it burns like heroin :: open

[teef]

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maybe it was just the insanity of her situation, maybe it was her own mind. kade didn't quite know and nor did she quite particularly care. all she knew was that she had killed one more target in her ever shrinking and expanding list.

now listen here, she wasn't some psychopathic being, no, she was rather mortal through and through, but her ... occupation made it otherwise.

kade had been human once, as all of everyone in san creado had probably been. her occupation as a demon hunter made it so that her lifespan had been stretched past the normal foreseeable limits for a human. and so she had ceased being human, and mortal, or so it seemed.

sitting in her old and falling apart home with her eyes on the ceiling and a glass of moonshine held between her fingers, blood staining the glass red. she laughed herself hoarse there, the bare light bulb flickering above her as she sat there, finding humor in the wreck that her life had become.

her mind was back in the days before she had taken up demon hunting. she remembered being younger, of looking up at her fiance back when they were thirteen, when the two best friends had known that he had a terminal illness. she remembered setting up their future baby's room in their mansion, filled with so many other people. she remembered the night that half the mansion went up in flames, and she could remember the screaming of her family as something killed them before it came for her.

jolting into a more alert state she sat up hard, eyes immediately falling to the human girl and demon she had locked up in her house, both gagged. sighing she set down her glass of alcohol and stood up, walking over to the girl, tipping her head up and looking into her eyes. she almost felt bad as she moved to the demon she had caught.

pulling out a knife she hummed, casually flipping it around to point the tip towards herself, smiling as she lifted the demon's chin with the hilt, voice low as she began her questioning. the girl, a demon worshipper, a worshipper of the demon she was always hunting, didn't last an hour before she was screaming and begging for mercy against the hunter's techniques.

the hours she spent "interrogating" were hours she was grateful to be so far from the city for. no doubt she had attracted the whole vampire gang with the stench of blood, they could have the girl for all she wanted. she had a damn message to deliver, and she knew the demon looked through its disciples and worshippers. not that it stopped her, it just pissed her off.

sitting outside her house with her weapons soaking in a tub at her side kade could finally stretch. seeing how empty the night was she laid back against the stairs, arms crossed behind her head as she began to sing, her mind drifting to more recent memories, to memories of hunting with mari, with her old friend. taking a drag from her cigarette kade cleared her throat, sensing someone's presence nearby, [color=#7F525D]"take whatever you want of the bodies, freshly killed and more than enough blood. be careful, demon blood has strange qualities." she forewarned, senses telling her the newcomer was a member of san creado.

[marissa]

[align=center][div style="text-align: justify; width: 45%; font-family: arial; font-size: 8pt; color:black"]The sight of the beaten up house – Kade's beaten up house – resurfaced lots of repressed memories within her; the majority were pleasant, some a bit more somber. Marissa remembered the times she tagged along with the redheaded demon hunter in the past, often against the other's wishes. She felt honored that Kade was concerned for her safety, but the brunette knew herself that there was surely another reason Kade was so tentative about her company. Kade wasn't one who underestimated people. An arrogant mindset could've been a fatal mistake for an individual with her occupation. Marissa wasn't like some delicate little flower, and she was positive Kade was aware of that. Learning Kade's reasoning for acting the way she did was one of Marissa's more solemn memories, and happened to be the very reason she was present now.

Although she attempted not to alert the hunter of her appearance by staying relatively unmoving and silent, Marissa couldn't say she was surprised by Kade's realization regardless. For someone who seemed predominantly human, the hunter's cognizance was quite the opposite. Considering there was no longer a point in concealing herself from view behind the safety of one of the house's walls, Marissa waited a second before revealing herself. She stepped out from the corner, the only noise breaking the silence being the rustling of grass and gravel beneath her feet. With each step she approached closer, the metallic scent of blood intermixed with ash from the cigarette grew stronger, obscuring the smell of what would've been fresh cool air from her senses.

