"If it isn't tonight then it'll just be another night," Aaron said, as calmly as he could. "It'll happen eventually. I might as well start getting used to it." His eyes narrowed as he thought of all the demons that would be in the house later. "I'll have to face them eventually so why not take the big leap now? It'll just get harder if I wait and eventually, when I finally do go to one of your parties, it'll just be ten times worse than it is now but...thank you." He added the last part extremely awkwardly. He knew that, in some way, Shadow was atempting to protect him from the demons. He understood that and he definitely appreciated it - the Incubus had saved his life after all - but he needed to do this. Somehow he'd gotten it into his head that this was something he had to do and nothing was going to change his mind regarding this subject.
"How many demons will be there?" he asked as they stepped into Shadow's room. He looked around, looking curiously for the outfit that Shadow would be wearing for the night.

"I am never sure how many guests will be attending my parties. Usually the ballroom is very crowded," Shadow revealed, making a beeline for his bed once they reached his room. His own clothing was laid out on one side of the bed, and Aaron's clothing was neatly laid out next to it. Shadow was very neat when it came to clothing, but everything else, well...that was questionable.

Shadow gathered up his own clothing slowly, folding it over his arm. "Would you like to change in my bathroom? If you need assistance, I will be right here, then," he added, contently.

"I think I'll manage on my own," Aaron answered quickly, scooping up his own clothing and quickly moving to the bathroom door. Once he was inside he stripped and redressed in the outfit that Shadow had provided for him, not bothering to look around at the demon's private bathroom. He had other things on his mind besides what kind of shampoo or conditioner the demon used after all. The clothes weren't a perfect fit. They were not twins after all but their build was similar enough for the clothes not to look too out of place on him. Or at least he thought so. The top was a little baggy but it didn't look too bad so, with a sigh, Aaron walked to the bathroom door and reopened it to step back into Shadow's bedroom.
"I'm ready," he said, eyeing the mask that he'd chosen that was still sitting innocently on the bed.

Aaron had walked out at a rather inopportune moment...but it could have been much worse, given the situation. Shadow had decided to change while Aaron was in the bathroom. He had assumed the human had suspected he was going to do this, and he was surprised when he suddenly walked out of the bathroom. Shadow was just flattening his shirt out on the bed...he'd decided to take the flimsy white undershirt off, suspecting he'd be too hot during the party.

...This left him shirtless. Half-naked, in all his glory. One of the pains, and sometimes advantages, of being an Incubus was that swimming at a pool or even at a crowded beach was a chore. People stared...people hooted...Incubi were visually attractive to other demons, and even more so to humans.

He met Aaron's eyes and did not look away--he instead flashed him a brilliant smile. "Ah, so you are. My apologies--I usually take a bit longer to prepare. The host of the party needs to look his best, after all..."

((I am REALLY sorry that it's taken me so long to reply to this RP. I've been having computer problems lately (one involving the computer turning off as soon as ie turned itself on) and since it's spring break right now I haven't been on a school or library computer. Again I'm really sorry about the long delay and for not informing you but I honestly didn't think that it would take that long to sort out))

As soon as Aaron's vission registered what he was seeing he immediately regretted not taking his time while changing. He'd been so focused on what he was doing that he didn't use his head. His eyes drifted of their own accord to Shadow's bared upper half and he could practically feel his eyes burning a hole in Shadow's chest he was looking at the demon so hard. His mouth was suddenly quite dry and, try as he might, he didn't seem to be able to make it any better.

Unconciously he took a few steps closer to Shadow, his mind almost completely bare of everything except Shadow. He dimly heard what Shadow said and absently nodded, still focused on the demon. His emerald green eyes rose from Shadow's chest to his eyes and he felt their gazes lock. A bolt of...something...passed through his body although he was unsure which. Unknowingly he took another few steps towards Shadow so that they were only a few feet appart now. He tried to swollow but his throat felt like sandpaper it was so dry.

"I, I supose you do," he finally managed to reply to Shadow's last statement. His voice sounded strange in his own ears and he barely recognised it. His mind seemed to be in a state of complete fog and he wasn't able to find his way out of it.

((It's fine! ^^))

"...Oh." Shadow glanced down at his bared torso, which was nicely sculpted but not disgustingly over-muscled like the torsos of some men were. He had suddenly remembered that he was dealing with a human...a human who wasn't used to having him around, yet...and given what he was, that...that... "My...apologies for being under-dressed."

