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Post by Ayen on Aug 25, 2024 16:04:43 GMT -6
Ayanna drove down the street in her blue 68 Firebird that she bought all them months ago with her lottery winnings. It was the first time in a long while since she didn't have Ra in the car and she was curious to see what this new city was all about. She drove pass the border and came up to a pizza joint nearby. Always in the mood for soda and pizza, Ayanna climbed out of the firebird and entered the pizza shop.
Ayanna ordered herself a single medium sized pizza and a two litter of Pepsi and had at it. Coming up to a table and enjoying her meal with the soft sweet taste of Pepsi beside it. Her body was alert however to her surroundings as she knew not everything was what it appeared to be. Blue eyes scanning the room to make sure everything was in the right before going back to her pizza and drink.
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Post by Jean Vilain on Sept 13, 2024 22:05:56 GMT -6
As Ayanna savored her pizza, the bell above the door jingled, and a man entered, cutting an imposing figure. Dressed in all black, he moved with a deliberate grace that seemed out of place in the casual pizza joint. His dark hair, slicked back with precision, contrasted sharply with the casual atmosphere. The room seemed to dim slightly as he walked in, like the shadows leaned in closer just by his presence.
He approached the counter, and the server froze, their hands trembling slightly as they caught sight of him. Without a word, the man slid a thick stack of bills across the counter. The server hesitated, eyes wide with barely concealed fear, before taking the money with shaky hands. They didn’t say a word, only nodding meekly. The man turned without any acknowledgment of the tension, moving with that same slow, confident stride, and took a seat in the far corner of the room.
For a moment, the air felt thick, almost suffocating, as if his mere presence was bending the very atmosphere. The server, now pale and visibly unsettled, quickly disappeared into the back, leaving the dining area unnervingly quiet.
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Post by Ayen on Sept 14, 2024 9:00:12 GMT -6
Ayanna was half way finished with her cup of Pepsi when she noticed the man in black enter the pizza joint. She thought nothing of it at first except for the fact that he looked like a James Bond villain back in the day. But as she observed further she could sense something supernatural about the man in question. The way he carried himself. The way he made the employees here nervous. Ayanna had only spent one year hunting demons and the supernatural, but being part one herself she had mastered the art of recognizing when something out of the norm was right in front of her.
Ayanna tried to act casual at first. Like she wasn't watching the man at all. Taking another bite of her pizza. Another sip of her drink. She noticed the waiters had left the building. Other customers unnerved by the man's presence started to leave. Ayanna didn't have senses like a vampire so she couldn't detect just what kind of species this man was, but she knew he wasn't human. Ayanna decided to finish her food and drink and leave some cash on the table for the employees to collect once they felt safe again. After all when you were a millionaire you could throw money around like that.
Ayanna stood up from her seat. Jean jacket covering her tank top and thus the Beretta and Desert Eagle inside the jean jacket pockets. She approached the man with caution, but not out of fear. Ayanna had seen demons that could drain your emotions and make you relive your greatest joys just to throw you down to your lowest of lows. Demons that could duplicate the plagues of Egypt. Her own father. Ghosts, zombies, vampires, werewolves, and angels. So she wasn't afraid. But she wasn't reckless either as she stood over the man in the corner.
"They say you can tell a lot about a man by the way he carries himself. You carry yourself like you're intending to cause some trouble. Are you planning to cause trouble?"
Ayanna placed a hand on her hip and waited for a response. If she would even get one.
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Post by Jean Vilain on Sept 14, 2024 9:52:14 GMT -6
Jean Vilain looked up slowly, his eyes locking onto Ayanna with an unnerving stillness. The air seemed to grow colder around them, the shadows bending ever so slightly, as if eager to reach out. A thin smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, though it never quite reached his eyes. It was a smile that held no warmth, only confidence and a hint of something darker—something ancient. "You think you can tell a lot about a man by how he carries himself?" His voice was smooth, calm, with an accent but there was an undercurrent that sent a chill down the spine, like distant thunder before a storm. "And yet, here you are, an atom standing before a giant."
Jean Vilain’s smile shifted, the oppressive weight of the room vanishing in an instant. It was as if the shadows themselves had withdrawn, releasing the light, sound, and air back into the space. The heavy tension dissolved, leaving behind an almost casual atmosphere. His eyes, once cold and calculating, softened with a spark of playful charisma.
"Hm. Kidding. Go ahead," he said, gesturing to the chair across from him with a smooth wave of his hand. "Have a seat. I promise, I don’t bite." His voice was lighter now, tinged with a faint trace of amusement, as if the creeping dread of a moment ago had been nothing more than a joke at her expense.
