unknownballad | ❝ I, in my corner, with my monstrous needs ❞

It simply makes sense that Su-jin would go for the soft underbelly. Most predators go for that or the throat, except that there's little in the throat for Su-jin to eat. Go directly for the belly, where there's easy access to the organs. Start there in case he's interrupted. Eat the rest if there's time. Clean up his mess if there's time. Leave no evidence if there's time.

Vena inhales deeply when Su-jin's fingers curl against him. For just a moment, he envisions those fingers digging into him, tearing him open, digging out his organs one by one. He curls his own fingers around the hand on his stomach. "I could. Not only will I survive, but I'll heal as well. Given enough time, I'll heal from most anything, though the process is made faster by sex that would be provided by you."

Well, Su-jin does go for the throat a lot. To prevent his victims from alerting anyone around them. That part isn't for nourishment; it's for survival. At his very core, Su-jin is a predator and, despite his hesitance to be so, he's a very good one when he gives in to those instincts. When he's starved and bordering on feral. Exactly the sort of situation these mysterious Council members wish to avoid.

Suddenly, touching Vena seems too intense, too intimate. He tries to pull his hand away (if the incubus will allow it) to put some distance between them. "I..." How best to put it? He's certainly not repulsed by Vena (who would be? The man is beauty incarnate). "I cannot help you with that."

Both perfect predators in their own ways. Su-jin, built to easily rip through flesh and bone, to devour every last bit of his prey. Su-jin, with his human appearance and intelligence and his predatory instincts. By all accounts, he's perfect. As is Vena. Vena, who can take the form of as beautiful a human as he wants. Vena, who has a power about him that's designed to want him and need him, that's designed to make them continuously come back for more even though he's slowly killing them.

Perfect predators who The Council decided to turn on each other. Smart of them.

Vena allows Su-jin to pull his hand away, leaving his hand to rest against his own stomach for a moment longer before letting it fall back to his side. What he doesn't allow is for Su-jin to put any sort of distance between them. If anything, he lessens the distance between them when Su-jin tries to increase it, stepping in close. "Anyone can. Everyone can. What leads you to believe you're exempt?"

Damn. Of course Vena wouldn't allow him any escape. He didn't seem the sort who is often denied what he wants. How could he be with the innate power he holds? A power that's certainly stronger against mere humans. One Su-jin will find he isn't wholly immune to, either.

He flusters a moment when Vena chases him, moving too close for the comfort of someone who can hear the other's blood coursing through his body, who can smell too much of that enticing scent (perhaps incubi also have pheromones to aid in their supernatural appetites). "I... do not enjoy scenarios where I am prone to lose control."

And, well, he has no experience in that particularly arena.

It's true that Vena is not often denied what he wants. People have a remarkably hard time telling him no. Humans have no real defences against him, nor do some monsters. It can take a little longer and require a little more effort on the part of the incubus, but even then, he usually gets what he wants in the end. He's sure he can count the number of times he's been denied.

So of course he doesn't allow Su-jin any escape. He doesn't allow him to put distance between them, to escape his influence, to stop breathing him in so completely. Besides, Vena has no concept of personal space (not when he'd far prefer to have people in his personal space). He deals in closeness, after all.

"Don't underestimate my ability to take control should you lose it."

Su-jin's still young enough as a monster to instinctively judge based on appearance. Vena may be a remarkable beauty, but he's petite. It's hard for Su-jin to imagine that Vena could handle him when he's lost his senses, when he's nothing more than a hungry monster. It's hard to imagine a lot of what he's experienced in the last century. And yet...

He swallows hard, turning his head to peer away from the incubus. "I have never," he explains in a much more hushed tone.

Su-jin will learn in time that he shouldn't judge based on appearance. Experience will teach him such things. Appearances can't be trusted. Not for monsters. Especially not for demons. Their human appearances mean little. Even their monstrous or demonic appearance doesn't always mean much. He'll learn that Vena's petite, human form hides a powerful demon.

Vena side-steps around Su-jin, trying to keep himself in the other monster's view, all the while looking him up and down with a touch more interest than previously. "You're a virgin," he states rather plainly.

