Lanterns and Mystique

[Malkavian Riddler]

Bao led Chtahzus'aak out of the temple gardens and towards a covered rickshaw - it was pulled by a moped and could seat two. Bao looked towards Zeus with a secretive smile and hopped into the vehicle, shifting across to make room for him. The driver was a Chinese man dressed all in loose-fitting black clothing, and when he saw his mistress he bowed deeply before hopping onto the electric bike. He waited for Bao to tell him their destination and he sped through the streets - the small engine made no sound but he rang the bell constantly for others to get out of the way.

They reached Shogun House, the tallest building in Chinatown with pagoda-style roofs every third floor until the eighteenth, where it finished with a curved roof and Chinese dragons at every upturned tip. Not that either Bao nor Zeus would be able to see that from their position on the ground.

She stepped out of the rickshaw and moved with Zeus into the building, the lobby magnificent and with a chi-style flow, with shallow teardrop-shaped pools of water, spherical shrubbery, oval coffee tables and a curved reception area. Bao ignored the few people milling around, including the staff, and took Zeus with her to the elevators where they were swept swiftly upward to the penthouse.

There she had an assistant greet her, who she addressed as Jiang. Bao was told her dress was laid out on the bed and then she stepped into the elevator and left them in private. The penthouse was one large room - not taking up the whole of the building upstairs, but one of four rooms - Zeus would likely know this from being spatially aware. They could see her bed, a larger than normal king-sized bed, with a pretty silk blue material draped over it.

Lan Bao touched Chtahzus'aak's hand for his attention before heading for the bed, removing her robe and letting it fall to the floor in a green puddle. The scroll was in her hand even as she continued to walk, naked, smooth and with fluid movements, to the bed. Once there, she pulled on her Qipao dress over her head and adjusted it before turning around - the scroll had vanished in the process.

"Shall we?" she asked, gesturing to the side where her balcony awaited. The furniture was low and tasteful, the style of her penthouse was minimalist though the wall panels were split into fabric above dark wood - and the fabric was a rich red that showed varying scenes of herons. It gave the effect that her penthouse had more in it than what it actually did.

[The Cedar Witch]

There were a few points in their journey to her penthouse that he considered closing the distance between them, carefully keeping the thoughts deeply hidden out of habit. 

The first time was during the ride in the rickshaw, their legs touching as the driver pulled them noisily to their destination.  It was a bit too cramped for his liking and he wouldn't do anything to her while others could observe them.  However, he found himself imagining how he would loom over her, pressing her small form into the seat, and trace her slender neck with his large hand.  The demon was still and silent during the ride, watching the surroundings go by while making a mental map of the area to distract from her body beside him.  Though, he did occasionally glance sideways at her, a subdued smile on his lips.

The second time was in the elevator.  Chtahzus'aak quietly absorbed the building's layout when they entered, the people they passed, the decor, and the exits.  He murmured a compliment about the pretty lobby, but his thoughts were elsewhere.  When the doors to the elevator slid shut, his mind wandered to pushing her roughly against the wall so he could feel her body against him as he greedily took her mouth in his.  The demon made no move to indicate what was on his mind as he stood beside her with arms crossed casually across his chest.  He waited for her to lead the way out of the elevator.

Her hand on his drew his attention from taking in the room and he gave her a quizzical look.  His eyes widened as her robe fell and he allowed his gaze to trace appreciatively over her skin and the liquid way her body moved through the space.  Whatever reaction stirring in his body was contained.  This was her game now.

By the time she turned to face him, habit had him averting his eyes respectfully even though she had clearly wanted him to watch her dress.  He missed the disappearing scroll.  When she addressed him, his eyes found hers then briefly glanced over the blue silk containing her body.  His response was a nod and a smile before he moved with her to the balcony. 

If there was one thing that the demon appreciated the most about the room it was the view from the balcony.  He went directly over to the edge and leaned against the railing to take in the sight of the city below. 

"This makes me want to take to wing."  He shared quietly with her. 

