°˖✧ { ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ’s sʟᴜᴛ } ✧˖° (verse) – Page 9

_JUDE.

_{He’d let himself in, thinking nothing of it — thinking Elliot home, so it wouldn’t matter if he came in unannounced or not. But there’s no answer to his sing – song calls of ‘ Ellie? Elliot? Elliiiiot? ‘ There’s no sound, either: not the rush of water, music, or voices come from a TV station.}

_{Jude’s child – like hope of being able to bug the other man is dashed. Frowning, eyes skim over the living room, stopping when they come upon the apartment’s other occupant: angular, coat soft and white, he traipses over looking to get the pretty kitty to let him pet her. This is enough of a distraction for a while, but not forever: minutes aggressively tick by and he’s not the most patient person or creature in the world. He may have a tendency of being obsessive, but that’s not working out in Elliot’s favor today, when Jude disengages from his furry princess to explore the apartment.}

_{Furniture is draped across. The floor rolled around on. Eventually, he’s up on his feet, poking his nose in cabinets and drawers, looking at the contents but not daring lift a hand to push them about and discover what might be hidden behind or beneath what he gets at face value. He doesn’t want to upset anything from its place.}

_{In hindsight, he can understand this as going too far, but when he extends his hand to a door that he doesn’t think will actually open with a twist of its know. “ Huh… “ It’s not only cats that can end up victims of their own curiosity: he’s instantly enthralled by the contents of this room he’s found, and how different it is from the rest of the apartment. It’s got — substance, to it. Personality. Memories, Jude discerns, eyes dragging over photos and fingers over the spines of tomes in their organized lines along their many shelves.}

_{Despite how good he’s been about leaving everything in its rightful place thus far, hound picks up one framed family photograph on impulse — a soft ache taking deeper root in his chest the longer he stares at the melancholic portrait, detailing each face until attention befalls the one belonging to a little girl. A miserable little girl.}

_{He knows who it is.}

_{But it’s neither realization, or shock: just confirmation of what he’s already known.}

_{What does come as a shock is the unregistered appearance and chilling tone from behind him. Taken off guard, Jude jolts and fumbles, the picture sliding through hands usually more deft than what they are in this moment… it hits desk’s edge with a soul – splitting CRACK! before continuing onto the floor.}

_{No, no, no… “ Fuc— “ As much as he wants to apologize, he doesn’t get a chance. Not one to so much as respond to his mishap before he’s being manhandled. “ Elliot, Elliot— I’m sorry, listen— “ He’s stronger. This is a fact. Bodily, cur could overtake the other man with ease if he weren’t so inclined to yield to his punishment. He knows he’s done wrong and worse by touching — by BREAKING — an heirloom he had no business knowing existed in the first place.}

_{Heart’s pace has quickened, as he’s not quite a fan of letting anyone loom over him when they’re inexplicably pissed off. Fists are curled into tight balls and tucked against the opposite side of their respective arm so to not start swinging; Adam’s apple shows with a nervous swallow that clears his throat of unvoiced sorry’s and excuses that won’t do him any good in making Elliot less upset with him. “ …I-I’m not opposed to it. “ The joke makes a jittery escape, though Jude’s got wits enough to wince at his stupid blip. It’s not bound to to go over too well when the atmosphere is this tense.}

_{“ I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… well, I meant to come in here, but I didn’t mean to— “ get caught? You fucking asshole— “ I didn’t mean to drop it. “}

_{———❝ Shut up. ❞|
You could see it, on his face, in his movements. A stiff paralysis continued at odds with his urgent desire to lash out. At once, he was holding back another part of him, that other half wanting nothing more than to burn all proof of his weakness. This was his face, more than genuine, more than real. He’d throw every part of his identity away if it meant no one had to see it for themself.}

_{Tossing Jude back with a strength unlike any in his reserves, the man gripped his fist until joints cracked. He knew better than this, the risk of divulging his abilities to another agent monumental, considering what this was. He’d never kill Jude, not like this, not right here. Were this real, he’d have no hesitation.}

