed a hand on the back of her head. He was in his magically concealed form, so his hands were human looking.
"Remember to close your eyes," he added, and waited for her to do so before whisking them away. In the blink of an eye, they were in the stone circle, standing right next to that stone disc. Varian looked around, struck with wonder.
"It feels so good to be here again, with you..."
Another sad smile and she took his hands and led him to the middle of the circle where she sat down. "I need to talk to you... About something very important." A quiet exhale and she closed her eyes, "I wasn't thinking of it for... Obvious reasons... At the time, but you weren't surprised when I... Grew horns and claws." She blushed and looked away, remembering the night, "why not?"
"Well, I was a little surprised, it just didn't really show..." Varian said, and he reached up to cup her cheek, gently turning her head so she'd look at him.
"Although, I had a bit of a hunch that you could half-turn, you know? I was sorta expecting it."
A slight frown at him but she tilted her head and looked at him when he turned her face. "Do you know what maybe caused it? I... I'd never done that before." She looked down at her hands, remembering the claws, how sharp they were. "I've been like this my whole life and that's never happened before that night." A sigh and she went lax, her hands falling to her sides. "I'd hate to hurt someone by accident or.. Or get angry and simply... Grow antlers. Ladies don't have antlers."
"Well, perhaps it was brought on by passion?" Varian said, tilting his head rather suggestively. "I suppose that our emotions were so strong for one another, that it just sort of... came out. If it makes you feel any better, I thought you looked pretty sexy with the antlers."
The smile Varian got was bashful, looking at him from the side, through her hair. Gardenia's cheeks pinkened with a blush and she gave him a playful tap on the arm. "I know you did, Varian," Gently she chewed at her lower lip, her fingers moving up to rest at her chin, "Perhaps it was that. I suppose I'll... Just have to do without then, won't I. Wouldn't do well to tear my poor husband to ribbons when we..." She made a slightly disgusted face, "Go about making heirs eventually."
Folding her arms over her chest she leaned in, looking at Varian's eyes, smiling slightly, "When you do meet a nice girl - which you are going to - will you bring her to meet me? I've quite the powerful position, you know." Her eyebrows went up and she moved her hands to her hips and gave him a wink, "It helps to have friends in high places."
"I highly doubt you'll reach that state with him," Varian said, a slight hint of venom in his voice. However, at her request, Varian smiled, and he placed his hands on top of hers.
"I will. But until I find the right girl, my heart still belongs to you. It's not a crime to love you, is it?" Varian asked teasingly, and glanced down to her lips.
Right.
Gardenia had the good graces to look slightly ashamed of herself but she blushed and took a breath instead. "You're probably right, poor boy blushes when he goes through my books," they hadn't even... She sighed and moved her hands to hold his, tilting her head slightly.
The urge to just... Lean up was overwhelming, just a slight incline of her head and they would kiss. "It's not a crime," She ran her thumb over his hand gently, looking down at the ground, "Love is a wonderful painful thing. I'm still sorry, Varian. I... I really should have... Tried to stop it before it started."
"Don't say that," Varian said, leaning in a bit closer and tightening the grip on her hands. Only a few inches separated them, kept their lips from feeling that sweet contact they both desperately craved.
"You've shown me a beautiful, beautiful thing, Gardenia, and I like to think that I showed you a couple things as well. We were both... different before we fell in love, and even though it fills my heart with daggers to remember our time together, I know that they were the best days of my life."
Maybe leaving the balcony was a bad idea. Gardenia licked her lips and gave a bitter laugh, "You've helped me grow more comfortable with my... Other side..." She pulled her hand away to run it over her head, where the antlers had been before she reached forward to caress his cheek. "I have a confession, the night before we... Did that... I had a dream and... We did... That... I wasn't myself, I was.. I was terribly forward." And she'd had the same aches and pains as the day after, though a little more intense in some areas.
"Can you visit people in their dreams, Varian? Did you visit me?"
"I can," Varian admitted. However, he shook his head after confirming his ability.
"I don't remember performing the rite, though. I can't just... do it, not like how I teleport. Perhaps, though, my feelings for you were powerful enough, we were so connected, that I was able to visit you, even if I didn't realize it."
Varian pursed his own lips, passing his tongue over them as the urge to kiss her just built. He was curious to see who would cave first...
He dipped forwards, and kissed her cheek.
"Was it a good dream?"
Maybe... maybe...
Gardenia turned her head quickly to catch his lips with hers, pressing into him, her fingers going to the neck of his coat before she pulled away. "Not as good as reality." She said in a husky whisper, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I'm not helping, I should be helping you, not kissing you." Gardenia pulled away and pushed her hands to her head, fingers in her hair. "You... You mix me up. I was starting to feel content and I finally gave in and called you and now you're here and... I just..." She wrung her hands, "Maybe... Maybe you should take me home before we make a mistake."
No doubt about it, Varian was taken completely off guard! He thought he would be the one to cave, not her. Regardless, he accepted the kiss as if he'd been waiting for it this whole time, pushing back as she pushed in, and leaning forwards slightly, even when she broke the kiss and pulled away.
His eyes were wide, cheeks red.
It had been so long, and it was frustrating to know that it would be his only taste. His mind went to the first time they made love, when she said that the energies from this stone circle awakened the true Gardenia.
He banished the thoughts, and instead turned to begging.
"We won't make any more mistakes, Gardenia, just... please, stay with me for a little bit. It's been so long since I've seen you..."
Gardenia closed her eyes and pulled him towards the stone circle, letting go of his hands only to bunch up her skirts to sit more comfortably. Finally, sitting cross legged in the circle she looked up at the sky and sighed. "Do you ever wonder what you would be like if you were raised somewhere different?"
"Every day," Varian said, and laid back against the stone disc, in the same fashion as the last time they'd been there.
"If I had been born somewhere less paranoid, or more magically accepting, I might have been a completely different man. But, I would've never met you," Varian said, looking up at Gardenia.
Slowly she reached for his hand, giving a sigh before laying down. "I imagine if you'd been raised somewhere more magically accepting, your meeting of me wouldn't have been nearly as important to you." Gardenia smiled at him, looking up at the stars, "Do you remember Our Star?"
"I do!" Varian said cheerfully, and pointed upwards. Lucian was in more or less the same spot, and still its normal red color.
"He's still there, watching over us."
Gardenia laid down beside Varian, though not against him like she wanted to. "Good. I hope he brings you good fortune." She smiled and took Varians hand, bringing it up so she could play with his fingers like she'd done the time before. "What other sort of powers do you have? I find myself terribly dull when I'm with you. I involuntarily turn into a giant horned beast, but you... You're amazing."
"Well..."
Varian took a deep breath when she picked up his hand and started to play with his fingers.
"I can cast spells, like a mage. Although I guess sorcerer is a better word for me. Once every three months, I turn into a beast too," Varian said, and looked at her. "I'm due to turn a couple days from now."
He laid his head back to where it was.
"It all pales before your beauty, though..."
Gardenia laughed, " Look what my beauty got me." she shook her head and continued to play with his hand. A habit she'd found herself doing with anyone she was comfortable with, which was few. Maybe two people. Varian being one of them.
"W..." Gardenia licked her lips and looked over at him, "Would you like company?"
Varian turned his head to look at her, catching her eyes with his own. He dipped forwards, and kissed her forehead.
After that, he nodded.
There was a soft secret smile when he kissed her forehead and she shuffled closer. Plutonic. They could be plutonic friends. That could be a thing they could do. Really!
"So, I turn into a giant antlered five fingered wolf-beast and you...." She trailed off, waiting for him to fill in the blank.
"I don't quite know, nobody..."
Varian sucked in a breath, shedding a single tear.
"Nobody's ever around afterwards to tell me what I looked like."
Gardenia leaned up, resting on her arm and looked down at him frowning slightly. Her fingers brushed away his tears and she gave him a chaste peck on the cheek. "Well! I will tell you. It's a date. A couple days you said?" She paused for a moment, "That's two or so?" She pursed her lips, moving to tap at them in thought, "Hmm, I imagine we can't meet on my balcony if you've changed... Where should I meet you?"
That was something about himself that Varian wasn't sure of. It was true, he did change when the stars aligned in a certain way, and it was also true that he didn't know. Total, post-transformation amnesia, as it turns out, was a real stick in the mud.
"As far away from your house as possible," Varian said.
"There's a clearing ten miles north of here, about an hour's ride on horseback. I suppose it's safe enough. But are you sure you want to do this?"
Varian caressed Gardenia's cheeks, and a look of concern and terror dominated his face.
"I don't want to hurt you, Gardenia. If I find out later that I hurt you, I... I don't know what I'd do with myself," he said, on the verge of tears. He leaned their foreheads together, as they'd done before.
Confusion flushed through her features and she caressed his face. "Varian..." She tilted her head, "If you don't want to risk it.. I don't... I don't have to." Gardenia shook her head slightly, "I would like to simply so... So you... you don't feel so alone but if you're afraid you might hurt me I ..." She licked her lips, "I don't have to."
But he'd told her where to go.
So she'd probably go anyway.
Varian didn't reply, too caught up in the emotion of it all to speak.
Instead, he held her close to him, and buried his face in her shoulder.
"Oh, Varian."
Gardenia said softly, running her hand over his hair. For a time she stayed silent and simply offered him the comfort of touch. "Is it... Are you that afraid?"
"I, I just don't know what I'll become, and it terrifies me," he sobbed.
"If you're there, I don't know what I'll do..."
This was serious.
Gardenia held him tighter, her fingers carding through his hair and she made little attempts as soothing noises. "Okay, It's okay Varian, I won't go. Okay? If you're that afraid for me..." She licked her lips then, "But maybe... maybe I can just... Go back home? After you change. I'll be quiet. I'll see you and then leave and I'll tell you when you're normal again?"
Varian considered her suggestion, and after a minute, he slowly nodded.
"O...Okay. Just... Be careful, okay? If I so much as notice you, you run. Okay? Promise me you'll run."
Gardenia smiled, still running her fingers through his hair.
"I know how frustrating it can be to... Turn into something but not know what it is." Though she always remembered when she transformed, her mind changed, sure, but she was always Gardenia. "I'm still not even sure what I turn into." She bit her lip gently, "I ... I promise to run. I'll take our fastest horse, I promise."
"Good. I don't want anything to happen to you," Varian said, and he went in to kiss her lips again.
Gardenia chuckled against his lips, "you don't want anything to happen to me? Ever-ever?"
Varian smiled, and passed a finger over her lips.
"Well, nothing bad. I want nothing but happiness for you."
A bright smile, "And I want that for you," A sigh and she looked up at the sky. "I haven't star gazed since we were here last." She turned to smile at him, brightly, "I almost forgot how beautiful the stars were."
"I've studied them ceaselessly ever since we parted ways. I'm searching them for my future, for the girl I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."
He didn't want to mention that he'd found someone else, a cursed girl just like Gardenia.
He didn't want to spoil the illusion he'd constructed for himself.
Still looking up at the stars she frowned at them. Those little lights in the sky could tell the future? Well that was just weird. Gardenia gave Varian a skeptical look and sighed, sitting up and pushing her hair behind her ear. "I suppose I should go home in case Hyacinthe has some reason or another to check in on me," she sneered out, looking out into the distance with a less than pleased expression.
"Just one more minute?"
Varian laid their foreheads together, smiling.
Gardenia smiled, gave him a peck on the lips and closed her eyes. "Hyacinthe can bite me, in that case." Her hand went to Varian's hair and she gently pushed back his hair, "So, the plan is, I see you, run away and then I tell you all about yourself when we meet again later, yes?"
"That's the plan," Varian repeated, and he kissed her again. He turned onto his side, and wrapped his arms around her.
It felt so wonderful, being with Varian again. She closed her eyes for a moment and held him closer, her fingers carding through his hair while they star gazed. Slowly her eyes drifted closed and the soft breathing told Varian that she had fallen asleep.
Varian couldn't even relate how overjoyed he felt, to be holding her once more. He loved how his arms wrapped around her, and he adored her soft breathing when she slept.
So when she'd fallen asleep, he only held her closer and snuggled up with her to keep her warm.
He didn't want to leave her again, but he knew there was no other way. Quietly, they teleported back to her bedroom, and he tucked Gardenia into bed.
He knelt over her and kissed her again, before whispering "I love you."
and with that, he disappeared.
Like Gardenia promised, she claimed something important to do and put on riding clothes and took the fastest horse to their meeting place. The ride was boring and she had to leave as soon as she claimed the 'important thing' to do so that they wouldn't demand she take guards with her. Seeing as how she took the fastest horse Gardenia quickly out paced them and while there may have been some alarm bells run - Her husband had probably been told of her running off into the night... She made a promise and she was going to keep it.
Finally, the sun was still hovering, clinging to the last drops of daylight.
And so, Gardenia got off of her poor tired horse, sat on the ground and waited for the night.
When she arrived, Varian was already there, resting on his knees in the middle of the clearing. He was naked and in his true form, with his clothing off to the side in a neat pile.
He noticed her arriving, and acknowledged her presence by glancing back at her and smiling before looking back up to the slowly appearing stars.
Indeed, something beautiful was happening in the sky. Thirteen different stars, all converging into a single point. An alignment spanning endless gulfs of space, coming in to place before their very eyes.
Varian breathed deep, and closed his eyes.
So wrapped up in how beautiful the sky was she kept staring at that. Having forgotten why she was here for the few moments, Gardenia held the horses reins and simply stared at the sky. Amazed. In Awe. It was so beautiful. If she'd never come out here she'd have never seen it and it was possibly one of the more amazing things she'd seen.
Gardenia forgot that she promised to run away and so, by the time she remembered to look down at Varian, she'd been sitting there for perhaps, just a little too long.
Indeed, she had been there for a tad too long.
When she looked back down, she would see that Varian was standing up. He was slightly bulkier, and a good foot taller than how he was before. Instead of one tail, he had two, and the black flesh of his arms and chest crawled and wriggled like it was alive.
He took a few deep drafts of the area, before his head suddenly snapped back, and his looked at her. His starry eye blazed like the heart of a supernova, and when he opened his mouth to snarl, a long, thin tongue snaked out of her mouth.
It was obvious that she had been spotted.
Slowly she backed up, staring all the while, careful slow steps but, in a rush of movement she grabbed the horse and hoisted herself up on top of it and she urged the horse to run.
It hadn't occurred to Gardenia that Big Bad Varian could teleport. It had always been such a seamless natural thing that it just didn't process in her head.
At least now he'd know what he looked like.
And he was terrifying.
Gardenia slowly started to back up, and Varian turned to face her. His four little abdominal arms were gone, replaced by a gaping hole that had a similar effect to his starry eye prior to his turning.
Then, when she sprung onto the horse and started to ride away, Big Bad Varian disappeared, and reappeared just ahead of her, stepping out from behind a tree as if he'd been there the whole time. He extended an arm towards her, and the trees around them sprung to life, branches aiming to restrain the horse and stop it in its tracks.
The horse, being more of a racer, stopped immediately and Gardenia went flying, crashing into the branches and landing roughly on the ground. A cry of pain and she stared up at Big Bad Varian for a moment before she quickly looked down at the ground and simply... Stayed. Maybe if she didn't pose a threat he wouldn't hurt her.
That was what he was afraid of right? Hurting her? Gardenia had crashed before on a horse, so being thrown wasn't wholly unfamiliar and while her hip hurt and her hands stung, the feeling of blood on her palms had her slightly worried, there wasn't anything awful having happened, right? So, Gardenia stayed on the ground with her head down and tried not to move. Tried not to scream. The only noise was her pained breathing and for the first time since meeting Varian, she was afraid of him.
Gardenia's cry awakened something in Varian, and he smiled a cruel, twisted smile. This was the real Varian, the Varian that he never wanted Gardenia to see. With the horse restrained, he slowly stepped over to her, heavy footsteps signalling her possible demise.
He reached down, and placed a single finger at the bottom of her chin, and tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him.
It seemed that he was indeed evaluating her, to see if she was a threat or not.
A jolt of fear ripped through her when a finger was on her chin.
Then she felt nothing at all.
Adrenaline, fear, everything surged in her and it wasn't Gardenia that looked at him. Slowly, oh so slowly, she let her head be tipped up and from her place on the ground, she looked up at him. Giving him a curious look, giving her head a shake to fix her hair around the antlers.
A slow, fanged smile drew up on her lips and her own hand moved to grab his hand away from his chin. Claws digging in and she stood, ignoring the unfamiliar sensation of pain. It didn't matter that he was taller than her, it didn't matter that he frightened the body or that the horse was freaking out, loud cries, trying to be free.
What mattered was that he'd hurt her. What mattered was that he was a threat and threats were to be disposed of.
"I knew you were dangerous," She said softly, looking at the hand she was squeezing in her own.
Varian stood at odds with her as they faced off. She wasn't holding his hand for long, because it sort of shrank and liquified, slipping out of her grasp as its form twisted out. It went back to Varian, who held the hand at his chest.
There was this moment of animal magnetism between the two of them. Varian didn't respond to her words, rather, he only stared at her face a little more intently, like he was studying it.
Entranced by it.
Could he do that the last time?
He sure looked taller too.
Gardenia reached up, taking his chin and frowning up at him. "You've gotten taller," She commented idly. She wiggled her fingers to get the sensation of his hand melting off of them and she simply rose an eyebrow, "Well? Are you quite done staring? You've seen me before, remember?"
Varian sucked in some air, making a sound like a cross between a rattle and a hiss. he smelled the air a bit more, and took a step towards her. After a few more seconds of studying her face, the blaze that replaced his starry eye hit a dimmer shade of red, although it still burned intensely.
"Ga...Gar..."
He raised a hand, and slowly extended it towards her face. His intention was to feel her cheek with his finger, another action in his slow process of identifying her.
"Ga-Gar-Gar-deeee-nia, Yes, Dear, that's my name." She reached up to pat at his cheek and just look... Mostly unimpressed. Shifting her weight she studied him, licking her sharp teeth. Was he supposed to look like this? Something was different. The gaping hole in his chest? Yes, that was probably it.
"Have you lost weight?"
Varian looked confused by her words, even as he continued to try and formulate her name. It was coming out awkward, mostly do to his abnormally long tongue, and his heavily clouded mind.
"Garden..."
He reached down to her wrists, and held them up, so he could look at her hands. When he saw the blood, his expression changed.
Terror.
He started breathing quicker, and looked back up at her.
The predator recognize that look and she gave her lips a lick, interest was heavy and she tilted her head. "Something the matter, Dear?" Another smile, "You did that," She nodded to the blood on her palms. Was he afraid of her?
A purse of her lips and she tilted her head, rubbing her hands on her pants to wipe the blood away. Curious. This was just becoming more interesting, but the fear was ebbing away and Gardenia wouldn't be able to keep up the guise for much longer. As helpful as the chip of rock was as the pendant on her chest, without the strong emotions there was nothing to ground her. "Are you afraid of what you did... Or what you might do?"
"So...Sorr..."
Varian shook his head, and his hands returned to his sides. He paced about for a second, before stepping away from her, wringing his hands.
Hm.
Gardenia frowned at him before going back to the horse, still having trouble with calming down while being caught by trees. Her hand went to the horses face, but that just made the horse freak out more, giving a shrill cry and kicking and bucking. He'd worked his sides raw.
So, Gardenia found herself standing in front of the horse, staring at it in confusion, wasn't she just on the ground?
Varian.
Slowly she turned around and stared, going pale after a moment.
Licking her lips she gave the horse a forlorn look before she whimpered an apology and began to run. He'd told her to run and so, she did. It'd take a long time to get home, but at least she'd get home only slightly bruised instead of in pieces.
"Gardenia!"
He'd managed to formulate a word, (no easy feat for him in this state), and he started after her. He didn't want her to run away, he didn't want that to be her last memory of him.
"Wa...Wait! I Re...Re...Remember!"
It sounded like Varian.
Sort of.
Still, at the cry of her name she stopped and turned. Her palms were stinging and her leg hurt, but she stayed. Taking a few steps closer. "Varian?" Another step closer, hesitant. "Do you know who I am?"
Varian tried to catch back up with Gardenia, stopping when he was around ten feet away. He looked like he was in despair.
Varian nodded, and he motioned for her to give him her palms again.
Carefully Gardenia moved closer, hesitant but her hands were extended in front of her for him to see. "You told me to run away." She said softly, staring at the gaping hole in his chest.
"Gardenia, I..."
He took her palms, and stared down at them, stained red.
"I... Hurt?"
He looked up to her face.
"I... Did?"
Slowly Gardenia swallowed and looked away. Heart still pounding. This was scary. He was scary and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut, ducking her head down and looking away when he looked to her face. Maybe if she didn't look at him it wouldn't be so... Alarming to be here.
"They're just scratches, they'll heal," she said, trying to gently tug away from his grasp. At least this wasn't nearly as scary as she'd thought it would be, she'd been prepared for an actual monster not... This.
Varian didn't seem to notice Gardenia's desire to leave him. Or, at least he didn't budge when she tried to move away.
However, after a few moments, he let her go, and held his hands together.
"I..."
He looked anguished, filled with sorrow.
"Love you..."
and with that, he ran away.
As if on cue the horse broke from it's confines, but instead of calmly walking over to her so she could get on it's back and they could go home together... The horse took off and Gardenia gave a scream of anger while it bolted past. Great. Now her horse would retun home before she would. Alone. Everyone will think she ran away. Or was dead!
There wasn't even anyone to blame.
Gardenia looked back to the clearing. Maybe if she waited in the clearing Varian would turn back and he could take her home in the morning. So, Gardenia made her way back to the clearing and waited. If Varian didn't show up by morning... Gardenia sighed and looked up at the sky, it would be a long walk home.
Another hour passed with Varian nowhere to be seen, until the sounds of feet walking through the underbrush signaled his return. Walking with his head low, attempting to formulate sobs. He set himself down on his knees in the center of the clearing, and watched the stars unalign.
He turned back, and fell onto his stomach.
Gardenia was curled up in a ball, her head tucked against her knees and she'd fallen asleep like that. The noises however had her jolt awake and she stood up, looking around pressing her hands to her eyes to wake herself better.
The first thing she noticed was Varian and almost immediately she removed her cloak from her shoulders and draped it over him. Was it done? Slowly she looked at the sky, frowning slightly. Gardenia kneeled beside him and ran her fingers through his hair. "Varian?"
Varian stirred from unconsciousness. He'd only been that monster for an hour, so the night was still very young.
His eyes slowly opened, and when he saw Gardenia, he lifted a hand to touch her cheek.
"You're still here? You didn't run?"
Taking his hand she pressed her face to it and sighed, pulling away after a moment to shake her head. "I did run. You stopped my horse. Then you told me you loved me and you ran away." Then she sighed and settled down beside him. "My horse ran away, too."
"I... Stopped your horse?"
Varian's face grew concerned.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Gardenia hid her hands against her pants and shook her head, "no. You didn't hurt me." Then she chuckled and pushed her hands through her hair. "I mean. The ground hurt me, technically." Gardenia shuffled closer, "will you be okay?"
Varian sat up, and he hugged Gardenia tightly. "I'll be okay, knowing I didn't hurt you. I just... I just wouldn't have known what to do with myself..."
There was a moment where she shrugged, "be terribly guilty?" A hand went through her hair and she smiled "I scared the stuffing out of a friend last time I went Puppy, made Einin throw up her dinner." Gardenia nodded, "I felt terribly guilty."
"Einin?!" Varian asked, eyes going wide, before suddenly, he straightened his expression out.
"You know Einin Beirne?"
Her eyebrows went up and she stared for a moment. How did he...? "Of course I do. We're the same age. Same social circle." Gardenia tilted her head frowning slightly "how do you know her."
"I..."
Traumatized her, threatened her family, caused her to stab her friend in the chest...
"... We're not very good acquaintances. It's probably best that you don't mention me around her."
Gardenia looked away for a moment, confused mostly. "I don't understand, I mean... I'm not trying to pressure you but... You're... So nice." Slowly she looked down at her palms, flexing her fingers and looking back at Varian, "why would you two even know each other? Let alone be on bad terms?"
