@Kinjaav@Cio

Hayato Nijimura

Hayato was looking around the area, By this point not caring what the girl was saying to him, Sniffing he thought he smelled fear in one of the apartment buildings. But it was hard to pin point the exact point of where the fear was coming form. Watching the woman walking away and getting into her car looking at the apartment buildings, He was standing still in front of the apartment watching with his keen eye if someone was staring at him though their window.

The older man was waiting for a moment for the scent to become more prominent, He stood in front of the many apartment buildings starting to smoke his cigarette waiting for his prey.

@Cio@Eviledd1984

The icy silence that followed Aava’s testament was punctuated by a thud as the clerk passed out and slumped forward on her desk, dropping her book onto the polished floor. In some measure he was horrified, sure, but above all he was confused by Aava’s manner. She was a persuasive beast, cunning and playful like a wicked barn cat. Her habits and needs for flesh were revolting, that went without saying, but she didn’t ask to be that way. They were all horrible prey to fate, to bad fortune, to a vengeful god somewhere; they had all suffered more than their share, to bring suffering was the way of things. She was no more a monster than he or James, right? As he watched his skeletal friend go he scrambled to quell the flames.
“J-James, wait, she’s not a monster it’s just—“ he choked on excuses, withdrawing somewhat as he watched James leave. He looked back to Aava. “Where… (Aava, where have you been? What happened to you?)”

@Kinjaav@Eviledd1984

Vanessa observed from her window as Beck left fuming, disappearing beyond Nessa's line of sight. Soon she felt her phone buzz - finally, really - and she looked up at the text she'd recieved.
"A werewolf? Really?" Nessa muttered to herself in disbelief. Was Beck messing with her?
Peering out the half curtained window, Nessa glanced at the man still standing outside, looking pretty darn suspicious. His clothes were a bit rattled and torn in places, a look that didn't fit with his otherwise well groomed appearance. Nessa frowned, perplexed.
A werewolf? What is this, Twilight? Nessa texted back, her irritation mingling with the need for escape. Still, she didn't take Beck for a woman who was a liar - maybe a bit nuts sure, but definitely not the liar type unlike Nessa herself. Sighing, Vanessa scrambled her ebony locks into a messy bun, turning all the lights off and locking up her apartment as she exited into the stairway. With her bag on her shoulder, the ravenette made her way down the stairs gingerly, supporting herself on the rail to keep from putting too much weight on her healing leg.
Now Nessa was on the ground floor. Her keen senses burned ever bright as if they were alerting her of the immediate danger that waited for her outside. Turning on her heels, the amber eyed vampire made her way out of the back door that led to the street on the opposite side of the apartment building. That should buy her some time.
Trying her best to hide the slight limp caused by the ever healing wound on her shin, Nessa made her way hastily along the street, trying to find a route for a perfect escape.

---

Aava stood there with a confused look on her face as the skeleton man took his leave. Was it something she'd said?
The näkki simply watched as her friend tried to hurry after the bony man, words slipping out of his mouth in desperation.
'She's not a monster it's just—' Evren had said. Aava stood there, expression blank, almost lost.
'Monster.' Hirviö.
Was she a monster?
What was that feeling inside of her? That little girl, gasping for air. Arms flailing, trying to grasp a last hold of life, of warmth. Wanting to scream for help, but too busy fighting for her life to do so. Too busy gasping for air as the cold water finally drained her of her last resolve, convincing her to stay and sleep forever.
Distant memories whirling in her head like whispers of the past, Aava found her hands were trembling.
Monster. She was a monster.
Had she always been this way?

