[ She is and always, dressed in the trappings of her station. No one would call her subtle. Wearing white to a garden at night, the gold of her rings catching the dull of the light, faintly. The stones set in them, braced around her throat, woven into her hair, were sparkling with colour in the daylight.
But now in shadows, they were inky and lifeless. Little pools of blackness against her always too pale skin. ( But never pale enough. She was Gloriana, and for awhile, perhaps, in this night with him, she was all fae, and not at all a woman. )
His voice at her back, made her tense. Exposed shoulders pulling in a little before she took a breath back out as her head tipped back a little then proceeded -- as if she expected him there all along. That this was business as usual. ]
Perhaps I needed the company. [ And then she curved, over a rosebush. White, and sweet smelling in the night. The whole garden was rich with them, and they were her favourite. As if he were nothing and she could just ignore him as she so wished, that she wasn't aware of him behind her. ] I am Queen after all, and you are not the only to feel a greed insatiable.
[And her back to him speaks volumes; uncaring gestures, as if this isn't really what she wants. For him to grace her doorstep - to slip into her garden and kingdom alike. For a moment, he keeps his space. Just outside the framework of her back, watching the slightest narrowing of the eyes.]
[Until heels clack and his walk is slow. Poised and practiced, but with a difference sense than her and hers. Roll-snap to make the ankles turn and he easily tows the invisible circle. The space between permission and acceptance, pivoting to meet her face to face. Porcelain to smooth oil, two elements rich with their own devices.]
Maybe so, but it isn't like you to admit to something like that. Not usually. [Sure, she was honest. But the Queen wore many faces and while Greed had counted himself good to keep track, the masks were relentless. Always changing depending on present company, but at least she was kind enough to respect his rule; his honesty that was raw, exposed. Just like his very existence and he made no mind to hide the fact.]
What is it, then? What do you really want, Elizabeth? [Greed holds her name for a beat or two. Letting it simmer at his teeth. Vibrating off like a tuning fork and oh, it's wicked music that he makes.]
May as well be honest with me, since I've always done you the favor.
[ Honesty? What was honest at court but a death sentence? Her fingers curled tightly at his question. And she knows, she knows she's too much like her father. Too much rage and bitterness and righteous fury that she cannot keep to herself.
Perhaps that's the honesty that he wants. Because surely it is kept so tightly to her, save for rare instances. But when she speaks it's with a venom that she should of watched, and in the end, had nothing to do with him. ]
And what do you care for my truth? [ Her affection, her favour. It is a twisted thing, that constantly had her filled with doubt. ] Is this not just some game to you as it is with everyone else?
[ She let her skirts fall from her hands. Her hand pressed flat against her bodice as quickly as it was there, the anger is gone. She straightened, swallowing down. ] Yes, I am business to you, I am aware. You have never lied about that. [ She frowned, lowering her eyes as she thought of what she was going to say, had meant to, but no words would come. ]
[For a second, it looks as if the words actually stuck. As if the admittance had hurt him in some fashion and his face falls flat. Frown made hard by the jut of his jaw, by the drop of his eyebrows and everything falls heavy. His shoulders sagging before a corner lifts. The very teasing of a smile and isn't this how it always is.]
[Teasing; knuckles to brush and it's only the promise. That maybe, one day and Greed takes the first step forward. Sliding up to her, an inch of breathing space as his mouth parts to the side. A glint of teeth and he always figured himself the wolf.]
[A creature in the woods, coming to chase the skirt of royalty. But he had a little more respect for her than just that.] Just who the hell do you take me for, lovely? I'm not like everyone else and I told you before - I make it a point not to lie.
[And he made it a point not to be like the rest of the long-line. Everyone following with proverbial salutes and clicking heels to match. The Yes Ma'am(s) a dime a dozen and he was the one to stand out.]
[It was just up to her whether or not she found him too rotten for her liking.]
You think this is just business? Sure, maybe. But I've never been one to deny anything, Elizabeth. You of all people should know me a bit better than that. [Greed speaks as he measures her up. Lifting his head up to stare down and the roles were reversed. If not for the mildest flicker, before he's churning down. Dipping his shoulders, spreading his elbows out behind. A hustler with a vulture's walk.]
Don't tell me you've forgotten that already. [A mild color in incredibly-black glass. The shine of something red before the usual purples peel out with a slide. To let her see everything he really is; a devil by name and by practice and he takes a crooked finger to her chin. Lifts it with a coaxing sort of motion.]
[ All those teeth of his, and she knows that, somewhere, she ought to just run. To follow that instinct and bolt, take her dignity by the hand and flee with it.
But somehow she can't. Or rather, she doesn't want to. Not really. What she wants to do is lean forward, find out what he felt like under her fingers -- and to that end her eyes slip close, biting the inside of her mouth till she was sure she would bleed and all that red would bubble between her lips. ]
If you are better than that: then tell me, what do you want? [ Pause, because she needs specific, more than just what he could want but what he wants -- ] of this, of me?
[ She was tired of second guessing the people about her -- and she might not trust him with a lot of things. But he was right, he'd never lied to her.
Because it's hard looking at him and being aware of so little space between them. It makes her want things that she knows, were too dangerous to be spoken of. Her lips part to that end -- to tell him to stop. Who did he think he was, speaking her name, touching her? Like he was an equal.
But those would only be said because he scared her, so they do not fall from her mouth. ] Am I? How am I any different to you than the other -- [ lovers, business deals, crooked meetings in back allies. ] others, you meet in such a fashion.
Everything - but that's not what you really want to hear, is it?
[Teeth disappear. Hidden away as his smile finds a tight line and Greed traces the dip of her chin. Presses his thumb to fit, but it's oddly gentle. Despite his true nature, he's always favored a more smooth touch. Women always an exception as a rule and he saddles up toe after toe. Knocks them against the outer edge of her own to slip right in.]
[She's already heard his rant - already seen the feverish crawl. That sickness to make his throat dry; to make him barren and thirsty, so he saves it this time. Instead, pressing a forehead to her own as his free hand motions away. Caressing the dark and he's entirely made for it.]
[For promises strung out when the sun's gone. When all secrets are left at the table and it's only the mirror staring back. The cruelty of it just as naked and the Sin lets his gaze sink. Maps out every curve, every inch of her with that eerie silence.]
I want everything you have to offer, lovely. But it's a little more than that. [Always a little more, always demanding that extra inch and Greed brings his lips in close. Enough to threaten a breath at skin as his own deadly collection fans out. Springs with a solid roll of his tongue and he's suddenly releasing. Dropping a hand from her face, her last question ringing true.]
You aren't, but that doesn't mean anything to me. You mortal lot always seem to get mixed up in it - the who and the what, the right and the wrong. To me? It's all good.
[However, that never meant that he didn't have a few favorites as he keeps his forehead to her own, there's a gentle tilt of his head. Predator at the gentle pat, eyes screwing shut beyond the shield of glass.]
[ Everything was something more than she could give. If she were another woman, perhaps. But she was not. She was a Queen, and England's heart beat in her chest. It's hills and rivers her bones and blood. She woven them together as a woman should. Making a future that would last beyond anything she would ever see.
In time, she was sure, they would forget her. As humans were prone to doing.
But he wasn't human, and he wouldn't perish as they were all going to do. ]
Remember me like this, please? [ and for once she didn't force formality on them both, like her position and place dictated she must. All that mattered was his lips on hers and she sighed softly, her lips parting against his own. Her fingers shook as she rose her hand to him, holding his jacket like he might leave her, forget her.
And perhaps that, that was all she wanted. To be remembered like a woman, for there was a Kingdom to remember her like a Queen, but no one to recall her with tumbled hair, shallow breaths and warm eyes as she looked at him. The way her corset was suddenly too tight and she couldn't take in enough air, the insecurity that slipped and showed for a moment before she breathed out again, another content sigh. Her words are in warning, but not said with malice, for she has none. The rage in her cooled, for awhile. ] If you were a man, I should strike your head from your shoulders for saying such to me now of all times.
[ She let out a breathy laughter, her shoulders dipping with it. ] But you are right, it is not.
[It's a modest request, really: "Remember me like this." As she is and yes, she'd age eventually. Time something not afforded and he's been around too long not to have heard the notion before. Back when there was hardly a military presence, when towns where still just getting a foothold. When mankind thought fire would chase the demons away, yet they were living right there with them.]
[Among and about. Entwined in everyday life and maybe that's when it started. He can't remember now and it doesn't really matter. Not here, anyway. Not with his own world long gone and his smile is almost pleasant. Almost soft as hands leave her. Memory suiting well, the courtship of the ill-forgotten. Both palms finding the dip of her back as she gives silent permission.]