"There was a time in my life where I... I wasn't so nice. In fact, I... I wasn't very nice just before I met you."
He swallowed uncomfortably.
"I thought the only way to get by was to be hateful and resentful, until you taught me love, and kindness."
A deep breath and Gardenia let her hands rest on her lap, she stared at Varian and just looked away. "I didn't even..." Her hand went to her chest and she took a breath, "if... If I hadn't been ... Me... To you, would we be on bad terms too?"
"We... Might've been."
Varian sat up, leveling himself out with her eyes so he could gaze into them.
"But let's not think about what might've been, Gardenia. I should probably take you back home."
Gardenia gave a humourless laugh and closed her eyes. "But I'm curious about you." The look she gave him was teasing and she tilted her head, "I'll... Do anything you ask for a piece of information about you! Like a trade. You can take me home after."
Varian smiled, and nodded.
"Okay, okay!" He chuckled, and dipped in to hive her a quick kiss.
"Sit on my lap and ask away."
Gardenia gave him a long look, looked at his lap but quickly her eyes were level with his. "You know you're still naked right?"
Varian looked at her a bit oddly, almost as if to ask her why that mattered, but then he remembered.
He blushed a bit, and stood up. He quickly put on his breeches, and sat back down.
"How about now?"
Gardenia watched - with interest - while he pulled on his pants. Part of her, the small selfish part that she wasn't allowing herself to explore - wanted him to keep them off. So, after he pulled his pants on and at back down, Gardenia climbed onto his lap, one leg on either side of his hips. Slowly her arms twined around his neck and she looked at him, focussing on his lips. " Did you really want to cure me? Or did you look for a way because I didn't want to be different anymore?"
Varian smiled at the question. He put his hands on her hips, and mulled his answer over.
"You seemed like such a nice girl, and it looked like you were suffering. I wanted to help you, no matter what that meant. I guess we both learned that being different isn't so bad in the end, hm?"
Gardenia shifted her hips, leaning back slightly before she tilted her head and pursed her lips. "Suffering?" Slowly she tucked his hair behind his ears and tilted her head. "We both look perfectly normal provided there's no full moon for me and you wear glasses and..." She gently grazed her fingers over his hands, "I'm sorry I can't run away with you."
"I'll never hold that against you, Gardenia," Varian said, and kissed her chin.
"You have a duty to uphold, you can't exactly go running off with a ratty wanderer like myself."
He smiled.
"Wouldn't be very ladylike of you."
"Ratty?" Gardenia frowned, looking him up and down, "I've always found you..." She paused, "Well... Odd, honestly." She smiled and leaned in, wrapping her arms around him and tucking her head close to his. "Sometimes I don't want to be ladylike. Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I'd... Just been born in Adela." A sigh and she leaned back, staring down at the ground, clearly unhappy with her situation.
"You'd be poorer. Much poorer, but... You'd be free, in a way."
Varian crossed his arms around Gardenia's back, holding her tightly while letting her control the distance he held her at.
"We could've been betrothed. We could've had a home of our own, maybe somewhere peaceful. Every full moon, I would've played with you beneath the stars..."
Gardenia laughed softly, "Of course I'd be poorer. That's a given." Slowly she shifted closer, biting her lip softly. Maybe she could be selfish.
What else was there for her besides duty and being lady like. "You can still play with me beneath the stars," she said softly, her heart beat speeding up. If she couldn't have somewhere peaceful with him. If she couldn't have every full moon, maybe she could have tonight and the stars.
Too bad she hadn't wiped blood on the saddle of the horse, maybe they'd have thought she was dead when it raced back without her.
Perhaps, there may even be a chance that her family thought she was dead even without blood on the saddle. The horse itself was wounded and bleeding, having fought too hard against the branches that restrained it.
If anything, it probably looked like wolves had set upon her as she rode, and the horse was the only survivor.
"Oh, Gardenia..."
He ran his hands up her back, fingers teasing the lacing of her riding clothes. He leaned forwards to kiss her deeply, and then moved on to placing pecks on her neck and jaw.
"I want to spend the full moons with you. Won't you call to me before them?"
Pressing kisses back she shuffled closer and pressed her hands along his arm. " Call to you before I turn?" Gardenia leaned in to press their foreheads together but pulled away and sighed, "I still have to figure out how to tell him about this." Visibly she sagged and stared down.
"He... He doesn't know?"
Varian put a hand on the back of Gardenia's neck.
"Maybe if you're lucky, he'll clear out once he knows."
"What?"
Gardenia just stared at Varian, pulling herself from his lap and standing up, turning away.
"You want me to be... be shunned for being what I am?" Her voice turned thick and she rubbed her hands together, looking a little betrayed. "You know how awful that feels, why... why would you ever wish that for me?"
"Not shunned!"
Varian stood up as well.
"I... I didn't mean it that way, I just... Every time I think about your marriage I... I get pretty spiteful. Gardenia..."
"It was just a joke. In... In pretty bad taste."
A deep breath and she rubbed at her chest, looking up at the sky before closing her eyes. "This was a bad idea." Another step away, "I should go home." Another step.
"I... I'll need to tell Hyacinthe the next time I turn. Moment of truth, you know?" A chuckle and she pushed her hands through her hair, "after that, whether it turns out good or bad... I'll call you. We can run around together and I'll..." Gardenia sighed and took another step away, " I should..."
Then she started to walk away, back the way she'd come. It was going to be a long, long walk home.
"W-wait, Gardenia..."
Varian took a few steps after her. This scene seemed almost frustratingly familiar to him, but he couldn't place the memory.
"At least let me make sure you get there safe."
Gardenia stopped and turned around and looked down at her palms, giving a quiet sigh and then looking up and offering him a small smile. "Your turned form," she started, "You had... a large hole in your chest, like your eye." Her hand went to his chest and she closed her eyes, "Can you take me home now, please?"
"My chest? What does--"
He didn't have time to ask the question, because she then put her hand on his chest, and Varian covered it with one of his.
"I will. Where do you want me to leave you?"
"Your chest." She moved her hand around under his, "You were really tall too. And had a reaaaally long tongue. But you recognized me and then you ran away." Gardenia smiled up at him and gave a sigh.
"Can you leave me a bit away from home? I can walk the rest of the way. I imagine my horse has gotten back by now and..." She shook her head, not looking forward to the coming incident, but she moved closer and rested her head on Varian's shoulder, "I'm going to be in a fair amount of trouble."
"Well, you're a powerful, married noblewoman. How much trouble can you be in?" Varian said, petting the top of Gardenia's head in an attempt to cheer her up.
He wasn't the biggest fan of his description, but he supposed he could've looked worse.
Gardenia grinned widely, eyebrows up, "You'd be surprised at how much trouble I could be in, I got hurt, that alone will get me into more trouble," She looked down at herself and sighed. She was a dusty mess. Oh well, at least she wouldn't look like...
Taking Varian's hand, she placed it on her cheek and closed her eyes. "Alright. I'm ready to go. Tonight was odd but..." A small smile, "We've had odder."
"We certainly have."
Varian dipped in to give her a slow kiss, and then they were gone. When Garenia reappeared in the woods ten minutes away from her estate, she'd be alone.
It hurt.
Of course she'd been expecting the fear.
Seeing it though.
Running. All she could do was run. Run until her lungs hurt. Run until her paws were bleeding. Gardenia tipped her head back once she got deep into the forest, tipped her head back and cried to the full moon.
All night she ran. As far as she could. As far as her weary limbs and bleeding hands and feet let her.
It wasn't until dawn. When the shining sun stripped her of her beastly form did she collapse into the dewy grass and trembled. Everything hurt. Gardenia looked down at her hands, bloodied with small cuts, her feet stung.
"Varian." Gardenia curled her arms around herself, smearing blood down her arms.
Swallowing carefully, face crumpled at the pain. "Varian."
It was suiting that the only thing she had on her body - the red cape long forgotten - was the necklace he'd given her after their night together. For now, she would tremble, her hands and feet would bleed and she'd stare at the slowly brightening sky.
Varian stared up at the slowly brightening sky, marking the dawn of yet another day. Ever since his last encounter with Gardenia, when she had her run-in with his true form...
He couldn't sleep. He had nightmares where he tore her into shreds, nightmares from which he woke up laughing, rather than screaming.
Every night, he'd woken up laughing, and found only the cold, distant stars to comfort him. Of course, he could share none of it. Not with the people he knew now, and certainly not--
Varian's ears perked up. Something came on the wind, fluttering in from the trees.
"Varian..."
He stood up. It couldn't be... Could it?
"Varian."
----
"Gardenia?"
Varian's voice came from behind her, as it usually did, and before she could be alone any longer, he was kneeling above her, hands on her shoulders.
"What happened?" He asked, and put a hand on her cheek.
"Gardenia, what... What happened?"
The voice was a balm and she turned to it. While she wasn't ignorant of her naked form she was hurt and sad and she reached out her hands quickly, only to remember they were bloodied and she snapped them back.
"He was afraid of me." Gardenia whimpered out, tears slipping down her cheeks again, leaning into Varian's hand, she gave a hiccough and looked down at her hands. "I... I turned and he was afraid so I ran and... I didn't know what else to do or who to call." Her voice got soft at the end before she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I don't want people to be afraid of me," were her whimpered words, soft against his neck, "Maybe..." Gardenia swallowed, leaning back, "Maybe I should have let you do that ritual. I can't be with you, so... maybe I should just be normal."
"Shh, it's alright," Varian said, putting his arms around her. He took off his coat, not bothering to cover his undisguised form, because he knew that she accepted him, that she didn't mind. He put it around her shoulders, and took her hands into his. He felt her warm blook against his palms, and he looked at her with both love and concern in his eyes.
"I'm here now..."
He put his arms around her, resting his forehead against hers. It was all so debilitating to be in her presence again. Just when he thought he'd never see her again, here she was, and he was holding her.
It almost felt like he never left.
"Let me treat your hands."
Without thinking Gardenia leaned into Varian, pressed her lips against his and deepened the kiss before she pulled back. He'd never be afraid of her, right? Rejection churned in her stomach. The key reason Gardenia had always kept it a secret. It was the rejection that fueled her movements, with bloodied hands she moved Varians own hands over her body and pressed her lips more boldly against his.
"You still want me, right?" The words were whispered against his lips, her eyes were closed tight. Selfishness and a fragile ego were unfamiliar to her and she sat back down, taking a steady quiet breath and holding out her hands for Varian to see. The many little cuts.
"My feet, too," Gardenia said shifting where she sat, moving to free her legs from under her. It put a little too much on display but it was nothing he'd never seen before. "Varian. What am I going to do? I... I can't go back. He probably hates me."
Varian, surprised by her kiss, did what came most naturally and kissed back, hands softening up on her body as he held her to him.
"Of course, always," Varian said, and he kissed her in return.
At her question, Varian put his hands on her cheeks, and then smoothed them down onto her shoulders.
"Are you sure, Gardenia? Are you sure you can't go back?"
She could.
Gardenia dipped her head down and closed her eyes, giving a heavy sigh.
"I can. I always can. Everyone important knows about my..." She trailed off, not wanting to call it a probably or her curse. "I don't want to go back." Lips still tingling from the kiss, Gardenia pulled her hands away from him when she realized she was smearing her blood everywhere.
"Can I stay with you? Just... Just for a few days? My husband things I've run away so... I may as well do it." Her tone took on a hauty pouty tone and she stared down at the grass.
"Of course you can stay with me," Varian said, and he took her hands into his own. Using magic, he mended the wounds on her hands, all the while smiling at her.
"You can stay as long as you like," he said.
His tail bumped her side, as if remembering her.
"Let me see your feet, so I can fix them too."
Flexing her fingers Gardenia gave a weary sigh. All she wanted was to sleep but she smiled at Varian all the same and tucked her hair behind her ear, shifting so he could heal her feet. The bump at her side caught her attention and she smiled widely at the tail.
"Hello, Rude Tail," She said softly, reaching out a hand to gently scratch at the tails head. Or what seemed like it's head. A moment later she wiped the tears from her face.
"I tried to make the day nice. I told him there was something to see at sunset but... but we... We started to... To..." A quick glance at Varian before she continued, "Y'know and I lost track of time and I turned. Right on him! Still inside me! I turned and..." Gardenia let out a heavy breath, tears welling in her eyes again, "It was a stupid idea. I'm stupid."
It was then she noticed her wedding ring was gone. Lost to the transformation probably. Along with her cloak. Angrily she began to rip at the grass.
"Oh, Gardenia that's... That sounds horrible," Varian said as he fixed her feet. Conjuring a ball of water, he washed the blood off his hands and shoulders, and then offered it to her.
When she started to rip at the grass, Varian quickly hugged her to make her stop, putting his face right in the crook of her neck.
It was then that he noticed.
"You... You still have my necklace?" Varian said, and looked at her, smiling.
Following suit she washed the blood from her hands and various other places on her body before she'd ripped at the grass. Gardenia melted into the hug, curling her arms up around his torso, taking in the warmth.
The necklace?
Gardenia caught his smile and it made one grow on her face.
"Of course I do. Why... Why would I get rid of it? It..." Gardenia blushed and looked away, "It makes me think of you. And our night together. They're nice memories."
"What about your husband?" Varian asked, and he kissed her.
"What does he think of it?"
He offered her his coat, so that she wouldn't have to be cold.
"Nevermind. Let's get you out of here."
Gardenia plucked the pendant from her chest to look at it. Protection and love. That's what he said.
She'd opened her mouth to explain what he thought of it, but instead she pulled his coat on, put her arms through the arm holes, though she didn't bother buttoning up the front. It was nothing he hadn't seen before. Their first meeting, she recalled, had her naked in front of him to some degree.
"Yes. Please." Slipping her hand into his, Gardenia threaded their fingers together before she pulled herself to his side, snuggling against him. Had she missed his warmth that much? It hadn't been too long since he'd turned, but rejection was a painful feeling and she just needed to be wanted.
"Where... Where do you live?"
"I have a cottage in the Serenian countryside."
And by "have," he meant that he killed the previous owners a long time ago and used it as a rest stop anytime that he was travelling on foot.
"Close your eyes," Varian said, and then he leaned in to kiss her, transporting them as he did so. When their lips parted, they were standing inside a nice little cottage, with quaint, rustic decorations. A peasant's paradise, the place had a humble elegance to it that relaxed the soul.
"I hope you like it. I know it's not what you're used to, as a lady of breeding, but it's what I have."
When their lips parted an Gardenia opened her eyes she looked around slowly. "What you have is enough," she whispered against his lips before she pulled away and wrapped his coat around herself tighter to fight off the chill.
"Is there somewhere I can lay down? I've been running all night," her voice was soft and she tried to smile, "I'm a little sleepy."
"I was just going to head to bed, too," Varian said.
"I've been up all night."
He stepped forwards and took her into his arms.
"I'll keep you warm."
Gardenia gently bit her lip, leaning into his body and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry for calling you," She whispered against his chest, snuggling in where she could, "I... I couldn't think of anywhere I felt safer then when I'm with you." Just for a little while, Gardenia told herself as she moved her hands up to catch his face and bring it down for a kiss. Just to feel wanted. To be wanted.
"Why didn't you sleep?" she murmured against his chest, looping her arms back around his middle before she leaned back and smiled slightly, "And do you promise? To keep me warm?"
"No cold will touch you," Varian whispered, and he put his arms around her, holding her to him. Here, she was definitely wanted. Always accepted, never seen with fear. He kissed her cheek, and then her lips.
"I was thinking about some things. Thinking about which direction I was going to take with my life."
He smiled.
"And don't be sorry to call on me. There will always be a place in my heart for you. I will never fear you, or hate you."
The blush on Gardenia's cheeks at his statement, reaching up to push his hair form his face, pressing into the kiss that was so freely given. Slowly her hands along his sides, trailing at his hips for a moment before she hugged him tighter to her, pressing her head to his chest.
"Which direction is that?" She whispered, pressing kisses to his shoulder. It was cruel of her to do this, she knew. Cruel to everyone. Selfish. Gardenia didn't care though and instead of stopping she gently nipped at his shoulder.
"Are you going to settle down? Have a wife? Children?"
"I'm thinking... I'm thinking I could become a doctor. Help people..."
Varian hugged her tighter, and started to unbutton his shirt. He was in his glamered form, mostly because that's what he felt like wearing at the moment. He was still every bit the handsome, chiseled man she'd spent a night with such a long time ago.
Surprise lit her mismatched eyes and she leaned back, fingers tracing the skin the unbuttoned shirt set free. Gardenia gave him a bright smile, a tilt of her head.
"A doctor?" She began to help him button the shirt, it would simply be most uncomfortable to sleep in, she told herself. "You're a talented healer and you know a lot. I could see you being a doctor. " Her voice took a low tone and she looked up at him through her eyelashes, a sneaky smile on her face.
"Do you think you'll do house calls?"
"Depends who's calling," Varian said, eyes dancing with playfulness. He shrugged off his shirt, and his hands went to her hips. And not her hips at the coat, either. He slipped his hands beneath the coat, feeling eagerly at her bare skin.
"Sounds like one of those racy books you're always reading... A noblewoman who has an affair with the family doctor."
The hands on her flesh had Gardenia closing her eyes, giving a quiet pleased sigh. What she really wanted to do was move his hands to other places but she resisted. She was married. She was married. She was married. She was married. The ring was gone though and now her husband was afraid of her. Gardenia gently bit at her lip and blushed again, turning to hide her face when he mentioned her books.
"I don't always read them." Though she had not one but two currently tucked under her pillow at home, "I haven't read one like that though. Most of them don't have the lady-character married but in love with someone else." Gardenia pouted and reached up to gently trail her hand over the pendant, shifting her shoulders so the coat would slip off of her and onto the ground. Whoopsies.
"You seem surprised I was still wearing this, Varian, how come?"
"I just... thought it was a pretty long time," Varian said, hands gliding across her hips even as the coat fell off of her shoulders. He brushed some fingers through her hair, and kissed her ever deeper.
"Hasn't your husband gotten you something nicer?"
"No," Gardenia pressed herself to Varian, leaning back, eyes drifting closed, "Nothing will ever be nicer than this." And she took the hand at his hip, drew it up her body, made his palm linger over her breast and pressed his palm to the necklace.
"It's the only piece of you I'm allowed to have, why would I ever get rid of it?"
Varian smiled at that, and he played with the piece of stone in his hands, threading the crude string through his fingers.
"I love you," he whispered.
"Always will..."
His other hand slipped downwards, as if threatening to touch the places she wanted him to touch.
"Shall we go to bed?"
Gardenia leaned to get his hand where she wanted it to go but to avail. Instead, she simply nodded and looked around, not sure where exactly bed was.
"Let's. I find myself quite sleeping, among other things," a little devious smile and she held out her hand to be guided to the bedroom.
"Other things?" Varian said, teasing in his voice as he led her over to the bedroom, which was the only other room in the house. The room they'd appeared in was a combination living room and kitchen.
The cellar was its own room.
Varian motioned to the bed, smiling. He started to unbuckle his pants.
"Ladies first."
Casting a look over her shoulder, a smile, a quick glance away.
Gardenia didn't bother being modest. Instead of laying down she knelt on the bed, hands moving to help Varian unbuckle his pants, drawing her fingers over his groin and biting her lip before leaning into him for a kiss. "Other things," She whispered against his lips before nibbling on his lower lip, "Unless you don't want other things. Then just sleeping is fine, too."
"Other things, then," Varian said against Gardenia's lips, putting his hands on her buttocks. A surge of joy shot through him, happy to be reunited with his Gardenia, thrilled by the possibility of being able to keep her.
"I've missed you," He said, lust in his voice. His glamer disappeared, and he was in his true form. His smaller set of arms gripped her sides.
"I've missed you, too." Her hands moved up from the buckle on his pants after she started to impatiently push at what remained of his clothing. A brief look down at his little arms and a smile on her face when he dropped his glamour. It made her feel special, that he was comfortable around her enough to drop it. To be himself.
Gardenia returned his lust with a kiss, pushing all her insecurities and doubts and guilt to the side. Taking his arms, she slowly reclined on the bed and dragged him with her, over her. Shifting her legs so that one knee was on either side of his torso.
"I think you should be a doctor," She leaned up to kiss him, "Show people that despite what you look like you can do good." She ran her fingers gently over his strange flesh stopping just short of his groin.
Varian kissed Gardenia, each joining of their lips laced with that fiery passion that he always had for her.
"That's exactly what I'm gonna do," Varian said against Gardenia's lips. A hand cupped one of her breasts, while the other slid low, dusting over her womanhood.
A gentle arch of her hips, her feet dragging along the bedspread as she shifted her leg to spread them a little wider. Gardenia let out a soft sigh when his hand drew closer to where she wanted it and if his fingers delved closer he'd be able to feel how wet she was from the kisses alone. Memories of their night together bombarded her mind and it did little to dissuade her, if anything it made her more eager.
The failed attempt at love making with her husband earlier left her with a craving she wasn't willing to admit she had, but she knew Varian would help her with it. Selfish girl that she was.
"Tell me, Doctor," Gardenia whispered, rubbing her knee against his side, drawing her hand over his back, lightly scraping her nails down, "I've a terrible need for you," She leaned up to kiss him, "what would you give me to fix that?"
"Hmm, let me see..."
His fingers worked her a bit more intensely, and his lips tangled up with hers in their neverending erotic dance. Palms dusted over her breasts before he held them in full.
"Your symptoms are pretty advanced, so we've got to move right to the more intense treatments."
His cock rubbed against her entrance for a few moments, before he started to push in.
A bright grin was on her face and Gardenia shifted her hips, reaching down between her legs to help guide him in. Though once it came to she winced, it had been a while and Varian was well endowed. "Varian," she whispered, curling a leg up and over his hips.
Leaning up she nuzzled her lips to his, pulling him closer. "I missed you." Tears clouded her eyes and she leaned her head back, "I feel at home with you. I feel safe and loved. I wish I was someone else." She whispered, pushing his hair back from his face, "I don't want to leave. I want to be selfish and greedy and be with you."
Varian nodded. That whole emotion applied to him as well, and when she looped a leg up over his hips, he brushed a hand along her cheek and kissed her, venting all of the built-up loneliness and joy as they made love.
"You have an excuse," Varian said.
"Nobody saw where you went. You could stay here..."
Nuzzling what she could, holding him closer, she pushed herself into the bed, gasping at the feel of him inside her. Stretched to the limit, Gardenia was sure if he went any farther she'd feel him in her throat. A soft moan, gently biting her lips while she pulled his face down to nuzzle her forehead to his.
"For how long, I wonder?" She sighed softly, drawing her hands down his chest, "I want to. I want to so badly. Maybe..." Gardenia bit her lip, looking up at him, "I don't care right now, I just want you around me." Pulling him tighter against her, enough to make her gasp, "I want to fall asleep, just like this. With you here. A few days of being together, like we didn't get to have."
Gardenia pulled him in for a kiss, shifting her hips, "Just a few days, Varian, then... I'll figure something out."
Gardenia's words stoked a very special fire inside of him, a fire that threatened to blaze out of control.
His hips began to move, he devoured her with kisses and licks and nibbles.
"Let's make those few days count."
The movement had her gasping, each thrust made her give small gasps and hitched breaths.
"I don't know if I told you this," she whispered against his lips in between kisses, "You make me think of my books," Her fingers trailed up and down his spine, nails dragging along gently while he moved. Still, even in the position she was in, the man over her, Gardenia blushed talking about it, "How powerful the man is. How much he... He fills her. How completed she feels with him inside her. You've probably never read one but..." A small gasp at a perfect movement and she arched her back, fingers digging into his shoulders.
"They get quite detailed." Her hand trained down to his hips, to lightly touch where they were joined, "Though I don't think any of those characters have anything on you." Gardenia's voice took on a low sultry tone and she bit her lip, shifting her hips and moving her hands again, finding one of his and threading their fingers together. "I love you, Varian, I'll love you enough to make up for every ounce of it you'd never gotten before."
