Malicious Mist

There it was. Rhuba wasn't that surprised, for he knew that Pom was more of a social butterfly type than he ever would be. Things seemed to come naturally for Pom, at least from Rhuba's perspective. Pom taught Rhuba a lot about how interacting with others should go, perhaps some misunderstandings could have been avoided had he been normal. Is that what he wanted? To be normal? No, he never cared to be normal. He cared about Pom. What if... that's what Pom wanted?

"Boyfriend?" Rhuba questioned aloud, an unfortunate term that could convey multiple meanings. Of course Rhuba was a boy, and since Pom was his best friend, he'd correct the man for his mistake! "You're my best boyfriend!" He began to chuckle, though the chuckle turned into an exhale laugh, the last words Pom said now ringing in his mind.

Wait, what did Pom mean by romantic? Nothing romantic was happening here, like in books and movies? Kissing? Hugging? ... touching? ... dancing...? Huh.

How? That wasn't something he would do. This wasn't romantic. Just a coincidence... right? Words on paper came to mind. 'When he touched my skin, my heart raced, my face burned hot, hands trembled, lost in his eyes.' Rhuba took a step back, visions of him reaching for Pom's tail with his own. Touching him, holding him, all things he wanted subtlety and never... questioned why? Wanting to be close with him, heart racing, face burning. "W-what?" Rhuba let go of the Zoan, he dropped like a sack of potatoes, but as the oxygen returned to the Zoan they scrambled to their feet, coughing and choking all the while. The moment they were vertical, they fled.

Rhuba had read many a book. Watched many a movie. Though forgetting the exact words used in those outlets referencing relationships, he knew what it was as a concept. Romance was a major part of most stories, though for Rhuba it was something that always alluded his grasp. What was the point of them getting together? Why did people want to do those things? Why did it look exciting? Why was it kinda... cool?

Rhuba stood still, his eyes darting around the concert, looking for something to focus on, unable to look at Pom currently. His body felt weak, his fingers pulsed with random pains, anxious feelings welling up inside. It hadn't happened enough, nor strong enough to be remembered, making this another new feeling.

When did this happen?

Trying to remember... One moment he had captured and wanted to remember, when Rhuba first thought about Pom's smile! Wait... When? Rhuba couldn't remember it. A memory he knew was there, but had no recollection of happening, nor what exactly happened. Thinking further on it, he tried to remember when he met Pom, the only memory coming up was when Pom was already living with him. Strange... He'd have to think about this again, if he remembered.

It didn't matter if Pom was different now. It didn't matter as long as it was Pom. It was so obvious to him now. Rhuba couldn't hear the man as he spoke, his eyes sparkled with a newfound passion. Watching Pom move around the area with this brand new outlook, his eyes scanning his form, taking it all in as he's done countless times before, though this time it truly was different.

Pom was upset now, going from hot to cold was just a new thing he did? Though he seemed upset, Rhuba was able to gain the strength to finally peer into Pom's eyes, again, with brand new eyes of his own. The feeling different now, the thoughts that pushed to the forefront of his mind burned brightly around Pom as a glow. His heart fluttered, unlike any feeling he had before. Was he allowed this feeling? This wasn't something he thought was for him, but here he was, longingly looking up at his Dragon.

Rhuba took a step forward once Pom left, wanting to reach out to the man, but was caught up and lost in his own thoughts. Pom finished a sentence, which allowed Rhuba a moment to take in Pom fully. Following the imaginary trail of Pom's voice with his eyes, his gaze resting on the man's lips just as he finished another sentence. Unable to explain his eyes gravitating in that direction, though it made him realize he had found himself staring at Pom like this on multiple occasions. It didn't all make sense, but he could feel something innately in him called for him to do these things. All those movies, all those books, he knew why now.

Taking one more step forward, the moment his foot would touch the surface of the floor, he'd cover the distance between them faster than he's ever done. The fog from the machines around where he once stood dispersed into all directions, the small shockwave from his speed kicking up the debris left from the fleeing concert goers into the air around them, confetti, papers, cups all flew into the sky in a line from where they once stood together, to the stage.

Rhuba now stood in front of Pom, interrupting his interjection of wanting to go somewhere else by sliding his right hand across the man's cheek, starting from just under his chin, and gliding his fingertips to around the back of his head. No more oblivious longing. His fingers greedily traced his jawline before ending in a soft run through his hair. Rhuba's tail wrapped around Pom's waist using his left hand to wrap around his back and pull him in deeper.

