Broken Contracts (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Hana]

Selene sucked in a breath upon seeing the grotesque sight, feeling disgust wash through her at the writhing mass of flesh, blood and tentacles. And to think that they found her? Something must have leaked, she knew she wasn't infallible despite the rumors that no one ever knew what she looked like. She heard Jasper's muffled scream just as the guards took on the tentacles attacking Jasper, and darted towards the main body. To think that they're this desperate to take me down... And whoever ordered this even deigned to attack in what was supposed to be the neutral grounds between humans and demons. But who could have had such riches to be able to entice these demons into pursuing her? She glanced up at the top of the head to the body of the young girl, narrowing her eyes as she ducked and leaped away from a tentacle that lashed out at her. The most vulnerable part of this monster was that torso, with this type of demon. The girl who was merged at the top - her head would have to be cut off or her heart stopped. It was at times like this that the speed that she was really needed, as she almost couldn't advance with the tentacles that lunged at her.

The tentacles had no eyes, but they seemed to have some degree of independence from the girl, and she decided to test something out. "You want this, don't you?" She said coolly, violet eyes calm and glacial as she sliced across her arm, flicking the blood to the far side away from Jasper. The red fluid splattered against the wall, a dark carmine. Meeting the monster girl's eyes dead on, she smiled faintly as the tentacles greedily rushed towards where the blood was. It either sensed through sound or scent... "Jasper. Get to safety now," she didn't look at him as she commanded him to leave. "Take your guards with you." Jasper and his guards would only be more targets for the monster to attack, and if it had any degree of intelligence would use them against her. I should have been more prepared. She could have just taken down the girl's head with a clean shot if she had her guns with her. Now she had to weave around these tentacles to get to her with her knives, and the torso wasn't exactly defenseless - the arms had long and threatening claws. Better get to work, then... She moved back and stabbed at one tentacle, ripping through the flesh as she sharply drew the knife down. With the demon poison that she coated the weapons with this should slow down the healing process.

 

[Mu]

The stray tentacles emitted a high pitched shriek as they were separated from the main body, the remnants of the limb twitching and wriggling in a futile attempt to retaliate. The naked girl watched the huntress get to work, indifferent about her sliced limbs, an amused look on her face. She clapped her hands together, the sound loud and crisp in the silent alleyway. The rest of her grotesque body shrunk back towards the blood, the mass of writhing limbs opening their slimy mouths, a dark blue tongue emerging to lick its on blood off the walls. The demoness seemed to get the hint, covering the slender girl's pale body with the big leaves, giving a little bit of protection to the fragile flesh.

Jasper scrambled away, hauling the injured guard with him. He looked at Selene with eyes of concern. He knew she had the talent and passion in her demon hunting career, but had she ever faced something this big? He was starting to doubt that she could take it down. Running out of the alleyway, he hid behind one of the buildings, peeking out from the corner in order to continue watching the battle. Mentally, he shouted words of support. "You can do this!" he shouted, trying his best to give her a confidence boost before turning around to tend to the injured guard's injuries. He had taken down the tentacle, but the head of the limb was latched onto his arm, the thick and sharp black teeth buried deep inside his arm. Though it was lifeless, the jaw stubbornly refused to loosen up.

Phynex shrunk into the shadows of the bin as the her human male companion rushed out of the alleyway, making sure he wasn't seen. If the human spotted him, he could either be taken as an ambush from behind or a homeless person. He was always scared out of his wits, Phynex didn't want to be an addition to his fears. He looked at Cornerlia's minions, gritting his teeth. He had respect for the demoness, but this was just going too far. Or perhaps this was just him being biased towards Selene. If Selene died right here in this alleyway, Phynex would not hesitate to walk to her building and slay Cornelia in bitter revenge.

The demoness figured out it would be best to quickly dispatch the huntress. Knowing its many limbs were an advantage, the ones that were finished feeding off the blood lashed out - which was most of them - and quickly blindly grabbed the body of the huntress. The huntress only had a pair of legs and arms. The demoness had over fifty tentacles, clearly outnumbering the foolish human.

