twilight - chapter 2
Title: Twilight
Authors: soukoji & jibunnohana
Rating: R
Summary: Halfling, tainted, unworthy - words the angel Sakito ignored living among the heavenly creatures he so adored and aspired to be. But naivite has its limits, and Sakito's fateful meeting with an ancient incubus proved to him that that there's more to goodness than pure white wings.
Notes: Incubus description.
Prologue
Chapter 1
Disappointment was written all over Niya’s face, having expected something far more dramatic and interesting. Yet, at least his instincts hadn’t been entirely wrong. “I knew I smelt something from heaven.” Sighing, the incubus flicked his hand as he turned away, simultaneously releasing Sakito from the spell. The angel relaxed against the bed, dazed from the shock of two spells layered on at the same time. A stronger angel would have no difficulty recovering, but he lacked much of that characteristic resistance. Rolling onto his side after a moment’s rest, Sakito slid off the bed and onto his wobbly legs, withdrawing the wings.
Certainly feeding off the weak creature would kill him, and there was little point in keeping him if he wouldn’t provide decent sport. Although, Niya didn’t understand at all what the angel had been doing in his house, with all the barriers up. “So disappointing….”
Normally, Sakito could be a tad defensive when it came to his wings (he didn’t choose for them to be so stunted), but he was too queasy to bother, tiptoed toward the closest window while the demon’s back was turned. Silently, he made it all the way across the room, carefully unlocking the latch and pushing up the pane. Unfortunately for the angel, the window might have opened, but the magic guarding the house was still quite active, happily blasting him back into the room. Immediately after, the window sealed itself shut.
Niya rolled his eyes, “You’re not too bright, are you?” Swishing his tail behind him, he slid over to where Sakito lay and stood over him, chuckling. “You break into a demon’s house - mine, no less - and then expect to be able to leave, just like that? No one can leave except me. A little safety feature I added just in case some of my prey was supernatural enough to escape my aura.”
Dismayed, Sakito picked himself up off the floor and looked wildly for another way out, despite Niya’s insistence there wasn’t one. Why hadn’t anyone warned him of this, he couldn’t fathom. Surely they hadn’t forgotten that major detail? Whatever the reason behind it, the angel was chiefly concerned with escaping, however grim the prospects seemed. Beside him, the incubus shrugged in disinterest, admiring his black claws.
“Don’t look so horrified. I’m not going to kill you.” The demon wasn’t completely cold-blooded, and picking on a the mostly defenseless Sakito seemed to be more of a chore than fun.
Needless to say, Sakito doubted very much Niya would keep his word, and stared at the demon with suspicious eyes. "That's not much reassurance coming from you..." he said in reply.
“Oh, thanks.” He huffed and folded his arms against his chest, beginning to revert to human form. “Well, you’d better get comfy, since you’re stuck here till I decide to let you out.”
Unable to keep still, Sakito rose and started pacing in front of the window, chewing his lower lip nervously while he racked his brain for a solution. When Niya’s back was turned, he could try to send a help signal, but he had a sinking feeling no one was watching. With the powerful barriers in place, it looked as if he would end up the incubus’s prey after all. Now completely changed, Niya brushed a few strands of silver hair away from his eyes and walked out of the room.
As he left, the demon stopped in the doorway, “Relax.” Three rooms over, he sat down on the couch in front of a large television with an alcoholic drink in hand, waiting for Sakito to follow. As expected, the angel crept down the hallway after him, silent as a mouse, but passed the room, continuing on toward the front door. He would have made it, too, if his foot hadn’t collided with a table, resulting in a loud thump. Groaning quietly, the angel turned and peeked into the TV room, quite sure Niya would have heard his clumsy retreat.
The demon was out of his seat and back at the mini-bar he kept, mixing a fresh Long Island Iced Tea for himself. “Why don’t you come have a drink to calm yourself down? I’ve learned how to make everything known to humankind over the years.” He smiled, “And I’m sure I can mix up something that would suit even an angel’s taste.”
“I don’t drink,” Sakito replied absently, peering the room with mild interest. The giant screen caught his eye the most, a curious fixture in a demon’s house. He supposed Niya had an excess of spare time to waste.
“Your loss.” The incubus took a seat on one of the barstools, able to watch TV from there.
