TRP: Anwyll and Raef: Sweet Dreams

**Mink**

[Setting: Castle Day: Night of 357]

Birds twittered and a creek bubbled in the distance behind
him.  In front of him the dogs played,
bounding in and out of the bushes and trees, chasing Tikva as she ran in front
of them.  Her hair was long, her olive
skin dark from the sun.  She looked
painfully like Griffin; she even had the same smile.  Azrael was watching her, smiling.  He whittled something - he was always
whittling or making things.

Raef watched them from a distance.   If he came closer, the scene would shatter
in a thousand blades of glass.  It always
did.

**Coyote**

As Raef watched, the scene shifted. More loved ones
appeared: Hansel came out of the forest with Goro to sit beside Azrael. Larkin
and Jonn hunted something nearby, deeper inside the forest. Theo ran to join
the dogs in chasing Tikva. Gwydion appeared, too. He sat beside Azrael, resting
his head peacefully on Az's shoulder.

A light hand touched Raef's arm from behind.

**Mink**

So many people he knew, people he loved.  It was too many, and he knew that.  Knowing that was a problem because it meant
the dream was over.

"Hey," Raef said, glancing back towards the owner.
"What d'you want?"

**Coyote**

Sometimes, Anwyll was more snake-like. Bestial, with sharp
white teeth and painfully bright golden scales.

Tonight, however, he looked approximately human. His skin
was the same shade of white all the way around with no blush or blemish, giving
him an almost doll-like appearance. Last time his hair was long and golden, but
now it was short.

Anywll cocked his head. "I missed you." He drew
Raef back into his arms.

**Mink**

A shiver chased its way up Raef's spine.  No matter how many times they touched one
another, no matter how many times they caressed eachother, he always
shivered.  He lazily slipped his fingers
down  Anwyll's arm.
"Mmhmm...sure."

**Coyote**

Anwyll lazily watched Raef's family over Raef's shoulder.
"I have a question for you, my delight."

**Mink**

"Hmm?"

**Coyote**

"Why did you trade me your soul?" Anwyll drew his
fingers down Raef's spine. "What do you think I'm going to do with
it?"

**Mink**

Raef's jaw tightened, either from the question or the
careful stroke. "Keep it out of some fuckin' god's hands." Any of
them.

**Coyote**

"Mmm." Anwyll was silent for a time, as if he was
lazily thinking things over. "I think you should come visit me more
often." His hand settled over Raef's stomach. "I need to spend more
time with you."

**Mink**

Raef traced the tips of his nails along the back of Anwyll's
hand.  At first it had been a proposal
he'd ignored, but...his (his) patron had been nothing but persistent, nothing
but sickly sweet in a way that reminded him of distant memories.  In a way that dragged him in the more he
listened.

"You'd have to tell me how to find you first," he
answered, lips quirking into a smile.

**Coyote**

"I can show you how." Anwyll guided Raef
backwards.

The scene around them shifted into Anwyll's lair. It was
chaotic: An enormous, sparkling cave filled with treasures, trinkets, and
stolen things. It did not look like a civilized living space. More like the
hoard of a monster.

There were a few caves leading off in other directions. In
the center of the main chamber, however, there was an enormous bed made of furs
and skins.

Anwyll settled down into it and beckoned Raef over.

**Mink**

The forest vanished to be replaced with...a cave.  It wasn't what he had pictured.  He glanced over the glittering treasures,
stolen trinkets, and finally the bed of furs and skins.  His skin pricked as he walked over.

He crawled into the bed to settle in against Anwyll,
dropping one hand on the demon's thigh.
He still looked around.  It was
nothing like the lithe being beneath him.

**Coyote**

Anwyll rearranged Raef so Raef sat comfortably against him.
“This is the first thing I want to teach you. You have a piece of me inside
you, my beloved. It gets a little bigger each time we speak, or each time you
use my power. Do you feel it here?”

He pressed his hand against Raef’s abdomen.

“It should feel warm,” Anwyll said. “Almost like a living
thing inside you. You should feel... a pressure. Imagine a snake, nestled
inside your chest.”

**Mink**

It was easier to listen to Anwyll's touches, easier to fall
into his embrace.  He tapped his
fingertips down the demon's arm before freezing.  For a second his breath stilled and all he
heard was his heartbeat and Anwyll's soft breaths.

He glanced to the hand resting on his stomach.  No, he had never paid attention to any
warmth,  any heat, but now...now...

A shiver crept through him.
Any words he could think of stalled as they reached his tongue.

**Coyote**

Raef’s expression changed in a funny way, which meant he
felt it.

