thought  he'd  been  seeing  things,  at  first.  a  result  of  a  couple  of  sleepless  nights  of  his  own  making,  up  too  late  reading  the  first  and  busy  staring  at  his  bed  partner  all  night  (  while  poppy  made  fun  of  him  ).  the  first  glimpse  of  bubblegum  streaked  gray  hair,  he'd  assumed  he'd  blinked  too  fast  and  when  he'd  turned  quick  enough  to  almost  give  himself  whiplash,  there'd  been  nothing  there.  sitting  in  inkspell,  though,  eyes  affixed  to  an  armchair  that  held  the  visage  of  his  grandma  —  dressed  in  the  same  dark  blue  robe  and  slippers  he'd  seen  her  in  last,  teddy  was  positive  that  it  must've  been  some  sort  of  lack  of  sleep  addled  psychosis.  ‟  do  you  see  them  ?  ”  whispers  when  he  hears  the  door  open,  refusing  to  give  in  to  the  paranoia  rising  unless  someone  else  saw  her  too. / @scaryghcsts

it had become almost part of the routine for rayan, stopping by inkspell to do a little pestering, a little button pushing... he'd give it to the strega, theo wasn't one to fall victim easily to their trifling. unfortunately for the bookkeep, that only made it all the more encouraging to try. what glee arose in the daemon's chest, watching annoyance surge like a hum of delicious tension under his skin. he'd planned to do the same, waltzing into the shoppe with an air of authority that was madly misplaced - when the tone of voice, the quiver of uncertainty stopping them dead in their tracks. ray's amber eyes followed the blue hues of theo's own, fixating on the empty chair. " ... yes. " rayan whispered after a long pause, eyes widening as he stared at the empty space. there was nothing, just old fabric, but he would be a willing participant in this nightmare. even the tone of their voice sounded uneasy, not a mask the daemon pulled out typically. " i can smell the death on them from here. what magic have you conjured now? "

a  pleased  little  grin  touched  her  lips,  though  the  same  couldn't  be  extended  towards  the  daemon.  the  people  allowed  in  her  condo  had  more  of  an  intimate  knowledge  of  her,  one  that  wasn't  built  on  pretenses  and  a  mutual  desire  for  one  thing.  ‟  only  because  you  spoil  me  so  well.  ”  sugar  spun  silk  falling  from  her  lips,  though  they  both  knew  that  while  anything  else  between  them  was  a  lie,  that  was  true.  rather  than  remove  herself  from  their  space  they  waited,  watching  carefully  as  she  knew  this  could  either  go  extremely  well  or  badly  for  her  —  the  change  in  body  language  obvious.  ‟  well,  i  have  a  dilemma.  ”  makes  her  voice  extremely  casual,  hues  dropping  to  the  wallet  she  wanted  him  to  open,  but  egos.  always  so  difficult  to  tip  toe  around,  managing  them  harder  when  it  wasn't  her  own.  ‟  i  have  a  friend  that  got  into  a  ...  tangle  with  one  of  the  dear  hunters  on  this  island,  and  i  want  to  help  them  out  with  a  little  revenge.  a  few  body  parts,  something  that  could  break  them  down  a  little,  but,  i  wanted  someone  they  couldn't  retaliate  against.  ”  slight  untruth  to  it  all,  but  true  enough  that  rayan  wouldn't  have  a  reason  to  pick  up  on  it.  ‟  i  don't  believe  a  measly  hunter  could  harm  you  easily,  but  why  would  i  put  you  on  the  line  ?  ”

" ah, i see. " the daemon licked their lips, nodding with a slight ease of the tension that had crawled under their skin. " you concerned me for a moment there. i thought perhaps you had fallen into some sort of trouble. " he lied - it would've been more fun if she had, a chance to leverage a deal between them in return for assistance. actually, rayan felt a little offended that she wasn't asking them to go && terrorize a hunter for her friend's behalf. he wasn't sure how much he believed of the answer, but those long fingers resumed the slow, intentional movement of opening the clasp of the wallet && begin counting bills. " there is... one... name that comes to mind. though, i doubt you'll find him half as, mmm, eager, i suppose, for little games like that. not as much as i would be, anyway. " he wanted to lie. he considered it, even, always avoiding even saying the name of the fury who held every bit of hatred rayan had to spew. it irked him even to think of nailah going to cosimo for anything, but then again - who was he, to turn away from something that could be interesting? maybe throwing the fury onto the hunter's radar could be amusing, for a minute or two. " you could always ask cosimo de' medici. " lips twisted into a bitter, careful smile. " but, darling, we both know a hunter could never hurt me. "

