The Man Behind the Smile [Laurent]

[Deleted]

SOLA FIDES.

It was a lonely existence. It felt as if he was starting to understand the loneliness that Solomon had felt all those years. Kavi could feel the deep sadness at the thought of Solomon's memories, knowing that Solomon had suffered through such a thing. He was glad he hadn't been around for that, for such dark times. But he'd seen dark times of his own. Was there no end to suffering? It wasn't that he had suffered much himself. The testing was painful, yes, but there were others who had suffered so much more than he. It wasn't his suffering her mulled over. It was the possible suffering of his friends. Laurent and Pavak. So many years had passed since they'd been captured together, he couldn't help but think that they were dead. He'd heard rumors from the other test subjects that that majority of those brought in never made it through testing. That most everyone died within the first few days.

If it was so, if they were dead, he hoped at least they didn't suffer. But Kavi didn't like to think on such dark things. When he thought dark thoughts, Balshazzar used it as an excuse to "come out and play" as he put it. He was the master of all things dark, for which Kavi was quite glad. It was because of Balshazzar that he could remain relatively happy. The negativity seemed to be absorbed into him, and though he was a vain and evil fellow Kavi was at times glad for his strength. But today he was determined to keep Balshazzar away, completely. To block his voice from creeping into his thoughts. Kavi had a good feeling about today, though he couldn't decide exactly why. Maybe it was just one of those feelings.

With a happy sigh, Kavi unfurled his wings from their folded position pressed against his back and stepped up onto the lip of the building on the roof of Studio Ess. Being turned into what the Keepers called an "Anthro" took some getting used to. His back often ached from the added weight of the wings, and it was an uncanny feeling to have two new limbs poking out from his back, even if they were wings. And the flying. He had always been a great flier as a heron, before the Keepers had turned him into this. But he'd had a few months to practice flying, and he was still very unsteady and his stamina wasn't great. But, it was unlike anything he'd felt before. It hardly compared to flying in his shift form prior to the mutations. It was somehow so much more...freeing.

Drawing in a deep breath, Kavi spread his long, white wings to their full span, and jumped. It didn't take him long to gain altitude and soon he was circling around Studio Ess, riding thermals and getting a feel for the air. Thinking he might like to visit the park, he wheeled toward the green patch in the distance. On his flight-path he saw a shadowy form walking far down below. Curious, Kavi tucked his wings slightly and dove closer. It was strange, but whoever it was instinctively drew him closer. As he drew nearer and nearer, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest, a flare of hope rising within him. Could it be? It couldn't. It...wasn't possible. Well, it certainly was. But it had been so many years...

He landed some ways in front of the other man, hiding behind the corner of a building. He heard the footsteps nearing, and with a deep breath and trembling limbs he stepped from behind the corner. His breath caught in his throat, body tingling and trembling with disbelief and shock. It couldn't be him..."Laurent?"


^_________only faith^_________

[Laurent Reynard]

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[atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/tamaspet/laurentnew2.png] This was promising. If anyone Laurent once knew was still alive, this would be a good place to look! He’d already found his good friend Bonifacio, still living in the Fulsi Ring, but Laurent had no sign of anyone else. Sure, he’d only scouted the other borders, but before he went barging into other Ring’s territories to look for his friends, he thought he’d search in No-Man’s-Land. “We’re going to find them today, Jolie,” Laurent whispered, clear grey eyes glancing at his shoulder, where the tiny fawn hooded rat clung to him. A smile spread across his face as he watched the little creature, so small and fragile, yet still with so much personality. “Pavak and Kavi, maybe even… Royale,” Laurent told her, though his voice faltered when he mentioned Royale’s name. He was beginning to lose his hope for finding her… That had been so long ago, and when he’d met Bonifacio again, something was different about him. When he looked at him, there was something else there… But still, perhaps the years in the Menagerie had left them all a little worse for wear? “Aw, mon petit Jolie,” Laurent cooed, reaching up to give the baby rat a little scratch under her chin. “We will look around and then go home, oui?” Jolie let out a contented squeak, and Laurent turned his attention back to scouting the area. The Fulsi headed for Studio Ess, where he’d heard that some Rogues lived, along with a strange little woman that seemed to own the place. Perhaps if his friends weren’t there, at least he could pay her a visit! With the hopes of having at least one positive thing come out of the day, Laurent picked up his pace and walked bouncily toward the building. He was only a few buildings away, when movement ahead caught his eye. Laurent froze and stared in awe as a man stepped out from behind the corner of a building. At first he noticed the massive, beautiful wings that sprouted from the man’s back, but his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when his gaze fell upon the man’s face. It was like an image out of a distant memory. It…it couldn’t be true? “K-kavi?” Laurent asked, his voice merely more than a whisper as he struggled to get over the shock. But it was true! It was really him. “KAVI!” He exclaimed, securing Jolie on his shoulder with one hand, before running full-speed at his old friend. Laurent crashed into him without slowing down, sending them tumbling back a few steps, but he refused to let go of the other man, afraid he would disappear like a mirage. While Laurent hugged Kavi with all of his might, Jolie bounced from his shoulder and onto Kavi’s, eager to run around on her new friend. Laurent hardly noticed, only staring up into Kavi’s familiar face in sheer awe. “Y-you are alive! I’ve missed you so much, Kavi!” ooc: eee~ Let the cuteness ensue! c:

