A Soul of My Own

[Ashi]

A cool breeze whipped by, brushing fallen blossom petals about the pavements. Stars shone bright in the black sky, casting a white glow over the city as the last rays of evening light disappeared over the horizon. High in the center of the pitch black tapestry, a bright white moon hovered, throwing beams of silver light down onto the darkened world. Street lamps stood tall in the darkness, casting eerie shadows and dingy fluorescent light on the pavement. The trees swayed, seemingly in response to something other than wind. The shadows they cast were inky and scattered in even the smallest amount of light.

The park was empty this time of night, ideal for a peaceful walk. Of course, that wasn't the reason for Senka's presence there. The young demon was on a mission, "scouting" it was called. As a newer demon, he hadn't any human souls. Often, while he was out cleaning up the wild, unruly lesser demons, Sen would look for souls to steal or corrupt. All the higher demons had collections of souls. If he could get his hands on one, he could rise within their ranks.

"I can smell them, the bastards." Senka growled to himself, glaring into the surrounding trees. If the beasts he was after weren't still there, they had certainly been there, for their scent was all over. He paused a moment in mid-step, a distant sound growing ever closer catching his attention. Swiftly, he hid amongst the shadows just off the path, waiting in silence to see who or what was headed his direction.

 

[xSiryn]

If he wasn't so busy running away, frustration would probably be how Theo was feeling. He might be a pickpocket and a thief but he was no murderer and yet here he was, running away from the police who were convinced that he, a nineteen year old street kid, had not only acquired a gun but had randomly pulled the trigger on some bigwig with more money than he could have spent in a lifetime. Theo hadn't even known that he had been a suspect, it was only when he had been tipped off by one of the other street kids that he had become aware that the men in blue were looking at him, looking to close the gap around him and have him tried as a murderer and imprisoned for life. Theo had tried to keep a low profile but it clearly hadn't worked since he was being chased down by two squad cars, their lights blinking as their alarms blared in the still night.

The high walls that surrounded the park were a godsend. Theo easily scrambled over them, his sneakers easily finding old grooves to use as finger- and toeholds as he scaled the wall before dropping over on the other side. He wasn't stupid though, it was unlikely that he lost his tail, he had simply bought himself a little more time and hopefully widened the gap between himself and the police.

He needed to lie low - maybe even get out of town if Theo could find a way to get out. The scrap yard near the rail station usually had a bunch of cars that they put aside to sell to the second hand retailers. If he could get there, maybe he could hide out for the night. It wasn't as though there would be anyone there.

Theo skidded to a stop when he saw a flash of light from up ahead at the north entrance of the park. Damn! They must have called in more squad cars. "Come on, men. This place ain't that big, the kid's gotta be here somewhere and we'll find him."

The blonde swore before he threw himself into the bushes, tumbling into the clearing that looked rather untouched, as though forgotten by humans. He couldn't risk his life by trying to outrun them, and he definitely couldn't outrun a bullet if it came to that. He peered uselessly through the dense foliage before slumping back down. "Damn it all." He cursed again.

 

[Ashi]

Hidden well within the shadows, Senka watched the trail only a couple of yards away. The sound he heard moments ago was the familiar wail of police sirens. It had grown louder as it drew nearer, but hadn't moved for a few minutes. Perhaps they were stopped by the wall that surrounded the park? The real question here was why? What or who were they after? Amongst the sirens came another familiar sound, that of running footsteps. "Definitely 'who.'" Sen thought with a smirk. The perp in question zipped by along the path and he licked his lips almost hungrily. It was a young man, about the same height and breadth of shoulder as Senka's humanesque form. There would be no better opportunity than this.

"Looks like you're in quite the predicament." The demon said as he stepped out of the trees. Gleaming red eyes locked intently upon the other; his arms crossed over his chest. He tossed his black hair which cut across his pale face over one eye with a few longer locks that trailed down his back. The piercings on his smirking lips caught the moonlight, drawing the eye to his pointed ears where there dangled earrings. Most noticeably, he wore a suit, which was rather clean despite his having just cut through the brush; the white gloves on his hands were spotless.

"Tell me human, what sin did you commit?" Senka's voice was a purr. He was pleased by the young man's troublesome situation and how it practically was handed to him with a bow on it. Slowly he circled him, his shoes making no noise on the stone path. The smell of Theo's angst was enough to make his mouth water.