Standing in the doorway, Sakito watched Niya; in the short time he had been trapped there, he’d learned much more about the incubus than all his tiring days of stalking combined. Dangerous though his situation was, Sakito couldn’t help but find himself curious about a being he couldn’t begin to understand. Leaning on the counter, Niya laughed at the show he was watching, a cute comedy popular with women. Perhaps it was strange that a demon like himself, who preyed upon such creatures, could easily find amusement immersed in their world. He was very old, but in those centuries he’d learned to accept the mortal realm, often truly amazing. Television, the newspaper, non-fiction books, these are all things he’d used to keep himself knowledgeable about the modern world, assimilating into the culture enough to keep himself under the radar and contentedly fed. Humans had technology now, and they were healthy and alert, much more difficult to prey upon. It was this skill and intelligence that allowed Niya to ride the changing tide of time and survive luxuriously in his wisdom. For all intents and purposes, the incubus could have been an ordinary person, Sakito was beginning to realize. Frowning, he took a few uncertain steps into the room.
“Do you play cards?” Niya asked, glancing at the angel who resembled a lost sheep. “Or anything, for that matter. I don’t want you to be bored to death.”
“…Aren’t you just going to kill me later?” Sakito replied warily, mistrustful of the demon by default. He was positive Niya was merely putting on an act to lull him into a false sense of security.
“No, I’m not.”
“So why not just let me go…?” Unless the demon was so desperately lonely that he would want to consort with a heavenly creature that had been stalking and spying on him, Sakito couldn’t think of a single reason why he should have to stay.
Desperate, no. Curious and bored, yes. The angel hadn’t explained his motives for snooping. “I don’t feel like it.”
“That’s no excuse…” Sakito muttered. Frustrated and confused as to Niya’s plan, the angel sat down heavily on one of the bar stools, leaning on his hand. At the very least, this would give him an opportunity to observe the incubus longer, give a better report.
Tapping an impatient finger against his glass, Niya immediately added his retort, “It’s a perfectly fine excuse, thank you very much. Why do you act like you have something important to do?” For a demon of his age it was common to have restriction spells for guests and intruders, and he was determined to find out what was so important for this creature to completely dismiss the danger.
“If I tell you, will you let me leave?” Sakito replied boldly. A long shot, and he figured he would regret it later. More than likely, Niya would kill him faster if he knew the angel was a spy.
“Maybe.” The incubus blinked, then grinned and finished the last sip of liquor. “You’d probably just lie to me, and besides, maybe I’d like an angel around to complete my home décor.”
On the off-chance that the demon would toss him out in anger, the angel ventured an answer, “How about if I said I’ve been…uh…‘watching’ you for a few weeks now?” Niya’s face was as impassive as before after he had spoken.
“As in stalking or…?”
“Stalking…kind of.”
“Kind of?” With a raised brow, Niya’s expression plainly stated he didn’t believe it was that simple. He crossed his legs and turned to face the angel. Sakito, meanwhile, was weighing his options of how much it was worth to him to compromise his mission in favor of possibly going free. If he wasn’t already in trouble for taking so long to report back, leaking the purpose to the target definitely would. Niya had hideous spells in the shady recesses of his memory for extracting the truth, a fact that sent shivers up Sakito’s spine.
His resolving folding, the angel traced the grain of the wood on the bar and averted his eyes. “Actually, the heavenly officials sent me to keep an eye on you,” he mumbled.
Vague surprise met his answer, “How did I end up on their radar?” Niya’s eyes narrowed in concern. If he was really such a threat, it was silly to send such a weak soldier, and didn’t quite add up.
“Er…they keep tabs on most demons. Didn’t you know?” Sakito balked a bit at Niya’s sudden change of mood.
“Of course I know. But they don’t normally send fledglings on missions like this.” He tapped a nail against the counter thoughtfully. It was incredibly strange that they would send such a naïve young angel to spy on him, almost as if he were mere bait. Ultimately, Niya’s thoughts led him to the idea of a test and, whether or not his guest realized it, Sakito was just an expendable part of the trap.
“Well…everyone else was busy and they thought it was urgent, I guess…”
Niya shrugged. “I’ve done nothing to fetch their attention, so I’m sure someone is trying to stir up trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Now that Niya has put the idea out in the open, it seemed even more suspicious that a half-angel was sent instead of one high ranking and experienced. Sakito frowned, mulling over the matter, but coming up with no answers; he wasn't entirely privy to the inner workings of heavenly security, and couldn't know with any certainty what they had planned.
“I don’t know you if you need food or anything since you don’t seem to be full angel, but I keep the fridge in the kitchen lightly stocked. Help yourself if you’re hungry.”
Startled out of his private thoughts, Sakito realized what the demon was offering, deciding out of habit it was an untrustworthy gesture. “I eat sometimes, but no thanks.”
