Pandora's Box (Open - Inquire Within)

[Mephistophelily]

She closed her eyes as he smirked, already anticipating the chilled feel of the shadows that soon extended up and over her. She had grown used to it now...

Peeking down as the cool feeling vanished, Pandora gave a light laugh, shaking her head. "I'm starting to think someone's found a favorite dress on me." She glanced at him, smirking still as she reached for her purse on the doorknob. "If you're planning to fly, I'll need my ID...," She explained, beginning to rifle through for her wallet. "How are you going to get around that, anyway? Just... shadow one up?"

She knew better than to ask on packing clothes. Pithos had decided most of her clothing since they met, only the last few weeks being left to her own decisions as he slept- or whatever it had been that he was doing. Sleeping looked to be the last of his worries, with his new abilities...

What was strange, though, was how much his choices had begun to influence her choices. She was wearing clothing far different from what old Dora would wear; trading her usual jeans and tees for skirts or dresses. She hadn't thought much of it until Mick pointed it out, simply stating that Mister Pithos had purchased a new wardrobe for her and telling him to drop the subject.

She had become more and more curt with her old friend as well. She wasn't sure why... It was as if part of her was trying to force him away from her, to keep him from getting too close and stay safe from the trouble that followed her 'new friend'.

Grabbing up a notebook from beside her bed, she quickly wrote out a hurried note, ripping it free and folding it up before writing her Grandmother's nickname across the front of it. "She'll come looking if I'm gone too long. I'd rather not worry her. I just told her that something came up and I had to leave..."

She frowned, looking to the note, then back at him. "Was I wrong to write that I'd be home soon?"

 

[Mister J]

He rolled his eyes behind the glasses as she asked about his own form of identification.

"Trivialities my dear."

His hands found themselves buried in his pants pockets as she wrote her note. A slight frown came to his face as she asked him about it.

"I surely hope not."

He forced an obviously fake smile.

"As long as everything goes as planned we should be home very soon."

For some reason it didn't feel right to lie to her. The guilt was unfamiliar to him and he quickly brushed it off. Yet it lingered, nagging at the back of his mind. Pithos stepped past her, continuing through her small apartment where he waited for her by the door. He let her get anything else she may have needed before the two of them left.

An uncomfortably fast taxi ride later found them at the airport. The two quickly made their way through security, Pithos faster than Dora. He waited for her on the other side after stepping out of the shadows while no one was looking. He'd have brought her through if he could. After all, it would have saved time, but he still wasn't sure what it would do to her. Even with his new powers, he wasn't sure how she would come out of it... or what she'd come away with.

The terminal was crowded, but thankfully they didn't have far to go. Pithos escorted Pandora to a private gate where a small Lear Jet was parked waiting for them. As they walked out onto the tarmac Pithos spoke up, no doubt answering the question Dora was thinking of asking.

"I called in a favor with Aether, the elemental god of the air. He controls who goes up and who comes back down. The airliner companies pay him to make sure their planes have a smooth flight. It's all hush hush."

He pointed to some of the other planes lined up at their respective gates.

"You know when you hear about planes crashing or having 'technical troubles'? That was him. You don't pay him tribute, you don't fly."

They finally made their way up the steps and into the jet. It was very spacious, having plenty of room to walk around. The chairs were leather and very comfortable. There was only one stewardess and only one pilot. On the wall at the back of the cabin was a large flat screen tv. In front of it was a large half circle leather couch which matched the chairs just behind it facing towards the front. Between the cabin and the cockpit was a small space where the flight attendant kept the food and beverages as well as a small seat for her to sit in during take off and landing.

As they sat down and buckled in, Pithos continued his story. He told Pandora of how he had tricked several Grecian women into laying out naked to tan. He had started the idea sunbathing all for Aether to get his jollies off while watching them.

The flight went by rather quickly. Pithos had teased Pandora a few times when he got bored, but otherwise it was an unusually peaceful flight. When not harassing Dora, Pithos slept.

When they landed, Dora had to wake him. His head was laying on her shoulder and he was snoring loudly. Realizing what he was doing he quickly undid his seat belt and practically jumped to a stand. He didn't even bother to thank the stewardess as he hurried off of the plane.

Dora finally exited the plane and stepped out onto the tarmac to see a small country airport. There was only their plane, one hangar, an office, and the single landing strip. The sky was a pale blue with hardly a cloud in sight. It was around 4:30 in the evening when they landed. Waiting a few feet from the plane with his arms outstretched, Pithos grinned wide.

"Welcome to Greece!"

 

[Mephistophelily]

Dora was actually quite surprised.

He was doing things... normally. No special use of his powers, no strange twists involved in their ride to the airport, In fact, he stayed rather silent. Hm. With everything he had planned, she would have figured a few details would have been given, but instead... Nothing. She simply looked out the window as the airport came into view, taking a breath.

Telling him she had never been on a plane probably would have been a good idea BEFORE all this.

Following him through the lobby, she started to point towards the ticket counter, her eyes full of confusion, but he was still on the move- already heading for the security checkpoint. Sighing once more, she tugged her purse back over her arm, rushing after him. Tossing her bag onto the conveyor belt as the guard thumbed for her to pass through the detector, she shot a quick glance in Pithos' direction, spotting him instead on the other side.

"...Cheater."

Finally given her things back, she followed him further still, confused at first as he headed for a separate gate, moreso as she saw the jet waiting outside the window. Her mouth opened to ask about it- only to be cut off before she could even begin. Favors? So he still had a few friends back on Olympus? As he explained more about his Air God friend, she frowned, realizing just how fickle the Gods truly were. Tributes and retributions, tricking mortals into doing what they wanted... Or as Pithos had put it, to 'get their jollies'.

"Remind me to never sunbathe on the roof again," she mumbled, shaking her head as she looked out the jet's window. The setup and flight were both actually rather comfortable... aside from the half-sleeping, half-playing Pithos that bothered her on occasion. Roaming tendrils tried to play with her, only to be slapped or hastily yanked away from; Dora now uncertain if they were even real or him playing with her head again.

She realized he was truly asleep when the soft strange noise turned into more of a roar in her ear, looking to him with widened eyes as he slept- snoring on her shoulder. She nudged him slightly as the jet touched down, only to shrug a bit harder and call his name. "Pithos... We're here."

His sudden spooked jump nearly made her jump as well, leaning away from him as he started from the plane. Getting up herself, she took her bag over her shoulder, apologizing to the woman for his sudden departure before following after him. She let out a soft amazed breath as she saw the view around them, shaking her head at the difference from home and.... this. So simple, compared to the mess they had just left.

She smiled as he called out to her, acting like an overly-cheerful tour guide with his widespread arms. "It looks so nice and peaceful." She suddenly frowned. "That worries me."

 

[Mister J]

Pithos ignored her last comment and waved her in the direction of the office as he began to walk. He talked with the man behind the counter for a little while. Nothing overly important. It sounded like two friends remembering better days. When he was finished he left the office and headed for the road. So many changes to his ancient home. It was hard, remembering what it used to look like, and seeing how it ended up now. Somehow, it seemed like a dream to think of his old haunt.

They walked along the road for sometime. It was nice out though, not too hot and not too cold. Just right and perfect for a little stroll. The wind picked up every now and then but otherwise it was a rather calm jaunt. The countryside was full of green hills and farms, old fences and the occasional Mom 'n Pop shop. In the distance, Pithos pointed to a large mountain range and simply smirked, expecting her to figure out what it was.

