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Lord of chaos?

Joined
Jan 19, 2009
"It's the nexus of the crisis; and the origin of storms..." A voice sang softly to the night.

Long tongues of flame licked at the night sky as the fifth house in 4 months caught fire. The owners were away on vacation in the Bahamas...With their cellphones still inside. There would be no way to break the bad news to the Joals until they pulled into the cul-de-sac and saw the charred ground where their $750,000 dollar house had once been. The wail of sirens shattered the silence of the night as the local fire department started it's response.

But of course, it was already too late. The fire was fueled by the unholy will of a demonic child, and would consume the house in a matter of minutes. Many people had stepped out of their homes to shake their heads and pray as another house was taken by fire. But, somewhere amongst the baleful stares there was one pleased gaze.

Two crimson eyes were set on the blaze, entranced by the beauty of destruction. In one of the highest branches of an ancient redwood tree sat Vallios, admiring his work from roughly 100 yards away. His ankle length black leather longcoat was pulled close to his body, black leather exterior blending perfectly with the dark night.


The fires were becoming far too common, and the local police department was exhausting every available resource to find the source of the fires...But, there was never any evidence. Ever. Everything in each house had been burned completely and utterly away, reduced to not but fine gray ash.
 
Malia couldn't believe that another fire had started in the neighborhood. She watched the beautiful house become destroyed no matter how hard the firefighters tried to put it out. She looked about her, finding her neighbors standing outside, clutching at their hearts and holding their mouths. She noticed some of them praying, and she wondered if that sort of thing would help at all. One person she didn't see was Vallios. Adjusting her leather jacket, her boots tapped against the ground, wondering if he might be in the general area. As far as she knew, he was a loner, quite solitary due to his standoffish attitude and behavior. He didn't seem exactly afraid of people, but he was wary of them. Her intuition and psychological studies told her that. Her long, auburn hair flowed free in the wind as it helped feed the fire. She had always been fascinated by fire, even when it was destroying someone's home. Sure, she felt sympathy for the vacationing family, but fire was deadly beautiful.

She turned a corner with a sigh as she lit up her cigarette. A smooth puff of air escaped her lips as she looked about the woods, wondering if he might have wandered into them. She saw a slash of darkness that the fire didn't illuminate, and watched the movement of what looked like coat tails. Her gaze flowed upwards until she saw Vallios. His eyes looked almost...red in the night, which caused a shiver of trepidation and fear to slide through her. But also...a little desire. Vallios was an attractive boy, though two years younger than she. She knew it was dangerous to get even slightly involved with him, but she wanted to help him. It seemed like his parents abused him, or maybe he terrorized them. She couldn't be sure. And so she was going to the heart of the matter. She was going to talk to Vallios.​
 
Vallios watched Malia, noting her change in demeanor, and her focus on his position. With a sigh he dropped down from his perch, catching himself on a branch roughly ten feet below. A second of rest and then he fell again, catching himself, before dropping once more. He landed in an easy and graceful crouch, standing slowly and turning his unwavering, haunting gaze on Malia. His eyes swept over her once, noting the fine feminine curves of her body, and then focusing directly on her eyes.

"It's profound how beautiful destruction can be..."

Vallios chuckled softly and shook his head, clearing the shroud of his raven mane from his face. The moonlight seemed to center itself on Vallios, his face was much more clear than it had been so high up in the trees. He was definitely handsome, with a strong but not over-imposing jaw, and thin lips that seemed to be permanently curved into a sadistic, yet seductive smirk. He tilted his head ever so slightly at Malia before asking the next question, his voice a soft purr.

"And what brings you out at such a late, late hour?"
 
Malia knew how attractive Vallios was. She was the newest addition to the neighborhood, only having lived there for the past two years. And she had never been able to turn her eyes away when Vallios happened to walk by. Her friends in the neighborhood warned her away from him time and again, but she was drawn to him because of his deadly beauty, much like the flames of destruction. Malia was beautiful in her own rights, with her blue-tinted bottle green eyes, kissable lips, pale skin, and curvaceous form. She had an hour-glass shape that was defined well by her short denim shirt and tight-off the shoulder top. Her leather jacket brushed the back of her knees as she smoked her cigarette and gave Vallios the same once-over that he had given her.

