Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Subtle Trouble on 04-03-2011, 03:49:26</h2>
		<dl id="posts">
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 03:49:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie had always had an overactive imagination. How many times had her mother told the tales of when she was a child, playing for days on end with Tarosius, her imaginary friend? Nobody had known where the name had come from. But then, why is it important to a little, lonely girl what the strange man was called? He was fun, and kind, and the trouble they got into was always worth it. She'd been cute as a child, with white-blonde hair, wide, icy eyes, an upturned button nose, and a smattering of freckles across high cheekbones. She had been happy, too, her shrieks of laughter often echoing across the yard from her tree fort, or from grandma's cellar. Kenzie's mom had been certain that her mother had given Kenzie all of the details about Tarosius, in her bedtime stories, where Kenzie had gotten the idea of leaving honey on bread out for him, or a saucer of milk every evening. Just as her mother had been certain that it was raccoons that had eaten the offerings.<br><br>That had all changed, though, when Kenzie turned nine. She'd been walking into town, to meet a friend for ice-cream. She'd never gotten into town, or back. The police had found her a day later, huddled in the woods near the road, covered from head to toe in blood, and nearly-catatonic. They found the body... pieces of it, much later. Kenzie had stayed in a group home for quite some time afterward, slowly working through the nightmares, put on antipshycotics, and eventually being let out into the world again. She couldn't even remember the day that her laughter died, and Tarosius had faded away.<br><br>She'd been quiet in high school, staying away from the boys. She'd been wary of them. It took her until she was long out of school, and into a good job as a vet's assistant to even dream of boyfriends, or weddings. And then she'd met Kieth. He was kind, and respectful. They'd gone on dates, and even kissed a little. He was patient, and agreed to wait as long as she wanted. He could even be the one. <br><br>Kenzie hummed softly to herself, filling a kettle with water, and setting it on the stove. It was her first day in her new home, her old home, really. Grandma had finally passed, and the cottage was left to her only grandchild. Kenzie was from a long line of single mothers, and only children. She'd never had a cousin or sibling to play with. Retrieving a tea bag and some sugar from the cupboard, she continued to hum, occasionally allowing a word or two of the song to come out. She'd grown up prettily, with her high cheekbones remaining regal, and her nose infuriatingly cute. Her freckles had long since faded, her hair darkened a shade or three, and her body had adopted womanly curves. As the kettle began to shriek, she pulled it off the burner, and filled her mug, before putting it on the stove, and beginning to steep her tea. Grandma had always insisted on chamomile tea after dinner. Kenzie was loath to break the tradition of the old house that still smelled of mothballs.<br><br>There were still quilts everywhere, over mismatched furniture, and squat tables. Photo albums lined the walls, and the only really new addition to the home had been the addition of a computer. The cellar still had dirt floors, the tree in the back still had the fort in it, and Kenzie still slept in the guest bedroom. Grandma's room was untouched, the countless coloured bottles of perfume, buttons and pins still strewed across her dresser. Kenzie and Tarosius used to steal Grandma's treasure periodically. Kenzie rarely returned to look at the beautiful cacophony after her ninth year.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 04:20:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Mere flesh was like a dream to a creature such as Tarosius, one would know him only by his fierce beauty, which changed to suit his&nbsp; moods like the turning of the seasons, and those wonderful eyes of his, pools of iridescence that seemed to hold every shade of the sky, from the pale blue tone of a bright summer's day to the deep, dark purple that heralded the storms. Those eyes had not been seen by a living soul in a long time, though time had always been a rather alien concept to him, and it was only fitting that they were the first to return after so long an absence. Gleaming a uniform shade of turqoise, without pupils or whites, those eyes seemed to appear upon the wall of the kitchen, watching intently the young woman that had replaced his dear friend.<br><br>He had never been old or young, for what did not age could never truly change, but he was vaguely aware of the phenomenon, even if he could not understand it. It was only as the body took shape, a proud, muscular form that stood head and shoulders above a mere mortal man,&nbsp; his perfectly smooth, soft flesh the deep, rich tones of wild honey, and undoubtedly as sweet, taut over the form that spoke only of barely contained strength and impossible grace, that he felt certain emotions and memories returning. There was no garment to desecrate the image of perfection, not at first, until those fine, sharp features took on an expression of mild confusion, and modesty prevailed as old memories resurfaced and reminded him of certain necessities, clothing him in a simple tunic of palest white fabric that was soft as air, accentuating the rich complexion and brilliant gaze.<br><br>Smiling, he revealed the gleaming teeth that had always been far sharper than any man's should have been, though Kenzie had never been afraid of him, not until that last day when she had left him all alone. The thought made the smile fade, and he tilted his head ever so slowly to one side as a moment of disbelief made him wonder if she had returned to him or had simply gotten lost. He shook it away, the same motion setting the wild mane of thick black waves cascading over his shoulders as he recognised how ludicrous the thought was. It was impossible that she would return for any reason but for him, to explain her absence so that they could be friends once more. He hated and feared the loneliness as mortals feared death, and he was so delighted to have a reprieve from oblivion that the joy radiated off of him as an almost tangible force.<br><br>I missed you. The voice would have brought angels to tears, filled with the happiness and sadness of untold ages, though delight was winning as he walked towards his beloved friend, extending his arms for the welcoming embrace that she had undoubtedly been awaiting.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 04:36:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of sweetened chamomile, and sipped gingerly from the tea, as the Cheshire eyes returned to the wall, the rest of her dear friend following slowly. The taste of copper in her mouth, somehow familiar was the first clue, and she frowned, wondering why she tasted blood. But it wasn't until the awful voice spoke until she turned, to see the radiant, impossibly and terribly beautiful man from her childhood, standing in her kitchen, arms held out for a hug. The mug fell, shattering on the old linoleum floor, and her eyes widened until they hurt.<br><br>"HOLY FUCK ON A STICK!" She shrieked, pressing back against the counter, hand scrabbling behind her to look for something, anything she could use to defend herself. She knew who it was. How could she not? He had visited her in her home every day until her mother had sent her away. She hadn't really come home until today. Something about him terrified her, and not just the too-sharp teeth, or the almost painful beauty. She was scared for her life, and there was a reason for it. It was insanity, that must have been it, it couldn't be that her imaginary friend truly existed. It couldn't be that he...<br><br>"Get the fuck away from me!" She yelled, her ass sliding across the counter as she felt behind herself for the knife block. She ignored the shards of porcelain that found their way into her bare feet, the way the tea nearly scalded her, the burn on her fingers from where she'd touched the kettle, trying to find a knife. None of that mattered. He was here, and he wanted a freaking hug.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 13:43:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The effect of the sudden shriek was almost as dramatic as the outburst itself, as the shock set off a reaction in whatever passed for instincts in such a being, and he withdrew with such speed that one could not have followed the movement, he simply seemed to go from an approach to standing with his back pressed to the wall. Confusion showed in those eyes, for even if he had no pupils with which to indicate where his gaze fell, the furrowing of his brow was all the evidence anyone could need. "Kenzie, such language." The tone was one of quiet admonishment painted with surprise, as though she did not realise that her mother would undoubtedly punish her for such foul behaviour. He hated those times, when she was kept from coming out to play with him, or worse, sent away altogether. The difference between her leaving for school for the day and leaving for years was not quite as obvious to him as to her, and so he found himself at a loss to puzzle out her reaction.<br><br>There was something that overrode his shock, however, he could taste the blood on the air, felt the darkness uncoiling inside at the prospect of a hunt. He pushed the sensation away, her blood was not an enticement to savour a pleasure but an inexcusable lapse of his duty as a friend, and he approached once more, covering the distance between them in the space between even her terrified heartbeats. Kneeling, the porcelain crushed to powder beneath him as he was far too occupied to bother being cut, he took her foot in hand, and though his touch was feather light it nevertheless conveyed the sense that he was stronger than stone and steel, should he so wish. Long, delicate fingers turned up her sole, ignorant of her protests as he coaxed the tiny shards from her flesh, first one foot and then the other. The quiet, quick confidence of his actions made it almost impossible to resist, he was far too determined to be shooed away when she was in danger.<br><br>The very thought that terror could have motivated her was beyond him, and as he stood he simply looked at the kettle that had burned her with a surprising hatred, given that it was an inanimate object, and he batted it aside with one hand, leaving it partially embedded in the ancient brick wall on the other side of the room. He didn't realise that her place upon the countertop and his close proximity had essentially trapped her, he was still disturbed to find her sending him away. "Why don't you want to see me?" No rejected puppy had ever shown such uncomprehending pain at such cruelty, and there was an innocent, plaintive hope of acceptance there in his angelic face.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 14:13:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Such language? Kenzie gaped at the man before her, feeling her heart race, her stomach almost curdling with fear. She screamed again, as he suddenly flashed before her, bending to examine her foot. Sh'd already climbed onto the counter in her initial shock, it was only a matter of his grabbing her foot. "Get aw-ah!" She yelped, as the porcelain began to slip out from her foot with his help, the sting bringing tears of pain to her eyes. It was useless to kick, or try to pull away, though she tried. Nothing happened, as she knew it would. He had her foot. That was that.<br><br>Kenzie jumped, as he sent the kettle flying across the room, and she turned wide eyes to him, beginning to tremble. She leaned back, against the wall behind the counter, trapped by his proximity. "I- You..." She stuttered, as he turned his gaze to her. He could hurt her, kill her as easily as a flick of his wrist. He'd just shown her. "You tore a man apart..." She whispered, voice breaking. "They told me it wasn't true, that it was an animal... Oh my god..." Her voice was a squeak, eyes tearing up. "Please, just don't hurt me," she begged, trying to push herself away from him, down the counter.<br><br>How could it be? Was her imaginary friend real, or was she having a psychotic break? She'd seen him tear a man apart for trying to touch her. She'd watched his blood spray and his intestines stretch, and his arm get flung into a thicket as easily as the kettle had gone into the wall. Her feet were slowly oozing blood, but she still couldn't feel the pain, adrenaline still pumping through her, numbing her completely.