No Need For A Core?

Moriko settled down to meditate with what was essentially a giant crystal ball in her lap. It wasn’t exactly the same; aside from the fact that this sphere was actually the core of a living entity, its apparent temperature was uneven and changed over time. There was a sort of rhythm to it, and a faint vibration as well. She began to harmonize the rhythm of her body to that of the core, using that as the base of her meditation cycle, and almost immediately felt a change in the flow of her chi.

Normally this sort of channeling involved drawing the free chi of the environment into one’s self. In areas with overflowing natural energy it was easier than normal. But here, as soon as she opened herself up the pressure of the chi practically poured itself into her. She had to focus on regulating that flow and channeling it through her body.

It ached more than a little to let it flow into her this quickly, stretching her capacity to process and distribute the surge of energy, letting it reinforce both body and soul, but she understood that there was a time limit. Mordecai hadn’t seemed panicked, but it was clear that they were going to probably have only one shot at whatever he was going to do. So it behooved both her growth as a martial disciple and the probability that they could escape to take in as much as she could handle.

But doing so came with the awareness that she was taking in chi that had belonged to her host moments ago, and for a creature whose life was tied to magic so intricately, that was practically the same as draining his life energy directly. She tried to not think of how vampiric that sounded.

It didn’t take Moriko too long to fall into the new rhythm, and practicing this new sort of control was a useful experience. Normally she would create a routine of switching between purely internal mediation and active meditation where she would go through her stances. In this circumstance however, that would break her contact with the core and leave her with less chi to work with, so she let herself indulge in a more calm routine.

Hours passed quickly as she focused on regulating this influx, but Moriko could only maintain this strict of a focus for so long. Her body had been healed by the circulation of fresh chi, but she still had the buzz of danger and excitement making her nerves jangle.

Normally when she felt like this, Moriko consorted with some of her fellow disciples to find a partner or three to help work off that energy.

Instead, she found herself eyeing the bare back of a near stranger. Not that she'd been stopped by that before, but that had been in different, more mundane, circumstances. The two of them weren't exactly in that sort of social gathering right now.

Though, she was rather curious about the preferences of whoever had helped him design that avatar.

Well, that was the end of her concentration for meditating. Oh, if it was important and urgent enough, she could have controlled herself better, but right now she no longer wanted to.

Hmm. She did want to get clean anyway, that might make a good lead in.

Moriko carefully picked up the large purple crystal she'd been cradling in her lap and placed it back where it had been resting before she rose to her feet. This caused Mordecai to turn and call out her name questioningly.

"I'm afraid I can't concentrate any more for now," she replied. "I can feel all the dirt and grit on my skin too much." A small lie, though she could feel it rather distinctly now that her thoughts had wandered. "So, um, a dungeon can create things, right? I know you can't afford to spend a lot of energy right now, but would you be able to make me something so I could clean myself off?"

If she'd stirred any distracting thoughts, Mordecai's expression didn't give them away. Instead, he looked thoughtful before he said, "Yes. Temporary creations are almost perfectly reclaimed, so this shouldn't cost me anything in the long run. But only if I do this efficiently. No running water I'm afraid, but it will at least be warm."

A circular curtained area grew out of nothingness at the far end of the cavern, though still several feet from the wards on the walls. It was a little disturbing to watch happen; the air had been still and dry moments before but now the sudden presence of steam tickled her nose.

"Thank you!" Moriko said, then asked thoughtfully, "Hey, if you can reclaim most of the energy, do you think you can add a bathing robe or similar to change into? I'd like to at least clean this dress, and I would enjoy something nice and soft to change into."

"I can do that..." Mordecai's voice trailed off and he glanced at where her pack lay. Which held her temple uniform. Right, living dungeons could analyze any unattended objects in their territory. When he looked back there was curiosity and a touch of confusion in his gaze, but he didn't call her out either.

Perhaps he needed a little extra hint? Hmm. Moriko walked over to where he sat and examined the complicated weaving of light. "So, would you be able to pause building that and concentrate on something else for a while without any issues?" She asked as she walked around the pattern to let the light strike her from different angles, taking care to let the damage to her dress be visible in a way that showed off tantalizing hints of what was underneath.