Where had she been? What had happened to her?
Looking up from her hands to Evren, Aava found that his face was blurry like a distubed reflection on a lake. A lone tear spilled over, stabilizing her friend's face. The question ate away inside of Aava because the truth was she didn't know. She didn't know what had happened to her. She felt like she'd been missing time. A lot of it.
Taking Evren's hand quietly, Aava began tugging, leading him out of the shop. The books were still with them, but thanks to the fainted cashier it didn't really matter if they paid or not. Aava had more urgent matters to do. To show Evren where she'd been.
Walking down the street, the two passed the skeleton man. Aava glanced at him with weary eyes, hurt and mistrust shining in them as she continued tugging her friend's hand and rounding a block to a shaded alleyway. There it was - the planked up shop Aava had crawled out from. The one with the window she'd broken, and the shards of glass on the dusty, wooden floor.
Aava led Evren inside of the boutique, showing him the shards of the broken jar on the floor. The liquid inside of it had dried on the dusty floor, leaving a jagged splatter pattern in its wake. The shop smelled old, wood and a hint of musky water. Aava's lake's water.
"(There. I've been there,)" the näkki deadpanned, her voice quiet and sorrowful, finger pointing at the shattered jar on the floor.
The shop's shelves were full of other jars, too. One was missing from an upper shelf - presumably the one Aava had been trapped in and that was now smashed on the floor. The other jars had labels on them with weird scribbles. One of them had what Aava could only picture were pickled eyes. All of the jars had something strange or disturbing in them, almost like a display or a collection.
Aava simply looked at Evren, slowly letting go of his hand.

@Kinjaav@Cio

Hayato Nijimura

James "Duckie" Markham

Hayato could smell the fear or rather the person's fear moving, Starting to move walking before jogging lightly towards the back way of the apartment buildings. He was hoping that he would be able to caught the girl before she would get away form him, The only real problem would be carrying her back to the car. He would have to do it quick because he did not want her to make a scene, And the fact that he was wondering if he should cut a deal with her.

Make her help him find the two that killed his friend, Then after the deed was done he would let her go. Not like he gave a shit about about her crimes, He just wanted the two bastards that killed his partner. Hayato was at the back of one of the apartment buildings hiding behind a wall waiting for his target to appear

----------------------------

James meanwhile was walking around the city wanting to clear his head, Smoking a cigarette taking deep drags form it. Walking down the street finding himself in front of a cemetery. Usually he would avoid cemeteries since it gave him the creep and it gave him bad memories. But he could not help but help and stand in front of the graves thinking about the dead that were buried.

Standing in front of one that he would usually visit, The grave of a woman named "Laura Barnes" he did not know her but would image himself being best friends with her. Taking another big drag from his cigarette trying to shake off the idea of that siren killing and eating children.

"Hi Laura, How ya doing? Long time no see eh. I've been doing good just having a walk. You would not believe how many sicko's their are in this town" He said rubbing the back of his boney head.

@Eviledd1984@Cio

Evren looked in disgust and awe at all the jars and displays before his eyes settled on the broken glass on the floor. “(You were here… you were here the whole time.)” He said softly, stooping down and tracing his fingers along the splash stain on the ground. His body felt heavy, as if he was weighted at the throat by a guilty shackle. He regained his footing and gently embraced his friend, ignoring her filthy hair and attempting to be of some comfort.
Suddenly he felt the hair on his neck stand on end, and he let Aava go. His eyes darted about the shadowy room, searching. “Lucifer…”
He took hold of the bottled eyes just beside him in this macabre collection. He held the jar up to his chest and the contents made a sickening sloshing sound like a loose jam. “I know you’re in here!” He shouted at nothing, looking around as if someone was spying on him. Irritated by the lack of response he hurled the jar across the room, only for a disembodied hand to emerge and catch it from the shadows behind a piece of furniture and set it gently on the floor before vanishing into thin air.
“What in the hell is this?!”
“Something you have no right to be angry about.” The shadow’s voice echoed through the room without a clear source. “This is the menagerie of a long-slain coven brother. After his undoing I closed this place off. There are secrets here even I have not seen through, and they’ll be left where they are.” As Lucifer spoke he emerged out of the shadows in the far corner of the room, pulling himself upwards out of the patchy darkness limb by limb.
“Even you haven’t seen through? You mean you don’t know who’s in here?”
“What is in here.” Lucifer corrected. He retrieved the jar he’d caught and crossed the room to return it to the dusty shelf. “I choose to leave it be; it’s for the greater good, for the safety of Redhaven.”
“That’s not your choice to make! Aava was trapped here, and I know—“
“You don’t know!” Lucifer snapped back, making Evren flinch. “If you had it your way you’d break every glass in here until the entire town was overrun with untold monstrosities. I know you don’t give a damn about your own safety, but think of Aava. For God’s sake, think of me!”
Lucifer’s tone softened and he gently brought his hand to Evren’s face. “You know I love you, and it hurts me when you lash out as if I would fail to protect you. Trust me when I say I know better.”
Evren brushed the hand away and looked back at Aava with a sad but hopeful gaze. “(Let’s get out of this awful place, okay?)”

