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Even in the middle of the crowded market, the slumped figure of the Ascian stood out like a sore thumb. The Au Ra stared from where she sat on the railing with a sandwich halfway to her lips. Eyes narrowed as she wondered what he could be doing in the Crystarium—surely he was aware she and the others had taken a break from hunting the Lightwardens? Didn’t he have something better to do? People to pick on? Empires to establish?
Seemingly not. The ex-Emperor wandered through the stalls as if it were no more than an afternoon stroll. Her eyes followed the Ascian and watched him peruse each merchant's wares. Now and then, she caught sight of a sneer that curled his painted lips or an abrupt shake of his head that tousled his already messy hair. The Warrior of Light and Darkness could practically hear his mockery.
She watched him pause at a nearby stall displaying ornately carved and painted figures. He picked one up with a gloved hand—a black cat with eyes that gleamed like sapphires—and turned it over before unceremoniously placing it back among the others. The Au Ra hopped down from her perch as the man walked away from the merchant's goods.
"What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be interested in mortal crafts," she observed.
Emet-Selch walked past the woman, stealing her sandwich as he did so. She stared in stunned silence as he took a bite and gave her a dismissive wave over his shoulder.
"It's a superiority thing, hero. You wouldn't understand," he said around the mouthful.
Her hands balled into fists and shook in her annoyance; her tail trembled as an extension of her emotions. The Warrior hurried after him. She snatched the sandwich back, carefully tucking the filling back between the bread slices before they could fall out. He shot her a gilded glare, but she spoke first.
"So superior you'll just steal sandwiches?" she spat and took an angry bite. "Too lazy to just snap up one of your own?"
She finished by mimicking the motion. It earned another set of daggers from the Ascian's eyes, but she stood her ground and held his gaze. Without a word, Emet-Selch snapped.
The Warrior braced herself, but nothing happened—at least to her . The sandwich, on the other hand, vanished only to appear in the Ascian's grasp. He pointedly locked eyes with her as he took a slow, deliberate bite.
The Au Ra launched herself at him with a flash of pearlescent scales and a harsh growl. His hand shot up, easily keeping the sandwich out of her reach as she scrabbled up his torso. His other hand slipped between the winged horns framing her face and tried to push her down. She ignored his attempts and even nipped at the gloved hand as she stretched one arm up towards her sandwich. He spat back a curse in what she could only assume was Garlean.
"And you wonder why I call you 'savages'," he sneered. "Attacking me over a sandwich like a little beast."
"You stole it first you three-eyed weed!" she snarled into his palm.
"You're one to talk, you overgrown lizard . Do you really expect me to think you made this yourself? It reeks of that half-crystalized mummer."
"He made it for me! Not that you'd know what that's like."
Emet-Selch grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, somehow finding purchase despite her scales, and peeled her off his body. The sandwich vanished as he held her up to eye level. Unfiltered hatred burned into her from his eyes. In that moment, the Warrior realized he had dropped his typical act to show a morsel of his true thoughts. His lips parted to squeeze out a warning, one word at a time.
"Watch. Your. Words. Hero ."
The last word sounded more like an insult and dripped with venom. Despite the sudden change in demeanor she refused to be cowed and held his gaze. She even grabbed the red sash that crossed his chest and pulled herself closer until their noses touched.
"Why should I? If you call me a savage, I'll act as barbaric as one. And it seems this savage lizard struck a nerve in the all-powerful Ascian," she observed. "Don't tell me I was right. Has no one so much as made you a sandwich, oh great Emet- Selch ?"
Aether tugged at her limbs, holding her in midair for the brief moment it took Emet-Selch to grab her by the front of her shirt. His lips curled back in a sneer as he straightened to his full height and drew her along to keep them eye to eye.
“Such big words from an imperfect, broken husk,” he hissed. “Are you so simple-minded that you grow imperious at the thought of me never being made a sandwich? Or is this evidence of something deeper at play? Something that won’t be resolved even with a hundred Rejoinings? Is it some innate fear or failing you keep buried deep where others can’t find it? Are you so irreparably shattered that you hide it even from the rest of the sundered insects?”
