Embrace This Illusion(OPEN)

[Kiyoshi Kumori Tentei]

The door opened to the cafe, and a man wearing a mask walked in. All eyes seemed to go on him, thugs, whores, any bottom dweller had been here. Lower class demons even. He closed the door behind him and walked to a table. ”Waitress, give me your finest rum.” he ordered, she glared to him before walking off. Muttering a “freak” under her breathe, he leaned over the table.

Gripping his forehead. Blasted memories. He wondered how much they would be worth, could he offer them for power. He grinned at the thought, then paused. His eyes widening. It had been a cold winter night, he walked towards the room where the young wolf demon lay. He opened the room, strands of light flooding her room, he watched as the young girl drowned under the light. He stared to her, she had not been shivering from the cold, yet he could see his breathe. She was strong. He smiled, as he heard foot steps pause at the other side of him. “She went to bed only a little while ago, Kiyoshi-sama.” It had been hibiki.

A hard thud on his table could be heard the rum landing on the table. He had long not cared for drinking, it only killed brain cells. He would simply buy it because he could. She didn’t turn out how he wanted her too. She had great potential and now what?! She bedded with a fire demon, that wasn’t even worth the smoke of his own flames. He growled at the thought...then he growled why was the thought in his mind. They would pay..both of them. Sythe would be under his control..the killer he made. She would kill the one she loved...then she would live with the thought in her mind.

He tilted his head, and started to laugh. His long hair dancing on his back, people staring at him, giving him nasty glares. He wasn’t worried about a few humans. No, not at all. Soon they would all be begging for life. He chuckled at the thought.

[Ambrie]

The probability of finding a saint at a strip club wouldn't be much lower than finding an Ambrie at a bar. She had sensed a rather large amount of demon energy radiating from this place that her "target" was supposed to be though. And she smiled. My my, this might be a good day after all. If she were tracking another cold trail what she was here for wasn't there to be found, she'd at least have a little fun.

The scent of alcohol and vomit, cat calls and bad memories washed over her senses as she pushed her way through those large wooden doors. It killed her smile like a shot to the temple, and the tiny femme looked around for the stairs. Instead she found herself staring at a man laughing like a maniac at the other end of the bar, and...for some odd reason, something stirred in her.

That face, that laugh. Those sharp eyes narrowed at the strange man across the room, lips parting as she searched through her mind for an explanation for why he looked so...familiar. The past few weeks were a blur to her. She'd been bitten by something back in Demon World that she was certain had been the cause of it, yes...but...after that she could only remember bits and pieces. And none of them made sense, like random pieces to the same puzzle that didn't fit together. But this guy was definetly someone...and the vibe she was getting made her skin crawl.

" 'Ey babeh gurl, why 'on't you come sit wiff papa--" Two arms snaked around her waist out of nowhere, sending a jolt of fury through her and within heartbeats, the drunk man was heaved over her shoulder then sent flying - directly for Kiyoshi's chair. It was almost entirely reflex, I swear to you. Ambrie had a problem with places like this. And the thought of this grim memory wasn't helping her feel any more at ease.

[Kiyoshi Kumori Tentei]

He had been sitting there, his legs crossed, his ears twitched and he shot up in his chair, taking a step to the side, as the man crashed into his chair. Hmm, he looked over to the girl who threw the human, he was masked; a great mask, with a lot of colors, from purples to reds, and golds. The same gold that shined in his eyes. He stared to her, and they narrowed onto her, a predator locking onto his prey.

He stood there, before walking over to her, he was a great looming man and he didn’t seem to care much to hid that fact he was a demon. The black beak covering his nose shined under the light, and he grinned softly. ”Well.. I do think you owe me a drink. But I was not drinking it, but would you like one?” he had asked with a sot sigh, as his long black hair covered his body, his finger curling around the tips of his hair. He smiled to her, a soft gentle one. Little did she know... his intent right now was good and pure, but later.. he couldn’t almost suppress his chuckle.

