Cooled Passions Chapter 67: Push and Pull

Chapter 67: Push and Pull

It was a constant, ceaseless, irritating, distracting buzz. Ranni’s essence was not what it once was before ascension, even as diminished as her presence was upon this world. Every mention, every offhand remark, it all pulled on her attention. A shadowed room there, two worried figures discussing her over half-filled glasses. An address there, a palace of crystal on a mountain, its peaks stretching above the heavens. Then the Satans, unknowingly letting her listen in on their war preparations.

A part of her mind was always focused, taken up by this myriad of people invoking her through their words. Many had done so, from the lowest peasant to the highest of lords. The lack of care for which they drew her attention was rather staggering. Perhaps her ability to be invoked so easily was something this world had not seen before?

Regardless, she felt a duty to keep at least a somewhat close watch on every mention and invocation of herself. After all, in this world, her name was closely tied to that of her Consort’s. Should their plotting move to the form of action, she would be remiss to not inform him of it. The assault that little Shiro weathered, whom she favoured greatly, spelt that out clearly.

Unfortunately, the trickster had not discussed his plans openly, or at least avoided mentioning her while doing so. Pointing to either rare intellect, or indicating severe obsession. Either way, her divinity had not given her a warning to the assault upon her Consort. She did not take it as a failing on her part, yet it still irked. Despite the lack of results, she continued her monitoring.

The worst were the prayers. After the story of how her Consort had ‘rescued’ Selene and Valerie spread, others started to pray to her for assistance. Not many, only a few hundred at most, but it still was jarring. It didn’t matter if you ignored them, someone shouting their plea for assistance at you was still disrupting.

Honestly, it disgusted her. This whole plane, ever since she found it, had been nothing but a constant annoyance, one after the other. If it weren’t for Damocles…

Damocles.

She was so grateful for finding her Consort again, the one that had been so cruelly torn away from her grasp. She didn’t regret the devastation her search for him caused, not in the least, considering it eventually led her to him. Still, her lack of ability to help him stung her.

He was so much less than he was, yet at the same time so much more. His personal power, magical and physical, was much greater than when he had been her Tarnished. However, his spiritual strength lagged, the unequal growth this world’s inhabitants faced completely unlike that of the Runes that drove power in the Lands Between.

She could reach out with her greater self, not this poor little extract that she was forced to operate through. There were none to oppose her, her full weight would crush all of his enemies, the Devils and scheming Gods alike. It was a thrilling fantasy, but unfortunately she knew she could not achieve it.

Damocles was so much like his projection, the one that assisted her throughout her rise to Godhood. Indeed, the time spent together might have been swallowed by the void that had spirited him away, but his soul remained blazingly familiar. The stubbornness, the will, the sheer ability to force the world to bow to his whims. He had assisted her in her own path, now it was time for her to do the same to his.

To do so, she couldn’t fight his battles for him. Even with his aid, the bulk of the preparation had been hers to bear. Crushing the last vestiges of the Dark Moon, assuming it’s cloak of power for her own, stealing away the power of the Greater Will, her centuries of planning, they were all hers alone. Her Consort deserved for this victory to be through his efforts as well.

That is not even touching on the effects of what such a move would bring. There were two existences that stood above the others of this world, the Infinite and the Dream. She had met with the Infinite and sneaked past the Dream, for the results of tangling with either would be disastrous. The Infinite well from which this entire world was drawn and constructed, it’s power giving the substance for existence.

The Dream had shaped that power, gods and humans alike moulding each other through the medium of the Great Red Dragon. Conflict between them would be disastrous, devastating to the entire world. Even bringing about it’s complete destruction was not out of the realms of capability.

Still, even if the Dream restrained itself and the Infinite didn’t interfere, victory would taste even more bitter than defeat in this case. Her Order, the structure of her Godhood, had been inviolably altered when Damocles placed the Ring upon her finger and accepted her dark and lonely path as his own. He was her Consort, she was his Goddess, such a thing was as good as a universal law at this point.

Of course, that was reflected in her Order. Should she impose her will on this world, successfully subdue the Dream and the Infinite, allow her power to reach his enemies…

Damocles would not be unaffected.

He would be tied by her Order, her very intentions and thoughts would bear down on him like irresistible decrees. His mind would be moulded by her whims, her inner self altering him into her ideal Consort. Robbing him of any agency she didn’t allow him explicitly. Keeping him as he was would be impossible.

With her full self, she would be able to reinforce his soul enough to resist this effect. But such a thing would not only accelerate the process, it would rob him of the opportunity to grow as he wished, tying him to her with chains that could only be broken by death.

