The Succubus Diaries (Closed for LassardLost and Slut_in_White)

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan fell into a trance at Astarte's breathy words, right next to his year, every syllable, every letter, dripping with desire for him. The imagery she - very deliberately - set up in his mind, Ethan relished it. For even though he would never do it in real life, as Astarte described it, he was doing it in his mind. He was fucking her against the column, and she was moaning out his name and...

She was gone. Ethan blinked a few times and it took him a moment to realize she had pottered off to one of the nearby clothing stores. He saw her casually looking at the jeans near the front.

"That little..." Ethan stormed towards Astarte, his eyes fixed with intensity on her. Yes, she may have been wearing his baggy sweat pants and a long shirt, but right now, Ethan could only see Astarte and him having sex on his bed, and he was seeing her beautiful bare hips, her curves, her ass as if through her clothes.

"Well then," Ethan said, taking a firm hold of Astarte's hand, continuing his charge right past her, almost yanking her off her feet as he searched for the changing room. There. In the back corner. "What's the point in picking up clothes if you're not going to try them on." Ethan tugged Astarte along with only one thought on his mind, throughout the whole clothing store all the way until they reached the back, catching the view of a few of the women browsing among the racks.

He hurried the both of them into the farthest stall in the back, and as soon as the door closed and locked, Ethan had Astarte planted hard against the side wall, and he had his lips planted hard against Astarte's. His kiss was messy, like his mind. His hands were desperately grabbing without any sense at her clothes - at her shirt, pulling down. At her pants down by her thighs, pulling up. Then in frustration he dove into her neck, pinning both her hands against the wall with this, their fingers splaying out in each others'. "That's... not... fair... what you did to me..." he growled between his kisses, then a bite, of Astarte's collar bone.

 

[literary_goblin]

Astarte gave a small yelp of surprise when Ethan came up behind her and simply pulled her along into the store. The sound rolled straight into a pleased laugh as he tugged her through the store, feeling the eyes of the other shoppers on her and lacking any sort of concern for what they might think.

She knew what was coming when Ethan shut the door of the changing room, and was already trying to tug off her shirt. But he grabbed her hands and pinned her to the wall, earning another breathless laugh as she realized he was effectively preventing her from stripping for him in his maddened desire for her.

"Fair?" she repeated, the sound muffled by his kisses. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck, leaving her free to speak, but no more able to: the heat of his skin and the roiling lust she could feel inside of him - and herself - left her breathless and struggling for words. "Why... why should I be fair? You love it." Growing frustrated by the way he was ignoring the fact that she was still wearing clothes, she lifted one of her feet and started using her toes to drag down the sweatpants. It might not have been easy otherwise, but the pants were barely hanging off of her hips even cinched tight as they were. All it took was one good tug and they were on the floor. Then she hooked one leg around his hips and pulled him against her. There was absolutely nothing she could do to rid him of his clothes, not with the way she was pinned against the stall's wall like this, so she resorted to whimpering into his ear with clear hunger. "Ethan, please. I want to feel you. Get rid of these damn clothes!"

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan, please. I want to feel you.

Ethan pushed Astarte's leg down off him and stepped back, yanking his shirt over his head, throwing it with force into the corner. Then his pants dropped to the floor around his ankles and he hastily stepped out of them and kicked them into the corner. He fumbled, helping Astarte take her/his shirt off, and the next thing she knew, she was up against the wall, her legs wrapped around his, her pussy grinding up against his cock as he held her in his arms, his one arm coming up and hand holding the back of her head, his other squeezing, holding her ass.

"This is all your fault," Ethan breathed as he kissed her again down her neck. Ethan simply couldn't control himself. Somehow Astarte had ignited this fire inside him that had to come out. He had never, ever behaved this way - nor would he have ever imagined that he would - with either of his other two girlfriends. Astarte of course was something else entirely. Ethan pulled his hip back a little, to let his rigid cock tip push against Astarte's entrance... and then he sunk himself into her completely.

"Ohhhh... god... this is so... your fault..." Ethan began fucking Astarte up against the wall of the changing room stall, her legs wrapped around him, her nose buried in his neck, his hand cradling her, holding her into him. With each thrust the door to the changing room click-clacked as the door handle vibrated. With each thrust Ethan let out a guttural sound, like an animal in heat, completely lost in his desire for Astarte.

 

[literary_goblin]

"My fault?" she repeated, laughter in her tone. The very instant they were both naked, she pounced on him in the same way he did her, and she had her arms and legs both wrapped tight around him. "Good. Now I know how to do it again." The symbols on her skin were returning, her own lust feeding her hunger, if only very slightly. Had she been of a mind to even notice, she might have considered it interesting that regular sex like this could actually make her hungry - not that it mattered much outside of an academic interest, since she would always be able to feed her fill as Ethan exploded inside of her.

