The Curse of a Concept | Open

[calmed_demon]

CHARACTERS: Kouma Kishima & Open
DATE: May 15th, 2011
WHERE: The Forests of Ithir, bordering Muir
SUMMARY: Kouma feels a little of his Inversion becoming a problem and decides to snuff it out.
WARNING(S): V for violence in the intro. It could go either way.

Comments

[evil_groupie]

Instinct was the reason she had been in the area. The original purpose had indeed been quiet verification of the map that was given to every captive. That task was a simple one, given the small scale of ground there was to cover. And yet, her walks had taken her into...not a familiar tingling of her senses, but definitely something noticeable. Force and intent in the quiet white dusk.

Mankind was not alone in its damning curiosity. But mankind did not have the impulse to see if there would be a territorial dispute in such a manner.

Thus, the thin purple-haired demon girl in a school uniform, winter coat, and leggings walked quietly through the snow and closer to the origin of the feeling that reverberated throughout her body.

[evil_groupie]

To be frank, she was hypnotized a moment at that flicker. The hazy illusion was enough to draw Potamos with its intent, though it wasn't aimed at her in the slightest. Kouma was an interesting entity like that. Amazing, a killing machine that was bred for little more than slaughtering, yet had developed such a mind....

"I think I see, now," she hazarded, locking back with that single eye and mess of hair. "I guess it'd be natural to think like that when you're told incorrect information, y'know."

Because who would fear their own weapons? What kind of weak, pathetic clan was he a part of was something she couldn't help but wonder. One that apparently needed a lot of clearing out...if he had not already done so himself, anyway

[calmed_demon]

Giving himself the time to think, Kouma let his hand settle at his side, limp. There was no reason in his years of living by the rules of his clan and by the rules of hybrids in general for him to believe such odd and encouraging words right away. This woman wanted him to believe that he was a great and admirable creature simply because of what he was. That he was part of a breed that had more that it deserved than it was getting. She sounded vaguely like a revolutionary

[evil_groupie]

The devil girl tilted her head just slightly to this admission. "Slaughter? Did you do it?" It was a question asked with no hesitation. Her mind came naturally to the conclusion: weaklings are to be ruled over or exposed of. What he had told her of their years of attempting to control something stronger than themselves, it made sense to her mind. Yet she wanted the confirmation from his own lips--there was a chance, after all, that those demons had somehow fallen to humans. Potamos had heard of a few spiritually inclined humans from her short stay in Japan. Those who would fight and seal away demons on sight

[calmed_demon]

He stared at Hiromi in response, though there was a sliver of malice in his eyes. It was something said nonchalantly, but it was one of the things that he realized stunted his growth as a child. Every single day--Kouma was reminded, by being left absolutely alone, that he was dangerous simply because he breathed. The entire clan seemed to realize that if he slipped and turned into a monster, that he would have rubbed their mark off of the world forever.

It made sense, though. She was a true 'demon', after all. If she came from the mythical realm of 'evil', then she would be just as powerful as she showed him. He answered, mentally exhausted, unable to push his line of thought any further.

"No. A human wiped out my clan and took my eye with him."

[evil_groupie]

There were very few things that could have possibly shocked her into outright fear and disbelief at that moment. His words easily slid past Potamos's every defense and soundly turned her entire world on its ear.

"Human!?" Her shock wasn't hidden--every inch of her was visibly shaken. Not a clan of hunters, not angels summoned by humans. One human had laid waste to his entire branch of family and managed to wound him. Were she not something of an empath, she'd have gladly, desperately called him a liar. Yet, the sliver of hostility peeking over the well of Kouma's emotions...

It was true. Unholy gods it was true. Who would even have that kind of strength against demonkind?

[calmed_demon]

The context of the crime didn't matter. Whether or not the members of his clan were easily dispatched and their level of skill didn't trump the fact that it was all done by one man--one man with a level of technique that far surpassed even demonic blood. Psychics were born and bred to remove things such as 'hybrids' from the world, after all.

"Yes," Adding almost weakly, simply to try and keep Hiromi from showing a negative expression any longer, Kouma carried on. "He was still just a human. Of all his clan--I only spared one." It was not his own personal vendetta that he fulfilled. The Tohno clan harbored more hatred than Kouma could have ever felt. The crazed clan-head--even that man managed to worry the thick-blooded hybrid.

