2014.01.26 - When East Meets West

Fire Lake Manor is a bit quiet tonight. The Son of Satan had been rather over-worked lately and thus he didn't have any of his usual sort of visitors. He had sent Isaac away to watch his stories for the night, not requiring any help from his gargoyle butler tonight. His sister was out on the hunt.

That isn't to say that he forgot that Kurenai was coming over... well maybe a little... but he's been really busy lately. Missing kids, satanic rites, lectures, a rope that binds people when it spells blood, a demon book that wanted to eat people, a d20 that curses people... and that's just the last month. So Daimon was dressed a bit more casually, just a pair of ripped black jeans and a black silk robe to cover his torso.

Kurenai ultimately just sort of....lets herself in, after knocking on the door. After all, there was that whole Master and Apprentice bond thing, so mi casa es su casa, right? Right. Of course.

Finally tracking you down in one of the larger sitting parlors, she just sort of smirks to herself for a moment, eyes gazing over you for a prolonged span of time, before she walks in, and bows formally to you in greeting. She's sporting a somewhat different mode of fashion tonight, not dressed in her school uniform, nor is she wearing her black riot grrl getup. She actually seems almost fashionable. Kind of. And she's actually wearing makeup. And it's weird! Not the fact that she's wearing makeup at all (though yes, that's odd) but..well..her color choice and selection seems a bit eccentric. Clearly she's not had much practice.

Finally, she speaks, and when she does, it's in a accent, tone and cadence that you find immediately familiar, almost like a little Emma, or the Cuckoos: "So, Hellstrom-sensei. I must apologize for my tardiness, but there were finals to attend to, and I needed to...adjust...to some new things as well."

Like, you know, oh yeah, I NOW HAVE A PERFECT COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, BABY! Oh but you no, no biggie. Hey. I'm just going to chat in English like it weren't any sort of thing. La dee da da.

She tilts her head, finally speaking again, "I hope that you have been well? You seem rather....fatigued." She then blanches for a moment, then blushes. "Is...is this a bad time? Have I interrupted you pitching your woo to someone?"

Daimon smirked at his young apprentice. He would have to remember that 'young' part. He gets in enough problems without any of -those- sorts of issues thank you very much. Rising to his feet he walked over to Kurenai and said, "No it's a perfect time, I seemed to have forgotten that you were supposed to come by, actually. I've had a lot on my mind."

He does however completely no-sell her sudden ability to speak perfect English and only comments on it by saying, "So Emma finally got around to teaching you English with a bit of a telepathic mind whammy, eh?"

A pregnant pause and he adds, 'Your cadence is exactly like Emma's... the only way that happens is if she basically put the knowledge in your mind instead of teaching it."

Kurenai's expression falls, just a touch. Clearly she was hoping to get some sort of double take out of you, but damnit if you don't play it just a little too cool. But she picks the smile back up and says, "One could argue that the definition of the word "teaching" works on many different levels." She then strikes a bit of a graceful pose for a moment, lips twitching in thought. "Although...hmm. I'm beginning to suspect I might have picked up a little more than just the ability to speak the native tongue. I'm still having difficulty going back to thinking in Japanese, for instance. It's a bit disconcerting."

And for a moment, the mask drops, and you can see it in her eyes as clear as day...she's actually afraid, at least a part of her is, at how the 'mind zap' might have affected her, changed her as an actual person. She tries, far too late, to hide it with a wan smile once more.

Sorry that's just how Daimon Hellstrom is, too cool for school and all that jazz. But he does nod at Kurenai's new found concern over her language preferences, "Well I suppose that would make sense. After all Emma's first language is English, so if she brain dumped it to you, in a way... English is your first language now."

He waved his hand dismissively and said, "I'm sure you'll get used to it, probably even go back to your normal thought processes after the graft sets in. Or you maybe you'll have a psychotic episode, either way it'll all work out."

Kurenai just sort of...stares at you, for a few seconds. It's hard to tell now exactly how she's taking it, but suddenly her face takes on a more expressionless mien.