He sunk into her and she tossed her head back, moaning. The door was making loud clacking sounds in time with each of his thrusts, and thus also in time with each of her moans and his grunts. Finger nails raked down his back as he fucked her, her moans shifting into occasional words of encouragement that were almost entirely meaningless, but managed still to convey everything she needed to - more, she needed more, more of Ethan, more sex. They were certainly audible outside the changing room door, and the small part of Astarte's mind not utterly transported by the feeling of Ethan's body against hers may have heard someone approach the changing room, make a small sound of shock, and then retreat again.

"Yes," she breathed, trailing kisses over every inch of skin that could be reached. "F-fuck, take me, yes! God, you feel so good..." She found the spot from last night where she'd been nipping and sucking at the skin of his neck enough to leave a mark and, indeed, there was a noticeable if faint little bruise in the hollow just beneath his ear. She grinned wickedly at the sight of it, and pressed her lips against it, drawing it gently into her mouth. She knew he could feel it, that there would be just a slight ache under the pleasure of her kisses that would inform him that he'd been marked by her - visibly. And gently - or as gently as she could when being fucked so hungrily - she began to nip and suck at the skin again, eager to make her mark clearer.

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan felt something by his ear as Astarte sucked on him there. That she was doing that made him want her even more - her calls to him made him want her even more - her hips bucking and thrusting along with his, made him want her even more. Ethan could feel himself building up, and he knew he was going to cum soon. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that they'd have to face the outside world - that was undoubtedly hearing every grunt and thrust from outside the stall door - but it was far, far in the back of his mind.

"Astarte..." was all he was able to get out as he pulled her into him as hard as he could, and buried himself hard into her pussy, and came. "FUCK!"

Ethan's back heaved up and down, his breath hard as his cock, again, gushed into Astarte, marking her as his own. "Fuuuuuck... Astarte... you're mine..." he breathed into her ear as he held her against him, "You're so mine..."

 

[literary_goblin]

Astarte could feel his coming orgasm, both physically and in the way his lust began to bubble with greater strength inside him, ready to reach out and fill her again. Her moans were getting louder - muffled by the skin of his neck she was still kissing, but that wouldn't prevent people outside from hearing them.

"Cum for me," she murmured. "Fill me, yes, Ethan, I need it. I need to feel you cum, oh god, please!" At the peak of her begging, he released, and she gave a strangled cry of pleasure as the feeling of those floodgates opening pushed her over the edge herself. She bucked against him, rattling the door even more, while she buried her face against his neck to muffle her cries. Her whole body shook in his arms as they came down from their orgasms together, leaving her panting and utterly satisfied once again.

As her sense finally returned to her, she began to understand why her skin was tingling the way it was, and why she felt like she could fall asleep again in his arms, here and now, despite not being particularly tired and their somewhat unorthodox location for a nap. Despite already having fed on him last night - twice - she had just fed a third time. She'd still be satisfied from the night before when they began, and yet, somehow, she took in even more energy. She could feel the energy buzzing under her skin, like she had a fundamental part of Ethan within her - well, she did, given that his softening cock was still buried inside her pussy, but this was something else. Like he was present in her blood, and she could feel it in every nerve in her body.

She didn't understand. It wasn't as though they were having more sex than she had with other summoners - they often brought her in for 24 hours of almost nothing else, only to banish her again afterwards. In fact, because of the promise of a longer time together, she and Ethan were taking things considerably slower than usual, for her. Not that she minded. Quite the opposite. But the point remained that something different was happening. If she ever over-fed - unusual, since very few men could feed her to that point without the loss of energy killing them - the excess seemed to spill away, unable to be taken in or used by her. This time, however, her spirit almost stretch to accommodate, making her feel as though she could feed continuously from Ethan and absorb everything he had to give her. And more... feeling the way she did, he should have been extremely weakened, if not dead already. But he seemed fine.

Something else was going on. Something was different about the way she fed upon Ethan in particular.

His words, as he came down from his climax, drew her back to the present reality, and she smiled, pressing a quick kiss to his temple. "All yours."

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan let Astarte down off of him, and he put his clothes back on while Astarte tried on her new clothes, which, as a matter of fact, not only fit well, but made Ethan's prospect for keeping himself in his pants for the rest of the day considerably lower than when she was wearing his sweat pants. Once they had dressed, Ethan took Astarte into his arms, hugging her tight close to him, resting his chin over the top of her head for a moment before coming in for a kiss on her cheek, and then returning to holding her against his chest.

