Bound to a Reaper (Dimitri/Hana)

[Lovely_Hana]

It had been a few weeks since her break up with him and it'd also been a few weeks she'd last left her home. Sybil had spent most of her time inside, hiding out from the chances of running into him again. The bruises on her arms and legs had all but faded away completely and she could finally move her left arm without hurting her elbow. She was healing physically, but mentally she was afraid of him still and frightened of the chance of him getting his hands on her again, but tonight, she vowed she wouldn't let that fear get the better of her. Sybil would finally go out tonight and try to enjoy her freedom on the night of her favorite holiday; Halloween.

For her, it'd been a while since she felt excited and anxiousness to get out of the house and interact with someone other than her mom and her dog. Her friends were also glad to know that she would be joining them at their costume party, so much so that they assured her that her ex would not be allowed around under any circumstances and she hoped deeply that that would be the case. She was now just a few houses away from the house where the party was being held at, smiling brightly under the skeleton half-mask she wore on her face to go with her skeleton themed costume. She wore a short black dress that was tight on her body, with long sleeves, a hood and the typical white skeleton print over it; it also came with its matching stockings and gloves. Her dark red hair had been tucked into the hood so only the front of her long bangs framing her face and covering her blue eyes could be seen.

The closer she got to the house, the louder the music got, causing her to start walking faster out of excitement until she was right in front, admiring the impressive decoration the house had all around it. Just as she was about to go in, she heard a familiar voice behind her that caused chills to go up her spine and make her body start to shake spontaneously. When she turned around to see where her ex was, she couldn’t find him. There was a crowd of people coming and they were all wearing makeup and masks, so it was hard to pinpoint him. Sybil gulped loudly and quickly ran into the house, not wanting to be found by him and to try and blend in with the rest of the party-goers.


A while later, she had actually begun to relax and actually start to have a lot of fun with her friends were who were helping her to forget all about her troubles for the meantime, that and the drink and a half she’d had since getting there. It seemed like the start of something good, until she left her friend’s sides to go the bathroom and was targeted by her ex, Mark. He had caught up with her after she exited the bathroom, grabbing her arm and roughly pulling her into a hallway where there weren’t many people around.

“Well looky what I found here… How have you been Sybbie? You haven’t returned any of my calls or messages… what gives? You think you can get away that easily?” His words were like knives to her ears, tearing at her and practically causing her as much pain as the tight grip he hand on her arm. His other hand reached up and wrapped loosely around her neck, squeezing a bit in a menacing manner and his fingertips digging into her skin. “I told you I wouldn’t go away so easily… You’re just making things worse for yourself in the end. I’ll get you and I won’t stop until you’re more broken that before…”

Sybil bit back the tears forming in her eyes and her breathing had grown quick and shallow, panic quickly rising in her and she became practically paralyzed with fear. Her eyes looked away, searching for a way out.

’I would give anything to be away from him… Just… kill me now. End this for me already…’

Sybil’s tears finally began to drip down her cheeks before being soaked up by the half mask she was wearing. Her hand finally started to move and she reached out to the side as if searching for something or someone.
​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

The vision was so clear when Mana saw it - it was a vision of his new assignment; a girl in a zombie costume, drunk-driving early in the morning, heading back to her house from a party. Her car, a black sedan, was speeding through the empty roads when a truck came from one side of the intersection and her car slammed into it, crushing it almost flat on the ground. The girl stayed unmoving in a pool of blood, her legs severed, her neck broken, her soul gone.

Mana was at the said party then, keeping an eye on the girl that was supposed to be his target. She had been taking too many alcoholic drinks of all sorts and it was still early in the night. He watched as she disappeared in a room with the third guy that night and after half an hour or so, she went back out looking more messed up than before. The guy came out shortly after, fixing his pants as he did so. Mana frowned at them. Humans were such sickening creatures but somewhere in him, he pitied them. They were the most clueless race in the universe. Mana met a lot already - from angels, to demons and faeries - and everyone knew a lot more than humans did. The other three races, at least, knew the kinds of ends they'd meet in their own respective afterlife and they valued it. Human beings, on the other hand, lived as if they won't suffer the consequences of it.

Lost in his thoughts, Mana lost track of the girl. He started roaming around the house, passing through people and walls as he did so but in the process, to his surprise, one person bumped onto him. He didn't believe it at first but the sensation was so real and he could see the girl right in front of him.

