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((OMG READY POST.))

Elijah returned her smile at her joke. "Yes. Orange juice club... saving one person at a time." He laughed a little and felt better. She was very good at making him feel better. His smile grew a little wider, but then faltered and fell at her next remark. He looked really embarrassed.

"Oh! Ah!" He turned back to hiss macaroni and cheese, fork finding its way back into his hand. "I'm sorry! I was... I didn't want to be chewing when you were talking because I can't really hear and it would have been rude, and I would've felt really kinda horrible if I hadn't listened to every word you said after you went to all that trouble bringing me here and making me food." And he started to shovel the rest of his dinner into his mouth, his face lightly red. "And." He swallowed. "You know... things!" He wolfed down the rest of his meal in a hurry as if eating it faster made all those moments he hadn't been eating it disappear.

"There." He breathed, handing her the empty plate with his mouth still mostly full. Chewing he hurriedly swallowed. "It was really..." He took a breath. "Very good. Best I've had... since..." He wondered. "... Yes. I don't even remember." He smiled.

((OKAY. GO.))

"Always had a black heart?" Declan lilted. He looked thoughtful. "I actually don't rightly remember... but that happens, doesn't it, when your mind is slowly going to ash out your ears." And he laughed his mad laugh again. "I'm touched you'd think I was always so capable of possessing such a heart, however!"

He drew back a hand to the center of his rib cage, being he hadn't much of a heart to put his hand to. "Oh. Ouch... That was simply too harsh for my fragile little feelings! You just leave the state of my face out of this!" He chuckled, amused, and hovered about. "Ooooh, I was right about how much fun you were... and how unaware of what of mine you have."

He giggled when she managed to look him right in the eyes. "Oh. You gave me the chills. Tell me... could this be love?" He tilted his head at her and then laughed more wildly than before and did a sort of in the air cartwheel as she removed his hand from her person.

He stopped in a sideways fashion and floated just at her heels. "Oh! But my pet is just what you have! What a nasty little stray... conning from house to house just for a meal and a bed for the night... naughty, naughty, little Elijah." He grinned. "But I would ever so much appreciate him back... I do miss his company when he's away! He sleeps right at the foot of my bed! And he has a little doggy food bowl and a little doggy water bowl, and somedays we play FETCH." And he laughed wildly again then was serious.

"I like you. You're very fun to play with, so don't make me angry, now. I want what's mine."

((Hahaha, that didn't suck. BUT DON'T FEEL PRESSURED. It's cool if you wanna take it slow, baby.

I know it's your first time.

I'LL BE GENTLE.

...?*shrugs*))

Declan waved her playfully off as she vanished through the shield. "Oh, do hurry then!" He said gleefully, a grotesque smile playing on his face. "Oh, but is she just such a treat." He said in a most delightful voice. "It's a wonder she's still single."

((EWHEE))

Elijah jumped along with Christine at the sudden slam. For some reason, he got this deep and dreadful feeling weight pulling at the pit of his stomach. He felt like someone who found him really unbearable was around. His face paled a little. He felt like Lacey was around.

He didn't like that.

At the sound of her rough and angry voice he realized that sinking feeling hadn't lied to him, though he wished it had. He stood up from his chair and twitched his fingers together. Pugsley leapt to his feet and stood by his master's ankles, snarling and growling in a very not threatening doggy voice.

When she finally burst into the kitchen in a furious storm of dislike, Elijah didn't flinch. Puglsey barked and yapped madly until Elijah bent down and put a hand to his head. He watched her, eyebrows furrowed. Usually he would have flinched. He would have cowered and shuddered against the counter wishing she'd stop and just leave him alone, but instead he found her words painfully true.

He liked Christine. He didn't want her hurt, someone so sweet and maybe the only hope, if there was any, for their world that was decaying into ash.

Elijah looked to Christine and shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry. She's right... you know. I'm probably... the last thing you want in your house. I'm not really safe, am I?" He glanced at Lacey, an obvious look of dislike on his face. He felt a begrudging acceptance that she was actually right in this situation. "I shouldn't have come."

"I'm sorry." He said again and made to leave, gathering his things. "Maybe I'll see you around." He paused and attempted a smile. "We always have the Orange Juice club, don't we?" The edges of his smile pulled down with more words to say, but instead he headed for the door.

