| Logs |
2006-12-17
| Dreams |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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Listen to the Sirens, If You Dare
The warm, sudsy bath is exceedingly pleasant, as is the warm air blowers to dry them off. Phyx watches with approving indulgence as several of her pets dress Jason in a white kilt much like theirs, and then the two of them are ushered with much laughter and touching and chatter into an inner room. This one is as comfortably and elegantly furnished as all the other rooms Jason has been in here so far, although it's also got a beautiful full-wall window allowing for a magnificent view out over the city and the desert beyond.
Jason is quiet for a while as Phyx's attendants fuss over them, pondering his experience thus far, and also pondering all of the myriad questions he still has. He remains quiet, however, till they are situated once more, absently finding himself responding to Phyx as if she were a queen. And for all he's experienced so far, perhaps she is. She is certainly treated like one.
Phyx leaps lightly up onto a decorated couch or something that allows her to recline comfortably at about eye level with Jason while he's seated at the table. She has Jason seated by her, then nods and waves a paw in assent at the query as to whether she's ready for dinner. The golden-eyed sphynx smiles lazily at Jason as the table is being prepared, and purrs, "This is a nice look for you, pet."
Jason is perhaps a little self-conscious... both of the outfit, and of the way she calls him pet. He does not, however, belabor the point. "I am glad you think so, Lady," he murmurs, inclining his head respectfully. Phyx purrs lazily, patting his arm lightly with one large paw. She seems to be in an excellent mood. At mention of dinner he finds himself surprised... or perhaps not. Much time has passed, and he certainly exerted himself since he left Diana with Mike and Kira.
It's as the young people are serving a delicious-smelling repast worthy of any fine restaurant that one of the dark-suited pets carrying Kira's mark come in. He leans with quiet deference to murmur in her ear for a bit, then holds out a laptop for her -- unfortunately at an angle such that Jason cannot see what's on the screen. The sphynx nods once, then reads, eyes scanning the laptop rapidly. A moment after that she nods again, saying crisply, "Continue as planned. If we're fortunate, the converteds will take out the hunters entirely, and even if not, we'll have fewer hunters to discipline." She smiles and waves a paw of dismissal, adding only, "Excellent work, Caracal. I will make sure Kira knows." The man bows politely and withdraws... although Jason gets the oddest feeling his mark flared up a bit at the praise.
Jason watches this all curiously, but does not immediately ask what that was about -- there is something more important to cover. When Phyx's attention returns to the table, he speaks up. "Lady... before meeting Diana I was a student. In many ways you could say I still am, though my focus has shifted dramatically. I think you can tell that I have many questions I would ask of you in regard to the quest I undertake for Diana. Mike, ever the scholar and writer, most likely has some of his own. Is there some special arrangement we might work out in this regard, provided you are willing to speak on these matters?"
The sphynx crosses her front paws comfortably and rests her chin on them, her slitted eyes on Jason. The corners of her very human lips turn up a bit as she slowly purrs, "Yes. Yes, indeed... I think we can work out an arrangement."
Jason chuckles. "I only ask because keeping track of each question, each favor owed in recompense, might be cumbersome," he explains in between bites of food. "We have no time table, and could stay here for some time before moving on, but move on we eventually must." Then a thought occurs to him. "Besides that... the longer we stay, the longer it might be likely more supernaturals might hone in on us. Perhaps more than can be dealt with at one time."
The sphynx smiles lazily, watching Jason eat with curiously avid eyes. Eventually she purrs, "What do you offer me, clever pet?"
Jason spreads his hands. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure yet. I already know that you crave challenge, and I would happily provide that. But is there aught else that you care for besides?" he queries, his brow knitting at the tone his voice takes in front of the Sphynx. He's willing to bet he's never used the word 'aught' before in his entire life, and would be unlikely to use it ever again.
The sphynx appears to ponder for several minutes... then she grins brightly, her sharp teeth showing, "Yes. Be mine for... a month."
