Setting Your Sights a Little High [Rhi!]

[Blue]

What an outstanding construct. Standing in the midst of the rivers of people coming and going on the sunny cobblestone street, he was simply staring up at all the buildings as they wound their way toward the castle - there were so many that the castle was actually almost impossible to see. Truly, it was extraordinary...or, at least, to him it was. Nobody else seemed riveted to their spot, staring up at the surroundings extending around them.
At six seven, he was large enough to be something of a landscape feature himself - didn't help people were already having to walk around him, giving him curious or disdainful glances as they did so. Finally he turned his bright blue eye onto the peasants wandering about him, curiously watching their daily hustle and bustle. A woman was buying bread, two gentlemen had stopped to chat, a child was chasing a scrawny puppy through the legs of the adults - it was all incredibly fascinating to him.

After a moment he realized he was rather warm. It wasn't entirely surprising though, as he was dressed entirely in black. High boots with silver buttons, comfortably worn leather pants, and a long sleeved shirt with a high collar and crisp lines - it really only added to the overall sense of intimidation his tall, broad shouldered frame already exuded.

And he was oblivious to this.

Under the high afternoon sun, Pyr quietly turned and made his way toward the shadiest spot he could find...and the crowds parted before him, startled by him for any number of reasons. Moving closer to the buildings caused a whole other layer of curiosity as he gazed into windows and watched people hurry by him, and thus his original quest to find suitable shade was a very, very slow journey. Eventually though his wanderings led him into a side street, more of an alley really, though there were people still traveling through on their way to and from daily errands and social calls.
There was just so much to see, so much to experience, he felt like he could spend an eternity on this plane and never see all of it. Incredible, truly incredible.

As he slowly walked in the shadow of the buildings, he was no less oblivious to the amount of stares he himself was getting here than when he'd been out on the main road.

[Rhindeer]

It was a long journey to the desert.

And it was made even longer because there were so many distractions along the way!

But hey, that was why Kyran always started his trip months in advance, so that he could take his time and account for any "distractions" he might run into, of which there had been several so far. There were sights to see, people to meet...and flirt with. And more, if he was lucky--which most times he unfortunately wasn't, but that didn't discourage him from trying.

Right now, however, he was being good. Right now, he was on a mission: to find cheap lodging for the night.

...But hey, once he had a place to sleep, he also had a bed to invite someone into.

Dressed in casual traveling clothes, simple breeches and a tunic, with a small pack slung over his shoulder, Kyran bypassed the busier streets and stuck to the side-streets, hoping to avoid the unwashed masses and the overbearing scents of cooking meats and sweat and animal dung and the unpleasant press of too many bodies. It might mean that this way was also more dangerous, but he was willing to risk mugging over the alternative. Besides, there were still people here so it couldn't be that unsafe--whoa!

Turning a corner, Kyran just about ran straight into what at first he thought was just an extension of the wall--but which turned out to be a person.

A very tall, very muscular person.

A person who towered over him, and he was not a short man himself!

He grunted in surprise (that guy was solid!) and had to actually take a step back and crane his neck to look up at him--though not before also noticing the form-fitting leather pants he was wearing.

Well. Damn.

Tall. Muscular. Tight clothes. Pretty.

That was basically all he needed. He was officially distracted.

Hot Man: 1
Inn: 0

"Oh, well, hello there," he said once he'd come back to himself, once he'd managed to tear his eyes away from his hips to focus on the man's face, taking in his intense eyes and the wonderful contrast of dark hair against light skin. Double damn. "Sorry about that. Didn't see you there! Corners and all, they're tricksy. But heeey..." He grinned, flashing cat-like canines, and stepped closer--personal-space-breaching close. "How 'bout I make it up to you?"

[Blue]

Well, it was only natural that constantly staring at everything but what is in front of you could potentially lead to problems. Startled at the suddenly obstruction in his path, Pyr stopped immediately, for he was well aware of his size and the fact he could easily bowl most people over with little effort.
He did not wish to harm the top-side denizens.
Blue on blue eyes turned quickly toward the body he'd bumped into, having to flicker down a bit, though that was normal by this point. He truly was a head above just about everyone around him. He responded to the man's greeting with one of his own, completely oblivious to Kyran's ah... 'distraction'.
"Hello."

By the smile, he assumed the other was not injured, but it would likely be best to make sure.
"No, I apologize, I should have taken care with where I was walking. You are not hurt I hope? You need not make up anything to me."
He was soft spoken, but it was more the way in which he put together his sentences that made it seem likely common was not his natural language. Blinking those odd eyes of his, he finally noticed something thanks to Kyran standing so very close to him.
He sniffed curiously a few times, then tilted his head to one side.
"You are a demon."
It wasn't said with fear, or disgust...rather, he seemed genuinely surprised and intrigued. With dark brows raised somewhat, Pyr calmly bent at the waist so as to lean in closer and get a better whiff of Kyran's unique scent. It seemed Kyran was not the only one with little sense of personal space.