          she'd thought that seeing people from the society wouldn't be as awkward as it was right now, but as kelsey watched hero trip over himself, she didn't feel the guilt she'd imagined she would. she'd thought that she'd have the memories come back of training together and spending more time out in the field would make her long for what her life used to be like, but it didn't. " yeah, probably. since you claim you missed me. " she hadn't wanted to be found, but she had been. she'd seen people lurking around and heard their steps especially if she was out late during the witching hours that they were the most active. she knew that it was other people from the society or people her parents had sent to try to persuade her to come back, to abandon her sibling just like they had. like the society that claimed to be a family had, but only when it was convenient for them.

there was carefully restrained venom dripping from her tone, and hero felt a familiar ache in his bones as he shook his head no. crumbled bills and old coins, more than the cost of the coffee he wouldn't drink, were thrust forward, across the counter, unwilling to accept a kindness - not from her, not when she'd left, not when he so uncomfortably struggled to piece together more than four words at a time suddenly. what she'd done- leaving, quitting, adjusting into some life of normalcy like she'd gained the ability of a shifter overnight herself, it all felt impossible. and strange. and appealing.

" no, that's obviously- that's not how i meant it. " hero mumbled, some irritation of his own infiltrating that baffled tone, and he sighed deeply. scarred hands returned to the depths of his pockets, emptier now his stash of change had been deposited between them. it was becoming apparent that kelsey wasn't going to answer his questions, and hero knew her well enough to recognize a pointless effort with her mind made up. still. one thing nagged at him, even as he turned to leave without even grabbing the espresso cup- hesitating, glancing around the still-empty queue area, and then back to her. " are you happier now? like... was it all worth it? " he knew the society would make it hard for her, once she left. he knew how personal some of the hunters took it. and he knew what a vengeful bunch they could be, too. she wouldn't have gotten away without someone trying something, or at least the threat of it hanging like a storm cloud. yet, there she stood, apron && all. fearless as ever, just with coffee stains instead of blood stains on her sleeves. hero shrugged. " you don't seem so different. "

He leans back into the patron stool, and glimpses at the other. “You always work here?” It felt like maybe he’d seen him a few times, around here and there. Kairos was only as big as the people you knew, and he unfortunately, knew a lot— or well he used to. “I feel like.. I would have remembered you.”

" sue? " he spat the word like it tasted bitter, nose wrinkling in genuine disgust. " they really are a band of whimpy-ass losers then, aren't they? fuckin' good riddance. fuck 'em. don't even pay attention. they're just so bored out of their goddamn minds, they have to start shit with anyone who'll take it. if they give ya grief, let me know. i'd like to see 'em try 'n take me to court. " the following snort showed that hero held genuine faith they'd fail to do so; then again, his reality always felt drastically different from that of a normal, sane person. one that wasn't embroiled in middle-of-the-night monster chases, or sunday mornings spent scrubbing werewolf blood out of his favorite pants. if a subpena was the worst of hero's worries in a week, shit, he'd fuckin' take it. a glower was sent to the table in question, for good measure. " wish a motherfucker would try. "

but he avoided meeting the patron's eyes. barely brushed them over, then back down, grabbing a towel to wipe away an invisible mark on the counter. " just most of my life, is all. " hero shrugged, then almost winced, realizing that probably wasn't what his customer would want to hear. " it's fine though. really. i make it a deliberate point to be as forgettable as i can, so, i'm glad it's workin' out for me. seems like we, uh... run 'round in very different circles, anyway. not too surprised i never really caught your eye 'till i got in your ear buggin' you. "

‟  am  i  on  a  schedule  now  i  didn't  know  about  ?  ”  asks  as  she  picks  up  one  of  the  papers  idly,  though  it's  dropped  back  down  to  the  desk  just  as  quickly.  perhaps  it  was  a  bit  earlier  than  she  usually  crept  around  his  home,  though  it  had  been  one  of  those  days  she  hadn't  had  anything  better  to  do,  and,  she'd  seen  something  especially  pretty  while  shopping.  ‟  how  many  days  am  i  allowed  before  the  ossetra  is  restocked  ?  ”  asks  as  she  begins  to  kick  her  foot  lightly,  tilting  her  head.  ‟  a  necklace  i  saw  in  the  store  window.  ”  she  appreciates  that  they  have  no  reason  to  dance  around  each  other,  though,  for  once,  the  promise  of  diamonds  and  other  shiny  things  isn't  the  only  reason  she'd  come.  ‟  i  also  want  to  know  something.  who's  the  strongest  person  that  you  know  ?  aside  from  yourself,  of  course.  ”        