He decided, out of pure curiosity, that it wasn't worth it to put a shirt on just yet. He leaned over towards the side of the bed and arranged his outfit out meticulously once again. He lifted himself back up, raising his arms up over and behind his head, and returned his gaze to Aaron, arching a blue eyebrow. "So. What do you think of the outfit? Should it stay as it is? I think it looks nice..."

Shadow couldn't help flaunting his goods. It was in his nature to do so, and he just couldn't resist seeing how well the human could cope with his looks. He hadn't met many humans with the will to openly resist the desire to touch or profusely stare at his body instead of something else. No, it took a strong, determined will to do so.

Aaron watched Shadow's movements like a hawk as he messed around with his outfit on the bed. Dimly at the back of his mind Aaron knew that Shadow was playing with him somehow, taking longer than he needed to do arrange the ouffit on the bed and he knew that Shadow's last statement had had a double meaning that was clear as crystal. That didn't mean he didn't agree however.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to inflate his lungs so that he could actually breathe! Being around Shadow seemed to be sucking the air from his lungs and he was finding it harder than usual to breathe properly. He suposed it was an incubus trait. The thought that it might be nice to touch Shadow's bared skin filtered through his mind like a feather in the breeze, barely substancial but still noticable. He tried to catch hold of that thought but it illuded him, dancing around even as he tried to grasp it. He closed his eyes again and shook his head slightly from side to side, atempting to remove the fog that was still clowding his mind. It didn't go but he was sure that it had at least parted slightly to allow him to think a little more clearly.

"The outfit looks fine," Aaron finally answered, atempting to keep his tone as carefully controlled as he could under the circumstances (which, admitedly, wasn't much). "Do you wish me to leave while you finish changing?"He wasn't sure whether he wanted the answer to the question to be yes or no and that thought worried him.

((Sorry it took so long. I've been super-busy with school. :( ))


Shadow's guilty conscience kicked in the more and more he noticed that Aaron was feeling some negative after-effects of staring at him for too long. He smiled, apologetically, but he didn't reach for clothing to cover his body up. Instead, he took a step forward, towards the human...and then paused. He retraced that step, eyes drifting south and fixing on the floor. "...Ah. I see..."

For a few long seconds, Shadow didn't say anything at all. The human's reaction...it could just be from the effect his looks were having on him, but...he looked...starstruck. He wasn't sure whether or not the human really wanted to leave while he finished changing. Frankly, he didn't mind all that much either way--nudity was not a big deal for him.

"You don't have to leave if you don't want to. I don't mind in the least...all I have to do, really, is slip some clothing on..." he decided finally, glancing up at Aaron through his semi-thick black lashes. "...By the way. I'm sorry for how my looks are affecting you."

((Hey I didn't reply for longer so don't worry about it))

Aaron conciously held hsi breath as Shadow took a step forward and let it out just before the incubus stepped back. He blinked in confusion, tilting his head to look up at the taller figure. The apology caught him off guard, so much so that he nearly gaped like a fish. He quickly pulled himself together and thought over Shadow's words. He didn't need to be facing Shadow while he got changed and he wanted to talk to the incubus about later anyway so...

"I'll stay," he finally said, forcing his limbs to obey his mental comands as he walked around to the other side of the bed. Now he was seeing Shadow from the side and he could almost physically feel the pressure on his chest losen and breathing became a lot easier. A sigh of relief unconciously passed through his lips without him even noticing he had done so. He tugged at the dark tunic-like top he was wearing. It was made of very soft fabric and the back of the tunic came up and rested on the back of his neck while at the front it swelt downwards slightly creating a 'V' like shape at the front, exposing the front of his neck.

"Very well..." Shadow took his time tugging his clothing on. After all, he wanted to look as good as possible for his party, and that meant that every single little thing had to be properly in place. There couldn't be a thread out of line on his clothing...he would not stand for that. Not at all.

He glanced back occasionally at Aaron as he dressed himself, deciding to keep the thin white pants on and keep the shirt off as he wrapped himself in the rest of his clothing. "...Are you sure you don't want me to mark you in some way before this party? Even if it's minor?" he asked, all of a sudden. "...A very minor marking might ward off at least the smaller, weaker-ranking demons. A minor marking might be a few visible marks left on the neck..."

His tone was concerned, and honestly so...he didn't want other demons crawling all over his slave.

