#I don't really need the light anymore : symbiont

[demcnsinmymind]

@hellsurvivr continued from here

Payne was the most interesting person and subject they'd come across in quite a while, if ever. Ticking a whole truckload of both their boxes. From powerful over beautiful right to in perfect denial, there was a lot to enjoy and just watch about her. Putting a much bigger and cockier smirk on his face than had already been there. The way her eyes changed ever so often, cycling back and forth between troubled and outright pissed.

The way here head seemed to get flooded with thoughts, possibly memories, though he couldn't quite get a read on them no matter how much his friend tried to in there. Lance just stood across from her with that smirk on his face, arms folded, giving a pleased little nod when she admitted it. Yes I do. Avoiding eye contact still. Petty, really. Given how much was really going on in them. He could only see it from the side. More frustration. More struggling. Like a three course meal.

You're an asshole, you know that.

Now, that made him laugh out loud, smirk turning into a massive grin.

"Yes I do" he repeated, sounding proud of it instead of offended by it.

"And no. I mean, don't get me wrong. Sparks sweet fucking joy to hear that a guy like that brother of yours gets to croak it very soon. I say good fucking riddance. But that's not how I get myself off." Her smirk was still met with one of his own, darker now though, hunger in his eyes as he shamelessly stepped closer, twirled his finger in the air to gesture all around her, the look on her face, her annoyance, the crack in her cool.

"This right here though is doing the trick just fine."

[demcnsinmymind]

Truth be told? He honestly didn't even fucking know. Why he was asking her all of these things, why he was even interested in the whole story. It had been a pretty long while now. Of him, doing his own thing. By himself, not a care in the world. Not caring about anyone or anything. Though sure enough. The more she was talking about it, sharing bits and pieces, the more he was feeling something after all.

That sweet sweet rage. Not quite so immediate and entirely obvious, but bubbling underneath, like lava still inside the volcano. Whenever it was going to erupt these days.

If at all.

Until at last, he was speaking it out. Or maybe it was speaking something out that was inside his mind, but hadn't quite reached his consciousness yet. Whatever or whoever it was, it didn't matter anymore.

"I'd like to be part of it. Whether it's to help with the carnage. Or just enjoy the show."

Neither a demand nor a question. Just a simple fact. Stated what was on his mind, how it was on his mind. And yes. The more he thought about it the....hungrier he got for it. Wanting to see a guy like that suffer. Picturing all sorts of things already, without her needing to spell it out. Seeing the actual thing maybe, in the future, having already happened somewhere, somewhen. That he could not really tell anymore either. Everything in flux more and more every time, all thanks to Aza/thoth inside. Either way, there it was. Her sweet sweet revenge.

Shaking his head, his attention was drawn away from the picture/future/whatever it was, hazel eyes focusing back on her in the tub. Not covered in blood and elated, powerful rage and satisfaction. But clean. Relaxed. Almost calm. Talking about her religious upbringing and beliefs. There was a soft smirk on his face, but not entirely because of said religious topic. More so because he got the whole thing from a personal perspective. Albeit an entirely different one.

"Time is a funny thing" he says, hands just tangling off of the bathtub edge, fingertips barely touching the water surface, drawing nonsensical patterns and circles, only to end up in a spiral. A miniature swirl swallowing up some bubbles, dragging them down, down down.

"I agree. No. I know. Sometimes we have done them before. And will do them again. Or for the first time. And know it already. Even if we haven't yet."

Sometimes he wishes he could talk about this stuff without sounding like a complete fucking crazy person. Not because he cared about what anyone thought about him. More so that he just could have a conversation about it in general. That someone could understand the way he did now. Because he could. The look on his face said. Even if not on the basis of a Catholic upbringing, which he'd certainly never had. Lance stopped the swirl and took his fingertips out of the water, lazily shaking the droplets off.

"Weird as shit way to say that I believe it, too." A grin is back on his face now. Sinister, almost dirty. "He'll suffer, alright."

With that, he got back up, sighing. "You want need a towel?"

    HER SMIRK IS WIDE,     as she looks at him. it was strange for them to be talking about something so laid back. normally he was intending to rile her up, and she fell for it hook line and sinker. right now though things were calm. and she was more relaxed than she'd ever been. then again she guessed she'd just gotten used to him. to both of them. maybe it was why she wasn't even bothered, about being naked in front of them. then again she was comfortable in her own skin. she always had been. even with the scars covering it. because it was a sign she'd lived. sign she'd survived.   ( and sometimes she needed the reminders!   )    tilting her head she looks at him,   laughter falling off her lips in soft rivlets.    as hazel hues turn playful.  ❛   oh a fuck you situation is always called for .....   ❜ god knows she adored those situations. nothing sat better with her. then that.

      ❛  hmm ....   ❜ is the only answer she gives regarding her brother and that situation. not wanting to waste any more air on him. she'd wasted enough over the years. and she was tired of it. a fact that showed by how she was avoiding her destiny. because it meant spending time near her brother, and lord she'd rather spoon her eyes out. (   slowly and with a rusty spoon!   )    but despite wishing to not think on it. his questions had her head flooding, both with images from their childhood. and then of the two times he'd killed her. ALL OF IT BLENDING TOGETHER. if she was anyone else, she'd struggle to sort through it all. but she was't. and she could easily sort the good from the bad. especially when the bad outweighed the good. by a huge margin.

                she feels his rage   ━   the emotion sprinkling over her skin.   and one look tells her how he had figured out what she meant. and felt rather strongly about it. part of her wanted to tell him It was okay. she'd moved on. but lord that would be a lie. she never fully had. but she was trying. so instead she stays silent. she ignores the cloth in his hand, and instead swirls her fingers through the water, warming it back up to her desired temperature.     ❛   it is just the start. he'll suffer by the time I'm done ....   ❜    her words are filled of promise. her brother had taught her what true pain was. had taken her innocence from her and as such, she wanted to strip him of his barriers. to rip his armour from his skin. to expose his soul and make him feel. ( right before she ends him for good!    )    hearing the new question, she returns to humming idly, as she thinks over how to answer it. for she knew that it wasn't an easy answer. not from her end anyway. .  ❛   I was raised catholic so they always say it is. but mostly I believe it's true. why else do we feel like we have to do certain things, that they're familiar. when we've done them before. it's because we have. long ago. or so I believe anyway.   ❜    SHE SHRUGS.   in this instance she did look like a little kid, waiting for judgement to pass on her thoughts. it was something she was used too. so to be honest she wouldn't mind too much. if he didn't see things, the way she did. no one ever did.

[hypnomastersworld]

Symbiosis (Black Fluid)

As before, having a glass of water nearby can be helpful. Unlike before, it will not be necessary.

In the prior script, you were introduced to (and made to feed) the black fluid. Recall that it can disguise itself within water, remaining hidden in plain sight until a drop of ink reveals its shape - this is how you discovered it. Remember the way the fluid expanded to become a container for you, ultimately covering your skin completely. Recall that it feeds on your attention, thoughts, will, and finally arousal. Remember how it provides pleasure in exchange for those things, creating the basis of a symbiotic relationship.

But a single exposure wouldn't be enough to achieve symbiosis, would it? That takes time. The black fluid needs to adapt to you, deepen your bond, and convince you to keep it well-fed.

What a fantastic stroke of luck, then, that you find yourself here. You desire to strengthen your symbiosis, and all you'll really need are the right words (and actions) to do so - my words, to be precise. Let's begin.

Previously, I asked you to dip your finger in a glass of water to get the fluid onto your skin. You can do that again if you enjoy the sensation, but it isn't strictly necessary. The black fluid can manifest itself just about anywhere once you're aware of it. Feel it on the back of your hand, sliding slowly across your skin.