As if I would forget. I've been doing this a bit too long - two hundred years and things haven't change that much. [Because despite tasting the permanent dirt-nap twice, Greed knows better. That in the end, he'll still walk when all else is gone. See the rise and fall of a thousand more and maybe the titles change, but the gist it never does.]
[Always someone to rule, even if the masses aren't aware.]
Artificial, but close enough. [A bit of pride there and sure, he's not exactly chiding what he really is. A monster like the rest of them, but he's made his choices. Cut the strings attached and left nothing behind. Nothing but a trail to follow.]
[But here, he does as he's asked. Tying together a deal that's been long in the making. With lips that snatched, rolled inward to cushion his teeth and Greed hums. Breathes as he takes her in; ushering her into that too-hot heat that's rich with ash. The after-burn of scotch still on the tongue and it's his own unique brand. A mark to remember and even in the moment, Greed can't help his grin. Couldn't even hide it if he tried, that wet-pull audible. Smooth to the touch and deep down, he knows it's not fair.]
[So he moves away. Gives her air as his skull rocks to the side. Tracing out her neck with the brush of a nose and his tattooed-palm finds her hair. Slides it behind an ear, a gesture to show that he has no intention of stealing her dignity.]
[That's all hers, in the end. And he'll be sure she takes it to the very grave. It's the least he could do, after all.]
No one else... [ Knows, cares. It's what she wants to say, but it's too pitiful to say or utter even like this. It's true but her pride is great she cannot afford to be pitied. And to that end, her fingers curled in his jacket, it being the only thing that kept her nails from cutting her palm. A lady's hands, and they had no place in being desperate. ]
You don't feel so different. [ It really isn't fair. It felt likes years, since anyone had kissed anything but her hand, formal and restrained. This? This made her tremble, made her ache. She hadn't felt so warm, in such a long time, and she knew it showed, but it didn't care. The hand on his jacket slipped up, into his hair as she felt him brush her neck. Just to keep him there, a little longer. Nails sinking in harder than she meant to before she took the breathe she needed to calm her mind once more. ]
If my heart could ache anymore, I think it should kill me [ Just a mutter, quietly said more for herself than anyone else. ]
[It's like two separates worlds; him and her. The combination of things old, of things that didn't quite belong and as her fingers slide through his hair, Greed comes to the call. Edging himself closer with an elongated hitch. With the opening of his gently-smiling jaws, coiling around her and he's her viper in the end. The rattler to tread lightly, but she's already stepped on his tail. Pushed her heel against it.]
[The one thing he aims to swallow himself.]
[He's reminded of an old waltz, then. Their closeness bringing the memory of sour-smoke and barrels of rum. Of smiles to laugh, in taverns encased in wood and his hips find hers in the dark. Melt against, lining up those red lines at his torso. Strange in their design, notching just above his bones to wrap back around. A similar pair at his chest that anchor at the base of his neck and the Sin hums. Something sickly sweet, fogging her skin with the aftermath.]
That'd be a shame, lovely. We've come this far and I make it a point not to hurt women. [So he turns his hand. Away from each strand of fire-gold hair, letting the silky-rough of his skin trace her jaw. As his eyes opened from the bend of his sunglasses, practically aglow under the grace of the hour.]
I'll always be here, if you really want me. It's one of the perks. [The perks and it's a surrender - to be claimed by avarice itself. Chained without the bind, a heavy weight to the bow, but he's not about to strip her. Not about to pick her bones dry and instead, Greed rocks his shoulders back. Shedding his own skin first, that vest tossing from the shelf of his back. Stopping only at the crooks of his elbows and he's the one tied down. Snared his own trap as he feathers teeth and lips down her neck. Following the arch of her spine, gliding her bends.]
Go ahead. Take whatever you want - I'll only do you the favor.
[ There was something to be embraced by a devil -- and why should she not enjoy it. Rome itself called her wicked. Why should she not act like it for once? ]
Hardly your fault, you never broke my heart. [ There were a hundred others and family built on violence to do that. So the remark is tossed, light and amused as she traced the lines up to his throat, curling around them with finger tips and nails. She might never get to do this again, so she was going to take her time. Having him, learning him. And the moment he removes his jacket, she lent forward and kissed the hollow between his collar bones. Tasting skin in a so brief flick of her tongue. ]
You're far to giving to me. [ But she arches slightly under his hands, her eyes slipping close as she enjoyed the way he kissed her. Her lips parted in a gentle sigh.
But he'd said take and she was so good at doing that. With an impatient tug, she pulled him up to kiss him properly again. A hungry thing, because she could devour him like this, as much as he would consume her. Her hands feeling across his shoulders and arms, hanging onto him as she poured every inch of her loneliness into kissing him, her nails scratched and marked little half moons into his skin. ]
[No, he never did. Never snapped at the strings and pulled; never played her till the last note went flat and he just wasn't the sort. A monster by all accounts, but there were standards, there were rules. And he held to them like a vice; like everything else, snared in more covetous claws. Grasped as the years went by, as time slipped passed. As new faces replaced the old and it was the same, time and time again.]
[But nothing mattered but the present and when her hunger takes him, he falls right in. Snarling, that growl of his coming from the gut. Rising akin to the crackling of a new fire - spitting and hissing to the tune a smile and Greed lets his jaws hang open. Tongue only gracing her own and both hands sink away. To make leather and fur wash off him like a twisted baptism, landing with the muted sound of earth and stone.]
[She's digging into him, then and there's a slight laugh at the edge of Greed's tongue. Sort and sweet as his hands flow to her curves. Mapping her out as his eyes had done a thousand times prior and he'll take his time. Have his fill until the very end and he knows very well where this dance will lead.]
[So he coaxes his lips away. Better suited needs to attend to as he hooks a finger into the laces at her front. Twisting with two quick spins of the wrist, twining over the last knuckle to suffocate it. Bringing forth the metaphoric noose and he tightens the wire. Yanks and finally, the weight of his lips find her throat. The very edge of his teeth pricking skin, making her well aware.]
[That he wasn't like them; that he wouldn't leave. Even when everything else had been lost to her, even when she didn't know her own face - he would be there. A demon always to her call, even if she couldn't remember who he was.]
[ He was a constant she could hang onto. Though she might push him away as often as she pulled him back to her. Too temperamental by half, most times. Greedy, and the thought of that, that irony, brought a smile to her lips. Truer than any she had given a courtier in days, and not half as cruel. ]
[ His hands were far too distracting to tell him what she found so amusing, because there was no way she couldn't feel where they trailed. She wonders what he's doing, at least until all the air was forced out in a gasp. Half his name said in surprise, ( and like this, she'd agree, there was no reason to call him by a title ), and then she couldn't get air back, not between the way the laces pulled so tightly. Panting soft, shallow breaths at his neck, as he bit at hers. ]
[ In the end, it didn't matter though. The thought was clear as spanish glass, he was hers, for awhile, as much as she was his. If he let go of her, she'd tumble and fall, she was sure of that much, because she could not be sure of herself at the moment. Needing someone so much, wanting more than was dignified ought to have scared her still. But she couldn't muster enough feeling to care, because nothing else would come, except the soft moan she muffled against his shoulder, a stifled gasp more than anything else. Blood rushed and pounded and she could hardly care, if it meant he kept touching her. ]
[Name on the lips and it's like a confession; a shedding of the sin to the sinner and Greed spreads his thighs. Motions to the dip, his body following with the stretch of his legs; anchoring him half way down her front, leaving her with a part.]
[But it's only for a moment.]
[Because while a hitched-breath is nice, freedom is oh so sweeter. And his mouth opens, spreading tooth for tooth with a hiss of inhale. The last breath of the poisonous before fangs take lace. Shred with a yank of his skull, with the side jerk of his jaws. Snapping to pieces, an animal by any other definition.]
[But there's something more than that; something past carnal urges, past instinct and Greed catches the ribbons with a slow release. Lips dropping as gingerly as a mother to its den of kin and he swipes the collection away. Open to the palm of his hand, disappearing backwards.]
Easy, lovely. No need to hurt yourself on my account.
[It's like the moon is reflected in those eyes; ghostly appeal to the color of purple. Rich and foreboding, dangerous and deadly. Everything he is all out in the open and it's the honesty he's always promised. No hint of the truth flipped, no mask to hide his intentions. The cards out and he's never had the best of poker faces.]
[Smile far too wide, grin far too menacing. The constant drum of it, even when circumstances were less than ideal.]
[But she's right, though. Hot as a Spanish summer and someone, somewhere, could have written for it. Could have predicted this long ago; that the warm-cool touch would summon him to her. When all the lights had gone out, when everything seemed so lost. Hand stretched, a beckoning: as if he had every solution, every fix.]