 

[Hana]

Her eyes widened as she saw the tentacles quickly change course and move towards her, and Selene started to rush back when she felt the graze of one tentacle's teeth. She jerked away and ignored the stinging pain that cut at her calf, it was only a light injury compared to what could have happened if she hadn't pulled away. This was only the beginning as the huntress cut a swath of red through the offending appendage and the other tentacles outnumbered her. She bit back a curse as she felt one of the tentacles wrap tightly around her, at the very least the tentacles were blind and only grabbing on to what they felt. The tentacle tightened and she tried not to flinch at the constricting pressure that bore down on her. Swallowing back her disgust, she stabbed her knives into the tentacle around her and the other tentacles groping blindly for her, watching the slimy... something and blood gush out of the tentacle. The tentacle screeched and loosened around her... There were too many. At best she should just injure or distract it enough to get away...

At least Jasper and the guards were far enough that they couldn't get involved in this any more than they already had. And now the day they were supposed to spend enjoying was ruined, Jasper was again traumatized and she wasn't nearly prepared enough to fight it like this in an alleyway, without much space to run around and evade the demon's wide attacks. If she died like this when Jasper just earlier faithfully shouted she could do it, the irony was... "... Great." Selene supposed she should feel more panicked as the tentacles started to overrun her counters, but at the same time she just couldn't summon up enough feeling after the breakdown last night. She could only watch with a detached sort of analysis as she looked for a way out of this.

 

[Mu]

The demon snarled, surprised that the huntress could dodge and counter her strikes so well. It was to be expected from someone so experienced. Surely, Cornelia would give her a rich reward if she presented her the huntress' head. However, the demon knew she had the upper hand, the amount of limbs she had allowed her to attack places the huntress wasn't guarding - and soon she would tire. The demon lashed out again and again, whipping her and grabbing at anything they could reach, her arms, hair, legs and torso. The demon giggled in her girly voice, a bunch of sticks were more effective than a single one. Wrapping five thicker tentacles together to form a stronger one, it lashed out, the main body shivered as it tried to control the hideous mass of flesh and blood and aim it towards her body, wrapping tightly around the slender body of Selene and hoisting her up in the air. High pitched laughter ran through the alleyway as the main body swung her around and around, throwing the thick tendril about.

Phynex watched silently, positioning himself from behind the bin and watching both Selene and the demon's every move. Calculating and predicting attacks, wincing everytime Selene got struck and everytime the demon opened her mouth to make any sort of high pitched sound. He moved his feet, pointing them towards the fight so he could dive in at any second. Phynex felt his aura intensify, a tell tale sign of transformation. Hopefully, Selene would be too focused in the fight to tell that he was here hiding. Biting down on his lip and tasting blood, he crouched there and waited painfully, waiting to jump in at the last second to help.

 

[Hana]

Selene let out a gasp as the demoness got her with the large tentacle, giving the monster a slight glare. She hissed, trying not to flinch at the stinging welts on her skin from the lashings she hadn't blocked earlier. Keep giggling, one way or another I might just wipe that look off your face, she thought as she heard the high-pitched chuckles coming from the monster's mouth. She wrenched one of her arms in the tentacle's grip and stabbed, before the world suddenly went white for a moment as she felt her head hit the wall. This... is truly not a promising start, she found herself blinking away the spots in her vision for the second time this day as something trickled down the side of her head. Shaking off the oncoming vertigo from the hit, that would come late when she wasn't about to be accosted by this demoness, she decided to just wrench the knives deeper and deeper into the mass of tentacles. The body can still feel the pain, after all.

She flinched when the tentacles suddenly constricted. My ribcage. That's an important part still. If the demoness thought she could subdue her by repeatedly hitting her, then she had another thing coming - Selene was known for her almost suicidal record of going on missions that she should have probably died on, or at least a tendency to be unfazed by what her superiors threw at her to complete. That and she was very, very stubborn. She just bore the pain, tucking it away into a corner of her mind and continued on twisting the knives in the demon's flesh, before ripping them out and stabbing again. Let the poison go through your blood, brute.

 

[Mu]

Though the demon could feel the poison course through her body, she couldn't case less, she was unfazed by it. In fact, it angered her. Using more force, she swung the body of the huntress with ease. slamming her against the floor and the walls around them. "You are a toothpick to me, little human. I can toy with you all I want," she laughed. She was much bigger than her, and more powerful as well. If she wanted to, she could snap her fragile little body or rip her into two pieces by pulling her apart. Or she could wrap her tentacles around each limb and pull until her arms and legs would leave their sockets. But the demon decided to do something else entirely, a disgusting idea forming in her head. Her cackles became louder as the octopus like body opened like the jaws of a wolf, a large slit with razor sharp teeth was exposed, red ridges running down a hole, the demon's throat. Foul air escaped from the mouth and was blasted right into Selene's face, a smell that was a concotion of stinking rubbish, rotting carcasses and food. Slime that served as the demon's saliva dripped from the soaked fangs, the mouth opening wider as the thick tentacle that held the huntress neared its throat. "I will digest everything except your pretty little head," she snarled, applying pressure to the girl.