[Malkavian Riddler]

Bao offered a smile before she looked down at her neighbourhood, her people - not a single tourist among them. The Lantern Parade was just for Chinatown and its usual inhabitants, to those who understood its culture and beliefs. The streets had been cleared, no cars were moving below, though there were a few electric rickshaws or scooters zipping quietly through the space - stragglers hurrying to their location before the parade began. She could hear the rest of the city beyond, their beeps and rushing cars, but here there was an air of anticipation. The crowd that lined the sidewalks were silent.

And then, a roar of joy from the next block and the first glimpse of bobbing light. The first part of the parade rounded the corner after a full five minutes of listening to cheers of delight, and then Bao and Zeus could see the first wave of entertainers. Forty acrobats in shiny gold suits performing pyramids and other human-made structures on the fly, even as they walked. From where Zeus and Bao stood, high on the eighteenth, they would mostly see a moving golden mass of bodies forming patterns - it would look like a living creature. Some patterns were very obviously for those who were on balconies looking down at the parade, for a bird's eye view showed them what looked like morphing golden snowflakes. Walking in front and behind the acrobats were people holding different coloured lanterns on sticks, so that the street lit up with a rainbow hue. There were floats and musicians and Chinese Dragons, all broken up by hundreds of lantern bearing folk, creating a river of multi-coloured light through the streets, and the cheering that went with it.

And then Chtahzus'aak heard gasps and applause, more cheers, as entertainers on fire danced in the streets. Very obviously fire demons. And there were others - all of Bao's kin were in the parade, the Kuei Jin using their talents to show their citizens how powerful they were, that they were worthy of being protectors and guardians. They were respected and loved and feared all at once, and Bao could hear it in the hysterical note of their cheers. It was grand.

"Now is the time, Chtahzus'aak, when you can do what you wish," she said, looking down at the parade at its fullest and busiest, everyone was on the streets.

Bao looked first at Zeus and then closed her eyes briefly to centre her Jade Shintai, then, she crouched like an Olympic sprinter ready to put their feet on the blocks, then leapt. Her jump took her high into the air and then across the parade to the roof of the next building. She turned and grinned at Chtahzus'aak, waving and gesturing for him to follow. She ran across the thin line of tiles, leaping from roof to roof like she was in a platform game.

[The Cedar Witch]

Chtahzus’aak watched the sight below with great interest, not quite knowing what to expect at any given interval.  He thought it would be like any other human celebration and parade, though with a specific cultural flavor given the location.  Needless to say, he was not disappointed.  The artistry was a delight and he was glad to have accepted her invitation.

When the fire demons displayed the splendor of their destructive form, Chtahzus’aak’s eyes widened in surprise.  He glanced at Lan Bao, then back at the scene below.  This was how they should be treated.  Their kind should be celebrated.  Feared, yes.  But in the way that one fears the might of Nature: with awe and reverence. 

Lan Bao’s words affected him in a deeper way than he expected, and there was a fierce look in his eye when he turned to face her.  He watched her jump, an almost childish smile on his face.

Should he?
This is her territory. 
She calls the shots here.
If fire demons could parade below…

Chtahzus’aak dropped the tension from his shoulders that had gathered with his excitement and took a step back from the railing.  Just as she touched on the opposite rooftop and beckoned him over to her, he shed his human facade.  He stretched his massive wings to their full length and flapped once before taking to the air. 

His eyes were only on Lan Bao as he followed her journey across the rooftops with impressively tight maneuvers. 

[Malkavian Riddler]

Her eyes widened at his form. His natural form - unlike her, who could summon something similar through her chi if she wanted, it would be her secondary shape. She wondered what it was like for him, to shed his skin. She wondered if he would stay like that after returning to her rooms.

She ran, her feet making no noise on the tiles, her body light like a sparrow on the wind when she jumped. Landing on the next building, the next roof, she kept pace with Chtahzus'aak, following the blur of lanterns below until there were no more tall roofs. She didn't want to lose her height so she turned and leapt; a swan dive into the air over the street.

Cheers erupted below her and she felt the rolling wave of joyous emotion. It boosted her up. She lost sight of Chtahzus'aak briefly and swivelled to see him flying above her, his dark form majestic and powerful. She could see his muscles working in his wings, the powerful chest something she would like to rake her fingernails on. She lost her focus and plunged several metres before being bouyed by the emotions below her again. Updraft, glide... she had no wings, just energy to float on.

She lost sight of him again and hovered, looking around.

