Monsterhearts:Amidst the Tomes

Tuesday August 19th, 5:10 PM
Wildomar, Totenkopf Manor
**Karen leads the three of them into her house. Unlike Chris's, it's not as overly dramatic in size, with the foyer being a simple hallway that seems to branch off into other sections of the house. It's warm and comfortable inside compared to the cold rainy air outside, and has a slightly smokey smell, making it obvious that they have a fireplace, or more likely several fireplaces, going somewhere in the house.**

**Karen**: **Her appearance is fairly casual, with a simple black dress and her hair down and pulled over her left shoulder. It looks like she wasn't planning on company or even going out for the rest of the evening.** You know I don't think I caught your names the last time I saw you. **She takes a few short steps away from them and turns to look at Shane and Liam.**

**Shane**: **He brushes his sleeve through his hair to dry it out a little.** Shane.

**Liam**: **He looks from Shane to Karen.** Liam... Riley? **He's unsure if he should say his last name.**

**Karen**: **She shakes her head and smirks at Liam's awkwardness.** Alright, Shane and Liam, nice to meet you... Again. **She looks at Chris.** So I'm assuming you're here with questions of some kind? **She's turns and leads them down a hallway that passes between other rooms of varying sizes.**

**Chris**: **He follows behind her closely, he doesn't seem too interested in her house, not looking into the other rooms as they walk.** Yeah. We were attacked by a guy who was looking for one of those Sigils. He burned my arm up real bad with some kind of demonic fire, **He puts his bandaged arm against his stomach and scratches it a little bit with his other arm.** And injured our friend Odie, badly enough to put him into a coma. We're hoping you might have something that could take away Leo's power so that he doesn't hurt anyone else... Leo's the guy that attacked us by the way.

**Liam**: **He's staying near to Shane as they walk, keeping quiet as he looks around the interior of the large manor.**

**Shane**: **He looks to Liam and watches his eyes wander as they look around interior of the house. The kind of innocence that Liam displays makes him smirk and he grabs Liam's hand, squeezing it firmly as Chris speaks to Karen.**

**Liam**: **He looks to Shane as he grabs his hand, and he smiles a little.**

**Karen**: **She stops and turns around, looking at them. They're at the end of the entrance hall, and she leans on the corner a little as she was about to turn it.** Wait, wait... So Odie's in a coma? Caused by Leo?

**Shane**: Yes. **He lets go of Liam's hand and takes a few steps towards Karen.** He attacked us *twice*.

**Karen**: And you said he used *demonic* fire? Like Hellfire? Not normal flame, well I mean, normal quality. **She looks away from the two boys in thought.** Not sure how that's possible.

**Shane**: He had one of those Sigils, maybe he used it to boost his power or something? **He shrugs, unsure if that makes any sense.**

**Karen**: **She looks to Shane with surprise.** Wait, what?

**Chris**: He told us some stuff about the Sigils after we promised to give him the one he thought we had. He seemed to know a lot about them. **He crosses his arm over his chest.** Soon after though, he attacked us, using one of those Sigils.

**Karen**: **After a brief pause, she turns and leads them around the corner.** And you're saying that you just want to bind his power?

**Shane**: To be... *Completely* honest... We considered... Well, killing him... Momentarily... **He follows after Karen, trailing behind her and Chris.**

**Chris**: But we're.. Uhh... Not murderers. **He shakes his head slightly.**

**Karen**: Well aren't the three of you just peaches... **She leads them towards a pair of large black doors at the end of the hall.** Doesn't matter, when the twins hear about this they'll kill him for you, binding his power is probably a waste of time.

**Liam**: The twins left town, and I don't think they're coming back until next year. **He looks down and to the side.** Lucas seemed pretty sure about it too.

**Karen**: Really? **She turns around and leans back against the double doors and looks back at Liam, she seems to have a hint of worry mixed with skepticism.** They just left, without telling *anyone*?

