Posted 7/16/21
4687 words
[Earlier that night]
I bend down and peer into the recesses of the fridge hoping something will satisfy my hunger. Granted I honestly knew before I even made the effort to scan at the meager contents inside that there would be nothing in there that could make me feel completely satiated. Sure, half of the fridge was filled with chocolate, and it was able to curb some of the cravings for a short time. But, I had been trying to live on it for far too long now. Crap, when was the last time I went out to stem off this hunger? When I couldn't remotely answer my own question because I couldn't think back that far; I knew that it was time to bite the bullet, put my big girl panties on, and head to the nearest dance club, Contagion.
I pulled out my gear. The all black outfit that covered me pretty much from neck to toe so that I wouldn't accidentally touch someone. Hi, my name is Everleigh. I'm a Scorpio, and have a crazy obsession with chocolate. By the way, I can unintentionally make you sick if you touch me. And sex? Yeah, Shakespeare might have called a sexual orgasm the 'little death.' Not with me. Big Death. Both words capitalized because I am not shitting you. I really, truly mean it!
I look at myself in the mirror and will away the reflection I am currently wearing. I sigh. There is only one time of day I usually let myself see my true reflection. That's when I first wake up in the morning, and that's only because I don't seem able to keep the visage I choose for myself on while I sleep. But, moments like this, where I need to collect my thoughts together and get my head on straight before I risk a slew of people's lives. Yeah. I take the time to face the monster in the mirror. Remind myself that is what I am, and now what I always will be.
Now to decide on a look. Hm. I'm feeling blonde tonight. I mentally pan through a wide array of different blonde hues before I settle on a honey golden blonde. It makes me feel innocent and pretty which is why I decide to go for a femme fatale look as a sort of counterbalance. Seductive to look at, but dangerous to touch. I choose wide vibrant green eyes that remind me of the sun touched rays on a tree leaf. Plump full lips in a mauve shaded hue. Gotta love never having to wear makeup. Think of all the money I saved not having to purchase cosmetics just so I could look pretty! I chuckle at my own thoughts. I add a mole, or rather a beauty mark, just above the left corner of my upper lip. Despite the way my outfit would somewhat conceal my shape, I decided to go for a full pinup look; giving myself a curvaceous silhouette.
Not long after I am waiting in line at Contagion. I had found the club not long after moving into my apartment. The fact that its name was a synonym for illness called out to me. A monster like me could cause symptoms to arise as if the victim were ill after all. It seemed some kind of ironic, cosmic poetry that I chose to use this club as my hunting grounds.
I'm in the line for a while and briefly consider seducing my way in. But that could be dangerous if someone unintentionally got too close. So instead I decide to sample on those waiting in line, an appetizer or two while I wait. Some pairings immediately find themselves seeking salacious methods to keep each other warm. Or perhaps that is one of my abilities that I haven't defined yet; being able to provoke others to act on their lustful thoughts that are nearly always brimming under the surface.
I mentally licked my lips after I snacked on that little appetizer. I glance at the couples in question, and while they seem a bit more tired than they had been moments before they otherwise look fine. Heck they still look not only eager to be let in the club but eager for each other. In fact I happen to notice one of the couples in front of me giggling at each other and seeming to change their mind about the club altogether; preferring to seek solace in each other's bodies. They exit the line and I grin as I end up that much closer to the entrance. I consider trying to encourage other couples to feel the same, but I decide against it. Partially because I am not sure how to go about stroking their lustful feelings like that, but also because if I were able to encourage them like that I wouldn't have as many patrons to feed on once I get inside.
The line surprisingly moves rather quickly soon after that. I breathe a sigh of relief once I have made it inside. I glance around the room and send a flirtatious smile Carmen's way. She is one of the two employees currently manning the bar. She of course doesn't know me; I wear a different visual each time that I end up here after all. But, I found out quickly from her heated reactions that she is very much interested in anything I had to offer. Too bad that even if I could get close to you and act on those heated looks you give my way I wouldn't be interested. Yes, sorry Carmen dear. I am as straight as an arrow. But, that didn't mean I couldn't feed on her immediate lust every time she saw me.