Unable to take it anymore after hearing such words, Phynex leapt onto the bin and then at the demon, his body twisting grotesquely as skin turned into scales, stones and burning hellfire, his face contorted until it was pointed and lizardlike. His arms grew longer and the muscles more prominent while his legs grew, but to the same size as his arms. Bright red fire covered his eyes, horns sprouting from his temples and forehead. Phynex's skin melted off near the stomach, exposing thick bones that served as his ribcage. A skeletal, burning monster. Now being almost the same size as the demon, Phynex leapt onto the tentacle beast and took a large, nice bite out of it, at the same time setting it the flesh on fire. Pulling his head back, he ripped off a chunk from the main body of the octopus, causing it to write and stagger back at his weight. The fire around him swirled as if it were performing a dance as a giant sword materialised within the flames, and with a muscled arm, he grabbed it and brought it down on the thick gathering of tentacles holding onto Selene and slicing right through with a grunt.

 

[Hana]

She could only wince and brace herself as she impacted with the walls with every swing, but didn't stop her glare at the demon. So I angered it... Anger could blind. That was why she felt so little, or tried to feel barely anything. There was no pleasure in killing these beasts at all if you've been doing it for years, despite what the fanatic hunters say. There was only the disgusting feeling as if you were... Cleaning up the vermin. There were no winners in this, despite what they said... That was what Selene felt about the whole thing. If she were any lesser hunter she would have broken a lot in her body by now, and even now she was feeling bruised. "Agh..." She breathed in then glared as she heard the demoness' words. She'd bite off her own tongue rather than be toyed with. Upon seeing how the body opened up, the foul air made her gag slightly before she held her breath. Unease started more in her at seeing the slime and the inside of the throat, and the monster's words.

Then it all went so fast. A sudden, familiar blazing heat - not damaging to her, but the gut feeling she got could have counted for all she felt now. A bright, burning aura. Then when Phynex leaped at the beast and took a large chunk out of it, she felt all sorts of shocked and angry, the smallest feeling of relief being quashed down by the questions. Why? Why now? Seeing the familiar weapon in his demonic form made Selene feel the painful nostalgia again - I'm not afraid of you, you're just a big baby - and she landed with the severed tentacle giving a tight, painful spasm around her in its death throes. She grit her teeth and used the knife to cut through the now unresponsive, but rigid, flesh. Selene didn't want to look at the bright red fire and the demonic form of Phynex - which she had once called beautiful in its own way. Her hands shook just slightly as she sliced through the tentacles just enough that she could get away, before standing up. A wave of vertigo passed for a moment and she clenched her hands around the knives, backing away. She could no longer put off staring at Phynex, and this time she just stared. What was she supposed to say to this? Remembering the times when they fought side by side against the demons, reveling in the thrill of fighting together? Those times were long past. And now here she was, probably looking pitiful in front of him when she just earlier told Jasper she could handle it - maybe her decision making skills weren't that great after a breakdown - and a beaten up mess at that. She could feel the welts sting again on her back and the bruises that were going to form, the blood that had run down her temple and down her cheek then neck. This... Was the most she had taken in quite a while. Even if she recovered quicker than most.

 

[Mu]

Phynex could feel adrenaline surge through his monstrous body, he stifled his laughter and bloodlust as he repeatedly clawed and bit at the demoness, her body writing and lashing out uselessly at his fiery body. "Back off, you wrench!" his deep, rumbling voice echoing through the alleyway, rasing his arms and bringing them down upon her again and again. His sword had vanished, disappearing in a puff of smoke, since he wanted to fight the demoness with his bare hands. He wanted to strangle her, tear that delicate human body from the grotesque one, show her that he had no mercy. Grabbing the mass of tentacles, he swung her body about effortlessly, the tentacles wrapped themselves around his burning arm, hoping to push him away - but even with that many limbs, they were useless against him. "How does that feel, eh?" he asked, chuckling as he smashed the entire body against the floor and the walls, opening wounds and splashing her blood against the concrete. The demoness did not dare say a word, instead screaming at the top of her lungs, a few sobs thrown in.

