Red Light [Open]

[Hara Small Fire]

Hara had…needs. Living alone could be a very lonely thing. That had been her driving force behind this little adventure of hers. Mostly, she wanted a story to write. That came from a need for mental stimulation that she rarely got living in the marshes. Now another need was calling to her. This one physical. Hara had never hired a prostitute before. She did not intend to. But she had to do something. This primal drive was killing her.

She was dressed nicer this evening than the evening before. She still wore her un-dyed chemise, but her ragged bodice had been exchange for a nicer gold one. The fabric was distinctly middle class. Also, for the first time in her life, Hara was trying a skirt. The brown fabric was very plain and it fell all the way to the floor as a good skirt should. She hated the way it seemed to restrict her movement but loved the feeling of the wind on her legs when she walked.

Oh, what did she care for human propriety? They knew what she was. Her fangs and claws gave it away if her silver complexion and molten eyes did not. Hara stopped just after entering the red light district and got to work, studiously digging her claws into the fabric of her skirt so that it would reach half way down to her knees. So much for playing dress up.

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

It was unusual for Gabriel to be found in this place - the human City, more of a fortress than a refuge, and one of the few places where he felt anything but comfortable. Intrigue was common wherever he wandered but humans reacted strangely to the Daemon Lord, a mixture of fright and fascination that irritated him. Nonetheless tonight Gabriel shook off the uneasiness and slipped easily past malleable human guards onto the paved streets of the City.

He'd heard rumours of another half-breed; indeed, one with Bardic Golem blood even. Such mixes were rare even in the sensuous realm of Litharia and he was curious. Those he had asked had pointed him here, of all places.

This was not the City that he knew. The Daemon came here occasionally, more often than not to have precious stones set into rings or other jewellery - a craft that Humans seemed particularly gifted with. Such crafts were not peddled here, though. Rather Gabriel came across a human population he had not seen before - women who did not conform to the propriety expected in their society. Quite the opposite, in fact.

He ignored their teasing smiles and brazen displays. Gabriel was not, and never had been, interested in human females. He was looking for someone else and that someone was immediately obvious to him, as out of place among the humans as a wolf among sheep. Interestingly enough she seemed to be doing her best to throw off human propriety as well - although her attire was positively modest among other species, a skirt that short was odd anywhere but this particular district.
Not that Gabriel could talk. His own bare torso and feet would never be found among humans, either.

"Trying to fit in, are we?" Gabriel approached the Daemon, one brow raised as he watched her demolish her outfit.
"It's an unusual look for humans but I'll admit it's rather appropriate in these parts."

[Hara Small Fire]

"Trying to fit in, are we?"

Hara froze. She knew that voice. As the voice continued to speak, Hara ventured a glance upward. Her ears had not betrayed her. Gabriel, the daemon lord. He was there. Talking to her in the red light district of a human city. Why? As odd as it was, Hara was not terribly put out. Gabriel was one of the few men Hara did not hate. When she was betrayed, when they were all betrayed, he HAD been there to call the blood hunt, after all.

The daemon owed him that. Besides, he was similar to her. Part elemental and part bardic golem. It was interesting. It was proof that half breeds could still be something. Because who would question Gabriel? Hara thought he was a good leader. The daemon self consciously tucked a strand of golden hair behind an ear. She was nothing compared to him. A simple scribe, a pathetic hermit.

No, not pathetic. Was she? A moment of silence; she should probably have answered by now. The daemon smiled sheepishly. “I do try not to disturb the locals with my distaste for clothing. Even the whores here wear some sort of cloth to cover up the important bits.” This was something Hara thought strange. They were selling their bodies, so why not show the goods?

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

Gabriel had always been driven by curiousity, by a simple need to learn and understand more about the world. Such a desire was the product of sharp intelligence and restless energy, gifts from his Bardic Golem blood and Fire Elemental lineage respectively. As always he found meeting any creature interesting, became instantly absorbed in appraising and reflexively measuring the small nuances of body language that spoke far louder than words to the highly visual Daemon.

