Categories > Anime/Manga > Yami no Matsuei > The Imaginary World
The men who had escorted them to the platform brought more chairs and gestured for the men to sit. They settled uneasily, and watched as a crowd gathered near the pavilion. A band of musicians set up and began to play, and the townspeople merrily began to mingle, dancing with one another and partaking of the feast before them.
"This is all eerily familiar somehow," Hisoka said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, that explains why Kokopelli and the fire goddess got on so well then, being both of the dance, drink, be merry and entertain complete random strangers sort. He said they were once lovers," Watari said.
"Kokopelli seems the type to be lovers with anyone he can wrestle down long enough," Hy said with a giggle. Watari and Tsuzuki exchanged knowing smirks.
"Do you think Muraki will show up here?" Jarrett asked, changing the subject.
"Do you sense anything unusual, Hisoka?" Tsuzuki asked. Hisoka shook his head.
"It's strange. I don't feel him all the time, but this is the longest stretch I've been completely free of him since Mircea tried to help me," Hisoka said quietly. "There's usually at least the odd nightmare."
They sat idly, watching the crowd for some time, before Tsuzuki grew restless.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I say we may as well enjoy the food before they realize we crashed the party," Tsuzuki said, with a longing gaze at the buffet. Before he could make his way towards it, the crowd fell silent.
The guests all fell back, nervously making way for four men carrying a large wicker compartment on long poles across their shoulders. Several woman in long grass skirts began weaving around the crowd before and beside them, dancing seductively, their hips gyrating to the beat of the music. They watched the performance, entranced, until the final drumbeat faded and the women twirled aside. The men carefully lowered their burden, and a long, tan leg stretched out of the enclosure slowly, as a tall woman with long, fiery red hair gracefully stepped out. She gazed upon the people carefully as she went, her face one of ferocity and great beauty, as they scampered away from her on bended knees. Her eyes glowed orange, like burning coals, as she turned them upon the pavilion. Tsuzuki gulped audibly, giving her a nervous little wave.
"You're not the one I sent for," she said, observing them with surprise. She turned to her guards. "Find me Mat-gwas! He owes me an explanation!"
The guards ran off through the crowd with haste. The woman turned her gaze back to them, eyeing them with interest. Her face softened slightly with a predatory smile as she drew closer.
"Yes," she said, looking the men up and down. "You might just do, anyway. I am Pele. Welcome to my kingdom, gentlemen. I do not mind if you are to be my guests in his absence. Let it not be said that I do not take pleasure where I find it." She caressed the side of Tsuzuki's face, making the him blush deeply. Before Hisoka even had time to scowl, she whirled around to face her audience.
"Dance, my people! Enjoy the feast I have prepared and celebrate the satisfaction of your queen!" Pele announced. The crowd resumed their activities in almost forced merriment, not daring to contradict their ruler.
"Um, Queen Pele?" Tsuzuki asked timidly. The goddess turned back and gave him a smoldering gaze.
"What is your name, pretty man?" Pele purred.
"I'm Tsuzuki," he said, and introduced the others, Pele seeming to notice the particularly cold glare from Hisoka and finding it amusing. "I just wanted to know -- who were you expecting to show up here?" Pele smiled.
"I saw him in a dream. I was having quite a nice nap, really. The volcano is so toasty, I'd thought about tucking in for a second century, but then I saw the pretty silver man and I knew it was time to awaken and take a new lover. Mat-gwas owed me a favor. He owes me many, actually, and when I heard that he had actually talked to the one I desired, I told him to bring him to me," Pele said, drifting away with an absent minded look.
"This place is populated by a bunch of perverted fruit loops," Hisoka grumbled, shaking his head. "No wonder Muraki fits in well enough not to be noticed."
"It seems like bunny boy knew a lot more than he was letting on," Watari said. "I wonder if he led us back here on purpose so that he wouldn't have to face Pele empty handed?"
"Bet Kokopelli's in on it, too," Jarrett muttered.
"My, you really don't like him, do you?" Watari asked.
"No," Jarrett said, his face showing an unmistakable refusal to elaborate.
On Tsuzuki's insistence, the men joined the party, enjoying the food and watching the dancers sway in the ocean breeze. Tsuzuki finished his third plate with a satisfied smile and threw an arm around Hisoka's shoulders.
"This place is so beautiful," Tsuzuki said with a sigh, looking out at the crashing waves on the beach, and back at the happy villagers, who seemed to have relaxed. Tsuzuki nuzzled Hisoka's ear playfully. "Wanna dance?"
"You've got to be kidding," Hisoka said. "Men don't dance with each other." Tsuzuki laughed.
"I'm going to resist the opportunity to say something crude and make you blush adorably, as much as it pains me," Tsuzuki whispered, making Hisoka blush quite pleasingly anyway. "Come on, you know I'm a good dancer."
