Chapter Text
“Will I see you again?”
For Black Swan, she wants to say no. After everything she has endured, the calamity of memories and the uncomfortable feeling that she hasn’t been able to shake off her chest since they’ve returned to the present – Black Swan doesn’t ever want to see her again. A Galaxy Ranger? No. What she saw wasn’t the gleaming power of the Reignbow Arbiter bestowed to its followers, nowhere near its greatness, but instead an all consuming black hole that nearly swallowed her whole. It belongs to someone else- something else entirely, and it’s that very fact alone that Black Swan knows she won’t be able to stay away.
Because for a Memokeeper, curiosity will always get the best of her.
The buzz of chatter and music have turned into nothing more than white noise within the lively environment of the banquet hall. People continue to drink and mingle, associates quietly conduct their business over a glass of alcohol as the rest of the world continues on here on the Plant of Festivities. Black Swan looks down at her own drink, tracing her finger over the rim of the glass, and then she sees it. A slight tremble of her hand, nearly imperceptible thing to anyone else… except for her.
Black Swan takes a deep breath in through her nose, head tilting up some but gaze still remaining on her finger, staring for as long as she can before she feels a familiar burn in her eyes. The smile she wears is the same she’s worn throughout the years, a mask she’s practiced to perfection during her encounters as a Memokeeper. Bargaining and concealing one’s true intention is a part of the job, and Black Swan wants to say she has mastered it fully by now.
She blinks and looks over at Acheron just to see she’s already staring back at her, her apathetic gaze an empty void once more trying to draw her in. Black Swan barely resists the urge to look away at the sinking feeling she immediately gets in her stomach, sunset eyes calmly wandering off to some random spot on the wall as she smiles.
“Depends.”
But then Acheron is a different case entirely. It’s strange to feel her heart race the way it does around the enigmatic woman, or how her stomach doesn’t stop churning with never ending nausea. Her body has changed, it hasn’t been the same since she’s left Acheron’s mindscape and for some reason that both excites and scares Black Swan horribly. She crosses one leg over the other before leaning back into the sofa and subtly bringing her shaky hand to her lap. Black Swan sends the stoic woman beside her a casual, sidelong glance.
“Do you want to see me again?”
“Yes,” Acheron replies simply, her own arms crossed over her chest with a single violet eye piercing straight through her. “That’s why I asked.”
“Have I enchanted you in some way?” Acheron huffs a dry laugh that barely shakes her shoulders.
“I guess you could say that,” She leans forward and places both elbows on the table before reaching for her almost empty glass, tilting the drink to and fro and watching it swirl around the melted ice. Black Swan also watches the hypnotizing motion of the golden liquid, looking up just in time to meet Acheron’s unblinking gaze.
“I’d hate to forget you.”
The hairs on the back Black Swan’s neck instantly rise, her face hot and throat dry as she processes Acheron’s candid words. Aeons. Does she even know what she’s saying right now?
Black Swan doesn’t say anything right away and lets the events of their dance come flooding back in: the agonizing sensation of teeth and claws sinking into her flesh, the filthy sounds of her cunt being used and the animal huffing into her ear as another fresh load of cum fills her once more. She’s yet to fully recover from whatever that was and with Acheron still so close to her, watching her, it makes it all the more difficult for Black Swan to stay unaffected.
She can still feel the slight ache inside of her, as if her cock was still fucking her, hard and rough and making a drooling mess of her cunt. A slight twinge echoes through her body, causing her walls to twitch and body to shift from one leg to the other. The tingling warmth of her orgasm earlier still lingers around her clit, and it leaves Black Swan’s already disheveled thoughts hazier than they already are.
“The feeling is mutual,” Black Swan murmurs while ignoring the ache between her legs, her body feeling hot all over at the mere thought of seeing the Galaxy Ranger again. The horror and the beauty, her calm violet eyes and wild crimson ones.
She doesn’t want to forget her either.
“Good,” Acheron adds with a short nod before pushing her glass across the table and towards Black Swan. “Here. Have the rest. I’ll see you around.”
“Thank you,” Black Swan replies rather breathlessly, the heat spreading along her skin and making her feel dizzy.
She doesn’t mention how she much prefers a sweeter taste than the bitter alcohol Acheron has been chugging all night long. Her fingers wrap around the glass, still warm from Acheron’s touch, as she watches the Galaxy Ranger stand up from their booth. She dares to hold her gaze once more time just to see the way her eyes never stray far from hers, and suddenly Black Swan really can’t wait to see her again.
“Until next time then.”
…
As soon as she doesn’t sense Acheron’s presence nearby, Black Swan immediately leaves the banquet hall as well. It’s here where she takes advantage of her memetic form and practically collapses onto the nearest wall with a shaky sigh on her lips. She hears people talking just around the corner from her, but Black Swan pays them no mind, hands moving on their own accord and roaming up and down the length of her body, and eventually right to where she’s aching the most.
Her breathing turns ragged, eyes fluttering shut for a moment as she presses the palm of her hand against her clit, feeling it give a stronger throb from the slight friction she receives. She’s soaked. The lingering warmth of her orgasms earlier causing her hips to twitch and rut into her own fingers in search of that addicting pleasure she experienced not long ago.
She stops herself though, whimpering pitifully under her breath as her thighs shake with the urge to clamp around her wrist. Black Swan opens her eyes and blinks slowly a couple times, the movement sluggish before she’s tilting her head down and taking in the state of herself, and oh is it bad. Warmth spreads across her face and paints her skin red at seeing the mess that slowly seeps out of her shorts, dripping down her fingers and onto the polished hotel floor. She dizzily watches the erotic display with a heavy blush on her cheeks while another string of her arousal threatens to fall. She closes her legs just in time to feel it soak into her stockings.
Fuck. What has her body reacting like this so? Like- like some kind of animal, as if she were in heat or something. The last thought has Black Swan thumping her head against the wall softly with a small groan. Little puffs of air slip past her lips as she stands there panting and trembling, thighs squeezing tight around her wrist and forcing her hand to stay still as her thoughts stray back to the only person who could have caused this phenomenon.