Mordecai cocked his head to the side thoughtfully and replied, "Yes, I can tie it off and resume later, if needed."

Moriko looked up from across the pattern and caught his gaze before she smiled. "I'm very glad to hear that. I wouldn't want you to lose your place." She raised a brow briefly and then turned to make her way toward the curtained area. When she reached the curtain, Moriko glanced over her shoulder to find Mordecai watching her with the right sort of thoughtfulness in his eyes. Perfect.

Inside she found a large tub of lightly perfumed warm water, a stool, a smaller tub to scoop water with, a comb, a small table with a washcloth and various scented soaps, and on a tall stand there was a fluffy red robe with gold trim. The red was an exact match to her temple uniform. Moriko smirked at that, then proceeded to strip and wash herself off, humming quietly while she did so.

She amused herself through her bath wondering if the person who had helped her host design his avatar also favored these scents. Well, she found she liked them quite a bit too. A slightly musky scent combined with the smell of spices and a delicate sweetness. Thinking once again on Mordecai’s form, well, maybe she’d like this person’s other influences too.

When she was done with herself, Moriko started on her dress. She wasn't sure if it was salvageable, but she wanted to give it a chance at least; it had been fairly new. When she was done cleaning the distressed fabric as carefully as she could, Moriko left all the clothes she'd been wearing on the rack and pulled on the comfy bath robe. She only loosely pulled the edges together before tying it closed with a loose knot before she stepped out from behind the curtain.

Over next to the crystal core was a large bedroll along with some cushions and pillows along with a selection of neatly folded blankets. Everything she needed to either take a nap or settle herself in comfortably for more meditation.

Meanwhile, Mordecai now sat on a narrow couch with two curves, one for his back and the other for his knees. It looked comfortable enough to rest on, but if it was for just resting, it wouldn't be quite so narrow. There was a nice bedroll and set of pillows and blankets near the couch as well.

Moriko watched with a smile as Mordecai stretched in a process that ever so casually showed off a ripple of muscles along his arms and torso. They were very interesting muscles and she was pretty certain that some of them were arranged differently than she was used to. It could be very entertaining to run her fingers over them and explore how different they were.

Oh, this was just perfect. First, he'd gotten her hint and made some interesting arrangements, but he'd also provided her with comfort that didn't involve him if she had changed her mind. Then he put on that little show for her to advertise. Moriko appreciated that he was going through this much effort, given that she'd been the one to initiate.

Mordecai looked sidelong at her with just a hint of a smirk. "Did you enjoy your bath?" he asked.

Moriko stalked slowly toward him, deliberately letting her legs flash through the front opening of the robe. "I did enjoy myself, thank you, though I suspect I'll enjoy what comes next even more."

As she moved toward her target, she saw that there were several lines of light that led from the diagram to what appeared to be a spool made out of solid shadow. This seemed to be what he was using to pause the ritual creation.

Mordecai watched her with appreciation in his gaze, but he seemed a little detached still to her. Then he looked into her eyes, smiled, and asked, "What do you need right now?"

Oh, nice. The detachment made sense now, he wasn't committing his thoughts until he knew hers better.

Moriko stepped across the couch, straddling him, though she didn't sit yet and simply leaned forward to press one hand against his bare chest. "Everyone has many passions, whether great or small. Mine are mostly physical, and one of those is demanding my attention right now. An affirmation of life, after such a brush with death. Do you think you can satisfy that need?" She teased him with a smile and added, "If not, I am sure I can take care of myself over there."

Watching his eyes darken as his pupils dilated was a delight, the timing meant he cared more about sharing their pleasure than claiming his own. "That won't be necessary," Mordecai replied with a teasing smile of his own, "unless you are going to claim to be harder to satisfy than a nine-tail?" He tugged on her robe just firmly enough to draw her down into sitting across his lap.