He caught the recognition in this new Daemon's eyes when she saw him, but that was not the interesting part. Rather, he noted how hesitantly she dragged her melted-gold eyes to his teal ones, how politeness and tolerance suffused her actions. She was controlled and very civilised for a Daemon, and Gabriel smiled at the almost innocent uncertainty she exuded.

Innocent she was surely not, he guessed.
What Daemon was?

"Indeed. They're far more restricted than our kind; I find it almost suffocating, being here. Which does lead me to wonder, love, exactly what you are hunting among these humans?" Gabriel ignored the stares of the humans as they watched the Daemon's converse, ethereal and other-worldly in their untrained eyes.

"My name is Gabriel, by the way." He was relatively recognisable although Gabriel never presumed any kind of fame among his independent people. Daemon's did not pretentiously flaunt power as Human's did and introductions were polite, regardless.

[Hara Small Fire]

As Gabriel spoke, Hara found herself relaxing somewhat. She was an odd little daemon, but a daemon nonetheless. There were some parts of her nature that could never be fully snuffed out. When relaxed, she looked more like the wind elemental that half her blood came from. She looked…ready. A small bit of confidence flickered in her eyes. No, she decided, she was not pathetic. She was a daemon.

A small half smile slithered onto her face when he introduced himself. That put some life back into her. As if she would not recognize him! Hara could count the number of tolerable males she knew on one hand. It would be strange if she did not know each of them by sight. But she did not remark on this fact. Whether she knew him or not, the introduction was polite. Hara accepted it for what it was; a greeting.

“My name is Hara,” she told him. Her voice was soft and breathy, much like the wind that evening. “I am hunting for pleasure,” the daemon admitted freely, “Though I must admit, there are not many options. I have no taste for humans.” Hara shrugged. She was hoping to maybe find a daemon to play with. She did not feel much like returning home just to get laid.

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

She was a Wind Elemental, certainly - half her blood anyway, and the dominant half by the looks of things. Movement were characteristic of that lineage and, slightly confusingly, Hara seemed constantly in motion despite the fact she was standing still. More fascinating to Gabriel still was the complex ways that half-blood played out; he took strongly after his Bardic Golem father both magically and physically although he possessed several biological quirks related to Fire Elemental heritage. His unusual breeding, inferior in the eyes of some as it was not pure, had occasionally become an issue of contention in his leadership position.

He'd dispelled such ideas, at least openly expressed ones, though. Gabriel did not suffer insults.
But for this reason he had been curious enough about Hara to seek her out and understand more about the curiosity that was genetics.

The Daemon was gratified to see Hara relax more, dispel some of the uncertainty that made him want to instill in her the same fierce pride he felt for his beautiful, deadly race.

"Pleased to meet you, Hara. I've never met another half blood before, you know. I was curious." The Daemon moved off the street slightly, instinctively seeking the shadows. It was night but the habit remained; Daemon's were susceptible to sun light and Gabriel had a strong reaction to it.

He didn't react with surprise at Hara's answer. Indeed, he'd expected as much and was only confused as to why she had chosen the City as her hunting ground, especially as she was not overtly interested in humans. Perhaps the concentration of people was a draw card because, after all, other species visited here too. Gabriel's own presence proved as much. Stumbling on another sentient creature in the huge wilderness of the forest, let alone one that fulfilled specific desires, could be far more difficult.
"Yes, your choices are certainly limited if humans aren't to your taste," Gabriel agreed with a short laugh, a guttural velvet sound well matched to his honeyed voice. Unmistakable mischief entered his eyes.

"Are Shifter's more to your taste? Or only Daemons? I would assume you're not hunting for Fae here since they're not safe here." Curiousity, again. Gabriel was choosy about partners, preferring Daemons and the odd Fae. Shifters had yet to tempt him and he doubted Humans ever would. But, likely as not, not all of his kind were so specific.[/font]

[Hara Small Fire]

“I've never met another half blood before, you know. I was curious."