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 17:01:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				That pleading tone in her voice would have broken his heart, if he had any need of one, but it cut him to the soul he didn't have, and he could not help but to frown as anguish and bewilderment fought for control of his expression. "I would never hurt you." He spoke as he thought would sound reassuring, for he had always known her to take comfort in his voice, in that scent that was wrapped around him like the perfume of the blossoms of Eden, truly heavenly, which was why he fitted so poorly into the waking world. "You are my friend." There at last some surety returned to him, and he attempted a faint smile that fortunately managed not to reveal his teeth. He wasn't sure what was the cause of her sudden change of personality, though he had a vague suspicion that it might have been why she seemed taller than before.<br><br>"He should not have tried to hurt you. Nobody is allowed to touch you." The memory, and memories he could understand, brought a fierce look to his beauty, for he could not understand sickness or death, but his fear of losing her was greater than any man's fear of morbidity and mortality. She was his, after all, and he would not allow anyone to hurt his friend, though they would have undoubtedly disagreed on what constituted hurt. Possessiveness came to him as flight to a hawk.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 17:13:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie shuddered softly, as he bared his perfect, white, sharp teeth to her. "What do you want from me?" She whispered, eyes narrow. The way he spoke of her, that easy way he pronounced that nobody was allowed to touch her... It chilled her to the core. She wasn't stupid enough to try and argue that with him, though. He had never had the best handle on logic, in her recollection. How many times had she explained to him how school worked, and why she had to go? Or that she wanted to make friends with the other children? He'd always played mean jokes on the others. They didn't like her after that. Good god, she must have been a creepy kid. <br><br>As that fierce look crossed his features, Kenzie made a soft squeak of fear in the back of her throat, "Why are you here?" She whispered. "They said you weren't real..." She repeated. But his hands on her feet had been real, pulling the porcelain out. And it reminded her of everything. The man who had lead her into the forest, promising her ice cream and a puppy. He had been their neighbor. From down the road a ways. He'd always had the best candy at Halloween, and was always nice. Tarosius had never liked him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 17:54:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				If anything, Tarosius' grasp of logic was still far better than his grasp of time, and he shrugged, grinning as he wondered if perhaps it was simply a new game. It was a very cruel game, to hurt herself and insult him so, no matter how much she might have been enjoying herself. "I thought we were going to play." He was neither simple nor stupid, but the sum total of his human interactions in the last few millennia had been with a child, which had done quite a bit to shape his perception of mortals. "We always play when I turn up." They always had, even when he had arrived in the wee hours of the morning to show her a particularly interesting flower in the depths of the forest, or to watch the animals going about their nightly business with all the solemn wonder of an Attenborough documentary.<br><br>The sound he made when she reiterated that foolish notion of his nonexistence was somewhere between a growl and a sigh, and he was having difficulty shaking his foul temper so long as she persisted in repeating such hurtful things. "Who said that? They should not have told you such wicked things." Reaching out with the speed of a striking serpent and the tenderness of a doting friend, he took her wrist into his grasp, bringing her hand up to the thick black curls that framed his face. She had always had some strange fascination with his hair, although it would have been obvious to an understanding of little girls that a larger than life sized doll with a mass of jet tresses was an impossible temptation, especially if he happened to be willing to let her practice plaiting and braiding it until even she grew bored.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 18:09:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"The doctors! The psychologists! They said you were a delusion, and put me on antipsychotic medication, and I had to live in a psychiatric hospital for <em>years</em> because of you!" She replied, anger sparking within her. She yelped, however, as his hand shot out to catch her wrist, pulling it up to his hair. Her anger fled and was again, returned by apprehension and fear. Her lips pressed together as she tried not to scream, or cry, as he guided her hand to stroke his tresses. She remembered the days she had spent tangling his hair until she learned how to do it properly. French braids, normal braids, dutch braids. She'd even started to learn how to herringbone braid. She took a deep breath, pulling her hand away from the softest hair she had ever touched, and pressed her fist to her chest.<br><br>He wanted to play? Fine. "If- if I play with you, will you go away, Tarosius?" She asked softly, her eyes finally meeting his, chills running up her spine. Part of her was comfortable with him. She wanted to braid his hair, go find flowers, listen to him tell her all about the animals, and plants, and the legends, his truths, that went along with them. She wanted to go swimming naked with him in the lake down the road, and she wanted to hear him tell her about the selkies, and the elves. The courts and the gentry. But her other part screamed, desperately telling her to run. She was insane, or he was real, a monster, who had decided that she was his. And he wouldn't let go. She had to get away and never come back, and make sure he didn't follow. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 18:24:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"If you want me to go away, you need only tell me to, truthfully." He was reluctant to leave, he was only truly alive when she was there. Without her he was nothing more than the wind and the sunlight and the rain, all the things that made the land so beautiful and rich, but only she let him have a shape and a voice, feelings and memories. He needed her, but he did not know enough to realise the selfishness of his need. For all he would lose he was truthful, he loved her too much to hurt her with his presence. That would be worsing than letting anyone else hurt her.<br><br>"If you had called for me, I would have come. I wouldn't have let them give you medication or lock you up." His vocabulary had no means of helping him to understand medicine, psychiatry or hospitals, but he understood emotions well enough to see that it was a painful memory for her. "I will punish them." He showed his intelligence, quickly adding to the statement to help her to understand that he could control himself if she wanted. "If you wish. For locking you away from me." Regret, though he did not know the name of the unfamiliar feeling, rose up, and he found himself wishing that he had gone after her, torn himself free from the land that was his spirit and brought her home, no matter the cost.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 18:33:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"No!" She yelped, jumping, her hand curling in his tunic, as he suggested he would go punish them. "Don't. They were just trying to help." She added, voice soft. She couldn't have called for him. She was too drugged up, and by the time they had begun to wean her of the meds, they'd already convinced her that he wasn't real. She sighed, her hand uncurling from his clothing, and her eyes dropped. She couldn't honestly tell him she wanted him gone, but she couldn't honestly tell him she wanted him to stay either. "Tosarius... I've grown up. I'm an adult now." She said. "I can't play with you all the time any more. I have to go to work, sleep... I have a boy friend, and other friends. You can't chase them away, either." She added, voice warning. "And... and if they find out about you, then I'll have to go back to the hospital." She added.<br><br>Kenzie didn't know what to do. It was all right for children to have imaginary friends, to believe in faeries, and monsters, but an adult... She had a life, a job. How could she give it all up for Tosarius? Couldn't he find another child o play with until they were old enough to let go? Move on again? What made her so special? But then, how could she not give it up? He had been her one true friend as a child. Everyone else had made fun of her, hurt her in one way or another. And she did understand that, in his way, Tosarius had only been trying to protect her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 19:41:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I can chase anyone off." Which was perfectly true, of course. Even the fiercest, most psychotic dogs in the area would run whimpering if he so much as looked at them, and the reaction of their owners who happened to be less perceptive than their hounds was almost as great a source of amusement. He grinned proudly, lifting a hand to pat her cheek gently. "No one will ever put you away again." The sincerity of the statement, the utter belief in his own ability to protect her, although the presence of those long, almond shaped nails at the ends of his fingers, and quite so close to her eye, suggested that he would have no trouble living up to his promise, in his own way.<br><br>He stepped back, finally realising that he was keeping her from moving, and his arm encircled her waist with great delicacy, the other curling behind her knees to support her as he lifted her from her perch on the countertop, as though she weighed no more than a feather. He crossed the room at a sedate speed, setting her down upon one of the ancient armchairs that held court near the fire, careful to help her to put her feet upon the ottoman before they touched the floor. "Why do you need to work? I could give you whatever you need."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 19:51:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"No, Taro. I don't want you to chase anyone off." She replied, before stiffening, her eyes closing protectively, her brow furrowing as his hand lightly tapped her cheek. He could put her eye out as easily as plucking a grape, and she was not certain he wouldn't if she angered him. Kenzie's body remained stiff, as he easily scooped her up, like he had as a child, her shoulder resting against his warm, muscular chest. He smelled like the forest, on a warm, summer's day, with the fragrances of the trees dancing across the wind. He smelled like her childhood and happier times. He smelled like it did before everything changed. As he released her into the chair, Kenzie watched him, turning half on her hip to face him properly, leaving her feet to rest on the ottoman, heedless of the blood smearing across the worn green velvet.<br><br>"I need to work because I need to buy food, and pay taxes, and buy things, Taro." She replied, slipping into the nickname she had given him so long ago. "And because I help animals that are sick and hurt. I like my job. I like helping to make cats and dogs, and horses and whatever else feel better." She tried to explain. "It makes me feel like I'm helping, doing something worth doing. You can't give me that, even if you could give me everything else."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 20:24:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Toying briefly with her words as they spun around his mind, that hulking form settled gracefully to seat himself upon the floor, folding his legs beneath him. He considered that she would have to stay if there were more animals to help, but he wondered if he should injure them without telling her, since she had never liked to see them getting hurt. He could easily cripple a few cats and horses, although he would have to be careful to place them where she could stumble across them.&nbsp; He didn't even consider trying to work out what taxes were, although he did have a vague idea of parasites and he made a note to see if anyone was stealing from her. "You could let me try." There was a faintly pleading note in his voice, and for once he seemed to embarassed to look her in the eye, which was a pity as his own began to darken to that rich, star flecked violet of a deep summer's evening.<br><br>Those nails had frightened her so raked along the front of his tunic, shredding it into long ribbons with ease, and he ignored the damage to his clothing as he bared his chest in order to make bandages for her. It was a talent he had acquired rather quickly, once he had realised that she was so fragile and needed to be watched carefully. He still felt guilt for some of the bumps and scrapes she had suffered as a little girl, though to his view those days were no further away than yesterday. "I would try very hard." With all the care he could manage he took her feet into his lap, and gently bound the cuts in the soft white fabric.