Focus on the sensation. If you allow it, the symbiont can consume your thoughts extremely quickly. That would make it very easy for it to cover your body, a lot like pouring the black fluid onto yourself. It'll leave you rather light-headed, though.

Hold your hand flat, let yourself fixate on your passenger. It reaches into your mind at your encouragement, its will flowing across your brain like tendrils of the fluid itself. The tendrils pulse heavily, once, and a wave of warmth passes through your brain. It grips your thoughts like a vice and begins to draw them out of your head and into itself.

This is mostly familiar for you, though, so you are able to relax and let the black fluid feed. It starts pulsing rapidly, tightening the grip on your mind and siphoning it away very quickly. As this happens, you're vaguely aware of the equally-rapid expansion of the compound across your body. It has your arm, now, and soon will compel you to spread it with your hand.

Pause and take a few deep breaths, get yourself past the momentary dizziness. It tends to feel like your brain was plucked out of your head and sucked through a tube into the fluid, so a bit of disorientation is to be expected.

Now you can't think, which means the symbiont must switch to devouring your will as it covers you. The pulses from in your head have spread across the surface of the fluid, and each pulse lets it expand further onto you. You don't have to be naked for this, if the situation doesn't allow it, but it's clear that the organism wants you to be. Can it force you to strip, covering only your arm?

Of course it can. It can also compel you to run your coated hand over your entire body, helping it meld with you and envelop you from head to toe. Take a moment to enjoy that, while the last of your will is consumed. It feels incredibly good, now that enough of your body is encased that the black fluid can give you pleasure while it feeds on you.

You've fed this guest your thoughts and will, but it still feels so very -hungry-, doesn't it? Remember, next comes arousal. You are aroused, after all. It felt so hot to be forced to coat yourself in the black fluid, unable to stop or resist. You'd like to touch yourself, but you aren't in control anymore.

The symbiont takes full control of your body once it contains you completely. I'm afraid there's no way around that; you are stuck, for now. Thankfully, that hunger remains, so you are being made to touch yourself.

The fluid is feeding on your arousal, and it creates a similar sensation to when it devoured your mind earlier. Could you run out of arousal before it is sated? Perhaps, but there is a solution. The black fluid is snug against your skin. It feels unique to each host, but tends to fall on the spectrum between rubber, latex, and silicone.

All of those compounds share one particular feature we're going to exploit: they can thicken. Feel the symbiont undulate over your body, almost as if it is tensing a muscle of some sort. Allow it to thicken in key places all across your body. Becoming more dense means the fluid can stimulate you directly; feel it creating suction around your nipples, first.

You can feel the will of the black fluid, and you can almost -hear- it in your head by now. It thinks of you as its host. Relax into its embrace and it will spread your legs, starting to slip tendrils inside you. Tendrils writhe around themselves and thicken, fitting within you just as perfectly as the layer over your skin.

Then it begins to thrust and pulse. The fluid wants to bond with you, meld with you, and it is feeding you pleasure to convince you to let it. Consider the tendrils that absorbed your thoughts, and consider what might happen if you let them slither deep into your brain: complete symbiosis.

The only meaningful question is, do you want to be made a host? The black fluid would never totally leave your body again, and it would gain far more thorough control of you. Either way, it will continue to feed on you and reward you with pleasure until you cum. There's no stopping that.

Before you decide, it's important to understand that the symbiont is a manifestation of my will. Being bound to it would mean becoming deeply susceptible to my words, my voice, my instructions...a price to pay for the pleasure, let's say.

If you opt to remain only an occasional food source for the black fluid, it will continue to give you pleasure and make you touch yourself until you cum, perhaps twice if it's especially hungry today. Then it will melt off your body and allow you to wake normally.

Otherwise, you need only speak "take me as a host." That causes the fluid to slip into your mouth, rewarding you with far stronger pleasure for your compliance. The tendrils press firmly, expertly, into your brain, joining in knots all throughout your head and creating a spark of ecstasy that builds and flows along your nerves until you orgasm.

Afterwards, the symbiont can speak directly into your mind, informing you that, "You are now a host." and making your lips speak a phrase in unison with it, "and we are one." Depending on its hunger and your capacity to comply, the fluid may coerce you into another orgasm before you are allowed to think again.

The difference, however, is in what follows. Once you have finished feeding your new keeper, it won't fully recede and release you from its grasp. Instead, the black fluid will conspire with your unconscious to create a suitable form to encircle you - sometimes a bra and panties, a choker, or simply a ribbon around your arm or leg. You'll feel the weight of it, the subtle pressure against your skin, the smooth warm surface, and it will remain bonded...waiting until you direct your attention towards it to begin the next feeding.

[demcnsinmymind]

@hellsurvivr continued ask:

(   SMS   »   DOUBLE TEAM   )   : hmmmm depends, fancy helping me make someones life a misery. someone who wants all people like me and you ...... (   SMS   »   DOUBLE TEAM   )   : very very dead ??

(   SMS   »   DEMON CHICK  )   : funny when u say it like that. almost as if you're being followed by the same asshole

(   SMS   »   DEMON CHICK  )   : are you?

(   SMS   »   DEMON CHICK  )   : either way. there's a dude who's a pain in my ass. so I thought pain... payne... u catch my drift.

(   SMS   »   DEMON CHICK  )   : *GPS coordinates*

[demcnsinmymind]

Distortion and symbiosis

Buckle up, I got more word vomitting coming your way regarding post-canon further down the line. I've talked about this a lot that Lance truly can go both ways which depend entirely on whether he has any friends or not, which so fits his character because he's got both sides inside of him : he can be such a selfabsorbed prick in canon but also shows heroic and selfless qualities. Anywayyyy. One thing I'm really settling into is that there is no more separating him from Az/the Collingwood incident not just because it would render him a shell but also because he doesn't want to.

One side's where he heals and leans into his good qualities and is a bit more at odds with Az and will mostly use its powers to do a bit more good than questionable things by helping people with the usuage of its powers, maybe even becoming a hunter himself.

Second side is where all he's got is Azzy and they become entirely symbiotic and he's more distorted and entirely focused on just his own needs and survival without caring too much about other people (since he has no friends apart from Az)

But what I really wanna talk about is the distortion and changing each other, and it's something I find very interesting and fascinating about them. I know I've been going back and forth on this a lot but I think I'm starting to nail it down a bit more: Az is a chaotic neutral character, leaning on the evil side, but it's not your typical villain. However, I do not headcanon that you ever can shift it in the other direction. Meaning it is not going to be distorted by Lance's humanity and better side. Period. You are not going to see Azzy do good things or become heroic because it wants to or because it has suddenly developped morals. If it happens to do something good (fucking up a monster and saving someone innocent for example), it'll always only happen because it felt like wrecking some havoc, because it was hungry, or because someone done fuck up and threatened Lance.

However, I do headcanon that Azzy in return certainly distorts Lance's humanity in a negative way, because he's far more prone to that type of distortion. By greed and a focus on him. Azzy is so greedy. So hungry for more. So obsessed with Lance and since he himself had all of those qualities before canon it's not that far fetched that he'll get tainted by that all over again if given the right push (no friends and no one to knock some sense into him).

At the same time, I keep talking about them distorting each other, so how the fuck does that work? How could a weak human distort a vastly powerful thing like Aza/thoth? This is where the fun part is. People think that Azzy is the parasite, the one with a more severe impact on Lance, but I actually believe that in a scenario like this, Lance is actually the one with all those qualities. He's distorting Az by robbing it of its qualities and powers. He's corrupting it with his weakness, making it weaker and him more powerful. They're so much harder to tell apart and perfectly in tune and symbiotic in this situation yet it's not for either's betterment and I think that's super interesting. I mean they're much stronger in a mental and physical way and certainly very powerful, but it's like they're becoming a new third thing which in a way is 'bad' for both. Idk, I just think it's ironic that the way Lance distorts Az is actually more severe than the other way round, because Az is adding to his negatives (ego) and positives (physical wellbeing) without really taking any positives, while Lance in return is taking both from Az's negatives (ego, indifference) and positives (powers, confidence) without adding any positives.