He had nothing to say to Lacey. He didn't bother sparing her a goodbye.

((LALALA. He's going to warm up to her soon. I CAN FEEL IT. In my bones... I'm sleepy D smile )

((RRRAOR. MEROW. MEEEEEROW. Haha, what? AND SORRY I TOOK SO LONG. I was in a hotel for two days in which I had NO INTERNET CONNECTION.

And yesterday I just sucked and thought I was going to be in all day.

Then I was out all day. Anyway, Onwards and Forwards: ))

Elijah continued to head towards the door as the pair argued. He tried to somehow comfort Christine.

"Oh no." He said. "Really. You don't want me here." And: "You've been so kind. I really can't impose anymore... no, seriously. I can't... I just. No. I think it be best if I did... I really do think she's right."

He stood by rather somberly as the door was swung open ever so forcefully by Lacey. She repeated again to get out and scolded him like a horny high school boy never to see her friend again. It was as if she had instead stumbled upon them making out on the couch instead of just eating a meal. He sent her a rather unhappy expression, neither angry nor sullen, just wishing he didn't really feel that he should never see her again.

He turned to Christine instead. She seemed to have given up on Lacey and instead implored of him what he thought. He fingered the necklace she had given him and furrowed his eyebrows. He wanted to say: "I can't take this from you and I can't stay. I couldn't forgive myself."

Only he'd stutter and make himself look stupid, but he knew somehow she'd never accept it back and she never would understand just why he couldn't stay. Instead he clasped the necklace around his neck and stepping towards her on quiet feet kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"I won't forget what you've done for me." Elijah said as if she had provided more than just an easy meal and a safe place to stay for a few hours... which she had, but would probably know just what she had done for him.

With that he stole out the door and into the cool night.

((ACTION TIME. b***h.))


Declan was, of course, waiting for him. He knew that. As soon as he had stepped safely out of the shield, he felt him there. His breath instantly became a fog. Frost gathered around his mouth and eyes. He tinged blue at his fingers and nose.

"That was sweet." Crooned Declan's voice. "A little peck on the cheek... it was classic almost. So old fashioned and gentlemen like of you." He chuckled and drifted out of the black fog.

Elijah shot him a filthy look and began to march away. "You certainly like that reappearing and vanishing trick, don't you?"

Declan gave a mad laugh. "Oh! Some fight in you tonight! Go on! What else? Are you going to make jokes?" He drifted after him, casting a look back at the house. "Are you going to lord over me the fact she gave you such a nice little trinket." He vanished and appeared before Elijah to play with it with his index finger. "It's really very cute... what does it do? Will the power of Christ compell me?"

"Ha.Ha." Elijah said. "What is it you want?"

Delcan's mouth twisted into its most disgusting smile yet. It leered at Elijah through the dark. It sent a chill through him. He felt icicles forming on the ends of his hair.

"Your name."

Elijah backed up a step.

"I know it now."

Elijah shook his head. "Don't... you really shouldn't... Please."

"Please!" Declan mocked and finally came to stand on his own feet before his summon. Elijah drew back like a wounded animal against the high wall, hands before him.

"PLEASE." He begged. "Anything but this again! I don't... PLEASE."

Declan smirked. "You really are too much..." And then he said his name. It made no sound. His mouth just moved, his black tongue forming the sounds but all that came was the forlorn sound of wind. His smirk grew wider.

Elijah was there one moment and gone the next. Or maybe he didn't really leave, but something else just replaced him there. It was oddly human-esque, but there was something off about it, something terribly wrong. It had a face, but features that were anguished and broken. It had great a sharp beak like a raven, and solemn white eyes. Its feet were talons, but sometimes they were feet. The effect was like a man moving in the presence of a very large bird like creature, but never revealing his face. The bird's form in turn bent around in the form of a man, but then at times, it was just a bird.

There were wings that were folded against its back. It flew onto the fence to perch, its wings fluttered like a stop motion picture, every movement leaving an echo and an empty flap behind it. Feathers fell and vanished.

"Ah." Declan said. "Such a pretty bird." He cooed mockingly. "And look... the shield... It seems I fried the gate when I released you, didn't I? Oopsy." He put a finger to his lips. The fence around the gate was charred and black, as if it had been burned, the gate hung open half melted. He looked straight through the foggy night and to Lacey, his eyes glowing through the dark. "Perhaps maybe we SHOULD see Lacey again... I know it might seem too soon, Elijah..." He tossed his summon a look.

