sweethymns | OPEN RP POST SIX

[For someone who had the esper ability to glean information down to the finest and minuscule detail, Lien knows that this may be one of those cases where she should just roll with the punches. Of course, crashing headfirst into a world of magic, dragons, and normalized violence may warrant some kind of explanation and the only thing she could come up with was a "wormhole" of sorts. She was curious when she found it in the back of her broom closet and her investigator side magnetized her to the phenomenon. Here are the listed reasons of how this was a Not Great™ idea Lien Kha immediately penned in her head once this happened:

a) Getting cornered by severe looking and nasty men who are wondering what the hell she was wearing and why she didn't have an accent.

b) Figuring out they were slavers because they pushed her into a group of terrified people with, most with pointy ears which lead to:

c) Defending herself with the tried and true method of SING ("Solar-Plexus Instep Nose Groin! It's a great party trick!" she says to the stupefied prisoners.)

There were a lot more reasons but it was cut short when an all too familiar elf with white hair and major issues came in to make the save. Literally, he cut them down, it was rather gruesome and Lien was pretty sure she would have to clean her denim jeans to get the tiniest sprays of blood out of the fabric. God.

So here she is, in a dilapidated mansion in the city of Kirkwall. She sits at the table, legs crisscrossed, slightly messy long hair, and a crack across one of her glass lenses. She has a wooden cup of... Wine? Yup, that's probably what it is. Lien sniffs it, wrinkles her nose, shrugs and takes a sip before talking to her generous host.]

You know... The good news is, I'm pretty sure I can go home no problem. The bad news is, I wanna catch up with you Mr. Sunshine Man.

[Look, Lien, you better be thankful that the blood spatter staining your jeans belongs to somebody else and not you. Also that Fenris' favorite past-time just happens to include hunting down slavers. The surly look on his face upon discovering the elves (and Lien, to his brief surprise) is enough to show that, in actuality, he only enjoys the whole stab-stab, kill-kill part. Not so much the being seen as a hero part.]

[Still, his cloudy morals still manage to speak clearly enough to lead him into doing the right thing, and that's how Lien has wound up in her current position. State of the mansion aside, she's in pretty good shape.]

That isn't bad news.

[Fenris takes a sip of wine directly from the bottle. Hope you didn't want seconds, Lien.]

It's terrible news.

[He's not about to reveal whether or not he's kidding and to be fair, he may not have to. He's shown enough soft spots to Lien over their time knowing one another to weaken any argument that he would even attempt to make.]

You shouldn't have been able to arrive here in the first place.

Edited 2018-08-02 19:13 (UTC)

[It's only just a dream.

There's a young boy, blonde, blue-eyed, pure, bumbling, and sincere. He finds her mountain, they find each other. She's intrigued, fascinated, and something like affection grows in her inhuman heart towards him. She invites him to her banquets and basks in his company. He regards her with bluster and caution, she regards him with sweetness and hospitality. The demon of Mt. Ooe is no fool; this cannot last. He was sent to kill her. He eventually will.

But she wishes to keep sharing drinks with him.

❁ ❁ ❁

The Heian Era of Japan is an unforgiving landscape. When the blood-red twilight bleeds into the horizon, the oni come out to play and the humans of Kyoto despair. They play, they drink, they feast, they love, and they consume. Oh, how much they consumed of the humans that had the misfortune of living near their mountain! Surrounded by her demonic brethren, the leader of the mountain, Shuten Douji, lives to her heart's content.

She takes any human she pleases. She takes their blood, their bones, their marrow, she takes it all. It enriches her liquor and the treasures she and her demon kin take as their spoils.

The boy is a grown man, powerful, enough to push her back if she's not careful. Their blades clash, she coaxes him with her sensuality, but he doesn't give in. They have both fought so many times to the point where Shuten has lost count. He wants to fight because it's the only language that they can share between them that he can understand. She obliges because she wants him, wants to be near him, she wants to tear him apart and break him. She wants his bones, his marrow, and his everything. Their battles always end in a draw. The rivalry makes her shiver with pleasure and she always looks forward to their next confrontation, to their next drinking bout.