Jason blinks at that, his expression thoughtful. Her request was not unexpected, especially given the Sphynx's growing fascination with him. But he is not ready to say yes: he realizes that the time he has spent with this majestic joining of beast and woman has been compelling and intense, in a way that being with Diana is not. And that has influenced him somewhat, lead him to reveal things he might not have otherwise. But he is not a free agent, and he would consult with his lovers first. Besides that, another concern is mounting: merely that it is not clear to him Phyx cares for anything but her own pleasure. Not to say that she is cruel or insensitive, or that she does not care for her pets, but Kira's earlier words about Phyx's nature return to him, and he thinks he has a better understanding of that now than he did earlier. "I will bring your proposal to my mistress," he replies formally.
Phyx tilts her head to study Jason more closely, her eyes gleaming with amusement, "I did not make the offer to your lady, pet. It is addressed only to you."
Jason nods agreeably. "I understand that, Lady. But under the circumstances I will need to consult with her before I can say yea or nay."
Phyx chuckles quietly, "Ah. So your curiosity is overwhelmed by your caution, I see. Or... is it fear which inclines you to refuse this offer? It is offered now, after all. It is not a long-standing offer... because I was given to believe you were your own person, no?"
Jason purses his lips thoughtfully. "I think it is fair to say, Lady... that one who is in love is never entirely their own person," he finally responds diplomatically. "When you love another, what they want and what they need is as important as your own needs and wants. I should not commit to any course of action without first taking into consideration how the ones I love would feel. And when how they feel is not known to me, the first step is clearly to find out what that is."
The sphynx chuckles lazily, "Ah, such pretty words! Nevertheless, I will require either an answer or a counter-offer by the end of today, sweet pet." She turns her attention to her food. She's been served mostly meat, with a few vegetables, and she occasionally spears it with her sharp claws as she eats, in small, neat bites.
Jason's brow knits. The concern in the back of his head builds at Phyx's response. He wonders if she actually heard what he said, understood it and believed he meant it, if not believed it herself. "As you say, Lady," he responds respectfully, and wonders how much more time it will take for Kira and Diana to resolve their differences -- and also if, in spite of Phyx's words about upholding the laws and practices they had set, she is trying to find a loophole in those laws that might allow her to keep him.
The sphynx takes a moment to lick one paw clean, then carefully clean her face as well... then she looks at Jason with a hint of disapproval, "You're closing down, turning inwards, Jason. You have questions... ask!"
Unfortunately, a counter-offer comes not easily to his mind. He would offer the information about what they find in regards to the Gate, and the place all supernaturals had come from... except he's not really sure she cares about that. What matters to her is not what was, but what is now. She has her empire, pets aplenty, and power enough to keep all of that safe. At Phyx's query, however, he pushes that aside. "How is it that we came to that jungle? Do you have magic that allows you to traverse great distance to an actual jungle, or is it one that you somehow made at your whim?"
The sphynx shakes her head, tossing her golden mane back, "Nonono! That's not what you're thinking. You're concerned, you're carefully picking your words, you're debating before you answer... why?"
Jason tilts his head as Phyx's question brushes aside his honest query to get at what lurks in his mind at the core. "You intimidate me, Phyx," he says evenly, honestly. "More than that... all of this does. Since the day I met Diana I have found myself in a world not my own. A world I barely know the rules of. The only way I have survived is by trying to impose structures that I understand and can deal with. And by being very careful of what I do when the consequences are unclear."
Phyx curls her tail neatly about her haunches and settles her front paws side by side, staring with unblinking interest at Jason. She purrs quietly, "Go on."
Jason is almost heartened by this response. It is the first time he feels he has had her full attention in a while, if ever. "I cannot make clear to you how uncomfortable I am with the idea of being yours, of being anyone's... pet. How important it was to me that if I was to be with Diana, that it be on my own terms. That we come to the table as equals, as lovers, as companions. Even though she is so very clearly far more than my equal in some ways. To give up control of my destiny to another is disempowering. To share a destiny is not. With her I am comfortable... but with you... well, you are, quite frankly, another thing altogether. A queen, one might even say a goddess. But you are unreachable, untouchable. You are far, far above me, and as much as I am in awe of you, I also fear you." The sphynx smiles slowly at that, her slitted eyes closing for a moment in a slow blink. Her tail flicks slightly, and she rumbles in a quiet purr, still listening.