There's so much for a young monster who's been living almost exclusively in survival mode to learn. About himself and about other monsters. As it stands now, he's not even aware of the sheer number of them out there, the variety of them. Demons, creatures from myth and legend. He has no idea that they live and breathe, just as he does. It's still so beyond his realm of experience. All he's ever encountered (that he knows of) are himself, this demon, whatever the Council's envoys might have been (surely no common humans), and Fomorians.

And this demon, small though he is, commanded too much space in Su-jin's mind. He seems to crawl into every sense and linger there, seeping deeper into the crevices Su-jin didn't realize are even there. Beautiful, commanding those around him to look. Entrancing to hear him speak. The scent of him, perhaps unnoticed by humans, trying to drive Su-jin into some sort of frenzy. The brief touch that left Su-jin skittering away... Soft and warm. It's only natural for a creature like Su-jin to then wonder what he must taste like. But Su-jin doesn't want to think about that. Not now or ever. He hates the way he craves the salt and iron of flesh and blood...

Alright, if Vena's going to insist on staying in his line of sight, Su-jin will simply stare over his head.

"Yes." There's no shame in that. He's had more pressing issues to deal with.

Another reason, perhaps, for pairing up Su-jin and Vena. Perhaps their complimentary dietary requirements aren't all that The Council considered when deciding to put them together. Use Vena's experience as a demon who has always been a demon who help to teach the young monster the ways of his relatively new world. Or it could be that it's merely a happy accident. A convenient side-effect of their union.

Ah so Su-jin is already realizing that, for such a small looking creature, Vena takes up a lot of space, so to speak. He has a widely felt presence. There's few places to escape from him without physically removing oneself from the situation. Otherwise it's like trying to hide from a scent in an airtight room. There's simply nowhere to go for fresh air. It allows Vena time and opportunity to poor himself into every available space. It's give him a chance to really start digging in. He allows him to do what his kind do to get what they want.

Vena tips his head up to look at Su-jin, breathing out an annoyed huff when he sees the other is looking clear over top of him. Fine. He doesn't need Su-jin to look at him (though he will. They all do eventually). Sight is hardly Su-jin's only sense. He once again grabs Su-jin's hands, but this time it isn't so soft of gentle. This time he has a firm grip on the taller man. He puts Su-jin's hands on his slim waist and holds them there as he steps in closer. Soon there will be no distance between them at all.

"Give your virginity to me." No, there's no shame in Su-jin still being a virgin. Even Vena doesn't think there is. But that doesn't mean he intends to allow Su-jin to keep it for much longer. "I'm incredibly well-versed in sex. There can be no better partner to lose your virginity to. All you have to do is sit."

The truth is, Su-jin knows this — sleeping with Vena, giving his virginity (as if it's some treasure he covets) to Vena — is inevitable. The Council's whole plan hinges on them becoming sexually intimate. Su-jin will owe that much to Vena once he tears him apart to feast on his flesh and viscera. Watching over the incubus, looking after him while he convalesces will be Su-jin's duty since Su-jin's the one who will be responsible for putting him in that state.

Another truth? Su-jin's always been something of a romantic. He always daydreamed that sex would be something special, far less transactional. Well, daydreams always romanticize reality, don't they? Soften the hard edges and cast it in a warm light. If anything, the last few decades have revealed to Su-jin that there's little hope of a soft reality for him. How can there be softness for something sharp and destructive?

Yet here stands his new reality. Standing there, staring up at him as if expecting an answer (Vena probably does expect a response to his suggestion. That's what it was, not a question). No doubt an incubus of indeterminable age is incredibly well-versed in sex. No doubt, if Su-jin can manage to focus, he could learn a great deal for any potential future partners (can he even imagine having a relationship at this point? No, but at least he can ease into the thought giving himself to this demon). And, no doubt, Vena's had terrible sexual partners before. Surely someone without any experience can't possibly be the very worst of them.

Finally, Su-jin turns his gaze back to Vena. Not looking at him for a matter of minutes threw into sharp relief how painfully beautiful he is. It took Su-jin's breath away. But then he remembers himself and something close to indignity creeps into his face and his voice. "... Now?"