This cannot last.

The demons of Mt. Ooe are gifted with a luscious and intoxicating brew that she simply could not resist. Of course it was suspicious and of course, it's too good to be true. It makes her feel pleasant, drunker than she had ever been, there is no other drink that could give her this much satisfaction...

And then it mixes with the taste of her own blood.

Her head lies on the floor. She sees the casket of poisoned alcohol, her handsome boy, his remorse in his blue eyes and her blood on his blade.

She grins. Her very last murmur is just for him.

"Guess I'll go a bit ahead of you... 'kay?"]

❁ ❁ ❁

[Shuten Douji drowsily opens up her eyes. While she yawns daintily, the Assassin Servant sits up and stretches her limbs before settling back into the luxurious chaise sofa that was provided for her by her Master among the many other decorations and items that beautify a small but comfortable section of the Sanctum that was set aside for her.]

Mmmm.

[It's early nighttime and the period where the thin line of sunlight is just about to disappear in the horizon making way for the moon and stars. Shuten lets out a petulant sigh reaching for a large and hefty bottle of high-quality sake provided for her.]

Waking up alone is no good. [Her sake dish is filled to the brim and as natural as breathing was to living creatures, Shuten starts to work on drinking it slowly (never mind that around her living area, there are several empty vessels drained of their contents whether she drank slowly or not). Regardless of her complaint expressed to no one in particular, the Servant chuckles.]

I haven't thought of that time in a while. Maybe that little dream should wake him up.

[Shuten usually doesn't sweat the details about the Master and Servant relationship which causes her to gloss over the detail of having an intimate link in both body and mind; which includes the Master being privy to the details of her life before becoming a Heroic Spirit. Ah, well. Whatever.

Dr. Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme owes her his company for drinking anyways.]

Edited 2018-07-27 13:50 (UTC)

[His dreams are, for a lack of a better word, strange.

Ever since he left his old life behind, opened his eyes to the universe, they weren't the same; he saw its many gleaming facets, the way it twisted and existed a hundred, thousand, million, billion times over — more than that. Infinite. Fractals of color and experience and shapes and faces that he doesn’t always recognize. Friends that he does, loved ones and old enemies. Their lights shining at the corner of his mind, singing brightly. Asleep, he sees it all, almost with the same clarity of meditation. He sees time moving fluidly (the stone gleaming bright and green and nestled in the Eye, is the Eye), he moves with it, he sees the past and present and future in alien shapes and it stretches him thin and fills him fully and makes Stephen feel so very small.

And feeling small is sometimes a comfort in its own way.

Tonight is different. Tonight is a straightforward dream, but it is decidedly very specific. It doesn’t belong to him, he knows it — he can feel the threads of connection leading away from his spirit and to a different part of the house. His physical body, running on impulse and low-grade instinct, can follow that line. But his mental acuity, lost in a dream like only Stephen can have, focuses on the scene. Fondness, affection. Violence, death. A severed head landing on soft ground, and the smile of a demon that he knows.

He wakes up. A slow process, only jolting up from the worst of them, so this is like pulling himself out from beneath the sea — and eventually Stephen can breathe. And he knows that he will not be able to sleep after this.

Minutes later, and Shuten will hear his footsteps. Quiet, barefoot. Dressed in a plain shirt and pajama bottoms, a very far cry from the garb of a sorcerer. He looks…. normal.

Moonlight shines in through the window.]

Oversharing is considered a character flaw.

[Dry, smooth tones slide through shadow from where he stands.]

[One eye opens and Shuten turns her head to glance at Stephen while her back leans against the arm of the chaise. Her drinking vessel rotates around her fingers as she gives him a lazy wave. He's dressed normally and it does remind the demon that for all his experiences and power that he's proven and displayed to her so far he really was just a man.]

And good evening to you, Master. Did you have any sweet dreams?

[Chuckling, the demon straightens up.]