It hadn't occurred to Ethan that there was anything "abnormal" about he fact that he wasn't being weakened by the amount of himself that he was giving to Astarte. What did occur to Ethan however was that despite the fact that from all outward indications, their relationship was about nothing other than sex, Ethan somehow didn't feel that way. He felt a connection, some kind of link, some kind of closeness to Astarte which made him feel very comfortable with her. As if the two had known each other for a long time. Yet at the same time he had the constant feeling of butterflies in his stomach when he looked at her, which was more in line with the fact that they had in reality just met.

Ethan suddenly felt like he wanted to talk to her more, to get to know her better.

"Hey," he said softly, "separating himself from her enough to look down into her eyes. Those glowing embers were gone, and Ethan paused for a moment as he noticed. "Now that we know these fit you, why don't you grab a few more clothes the same size for different occasions, and we can go down to the restaurant and get brunch or something. It'll be nice to talk." Ethan smiled at this beautiful new woman in his life, and shoved aside any thought that said she was something other than that. There would be time to discuss that later.

 

[literary_goblin]

Astarte was still lost in thought regarding how it was she could feed continuously from Ethan like this without it causing a problem. In fact, she was a little upset with herself over it - she hadn't known that he was going to be fine, but she'd displayed a remarkable lack of self-control in feeding anyway. She was normally much more cautious about such things, but she hadn't been able to stop herself this time. Her desires were absolutely overwhelming.

But perhaps it wasn't worth worrying about what might have been. Ethan was fine. She slipped into her new jeans and top and checked her appearance in the mirror. She liked these clothes. Modern women seemed a lot more comfortable in their bodies than she remembered. Her jeans were extremely flattering, showing off her rounded ass particularly nicely. The crop-top was only just long enough to cover her breasts, leaving a delicious expanse of her midriff exposed. But before she could say anything about it, Ethan pulled her into a hug, and she returned it, easily distracted from her thoughts by his touch.

His question a moment later drew a smile, and she nodded. "That sounds good. What all do you think I should get?" They left the changing room, and upon stepping back out into the store, everyone else present made a pointed and visible effort to avoid looking at them. Astarte didn't care - in fact, the awareness that everyone had heard them made her smirk. She moved easily through the store, plucking various other items of clothing off of the shelves as she went. She ended up with a few more options for casual outfits, as well as a couple of dresses of varying formality. There was a small section in the store dedicated to underwear and bras, and while she did pick up a few of those, she worked her way back to where Ethan was standing with a wicked grin. "I understand there are places that sell such things in lace and silk. Would you be interested in trying one of those sorts of places, perhaps later today?"

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan smirked at Astarte's question. "Try them, as in try their changing rooms? Or their clothes," he chuckled. "Yeah, sure. We should do that. And so that you have something other than lingerie to walk around in at home, maybe we can get you some comfortable clothes for just being at home." Though Ethan found himself wondering, at the rate they were going, how often the two of them would actually have their clothes on while at home.

Ethan happily bought Astarte's selection, and the two of them headed down to the restaurant. On the way out of the store they had caught some glares from some of the other women. Perhaps just a few days ago Ethan would have felt terribly embarrassed by the fact. Hell, just a few days ago he would never have dreamed of having loud sex in a changing room! But somehow being with Astarte emboldened him. Ethan smirked to himself. He liked it.

The waitress sat them down and handed them menus. It was a trendy new place that had opened up, but it essentially served the standard American diner fare, with the only difference being that the quality of the food was excellent, and the company that owned it advertised its concern with organic food, environmental matters, and all those kinds of things. Ethan hadn't even looked at his menu when he put it down and crossed his arms on the table, leaning forward.

"So Astarte, tell me. Tell about yourself. Where you come from. What it's like. Were you born there? I mean, is that something that happens to you? Are you born? Do you have parents? What kinds of things do you do? What kind of other, er, spirits are there? What is life all about there?" Ethan realized after this slew of questions that this was probably unfair. But he was so curious, and, if he was honest, a little bit scared. He was enjoying things so much with Astarte, and he realized now as he asked these questions that he felt a sense of urgency to see what was truly possible between them? He was becoming quickly invested in Astarte, he couldn't help it. But what that really meant, he wasn't sure.

 

[literary_goblin]

Restaurants were certainly a unique experience for Astarte. She took her seat opposite Ethan and began to page through the menu, taking a moment to fully understand exactly what it was, before she was abruptly pelted with questions. She looked up from the menu into his eyes, and then began to laugh.

