Casper Harris

[casperharris]

Going Fishing || Casper & Emery

[emery-charles-frost]

"Oh, right…um…"

A paddle was the least of his worries when he snatched the rowboat from the poor farmer, but it wasn’t like Emery’s idea of thieving about involved sneaking. He had simply walked into the farmers yard, taken the boat, & then ran from the three massive guard dogs with a boat over his head. It was fun & entertaining, a spur of exhilaration…paddles weren’t something he had been conscious about. 

Emery looked about & decided on Casper’s idea of some sort of piece of wood to use. “Won’t swimming disturb the little fuckers? Isn’t night fishing more of a stealth approach?" he continued his grin, poking around the trees by the lake until finding a branch off of one that he thought was suitable. With strength that was easy to the vampire, he snapped off a full branch, wide at its base & with his blade started to trim off the sides. It was stupid manual labor, something Emery only enjoyed putting forth in his forge. But with Casper requesting company for reasons that Emery was sure the phantom would share in due time, he decided to skip the attitude. At least for now.

"Okay, here’s your dumb paddle," Emery threw one of the quickly made, chipped off branch to Casper & kept one to himself. He picked up a bag from the ground that he had brought along with a fishing pole that his neighbor from down the street had let him “borrow". Pushing the boat away from the shore with his boot, Emery jumped in next to Casper & settled on the middle bench. “Let’s go then Mr. Phantom, your supper awaits. & we ain’t gonna get anywhere with you paddling like a girl,"

[casperharris]

Casper patiently sat in the boat as he watched Emery break off a whole brunch as if it was nothing but a twig. A loud snap roared through the whole of the forest, scaring away a few birds that had just settled for their night's rest. Shifting a few times on the uncomfortable seat or rather just a bar, Casper waited for the vampire to finish his work. He actually hadn't believed Emery to put such an effort in it as he with skilled hands and a knife formed the branch into a make shift paddle that should suit rather well for their purposes.

"Thanks!" Casper said smiling, just barely catching the paddle with his still healthy arm. The boat wavered slightly as Emery jumped into the boat pushing them into the water. "Supper.. more like a midnight snack."

Paddling, however, turned out to be a rather difficult task and he had to alter his position slightly in order to reach over to the water with the right arm. It was a shame he still wasn't any good at levitation. Otherwise, he could have simply let his mind do the work thought that could become quite exhausting over time. "You try paddle with only one arm!"

"Stupid vampire." It wasn't fair for them to heal within a matter of seconds while he had been forced to drag this around with him for weeks now and it had only gotten worse-- an annoyance more than anything.

Somehow, after a while, they managed to at least get a few metres away from the shore, although their paddling over all seemed very inefficient.

"Your paddling isn't much better, either! You survive a dragon but can't paddlea boat." Casper laughed.

[casperharris]

Going Fishing || Casper & Emery

[emery-charles-frost]

Fishing was such a mortal thing to do. & if anyone knew Emery Frost at all, mortal things were not his strongest point. Not anymore.

It wasn’t because he was as stubborn as most people said him to be, or that he refused to believe that a genuine mortal part of his head still latched on in there somewhere with or without the beast…Emery was simply finding himself less capable of remembering how to do such things. & he blamed it on his beast, & he blamed it on having to survive in the wild for forty years without needing to light fires & catch things like fish. Brailston had been a pleasant place for him afterwards yet the banging of metal against an anvil wasn’t exactly a daily mortal concept, either. 

Emery longed for the days where he could remember, the day he attempted to cook for Rose on her birthday sticking out the most pretentiously in his mind, & simply not having the ability to perform such stupid tasks. So when Casper, this mysterious phantom that appeared in his life out of no where some months ago, requested company in the form of catching some fish…Emery was in no position to decline. Besides, his mood was decent & he found himself smiling more, playing around like before & scaring the shit out of Rose whenever he was able to, or finding weird herbs in the forest with Lark. The walls of his home reflected laughter & true emotion now…just like he, no…just like Rose had always wanted.

Emery saw the phantom approaching & grinned, & with ease picked the small rowboat up over his head. “Hey, Casp!" he walked towards the water in the lake & plopped the boat on its surface. “I stole this from some farmer on the other side of town. Big enough? Is it okay? Good enough for you to catch your silly little fishies?" 

[casperharris]

Casper didn't have to wait long until Emery came in sight between the woods, carrying a boat above his head, clearly telling he wasn't very human. He shot him an odd look accompanied by his quirky grin, playing around the corners of his mouth as he greeted the vampire. Adjusting the sling around his neck, Casper walked towards the water, letting his eyes wander over the boat and back to Emery. "Yeah, It'll do just fine." He grinned. Back in the day, the phantom had been used to building his own boats every now and again or even selling them to other people to make at least some money. It had always been a fun thing to do and part of him missed the manual labour. Though in hindsight, what had seemed so action-packed back then, now, in the light of recent events appeared to be nothing more than a dull memory and yet just what he needed. 

"Can't believe you just stole a boat an carried it through half the woods." Casper was the first to climb into the boat, having some struggle due to his broken arm, careful not to fall over and into the water. He put down the fishing rod in the middle of the boat and waited for Emery to follow him. He hadn't been fishing in such a long time, it wouldn't come as no surprise if they didn't catch anything at all today. He carefully sat down, not to shake the boat too much with any hasty movements and looked for the paddle. 

"Emery... your forgot the paddle. Or lost it.. it's not here." Raising his eyebrow, half in amusement he expectantly looked at the vampire, waiting for him to do something about it. "We'll need something, at least some piece of wood. Or.. one of us has to swim and push us out there..," Casper shrugged. Absolutely no one would get him into the cold water at night. Even though it was just warm enough not to freeze with just a shirt, a rather chilly wind blew over the surface of the lake. At least his arm would serve as an excuse not to be the one to push them out there.

[casperharris]

Going Fishing || Casper & Emery

Recently, everything had been going downhill for the phantom. There hadn’t been a single day where he hadn’t had to worry about one thing or the other. At first Wisteria, then the demon gang he couldn’t escape and now Charles making his live hell, leaving him in fear of the elder phantom. The state of Casper’s disfigured arm had barely changed, if at all it had gotten worse. He began to worry that his bones would never get back into position since he was dead. 

The only good thing to have recently cheered up his mood was Rebecca. The woman he had first had only treated as nothing more than a substitute for Wistera had become much more than that. He enjoyed her company and craved the touch of her soft fingertips against his bare skin; losing himself in her as skin pressed against skin, sharing the warmth-- intimacy. God only knew what would have happened if he hadn't been right there so save Rebecca from the hunters that day.

The sun had set just an hour ago as he finally reached Night Haven. He had enjoyed the walk through the woods during daylight, the fresh air pleasing his lungs, the taste of the forest on his tongue. Today was going to be a nice day for once. No responsibilities, no one to haunt him.

A self made fishing rod on his back, Casper finally made it to the lakes around NIght Haven where he was supposed to meet Emery. It had been a while since he had been forced to be the bearer of bad new. Despite Casper's previous doubt, the vampire would hate him, blame him for all that had happened in the past, the two had gotten along rather well. 

[casperharris]

Blood, Sweat and Steel || Casper & Stephen

After Charles had left him on the hill, towering over the city, Casper was finally able to relax a little bit. Turning away form the cries that echoed from down between the streets, he tried to move his still dismembered arm a little bit. A pain stroke through his limb and radiated painfully into the shoulder. A grimace froze on Casper’s face, teeth bit together, his jaw slightly protruding from the tension. His gaze hung in the distance and was lost somewhere between the darkness of the trees. He wanted to go back home, lie down and rest his arm. It wasn’t only that the injury was hurting, it was poisoning his whole body and mind. Casper doubted that it would ever heal back together, or at least not normally. The arm was most likely crippled for life. 

Pressing the arm a little tighter to his body, adjusting its position until it sat more comfortably in the sling, he looked back over his shoulder. If it wasn’t for the feeling of Charles still being around, watching him, Casper would have probably headed home by now. But he couldn’t. Not only did he fear the elder phantom but if it was the only way he could ever improve his powers, if Charles thought it to be the proper preparation he had to do it. Closing his eyes for a deep breath, he bit his teeth together, trying to shake the pain and direct his thoughts into a straight direction.

Casper’s eyes were narrowed into small slits as he made his way down towards the city with a lot of struggle. He had to focus really hard not to cry out from the pain that struck him with every tremble. By accident, he had discovered that by dissolving his body, phasing through the air, eased the pain. It was merely a memory, an echo in his limbs. 

He could see it now. The blood stained battlefield, accentuated by the screaming of men and the clinking of metal as they hit resistance. The cause to the battle was beyond him. All of the slaughtering just because of a few words said by one man? Casper furrowed. Still invisible he took a few steps closer to the scene, staying around the edges between burning houses and innocent bystanders. All this blood; the pointlessness of their actions.. it was disgusting. Their faces all distorted into grimaces of effort, struggling grunts mixing with paroles chanted in between the dissonant mess.

A symphony of horror.