Jason spreads his hands. "And it is not merely your power I fear. It is not only the idea that I might somehow no longer be able to choose my own course, that I might lose the capacity to learn and grow. I fear in doing the wrong thing I might wound Diana. Because she is still very much of this world, the magical world -- and not of the human world. What if in accepting your proposal, she read that as a betrayal of her? How would that make her feel? It would rend my heart to cause her pain, to make her think that my bargain with you would somehow imply that I love her less. This world, the magical world, is all she knows. She is still learning what it is to be human. And even in the human world motivations are complex, and the possibility of misunderstanding is still great."
The sphynx nods slowly, her expression shading into thoughtful, and tilts her head inquiringly at Jason, still studying him with those slitted golden eyes. Jason looks back. "I do not regret my choice. I do not regret coming back to Diana after our first meeting, wanting to learn more. I do not regret standing before Lilith and choosing to turn my back on heritage born of Adam in order to step with her into a larger world. In truth, I am not even so much worried about my own life as I am about the lives of those whom I have chosen to be with. And I expect I'll make my share of mistakes along the way. But that doesn't mean that I won't do my utmost to avoid them, particularly when dealing with personages like you. Like Fenrir. Like Diana's own mother. And like the other supernaturals we'll meet along the way... some of whom might be, as you've implied, far less reasonable."
The sphynx smiles quietly at mention of the other 'personages,' relaxing and resting her chin on her crossed front paws again as she listens. Jason finds himself run out out of steam, as his thoughts come pouring out of him. "Well, at any rate, that is the answer to your question. That is why I hesitate. That is why I am careful. But let me ask you this instead: why are you so interested in me? You have, to my eyes, everything. You have dozens of doting pets. You have a palace, allies, the power to keep you and yours safe. I am just one man among millions. What makes me so much more fascinating, that you consider luring me away for a month, or for forever? I don't think it's just the fact that I'm a succulent, is it?"
The sphynx smiles enigmatically, then a moment later brushes a velvety paw across her mouth, almost apologetically. She tilts her head, considering, then speaks slowly, "All your fears I cannot allay, Jason of the half-succubus, but some I can perhaps clarify. You mention a fear of giving up your destiny, of being someone else's... yet did you not willing step to Lilith's side? Is that not a surrender of your future and your self? She is the ever-changing wind crying in the willow branches, the flame-born serpent dancer, the howling darkness of the moon. She asks for all of your heart, poured out in generous gouts. You cannot worship her in careful, measured dribs and drabs, like the parched, rigidly unbending Desert King."
"To learn and grow from Herself requires..." the sphynx hesitates, searching for words, then slowly continues, "requires a... a glorious exuberance! A boundless generosity -- to throw yourself without reservation, without cowardice, into her fires. Fear you can feel -- do we not all fear that which is mightier than ourselves? -but a shrinking, wincing withdrawal of one's soul, of one's very self -- that betokens a heartlessness, a cowardice or fear of joyous chaotic growth." The sphynx edges forward enough so her heavy, velvety paws are resting on Jason's thigh. She studies him earnestly, tilting her head to look directly into his eyes as she asks, "Do you understand me, mortal?" Her breath is honey-sweet, oddly enough, and her eyes are mesmerizingly huge as she stares intensely at Jason.
Jason's breath is taken quite away by Phyx's response, almost entranced by her imagery. When he finally comes back to himself, staring into her eyes, he nods. "I do. And from your words I can see the heart of my fear. As a normal man I had no cause to worship; not the God who made Adam, not the prophet that was said to be his son, no god or goddess that had ever been. To me it was not important. I made the decision that it would be my thoughts and actions that would shape my life, not beliefs borrowed from another. I was not... comfortable with the idea of looking to the divine. And that discomfort abides still, even in the face of all that I have seen," he says softly.