No allergies, heart soaring, embarrassment all but gone, his cheeks finally cool, now only slightly rosy.

This is what his body wanted. This is what he wanted.

A slow methodical breath escaped him, grazing Pom's lips as his approached in a slow build up into a lean-in. The moment had finally come, his lips connected with Pom's. The emotional momentum that had been building for who knows how long erupted in Rhuba's hart, causing Rhuba to grab a portion of Pom's back with his left hand, whilst accidentally taking a fistful of hair with his right, the tail around Pom's waist squeezed him as he pushed as deep as he could into Pom, hoping that he could fuse with the other to stay this way forever.

"Is that... a boyfriend?" Rhuba asked as he pulled back from the embrace, out of breath. Rhuba had been holding his breath since the last time he spoke, though he had been unaware due to the cascade of new emotions flooding him. Only asking this time instead of just assuming he knew what it meant, assuming it wouldn't hurt to make sure, right?

Tell me what you want me to do.

WC:   1,122
TWC: 6,420

Base PL: 100,000

HP: 0%/260% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Hi-Tension (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Bulky (+10% HP) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner | Elite Arm Blaster (1/1) | 1x Snezu

Thoughts swirled around his mind, overwhelmed by the passion he had just unlocked. Rhuba's catalogue of books in his mind opening all at once, moments where Pom knew the implication of romance while Rhuba was blissfully aware flooded his mind. It became embarrassing after a few memories, 'Hah, I still don't get it though.' His confusion on his own emotions becoming a staple around Pom.

The elation of their lips touching had sent him emotionally and mentally reeling, shattering his understanding of himself after this grand gesture of his. It wasn't like he immediately understood all the emotions he had believed he would never feel. All he knew is that his body, his mind, it all yearned for Pom, and he was extremely tired of holding it in. Even IF he was allergic, he would rather DIE than not be in this moment with Pom.

The kiss lasted for an unknown amount of time. Rhuba’s senses dulled the entire time; lost in the moment. Everything but Pom's energy, form, sound, everything else became secondary. Rhuba realized he had reflexively grabbed Pom in different areas with both his hands which caused him to immediately loosen his grip. Not wanting to completely remove his hands, he kept them there, being more gentle than he ever had before. The Saiyan's fingers caressed Pom's cheek, stopping after a moment, wanting to keep his hand there forever, holding him. It... just felt... right?

The moment they pulled away, reality came rushing back to him. Torn papers, receipts, and confetti floated down around them, and suddenly, the weight of what he had done hit his shoulders. Silence, filled the room as flickering lights lit up the destruction and bodies around them creating an eerie atmosphere.

Rhuba had acted in a fit of passion, as was typical for him. His feelings had finally found the freedom to burst forth, after he had connected just a couple of dots, that's all it took for him. Rhuba had never kissed anyone, hell, he's never done anything with anyone other than Pom! Though, that doesn't mean he hadn't practiced. He knew the concept of a kiss, but after a certain age he had believed it to be no longer for him.

Rhuba couldn't explain why he kissed Pom, it wasn't something that came before pure thought, more of a cardinal want that made it feel like an innate need. After that kiss, it was as if all the emotions he’d known before had been mere fabrications, overshadowed by the intensity of what he felt now. It felt as if he had been living incorrectly, though the hardest part of it was he couldn't tell how this had happened, nor what was incorrect about it.

After being lost in thought and emotions, he finally looked down at his Pom. His eyes half-lidded, heart racing, the slight curve of his lips showed the hint of a smile, one he couldn't hide even if he wanted to.

"I... wanted to try romance... with you?" Like controlling a limb, it just happened. "It just happened... I just... did it?" Though Rhuba had no idea what Pom meant, assuming how did he kiss him? Not wanting to explain the intricacies of how he activated Lightspeed very subtly to make the distance to him, and that was it? His thoughts about Pom were now different, visions of holding him, hugging him, kissing him. Movies and books, they showed it in a way that made it seem like it was the best thing two people could do together! They were correct... kind of?

