Nowadays, people have the wrong idea about what a demon is. Religion has taught us that demons are evil, soulless beings whom wreck havoc on the world, killing innocents mercilessly. Some people go as far as to picture them as frightening, ugly creatures with large horns on their heads. But we know the truth.

No one is born a demon. Nobody chooses this life. Why would they? Actually, to be completely honest, those humans have got it completely backwards. The innocents are the ones with horns atop their heads, they are an obvious sign of trust and devotion. There are very few people left on this Earth who have these horns. The humans mistook them as the demons they hated so much, and they were slaughtered. So many innocent lives gone to waste. Some were not slaughtered though. Many that survived were tortured endlessly. Their horns were chopped off, they lost their innocence and turned to darkness. These are the demons. But every day they live they wish for one of two things: restoration of their innocence, or death. Most of them don't know where to turn. For each of these demons, there is only one way to restore their own horns, thus their innocence: taking the life blood of an innocent (those with horns). Unfortunately, this is a risky task. Taking life blood is fatal, and most innocents are not willing to face death, it's the one thing they fear the most. Innocents can tell demons apart from humans at first glance. So now, innocents have to hide from humans and demons, it's not an easy life, but is the life of a demon any easier? Of course, then there's the alternative for demons: death. This is not easily accomplished either. The removal of their horns has made them practically immortal. Not one has found a way to die yet. Oh, and I almost forgot, innocents can harness the power of light, just as demons can harness the power of darkness. So, how will the story go? Will it be a happy ending? Or a bloody mess of a tragedy? It's up to you to decide the fate of the innocents, the demons and the humans.

OOC: are-broken-ooc-sign-ups-t29812.html

-----------

Kanako moved swiftly through the marketplace, though she knew she didn't have to. She had nothing to hide, nothing at all, but that was the problem. She wore a thick jacket that day, the hood tied tightly over her head simply to keep her ears warm in the cold of the winter. She wished that there was another reason she was wearing that hood. She almost cried, but she had lost that ability long ago. Who was she? Why was she even living? She had her purpose in life and she lost it.. Why wouldn't God have mercy on her and end this worthless life? A young woman, she looked in her early twenties, the way that Kanako would look forever, walked by, a small child complaining in her arms. The woman cooed at the child and handed it a bottle. Kanako watched the mother and child walk away, remembering her purpose now. She had to find her son, she wouldn't accept he was dead too. God couldn't possibly be that cruel, he couldn't possibly take everything she loved away from her. If she still had the will in her, she would pray for her son, pray he was still an innocent, or at least still alive. She knew even if he was an innocent, she would never hurt him.

Noelle shivered. It was a particularly cold winter day today and naturally, there was no heating in the abandoned warehouse she called her home. She could see her own breathe as she sighed, pulling her dark red cloak tight around her chest. Where were they? There must be others... she though to herself. After a while, she decided she was going to freeze if she just sat around waiting for innocents to show up. She stood up, straightening out her white turtle neck shirt and dark blue jeans. She wore thick, black, boots which did a good job of keeping her feet warm. "Now then, let's get down to business, they can't be too far..!" She said, optimism in her voice. She was a generally optimistic person, the weather just had her down lately. It was important she found others like her, it nearly killed her when she found out there were others like her hiding in this very town. Imagine how much better they'd do as a team! Maybe they could even get a heater for this place..! Without stealing! Oh how much Noelle would love to stop stealing... she already made a promise to herself she'd repay everyone she had stolen from someday. For now though, she needed to survive as best she could. Noelle stepped out of the warehouse, pulling her hood up over her small crystal-like horns. "Where to start though...?" She thought out loud. She shrugged and decided to check around the small park near the marketplace first, she began to walk that way, humming a tune as she went.

Owen was sitting on a park bench near a marketplace-- risky, but being out in public always was. He sighed, his breath visible in the cold winter air. He wanted nothing more than to go inside somewhere, but he avoided that when possible. People got suspicious when he walked in with a hood pulled over his face and head. They would assume he was a 'demon'. And he didn't need any trouble, being chased and threatened. He had become a pretty fast runner, but ice and the fact that he could barely feel his legs would slow him down. He missed having a home. He missed having a family. Already, several times, he'd considered returning to the family that had taken him in before. They would probably be more than happy to see him safe, and returned. He quickly managed to shake the thought off. He had left for good, he'd insisted. Going back was giving in. Besides, he would be fine. He had kept himself alive for three years, he could surely keep it up. It was just a moment of weakness.