The red, lightning-patterned markings adorning her pale skin, long white hair that filled every inch of her vision and most of all… the utterly shameless way Acheron had fucked her. On her back with her legs thrown over her shoulder, face down and ass up in the next as another flood of cum fills her twitching cunt and-
“Just what have you done to me, Acheron…?” Black Swan sighs almost desperately to herself, hand shakily withdrawing from between her legs and lifted within her field of view.
She swallows hard at the sight of her glove shiny and wet, her insides feeling achingly sore and used and how she just can’t stop dripping everywhere. Another shaky sigh escapes her as Black Swan closes her eyes once more and dips her hand back between her thighs while cupping her breast with the other, teeth sinking down into the plump skin of her bottom lip.
The ache is unbearable…
…
After much consideration and deliberation, Black Swan decides to stay clear of the Galaxy Ranger. After taking a glimpse into the void and her memetic still behaving odd is enough to keep her away from the mysterious woman.
As beautiful and enchanting as she may seem, Black Swan knows in her heart that in the end she must keep any future engagements to a minimum if she doesn’t want to experience the same thing she did at the banquet hall. There’s no denying the pleasure she found in creating such painful and vivid memories, but the reality of it all is that Acheron is dangerous, and intentional or not – she was almost killed by her, or at least that’s what it felt like.
Monster corpses are littered about the hallway, more and more of them appearing as they reach the double doors in the end. At first Black Swan doesn’t think much of it, feeling a sense of sympathy for the lifeless little guys, but then she frowns when she notices something too late. The presence of another being. How strange, it should only be her and the Trailblazer within this part of the Dreamscape, her cards didn’t tell her about a third newcomer within the corrupted realm. Her frown only deepens into serious concentration as they pass through the doors, her footsteps slow and deliberate as she carefully scans the area, and Black Swan abruptly stops in her tracks at the source.
“Ah… Her?” She whispers in disbelief, her voice trembling a little and garnering a worried glance from Stelle. Black Swan barely pays her any attention, holds her breath and keeps her eyes trained on the tall figure slowly walking towards the group of monsters in the middle of the place. “How is this possible?”
She isn’t given enough time to process the sight of Acheron before her feet move on their own, leading her down the stairs and next to the Trailblazer as they silently observe her for a moment. Soon enough their presence is acknowledged by the Galaxy Ranger.
“Huh?” She turns her head the slightest bit, just barely looking over her shoulder with a hand on her hip. Black Swan doesn’t miss the subtle tension to her voice. “What’re you doing here?”
She can feel Stelle’s gaze wandering back to her, an unspoken question settling into the air- ‘you two… know each other?’ before her attention returns to Acheron.
“You… lost your way again?”
“Well, not really. I just don’t know where I am.”
Her response is almost comical, and if Black Swan wasn’t so thrown off guard she would have laughed at the way Acheron responded. She shakes her head a little and steers their attention back to the problem at hand.
“We’ll have to cut the banter short…” She sees the way Acheron’s shoulders relax at the sound of her voice, something Black Swan notes before finishing the rest of her request with that uncomfortable feeling making an appearance once more. “Let’s first work together and remove these overly friendly children, shall we?”
“I’m indebted to you both for your help…”
The familiar sharp scent of ozone comes wafting in and despite being a memetic entity, Black Swan feels absolutely sick at the smell as memories of not long ago come flooding back in. The dance, the snake, that red eye- and then the fight is over, leaving the three of them standing in an odd silence while Acheron sighs. A plethora of questions rattles around her head as the Galaxy Ranger begins speaking to them, explaining as to how she ended up in the Dreamscape and the Masked Fool she ran into. A chill runs down her spine at the mention of Sparkle and Black Swan wonders if their run in turned out to be the same as hers. Or worse.
“You… aren’t hiding anything, are you?”
“Hiding?” The corners of her mouth quirk up into the faintest smile from the subtle accusation thrown her way. “I don’t think I’d be capable of that in front of a Memokeeper.”
Her heart nearly jumps out of her chest at the use of her title.
‘She remembers-’ but how much?
Acheron looks over at her and Black Swan fears she might have uttered her words aloud when those unnerving eyes land onto her next. They pierce straight through her, stripping her wings and laying her bare, and it’s such an invasive feeling that Black Swan wants nothing more than to turn and look away. Immobilized by the mere presence of her gaze alone.
She stares into the abyss, and the abyss stares right back at her, a vast ocean of nothingness that unnerves Black Swan to the bones. Her wings quiver as a single serpentine eye holds her gaze.
“Glad to be traveling with you again, Miss Black Swan.”
…
The collection of memories is an important one, that much is true, yet a part of what makes the whole experience unforgettable are the emotions bottled within each memory she collects – pain, joy, rage, sorrow. All of these emotions contribute to creating the purest of memories Black Swan immerses herself every time she has a chance to do so. However, there’s been one pesky little feeling lingering in the back of her mind as of late, nagging her like an annoying little gnat…
She stares at the music box in her hand, brows slightly furrowed in concentration as she sorts through the latent memories stored within the instrument. The more she explores, the more questions arise, the more this uncomfortable weight grows within her chest.
She listens to the past whispers of the Annihilation Gang, the muffled voices of Ifrit’s and his children discussing their plans, all blind to the sight of death waiting just around the corner for them. Black Swan can’t help but feel pity for their poor unaware souls and how they were moments from meeting their untimely demise.
“I shouldn’t stay here for long…” Black Swan mumbles within the empty hotel room, her hand coming to rest against her chin deep in thought. “Best if I finish this quickly.”
And without another word her eyes slip shut as she plunges herself deeper into the memory bubble, searching for something that could help clarify her findings so far-
Except there’s nothing.
A shocked gasp slips out of Black Swan before retching herself free from the icy grasp of the memories, her eyes wide and breathing suddenly short as she tries to process what just happened now. The next part of the memory, it’s blank- ‘But how?’ Black Swan thinks to herself, staring hard at the music box atop the coffee table. Everything had been going smoothly. She was able to sneak into Acheron’s room, search for the ‘invitation’ left behind on the music box that every guest had obtained and was able to uncover some of Ifrit’s conversation, just to run straight into a wall.
