It's a Seeker's Game

Mariah's breath hitched as his words curled around her, as binding and inescapable as a lover's grip. His confession was raw, too raw, and she found herself lost in the depths of his emerald gaze. For a moment, they were no longer the victims of a twisted game, but two beings bound by an inexplicable force. Mariah found herself leaning closer to him, their distance decreasing until their breaths mingled in the cool air. "Is pain all you believe you deserve, Caedes?" Her voice was soft, tinged with a sadness she hadn't known she carried.

Mariah watched him, her eyes a mirror of his internal turmoil - a whirlwind of emotions that threatened to tear her apart from the inside out. But she remained steadfast, unwilling to look away. Their game of push and pull was agonizingly sweet – the desire, the longing, the impossibility of it all. She felt his hot breath fanning her skin, sending shivers down her spine. His words hung heavily between them, enticing her with promises of raw honesty and freedom. She could taste the temptation on her tongue – a sweet flavor, too intoxicating to resist. “Then give it to me,” She demanded, her voice barely a whisper, yet laden with all the determination she could muster. Her heart pounded in sync with his as if they were one – a single entity bound by an unspoken agreement. His eyes were a bottomless pit, pulling her deeper into him and making it impossible to resist. “Give me your honesty," she implored, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Going forward, give me your truths, however harsh they may be. I would rather shatter under the weight of your honesty than drown in the illusions of your silence.” Her words echoed between them, a silent plea wrapped in the intensity of their connection.

Mariah's gaze held his, a challenge and a dare in the depths of her silver irises. His words hung in the air between them while she mulled them over, their implications unfurling one after another. She found herself inexplicably drawn into his charisma, into the reckless abandon he offered. Was she scared? The question dangled in the quiet space between them, its weight pressing against her chest. Was she? Mariah let the silence stretch for a few heartbeats before replying, her voice soft but steady. "Scared, Caedes?" she echoed, a glint of amusement seeping into her eyes. "Fear is a part of life. It whispers in every shadow, lurks within every choice. But I don't let it rule me.” She answered lightly, looking him over once more before continuing. "I may be cautious, but that does not make me a coward." She raised a single brow in a challenge, her lips ever so slightly curving into a devilish smirk. "Fear and caution are not one and the same. Caution comes from wisdom, while fear stems from ignorance." Her words were as sharp as shards of glass, cutting through the tension between them effortlessly.

Mariah blinked, her neck still wonderfully warm from his gentle ministrations. His words echoed in her mind, a sweet promise that tugged at her heart. He spoke of worship, of an undying devotion that seemed so impossible to comprehend in the cold light of their reality. Yet there was a reckless part of her that yearned to believe in it, to give herself over to the intoxicating haze of his promises. She shivered as his breath ghosted across her skin, the intoxicating scent of him filling her senses. "And if I had you, Caedes," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper against his ear. "I would be the storm you crave, the tempest you seek to weather through. I would challenge you at every turn, never letting you rest on laurels. I would heal your wounds and inflict new ones. And never, not once, would I allow you to be anything less than what you are- what I needed you to be. Would that still appeal to you?" Her words hung in the air between them like an incantation, further weaving the spell that he had already accused her of.

-MENDACIUM LESSON-
It took her a moment to consider his rather straightforward request, her heart pounding in her chest as she considered his words. His gaze held her captive, the piercing intensity of it demanding nothing less than absolute honesty. It was a line she had never had to tiptoe around before- having never had to explain her family to an outsider. She hesitated for a moment, weighing her options, and then sighed. He desired to know, and she found herself unable to deny him. “The foundation of my family is built on loyalty. There are a myriad of rules and explanations for why we do the things that we do, but when it boils down to it, the core value is loyalty. So please keep that in mind as we talk about it.” She began, offering a precursor explanation before moving on to topics that she was sure would sound absurd to someone who hadn’t been born into the Mendaciums. “My family … is deeply connected to our ancestors. We have no gods. We worship nothing. However, it is our ancestors who bless us with striking colors and … unique mutations, as each of us is possessed by the spirit of one of those ancestors. Even though ... my personal connection to the ancients is rather mitigated,” As it seems if I'm destined to be the scapegoat. That was something she didn’t realize she was angry about until it came to speaking it aloud. How could these spirits- who were allegedly responsible for such magnificent gifts, only grant her the bare minimum of life to keep living? It made her feel ridiculous trying to explain it to him now.

"Mariah Mendacium"