first shoot, then ask [trenton/open]

[PE CA]

^{say hello to everything you've left behind}

<sub>It was a warm day. The humidity filtered in and out of the sun dappled forest like forming mist. The breeze was almost nonexistent below the thick leaf coverage. Being late morning now, the chirping of the birds had slowed down and only human sounds could be heard. Occasionally, the merry clang of a gypsies' caravan called out, but all seemed to be slumbering contently in the sun this day.

Not so for Pe.

She had eaten three days ago. Even if she was a demon with tremendous physical gifts, she did need to eat every now and then. Despite her targets usually being fat, old men, she never seemed to be able to keep herself full. So, as you could imagine, she was absolutely ravenous. She paused in her half-dead walk.

Should she go to the camp? No, she had eaten one of their members the other day. They were all so fit and lean. They put up such a huge fight, and for what? Enough food for her to eat on for maybe an hour or two. Though, the lad had some of the healthiest organs she had ever tasted. His liver, unlike others, hadn't been sickly.

Pe convinced herself that she didn't want to get hit in the face with a horse's hoof again and continued her walk, tail swishing discontentedly behind her. Food, food, she wanted food! She could eat an animal, she supposed.

The picasa-demon snorted. Though she wasn't much for thinking beyond experience and knowing what caused pain and what caused pleasure, she did know one thing for sure. She was put on this world to eat people and she wouldn't fail her creator!

Whoever the creator was...

Finally, tired of walking without a direction to go or any indication of where she could feed, she simple allowed herself to collapse on the ground. Golden eyes closed.</sub>

[TRENTON VOLTAIRE]

This was the last time Trenton was going to make up such a stupid fortune. He must have been really tired from staying up, using up more candles than he should have, on that last book. But it was good. He did not regret missing out on sleep to read, though he did dislike the idea of having to hide in the forest for a bit to avoid angry citizens. Your true love will sweep you off your feet. What kind if idiotic state of mind had he been in when he wrote that slip of paper? And how would he know that the woman had a dead husband? Next time he was staying up to read all night, it would not be a sappy romance novel.

Maybe he could spend some time scavenging for food. Who knows? Maybe some careless traveler dropped their bag of coins. That would be the ideal situation. Unfortunately, there was no bag of coins on the nonexistent path, so Trenton wandered around to wait for a new day. He would go back, then, to another part of town, and hopefully not meet the angry customer again. Or maybe he should just go to another town altogether until he screwed up there as well.

In the meantime, nourishment. Nourishment. Food. Edible plants. Trenton did not particularly enjoy the often bitter-tasting plants he found in the forest, but at least it kept him alive. Maybe he could also try his luck in some of the berry patches. It wasn't quite the right season, but perhaps he would get lucky.

Did finding a demon on the ground count as lucky? Trenton barely saw the humanoid figure as he hadn't been paying too much attention to where he was going. Was it dead? The half-shifter stared at the immobile body with an uncaring face. Maybe some thieves got to it. But that was life, right? You live, you survive, you die. Trenton was just better at extending his own survival line. This was probably just another victim.

Good riddance. Dead people never gave him any trouble. Trenton spared one last glance toward the unconscious demon, he stepped around the body to simply leave it behind. This was not his business. He did not want to join the creature in death.

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[PE CA]

<sub>The sun was so warm. She both wanted to stay here forever, but at the same time she wanted to leave and find something better. Memories danced before her eyes. Delicious meals, something that had called her 'pet' years ago, and even a vision of the mockingbird that sang above her somewhere. She didn't need to sleep. It was merely--

thump thump

Her ears shifted to gather up the sound as it passed by. Her mind fought this pointless idleness while her body begged for a moment of non-activity. Her mind slowly won and she sluggishly rose to her feet, almost looking as if she had been napping. Her senses honed in the figure that was walking away.

"Human?!" She blinked, focusing. It looked like a human, walked like a human, sounded like a human... aflac! Shaking herself in preparation, the demon grinned happily. Food~! Yay! "Human!" And if he didn't know better, he might have simply assumed she was some wish granting demon. Not particularly favorable, but better than what she was.

Her shouting likely got his attention. Even if it didn't, Pe would throw herself recklessly at him. She was made for this, lived for this, what happened after was the climax she worshiped. All that stood between her and the thing she longed for was... the thing she longed for.

Her eyes glimmered with hope. Maybe this guy couldn't fight? Would he just roll over? That would be great! Then she could keep from tearing his up and having to pick through grass for her meal. A considerate lunch... what a dream!</sub>

[TRENTON VOLTAIRE]

The boy had been heading away, ready to completely forget about the demon in the woods, when he heard her call to him. Or what he assumed was him. She called for a human, and considering there was no one around for quite a distance, the only available candidate would be him. Trenton debated his options. Could he just pretend he was deaf as well as mute? Or just pretend he did not hear her call him. She looked dead earlier, so what was stopping her from simply dropping down dead again? If he just walked a bit faster…

Trenton's pace quickened and he never stopped to turn back. The demon was probably still lying there, dead, and this was all in his imagination. But believing that would be to fool himself. Maybe she was still incapacitated. And if she did catch up to him… Trenton would not utter a word.