The sphynx tilts her head, listening interestedly. Jason actually smiles then as realization comes to him. "It would seem perhaps that my desire to learn was not as in earnest as I thought. I am of two minds. One would learn, but the other is afraid of this knowledge, because it is of Her world. Because it is of the universe and not the mortal world, and takes me not only into the unknown, but closer to Her, to a way of being that I had not embraced fully. But if I am to follow this path with Diana, then that fear is not something I can afford."
The sphynx nods thoughtfully, "You search through darkness for the light, and you see no guideposts ahead of you to guide you in Her worship. I assure you, though, genuine abundance of adoration will trump mindless ritual every time... and you can find Her embodied for you in Her supernatural daughters and sons. You have but to choose."
Jason nods, pieces coming together into his head so quickly now. "But I have already chosen to walk the path. Mike is my Virgil, and Diana my Beatrice. And just as Dante learned from them and from the supernaturals he met along the way, so I too have learned. From the Minotaur and the Succubus, from the Centaur and the Night Hound. I thought my inferno was done, but it is not. This life, my life, is that same journey that Dante took. And though fear will come to me and give me pause, I will not let it stop me. I have already seen part of my destiny, and I will do what I must to bring that vision to pass," he whispers.
The sphynx nods, then sighs softly, her breath warm and sweet against Jason's skin. "That being said... it is true I desire to possess and consume you, and at some point I intend to do so, with slow and great enjoyment. However, I respect Truth more than simple sensual passion, and your scent says you speak truly of your feelings for your lady. Therefore I give you this for you and your lady: if she will gift you to me for a month, or give me some more enticing counter-offer, I will answer as many of your questions as I can, and attempt to return you to her in better condition than you came to me."
Jason smiles and places his hands on Phyx's paws, squeezing lightly. "I think one way or another we will both be satisfied, Lady." he says warmly, fear falling from him like a cast off cloak.
Phyx's lips curl up into a lazy smile as she continues to study Jason's face, and her paws curl lightly about Jason's hands. She's leaned forward so she's only inches away, her golden mane brushing ticklishly lightly against his bare shoulder and neck, and purrs softly, "I would pour spikenard on thy hair and wind soft rolls of linen 'bout thy limbs... stain with red fruits those pallid lips, kiss thy mouth with lips of flame, wake mad passions in the senseless stone..." Her soft, mesmerizing whisper ends with her teeth gently pressed against Jason's ear, her lips brushing his supernally sensitive skin, "Go now, my luscious thirst, before your salacious temptation weakens my resolve! -and return me an answer to my offer by moon fall."
Jason resists the impulse to respond in kind; her words and her touch, the smell of her even, threatens to be overwhelming. Fortunately she knows that too. He has not even the wit to be embarrassed by this compelling fact -- that Phyx seems to crave him in the same way Diana does. "Lady, I will," he murmurs, rising to his feet and sketching a quick bow before attempting to depart.
Phyx draws in her breath, then sighs softly as she watches Jason depart. His last sight of her is her gleaming golden eyes and that faint smile... and then the door closes behind him. One of Phyx's pets looks up at Jason from where she's seated behind a desk, then rises, smiling, "Ah, you're the new visitor. You'll need escort to your lady, yes?"
Jason straightens his garment, realizing then how sweaty he is -- and he's not even in a jungle this time. "Hunh? Oh... yes, please," he murmurs, trying to recover.
Shortly thereafter Jason is shown to a suite by Samiel, and handed a key at the door. "There you go! You might want to be quiet, though -- if I understand correctly, she and Ms. Kira went at it hammer and tongs." She grins, then heads briskly down the corridor back to the elevator, humming quietly to herself. It's a measure of Jason's current state of mind that it only then registers Samiel is wearing but a kilt herself as well. He arches a brow at Samiel's retreating form, wondering at her words. But then he puts the key into the door and turns the handle, listening into the room beyond before opening the door fully.
It's dim and silent in the suite's anteroom. Jason opens the door fully, slipping into the suite and closing the door behind him. He looks around for a light switch but does not use it yet: he just wants to know where it is. The switch is easy to find, and while the room is dim, it isn't completely dark. Jason can see a dark sliver of what must be the room beyond, through the partially open inner door. Jason moves to the second door, opening it slow. "Diana?" he queries softly.