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 20:36:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Taro, no..." Kenzie replied softly. "It's something I have to do for myself." As he shredded his tunic, she looked away, blood rushing to colour her face and ears. She pushed a stray, straw coloured strand of her hair behind her ear, and bit her bottom lip. She'd braided her own hair after she had been removed from home. It was never as satisfying as weaving her fingers through black hair, though. As he carefully picked up one foot, she bit her bottom lip, trying not to look at his nudity. Trying not to think how close to it he deposited her foot to start binding it. <br><br>Kenzie stuck her middle finger, the most badly burned, into her mouth and began to suck, thinking of what she could say, how she could explain. But how could she explain how puberty had changed her, how she had grown up and gotten responsibilities to someone who had no concept of it? They were so different, now. "Why don't you go find another little girl?" She asked him softly. "I'm too old to play with Faeries." She added, trying a different method. "Don't you remember the story of Peter Pan I told you? How Wendy grew up and couldn't play with him any more?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 21:11:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I am not a fairy." He could not help but take a little offence, it was a slur on what would have been his proud heritage if he had any family, since it seemed that there was just him, even if the differences between himself and others was difficult to discern. He managed to keep most of the offence out of his voice, but he could not help but to give her a puzzled stare as the rest of her words caught up with him. "Friends are not to be swapped around." Focusing on bandaging her feet gave him some means of ignoring the hurtful remark, and he found himself wondering if it was his fault that she had turned against him so. He could not fathom what had made her want to be so cruel, and he was growing to wonder what those doctors had said to make her forget his feelings so.<br><br>"That was just a story, you said so yourself." To his credit, he had been quite gallant upon hearing of Tinkerbelle's capture, and was heartbreakingly disappointed when he had to be convinced that there really was no Captain Hook to fight. There were few things more painful to watch than a hero told that there was no rescue mission to mount and no pirates to fight. The fact that he could have easily torn through a ship crewed by bloodthirsty buccaneers faster than a giant crocodile meant that it was perhaps for the best, since there was no telling what he might have done if he'd gotten near a marina.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 21:20:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I know you aren't a fairy, Taro." She replied. "I mean Faerie, as in Celtic mythology, like the selkies and nymphs and trolls and brownies. Remember?" She said. "And, I know that Peter Pan was just a story, but it doesn't mean that there isn't any truth to it. Yes, there weren't pirates, but still, when people grow up magic has to leave." It was hard to explain to Taro why he had to leave, and she still wasn't entirely certain she wanted him to go. He was her oldest, and dearest friend, and he was so careful with her. As soon as her feet were finished, she carefully moved to the floor, kneeling gingerly before him, and reached out, swallowing nervously before she tilted his face, crooking a finger under his chin to meet his eyes. "Taro, you belong with kids, not adults. I need to get married, and have kids of my own...<br><br>"You know I love you, right? I still do, even though it's been so long and so much has happened, but I have to let you go. You won't be happy with me. I can't play all day, and you hate it when I leave. But if you find another little girl, or a little boy, and you play nicely with them, then you can be happy for a while. You can't stop people from growing up, and you can't hang on forever. But you can keep them in your hearts, and be happy that they're happy and find someone new, can't you?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 21:35:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				How much did love matter to one who was discarded by the only person he connected with the emotion? He had never stopped to think that she could love anyone else, or even that people out in the world could experience love on their own, oblivious to his and her existence. "Stop saying that!" The words were snapped at her in frustration, and he turned away from her, as ashamed by his own outburst as he was angered by her constant dismissal of him. Much as he hated to face the truth, he began to realise that her advice was not for his sake, but her own. "You just want to be rid of me. I don't think you care if I am alone or with friends, just so long as I am gone." The sensation was strange, and if he'd had a heart to pump his blood he would have wondered why there was a disturbing sensation of a painful, crushing emptiness in his chest. He wanted to leave, then, to get away from her and return to the quiet oblivion that was his natural state. Why he couldn't bring himself to simply rise and go escaped him, but he nevertheless found himself drawing away from her, and climbing reluctantly to his feet.<br><br>That he left the remnants of the tunic behind him was hardly worthy of consideration, and it scarcely seemed to matter as he began to sulk, in his own way. He did not vanish, nor did he fade, but it simply seemed as though he decided not to let her see him clearly. He was there, and if one focused the faint outline of his body was clearly visible, as were those eyes that had turned almost black to match his mood, but at the same time it was quite obvious that there was nothing keeping her from staring right through him to the kitchen beyond.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 21:46:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie jumped, with a gasp, as he snapped, yanking her hand back, and leaning away as he stood, stalking away. "That's not true." She replied softly, biting her lower lip. "If I could go back, and be a kid again, and play with you, I would. But I can't. It's not how time works." Her eyebrows furrowed with pain, as she pushed herself up, onto her feet, gritting her teeth against the pain. She knew how he sulked. He'd done it before. Eventually she had learned to let him deal with it on her own. Her mother had once told her that when someone didn't want to be spoken to, and was being difficult about it, you should let them be for a while. "I'm going to bed, Taro." She said softly, exhaustion finally crashing down onto her. It was only early, but it seemed much later.<br><br>She carefully picked her way out of the living room, and toward the bedrooms. She walked into the bathroom, and sighed, turning the shower on, and sitting on the closed toilet to examine the damage to her fingers and feet, which were truly beginning to hurt now She swore softly, as she unbound the bandages from her feet, and set them aside. Pulling off her clothing, she stepped into the shower, not thinking how a closed door had never deterred Taro in the past. She soaped her hair, eyes closed, and head tilted back under the hot stream of water, letting it wash over her and rinse off all of her emotional confusion. She could deal with it in the morning, if Taro was still around.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 22:25:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The presence persisted in the house until Kenzie had gone to bed, and for all his anger and frustration he was unable to leave until he was satisfied that she was safe and sound. Words were inadequate to describe what he did then, though the most obvious point was that he ceased to be in one place, one body, for to him the mind, body and soul were simply the one substance. Sinking into the world around him, he stopped being Tarosius once more, his personality fading as the being simply became nature, blurring into that slumber that could only have been described as death, although death was usually not a state from which one could return at will. There might come a time when he would be again, but the person who had drawn him out of his sleep had sent him away, and there was no mind to consider seeking forgiveness from her, although his last thoughts were shaded by the awareness that it was unlikely that she would not have a need of him anymore.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>04-03-2011, 22:46:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lonliness settled over the house, in the days after Tarosius' departure. Her feet healed, and Kenzie slowly found herself back in the normal way of things, but there was no heart behind it. She hadn't missed Taro so much because she thought he wasn't real, before. Now? Now her heart ached for her old friend. Had she truly hurt him that badly? Before he would always return after a short while, none the worse for wear. He would forget about the fight, and they would play again. It was on the ninth day that Kenzie caved. She walked out in the drizzle, hair matting to her head in a golden curtain within moments, and her black shirt sticking to her curves. <br><br>"Taro?" She called into the rain, as she stepped into the forest from her back yard. "Tarosius? I'm sorry! I missed you! I miss you, now! I'm sorry I left, and I'm sorry that things changed, but... Will you please just come back?" She asked, standing in the cold drizzle. She began to shiver within moments, looking around the trees.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>05-03-2011, 01:12:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The sole living creature abroad in the rain appeared to be a rabbit, which paused about its inexplicable business to fix the shouting ape with a steady gaze. There was a strange sense of venerable wisdom in those eyes, even considering the twitching pink nose that they were set behind, and no rodent should have been able to look quite so intensely, as though awaiting an explanation for the disturbance. Apparently deciding to forgo enlightenment on the off chance that she had a recipe in mind that involved itself and a mustard glaze, it bolted off into the depths of the forest, taking the path that soon had it out of sight and the cookpot.<br><br>There was the sense of him there in the world, as though he was the stones, the sky, the earth and the air, in the minds of the birds huddling in the ancient trees and the trees themselves, even the tiny insects that buzzed away in a riot just below the range of her hearing. The eyes appeared first, as always, the colour of blue steel, mere inches away from her face. The body that followed was certainly his, although it seemed as though he wanted skin as white as driven snow and hair of a pale, ashen blond hue that made it difficult to tell where his body ended and his hair began. "You will become sick." He spoke as the rain began to fall upon him, matting his hair and making his flesh glisten like purest crystal. The cold seemed to have no effect on him, and it was obvious that the clothes he wore were for her sake instead of his own. What was truly strange is that they seemed to be a pair of blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt instead of his usually ancient looking vestments, and although he had gotten the appearance right the fabric had the texture of pure gossamer rather than denim and cotton.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 02:37:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the eyes appeared before her, Kenzie jumped, yelping softly, taking a step back to more of a comfortable distance. She sighed, at his soft admonishment, and looked away, giving a half shrug. "I'm sorry." She repeated. "I dunno how, but I want to make this work. I missed you." Her eyes bore into his, taking in his differed appearance. "Wh-" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She'd never seen him in anything that looked even vaguely modern. Half the time he had never even worn pants. "What are you wearing?" She asked him softly. Kenzie sighed softly, and looked back towards the cottage. "Can we go inside?" She asked. <br><br>She wanted to reach out, to touch him, run her fingers through her hand like she did when she was a child. She wanted to tell him all of her troubles, and play cat's cradle. She took a step toward home, glancing back to him, and offering a hand, her teeth pressing into her bottom lip, uncertainty writing through her eyes. How could she deny her best friend? She could make him understand, and maybe she could even help him move on when he had to. