http://clampfix.fanworks.net/smut/all-1.txt </head><body><pre> Spoiler Warning: Spoilers for Rg Veda volume 10. Lemon Warning: The story (let's not fool ourselves here, there is no story, just angst and smut), is about Taishakuten and Ashura-oh alone, in one room, in middle of the night. What do you suppose they do? Play mahjong? ^_~ If the idea makes you gag, you should delete at least part II. And if you're below eighteen, you really shouldn't read it. I don't want your parents to come after me with handcuffs. At least don't let them see it, ok? Bonus: Guess the movie reference. Winner gets a yummy chocolate Ashura in the sex of your choice! Hmmm... should I give you a hint? Ok. To begin with, it's toward the end of part 1, which doesn't really contain any smut, so anyone can read it. Secondly, one of the stars of Speed is also in this movie. As always, comments will make me very happy. ^_^ And thanks a million to my patient editor, who had to put up with my smut attacks. Mimi ____________________________________________________________________________ "Since there's no help, come let us kiss, and part! Nay, I have done: You get no more of me." _____________________________ All of Me A Rg Veda Story by Mimi Zhou ______________________________ ....therefore I believe our best choice would be to move the cavalry to this point, and attack in a triangular formation...." "I'm afraid I can't agree..." "But there's always the threat..." The war council had degenerated into another shouting match. Ashura-oh toyed with the fine gold pointer in his hand, and sighed. There was a kink at the back of his neck from bending over the map too long. Tilting his head was not very effective. He put down the pointer precisely along the right edge of the map. Once that always signaled the end of a discussion. Tonight no one even bothered to notice. "Gentlemen, let's stop here tonight." Arguments in the room came to an abrupt halt. Several people turned and looked at him with surprise. He had not raised his voice many times that night. No doubt they had even forgotten his presence in the room. "It's very late. No purpose is served by making last minute changes. Only confusion will result. I suggest that you all return to your quarters and get some sleep. You'll find it much better to face the enemy tomorrow well-rested and with clear minds." "But--my lord, what about the defense on..." One general started to object. "Good night." He said in a voice that brooked no objection. Even in his present diminished state that voice was still obeyed. "Good night then, milord." They bowed, and filed out of the tent one by one. With their exit a breeze finally dared to venture into the tent. Ashura-oh took a deep breath. They had been arguing non-stop over the plans of tomorrow since dusk, having gone through almost all possible permutations of troop deployment, all variations of defense and attack; and had he not put a stop to it, they would have gone on arguing through out the night. Once that was inconceivable. He merely presented his plan, and with minor changes that was how it stayed. When was the first time that someone raised a hesitant voice, and suggested that perhaps they should try something else? Even before that, he had seen the generals and the strategists whisper heatedly amongst themselves, only to fall abruptly silent and red-faced when he walked by. They were simply not used to losing. They had seen the seamless formations of the Ashurian army unravel before Taishakuten's onslaught, witnessed the undefeatable legions lose ground again and again to an upstart, until they found themselves facing the enemy before Zenmi-jou. He had seen their confidence in him erode, the troops' morale disintegrate. Now every time he raised his voice it was inevitably drowned out by nervous objections and counter arguments. He did not even know why he bothered, when he knew that the outcome of the war was determined so long ago. Did he not chose it himself that fateful night? Except that he had always been the strategist of strategists, and still was. It was jarring to know that his men no longer thought so. He found himself studying the map again. Perhaps... he twirled a small red marker between his fingers. There. He reached out to move several of the flags to their optimal positions. An useless gesture, nevertheless it made him feel better, a small sop to appease his pride. It occurred to him that even now, he could still change his mind, and turn the tide of the war. Just a few changes, and tomorrow this time he would be reinstated in Ashura-jou with Taishakuten's head hanging over the city gate... he shoved the thought away, pushing away the map physically as though to remove the temptation. The pain in his neck still persisted, and had migrated lower to his shoulders, a dull ache under the weight of the armor. He wanted to take it off, but some instinctive precept held him back. No warrior in his right mind would even consider it on the eve of the battle. Then abruptly he saw the ridiculousness of