Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2023 02:03:42 -0600 From: Fang Saito Subject: Welcome to Avernus - Chapter 19 This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and is protected under copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproduction is allowed without the author's consent. Conversations and feedback are appreciated to Greyson B. via email at hokkaidohotel86it@gmail.com. I love hearing from readers. As always, special thanks to Johnny Kape for the excellent editing assistance he always provides me. If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/. I do apologize for the delay with this chapter and I appreciate all the messages I have received, asking if I am doing okay. I have had a few health and financial setbacks, but I'm slowly getting there. If you can find an opportunity to help out a favored author, it would be appreciated. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/GreysonB. You can find my other Nifty stories at: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/cadence/ https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/a-ghost-finds-a-body/ I have begun a mailing list to notify people when a new chapter is posted. If you would like to be added, feel free to write and let me know to add you. We are approaching the end of the story with the speed of a leprous sloth, but we will get there! Welcome to Avernus Chapter 19 I decided that before I went to go see Dom, I needed to clear my head. Normally this would mean going out and tearing up the concrete, but now I had a new skill to try out. Once I wrapped things up with Boots, I said my goodbyes and went outside, making my way down the street. It took me a few false starts, since it had been a few weeks. But all too soon, I got myself up to "superspeed", whipping up and down the streets of Avernus. After a while, it became a bit more natural, and I was able to use the exercise to kind of zone out. It was odd, because I knew if I was running like normal, I would be breathing hard, sweating, and fighting a stitch in my side. Something about the process of this Vampyre speed was apparently more like magic than metabolism, so it didn't seem to take as much of a physical toll on me. I guessed that I was using up some kind of mystical, voodoo reserve instead. If I was really lucky, it was Dom's reserve and not mine. Thinking about this reserve though, made me start thinking about other abilities. Someone was supposed to have started showing me how to use my strength, plus dig for any other abilities. Obviously that hadn't happened, but no time like the present, right? I stopped my running, and started looking around. Not to figure out where I was in relation to other town locations, just to see what was physically around me. I seemed to be somewhere near the edge of the town, in a section of more rundown businesses. There were some older cars, but I didn't want to risk messing up someone's day, considering anyone around here could likely be one damaged car from a lost job and ruin. However, there was a dumpster. One of those green monstrosities with the double plastic lids. I started messing around with it, trying to push it, lift a side, anything that seemed like it would take super strength. Nothing seemed to be happening. I took a few minutes to think back on what happened in that surgery-lab place. I couldn't remember much, more like feelings, impressions, sensations. I remember seeing red. Like, literally. I remember that everything I touched may as well have been made of cardboard, as well. However, what I had a feeling was even more important was literally that. What I was feeling, which was that I remembered feeling a combination of scared and pissed off. While I knew that I needed to get to Dom as soon as possible in order to counteract anything Wren might try to do or say, I just couldn't help thinking that I could use any advantage I could get, and finding some way to access my strength would certainly be an advantage. Dom and Wren both seemed pretty scared that I could be so strong. I was feeling a bit frustrated, thinking about how I hadn't received the promised help, then I started thinking about the shit that Wren had just pulled. I realized I was getting frustrated and annoyed, so I leaned into it. At first nothing happened, but then I remembered Wren bumping shoulders, in a mimic of that cute move Boots would often pull. At this point it felt like obvious manipulation, and suddenly something snapped. My vision simultaneously filled with that red haze, but rather than dulling my limited vision, it was like slipping on a pair of night vision goggles in a shooter video game. The world