Next bit. I've fit some stuff that's reasonably subtle in here, around the blunt stuff. I'd be interested to hear what people manage to catch:
------------------------
We roll *fast*. I can feel that Kiura really wants to stretch out her racing legs and feel out how she's been touched by the Contract and the Covenant. Somehow I can't seem to summon the will to deny her. We stop for a moment before the highway, so I can hang the dice properly, and then we *really* let her rip.
We're still giggling as we pull into the driveway, half an hour later. It's a *good* thing that the local roads are so empty this time of night. I set her in park, and then we just sit there for a while, buzzing from the endorphins. Finally the rush fades down to a soft glow, and I pull myself out and speak the Parting. Good car. Then I head for the door. Her voice stops me, just as I'm about to leave.
"Hey, Boss - can we do that again a time or two, you think?"
"Well, maybe." Of course, by 'Maybe' I mean 'Yes', and she knows it. Tearing up the asphault was a hell of a lot of fun, after all - but I can't possibly afford to play cop roulette as often as she'd want to. Better to keep things under control.
"Okay. Cool."
I blearily make my way upstairs, and crash.
I dream...sweet dreams. Strange sweet dreams, that leave me happy but confused, that are torn from my mind by the horrible shrieking of my alarm clock.
I struggle my eyelids open, and my still-robed arms reach grimly for the machine. There. That's it. Peace. Now I can...
Wait a moment.
I'm still wearing the Regalia. I've been in ritual gear with an unshielded will all night. Okay. Thankfully, if I'm lucky, no one else ever has to know. Ever. Right. First things first. I check the pockets.... Good. Nothing missing, nothing broken. All of the gear is still intact. Fortunately, I actually *have* appropriate storage in my closet, so I can strip it off before the next part. The Instruments and Substances all go into their warded box, keyed to my lifesign. The Robe has its own special hangar. Then I pull on some boxers, because doing the next part nude? It would be bad. I sit seiza in the center of the room, and cast a circle about myself with a finger and my will upon the carpet. It's not much. Hopefully, it won't have reason to be.
"Spirit born of mind, I call you forth. Awaken, spirit, and show yourselves to me."
Sparkles of glimmering light and wisps of ether wink into existence, and begin to crl in towards me. As they approach, they grow, and accumulate together, until there are streams of spirit wrapping around me. Finally, they coalesce into a shape, of a naked woman, still wrapped around me. Thankfully, back at school, they trained us in how to deal with such things. I do absolutely nothing. I remain perfectly still, in meditative position.
"What would you have of me, Domitor?"
"Spirit born of thought, I request that you remove yourself from this realm. Go forth fromt he material and trouble me no further."
She pouts. I can't see it, but she was called forth from my mind. I couldn't ignore it if I tried. "But I like it here. It's nice. Feels good." She gives me an extra squeeze. "Doesn't it feel good to you?"
"Spirit born of dream, I compel you. Be gone. Go you once more to the Court where you belong, and release those icons which are mine."
"Well, okay. If you put it that way."
Then she squeezes up tight against me one last time, and sticks her tongue in my ear, before dissapating. Finally, I am alone again. I can let myself lose it now. I do so.
Five minutes later, with my breathing back under control, I pick myself back up off the carpet, feeling much better. I pull on pants, perform morning hygiene, and head downstairs. Next stop, breakfast.
There is singing in my kitchen. I freeze for a moment, senses alert. I stay frozen for a while past that, just listening. Her voice is quite nice when I'm not thinking of it as a tell-tale clue for a potentail ambush. Finally, I smile, and enter. She's made pancakes.
------------------------
We roll *fast*. I can feel that Kiura really wants to stretch out her racing legs and feel out how she's been touched by the Contract and the Covenant. Somehow I can't seem to summon the will to deny her. We stop for a moment before the highway, so I can hang the dice properly, and then we *really* let her rip.
We're still giggling as we pull into the driveway, half an hour later. It's a *good* thing that the local roads are so empty this time of night. I set her in park, and then we just sit there for a while, buzzing from the endorphins. Finally the rush fades down to a soft glow, and I pull myself out and speak the Parting. Good car. Then I head for the door. Her voice stops me, just as I'm about to leave.
"Hey, Boss - can we do that again a time or two, you think?"
"Well, maybe." Of course, by 'Maybe' I mean 'Yes', and she knows it. Tearing up the asphault was a hell of a lot of fun, after all - but I can't possibly afford to play cop roulette as often as she'd want to. Better to keep things under control.
"Okay. Cool."
I blearily make my way upstairs, and crash.
I dream...sweet dreams. Strange sweet dreams, that leave me happy but confused, that are torn from my mind by the horrible shrieking of my alarm clock.
I struggle my eyelids open, and my still-robed arms reach grimly for the machine. There. That's it. Peace. Now I can...
Wait a moment.
I'm still wearing the Regalia. I've been in ritual gear with an unshielded will all night. Okay. Thankfully, if I'm lucky, no one else ever has to know. Ever. Right. First things first. I check the pockets.... Good. Nothing missing, nothing broken. All of the gear is still intact. Fortunately, I actually *have* appropriate storage in my closet, so I can strip it off before the next part. The Instruments and Substances all go into their warded box, keyed to my lifesign. The Robe has its own special hangar. Then I pull on some boxers, because doing the next part nude? It would be bad. I sit seiza in the center of the room, and cast a circle about myself with a finger and my will upon the carpet. It's not much. Hopefully, it won't have reason to be.
"Spirit born of mind, I call you forth. Awaken, spirit, and show yourselves to me."
Sparkles of glimmering light and wisps of ether wink into existence, and begin to crl in towards me. As they approach, they grow, and accumulate together, until there are streams of spirit wrapping around me. Finally, they coalesce into a shape, of a naked woman, still wrapped around me. Thankfully, back at school, they trained us in how to deal with such things. I do absolutely nothing. I remain perfectly still, in meditative position.
"What would you have of me, Domitor?"
"Spirit born of thought, I request that you remove yourself from this realm. Go forth fromt he material and trouble me no further."
She pouts. I can't see it, but she was called forth from my mind. I couldn't ignore it if I tried. "But I like it here. It's nice. Feels good." She gives me an extra squeeze. "Doesn't it feel good to you?"
"Spirit born of dream, I compel you. Be gone. Go you once more to the Court where you belong, and release those icons which are mine."
"Well, okay. If you put it that way."
Then she squeezes up tight against me one last time, and sticks her tongue in my ear, before dissapating. Finally, I am alone again. I can let myself lose it now. I do so.
Five minutes later, with my breathing back under control, I pick myself back up off the carpet, feeling much better. I pull on pants, perform morning hygiene, and head downstairs. Next stop, breakfast.
There is singing in my kitchen. I freeze for a moment, senses alert. I stay frozen for a while past that, just listening. Her voice is quite nice when I'm not thinking of it as a tell-tale clue for a potentail ambush. Finally, I smile, and enter. She's made pancakes.