It’s as if someone had somehow tampered with the memory and erased some part of it… and left it blank. The music box had fallen into Acheron’s hands and she brought it no problem to Penacony, or at least that’s what should have happened as she peers into the memory again.
“...”
A chill soon runs down her spine when Black Swan makes a startling realization once more. Acheron… That eerie coldness she felt earlier – it’s the same uncanny sensation she felt during their dance when Black Swan had intruded her memories. The influence of this inescapable void of nothingness, that same silent abyss, something happened during Acheron’s journey here and had an influence on the memory bubble. ‘But how-’ Black Swan asks herself again, panic beginning to seep into her otherwise calm demeanor and bringing a familiar sense of fear. She gets her answers but not in the way she expected them.
...
“Want ‘her’ secret?”
“Are you that imposter’s bodyguard?”
Constance and the man on the phone. Black Swan takes a deep breath and navigates through the rest of this conversation with a calm mind despite how loud her head is. However the more she listens to these strangers dance around their words and throw empty threats at her, the more her patience thins until eventually Black Swan takes control of the situation.
“You know Acheron the Galaxy Ranger, yes?” She exhales a weary sigh through her nose, the clock beginning to tick loudly in the background.“I have something to ask you.”
The voice laughs. “Haha, are you asking me to write your will? Sure, go ahead.”
Black Swan pays him no mind, her thoughts entirely fixated on one goal as she finally asks the question that’s been burning inside her for a while now.
“How exactly did she… become a Galaxy Ranger?”
No response.
“She’s clearly not a Pathrstrider of The Hunt. But you are, aren’t you?” She continues despite the heavy sigh she receives on the other end of the line, a new kind of determination igniting in her soul. “Tell me, what’s Acheron’s deal?”
The answer is just within arm’s reach, and Black Swan the man is careless enough to give her what she’s been aching for. This beautiful yet mysterious Ranger that has enchanted her so, attracts her in a way Black Swan have never felt before- Aeons , she just wants to know already and end this uncoordinated dance of theirs. Luckily for her, fate seems to be on her side.
“That lady’s past? Nobody knows. But if all you want is a simple answer, sure, you best get a chair and take a seat. That woman named Acheron…”
She hangs onto every word that leaves his mouth, subtly takes a step forward and leaning down towards the phone as his voice loses some of its edge, drawing Black Swan in closer.
“Is an Emanator who should not exist…”
The revelation makes her stomach drop. Acheron… An Emanator… and one who should not exist at that…? What did he mean?
She blinks back to the present, listens to the man ramble off about them meeting soon and her becoming his sort of ‘ally’ and Black Swan hums in a sort of lazy agreement. Her mind is still reeling from the fact that Acheron, obvious as it is, is not who she thinks she is. Too many contradictions surround her, overlapping with one another and revealing her another wave of questions.
Black Swan doesn’t even bid the man farewell before she abruptly hangs up on him, the silence of the room a welcome reprieve from the man’s incessant yapping. She thinks of Acheron and begins putting some of the puzzle pieces together: a woman who is supposedly a Path of The Hunt being called an imposter, who’s forgetful and yet remembers Black Swan clear as day, a woman with a dark past. Then she remembers their dance. The void she had fallen into, the black hole in the distance and how time seemed to stand still- they all point to one thing.
Nihility.
“Acheron…” She whispers her name while looking around the scarce hotel room, an odd feeling forming in her chest and leaving Black Swan utterly breathless and intrigued. “Just who are you…”
She licks her lips with a slight shake of her head, a huff of a laugh leaving her as she begins to retreat from the coffee table. Despite the many questions still left unanswered in her mind, Black Swan found her exchanges to be rather useful today and will continue her investigation another time.
“If we meet again, will you still remember me?”
Black Swan doesn’t say anything else after that and spins on her feet. She’s already overstayed her welcome and decides to pick this up later once she’s wrapped her head around this a little better. Her Ranger could appear any second now and Black Swan takes advantage of her memetic form, using her powers to easily conceal herself and wander back into the hotel hallway. She makes herself visible once more with a lazy smile on her face, her thoughts all but revolving around the enigma that is Acheron.
Perhaps a quick trip to the bar wouldn’t hurt? She hasn’t indulged in her favorite drink in a while, maybe she can finally unwind and-
A soft grunt escapes Black Swan as she turns the corner and collides headfirst into another body. Strange. She hadn’t sensed anyone until now, and Black Swan sees why.
“Ah…”
She blinks and looks up slightly to stoic eyes staring down at her, nearly glowing in the low lighting of the empty hallway they’re in. A hand soon comes to rest on her hip not a moment after, the sharp edge of her nail guards sinking down that has Black Swan biting her lip a little at the prickle of pain she feels. She ignores it and hears Acheron exhale a quiet breath before silence soon hangs between them. Black Swan watches in real time as the haze in her eyes slowly lifts into recognition as she mumbles her greeting.
“Memokeeper…”
“Miss Acheron,” Black Swan murmurs her name soft and saccharine sweet and with a smile on her lips. She releases a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. “What a surprise to bump into you of all people here.”
“Apologies,” She had a hard time focusing with Acheron’s hand still on her, the possessive touch hip sending a hot little thrill of excitement to her stomach while closely watching the Ranger’s every move. “I’m just heading back to my room.”
“Funny… I’m heading back to mine now,” Black Swan tilts her head and slowly rakes her eyes over Acheron’s intimidating form. She takes note of the slight tension in her jaw and how her nostrils seem to flare a bit with each exhale she releases. Black Swan raises a brow at that and suddenly she wants to know what’s wrong with her despite all the signs telling her not to.
“Are you alright? You seem stressed, dear.”
“Fine,” Acheron licks her lips and looks her up and down. “Haven’t seen much of you lately.”