In the middle of the crowd, Casper’s eyes locked with those crazy red belonging to a phantom whose sight alone was enough to make him shiver. He couldn’t possibly know he was standing here. Or could he? Blood leaked from the elders mouth wich slowly formed into a horrifying grin as he killed one of the soldiers. Casper, stared back at the scene ahead of him, drowning out the people around them. It was the edge of a sword cutting slightly into his leg that distracted him, forcing him to break eye contact as he phased through the object. He must have lost control.

Jumping to the side and out of the way of the piling humans, Casper could only grasp a glimpse of Charles as he had already moved on. The phantom’s eyes wandered forward where his attention was caught by a tall man who seemed to get a family out back into safety, out of their house which had caught fire. Dark locks hung from his head in strands (if from blood or sweat he couldn’t tell) as he spun around to help the children. 

Close up he saw Charles rushing towards them, the grin still frozen on his face as he longed straight for the only person who’s place didn’t seem to be pointless. Casper’s eyes flew over the scene, trying to find a way to get Charles out of the way as he rushed closer to the stranger as well. He couldn’t possible let Charles kill this innocent man!

[rebecca--anske]

Casper & Rebecca || My Heart Burns For You

[rebecca--anske]

Perhaps she was somewhat foolish to think that this day would end up differently than where she was now…safe from hunters, away from home, alone with a man she was more than comfortable with and being so close to him once more that she could count the tiny, almost microscopic freckles on his nose. She thought for sure she’d be dead, to be blunt, and strung up somewhere for the King to take his anger out on.

But here she was, middle of the day and being handed the chance to indulge in her life; not as a werewolf but simply that humanistic side of her that yearned for attention and lust, for arms to simply find themselves around her and for someone to care about her without the obnoxious need to know every single detail about her life. Casper could be just that…he could be that man she scribbled secretly about in her journals in both human life and immortal, the man who would find her and keep her safe from anything nasty in the world. And so what if this room alongside the expensive city was where she was taken away to afterwards (even if she was the one who lead them there)…her almost knight in shining armor was sitting but inches from her and looking at the girl with more than lustful eyes in return.

It was impossible to think that he could want the same thing, right? To not be bothered with re-living his past in order to feel as though he had to compensate for his future with Rebecca…and his specie was of no threat to Elki she was sure…

All the convincing was going on her head, even after Casper had asked about her phasing with the full moon, that she had not spoken. When Casper moved towards her she shifted to face him, the familiar sensations of having him near deciding then to course through her small body. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I have to turn on the full moon, but I can also phase whenever I desire. Sometimes if a certain emotion is intense in my human form, I’ll phase without knowing…sort of like," her eyes were heavy now, brown orbs thick behind her eyelashes as she blinked up to meet those of Casper’s. “you know, that night,"

[casperharris]

Tracing along the lines of her facial features, with softly glowing eyes, Casper paid only half his attention to Rebecca’s words. They entered his ears yet got lost in the web, drowned out by the desire he felt for her. Scooting a little closer, his gaze fell onto her soft lips, moving vividly which ever sound erupting from his mouth and forming the words telling him about her wolven form. 

With one hand he caught hers, finishing the movement together and tugging the lock behind her hear. Casper smiled. Cupping her cheek in his hand and softly brushing his thumb over her delicate skin. An impish grin stole its way onto the phantom’s lips at the mention of the night they had first met a while ago and the desire for her overpowered him. His other hand wandered along her side to press her close, their chests heaving and falling against each other — together, as hungry lips hovered over hers in a teasing manner. Just for a moment. His breathing had picked up. Eyes fluttered at the impact of the tingling sensation hitting his stomach; faint electric shock spreading from there on through the rest of his body

"Mhmm. Maybe we could have this more often you know.." His eyes playfully challenged hers before closing eyelids, breathing in her sweet scent — a composure of wood and the forest after a cool rain in spring, so clean and pure. He grinned. His hot breath meeting with hers before he finally pressed their lips together. Straightening up his back he took over her, claiming the upper hand. The blood rushed through his body in excitement. A moan escaped his lips as his hand found the way into her hair, slowly entangling itself in her silken hair. 

That night. After leaving her he never had thought to see her again, never had inteneded to as she hadn’t been much more than a substitute for Wisteria at the time. Quick pleasure, a way to pass the time. His palm pressed against the small of her back, feeling the muscles beneath her skin at work. Time had showed him that he wanted her more than just for one night. In a different way. Someone to comfort him, a home even if he would never admit it to his yearning.

[rebecca--anske]

Casper & Rebecca || My Heart Burns For You

[rebecca--anske]

Rebecca expected more from him, of course expectations were one of her many flaws. And at the lack of information that Casper provided for her about how he had been holding up since their last encounter, Rebecca rolled her eyes and dropped her hands to her lap from the entangled that was her brown hair. 

“Well thank you for that vivid description, Casp. I do believe I feel as though I was living the moments right next to you the entire time,” she frowned from her sarcasm even though it was mostly out of humor, and felt foolish to think that someone as handsome as Casper would want to disclose anything of importance to her. After all, Rebecca was a wild creature, a woman in disarray from her trips out to the cities and probably not even his type. Why would he trust her with his life when she was putting his own in danger? Then again, maybe if she hadn’t freely given herself to him within hours of them first meeting then he might look at her differently…

Insane thoughts; Rebecca needed to clear her head from the monstrous low self esteem that her feminine side tended to dwell upon her weaker moments. In the end Rebecca simply wished to find someone worthy of a nice talk, a comfortable environment and someone to be able to share her secrets with on the occasion. If Casper was not interested in even sharing his well being with her then maybe Rebecca did not stand much of a chance with anything else.

“Me? I’ve been doing alright,” she mocked casually, not wanting to step over unseen boundaries resting between them. She couldn’t imagine Casper really wanting to know much about her…obviously she wasn’t doing entirely too well to be placed in a position of being hunted. Never had she needed to go into hiding before; in fact, it was somewhat embarrassing and Rebecca blushed, hands returning to tug at the brown strands that rested on her shoulder. It was difficult to conversate when she had already shared her most intimate moment with him…

This made her frown more.

Casper’s smile was radiant, even if it were half formed and probably only good hearted in a sense to not have their presence with each other become awkward. Rebecca sensed his curiosity and thrived on it, and she enjoyed sharing her species with those that were interested. Her viewpoints about the tribe and Vargulf in general were somewhat mixed, yet she kept a solid visage when it came to her duties and culture.

“My wolven form is about three times the size of a normal wolf. It’s white and my eyes turn green. I can perform a half phase, meaning only certain parts of me extract the species when I want. I mostly prefer that, as I can continue to wear my clothing and not worry about phasing back to my human form completely bare,” she blushed, deciding to stand and settle on the bed next to Casper. Her legs dangled off of the edge, feet only grazing the floor beneath them. “I have a home in the Trinity Lakes. My tribe is called Vargulf. We are vast and strong, and very diverse. I’m a warrior, a huntress for my leader, Elki. Our roots are spiritual and divine; our connection with all things natural is probably stronger than any other species. Sometimes I come to the cities to gather supplies for the upcoming seasons if we are running low and the game in the eastern part of the country is migrating. That’s why I was in Brailston today,”

[casperharris]

Casper’s smile became wider noticing the sarcasm accompanying her words, but he would not upset or burden her with the misfortune that had ever since the day of his birth haunted his life. The hunters where already enough of a problem, one that was the indisputable priority right now; to keep her safe. And even though they were stuck in this small room and there would have been plenty of time to tell her about everything that had happened just recently, there was no need darken her mood even more so. After all it was what polite people did, right? Keeping their problems to themselves and not dragging others into it. Such a wonderful being at that who he would rather see happy than anything else.

“Well, I’m glad.”, the phantom joked failing to interpret the furrows growing on Rebecca’s forehead and took no further notice of it. He watched her, eyes trailing over her body as if he hadn’t already seen the entity of her graceful appearance before. Slender finger toyed with her curls as she spoke of her kin, a supposedly rather wild species. However, there was no sign indicating she was one of them. All the lore he had picked up as a child— stories widely known among the people of Athoria— drew a much more brutal image of huge wild beasts leaving a trail of destruction and death wherever they went; unable to control the wolf inside of them.

“None of that legends crap? That you transform only at full moon?”

Attentive eyes followed Rebecca’s movements as she sat down beside him on the bed. Throwing his head back a little to relax the tense muscles in his neck from the uncomfortable position, Casper watched her from below. She was a stranger after all. He barely knew anything about her aside from her body; the little spots that let her shiver in excitement when treated right, they were her body reacted to his own.. How her skin felt against his lips, her smell and taste, her most intimate parts and yet nothing. Nothing about her family and friends and barely about her way of living at all aside from the few snippets he could piece together revealing only little insight into her life.

However, Casper was rather awkward, having never been in a situation similar to this one, he wasn’t too sure how proper people were approaching these matters of.. love. Love. He despised the word. For him it was a rich people’s thing. Attributed with marriage, wealth and all those shiny, shallow things. And maybe he hated it all the more because it was exactly what he had been mimicking for Wisteria. A proper nobleman at least in terms of behaviors. For him it held nothing but negative connotations.

