Enzo watched the other demon curiously for a moment before standing from his spot on the park bench. He walked over, still eating the hotdog from the man at the stall who had claimed they were ‘the best in Vievecor City.’
“What are you doing?” He asked with some amusement. While he wasn’t entirely familiar with approaching other demons yet, he refused to allow himself to be afraid of the prospect and instead went at it with foolish playfulness.
Reese rolled her eyes seeing it was another demon who had approached her. What the actual fuck? Does Matthew have people tailing me or are all Earth walkers this fucking nosey of each other!?
She gave the other demon a long and hard glare, her act dropped despite remaining seated. Irritation evident in her tone, Reese sharply responded, "Do you mind?"
"uh-oh." vix winced at the impact of flesh on concrete. the memory of how the shallow wounds like that stung still clear. it was the little injuries that often felt more obtrusive than the larger ones; a constant, annoying reminder of human fragility as opposed to something that needed a healing focus. "ow. someone has a new boo boo. do you need a bandage or a hand up or an ambulance or something? will you survive?"
Reese glanced over. A fucking spirit. Of course that would be her luck. Their souls made for decent meals when one was desperate, but she would have more fun corrupting a spirit than eating them, if she was honest. Not the worst, just not a meal either. And god, she was hungry.
She gave the spirit a pointed stare before sighing and dropping the act. "Doesn't it feel a bit cliche-- haunting a park?"
Caleb was in the park that evening on his own evening jog, making sure to keep at an appropriate non-werewolf pace since there were humans around doing the same. He heard a cry from someone a bit of a distance in front of him and looked up in time to see a woman fall down.
"Are you alright?" he called out as he ran towards her and knelt down, looking at the blood that was forming on where she made impact with the ground. "It's just a scrape. It's not serious..." the wolf said as he held a hand out towards her. "Do you need help? Here. Take my hand." He did not want to touch her without her consent either.
Reese glanced over as she saw the wolf? nearing. She could practically smell the dark energy... Faint, but present. A bleeding heart too she would bet, based on how he had responded. She reached out and took the offered hand, flinching and cursing under her breath as she tried her best to stand. She did her best to sell that putting weight on the foot wasn't helping, glancing down at it in concern. "Thanks... I think I rolled my ankle on something." She glanced up and around, as if eyeing the distance to the edge of the park. "You wouldn't happen to know how far we are from the bus stop, would you?"
Reese had been silent prior to Matthew’s arrival, observing with a look of disinterest. She had a good idea of why she was being all but detained like a child, although it didn’t make her mood any lighter. It was quite apparent they were strict on rules now that she was among mortals.
Boring.
When the new demon arrived she could piece together that it had to be the Matthew the other individuals had referred to. A demon with authority over her here… Apparently….
She gave him a mildly judging look, eyes cascading up and down as she took in his appearance.
"Yes. I am Matthew," the fallen deity said as he arched his brow at her insolvence. "And you're newly summoned, but have already been causing us so much trouble..." Matthew's voice was still soft and low as he spoke to her.
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Reese gave a rather unimpressed look as Matthew confirmed what she already knew, features suggesting she was already quite bored with matters. She yawned.
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Matthew's eyes narrowed at Reese. His powers were not at full strength yet, but he had tested their limits and he was certain that he could use them to put her in her place.
Shadowy tendrils snaked up the chair to grab her and hold her down, while more moved up and around her neck, the threat clear. "I tend to be more forgiving of newly summoned ilk such as yourself, but it would do best for you not to sass me. I could easily destroy this body of yours to send your soul back to the Underworld."
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The young demon's eyes widened marginally, taken back by the aggressive response from the Elder. Apparently some things were just the same here and in the Underworld. She reached up with the one hand she was able to in order to grab at the tendrils, her own much younger and weaker magic poking at it in annoyance. "Fine. Point made, old man," she muttered weakly.
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Matthew let the shadows remain as he watched her struggle. This demon was not one who reacted physically, which meant that there might be a sharper mind behind those eyes with the way she was testing his magic.