Her eyes widened at the unexpected confession and the way Acheron had blatantly checked her out right now. Maybe it’s because she’s been avoiding her for a while, but for some reason Black Swan feels an even stronger attraction for the handsome and mysterious woman in front of her. That and the fact that she was just in her hotel room, well, maybe her nerves were beginning to get the best of her. Something that doesn’t happen very often except with Acheron.
Black Swan laughs shyly and looks off to the side, a light blush spreading across her face.
“Yes, well… I’ve been attending to other matters,” She brings her attention back onto Acheron, flashing her an uneasy smile knowing that she’s the one to blame for the sudden distance between them. Acheron tilts her head and simply stares at her, going quiet once more while digesting her words.
“Is that so…?”
Black Swan immediately clocks her tone, back straightening with the urge to step away, but she doesn’t. She can’t. Not with Acheron still holding her by the hip with a clawed thumb idly caressing her hip bone, and Black Swan tries not to squirm from the distracting sensation. Her throat hitches at the way Acheron is staring at her, suffocating her alone with her intense gaze.
“I thought Memokeepers didn’t lie.”
The ache inside her worsens and Black Swan bites her lip at feeling herself begin to throb a little. The haze that’s been hanging over her head the past few returns and coupled with the complicated emotions she holds for the Galaxy Ranger, Black Swan just knows she’s going to be in for a ride.
“Whatever do you mean, Miss Acheron?”
Black Swan remains coolly unaffected the best she can with Acheron so close to her like this. She rests one shoulder against the hotel wall with a casual cross of arms, legs pressing together some and lightly grinding the seam of her shorts against her clit – all while Acheron watches her. The disinterested look she’s given by her only turns her on even more and belatedly Black Swan realizes that her ragged breaths are the only thing filling the air. She flushes hard, her insides burning with tense arousal as she licks her lips.
“H-Have I given any indication that I have?” Her voice wobbles a bit, sending another dizzying thrill of excitement straight to her cunt and putting on a sultry smile. Acheron laughs, the sound of it making her clench with anticipation while the Ranger looks at her.
“I know you’ve been avoiding me…”
The aloof smile on Acheron’s face unnerves her, it makes her skin crawl, and before she can say anything else Acheron removes her hand from her hips and hits her with another unexpected surprise.
“I also know that you were in my room just now.”
“Is that so…” Black Swan repeats Acheron’s words from earlier, an anxious little laugh slipping out of her, heart pounding in her chest and legs growing numb for reasons unknown to her. Still, she holds strong, and holds Acheron’s gaze. “What makes you say that?”
She doesn’t get a verbal reply from her. Instead, Acheron closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in, chest expanding some and Black Swan watches the entire display with rapt attention as she’s suddenly reminded of her. Fear creeps up her spine when she remembers white hair, red eyes, the nauseating smell of her own blood- Acheron looks back at her once more and Black Swan feels frozen in her spot. Cornered. Expecting the seemingly calm woman before her to suddenly jump her, but none of that happens, and instead Acheron laughs again. A beautiful yet taunting melody.
“You have my scent on you, ripe and fresh. Did you think I wouldn’t notice, Memokeeper?”
“And so ripe for the taking…”
The similarity of their wording is enough to send a break through her calm facade – smile faltering, cheeks red and brows pinching together tightly as she releases an embarrassed sigh.
“I can explain…” And suddenly she feels small beneath her intense gaze, voice wavering the entire time she speaks. “There were some questions I needed answers to. I’m sorry you had to find out like this…”
“I hope it was worth it then seeing as you were planning to keep this a secret from me.”
“I was able to know more of you,” Black Swan says tentatively, her embarrassment dying done but not the blush on her face. “I think it was definitely worth it.”
Acheron immediately raises an eyebrow at her, her stern expression morphing into curiosity now as a single violet eye silently observes her while Black Swan laughs giddy and breathless, the sound toeing along the edge of insanity. This game of cat and mouse between them… she can’t deny how exhilarating it feels to be caught by her, testing to see if she can catch a glimpse of the beast lying dormant inside her. It frightens her still, knowing that Acheron can very well tear her apart if she so wanted to, especially after discovering she’s an Emanator and no doubt one of IX’s – the very Aeon who sits on the opposite side of the Remembrance. Her memetic form quivers as Black Swan leans off the wall and takes a small step towards her, letting the weight of Acheron’s gaze engulf her.
“Invite me to your room.”
She murmurs husky and low, giggling at the way Acheron’s eye widens slightly in surprise and being able to garner such a reaction from the normally reserved woman. She recovers quickly though and huffs around an awkward half-smile.
“Okay…” She eventually replies, sees the tension in her shoulders ease up a bit as Acheron gives her a rather jerky nod of her head. “Want to go back to my room?”
Black Swan grins at her.
“I’d be delighted to.”
…
The air is heavy with anticipation the entire walk to Acheron’s hotel room. Black Swan mumbles a quiet thank you when the door is held open for her and she’s allowed entry first before the owner themselves. She keeps her back turned towards her, ears straining for the familiar click of the door being locked and once she hears it her stomach drops.
“Miss Black Swan…”
The sound of her name on Acheron’s lips right next to her ear causes the hairs on the back of her neck to raise. Black Swan holds her breath, but when she looks behind herself she sees Acheron standing a good distance away from her and not by her ear. She swallows hard. Was her mind playing tricks on her?
“I believe you owe me some answers of my own,” She’s brought back out of her thoughts once more by a familiar raspy voice and quickly collects herself.
“Of course,” Comes her smooth reply, smiling kindly while looking her up and down for a moment, taking note of the slight tension in her jaw. “Can I pour you a drink first?”
Acheron sighs but nonetheless nods, eyes flitting down to the floor. “Go ahead.”
“Wait for me on the couch, please?”
Acheron nods again and does as she’s told, just like a dog.
Even with the carpeted floor, her footsteps echo heavily within the silence of the room, the program playing on the t.v. nearby the only noise occupying the place. Acheron soon sits down, arms splayed out behind her on the back of the couch and legs falling open into a relaxed position, and Black Swan ignores how inviting the sight of her lap is with a quick aversion of her eyes. She turns her attention back onto bottles of SoulGlad that’s offered by the hotel and grabs each of them a glass. Unfortunately, there is no ice, but Black Swan has a feeling that Acheron still wouldn’t mind before she’s carrying their respective drinks.