[For a price, of course.]
[Muscle tenses as he moves to stand. Swiping like ink to the canvas, drawing with every inch, every second passing an eternity. Until he's got his face back to her own and a thick knuckle pushes between the smallest opening at her corset. The strips of lace still holding until a prod snaps and an index hooks in. Similar to a fishing lore at the gaping mouth and he's willing to give her a bit of air.]
Anything you want - after all, it's not like I'm about to judge you, hmn? [Greed says with a tilt. Sending his sunglasses back over his eyes, sinking those purples away to the watery-black. Back to hollow sockets and his smile stretches.]
[ She could breath again, suck in deep and feel it flood her body as he let her out of the tight grip her dress had on her.
-- And oh she'd had a hundred men kneel before, pay homage to her like she was some altar. It's fitting that it should mimic that, twisted by intentions as it should be. With him, it is always twisted.
All the same, her smile is hazy as she looks down at him. With more affection as her fingers traced up and down his neck. Her blues eyes dark, with something else than just contentment though. Her lips dark from kissing him. And best that they did this in the night, where secrets could be kept. For so much as she would have to go past guards and her ladies, and the little hints of lust then, would be too much in the day. ]
[ All the same he stood, his request an obvious one. Not surprised so much that he'd asked, because a woman's clothes were more complicated than most liked to deal with -- thus her ladies and her maids.
So she laughed, breathing and light, for she felt that easy enough as her fingers went to her bodice, sliding the already loosened laces apart further.
In the end, she's glad she had worn something simple, something that when she lifted her hands to her shoulders, slipped down easily enough. Not that she looked at herself, but rather kept her eyes on him, using the heat she found there in his gaze to keep her going when the cool night air hit exposed skin. Nervous as she might feel, her pride would come first, and she titled her head up, even as her skirts pooled at her feet.
Her long red hair falling down was enough to cover her. He wanted truth, and he would have it. This was as bare as she could be, in the end. Nothing to hide behind, not now. ]
Well? [ Though she wasn't sure of the question she was asking. If he still found her desirable, still found her something -- to feel such need for. To possess for awhile. Or if he was just going to leave her standing here like a fool. ]
[It's communication with the slip of lace; like rope to a line being released and there's only the horizon to grasp. A million possibilities laid out on the distant line and when she laughs, the Sin's jaws whirl to a curve. Finding arrows at the ends of his lips and he opens his palm with a deafening sort of sound. Similar to a sword drawn and there's his second set.]
[Claws too black, following the pitch. Cold-hard carbon that makes the points of his nails thinner, sharper and it's a set of talons. Wrapped in something difficult to break and it's not as if he's about to let her handle everything on her own. That wouldn't be fair and since the evening has been rather tipped on his scale, he's not beneath a favor returned.]
[A jerk of the wrist sends them out. Cat-claws to scratch and he pops the remaining ribbons as the corset falls down. As the skeletal structure widens with the descent and it's wires to the pull. To fray under the pressure, snapping with every release of fabric.]
[But his smile is slightly warm to the question that comes: "Well?" Well, what. As if she expected him to stop and he barks. Loud enough, thunder to crack against his rib-cage, to echo back down into his wicked pit and Greed peels clothing away. From her back and out, only to be dropped in the collection and toed away.]
What? Did you expect me to say no? [The Sin teases, hiss of his voice the flavor of bones-rattling and claws snake up. The faintest touch of light igniting the smoothness, making tips shine as he hooks the nose-piece of his shades. Pulling them away, allowing her to take a glance. To see what's been staring back all this time.]
[They're made with the intention of a viper; with the instinct of something more and slit pupils dilate. Knock like ping-pongs, vibrating as they try to figure out whether to thin or thicken. Whether to stay put and Greed coils around. Slides his claws down her back, making them hop, skip, and jump where he found the proverbial speed bumps.]
Do you even remember who you're talking to, lovely? The name is Greed, after all.
You could. [ As his hands went to her bare skin, her own settled on his hip, fingers splayed wide as she ran her hand up -- and he teased her with his words. That he would leave her standing here, naked and wanting in the moonlight.
But she didn't think so.
Even so, she couldn't help tease. Her cool fingers slipping under his shirt, running circles, her lips finding his neck once more and marking skin in short little bites. ] You could leave me here, more fool me. What use would a devil have of me?
[ Though the sight of his two black claws where the hands that caressed her so sent a fever sick thrill down her spine as those talons trace down. They could so easily slit her throat. Like this, she was nothing but soft skin. Defenceless. ( and wasn't that why she so often said no? )
But he was a devil, after all and she had the proof of it now, pressed against her body. Her shoulders tensed for a moment, when all he did was tease her again, she let the fear slip away, her head rolling back as she took the time to enjoy it. God damn her all the same.
Still, when she looked back at him, the amusement was still there. ] Many a man is made of greed, and more than one of them has undressed a woman to find her displeasing to his eyes and not worth having after all.
Don't mistake me for someone else, Elizabeth. I'm not like the rest.
[Night-life from his fingertips; to chase down her back, mapping each knot of her spine. Each break of the bone at the smooth side of his claws, the parting of them bringing knuckles back and he jerks his head to line it up with the side of her own. Touching temple to temple, the best way to pay homage.]
[She's right; the description suitable and he's thought about it before. Hell out of his grasp, but he imagines that's where they're really come from. Out of the void and into flesh, birthed by bad blood and Greed breathes into the shelf of her ear when fingers go under his shirt. Skating across muscle and a mild retreat takes hold. Tattooed-palm now painted black, hitching brown fabric to rip it over his head. Shivering the spikes of his hair, a nest of quills and it's like a porcupine poised. Ready to shoot off, only to still when the threat's long passed.]
[And knuckle to knuckle, it falls. Dribbling, the last form of payment, all debts settled. Red to the skin and the same odd lines mark him. They're hot to the touch, the cruel fire she's accused him of being from in every-inch.] Many a man, sure. But remember - I'm not really human.
[The opposite; the basic concept of a human-born illness and he's the disease. Noxious in every flavor, sick with every breath. Poison to the weary and as he brings his lips back to her neck, that free hand shoots out. Jerk-motion of his arm sending his collection of leather bands flinging back. As he gingerly slides a nail down the curve of her hip, down the bump of her backside.]
[All the while, with teeth at the bend of her neck and the Sin hovers his points over a beating-jugular. Letting her pulse vibrate with his own, letting her feel just what sort of monster he really was. 'Shield sliding and smoothing, a tale written on never-ending parchment. A story with no happy ending and Greed hums. Moving in to smother, to drag claws across skin, to rock his hips against her own. A horrible tide coming into shore, bringing with it all the terrible remains.]
[But he's not here to harm or hurt; not here to leave her cold, with only the bitter memories to stale her tongue. No - he's here for far more and as he beckons her into his arms, he's tipping her. Just slightly, so that for once?]
[She can have someone else lift that weight away; someone else to shoulder the burden of those aching feet.]
[Greed opens his jaws slightly, a hiss to caress her skin.] And anyone who would say no to this would be stupid, lovely.
[ The second his chest is bared, she makes no hesitation to touch him. To slide her fingers across his skin, to run trace the lines that mark him so different to others. Ravenous in a way she had not been in so long. How court would laugh and be shocked, if they saw her such, her hands soft and rough in equal measure. Shivering as he breathed her in, feeling every breath of his, like it was taking something out of her. Leaving her empty and desperate to take back whatever it was he seemed to take her that left her so wanting.
She murmured it back to him, indistinct perhaps, a mixture of languages because one did not seem enough to describe. But it amounted to the same meaning, breathed against him, over and over with kisses pressed to his skin. ( I want you, I want you. ) ]
You shall not disappoint me, as all men do.
[ A ultimatum, a surety that he would never let her fall. Because this was nothing like what they offered. There was no politics, no cold words disguised as pretty sonnets, no false intentions held by expectations that had to be met. There was just a brutal, encompassing need, and he could not fail her in it, not as they did. They who could not warm her, soothe her, could not give her this truth -- and more base than that, when he rolled against her and she gasped again. Not this time, for air stolen from her, but with the heat that was like canon fire. Her nails raked down his back with viciousness that was not expected from a lady, but expected from a Queen.
With one hand, she could rule, and with the other, she would conquer.
Strange thing it is to be held and still keep her pride, but she would never waste a opportunity. Her leg slid so carefully up his side, forcing to press every intimate part of herself to him. Arms about his shoulders, as she steals a kiss again so briefly. ] Then do not waste me.
