Layla Kassin

Closed starters: 

Elio

Pending replies

Matthew

Daphne- Halloween

Luke

Caleb

Caleb

Hemi

Matthew

“No problem,” Theodore stood up and dusted off his pants. His eyes shifted left and right, glancing at the background behind her. Feeling quite awkward, he murmured “Enjoy the party,” and walked away.

through time | layla & matthew

The dark magic in the air in the month of October was not helping matters either. Not when Matthew was already feeling out of sorts emotionally, physically and spiritually. He could practically taste the demonic hedonism that permeated the air and it felt so enticing. His demon had invited him to a party that evening, one that Matthew was sure would not end well if he attended, but he wanted to see the man again because despite it all still Matthew missed him terribly.

As dejected as he seemed to be, Layla looked to be the complete opposite. There was a spring in her step and the smile on her face was vastly different to the one she wore when they first bumped into each other all those years ago.

“I haven’t seen you around Rome in quite some time, Layla,” he said with a strained smile. Matthew’s energy was becoming more abnormal and messed up these days and he hoped that she would simply chalk it up to it being the month of the demons and leave it at that. “A-Are you back to for the celebrations?”

-

" I've been entertained in France, all that glorious bloodshed followed by a new dynasty on the throne.” Layla replied studying the deity in front of her. While she didn't know the other well enough to draw conclusions from his behaviour. The fallen deity could feel the raw and erratic energy following him like a heavy trail of chains dragging him deep into a dark place.One that she had know quite well all those eras ago before her fall. 

“Could not have missed the fertile ground for discord and sinful indulgence. Dancing, drinking and fornication, our celebrations never disappoint. A few years back malevolent spirits took hold of human bodies and used it for the night.” An entire village was destroyed but those were rather minor details, along with the witch hunt that the catholic church started after those events.

Hemi easily relinquished the bottle over to Layla, knowing she would make good use of it. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought this was a burlesque show inside of Vicium and not the Halloween party. The crowd was enraptured by the fallen deity, all eyes on her including his own. It was a dare he got to enjoy as well, his eyes raking in the way the material clung to her curves. Hemi would have to applaud his own excellent choices with this one because everyone got a treat from it. 

As she returned, he gave a round of applause. “Excellent show. I think everyone has a hard on for you now.” Not that she wasn’t used to that kind of attention. “That’s not a dare, that’s a week long challenge,” he remarked. Still, the demon wasn’t the type to back down. He could at least try and make it work. “I think I’ll deserve a prize if I get this to work.” Downing the rest of his drink, he stepped into the crowd, searching for that one deity that Matthew had wanted him to corrupt. She might have known who he was but the night was drawing late and as he saw her swaying, he knew she had been enjoying a free drinks herself.

He stopped one of his guards from the club, giving them the song request before he approached her. It took some persuading to convince the deity to follow him towards the dance floor. As his arms circled around her, a song from The Little Mermaid came blasting from the speakers. The deity looked delighted by the change and he convinced her to sing along with him. Really, he was more embarrassed that he was revealing that he knew the song well enough to sing along. The crowd was singing along by the time the song came to an end, even giving a little cheer as it ended. Hemi took the chance to pull the woman into his arms, kissing her on the lips. It went against his normal rules but he felt the deity lean into it for a moment and he knew he was getting away with it. 

That was until she pulled back and slapped the shit out of his face. After a few choice words back and forth, Hemi wandered back through the crowd, absently rubbing his jaw. “You know, for a deity, she packed a punch,” he chuckled. “I hope you enjoyed that show because that was at the expense of my dignity.” 

Pursing his lips, he thought over his next dare. She had given him a real challenge and he wanted to do the same. “This game is unfair when no one says no to you. But, I think it’s time to test that theory. I want you to convince a deity to get a leash on and follow you around on their hands and knees.” 

-

" As they should, I´m fucking hot." Self confidence was one of her many attributes, the fallen deity lacked any sense of shame when displaying how fabulous she believed herself to be. If anyone had a problem, it was their own to deal with. " I have trust in you, darling. Make me proud!" Throwing a few kisses in his direction she watched Hemi go in search of a prey.

Where had she seen that blonde deity? The nurse from the sanatorium. Mercy was her name. A rather overdramatic name, from all the names she could have chosen. It was a name that only a young and innocent being would pick. Way over those times when she made it a game to watch and lure young deities into darkness, Layla cared little for her former species. Now she was finally free from her past ghosts and would not get entrapped in the webs of madness once again.