The whole plan hinges on turning the monsters on each other. Though Su-jin could clean up Vena's messes in a pinch, that's not the intention here. They didn't fabricate this union just for Vena to continue doing as he pleases, manipulating and killing humans. Even if his own feeding doesn't need to end in death for his human victim, Vena's not really bothered to show such restraint in the east. He's proven time and time again that he can't be trusted to respect human life.

So the plan hinges on turning the monsters on each other. It hinges on them becoming sexually involved. It hinges on them feeding on each other (Vena isn't particularly inclined to allow Su-jin to tear him open if he isn't getting something in return). And their ability to remain in the west requires the plan working. Though The Council had come up with a solution for Vena previously, they probably won't be quick to give him that option again. It was only temporary until they could find a more permanent solution. Su-jin is his permanent solution. Make it work.

Vena is expecting a response, whether it be words or actions. Agreement or compliance. Those are the options Vena is giving Su-jin. Yes, or yes. Su-jin's lack of experience is of no consequence. It does not change what he wants. He's had partners of varying experience levels over the years (decades, centuries) as well as skill levels. He's had great and terrible. He's had people who thought they were great but had no idea what they were doing. Su-jin will not be that bad. Being a virgin means he hasn't picked up any bad habits yet. It means he's a completely blank canvas, a shapeless lump of clay for Vena to mould.

"Now."

There really isn't a choice in this matter. Now or later, it's going to happen. It's going to happen or a far worse fate awaits them both. Su-jin doubts this Council will simply let them walk out of the West if they fail to make this partnership work. Thus far, there's very little that Su-jin hasn't recovered from. Surely, he can survive long-term exposure to an incubus. No one said they have to live together. Distance will let him recover from the sensory overload that is Vena.

It could work. It will work.

He swallows hard again, eyes still fixed on Vena. Su-jin's hands tighten at the incubus' waist. This will work because they'll make it work. Give and take. Feed on each other for the rest of eternity like an ouroboros. And it all begins now.

"No," he says softly. "You can't simply have me. Teach me."

Surely, Su-jin is hearty enough a monster to survive prolonged exposure to a creature like Vena. Surely, Su-jin can recover from Vena feeding on him just as Vena can recover from Su-jin. And with time spent apart from one another, Su-jin can prevent Vena from becoming a permanent fixture in his mind. He can take the time and space required to flush as much of the incubus from his system as he can.

They can make it work. They're going to make it work.

Vena's own eyes drop for an instant when Su-jin's hands tighten and he inhales deeply, gaze slowly moving back up Su-jin's body to his face. Give and take. That's the only way this will work. It's the only way to comply with what the Council wants. Vena will give Su-jin his body, and take Su-jin's in return. There won't be one without the other.

At Su-jin's initial refusal, Vena presses his lips together indignantly. Not only is he refusing the incubus what he's decided he wants, but he's refusing a regular source of nourishment for himself. He's refusing survival. What a stupid, ridiculous creature.

"Teach you?" So he is choosing life. "Mine is a hands on lesson."

If this is something they have to do, he may as well use it to his best advantage. There's also some small satisfaction in that look on Vena's face. Who knows how old the incubus is and he's probably heard 'no' so infrequently he can count the times on one hand. Yet here stands some young monster with the audacity to tell him 'no.'

At least, no it can't be one-sided. Su-jin can't feast on Vena's flesh without giving his own. It's a fair trade, but Su-jin doesn't want to be simply a means to an end. Vena's a sex demon, surely he can teach Su-jin to be more than an inanimate object in the act.

Su-jin's hands tighten even more, hinting at the inhuman strength behind them. "My hands are on."

Vena's certain he's only heard the word 'no' less than a handful of times. So infrequent is the occurrence that he's sure he can still recall every detail of each separate event. He usually surrounds himself with humans, and humans aren't exactly built to ward off something like Vena. They're weak willed. They can't help themselves.

But something like Su-jin is built to survive. He can clearly hold out against an incubus longer than a human can. Vena hates that. He wants to change it, which means staying near him long enough to infect his mind and make him compliant like everyone else. Long enough so that he never even considers saying 'no' to Vena again.

Vena inhales sharply when those hands tighten even more at his waist. It's not an unpleasant feeling though. Far from it, actually. And besides, he isn't as breakable as he looks. He can handle a little show of strength from the young monster. He'd even like to see more of it and put it to some proper use. "They are. Right where I put them, when my entire body is yours to explore."

