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Snippet #2454771

located in New York City, New York, a part of Somewhere Between the Fallen and the Damned, one of the many universes on RPG.

New York City, New York

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Character Portrait: Asmodeus Character Portrait: Kazehana Fuhen
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About a week later, it was Kazehana’s day off from training, and so she could have spent it anywhere. Naturally, she chose to spend it in her apartment, like a loser, watching nature documentaries and trying to pick her classes for next semester. She honestly didn’t know why she was doing it—chances were, things would only get worse for them in the future, and she probably wouldn’t have time to even go to class, let alone keep up with all the work. Sure, she’d done well in her classes this semester—her grades were stellar as they’d always been, but she’d been able to feel the weariness creeping up on her at the end, and suddenly, whether she went for a third semester of p-chem or used the time for a genetics lab didn’t seem very important anymore.

Though she did kind of wonder what readings she’d get if she put some of her own DNA into one of the machines. Did Annunaki have extra alleles or something, or would she just look like an ordinary human being? What genes encoded her powers? It was an interesting question. Checking the box for the genetics lab, she sighed and tossed the paper onto the table. It was clear she wasn’t going to find any real rest sticking around, so she headed for the bathroom, loosing her hair as she went. She’d shower, then just wander around for a while, maybe.

Another hour found her on the roof of her apartment building. It was totally deserted up here except for a few potted plants and some chairs, since it was really too cold for most sane people to bother enjoying the vista. Kaz, as she had accepted about herself, wasn’t really all that sane, so it was probably fine. There was something about looking out at a whole city full of people that made her feel like maybe, it would all be worth something in the end. Hell, she didn’t even like most people that much, but that didn’t mean they weren’t worth saving, right? She’d always thought so. Maybe it was just her dad getting to her or something. “You’d think with all the fancy powers, someone would have thought to include flying,” she muttered, looking down. She wasn’t afraid of heights; quite to the contrary, she liked the altitude, but flying would have been pretty cool.


Because flying, my dear, is something reserved for the angels, which you are only half of, I'm afraid. As cynical and blunt as ever, Asmodeus' voice brushed the edge of her mind, lightly. They had seen enough of each other's minds and pasts that there was actually quite little that they didn't know about each other anymore. Kazehana knew his involvement in Morgan's fall, just as he knew about the time she beat the crap out of a girl because she had called Tsuki a snob. That particular memory had made the demon laugh. It was nothing less than he expected from her.

It was because of this that the two of them now shared such a close link in their minds as they did. While Asmodeus was well aware that it wasn't smart, he had found himself caring less and less, until it reached the point that he no longer needed an excuse such as training to initiate something as simple as a conversation with her in order to hear her voice. Screw it not being smart, it was downright dangerous. But Asmodeus was not like Asaroth. He would not pursue anything unless given a push in said direction; especially considering he knew Morgan's own feelings for the girl.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't indulge himself from time to time.


Kaz smiled mentally, communicating as much over the link without any words. She could do that, now, send images or feelings rather than words as such. It was easy, especially with him, just another sign of the progress they’d been making, she supposed. Well, half and a bit, she pointed out. Her mother had been a Watcher, after all—she supposed that meant there was angelic blood back there somewhere. She slowly let down the rest of the barriers that protected her thoughts, so that he could just be in her head, even see the view through her eyes, if he wanted. What do you see, when you look at something like this? At all those people, moving around and living their lives, without the faintest real idea that you exist, that there’s this whole thing going on that could affect their very existence? She couldn’t decide if she was jealous or not, actually.

There was so much about this, about everything, that she loved. She’d come to know some seriously amazing people, and she’d always be grateful for that. But knowing what she did had also opened her eyes to the fact that there really were things out there to be afraid of, even for the people who spent their time fighting off the threats. There was a real and present danger that at any time, something bad could happen to any of them. That was what the incident a week before had shown her. And now, when she looked at the world, it looked a little more like glass. So when she saw all this, more than anything, she saw something to be protected. She’d used to think that people went about their lives selfishly, and that they should be forced to see things as they really were. But
 now it was more like
 the ability to be selfish was a gift, and a choice that she shouldn’t want to take away from anyone. Because the fact that they had it meant they were safe a little longer.

Where are you, anyway? she asked through the link. He seemed to be masking his location from her, whether intentionally or not, she didn't know. He’d know where she was—she wasn’t hiding anything from him at this point. Well, almost. There was a little tiny bit of what she was that was still closed off, but it had always been such. It might be the one place in her head he’d never been.