This room is larger, and just as dim. It's elegantly, almost opulently furnished in classic Las Vegas 'chic,' with several doors off of it. Apparently this is a significantly sized suite. Jason blinks. "Sheesh... I wouldn't know what to do with all this room," he murmurs as he steps in, looking around for sign of his lovers. Standing there, Jason catches the scent of food nearby. Looking around, he can also hear the faint sound of slow, regular breathing through one of the doors. Jason hnhs and knocks lightly on the door to the room that he hears the breathing coming from. "Di?"
There's a quiet rustle of cloth and a soft sigh from within the room, but no other response. However, behind Jason a door opens and a familiar voice says softly, "Jason? Lollipop? I'm so glad you're back!" A moment later Diana wraps her arms about Jason in a tight hug, her warm, lithe form pressed close.
Jason swallows a surprised 'gurk' as she hugs him tightly. "Di... hey there. I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you. But you were, ah... occupied." He looks at the door. "I take it that's Mike sleeping in there?" he whispers.
Diana sighs, relaxing a little as she hugs Jason, and nods, "Yes, he's catching up on his rest. He's had a rather... exhausting night, poor thing." She straightens, taking Jason's hand and softly closing the bedroom door with her other hand, "Let's let him sleep, okay? Come with me... there's a lovely view outside on the balcony and..." she sighs, sounding a bit unhappy, "and... we need to talk, lollipop..."
Jason blinks, letting her lead him. "Did something happen, Di?" he queries, unable to stem the wave of fear that comes over him briefly at the tone in her voice. "Wait, did the thing between you and Kira get... physical?" he queries, looking her over in concern.
Diana glances over her shoulder at Jason, her eyes glowing scarlet for a moment in the dim light, and chuckles softly. She tucks her hand into Jason's arm, leaning against him as they walk, and Jason can feel her tufted tail curl slowly and sinuously along one of his legs. "No, lollipop, nothing terrible happened. Kira was quite the, er... gentlelady when she... won." She sighs softly, drawing Jason out through the sliding glass door to settle on a pile of cushions in the warm night air, looking up at the starry sky above, through the overhanging potted palms. She's silent a moment, then continues, "It's just, I... I lost, lollipop, and... and I realized just how... how young I am...?" Her voice starts to quaver as she sniffles, then continues, "and... and I -- I'm scared I won't be able to keep you and Mike safe, you know..."
Jason blinks as he listens, holding back his response until she starts crying, at which point he hugs her tightly once more, patting her back. Oddly enough he never thought she would lose to Kira in spite of her youth... but then he realizes that opinion was one seen through the eyes of love and confidence in Diana. He lets her cry for a bit as he sooths her... and then finally he speaks. "I understand, love. I've been dealing a little with fear myself, today," he murmurs, finally pulling his head back and lifting her chin. "But you know what? You're going to do just fine. We are going to keep each other safe... so safe we're going to have enough safe left over for our daughter and son." He smiles.
Diana sniffles, looking incredibly adorable in the moonlight, and gives Jason a shaky smile, "That's right -- you dreamed that, didn't you?" She rubs her eyes with the back of one hand and murmurs, "Thank you, lollipop." A second later Jason can feel her stiffen against him, "Wait... what was that about dealing with fear? Did they hurt you?"
Jason nods firmly. "And you gave me that dream, Di. So you can bet your bottom dollar it's going to come true." Then he grimaces. "What? No... no, not... exactly. It's kind of a long story," he murmurs ruefully.
Diana sighs, laying her head on Jason's chest, and murmurs, "Tell me, please?" Her long hair ripples in the moonlight, sliding silkily across Jason's arm as she mumbles quietly, half under her breath, "...almost won, though..."
Jason tries not to giggle. "I'm sorry. I should have been there with pom-poms for moral support. I've already got the cheerleader skirt," he replies, fondly amused.
Diana lifts her head to stare in startlement at Jason, her silhouette obscuring the stars above. Jason can easily see the curving horns, in fact -- they might be growing still? -as she stifles a giggles and asks, "You have a cheerleader skirt, lollipop?!"