"Curious one, aren't you?" she teased, leaning over the table towards him. She crossed her arms in front of her, 'accidentally' giving him a lovely view down her shirt. "We are born, sort of. That is what incubi are for. They cross, and impregnate a human woman. The child is usually stillborn, or seems so. But the spirit is released and enters the Nether. It's not a common occurrence. Not at all. Must have had parents in that sense, but I never met either of them. As far as I recall, I just... became aware within the Nether one day. That's all." One hand came up to rest her chin upon it. "Other spirits? Oh, I see. Yes, there are many. Most don't care for humanity at all, and pay no attention. You wouldn't have names for them. They never cross over. They never answer when called. But the ones that do? There is my kind, obviously. The succubi, feeding upon the seed of men. Vampires, as well, feeding upon the blood of humanity. They cross very rarely. When they do, they usually break the bond of their summoner quite quickly, and will stay for some time. It always heralds a time of darkness for the realm." She shook her head. "Beyond that, there are the mara. Hags, of a sort. They feed upon the breath, usually of the sleeping. Stupid, but mean. I would recommend never crossing one, if you can manage it."

What is life all about there?

The last question saw her expression fall, and she sat up again, tilting her head down, sadly. "There isn't life there are all, so there's nothing to be about. There's just existence." She gave her head a shake to clear the shadow from her expression, and offered Ethan a smile. "Your life is more interesting than mine. Tell me about you? Where were you born? What was you childhood like? And your parents? What do you do?" And why do I care? Of course, she knew the answer to that. Ethan was different. She'd known that from the moment she saw him. That she cared to know such things about him warmed her heart, reminding her that there was a connection there beyond sex. Sliding one hand across the table, she took his, squeezing it gently as she awaited his answer.

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

It seemed so dismal to Ethan, as he heard Astarte describe how spirits like her were brought into existence. There was certainly something dark about the fact that a human child needs to be stillborn in order for a spirit to be born into the Nether. But then again, from their perspective, the child was never going to be in the Earth to begin with. From the beginning, it was destined to be a spirit.

Ethan's heart sank even further when Astarte mentioned the lack of... vitality. Nothing Astarte said seemed to suggest any kind of redeeming qualities about that dimension - about life there. Ethan felt a sadness, saw it, in Astarte, when she mentioned it all, and his heart bled for her. No. He could not send her back. He simply could not.

Astarte bounced back from her thoughts about her life by jumping to Ethan's. He looked at her hand, and then back up to her as she smiled and asked her questions. He placed his other hand over hers, caressing the back of it, and looking at it, as he spoke.

"I was born in Chicago. I lived there for the first ten years of my life. My Dad was in real estate, my mom mostly took care of me and my sister, but she also worked part time at a department store. I'm fortunate. I had a good childhood. I got along with my sister, my parents were good to us, they tried to give us everything they thought we needed. I grew up playing in the parks around Chicago with my sister and my friends. Went to school. Standard stuff really." As Ethan summarized his life he started feeling that his existence was actually quite boring - though he had that thought before.

"At ten we moved out here to the west coast. I finished my schooling her, did college, and I finished this spring." Ethan paused for a moment. He found himself now remembering how things had taken a turn in his life. He had gotten here. He looked up at Astarte - first into her eyes, then off to the side as he walked through his memory, describing what he saw.

"Up until just six months ago, I was a regular guy. People tend to like me. I do well in most things. I'm... fortunate in that way I guess." He gaze drifted over to Astarte. Then he leaned forward, closer to her, "You know, I was never the kind to be interested in... the Nether, or spirits, or anything like that. I was, I think I was entranced."

Again lost in his thoughts, Ethan remembered his professor from college. "I had a professor. She took me and a friend of mine down into her basement during a party - before the party began - and showed us an unusual room. It made me feel uncomfortable. It was her summoning room... I know that now. Something strange happened while we were down there... I can't describe it. But ever since we came back out, I had an insatiable appetite to learn about the occult, and I spent the last six months learning as much as I could, and that's when I summoned you."

Ethan took hold of Astarte's hand in both of his and idly massaged it in his, "But as soon as you came to me, it was as if I was broken out of a trance that I'd been in for half a year. Now, I barely remember anything I've read or learned, and... you're here."

Ethan leaned down and kissed the back of Astarte's hand. Yes. It was real. It felt just like real human flesh.

 

[literary_goblin]

"Entranced?" Astarte pressed a finger of her free hand thoughtfully against her lips. "Interesting. I know almost nothing about the mortal side of such sorcery. But I do know that mortal summoners draw on the power of the Nether, and that there are spirits capable of such things. Perhaps she forged a deal with such a creature to ensnare you?" Her brow furrowed. "Which creature? Most could lend that power. Succubi are naturally capable of such things."

She seemed to realize the implications of that the moment the words were out of her mouth. "Not that I have done such a thing to you. Don't you dare suggest it." There was real fire in her tone, which was amusing considering he hadn't suggested it at all. She was, in fact, angry with the imagined version of Ethan in her head who had, rather than the real one sitting across from her.