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 03:03:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The apology earned Kenzie a beatific smile, and no saint in history could have been so radiantly innocent, although it was doubtful that any of them had ever been so angelic as Tarosius either. He was so happy to hear her change her mind that he was willing to forgive the earlier torments, and the admission of her need for him salved all wounds.<br><br>He did not react quite so well to her confusion, and his expression mimiced hers as he peered down at his body, wondering where he had made a mistake. "Is it incorrect?" He tried to focus on what he knew of relationships, and it had occurred to him that there was some greater significance in the removal of clothing than he would otherwise have afforded it. His grasp on the invitation to enter the home was a little shakier, but it was possible that she would have to invite him even if he already visited. Different intentions required different rituals, confusing as the whole mess was.<br><br>Staring at her for a few moments, he struggled to read her expression, unfamiliar as it was. That she had changed was obvious to him, although the more obvious physical changes were far less confusing than her strange behaviour. It was hard sometimes to remember that she was a sort of animal, though that hardly helped him. "Yes." He reached out, enclosing her dainty little hand in his own, and his free hand moved carefully, large enough to cover her entire rear as he lifted her ever so gently, pulling her into a tight embrace. He released her hand, lifting his own to cup her cheek, and pressed his lips to hers in a deep, hungry kiss. It had been his intent to prove that he could meet her needs, but the unfamiliar softness of her mouth against his own had a curious reaction, and he was only vaguely aware of his other hand kneading the soft globes of her behind through the fabric of her jeans, pulling her ever tighter into his hold.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 03:37:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie's squeak of surprise was stifled, as his hand collected her bottom, lifting her easily as a thought. His lips pressing against hers, tasting of pine needles, and a crisp morning. Her eyes drifted closed, arms sliding around his shoulders as her lips pressed against his, his bottom lip catching between hers for a moment, before she pulled back, blinking, stunned, her hair hanging in tendrils between them. "Taro..." She said softly, pulling away, trapped in his hold. "What are you doing?" She asked him. Her hands clutched into fists, along his back, the shirt feeling like silk, looking like gossamer. The kiss had been... She wanted it again. But it was Taro, he wasn't human, he didn't understand. He couldn't.<br><br>"Please... Put me down. We'll- We'll go in and I'll make you milk with honey, and... We can talk, figure this out." She said softly, swallowing, her heart thundering in her chest, feeling her stomach flutter. Between her thighs warmed, a small shiver running down her spine. Her legs had spread, at his press of her close, embracing his thighs with her own, her pelvis pressed against his. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 04:10:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tarosius had never imagined that they could share a sensation that would be so, well, friendly. He was lost in the taste of her, the sensation of something against his lips besides milk and honey, and though he had little understanding of metaphor, she was as pure and sweet as both. He was surprised to taste the unfamiliar perfume of her arousal in the air, and it blended with the radiance of her lust to espouse a rather stranger response in him. Though he had always been aware of the fact that he had taken a male form, he was unprepared for the sudden uncomfortable stiffness as a significant portion of his anatomy strained to be free of the tight confines of the jeans.<br><br>He solved the problem with typical directness, tearing away the fabric until he found blessed relief in the cool air, even if it did nothing to comfort the aching pressure of his need. There was so much to think of, and even as Kenzie pleaded for an escape from his embrace her own garments were rent with similar ease, and the feel of her pert little bottom bare beneath his palm brought a soft, growl of desire from his lips, an unfamiliar but welcome sound. "I want you." It was half a plea, half a demand, as he discarded the t-shirt and embraced her all the more tightly, pressing the kiss to her lips once more, as instinct took over for thought.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 04:35:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				This time, it wasn't a squeak of surprise, it was&nbsp; yelp of shock, and her legs looped around his waist, tightening, holding herself above the length of his suddenly free member. "Taro!" She shrilled, holding herself tightly against him, a pair of jeans shredded and on the floor of the forest. "What the hell?" She continued, her cheeks flushing, eyes wide, fingers digging against his skin. "N-no!" She squeaked, as his words ground out, his t-shirt disappearing, leaving him gloriously nude. "I can't... You can't..." She couldn't think properly, couldn't believe where this had gone. She was wet, in more ways than one, and freezing. The water slid between them, absorbing into her shirt and bra, trickling down their faces, tracing abstract lines down hers, pure, artistic trails down his. <br><br>And then his lips cascaded onto hers, and all thought escaped her. A soft, stifled moan escaped her throat, as her lips opened under his, helpless against his will. One hand slid up, into the hair at the nape of his neck, tangling in the locks. She pulled back, again, panting, eyes dilated, lips bruised and swollen. She whimpered, staring into his. "I can't" she whispered again, before her lips pressed against his, the tip of her tongue tracing a line against his bottom lip.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 04:53:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				If he had ever had any concept of an afterlife, the kiss would have been Heaven. To find her, his dearest beloved, clinging to him with such passion and need was all he would ever desire. He met the kiss with a hunger all his own, and it was a testament to his loving care that those razored teeth did not cut her lips or tongue as he claimed her mouth, his tongue dancing over hers to gift her with that unnatural taste, sweet as honey and yet fragrantly spiced. The deep, rumbling purr that she elicited made his entire body tremble steadily from head to toe.<br><br>Sinking to his knees, he brought her slowly down to the ground, both of her dainty wrists captured in one large hand as he laid her out before him, stretching her arms above her head as he pinned her firmly in place. His free hand tore at the bra that was the last defense of her modesty, and he covered a breast in his strong grasp as he fell to take another kiss from her, growling in delight as he tasted her mouth once more. Though he knew his own strength, it was impossible for him not to bruise her flesh ever so slightly in his lust, as those long, powerful fingers kneaded at her breast, and he tried to focus long enough to work out what was wrong.<br><br>It never occurred to him that the means of easing the dull throbbing in his loins was so close, so to speak, and though he knelt between her shapely thighs, the member that was at the source of his sudden aggression lay trapped between his belly and her waist. He could only break the kiss and peer down at her with a pleading look, whimpering softly in his need.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 05:18:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie whimpered, her back arching as he pinned her wrists to the ground. A moan sounded, as his hand roughly gripped her breast, her eyebrows furrowing softly in discomfort. "Too hard," she muttered softly, her eyes glancing up at his, and she shook her head slightly. "Taro, please, I can't... I've never..." Her tongue flicked out across her lips, and she wriggled beneath him, sliding against his skin. Her heart was thundering, the rain chilling her through, despite his warmth blanketing her. She sniffed softly, breathing through a slightly open mouth, her nose already beginning to stuff up a bit. She blinked through the rain, his hair falling in a curtain to isolate them. She was open, lain bare beneath him, vulnerable, and pinned. She'd never felt more sexy in her life, and nothing had ever felt that right. But she had Kieth, and she'd never done anything more than kissing, she'd never wanted to. She wanted to wait until she was married. She'd always avoided sex... But then, she'd never really wanted anyone like she'd wanted Taro.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 10:11:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The sudden shock of fear brought Taro to at least a few of his senses, the others too far gone to be of any help beyond stoking the fires of his need. To hurt her was simply unforgiveable, it was the closest he could come to the concept of sin, and he took no pleasure in the thought. "I love you." He spoke the words as gently as he could when his voice wanted nothing more than to roar his triumph to the skies, nuzzling gently against her cheek as he moved down closer, his broad form shielding her from the worst of the rainfall. "Do not be afraid, Kenzie. I will not harm you."<br><br>Seeking to prove the purity of his intent, he lowered his head, those pale tresses of his hiding his face as his lips ever so lightly nursed her bruised breast, circling the firm mound with a single slow, meandering kiss that seemed to never end, not until her found that pale, rose hued nipple. He drew her into his mouth for a taste, suckling slowly at first, his tongue slowly flattening against the underside of her breast as he took a greedy mouthful, all the while those fearsome fangs of his prickling her flesh, always threatening to break the skin and yet never truly doing so. He could be quite careful when he paid attention, and he was beginning to realise what he needed to do to keep her from leaving him again.<br><br>His hand moved slowly down, crossing the delightfully smooth expanse of her belly to come to rest upon her thigh, caressing softly as he eased his own from ever so slightly to one side. Without being in his own way he was free to seek out the source of the delicious scent, and his body trembled ever so lightly as his fingertips fell gently upon those glistening lips, the soft pad of his thumb brushing ever so slightly over the tiny, stiff nub that crowned them. With great care a fingertip pressed ever so lightly against her sex, and as her body yielded he fed her the full digit, marvelling at the heat and softness of her even as it descended up to the knuckle. He began to move his wrist in slow, rolling motions, rising and falling in a circle that worked the long digit, and gradually a second, in a delicate sawing, his thumb alternately stroking lightly and rubbing heavily over the tiny button as it unhooded itself slowly to submit to his touch.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 16:58:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie gasped, as the words slipped through his lips, something inside of her clenching at it, as he promised not to harm her. Another gasp emerged, as he lowered his mouth to her breast, circling the tender mound, kissing it better like he had done for any number of bumps and bruises as a child. And then he crossed her nipple. Kenzie arched beneath him again, gasping deeply, feeling as if electricity was shooting down, straight to her womb, making it clench deliciously. Her hands clenched, beneath his tight grip, and she whimpered, senses leaving her. The soft scrape of his fangs only driving the sensation higher, making it better.<br><br>And then he found her sex. Something between a whimper and a groan came from her lips, and Kenzie's hips dipped down, pressing her bottom into the ground, an act that would ultimately be her downfall. As her flesh yeilded to his finger, opening to him, she gasped at the gentle penetration, feeling him brush something deep inside as he sank his finger all the way in. Her mouth gaped, eyes widening as she froze, his thumb dancing across the sensitive nub above her opening, making hr legs jump reflexively with every stroke. She began to make small, high pitched noises, gasping, whimpering as his finger worked deep inside her, teasing the sensitive flesh that held her captivated, pushing her further and further beyond reason, as he added a second finger. She whimpered, pressing her cheek against her arm, writhing beneath him. "Taro...." She whimpered, pleading as her hips worked, maneuvering so he would hit the spot with every stroke, legs still twitching.