[Rhindeer]

Still grinning broadly, Kyran opened his mouth, about to reply that no, no, he insisted he make this up to him, he wanted to make this up to him, at length, preferably somewhere private though he was okay with public shenanigans too and just assumed most other people weren't--but then his mouth snapped shut and he jerked back in surprise.

He knew what he was.

The grin faded, replaced by wide-eyed, slack-jawed shock, and even though the other had said it calmly and seemingly without judgment, it was still jarring and left him feeling strangely exposed, but not in the fun way.

Vulnerable.

Around these parts, he was mostly capable of passing as Serenian, for his fair skin and strange markings. Most people didn't bat an eye if he claimed to be Serenian, because most people just automatically assumed that Serenians were kind of weird and eclectic so if someone had marks on their face--welp, Serenians, ha. And his shaggy hair had always done a good job of hiding the pointed ears, which like his tilted, feral eyes he could pass off as elvish or fae, which drew disdain but was still better than demon. He'd even learned to speak carefully so as not to show too much fang.

The only thing that snapped him out of his surprise was when the guy actually leaned in and started sniffing him.

"Huh? Wha? Whoa!" Kyran laughed and threw up a hand, shaking his head and taking a step backwards. "Haha, no way, I'm no demon, silly! I mean, I can be, if you catch my meaning! Been told my bedroom skills are otherworldly! But, y'know, not literally!"

[Blue]

Pyr blinked that one visible eye slowly, as if he was trying very hard to understand the lies that Kyran was spouting. He straightened as the man backed up a bit, but it was alright, for he had the information he needed. No demon could really hide from his powers of perception, should he choose to use them - he was, after all, about as high up on the food chain as one could get. Then again, he had somewhat forgotten that his kin did in fact live topside, sometimes never having even seen their homeland once...hmm, did that make this realm their home instead then, he wondered?

Ah but this was really not the time to let himself get distracted by his own thoughts. There was something far more interesting in need of his attention, standing in front of him and spouting nonsensical things.

His head tilted rather steeply to one side, before finally he simply shook it in the universal body language for 'no'.
"You are a demon. I can smell your dark blood. You are a mixed heritage, I am only familiar with your side that is Succubus. The other is...something catlike."
Talk about hitting the nail on the head. He then blinked rapidly, as if a recollection of his words made him realize something.
"It is not of my intention to insult. Yours is a lovely mix, it suits you well."

[Rhindeer]

Bwah?

Once again, Kyran was left speechless and gaping.

Well that was unnervingly specific!

"I...ah...what?" he finally blurted, blinking rapidly before he realized they were still out in public. Granted, they were in an alley and not standing in the middle of a crowd or anything, but it was still too close for comfort! He'd only told one person about what he was--and that guy had been a werewolf with a whole host of problems, someone he felt comfortable knowing because he knew he had no reason to use that as a weapon against him.

Looking around to make sure no one else was near, he turned back to the tall man and waved his finger in front of his lips. "Not so loud! And...and...how do you even know that?!"

[Blue]

Though he was somewhat troubled by his kin's reactions, he could not help a certain sense of amusement at Kyran's reactions. This was one of his rare few 'personal' interactions with a being from this plane, and as an added bonus, it was one of his own. How much he could learn from this demon...the very idea had him quite eager for more conversation. In the meantime, his solely visible eye was taking in everything about Kyran, down the fine details, so that it became increasingly obvious that he was staring without holding back for the sake of appearances or manners.
Not that he understood either of those things particularly well in this new setting. Proper etiquette in hell was a far cry from proper etiquette on the earth plane.

Again his head tilted, silky black hair shifting slightly, in what had become his universal signal for confusion. He had not been aware of his own vocal volume, and unsure how to correct it while still being adequately heard, he paused a moment before answering. Upon thinking up a suitable solution, Pyr again leaned down - this time very close to Kyran's face, in order that only his kin should be able to hear him.
"Because I too am a demon. My nose is very sharp, also."

[Rhindeer]

"...You are?"

Kyran stared back at the man, their faces close together; it was fortunate he had no personal bubble to speak of, or if he did it was extremely tiny. The news was surprising--and surprisingly candid, because you just didn't walk around Ketra--or really anywhere!--announcing you were a demon. But what was more startling was that, well...this was a demon.