She hands one to Acheron, their fingers brushing against one another and Black Swan almost jerks away from her ghostly touch. Acheron eyes her before mumbling her thanks, the couch dipping a little as Black Swan sits beside her, leaving a comfortable space between them. She takes a sip of the sweet SoulGlad, the bubbly liquid easily soothing some of the dryness in her throat.
“How is it?” Acheron shrugs at her question, staring at the t.v. for a moment while nursing the drink in both hands for a moment. She looks over at Black Swan from the corner of her eye.
“It’s good,” Her tongue dips out for a second, chasing after the lingering sweetness on her lips from the SoulGlad. “I like it.”
“Better than the one at the banquet hall?” Acheron snorts a mirthless laugh.
“They both taste the same.”
Black Swan hums at her reply, uncrossing and recrossing her legs, watching the bubbles rise to the surface as she taps her finger against her glass. The program on the t.v. switches to a cartoon show, the familiar voice of Clockie and his friends reaching her ears. She doesn’t mention that the drink Acheron had that day was horribly bitter, the complete opposite of the sweet dreams etched into each signature bottle of SoulGlad – so that only leads her to believe one thing.
Acheron lacks a sense of taste.
“How much of this conversation will you remember, Acheron.”
The Galaxy Ranger doesn’t react to her sudden question save for lifting her glass back to her lips. This time she downs the SoulGlad all in one go, violet eyes eventually catching sunset ones as Acheron releases a quiet sigh.
“Hopefully everything.”
They both know the truth behind her words and Black Swan can’t help but let a sigh of her own slip out. “I see.”
“But like you I also had other matters to attend to,” Acheron stands and places the glass back where Black Swan got them, her gaze never leaving hers the entire time she speaks. “I met a member of the Astral Express. We had a conversation about the past, present and future, and the state that Penacony is in.”
“Sounds important,” Black Swan smiles and it’s a bittersweet thing, her chin propped up on the back of her hand while watching Acheron sit back down beside her. “Then you should find it in your best interest to remember these encounters… right?”
It’s not subtle the way she also throws herself in the mix, Acheron no doubt seeing straight through her from the knowing look she receives from the Galaxy Ranger.
“You’re right… I don’t want to forget the memories I’ve made here,” She mumbles softly as some of the tension slowly leaves her face and shows the guilt that’s been laying right beneath her mask.
“Especially the ones with you in them, Black Swan.”
She stills slightly at the honest confession, eyes widening some and lips parting with a silent sound before Black Swan is the one looking at her a certain way.
“Acheron…”
“And something tells me that you feel the same, yet the fear in your eyes I see every time I’m around you say a different story entirely.”
Out of everything she would have expected Acheron to say, this was not one of them. She hasn’t even recovered from her previous statement and already she’s throwing her into another loop. Black Swan bites the inside of her cheek, gaze wandering to the side as she’s rendered speechless.
Perhaps she was acting a bit foolish earlier. Given how authentically Acheron portrays herself she really could have asked the Galaxy Ranger what she wanted to know. Except it’s not like she could have done that anyway, what was she supposed to do? Tell her in grand details how brutally she’d been torn apart and fucked by some crazed version of herself in her mindscape. The wet, filthy sound of skin slapping against skin along with her wanton groans and breathy whimpers as the pain and pleasure reduced into nothing more than a drooling mess of spit and tears- aeons, she feels hot just thinking about it.
And this is where Black Swan stands. Conflicted, confused and terribly turned on all over again.
Acheron sees the hesitation written on her face and heaves a heavy sigh, the guilt in her eyes heavier than they were before as she sighs again.
“I see…” Black Swan snaps out of her daze and suddenly going stiff beneath Acheron’s intense gaze as the attention drives her mad for reasons unknown to her. She holds her breath when Acheron leans a little closer, the familiar scent of rain suffocating her alive.
“You saw something in my memories, didn’t you?”
She feels a chill run down her spine as what she had feared the most is coming to life now. Still, she continues to act calm, exhaling a slow steady breath through her nose while ignoring the urge to simply run away. Not like she could anyways.
“What makes you say that?” She asks in a quiet voice and Acheron taps her fingers against her thigh in an anxious manner, no longer directly looking at her.
“Well, firstly because you’re a Memokeeper,” The corners of her Black Swan’s mouth quirk up a little, amused by Acheron’s straightforwardness once more before she continues.
“That and I… often rely on my emotions in hopes of ‘remembering’ people and places, and with you… I sense a sort of familiarity between us and as expected I can’t recall anything else that has happened before besides the dance and your name,” She lifts her head back up and pauses for a moment, silently observing Black Swan who in turn calmly stares back at her.
“But it seems like you know more than me.”
“You’re not wrong there.”
“Is that also why you snuck into my room? To find out more about who I am and where I came from?” Acheron finally pops the question that’s been hanging in the air ever since they walked in. When Black Swan doesn’t say anything right away this frustrates the other woman a bit, face twisting up in evident confusion.
“You could have just asked me, you know.”
Black Swan doesn't say anything and sends her own guilt-ridden smile at her words, knowing that she definitely had crossed a line and judging by the disappointment she also sees from Acheron. She shifts closer to her, enough so that her thigh brushes against Acheron’s and sets her skin ablaze. The Ranger glances down at where they connect before returning to her.
“The moment I saw you, I knew I couldn’t stay away. Was it overconfidence that pushed me into taking a peek into your memories? Perhaps. I just knew I had to find out more about you, even if I had to use my own gains.”
“And then you avoided me.”
“Yes…” Black Swan hesitates for a moment, shame and embarrassment creeping up her spine as she sighs. “I tried to- I really did, but then my thoughts always went back to you. As if you’ve infected me in some way and I’ve yet to find the antidote for the poison that’s in my veins… In the end, I only made matters worse, for both me and you… so for that I’m sorry. For avoiding you when I did and putting this distance between us, and for intruding on your privacy.”