I remember when I had worked out that was what was wrong with me. That apparently I thrived on dopamine and norepinephrine. That's why chocolate was able to stem off the cravings for a while due to the phenethylamine triggered when eating it stimulating and releasing levels of dopamine within myself. Ugh, I hate the icky, sterile, big, unfeeling scientific words! But those words offered me the closest explanation of any kind to illustrate to me why I would go hungry despite eating proper meals everyday. Boy, was I thankful that I could actually consume real food, even if it didn't assist with the other type of hunger. I really honestly love food, and I would hate it if I had to miss out on a good steak because for some reason I couldn't digest it. But, food didn't gratify all of the hunger inside of me. I would still feel hollow and empty inside.
I only perch on a barstool for a few brief moments before I decide that I have lingered there long enough. Now was the time to weave my way through the throng of people inhabiting the dance floor. I was exceptionally thankful for my history in dance and gymnastics as I was able to contort my body just right to navigate the minimal amount of empty space between the couples gyrating together. Once I felt centralized I took a moment to just lose myself to the music.
I missed dancing like this. It was nothing like the moments I had to myself in my studio apartment. I lost myself for a moment in thinking of how I was easily able to dance in said apartment due to space, privacy, and location.
I didn't own much in the way of furniture so I had more than enough floor space to do a full choreographed routine. My apartment was located on top of a vacant shop space. So no one underneath me could complain if I were to do a jazz tap routine, repetitious steps beating against the hardwood floors. Not that it was my preferred dance style by any means. But, I do like to mix things up on occasion.
Truthfully, I had scoped the apartment out specifically for its few windows and privacy. There wasn't any other residential living within the same block so no one routinely saw me coming or going, therefore those pedestrians that did stroll by weren't confused by the times I would change my appearance and leave the building. I mostly wore the same staple appearance to my job and back home. I intentionally made her pretty but not really memorable or overly desirable. In fact her figure was short and slim with next to no curves to speak of. Yeah, she definitely wasn't the face I wore when I wanted the kind of attention I was looking for tonight.
Which, that thought brought me back to the here and now. I begin simply breathing in and out for a few moments. But then I let those breaths become deeper and let loose what I could only refer to as a magical pulse within me. My breathing seemed to deepen as I inhaled lust-filled hormones traveling through the air around me. Ah, it was like sampling from a glass of a full-bodied wine. The flavor is rich and seems to linger in my pores.
A moment later I opened my eyes, I hadn't realized I closed them but I wasn't surprised since I had been savoring the flavor profile of my meal. I glance around me and notice a tall dark haired man approaching me. I licked my lips as I took in his appearance. I could easily get the impression of the form of his body due to his choice in tight clothing. I chose to steer my eyes away from the muscles that the fabric was barely veiling. I instead focused on his face. He had this darkness about him. It didn't seem cloaked with sinister intent, but rather a heated intriguing curiosity. His face was most definitely handsome and it was made that much more so when he got this dangerous look in his eyes. I almost wondered what he would look like when he wasn't attempting to be so seductive. I wondered at the way his face would transform when he smiled. I mean yeah, there was no denying his attractiveness, and judging by the cocky smirk that appeared on his face as he walked towards me he knew it too, but cuteness was equally attractive to me and I found myself almost wanting to see that kind of expression on his face as well.
Good for him for having such high self esteem to pull off the cocky seductiveness without seeming to have to try at it. But, this train wouldn't be letting him on as a passenger any time soon. For his own safety and benefit. I gave him a look that hopefully conveyed this but he didn't seem to be deterred. In fact, I was starting to become frightened by the strength of his dedication. Not frightened for myself, but for him. I didn't like hurting people, let alone the one time I unintentionally killed someone. So I panicked, knowing immediately that I had to get out of here. That I had to back up away from him. Hopefully turning my back on him and walking away would firmly tell him that I wasn't interested.