Distracted by a dark haired man that had an uncanny resemblance to that idiot husband of hers, Layla missed the first part of the song. One that she didn´t recognize but everyone one else seemed to. Using magic to control his actions, she found little resistance, definitely not Samael, and ordered him to turn around. After making sure that it wasn't him, not even at the expense of his life would be caught in the costume, she clapped at the performance. But the best part  was that slap. Layla would have set him on hellfire, but that was her.

" I´m sorry..." She tried to stop laughing and couldn´t. Taking a deep breath, Layla continued. "...for your face. I really am."  With a grin she moved closer to inspected his jaw. " Not broken, you were lucky." Bringing over a bottle of cold beer from the bar Layla handed it over. " Keep it close to your jaw, it won´t hurt as much until it´s mended." Demon regeneration at it´s finest.

She sat back, listening to Layla speak. She always spoke in such an eloquent tone, even when she was saying something crude. It was like a dirty book she would read at home when no one else was around. It sure sounded like a tumultuous relationship, but one that was full of passion. There was a part of her that wished to have something like that in her life. “They are very judgmental,” she agreed, having seen it firsthand. 

“I’m sure they will. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they kicked me out at this point.” She managed a soft chuckle but it didn’t reach her eyes. Surely the only reason people put up with her was her close relationship with Eli. She wondered how that would change now. “Maybe I’d be better off without a coven.”

-

" I used to like witches, nowadays they are just extremely petulant and think themselves to be more than they are. No offense intended."  Hubris was a very alluring sin. Large witch coven were the worst, sometimes Layla has a childish desire to show exactly how wrong they are and how easily their ephemeral existence could be ended. But mindless killing sprees were demodé, it was very Middle Ages.

" You do not need them. If you are kicked,  just raise your middle finger and say fuck you all and leave with your head held high. For dramatic purposes destroy something on the way out." She added with a mischievous smirk finishing the rest of her wine.

She had heard a lot about pacts with demons, but she wasn’t sure if it was something she was willing to do. Sure, she wanted to understand and master as many types of magic as she could, but she wasn’t doing it for power, at least not intentionally. Immediately, she knew her mistake, recognising that Layla had caught on to what she wasn’t saying and now she wasn’t going to let it go. “I… well, I’m sure he won’t want to waste his time hanging out with me eventually. It’s not like we could have a relationship or anything…” She trailed off before quickly realising her mistake, yet again. “You’re both demon elders, you must both be very busy,” she added, quickly trying to brush by her comments. 

-

" Somehow I doubt it..." Layla can't presume to know what was in the mind of the other demon. In spite of that, she wasn't blind and could see the obvious. Hemi most definitely didn't act as if the time he spent with Persy was a waste.

Theodore knelt down and adjusted his hand to hover just above the fabric. Slowly but surely, the bramble’s thorns receded from the dress’s hem. He batted the dress away from the bramble , which was now repositioning itself in the opposite direction, then stood up. “There are a few puncture wounds, but nothing a seamstress can’t mend,” Theodore commented.

-

Looking down at what he was doing, the demon stayed quiet not moving afraid it would cause more damage.  Magic could have mended it a matter of seconds, seems futile to use a spell for something like that. However, Layla had used magic for matters even more, in a word, stupid. Not that she would ever admit to it.

“Didn’t some of your kind start out as deities and the like? Do you lose those sides of yourselves so completely once you turn?” Caleb was genuinely curious about that. He knew of the different types of demons, some of whom had been human or even werewolves once. 

“Well, we’re taught that wolf and human co-exist inside us. There is nothing wrong with having a more animalistic side to ourselves because we were created this way,” he shrugged. As a natural born werewolf he had grown up being half wolf and it was mostly his simmering anger that he wanted to keep in check on most days.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Caleb shrugged lightly when Layla refused to give anything away. He could not begrudge her wanting to keep her secrets. Everyone in Vievecor had them. “Is it that damning that I can use it against you?” he chuckled but took no further action to question her further now that she had set those boundaries.

-

Layla wonders if he is playing dumb on purpose or if he really doesn't know that she used to be a bloody deity, thousands upon thousands of years ago. It was no secret or something that would cause her any distress to admit. 

