Lies, damned lies and friendship. (RP with demon_shawn)
It's all been lies from start to finish. A pack of... no, make that a very large, smart suitcase, probably Prada or something - of half-truths, ommissions and outright lies.
Well he's a demon. Really. What else do people expect?
Though Phoenix has never quite encountered the feelings of doubt, and discomfort he's currently experiencing.
Lie one? That he's going to be powerful some day. Maybe. In several millennia, he might have earned enough respect to be called 'free'. But doubtful, when there are so many equally .. no. More ruthless, vicious, demons vying for favour.
He lives in A palace, that much is true. But the palace is fairly small - though luxurious, and belongs to one of Satan's more powerful servants. Phoenix knows nothing of Lucifer, or his household. (Lie two) And really wouldn't like to get that close. And yes, he's little more than a plaything, a toy, one of several, quite literally, swaddled in luxury, given expensive gifts, dressed finely, but he's hardly treated with affection. (Lie three) For as long as he can remember, he's been in the service of his demon master and the household. Phoenix is aware his position is fragile. Demon overlords are notorious for tiring of their pets. The incubus has far less power than many other denizens of Hell… well, he's young... for a demon, only a couple of centuries and yet to really prove himself in any way shape or form.
At first, his success rate in taking souls for his demon master earned the incubus plenty of points. He's good. He's low, dirty, seductive and nasty, and will allow pretty much anyone to perform any squalid little perversion on him…. As long as they sign just here…Thanks… Oh, in blood please. If you don't mind. Lovely. Now… how do you want me?
His beauty - yes he knows he's pretty - was also a major factor. Being an eternal spirit, however vicious and evil will never change that. Though… there are plenty of beauties in the underworlds for his owner to pick and choose, drop, lay aside and… destroy. Should the mood take him. But all in all, Phoenix enjoys a large amount of freedom in the mortal sphere, and lives a privileged existence.
The time Phoenix had returned after his initial encounter with Spencer, he'd been sniffed at. Quite thoroughly. Then he'd been in receipt of a backhander that had almost thrown him across the room, for soiling himself on a surface-demon.
"I'll bring you his soul!" He'd promised his master, to avoid the beating that was bound to follow. Not an empty promise by any means, because a surface demon who owned his own soul… just wouldn't do.
"Yes. You will." The powerful demon owner had agreed, and had beaten the seven bells out of him just for good measure.
Well.
He'd stayed away from the surface demon for a bit. Missed him horribly. Oh darkness, that's just… argh. Horrible, and quite socially unacceptable. Phoenix is probably still in denial over that one. So when he'd gone back, and a rather fun partnership had seemed to develop, Phoenix would return to Hell, make up more lies and half-truths as to his lack of Spencer's soul. On top of that, he'd had to explain why his success rate with ordinary mortal souls had diminished somewhat. Alright. So Spencer didn't need the souls of his…. Victims. They were all murderers, rapists, child-abusers, and fully deserved to be cast into the Hell realm for all eternity. So he'd at least taken those.
Rather too much time has been spent having fun, however. And there's work to be done. Always. Always always work.
…No rest for the clichéd… He thinks to himself, perched as he is, high on a window ledge of the central hospital in Santa Barbara. He's after a surgeon. Not only does the bastard have a taste for sticking needles in younger guys… like Phoenix (Yes he has the man's soul. That's something) … but he's been killing off patients.
His master is growing weary of Phoenix's excuses. Every night he vows he's trying. He will bring his master the soul of the irritating little surface demon, and he will improve his score sheet. But the his master, he knows is short on patience, and it's only a matter of time before Phoenix will probably find himself in the lowest, darkest regions of Hell. Destroyed, cursed, a living death. He'll be in the special hell… oh yes, it exists… the one reserved for demons. But still he can't quite bring himself to betray Spencer.
The only creature in existence who's ever shown him any kindness whatsoever.
Yet.
He will.
Soon.
It won't be too hard. He has a plan. Lie four is that he's already telling Spencer they're friends. It feels oddly real.
Phoenix sighs and de-manifests, heading back into the building to lead Spencer to the murdering physician.