Kidding. No need to answer that. Call it a side effect of our contract instead of implying that it is a flaw of mine. I have many but revealing my unsightly demise in a casual manner is not one of them.

[She's dressed in a casual but elegant yukata instead of her usual garments and her feet, as always, are bare. Shuten had taken to trying out different clothes surprisingly even dressing up in what could be considered proper clothing with decent coverage even if she would default back to something loose and free.

She pats at a space next to her on the sofa.] Come, sit. After a dream like that, you aren't going to be sleeping any time soon.

[Lien has known the elf long enough from their time in the futuristic space vessel to know that a dour Fenris is a normal Fenris. Which means she takes his reply with good humor even if she has to return it with her own smartass quip.]

C'mon, can't you at least pretend you're happy to see me?

... But you're right about that last part. Honestly, I'm more surprised we remember each other but that's what we get with wormholes, isn't it?

[She takes another sip of wine from her cup although her line of sight is on Fenris barely hiding her amusement that he's drinking from the bottle. Of course, he would.]

Before we tumble down the usual dark hole of our banter, I do want to say thanks. Thank you for getting there in time I mean.

[Being shipped off to Tevinter may not be very fun for another world traveler like her...]

[He makes a noise and it sounds like a rumble in the back of his throat, a rejection and an acceptance of her company both. Stephen steps forward, out of shadow and into a white beam of moonlight. The night is clear, the smog of the city refusing to muddy up the sight seen through the large windows.]

I've had worse dreams. Just as I've had better nightmares.

[The scope of what he's experienced through dreaming, through meditation, is enough to warp the mind of lesser men. Less enlightened men, who haven't accepted that the whole of existence is infinite and stretching out in every direction at once, all at once.

Still, he decides to sink into the cushion of the sofa, exhaling. She was right about not sleeping.]

Though I have so little of it, I don't appreciate it being unduly interrupted. You could've warned me.

You never asked.

[You know what should soften up the tense mood? Alcohol. Shuten reaches for an untouched and innocuously small sake cup and places it in Stephen's lap, gently pushing his hands around it so that it won't slide off. As she busies herself with filling a matching vessel the demon continues their conversation with her smooth and serene voice that blends in with the clearness of the nighttime atmosphere.]

And our link isn't something so casual that I have some innate ability to interrupt your own thoughts. We're connected, whether that's agreeable with you or not.

[She holds up the sake pitcher and gestures at him to hold up his cup.]

So what did you think?

It was hardly anything that I didn't already know about you, in broad strokes.

[He speaks plainly, as if he can fend off the languidness that she practically exudes with his own cut-and-dry demeanor. Latched onto it from his past life as a brain surgeon, just the empirical details, just the facts.

Still, he holds up his cup to be filled. He did promise to drink with her, and he isn't so unkind as to neglect his promises.]

So it doesn't matter what I think. I'm more interested in how you felt, having died in such a gruesome way. You didn't seem particularly upset.

[Sweet sake trickles into his cup before Shuten answers his question in a light tone.]

It's natural for a man eater to be slain. I've been having my fill of humans and humans had enough of the oni. I don't hold much of a grudge about being killed.

[It's a mildly surprising statement. She draws back after filling his cup and serves herself again.]

Besides... I'm still fond of the boy who did the deed to me. He's my favorite you know.

Are you?

[Not surprising, he had seen how calm she was when it happened. But he still raises a brow, and brings the sake to his lips, muttering-]

Not even the smallest grudge? How very generous of you-

[He takes a sip, and good lord. Good heavens. By the flames of the friggin' faltine, that's strong. Stephen screws his face up in surprise.]

Well. I can call the poisoned alcohol a bit of low blow. Of course, I would drink it—

[Shuten pauses as she looks at Stephen's face grimace as the alcohol hits him. Her smile is wide and she giggles, covering her mouth with one sleeve.]

Sloooowly, Master. Savor it slowly or else you'll be in trouble.