The first demon Kyran had met, in fact.

And he hadn't even realized it. He had no way of telling. He stared at the man, blinking hazel eyes slowly, and cocked his head. Nope. He still just saw an attractive human there. No magical bells went off in his head, there was no sense of recognition or kinship, no senses tingling to alert him to the fact that some fellow demon was inches before him, like he thought would happen, because people always seemed to talk about how they just knew or sensed demonic presence. (Which had made him paranoid at times because what if they could tell just by looking at him? But no one had ever made that guess, assuming he was just part elf or something, so he guessed being a half-breed had something to do with that.)

So maybe it worked both ways--he also couldn't sense demons because his own blood was dulled.

All in all, the meeting someone from his mother's side of the family was a lot more anti-climatic than he had imagined it would be. And yet, at the same time, it was a relief. This guy didn't look evil. And he'd grown up taught that he had evil inside of him. Evil blood. His mother had done an evil thing to create him, after all, and it was a side to himself that he always had to hide (but often failed). And when it came right down to it, he didn't really identify with either side of his family--he just was who he was, an outsider to both.

So when it came right down to it...wow. He didn't really know what to do with this new information!

"Really?" he finally said, eyebrows arching. "You don't...look like one."

[Blue]

Pyr simply nodded to the first question, still leaned in quite close. Truly, neither of them seemed to have a 'bubble' so to speak, sharing such close air as they were. Standing stooped over Kyran like this, most people assumed them to be having a hushed conversation - which they were, technically. Though while his kin attempted to process the information, Pyr was keeping himself entertained by memorizing his face and picking out demonic features. But it wasn't just the demonic side he was interested in...this being lived here, in this mortal realm. He was all too eager to partake in this up-close view, something he found most other humanoids uncomfortable with. He'd had to maintain a specific distance from most, or it seemed they became quite perturbed with him. Curious, but he'd learned his lesson.

Another easy nod, and then he blinked those blue-on-blue eyes at the informative statement.
"No. Crafted this flesh to blend in better, this plane has its own appearance. Most cannot look upon me, my true form."
But as if to help prove he was indeed as he claimed, he closed his eyes. And when he opened them, the whites had gone black, his bright blue irises had an eerie glow about them, and his pupils had been swallowed in white. They were piercing things, not pathways to a soul, but more like they might suck in someone else's instead. It was gone in the next instant, another blink removing those demonic eyes from existence, as if they had never been there to begin with.
"You are the first of my kin I have found. And you are my kin."
Though it sounded like he was repeating himself, it was something in the way he said 'kin' each time, like he wanted a different word but did not know it.

[Rhindeer]

The closeness was fine and didn't even faze Kyran--at least, not until the demon blinked and his eyes went all aglow.

Literally.

With a gasp, Kyran jerked back away from the man, hazel eyes wide--and yet, it wasn't that he couldn't bear to look upon that form; it was simply that it shocked him. Sure, he'd seem some strange things in his time; he'd at one point had a partner who was a werewolf, talk about strange occurrences! But to be face to face with a demon?

...Hah, which was kind of funny, considering he was face to face with a demon every time he looked in a mirror, and yet he just didn't really consider himself to be one. He didn't think of himself as Kyran the Incubus-and-Neqa'el-mutt, but rather just as Kyran. Being faced with another being who was just like him was strange...because he didn't feel like they had anything in common.

But it was over as quickly as it had begun, and soon the demon's eyes were normal again, leaving Kyran blinking in confusion. Even more confusing was what he said next.

He rubbed his head. "Uh, yeah...I think we'd established that."

[Blue]

'My apologies, please. I did not intend to make you startled."
Perhaps this one had not actually met many other demons...it was not entirely impossible. This was in fact his first fellow demon, and he'd been topside for quite some time. They were likely rare, and even if not, they had the tendency to keep to themselves regardless. Demons got along even more poorly than humans, after all.

Straightening, he tilted his head quizzically once more when Kyran spoke. He realized a half beat later than would be considered normal that his fellow demon had misunderstood him. Ah, his use of this language was lacking...if only he could simply speak to his kin in their own tongue, this would be far easier.
But he was determined to do things properly topside.
"I have misspoke, I believe so. You are...one of mine. You are 'demon', and you are also kin. You are..."
He paused, clearly groping in his mind for how to describe it.
"ƒʟℯṧ ¥μ ƒø...you are of the same kind as me. The...the same kind of demon, yes?"

[Rhindeer]

Kyran continued to stare at the demon, uncomprehending. The man spoke strangely, and had said some strange thing that must have been another language, and was now asking if they were the same. Forehead crinkled and eyes squinted, Kyran tilted his head, mirroring the man's actions without realizing it.