“I’ll probably make something later. Maybe you’ll have a better appetite then. Food is useless to me, but the taste is wonderful.”
“Maybe…” he said faintly, returning his gaze to the bar.
“I don’t see many half-breed angels around,” Niya switched the subject abruptly again. “Your kind is rather rare. What’s your other half? Just human?”
“Oh…yes, plain human. Why?”
“I’m curious, that’s all.” Pausing, Niya examined the man’s lithe features. “Was your mother the angel and your father the human? You have a distinct appearance of being male, but your features are very feminine.”
“That’s right.”
A quiet smile graced the demon’s lips as he sipped the fresh drink. Niya couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for the creature. Angels were militant about keeping their bloodlines pure, and halflings were never looked upon with kindness. “You’re an outcast, but a beautiful one.”
Looking a bit hurt, Sakito huffed and stared at the floor. Truth was hard on him - no matter how much the other angels tried to hide their disdain, it was still there, crawling under their skin. At first, he hadn’t understood, but as he got older, aged faster in body than his friends while his wings remained juvenile, the prejudice was obvious. The demon registered Sakito’s sudden downcast expression, a pang of sympathy twisting his gut.
“Don’t be so upset. It’s good to be different.” Finishing his drink, he set it down and nudged the angel’s arm. “Besides, you don’t really want to be like them, do you?”
Did he? Of course he did. Angel-kind was so perfect, so pristine and beautiful. Sakito was a thorn in heaven’s side, the product of an unnatural union. He couldn’t do anything about it, but he still felt the nagging guilt. “Different doesn’t necessarily mean worthwhile,” he replied.
Leaning both elbows on the bar, the incubus leaned forward, intrigued. “You have a very negative view of yourself. Why? You could live a very happy life elsewhere, so why torment yourself?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business…” Sakito mumbled, avoiding the demon’s eyes. Like anyone, he didn’t care of uncomfortable questions or prying strangers.
“It is my business,” Niya replied smoothly, grinning, “you’re in my home, and until I say so, you’re stuck with me.” It was quite clear to him that his words made no effect in wheedling answers. Clicking a nail against the table for a moment, he rose and gestured for Sakito to follow. “Come on, let me show you the library.”
Authors: soukoji & jibunnohana
Rating: R
Summary: Halfling, tainted, unworthy - words the angel Sakito ignored living among the heavenly creatures he so adored and aspired to be. But naivite has its limits, and Sakito's fateful meeting with an ancient incubus proved to him that that there's more to goodness than pure white wings.
Notes: Incubus description.
Prologue
Chapter 1
Disappointment was written all over Niya’s face, having expected something far more dramatic and interesting. Yet, at least his instincts hadn’t been entirely wrong. “I knew I smelt something from heaven.” Sighing, the incubus flicked his hand as he turned away, simultaneously releasing Sakito from the spell. The angel relaxed against the bed, dazed from the shock of two spells layered on at the same time. A stronger angel would have no difficulty recovering, but he lacked much of that characteristic resistance. Rolling onto his side after a moment’s rest, Sakito slid off the bed and onto his wobbly legs, withdrawing the wings.
Certainly feeding off the weak creature would kill him, and there was little point in keeping him if he wouldn’t provide decent sport. Although, Niya didn’t understand at all what the angel had been doing in his house, with all the barriers up. “So disappointing….”
Normally, Sakito could be a tad defensive when it came to his wings (he didn’t choose for them to be so stunted), but he was too queasy to bother, tiptoed toward the closest window while the demon’s back was turned. Silently, he made it all the way across the room, carefully unlocking the latch and pushing up the pane. Unfortunately for the angel, the window might have opened, but the magic guarding the house was still quite active, happily blasting him back into the room. Immediately after, the window sealed itself shut.
Niya rolled his eyes, “You’re not too bright, are you?” Swishing his tail behind him, he slid over to where Sakito lay and stood over him, chuckling. “You break into a demon’s house - mine, no less - and then expect to be able to leave, just like that? No one can leave except me. A little safety feature I added just in case some of my prey was supernatural enough to escape my aura.”
Dismayed, Sakito picked himself up off the floor and looked wildly for another way out, despite Niya’s insistence there wasn’t one. Why hadn’t anyone warned him of this, he couldn’t fathom. Surely they hadn’t forgotten that major detail? Whatever the reason behind it, the angel was chiefly concerned with escaping, however grim the prospects seemed. Beside him, the incubus shrugged in disinterest, admiring his black claws.