[He wills his face to something placid, though Stephen's success is minimal at best. It burns going down, it's like disorienting fire, not completely unpleasant but definitely shocking enough.

He sucks in a breath, then exhales, speaking.]

In trouble from you, I think you mean. I'm not so reckless to believe otherwise.

Edited 2018-08-10 19:30 (UTC)

Oh c'mon now. Haven't I been behaving quite nicely? No credit for that? Or...

[And here's the lean in; she moves into his personal space, all smiles and full of coyness.]

Or would you prefer if I act out if you become drunk? We could both get in trouble riiiight here.

[And this is where Stephen leans back, just slightly.]

Behaving nicely because I haven't given you an opportunity to do otherwise.

[A free hand reaches out to push gently on her shoulder.]

I attract enough trouble without trying, thank you. I can do without yours.

[The scowl never quite leaves, but it's definitely softened. Just the thought of losing more memories bothers Fenris deep in his core for a variety of reasons, none of them even remotely good.]

[So he's, in his uniquely (and selfish) Fenris way, grateful to see Lien here and to know who she is.]

...You're welcome.

[That's as close to propriety as we're going to get.]

Did they hurt you before I arrived?

[Shuten clucks her tongue.]

Not even a light flush. You either need to drink more, or you're a very mature man who doesn't let a simple invitation get into his head.

[Surprisingly she relents and backs away. Of course, she'll just lay on her side, letting one sleeve of her kimono slip down her shoulder as she takes another sip of sake.]

Or do you have an amorous relationship on the side that I am not aware of? Do tell. Truth be told Master, I am bored and I require some stimulating conversation especially if you do not wish for stimulation of the other kind.

Edited 2018-08-21 09:02 (UTC)

[Lien holds up an index finger.]

One of them almost, almost touched a boob!

I kneed that guy in the crotch before he got to that base because honestly, that's just skipping a few steps!

[Woah, woah, WOAH that's like skipping all of the steps!!!]

That would explain the sour mood.

[Another pause, and then...]

If anyone else attempts anything of the sort during your time here, tell me immediately. I will take care of it.

Knowing what to expect from you is the same as wearing a suit of armor that protects me from your... rather interesting personality, I think.

[Dryly, he says, but to be fair, it's true. If he knows he's going to be hit on all day erryday, then it's easy to shrug it off as nothing more than her innate personality.]

Not much of your business, that. Good thing that I'm not much of the type to be embarrassed talking about my own love life, or what really remains of it. I did have someone -- maybe still do, hard to say, what with the life I currently lead. Relationships aren't always at the height of my priority list.

Probably not all that surprising for you to hear.

[A brow perks up with interest when Stephen mentions the remains of a relationship and so she latches onto that.]

Oh, do talk to me about that one. I want to know what your type is.

Haaaa. You'd take care of it alright.

[The solution is always the sharp and pointy end of the sword. Lien does several stretches with her arms before taking a look around the room they're sitting in.]

Meanwhile... You probably don't want to waste time explaining to anyone about where I came from, huh? Are you still hanging out with Hawke and friends?

You're right. I don't.

[Mostly because Hawke already knows who Lien is, even if it's only by name and story. Thankfully, those memories remained intact. Their shared experience helped keep Fenris grounded and firmly in the territory of 'not insane, thank goodness'.]

And I am. Although we're still often up to dangerous work. I cannot recommend our company to someone so...

[He looks at Lien and furrows a brow.]

...you.

Edited 2018-09-02 03:21 (UTC)

[Lien wrinkles her nose in return.]

Is that a good "you" or a bad "you?" Because c'mon, I can't be that much weirder than the people you associate with?

[Okay. Well. She kind of has him there. Fenris hasn't exactly made a habit out of hanging out with the regular Joe Shmoe. If that's going to work for or against him is still unclear.]

Neither.

[Wait... that's a noncommital answer. As much as he plays the exasperated older brother type, Fenris at least owes Lien a bit more than that.]

I am... concerned. That our work may place you in more danger.

[Ugh.]

OPEN RP POST SIX

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