[IC] See No Evil

[Nephriel]

She shuddered at the odd sensation touching him caused and suddenly felt momentarily light headed and tired but the sensation passed as Ig dulled it down and she agreed with him that she'd rather not do that again. "Yeah, let's not..."

She laughed somewhat when he brought up stealing, "Some humans have an issue, all angels do, I don't... Actually, it's part of how I've survived so long."

As he mentioned not lingering to find out what was going on she had to admit, she agreed. Usually, she'd be all over checking things out and making sure that whatever was lingering understood that the next time it came up, or down, as the case may be it avoided the block around her home. At the moment though, her house was warded, the apartment was warded, and it didn't seem worth the effort. Huh, maybe that was Ig's influence on her... She wasn't really sure Ruben would think it was a bad one. She had a tendency to get herself into difficult situations, maybe a little less drive would deter her from some of her brasher moments.

"I have some money though, enough at least for where we're eating. Oh... We should probably do something about him," she pointed to the man still slumped in the nearby chair. "Maybe you could carry him out of here and we could set him up by a pub.... From the way he reeks of alcohol it wouldn't be too confusing for him. I doubt he'll remember the rest of the night anyway... We'll grab pizza after."

She considered, "Can you carry him without him going into a coma or something? I'm guessing if touching you is an issue that could be too...?"

~*~

Ruben watched momentarily from the shadows as the Angel and the Sensitive greeted each other and then sensed Shae leaving the apartment. Whatever had been going on in this ally was, for now, handled and he needed to see the rest of the Sensitives he'd been keeping an eye on. Without leaving so much as a lingering energy signature he vanished from reality and reappeared in the hospital. It was useful, being able to open gateways to wherever one wished to go, but it was also tiring... By the time he got to the hospital it took quite a bit to regain himself and walk inside.

Piercing eyes scanned the area for the demonic presence he'd sensed before along with the two Sensitives he'd been watching. One, he had decided to allow to live away from his influence. She had a child and no desire to take any part in the war. The other had yet to fully become aware of his abilities though he showed potential for possible peace keeping negotiations less than the more brute force of exorcism and banishment. He, like angels and demons, wasn't visible to the nurse at the front desk and walked along the hall freely.

Something was compelling both demons and angels to form more contracts with the sensitives of late... As a Gate Keeper, he needed to find out why and if it had anything to do with the rise in possession and the Gate Keeper breaking the rules.

[Lugubrious]

With a look of confusion, Zander peered at his partner. Ever ready to provide information, Zoe did her best to illuminate him, though she was somewhat unsure herself. “They're like...moving paintings. They tell stories.” Shrugging, Zander turned back to face the human while Zoe continued to speak. “I am not too sure about us really. As far as I can remember, we were made as one angel but being two people feels very natural, yes?' Zander nodded.” As for the demons, it's fairly safe to say they're coming from hell. If you were watching us during that fight, you know that we don't need any help.”

An idea popped into Zander's head. Taking his partner aside, they whispered together for a moment.
“Maybe we can use this guy,” he began
“Why? He might be a sensitive, but I don not care for his comment about demons. He might be able to punch out one of the measly troops, but even against a monster like Buer he would be hopelessly outclassed. If we are going after Astaroth, he will only slow us down and get killed.”
At this point, Zander was shaking his head. “No no no, he is just as likely to get himself killed on his own. With us, at least he would have some protection. Besides, we need to get sensitives on our side, so that they can be beacons of compassion in this world.”
Zoe rested her head in her hand. After a moment of consideration, she consented reluctantly. “...Fine. If he's dismembered, it's on your hands.”
“Mine are the only hands, feathers.”
“Shut up.”

The two looked back at Eric. “On second thought,” Zander began, a bright look on his face, “We're doing some patrolling of our own. We could use your help to direct us to any demon hotspots. Know anywhere that demons like to mingle?”