Eventually they came to a small town just south of the large mountains. He got her a lemonade from a stand and continued down the street. Pithos entered an unmarked building and beckoned her to follow him. At the front counter were three older women, similar in appearance which suggested they were related. He held out a hand, motioning for her to stay at the front while he walked down an aisle and disappeared somewhere in the back of the dimly lit store. Around her were all kinds of knickknacks and various antiques ranging from old wind-up toys to expensive looking vases.

"You're with the shadowy man girl?"

One of the sisters giggled as she spoke, twirling a piece of thread around one finger. She seemed to be the younger of the three. The middle sister, who also seemed to be holding the extent of the same thread, rolled her eyes. The third sister, the oldest of the three, simply stared creepily back at Dora. She had a pair of old rusty scissors laying in her lap. They all wore shades of blue and each had a shawl wrapped loosely about their heads.

The middle sister spoke up next, with a rather annoyed tone to her voice.

"Don't tease her Clotho."

The younger sister just shrugged, still retaining that jolly composure.

Pithos reappeared from the maze of twisting aisles and shot a knowing look to the three siblings as he ushered Pandora out of the shop rather hurriedly.

Back on the street he took Dora's hand and placed a small silver coin in it.

"You'll need that for the toll."

He spoke matter of factly as if she would know what he meant and then continued down the winding road until he came to a small black door with an old ivory knob. He pulled out an odd looking key and slipped it into the lock. The door creaked open and Pithos crouched through the entrance, pulling Pandora along with him.

They were heading down what looked to be a never ending staircase made of stone. On either side of them was pure darkness. Every once in a while there was the echoing cry of a woman or the groan of a man. Sometimes the chilling laughter of a child caught their ears. Pithos held tightly to her hand as if he was afraid of what would happen were he to let go. Small torches lit their descent until finally they came to a dirt landing.

It looked like the inside of a cave, dimly lit with torches that burned blue giving everything a cerulean tint. Pithos led her down a short path to a small shore. The water was unnaturally calm and dark. There were no waves or splashes. The other shore could not be seen and it seemed the lake stretched on to infinity.

"Don't touch the water."

He said flatly, even though he was holding her hand so tightly that he wouldn't have let her even get near it anyway. It was colder down in this cave like place yet there was no wind. The air smelled old and felt heavy. The aura of the place caused a drowsy feeling to fall upon it's travelers.

Soon across the water a faint orange glow appeared. Pithos perked up, seemingly happy to see it. As the light came closer, Dora could make out a small traghetto type boat being pushed along by a lone robed individual. The hooded person had a long pole which he used to push the slim boat towards them.

Pithos held out his hand and showed her his silver coin.

"He'll take us to Hades."

 

[Mephistophelily]

Pandora continued her slightly tourist-like gazes about as they walked along, at first wanting to ask why they didn't call for a taxi at that little office back at the airport- but after a while of watching the scenery, she was actually rather glad they didn't. Walking was a nice change of pace from the rush of home, reminding her that things didn't always have to feel such a hurry. When he suddenly reached out his hand in front of her, she followed the point of his finger, seeing the looming landmark in the distance. Was... Was that actually it? Her eyes widened slightly as she caught the smirk on his face. "Wow...," She breathed, stopping in her tracks to stare at it. After a few minutes, she realized that he was still trekking off without her.

Upon entering the small town, she was surprised at the drink he purchased for her, but gladly took it, sipping on it as he led her into the small shop and had her stay up front as he headed out back. Still toying with the straw, she meandered down one of the aisles, peeking up as one of the women behind the counter called out to her. The trio seemed familiar, at least by appearance- like she knew who they were without having met them.

Her mouth opened slightly to answer the odd young woman, but the woman beside her spoke first. The name she used was very familiar; she was certain she'd heard it in college-
The straw dropped back into the cup as she realized what it was. That was the name of one of the Fates!

She wanted to ask them questions terribly after realizing this. Of -course- Pithos would come back now, grabbing her hand and hurrying her out the store. Damn. And she had a few things on her mind for them, too....

Glancing to the coin he plopped into her palm, she raised an eyebrow with his rather unexplaining explination for it. Toll? Maybe a gate or something to get to the mountain?

He was walking again.
She ran slightly to catch up with him, only to continue looking around as they walked on. The odd door seemed very out of place, Dora watching as he opened it, the small entryway creaking open before he slunk down and led her in.

If the door hadn't been creepy enough, what was behind it was far worse. The noises and darkness left her breathing a bit harder than she wanted, a chill down her spine as she clung to Pithos' hand. She was very glad he decided to stay in a more human form for all this... At least, for the moment.

As they arrived at the water, she was happy to be off the staircase, but the air in this place refused to let that chill leave. She still gripped his hand tightly, glancing around... taking a moment to peek into the water until his warning on it made her hastily pull back. When the small boat came into view, she let out a frightened noise, yet Pithos seemed happy to see the thing.

If those women at the shop were who she thought they were...
Then this guy...
And the boat...

"P-Pithos-," She started hesitantly, glancing at him to see his coin held out and waiting, explaining what the boat was here for. "Why the hell did you take me to Hell?!," She gasped, horrified. "Charon ferries the dead souls- I'm not dead, and I certainly don't want to be!"

 

[Mister J]

Pithos rolled his eyes after removing his glasses. He slipped them into his jacket pocket as Charon grew closer.

"Quiet girl. Did I not promise you wouldn't be harmed?"

He let out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed two fingers between his eyes.

"Hades has a... well, a 'backdoor' to Olympus. I need it to travel there. I can't simply storm through the front doors now can I?"

The light from the boat's lamp illuminated the dull shore, casting an orange hue that outshone the faint blue light coming from the torches. The bow of the small boat pushed up against the shore as the ferryman set his pole into the mud to steady the boat. Pithos cast a worry free smile towards the frizzy bearded man.

Charon was a skinny older man, wrapped in dirty crimson robes. He had a long unkempt gray beard still speckled with some lingering brown. His skin was pale and heavily wrinkled. Set deep were his eyes, so dark it looked as if he almost had none there.

The old man held out his hand, saying nothing. Pithos nodded and handed him his coin. After which Dora had done the same. Charon lazily slipped the coins into his robes and ushered them onto the boat. He moved about slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Soon the boat was pushed away from the shore and they began the rather silent journey to the gates of Hades. The entire ride Pithos never let go of Pandora's hand. He gripped it firmly, and spoke to her through his own brand of telepathy.

~Whatever happens, do NOT let go of my hand. No matter what.~

He waited for her nod before continuing, casting a casual glance towards Charon to see if the man was paying them any mind. He seemed intently focused on the nearing shore, his gaze never breaking from it. Pithos had noticed that Charon seemed to always be in a sort of daze, as if he wasn't really there or really an entity of his own will. It seemed to him, that the old man was merely a construct of this place that took the form of a man to help those souls cope better.

~You have to keep your emotions in check here... no more outbursts if you can help it. We need not disturb the dead.~

He said the last part with a hint of hesitation in his voice as if his mind had wandered somewhere while thinking on the topic.

Soon later they found themselves stepping from the boat to a shore similar to the one they had come from. A path lead away from it to a paved walkway which lead up a large hill. From down on the shore they could see the tops of large black marble pillars sticking up past the hilltop. Pithos walked carefully along the way, keeping Dora close behind him as they came to the large black gates. Before she could see anything he held his other hand out in a motion that suggested she remain calm.

