Vanilla Nights
by Ersatz Sobriquet

It was such a blissful moment in time to be in existence and one in which I doubt will ever be experienced again. By chance through no unfortunate happenings, the stars chancing it as such, I do receive the pleasure of enjoying these feelings once more, I'll ravish every precious moment until my temporary want has been subsided.

I don't believe it was the wine that helped me to contrive such feelings within me, nor was it even the whole atmosphere, which I, so thankfully, experienced. But it was all her; her soft, full lips, which so gingerly caressed and slipped across mine. Her small slender hand, which thin fingers, wrapped and played with my ear and bits of hair. The aroma, sweet smelling fragrance, cucumber perhaps, spray that saturated her hair and even the arousing way her body felt pressed against mine.

It was quite an amazing thing, for these feelings to be able to swell up within me like this. I was never one fond for such intimate moments, to let my mind exist within such serene landscapes. And yet, here I am, holding on ever so tightly to this young beauty, willing to sacrifice everything to protect her from any sort of harm.

A blessing? Can I say this is some sort of blessing that at this point in my life, I have finally sought to be with this person? The evil of Kefka is long but gone now and the evil inclinations of mankind has been subdued somewhat. When I think of all the emotional stress Celes and Locke went through, praying with their all the other would suffer no harm... yes. I guess I have been blessed. To finally find such a love during peaceful times.

My canine companion was the only one who kept watch over me, made me know that there was someone... anyone in the world who actually cared about my life and whether or not I would be alive the next day to greet them. I won't bother giving you the sob story of what type of fate befell my fragile childhood under the "careful" watch of my parents, but I can guarantee that it was devoid of any and all love. Interceptor was the first living creature that showed any sort of love and compassion towards me.

Pretty sad? Maybe. But it was all I really knew.

But all good things must come to an end, or something or other as the old expression goes, and Interceptor's place in my life was not to be a forever affair. He was an old dog and a warrior. Many battles did he engage in, and it's a wonder that he survived for as long as he did. Maybe about seven months after Kefka's life was put down, Interceptor laid down to rest as well. It was the only time I could ever recall tears running its course down my face.

It's true I felt empty after his death, a piece of me snatched away. Knowing that there was no longer someone who cared for me caused me to return momentarily to my cold, abrasive loathing for the world.

Until Isabell returned back into my life.

I had met her a few years back at Narshe and she instantly grew attracted to my dark persona. Why, I cannot say. But she sought to be mine for some time until I made sure she would no longer find me. At the time, I was too scared to be with anyone, let alone a malevolent beauty such as her. Something would surely go wrong. I was almost sure of it.

Funny though that I went to seek her out after all this time so that my insatiable desire to be with someone might be fulfilled. How gracious I was that she readily accepted me and our bond quickly grew.

She now knows so much about me and about my past. My fighting against the Empire and even about the deteriorating relationship between Relm and me. How she hates me. How... Relm... That's a completely different story. And a sad one at that...

But, no use on lamenting on what cannot be changed. Not when I have such unsurpassing beauty sleeping peacefully in my arms. And with everything that she knows about me… it still doesn’t change the deep feelings she has for me. This must be that thing called true love.

On the wooden table next to this bed is a long glass tube, vase I guess you could call it, holding some vanilla incense burning ever so slowly. Isabell likes to burn these things when we come together like this. She says it sets the mood. I remember Terra often times spraying some sort of vanilla fragrance and I loathed it when she would walk by, the smell so... putrid, so intense.

But this is different.

This is so real. So natural. So pure. Maybe it's because I'm with Isabell. Maybe it's because of the mood. Maybe... because I finally have this peace of mind to enjoy these simple pleasures of life. Whatever the reason, I think I could get used to these vanilla nights.