It couldn't last, the feeling had to move on and fade. Like a friends moving far apart, he felt a tinge of fear as it ended. The fear immediately overwritten by Pom's horrified expression as he seemingly realized what he had done. Realized? Did Pom not know what he was doing? He talked about it like he wasn't aware, or had just woke up from a dream... What was-

Pom pleaded with Rhuba, holding him tightly. All his thoughts about how, or why, none of that mattered. Pom was all that mattered, he was hurting, that had to stop. No one hurting his Pom, not even Pom. The look of bewilderment, pain, horror, it coiled around Rhuba's heart like a chain, and squeezed it tightly. His expression softened, as he searched for an answer to Pom's questions in those beautiful eyes of his. Nothing came to mind, no easy answer. Nothing. The answer didn't matter, something had happened to Pom, and if he doesn't know why he hurt all those people... Well, that is exactly what happened. He never hurt these people.

"Shh, shh, it's okay." Rhuba pulled Pom to his chest, using both hands, and his tail around the man's waist still, cradling his head into it and rubbing the back of his head. "Pom," he said, in a hushed whisper. For now, treating Pom like he would a child, the pained look Pom gave him unlocked a feeling that since Pom's arrival, was no longer new to him. He whispered gently, "Follow my energy, okay? Just focus on me..." His lower hand began to rub the man's back, his thumb tracing calming circles while his right stroked his hair. Rhuba's energy slowly leaked over into Pom's, mingling with it as they have before.

"It's okay." Rhuba moved his right hand to Pom's waist, holding it there as his left searched for Pom's own. "Just rest your head, okay?" Rhuba found Pom's hand, holding it loosely like a dancer. The allergies were there, but Rhuba came to understand them better, allergies they were no more. Slowly he danced on stage with Pom, very slow, ballroom style. The picturesque moment faded as the last of the debris scattered to the ground. Electricity bounced around the air, around Rhuba, finding it's way to the speakers. Using his magic, he matched the pace of their dance with a violin from the concert speakers. The music of the calming violin piercing the tension.

While he danced, he made sure to keep most of the destruction behind him, just in case Pom opened his eyes. Electricity danced through the air, resonating with the somber violin that matched their slow rhythm, something he hoped would alleviate Pom's pained look from earlier. Rhuba hoped this dance would allow him time for his magic to look for a way into Pom's mind, if perhaps Pom would let his guard down, he would be able to walk in and perhaps...

"Nothing to apologize for, baby." Rhuba's voice soft, low, and calming.

"You..." Rhuba could feel all of those emotions still bubbling around his chest, causing him to be unsure of what to even do next. He wanted to fully commit to what he's seen, and do anything that feels... right? He pressed a kiss to Pom’s forehead, a gesture he had seen before but never completely understood. His notions of romance had been borrowed from movies and books, the concept becoming more and more familiar by the moment. Perhaps if Pom knew this, he would find it less endearing? Hopefully he never asks.

"Just got lost in dance..." Rhuba spoke, in another low hushed tone. Hoping to be able to find a way into Pom's mind without the man noticing. "Remember? We danced..." Turning them both with the movement of dance, and suggesting to Pom with his tail, he leaned in and emphasized the last words into Pom's ear. "All night." Rhuba swayed with Pom, moving around the stage, guiding Pom with his tail and hands. Even with closed eyes and lack of dancing ability, Pom would easily be able to move along with Rhuba. "Nothing more, nothing less." If he got his way, this is what Pom would believe by the end of the night.

Shh, shh. Follow my energy, it'll be okay.

WC:   1,307
TWC: 7,727

Base PL: 100,000

HP: 0%/260% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Hi-Tension (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Bulky (+10% HP) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner | Elite Arm Blaster (1/1) | 1x Snezu

There it was. Pom relaxed, let him in, even if they had no idea that is what they were doing. Rhuba found himself on a beach, the difference in locations was jarring. After a few moments, he began to relate where he was with his own mindscape. Looking around, other areas of the mindscape littered the distance. Setting his eyes on a house, he felt a weight immediately on his shoulders that disappeared the moment he looked away.

"Pom?" Rhuba spun around on the beach, his feet creating a circle in the sand below. The sensation of sand on his bare feet caused him to notice that... he was bare feet! Lifting his right leg, he looked down, at it, seeing now that he was in beach attire. Likely it was some sort of subconscious thing his mind, or Pom's mind had done. That's also why he could feel the wind on his back, given that his hoodie and shirt were missing, leaving him in just his swimming trunks. "Huh. He really does love the beach..." Memories of Pom saying that swam around in his mind, until they appeared in front of him.

