Heart of Life

Nymphomania

"A Cretan Bull. Unbelievable--I didn't even know they had human forms," you growl, shouldering Loren like a sack of potatoes--or a corpse. The man, or rather Bull, glares at you, eyes glowing dangerously, but from the shadows to back you come all the nymphs, and their magic glows around them in an aura of death. He backs off to grind on a giggling harpy and you, angrily, make your way out. You told Loren to stay put. You told him. And he just had to run off. You should have known better than to leave him there, but you didn't know that Loki was going to be there to stir the pot as he did. Instead of being angry at Loren, though, you focus on the events that passed.

You spoke to your sister, and she told you that big players like Loki, Buddha, and Shiva were there, alongside some of the more ancient creatures that had not come out in a while. That was when you went back to find Loren, because it was too dangerous, and you saw that he was missing. Frantically, you searched for him where the dance floor was not, because you saw how uncomfortable he was with crowds, but then you remembered Loki--and Loki hates a boring newcomer. So you went into the throng of grinding and groping and shoved through until you caught sight of him once, dancing pretty dirtily with a dragon. He disappeared again after that.

So you kept looking, angry and anxious now, until you reached the darkest edge and saw two people on the shadows, one with head tilted back and body compliant and the other ready to take advantage, which is actually pretty normal for a summer solstice. But then, you recognized those flipflops and the face, and rage boiled in you. How dare he do this to you when he had just previously stomped on your foot in jealousy over you flirting with a nymph from Winnipeg? You planned to find out as soon as you got that stupid Bull off of him. Which you did--forcefully. You threw him into the nearest wall with enough force to crack it, and then you snatched up Loren.

His eyes were unfocused and dreamy, and he was smiling--oh he was smiling. It was beautiful, but you knew that it wasn't for you. It was for that...thing. Or was it? He leaned on you, hugging you even, and you finally smelled it on him. You smelled alcohol and Norse god, which meant he'd been drugged and you'd just thrown the wrong dude into a wall. Whatever. He was still about to get it on with your date. You took the moment to hold Loren like that, greedily, but then you hurled him over your shoulder and used your magic to put him to sleep. You were going to have to take him home with you, and hope that not too much time had passed.

As you step out, you frown. Time does pass differently in pockets like those, but you didn't think it would be nighttime already. You shake your head and sigh, and you get ready to put him in your car, but a hooded woman taps you on your shoulder. A slightly familiar statured woman, but you don't know who...still, she's holding out a charm to you, a necklace with a seashell engraved with the letters of witchcraft on it. "Take it. Consider it a gift." Then, she points at Loren, and thereafter disappears in a cloud of pink smoke. You are confused and distrusting, but you slip it around his neck and notice nothing visibly different.

With a shrug, you carry him to your car and put him in the seat, gingerly buckling him in. This was absolutely the worst date ever, you have to say. Not a bang, not a drink, only a fight with something old that is going to absolutely suck to fight again later if he comes around to avenge his manly--bull-ly?--honor. You drive in silence, and Loren sleeps peacefully. You resist the urge to spy on his dreams, mostly because you don't want to give him nightmares and wake him up while he's still drugged and apt to tempt you more than you can handle.

Once at home, you take him out of your car and into your cabin-mansion. He seems to be waking, which is good, because you don't want him to wake up in an unfamiliar place and think you were irresponsible. Well, you kinda were, but that's beside the point. Right in the doorway, his eyes flicker open, and you're unhappy to see that they're still unfocused, and he's smiling at you again. You let him down on your couch, but when you turn to go take a shower, he grabs you by the sleeve and pulls you down, much to your chagrin and surprise. You're not known for your self-control, since you're a nymph(omaniac), and right now he's flushed and compliant, all because of freaking Loki.