**Liam**: ...Well they told Odie. Lucas did at least... **He looks at her for a moment before looking back down.** ...Said they were headed "north", but didn't say where. **He almost feels like she doesn't believe him.**

**Karen**: Hmm... **She turns towards the doors and puts her hands against them, pushing them. They open very slowly, making it obvious that they're quite heavy. Beyond them is a huge library, like something you'd see at an old college. The interior is at least three stories in height, and appears to almost be larger on the inside than it looks from the outside.** Well if they're not here to deal with him, I'm sure we can find what you're looking for. **She leads them into the library, passed a few rows of towering bookshelves and into a larger opening where there's a few tables and cushioned sofas and large chairs. She motions to the left, where her brother, Adam, is sitting behind a large black table that looks out of place.** Chris, you've met my brother. Shane, Liam, this is my older brother Adam, you can ignore him if you want, I always do... **She trails off, walking over to a table with an ashtray on it, a half-burned cigarette in a holder resting on the side. She picks it up and takes a drag.**

**Liam**: **He does an awkward wave at Karen's brother.** Hey.

**Adam**: **He's wearing a pair of black welding goggles and a black rubber apron. They both contrast with his paper-white skin and hair. The table he's sitting at is covered with a half-dozen large leather-bound tomes and an intricate chemistry set of nearly two-dozen oddly shaped glass containers, some of which have colored liquids boiling in them. He looks to Shane and Liam** Good evening. **He then looks to his sister and speaks with a strangely deep voice, and he pronounces his words in a way where he stresses the wrong syllable.** Katharina... You did not say we would have company tonight.

**Karen**: I wasn't expecting any, but something's come up. Where did Edward keep the books on witchcraft or binding spells? **She taps her cigarette against the ash tray and turns to look at her brother.**

**Chris**: **As Karen speaks to Adam he looks around at the interior of the library with slight awe, having thought the library at his house was large. He wonders how anyone could accumulate so many books. There seems to be more here than a person could ever read in a lifetime.**

**Shane**: **He doesn't seem impressed by the library, instead he's intently looking at the various equipment on the table in front of Adam.**

**Adam**: They are just over there, near the eastern fireplace. **He turns and points to the right with a rubber-gloved hand.** I do not know the exact placement. The library shifted again last night while we slept and I haven't taken the time to read the markings. **He goes back to working, pulling a small wooden box to him from behind one of the stacks of books on the desk. He opens it and pulls out a small silver chain, at the end of which hangs a pendant. It shines in the light of the library, the strange symbol making it obvious that it's one of the Sigils that have caused so much trouble.**

**Karen**: **She looks at the Sigil and then shakes her head, heading in the direction he pointed in.**

**Chris**: **He follows after her, speaking quietly.** What does he mean by the library "shifted"?

**Karen**: The library was built using "old magic", or so I'm told, which gives it a lot of strange properties. Our older brother built this house, and he made it as eccentric as he was... Long story short, this library is just weird. Try to stay in each other's line of sight, getting lost in here is real easy. Also, if you see any red books, *don't* touch them... They're colored red for a reason... **She stops and looks around. They're in a small corner of shelves, all of the books here are black, though their spines have different colored names, most of them in gold. The words and letters on most of them appear to be in a strange language, or just spelled in a way that doesn't make sense.** Well grab anything that looks like it's about protection, prevention, binding... Whatever...

**Liam**: **He looks up at the next floor of books.** Would your older brother have a better idea of what we're looking for?

**Karen**: **She walks up to one of the large books and pulls it from its shelf.** Yes, but fortunately, and unfortunately, he's dead.

**Liam**: ...Oh. Sorry... **He looks away, feeling uneasy about being in some kind of strange magic library, and asking about a dead family member.**

**Karen**: **She flips through the book as she speaks.** It's fine, I have little sentimentality for my brothers. The only reason why I'm here in California is because my mother forced me to come here and try to figure out who killed him, and I'm responsible for auctioning off his belongings. Lucky for us, this Library isn't mine to sell, so all the books are still here.