Now that she was at the steps, Marissa wordlessly turned to take a seat beside the taller girl. Even without either of them standing, their was a visible height difference between the two. A little sigh escaped from between her lips as she pressed the palms of her hands gently against the stairs, soon leaning her own head back to gaze upward. Sitting like this with Kade was resminiscent of the past, as little of a gesture as it was. Perhaps a lot of time had passed since Marissa last saw Kade, but that didn't make the silence between them uncomfortable. Just knowing that Kade was physically there was reassuring enough, and Marissa hoped the feeling was mutual.

Still, there were many thoughts running through her head that she wanted to verbalize. The sight of clouds beginning to roll in and obstruct her view of the glimmering lights above caused Mari to cast her gaze away from the night sky. Without tilting her head to look at Kade, she glanced at the older girl, her lips parting momentarily after to speak. "You never catch a break, do you?" Marissa's tone was calm but lighthearted as she spoke. "You've just gotten here and you've already started a new killing spree. Great." Her voice was laced with sarcasm, though it was evident that she was just joking judging from the smile that made way to her face.

Knowing her, it would've been stranger for the redhead to take a break rather than not. When it came to demons, Kade always seemed so restless to her, though it was understandable given the circumstances. If her family had gone through the same, Mari was she she wouldn't be sitting still either. There were times where she definitely respected the amount of determination Kade had, but she simultaneously worried for the girl. Even if her lifespan was stretched, that didn't necessarily mean she was immortal.

It was only after a few seconds of silence that Marissa lifted her head up from the stairs and tilted it to look at Kade. "You feeling alright?'

[teef]

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lifting her head as mari settled at her side, made relaxed, hands folded behind her head as she hummed, sucking on her lower lip. [color=#7F525D]"Breaks don't ever come. If they do, it's when I'm dead." she mused as she shifted her gaze over to mari. sighing a little she turned to face her a bit better, "What's got you so worked up, mari-berry? Did I do wrong?" she hummed in question, using her favourite nickname for her close friend.

eyes traveling to the sky she sighed, taking another pull from her cigarette before she blew the smoke out through her nose, coughing slightly at the tickle. her eyes narrowed at the sky as clouds scuttled across the impressive midnight blue sky, obscuring the rising moon and the gentle caresses of the stars like butterfly kisses on her pained mind. watching the smoke lift and dance through the air she quickly became mesmerized, chasing the fleeting images from her thoughts of the past. she swallowed and chewed on mari's words, mulling over them for a while before formulating some sort of answer.

"I would much rather get myself established here now, instead of doing so later. this is just a warning to the demons in town to stay away." she finally responded, fingers finding grooves and patterns in the roughly hewn dirt stairs. she knew mari worried over her, the same as she worried for her, especially with the tracks she had found. she had woken earlier that day to find the wards on her home attacked, and had known it was time to set up shop.

when asked if she was alright she gave a coy smile, "Am I feeling alright?? Have I ever felt alright, berry? mmm. i am fine if that's what you mean. nothing new." she told her softly, blue eyes on the face of the girl she had once loved as a partner. looking away she sighed, rubbing her knees to warm her hands. she had a big hunt coming, but she did her best not to give it away.

[marissa]

[align=center][div style="text-align: justify; width: 45%; font-family: arial; font-size: 8pt; color:black"]A pessimistic persepective was something Kade frequently carried, so Marissa couldn't say she was expecting a positive answer. Still, she released yet another sigh at her comments, however a more audible one this instance. She flicked her gaze down at the huntress, eyeing her momentarily. "Mhmm..." Marissa purposely drew out the hum to include emphasis. Her dark brown eyes lifted to look into Kade's blue ones. "No breaks, she says, while she's on a smoke break." Unless laying on the steps was part of her master plan, Marissa knew that was incorrect. That, and Marissa was self-aware that she was interpreting Kade's words too literally, just to mess with her a little. She raised up a finger, only to point it at herself. "If you think this is how I am worked up, then you'll be in for a real surprise one day..."