The daemon tilted her head to the side. She was surprised. He knew she was half-blooded? How? Hara was not sure how she felt about that. Words spread far. Words about her. They spread so far as to include the daemon lord. How strange.

Without even thinking about, Hara stepped further into the shadows with him, drawn instinctively by his own movement.

She listened to him talk and found herself liking the sound of his voice. It was velvety and smooth. But then it was her turn to speak again, and her own voice was breathy and gentle like a breeze. He obviously took after the bardic side of his blood when it came to his voice, and hers was clearly elemental.

“I find shifters too human and the fae lack substance. My taste is strictly for daemons.” She paused before adding, “Female daemons.” Her eyes met his. Yes, she was pretty picky. No wonder it had been so long since she reveled in the joys of the flesh!

Hara had heard somewhat that Gabriel shared her vice. And like her, he was strictly for women. She hoped he would see her as he would another man as opposed to a piece of female meat.

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

Gabriel, noticing the question in Hara's expression, smiled rather grimly and offered an explanation - for, after all, he knew somewhat more about her than could be expected since they'd never met before.

"I don't know how much prejudice you've come across...obviously the interspecies scrapping is never ending, but even among the Daemons there are suggestions of the inferiority of half breeding. A couple of years ago a rather foolish Daemon suggested I was not qualified for my position as I was a half breed...needless to say I silenced that kind of talk permanently, but it did make me curious." The Daemon's smile widened into a wicked grin, a grin that bared the delicately pointed fangs common to all of their kind. It was an odd reconciliation to make, hearing Gabriel allude to violence, when he was so controlled and eloquent in his general manner.

But he was a Daemon, after all. And for someone looking closely who managed to see through his natural bardic charm, a distinct edge of wildness characterised his person - from a hint in those startling teal eyes to the barely suppressed restless energy of each languid, predatory movement.

"I wanted to see if there was any truth in the belief of our inferiority, so I asked for news of other half-breeds. My advisors pointed me in your direction when I eventually managed to find time to seek one out. In fact, you're the only other one I've managed to find. And as far as I can tell it's nothing but basic, unfounded discrimination." Gabriel had wondered if he was an exception to the rule and had escaped the weaknesses of impure breeding, or if an underlying fault lay in wait ready to emerge at any time. Infertility applied of course, but it seemed a small price to pay for the individuality that mixed-breeding ensured. But Hara seemed as elegant, as strong, as unaffected by the bloodline gamble as he was.

The Daemon could not suppress a quirked brow and slight smile at her gentle warning, however.
"It pays to be choosy. The payoff is worth the difficulties," Gabriel assented.
His first instinctive reaction was to rise to what he conceived of as a challenge, but his diplomatic side quickly reined in such urges. He would not see her as a particularly challenging conquest. He had more control than that. If nothing else, his position had taught him a profound respect for the diversity of the Daemons.

Which wasn't to say the attraction wasn't there, only that he had more control than a horny adolescent. Thankfully.[/font]

[Hara Small Fire]

Ah, that made sense. There was a time when she was often considered weaker by those she met. Her body looked too soft and voluptuous for a wind elemental, but all of her coloring, her voice, her movements, it all spoke of wind elemental blood. Her mixed breeding was obvious. That was part of the reason…

But all of that was behind her now. Hara lived alone in the marsh. She preferred it that way. At least, that was what she told herself. She was a daemon and that ensured some amount of independence and self reliance. Hara would never openly admit to her loneliness.

The daemon smiled at his kind implication. She did not believe he could truly reach the conclusion he had after only a few exchanged sentences, but it was nice nonetheless. Knowing that the daemon lord considered her to be no worse than the average daemon was a nice boost in confidence.

"It pays to be choosy. The payoff is worth the difficulties,"

Hara let go of some tension she had not even realized was there. So he was not going to pounce on her. That was good to know. Getting into a dominance fight with her leader was not on her list of things to do that night.