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[Deleted]

SOLA FIDES.

Kavi could hardly believe it, shocked into a stillness that he couldn't comprehend. He wanted nothing more than to go to Laurent and sweep his dear old friend into a crushing hug. But his feet seemed to be bolted to the ground, his eyes glued to Laurent. His heart willed his feet to move, even an inch, but they wouldn't budge. But Laurent took care of it for him. Kavi grinned wildly as Laurent came barreling at him and the instant the other man slammed into him, his body sparked to life. His arms wrapped around Laurent in a familiar embrace even as he stumbled backward from Laurent's tackle of a hug. Laurent's smell flooded over him, so strange and different. His scent had changed since India.

Kavi held Laurent as tight as he could for as long as he could, before a familiar darkness edged his thoughts, a low hiss echoing in his thoughts. It was a warning from Balshazzar. Tears pricking at his eyes, Kavi pulled away. His face was torn between utter joy and a subtle sadness, so subtle that Laurent probably couldn't see it. It had always been there - since the day Kavi had realized he was in love with his best friend. He shrugged away the feelings of guilt and shame at loving another man. "I...I've missed you too, my friend." Kavi breathed, still tight in Laurent's arms.

He pulled away soon enough, though, taking a swipe at his eyes to wipe away a tear. "I never gave up hope that I would find you again." He said earnestly, though he knew that he had been so very close to it. "And look! Here you are, in front of me. It seems the Gods have smiled on us today." He said, eyes sparkling. He noticed then the little rat crawling on his shoulder, and laughed. Laurent had always had a fondness for these little creatures. He picked the tiny rat up gently and cradled it in his hands before placing it back on Laurent's shoulder.

His hand rested on his friends shoulder for a minute before he brought it to Laurent's cheek, the other coming to join it. He cupped Laurent's face gently, examining his face. It had changed so little in the five years they'd been apart, it was astonishing. Laurent had aged a bit, as had Kavi himself, but it was like being back in India again. His thumb grazed lightly over Laurent's cheek bone, tracing the familiar pattern of his face. Kavi drew Laurent's face forward ever so slightly as he moved forward, placing a kiss on each of Laurent's cheeks and a final if not slightly lingering kiss on his forehead. It was something he had always done in greeting; something he had picked up from his old mentor. It was almost painful to be this close to Laurent sometimes, so within reach - so full of temptation. He felt tears pricking at his eyes again, his mind a flurry of confused thoughts. He crushed Laurent to him in a sudden embrace, mumbling out a fervored "Oh, how I have missed you," into the crook of Laurent's neck, never wanting to let go.
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[Laurent Reynard]

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[atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/tamaspet/laurentnew2.png] Laurent closed his eyes and leaned into the gentle touch of Kavi’s hand on his cheek, memories of India flooding back to him as if they’d been back there only yesterday. Of course, there were both good and bad memories from the now-distant land, but the ones that surfaced now, of time spent with Kavi, were overwhelmingly happy memories. Laurent realized that he’d never really been complete until he’d found Kavi and Pavak, and certainly hadn’t been complete since losing them. But now, so close to the man he held so dear, Laurent felt a spark of his old self igniting again. As Kavi gently kissed his cheeks and forehead, Laurent was overtaken by a rush of joy, and happily wrapped his arms around Kavi’s neck, just as the other man pulled him into another crushing embrace. “Kavi!” Laurent exclaimed, though there was a hint of laughter in his voice. He moved to give his friend’s back a gentle pat, but paused as his fingers brushed against feathers. It was only then that he realized that in his excitement at finally seeing Kavi again, he’d overlooked the obvious; Those enormous white wings certainly hadn’t been there before. He knew what anthros were, and though many of his ringmates seemed to dislike them, Laurent had never seen them as anything other than people. From talking to some of them, Laurent had gathered that the testing was immensely painful and trying, and often could last for years on some subjects. This was obviously what had happened to Kavi, and it pained the Frenchman to think that his friend had suffered so much. He’d also heard that not many anthros made it through the testing, and Laurent suddenly realized how close he’d come to never seeing Kavi again. Laurent pulled away slightly, so that he could see Kavi’s face again, his eyes stinging with tears as well. “It is okay, Kavi,” he breathed softly, leaning forward to plant a gentle kiss to Kavi’s forehead in return. “I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere, okay?” Laurent smiled softly and then rested his forehead against Kavi’s, bright grey eyes taking in every detail of the other man’s face, meeting Kavi’s eyes, so warm and gentle, his gaze trailing down the bridge of his nose to his lips. Laurent barely noticed as he drifted forward, the space between them growing smaller and smaller until his lips met Kavi’s in a tender kiss. It was unsure at first, but Laurent couldn’t hold back the emotions that overtook him, his fear and sadness for losing Kavi for so long, and nearly forever, mixed with his happiness that he was here again, and something more; something Laurent couldn’t put a name to, but told him that after everything they’d been through back in India, and everything they’d been through while apart, that they were closer than just merely best friends. After a moment, Laurent broke the kiss, a slight pang of guilt in his chest for springing it on Kavi like that, but he certainly didn’t regret it. “I… I thought I might never see you again.”

