Enter Demona

[angelofthenight]

Who: Demona & Open
What: Re-using some prompts from the TDM for her intro + roommate shenanigans
When: First few days of October
Where: Various places in starters
Warning: Violence, anger, lots of negative CR, Demona comes with a blanket warning of "genocidally racist against humans"
Note: Please set all threads after sunset unless you want to see her as a statue.


Daylight - Muster Drill
So, is Friday trying out a new technique with visual aids or...what? Among the other people here for their first muster drill, there is a stone statue of a loincloth-wearing woman with bat-like wings, long tail, talons, a wild mane of hair, and...one of the leis around her neck. She is completely immobile. No amount of poking, prodding, or talking will rouse her. For all anyone can tell, this is a completely inanimate, if very imposing, stone figure.


Sunset - Muster Station
That statue hasn't moved all day. Everyone else left the muster drill hours ago, but here she still stands with the lei around her neck. As the sun sets beyond that fake horizon, however, magic begins to stir. Cracks form in the stone, and from beneath, red light shines through the fissures around her eyes. Then, all at once, she lets out a screech and stretches out her limbs, the stone falling away in heavy flakes, revealing a flesh and blood creature below with blue skin and flaming red hair.


Dealer's Choice of Location - After midnight
Where is she? How did she get on a ship at sea? Who's done this?! She wants answers, but she has to be careful. She can't be seen like this. Can't allow the humans to get the better of her. So, here she is late in the night, skulking through corridors, sometimes climbing on the ceiling, talons crunching into the metal, to avoid being caught out in the center of the halls. Approach at your own risk. She isn't in a very charitable mood and those claws look awfully sharp.


Roommates? [Closed to Fever]
She's already staked her claim to a part of the Tommy Bahama, under the watchful eye of that werecougar, Siffleur. That's where she intends to be by sunrise. However, she was told her assigned cabin number, 118. Even if she's not going to live in there, she wants to see it for herself. If it's supposed to be hers. What she didn't think to ask, is if it's a private cabin or not. She really shouldn't have assumed anything. And yet, here she is walking into the cabin close to 3:00 a.m. to find that it is already occupied by someone else.

Her wings unfold from her shoulders, flared out behind her as she hisses, "What are you doing in here?"

Comments

[crushed_pearls]

"And your conception of being a mighty warrior involves beating the shit out of children because...?"

The Raised Eyebrows.

[angelofthenight]

"That 'child' was an accomplished swordsman and magic user in his own right. To coddle him would have been an insult to his warrior spirit."

Back in her day, Darcy would have been plenty old enough to fight the Vikings. Why do humans insist on keeping their children weak?

[crushed_pearls]

"Well. Darcy'd be glad to hear it if I'm any guess, but on the balance I'm still gonna need you to mentally edit me rolling my eyes here. You still fucked up. Getting Phil angry ain't easy. It's like successfully pissing off a mountain - the skill needed to make that mistake is awe-inspiring." Erin sighs, and shakes out her wings. "I'm gathering that you're not adjusting well."

[angelofthenight]

"If you are hoping for an apology you will be waiting a long time. I resent the fact that you all seem to think it so cute to do things to my stone body while I am helpless to stop it. I have had things put on me, and written on me, and each time is a reminder of how easily I could be smashed like the rest of my clan. Can you not understand that?" No, she is not adjusting well...

[crushed_pearls]

"...I do understand that," Erin says softly. "And I'm sorry you're going through it. If you want a hand with things I'll do what I can, at the very least I can spread the word to people who might be heeded if you're willing. I...am also not a fan of my body getting touched without my permission."

[angelofthenight]

"Tell them to stay away from me. That would be best for all." Her tail flicks in irritation.

"I do not want their sympathy or yours. I want to be left alone. I want to go home."

[crushed_pearls]

"Literally no one wants to be here. The Captain doesn't even want to be here. If you wanna leave faster, you're gonna have to work with people. Even us humans." Erin thinks for a moment, and then makes a mental apology to Phil. "You want company on your evening errands? I do wanna get to know you better. 'Fraid I was dead serious about the flirting, but even beyond that...I'd like ya to be able to feel safe."

[angelofthenight]

"So I keep hearing. It excuses nothing. I'm told the Captain is using us, so why should I do anything for his benefit?" Or any of them. This is not her responsibility.

She shakes her head, not so much in answer, but in disbelief. "Why? You came here with anger and now you want to continue to pursue my affections?"

She scoffs. "Safe? I will not be safe until no humans exist to threaten me. Then and only then."

[crushed_pearls]

Erin tucks her hands into her pockets. "Demona, if being angry at folks were exclusive with being interested I'd be real single rather than dating the amazing women I'm dating. We argue. We fight. We worry about each other. Sometimes I yell at Crabb for elevator safety failures. But if you want a straight answer to 'why', fine."

She's comin' closer Demona. Hands still in her pockets. "One: you're interesting, and I'm interested. I've always had a soft spot for fellow warriors, and I gotta say, the look ain't bad either, the amazing voice, the directness, that's all somethin' I could be real interested in. Two: it's more like I'd like to get to know you enough to see if that interest is anything that could go anywhere, since, y'know, you vaguely don't like me and I am, in fact, still pissed. Three: I'm gonna flatly state that I think I can talk you around at least some, and that means spending time with you, which I refuse to do on false pretenses. And, finally, four: even if you flatly turn me down and say you'd rather stick your tail in a toaster than even contemplate a date, I'd still go walk with you because you're in the same situation I am, and I talk mad. Fucking. Shit. About us needing to be a community. So here I am to welcome you in, whether or not you'd like to date or smooch or rail me over a counter. That clear enough?"