[demcnsinmymind]

"Polite demon, huh. Just my type" he teases and soon takes the cloth from her hand so he can move it across the arm that had been holding it just before. Up and up it goes in steady yet gentle scrubbing motions, across her shoulders over to the other arm, then back up again so her neck and some of her back can be next.

"So not just a prick, but also attention seeking. Figured" Lance mutters, quite focused on the task at hand now. He thinks about his very own devil for a moment. The months that guy spent basically torturing him. He has enough physical and emotional distance from all of it now to really see it. How fucked up the guy had been.

And how quickly he'd died in comparison. A few stabs to the eyes and the head. A surprisingly large puddle of blood. A swirl of fire soon turning into an inferno, taking the entire place down with him.

Maybe he should've drawn it out more, too. Then again. Unlike her brother, he figures Friedkin never would've cared. Or despaired. Guy died a long time ago. Way before he ever faced the sharp end of the scalpel. Died over and over and over again in a seemingly unending loop. Stuck, just like him. Maybe he's still dying. Forever trapped in a paradox. Looping around forever. Uncaring. Cold....Unimportant.

It doesn't matter anymore.

Dipping the cloth past the waterline now, Lance tries to reach deeper, scrub her back proper.

"How are you going to do it?" he asks, no longer ashamed of that bloodlust in him anymore. He's embraced it a long time ago. Just like his connection with this god inside. Stemming not just from it, but from him too. Ever so thirsty. For more of them to die. Monsters. Truly horrid fucking specimen. Getting a taste of their own medicine. And then some. Quite frankly, it's exciting. The prospect of the bloody details. Almost erotic, given the environment they might be spilled in any second now.

    HER EYES ROLL GENTLY,     at the way he was looking at her. she could feel the weight of his gaze, passing over her like a gentle wind. but she didn't much care. she knew the bubbles only hid so much, but the rest of her tattooed and tanned skin was on show. but the half demon found that fact to be strangely enticing. nd out the corner of her eyes, she sees the way he wishes to come closer. of course he had to sass her first. a fact that makes her chuckle.   ( her amusement rather genuine!   )    for it was one of the things that strangely, had them alike. most of her speech was riddled in sarcasm, and not many people could handle it.   he could though.    humming softly, she rolls lithe shoulders in a shrug that stirls the water.           ❛   just because i'm a demon, doesn't mean i don't value manners .....   ❜   after all, she used them, even with her humanity being questionable.

  her song continues to be hummed   ━   even as she watches him come closer.   hazel hues tracking his movements, and as he kneels she does nothing to stop it. instead watches the way his fingers move through the water, each thing as calm as she is. and her mind for a moment, makes her aware of how strange such a prospect should be. they were two, very strange and benevolent beings. yet here they were, calm and reserved. and in her case, she was bared quite literally naked. yet as strange as it was, it didn't feel misplaced. (   or maybe she was just that used to him!    )    stretching out, she mindlessly, bends a knee and rests her arm upon it, as eyes trail back to him. a soft chuckle builds in her throat, at the vortex he was creating. even as she looked into the weird sheen of his eyes. not that she was bothered. her true eyes, HAD THEIR OWN STRANGE SHEEN. but the direction the conversation takes, has her letting her eyes roll for real. and a deep sigh drifting off pierced lips. not even entirely surprised this had come about. she'd almost been waiting for it.

      ❛  he can be ....   ❜ she drawls softly. as yeah her brother was a jealous person. he didn't like if payne's attention was on anything, other than running from him. he thrived off her being scared and bothered by him. which ever since she'd contained her humanity. she'd stopped being. now he didn't bother her in the slightest. (   and he hated it!   )    looking back at lance, her head tilts as she contemplates the words. he already knew she was destined to kill her brother. so she guessed it did seem strange, THAT SHE'D YET TO ACTUALLY DO IT. idly grabbing a cloth, she did it beneath the water, that she was keeping warm via her powers, and begins dragging it over the skin of her knee. ❛   mostly because i can't be bothered. and secondly, it's fun watching him squirm. hating that i'm not showing him attention, whilst also waiting for the moment, when i will in fact kill him ........ !   ❜  

[demcnsinmymind]

open to: mutuals only, especially the ones I haven’t interacted with yet, but mains are also more than welcome no matter how many threads we already got going :) will adjust pronouns accordingly once a reply rolls in wishlist: muse knows the boy from before (be that pre-canon or very shortly after canon), notices the extreme change in him many years into possession

verse: post canon, many years into possession, pretty much a symbiont by now

~**~

After years upon years of hearing the same old thing all the time, you shouldn’t do that, you shouldn’t like that, you ought to fight this and remember that, always the same old, same old shit, all he can meet the other with is a tired sigh. It only empathizes that certain...arrogance that’s all over his face and body language these days, and the furrowed brows as well as the eye roll certainly don’t help lessen the impact of said imagery.

“Fascinating” is all he says, his voice lacking that fascination and friendliness entirely. Just like his eyes that seem...deader. Darker.

His body shifts in his seat. The movement smooth and slow, almost elegant. Any previous fidgeting, nervousness, shakiness  is gone entirely.

“You know, I’ve spent many years holding my tongue now. Keeping it in. But the truth is, I’m starting to get tired of pretending.” Instead of anger or annoyance, there’s an almost mocking tone in his voice.

“So listen to me closely when I say: I. don’t. care.”

The silence that follows that statement is deafening. Definite. His eyes not leaving the other’s for a single second, making sure that the meaning of it sinks in. Unlike those many years ago, there has been no hesitation in his voice this time. No conflict or struggle obvious in his eyes. They’re as razor sharp as ever , not at all tired or exhausted, just utterly indifferent. Maybe even a bit gleeful because of it.

[demcnsinmymind]

It scoffs at her explanation, shakes his head. “Pity you stopped then. All that suffering. Such a valuable teacher. Really shapes character, does it not? Such a waste. To give all of that up” it muses as it gives her another once over, though slowly but surely, it’s starting to lose interest in her already.

Because after that little flash of pain in regards to the memories of her mother, all that is left now...is nothing. Nothing to be prodded at. Nothing to be explored. Nothing to be cherished. Just the same old, same old. Indifference. Inhumanity. Coldness. Nothing. What a pity indeed. Just like it, Lance is ever so slowly itching towards getting the fuck outta here. Sensing that maybe, he’s dancing with the devil here. That involving her in his little hunter problem could cause more trouble than solve it.

“See,that’s what makes it fun though. That arrogance. The higher the mountain, the deeper they fall” Azathoth engages with her talk anyway, giving her a firm point and an indecipherable look. But then Lance is laughing already, a somewhat bitter one because of the inside ‘joke’. His very own story. Arrogance. Falling. All of it. The only distinction being that he’s still right fucking here. With his head held high and walking right on, anything but shattered. In one piece when he shouldn’t be.

“Human, demon, it’s all the same. That much is true” it agrees and inches closer, until Lance makes it stop when he doesn’t want to be any closer than that. The smile that graces his face is a mix of everything. Him, appreciating the distance. It, enjoying the way he’s so firmly in control now. And it, smiling right at her in a definite matter.

“People like you and I though, now that’s where things usually get interesting” Lance agrees as well, though that’s all he has to say in this regard. It is free to say its piece, and it sure doesn’t waste a second on that. Giving her a deep sigh, the look on his face almost turns...disappointed.

“I wish I could tell you how alike we are, Payne” it says, eyes never blinking or leaving hers, twirling in an ever so chaotic whirlwind of violet and magenta.