[ Her eyes still bright and her lips she knew, stained darker from kissing him. ]
[He's not gifted to the art of language and for a moment or two, his eyebrow raises as she speaks. Winding different noises from her mouth, though it's all too clear when her kisses trail and press. Easy enough to follow and he reads between the lines. The art of it lost to translation, but there's a mutual understanding.]
[They've been doing this too long for it not to come to this; each circling one another, two different harmonies finding a similar pulse and when her nails rake down, his dig in. A waltz all on its very own and he follows her two-step with a three-step. Scratches when she bites, kissing when she begs.]
[She's a ruler and she's made for it. Despite any calls to the contrary and she's right for the crown. But he's not interested in that, oh no. Being a ruler of a country is fine, but being king of the world?]
[That's something else entirely.]
[Her kiss keeps him silent, at least for a while. And as he lowers her to the ground below, he quickly moves to engulf her. Fire to the trail of gunpowder and she lit the match a long time ago. Months prior, when there were others to contend with and she had politely said no, in all manner of speaking.]
I don't plan to - I'm just not that kind of guy.
[When her back finds a solid surface, his claws retract. Instead, to smooth up her leg - jerking it without need of permission this time. Folding it to his back, running it along the jut of his hips, his torso. Melding the two together as his lips meet hers again. Shoving against them, dragging the points of his teeth to stain a darker color. Not to draw blood, of course. But to make them puffy and raw; to toss the curtain back and let her be her for once in her life.]
[Because avarice has no room for lies, no room for petty gestures. Sonnets and songs left to better men - or worse. But Greed didn't need them. Didn't want them. Complications of the court not his forte and he prefers things a bit finer, a bit more open. The underbelly of the world and that's where his kingdom truly lies. On the rough backside of bruised knuckles and terrible grins.]
[The 'Shield threatens to make her nails bounce as it shifts. The fluttering a wicked base-drum, sliding up and down. As if he's giving her the next taste of it and Greed lines his nails up with the inside of her thigh. Sliding back, dragging those deadly points to softer flesh. Chasing lines to a hint of red.]
[ Months ago, it had been different, though like this, now, she wondered how she'd kept him at bay so long. Now she felt mad, possessed with some kind of lunacy as she tried to press against him as much as she could.
The moment she settled against the earth, her back arched, her chest rising up, her hands stretched above her head, to give him the space to move his hands. Indulgent, as her leg was drawn around him. Hair sprawled about her head and she craved every way he touched her. A guiltless moan slipping her lips before she could bite down on it.
With her eyes closed, for the time being at least, she could enjoy every place his trailed over. His warmth was a comfortable one, between her legs, and she held him there, shivering as his claws trailed up. Almost too harsh on skin too soft, that had not been touched...
... well longer than was to be considered, either way, it made her frown in concentration, pausing in a breath drawn in. Desperate for something he was taking so long to give her. The next buck of her hips was so much more impatient.
God it felt glorious, to have want and wanting so free, rolling over the surface of her like a wave. ]
Since you asked, my love. [ She used the way her legs were wrapped around him as leverage before she rolled them back. The smirk slipping onto her lips was of pure satisfaction as her hands brace on his chest. A mock lovers tone, because they weren't any kind of sweetheart that poets wrote of. They were crueler, more vain, and more free than anything so simplistic, than that. The smugness and pride settled over her like hair did as it fell about her shoulders.
Smug like she had the finest stallion between her legs, and she had every intent to ride him. Her body more than accustomed to the roll of hips that went with it, all that power under her, like she felt the hundred times she'd ridden. She dipped her body over him, fitting herself against him, her knees either side of his hips and she took her time. Wondering from his lips, to his neck, and she bit like she intended to mark, teeth pulling until she hoped it stung.
Then further down she slipped, along the curious fire hot lines that marked him out from any other man. Her fingertips pressed against the bones of his hips, holding him still as she pressed warm open mouthed kisses to the dip of skin and bone. Not so rough as the ones that preceded it, she took her time. Dragging each kiss out as long as she could, before leaving another and another, a trail from one side to the other. Letters on a manuscript muttered in French and breathed out into him.
It was only after she was done, that she pulled herself back up, pressing her breasts flat against his chest as she lay against him once more. The same smug grin there, pleased with herself. ]
[When the world spins, it's to the tune of his laughter. Barking out to the moon and a creep of air escapes him. Like a puff of smoking from the gaping pit, his skull finding the cool touch of grass as she takes the reins and pulls.]
[Maybe in this situation, he is the prized horse. After months of trying and she's seizing the moment. To ride, to try to break him, and with the roll of her hips, he bucks to meet. As if he's threatening to send it right off, but it couldn't be further from the truth.]
[Elizabeth has always been similar to the kind of fighters he quickly got to know before. When he was stripped down and thrown into another vessel and their ways had been odd. Foreign like the language she speaks, a means to distract with one hand while the other was coming on quick with a blade. To kill with a hidden blow and all of her movements hark to the same.]
[Thankfully, he's not one easily surprised and when she makes kisses down those lines, he raises the temperature. Lets that unnatural heat flare in his arrays and they're similar to the red-hot stroke of a forge. To glisten in intricacies of a blade, to make it unique with the craftsman's own mark.]
Oh-? Didn't think you had it in you, lovely.
[Greed's not one to leave a deal without striking one of his own and claws meet when her breasts press against his chest. Shoving her up with another jerk of his hips, giving only a couple of seconds. Though, he's fast. Enough to settle a knee between spread legs, to let her ride out a thigh as he grinds it against her. Leather to naked flesh, the pool of fabric around them becoming more dense.]
[He takes a moment, though. To show off his collection of knives, slicing through the peeled-off remains. Letting cloth shutter and rip with ease before a palm comes out. To grip one of her wandering hands by the wrist, jerking it above his own skull. Forcing fingers to the spikes of his hair, every sharp point of him at her beck and all.]
[Greed pins it there and sure, it's an awkward angle. But it makes for a slippery slope and as his heels dig into the ground, he's sliding under her. Washing beneath her until her chest is at the mercy of his mouth and the Sin takes in an exposed nipple. Tugging it oh-so-gently between his teeth, tracing the round of it with an ear-tipped.]
[Because he wants to really hear it; everything she has to offer and he'll gladly take it all.]
[ It made her laugh, dry and deep from the back of her throat, cruel and for that, callous. ] Most don't. [ And they'd stood in horror when she killed as many as stood against her with a cold dismissive hand.
But she did not think Greed would shrink from her, for her cruelty. She was in good company. She regretted killing, but she'd never regret being strong. She did this in live defiance of them, of it all. She would be a woman and a Queen and she would lust as much as she reigned with ice in her voice. But the former would be his secret, in the end. And hers.
The press of his leg between hers, was enough to bring another gasp from her, a soft note to join the music between them. Her voice soft, an almost whine as she ground back against him. Wanting more than just that, but it seemed all he was willing to give her. The raw emptiness inside her building up still, where it had been a thought in her mind, now it seemed like a pressure.
Until he moved her and her head dropped by his, head cool against the grass the was underneath them, a hand sweeping across her neck to pull her hair out of the way. The hand not in his hair, curled into the earth instead as his teeth pulled in such a enticing way. Like this, she couldn't find his shoulder to smother herself, as she was so used to doing, couldn't bite down or swallow back the surprised gasped that escaped her, and she breathed out, her words became no more than a moan of pleasure. Strange that her loss of control shouldn't bother her, making sounds better fit for a harlot, but she wouldn't have him stop. Not for her kingdom or her crown, would she have him stop the way he made her whole body forget to breath, to do nothing but writhe against him.
The dirt was going to be embedded under her nails at how she pulled at it, trying to anchor herself back. Their secret. When he'd gone from her again, she'd ask to have this garden made private for her alone. She'd call it her garden of avarice, and her ministers would scold, and her skin would heat as it did now, every time she came here. Her secret, and it made her smile till her toes curled. ]
[For all the blood on her hands, for all the lives at her mercy, his is not. She could do whatever she wanted: shoot him, stab him, maim him, throw him to the pit, and still he'd find a way. Back from the black and smooth still. Maybe the definition of devil was right after all and as she groans, his smile widens around flesh. Opening of it wet and he trades teeth for a tongue. With the rough-crack of his lips to round and suck.]
[He can hear it, though. All the noises she makes and it's really too good. Far too kind and this is how he steals, how he keeps. Claimed not by chains to rattle or bars to hold, but by whispers that were anything but sweet-nothings. The choke of it raw, the sting of it to burn.]