Once more, Vena looks toward the bed in the room (a bed more than large enough for two. Hardly a coincidence, he's sure, much like the fact that they were set to meet at an inn) and then back up at Su-jin. "Never mind. Take your hands off of me and go sit."

No coincidence at all. Even Su-jin realizes that. This arrangement is meant to begin immediately. Something that also needs to begin immediately: Su-jin setting boundaries. A soft and submissive creature he may be but...

His grip doesn't loosen on Vena's waist. "I'm not your servant to command," he points out. Is that his way of saying 'ask nicely'? Perhaps it is.

Let the monsters immediately grow accustomed to how they're meant to interact with one another from now into the end of days. Let them get used to their new arrangement. Make sure they really are compatible, otherwise they have to be dealt with. Again, make it work. Figure out how to make it work. Or else.

Vena's eyes slowly drop to the hands still firmly on his waist. He didn't feel so much as a muscle twitch in the face of his demand. Another refusal so soon after the last. Vena breathes out a rather loud, exasperated sigh, and looks back up at the insolent creature for the express purpose of making sure that Su-jin can see him roll his eyes. "Take your hands off of me and go sit," he repeats, and considers simply leaving it at that once more. He sighs again, this time a little less dramatically. "...please. You're tall."

That wasn't so hard, was it? Almost the instant the word please died on Vena's lips, Su-jin releases his hold. A little civility will go a long away with him. They may never be equals in his eyes or Vena's (their difference in age and experience makes that's nearly impossible), but Su-jin won't allow himself to be treated like a slave.

At some future time, Vena pointing out such an obvious fact as 'you're tall' will be met with sass. However, now is not that time. He nods once and moves toward the bed to sit. He presumes that's where Vena means for him to go. Rather than sit there stiffly, he extends a hand to invite Vena closer (as if he needs such an invitation).

It was excruciatingly difficult. Vena has never needed 'please' or 'thank you' before. He's always gotten what he's wanted without having to be polite about it. Some even seemed to prefer that he wasn't. He looks back down at his own waist, now free of Su-jin's hands, and mutters something under his breath that could almost sound like a 'thank you' to anyone who's paying close enough attention. Despite his aversion to the words.

Reaching out to take Su-jin's extended hand, Vena makes his way toward the younger monster, climbing onto his lap. He sits on his knees, straddling Su-jin, and releases his hand to drape his arms over Su-jin's shoulders. "I'm not going to say 'please' every time I give you an instruction." Though he will drop the sharp severity from his tone, make it sound more like a request or a suggestion than a command. He'll even try to phrase things a little differently.

"Put your hands back on me." Wait. No. "You can put your hands back on me."

Please and thank you? Yes, Su-jin most definitely heard it. The perks of being an apex predator with heightened senses. He can also hear so much of what's going on just beyond their door. He's had time to get used to that keen hearing, time to learn to focus and not let it become a distraction.

It's hard to be distracted with such a large presence before him. Vena's aura fills up all the available space, commanding attention without any effort on his part. The scent of him... Su-jin's sure he'll learn it and learn how to keep it from overpowering his thoughts. Despite that vast presence, he's small and light astride Su-jin's legs. Unlike the sort of men Su-jin's fantasized about it. Vena hardly has the shape or (apparent) strength of the laborers working in the fields. But he is irrationally beautiful. It's easy for Su-jin to see how weaker-willed creatures would fall under Vena's spell in an instant.

He's tentative, but Su-jin once more brings his hands to Vena's waist. It seems a safe and comfortable way to touch the older monster. They linger a moment before slowly creeping up the incubus' sides. It's as bold as Su-jin feels he can muster without more guidance.

Who ever said that old dogs can't learn new tricks? Especially when those tricks seem to be standing in the way of the dog and what he wants. Getting it to actually stick may prove to be a bit of a challenge, but he's at least somewhat receptive to the change. That's not to say that he won't push back or test his limits, but he's receptive to the idea of maybe being polite once in a while.

Vena slides himself further up Su-jin's legs, not yet pressing his body against that of the other monster, but not far from it either. It's almost funny how different their ideas of what will come of spending more time with Vena are. Su-jin and his surety (hope) that he will grow accustomed enough to Vena's assault on his senses to keep it from overtaking him. Vena and his belief (hope) that overtaking him is exactly how it will end. He wants Su-jin to be all his, body and soul.