“Imperious?!” she shouted, twisting the sash tighter in her grip and pulling herself upwards until his third eye pressed against the scales of her forehead. “That’s rich coming from the founding father of the damned Garlean Empire! No wonder they’re all fucked up if they called you father!”
“And what would you know about fathers?!” he snarled.
The retort froze the Warrior in place. Her hold on the sash tightened until her knuckles turned as white as her scales. She bared her teeth and snarled back.
“How did you know? Who the fuck told you?”
It was less a question and more of a demand. The Ascian’s painted lips curled into a satisfied smirk at seeing her fury on full display.
"Struck a nerve , have I?" he asked, voice dripping with mockery. "So the little savage has a father-shaped vulnerability."
Hot tears sprang to her eyes at the thought. She grit her teeth and blinked them away, focusing her white-hot anger on the Ascian.
"At least he was a good man," she forced through her teeth. "He was caring and gentle. He risked his life making sure we would be safe from your Empire. What good have you ever done?"
Darkness erupted from behind the Ascian only to swallow them both whole, blinding her to everything. Her only point of reference was the sensation of Emet-Selch’s hands firmly holding her up. The world spun until she suddenly felt something hard press into her back. The darkness faded to reveal a dark, secluded alley in an unfamiliar city.
The Ascian’s golden glare seemed to almost glow in the darkness—fueled by the fury within—as he leaned towards her. Somehow she felt his presence tower over her and go beyond his physical appearance.
“ Everything I have ever done was for the good of my people,” Emet-Selch hissed. “Broken and shattered as you are, your mind cannot begin to comprehend what I have sacrificed—what I have lost . Lifetime after lifetime filled with naught but incremental advancements and major setbacks. Hollow victories that are then erased by ephemeral insects like you who name us villains.”
“What else are we to call you?” she retorted. “You’ve killed countless innocents between your Rejoinings and your own Empire.”
“Don’t act as if your hands are clean, hero . What is a hero, but the opposing side’s villain? How many Garlean conscripts have your magicks killed? Innocents forced into servitude with the promise of citizenship. How many widows and orphans have you —”
A slap prevented Emet-Selch from completing the question. He stared at the Raen woman. Moments later, it hardened to a glare.
One of his hands darted up to her neck. The grip tightened while his face twisted into a sneer. The Au Ra grabbed his wrists in an attempt to leverage some of her weight out of his hold. Plans to free herself scrambled through her mind as she struggled to get a proper breath. She gasped, digging her nails into the sleeves of his jacket.
Seizing the opportunity, Emet-Selch lunged forward for a kiss. His hands eased their grip in favor of cradling her head; they slipped up so her horn slid between his thumb and forefinger. The former rubbed the base of it, drawing a soft sound from her throat and sending a chill down her spine. His teeth caught her lower lip as he broke the kiss and pressed his body against hers to hold her up. His hardening erection was obvious despite the layers of clothes between them.
"That slap wasn't very heroic," he smirked.
"Aren't I your villain ?" she hissed.
Her hands pulled on his clothes before one darted to the longer strands of his hair. A sharp tug twisted his head to the side, baring his neck to her. The bump in his throat bobbed as he swallowed and released a breathy chuckle.
“Is this how you wish to play? Very well.”
His fingers dug into the skin at the base of her neck. With a decisive pull, Emet-Selch brought her in while he lunged for her throat. His teeth found purchase in the rough scales protecting her soft skin. A moan vibrated through the woman as he thrust his hips against her. An unbidden moan slipped out of the Au Ra. Hands grabbed her by the shoulders so Emet-Selch could rearrange her against the wall with his knee between her thighs.
The Warrior seized his shoulders. She twisted the fabric of his jacket in the fingers of one hand. Her other hand grabbed at the back of his neck and dug her nails into the short hair there. Emet-Selch hissed against her skin at the pain.
A snap echoed somewhere to her left. Tendrils of darkness sprang from the wall behind her. They wrapped around her wrists and yanked her arms flush against the wall. She gasped as more squirmed from the wall to seize her legs, claiming her weight from where it sat on Emet-Selch's knee.