[There's a smell of fresh dirt in the air when she bites nails in and he follows her. By tilting back his heel, forcing his rolling thigh to a stop. A jerk-still hold to apply the pressure and it's Hell's own game of chance.]
[All in, or all out.]
Sorry, lovely. You've got tell me - what is it you really want, hmn? [Greed's voice comes like sulfur. Too-hot, spewing with that sultry tone that seems to purr at his throat. His lips touching the naked part of her skin and he inhales softly; through his nose as he touches it to her breast.]
[Because while he won't exactly steal from her, he'll take. Snatch up whatever she's willing to give and it always comes to this: the final straw, to make or break a situation: a deal in the making.]
[But while he's demanding, he's not entirely ruthless and one claw extends. The feline to the kill, lining it up at the dip of her tail-bone. He settles there, though, and only trails up when he hears the earth moving again. When dirt grinds and there'll be evidence under her nails for someone else to take care of.]
blaaah sorry if this was terrible fjdfds was half asleep
[ It takes will -- and a formidable one at that, -- to force her mind back from the tremble in her hands and arms, from the fever hot feeling building up in her stomach, between her legs. Where the slight touch was both too much and too little. The too tense way she held herself even as she forced herself up to look down at him.
She was too impatient, always had been, and she made a short noise to that end, her hips grinding down against his when he asked, as if he didn't know what she so greatly wished for. ]
As if you do not know. Would you have me beg? [ Laughing, she pushed at his shoulder. Then she dipped her head and nipped at his ear, her tongue flicking gently and she let out a sigh as his finger brushed across the base of her spine. The shiver working it's way up her flushed and too warm skin.
But she could tell him, keep her dignity and say the truth all the same. It wasn't a command or a demand. Nor was it begging. She expected and knew he would not fail her. That was not how their business worked. Even if instead of secrets of others that they so usually traded, it was heat and selfishness. ] I want to be a woman, for awhile. [ and she nipped at his ear, as if she could not bare the implications of those words, and she would rather sound playful than lonely. ] I want to touch as other women do and be touched the same. [ Not forever, not even until sunrise. But for now, for now it was all she wanted. Like this, without state pressing on her, she could tease and mock and have it all there, sitting below the surface with so little mask to cover it.
Her eyes lowered, admiring his chest, the curve of his muscles, and her finger traced across his collar bone, tapping there. ] I would have you be the one to ease this -- [ the relentless heat, the shivering and it seemed like bottomless hunger that every priest warned against when they spoke of avarice ] -- that you started in me, my love. I want you to be selfish with me. I want to be selfish with you. [ Her head tilted, bemused almost at her own honesty. ] Do I need to say more?
[ It was less, than some men wanted, but more than she had given anyone else. ]
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But now in shadows, they were inky and lifeless. Little pools of blackness against her always too pale skin. ( But never pale enough. She was Gloriana, and for awhile, perhaps, in this night with him, she was all fae, and not at all a woman. )
His voice at her back, made her tense. Exposed shoulders pulling in a little before she took a breath back out as her head tipped back a little then proceeded -- as if she expected him there all along. That this was business as usual. ]
Perhaps I needed the company. [ And then she curved, over a rosebush. White, and sweet smelling in the night. The whole garden was rich with them, and they were her favourite. As if he were nothing and she could just ignore him as she so wished, that she wasn't aware of him behind her. ] I am Queen after all, and you are not the only to feel a greed insatiable.
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[And her back to him speaks volumes; uncaring gestures, as if this isn't really what she wants. For him to grace her doorstep - to slip into her garden and kingdom alike. For a moment, he keeps his space. Just outside the framework of her back, watching the slightest narrowing of the eyes.]
[Until heels clack and his walk is slow. Poised and practiced, but with a difference sense than her and hers. Roll-snap to make the ankles turn and he easily tows the invisible circle. The space between permission and acceptance, pivoting to meet her face to face. Porcelain to smooth oil, two elements rich with their own devices.]
Maybe so, but it isn't like you to admit to something like that. Not usually. [Sure, she was honest. But the Queen wore many faces and while Greed had counted himself good to keep track, the masks were relentless. Always changing depending on present company, but at least she was kind enough to respect his rule; his honesty that was raw, exposed. Just like his very existence and he made no mind to hide the fact.]
What is it, then? What do you really want, Elizabeth? [Greed holds her name for a beat or two. Letting it simmer at his teeth. Vibrating off like a tuning fork and oh, it's wicked music that he makes.]
May as well be honest with me, since I've always done you the favor.
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Perhaps that's the honesty that he wants. Because surely it is kept so tightly to her, save for rare instances. But when she speaks it's with a venom that she should of watched, and in the end, had nothing to do with him. ]
And what do you care for my truth? [ Her affection, her favour. It is a twisted thing, that constantly had her filled with doubt. ] Is this not just some game to you as it is with everyone else?
[ She let her skirts fall from her hands. Her hand pressed flat against her bodice as quickly as it was there, the anger is gone. She straightened, swallowing down. ] Yes, I am business to you, I am aware. You have never lied about that. [ She frowned, lowering her eyes as she thought of what she was going to say, had meant to, but no words would come. ]
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[Teasing; knuckles to brush and it's only the promise. That maybe, one day and Greed takes the first step forward. Sliding up to her, an inch of breathing space as his mouth parts to the side. A glint of teeth and he always figured himself the wolf.]
[A creature in the woods, coming to chase the skirt of royalty. But he had a little more respect for her than just that.] Just who the hell do you take me for, lovely? I'm not like everyone else and I told you before - I make it a point not to lie.
[And he made it a point not to be like the rest of the long-line. Everyone following with proverbial salutes and clicking heels to match. The Yes Ma'am(s) a dime a dozen and he was the one to stand out.]
[It was just up to her whether or not she found him too rotten for her liking.]
You think this is just business? Sure, maybe. But I've never been one to deny anything, Elizabeth. You of all people should know me a bit better than that. [Greed speaks as he measures her up. Lifting his head up to stare down and the roles were reversed. If not for the mildest flicker, before he's churning down. Dipping his shoulders, spreading his elbows out behind. A hustler with a vulture's walk.]
Don't tell me you've forgotten that already. [A mild color in incredibly-black glass. The shine of something red before the usual purples peel out with a slide. To let her see everything he really is; a devil by name and by practice and he takes a crooked finger to her chin. Lifts it with a coaxing sort of motion.]
Besides, you're better than that.
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But somehow she can't. Or rather, she doesn't want to. Not really. What she wants to do is lean forward, find out what he felt like under her fingers -- and to that end her eyes slip close, biting the inside of her mouth till she was sure she would bleed and all that red would bubble between her lips. ]
If you are better than that: then tell me, what do you want? [ Pause, because she needs specific, more than just what he could want but what he wants -- ] of this, of me?
[ She was tired of second guessing the people about her -- and she might not trust him with a lot of things. But he was right, he'd never lied to her.
Because it's hard looking at him and being aware of so little space between them. It makes her want things that she knows, were too dangerous to be spoken of. Her lips part to that end -- to tell him to stop. Who did he think he was, speaking her name, touching her? Like he was an equal.
But those would only be said because he scared her, so they do not fall from her mouth. ] Am I? How am I any different to you than the other -- [ lovers, business deals, crooked meetings in back allies. ] others, you meet in such a fashion.
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[Teeth disappear. Hidden away as his smile finds a tight line and Greed traces the dip of her chin. Presses his thumb to fit, but it's oddly gentle. Despite his true nature, he's always favored a more smooth touch. Women always an exception as a rule and he saddles up toe after toe. Knocks them against the outer edge of her own to slip right in.]
[She's already heard his rant - already seen the feverish crawl. That sickness to make his throat dry; to make him barren and thirsty, so he saves it this time. Instead, pressing a forehead to her own as his free hand motions away. Caressing the dark and he's entirely made for it.]
[For promises strung out when the sun's gone. When all secrets are left at the table and it's only the mirror staring back. The cruelty of it just as naked and the Sin lets his gaze sink. Maps out every curve, every inch of her with that eerie silence.]
I want everything you have to offer, lovely. But it's a little more than that. [Always a little more, always demanding that extra inch and Greed brings his lips in close. Enough to threaten a breath at skin as his own deadly collection fans out. Springs with a solid roll of his tongue and he's suddenly releasing. Dropping a hand from her face, her last question ringing true.]
You aren't, but that doesn't mean anything to me. You mortal lot always seem to get mixed up in it - the who and the what, the right and the wrong. To me? It's all good.
[However, that never meant that he didn't have a few favorites as he keeps his forehead to her own, there's a gentle tilt of his head. Predator at the gentle pat, eyes screwing shut beyond the shield of glass.]
Didn't think that was a problem for you.