He could only think it must have been some higher power to get them together again right after Rebecca had made herself a home in his head, refusing to leave and catching himself wanting more than just simple, plain sex. He shook his head as the thought of getting to know her a little better made him smile in a foolish manner and shrugged it off as nothing more than a momentarily mood of the moment.

“So, now that we’re stuck here, what are we going to do with all the time we have?” The innocent smile turned into a suggestive grin as he sat himself up to meet Rebecca’s gaze. Their faces only inches apart.

[casperharris]

A Thief In The Night || Casper & Tabitha

[tabitha-shipton-deactivated2013]

“Old woman?” Tabitha had been used to people confusing her for a helpless little old lady before but this was going much too far. She could forgive someone for underestimating her physical abilities or even her emotional ones. But one thing she would not tolerate was being confused for a senile old woman. It was true that she was indeed “old” and much much older than she physically appeared to be. But if anything her increased age had made her smarter, more cunning, and some would even say tricky. For this despicable phantom to address his elder in such a way was more than disgraceful and she met his innocent boy routine with an insulted huff.

“Have you? I see none to speak of! What a disrespectful brat you are. Come here, it’s very rude to walk away when someone is speaking to you young one.” Lifting her wand up Tabitha called out a quick spell with more enthusiasm than necessary and bound the phantoms spirit to to the stones under his feet. She grinned with a glimmer in her eyes and watched the boy squirm around trying to move knowing that he would be unable to shift a muscle while under her control. Tabitha laughed with a proper but snooty attitude and reached down to pick up the items the boy had dropped and sat them back on the stand where they had been taken from.

“Now young man. I can excuse your thievery but lying will not be tolerated. If you will admit to stealing these items that do not belong to you and provide a reason why you were stealing in the first place then I will release you from my spell. But first I believe you owe me an apology.”

[casperharris]

Casper abruptely came to a halt and could no longer move at all. He frowned trying to take another step forward but it was as if his limbs suddenly weighted a ton. As much as he tried he couldn't make his body follow his intentions. Frustration settled down within the phantom and internally cursed the old woman. Who was she? Casper's eyes grew wide as realisation struck him. What if this woman was a witch. He had heard stories about phantoms being stripped of all their powers by those magick people. Of course he had always though it to be the substance of legends. Now, however, that he saw himself faced with a seemingly more powerful witch than Rosemary or Wisteria and a stranger at that, he grew quite nervous. 

Forced to listen, he growled and stared ahead of him into the dark street; buildings casting wide and threaneding shadows over the alleyway which was lacking any lamps. Having always been a little stubborn Casper didn't even think about apologizing right away. It normally wasn't his behavious to come across as rude towards strangers unless they had given him a reason.

"Why do you think I'd steal goods. Probably not out of pure pleasure." A crooked smile pulled at the side of his mouth yet he managed to force it back where it came from. Not wanting to get into anymore trouble than he already had. The phantom sighed, closing his eyes and fighting the urge to make another snarky comment. 

"I'm sorry, alright? Who are you?" Casper couldn't risk to confess anything to the wrong people even if it was only a simply theft. The last time the king and their man had found him guilty for a crime he had never even commited. He needed to make sure she wasn't operating in the King's name.

[charles-ridgeway]

Welcome To The War || Charles & Casper

Charles had been keeping an eye on his new student, watching as he came and went from his sad excuse for a home. Why he bothered to stick around in such a broken place was a mystery to him, perhaps sentiment. One of the many emotions he did not understand in the slightest. While he kept watch on the boy he had learned several pieces of information. One being that his pathetic student obviously did not know how to heal himself since his arm had been left to heal on its own, luckily for Casper one of the many perks of already being dead was that his body healed much faster than those of the mortals. Another was that when it came to his daily activities the boy was more than disappointing. Honest work for honest pay, though respectable in the eyes of the community, did not go well with the image he was trying to form for the lad. Finally, and probably the most interesting, Charles found that he was not the only one keeping watch on the young phantom. In the last week he had seen three different men come to watch the boy, following him everywhere he went and staying just a few steps behind. Assuming that these had just been hires from “Azazel’s” gang, he shrugged it off. There were more important things to be concerned with at the present moment, such as the onset of war.

The streets were filled with the cries of mothers, sending their baby boys off to die for reasons that Charles could not have cared less about. Groups had gathered in the various churches and places of worship to pray for the protection of their husbands, sons, and fathers. Sadness, fear, anger it all flowed through the streets as the man happily skipped along towards Casper’s residence, breathing in the distress as if it were a drug. He loved a good war. So much violence and death, the perfect place for the boy to cut his teeth and learn how the world truly was. Stronger men killing weaker men. That is all that the world was and all that it ever would be. Finding himself at the foot of the door, Charles knocked obnoxiously, pausing only a fraction of a second between knocks until the always irritable phantom had answered with a quizzical expression. Without a word of explanation, Charles motioned for the boy to follow him and turned on his heel, walking towards the forest that would lead him to the battle grounds. The elder phantom felt tingles of excitement running under his skin, already able to hear the clanging of swords and screams of dying men in their future. His voice was playful, speaking out without even bothering to check and see if the child was following him or not.

“Come Casper, we’re going on a little trip. War has broken out in Athoria, isn’t that exciting? The perfect chance for you to explore your deep rooted evil. You can kill anyone that you wish, Athorian or not. It doesn’t matter in the slightest. Wander around the battle field and observe. I want you to see the world at its worst. To see what people turn into when their livelihood is threatened. Aren’t mortals hilarious? One word from a man in a crown and they are off to mindlessly kill strangers without question.”

[casperharris]

Charles' words had never left the phantom's mind. They haunted him like persistant little beasts that had bit on to his head and refused to leave him alone. Not even in his sleep was he save. They invaded his dreams and showed him what Charles had claimed to be Casper's real face. Nothing more than a bystander, he was forced to watch a crippled version of himself roam through the lands, destroying everything and everyone withing his reach until Casper violently woke up, sweating and breathing heavily. Other times his face seemed to warp into something that rather resembled a ill looking Charles' with his prominent grin yet his features scarred and bloody with sunken cheeks. In the past few days he had racked his brain about the thoughts the elder phantom had planted in his head. Who was he really? Was it all nothing more than an act? Was he no better than Wisteria? Just a piteable hypocrit who in secrecy still seeked out the thrill the infamous deed brought about them. The only evidence to display his evil, the scars and disfiguartions of his face and crippled and limping statue of his body.

Since the day he had passed out in the streets of the Athorian slums, his arm had only gotten worse. He began to wonder if it would ever heal and almost contemplated asking Wisteria for her help.. but it was out of the question. Even though they had come to some sort of silent peace, Casper didn't want to, again, crawl to her to fix his damaged body. He didn't want her to know in which trouble he had gotten himself again.

Unlike his normally energetic mood and the need he always felt for action which drove him out and work on something, he spend a lot of time sleeping and nursing his arm. Only when he couldn't stand to spend one more minute in his dark and broken house he left it in search for some sort of job that wouldn't be too difficult for him to handle with only one arm and even earn some much needed money before he couldn't pay the taxes anymore. It was annoying however, that almost everyone sent him away to better go and see a doctor instead but neither did he have the money to pay these charlatans nor did he dare to. They would only find out that he was a phantom and god only knew what would happen to him then. The risk was toohigh. Besides, what could they possibly tell him anyway. There was nothing he didn't know already. His bones were broken, maimed in an horrible way and all he needed was time.

An old shirt now served him as a makeship sling to keep his arm in place and secure it from any unesseccary and painful movements. He was tired and felt worn out, most of the nights it was that damn limb to prevent him from sleeping more then just a few hours. It had become rather useless and Casper could barely lift it on it's own, always requiring the assitance of his other, healthy arm. Casper sat in the front if his fire place enjoying the warmth that slowly embraced him, watching the crackling fire. The last few weeks it had gotten rather cold. Winter had settled over Athoria and felt the wind mercilessly blowing through every bloody whole in the rotten wood of his roof and his windows which were almost non existent. The phantom was constantly cold and it felt like he would never really warm up again. He was more glad than ever for the cloak Rebecca hd given to him it at least made it better to some degree.

A knock on the door made him loose his train of thought and he wondered who on earth that would be. With a grunt he got up eventually and put the sling around his neck again, dropping the blanket carelessly on the chair.

Seeing Charles smirking face after opening the door he froze, his expression changing into an unreadable mask. The useless limb started pounding again as his arm seemed to remember the moment his bones had snapped into half. Casper automatically secured the vulnerable limb with his other hand, waiting for him to say something. But nothing. All he did was to gesture him to follow him. Tilting his head Casper furrowing his forehead he eventually went after Charles before he was gone.

Casper kept his distance while they were walking in silence. His eyes fixed on Charles broad back he was wondering what the other phantom was up to, yet didn't ask any questions. They kept on walking for quite some times, widening the gap between the two phantoms. He didn't want to be surprised by some set up that Charles would lead him into, after all he was not to be trusted. Casper stopped right when the other man did, slowly approaching him while he kept an eye on his surroundings, his senses on alert.