After a hopeful sigh he moved further, giving her view of the monstrous beast that lay sleeping just in front of the huge gates. Behind it were the dark marble pillars from before. Connecting the two was a chalk white gate that resembled a skeleton's ribcage. The gate was tucked between two large rocky cliffs that stretched up much higher than even the pillars. There was no sky to speak of. There was just a darkness above their heads, the only illumination came from similar blue burning torches set up around the gate.

The beast resembled a three-headed rottweiler hound. The thing was easily as big as a bulldozer and it had fur the color of midnight. Unlike a dog, it had a leather skinned whip-like tail that curled around behind it. As the duo made their way closer to the gates, one of the beast's heads twitched, it's ear perking up. Seconds later his eyelid lifted open and upon seeing Pithos and Pandora, the dog creature jumped to his feet and let out a terrible roar more akin to a lion than any dog.

Pithos stopped then, squeezing Dora's hand tighter, hoping she wouldn't scream. The monster growled, standing firm between them and the gates. Pithos looked back to Pandora and nodded, trying to let her know it was safe.

"Cerberus...long time."

He stepped forward, holding his hand out, palm down. The dog hesitated, tilting one of it's heads as if it was considering something. It leaned forward and sniffed the offered hand. Once it had recognized the scent, within seconds, Cerberus had transformed from a fear inspiring demon hound into a cuddly little pup. All three heads were panting as they moved to lick at Pithos, each one getting good swipes in. The large canine rolled onto it's back, paws waggling in the air as Pithos moved next to it and scratched it's stomach playfully. He glanced to Dora with what appeared to be a genuine smile.

"Go ahead, pet him."

 

[Mephistophelily]

Pandora bitterly bit down on her lip, silencing her frightened complaints as Pithos flatly explained himself. "Well, no... I- I suppose not...," She started softly, looking to the ferryman as he brought the boat to a halt before them. She sucked in a sharp breath, glancing to Pithos as he simply passed over his coin before looking to her, as if to remind her to do the same. She hesitantly held out the small disc, the man's thin fingers taking it and letting them board.

She was scared to death.
But Pithos' hand was still there, holding tightly to hers.

She nodded as he 'spoke' to her, her eyes never leaving the man steering the craft. She didn't mean to stare at him; but to be standing on the same ferry, on the same river, with the same man she had studied- This wasn't supposed to exist. But neither was Pithos, and her certainly felt real enough to her right now- and in his previous interactions with her in the past.

With Pithos' new warning, she finally broke her gaze at the old man, looking to her shadowy companion instead. "I'll try...," She whispered, the fear of this place still leaving her paler than normal. Still, he told her to stay calm.... But it certainly was harder than he made it seem.

She closed her eyes, trying to forget where they were and forcing her mind to believe they were elsewhere; Paris, riding a gondola. It would have been a believable thought, if not for the howls and moans echoing through this place. Her hand tightened about his.

The boat stopped. Pithos was leading her off, Pandora's feet moving blindly to follow him. She gave a final glance back to the old man and his ferry, watching him shove off to meander the River Styx once again. Turning back around, she found Pithos looking at her with a bit of a warning glance, his hand reached out towards her before he stepped aside.

She choked on the gasp that tried to escape, clapping her free hand over her own lips. If the gate on its own weren't enough, looking like something out of a Tim Burton movie, the giant beast in front of it was certainly a scary thing. When it began to move, letting out a roar that rivalled the MGM lion, she wanted to run. That thing was pissed-!

He wasn't moving. Pithos was simply.. standing there, still gripping her hand and-
Smiling?

When he called the dog's name, she stared at them both. That was Cerberus... He was even bigger than she had ever imagined. And here Pithos was, treating him like the family pet rather than the guardian of Hades. She hesitated as he played with the beast, hiding back a bit behind the pillars and watching. When he called to her, she at first shook her head, not wanting anything to do with the giant pooch.

"You're sure he's not going to... bite me? Or like eat me or something?," She asked in a whisper, finally getting the courage to come out as he rubbed the beast's belly. She reached out herself, resting her hand for a moment on his side. Wow. The guard dog of Hell had rather soft fur. She smiled lightly, running her fingers through its fur and glancing over to Pithos. "He's... a lot calmer than I thought he'd be. I take it he knows you rather well."

 

[Mister J]

"Yes, yes."

He continued to rub the soft underbelly of the loudly panting Cerberus.

"I used to--"

"Pithos used to clean up the dog's leavings."

A cold, callous sounding voice interrupted Pithos. The gate had been opened, unnoticed by the two playing with the great beast. Most likely overshadowed by the deafening panting. Standing between the marble pillars was Hades, dressed in dark shades of navy and black robes. He was tall and slim, with long slicked back hair as white as bone. His eyebrows were thin and black, and very animated. They raised and lowered like slithering snakes. His eyes were a dull green with hints of yellow. The God's skin was pale yes, but of a slightly teal color. In one hand he held a cluster of grapes, plucking from it with the other. His fingers were slender with long well manicured nails.

At the sound of his master's voice, or by some unheard command, Cerberus flipped onto his feet and backed away from the three of them. The giant canine plopped down against the cliff side, and closed it's eyes as if to sleep.

Pithos sighed, slipping one hand into his jacket pocket.

"I take it--"

Hades cut him off again.

"Yes, I've been watching you since you stepped off of the stairs."

The God of the underworld smirked, not unlike Pithos did when he had a moment of smugness. He then turned to Pandora, his eyes trailing her figure.

"Nice outfit kiddo. I see Pithos still favors a crimson wardrobe."

He turned back to Pithos but paused and glanced back to Pandora.

"Oh, and this isn't Hell." He said that with a rather annoyed sneer.

"This is Hades, the realm of the dead... the damned and the righteous alike mingle in these halls. Don't they teach anything in school these days?"

Hades popped a grape into his mouth as he finally turned back to Pithos just as he was about to speak. The God cut him off before he could continue.

"I knooow. You want to use the door."

Pithos shot him a rather frustrated look but kept his lips sealed. Instead he simply nodded. Hades chuckled, turning to walk back towards the gate. With his free hand he waved, a motion for them to follow behind. Pithos grumbled under his breath and marched off, plucking Dora from her spot quite brashly. Hades led them past the gates and through a maze of canyon walls until they came out on the other side into a field of golden wheat. The sky was a deep blue and the air seemed fresh and clean. It was a stark contrast to what they had experienced moments earlier.

Hades led them through the vast fields and away from the bright place which now looked to be just one part of the broad Underworld. Pithos explained to Pandora that the name of that lively place was "Elysium" and that that is where the heroes of battles end up for all eternity. It was the closest thing to the Christian Heaven in this dark place.

They passed several other realms after that. Often they would come across spirits, in a pale green hue, who would linger and drift. They had no emotion to their faces, just a blank ghastly stare.

Eventually they came to the palace. It looked to be carved from a mountain. It was laden with sharp angles and jagged spikes. Hades obviously favored the color of blue, using several of it's shades to decorate his palace. The trio walked through the halls, ceilings several stories high, and finally found their way into a solitary room which held a single black door. There were carvings of skeletons and men, skulls and wings alike cut into the large ominous door. The God of the Underworld motioned for them to go ahead.

"Just like that?"

Pithos cast a disbelieving look in Hades' direction. The God held up his finger and wagged it back and forth mockingly.

"Not exactly. The girl stays with me. If you fail, which you will, at least I get her as a parting gift."

Pithos glared at Hades, fuming with anger.

"Absolutely not! I made that mistake onc--"

He stopped, grinding his teeth together. After a second or two, Pithos gathered his senses and continued.