exploded into high rez in my eyes, even if shaded in black and reds. I kicked out, and the dumpster went sliding away with a rending screech of metal on asphalt, crashing into the side of the dilapidated auto shop across the street. The cinder block wall caved in under the impact, leaving the green metal box half embedded in the wall. I did a double take at what I had done. My foot hadn't felt a thing. The red filter on my vision started to fade, and I tried to fight it. It faded further, and I thought about Wren again. Picturing the anger in his face as he left caused the red to return in full force. In exasperation I kicked a beer can near me and it went flying into the night. I heard the sound of glass breaking somewhere way in the distance. Good. Now I knew how to bring it on. It was time to go find some answers. Pulling out my phone, I got a general idea of where I was in relation to the rest of the town. I was way off west, and the hotel was south of downtown. I took off with my Vamp speed and headed east. What GPS said was a 30 minute walk took a little over three minutes. I could get used to this! Before I could really register what was going on, I was standing in the front parking lot of the Avernus Inn and Suites. It was only as I stood there looking at the building that I realized I had only passed two cars in that entire run. It wasn't even 8pm on a Saturday. You would think a town like this would be out doing stuff? Using restaurants, shopping. Hell, maybe going to see a movie or something? I was really beginning to think the people in this town have no life outside of whatever serves the Vampyre. I steeled myself and walked into the lobby. The creepy tall guy was at the desk, and I told him I had a meeting upstairs, as Montgomery had instructed me. About ten minutes later, a familiar pair of goons came down to the lobby. "Robert, my new favorite goon!" "Hey there, Something," he deadpanned back at me, trying to hide a smile. Gesturing back in the direction they had just come, he said, "Shall we?" We took the familiar elevator ride up, where we found Ms. Flanagan sitting at her desk. "Good evening, ma'am. Are you happy to see me?" "Absolutely," she said dryly. "Mr. Tsui will be with you shortly." We were taken back to that lovely office I had been locked in before. When I saw where we were going, I looked at Robert with a grin. "Aww, you were jealous of your coworker after all. Is it your turn to frisk me?" "Nobody needs to be frisked," said Robert, grinning. "Speak for yourself," I muttered with a grin of my own. The other goon opened the door and motioned for me to enter. It was a pro and con situation. The room wasn't empty, good. But that's because Montgomery was in there. Not exactly my favorite person. But maybe this could be an opportunity to get some sneaky, behind-the-scenes answers. We exchanged pleasantries and he motioned for me to sit down. Robert and his buddy closed the door, with them on the outside. "Dom will be here in a few minutes," said Montgomery. "Now fill me in on what happened with Wren?" "Wow, so where to start," I said. "I know the joke says, 'start at the beginning', but I don't think that's where the problem starts." I gave Montgomery a serious look. "Have you heard everybody saying I'm able to slip mesmir?" "Yeah, you did it with Gregor outside LGM." "Well, yes and no," I said. "That was general mesmir, not focused at me specifically." "There was also Dominic's mistaken attempt with you." I smiled at that one. "That's what we're calling that incident? Well anyway, was that mesmir focused specifically at me?" This time it was Montgomery's turn to smile. "Oh, very much so." I had to think about that. He waited, and when I didn't immediately proceed, he asked, "Where are you going with this?" "Everything Wren says, is that I'm able to break mesmir on me. Maybe it is just generic, blanket mesmir, like what's over all of Avernus." "There's no difference in how it affects someone. Mesmir is mesmir." "Are you sure? Because I seem to be able to blow off some of it, but not others." "So you can break mesmir, usually. When have you experienced mesmir that you weren't able to break?" "Dom's used it on me a few times to feed on me, and I couldn't break out. In fact, he knocked me out totally. Pretty sure he got into my pants while I was knocked out in New York as well." Montgomery's face went dark for a moment at that. If I didn't know better, he looked jealous for a second. "So as far as I can tell," I went on, " the only time I've broke a targeted mesmir was when my life was literally threatened." "Or maybe, the only times you couldn't break it was when you wanted the plausible deniability?" I