This time she’s the one hesitating, unsure of how to properly respond to Black Swan’s sincere words without accidentally offending her in some way. Acheron bites her lip a little, brows furrowing together as she feels awkward all of a sudden.
“I’m a cursed being…” Her eyes darken and she looks away, her chest feeling heavier than usual with an unknown emotion she’s felt before — yet she can’t understand why or what it means. “Your fear for me is justified, even I wouldn’t want to venture far into my own mind. It’s a cruel vow I’ve made to myself: to be ignorant of all the blood that’s surely been spilled by my own two hands.”
Black Swan offers with a soft laugh, and Acheron feels her heart flutter at the sound of it and sees the amused yet sympathetic expression she wears.
“Well, I’m still here aren’t I?”
Her shock must have been obvious because Black Swan is shaking her head slightly while laughing again.
“Even after sneaking into your room and me boldly asking you to invite me back in, you’ve yet to truly push me away,” Black Swan hums thoughtfully, eyes growing half-lidded once more. She sees movement and looks down to see Black Swan lay a tentative hand on her knee, the other still holding her mostly empty glass as she tilts her head. Her voice dips down into a sensual whisper that has Acheron subconsciously leaning in a little.
“Does that mean you’re enchanted by me all the same, Acheron?”
The question sparks a familiarity in her. She doesn’t know where the urge comes from, but suddenly Acheron really wants to put her own hands on her. Hear more of her honeyed voice and the different ways she would say her name. She swallows hard and shakes the thought away, exhaling a harsh little breath with a loll of her tongue against her teeth.
“I guess you’ve got me there… what else did you see then?” She sees Black Swan blink in surprise before schooling her expression again. “Although it’s hazy, I know it wasn’t all pretty.”
“Well…” Black Swan trails off back into silence, throat feeling incredibly dry while Acheron raises a curious brow at her. “To an extent, yes.”
Her surprise must have been obvious because soon after Black Swan is rolling her eyes and mumbling something about ‘Oh, please. Don’t look at me like that-’ under her breath before Acheron finally picks her jaw off the floor.
“What?” She immediately blurts out once she finds her voice and another pretty laugh.
“Tell me,” Black Swan whispers soft and desperate, her grip tightening around Acheron’s knee as if this moment wasn’t going to last forever, and then she understands why.
“What do you remember feeling after our dance, Acheron?”
What she remembers… Her confusion then dissipates into concentration as Acheron slowly relaxes her face, trying to replay the events of that fateful night in the banquet hall(?)
“Tell me…” Black Swan asks again, her usually soothing voice now laden with urgency and it’s enough to push her deeper into the void of her mind.
“I… That dance…” She sorts through the haze of her memories and walks headfirst into the endless fog, trying to grasp the many emotions she holds for the Memokeeper. “It brought me a sense of warmth and nostalgia… Perhaps the most memorable night I’ve ever had.”
Then she sees it. The way sunset eyes widen and how her soft plush lips part with a silent sound, a hurt expression crossing her face as she makes some sort of strained sound in the back of her throat. It hurts to see it, even more so when Acheron knows she’s the cause of her despair with little recollection of what could have gone wrong between them.
“Oh, Acheron…” Black Swan continues in that soft, gentle melody that both soothes and frustrates Acheron in the best way possible. She doesn’t move a muscle when a gloved hand comes to rest against her cheek, the other still tightly clinging onto her as Black Swan tenderly caresses her skin. She smiles but it lacks its usual warmth despite how kind it might look.
“You tore me apart,” She begins, simple and quiet, and already leaving Acheron speechless as Black Swan recounts her side of the story. “Not even a second after I entered your mind-”
Black Swan cuts herself off with a jerky shake of her head, lip caught between her teeth as the blush on her face worsens. She can hear how her heart rate picks up the fastest it has ever been, a familiar sound she’s heard before but cannot properly recall – and that’s when she starts connecting the dots.
“What I felt. There is no delicate way of putting this…” Black Swan looks back at her once more, her anxiety giving away to embarrassment as she licks her lips. “But you devoured me, Acheron. Until I was nothing more than skin and bones, and even then you didn’t stop. So although it felt like a dance for you, for me… it was more of a hunt, and I just so happened to be your prey for the night.”
The terrified look on her face, how she was panting and gasping for air, the heady smell of arousal that lingered in the air and hasn’t left Acheron’s mind since. Aeons. And it was all because of her. She takes a deep breath in hopes of calming herself but the effect does the opposite as Black Swan scent invades every crevice of her lungs, bringing those dormant feelings back to life and filling her with some dangerous urges.
“Are you saying that I…”
Black Swan laughs with a brief press of her thighs, squirming a little in her spot as she finishes the rest of her sentence for her.
“That you had your way with me?”
Her stomach drops at that but Black Swan doesn’t let her fester long in her guilt and shame before carefully closing the distance between them. She turns before lifting her legs and stretching them suggestively across her lap, pressing up against her side and it’s automatic the way Acheron places a possessive hand on her thigh. She doesn’t even bother to hide her hungry stare from Black Swan, reveling in the pretty blush coloring her cheeks and the not-so subtle hitch of her throat. Her stomach tightens when Black Swan snuggles up to her some more and smoothing a gloved hand against her chest, and Acheron licks her lips from the simple contact of it while Black Swan tilts her head again.
“You did, but I enjoyed it, my beautiful Ranger.”
Black Swan’s smile turns sly, eyes glinting in mischief as she plays with the strap of her outfit, lifting it some and letting the band snap back onto her skin. It brings a light hiss out of Acheron’s mouth who in turns tightens their hold around her waist, her own violet gaze burning heavy with desire.
“Or… should I say Emanator of Nihility?”
“You know too much,” Acheron mumbles with an annoyed click of her tongue and drawing a breathy laugh out of Black Swan. The tension grows, consuming them both and turning them back into the hungry animals they truly are.
“Is that such a bad thing?”