Varian smiled, and he kissed her, inserting his tongue into her mouth to dance with hers.
"That's going to take lots of love," he said playfully, and he dipped his head downwards to kiss at her neck and breasts.
"You're the light of my life, Gardenia. I love you more than anything else in this world..."
His movements remained slow, but his thrusts were aimed deep, full of passion and vigor. The way she spoke turned him on to no end, and that low, lust-filled voice only served to draw him closer.
"We should write our own book," he teased, holding Gardenia's hand tightly.
When it was too much - in a good way - she squeezed his hand tightly, thoughts fled her mind and she was reduced to little moans and whimpers. Soft sighs and gentle caresses. This is what she needed, Gardenia decided, the gentle love making. The feeling of being a monster was gone and now she just felt... Whole.
Whole and loved.
"What would the book be about," She whispered against his lips, urging his hips on with her own. Inexperienced except for their night together, Gardenia was still hesitant about what to do. The singular night - or what she had planned on being singular - was lust filled and frantic but this, this was emotional and she when she could she placed kisses on him, pushed his hair from his face.
"The Monster and the Doctor?" She teased, smiling, "The tale of the girl that turned into a beast and the man that sought to cure her? Falling in love along the way?" The smile faded and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer, "And the end can them not being together and her having to live her life with someone else. Having heir's for her family's fortune and title simply because of whom she was born to."
"No, we'll change the ending," Varian said, and he cupped her face with his hands, even as his hips undulated against hers in a beautiful show of love and passion. He kissed her whenever he could as well, wanting to make her feel loved, like she belonged with him.
"The doctor and the girl run away together, to share every night in each other's company. In love..."
He kissed her cheek.
"Let me be your doctor..."
Gardenia caressed his cheek, eyes drifting closed, biting her lips while colour made her cheeks red. Each undulation brought her close to some strange peace and she nuzzled against his ear, getting biting at it before leaning back to smile up at him.
"Literally or in the story?"
A glance off to the side and ran her hands up and down his back, "I don't get to have the ending I want, but..." She pulled him down for a searing kiss, "I can pretend for a little while."
"Why not both?" Varian said after she gave him that powerful kiss. Each individual thrust that Varian gave her was lost to him. Now, there was only Gardenia, and their lovemaking. The details all just seemed to fade away as he basked in her beauty.
"You can have the ending you want. What makes it so selfish to want to be with the man you love? To want to spend your time with him?"
He kissed her, this time being the one who brought the heat.
"I love you..."
Gardenia went through the motions that brought them both pleasure, she missed him. Far more than she'd realized. The guilt of what she was doing would set in later but for now, she simply took and gave and urged him on and held on tight.
"At the very least I have to give Hyacinthe a child. Very least." Looking down at them, she rolled her hips into his, "Though we don't have to worry about that." Gardenia caught his lip between her teeth and leaned back, running her hands up her front, along her breasts.
"Hmm... I missed you. Now, show me you love me and we'll sleep and you won't have to leave me right away," Which Gardenia was the most excited about. Varian wouldn't have to leave at dawn. It was passed dawn and there was no one to sneak in. No one to get angry at her. At least not yet.
Varian kissed one of the hands on top of her breast before nuzzling it aside so he could kiss and nip her nipple. Hands traveled up her sides, and his thrusting became more powerful and passionate.
"Gardenia," Varian moaned, and he brought his mouth up to lock their lips together.
"How I long to spend the night with you... to wake up with you in my arms..."
The kiss and nip had her arch her back, unconsciously seeking more of the same contact. The harder thrusts had her shaking her head, not sure what to do as the pleasure mounted, her hands drifted up his arms to his shoulders and she was hesitant in her movements. Gardenia let out a little moan into his mouth and she clenched around him at his confession.
It made her tense and she had to swallow thickly before she could speak. "Me too. I want that too." Her hand drifted up to his face to caress his cheek and bite at his lip gently, "You don't need to hold back, give me everything, Varian."
Varian laid his forehead against hers, and he spread her legs just a bit more. He firmly planted his hands beside her head, and he started to really get into it. He poured every ounce of his love and devotion into his thrusting, delivering searing kisses to compound it.
It wasn't long before Gardenia was clinging and tense and twitching and calling out her pleasure to the room. The searing kisses were returned and before long she tensed up, nails digging into his shoulders. The movement made her realize just how much of him there was and she arched her back because she wanted more. Wanted to give more.
"Varian," She whimpered into his ear, "Tell me what to do," she clung tight to him, "This isn't just for me." A hot little moan into his ear, "I want to make you feel nice, too."
At that, Varian rolled them around, so that she lied on top of him. He took a breather, and took the opportunity to fetter her neck and jaw with kisses.
"Ride me, Gardenia," Varian said.
"Ride me like you did that fateful night..."
He leaned up, and nipped at her lips.
"Ride me."
A surprised gasp and a quiet laugh when they were rolled over, Gardenia blushing hotly before she moved to sit up. Slowly, oh so slowly she rose up all the way until he was out of her. Curiously her hand drifted down, felt his cock wet with her juices before she circled her hand around him, giving him a wicked smile while she ran her hand up and down his member.
"You're bigger than I remember," She said softly before she shifted her seat and poised him at her entrance. Slowly she lowered herself down onto him, tensing and shivering, her hands moving to her chest to pluck at her nipples before her hand moved down between her legs to rub at herself while she got used to the new position. Before long she had her hands beside his chest on the bed and she was rocking her hips up and down against his.
The wet slap of their bodies, the creak and moan of the bed.
Gardenia rode him for all she was worth, until sweat beaded on her skin and her legs burned from the strange position. It wasn't enough though and she gently shook her head, biting her lip and riding him harder, squeezing her eyes shut. "I can't... I can't... Varian, I can't," She panted at him, still moving, legs burning from the strain, eventually she simply took all of him - or as much of him would fit - and rocked her hips, urging him to hit his peak.
"Your husband must be quite unsatisfying, for you to be this hungry," Varian purred, and then tossed his head back when Gardenia's riding became just too much to bear. He squirmed a bit as she took all of him in, over and over again, strange flesh a stark contrast against her smooth, youthful skin.
Finally, with a deep moan, Varian came, shooting his seed right up into her with every dying thrust. Once his orgasm passed, he let his arms go limp.
The comment remained unreplied to and once she'd felt Varian burst inside her did she relax her movements. A little out of breath, Gardenia gave little shivers, looking down between her legs and she felt a twinge of pleasure at seeing herself spread so wide by him. Something primal inside of her kept her from removing herself completely from him and instead she simply relaxed forward, resting her head on his chest. Gardenia hadn't reached her own peak and she could feel whatever pleasure she'd been feeling ebb away but Varian had gotten his and she nuzzled at his chest before she drew little patterns on it.
"We didn't.. We still haven't... Not really." Biting her lip and trying to look up at him, "you're still the only man I've really made love to." Her fingers traced the pendant that was laying off to the side on his chest. "I'm..." A hot blush stained her cheeks, "I'm not hungry. I just... I missed you... Was this a bad idea?" Gardenia lifted her head, hair obscuring her face while she stared down, slowly climbing up and off of him.
"No, no it wasn't!" Varian said, trying to reassure her. He gave her a kiss, putting his arms around her but giving her enough slack in case she still wanted to get up off of him.
"You... you didn't climax," Varian said, tenderness in his voice. He smiled.
"We can go again, if you want. I want to satisfy you, Gardenia."
Nuzzling at his lip she gently shook her head, "You do satisfy me," Gardenia sighed and closed her eyes, resting her sweaty forehead against his chest before she kisses at the strange flesh there, fingers drifting over it gently.
"Just because I didn't come doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it," she whispered against him, eyes closed. "We can try again tomorrow," She teased before she rolled off to the side, curling a leg up over his thigh and pressing her side to his.
"I feel warm and loved," A devilish glint drew over her features and she rubbed her hips against the side of his leg, "and you make me feel so full." Her arm was over his middle and she snuggled against his side, eyes closing.
"Tomorrow, then," Varian said, putting his arm around her. It'd get a bit cold, just sleeping on top of the covers like this. But Varian was betting they'd keep each-other warm. He stroked her cheek with his other hand, letting her tangle her perfect, smooth leg over his misshapen one. His tail wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.
No matter how much he loved her, Varian always felt like a monster next to her. He didn't mind, though, because he knew she loved every inch of his weirdness.
"You make me feel warm and loved too," Varian said.
"You make me feel like I can spend the rest of my life curled up with you..."
Gardenia gave a soft chuckle, "That sounds like it'd get awfully boring." A chaste kiss was pressed to his side, her tongue darting out to taste his flesh. While she'd never been a curious girl she was curious enough to wonder if his strange skin tasted like skin. Satisfied Gardenia gave the flesh another kiss and closed her eyes.
"Unless we could make love and be curled up together," She teased, leaning back to look at his face, "That sounds much nicer. At least then there would be something to do."
"Well yeah, obviously. I'd make love you until I run out of breath. When I catch it, I'll get right back to it," Varian said, both lust and love pervading his voice. He sighed, holding her softly. Pleasantly.
Like her mere presence was cherished.
"I love you. Did I mention that? Because I do."
He stroked her hair.
"I love you so much, Gardenia."
Gardenia gave a bright laugh, smiling at him before she nuzzled against his chest to hide her face. Hide the blush his words brought her. This was what she wanted. Wasn't it? Yes, Gardenia decided, squeezing her eyes shut. Swallowing thickly she rose up on her knees, putting one on either side of Varian's torso and shifted to lean back, shifting her hips slightly and rubbing her fingers over herself for a moment. His come visibly leaking out of her before she passed her fingers over it, spreading it over her womanhood.
It was lewd and Gardenia felt dirty doing it but she stared at Varian while she played with herself for a few moments, " I want you again, I want to pass out from exhaustion with you inside me." She moved to sit up, shift down to rub herself against one of his thighs, smearing his come and her wetness while she moved. "I want... I want what we had that night. I want to..." Gardenia blushed hotly and had to force the words out, "F...Mate like animals. I want you to... To give me what you've... Never given anyone else."
Her hands pressed against his strange skin and she brushed her hand over his cock. "We've made love, now... Show me you've missed me as much as I've missed you." It was well passed down now, black smudges marked just how tired she was but Gardenia didn't care. The primal craving urged her words and she leaned down to nip at his chest. "Give me something my husband can never even think about offering."
"I will give you that," Varian said, leaning up so he could kiss her, the small arms on his chest playing with her womanhood as he did so.
"And more."
Suddenly, he turned over, leaving Gardenia on her belly. Varian got up onto his knees, and clasped his hands around her waist, bringing her ass up nice and high.
He felt her with his fingers for a few moments, anticipating the second round.
The blush that stained her cheeks in anticipation was probably as bright as a rose. Though, still, the anticipation made her wet and his fingers against her only helped. Gardenia moved her hands to cover her face for a moment before she pulled them away and shifted her hips, spreading her legs a little and giving a shuddering sigh.
"Will I like more?" She whispered, looking over her shoulder, cheeks bright and flushed. Another wiggle of her hips and she shivered in anticipation before she propped up her top half with her hands. "Are we going to put this part in our book?" She teased, her voice breathy and soft.
"Definitely. This should definitely be in our book,' Varian whispered, and he pushed himself in quite powerfully, wiggling his hips a bit so he could get arranged better.
"The doctor and the lady have themselves a midnight tryst, away from the watchful eyes of her husband..."
The thrust inside had her breath catch. The pendant swayed below her and Gardebia tossed her head to the side to look over her shoulder. Taking in the full image of him - or least what she could see - it occurred to her then that they'd never really met before during the day time.
Then she rocked back into his hips and squeezed her eyes shut.
"You know," Gardenia rolled her hips into his, back curving "I'm the bad one out of all of this." What was she doing? Gardenia bit her lip and let out a gasping breath. "Enough talk, if I'm going to be a terrible wife for a few days I may as well make it worth it."
Varian smiled at that, and he started to thrust into her, giving her everything that he had, and more. Their hips collided with wet slapping that only the hips of lovers could produce, and he reached in front of her to grip her breasts from behind.
The bed creaked and moaned beneath them, announcing their act to the rest of he house.
"I'm going to fuck you until I pass out," Varian said.
"We're gonna mate like animals until we can't go on any further."
It was probably almost noon by the time Gardenia was wrung out. Her throat hurt from her cries and she still gave little shivers of her pleasure, shivers as the sweat cooled on her body. The sheets on the bed were a mess from her grabbing and pulling them to herself for purchase.
"I can't open my eyes," she moaned out, pressing her face to the bed. "Can you open your eyes?"
They'd both shared plenty a climax and without a doubt, the bed was a total mess. Varian himself couldn't even bring himself to thrust into her anymore. Instead, he opted to sort of lie on top of her, cock still in, and hold her in his arms.
A shift from him, and they were on their sides, with Varian holding her from behind.
"Can barely keep 'em open," Varian said, managing a wiggle of his hips. One of his hands held her by the abdomen, the other, by one of her breasts.
He reveled in the scent of the place, and he kissed the back of her neck.
"Gods... I think we topped that one night..."
Gardenia let out an exhausted moan when they were pulled onto their sides and she moved her hand down to press against where they were still joined when he wiggled his hips. Of course pleasure still blossomed through her, but instead of continuing - not that she could - she rest her hand over his on her abdomen.
"Hmm," Was her confirmation noise at topping their night together. The sunlight hurt her eyes when she tried to open then so she used her last free hand to cover what she could of her face. "I could sleep for days," She said, turning her face into the bed - blessedly in the clean spot - "I think I might. Sweet dreams, Varian." It wasn't long before her breath was even and she fell asleep with his hands on her and him still deep inside her.
Varian saw that the light was bothering her, so he reached out and telekinetically closed the blinds. The bedroom was dimmed out, but there was still some light peeking in from beneath the door. It was almost perfect...
"Sweet dreams, Gardenia," Varian said, nuzzling his face against her neck and closing his own eyes. His tail, which was wrapped possessively around her leg, loosened up a bit, and Varian's breathing leveled out as he dozed off.
"I love you."
And when they slept together, intertwined and close like this, Varian subconsciously bled into Gardenia's dreams, just as he said he could many nights ago. Except, their shared dream was nothing like the heated, lewd affair that had just occurred; It was summer dresses and field of lavender, gentle hand-holding as the stars twinkled behind them. It was such a rush of positivity, all caused by her proximity to the extremely happy and satisfied Varian.
In their dreams, they were never married, nor was any mention made of Gardenia's current life. In it, they were just... together.
Forever.
The dream was too good to be true.
Gardenia could smell the sunshine and the lavender and she plucked at her dress before she lifted her arms and twirled around. At some point they'd danced, she knew that. Their star was bright in the sky and before long when she curled backwards and felt the body behind her - when it was right beside her - she slowly opened her eyes.
The bedroom.
Oh.
Crushing guilt and disappointment that the dream was only that had her curl her arm over her face. The shift of movement had her gasp because everything ached and Gardenia still felt exhausted. Surely there were black smudges under her eyes and everything down there was sore in a way she'd never quite experienced.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Gardenia was unwilling to wake up completely. Instead she wiggled backwards into the warm body behind her on the bed, wanting to be tangled up in Varians limbs again. Tangled up in his beautiful dream for them. The dream that Gardenia craved but knew couldn't come true.
When Gardenia woke up, the dream ended for him as well. However, for Varian, the end of a dream was nothing to be sad about. For him, dreams were just that. Sure, the idyllic world he'd subconsciously weaved for the both of them was a bit hard to let go of, but when it came down to it, he knew that it was only a dream from the get-go.
In truth, he'd created the dream because he knew they wouldn't be able to attain it. Even if it only lasted a night, he wanted to live out their dream.
When Gardenia wiggled back against him, Varian purred and held her a bit tighter. Protectively, he rubbed her belly. At some time during the night, he slipped out of her, possibly caused by the random shifting of their bodies.
"Good morning," he said and kissed the back of her neck.
He tried to move his leg but only groaned.
"I'm so sore..."
The back of her hand rubbed at her eyes and she leaned back into the kisses on her neck, nuzzling her face into the bed.
"Morning," she stated before arched back to stretch, giving a tired groggy chuckle, "I think it's still daytime," Gardenia groaned and rand her hand over his on her belly, not even wanting to imagine the mess between her legs. There was a little glare over her shoulder to Varian, playful but still a glare and she gently nudged him with her elbow.
"You're sore? I don't even want to know what my lower half looks like," Gardenia moved her hands to cover her face, blushing hotly, "I've probably got bruises for how hard you..." She trailed off, biting her lip and looking away... Clearing her throat her voice got lighter, turning slightly to nuzzle at his arm. "I guess you did miss me as much as I missed you."
"Of course! I missed you so much, Gardenia," Varian said with love, leaning up a bit to glance at her lower half. Well, their lower halves.
Both of them were pretty much coated in sexual excretions from crotch to thigh, but Gardenia's coating also extended onto her butt, and she had some patches of stickiness on her lower back and abdomen from when Varian had decided to climax outside of her.
They both had bruised hips, and Gardenia's womanhood was still slightly red from the pounding it took. Then again, Varian's member was a bit reddish as well.
The arm she nuzzled into got a bit closer so she could get more of it against her face.
"It's actually kind of even," Varian said, his eyes closing again.
"I'm gonna have to replace these sheets."
"Nooo," Gardenia whined moving to sit up, reaching with her hand to cover Varian's eyes, though the damage was down and she looked down at herself. Could she be more red? Gardenia's face lot up like a tomato and she reached down between her legs to press against her womanhood, only to hiss and lift her hand away. It hurt.
Now that she thought of it, everything down there was throbbing in a not so sexy way.
"You..." A sky look to Varian's manhood and she moved a hand to rub his thigh reassuringly, "I think we were too intense. I'm not going to use this for weeks after taking that beast." Gardenia gently rose up to her knees, falling forward and catching herself on her hands and knees. A large amount of his left over cum oozed from her and Gardenia gave a small moan of protest. The position she'd flopped herself in gave Varian front row seats to the view of how thoroughly he'd claimed her. It didn't take long for her arms to wobble and collapse.
Though now she had a problem, bent over as she was, head dangerously close to the main mess on the bed, ass in the air. "Mmm, I can't move," were her grumpy words.
"We were a bit intense... but it was worth it," Varian said, and he let out a small groan of protest when she left his arms, hands weakly reaching out for her even as she got up onto her knees and flopped forwards.
Varian's eyes caught the show, and he blushed a bit himself, watching a veritable flood of his seed come out of her as she righted herself. The sight made him almost horny, but he was pretty sure she'd completely drained him, and he couldn't even get it up if he tried.
He was thoroughly worn out!
He righted himself up onto his knees too, and he put his hands on her ass to help him keep balance.
"Hold on..." Varian mumbled, and he let her go when ue was sure he had his balance.
"Ah... ow ow ow," came Varian's voice as he slid off the bed and got onto his feet. He offered his hands to Gardenia.
"Come on, we... we should probably take a bath..."
His pained noises actually made her smile a little.
It was a devious wicked smile and Gardenia shuffled backwards until she, too, could get off the bed. A soft moan left her mouth when she stretched out and stood up and again, the heat lit up her face when she felt everything travel down.
"Take a bath where. All the water will be cold," And as a lady of good breeding, she didn't bathe in cold water. Well, she could. Might even consider it with the state she was in.
"Can you carry me or do I have to walk?" Gardenia pouted at him, blinking her mismatched eyes at him in an attempt to be seducing.
"I'll magic something up for us. A nice, steaming, scented bath."
Varian's own odd eyes twinkled with mirth, and he held his arms out to her.
"I'll carry you."
Gardenia went to his arms willingly, lets trembling. Still she felt tired. Probably more tired now than she was before and she wrapped her arms around his neck and waited to be lifted.
To be carted around like a Princess more than anything.
"You did this to me," She murmured at him, glaring playfully.
"You'll just have to suffer the consequences."
Despite his weakness, Varian found the strength to carry Gardenia in his arms, cradling her against his chest. He kissed her and rubbed their noses together.
"I loooove you~" Varian hummed, taking her into the living room. He took a hand off of her to magic up a luxurious bathtub filled with hot, scented water, right in an empty spot in the corner of the house. It was big enough for the both of them to share it comfortably.
Varian walked up to the tub, and slowly lowered Gardenia in, climbing in after her. He put his glamer back on, since it'd make it easier for him to fit.
He sighed once his body hit the water, almost overwhelmed with how good it felt on his sore muscles.
Gardenia watched him magic up a tub and made a little gasp of surprise. She knew he did magic. It was another thing entirely to see things just... Appear.
A sigh and Gardenia's eyes slowly closed, giving a moan of pleasure a the water. It wasn't long until she lowered herself until she was up to her chin, eyes closed. Though she took in his image, watched with interest when it changed.
"Why do you look like that?" She ran her hand up and down his arm, curious, "you seem... you don't seem to like it, what you looked like before, I mean."
"Oh, no it's... It'll be more comfortable to fit without the tail and the other bits," Varian said, and he scooched over next to her, putting an arm around her.
"Besides, this one looks better, right?"
Leaning into his touch, Gardenia wrapped her arms around his middle, fingers lazily drawing up and down his back before looking him up and down.
"So what if it does? It's... " She didn't really know how he did it or where his actual body went but she shrugged, "It's not you. It's... Pretend you." Gardenia pursed her lips, leaning back slightly to look at his face.
"I suppose as long as it makes you happy that's what counts, right?"
Varian looked at her, stars in his eyes, and he smiled. He shifted on his butt a bit, and the water shifted a bit as he let his true self out again.
He started to rub her to try and get her clean, avoiding her... tender spots.
Gardenia took a keen interest in his more unusual flesh.
Picking up his hand from her body she examined it, drawing her fingers over it before she moved to straddle his lap, simply for ease to examine him.
"You're not human, are you?" A tilt of her head and she brought his hand up to press a kiss to the back of it, "Like... Most Serenians are ... Fae or elf or something. I'm... None of those." Another kiss to his hand, gazing into his strange eye, "What are you?"
"I..."
Varian looked away from her for a few moments, free hand still gently rubbing her side. He looked back at her, and there was conflict in his eyes. He decided to tell her.
"My mother, she... she worshipped these ancient beings called The Elder Gods," Varian started, fingers twitching as she kissed his hand. The hand turned around and cupped her cheek.
"I don't have a single father, I... I share blood with all of these Elder Gods. Just a little bit from each one. How my mother got pregnant with me, I don't want to know, but... that's what I know."
Suddenly, he stifled a breath, a sob escaping him, and a black tear ran from his starry eye.
"I know this because I snuck back into the village to try and find my mother. I only found the black book she read out of, still... Still opened to the spell that would summon me. That's all I am, Gardenia," Varian said, and he hugged her waist and buried his head against her.
"I'm just somebody's spell gone wrong..."
Gardenia's heart broke for Varian.
Just somebodies spell gone wrong.
Her fingers gently brushed away the tear and when he pulled her close she cradled his head, fingers carding through his hair. She was silent for a while, doing little else than figuring out what he told her and offering him comfort of warmth and her arms.
"But you're here." She finally said, pressing a kiss to his head, "Doesn't that mean it went right? Or are you supposed to be more..." She paused, pursing her lips, "Like the being I saw that night? When everything was all aligned."
"Yeah," Varian said. It felt damn good to get that off his chest, and it felt even better to recieve nothing but love and acceptance in return. He leaned his head against her hands, silent.
"I'm... Unfinished. "Too human," the book said."
Gardenia gently gnawed on her lower lip, hands still pushing through his hair.
"Can you... Change it?" It was simply curiosity that had her asking questions and Gardenia's fingers trailed along the little point to his ear before brushing her thumb along the cheek to the strange eye of his.
"If you could... Would you? To be more like... What the book was after?"
"I..."
Varianngently shook his head.
"No. I don't want that to be me. That part of me's a monster," Varian said. He leaned forwards to drop a kiss on Gardenia's lips.