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[Deleted]

SOLA FIDES.

Heaven. That’s all he could call it. Knowing that Laurent was alive…being here, wrapped in his arms. It was as if paradise had finally been found; it was as if there was to be no more pain, no more sorrow. Nothing could touch them in this joy. Nothing could break through their friendship, and nothing could destroy Kavi’s love for Laurent. Yes, he loved him. He would admit it to himself, at least, to save him from whatever insanity the others that shared this body suffered. IT would have driven him mad if he couldn’t admit it, this powerful emotion that kept him alive. It kept him strong against Shazza, and nothing would take that love away from him.

The feel of Laurent’s warm lips against his forehead was soothing, a soft shuddering breath releasing that he hadn’t realized he’d held. He smiled gently as his friend’s forehead pressed against his, realizing how tantalizingly close Laurent was; it enthralled him. He knew it was wrong, to feel this way. But…his eyes drifted closed and he allowed himself to take it all in. To breathe in the smell of Laurent’s skin, the feel of flesh against flesh. He allowed himself this small comfort, this small pleasure, knowing that between them there would be nothing more than this moment, nothing but this momentary closeness. They would break apart, and be but friends. Kavi drew in a breath, not wanting to pull away. He was about to, a soft sigh starting to release when he felt Laurent’s lips press against his.

Kavi’s eyes flew open, somewhat of a small gasp dying in his throat. No, no, no. It couldn’t be happening. How? No! He wanted to resist, to fight back, to push Laurent away. It wasn’t safe, oh, god—how could he have let this happen? But his body refused his mind, his hand reaching to clasp the nape of Laurent’s neck, gently pulling him closer into the heady kiss. It was gentle at first, but Kavi drew from it a sense of urgency. Like there was no time left, yet at the same moment as if he never wanted it to end. There was a hunger, there, too, but it was soft and yearning, more begging than demanding.

The kiss ended all too soon; Kavi struggling, struggling. His forehead was still pressed desperately against Laurent’s his hands frozen, one on his shoulder and the other still resting on the back of Laurent’s neck. No, no. It couldn’t…not now. Not Laurent. "Laurent..." he whispered, a warning. Run, run. Please, God...

When Belshazzar opened his eyes, the face that Laurent knew only as Kavi’s face was different. The light within his eyes had gone, the softness in his gaze had turned to stone, the love replaced with unmitigated malice, smile twisted into a foul grimace that snarled. His hands, that had been so idle, suddenly sprang to life, wrapping themselves around Laurent’s neck. “You infidel,” Belshazzar hissed from Kavi’s lips, using Kavi’s hands to strangle Kavi’s love. His hands were like vice grips around the cretin’s throat, and Belshazzar delighted in the gurgled gasps as the young man struggled for breath. “There is a special place in hell reserved for the likes of you. Did you think I would not find out? You are a fool, then, Kavi! To think you could parade your disgusting little whore in front of me and not expect me to kill him.” He spoke in a voice that was deep, and dark. Gravelly and rough, twisted and snarling with a hatred that had never touched Kavi's voice.

Inside, Kavi watched. And screamed. ‘Belshazzar! No! Stop, you bastard!’ He cried, desperately, his hollow voice echoing in the darkness his prison. This…no! No! NO! Not Laurent! He swore, never, never to let this happen! How had he been so stupid! So careless! Now his friend, the man he loved most, would die because of his selfishness. His wants and desires brought nothing but death to those he loved! He watched, watched as Belshazzar used Kavi’s own hands to strangle the life from Laurent. And there was nothing he could do.

^_________only faith^_________