[The Cedar Witch]

It was fascinating to watch her, without wings, move lightly through the night air in the way she did.  The reaction from the crowd as they flew increased his enchantment.  What a little slice of paradise this was!  It wasn’t any wonder that she didn’t want to see Chinatown fall into anyone else’s hands. 

Lan Bao lost sight of him as he turned skyward, rapidly gaining altitude and vanishing behind a cloud.  He relished the feeling of wind on his flesh, rushing past his wings.  Most of his time was spent in human skin, cramped and politically acceptable.  He was so tired of hiding, even though he saw the merit in doing so.  Mass panic amongst humans was less than desirable.  If only they could all be like the residents of Chinatown. 

Once the air thinned and chilled enough for his liking, the demon stopped and turned, allowing gravity to pull him back toward the earth.  His wings pressed close to his back as he rocketed down.  As he careened closer, he shifted his wings for a bit of drag to reduce his speed ever so slightly. 

Chtahzus’aak would turn at the last second before colliding either with her or the ground and soar over the heads of the crowd.  He hadn’t decided whether he would, like a hawk, snatch her from the air as he did so.  Perhaps that would be too disrespectful, though it would be fun.  His demonic face held a wicked grin.

[Malkavian Riddler]

Bao couldn't perform manoeuvres like him. It was enough that she could fly-float on the spiritual energy of those below. The Lantern Festival was her favourite, and while she waited for Chtahzus'aak to make an appearance, she watched the lights below dip and bob, smoke and fire demons putting on a show with their acrobatic and demonic skills - there were many down there with demonic blood... not all of them full-blooded but enough to reveal their powers. Chinatown was led by the vampire demons, the Kuei-Jin, and they would not shackle their cousins for the sake of mortals - better to teach those humans who lived here that they were adored and protected from the outside world, which held a lot more magics and creatures than they could find here. And less spirituality.

She was surprised by Chtahzus'aak's sudden appearance, enough that her focus left her again and she plummeted towards the ground. Instead of screaming, she closed her eyes and worked to restore her inner balance. Wind gushed in her ears even as she fell, looking more like she was landing, though everyone who saw her would realise something was wrong. Some people in the crowd, who'd been watching, cried out their fear, tainting the positive energy she relied on.

[The Cedar Witch]

When Chtahzus'aak reached a height within seeing distance for those below, before the great Shogun House, he swooped sharply up again.  The demon jumped into the shadow of the tallest building, the one they had lept from.  The impossibly fast move happened simultaneously with another trick.  His form appeared to explode into many shadows, taking the shape of a flock of graceful cranes flying out in all directions, highlighted by the glow of lantern light.  Two of these creatures went to Lan Bao's side like faithful pets to slow her fall and guide her to a nearby rooftop should she need it.  The demon himself watched from the balcony, stepping from the shadow to the railing.

[Malkavian Riddler]

The instant before the cranes arrival, Bao felt the updraft of another pull of energy - and then the shadow birds were at her side. She was delighted by them and wondered if Chtahzus'aak had known they were her sigil. He would've seen a hint of her tattoo on her right side when she had her naked back to him (if he'd watched - she'd assumed he had). She believed this was how he knew.

She laughed and was bouyed by their presence enough that she glided with them upwards to her balcony. She could feel and see the dark force that was Chtahzus'aak. When she stepped onto the balcony railing thanks to the assistance of his shadow cranes - curiously watching what they did once they were gone from her presence - she had another command for the shadow demon... though this was more of a plea than an instruction.

"Don't change," she said, her eyes raking over his demonic form. She was not frightened of such things - her many Shintai skills could create all manner of atrocities. But Chtahzus'aak - he was magnificent. His human self was attractive as well, but in his true physical form, she could sense his potency. It made her salivate.

She hopped down off the railing and approached him, feeling tiny and humbled by his true form. How many had the honour of witnessing him like this? He'd revealed himself to her community. He'd embraced her culture and people. Her hands slid up his chest and to his face - dark and with a weighty stare - before her hands slid down, raking nails as she'd fantasised not a few moments ago. Keeping eye contact, she sought to grasp his sex - to milk it with her hands and to invite it inside of her.