"I wish to dance with you myself," Pele announced, approaching them from behind. Tsuzuki and Hisoka turned around to find the fire goddess reaching her hand out to Tsuzuki.
"This is all eerily familiar somehow," Hisoka said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, that explains why Kokopelli and the fire goddess got on so well then, being both of the dance, drink, be merry and entertain complete random strangers sort. He said they were once lovers," Watari said.
"Kokopelli seems the type to be lovers with anyone he can wrestle down long enough," Hy said with a giggle. Watari and Tsuzuki exchanged knowing smirks.
"Do you think Muraki will show up here?" Jarrett asked, changing the subject.
"Do you sense anything unusual, Hisoka?" Tsuzuki asked. Hisoka shook his head.
"It's strange. I don't feel him all the time, but this is the longest stretch I've been completely free of him since Mircea tried to help me," Hisoka said quietly. "There's usually at least the odd nightmare."
They sat idly, watching the crowd for some time, before Tsuzuki grew restless.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I say we may as well enjoy the food before they realize we crashed the party," Tsuzuki said, with a longing gaze at the buffet. Before he could make his way towards it, the crowd fell silent.
The guests all fell back, nervously making way for four men carrying a large wicker compartment on long poles across their shoulders. Several woman in long grass skirts began weaving around the crowd before and beside them, dancing seductively, their hips gyrating to the beat of the music. They watched the performance, entranced, until the final drumbeat faded and the women twirled aside. The men carefully lowered their burden, and a long, tan leg stretched out of the enclosure slowly, as a tall woman with long, fiery red hair gracefully stepped out. She gazed upon the people carefully as she went, her face one of ferocity and great beauty, as they scampered away from her on bended knees. Her eyes glowed orange, like burning coals, as she turned them upon the pavilion. Tsuzuki gulped audibly, giving her a nervous little wave.
"You're not the one I sent for," she said, observing them with surprise. She turned to her guards. "Find me Mat-gwas! He owes me an explanation!"
The guards ran off through the crowd with haste. The woman turned her gaze back to them, eyeing them with interest. Her face softened slightly with a predatory smile as she drew closer.
"Yes," she said, looking the men up and down. "You might just do, anyway. I am Pele. Welcome to my kingdom, gentlemen. I do not mind if you are to be my guests in his absence. Let it not be said that I do not take pleasure where I find it." She caressed the side of Tsuzuki's face, making the him blush deeply. Before Hisoka even had time to scowl, she whirled around to face her audience.
"Dance, my people! Enjoy the feast I have prepared and celebrate the satisfaction of your queen!" Pele announced. The crowd resumed their activities in almost forced merriment, not daring to contradict their ruler.
"Um, Queen Pele?" Tsuzuki asked timidly. The goddess turned back and gave him a smoldering gaze.
"What is your name, pretty man?" Pele purred.
"I'm Tsuzuki," he said, and introduced the others, Pele seeming to notice the particularly cold glare from Hisoka and finding it amusing. "I just wanted to know -- who were you expecting to show up here?" Pele smiled.
"I saw him in a dream. I was having quite a nice nap, really. The volcano is so toasty, I'd thought about tucking in for a second century, but then I saw the pretty silver man and I knew it was time to awaken and take a new lover. Mat-gwas owed me a favor. He owes me many, actually, and when I heard that he had actually talked to the one I desired, I told him to bring him to me," Pele said, drifting away with an absent minded look.
"This place is populated by a bunch of perverted fruit loops," Hisoka grumbled, shaking his head. "No wonder Muraki fits in well enough not to be noticed."
"It seems like bunny boy knew a lot more than he was letting on," Watari said. "I wonder if he led us back here on purpose so that he wouldn't have to face Pele empty handed?"
"Bet Kokopelli's in on it, too," Jarrett muttered.
"My, you really don't like him, do you?" Watari asked.
"No," Jarrett said, his face showing an unmistakable refusal to elaborate.
On Tsuzuki's insistence, the men joined the party, enjoying the food and watching the dancers sway in the ocean breeze. Tsuzuki finished his third plate with a satisfied smile and threw an arm around Hisoka's shoulders.
"This place is so beautiful," Tsuzuki said with a sigh, looking out at the crashing waves on the beach, and back at the happy villagers, who seemed to have relaxed. Tsuzuki nuzzled Hisoka's ear playfully. "Wanna dance?"
"You've got to be kidding," Hisoka said. "Men don't dance with each other." Tsuzuki laughed.
"I'm going to resist the opportunity to say something crude and make you blush adorably, as much as it pains me," Tsuzuki whispered, making Hisoka blush quite pleasingly anyway. "Come on, you know I'm a good dancer."
"I wish to dance with you myself," Pele announced, approaching them from behind. Tsuzuki and Hisoka turned around to find the fire goddess reaching her hand out to Tsuzuki.
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