---

this is serious!! he could be looking for you
Beck peered between the buildings but couldn’t see anyone. She grimaced; maybe they hadn’t gone down that way. She kept driving slowly down the road, peering between the buildings, when suddenly she saw Hayato walking just behind the apartment building by the bar. He was looking for a way in.
holy shit he’s sneaking around the back, i just saw him
whatever you do don’t go outside

---

Haddie felt completely at ease around the dead, completely in control. The cemetery was a shady paradise, a peaceful altar to the only real god: Death. Every creature that drew breath was fated to die. A malevolent grin crept across the slight man’s face as he turned the thought over in his head; leaning back against a tall tombstone he’d sat down beside he examined his left hand. The thelema, his will, the angel Rakhaniel. His right hand bore a seal of Solomon and the name of the subjugator, Rekhodiah. It was all he needed in permanence to accomplish his tasks.
His peace was disturbed by the sight of bare bones upright in a suit. Scuttling behind the headstone he observed the strange figure. It was certainly undead, and the movement of it’s jawbone suggested it was speaking. Haddie watched suspiciously before he realized the bony man was speaking to a grave. He stood slowly, tightening the right strap on his knapsack and traipsing toward the walking path, keeping a careful eye on this stranger until he was just a few feet behind him.
“What are you?”

@Kinjaav@Eviledd1984

Vanessa rolled her eyes as she saw Beck's response, warning her to stay inside.
Too late for that, the vampire thought to herself grimly, ears attuned to any movement close to her.
The ravenette walked down the street with a pace slow enough to seem normal but still hide her limp. Looking back, she saw the familiar figure of the man round the corner of the building to the street she was on. Shit.
Grinding her teeth, Nessa took a deep breath and kept walking, attempting to act as normal as possible. Quickening her pace just a little, Nessa tried to think of a way to avoid her supposed chaser.

---

Aava held still in Evren's arms, head pressed against the taller man's chest as arms circled her. Somehow Aava thought it should've been alarming to be restrained so, but it only felt... Comforting. Distant, like a memory. It felt nice. Warm and safe. Even though the näkki stood in the embrace stiff at first, hands on her sides confused as to what she was supposed to do, soon she closed her tired eyes and just basked in the silent comfort.
It wasn't to last, however.
The shadow man was there, and Evren was shouting. Angry.
Aava observed, ever so confused, as the two men fought with their words. Fought about... Her?
Aava didn't understand all that was said, but the tone of the words was very clear. Shadow man who Evren had told her was a friend... He was the one who had trapped her. Or rather, he was the one who had known about this place, knew and did nothing.
Aava stood silent as the men's voices grew loud then gentle, then loud again. Her fist was clenched closed and then open, grasping air, trembling.
Wrath. Anger. Betrayal. Trapped in a sick collector's shelf like a display piece for centuries, in a jar too small to move, to think.
It was all his fault.

When Evren finally turned his attention back to Aava, gently prompting they leave this place, Aava didn't even look at him. Her icy eyes were fixed to the other man, her expression unreadable.
A tremble travelled across the room, like the surface of a lake being disturbed. Aava's nostrils flared, her large eyes seeming to grow impossibly even larger. Fist curled into a ball, teeth peeking from under a trembling lip.
"YOU..." Aava's voice boomed low, dangerous. The glass jars on the shelves were now visibly trembling almost like someone was moving them unconsciously.
Before anyone could react, there was a popping sound, glass shattering with force. The jar with the eyeballs was broken like a balloon, shards of glass flying around and smelly, water-like liquid pouring out, dancing in the air. Forming a blade of sorts, a thin tentacle that whipped towards Lucifer with force. Aava's breaths grew rugged and shallow, her newly acquired, human-like and soft appearance beginning to wither as water began seeping out of her skin. Cheeks hollowing out again, turning the pretty human girl into a hideous shadow of one.
"YOU!!!" Aava repeated in shout, tears sliding down her bony cheeks as she lunged forward in attack, water dancing around her.