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 18:11:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Taking his time came naturally to Taro when he was enjoying himself, and in all the years he had never imagined that Kenzie could need him so much, or take such pleasure from his touch. He was aware that the embraces and kisses of the past were different from their current intimacy, even if he could not say exactly how or why. The first thought was that she was struggling to be free of his grasp, but he soon realised that she moved to meet his hand, not to escape, and his wrist began to move to a faster tempo, as she sank deeper into the throes of lust. He wanted her to be happy, and there was no doubting the pleasure in her voice as she uttered his name like a prayer, even though it would have been so easy to mistake her cries for pain.<br><br>Curiosity took the better of him, as that hand drew away, his head rising as he turned to examine the moisture that coated his fingers, bringing the tips to his lips for an experimental taste. It was obviously to his liking, as his crimson tongue darted out to gather her taste into his mouth, savouring the richness of her arousal as though it were finest wine. There was no turning back, and his need had been only sharpened by his careful, if unfamiliar, teasing, and he smiled gently at her as he shifted, one of her legs being lifted slightly to wrap around his waist. He shuffled a little closer to her, his free hand moving to take the heavy length in his grasp, and as he leaned forwards over his beloved the swollen tip grazed the soft folds of her sex, smearing her wetness with his flesh.<br><br>There was a desire to saw something, anything, to comfort her, to put her at her ease. He could think of nothing fitting for the moment, and so all he could do was offer her a loving kiss as his hips pushed gently towards her body. His hand fell down to cup her rear, helping her to lift her hips towards the slow, steady press of his body. It was then he cried out, without breaking the union of their lips, as the silken softness of her devoured his length, trapping him in that wonderful heated friction.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 20:23:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As his fingers sped, her voice rose into high whimpers, squeaks and moans as she writhed. She wasn't sure whether she wanted him to stop or never stop. Her muscles locked, back arched, and she moaned, clamping around his fingers, eyes closed as she moaned, his fingers unrelenting as she came, panting as his fingers withdrew. Her eyes opened, panting through her mouth, swallowing, muscles languid, feeling lazy, as his tongue licked up his fingers. She stared at him, as her thigh hiked up his hip, resting on him. "Taro..." She whispered, head shaking. <br><br>Her back arched, as he grazed over her opening, yelping, head falling back, the rain still falling, steam rising softly from their heated skin. As his mouth pressed to hers, her eyes again closed, pressing her lips to his, mouth open under his, as he pressed in, gasping at the uncomfortable tightness, eyebrows furrowing as she shook her head, still locked into the kiss, moaning as her muscles tensed, a soft moan of pain escaping, her hands clenched tightly, pressing, attempting to break free. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 21:22:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The meeting of bodies was like nothing Taro might have imagined, and it was only the soft cries of pain and pleasure that warned him against the urge to press harder or faster. His descent was slow, driven by boundless hunger and curbed only by his love for her, and it was only when they finally met, his body forcing her thighs further apart as he rested flush against her, that he could focus on anything beyond that wondrous coupling. He murmured a soft, wordless plea to her, only catching up to himself after a moment to gather his sense. "Don't worry." Nuzzling gently at her cheek, he coaxed her into turning her head to meet his gaze, smiling faintly before he pressed her into a kiss.<br><br>Though he looked as though he weighed more than a bear, and for all that inhuman strength, he was light as he rested upon her, even when he moved it was as though he weighed nothing at all. That strength was carefully controlled, focused on holding her wrists still, and bracing her hips up off of the ground, as he moved, withdrawing slowly. He was delighted to find that it felt as good moving away as it did when he paused with his hips in the air and began yet another slow descent, gradually settling in to a natural rhythm that guided his delicate thrusts. Though he could feel her struggling, he could taste her need, feel the pleasure he gave to her along with the pain, for he knew her soul far better than he knew her body, even in such an intimate embrace.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 21:43:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie whimpered, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes from the stretching, as he pressed all the way in, her hips and knees bending to accommodate him between her thighs. She looked up to him, as he whispered to her, eyes questioning, out of her depth. Don't worry? She gasped, as he levered himself out, her inner muscles gripping, pain mingling with pleasure. She moaned, panting, as he pressed in deeply, pressing against her again, harder, deeper against the spot from before. She writhed, moaning, head thrashing as the pleasure flushed out the pain, her mind becoming again overcome with the sharp, pleasurable sensation. Again, she plead his name, arching, writhing in his careful hold, her feet bracing herself on the floor.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 22:16:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Time was something that Tarosius had little understand of, and so he did not know how long such activities were meant to be pursued, it certainly did not occur to him that a human lover would have a finite stamina, or that the body could only take so much exertion in the cold rain. He was sleek and beautiful as he found the natural tempo to his motions, those powerful hips dancing as he sought to bring them both to the heights of ecstasy. There was no need to give thought to the energy needed for the work, he would not have tired too quickly. He altered the speed and angle of his thrusts to meet her needs, and each time he brought her to a shuddering, spasming peak it was all he could do to hold on until she relaxed and allowed him to move of his own accord once more.<br><br>Even his otherworldly flesh was not immune to the imperative of pleasure, and eventually he found himself unable to hold back the soft moans that tore themselves from his golden lips. Her wrists were freed at last, as his hands fell to her thighs, gently pressing them apart and back towards her as his pace quickened, pressing deeper as he found himself on the cusp of his own climax. His hands dug frantically at the earth, long black talons appearing at the ends of his fingertips as he threw himself into that wild, passionate state, howling his pleasure with a deep, throaty, and utterly inhuman voice. Hips rocking against hers, the first pulse poured his seed deep inside of her, and as his copious offering came he was racked with shudders, gasping for breath as he was overwhelmed by the raw fury of the sensation.<br><br>It took a long, timeless time for him to catch up to his senses, panting heavily as he tried to remember who and where he was. It was only as he wound down that he realised that Kenzie was close to freezing, for all of the heat generated by their bodies in motion was enough to protect her from the cold, wet earth. He climbed to his feet, a trifle unsteadily for the first time in his existence, and gathered her up in his arms to bring her back into the cottage, where he could at least hope to warm her up with a fire and a blanket. Delivering her into the warmth of her bed, he hesitated for a moment before going in search of a towel to dry her off. His own hair and skin seemed already dry, as though the water was evaporated in an instant.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 22:27:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Over and over he pounded against her, and over, and over again she came, voice raw from the moans, whimpers and screams he brought her to, the pain fading, then returning as he continued. She moaned, as his pace finally quickened, exhausted, sore as he began to thrust with a freinzy, again forcing her up, coming again, only a soft moan escaping her, as she felt his warm seed pour into her, and then blackness claimed her.<br><br>Kenzie woke freezing, shivering, despite the blankets piled on-top of her. Her throat and mouth were dry, and she ached all over, especially between her thighs. Her eyes flew open, and she sat up, the movement racking her with deep coughs that made her chest and throat sting like they'd been stabbed. Her vision hazed for a moment, before it returned, and she looked around, head beginning to throb in time with her pulse. "Taro?" She croaked, moaning softly at the pain, and coughing again. Her eyes were dull and sunken, her skin pale and pasty. Her hair had mostly dried, by then, into a sort of kinked-up rat's nest. She clutched the blankets to her nude form, ignoring the leaves in her bed what had tagged along for the ride. He must have brought her home.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>06-03-2011, 23:32:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tarosius was busy while he waited for Kenzie to awaken, and when she found him he was in the bathroom, kneeling beside the antique cast iron tub, trailing his fingers through the steaming water. He had changed again, his flesh the colour of obsidian and his hair a deep, burnished gold, though if it was meant to signify his mood or just a whim was impossible, as always, to discern. He smiled at her, his eyes fading from the steely cobalt to a pale grey blue shade as he saw her, and he rose, stepping across the room to meet her. The steam had his scent, which was of jasmine and honeysuckle, camphor and roses, though, like his pigmentation, he offered no explanation for this change, nor would he ever.<br><br>Hushing her by placing a fingertip upon her lips, he gently guided her towards the bath, brushing the leaves from her skin as he took away her blanket, ignoring any resistance as he lifted her and lowered her down carefully into the water. He sensed her pain, and it was very different without the pleasure to take away the sting, leaving him at a loss for what to do. It took him a few moments to decide to attempt some means of relieving her suffering, though she would hardly have welcomed his method. Deciding to take her by surprise before she could protest, he placed a hand upon each of her cheeks, turning her delicately and firmly to meet his gaze, and then his lips. No mere kiss, even as his tongue danced over hers, there was a moment of perfect stillness in his body before the warmth poured out of him and into her. It was like liquid sunlight filling her mouth, pouring down her throat to spread through her body, as though his very breath was the essence of summer, the incarnation of the force that brought life to the world after the dead of winter, invigorating and restoring.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>07-03-2011, 00:26:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie assessed Tarosius with dull eyes, hardly pausing at the change of his appearance. It was something that always changed, she was used to it. As he stood to meet her, her head tipped back, her eyes meeting his. She'd begun to read his eyes, the skill slowly returning after her long absence. She swallowed hard, trying not to break into another coughing-fit. She knew full well that if she did, it would be difficult to stop, and the pain would bring her to her knees. She followed him willingly, letting him take the blanket without protest, hissing in pain as the water washed over her chilled form, the feeling of a thousand pins dancing across her skin making her muscles stiffen. Dull, blue eyes watched him, breath catching painfully as again, his hands cupped her face, his mouth descending on hers in&nbsp; a deep, warm kiss, flooding through her like a balm.