Neph walked out of the store a smile on her face, she had finally found the perfect gift for Tybalt. A full set of flavoured body paints in every color of the rainbow. She was seriously getting tired of him painting himself with acrylic paints. It really wasn’t healthy for the kid at all. But now her arms filled with bags it was about time for her to drag her a** home and make dinner for all of the kids and the fiancée.
A minor mutter escaped the figure that was leaning against the buildings wall. Fingers tapping along his chin as he stared into the darkness before him. So he'd managed to sneak out again. That stupid b***h hadn't even realized he was gone yet, well it didn't matter... a smile slid across the demon's face. He had spare time until she realized. And it was the season for giving. He should be giving people something. The red hued gaze slid away from the opposite wall toward the streets of the town. People wandering along the sidewalk carelessly. Stupid humans. They constantly whined about how hard the world was, but they kept living. Why on earth would they bother? He should let a few off the hook today. Just put them out of that misery. But who would be the lucky first?
A quick shove and he was off the wall and wandering down toward the street. A second later the red haired demon melded into a brunette. Neatly cut and looking like any shopper. He fit in easily now, but who would be the first... a few moments and a particularly pathetic looking creature caught his eye. She didn't look like she'd have lasted much longer anyway, he'd be doing his good deed of the season. A few second and he'd placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, forcing a 'kind' smile on his face. "Miss, do you happen to know the location of a good bakery?" He'd already spotted one earlier, just through the other side of the alley he'd been in. He could have killed her out here, but then that filthy b***h would be here soon to lock him back up. Oh no... Reikuri fully intended to send quite a few people to the reaper before then.
Neph blinked a moment at being called Miss, she actually didn’t think anyone had ever called her that before. She thought for a moment, she didn’t like baked goods for the most part but she thought she remembered Trinket or Dare talking about a place nearby. “Um, I think there is a place just down that alley.” Actually now that she was thinking of it Umbra and the kids would probably love a pie or cake for dessert and then that was one less thing that she would have to get ready. She shifted the bags in her arms to a more comfortable position, “Actually if you want I can walk you there, I think I have to stop by there anyways.”
A smile slid across his face at the words. Such a good obedient women, even saving him the trouble of asking for a guide. "Oh, that sounds excellent. I'm from out of town so I don't know my way around." He quickly explained, rubbing his head to mess the short brown hair he'd just created. Uhg he hated this style, but it was the classic man's hair. At least last time he'd bothered to look at people. Besides, it was only for a brief moment in time, soon he'd be back to his old self.
He quickly spun to face the alley she'd pointed out and started walking, going slow to allow the woman to pass him. She was leading the way afterall. He couldn't be outdoing her. "Thank you so much for the help. This season really does bring out the best in people." Certainly. He had many plans for this little lady. So many fun ways to kill her were already romping about in his mind. But only one could be chosen. Humans were frail like that after all.
If Neph could have heard his thoughts she would have been very pissed off, she was not frail in any sense of the bloody word. She led the man towards the alley laughing, “Actually to the best of my memory this season tends to bring out the crazies.” If only she knew how true her words were.
The demon smirked as he followed along. A laugh falling from his lips as they neared the alley. It lost the sweet chime as shadows fell over him, melding In a more cruel snicker as the illusion dropped from his appearance. Once more the faint red glow shone off his eyes as the red tendrils of hair shadows the rest of his face. The friendly looking coat drifted away to a mixture of black leather. Just the choice of the evening. "The crazies? I suppose."
Reikuri didn't think himself crazy. Oh certainly the rest of the world did .Perspective really. He thought they were all insane for wanting to live. Such silly creatures. One hand raised, a quick snap of his fingers being issued before a ball formed in the air. It crackled a moment with energy before darting at the woman before him in the shape of a spear. His personal magic this time, not some borrowed move. Simple dark energy worked best when trying to spear someone to the ground. Just to hold her there.
The thing itself was aimed at her should. Not to kill her too quickly. He just needed her staying here to play. "But it's the season of giving you know. The crazies have to give out presents too." He continued to walk closer, eyes on the human as he did. "Not that I'm one. I give out far better gifts than any of the crazies do."
Neph felt panic run through her body, oh gods he was going to kill her, or worse. Still through her fear she managed to retain some of her smart a** nature, “Oh I don’t know, some of the crazies are pretty creative, you never know what you are going to get from one of them, and here I am knowing exactly what you are about to give me.”
While outwardly she was calm internally she was panicking her thoughts centering around the children, and Umbra, and oh gods what about Ryvan, the poor thing would have no one.
As if in response to her mothers thoughts a wand with a wisp coming from its tip slid from one of the bags, a flame tinged blanket wrapped about its form.
The demon tilted his head to one side, running a hand through the few long bangs before into the shorter strands in the back. Oh a smart a** this would be fun. "Aww...are you saying I'm not special? I'll have to give you a really unique treat then." Although he managed to sound innocent as an angel as he said it, the look on his face told her that he had nothing cute in mind.
A few more steps and he crouched down before the woman, one hand reaching out to snatch her chin. "You know, you really could use a bit more to eat. The holidays haven't fattened you up enough. Hard times? Life must have been cruel." He pressed his fingers a bit tighter against her jaw, the long nails digging into her skin to draw blood. "Then again, you went shopping. It can't have been that hard?" He cocked his head to one side, musing over how to do away with this one.