**Chris**: **He feels strange after hearing what Karen said about the library "shifting" and it being easy to get lost. He looks at all the books on the tall shelves, not even knowing where to start.**

**Karen**: **She slides the book back into place.** I'll have Jeeves brew us some hot chocolate... We're gonna be here for a while...

***A little over than two hours later...***

**Everyone seems worn out, though it's only been about two hours since their arrival, they've found nothing that would help them rid Leo of his power. Karen is sitting at a small table on the opposite side of the small area from Adam, who has taken a seat on one of the sofas. She's flipping through what seems to be her tenth book for the night . Adam is reading through several of the books Karen brought over with her, though whether he's helping them find a way to bind Leo's power is unknown.**

**Karen**: This is herbal remedies for various diseases. **She sighs, closing the book and pushing it off the side of the table, where it lands on a short pyramid of books with a soft thud.** Most of which have been cured by miraculous feats, such as *common sense* and *washing your hands*... **She pulls another large book over to her and flips it open.**

**Chris**: **He's sitting across from Karen, flipping through his own large black book with one arm, while he keeps his bandaged one mostly motionless.** So we've been at this a while... **He sighs.** ...Really appreciate you helping us like this though.

**Karen**: ...Well, it's not like I had a fun-filled plan for the evening... **She runs her finger down the book's table of contents.** Besides, this is pretty much my life at this point. Reading, cataloging, and recording whatever my brother Edward had in his possession... It's tedious as all hell, but it's probably one of the few things I'm actually good at...

***Meanwhile...***

**Liam**: **He's sitting against cross-legged behind one of the sofas, reading through a smaller book. He's become unintentionally distracted and has started to read random tidbits from the books that he finds interesting.**

**Shane**: **He suddenly sits down next to Liam with one of the larger books in his arms.** Still haven't found anything either, huh? **He opens the book, it's full of strange text that's clearly not written in english.**

**Liam**: Uhh... **He realizes that he's stopped looking for the vague "binding spells" that Karen was talking about, and shakes his head and then smiles at Shane a little.** I don't know how to read most of these books anyway. **He looks over at what Shane's reading.** ...Can you read that?

**Shane**: Nope. **He looks down at the book and shakes his head a little, then looks at Liam with a smirk. He leans closer to Liam and whispers to him.** But I didn't sit this close to you for reading...

**Liam**: **His eyes go wide and he looks over at Shane.** ...We're still in the library...

**Shane**: So? **He grabs Liam's shoulder firmly.** You've wanted something like this all day, I can practically *see* it in your eyes.

**Liam**: **He whispers quietly.** Chris and Karen are *right there*...

**Shane**: Doesn't that make it better? **He grabs the side of Liams head and pulls him in for a kiss.**

***Meanwhile...***

**Karen**: **She flips to another page.** Well I think this might be the right book... Just have to find the chapter, but my french is a bit rusty... **She grabs a few pages and flips almost halfway through the book.**

**Chris**: **He looks for Shane and Liam, but doesn't see them, after a moment he just leans back away from his book.** ...Have you ever dreamed about a strange... Shop... Like an antique shop?

**Karen**: **She looks up from her book.** I don't know, maybe? **She shrugs a little.** Why?

**Chris**: When we were in the hospital, we all dreamed of this... Shop. We all went there in the dream, and each of us was in the other's dream... It was surreal... Or... Maybe it wasn't? It felt real, and we didn't even really think it was a dream while it was happening... But we woke up and talked about it in passing, realizing that we all had the same dream... That ever happen to you? Is that like... Normal for "touched" people, or something? **He's still looking, glass-eye, into space as he remembers drinking that inky colorful liquid.**

**Karen**: Can't say that I have... Sounds like the three of you might've astral walked somewhere though. **She shrugs again.** You know, to some other plane of existence or some cheesy thing like that... **She covers her mouth and yawns a bit.**

**Chris**: ...Astral walked? **He breaks from his memory and looks to her.**

**Karen**: **She stands up and walks over to a large bin near Adam, he's so enveloped in his book that he doesn't even seem to notice her. She pulls off the top of the bin and a few large rolled up papers are inside.** Yeah... It's normally uncommon, but here, specifically in Riverside County, it happens a bit more often. **She grabs one of the rolls of paper and walks over to the table, she lays it on the table and it unrolls, revealing a map of the county, there's various markings in different places, a lot of them up in the hills. The markings look like letters at first glance, but they're written strangely.** You said it was at the hospital right? **She points to the hospital on the map, a red squiggled mark there.** There's one under the western wing, by the E.R. I think.

