Between Darkness and Light {Naminé}

[{K}itsune]

With his arms around her, Naminé tried to calm her heart. She also attempted to convince herself that it wasn't Charon's arms around her, but Orpheus.... there was no way that would work, however. Charon had a completely different aura about him, one that commanded attention and radiated enticing darkness. For a moment, all was still except for their breathing. Then slowly, he lifted her into his strong hold, carrying her as if they were newly weds, causing her breathing to hitch in her throat. She knew it wasn't intentional, but it still caused her breathing to cease with guilt. As he gently laid her down on the bed, she squeezed her eyes closed, almost like she was wishing this was all just a bad dream. However when she felt the bed shift under her, she knew that it wasn't.

Slowly Charon crawled next to her, pulling her back against his chest as he rested on his side next to her. His hand effectively kept her secure against his chest with one behind her head and the other against the small of her back. Tight against him, she could hear nothing except his heartbeat and it instantly calmed her down like nothing else. The guilt was still there, but this rhythm was familiar to her. She'd known Charon for a while, and he would never purposefully hurt her, even if she was scum.

"Nami...it is not a sin, to feel attraction to another man while in love with one aside from him. It is not wrong. Perhaps you only feel that way because I am a part of him. Or, was. He does not, would not, can not blame you for that. After all, in all fairness, I am rather irresistable."

Wrong. Wrong. So wrong..Right. No, no, wrong! Maybe it's not a sin to feel attracted to another man besides the one you love, but it was wrong for her body to completely deny her love for the man she supposedly loved. Her body had already told her that it loved Charon more than Orphie. Second, she definitely was not attracted to Charon because he had been apart of Orpheus, as much as she wished that was the case. Third...oh, yes, yes he could blame her for it. Lastly...her body had already made it clear that he was irresistable.

"If only that was the case." she whispered. Then a moment later she chuckled reluctantly, "That you are." Never in a million years had she thought she'd say that. She'd been completely fine just a few days ago, easily able to resist his charms. Now, it was almost impossible. Gods, pray for my soul.

Trying to move onto safer ground, if that was possible in the arms of the man she lusted after, she questioned, "Don't I have to ... meet with Nihilit tomorrow?" Slowly another fear lifted into her heart, their only protection against Nihilit was if he didn't know that Charon had a soft spot for her.. Would he be able to smell him on her? On her lips? Her hair? Her clothing?

So quickly the Gods rained judgement upon her for her sins.

[Despair]

"Do I have to...meet with Nihilit tomorrow?" she asked, her voice wavering.

Charon lay there silently for a long moment. Did she? In the state she was in, he was unsure of how she would be able to handle the sangfroid disposition of the other demon. Furthermore, he was loathe to let her wander through the fortress unguarded by either him or his d.amned former counterpart, annoying though he may be.

[glow=red,2,300]"Do you want to?"[/glow]

he ventured after some time, his mind still on her troubles. What could he possibly say? The ocean of anguish in her heart was beginning to trouble him almost as much as it was her. It had to end, and soon. He couldn't allow her to feel any more remorse when already in such a desolate state.

Like a light shining from above, the words struck him.
He pulled her up to look at him, her face gently cradled between his strong palms.


[glow=red,2,300] "Namine, you think that you are wrong to accept both of us. Your body craves one, your mind another. You can have both, one, neither, as you wish; neither one of us would anger. Neither of us would find fault with that. You are a human girl, thrust into a world of demons who would seduce you from your soul. Your natural instinct is to fight us, to deny us. You bodily instincts are to embrace us, for the most primital of instincts is to find a strong male with which to mate. Your mental instinct is to deny us in any way possible. Being around me has confused these instincts; being around Orpheus has all but turned them upside down. You are in no way wrong to feel as you do. Neither of us judge you for your lust of mind or body...how could we, when we have felt the same?"[/glow]

[{K}itsune]

Charon stayed silent against her body, yet somehow, Naminé didn't feel like he was seeing what was worrying her about it. He seemed to only think about her emotions and how she wouldn't be able to keep herself calm in front of Nihilit after her breakdown today. That wasn't it at all though. If she left the rooms, if she ran into a demon...if Nihilit found her, they'd know that she and Charon were at least close enough to have been touching long enough for his scent to have rubbed off on her skin. She was surprised he didn't see it.

"Do you want to?" he questioned finally, his voice soft.

She couldn't help it. A quiet chuckle ripped from her lip that closely resembled a sob. "Do I want to? Why would I ever want to meet with Nihilit? Did you not see him today? He looked at me like he wanted to eat me," she trembled against his chest with her quiet laughter.

Suddenly his hands touched her face, cradling it in his strong hands causing her trembling and laughter to cease as her eyes got caught in his own.