He looked down to her a grin on his face. She was the strongest here, he would have to admit.. she looked like she would be strong. He smelled no fear on her, just annoyance. Hopefully not annoyed of him. He walked off to his table, stepping on the man without a word, as he grabbed a chair. He just needed to find a way to set her off.. and what way had been better. He pulled the chair out from the man, and sat down on it. Then a bar brawl he sat down legs crossed as he stared to her.

The man got up, and walked up to the man, before staying behind him. ”You a-re goi’n toh tahke tha’ ba’k mist-er” the drunk threatened as he went to strike the man from behind. In an instant, that almost her eyes couldn’t follow. The man had a broken wrist. He grinned, as the man fell to the ground screaming in pain. A sound that he would waltz too.

[Ambrie]

Distaste began to creep over her shoulders like cold, ghoulish hands. Uncertainly was also a similar flavor. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. Ambrie, by now, had figured she could handle this. But instead of her mind calculating how to most efficiently continue on and carry out her assignment, all Ambrie could think about was just how gruesome she could make the burning deaths of every person of every room in this horrible place...

An eerie sense of dangerous unpredictability radiated from the lithe femme like a scent, the feeling only intensifying as her ruffled feathers smoothed out once more. Of course she noticed where the drunk she'd thrown had landed. As well as who his body had almost hit. But she didn't care. The hackles that had been raised at this masked fool were redirected to a much more familiar enemy. She had more advantageous things to take out her irritability. She didn't have time for deja vu...

She really just didn't want to think about it.

That piercing gaze swept to the stairs leading into the upper rooms, forcing herself to direct her focus on her mission instead of the masses of morons that inhibited this disgusting place. She took a step forward, black boot faintly skidding as it prematurely touched down on the wooden floor. Well would you look at that...idiot number two was in her way.

The masked demon was an intimidating sight....especially for someone who had the least bit of spirit awareness. He was taller than he had looked on the other side of the room, and his clever golden eyes reminded her of embers straight from a hellish flame. Though...from the looks of things...Kiyoshi was far from the one being unfriendly.

”Well.. I do think you owe me a drink. But I was not drinking it, but would you like one?”

would you like one?

Those words echoed in the darkest chambers of her mind and a nasty snarl parted her lips. But she didn't allow the thought time to resonate - she couldn't afford to. There were few people in this world that rivaled her in power. But here lately, it seemed she was running into every single one of them. First Hiei, then whatever the heck had bitten her back in the makai, then that red-headed guy, now this one. It was so painfully uncharacteristic of her to feel as though she needed to be careful around someone...er...well...not that she was. The stupid girl was lucky her attitude hadn't already sent her to a shallow grave...it almost had, on numerous occasions. It was only a matter of time before her storage of good fortune ran dry or she became strong enough to hold her own. It would be one or the other, that was for sure...

But just as that said attitude was about to shoulder roughly past Kiyoshi like he were some bothersome pup, the masked demon turned to walk back to his seat.

That was the moment she should've made a break for those stairs while she had a chance....because the next certainly closed all doors. The bar was plunged head-long smack in the middle of a chaotic mess. Noses broke, chairs flew, tables splintered and the sounds of angry shouts and shattering bottles overwhelmed the room.

Ambrie scowled, dodging a salt shaker that'd been flying for her head. She still felt Kiyoshi's burning eyes on her and she sought him out with her own, finding his eerie face through the flurry of drunks and morons. It sent chills running up her spine, the hostility in her pressing against its bars. Why...was he watching her like that?

The man on her right suddenly swung a chair, finding her in the crossfire. She brought up a hand, the leg taping into it as though she were simply catching a ball and her grip closed around the cool, battle-worn wood. Her eyes never left the demon across the room, her assignment doubtlessly ruined. And Ambrie had had enough.

A rush of energy shot through the chair, causing it to explode from the inside and jagged splinters to fly. They sliced through people and everything else like shot-gun powered needles and by the time the last one hit, the roar of the brawl had faded entirely.

The ones who were still alive, able, and had enough sense to made a hasty dash for the exit. Everyone else lay dead or unconscious in the disaster of a room...all save the two, spiritual figures and their two way stare-down.

A bottle rolled across the uneven planks.

