Between Scylla and Charybdis

Chapter 16.

Everything was perfect. The songstresses gave it their all, there was food aplenty, the whole room buzzed with excitement as the Moonsorla picked up steam. Scylla found herself in between a pair of males who seemed all too eager to stay as close to her as they possibly could. Under normal circumstances, their brash attitudes would've bothered her, finding their presence too intrusive for her liking. That voice of reason, however, was being drowned out by singing and the hypnotic swaying of the water surrounding her.

It wasn't just the water, the whole room gently bobbed up and down as Scylla got spun from one set of arms to the next. She couldn't help but laugh. Flaunt her tail and hips along with the song's melody. After all, this was her party, and as it turned out, being the center of attention like this wasn't all bad.

Another mouthful of Ambrosia slid down her throat, its effects strong and immediate. One of the males, a bright purple specimen with a rather handsome face, snuck an arm around her waist as he leaned in closer. Was he one of her remaining suitors? Quite possibly, it was hard to tell given how hazy her thoughts had gotten.

'Having fun, Darling?' An all too familiar voice startled Scylla from her pleasant haze. She spun around, only to find Diz floating a few meters to the side, ambrosia in hand, watching the pair of them with a bemused expression.

Ooh, this was bad.

Somehow.

Scylla couldn't completely remember why, but an instinctual feeling of dread came over her.

Then again, she really was having fun. Where was the harm in that?

'I am!' She smiled, revealing every bit of happiness she felt at that moment for him to see. 'So glad you could make it. Care to join me and... I'm sorry. What's your name?' The purple male pulled her in even closer, she could feel the muscles in his chest tense against her back.

'Diaval, your highness.'

'A name is pretty as you are!' Scylla cooed as she curled up in his embrace. After giving Diaval an appreciative pat on his cheek, she turned her attention back to Diz and extended an arm in his direction. 'C'mon! Dance with us.'

'Not much of a dancer, I'm afraid.' A sinister spark glistened in Diz's eyes. 'I prefer to watch.'

Oh? Scylla clicked her tongue. Fine by me.

If he insisted on being a stick in the mud, she would humor him.

As the songstresses set in a new chorus, Scylla turned all of her attention back to the music. She allowed her body to flow freely, matching her movements to the rhythm of the song. The touch of Diaval's claws around her waist, occasionally dipping down to the rim of her tail, added an extra level to her pleasurable trance. But then things got a little too personal.

Hungry wet lips pressed to hers. The kiss startled Scylla at first, but after a brief second, she leaned into it, roving her hands over the males chest.

'That's quite enough.'

Without so much of a warning, the press to her lips ended. Scylla mewled at the loss of touch, but was soon met with the vision of Diz pulling Diaval away by the scruff of his neck. A sight that made the air in her lungs swirl.

'You are drunk.' A deep and throaty timbre she hadn't heard him use before, made her breath catch. '-And he just overstayed his welcome.' Diaval got tossed to the side in the literal sense of the word, cursing and protesting, before he regained his bearings.

The two males glared at each other for a second.

'You can't dismiss me, outsider, only she can-.' Diaval gestured in her direction with a smug look on his face. '-and she prefers my company over yours right now.'

Oh dear. This evening could've been so much fun, but these males are dead set on spoiling the mood.

'Leave, Diaval.' Scylla sighed while turning around and lazily swaying her body to a new melody.

The males face crumpled up like a beaten up baby seal.

'But,-' Before he could finish his sentence, Scylla summoned the very same look she'd seen her mother use on multiple occasions. The one that made it clear, she wouldn't ask him nicely again. To her surprise, it came to her rather easily.

Diaval shot a malicious glare at Diz before he turned tail and disappeared into the crowd.

'I thought you wanted to watch?' Scylla playfully purred while facing her remaining suitor. Diz floated about an arms length away, his arms crossed over his chest. Something about the way he looked made Scylla's head spin even more than it already did.

'Once he pushed his tongue down your throat, I lost interest. Just how many of these did you down, princess?' A small Ambrosia lay inside the palm of his hand. Scylla grinned. Honestly, she couldn't say. Any number between five and fifteen sounded plausible. She reached for the fruit, but Diz was too quick, closing his hand and pulling away at the last second.

'Spoilsport.' She pouted. 'At least dance with me for a minute, or else sending Diaval away was pointless.' That's all she wanted to do after all. Have a little fun, not think about anything at all.

'No.' His reply was instant.

When she looked up again, she was surprised to see him stare back at her with ice cold eyes.

'Why not?!'

'Cause I'm tired, in pain and hungry. And watching you grind against your little boytoy did nothing for my mood.'

So hoity toity Diz has a jealous streak? How interesting.

'It was harmless fun.' Scylla purred, reaching out to snake her arms around Diz's neck.

'Diaval is one of your suitors, Scylla. I could tell from the moment I saw him. I'm pretty sure his intentions aren't harmless.'

Oh? She was Scylla now? What happened to 'darling' or 'princess'.

This was interesting though. Diz didn't get bothered by Scython like this in the slightest, why did Diaval get under his skin?

'What makes you think you're not my boytoy as well?' Without waiting for the inevitable response to her teasing, Scylla reached across and pressed her lips to his. The taste of Ambrosia mixed in with iron and salt. It took a moment, but Diz eventually relaxed into her, causing her heart to flutter straight through the drunken haze. A soft groan escaped him as he returned her efforts. Emboldened, she gently ran a claw up the side of his waist, making sure to slow down to enjoy the sculpted muscles of his chest.

Her heart was racing. Dancing with Diaval was fun, but it felt nothing like this. She much preferred this...

A sharp sting cut through Scylla's lip, it didn't completely register at first, not until Diz pulled back, lapping some blood from the corner of his mouth. Scylla lifted a finger to her own lip, noticing blood oozing from her mouth into the water.

'Did you just bite me?'

She didn't understand, everything felt so right, so perfect, but then why was he looking at her like that? Like he couldn't even stand to be near her.

'Go play with Diaval if you want a toy. I'm not in the mood for games. Come find me once you've tired of him.'

And just like that, Scylla's comfortable haze was gone, overtaken by a sobering pit in her stomach. Diz pushed away, leaving her alone in a crowd of curious onlookers. The rejection stung like nothing Scylla had ever felt before. He really was leaving.

'Diz? Hold up.' Panic started to set in. 'Where do you think you're going?!'

Without even turning around, the male growled something with a low and deep rumbling.

'To find something to eat.'