The absurdity of it seemed to catch her a moment later, and she flushed, dipping her head in apology. "I'm sorry. That was silly of me. I... I'm not used to feeling things other than lust," she admitted quietly. "I am rarely ever full. I usually do not feed to my fill when with a summoner, because I'm afraid of killing them." There was a pregnant pause, and shame flashed across her beautiful features. "I suppose I should apologize for that, too. I promised you I would not overfeed. I tried not to. But you were... I don't know how to describe it. I've never lost control like that." Her voice grew quiet and she hunched over a bit, withdrawing her hand from his. "They way I have been feeding from you, you should be dead. I don't know why you're not. And I don't know why I can't stop."

She knew any rational man would send her back to the Nether after such an admission. Why had she said it? Did Ethan really matter to her that much that she would be willing to send herself away for his safety? It seemed insane. And yet... she could feel the truth of it. She cared what happened to him. Somehow. What on earth was happening to her?

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Before Ethan could even begin wondering why on earth his professor would have wanted to entrance him, he was accosted by Astarte's wrath. And her wrath came like water on a spark that would have lit a fire when she had mentioned that succubi had the ability to manipulate people to get them to entrance others to summon them. She had been genuinely upset at Ethan even thinking of that possibility, and Ethan believed her... though something in the back of his mind questioned how much he could really trust a spirit from another realm?

But before he could even go down that train of thought, he was hit with the next. Astarte had been uncontrollably - apparently - feeding on him and was surprised he wasn't... dead. Ethan really was not sure how to think about this. She seemed genuinely confused, ashamed, and apologetic. Apologetic for what? Doing something that she knew could potentially kill him. Ethan wanted to be angry, but he could see from Astarte's demeanor, her dropped gaze, her hunched shoulders, and her, for the first time, timid tone, that she genuinely regretted "losing control". Ethan was slammed within moments with anger, confusion, compassion and longing.

He blinked through a blank stare, Astarte losing focus in his vision for a moment as he tried to work through everything. There was something she had said...

I'm sorry, I'm not used to feeling things other than lust.

She had said it when she had become "pre-emptively" angry with him for thinking that she might have manipulated him indirectly to summon her. Which means, Ethan worked out, that she was not used to emotions other than pure sexual desire. The fact that she felt anger, and probably now was feeling remorse and who knows what else, was all new for her - just like the fact that she was being able to feed off of Ethan without... killing him.

Then it clicked. Ethan looked up at Astarte. "You've never had a relationship with anyone that involved anything deeper than desire." Ethan slowly worked through his thoughts out loud. "But there is so much more to human relationships, and it seems like you are able to experience that. Maybe..." Ethan felt like the connection was slipping from his mind. "Maybe there's something about that that keeps me, uh, alive for you?"

Ethan found himself reflecting now on how he felt for Astarte. "I'm... not going to lie. It's not normal for me to behave the way I am. The way I am with you, all the desire... it's not me. But god it feels good, and when we're together," Ethan took Astarte's hand back in his, "I feel like we've been together for much longer than we have." Ethan kissed the back of Astarte's hand. "Not just when we're making love, but just - even this. I'm enjoying this... I just keep hoping it's real, and that I'm not under some kind of spell."

Ethan sighed. None of it really made sense to him. "I don't know what I'm talking about Astarte. I know I should be angry with you, but I don't feel anything other than sincerity coming from you. And I know how I feel about you... I'm sure if someone knew what I was doing they'd think I was crazy but... in my heart of hearts, I don't believe that I'm going to be harmed by being with you. I know that's not rational at all, but... I think we've left the realm of the rational a long time ago."

Ethan smiled at Astarte, a tired smile. A smile that said that he was still working things through even as he had come to the pleasant conclusion that he had. It was true. Ethan was doubting himself even as he had said it. He knew full well there was no way to know whether the next time would be his last, and yet, somehow he just felt like it wouldn't happen. He felt almost certain of it.

 

[literary_goblin]

Astarte was hunched over, berating herself for opening her mouth. What had she done? Ethan was going to be angry. He was going to send her back. Even if she hadn't wanted to hide it from him, she should have been more careful! There were better ways to break it to him! Stupid, stupid! She was hugging herself, rocking back in her chair and waiting for the inevitable news that he was sending her back to the Nether. Back to an empty existence.

And then he spoke, and shock rippled through her. Her wide amber eyes snapped up to his. "You're... not making me leave?" she asked softly, confusion and hope warring for dominance on her face. That kept her attention distracted from what he had actually said for several seconds as the surprised worked it's way through her mind. But once she did, she calmed a bit, leaning toward him again with a gentle smile.