“Don’t look so horrified. I’m not going to kill you.” The demon wasn’t completely cold-blooded, and picking on a the mostly defenseless Sakito seemed to be more of a chore than fun.
Needless to say, Sakito doubted very much Niya would keep his word, and stared at the demon with suspicious eyes. "That's not much reassurance coming from you..." he said in reply.
“Oh, thanks.” He huffed and folded his arms against his chest, beginning to revert to human form. “Well, you’d better get comfy, since you’re stuck here till I decide to let you out.”
Unable to keep still, Sakito rose and started pacing in front of the window, chewing his lower lip nervously while he racked his brain for a solution. When Niya’s back was turned, he could try to send a help signal, but he had a sinking feeling no one was watching. With the powerful barriers in place, it looked as if he would end up the incubus’s prey after all. Now completely changed, Niya brushed a few strands of silver hair away from his eyes and walked out of the room.
As he left, the demon stopped in the doorway, “Relax.” Three rooms over, he sat down on the couch in front of a large television with an alcoholic drink in hand, waiting for Sakito to follow. As expected, the angel crept down the hallway after him, silent as a mouse, but passed the room, continuing on toward the front door. He would have made it, too, if his foot hadn’t collided with a table, resulting in a loud thump. Groaning quietly, the angel turned and peeked into the TV room, quite sure Niya would have heard his clumsy retreat.
The demon was out of his seat and back at the mini-bar he kept, mixing a fresh Long Island Iced Tea for himself. “Why don’t you come have a drink to calm yourself down? I’ve learned how to make everything known to humankind over the years.” He smiled, “And I’m sure I can mix up something that would suit even an angel’s taste.”
“I don’t drink,” Sakito replied absently, peering the room with mild interest. The giant screen caught his eye the most, a curious fixture in a demon’s house. He supposed Niya had an excess of spare time to waste.
“Your loss.” The incubus took a seat on one of the barstools, able to watch TV from there.
Standing in the doorway, Sakito watched Niya; in the short time he had been trapped there, he’d learned much more about the incubus than all his tiring days of stalking combined. Dangerous though his situation was, Sakito couldn’t help but find himself curious about a being he couldn’t begin to understand. Leaning on the counter, Niya laughed at the show he was watching, a cute comedy popular with women. Perhaps it was strange that a demon like himself, who preyed upon such creatures, could easily find amusement immersed in their world. He was very old, but in those centuries he’d learned to accept the mortal realm, often truly amazing. Television, the newspaper, non-fiction books, these are all things he’d used to keep himself knowledgeable about the modern world, assimilating into the culture enough to keep himself under the radar and contentedly fed. Humans had technology now, and they were healthy and alert, much more difficult to prey upon. It was this skill and intelligence that allowed Niya to ride the changing tide of time and survive luxuriously in his wisdom. For all intents and purposes, the incubus could have been an ordinary person, Sakito was beginning to realize. Frowning, he took a few uncertain steps into the room.
“Do you play cards?” Niya asked, glancing at the angel who resembled a lost sheep. “Or anything, for that matter. I don’t want you to be bored to death.”
“…Aren’t you just going to kill me later?” Sakito replied warily, mistrustful of the demon by default. He was positive Niya was merely putting on an act to lull him into a false sense of security.
“No, I’m not.”
“So why not just let me go…?” Unless the demon was so desperately lonely that he would want to consort with a heavenly creature that had been stalking and spying on him, Sakito couldn’t think of a single reason why he should have to stay.
Desperate, no. Curious and bored, yes. The angel hadn’t explained his motives for snooping. “I don’t feel like it.”
“That’s no excuse…” Sakito muttered. Frustrated and confused as to Niya’s plan, the angel sat down heavily on one of the bar stools, leaning on his hand. At the very least, this would give him an opportunity to observe the incubus longer, give a better report.
Tapping an impatient finger against his glass, Niya immediately added his retort, “It’s a perfectly fine excuse, thank you very much. Why do you act like you have something important to do?” For a demon of his age it was common to have restriction spells for guests and intruders, and he was determined to find out what was so important for this creature to completely dismiss the danger.
“If I tell you, will you let me leave?” Sakito replied boldly. A long shot, and he figured he would regret it later. More than likely, Niya would kill him faster if he knew the angel was a spy.
“Maybe.” The incubus blinked, then grinned and finished the last sip of liquor. “You’d probably just lie to me, and besides, maybe I’d like an angel around to complete my home décor.”