With his face hidden behind a mask, he looked down at the human, not exactly knowing what to do.

 

[Lovely_Hana]

As if by complete perfect timing, her hand had bumped into someone coming close to them. She immediately grabbed a bunch of the person’s clothes and desperately gripped it tightly before her eyes would look over to see who it was. It was a guy in a grim reaper costume- a pretty impressive one at that. If she hadn’t been in this sort of situation, she might have taken the time to compliment him and admire it. Just holding onto him gave her a sense of comfort and enough courage to get away from Mark.

Sybil gulped loudly and took a deep breath before her free hand began to pull at the hand he had around her neck, writhing away from him to free herself, pulling towards the guy she was holding onto. “Stop it, Mark! I… I don’t want to be anywhere near you! I have someone now… someone way better than you. Go away!” Sybil was shocked at the words that had come out of her mouth, and even more shocked by how she so easily pulled away and managed to wrap her arms around the Reaper’s torso, holding onto him tightly and burying her face in his chest for effect. The sight of this angered Mark, but the new guy scared him and frankly he didn’t feel she was worth it at this point.

“I’ll get you sooner or later… just you watch.” He threatened her, punching the side of the wall before turning around to walk away through the crowd. Sybil had jumped slightly at the sound of the punch, and as soon as he left, her knees gave out and she found she had to continue to hold on for fear of falling over. Her body trembled against his and for a few moment, she was silent- that is until the awkwardness of the situation finally hit her.

Sybil looked up at the man’s mask and moved away a bit, her hands still holding onto the front of his clothes. “I’m sorry… I just really had to get him away from me… he was hurting me and…” She paused and just looked down at the ground. “I just wanted to die as soon as I felt his hands on me again…” The last part was spoken softly, her words shaky and hoarse as she felt a lump building up on her throat. “I’m sorry to ask this but… can you help me get to an empty room? I just want a place to hide out for a while after you leave…”

​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

Mana, with the soft heart that he had despite being a creature of the dark, looked down at the girl with eyes full of pity. There was something wrong and he could sense it. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but he greatly sensed a negative aura from her. It took him a while to figure it all out - sadness, depression, longing, pain and anger all in one. When the female human clung on to him, he held on to her as well before gazing at the male who came to her. They had an argument but he didn't understand how things went in the human world. He was certain of one thing, though - whoever she was, she needed to get away from him.

When the young man stormed away, Mana watched as the female spoke. She had a lovely voice although it felt quite odd that he was actually communicating with a human being. He heard her pleas, but he wasn't for it.

"Death is not something you want to play with," Mana said, his voice cold as ice. In fact, in somewhat sounded like a million voices mixed in one - something like what horror movies would use in their own versions of the grim reaper. Still, he was caught up in the situation already and he already felt bad for the girl. Screw it. It seemed like one soul will cheat death tonight. Literally. Perhaps it wasn't her time yet in the first place.

Mana didn't intend to bring her to some empty room mainly because he didn't know the house and where rooms are actually designated. Secondly, he didn't like the environment there. It was full of drama, loud music, alcohol and sex. Instead, he motioned the girl to follow him and led her outside into the empty streets. All throughout, he walked in silence.

 

[Lovely_Hana]

His voice had such an eerie sound to it. So cold and spooky, with what seemed like echoes, but she didn’t really think much of it as it was Halloween and she just assumed that he’d bought some fancy voice changer to go with his Grim reaper costume. When he motioned her to follow him, she would nod her head and keep ahold of his arm, holding onto the fabric of his sleeve as they made their way through the crowd and out of the house, into the streets. The sounds of the music faded with each step they took, until nothing but the sounds of their shoes tapping on the ground as they walked could be heard. Once they were away enough, she looked up at the back of his head and waited for him to say something… anything.

”Where are we going?” Sybil asked, her grip on his sleeve loosening a bit. ”What’s your name? I’m Sybil…” She introduced herself in the hopes that it wouldn’t stay too quiet anymore. After a few more steps, she reached up with her free hand and pulled down the half mask she wore down over her neck, giving her the opportunity to take a deep breath of fresh air and calm herself down a bit more.
​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

He was deep in thought. A human trailed closely right beside him and he didn't know what to do. He now had full responsibility over two people in a race which he did not belong to - one whose soul he already let go, one who suddenly clung on to him as if he gave her a new opportunity in life. He was lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts but when she spoke, his mind went back to reality.