"She cannot stay. The two of us are bound, by your brother Zeus no less. Not even your powers can alter that. She goes where I go."

Hades continued to smirk, not phased in the slightest by the new information. Yet he narrowed his eyes towards Pithos as if to analyze his statement for truth. Neither of the two beings were creatures of honor. They didn't trust each other in the slightest, and based on previous dealings, had no reason to. Eventually Hades shrugged.

"Fine, call it a favor. After all I've still got the other one."

Pithos was gripping onto Dora so hard it must have hurt by now. He snarled, lifting his hand towards Hades as if to say something but the words never came. He paused, his finger pointed towards the God. Hades saw his chance and took it without remorse or hesitation.

"I'm surprised you didn't want to see her while you were down here."

 

[Mephistophelily]

Pandora jumped a bit as the newly arrived man spoke up, stepping back behind Pithos once again.. A new sense of safety had developed in his vicinity to her. She wasn't quite sure why; for the majority of their time together, she had been scared to death of him. Perhaps it was now a case of him seeming the lesser of the evils around- She had found that he had the ocassional moments of kindness to her, and had promised to get her home safe.

So Pithos had been the dog keeper?

She simply watched as the two men spoke, noticing how even Cerberus backed away from the duo. When Hades glanced her way, she stiffened a bit, trying to force a smile as he spoke up on her clothing. "He... he does seem to like it...," She agreed softly, only to lose about 5 shades of color as he growled a correction on her reference to his domain. "I- Um- I didn't mean to-," she started, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked to the ground.

Damn. He was scary.

She frowned for a moment, tenting her fingers together as she shook her head. Not the best idea, pissing off the god of the dead. At least she was on semi-good terms with his dog. That had to count for something. Maybe she could-

"Hey!"
Pithos' sudden grab on her arm tugged her from her thoughts, trying hard to keep up with his storming after the God. She managed to at least twist around enough to keep from walking sideways, glaring at him quickly before looking around. Hades' correction made her feel rather bad now, seeing the other parts to his world aside from the frightening entrance they had used. A slight nod came from her as Pithos whispered the name of the place, recalling it from her classes.

"But... there are other parts...," She replied softly, the fear pulling at her voice.
He had told her to try and keep her emotions in check. Getting worked up now wouldn't help anything. As they passed into the various realms, her hand clamped tightly to Pithos', her eyes closing momentarily as a few screams rang out. No, no, don't want to see it, don't want to know about it, just keep following them...

She was actually grateful when they arrived at the rather frightening castle, glad to be away from the majority of those figures outside. Pithos had yet to let go of her. She still wasn't sure whether to appreciate that or not.

Another door? Just how many doors were around here, anyway?
She waited to see what type of key would be used on this one, but instead of asking for it to be presented, Pithos was doubtful on how helpful the God was being.

Good point.
With all the other troubles they'd run into at home, it did seem strange for someone of Olympus to be-

"What?!" Pandora's eyes widened as Hades spoke of his ideal trade, shaking her head furiously. She bit back any further comments, remembering Pithos' previous warnings. His own comment, however, threw her off, looking over to him with a curious expression. *Made that mistake? What's he talking about?*

Asking was not going to happen anytime soon. He was still holding her arm so tight she was starting to lose feeling in her fingers. She tried to ignore the rather numbing sensation, simply focusing on her breathing and closing her eyes as he explained a flaw to Hades' request. The bind. Wow, she was actually VERY thankful for that now.

She peeked at him, however, as Hades suddenly taunted him, causing Pithos' fingers to tighten more than ever. She couldn't help it now- a soft yelp of pain left her lips, wriggling her arm slightly as he glared at the God. She still had no clue what they were talking about, but if it was making him this mad-

"Pithos... Y-You're kinda hurting me...," She called meekly. She had seen him angry before, but nothing like this. This was a different anger. A pained anger. "You told me to control my emotions... Shouldn't you try, too?"

 

[Mister J]

Her words struck true, snapping him back to his senses. He immediately loosened his grasp on her, sliding his hand down her arm to her hand as to intertwine their fingers. He took a deep breath, although the irony of the act was that Pithos no longer required air to sustain his life. However, the habits of the living sometimes did influence his actions. After finally reclaiming his calm demeanor, Pithos turned his attention back to Hades. The God was standing quite relaxed, still munching on one grape at a time. His lips were curved up into a sinister smirk.

"Hades... I trusted you once with someone I held dear. You betrayed me in order to gain favor with Zeus. I will not make the mistake of trusting you again. I only come to you now out of necessity in order to accomplish my goals."

His voice was sullen and filled with regret. However, he narrowed his eyes at Hades and continued.

"... and we both know Celphia is beyond help. Her soul is affixed to this place and even if I succeed in my task, I cannot break the chains that bind her here. She is dead. I've made peace with that."

Hades simply nodded, motioning towards the door with his free hand.

"Well, get on with it then."

Pithos let out another sigh and began walking towards the looming black door. Yet before reaching for it, he stopped and turned to look at the milky haired God.

"I don't owe you anything. We're even after this."

He faced the door once more and pushed it open. There was a bright light emanating from the other side and it easily pushed back the darkness of Hades. Pithos spoke once more before leaving.

"It's more than you deserve."

He led Pandora through the door and into the blinding light. When she would open her eyes again, she would see they were in a courtyard of sorts. It was filled with magnificent flowers and lush greens. There were massive ivory white pillars and even larger buildings. Beneath their feet were bleached stones formed into a pathway through the vast court. Looking behind them, there was no door, just a shiny silver fence-like gate. Falling from the higher ceilings were tapestries of red and purple, lined with gold. They depicted epic battles and various gods and goddesses. Everything looked very royal and elaborate, yet ancient and somehow majestic.

Pithos slipped his glasses back on. The sun was bright, painfully so. The sky was blue and filled with puffy white clouds. He released her hand and glanced around, the memories of this place were flooding back.

"This is Olympus. We're in one of the lower gardens."

He pointed up towards a path that led through an archway and towards several large towers.

"The main palace is that way but we need to change before we go..."

His appearance quickly altered to resemble Hades himself. He even went so far as to form the grapes in one hand. Pandora, actually, was a bit easier to pull off. Her outfit morphed into robes of crimson, draped loosely over her frame, with a hood to conceal her identity if needed. Her wrists were adorned with silver bracelets much like Pithos usually wore.

After yet another sigh, Pithos now disguised as Hades, looked down towards Pandora and nodded.

"Keep your head down, and your ears open. This next part will be tricky."

That said he started off towards the towers, looking back to make sure she was following. He really should have let her in on his plan. To leave her in the dark like he did must have been frustrating he knew, but in order for his plan to succeed...she couldn't know what he had to do. After all, if she had known from the start, she would have never helped him.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Dora was relieved as he let off his bloodflow-blocking deathgrip on her arm, flexing her fingers slightly before he took hold of her hand instead, only to give a quick bitter glance in Hades' direction. She wasn't sure what exactly the God had been referring to with his words to Pithos, but he had certainly managed to hit a deep running nerve.

What really surprised her was Pithos' continuation on the subject. She looked to him with wide amazed eyes, listening as he seethed out a rather personal bit about himself. Someone dear..? This Celphia.. Whoever she was, Pithos had lost her to Hades... She suddenly felt a great deal of pity for him. He had been tricked by the Underworld God. No wonder he was so bitter towards him.

She wanted to ask him about this, but in the presence of Hades was certainly not the best time to do it. She instead stayed silent, giving another sour look in Hades' direction before following Pithos up to the door. Another biting exchange between the two, and they were headed through. The sudden change in light left her whincing at first, only to finally close her eyes entirely and relying on Pithos' leading grip to find her footing.