Elijah shuffled on long legs and flapped the wings at his back. They moved again like through water, or time. He made a terrible noise with his beak. There were terrible teeth gnashed in his mouth.

"But, you know... she just loves to see you, doesn't she?" And he said words again that made no sound.

The terrible creature leapt from the fence and flew towards the still open door.

((DUN DUN DUUUUN... THAT WAS SO LONG. I'm sorry... D:... but it took me forever what kinda demon thing I wanted him to be... I didn't wanna be generic cos that pisses me off (I piss myself off, haha). Maybe I'll use a generic demon in here somewhere for fun... but for now... this is what I got D:< ))

((OMG ONE MOAR POST! REAAAADY. GOOOOO. And hahha, AAAND THAT'S FRICKIN' HILARIOUS.

Elijah: CAAAA-*thump* aw.

I cracked up.

Sersiously... Plus, if he made it into the house that'd be like almost god moding, WHICH. ISN'T. COOL.

There's still another shield there D:< *was so proud because she remembered*))

The monstrous raven crashed into the old wooden doors in a shower of mottled feathers and a shriek of pain. Using his powerful wings he threw himself back, crying out in rage and fright. His wings continued to move in that same stop motion fashion, leaving an eerie after image of his movements in the dim light. There in the center of his head the feathers were scalded white from the old magic of the shield. He raked along his scalp with his dark, taloned hands.

Circling back and around he glided before the closed door crying terribly into the night. Declan watched the scene, amused, from the gates. The summon then landed before the door, awaiting and dark, eyes burning like white hot embers in his face.

When Lacey appeared it the door, he rose up to his full height and let loose that ugly sound again. He quickly took wing, gouging the earth with his claws as he took to the dead air. He charged fearlessly at her, diving to meet her with his sharp beak and claws.

Declan chuckled and moved closer to watch, vanishing and reappearing until he was in the limbs of an old tree, smirking with his ugly teeth. "Things just got a lot more interesting." He said. "Meet my summon from the seventh circle of hell. His name may mean mercy, but to those only kind enough to meet such a fate at his hand." He laughed. "Bring the girl. Maybe then you would see what I meant." And he laughed cruelly as he watched his unleashed monster fight.

((YAAAAAY.))

((OKAY! THIS ONE TOO! And no worries. Whatevs, yanno? DO WHAT YOU CAN, MY LOVE. It's always been good enough for me D: ))

When Elijah, or what was left of him, hit the shield she had put up, like her he was thrown back. He let out a cry, but threw his wings out to steady him. He flew in a wide half circle, looping back.

Declan smirked and then laughed wildly at her words. He vanished and reappeared, vanished and reappeared from place to place so quick, his laughter was thrown about the walls. He jumped up and down gleefully on the fence when he finally stopped. "You! OH YOU!" He cackled and howled. He threw his head back and let his shoulders shake. "You say it in such a away... such a way like you want me to CARE!"

His summon whirled about him in a shower of black feathers. He smirked, the feathers fluttering passed his face. "You're too precious." His eyes flashed dimly in the dark night. "But come now, Mercy, my dear summon! From the Seventh Circle! You can do a fair bit better than that! TAKE HER!" He shouted so forcefully his voice was hoarse. He said those eerie words again, the words that made no sound.

The beast came at her again, a darkness smoldering behind his beak like dark smoke. Dark marks burned along his body, as if set aflame. There was something dangerous there, something Lacey might not have been able to handle, but Christine was in the window. The monster caught her image there and stopped, his wings flapping gently to keep him steady. He stared at her intently through the dark glass, his expression broken.

There was half a face somewhere beneath the beak. It mouthed a word, and then was swallowed by the burst of light that came from Lacey's sword. The gathering dark that had been in his beak exploded from somewhere within, still set on course.

Declan watched the whole scene somehow amused.

((Oh my, oh my D:...))

((ME OH MY! WHAT NOW?! WHAT NOW?! We'll see D:... *types and see what comes out*

... CHRISTIIINE! NOOO! You are too cute to die D:....))