"Mana," He said, speaking as plain and as simple as possible. From the corner of his eye, he saw that she already took off the mask. Speaking of masks... it's been decades since he last took off his own. It's been decades since he last saw how he looked like. For so long, he didn't care anymore. He lived a robotic life of routine and rules. He continued walking aimlessly until the music was no longer in earshot and he had no plans of stopping.

"I think you're safe now," He said. "That young man you're running away from... he's gone."

 

[Lovely_Hana]

“Mana…” She looked up at him and smiled softly, thinking that his name was as mysterious as he was while moving a bit faster to get to walk by his side now, instead of behind him. “It’s nice to meet you then, Mana. Thank you for earlier… I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did.” Sybil thanked him and continued to walk beside him until he spoke again, this time it seemed he was dismissing her, causing her to frown and look away. “Yea I think you’re right… I don’t live too far from here so… I should be ok.” She said as she let go of his sleeve and gave him more space.

”Again, thank you. Is there anything I can do to repay you?” Her eyes scanned his mask, curiously wondering just what he looked like.
​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

Is there anything I can to do repay you?

Those words caught him off guard, making him stop all at once to glance down at the human who, at least, wasn't clinging on to him anymore. "Do you... not know who I am?" Mana asked. His question wasn't meant to sound arrogant or boastful but rather, his tone sounded very confused. It all the more added up to the confusion he was already feeling as to why she can see him, feel him and more importantly - talk to him.

He took her hand then - fingers long and slender tipped with charcoal-black nails wrapping around her thin wrist -and dragged her in silence. He walked briskly under the moonlight and the limited light the lamp posts gave until they reached the park nearby. He made her sit down and he stood right in front of her with his arms crossed. in front of his chest.

"Did you ever have any near-death experience?" He asked, his voice still ringing eerily along with the sound of the wind.

 

[Lovely_Hana]

Sybil was so confused by his reaction and him asking her if she didn’t know who he was. Of course, she didn’t. She hadn’t even seen his face yet. “What do you mean, Mana? Have we met before or something?” She asked him just before he grabbed her wrist and began to pull her away towards the park. She couldn’t figure out why he’d reacted in such a way, but she figured he would soon make himself clear once they got the park and he sat her down. Her blue eyes would stare up at his mask, biting her lower lip nervously and her hands would fidget with each other.

Once again, his voice when he spoke seemed eerie and spooky, making goosebumps rise up over her skin. “Near death experience?” Sybil looked away from him, her hand coming up to her neck so her fingers could rub over the bruises her ex had left behind tonight. “I had… I think. It was a few months ago.” She felt a lump start to build in her throat and she closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. Just thinking of what had happened before made her have a heart wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach. “My ex, the one from tonight, is really abusive and he went too far a few months ago. He beat me and strangled me… I was sent to the hospital for two weeks. Had a dislocated shoulder, some bruised ribs amongst other things. The doctors said I was lucky I survived… “ Sybil looked back up at him and tilted her head. “Is that what you’re referring to? But why does it matter?”
​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

The girl laid down on the bed motionlessly, her breathing coming in short breaths, her pulse slowing down at every minute. She was bruised on almost all parts of her body with burning rope marks on her wrists and ankles. Yet even at her state, she looked like a beautifu dead bride. Mana watched her throughout those two weeks, ready to take her soul the moment it rises above her carcass but it never did. She fought and fought until she survived.

The vision came in like a motion picture shown in just a few seconds. Of course. He knew her. She was his beautiful victim from a couple of months back. She had cheated death again, and now she meets death herself - only... she didn't know it yet.

"I met you back then," Mana said. This time, despite his eerie voice, his tone was a lot calmer and his shoulders and arms already relaxed as he took a seat beside the human. A lot of people had already cheated him but none ever found their way back to him especially in this sense. Everything was still quite a blur but Mana felt a lot more comfortable now.

Still, he knew it was a kind of comfort that would only short-live.

"Do you believe in grim reapers? Soul takers and the like?" He asked, turning his masked face to her.

 

[Lovely_Hana]

As if she wasn’t more confused by the questions he’d asked her, she was even more confused, and frankly shocked, when he said he had met her back then. Back then in the hospital, she had spent most of her time sleeping or dazed from all of the pain medication they had her on so she didn’t remember much of that time. It could have been possible that he may have been in her room without her knowing it- but for reason, she had a feeling that wasn’t what he was referring to.