"Do you like the snow. It's not snowing enough yet. Don't you think?" That would be fun. Blood had water in it. He'd never stopped to wonder what happened when you froze someones blood while it was in them before killing them. Maybe he'd try a leg first... He lifted his other hand to press against one of the woman's legs before digging a nail in. The moment he hit blood it began to freeze, traveling down to under the skin. Just how would that work out?
A scream leaked out of Neph’s mouth before she could stop it, oh god the ******** pain. She would almost do anything to make it stop, she managed to stop the scream by biting her tongue, well biting into her tongue. “You sick ********, can’t get laid so you’ve gotta get off this way?”
Her eyes caught sight of the wand laying on the ground, no not Ryvan she couldn’t let him hurt her baby, the poor thing wasn’t even born yet.
Reikuri blinked, tilting his head to one side. Laid? A snicker dropped from his lips. That was funny. Truly. "You think I care about that? You just proved what a pathetic waste of space you are." He didn't bother to look at the blanket that had slipped from the bag, pressing the freezing magic further along, now her lower torso and beginning to slide down the other leg as well. "Deary, I could have anyone I wanted. I could have had you if I liked crap like you." It wasn't as if she could stop him.
Besides, he could look like anyone.
Actually... He released her face to snag the bag, once more ignoring the blanket as he hunted for what he wanted. A purse. Ah there it was. He chucked the bag away, the thing falling to cover the blanket up. A few more seconds and he'd dug out a wallet. No more need for that. The thing fell to the ground as he dug out what he wanted. Photographs. "Oh... look how special. Maybe I'll find them next?" Within a few seconds he the demon vanished, the masculine features quickly replaced with a more feminine visage. His skin darkening to a tan as the deep red locks merged into a purple tipped green. A mirror image of the photograph. His threat was empty though. He had no idea where to find the woman, nor did he feel the need to. Not that his victim knew that. "I'm sure she'd love to die by your hands. Wouldn't that be fun? Killed by a dear one." He flicked the wallet aside, smirking with that all too familiar face. He loved their reactions at this point.
She paled even the pain came second to the realization that he could kill her entire family, oh gods. She sobbed without meaning to let it out. “Leave them alone. I don’t care what you do to me but please leave them alone. They did nothing. Hell I did nothing but I doubt that’s going to stop you.”
Beneath the purse and blanket the wand gave a slight glow emitting a low light that was easy to miss. And slowly a consciousness began to form.
Oh yes. That was sweet. "Oh no. If they associated with you they obviously deserve it. They'll blame you for it as you slit their throats. What could have gotten into your little head?" It wouldn't be hard, he knew her voice, what she looked like. He could check the wallet for a name. She likely knew that much. He wouldn't, but this was his job. Making sure they went to hell blaming themselves for everything.
"Oh, do tell me. What does it feel like? I want to know what's it's like when your heart freezes. Just before you die. Then maybe I'll forgive them?" Maybe always meant no. What idiot would trust a demon anyway. It was about now the blood running through the woman's heart should be turning to ice. It would be over soon. He'd make sure to send a spike through her chest to double check once she stopped moving, but that would be in a few minutes. For now, just the ice to finish her off. Human bodies needed a heart pumping to stay alive, didn't they?
The pain was unlike anything Neph had ever felt before tears leaked from her eyes and she screamed so long and hard that her throat tore under the strain. She wasn’t stupid she knew that he would get what he wanted no matter what she did or said, not that she would have much luck in speaking at the moment.
Between the blood in her throat and the ice in her veins she could barely think, but still a part of her was worried for the others, her children, her wife, the child that would be denied a chance at a second life because she was an idiot.
The consciousness continued to form growing awareness and slowly, a body. There was pain, even her childlike perspective could register that, someone was screaming in pain, and it was hurting her too, but for some reason she found herself unable to scream.
"Too noisy." He sighed. Standing up quickly as he lifteda hand. Once more a form of darkness appearing in it before he shaped it. "Far too noisy." Someone would hear soon. "You fail the test." With that the orb broke into a set of ten before shooting down at the woman's chest. That was where he heart should be. "Failure means death for them all. Go cry to whatever pathetic god you worship for dealing you such a fate."
A few more seconds to make sure the woman was dead, one quick swipe across her neck. He might have been a bit paranoid, but he didn't like screwing up. Then down the alley, blissfully ignorant of the wand. As he stepped back out into the light bathed sidewalk he'd once more taken a new form. This time a helpless looking woman. A few more steps and he was tugging lightly on a man's arm. "Excuse me... do you know..." Ah yes, she was nothing more than the start. Onto the next victim without a care.
And as the man walked away Ryvan took her first breath, just as her mother had taken her last. And then the screams began, crying from loss, cold, confusion, or pain. Her first memory was that of a link being severed.
Raven Arrikanez heard Ryvan’s cries and moved to the alleyway to investigate. A child and a dead mother. Pathetic.
Without thinking she scooped the child and blanket up into her arms and took her home. Well as much as a club can be called home.