“So all you have to do is concentrate on that while you fall
asleep,” Anwyll said, pleased. This was good. “Focus on it. And it will let you
come see me. Other warlocks don’t usually have this ability, but.”

**Mink**

He tapped his nails again. "But I'm special?" An
almost bitter smile quirked his lips, his tone sarcastic and filled with a
faint laugh.

**Coyote**

Anwyll smiled.

**Mink**

Raef damn near rolled his eyes, torn between amusement and
worry.  "Great."

**Coyote**

“Do you want to be special?” Anwyll couldn’t keep the
amusement out of his voice.

**Mink**

Raef snorted quiet laughter. "I think I'm good."

**Coyote**

“Mm.” Anwyll rested his head against Raef’s shoulder. “You
have a daughter now. Tikva? Tivka? And that Azrael. What if you could get
stronger? Wouldn’t you want to get stronger? To protect them? What if you could
make sure they were safe? All safe. Anyone you wanted. Forever.”

**Mink**

Anwyll knew where to push, where to poke, needling in and
plucking the tender strings.  Why
shouldn't he?  He was in his head...

Goro's warnings, Hansel's wariness, flitted briefly through
his mind before he let out a soft breath of air. "What's the trade?"

**Coyote**

“No trade this time, my beloved. I just want you to be
stronger. That’s all.” Then he cocked his head. “Well. One trade. But it’s
nothing. I have your soul. Now all I want is your body when you die.”

Then he added, “Briefly. I only need to briefly.”

He kept petting Raef, stroking his hair, because humans
seemed to like that.

**Mink**

Raef stopped fiddling, stopped tapping, spreading his hand
out over Anwyll's wrist.  Distantly alarm
bells went off to be washed away by the letting, by the soothing touches, and
by knowing it would be a very long time before he died.

"Fine, but you'd better fuckin' deliver." He
couldn't threaten the demon, not really, and Anwyll had given him all that he
promised, but...he hadn't fallen all of the way.

**Coyote**

Anwyll broke into a smile. That was good. He really liked
this one. Raef was a little rough around the edges, but there was a deep-seated
wrath inside him Anwyll really appreciated. A single-minded viciousness when he
was getting revenge.

That was why Anwyll picked him, when he noticed Raef’s
desire to kill Bloodgrut.

“Excellent,” Anwyll said. He cupped Raef’s face, still
smiling brilliantly. “Excellent.” He kissed Raef on the mouth once, briefly,
then longer.

**Mink**

A kiss to seal the deal.
It was still amusing, but he tilted his head to press into the first and
then the second, turning to slide just a little closer.  His fingers ran up Anwyll's arm, a familiar
caress over smooth skin that could be laced with rough scales.  He inhaled softly through the kiss.

**Coyote**

—

Once he was thoroughly done with Raef for a while, Anwyll
settled back down. He liked the way that Raef idly petted his scales; it was
soothing.

He check his appearance in a glossy mirror. He’d become more
beastlike during their encounter. Longer hair, thicker scales. Sharper claws.
Normally he’d smooth himself back down and make himself look more human again,
but he didn’t think Raef minded it the way other people did.

He felt the spot on Raef’s chest. It was warm now, and the
power inside Raef felt a little stronger. It was good.

Anwyll admired the marks on Raef’s skin with lidded eyes. It
was a pity they did not carry over to the waking world. He wanted people to see:
Mine, mine, mine.

**Mink**

"A drawing lasts longer," Raef muttered,
stretching his arms back over his head as he lounged among the touseled furs
and skins.  He winced at the sting of
sore muscles and raised welts that followed the route laid out by nails and
teeth.  It wasn't unpleasant, quite the
opposite, and the memory would fade after he woke up.  They always did.

**Coyote**

"Mhm. So it would. Y'know, you don't ask a lot of
questions," Anwyll said, amused. "I like that about you."

**Mink**

Raef let out a soft hum of thought.  "Would you answer if I asked?"

**Coyote**

"Of course, beloved. I'm not trying to trick you. I'm
trying to give you things we both want."

**Mink**

There was always a time to start lying, but Anwyll
hadn't.  Yet. "What do you
want?" He took the bait.  It didn't
matter to him - he was getting what he wanted to finish an unfinished job - but
Anwyll dangled it in front of him.

**Coyote**

Anwyll dithered. He was so excited-- he wanted to tell Raef
the truth, see if he'd like it-- but he wasn't sure. It felt too early. Like
something Raef might stop, if he were so inclined.

"I want to make you stronger," Anwyll said.
"That's all. And in order for you to get stronger, you need to spend more
time with me."