“Grim reapers? Soul takers? Like… the ones from the stories and the movies? I guess I’d never really thought about it. It always seemed like something Hollywood would try to market for their billion dollar movies or shows.” She thought about it for a second until she began to chuckle nervously.

“What? Are you about to tell me you’re a real Grim reaper and that’s not a really impressive Halloween costume? “

​

Sybil shook her head and smiled, rubbing her forehead a bit. “that couldn’t be possible… could it?”

 

[dimitri-klyff]

Mana remained silent for a while. Of course. It was only natural for her to react that way and honestly, he'd be more surprised if she reacted otherwise. Grim reapers aren't supposed to be real. Rather, they should only remain in the minds of human beings who are blessed enough to live their lives peacefully. They shouldn't be out in the open in some park conversing with some girl.

"It's getting dark, isn't it?" Mana said, completely ignoring what the girl asked him. He raised his hand up with his sleeve falling down slightly to reveal a thin, pale arm filled with marks. His fingers were long and slender and three fingers had rings on them - one red, one blue, the other gold. He flicked his hand gracefully and before they know it, a ball of fire floated above his palm, giving them both a little illumination.

 

[Lovely_Hana]

By his silence, she thought he was just avoiding her questions and statements, perhaps because he didn’t want to say anything else about it or because he’d said too much about it. Sybil wanted to pry and find out what he’d meant before but she was afraid of the off chance that he really was this creature of legend and myths and could possibly take her soul right then. That, or he was some deranged psycho who got out of the crazy house, but the latter didn’t seem to fit.

When he lifted his hand up, her eyes immediately caught sight of his hand, his fingers and the rings he had on them. It was also the first time she noticed just how pale he was. Her eyes widened in shock as soon as he flicked his hand and a ball of fire appeared floating over his palm. What the heck was that?! This couldn’t possibly be a trick as it actually emanated heat and it was bright. She didn’t know what to say… Sybil was stunned and stiff in place, staring at the fire orb that he held. It took her a long moment for her mind to process the fact that… perhaps the legends were truth. The myths, stories and fairy tales… some of them must have been true. Instead of feeling scared, she felt excitement, not even concerned with the fact that a grim reaper was sitting right next to her.

He, Mana, was fascinating; alluring and mysterious, and she wanted to know more of him.

”So I think it’s safe to say that… you’re a grim reaper and that this is not just a really awesome costume or trick..” Sybil chuckled a bit at the end of her sentence before her eyes met up with his masked face. Her hand came up and reached up to grab the bottom of his mask gently but not moving it up, wanting to make sure he still had the opportunity to stop her if he wanted. ”Can… I see what you look like, Mana?”
​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

His hand moved gracefully as he stared distantly at the trees. The ball of flame followed the path of his hand as if he was drawing with light. Mana didn't know what she was thinking let alone how she was feeling but in his mind, confusion started to build up. By now, the girl should be running away or screaming for help or calling him a monster or any other insulting term but instead, she remained there, watching his every move. In fact, she even seemed quite fascinated with the whole thing. Her words and actions were nothing but impressed.

The ball of flame faded in an instant when he felt her hand touching the mask he hadn't taken off for so long. The last creature who saw his true face was an angel -- an angel he loved truly -- but alas, fate did not allow them together. He thought no one else should see his face but the girl's touch -- so gentle, innocent and curious -- made him think otherwise.

He didn't respond. Instead, he held the bottom of his mask and slowly moved it away from his face which also caused his hood to fall down as well.

Inside the hideous mask and the gruesome task of ferrying souls was an angelic face -- so pure, unblemished despite the markings, so gentle despite the burning red cat-like eyes. His hair was blonde and it flowed wavily towards his shoulder. His eyes, those orbs which meant death itself, stared directly at the human girl without a word.

 

[Lovely_Hana]

Her gaze never left him, even when the ball of light danced in the night to his will, she was afraid to miss it when he revealed his face to her. Her hand trembled slightly as she brought it away from him when she saw him reach up to move the mask away and off his face. For a moment, her breath got caught in her throat and she couldn’t believe what she was looking at. Sybil expected to see the stereotypical depiction of reapers; the skull face with no eyes and perhaps a bug here or there – what they usually showed in the movies, but what she saw couldn’t have been farther from it.