"Namine, you think that you are wrong to accept both of us. Your body craves one, your mind another. You can have both, one, neither, as you wish; neither one of us would anger. Neither of us would find fault with that. You are a human girl, thrust into a world of demons who would seduce you from your soul. Your natural instinct is to fight us, to deny us. You bodily instincts are to embrace us, for the most primital of instincts is to find a strong male with which to mate. Your mental instinct is to deny us in any way possible. Being around me has confused these instincts; being around Orpheus has all but turned them upside down. You are in no way wrong to feel as you do. Neither of us judge you for your lust of mind or body...how could we, when we have felt the same?"

Her mind reeled with his words. Her mind craved one, her body the other. Here was the problem with that, her mind craved Orpheus...but it also craved Charon, despite how much she tried to deny it. His words made her heart beat loudly in her chest and she tried to look away, but the gentle way his hands held her face kept her gazing into his golden flecked eyes. Breathing out slowly she finally closed her eyes and pressed her cheek into his palm, as her heartbeat slowed. Still, he talked about her being thrust into a world of demons... she had both demonic and angelic blood in her veins, so while she was human...she wasn't, which is also part of the reason why demons craved after her. They saw something like themselves and they saw the light of the angel, which they craved, which is why she gave of such a dark, gentle aura.

Still... "Thank you," she murmured, finally. A few more minutes passed until she whispered, "He'll find me anyway, even if I don't meet with him." So certain. She might be dead tomorrow anyway, why should she worry about what she'd done today. She'd lay in the arms of a man who wasn't her lover, and she'd allow herself to relax and feel safe. Slowly her body relaxed against his, showing as the tightness in her body began to soften; thankfully, finally.

[Despair]

"Do I want to? Why would I ever want to meet with Nihilit? Did you not see him today? He looked at me like he wanted to eat me,"

Charon chuckled softly, glancing down at her.

[glow=red,2,300]"I can promise you that he has no such intentions. Humans are hardly a delicacy, beyond their blood. Nevermind that you aren't completely human. Besides, from what I've seen of him, he looks more like a soul-eater, hmmm? And you have no soul, therefore, you ought to be alright."[/glow]

He couldn't resist adding some humor, and his only intention there was to keep her laughing. At least it worked, somewhat, but her pain did not alleviate.

"He'll find me anyway, even if I don't meet with him." she finally murmured. Charon sighed, his chest rising and falling beneath her.

[glow=red,2,300]"Do you truly think so little of me? I will simply tell him that you are unable to begin your studies so soon after your travels."[/glow]

It was true; he could bully Nihilit into waiting a day, at least for now. Who knows what would become of his reputation after Orpheus woke up? Furthermore, he needed to reestablish his presence in the demonic community, and figure out who was with him, against him, and undecided. He could sense a dark presence looming on the horizon.

[{K}itsune]

Naminé's eyes flashed up to meet Charon's from her place at his chest in shock. What? Would he really belittle her fears so? Why was he laughing? Didn't he realize that she was actually scared? That this was serious?

"I can promise you that he has no such intentions. Humans are hardly a delicacy, beyond their blood. Nevermind that you aren't completely human. Besides, from what I've seen of him, he looks more like a soul-eater, hmmm? And you have no soul, therefore, you ought to be alright."

Naminé found herself blanching in horror before chuckling reluctantly. "I truly hope that you aren't planning on drinking my blood, Charon. I can assure you that I need it," she murmured, her warm palm resting on his chest. Directly beneath her palm she could feel his heart beating. Closing her eyes slowly, as she rested her head back against his chisled torso, she smiled ever so slightly as she felt the life flowing through him.

She had to say she didn't really appreciate the whole..."no soul" thing though. "No soul? Are people without a soul usually this emotional and high-strung? If so, then thank you for correcting me. I'll change my name to "Heartless"," she added, quietly. It didn't sound completely sincere however, so it probably wouldn't alarm Charon. Naminé could practically fell his anxiety rolling off of him in waves. He wasn't exactly over-reacting, but he was worried about her, and he wanted her to be happy, not sad.

Under her hand, his chest rose and fell as he sighed, only making his heartbeat slightly irregular. "Do you truly think so little of me? I will simply tell him that you are uable to being your studies so soon after your travels."

Do you truly think so little of me... Never. How could he ever think that? If that were the case, she wouldn't be experiencing this heartbreak, this severing of mind and body, heart and soul. She could almost make herself wish that was the case...almost. It was like molten rock flowing underneath the surface, starting out cool, unstable, but slowly cooling until it was unbreakable. Once it was done, it could never go back, and that was what was happening in Naminé's heart, or at least that's what it felt like. She was going to hurt one of them...whether she wanted to or not, and despite what Charon said, one of them would end up in pain, even if they tried to hide it. Or at least Orpheus would...she wasn't sure how Charon felt about her. He was attracted to her, and she knew that there had been something behind their kissing...but he was a demon, he was made to play with emotion and tantalize the senses.

Miss Noctis knew that Charon would be able to postpone her trials, but this place was Nihilit's domain, if he wished to find her, he would. Outside of these rooms, she was free game, for everyone. Still, Charon believed she was safe, why worry him any more? "Alright. I am tired." she allowed, breathing in slowly, still working at an appearance of calm.