[Rage Lonethorn]

Lilly ran as fast as her little legs would take her down the hospital hallways, and it wasn't supreme speed. Something was pulling her around corners and past windows in doors taller than her. There was a thickness that seemed to creep over her shoulders as she scurried, tears streaming down her flushed face as she became overwhelmed by the feelings.

Micheal and Minae's auras were yanking Lilly by the hair toward his office. "Mommy, mommy!" Lilly cried out while her plastic shoes clicked and reverberated throughout the hallway. Saliva made her mouth slick, and hiccups interrupted her shrieks. The young girl's memory was blockaded, and she found the sweetest calmness when she approached Michael's office.

"Mommy!" Lilly managed to burst into an even heavier tear fall as she felt a motherly presence on the other side of the door.

[Discontent]

He nodded as she proclaimed her lack of scruples against stealing. That made things easier. He would assist her with such things when necessary -- his powers of suggestion would be immensely helpful for such situations. The Angel and Demon business gained extraordinarily little currency for humans to sustain themselves on, so many would have to go for more underhanded means to survive. A necessary effort, one which he never understand why there were those who took ethical issue with such actions, especially when there was little other option. Then again, the idea of 'ethical issue' was an uncommon feeling shared in demons, so perhaps he just needed a different perspective. It was not exactly a foreign idea to other demons, but ones that he had encountered who proclaim some kind of moral value system still managed to appear strange to even humans and angels -- they were more often than not based upon abstract concepts, rather than 'conventional' morality. Ignavas felt nothing but apathy towards such ideas. But his mind was now digressing; they still had the issue of the man on the chair.

He had nearly forgotten about George. "It should be fine." Probably. "Considering he's asleep, I can dull it down enough for it not to affect him... too much." He didn't exactly think it a great idea to do it for too long, however. "He'll probably just be extra fatigued when he wakes up, but I suggest we be quick about it," he said, keeping the light doubt out of his voice. But without further ado, he easily lifted up the man in his 'arms', and followed after Shae as she temporarily took down the safe house's wards so he could walk through without problem. Carrying the man was no issue at all.

Leaving the building, the idea of not sticking around was reinforced further, so he began moving just a bit faster. The further they moved, the faster he walked, and stopped upon the very first bar he came across – he had been traversing the town after he had possessed the man, and the very first places Ignavas had checked out was such establishments. He knew where the closest one was. He placed the man against the edge of the building, ignoring any strange looks that were tossed their way from the people that were still out. Although nobody said anything.

“Thanks George. You won’t remember any of this, I assure you,” he muttered down at the man. “I wish you success in your future endeavors. Maybe don’t go on anymore dates until you find a consistently paying job.” A piece of advice he would never hear.

“Now then. Pizza. Lead the way,” he said as he turned back to Shae, a thought occurring to him. “Whilst I could go perusing through your memories, I figure it may be more polite to ask,” he said as they moved to their destination. “I was not expecting to find someone related to a Gate Keeper. If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly did you acquaint yourself with such a being? As far as I am aware, the Gate Keepers rarely concern themselves with mortal issues.” Although, he had been asleep for quite a long time. Things can change rather quickly.

[Lotta Pumpkins]

Eric watched the angel try to tell the other what a movie was, with some accuracy. They stepped away to sidebar, and Eric lit another cigarette while they were doing it. When they returned he blew out a smoke ring. They asked him if he knew any hotspots. He looked at them, down at the cigarette in his fingers, and then back at them. He nodded a few times. "Alright, follow me" he said.

Eric led them through an alleyway towards his station wagon. "Driving there will attract a lot less attention" Eric said as he brought them to it. He removed his car keys, and unlocked the doors, stepping into the driver seat. Once the three of them were in, he pulled into the street and started driving towards his destination. He reached down, and turned on the radio at a quiet volume to add background sound.

You can run on for a long time, run on for a long time.

Eric rolled his window down, and flicked the cigarette out the window. "So, the thing I've noticed with a lot of the demons is that they don't tend to be where you expect." Eric paused.