Sybil’s blue orbs drank in every in of his face and hair, amazed to see someone so handsome. He sure didn’t look human, his features were too perfect and without flaw, angelic and pure, in fact if it wasn’t for those red eyes of his, she would have assumed he was an angel instead of a Grim reaper. At first, she was frightened to look him straight in the eye; she thought that doing so would result in him instantly taking her soul or something of the sort. She bit her lower lip as she silently sat there in an inward battle with her urges to look up. The curiosity was too great and soon her bright blue eyes met his burning red ones, and she felt no regrets.

A small smile formed on her lips as she reached her hand up again and pressed her fingertips gently over his cheek, touching his skin for the first time. Sybil half expected his skin to feel cold but instead it felt warm and comforting, making her forget of the cool breeze of that October night that brushed over them. Her other hand came up and went to his golden locks, running through them and curling them around her fingers, careful not to pull any.

”This is incredible… I never expected this, but I’m really glad…” Sybil took her hands away from him, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable by having some human girl with her hands all over him and before she placed them on her lap, she took down her own hood.
​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

The way the girl averted her gaze from him made him prepare for the worst. For so long, he had no clue on how he looks like. What if he looked hideous? What if he really was the monster everyone thought he was? Those thoughts plagued his mind, making him consider the thought of just disappearing and letting this girl be. Perhaps their fates were never meant to cross. Perhaps interacting with human beings is a total taboo. Perhaps--

And then it happened.

Even as the thoughts invaded his mind and killed him slowly inside, Mana didn't notice that his gaze was fixed on the girl. It was returned just a couple of moments later with blue orbs staring right back him. Those eyes... they were very lovely. It held innocence to it, and longing and utmost curiosity. Was she not afraid? Why wasn't she running away and screaming yet?

More importantly, why did she reach out to touch his face and his hair? Mana even ended up leaning ever so slightly against the touch but before he could dwell on it even more, the moment was done and the girl seemed amazed.

"Sybil," Mana spoke after being silent for so long. It was the first time he uttered her name. "Why are you glad? Are you not..." he looked away and kept his gaze fixed on the ground. "...afraid?"

 

[Lovely_Hana]

He really wasn’t like anything she could have imagined. He didn’t seem evil or dark and ruthless, not at the moment at least. He seemed gentle, quiet and even lonely. She wondered what it must be like for him – to be surrounded by death and people departing all time. To watch people dye and have to do with them whatever it was he did. Sybil wondered if he was saddened by it and strangely she felt a need to try and make him feel better, she just wasn’t sure how. When he spoke her name, she felt a spark rush up from the pit of her stomach and collide with her heart, sending more sparks throughout her body and even taking her breath away momentarily. His voice… it was so haunting but at the same time, she found comfort in it. She felt enveloped in his mystery, pulled in by feelings and thoughts she could not understand just yet.

After he asked her his questions, she wondered the same things herself. Why WAS she glad and why hadn’t she run away in fear? She honestly wasn’t sure of the answer… but she could at least try to explain it, it seemed important to him.

”I’m… not sure. I think its because of earlier tonight. When you first got to me, I was in a situation where I felt really low and terrified… I was panicked and afraid that that person would hurt me again. I wanted to escape him in any way possible. I reached out for someone to help me… someone to pull me away and then…” Sybil reached up and cupped his cheek, pushing him to look at her again so that once their eyes locked, she could continue. ” There you were… When I held onto you, I didn’t feel fear. I felt safe somehow. Who would have thought that I would have ended up spending my night with a Grim reaper? I can’t say that I’m not afraid completely. Honestly, I’m still wondering if you’re going to try and take my soul tonight but part of me thinks that’s not why you’re here with me now and has decided to trust you.”


​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

The words poured from her lips - words of utmost sincerity that spoke of her feelings of how she found comfort and security in him. It felt new, different and odd even, but it was a change he welcomed with all of him. Her hands felt warm. It felt different than holding a ball of cold gas also known as the human soul. It felt real against him who was surreal and literally out of that world.

Their eyes met and locked and for quite some time, both were enveloped in a companionable silence. Red eyes met blue ones. For a while he had the urge to touch those hands touching his face and.... He did. He raised up his hands and held her own with his before bringing them down on his lap.

"Mana Kael," Mana spoke. "That is my real name, if you wanted to know."

