Slums of Obsequium

Spica simply stared impassively for a moment at Cerberus, unmoved and unsuprised at his gender switch and the flaming bartender behind him. The flames were beginning to catch on the bar, and if at least one of the patrons didn't find some way to put the fire out, it would soon engulf the entire establishment. I really hope one of those imbecillic, half-brained sots decides to throw himself on it.

"You mistake my meaning," the little demon said flatly, as Cerberus came closer. Not waiting for her newfound companion, Spica turned and stomped out of the door, her child's frame disappearing in the multitudes gathering to watch the flaming bartender and marvel at the frozen throat of one of the patrons. "They've had a bad day today, huh?" one of the onlookers murmured, trying to peer around a bulky shoulder.

A Reader? Hmph. Spica weaved through the legs of the curious onlookers, tweaking and pushing auras to make herself a path like a forester might move branches aside. Interesting to see one outside of Abaddon's spawn. Maybe he's a second or third generation? She broke through the crowd and waited for a moment on the other side, frowning. Because we don't have single genders, nor does he smell like one of us.

Ceberus smiled at the game. She found this to be absolutely entertaining. She couldn't see it at first, but her aura became more and more noticable as she knived her way through the crowd like water through cracks. She simply followed the aura to where ever she was going, making sure not to lose track of it.

'Tricky little devil,' she thought. She liked this one, she was more cunning and smart than most of the other fools she'd met in her life. She then remembered the fire and whispered it away under her breathe. The fire dissipated and she focused on following Spica.

The little demon deigned to glance behind her, eyes flicking to the now-familiar Deluder's aura. Not bad, not bad... The little demon whisked away down a dead end alleyway cluttered along its wallks with trash and refuse. Wrinkling her nose disdainfully at rats the size of Dachsunds that scurried away, terrified, she glanced around for any hobos that might be hiding in the trash.

Spica knew all too well the strength in the bony. clutching claws of an addict, or the toothless screech of greed and hunger. She'd learned to be wary. Fortunately, there seemed to be no such individuals in this alleyway, at least any living ones. There might be a couple skeletons in the stinking piles that lined the walls like mountainous sentinels, but Spica wasn't going to shift them to find out.

The little demon pursed her lips and began drawing designs in the muck on the cobblestones impatiently. Whorls and spikes, geometric and purposeless, the designs spread aoutward before her as someone rounded the corner. The little demon snapped her head up and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Ceberus followed her to the allyway, but made sure she was quiet. She wasn't the first one to find her little acquantence, andshe personally didn't like it when no nothing low life underlings tried to reign in on her parade. Within seconds, she returned to her male form. Her body slowly switched back to what it had formally been. While the female had speed, the male was strong. Stronger than most demons in Obsequium.

Ceberus walked toward the allyway where the imbicelic demon walked, as if he was capturing some untold, prized prey. He knew nothing more than getting the bloody bastards head on a platter. It annoyed him when people like this interfered in his business.

Ceberus rounded the corner and grabbed the man on the back of his shoulder before he took another step and threw him against the wall. Temper flaring, his eyes glowed a bright blood red. He outstretched his free hand as a jet black knife materialized. He grasped it and quickly brought it to the man's throat.

"Alright, chap, explain what you were planning on doing? I have no patience for idiots like you who go meddling into affairs in which he has no business meddling with! Fess up, imbecile, or should I turn you over to the terror you thought you could kill anyways? This girl is far more powerful than even I!" Ceberus explained, barely trying to strike fear in the man's very consciousness. He could see he was being very successful.

Spica rolled her vibrant eyes at the shapeshifter, drawing her lips into a thin, tight line irritably. The bumbling mass of rags that her companion held squirming against the soot-covered walls was beginning to shrill, and it gave off the acrid stench of fear. She popped up next to Cerberus, scowling.

"What's this, then?" she spat at the ansitif and turned to the Deluder. "Why are you wasting time with this worthless pile of filth?" She scanned it again with a derisive sneer and hissed. "Leave him. He'll destroy himself in enough time."

Turning her back on the pair nonchalantly, the little demon mumbled to erself and continued her purposeless swirls. Glancing p again, her eyes narrowed. "Are you done playing with that half-a**'d excuse for a toe rag, yet?"

Ceberus let go of his smelly victim and kicked him out of there. The low life snarled at him and ran off. Ceberus looked back at his companion and walked over to see what she was doing. She drew curious swirls that looked to be utterly insignifcant, but fun topass the time with.

"What's this?" he asked, tuly curious. He cracked his neck to get rid of some of the tension.