„Why would I..“

It was completly Casper's set principles to just run off to kill random strangers yet when he heard Charles snarky remarks about the King and his men, Casper pricked up his ears. These men where beyond innocent. Despite their claim to bring rightenousnesson to the land in favour of their king, but all they did was mindlessly follow him not doubting his commands even once. This time he had to agree with the elder phantom, if he wanted or not. Yet he maintained his defiant attitude on te outside even though it was him that wanted to learn from Charles. What was he supposed to gain from this? Being at the heart of a battle with a broken arm at that.

„How the hell am I supposed to fight with this?!“ Nodding towards the crippled limb. No, he would certainly not risk his life for something stupid like this and already wanted to turn on his heels. 

[casperharris]

The Devil Inside You || Casper & Charles

[charles-ridgeway]

Although physical harm had always been one of his favorite methods of torture, it was nothing compared to psychological torture. Invading the mind and changing the course of a life with nothing more than a few fleeting words. It was challenging of course, but after years and years of practice Charles had grown a distinct fondness for such methods. The only problem was that he was never able to observe the lasting effects of his control, most of the humans he played with were weak and sentimental. They found solace in the promise of a forgiving God and took their owns lives in the hopes that such a benevolent creature would have mercy on them. He grew bored with the predictable fates of these mortals and instead went back to the sweet song of screams and pleading.

But now he had been presented with a glorious opportunity. A raw phantom with a clean slate, just out of hell and oh so impressionable. Charles was a frightening artist who had just been given a clean canvas, the possibilities were endless. With time, torture, and convincing he could mold this young creature into what a phantom should be. He had grown weary of the recent whelps that had somehow managed to drag their sorry selves out of hell. The lack of hatred and power was shameful given their abilities and amazing potential. To squander their gifts that were meant to inspire fear into every living soul that roamed the lands, and instead prance around pretending that they were still mortals with a choice. It was beyond pathetic in the eyes of the murderer. 

His mind had been made. Whether the boy had realized it or not, he had just sealed his terrible fate. This evening in the ally would prove to be the beginning of a long road to corruption. Charles grinned over the curled up body of the phantom who had been nursing his mangled arm, imagining all of the glorious things he could do to this weak little boy to turn him into a man. Into what he was always meant to be, a soldier fighting for the evil that ruled in a world so frightening that God himself averted his gaze. No longer would this child cling to the ridiculous notion of free will and happiness, it was time he learned the truth. There was no way that Charles was going to throw away an opportunity to harden one of the growing number of pathetic members of his species. After all, it only took one failure to change the image for the entire race. 

“What’s your name, boy?”

Charles leaned over, grabbing the phantom’s wrist and yanking his arm straight, smirking at the sound of bone clicking back into place. He dropped the limp appendage with little care and watched the broken bones wanting to shift back out, threatening to pierce the skin. Through it all; the pain, the fear, the doubt, this boy had struggled to keep up strong appearances. Even now, trembling in what must have been excruciating pain, he glared up at the murderer. A dark shadow crept across his face, his smirk turning cold and horrible as he looked forward to the day when that defiance would be replaced with fear and submission.

“Yes actually. Azazel, the real Azazel, is much better than me. He is a very powerful demon. Strong, smart, respected, Lucifer’s right hand man. The very sound of his name sends a chill down the spines of those who’ve spent any amount of time in Hell. So you tell me young one. What would Azazel, Lucifer’s go to demon, be doing running a tiny gang in the slums of Athoria? Hm? Why would someone as strong and powerful as Azazel give a single shit as to how much money they can rake in? How many rival gangs are killed? Or even what drugs can be trafficked in and out of Brailston? I’ll tell you… he wouldn’t. Why? Because it’s not him.”

Charles stood up straight, slipping his hands into his pockets, and shrugged his shoulders. A look of shock had crept into the boy’s eyes but there had still been a shred of denial clinging to his thoughts, hoping and praying that every word he spoke had been a lie. And although Charles was in fact a skilled liar, this time he spoke what he believed to be the truth. Not because he had any interest in helping this lost soul, but because he wished to instead claim him for himself. 

“Think about it. What has happened every time you’ve gone to meet with Azazel? Have you ever seen him? Heard him? Has there been anything, anything at all, to convince you that he is even involved with these earthbound demons? These guys know the fear behind Azazel’s name, they know that new phantoms don’t understand what has happened and they take advantage of that by promising you your freedom. I’ll let you in on a little secret, there is no freedom. This. This right here, being a phantom, is the most freedom you are going to get from here on out unless God decides to welcome you back into his arms. I doubt it. Now you may be asking yourself, ‘But Charles, if you know the truth then why are you working for them?’ The answer is quite simple. I kill people, they pay me. I enjoy it.”

“If all you’re seeking is information then you don’t need to waste your time with these frauds. Come with me, I can teach you all that you will ever need to know about who and what you are. But if you’re honest with yourself, you already know the answer to these questions. I know your type, even when you were alive you felt it. That you were different from the others. That no matter what good you tried to do people still looked down on you. You were always watching, learning, but you were never one of them. You probably fought, stole, tortured, maybe even killed. You’ve always been this way, boy. Why are you denying it? Tell me. Tell me the truth. That deep down, even though you try to deny it, even though you’ve never admitted it to anyone… you love it, don’t you?”

[casperharris]

The malicious smile that seemed to be glued to Charles' face grew wider as he approached Casper who was still cowering on the ground. His eyes sparkled in the pale light, a dangerous sensation that made Casper press himself further against the wall. These eyes, however, also held a great fascination in them which almost hypnotized Casper to simply stare and look. Not even protesting when Charles took wrist. Even a small momvement like this was enough to make him cringe. About to speak his name, he opened his mouth yet no sound came out, surprised by the sudden twist of his arm and the disturbing noise of snapping bones. With a short delay the information reached his brain and Casper felt the full extent of the pain, shooting through his body. He screamed. A loud and bloodcurling noise. Everything around him seemed to happen in slowmotion. Tears threatened in his eyes as the limb was dropped at it side where he let it rest; not even daring to move it in the slightest way.

„Casper. It's Casper,“ the young phantom whispered into night, a cloud of white smoke following his weak words, as he breathed heavy in an unsteady rythm. He sharply drew a breath everytime another wave of pain flashed through his crippled arm.

Could he really have fallen for such a stupid trick? He had been lured into the gang, so desperately believing and holding onto the only chance he had had to change his fate that it had made him blind. Blind to what he had felt all along. Every time they had given him a new mission, assuring him it would be the last one he had grown suspicious. Yet, despite all of that, never had he been able to give up on that small hope that had always remained that, eventually he would be able to speak with the demon. How naive he had been to believe their lie without hesitating even once. All the trouble he had gone through had been for nothing. The phantom had almost died for nothing...

Dropping his head he felt weak and tired. Accepting his defeat. There was nothing he could do. He put up no resistance to Charles' poisnonous words; they simply flowed into his ears and made sense in this moment. It all made sense. As if he was revealing all the secrets that hold this world together to him; a mere maggot. For the first time in many years he also felt that somewhat understood. This man suddenly gave him a reason for all the bad luck and misfortune he had had in the past. Why he had never been able to achieve hapiness. Why it all fell to pieces in his hands. Why everything always went so horribly wrong. Maybe it wasn't the search for freedom that had drawn him to Azazel's gang... or rather someone elses gang, in the first place. Maybe what had attracted him in the first place was that he deep down missed the old days. Missed his gang and all the fun he had had not caring about the law or anything. Unit it had, eventually got him killed.

Charles question made him raise his head again. If he hadn't been so exhausted he would have talked back. Would have protested that he was enterily wrong but he didn't. He had never loved it. Or had he? After all, it was Casper who had initiated a change and made the decision to leave his dark past behind; to be a more humble and friendly man. But why? Everyone had left him. There was no reason to disguise himself anymore. Could it be that in the end everything he had done was to lie to everyone, even him self? Confusion settled within the young phantom's mind and it left him restless. However, his opponent had willingly agreed to give him all the answers to everything he had ever wanted to know. It was his chance to finally get stronger and to learn how to control his new gained abilities. Casper admired the elder for the power and knowledge he seemed to posess. It was worth a try. What did it matter anyway if he got involved with a demon gang or some other phantom? There wasn't much of a difference.And maybe he would even be able to obtain his freedom in the end. There was always the possiblity of betrayal, when he was strong enought, he would be able to overthrow him and finally fight for the freedom he wanted so desperately, or so he thought.

Casper slowly nodded in agreement and Charle's grin only widened, looking even more dangerous in the dark. And before he had the time to think about his decision or even revoke it, his opponent disappeard within the blink of an eye while the young phantom fell back against the wall, his head dropping to his side as he passed out eventually.