[Kiyoshi Kumori Tentei]

Sitting there, he stared. The chaos reflecting through his eyes; the golden mirrors never blinking. Only the brimstones of hell would be brighter then that golden. His pupils moved left to right watching the brawlers fight. He was a roman king and they were all his soldiers.. what was the word. He pondered as men let out grunts of pain, closing his eyes. Gladiators. Had they been the roman warriors? He smirked. The world will be his gladiators. The thought of people killing their selves for his amusement made him feel.. well for lack of better words excruciatingly exciting. A glitter appeared in his eyes.

He stood up; the game had been over. He wanted to dance to the ever beating bass that would soon slow to an end. A song that he always enjoyed. He looked around; and when the bass died, the song ended, with a sad song, a loud scream. On the inside of himself his eyes twitched. She had missed one, oh well.. not every gladiator was perfect. He’d make her perfect. He set his hands on each side of the arms on his chair, pulling up to stand up. His great figure had been looming over her even though he was far away from her. He smiled, showing a toothy grin; a kind grin.

”Lovely show you put on, girl. “ he said, with a grin. He knew her; from the moment she walked in; even though his back had been to her. He knew a scent when he knew smelled it before. She had been the traveler who had gotten to close to his territory; one of his more powerful subjects bit her, ironically the snake demon was afraid of blood. So.. Kiyoshi had to do what was best, and kill him. He looked down to her, and then walked toward her, his hair following him in wisps of darkness, curling around behind him. Yet he still hid his face, he had stopped only ten feet away from her.

He looked around, inspecting the corpses and the passed out men. Pigs. Weak humans. He placed his foot against one of the ones. The shallow breathing vibrated, running up his leg. He didn’t look down though. He simply stared at her, with those golden orbs that seemed to ever so stare into her very soul, raptured her very being, but at the same time a kind aura came out of him. His smile did not falter. ”My name is Lord Kiyoshi Kumori Tentei, and it is an honor to meet a human with such strength.” He said as he bowed his head, a black water fall, colliding against his shoulders, as he straightened his back he stared to her; looking her directly in to the eyes.

He wanted her to look away; be uncomfortable. What other people suffer, he found such amusement out of it.He questioned to himself, what would be her desires. His smile did not fade, and his being appeared as if he was aware of everything around him. She was human, and she seemed as if she did not mind fighting, so world peace.. like those annoying happy go lucky blonde haired americans wished for. That would be the first country he would make his hell. How disgusting. So what would be her desires.. hmmm. He would just have to see, now wouldn’t he.

[Ambrie]

That hot, cerulean glare showed no sign of faltering, even up to Kiyoshi's introduction and classy bow. Ambrie was a bit...backwards...in a sense. The things that would make most people faint in terror were the very things that fueled her challenging flame. The worse things looked, the stronger her urge to show her fangs. Deep down below all the pride and crap this kind of thing was honestly fear driven: Ambrie was far from the alpha wolf syndrome she was so often mistaken for. The more confident of the pack didn't mind if another got close too its meal so long as they didn't touch anything, the less secure acted like a wet hell cat at the sight of someone else because they knew that someone could take it - and that they would likely try. The latter was a more efficient way of describing the human girl. She reflexively stood up to and annihilated every scary thing that stood in her way because she enjoyed it, yes, because there was something in her that demanded it and she loved the feeling of being the one to lay down the law, yes, but not always in the name of being "better". Or not simply that, anyway. Si vis pacem para bellum, my friends.

And Kiyoshi was indeed a "scary thing". He was stronger than her, so of course he was. It meant he could take whatever he wanted from her, do whatever he wanted to her, without a whole lot she could say. Of course, she never allowed those kind of thoughts to run through her mind, the realization of it was just embedded in her subconscious somewhere. So hey, maybe she wasn't a total pompous moron. She just...thought like one?

"Mmm..." Her vocals held a celestial allure, faintly tainted with suspicion and distrust as she studied the fiery stare behind his mask. The small girl moved to him, feet silently closing the distance into nothing more than a few inches. "And what business might a demon lord have in the human realm?" Ambrie moved her face close to his neck, tilting it up to the base of his chin though still keeping enough distance that the two wouldn't touch. "Much less one of your caliber...Lord Kiyoshi..." She practically hissed the word.