Luckily, I already knew for fact that the hallway leading to the bathrooms also had a backdoor that led out onto an alley. I only hoped that once my back was turned he would get the hint and stop approaching me. Damn, I'm still hungry. But, I won't fucking risk someone again. I won't fucking hurt some innocent person again. I may be a monster but I don't want to be a fucking killer.
Once I get through the door I nearly fall on my ass when I become surprised by the lurking figure already there. He is only slightly taller than the one I was basically running away from with the same, if not similar dark hair and eyes, although his hair is slightly in disarray as if he were in a convertible with the top down before his arrival, or perhaps on the seat of a motorcycle. I swallow harshly as the picture of that visual generates unbidden in my mind. Honestly somehow the unkempt look kind of works for him. I mean I appreciate the opposite sleek styled look as much as any hot blooded female, but there is also something to be said for that mussed attractive look too. Where the other had been dark seduction this one to me screamed dark determination. He was quite handsome, and his features exceedingly masculine in a way I didn't really want to overly examine. In fact... Fuck, what am I doing ogling this stranger without a care in the world? I have to get out of here.
Suddenly the door bursts open to my right. I turn to see not only the first stranger that tried to approach me, but now he's accompanied by another dark haired man of approximately the same height. And damn he is good looking too. He looks like he fucking belongs on a magazine, strutting down a runway, or hell even starring as a top billed actor in a movie or television series. His skin is a tawnier shade than the one beside him but similar to the taller one that already seemed to be waiting on me from this side of the door.
I feel like my heart inside my chest is beginning to contract with the mass amounts of emotions running through me, and my hunger is making me hella concerned for these strangers near me. I turn to look around wondering if I will be able to make it to the mouth of the alley and slip away, perhaps even attempting another appearance to hopefully throw them off my scent once I round the corner. I looked back at them for a moment. Screw it! Even if they can catch me I might as well try to save them this way by at least distancing myself.
But this time when I turn back around to run away there is another strange man in my path, and while yes he too has dark hair and eyes that's probably the only thing I could say was the same about him. I wouldn't say there was anything feminine about him, not exactly anyway, but there was no denying that he wasn't handsome in any kind of conventional sense of the word. Pretty didn't cut it either, but that wasn't because he was a man, because he was pretty it's just that the term was too simple of a word to describe him. Even beautiful didn't quite get the job done. Ethereal was the word that occurred when I took in the visage of his pale skin, sculpted cheekbones, and plush lips. Why did his presence make me feel calmer than I could remember being in the last five years?
I felt frozen in my tracks. A part of me still wanted to move past him but another part of me lulled into what could only be a false sense of security. I felt a tickle in my mind that I couldn't quite understand for a moment. Then the calmness evolved until I just wanted to lay down on a mattress somewhere and enjoy the relaxation I was feeling. Hell, I wanted to bring him along and just lay with him side by side for a while, nothing sexual involved. I just want to be in his presence since I somehow knew he was the one eliciting this reaction in me.
A voice, calm, assured, and soft whispered to me. "We won't hurt you. I can help you. I promise. You can't hurt us." I wanted to be skeptical about that. In fact the thought of potentially hurting any of these four handsome men called up my hunger at the forefront of my mind again. "I promise you can't hurt us like them." Them who? I wanted to ask, but I wasn't sure how to form the words or thoughts. Or even if the voice and presence in my mind was actually real or not. It's when my own memories played back to me like a movie that I understood who the voice meant by 'them.' "You can use me. Feed from me. I will make sure you never go hungry again." I needed to feed. I couldn't deny that. But, I would always fear hurting someone. Always. Until the man in front of me actually opens his mouth and speaks I'm not certain he was actually the one talking in my mind. I want to ask him how he did it but his words make those particular thoughts stop in their tracks. "All you have to do is kiss me. I'll prove it to you."