Marissa didn't know if she'd consider herself worked up. Various thoughts were clouding her head, although they made her feel more concerned than upset. Kade's occupation as a demon hunter brought obvious dangers, but it was actually Kade's solitary condition that stemmed Marissa's solicitude. Without distractions, the mind wandered, occasionally within areas that should've been left untouched. Harrowing memories were weaved into Kade's drive and desire to hunt; as such, Marissa wanted to be her temporary distraction.

The werewolf's shoulders lifted into a little shrug. "I can't say you're wrong. Murdering someone does set off a mighty impression." It wasn't like Marissa could speak much about that, though. Kade was a living example that she tended to associate with unique but kind of terrifying people. "Maybe I'll try it next time I move. Who knows." This time when she spoke, her words dripped with sarcasm. Marissa had it in her to deck someone upon first sight, but she wasn't so sure about killing. That was just kind of extra.

One of her hands reached out to the redheaded hunter. Gentle fingertips lightly pressed against Kade's shoulder in a reassuring manner. "If that's what you say," Marissa responded in a calm tone. She wasn't going to force Kade to express herself. She had enough trust in her friend that she would tell if something was wrong, at least eventually. Marissa slid her hand off of Kade and pressed them against the wood of the stairs, using a little bit of force to push herself up. The brunette was quick to turn around once on her feet so she was able to see Kade again. "Not that you asked, but I'm doing alright too. But you know what would be better? If we got off these damn stairs." Her suggestion was a joke for the most part, but the feeling of the wood digging into her skin was actually starting to produce small aches.

"Jeez, Kade." In the few moments Marissa paused, a teasing smile made way to her face. "Can't you find a couch to rest on or something? Like a normal person?" Then again, the closest couch was probably inside the house, which may or may not have contained a dead body. So much for being generic. Marissa extended one of her hands, holding it out for Kade. "Come on. We're leaving before you give yourself some nasty back problem."

[teef]

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listening to mari speak always helped kade to slow down and take a step back from her work. she knew that if mari wasn't there, she probably would have been hospitalized several times bc she buried herself over the head in too many things.

before the accident, she had pursued art with a lust, never breaking in her stead. now years later, her art was found only in her kills. sighing softly she smiled and listened to mari, [color=#C11B17]"I've only seen you worked up once. I don't remember what it was anymore. Mmmm." she merely smiled at the quip, lips curling patiently.

when mari touched her shoulder, the older woman resolutely refused to show any of the desire she had to lean into her hand. okay yep, she knew that she was upset inside now. sighing lightly she ruffled her own hair, rubbing her face with a hand. she smiled off-handedly when offered mari's hand, getting to her feet by herself. if she took the other girl's hand she knew that it would have ended in a tight hug. tonight was the anniversary of that night, and she needed to be with someone or else the memories were going to eat her alive. "Mmm. A back problem would be the least of my issues. But yes. Have you eaten yet?" she responded as she looked at her friend in concern.

[alexander]

[table][tr][td][div style="width: 70px; height:70px; background-image:url(https://i.imgbox.com/W8N8gUDb.png); background-size: cover; background-position: top;"][/td][td][div style="width: 100px; text-align: center; font-family: arial; font-size: 7pt; color: #ff0000; line-height: 100%; padding-top: 6px; padding-left: 6px; opacity: 0.75; text-transform: lowercase;"]my brother's friends explain to me, with breathless words and bloody knees; it's a black eyed trust, respect the pain.

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Contrary to what Kade had believed, it had taken some time for the smell of blood to attract a vampire. Alexander steps into the room just as Marissa is convincing the hunter to leave, an eyebrow raised, not exactly happy to see the mess the woman had made. They didn't have to clean any of it up, but it would grind their gears to know that a house in San Creado, no matter how broken down and dirty it already was, would now always have the smell of death and gore. They could think of no one in San Creado who would be inclined to pick all of this up, unless Kade herself did something with her victims when they weren't used.