“Well here I am in all my half-breed glory,” she replied with a breezy laugh, “What do you plan on doing now, Daemon Lord?”

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

Watching Hara was like watching the wind meander through the trees and delicately tease their elegant branches, like seeing grass on the plains dance to unseen music. It was rather fascinating, despite being dimmed by Golem blood. The wind was in her voice, too, and that made Gabriel smile - although his voice was normally husky, caressing velvet it sometimes crackled with the hisses and fury of fire.

Mainly when he was angry. Anger, in fact, ignited his elemental side. Every now and then when his temper flared, one might catch a flicker of coal-black fury in his otherwise beautiful eyes, and feel a rush of heat roll off his unclothed torso as though he'd burn you with the very force of his wrath, if he could.
Sometimes it seemed as though that was exactly what he did. Gabriel was known for his mood swings, and for the merciless, swift nature of his actions.

Wind, he felt, was a prettier element. No less dangerous, but perhaps less reactive.

What will you do now, Daemon Lord?[/b]
Gabriel smiled, rolling one scarred shoulder in a non-committal shrug.
"Find out more about you, sate my curiousity, perhaps just enjoy the company of another Daemon who has nothing to do with politics," Gabriel replied, tilting his head in question.
"That is, if you don't mind? I won't prevent you claiming a successful hunt should one stumble along, though...at that point I may begin hunting myself." The Daemon Lord grinned, trusting Hara would understand the metaphor. Her brief elaborations on the subject had ignited his own desire which, let's face it, were never far from the surface.[/color][/font]

[Hara Small Fire]

A smile slithered across her gentle face. The daemon lord wished to offer her company? That did not happen every day. Hara was intrigued, but not particularly thrilled. Leave it to humans to bask in the glory of their leaders. Hara was far more interested in the simple fact that here was a man whose company did not bother her. Gabriel had proven himself to her a long while ago, even if he did not know it.

The half-breed tilted her head in the semblance of a nod, silently welcoming his company. She had very little hope in finding a good conquest that night anyway. The City was full of humans and a good handful of shapeshifters. Daemons existed for certain, but they were a much rarer breed. Finding one would be hard enough. Finding one that suited her tasted would be even harder.

“Your company is welcomed tonight, Gabriel.” She gave him a sideways glance. “Is there anything in particular you would like to know?” Hara did not often play a game of questions. However, this man sought her out for the specific purpose of learning about her. Perhaps she could indulge his curiosity for a time. Or perhaps she would prove to be too silent. Hara had inherited the gift of writing; the gift of speech still hung right out of her grasp.

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

A smile was encouraging. Gabriel returned it instinctively, having more than most people mastered the subtle art of reading and responding to the smallest nuances of body language and expression, and of replying in kind in such a way that people would feel at ease around him, at least to some degree. Charisma, although significantly bolstered by his Bardic Golem blood, was most often not a magic trick. It was the ability to observe and decipher how people were actually feeling, regardless of their words; the ability to find in the smallest of cues any hint of uneasiness or wariness and respond in such a way that the person could not help but be charmed. This was a large part of what Gabriel had spent more than four hundred years becoming practiced at, and also a large part of why he still held his position. It was actually relatively rare for any challenge to proceed to an actual fight because Gabriel knew how to diffuse heated situations with honeyed words, bardic charm and hypnotic beauty.

Hara was more of a challenge than most because of her Wind Elemental blood. Never still, her expression changed more frequently and on a whim than most. Still, Gabriel caught sight of an unusual gentleness in her melted gold eyes, and openness when he requested her company.

A gentle Daemon was rare. He was intrigued.