"I simply wished to speak with you."

She murmured softly. She always had a soft-spoken voice, never raising it. It was one of the reasons why she had become a psychologist in training. She had a well of patience and was known to never stray from a topic unless it was absolutely necessary. She was a blood-hound, as her friends called her, and her sights were set on figuring out Vallios.

"I'm surprised you don't have front row seats to the house that's burning down...I thought you might want a close up."

A puff of air escaped her lips as she took another drag from her cigarette.​
 
"It's so much more enjoyable to watch the flames consume everything in equal proportions than it is to focus on a single part."

Vallios' nose wrinkled slightly as he smelled the cigarette smoke, but the reaction was sudden and swift, as soon as the display had begun, it ended. Smoking was one of Vallios' pet peeves, but he'd deal with it when the possible pros of the person outweighed the unpleasant scent. And with Malia there was plenty of things to enjoy. He'd set his sights on Malia from the first time he'd seen her, though he'd never truly gotten around to trying to seduce her.

But that was just how Vallios worked. He'd wait patiently, like a wicked spider, spinning it's webs patiently, biding the time until the perfect moment. And now, it looked like the time was at hand. Malia was clearly actively seeking him out. Such an action was extremely rare in this small town. Vallios was considered to be...There really wasn't a better word for it; Bad juju.

Then again, how would any mortal know that deep within Vallios' very soul, the demon seed that'd been planted at his conception was beginning to bloom. Though such development was not sub-clinical, there were signs of progression. Vallios had came into the world with light brown hair and vivid, shining topaz eyes. But as time passed, his hair and eyes had began naturally darkening. A gradual shift, but noticeable nonetheless, especially now that his hair was darker than the night itself, and his eyes were like two pools of fresh blood.


"You wanted to speak to me? Now that's a strange desire." He chuckled softly as he finished, taking a step back to better examine Malia.
 
"I suppose it could be accounted as strange. But speaking with other beings hardly counts as strange, no matter how cruel or aloof they seem to be."

Malia said before stamping out her cigarette. Despite how she loved working with people to help solve their problems, she was more or less...indifferent. She liked destruction perhaps a little too much, but that was a dark secret she kept locked away in her psyche. Though, she felt if she told Vallios of her attraction to him and the fires of ruin, she wouldn't be so...rejected. Still, everyone had their secrets and she was no different. She was just the one who found all those secrets.

"So tell me Vallios...do you know who might have set the fire?"

She asked casually, tucking her hands into the pockets of her coat as she turned her head to look upon the scene of scurrying people and cars. The flames seemed to blaze even higher from this distance and she found herself extremely fascinated and in love with the sight. Taking a deep breath and tasting ash and embers, she turned her light gaze back onto the boy of her current fixation.​
 
"Somebody with no real aims or goals in life. Somebody who's discovered that we as humans are not but a bright flash against the backdrop of the universe, and that we shall only live on in memory. Somebody, who wants to affect as many people as possible, whether for the better or the worse. Somebody...Who wants to leave a mark."

That characteristic smirk became even more pronounced as he, in his own way, confessed his crimes. Such an answer, so wordy and nebulous, yet also so concise, was meant to confuse. It was enough to identify Vallios, but not enough to prosecute him. After all, it was amusing to break the law, but so much more satisfying to do so and get away.

"Speaking of people, and speculation. You say cruelty and aloofness as if they are easy to identify. Tell me, do people not change based on their surroundings?"

This was a red herring. Vallios was engaging Malia's thoughts to distract her from her line of inquiry. He hated denying his crimes, but unfortunately there were only so many clever ways to say "it was me", without giving it completely away. Pride, pride to the point of arrogance, that was probably Vallios' biggest flaw.
 