He released the shadows, the darkness disappearing instantaneously. "Now that we're clear... What have you been causing so much trouble? You're not in the Underworld anymore. There are rules here and you know them."
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"As do you," Reese retorted, staring off to the side like an annoyed teenager.
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"I do indeed," Matthew said, still trying to be patient.
"It would be in your best interests to follow them," he said as he leaned down closer to her face. "I know it's everything about your kind to do anything to get ahead. And I'm not saying that you cannot find your own ways to work around them, but the rules are paramount."
"What is the purpose of all this mess you've caused anyway? It's been non stop since you've arrived and we are all getting tired of your shit."
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"You as well," Reese challenged calmly, willing to bet the elder had broken a rule from time to time as well. Power corrupted, and the young demon doubted demons outside of the Underworld were really that much better behaved.
"This place was already a mess. Heard all about Artemis," she answered with a shrug. She wanted to say it was embarrassing. The fact humans were bossing around demons? Laughable. And Embarrassing. But she also didn't want slapped. "Humans are predictable for the most part. I was simply exploiting that fact." For fun.
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"Predictable, hm?" Matthew hummed and tilted his head curiously. "You've been on this earth for how long now and you think you've already got them all figured out?"
Loathe be Matthew to admit that humans were better, no, more challenging than Reese gave them credit for, but he was so close to doing so. "They might be predictable, yes, but you've only just been summoned. There are billions of them out there in this world. They could very well overpower us through sheer numbers alone.
"And I'm not saying that you stop on your quest to exploit, but there are smarter ways to do so that do not involve huge messes to clean up after."
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Reese was silent, expression blank, if not the faintest bit disappointed as she gestured for Matthew to continue— as if to say And? Like what?
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Ugh. This child was so annoying. Matthew was prepared to strangle her again.
"You will play by the rules. I will assign you to assist a human, since you seem to love them so much. The two of you might get along swimmingly or you'll end up killing each other. I do not care. But you will play by the rules."
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The young demon was silent, internally panicked and confused… And a bit intrigued. Being assigned human to fuck with couldn’t be the worst, could it? It was certainly an unusual “punishment” in Reese’s eyes. “Assist a human without a contract in place?” Surely there had to be more to gain, unless that was the punishment.
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"No, there will be no contract between yourself and this human..." Matthew said coldly. He could see the gears turning in Reese's head again as he spoke. Matthew was not sure that James and Reese could stay out of trouble, but he knew that James upheld the Golden Rule and needed to do so to keep his cult believing in him. He would certainly drill into Reese the rules in Vievecor City.
"But this human will have the means to keep you in line and you will, in turn, learn from him the workings of this world."
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Reese looked unamused, wondering in what fucking world the elder was okay with a human having say over a demon. It was blasphemous. Who the hell was this mortal that a demon elder would propose such a thing? “A human? This is a joke, right?”
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"Do I look like I'm joking?" Matthew responded, his expression thunderous as he looked down his nose at her.
"James is affiliated with me. That is all you need to know."
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Reese’s expression remained unfazed despite how undeniably threatening Matthew looked. If the human was associated with Matthew and there was no contract, then the younger demon could hazard a guess that was because Matthew already had a contract with this James.
Of course. That was why Matthew “trusted” him.
Knowing she didn’t have much of an option in that moment, she shrugged. It was fucking embarrassing, but she would find a way to make use of the situation to her benefit, whether Matthew realized that yet or not— and get the Hell out of Vievecor the moment he wasn’t looking.
“Fine. When and where? Or can I not be trusted to walk myself to my probation officer?”
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Matthew slid a phone out of his pocket and placed it in Reese's hand. The device had been cursed to be indestructible by most means and to track and stick to it's owner, and that owner was now this young demon before him.
"You will be contacted on this device with the time and date. Chin up, Reese Sinclair. I didn't think a demon such as yourself will do well with a boring human. James is much less so." Even if he tended to get on Matthew's nerves from time to time.