"Only that which you wish to tell me," Gabriel replied to her question, seemingly oblivious to the continued stares of wary but interested humans in the direction of the conversing Daemons. Humans had never captured his attention - at least, not in a good way. In fact their softness, their vulnerability, was more likely to awaken his hunger than his interest.
"Where do you reside, when you're not hunting? Do you know the story behind your bloodline?" Gabriel knew his only too well. His father was a sadistic and unpredictable Bardic Golem, and his mother barely attached to reality, too lost in Fire. They had appealed to each other almost entirely on the grounds of striking, but shallow beauty and a matched insanity and instability.

It was not an elegant story, and he'd long wondered if half-breeds were rare because it took a certain degree of insanity to find appeal in one so different to yourself; enough appeal to remain with them permanently and give rise to offspring, that is.

[Hara Small Fire]

Two excellent questions. There was silence then for a few moments as Hara soaked in the wind. It caressed her face and sent her hair into a dance wholly different from the gust of wind before it because each gust was different. They each carried different baggage, different weights. This one carried sounds from a nearby alley. A shady deal was being made. The last one carried the laughter or two drunken friends. Different baggage. Different dance.

Where she lived, her wind had an entirely different feel. It was just as varied, but the tones were similar. Where she lived there were less people whispering to it. It was the sounds of beasts and haunts that sang Hara to sleep. “I have a cottage in the Marshes,” she told him. The eerie, dangerous marshes. A place with very few people. Those people that did traverse there tended to want out quickly.

“Once upon a time I lived near one of the Tunnel entrances. That is where I was raised. My father was a bardic golem; a storyteller. He had a lovely voice made of velvet. A lot like yours. And his mastery over language was as smooth and beautiful as the most perfect of dances. My mother loved to dance in the wind. She loved to listen to his stories. He loved how unpredictable she was.

“They stayed together for some time, but eventually she left. My mother was like the wind, always on the move and always changing. I do not think my father minded so much. He knew her too well. He knew that his stone body could not keep up with hers. He was happy that he had another story to tell. And so he moved on and I was left. I stayed in that territory for many years before moving.”

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

Gabriel listened closely, predictably spell-bound. Daemons loved stories; it was an almost universal truth and to add to the magic, Hara's breathy, wind-like voice told a story of romance and faint regret. It was a far more beautiful story than his own. Perhaps that was part of the reason that Hara showed an unusual gentleness, something that was almost alien to Gabriel in dealing with his own kind - her beginnings had lacked the violence and lack of stability that had characterized his own.

"And you take after your mother." It was more of a statement than a question; Gabriel could see this fact with his own eyes. Wind was like fire, in a lot of ways. Always moving, unpredictable. His own mother had been captivated by it to such an extent that she'd barely retained any grasp on reality. Fire was hypnotic; it wore a guise of warm beauty, utterly captivating, but getting too close was always dangerous. No matter how pretty, fire would burn.

A lot like Gabriel, in fact. Perhaps he'd taken after his mother more than he'd guessed.

"The Marshes, though?" This surprised the Daemon. Few sentient creatures inhabited the Marshes. The fog never lifted, and the cool chill of haunting eyes could be felt wherever one went. The creatures that lived there were particularly dangerous, too.

"It surprises me that you chose there to live. Do you not appreciate company? What could have happened to drive you away from the Tunnels?"

[Hara Small Fire]

Ah, and that was the question that would bring forth Hara’s real story. It was not she was not sure she was ready to tell. Oh, but that was silly. Hara could tell. She had written it. The words were already there, swirling around in her mind. “The Marsh is my home,” she said quietly, her voice drifting off into a haunting lilt. Her golden eyes seemed lost. For a few seconds, it was hard to tell whether Hara was truly a part of reality or not.

“A long time ago, there was a traitor in our midst. He turned against us all and a bloodhunt was called upon him. He was captured. He was devoured. That was my first bloodhunt.” Hara paused. Her eyes stung, but there was no way she would cry before the daemon lord. Hara may be soft for one of her kind, but she still possessed her daemon pride. She was not going to cry. She was going to finish what she started.

“The traitor was bound to me by a pledge of loyalty.” She did not need to explain the significance. A pledge like that was rare, for it meant that a daemon would lay his life down for another.