was surprised. "You think I wanted to be bled and fucked?" He looked at me placidly. "It is a pleasurable experience, to be fed upon by a Vampire. By most types of Vampyre, to be truthful. Many consider it... orgasmic." I blushed slightly, and my pants filled out a little. "So you're saying I wanted an excuse to be a slut without feeling like a slut?" "I don't know if I would have worded it quite like that." "I was with Wren. I wasn't looking to fuck around." "I believe your words were, 'I'm nobody's bitch, not even Wren's'?" "That's no excuse for rape," I said with a glare. "Why are you telling me about all this?" asked Montgomery. "Weren't you supposed to be filling me in about Wren threatening you?" "It's all tied together," I spouted angrily. "I think Wren's jealous. Both of Dom, and that I have a mortal friend that stays at my house a lot 'cause of shitty parents." "My, my," Montgomery teased. "You do seem to get around." "I'm not fucking my friend. And I wouldn't be fucking Dom if he wasn't mind controlling me. Hell, I'm not sure I'd be messing around with Wren if he wasn't feeding." "Ah." I perked up at that. "What, 'ah'?" He shook his head. "Sorry. It's just, this is about feeding. I have no idea if either one is trying to, I don't know... date you, or something. But it sounds like they are both trying to snap you like a wishbone when it comes to feeding rights." "Rights? I shouted. "Nobody has a right to me. I'm nobody's property." "My apologies. That may have been a poor word. Maybe territory would be better." "Not even a little. Damn, now I wish Wren were here, just so I could put him in his place." "I'd love to see that," Montgomery said with a smile. I glared at him. "Are you going to be smiling as wide when I do the same to Dom the second he gets here?" "Absolutely," he remarked without hesitation. "That makes me wonder. What are you to Dom? What is he to you?" He looked at me in confusion. "He says you're his personal assistant, yet he doesn't take you to important meetings out of town? Meetings important enough that he needs the extra power from his Assecla?" Montgomery's face went cold, but he didn't speak. "Then there's that face you made when I said he had sex with me while I was out cold. I'm pretty sure you were jealous." That got a scoff from him. "No, not about me. You've made it clear a couple of times you aren't a fan of me. No, you were jealous about him, weren't you?" He went angry, but suddenly his face went blank, neutral. I squinted, concentrating. It took a second, but his smooth perfection melted, to be replaced once again by barely controlled anger and disgust. It took a moment before he got his emotions back under control. I had no idea if he could tell I was seeing through his blank mesmir face. Finally he stood and addressed me. "You can finish this conversation with Dominic when he gets here." And with that, he left the room. I thought about testing if I was trapped here, but decided it didn't matter. I was here for answers, so it was worth it. Besides, I wanted to assume I was trusted and liked to at least some extent, and didn't want to burst my own bubble. I didn't have to wait too terribly long, maybe ten minutes, before the door opened and Dom came in. He seemed somewhat distracted, yet still presented a pleasant demeanor. "What seems to be the issue?" he asked as he sat down opposite from me. "Montgomery said you and Wren were in a fight?" "If we did, it was pretty one-sided. More like, we were talking, and he went nuts. Accused me of being his enemy, and said you had 'got greedy and ruined everything'. Care to elaborate?" "If he was here, we could ask him." "Fine," I huffed. "Then what happened in New York?" When he gave me a confused look, I elaborated. "I mean, are you fucking me as well as feeding on me?" "Why might make you believe that?" "Because I woke up in the hotel room with my clothes all fucked up. My pants and boxers had been put back on, but badly. Care to explain?" "Interesting. It would seem I was careless. My apologies." He didn't even seem embarrassed at being caught. If anything, he seemed amused at being called out. "So you did fuck me?" I asked accusingly. "Not the way you are likely thinking," Dom said. "However, you seemed to enjoy having your femoral artery fed from as much as I enjoyed feeding from it." "The hell is a femoral artery?" "Your inner thigh," he said with a grin. "Feeling you balls rub my cheek as I drank of your essence. Before your 'essence' splattered my shirt." "Ew, TMI. Besides, rapey much?" Dom looked surprised at my reaction. "You did not complain at the time." "Bullshit," I spat at him. "If you thought I wouldn't complain, you