The store owner, visibly shaken, hurriedly tossed a box of pizza onto the table in front of Vilain, followed by a suitcase. Without a word, the owner scurried to the back, as though eager to put as much distance between himself and the man in black as possible. Jean didn’t even acknowledge the transaction, his eyes still fixed on Ayanna, his grin never wavering. "It’s not every day I’m approached so boldly," he added, leaning back as though they were old friends meeting for lunch. "So, what will it be?"
Jean opened the box of pizza in front of him, his eyes gleaming with a hint of satisfaction as the steam rose from the fresh pie. "Ah, Suprema," he said with a low chuckle, as if savoring the word. The scent of melting cheese, pepperoni, and peppers filled the air, though the unease still lingered at the edges of the room, like a shadow waiting to creep back in.
He casually pulled out a slice, inspecting it with the same meticulousness one might give to a finely crafted weapon. "You know," he continued, glancing back at Ayanna, "sometimes it’s the simple pleasures that make everything worthwhile. A good meal, a quiet corner." His tone was almost conversational, but there was a deeper, unsettling weight beneath his words, as though even a mundane slice of pizza could hold some hidden danger.
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Post by Ayen on Sept 14, 2024 10:34:15 GMT -6
An atom standing before a giant. Someone was sure of himself. The effects of the shadows around them didn't go unnoticed. When you were trained in hunting the supernatural you noticed things outside the five senses. Developing a sort of sixth sense for anything abnormal. And everything about this man screamed abnormal. Until he finally invited her to sit down across from him and enjoy some pizza. For now Ayanna would play along. She had no idea of knowing what this man was capable of. And after several near deaths experiences in her own life she knew better than to go in guns blazing as she took a seat.
"I'm good. I just had an entire pizza to myself. Now just who and what the hell are you?"
Ayanna always found the direct approach to be the best course of action. She wished Ra was here right now. He was good at detecting and determining what kind of supernatural force they were dealing with. Last she saw him he was staying with his lover Dr. Laura Kennedy. A flare of jealousy showed there at the memory, but Ayanna held no romantic feelings towards Ra Constantine.
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Post by Jean Vilain on Sept 14, 2024 12:33:57 GMT -6
Jean's index finger tapped lightly on the table, right where Ayanna's shadow stretched. Each tap was subtle, yet it felt like something darker—an empty void—reached into her soul, brushing against it. His gaze never wavered, cold and deliberate, as he finally spoke. "There are many wishes people ask of me," he said, his voice low and calm, "but there is one wish I won’t grant." His finger tapped again, his words settling into the room like a chill. "Those who learned too much about me... well, they’re either dead or something far worse." He paused, watching her reaction. "It’s not that I care to save you," he continued, almost dismissively, "but I’m not sure what value you hold... yet." His eyes gleamed with a knowing look. "You can call me Jean Vilain, Miss Kaktas." The sound of her name, spoken by him without any introduction, hung in the air. "As for what I do..." His smile returned, cryptic and unsettling. "Let’s just say I provide solutions... for those willing to pay the price."
Jean Vilain leaned back, casually lifting a slice of pizza from the box in front of him. He took a deliberate bite, his expression unchanged, save for a fleeting look of mild approval.
“Normally, I don’t care for establishments like this,” he said, his voice smooth and unhurried as he chewed, “but they live up to their reputation.”
His eyes flicked to Ayanna again, as though gauging her reaction, the tapping of his finger on the table now silent. He took another bite, savoring the flavors as if the strange tension between them didn’t exist. There was an unnerving ease to his movements, as if this casual meal, this unsettling conversation, was all part of some grander, unfathomable game.
“I’ve come to appreciate the smaller things,” he continued between bites, “when the bigger picture remains... inevitable.” The weight of his words lingered, though his attention had shifted back to the pizza.
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Post by Ayen on Sept 14, 2024 12:49:51 GMT -6
You could've cut the tension with a knife. Ayanna was not unfamiliar with darkness seeping into her soul. Given the fact she was part devil. Her father having been a demon and mother a human. A union that never should have been. A union like no other. With light and dark tugging at her like a heaven versus hell game of tug of war. Though she came to accept what she was the demon's nature continued to be a mild temptation.
"What? You some kind of contractor demon? Sign on the dotted line with blood and all your wishes will come true. Then you collect once they've proved their use. Am I getting warmer?"