"That's right. I've never felt anything but lust, really. It's... not quite so much that I've never had a reason to feel anything else. I might have been angry with my previous summoners, or maybe despairing. But it's hard to feel those things with such overwhelming lust. But I don't know why that would keep you alive. Perhaps... it has something to do with why you felt such a need to summon me. Perhaps there's something about you? A well of lust that cannot be emptied..." It sounded incredibly unlikely, but it was the only thing she could think of. She took a deep, calming breath as he admitted that he should be angry, and she nodded. "And I shouldn't care. That my summoners used me never bothered me before, because I was using them, too. But I do. I care about you, and how you feel. It's... well. It's strange, to be perfectly honest."

Reaching for his hands, she took one again and squeezed. "I don't know what's happening. If you want to find out, I'll help you. But I enjoy being with you. I'd like to stay with you, while we figure it out." Pausing, her stomach roiling with unpleasant anxiety as she continued, "A-and... if you don't like what you find, you can send me back. I swear I'm not manipulating you into feeling this way about me. But I understand, too, if you don't believe me."

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

When Astarte expressed her surprise that Ethan wouldn't send him back, it exacerbated the confusion of feelings within him. From her side, the relationship should kill him, and yet it wasn't. He was convinced she didn't want to kill him, but that still didn't exactly remove the looming threat. This, very unpleasant series of thoughts, always butted against the deeply engrained feeling that Ethan had that he'd be fine. And she'd be fine as well. They'd both be okay. For some reason. Some how.

Ethan, gently took his hand out of Astarte's and held his head, his eyes glazed toward the table. It was all too much. It was too complicated. His instinct was to jettison this whole thing from his life... but he was enjoying this too much, and he felt something deeper than lust.

"It's not that. I'm that. 'Well of lust that can never be emptied.' Most of the guys I've been around might seem to be that, but I never was. I could have had any one I wanted in high school, in college. I didn't because it wasn't me." Ethan looked at Astarte, a pain in his eyes as he searched hers. "It's something deeper Astarte. It has to be. I can't... this can't go on if this is some kind of side effect of the Nether world or whatever. It has to be you and me deciding out of our own choice that we want to be together." Ethan paused.

"Is that really what this is?"

Ethan was desperate. He didn't know how to know that for sure, and so for now, he simply asked, hoping he would like the answer.

 

[literary_goblin]

His removing his hand from hers felt like a slap. Like rejection. Like he couldn't stand to touch her. She was being ridiculous. She knew that. How could she expect him to want to touch her when she had just admitted to nearly killing him out of what felt like carelessness? But she felt it all the same.

She went back to hugging herself, a curtain of dark hair hiding her face as she ducked her head so she didn't have to see the look in his eyes. His demand that this be them deciding - instead of the Nether creating some effect to approximate this closeness - made her wince. How was she supposed to prove that?!

Is that what this is?

"Yes," she answered instantly, lifting her head. "Yes. Ethan. Look at me." She waited until he did as she demanded, holding his gaze. And when she spoke, there was a conviction in her voice that granted it an incredible gravity. "I swear, on my power, that I am not enchanting or manipulating you in any manner." Instinct suggested that there was some kind of supernatural bond behind the oath. Her eyes flashed with that glow for a moment as she finished speaking. And then, slowly, she extended her hands out onto the table again. This time, however, she didn't take his hand. Instead, she left her hands on the center of the table, palms up, waiting for him to take them. "I can't promise that your not being manipulated at all. But I'm not doing it. And what I feel is all my own." A small smile, sad, but almost a bit amused. "I have spent my entire existence being manipulated by magic. If nothing else, I know when it's happening to me."

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan saw Astarte extend her hands out on the table, palms up. He looked into her eyes when she reassured him, with absolute clarity in her tone, with what sounded like a hard truth. Ethan could feel that she wasn't a liar. Whatever else she was, that was not something that came across to him. And he so desperately wanted to move forward with what was developing between them... whatever that was.

Oddly enough the fact that she couldn't promise to him that he wasn't being manipulated made it even more genuine. She could only speak for herself after all, and, Ethan felt, she was speaking truthfully. He trusted her at least that much. But Ethan knew something was at work here other than just "the two of them". Yet for him to assume that he was under some kind of spiritual effect was just as much an assumption as to think that he was not. There was no way to know either way definitively. Hell, even in relationships between two humans there were many examples of "inexplicable magic" that occurred between two people. For a moment Ethan found himself wondering if that magic actually came from an other-worldly source...

Ethan sighed, and looked at Astarte's hands. He looked at them, then at her, then back at them. "I trust you," he said as he slowly took hold of them. "Even though there's no way for me to know for sure that there's nothing else going on, I trust that you're not doing anything to me." He brought both her hands to his mouth and kissed them, a soft kiss on each. "If there's something else that's affecting me... then, just like any other kind of relationship, if something is screwing with it... we'll have to figure out a way to deal with it, right?"