"It's funny that you paint it that way...I'm not a psychologist for nothing."

She said simply, looking at him with a small grin of her own. She had the feeling it was him that had caused at least this fire, but without a proper confession or evidence, she would never be able to pin it on him. People who were guilty usually tried to point it out in such a way as to confuse and disorientate the person who was searching for the crook. Even if she knew it was Vallios for sure...she didn't think she would turn him in, despite the morally correctness of it all. She pondered his next question and she had to agree. When put into a new environment, people usually changed to adapt. But she hadn't changed to adapt, she noticed that the people around her were adapting in order to include her. She changed her appearance to people, but she never really hid what she was truly like. Turning on her heel, she took a few steps towards him until she was almost chest to chest with him. Most people in the neighborhood would have stayed at least fifteen feet away. But her attraction to him was much stronger than the "common sense" to stay away.

"Tell me, Vallios. Do you crave to make a difference in people's lives? To stand out in your own unique way? To change what you can of this world for the better or for the worse?"

Her voice was softer than usual as she looked up at him, shorter than him even with her boots. She smiled a little bit, her eyes glinting with the light produced by the flames.
 
"That's a very deep question to ask a person with little or no warning. Fortunately, it's a question I have pondered before. Unfortunately, I've got such a long way to go in this short life that I am not sure of my craving, of my calling. And such, I live now because I draw breath, and that is reason enough for me."


With a clamor the house came down upon itself, support beams finally having been eaten away by the flames. Vallios' lips curled into a genuine and truly sadistic smile as he watched the flames burst forward with the pressure of falling debris, licking at the firefighters who tried desperately to conquer the blaze. Slowly Vallios turned and began to swagger away, whistling a funeral dirge as he did so. He did not take his leave, as most people would, because that would mean that the conversation had ended. Instead, Vallios left the fate of the night's interaction in Malia's hands. If she chose to pursue him, she could easily do so with no resistance on his part.

But, if she chose to part ways, she'd at least be left with a better insight into the enigma that was Vallios. Even when speaking so smoothly and openly, his words still felt guarded. For all his words, and all his thoughts, he had not truly answered any single one of Malia's questions.

And that, was what he intended.
 
"Giving warnings allows people to think and change what might originally be their answer to suit the question. And that's a rather...depressing reason."

She murmured softly before turning to watch the final destruction of the house. She smiled in the slightest, only slightly sympathetic to the couple that would return home and find their house destroyed. She watched and heard the gasps and movements of the people milling about to keep the fire away from the other homes. The strange thing was, the fire seemed contained without the help of the fire fighters. Her eyes narrowed in the slightest before she whipped her head about to watch Vallios walk away. Malia was tempted to stay rooted in her spot, but she had a certain curiosity about the dark boy wandering away from her. She felt her two choices like a hand sliding up and down her spine. She could leave, but she was drawn to following Vallios. He intrigued her like nothing else. Sighing as she brushed some hair from her face, she turned and followed behind Vallios until she reached his side, leaving the destruction behind.
 
"Why is it depressing? Isn't the fact that one is not yet dead a valid reason to live?"

Vallios chuckled softly as he continued to swagger away, leading Malia to one of his favorite late-night haunts. He allowed silence to fall between them for a few moments, before voicing his own clever question. He looked over at Malia and once again tilted his head questioningly, voicing his next inquiry in a soft purr.

"Why do you study psychology? What are you looking to find in the inner workings of another's mind?"

It was only fair to return Malia's question, after all. When one showed interest in your lifestyle, it was polite to return the favor and allow them to share some details about their self. Even as the words left Vallios' lips he was already working on the net he was weaving for Malia, the disorienting trap he'd ensnare her in.
 
"It's depressing because usually people have more than just the base reason that constitutes living."

She said softly, following him easily enough, even in the darkness. She was fine with the silence, preferred it most of the time. She didn't look up at him when he spoke to her next, just simply shrugged her shoulders before Malia turned her gaze onto him, her voice still soft though sounding slightly bored.