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

Daemons were such striking creatures. Their appearances were affected by their emotions, more than even the Fae, far more than the Humans. Nostalgia and grief characterised Hara now, however well she tried to hide it. Gabriel was fascinated. His own changes were in response to anger, normally. There was beauty there, yes, but it was frightening and savage beauty characteristic of a hunting predator. As she told her story, Hara's emotions played like stories across her expression and eyes.

Her sorrow was all to obvious to the observant Daemon and he unhesitantly lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. Touch among the forest creatures was a sign of respect, of connection; it was normal and treasured, conveying much more than words. Here even the whores glanced up in surprise for they knew quite well that Hara was not one of them and Gabriel was plainly not a customer, unless he was taking unusually long to make a selection.

He knew the significance of her words. Two living Daemon were currently pledged to Gabriel, one of them the loser of a challenge to his leadership (he offered their lives in exchange for a loyalty pledge freely given) and the other was a close friend who had his own pledge in return. The power of such contracts were not to be underestimated in the Daemon world. Only the closest of comrades normally forwarded that kind of promise.

"I cannot imagine how hard that must have been," Gabriel sighed, shaking his head.
"Would you like to tell me about him? What he did? Please don't feel pressured into speaking, though. It's not something that would be easy to share, I imagine."[/font]

[Hara Small Fire]

A gentle hand spoke volumes more than words ever could. Hara allowed the comfort to wash over her, to soothe her. Her eyes closed in a single moment of weakness. The only one she would allow in front of this man she respected. He deserved to see this glimmer of truth from her. It was the physical response to his physical gesture. In that moment, they were connected.

“His name was Erkki,” she began. Once more, that far away glimmer reached into her eyes as reality became as translucent as the wind that caressed her. She could see him so clearly. “He was a raven demon. It was poetic, really, a bird falling in love with the wind. But I was not so easily tamed. We grew up alongside each other. He would chase me. I would dance around him, always there and always intangible.

“Slowly, I began to love him. His sharp eyes, his wit, his persistence. All of it. I loved him. When he offered his pledge, I accepted it without hesitation. I trusted him with my entire being. And then…” Hara frowned as a flurry of emotions coursed through her. Confusion. Pain. Anger. And finally acceptance. “He tried to sell me, my blood to the humans. And worse, he sold the location of the tunnels to them too.”

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

If Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment, he could hear the story as though it was whispered to him by a melancholy breeze. Her voice was certainly enchanting, and it intrigued Gabriel to experience some measure of the effect his own voice could have on others when he layered it with effortless charm; throaty, husky, mesmerising. Hara's was different, of course - feminine, breathy, like wind sighing through trees - but there were many forms of charm.

It was frustrating to him, then, that he had to allow the worries of reality to intrude on his enjoyment of the story.

This Daemon had sold the location of the Tunnels to Humans?
He trusted that Hara's betrayal had happened some time ago, and he had yet to hear of intruders in the Tunnels - his centre, his home, his heart here in Litharia. It was the window to their world, the only place where the chaos of Daemons crept into Litharia, pivotal in political and sentimental importance. His reaction to the news was instinctive - a flash of coal black fury in usually bright, jewel-like teal eyes, and a tenseness in his being betrayed by the cord-like tendons obvious in clenched hands.
However long ago though, he had to ask.

"He succeeded in selling the location? Does this mean there are humans out there now who know where it is?" He kept his voice calm for Hara's sake, made a conscious effort to relax. It was not her fault and he certainly didn't blame her - in fact, he admired her strength; to kill the one she loved for his betrayal. Not all Daemons could have done the same. His anger and protectiveness of the Tunnels was instinctive, ingrained in his very being - if Hara informed him that there were indeed Humans out there now who might have such information he would make it his personal task to hunt down and remove those Humans.