Uttering his name out loud let alone with a human was considered a taboo for his kind. Reapers were treated equally, meaning each and every single one of them were just mere robots and play things of a higher race - the demons. They held no name or rather, their names and identities should be forgotten. In fact, Mana couldn't fully bring himself to remember everything about him.

Except his name.

And he wanted to share that to her.

 

[Lovely_Hana]

The feel of his hands on hers made her heart jump in her chest as well. His hands looked as if they would be cold, almost bony from how long and thin they were, but in actuality they made his touch tender, masculine, yet soft. Her hands remained in his when he brought them down to his lap, squeezing every once in a while in an assuring manner. Her smile seemed stuck on her face, to the point where it began to hurt her cheeks since it’d been so long since she expressed such joy on her face. After he told her his real name, She briefly tore her gaze from his, looking to the side as her smile turned sheepish when her cheeks began to brighten up in a rose colored shade. She bit at the side of her lower lip in an attempt to hold in this rush that coursed through her.

”Its great to meet you, Mana Kael… Thank you for sharing that with me. “ Her voice sounded as if she were straining to hold back some sort of girly squeal of excitement, and in truth she was. As crazy as it sounded, Sybil was actually gushing over him! Just thought of a human developing a crush on a creature like Grim reaper sounded insane! But it was happening, whether she wanted it to or not. Her gaze came back up to his as she moved in her seat closer to him in an attempt to find some more warmth. Thanks to the cold air and the breeze that began to blow, all of her body, save for her chest, face and hands were cold and she’d begun to shake a bit from it. It also didn’t help that Sybil was wearing a short dress costume made of thin cotton. Still, she didn’t let the cold keep her from holding his hands, holding onto them firmly, but gently.

A thought then suddenly entered her mind, and it was something that began to worry and scare her. ”Mana… are you going to get in trouble for me knowing all of this? This won’t be the last time I see you, will it?” Sybil asked him, a small hint of desperation could be heard in her tone.
​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

The conversation grew at each passing minute and Mana found himself unable to comprehend with everything. Speaking, in itself, was already quite a challenge for him let alone conversing, yet he didn't want this new bond to end just yet. It seemed like his companion wanted the same thing as well.

"It's a pleasure to be of your acquaintance as well, Sybil," Mana said. He, too, had his gaze fixed elsewhere but he watched the girl through his peripherals. His eyes ran down from head to toe and mentally took all the details in - from her hair, her eyes, her lips, he hands... everything. She was a true beauty, indeed, and he wondered how such a sweet and beautiful girl got abused by some worthless human being who did not know how to treat her well. That guy already had her and he didn't see the true worth of it. It made his hands clench for a while but her voice - her lovely voice -tore him away from his thoughts.

Of course I'd get in trouble. "No, it won't cause anything," Mana responded. It was a lie. Or rather, a partial truth if he manages to keep everything at arms' length. No matter what, there should be some sort of distance between them. Mana knew they cannot be attached emotionally or else....

Decline, Mana. Decline. It isn't for your good or her own. "Of course not, Sybil. This won't be our last meeting. If it pleases you, I will visit you once in a while," Mana said, the words flowing out of him uncontrollably and too late came the shock.

And then, he remembered the soul - the original soul he was supposed to take that night.

"Someone was supposed to die tonight. Someone at the... what do you humans call it? Party?" Mana said, this time turning his gaze back at the girl. "It was not you or the male you ran away from. It was some other girl and because I am here with you, her death is spared."

He didn't exactly know what the consequences were, but surely, there will be. The escaped death was not a miracle the way Sybil's was. It was because of him impulse to suddenly hook up with a mortal girl.

 

[Lovely_Hana]

Knowing that their meeting and this time they were spending together wouldn’t cause any problems for him made her feel a great sense of relief. She didn’t understand the way things worked on his side of the world. She didn’t know the mechanics of taking souls, what the real purpose was, any sort of hierarchy or anything. Sybil was just a mortal human girl who’d just found out that creatures like him existed and it made her wonder just what else did; but she wouldn’t ask. Not yet at least. It would seem weird or rude to bombard him with questions when the answers he gives could cause trouble for the both of them. She also took comfort in the fact that he said he it wouldn’t be their last meeting and she felt happy to hear him say that he would visit her at times.