   “..Do you think we’ll see the ocean soon?” Pom spoke up after a while, but he didn’t look back at the other as he asked. Truthfully, he was too enamored with the view to pay much attention to Rhuba. Pom leaned heavily against the car door to look as far as possible. “I’d love to see it-.. Oh!” He whipped around, looking excited suddenly. “Earth’s beaches! Can we go to one? When we’re done with all this, of course?” The end of Pom’s tail thumped against the seat as best as it could. The sun over the manor alone wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy him! Oh, he hadn’t been to a beach in so many years, he almost forgot what waves sounded like. But Earth, made mostly of ocean, made for a perfect opportunity - even if it was getting cooler out.

                                                                            "Ocean? I dunno, I think the island is in the ocean?"
                             "Oh, did you wanna just go to the ocean? We can go to one of those Earthling beaches whenever you want."
 
“I’ll have to get some more appropriate clothes if we do go, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem..”

                                                                            "Oh, about the flowers..."

A window opened in front of him and began to show him a memory Pom's subconscious reconstructed of the memory Rhuba unknowingly summoned. It was the same as he would do it in his own Mind Walk, but it was more natural here for some reason, which threw him off. Just thinking about Pom might do that? The beaches... yeah, he was talking about it in the car. Pom brought up the beach, just as Rhuba remembered. Rhuba watched from afar, the window giving him a wide view of what Pom would have seen. His subconscious filled in the areas he might not have seen, to give Rhuba a clearer picture. Oh... Why didn't I match his excitement? Rhuba didn't know how Pom felt in that instance, but after seeing how he acted to Pom... It doesn't feel good? Regret lingered as the memory faded, the last lines bringing him pause. "Flowers?" He asked, to no one in particular.

A wave pushed against his foot, he could feel a hard object roll over his foot and thud onto the pristine sand. Thinking it was a saibabug, he jerked his leg quickly and hopped away from the object out of fear. Once he got sight of what it was, embarrassment washed over him, his head would have exploded had Pom witnessed that. "A bottle?" Stiffly, he tiptoed over to the bottle, before picking it up. A paper rattled inside, rolled up and tied to keep it together. "A message?" Rhuba's eyes sparkled with excitement, a message in a bottle on a mysterious beach?! Pure CINEMA!

Pulling the cork out with great force, he shook the message out into his hands. Pulling the green tie off it, his nosey grubby little hands unfurled the bottle to read it's contents.

"What did I do?"

Rhuba's hand let the paper slip out of his grasp, the expression now on his face showed that he longer sparked with joy. The handwriting was Pom's own, he's seen it plenty of times already, and Rhuba could only imagine it had to do something with how Pom was feeling currently. The anger became palpable, boiling around him, his eyes, face, even the way he exhaled. He grit his teeth, making it even harder for him to think on what he could do. He wanted to change this, but it's not like he knew how! He had just wished on it real hard, he was always playing it by ear! That causes it to always end in disaster, and he always just moves on like it never happened! He wasn't able to protect Pom! That's why...

“..Hey, Rhuba? I’m gonna nap now.. You can wake me later.. if you wanna nap too. Just.. watch over me?” 
    And with his safety secured, Pom drifted off into a dreamless sleep..

Another viewing window opened up, and the scene unfolding caused Rhuba's heart to sink. "No, no, no..." Rhuba hit his head with the side of his fist, hoping to stop the memory that way. The memory reached the moment Pom closed his eyes, causing Rhuba to scream. "STOP!" The dream stopped, rewound, and everything stopped. In front of him appeared a book, something he would recognize from his own dreamscape. A red thread extended from the book and slipped into the window. The page it flipped to now, had the word 'stop' written in large letters, unlike the rest of the page's text which was green.

Rhuba stepped toward the viewing window, lifting the book that was dangling from it's red thread just below the window. The pages felt dense, it was heavy and large, Rhuba held it out and it took him great effort just to hold it. "Wow, what is this?" Rhuba flipped through the pages, memories in the window came in and out of focus as he looked at words on the page. Though he looked and read the words, they weren't words as he looked, his vision would show the viewing window as he stared at the page, as if the words were being expressed visually from the window itself.

"That's... weird." Even Rhuba felt this was weird, trying to read but then being forced to watch instead was a jarring experience. It was clearly a means for him to view Pom's memories, perhaps he manifested a way that he could do it, so he somehow forced his own mindscape in here to interact with Pom's? It began to feel... wrong? Feeling like he shouldn't be doing this.