it all. He had chosen his fate. The presence of a breastplate, or the lack thereof, would affect nothing. With a sound of bitter amusement he started to unbuckle the straps. Already the pain was less without the weight of the epaulettes. He sighed with relief and leaned back in his chair. Without the constricting metal around him he found that he could hardly support himself. He was weary to the bone. Not just from the battles, or even from losing them. That he had expected. What he never considered, ridiculous though it seemed in hind sight, was how he would explain them. The excuses, the prevarication that he needed to prepare, the all night war councils where he had to present battle plans that he knew would lead them to disaster...the effort was becoming too much to bear. But tomorrow all the lies would end. Tomorrow it would be finished. With that thought he let himself drift, thinking only of how pleasant it was to sit down without the steel cage surrounding him. A breeze caressed him through the thin material of his shirt. He became aware that he was dreaming. There was the warmth of another human body beside him. A hand cupped the back of his neck. A soldier's hand, hard and smooth with the callus of a swordsman. Not so very strange that he was dreaming of Taishakuten again, only strange that he dreamt of him this way, when he had always found their sessions together exhausting. He had never understood how some people considered seduction an amusing game. To constantly anticipate what Taishakuten wanted, to keep his attention occupied, to keep the passions under HIS control... they were as draining as the wars councils in their own way. But now he needed to think of neither. Only the soothing pleasure of flesh against flesh. Ashura-oh shifted, and pressed back against the hand. Its warmth was melting the knot at his nape. Then something hard pressed into his shoulder. It was a sensation he was familiar with. His eyes opened abruptly. "Not even a guard at the door? Isn't that careless of you, Ashura-oh?" A low voice, with its faint undertones of irony, whispered in his ear. So it was not a dream, after all. He supposed that he was not really surprised. It was something that the Raishan would do. Slip into the enemy camp the night before their last battle, still wearing that flashy silver armor. Reckless, mad, and direct. He turned his head slightly, so he could look at the face a hair's breath from his own. As always he was vaguely distrubed by the intensity of those pale eyes. The mask he had always worn with Taishakuten slipped back onto his face with the ease of long practice. It was almost second nature to him to adopting that carefully chosen look of preoccupation, letting his gaze rest for only a moment on that face so close to him, before gliding away to the distance, as though he had not really seen it. It was merely self-defense against the devouring eyes. Self-defense also, to ignore the unvoiced demand in them, and find another topic. "That last battle was well fought, Tai." He said in a neutral voice. It had never failed to both infuriate Taishakuten and fasinate him, Ashura's manner of never acknowledging his words and questions except in the most oblique ways. His eyes never stayed on Taishakuten's face, but seemed to pass over it, as though it was merely an interesting obstruction in the line of sight. At times that preoccupation had its charm, but other times Taishakuten simply wanted to plant himself before Ashura, and focus the face up so that the eyes have nowhere to look except for himself. It never worked. He knew how his part should be played, "I thought you might consider an advance, since I fulfilled my part of the bargain so well." "Did Shashi help you?" Ashura-oh asked, not sounding as though he cared. "No!" Taishakuten answered too quickly, then added, "Does it matter? I did not come to talk of Shashi." He slipped one hand into Ashura's shirt, and brushed it over one nipple. Not encountering any resistance, nor expecting any. "I'm tired, Taishaku." Ashura-oh said. He made no effort to stop Taishakuten's hand from travelling lower, 'though he really could not bear the thought of another one of the seductions that the Raishin seemed to expect. There were better ways to get it over quickly. "Will you do something for me?" He asked, letting his lashes veil his eyes. Slowly, he raised one hand and traced one finger along the edge of the collar bone, exposed over the top of the breastplates. The armor was truly outrageous. Any decent archer from 500 feet could pick him off with ease. "Anything." Came the not very surprising reply. An arrow-- right... there. Ashura-oh let his finger rest in the hollow at the base of the throat. He counted to five, felt Taishakuten shiver. Sometimes it was nice to be the one who twisted the knife. "Go home, Taishaku." Ashura-oh said, and turned his face away. ____________________________________________________________________________ Continued in part 2. </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>