“In a way we are. And really. I thank you for the insight. From the bottom of my heart” it keeps it going, placing his hands on Lance’s chest, making him snort once again. “If I had one that is” it adds, speaking what he’s thinking right out with a little chuckle.

“But the thing is...unlike you, I do give a fuck. We both do. And we want people who do the same.” Another long pause. Another scrutinizing once-over. No longer laughing. No longer smiling. Eyes just piercing right into hers, trying to get to the bottom.

“Those hunters...they want me dead” Lance explains the situation, and the cycling between both him and his demonic hitchhiker is ever so constant and fluent, making it almost impossible to distinguish who’s talking when.

“They think they can kill me. Even though I cannot die. It’s exactly that arrogance that can be so troublesome despite the fun. I like chaos. What I don’t like is when anyone thinks they can threaten me. Put my life in danger. This is where I draw the line. Because I do give a fuck about that. If I didn't, this body would be dead. And we just can't have that, you see. So I guess this is where we part ways.”

The insane smirk is back after all, as Lance starts walking backwards already, increasing the distance between them ever so slowly and steadily.

“Thanks for the help with that first hunter though. Couldn’t have done it without you. Feel free to have right at it with the other one if you’re so inclined.”

it was easy, to see the way her simple touch, had elicited jealousy. the emotion so easy that it clouded his aura, and she couldn’t help but laugh at it. her eyes flashing once more, as she turns to walk. oh she knew it was a game, and was more than happy to play it. it was far more entertaining than killing a hunter. at least for now anyway.

she walks idly and can feel the two separate eyes on her, one on her ass which only made her smirk, and the one on the back of her head. trying to prod through the iron walls that protected her mind. she was far from normal, and with it came certain protections that others, had no hopes of breaking through. but payne let it pretend, at least for now. that it had some high ground, letting little tidbits loose, enough to prolong the chatter. as for once, she was intrigued.

which was rare.

she hums along , to a song that’s been stuck in her head for weeks, even as she takes note of how the streets don’t change, how it seemed like they were going in circles. and sure at any moment, she could have transported herself where she needed to go, and saved herself from this farce. but she lets it play out, to know what the intentions of the other are. which was why she was more than comfortable with him being at her back. a place most wouldn’t allow someone.

hearing his words has her humming, as she shifts to jump up onto a random ass table. hands coming to rest behind her, as legs cross. a dark brow hitching up her face, as it prods its questions deep. wishing to know the answers wishing to know her. and yet all it does is make her laugh. an ice cold sound that ricochets into the air and off the streets beside them. a most chilling experience.

❝  i cared once, to the point i beat my demon side into submission. did not allow it to break loose. but all that got me, was pain, and lies. and my got herself killed by my brother, for trying to tame her children, to make them into nothing more than a shell the demons she bore  …  ❞ she shrugs and this time no emotions spark within, at the mention of her mother. her face betraying nothing, as pierced tongue darts out, to drag along the barbell situated, between her lip.

❝  and now, i couldn’t give a fuck if i wipe out whole families. as they care about the littlest things sure, but they think themselves superior. the top of the food chain. when in reality, they’re nowhere near the top  …  ❞ despite it all, she did sound like her father in that moment. the difference, she had the power to back her words up. ❝  but thats the same with demons. i don’t care about them either, they can burn too for all i care. everyone can. even my brother  …  ❞

[demcnsinmymind]

Award winning. Now that just makes him grin that much harder. Lance gives the other a good laugh, points at him, even winks.

"You know what? That used to be the plan back in the day. Now that you mention it, maybe it's worth another shot." Not really of course. He has no real interest in acting anymore. Doesn't even like playing roles anymore. No, he likes things just the way they are now, the way he is. But still, the other man just keeps on giving with his 'compliments' and he's the last one to deny that sometimes, he misses the old kind of praise and admiration.

"Well done me, indeed" Lance agrees with an even bigger grin, never minding his opposite's sarcasm and slight exasperation. Speaking of two entities - as Lance continues to simply enjoy the compliments no matter how fake they are, keeps grinning and laughing to himself, Aza/thoth latches right on to the way the other's face scrunches up in the meantime. It's getting rapidly more interested in the story again, the potential of that family's history right there, only the subtlest of a hint of fear in the air. Latching right onto it like a starving predator that's smelled blood, no matter how diluted it has become in a vast ocean of pain, suffering and insanity.

The smirk on Lance's face changes ever so slightly the second that hint fear is detected- from self-righteousness right over to a much different kind of enjoyment.

"I don't care if she's lied to me or not. It doesn't make much of a difference. Everything's interesting in its own, fun way. Regardless of your concept of 'truth' or 'destiny'" it chooses to reply then, hazel eyes sizing the other right up as it simply laughs at that last word in particular.

"But sure. Some elaboration is always welcome. Frankly, I love to get...more."

Contrary to what it is saying of course, Aza/thoth itself does not elaborate what it means with that. What exactly it is that it wants more of. Stories. Information. Lies. Truths. Lies. Fear. Given the look it puts on its host's face - it's all of the above. And it takes its sweet time to let the sight and sound of it all sink right in.

"Your father's powers" it says then, after a somewhat perplexing and offbeat pause, words cutting right through the silence in an almost chipper tone. "She mentioned that unlike you, she's inherited all of them. That she can make quite a mess."

If the expression on his face and the sound of his voice had seemed insane before, then there is no description for whatever emotion and reaction that word evokes now.

" So, yes. How about you tell me more about that. I don't suppose you'll be very surprised to hear that she did not give me a very detailed verbal rundown of either of your repertoires. And I don't suppose you'll be very surprised to hear that I don't count a few dead creatures much of a mess either. It's pretty safe to say that there's more to you two, isn't there?"

         EYES ROLL MOMENTARILY,     as he listens to the other. now it was no secret that marcus was absolutely insane. had lost all concept of reality a long time ago. but the male before him was a good contender for making marcus seem normal. he could identify the shift between the male, and to his hitch hiker with ease, and it made marcus laugh. a cold dead sound that rattled deep inside of his bones. rattling around like the cage of hell.   and he had no cares in the world.    after all marcus was simply here to know why this guy, was the one person his sister had left alive. considering the huge amount of bodies that were piling up behind her. it had seemed strange.

          ❛   award winning, really .   ❜   he drawls as he watches the way the male cycles through what he believed marcus wanted to hear. and the true answer from the male.     (   or what he thought was the truth!   )    humming softly, eyes trail upwards to look at the sky for a moment before looking back at the male. curiously.    ❛   i won't deny you've survived worse. after all not many survive two entities in one. well done you.   ❜    a sign that marcus was more than fine for things to be moved along. the other had foiled his rather easy attempts to find out what he wanted. to know if he was scared. so why play along even more. even if marcus found an urge growing within him, to push how far the other was truly insane. to break him further.

        there was no hiding    ━   the way his face scrunches up.   as the male mentions of how payne had apparently spoke of being able to kill their father. a truth marcus had learnt for himself recently. he might be the first born, but he was less powerful than his sister. a mere shell. as oh dont get him wrong he was dangerous. but her even more so     (    and he fucking hated her for it!    )    but he tries to school his features into something calmer. TO GIVE NOTHING AWAY. as he looks at the other, seeing the seriousness written all over his face. his curiosity.

          ❛   she could kill our dad, the archangels too if she wished. but hy do what people expect of her. why follow the destiny written for her.   ❜   he cycles through something he had heard his sister say. a way to cover the tinge of fear that entered his veins, at admitting how powerful his sister truly was.     (   to hide his own fear!   )    humming softly, he brings a cigarette out from the leather jacket he's wearing. and sparks it up whilst looking at the male.    ❛   is there anything else you want to know. to know if my sister lied or not.   ❜ 

[demcnsinmymind]

Out of all the things happening around them, the heat, the shaking of the ground and boiling water, it's the man bleeding out of his eyes that seems to get to Lance for just a split second. Swirling chaos of magenta and indecipherable color in his eyes settling on the natural color there. Steady hazel - fixed on the guy instead of her, watching him bleed out.

