The Demon Meets The Darkness

December 20, 2015:

Or rather, The Dark Lady

Lecroy's Curiousities

A bookshop catering to the magical community

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

The vendor of the shop of "Lecroy's Curiosities', a shop only known to true magical customers, usually, is in high alert, and has an angry, focused expression on his current (and only) customer in the shop. The man is behind his broad desk, with his array of protective charms: some under the desk, others around it— and some obvious salt that may have just recently been poured out. He is glaring at the young man that is looking at his wares across on the other side of the shop: an ordinary looking guy, who picks up a skull and flips it over, inspecting it. The shopkeeper looks like he'd like to yell at him to be careful, but is managing to just turn an ugly shade of dark red. The shopper, Kythe, flips his gaze over to the man with a sort of idle arrogance, and sets the object down, disappearing partially into the stacks of books. The shopkeeper eases out a little to keep an eye on him, clearly unhappy, but unable or unwilling to do anything about it.
Kaeira Duvessa has been scrying of late. Aware that the disasterous events taking place on the Astral Plane are over, she's also learned the man responsible for those events and her part in them is still alive. To say this vexes her would be putting it mildly. Lecroy's Curiosities is a place she visits often and so Kaeira arrives soon after.
A little under five and half feet tall she's shapely and curved and soft in all the right places. Long gently curled black hair trails down her back and fans out around her shoulders, slightly waving as if being touched by a breeze. It is day and so her eyes are a warm amber, the color of honey. There is a sense of power about her, corruption and death on a scale no human should posses. Nor do humans posses the kind of dark ethereal beauty of this woman. She's absolutely entrancing to most people without even trying.

Lost in her thoughts, Kaeira doesn't notice the angry shop keeper at first. She does however seem to quickly become aware that who ever else is in this shop, they are likely very dangerous. Her expression is wary as she turns into the stacks.

In the stacks of books, is this … horror. It is as if a giant hellbeast took thousands of souls in his enormous hands and slowly ground and squeezed and crushed them down together into a seething pool of twisted identities. And this thing is just… THERE, in the books: some kind of relic that is somehow containing thousands of anguished voices. Muted, twisting, crawling like tortured ants. Which is even more a clash of the ordinary young man that is running a finger down some of the spines of the books, reading quickly, until he glances to her. He's coated in illusion, which is no doubt why he looks so ordinary. The man is some kind of magical manifestation, and reeks of demonic energy, something connected to the vat of souls, but it's some enormous tangle…

"Well, /hello/," Kythe immediately says to her when she arrives, head tipping to the side, his otherworldly green eyes basking in her appearance. If he's entranced or intentionally enjoying the 'attempt' to entrance him, hard to say. "Forgive me, I rarely see something like you," Kythe says sleekly, stepping out of the way in a gentlemanly fashion, hand extended, that she pass freely to wherever she is going, should it be past him onward down the stack, or wherever: he's definitely going to look, though.

Dressed in simple but expensive black slacks and leather pumps and a blood red silk blouse, she could almost resemble a business woman. Except business women don't wear ruby and silver chain belts with unsheathed daggers on their hips. Nor are they quite so lovely to behold. Kaeira stops and simply stares at him for a very long moment. Her wary look shifts from surprise to confusion. Amber eyes move around Kythe and up and down the stacks beside them, over the ceiling and then the far wall and floor before finally focusing on Kythe once more. Something is very wrong here. She had figured this store would be the source of the disturbance she'd felt as she walked down the street. Even through her mental shields she'd known something was off. Leave it to her to not even be able to go fetch a book without running into.. whatever this is. It's been her luck of late.

She can feel all those souls, their agony, terror, hatred. It is her duty to free them and send them where they belong. This is unlike anything she's come across before. To unsort this knot could take years and first she'd have to subdue whatever it is that is talking to her. She's rather certain he is not the man he looks to be. Kaeria looks Kythe over carefully but never meets his eyes. It's a habit of hers, she tries to abide by because it's harder to entrance someone fully if she isn't looking into the windows of their soul or psyche. "Who are you?" A moment's pause. "Or perhaps I should ask What are you?"
It's hard to avoid Kythe's gaze because he promptly drops his head in a sort of ducking, quick motion, an automatic response to people that avoid looking at his face. Which, well… is actually perfectly safe, he lacks gaze abilities, and in fact, the eyes he's illusioned up aren't his /anyway/, not fully, though they are roughly in the right position since he's partially hunched inside the illusion. "I'll answer you… if you tell me what you think you see," Kythe says, entirely pleasant. He's curious about her, and is the opposite of dangerous, by behavior. He sets his hands at his hips, fingers loose in pockets, unarmed. Well. In the sense that his illusion appears unarmed, which means… absolutely nothing. It's hard to tell which of the souls might even be his, if any, or if he's just a container, or simply has the container with him, but it isn't visible. But whatever he is, it's merged together with the soul bundle somehow. Maybe he ate them; if so, he's eaten a LOT of souls.