Visions of that gruesome scene beneath the flower shop had flooded her mind from the moment he had been introduced, lingering as her sense of smell searched for any scent that would give away a man-eater as she smelled him. Usually even a human could see one coming from a mile away. But it was hard to smell anything from a distance over the drenching alcohol in this place.

Notice she didn't offer her name.

[Kiyoshi Kumori Tentei]

Kiyoshi watched in amusement, a smirk on his face as the girl seemed a bit wary of him. Yes she would also be his killer. His perfect killer. Of course he could only consider her a perfect killer once she destroyed his last project. He so clumsily thought that Hibiki could destroy. He wanted to snort and roll his eyes at the thought, but the ever perfect actor. The amusement kept as she took a few steps towards them, until only a small crack was between the two. His eyes sparkling now, as he felt her warm breath touch her. He didn’t move back as she stayed this close, he wasn’t worried.

He looked down to her, being taller then her the only way he could. His hand shot up, gripping her own, he was so cold but at the same time she felt fire spark from her finger tips to her hand as they touched. ”I have been searching for some one like you.” he said as he leaned his face so their noses were practically touching. Oh yes, Kiyoshi would enjoy making this one his loyal subject. He suddenly took a step from her, his back to her and him facing the wall, as he walked back to his seat. The king mustn’t mingle with his subjects more then ten minutes.

He leaned back against the chair, his legs crossing and his hands folding over his knees as he stared to her. He opened his mouth as if to say something. In his mind he was going over what the girl would desire most. Power? Love? A place to call home. He began to speak. ”I would like your assistance.” he spoke with a smile. Then he’d take it from her ”I will give you anything you desire.” he didn’t speak it out, it was more of a hushed purr, that would send shivers down the spine of the dead. His tongue flicked across his lips. ”For a cost.” Make a deal with the devil, Darling

[Ambrie]

Ambrie didn't smell what she'd beenlooking for. Not now at least. If he did eat humans he hadn't in the last few days. It was sort of a bummer, but at the same time...a relief. Perhaps she wouldn't be tangling with an A class demon after all. Though...the small femme inwardly shook her head at the thought. Why she even made a subconscious note to persue this mystery was beyond her...and now here she was considering the enemy of these people her own. Ambrie was a human, but...she'd never felt like she belonged. She didn't belong anywhere.

Ambrie flinched as the demon grabbed her hand, glancing down at it briefly before his face neared hers. A cute little wrinkle appeared over her nose as she battled for her composure. Though after a moment, her lips parted into a nervy snarl and she couldn't help from pull back.

That certainly wouldn't've happened a few months ago. She was sharp by nature but Ambrie had nearly been killed in demon world by someone that reminded her of him. It had been the first time she had come across someone who rivaled or exceeded her in power since she had begun to go who had been mishandled enough to be allowed to hit her full force. Excluding Hiei, but his advantage had been more frustrating than scary until the end. If only she had found a less practical way to find that "stone". She would be invinsible right now...

That's what you get for trusting someone else.

Ambrie'd promised herself that would be the last time she would have to learn that lession. But as she watched Kiyoshi walk away, and listened to those words, a familiar uncertainty began to creep over her shoulders like a haunting, nagging ghost.

"I will give you anything you desire...for a cost."

How disgusting it was that she did not walk out right then. She wanted to, but the more dominating side of her insisted that there was nothing wrong with hearing him out. Just for grins and giggles. He was a demon lord, yes? He likely could make any dream materialize into reality. Just...not hers.

A warm wave of memories washed over her psyche and she closed her cerulean eyes, to vanquish them before they concluded their gruesome end. They were of better days...long, long past. Days she would never see again.

Her dark lashes lifted, creating feathery shadows on her cheeks as she fixed him with an unreadable glare. Ambrie didn't trust him, nor would she. She didn't trust anyone in this world. And it was slowly eating her from the inside out.

Like acid.

"My desires..." She echoed, "You don't know what you're saying."