He sniffed, hoping that he wasn't going to get sick. Owen pulled his legs up onto the park bench and wrapped his arms around them, sort of curled up for warmth. He couldn't see anything with his hood pulled so low and now his legs obstructing his view, so he closed his eyes. He sat and listened to the bustle of people around him, hoping that no one would take notice of him, that he just looked like a homeless human boy trying to keep warm, instead of some sort of vile demon. At the thought, Owen couldn't help but remember that night. He had only been a helpless child. He remembered the shouts of the mob that had chased him and his mother. How she had hidden him under a porch, and whispered for him to stay quiet, not to leave. But she'd never come back-- Owen couldn't remember anything about her. He often tried to imagine his parents, his mother who had been like him, especially. Yet he couldn't seem to piece together anything about her; not that it mattered--she was probably dead, since she'd never returned for him.

He felt his eyes beginning to water, and he swallowed a lump growing in his throat. Now he was just being ridiculous. Whatever happened had happened-- no use crying about something that had happened ten years ago, something he couldn't change. He lifted his head, and wiped at his wet eyes with a long, dark sleeve. His eyes dried quickly in the cold air, as he started to concentrate on something, anything else. Two lovers holding gloved hands, another homeless kid walking with a hood also pulled over her head, a mother and her daughter, a group of teens laughing, children having a snowballfight... Yet in the back of his mind, he still thought of his younger self sitting under the dark, dirty porch, curled up just like now, crying.

As Noelle walked through the park, she slowly switched from humming to whistling a soft, light-hearted tune. It was even colder outside then it was in the warehouse, but instead of getting upset about it, she bunched her small, pale hands up into her cloak, without letting the hood slip. It was mid-December and the locals were taking notice of the upcoming holidays. A large Christmas tree stood in the middle of the park, towering over the rest of the rather small features that made it up. Noelle was always easily distracted and she found herself stopping her search altogether for a moment to stare up at the tree in awe. "So pretty" She thought out loud, smiling. The tree gave her hope. Whether it was false hope or not, hope is hope. Focus Noelle! Or you'll never complete your goal! a voice that was in fact her own screamed at her from the back of her head. The girl snapped back into action, looking around the park for anything that seemed out of the norm. Nothing seemed to catch her eye until she spotted a boy, maybe a year younger than her, sitting on a bench, his head in his knees. He looked rather depressed, and cold too. She walked closer until she was in sitting distance of the bench, then she sat right down next to him. They were quite a scene sitting next to each other, two cloaked figures, they probably looked homeless. Noelle didn't immediately take notice of the fact he had his hood up, it was a rather cold day and many people were wearing hoods to keep themselves warm. She was born rather curious though, so she started a conversation with the boy. "Is there something troubling you? Are you cold?" She asked him with real concern in her voice.

Kanako bought her groceries quickly and headed back to her small townhouse only a mile from the marketplace. Although she was immortal, her body still reacted poorly to not eating. She had tried once before to starve herself, back when death seemed like the only answer, but it hadn't worked. Now, she was a very thin woman with long flowing pale blonde hair, nearly white. Her eyes used to be bright blue, but they looked grayer and grayer each day. They were the only part of her that seemed to age. As if it mattered anymore, she dressed herself quite traditionally, usually in a kimono or other Japanese style attire. Today though, it was too cold for formalities so she simply wore jeans and a thick long sleeved shirt. As she walked home, her mind wandered in the past. She thought about her husband, whom when she met him was 18 to her 16. She didn't ever consider she'd find love, but James was truly the one for her, she loved him to the very end, and still did, even with half her heart missing. She hadn't planned to have a child so young, only 18, but when you truly love someone and you want to start a family, it's never too young. She was done with schooling anyway. It wasn't until her son, Owen, was born that Kanako would ever love someone as much as James. She loved the child to death, she never let him out of her sight. And when he began to sprout horns from his head, she loved him just as dearly. She assumed at this point, he must be a demon, or dead. How could he have survived so long on his own? He was just a child, a baby. For so long Kanako had given up on searching for him, she had given into the darkness and became somewhat of a hermit. Now, ten years later, she found herself out in the town, out in the open among humans looking for her already teen aged son. Would he even remember her if by some chance they found each other? Would he still love her? Kanako was starting to wonder if she'd even be able to recognize him. She was almost certain she was going to cry, if only she could.

January third, only a few days from now, was his birthday. His 163rd birthday. As Noah walked down the street, busy with people despite the cold and snow, his mind wandered without an end in sight. The cold pushed itself against his face and he buried his mouth into his jacket collar. As he passed a young boy, he noticed how cold his head was and without a pause snatched a knit hat from the boy's head, placing it onto his own without looking back.