**Chris**: **He stands up and looks at the map, seeing various other spots.** ...We were near the ER when it happened...

**Karen**: They have a lot of names. Nexuses, gates, Akashic Points, Ley Lines... More of them exist in the south-western of the United States than anywhere else in the world. They allow you to perform some really scary stuff. Summon demons, commune with the dead, cause huge storms...

**Chris**: What's with this place and demons? I'm still not entirely sure I even believe in demons, but everyone here talks about them like they're just a way of life... Even my mother. **He bites the inside of his lip.**

**Karen**: You know I've never seen a demon either. **She looks at Chris and smiles.** But... I've seen to much not to believe in them... And the thing is, these gates don't just "open", not on their own. Every book in this library that mentions one of these gates says that paranormal activity, more specifically, *demonic* activity is what causes them to activate.

**Chris**: ...So Leo could've opened it... **He says it, half in thought, as he continues to look down at the map's scribbled points.** He uses demonic fire, right?

**Karen**: **She shakes her head a little.** ...You don't get it, Leo might have some demonic power, but he's *not* a demon...

***Meanwhile...***

**Shane**: **He pulls away from Liam, having just made out with him.** See? Chris is so fixated on Karen... **His hand runs down Liam's chest.** ...Bet we could go even... **His fingers inch under the waistband of Liam's pants.** Farther...

**Omniance**: **Rolling to** **Turn Liam On** **3 + 3** **+1 Hot** **is 7.** **Marking Experience**

**Illiadius**: **Choosing to give Shane a String against Liam.**

**Liam**: **He's definitely getting really worked up, and his face is becoming flushed. He can't believe that this is happening twice in one day and he whispers in a trembling voice.** Shane... They're right there...

**Shane**: Doesn't that make it even *better*... **He unbuttons the front of Liam's pants, and whispers very quietly.** ...That they could catch us at any moment?

**Liam**: **He starts to freeze up, but manages to shake his head a little.** No...

***Meanwhile...***

**Chris**: **He looks from the map to Karen.** ...Liam has this... *thing* that protects him... It's creepy as fuck, and that's putting it *lightly*. He says it's some kind of guardian spirit, but Leo called it a demon...

**Karen**: And you're wondering if it caused you to move through one of these gates? **She looks at Chris curiously.**

**Chris**: Maybe. It saved our asses twice, but like I said... Something about it just feels *wrong*... And familiar somehow, like I've been around it before, but I don't remember...

**Karen**: There's a way to check... **She stops to think for a moment.** Adam, do you still have the key for the red tomes?

**Adam**: **He looks over at his sister, and then stands up.** Yes, I believe it's on my desk. **He walks over to his desk.**

***Meanwhile...***

**Shane**: C'mon Liam, you know you want to... **He raises an eyebrow at him.** I know you want to... **He starts to reach under the hem of Liam's underwear.**

**Liam**: ...I... I do, just not here, alright? **He grabs Shane's wrist with both of his arms.** ...Please...

**Shane**: You know if you beg like that... **He's too strong for Liam and he keeps reaching.**

**There's a slight commotion from the other side of the couch. Shane narrows his eyes and looks away from Liam.**

**Adam**: **His deep voice suddenly booms out, he's not yelling, but his voice carries unnaturally well through the library.** It is gone.