"A real monster. A monster that hurt you, Gardenia."
Accepting the kiss Gardenia just shook her head, giving a curious tilt.
"I didn't get hurt. Not... Directly. I was standing right there and... You said my name." Her fingers pushed through his hair an she tried to smile, "I imagine it could have been... Quite traumatic... But then you ran away."
Trying to smile, Gardenia presse a lingering kiss to his lips, nuzzling their noses together. "Nothing of you is a monster. Not if you don't want to be."
"Oh..."
Varian closed his eyes against Gardenia's nuzzling, cupping her head with his hands, letting her hair flow in the water around them.
"I know, but... That part of me, I can't control it. I'd rather stay like this. I like more human. Besides, I looked at the ritual, it's..."
More truth.
"It's pretty horrible, Gardenia. I just want to stay like this, with you here with me," he said, and kissed her.
"I love you."
Gardenia snuggled close to Varian, giving him the lingering kiss and the soft caresses.
"I know you do," a wiggle of her hips, "I have all the aches and pains to prove it."
Catching his face in her hands she smiled at him, "I like you as you are. You and your rude tail."
Speaking of the rude tail, the thing surfaced from the water to rub affectionately against her belly. Varian put his arms around Gardenia, hugging her to him.
He blushed a bit at her words, and he left a kiss on her neck.
"I'm sorry I fucked you too good," he said, teasing in his voice.
Gardenia's mouth dropped open, her cheeks turned bright red and she slowly raised her and to cover his mouth.
"You can't use that language around me! I'm a lady!" Still, she grinned, though the blush was bright and she wouldn't make eye contact.
"You didn't seem to mind the word last night," Varian mumbled against her mouth, kissing her palm playfully.
"In fact, didn't you almost say it?"
Gardenia kept her hand where it was and looked off to the side thoughtfully.
"I did no such thing. In fact, I am such a lady I don't even know what it means."
Varian narrowed his eyes at her. He smiled, and his hands crept onto her butt.
"I think you do, Gardenia. I think all those naughty novels of yours taught it to you."
Gardenia puffed out her chest and straightened her shoulders.
"They don't use such foul language," she ignore his hands on her backside, "they just give me unrealistic expectations about the sizes of men's..." A quick glance down, a flush and she cleared her throat, "men's stuff."
Varian smiled, mouth still covered by her hand, and he turned his head sideways, stroking his own cheek against her palm.
"Did I meet your expectations?"
The hand in his cheek pushed through his hair and Gardenia took another brief glance down.
"exceeded them. I'm amazed it even fits."
Varian smiled at the little confidence boost and leaned forwards to kiss her. Not a single kiss, but a series of them.
He let out a breath through his nose while his hands traveled up her back. He nibbled Gardenia's lip a bit, starting to get a bit more amorous.
Gardenia leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder before she closed her eyes.
"Tell me more about these doctor plans." She murmured sleepily.
"Well..."
Varian shrugged.
"Haven't given it too much thought. I was planning to go to Yoreiq. The people there are odd, so... maybe I'll fit in better."
He got the cue, and stopped being so frisky. Instead, he opted to just hold her.
Gardenia had never realized how selfish she could be until she met Varian.
A thing she couldn't have.
A person she probably should have never let herself have feelings for.
The only thing Gardenia really wanted was to have her cake and eat it too. Selfishly.
"Yoreiq," she said, lifting her head up, "was that where we..." She trailed off, smirking and tilting her head, moving her hands up and down his sides.
"Will you still visit me? Be my personal doctor when I'm fat and pregnant?" Though the tone she used made it sound more like a job she had to do than a life event she was supposed to celebrate.
"Yes, Yoreiq is where we... made love."
Varian nuzzled her, hands cupping her cheeks as he leaned in to kiss her.
"It's a night that will always be cherished in my heart. We were one, if only for a fleeting moment, just as we were last night."
He kissed her.
"I'll be your doctor. You need but call me, Gardenia. I will always be there to answer it."
A return of the kisses and she rolled her hips against his in a teasing manner.
"You know you only encourage me to be selfish with those words."
"What's so selfish about it, Gardenia?" Varian said, grinning a bit when she rolled her hips against him. No way she could be thinking about that; he'd fucked her raw!
"You're being forced to live a life you don't want. It's not selfish to seek something else."
Gardenia wasn't thinking about it. Though she was keen on teasing, trying to illicit a reaction from Varian. While she was tender she did want to make the best of her little run away from home scenario. Being a tease just happened to fall onto the list of things she wanted to do.
"I didn't know I wanted something else until we made love under the stars." Gardenia pulled him in for a deep kiss, her tongue pressing past his lips to brush against his. "I was going to use you. I was going to use you to cute me..." A humourless laugh and she pulled away, looking down at the water, "now look at me. I'm... Married but naked in a run with you."
"That night under the stars... Gods, it takes my breath away just thinking about it. You were so beautiful, so... tight," he said, sticking his tongue out. If she was going to tease him, he was was going to tease right back!
His expression straightened out, though.
"I think people who're married just because their parents thought it'd be a nice political move shouldn't really count as married, if there's no love in it," Varian said.
"It's more like you're being forced to share a bed for the benefit of the people who put you there."
The hot blush on her cheeks, moving her hand to cover her face. Though quickly there was fire and she gave him a playful smack on the shoulder. "I wasn't beautiful or tight last night?" A pout and she folded her arms over her chest, pouting, lower lip poking out.
Gardenia looked at Varian through her lashes and sighed, "are you saying that because you believe it or because you're afraid I'll try to fall in love with him?" Him being her husband.
She wondered if he picked up her ring.
"I believe that," Varian said. "I want nothing but the best for you, Gardenia."
He nuzzled in closer to her, hands stroking her sides.
"And you were tight this time, amazingly so! It's just... it was the first time I experienced it that night, and it took my breath away."
"The first time..." Gardenia frowned slightly, tilting her head.
"You mean... Before we... You'd never...?" Gardenia ran her hands over his shoulders and shook her head, "never ever?"
Varian smiled at her and stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"You were my first, Gardenia."
Gardenia nuzzled into the hand, pressed her lips to his palm and squeezed her eyes shut. His words pulled at her and she moved his hand down her body, pressing it to her breast before she moved a hand down into the water. Slowly her fingers trailed over his hip, down his thigh before she let it rest on his leg.
"I can't imagine why." Pursing her lips she leaned in for a chase kiss before she leaned back, pushing away from Varian to the other side of the tub and poking her tongue out at him. "I want you again, but I know it'll just be uncomfortable for the both of us. It will be easier to resist temptation if I'm not on your lap." Though she did little to hide her body.
A content sigh and she moved her hands over herself in little lame attempts to clean. "Since I'm going to make you stay with me," she crossed her legs at the knee, moved her hands to rest behind her head, "is there anything in particular you'd like to do?" A small smile, "dance again?"
Varian's hands reached out for her as she pushed away and left his lap. However, they quickly lowered back down, mostly because Gardenia was right. He was feeling knackered too, and if they copulated, it'd be twice as uncomfortable as it was pleasurable.
"I'd love to dance," Varian said, perking up just a bit.
"There's so much I want to do with you, Gardenia."
Letting her eyes slipped close she smiled at him before she resumed making little attempts at cleaning her skin.
"Like what? What's it you want to do with me?"
"All kinds of things," Varian said, and he started to rub himself down as well.
"Nice things, cute things..."
He narrowed his eyes, and gave her a pretty good show as he stretched upwards.
"...Naughty things."
Gardenia watched the show with a small smile on her face, eyeing up and down her prize for the time being. The prize for being a terrible wife. The prize she got for being selfish. Not that it wasn't a good prize but she knew that it would come with bitter results.
Biting her lip gently she pushed her fingers through her hair and pretended to not be interested, that drove men wild right? Or... Was it being interested and not doing anything about it? Gardenia frowned down at herself, not really knowing what to do.
"There are more naughty things?" She asked quietly, looking at him again, tilting her head and blinking her eyes owlishly. Honestly a little surprised, they'd done it so many times her lady-bits were sore and there were more naughty things?
Standing up in the water to better wash her lower half, Gardenia pursed her lips and did it mechanically. "I'm honestly surprised," Then she paused and frowned slightly, running her hand over her stomach, "I figured he'd gotten that all out of our systems earlier," which was a lie and she knew it.
"I don't think I'm ever going to get it out of my system," Varian said, appreciating the view of Gardenia's body as she stood up in the water.
"You're just so... beautiful. Inside and out," Varian said, rubbing his hands along his arms.
He stretched again, this time to try and catch her attention more.
"Gods... I'm so relaxed right now..."
Being called beautiful made her skin tingle and Gardenia rubbed her arms before turning to Varian, tilting her head and pushing her hair from her shoulder. His stretching got a sly little glance from her but she slowly sunk back into the water, giving her own stretch, moving her hands up her body before passing them over her breasts and stretching her arms up.
"Me too." She agreed, moving over again, before she finally smirked at him.
"Well... We could try getting it out of your system some other way." Gardenia's voice took on a low turned, moving to resume her seat on his lap, sitting back on his thighs, one knee on either side of his torso before she curled her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Then she snuggled into him, resting her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Varian's eyes fluttered closed when Gardenia sat right back down on his lap and touched lips with him. A soft breath came from his nose, and he left a kiss on her head when she rested it on his shoulder.
"Another way?" Varian asked playfully, stroking Gardenia's hair with one arm and hugging her with the other.
Softly she trailed patterns on his other shoulder before nuzzling against his neck, enjoying the pets through her hair.
"I don't know, you think I know anything? All they have is regular sex in my books. And the men have giant dicks. And usually there's some bodices and lots of wind and roses and stuff." Gardenia looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging drawing her fingers over his abdomen, "Why does this skin feel different? Were you hurt? Or does it just... Look like this?"
"Well, we can always just make out," Varian muttered, and his abdomen sucked in a bit when she touched it, but he relaxed just as quickly.
"It's just like that," he said, and then chuckled.
"I still can't believe that you can find me attractive. I mean... Don't I look weird?"
Gardenia smiled at him, leaning back and away. Just make out. Of course they could. "Sounds boring," she stuck out her tongue at him before she pressed her palm against his skin.
"You were the first person to ever pet me," She said after she leaned back in, murmuring against his neck, "I don't care about what you look like." She paused leaned back to take his hand and press it to her lips, "Clearly."
Tilting her head, "Though yes, you look unusual." Gardenia pressed her hands along his arm, giving him curious looks while she did so, "Does it do anything special? You can make a bathtub and hot water appear out of no where, I don't think anything will surprise me now."
He let Gardenia play with his hand, happy that she could find even the most bizarre parts of his anatomy entertaining.
"Well, the..."
Varian paused to cough a bit, and then he continued to address her.
"The black flesh isn't really... Flesh. It's more like this goopy stuff in the shape of hands or other parts. I can do all kinds of tricks with it."
"I wasn't expecting black goopy stuff." Gardenia replied honestly, looking at his hand all the closer, bringing it closer to her face to look at it better.
"Tricks?" She replied, leaning in, "Like what? Like... Juggling? Or... Cards or..." She flexed his fingers and pressed a kiss to the tip of his index finger, "Show me. I want to know everything about you."
"Yeah, the goopy stuff feels like flesh, but it isn't," Varian said. He looked across the room, where there was one of Varian's wide-brimmed hats sitting on a hat rack.
He held a hand out towards it, and his forearm lost all form. Instead, it stretched out and turned into a single ropy tentacle that shot out to grab the hat before coming back in. He looked at Gardenia, smiled, and then put the hat on her head. For the moment, his hand remained a tentacle.
"I can shift it's shape."
Gardenia watched in surprise.
She'd lied.
There was something that could surprise her after the magical bathtub.
A long look at his tentacle hand and she grabbed it, flipping it every which way before she pressed a kiss to the side and smiled at him.
"I assume it has it's uses?" Her hand drifted to his chest, giving a long look at his strange starry eye. "When the stars lined up and you turned... Do you know what that was? Or do you just... Know it's going to happen."
Varian's breath was almost taken away by how quickly Gardenia accepted that quirk. She'd barely even seen it for long, and already she was kissing it!
"The thirteen stars that align thrice a month project unique energies when they all line up. When I get exposed to this energy, I turn."
His tentacle hand laid on her shoulder, then wrapped around the back of her neck and laid across the other one.
"I... Can do a lot more tentacles. I can do impossible things, Gardenia. Things that you didn't even know could be done."
"Three times? In a month?" Gardenia stared at him, wide eyed. That sounded awful. At least hers was one night a month. The tentacle moving along her back had her give the other side an odd look, she poked the tip and blinked at him owlishly.
"Impossible?" She pressed her hands to her hips and tilted her head, "Like what? Tell me and I'll let you know if I've thought they could be done or not." A smirk and a grin that told him she was giving him a playful challenge.
"Yes, three times a month. I can avoid turning if I stay out the starlight, though," Varian said. The tentacle slithered up to her cheek and stroked it. After a few more moments, though, it retracted and turned back into a hand. Varian adjusted the hat on Gardenia's head a bit. It was just a tad too large for her, so it hung rather adorably to the side whenever she cocked her head.
"Well, I can traverse the realms between space and time. I can conjure forth things that are both real and nonexistent at the same time. If I have the proper materials, I can open gates to other places and even other times."
Gardenia stared wide eyed.
Varian was far more powerful than she's ever imagined. Far more powerful than she could have thought to comprehend.
"And..." Gardenia swallowed thickly, moving her hands from his shoulders to his neck, thumbs stroking his jaw, "you love me?"
"I have seen the breadth of the cosmos beneath my thumb," Varian said, and then he kissed her.
"I love you Gardenia. More than anything else in all of creation."
Tears welled in her eyes and she let her head fall forward, Gardenia's shoulders trembled. The sound of her tears hitting the water were too loud and she quickly wiped at her cheeks, taking deep breaths and finally looking back up and Varian. Quickly enough she wrapped her arms around his neck, tucking herself as close to him as she could.
"I don't think I can love anything that much," she said with a wet laugh, though she leaned back and kissed his cheek, "what do you want to do today? Anything you want." Gardenia whispered into his ear before she nuzzled at his cheek.
"I just want to be with you," Varian said, hugging her to himself so tightly and warmly. He let her nuzzle at his cheek before turning about to catch her lips with his own.
"Although, there's this beach on the Serenian coast we can visit. I don't really have any swimwear, but I can conjure something up for us."
Gardenia laughed into the kiss.
"I don't have any clothes at all. I think the only thing I've been wearing since this morning is this pendant." Her fingers trailed over it, plucking to look at it. "Did you put any fancy magic into this?"
"I... Might've," Varian said, looking down at the necklace. He passed a few fingers over Gardenia's cheek, and smiled at her.
"When I said love and protection, I was being serious about the protection part."
A bright smile and she looked down at it before she gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
Gardenia stood, gave herself a little shake before stepping out of the tub, careful not to get Varians hat wet while she moved. There was no attempt to hide her body from him -he'd seen it all already anyway- though she ran her hands over it all the same, if only to entice his gaze.
"So," she moved to a chair and sat, still wearing nothing but his hat, Gardenia was more assuredly not sitting like a lady. "The beach? Not spend the next few days making love one every object in the house," she was teasing, to be sure, though Varian had always seemed a little insatiable. "Why the beach?"
"I've always felt a connection to the ocean," Varian said, looking at Gardenia with a certain hunger. The way she was enticing him was certainly working.
He hopped up out of the tub and ran a hand backward through his hair.
"If you'd rather make love across every inch of this house, I'm not against that either."
Leaning back in the chair, Gardenia just smiled at him before resting her hand on her thigh.
"I am yours to command," Leaning back and smiling at him, looking at him through her eyelashes. Grinning she stood up and stretched, "We could do all those things." Looking towards a window she smiled at him, "We could go to the beach at night? Then we won't have to worry about being covered." It was a sly smile and Gardenia waggled her eyebrows.
Varian grinned, and he took her into his arms, kissing her. Now that she stated she was comfortable with the idea of... copulation, he was comfortable with heating things up a bit.
"You and me, the waves... the stars."
His hands slipped to her buttocks.
"Let's not go all night, though. Not two times in a row..."
Gardenia tipped her head back and laughed, closing her eyes slowly and lifting them to wrap up around his shoulders.
"I love the stars," She said before pressing a kiss to his cheek, moving to press a kiss under his strange starry eye. Wiggling her backside into his hands she pressed herself against him, gently nipping at his neck.
"Not all night?" Gardenia faked a pout, "There are other ways to do it?"
"The stars'll look even better when they're behind you," Varian said, and he gave her buttocks a nice squeeze
At her pout, he kissed her.
"Now that I think about it... no. There isn't..."
He sat down on the chair, motioning for Gardenia to join him on it.
"I was thinking... when we fuck on the beach, maybe... you could let me use my more unusual talents?"
Gardenia wiggled herself onto his lap, sitting on it with both her legs to one side and just listened to him. Slowly, face going more red while he spoke and again her hand reached up to cover his mouth.
"That word!" She was, again, several shades of red, even more so when he asked to use his more unusual talents. Slowly her hand lifted away from his mouth and she stared at him, remembering his strange tentacle hand and she felt her insides tighten at the idea. Oddly enough it didn't repulse her, it was just a strange thought.
"I..." Carefully she blinked at him, swallowing, "Okay. That way if you had any doubts before, whipping out those talents will prove to you that..." She took his hand again and kissed it, adding light suction to his index finger before nibbling at the top, " That I accept you. All of you. Your rude tail and your..." she gazed at his hand, "Strange flesh in the shape of a hand."
Varian smiled at Gardenia's acceptance, and he nodded enthusiastically.
"Thank you, Gardenia," he said, watching her curiously as she sucked on his finger. After a few moments, he deemed it an appropriate time to ask another question.
"Have... have you ever done oral?"
That got Varian a confused look.
Oral was... Mouth stuff.
"Like... Give a speech?" The expression on her face was entertaining, to say the least, a blend of confusion and hesitation because she knew she was wrong. There was just nothing else in her head that could fill the space. "Kisses?"
Varian looked at her a bit incredulously.
"All this time reading raunchy books, and you don't know what oral sex is?" Varian said, a little surprised himself.
Gardenia frowned at him and made a face.
"Well..." A hot flush, "I realized what it was after you said the word sex." Looking away she folded her arms and dipped her head down, "They aren't that raunchy and... And... They're ladies and princesses. They don't..." A quick glance down at his abdomen, "They don't put their mouths..." Covering her face with her hands she leaned away and hunched her shoulders. "Why? Do you want my mouth on you?"
"W-Well," Varian started, a hot flush coming onto his own cheeks as well.
"I was just curious!" he continued, and he hugged her a bit closer.
"I mean, I was just wondering if... erm, yeah. I mean, if you did it for me, I was gonna return the favor. I just wanted to try it out, you know?"
Gardenia grinned at his blush.
It was sort of nice to know that he was seemingly just as nervous about this as she was.
"Well," Gardenia moved her hand down his side, lightly drifting her fingers along his hip before she pressed a kiss to his cheek, "I said I was yours to command, didn't I?" A smirk and a tilt of her head, leaning in she bit his earlobe lightly, "So... Start to command."
Varian's blush only got hotter when she leaned in and nipped his earlobe. His fingers brushed her side and hips, and he leaned in to whisper into her ear.
"I want you to suck my cock, Gardenia."
The words had her suck in her breath and she looked up at him through her lashes, slowly removing his hat, putting it onto a table off to the side. Gardenia made of show of getting off his lap, drawing her hands down his chest while she slid off the chair and down onto her knees. Pressing a kiss to his knee as she slowly moved up, closer to her prize.
Gardenia stared at his cock for a few moments before she moved her hand to it, gently grasping it before she pressed a kiss to the head. Like she did with his finger she took it into her mouth, her hand moving over what she couldn't fit into her mouth while she worked at it. The noises were lewd and while she didn't care they were still making her flush and she smoothed her free hand over his thigh and abdomen.
After a few minutes of working at him she pulled away, red faced, hand giving his shaft a light squeeze. Gardenia looked into his eyes before she licked her lips, leaning in to give him a wide swipe with her tongue from root to tip before she took him into her mouth again, intent on giving him exactly what he asked for and then some.
"O-oh..." Varian muttered when she got started, surprised at how quickly she got down to, well... sucking him off! He watched her with hooded eyes as she bobbed up and down on him, making the lewdest of noises as she worked.
When those several minutes passes and she looked up at him with that adorable blush on her face, Varian could've melted right then and there. His hips tilted upwards, following the motion of her tongue, only to settle back down when she resumed.
"Gods, you're amazing..."
Gardenia pulled back, licking her lips and gripping his thigh with her free hand.
"I told you to command me," Gardenia laved her tongue along the head of his cock before she pulled away again, gently, slowly, drawing her hand up and down it pressing a gentle kiss to the tip. "I'm yours for the next few days," She squeezed the base of his cock and pressed a kiss to his thigh, gently nipping at it before she pulled away again to give his cock another broad swipe with her tongue. She'd liked how he'd moved his hips when she did it the first time, "All yours." Consequences were for later. Guilt and consequences were for when she was wearing her wedding ring again and wouldn't be able to look her husband in the face. All for later.
Gardenia quickly resumed her work at his groin, working a little harder, lips red, cheeks flushed. Watching him enjoy it was making her wet but Gardenia kept her free hand flat on his thigh before she moved to gently fondle his testicles, making little moaning sounds and rolling her hips to the rhythm she'd set for her mouth on his cock.
Yeah, she'd definitely picked up some tricks from her books! Varian let himself relax into the chair, fingers curling around the armrests. One of his hands turned back into a tentacle, and it slithered up to Gardenia, down her body, and started returning the favor by touching her right where she was resisting it.
"Take it deeper," Varian said, getting more used to having to give Gardenia commands.
"I want to hear you working on it."
While she'd told him to commander her, Gardenia instantly wanted to give him a look because who commanded her. Then she remembered she'd told him too and her temper cooled only to be replaced with wanting to please him. Give him good memories of her. So when he'd close his eyes and think of her, he'd have a secret little smile of her looking up at him from his groin.
Gardenia was hesitant at first and had to pull back and moan quietly when she felt something between her legs. A quick jolt because what could be down there?
An odd turn of events she was glad to see it was his strange tentacle arm and Gardenia rolled her hips into the motions of his strange limb while she took more of him into her mouth. Never one to half-ass anything she took him as deep as she could get him, though she'd went a bit too far and quickly whipped her head up, panting, red faced and turned away to cough.
Her hand moved over his shaft and she rest her head on his thigh while she caught her breath, though quickly enough she resumed. Giving him a determined look before she took him in her mouth again, laving it with her tongue before she repeatedly took him as far as she could get him without gagging, hand working furiously on the rest of it.
Varian cracked an eye open when Gardenia took his cock in too deeply the first time, partly because he was concerned for her, and partly because the sudden jolt of increased pleasure caught his attention pretty well.
Varian's tentacle lapped at her folds, pressing it's suckers against her and drawing back to use some of that suction to deliver pleasure. It tensed up a bit when she really started to work, though, and Varian tossed his head back.
"Don't stop, Gardenia!" he gasped, and his other hand went to the top of her head, resting there while she worked.
His words urged her on.
Gardenia felt powerful.
If she stopped now he'd probably beg for her to continue and Gardenia felt a warmth at the pit of her stomach, a deviousness that she'd never thought to nurture before. The limb between her legs had her pull back and give a breathy moan against his cock but she wrapped her lips around it and continued on, grinding herself down against the tentacle when she could.
Her free hand dug into his thigh while she worked and slowly she eased him deeper and deeper into her mouth, taking him farther than the first time before she eased up, breathing heavily through her nose. Still she worked him, eyes on his face the whole time so she could watch him when he reached his pleasure.
Of course, the tentacle responded to her efforts by actually angling itself just right so the next time she ground down onto it, it actually entered her. It slithered around inside of her, coiling and twisting so that it filled her completely as it went, making sure there wasn't a single cranny left unoccupied.
