Radiant Cosmos [Love]

I take your hand into mine
Cosmos skin with vibrant lines
Mixture swirls beneath the bones
Phosphor clouds melodic notes

Sunshine stars gracing your wake
Dotting night within your stake
Deals were made up yesterday
Among your dark, here to stay

Ember arms with methane sight
Sparks and flint, tinder alight
Nighttime clouds smear the skies
Eyes of ember swarm like flies

Dancing softly, warm to warm
Gold filling your blackened eyes
Static plays my finger tips
Brushing your skin, beating skips

Waves bubble up my hair
Refreshing, cleans to repair
Shuffled memories, made to fear
Lonely thoughts I'd always hear

Golden liquid scorches veins
Tickles, sears anguish away
Planets line among the stars
Within your eyes, no more scars

Itching, molten gold fills in
Cracks and damage from their sin
Power pulses, aura brings
"Pull me deeper with these rings"

Tied among the stars on fire
Can you ever love a vampire
Ebony hair, skin of snow
Monster hidden under glow

~Wedding Mini Hiatus~

I will not be posting any new writing today, because I am getting married this coming Friday, September 21st. Ozymandias will not be posting this coming weekend either, since he is my Man of Honor. I hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful two weeks while waiting for us to scribble our thoughts onto this interdimensional web again.

Sincerely,
Miskatonic Madeleine

Love and Cold Winds, Part 4.1: Does Dungeoning Count as a First Date?

   Nomands was a city built around a Dungeon, its stock and trade in the items brought up by adventurers. Everyone hates paperwork... It stands to be put to word that no one in our party enjoyed sitting for hours filling out parchment after parchment to finally cement their current roster in the laws of the land.
    Like many built atop a non-euclidean space, warped and magically saturated that spawns monsters, the architecture shifted to match its surroundings. Before the plains were settled, the Dungeon Guild experimented with containment by creating three high circular walls, one encircling the other with their gates never facing one another. This indeed slowed the beasts which wandered out, but eventually the walls would be breached and the gates torn down.
    Then came the mages and architects, followed by guards. Building on the ground meant you were in constant danger, so it seemed natural to build homes atop and sides of the thick and sturdy walls. And over many years, Nomands built, ever reinforcing the mighty walls as the tall tiered buildings and arching bridges rose and the population steadily grew.
    And like many dungeon cities it shared its universal stereotype of prideful citizens, colorful characters and loot hoarders galore. Having been holed up in the free (but spartan) quarters within the second ring of the city, as the last signature was dry, our party went to get a bit drunk as they waited for the bits of metal that would allow them to be out.
    "I had no idea there would be so much paperwork." Garn said over the din of the tavern, known as High as A Kite.
    "Only in a High guild dungeon." Norra replied. "They turn from a dangerous nuisance to destroying a whole city's economy."
    "From magical reagents, to rare hides to make into some new pants," Vort raised his mug and grinned. "And for adventurers to gather gear and gold!"
    A rousing cheer broke though the chaotic sounds as they and their fellows raised their mugs and saluted to collective greed and thrill seeking. When morning came everyone at the bar was collectively grateful to the cleric of Badolinain, the God of Party and booze, as their mass healing spell also dispelled hangovers before leaving party ground zero.
     With a bit more faffing about, the merry band found themselves at the lowest level of Nomands in a cramped hallway lined with cage-like lifts suspended over the abyss that led down to the dungeon. Said lifts were old, rusting in a few places, and swayed in the constant updraft of the hole below them. This lift system was one of the remaining originals the Dungeon Guild used back in the early days before teleportation magics were really fleshed out. Now they served as a much cheaper fee with a discount on returning stones (because the only person who can service the archaic and frankly obscure machinery is a very old, nearly blind gnome).
    Needless to say, it was a slightly tense and deeply uncomfortable ride on the way down. Garn being the largest of the group was the first to sigh in relief when it touched down on solid ground. With the appropriate creak of barely-oiled hinges they stepped out onto a stone plateau carved into the side of the pit. Shallow carvings which could be called stairs slowly made their way across the vertical walls of the abyss and vanished into impenetrable darkness.
    "That looks like a long climb down." Garn said, wondering where the light source that illuminated the land was coming from.
    "Good thing we are skipping it!" Vort said, taking place amongst the other party members as they lined up along the plateau's edge. "The stairs have weak monsters along it. It's better we skip to the good bits!"
    "Wouldn't that... kill us?"the dragonborn inquired as he stood next to Vort.
    "Relax my big friend, I have just the music arraignment for this!" Lym's hands flew across the stings on his lute as his melodic voice sung a flighty song that echoed all around.
    A faint yellow light surrounded the party, clinging to them like a second skin before the seasoned adventures threw themselves over the edge a second later. A solid five seconds went by before Garn jumped in after them. He was falling, but the spell made his descent less 'speeding toward a quick death' and more 'gently floating downward.'
    Garn fumbled though his pockets and pulled out a pocket lantern. This handy glass sphere had a bio-luminescent ball of fungus floating in a clear mixture. Pulling the pin up and giving it a good shake activated the mossy ball and bathed a decent area in white light. With a bit of stretching, Garn could see a few shadowy shapes perched on the stairs and within hidden alcoves, which grew steadily larger after each layer of stairs.
    In what felt like forever, Garn finally touched down in the light of Vort's lantern.The viscera and dark greasy stains told the dragonborn he was late to the party. A hallway stood looming before them, a plain archway filled with the same pervasive darkness. With a nod and some minor bickering the party fell in line, Garn in front, with Norra and Vort side by side and Lym in the back.
    As they pushed their way though the dark hallway, it seemed perfect for an assault by a small mob of monsters, or even traps but everything was... quiet... far too quiet, in Garn's point of view.
    "Isn't it a little too quiet?" the dragonborn asked the obvious question.
    "Yeah, there used to be traps and a mob of rickety shield-wielding monsters before the dungeon master changed it." Lym explained.
    " Dungeon master?" Norra asked
    "Oh right, you were all hilariously drunk. Apparently the Dungeon finally spawned another Dungeon master after guild called Laughing Casket cleared the whole place." the bard explained.
    "What's a Dungeon master?" again the obvious question came from the warrior.
    "Trouble." Norra said.
    "A super smart monster who is in control of the dungeon." Vort explained.
    "So that door wasn't there before then?" Garn stopped to point out the massive double door that now barred their way.
    The party took a brief moment to marvel at the craftments ship of the intricate face on the door before getting ready to kick it open, but then collectively jumped back (and groaned aloud) when said face opened its eyes and opened its mouth.
    "ANWSERS MY RIDDLE THREE, THEN YOU ARE ALLOWED TO OPEN ME!"
   

