Thread: Flirting with the Devil [Shaelinn and Dreamer-]

Slightly risen eyebrow, pupils dilated in a curious mix of suspicion and surprise, Lara's expression was practically a textbook definition of disbelief. If translated into human language, it would probably convey a message similar to Am I lying drugged under the table in some bogged down club with a bunch of my friends taking embarrassing photos of me to publish on the internet or is this really happening? Well, if it truly was an addictive substances induced hallucination, Lara would have to give a giant thumbs up to its overwhelming quality the local drug lords didn't deserve that horrible reputation of unfeeling monsters as they apparently cared for their customers' comfort. Strangely, the explanation she had resorted to systematically destroying her life through rather questionable chemical cocktails seemed way more plausible to her than the possibility of the ritual actually functioning . When the God - or whatever entity responsible for stuffing humans' souls into their bodies - had been distributing noble characteristics such as faith, religious respect and affinity to occult lore, Lara had been waiting in line for extra portion of tongue-in-cheek attitude instead. The only reason for attempting to bargain with the devil for help was her emotional instability... Oh, and the great number of braincells decimated by the lack of sleep probably played its role as well. She watched the black tornado raging in the limited area of the pentagram settle down, her icy blue eyes wide the smoke gradually dispelled to reveal a... figure. A female figure. As a secret but devoted lover of those b-grade horror flicks with plot deep approximately like an average kiddy pool, Lara was largely disappointed. No horns, no abnormal number of limbs, no dramatic claws sprouting from her fingers, not even a differently colored skin nobody would think twice about this woman if they bumped into her in a crowded street. The demon seemed very human and, in addition, very feminine she belonged to the minority of individuals that Lara with her unimpressive 5'6'' didn't have to look up to. Her guest was also fairly attractive - anyone with a working pair of eyes would have to admit that - yet the blonde knew better than to judge anyone according to his appearance. Besides, drooling over a demon didn't combine well with her sense of self-respect moral guidelines she followed were pretty loose in some aspects, but certain things didn't get any room to be discussed solely from the principle. Hesitation wasn't a common emotion in her arsenal, yet Lara was still quite stunned and had no clue how to start the conversation luckily, the demon solved that problem for her with kindness so typical for her kind. Many would shiver under the demon's cold stare and uncompromising words, instinctively afraid of the supreme predator as the sense of self-preservation was encoded into human DNA thoroughly. Lara, on the other hand, preached defense through attack and didn't intend to show any weakness of course, she was abashed, but the fiend didn't have to know. Any signs of surprise disappeared from her sharp features as the mask of false tranquility concealed her feelings. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't have expected a demon to behave like a decent being, but I did think certain customs - like greeting politely when you enter a room, for example - were more or less universal. To get the pleasantries out of the way, hello, I'm Lara Reed. Welcome to my humble home. You may call me by my first name that, ma'am or boss , whatever suits your tastes. She folded her arms on her breasts subconsciously, forgetting her injury for a moment. Secondly, and that is more of a personal question than anything, why would you complain about the simplicity of your task? Wouldn't it be beautiful if I told you something along the lines of Oh, my brave demon companion, my feet hurt from running around all day, go and embark on an epic journey to bring me a box of pizza ? That's more than generous price for a soul, isn't it? You won't get that lucky with me, however. Lara smirked in a wicked way her former colleagues used to hate with fiery passion finding new methods how to get under people's skin was one of her prominent hobbies, though her joking usually didn't serve to demean her targets. She was just having fun, mostly free of any malevolence, but now, with her friends dead and the situation so desperate, her voice gained an acidic tone. The demon may have been a valuable ally, yet Lara was sure as hell this wasn't a start of a moving friendship they were still enemies, no matter what bound them together. My ultimate goal - the goal you'll help me to achieve in exchange for my soul - is actually very plain from ideological standpoint. Complete and utter genocide of the vampires, werewolves and other lovely creatures that think they may terrorize my race just because there's nobody to slap them on the wrist. I need your knowledge, power and guidance to achieve that... A hint of doubts appeared in her eyes as she was studying the demon's face intently, her expression suddenly very similar to that of a buyer who had just been cheated out of his money. You don't look like the warrior type, though. Oh please, tell me I didn't summon a demon of lust. No delicious soul for you in that case, Lara warned her. It felt... strange to talk about her soul as if it was a commodity for sale, to use it as a leverage on the demon, but somehow, she had already accepted the idea of sacrificing it for her revenge. Would she even notice the absence of something so abstract, so incorporeal? Probably not.