He didn't want to look at Selene, knowing how battered up she was. He was going to avenge her pain, by delivering it twicefold back at this foolish low tier scum. She may have been working for Cornelia, but he couldn't care less. Grabbing her human body, he slammed it onto the ground, pinning the creamy, pale skinned body to the ground and sitting on the tentacled fleshy base, holding the entire demon down. Raising his eyeless head - though he could sense her - to face Selene, he cocked his head like a puppy, like he always did when the worked together. "Want to do the honours?" those familiar, well repeated words left his mouth like second nature. He had said those words so many times they were uncountable. Every time they succesfully cornered a demon and subdued it, Phynex would always - always - angle his head just like this and ask her if she wanted to kill it off. It was like an old habit, and right now it was almost like what they had before. It wasn't a painful reunion after three years, but another mission together.

 

[Hana]

Selene watched the violence before her and numbly realized just how enraged Phynex looked. Was that... for her? Could she even trust what she was seeing... She looked in silence as the demoness thrashed, screams and sobs piercing the air and almost reflecting what she felt. It seemed the demoness wasn't as brave when her human part was the one being battered, she clinically thought. Looking at how viciously he went at the monster made her breath catch in her throat; she had always seen a savage type of beauty in the way he would fight. Powerful, passionate and almost impulsive, a show of pure domination over their enemies. It was a stark contrast to how she usually fought - precise, subtle and calculated, but both of them had an instinctive feel for where to hit hardest. And raw talent. There was a reason they were infamous even back then as a very strong demon-hunter partnership. They fed off each other's strength, growing when the other grew... She shook her head, shaking off the thrill she shouldn't be feeling at the moment especially as she heard the broken sobs coming from the human part of the monster.

She could only stare as Phynex tilted his head like a puppy, sightless but looking to her, and said those familiar words. "Want to do the honours?" At this rate, she really didn't want to think anymore. Avoiding looking at him, she approached the sobbing demoness and avoided the thrashing and flailing clawed hands, holding the knife firmly in her hand as she stared down. "You are a pitiful creature," she said in a quiet tone, staring straight into her pained eyes. In the end she didn't really feel any happiness, especially not now. "And now I'll free you..." The knife plunged straight into the chest, blood spurting as the demoness choked and gurgled. She had made sure to strike the heart, then pulled it back slowly. Watching the pain in the almost human eyes she slid the knife across the throat, before stepping back. "Now go where you can't harm yourself or anyone..." Face expressionless, she moved back, before she raised her eyes to stare at Phynex's demonic visage. Swallowing slightly, she spoke. "You were following us." Her and Jasper. She realized it now, mind quickly putting together the displeased - who said he still had that right? - stare following her and her friend, all the way to this alley. And now he suddenly just leaped in to protect her as if nothing happened in the past three years. "Did you think it would send me running back into your arms, Phynex?"

 

[Mu]

Phynex watched her do what she normally did. Personally, he would have just stabbed the thing and be done with it, but it seemed Selene didn't work like that. He let go of the demoness' body as she plunged the knife into her heart, going right through like a knife through warm butter. Getting off her, he sat down on his hind legs in a dog like manner, fiery face pointed towards Selene, with a smile on his demonic lips that he just couldn't help but put on. Hearing her accusation, he chuckled, was she always this blunt and confronting, he missed that. He missed everything. He missed her. "Indeed I was. I wanted to see you," if she was going to be straightforward, so would he. Instead of avoiding the question or statement, or simply saying words normally, Phynex prefered to take the path where the other person would get confused. But today he wasn't going to play that game.

"No. I don't expect you to forgive me," his voice was low, rumbling and sad. His face downcast, one thing he liked about this form was that his facial features were not as readable as it was in his human form. There was not much you could tell what Phynex was feeling unless you were a veteran like Selene who studied his body language and tone. He walked over to her, sitting a little closer but enough to give her some personal space. "You don't know how much I miss you," he said bluntly, almost choking at his words. "If you're angry at me, I won't hate you for it." He lay his huge body down, resting his head on his arms and angling his head towards her, smile still plastered on his face.

 

[Hana]

Selene shut her eyes tightly and looked away from him as he spoke those words. How could he just sit and smile, chuckle like that? "Don't say anything like that..." Her voice was low and tight, and she leaned back against the wall wearily, suddenly feeling all the trauma she got today. She turned to look at him again when she heard his next words, seeing that sadness and regret etched in the way he held himself and hearing that pained voice. Was she supposed to believe even that? Could she trust that he really felt anything like that? After what he did...

