"Four months and eleven days ago, 'twas the wedding we were invited to overseas." A soft chuckle rumbled low in Solaris' throat as he continued to stroke her hair. He glanced at her, his eyes bright and wide as a sudden memory hit him. "I think that was the first time I saw you dance on a table."
Solaris knew, deep down, that the two of them having a more than professional relationship was looked down upon. There was some commotion when the two of them had arrived at that wedding, and even one of the High Paladins once suspected something between them. There were many rules that Solaris was willing to break, but if it cost Zana her life, he wouldn't dare cross that line.
"So," he smiled. "Did you have a particular location in mind?"
The Reaper's smile grew and grew until she was chuckling enough that her body shook, her black depthless eyes shining with mirth. "What can I say? The reception was so droll! It needed a bit of spicing up–you can't say it wasn't a real party after that!" Izanami continued to laugh as she used their hooked arms to lead Solaris in the direction of their favorite pub. She had no excuses for that night other than supreme boredom, Reapers weren't affected by alcohol as humans were, so when she partied she did so just to absorb the excitement from the souls around her. Being within a human form certainly was constricting enough, 'boring' was something Izanami never wanted to be.
"If I remember correctly, you actually had fun that night as well." She teased, poking Solaris' cheek. "You can handle your liquor better than most."
With a slight wave of his hand, Solaris averted his gaze. It was true, he had had fun that night, an experience he wouldn't have felt if Zana hadn't been there to liven the party. Weddings, parties, events of the like, had never been something Solaris was interested in, but ever since Izanami came into his life, he wanted it to be fun so she wouldn't be bored. He hated it when she was bored. As for the liquor, yeah, he was good at holding it. Surprisingly well to be honest, no matter how much he drank it just didn't go straight to his head the way it did to others.
They entered the pub, the familiar scents and sounds washing over him. Solaris ordered his usual beverage before turning to Zana. "The usual or do you want to spice it up a bit?"
The smirky smile never left Izanami's lips as she stepped up to the bar beside Solaris. She loved poking fun at him. His stoic personality was just an easy target, though, she would never want him to change. Thinking on his query, she hummed happily. "The usual martini for me, hun."
It was really nice to take a break from work, the two of them had been going at it for a while-months apparently-with no time to take a breath. The thought snagged in her mind, causing a brief crease between her dark brows. It really was odd that they'd been so busy lately– Izanami shook her head to clear those thoughts hard enough so her silvery hair shivered. Work could wait. If any demon saw to ruin her night, then they would face the full wrath of a Reaper.
The barmaid totted off to prepare the two drinks while Solaris held Zana close to him. "Tell me, we could have gone anywhere at all. Why choose here to dance?"
The drinks were placed on the counter in no time at all. With a thank you to the barmaid, Solaris held the martini towards Zana.
This is exactly what they needed, a bit of a break from the piles of work they had received. The winter solstice from the previous year had proved to be an eventful night for demons, and a large handful of them had somehow survived as long as the summer. However, with all of that out of the way, there was finally the opportunity to relax. Not once did Solaris intend to think about the new mission. Tonight was about Zana and himself.
Izanami took her time to answer, gazing about the pub with a gentle smile. It was one of the first places Solaris had taken her after she became his familiar and settled into her human form. She hadn't had any clue about the modern human world and for some odd reason he had brought her here.
Taking a sip of her drink, she turned back to her master with a chuckle on her lips. "It's our favorite place–at least in this city." Fearing that she was beginning to sound too sentimental she added with an air of arrogance, "Although it certainly is no Omnia." The memory of the posh club they had once had a job at wasn't entirely fond, but it would show that she had chosen this place on a whim, rather than something important.
There was a slight pause from Solaris before he let out a heartfelt chuckle. "Omnia, now that takes me back." he set his drink down for fear of spilling any on the floor. That particular job was interesting to say the least, and sometimes the thought of it would make Solaris feel uncomfortable, but there was always one thing about their time at that place that reminded him why he should never take Zana to those kinds of places. "Sweetheart, no place is like Omnia and I think we would all be glad if it stayed that way."