 

[xSiryn]

He was sprawled out on the grass, trying to catch his breath while desperately planning his next move, knowing that it wouldn't be too long before the police would do a more thorough search of the park. For now they were sticking to the pathways and the restrooms but that would only buy him a little time. He peeped through the bushes again as he strained his ears. He couldn't hear footsteps now but the sirens were still going on outside which meant that his exits were probably blocked.

The new voice had him swearing - although softly - as he rolled around, his switchblade making an appearance, ever ready to defend himself. The first thing that told Theo something was not right was the impeccable appearance. There was no trace of dirt or even a wrinkle on the man's outfit and his eyes, the eyes were an inhuman color of red. "Wh-what the hell are you? Where did you come from?" Theo demanded as he quickly bounced onto his feet, his battered sneakers and torn jeans contrasting with the other person's appearance.

He flushed at the question before he realized that this - this thing was wasn't like him, differentiating himself by using the word human to describe Theo. "Why does it matter to you what they think I've done?" Theo shot back although his eyes flicked cagily towards the bushes. He couldn't stay here and he was wasting more time talking to this demon or alien or whatever this person was.

 

[Ashi]

"So, I see.." Senka hummed cryptically, his smirk becoming a grin that exposed his sharp, white teeth. He pensively placed a gloved hand to his chin, one finger tapping a piercing. This human likely had never had a spiritual or supernatural encounter. It led the demon to wonder where his beliefs lay. "I am Senka Kali, demon of shadows," He bowed at his waist with a dramatic outward sweep of his arm and added, "I come from exactly that - the shadows." Senka stood straight again, taking a step towards Theo.

"Oh so touchy~" The demon cooed; his tongue traced the tips of his teeth. "It matters, human, because I can help you. I can make all of this go away." He waved his hand in the air, as if to shoo a fly. "I can end your troubles, grant you what you most desire. Of course, having your wishes granted does come at a price." His tone of voice changed, indicating there was quite the catch to come. "The deal goes like this: I grant you your desires until you are satisfied; in exchange, I get your soul. You don't have to agree; however, in your dire circumstances, I don't see what better option you have. Consider yourself lucky, too, that it is I proposing this deal. Other demons would give you a time limit, say one or two years - five years, if you're lucky. But see, everyone has a time at which they feel they are ready to leave this world; and when that times comes for you, or if you simply die, your soul will be mine." Senka had continued pacing around Theo and paused momentarily to look at him over his shoulder.

"Unfortunately, you don't have much time. I can feel your pursuers drawing near." Turning to Theo, the demon removed a glove, holding out his pale bare hand. His black nails glistened in the moonlight. "If you accept, take my hand, and we shall leave at once."

 

[xSiryn]

Perhaps if he had been able to go to school instead of running around trying to panhandle or find a new mark, Theo might have read up a little about demons, maybe join in with the fade of kids wanting to be part of the supernatural elite ever since film production companies started pumping out all sorts of movies about vampires, werewolves and witches but he didn't have that luxury and so, the name Senka Kali meant nothing to him, his eyes not even batting or flickering in recognition or recoiling at the idea that a demon was standing before him.

He did take a step back when Senka took one forward, eyeing Senka's teeth warily and was forced to remind himself it was unlikely the demon wanted to rip his neck out, or at least he hoped so. The deal that Senka offered was probably an option much worse than death by blood loss or whatever it was that demons did to humans. He had only heard stories on the street unfortunately and none of them were very complimentary, often involving death in some way or another.

The deal didn't really impress him. Theo snorting when he heard the offer. "Nothing in life is free." He had quipped before Senka finished his spiel. It was on the tip of Theo's tongue to turn Senka down. He wasn't doing great in his life but he wasn't exactly starving or dying out on the streets. That being said, he was being hunted down for some damn reason. If, if Senka could do something about that, then Theo supposed the loss of his soul - something that he never thought about anyway - would probably be the price he would pay.

"Fine." Theo's hand smacked against the demon's, shaking on the agreement. "Now get me the hell out of here."

 

[Ashi]

Senka's eyes narrowed at Theo, observing him closely. Of course, his apprehension at accepting such a deal was expected; he probably didn't entirely understand what he was getting himself into. At that point though, it wasn't likely that he would get away unscathed if he turned the deal down. Demons were naturally an underhanded and conniving lot and not to be trusted; Senka himself would attest to this and even include himself. If the situation surrounding the human played out as Senka predicted, the powers that be would ensure Theo's death in the near future. So, really, what did he have to lose by accepting? When Theo's hand met the demon's, he smiled. Senka gave his hand a squeeze, his grip firm.