[The Cedar Witch]

There was a smile on his face as he watched her glide with his shadow cranes, awash with relief when he heard the unmistakable chime of her laughter.  The rest of the flock made a circle slowly around the Shogun House, tightening into a spiral at their center, then melding into the dark corners of the building as if caught in a vortex.  There seemed to be a magnetic pull to the demon, these shadow cranes--now tendrils of inky darkness--swirled around his horns and pooled at his feet as they returned to him.  The two accompanying Lan Bao perched at the railing, preening and watching.

Chtahzus'aak watched her hop from the railing, curious about the request for him to remain in his natural state.  He didn't mind, though it made interacting with an environment made for human proportions a bit more difficult.  His wings folded compact, though comfortably so, against his back.  He was very still as she approached, stance wide and arms at his side.  Black orbs studied her as she reached out, and his muscles tensed under her hands as they moved up his chest to his face.  He marveled at her reach, as his form was much taller.

His body reacted immediately to her nails on his dark grey chest, eagerly reaching to meet her hands as they traveled lower.  Wings stretched out again at the stimulation, quivering and flexing at intervals.  His hips slowly moved in time as if on their own accord.  A pleasurable growl rumbled in his throat and he maintained eye contact as she worked him, arousal compounded by the open setting for this act. 

One of his large hands moved to cup the side of her face, gently at first, thumb tracing her lips.  Silently he wondered how she would take him into herself, grinning wickedly and cock twitching at the thought.  His hand moved to the back of her head, fingers itching to undo the fancy pinning to take a fistful of her dark locks. 

Instead, he lifted her suddenly at the waist and turned, pinning her against the outer wall of the building.  Pressing his weight into her, his wings stretched out and shielded them from sight (not that it was his explicit intent).  He brought his face to hers for a gruff kiss.

[Malkavian Riddler]

He was uncannily gentle. In truth she didn't know what to expect but the juxtaposition of his touch wasn't one of them. She whispered his name when his hand found her face - huge, dark and heated. "Chtahzus'aak." The sound of it glided past her lips just before his thumb chased it away. When his fingers moved into her hair he would find a single long haircomb that her hair scissored around. Releasing that had her hair tumbling free. She expected her hair to fall about her face, past her shoulders, wisping to the tops of her breasts... but he didn't continue, instead making a bolder move.

She gasped as she was lifted, turned and pressed against the wall, caught between unyielding brick and unyielding body. She laughed her surprise, enjoying this complete surrender (for none of her kin could dominate her at all, never mind so completely and erotically). His wings made a cocoon for them and it completed the sensation of her capture. The texture of his mouth and tongue provided a new sensation and thrill as she explored it.

When her legs lifted to lock upon his hips, her dress rode up. She could feel his erection pressing against her, its length confidently striving to reach her navel. Her hands had roamed it, she knew what she was inviting inside. Bao also knew her limitations and Zeus would likely take her to the cusp of them. She wanted that; to feel him for many nights afterward. It was always a shame when a man was forgettable. A waste of her time, usually.

Reaching down she wriggled around and guided him in. She was already slick with anticipation and even the head of his huge dick didn't disappoint. Now that he knew how ready she was, she decided he could take over the pace. She couldn't foresee him holding back and teasing her. She imagined sex with him would be raw and passionate instead of calculated and measured.

He might surprise her. He was full of surprises.

[The Cedar Witch]

Chtahzus'aak could be many things, including gentle, when the situation or his desire called for it.  Inspired by the energy of their flight over the festival and spurred by her forward touch, he did not hesitate when she guided him toward her moist center.  Separating his mouth from hers, the demon let out a throaty groan at his initially slow entrance--both to savor the sensation and allow her the opportunity to accommodate him.  He silently marveled at her ability to take him like this, lost in the tight grip she had around his cock.  It was irresistibly erotic. 

With his grip on her secure, his thrusting began with a methodically gradual increase in speed and intensity until he settled on a rhythm that he preferred.  Although he appeared to be lost in his own pleasurable sensations, he paid very close attention to any sounds she made and the way her body moved.  He was alert for any indication that he was being rough in an unpleasant way or pushing past her limits. 