Aaron was caught off guard by Shadow's sudden question. He turned around on the bed to face the incubus, his eyes a little wider than they had been. He paused though and thought about Shadow's words carefully. a minor marking? His eyes narrowed in thought as he went through all the possible pros and cons of going through with it. So far Shadow had been nothing but kind and fair so far...somehow he doubted all demons would be like that. There may be one or two but he sincerely doubted that they were all like Shadow. He didn't particularly like to think about what would happen if he encountered a particularly nasty demon without some form of protection, no matter how minor. Shadow had admitted that it wouldn't keep them all away but if he avoid some then...

"Just the marks on the neck?" he asked carefully, wanting to be sure he understood right. "Nothing else?" He resolutely ignored the small part of his mind that wasn't really concerned with the last question. That part of his brain seemed to have come out of no where since he entered the room and saw Shadow shirtless.

"I could give you the marks on the neck as a precaution, yes. It would be...more satisfactory...if I were to give you more, of course. But I doubt that you would want anything of that magnitude--something that would leave my scent on you." The Incubus shrugged. "There are mildly sexual things I could do, of course, that would have more of an effect than just some little neck marks. There's a long list--it's up to you."

Shadow, as he spoke, was slipping on the layers of his outfit. He had an eye for fashion, and it was obvious by the way that he dressed. He left his mask off for the moment, allowing it to lay on the bed. He tied the very last tie on his elaborate outer shirt and glanced at the wall-mirror to his left, to study how he looked.

At Shadow's words Aaron had started to shake his head even before the incubus ahd stopped speaking. No. He'd allowed himself to somehow alloow the demon to mark him on the neck but anothing else...it would be going too far, war too far for his comfort or any semblence of it.

"Just the marks," he said, managing to keep his voice calm despite the situation. He glanced at Shadow and saw him preening in the mirror. He resisted the urge to laugh slightly. At the moment Shadow was reminding him of a peacock making sure it's feathers were unruffled.

"Very well...if you're sure." Shadow looked almost...disappointed. But he didn't let that look linger for very long. He shifted his clothes around a final time and then turned towards Aaron, holding one of his arms out and beckoning to him. "Come. Tug your shirt down a bit. I'll try to place it where it can't be seen. It will still be clear to other demons that you're marked, even mildly--it will leave a scent."

Shadow left his mask on the bed for now. It would be easier to mark Aaron without it on.

As Shadow beckoned him to come closer Aaron felt a slight tightening sensation in his chest but ignored it. He'd made his choice and he needed to follow it through. Taking a deep breath to steady himself he walked around the bed and came t a stop just in front of Shadow. He reached up and tugged his top down, exposing more of his neck and a bit of collar bone. He closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself one last time and then looked up at Shadow, his eyes meeting those of the Incubus.

"I'm ready," he said simply, wanting to get this over with.

((I'm so sorry for the delay. :( Real life's been beating me down. I'm behind on almost everything...))


Shadow didn't seem to understand, really, what was bothering Aaron so much. He couldn't understand why it was such a big deal to receive physical affection from another person for Aaron, but it crossed his mind that the human before him might be a virgin, or he had had a bad experience at a young age. He shook those thoughts out of his mind and reached out for the human.

He tugged Aaron closer to him, inspecting the exposed area closely so he could figure out where it would be safe to mark. The smell alone would ward other demons off, so they didn't need to be seen. Once he gauged the 'safety zone' on Aaron's neck, Shadow leaned forward.

He started with kisses on the predetermined area, and then progressively moved on to nips and bites. It was never too harsh, as the Incubus made sure to make things as comfortable for Aaron as possible.

((It's no problem. Life can be a pain in the ass so I can understand the lack of updates.))

Aaron allowed himself to be drawn closer to the incubus and felt himself unconciously relaxing in the other's grasp. Shad'w shead bent and he felt warm lips against his neck. He shivered slightly at the contact. It wasn't unpleasant in any way, quite the oposite in face, but he still couldn't prevent the shudder from traveling the length of his spine.

He focused on the sensation on his neck, the small kisses that turned into little nips and bites but didn't break the skin just yet. He didn't want to admit it but he couldn't deny the truth - he was definitely enjoying this, enjoying having Shadow play with the skin on his neck.

Almost of it's own accord Aaron moved closer to Shadow and an arm wrapped around the back of Shadow's neck, acting as a counterbalance so Aaron wouldn't fall forward or backwards as Shadow continued to tease the skin of his neck.

Shadow was surprised when all of a sudden, Aaron's arm wrapped around the back of his neck and he felt him scoot ever-so-much closer. As a reward, of sorts, his nips and bites suddenly increased in speed and intensity, becoming more passionate than affectionate, really. A good neck mark, in terms of driving other demons away, was one that was given with much emotion to it...