"Very well, then." Sen used his hold on Theo's hand to pull him close and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. With a brusque nod of the demon's head, the shadows under the trees and bushes quaked and scurried in an inky, spider-like fashion to surround and engulf them. In the short span of a moment, the clearing had disappeared and all around the two was dense blackness. It might have felt to Theo as if he was falling or suspended in air when the shadows swallowed them. Senka paused to look around, not that there was much to see at first; although, once the eye adjusted there became visible small scattered orbs of light. He led Theo forward, directing him with a hand firmly grasping his shoulder. He would stop to investigate a light before moving on. Finally, they came to a light and Senka reached out to touch it. White light burst around them, and when it cleared, the two were standing in a shadowed corner of a sparsely furnished room where moonlight poured in through the uncovered window. Clearly, the place was abandoned, with white sheets covering what little furniture was there.

"This will have to do for now." Senka said, releasing his hold on Theo and stepping into the center of the room. "I don't expect that it would be a wise decision for you to return home right now. I am going to investigate your situation. Try not to wander off until I return." With that, the demon stepped into another shadow and was gone.

 

[xSiryn]

His eyes had widened in shock before narrowing in annoyance when the demon yanked him forward, pulling Theo into a half hug of sorts, the demon's arm wrapping around Theo's shoulders. He wasn't sure what the demon had done but the next minute, it was as though the inky blackness that was dark shadows around them practically scuttled towards them like a flock of pigeons rushing for the promise of more bird seed whenever old Mrs Flanagan came to the very same park with a fresh paper bag of bird seed for them.

"What the f-!" His words were cut off when everything disappeared from sight and all he could see and feel was a heavy sort of blackness. His voice had failed him by then, unable to comprehend nor did he really wish to understand what was happening now. If the demon had lied and was instead bringing him somewhere to kill or maybe to cage him up somewhere until he died, Theo could only hope that his soul would pay the demon back by pissing off instead of belonging to Senka as though it was nothing more than just a crumpled, rolled up pair of socks that he had managed to find.

The sudden whooshing sensation and then the brightness of light filling his view had Theo stumbling for a moment but Senka's grip kept the boy from falling over. He took a deep breath, ignoring his watering eyes, to take in his surroundings warily. It was some sort of abandoned building by the looks of it - and one that was of certain wealth and prestige given that the furniture had been covered with fine white sheets. Like Senka said, it would make a good place to hide out until.. well.. whenever this was sorted out.

"Good job Theo." He spoke to himself as he lifted a sheet off a couch and inspected the flowery print and velvet covers of the love seat. "Agreeing to whatever a random demon tells you." The blonde ran a hand through his hair before dropping down on the couch. He figured that it was no loss. It wasn't as though anyone would miss him if he was gone and for those people who loved to preach about their gods and beliefs, Theo certainly never seen or felt any blessing upon himself so the loss of his soul was a mere pittance right? Deciding to call it a night, he pulled his threadbare jacket off before using it as a makeshift blanket. It wouldn't be the first time that he had slept in temporary accommodations although the couch was definitely an improvement over a park bench.

 

[Ashi]

Black and white cruisers blocked the main entry of the park, lights flashing. Police officers swarmed the area, taking notes and pushing bystanders and onlookers and reporters looking for statements back behind the yellow tape. They had gathered there shortly after the police went searching for Theo in the park, wondering what was going on and whether the situation was dangerous. Amongst the many suits that scoured the place, standing calmly, was Senka. No one seemed to even notice the demon, but why would they? The humans that surrounded him in all directions did not see his pointed ears or red eyes; they saw normal ears and eyes so dark a gray they could have been black. While his suit remained the same, no one really seemed to notice that either; or perhaps they simply didn't care.

From the park entrance, the police chief approached the crowd. The reporters stuck out their microphones and recording devices, each speaking over the others in their efforts to ask their questions. He held a hand up to silence them and started speaking about the young fugitive they were looking for. He reported that, thus far, they had had no luck in finding him and figured he must have slipped past them somehow. He wanted everyone to be on the lookout for the criminal was dangerous and to report him as soon as they saw him.

"This could be a bit more complicated than I comprehended." The demon thought, furrowing his brow in frustration. He hadn't contemplated that the situation surrounding his new contract would be so involved. Theo's name and photo were given to the press and the police had officers stationed at the places he most commonly went to. What Sen needed to do was get information and find the real culprit. He turned and started for the sparse trees across the street, where there was plenty of shadow cover for him to disappear into. From there he went to a store, where he got food for Theo. It was easy enough to simply vanish with it without anyone even noticing; Senka was sneaky that way.