Now that he thought about it, wasn't this the pub he had taken her to after she had become his familiar? That's right… Since she was new to the whole 'being part of society' thing, and with a new body that she wasn't quite used to yet, he thought that it would be a good idea to take her to a place where everyone was like a family. The regulars at that pub were the kindest people you would ever meet, always making someone new feel welcome. If some ruffian decided it would be a good idea to start a fight with one of the regulars, everyone pitched in to support their friend. No one messed with anyone, especially when Solaris was there.
Still, it felt good knowing that this place held some sort of importance to Zana, even if she wouldn't admit it to him.
He picked his drink up off the side, knocking it back. He hadn't had a drink all day, which wasn't exactly healthy considering he was now drinking alcohol, but he would be fine, right? Izanami was with him, nothing could go wrong.
Izanami tutted, nudging her master playfully, before leaning back against the bar. "Just because it's run by a few fallen angels that have a–dislike–of Reapers, doesn't mean it's all bad." But she understood his aversion. It had been a close call for the both of them and even is she was able to heal almost instantaneously, Solaris still carried the scars from that encounter. In order to relax they needed the boisterous air of gentle, human, townsfolk. And since they had saved the owners granddaughter from a particularly nasty possession a few years back, the drinks were always free.
Sliding a bit closer to Solaris, Izanami relaxed further, watching a group of men argue over the billiards table and the churning bodies on the dance floor behind it. Just as she was turning to Solaris, mouth opening to ask him to dance with her, she felt it. A odd chill passed through the air and slithered down her spine, accompanied by a thick thrum that seemed to come from the very earth itself and capture her heart in a vise. Something was–wrong? Just like that it vanished, leaving the Reaper blinking in confusion. If she didn't know any better she would have said it felt just like–
"Well! If it isn't my two favorite Exorcists!" A voice boomed, just as a burly white bearded man approached them from the back room carrying a crate of beers to restock the bar.
The Exorcist rubbed where Zana had nudged him, pretending that it hurt. "Dislike? I'd say it was more like a seething hatred." his hand instinctively found itself on his side, where unhealed scars were hidden beneath his clothes. A slight shudder ran down his spine as he cleared those memories from his mind.
Something froze inside Solaris when Izanami's atmosphere changed. It was a subtle change, but it was there nonetheless. He glanced around her, realising that a faint grey-yellow hue surrounded her torso. Fear? Confusion? He was about to ask her if she was okay, but was interrupted by a familiar voice. He turned at the sound of the owner's voice. "Ah, Elias!" he smiled, nodding his head in greeting. "Busy as usual I see."
Izanami shook her head to dispel the odd feeling, taking a moment to slide her pupiless black eyes over the bar. What she had sensed–there was no way that it could have been that. Of course not. They had no business in the human realm and they certainly would be looking for her… The Reaper smiled and chuckled a bit awkwardly to release the tension from her shoulders. There wasn't a need to fret.
"Elias!" She cheered, ignoring Solaris' meaningful look to lean over the bar counter to give the elderly man a big smack of a kiss on the cheek. The bar owner's face flushed crimson and he gave the Reaper a gentle pat on her back. He had long since gotten used to her icy skin, but made no effort to touch it on purpose. "How's little Enora?" She asked, settling back next to Solaris, touching his hand gently with her fingers to assure him that she was fine.
"No so little anymore. She starts secondary school soon, can you believe it? And she's always asking about you two. I'll have to tell her that you're in town." He paused a moment and leaned forward, concern etching over his expression. "Everything going okay in the–uh–supernatural community?" Elias said it awkwardly, as if he still didn't really believe what he, himself had witnessed.
Solaris watched Zana kiss Elias' cheek, a slight furrow appearing across his eyebrows. Only for a second. One might have called it jealousy, but he didn't get jealous and Zana was free to do as she pleased. A slight tingle ran through his hand as the Reaper's fingers brushed against him, and he discreetly locked one of his fingers around her own.
"Yeah, everything is fine." Solaris lied to Elias. He didn't want the old man knowing that there was still a threat out there, and they were still dealing with one. It was better if he remained oblivious for the time being. "Actually, we'll be going away for a while after tonight. I hate to disappoint Enora though."