[Despair]

She seemed almost offended, for a moment, and Charon inwardly cursed himself for his lack of understanding in the realm of human emotion. However, after a moment she replied with less horror than humor, and he breathed again.

"I truly hope that you aren't planning on drinking my blood, Charon. I can assure you that I need it,"

[glow=red,2,300]"I would never,"[/glow] The demon-prince couldn't resist a mock-indignant response, considering how he had attempted to drink her blood at least once before.


"No soul? Are people without a soul usually this emotional and high-strung? If so, then thank you for correcting me. I'll change my name to "Heartless"," she almost whispered, at the end. Charon sighed, propping himself up on his elbows to look down at her thoughtfully. What could be read into her expression? Desolation, perhaps? He noted the faint waver he had detected in her voice and shook his head lightly. Was she truly so devastated? The situation was becoming too emotional for him to handle. As so, he infused his voice with a gentle humor, hugging her as comfortingly as he knew how.

[glow=red,2,300] "No, but women who are nearing their monthly bloods are."[/glow]

He teased her, lighting chucking her under the chin. After a moment of rethinking her words, though, he paused and looked at her sharply, eyes narrowing. The corners of his mouth threatened to curve into a smirk despite his best efforts of appearing accusatory.


[glow=red,2,300] "Wait, are you implying that I am "emotional and high-strung"? I thought that I had successfully quashed that bit of the soul-draining side-effects."[/glow]

It seemed as if humor was wasted on her at the moment, however. "Alright. I am tired." she announced after a brief silence. Charon sighed.

[glow=red,2,300]"Then sleep, my Namine. All will be well when you wake in the morning."[/glow]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Orpheus groaned and opened his eyes as the morning light fell across their lids. A faint headache and a severe nose ache reminded him thoroughly of the day before, despite his best attempts at forgetting it. Da.mn that demon.

[glow=teal, 2,300] Now, Orpheus. [/glow]

Liora chastised him softly. Orpheus rolled his eyes, ignoring her, and sat up. It seemed that the angel had done her best to heal him over the course of the night, and his nose was no longer broken. He reached up and snapped it back into place, wincing.

[glow=teal, 2,300] That's rather grotesque. [/glow] Liora shuddered.

"Not any more so than the demon messing with Namine yesterday." The third-blood muttered in response, staggering to his feet and taking a look around. Speaking of his love, she was out of sight. Probably asleep in another room. He shrugged, deciding that it would be best to clean up before looking for her.

A brief escapade into the bathroom and a few moments in the kitchen later, Orpheus walked through the door of the room Charon and Namine shared in fresh clothes and smelling much better than before. On one hand was balanced a large breakfast tray full of steaming foods; on the other, a glass of mixed-fruit juice that he was sure Nami would appreciate.

He froze, staring at the two forms in the bed, and nearly dropped the breakfast. After a long moment of carefully forcing himself to think logically, he sat the tray and glass down on the bedside table and took a look at them. It was clear, at least, that nothing serious had gone on. He sighed with relief, not particularly good at being angry with Namine. Charon was another matter, but his nose still hurt slightly, and he wasn't about to risk it being broken again. Instead, he moved over to the side of the bed that Namine was on and gently shook her shoulder.

Charon's eyes opened immediately, but upon seeing Orpheus, closed again to give the two privacy. His breathing and pulse was still slow, so hopefully she wouldn't suspect he was conscious, should Orpheus wish to address the situation.

"Nami," he called gently, careful not to jostle her hurt shoulder. "Breakfast is ready."

[{K}itsune]

Namine was feeling better, despite her mood. Even though she was still wallowing in self-loathing, Charon had managed to make her happy. He was good at that. Even if she wasn't completely happy, she wasn't drowning in darkness any longer, and that was a good feeling.

When Charon muttered, "I would never," Namine smiled just a bit, a small chuckle escaping from her lips. The only reason it was so hilarious was because in reality he had attempted to do just that a few months - or was it weeks? - ago. Had so little time passed?

Sighing when her soul comment seemed to worry Charon, she glanced away as he propped himself on his elbows to look down at her. He seemed to be searching her expression, and for a moment Namine feared, and hoped, that he might be considering kissing her to get her to stop worrying and moaning about something that had already "ended".

Smiling ever so slightly as his arms tightened around her in a brief hug, she closed her eyes. "No, but women who are nearing their monthly bleeds are," he murmured finally, causing her to snicker.

Her "bleeds" as he called them were different than most other girls. For one, it only lasted about three days and could hardly be considered uncomfortable or even annoying, in fact, she hardly noticed it was happening. In truth, she probably wouldn't realize it was happening - she bled so little - if it weren't for what she got instead of a painful period. Whenever she neared and entered upon her time, her visions and sightings came much more often and they were usually the more gruesome souls, those that died horrible deaths, and those who wanted revenge. Said revenge was usually set upon her since no one else could see them. It was horrible. Thinking back, Namine realized that she had a few days left before her period began. Oh gods, that would be horrible in this place. Death and darkness swirled around them here in every nook and cranny, there'd be nowhere for her to hide. She'd die of fear, if nothing else.