“For someone else, yes,” She digs her thumb hard into Black Swan’s thigh, causing her leg to twitch and the faintest moan slip out, her blush reaching the tips of her ears.
“They would have long been dead by now.”
“Oh-” Her eyes widened, a pretty gasp slips out of her before she’s biting her lip, and for a moment Acheron is afraid she may have crossed the line with how breathless she sounds, but Black Swan never pulls away. Her long, elegant legs twitch with the urge to press together as Black Swan twirls a stray lock of her indigo hair.
“W-Well, I don’t mind a little roughness…” She murmurs with a slight tremor in her tone and Acheron sobers up for a second.
“You really still want me after everything I put you through?” Acheron asks her in a soft, quiet voice Black Swan hasn’t heard before. She shifts her demeanor at seeing the worried look on Acheron’s face. “I could hurt you again.”
She gets where she’s coming from. She knows that if it were any other person they would have long turned tail and never come back to her, but Black Swan isn’t just any other person. She smiles soft and kind, one hand lifting off her chest and gently cups her cheek, watching how Acheron instantly melts into her touch by nuzzling into her palm with a sigh. The sight of it makes her heart flutter a little as she caresses her cheek.
“I told you. I don’t scare that easily, my dear,” She teases in a playful tone that has Acheron huffing an annoyed sound but nonetheless nodding at her words. “If I did I wouldn’t be where I am now. Both as myself and as a Memokeeper.”
“Hmm, a rather stubborn one at that.”
“Is that a complaint I hear?”
“No,” Acheron closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in before opening them again and sending Black Swan a small smile. “That just means you’re not the type of person to give up on people.”
Give up on me- Black Swan knows that’s what she means to say. She can tell she’s not at all convinced by her, but it’s just as Acheron had said mere seconds ago, she’s stubborn so she won’t be letting her go anytime soon. Both because she doesn’t want to and uncover more of the secrets hidden behind this facade of a Galaxy Ranger, and well… Black Swan genuinely likes her, and knowing that she won’t be able to completely erase her doubts she can at least ease some of them away.
She knows just what to do.
“Everything I’ve said, I meant every word of it. I want you, Acheron, and I want to create those memories you’ll never forget,” She leans up and places a soft, chaste kiss high on her cheek bone, her heart pounding against her ribcage as she pulls away and captures Acheron’s stunned gaze. “We can… benefit from one another this way, if that’s something you also want.”
“It is,” Acheron manages to say in a breathless whisper that has Black Swan biting her lip around a flirtatious smile. She pauses for a second, violet eyes dropping down for a moment and lingering on those soft, plump lips that have been driving her utterly crazy- and suddenly she can’t resist her urges anymore. “And I… really want to kiss you right now.”
The smile she receives is everything, feeling her own heart race at the sweet little laugh that Black Swan breathes. She slips a finger back under the chest strap of her outfit and pulls Acheron done, easily closing the distance between them.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
And just like that Acheron is on her. Teeth painfully colliding together and a hand wandering up her thigh and to her waist- Black Swan moans all hot and sensual against her, fingers digging harshly into the skin of her shoulder as her hips twitch forward in search for some kind of relief, whining when she doesn’t get anything. Distantly, she hears something fall to the floor, but Acheron is too busy savoring the softness of Black Swan’s lips against hers to care. She groans roughly into the kiss, her nail guards sinking into Black Swan’s hips, gripping her tightly and eliciting a surprised moan from the elegant Memokeeper that Acheron eagerly eats up. Fuck. She really wants to hear that again.
Her body moves on its own, both unfamiliar and not, as Acheron tilts her head and chases after the lingering taste of sweetness on her tongue. She drags her tongue along her bottom lip before sinking her teeth down into the pliant flesh, listening to the way Black Swan mewls from the rough treatment with another needy buck of her hips. She tightens her hold around her waist, Her thumb dipping down to her tummy window and slowly tracing the gentle outline of her belly button.
Black Swan trembles the whole time Acheron toys with her, the sharp tip of her nail guard catching onto the mesh of her outfit and pulling a guttural moan before she’s arching into her touch. Her eyes roll as saliva trickles down her chin some, the familiar feeling of being devoured by Acheron once more overwhelming Black Swan. She chokes on a hot tongue when her thumb presses down into her belly button, the sudden pressure sending a dizzying flash of arousal and pain throughout her body. She quickly grabs onto Acheron’s wrist, trembling with the effort to return their heated kiss and not choke again, only to fail miserably as her moans pitch up higher.
“M-Mmmh…” Black Swan whimpers against one last time before finally pulling away from her with a wet pop of their lips, licking away the silvery strand connecting them with a shaky sound. She blinks sluggishly a couple of times, disoriented and very much turned on while Acheron continues her assault. She dips under her jaw and straight for her neck, and Black Swan squeezes her eyes tightly, expecting the agony of a bite that never comes.
“Acheron…”
She soon feels a hot tongue against her chest and slowly tracing the soft swell of her breasts, and Acheron moans at the simple taste of her while Black Swan continues to to tremble and gasp, gloved fingers pressing deep into the flesh of her shoulder but never pushing her away. Acheron sucks the tender skin there with messy precision, drooling trailing down between her cleavage before she’s licking some of the mess away. There’s a smack of her lips before she’s pulling away and admiring the sight of Black Swan panting with a pretty constellation of hickies on her.
“Everything okay?” She mumbles lowly, the gravelly sound of her voice doing awful things for Black Swan as she sends her a shaky nod.
“E-Everything’s wonderful, dear…” But she’s not all there, floating in some plane that edges close to the one she experienced the last time they were together.
“Are you sure?”
Acheron sounds too far-away, just barely catching glimpses of indigo and violet as her face comes back into view. Her cheeks are flushed and breathing ragged, those thin serpentine pupils luring her in deeper and sinking further into void once more.
Acheron eyes her for a moment.
“You’re shaking.”
“I-It’s okay. Keep going…” Black Swan pleads weakly already, her eyes shiny and glazed over with unshed tears and evident desperation. She licks her lips before tugging on Acheron’s wrist, slowly guiding her hand up the curvy length of her body and to her breasts. Acheron stays silent the whole time, watching, and the attention makes her insides burn as Black Swan groans.