"Hm? What?" Spica asked innocently, her head cocking to one side curiously. She blinked, then smirked. "Oh, nothing. Doodles." Grinning, she snapped her fingers under the taller demon's nose imperiously. "We'll be moving on, then."

Turning on her heel and expertly avoiding the lines of the expansive scribble, Spica danced to the tall brick building that dead ended the alleyway. She stood before it, toes touching the wall and hands on her hips. The little demon grinned widely, exposing her unnaturally sharp teeth and lifting an eyebrow at her follower expectantly, lifted her foot, and, still looking over her shoulder, Jumped through the wall.

She passed through without a sound, without a sign. The wall stood as solidly after she'd passed as it had for years before. Not even a whisper of wind passed; it was as if the little demon had never stood there.

Snickering to herself, Spica laid an ear against the other side of the wall. Let's see what he does... She slitted her eyes, though there was little need of it in the dark storage room she was hidden in. "It's just a little fun," Spica murmured to her arachid familiar, feeling it tickle along her arm.

Ceberus chuckled a little. He had heard about the "Illusion Wall" before. It was a curious device that he had only heard of one demon being able to use it. Interesting how this little one would be able to.

Ceberus walked up to the wall and placed his hand on it. He murmered a few words as his eyes began to glow a bright red. The wall soon became transparent to him. He looked in at his little companion and smiled. She was a sly one. He wondered what it would be like if she adopted the form of a full grown woman instead of the younger girl she was now.

Ceberus looked back at the scribble she had been drawing before. He wondered to himself if that scribble had something to do with this, or if she intentionally left it there to make him think that. Either way, he would get through.

Feeling bored with simply contemplating on how to open the wall using the same technique, he stuck his two fingers out. The were suddenly coated with a black blade. Ceberus felt his energy barely being depleted at the use of his magic. He stuck his finger/blade through the wall, only to find that it was exactly as its name stated, an illusion. Feeling no smarter than the imbecile he was going to kill earlier, he stuck his head through to see his companion's face. The room was pitch black.

"You are a tricky one. And here I thought you were simply using some magic trick." He said, his voice calm and smooth. "It's rather dark in here."

(As an aside, Spica actually does have the ability to basically teleport from place to place... XD" That's what "Jumping" is. Also, I'm sorry both that I've made your character act a bit - feel free to back up, and I'll edit if you want to change anything - and if Spica's a tad... uh... imperious. XP Unfortunately, it's her nature.)

"Yes, yes," Spica smirked, nodding sagely and eyes glinting even in the darkness. "It would seem so." The little demon stepped back through the illusory wall briskly, still smirking inwardly.

Alright, she thought to herself, He's got at least an inkling of brains, if not of tact or real Sight, so maybe he could be an asset. The little demon pursed her lips and stared at the boy as he emerged back into the low, smoky light of the City streets. He certainly has strength, at any rate.

"Alright, buddy boy," Spica crowed, dropping to Cerberus's side, "How'd you like to cut a deal?" Her eyes sparkled mischeviously up at the Deluder, dancing with mischeif and greed. The left corner of her lip twitched up in a half-smile and she rubbed her pudgy child's fingers together in the universal guesture for money. "I can get you in with the big boys for big bucks if..."

The little demon trailed off both in words and direction, wafting over to one side of the alley. Dramatically, she bit her lip and peered over her shoulder with one wide eye. "If..."

Turning back, Spica grinned inwardly and kept her pointed ears pricked for Cerberus's reaction.

Ceberus could immediately tell what his companion wanted; money. On top of that, he was a deluder, meaning he was spoiled with riches beyond what he needed. So she knew he could supply her with enough money to buy ten worlds if she wanted. Ceberus smiled, knowing that this demon could get him high into power, and the only one he would have needed to report to is Lucifer.

"How much money would you like? I'm pretty sure I'm able to meet your requests, my friend," Ceberus said in a professional matter. He was always a good business man. Ceberus snapped his fingers as a bag half his size fell from mid air and spilled open, revealing it's innards of gold coins, common currency of the galaxy. Ceberus knew the little devil's type, and she was bound to request more.

"Money?" Spica laughed, sneering, "You think I need money? You're more of an imbecile than I'd thought."

The little demon didn't even let her eyes slide to the gold coins as they clattered across the floor like golden bells ringing to her greed. Instead, her eyes hardened and her face became blank as Spica finally fully began taking in his aura and digesting his personality like a deluded psychologist. The corner of her mouth twitched infintesimally. Still raw, but of use, she decided, shaking herself.