When she finally attempted to reopen them, she took a look around, enjoying the scenery here far more than that which they had just left. Still, it left her to wonder on if this was-

He confirmed it almost seconds after the thought enter her mind. Olympus; or at least, a part of it. Fear kicked in then. They were actually there, and whatever it was that he had planned was close to coming into play.

His arm raised, gesturing up another pathway to the large palace in the distance. As she peered towards it, he spoke up on a change of attire. Pandora found herself in another dress of his favorite shade; something far more fitting with their surroundings. "What's all this f-" She cut short as she looked towards him, sucking in a sharp breath as she found instead a very good replica of the fearsome God they had just left. Why?

He didn't give her time to inquire, instead just warning her to look down and listen up. She frowned, but nodded, keeping up behind him. What was going on? "That woman...," She asked softly, only looking up enough to see his heels moving before her. "That Celphia... Who- who was she?"

 

[Mister J]

Pithos grumbled under his breath, his first instinct to ignore Pandora's question and simply continue on as if she had never asked it. Yet, in this situation, he needed her to trust him. So, he indulged her for the moment, speaking low and in a hushed tone.

"She was my wife, my lover, before I was turned."

It pained him to remember her, to even speak of what had been. However, his current circumstances forced him to keep a cool head. Besides, he had already grieved for her. Now it was time for revenge, an emotion he was all too familiar with and eager to put into action.

He led her up the many flights of carved stairs, through winding paths, and past marvelous buildings of pristine grandeur until eventually they had made their way to the throne room which was surprisingly wide open. The doors were spread apart and many of the Gods and Goddesses were mingling amongst themselves within the hall. Zeus sat upon his throne, looking bored yet regal. Hera stood beside him, giving dangerously flirty glances towards some of the other Gods. Among the guests chatting with each other were Poseidon, Demeter, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, and Hestia. Pithos recognized every one of them.

Still in disguise, he quickly made his way around the center of the hall, sticking to the walls and the shadows until he came upon the throne from the opposite side as Hera stood. She gave him a disgusted look and stepped away into the gathering to mingle or more.

"Brother, I require a word."

His accent was perfect, his inflection flawless. It was obvious he had practiced this several times over. Zeus barely gave him any notice though and continued to watch the gathering.

"What brings you up above ground Hades?"

Pithos acted the part, eating a grape at a time in an annoyingly cocky manner until he narrowed his eyes and his true voice came through.

"Justice."

Zeus turned with a raised brow only to see the shadows fall away to reveal Pithos in his black and crimson robes of old standing there. The look on his face was of pure astonishment. He attempted to move from the throne but Pithos was too close and too fast. From his lengthy sleeve, a long sharp blade shot forth, resting against the God's throat.

In their own realm, away from harm, the Gods were as fragile as any human. Zeus paused, looking down to the gathering of his family and peers. A few made attempts to move towards him but he raised his hand, motioning for them to stop. Ares grumbled and shot Pithos a look of contained rage. Zeus spoke up then, in a proud and honorable tone.

"Whatever happens to me Pithos, your justice won't bring her bac--."

Pithos would hear no more. He slit the God's throat with such terrible ease. A spatter of blood and Zeus toppled forward at the feet of the crowd. That was more than they could take and they rushed the throne, but they were too late. Pithos had already begun to change. He inherited all of Zeus' power just as Zeus inherited his father's power when he too killed him. It was not the power that caused them to stop in their charge. No, they could have fought him and maybe succeeded. It was far more simpler than that.

They stopped because Pithos commanded it. He now ruled over them as dictated by their own laws. He slayed the King and thus he acquired not only his power but also his title and responsibilities. As much as they hated to admit it, he was now the Lord of all Gods.

Ares growled in protest and pointed towards Pandora.

"I know you girl! Hide all you want, but I know you! You can end him! You have the power!"

The other Gods looked to her now, some of their eyes pleading for her to do something. Ares continued and Pithos simply grinned in his own sinister fashion.

"You are Pandora! Fight him like your ancestors did! Only you can stop him now!"

Pithos turned his smug gaze towards Pandora as he sat on the throne.

"Go ahead, listen to his nonsense... or come sit with me and rule by my side. I will make you a Goddess."

 

[Mephistophelily]

"...Your wife...?" Dora echoed his response in a whisper, even more confused as he mentioned being turned. She had thought that THIS was simply him. That this was all there was. But... He had once been a man, with a family, a real life...

His answer had taken some time to come, Pandora realizing that the subject may have been a hard thing for him. She wouldn't ask any further. Her mind kept wandering back to that short answer as he led her upwards, trying to think on what else she could do, or even say... He had his reasons for doing this, and that woman was obviously a big one.

His grip led her through the large doors, presenting her with a view of the Gods and Goddesses she had simply read about. She held in the gasp of shock over the sight, clutching his hand as he brought her about the outer edges of the room to approach the man she could only imagine to be Zeus.

She didn't want to get that close.
She didn't even want to be in this room!

Something about the whole place left her feeling so insignificant, that at any point one of them would realize the mortal in their presence and deem her needing of returning to Hades' realm.

Well, she appeared to already be with him.
Perhaps that was why no one seemed to care.

Her attention was so lost in her thoughts that she only caught part of the initial exchange between Pithos and Zeus, though was fully aware once he let go of her and lunged at the King of the Gods. What was he doing?! She stared at him in horror, stepping away and trying to hide behind one of the pillars. No... No, he couldn't-

A scream stung in her throat as he slit Zeus', though the noise refused to come out. Instead, her hands clasped over her mouth, shaking her head in horror as the body of the god fell from the throne. She felt ill. She had to get away from him, away from what he was doing...

She tried to back away further, her mind attempting to retrace every step he had led her to arrive at this place. But how was she to get home? There was no money left to get there, and-

The sudden snarl of Ares left her dead in her tracks, tripping over her own feet to fall backwards onto the stone floor. They wanted her to do something?! She just stared at them, faltering to find words as the rest of the Gods looked in her direction. What did they expect of her?

Fight him?! HOW?!

She tried to think of what she could do. That box... It was home, back at Gram's shop... And what good what it do for her here? She started to reach up for her necklace, the little key that made it so much easier for her to calm down and relax-

But it wasn't there. Instead, there was Pithos' black band, the collar he had placed about her neck back at the college.

He was looking at her, smiling as if he were simply enjoying a movie rather than sitting in a dead king's throne. She simply stared at him, at the relaxed and amused pose he took, as if already so comfortable in that horrifically earned chair. Her gaze fell to Ares, to the other gods watching her with such earnest eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, trying to think of what to say... But nothing came.

She found herself looking back to Pithos after a moment. He was waiting. She stood up slowly, starting to walk around the column she had been hiding behind, glancing back to Ares, only to frown and reach for Pithos' hand. "You protected me, even when I told you I despised you. You have kept your secrets, but told me the truth when I asked for it..." She shot a glare to the gathering of deities before them, a bitter look to her face. "And YOU all tried to kill me, just for being associated with him! Never ONCE did you ask me why I was with him... but when it comes to your OWN fates, you recognize me by my lineage! Petty, terrible creatures, the whole lot of you!"

Looking back to Pithos, she forced a smile. "I understand. I may not feel comfortable with the way you've done it, but... I understand why..."