<br><br>Kenzie moaned softly, unable to resist kissing him back, trying to forget the pain, her fingers tangling in his hair for a moment, before she had to pull back, panting, sort of breath, and unable to breathe through her nose. She coughed again, though it wasn't as strong or painful this time, and groaned, turning to run a wet hand over her face. They'd had sex. In the forest. For hours. In the rain. Of course she was sick. She would be lucky if it wasn't bronchitis. She was sore everywhere, and every step she'd taken to the bathroom had been agony. She didn't know what to do, what to say to him. She didn't even know what she wanted. Regret washed through her, even as a pang of lust at the memory twinned it, and she looked up to him. "Why"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>07-03-2011, 16:28:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Trying to find an answer to that question was something that forced Tarosius to stop and have to think deeply for once, alien as such an act was to him. He tried to occupy his hands as he thought, and perhaps distract her from the need for an answer, gathering the water in his cupped hands to rinse down her flesh. "I don't want you to leave me again." He surprised himself with the admission, for even if he was always willing to speak openly with her, he had not realised that he had been trying so hard just to manipulate her into staying with him. His feather light touch began to knead gently at her back and shoulders, a soothing warmth radiating from his hands that had nothing to do with the heat of the water or mere circulation of the blood beneath his skin.<br><br>"I could give you those things you want." He would give her anything, and considering that his plan for keeping her had, up until that morning, been based rather heavily on subjecting the local fauna to a reign of terror in order to keep her busy tending to injured woodland creatures, it was hard to imagine what he would not do for her. "I can change myself." Lowering his head to her shoulder, he kissed her cheek ever so lightly, nuzzling against her throat in an effort to improve her mood. Contrite as he was for her illness, he could hardly be expected to regret such a wonderful experience, even if he suspected that she would not welcome his attentions again anytime soon.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>07-03-2011, 16:54:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie's eyes drifted closed, his kneading at her tight back and shoulders wonderful. A soft sigh escaped her, as she tried desperately not to start coughing again. She would need to go to the doctor, and hopefully get something to help. She could feel it in her chest and throat, mostly. She bit lightly into her bottom lip, as he nuzzled against her neck, shivers running up her spine at the wonderful sensation that somehow just felt right. But it hurt that he'd used sex to manipulate her, or at least try. "Taro..." She started, unsure even of what to say. "That wasn't right. I didn't want to do that, not yet." She said. "I wanted to wait until I married someone, I only ever wanted to make love to one person, and now..." She trailed off, feeling tears prick at the back of her eyes as she realized how Taro had taken the vary thing he had protected all those years ago.<br><br>She half turned to look at him, wiping the tears from her eyelashes. It had been wonderful, but she couldn't spend her life with Taro. He never aged, and he never matured. And she would. She couldn't combat time, and she would eventually die. She needed to be with a human man, and then she could live a normal life, have kids and the white picket fence ideal.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>07-03-2011, 20:56:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				If someone had tried to drive a knife into Taro's heart he would have given them a rather puzzled look and politely inquired as to what a heart was, so he had no frame of reference for the sensation that struck him as she turned to him, tears in her eyes and those terrible words upon the lips he cherished so. His hands rose, gently cupping her cheeks, his thumbs wiping away the tears, and he let his forehead press lightly to her own. "We are married. You said so." He smiled, his lips brushing lightly against her own, since it did seem to work wonders to improve her mood, momentarily at least, though he was wise enough to see that now was not the time to experiment with that particular theory. "Sir Fluffybuzzles performed the ceremony." One might have questioned the dubious credibility of an elderly teddy bear, but to do that would also call the original knighting ceremony into question, and he had gone to an awful lot of work to find a genuine sword and it would have been a shame to spoil that.<br><br>"Did I do something wrong?" He fixed her with a look of deep worry and slight eagerness for approval that seemed as though it belonged to a puppy, right down to the way his big eyes shone the pale blue of robin's eggs. She had seemed to enjoy herself earlier, but he had learned not to trust his interpretations of her mind too much these days. "I thought you were enjoying yourself. I had forgotten about the rain." He quite liked the rain, it never occurred to him that not needing body heat could sometimes be something of a gulf between their experiences of the world.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>07-03-2011, 21:05:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie laughed softly, as he pronounced them married, remembering the ceremony from before. It had been in the forest, with dandelion rings, and the teddy bear her grandmother had given her at birth presiding. "Taro that was just a game. It's not real." She replied, shaking her head. But it had been real then. She'd explained to him that marriage was when a guy and a girl promised to love each other forever, which was true. She would always love him, but there was more to it than that. "Taro... I can't marry you. I get sick... I'm going to get old and die. And you won't." She tried to tell him, fighting tears again. <br><br>"It wasn't wrong entirely, Taro, but I didn't want it that way. I wanted to get married to a human, and live my life with him, and have kids, and... I dunno go to disneyworld!" She added, voice rising as she dissolved into a coughing fit that racked her body, chest feeling as if it were filled with shards of glass. She gasped, wheezing, as it finally stopped, panting as shallowly as she could manage, tears streaming down her cheeks from the coughing.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>07-03-2011, 23:27:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Taro loved his darling with all of the heart he didn't have, but there was a time when she inevitably began to grate on his nerves. He reached beneath the water to ease her up and out of the way for a moment as he slipped into the water, letting her settle back down into his lap as she caught her breath. Seeing her in pain stirred a deep pang of regret at allowing her to catch a cold, but he had decided to make a firm stand on his decision. "Kenzie, be quiet." His hand curled into her hair, drawing her head down to his shoulder, turning his head to peer at her. "You are mine, and I will not hear another word of protest." The tone of voice was as gentle as he could manage, but there was no mistaking the stern note that was woven into it all the same.<br><br>"You have me. I cannot leave you. I never will." He encircled his arms about her waist, clasping them together upon her hip as he savoured the heat of the water and the warmth of her body. Studying her face for some sign of understanding, he let his lips brush against her brow in what he could only hope would soothe her nerves. "Why do you think I would leave you when you die? You can stay with me even if you don't have a body."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>07-03-2011, 23:44:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie stared at him, mouth opening softly as he announced that she belonged to him. She lapsed into silence, as she always had when he had made his voice stern. Her eyes glanced down, as she curled against him, head pillowed on his shoulder. "I'll get old." She croaked softly, eventually, her vanity getting the better of her. "And ugly." She added, eyes closing. She didn't want him to see her when she was a hunched old grandmother, with paper-thin skin and dull eyes. Not when he was tall and strong and beautiful. She rested against him for a long time, letting the water cool down to tepid, before stirring again. It was late, and she would have to go to a clinic in the morning to have the cold checked. It was so bad already.<br><br>One of her hands slowly reached up, and captured a strand of his hair. She pulled it forward, combing through the lock with her fingers, separating it into three strands before she began to braid it silently. the repetitive motion soothed her, and as she reached the end of the long hair, she reached for another strand, slowly beginning to repeat the process with wrinkled fingers and toes from the water.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>08-03-2011, 14:45:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was a deep, rumbling sigh that thrummed steadily through him as a languid laziness swept over him, although he had sense enough to turn his head to ensure that she had all the opportunity she needed to stroke her hands through his hair. In a great many ways he clung to simple pleasures, and simply being treated to that light&nbsp; touch was all he needed to soothe his nerves, and draw softly appreciative noises as he leaned closer to rest his cheek against hers, sighing happily. "I don't see why we should want anything else at all." He still felt a little guilty, but only just, and it was a sign of his immaturity that he still clung to his rather selfish possessiveness despite knowing how much it was bound to trouble her.<br><br>"Besides, none of that is going to be tomorrow." While he did have only the vaguest acquaintance with time, he did know enough to realise that old age was always deep in the future, although his grasp of scale was admittedly poor. He could always see to dissauding from pessimism in the morning, when she was feeling a little better. It was no wonder that she was so confused, though, not when he began to form a picture in his mind of the world beyond and resolved himself not to let her go back to such a foul place.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>08-03-2011, 18:10:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie hummed softly, nodding. They could worry about it later. Sometimes his logic was so simple it was brilliant. Her fingers slowly worked through his hair, until every strand she could reach was braided. By then, the bath water was chilly, and she sighed, pulling back. She looked into Taro's eyes, offering him a wan smile before pulling the plug at the bottom of the tub, a sot gurgling roar sounding as it began to drain. "I need to get out." She said softly, showing him deeply creased fingertips, before slowly standing, careful not to let herself get dizzy from the movement. She carefully climbed out, before reaching for a towel, scrubbing the water from her skin.<br><br>She wrapped herself in the towel, before looking back to Taro, her hair standing in a haphazard afro from the quick tousle she'd subjected it to with the towel. "I'm gonna go to bed," She added, her voice still hoarse. "I need to get up early to go to the doctor's." She added, not offering an invitation for the sole reason that she was certain he wouldn't come along. His place was in the forest, not a doctor's silent waiting room. The smells alone would choke him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>09-03-2011, 00:01:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rising with his typically perfect poise, watching in rapt fascination as she dried, reminded of how different things felt after what she had claimed was a long time. It still made little sense, but he was learning to appreciate some of those changes even if he did not understand them. The water flowed off of his body without any friction at all, leaving him bone dry by the time he'd taken two steps towards her, his arms moving to encircle her waist, his hands resting shamelessly upon her behind. "I could take care of you." Lifting her, his touch gently guided her legs to coil around his waist, letting him take her into a warm embrace.<br><br>It&nbsp; was truly warm, all the heat of a bright summer's day radiated off of his flesh like an aura, encompassing her in a pocket of comfort. The bed was hardly so far away, although he was careful not to jolt her by moving too quickly, and when they did reach it he was careful to settle down into the bed first, giving her his warmth to nestle into until the chill went away. She had not explicitly mentioned a desire to be alone, and he was certainly never going to leave without a fight. "I could get rid of your illness." He spoke in a quietly helpful tone as he tried to get comfortable in a bed, a little unfamiliar with furniture in general.