Varian's breathing was coming in sharper now, and every time he looked down at her, those eyes of hers met his and she'd be able to see the pleasure in his eyes.
See how much power she had when he was like this.
"I'm close, Gardenia! Gods..."
The tentacle entering her caught her off guard and Gardenia had to pull her mouth away and cry out at the entrance. Still her hand worked him while she rolled her hips, eyes rolling back slightly before she gave a small shudder and bit his thigh before she couldn't help it and gave a ragged moan. With a renewed passion she took him into her mouth, hollowing out her cheeks and moving her hand up and down his shaft.
Every bit of eye contact had her tense up around the limb inside her and when he exclaimed his pleasure she only worked harder. Gardenia wanted Varian to lose control. Giving him a look she lifted her head, giving the head of his cock another broad swipe with her tongue while she worked him with her hand.
"Come for me, Varian." Gardenia demanded in a husky voice before she resumed the ministrations with her mouth, hand moving faster. Taking him deeper with each bob of her head, staring at his face while she moved, eyes begging.
Varian continued to hold her by the head as she worked harder and harder. His breathing came in sharply, and he quickly found himself at the very precipice.
When she looked at him with those eyes and begged for his seed, well... he could hardly deny a face like that!
At her behest, he thrust his hips forwards to fill her mouth, moaning the entire way as he shot his hot load into her mouth.
If Gardenia hadn't be rearing and eager to go before, his moan had her clutch at his hip and take him as deep as she could get him. Then he came and it was in her mouth and she did the only thing she could think of that wouldn't make a mess. Swallow. Gardenia swallowed everything, waiting for his moaning to stop and for him to settle down before she pulled away, red faced and panting, lips wet with saliva.
The tentacle still inside her had her gently rocking her hips, no doubt her juices were practically dripping from it. Gardenia gave a low moan, fingers resting on his thighs before she rested her head on his knee and looked at him eagerly. Dragging her nails down his thighs to grab at her breasts. "What now?" She asked huskily, eyes half closed, cheeks still flushed, voice hoarse.
Varian was still breathless and flushed when she asked her question. He'd sunk into the chair, still rocked by his powerful orgasm. Quickly, though, he smiled at her.
"Now?"
He let his unusually long tongue slither out of his mouth, giving Gardenia a preview of what she'd be receiving.
"It's my turn, now."
A brief look at his tongue and she closed her eyes, a small awkward smirk on her face. Gardenia looked away, blushing anew. Gently her hands moved back to his thighs, rubbing up and down before she rubbed her cheek against his knee.
"Your turn?" She said softy, drawing her fingers along his hip. "You just had your turn," her tone was softly teasing and she but her lip, eye falling closed.
"Well, then if we're going by that logic, then it's your turn."
Varian stood from the seat, powerfully lifting Gardenia up off her feet with little to no effort. He laughed, kissed her, and then deposited her on a table. He leaned over her, almost as if he was going to fuck her, and joined their lips together.
"I'm going to make you scream," Varian said, and he dipped his head down to kiss Gardenia's nipple, his tongue wrapping around it and giving it a squeeze.
A startled gasp when she was lifted and Gardenia shifted on the table, hands on his shoulders. Leaning up into the kiss, Gardenia gave a needy moan when his mouth found her nipple. Her fingers pushed through his hair.
"Is that a promise or a goal?" She asked, squeezing her eyes shut.
Varian looked up at her. This time, it was his turn to stare up at her and grin.
"Both."
He fettered kisses and licks along her body as he slowly descended, stopping to rim his tongue around her navel.
Gardenia gave an impatient noise when he licked at her navel, wiggling her hips and giving his shoulders a little urgent push downwards.
"Don't make me beg," She whined, arching her back, even going so far as to scoot up the table to get him closer to where she wanted him between her legs. "You have me laid out on this table like I were a meal," she breathed, looking around where she lay on the furniture, fingers moving to Varian's scalp to play with his hair.
"And I'm going to eat this meal!" Varian said, and then he went right to where she wanted him to go. His tongue slithered over her clit, and his tongue went over her folds as he eagerly devoured her. The tentacle hand slithered up her body, and encircled one of her breasts.
The first movement of his tongue had her squeak and arch her back, legs falling open and hands pulling at his hair probably harder than she'd really meant to. The strange slithery limb at her breast had her hand move to it, stroking over her breast and the tentacle, confused, entertained at the image. Gardenia rolled her hips to his tongue and let out whiny moans. "Oh gods, please," she breathed out, moving her hands to her thighs, begging anyway.
Varian smiled, glad he could get a reaction from her like she got from him. His tongue swirled around her clit before he actually pushed it into her, trying to penetrate her with his tongue. The tentacle quivered before it split off into two, which started to play with her breasts individually.
With little else to do all Gardenia could manage was to clutch at the sides of the table and arch and roll her hips the best she could. Little vocalizations and soft moans. "Varian," Gardenia cried out, moving a hand to grab his hair when he pushed his tongue into her, fingers squeezing and tugging him closer. "More. I want..." Gardenia trailed off, moving to raise up on one elbow to look down at him, head between her legs, breasts being fondled by his strange, strange tentacles.
This was definitely not something from out of her books.
Little tremors ravaged her body and Gardenia's legs trembled with the effort to not clamp them shut on his head, though her fingers didn't let up on his poor hair.
"Gardenia!" Varian said, voice muffed by her womanhood. Indeed, the tentacles were an experience that were undeniably foreign and alien, but at the same time, the slithering appendages caused nothing but pleasure. Varian's other hand turned into a few tentacles as well, and they helped him tease her womanhood or stimulate her thighs.
Meanwhile, Varian's tongue probed deeper, hungrily lapping at her walls.
She'd gone half-puppy on him before during sex, but this time, it was Varian who was letting himself go a bit. And just like that fateful night where Gardenia went Half-Puppy through sheer passion, now, the same thing was occurring to him.
It didn't take long for Gardenia to become undone. Once his second slithery hand started to work at her she could do little else than writhe and moan. With a chocking cry, Gardenia tensed up, throwing her head back - whacking it into the table fairly hard- and came. "Varian," she moaned, both her hands on his head. "Oh gods, I think you're killing me," her voice was soft while she spoke, eyes closed, head throbbing from pain and everything else throbbing from pleasure.
At her words, Varian probed deeper with his tongue, even as his tentacles coiled around her and groped and touched where it would cause the most pleasure. One of them slithered behind her head to nurse it.
He didn't want her to just come once, he wanted to make her squeal over and over again! His eyes looked up at her from between her legs, pupils dancing with mirth and hunger.
A long moan and Gardenia was a tight bundle of nerves, her fingers pulled at his hair and her hips rocked. Looking down with her odd eyes, she tensed and slowly moved her hands from his hair. "Oh my gods," Gardenia flushed anew at the look in his eyes, her hands held her thighs for a few moments before they went to her hair, moving to cover her eyes.
"Right there," she cried, breath coming out in noisy sighs and whimpers. "Varian," again her hands moved, thighs trembling, down to his head again, holding him close to her core while she rolled herself against his mouth. "Varian, I want..." Gardenia trailed off, turning away, squeezing her eyes shut, not quite far gone enough to say it. Though the way she held his mouth to her and practically humped his face spoke louder than words.
Varian grinned against her, intoxicated by her taste and turned on, by the way, as she worked herself into a frenzy against him. He forced his tongue deeper, extending it to its natural limit as it probed ever farther.
His tentacles started to play with her nipples, even as they coiled around her breasts, and the ones situated lower started to tease her folds and clit, even as Varian plunged his tongue into her.
"You want?" He said as he paused for breath, only to dive right back in.
Gardenia was a moaning mess, her legs having fallen open, her hands limp. "I..." A quiet moan and she moved her hands to the tentacles at her breasts, "I..." Finally, with a noise close to a scream she came. Her hands went to her knees to pull them open and she stared down at Varian.
"I can't..." She sobbed, still rolling her hips, body still looking for more. "Varian, gods, oh gods." With a jerking movement she leaned sat up, fingers trembling and grabbed his head, pulling him away from her core. "I want your cock inside me the next time I come," she hissed, eyes intense, "your cock, your tentacles, both." A shudder ran through her body and she gave a roll of her hips, "i don't care. I need you." Gardenias voice took on a breathy tone and she squeezed her eyes shut, "so bad."
Both?
That could certainly be arranged.
Varian grinned at her, eyes twinkling with lust, and he determined that she wanted his cock in her after her next climax. Varian ultimately decided that he wanted a few more appendages for the job, so rather than his tentacles starting at the wrist, his forearms just split apart to produce more of those sensuous limbs. When he dipped back down to pass the entire length of his tongue over her in one rough lick, the tentacles were all over her: Stroking, petting, squeezing.
Two smaller ones slipped into her womanhood, joining Varian's tongue, and a third wrapped around her clit to squeeze it.
"I'm going to take you to the edge," Varian said, eyeing her deviously. It seemed to him that she was much too far gone off the cliff of pleasure to really care what happened, so one of the tentacles by her head slithered up to her mouth. The form changed to slightly resemble his cock, and it let out a little precum before nudging playfully at her lips.
The precum it secreted had an intoxiating scent, intended to drive her even wilder with lust.
"Then... heaven."
Eagerly she took him into her mouth. A new flood of wetness had her hips jerk up and Gardenia groaned around the tenacle in her mouth. Spreading her legs as wide as they could go, giving jerking motions. Gardenia could do little but be a vessel for pleasure, and finally when the tension was too much everything coiled up so tightly.
Pulling away from the appendage in her mouth Gardenia let out a long sobbing moan before she went loose and noodly on the table. Panting heavily, giving lazy undulations of her hips. Voice hoarse. "Var..." Gardenia whimpered out, looking down at him, reaching for him with her hands. "I... I want..." A tremor ran through her body and she gave another shake, "to hold you." Sure the tentacles were nice little tricks, but nothing really beat having most of him right in her arms.
Varian's tongue left her with a final slither, and with a chuckle that was nothing short of sadistic, he moved up her body. Tentacles coiled around her arms, but they didn't move them, and he didn't stop until he was able to kiss her.
He joined their lips, and she'd no doubt be able to taste herself on him as his tongue danced with hers. He prodded his hips forwards, and his length rubbed up against her folds.
"I'm going to take you, Gardenia," Varian said in between kisses.
"I'm going to take you as you lie on this table, and I'm not going to stop until my seed fills every inch of you."
Tasting herself was a new experience and if anything it only made her hotter. Little lazy movements to press herself into the kiss, run her tongue along his. Eyes half open, her breasts raising up and down with her breaths. Feeling his length against her, Gardenia could open moan and wriggle her hips, drawing him between her slick folds before she wiggles her hips in an attempt to sheath him.
"Take me," she begged, "take me and give me everything that's you. Take me to the edge and then give me heaven!" Arms held by his 'arms' Gardenia just wriggled and writhed under him, doing her best to be eager and willing. At first the strange appendages made her nervous. Now, they made her curious. "I don't think book heroines get it like this," she panted, mostly because her brain was too tired to form words inside her head.
In truth, this sordid affair of theirs, with all the tentacles and unusually long tongues, was more Varian's element than anything else. He was only a very small percentage human, so using tentacles in place of actual arms was actually more comfortable for him.
In fact, a few more sprouted from the black flesh of his abdomen, and they went around her hips to pull her closer. She was covered in the things, all writhing and wriggling and causing her pleasure.
"Book heroines don't meet men like me," Varian said, and he put his cock up to her entrance and started to push in, nice and slow so that she'd be able to feel every millimeter of his length as he entered her. Two tentacles went in alongside him, and although small, they compounded the feeling of his member quite nicely.
Gardenia was going to melt.
Maybe explode.
Either way, the feel of him pushing and stretching her had her gasp and the sensation of him entering with the added girth had her come. Gardenia bit her lip and her back arched though she didn't lean away, if anything she rocked her hips more before finally looking at him. Taking the image of her lover in. The strangeness of him.
"Who meets men like you?" Gardenia whimpered, curling her legs around his hips. This isn't what she saw for them, that fateful night under the full moon. Now that it was happening, Gardenia wanted to make him feel loved. Accepted. Wanted to hold him to her chest and love him for the reasons so many detested him.
"Hmm," Varian said thoughtfully, and he remained silent until his length was fully buried inside of Gardenia. The added girth of the tentacles meant that she was being filled completely, probably the best she was ever going to be filled in her life.
A tentacle caressed her cheek, and he flipped down to kiss her, a motion slowed with passion and love.
"Beautiful young girls who see past people's exteriors and into their hearts. Girls who hold nothing but love where others hated. Girls who hold secrets of their own..."
He kissed her again.
"I want to see those lovely antlers, Gardenia," he whispered, laying his forehead against hers as he started to move.
Gardenia felt the world stop when he told her he wanted to see her antlers. Then the moving started so all she could do was make little noises and nod her head. Could she? Slowly she rocked her hips against his, a gentle rhythm, giving a gentle sigh and finally with her eyes squeezed shut and a whole body shudder she felt the world narrow.
Just the room existed and the most important thing in it was having her lover in her arms and nestled between her legs. "Var..." Gardenia moaned out, eyes popping open, pupils slitted. If was probably good his extra tentacles were holding her arms because of the wicked claws she sprouted.
The delicate antlers poked up through her hair and she looked down between them, as if trying to gauge how full he stuffed her. "Only because you asked," she breathed out, arching against him, eyes closed. "Make love to me," Gardenia whispered against his lips, "just as you are and nothing less. Like only you and I exist in the whole world."
Varian moaned when he finally finished entering her, tentacles working to stroke himself inside of her even as he stretched Gardenia wider than he'd ever had before.
"I will give you my everything," Varian said, and more tentacles sprouted from his back, going to stroke her in more sensitive places.
"We're crossed by the stars, Gardenia. My soul belongs to you," Varian said, dipping down to kiss her.
"You are my everything."
Gardenia's breath was in hitched moans and she was twitching and gasping with every movement. It was like her entire body was on fire and every subtle movement, every little caress was a grand display across her body. Carefully, gently, she pushed her fingers through Varian's hair, arching her hips up, legs spread as wide as they could go to fit as much of him as she could. Get him as close as she could.
"Oh, Gods. I'm so full. You're so deep, I feel like you're in my throat," Her voice was a breathy moan and she could do little else besides experience it with gasps and trembling hands.
"I'll take it." She nipped at his lips, gently because of her fangs, "Your everything. I'll keep it inside me," A roll of her hips and a trembling moan, her hands moving to clutch at the table while she arched her back, giving a loud yelp as she came, back arched, breasts pushed up.
"You're everywhere. Varian, Gods, I'm going to break." She looked at him with her odd eyes, hips rolling under his while everything moved and caressed, "You feel so good. I'm going to come again, just... Oh gods." Gardenia's knees curled up around his torso and she cried out again, not bothering to keep her pleasure quiet, little twitches and trembles, though she didn't stop rocking her hips while she could.
Varian absolutely devoured everything she let him have. His cock found her farthest depths, made it so they were the closest they'd ever been. Pelvis-to-pelvis and chest-to-chest, he kissed her like she was the only woman in the world. His tentacles bathed her in sweet, sensuous caresses. This was the real Varian, the core at the very center.
He was so overwhelmed with passion that his starry eye lit up like a sun, blazing a gentle yellow in his socket as opposed to the star-speckled darkness it was before.
"Gardenia!" Varian cried, and he squeezed her tighter, even as he started to thrust into her with more potency.
"It'll all be yours. I'll fill you until you're leaking with my love."
The bright light threw her a little but Gardenia could only gasp and moan, claw little gouges out of the table with her claws and rock her hips harder. "Y-your eye," She moaned under him, closing her eyes after a moment before opening them again, arching her back and shivering as another wave of pleasure washed over her. Each thrust had her going over the edge almost and she kept her hands flat on the table so she didn't hurt her strange lover.
"Varian," she mewled, eyes clearing for a moment to gaze at all the strange appendages he'd sprouted. It was practically an army and she closed her eyes after a moment before she pressed her lips to his and gave another high pitched moan, "Your eye is so bright. A-are you okay?" The words were spoken against his lips in a breathy pant, concern written in her features, words hitching with each thrust.
"Is it?" Varian asked, and then he smiled, returning Gardenia's kisses twofold. "It means I couldn't be better."
The tentacles on her arm turned back into Varian's hands, and he joined them with hers in a way thatt was safe for him. He pushed her hands up until they were pinned above his head, and his pace got even more ruthless.
"Absolute bliss..."
Couldn't be better.
Gardenia arched into Varian, thighs trembling, her voice was coming out in squeaks and sweat beaded at her forehead. Her head was tilted so far back her antlers kept her from going any farther. With her arms held above her head and her lover buried deep within her she felt like some sort of sacrifice. Splayed upon the table as she was.
"I think I'm gonna faint," she cried out, arching again, eyes squeezed shut as another wave of pleasure had her trembling and moaning.
At her declaration that she was going to faint, Varian slowed down just a tad, although it didn't change the fact that at that moment, he hit his climax.
He buried himself as deep as he could go, and blanketed Gardenia's lips with his own. His member filled her with his alien seed, and his tentacles tightened on her just a bit. He came to a stop, still hard, still throbbing inside of her.
"One more?" He asked, hunger in his voice. He let her hands go, and he held her by the sides.
"One more?" She gasped out, a trembling mess.
Gardenias eyes closed slowly and she nuzzle her lips to his, smirking and trying to catch her breath, "one more for you I hope." A gentle roll of her hips, a soft gasp, Gardenia's eyes fell closed and she moved her hands to gently move through his hair. She liked the pause in movement, while she still twitched and trembled around him, still she could take in his imagine.
"Is this the real you?" She whispered, looking between him and his many tentacles.
"This... this is as real as I can get," Varian said, and feeling just a bit doubtful, his tentacles loosened up on her.
"I know, it's... pretty hideous."
Gardenia quickly curled her legs around his middle to hold him tighter.
"You're not hideous. You're amazing." A bright grin at him, a trembling sigh, "and you're strong and powerful." Hands still drifting through his hair, "just because you don't look like everyone else doesn't mean you're hideous." A bite of her lip, a twitch of her hips, Gardenia gave Varian a lusty odd-eyed gaze, "I like them."
"You do?" Varian said, face brightening up just a bit. His tentacles tightened back up around her, and he pulled her closer to him.
He started to move again, smiling down at her.
"I'll give you everything, Gardenia."
Selfish.
Gardenia wriggled closer, shifting her hips and splaying her legs as wide, squeezing her eyes shut. With her arms up around his neck, she gave little gasps, breathy moans and hitched breaths.
"Do I deserve it?" She asked him, eyes drifting closed with each thrust, "Do I deserve everything?"
"You've done so much for me," Varian said, kissing her as he continued to thrust into her. He started to speed up, eager to make her squeal.
"I can give you so much, Gardenia. Just name it, and it's yours..."
It didn't take much to make her squeal.
High strung and dancing on the edge that she was, every few good thrusts and she was beside herself with pleasure, writhing and twitching. Hips frantically thrusting into his and with each movement and before long she just stared up at him, mouth open before she tossed back her head and came with a loud moan. Her insides gripped him tightly and the feeling of being so full of him kept her on edge, the movement kept her from settling down and she bit her lip and started to cry out.
"Varian," She writhed and she stared at him for a moment before her hand curled around his neck and the look in her eyes changed.
"Make a vessel for me," She whispered, breath hot against his lips.
"Vessel?" He asked, breaking apart their kiss to look at her. She came yet again, and he slowed down a bit to let her catch her breath before resuming pace. He was close to his second climax, and he looked forward to the quiet that came after their lovemaking.
"What kind, my love?"
It was the Other Gardenia. The one that slept inside the girl Varian loved. The keeper of the beast, the possessor of the blue eye. Leaning up, she nipped at his lips, another roll of her hips and she just gazed up at him while he moved.
"Anything." Her finger traced his cheek, the lethal claw moving oh so gently.
A small smile and a tilt of her head, "You haven't figured it out yet, then?"
Varian was still against her lips for a moment, before his eyes widened ever so slightly.
"It's you..." Varian said, and he put his hand over the hand on his cheek. "The beast inside."
He kissed her even more fervently, knowing that the inner beast appreciated his affections as well, even if it was only the purely physical.
"I cannot give you a vessel," he said.
"My seed cannot bear life."
"She told you she was going to faint," Gardenia whispered, smirking and looking up at him, giving a curious tilt to her head.
"The body would reject it if it could anyway," A brief glance at all his extra bits and she smoothed her hand under his, eyes closing briefly. A pleased little gasp and she smiled up at him, the little differences. The blue was more intense, the gold was more yellow. Her pupils were dilated and her hair took on a strange wild texture. The antlers where more pronounced.
"You're powerful," Another smirk, "You can't... Magic one up?"
He smiled at her little gasp and dipped down to kiss her.
He marveled at her pronounced features, just how intense she looked when she was like this. It wasn't the Gardenia he knew, but... it was still her.
"With the kind of magic I have? I... I don't think you'll like the bodies I'd conjure up. What's wrong with Gardenia?" Varian asked curiosity in his voice.
"Does this... wild spirit feel caged?" he said and he started to fuck her a bit harder, knowing Gardenia's inner beast liked it a bit on the rougher side.
"There was only supposed to be me in here," Gardenia hissed, letting her head tilt back and pulling in a gulp of air when he started to move harder. A pleased moan, a breathy sigh.
"I don't like to share," Moving her lips up to his ear she nibbled at the tip, rocking her hips up harder, "You taught me how to be -- Ah! -- Selfish." Her expression changed, her eyebrows were drawn up and her mouth dropped open, simply taking in the sensations, gasping and moaning into his ear when he started to go harder.
She encouraged him with little noises. "If you could have one of us forever like you wanted to," Gardenia whispered into his ear, "Would you try to separate us?"
"I cherish every part of Gardenia, and as her inner beast, I cherish you just the same," Varian said, and then he hit his second climax. The tentacles all worked her harder as he filled her up for the second time. He remained inside of her, and leaned down to lick her neck, passing his hands over her sides. His hips still made minute movements, movements that slowly started to build up again.
"I don't want to give any of her up, but... If it'd make the both of you happy, I could try and do something," Varian said, and he kissed her.
"I'll have to ask her when she wakes up."
The feeling of him coming inside had Gardenia tense up, her fingers dug into his shoulders just enough to bite and she let out ragged breaths. His climax set off hers and her body milked his cock, legs curled up around him. A tired little smile when he slowed moving though it widened into a grin when he didn't stop.
"Aaaah but then you'd have to tell her your fist time was with me." Licking his lips she grinned brightly, looking up at him.
"Not really," Varian said, and his tongue tangled with hers. He followed it up by kissing her, and one of his hands turned back into tentacles, which went straight for her breasts. The other hand turned into one thick tendril, and he used that to wrap around her waist and pull her into his thrusts.
The beast, like him, was insatiable.
"But I think it's time I asked her if she wants to be cured again. She seemed... pretty set on it."
"Of course." A bite of her lips, an arch and a moan and before long she was rocking into his motions. "You're not satiated yet?" A nip at his lips and a curious look up at Varian. "Is there more that you're not giving me?"
"Never," Varian said.
"I'm insatiable," he proclaimed, and two more tentacles joined his member inside of her, somehow managing to fill every single last millimeter of her.
"And if you keep demanding it, I'll just make myself beastlier and take you harder."
"I demand it."
Gardenia hissed, voice low, "I doubt you could be as beastly as I. With fangs. And claws." The extra girth had her trembling wildly and it was almost too much. Almost. "Gardenia did promise to love you enough to make up what you never got." A smirk played on her face, "so take it."
Varian grinned at that, and he shuddered as his body was wracked with motion. He swelled in size a bit, and he sort of turned into his alternate form. It was the same form that Gardenia witnessed that fateful night.
While his cock didn't get wider, it got longer, long enough to touch her deeper than ever before. His teeth grew longer, his tendrils got wider and thicker, and that cock shaped tentacle returned to rub itself between her breasts.