"Why not study psychology? The mind is the most complex natural creation. No two people have the same brain patterns, nor the exact same thoughts, especially amongst those with disorders. They intrigue me the most..."

She said simply, probably something she had told others more or less in the past. Her eyes strayed away from Vallios as she looked ahead to make sure she wouldn't trip over anything.​
 
"And you find gratification in merely observing those patterns? To each their own I suppose."

Vallios smirked and continued to lead, noting that Malia had failed to give him any deeper reason outside of interest in the profession. Slowly Vallios came to a stop, deciding now was the proper time to throw Malia a curve ball. He bent down, picked up a stone and began tossing it in the air, catching it, and throwing it higher with each successful catch. He did this for about a minute before finally coming to speak.

"And, so I must ask, with my current reputation in this town, have I become another one of your case studies?"

The question was cold and direct, though that wicked smirk still lingered upon Vallios' lips. He knew Malia wouldn't give him a definitive answer. After all, it was much harder to observe somebody's natural patterns when they knew they were being observed. Already Vallios was wondering how Malia had come to classify him, what sort of disorder she might be seeing signs of.

Of course, her diagnosis would be far from accurate. She had no way of knowing that Vallios' deviance from human nature did not stem from some outside trauma, but instead from corruption inside...And speaking of that corruption, the entity labeled prime designate and primary overseer of Vallios' demonic development was lurking in the nether-shadows between worlds, watching the two as they interacted. "What does that mortal want with the master?" The creature thought, it's brow furrowing at the question.
 
Malia may have been completely mortal, but her bloodline hadn't started out that way. However, neither knew about that and probably never would. But it was part of the reason why she couldn't stay away from Vallios this time. Something within her told her to reach out and try to get as close as possible. It was one of the reasons she had taken up psych. Some people that others would stray from had had the opposite affect on her, but she still didn't know why. Perhaps with this one, she might be able to figure out why that was.

"A case study? Ha...you would have to be willing to be a case study."

She smiled faintly at him, eyes twinkling with a bit of mischief. Awareness rippled across her skin and she looked around, shivering as she rubbed her arms, despite the heat that surrounded them. Something just....she shook her head. There was nothing there, nothing at all. Regaining her composure in the blink of an eye, she shrugged at Vallios, eyes slipped down the contours of his face to the twisted little grin. Thing was, she liked his quirks, his differences...his hints at evil. Perhaps because those things were forbidden. Some little part of her, something utterly pure told her to stay away and yet, that same part was the one reaching out for whatever Soul Vallios might possess.

"I'd say...to be more blunt..you're an interest rather than a case study."​
 
"Maaaaster!"

If 'Erk' was a facial expression, Vallios was definitely showing it. He froze, something close to horror in his eyes as a petite cyclone of frills and black lace came hurdling through the air at him. Vallios turned quickly on his heel and tried to escape, but ended up clawing out at the air in vain like a bewildered feline as whatever had squealed latched itself onto Vallios' back, it's arms around his shoulders and neck.

The nameless girl who most referred to as "Trouble's shadow" had once again found her idol. She looked to be around fifteen by her body and face, though she'd been following Vallios around for at least 6 years now...And didn't seem to have aged much, if at all. In perfect adherence to her usual pattern, she was dressed in what was commonly called the "gothic lolita" style of clothing. A short black skirt with silk ruffles and a tight fitting white silk shirt, and a dark blue silk overcoat. Her crimson hair was pulled back into a tail secured by a royal purple ribbon. She cocked her head at Malia and voiced her opinion.
"Why is she following you around?" This girl accusing anybody of following Vallios was definitely a case of the kettle and the pot, seeing as she followed him in a way that put lost puppies to shame.
 
Malia was rather taken back at the sight of the young girl throwing herself onto Vallios like a crazed fan. She had said 'master' after all. Which was rather..strange in and of itself. She cocked her head in the slightest, studying the girl and just taking in the scene. A younger sister perhaps? Or a lover? Or perhaps a slave? She wouldn't put it past him, in all honesty. She kept her smile to herself at Vallios's expression, seeing the abject horror on his face. Apparently, the girl was not wanted.