[evil_groupie]

Her face was still pensive. The news bothered her, and the reprisal...wasn't much better.

"That's not right--why would you give them that kind of respect?!" Almost as if Kouma had struck her himself, Potamos shrunk in on herself, hugging against a cold that was most definitely not born from the weather. "Humans should never hold that kind of power! You should have murdered the whole lot of them--and I'd been staying among them...how could I have missed this kind of potential?!

"There might be some of them about here, too!" It would have been a far-fetched conclusion normally, but she had already had conversations with those who took magic as commonplace. "No, they probably are. We'll have to be careful. To think those mundane goody goodies even had that kind of ability--it's no wonder the angels sided with them!"

[calmed_demon]

Kouma realized, without a doubt, that Hiromi was no demon-kind that he was familiar with. What monster of chaos would fear for their life and the lives of their kind as if they were a dying breed? Hiromi's shock seemed to cement a conclusion in his mind--that she was tossing about the idea of relying on him. It was nothing new, but it was far from mundane for him. Despite knowing it was cruel to be treated in such a way, it was the only way of life he knew

[evil_groupie]

"Oh..." That it was Kouma's words...no, it was Kouma's carefully-controlled feelings that forced her to quietly reconsider sudden plans for a war machine. Humans were still new to the girl--the level of power boasted in a human that could harm a person of Kouma's caliber was something that she could not take lightly, no matter the circumstance

[calmed_demon]

The least Kouma could do as Hiromi went over her options was to sigh and remain otherwise silent. Though he was certain of his approach, she felt much less trust and, in fact, had become more solidly grounded in her beliefs as a result of his story. He was well aware of the nature and ability of human beings--especially when it came to how they dealt with limitations. There were no other humans like the Nanaya, simply because there were no other humans around that would willingly cast themselves into oblivion for an old, dogmatic belief as they did

[evil_groupie]

"Well, it depends, y'know?" She answered his question in a light, pondering tone that would not begin to suggest that judgment had not already been cast.

"Because some of them have been bright, cheery, and innocent. But this kind of place...that Arawn fellow has intentions I'm not sure about. He is definitely encouraging a certain kind of behavior, though. People fornicating brings about its own strange power." With no pause, Hiromi put a hand to her chin as if Kouma was one that could naturally catch on to the girl's meaning. After all, he was a demon, so he had to know...love was a strange and most dangerous power. And she'd done enough study to conclude consummation was one thing that couples in love would do.

"So it's no surprise that loooooots of them likely will start playing this little island game to its fullest, probably even forgetting about leaving. That would make them obstacles, y'know." And, often stated as if it were burned into her soul was her leader's doctrine:

If you meet someone in love, you must kill

[calmed_demon]

To the demon that Hiromi gazed upon, 'love' did not exist. He had never felt it before she looked at him admiringly and even then, he realized that it was only a sense of appreciation that came from her--not love. There was nothing in his 'world' that indicated such a ridiculous and nonsensical feeling could exist. So, he rejected it without a thought

[evil_groupie]

"Mmm...you have a point." A point Potamos needn't give deep thought too. More destructive and suffering than any creature she'd ever encountered was man. Man could consume, bicker, destroy, and do so with a sense of accomplishment. Their dual nature was hypocritical by and large, which made them a perfect assistant for demon kind, and simultaneously the worst charm against them if touched by angels

[calmed_demon]

Kouma saw opportunists regularly. Kugamine was the utter embodiment of one such opportunist. While the families of the Tohno clan had often remained far from them for their own safety, Kugamine was a man who decided he would do his best to stow himself away to be remembered--and, to try and marry the next heir for his own benefit.

Kouma could tell that Hiromi was using the same reasoning as that man, but he couldn't quite see why. Though, it was none of his business--this woman's personal motivations. Turning on his heel, he looked aside, towards the mountains. "Very well. I don't know how to handle a demon aside from myself who serves a different lord."

He had no motivation to help her, even if he was entranced by the admiration she put his way. "I cannot help you without my own cause, however. We may have different motivations and desires."