@Cio

The hydrous blade sliced across Lucifer’s cheek, making him reel back before vanishing into the darkness of the room, dissipating like fog away from the attack.
Spikes of fear drove like stakes through Evren’s solar plexus, making him gasp out voicelessly at the chaos unfolding. He reached forward and grabbed Aava in a bear hug, holding her fast against him and guarding her from however Lucifer would retaliate to the swipe. The whole affair took hardly a second, and Lucifer reappeared.
The vampire’s teeth were clenched tightly as he materialized with one arm outstretched, searching for a handful of Aava’s algal hair but finding the loose fabric at the collar of Evren’s jacket. In his right hand was a dagger, poised for a deadly blow. Tightening the grip of his left hand on Evren’s shirt he raised his weapon before their eyes met, and he realized the mistake he’d made. The two gazed at each other for a breathless eternity, just long enough for a blink to stop the flow of time.
Aava had cut cleanly across Lucifer’s cheek, from his left ear to nearly his nose. Deep maroon blood leaked lazily to his jaw, corrupt and viscous like oil. His blue eyes were dark, defeated staring at Evren, who didn’t look back at him like a lover, but like an animal. His arms tightened protectively around Aava, terrified but sturdy, staring down his own fate in Lucifer’s fury.
As quickly as the moment began, so it ended, and the shadowmancer lowered his weapon and withdrew his hold on Evren’s coat, taking a tense step back and sheathing the dagger out of sight. His gaze turned steely as he licked the bloody corner of his mouth, then roughly wiped his cheek clean with the heel of his palm. Wordless, Lucifer turned and exited the boutique, leaving the two misfits behind in his haste.

@Cio@Kinjaav

Hayato Nijimura

James "Duckie" Markham

James was by himself still in the cemetery, Having a conversation with himself which he didn't think was strange since he didn't have many friends in the present. Most of his old friends were either dead or senile, And he does not having many living friends beside Evren, Beck and a werewolf named Namor.

"That's good i guess i'm doin okay, Just cheesed right now. Why? Cuz i just found out one of my friends is protecting a child killer" He spoke with frustration in his voice, Rubbing the hole where his nose would be. Hearing someone speaking to him quickly turning around to face that person, "What you never seen a dead guy before?" He said with a slight sneer on his face.

He wondered if this guy was mourning a dead love one, Or he was a necromancer looking for some poor fella back form the dead. If it was the latter then he wondered if he was the one that brought him back form angels, cigars, and titties.

----------------------------

Hayato could smell the fear and disorganization coming closer towards him, He stood his ground waiting for the right time to approach the person walking out back . He could see a woman coming down the stairs and looking in his direction which he came out to speak with her, "Hello we don't have much time so i will make this quick, You don't wanna go to jail and i hate the cops. So i want to make a deal with you, I don't pull a citizen arrest and bring you to the police. And you help me find and kill a vampire and a siren" He said to her knowing well that anyone does not want to go to jail.

@Kinjaav

Aava's mind was blank with rage, her small body lunging forward to attack the enemy in sight. A slash across a cheek, crimson blood. Then, the man vanished like smoke. Aava - already in motion, nearly crashed into the shelf full of jars behind the man. The only thing stopping her were a pair of hands grabbing her from behind into a crushing hug, forcing Aava's hands to her sides no matter how hard she struggled.
In her beastly fury, the water around Aava formed into spikes that were ready to pierce through whoever had grappled her. However, when a familiar smell reached the näkki's nose, she held back as if on instinct.
Can't hurt friend. Protect friend.

Calming in Evren's grasp, Aava soon realised it wasn't just to restrain her. Evren was shielding her. Aava's rugged breaths grew faster as the lake creature realised her friend was in danger. The water kept dancing around them, forming spikes and sharp shapes and moving in jagged motions in time with Aava's racing heart. It was as if the water was connected to her emotions.