[casperharris]

A Thief In The Night || Casper & Tabitha

[tabitha-shipton-deactivated2013]

Tabitha would have normally been in bed at this hour. Yuri had been flapping his wings in protest all evening and knocking over bottles and dishes until the witch couldn’t stand it anymore. She opened the door and the owl quickly flew out into the night to stretch his wings with an appreciative hoot. Her familiar was a night creature after all so every once in a while she let him have his way. Some nights she even felt the moonlit walks to be enjoyable. However this was not one of those nights. She had been busy in her potions shop all day dealing with some of the most interesting questions and complaints that she had hear in a long time.

Her respect for the humans of the country was very high but it always amazed her of how incredibly stupid they could be at times. Desperate girls begging for love potions, the down trodden wishing for wealth, the fat wanting to be thin, the lazy demanding success for no effort. It was exhausting. All while playing into the fantasy that witchcraft was a silly story. She felt like she was protected in that sense but it never hurt to be overly careful. Tabitha of course could have handled herself in any situation the panicky mortals of Brailston wished to dish out but after centuries of dodging wars and accusations she thought it would be best to lay low. She had been a well respected member of society by the kingdom and had been mentor to the princess so even if someone had accused her of witchcraft she was not much worried for her own safety or reputation. 

Walking down the path of the sleeping city Tabitha heard her familiar call out to her. Something was strange in this part of town. And he was right she felt it too. Looking around she saw no one but then to her own amazement a boy suddenly appeared out of thin air. It was a Phantom. One of her least favorite species next to vampires. She watched the lad sniff around up to no good she was sure. He approached a stand of goods and began grabbing all that he could. Tabitha frowned in disgust. She had been very good friends with the man who ran that stand and could have thieves stealing all of his supplies on her watch. 

She walked up to the boy from behind then circled around to his side seeing a wicked grin. The sight was shameful and Tabitha could not resist scolding the boy. Sometimes she felt that it was her mission to keep the country in order when it came to manners and proper behavior. Lifting her wand from her pocket she cracked the wood over the phantoms knuckles before he could steal one more thing. “For shame young man! What business do you have stealing from others? Have you no respect? No honor?” Tabitha snapped her wand over the tops of his hands again, “You should be ashamed of yourself!”

[casperharris]

Casper almost dropped the apple as an elder woman hit his fingers with some strangely wooden stick. His hand jerked back and he glared angrily at the stranger. Her skin was wrinkly, it spoke of all the time he had spend of this earth, experiences that had taught her. Now they were formed into an expression of outrage blaming the phantom for his misdeeds. Casper's expression dropped and furrows appearing on his forehead as he was about to dispute her accusations. 

"Honor? Of course I have honour! Who do you think you are? Didn't do anything. You must be imagining things, old woman."

Wearing a clueless expression on his face he shook his head while in his mind he was tracing back his every step, wondering when he had been so careless that someone could have seen him. Surely he must have seen this old lay at least at some point yet he couldn't recall anything. Maybe she was just making up things after all. With her age Casper was sure that her frame of mind couldn't be the best anymore. 

"I'm sorry M'am. But I have no idea what you are talking about. I would advise you to go see some doctor and maybe get your head checked."

The phantom bit into the the juicy apple again; his finger still echoing last waves of slight pain that could easily be ignored. He was playing the role of an innocent boy like he had many times before. He could be quite a skilled liar if he wanted to be although he had tried to give up this old, bad habit. With one last curious look and a lifted eyebrow he put his other hand in his pocket again and turned around; ready to walk away.

[rebecca-anske-rp-blog]

Rebecca ~ Casper || My Heart Burns For You

[rebecca-anske-rp-blog]

It was still daylight, perhaps late afternoon, and the suns beams through the single window above the bed at the far end of the decent sized room casted a brilliant glow across the floorboards. It bounced off of a small fireplace as well as a round table with matching wood chairs. A pitcher of water sat upon it with a bowl of fruit, and even though Rebecca was not used to resting in such places resembling that of a more civilized being, the comfort that was residing inside those four walls was undoubtedly nice. It was like a safe little refuge away from the world, even if it were just for a night or two, and she knew that Elki would not worry for the time being. 

Of course, news about the hunters might spread to her Alpha quicker than Rebecca anticipated. And a part of her wished they wouldn’t. Not yet.

Casper’s concern for Rebecca’s wellbeing was not at all hidden, even if he were trying to conceal it for some reason, and it made Rebecca smile. She shrugged, however, after the soft touch from fingertips that grazed against the skin of her cheek and moved towards the table. 

“I assume so,” she unfastened her cloak and drapped it against the backs of one of the chairs. Her fingers went to the brown locks the lay now messy against her shoulders, and gently she combed through them as she spoke. “They said they knew what I was, but didn’t say they knew who. My best guess is that they are hunters, perhaps from the king or maybe from someone that is paying. But they won’t find me here. Not yet, anyway,”

Rebecca had hunted before, and not just deer in the Hallowed Oak to make her skins. Elki had enemies at time and the threat was to be eliminated no matter what, and Rebecca had killed other species regardless of how she felt. It wasn’t always pleasant about it towards her leader and she threw a fit the entire time, yet the job was done accordingly. Her loyalty with Elki was never-ending like that, even if Rebecca shielded those uncomfortable memories from her mind as often as possible. Remembering the last look in the eyes of one about to be slaughtered for reasons that Rebecca sometimes did not even know about was not something to dwell on. It brought her shame, secretly of course, and at times she felt as though she were a failure in her own special way.

“If they wanted to kill me then they would have just done so, with me being surrounded like that, but they wanted to take me somewhere. Maybe they needed to see me phase before they made the attack, I’m not sure,” 

Rebecca sighed in a grumpy manner, and she plopped heavily down into the wooden chair. “I’m so sorry for dragging you into this. I wish I could just go home, but I’m afraid to be followed,” 

Chestnut eyes locked with those of her company once more, and she tugged at the bottom strands of her hair. “Thank you for staying. We haven’t exactly been able to catch up…how are you?”

[casperharris]

Casper nodded understandingly as he followed Rebecca's lead and took off his cloak as well. It had gotten rather hot inside with the thick wool hanging heavy over his shoulders. He threw it almost carelessly onto the far side of the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed; his arms, supporting him as he watched Rebecca on the opposite side of the room. As much as he loved to keep the woman company he would have much rather went hunting or something of the sort for he couldn't really stand sitting around for long. 

At Rebecca's question Casper sighed heavily and leaned back on the bed to stare up onto the dark ceiling. Wisteria had been shoved to the back of his mind ever since she had rescued him from Stephen Freeman, a memory he'd rather not be reminded of. Although Casper didn't sorrow after her anymore he still felt disappointment about Wisteria and her name, the memory, tasted bitterly on his tongue. His hands lay flat on his stomach, a few of fingers tapping to a random beat while his thoughts revolved around all the recent happenings that had shook up his life.

"Hm, I've been doing alright.."

It was a bit of an understatement considering everything that had happened since that day spend in the cave. He had even gotten himself into far more trouble than per had gotten deeper involved with the gang, more than he ever really wanted to be, had threatened Emery's wife, burned down her shop and last but not least had almost been killed by a human. Too much had happened and he wasn't in the mood to talk about these things now. 

Following the complex patterns of wooden grain above his head with his eyes, he dwelled in memories, reflecting on all the stupid things he had done recently and gotten himself into. Casper had warned himself many times over these past few years to not, at any cost get involved with some kind of gang again; in no trouble at all. Now, however he apparently seemed to have done just that. They had stalled him. Given him one tast  after the other, telling him everytime he would soon be able to speak with the demon. He started doubting that it would ever happen. They probably just used him and he had fallen for it so easily when he of all people should have known better. Closing his eyes for a moment he sighed and relaxed against the matress.

"What about you, Rebecca?"

Now that he came to think about it, Casper had no idea what werewolves even did for their living or how and where they lived. He could only assume that that she either owened a house just like a normal or.. lived like a real wolf in the forest. Yet he could hardly imagine a live like that, it seemed to only apply to wild and uncivilised creatures. Rebecca, however rather seemed like the opposite. Casper hadn't believed that she was a werewolf afterall was it not for her claws that he had felt scratching down his back that day in the cave.   The phantom propped himself up on his forearms and glanced over to the woman, a crooked smile pulling at the side of his mouth. She was so small and yet inside of her was supposed to live a vile creature? Strong and dangerous that it could rip him apart in a matter of seconds. He would have assumed werewolves looked a little bit more ragged and dishevelled.

"How..does this whole werewolf thing work anyway? You hardly looked like a wild creature. Where do you even live?" 

[casperharris]

The Devil Inside You || Casper & Charles

[charles-ridgeway]

The distorted expression of fear and pain on the young phantoms face filled the murderer with excitement. Fear was like a drug for him. The look, the smell, the very feel of the essence as it secreted from his victim’s trembling bodies. If he broke this addiction down to its primary elements, it was not about the blood, the pain, or even the sex. Although these things did make the experience even more enjoyable. It was the fear. Watching lives filled with a variety of emotion flash before in their frightened eyes. Seeing them relive old memories and feelings that he as incapable of experiencing first hand. It was amazing, watching the last moments in their eyes. Seeing how they change from anger to fear. Starting out with their dignity and humanity only to revert back to the most primal instincts for survival.