"
A hiss and she arched her back, rubbing herself against him where she could.
"Hmmm... Are the stars aligned?" She whispered, moving her hands to rub at the strange tentacle between her breasts idly. "How beastly you look," Gardenia teased gently, voice breathy, eyes half closed. A hand moved up to caress his cheek and she grinned at him. Showing him her lethal fangs and getting comfortable for Varian to take his pleasure.
"Perhaps," Varian said, giving her a nice view of his own fangs.
He kissed her, tongue seeking hers out, and when the kiss broke, he nipped at her ears and neck with his teeth.
He started to thrust into her with greater potency, bringing his enlarged cock to bear against her.
"It's too much," she whined, back arched and legs bent. Gardenia came with a choking cry, fingers digging into Varians back while her insides clamped and fluttered around him. A few jerking motions and she melted, giving the occasional twitch and bump with his thrusts. "You're an insatiable beast," Gardenia moaned with a chuckle, hands at his shoulders.
Slowly she pushed him up and away, though she kept her legs curled around his middle to keep them connected. "Are you going to keep it up until you come sand?" She smirked.
Varian straightened up, their bodies connected at more or less a right angle. He pinned her hands down again with his tentacles, and he rolled their hips together, grinding himself deeply against her.
"I can go as long as you can," Varian said, and he drew back, nearly all of his length leaving her, before bringing his hips forwards and filling her all over again.
"Just try me."
Every time he filled her again it was with a lusty moan. Tangles of her long black hair were caught in her antlers and when he pinned her hands down she just grinned at him. "Is it because you love Gardenia? Or you just love being nestled in the body?"
At that, Varian snarled a bit.
"I love her, Spirit," he said, and he dipped down to kiss her.
"She brought the warmth of love and understanding into my life. I was such a lonely creature before I met her," he said, voice ringing with truth.
"I... I must concede that being nestled in the body's pretty nice too. Although if I love her, it's only natural that I desire her as well."
Gardenia pressed into the kiss with vigour, rolling her hips into him so he hit a sensitive spot and her breath hitched. Leaning back, giving her lips a bite, she let her mouth bloom into a fanged smile. "If you can find me my own body..." she leaned in to nip at his ear and press a kiss to his cheek, " I'll give you anything you want." The voice got low and she let her head tip back, again, the pleasure was mounting. However, the Spirit was sinister and it had found it's ticket out.
Maybe.
"I..."
Varian kissed Gardenia, daringly passing his tongue by her fangs.
"I will not betray her," Varian said.
"But... I will free you from these constraints if Gardenia so wishes her curse lifted. Do you have a preference of body?"
It was tempting to bite.
Oh so very tempting.
"Well, I've only had a real body for as long as I've been here," A tilt of her head, a look down at herself. Gardenia pursed her lips, gave him a curious look, "I'd prefer one like this." It seemed simple enough. To her. Leaning in slightly, Gardenia nibbled along his ear, pulling back to smile, a tilt of her head, the feral look in her eyes.
"I'll see what I can do," Varian said. He looked like he was going to say something else, but then he was rocked by a climax. This time, he slipped his cock out and blew his load onto her chest and face. His chest slowly heaved, and he looked at her.
"I don't suppose you're the cuddling type, Spirit?"
"For you, I can be." Gardenia smirked, looking around them, at the table. Pooled with their juices at the edge she looked down at herself. A curious look at his semen on her breast. A finger swiped through it and she brought it to her mouth, followed by disgust and she just frowned at him, "Eugh. No wonder curiosity is for cats."
Wiping what was left off of her face onto the table she shimmied off the table, doing nothing about the semen that dripped down her thigh or the delicious ache between her legs. "Looks like I won, by the way," A smirk at him, a tilt of her head. The fangs, claws and antlers were still there, if a little bit more than they were before.
"For you, I'll cuddle. Not on the table though," Still, she curled against his chest, careful not to poke him with her antlers.
"I let you win," Varian said. He didn't look particularly winded, so there might have been some truth to his words.
"Part of me wants to just relax. Spend time with you," he said with a smirk a smirk of his own, and he wrapped his hands around Gardenia's waist. He remained in his purest form, because why the heck not?
He was about to suggest the bed, when he remembered that place was still... messy.
Yeah.
"Join me on the sofa, then?" Varian said, not minding the fact that she was leaking fluids on the floor. He kept the place clean with magic anyways. They could fuck over every surface, and he'd still make it good as new.
Gardenia grinned at him and she drew a nail up his torso, giving him a curious look. "I don't doubt it, insatiable beast that you are." She reached down to stroke his hip before she began to walk to the sofa, an exaggerated swagger to her hips. Giving a wide stretch she looked over her shoulder at him, gazing at his full form.
An interesting creature.
"Spend time with me, you say." Taking a seat on the couch, reclined against the side she looked him up and down, "Are you curious? About what I am?"
"You inhabit the body of my lover," Varian said, and he took a seat on the opposite end of the couch, and he beckoned her towards him with a tentacle. All the ones that came from his back and abdomen were gone, and while one of his hands was back to normal, the other arm was still topped with a single, thick tendril.
"I assure you, Spirit, that I'm quite comfortable," he said, and he motioned to himself again.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. So, what are you, then?" Varian said. While his question was just that, a question, the way he said it was just oozing with suggestiveness.
"Some ancient spirit of nature? Perhaps a fae creature of considerable power?"
He chuckled.
It felt natural for her to curl into the warm body on the couch and she found herself laying against Varian with her head on his chest, again, careful with her antlers. The question made her smile and she looked up at him, drawing her fingers up and down his chest gently.
"Ancient Spirit of Nature," She tried the words out, smiling, "That sounds correct. For a long long time, I was simply... A bedtime story to a tribe of the people that ride horses. Sometimes one would let me in and I'd get a night to play." Though, it was quite literally that, playing. Never had it been carnal until that night with Varian, a curiosity she'd taken out on him.
"I... Hitched a ride, shall we say, on my mother's lovers back. He promised me a body in return to stay with his love," A wide grin happened, a wide devious grin, " Obviously, his love was going to be married to my father. Either way, I wasn't counting on this set up." A pout and she turned away, "It was supposed to be mine. Now we're... One person but... Two it's very confusing." A dismissive hand wave.
"So yes. Ancient Spirit of Nature. Believe it or not I was a good one, though..." A lick of her lips, a look look at his waist, "It seems that the more I do this being human thing while I'm aware of it the more I like being oh so bad." She paused and looked back at his face, her's going neutral, "I must say, being a teenage girl who has a secret tentacle lover and a husband is quite bothersome."
Varian cuddled her to him as she came up and curled against his body. He passed a hand over her head, smoothing over her ears and giving her gentle pets. He gave her a kiss, and smiled at her.
"I don't think it's the worst body to be stuck in," Varian said, and chuckled a bit to himself. "And I do believe I've been a rather bad influence on you," Varian said.
His face straightened up, however, and he hugged her closer, like she was a treasure.
"I just... I just wish she wasn't so set on thinking that she owes that damn husband of her something. I wish she could just be mine..."
He rested his head on Gardenia's, and gave the top of her head a kiss.
"She doesn't love him..."
A smile.
"I owe my father." Gardenia pet at his chest, snuggled in closer, "and I don't want to be like my mother." It was still the beastial spirit inside, as far as she was concerned she was Gardenia. Made things more simple. "I'm sorry you were taking in by her innocent wiles." A smirk.
"She could grow to love him, he's sweet and gentle." A smirk at Varian, "unlike others in this room."
At the spirit's words, Varian frowned a bit.
"It just... it's so disheartening. I want her to be mine forever, but... but I know she can't be."
Even then, though, gears in his head started turning. Perhaps, there could be another way...
He kissed Gardenia, and continued to pet her.
"I will enjoy her company while it lasts, though. I want to make every moment I have count, before I lose her again."
A pat at his chest when he kissed her, and she leaned into it, eyes fluttering closed while she got comfortable.
"She can't be yours," Gardenia said in a soft voice, feeling perhaps a little bad for Varian. "She's to inherit a province in Serendipity with her husband." Gently her hand pet up and down his sides, shifting her head to look up at him.
"Though, you can help her." A smile, "Don't you want her to be happy? Don't you think she'd be so much more happy if she didn't have to turn into a beast?" Again, her hand moved, "You should do her a favour, Varian. You seem powerful, I'm sure you can do it. For her."
Varian was silent for a bit, long enough for it to be a noticeable silence. He still pet her, and he still paid attention, but all words seemed to fail him. She'd be able to see the gears turning in his head through his eyes, which remained focused on her, and nothing else.
Finally, he spoke.
"You're right," Varian said, and he hugged Gardenia a bit closer.
"I'll talk to her about it when she comes to," he said, and he kissed her again. His hands explored her back, and he took in the sight of her. Chest and face smeared with his seed, her womanhood leaking with it, the both of them covered in sweat.
She'd have quite the awakening indeed.
"Spirit, I... If I separate the two of you, what can you offer me in return?" He said, looking at her curiously.
The curious look was met with one of cool interest. She trailed her finger through a sticky line of semen along her breast before she drew some strange symbol on Varian's abdomen, looking down at it for a moment while she though. A flick of eyes upwards, into his strange eyes and she pursed her lips.
"What do you want, Star Child?" She finally asked, head tilted before she leaned up to give him a searing kiss, "If I don't know what you want, how can I offer you anything?" The words were a hot whisper against his lips and she smiled again.
Varian's breathing quickened beneath her lips, and he was returning every joining in kind. The arm that still had a hand cupped the back of Gardenia's neck, tenderly holding her. The arm that was still a single, large tentacle coiled once around her waist and then started to rub her back.
"Is it too much to ask for your companionship, Spirit?"
Gardenia jerked back, looking surprised, eyes wide, confused. Though quickly enough it melted and she stared at his eyes, slowly trailing down to his arms and the strange tentacle.
"That sounds incredibly easy, honestly I was expecting something a little more..." A purse of her lips and she brushed her thigh over his groin, "Hard." Ah, puns. Transcending space and time and planes of existence.
That seems like a small price to pay. "I had to orchestrate infidelity and suicide to get this body, being a companion seems like a small price to pay," A curious look up, a tilt of her head, "Deal. Maybe... Don't tell her what's to happen." A purse of her lips and her hand traveled up to toy with an antler, "Poor innocent thing that she is might be horrified to learn I'm her and she's not me."
Which in its self was confusing enough.
"Well, apart from that, there really isn't much that I want. I have no shortage of power, and riches don't interest me," Varian said, and he grinned a bit when she rubbed her thigh against him.
"Gardenia was the first person to love me," Varian said.
"I... I know I won't be getting the same, but at least with you, I won't be lonely."
He kissed her cheek, and then her mouth.
"Do you have a name?"
"I've lived a long long time," Her hand trailed up and down his torso, "Love does terrible things to people. Terrible stupid things. My parents for instance." A gentle frown and she leaned into the kisses, blinking at him slowly.
"A name?" A confused frown, leaning back slightly to stare at him, "No. I suppose if I'm not part of here anymore I won't be called Gardenia." Shifting back slightly, careful not to jab anything with her antlers she pursed her lips and looked thoughtful.
"I ... I don't know my name." A faraway look was in her eyes and she frowned, "I can't be Spirit?"
"I suppose you can be Spirit," Varian said, meeting her eyes. He hugged her a bit more, and he put his normal hand on her side.
"I kind of like the sound of it," he said with a smile. He cocked his head, and looked at her curiously. "You never did tell me which body you prefferred. Would a beautiful woman serve you appropriately?"
Gardenia smiled, snuggling into the touch though she gave a laugh. "It would serve me well for a few things," her voice gave a low purr and she felt her eyes drift close, though quickly enough she snapped them open. Fingers drawing idle patterns, "so, why did you have to come all over me. Couldn't you have kept it inside? Far less mess that way."
"What, can't a man enjoy the sight of his seed on his lover?" He teased, and he gave her ears little scratches.
"I love you, Gardenia."
Smearing a hand through the cool seed on her chest she wiped a majority of it back on it's original owner. "There," a smirk and she stuck out her tongue, "you know. Going to be walking funny." Gardenia eyed the tentacles, "have you ever used them for that before?"
"I can't say I have, no," Varian said. "I've never really opened up like that before."
He was silent for a few moments, basking in the warmth of Gardenia's body, before he spoke up again.
"I wonder how Gardenia will be when she wakes up. My cock was so good, she passed out. Or rather, turned into you."
A small smirk and she rubbed at his stomach. "I hope that's a good ego boost," gardenia paused and snuggled in. "Can I sleep here?" She finally asked, voice soft.
Varian smiled.
"Sleep away."
Gardenia snuggled into Varians side, hooking a leg up over him. It didn't take long for Gardenia to finally fall asleep, and the moment she passed out the horns melted away and she snuggled into the crook of his neck.
As Varian settled down further into the couch, he reverted to his more mundane form as well. He put his arms around he and closed his eyes. He wasn't really sleepy, but he enjoyed her presence, and he'd relax with her until she woke up, gently petting her hair as he waited.
A gentle moan and within a half hour Gardenia was stretching against Varian. Except it came with a pained gasp and she moaned against his chest. "Oh... What did you put in me," She whined before looking up at him, pressing a kiss to his chest and gliding her hand down to his manhood before looking at it. Not mysteriously twice it's size. That was nice. Looking down at herself, come sprayed across her tits, she scratched at some that had been left on her face and she wrinkled her nose. "I must have been really into it," Surprise was in her voice and after giving herself a brief examination she just snuggled back into Varians arms.
Varian kept quiet, accepting her as she snuggled back into his arms. He could feel his dried cum smearing against his chest as she stretched and snuggled against him, but he didn't care. He had Gardenia, and that was all he needed to be happy.
The spirit said he wouldn't be able to keep her. That in time, she might even grow to love her husband.
Never.
He gave her a tender kiss on the top of her head.
"You were... fairly insatiable," Varian said, and he stroked her hair.
"It seems we can't get enough of each other."
Gardenia frowned slightly, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder and sighing gently.
"You make me feel loved," she said softly, pressing a kiss to his collarbone, "I guess I needed a lot of that."
"It makes me happy that I make you feel this way," Varian said, and he rubbed her other cheek.
"And Gods, do I want to be with you. When you're not around, everything feels so... empty."
Sadness washed through her and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Varian," She finally said, Gardenia looked up at him, snuggling closer, "I wish there was something I could do. Maybe... I can make you hate me." She teased gently, "You can't miss me if you hate me."
"Oh, that'd be so much worse," Varian murmured, and his hands dusted against her back as he held her to him.
"My wolf girl," Varian said, and he pet her a little, pretending like she had ears.
"When... when you came to me two nights ago, you... you said you wanted to be normal. To get rid of the curse," Varian said, and he kissed her.
"Do you?"
Gardenia squeezed her eyes shut.
"I do..." A sigh and she snuggled closer, "It's... Ruining my life. I've already gotten the best thing out of it and..." Tears pricked her eyes and she let out a shaky breath, "and I don't want it anymore. I just want to be... Not a beast." Shame had her nuzzle into his shoulder and she let out a shaky sigh, "I can't be close to you anymore, so... What's the point of being a wolf."
"Give me one last romp," Varian said, and he kissed her, sparked by sudden passion.
"I'll do it in a heartbeat, if it's what'll make you happy. But... promise me that before I take it away from you, you let me run with you as a wolf? We'll perform the ritual at dawn," Varian said, and he kissed her forehead.
Gardenia pursed her lips at him, giving him a look. "That isn't for another month," A tilt of her head and she ran her fingers through her hair and gave herself another look, "Okay. We can run together." A wide smile and she snuggled back in and for the first time in a long time, she looked forward to becoming the beast.
"Until then, you can spend the time with me," Varian said, and he held her tight, as always.
"One last run."
Gardenia stuck out her tongue, "I suppose I should write a letter home then. Let them know I'm spending time with family in Adela." A leg curled up around his waist and she closed her eyes for a few moments, "They'll never come looking for me. Though I suppose I'll have to actually go visit them after."
Varian passed a hand over her leg as she wrapped it around his waist. He lifted his hips a bit so she could get a full wrap going on, and once she'd completed it, he just kept idly rubbing her thigh.
"Just the two of us... Here for a month," Varian said, and he grinned.
"Doesn't have to be here, though. Name a place you want to go, and I'll take you."
Gardenia gave a shrug, "I'm... Probably going to need clothes," she smirked at him, placing her hand on his. "Unless we're going to be in here making love non-stop. Then I guess I won't need clothes."
"It's an option!" Varian said, and he turned his hand against hers to hold it in return.
"I'll conjure up some clothing for you, if you so desire."
Gardenia laughed, nuzzling at his chest before she looked down at herself again.
"Made of... Starlight and diamonds?" She teased gently before she closed her eyes. "I'm content. For now. Maybe once my body stops pulsing I'll worry about wearing clothing." There was a pause and she sighed, "Why do you want to run with me one last time?"
Varian shrugged.
He continued to pet her, and he fettered kisses onto her forehead.
"Because I'm the only man who truly knows you in that form. I want to have that experience one last time before it's taken from you."
A pleased hum and Gardenia nuzzled closer, shifting slightly to straddle his hips, seating herself on his stomach. "I remember meeting you," She whispered, hands running up and down her body, fingers trailing gently, sending shivers up her spine, "When you met me, did you think this would have happened?"
"I could've never predicted it," Varian said, and he watched her as she gave him a little show.
He put a hand on top of her head and petted her.
"I remember you speaking to me," Varian said, and he chuckled.
"Friiieeeeeeend."
It was an imitation of the word she'd said when they first met, when she was still in her wolf form.
Gardenia grinned and slinked down along his chest, taking his hands and holding them in her own.
"You became so much more than a friend," Gardenia nuzzled against his chest before leaning up and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. "My hero, even."
Varian smiled at her words, and returned her chaste kiss with a racier one of his own. He held her hands tenderly, and he brought them to his chest.
"I love you."
Gardenia grinned at him, wriggling herself against him. "Varian, are you sated?" Gardenia grinned at him before giving him another kiss.
"For now," he rebutted, and he chuckled.
"What do you want to do?"
"Dance?" She laughed, then rubbed his sides "a bath and a nap?"
"Mm... yes. That sounds lovely," Varian said, smiling a bit as her hands drifted along his sides.
"Maybe I could also get this place cleaned up," Varian said, and shot her an teasing glare.
Gardenia blushed brightly but she pointed to her chest, wiggling her fingers at the dried leavings. "None of the goo around here is from me," she teased back, sticking out her tongue.
"But you brought it out of me," Varian said, teasing right back.
Indeed, the place was a bit of a mess in places. Really, it was just... stains left behind in place where they'd had sex.
"Maybe we should bathe, nap, and then dance?"
Gardenia stuck out her tongue again and squeezed her eyes shut.
"I like that. Especially that nap part. I could use a nap." Gardenia snuggled in, though quickly enough she lifted her head and widened her eyes, close to falling asleep, "Bathe first. I'm sticky. I'm sure you're sticky too."
"Sticky in other places," Varian said, and he gave one of her buttocks a squeeze.
"We can't go to the bathtub if you're laying on me, love."
Gardenia let out a pathetic whim and curled in closer. "Can't you just magically clean us? Or..." Sighing and with a pout she sat up, meanuiverin herself off of Varian and standing up on shakey legs. "I don't think I ever want to come again," Gardenia stated, pressing her hands to her legs
"That's a lie and you know it," Varian said, and he got up. He went up to the bathtub, the waters of which were a bit cold, and he dipped a finger into it. Immediately, the water cleared up, and went back to a pleasant steamy temperature.
He looked at her, and slipped into the bath.
Again, Gardenia stuck her tongue out at Varian before she waddled to the bath, climbing in with little ceremony and quickly sunk down to her chin with a soft pleased groan.
"Okay. No more sex for..." She frowned, pondering, " A week." A brief glance at Varian, "we'll... Do nice things. Like dance. And make dinner. Or something."
"Alright," Varian said, smiling at her as she sunk all the way down to her chin.
"We'll try and contain ourselves, then. I'll take you somewhere nice for dinner tonight."
A brief look to Varians face and she smiled. "It'll be nice as long as I'm with you," though quickly enough she moved closer to snuggle in against him. Everything was giving a dull throb and just being closer to him had her all tingly. "I'm sleepy again," she sighed, resting her head in his shoulder.
"Save it for bed," Varian said, although he still wrapped his arms around her.
"We'll be all wrinkly if we fall asleep here," he said with a wrinkle of his nose.
Gardenia cast him a sly smile, arms stretched up our of the water. "Maybe I should sleep on the couch. The week will be cut down to a few hours if we sleep in the same place," a smirk and she leaned back, wrinkling her her nose at him in turn.
"I can restrain myself," Varian teased, and he stretched his arms up to hold her hands. He kissed her, nice and soft, before looping his arms around her neck.
"Besides, I really want to hold you."
Gardenia gave a muffled laugh against his lips and leaned back to grin, looking off to the side a little bashfully. "I find myself bursting at the seams when I'm with you, but if at least one of us can restrain ourselves we should be fine."
Snuggling in again she sighed and closed her eyes, "I like you holding me." Her arms curled around his middle and she smiled, "So. A Doctor. Are you going to have a clinic or be a personal one?"
Varian smiled, and petter her head.
"Bursting at the seams?" Varian teased, and he kissed the side of her head.
"I fill you that well?"
Gardenia looked off to the side, blushing hotly. "Well, yes." She rubbed at her arm and looked down into the water. " I bet if you could have children I'd be pregnant right now." The delivery was dead pan and she thought of that strange dream with the strange monster child.
"But you're not pregnant," Varian said, catching her tone. "And you'll never bear a child of mine, either," he quickly added.
He caught her look, and he cupped her chin with his hand.
"What's wrong?"
Gardenia smiled at Varian, "Nothing is wrong. Just remembering a dream I had. With the monster baby." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal before she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "But that won't happen so why worry! It was just a dream." A brief pause, "does it make you sad?" A purse of her lips, "I think my hole existence rides on carrying my fathers name."
"I... I don't think a child I sire would be a monster," Varian said, looking at Gardenia a bit funny. The look left his face, and he hugged her a bit tighter.
"Your whole existence is your own, Gardenia. Nobody but you gets to make the decisions."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad or anything," a worried look crossed her features and she snuggled in, closing her eyes. A deep sigh and she curled herself around him tighter. "A lot of people's futures depend on me. So I need to make... The proper decisions." A gentle kiss at his shoulder and she closed her eyes. "For now, I just want to rest and listen to your heartbeat."
"It'll have to be outside the bath, then," Varian said, and he gently moved her aside so he could stand up and out of it. He stretched once he was out, giving Gardenia a lovely view of the bizarre anatomy she loved so much.
"If we fall asleep in the bath, we'll both be prunes by the time we wake up."
Gardenia gave him a wide eyed stare when he gave her the show, standing up shorting after clean from their previous activities. Again. Varian was right. They would both be soggy though Gardenia looked down at herself and then stepped from the tub, rubbing her arms gently before she looked at him. Solemn.
"Is there a sheet or something that I can wear?"
"Yes, I'll go get one!" Varian said cheerily, and using his magic, he dried the both of them, and disappeared into a closet for a few moments and came back with a quilt big enough for the both of them.
"Snuggle on the couch?"
Gardenia was suddenly dry and there was an owlish blink and she watched after her lover. Her sort of lover. Her sneaky She Was A Terrible Person Officially lover. Gardenia touched her lips and looked down at her legs though her head snapped back up and she stared up at Varian and his blanket, smiling all the same.
"Yeah. I'd like that." Gardenia leaned back, opening her arms. "I still owe you more of that love you've never gotten."
Varian grinned, and he picked Gardenia up and laid down on the couch so that she was on top of him, rather than the other way around. He threw the blanket over the both of them, and got all nice and snuggled with her.
"So, what do you want to do tonight?"
Gardenia looked thoughtful snuggling in against Varians chest. "I want to know more about you. What you were like before we met." Then she grinned, leaning up, "in between making love of course." She teased.