wouldn't have mind-fucked me, before actually fucking me. Besides, Wren said feeding on me was something you wouldn't want to do, because it was like Vampire-incest or something." "Wishful thinking on his part," Dom grinned. "Besides, if you will recall, it was not our first time. "Gross," I said. "So this whole thing is him being jealous that you're both feeding on me?" "Perhaps," he said vaguely. "Or is it the other thing?" I asked. "Is it that I am not as good at breaking mesmir as everyone was making it out to be, and you proved that in New York? Is that what he really meant about you being greedy?" Dom paused, his smile slipping a bit. More quietly, he said, "Perhaps." "Motherfucker!" I yelled. "You just can't help but use and manipulate me, can you? But I bet it's not just me, is it? What is this `promise' you made to the Jianshi? Why do I get the feeling that is just one more manipulation you are doing?" "That is my business." Dom was no longer smiling. "Fuck you. It's my business when I've been visited and threatened twice." "Just as you are my business." I froze, staring at him. "You mean your bitch." He just looked back at me, a blank look on his face. Coldly I said, "I told you before, I'm nobody's bitch." "I'm afraid that time has passed," he said softly. There was something like sorrow behind his words, but mostly I just saw the arrogance. "You are mine, of my blood." "Are you sure?" I shot back coldly. "Is that really the corner you want to back me into?" He smiled again, but this time it was arrogant and self assured. "I will not back you into any corner, my Assecla. I will give you all the leash you want. If you insist I do not feed, I will concede that to you. You have given me back my power and for that I am grateful. For everything else, I can be patient." The arrogance. The cock-sure attitude! I was done with this conversation. I didn't know if there were more answers here right now. I was too angry to think of the questions. Figuring he was trying to piss me off so I couldn't think straight, I decided it was time to retreat and regroup. I needed to decide what to do next. I didn't think I was ever going to get any proper answers out of Dom. And if I was really honest, maybe not out of Wren, either. "Fine," I said. "You want to be patient? I guess I have time to be patient as well. Good night, Mr. Tsui." I wasn't feeling the compulsion to call him that. I just figured it might put him more at ease. Let him think he won more than he really did. "Good night, Jason. In time, I think you will come to realize everything our arrangement will bring to you." I was pissed. I wanted to go apeshit on him, now that I knew how to do it. But I knew it was better to save that as a secret weapon for later. Instead, I made myself stay calm and walked to the door. Thankfully it was not locked and I was able to leave. Robert was waiting in the hall and took me back downstairs. I wasn't really in a mood to play around, so I walked home. No superspeed, no stops anywhere else. I wanted time to think. It was a bit after nine when I returned home. The house was quiet, just as eerie as the empty streets I had been walking down. The lights were just as I had left them. Fortunately when I opened the basement door, I heard the TV on. Heading downstairs, I saw Boots was still here, engrossed in a fighting game. He paused the game when I was halfway down the stairs, turning to see what I had to tell him. "You want the good news or the bad news?" I asked him once I got to the bottom. "Bad news first," he said with a serious face. "Then you can cheer me up with the good news." I gave him an overview of the conversations with Montgomery and Dom, and how neither had been very helpful at all. He cursed a little under his breath. Then he looked at me with hope in his eyes. "Does the good news make up for that in any way?" I laughed. "You tell me, dude. It looks like all I have to do it get pissed off, and I can kick a dumpster through a brick wall." "The fuck?" he yelled in excitement. "No fucking way!" "Yup! So now it seems like I can do super speed or super strength at will. That should be helpful, right?" "Absolutely," he said. "Anything to get me killed quicker, right?" I said with a laugh. Boots shook his head, then asked, "What's the next move?" "Don't know. I think I need to take a few days. Think about the problem. Plus, it'll give it some time to see if one of them does something else." "You're not worried about giving either of them too much time to stew, and start some new problems?" I sat back into the couch, shaking my head. "It's just as likely that me jumping the gun causes more problems." "So no more errands tonight?" he