 

[Mister J]

At least a year had passed since Pithos sat on the throne of Olympus. No time to get used to the feel of his victory. He was a fool to think that Zeus could be defeated so easily. He wasn't just a god, he was the King of all the Gods, Lord over all Creation. Pithos was arrogant and blinded by his own ego to see how short his reign would be. Zeus rose again and promptly, violently, took back what was his. He tried, in vain, to destroy the shadow creature but as he soon realized the task was impossible. As long as there was evil and hatred in the world, there would be Pithos. He survived every attempt Zeus made to end him. There was nothing the God King could do but cast him out yet again. The longer he stayed on Olympus the more his taint was evident. The other Gods had started to act strangely out of character. Anger, jealousy, and distrust started to grow within them. Zeus had to get rid of the taint before it ate them from within. He sent Pithos and the girl he was tethered to back to Earth, back where they had come from. There was nothing else he could do. If the creature rose up, he would squash him like he did before. He put little faith in the girl as it seemed the taint had started to fester within her as well. The longer she stayed with the shadow creature, the more of her soul was corrupted. A little bit more of Pithos seeped into her every day. Not like she had a choice though. The two of them were bound together for eternity. She would not age and would not die unless he was destroyed. Somehow that didn't seem to matter. Over time, the two of them moved on and grew closer than ever. Pandora convinced Pithos to use his abilities on the villains and the truly evil. “Fight fire with fire” she had told him. At first he protested, like always, but she won out in the end. She was the only one that could tame him. Only her.




“What the FUCK?! WHAT THE FUC---”

Blood sprayed out from the stump where the man's head used to be. A thin, sharp edged tendril whipped back to it's source. Standing a few feet away was a girl. Behind her stood a tall man with long black hair. He had pale skin and a toothy smirk that pulled unnaturally at his cheeks. His eyes were pools of darkness save for a bright crimson pupils floating in the middle. The shadow tendril trailed back along the ground and melted into his foot. That was the last of the group. A small gang who had been assaulting and raping women for months. Pithos had fallen upon them by chance, but relished the opportunity to kill again. Their new lifestyle had left much to be desired. He was tearing at the seams with wants and desires. Pandora sated most of the carnal needs but some things she could never provide. He had a desire to mutilate and kill. So she positioned his need in the direction where it would do the most good. It was hard to believe he was some kind of vigilante. That both of them were. Pithos grew to like it. He got what he wanted and so did she, for the most part. They were both happy, for now.

They left the alley and the corpses for the rooftops. The woman they left behind was scared out of her mind, she'd be babbling about shadows and monsters to the cops for hours. All the better. No one suspected them. Half of the time, Pithos kept out of sight anyway but not because he didn't want to be seen. No, his ego was too big for that. He hid away under her clothes because he liked to tease and torture her. It got him through the days until night time came and they could run around the city to appease that other side of his appetite.

It wasn't long before they reached the penthouse they had been staying in. Getting things you wanted came easier when you had a special friend who could manipulate people with a look. The place was theirs, or rather hers. Pithos didn't exactly “exist” in a legal sense. It was a nice setup, nothing outrageous. Simple, but tasteful. Hardwood floors, marble countertops, flat screen televisions. The whole bit. They could have whatever they wanted. So it came as no surprise that Pithos couldn't understand why Pandora still insisted on finishing up school. Not only did it make no sense to him, but it was, to him, a complete waste of time. Like most things though lately, he let it go. In the end, he got to do pretty much whatever he wanted as long as he let her have a few things here and there. College was one of them and tonight was a school night.

The next morning, Pithos woke her up in the usual fashion. The bed was a huge king size monster with thick iron bedposts. The comforter and sheets were a shiny crimson red. She was tucked in all snug and warm. The shadows against the wall flickered for a second before melting away from each other. The small dark blob slid down the wall and onto the floor. From there it shot forward, stretching out and slithering like a snake to the bed. It coiled around the closest post and lost itself under the thick comforter. A sudden bulge in the fabric marked his movement, leaving a trail as he moved up to where she was laying. The black mass grew just before touching her naked feet. Dozens of tentacles, small and large alike, sprouted out from all sides. They slowly squirmed towards her and curled around her feet. The soft, warm, tendrils slipped up her legs, coiling loosely around them, lightly gliding over her smooth skin. The eager limbs rubbed up her inner thighs, others branching off and snaking their way higher on her body. The feelers wrapped around her arms and wrists as another set started to tighten around her neck. As all the pieces found their marks, he finally spoke up. His voice was deep and grim, too serious for early morning playtime. Something was wrong.

“I grow restless girl. If I can't find a moment's respite, you can't either!”

Suddenly each tentacle moved as one. The ones between her legs recklessly forced themselves inside both of her holes, two jammed themselves past her lips and into her sex. One slipped into her ass without warning like the others. Her wrists were held down and the tendrils around her neck tightened even more, coiling like a snake. The covers were thrown off as a form grew over her, finally taking shape as a naked human male. He straddled her and leaned down, his tongue slipping out to lick up the length of her face. He brought it back in and just smirked down at her, those deep red eyes burning with devious intent.

“No class today child... I'll teach you everything you need to know.”

 

[Mephistophelily]

The nightmares were terrible.

Images of what they had done. No; not "they". Him. But they were connected... So in a way...

It was her own doing. Her own fault. The dreams reminded her of that. She was trying to push him to do something good. Good, bad- was there even a distinction for him? Did he see one?

She saw it in her dreams for so long. The screams he caused were the hardest to get over. She heard those so often, so many nights in the beginning of all this. It didn't help to have him peering into her mind at night. Was he cultivating these? Or simply observing?

The dreams slowly began to end. It made her question once again. His work? He influenced so much inside her head... perhaps this was another of his moments of compassion to her. As rare as they were, he made no show of them. A gift, not to be brought up again.

It was one of the sides to him that she knew so well.
The one reveled in destruction, engaging in his dark fascinations... cared only for his intentions.
The other... It listened to her. Humored her. Possibly even... liked her.
The first seemed to hate the other.

Her dreams were calm that night; memories of her Gram's old dog coming to mind, the way the hyper thing would move in her lap, lick at her toes and calves. She almost felt the pooch now, her knees kicking slightly beneath the blankets as she turned in the bed. "No, Toby...," she mumbled in her sleep, flailing out a hand lazily to push away the unseen dog.

More. It kept going.
A half awake whine left her as she began to open her eyes, still trying to differentiate from dream and reality. Something was on her. Clutching at her. Holding her tightly and-

His voice broke through her thoughts, forcing her to wake further. As the words registered, she tried to speak- interrupted before a sound could leave as he made his move, claiming inside her, taking her breath, killing her sound other than a sharp raspy gasp as she jerked forward only slightly in his tightened binds.

The form he took was one she knew well, her eyes closing slightly as he licked her cheek; her fists clenching, her hips raising. A slightly angered glare was given back to him as he smirked down at her, her heart racing from the confused fear that overcame her and the lack of air from his tight grip about her neck. He didn't breathe. She prayed he didn't forget she did.

The words he spoke, embedded into her mind, both methods of his communication- she wasn't sure how it was reaching her now, only that the sound of his voice bore into her. The stare up at him continued, her teeth clenching as she struggled slightly beneath him.

It had been awhile since she woke up this way...

 

[Mister J]

Those angry eyes glared back at him. He narrowed his own down at her, that smirk never fading. What a silly girl. She still thought to defy him. As if any kind of struggling would make him stop. No, she knew the one thing that would ever make him relent. All she had to do was say so. There was a power in her words. Something no one else ever had over him. Not just anything of course, she had to mean it. He always knew if she did or not, peeking around in her mind like he did.