"Hello. And whom might you be?"

Malia asked politely, though she hardly cared. The girl wanted to know about why Malia was following her 'master' around, but it wasn't relative. Whoever the girl was, she didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, as heartless as it sounded. She wasn't one prone to caring at the moment. The girl's energy bothered her in a way that made her want to itch.​
 
"Answer my question and I'll grace you with the knowledge you desire." The girl said, her voice less of a delighted squeal and more of a sugared purr.

Low growls, mumbles, and grumbles escaped Vallios' lips as he tried to twist and stretch, attempting to covertly detach himself from the girl. But her grip just tightened and she let out an amused giggle, tilting her head slightly as she watched Vallios squirm. After a few seconds more she turned her gaze back to Malia and waited for her response. It was a strange scene, the moonlight struck Vallios and this girl in such a way that illuminated him but cast her into silhouette, her piercing ice blue eyes reflecting the smoldering wreckage of the destroyed home. Being so close to this girl would definitely cause a prickle along anybody's spine who was sensitive to the supernatural.
 
"I am following around Lord Vallios because....he's my lover."

She said cleverly, with just the slightest upturn of her lips. It gave her a wicked expression as she felt a low burn at the base of her spine. She felt something, she wasn't quite sure what it was, but something other than that girl was around, and it was making Malia twitch. It wasn't the flight response that Normals had, but the kind of response that would make people ask if she were clinically insane. She cast a look at Vallios that clearly stated, We aren't as alone as we thought. She shifted slightly, evening out her weight as she turned on her heel to see some officers off in the distance seeming to head in their direction. Only something else was tailing behind the cops.

It would be best if we leave,"

She murmured with a light tone.​
 
"Nooonsense! A girl like you could never...Ever please the master!"

Lilithia chided in a sing-song voice, looking between Vallios and Malia. Then the Sprite reached down and gave Vallios' manhood a firm squeeze through his leather pants, the fabric's sudden taughtness outlining his endowment quite well. Even while lying dormant it's size and strength was impressive, and Lilithia's eyes continued roaming between Malia and Vallios hungrily.

"I don't think you could handle him...Why don't you prove me wrong?"

It was hard for Vallios to keep himself from laughing. The sexual tension raiding from Lilithia amused him greatly; for all the time the two spent together, Vallios always firmly and silently denied her advances...Despite the way he frequently teased her when they were alone. In Vallios' eyes it was a form of control, he knew that he could always bend Lilithia to his will by prodding at her jealous nature.
 
"Why don't you let him speak, you little sexually deprived pixie."

Malia said with a tiny spark of impatience. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she kept her eyes focused on the officers and noticed something...odd. They were radiating light but whatever behind them seemed to be absorbing it. Or something. She wasn't sure what she was seeing at first, but she took a step or two forward and leaned, poised like an animal ready to take flight. Her eyes locked on to the creature and then they widened as she back-pedaled slowly until she was practically besides Vallios.

"We need to leave. Now."

She said. Her tone spoke of no-nonsense as she adjusted her jacket before turning on her heel and walking towards the woods without a second glance. The forest would provide resistance, but that was about it. It had its own properties that she could use to shield them, but unless they got a move on, it would be too late. The creature behind the officers was determined to get to them, probably to Vallios mot of all, and take their souls--at least, what was left of them.​
 
"Of course, we wouldn't want them the police asking questions."

And so Vallios followed, Lilithia still clinging to his back. After a few hundred feet she detached herself long enough to give Malia a hard bump with her hip, ousting the woman a good five feet from Vallios. She then came back and wrapped an arm around Vallios' waist, snuggling in tight and resting her head against Vallios' chest. Then, as icing on the cake Lilithia stuck her tongue out at Malia and blue a silent raspberry, acting as if she'd won some kind of battle. And meanwhile, Vallios looked between the two and rolled his eyes. It was impossible to banish Lilithia, she was like that damn cat from that children's song...Except rather than the very next day, it was the absolute next second.