[angelofthenight]

"...No," she says, and again she's shaking her head but now she's taking a half step back. "None of that makes any sense. You should not be interested in me, you should fear me. You should revile me. I do not belong in a community with you and I never will. You cannot sway me."

[crushed_pearls]

"Really? I should revile you?" Erin leaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaans in. "Which part is supposed to cause the revulsion?"

[angelofthenight]

Demona takes the rest of that step back and just... gapes. Why does this woman insist on this? What could she possibly hope to gain?

"All of it. I am a monster that haunts human nightmares. I want to kill you and your kind. If this is some ruse to lure me into a trap, it will not work."

[crushed_pearls]

Softly, very softly: "I'm a monster too, Demona. For three decades I've killed, kidnapped, and stolen from conventional humans and my own kind alike. I've killed gods with my own hands and forged relics from their filthy bones. Woven nightmares so real that my victims begged me to make it stop, and taken everything from them. Warrior, witch, warlock, all have fallen before me and begged for a mercy that would never come. And still, someone saw me and said: you are not unworthy of peace and love. Now I'm saying it to you."

[angelofthenight]

Demona lowers her chin, her eyes narrowing as Erin speaks. She has the appearance of a feral cat hesitating to take chicken from a stranger's hand, even as she is starving.

"A warrior has no use for peace... as for love..." her thoughts flicker to Thailog, and then to Goliath. She shakes her head violently to dispel that image. "Love is a weakness."

[crushed_pearls]

"Really?" Erin's voice is still so soft, so gentle. "What happens when you get back to Earth and you succeed? All the humans are dead, their towers laid low. No stone stands atop another. Do you find a new enemy, warrior? Fall on your own sword and declare it finished?"

[angelofthenight]

"When the last human is dead, so too will I be." She means this literally. As long as Macbeth lives, so will she. He will be the last. She will kill him with her own claws and they will perish together.

"It will be done. My people will be avenged. And the next generation of them will know me as their savior."

[crushed_pearls]

"Who will be there to teach them?" Erin offers a hand, empty of all weapons. "...Take that walk with me, Demona. It doesn't have to be anything but accepting my hospitality, we'll go anywhere you like. Give me a shot at earning your respect, yeah? I know I'm talking a lot of mad shit. Lemme back it up."

[angelofthenight]

Who? In her own mind, she knows the answer should be Thailog. He will lead them. He will carry on when she is gone. But the first name that actually floats to the surface is Goliath. She frowns and hugs her arms around herself. Why? Why can't she stop herself from thinking of him?

"Fine. But I will not hold your hand. I do not know where you think we can go in a place like this. This ship is too small."

[crushed_pearls]

"Anywhere you like. Could grab breakfast to walk with, but I'm down for nearly anything. We got bowling, there's a spa if you think you wanna relax..."

Erin pauses.

"...We could hit the sport deck and have a fight, if you want. Explore. Lounge in the fuckin' hot tub, I'm real flexible. I slept through most of the day specifically to get up and talk to you. I'm all yours tonight."

[angelofthenight]

"I am hungry," she admits reluctantly. She did only just get up. But Erin... slept through the day specifically to be here tonight? That still makes no sense. Why? Why go to such trouble?

"You claim to be a warrior, so perhaps after I will fight you. I want to see what you can do."

Skip breakfast, TO TRAINING?

[crushed_pearls]

"Done deal." Erin nods her head out the door and waits for Demona to catch up; she won't be seen to 'lead' Demona, isn't gonna do that to the gargoyle's pride. "We'll talk ground rules when we get there, yeah? I'm not particularly looking to die tonight, and I'm gonna have to ask some questions in service of not killing you."

yes!

[angelofthenight]

She doesn't consciously note Erin's efforts not to walk ahead of her, but that consideration does put her more at ease subconsciously. Without realizing it, the gargoyle steps in time beside Erin.

Demona isn't very chatty at breakfast, but just like before, she consumes almost exclusively meat for her meal. A lot of it. She doesn't seem to be having any trouble getting moving after such a heavy meal, however. Her mood has already improved. (She doesn't have the angry cat tail flick going on anymore by the time they get to the deck.)

"Don't kill or maim. What else?"

[crushed_pearls]

"That's the question isn't it?" Erin digs out her Scroll and sets it up; it helpfully announces that Aura is at 100%. "So here's the good news - I'll yield when that says 30%. It measures a shield that protects me; in a real fight, you break it? I'm out of the fight. A casualty, probably even a corpse. I'll also ask that you not touch my hair, but that brings us to the bad news - I've gotta ask what you can take back."

She turns to face Demona, lifting a wrist. Her hand ripples, and a perfect copy of the gargoyle's claws replaces it. "Like this? Not more serious to me than a closed fist. But is it serious to you?"

[angelofthenight]

Demona eyes that scroll with suspicion, but stays silent, only nodding to show she understands what's being said. A magic shield that comes with its own status reader, not bad. Hair pulling isn't an honorable way to fight, anyway.

Her eyes do go wide when Erin's hand shifts into talons with such seeming ease. "You can shapeshift too, and still you say you are human?" What, did you think she wouldn't still be a racist shit about that?

"Will it harm me? Yes. I am a flesh and blood creature. But I can handle a scratch, so long as it isn't too deep. I need only survive to the first morning light and it will heal."

[crushed_pearls]

"I prefer post-mortal if you want a precise label," Erin murmurs. "But yeah, I'm human. Someone tried very hard to take my humanity from me and I'm not letting him have it. He turned me into this, but he can't have it."