She suddenly felt nervous again as her heart raced. "Wait, what do you mean?" There were rumors about how the growth of a kitsune's power also grew their other appetites.

"Moriko," he said in a low voice that she could feel rumble through her body, "I've had several lovers over my lifetime. Some with very particular needs. I promise, I can play the part you need and enjoy myself while doing so. So, I think the question now is, do you want to control the flow of things, or would you like to lose yourself for a little while?"

That felt like a dangerous choice. There was so much patience in his gaze, but Moriko felt like there was something being held in check as well. What did this man know how to do? What had he experienced and learned? Moriko's curiosity was piqued.

It was rare for her to entirely give control over to another person, but right now... Moriko bit her lower lip briefly and then said, "I want to not think; no, not be able to think for a while."

"Limitations?" Mordecai asked as he took her hands into his. Moriko could feel power moving around them, but even more dangerous was the weight of his will. She'd contested her will against another's during training or a spar, but she'd never felt pressure like this before, and certainly not during intimacy.

The being underneath her might appear like a mortal, but the mind behind those golden eyes held the weight of more years than anyone she'd even met before. If he'd wanted to crush her will he could have already.

So she took a chance.

"None," she answered and smiled at his raised eyebrow. "We both know you could do anything with me, so I'm giving you permission. Let me find out what that anything is really like."

Mordecai drew her down into a kiss that set her body aflame. Swift, deft motions on his part left her arms bound behind her by the robe she'd been wearing and her skin exposed to his touch and his gaze. He expertly teased until she was desperate for release, and when he demanded her complete surrender, Moriko gave it.

She lost herself in pleasure and desire as her body became his toy and her mind drowned in the power of his presence and will. The normal barriers between souls seemed to thin down to nothing and Moriko found her inner most self naked before him.

Moriko could hide nothing, she couldn't even want to hide anything. But his soul was bared to her as well, and she was only distantly aware of the dance her body was performing in response to his guidance.

For a time that felt like both a moment and an eternity, Moriko knew what it felt like to simply belong to another person entirely.

When she came to herself again, she found herself curled up against him and blankets around them both. She didn't even remember falling asleep. She could tell he was awake, but he didn't say anything and simply continued to cuddle with her. So Moriko took advantage of the silence to pull together what memories she could.

What they'd done physically, well, he'd certainly learned a lot over the years, but what stood out the most was how quickly he'd identified her responses, refined down to leaving her a hair's breadth away from over stimulation. Except for when he wanted to take advantage of her being overstimulated to control her and her responses.

If she hadn't preemptively given permission, Moriko would have considered being annoyed at being manipulated that way. As it was, she was a touch embarrassed at how easily he'd taken complete control.

But that was just the physical side of things, and how ever expertly executed it might have been, no aspect of it was completely unknown to her.

It was having his power and will humming in her flesh and his mind pressed up against hers that was truly new and beyond what she'd expected. After a while Moriko softly said, "Well, you certainly took me at my word. That was rather overwhelming." And potentially addicting. She was going to need to work through that.

Thankfully, as a disciple of the goddess of passions, she had meditative tools specifically for use in curbing addictions. Controlling ones passions was an aspect of the goddess too, not just acknowledging and fulfilling them.

"I'm not complaining, mind you, but that really is something you can't anticipate until you experience it." Moriko sat up and turned toward him, only to find his gaze focused on the three dimensional diagram once more, though he gave her a gentle squeeze to let her know he was listening.

The diagram was still growing in every dimension. "That's looking rather complicated. Is it ready enough for you to tell me what you have in mind?"

"Yes," he replied, "I've figured out what my option is a while ago, and have simply been working out the details. Neither my core nor my avatar can leave, nor can I take the wards down from the inside. So my only possible escape relies on your cooperation. If you are willing to host me, I can transfer my living spirit and soul to you, along with a goodly portion of my remaining power, though that overflow of power will begin seeping away immediately."

Moriko stared at him in a moment of disbelief at the words she'd just heard. Giving herself over for a little while in the pursuit of pleasure was one thing, hosting his mind and soul inside of her for an unknown amount of time was another.