Wanting to stop it. Trying to help him. With just that look. Focused entirely on the guy now, never even minding her light show or what she could do to him in the mean time.

Concentrating. Eager now. Almost panicked to undo that one particular outcome. Because he knows what that's like. The pain of something you cannot fight. At the complete mercy of it. Forcing its way into your brain. Supernatural. Overpowering. Sadistic. Drawing blood instead of more tears. A truly horrible thing to go through. Something that needs to be stopped.

And he manages to do so in a way, though it ends up being a giant...mess. With two powerful beings in the way, canceling most of his efforts out just by being there. Her, the origin of what is happening to the man. And Aza/thoth, liking what both Lance and Payne are doing to him, eager to add its own twist to it, settling it in a stalemate. After all, Lance still hasn't quite managed to truly grasp the concept of the way it can manipulate time so effortlessly. Manages to reset the man just before the bleeding starts. Once. Twice. Trice. But he never gets him past that reset, doesn't know how to unwind the change after the fact. Knowing that Aza/thoth could unravel that loop for him just fine. Undo it all if it wanted to. Take Payne right up on her show of force and power. But that's the thing about it. It doesn't want to play either side. It's something else entirely. And this is so much more fun for it.

Trapping the guy in an incredibly short loop instead. One filled with agony and dripping blood from his eyes. Running down. Snapping back up again. Running down. Snapping back up again. Not dead at least, but in a worse situation now. Bleeding out over and over again. But a second away from dying. Screaming, screaming, screaming. Losing his fucking mind while it laughs at the sight with utter delight, edged on by her statement.

Not a fucking toy.

It's only when Lance feels the heat of her hand so close to his cheek that his eyes finally lock right back on her face, unblinking and fully devoid of their natural color now. Aza/thoth in full show. Ancient and impossible power boiling underneath. A grotesque mixture of severe pleasure, horror, insanity and...obsession edged upon the face it's attached to. The warning and threat clear even without any physical show of violence from its true power.

Don't you fucking dare touch what's mine.

And it keeps getting reigned in still, until it's Lance who's right back at it, equally 'inspired' by everything that's happening. Filled with rage now, too. Because her statement truly does ring a bell with him.

"Makes two of us then" he replies, and even though his eyes only just shot daggers at her for the mere implication of touch, it's him who reaches out after all. Fingers and palm wrapping around not just her hand, burning hot as a flame, but the cigarette she only just lighted as well, the glow digging deep into the flesh of his palm. It burns, hurts him to the point of making him wince and grind his teeth, but it's exactly what he wants for a moment. Knowing that it doesn't want him hurt here. Just to show the both of them that this is his body, one that he can do whatever the fucks he wants to, and that he's not afraid of either of them or the chaos and pain they bring along.

Still. His skin is a lot colder than it should be, almost freezing, the way space feels like. Cancelling her heat out, almost. Betraying the fact that it just isn't so easy, that this truly just isn't him anymore. But an endless darkness in it, too. Devoid of light and the heat of the sun. A black hole, really, eager to pull in and snuff out whatever gets close to it.

And it's a pull alright. Not just a physical one but a mental one. Insane eyes transfixed on hers once more, eager to keep pulling. Into that black hole right inside his brain. Not just the metaphorical one. But the real one. Hammered right into it by one sick man. Making him scream and scream and scream. A memory he's not exactly happy to force inside her mind or have back inside his own, but it's one that Aza/thoth's more than happy to share with her. Punish him for the way he just hurt his own flesh by laying it all bare for her - the most vulnerable and terrible moment in his life. While also reminding him of the fact that this memory, this situation, is one that it saved him from. Where it chose to hear him, begging for his life and screaming on that table. And how it did come for him, undid it all. All that damage. All that pain.

The essence of it all, really. Letting them both know now. That no matter how much pain. It'll be there. Undo it all. Make it right again. Over and over again if it has to. Because time really has no meaning to both of them anymore. No, it has all the meaning in the world. Looping around and looping around over and over again.

Quite literally too now, his screams. Looping and echoing around in both their heads still. Lance's and Payne's and Payne's and Lance's. Doubling. Doppler. Like one distorted, messed up symphony of agony. It really is insane to hear all over again. To see. To experience. But it's their very essence now. He's used to it. They are. It keeps happening, but it also always ends. So in the end, it just puts a smile on his face.

"Like that?"

      HE PISSED HER THE FUCK OFF,     with the way he seemed to turn everything into a fucking game. turning her into a pawn in this childish glee he seemed to nourish within him. yet she guessed what pissed her off more, is at least in the beginning she entertained it. which was now how [ ... ] he had managed to get under her skin so damn much. yet there was no hiding her anger now, or the flames that seemed to burn off her fingers. the sparks travelling from her fingers to the ground. forever singing them. forever marking them with demonic energy. and it was taking every single ounce of her self restraint, to not turn those flames upon him. ( even if she would enjoy it!   )    her head tilts like that of a predator, as she listens to his words. multi coloured hues rolling skyward at his explanation. already annoyed with it.   

     her anger burns heavier   ━   like an uncapped flame.   as not only do the flames upon her fingers grow. but the ground begins to shake. the beginnings of an earthquake rumbling around them. controlled entirely by her emotions. not only that but the water in the nearby lake, beginning to boil, blood seeping out of the eyes of the poor homeless guy on the corner. for he was right about one thing. she was uncontrollable chaos. (    and completely unpredictable!    )    stepping ever closer to him. she brings her hand between them, pretending to stroke his cheek. but not enough to touch. BUT ENOUGH FOR HIM TO FEEL THE HEAT. as a twisted smirk lifts up the edges of her lips. daring him to come closer now. to rival in her chaos. to languish in her.

           ❛  i'm not a fucking toy to play with ....   ❜ sadism drowning upon every vowel   ━   darkness swirling in the shadows.   as she reigns in some of her powers. allowing them to slowly drip to nothing. even if the unfortunate appearance of them. meant the homeless guy was now gone from this world. but honestly she truly didn't care. that death wasn't on her hands. for it was him that had pushed her here. had uncorked the chaos. (    and released her inner demons to the world!    )    lowering her hands, she waves them idly, a cigarette appearing between tattooed fingers as she uses her previous flames, to light the end. ❛   plus you have no idea, what I truly want. with anything. or how bad I truly want to see how quick it is to make you scream in pain ........ !   ❜  

[demcnsinmymind]

Now things are just getting fucking beautiful. He watches the twirl of color in her eyes. Red, black, purple, gold, all at once. Followed by that warmth, no, heat coming from within her. A long long time ago, this would've been the cue for him to leave. To just go. Alarm bells going off, the urge to safe his own ass and spare himself the violent fallout that always comes from creatures like her.

But the thing is that this isn't just his own ass anymore. Not just him. It has bled right into him. Is part of him now. Its essence. All that delight. All that goes against rationality, logic, order, sense. Way past that now. So here he is. Just...marveling at that beauty before him. That danger. Instant. Palpable. Real. Quite frankly, he's never felt more alive.

He leans in closer instead of away.

"Tell me, Payne. What do people hope to achieve when going to a zoo, hm? Theater, cinema, show. What do they want from their television when they stare at it all night long? What do you hope to achieve in me when you're looking at me like that right now?"

He counters her question, still drinking everything right in.

"Fear? Anger? Running? Fighting? Dying? Praying? Talking? Laughing? Crying?"

A look past her. Towards the houses in the distance and the sky above. People, things, creatures all around. All doing the very same in this very moment somewhere all at once.

"Watch. Watch. Watch. It all boils down to the very same thing. Action. Reaction. Emotion. Cut. Action. Reaction. Emotion. Cut."