"Ask away, then!" Varian said, and he kissed her. He was pretty beat, but if she was serious about making love, then he was up to it. Of course that didn't change the fact that Gardenia herself had said there would be no more sex for at least a week.
Gardenia's fingers made an idle pattern along his chest and she snuggled in close. "Have you ever been in love before?"
"I've never quite loved anyone like I've loved you," Varian said, directing his eyes away from her.
Gardenia reache up, her fingers drifting over his jaw. "Varian..." Leaning up, she gave him a gentle kiss, eyes drifting closed, "I didn't expect to feel anything for you. When... When you said we'd need to have sex to cure me I was disgusted," she wrinkled her nose, "a stranger! "Now I feel like a little piece of me is missing when I'm not with you," she leaned up, tracing the pendant, breasts on display before she snuggled in again.
"Tell me about yourself. Before you met me. You sound like you were a whole different person."
"I... I was. You see, After everything I'd been through, I guess..."
Varian frowned.
"I guess I forgot what compassion felt like. It's all a blur, but I remember being a pretty nasty person. I couldn't find acceptance among humanity, so I turned to the stars."
Varian tilted his head so he could glance out of the window by the couch, out to the early afternoon light outside.
"The creatures that fathered me, the... The things to which my birthing ritual was directed. I turned to them, in turn. My Fathers and Mothers, up in the stars. I wanted to rejoin them, Gardenia. I wanted to ascend to that cold blackness above and never return."
Varian closed his eyes, and he kissed Gardenia, passing a hand over her cheek.
"I didn't let anybody stand in my way, I..."
Murdered. Lied. Committed atrocities and sins beyond redemption.
"...I hurt some people..."
His voice was sad. Hurt. Like he deeply regretted every second of that existence.
Gardenia watched him, curious and surprised by his tale. Her fingers traced idle patterns on his chest and she was thoughtful for a while. "Did you want to hurt me?" Her voice was gentle, not accusing. "I stood in your way," leaning in she placed another kiss to his chest, "do you regret meeting me?"
"N-no, I didn't want to hurt you, and I'm never going to regret meeting you," Varian said.
"There was this connection I felt with you, from the very beginning. That first time I pet you, and you called me a friend..."
Varian gave Gardenia's head a few pets, just to add a bit more nostalgia.
"Sure, I suppose you delayed my plans for apotheosis, but when I think about what I gained, about the light you brought into my life... None of that stuff really matters anymore. When I'm with you, I feel like my place his here on Le'Ranna, and not out in the stars."
He was starting to get emotional, and tears of joy threatened to spill out of his eyes. He hugged her a bit tighter and nuzzled her nose.
"I feel like I can be human..."
Gardenia closed her eyes, her own tears prickling her eyes. Anger. The regret of being married to someone else. "I'm sorry we can't be together," she said softly, pressing her lips to his, odd-eyes open while she leaned back and brushed the tears from her eyes.
"You've given me so much," an attempt to smile and she snuggled in, pressing a kiss to his neck, "maybe we can made a second me. That way at least one part of me gets to be happy," her tone was teasing, "you can make hot water and a bathtub appear, a second me shouldn't be too hard, right?"
Still she snuggled closer, "one last romp as a wolf. Then all we'll have for each other are nice memories under the stars." Which she still blushed about when she thought of them.
"A second Gardenia wouldn't be the same. She'd have your eyes, have your hair..."
Varian's hands settled just above Gardenia's buttocks, and he kissed her.
"But she won't be the girl who I danced around a fountain with, or laid down with me on a slab of stone and watched the stars. She won't be the girl I love..."
Varian nodded solemly.
"I will always cherish you, Gardenia. You will always own half of my heart, but... I understand. And know that I'm not upset at you or anything. Let's just make the best of what we've got left."
Gardenia grinned brightly at the mention of dancing around the fountain.
A sleepy close of her eyes and she trailed her fingers over his chest, sighing into his skin and nuzzling closer. "I can't wait to run around with you," leaning forward she pressed her teeth against his skin, "Can we fight?" She opened her eyes to give him an odd-eyed stared before grinning, "Play fight."
Varian caught her grin, and he bared his own teeth at her.
"Give me your best shot."
Grinning, Gardenia caught his hands and curled her fingers through his giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Deal. Before dawn when you break my curse." Looking thoughtful she pursed her lips and gave a hum, "What do I get if I win?"
"I don't know, that's thinking pretty far ahead..."
Varian smiled when she kissed him, and he stroked the back of her head.
"What do you want to win?"
Gardenia gave a little hum.
"I'll come up with something," she murmured snuggling in against Varians chest. Quickly enough she was passed out, eyes closed and breathing softly against his skin.
When Gardenia fell asleep, Varian smiled, and kissed her forehead.
"Maybe it'll come to you in a dream," he whispered, and he wrapped her up in his arms. He fell asleep with her, and once again, his dreams united with hers.
The dreams were less utopian this time, instead depicting the more... carnal facet of their relationship.
Her dreams had their racy moments, but there were also points of it where it was just her and Varian, basking in the afterglow and in their love for one another. They would kiss, and the stars danced above them.
Gardenia woke up disappointed, bleary eyes and like she'd rubbed sad on her face the night before she sat up and looked down at her fleshy bed.
"Why can't I just dream forever?" She asked, heaving a sigh and cuddling back down. Though she was quite awake now, though disappointed and saddened more than refreshed.
Gardenia's words roused Varian from his sleep, and his eyes cracked open.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" he asked, and he held one of her hands.
Gardenia took his hand, bringing it to her lips to press a kiss to his knuckles.
"Do you ever wake up from a dream disappointed? And all you wanted to do was go back to sleep?"
"Occasonally," Varian said, and he looked off to the side. Then, he looked back at her.
"But those're just dreams. Waking up to the real thing is so much better," Varian said, and he cupped her cheek with a hand.
Gardenia closed her eyes and kissed his palm, nuzzling for a moment before she relaxed and looked away. "I suppose," She leaned in and gave him a kiss before leaning up and pushing her hair over her shoulder.
"what did you want to do today?"
"Well, I was going to start by making breakfast," Varian said, and he sat up, hands caressing Gardenia's sides.
"After that, the sky's the limit."
He kissed her, and then he looked thoughtful for a few moments.
"Do you want to go to the moon?"
Gardenia tilted her head, smirking slightly. She supposed she could appreciate the jaded realistic look Varian had on life.As great as the dreams were... They were just dreams. Unattainable things.
Then again.
"The moon?" She let out a surprised laugh, blinking at him widely, mismatched eyes wide. "What girl doesn't want to go to the moon?"
"You're the first I've met so far!"
He kissed her, and hugged her to his chest.
"I've never really gone to places with other people. Besides, I have a feeling you'll like it up there."
Gardenia gave a quick shocked little laugh, "Wait. For real?" She tilted her head, looking at him surprised, before she sat up and away, looking down at them. Still quite unclothed, her fingers traced his abdomen and she drew the line from him up her body to the pendant he made her.
"I'd never thought of it before but... Taking a chance and going on a limb let me meet you so..." She smiled, "Let's go!" A wide grin before she paused, "Though... Should we dress first? I've come to realize I haven't worn clothes in about two days. Not that you mind, I'm sure."
"Perhaps... dressing would be a good idea, yes."
He looked down at her breasts and abdomen, and gave her navel a little tickle with his index finger.
"I'm sure going in the nude for so long is rather... unladylike. Regardless, I'll whip up some breakfast. The closet's magical, so it should have anything your heart can desire."
He slipped out from under her and stood up.
"I'd wear something to protect against the cold."
Unladylike.
Gardenia grinned widely, "I've done all sorts of unladylike things around you." She bat at his hand and remained on the couch when he moved before she stood up, bow legged and aching. A quiet ground and she stretched out before going to the closet.
Anything her heart desired indeed.
It was a beautiful dress, something, she imagined that would be more suitable for an engagement. A rainbow of silks on an empire waist that framed everything just right. And when she remembered the mention of it being cold she found a coat covered in white furs, which she gathered in her arms.
A quick braid of her hair and she stood for a few moments, feeling a little over dressed and a little silly.
"Can I bring the closet home?" She asked, a joking smile on her face.
"You... can. I can just make another one," Varian said, and he grinned right back at her.
He sprouted tentacles so he could make breakfast in a manner that was frighteningly efficient. His pantry worked on the exact same principle as the closet.
"Do you have an aversion to any kind of food?"
Gardenia watched, enchanted, perhaps a little thrown off by how easily he'd seemingly just... Give away something of his.
"I... Don't think so?" She smirked slightly, tilting her head, moving up behind him to hover, hands behind her back while she watched him cook. "If I do... The cooks at home know better than I do."
"Well, in that case, I'm going to whip up some eggs and vegetables," Varian said, and looked back at her.
"Nice and safe."
He turned back to his work. He'd never cooked for anybody before, so it sent a rather novel thrill through him.
Gardenia just smiled at him, hovering closer still.
"Do you like cooking?" She finally asked, tilting her head and pushing her hair over her shoulder. "I know you can magic... Just about anything." Pursing her lips, "I bet you'd like gardening."
"Cooking's fun, I suppose. Could you teach me? How to garden?"
He looked back at her, and leaned in to give her a kiss.
Gardenia grinned and smoothed her hands down her front.
"Sure. It takes... Patience. Patience and lots of love for what you're doing because it takes a lot of work and sometimes things don't go right or the weather doesn't cooperate..." She shrugged and pressed into the kiss.
"I'd love to teach you how to garden. We'll plant some of the flower I'm named after. It's very pretty, you know."
"Oh, I don't doubt it," Varian said, and when Gardenia pressed into the kiss, he put his arms around her. He felt at the fabric of her waist, running it between his fingers.
"You look kind of like a flower in that dress," Varian said, and grinned.
"I love it."
"You can thank the closet," She quipped, leaning into his touch. Then she remembered. All that they'd done and Gardenia sobered up a bit, no getting frisky. She was quite sure her body would come apart if they did that again anytime soon. "So, when's breakfast?" A bright look and a tilt of her head. The next full moon. Then everything would be done. For real. She'd be normal.
Varian looked back to the kitchen.
"Coming along nicely," he said, and he walked back to it. The eggs were coming along nicely, and the vegetables (potatoes and broccoli) were frying quite well inside the pan's oil.
Gardenia followed, curious. She'd seen people cook before, sure, but she'd get shoo'd out of the room by the chefs and maids. Her arms loosely looped around Varian's midsection and she nuzzled into his back with a content sigh. If she hadn't been born into privileged, this could have been her life. Nice and simple. With someone wonderful.
"I can't wait. I'm so hungry I could eat..." Gardenia paused, frowning slightly, "Something large! and hopefully tasty." chewing on her lip, she pressed her cheek to his back and started to sway from side to side.
"Want to play a game?"
Varian swayed with Gardenia, smiling as she hugged him from behind.
"A game? Which kind?"
"It's sort of like... You tell two truths and a lie. And the other person has to pick the lie." The swaying continued and Gardenia poked her head from behind his arm, "I'll go first! I... Have never had alcohol. My favourite flower is the gardenia aaaannnd..." Gardenia looked up, contemplative, "I've never met my father." A grin and she bumped his arm with her nose, "Okay, pick my lie!"
"Okay, I think... that you're lying about never having alcohol," Varian said, and he took the eggs and vegetables out from above the fire. He gave Gardenia some pets, and kissed the top of her head.
A bright grin.
"Ha!" She pointed, looking quite pleased with herself. "I don't really like gardenia's. They're pretty but I really love lilies." A small smile, she ducked her head down, "Do you want to try?" A tilt of her head and she followed him like a little lost puppy excited to play.
"Sure, just give me a moment," Varian said, and he moved breakfast onto some plates.
"Okay, let me think..."
Varian put his hands on Gardenia's shoulders, and looked down at her.
"My father was a wizard, I love a girl named Gardenia, and I know how to play the violin."
Curling her arms around his neck she gave him a smacking kiss while she thought about his lie. He loved her. He could do magic. And she's never seen him play an instrument.
"Yooou, can't play the violin!" She decided before moving away to seat herself for breakfast, giving Varian a look.
Varian grinned.
"Hah!"
He sat down right next to her for breakfast.
"My father wasn't a wizard. I was created by a ritual."
Hm.
Gardenia looked thoughtful before she are a forkful of food. "And what would you take as your prize? I'm still thinking of what I want from you." She fiddled with her necklace and gave Varian a once over, eying him and his features.
"You can request anything of me," she tilted her head down and drew her fingers over her explode collarbone. "Anything."
"Mm..." Varian said, and after a moment of eyeing her collarbone, he darted in to leave a pretty hot kiss at her neck.
"I'm thinking about it. In the meantime, how's breakfast?"
A pleased little hum, Gardenia was drunk on how much he wanted her. It made her giddy and she was tempted to pull him back in for more kisses before he drew back and asked about breakfast. Another forkful of food and another pleased hum.
"It's delicious. You're a far better cook than I imagined you'd be." Though she spent most of her time propped up in an elbow gazing at Varian inbetween bites of food. A purse of her lips, chewing on her food. "I... can't really do anything," a naughty glint in her eye, "except make you come. I'm good at that."
Varian laughed, and when his laughter died down he simply gazed into Gardenia's eyes. A moment of silence passed, and he leaned in to give her a nice, proper kiss.
"You can dance, you can make me laugh, and smile..."
He rested his head on his arms, and gazed at her in return.
"I'm sure you've got plenty of talent."
Gardenia leaned into the kiss, eyes closed for a moment before pulling away and taking another bite of food. "I can do plenty of things," she confirmed, watching him for a moment. "What did you want to do today?" A smirk, "what we did yesterday?" She knew she'd said not for a week, but that didn't mean she couldn't tease him about it!
"We're going to the moon, remember?" Varian said, and he started eating his breakfast.
"I think it's your turn to ask me a question."
Gardenia grinned, looking up at the ceiling for a few minutes.
"My turn, hmm?" A bright grin, "my Father isn't my real father. I can play a few scales on the piano aaaand..." She ate another bite of food, "I personally helped deliver my favourite horse."
"I want to say... that..."
Varian leaned back a bit in his seat.
"You can't play a few scales on the piano."
Gardenia laughed, looked offended and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Of course I can. Every lady can!" She wrinkled her nose, "I didn't deliver my favourite horse." Gardenia shuddered, "I've heard about how messy birth is. Besides, that isn't a ladylike thing to do."
A smile, "that means I get two favours from you. Which I shall collect in a week or so." A flutter of her eyes and she finished her breakfast. "Your turn!"
"Ah, but delivering your favorite horse sounded so poetic!" Varian said, and he laugh.
"Alright, erm..."
After a moment of thought, he talked.
"I was born in a village in Connlaoth, my favorite place is the beach, and I can teleport."
Gardenia grinned, pleased with her little lie. Perhaps her lies were too real. Or she was a good liar. Gardenia wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, now that she thought about it. "I think... Your favourite place isn't the beach," She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned forward, smiling and waiting for the answer.
While she was leaned in like that, Varian took the opportunity to lean in and lock lips with her for a brief moment.
"Nope. I love the beach. I was born in Serendipity, not Connlaoth," Varian said.
"That's two favors you owe me."
Gardenia wrinkled her nose in distaste.
Not from the kiss. She'd enjoyed that so much that she leaned in and stole a second one. Though, Gardenia swallowed carefully and moved her hands up to cup his face and smooth her thumbs over his cheeks. "Varian, Serendipity? Really?" A pause and she looked at him, clearly having finished playing the game, "Where?"
"I never learned the province exactly. Somewhere on the coast."
Varian put a hand over one of hers, catching the tone in her voice.
"What's... Is there something wrong?"
Gardenia licked her lips, leaning in to rest her head against his shoulder, loosely curling her arms around his waist. "No. Just... I'm sorry bad things happened to you but... We're here now?" A slightly hopeful lilt to her voice, "and that's nice, right?" She leaned up to press her forehead to his cheek and sighed, "Do you remember much of your childhood?"
"Not too much," Varian said. "It was mostly a blur of trying to survivee, and running away from people," Varian said.
Leaning back she smiled up at him, "Well. You have me now, hmm?" Sort of. A tilt of her head and Gardenia brought his hand to her mouth to press a kiss to his knuckles, "So. We're not actually going to the moon, are we?"
"Oh," Varian said, and he opened his hand to cup her cheek.
"Did you not want to go?"
Gardenia grinned, looking away for a moment before she gave a hesitant laugh, "Well, it sounds kind of scary, don't you think?"
"Oh, I... I guess I didn't really think of that," Varian said, and he gave her a nervous smile.
"Don't worry, It's perfectly safe. It's such a killer view from up there."
Gardenia smiled, curling her arms around his shoulders and leaning in for a hug. "I trust you. I trust you with my life," she leaned back and smiled at Varian, "you know that, don't you? So, when do we go?"
Varian hugged Gardenia back tightly, taking a moment to feel the fabric of her dress before his hands settled on her waist. He nodded at her question, and left a kiss on her cheek.
"Are you ready to go?"
Gardenia squeezed her eyes shut and curled her arms tightly around Varian's chest.
"As ready as I'll ever be!" and she took a deep breath. Because who knew what the moon was like? Not her!
Varian put a hand on Gardenia's head.
"Close your eyes, Love," Varian said, and when she did so, he took them away. He made sure to cast a spell on Gardenia while they were in transit, a spell that would protect her from the environment and allow her to breathe. He did the same for himself.
When they finally arrived on the calm, peaceful moonscape, Varian looked to the horizon.
Le'Ranna had just cleared it and was slowly making its way to the top of the sky.
"Open your eyes, Gardenia."
It was scary.
In an amazing way.
Gardenia swallowed and clung to Varian tightly, staring at him and then what ever it was that was going on in front of her. "Oh my gods," she whispered, fingers clutching at the fabric of his clothing and giving a look at it before tucking her face against his chest, "I think I'm done with being on the moon. How about we go to the beach?"
"So soon?" Varian said, and he put his hands on her head. He frowned a bit.
"You don't like it?"
Gardenia shook her head, "it's a little overwhelming." Gardenia peaked her head up, trying to smile, "honestly I thought you were kidding."
"Well, I definitely know how you feel," Carian said, and he dipped his head down to leave a kiss on her forehead.
"You know that I'd give you anything you desire," Varian said.
"Did you at least see how clear the stars are out here?"
A brief peak up and for a few moments she forgot she wasn't in the proper place. Forgot that where she was was actually pretty scary. "Is Lucian still out there?" She asked, tucking her head in against his neck again.
"Somewhere," Varian replied. Varian scanned the skys, and frowned.
"No, he must be behind Le'Ranna."
He looked down at her.
"So, the beach you said?"
Gardenia smiled against him and gave a little nod, "You like the beach, right? We can go to the beach. " A small chuckle and she held him tighter, "I feel a little light headed."
Varian smiled, and he held her nice and tight.
"Close your eyes."
Another short period of travel later, and they were standing on a beach on the Serenian coast. It was a rather short stretch, nestled between two walls of rock, but the shore sloped incredibly gently, and the waters were blue and clear for as far as the eye could see.
"Better?"
Gardenia peeked up when she heard him talking and she breathed a sigh of relief, looking up at him with bright eyes. Mismatched. Seemed a bit like her life right now. "Yes. I'm sorry. The view was lovely. It just..." She gave a helpless laugh, "I guess I never realized how powerful you are." Taking a step back she took him by the hands and swung them back and forth before grinning. "Tell me, Varian, why don't you just enchant me to be yours forever? Why give me a choice?" It was a question asked in jest but there was a seriousness in her eyes.
"Gardenia..." Varian said, and once she swung her hands a few time, he held one of them up and nuzzled her knuckles.
The suggestion hurt, because for Varian, it hit all too close to home. Because it was something he'd done in the past.
"What would be the point, then? Gardenia, I love you, and if I were to just... Gods, I can't even think about it," Varian said. He leaned in to kiss her.
"Let's just enjoy this beach."
He looked her over.
"Aren't you a bit overdressed?" He asked with a grin.
A sorrowful look crossed her features and she dipped her head down, enthusiastically returning the kiss. "Why do you mean over dressed?" Gardenia gave him another peck on the lips and took a few steps back, "if I take anything off I'll be naked!"
"And the problem with that is...?" Varian teased, and he let his coat fall to the ground.
"Surely, you're not going to enjoy the beach wearing that dress?"
Folding her arms under her breasts she gave Varian a look before she slowly peeled herself out of her dress. In a pile on the sand she stood undressed before him and gave a shiver before giving him a challenging look and running into the ocean.
Varian chased after her, undressing as he went. She made it to the wqter before him, but Varian hardly cared. He laughed, and once they were waist deep in the wqter together, he took her hands.
"I love you, Gardenia."
"This is a lot colder than I was counting on!" She shivered, though made no attempt to get out. Goose flesh was apparent on her body and she took a few steps back, tugging on Varians arms. "I love you too," and then she dunked under the water only to pop back out, shivering with a big grin on her face. "Your turn!"
Varian gave her a look, and let himself sink down into the water. He came back up, combing his fingers through his hair to keep it out of his eyes. The cold didn't seem to bother him all that much. In fact, if he had his tentacles out, he might've even looked like he was in his element.
"The ocean's so nice today," Varian said, putting an arm around Gardenia's waist as he looked out towards the horizon.
"If freezing is nice!" She chattered out, near laughing. "These could cut glass!" She joked, motioning to her bosom. Still she pressed close to him, resting her cheek on his bicep. "Why don't you have a giant castle and a bunch of minions? That's what all the powerful wizards have in my books."
"I'm not really one for giant castles," Varian said, and he looked down at Gardenia.
"Besides, if all I have are minions to keep me company, I'd get rather lonely."
A bright grin, "what if I was your minion?" She leaned back, looking down at her very naked, very cold torso. "Your beautiful lustful minion. And you couldn't do any evil deeds because I was such a bad minion."
"Lustful?" Varian said, and he pulled Gardenia towards him so she wouldn't be cold.
"How lustful?" He asked, and he leaned in to kiss her.
"Is she bad because she distracts the wizard?"
Gardenia curled her legs up around Varians waist and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Distracts him with dances. Dances and falling in love." Gardenia leaned into the kiss, drawing her tongue along his bottom lip before pulling away and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sad we can't marry and have children. It'd be perfect."
"Gardenia..." Varian said, and he held her in an embrace. He started to idly spin, as if they were dancing.
"Let's not focus on what we can't have," he continued, and at that moment, he made a decision for the future.
"Let's focus on what we have now. Enjoy it all to the fullest while we still can, so when we part all we have to do is look at the stars. Then, no matter how sad we are, we can smile."
A sigh and she leaned back. Gardenia gave a little nod, saddened because she knew it was true. They could never actually be together. So she should enjoy it while it lasts. "I'm sorry," there was a pause and she leaned back, giving him the faintest of smiles, "Do you want me to move?"
"Why?" Varian said, and he gave her a smile in return.
"You're right where I want you to be."
Gardenia closed her eyes, "right here until the end of the month?" A quiet voice and she looked away, " and then? Or are we not thinking that far ahead?"
Varian chuckled.
"I meant right here, right now," Varian said.
"I feel so happy when I'm with you."
Gardenia pulled away from Varian and stretched her arms up, fingers wiggling. "I feel happy when im with you, too," Gardenia closed her eyes and flopped back onto the water to float, eyes opening to look at the sky. "Do i really have to go home?"
"You do," Varian murmured, tone sad and almost defeated.
"But my love for you will never change."
A gentle gnaw at her lips and she gave Varian a long look before she dunked her head under the water. But she didnt surface.
Varian simply waited for a few seconds.
"Gardenia?"
After a response didn't come, he dunked his head in after her.
Gardenia was screaming.
The bubbles poured from her mouth and she popped out of the water moments before Varian ducked under. Then, angrily she stomped off to shore.
Didnt stop for her clothes.
Just kept walking. Angry and frustrated.
"Gar... Gardenia?"