Shapeshifter: ~Part VII & Part VIII~

"I... Umm...." Don't freak out now, Annabelle. Pull yourself together.

"Oh, you got it from my purse, huh? Such a sneak!" she playfully whacked my thigh with her over-sized, white designer bag.

"I.. uh... yeah." I tossed the key back into her open bag, and opened the door for her, stepping aside for her to go inside. "I... I'm... Sorry." I felt myself scratch the back of my neck, forcing a weak smile.

She laughed loudly, her deep, sharp giggles echoing down the empty street. "Such a joker, Belle. I like you." To my surprise, she took one calculated step to the side, putting herself in perfect position to take me by the shoulders and, with some impressive force, put me against the wall. A small sound escaped my lips and before I could say a word, she had her soft, lavender lips against my own. I closed my eyes and tasted fine liquor and the freshest fruit, harvested from the Garden of Eden itself. Temptation came over me like looming, shadowed hands on my arms, moving me like I was a puppet. And there was desire again, burning in my souls like a dragon's breath, moving my hands up and down her back, her sides, and up into her angelic hair.

The tingling of energy swam through my veins and into my core, resurrecting some of my spirit and waking up my human body for the first time in too long. I felt all of my arm hair stand on end, goosebumps lining my soft, olive skin under my jacket. I held her against me, letting her warm, heated form lean against me, against her best friend's house. When I felt her chest rested on mine, I slid my hand up the back of her black button up, digging my nails in just enough to show her I begged for more. At the same time, I put some will into my claws, making sure she wouldn't be sick that night. I felt her nausea creep into my fingers, up my hand, my arm, and into my shoulder, where I kept a spark of magic especially curated for this occasion. It would never make it into my system, and would never go back to hers.

Her breath was all I could hear, as it matched the rhythm of her lips and her hands in harmony. I felt a deep chill as she carefully slipped her hand up my side, under my tank top. When her warm, wanting hand made it to my ribs, I became lucid, all at once. It was like a smack in the face, reminding me of what I was doing. I mustered up the little bit of will I had left, and since I couldn't pull away with my head against the wall, I pushed her away as little as possible and was about to squeak out some words. The words didn't come out right away though, since I noticed something odd.

Her hand... Is over my heart.

"Wh-What? Why is it so hard to feel your pulse?" She blinked with wide eyes. "...Are you alright?????" She looked more concerned than frightened, but I knew I was internally shaking.

"I.. Um... I am very flattered... But you're really drunk, so I just didn't want to rush things with you. And about my heart... It's fine, I just have a condition." I forced a short laugh. "So, don't worry."