Aava began struggling again, desperarely trying to free herself from Evren's bear hug.
"Don't hurt Evren! Don't hurt Evren! Don't hurt Evren!" Aava chanted, her voice frantic as she tried to struggle.
Tears fell and the water slowed down, slowly descending to the floor after the shadow man made his exit. Drained, Aava's knees gave out as she fell to the glass shard covered floor.
"(Shadow man knew... He knew he knew but he left me there,)" Aava whispered, tears falling down her bony cheeks in defeat. "(Alone. No one to play with. Aava forgot even her own name, she did. Toxic man. He almost hurt you, my friend. He claims he loves you, but he hurts you. That is not what friends do,)" Aava ranted, her voice distraught, body shaking.
There was a word on the tip of Aava's tongue. Something her vocabulary didn't have, but something her friend had taught her. A long long time ago.
Something so very human.
"Anteeksi. My fault." (Anteeksi = An earnest sorry)

@Eviledd1984

The man noticed her. Of course he fucking did. Gritting her teeth in annoyment, Vanessa tried to speed past, ignoring him. That didn't work, though, as the man began talking. Nessa kept her body posture closed off and guarded, frowning at the supposed werewolf.
"What the fuck are you on about? Are you drunk or something?" Nessa asked, holding her hands in a closed position. Looking over the man, she molded her face to fit the description of someone confused and afraid.
"You should be grateful I'm not calling the cops on you for harrassing and stalking an innocent woman," she huffed. How did this man even know how to look for her specifically? Could he sense her fear, or did he just go up to every person doing the same monologue until he hit the right target? Nessa was acting confused, but beneath that she was actually confused, too.

@Cio@Eviledd1984

Evren stood quite rigidly as Aava ranted, staring after Lucifer until the näkki had completely slipped from his grasp. Coming back to reality he stooped down to his friend and tried to pull her out of the glass and back onto her feet. “Minun vesililja.” he coaxed gently, leading Aava up and out of the glass. “(Lucifer didn’t mean to hurt me, you, or anyone else. He’s only trying to protect what he holds dear, and he’ll soon learn that you’re one of us. I promise.)”
He still had business in town, but this morning had more than soured him on society for the time being; he wanted nothing more than to return to the woods. “(This town… reminds me of the Free Cities of Germany, too much trouble. I’ve made a little home for myself in the forest, away from all this unpleasantness; would you like to go there?)”
Evren wasn’t subtle about wanting to change the subject, but he was very earnest. The last thing he wanted to do was cross Lucifer again; they would make up eventually, they always did, but it was unwise to pour salt on a fresh wound. He still had a lot of questions to ask Aava, and a lot to tell her in return, but his mind was clouded with repetitive demands to just get out.

---

“Plenty, but not like you.” Haddie replied. It was hard to read the lips on a skeleton, to say the least. “Who resurrected you? Whatever magic is holding you together came from someone powerful.”
Not terribly afraid of the bag of bones before him, or perhaps just foolhardy, Hadrien grabbed Duckie by his arm to examine him closer. He pushed his sleeve up to see where his bones connected, looking mildly impressed as if he was studying some impressive machinery.

@Kinjaav

Aava got up with Evren's help, her expression sour and bitter.
"(You are not blind, my friend, yet you can't see what is right before your eyes,)" Aava replied, disappointed. "(Man of the shadows better stay away, for he is blinded too. I loathe him, I do,)" she continued, smearing the beads of blood off her palms. Her heart still settling from the madness and anger that had overtaken her, Aava turned away from Evren and went back to examining the shelves, seemingly ignoring his proposal. The water that had ended up on the floor was slowly circling Aava's feet, absorbing into her skin like to a sponge, softening the Näkki's bony features and effectively creating a soft human disguise.
"I do not like this place," Aava concluded with a thick, Finnish accent, following the claustrophobic Evren outside. As she exited the rattled boutique, Aava glanced back one more time. What a strange establishment.
On the street Aava noticed for what seemed like the first time that something in their surroundings was fundamentally different. It was as if the air wasn't as pure and clean. It had the faintest smell of pollution to it. It was also more humid than Aava was used to, it was not the way she remembered the land. How far away from her lake was she?
"(My lake is there, yes? Home, lake. I wish to go home with you,)" Aava mused.