Slowly his mind buzzed with a thousand thoughts, memories, ideas that he shouldn't remember but could not forget. He cursed his brain, which remembered everything. He recalled a cold, sterile room and bright, blinding lights. Jumping out of a window, or into a fire. Alcohol poisoning, detox, overdoses. There were endless nights alone on his couch, in a home he'd owned for aabout a decade now. He'd become the master of dissapearing, trading houses every so often, names, bank cards, identification, the works. Someone under the same name in the same place for too long, and the studies could start again.

There was a pain in his temple, suddenly, an agry stab, as a woman with flowing blonde hair walked toward him. Noah looked up as she passed him without a glance, and he stupped and turned around on his heel to face her as she walked away.

"Hey," he called out to get her attention. People passed around them as he stood still in the middle of the walkway. "How long has it been since you lost your innocence?"

Robin walked threw the snow, she hated snow, it reminded her of innocence, the very thing that made her diffrent, made people afraid of her, she shook her head, ridding her brown hair of snow flakes.

She sighed she walked down a empty street, she noticed a woman who was not really a woman now was she? She was a demon she walked over to him a bright smile on her face, it truly matched the innocence of snow, "hello miss" she greeted before stabbing the woman in the stomach, then in the throat, then in the heart before severing her limbs.

The snow now red, the air now colder, the sky now darker, innocence lost dispite the horns on her head.

Konako suddenly looked up, hearing a man's voice. But, the real reason she looked up was the sharp stab of pain in her head. She had felt this feeling before, once. When she finally looked behind her, she saw a tall man with similarly colored hair to her's, he was a demon. He was like her. Since she knew this, Kanako didn't bother with the fake smiles she usually gave humans and just stared him right in the eyes blankly. "I would say about ten years now." She said, quietly calculating. She looked at him from head-to-toe and instantly knew he was older than she was, what really gave it away was his eyes. She didn't know what else to say, so she adjusted the bag of groceries on her shoulder so it wouldn't fall to the ground. She almost turned away, not wanting to get involved with this man, but deep down she still had some wisps of curiosity left in her.

Robin walked slowly out of the empty street now cover with blood, she wiped her hands on and unstained piece of her jacket and slipped on a trench coat she had in her bag.

She walked and walked not really caring where she'd end up, not really noticing all the lights and sirens comming for down the street, but what she did notice was the voice of a man telling her to stop, so she did, the voice told her to turn around, so she did, she was told to keep her hand where he could see them, instead she ran.

She ran into the busy street just next to the empty one, she noticed two demons but ran right past them, this was not the place nor the time for killing them, she ran down an alley, up a stair well and threw the window to her temporary home, she quickly changed her clothes and burnt the one covered in blood, throwing the ashes in the snow before covering them with it. She walked back inside and washed her hands in bleach along with the dagger she had used, after that she walked out of the apartment again. Going back in search of demons, her innocence as tranished as the snow.

(( You clearly didn't read the storyline well, Demons are immortal. ))

Kokano's eyes widened in surprise as first a girl covered in blood--the blood of a demon, she could smell it clearly--ran by followed by two cops cars, their sirens screaming and their lights nearly blinding unsuspecting drivers. "What the hell..?" She thought out loud. It all clicked very quickly though, the girl that had run by was an innocent, and she was murdering demons. Or so she thought. Demons were immortal, she had probably only badly injured the unfortunate demon which got in her way, but he or she would heal in a matter of days. Demons healed very quickly, it was almost tragic. Kokano had never seen anything like this innocent girl before though. She wasn't even aware that innocents were capable of violence, they were always so good and pure. This one was clearly out of her mind, she didn't know anything if she thought she could kill a demon, she was only foolish for hunting them out. She wouldn't last long in this world.

(I know that, but she doesnt)

Owen jumped a little when he heard a voice beside him. He immediately released his legs and returned to a normal sitting position, crossing his arms and blushing a bit. "I-I'm fine." He said, managing to keep his voice level. He didn't tell her to leave him alone, but he hoped she would get the message from his tone. He turned his head slightly to look at the girl, glanced at her for a moment, and then turning back to face forward. She looked a older than him, but not by much and she was also hooded, which he didn't think anything of either. He didn't say anything else, just staring at the feet of passersby, hoping she would take a hint and leave him alone.