Ayanna had dealt with demons such as those. Those who made humans sign their soul away for wishes and desires that plagued them. Let them have a little taste of success, fame, fortune, and physical pleasure before their soul is dragged away into the depths of hell. Yet something in Ayanna's stomach, that tingling feeling shooting up and down her spine, told her there was more than even that with this Jean Vilain.
"So you know my name. Big whoop. I'm a demon hunter. I'm sure my name has traveled across the supernatural realm. You trying to scare me, Vilain?"
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Post by Jean Vilain on Sept 14, 2024 13:14:36 GMT -6
Jean swallowed his bite of pizza, setting the slice down with a casual precision. He looked up at Ayanna, his gaze sharp, but his tone almost amused, like he was indulging a game only he fully understood. "Crossroads demons," he said, voice low but calm, "terrible salesmen, really. The whole 'sign your soul away for an eternity in hell' bit... predictable." He leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping against her shadow again, that unsettling void brushing the edges of her soul. "No, my price is more... flexible."
He allowed the words to hang in the air, savoring the reaction they might provoke. "You see, I don’t demand a lifetime of damnation right off the bat. I’m more reasonable than that. You get your wish, and your soul stays yours, so long as you keep up your end of the bargain." His eyes darkened, almost glinting with some private amusement. "Do a job here and there, and we're square. The beauty is, the deal stays... open-ended."
As he spoke, the store owner peeked out nervously from the kitchen, his eyes darting between Jean and Ayanna, visibly shaken but unable to tear himself away. The owner's anxiety was palpable, like he was watching something he shouldn’t be, a silent witness to the unsettling conversation.
Jean leaned back once more, picking up his slice again, as though the conversation hadn’t taken such a dark turn. "I didn’t expect to scare you. I’m not in the business of petty intimidation." His smile returned, cold and thin. "But you, Ayanna... you’ve made quite a name for yourself. A little patricide of dear old Jein, your demon father." He watched her, gauging her response. "Quite the accomplishment. How does one feel after killing their own blood?" His voice was casual, but his eyes—those eyes—were waiting, watching. Testing.
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Post by Ayen on Sept 14, 2024 13:51:09 GMT -6
Ayanna merely listened as this Jean Vilain explained how his deals worked. At least what he was willing to explain. Something told Ayanna to keep him talking. Get as much information out of him as she can before she had to burst into action. He looked human. He sounded human. He spoke the human language. But nothing about him was human. And something in her gut told her he was far worse than the demons she had already encountered.
Her eyes narrowed a bit when he started talking about her biological father. Sperm donor as Ayanna saw him. Jein was never a father to her. He was just another blood thirsty demon that wanted to rule the world. While her quest to find him had started out as an act of vengeance. Revenge. Avenging the death of who she saw as her real father. Paul Kaktas. It ended up being for the benefit of mankind as Jein had no good plans for the human race or Earth for that matter.
"Jein was no father to me."
Was all she'd say on the subject. And it was the truth. All Jein's kind wanted to do was kill her and he wanted her by his side only to gain more power. Ayanna didn't care about power or money, despite having it in great abundance. She cared about the stuff that matters.
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Post by Jean Vilain on Sept 14, 2024 14:15:44 GMT -6
Jean smiled, a thin, knowing smile as he tapped his finger on the table once more, just enough to make the shadows ripple. He studied Ayanna, eyes gleaming with something deeper, something darker. "No, I didn’t think he was." His voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it cut through the air like a blade. "Demons like Jein… they don't understand the concept of family. Only power, control, and domination. But it never serves a purpose. Power for power's sake is nothing—an empty chase for more of the same. But you..." His eyes glinted as they locked onto hers. "You didn't let him have any of that, did you?"
He leaned back in his chair, his movements deliberate, a man who always had the upper hand, even when it wasn't immediately apparent. "It's curious, though, how you're so quick to sever those ties—yet here you are, half of him, walking through this world as though you can escape it." His smile widened slightly, as if he enjoyed the weight of his own words. "Tell me, Miss Kaktas, what do you care about, if not power or money? Most would kill for what you have, but not you. No… you want something else."
Jean took another bite of his pizza, chewing slowly, thoughtfully, as if they were discussing nothing more than the weather. "And people like you," he continued, swallowing, "who think they're above the game, above power... they’re the ones who fascinate me the most. You don’t crave it, but here you are, entangled in it, whether you like it or not."
He set his slice down, his gaze never leaving hers. "So, what is it you want, Ayanna? What makes you tick? Because I think it’s more than just hunting down demons. There’s always something more.”
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