For a moment he was silent, just staring down as if he was studying her every subtle movement. Then he snarled, his eyes glowing for just a second. The tentacles retreated back into his body almost instantly and he lashed out with his hand, fingers wrapping around her neck. In one fluid move he sidled over and jerked her up from the bed. He took a step forward on the mattress and pushed her up against the wall. Pithos was tall in his human form, her head was a foot from the ceiling. He snarled again, lowering her so she was eye level with him.

“You want to fight? Fine, let's fight.”

He tossed her back onto the bed and turned around slowly, crossing his arms over his naked chest. He cocked his head to the side, an amused grin on his face. Suddenly a tentacle lashed out from the darkness and struck her across the thigh. It disappeared as swiftly as it had come, leaving just the two of them alone again. A thin line of red was all that it left on her skin. A bit of blood trickled out and ran down her inner thigh. It might have been a cruel thing to do, but the sight of her on the bed like that stiffened him. He licked his lips and stepped forward, a warning. He was curious to see what she would do next.

 

[Mephistophelily]

She gasped, choked, tried to breathe as he grabbed her throat, forcing her to the wall. Her fingers clawed at the thick heavy grip he kept, baring her teeth in a grimace as she tried to brace her feet on the wall.

Anger and fear.
And...
A touch....
Of arousal.

Damn him; as much as she had rubbed off on him in ways, he had influenced her in others. In some ways the distinctions between the two personalities seemed blurred.... The more he entwined himself within her, the more she found him changing her.

She hated him.
She needed him.
And she was certain he felt the same.

Dora gasped hard as he tossed her back to the bed, a crumbled pile as she panted to regain her breath, to keep stable- his words earned him another look, her hand rubbing her thoat as she shook her head. "Pithos, w-"

She cried out as the tendril struck, cringing away and cradling the cut a moment, her eyes closing. He was pushing. Trying to force her.
Pushing. Harder.

She slowly stood up on the bed, ignoring the little trickle from her leg as she looked at him.
Fine then.

She may regret this.

She screamed. She flung herself forward, trying to move against him, to hurt him as he liked to hurt her. Her hands found the hard thick muscles of his upper chest, attempts to punch, to claw, to do... Something. Anything.

"You laugh at it all- at all of it! I can't be like you, Pithos! I can't!"

 

[Mister J]

He never gave away his surprise, his smirk pulled at his cheeks all the same. She actually came after him. Perhaps he had underestimated her. The fists and nails against his chest were futile and she knew it, but he realized then that she had to get it out. A drop of black trickled from one of the scratches, like oil, glistening and shiny.

"You laugh at it all- at all of it! I can't be like you, Pithos! I can't!"

He lets her hit him a few more times, the dark blood smeared slightly. But soon enough, his hand lashes out, fingers wrapping around her wrists with ease. He lifts her effortlessly with that one arm until yet again she is eye level with him. His head tilts slightly and he licks her cheek with that snake-like tongue of his. From the wall, a tentacle thrusts towards them. It winds itself around her ankle, lifting it horizontally. He lets his other hand find her sex, warm and wet.

“Too late for that girl, you're too far gone to ever go back.”

Pithos releases her wrists and she starts to fall, but instead swings as the tentacle lifts her leg up. As she circles in the air, he reaches out and grabs her other ankle with his right hand. Then he looks down at her, his cock brushing against her cheek.

“Far far gone my dear.”

 

[Mephistophelily]

She hated that smile of his. Absolutely hated it. It mocked her, especially now. She was trying to hurt him, and he simply... smirked. Dora's throat burned, her anger fueling her fists to try harder in her strikes. *Stop it... Stop it!*

The cuts she managed left his blood on her hands, or what could be deemed his blood... but it didn't stay on her skin for long. Absorbed, a part of her, as much as she was part of him. The full cycle. She knew full well that her strikes meant nothing, did little to truly hurt him... but they helped her.

He simply stared. Smiled.

Then suddenly grabbed her pounding wrist. As he drew her up, she cringed slightly, whimpering as he licked her cheek. It still felt so strange; this man... god... demon...


She just looked at him with his comment, her lips tightly pressed in a frown as his tendril claimed her ankle, tugging her leg up. A soft quick gasp puffed between her lips with his touch, a shiver down her spine. "Pithos, please...," She choked out softly, her free hand trying to reach for her leg, to get him off... but the pose he kept her in was too awkward, too hard.

His words echo in her ears. Gone...?

She doesn't get long to think about it before he releases her, a soft surprised cry coming from her as she starts to fall, cringing as he grabs her leg. Her breaths are heavy as he tugs her up a bit, looking up at him from the strange position. His arousal nudged her face, her head attempting to turn to get away from him.

She shivered. Whimpered.

He still had the dark desires that had scared her so much when he first found her... when she found him. Pithos was a frightening thing to her then, his amusements leaving her shaking sometimes.

That was... then.
As much as she hated to admit it, the influence.. the ties between them... left them sharing far more than she intended.

 

[Mister J]

A shake of his head and a disappointed look was all he offered the upside down and dangling Dora. She still fought him, after all this time together. There was something to be said for that, but now was not the time. He had other things on his mind. More pressing matters he wanted attending to.

"Take it in your mouth."

He swayed his hips to the side, brushing his arousal across her cheek again. The head glanced her lower lip teasingly. With a bit of a chuckle, he pulled her closer. Her legs spread like that left her sex vulnerable and open to him. He lowered his head, letting that snake of a tongue slither out. He flicked the tip across her damp mound. Then it ran the length of her slit, finding her entrance unguarded. Like any intruder, the tongue forced it's way in, almost like one of his many tentacles. It drove down into her, flicking at her walls. When his path was finally blocked, he simply smirked. In one quick motion he yanked his head back and ripped his tongue away from her pussy.

He pulled back, giving her a smug look before he dove back in again. His voice echoed in her mind. A necessity as his mouth was rather busy elsewhere.

"Take it or I'll keep this up and leave you a whimpering wet mess on the floor."

 

[Mephistophelily]

"Gnn-!" She yanked her head away, tightening her lips furiously as she closed her eyes. His demand for her to accept him in received a sharp quick shake of her head, a slight dizziness kicking in from the motion. She grimaced a bit as he pushed, trying once more to force her to cooperate.

Try to keep from passing out. Don't do that again. The last thing she wanted was for him to-

Pandora yelped as he tugged at her once more, her legs parting a bit more, her body exposed to him. Her eyes opened slightly, briefly. That devious look of his was all she caught before his tongue flicked out, long and winding, Dora barely realizing it's intent before it reached it's goal.

She squirmed, whined. Mere teasings. She regretted it already.... Fighting him. Her mouth finally opened slightly, crying out as he forced his tongue inside. Further, deeper, driving her insane... Only to hastily yank free and draw another frustrated sound from her.

Her fists tightened, her back twisted and arched. He was too good at this; leaving her aching and angry. Wanting and furious. A confusing war between emotions...

His words bore into her head, a blunt warning on his intentions as he continued.

She glared at him from her awkward position- at least, the closest she could manage of a glare from the mix of fury and need he shook inside her.

Slowly, her lips parted, taking him into her mouth as she whimpered again, a heavy needing noise that was muffled by his length. She wanted to bite, but really- what good would it do? It wasn't like it hurt him, and his retallation for it would not be worth it.... But still, the thought lingered. Instead, she grazed her teeth over him, a growl buried behind him.