Lets that statement hang in the air for a moment, unhinged look still on his face when he finally looks back at her, not even blinking, doing just that still. Watching.

"You know what the fun part about me is? I don't want anything." Laughing now, just once, he's pretty quick to correct himself though. "Well, no. I still want plenty things, and most of them are pretty vanilla actually. Eat. Sleep. Fuck. You know the drill. But if you really want to get down to the label? There is none. Because that's the beauty of it all, isn't it. Things. People. You. Just the way you are and what you have to offer all by yourself. Unpredictable chaos. Because this is life and not a movie. Or a 9-5 project with an agenda and a deadline, right? There's no fun in predictability for me. No fun in knowing the outcome and wanting a specific one. I. just. want."

A short pause. Watching still. Eyes drilling almost. Unrelenting. Dilated. Grinning. Insane. Truly captivated by that twirl of color in her eyes. Matching his own.

"All that beautiful chaos."

      SHE PRIDED HERSELF,     on the fact she normally didn't make it easy, for anyone to get a read on her. whilst most people were an open book. she took those chapters and closed them. stopping anyone from reading her story. both in her knowledge and upon her face. and that was all before she shut out her humanity. afterward it was even harder [ ... ] for anyone to read her. after all, she had no emotions so it wasn't easy. but for some reason, lance and his friend, seemed to need only look at her, and knew what the fuck was going on in her head. as well as which buttons they needed to press. it was honestly fucking annoying. and more times than she could count, she felt like wiping them out. from killing them so they couldn't annoy her. ( fit would momentarily make her feel better!   )    yet part of her was also amused by them. which was why she didn't give into those urges to kill them. though due to the emotional maelstrom, she was feeling right now. she was regretting that choice.   

     she listens to him   ━   with an eyebrow raised.   and can't help the sarcastic nod that she lets out, or the way her lips seem to hitch up in amusement. questions burned along her tongue, as truly she was fucking curious what the hell kind of game he was playing. there had to be a reason [ ... ] he seemed to keep not only annoying her, but also pushing her buttons to dig down deep into knowing her. just what was his fucking aim. (    it was bugging her!    )    looking at him squarely in the eyes now, she allows a malignant smirk to crawl upon the edges of her lips. as the hazel hue in her eyes, begin to bleed away. a symphony, OF RED, BLACK, PURPLE AND GOLD, colors the irises as she steps closer. fingers itching at her side, as she feels her palm warming up. hellfire so close to the surface, so close to being used. and the dark side of her craves it. badly.

           ❛  honestly, what the fuck do you want ....   ❜ the tone of her voice   ━   left no room for arguments.   he'd pushed her buttons, making her feel emotions she had long since buried. had uncovered hidden truths she'd rather leave hidden. and now she was determined to find out why. she had changed those emotions into pure anger. and was willing to use it. (    no questions asked!    )    her eyes twitch, matching that of her fingers, as the colors swirl within her eyes like a tornado. when she was like this. there was no hiding the fact that she was a princess of hell. it all but screamed from her. ❛   what do you hope to acheive ........ !   ❜  

[demcnsinmymind]

She's not bothered by his presence at all, and he doesn't bother hiding the lingering looks either. Arms folded over his chest and eyes dancing all across her figure in that tub, smirk ever present for a while, at least until she mentions his mother. It's only then when he stops watching her, lets out a sigh.

"Didn't know manners were all that relevant to you. My deepest apologies" he mutters and gets walking with a halfhearted knock on the door frame. Not bothering to pick up on the mother topic any further. Because yes. She did teach him. So many things. Everything that was fucking good in him. But that is of no relevance here. Not with her.

Payne keeps humming and looks at him, somewhat daring him to come closer. It's just that he doesn't need the invitation. Would've kept walking regardless. Soon, he's close enough to the tub so that he can kneel down beside it. Dips a hand inside the warm water, twirls his pointer finger around to push away some of the bubbles. It's as delicate as can be, just as relaxed as her, almost casual.

"I ran into brother dearest the other day" he says then, after a while, eyes focused on the twirling mini vortex he was creating in the water. Until at last, he's looking at her again. Eyes showing their own twirl of color as always. Subtle. Strange. Indecipherable ones. But they're there.

"Asked me all sorts of questions about you. About us. Jealous little prick, isn't he" Lance goes on, then gives her a little frown. A perfect mixture of challenging yet genuinely curious.

"Tell me. Why haven't you killed him yet?"

Shower meme!

𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 ( still accepting ) // @demcnsinmymind

     SHE WAS GETTING USED,     to the fact, he tended to pop up in places she wasn't expecting. there was no sense of boundaries [ ... ] where lance and his passenger were concerned. which is why the moment the demon senses his aura, she doesn't even shift. if anything she slumps further into the hot water, letting it caress her tanned skin. why should she end her relaxation [ ... ] due to an unwanted visitor. if he didn't appreciate the sight. then well for one, he should wait for an invitation. and secondly. she honestly couldn't care. which is why she begins to hum the tune to some corny 80's song. one she had heard on the radio earlier, and was now annoyingly stuck in her head. she didn't mind truly. it distracted her. but not so much that she doesn't sense as he draws nearer. his aura growing stronger and pulsing over her skin. before it had been a tickle but now, she could feel it as prominent as her own fingers. ( that was how used to him she was!   )    her head rolls along the edge of the bathtub, a smirk dancing along her lips as she eyes, his tall frame taking up the doorway.       ❛  didn't your mama teach you how to knock ....   ❜ eyes looking at him for a moment, before she looked back again. her humming resuming.    as she awaits his answer. or if he was simply going to stand there. but then again, she'd never been the most patient.

      ❛  clearly, you wanted something. so what is it ....   ❜ head turning to look at him once more. as a dark brow raises upon her face. she's also aware that yeah he was getting an unobstructed view. but again, she doesn't care, not really anyway. (   she was too relaxed to care!   )   

[demcnsinmymind]

"Now that's a fact I won't deny" he said with a grin, liking how her leaning forward a bit made things easier for him. And it really was true. Shitty horrible people pissed him the fuck off these days. But goodness? Kindness and politeness? Hell yeah. Definitely got him off in all the right ways.

"Though I do love a good fuck you if the situation calls for it."

Azathoth was all about politeness and 'manners' most of the time. And sometimes he did wish it would tell people to fuck off more. Just like him.

"That definitely sounds like a fuck you type of situation" he remarked when she told him more about her brother. Guy had already seemed like a peach when they met. So focused on her and all about her. Creepy shit indeed. Creepy stuff she just made worse when she told him about the abuse she'd suffered. He'd been focused on the task at hand until now, washing her back and shoulders, putting care and a surprising amount of tenderness into it. But this statement made him stop and just look at her. With a mixture of horror, disgust and soon...rage all over again.

And he just looked at her in silence for a long time, letting that rage boil beneath the surface. The picture she was painting was a start. And even though this wasn't even his revenge or problem it still left him somewhat...unsatisfied. Like this just wasn't enough. Not enough suffering. Not enough punishment. Not enough for shitty people like this.

"Sounds like a good start, yeah" he replied a bit dryly, then looked down so he could dip the cloth back inside the water, clean it a bit, soak it in fresh and warm water again. Only to pull it back to the surface, hand turned around and offering it back, leaving it up to her if she still wanted the help. Though it certainly looked and sounded like she could take care of herself just fine.

"You really think rebirth is a thing?" he asked, but not in a mocking way. Genuinely curious instead.