_{❝ Do you ever just… Stop and think before you speak? ❞}

_{Tremors in the fist. Hard as diamond, the man’s exoskeleton had become brittle under the force of his emotions. He bent down, face obscured as he gripped a large shard of glass from the shattered frame. Blood collected at his palm, trickling down the wrist, and dripping onto the hardwood floor. He would clean this up. He would fix this mess.}

_{Gathering the rest of the frame together, the man tossed the bloodied mess into the trash. The man’s stubborn nature prevented him from making this any better than it could have been. His palm had already stopped bleeding, skin as pristine as the day he was reborn. To him, it was almost as if his body could not bring itself to mourn the loss. It would just keep fixing itself.}

_{❝ Accidents happen. Get over it, and get out. ❞
He hadn’t once looked the man in the eye.}

???

* IT SQUIRMS ON THE DIRT._{it is an abominable &. volatile thing , how it squirms like a worm in your shadow}( &. YOU WONDER IF THIS IS HOW YOU LOOK BENEATH THE HOLY FATHER )_{, basking in the darkness cast from you , your nose wrinkles in disgust at the thing . byproduct of the CULT that tainted the town , the memory of these loathsome things writhing around sticks fondly with you . &. when heel of boot grinds down upon the WRETCHED creature , a surfeit of sticky red mixes with the soil , there is a certain foul odor that wafts from the leech – like carcass . your skin crawls , yet your composure &. facade remain apathetic .} ❛❛ _{… IT’S GONNA COME BACK . they always fuckin’ did . not what i’m here for , though .} ❜❜ / OPEN STARTER !

_{———A careful exhale of smoke, eyes of emerald glass angled underneath his feet.
It’s not much of a kill on his part; he’d merely missed the cigarette thrown beside the damn thing.}

❝ May I at least ask you what the fuck is that dripping off my boot? ❞
Travelers rarely found themselves by these parts. He’d gone from shithole to shithole over the years, searching on mere rumor of the various occult spots in the US. Most led to tourist traps in decaying rural towns, some amounting to a childish cult of robed amateurs. There were few instances had drawn his attention like this.

This was real.

JUDE.

^{“ I’m going to die. Why does it have to be so warm already? “ Spring has eased into summer, bringing with it heat both welcome and unwelcome. It’s not the weather or it’s attributed temperature that causes Jude to sweat and fuss, hand plucking at the collar of his shirt and undoing the first several buttons of it to give him more air. It’s the swelter at the core of him that causes discomfort as it throbs, fissures in his resolve overtaken by the pulse and rush of liquid heat that’ll do the same to his self – respect and senses if he has to wait around at this pub any longer for the mechanic next door to finish diagnosing whats wrong with the engine of his bike.}

_{———❝ I don’t exactly know why you called me over, but since it’s close, I don’t mind you camping out in my air conditioned living room. ❞
The man finished his chilled beer, noting the differences in Jude’s (mood as he complained about some kind of heat. Personally, Elliot found it to be somewhat manageable next to the fan, warm air circulating rather than remaining stagnant and heavy. Leaving a tip next to the empty bottle, the man pat Jude on the back and started crossing to the door.}

❝ Think you’ll make it two blocks to the U-bahn? ❞

_{———❝ As much as I love lilies, my cat getting sick is another story. ❞
Clad in black, the man entered the quaint flower shop with an order in mind. It had been some time since he’d last attended a funeral. People he knew often died around him, but by that point, he was long forgotten. Here was someone important enough, he would attend having never seen the invitation.}

❝ I’m not exactly the best at flower language, but I’m told you’re pretty knowledgeable on the subject. ❞

_@greylich

_{———There was a certain beauty at the end of the blade.
He’d never admit it out of fear of his sanity, but the man felt intoxicated at this very second. His code denied all connection to the kill, knowing how it would change him were he to find pleasure in bloodshed. A part of you died with them when you became attached.}

Lifting from beside the limp body, the masked man wiped the blade on its lapel. Clean, quick, and humane. He didn’t need to complicate it with further creativity. A silent word uttered, he lifted his hand to begin the immolation, before pausing.