"You left," she leaned her head back, biting back the agony both physical and emotional. Biting her lip, she almost flinched back as she saw how he approached and sat almost near her, but he was giving her space... "And now we're here, with a dead demon in the alley, and you might have just saved me," she didn't want to admit the later part, it felt bitter on her tongue. All these years of experience and growth and suddenly it was as if they were nothing, all due to the sight of him again and her own weakness when it came to burying past scars. She chuckled humorlessly and turned blank violet eyes to stare at him again. "I don't know anymore, Phynex. Tell me what I'm supposed to believe in." She thought she had grown strong, and maybe physically she had, but now she could see she was still weak. Weak. She loathed that word more than anything since she had to grow up as anything but. Was the mental fortitude that she had gained all this time just a ruse, a placebo, and she was holding herself up on nothing but her will, her work, and Jasper? "That man I was with... Do you know how much I had dragged him down just because of..." She breathed out. "He's my best friend, haven't I told you I had one? Or were you even listening? And he didn't let me shut myself out..." She could have carried on like this with her friend and her job and be just fine. Or she tried to convince herself she could. She would be Selene, the one who ended up spending all her life fighting the demons in a war that seemed to cause dearly for both the humans and the demons. Maybe that was better. "And I thought I had moved on," she closed her eyes. "Then you come along and everything comes crashing, crashing down," she spat, before she quieted and pursed her lips. "So tell me, what am I supposed to believe?"

 

[Mu]

"Believe? You believe what you want to, like you always have." He thought about whether he should tell her what he had done, what he had to go through. He signed, today might be the last day he would see her, if he felt that his presence was too painful for her. He loved her, truly, he did. But if Phynex knew that the sight of him was painful to her, he knew it was best if he kept his distance. "Even though I may have signed a contract, I am still partially loyal to my demon superiors, the elders, we call them." He paused before speaking again, quick and blunt. "You see, they didn't like what we had, not at all. I heard you, my dear Selene. When you tried to summon me over and over, but I couldn't come to you." He shook his head, the hurt and pain in his voice obvious, "The elders chained me down and refused to let me come up to the surface. They wanted me to terminate the contract, nullify it completely." Thinking about those old demons made him sick to the bone, he hated them, detested them. If not for their status, Phynex would have killed them. He stood up and circled her, keeping his head low. "Like I told you before, I should have stayed with you, taken down any demon the elders would send to retrieve you or me. But I didn't. Instead I did something I regret to this day. I faked my own death, made it so believable that the elders crossed my name off the list of living contract demons," he hissed. He turned his face to look at her - that is, if he had eyes - "For three long years I hid underground and I could do nothing. Nothing. With my false death, our contract was frozen. Since I didn't truly die, that's why your powers still remained." A little growl escaped his throat, he turned around, swishing his tail. "You don't have to believe me, perhaps you think I am lying. I do not control what you believe and I have never done so."

"If you want me to stay away from you and your...friend," he tried his best not to reveal his jealousy in saying that word, "Then so I will. I will never appear in front of you again. But I won't give up on you."

 

[Hana]

Selene listened to his words... Explanation, it could be called that, with growing disbelief. Not that it was an unbelievable, but that he... "You couldn't have told me...?" She swallowed the lump in her throat at that, she didn't even know that what they have - had - had reached his superiors like that. In hindsight, she was rather naive to think that, wasn't she? That they could continue on being... Happy. Like that. Despite having a contract, it was just supposed to be something that benefited both parties - though the contract demons were a separate class from the demons due to supporting the humans. And so he stayed underground for three years... Faked his death... "And all these years I thought I had failed," she murmured, her eyes veiled once again. "And I thought I had failed even more when you said you left. I thought there was something wrong with me, and maybe there still is," she admitted, she was never the amazing person that people thought she was. In the end, everyone was flawed, after all. She flinched back slightly at hearing the upset growl in his throat, already somewhat tensed as he circled around her, feeling that prickle of awareness on her skin at how close he was. Whether in demon or in human form, her feelings were still the same. Was?

"You know that we're enemies now," she said evenly. "Or the CEO of Phoenix Industries is. But I can't kill you," was there any point in skirting around it, really? It was this same evasion and lack of confiding that caused... Everything... In the first place. And Selene, for all the regrets she had, couldn't stop now. This was what she, and he had become, they were stronger but her feelings remained the same as they had three years ago. He was one of the few attachments she had; and any attachment she felt held for long, especially as she had regarded him with grief.