He stood there, paralyzed in something that wasn't altogether fear, but rather a cocktail of emotions.
She was halfway to shore when he started after her, in the moment forgetting he could teleport.
"Gardenia! What happened!?"
Still stomping through the sand she kicked at it and gave another screech. "I'm officially running away! From everything!" Then she remembered her clothing and quickly pulled that on, flushed with anger. "From you! From my family! Maybe i'll go meet my fathers people! Live on the plains with the duhjari!"
"Gardenia, wait!"
Varian caught up with her as she pulled on her clothes, reaching a hand out towards her.
"Why? Why are you so angry now? Was it something I said?"
Gardenia turned away.
Her dress clung to her like a second skin and she stormed off again. "Im just... its everything!" Her hands flew into the hair before she pressed her hands to her chest, "i cant be with you. I... ive had sex outside the marriage i didnt want. Im a monster." Finally having calmed a little she sat on the beach and covered her face with her sandy hands.
"I want to be selfish. And now you wont let me."
"Gardenia..."
Varian knelt by her, finally daring to put his hands on her shoulders.
"I love you, and I want nothing but the best for you," he said.
"And as much as it breaks my heart to say it, you cannot stay with me forever. I want to be selfish too, Gardenia. I want to tell you that you don't have to go back, that you can stay in my arms until the end of time. But I can't..."
He moved to sit next to her.
"... Because I love you too much for that."
Gardenia turned her face away, tucking her forhead to the crook of her arm while she tried - unsuccesfully - not to cry. "You just dont want me. Its okay. You can admit it. Im a spoiled little girl that turns into a monster." A shuddering sigh "i wish i'd never met you. You make everything worse. I was okay with being a marriage pawn. I was okay with... being pretty and having babies."
A miserable sigh, "now j just want to run away. And you wont let me."
Varian sighed.
"Gardenia, listen to yourself talk, it just isn't true!"
He moved to be in front of her.
"I do want you, Gardenia. Always. Just the thought of you makes me smile," he said.
He tried to reach for her hand.
"What do I have to do to make you smile again, my love?"
Gardenia wiped at her face with her hand, leaving sand grains behind. A moment to look at Varian and she wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, "hold me?" Her voice was soft and she let her eyes drift closed.
"Im sorry. I... got frustrated. I am frustrated." A chaste kiss was pressed to his lips and she pulled him down with her so they were laying in the sand, "just... hold me. We can nap. And figure things out later."
Varian nodded gently, and wrapped Gardenia up in his arms. Using his magic, he took the sand off of her hands, and made sure that any more sand wouldn't stick to her. He also dried her off, and magicked up a towel beneath them so they'd be comfortable.
"I understand, Gardenia," Varian said, and he kissed her in return.
"I will hold you for as long as you want."
Gardenia didn't return the kiss after the initial one.
Instead she closed her eyes and snuggled in. Selfish. She wanted to be so selfish. Be disowned. Something. Anything.
"Just not forever," She mumbled against him when she snuggled her face against his chest.
Varian put his arms around her even tighter. His head was swimming with confusion, as he still didn't have a complete handle of what just happened. Gardenia was still a girl, it could have been a tantrum for all he knew.
He wanted her to be comfortable again. To be happy.
The situation bore down on her and she snuggled closer. Gardenia could only lay there while she came down from her temper tantrum, flushing with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry. I just... want to be someone else." A heavy sigh, "i dont want to know what my future holds. I dont want to look ahead and ... know."
"I... I understand, Gardenia," Varian said.
He gave her another kiss.
"Rest, now."
Frowning she looked at Varian.
"I dont think you do," she whispered though the kiss was returned. Heated. Pressing herself closer, " You didnt see me coming, did you? What in your life is for sure? Are you married? Are you going to have to produce heirs?"
Varian gave Gardenia a soft look, and he kissed the top of her head.
"I know that one of these days, my father is going to return for me. My transformation will finish, and I'll become the scourge I was always meant to be."
Varian held Gardenia tighter.
"With you, I feel like I can defy that. That perhaps, I will remember just enough to remain myself."
Gardens chest tightened and she snuggled closer to Varian.
"Can you still take my beast from me?" She asked softly, looking up at him, "maybe you can keep it... in a bottle or something. You can do that ritual you wanted to do the first night we made love?"
"Of course, Gardenia. That's what we were going to do at the end of our month," Varian said.
"One last run in the moonlight, remember?"
Gardenia nodded, "i know. I remember. I just wanted to hear you say it," another sigh and she squeezed her eyes shut. What a mess this all was. Licking her lips she pulled away slightly, "did i ruin your life?"
"No, never," Varian said.
He gave her a long look, although his eyes had nothing but warmth and love.
"I think you saved it."
Gardenia sighed and gave a weary little nod.
"If you say so," she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and looked up at the sky before closing her eyes and making a grumpy face, "I dunno. Weren't you content? Did you... Did I change you that much?"
"Gardenia, I wouldn't even dare to regret loving you for even a second. You've been nothing but good to me, and I love you," Varian said.
"I want you to be happy."
Gardenia's face crumpled and she sat up, curling her arms around her knees and tucking her face down into her dress. "I can't be happy, I'm not getting what I want. I can't have you, my husband will hate me when he finds out what I've done and we've consummated so we can't annul it." A sigh and she pressed her hands to her face, "I've ruined everything. Everything. I can't be happy when... When nothing will be alright again."
"You're wrong. Things are going to get better," Varian said.
"You... you don't have to go back, Gardenia. That is always an option."
A pouty teary eyed look was given to Varian and she rubbed at her eyes. "Where would i go?" Gardenia sighed, "i have nothing. I dont own anything except for this necklace you gave me."
"You could stay with me. If you want to sever ties, this... this is your chance. We could have our life together, free from the past."
Varian put his arm around her, and he kissed the side of her head. He looked out to the horizon, at the setting sun over the ocean.
"We can be a family."
Gardenia felt her heart stop.
A family.
She had a family.
A father. A husband. A pained look was on her face and she stayed silent for a while, watching the light reflect from the water before she took a deep breath and pressed her face to Varian's shoulder, eyes closed.
"I want that," She breathed, "I want that so badly." Another pause, "But I can't. I can't do that to Hyacinthe or my father." Gardenia took in a deep breath and hugged her knees to her chest to rest her forehead against them, deep shuddering breaths, "I'm so confused Varian. What am I supposed to do?"
Varian was still and quiet, not quite sure about how to answer that question. In one hand, he knew that if she just abandoned her family, there would be consequences. On the other, it was so hard to not be selfish.
"I kinda wanted to actually be your doctor. And see your kids," Varian said, and he gave her a facetious grin.
"I love you, and I want you to be here for as long as possible and love you every second, but you do need to go back eventually. If not for your husband's sake, then for your father's."
He kissed the top of her head.
Gardenia felt it a little bit like a coffin.
Her mismatched eyes were wide and she stared at Varian for a few moments before she licked her lips and gave her head a defeated little nod. Her hand smoothed down his arm when he kissed the top of her head and she moved it quickly to brush away the tears. "I'm sorry I ruined everything," She finally whispered, chewing on her bottom lip, "Can we take away the beast? Like we were going to? I..." she swallowed and let out a shaky breath, "I'd like that very much before... Before you go."
Because then they'd have nothing in common and if they had nothing in common... Maybe she wouldn't miss him so bad.
Varian nodded.
"You didn't ruin anything," Varian said, and he held her softly.
"Do... do you still want to spend that month with me?"
Gardenia rubbed at her eyes, head down before she gave a little nod. "I'd like that but..." she chewed on her lip and turned to Varian, curling her arms around his middle and snuggling into his neck. "Do you still want me? Here?"
"Mhmm" Varian said, mumbling into her hair as his arms tightened around her.
"Still want you. Here and in general. Going to take a lot more effort on your part to change that," He said, giving her sides a playful squeeze.
Gardenia curled into him more, nuzzling against his neck. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and nibbled on his earlobe before pulling away with a sad smile. "I'll take what I can get then," she breathed, eyes squeezed shut and snuggled in close, "And then the beast will be gone. And I can... be normal."
In order to hug Gardenia better, his arm shifted into a tendril and he wrapped her up quite lovingly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Do you want to go to bed?"
Gardenia closed her eyes and sighed, snuggling closer. "I am a little tired," she murmured, voice soft. "Are you going to take us... home... now?"
"If by home, you mean my home, then yes," Varian said.
They were incredibly close now, and Varian brought her up a bit so he could lay a kiss on her lips.
"If you're not tired, I know ways of tiring you out," he growled huskily into her ear.
Gardenia gave a little nod in confirmation. Yes, she had meant his home. The kiss to her lips was welcome and she nuzzled into it. "I might be able to rise to the occasion," she breathed out, his growl sending a shiver up her spine. Gardenia simply curled in tighter.
He would leave her soon. The one person with whom she felt like she could be herself. Gardenia was going to be a little bit greedy. Just for a little bit longer.
Holding her head against his chest, Varian teleported them, and no longer were they sitting on a towel on the beach, but on the rug in his cottage's living area.
"Do you want to take a bath first? I was going to."
Gardenia rose her head and looked up at Varian after they had teleported. A brief look around - she'd never get used to it - and she smiled. "I'd love a bath," she confirmed, moving to pull away and stabd up. Quickly enough she undid her dress, letting it fall into a pile at her feet on the floor and she gave a hesitant smile to Varian before holding her hand out to helo him up.
Varian took her hand and stood up. He darted in to kiss her before he tightened the hold on her hand just a little and started leading her to the bath, which was still magically steaming.
"Maybe... we can do more than bathe?" He said, quite unsubtly eyeing her.
Gardenia laughed, giving Varian a curious look.
"Like what?" She breathed, "a puzzle? Do a crossword?" She climbed into the tub with a moan, eyes falling closed when she relaxed. Head tilted back and cheeks flushing from the heat before she opened her eyes and smiled up at Varian. "Talk about the weather, maybe?"
Varian climbed in with her, sighing as all the tension went away. He put his arms up on the tub, seated across from Gardenia, and at her words, he only smirked. From beneath the water, she'd be able to feel his tendrils start snaking up her legs, rubbing against her thighs.
"Something a bit more physical," he said.
A shiver ran across her form and she licked her lips, chewing on the inside of her cheek before she shifted her legs. "A massage?" She whispered, moving her hands to cover her breasts before she looked down into the water, "can you feel with those?" It was a curious inquirey and she shifted herself to make anything and everything accessable.
If he was bound and determined to leave, she'd at least make an impression of herself on him.
"Oh yes, they're quite sensitive," Varian said. Something coiled around her thighs, gently stroking those areas while the water in front of her broke. Tendrils snaked up her body and started to fondle and squeeze her breasts, all the while something hard and deliciously shaped pressed against her womanhood.
"Come closer, Gardenia..."
A shuddering sigh and she moved closer, careful to shift her hips to grind against whatever exactly that was. She could still play coy though and she closed her eyes and shuffled closer, opening them and gazing at him fondly. "Well?" She finally breathed, flushed, her hands moving forward to caress up and down his sides, "what did you have in mind?"
The closer she got, the more room the tendrils had to work with. One of them went around her side and pulled her even closer, and that mysterious hard thing was replaced with the familiar bump of Varian's cock against her entrance.
"In my mind is an image of you bouncing up and down on the cock you love so much." Varian said, and he leaned forwards to kiss her, tongue probing.
"Care to make it reality?"
Gardenia curled her arms around Varians neck and she closed her eyes with a sigh. Gently she moved a hand down to grasp his cock and she rose up on her knees, pressing a heavy kiss to his lips before she pressed herself to him and sunk down.
Gardena remained seated for a few moments before she started to rise and fall eagerly. It was a desperate petty move, Gardenia realized. Though it didnt stop her. The water was splashing against the sides by her movements and she worked herself against him. "I love you," she finally whispered, tears in her eyes, "I wont be the same without you anymore," she pulled him in for another kiss, grinding down against him.
She wanted him to be happy, right? And that... that just wasnt going to be with her.
And even as she ground down against him, Varian pulled her down, adding more force to her movements. Still, the kissing was slow and it made Varian's heart ache to hear her words, to know that she was just as affected by it all as he was.
"When you leave, you're going to be taking a piece of my heart with you," Varian said, and he kissed her neck, bucking up against her as best her could.
Like before, he paused, and let some tendrils join his member inside of her.
"Good," she panted out against his lips, a hugh pitched gasp being pushed through her as surely as more of his strange limbed worked their way inside her. Gardenia didnt protest, instead she arched back, legs spread wide, hands on Varians back.
"You think I'll leave this whole," she whispered, rolling her hips against him. "I wont be the same," she whined, "not after you...." she whimpered again, moving against him wantonly.
Even though he was shaping up to be better, Varian still had a darker side to him. Gardenia's words roused something a bit more alien in him, perhaps stroking a certain, supernatural instinct to desecrate and commit terrible acts.
He kissed her, squeezing her breasts harder.
"Nobody will ever fill you like I do," He growled, and he pushed himself to move her more.
All she really wanted was to be unforgetable. Gardenia hissed at his words, giving him and odd eyed gaze before she dug her fingers into his shoulders and rolled her hips. "I know," she panted, eyes closed.
A year ago she'd have never thought herself able to do this. Not with anyone. Yet, now, here she was, doing her very best to satisfy her strange alien lover as much as herself. "I'm going to miss you for two reasons," she breathed, pulling him closer so she could tug him to her for a kiss, "you." Gardenia winced slightly, and even though it was almost too much she moaned in pleasure, rolling her hips to get more from him, "and this. Be unforgetable for me," she whimpered, "I want to dream of you," she leaned in to bite the lobe of his ear before continuing the little movements of her hips.
"Oh, you will," Varian said, tendrils moving inside of her to push against her boundaries, to seek out those hidden nooks and crannies that hadn't been filled yet, even as his member slammed home with punishing rhythm.
"I want you to wake up wet in the middle of the night and know that your husband won't be able to make love to you like I do," Varian said.
"And believe me, you're going to do the same thing to me..."
Gardenia squealed at the punishing rhythm, rolling into each movement with a primal eagerness. How was he filling her so full? She moved a hand to her belly, smoothing it over the skin before she leaned back, one hand on the side of the tub while the water sloshed over the edges and onto the floor.
A heated breath and she started to grow tense. Her toes curled and her knees squeezed his sides in her urgency. "Good," she panted, giving him a determined look, though it quickly dissolved into an almost sadness, "I dont want to be forgotten," she whispered, eyes closing before she moved forward again, curling her arms around his neck. "Use me as you want, I'm yours for the rest of the month, right?" She smoothed a hand over a few of the trendrils, "may as well start getting used to what you can do with these now."
Varian smiled at her eagerness, and his tendrils got even hungrier, teasing and rubbing against her most sensitive places, all the while he devoured her with kisses. One thin tendril started to tease at her clit, circling it and pressing against it even while her breasts were pressed together to stimulate a tentacle between them.
From behind, another one came to nudge at her lips.
Maybe Gardenia reveled in the fact that Varian wouldnt judge her. Not here. Not for this. Back arched into his touch, fingers grasping and needy. Gardenia was beside herself with his touches, hands trembling for more. Hands moved to his shoulders to hold herself steady.
This was a delicious sin.
Gardenia opened her mouth to Varians appendage, squeezing at his arms while she worked her hips. Was she going to miss this? Would she be where she is now if she'd let Varian do that ritual on her in the first place?
Gently she pulled her mouth away, eyes closed still before she gazed at her strange lover. "You know, I think you're getting way more out of this than I am," she teased breathlessly, leaning forward to press her forehead to his.
"Am I?"
The appendage tasted the inside of her mouth, the cock-shaped head wriggling to make itself comfortable for the short moment it was in her. When she pulled away, it just idly rubbed against her neck.
"Then tell me, Gardenia--"
When he brought her down, he just held her there, slowly grinding his hips against hers.
"--How can I make this better for you? I want to fulfill all of your desires, tonight and every night after."
Gardenia gave a low, deep throated whimper, letting her head tip back in abandon.
This was all she was ever going to have. This is it. So she was going to take everything and anything she could get.
"I want everything," She leaned in, reaching up to stroke the strange appendage at her neck, rolling her hips into his, "Unleash yourself on me," Gardenia pushed a hand through her hair and set her odd eyes upon him, "Use me for the fantasies you stored away." She pressed in for a kiss, loving the feeling of him in her and around her and everywhere. "My desire is for you to... To... Do to me what no one else will let you do," She decided, nodding at him, if she was going to be unforgettable she'd better start making an even bigger impression!
For a few moments, Varian was quiet, listening to her speak. When she directed those mismatched eyes of hers, they would find his. One eye human, one like the night sky.
"And you would give that to me?" Varian whispered, and he leaned in to give her a slow, loving kiss. When their lips parted, he held her bottom lip with his teeth for a few extra moments. The appendage at her neck coiled further around her neck and tightened its grip, although it was still far from choking her. His cock swelled inside of her as he let his more monstrous side back out.
"Every last bit?"
A flash of fear that sent a tremble through her. A keen interest. Gardenia licked her lips and let her eyes fall closed for a moment. A shuddering breath against his lips and she twitched her legs, giving eager little moments. To be so close to him. The one person that ever really understood her.
"Please," she whispered, pushing her hair over her shoulder, eyes falling closed, lip between her teeth. "Every last bit," she confirmed, reaching to his shoulders with her hands before she traced his jaw. "If I can't be yours forever with my body, I want to be yours forever every other way." Still, nervous, she traced the thing around her neck and relaxed. "I'm ready when you are," she whispered, leaning in close and pressing her lips to his eagerly.
Varian smiled ever wider at that and when she leaned in to kiss him eagerly...
...he actually started quiet tenderly.
He kissed her back, and when they parted, he moved forwards to steal a kiss of his own, so slow and loving that when he finally pulled back, it seemed even to him that it was an eternity. Then, he started to move her on his increased length. The tendril around her neck loosened up, and slid submissively into her hand.
"I want to savor you. To take every last bit in, so I'll never forget. Centuries could go by and I'll still have your smell in my nose. Your taste on my lips."
He kissed her again, and his hands tightened on her ever so slightly.
"I love you."
Gardenia liked being revered a bit.
Enjoyed being worshipped like this.
"I love you, too." She whispered, feeling the words in her gut like a stone. They weighed so heavy. Such a life changing feeling, being in love with someone that wasn't her husband. Stealing away on a mock vacation but ... Doing this. What a horrible selfish person she was. Gardenia curled her arms around Varian's neck, nuzzled against his ear and gently bit the lobe.
"Can you keep us like this?" the words were a soft plea, eyes wet, voice growing thick, "Please? Please. I know I said I'd be okay with parting but I don't want to." Gardenia curled in tighter, knees pressed to his sides, arms wrapped around his neck and soft sobs welling up her throat, "I don't want to just be a memory or a good sweet dream." Gardenia pulled away, cheeks red, tears on her cheeks, naked and vulnerable seating upon her lover, "Please, Varian. Please. Please." The last please was eager and sobbed out, voice warbling. "I don't want to be without you, you've shown me so much. Given me so much. I can't. I don't want to."
Indeed, it was a little bit like worship. He explored her with his hands, delicately feeling every curve, every dip and rise in her flesh. He couldn't help but let out a breathless gasp at how she moved. He closed his eyes and looked to the side a bit, giving her a nip on her neck when she leaned in for his earlobe.
Then, she pulled him in and started sobbing her desires, telling him the sweetest things that he wanted to hear. That she didn't want to go, she wanted to stay. Varian held her just as tightly as she held him, cock stuffing deeply into her but otherwise staying put.
"Then stay." Came his simple words, and he kissed her ear. He bucked beneath her, showing how eager and horny for her he was. How much she set him on fire. Tendrils snaked up her body as he became more and more willing to truly let go on her. To give her every last bit.
"Stay with me. We can be different together," he said, almost pleading.
"This bath is nice, but I want to fuck you, Gardenia. I want to live out my dark desires on your flesh..."
The two words she wanted to hear more than anything. 'Then stay.' It was hardly a real option. Gardenia knew that. She know the world would be flipped upside down if she remained away. Knew that things would go wrong and be ruined. All she could think of though, all she wanted, was Varian. Gardenia got married for someone else, lived her life as someone else. Was she the perfect proper lady? Or did she want to run naked through the forest on full moons? Gardenia pulled her hair over one shoulder and leaned back to look at Varian, look down between them.
"Yes, we can be different together. Live out dark desires together," though she didn't know what that entailed, the idea of there being more sent a flash of fire in her belly and her muscles clenched at the idea. Chewing on her lip, Gardenia turned a little shy before she slowly untangled herself from Varian, shivering at the loss of him inside her while she stood up, water dripping from her body. Gardenia walked backwards, stepping from the tub, her hands resting on her stomach like she was about to hide herself. Forcing her hands to her sides, she brushed her long black hair over her shoulders while she dripped water all over the floor.
"If you catch me you can do whatever you want to me," Gardenia whispered, a hint of a smile on her lips, before she took one daring look at the door and glanced back at Varian, fully intending to bolt for the outside. Also fully intending to let him catch her. It was a secluded cabin. Find a nice tree to get caught beneath. "Unless you're worried you can't keep up," She drew a finger up along her hip and side before cupping her breast and shifting her stance, like she was presenting a prize.
The second Varian moved to get up, she'd bolt for the door and the games would begin. Gardenia felt her belly clench and she chewed on her bottom lip, excited for the fact that she might not even make it for the door. While it was a sharp contrast to her most recent mood, Gardenia couldn't handle being sad anymore. So, full on into irresponsibly making a creature of the dark chase her to have his way with her was the next best choice.
she untangled from him and his tendrils gently slipped away from her, back down into the water. At first, he was curious. He watched her intently as she looked a little nervous at first, but her wods made him smile and he moved to the edge of the tub to rest his arms on it and to be closer to her.
"Mm, I have many dark desires," he started, and he would've said more had it not been for her next action. He caught her taking a few more steps back and eyeing the door, and he gave her a curious look when she started talking.
He drank her in as she offered herself to him, willing prey in a chase meant to end in primal carnality. It was obvious he loved every bit of what he was seeing. A moment of tension passed over them as he was quiet, smile warm and eyes focused as he seemed to be waiting for the perfect moment to rise and snatch her up.
But rather than just come speeding out of the bath and catch her instantly, Varian wanted a chase. He wanted to hunt her down and have his way with her.
He was still fast, but he had to step out of the tub. She'd have a chance to run past him, and he'd make a half-hearted effort to catch her before she could make it out the door.
But secretly, he wanted her to make it out. He yearned for a true chase.
Gardenia sensed that she was in for a run, excitement bloomed in her chest quickly. The thrill of being prey set goosebumps along her flesh and as soon as she saw Varian move she made a run for it. A sharp breathy giggle and Gardenia was outside the cabin.
Naked as the day she was born, still wet from the bath, her long dark hair clung to her where it could. Though, the wind from running dried her off quickly enough. Her feet pounded against the ground while she ran towards the nearest shelter.
Anything to hide in.
Anything to make the hunt more exhilarating. Gardelia wondered what those dark desires were. Wondered if her other worldly lover would truly show her. Even if he didn't. Bring around him made her feel vulnerable and that only moved to excite her more.
She's been running for a few minutes, breath hammering out of her, when she finally stopped at a tree, holding onto it to take a moment to catch her breath. Cheeks flushed and mouth dry from panting, she finally looked over her shoulder to see if her pursuer was close by.
He nearly had her at the door but she slipped out just before him. He lingered at the door for a split moment, letting her see him in his full, alien glory. His tendrils had retracted but he watched her sprint naked into the surrounding woods before taking off after her. His legs were strong and his footsteps were clearly audible as he chased after her.
She broke line of sight after another moment and he slowed down. He couldn't hear her running anymore, so he scanned the forest around him, seeing with vision that didn't necessarily come from his eyes.
"Where are you, I wonder?"
He said it aloud as he thought he heard her stepping somewhere. When she looked over her shoulder, she might have been able to see him coming in from the dark as he came out quickly to try and catch her.