The Au Ra strained against the tendrils. Her body arched away from the wall in her attempt, but the restraints held fast. She half-expected them to bite into her wrists and legs; to her surprise, they had a strange give to them that merely limited her range rather than cut her skin. Emet-Selch took a step back to admire her; his finger slowly traced a path down the center of her chest as his arm fell to his side.
"Dark tendrils are more of a villain's thing, aren't they?" she spat, renewing her attempt to break free.
A slow, menacing chuckle rumbled within Emet-Selch as he took his time peeling off his gloves. Painted lips twisted into an arrogant smirk.
"I never claimed to be a hero in your story. I am well aware of what I am to you and intend to play that part until the end of our little mummery."
“Is that how this has to go?” she countered. “No sweet embrace between lovers?”
For the briefest of moments, Emet-Selch hesitated before his smug mask slid back into place.
“This is how it must go between us.”
Another snap disintegrated the clothes from her body. She reflexively tried to cover herself or twist away from his view, but the tendrils kept her in place. His golden gaze swept over her as an appreciative hum fell from his pursed lips.
"Not bad. Adventuring suits you, hero ."
She growled and fought against the restraints.
"Are you so scared of what I can do, Emet-Selch ?" she demanded, spitting his name like a curse.
"Terrified," he whispered with a smirk.
The Ascian closed the small gap between them. The fur of his jacket tickled her skin while the cool, metal ornaments dug into her. One of his hands came up to caress the woman's cheek as his face drew closer.
With a quick jerk, the Warrior slammed her forehead against his. Pain radiated through her skull from the force as they both cried out. Emet-Selch stumbled back a few steps, bringing his hand up to his third eye. A snarl twisted his face and accompanied the glare he shot the woman. It vanished within moments, replaced with his characteristic smirk.
A snap. A cool tendril slid around her neck, pulling her head upright. The sensation of another, slightly thicker one slipping around her torso and under her breasts made her gasp. The tendril around her neck tightened; her mouth gaped in an attempt to refill her lungs. It suddenly relaxed and allowed air to flow into her burning chest. She gulped the air down in relief as her chest heaved against the tendril holding her torso against the wall.
Emet-Selch slowly approached her restrained form. He brought his right hand up to his mouth. Two fingers slid past his lips while the tendrils holding her legs pulled them apart. His eyes narrowed into lazy slits as he moaned around his digits in anticipation. Her own gaze fell to the erection she could see under his robes. The Au Ra suddenly realized what the Ascian had planned… and she squirmed to the best of her ability in the tendrils’ hold.
Fingers slick with saliva slipped between her legs. Exposed as she was, they easily slid between her folds as Emet-Selch grabbed her shoulder with his other hand. His fingers delved deep, drawing a gasp from her lips that quickly turned into a moan. The tendril around her neck slowly tightened as his fingers began to pump in and out of her. She tried to squeeze her thighs around his hand, but the other tendrils impeded the attempt. Her hands clenched and released, wanting to grab at the Ascian—to tear at his clothes and even the playing field. A whine built within her quickly closing throat alongside her frustration at being unable to do anything more than enjoy the sensation of his fingers—
His lips suddenly brushed against hers with only the slightest interruption to the hand between her legs. The tendril relaxed, granting her air. Her lips parted to gulp down a breath just before Emet-Selch captured her mouth in a hungry kiss. His fingers continued to work and tease her while his tongue found hers. She moaned into the Ascian; he moaned in return when she clenched around his fingers. He tried to pull away, but she caught his lower lip between her teeth.
Their gazes met. She smirked as she slowly released his lip.
“Is thi- iiiss the best you can do?” she taunted. “It’s nnn -nice, but I’ve had better. Ohh , Emet-Selch, don’t tell me a broken husk of an Au Ra was a better— Ah !”
His fingers thrust back into her as far as they could go, making her cry out. She clenched around the slicked digits as her fluids flowed down his hand. The Ascian kissed her again; his body pressed against hers allowing her to feel his erection once more. The Au Ra moaned into him and squirmed as well as she could in her restraints.
