Room 406, So late Sunday night it was actually Monday
Despite going to bed at her usual time, Isabel never really went to sleep. There were too many things on her mind. Confusion and worry about what Bel had told her alternated with moments of squee for Xander and Bridge. Then she would remember her conversation with Aeryn and last night's radio broadcast and she would begin to worry about John.
Finally, well after midnight, when Xander's breathing had evened out with sleep and she could reasonably certain that Bel was asleep, she pulled out the picture from where she'd hidden it under her pillow.
In his cell, Bel fought sleep. He didn't want another dream about killing someone like Allie or Lana or Lindsey again. At least the last two were definitely just dreams, since Lana had visited earlier in the day.
He paced his cell in the dark, then made the mistake of sitting down on his bed. It was dark; he was tired. He closed his eyes and within moments fell asleep.
His dream was a comforting one, of he and Phoebe, relaxing in the attic on a quiet afternoon. He sat on the couch, reading a handout for Magical Theory, while she was stretched out with her feet in his lap, doing sociology homework.
Bel watched himself in the dream, then turned to Isabel, unsurprised that she was there. "See, not x-rated," he said.
Isabel smiled, "Thank you. Some things are just not meant to be shared."
"I don't think this is the dream that's been keeping you up at night," she said as she watched the peaceful scene. "What else can you show me?"
Bel hesitated, not wanting to revisit his nightmares. But he let the pleasant dream fade, replaced by the dark alley behind Luke's Diner. Allie Cameron was walking into the alley, looking around in confusion. Where are you?" she called out.
Bel's demon form shimmered behind Allie and grabbed her, clamping a hand over her mouth to cut off any screams. It scraped the black talons of its other hand across her throat as Allie froze in terror. That's a good girl," the demon said. "You're not going to make a sound, are you?"
Allie shook her head carefully. "You know what the problem with good girls like you is?" the demon went on, removing its hand from Allie's mouth. The other hand remained at her throat. "You tempt demons to goodness. You make them feel and care."
"I...don't know what you're talking about," Allie whispered.
"You offer friendship and compassion," the demon sneered, "that when accepted, make a demon weak. That's going to end tonight."
Bel watched his demon self, a horrified look on his face. "I wouldn't do that to her!" he whispered.
Isabel placed her hand on Bel's arm. "I believe you. You wouldn't do this." She lifted her head and watched the demon as he tormented Allie. "But him? Maybe..."
As Bel and Isabel watched, the demon flung Allie forward, sending her crashing against the dumpster behind the diner. An athame appeared in one hand, and the demon flung the sharp dagger at Allie. She tried to dodge, but the knife sliced her left shoulder. The demon threw fireballs to either side of Allie, laughing as she rolled from side to side to dodge. "You're a tie to humanity that is about to become undone," he said, then threw the fireball, this one striking Allie squarely.
Bel looked away, sickened.
The dream vanished abruptly, replaced by the red-lit stone caverns where Bel had spent most of his life. He was was in his own lair with its stone altar and straw-covered floor. The place held no comfort; it made the dorms seem like a luxury hotel.
Standing before the altar, Bel picked up an athame and stared at it.
"This is the Underworld." Isabel said as she studied her surroundings carefully.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she approached him.
"This is my home," Bel told her as he shifted into his demon form. "I think...I think I'm getting ready to kill some witches." He grinned at her, the sharp smile of a predator. "Or other innocents," he said.
"You can't hurt me," she said. But even knowing that it was only a dream, she still took a step back. But she wanted to know the truth. For Bel's sake, for her own. So she stopped moving back and eyed the demon steadily.
"It has to be killing you. That he won't let you out. That he has friends. That he's trying to be good."
"He can pretend all he wants," the demon said, chuckling. "I am what he really is. He can't control me. He can't stop me." He raised his hand and brushed taloned fingers across Isabel's cheek. "I will kill any witch I want. Any innocent I want. And you can't stop me, either."
Despite the voice in the back of her head chanting it's only a dream, it's only a dream, it still took everything in her not to flinch as the talons brushed across her cheek.
"I can try. If I have to. But do I? You're here. Trapped inside. You can't get out." She made it a statement, leaving off the two words that she'd wondered all day. Can you?
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" the demon said. "The human soul is the weak one, not me. He thinks he can keep me trapped, but I can free myself any time I want. Maybe I already have. Maybe I really did attack Allie. She's so sweet and naïve, a perfect target. Seeing her walking alone like that? How could I resist?"
It wasn't the answer she was looking for.
"Then why are you in that cell? Why, if you're so strong, why did you let them take you?" She swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady. "If killing is what you want you had your opportunity there in the classroom. You could have killed them all and come back here covered in the blood of innocents."
The demon scowled at her. "Not time for that yet," he said. "So I just let them think they have me under control. Let them lower their guard."
"But he hasn't has he? You're trapped here. You're the weak one," she said as she took a step forward, ignoring the voice in her head that warned her against antagonizing the angry demon, even if it was only a dream. "You didn't hurt Allie. It was another demon"
"Shut up!" he growled. "I'm a killer. He is a killer. He can't fight me for long. Who knows, maybe you'll be next. Break the ties to humanity, one by one. Kill foolish little girls who think they can be friends with a demon."
"He can. He will. And his friends will help him." She had her answer. Isabel turned to walk away.
He shimmered in front of her and conjured a fireball. "Not if they're dead," he snarled, then threw the fireball at Isabel.