Sooner or later God'll cut you down, sooner or later God'll cut you down

Eric continued "I have a place, and thats where we're headed. It's only a few blocks away, right? People always expect demons to be in like, seedy bars, or a night club. A tavern. But thats too obvious, right?"

Go tell that long tongue liar, go and tell that midnight rider, tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter.

"But like, it has to be one of these places that aren't very obvious. They blend in. I think that the, uh. whats the word?" Eric paused to scratch his head trying to find the appropriate vocabulary choice. "Veil? The veil is thin there. I suppose that will do. Its easy for the, others to manifest there. Sometimes its demons, I've seen a few souls escape from their after life. I mostly observe. Follow. Find them at night, alone, and send them back."

Eric pulled into the parking lot of the destination. The red light of a cowboy hat and the glowing word "Arby's" dimly lit the interior of the car.

Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down, tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down.

Eric turned off the key in the ignition, killing the engine. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the flask of holy water, making sure there was a significant amount in the container, before replacing it. "After me?" He asked, stepping out of the car. He reached up, and touched the handle of his pistol with his finger, reminding himself that it was there. With the gun and water, he felt fairly safe and prepared, and started walking across the parking lot. "You never told me your names" Eric added as he opened the door to the lobby, leading them in. He turned to the female angel, and handed her several dollars. "Order something, to avoid suspicion." Eric turned to Zander. "Follow me"

Eric led Zander to the male restroom. "For men only, partly why your other half can't follow. Also because it's rude to use a restaurant's bathroom without buying something." Eric opened the door, and gestured to the stall at the end of the row of 4. To the normal person, it was a normal stall. To Eric, and Zander's ability to see more than the usual, there was a faint glow to the stall from the edges of the door. Eric walked over, and pushed the door open. "Here it is" He said, turning to Zander. "Demons can easily manifest here."

There was a faint sound of a storm brewing,and the glow was getting more intense. The scent of brimstone started to permeate the air. "Right on time."

[Nephriel]

As Ig carried the man along they got some odd looks and it took a moment to remind herself that it was because they were carrying an unconscious man around and not because they could see Ig's true form. She wasn't sure what he looked like to other people, these days it took more work to see the disguise than it did to see what was underneath. She ran a fingers through her firey tangled mess of hair and watched him set the guy down with a polite thank you and a fare-the-well with some prudent parting advice. She suppressed a grin... She hadn't considered the idea that she might get around to liking a demon and her guard wavered slightly before she reminded herself that he WAS a demon and therefore had a little more proving to do before she decided to trust him... as much as one could trust a demon or an angel.

As Ig's voice popped up in her mind, and she could hear him in her ears as well... which was odd but... at least he was trying to keep things normal, she scratched the back of her neck. How do you explain what you didn't quite understand yourself?

"I can tell you what I remember, which... admittedly isn't much."

She considered where to start and then shrugged as they walked onwards. "Well, when I was small I was diagnosed with leukemia... Around five years old I started seeing things... things other people didn't see. I didn't know then that it was because I was close to death. Anyway, I was at the mall with my parents, they were big on trying to give me a normal life... I wandered off while they were in line."

She shook her head, "Next thing I know, I ran into a man... He was dressed funny, in robes and a cowl. I wasn't afraid of him, just curious. I asked him why he was dressed that way and he seemed surprised that I could see him at all. The next thing I knew, I was waking up back in the hospital and they were running more tests. A month later the results came back and I was clean... completely cured."

She pointed to the Pizza Hut and walked inside, the smell of herbs and garlic assailed her nose and she realized how hungry she really was. She ordered a large pepperoni since what she didn't eat she'd be taking home with her, and then guided Ig to a table to set down and wait.