“Please… the feeling is unbearable now…”
“What feeling?” Acheron queries before she’s squeezing her tits hard, and Black Swan curses around a moan.
“Fuck-”
Her body twitches from the harsh shudder that immediately hits her. It’s embarrassing how she’s reduced to this whimpering, begging mess already but Black Swan just can’t help. Something about Acheron just drives her insane – the way she speaks, her piercing gaze, the heavy scent of fresh rain and musk making her cunt drip with need. She can feel it gathering in her shorts and soaking through the material, how her clit throbs and rubs against the inseam, but despite how good everything may feel- it’s still not enough.
“Darling…” She looks up at Acheron through her lashes with half-lidded sunset eyes and kiss swollen lips that have the Emanator swallowing hard, her own eyes seeming to glow in the low lighting of the hotel room.
“Answer me,” Acheron demands soft and firm with another rough grope of her tits as deft fingers easily find her nipple through the chest cover of her outfit and pinch it hard.
‘Say it. Answer her.’
“F-Fuck!” Black Swan cries out again with a shaky curse, head falling back and eye rolling as her grip tightens around Acheron’s wrist, her mind torn between the past and the present. She lifts her head back up and dizzily meets Acheron’s intense gaze. “Want you… to fuck me. I need it…”
“Yeah?” Acheron murmurs just as breathlessly as she is, violet eyes hungrily staring her down and enjoying every little reaction she brings out of the Memokeeper. “I can arrange that.”
Black Swan bites her tongue, legs twisting together, more of her essence oozing out of her and making her twitch beneath her shorts and fuck- she can’t wait any longer. She needs Acheron now, the ache inside her so bad she might burst into tears as a desperate whine slips out of Black Swan.
“Acheron, please-”
Then the rest of her words get cut off by strong hands easily pushing her onto her back, her soft lavender hair splaying out everywhere on the couch. Before she can even blink Acheron is already back on her, nestled comfortably between her plump thighs as she looms over her, the light from the t.v. nearby casting an eerie yet alluring glow around her. Her stomach tightens at the familiar sight. She remembers white hair, crimson eyes and sharp fangs again that tore her apart, and a prickle of fear inches down her skin and leaves Black Swan completely immobile beneath the hunter’s jaw.
‘No matter where you go or where you hide, the sound of your blood rushing and your heart pumping will always give you away, my lovely swan. I’ve already committed to memorizing your scent.’
The snake licks their lips.
‘And you will be mine. Forever.’
She gasps a choked sound, her wings quivering with the intention to fly away. Her eyes screw shut, body trembling nonstop and hands reaching out to grab onto something- anything.
“Black Swan.” There she is again. She opens her eyes and looks up at the beast, expecting to see blood already covering their mouth, yet there’s none.
“Hey hey,” Acheron calls out softly, her passive face now showing an overwhelming amount of concern for her. “Did I do something wrong?”
“I-” But her voice gets stuck in her throat, her perception of reality falling between her and unreal. Acheron doesn’t rush her through and simply waits for her, one hand propped on the couch and keeping the full weight of her body pressed down on her. The action is small, but Black Swan appreciates it nonetheless, her breathing still ragged uneven as she tries to find her words.
“N-No, I’m okay…” Acheron frowns at that, not at all believing her.
“You’re not, Black Swan…” She nods towards her shoulders. “You’re pushing me away.”
Her gaze drops down to where Acheron is looking. She’s right. She’s got a death grip on her arms, fingers digging harshly into the sleeves of her outfit and keeping her in place. Black Swan swallows before quickly letting her go, but then another revelation dawns on them.
Her hands are shaking.
“Apologies…” She knows there’s nothing for her to be sorry about, yet she just can’t help it. Acheron shakes her head, eyes softening some as she licks her lips and shuffles in her position a bit.
“Talk to me,” Comes her quiet response, the embers of her desire dying down for concern. Black Swan chews the inside of her cheek, embarrassed and aroused and most of all. Scared.
“Nothing nothing, just… slipped back into some old memories…” She alludes back to their dance, realization flashing through Acheron’s violet eyes before she nods for her to continue. Black Swan looks down a little in shame, her face hot as she releases a strained laugh. “Perhaps I haven’t fully recovered from our encounter as I expected…”
“Do you want to stop?”
“No…” Black Swan can’t help but protest with a whine. Just the mere thought of going back to her own hotel room and handle her little problem is almost enough to make her choke up again. She slides her hand down the length of Acheron’s arms, heart still thundering in her chest at hearing the sharp inhale of air from the Emanator.
“I can establish a word for us that can put us both at ease?” Black Swan offers in a breathy tone, idly massaging the inside of her forearm while Acheron remains quiet, her silence both comforting and nerve wracking for her. She eyes her carefully, a glimpse of vulnerability touching her face. “What do you think…?”
“Okay,” Her anxiety instantly melts away at her simple reply, her stomach fluttering as the heat returns full force when Acheron sends her a small, lopsided smile. “I’d like that. What is it then?”
It doesn’t take her much to think of a safeword as she observes Acheron. Taking in this version of herself with her stoic gaze and the pale yet healthy complexion of her skin and her long indigo hair. How she’s anything but the color-
“Red.”
Black Swan whispers with a gentle squeeze to Acheron’s arm. The smile on her face falters a bit, no doubt knowing the reasoning behind her chosen word. She nods though, and slowly leans back down towards her, closely watching her expression for any flicker of fear.
“Okay,” She repeats again while taking a deep breath in and holding Black Swan’s half-lidded gaze. “And you’ll make sure to use it appropriately, right?”
“Y-Yes, I will.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, now please…” She’s starting to grow desperate now and she can tell that Acheron also feels the same from the way her eyes keep flitting down to her lips. She licks them and enjoys the little sound Acheron makes in the back of her throat before Black Swan is reaching for her, hand resting on the back of her neck and tugging her down into a heated kiss.
“Touch me, Acheron.”