On the off-chance that the demon would toss him out in anger, the angel ventured an answer, “How about if I said I’ve been…uh…‘watching’ you for a few weeks now?” Niya’s face was as impassive as before after he had spoken.
“As in stalking or…?”
“Stalking…kind of.”
“Kind of?” With a raised brow, Niya’s expression plainly stated he didn’t believe it was that simple. He crossed his legs and turned to face the angel. Sakito, meanwhile, was weighing his options of how much it was worth to him to compromise his mission in favor of possibly going free. If he wasn’t already in trouble for taking so long to report back, leaking the purpose to the target definitely would. Niya had hideous spells in the shady recesses of his memory for extracting the truth, a fact that sent shivers up Sakito’s spine.
His resolving folding, the angel traced the grain of the wood on the bar and averted his eyes. “Actually, the heavenly officials sent me to keep an eye on you,” he mumbled.
Vague surprise met his answer, “How did I end up on their radar?” Niya’s eyes narrowed in concern. If he was really such a threat, it was silly to send such a weak soldier, and didn’t quite add up.
“Er…they keep tabs on most demons. Didn’t you know?” Sakito balked a bit at Niya’s sudden change of mood.
“Of course I know. But they don’t normally send fledglings on missions like this.” He tapped a nail against the counter thoughtfully. It was incredibly strange that they would send such a naïve young angel to spy on him, almost as if he were mere bait. Ultimately, Niya’s thoughts led him to the idea of a test and, whether or not his guest realized it, Sakito was just an expendable part of the trap.
“Well…everyone else was busy and they thought it was urgent, I guess…”
Niya shrugged. “I’ve done nothing to fetch their attention, so I’m sure someone is trying to stir up trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Now that Niya has put the idea out in the open, it seemed even more suspicious that a half-angel was sent instead of one high ranking and experienced. Sakito frowned, mulling over the matter, but coming up with no answers; he wasn't entirely privy to the inner workings of heavenly security, and couldn't know with any certainty what they had planned.
“I don’t know you if you need food or anything since you don’t seem to be full angel, but I keep the fridge in the kitchen lightly stocked. Help yourself if you’re hungry.”
Startled out of his private thoughts, Sakito realized what the demon was offering, deciding out of habit it was an untrustworthy gesture. “I eat sometimes, but no thanks.”
“I’ll probably make something later. Maybe you’ll have a better appetite then. Food is useless to me, but the taste is wonderful.”
“Maybe…” he said faintly, returning his gaze to the bar.
“I don’t see many half-breed angels around,” Niya switched the subject abruptly again. “Your kind is rather rare. What’s your other half? Just human?”
“Oh…yes, plain human. Why?”
“I’m curious, that’s all.” Pausing, Niya examined the man’s lithe features. “Was your mother the angel and your father the human? You have a distinct appearance of being male, but your features are very feminine.”
“That’s right.”
A quiet smile graced the demon’s lips as he sipped the fresh drink. Niya couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for the creature. Angels were militant about keeping their bloodlines pure, and halflings were never looked upon with kindness. “You’re an outcast, but a beautiful one.”
Looking a bit hurt, Sakito huffed and stared at the floor. Truth was hard on him - no matter how much the other angels tried to hide their disdain, it was still there, crawling under their skin. At first, he hadn’t understood, but as he got older, aged faster in body than his friends while his wings remained juvenile, the prejudice was obvious. The demon registered Sakito’s sudden downcast expression, a pang of sympathy twisting his gut.
“Don’t be so upset. It’s good to be different.” Finishing his drink, he set it down and nudged the angel’s arm. “Besides, you don’t really want to be like them, do you?”
Did he? Of course he did. Angel-kind was so perfect, so pristine and beautiful. Sakito was a thorn in heaven’s side, the product of an unnatural union. He couldn’t do anything about it, but he still felt the nagging guilt. “Different doesn’t necessarily mean worthwhile,” he replied.
Leaning both elbows on the bar, the incubus leaned forward, intrigued. “You have a very negative view of yourself. Why? You could live a very happy life elsewhere, so why torment yourself?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business…” Sakito mumbled, avoiding the demon’s eyes. Like anyone, he didn’t care of uncomfortable questions or prying strangers.
“It is my business,” Niya replied smoothly, grinning, “you’re in my home, and until I say so, you’re stuck with me.” It was quite clear to him that his words made no effect in wheedling answers. Clicking a nail against the table for a moment, he rose and gestured for Sakito to follow. “Come on, let me show you the library.”