"The same...uh...maybe? I don't know. I don't know what you are." Okay, that sounded lame even to his own ears--he was pretty sure he could make the logical leap here. The guy obviously wasn't neqa'el, so that left only one other option. Unless the guy was assuming Kyran was some other thing and was confused by his particular mix and--wow. He was over-thinking this, and that was something he didn't do much!

He cleared his throat. "You mean, like...incubus?"

[Blue]

Pyr's face brightened, and for the first time actually smiled. His teeth were white and straight, and surprisingly lacking in any non-human characteristics. He had all but mastered the art of appearing human, it would seem.
"Yes! Incubus! Succubus! The seekers of pleasure! Those from the cardinal sin of Lust!"
He was clearly quite pleased with this breakthrough, as the grin did not fade from his features. They were at an understanding!
"That blood, that is my blood. You are kin. The same. I am most pleased to have your acquaintance."
Ah...acquaintance?
...!!
"I am most apologetic. Sorry, yes. On this plane, you may call me Pyr. May I also hear yours?"

[Rhindeer]

Once it was confirmed, it was like a heavy load had been lifted from his shoulders.

Incubus. Succubus. And this fellow was one, too?

Kyran stared at him a moment, new-found knowledge churning in his brain, processing it, registering it. He'd never met another demon before, much less one that shared his blood, and had never really thought about it--because he didn't really even think of himself as a demon, but just as...himself. Kyran. Having lived so long amongst humans, having been born from a succubus, having been raised among neqa'el, he was such a mish-mash of culture that it never entered his mind except when he had to be aware of it for his own safety.

And as it finally sank in, with it came a great sense of relief, of pressure and stress he hadn't even been aware of carrying easing out of him.

This guy got it! This guy would understand! Finally he was around someone who could relate to a very big chunk of his life that few people could properly understand!

But instead of saying any of that, the first sounds out of Kyran's mouth were a delighted laugh. "Yes! Lust! I love lust!"

...Whoops. Little excited, there.

Clearing his throat, he grinned sheepishly. "Er, I mean, my name's Kyran. Whoa. So you're really an incubus? I've never met another incubus!"

[Blue]

The laughter was apparently contagious, because as soon as he heard it, Pyr could not help his own short, deep chuckle. What a delightful sound, to come from one of his own. A warm smile stayed on his face, and it was a rather nice change from his usual blank expression. He remained close to his newest find, though the mixed blood he knew of kept him from outright getting touchy feely.
Pure incubi/succubi would not be opposed at all, at least not down below where he was used to their behavior. He supposed that was another good reason to continue to be reserved as best as he could...

"That I am glad to hear it!"
It was his Cardinal Sin to oversee, after all. He was already feeling that 'love' welling up in him, to have found one of his own topside. It made him long for home a bit as well, but this trip...this incredible experience was well worth it.
"Yes. I am..."
He almost blurted out what he was...rather...WHO he was, just from the sheer joy of the moment.
"...I am also, yes. I am from home...ah...from...beneath this plane. Understood? I am very pleased now, meeting you Kyran."

[Rhindeer]

"Well, kinda," Kyran said, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I guess I always knew--or heard--demons came from elsewhere, but like...you really live underground? Like moles or something?" His grin broadened, baring sharp teeth, and he laughed again at the image that produced.

A bunch of sexy, scantily clad demons, all digging around and making tunnels like rabbits.

...Huh.

He pushed the image from his mind and inched closer to the demon. While at first he had been uneasy and flat-out surprised, curiosity had quickly swept in to replace that. Now he was just intrigued, because hey, this guy didn't seem all that bad at all! And he was hot. And an incubus. "Can't say it's my home, though! Never been! So..."

He reached out and ran a finger boldly down the demon's chest. "Is everyone down there as alluring as you?"

[Blue]

"Moles..."
He wasn't sure if he knew that word. But underground? That wasn't quite right...he had never really attempted to explain this concept before. He was fairly certain his lacking skill in the topside language was going to hinder his attempts at painting the right picture for his offspring right then, but he was willing to try it.
"Under this plane...under...that is, beneath. Not earth, like soil. It is...it is..."
He lifted his hands up slightly, palms down, parallel to the ground, and then moved them close together and then further apart a few times.
"This is one existence. This is yours, your...where you are, where your energy and your sight. It is here. Mine is elsewhere, other place of energy, 'under' this realm. It is...not the same as in the 'earth'."

Kyran moved closer, and Pyr was clearly not bothered, though he was quite literally standing over his fellow incubi. He shook his head as Kyran spoke.
"No, yes, that is not home. For you."