**Shane**: **He sighs, pulling his hand from Liam's pants.**

**Liam**: **He's still trembling.** ...What does he mean?

**Shane**: **He stands up and looks at his watch.** ...It's getting late guys... Almost eight... **He clearly ignores Adam.**

**Chris**: What do you mean it's gone? **He turns and looks over at Adam, then to Shane.**

**Adam**: It is missing. That is what I mean. **He lifts several of the large books and looks under them. Despite him being distressed, his emotional expression is strange, like he's analyzing the situation at a distance, and he speaks with a kind of apathy.**

**Karen**: **She looks at Chris and then looks to Shane.**

**Liam**: **After he buttons his pants back up he stands up and looks at Adam, then Karen, a bit of a bewildered look in his eyes. He doesn't say anything, and tries to act as normal as possible.**

**Chris**: Maybe you just misplaced it. **He looks at Karen.**

**Adam**: It was taken. **He grabs a small bag from one of the seats and sets it on the table.** We will see who took it. **He pulls out what looks like a small car battery with a ham radio, a compass, and a few little old-fashioned light bulbs, attached to it.**

**Shane**: **He narrows his eyes at Adam with obvious annoyance, and he tilts his head.**

**Chris**: **He looks at the device Adam has taken out.** What is that thing?

**Adam**: Everything has a frequency. This will track the Sigil's. **He rotates a small wheel on the battery and the flicks a switch on the side of the device, it hums as it turns on.**

**Chris**: **He looks at Shane and Liam, and then back to Adam.** You really think one of us took it, after everything bad that's happened to us *because* of those things?

**Liam**: Yeah, we've almost died twice trying to keep away from those damn Sigils! **He looks back and forth, worried. Even though he didn't take the Sigil, he's irrationally afraid that he'll be accused.**

**Adam**: There are five people in this room. Katharina did not take it. I did not take it. **The lights flicker on and the compass points at Shane.** You took it-

**Shane**: **He thrusts his left hand towards Adam and a golden glow rushes up the veins of his arm, flowing into his fingers and causing the beds of his nails to shine bright.** *Faeries have such minds to mettle.* **The tips of his fingers explode in a crimson spray and Shane takes 1** **Aggravated Damage ()** **as a result. Five beams immediately streak from his finger tips in parallel lines with a deep thrumming hum, and they rip through Adam's heart. He swipes his hand to the side , almost cutting Adam in half, then moves to swipe back but the beams quickly fizzle out with flickering golden sparks.**

**Karen**: What the fuck?! **She grabs Chris's arm, she seems more concerned with Shane suddenly projecting beams of demonic light than she is with her brother.**

**Chris**: **He takes a few steps back.** Shane?! **He immediately recognizes the attack from what Liam's dark spirit did to Leo.**

**Adam**: **His body falls to the side as the upper half of his chest nearly slides off. Behind him one of the book shelves collapses, and behind that shelf another falls, and beyond that there is a long smoldering line in the wall where the beams stopped.**

**Liam**: **He's ducked down, and is hiding behind the sofa, with only the top of his head peaking out. His voice squeaks out quietly.** ...Shane?

**Shane**: **He looks at his left hand, narrowing his eyes at it. The skin has been torn off of it entirely, and the ligaments and muscles can be seen clearly as smoke and steam rises from the sizzling flesh. The tips of each of his five fingers have been burned black, down to the bone. He turns his hand over, and as he does the silvery Sigil that Adam was working with falls out from from under his his watch. Suddenly his eyes start to water, and then widen in fear as he looks at his grotesque hand with pained worry.** ...Wha... What... The hell? **The worry immediately fades and his steel-blue eyes dart to Chris in a blank stare.** *The frailty of mortal form...* **He drops his hand to his side and a chunk of the back wall, where the beams stopped, crumbles and falls to the floor of the library in a loud clatter.**

**Liam**: ...Shane?! **He looks at Shane's hand and then to his wrist, noticing the silver pendant.** He has the Sigil around his wrist!