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In time, she was sure, they would forget her. As humans were prone to doing.
But he wasn't human, and he wouldn't perish as they were all going to do. ]
Remember me like this, please? [ and for once she didn't force formality on them both, like her position and place dictated she must. All that mattered was his lips on hers and she sighed softly, her lips parting against his own. Her fingers shook as she rose her hand to him, holding his jacket like he might leave her, forget her.
And perhaps that, that was all she wanted. To be remembered like a woman, for there was a Kingdom to remember her like a Queen, but no one to recall her with tumbled hair, shallow breaths and warm eyes as she looked at him. The way her corset was suddenly too tight and she couldn't take in enough air, the insecurity that slipped and showed for a moment before she breathed out again, another content sigh. Her words are in warning, but not said with malice, for she has none. The rage in her cooled, for awhile. ] If you were a man, I should strike your head from your shoulders for saying such to me now of all times.
[ She let out a breathy laughter, her shoulders dipping with it. ] But you are right, it is not.
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[Among and about. Entwined in everyday life and maybe that's when it started. He can't remember now and it doesn't really matter. Not here, anyway. Not with his own world long gone and his smile is almost pleasant. Almost soft as hands leave her. Memory suiting well, the courtship of the ill-forgotten. Both palms finding the dip of her back as she gives silent permission.]
As if I would forget. I've been doing this a bit too long - two hundred years and things haven't change that much. [Because despite tasting the permanent dirt-nap twice, Greed knows better. That in the end, he'll still walk when all else is gone. See the rise and fall of a thousand more and maybe the titles change, but the gist it never does.]
[Always someone to rule, even if the masses aren't aware.]
Artificial, but close enough. [A bit of pride there and sure, he's not exactly chiding what he really is. A monster like the rest of them, but he's made his choices. Cut the strings attached and left nothing behind. Nothing but a trail to follow.]
[But here, he does as he's asked. Tying together a deal that's been long in the making. With lips that snatched, rolled inward to cushion his teeth and Greed hums. Breathes as he takes her in; ushering her into that too-hot heat that's rich with ash. The after-burn of scotch still on the tongue and it's his own unique brand. A mark to remember and even in the moment, Greed can't help his grin. Couldn't even hide it if he tried, that wet-pull audible. Smooth to the touch and deep down, he knows it's not fair.]
[So he moves away. Gives her air as his skull rocks to the side. Tracing out her neck with the brush of a nose and his tattooed-palm finds her hair. Slides it behind an ear, a gesture to show that he has no intention of stealing her dignity.]
[That's all hers, in the end. And he'll be sure she takes it to the very grave. It's the least he could do, after all.]
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You don't feel so different. [ It really isn't fair. It felt likes years, since anyone had kissed anything but her hand, formal and restrained. This? This made her tremble, made her ache. She hadn't felt so warm, in such a long time, and she knew it showed, but it didn't care. The hand on his jacket slipped up, into his hair as she felt him brush her neck. Just to keep him there, a little longer. Nails sinking in harder than she meant to before she took the breathe she needed to calm her mind once more. ]
If my heart could ache anymore, I think it should kill me [ Just a mutter, quietly said more for herself than anyone else. ]
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[The one thing he aims to swallow himself.]
[He's reminded of an old waltz, then. Their closeness bringing the memory of sour-smoke and barrels of rum. Of smiles to laugh, in taverns encased in wood and his hips find hers in the dark. Melt against, lining up those red lines at his torso. Strange in their design, notching just above his bones to wrap back around. A similar pair at his chest that anchor at the base of his neck and the Sin hums. Something sickly sweet, fogging her skin with the aftermath.]
That'd be a shame, lovely. We've come this far and I make it a point not to hurt women. [So he turns his hand. Away from each strand of fire-gold hair, letting the silky-rough of his skin trace her jaw. As his eyes opened from the bend of his sunglasses, practically aglow under the grace of the hour.]
I'll always be here, if you really want me. It's one of the perks. [The perks and it's a surrender - to be claimed by avarice itself. Chained without the bind, a heavy weight to the bow, but he's not about to strip her. Not about to pick her bones dry and instead, Greed rocks his shoulders back. Shedding his own skin first, that vest tossing from the shelf of his back. Stopping only at the crooks of his elbows and he's the one tied down. Snared his own trap as he feathers teeth and lips down her neck. Following the arch of her spine, gliding her bends.]
Go ahead. Take whatever you want - I'll only do you the favor.
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Hardly your fault, you never broke my heart. [ There were a hundred others and family built on violence to do that. So the remark is tossed, light and amused as she traced the lines up to his throat, curling around them with finger tips and nails. She might never get to do this again, so she was going to take her time. Having him, learning him. And the moment he removes his jacket, she lent forward and kissed the hollow between his collar bones. Tasting skin in a so brief flick of her tongue. ]
You're far to giving to me. [ But she arches slightly under his hands, her eyes slipping close as she enjoyed the way he kissed her. Her lips parted in a gentle sigh.
But he'd said take and she was so good at doing that. With an impatient tug, she pulled him up to kiss him properly again. A hungry thing, because she could devour him like this, as much as he would consume her. Her hands feeling across his shoulders and arms, hanging onto him as she poured every inch of her loneliness into kissing him, her nails scratched and marked little half moons into his skin. ]
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[But nothing mattered but the present and when her hunger takes him, he falls right in. Snarling, that growl of his coming from the gut. Rising akin to the crackling of a new fire - spitting and hissing to the tune a smile and Greed lets his jaws hang open. Tongue only gracing her own and both hands sink away. To make leather and fur wash off him like a twisted baptism, landing with the muted sound of earth and stone.]
[She's digging into him, then and there's a slight laugh at the edge of Greed's tongue. Sort and sweet as his hands flow to her curves. Mapping her out as his eyes had done a thousand times prior and he'll take his time. Have his fill until the very end and he knows very well where this dance will lead.]
[So he coaxes his lips away. Better suited needs to attend to as he hooks a finger into the laces at her front. Twisting with two quick spins of the wrist, twining over the last knuckle to suffocate it. Bringing forth the metaphoric noose and he tightens the wire. Yanks and finally, the weight of his lips find her throat. The very edge of his teeth pricking skin, making her well aware.]
[That he wasn't like them; that he wouldn't leave. Even when everything else had been lost to her, even when she didn't know her own face - he would be there. A demon always to her call, even if she couldn't remember who he was.]
[He'd be there.]
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[ His hands were far too distracting to tell him what she found so amusing, because there was no way she couldn't feel where they trailed. She wonders what he's doing, at least until all the air was forced out in a gasp. Half his name said in surprise, ( and like this, she'd agree, there was no reason to call him by a title ), and then she couldn't get air back, not between the way the laces pulled so tightly. Panting soft, shallow breaths at his neck, as he bit at hers. ]
[ In the end, it didn't matter though. The thought was clear as spanish glass, he was hers, for awhile, as much as she was his. If he let go of her, she'd tumble and fall, she was sure of that much, because she could not be sure of herself at the moment. Needing someone so much, wanting more than was dignified ought to have scared her still. But she couldn't muster enough feeling to care, because nothing else would come, except the soft moan she muffled against his shoulder, a stifled gasp more than anything else. Blood rushed and pounded and she could hardly care, if it meant he kept touching her. ]
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[But it's only for a moment.]
[Because while a hitched-breath is nice, freedom is oh so sweeter. And his mouth opens, spreading tooth for tooth with a hiss of inhale. The last breath of the poisonous before fangs take lace. Shred with a yank of his skull, with the side jerk of his jaws. Snapping to pieces, an animal by any other definition.]
[But there's something more than that; something past carnal urges, past instinct and Greed catches the ribbons with a slow release. Lips dropping as gingerly as a mother to its den of kin and he swipes the collection away. Open to the palm of his hand, disappearing backwards.]
Easy, lovely. No need to hurt yourself on my account.
[It's like the moon is reflected in those eyes; ghostly appeal to the color of purple. Rich and foreboding, dangerous and deadly. Everything he is all out in the open and it's the honesty he's always promised. No hint of the truth flipped, no mask to hide his intentions. The cards out and he's never had the best of poker faces.]
[Smile far too wide, grin far too menacing. The constant drum of it, even when circumstances were less than ideal.]
[But she's right, though. Hot as a Spanish summer and someone, somewhere, could have written for it. Could have predicted this long ago; that the warm-cool touch would summon him to her. When all the lights had gone out, when everything seemed so lost. Hand stretched, a beckoning: as if he had every solution, every fix.]
[For a price, of course.]