Blinking as she felt his skin on her chin, her eyes lifted to his, and she laughed quietly as she saw that he was trying - and failing - to hide a smirk. "Wait, are you implying that I am "emotional and high-strung"? I thought that I had successfully quashed that bit of the soul-draining side-effects." he questioned her, causing her to smirk and hide her face in his chest. Apparently, he didn't see that because the next thing she knew, he was sighing again beneath her palm.

"Then sleep, my Namine. All will be well when you wake in the morning," he murmured.

Namine stilled. His? Instantly her body began rebelling in triumph.

"Always! His!"
Shush! It was probably just a slip up.
"So what? Even if it was, you liked the way it sounded, didn't you?"
…Silence.

Despite her internal struggle, her body instantly relaxed and her heartbeat slowed. It would always obey the only person it truly belonged to. Within seconds she was asleep.

When Namine slipped from consciousness, that was when the nightmares began.

The ghouls in this dream were horrific and grotesque. As they crawled from their graves and climbed up her body, Namine attempted to scream but all she heard was silence. Her body would never disobey a command given by the one it loved, and Charon had told her to sleep. She would just have to live through the fear because no-one could help her now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When darkness finally gave way to dusty sunlight, Namine found herself slowly awakening to a persistent tugging at her injured shoulder. It wasn't particularly painful, just highly annoying. She had a pounding headache and had just woken from one of the worst dreams she'd ever had. Unfortunately, Namine couldn't recall what had happened, but at least she was warm. That was mostly due to the object next to her that seemed to be radiating heat. As her eyes slowly opened, they widened as she saw Charon by her side, and her heart faltered when she heard Orpheus on her other side.

"Nami, breakfast is ready."

Turning over slowly, she sat up passing her hand over her eyes and effectively removing the hair from her face, careful not to bump into the man next to her. Unsure whether he was awake or not, she murmured, "Good morning." Even if he hadn't been there she would have spoken just as quiet. Any noise above a certain volume sent her head into fits of agony. She wished he hadn't woken her up. Everything was too bright and too loud. Orpheus himself seemed to glow with white light while Charon was practically cloaked in sweet, sweet darkness.

"Turn off the light," she muttered, incoherently as she pressed her palms against her eyes, trying to block out the horrendous brightness. She was attempting to avoid explaining why she had slept beside Charon, but she knew she'd have to speak eventually.

"Just give me a moment." she murmured, sighing. Leaning back against the headboard she held her hands over her eyes for a few seconds longer, wishing that this place had blinds. With a deep sigh, she rolled out of bed without so much as a squeak; at least she hadn’t woken him up. Getting to her feet she glanced at Orpheus and smiled tiredly. "Let’s go in there." she said softly, kissing his cheek. Her body rebelled however. It felt so wrong. Even she couldn’t deny that. Orpheus wouldn’t notice, but had Charon been awake, he would have seen the way the hand away from her lover had clenched as the feeling of "wrongness" echoed through her body.

Sitting down she covered her head with a pillow and stretched out. "He was helping me to get to sleep," she said abruptly and softly, surprised that it didn't sound rushed or out of the blue, "I was worried about Nihilit." All very true, and it sounded that way to outside ears - plus why would she ever lie? Still, on the inside every part of her being was screaming, "Wrong! Wrong! Lie! It was more than that. Don't deny Charon!"

"How are you feeling? Your face? Your wings?" she asked gently, uncovering her eyes and then squinting at the brilliance of the light in the room. Moaning she covered her head again. "Dam.n you, headache, da.mn you." she mumbled rolling her head from side to side. Was it the dream? Was that what was affecting her? She didn’t know. She didn’t care. It hurt.

Even as she was speaking to the man she supposedly loved, her body was very aware of Charon's body just on the other side of the door.

[Despair]

In truth, Charon had been completely unaware of her terror. Somehow, he had slipped into a rather deep sleep totally unlike him. All of this emotional stuff must have been getting to him.

Orpheus sighed, looking at Nami as she clambered free of Charon and pulled him to another room. "I have to carry it all, then?" he asked mournfully, once again balancing his tray and glass.

Once in the other room, Namine seemed to rush into apologies.
"He was helping me to get to sleep. I was worried about Nihilit."

Orpheus nodded sympathetically, seeing no reason not to believe her. "And obviously, that didn't go so well." he pointed out mildly as she winced. Inwardly, he patted himself on the back for being so smart as to choose a drink for her that would alleviate a great deal of the pain she had been feeling in her back, and probably in her head, too. He set everything down on the table and tugged her close, handing her the glass. "Drink that, love." he murmured softly. "It will help."

"How are you feeling? Your face? Your wings?"

The human chuckled faintly at her choice of words, looking at her with amusement in his mismatched eyes, but addressed the demon standing in the doorway. "D.ammit, Charon, did you have to break my nose?" he asked, not sounding overly irritated. Charon shrugged, his powerful muscles flexing as he did so.