@Cio@Kinjaav

Hayato Nijimura

James "Duckie" Markham

"Don't lie to yourself, You know you are being chased by the cops. Like you i don't wanna be locked up so i'm trying to cut a deal with you" Hayato said staring her down, Taking a few deep breaths taking in the growing paranoia and fear surrounding her body. "Your the Kyūketsuki (Vampire) that the police are looking for, So i'm asking you to make a deal with me so you don't end up as someone's carpet" His stance looking tense and was standing still not wanting to scare her.

--------------------------

Jamie looked at the man speaking with him, "I don't know who woke me up, All i know is one day i had big titties in my face while havin a nice stooge. Then next thing i know i woke up in a old cemetery" The skeleton looked over at the man in a strange way, "Watch the suit kid this is expensive Italian threads" He said moving a little bit away form the strange man. "What are you some kinda necromancer? Lookin for a new undead to play with?" He asked the mysterious man wanting to know more about him.

@Eviledd1984

Vanessa stood there unflinching, staring at the man with pursed lips. A deal, huh? Nessa didn't know this man, he could be just trying to bait her into admitting something. She wasn't born yesterday, she knew not to give herself off so easily. Especially when the man's evidence was flimsier than flimsy.
"I'm telling you," Nessa spoke through gritted teeth, "you've got the wrong person, sir."
It felt clear this man didn't speak English as his first language. Was he someone hired by the cops? Was he actually being blackmailed by them? It didn't matter; Nessa wasn't interested in helping, not if she had any other options.
"What makes you think I'm the person you're after, anyway?" Nessa asked. She wanted to know what the man knew about her, and why he had chosen to single out her specifically. What made her look like the person he was looking for? Nessa knew for a fact no one had identified her appearance. So why would this man be so sure it was her?

@Cio@Eviledd1984

“(It’s a new home, my home. It’s nowhere you’ve been before but it’s certainly more comfortable than this mortal place.)” Evren said, starting down the road to the edge of town. As much as he would have liked to let Aava’s warning go unheard, not think about it and move on, he couldn’t just ignore her; he owed Aava his honesty, even if he hadn’t felt this vulnerable in centuries.
Trying to settle his unease he ran a hand through his curly brown hair and sighed. “(Lucifer is… my truest love. He’s the one who saved me from murderers and pillagers as a youth, and has given me more than I could ever repay, even if I were to live another thousand years.)” He blushed just slightly, seeming at once tense and sentimental. “(He’s a man of great intensity, full of purpose and eternally devoted to the good of all. We lived as lovers, until one day he wasn’t there anymore. Vanished, without a trace.)”
People occasionally stopped to stare at the two as they walked the bustling streets, not afraid or suspicious but maybe a bit surprised at their state; Evren’s torn old clothes and Aava’s long filthy hair certainly stood out among the pedestrians.
”(I mourned him for so long. From your little lake we would lure villagers to their doom… I loved it, and it made me wish for him more. So I left again, crossed the ocean and hoped to be finally far enough to go unnoticed. But he found me again, like he’d always been waiting here.)” Just a bit glassy-eyed, Evren continued. “(I wandered so long only to find my roots where they’d always been; with Lucifer.)”
Redhaven was a small city, with expanses of suburbs shooting off from the town proper like branches rather than encircling it around the center. This made the town feel quite sparse, and if you knew where you were going you could leave nearly any busy cobblestone street to find a way into the forests and rolling hills just a few blocks away.
After less than ten minutes of walking Evren led Aava to the edge of a dry gully, seperated from Redhaven by just a traffic guardrail. He stepped quite easily over it and traipsed clumsily down the eroded incline, looking back up to Aava before moving on. ”(As long as I walk this earth, Aava, Lucifer will never hurt you. In fact, he’ll adore you just as I do. I swear it on all that I am. Today will never happen again.)”

---

"Speak up, I'm almost deaf." Haddie said curtly, tracing the tattoo on his right wrist with two fingers. He met Duckie's gaze, or at least looked him in the eye sockets, but something about the way he glared at the ghoul was inhuman. He didn't regard James as a living thing, as something sentient or even vaguely equal, but as some pawn that was newly at his disposal.
"What is a corpse doing in a graveyard? Are you here to raise more like you?"