And then Kyran did that thing. He reached out deliberately and touched. He ran that finger down his chest, and it might not have mattered what he had said but rather how he had said it. The tenor of his voice, the gentle vibrations, and Pyr's blue pupils dilated momentarily into slits. Like a kneejerk reaction. This was something he knew, he understood it in the very cells that made him up.
This was his.
It was him.

"No." He replied bluntly, and then his arms snaked easily around Kyran's waist even as he nuzzled into his fellow's neck with enthusiasm. He had such a unique mixed breed scent. Some of his brothers had complained as though it were a 'stench', but he couldn't understand how anybody could dislike it. He raked his teeth against skin gently, but enough to taste.
Mmmm, how comfortable he felt right then.

[Rhindeer]

Even with Pyr's demonstration, Kyran still didn't understand what the demon was trying to say; it made no sense to him and trying to puzzle it out kind of hurt his head, which meant he wound up not even trying.

What came after, on the other hand?

That was a language he spoke fluently.

It was also really, really unexpected.

Pulled flush against the other demon, for a second Kyran could only freeze up in dumb shock, hands going up out of reflex to grip Pyr's back, fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt. Was he...was he--he shiverednibbling his neck?

That was about the last thing he expected; his advances hardly ever worked that well, at least not on the first try! But once the initial surprise faded, his hands relaxed and he leaned into Pyr, neck arching, and a small, shivery gasp escaped him.

This was his element.

He eagerly pressed against Pyr, not caring that he was a strange demon. Like attracted like, after all, and he could feel that part of him calling out to Pyr and reveling in it. Not caring that the incubus was far larger than him, he pushed against him, starting to guide him backwards toward the wall, because the last thing he cared about was that they were in public. An alley was good enough! Still edging him backwards (or trying to!), he reached up with one hand, pressed it against the back of Pyr's, neck and pulled his head down just enough so he could raise up on his toes and kiss him.

[Blue]

There was nothing odd about this encounter, for either of them. But perhaps even moreso for Pyr. This was his. It was, most literally, him. This 'sin' was his to look after. Pleasure. Lust. It was comfortable and inviting. It was home. All those who looked on in surprise, horror, disgust - he was sorry for them, that they did not understand this simple thing. That they would deny themselves something that came as naturally to him as breathing.

There was no 'wrongness'.

His fellow eagerly reciprocated, and Pyr did not mind bending to meet his demands - literally. Led back, he felt himself brush something rough - likely the brick wall of a nearby building. Kyran's demanding hand wound up to his neck, and he gladly bent down to meet the demon half way.
Obviously, this was no chaste peck on the lips.
He wanted to taste this new demon, and his tongue sought out the flavors of his mouth. All the while, his hands played at the hem of Kyran's top, slithering under the cloth, enjoying the simple sensation of his skin.
Quite honestly, indoors or outdoors made no difference to Pyr when it came to lovemaking.

There was, however, something he'd failed to take into consideration. A fairly new development, if you will.

He felt the shift before it happened, but was unable to react in time (motor skills of a dead cow sometimes). Without much reason, the brick wall behind him abruptly buckled.
Much dust, scraping brick, and a clattering series of thumps later found both of them spilled backward into whatever building they'd happened to be leaning against.
Though Pyr had literally fallen onto a bed of bricks and brick shards, he'd at least managed to spare Kyran the brunt of it - he currently had his hands under the demon's armpits, keeping him lifted up and out of the way of the carnage.
Blinking, shocking blue bangs now all askew and showing both of his two toned eyes, Pyr seemed surprisingly unperturbed by the events. Tilting his head back some, so as to better see the flabbergasted inhabitants of the room they'd so unceremoniously crashed into, he snorted some dust out of the air.
"Apologies."

[Rhindeer]

This was quickly turning out to be the best day ever, as far as Kyran was concerned.

Too bad it was doomed to an early end.

Just as he was really getting into it, just as he was growing breathless from kissing and shivering under the demon's hands and pressing against him for more, mind racing with excitement, it happened. There was a crash and a clatter and a startled set of shrieks that belonged to neither of them, and then he was falling into Pyr as the demon crashed backwards--through the wall. There was no time to think, no time to react, and he had only a vague notion of oh crap before the world went dizzy with confusion.

When the dust began to settle, he found himself suspended over Pyr, who was sprawled onto his back across the rubble. He blinked dust out of his eyes and stared down at Pyr, mouth agape. For a moment, no words came; he was still process what, exactly, had just happened and why and how.

The people inside the building were rushing out now, snapping things at he and Pyr, but Kyran barely heard them.

"...That was one hell of a kiss."