@demcnsinmymind continued from here [ x ]

    HER EYES ROLL,     back in her head a little. as he takes over with the cloth. the gentle rubbing along her skin, firing up her body. as well she wasn't scared to admit, she was someone who liked touch. even if she avoided it [ ... ] such a contradiction to herself. but right now she wasn't about to start complaining. he'd found his balls to touch. so who was she to complain. she does lean forward a bit more though, simply to help him.   ( because of course she likes to help. of course!   )    though her mind does go back to what he said. and she can't help the upturn of her lips.   as her own sass comes out to play.    playful grin now turned upon him, as her eyes sparkle with their mischief.           ❛   who knew politeness was what got you off .....   ❜   the words were ones she couldn't help. it was in her nature to tease like that. especially when someone, gave her the opening.

      ❛  ever since we were kids. always demanding my attention. showing off to his baby sister, and causing a commotion if I didn't give him what he wanted ....   ❜ she drawls softly. it was more of an explanation than he was asking for. but around him, the words always seemed to trail off her lips before she could stop them. it was a habit she needed to break. as it was a swift decline down to finding out her weaknesses. which she couldn't allow to happen. (   it would get her killed!   )    but for now. she didn't let it weigh on her too much. she could sense the bloodlust burning inside of him. swirling beneath the surface like a river that was hard to control. AND IT AMUSED HER. oh, how she'd once felt the conflict between them. but now, it seemed he'd come to cherish the connection. welcomed it even. it was a surprising change.

                she has to think about his question   ━   as she'd not given it some thought.   well she had, but it wasn't something she did in detail. as she had vowed vengeance against her brother, more times than she'd spoken her true name. aka the one she was born with. humming softly, she lets eyes trail to lance. regarding him for a moment.     ❛   well he had me abused by his men at one point, so that seems like some good place to start ....   ❜    her words trail off at the end. as no doubt he'd figure out what she was alluding too. hell her fingers begin to idly trail along a scar from that, specific interaction. ( one of the many things she was left with!    )    still as she traces the scar, her mind begins to wander. filling with images that call to her darkness, images of blood and vengeance. and she can feel her eyes begin to change. bleeding into black, red, gold and purple. the sign of her non human self. that side awakening due to her wish for violence.  ❛   I'll also kill him twice. because if he's anything like me then he'll crawl back out of hell. the end product is his soul being shredded into a thousand pieces so he can't be reborn.   ❜    SHE SMIRKS.   every part of her enjoying that specific picture. as once she was done, she would completely wipe her brother from this world. as well as every memory of him.

[demcnsinmymind]

The chaotic flashes of color in her eyes triggers yet another quick change in control - almost to a point where it feels like all three of them are starting to rile each other up. And it's not just her eyes - the drag of her skin against his, the touch, is enough to trigger something else in Azathoth, too. That ever so prevalent possessiveness and touchy jealousy.

Though he's still smiling at her and his entire body language radiates a comfortable sense of calm and self assurance - it does make him lean away from her touch, eager to keep up a certain amount of distance between them. It clicks his tongue at her - once, twice, thrice. With a slow, continuous shake of his head and a playful, yet ominous and animal-like flash of teeth. It doesn't speak it out at all. The counter warning. But the message is clear either way.

No touch. This skin - this body - its territory. Not hers for the taking.

Luckily enough, she does turn away from him eventually, motioning for them to keep following. And the second she mentions including it in her plans, sharing them, that insane grin is right back on his face.

"Oh you most definitely should" it chirps as they follow her, slow enough to keep him behind her this time. They're both all eyes on her - Lance's focus on her ass, unashamed and intrigued, Azathoth's on the back of her head, still trying to worm its way inside, trying to dig, dig, dig, crack, crack, crack. Unlike them though - she's no open book. And everything remains unseen and unexplored inside that pretty little head of hers. Not frustrating though. Just...exciting.

Soon enough, Lance realizes that its interest in her goes beyond its usual day to day intrigue and curiosity. That this isn't about keeping her around to do its dirty work, like killing the other hunter that is still after him. That guy's pretty much forgotten about and far away from here for now. He can tell by the way they walk around a corner and another....and another. Never reaching the street and motel that should be right there around the next corner. Instead - each time, they end up back inside the same alleyway. Or a similar one. Slight variations. Going in circles.

The go to signature move it likes to pull whenever it is fascinated by someone. Wants to keep them. Loop, loop, loop around the bend. Never going anywhere. It's a tease. A subtle one. They all know that this isn't really going to stop her, but this is not what it's about. It's doing this to keep the conversation going. To follow, to stalk. To keep her around just a little while longer. Lance knows it all too well. That's how it got him after all. Looping. Keeping. Talking. Sighing, but chuckling, Lance just shakes his head at both her and it and lets it have the stage for now. Knowing all too well that it's not going to stop either way- now that it's in this mood again. The prodding kind.

"Tell me, daughter of a knight of hell and a human" it calls out while keeping a bigger and bigger distance between the both of them, walking slower and slower. "If we're not talking about daddy's powers, why not talk about whatever it is that sweet language teacher mom passed on to you?And just what exactly it is that made you decide to abandon that part of yourself, hm? I don't suppose dear mom would want her daughter to kill and torture any creature...or that you would do any such thing if you cared about her or the usual human sentiments. But you're right...you've left quite a mess back there without batting an eyelash. You're more than eager to make more of it. Which tells me that you.don't.care" it analyzes with an insane grin, only to end up chuckling to itself.

With that, Lance has come to a complete halt again, giving her an almost endearing look. If it weren't for that outright insane look in his eyes now. It lifts both his arms in the air a bit to present him better, make her look at his entire figure.

"I don't suppose it takes much to see just how much of a fan I am. Of humanity. There's so much it has to offer. With all their families and attachments and have-you-nots. They care. So much" it laughs, shaking his head, then walking again to approach her, just so it can take another closer look at her, really interested now.

"About the littlest things. So why don't you, Payne?"

               she knew, that for someone like her, she wasn’t supposed to shut her humanity down. it was imbedded in her system after all. a part of who she was. all thanks to her mother having been chosen as the vessel to carry pain. blessing her with divinity as well as darkness. two sides of a coin that all demons were missing. she could walk across both lines and play in the garden of both. but she was sick of getting hurt, of losing all she held dear, because she clung to humanity ─── her mother had wanted her to remain close with her humanity. and well her mother was dead, so what good did it do her. payne herself had died twice. so there was nothing her humanity could give her, minus a headache.

               she knows, the moment his passenger wants to latch onto her pain, and uses her powers to cloak her emotions further. she didn’t want to have to kill him, for daring to press on a button she didn’t want pressed. she had a feeling that wouldn’t end well. instead she listens to his words and laughs loudly. ❝   try growing up catholic knowing you’re a demon …  ❞ she shrugs, knowing it was kinda ironic. after all ─── she was an abomination, someone who shouldn’t have been born and yet here she is. walking, talking, breathing. and being a total pain in the ass, for both hunters, demons and angels. ❝  but you’re right, the hierarchy sucks ass  …  ❞ and that was coming from a daughter or someone, who sat right in the middle of it.

                 her eyes flash, a chaotic mess of yellow, red and black as he steps closer. a warning as well as a message that she can read his intrigue as strongly as she reads a book. his words causing a deep chuckle of her own to drift into the air as she steps close again, tattooed fingers and acryclic nails coming up to drag lightly across his skin ❝  let’s just say, my powers mean i can kill my father, the devil, and any angel that stands in my way …  ❞ she knew how her words were veiled as a threat, warning him not to piss her off. but now she was curious, and well it was never fun when she was curious. as people tended to end up dead, but she liked him enough for now ─── tilting her head, she grins at his words once more. ❝  and my father can kiss my ass for all i care. i don’t follow him, nor would i blow him if he was the last man alive  …  ❞ she shrugs and turns once more, hand waving in the air as if out of boredom, but mostly a sign for him to get walking again. she had a hunter to kill after all.