Noelle frowned at the boy, who seemed to need some work on his manners. Maybe he was just hungry and that's why he was so grumpy? Noelle shrugged and began to stand up. But, instead of walking away she took her bag off her back and removed a small zip-lock bag with a sandwich inside of it. Noelle actually technically hadn't stolen this, someone had left it lying around on a picnic table nearby and it looked practically untouched, she waited to see if someone would claim it and when no one did she had picked it up. Anyway, she took out the sandwich and put it right down on the boy's lap. "You probably won't appreciate this much.. since it's just a little sandwich, but you look like you could use some food." She said with a kindness in her voice that few could deny. She had always been nice to humans, despite the fact that many of them wanted her dead. She knew they didn't murder her kind without reason, they were simply very fearful creatures. Noelle was starting to get a strange feeling about this boy though, a feeling she hadn't felt before, he felt familiar... almost inhuman. She would have walked away from him at this point if she wasn't so intrigued.

Owen was relieved when she stood up, figuring she was going to leave now. She didn't walk away, though, and he looked over at her curiously. From her bag, she pulled out a sandwich, and he was surprised when she placed it on his lap. He licked his dry lips, realizing how hungry he was-- Owen was used to ignoring discomfort by now. He stared at it for a moment, confused. Realizing that she had given him the food, he still remained confused as to why. No stranger had ever just given him food like this. Most people found him suspicious with his dark clothes and the way his hood was always on. Humans usually wanted to kill him, not feed him. He looked up at her, now curious about this girl who had not only spoken to him--asked him if he was okay, but also given him food. "Uh, thanks." He muttered, finally remembering to thank her. He lifted his head to look at her and his hood slipped back a bit, revealing his dark green eyes and Owen pulled it down again quickly, hoping that she hadn't caught a glimpse of his horns.

Noelle's smile widened when he finally accepted the sandwich. She knew he looked hungry. "You're very welcome." She said happily. He looked up at her suddenly and she took notice to his green eyes, they were nice eyes. But his eyes weren't the only thing holding her gaze, she noticed something odd under that hood of his. Maybe she was just imagining it, maybe she was way too hopeful she had found another person like her.. but they looked like horns to her. How could she possibly ask him about them without scaring him off? Noelle looked around the park, taking note of the people around her. There were too many people here.. she needed to get him somewhere quieter. But.. what if she was wrong about him? What if he was a human and he tried to hurt her or something? This was so tough. Noelle sat back down, pushing a strand of her dark red hair behind her ear and focusing very hard. She almost forgot the boy was there.

((oops!))

Noah narrowed his hazy, silver eyes at the woman. His hair whipped about his facem his curiousity and intrusiveness growing feircely. "Exactly ow sad did you feel," he cocked his head to the side, noticing the fading color of her irises, "when you woke up and realized you were still alive?"
Suddenly his stomach cleched as smelled an overwhelming amount of blood. His own kind's blood.
Curious, he thought, for he'd only smelled a demon's blood few times. Usually it was his. As the smell came closer, his ears caught the soft pat of running footsteps on snow. A small girl ran through the streets, on top of cars. Correction; she was not just a girl; she was an innocent. His heart beat sped up suddenly as he stared in wonder at the innocent with blood all over her. It was simply an impossiblilty. The demons she had injured would surely be after her soon. As she disappeared, however, Noah turned his head back quicly to the girl in front of him.

Kokano's face transformed when this man spoke. Her eyes became sadder than before, her forehead creased. There was an unfathomable amount of pain in the look on her face. She was also a little angry. What right did this stranger have asking her questions like these? Who did he think he was anyway? She looked at the man once again, he was quite a bit taller than her, and his eyes were fierce, determined. She knew that if he really wanted an answer from her, he would get it regardless, he was an elder. Kokano was smart enough to know how to avoid a fight, unlike the innocent girl who had just run by. "I don't really know... at first I was shocked I was alive at all. But as soon as consciousness really hit me, it felt like half my heart was missing, and every time it beat it hurt as badly as a beast's sharp claws digging into my chest. I hate this life like nothing else, but right now there's a chance I'm still needed here..." Kokano thought of her son as she looked up at this man. She wondered if he had lost someone dear to him too, she wondered if he was even capable of feeling love anymore. She was still young, her emotions were weak, but they were still there. But for how long?