"Our beginnings matter little after we are burned alive and reborn, metaphorically speaking... about the last part, of course."  Her next words were a mix of lies and truths. " Yes, we lose. Annihilation is necessary for the creation of a demon. Only when we destroy any weakness can we truly live."

Chuckling and unable to keep the comment to herself. " You have no idea how much I appreciate the fact that your species has that animalistic side and the stamina...makes sex all that much fun."

streets | layla & caleb

“I’m sure he is,” Caleb responded and shot Layla a look. “It would be indecent depending on the context of the visit, I suppose. Who I’m with, who sees me… You know what? Scratch that, it would be indecent on all fronts if I were ever to make an appearance.” Especially if his family – and especially his mother – were to find out. The Vicium was a notorious demon-run establishment as well, despite how serious Hemi Te Koha was when it came to the business and Caleb was curious as he was with most things, but there were certain lines he could not cross as the Lycaon pack alpha.

“Hah! No. Thank you. I really don’t want that,” he said quickly to counter Layla’s very blatant suggestion.

-

" You care too much with what others think, Caleb." The demon commented with a smile checking the time on her watch “Must you always do what is expected of you? Just do whatever your heart desires and not what your mind demands.”

She couldn't use magic and leave her motorcycle behind. Making it disappear in public would be suspicious. Fuck, seems like she would have to break a few speed limits. Traffic rules only applied to those that couldn´t pay the fines. Or she could try to convince Luke to erase them, if she was caught. 

 Turning her attention to the waitress. " Two for take away, please. He is paying for them." Layla pointed at Caleb with a smirk.

“Yeah, I’ve heard of that one. But so you’re saying…” That influential members of the historical catholic church were actually demons. Holy shit. Literally. “I’m gonna warn you that I will actually get back to you about that, because I love good stories, but fine, I’ll get out of your hair.” He took a step back and gave her a mock salute before blending back into the crowd. 

An image popped into his head, and he just had to know. “Is that what demons do in hell? Give all the old renaissance popes notes about what they got wrong?” He started laughing halfway through the sentence and pressed a hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry, I just had to ask.”

-

" I actually was quite close to some renaissance popes and their circles, their souls were delicious." Layla commented and then added with a grin. "And most of them did not end in hell, but started there. Have you heard about the banquet of the chestnuts in 1501? That was one hell of a party for Halloween. Demons always inspire the best parties...anyway, I will tell you more some other day."

Matthew had been in a bit of a mood since Halloween and it was obvious to everyone around him, even to himself, and that was the reason he hid himself in his home in the Hereafter. It was a safe space where he could retreat whenever he needed to and right now he needed to.

A magic spell told him that Layla was currently outside his door and a quick flick of his wrist had the door opening to let her in. Matthew was in his bedroom and under the covers right then as he attempted to shut the world out. The only problem was that it was not an easy feat. “I’m in here…” he called out to her and slowly pushed himself up from the bed. “And I’m glad to hear that. I’m sorry.. I just needed – need some time.” Matthew still had not told Layla out right about what happened with him and Izak but there was really nothing to tell. Not when they had never been together in the first place. “You didn’t need to check in on me. I’m sure you’ve been busy.”

-

Removing the Manolo Blahnik´s blue satin pumps from her feet, she didn´t ask for permission before taking a seat in bed next to Matthew and arranging the pillows behind his back.

" You never need to be sorry... not with me." She said, reaching up to kiss his cheek. Up closer, his clear eyes didn´t lie and told a story that was giving her murderous thoughts. Layla rarely allows herself to care deeply, when she does, her protectiveness can brush dangerous limits. "Not busy enough to keep me away. Do you mind if I stay with you? Or would you prefer me to go?" 

Viv playfully sighed at Layla’s words, “Unfortunately… Well until he stops causing so much trouble for my Lay-Bay, an asshat is what he shall remain. Just know when those divorce papers are finally signed we are throwing one hell of a party. A bigger, and wilder party than this.” Viv threw her head back in laughter at the woman’s demands, expecting nothing less from the demon. “I’ll just have to keep an eye out for multiple toys for you. That must be one hell of a craving,” she commented teasingly, also curious as ever about the many lives of Layla. 

Viv had heard quite a few murmurings about what had happened at the last party, figuring that was why she could feel some tension in the air tonight. “How right you are, my dear. I’ll keep my eyes and ears peeled for trouble. And call you to help me kick some ass to find it.”