"I can just peek at today though... right?" Rhuba flipped to earlier pages in the book, to a page before Rhuba entered Earth's atmosphere. Hoping to see why Pom had acted so strange today.

    Mt. Five Element was a place Pom could never imagine being on Earth. Other places, maybe, but it was simply too fantastical in comparison to Earth’s other landscapes, especially those in the western part of it. Unfortunately, it was also too fantastical for Pom to handle. He was hired to find some herb that only grew on the edges of cliffs, which would’ve been easy enough if it weren’t for the mirror maze the magical mountain had placed him in. He must’ve been searching around for hours on end, walking in circles in search of a path that didn’t have the tree he’d seen about 56 times already. 
    A fog already hung over the mountain’s trails, but the one that rolled in now was somehow different. It unnerved Pom, truthfully, but he paid it no mind.. Until it was directly upon him, and he could no longer see more than a foot or two in front of him. He grew dizzy as he spun around to look for a way out of the mist, but it seemed to swallow up everything in sight. 
    And as quickly as it had came, it left.
    Then something made Pom realize that he really didn’t care about this job anymore. It was far too boring and difficult, and if those clients needed that herb so bad, they could just get it themselves. Didn’t they know he had much better things to do with his time? With a large burst of energy, he darted into the air and back to the manor. 

Huh. Strange. Why would Pom just leave during a job? Pom never does that...

Rhuba could feel water on his feet again, instinctively looking down, he noticed another bottle wash up. Rhuba dropped the book letting it dangle from the window causing it to swing wildly in the air. Reaching down, he grabbed the bottle and opened it just like the last one, unfurling and reading the message inside.

"It's not okay..."

Rhuba scrunched the paper and threw it far away from him down the beach. "No, no, no." Rhuba scanned the book frantically, looking for something that might help him. Wait... Rhuba went back to the last memory, what was that ominous mist that rolled in? Rhuba stopped on the page where the mist came in, able to see it a bit clearer than Pom had given Pom's subconscious was building a memory based on Pom's emotions. Somehow... the mist... felt... malicious?

Did he see something like this before?

Rhuba flipped to the most recent pages of the book. It couldn't be, right? The Earthlings... Rhuba remembered seeing some fog roll in, but after seeing the mist it looked awfully familiar for some reason. "THERE!" Rhuba excitedly shouted as he found it, Pom had seen it too!

No nuisances could bother his Rhuba, no sound could interrupt the intoxicating sound of his voice. The mist outside - which Pom vaguely noticed, too indulged in this physical contact - almost completely hid the Earthlings away too, making the experience much better for the short moments it remained.

There it was, the same mist. Rolling in, and then... Rhuba went forward in the memory, watching Pom obliterate the Earthlings and concert in one quick blast. That was so cool... if it was really Pom. If this was a movie, he'd have fallen in love with the main actor, but this wasn't the Pom he knew. The Earthlings, Pom, they had been hit by this mist? Maybe? Is that why Pom had said all those things to him earlier? It made Rhuba chuckle, his heart feeling a little lighter now. "Maybe we could have been salt and pepper." He chuckled a little louder, as he collapsed backward into the sand, laying flat across it, barely missing the bottles below.

How long did he even have in here? How long was it out there? Was he in auto pilot? Some magic could do that, he had learned from Parasitix's bank of memories. The sky really was beautiful here, though. Rhuba held out his hand and reached for the sky, only to be disappointed by an empty handful of air. Rhuba wished he could have pulled the sky down on top of him, perhaps he wouldn't have to make this decision. Would Pom hate him for removing this memory?

A tiny wave of water struck his side as he lay in the sand, a bottle sliding across his chest and landed on the other side of him. Rhuba lifted up on his arms, looking down at the bottle. Should he even open it? It was nothing good. Pom was upset, and there was nothing he could do. If he removed this memory and he hated him for it? What would he do then? Rhuba was never going to not read the message, the only question was when he would stop arguing with himself and just read it.

The bottle was opened, message unfurled.

    "I have to trust him..."

Drops of salty tears slid down the side of his face as he read the message over and over. WHY!? "WHY!?" WHY?! "WHY?!" Tears streamed down his face. WHY WOULD HE TRUST ME?! Rhuba turned over, thousands of crystals of sand slid off his body and trunks as he hunched over on his hands and knees, his head just below the hanging book.