I shake my head vigorously until the repetitive action actually starts to hurt slightly. Then I subconsciously switch to using my voice. "No. No, I can't. I won't. I won't be that monster again. I.." Fuck I never meant to admit any of this shit out loud. How the hell did he get me to let my guard down like that? How did he get me to say out loud thoughts and concerns I thought I would never be able to utter to anyone?
"What if I told you we were all monsters?" A voice asks from behind me. I turn to arch an eyebrow at the three of them. "What if I told you that you aren't alone like you thought you were?" Ah, the tallest one was the one to speak.
How did his words not only ring true but appeal to me? Because I had been essentially alone for five years now. Because I didn't have anyone, and I missed human companionship. Crap? Could this be called human companionship when he claimed we were all monsters. And wait, does that mean he has the answers to all my questions? Shouldn't I be scared of the fact that they claim themselves as monsters? That word should strike fear in me and send me running far away from here. Yet for some reason I find myself more intrigued than terrified.
"Everleigh." I'm not surprised he knows my name. He probably plucked it out of my mind, and while I should feel violated I don't. When was the last time someone used my real name after all? "We can give you all the answers you need. But you sincerely need to feed. Not just off of the hormones in the air, or the endorphins brought on by consuming chocolate. You need to experience those for yourself. I promise I won't push for more than a kiss, and I also promise that it will make you feel fuller than you have in a long time."
I turned back to him. I revel in the softness in his eyes. He said he was a monster so he can't be an angel. But, why is that how I see him right now? Before I can question myself again I let him draw me into his body. I tell myself I'm only feeding, but I realize that's a lie when I look at his plush soft lips and find my curiosity piqued to know how they will feel pressed against mine. Apparently I am still too hesitant in my actions when he takes the choice from me and presses his soft lips against my own. Holy crap! Yeah, I never knew that this small amount of pleasure could feel like fireworks exploding in my mouth. Damn, and I'm already feeling that emptiness within me diminishing completely. But all that is just the sensation of my consumption of hormones. The actual pressure of his lips against my own is otherworldly. I don't know if I have simply never been kissed like this, if he is that skillful with his lips, or if it has something to do with him being a monster like the tallest had claimed they all were. He licks my lips and I let him in without a single thought. I find myself whimpering when his tongue and lips stroke some feeling inside of me that I am not sure I have ever felt before. That sensation has me immediately becoming frozen and still forcing my body to put the breaks on the kiss.
I pull away and he seems to fall against me. "NO!!!" I shout. Dammit! Fuck! No, not again! I didn't fucking do it again!
"Shh. Everleigh. It's okay." He weakly mutters against my shoulder.
"What the fuck? Jimin, how the fuck do you know her name?" The dangerously sexy one that approached me inside the club asks. It's the second time my name was uttered, but apparently it didn't register to anyone other than myself the first time it left his lips.
Jimin, the stranger I kissed who doesn't remotely seem like a stranger to me after that kiss, weakly responds. "I was able to enter her mind."
"What the serious fuck?!?!? That should only be possible within our Legion. You shouldn't be able to fucking communicate with anyone else like that." The other one states again. I don't know what a legion is, and I definitely find myself curious. But I let them hash out their own problems while I simply spectate their conversation. I briefly consider walking away, but honestly I find my curiosity is winning over any thought of running away.
"Unless..." The tallest mutters. I can see that his mind is working something out but he doesn't share his thoughts out loud. He must share them with the others telepathically though since aside from Jimin they all seem to flinch.
That reminds me again of how Jimin is still leaning against me. "Jimin?" I test his name on my tongue. I find I like myself not thinking of him as 'the ethereal stranger I just kissed.' "Are you sure you are going to be okay?"
"I'm not sick, Everleigh. I won't shut down. I am just a little weak." He mutters.