"Oh... I see." she smiled back then looked down, her face turning slightly red. "You're a great kisser, you know." she nervously giggled, but she had a genuine, charming smile.

"Well Belle, you were a fantastic date. Thank you." she stumbled into the doorway, where I saw a familiar black, fluffy cat who sat in the walkway just inside. I felt the blood finally rush to my face, then I rolled my eyes at my scared self, still standing outside their door in the nighttime wind. "If can't believe I was almost embarrassed because of Necro." I whispered. Still smiling, amused at myself, I reminded myself that cats can't speak English.

=========ACT II (PART VIII)=========

=====GODDESS AMONG MORTALS=====

I stumbled into the house haphazardly, almost tripping on my meowing ball of fuzz, and closed the door silently behind me. I slipped off my heels with great, drunken stealth, but I couldn't have been too quiet since I was startled by the sight of someone leaning against the corner of the stairs.

"That good a night, huh?" asked Narcissa, smugly. "Nice job trying to be quiet, but I waited up for you anyway. Nice girl though?"

Necro rubbed against my leg as I leaned against the wall. The floor kept tilting one way or the other, which worked against my spaghetti, drunk legs. I toppled backwards, the cushy carpet floor catching my fall, and I laid back, letting my head rest on the floor. Suddenly remembering where I was, I sat back up quickly, looking at my best friend in the world.   

"She was great." I genuinely smiled, for the first time in a while, and giggled up a storm while Cissa gave me a look of 'What am I going to do with you?'.

She held out her hand, partially covered by a brown knit jersey, and I took it. She pulled me up, and next thing I knew, I was laying sideways in bed, somehow having my flannel cat pajamas on, feeling as though my bed had turned into a cloud made of magic and fantasy. I turned to stare at my ceiling, still foggy from the booze. I wonder... I shot up out of bed, and to my delight, my stomach felt fine. Bouncing on my bed a little, I heard a strange sound and turned to see Necro yawning, looking sleepily at me. The light from the streetlamps outside lit my room just enough so I could see everything.

"Sorry, baby." I whispered to him, and he gave me a look that said 'I am greatly offended, mere human.'. But he curled up again indignantly in the same spot he was, and fell right back to sleep.

My phone said it was 3:29 A. M., and I smiled, as I realized I had numerous missed texts from Belle. She's just adorable. Today is going to be a great day... I breathed it all in; the cool, almost-fall air, the smell of apple cider filling the house, and the smell of her perfume all over my hair. She reminds me of someone wonderful...

I turned over, hugging my teddy, and I dreamed a long dream. I was floating on a cloud, somewhere so high in the sky that I couldn't see the ground. I felt a tickle on my face, and I awoke on a field of grass. Tall plants lined the edge of a river nearby, and large fields of a variety of crops filled in the river banks neatly. They seemed to go on forever, as they even met the horizon. An unfamiliar cat rubbed its face against my leg while I sat, and I got up, brushing the dirt off of my pajama pants. It was magnificent, with the warm beating sun blessing me with its mere presence, and the sky sparkling blue with few clouds. I could smell the heat baking some of the crops, while others were being watered by rain. But there aren't any clouds.

A larger thing walked over to me. A cat... human.. hybrid? The domestic cat rubbing my leg turned to face it, then lowered their head as if to bow. My mind almost couldn't comprehend how beautiful its wings were, once I saw them. They were as vibrant as the sun, and appeared somehow lighter than the air, yet they were still firm enough to carry this being. It had a sharp-toothed mouth with a cat-like head, had long, feline fore arms, human fingers with long talons, and fur covered human-like legs and feet.

It said something to me in several tones simultaneously, but I could not distinguish one syllable from the other as it tried to communicate. I looked at the bowing cat, and they looked at me, and as I awkwardly stared I felt that I was supposed to be responding to something I hadn't yet heard.

The large, human cat thing, at about nine feet tall, was intimidating on its own. To amplify that fear it let out a deep growl, clearly either impatiently waiting for an answer or just waiting to bite my face off. The sight and sounds knocked me off my feet, and the soft grass caught me while I fell backwards.

To my surprise, as I looked at this mountain of a creature, it coughed a little then said in several different tones at once, "Human... Be careful. Do you... Understand me?"

I let out a squeak in response, then cleared my dry throat, finally answering with the loudest whispered "Yes!" I could muster, the weight of fear holding me from actually speaking.

"Good."

My stomach sank, and the beautiful picture melted away, leaving blackness in its wake. I felt my bed underneath me once again, its pillowed blankets enveloping me in a cocoon of comfort and safety. Necro patted my face with his paw, his toe beans cold to the touch.

"Today is going to be a weird day, my friend."