Just the idea that he was dealing with a demon still made him uneasy though. They were the kind of creatures that preyed on others, right? Oh god, was this demon going to kill him? Demons were never a good sign. Just the word meant bad omen. Sure, some were good demons, but was Trenton going to take a chance? He would have to act brave, act tough, and not break down like a complete wuss, because he was not going to die for this.

He heard more movement behind him and felt vulnerable, with his back exposed, but Trenton was not going to falter. Not yet, anyways. He readied himself, blanking out all emotions from his face while a mask of indifference was put on. Maybe if he acted strong, he would not die?

[/justify][/size]

[PE CA]

<sub>He didn't stop, but he definitely didn't turn around and face her. Good, she liked it better that way. Sure, he was moving more quickly now, but this distance was nothing to her. He was running, like prey. She was the predator. She had to catch what was running. She had to, she had to!!

Her short lived flight would end short of him, however. Her stomach didn't growl, just her mind. As he walked on, stride powerful and almost ignoring her existence, she would gaze after, trying to piece the puzzle together. He wasn't a human. If he was this close and had been a man, she would have been salivating like crazy by now. Absently, she followed him, brows furrowed.

"No," she thought aloud. Her tail stood up straight behind her and her ears perked towards him. This dark thing wasn't mortal, but he wasn't anything she could remember from before. Vampires couldn't walk in daylight, from what she had been book-beaten to learn. Phantoms wouldn't let her hear them unless it was on their terms. Feys had a sweet scent about them, similar to mountain top fresh air, but this guy smelled like flesh and blood. He couldn't be a shifter, they changed at once and would turn around and fight her.

She would know another demon when she met one, so that was absolutely out of the question.

Pe was stumped. What could he be? Suddenly, horrible realization caught up with her and she yelped from where she stalked behind him. "God! God! Sorry!" That had to be it! This guy had to be one of those fabled gods that could create an avatar for themselves, a body that was mortal but not a man's. Her tail tucked.

She didn't want to upset a god. Not so much because she feared them, but because it was against the natural order as she understood it. She had to make it up to this guy, some how, some way. Maybe, maybe he would like a sacrifice?! (If only she would just stop following him.)</sub>

[TRENTON VOLTAIRE]

The forest floor, covered in a blanker of decomposing leaf litter, allowed Trenton to know just how close the demon was getting. He was going to die, wasn't he? It was approaching him much faster than he would have liked and it took everything in him not to break down already, in the face of imminent death.

And then it all stopped. He wasn't being followed anymore as the demon just... stopped. Was that a good sign? Was this something Trenton should be happy about? Or what she just getting ready to kill him? If Trenton knew he could outrun her (or anybody, really), he would have started to run as fast as he could. No, he heard. 'No' what? What was going on? What she talking to him? She was going to pounce on him now, wasn't she? She wa- Yelp! God! God! Sorry!.

… What? Trenton missed a step and stumbled on a raised root, just a bit startled at those words. He didn't quite fall, able to stabilize himself before he could faceplate and look even more of an easy target. What was she trying to say? And why was she following him again?

Plan. Plan. What was the plan? He had wanted to go find food. Nourishment was important. Though Trenton wasn't hungry at all anymore. What else had he planned for the day? Stay out of the town and just keep himself out of trouble until Damien finished school. So, food, that wasn’t going to happen with this demon chasing after him. He would have to reorder that, or delete that in its entirety. What else had he planned for the day? Oh yes. He hadn’t. He had been chased away too quickly, before he had managed to order his day. And of course, because he didn’t have a plan, this is what happened. Dead demons, coming back to life, now chasing after him. Back to the master plan. Stay Alive.

His curiosity got the better of him and Trenton did something he probably shouldn't have. Maybe if his heart hadn't been pounding so hard, making it hard to hear his own thoughts, he wouldn't have done it. He needed to know what was going on, though, so he turned cast a glance backward to look at the demon, tensing his whole face and clenching his hand to keep his emotions hidden away.

Oh god she looked a lot more alive than he would have liked. And of course, the moment he stopped looked where he was going, Trenton stumbled again, only staying upright thanks to a small tree (a seedling, really) he managed to grab. But now, he was vulnerable. Vulnerable, helpless, and probably dead.

Shift. Shift. He had to shift. He could feel his emotions almost bubbling over already and he had to run away. If he could shift, he would be able to fly, wouldn't he? (Assuming he became a flying animal, of course.) So why couldn't he just sprout wings and fly already? A hint of pain and anger flashed across his face, almost a twitch, disappearing as fast as it came.

[/justify][/size]

[PE CA]

<sub>Oh no! The god was going to get hurt and on her watch at that! She couldn't let that happen. Moving with her demonic speed, Pe would be behind Trenton in a flash, almost ready to catch him, but not touching since he had already steadied himself. She would then quickly step back, fearful.