She slid down against the wall, suddenly feeling almost boneless in the light of what he just said. "I want you to leave me alone. And at the same time I don't," she closed her eyes, and they felt heavier than usual and when she opened them it was a few moments later. Absently lifting a hand to wipe at the blood at the side of her head, she stared back at him through half-lidded eyes. "I don't know, you tell me." It was a bit of a challenge to focus upon his face.

 

[Mu]

"Don't say such things. You can be just as brave and ferocious as a demoness. I have seen it firsthand. You haven't failed at all, and there is nothing wrong with you." Without thinking and being rash, he leaned in and nudged her head with his, rubbing the fire covered head against hers. If he willed it, he could set her on fire with that single moment of contact, but to her it would feel like a sudden, tickling warmth, something she was already used to - years ago, anyway. He wanted to just curl up right there and have her solid body lean against his. Whenever their assignment required them to camp out and they happened to arrive at an extremely cold place, Phynex was willing to turn into this ugly, monstrous form just to keep her warm. Curl up into a tight circle and have her nestle in between the rocks, heat and muscle. And if she was frozen to the point of hyperthermia, he would tuck her into his empty ribcage - as gross as that may sound - they were quite clean, and it was the warmest spot in his body.

"Enemies..." he repeared, rolling the word off his tongue, He frowned, they were enemies, by occupation. "I don't want to be your enemy." He didn't, he wanted to be what they used to be. Lovers. If not that, at least friends, good friends that relied in each other and talked regularly. He assumed Selene wouldn't want to go back to that special, loving relationship that seemed to happen so many years ago after what he had done.

He lay down in front of her, sighing and watching steam float out of his nostrils. "Asking me that queston will not help you. I am a demon. I am selfish. I want you by my side again. But that might not be what you want." He closed both eyelids and went silent, listening to his own thudding heartbeat and their breathes. Opening one eye, he looked out of the alleyway, spotting the black hair and the green eyes of the man. "Your friend stirs."

 

[Hana]

"Oh, but there is," Selene mumbled almost inaudibly, closing her eyes as the warmth washed over her. How nostalgic... She had slept with this kind of warmth before, three years ago. When they went to cold places together on missions and he was embarrassed and fretful that his demonic appearance would put her off - but he was a majestic creature in his own way even then. How many times had she told him that? "I haven't forgotten yet," she whispered as she leaned back, feeling an almost pleasant haziness take over her. That was probably not a good sign as she felt her reactions getting slower. "I don't want to forget..." It was a direct contrast to what she usually tried to force herself to do; she never wanted to forget. Those times with him were some of the happiest she had in her life. "I don't want you to be my enemy..." She sucked in a breath, blinking blearily and looking around the surroundings. Damn, was she passing out in an alley way with him of all people to choose from? She turned wearily and looked over to the sight of Jasper. Oh, his features were a bit blurred from this point and that was not good. Not good at all.

She realized in that daze that Jasper and Phynex were facing each other for the first time. "I just don't want anyone to leave again..." All this time. She knew people could come and go in life, but why did they have to leave? She murmured, "Jasper. Nice to see you're alright..." The ending of her statement was a bit slurred as she closed her eyes. "He saved me again." She knew at this point that she should probably find a place where it was more appropriate to be passed out than in this alley.

 

[Mu]

Phynex grunted and tried to nudge her again. Her reactions were dulled and slow, not like her usual state. She was weakening by the second from her injuries. He frowned, now he had a problem. He couldn't take her back to his place because nowadays most demons don't know he once had a contract - technically he is still binded to one - and he was sure she would have moved out of that apartment they shared when they were still together, to get away from all the painful memories these past few years. He peeked at the human male named Jasper and looked over him as he hesitantly walked into the alleyway, his eyes alternatively looking at him and Selene. So this was the 'best friend' Selene always told him about. The kind and naive one, but this was also his weakness. Being too trusting and also getting caught out by demons. Phynex was glad she had someone like him by her side, but he was also jealous - as he always has been. He had territorial and possessiveness issues and it hard to get rid of that. A sight of another man near her that he had no knowledge about was enough to get his inner beast leaping out.

Jasper was staring at this monster thing, this demonic beast that for some reason, Selene had fell in love with. Though compared with the white mess of the demoness, he was beautiful in a fierce way. He didn't know what to say, his words were stuck in his throat. So this was Phynex? Her lover? The demon she had a contract with? He seemed nice to her, which calmed him a little. But the sight of Selene leaning against him, wounds open and fresh and bruises, his worry stirred again. Quickly, he ran to her side, "Selene! Are you okay?" He panicked at the closing of her eyes, "Talk to me!"