❝ You’d think a man could get a little privacy. ❞

_@saligiare

_{———❝ You shouldn’t be here. ❞
It was said with a silent fury. You could see it in his eyes, his cold exterior crumbling with each second frozen in the doorway. No weapon in hand, no mask overhead, he stood there knowing what exactly he was capable of.}

He couldn’t stand to look the man in the eye. One miscalculation, the man too comfortable in his high tower to lock one fucking door. This was his fault, a fault which lead him not to set the mutt on fire where he stood. His study was the one room in the apartment that didn’t have the same emptiness as the rest; books and albums lined the shelves, old pictures of friends and family peering back at you, while several seemed to depict one blond child amongst an estranged family. She looked unhappy.

Feet quickly approaching the intruder, Elliot reached to grab him by the collar and push him down. The attempt at roughness seemed uncharacteristic of his usual attitude; the man often ignored the unwelcome guest or went along with his antics. Something had struck a chord.

❝ You just fucking love to stick your nose up my ass, don’t you? ❞

_{@catastrophicur}

_{———❝ Take some advice from a younger man: it isn’t worth the effort. ❞}

_{@bewitcheds sc}

LOVELY.

_{arm bends && head leans into SOFT palm ‘fore a curious twinkle GLEAMS within half – lidded eyes. perhaps they had PIQUED his interest. “ you’re so young . . ” words tumble from the bat in a whisper , somewhere deep down he even felt a tad ENVIOUS. although he wasn’t ancient per se , a hundred was far better than FOUR hundred. “ you look lovely for your age – is that a BETTER compliment ? ” lips shiny with gloss then curl , revealing but the FAINTEST of dimples within porcelain cheeks.}

_{———❝ I’m only human – that means a lot to me. ❞
Unchanged and immortalized, the man felt his age with each passing day in ways apart from his body. He saw friends and acquaintances grow rich and old and dead, days spent categorizing the few he let close to him in his silent hubris. Rarely did he find himself in the company of mortals; it was more humane to live apart, than to live alone.}

❝ I find it kind of ironic how the pot calls the kettle black. ❞
Lovely was the word he used.

He’d hardly met a lovelier facade.

DAMNED.

^{_{“Infernal“ blood grew cold. Vivid hues widen, now disturbed as her}} ^{_{focus shifts to him from her peripherals.}} ^{_{A once lackluster train ride now a}} ^{_{growing concern.}}‘^{_{It’s… Diluted. Happens when your family is old as dirt…}} ’

^{_{Izumo’s eyes return forwards,}} ^{_{coming to glare at the pale hands}} ^{_{that clenched her cellphone in her lap.}} ‘ ^{_{… Are there any more like us}} ^{_{nearby? You know—— the DAMNED.}} ^{_{Since I obviously can’t tell.}} ’

———❝ You’ll get a nose for it, eventually — for better or worse, demons can be quite useful. ❞
_{He folded the paper over his thigh, finding himself suddenly disinterested in the article he’d been reading. It was evident the man was of foreign blood, but you couldn’t tell it by how he spoke. His tongue hadn’t the slightest of accents.}

_{The man frowned, rubbing his forearm as if her words hadn’t struck a chord. The parallels in her statement certainly made him wonder.}

❝ But damned is such a harsh word for a girl whose only sin is the blood coursing through her veins? ❞

BENI.

_{arm extends && fingertips soon come to PINCH
the lit end of their cigarette – the smell was beginning
to give him a headache. he can’t fuss at them for their
vices but perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to take a little break.
“ . . chew gum for a while. ” // @faustium ♥}

_{———❝ Oh sorry, I didn’t realize you were there… ❞
He couldn’t die from a blackened lung. Body unchanged by the years, all wounds healed. There were the few that mattered: two thin scars under the breast, a burn on the back of his neck, and a birthmark above his left hip bone.}

❝ I should really quit. ❞