When he returned to the house where he stashed the human, he dropped the bag of food on the table in front of the sofa. It thunked on the dusty wooden surface, stirring a thin cloud of dust. Senka tossed back the sheet that covered a nearby wing back armchair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other and placing his hands on his lap as if he owned the place.

"That is for you. Eat." He indicated the bag with a nod and without hesitation asked, "What exactly is the situation with law enforcement?"

 

[xSiryn]

He felt rather than saw or heard the demon's return. He had his switchblade in his pocket but Theo doubted that it would have been of any use or help to him, particularly when he was at a disadvantage given that the demon had a rather helpful set of skills and abilities that Theo did not. Not to mention the whole 'I traded my soul so I could live now' deal that they had going on. It would be in poor taste if he stabbed his benefactor.

Sitting up, he stared blearily at the paper bag of food for a long moment before reaching forward. "Thanks." He muttered before pulling out a warm container of meatballs and vegetables on a bed of rice. Theo's mouth watered. How long had it been since he had a hot meal? His brain brought up the answer nearly straight away. Last Saturday at the soup kitchen. The soup kitchen was a good place but budgets were poor so they only ran it once a week. Still, Theo rarely complained. A meal that warmed his belly was always welcomed.

He did hold off on eating to answer Senka's questions though. "There's this guy.." Theo reluctantly spoke. "He's some kind of consultant for the mayor or something. And he likes using street kids for all sorts of errands - picking up questionable items, delivering packages, spying on people. Eddie Dunbar or something. He was killed yesterday. Overheard the news that they believe it was an ambush of sorts. I figured he made a deal that went wrong." He shrugged, uncaring about the man who had died. It wasn't as though it should have affected Theo's life after all.

"This afternoon, one of the other kids told me that the police were asking around for me and I booked it. You saw the whole 'me running away from them' part. If they had wanted to simply question me, they wouldn't be wasting so much effort." Theo said, his eyebrows furrowing. Why had they picked on him? Why him in the first place? He was just a street urchin that Eddie had hired on occasion to run errands and Eddie paid well but there were at least another dozen or so kids who ran errands for the man too.

He speared a meatball before taking a bite. Delicious. Although he had initially remained wary of Senka, Theo's focus had fallen to the container of food as he ate hungrily. He had spent the entire day running around and avoiding capture, he really needed to replenish all the lost energy.

 

[Ashi]

"I don't want your gratitude." Senka sneered under his breath when Theo thanked him for the food, diverting his red eyes to a far corner of the room. It was strange and foreign to him to be thanked for anything, especially considering that it came from the soul he now owned. The demon wrinkled his nose at the smell of the food; many of the scents of the human world didn't appeal to him. Those that did were the smells of misery, blood, and souls.

"Right, 'errands.'" A smirk curled the corner of Senaka's lips upward, implying the crude and unspeakable. The smirk faded a little at the name, which rang with familiarity. "Ah~ yes, one of the newest additions to the fiery pit. How serendipitous that you should be tangled up with a condemned soul like that." A chuckle more akin to a growl rose in his throat. "That should make finding his killer rather a bit easier. It's almost certain that a demon has played a hand in the situation and perhaps even instigated the killing. Of course, the question as to why they should pin it on you remains to be answered." He explained with a sort of matter-of-fact tone.

"By the by, I feel I should warn you.." The demon leaned forward in the chair as if to whisper to the human. "You may be approached by other demons. If you should be, don't listen to anything they have to say and don't go anywhere with them. They may very well make an attempt at your soul. If you find yourself in trouble, especially with another demon, call on me." Senka sat back in the chair, the wings of the chair shadowing his pale face.

The demon was silent, watching Theo intently. He was hungry and Theo's scent tempted him. "Damn!" He growled inwardly and forced himself to look away. It wouldn't do to eat him; Theo wasn't likely to make a very filling meal, anyway.

 

[xSiryn]

Senka's emphasis on the word 'errands' set Theo's teeth on edge. He might be homeless, and poor, and desperate but he had enough pride and dignity left in him that he never let Eddie Dunbar put his hands on him. He did know that the man had a liking for pretty boys and he had his favorites in the Frank boys, a pair of brothers who had fallen into the same rut that Theo was in, one that involved trying to scrounge up food and money while staying alive on the streets. Eddie had easily wooed them to his bed, promising hot food and a warm bed for the nights that he wanted company.