He ran his hand appreciatively down the marks on Raef's
back. "I'm wondering if you'll do some other things for me as well.
Optional things."

**Mink**

Stronger.

He glanced up towards Anwyll before looking back out across
the cave.  He stroked down along Anwyll's
side, feeling the smooth and rough scales.
Maybe those should've worried him, too, but...he was married to an
Orc.  A brief smile tugged at his lips
before fading.

"What things?" That was more pressing than the
scales he pet.  That was more worrying,
making his heart skip.

**Coyote**

"Your friends want to take down the Church of Bane,
right? They have an artifact I want."

**Mink**

Raef lifted himself up, propping himself on an elbow.
"What kind of artifact?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

**Coyote**

Anwyll waved his hand and conjured up an image. It was a
pair of small shears with obsidian handles.

"These," Anwyll said. "I want you to find it,
and, once you get it, I need you to destroy it."

**Mink**

"...shears..." Raef's lips thinned into a line
hiding a smile of amusement.  He settled
back down, resumed his petting without much thought. "That's it?"

**Coyote**

"Yes. That's all, beloved." Anwyll held his face.
"They're dangerous and I think they ought to be removed. That's all. An
enemy of mine would like to use them, and I want to keep you safe from
him."

**Mink**

"Fine." He could do that.  Some of the doubt that crept up flitted
away.  He traced a finger along the
underside of Anwyll's rib. "Who's this enemy?" In case he saw him, in
case Anwyll was right.  In case...in case
he trusted his patron.

**Coyote**

"Pride," Anwyll said.

**Mink**

"...Pride...like..." Raef shivered.  Shit. "...what d'they look like?"

**Coyote**

"It changes." Anwyll's lips curled back, showing
teeth and fangs for a moment, dripping with foamy white bile.

**Mink**

That wasn't fuckin' helpful.
He couldn't keep an eye out if it fuckin' changed.  Maybe Goro or Hans -- no.  He wouldn't ask them.  They'd ask questions and some things didn't
need shared.

"Helpful," he muttered with a soft scoff.

**Coyote**

"He might try to talk to you." Anwyll felt...
angry, about that. Angry about the idea of Pride touching his things. "You
shouldn't talk to him if he does."

**Mink**

"Right.  And how
the hell am I supposed to know who is if he changes?"

**Coyote**

"You'll recognize him. It's the way he talks,"
Anwyll said. His claws flexed on Raef's leg. "He... says things... and
they're reasonable. And he'll try to spell out rules, and... talks to
people..."

It was hard to describe what Pride did. Anwyll hated it.

**Mink**

His nose wrinkled at the dig of claws, only made unpleasant
because Anwyll wasn't pleased and that -- he ignored that thought. "Got
it." He stroked down along Anwyll's side: a soothing touch.

**Coyote**

Anwyll settled. "He doesn't listen. So controlling.
So... ordered, and neat." He seethed, fingers digging in. "I had a
daughter. She was perfect, and lovely, and good, but hungry-- so hungry-- and
so she went to the Mortal Plane and ate, and ate, and ate. And I was so happy
for her. She was doing so well. She was so happy. So good. But Pride. Pride
didn't like her."

**Mink**

The story was familiar, but the thought skidded away with
the growing sting in his leg. "I'll keep an eye out."

**Coyote**

Anwyll nodded. "Good." He let go, then kissed
Raef's nose. "You're my thing, not his."

**Mink**

Raef scoffed. "That's endearing."

**Coyote**

"You are," Anwyll said, kissing Raef's nose.
"My thing. Mine."

**Mink**

"I'm not --" He hesitated, stomach
tightening.  He wasn't a thing and he
wasn't Anwyll's...except he was.  The
warmth settled in his chest, heavy and comforting in a way that made his heart
flutter nervously. His jaw tightened.

**Coyote**

“Not forever,” Anwyll said reassuringly.

**Mink**

The words made his skin crawl. "You need to work on
reassuring," he mumbled.  Maybe it
wasn't forever...but four hundred years was still a very long time.

**Coyote**

"Maybe. I like being honest with you, beloved. You want
me to reassure you some other way?"

**Mink**

Not for the first time, and not for the last, Raef felt that
little tickle, that soft little whisper, of yes.   He tilted his head, rested his fingers on
the side of Anwyll's face and, not for the first nor the last time, he smiled.
"I think you'll have to."

 [End]

Title: Sweet Dreams Summary: Anwyll and Raef have a heart to
heart.  Raef learns more of Anwyll's
desires, and brings a piece of Anwyll home with him.