 

[Mister J]

It was just like Dora to test him like that. Her dragging teeth actually felt amazing, but he wouldn't give her that satisfaction. He knew she wanted to bite down. He was in her mind, like she in his, and her thoughts echoed... some much louder than the others.

"Rough is it?"

He snapped his tongue up and out, yanking it away from her wanting pussy once again.

"I love rough."

He removed his grip on her ankle and let the tentacles slam her down into the soft bed. Her body bounced back up but his hand caught her by the neck. The shadowy tendrils shrank away and he kept walking. His feet carried him away from their bed and he dragged her along the floor, his grip just enough to keep hold of her without leaving her wanting for air. For Pithos, it was considered generosity of the highest caliber.

The hardwood floor made it easier on her at least. He could hear her ankles sliding along the slick surface when she wasn't squirming or kicking. He tugged her all the way down the long hallway, through the spacious living room, and into the kitchen where a small vacant table sat. A dim light shone down on it's surface, like a sign. It was about the right height after all.

"That will do."

Red eyes shimmered even in the faint light. In one fluid movement, he lifted her up, slung her around, and slammed her down onto the table. Her back pressed against the polished wood, her naked body writhing against his hand. He released his grip on her throat only to let his little helpers restrain her. They crept up from the surrounding shadows, slithering out like roaming serpents. Several at once, some coiled up the legs of the table, others simply arched upwards, but they all came upon her in one way or another. Her wrists and ankles were wrapped and held down against the wood.

Legs spread wide.

He circled the table as they worked, watching with an amused grin. More wrapped around her, melting onto her skin, and spreading across her body like an oily body suit. The living suit covered her whole body, up to her neck. It wasn't the first time he clothed her, but usually he left her naked when they played privately. The tentacles around her wrists and ankles melted away, the suit completely restricted her movement now. It held her arms down and kept her legs spread.

He reached down, long fingers cupped her covered breast. The shadow opened for him, revealing the soft, plump mound to him. He tweaked and pulled at her nipple, groping it as he saw fit. With a lick of his smirking lips, he finally stepped away. The suit closed around her breast once more as he made his way around the table to where her head lay.

As he put his hands on either side of her head, the area of the suit just over her clit started to squirm and wriggle. It clenched down on her, pulsing against the sensitive flesh. He leaned over her head and licked her lips before standing up right again.

"Here we go..."

He held her firmly, a shadow growing on her skin just under his palms. It stretched outwards and claimed her mouth, pulling her lips apart like an open ring gag. With her mouth forced open, he titled her had back and stepped closer, the head of his cock brushed against her lips.

With one last look down, he shoved himself into her. A slow pull back out and then he jammed his length back into her mouth. One more slow retreat followed by another forceful thrust past her lips. Her saliva started to build up around him and he paused after pulling back again. He waited, listening to her thoughts.

A smirk pulled at his lips.

Then he fucked her mouth. Hard and unrelenting. Her drool spilled out between heavy thrusts, dripping onto the floor between his feet. The table jerked slightly until more tentacles had to slip out to hold it in place. His cock slammed into her again and again, mercilessly, forcing it's way further down her throat with every ragged thrust

 

[Mephistophelily]

His grip on her throat made actual speech rather difficult, but between the snarled jumble of choked words and furious frightened thoughts, her point was certainly made. Bastard! Let go! Let go of me! God, Pithos... Please, please let go...

Anger to fear. So quickly he could make that change in her. Her feet dragged on the floor as he pulled her along, her breaths squeezing through behind his semi-delicate grasp. When the table was suddenly made her new resting place, the force of his toss jarred a cry from her lips, starting just briefly to attempt to rise.
Briefly.
Barely enough to move her hips, to turn her back. The weight of his hand, the squirm of his other appearing appendages... They pulled a groan of regret from her, pleading eyes looking up to him.

That smile.

"Hnaah-!" She cringed as the twining tentacles creeped over her, claiming her as part of them, tightening... Confining. His hand parted the black fluidlike surface as he pleased, the strong firm grip on her breast guiding a groan from her lips, a tear from her eye. "I-I didnt mean...," she whispered out softly, her words trickling off.

Dont lie to him.
Cant lie to him.
He'll know and make it a thousand times worse.

She screeched out slightly as the suit tightened between her thighs, teasing and pulsing against her. Another glare up at him, a want to... To do SOMETHING to end that smile of his. That was the worst of it all.
That.
Damn.
Smile.

Dora attempted to thrash as he licked her, meekly whining as the collecting new tendrils forced into her mouth.
What... What was he-

She screamed around him as he forced his length into her held lips, choking at first, her eyes wrenching shut.
Get- get off! Get off, you asshole! I- please.... YOU BASTARD, PITHOS!

Both drool and tears spilled down her face, Dora's whimpers growing louder with each of his using thrusts into her opened mouth.

Why...why do... Why do I let myself... Love you...?

A thought that burned into her head, a realization on how entwined they had become...

 

[Mister J]

Thoughts interwoven, feelings shared. He heard every protest, every outcry. Every emotion carried over. He heard and felt it all. There wasn't a single thing she had said or done that he hadn't heard before. She fought, she squirmed, she cursed.

Every. Single. Time.

But then, something different happened. Something he hadn't expected to hear.

Why...why do... Why do I let myself... Love you...?

He froze mid thrust, his black eyes widening in surprise. Crimson pupils darted left then right, as if searching for something that wasn't there to be found. He went quiet for a moment, lost in his own mind. Then, as if something just clicked in his head, he retreated from her lips. His tentacles all pulled away, the oily bodysuit melted off of her and dripped back to the ground before melding with the other shadows again. He left her there for a second and it almost seemed like he was going to disappear himself.

But he didn't. He couldn't.

His arm lashed out at her, a strong grasp around her neck as he pulled her up so she was eye level with him. Her feet dangled by his naked shins. He searched her panicked eyes with his own red orbs, peering back and forth in pools of darkness, moving from one eye to the other. A sudden scoff, followed by a snarling growl.

“You don't know anything, child!!!”

He threw her across the room. She hit the top of the couch and flipped over to the other side with a loud thud.

Pithos growled again, like some kind of wild animal, and swung against the nearest wall. All that was left was a dusty hole with cracks reaching out from it. He snapped his head in her direction again, his lips pulled into a frustrated snarl. He was about to yell something but stopped and looked down and away from her. The snarl melted into a defeated frown.

“You... can't... you can't love me. You don't know what that means...”

 

[AGirlCalledKill]

She gasped for air as he pulled away, a loud heave of a wheeze leaving her as she looked up at him. She anticipated more anger, a stronger fury- to be mocked...
But that first look...
She had struck him worse than she had with her fists, hadn't she?

The realization was brief, that anger she anticipated finally coming through. His hand caught her throat, refusing her the luxury of a gentle grip this time as he tossed her aside. The couch somewhat cushioned her, the gasps still weakly coming as she clumsily tried to get up. Dizzy. Disoriented.
Above all...
...confused.

She managed to pull herself to sitting, her legs pulled up before her as she glared at him. "You don't think I know that?," she hissed, contempt in her words. "I know what you are, what you're capable of. All things you've done, the havoc you created. And... Her. I remember, Pithos. What you said. But I can't stop what's inside me. Maybe it's your fault. All the thimgs you've done to my head, to me... It's left a mark. As... As confusing, horrific as it may be. You've left a mark."

She stared at the floor, her teeth sinking into her wrist. This was... What?

"I'm becoming more like you. I fight you because it frightens me. To want it... To want you to... It scares me... But... I want it."