They come to stand beside Marissa, more comfortable with her than the demon hunter, attention going from the bodies on the floor to their company. "I'll pass on the demon, and the human, too. I don't like eating off the floor. I'm sure it's been longer than five seconds." They say, hands on their hips. They look back to the supposed meal Kade had offered them, nose scrunching slightly. "I'm not sure the rest of the vampires would like this, either. They're kind of picky."

Alexander heads out of the house themselves, for once wanting to get away from the smell of blood. The demon gave off a scent like ash and brimstone, something that told the vampire to stay well away. They wait for Marissa and Kade to catch up before they're moving again, absentmindedly tugging at their hair. "Well, you've put me in the mood for some kind of snack. Let's head to the minimart."

[body]

[size=10pt]Zach has no sense of smell, so the blood hadn't attracted him - neither had the screams for mercy. It's hard to hear such things when one of your ears is missing. In fact, he isn't quite sure what had prompted him to drift over here. Call it a sixth sense, zombie instinct, whatever, there had been something in him that steered him in this direction. He regrets following it. Though the feat is impossible, he feels the distinct urge to vomit. The sheer look of horror he wears is sure ironic. If he could see his face, he'd have a fit. "Are you guys just gonna ignore the fact that she just killed someone?" Asks the serial killer, voice quivering.

He opens his mouth to say something else, but then it occurs to him that this must be normal. They're not phased at all by the bodies strewn about the floor, not the blood spattering the walls or Kade's hands. This is just an average Tuesday night to them. "...what did she do to deserve that?" He had heard some talk about demons on the way in, but he had been too distracted by the carnage on the floor to pay much attention. As the group moves along, he stumbles after them, deciding he has no choice but to follow. He's an accomplice now. This is yet another charge he's racked up. God, he already has a life sentence.

Then again, it isn't like there are any cops around. Zachariah hasn't seen one police station in the entire time he's been here. Not to mention it would be pretty difficult to arrest him when he didn't have any hands to cuff. He's sure that the rest of the lot have their own method to avoiding any kind of corporal punishment, given that half of them aren't even human. Alexander's remark has him scoffing and folding his arms across his chest. He really can't wrap his head around it. How can any of them act like this is just a casual, everyday occurrence?

[marissa]

[align=center][div style="text-align: justify; width: 45%; font-family: arial; font-size: 8pt; color:black"]Agonizing screams and the smell of blood would've undoubtedly attracted the attention of more than just herself, so the sound of footsteps falling behind her didn't shock Marissa. With an unbothered expression, she looked back over her shoulder to see Alexander, the first of the local vampires to arrive. A putrid smell lingering in the air – not emitting from the bodies – made her believe that the crowd around the deceased would only increase after their arrival. Before he even entered, the werewolf was aware of Zachariah's presence from his repulsive odor alone. If she accidentally breathed through her nose, tonight's death count was only going to rise.

She wasn't entirely sure how they so casually went from hanging around corpses to heading to the minimart, but Marissa was completely alright with the change of action. Zachariah seemed to be the voice of reason in the group; unfortunaly his words went through virtually deaf ears. "Yeah, pretty much," Marissa answered bluntly to his first question. Of all people, she wasn't expecting him to be in disbelief. Wasn't he the one who was practically dead but still somehow standing? Hadn't he supposedly revived an individual from the grave, too? Murder was nothing unbelievable compared to those feats. "It's just like how we ignore science so your existence is possible." She looked back at the rotting man and shrugged. To Marissa, this was an average Tuesday night.