(so sorry! busy weekend. I'm working on it now!)
Although Izanami was firm in her decision to spare Solaris from her true feelings, she could never ignore the little thrill that went through her each time he showed her affection. It was just their fingers, a single finger wrapped gracefully around each other, but it was enough to make her heart ache. Dragging her gaze away, Izanami caught the last words of her master's sentence. "We go where the work is." She added on a shrug, carelessly so the older man wouldn't worry. At least not too much.
Elias' gaze flashed between the two of them, seeing far more than the normal person would, but he nodded just the same. "I always feel better knowing you two are out there." He ran an hand along his beard, pensive, but after a moment he smiled once more. "Enora will just have to wait until you get back. I'm sure she'll send another letter."
"And when she does please give her my personal apologies." Solaris' response didn't miss a beat.
"Of course," Elias nodded in understanding. "Well, I should get back to work. Enjoy yourselves."
Solaris knew from the look in Elias' eyes that he wanted to question them on something, but the man thought better of it and kept quiet. He was used to having to deal with these kinds of situations, especially within his family. His family… The last time he had heard from his parents, they were attending the trail for his sister. After what she did, there was some dispute as to whether The Society could trust her to do her job as an Exorcist anymore. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts from his mind, he smiled gently to Zana. "Now, I believe you were going to ask me to dance?"
Izanami, looked up at her Master, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Oh was I?" She hummed in thought, enjoying the near baffled look that crossed in his eyes before he realized that she was joking. With a wide grin, she finished off her martini, and threaded the rest of her fingers into his, leading him into the darker parts of the bar. The music was loud and the people already drunk despite the earliness of the evening. Perhaps more than a few Exorcists has to blow off some steam tonight.
The Reaper knew that to Society was keeping an extra close eye on Solaris, not only because of his increasing abilities, or his overly powerful familiar, but because they feared that his sister had inside help with her crimes against them. Although he had been cleared, Solaris was still on a watch list. It was for this reason that Izanami, pulled him into the thick of the crowd, out of sight of prying eyes. She would protect him, in any way she could.
Although, one there she stared at him blankly, a faint silvery blush tinting her cheeks as she realized the manner of dancing around them. Her empathic nature picking up on the lust filled emotions around them. Normally she wouldn't care, but recently with her feelings causing all kind of issues in her mind, Izanami couldn't just ignore it. But it ended up not mattering, as someone bumped into her from behind and she toppled into Solaris' arms. He had already been swaying to the beat and now they moved together. "Ah fuck it." She muttered, near silent, especially over the music.
She danced with her Master's hands around her.
Shit, what has gotten into me lately?
As Izanami fell into Solaris' arms, something clenched in his chest. While he would have loved nothing more than to hold her close to him for the rest of eternity, he knew he needed to be careful. There were spies for the Society everywhere, even in this warm familial pub. If he was caught making one wrong move where Zana was concerned, he would be toast.
He had tried, for so long, to get the knowledge he was being watched out of his mind. But as the days went by, and as his sister's trial drew nearer, the Society were not taking any chances. They were going to make sure he followed every rule down to the last letter.
"Mirage." he whispered, lowering his eyes so only Izanami would see the soft purple glow. Now, to the other inhabitants of the pub, Solaris and Izanami would appear to only be dancing with each other. Nothing else. The Exorcist let out a short breath of air, his eyes still a soft purple. "That's better, I can finally talk to you without having to put on a facade."
I should move. I should definitely move. The thought banged around her mind for a few moments, accompanied by her usual defiance. She was a Reaper for godssake! The Society had no power over her, none whatsoever, if she wanted to stroll through the doors right now and bring the building down to it's foundation no one would be able to stop her. Nor would she even break a sweat. Rage boiled under her breastbone, igniting the hunger enough that it reared it's ugly head causing her body to shiver and her jaw tense as she forced it back.
But Solaris….
Solaris needed her as much as she needed him. Izanami straightened a little bit, just enough so that she was more comfortable in her Master's arms, but he was still holding her, albeit loosely. Turning off her rebellious thoughts, she pouted playfully at him. "You can always talk to me without a facade." The words also playful, but with a slight lit that suggested she was hurt by his statement. "Although, recent events have made life somewhat–strenuous." This she said with a mirthless tilt of her lips, referring not only to his sister, but their new case. "What's on your mind?"