Twitching her fingers a bit, the little demon tried altering his mood slightly towards obedience before steepling her hands contemplatively and continuing. "No, I want something more..." she paused and gave a sinister smile that exposed all of her overly large teeth and seemed to touch her ears. "...Binding," Spica hissed the word, a silver-tongued serpent with devillish intent.

The Deluder smiled his cocky crooked smile. This one was a sly little devil indeed. He remained glowing upon the word 'binding.' What she wanted was a demon blood pact, the unbreakable oath, either from him or someone else. She was a very tricky devil indeed.

"So who is it? If I'm not mistaken, I think I may know what you're after, it simply depends on the bloody fool you're wanting," Ceberus said, relaying his thoughts plainly through his words, but not revealing them so the other foolish demons wouldn't begin annoying him with foolish questions.

As Cerberus considered, the little demon sniffed and pretended to buff her fingernails on her neon overalls nonchalantly, dropping her grin, if not her eyes. Inwardly, the little demon sighed in exasperation. I suppose that being so straightforward can have its uses. There's not too much intrigue in him. Inspecting each callused, pink finger closely, the little demon hooked her mouth into a smirk mimicking Cerberus's as he finished. It's easier to manipulate, anyway.

Curling a long, pale finger at him, she beckoned the Deluder to bring his ear closer. Not only would it also be a sign of submission, kneeling would also let Spica whisper in the taller demon's ear, as she barely topped his hip in her compact child's form.

Ceberus knelt down to his knees and moved closer to the petite child. He was interested in what sort of offers his bloody companion had in store for him. If anything, he may have more to do during his day instead of plaging lower ranking demons with his own awesome power.

"What is it?" Ceberus asked almost impatiently. He wanted something to do rather than sit there. He could feel himself grow more and more lazy by the moment, which meant nothing but sleep, which meant someone coming and killing him in his sleep. That was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

Spica uncurled her hand and placed its palm carefully on the Deluder's cheek, light as a feather and cold as hoarfrost. Leaning in as if to an intimate lover, the little demon's lips brushed the dark halo of hair around Cerberus's ear. Eyes still sparkling, she narrowed them to slits and took a soft, sensuous breath. Her whisper was a rustle of parchment. "I want you."

Spica leaned back from the man, watching his aura closely and keeping her hand on his cheek. She allowed a smirk to steal across her face. "Your blood, that is."

Ceberus thought for a minute on what giving her his blood would do. It would deffinately give him something to doa dn give him a job most of the time, but he would be obliged to complete the deed no matter what. He was greatly tempted to keep his bloody power, but he was tempted to play the fool and go through with the pact. After all, he had no morals and would almost always complete whatever task he was given, so why shouldn't he give his blood to the bloke? There was no harm.

"Hm... I'll do it for one thing only. I'm sure you've heard of a human named Savvy? I want his sword..." Ceberus whispered. He wanted the blade bad enough to where he would kill for it. He knew much of Lucifers former demon blade already, and it was more than enough to captivate him. He could feel the lust in his heart rise.

"Seal in blood that you will get me that sword without killing Savvy, and I will seal in blood to whatever you ask. My honor as a Deluder," Ceberus promised.

Spica's smile widened. "Oh, him? Yes," She chuckled, "I know him."

The little demon fiddled with her overalls a bit and stepped back, considering. "I can't do the impossible, you know," she stated, matter-of-factly. She took another step back, "But I'm willing to help you."

The little demon frowned inwardly. Such a demand! He certainly has high hopes. Had she been alone, Spica would have cursed her bad luck. If only he'd known I'd already been commissioned by Lucifer for a similar job... though without the added trouble of keeping the bugger alive. Sighing again inwardly, she pretended to bemoan the thought of the loss of another valuable customer at Lucifer's behest. Ah, well, that need not be the first task on my list. I can try to go capture that nuisance of a dragon first.

Ceberus smiled in approval. He had a good feeling this demon would be willing to accomplish this mission. Ceberus ran through his head on the instructions on how to separate the demon from it's current owner, but felt they were unneccisary. He felt she had already been given a similar task before. Ceberus was curious.

I am pleased you have done so. I trust you will not be disappointed, mate." Ceberus said coyly.

Spica grinned, "Come with me."

The little demon grabbed the Deluder by the hand and took a step back, Jumping through the time-space continuum to a place she knew well. It would be a bit difficult to get through the portal dragging the lump of meat, but it would keep anyone from interrupting.