"The next time I saw him I was older... My parents had died in a car accident and I'd been living with my grandmother who was sick. I was on my way home from school and I heard something in an ally. Curiosity has always been my downfall, I went to go check it out. Some guy was assaulting a woman in the shadows... He'd already ruined her clothes and I yelled at him to draw his attention away from her. I had pepper spray and I thought I could outrun him... but when he turned around and I saw his face I froze up."

She shrugged, "It was the first time I'd seen a demon... Well, it was the first time I'd seen past the disguise. I'd felt them before, like a chill at the back of my neck but... If it hadn't been for the Hunters that Ruben sent I don't know what would have happened, I try not to think about it. Ruben had been watching me the whole time since that day in the mall and he told me I wasn't safe anymore... If I could see 'them' then they could see me. So, I went with him. He trained me, raised me, and now here we are."

The pizza was done and delivered to their table and Shae took a slice, winced at the heat on her fingers, and dropped it onto her plate then did the same for Ig. "I know your body can't taste it but having it on the plate will at least help you blend in."

[Lugubrious]

It was obvious from the moment that 'follow me' exited Eric's lips that being apart made Zander uneasy. The ride in the care, while definitely a novel experience, proved more entertaining for the angelic duo than uncomfortable. Having his literal other half more than a few feet away from him, however, was night intolerable to Zander. As he did his best to follow the sensitive, his every movement betrayed the face that something was off; he fidgeted, he walked erratically, he constantly looked around as if he expected something to leap from the cheap Arby's woodwork and devour his soul. Zoe certainly didn't seem happy about it either. On top of parting with her soul mate, which pretty much never happened even for brief periods, she was faced with the awkward situation of trying to get food when she had only just eaten.

To Zander, the concept of a restroom was as alien as that of an automobile. The stomach shared by he and his partner functioned like a furnace for their food—it immolated every molecule it processed for maximum retention of nutrition, leaving no waste. Strictly speaking, angels didn't even need to eat, but taste came as a unique, enjoyable experience. Indeed, judging by the angels turned Fallen by succumbing to greed, the experience was too enjoyable for some. Of course, all of this meant only one thing: upon entering the lavatory, he had no clue what to expect. Even if he had, a demonic toilet stall would have been far from the list.

As Eric opened the door to the stall, and the air became suffused with the whiff of evil, golden flames began to dance across Zander's arms. While he could still ignite his Burning Passion in this form, it was far weaker than Unions. Truth be told, Zander was just as ready to incinerate Eric as he was some gruesome creature coming from the gateway. Sensitives were a fickle and unpredictable bunch, and if one thought he could gain some sort of advantage by luring an angel into a trap, any alliance that sensitive had with said angel was tremulous at best.

[Discontent]

Ignavas quietly yet intently listened to Shae's tale of her first interactions with one of the Gate Keepers, one 'Ruben'. However, when they entered to Pizza Hut, he admittedly hard to put in a little more effort to actually pay attention -- for senses which he had thought long diminished were suddenly springing to life. The scent of spices and flavour wafted in the air, filtered through his connection with the Warded Woman's own senses. Where he would have normally smelt nothing but ash and dust, he was assaulted with a new plethora of tastes.

"Hm, well I suppose I have been disconnected from current events then, haven't I..." Ig muttered to himself, pondering the situation. He was fairly sure that before his 15 year sleep, demons would have reacted to the idea of a Gate Keeper taking anyone under their wing with some measure of uncontrollable laughter. "How exactly would..." he paused for a moment, unsure if he should call the Gate Keeper by the name she called him by -- he knew there was little point in caring what he referred to him as, yet he instinctively felt it wrong to call such a being by an actual name. The Gate Keepers were beings which produced multitudes of contentious discussion amongst his peers, yet the general consensus was that you should not get in their way. Ever. "... this... Ruben react to our arrangement?" He had to actively block sudden influx of taste from the pizza out of his mind. The smell was a new enough experience. One at a time. "Opinions and beliefs are a diverse enigma upon all sentient species, but rarely have I witnessed anyone react positively to a contract with one of my kind," he said, keeping most of the dryness out of his voice.