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Sitting side by side, the pair watched the sun set over the valley, a peaceful figment that Pure Vanilla had created and revisited often. They sat in silence as the sky changed colours, from a warm blue to a deep violet, and the stars began to emerge one-by-one.
Wordlessly, Pure Vanilla opened his arms. Shadow Milk hesitated, but leaned in nonetheless. He felt the Other-Realm disappear as he was enveloped in soft, vanilla-scented cotton, his face burying in Pure Vanilla's shoulder. He could feel Pure Vanilla's hands on his back, arms wrapping around his body. Gentle, as though holding a fragile piece of art. Shadow Milk's chest felt light, weightless, and the tension drained from his spine. He practically melted, his whole body becoming weak. Pure Vanilla squeezed ever so slightly, his hand gliding up and down Shadow Milk's back in a slow caress. The Ancient's presence was the dictionary definition of calming.
And yet it was suffocating. Shadow Milk was consumed. He wanted to let go, he wanted to disappear, he wanted to attack Pure Vanilla and make him regret ever showing an inkling of kindness. Yet nothing happened. His mind ran, panic building up, but his body was no longer his own. He could not move.
Do something, he hissed at himself. Nothing happened.
Pure Vanilla shifted, turning his body to make their position more comfortable. His arms loosened, and Shadow Milk knew this was his chance to flee—but again, his body disobeyed, remaining pliant as Pure Vanilla readjusted and took him in his arms once more. It felt as though his soul had been ripped from its body, and in his mind's eye Shadow Milk floated slightly out of reach of the two entwined figures, watching with disgust and horror as his empty form was treated like a doll in Pure Vanilla's hands. He tried to re-enter his body, he tried to pull it away, he started screaming at it to do something, but nothing seemed to work. He was trapped.
Vanilla you cheeky bastard, what did you do to me?! Was this your plan all along? Catch me off guard and kick me out of my body so you can take what I have left of my Soul Jam? I'd be impressed if I wasn't FURIOUS, Shadow Milk's astral form flew in angry circles around the two bodies. As he slowed down, he noticed that his Soul Jam was still securely in its brooch, but that didn't assuage his fears.
For a moment, Shadow Milk felt a speck of control return to him. He grabbed Pure Vanilla's shoulder, pulling him back as he straightened up. Their eyes met, and Shadow Milk was torn from his flesh again. Disconnected as he was, he could still feel his stomach twisting and turning, his heart skipping beats like a hungover drummer, and sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. Vertigo struck as he watched Pure Vanilla move a hand behind Shadow Milk's unoccupied head, opening his eyes to look into the empty blue ones in front of him.
No, no, don't you dare, DON'T YOU DARE!, as furious as he was, Shadow Milk couldn't bring himself to watch. But no matter, because he could still feel it. A slimy, wet sensation on his mouth as lips met, disgust pooling at the base of his spine. That was what it took for him to truly return to his body.
Shadow Milk pulled his head away, mind still reeling from the sudden exodus and return of his soul. Slowly, he took Pure Vanilla's arm from behind his head, while the other man watched in vague curiosity. Turning his gaze down toward the limb, Shadow Milk bit down. Hard.
The taste of jam began to fill his mouth. There was a slight tug as Pure Vanilla tried pulling his arm back, but Shadow Milk wouldn't let him go. No, not now, not when he had finally restored control. Fangs dug deeper into soft dough with the desperation of a starving predator, threatening to tear away whole chunks of Pure Vanilla's arm. Shadow Milk only hesitated when he glanced up at Pure Vanilla's face and saw not fear but confusion—which only confused him, in turn. Unsure what to do, he let go of Pure Vanilla, spitting jam onto his white robes before getting up and backing away.
"Shadow Milk-" Pure Vanilla reached out, still sitting, wanting to ask what on Earthbread had just happened.
"Never touch me again. Ever."
And with that, Shadow Milk disappeared.
He awoke, laying in his bed in his hide-out, the taste of jam still fresh in his mouth. He was still for a few moments, listening for any movement or breaths; and once he was sure he was alone, he began to sob.