“Uh-hu,” Viv teased, locking her pinky with Layla’s. “Well, I’ll leave you to your chaos. This little vamp just saw a coworker who promised me a dance.” Viv hopped off the stool with some semblance of grace as she finished sucking down the rest of her blood. Brunch soon to dish details!” Viv spoke before giving her bestie a kiss on each cheek and heading off to join the fun of the party once again. 

through time | layla & matthew

・゜゜・．・゜゜・．・゜゜・．・゜゜・．・゜゜・．・゜゜・．

Many decades had passed since Matthew and Layla first met and many things had changed since then. He had caught the attention of a certain someone in that time, a someone whom he had fallen in love with, but also a someone he was starting to realise had been using him. The once perfectly white wings on Matthew’s back had begun to lose their brilliance, but the deity had kept them out of sight because he did not wish to come to face with the reality of what might be happening to him. For now, he was still a deity and he desperately needed to keep it that way.

Matthew was in Rome that evening. He enjoyed Italy the most of all the places on earth because this was there he first came down from the Divine Realm. There was always a sense of security he could feel when he walked through the familiar city streets that had changed and somehow still stayed the same in the last century. Walking past the shops in the square, the deity found his mind being encroached with a number of anxious thoughts once more, and he had begun muttering to himself before he collided with someone else.

Stumbling backwards, Matthew cursed under his breath as he straightened up, torn between lashing out at the other and wanting to apologise for his carelessness. He looked up at the other and his blue eyes widened in surprise. “Layla?” 

-

France was such an entertaining venture for the demon, after the wars of religion the country was in turmoil and she ascended into high nobility with games of murder and machinations between the bedsheets. How pathetic were the humans supposed to rule a country and even more the so called kings. Starting as victors of a war of creeds the bloodline grew weaker and succumbed to all manners of sin.  Hedonism in their purest form, in a palace of vanities heads would roll in a near future. Layla was living the apogee of what France had to offer for those in higher positions, while the majority of the people lived under oppressive whims.

A quick visit to Rome to attend a macabre and debauched festival hosted by dark magic practitioners and her species, the heavy and suffocating demonic energy in the city was simply delicious. After all it was their month, October. Wearing a golden dress under a dark cape, atop of her head a crown of thorns and diamonds, Layla was walking down the square towards her destination when someone decided to interrupt her. 

His temper was on a razor’s edge and she knew it. How she could sit there like nothing, when his own little insecurities were laid bare, drove him wild. How she could get him to show her all the sides of him he hid was something he wished he could stop. He didn’t want to have anyone that made him feel this way. But if he had to trade her for that freedom, he knew he couldn’t.

“Puppets. Exactly. I don’t give bloody love to my puppets.” He spoke of love with someone other than her like it was disgusting, “I give them dick and go about my business.” He knew if she asked, he would stop it. And this time, Lucifer wouldn’t be able to stop him. She was stronger now, things were not as fresh as it had been back then. He could protect her now. “And you know damn well this is not my doing- you know what?” He rubbed his temples to try and cool himself down. He didn’t want to hurt her. He couldn’t. He didn’t want to bring up how she had hurt him, how they should just stop this with the others. He didn’t want to throw in her face his heart being her own and her heart never being his, “This is stupid. Just don’t hide shit from me, that is all I ask. I would hide it, out of worry, because my injuries are never for something as stupid as a vampire attack. I take it you had more mercy on the vampire than I would have?”

-

" And we all know how much you like to give them dick, darling." She threw his words back at him barely holding back the anger and jealousy from her tone. Layla was slightly better at holding back her emotions, but Samael always managed to break her composure. Jealousy that had no place to be, considering that she was no saint and probably hurt him more with her actions.The former deity did love him, a kind of love that wasn't made for human understanding, passionate and volatile that she believed would never change until the day he broke his promise. While she would always love him above all, she couldn´t trust him again.

" I agree that it's a stupid argument. You hide shit from me all the time and this time it doesn't count, since I didn't try to hide it. I knew the news would reach you quickly." If he had anything to do with the vampire attacks she would quite frankly lose her manners and give him one more violent scene to be amused at." It was somewhat difficult to keep the vampire alive long enough to get him out of Hedon." She was picking her words carefully, not to bring up Luke´s name during their conversation. " You know...you could give me the heads of the ones responsible for the attack in a big fucking box or would yours be there as well?"