@Kinjaav

Aava listened Evren explain his relationship with the shadow man as they walked. The whole time the näkki's expression was sour, unchanging. Maybe now she was even a little angry at Evren himself. It felt very familiar, to have Evren remembering the past through rose coloured glasses. No matter what had happened in her friend's past, Aava was hurt by the recent events and her protectiveness over her friend was stronger than any love on this earth.
"(I was wrong)," Aava admitted after Evren stopped talking.
"(You are blind after all.)"

That was all she said, words curt, tone holding an air of disappointment.
"People change. Monsters stay the same," Aava quoted with a heavy Finnish accent. She didn't remember where she'd heard that, but it had been a long long time ago. Someone who spoke English. Maybe it was the figure who had trapped her oh so long ago.
In Aava's mind, she wasn't sure which was worse, however. People changing, or monsters - like her - never doing so. Because that's what she was, a monster. That's what the skeleton man had implied. Her friend had only put it into words.
If the shadow man was a monster too, he would never change, either. To Aava, he was a monster. But to Evren, the shadow man was a person. Person... People, they changed over time. But change, it didn't always mean changing for the better. That was the cruel truth of being a person.

@Cio@Kinjaav

Hayato Nijimura

James "Duckie" Markham

"You seem quite defensive for someone who is innocent" Hayato said smirking smelling the paranoia and fear building around her, But he could also smell frustration and angry probably due to his questions. "I will not press the issue further since you seem quite agitated, But you can find me at The Iron Butterfly if you don't wanna get locked up" He bowed his head in a mock polite manner.

Turning around and walking away pulling out his phone and calling someone, "Yūya? Hayato, rushifā ni denwa o shite hoshī. Jōhō ga hoshī nodesuga, kare ga kaigi ni igi o tonaetara. Sorekara kare ni watashitachi futari tomo watashitachi no te ni mondai ga aru to ii nasai" ( Yuya? It's Hayato i want you to call Lucifer. I want some info, And if he disagrees to a meeting. Then tell him we both have a problem on our hands.) He spoke to his old oath brother and a fellow werewolf. Walking away form the apartment complex's and heading towards Iron Butterfly while his friend set up the meeting.

---------------------------

"I said watch the threads these are expressive" He said moving away from the strange man, "And i ain't here to bring back more dead fellas like myself. Unless that is the reason your here? To bring back the dead?" He asked the stranger wondering if he was some sort of Necromancer trying to bring people back form the dead.

"It looks like you don't know me, So you could've been the one to bring me back" He said to himself sighing. He was quite hoping to meet the person who brought him back so he could give them a good kick in the babymakers.

Evren furrowed his brow, looking up at Aava from the bottom of the ravine with a defeated expression. “(We’re all monsters.)” he offered weakly, climbing back up the ridge. He leaned forward with his palms on the guardrail, facing Aava who was still on the other side. “(You don’t have to forgive him. I just want you to come with me.)”
He extended his hand, offering to help Aava over the rail.

---

A few murky swirls of blood flew down the drain, leaving nothing behind but a ferric odor. Lucifer was back in his apartment, dabbing a powder blue towel to his cheek and looking in the mirror. The cut was nearly gone. He growled and retrieved a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from his cabinet. As if it was a practiced art, he stretched the towel over the counter and soaked the bloody stains in the bubbling solution, repeating until the cloth was saturated so he could rinse it in the sink. Detergent would take care of the rest; he balled it up and set it in the laundry bin.
Aava… there was a problem. A problem Lucifer didn’t foresee. Evren was a lovely piece of his life, one he didn’t know he could share or even change, especially not with a vengeful water-beast. He pulled his shirt over his head and let it join the dirtied towel, along with his pants; they were soiled in the fight by that foetid water. Perhaps he should have done something about the boutique, and what was within it. The guilty thought hung on him for only the briefest moment as he donned a comfortable robe. He made the choice to leave it for the sake of many, and if that meant the loss of some unknown nymphs, so be it.
He picked his phone from the counter and retreated to his living room, flopping down onto the couch and checking his messages. Evren had a right to be angry, he supposed, but not at him. What did he do? He never trapped the creature or knew she meant anything to anyone, much less to his muse. Had he known about her, he would have let her go for Evren…
Lucifer locked his phone, letting it rest on his chest. Was that true? He wasn’t certain. That was bad. His phone buzzed with a new voicemail; he didn’t remember it ringing, but he listened to the message. It was a contact, looking to arrange a meeting to get information. Vaguely annoyed, he called the number back.
“Tell your associate to meet me at my bar, unarmed. I’ll be waiting in the back room.”