She remembered her own puppet master, the strings upon her forcing her hands to move in ways she didn’t wish, her mouth to say things she didn’t truly believe. Even now, the cold, searing hate that drove her to destroy Marika and tear down the Greater Will was still alive in her heart. Thinking of Damocles viewing her in the same light… That was no victory at all.

So she resolved to help him, accepting the annoyances as temporary compared to their eventual eternity. She had full faith he would succeed, defeat all his challenges and grow strong enough to be her true equal. That was why she so gladly followed his designs, why she gave so much power to one so much weaker than her.

One day, that weakness would fade and he would be able to take said power in truth, not just as a gift. She gladly looked forward to it, when her Consort became a King, a God in truth to match her.

His binding of his concubines was what had allowed him to get to this point, the power they granted him more than their presence would do alone. She was sure of it, watching how much he grew after finding and binding Selene. She was unsure of the exact mechanism, but she was certain that this was his path to eventually matching her.

That is why, even as Selene invoked her in the sky above Australia, cheekily inviting to watch as the vampire seduced her Consort, she was not annoyed by that particular voice.

The closer Damocles got to becoming her equal, the better, after all.

Still, such impertinence should be punished. She would make sure to do so once their dalliance was concluded.

---XXX---

Contrary to her sultry and seductive demeanour, Selene was a rather passive kisser. Likely due to inexperience, as even between kisses she started to explore and fight back. I easily overwhelmed her passionate forays, but that just seemed to excite her more.

Our duelling tongues were not the only point of contact between us as we arrived from the Outback, her arms attempting to crush my chest into hers, while my hands were taking advantage of the position to fully explore her substantial rear. Although she was short and petite, she had quite a lot of meat there, a fact that I was taking full advantage of.

She pulled back with a gasp, a thin string of saliva stretching between us before snapping as she shook her head. Reorienting her gaze upon me, a smouldering look entered her red irises. She reached up a fragile hand, gently tugging at the fabric covering my chest, before a small grin made its way to her face.

The hand left the fabric, twirling lightly through the air. A flex of magic flashed between us, fading away to reveal our clothes haphazardly piled together in the corner of the room.

---XXX---

Breathing heavily, I allowed the both of us to finally float gently down to the bed, wincing as I saw the blood that had dripped off of us to stain the once pristine sheets.

Not looking forward to dealing with that sort of wet stickiness, I focused my will and vanished it, leaving the slightly metallic taste of the substance in the air, to be washed out later. Thankful for the chance to hold her with no more concerns, I tightened my grasp on her soft shoulder, drawing her further into my embrace.

It surprised me, the feral nature that had infected Selene during our passion. Maybe it shouldn’t have, it could have been a side effect of her simply ceasing to constrain her true nature. As I flipped us around, allowing the now purring vampire to snuggle into my chest, she was docile as a kitten.

Inwardly marvelling at the contrast that she had just displayed, I let out a huff of contentment and stared up at the drapes that framed my bed. Her determination had surprised me, but I could not argue that the results were satisfying.

A pinprick suddenly appeared in the side of my neck, my expression quickly turning exasperated as I looked down to the little lamprey who had taken my relaxation as permission. Instead of a full feeding, she pulled away after a single mouthful, licking the red from her lips.

“Jasmine.” She said, voice smug, “That’s what I taste like.”

“I guess you are happy to find that out?” I asked, once again settling into relax.

“Yes.” Was the simple answer, her head resting directly over my heart, “I need to make sure you taste of it more often.”

“Well, I will be sure to give you plenty of opportunities to do so.” I hummed, starting to stroke her hair, the purring sound returning as I did so, “You certainly seemed to enjoy the one you just had.”

“Mmh.” A sound of contentment flowed her lips at that, apparently lulled to sleep by the beating that she was listening to.

As I settled into join her, her purring still vibrating in my chest, my mind wondered back to the Seal once more. It’s weight had growing ever so steadily in my mind, never far away. It joined a clamour of other concerns and duties left untended.

That could all wait for tomorrow, I decided as my mind was drawn to the content vampire snuggled to my chest, my eyes closing in peace.

---XXX---

The sound of water filling a hollow receptacle filled the air, slowly growing quieter until with a sharp ‘clack’, the process started anew.

Such water features were common within Japanese gardens, though perhaps they might be a bit cliché. Regardless of how overplayed the trope was, my eyes followed the bamboo performing its function, it’s existence was undeniable.

Said existence was rather new, considering that Yasaka’s private garden had not contained such a thing the last time I had seen them. Idly, I wondered what could be the reasoning for adding such a thing.