He watched as the boy struggled to pull himself up, fighting to stay strong in the elder’s presence but failing to accomplish such a difficult task. What an ignorant child; spewing his beliefs, denying the facts, voice becoming intense with defiant purpose. But again, Charles saw the truth. A seed of doubt had been planted in his mind. He grinned watching the conflicting thoughts run wild behind those young red eyes.

“Where is it? Look around you. You’re in it. This is the planning stage kid. Preparation. We’re the laying the ground for whenever the hell He decides to come back up here for a show down. As for your values, your morals. What’s the point? Who are you trying to impress? God? God has turned his back on you, he cast you away to the fiery pits of hell. And these people that you claim to care for. You think they give a shit about you? Why should they? You’re nothing but failure. A lost soul who has already had his judgment.”

Charles shook his head, genuinely confused as to why this was so hard to accept for the young phantom. All this talk about values and wanting to be free of this life. It was puzzling. Charles had seen Hell. Even for a man that had difficulty showing or feeling an emotion such as fear he had never been more terrified in his life. Pain had always been exciting and sexual but while under the control of the dark masters in that horrible place he found no enjoyment. Only horror and excruciating pain. When Lucifer had offered his release back into the world of the living he had literally lept at the opportunity. Anything to get out of that place. Becoming a phantom was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Being free to wander around as he pleased, able to kill, rape, steal, anything that he wanted without fear of being punished. In fact, it was encouraged. So why did this boy shy away from such a glorious opportunity when he himself saw it as a blessing?

“This is your reward for the life you’ve led. A way to finally give into your dark urges and have no fear for the consequences. You can finally be who you’ve always been deep down. You don’t have to hide it anymore. There’s no one to impress.”

Slipping his hands in his pockets he walked over to the child, more interested in him than anything else. He bent over slightly to be at eye level with the younger phantom and tilted his head in confusion., wondering what is was like to have this crippling emotion of doubting one’s self.

“I don’t think you realize what a gift this is. Deep down you are as sick and twisted as I am. You know how know that? Because look where you are. Something got you into hell. And even more than that, Lucifer saw something in you that He liked. Otherwise he would have tossed you aside with the others, but he didn’t. No. He brought you back. He saw in you what he saw in me and every other phantom roaming the land. Absolute… evil. It’s not a bad thing. Some people just aren’t meant to be good.”

Charles rolled his eyes at the mention of Azazel. This boy was full of interesting surprises, not nearly as boring as he initially thought him to be. Finally, a fun new toy to play with. “Azazel, Azazel, Azazel… how did you get it in your head that this “Azazel” person would or even could help you?” Sarcasm dripped from his voice as he spoke the name, finding it hard to believe that this boy actually thought such a person to exist. Were people really this gullible? 

[casperharris]

No, no, no, no. Casper repeated it like a mantra in his mind while he shut is eyes before the world. He felt the mans presens right in front of him, suddenly aware of every single hair on his body now tingling in fear. Charles radiated a cold, an evilness of the kind he had only once encountered before. He, again felt reminded of Jeremiah who had had a the same sick and twisted mind, enjoying the pain and fear of others just like Charles. Memories flashed before his eyes while he listened to Charles dark words, encoumpassing him like a thick fog. It all seemed so unreal. More like a nightmare; his own mind visualizing the true image of his self, who really was. Uncovering all the lies his life was build on and presenting him a version of reality he wasn't ready to accept yet.

No. Could it really be that he was meant for nothing more than to be a soldier of Lucifer? A failure with the foolish hope that one day he would be a good hearted man; kind and honored by the people around him? It seemed like the truth he had always sensed but had never been able to quite grasp it until he had for the first time heard about the greater plan for his species, the cause of his mere existence. Lucifer's army. If he hadn't seen the fires of hell with his own eyes he would not have believed any of this nonsense. But he had and he had heard the screams, felt the darkness taking over his heart, his mind and  devouring everything around him. In a whole it had only been a few minutes that had, however, felt like an eternity. 

Eventually, Casper knees gave in again and he slumped down on the ground. With the impact of the fall the pain in his arm began to pound stronger and the young phantom convulved in the pain, carefully bringing his arm into his lap. For the first time he actually dared to take a look at his arm that. His eyes widened in shock at the strangely deformed limb. How was his arm supposed to ever heal again properly? A treatment, he could not afford. However, there was no time to worry about it right now, first he had to get away from this maniac. 

"Don't you dare telling me I am like you. You are wrong. So wrong... so wrong."

Casper's voice had become weak and rough as he spoke. The dirt to which his words where directed favored the colour ash as it covered the dark pavement to hide it's shameful sight from the word. To hide the poverty; hide the piss that polluted the streets of this godforsaken part of the country where his search for one of the apparently greatest demons had led him. Azazel had been his hope of getting at least some information about Lucifers plan that concerned the phantoms. It seemed, however, like Charles was more than willing to present the information on a silver plate for him.

"Information. I wanted information. I heard that he was working with Lucifer; an expertice when it comes to phantoms." Casper teeth where painfully pressed together, his jaw already aching and feeding to his headache.

"Why? You speak so low him. Are you jealous? Is he better then you? Better than, Charles Ridgeway? Hm?"

A faint smile appeared on Casper's bloody lips as he slowly lifted his head to face the other phantom in another attempt at foolish mockery.

[casperharris]

The Devil Inside You || Casper & Charles

[charles-ridgeway]

This boy spoke big, but underneath all of the talk and cockiness his voice hinted at the fear brewing in his chest. It was a sound that the murderer was not only accustomed to, but made a point to look for in each of his victims. Given of course that this boy was not his preferred choice of prey, but to deny someone offering themselves on a silver platter would have been careless. Waste not, want not. The only exception to this rule being Collette Markham, who was too much fun to tease with his broken promises of pain and pleasure. 

Charles leaned against the phantoms arm, grinning like a mad man at the sound of bone beginning to crack under the pressure. He gently brushed a lock of hair out of the boys eyes and tilted his head to see the pain and fear twisting together behind those red irises. He was like a small dog. Full of courage in the face of fear, yapping and nipping at the ankles of someone who could end its life in one hard stomp. More irritating than hazardous, posing little to no threat to against its master. 

“You sound pretty confident for someone whose arm is about to be snapped in half. Say all you want, but try as you may your angry words can only mask your fear. Not only can I see it in your eyes, I can feel it spilling off of you. I can smell it. I hear it in your voice. You’re afraid. And you should be.” 

His voice had become soft, a taunting whisper that held almost seductive tones as the child’s arm bent under his control. As of late, Charles’ life had admittedly grown to be a bit dull in his eyes. Everyday it had been the same routine, the same deaths, the same orders. With a man whose resistance to boredom was uncommonly low, such a schedule had brought him to a place in his mind where the man should never tread. The last time he had gotten bored the result had caused the brutal deaths of three young woman and their suitors, simultaneously. Horrible thoughts of dismemberment and bloodshed filled his mind as his considered what he could do to this boy and what acts would replace those snark remarks with screams of agony. The thought alone made his tremble with excitement. 

Pushing his body against the younger phantom he grinned, feeling the bone snap under the force and twisting his wrist back and forth so that the fragments of bone scraped together under the skin. Though he preferred those of the younger female variety, the sounds that came from the lips of this boy were unlike any other he had heard. Desperate, riddled with pain, and a hint of rebellion as he fought to appear strong in the eyes of his attacker. Finding that he could have more fun with this amateur by keeping him alive, Charles dropped him to the ground with an amused laugh.

“Azazel? Freedom?” Charles continued to laugh, tears coming to his eyes as he ridiculed the phantom. “You don’t want to to be a part of His army. You don’t want to. And you think Azazel can help you get out? Oh my, my, my. You aren’t only young you’re a fool! This is hilarious, let me get this straight. You think that you actually have a choice? You think that you can walk out whenever you want and that’s the end? HA! Boy, let me tell you something. I know it’s hard for your tiny little brain, but pay attention. You might learn something.”

“Let’s pretend you’re not stupid for a second okay? Think logically. You die, you go to Hell, you meet Lucifer. A being that rules over Hell and is slowly forming an army in the land of the living. Now.. here’s where the thinking part comes in, why would this all powerful being of Hell bring anyone back to this world. Hm? From the goodness of his heart? You think he took pity on you? No. He’s recruiting dumbass. Collecting those with potential and sending them out into the field to train first hand, spread the word that He exists and that with the snap of His fingers he could have an army in position to destroy this pathetic world. There’s no happiness. There’s no getting out. This is your life now, boy. A soldier for Lucifer. And if you don’t like that, then that’s too goddamn bad because you know what? You had your chance at everlasting happiness and you blew it buddy. You went to Hell. Welcome to the war.”

[casperharris]

The pain which shot through his arm as Charles applied more pressure to the twisted limb hurt like the stinging of a thousand needles that plunged into his flesh, simultanously. The nasty noises caused by the snapping of his own bones tormented his ears and made the hair in his neck stand on end. Casper screamed and squirmed under Charles treatment that almost resembled torture as he only very slowly moved his arm against the angle. His knees grew weak as he leaned against the cold stone for some sort of support. By now the young phantom had bitten his lip so hard blood began to drip from it as he tried to numb out one pain with another one. To no avail. His arms pulsed painfully as if he could actually feel it swelling as an effect of the injury. 