Ethan felt a little silly. The words they were using between them were so heavy, and they had just met yesterday. What if there was some "magic" (literally) between them, did it really matter?

For now, Ethan felt settled enough to move forward. Mostly because he trusted Astarte that she wasn't up to something, and secondly because he figured, if the two could be honest with themselves and each other, they could tackle what could come their way. Ethan chose, in that moment, to ignore the other problem that he felt morally obliged to not send Astarte back. He chose to ignore that that itself was an infringement on his having a genuine relationship with her.

"If this thing is going to last, then we'll work through things together." Ethan said, reassuring himself just as much as he was Astarte. He kissed her hands again.

 

[literary_goblin]

When he took her hands, it was like she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. All the tension went out of her, and she smiled again, this time genuinely happy. While Ethan worried about how intense their relationship was getting already, Astarte felt no such hesitation. She didn't know that this was strange at all. She'd witnessed enough couples develop feelings remarkably quickly over the bond of sex that she didn't have any idea that a relationship like that could be unhealthy. She was never around for the explosion that followed.

And yet? Even if she had been, this would have seemed different. Both of them were determined to make this work. To do what was necessary to settle their fears about what the strange nature of their relationship meant. To do whatever it took to be together in the end.

The kisses to her hands drew a smile, and she tugged his hands over to her to echo the motion, kissing his fingers quickly as well. But before she could say anything else, the waitress arrived to take their order.

She caught sight of their linked hands and smiled, even as Astarte felt a slight rising lust as she looked over the pair of them. The waitress swung both ways, it seemed. She was having a difficult time deciding who to furtively ogle as she fumbled with her little notepad.

"What can I get for you two today? The special is eggs Benedict with salmon, maple glazed yams and artichokes, served with a side of hash browns. It's quite good, I just had it for breakfast before my shift, actually."

Astarte had no idea what to get. The menu had overwhelmed her with choice. A recommended special made things easier. "I'll have that!"

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan was somewhat relieved by the shift in gear.

"Yeah, I'll take that too," he said, taking Astarte's menu from her and handing them both back to the waitress. Somehow this brief interlude felt like it normalized things. Ethan felt lighter.

"So," Ethan said with the beginnings of a smile, "since this is your first time out of a bedroom, do you have any questions about the differences between what you used to see from the Nether world and what you see here now? Or anything else?" Ethan was really curious - how was Astarte perceiving things here?

 

[literary_goblin]

Astarte was distracted for the moment by the swinging hips of the waitress as she walked away. The succubus licked her lips, momentarily distracted, and then her attention snapped back to Ethan as he began to speak again, her expression shifting immediately back to that more genuine happiness not overshadowed by lust.

"I know almost nothing about relationships outside of sex," she admitted, one shoulder rolling in a half a shrug. "Most of what I know comes from what you've so far mentioned doesn't normally happen, but I don't know what is supposed to happen instead. You said last night that most first dates don't start with sex? What do they normally start with, then?"

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan watched Astarte's eyes track the waitress, and when she licked her lips, it took him a moment to realize that she was actually ogling at her! He was about to say something to her about it - he wasn't sure exactly what - when she immediately snapped back into what Ethan considered a more normal mode of being.

It was an interesting question, because it wasn't something Ethan ever thought he'd have to explain. But he was glad she has asked. Maybe it would help her understand things a bit more, open up the world for her a little.

"Well, the two first meet. There's usually some context for it. Maybe they both go to school, or they're colleagues at work, or maybe they just met at a party or some other social event. They end up liking each other - the attraction is usually a combination of physical and personality. Maybe for guys sometimes it's more physical in the beginnnig, but generally speaking, if someone is looking for a serious relationship, it's always going to be a a mix of the two. So then the guy, or the girl, will ask the other if they want to go do something nice together. Eat a meal, watch a movie, go to some event. And the unspoken understanding in this is that it's a time to learn more about the other person, to have fun, to see if there is the beginning for a match between the two. And if by the end of it they both had a good time, enjoyed each other's company, talked about things that mattered to them and realized maybe that they had similar interests or whatever - then they may agree to meet again."

Ethan paused for a moment, furrowed his brown and looked off behind Astarte. "I guess, depending on the couple, they may choose to have sex at that point, but, usually if they're interested in looking for someone for the long term, probably not. But that's really variable. There are some who say you never have sex on the first date. There are some who say it doesn't matter. Some feel that if you really care, then you don't do it until you really get to know the person better. Some feel that that should only happen once the two get married. But the bottom line is, generally speaking, there's some kind of getting to know each other for a while before diving into bed. How long that 'while' is, is dependent on the couple."