His second question was something Marissa was uncertain about answering, so she'd leave it to Kade. Half of the time, the brunette had no idea what the demons specifically did to enter her hit list. Marissa was just aware that it was necessary to execute them, at least according to the hunter. Sometimes, she found herself pitying the demons, but knowing Kade's reason to hunt... It gave Marissa mixed feelings. "I wouldn't worry so much. She knows what she's doing." The redhead had a distaste for demons, but Marrisa didn't think Kade would ever go as far as reaping two innocent lives. "It's not like she's actually trying to be a serial killer or something." The werewolf paused for a moment to think. "Well, Kade's not the stereotypical 'I should be in prison' kind." A slightly playful smile formed on Marissa's face before she glanced at the taller female. "I hope."

[teef]

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kade gave a long sigh when the others turned up, the demon hunter giving each of them a scouring judging look before giving in. [color=#7F525D]"The others can get their own meals then. Our local witch might have something to say about that, though. I need to speak with him later, regardless." she murmured softly, licking her lips.

Bending down to retrieve her wooden tub full of soaking weapons she walked it back inside, casually drying off each deadly sharp object. when she nicked herself she licked the blood off her finger with a hum. she might be a little sadistic but she certainly didn't take immense pleasure in her job. she hated it, specifically when she had to kill people.

looking at them as she came back to join them, the hunter blew out a breath through her nose, "You honestly DON'T want to know what they've done to deserve death. Death comes for everyone eventually in some way. I'm a good enough friend with death that I can bring them theirs sooner. And maybe I do wish I was in prison for all that I've done." she answered cautiously, a slight lilt in her voice. Chuckling she nodded to the group, her eyes speaking nothing of her inner emotions. She just seemed content to leave the mess until she returned.

[Rialto]

[table][tr][td][div style="width: 70px; height:70px; background-image:url(https://i.imgbox.com/4XVwGFUK.png); background-size: cover; background-position: top;"][/td][td][div style="width: 100px; text-align: center; font-family: arial; font-size: 7pt; color: #8A8A8A; line-height: 100%; padding-top: 5px; padding-left: 10px; opacity: 0.75; text-transform: lowercase"]Secrets on Broadway to the freeway, you're a keeper of crimes; Fear no conviction, grapes of wrath can only sweeten your wine

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Blood no longer acted as a honey trap quite as well as it used to. Throughout the ages, as defenses were hiked against the activities of the otherworldly, growing in complexity and capability while people learned, Rialto couldn't speak for all of them but many vampires had grown just a little bit smarter to compensate. A lot of blood became a shining red flag for a markedly sticky situation, given whosever it was and why, and even without a mortal countdown hanging over their heads, most people didn't like the sound of hysterical laughter.

Not to mention that this time the swathe of blood had a tinge decidedly not human mixed in. He'd had his fair share of experience with not human, as he would, and also hunters. Mortals that lured in the supernatural like reeling in fish.

Mouth shut, Rialto pressed his tongue into the back of his fangs as he gingerly clambered off the roof of the neighbouring house - where he'd been perched, of course. To watch from a safe distance. There was still very much to say about the whole, self-righteous 'putting them out of their misery' killing; the 'it's all for the greater good' killing; however, if there was one thing a nasty little bloodsucker didn't have the leverage to do, it was to be the one to say it. His mouth only twisted, the hazily judgemental expression on his face hard to read. Well, kind of.

For Rialto, the process had been the opposite. His own haze of smelly, rampant glory years preceded the gambolling into creative expression, and that much had probably served him well - the 'new beginnings' concept acted as more of a good incentive than an actually good plan, but some people managed to pull it off. You know. To stop and smell the roses. 

'A reality check,' Rialto said disparagingly to Mari's statement once his grubby flip flops touched earth, gaining level with them and raising a hand to his temple. 'In my town. So, could you tell me how exactly she is not trying to be a serial killer?'

His eyes fell over the blacksmith as she returned, features becoming blasé momentarily before they lapsed into, as Rialto called it, Helpless Pitiful Vampire at the mention of the minimart. Big shiny eyes out as he gave them all a faux-casual, utterly hopeful look, steepling his fingers. 'Oh no, I'm craving soda but there's no change on me. Is there anyone at all who's a generous, giving soul?'