[glow=red,2,300]"It seemed necessarily, if I was to make my point clear. Is it?"[/glow]

"Perfectly." Orpheus said cheerfully, handing Namine a bagel. "Don't piss off Charon when he's...frustrated. Understood, sir." To complete his little act, he saluted. Charon only rolled his eyes, surprisingly, then focused his gaze on Namine.

[glow=red,2,300]"I sense that your dreams were unpleasant. I'm sorry."[/glow]

He murmured. Orpheus glanced over at her, mildly concerned. The light had caught her lean frame, however, and he found himself momentarily stunned at the sheer beauty Namine radiated. Charon, too, noted the lighting and allowed his eyes to shift over her once. In response, his more...primitive instincts caused a soft purr to rise in his throat: a noise that would put any mere mortal woman on edge of climax. Orpheus allowed a smirk to cross his face as he tilted his head, watching her.

[{K}itsune]

"And obviously that didn't go so well."

Namine stilled, what did he mean? Did he know they'd kissed? She calmed herself, knowing that he was simply talking about her headache. He didn't know. He believed her. Why wouldn't he? She was always telling the truth, up until now that was. He had no reason not to believe every lie she fed him. Why was he so blind? Her stomach dropped with guilt, but she knew that lying, while it hurt her, didn't hurt him. The truth, now that would.

As he sat everything down on the coffee table, she closed her eyes only to have them widen in surprise as he pulled her against his side, causing her to visibly and internally wince. Quick motions made her head dizzy, it felt almost like she was on the ocean, experiencing a very, very horrible form of motion sickness. One that included a headache that nearly had her grinding her teeth in agony. She was more drained today than yesterday, although she had to admit, she was in a far better mood. Charon had done good work last night.

As Orpheus handed her a cup of some sort of liquid, he spoke to her in soft tones.

"Drink that, love. It will help."

Another wince. Thank the gods for the headache now; he attribute the grimance of pain to her aching head, not her deceiving heart. Ignoring her traitorous heart for the moment, she sipped at the beverage, grimanced, and then drank more deeply. It was effective, but boy was it nasty. One of the worst drinks she'd ever had. Or at least that was what her aching body was telling her, it would probably be pretty good in any other circumstance.

At her inquisation, Orpheus began to chuckle. When he finally spoke, he was looking at her, but it wasn't directed at her, "Dam.mit, Charon, did you have to break my nose?"

Namine felt her heart stutter to a halt as she looked up and saw Charon standing in the doorway. She moaned inwardly as she took in his body. He hadn't even bothered to put a shirt on. It was like he was trying to make her break. Those muscles. That body. Ugh! As Charon shrugged, Namine discreetly averted her eyes, trying to calm her tortured heart. This was too much. Still, even when she was looking away, his voice got to her, wrapping around her body like an embrace.

"It seemed necessar, if I was to make my point clear. Is it?"

Even if he was talking about hurting someone.

"Perfectly. Don't piss of Charon when he's...frustrated. Understood, sir."

Taking the bagel, Namine ate silently, hoping Orpheus would attribute it to her pain taking her words away, and not Charon taking her breath away. However, when his eyes turned onto her, she didn't have to see it to know that he was looking at her, she could feel her skin burning.

"I sense that your dreams were unpleasant. I'm sorry."

Trying to draw the attention away from herself she waved her hand and said quickly, "It was nothing.. In fact I can't even remember what I was dreaming, but thank you. You on the other hand, seem to have slept like a baby." she ended with a smirk, allowing him to see that she was in a far better mood than last night had shown.

Suddenly however both of the men were staring at her, and Namine blinked rapidly, her eyes shining in the sunlight. What caused her pain seemed to have taken the breath away from Charon and Orpheus. Finally a noise broke the silence, a low, husky purr echoing from Charon's direction. Namine blinked and looked over at him slowly, surprised. It was hot.

"Sexy!"
I can't deny that.
"Good! I win."
What?! No! I mean-"
"Too late"

It was a good thing Namine was getting good with her poker face. Biting back a moan that would not have passed for one of pain, Namine forced the blush back, knowing that it was coming.

"Why are you both staring at me?" she asked finally, her voice unintentionally a purr, unsure what had suddenly caught their attention.

[Despair]

"Why are you both staring at me?" she asked.

Charon smirked slowly; that devilish grin that had women swooning on sight.

[glow=red,2,300]"I would prefer to stare at you when the only other option is Orpheus."[/glow]

Charon replied midly, shooting his former host a glance over her shoulder. Orpheus was looking back at him, his eyes glinting mischeviously. He brushed his dark hair from his face before speaking. "I was about to say the same thing of you, Charon."

[glow=red,2,300]"Another thing we have in common, then."[/glow]

Charon all but purred, his smirk slowly turning into a grin as his perfect teeth were displayed, and the tip of his tongue was caught between them for just a split second in possibly the most playful, sexiest manner ever to exist. He looked like he was about to ravish her into a level of pleasure she had yet to even dream of.

Orpheus, too, had a dark glimmer in his eyes. "Another thing? I thought there was only one." Now he began to move forward, slowly forcing Namine to take a few steps back.