We danced all night.

Tears drenched the sand below, his tears dirtying Pom's precious beach. "We danced all night." Rhuba didn't know how this worked, but he played it by ear, so he'll just keep playing it by ear. Angrily looking up at the book, then to the window. Grabbing the book with his right hand, he used it for leverage as he lifted himself off the ground. Opening it, he flipped to the most recent pages. They were dancing in the memory... but now what? The dancing played in the window as Rhuba racked his brain on what he could do.

Flipping the pages back, he thought perhaps if he got to what bothered Pom he could do something then... There it was again, the memory of Pom taking out the Earthlings played, the image of Pom doing that still seemed foreign and strange to him... and he was there when it happened. Lifting up the book, he looked underneath it as he held it open. Nothing. "Why can't I just erase it and write whatever I want?" Rhuba remembered when he got the memory to stop, but had no idea how he had done it. Though, as he looked at his hand, he noticed a quill in his hand. One with a black feather, the tip had no color, no ink.

"A quill...?" Rhuba had seen these before, though he hadn't needed to, he learned how to write with one himself. Mostly due to it's connection with literature, though another big part would be... he thinks it makes him cool.

Rhuba tapped the quill on the paper, nothing. "Come on..." Rhuba snapped his fingers, no luck, his magic didn't respond. Thinking that perhaps just envisioning ink would summon it like the others, so he began to think real hard about an inkwell, closing his eyes on the process. Nothing... again. Rhuba opened one eye, anger consuming him, frustration boiling into rage. The memory kicked back up, playing Pom's words to Rhuba, the moment he realized what he had done to all those Earthlings.

"GRRRAAAAAH!" Rhuba slammed the quill into the underside of his left forearm. He pierced the skin with the sharp edge of the quill, blood seeped from the new wound. The quill hungrily drank the blood, changing the tip to a dark red. It hurt, but he could feel the blood seep out of him. It stung like it was real, perhaps it was, perhaps it wasn't. What mattered now is that Rhuba had his inkwell. Taking the quill out, he grabbed the last piece of paper from the top. Taking a deep breath he pulled down, trying to rip the page out of the book. The paper wouldn't budge.

"LET GO!" Rhuba grit his teeth, and with the quill still in his right hand, grabbed the paper from the top with his quilled hand. The blood from his quill wound gushed on the page, but did not stain it, just slid off dying the sand below a dark hue of red. Pulling with all his might, he dug deep down for more strength. With each moment he searched his strength would rise, his hair sharpened and lifted, strands standing taut like dark, crackling lightning. For a moment, just at the base of his hair, flashed a golden color.

The page began to rip, slowly, but Rhuba wasn't done searching yet. "KRAAAAAAAAUGH!" With one last pull, he was sent flying backward with the paper in hand. It pulled against him as he slid against the sand away from the window on his back. The paper wanted to return to the book, he could feel it pulling against his grip. The pull was getting stronger, if he let it return to the paper there was no way he could summon that strength again. Taking the paper to his chest, he began to crumple it into a ball. Slipping it into his mouth, he slowly bit down on it. It was like a jawbreaker, a large wad of paper that was now trying to get out of his mouth, pushing against his mouth. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and swallowed. The large ball of paper felt like it was going to get stuck, but fortunately wiggled itself down to his stomach.

The pull of the paper ceased as it reached his stomach. "Hah!" Rhuba laughed excitedly, whipping his arms around wildly. Blood splattered across the sand from his wound. Rhuba finally gathered himself and made his way back to the book as it slowly swung beneath the window. Putting the quill between his fingers, he opened to the next blank page and began writing, the blood dripping down the page unlike the rest of the page.

Rhuba and Pom went to an Earthling concert and danced all night. Pom was nice to Rhuba the entire time.

Pom's subconscious filled in the blanks, pulling out anything unnecessary aside from their dancing and words together. Pom's words in the memory now would fit with what Pom imagined he'd have said. Rhuba watched it one last time, a smile sliding across his face, only to crash into a frown moments after. Would Pom have wanted this? Rhuba didn't know when the self doubt had started, it was always there, but after the island-

Rhuba heard his name, which caused him to turn. There he was, the man of honor. Seeing Pom brought the smile back. It didn't matter if Pom hated him. Pom would be happier now, that's all that mattered. He wanted to make Pom, for he was his boyfriend, after all...