**Chris**: **He looks at Shane with worry.** ...Is... Is he possessed? **He looks at where Adam was, and then to the toppled shelves.**

**Karen**: That would be my first guess- **She immediately holds out her hands and the air around Shane shimmers as his body suddenly goes stiff and his arms twist down and back into an uncomfortable position. Karen holds him still with an invisible force.** Alright, demon. **She holds her hands up, they're starting to tremble as she looks over to where Adam was a few times.** ...What do you want?!

**Shane**: **His eyes flicker gold as he twists against her telekinesis. His voice rumbles out, deep and menacing.** *You're no priest... Little half-breed. I'm not compelled to tell you anything.* **He smiles a wide smile and his eyes flicker again.**

**Liam**: Shane!? **He speaks pleadingly, and frightened.** Please... Snap out of it!

**Shane**: **He turns his head, his neck cracking as the rest of his body remains motionless, to look at Liam. Due to the way his neck is craned, his voice comes out as a wheezing noise, as he can't seem to actually breath, but the rumbling deep monotone speaks over it as his lips move.** *I don't know what's more pathetic Liam... That you're no one, or that even after I offered to give you anything you desired, that you continued to be no one.*

**Liam**: So you really are... **He gulps, ducking down farther.** ...The one in the mirror... You're supposed to protect me... Why... How?

**Shane**: *I've been at the back of his mind since you turned him into your own personal stalker... But when he wished for some real power, I grew tired of waiting, and was happy to exploit his weakness... And oblige his desire.* **He moves his mutilated hand in a circular motion, his wrist cracking loudly with a series of wet pops as the joints as he strains against Karen's weakening grasp.** *All power comes with a price, even that which I gave you...* **His eyes flicker gold for a second.** *Shane's price was his body... Your price... Let's just say I've finally decided to take my pounds of flesh.*

**Karen**: Someone get the god damn Sigil! I can't hold him like this much longer... **Sweat has started to bead up on her forehead, and her hands are shaking as she holds them out.**

**Chris**: I'll get it! **He runs passed Karen towards Shane.**

**Shane**: **His head turns with a loud crack and he glares at Chris as he runs up to him. His voice rumbles out and a six-pronged golden Sigil ripples outwards from his feet across the floor and Chris stumbles backwards.** *I am not done here...* **A dark shadowed Natalya is suddenly standing in Shane's place, gazing down at Chris with paralyzing eyes.**

**Natalya**: **Her voice hisses out with black shadowed smoke from between her dark lips.** Look at you. Weak. Grovelling. Perhaps it is my own weakness that I put so much *faith* in *you*. **Her green eyes glint golden, set against the veil of darkness that seems to have settled over her.**

**Shane**: **His neck cracks as he looks at Karen.** *How much longer can you hold me like this?* **To Liam and Karen, he's still standing there, Natalya only visible to Chris. He smirks and his eyes look to Chris.** *Your big hero here doesn't look like he's going anywhere... Maybe Liam can do something for once in his miserable life.* **His neck cracks and he looks to Liam.**

**Liam**: **He looks from Shane to Chris.** ...Chris... Why aren't you moving? **He looks back to Shane.**

**Chris**: **He just trembles slightly as he looks into his "mother's" eyes.** ...I... Can't... Mother?

**Shane**: *You know why I chose you Liam? Because you were so weak and pathetic. I thought you would do something drastic, but you didn't. You did nothing.* **He twitches slightly and takes one step towards Liam. Shane's muscles are flexed taught, and veins are starting to bulge up under his skin as he uses brute strength to overpower Karen's hold.** *The last mortal I made this deal with became one of the wealthiest and most powerful drug lords in the world.* **His eyes flicker and they turn and look at Chris.**

**Natalya**: Liam used this demon to quench his most basic urges... He found you attractive, so he manipulated the school councilor into giving him all of your classes... Then he brainwashed Shane, the only nice person he ever met, into becoming *obsessed* with him. How does that make you feel Chris?

**Chris**: ...That's... He did? **He gulps as he looks up at his mother.** ...That's disgusting... Liam...

**Karen**: Don't listen to... Him... Chris! **She struggles to speak. It's obvious that she's quickly tiring out as sweat pours down her face.** Just... Get the... Fucking pendant! Liam! Do something!