@Kinjaav@Eviledd1984

Aava cast an unreadable look at Evren, but said nothing. She let him help her over the rail, although Aava's hair clung to some rusted parts of it, pulling her scalp.
"(No lake, no hair. This has to come off,)" Aava stated as she untangled the inpractical long locks from the rusty rail.
The quip of them all being monsters stuck with Aava like salt in a wound. If Evren said so, it must've been true. There was no changing for Aava, ever, was there?

---

Nessa scoffed.
"A woman walking alone on the street, being followed by a shady man? Do you live in a bubble? Of course I'm defensive and agitated. From what it looked like I was under the impression you were to sexually assault me," Vanessa explained, taking a step back. The man was making this a bit too easy for her.
Relieved that he seemed to leave her alone for now, Nessa made sure he was really walking off before hesitantly turning around and walking the opposite direction. She didn't feel safe now, not at all. Fuck, she just wanted to hide just in case.

@Eviledd1984@Cio

Evren softly ruffled Aava’s hair. “(You’re adorable. I love your long hair.)”
He didn’t think much about being a monster; he’d felt that way for a long time, it didn’t take such a dramatic toll on him. When he still had his intense faith it was somewhat easy to call himself a demon, some damnable thing of sin and wholly to blame for his own fate. Demons had a terrible purpose and would all meet a terrible end at the hands of God, and that was reason enough to exist for one who saw himself so despicable. It wasn’t quite that time had softened him, rather it had broken him down, eroded him; he watched his path stretch ever further into the fog, becoming ever directionless and unimportant, and this change slowly warped his worldview. He was no demon, no beast burdened with great purpose, just a repulsive creature in a world full of repulsive creatures. He didn’t matter, nobody mattered, and he came to terms with that because he felt it was immutable truth.
The woods were fairly sparse, quite forgiving to anyone traveling on foot although there was no true path. The way was slightly downhill until the town was out of earshot, when the landscape was caught up in dry creek beds and scattered thickets, unevenly spread across shallow rolling hills. As the two crested a hill and came to a clearing, the gentle sound of a brook came to their ears. “(It’s a bit of a far walk, but it’s not too far now. Just over the stream and a little bit further.)”

---

Haddie listened carefully to Duckie, staring intensely as he tried to gauge the words he couldn’t quite hear. ”No, you’re not one of mine. You’re much… deader, if it were a continuum.” he replied. Haddie swung his bag off his shoulder and opened it, withdrawing a charcoal pen and a crumpled handful of notes. ”Who were you? How long have you been undead?”

---

Beck growled, waiting for a text that never came. She couldn’t see either of them anymore; Hayato had vanished behind the building, and she couldn’t see anything, but rolling her window down just slightly she could hear muffled conversation. Vanessa must have met him outside, whether she meant to or not. It was hard to make the voices out from such a distance, but Beck found it strange that she was hearing anything at all. If Hayato was hunting Vanessa, it seemed the last thing he would want to do was talk to her… unless he was after more than a bounty.
Finally giving into her anxieties she took her gun out of its concealed holster on her shin and set it at her waist; as much as she didn’t want to escalate the situation with her presence, the last thing she wanted was to be impeded if things turned violent. Beck got out of her car and traipsed as silently into the alley as she could, but as she came to the center corridor she only saw Vanessa a few feet ahead, facing the other way. Hayato was already gone.
“What the hell!” Beck exclaimed, a bit overly frustrated for the seemingly resolved situation. “He just left? What did he want? He didn’t hurt you, right?”