A Fresh Kill (Open)

Astareal began walking forward, walking at a slow, even pace. How old was that kid? Shoving the thought away, she decided to answer his question as truthfully as possible. "You don't recieve a gift and not accept it. If you have abiities, you use them. You don't just sit there and let your special gifts go to waste. I happened to be born a necromancer. I happen to have wonderous musical talent. That helps me control the dead. I'm interested in the past, and when everyone is afraid of you, the Dead are the only ones that will speak to you, will get near you. Then again, I make them come near me, but Mogget gets annoying and living things.... annoy the living hell out of me." The woman shrugged, and looked around. The tall grasses of the plains blew around in the wind, swaying to and fro gently, smoothly.

"What makes you want to kill people?" After asking that question, Astareal thought about how... odd.... it was for him to be fond of killing people for fun, and then how she brought them back to life. That would work out in harmony, because at least the dead weren't unpredicatble. The brunnette sighed and grabbed her braid, began to take it out. It needed redone, anyways.

Akuma smiled happily at her response. It made sense and it was precisely the same with him. When asked why he enjoyed killing people he thought for a moment. "my intent is to have fun, thats what i use my abilities for. Sometimes there are unexpected casualties, other times i put them out of their misery so they don't have to live a boring life. Life is a game so everyone should have fun in anyway they can. Like games, in life some people win and others don't." The demon awnsered in the best way he could. They seemed to have a lot in common, perhaps he wouldn't have to manipulate her at all. She may just do what he asks because she wants to.

"I'm sorry, but maybe it's just my mood. I can understand toying with people, but killing them just because they are boring... makes no sense." All the while she was saying this, she was shaking her head. It really didn't. His gifts probably weren't for 'fun'. They were bound to be good for something else, too. He just hadn't figured that out yet. "You also have to take into consideration that some people do live a fun life, they just don't seem like they do. What you think is fun, someone else wouldn't." Astareal realized her rambling, and bit her tongue. She probably shouldn't say anymore. Stupid grass was making her talkative. The woman gritted her teeth and began to re-braid her hair.

After getting it halfway done, she tied it off. It was a braid-ponytail. It was strange looking, but enjoyable. The way the gentle breeze took what hair they could and moved it was a little comforting. Yrael, despite most efforts to keep him away, returned with a happy Shadow Hand. Astareal drew Belgaer and Dyrim, ringing the bells simultaneously. The Hand straighted, and Astareal tilted her head to the side. "What is your name and title?" The Hand shifted, and seemed to bow.

"Hans, a merchant, your ladyship."
"Cause and time of death?"
"I was stabbed repetedly in the chest. It was a few... days ago, I believe."
"Your sense of time is demented, friend. And I don't believe that was the way you were killed, either. Tell me, does that man look familiar?"
"Why... somehow... yes. Was he the one who... killed me?"

Akuma sighed in annoyance both at Astreals nagging at how he should have fun and because the stupid cat found them. He looked at the hand with a raised eyebrow. "How is it possible for an undead thing with no senses be able to recognize or incriminate anyone?" The demon asked with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. Of course he had no idea if it was the guy he killed. Akuma had killed many people and didn't bother to keep track or try to recognize them.

"That's one thing that not many people know about the dead. It's an ability of the bells. That and they are somewhat.... easy to manipulate in that state. You tell them something, and normally they'll believe it. If you are the one that controls them, the one that weilds Saraneth." Astareal shrugged, talking like it was nothing. The Hand shifted uneasily, with Mogget hissing at it. "Would you like to go back into Death now?" The hand agreed. Astareal drew Kibeth and rang the bell in a figure eight pattern, the Hand dissappearing. The bells had all the power.

Astareal put the bell back into the bandolier, rubbing the mahogany handles. "First is Ranna, the Sleepbringer. Second is Mosrael, the Waker. Third is Kibeth, the Walker. Fourth is Dyrim, the Speaker. Fifth is Belgaer, the Thoughtful. Sixth is Saraneth, the Binder. Seventh is Astareal, the Sorrowful." The bells were the thing she knew the most about. They belonged to one person, worked for one person. That way, some idiot wouldn't go into Death and get killed.

Akuma listened to the girl talk about her bells. So that was the source of her power. Metallic bells that controlled the dead, so all he would have to do is get rid of them and she would be powerless. He smiled inwardly at this information. Eventually he would make his move, but not now. Perhaps if he waited he would learn more helpful things.The girl was fun and interesting so he wanted to stay on "good" terms with her for a bit longer. "I see. So does my Renna have any other fascinating things to talk about." He said in a cheerful manner.The demon tried to resist the urge to call her sugar lips again. Her reactions were funny.

"First things first; I'm not yours. And no, as a matter of fact, I do not. But I do expect you to tell me something about the extent of your abilities. Did I forget to mention that?" Astareal pretended to be confused, slapping an innocent little doe-eyed look onto that pale face of hers. She liked doing things her way. It was pretty much the only thing she really needed to have... she was a bit of a spoiled rotten little twerp. Then again, she didn't care. Nor did she mind having that appearance. She was used to getting what she wanted.

The brunnette tried to find something to keep her mind occupied. She wanted another 'buddy'. She wanted a member of the Greater Dead to mess around with. She wanted to get a fresh body. But all would come in time. It paid off to be patient, didn't it?