**Shane**: *Liam isn't going to do anything.* **He turns and takes another step towards Liam.** *I am so... Certain... Of it... That I will... Reach out to him... And offer it to him... Willingly.* **He reaches forwards with his mutilated left hand, his muscles bulging and twitching as he strains against Karen's failing magic. He turns his hand over with a loud pop in his wrist, and dangles the Sigil tauntingly.** *Go on and take it... Liam...* **He smiles unnervingly.** *All the power is in your hands...*

**Liam**: **He gulps as he watches the glinting silver pendant.**

**Illiadius**: **Rolling for Liam to** **Hold Steady** **5 + 4** **-1** **is 8.**

**Liam**: **He drums up his nerve and then runs towards Shane, grabbing at his wrist and ripping the Sigil off.**

**Shane**: **He lets out a rumbling roar as Liam pulls the Sigil away and his grotesque hand suddenly rushes forwards and grabs into Liam's shoulder, the exposed blackened bones of his fingers digging into Liam's skin and causing** **1 Harm** *Congratulations... Liam... That is the first... Time you have actually done something... Brave.* **The image of Natalya vanishes, leaving only Shane there.**

**Chris**: **As her gaze vanishes he looks around suddenly, the paralyzing spell breaking. He blinks a few times and sees Shane, immediately noticing him digging his hand into Liam's shoulder.** Shane! **He immediately steps forward and punches Shane in the face with his unburned arm.**

**Shane**: **He rips his hand from Liam's shoulder and stumbles away from Chris.**

**Karen**: **As Chris punches Shane her magic breaks and she falls to her knees, exhausted. She's breathing heavily.**

**Liam**: Ahh! **He stumbles backwards and grabs at his shoulder, slouching.**

**Shane**: **He catches his footing and smiles at Chris. His voice has returned to normal. His eyes dart around quickly as a small bit of blood trickles from the corner of his mouth.** ...Fuck... Everything about this- **His eyes dart to Chris and fixate on him.** *You think you can take me in a fight?* **He wipes his mouth with the back of his disfigured hand, spreading more blood all over his mouth.** *...Let's see.* **He balls his hands up into fists, his left one popping as the tendons twang against the exposed bones.**

**Karen**: **She takes a deep breath.** Shane's fighting him from inside... The pain might be causing the demon to lose its grip somehow... **She gets up and leans against the sofa.**

**Chris**: **He narrows his eyes as he hears what Karen says, and raises his fists.** ...If I win, will you let Shane go?

**Shane**: **He smiles, his teeth red and bloodied.** *The only way I will give up this body is if he dies... Even then... I might wear it a little longer just for fun...*

**Chris**: I'm just gonna have to beat you outta him then! **He steps forwards, punching Shane directly in the face again with a quick right jab.**

**Shane**: **Chris's fist slams into Shane's mutilated palm, and he holds it there in an iron grip.** *You know what the catholic church deems the three signs of possession? The first is a repugnance for blessed objects...* **He smiles.** *Luckily no one here is religious.* **He squeezes Chris's hand tight, causing the bones in his hand to crack.**

**Chris**: **He yells out in pain and punches up into Shane's stomach with his left hand.**

**Shane**: **Chris's hand slams into Shane's stomach and his eyes go wide with fear as he coughs, pain wracks his face for a moment and then it immediately fades, his pupils focusing on Chris again. His other arm darts out and grabs Chris's at the wrist, he pulls it away from his stomach with incredible strength.** *The second is being able to utter a language unknown to the user.* **He looks to Karen.** *Wie traurig ist es, dass Liam weiter wertlos zu sein?* **He smiles.**

**Karen**: **She looks to Liam, looking like she's having trouble staying conscious. She looks like she's going to say something, but just gasps and closes her eyes.**

**Chris**: **He struggles against Shane's grip, as he does he shifts to his reptilian appearance and manages to pull his burned wrist free from Shane's grasp, he slashes his claws across Shane's chest, cutting deep slashes through his shirt and into his skin.**