Breathing in deeply, Vena's eyes flutter and briefly close. Though Su-jin is hardly being bold with where he puts his hands and how he moves them, it's a good start and once that Vena is enjoying. Maybe a slower build up with the virgin monster won't be so bad.

"You can put your hands under my clothes. Get used to the feel of my bare skin under them." His tone is actually rather soft, like that of a patient lover instead of a hungry incubus. See? He can sound less demanding.

Edited (tiny rewording of the dialogue~) 2024-12-12 01:03 (UTC)

Too close for Su-jin's comfort. Too close for a young and reasonably isolated monster monster whose senses are too sharp. So close Su-jin can feel the heat rolling off his body, can feel every subtle shift of muscle, the very movement of Vena's blood in his veins. And, oh the smell of him! While Vena breathes in deeply, Su-jin tries not to. It's instinct more than a conscious choice — one that doesn't last long. He's a monster, but he needs to breathe. A most unfortunate thing in instances like this.

More than just needing to breathe, Su-jin sucks in a sharp breath at Vena's suggestion. There's no way the incubus can know that he's kept a very firm boundary between himself and others since the monster woke in him. Su-jin can barely remember a time he's touched another's skin when he wasn't also tearing through it with teeth and claws. It's... an uncomfortable thought combined with the atmosphere in this room and the growing tension between them.

Su-jin swallows the lump in his throat. There's a long enough span of time between what Vena said and any action on Su-jin's part to betray his hesitation. Maybe the reason for ti can be guessed. Or maybe Vena doesn't care to speculate on it the matter when he's trying to push them in a more physically intimate direction. There isn't any question of how this is all going to go. It's simply a matter of how long Su-jin's inexperience and hang-up prolong the encounter.

"I... I haven't touched another's skin outside of feeding in a very long time..." Even as he explains, his hands move to find their way under whatever might be between them and Vena's torso.

If Su-jin thinks this is too close now, what of what's too come? How will he feel when there's no space left between them? When nothing separates them and the two monsters are joined together as one? How will he cope when their bodies are so twisted up together that there's no telling where one ends and the other begins? Vena pulls his hands forward, dragging them along the sides of Su-jin's neck and then down his chest. Keep him fully engaged. Make sure that nothing can happen outside of that door that will pull focus from the incubus. Be certain that there is not an event large enough outside of that door to keep Vena from being the centre of Su-jin's world.

Vena tips his head from one side to the side as the silence stretches on and the placement of Su-jin's hands remains unchanged. No real acknowledgement, just what appears to be hesitation. Not terribly surprising from someone who's never before been intimate with someone. Vena's seen it time and time again with those whose virginity he's taken over the years. It hasn't been everyone, but enough for it to feel common. Apprehension and hesitation, though it never lasted long. Just long enough for the incubus' power to overtake them.

Of course this one is far more resilient than any human. He won't be as easy to sway at a human, but Vena is willing to put in the time to make that a reality. That does mean, however, that his power won't be so effective at easing Su-jin's mind in this moment, so Vena is ready to coax him into action with words and actions of his own when the young monster's hands find their way beneath the oversized undershirt he's wearing, taken from the monster whose bed he's been sharing. The last handout given to him by the Council. The last monster who's had his chance to play by the Council's rules and has now been given to the incubus to use until there's nothing left. The last one because he has Su-jin now. Now and forever.

"All the more reason for you to grow accustomed to the sensation," he purrs as he runs his hands down Su-jin's arms, down and down until his own hands are resting on top of Su-jin's, on top of the shirt. "Get used to touching me for reasons beyond simply tearing me open." He squeezes Su-jin's hands and then puts his own back on those broad shoulders. "You can eat me later." When they aren't at some filthy inn. When they're somewhere Vena can heal from his wounds in peace. "I get to eat you first."

Under some other circumstance, that wouldn't have been unreasonable request. Even now it's not wholly unreasonable so much as... distasteful to Su-jin. Su-jin, a romantic who used to fantasize about love and intimacy. This all feels so... manufactured. It's a necessity for their mutual survival (well, Su-jin's survival, perhaps more comfort for Vena). There's very little to romanticize a necessary function. Poets don't write about the beauty of breathing or blinking.