It would be out of line for her to touch a god, even to help him. Who was she to step out of line? Pe only ate people, that her single job. She wasn't a fairy or a wizard that she should be helpful. It was unnatural if she was.

Having gone off into Lala Land, the demon jumped slightly when she met the eyes of red-eyed Trenton. He looked scared, but what god got scared?! He must have been angry. Of course he would be, a lowly demon just tried to kill him, a god.

With that, she would drop to her knees, face and hands on the ground. "Sorry! I know my place! I won't try to touch you again, God!" It wouldn't be fear over her voice, but that same tone someone spoke in when they said they would or wouldn't do something, but didn't follow through in their goal. Remorseful, yet nonchalant. So calm to be so serious.

Furry ears would tip back as she looked over her hands. If Trenton was still standing there, she would ask him a simple question. Er, it was simple enough for her. "Does God need sacrifice to forgive me?"

It was ironic, really. Demons in the real world, the one that had spawned this one, were originally the beings born of misunderstanding and deceit. They had been inspired by unexplainable tragedies and affairs no one wanted to admit to. But here was a demon, magical spawn of a book of lies that turned a world of dreams into reality was doing the very thing that created her.

Above them, a sparrow called.</sub>

[TRENTON VOLTAIRE]

…What?
Trenton was suddenly extremely confused. What was going on? The demon was saying something that did not make any sense to him. God…?

…

GOD?

What had he missed? What was going on? Trenton managed to calm himself down a bit, now that the demon wasn't actively chasing him, hoisting himself up and straightening himself. (He tried not to think that it was prostrating in front of him, either) But then again, what if the demon suddenly realizes that he was nothing more than a mere half-shifter, with absolutely no god-like powers. Maybe he could try to deceive it some more with cheap magic tricks? He could probably summon a bit of a breeze, and if he was lucky, it would turn into a gust of wind, but that was the extend of his magical knowledge. No. That would be a stupid thing to do. He was not going to encourage the demon's belief that he was… god --really? God?-- but he wasn't going to deny it either. Trenton did his best to pull off his neutral face, reminding himself that this was very likely going to be life or death so he had better not screw it up.

Nonchalantly, or as much as he could without wanted to just run away like a scared damsel, Trenton looked the demon over. Not a sound was uttered as he tried to read her body language as much as he could. Her ears went back. Was she intimidated by him? Was she really serious when she said she thought he was an almighty god?

The thought was cemented by the offering of a sacrifice.

Well, this was awkward. Trenton shook his head at that suggestion. He did not even want to know what a sacrifice would entail, but he did not want to go anymore in depth than he was now. Now… if he walked away… was she going to stop following him? She said that she wouldn't touch him anymore, but was he going to believe that?

Keeping an eye on the demon, Trenton shuffled back a few steps, moving carefully so he wouldn't trip and fall (again). Hopefully he would be able to go away and she would leave him alone.

Echoing the sparrow's cry, Trenton's stomach growled. It wasn't extremely loud, but enough to remind the boy that he hadn't eaten yet because of this encounter. He froze at the sound. Was the demon going to react to that? It was definitely a sign of weakness.

Soren went back to walking backward, and once he got a few more steps away he walked briskly, taking much wider steps then he was used to. Maybe if he got into a thicker part of the wood, he'll just be able to hide from the demon. In fact, once he thought he was far enough, he spotted a large tree and just hid behind it, his back straight against the rough bark of the tree. Had he gotten ahead enough? Did the demon see him? There were quite a few bushes around, but the woods weren't nearly dense enough to properly hide in.

[/justify][/size]

[PE CA]

<sub>Oh crap. His face! It, it was so calm. Calm like before bigger beasts opened their wide, gaping jaws and ate little ones. Like how they had looked before Pe was big and a monster in her own right. Back when the demon was but a guppy in this big sea. So, frozen by fear in senselessness, she kept her golden eyes glued on him. He was judging her.

She screwed up. It was over. She stepped out of her place.

A god was going to kill her...

She understood this was bad, but didn't understand why it was bad. Abstract understanding that death was the end of all things didn't really sink in with her. All she knew is that you couldn't eat when you were dead and that dying was like an injury, only worse. She couldn't fully comprehend it, but she knew this god was going to make her hurt.

Wasn't he?

Her face turned to confusion as the god stepped back, pacing calculated. His stomach growled, but she was smiling. It was the stupid kind of smile a small child would have when their parent says sorry after whipping them.

The god had forgiven her! She had to thank him, had to! So, using every ounce of her empty tank's fuel, her golden eyes narrowed in on the sparrow above and--

Something shrieked.


Sniff, sniff, sniff. The god wasn't quick enough in his mortal body, but he didn't need to be. Pe wouldn't bother him long. Instead of a sparrow, she had found an old hoot-owl in a tree, sleeping. Silly owl! Didn't he knew when sparrows fly away that means trouble?

So, pitching the the dead owl towards where she figured she last saw the god go, she turned around. She chuckled to herself, proud in a way no one would understand, much less define as a good kind of laughter or a bad kind.

She had appeased the god. What... what an honor!</sub>

[thread exit]