"Temper, temper" Akuma said in a fatherly manner wagging a finger at the brunette. The demon wasn't that surprised that she wanted to know about his abilities. She much like him didn't seem to give things away for free. She shared hers so it was only fair to share his. However like her he would keep it vague and only mention one of them. "Well dearest as you learned from your pet cat i can read minds." The white haired guy answered recalling the cat's reaction when he tried to enter the things mind. Akuma ignored the necromancer's look, he knew there was nothing innocent about her.

"Oh, what a shame. That's all you'll tell me? I'll have to settle for it, I guess." The woman grinned, a little maliciously, and plopped down in the grass. She felt mellow, relaxed, tired. That probably wasn't all that much a good thing. Which is one of the downfalls of being controlled entirely by the surrounding noise. "How old are you?" Astareal laughed lightly in spite of herself. Age was but a number to many a person. It didn't really matter, did it?

The girl lay back in the grass, taking in the pleasant aroma of nature. She wiggled around a little, making herself comfortable. Yrael had returned, brushing himself off. Apparently he had tripped and fallen. The necromancer wished that she'd have been there to see that happen. It would've been awesome, to see that little twerp do a faceplant.

Akuma blinked when Astreal asked about his age. Nobody had asked him before. Although, most conversations he had been in involved some person begging for mercy. He made a show of counting on his fingers to see how she would react. " I'm around eighty." He said grinning. The white haired demon looked at Astreal. "What about you?" He wondered what her reaction would be. Being a girl he thought she would get angry. Some girls didn't like the age question and got offended when asked.

"Around ninety.... I think. Perhaps a hundred?" Astareal thought for a moment, trying to remember exactly how old she was. It didn't bother her, knowing her lifespan. Perhaps another little Necromancer would come along and be her apprentice... a mini-Astareal. She laughed at the thought. That'd really spell out trouble for some people. It would actually be rather fun, though. To have a little servant that could help her with the whole 'Army of the Dead' concept of things. It would be nice to rule the world... a continuous chain of Mini-Me's.

The brunnette sat up and plucked a weed from her hair. "I'm bored. Would you like to go do something?" Astareal, truly, was up for nearly anything, as long as it didn't involve Death. she dind't want to share any furthur info into his sight about that realm. If he entered, he'd be swept away by the River Styx, into the Ninth Precinct, and lost forever in Hades. She wouldn't care, though. It wasn't like she'd be able to the demon as she had a certain other person. Who that other person was, she didn't know yet. Funny how that happened.

Akuma smiled broadly when she asked if he would like to do something. "I never thought you would ask to go out on a date. Especial since you barely know me." He said in a teasing manner. The demon wasn't sure what his feelings for the women were. She just amused him, there didn't seem to be anything else involved. He had no idea what he wanted to do. Tormenting some random people might be fun but he had already done that. Perhaps he would find something else just as fun. "you pick something." Akuma said drawing a blank.

"I assure you, buddy, that it's not a date. If it was a date, you would've asked me. What can I say? I'm traditional. Anywho, I vote that.... I got get another hand that you don't kill off and we can sic it on someone." Astareal smirked. That would be fun. As long as he didn't try anything whilst she was in death. Yrael reappeared, bowing his head. "A fresh one, first precinct." The woman nodded, and played with the invisible mind barrier between Life and Death. She entered Death. Yrael guarded her body back in life. She drew Saraneth, rang her. She replaced her with Mosrael, rang him, and then went into the second precinct. She made her way back to the first, and entered life. "There should be a hand around here somewhere...."

A Dead Hand was walking toward the little group, a not so great body attached. All the better for harrassing people. The woman drew Saraneth and rang the bell, and the Hand stopped in it's tracks. "Where should we go to find the one to terrorize? You can pick the person." The woman grinned, studying the hand. The spirit was too weak already, so she would have to find Life soon or else it would perish.

Akuma was about to comment that he would only kill the hand if it tried to attack him, but the girl was gone. When she appeared he bowed and said. "Well then, would you like to go on a date?" He said jokingly. When she said he could pick the person the demon smiled. "i have a few people in mind but i don't know where to find them, maybe at an inn." The two annoying twin brats from a few days ago were who wanted to see dead. The boy because he figured out his power too quickly and the girl for making Kane go soft.

(( i just had to add that. Akuma doesn't like not getting his way.))

((That was very evil. I was thinking Lucien... or Jade. Jade would be fun. But, if you insist...))

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going anywhere where there are a lot of people around. There is a limited number of people who know what I can do. I don't want everyone to know about it." Astareal shrugged, and brushed her butt off. Stupid clingy dirt. Whoever Akuma wanted to go after, he sure didn't like. She didn't want to please him, so she had declined. She liked declining things. The brunnette looked around, thinking for a moment. "It's the middle of the night. There's got to be a drunk stumbling around somewhere."

Speaking of which, a man clad in strange dress appeared, a bottle of rum in his hands.

(( yes Jade would be entertaining. I didn't think about her. It would end up just being a shouting match. lol))

"Your such a spoil sport." Akuma said in a slightly pouting way. His eyes lit up when he say the drunk guy appear. It couldn't be helped he supposed. The demon would have to settle for the drunk guy for now. Perhaps later someone more interesting would come along. "Lady's first." He said in a gentlemen like manner. Astreal could have the first shot at the drunk.

(( I think i know who the drunk is..))