Casper’s heart rate had increased rapidley and he felt it was no longer possible to maintain his calm posture. The overwhelming pain that screamed in his mind was too loud to let him focus on anything else. His ears began to ring and Casper had to close his eyes for a moment to keep the wordl from spinning and slipping from under his feet. When he opened them again it was his opponsts glowing red eyes that looked at him as if he was some sort of fascinating experiment. Almost desperate, Casper tried to say something, to talk back, mimicing the strong man that he obviously wasn’t and never had been. 

Even in his youth, Casper hadn’t been much of a fighter. He had been an excellent thief, stealthy and quick, always successfull in his ambushs. Concerning hand to hand combat, however, he only knew the basics. He wasn’t trained or expierenced in the art of fighting. In gerenal, everthing he knew he had learned on his own. With no one to guide or educate him he had more than often had to expierence and learn things the hard way. There had never been someone to tell him how to sever right from wrong. What Casper knew, Casper had picked up on the streets by observing people and imitated them on his way to try and become a better person. A better version of himself. 

Everything was nothing but a blur to Casper, the only thing he could perceive being the pain in his arm as he got thrown down into the dirt. It was his fault. He had brought this on himself with the foolish attempt of trying to come across as strong. He should have taken the smarter but cowardly way out of this, should have walked away when he still had had the chance to do so. The words that the elderly phantom spoke where these of biterness a cruel perception of what was reality in the other phantom’s eyes. What was presented to him the was a harsh truth that Casper had always tried to denied and even now refused to accept. He blieved into his freedom and clinged to it. There was happniess even for someone like him. All he had to do was to finally cut all the bonds that held him bac; that associated him with evil and cut the last connections to his past. Thus, ridding himself of everything that once had been his life, his character by adapting values that weren’t his own. 

To preserve at least some dignity, Casper crawled back to the wall and sat himself up while his injured arm hang from his side in a grotesque manner; like a lifeless thing that had been stuck onto his body. He wanted to get up and challenge Charles who now looked like some evil demon standing above him as if he was nothing but a maggot that needed to be crushed. In an last uproar he bit his teeth together and pushed himself up against the wall; tears forming in his eyes as he silently endured the pain that send one shockwave after another through his body. Casper cringed, his legs shaking and pearly sweat forming on his forehead to glisten in the faint and rising moonlight.

“I don’t care about your manic talk about Lucifer’s army. Where is it? I don’t see an army.  And I may not be as strong as the almighty Charles Ridgeway but I do have values. And I will fight for them. There always is a way out. There is a way to change who you are. I don’t believe in this twisted fate you tell me about.” 

The young phantom breathed heavily and threw his head back as yet another relentless wave of pain shook his body. Squeezing his eyes shut he waited for it to pass before he could continue. Suddenly, he wasn’t so confident anymore. Ever since he had been back to roam the earth, people had turned against him, fought him no matter how hard he had tried to be good person. To be one of these heros attired in shining armour and earning the admiration of thousands. But even this image had been nothing but a lie. It had been the knights, these men who were supposed to fight to protect the land from crime and corruption, who eventually got him hanged for a murder he had never comitted. What if Charles was right? What if there was no happiness for him? Not in this life, not anywhere else.

“I don’t care for whatever reason he brought me back. I am not going to fight for him. I have people that I care for…” 

Casper stopped. Although refusing to let Chales words infiltrate his mind for they were nothing but poison, he had to admit that there was really no one to stand by his side. The only person he had ever cared for, had mindlessly betrayed him in an act of pure selfishness. Casper shock his head in denial while his gaze was fixed on some invisble spot beneath his feet, trying to find a reason that was worth fighting for.  

“Nothing but lies. I will find Azazel and I will find a way to free myself from Lucifer. I don’t want to be a part of this vile species that brings nothing but destruction to the world. I won’t hurt the people I care for. No one will make me do that. And they care for me. They always have and always will.. You are nothing Charles Ridgeway. You are the fool in this. You don’t see the truth. You’re just a lunatic. Your words mean nothing.”

[casperharris]

The Devil Inside You || Casper & Charles

[charles-ridgeway]

Charles smirked down at the young phantom, enjoying the look of hatred burning in his eyes. He really had no idea to whom it was he was speaking, a man who took pride in the creatively heinous murders that had turned Brailston upside down in a panic. It was something he took much pride in, even if this child had claimed to not know his name. Time heals all wounds they say, but thanks to his being resurrected by Lucifer he could make up for lost time and continue what in his eyes was an art form. Every scream, gag, and gush of blood was a brand new experience that he cherished as fond memories, his very favorite victims having found a permanent place on his body in the form of a tattoo. Whether his name had carried on through the years or not was of no concern to him for now he could write himself through history once more. Just as he had been for the last 127 years, be it a bit differently than when he was alive but becoming a phantom allowed him to cause chaos and destruction in a way he never thought possible.

“Everyone has heard of me, boy. I am the chill that runs up your spine when you are afraid, the nightmares that plague the sleep of innocent children, I am all that is evil and wrong with the world… and not half bad to look at if I don’t say so myself.”

What a sarcastic boy this was. The murderer began to wonder what it was that made him so damn cocky. He must have known that he was in the presence of greatness, it practically poured off of him after all, so where did a young and obviously inexperienced phantom get off playing smart to an elder? 

“If you feel you must bow, I wont stop you.”

He may not have physically looked like a boy but after so much time spent roaming the lands as a phantom, Charles had grown to identify an experienced phantom from one straight out of hell. And this child looked, acted, and spoke as if he had been spit out of the fires not even a month ago. It was irritating, yet at the same time fascinating. Unfortunately for the boy, with the more he spoke the less fascinating he became and brought Charles to dark state of boredom. Somewhere that no living creature would ever wish to be caught; because when Charles got bored, he became insatiably violent. In the time it took for the other phantom to blink, Charles had grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm around to slam his chest into the brick. He pinned the boy against the wall and pulled his skinny arm up against the angle, adding enough pressure that the bone threatened to snap in half. 

“What do I want? Well for starters, how about why you are even involved with this gang? You’re obviously no comparison to my amazing talents, so what do they want with you? I’m surprised you can even phase to be perfectly honest. Or better yet, why the hell would Lucifer bring a weakling like you back? What purpose could a helpless child serve in His army?”

[casperharris]

Much faster than Casper had even been able to look or focus had Charles, in a matter of seconds rushed towards him with incredibly fast and agile movements. Charles had already grabbed his wrist and pushed him against the concrete wall before his brain had even started to process the influx of information to put up a fight. Hence, there was nothing to prevent impact that shoot a sharp pain through his body. The rough structure of the the brick scratched against his cheek as he averted his face to protect his nose which, however, caused a sharp edge of the brick to cut along his temple. Casper could feel the warm blood as it slowly ran down his face. Once more the air had been pressed out of his lungs and left him gasping, struggling under the grip of the other phantom.

A scream vibrated against the wall and he could feel his own hot breath like steam on his face as it turned into a mask of pain and horror. Casper grunted and tried to free himself from the relentless grip. To free his arm which was now horribly twisted and about to break if he wasn't careful. His body tensed up in a last attempt desperate attempt but the phantom had to accept his defeat in this one. Every time he moved it only earned him more pain and he feared his bones might snap in half with every further move. 

"Let go of me!" He brought out between his breaths short and muffled breaths.

Every bit of the man, every word, every action displayed his incredibly big ego. It made him sick. Casper was certain that there were much more stronger phantoms out there. And it was only a matter of time until he would fall. Until his disgusting pride would turn against him, destroy him until he was nothing more than a pile of dust. And he would be there to watch. Casper would watch and laugh, that he swore to himself.

"Oh yeah? What are your amazing talents? Getting mad because and apparent weakling like me is getting in your way? Maybe you're just afraid that I could dispute your status. Maybe you are not that great afterall. Nothing but bold words."

Casper bit his lip in pain and closed his eyes; silently pleading Charles would just break his bones. It would probably hurt less than that. However he would not beg this man. Not for anything. He would not surrender his dignity to this maniac.

"You need to calm down. You are lucky. The only thing I want from them is to speak with Azazel. I don't want to be a part of Lucifer's army. I want my freedom. I won't fight for his evil cause. So, let. Go. Of. Me."

[casperharris]

The Devil Inside You || Casper & Charles

[charles-ridgeway]

Hearing a growl come from the boy at his feet inspired a genuine laugh from the elder phantom. What a sight this was to behold. An inexperienced thief, nothing more than a boy really, slumped against a wall and growling at a century old master who could destroy him in less time than it took to say ‘God save the Queen’. Charles crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at the boy whose eyes now held the look of a cornered animal. Such an interesting specimen. Any creature living or dead that had been caught in his web normally cowered in fear or ran for their lives. But this one was different somehow. Trespassing onto his turf, stealing jobs out from under him, and now roaring in challenge at his feet. Had the man not been so incredibly curious he would have knocked the kids fucking head off by now.