"You can trust me." He said, weakly waving with his injured arm, blood still dripping from his quill wound. His eyes red and puffy from crying, his smile hid a deep pain and guilt for what he had done. Perhaps Pom would have been fine with it? Perhaps not? How would he ever know... without Pom knowing?

Rhuba disappeared from the mindscape, returning to the dance. They were mid turn, which Rhuba picked up on and finished the movie. "Is it better... now?"

Shh, shh. Follow my energy, it'll be okay.

WC:   2,522
TWC: 10,249

Base PL: 100,000

HP: 0%/260% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Hi-Tension (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Bulky (+10% HP) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner | Elite Arm Blaster (1/1) | 1x Snezu

Rhuba was glad he was back, but the people were still around. The damage and bodies could be explained away, but he'd rather not do that. Snapping his fingers once, magic sparked from the friction of the snap as an illusory barrier manifested around the damage that Pom had caused. It wasn't perfect, but at least if Pom didn't walk up to the area of the concert his blast had hit he'd never know anything happened here at all.

"You wanted to learn how to dance. I was showing you, remember? Is it better now, can you dance a little better?" Rhuba still had his tail wrapped around Pom's waist. His tail would move ever so slightly every once in awhile, as if he was trying to get a better grip on him. "Yeah, you're right. It's always good when you're around." Rhuba said, snapping once more, magic sparked, and those that had been damaged by Pom were all wrapped in soundproof gravity bubbles.

Some were still groaning from the pain Pom had caused, so to avoid that he sealed them in the bubble in extra thick condensed gravity, the noisy victims no longer an issue. The gravity bubbles began to float into the air, and slowly made their way into the open-top of the concert to float away. Even if Pom saw the bubbles, it would look more like literal giant bubbles from soap over floating bodies. The inside of the bubble was blurred by the condensed gravity, which created the illusion of a giant actual bubble.

Rhuba spun with Pom as part of the dance, his hand gliding up Pom's right side, from their waist. His hand finally landed on his cheek as he forced Pom to twirl with him once more. Using the momentum of the spin, he'd end it on a kiss. His lips found Pom's quickly, as if it was how the world had designed Rhuba, for his lips to meet Pom's.

Rhuba wrapped his left arm around Pom's waist, his hand found Pom's hip. Rhuba squeezed as he pushed a little further into the kiss, leaning down into Pom. His right hand caressed the man's cheek, then across his jaw, gliding his fingers up Pom's neck before the journey ended at the back of Pom's head, all five of his fingers spliced through his hair. Rhuba's tail uncurled from around Pom's waist, lingering around his waist for a moment before sliding down to Pom's tail and wrapping around it tightly. Finally, it all made sense. Kissing finally clicked for him, he could understand it now. Why people in books and movies did this? It was the tingle, the... allergies?

Wanting to distract Pom from the bubbles was the main reason for his actions, but there was more to it than that... he wanted this, no, he needed this. The feeling of Pom's lips against his own, experiencing the moment they'd pull away and their lips peeled away from each other slowly, as if they truly did not want to separate. The feeling was overwhelming, the new want and potential addiction unlocked in his brain, never to be sealed again.

Breaking the kiss himself, regretting it immediately, he looked down at Pom, the demeanor and mood completely shifting. Luckily for Pom Rhuba had not known the wonders of the tongue, else he would have likely tried that in his now heightened awareness of romance. "Wanna go home, love?" He spoke in a calming and sensual tone, as he gazed into Pom's eyes. Without thinking much about it, he began to stroke Pom's head and hair with his right hand, his other still gripping Pom's hip, Rhuba's tail also gently stroking Pom's in a calming manner.

As he awaited a response, the music continued playing from the speakers, Rhuba subtly using his magic to continue the romantic music. Instead of swaying with Pom like they were dancing, he held him tightly standing in place, his expression soft, and gentle. The feelings that had overwhelmed him caused him to look at Pom with an expression Pom had likely never seen from Rhuba. Though Pom had likely seen it from others, he probably never expected to see it from Rhuba, at least not like this.

Home?

WC:   707
TWC: 10,956

Base PL: 100,000

HP: 0%/260% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Hi-Tension (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Bulky (+10% HP) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner | Elite Arm Blaster (1/1) | 1x Snezu

Pom touched Rhuba this time, another feeling Rhuba knew and wanted. Finally, Pom's hand cupped the Saiyan's face. Rhuba couldn't help but make a satisfying noise as his wishes came true. Pom's other hand stayed on his chest, something that Pom had done before, but the feeling was utterly different now. It caused Rhuba's heart to quicken, and Pom could feel Rhuba's grip tighten on his waist the moment Pom's hands graced him.