" you know you're always welcome here. " what use would a daemon have for a schedule, anyway? time was irrelevant, until impatience set in. it was much preferred this way - having her there, rather than seeking her out in the nightclub like any commoner off the streets could do. they liked the company - even if it was bought. building authentic bonds proved only more && more difficult as centuries passed him by. difficult, and pointless. this was better. easier. " ugh, greedy, greedy. " orange eyes rolled, tone playful as he teased, but they both knew the shelf of caviar would be full by evening tomorrow. leaning forward, space nearly closed between them, rayan's eyes dipping to look at her own, almost close enough to feel her breath... but he withdrew, not making contact, the wallet that had been sitting behind her now in hand. the daemon was just beginning to open it, ready to fulfill the request of some new sparkly trinket, when his whole body froze at the following question. at least she was clever enough to soften it with a compliment. glowing eyes came to hers once more, but this time... they were guarded. shoulders tensing automatically, fingers still dead still on the wallet clasp. his heartbeat quickening. " now, why would you need to know something like that? " rayan didn't want to tell her. the name itself felt rotten in his throat, like dirt from a grave he almost met a lifetime ago. lips pressed together in a ghost of a frown, like a cage over a secret with a lock sealed tight.

it's a good thing that vampyrs are unable to teleport . gods know that amir would have been even more of a nightmare , had that ability been granted to him . especially during his first decades , when the betrayal tasted so fresh , he longed to spill the blood of every soul that crossed his path . deep down , traces of that desire linger . he's no longer consumed by his own thoughts , but maybe they are the reason why he refuses to make himself small .

" oh, everything is just fine... " rayan sighed, the expression conveying that everything was indeed not fine. their chin fell into a manicured hand, sharp pointed nails drumming against the counter impatiently with the other. some sort of noise always followed the daemon, usually of their own doing. a clack of shiny shoes, a low-throated laugh, a clink or clank as claws or ever-present jewelry tapped into something solid. on the daemon's best days, a symphony of screams, moans, terror, or joyous laughter would meet the trickster's ears. but tonight was quiet. rayan was... quiet.

nothing good ever came of quiet. so he smirked, leaning in to lower their voice slightly, always a bit of a flirt when boredom struck. " feeling gluttonous tonight, i hope? you know all you ever need to do is ask nicely, with a pretty please and a cherry on top. i can never resist you when you say it sweetly. " but it was followed up with a halfhearted shrug. the more time went on, centuries blurring together, the more ray began to realize their newfound fear of irrelevancy. time moved fast now- and yet, the daemon was stuck in place, always above the passage of it, always a little left behind as the world moved on && he raced to keep up. " yes, well, you always did prefer the life of a ghost. not me. " the daemon sulked. " a drink would help, " he perked up slightly, nodding with a flash of orange glow, a smile threatening to spill over the edge of the frown. " perhaps you can help me hide from my enemies, then. my ex is here. as is my archnemesis. both of them. " another forlorn sigh, rayan was really going for drama that night it would seem. " and about a hundred other souls designed to tempt my patience && willpower. when did this island become so damn popular, anyway? i wasn't gone that long, was i? "

i got you. thankfully, his face was turned upwards, eyes focused on the next branch above him, or hero would have felt a wave of embarrassment by the heat that climbed up from under his collar, staining his ears && cheeks a tinted shade of peach. such an odd, unfamiliar comfort, hearing the words given by choice rather than by the sworn oath of duty. hunters looked after each other. it was expected, but ceren's gentle reassurance was given.

" here, " he offered, bracing himself with a hand on a branch && leaning to reach for her basket to secure between a split in the wood, and then again to clasp her hand && give her a pull up to the higher perch that the hunter had come to rest on. the tree was healthy, full of vitality, it's branches thick && strong. it'd hold them both, he was sure. " let me help. c'mon, up we go- " a little grunt as he pulled his weight back, arm coming around her as they stabilized. " i got you. "

an echoed sentiment of her own, now from his own lips. the smile that followed was small, unpracticed, but genuine. somehow, it felt safer up there, like a little pocket outside of reality. surrounded by the green of the leaves, sun just peeking in through speckled patterns through the canopy, and then the rest of the orchard sprawled out ahead. after a moment, the hunter tore his eyes from ceren, and glanced back out towards the horizon. " i can't believe you just live here- lived... here. somewhere this incredible? i dunno if i'd ever be able to leave. a farm always sounded so nice, if i had the land for it. maybe someday. " though, really, hero couldn't imagine living anywhere else than the run down, shabby little cottage he inherited from michalis. the place where he grew up.