“ I would really like that… I don’t go out often anymore and it does get quite lonely so I would really enjoy seeing you and talking with you when you could.” Sybil said as she brought a hand up to cover the smile on her face as well and rub the side of her ached cheek from all the smiling she’d been doing. Without thinking, she moved so that she was sitting right beside him and leaned her head onto his shoulder to rest it there, one hand holding his and the other resting on his forearm, gently squeezing it. She listened to him telling her of the other person that was supposed to die that night. It was horrifying to hear but she found some comfort in the fact that the girl’s death was spared. Even though she didn’t know the consequences or why she would have died, if she had been at that party, that meant the girl was a young woman and perhaps had a loving family that would have been very hurt by her death.

Sybil thought back to her time in the hospital and how much her family must have suffered when they received that call from the hospital, telling them that she’d been taken to the hospital by some strangers because they found her beaten and dying from all her wounds. Her mother had stayed there every night in an uncomfortable cot in the corner of the room, watching over her and talking to her while Sybil slept. It made her wondering how much of the time her mother hadn’t been the only one in the room – how much of the time was Mana there? Watching and waiting to take her soul.

Who could have told her that she would meet him and be sitting at a park bench with him just a few months later and that she would be so comfortable around him? Sybil closed her eyes after a few moments of silence, focusing on this moment. As she breathed in, she inhaled some of his scent and held onto his arm a bit tighter as she began to try to and figure out where she’d smelled it before. It took her a few moments to realize that it was at the hospital, when she’d first woken up after a week of being asleep. It had been faint, but it was there… Sybil opened her eyes and tilted her head to look up towards his face, whilst still resting against his shoulder. “You really were there… I remember this scent… I remember thinking of how strange it was, but how much I liked it. No one else could smell it though."

”When I got better… were you disappointed, or happy?”
​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

The scent of death and smoke weren't exactly what Mana would think as something that attracts people but when the topic was raised up, he felt himself at ease with the thought of her finding comfort in whatever she could feel in him. "The scent of death?" Mana asked. For the first time that night and for a very long time, he smiled. He smiled a sincere smile even if his companion couldn't see it. He liked the way he talked to her , spoke to her as if he was her guardian angel and not someone who'd probably take her soul someday. The thought made him shudder but for now, he didn't want to think about that. She was right here - alive, well and beautiful.

And speaking of death, Mana listened to her as she spoke about those days in the hospital. He remembered her on the bed, nearly lifeless, but even if she was bruised and wounded everywhere, she was beautiful.

A lot more beautiful now that she is alive and well

"I was happy," Mana responded with utmost confidence. "If you died, I'd be taking your soul. There will be no communication between us because, by then, you will no longer have emotions or any form of trace that you were once human. You will be a blue ball of light in my hands which I would be carrying to which ever destination you belong in. I know it's in heaven. I would not have met you, or seen how beautiful you really are without your wounds and your bruises." Mana didn't know why he was telling her this much and he didn't know if there was a point telling her that much. For some reasons, it felt right.

As he spoke, a strong gush of the cold night wind blew and Mana realized how cold she must've been with the costume she was wearing. Mana got up, took off his cloak and handed it to the girl, leaving him in an olden time victorian coat and slacks. Without the cloak and the mask, he seemed very human if it weren't for his eyes and his voice.

"Here," He said. "It's not much, but you might be cold."

 

[Lovely_Hana]

When he questioned if he referred to the scent of death, she looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, a grin now on her lips as she playfully and softly elbowed his side. ” What? I’m not allowed to like it or something? Its not just the scent of death you know, its yours.” She laughed a bit at his reaction and took comfort in the smile she caught a brief sight of before he began to speak again. She listened to his words, amazed at how he described that a human soul turned into nothing but a ball of light, not exactly what she expected it would be like. To hear him say how he thought she was beautiful he thought her to be, it made her face turn bright red from embarrassment, but she felt flattered that he would think so. Sybil was happy that he’d seen her at her worst and still thought of her as beautiful, when no one else did, not even herself.

After the gush of wind blew over them, Sybil winced and inhaled sharply, bringing her feet up on the bench to curl up just before he had gotten up. Her heart sank at the thought that he was leaving but she soon calmed down and breathed a sigh of relief when she watched him take off his cloak and handing it to her. Her eyes took in the sight before her and scanned over every detail of him she could see. He was so handsome and he looked like he popped right out of a history book in his clothes, however, they seemed to suit him just right. After she snapped out of her thoughts, she spread out the cloak and pulled it over her body, reveling in the warmth its embrace held but found herself longing for his as well. She hid her face in the fabric, not wanting him to see how red her face still was from all of this. ”Thank you… but won’t you be cold now?” Sybil asked before she patted the spot next to her for him to come back to his seat.