Charon chuckled suddenly, rich and husky, right by her ear as Nami was backed into his bare, chisled chest.

[glow=red,2,300]"Oh no, Orpheus. I do believe we have one more thing in common."[/glow]

Orpheus nodded slowly, now hovering in front of Namine. Charon's strong hands were securely on her hips, while Orpheus simply leaned forward so that his lips were at the ear opposite of Charon's. Simultaneously, they both spoke in low, promising whispers.

"We could both pleasure you in ways you've never imagined."

[{K}itsune]

Over her shoulder she saw Charon's suddenly, sneaky smirk. He was devilishly fine. Namine felt her heart skittering to a stop. What the hell was going on? Why was Charon intentionally looking at her like that? Now? In front of Orpheus? What were the two planning? Oh gods.

"I would prefer to stare at you when the only other option is Orpheus." he purred sneakily.

As her eyes stayed trained on Charon's beautiful face, her heart fluttered in fear as he glanced at Orpheus over her shoulder. What...?

"I was about to say the same thing of you, Charon." Orpheus responded.

Namine's neck snapped around as she glanced at Orpheus, her eyes wide. "...The hell?" she whispered, it was the only words available to her. Unaware to her, her body's temperature was rising in acknowledgement of their teasing. You'd think this would be heaven, but it was like hell on earth...in hell on earth. While any other girl would be burning up - okay, she was too - this was like out of a horror story. Charon and Orpheus, the reason for all her distress, both trying to arouse her...at the same time. She couldn't love two men.

"Another thing we have in common, then." Charon purred.

Again her head rotated on her shoulders and she glanced at Charon, only to have her lips part in a near gasp as her eyes fell upon him. Never had she seen something that had turned her on as much as what Charon was doing right now. Seeing his tongue between his teeth, she thought of all the naughty things she could do to that tongue, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut to try to banish such thoughts. The way he had looked at her, like he was going to devour her alive, but in the best way ever. She wished he would do it.

"Another thing? I thought there was only one." Orpheus murmured, his eyes dark and beginning to pool with what resembled lust as he glanced at her body. As Orpheus stepped toward her, she took a few steps back, drawing her closer to Charon. Bad move. Suddenly directly next to her ear she heard Charon's low, husky chuckle as his bare chest pressed into her back.

"Oh no, Orpheus. I do believe we have one more thing in common."

Orpheus was suddenly on the other side of her, his breath on her opposite ear. Charon's hands were on her hips, holding onto her tightly. Suddenly at the same moment they both whispered, "We could both pleasure you in ways you've never imagined."

Gasping between them, Namine trembled slightly, as her eyes closed.

"Make it stop. Only Charon."
...Only Charon.

As her lips opened in preparation to ask - or maybe beg - them to stop, her vision disappeared in a flash of brilliant, blinding light. At the same moment her head began to pound, like someone decided that it would be fun to hit her head repeatedly with a mallet. Well, they might be having fun, but it was killing her, even more than her worrying over whom she loved.

"I doubt this will help my headache." she murmured softly, doing the only thing she could possibly do to get to safer ground, ducking under both of their arms, breaking free from their grasps. "Tempting offer though." she added, smirking just a bit, despite the look of unexpected pain her eyes. While it had been hard for her heart and body to take what they had been trying to do to her, she had appreciated it, thoroughly. "Sexy ba.stards." she chuckled as she silently grasped her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "Fu.ck." she groaned as it hit her again.


Suddenly, Namine gracefully dropped to the floor, crossing her legs as she held her miserable head. Despite the fact that she was in obvious pain, she still looked incredibly beautiful. It seemed like nothing she did could take away from her beauty. Sighing, she massaged her temple causing her obsidian locks to flare out around her beautifully, sparkling in the morning sunlight. What she needed more than anything was to have something to focus on other than her head, and while normally sex would be a wonderful diversion, what the two devilishly handsome men before her were offering would totally fry her nerves, and Namine had no doubt in her mind that she would need to be well together in the next few days. Thus, she could only come up with one solution. It was almost impossible to focus on physical pain when experiencing mind-numbing terror.

As her chocolate eyes flickered open, she turned her gaze onto Charon and said another thing she never thought she'd ever say in this lifetime, "I think I'd like to start my training with Nihilit... I have reason to want to be out of here as soon as possible, and I can't do that until he teaches me to control my abilities. Do you guys have anything that I could use for my headache?" she questioned.

She knew they would be shocked that one, she'd been able to pull away from them, and two, that she wasn't moaning in regret at having done so, and that had her smirking blissfully despite the pounding in her head. Even with the pain, her face remained beautiful and hid her pain extremely well, she looked just as gorgeous and confident as ever. They had tried to overwhelm her with their double team; well, who had the upper hand now? At that moment the sun burst back into the room striking her body at the perfect angle to make her look like a goddess. This made her feel powerful, and that made her feel just a little bit better if only for a moment. Her tongue darted out and licked her dry, but very soft lips, helping her to look even more sexy. Poor ba.stards. Even in intense agony she looked good enough to eat.