Closing my eyes, my ears could still precisely track the cycle. After the third ‘clack’, I frowned, realising something strange about the timing of the sounds. A sliding door also sounded out, familiar footsteps and rustling betraying who was responsible.

“Ah, you noticed?” The gentle voice sounded, Yasaka arriving from the meeting I was awaiting her to finish, “It might surprise you, but it aids me in meditating.”

I opened my eyes, taking in the sight of the beautiful Kitsune walking towards me, her voluminous tails swaying behind her as she did.

“The variation in the timing? It adds a slight anticipation before it resets.” I hazarded a guess at what she might be referring to.

“Indeed.” She nodded, clothes rustling as she sat next to me, ignoring the position that had been set up for on the other side of the small tea table, “The slight uncertainty builds suspense, before being released. I find the sensation of that relief of tension aids greatly in relaxing my mind.”

I hummed, watching as she started to prepare tea, the warmth of her body being felt even with her care not to touch me.

“I can understand that.” I replied, eyes drawn to the swell of her breasts, her kimono dipping to allow me to catch a rather large eyeful, “I’m unsure how that would affect my own meditations. Perhaps I should find out some time, if I were welcome.”

“You are always welcome, Damocles.” She was quick to affirm, sitting back and grinning at my wandering gaze, “You know that.”

Taking the tea she offered, I took a small sip before bowing my head slightly towards her, “I apologise for my rudeness last time. Shiro had been attacked and I had to go to her defence.”

“To kill Loki?” She asked, taking her own sip, laughing lightly at my jolt of surprise, “It was not hard to put together. You fly off to Shiro’s aid, the Trickster ends up dead and the Norse are suddenly in Ragnarök. To one with that information, the conclusion is clear.”

I inclined my head at that, accepting the logic, “Still, I wish to apologise for cutting my visit short, especially without giving you the news I came to deliver.”

She placed down her cup, turning and gently prying my own from my grasp. Placing it next to hers on the table, she surprised me by placing her hands on my cheeks, her tea-warmed hands heating up my face.

“Damocles.” Her voice was serious, “You have yet to tease me once. Are you alright?”

I blinked, before laughter overtook me.

“Is that really what tipped you off?” She frowned, not pleased by my mirth, “Sorry, sorry. You are just too cute, Yasaka. Did you miss my teasing that much?”

She sniffed, “It is nice to feel desired.”

“I doubt you have to ever worry about that.” I grinned, tension truly defused, reaching out and surprising her with a quick embrace, my lips stealing a kiss from her own, “That may be the last time you let me do that, so I should savour it.”

She blushed, gently placing her hands on my chest and pulling herself from my embrace, “What do you mean?”

“I’ve made enemies in the Underworld.” I revealed causing her eyes to narrow in worry, “Influential, dangerous enemies. However, they cannot strike my Manor, thanks to Ranni and Tiamat and they cannot strike my holding in the Underworld directly thanks to the New Satans. So, unfortunately…”

She finished my statement, anger in her eyes, “That leaves us, in Kyoto. They will strike at us, in order to harm you.”

I nodded, “That’s what we think.”

“Let them try.” She snarled, hands now slipping around my chest, bringing me into the hug this time, “They will find that Japan is no longer a playground to posture within.”

“...I was worried.” I admitted, after a pause, eyeing her from the side.

“We Yokai do not abandon allies.” She affirmed, a blush on her face, hesitating before adding, “...and Kitsune do not betray family.”

“I’m family, am I?” I smiled, earning a pout from her as she pulled back, “That’s news to me.”

“Of course you are, Damocles. You saved my Kunou, you’ve allowed Kyoto to grow larger than it ever could without your help. Besides, I know for certain that if they attempt anything, with the necklaces you have gifted us, you will be here to punish them for their impudence.” Her gaze was level to mine, impressing on me her seriousness.

“In that case…” I spoke, hand rising to trace her cheek, “How do I go about joining the family even closer, I wonder?”

Her breathing picked up as I leaned in, our exhalations mixing as the distance between us shrunk, this kiss to laden with greater meaning than the stolen ones we shared before.

“Mama! Shina said that Damocles was here!” A youthful voice shattered the moment, causing us to turn in unison to the direction it came from.

The sliding door slammed open, revealing a smaller Kitsune smiling excitedly, her eyes lighting up as she saw me.

“Hello, Kunou.” I smiled at her.

“DAMOCLES!” She shouted, launching herself off the wooden porch, hurtling metres through the air before colliding with me, almost knocking me back.

Looking over her energetically wriggling ears, I mouthed towards Yasaka a message she seemed equal parts relieved and worried to receive.

‘This isn’t over.’