[Muscle tenses as he moves to stand. Swiping like ink to the canvas, drawing with every inch, every second passing an eternity. Until he's got his face back to her own and a thick knuckle pushes between the smallest opening at her corset. The strips of lace still holding until a prod snaps and an index hooks in. Similar to a fishing lore at the gaping mouth and he's willing to give her a bit of air.]
Anything you want - after all, it's not like I'm about to judge you, hmn? [Greed says with a tilt. Sending his sunglasses back over his eyes, sinking those purples away to the watery-black. Back to hollow sockets and his smile stretches.]
So go on - shed that skin of yours, gorgeous.
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-- And oh she'd had a hundred men kneel before, pay homage to her like she was some altar. It's fitting that it should mimic that, twisted by intentions as it should be. With him, it is always twisted.
All the same, her smile is hazy as she looks down at him. With more affection as her fingers traced up and down his neck. Her blues eyes dark, with something else than just contentment though. Her lips dark from kissing him. And best that they did this in the night, where secrets could be kept. For so much as she would have to go past guards and her ladies, and the little hints of lust then, would be too much in the day. ]
[ All the same he stood, his request an obvious one. Not surprised so much that he'd asked, because a woman's clothes were more complicated than most liked to deal with -- thus her ladies and her maids.
So she laughed, breathing and light, for she felt that easy enough as her fingers went to her bodice, sliding the already loosened laces apart further.
In the end, she's glad she had worn something simple, something that when she lifted her hands to her shoulders, slipped down easily enough. Not that she looked at herself, but rather kept her eyes on him, using the heat she found there in his gaze to keep her going when the cool night air hit exposed skin. Nervous as she might feel, her pride would come first, and she titled her head up, even as her skirts pooled at her feet.
Her long red hair falling down was enough to cover her. He wanted truth, and he would have it. This was as bare as she could be, in the end. Nothing to hide behind, not now. ]
Well? [ Though she wasn't sure of the question she was asking. If he still found her desirable, still found her something -- to feel such need for. To possess for awhile. Or if he was just going to leave her standing here like a fool. ]
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[Claws too black, following the pitch. Cold-hard carbon that makes the points of his nails thinner, sharper and it's a set of talons. Wrapped in something difficult to break and it's not as if he's about to let her handle everything on her own. That wouldn't be fair and since the evening has been rather tipped on his scale, he's not beneath a favor returned.]
[A jerk of the wrist sends them out. Cat-claws to scratch and he pops the remaining ribbons as the corset falls down. As the skeletal structure widens with the descent and it's wires to the pull. To fray under the pressure, snapping with every release of fabric.]
[But his smile is slightly warm to the question that comes: "Well?" Well, what. As if she expected him to stop and he barks. Loud enough, thunder to crack against his rib-cage, to echo back down into his wicked pit and Greed peels clothing away. From her back and out, only to be dropped in the collection and toed away.]
What? Did you expect me to say no? [The Sin teases, hiss of his voice the flavor of bones-rattling and claws snake up. The faintest touch of light igniting the smoothness, making tips shine as he hooks the nose-piece of his shades. Pulling them away, allowing her to take a glance. To see what's been staring back all this time.]
[They're made with the intention of a viper; with the instinct of something more and slit pupils dilate. Knock like ping-pongs, vibrating as they try to figure out whether to thin or thicken. Whether to stay put and Greed coils around. Slides his claws down her back, making them hop, skip, and jump where he found the proverbial speed bumps.]
Do you even remember who you're talking to, lovely? The name is Greed, after all.
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But she didn't think so.
Even so, she couldn't help tease. Her cool fingers slipping under his shirt, running circles, her lips finding his neck once more and marking skin in short little bites. ] You could leave me here, more fool me. What use would a devil have of me?
[ Though the sight of his two black claws where the hands that caressed her so sent a fever sick thrill down her spine as those talons trace down. They could so easily slit her throat. Like this, she was nothing but soft skin. Defenceless. ( and wasn't that why she so often said no? )
But he was a devil, after all and she had the proof of it now, pressed against her body. Her shoulders tensed for a moment, when all he did was tease her again, she let the fear slip away, her head rolling back as she took the time to enjoy it. God damn her all the same.
Still, when she looked back at him, the amusement was still there. ] Many a man is made of greed, and more than one of them has undressed a woman to find her displeasing to his eyes and not worth having after all.
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[Night-life from his fingertips; to chase down her back, mapping each knot of her spine. Each break of the bone at the smooth side of his claws, the parting of them bringing knuckles back and he jerks his head to line it up with the side of her own. Touching temple to temple, the best way to pay homage.]
[She's right; the description suitable and he's thought about it before. Hell out of his grasp, but he imagines that's where they're really come from. Out of the void and into flesh, birthed by bad blood and Greed breathes into the shelf of her ear when fingers go under his shirt. Skating across muscle and a mild retreat takes hold. Tattooed-palm now painted black, hitching brown fabric to rip it over his head. Shivering the spikes of his hair, a nest of quills and it's like a porcupine poised. Ready to shoot off, only to still when the threat's long passed.]
[And knuckle to knuckle, it falls. Dribbling, the last form of payment, all debts settled. Red to the skin and the same odd lines mark him. They're hot to the touch, the cruel fire she's accused him of being from in every-inch.] Many a man, sure. But remember - I'm not really human.
[The opposite; the basic concept of a human-born illness and he's the disease. Noxious in every flavor, sick with every breath. Poison to the weary and as he brings his lips back to her neck, that free hand shoots out. Jerk-motion of his arm sending his collection of leather bands flinging back. As he gingerly slides a nail down the curve of her hip, down the bump of her backside.]
[All the while, with teeth at the bend of her neck and the Sin hovers his points over a beating-jugular. Letting her pulse vibrate with his own, letting her feel just what sort of monster he really was. 'Shield sliding and smoothing, a tale written on never-ending parchment. A story with no happy ending and Greed hums. Moving in to smother, to drag claws across skin, to rock his hips against her own. A horrible tide coming into shore, bringing with it all the terrible remains.]
[But he's not here to harm or hurt; not here to leave her cold, with only the bitter memories to stale her tongue. No - he's here for far more and as he beckons her into his arms, he's tipping her. Just slightly, so that for once?]
[She can have someone else lift that weight away; someone else to shoulder the burden of those aching feet.]
[Greed opens his jaws slightly, a hiss to caress her skin.] And anyone who would say no to this would be stupid, lovely.
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She murmured it back to him, indistinct perhaps, a mixture of languages because one did not seem enough to describe. But it amounted to the same meaning, breathed against him, over and over with kisses pressed to his skin. ( I want you, I want you. ) ]
You shall not disappoint me, as all men do.
[ A ultimatum, a surety that he would never let her fall. Because this was nothing like what they offered. There was no politics, no cold words disguised as pretty sonnets, no false intentions held by expectations that had to be met. There was just a brutal, encompassing need, and he could not fail her in it, not as they did. They who could not warm her, soothe her, could not give her this truth -- and more base than that, when he rolled against her and she gasped again. Not this time, for air stolen from her, but with the heat that was like canon fire. Her nails raked down his back with viciousness that was not expected from a lady, but expected from a Queen.
With one hand, she could rule, and with the other, she would conquer.
Strange thing it is to be held and still keep her pride, but she would never waste a opportunity. Her leg slid so carefully up his side, forcing to press every intimate part of herself to him. Arms about his shoulders, as she steals a kiss again so briefly. ] Then do not waste me.
[ Her eyes still bright and her lips she knew, stained darker from kissing him. ]
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[They've been doing this too long for it not to come to this; each circling one another, two different harmonies finding a similar pulse and when her nails rake down, his dig in. A waltz all on its very own and he follows her two-step with a three-step. Scratches when she bites, kissing when she begs.]
[She's a ruler and she's made for it. Despite any calls to the contrary and she's right for the crown. But he's not interested in that, oh no. Being a ruler of a country is fine, but being king of the world?]
[That's something else entirely.]
[Her kiss keeps him silent, at least for a while. And as he lowers her to the ground below, he quickly moves to engulf her. Fire to the trail of gunpowder and she lit the match a long time ago. Months prior, when there were others to contend with and she had politely said no, in all manner of speaking.]
I don't plan to - I'm just not that kind of guy.
[When her back finds a solid surface, his claws retract. Instead, to smooth up her leg - jerking it without need of permission this time. Folding it to his back, running it along the jut of his hips, his torso. Melding the two together as his lips meet hers again. Shoving against them, dragging the points of his teeth to stain a darker color. Not to draw blood, of course. But to make them puffy and raw; to toss the curtain back and let her be her for once in her life.]