asked. "Nope. I'm gonna watch you play some of your video game and then probably crash early." We sat around for a while, just chilling. Boots tried to get me to play his fighting game with him, but I wasn't feeling it. After maybe an hour, I told him I was going to try to get some sleep. He didn't finish his game, didn't even hesitate, just paused the game, hopped off the couch to his knees, and powered off the system. "Can I get a shower?" "Why are you asking me?" I said with a laugh. "Do what you need to do." I was in my bedroom halfway to being undressed, Boots starting up the shower, when I realized why he asked. It sounded like he wanted to sleep in my room again, and was worried he might be keeping me up by showering first. I stripped down to my boxers, tossing my clothes in the laundry hamper, and cut the lights off before climbing into bed. Tomorrow was Sunday so I didn't set an alarm before plugging in my phone. A few minutes later, the shower cut off. My eyes were still adjusting to the dimness of the bedroom, a small amount of light coming in around the window curtains on one side, and some coming in through the crack at the bottom of the closed bathroom door on the other. It occurred to me that on the other side of that door, Boots was very naked, and rubbing himself down with a towel. I knew he was skinnier than me, and for a moment I pictured him twisting and contorting his body around, finding all the parts of his body that needed drying. I pictured him reaching around to dry his back, bending down to rub his legs, his crotch disappearing behind the towel as he dried there. Then finally, his body on full display as he dried his hair. Fuck. I was completely boned up, I hadn't taken an opportunity to relieve myself tonight, and Boots was about to come climb into bed here. Not only that, but we had finally laid everything out in the open earlier, and I knew, no more guessing but knew, he was into me. Saying "down boy" wasn't going to be enough. I thought about running to the bathroom as soon as he got out, but realized he would see the protrusion in my boxers and know what I was up to. Then I thought about running to the hallway bathroom now, while he was still in there, but then he'd come out to an empty bedroom, it would get weird, and I'd have to do a walk of shame back in from the hall after he was in here in bed. The bathroom door opened, spilling light into the bedroom. I glanced over and did a double take. Normal procedure when he was sleeping in here, Boots would go into the room next door where he kept his clothes and stuff, and take fresh undies into the bathroom with him to put on after his shower. Boots was thrown into silhouette by the light behind him, but I could still see by the light at his sides that his hips were decidedly still pink and un-boxered. In fact, when he twisted to reach for the light switch, I could see his little Mini-Me hanging at half mast. Moments later, a very naked best friend climbed under the covers with me. Up to this point we had still never seen each other in less than our underwear, so this was new territory. Needless to say, little Jason was standing at full attention. I lay there on my back, tenting my boxers and the blankets obscenely, waiting to see if this was going where I thought it was. Boots turned in the bed, and the way I could feel his breath, I knew he was on his side, facing me. I was afraid to move, scared of chasing him off, wanting him to make the first move. I felt the blankets move slightly, then felt his hand touch my upper arm before laying on my chest. It feathered of so slightly, as if he were afraid to commit to the touch. "Is this okay?" He whispered, super close to my ear, making me want to shudder. I could hear the hesitation and nervousness in his voice. I nodded, then thinking he probably couldn't see me in the dark, I managed to croak out a soft "Yes." I got goosebumps as his fingertips brushed across my nipple, then as if finding a new toy, they began teasing and exploring the nub. I gasped imperceptibly, and I swear I heard him smile before his touch traced lower. I sucked in my stomach, almost ticklish, as he approached my belly button. His fingers swirled around the inverse spot, at first with exploring pressure, but instantly changing to the barest featherlight touch. I came within seconds of cumming handsfree. Boots' hand moved to the waistband of my boxers and I reached up to grab it. "What's wrong?" he asked nervously, as if fearful he had messed up. "Why are you doing this?" I asked. I tried to project curiosity, not annoyance. "Why now, after weeks?" He slipped his hand out of mine and went back to circling my belly button. "I