"No sweetheart, I can't always talk to you without a facade, not when there are people listening." Solaris murmured, averting his eyes solemnly from his familiar. He hated not being able to speak freely when the two of them were in a public setting, but until the trial was over he wasn't going to take any chances. His hold around Izanami tightened a little, as if he was afraid she was going to move away from him. It had been so long since the two of them had done something like this, something so casual. It made him feel almost normal to hold Zana like this. His eyes drifted back to her, and he gently reached up to brush a couple of loose hairs out of her eyes. "Tell me, if you were given the chance to go back home, to your own realm, would you?"
A moment passed between them where Izanami just stared at Solaris, her expression unreadable. Then, impossibly, her onyx eyes darkened further, the darkness flooding out of her eyes like ink into the veins that surrounded them. "No, Solaris," She said softly, her own arms tightening around him. "I would die before going back there–back to them." Her family, the eight remaining Reapers of Death, who she feared would come for her one day, to drag her back to that realm of icy indifference, forced to just watch as the beautiful realms around them lived and thrived, but unable to share in it. No. It had been eons of torture that she had escaped from. Izanami had long since decided that if she was ever discovered by her siblings, then she would end her own life just to be free of them once more.
"No." She murmured again, keeping her eyes on his. "Why would you ask?"
"I'm just checking." He lied. In truth, one of his cousins had told him something a little while ago. It was an prospect that Solaris both loved, and hated. So much bloodshed, not all of it red. "I don't exactly want you leaving me anytime soon." That part was true. Solaris was not inclined to let Izanami go. Period. Having her by his side brought a little fire into his life, something he never knew he was missing until that happy accident.
As the music continued to fill the space around their bodies, Solaris felt the temperature of the room increase. Perhaps it was because of the numerous other bodies that swayed to the beat, or perhaps it was the emotion behind the dancing, either way it was a warmth that Solaris found both welcoming and strange. "Are you planning on staying here for the rest of the night or did you want to go somewhere else?"
His lie twinged around her heart, but Izanami let it go for multiple reasons. She didn't like talking about her so called 'home realm', and she was sure that if Solaris was keeping a secret from her, it had to be for a damn good reason. Something like hurt flashed across her eyes as they resettled into their human appearance and Izanami shook off her restless power with a shrug. "I'd rather not be going anywhere either." She murmured into Solaris' chest. Gods, the thought of him breaking the Familiar Bond was enough to make her sanity go haywire for a moment. He was the only reason she had to stay here, if he let her go–
"Well I did actually want to dance." Izanami said wryly, looking back up at him. Noting the exhaustion in his gaze, she smiled. "Can we at least get gelato on the way home?"
Solaris' eyes seemed to glow a little brighter at the mention of gelato. That sweet treat was another thing he only realised he needed in his life when Izanami joined him. A smile spread across his lips as he kissed the top of the Reaper's head. "Oh you do know how to get to my heart Zana."
He wasn't going to ignore the hurt he had seen in her eyes, but their current location wasn't the best place to discuss a topic like that. He gently brushed Izanami's cheek with the back of his index finger. "I promise you, I will not let you go."
Rattled. That was a great way to describe how Izanami felt in this exact moment. Usually, she would have a witty remark bite back on whatever Solaris was talking about, but right now–with his eyes shining, his skin so warm against her face, the words that had tumbled from his lips like a secret–she didn't know how to react.
As always, confessing her true feelings was out of the question.
So the Reaper stared at Solaris for a few more moments, leaning gently into his hand while her brain scrambled to keep up with her emotions. Then, like a ray of light directly from the heavens, her wit returned. "I'd have to kill you for such a betrayal." She murmured, smirking playfully as she leaned down slightly to press her lips to his exposed wrist, right over his pulse. It was a joke, a dangerous one and he knew it, but she still disguised the slight truth with another smile, eyes twinkling like the midnight sky.
"Come! Gelato awaits!" Izanami crowed, slipping her hand into his and leading him towards the door.