"I guess I will have to carry you home." The tallest, and I was guessing leader of the group, mutters. He doesn't seem appalled by the idea, but he definitely isn't fond of it either. Or perhaps he isn't fond of Jimin choosing to let me feed from him. "Everleigh, my name is Namjoon." He holds out a hand to me and out of impulse and need for more humanlike interaction I take it. "I really think you should come with us." He pauses for a second. "In fact, I think we should stop by your place and get you to pack a bag. Because I really think you need to be properly trained in how to hone your abilities. Not to mention the seven of us could easily offer ourselves up for you to feed on when you need to."
I table the thought of leaving with them and instead arch an eyebrow at the other key point in what he said. "Seven?" I look around myself visually pointing out that I only see four men standing here. Well, three with one mostly leaning against me rather than standing.
"There are three more of us." I turn toward the husky voice, unsurprised that it came from the one who has been silent this whole time. He too holds his hand out to me, and once again, without hesitation, I take it. "Nice to meet you, Everleigh. I'm Taehyung." He smiles widely at me which despite myself I can't help but automatically reciprocate.
The cocksure tall one seems exceptionally put off and quite a bit less friendly all of the sudden. "I'm Hoseok." Unlike the others he doesn't shake my hand, nor does he seem happy to meet me. He turns to the one I assumed was the leader. "How are we going to get her back? She wouldn't know how to step into the veil."
"I guess we will have to give her a demonstration. She should have access to the ability, even if she hasn't used it before." He first speaks to the others, and I am honestly thankful to hear it out loud even though he could have just as easily spoken to them telepathically. "Everleigh, can you swim?"
I nod. "I actually love to swim." It's probably ranked third of my favorite sport related activities, although I know some people would potentially argue that dancing isn't a sport. Personally I view it as both a sport and an art.
"What about diving?" Taehyung asks.
"I'm not that great at it, but yeah I have before."
What they next explain to me goes beyond all logic. Magic is real. There is a parallel space called the veil and they use it to travel most of the time. Because I am somehow like them I have the ability to access it myself, I just need to imagine it in my mind. The reason they asked about swimming and diving is because the sensation is a lot like that of breaking the surface of the water when you go under head first. I try to do everything they suggest but it isn't working. Hoseok steps up, and even though he seems put off he says. "If one of us is touching her while we access it ourselves we should be able to bring her over with us. As long as she too is thinking about the idea of breaking the surface like she was instructed."
I nod my head. Then I feel a tingle when he grips my upper arm. I close my eyes and focus when he instructs me, and the next thing I know we are in a space where everything looks like it's swimming around us, as if we are under water. Which perhaps that's also why the sensation feels like that. Everything is black and white here though, unlike the vibrant colors of the real world, and I frown at that let down. Hoseok drops my arm when he seems to realize he is still holding onto me.
I didn't realize the others followed us until Jimin spoke up. He is managing on his own but just barely. "That's because you aren't meant to want to stay in this space in between. You are meant to be repulsed by it so when you are ready to leave it will be easier to do so. Now, lead the way to your apartment."
"About this whole staying with you thing..?"
"Non-negotiable. We have two directives from our superior. The only one you need to worry about is that typically we are meant to take into custody anyone misusing their abilities. Luckily, you don't know what you are exactly and you weren't wanting harm to come to anyone. That gives us leeway to instead train you rather than put you in a cell." Namjoon sounds emotionless as he relays what he had offered up as only a suggestion just a few minutes before, and I realize that's on purpose. He is intentionally distancing himself for some reason, and perhaps that's the same case for Hoseok. Although I really don't know what changed from earlier when he really had seemed to have the urge to get into my pants.
Then his words fully permeate in my mind and I understand their meaning. Well, fuck. I guess no matter what, even if I don't want to, I will have to go with them. I admit it to myself. For some uncanny reason that I definitely can't make sense of or understand I find that I want to be around them. I table that curiosity as another one occurs to me.
They just might have the answers I need to fully understand myself. To understand what kind of monster I am. They gave me veiled hints here and there, but I know that I definitely need more answers than those hints have supplied. Actually, outside of the few things Jimin shared the rest have been kind of tight lipped. So, yeah that was going to have to change.