Jason rolls his eyes. "Well... not really, but they're making me wear this kilt-thing like everyone else..." he drawls, showing her. "It's drafty, too."
Diana giggles, and this time her voice sounds more like herself. Her tail lazily curls up under the kilt, teasing ticklishly as she grins and murmurs, "Do tell...?"
Jason grins... that's already much better, putting her in a better humor than she was. "Later, love. I did have a story to tell..." He relates the whole thing to her, leaving nothing out. First the jungle search, then the chess game, and then the predator and prey chase through the underbrush. He touches on the highlights of their later conversation, and he's honest with her that Phyx fed from him and does crave more from him, but is still decent and trustworthy enough to bargain fairly. "I told her I had to talk with you about it first, and she accepted that. Nothing's set in stone... we don't have to stay any longer than we want to. And while it's true that she don't know anything directly useful about our quest, she is a fountain of other knowledge we could use... particularly to keep us safe," he concludes. "That said... well, you picked a fight with Kira because of me. If you're not comfortable with me being in her hands, of me breeding children with her pets, then say so -- and we'll go." He brushes her hair from her face. "I would never do anything to cause you pain."
Diana listens silently, stroking Jason's skin lightly with her soft-tufted tail tip as she lies with him. When he's done she kisses him lightly, then murmurs, "I believe you, love." She's silent a heartbeat longer, then quietly asks, "What do you think, lollipop? Do you think it's worth the trade? A whole month seems an awfully long time...?"
Jason nods a little. "A month is a long time, Di, in the smaller scope. But in the larger sense... we have the rest of our lives together. We're going to raise children. Hell, who knows? Maybe Mike and I will live a lot longer than we ever thought now that you know how to feed us your energy." He finds himself touching her back a lot, as if needing to reacquaint himself with how she feels after being in the presence of such a potent supernatural as Phyx. At the moment she is human and reachable, not the overwhelming force of nature like her mother. Like Phyx. He loves her with all his heart for that. "Besides... there's two other compelling reasons to go forward," he adds.
Diana stretches lazily, enjoying the touching, but simply nods inquiringly at Jason's words. He continues, "For one thing, you were worried about keeping safe... well, I think in that spirit it certainly wouldn't hurt to have Phyx kindly disposed towards us. The price to pay for that is pretty small in comparison. And for the other... what she said touched me in ways I can't describe. I get the feeling that this is something I have to do for myself... for us. In speaking with her I have come closer to the divine than I ever had before. To give myself up to her would be a big step... but it's one I'll have to take if I'm ever going to be comfortable in your world, love."
Diana looks a bit surprised, but simply nods silently again, still listening. Jason holds her hands tightly and reveals the painful truth. "Because, you see... aside from Lilith and God and Heaven and Hell... the thing that hits home most is that part of me is still afraid of you -- afraid of the power inside you, of what you represent. And I don't want that. I want to love all of you, the human and the succubus, without reservation. And if I have to give myself up to Lilith, to Phyx, to do that... then that's what I've got to do."
Diana blinks startledly, "Me, lollipop? Why are you afraid of me?"
Jason smiles wryly. "Because of your power, Di. Because we'll never truly be equals. Because I remember how I felt when Beatrice unleashed her will on that ugly-minded pet of hers, and that experience stayed with me. And even though I know you'd never use it on me... I can't exactly forget it, either."
Diana blinks again... then unhappily looks away from Jason. Her voice is low, "I... can't help what I am, lollipop."
Jason wraps his arms back around her. "I know that, Di. But I see now in some of the things that I've done, that I've been trying to encourage you to embrace your humanity more because of that lingering fear of your supernatural half. That's not fair to you. You are human and supernatural both, and must therefore grow as human and supernatural both. That is what I should be encouraging, not one over the other because of my foolish fear," he whispers.
Diana lies still in Jason's arms for a moment... then sighs softly, relaxing again as she wraps her arms around Jason as well. She rests her head against his, whispering, "If you can be brave, lover... so can I. We'll tell her we agree tomorrow, then."