‟  it  would  be  better  than  toppling  books  that  have  seen  better  days.  ”  he  could  feel  poppy  tugging  at  their  bond,  knew  that  she  had  locked  onto  the  daemon  with  hackles  raised  the  same  as  he  had.  teddy  keeps  his  gaze  on  rayan,  watching  as  it  seems  like  they  somehow  continue  to  find  their  way  closer  despite  the  desk  in  between  them,  not  taking  the  obvious  bait  laid  out  to  trap  him.  ‟  or  you  could  say  excuse  me.  it  works  pretty  well  for  me  whenever  i  need  someone's  attention  for  something.  ”  orange  eyes.  what  sort  of  creature  had  eyes  like  bowls  of  fruit  ?  

he's  contemplating,  the  compliment  ?  catching  him  enough  off  guard  that  teddy  finds  himself  releasing  a  soft  little  snort.  ‟  i'm  charmed,  i'm  sure  of  it.  ”  jade  hues  flick  over  to  the  key  now  held  in  the  other's  hand,  a  soft  sigh  escaping  him.  ‟  you  didn't  just  want  a  book  on  one  of  the  shelves  ?  ”  he  asks,  not  trying  to  taunt  or  anything  of  the  sort.  it's  a  little  tired,  exasperated  —  it  was  so  close  to  the  end  of  his  shift.  he'd  been  looking  forward  to  getting  started  on  the  new  risotto  recipe  he'd  found  after  a  fairly  easy  day,  but  this  was  what  he  got  for  letting  his  guard  fall.  ‟  can  i  have  that  back,  please  ?  you're  not  allowed  in  the  back.  i'm  not  certain  what  type  of  relationship  you  had  with  claudia,  or  whatever  her  name  was,  but  she's  not  here  right  now.  ”  he  voices,  standing  up  from  his  perch  slowly.

slowly, rayan shook his head no. what good was the shelved books, full of germs from grubby fingers of who knows what pawing through them && passing them over? anything on a shelf worth being bought would have already been snatched, they were sure. && besides - how fun to play at the edge of a strega's patience, see how brittle the strings were before they snapped && played a tune of mania. not that the daemon was foolish enough to think a little teasing would be all that it took, but... it did serve as a solid beginning. just a little test. " i'm not allowed? says whom? " he blinked, faking the vision of innocence over his face, and held up the key with two fingers so it dangled in the air - but close enough still to his body, that snatching it would be a difficult endeavor. they didn't step back nor flinch when the other stood. only gave a small, intrigued laugh, giving the key a little swing before wrapping their fingers back around it in a fist. " i remember when this place was built. "

they didn't take their eyes off of the book seller, instead stepping sideways towards the locked case kept tucked away. a second step, curiosity alive && well. " who are you to tell me no? i'm looking for something specific. something lost. and, besides. i am a paying customer. "

" i would request your finest, but unfortunately, the stuff does nothing for me. " rayan answered with a knowing smile, eyebrow quirking upwards as their eyes flashed a telling glow of orange. as fun as spilling blood was, the daemon had never craved the taste of it. " red and sweet though is right up my ally if it comes with a fruity kick. how are the cranberry martinis these days? still strong enough to pack a bite? " they felt quite clever with that one, a smile growing over their features with a subtle, self-satisfied giggle.

he'd  thought  it  was  kiara.  that  nagging  thing  in  the  back  of  his  mind  that  had  his  hackles  raised,  something  uncertain  settling  low  in  his  stomach.  that  she  was  likely  sneaking  around  in  between  the  shelves  again  as  if  he  couldn't  both  see  and  feel  her,  but  he  could  tell  soon  it  was  something  much  more  sinister.  teddy's  chewing  on  his  granola  bar  slowed,  the  way  his  eyes  flicked  up  to  glance  around  every  so  often  from  his  feigned  reading,  tugging  on  his  bond  with  poppy  gently  in  the  case  that  something  had  to  be  done  —  hoping  with  every  fiber  of  his  being  it  wouldn't  come  to  that.