Even knowing it was a dream didn't stop her from screaming as the fireball flew towards her.
[NFB of course]
[ooc: preplayed with demonbelthazor, Locked to the roomie.]
Finally, well after midnight, when Xander's breathing had evened out with sleep and she could reasonably certain that Bel was asleep, she pulled out the picture from where she'd hidden it under her pillow.
In his cell, Bel fought sleep. He didn't want another dream about killing someone like Allie or Lana or Lindsey again. At least the last two were definitely just dreams, since Lana had visited earlier in the day.
He paced his cell in the dark, then made the mistake of sitting down on his bed. It was dark; he was tired. He closed his eyes and within moments fell asleep.
His dream was a comforting one, of he and Phoebe, relaxing in the attic on a quiet afternoon. He sat on the couch, reading a handout for Magical Theory, while she was stretched out with her feet in his lap, doing sociology homework.
Bel watched himself in the dream, then turned to Isabel, unsurprised that she was there. "See, not x-rated," he said.
Isabel smiled, "Thank you. Some things are just not meant to be shared."
"I don't think this is the dream that's been keeping you up at night," she said as she watched the peaceful scene. "What else can you show me?"
Bel hesitated, not wanting to revisit his nightmares. But he let the pleasant dream fade, replaced by the dark alley behind Luke's Diner. Allie Cameron was walking into the alley, looking around in confusion. Where are you?" she called out.
Bel's demon form shimmered behind Allie and grabbed her, clamping a hand over her mouth to cut off any screams. It scraped the black talons of its other hand across her throat as Allie froze in terror. That's a good girl," the demon said. "You're not going to make a sound, are you?"
Allie shook her head carefully. "You know what the problem with good girls like you is?" the demon went on, removing its hand from Allie's mouth. The other hand remained at her throat. "You tempt demons to goodness. You make them feel and care."
"I...don't know what you're talking about," Allie whispered.
"You offer friendship and compassion," the demon sneered, "that when accepted, make a demon weak. That's going to end tonight."
Bel watched his demon self, a horrified look on his face. "I wouldn't do that to her!" he whispered.
Isabel placed her hand on Bel's arm. "I believe you. You wouldn't do this." She lifted her head and watched the demon as he tormented Allie. "But him? Maybe..."
As Bel and Isabel watched, the demon flung Allie forward, sending her crashing against the dumpster behind the diner. An athame appeared in one hand, and the demon flung the sharp dagger at Allie. She tried to dodge, but the knife sliced her left shoulder. The demon threw fireballs to either side of Allie, laughing as she rolled from side to side to dodge. "You're a tie to humanity that is about to become undone," he said, then threw the fireball, this one striking Allie squarely.
Bel looked away, sickened.
The dream vanished abruptly, replaced by the red-lit stone caverns where Bel had spent most of his life. He was was in his own lair with its stone altar and straw-covered floor. The place held no comfort; it made the dorms seem like a luxury hotel.
Standing before the altar, Bel picked up an athame and stared at it.
"This is the Underworld." Isabel said as she studied her surroundings carefully.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she approached him.
"This is my home," Bel told her as he shifted into his demon form. "I think...I think I'm getting ready to kill some witches." He grinned at her, the sharp smile of a predator. "Or other innocents," he said.
"You can't hurt me," she said. But even knowing that it was only a dream, she still took a step back. But she wanted to know the truth. For Bel's sake, for her own. So she stopped moving back and eyed the demon steadily.
"It has to be killing you. That he won't let you out. That he has friends. That he's trying to be good."
"He can pretend all he wants," the demon said, chuckling. "I am what he really is. He can't control me. He can't stop me." He raised his hand and brushed taloned fingers across Isabel's cheek. "I will kill any witch I want. Any innocent I want. And you can't stop me, either."
Despite the voice in the back of her head chanting it's only a dream, it's only a dream, it still took everything in her not to flinch as the talons brushed across her cheek.
"I can try. If I have to. But do I? You're here. Trapped inside. You can't get out." She made it a statement, leaving off the two words that she'd wondered all day. Can you?
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" the demon said. "The human soul is the weak one, not me. He thinks he can keep me trapped, but I can free myself any time I want. Maybe I already have. Maybe I really did attack Allie. She's so sweet and naïve, a perfect target. Seeing her walking alone like that? How could I resist?"
It wasn't the answer she was looking for.
"Then why are you in that cell? Why, if you're so strong, why did you let them take you?" She swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady. "If killing is what you want you had your opportunity there in the classroom. You could have killed them all and come back here covered in the blood of innocents."
The demon scowled at her. "Not time for that yet," he said. "So I just let them think they have me under control. Let them lower their guard."
"But he hasn't has he? You're trapped here. You're the weak one," she said as she took a step forward, ignoring the voice in her head that warned her against antagonizing the angry demon, even if it was only a dream. "You didn't hurt Allie. It was another demon"
"Shut up!" he growled. "I'm a killer. He is a killer. He can't fight me for long. Who knows, maybe you'll be next. Break the ties to humanity, one by one. Kill foolish little girls who think they can be friends with a demon."
"He can. He will. And his friends will help him." She had her answer. Isabel turned to walk away.
He shimmered in front of her and conjured a fireball. "Not if they're dead," he snarled, then threw the fireball at Isabel.
Even knowing it was a dream didn't stop her from screaming as the fireball flew towards her.
[NFB of course]
[ooc: preplayed with demonbelthazor, Locked to the roomie.]