When Christine thrust herself in Lacey's place, Declan chuckled with amusement. He thought the whole thing was very funny indeed. It was even funnier when she began to twitch and cry out in agony. His disgusting mouth leered luminous in the dark.

However, something did happen that wasn't very funny at all. No. It wasn't funny at all. The smile ran away from his face like cockroaches from the light, as if it hadn't been there at all.

His summon had already been down, swallowed and consumed in a ball of light. He lay smoking and panting on the dark path. His dark feathers were grey with ash. In a moment of rage, something he had never expected of the woman, he had never expected her to care for anything, Lacey had thrust her sword of light at Elijah with all her might and strength.

It slid into him and protruded from the other side. The monster let out a very human sound from his mouth: he was screaming.

Declan's face twisted into a horrible grimace. Leaping from his place on the fence he ran to his fallen summon, his eyes burning into the back of Lacey. "You little b***h." He said viciously. "You b***h." He repeated, a hand to his monster's shoulder. "How DARE you. HOW DARE YOU." He rose and swelled and blew about like a dark flame. His hair twisted about his head like a wisp of fog.

The summon groaned and put a taloned hand to the place the sword protruded. He didn't bleed.

"You're more trouble than you're WORTH, you USELESS vile WOMAN. What with your cheap magic!" He spat something black and sticky to the ground. He looked to his summon and spoke in that wordless language.

It groaned again, pulling at the sword within him. His hands were charred and blistered, his claws glowing white hot.

Declan frowned deeply, rage burning in his black eyes. "You've made him USELESS TO ME! USELESS! Do you KNOW what you've done?! HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!" He rose up higher and higher. His voice howled and wailed. In roar of wind and a shade darker than the night air he vanished. "I'll be back... just to FINISH you! There isn't a circle of hell they'll be able to find you in when I'M through!"

And he was gone altogether and the cold left with him.

The wounded summon left behind painfully got to his taloned feet and drug them heavily towards the fallen pair. Step by step, grey feathers fell away and then melted into ash. With each step he eased out the sword a little more from his chest. The beak vanished from his face, the feathers continued to recede.

By the time he reached them it was something like Elijah again. He was somewhat taller, there were streaks of grey in his dark hair. His hands were blistered and black, sharp and bird like. His eyes had changed from a soft brown to a black and grey feathers remained on his back and arms, and in places in his hair.

Grunting he pulled the sword the rest of the way. It smoked and smelled vile. There on its blade was something very black and ugly. He tossed it aside, not seeming to notice the small hole through his chest. If you squinted you could see out the other side.

Standing there behind Lacey, he didn't know what to do, or what to say.

More than anything, he felt like he should leave. That was what she really wanted, he was sure, just for him to leave.


((hahah. Um... I guess he can explain what she did next post... watever... that's all I got now. i need to go to work D smile )

((That were pretty cools :O... Annnnd post before claaaaassss... okaaaaay!!!))

Elijah watched intently as Lacey struggled to pull the dark out of Christine. He wanted to help more than he could put into words, but that wasn't his area. He watched her face sweat and contort with pain. It made him ache to know he had done that. He looked to his clawed hands. The best he could do for her was ease her into sleep, never heal.

That was his purpose, wasn't it? He was Mercy. He put the restless to rest peacefully, but that wasn't just what he was anymore.

He didn't have much time to think too deeply into this. Lacey noticed him and was very intent on him leaving. He backed up a step, his clawed hands in the air. He kept his eyes warily on that sword.

"Please." He said, furrowing his eyebrows in that familiar way. "You already put one hole through me." He paused, baffled. "You actually trusted me?" His voice was almost a whisper. He wanted to laugh, but it wasn't the time to laugh. "Well, if you could do that once, you could do it again."

Elijah looked broken when she brought up Christine. "I NEVER wanted to hurt her. That's why I left in the first place!" He shot back, more hurt than he thought he should felt. "I told you what I was once, remember? But you changed something." With one hand still raised up in surrender he touched the hole in his chest. "And I don't know WHAT you did, but I've never been able to change on my own... and I've never seen Declan angry."

Elijah looked thoughtful again. "Please. I know what she means to you. I want to help keep her safe."

((hahaha, that was cute... *tilts her head* I didn't really... ah well, Elijah does what he wants, damnit D:< ))