”Come on, I’ll share with you.” Sybil said with a small chuckle as she lifted up the side of the cloak and waited for him to sit back next to her so she could drape it over him too.

​

 

[dimitri-klyff]

Mana appreciated the sincerity and the concern his new friend gave but the question seemed so alien to him, it was his turn to be confused. "How does the cold feel like? Or the warmth? How do you, the humans, tell the difference?" Mana spoke as he sat down beside her again, allowing her to share his side of the cloak. He gazed back up at the sky where the moon shone brightly as if to celebrate the halloween with the humans to give them the ultimate scare of a full moon. Mana's eyes were so opaque, the moon didn't even reflect on them. Nothing did.

"I know not of sensation, or physical pains," He began, his eyes still fixed on the moon as if its brightness weren't straining his eyes. "The wind blew and you shivered. I felt you did. You had been shivering." He continued. Once again, he raised up his hand and created a ball of fire floating above his palm. "I've seen humans die because of this. Their skin burns and melts. They scream a scream of terror and pain, but I do not know how those things feel." Mana allowed the fire to grow bigger but he made sure it was a safe distance away from the girl knowing that it would hurt her but the fire was just enough to keep her warm. He looked at the burning mass on his hand and, as expected, the fire did not reflect on his eyes and he didn't seem strained by its brightness.

"Thousands of years ago, there were no lights. No buildings, no cities, no anything. Humans did everything they can with this," Mana said, referring to the fire. "It has given them so much but it has also killed them. Humans are very fascinating, but they are weak. Only a very selected few cheat us - the soul takers." His eyes then glanced at the girl beside him. "You were one of those who cheated me and I admire that. It shows that you are one of those selected few who are a lot stronger than everyone else."

 

[Lovely_Hana]

At first, she was stunned and dumbfounded that he didn’t know what things like being cold or hot felt like or even pain. She wondered if that meant he couldn’t feel anything at all or if he was just referring to physical things. Remaining silent as he spoke, watching his every movement and his expressions as he made the ball of fire appear again and felt warmth from it start to spread, she grabbed part of the cloak and draped it over him, regardless of if he needed it or not. Her head returned to leaning on his shoulder as her eyes watched his hand playing with the fire and she felt a wondrous sense of astonishment as he spoke about the fire about humans, then referred to her as strong. That made a lump start to threaten to build in her throat as it had been a long time since she thought of herself as that. Her self-esteem had been beaten down so much, it was hard for her to see herself in a good light but when he spoke of her, it made her want to believe it with all of her heart.

After he finished speaking, she sat there thinking of how to answer his questions. The sensations he referred to seemed so natural that it was hard to put them into words. ”Well... its not really simple to explain that since humans are so different. There are some that like the cold and others who prefer heat. Physically, when its cold, we shiver and get goosebumps over our skin. Our breath can be seen in the air in front of us when we breathe and our teeth sometimes chatter. When its hot, we sweat and sometimes feel uncomfortable and we also have to make sure we drink lots of water or we’ll be dehydrated. The difference is pretty obvious just by looking at us…” Sybil hoped she’d explained it well enough for him to understand as she felt a bit sad that he had no clue of what things like that meant. “A fiery death is probably one of the most gruesome way to die… the body is burned to ashes and nothing is left behind… or worse, there is a body left but its charred, burnt and black and unrecognizable.” Sybil continued on before she decided to come up with a different, but related topic.

”Were you always a reaper? Is that how you came to be or were you a human who was turned into one? I’m wondering because… you look so much like a human, save for a few things of course. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t think I’d be this comfortable if you were a bare skeleton in a black robe, or some sort of red skinned demon with horns and a big scythe.” Her laughter was a bit louder this time as she joked to try and lighten the mood in case he grew offended by her question, it soon got quiet again as she mustered up the courage to ask him something else that she’d been wondering.

Her eyes came up to his face and she sat up to her knees on the bench so they were at eye level and her face grew close to his. ”You said you don’t… feel any sensations… Does that mean, if I kissed you that you would feel nothing as well?” It was probably the boldest question she’d ever asked before considering the circumstances.
​