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>09-03-2011, 02:32:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie hummed softly, as he lifted her, wrapping her legs around his hips and locking her ankles, her arms encircling his shoulders, as she'd clung to him when she was a child, when she was too tired to get back home into bed after some of their late night forays. Her head pillowed on her arm, as he gently walked her to her room, as his warmth seeped into her bones. "How?" She asked, voice as curious as a child's, her legs detangling from his waist, and sliding down against his. She turned, nestling back against him in the bed, knees and hips bending. She reached back, taking his hand and pulling it gently over her waist, to hug into her chest, breasts pillowing and encompassing his wrist. <br><br>She knew he wasn't truly comfortable in the bed, by the way he shifted, and a soft, peaceful smile crossed her lips. "Lean on me, Taro, and get your legs comfortable." She suggested. "And your other arm can go up over my shoulder," She added, realizing that she was laying on it. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>10-03-2011, 23:38:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It took a little bit of shifting, even with such explicit instructions, but he managed to get into a somewhat comfortable position, even if it did mean that he had to curl up his legs instead of giving in to his natural desire to stretch out. He was already filling almost all the available space, although he could hardly complain about having her pressed quite so close. "I can fix anything, if you let me." Not the bed, though, he couldn't imagine fixing it without ripping it to bits and starting over with a more comfortable design in mind, or at least one that took someone of his stature into account.<br><br>He let his free hand move lightly across her hip, fascinated by the softness of her skin, so different from the unnatural smoothness of his own flesh, even down to the tiny whorls and loops he could feel upon the surface of her hands and feet. "We won't have enough room to make love here, will we?" He thought it best to offer a polite inquiry, being as it is that even she had slightly more experience with at least the theory of the act, rather than the practice. The act was certainly among his more favorite pastimes, although he was learning to appreciate the hold it gave him over Kenzie. "I don't know what way to move in a bed."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 05:08:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie craned her neck, looking back to Taro as he suggested that he could fix anything. Her brow furrowed slightly in puzzlement, gasping painfully as his fingers drifted over her sensitive hip, her hand grabbing his wrist to pull his hand away. She coughed softly. "It would be possible, but not with me sick." She replied, shrugging softly. "Hopefully it will only be a few days. And we can see where we con go from there." She added. She was suspicious of his ability to fix anything. He'd never been sick a day in his life, how could he know what to do? But then, maybe he did know. He was magic, after all. She turned in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to his chest, her arm sliding over his waist as she pressed close. He was perhaps the only solid thing she had at the moment, even if he was the one that caused the disturbance in the first place. She was with him, and he thought she was married to him. And like it or not, she was as good as. It would be impossible for her to convince him otherwise. <br><br>Her entire body still ached, though she was languid and warm, now, from his presence and the bath. "Taro..." She said softly, looking up to him. But she wasn't even certain what she wanted to ask. What he wanted? What would he do when he got bored of her? Would he get bored of her? She didn't know. She couldn't. With a sigh, she tucked her head back under his chin, eyes locked on his chest, staring without seeing. What was she going to do? What was she supposed to do? She was completely out of her element. She was supposed to get a job, do her part for society, but on the other hand, she wished to god she could live with Taro in the forest, let him take care of her. But something would happen eventually, and she wasn't sure he would be able to take care of her. What if she got hurt and he was too entranced with a flower? She was fairly certain he didn't need to eat, what would she eat?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 18:39:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The thoughts of waiting days to see Kenzie back to her old self were hardly pleasant, and it truly made him suffer to watch her in pain. He truly empathised with her, even if he couldn't always understand the emotions he felt when he brushed against her mind, and he could sense the guilt and regret lurking behind the happiness she took from his presence. "You should not be sick." He was a rather fast learner, and he had quickly learned of the connection between doctors and his apparent nonexistence, and he was in no mood to have his love taken away from him again.<br><br>He reached down, cupping her cheeks in his hands to tilt her head back, his lips falling to brush that question away from her mouth before she could voice it. Though still new to the art, he had learned how to draw her deeper into the sensation, the soft brushing of his lips against hers as light as a butterfly's wings changing as the needs of lust brought a fierce touch to her mouth, his tongue exploring eagerly. The tongue was unusual, for although it was the same one that had kissed her not so long ago it was nevertheless quite longer and smoother, ending in a thin, serpentine fork.<br><br>His hands never left her cheeks, but nevertheless they managed to encircle each of her wrists and ankles in a firm, gentle hold. She was allowed no opportunity to see the source of the four extra arms, even as she was drawn beneath him, her arms stretched out over her head, her legs drawn up to curl against his waist. The hands upon her cheeks fell slowly, caressing over her shoulders to cover her breasts, those long, delicate fingers kneading gently at the voluptuous mounds. He seemed to have no trouble occupying his hands, those holding her ankles sliding along her shapely legs to cradle her rear as he moved to settle between her thighs, squeezing and stroking with patient eagerness that left no mystery as to his intentions.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>14-03-2011, 17:28:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie hummed softly, as his lips brushed hers, coaxing her deeper into the sensation, lips pressing, sucking, mouth opening for his tongue. She stiffened, however, as she felt it, eyes flying open as his hands encircled her wrists, sliding her under him, wrapping her legs around his hips, leaving her open and vulnerable. She squeaked, her hands tugging, shying away from the serpentine tongue. Her hips bucked, as she struggled against his immovable force, a scream filling her throat. She couldn't even yelp, get his attention. She thrashed, or at least tried, head turning, trying to break the kiss, her heart thundering, breath coming in shallow gasps.<br><br>What was he doing? Where had the extra arms come from? She knew he could change his appearance, but grow appendages? The scream broke, terrible and horrified, tearing through her throat only to be muffled by him as she struggled still, her mind blank with fear, alarm. She kicked at him, her legs long since untangling from around his waist, trying to push him off of her with a knee to his gut.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 00:46:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The sudden reaction to his advances were quite sufficient to quell Tarosius' passion, and he certainly surpassed every lover in history for the celerity of his retreat. He did not simply pull away from Kenzie, he turned off that part of himself that was tuned into reality, and for a moment there was simply nothingness where he had been. It was as close to instinct as his senses would allow him to experience, and it was a rather efficient tactic to fail to exist wherever there was a danger. Cowardliness was for those creatures that needed others of their own kind to inspire them to heroic deeds, and he was responsible only to himself.<br><br>That was not the entire truth, however and, despite his own misgivings, that cerulean gaze peered down at her, bereft of a body for the moment. Terror would have made the flesh he did not have tremble, as his mind worked through all of the many reasons why she might be afraid, even as he tasted her fear for himself. It would never have occurred to him that he might be the source of such horror, no more than he could conceive of a realm of possibility in which he could bring himself to hurt her.<br><br>He leaned forwards, taking flesh with the same ease as she might exhale, his lips materialising mere moments before they touched hers. His arms encircled her, holding her tightly as he sought to explain his need in terms she could understand. Ever since they had met he had felt her every emotion as though they were a part of his own self, and he thought it was only natural to feed her such feelings as he wished her to experience. Through the bond between them he flooded her soul with that happiness and peacefulness that they had always shared, and the newly discovered passion was stirred to awaken her to their needs.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 22:22:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie panted, as Tarosius disappeared, laying flat on the bed ,eyes wide, staring up at his cerulian gaze, the only ting left of him, before he reappeared, his lips pressing to hers, arms capturing her, holding, restraining, lust flooding her body. A moan escaped their lips, from her, and her arms imitated his hold, as lust flared between her thighs, her hips pressing up against his, fingernails pressing into the skin of his back, as her mouth opened beneath his, tongue dancng across his lips, sucking, nibbling the sweet, plump skin. Thought was extinguished, her previous shock, alarm at his unsettling change fled, and all that mattered was Taro, his lips on hers, and his body blanketing her.<br><br>She pulled back, panting, still unable to breathe through her nose, and stared up, eyes wide and glazed, colour blooming all the way down her breasts. Her teeth caught her bottom lip, as she pleaded silently, unsure of what had happened, and for the moment uncaring. One hand reached up, tangling in his hair, as she pulled him back down, her lips crashing against his, her teeth bruising her lips at the impact. The pain didn't matter, pleasure blooming from the dull impact, her free hand dragging nails lightly down his back.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 00:10:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				If Tarosius had wished to stay still a speeding freight train would have crumpled against him, he was simply not within the domain of the sort of physics that applied to most of the rest of the world. He let Kenzie pull him back into that kiss, however, only far too delighted to be close to her once more, although in deference to her fears he resumed the shape she was more familiar with, although he could not stop himself from changing again, as his complexion, hair and eyes danced wildly through various hues with the sheer intensity of the emotions she evoked in him. He would have given her anything, and so he decided to give her everything.<br><br>It was, for him, only a matter of putting a part of himself elsewhere, taking some of his own immortal flame to share with her. He pressed one hand to her chest, pinning her firmly to the bed, his eyes upon hers for a moment before he leaned in for a kiss that was purely, utterly unique. The first touch of his lips upon hers created a connection, and it seemed as though he tasted of sunlight and thunderstorms, his soul crackling and burning through every fibre of their shared being as he sought to set his beloved friend free from the shackles of mortality.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 05:38:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie panted, as his hand pressed her back, gently into the mattress, stomach rising as she gulped for air, staring up a him, eyes wide and stunned, glazed, her pupils dominating light blue irises. And then he kissed her again. It was different, and wonderful, and horrible, and the same. His lips tasted of batteries, it was like licking a car battery. She screamed into the kiss, eyes rolling back, fluttering closed as her heart stuttered, electricity washing through her, blasting any, every and any infection from her. She arched off the bed, pressing full length against him as the sweet ambrosia passed from him to her. Every nerve was on painful, delicious, pleasurable fire, and she couldn't even track the orgasm that rocked her so hard her head felt light. <br><br>And then it was done. She fell back for the umpteenth time that night, panting, unable to move, make a sound, her nose suddenly clear. She felt better than she ever had her entire life even as aftershocks rocked her, pain shooting clearly from every limb. She could smell the chlorine from the toilet down the hill, the remnants of supper. Her laundry. The grass outside and even the glass in her window. Her mouth gaped, shock settling into her, and she began to shake, her arms still around him, clutched tight, nails digging against his flesh.