mean, you've got one guy mind fucking you, and another claiming he just wants to be fuck buddies, but getting pissed at the competition. I wanted to give you someone who appreciates everything you do for them." "You don't have to fool around thinking you owe me or something, dude." "Let's just say," he said, and this time I could definitely hear the smile in his voice, "that I also want to throw my hat in the ring as well." "Ah. Well in that case," I said with a smile of my own, "throw away!" Boots pulled my underwear down and off with a little help from me, and I soon felt his hands exploring. He quickly shifted around to dive under the covers and I quickly felt his hair rub across my cock head, then his cheek and at last his lips. Soon his tongue was slithering across my cock head, then he got himself lined up and before I knew it I was feeling the opening of his throat begin to draw me in. I gasped in surprise and pleasure at the amazing feeling. I wasn't trying to compare Boots' efforts to Wren's. Honest, I wasn't. For sheer "walking on cloud nine" effect, Wren had it down cold. But his perfection came across as, well, supernatural. Boots might not have as perfect a technique, but it was all heart and desire. He was doing this because he knew it was making me feel great. I let him set his pace, even though I wanted to grab the sides of his head and thrust up. But I was more interested in making this feel good for both of us. I didn't know if he'd ever done this before. It could have been his first time, or he could have had some friend he's been practicing with for years. I just knew he was the second guy I'd ever been with, and by far the one I liked best. It didn't take long before I was moaning, then tensing up. I gave Boots warning, but he didn't let up and soon had a mouthful of cream to swallow. And I know he swallowed, because even after I shot, he continued slow sucking until there was no way he hadn't gotten it all, and I was becoming too sensitive. We lay there for a minute so we could both catch our breath. I could hear and feel him sighing contentedly. I mean, there he was with his head nestled on top of my inner thighs, my softening cock stuck to his cheek, and this boy was snuggling in like he was going to sleep down there! "Dude, you okay?" I asked with a bit of a laugh. He rubbed his face back and forth a bit like he was settling in even more comfortably, but knowing he was tickling the hell out of my crotch with his hair. He giggled in the cutest way and mumbled, "Yup. I'm just happy." Damn. HE gives ME a great blowjob, and he's the one that's happy. I was about to say something, to tell him to come back up to the top of the bed. I don't know. Something. But then he wrapped one arm around my thigh, squeezing it in a hug like my leg was a pillow, while his other arm snaked up and he started rubbing my belly in soft, gentle circles. I lost my thoughts as my body relaxed in my post orgasmic bliss. The next thing I knew it was morning. As my mind was pulled back to consciousness, I really needed to pee, but realized that I couldn't move. I couldn't even feel my legs. As I became more aware of my surroundings, I discovered my problem. "Dude!" I yelled with a laugh. "Huh?" I heard muffled under the twisted up blankets, "What's going on? It's so warm." Then it was followed up by the most contented sigh. The laziest cat in the biggest sunbeam could not have sounded more relaxed. "Fuck you," I laughed, pushing his head back and forth where it sat cradled in my crotch, under the covers. "Get off me. I've gotta piss!" Of course, he fought lazily against me trying to move his head, nuzzling sleepily into his "pillow". This was doing wonders for my cock. Or would have, if I wasn't about to wet myself! "I'm warning you, Boots! I'm about to piss the bed, and your face is ground zero!" "Alright, alright," he mumbled. He started moving, just not very fast. I threw the covers off of us violently, and he yelped as the cooler air of the room hit his naked body. I tried pulling my legs up and over him, but they suddenly shot through with pins and needles. I meant it when I said I couldn't feel my legs. They had both fallen asleep from the way Boots had been hugging them all night. Giggling, Boots climbed over me as I moaned and tried getting my legs moving. I smacked his bare ass playfully before he could get away, and he ran all the way around the bed to race me to the toilet. Of course, I was hobbling along after him, using the bed for support as my legs fought to wake up and work properly. At last I was able to join him at the toilet bowl, standing beside him and bumping out naked hips together as we relieved ourselves.