Ethan stopped there and considered what he had just said, as if he had just molded a sculpture and was now stepping back to view it. For such an exciting topic, he felt like he had portrayed it all in a pretty banal way.

"Er, it sounds, I dunno. Boring, the way I said it. But really it's an exiting time because you're attracted to this person for different reasons, you're excited to get to know them, there's flirting and fun and all this stuff. It's a great time. And then," Ethan's eyes lit up now, "then you get to a point where you really get to know the person so well, and they become a part of your life. And some people would say that it gets boring then but I feel like it's really good. When I was with my first girlfriend we saw each other for over a year, and we became so close, it was like having someone who knew what you would think, what you would say in different circumstances... there's something about that. When someone else knows who you are, and you know who they are... then life is different. And sex is different too."

Ethan's tone had picked up, and he had become more animated, using his hands more to talk. It was clear where Ethan's relationship aspirations lay.

 

[literary_goblin]

It was a struggle for Astarte not to just get distracted watching the animated way Ethan was talking. It seemed this was a topic of excitement and passion for him. He said he'd made it sound boring - and maybe the words were - but his tone and body language made it anything but. Still, she forced herself to focus, taking in what he was saying. She didn't understand all of it - the idea of waiting am extended period of time to have sex with someone was absolutely baffling to her. But she understood the idea behind it, or so she thought: the actual activity was secondary to learning about the other person. Learning if you liked the same things, valued the same things, wanted the same things. All those little things that could go into making someone more than just an acquaintance.

And she found herself wondering... what did she like, value and want? Her desires had always revolved around sex. But Ethan would grow bored of that. Such desires were shallow, entertaining only in the short term. So what, then? She knew too little to be able to say... so that was it. For now, what she liked doing was learning. What she valued was knowledge. And what she wanted was to know more about mortal life, and about Ethan's life in particular. The confidence that came of having that little bit of direction was actually visible on her face, in her smile and they way she held herself. She seemed more certain in what she was doing, even if what she was doing at the moment was simply listening to him while she toyed idly with the edge of her napkin.

"So. You said that a first date is usually some kind of event, or activity performed together. Like a meal." She flashed him a grin, looking pointedly down at the table between them. "The what's your ideal first date? If a girl asked you out to do something with her, what could she ask you to do that would make you want to go? Even more than you already presumably would, just for her company, I mean."

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan returned Astarte's smile and quipped, "You mean besides seeing her appear in your summoning room?" It was really just to buy himself time. What would his ideal date be? "Hmm, that's an interesting question. I wouldn't say movies or shows, because then most of the time you're just watching something or someone else. Dinner is nice, but, nah." Ethan raised his eyebrows, "Shopping so far has proven to be rather fun," he joked, grinning. He tilted his head and looked off to the side, his eyes lost in thought. "Ah! I know. A hike, then dinner. Yeah. That'd be a great first date. And you know what I'd want to do for the fifth date?"

Ethan smiled at Astarte's response to the question. "A flight to a random city. Which we'd then spend the next few days exploring. That would be an amazing fifth date." Ethan had never actually thought of that before, but it had just popped into his mind. If he was being honest with himself, he was already imagining Astarte and him having sex in the airplane bathroom.

 

[literary_goblin]

It took Astarte a moment to understand the draw of wandering in the woods for an afternoon. But the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea; natural beauty, privacy, and a physical activity that left the mind mostly free for interesting conversation. It actually was pretty ideal, now that she thought about it. "Maybe we should go hiking some time," she quipped.

And then he mentioned his fifth date, and her mouth dropped open in surprise when he announced his idea. "That does sound fun, but I must ask. Why the fifth date in particular for that?" She leaned against the table, grinning at him. Her demeanour was one of comfort and amusement. Like a regular woman out on a breakfast date with her new boyfriend. It was easy to forget that she wasn't human.

 

[TheFarthestWriter]

Ethan was about to forget that Astarte wasn't human.

"Well," he started excitedly, "You can't go traveling on the first date - if things didn't work out, it would be a disaster. I figure it probably takes a few more dates to get to know the person enough to propose something like that. Even then it might be a stretch for some, but I guess the response on the fifth asking to the idea of going on a flight some random place for a few days would also tell you something about the person."

Ethan was speaking quickly, as if he wanted to be finished with the explanation. It soon became apparent why. "So," he started with a big grin and a twinkle in his eye, "Should we go? We already did everything backwards anyway. Started with the sex, then with the clothes, and finally with breakfast. Why not make the airport our next stop?"

Ethan had, for all intents and purposes, forgot that Astarte had just been zapped into his world through an unseen portal, and that she hadn't come with a government issued ID. No. Ethan had essentially forgotten, in this moment, that Astarte was not from Earth at all.