**Shane**: **He seems to break from his possession, and once again his eyes dart back and forth in fear. He yells out in pain and stumbles, falling to his knees and then to his side, laying on the floor.** ...I can feel it... Crawling around inside of me... **He coughs and curls up onto a ball, pulling his knees to his chest as his mangled hand spasms uncontrollably.** ...I... I'm g-gonna... **He tenses up, and then slowly looks over to Chris. He pushes himself to his feet with one hand and smiles, shaking his head, he looks over at Liam.** *Should've taken me up on my offer when we were behind that couch Liam... Being inside this boy feels good... I bet he would've felt nearly as good inside you.*

**Chris**: Your losing your grip on him... I can see it. **He runs at Shane and punches him as hard as he can at the side of his jaw with his left hand, his right being too hurt from Shane gripping it so tightly.**

**Shane**: **He seems to hesitate and doesn't catch Chris's punch like last time. Chris catches him in the side of the face and he stumbles back, he looks at Chris.** ...Liam... Chris... I can't hold him... **He rolls his head over his shoulder and cracks his neck, then shakes his head slowly.** *The third is unnatural...* **He leaps at Chris and grabs him.** *...Physical...* **He lifts Chris up with one arm and then throws him into the ground.** *...Strength.* **He turns and grabs Chris's leg, spins and drags him in a circle, and then throws him ten feet and into one of the bookcases. He hits the shelf with enough force that a dozen large heavy tomes fall down onto him. Chris takes** **2 Harm** **. Shane takes a deep breath, despite his display of incredible strength he looks like he's tiring quickly all of the sudden. He looks to Liam.** *How about giving me that Sigil back-* **He takes a few steps towards Liam, but stops, stumbling suddenly.** ...L-Liam? **He looks at Liam and then doubles over in pain again.**

**Liam**: **He back away quickly.** Shane!?

**Shane**: ...Liam... I... I'm t-trying... But I... C-can't... **He takes a deep breath and his eyes roll back into his head, he stands up straight and smiles. His eyes roll back into place and he smiles as he looks at Liam.** *I have to hand it to this one... He's tenacious.* **He takes another step towards Liam and suddenly falls to one knee.** ...I'm... Fu-fucking... Gonna rip you... Out of m-me... If I have to... D-demon... **He pushes himself back to his feet and stumbles a few steps backwards away from Liam. He looks to Liam and shakes his head, his expression returning calm.** *I'm genuinely impressed with this boy.* **He sneers and looks at Liam and then Chris.** *He's got bigger balls than the both-* **He blinks a few times and shakes his head, like he's getting dizzy.** *of you combined...* **He shakes his head again his eyes go wide again, but this time with anger.** ...You're not getting that... Fucking... Sigil... You fu- **The anger fades.** *I am impressed, but irritated... Give me the Sigil, Liam.*

**Liam**: **He looks angry suddenly.** No.

**Shane**: **He smiles and starts laughing, then groans.** *I am going to rip out your soul, Liam. Then I'm going to devour it, and you will spend eternity squirming inside of me in your own personal hell.*

**Liam**: **He runs over to the table and grabs Adam's battery.** You're not getting the Sigil! **He puts the Sigil on the table and smashes it with the battery.**

**Shane**: *You think this is over?* **He shakes his head, taking a few steps back.** *All I need do is acquire another Sigil.* **He nods slowly, and then turns, running through the library and vanishing behind one of the shelves. After a moment they hear a window break.**

**Liam**: **He moves to chase after him but stops, realizing that there's not way he could fight him even if he caught him. After a moment he turns and runs over to Chris and pulls a few books off of him.** Chris! Chris are you alright?

**Chris**: **He looks at Liam and groans.**

**Liam**: **He reaches out to help Chris up.**

**Chris**: Get the fuck away from me. **He pushes another book of of him and rolls to his feet.** ...Look what your fucking *demon* did! You don't *fucking touch* me. Stay the fuck *away* from me!