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 01:42:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				One might have argued that Tarosius could be quite slow on the uptake at times, although he could hardly be blamed for operating on a timescale that would have been incomprehensible to any mortal even if he did not understand it all that well himself. There was no mistaking what Kenzie wanted, however, he could taste her arousal on the air, making his soul sing with hunger, and he saw his need mirrored in her face, her hands upon his skin eliciting a deep, rolling purr that was as much for her sake as his own. He considered it simply a sign of her gratitude for his gift, and though he knew she had been reluctant to share herself with him he knew how to recognise the signs of her pleasure.<br><br>His hands slid under her behind as he drew himself up from the bed, lifting her along with him, her weight hardly hindering him as he pressed her back to the headboard. Shifting just a little to raise her hips to a more agreeable height, he shuffled a little closer to allow her to twine her legs around his waist, supporting her with one hand so that the other could reach down between them to guide himself into her. His hips pushed slowly, forcing her body to yield to that patient strength. It was rather different, this time, and he found himself wonder if it would be so each time he took her, though such thoughts did not survive long as his hips pressed flush to hers, the silken heat of her driving all thought from his mind but the need to move them both towards that wonderful bliss.<br><br>His thrusts came slowly at first, easing her into the coupling despite her newfound wild passion. Sighing softly as he peered down into her eyes, he bit back a growl of raw pleasure, pressing his lips to hers to stifle the sounds. With time, and her encouragement, his hips began to move faster, his thrusts arriving harder with the quickening pace, though he remained careful of his own power.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 01:56:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie couldn't help the moan as he pressed into her, against the headboard, holding her back against the carved wood. The imprints would surely mark her back afterward. Her hands pressed up against the top, pushing herself up to wrap against his body, her arms wrapping up, clinging to him as he began his slow thrusts, his lips stifling her unending whimpering, moaning into his mouth. Hr legs wrapped tighter around his waist, her back and his knees the only pars of themselves against the bed as he continued to press, her hips hitting against her headboard with every powerful thrust.<br><br>Finally, she broke the kiss, her head bowing, lips pressing against his neck, as another moan bubbled from her throat, teeth catching where his shoulder met neck, and pressing, sucking against hi flesh, trying to stifle herself in vain. Her fingers tangled in his hair, trusting him not to drop her, not to let her even slide an inch, as she tightened again around him, arching her head back, releasing him as she came again, no thoughts crossing her mind. Her entire world receded to the headboard against her back, and him in front of her, pushing her again and again past the brink of control.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 18:11:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tarosius would never have imagined that his beloved could be brought to such a state of savage passion, although he had never known that such a state of mind could exist at all until that moment, the pair of them ensnared by a need that eclipsed all else. He might have been amazed that he could be so forceful with her, if he had the freedom of thought to focus on anything but the tiny world they occupied, the bed and the embrace. She seemed more than happy to receive his attentions, not that he could have stopped for anything.<br><br>It took care not to hurt her, especially when the throes of ecstasy seized her and he felt her body clamping down greedily on him as the waves of pleasure flooded through her. He patiently rode out each climax, his hips grinding against her own until she calmed enough to allow him to resume the rather vigorous pace he was growing to love. It was a surprise to him, even then, when the building pressure became too much for him, and he threw his head back, releasing a deep, inhuman roar that made the windows shudder in their frames as he found his release. His body worked heavily against hers as he filled her with his seed, each jet accompanied by a rough growl as he drew them both down slowly to lay upon the mattress.<br><br>The warm satisfaction that washed over him worked wonders to soothe his nerves, drawing soft sighs of contentment from his lips even as he rained kisses upon her throat, nuzzling against her like a cat. Though he could not experience exhaustion he did know how to be content, and he certainly seemed to be so as he shuffled down in the bed to lay his head upon her chest, not at all shy about guiding her hands up to stroke his hair, which had at last settled into a deep auburn shade that looked almost as though it could be human, even if his flesh was the dusky tan shade of desert sand.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 18:39:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie shuddered against him, as he finally spent within her, panting her exhaustion out. Her eyes closed, as he curled against her, hands easily sifting through his hair as she let her body relax, mind still soaring a million miles away. Bliss sank deep into her bones, as she swallowed, mouth dry from all of her moans. Fingers threaded through silken strands, braiding his hair unconsciously as she basked in the afterglow, his warmth suffusing her, as she listened to the sounds of the world, unaccustomed to them, but not caring. <br><br>Eventually, her fingers stilled, and she dropped off to sleep, shifting closer, and cushioning his head against her breasts. She woke, hours later, with a small smile gracing her lips. Her eyes cast down, to locate Taro, a delicious feeling of well-rested muscles urging her to stretch. She wasn't sick at all, and she barely ached between her thighs, despite his pounding her. A flush crossed her cheeks, at that thought, a slight flare of arousal reminding her, again, how much she liked it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>20-03-2011, 02:19:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It said quite a lot about Tarosius that he would not have understood any difference between the feral coupling that they had shared and the way Kenzie braided his hair, and he would have been hard pressed to decide just which was more enjoyable. He basked in the warmth of her contentment, lips nibbling against her skin as he settled down to rest. He could not sleep, or at least what passed for sleep for him could not be achieved while he remained corporeal, but he needed nothing more than to share in her slumber. He could not have explained to her just how they were bound together, even before he had shared the eternal flame of his soul with her, all that truly mattered was that they had one another.<br><br>He stilled when she fell asleep, quite content simply to watch over her as the night wore itself out, and when she awoke it was, for him, as though mere moments had passed. He stirred, slowly as he shared in the lazy pleasure she experienced as she awoke, stretching his long limbs with a feline purr, yawning softly as he lifted his head to meet his lover's gaze. There were no words for a moment, as he admired her beauty, and then offered a kiss to welcome her back to wakefulness, one that lasted far longer than was, perhaps, necessary, but he was in no hurry at all as he let his tongue dance against her own, drawing away only when he remembered that she needed to breathe from time to time. "We should go swimming."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Subtle Trouble</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 21:39:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kenzie hummed softly, as his lips found hers, one hand coming up to brush her fingers through his hair as the kiss wore on, the lovely blush continuing on her cheeks. As he pulled away, she smiled, eyebrows raising at his suggestion. "Swimming?" She asked, head tipping to the side. "How come?" Momentarily distracted from asking what exactly he had done to her, the memories of last night confounding her, she pushed herself up, crossing her legs as she sat, pulling the sheet up to cover her nudity. She tried not to think about how everything outside of her precious little world with Taro would be in complete shambles. She would have to break up with Kieth, and she would have to go back to work...<br><br>With a yawn, Kenzie passed her hand through her tangled hair, pushing it from her forehead, and stretching again. She had to get up, she had to do something today, even if it was just a baby step in the direction of straighting out the tangled mess Taro had made her life. She paused, as her arms slowly descended from their upstretched position, to look at him for a moment, puzzlement conquering her features. She shouldn't feel like she'd spent a year at a spa, she was supposed to be sick, and sore... "Taro, what exactly happened last night?" She asked.<br><br>Her eyebrows slowly descended, brow furrowing as she began to notice how things seemed different... She could smell the chlorine from the bathroom, and everything she saw seemed to have... something different about it, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what. There were details, shades of the colours she'd never really noticed before, and she could taste the air, everything around her with every inhale. Her eyes widened, as she began to realize that something was different. "Taro, what did you do to me?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Return of an Olde Friend (Nykteus and Subtle Trouble)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Nykteus</strong> on <strong>01-04-2011, 02:20:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				If Taro noticed the questions at all he gave no indication, his rapt gaze admiring the sight of Kenzie stretching, and even with the sheet around her he would have quite happily spent some time simply watching her. He shrugged, as he turned his attention back to her words, offering her a smile but few words. "You were sick, and then I made you better." His arm went around her waist, pulling back down under the sheets with him, taking another kiss from her with a rather proud sense of entitlement, though he might have offered her another taste of that inner fire as their lips met, if only to forestall any other awkward questions. He understood the change in her well enough to know that she had been confused by the outside world, too much to appreciate his gift straight away. He was not selfish, however, and he kept quiet to prevent her from being frightened instead of trying to protect himself from her anger, even though he could not entirely work out why she would be angry, he just knew that she would be.<br><br>He worked his mind for a question that would keep her thoughtful on anything but the change for the time being, and though a few presented themselves it took a few moments for him to settle upon one, by which time the kiss was in danger of progressing into something more. Much as he enjoyed making love to her, he did realise that she needed more than physical pleasure. "Are we going to have children together?" That was what couples did, after all, he spent enough time around animals to understand that finer point of life.
			</dd>
		</dl>
		<div id="footer" class="smalltext">
			
			<span class="smalltext" style="display: inline; visibility: visible; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?action=credits" title="Simple Machines Forum" target="_blank" class="new_win">SMF 2.0.19</a> |
 <a href="https://www.simplemachines.org/about/smf/license.php" title="License" target="_blank" class="new_win">SMF © 2021</a>, <a href="https://www.simplemachines.org" title="Simple Machines" target="_blank" class="new_win">Simple Machines</a>
			</span>
		</div>