[Despair]

They were so distracted by her obvious illness, however, that neither were aware of her beauty so much as her health. Charon wrapped his arms around her, careful not to jostle her, while Orpheus wordlessly began searching through the cubboards and whatnot.

"I think I'd like to start my training with Nihilit... I have reason to want to be out of here as soon as possible, and I can't do that until he teaches me to control my abilities. Do you guys have anything that I could use for my headache?" she asked. Charon raised an eyebrow at her.

[glow=red,2,300]"You, my dear, are not going anywhere today. Orpheus has some training of his own to do, and you need rest. I will not send you to Nihilit in this state, he would eat you alive."[/glow]

For once, Orpheus seemed to agree whole-heartedly. He wasn't so much discouraged about his failed approach as worried, because she had never denied him before no matter their state of health, and now it seemed to be a significant problem. "Here we go. Take these," he announced finally, handing her the juice and two pills. They were demonic, so they would work with extra strength, and fast. "And I agree. You'll stay here with Charon until he's certain that you're well again, and I'll not take anything else as an answer."

Charon glanced out at the window.

[glow=red,2,300]"Then you should get moving, Orph. I believe that Thesius expects you in less than an hour, ready to go."[/glow]

Orpheus cursed quietly and nodded. "Right. I'll see you later, love." he pecked Namine lightly on the lips, smiled warmly, and jogged from the room to get ready in one of the others in their quarters. Charon turned his attention to her.

[glow=red,2,300]"Are you alright?"[/glow]

[{K}itsune]

Almost instantly, the heat in the room abated, and both Charon and Orpheus were working toward making her feel better. Namine attempted to stay calm as Charon sat next to her, and surprisingly it wasn't that difficult; the pain was so great. Slowly, her eyes closed as she felt Charon's warm embrace wrap around her body, allowing her to feel the heat rolling off his bare skin even with the barrier her clothes made between them. It would have been enough to make her tremble, if not for the presence of something more demanding, plus she could only sense his worry, nothing more at the moment.

Drowning out the goings on in the room, Namine pushed a loud silence into her mind, keeping it preoccupied instead of letting it hear all the obnoxious banging. Never had she had a headache as bad as this. Opening her eyes slowly, she squinted at the light before turning to Charon and his darkness. His eyebrow was raised.

"You, my dear, are not going anywhere today. Orpheus has some training of his own to do, and you need rest. I will not send you to Nihilit in this state, he would eat you alive."

Before she could open her mouth in protest, Orpheus broke in, "Here we go. Take these," he began, handing her two dark pills and a glass of juice, "And I agree. You'll stay here with Charon until he's certain that you're well again, and I'll not take anything else as an answer."

Namine's heart clenched; so ignorant.

Yet again, Namine opened her perfect lips to respond, but Charon beat her to it, "Then you should get moving, Orph, I believe that Thesius expects you in less than an hour, ready to go."

"Right, I'll see you later, love." Orpheus responded after a short string of curses at his forgetfulness. Then he quickly planted a kiss on her lips, smiled trustingly, and swept into one of the other rooms to prepare. Namine sighed and went back to rubbing her temples.

When Orpheus was finally gone, and Namine could pick up signs that he was preoccupied in one of the other rooms a short distance away, Charon turned to her.

"Are you alright?"

Namine chuckled lightly, despite the pain, as she took a sip of the bright liquid and downed the midnight black pills in one swallow. Instantly Namine felt a punch in her brain and she winced. "Demonic?" she questioned, curiously before answering his question, although her laughter kind of did it for her. "Not really. I don't know what caused it. I figure it probably had to do with my nightmare, whatever that was, and another...more expected reason, although it's never hurt this bad before," she frowned. The Necromancer considered lying her head on Charon's shoulder - it was so openly for use right beside her - and finally she decided, Why not?

With a quiet sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder, her silky strands tumbling down across his bare arm."Were you both really trying to seduce me at the same time?" she half-sighed, it wasn't really an angry sigh, more a "I'm in physical pain" type sigh. "Da.mn I must have looked exceptionally good today." A few seconds later she added, "Both doesn't work, you know." she murmured, slowly. "I can't do both. It's something they would do," she said, meaning her parents. Even if that wasn't the case, it wouldn't have worked. She wasn't programmed that way. She couldn't allow herself to love two men, it just seemed wrong to her. Anything she wasn't sure about, and her parents would do or had done, equaled a quick "no" in her mind. Plus it was like a total separation of mind and body, and while they were both happy, they weren't in harmony, and eventually, she would crack. Considering her past, and all the horrors she'd experience, that would be quiet messy, and possibly dangerous. She'd hurt them, and more than just emotionally. Namine knew, even being a human against demons, that should she ever lose it, she could do some serious damage. They hadn't seen her true strength yet. Sure, they knew she was stronger than most humans, but that wasn't the half of it. They'd be in some serious trouble.