"I see a man but a man is not what I feel or hear." Which means it must not be what she sees and so Kaeria does something that she very rarely tries. She not only meets his eyes, she focuses her intent and the full effect of her enthralling beauty upon him. There are always those able to resist or shield themselves but generally she is the most lovely thing anyone has ever seen. They would do anything for her. Just to gaze upon her for another second. To see her smile, and if that smile is turned upon them, well then they are hers forever should she want them. It is the aspect of her power that she despises and uses least. "I hear the cries and raging of so very many souls. Thousands I think. They want freedom. They want vengeance." Her lashes flutter and she sighs. "Some simply want death."

As she spoke, Kaeira drew a fingertip across edge of the dagger on her left hip. Both are exact copies of each other. Black hilts encrusted with a sing ruby on either side and with gleaming silver blades covered with strange runes and glyphs. She presses a drop of blood to each of her eye lids and murmurs the words to a spell of Seeing so that she might pierce Kythe's illusion. When her hand drops back to her side, two more drops of blood fall to the floor and hiss as they make contact with the wood. A tiny tendril of smoke rises into the air as her acidic like blood burns through the flooring.

Kythe stares at her, and … evidently entirely enjoys the sensation she's manifesting. If he's resistant, he isn't acting like it, but it's probably really hard to judge. He smiles at her, gazing upon her beauty with pleasure, though he doesn't physically do anything about it. "Beautiful /and/ able to see into my heart? Well now," Kythe says, with a deep, thick sigh, of … pain, maybe. His expression has turned sad, a sort of longing to it. "Yes, I would like those things, often. Sometimes death," Kythe considers thoughtfully.

The illusion peels away for her, leaving the demonic monster that is Kythe. He is a bit over 7 feet tall, though most of that comes from the enormous curving horns. He is pure black, with smoking fel-laced green eyes, large demon hooved feet, a long curling tail, a sturdy, strong body that is devilish by all accounts. The clothing wasn't a lie— well, he doesn't actually have shoes on, but. He isn't handsome: he is NOT an incubus by any reach, but he isn't an ugly disgusting one, either. His function in hell isn't obvious by appearance alone.
"I said I'd answer your question — I'm a demon." He doesn't seem particularly proud or embarrassed or… much of anything about it. "That blood magic? Sight, eh? Hmh." He isn't judging, but isn't blind. "I don't illusion for /my/ benefit, but suit yourself." He's aware he's creepy looking, it seems, but that's an odd statement for a demon. He lashes his tail a bit— which is curled around a long magical staff, which looks … particularly potent. It's also the focus of the souls. It has black spiraling metalwork, and a green gem mounted in the clawed top.

Kaeira doesn't seem frightened as he lets go of the illusion. She doesn't even seem fazed. There are many worse looking beings than him and she has been seeing them since she was twelve years old. Her eyes move towards the staff and she appears thoughtful. She suspects that the souls are damaged. Just fragments and reverants now and so she isn't as beholden to them as she would be. Something should be done of course but.. "A demon." Her gaze seems to be.. speculative. Well, he answered her question so she will his. "I am a blood mage among other things. My blood is a source of fel energy and power. It corrupts and kills any one or thing not myself." Physical objects such as the floor and often her clothing are simply burned away and destroyed. She could send him back to Hell. A few months ago she'd have already started. Things have changed a lot since then. Besides he isn't doing any one any harm. At the moment at least. Her lips quirk. The shopkeeper is likely not amused by his customers this day though.

Kythe flips the staff forward into his hands, lengthwise across his palms, with his tail, holding it loosely. "Kills and destroys? Destroy this, then," Kythe says, abruptly. It's a challenge of sorts, a dare. He has a half-smile on his face, of one that will get his way no matter which outcome is presented. Either she destroys it and he's better off, or she fails, and… hard to tell. Or perhaps he has some other game entirely: demons aren't exactly the most trustworthy. Maybe he's just luring her in to eat her face. Or to make her touch his 'staff', which has all other types of fun connotations he might enjoy. "I corrupt and kill too; what an interesting coincidence. Not lately, though. I'm a nice guy these days. Got my poor lil heart broken and everything. Pretty sad state of affairs." Almost pouty, as if unhappy with where all that has gotten him. "But if you're interested in corrupting and killin' me a bit… I could go for that," Kythe adds, suddenly sliding flirtatious.