"I suppose so." she says, a bit more quietly. She then looks around for a moment and says, "So then. How goes the world of Western Demon hunting, then? Do you have some sort of training in mind, or is there a problem that needs solving?"

Daimon chuckled a bit and said, "Busy actually. But nothing that your expertise would be helpful with at the moment. More western occult and things with my Father. He likes to call me on the phone now."

For most people that would be a big deal, but when your the Son of Satan that can been a worrisome thing, "But how have you been Kurenai, besides the very impressive detail of being able to speak perfect English."

Kurenai clasps her fingers behind her back, and then just sort of cants her head to one side and shrugs. "There is not very much to say, these days. Now that language is no longer an impediment to going out and socializing I'm...still finding it more difficult than I anticipated. So, I just..." she sort of peters out, and shrugs once again, with a soft smile.

She then lights up, at the mention of being busy. "Ah! But...but...isn't that the point...to give me more expertise in fighting the evils of these lands?" She then pauses for a moment, "I was not aware Oni were well versed in utilizing modern technology."

"Keep in mind Kurenai, my father isn't just an Oni... he's like head honcho Oni supreme. He doesn't so much call me as he possesses my phone and uses it to communicate," Daimon said with a small frown. He obviously had very, very, VERY, VERY, V-E-R-Y little love for his father, "More to mess with me than actual harm. I think he's doing it because me and my sister have reconnected and wants to drive us apart."

Though he had to admit Kurenai's enthusiasm was rather impressive. He walked over to a small chest that was in the living room and pulled out long length of rope, "But your right you need to learn to be prepared for anything. Especially when magic is involved."

He pulled back his arm and tossed the rope at Kurenai, "Here catch."

Kurenai lights up for a moment, "Oh! Your sister! That must be really nice, to have her back in your life then." Suddenly, she is reaching out to snatch the rope. it's a second too late when her instinct kicks in that this is probably not a normal rope, and catching it thusly might be a risky thing. Too late now though, as the rope, she done been caught.

Yeah that was no normal rope, Kurenai probably even noticed the small stain of fresh blood on the fibers near where she caught it. And what did the rope do? It Started to wrap itself around her arms trying to tie them to each other. It had a rather remarkable strenght to it as well.

Daimon acted as if nothing was going on, "I love my sister, and I love having her in my life. But she does present complications that wouldn't be there other wise. She's a demoness, having actually gone through the differentiation of becoming more than just a half- demon anti-christ like me. She's a succubus. Do you know what a succubus is Kurenai?"

As he talked, the rope continued to try to bind her up up.

Kurenai narrows her eyes, working her arms against the rope like it was some sort of complicated Rubix cube. Her superior speed is allowing her to keep the rope from completely binding her up, but she's also at a stalemate for now, as she tries to figure out how to regain the upper hand.

"I didn't before, but I a familiar with the term now. And...oh!" she blushes. It causes her concentration to slip for a moment, and she rushes to keep from losing any more ground "That could be awkward....damn rope!"

She doesn't seem too alarmed, trusting that you wouldn't throw anything at her toooo dangerous

Daimon nods, still acting like Kurenai was not being tired up by a binding rope, "So that's the problem, she needs to feed on the souls of the living to survive. I should actually be trying to stop her. If she was any other succubae I probably would be stopping her."

He groaned a bit, "It's a bit of a gray area. She's my sister and I love her... honestly probably in ways that most people wouldn't think a brother and sister love each other. But she is a clear and present danger. What would you do Kuri?"

Kurenai focuses primarily on trying to get the rope somewhere else on her body, preferably her torso or her legs...just anywhere but her arms, working feverishly to keep them free if she can. Focused as she is in the problem at hand, your word about love go WHOOSH. Right over her head.

She grunts slightly, trying to answer and fight the rope simultaneously. "Well...if she accepted her transformation willingly...and if she does not fight against it, and if she threatens humanity, then she must be destroyed." Grunts again and then asks very matter of factly "Are you asking me to hunt her down for you, Hellstrom-Sensei?"