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Reese stared at the phone for a moment. She had minimal experience with technology in the Underworld but understood the basics of a phone— and like any youth, was eager to pick it up and master use of it quickly. “Fine,” she muttered, not letting her curious nature show.
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Matthew stepped back as Reese examined the phone before realising that she might not have used one before. The Underworld did not have much human tech, but he was sure that an inquisitive mind like hers would take to it like a fish to water.
"You may leave now if you wish. Or stick around here. I care not," Matthew said and turned to leave. "Just make sure you behave."
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Reese arched an eyebrow and stood, turning and giving Matthew the middle finger as she walked away— a gesture she had quickly picked up from mortals in her time with them. Her eyes meanwhile were glued to the phone, presuming mastering it would give her another tool at her disposal, if nothing else.
Reese glanced around the office for a moment, observing the space before she took several steps in and moved to sit in a nearby chair. Her gaze then returned to James.
So this is James John… whatever? A human herding cattle as if he’s a step above them in the food chain?
Interesting.
She had shown up when her phone told her to-- time and place. And thankfully she had arguably mastered the technology, with nobody batting an eyelash at a young woman practically glued to her phone in today's day and age. To her surprise it had been, putting it bluntly, a cult meeting. She had almost broken out in to laughter on more than one occasion, absolutely shocked at how the humans all looked towards James like he had hung the sun and the stars. Matthew had a contract with a cult leader.
She could work with this. Hopefully. Because dear fucking Hell, if the ego during the meeting was anything to go off of, she was going to have a constant migraine handling the mortal.
"So... A cult leader, huh? Was that what you always dreamt of being when you were a kid?"
Being a demon elder in Vievecor City often meant that Matthew was in charge of keeping the other demons in line, especially the new ones. He had taken a break after he was shot six months ago, leaving those duties to the other demonic elders while he recovered. It was only when his powers started returning that he finally felt more assured to resume that role again. One had to start somewhere.
Word on his grapevine was that a newly summoned Underworld demon had appeared in Vievecor City, one by the name of Reese, and she had been causing trouble in their district. Matthew's shadow magic was still temperamental and that saw him arriving at the scene of the crime by car, his midnight blue Aston Martin pulling up along the side of the street to let him out.
He made his way into the building where Reese was being held and into the room that was being overseen by a couple of demons Matthew could vaguely trust. A wave of a hand dismissed them and he walked over to where the young demon was seated.
"Reese, is it?" he asked, looking down his nose at her. "Do you know why you're here?"
Reese had been silent prior to Matthew’s arrival, observing with a look of disinterest. She had a good idea of why she was being all but detained like a child, although it didn’t make her mood any lighter. It was quite apparent they were strict on rules now that she was among mortals.
Boring.
When the new demon arrived she could piece together that it had to be the Matthew the other individuals had referred to. A demon with authority over her here… Apparently….
She gave him a mildly judging look, eyes cascading up and down as she took in his appearance.
Reese wasn’t one for words while being herself… But when studying humans and potentially even in pursuit of a meal? Well, nothing got their attention faster than a damsel in distress.
She cried out as she went down, dressed for an evening jog in the park and all but intentionally tripping over her own feet. She clutched her knee, perfectly scrapped with the faintest sight of blood as she awaited footsteps nearing.
where; Vievecor city library, Dymock
whomst; open @vievecorcitystarters
Domiel loved his jobs, truly he did. Between planning new exhibitions and grading papers he never had to worry about an inactive mind. The more he thought, the happier he felt. By nature he had never been one for an idle mind. The 21st century was truly a marvelous time to be alive. All this information, all this knowledge, just sitting around waiting for someone to find it. And anyone could! Anyone at all! Domiel wanted to go back in time and personally thank every single person responsible for the internet.