the  shoe  dropping  didn't  startle  as  much  as  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  body,  the  person  attached  to  the  sound.  not  foolish  enough  to  think  a  stack  of  books  suddenly  hitting  the  floor  had  been  some  random  act.  his  magic  hadn't  been  that  reckless  in  a  while,  and  with  poppy  on  his  other  side  staring  daggers  just  as  he  was  side  eyeing,  there  was  no  chance  it  was  her  either.  ‟  hello.  ”  was  used  to  being  stared  at  by  the  various  people  that  came  in  and  out  of  inkspell,  but  never  quite  so  openly  in  a  way  that  made  his  skin  crawl  slightly.  like  he  was  something  about  to  get  devoured  on  a  silver  platter,  a  prey  under  the  stare  of  a  predator.  ‟  don't  know  who  that  is.  been  here  a  while.  ”  but  he  didn't  offer  his  name  nor  the  length  of  time,  watching  the  daemon  in  placid  assessment  —  ‟  charmed,  i'm  sure.  i'd  appreciate  it  if  you  didn't  knock  anymore  things  over.  ”  with  more  bravado  than  he  felt,  but  it  was  like  people  always  said.  people  could  sense  fear,  and  even  though  he'd  immediately  be  going  to  leo  for  some  sort  of  protection  to  put  around  the  shop,  he  wouldn't  allow  the  other  to  see  it.     

so the strega was a clever one, instead of the pretty but dumb type. rayan's smile didn't falter, but their tone did change, dropping the act of innocence as they leaned a hip to the counter && crossed their arms. " ah... my apologies. next time i hope to get your attention, should i just call out hey, you? " both a confession of their actions, and the subtle nudge towards potentially being presented with a name. on an island like this, in a place like kairos, knowing the clientele that come into this shop... rayan didn't want to be on necessarily bad terms with the staff. there were secrets stuffed into these walls. && in their keeper before the daemon, darkness hidden in him, too. a buried pain that rippled beneath the rest.

rayan wondered what sort of damage their magic could do, if given the chance. by the looks of the strega, the daemon figured he'd never even tried to test the limits of it. " i like you. " they decided with a nod, turning slightly to reach for a key they knew was hidden under the counter for the case of the rare valuables kept in the back. " you give absolutely nothing, which means there is everything to be discovered. " ah-ha. there it was. long, manicured nails curled around the key, and rayan straightened, curious if the nameless strega would try && stop them. there was no intention on paying for whatever book it was that would catch the daemon's eye, and there was a taunt in the elaboration of their movements. like they had every right to be there, behind the counter && grabbing hidden keys at all.

Their voice softened, though the edges of it were still edges sharp. Drawing the two of them in, like moth to flame. She wondered, quietly, if she were the flicker of candlelight, or the thing that drowned itself to be near it. “How would you do it?” Her brows arched then, only a little. But the way her voice notched lowered to match theirs, was like they were speaking in shared secrets. “Stalk him, that is?” Her chin titled, darkened irises flickered upon umber, then down the curve of their features. “You kill for sport the ?” The corners of her mouth twitched into a smirk, half alive and half enchantingly taunting. “Is it hunting season?

" haven't you heard it's rude to ask a lady her age? " rayan was quick with the response - of course, bearing no true insecurity of the answer that could be given, but simply because... they couldn't remember. after so many centuries come to pass, you stop celebrating things like the passage of time, or the rotations of the sun. they fade into nothingness, hardly thought of. a thousand years, two, three- what did it really matter, in the end? ray looked at her closer now, wondering in return the same of her. for someone to still care about a silly thing like an age, they had to be young, in some sense of the concept.

besides. as a rule, usually, ray didn't answer personal questions about themselves on the first meeting. far better to leave it shrouded in mystery, keep everyone coming back for more. this was how the legends were created, though they doubted many in kairos would remember much of the last name rayan blew through the town.

it was an interesting question. ray wasn't sure they'd ever been asked that before, and paused, head tilting, as they considered how to answer. killing wasn't exactly something rayan did by any real need, nor even true desire. it was sort of just- a means to an end. a way to teach a lesson, to get what he wanted, to rid himself of a problem, or to gain a favor from someone else. there was always some meaning to it. and, half the time, rayan didn't even do the act themself. there was always a hungrier, greedier creature than them to do the deed && benefit in the end. " you know... i don't usually plan that far in advance. it's more of a spontaneous thing. would that be considered sport, or just a fun personality type? " they smirked, giving a small shrug, as if it didn't matter one way or another. it didn't, not really. " what about you, then? much of a killer beyond the sass, or is it all for show? don't tell me you bark worse than you bite. "