Ideas sprang in his head like a picture show, movements, words, meanings. All new to him. This romance thing wasn't as simple as he thought, and these feelings were... more than he could handle. The dance, his words, all of it taken from somewhere. There was some originality in what he spoke, though most of it was just moving words around or fitting something he had read or saw into what he means now.

Pom calling him an amazing dancer was another catalyst to the kiss from earlier, which had caused the allergies to completely resurface. Rhuba's face turning a darker shade of red as he spoke after breaking the kiss. "We can dance..." Rhuba's breath exasperated from the kiss, his half-lidded eyes staring into Pom's, before he felt an overwhelming urge to look away. Rhuba quickly glanced away from Pom, the unusual feeling of embarrassment washing over him. While he's felt this kind of embarrassment a few times before, it was never as strong as right now. Holding onto Pom, swinging with Pom, touching him like this... It was all overwhelming, even a single glance at Pom would cause his hands and chest to tingle.

"..whenever you want. My hands and feet are yours." Rhuba stared off into the distance, as he spoke. His voice cracked very slightly, an extreme rarity. Still swaying with Pom to the music gently, he wanted Rhuba finally looked at Pom again, his eyes following the shape of his face. As Pom spoke, Rhuba's eyes couldn't help but watch the man's lips as he spoke. Something deep down had been unlocked, an unknowing need, a want.

Rhuba smiled at all the sweet words. Pom's flirting effecting him more than it ever had before. Pulling away from Pom for a second, he turned to look behind him. The mess was gone, and the entire concert was empty now. Slowly the music died down, still audible but Rhuba was no longer keeping the connection up as well anymore.

"Of course, I'll always be your willing chariot, always, Pom." Rhuba turned back to Pom, and swept him off his feet. Sliding his arm under his knees, and the other around his back before pulling him close to his chest. "I'd love to dance at home with you." Rhuba feared whatever that mist was, perhaps it was just a fluke, likely nothing would come of it anymore. The Earthlings would eventually be turned back to normal and everything will be listed as some manic episode going through the cities.

Lifting into the sky, he made his way back home. Taking the scenic route at first, before realizing there were fires sprouting in the city. If you took the time to listen, screams and yelling echoed from below. Rhuba didn't have the magic to sprout another sound barrier, so instead he spoke to Pom. "Did you like Halloween, love?" Rhuba smiled, trying to be as sweet and loud as possible without seeming too weird, though he likely came off as too loud in this instance. Hopefully it was enough to distract Pom as they escaped the sounds of the city.

After awhile, they made it back to the manor. They were never too far from home, so it only took a few minutes of flying. After leaving the city, the yelling and screaming stopped, and the forested areas outside the city grew quiet in the pale moonlight. Rhuba touched down, in front of the garden of flowers he had planted for Pom. For some reason, they looked prettier than before, and he had never imagined that to be even possible.

Gliding over to the door, he turned the handle with his tail before pushing it open. Rhuba still held Pom, as he went through the house and fell with Pom forward unto the couch, laying atop him briefly. "Phew. Did you still wanna dance?"

The next morning, Rhuba stepped out of Pom's house, wearing shorts and a tee, no shoes. Shutting the door behind him, he looked out into the distance. He could smell... magic approaching? It woke him up, the pungent smell overpowered his nose as a mist rolled into the manor, overtaking the area. It smelled so bad! This was the mist, though, wasn't it?! Rhuba hadn't had time to react, and only noticed once the mist had overtaken the manor. Then like a ghost, it was gone, leaving Rhuba standing in front of the door wondering what he was just doing, and feeling an overwhelming feeling to be beside Pom.

Exit...?!

WC:   827
TWC: 11,783

Base PL: 100,000

HP: 0%/260% (+0%)
KP: 6/6 (+0)
MP: 0/6 (+0)

Traits: Saiyan Pride (Inactive) | Hi-Tension (1/1) | Zenkai (Inactive) | Bulky (+10% HP) | Noble Blood (+20% HP/+30% Critical Threshold)
Items: Battle Armor (Unused) | Battle Liner | Elite Arm Blaster (1/1) | 1x Snezu