[Because avarice has no room for lies, no room for petty gestures. Sonnets and songs left to better men - or worse. But Greed didn't need them. Didn't want them. Complications of the court not his forte and he prefers things a bit finer, a bit more open. The underbelly of the world and that's where his kingdom truly lies. On the rough backside of bruised knuckles and terrible grins.]
[The 'Shield threatens to make her nails bounce as it shifts. The fluttering a wicked base-drum, sliding up and down. As if he's giving her the next taste of it and Greed lines his nails up with the inside of her thigh. Sliding back, dragging those deadly points to softer flesh. Chasing lines to a hint of red.]
Show me everything you've got, lovely.
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The moment she settled against the earth, her back arched, her chest rising up, her hands stretched above her head, to give him the space to move his hands. Indulgent, as her leg was drawn around him. Hair sprawled about her head and she craved every way he touched her. A guiltless moan slipping her lips before she could bite down on it.
With her eyes closed, for the time being at least, she could enjoy every place his trailed over. His warmth was a comfortable one, between her legs, and she held him there, shivering as his claws trailed up. Almost too harsh on skin too soft, that had not been touched...
... well longer than was to be considered, either way, it made her frown in concentration, pausing in a breath drawn in. Desperate for something he was taking so long to give her. The next buck of her hips was so much more impatient.
God it felt glorious, to have want and wanting so free, rolling over the surface of her like a wave. ]
Since you asked, my love. [ She used the way her legs were wrapped around him as leverage before she rolled them back. The smirk slipping onto her lips was of pure satisfaction as her hands brace on his chest. A mock lovers tone, because they weren't any kind of sweetheart that poets wrote of. They were crueler, more vain, and more free than anything so simplistic, than that. The smugness and pride settled over her like hair did as it fell about her shoulders.
Smug like she had the finest stallion between her legs, and she had every intent to ride him. Her body more than accustomed to the roll of hips that went with it, all that power under her, like she felt the hundred times she'd ridden. She dipped her body over him, fitting herself against him, her knees either side of his hips and she took her time. Wondering from his lips, to his neck, and she bit like she intended to mark, teeth pulling until she hoped it stung.
Then further down she slipped, along the curious fire hot lines that marked him out from any other man. Her fingertips pressed against the bones of his hips, holding him still as she pressed warm open mouthed kisses to the dip of skin and bone. Not so rough as the ones that preceded it, she took her time. Dragging each kiss out as long as she could, before leaving another and another, a trail from one side to the other. Letters on a manuscript muttered in French and breathed out into him.
It was only after she was done, that she pulled herself back up, pressing her breasts flat against his chest as she lay against him once more. The same smug grin there, pleased with herself. ]
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[Maybe in this situation, he is the prized horse. After months of trying and she's seizing the moment. To ride, to try to break him, and with the roll of her hips, he bucks to meet. As if he's threatening to send it right off, but it couldn't be further from the truth.]
[Elizabeth has always been similar to the kind of fighters he quickly got to know before. When he was stripped down and thrown into another vessel and their ways had been odd. Foreign like the language she speaks, a means to distract with one hand while the other was coming on quick with a blade. To kill with a hidden blow and all of her movements hark to the same.]
[Thankfully, he's not one easily surprised and when she makes kisses down those lines, he raises the temperature. Lets that unnatural heat flare in his arrays and they're similar to the red-hot stroke of a forge. To glisten in intricacies of a blade, to make it unique with the craftsman's own mark.]
Oh-? Didn't think you had it in you, lovely.
[Greed's not one to leave a deal without striking one of his own and claws meet when her breasts press against his chest. Shoving her up with another jerk of his hips, giving only a couple of seconds. Though, he's fast. Enough to settle a knee between spread legs, to let her ride out a thigh as he grinds it against her. Leather to naked flesh, the pool of fabric around them becoming more dense.]
[He takes a moment, though. To show off his collection of knives, slicing through the peeled-off remains. Letting cloth shutter and rip with ease before a palm comes out. To grip one of her wandering hands by the wrist, jerking it above his own skull. Forcing fingers to the spikes of his hair, every sharp point of him at her beck and all.]
[Greed pins it there and sure, it's an awkward angle. But it makes for a slippery slope and as his heels dig into the ground, he's sliding under her. Washing beneath her until her chest is at the mercy of his mouth and the Sin takes in an exposed nipple. Tugging it oh-so-gently between his teeth, tracing the round of it with an ear-tipped.]
[Because he wants to really hear it; everything she has to offer and he'll gladly take it all.]
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But she did not think Greed would shrink from her, for her cruelty. She was in good company. She regretted killing, but she'd never regret being strong. She did this in live defiance of them, of it all. She would be a woman and a Queen and she would lust as much as she reigned with ice in her voice. But the former would be his secret, in the end. And hers.
The press of his leg between hers, was enough to bring another gasp from her, a soft note to join the music between them. Her voice soft, an almost whine as she ground back against him. Wanting more than just that, but it seemed all he was willing to give her. The raw emptiness inside her building up still, where it had been a thought in her mind, now it seemed like a pressure.
Until he moved her and her head dropped by his, head cool against the grass the was underneath them, a hand sweeping across her neck to pull her hair out of the way. The hand not in his hair, curled into the earth instead as his teeth pulled in such a enticing way. Like this, she couldn't find his shoulder to smother herself, as she was so used to doing, couldn't bite down or swallow back the surprised gasped that escaped her, and she breathed out, her words became no more than a moan of pleasure. Strange that her loss of control shouldn't bother her, making sounds better fit for a harlot, but she wouldn't have him stop. Not for her kingdom or her crown, would she have him stop the way he made her whole body forget to breath, to do nothing but writhe against him.
The dirt was going to be embedded under her nails at how she pulled at it, trying to anchor herself back. Their secret. When he'd gone from her again, she'd ask to have this garden made private for her alone. She'd call it her garden of avarice, and her ministers would scold, and her skin would heat as it did now, every time she came here. Her secret, and it made her smile till her toes curled. ]
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[He can hear it, though. All the noises she makes and it's really too good. Far too kind and this is how he steals, how he keeps. Claimed not by chains to rattle or bars to hold, but by whispers that were anything but sweet-nothings. The choke of it raw, the sting of it to burn.]
[There's a smell of fresh dirt in the air when she bites nails in and he follows her. By tilting back his heel, forcing his rolling thigh to a stop. A jerk-still hold to apply the pressure and it's Hell's own game of chance.]
[All in, or all out.]
Sorry, lovely. You've got tell me - what is it you really want, hmn? [Greed's voice comes like sulfur. Too-hot, spewing with that sultry tone that seems to purr at his throat. His lips touching the naked part of her skin and he inhales softly; through his nose as he touches it to her breast.]
[Because while he won't exactly steal from her, he'll take. Snatch up whatever she's willing to give and it always comes to this: the final straw, to make or break a situation: a deal in the making.]
[But while he's demanding, he's not entirely ruthless and one claw extends. The feline to the kill, lining it up at the dip of her tail-bone. He settles there, though, and only trails up when he hears the earth moving again. When dirt grinds and there'll be evidence under her nails for someone else to take care of.]
blaaah sorry if this was terrible fjdfds was half asleep
She was too impatient, always had been, and she made a short noise to that end, her hips grinding down against his when he asked, as if he didn't know what she so greatly wished for. ]
As if you do not know. Would you have me beg? [ Laughing, she pushed at his shoulder. Then she dipped her head and nipped at his ear, her tongue flicking gently and she let out a sigh as his finger brushed across the base of her spine. The shiver working it's way up her flushed and too warm skin.
But she could tell him, keep her dignity and say the truth all the same. It wasn't a command or a demand. Nor was it begging. She expected and knew he would not fail her. That was not how their business worked. Even if instead of secrets of others that they so usually traded, it was heat and selfishness. ] I want to be a woman, for awhile. [ and she nipped at his ear, as if she could not bare the implications of those words, and she would rather sound playful than lonely. ] I want to touch as other women do and be touched the same. [ Not forever, not even until sunrise. But for now, for now it was all she wanted. Like this, without state pressing on her, she could tease and mock and have it all there, sitting below the surface with so little mask to cover it.
Her eyes lowered, admiring his chest, the curve of his muscles, and her finger traced across his collar bone, tapping there. ] I would have you be the one to ease this -- [ the relentless heat, the shivering and it seemed like bottomless hunger that every priest warned against when they spoke of avarice ] -- that you started in me, my love. I want you to be selfish with me. I want to be selfish with you. [ Her head tilted, bemused almost at her own honesty. ] Do I need to say more?
[ It was less, than some men wanted, but more than she had given anyone else. ]
NO IT'S FABULOUS HUN no worries
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