“Ohhh, did I strike a nerve?” He sang playfully.

Charles chuckled and rolled his eyes as the other phantom phased into the wall. Well, he at least knew one trick. Perhaps he wasn’t completely worthless after all. With as much spunk this young phantom possessed he had better have some sort of skill to back it up with. Otherwise his cocky attitude and smart mouth would get him nowhere but a second trip to the grave. Charles felt the boys presence appear behind him and smirked in amusement, more than interested in what exactly this boy thought he could accomplish here in the alley. But, instead of spinning around and sinking his blade into the eye socket of this child, he chose to stand his ground and simply wait, turning around to face his kin. Possibly even to encourage a reaction from the temperamental phantom. 

“Didn’t your daddy teach you to respect your elders, boy? Or maybe he just didn’t beat the manners into you hard enough. I could give you a lesson or two.”

Charles winked down at the fuming child and shrugged his shoulders, grinning with pride as he introduced himself. “You are speaking to the Charles Ridgeway, better known to the pathetic humans of this country as the Angel of Death. Serial killer, evil mastermind, hit man, incredibly attractive and all around nice guy. The pleasure is all your’s I’m sure. So, show some respect.” 

[casperharris]

The young phantom glared at Charles as if he was hoping to leave to some expression, that he was more than just a boy. Clenching his fists in anger Casper wished to just smack the mocking smirk out of the other phantom which had introduced him as Charles. The way he looked down on him like he was some unworthy kid who needed to be scolded. Casper had to remind himself not to make the same mistakes as he had so many years ago. This same anger and cockiness had gotten him into many dangerous situations which could as well have cost his life and had eventually. This was not the time to let the foolish kid inside of him take over. Not the time to get into a fight with an apparently ederly phantom against whom he didn't stand a chance at all.

Casper closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure again as to not provide him with a target to tease him again. It was probably better to just walk aways while he still had the chance. Nothing was holding him back. His opponent only stood there and watched him with an interested look. His eyes radiated evilness. He was the kind of guy mothers told their children about at night, warned them about to not cross any hidden alleyways alone for one never knew what could wait behind the next corner for it always must be someone like Charles. A murderer as which he introduced himself as if it was a title to pride himself on. The Angel of Death, apparently. 

"The Charles Ridgeway? How come I've never even heard your name before?"

With his introduction Charles had brought it to the boiling point and the young phantom had forgotten all of his previous intentions to not do something silly. If it weren't for his red menacing Casper probably would have alerady started a fight. Here in the slums no one would even take notice of the two. It was alarmingly ordinary how much these kind of things happened in this area of Athoria. The common people often just looked away and pretended it was just a dark spot on the map. If they could they would probably destroy it in a second for it was a shame for the whole country. 

"Do you want me to bow in front of you now? .. Your Highness?"

Casper crossed his arms in front of his chest and took on a more upright stance while a faint smirk appeared on his lips. 

"What do you want, Charles Ridgeway?"

[casperharris]

A Thief In The Night || Casper & Tabitha

The sun had already set when Casper made his way over to the Brailston markets. He planned on getting some more food since the last time circumstances had made him leave everything behind. When he had seen the girl which later turned out to be Rebecca being chased by these.. man he had not hesitated even a second to save her. Maybe his subconscious mind had already associated the figure and the ways she moved with the woman. Although Casper occasionally used to work here and there the money he got became less and less which made it almost impossible to pay the taxes and still have enough for neccessities like clothes or food. It wasn't exactly that he needed the food to sustain his body and keep it alive but a human habit he refused to unlearn.

Still being a child at heart Casper had often made a game out of stealing food at the markets. It had also helped him to practice and learn to gain control over these new powers he still wasn't quite accustomed to. It was still weird how his body could suddenly lose his form as if he was disentagrating. Everytime there was a short moment of fear that gripped his heart; afraid of vanishing from the earth permanently. Not dying but fading into a nothingness. Or falling through the earth straight back to hell. Going back were he came from was the last thing Casper wanted, the thought alone made a cold shiver run down his spine as if slender fingers, cold as ice where carressing his skin with a deadly touch. 

Today however, he wasn't in the mood to make a game out of it. The phantom simply wanted to grab some food and get back home. There was no need in taking a risk and he definitely didn't want to get caught by the guards. Not during times like these were supernatural being like him better were careful not to attract any unnecessary attention and stayed out of trouble. Casper had already been to Athoria's prison and it was nothing he was too keen on repeating. This was going to be nothing more than a quick run for food. 

While sticking to the shadows of two houses he had observed the market place for a few minutes to make sure everything was just like always. Even though he could become invisible that didn't make the food from being seen when he stole it from the stalls so he had to be carful with that. Seeing bread and fruits levitating in the air would be even more suspicious than being caught for simply theft. Casper slowly crept over to one of the stalls and turned invisible. While hiding the phantom grabbed some bread and other small things and stuffed them quickly in his pockets not too much so it would go by unnoticed. In the shadows it was eventually when he turned visible again and bit into an apple he had just stolen with a content grin on his face.

[casperharris]

The Devil Inside You || Casper & Charles

[charles-ridgeway]

A harsh snarl sounded from deep within the phantoms throat, his eyes piercing through the insignificant whelp while he squirmed in Charles’ powerful grip. Rage swelled from within, flushing his face a light red and bringing a horrifying assortment of tortuous methods to his mind. No one took what was his. No one. Especially not a skinny little nobody scavenging around the slums in search of purpose or meaning. Charles had worked hard to live up to such a terrifying and impressive reputation. Employers and clans had heard the whispers and seen the bloodshed that followed the murderer from town to town. It was what funded this perfect life he had been graced to lead by none other than the devil himself.

They had come to know him as the best of the best, an expert shining out among the dull unimaginative imbeciles that slopped there way from job to job. This was his pride and joy, his legacy. The name Charles Ridgeway was one to be feared and respected. The others knew to step down when he showed any sort of interest in fear of the repercussions. But this… this… child had strolled on into what he had claimed as his with out the slightest hint of hesitation. He had to admit, the kid had gall. Something that he would have seen as impressive had it not been a personal challenge to his name. He released the boys neck and grabbed each side of his collar, yanking him up off of the ground to glare into his eyes.

“Don’t play coy with me you little shit, you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

This phantom was shivering, physically shaking from fear and surprise. His eyes screamed of confusion and his lower lip quivered like that of a traumatized child. This was not the face of a man seeking to dethrone the all mighty Charles Ridgeway, but that of a little boy having just had a shock. Charles tilted his head to the side and lifted his eye brow as he inspected this strange kin of his, a humored grin slowly replacing the scowl. “You really have no idea, do you?”

With an amused laugh, the murderer carelessly dropped the boy to the ground and shook his head at his own overreaction. Although he could not lie, the look of desperation in this child’s eyes had been worth the momentary lapse in judgement. “What the hell is someone like you doing with Azazel’s gang? You barely look old enough to have escaped the womb let alone be of any service to demons.” 

[casperharris]

With a hollow sound, Casper's feet dropped into a unsteady stand after the other phantom had released him. The lack of air caused him to feel slightly light headed and weak on his feet which made him seek support in the cold wall behind him. With his back once more pressed against it the feeling of Casper feeling of being tapped emerged in him. And even though he could technically have taken the cowardly way out of all this and use the abilities he had been gifted with as a phantom to dissolve in the air and go unseen by anyones eyes. Yet he didn't. Whilst scared of his attacker who kept him here for reasons that still were a mystery to him, Casper stayed. Maybe it was his strength that left quite an impression on the young phantom coupled with fear of what he might do to him. It was strength like his Casper wished he possessed so he would at least be a match for other supernaturals. He didn't always want to be on the short end.

Gasping for air, Casper leaned against the wall unable to speak for the moment which only seemed to feed the image of a frightened child that couldn't stand up for himself. But he wouldn't scream for help, no, nor would he give up here. Back in the old days when he had still been a boy he had always been the best in his gang, save for maybe Jeremiah but he didn't count. Among the humans he had been the one to sew fear in their minds, making them show their respect. He had been their leader and no one had dared to challenge him or his position. So far he had always prided himself on being the best at what he did all the more frustrating was it now for Casper to know be as weak as he appeared to be. Not knowing how to control his given powers properly.

Casper hands ran along his aching throat, coughing a few more times until he finally found his voice again. The way his attacker grinned and the crazy look in his eyes reminded him very much of Jeremiah. The thought alone was enough to make him shiver. Casper, however was sick of loosing all the time. He had lost Wisteria, had almost been killed by a human and gotten involved with this stupid gang who made him do the dirty work and play by their rules. This guy would not ruin his day. He was probably just a bragger anyway. The phantom bit his teeth, composed himself and growled at the other man's words. Knowing that he saw him as nothing more than a mere child made him incredibly angry. Casper phased through the wall behind him and reappeared behind his attacker. 

"Well, I have my reasons and they are none of your fucking business. Who are you even?"