In any case, he hated the gleam in Senka's eyes, as though the demon had any right to judge him! "I'm not one of them." He said a little angrily, although his fingers gripped at the container, his eyes wary, half expecting Senka to either knock it out of his hands or to take it away just for talking back. When he didn't, Theo couldn't help but hastily work on finishing his meal, not knowing when he would get something half as good as this.

Truthfully he cared nothing about the death of Eddie Dunbar nor did he care who actually did it. As long as Senka could find out who had and to help Theo clear his name, it was good enough for the blonde. What did catch his attention was the mention of other demons. "You mean there are more like you?" He blurted before reconsidering his question. Of course there would be more like Senka, the demon had more or less confirmed it earlier.

Covering up his gaffe, he quickly moved onto the next question. "What do you mean they might come after me? I thought you and I had a deal - why would other demons come after me if I'm suppose to be under your protection?" He fired off his questions at Senka, glaring at the demon. Had he made a mistake and made an agreement with an incompetent demon, one that would certainly see his life in peril?

Dropping the now empty container onto the coffee table that separated them, Theo stood up, pacing in an agitated manner. "First I have the police on my ass and now you say that there'll be demons who might attempt to kill me or steal my soul, whatever. Is there any reason why I should believe that you can hold up your end of the deal?" He asked, his eyes flashing angrily.

 

[Ashi]

"You humans really are such touchy things. You all could use a sense of humor." Senka said with an exaggerated sigh, rolling his eyes at Theo. This deal was going to be a great deal more miserable than the demon had originally accounted for if Theo was going to overreact to each joke. "Then I suppose you have more of a sense of humor than angels. They don't even know the definition of the words." He propped one elbow up on the arm of the chair and rested his chin on his gloved palm. He made no move whilst Theo ate except to blink and follow him with his eyes. It mattered little if the human talked back, rather the demon found his behavior amusing.

"But of course there are more! What kind of world would it be if I were the only demon? ..Aside from boring?" Again the demon spoke with exaggeration, answering the question despite it being rhetorical. "We do; however, demons don't follow the same set of rules as humans. You might even say there are no rules. If a demon wants what another demon has, he can fight that demon for it. Whoever wins gets the prize. If another demon steals what one demon possesses, well no one is going to do anything about it. It would be up to the demon himself to get back whatever was stolen."

"So, if another demon decides that your soul is worth a fight, he can fight me for possession of your soul. The simplest answer I have to your question: Greed." Senka said, watching as Theo paced the area on the other side of the table. "Well, let me put it this way: If I was unable to uphold my end of the bargain, I would have simply killed you and eaten your soul. Does that answer suffice?" He asked with perhaps the first truly serious expression he'd given the human. "Because, believe me, you do not want to see the reason."

Senka stood and stretched with the audible popping of bones and joints. He walked around the furniture to the window where he looked out. The yard outside had run wild with weeds, the side of the house just outside was covered in ivy. His shadow stretched behind him, moving in response to something other than the light. "Well then, anymore questions? I'm going to hunt."

 

[xSiryn]

He sent an annoyed glare in Senka's direction. While he couldn't disagree that his life was minimally better with Senka at the moment - it certainly did beat being caught by the police and then thrown into a cell or worse, Theo couldn't help but feel that he had exchanged his human troubles for a more supernatural one, one that he was truly not equipped to deal with even if he tried. Given how powerful Senka was, or at least he believed that was true of the demon, Theo wouldn't last in any sort of fight that didn't involve fists or man made weapons.

"You can't expect me to have a sense of humor when I'm a suspect in a murder, the only suspect as it seems so far." He amended. Theo was truly clueless why the police would have picked him as so. Combing over his memories, he couldn't think of any recent errands he might have run for Eddie Dunbar but then again, he didn't really pay much attention since he was simply doing the errands to earn some money and as long as he got paid, Theo rarely cared who he undertook work from nor did he pay any mind to what he did as long as nobody was harmed over the course of his job.

Dropping the topic of other demons, Theo shook his head when Senka asked if he had any more questions. He wondered why the demon even bothered asking, his entire frame indicated that he wasn't willing to entertain Theo any further and Theo had always been good on picking up people's mood so he knew when to quit while he was ahead. If he continued digging, Senka was liable to lose his temper and that was just at the very least, and the blonde would prefer to avoid finding out how far Senka would go as far as punishment or revenge would go.

"No." His voice was low and he threw himself back on the couch, yanking his jacket back over his torso. "Since you're going hunting, I might as well catch some Zs." Honestly Theo didn't care where Senka was going or what he did as long as he held up his end of the deal.