He sat in the middle of a small circle of books, titles stacked around him like he was some damsel in a tower. Did he have any books about damsels in towers? No, focus, that wasn’t knowledge he needed at the moment. He had come here for… Dom’s mind wandered as it often did in places like this, an eternity’s worth of focus scattered in hundreds of equally interesting directions. He had come here for… the museum? No, that had been his last visit. His classes? His thoughts skittered through the list of classes he taught, students he’d mentored, what was the year again the university did quarters didn’t it yes he had recommended they do so all those years ago which meant classes would start up again soon which meant he already knew what courses he would teach so that information was— someone far to Dom’s right and perhaps a floor up had just found exactly the right source and — that’s right, he had come here for some new materials for his summer course on the Stone Age.
Dom beamed at a passing student who had taken one of his classes before and received a bemused smile in return. Oh, libraries were such beautiful things. What a lovely, lovely invention.
He sorted his small tower into two piles: relevant and off-topic. “Don’t worry,” he told the shadow hovering over him and his horde, “I promise to put them all back where I found them.”
Reese just stared for a moment, feeling mildly unsettled and in disbelief. She was fairly certain what she was looking at despite no prior experience. The odds of coming across a deity within such a short time period since being summoned felt incredibly uncommon. Lucky— or unlucky, depending on her perspective. She has no desire to get cast back to the underworld quite so soon, and wasn’t quite sure how proactive deities were in doing so. Following around young mortals and exploring had seemed innocent and almost mundane until she spotted the deity.
Reese studied the drivers license for a moment before chucking it onto the ground. Sinclair. It was a bit humorously ironic as she decided her first meal would be her new name, adopting his last name as her own. A demon with a name that meant holy? And when you said it quickly.. Reese Sinclair. She said it aloud to herself for a bit, ignoring the strange looks from passerby’s.
“Reese Sinclair. ReeseSinclair. ReeSinclair.”
Saying it fast almost sounded like she was saying Reee Sinclair, and she couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling a bit childish with the stupid amusement of it. It would work. The smile was short-lived though, not one for such open displays of amusement nor much for smiles in general. No, if anything her resting face often looked as if she was upset, not happy— and Reese preferred it that way. She was never one for words, nor for making it too obvious what was on her mind. She much preferred listening, as much and she preferred looking disinterested.
Reese glanced around, changing her appearance with magic on the fly as she studied various passerby’s and adopted a mix of their physical traits. She noticed several looking back, giving her standard look of disinterest despite their dropped jaws. She turned to look in a shop’s glass store front, gazing upon her reflection as she finished up the modifications with a self satisfied hum. That will do, she thought, actually quite pleased with herself for how quickly she was blending in.
Reese spent many decades doing what she had to in order to survive in the Underworld, learning from her peers and their mistakes while keeping mostly to herself. Regarded by her peers are more of a wallflower of a demon, Reese viewed knowledge as power, and was never one to boast or show off, preferring to make her moves silently and from afar. The Underworld was home, but was hardly satisfying. Hell was predictable.
The young demon itched for the opportunity to visit the mortal plane and explore after hearing of it as well as about the humans there from other demons who had been cast back to the Underworld. The moment she was old enough, she began to listen— eager for the day a group of young, unassuming witches decided to try their luck summoning a demon such as herself. A spell that most certainly wouldn’t have been strong enough for her older peers, no… But Reese? *Just* old enough to respond? Reese jumped at the opportunity, and much to the disappointment of her saviors, took off on them shortly after her arrival.
New to the city, Reese knows next to nothing about the Golden Rule aside from what Matthew Alexander has lectured her on, after being stuck cleaning up the messes she left in various parts of the city upon her initial arrival. After proving herself to be more of a hazard than anything (in light of Artemis, another topic she has questions on) she was sent information about James Johnsen, and all but instructed to assist him moving forward in order to better learn about the mortal world (and keep her nose out of trouble.)
Mortals too, are predictable in her eyes…for the most part. A century of theory about human nature gets validated every time someone does exactly what she manipulated them into doing. The satisfaction isn't just power—it's intellectual validation. She's proving her worldview correct. Finding someone genuinely clever is the closest she gets to being sincerely engaged. Not that she would outright verbalize this of course, but there’s also an honest curiosity about human emotion/connection she doesn't understand. She doesn't want to connect, but she's fascinated by what makes people tick emotionally.