Noah tilted his head back a little, still looking at her, surprised she had acutally answered his question. Surely he'd seen the anger on her face, if for a split second. He would have regretted it completely, for her face had also shown how distraught she really was, except he wasn't much for empathizing tonight. He'd become less and less apt to feeling kindness towards other beings like himself, and instead was only curious (to say the least). Stuffing his hand into his deep pockets, Noah felt a short stab of pain in his chest. He realized vaguely that this was not his own, and wondered what emotion in her could have been so prominent to make him feel the same. The innocent they had just seen running through the streets with a demon's blood was not enough to anguish over. What was it she had left behind?

He did not know why he was so interested in the demon woman with white-blonde hair, however he shifted his weight and nodded in her general direction. "Name's Noah."

"You have to spend the rest of your life running from beings like me. If you escape that is. Demons will always attack you, always try to spill your blood. Like I will soon attempt to do so...."


Words from three years ago, when she first discovered the secrets of innocents and demons, echoed in Selena Laurens' mind as she walked, wearing a black fedora in an attempt to hid her horns. Besides that, she was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt emblazoned with the words "Come to the dark side, we have cookies." The shirt in itself seemed a little ironic to her, seeing as she was fleeing from "the dark side" in a way. But when you were on the run, scrimmaging your clothes from wherever you could, you were grateful for whatever you could get. "Maybe I can get some food here." Selena found herself in a crowded marketplace, shivering. "And a jacket." Hers had been lost a few days ago, during a battle with a demon. He had managed to strip her jacket from her while going for her hair. She was lucky to escape, and had counted the jacket as unneeded. Oh how wrong she was. Shivering again, the 16 year old innocent wrapped her arms around herself and wove her way through the crowd, eyes searching around for any sign of a demon that might attack her. Her thick black snowboots that she had retrieved from a trashcan had a hole in the bottom, which snow continued to seep into. "God it's freezing..." Selena exhaled, watching with dismay the small cloud of her breath as it floated away. "God..."

"Demons? Innocents?" She froze in her steps, feeling overwhelmed. "Nearby. Just keep walking Selena, you'll be fine." Swallowing, she walked on until she came to a vendor who was selling coats. He was surrounded by a crowd, so her plan looked like it would go flawlessly. As soon as the man turned his back to the crowd, Selena grabbed a long black trenchcoat and sped off as fast as she could, nearly crying out with joy as the warmth surrounded her. "Better. But I still sense Demons and Innocents." She pulled her hat over her eyes and walked on, feeling a shiver travel down her spine once more. Not from warmth.

But from fear.

Adelaide entered the marketplace with little emotion reaching her face. She plastered on a simple smile, as if pretending to be content would do anything for her. She titled her head to the side as she surveyed what some of the sellers had in stock, only to find that there was nothing she could possibly find interest in here. She couldn't even remember why she came here, she never seemed to buy anything.

"Maybe it's so I can feel a little..." She began as she continued on her way through the marketplace, catching sight of a lovely scarf that was on display in a nearby store's window. Adel couldn't hold back her excitement as she made her way towards it, practically gluing her face onto the glass that separated her from the display as she tried to read the receipt.

A sigh of disappointment escaped her pursed lips as she read the amount. "Too much... why does everything have to be so damn expensive!?!?" She cried out in mock pain, smashing her fist against the glass as it cracked in response. Her voice was loud enough for any passers by to turn towards her to see what she was complaining about. Her expression twisted into discomfort as she saw the long cracks that ran across the flawless window, all of them receded to one location, where her balled fist rested against its icy-cold surface.

"Wow... I wonder who did that?" She laughed nervously, slithering away from the scene as she felt her back come into contact with someone else’s. A curse escaped her lips as she turned, an innocent smile plastered on her face as she looked at them, hoping that another scene wouldn’t be in her near future.

Kokano watched Noah's facial expressions carefully as he took in what she had said. She decided he was a good enough person, expressing as much emotion as he could handle at this point. "Kokano" she said, holding out her small, pale hand for him to shake. She then decided it was her own chance to ask some questions, she had answered his with full honest and she hoped he would be kind enough to do the same. "So, Noah, are you alone? Or are you acquainted with other demons?" She asked out of the pure curiosity of the idea that there were others like her.

Noah eyed her hand, unsure of what to do. Of course he knew how to shake hands. However he hadn't seen another demon in years, let alone touched one. He wasn't sure he could handle it at this point. He stared with his eyes narrowed, absorbing every detail, from the folds of her clothing to the label on the grocery bag. It seemed hid intrusiveness had made her just as curious.

"I... Have been associated with others. However they are all gone now." he remembered hazy faces, who all worked so hard to become innocents, and in the same time becoming evil beasts which steal life blood from another. He suddenly became disheartened. "Hiw have you come to be here alone?"