For a moment Kaeira seems a bit flustered. The nature of her power means she doesn't engage in innuendo or games of flirting. While she has no problem with corrupting or killing those who deserve it, she has no desire to harm the innocent. Sex is something she wouldn't do with a person she wants to die. Nor would she risk killing someone she likes for a moment of personal pleasure. Her life has been very long and very lonely aside from the company of the dead and beings of the underworlds. She gathers herself though and responds.

"I suspect that would not go very well for me. If it is indeed from Hell then there is where it must be unmade. Even if I wanted to free the ones trapped inside I would have to think long and hard on what sort of bargain I would be willing to make with that realm's king." She eyes Kythe for another moment. "Nor do I wish to banish them there at this time, undoubtably some of them are innocents. So you are not in danger from me. Yet."

She raises a thin and perfectly shaped brow as she consideres his last words. Demons do not have hearts in that manner but still, something about him.. it's different. Her eyes go to the staff and then back to Kythe. This is interesting. A puzzle. A dangerous puzzle but one she is becoming more tempted by the moment to solve.

Kythe rolls his eyes and tosses the staff aside and back, catching it easily with his tail. "Never said it was from Hell, but finnnnne. Hmph. You're no fun at all," Kythe says in dismay. "It's usually fun to watch people try to destroy it. I've tried /everything/, so I guess that's just me sharing the frustration," Kythe continues. He stares at her when she states he's not in danger from her, and grins, deciding she is fun, maybe. "I just suggested you try to /destroy/ me. Danger? Pffffft. You have nothin' I'm afraid of, pretty hard to threaten a suicidal, you know," Kythe comments, and looks at the books, perhaps obnoxiously appearing to ignore her and keep reading book titles. "And since I only like sex with girls that want to, what good are you to me? Oh well." Kythe clicks his tongue, and is distratcted by a book that makes him wince and pull his fingers back, that smarted. That one had some anti-evil spell on it. Annoying.
Yet there's some lie in there, perhaps, because he's keeping the staff out of her reach. Perhaps a lot of that wasn't true, or part-truths… or he did that big show to make her THINK she couldn't harm it…

"I have been to Hell. Not as often as other places but enough to know how things work. You are not one of the limbo or other demons. That staff is bound to you, or you to it. It's always possible there is something or someone here who could destroy it but not I." She could probably harm it. Definitely banish it but why? Not unless she thinks its necesarry to prevent the loss of innocent lives and it isn't right now. Kaeira isn't evil exactly, though she possess great capacity for it. She works against her nature and chooses not to be because that is what she wants. She desires to be more than what she is or was meant to be.

Kaeira watches Kythe with an expression that seems half curiousity and half confusion. There is something about him that seems so familiar yet she can't place it at all. She's certain she's never seen him before. Her subconcious mind is recognizing that she has something very much in common with him. Four hundred years of binding the souls of the dead to her mind and will and have left her with centuries worth of memories and emotions not her own. During the best of times her mental stability flucuates and she is often uncertain whether what she thinks or feels is really her own thoughts and emotions, or someone elses. She does her damndest to not think about this though or admit to herself just how shaky her mental equilibriam is and so even while staring at him and that staff and instinctively knowing what it is she recognizes, she doesn't see it because she doesn't want to.

It is obviously coloring her reaction to him though. She's curious and interested and not inclined to do any of the things she usually would. Banish him, call Fenris to eat him, trap him in a circle and leave him for… Kaeira's amber eyes narrow speculatively as a thought occurs to her. "Perhaps.. if you had a job you would find distraction there. Something to take your mind off.. your broken heart."

"Do me a 'favor,' and forget about that. I don't have a heart," Kythe says flatly, and then as if realizing that wasn't enough to be believed, adds a jeering, vicious grin. Something about that made him suddenly decide to bolt, it appears. Maybe something hit home, or maybe he doesn't like jobs. ….. And he suddenly moves away from her. "Get better stock, old man," Kythe addresses the owner. And as he's out the door, he's also churning in a mix of teleportation. He can't do it in the shop (to prevent thieves, there are some nice enchantments in place!), but right outside, yes.
Maybe his 'lack of heart' hurt. Or he recognized something with her also … and knew that this time, he needed to get away, and not be harmed again so easily.

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