Knowing that he hated it when she spoke too much she attempted to get one more question out before he accused her of babbling. "I don't think you ever answered me when I asked when we'd be leaving. In a couple of days this place is going to resemble hell on earth for me, even more than it already does."

[Despair]

There were quite a few things on his mind at the moment; their kiss, her agonized sleep, the odd way she had behaved around Orpheus... All kinds of logical reasons where flying across the demon's mind as to why for each, at least one of them nearly accurate, but he couldn't assume. Namine was far too unusual to be analyzed with the same perspective as all the other women in the universe were. And more puzzling still was her current state, so relaxed and leaning back against him as if she hadn't been completely avoiding him the week before.

"Not really. I don't know what caused it. I figure it probably had to do with my nightmare, whatever that was, and another...more expected reason, although it's never hurt this bad before,"

Charon glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow.
[glow=red,2,300]"And what reason would that be?"[/glow]

He inquired, adjusting himself to hold her body more comfortably for her. However, she went on, seemingly unhearing. "Both doesn't work, you know. I can't do both. It's something they would do,"

He made a noncommital sound, recognizing one of her endless tangents and settling back to listen and answer.

"I don't think you ever answered me when I asked when we'd be leaving. In a couple of days this place is going to resemble hell on earth for me, even more than it already does."

Charon waited a moment to see if she was going to give him a chance to answer. When she didn't speak, he chuckled softly.

[glow=red,2,300]"If right now is anything to judge by, you probably didn't give me the opportunity to answer. Unfortunately, that question is one that I cannot answer. We will stay here until you and Orpheus have completed your various lessons, or until I decide otherwise. But what makes this so terrible? Surely not being here with me, I hope."[/glow]

He had to wonder if Orpheus had noticed her obvious distance. If he knew the boy like he thought he did, Charon assumed that he had noticed and simply hid his hurt. Namine seemed to be pulling away from him, slowly but surely.

[{K}itsune]

Namine could feel in the way his muscled tensed and quivered underneath her weight that he was confused as to why she was suddenly so at ease around him. No, that wasn't right, it was more like why she was paying so much attention to him. Before yesterday she had hardly payed any attention to him at all. While she hadn't treated him as horribly as dirt, she hadn't exactly expressed any interest towards him as person or as a male. Now, she was leaning against him, and into him as if she saw him as the only male on the planet. The only goodlooking one anyway.

It wasn't exactly her attraction to him that had her so at ease in this current moment, it was the knowledge that there was something more important and immediate than her constant internal struggles; the God of all headaches. She wanted compassion and she wanted to be comfortable and comforted, and Charon, while normally far too stoic for such a thing, seemed to have changed, at least for the time being. At this moment, he could do all those things. She was in pain, and she saw no reason not to try to get rid of some of it.

"And what would that be?" Charon questioned, bringing her back from her musings.

Turning her just a bit so that her large, doe-like eyes could meet his gaze innocently, she murmured, "Remember my monthly "bleeding"? It's different from other girls. It can hardly even be considered uncomfortable, but that's when my powers are at their most uncontrollable. This place is cloaked in death and darkness. I'll be seeing ghouls left and right; everywhere I go. In my dreams, in the halls, even in here. Even if we weren't in here, the spirits will be more angry and more gruesome, the fact that we are in this place just means it'll be worse and there will be more."

Her eyes closed again as she allowed herself to rest silently against his side. Their bodies fit together so perfectly, even in her pain she could discern that. The way their bodies connected brought back hot images of the night before. That kiss had been the most ....heavenly experience ever. It had left her speechless then, and now it took the words from her lips; it was indescribable.

Charon's chuckling once again brought her back. She was slipping more and more often into thought as of late. Either it was the coming of her period, or this place just made her far more scatter-brained. That could be possible, of course.

"If right now is anything to judge by, you probably din't give me the opportunity to answer," Charon began, causing Namine to open her lips in protest and lightly shove his almost unbearably hot chest with her dainty, soft hand. "Unfortunately, that question is one that I cannot answer. We will stay here until you and Orpheus have completed your various lessons, or until I decide otherwise."

Namine felt herself sigh dejectedly. "I don't suppose Nihilit will be understanding?" she questioned, past hoping.

"But what makes this so terrible? Surely not being here with me, I hope." Charon finished, quietly.

Namine closed her eyes, and passed her hand over them yet again, tiredly, hiding a very small smile. "You have to know better than that," she sighed. "Maybe it's because you're a demon, but this place is...it's horrible. Can't you not feel the death everywhere? The darkness in this place, except in here, is like smog, it's smothering me. I can practically see it," she shuddered.

"Except when it's coming off Charon."
Shut up, a defeated sigh.
"It's true, you know it."
It is. Shut up anyway.
"Yes, ma'am."

His darkness was nice though, especially know. She just wanted to lean into and be swallowed up. To her head, it was like heaven. "I know what I'm training for...the whole Necromancer bit, but what is Orpheus learning?" she questioned, just trying to keep talking so that her head wouldn't succumb completely to the pain. She didn't want to pass out, it was never a fun experience.