“Are you actually going to use that or is it just for show?” she asked in a thick voice, coming down from her high.
Emet-Selch smirked and took a step back. A whine left the Warrior before she could stop it; the sound drew a chuckle from the man as he lifted his skirts to his waist. Deft fingers still coated in her fluids worked on unfastening the buttons on his strained pants. A moment later, he freed his erection with a relieved groan; her muscles reflexively clenched at the sight of him. Begging pleas nearly flew from her lips, but she bit her tongue and held them back. His smirk widened into a taunting grin.
“No words for me, hero?” he asked, slowly closing the small gap. “Nothing more to say to your dear villain?”
Her chest constricted in response, choking off any witty retort she would have made. All the Au Ra managed was a soft whine as she flexed against the restraints and the sudden emptiness between her legs. When he came to a stop in front of her, Emet-Selch’s hands firmly gripped her waist. His fingers dug into her skin and scales, inciting a moan and reflexive roll of her hips. He leaned forward until his lips brushed the edge of her horns; she shivered at the thought of them pressed against her neck once more and his teeth—
With one swift thrust, the Ascian hilted himself within her. Her mouth fell open in a silent moan as the air caught in her lungs. Her fingers curled until she formed fists and she tried to pull herself free of the tendrils' holding her back. Emet-Selch remained still inside her as he waited—the tips of his fingers lightly traced the edges of her pale scales in an almost loving manner while she grew accustomed to his size and clenched around him.
" Fuck you," she moaned, trying to squeeze her legs together.
Emet-Selch chuckled as he slowly withdrew. A whine built in her throat just before the tendril tightened its grip. His hand lifted to apply additional pressure to it while she squirmed once more at the emptiness inside her. A faint smirk curled his painted lips.
"Fuck me ? No, hero." He thrust without warning as his lips twisted into a snarl. "Fuck you ."
She tried to cry out—to give voice to the emotions building in her chest—but the tendril and hand cut the sound short. The Warrior's eyes drifted closed just before the tendril and hand released, granting her fresh air. She inhaled only to exhale a trembling moan as the man settled on a rhythm of almost fully withdrawing before thrusting to his root.
The tendril withdrew while the pace quickened, leaving only his fingers curled around her throat. They slowly applied pressure, but stopped short of silencing her ever mounting cries. His own, low grunts soon joined in, nestling below the sharp sounds of skin striking skin. Hearing the Ascian voice his own pleasure spurred the Warrior on to cry louder—which only served to make him move quicker and more roughly.
She tensed around his length, hands clenched into fists as she let out a final moan. The tendrils holding her against the wall dropped her into his arms as he sought his own release. Finally freed, the woman clung to him, wrapping numbed legs around his waist and held on to him with sore arms so she could twist his hair in her fingers. He snarled as she tugged on the dark strands of his hair and pushed her against the wall.
Moments later, Emet-Selch tensed with a decisive grunt before letting her relax into his hold once more. The tendrils from the wall reached out and began to slowly rub her sore arms, legs, and neck. Her eyes drifted closed as lips pressed against her cheek, jaw, and then neck. Soft-spoken words reached her, but sleep intercepted—well on its way to carry her off to darkness.
The Warrior bolted upright in bed. Hands flew to her neck, nearly smacking herself with how easily they obeyed. Her gaze scoured the room—before realizing she was safe within her suite at the Pendants. Moonlight shone in from the open window, revealing she was alone in the room. With a sigh of relief, the Au Ra allowed her hands to fall into her lap.
“Was it just a dream?” she asked the night.
Fingers cautiously investigated her wrists where she recalled the tendrils wrapping tightly as they held her against the wall, but found nothing—not even the slightest bruising. The woman pulled back the covers tucked closely against her form to find her legs in a similar state. Resigned shoulders slumped as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“Just a dream, then,” she said softly. “But why would I dream of him ?”
Shaking her head, the Au Ra stood and crossed over to the writing desk at the foot of her bed and the pitcher of water she kept there. The woman’s hand froze halfway to pouring herself a glass of water.
On the desk, beside the pitcher, sat a plate with a sandwich.
And three bites taken out of it.