However for now, in an effort to show Hara that he reacted only out of instinct and still retained every interest in her haunting tale, the Daemon took a deep breath and forced himself to relax.
"Poetic indeed. He must have hurt you badly for you to turn away from men because of his cruelty." This was a guess, of course, but it seemed a likely one. His sympathy for the Wind Daemon was genuine - Daemons were passionate creatures, and to lose one's love was among the hardest of trials.[/font]

[Hara Small Fire]

"He succeeded in selling the location? Does this mean there are humans out there now who know where it is?”

Hara, lost in her past, did not expect words. They snapped her back into reality with a violent jolt. She blinked a few times, allowing her leader’s question to unravel itself in her mind so that she could make sense of it. Were there? Her realities were momentarily confused. The half breed needed to sort out the past from the present. But Gabriel was speaking again and this time it was easier for her to listen. She smiled at him, pleased by his sharpness.

“The humans were captured and killed,” Hara told him, “Erkki was foolish to bring them into our territory so openly.” Hara scoffed and emitted a noise that was part sigh and part hiss. “Did he think our people would simply stand by when I called for help? He was relying on our sense of independence to keep us apart. But we are not so kind to traitors. Had he only endangered me, he may have gotten away with it. His greed was his undoing in the end.” The daemon paused long enough to give Gabriel a sideways glance.

“It is true that I once enjoyed the sight of men. No longer. I look at them and see nothing that I want. I know not all men are traitors. I hold no illusions in that regard. But it is a woman’s touch that I desire now.” She could not admit that she was wounded, not out loud. Any show of weakness would stick in Hara’s pride like a thorn. She was strong. The most passionate and rare oaths was broken to her, yet she continued to live. She could smile, laugh, and take care of herself. Hara survived.

She looked curiously at Gabriel, trying to gauge his expression. She could not bear it if he thought her weak. Many daemons thought emotions such as hers were weaknesses. Hara was unsure if that was true or not. At the moment, she did not feel weak. Sad, angry, nostalgic. But not weak. In fact, Hara felt surprisingly energetic. Telling her story seemed to unwind something within her that she did not expect. Something mischievous began to grow inside her, slowly spreading until it began to reach her golden eyes. They flashed with the smallest hint of something playful, but so far it was only a shadow.

[Gabriel Jhaedaes Os Tar]

The change was subtle but Gabriel could see it, feel it happening. It seemed sharing her story, painful though it was, had lifted Hara's mood. He wondered if she had been hiding it all this time, wondered how many other people she's chosen to tell. It was not an easy thing to share, obviously, but it seemed to be healthy to do so. Gabriel was gratified to see a new spark in her eyes - uncertain, shaky, but there. He smiled.

"I'm pleased to hear it. Humans are weak, foolish, hardly threatening usually - but their numbers are great. It would not be safe for any of them to know the location of the Daemon's one tenuous link to home." Not safe at all. Gabriel was glad they had already been dealt to - he was no assassin. He'd have done it if he had to; he had nothing against killing, per se, but he knew it would not be a pleasant end for them if he was responsible for delivering it. He didn't carry weapons so bleeding to death was the likely result and it probably wasn't such a fun experience.

But that worry lifted promptly from his shoulders, Gabriel took a moment to appreciate the new energy in Hara. Playful, almost, the observant Daemon responded at once. A cursory glance along the street revealed no new talent for Hara so he extended her an alternative invitation.
"Do you drink?" Most Daemons were fond of alcohol despite having a high resistance to it, but thus far Hara hadn't been quite like any other Daemon he'd met. Best not to assume.
"If so, perhaps you'll allow me to buy you a drink? There seems to be a distinct lack of suitable females here - maybe in a tavern you'll have more luck." The Daemon grinned, reflecting that since they were both attracted to the same gender, they'd likely appreciate similar qualities in a potential partner. How interesting. After all, they were both Daemons.
Of course, Gabriel had no intention of buying anything. He didn't actually possess any coins. He did, however, possess an ability that was more useful than those, and he frequently put it to good use on hapless bar tenders. He could do so again, if Hara was willing.[/font]