And yet...

With high heightened senses and Vena's own passive ability to draw others in. It's probably far easier to push that thought aside than it should be. While Su-jin may be more resistant to Vena's natural gifts, he's not immune. He has no experience with sex on top of that, making him, perhaps in this moment, more vulnerable to the incubus' charms. So the thought of being physically affectionate with him outside of sex has its appeal (especially to a romantic!).

Vena's skin is soft and warm. Perfect, without any flaw Su-jin can notice. Definitely softer than the field laborers he used to day dream about. A body indicative of a privileged creature, one who didn't have to labor under the sun. But not so soft as to be completely gripped by sloth. How much of that is simply the result of what Vena is and less of his lifestyle? Vena's no human, after all.

Slowly, with less hesitation and more a simple want to feel and discern what he can, Su-jin's hands move. Over the softest part of Vena's belly, to the protective bones housing his most vital organs. His fingers splay, eyes falling closed the longer they explore. Curious fingertips brush over his nipples, trace lines of bone and cords of muscle just beneath the flesh. Beautiful, like a sculpture come to life.

But Vena's words pull him back, if only for a moment. You can eat me later. It's been long enough that his hunger is contact, but not overwhelming. So is there any surprise if that offer makes Su-jin salivate? Later, of course. He's no longer traveling on the road with vast expanses of terrain suitable for hiding the grotesque evidence of his unnatural hungers. Tearing Vena apart here? No, it would be impossible to hide the mess. Impossible to remove Vena's eviscerated body from the in to take him somewhere safe to convalesce. Su-jin's hungry, but he's not lost his mind from it yet.

When his eyes open, they're different than before. Still dark, but only because the pupil's blown wide. The rest? Growing redder and redder as his monster awakens. As his hunger (both literal and otherwise) grow. "Teach me what you like."

Edited (typo) 2024-12-26 01:04 (UTC)

Vena has never felt love and has only ever faked the sort of intimacy that others want. He's felt love from others, but never felt love for others. Everyone he's been with has loved him. They felt for him what they thought was a very deep, very real love. Maybe in time Su-jin will feel the same. It won't be real love or romance, but by that point, Su-jin wouldn't know the difference. It would all be real enough to him. Until such a thing comes to pass, Su-jin will have to do without. Unless Su-jin finds someone to supplement the feelings that Vena will never feel for him, Su-jin will have to do without.

As Su-jin's hands start to move over his body, Vena's eyes flutter and then close. Hands moving over perfectly unblemished skin which is always warm to the touch. The sort of warmth that humans seem to crave. The sort that invites them in, only to never let them leave. His skin also bears the sort of softness that simply begs to be touched. Can one truly appreciate it without feeling it for themselves? Every part of him is meant to be enticing. Carefully chosen. Vena's body is not a result of his lifestyle, his lifestyle is a result of his body.

Vena begins to breathe more deeply as Su-jin's hands continue to move, as they continue on with their exploration, breath catching when those wandering fingers pass over his nipples. This is agonizingly slow, but he does so enjoy being touched, when it seems his partner for the evening (not just for the evening this time. Forever) is truly appreciating his body the way it's meant to be appreciated. They're always so eager to show off their sexual prowess like Vena hasn't seen it all before. It is what he's after in the end, but that's not to say that he doesn't want to play with his food first. Or to have his food play with him. It's agonizingly slow, but he doesn't hate it.

Opening his eyes to watch the other monster, Vena slides himself ever further up Su-jin's legs, closing that last bit of distance between them, leaving space only for Su-jin's wandering hands. It puts him close enough to see the full effect of the change in Su-jin's eyes. He lifts his hands to Su-jin's face, using his thumbs to gently stroke the skin just beneath the monster's eyes. "I like to be touched, as you're doing but also... more. I'm made to be touched. I'm made to be fully enjoyed. I like the feel of my partner's skin against mine. I like a strong partner who isn't afraid to show me his strength. I like it when my partner doesn't hold back. I've always found my partners to be at their best when they stop trying to hold anything back."

❝ I, in my corner, with my monstrous needs ❞

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