And of course the pesky nature of the sprite was a facade, a personality to fit the form. Besides, few people questioned her obnoxious presence in this manner, and it allowed Lilithia the ability to covertly screen whom Vallios got to interact with, and who was pushed away. And right now Lilithia was trying hard to push Malia away, finding that the girl's sensitivity to the supernatural was very bothersome. After all, how could she manipulate and twist Vallios into what he was destined to become if some meddling mortal could sense the spreading demonic influence?


Now of course Lilithia felt the presence of the creatures as well, but she paid them no mind. They were lesser beings that wouldn't dare attack the Lord of the Eighth's personal messenger, nor would they dare attack the ascendant heir...At least, that was what she confidently thought. Unfortunately arrogance was a trait Lilithia had in spades, and it would probably be her downfall.
 
Malia hissed at the bump and landed hard on a rock, which dug into her rib cage, cracking a rib or two. She winced but kept her mouth shut as she pulled herself to her feet and acted as if nothing had occurred out of the ordinary. It hurt to breathe, but she could manage the pain. It was better than being made into dinner. Once beyond the tree line, she paused and glanced around, a light sheen of sweat appearing around her neck and just above the slope of her chest. Perhaps she had done more than just crack a rib. But she kept her cool as she felt the inner workings of the forest remove their signatures from both Normals and non-normals alike. With a soft sigh, she leaned her back against a tree gently and took a moment to catch her breath as she stared hard at Vallios and Lilithia. That stupid pixie was going to pay, one way or another.

"We should be fine here. The police won't find us."

She said unnecessarily, but the need to talk was only due to the fact that she didn't want to reveal her injury.​
 
"Lilithia, you should go for a bit."

Lilithia shook her head, but found herself somehow...Compelled to leave. Vallios kept his frustrations masked, knowing she wouldn't cooperate as well if she thought he was mad at her. With every inch of willpower she possessed she fought hard, but her legs just wouldn't obey! Where she was walking, she had no idea. All she knew was that her muscles were contracting and relaxing, carrying her slowly away from the two. "Damn it! I can't believe he's already learned how to possess people..." Lilithia thought, disturbed by the fact that a whelpling of an ascendant was able to so easily order her around.

When Lilithia's footsteps were out of earshot Vallios let out a long sigh and settled down, looking slowly over to Malia. He could hear the pained hitches in her breathing pattern, and was semi aware that she was suffering pretty bad. After a moment or two he spoke, deciding to first of all ask why she'd demanded we leave so suddenly. It was very odd, the way she'd just ordered them to leave as if they were in some form of grave danger.


"What was that about?"
 
She still didn't relax her guard even as she watched the pixie brat leave, knowing that any weakness would be frowned upon. Not that it mattered. She was just glad she didn't have any internal bleeding. Crossing her arms to hold her ribs tight against her body, she looked at Vallios with slightly raised brows.

"You couldn't feel it?"

She blinked at him, like he should know, but she then realized that perhaps she had revealed way more than she should have with just that one question. She mentally berated herself as she used the tree to support her, thankful that she didn't have to try and stand on her own for a moment.​
 
"Feel what?"

Even when Vallios channeled demonic energy he was unable to recognize the power for what it truly was. On the rare occasions Vallios actually tapped into his dark gifts the experience was indescribable, incredible...The feeling was as wonderful as finding a desert oasis and drinking deep from it's crystalline waters. The essence of destruction at his finger-tips, clay with which he could shape a beautiful apocalypse. A shudder ran through Vallios' spine as he recalled the sensation, the high of such pure chaos. For a brief second those eyes of his lit from within, burning with a terrifying fervor. But as suddenly as the crazed look had appeared it vanished, Vallios' demeanor resuming it's typical calm apathy.

"Well...Where shall we go? I don't intend on standing around in the woods all night."
 
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