At her saying that last bit Daimon's eyes go wide for a moment and he does turn to face the struggling girl, "RELEASE!" he shouts with power and authority. The rope then goes slack and falls to the ground. His eyes look directly at Kurenai and his frown intensifies, "NO! You will, under no circumstances, except defending your own life against her, will ever... EVER harm my sister. Are we clear on that my young apprentice?"

At this, Kurenai does not blanch, nor back down. It is not out of lack of respect, or ignorance of your power and ability. While she might normally cringe or apologize at provoking such a reaction from you, this is one of...if not the only subject where she will stand her ground and face you.

Her face is very neutral, her zeal shining only through her eyes "Then what do you plan to do...Sensei? You admit she is a demon, that she is no longer human. You have yet to deny that she not fighting her nature, not trying to redeem herself. You confide to me that she is a threat to humans." she pauses, jaw tightening for a moment, "How else would you have me respond? What plan then do you have to deal with her? Knowing that everyone she harms or kills...that when it was in your power to stop her...their lives are now on your head?"

Daimon nods to Kurenai, "You're just a girl and yet... you're rather wise. If you were just a few years older..."

Daimon trailed off from that thought and said with a frown, "You are right of course. She does wish redemption, but it does not work like that in the Western mythos. She needs to feed on souls, she can only starve herself or spread out her feedings so heavily that she is too weak to defend herself."

He goes over and picks up the binding rope and adds, "I've been working on a substitute for her, but it's like trying to make it son the sun doesn't rise. Even the magical world has universal constants."

Kurenai seems visibly relieved, as she backs down, just a bit. She blushes slightly as well...with the bond strengthening any underlying attraction, your words provoke a bit of a...

Ahem. Well...anyhow.

Gladdened to see you are indeed working on the issue, she asks softly, "What is it then...you are trying to do? Perhaps between East and West, we can find a way to meet in the middle on an answer."

Daimon still frowning, shook his head and said, "Trying to create artificial souls. Basically the equivalent of soy meat but for demons. And it took a long time for people make that. I'm dealing with ideas never done... because we kill succubae not save them."

Daimon looked at Kurenai again and said, "I've dealt with Alchemists, Gods, Witches, Mutants. Any clue to making a soul in the East? If you know some way to create a soul, I'm open to suggestions."

Kurenai looks down, in contemplative thought. "No. I am sorry. My training is for, as you put it, hunting and destroying. Not saving. If I had to suggest a course of action, it would be to cure her condition somehow, restore her humanity, so she no longer needs a..." words fail for a moment. How could you even make a fake soul?

Then an idea strikes. "What is she taking exactly? Life force? Chi? Could she feed a bit from someone...not kill them, and then, if that person had a great ability to heal themselves quickly. Do you see where I am coming from, perhaps?"

Daimon looked away from Kurenai for a moment and then back at her, "Good idea. If they heal fast, if they..."

There was a pause for a moment and then Daimon said, "It's Chi.. wait... it's Chi! Chi is the same as the western ideal of life source."

Daimon rushed towards his student and then hugged Kurenai, "I think you just gave me the answer."

He then let her go and looked into her eyes, "Wonderful insight Kuri. Just wonderful." he then kissed on the forehead.

Kurenai smiles, bright and soft, as your eyes meet her own, clearly very pleased to have been so helpful to you. She looks down, away, and then back up, speaking very softly.

"Fast healing...specifically through chi manipulation and generation...is a skill well known to me."

Daimon smirked at Kurenai, "Go back to the Academy for tonight. I'll send some books to you. And, I really appreciate the offer, but I'll offer my dark soul to Satana before I let you give yourself to her."

Damion shook his head and said, "We'll have a meeting with Emma Frost first before we decide on this sort of thing."

Kurenai nods slowly, and starts to move to head back to school, still looking quite pleased at the positive turn of events. She pauses lingeringly and says, "I understand your reluctance. But if I am physically best suited to help sustain her temporarily, then do not be...squeamish." She then bows low to you in farewell before heading off.