He spent a few more minutes simply toying with the skin of the human's neck before he settled on a specific place, though there were small bruises littered around the skin already. He focused on a spot near Aaron's collarbone, where there was a big vein in sight.

This time he broke skin when he bit.

A small, breathless moan passed through Aaron's lips as he finally felt Shadow break the skin. All of a sudden his senses seemed to become hyper-aware and he was suddenly aware of just how close he was to Shadow, how intimate their position was. And the thing that really shocked him was that he was enjoying it, enjoying the sensation if the incubus biting him, marking him like this.

It was almost enough to make him tare himself away, to back up, but he didn't, couldn't. He'd asked for this, asked to be marked. H'ed go through with this. It had been his choice. With taht thought in mind he relaxed back into the touch and allowed the sensation to sweep through his body again, enjoying it while he could because once this was done that was it.

Shadow could almost smell the conflict rushing throughout Aaron's body. Judging by that moan he just let loose, the human was certainly enjoying what he was doing to him--his bites weren't gentle anymore, but they were pleasurable--if there was one thing Shadow was sure and confident about doing it was giving another person pleasure. Incubi fed off of pleasure, after all.

He spent quite a bit of time lavishing that single spot near Aaron's collarbone before he tugged back and licked at it a few times, to both cool it off and put a stopper on any possible bleeding that might occur later on. When he finished, he released Aaron and took a few steps backward, all the way towards his wall-size mirror. He sniffed the air, experimentally, and then nodded to himself--the smell was strong enough.

Aaron gasped for breath, feeling strangely light headed as Shadow pulled back and stepped away. He raised a hand to his neck and felt the marks there carefully. They had pierced the skin but there wans't too much blood seepage, the licking had definitely taken care of that, and judging by the nod Shadow gave he guessed that it had been successful.

"So that's it?" he asked carefully. "That should keep off some of the demons?" He didn't like how hopeful his voice sounded, how...needy it was, needing reassurance and some form of protection in the form ow rods from the incubus. When did he become this desperate? Oh yes, since the other saved his life and he now had to pay the other back.

"It should be enough to keep most of the weaker-willed demons away. But if there are any high-ranking ones there that take a liking to you...it will take some persuasion on my part to drive them away," Shadow hummed, quietly. "...If I need to separate myself from you for some reason, I'll have to, ah...to tie you up, somewhere. All human servants need to be kept on a leash during public events, and my parties are public. It will be easier for us to stay together then, too. If I need to tie you up and leave you, it will be right beside one of the tanks. While he doesn't like being around crowds, I'm going to ask my siren companion to stay in the ballroom and assist you if you need help."

He had thought everything out thoroughly.

Aaron nodded his head in understanding. That made sense. He wasn't exactly fond of the idea of being tied up for any length of time but he understood the necessity so he'd let it go...for now anyway. Besides if it was a choice of being tied up or being groped by a dozen different demons then he'd choose to be tied up.

"How long before your party starts?" he asked, wanting to know how long he had before he'd throw himself in the deep end. It probably wouldn't be too long now and the sooner the better or he might actually try and talk himself out of this. He couldn't back out now though. He'd already let Shadow mark him and he didn't want to let that be for nothing.

"Momo should already be letting in guests. We will have to make our way into the entrance hall anyway to get to the ballroom, so while we're there I suppose I should introduce you to Momo. He's a good friend...just very naughty, at times." Shadow finally retrieved his mask from the bed--a simple black one that covered most of the upper half of his face. He fitted it onto his face and did the clasps behind his head, looking pleased.

"Get your mask on. I'll fetch the leash..." The Incubus trotted over towards his closet and disappeared inside to fetch the leash he had to lead Aaron around on.

Aaron glared after Shadow as the Incubus dissappeared into the ridiculously large (in his opinion) walk in wardrobe. Still...he picked up the mask he had selected and turned it over in his hands, fingering the detail before sighing and slipping ot over his head. It fit rather snugly and he reached up, pulling at the straps so taht they were slightly loser but not enough that the mask was in danger of falling off. The mask's shape reminded him slightly of wings and it trailed over his cheekbones slightly, going down to little points. His emerald coloured eyes were clearly visible from within the holes of the mask and they appeared emphasised by the silver and black of the mask as contrast.

He turned his head and looked at himself in the mirror. He frowned, barely recognising himself. That was sort of understandable but that didn't mean he had to like it. He'd make the best of this though. It had to be better than sufficating in the bottom of a burning building, hiding behind some pitiful washing machines and dryers like a frightened child.