The demon shifted his position, "Human, do you have a place she can go?" If he was her friend, surely, surely he had a place for her to crash, especially after her intense drinking sessions that he knew she liked whenever she was sad.

Jasper nodded and looked out of the alleyway, his shoulders dropping with relief as the car from around the corner that had parked in front of the cafe spun around and shining the headlights right into the dark alleyway. The uninjured guard waved and smiled, his face turning into a mask of terror at the sight of Phynex. Jasper laughed breathlessly, telling him it was alright. They quickly exchanged a conversation about the health of the injured guard, who had been sent to a hospital in the neutral zone, where neutral demons - though numbers were low - applied their knowledge of their own race to heal both injured humans and demons. But Jasper knew they couldn't take Selene there. Demons may be working side by side with humans, but if they saw Selene - the famous huntress, they would take the rare opportunity to kill her.

Phynex changed back, growling in pain as all the fire, stone and muscles shrunk and morphed back into bone and skin. Pulling Selene into his arms, he lowered her gently into the limousine. "I can't come with you. But take care of her, human." He wanted to stay with her just a little longer, but demons who would see him will question him. Planting a kiss on her cheek, he quickly retreated, pacing out of the alleyway as the car drove off, a worried Jasper holding Selene tight.

 

[Hana]

Her eyes fluttered open for a moment before she closed them again. That... Was one of my more stupid decisions. Selene almost didn't want to sit up from the warmth she was lying in, but after a few moments of breathing in deeply, she did. Ah. That hurts. Not as much as she would have expected, though. Taking inventory of her self and her injuries she rated the pain to be rather low key. Glancing around the room, she realized she was in Jasper's room and on his bed, and moved to sit at the edge. She could feel what seemed like a bandage patched over her temple, and a few others wrapped around her shoulders and some other parts. How long have I been out? That would tell her if she could take them off now, she hated going around in the stifling things.

She also realized she had been changed out of the clothes she was wearing from that time in the alley. A loose button up shirt that was yes, Jasper's, and she should go see him. The man was probably worried out of his wits with what happened and she didn't want him to stress over too much, since she recovered quickly enough given a place to rest. The bruises would probably be gone later in the day if she ate something and took care not to strain something, the cuts a day later. Her ribs still felt sore but not as strained and bruised as what she had felt before she passed out embarrassingly in the alley way.

And... She wondered how Phynex was doing. Everything he told her, she almost didn't want to believe but at the same time she was holding on to the hope that he would show up once again. He seemed, from what she remembered in the hazier parts, almost caring? And he wanted to see her again? "I am an idiot," she murmured, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

 

[Mu]

It was just past lunch time, and Jasper was in the kitchen, fixing up a warm glass of water and a few slices of fruit for when Selene woke up. All sorts of thoughts were running through his mind, about Selene and Phynex and relationship they used to have. Being so far back from them, he didn't hear what they were talking about, but he could tell it was something that emotionally impacted the both of them. Sighing, he placed the last few slices of the apple on the plate, walking towards his bedroom. He smiled at the realisation that she was awake. "No, no no. Lie back down, your injuries still haven't recovered," he said, gently pushing her back down on the bed and setting the glass of water and fruit beside. "How are you feeling?" he asked, touching the bandage on her forehead, feeling the material. If it was too soaked with blood, he would have to change it, but it felt mostly dry. "With these injuries, I don't think you should go home. Actually, I don't think you should go out for a while," Jasper murmured, touching her hand. He was worried about her health, and the dangers her job presented to her - like always - he had tried for a long time, trying to convince her to retire from demon hunting. It wouldn't hurt to try again, right? "Hey, Selene? I don't think this job is for you...I mean, you're really passionate and talented, but you're getting hurt more often. If you don't want to quit, how about taking a break?" he forced on a smile, looking into her face with those worried eyes that he seemed to have more than before.