One hand sought the back of her hair again, releasing the comb and tossing it to the ground as gently as he could manage.  Once freed, he gripped a fistful of her hair and pulled it back, exposing her throat to his mouth.  He placed rough kisses on her skin, tongue darting out and carving a path from her jawline to her collar bone.  He smiled at the thought of leaving a mark with some suction, but little bruises like that wouldn't stay very long on inhuman flesh if he managed to leave one at all.

His hand released her hair, traveling boldly to her breasts with a kind of familiarity that almost seemed as if they'd done this before.  The dress was a barrier that he didn't intend to go out of his way to remove, though he imagined how easily he could rip it off of her.  Instead, he squeezed and gripped while focusing on grinding his hips into hers. 

When his own release approached he changed the rhythm.  Pulling almost all the way out of her as if to tease, he savored her reactions before plunging back in.  This he repeated a few more times until he became impatient with it himself, settling into a quicker tempo toward an explosive finish.

[Malkavian Riddler]

If she hadn't shapechanger abilities, Bao might not have invited him to fulfil her desire to have him in his true form. She could adjust her body around him and also tighten it once he was plunged inside, enhancing the sensation for both of them. Even so, his reach satisfied her in ways that nobody else could touch. She orgasmed almost immediately with the first stroke. With her knees up as high as possible and latched onto him, she felt like a squishy fun-sized receptacle for his hammering, and it leant her an emotional detachment to the sex which only enhanced her enjoyment of it. He was a beast in all kinds of good ways. He satisfied the demonic side of her nature.

Bao gasped and growled, her polite facade entirely changed into something wild and passionate, untempered and unhinged. Her hands clawed against his skin as if trying to break it, though she couldn't penetrate his thick hide. She bared her teeth, her fangs easily identifiable, revealing her predatory nature. She ached to sink them into Chtahzus'aak but didn't dare.

When he changed the rhythm to plunging thrusts it was akin to when he'd first entered her, and hit those depths she'd enjoyed so much. After half a dozen of these she reached her peak again, pleased when he continued to do them for her, allowing her to crest the waves, her body trembling with the force of it. Eventually, he sought release for himself and she roared her approval when he performed his final, shaking thrust, gushing his release into her body even as she clung tightly to him, satisfied.

She remained that way until he made to move away, and with a little less decorum than usual, she retracted herself from his fading erection and used the wall to support herself, inching her dress down enough to cover herself. She could stop any leakage until she arrived somewhere to dispose of it, but for now it was keeping her insides warm. She had a secret smile on her face, immensely pleased. The lantern festival was still going on below, but she was no longer interested in looking at it, but at Chtahzus'aak instead.

[The Cedar Witch]

Her transformation from reserved to unhinged was more alluring than he expected it to be.  Each look exchanged between them, each beast-like noise, stoked the passionate flame building at an almost alarming rate.  He should have supposed she would defy his every expectation of her, and this only increased his own desire.  By the time he came--hard--his every sense was intuned to her, drinking in her cries of ectasy and quaking body that added to his own symphony of pleasure. 

He held her for a moment against the wall, breathing heavily against the side of her face as the electricity of orgasm drained from his muscles.  His wings fluttered as if shivering before folding against his body while he moved gently away from her.  There was an unreadable look on his face as he watched her adjust her clothing, eyes moving over her lips and to her eyes.  Sex could strip someone of their protective layers, and he wondered how easily she would be separated from how she presented herself to him.  What was the real Lan Bao--who was she when she was comfortable and alone?

These questions always fascinated him, even if they were never answered.  He was himself secretive--fucking or not.

There was an easy, though subtly smug, smile on his face as he looked at her, still standing close unless she moved.  "How shall we spend the remainder of the evening?"  Not necessarily a Let's go again, but he wouldn't be unopposed to fucking until dawn.

[Malkavian Riddler]

"In bed," came her matter-of-fact reply. She moved past him, her hand trailing across his chest as she went. "You can take whatever form you like," she invited, moving lithely towards the large bed but turning to head for her bathroom. "I will shower and you can surprise me."

The real surprise would be if he left. She would find that hilariously funny, leaving the shower naked to find him gone, but also disappointing. It would leave her wanting more, but that wasn't particularly meaningful... she was already wanting more. She could take a lot of punishment, and Lan Bao liked the way Chtahzus'aak punished.