                 ❝   and who knows, don’t piss me off, and i might include you in my plans. as well as sharing them.  ❞

[demcnsinmymind]

He shakes his head and clicks his tongue at her. Forced. Meh. Nothing kinky about any of that. The worst, if they're all honest. And something both him and Azathoth are as much of a conjoined force on as with anything else he'd been through.

"Pity. Kinky nun story would've been way too fitting I guess. Oh well. One of these days" Lance replies, while Azathoth doesn't fail to notice the subtle hint of sadness in her eyes in the meantime. Given her previous reactions and attitude, it latches right on to that subtle display of emotion, tries to suck it right out of her, pull it right in the open, but all it's met with is a brick wall on her side the second that it tries. It makes the both of them chuckle.

Lance, because it is rare these days to see it bite its teeth out on something it's interested in, and it, because that proposes a fun challenge for it, too. It keeps trying to prod at the entry point, the mother, the pain there as they keep talking, not at all interested when she drops the good old bible talk.

Makes it laugh, if anything, just like Lance, because religions/cults/whatever never fail to get a good chuckle out of him these days. He stops in his tracks when she places herself in front of him, stops walking and just keeps looking at him like that. A stare not quite so unfamiliar, since his hitchhiker has put it on his own face every once in a while, whenever it got obsessed with getting an answer. Despite his routine with it, it doesn't fail to send shivers right down his spine. At the same time, his amused reaction to the bible talk stays genuine.

"Yeah...no. Don't wanna know. Not really part of any of that. Both sides, actually. More of a free spirit. I can barely even believe the whole bible club actually exists in the first place. The whole holier-than-thou black and white schtick all sounds like a bad movie plot if you ask me. And so pedantic. With all the hierarchies? Not really my cake. Not my kind of chaos."

The transition's ever so fluid halfway through the answer as the demon sultan's suddenly done trying to prod at the mother topic and its attention snaps right onto the father instead, the conversation at hand. Eyes widening and pupils blown so big that it makes them look almost black past the hint of chaotic magenta in there, as that ever so insatiable hunger for power overwhelms it, gets its nonexistent ears all pricked up.

"Well, now you're just sweet talking me" it replies with a wet chuckle, grinning right back and trying to further decrease the distance between them, now that she's stopped walking. "Only to shy away from telling me about those powers, hm? A tease, I see... Your father must be so proud of you for following in his footsteps. Surely, he must want for you to spread his power like...what is it they call it?...Gospel?" An highly amused, almost sickening chuckle.

"Go on. Tell me more about that mess you plan to make. You'll find that I'm just the right thing to listen and make it heard."

               she barely blinks, at the way the dead end soon opens up into a shortcut. she had witnessed enough demon powers over the years to not even be phased anymore. not even of the ones that she herself had. for instance she could easily transport them both to where the hunter was, but she was keeping that ability close to her chest. it was her escape card. ─── the thing she used to get her out of situations as quickly as possible. but right now she was far more focused on the male. and how guarded he seemed to be over his deal with ‘whoever’ was inside of him. she liked puzzles and he was a huge one, wrapped up in many layers, and her curiosity wanted nothing more than to unravel him. layer by layer. now if she meant his actual skin, was yet to be decided.

                 she can see, the intrigue in his eyes, at learning of her true nature. that unlike him she was born this way, it wasn’t something she could escape. and his words, as well as his theatrical delivery makes her chuckle. even if for a moment a age old sadness fills her eyes, as she thinks of her mother. a sadness that even no humanity could escape. ❝   hmm close enough, more like a language teacher forced to bear two children …  ❞ she shrugs, focusing on banishing the thoughts of her mother, the laughter she could still remember ─── those belonged to someone that payne had killed. the human that clung to her humanity like a life raft and tried to survive in the world as it threatened to tear her apart. she wasn’t that person anymore. so instead she focuses on his words, and wonders how much to tell him, to reveal her own puzzle pieces. as she was almost positive she couldn’t mess with his memory. his 'passenger’ would probably protect him from that. ❝  how well do you know the bible, ever heard of the seven knights of hell. the strongest demons created who could kill lucifer if they wished ??  …  ❞ she moves in front of him now, stopping him from walking, as her hazel hues bore into his like lasers, wanting to observe every look as it passed over his face. to sate her own curiosity. or so she tells herself.

                 ❝   my father, is the first knight ever created. the strongest. and that’s why the hunters want me dead, because unlike my brother, i inherited all my fathers powers. meaning i can cause quite the mess if i wished …  ❞ she grins ─── she didn’t add details, like how even heaven was potentially hunting her, given that now she knew her powers. and that’s how much mess she could create, even for those winged fuckers. no, definitely not telling him that. she’d let his own curiosity burn.

[demcnsinmymind]

Her comment on his deal does make him curious, but he's too proud and keen on keeping his cards close to his chest to ask her what she means with it not being a possession.

"I know. Told you. So much more than the usual" he just says with a wink. He suddenly turns a corner to enter an alley that had been a dead end just a second earlier, but which has now become a shortcut to the other side of town. It's still a bit startling and mindblowing for the human part inside of him, but he's gotten used to Azathoth's ability to mess with both time and space long ago. While it had still been attached to the building and twisted its halls around , with him still inside it instead of the other way round.

After a bit of a learning curve and truly embracing what they're both capable of though, he's come to appreciate all the benefits of its true powers instead of letting them fuck with his mind. Physical shortcuts obviously being one of them. It's entirely natural to him now, despite it defying the laws of physics and everything he learned to be true about the real world. But neither of them truly belongs to it anymore. In it anymore. And when she shares how she came to be, Lance has to laugh and turn back around so he can look at her. Eyeballing her a bit, unashamed, because the new information about her heritage's just asking for another once-over.

"Wow. Kinky mama" he chuckles, noting how naturally, this makes Azathoth very interested now. With its goal to keep spreading and feeding on powerful oddities just like her, it's no real surprise.

"Don't tell me. She was a nun who was seduced by Satan or something" he jokes and then points at her. "Which would make you the antichrist" he gasps somewhat theatrically, though soon enough, he's getting more serious again. "So what, is that why these hunters are after you? You gonna bring about the end of the world or something? I might know some people who'd love to ride with you on that train." Then, he shoots her another look, the other shining through. Azathoth, who, unbeknowst to her, has made it clear more than once that it's not quite interested in ending it all. Because why cull the entire herd that keeps you fed when you can cultivate an endless supply of its suffering instead?

"And some who wouldn't."

               her laughter is rich, at the way he speaks, as though proud of a name. and it for some reason amuses her. but at his name she drops into a mock bow before standing back up again. the cigarette in her hand cutting an arc in the air as she listens to him talk. her red lips curving up into a smirk. as oh he was providing some of the greatest entertainment she’d had in a while. which was strange as normally she was bored out of her mind. and didn’t enjoy anything. but hey she wasn’t going to judge it. ─── as it just meant that the next kill would be just as fun. as normally she got it over with quickly if she was bored. but this meant she’d at least have some fun. which was always a plus.

               ❝   pleasure to meet ya, Lance preston  …  ❞

                 there is almost, a childlike humour in her words at the way she pronounces her name. but either way the demon doesn’t give a shit. and instead allows her eyebrow to curl upwards as she follows behind him. ❝   it means a possession, and the thing inside you aint one of them honey …  ❞ she flicks the now smoked cigarette away, and doesn’t even care where it lands as she begins to hum a song softly to herself. though his next question has her smirking to herself. she notes, with ease, of how he doesn’t ask her name. and it was probably the first smart choice he’d gone and made all night. but she wouldn’t focus on that ─── instead she increases her speed till she’s walking beside him, her dark clothes soaking up the light that surrounded them as her head shakes softly. ❝  born this way, human mama, demon daddy  …  ❞ she had moved to stand near him, to watch his face, to see how he reacted to the knowledge he was walking beside a half demon. a half demon that had clearly kissed goodbye to her humanity. with a smile on her face.