Phynex was back in his building, sitting in his office, eyes glazed as he thought about today's events. She didn't want to forget him. Such a happy thought for him wanted to make him cry. A sudden ring disturbed his thoughts, making his eyebrows furrow as he picked up the phone, only to hold it an arm's length away as Cornelia's voice blasting out of the receiver. "So pissed! Do you know what happened? I sent my best demon to go and hunt down that stupid hunter girl and you know what she did with it? She killed it! By herself! Are you fucking kidding me? Phynex, you got to help me!" She continued ranting on, Phynex wasn't even listening. "When are you never pissed? Unlike you, I don't like the presence of minions. Find help somewhere else," he snapped, slamming the phone down. Minions were just simple demons. Ever since he made the contract, he detested normal demons. Low tier scum, he called them. Contract demons were far more superior, but of course, Cornelia didn't know that. He looked out the window and frowned, was she doing okay? He knew Selene was strong, and could survive most wounds. A few cuts, bruises and broken bones were all something she had gone through and survived. Again, that feeling and urge of wanting to see her again - even though they parted a few hours ago - returned. He clenched his fist. Maybe if he went to that restaurant they always went to, the nostalgia would soothe his pain a little.

 

[Hana]

"... I'll be fine, Jasper," Selene entwined her fingers with his, meeting his eyes and noting how he looked worried and tired. Her voice was a bit raspy and she took the glass of water on the bedside, gulping down and sighing afterwards. When he suggested that she take a break, and they both knew he meant she retire, she knew it probably wouldn't be good to tell him that she was in too deep now. Her superiors put a lot on her, especially because they knew she could live up to it - except for just one thing, and that was her latest mission. They would be looking high and low for her and the rumors that a monstrous demon - strong, yes but just a minion - was killed, they would be wondering why she hadn't succeeded in killing the CEO they loathed. "I'm going to talk to my superiors about the assignment as best as I could..." I don't want to go through with it, was left unsaid. They could find another hunter for all she cared, she can't kill him, but then that would put another at risk. This situation was turning more and more hectic. "At the most I would tell them I'll be taking a few days off to recover, but they have expectations." She looked to him again and poked his cheek, frowning. "You should also get more rest and sleep, this day was supposed to let you breathe a little." To appease him just a bit she took a slice of apple from the plate and bit into the crisp fruit, it was sweet, but she wasn't really tasting it as she mulled over what happened.

She had to talk with Phynex at some point or another, and she both dreaded it and felt the beginnings of relief at the same time. He's supposed to be my enemy, she thought, and wondered if the contract was of more value due to happening first instead of his current work. She shook her head, she knew it wasn't that simple. If he had hid underground for years he wouldn't call too much attention to himself. She had to get out and walk for a while, despite Jasper's words. Even if she had made a bad decision earlier that could have cost her, she felt a bit lighter now. Maybe it was because she had told more of how she had felt to Phynex earlier, but everything was clearer. Still, the future was uncertain and the question was, What now?

Taking another slice, she finished it quickly and looked to Jasper. "Can I go to the bathroom, at least?" It was really a bit irritating that she had to wear these bandages, a bath or shower sounded rather good now despite the injuries.

 

[Mu]

Even though she said she was fine, Jasper tended not to believe her in these kind of situations. He held her hand tightly, giving it a few squeezes. His eyes brightened a little as he listened to her plan, "Does this mean you'll cancel your assignment? I really don't want you to get hurt," he said, rubbing the top of her hand with a growing smile. Any excuse she could tell them to get her a good, long break would make his day happy. She was always dashing about, killing this, killing that. Taping certain CEOs and stalking some, collecting information...her job was too dangerous. She was fragile on the inside. A strong strike would break her easily. If only she could just settle down and live a normal life. He'd always wondered if Selene loved him. Most certainly as a friend, but in a different way...? Jasper had developed feelings for her for a long time, even when she was with that demon. He'd spent ages trying to confess to her, announce his feelings, but he always backed down for being too shy and afraid that she didn't see him that way. As friends, they have shared their own personal moments, but sometimes he would think about the relationship between her and the demon and can't help but get a little jealous. He chuckled at her poking, pulling away. "I'm not resting until you get better." He pulled on a frown, "It's my day off. I can do whatever I want with it!" he exclaimed loudly, puffing out his cheeks.

He patted her and smiled, "Sure. Take as long as you want," he said, pointing at the bathroom just across the bedroom. "Just, mind the smell," he laughed. The room practically smelt like him. Since it was his private bathroom, all of his scented...materials and liquids were inside. His shampoo, cologne, dirty clothing...everything. Normally he wouldn't let anyone inside, since the smell was rather strong, but he wasn't going to stop an injured woman. He look her arm and helped her sit up, she could probably do it herself, but he didn't want to take any chances. "Can you stand up?" he asked slowly, "Or do I have to carry you?"