There was a slight chuckle from Asmodeus' mind. She was so open now, and blunt, always so blunt. Kazehana asked the questions that she knew needed to be asked, regardless of the fact that most other people would be unwilling to, just to avoid offending someone. I used to be quite the demon, I suppose...after my fall I saw nothing but hatred, greed, the sins that make demons exactly what we are. I was a hypocrite and often blamed them for my own mistakes. It lessened slightly, after reuniting with Caspar and Morgan, but to me, it was still quite an ugly place to me. I couldn't let go of my rage, my anger, and instead, I buried it. There was a flicker of a smile, along with something of a caress from his end, like a finger across a cheek. And then a certain someone came along and turned everything I thought I knew upside down. Demons are supposed to be exempt from certain feelings, yet you have proven that wrong. You made me remember, and for that...I am grateful. The world is once again a beautiful thing to look at, and for that I thank you.

The shadows on the roof behind her swelled, and with a soft hiss, Asmodeus stepped out of them. He was wearing his usual get-up, dark jeans, a black sleeveless shirt and a black sleeveless leather trench coat. It off-set his white hair, and often earned him quite a few strange looks, considering it was December and he was walking around sleeveless. But then, his whole realm in Hell was ice, so the cold was something he thrived in. "Shadow travel warps the fabric of the time-space continuum. That's why you're not able to figure out exactly where I am." He grinned toothily at her, his red eyes ablaze.


It was strange, how a touch that wasn’t even there could feel so much like it was. Kaz shivered slightly, then shook her head, pulling her coat more tightly around her. She turned the thoughts over in her mind for a while, nodding over the link. I suppose if what happened to you had happened to me, I would have thought much the same. She knew she was a lucky person, really, to have been given the life she had. It was far from perfect, but the thing about it was, she’d never been truly alone in her entire existence. She’d always had someone there for her who loved her, even if, like her dad, they hadn’t always been in the best position to show it. She supposed that maybe it was being loved that made her able to see things the way she did.

When she shadows shifted behind her, Kaz turned, leaning back against the roof railing, and crossed her arms over her chest. She may not be able to locate him exactly, but she did know when he was near. She returned the grin, and it occurred to her, not for the first time, how beautiful his eyes were. Of course, unlike the last time she’d thought so, he was presently in her head, so there was really no escaping the fact that he knew that now. Oh well. It wasn’t like she shouldn’t think so, right? “Hello, stranger,” she said with a heavy dose of irony. “What a coincidence, meeting you here.” She was glad to see him though—their conversations, idle or otherwise, were something she always looked forward to.


Asmodeus smirked slightly, walking over and leaning against the railing next to her. "That's a dangerous thing to think, about a demon's eyes. Do you know why we all have red eyes?" It was a simple question, as was the answer. His breath evaporated into clouds of smoke as he talked. He wondered, and not for the first time, why he had come. He always found the answer when she smiled at him. Just seeing her always made him feel better somehow, and he also no longer thought of Yuimei. Every time he tried, he always pictured Kazehana. In every essence of the word, she had replaced her, completely.

Kazehana quirked an eyebrow at the question, casting back over her memories of things she’d learned about demons. While she had a lot of information about how to fight this or that type, or how to stop herself from being possessed, she realized that she actually knew relatively little about the details like this one. Humming a contemplative syllable, she leaned slightly to the side, so that her shoulder connected with Asmodeus’s bicep. She was tempted to lean her head on his shoulder, but for the moment refrained. That might be a bit too much, all things considered. “I don't, actually,” she admitted freely, shrugging her free shoulder a bit. There were, of course, a lot of color associations that could be made. Red was the color of blood, of fire, and in some representations, of sin, but she doubted it was something so simple as that.

Asmodeus found himself chuckling again. He thought about how to explain it. "Red is normally considered the color that represents sin and the soul. Demons are largely considered to be soulless. This isn't exactly the case, but our eyes represent just how far we've fallen, to show as a reminder that we can never go back to what we once were. So to say that they are beautiful is rather...not normal." He leaned into her shoulder, his cheek connecting with the top of her head for a second while he spoke. "Though I thank you for the compliment."

Kaz took in a deep breath, then released it in something like a contented sigh. It was a sound that she was honestly somewhat surprised to hear coming from herself, but it was there anyway. Demon or no, he was warm, and her cheeks may have pinked slightly from the familiar closeness. It was something a little different in kind, from the proximity she shared with any of the others. These were all thoughts that happened in that little part of herself that she kept closed away, though.

In the end, though, she pulled away a little, if only to readjust. The arm closest to him sought the lapel of his trenchcoat, and she gripped it firmly, looking up at him. Her eyes were at once fierce and tender, her brows furrowed and a small frown on her face. “Just so we’re clear,” she said, her tone serious, “Nothing about any of us is normal, and I don’t believe that anyway. It sounds to me like the same kind of bullshit thinking that makes everyone assume that demons are evil just because they’re demons. Morgan isn’t evil, and neither are you, As. Anyone can change—just look at me. And frankly, I’m not sure you even should. I kind of like you the way you are, for the record.” She released his coat, clearing her throat and dropping her eyes to her shoes for a moment. That hadn’t come out exactly the way she’d intended it to sound, but
 well, it probably made her point anyway.

She could be kinda stupid, sometimes.


Asmodeus looked down at her, his face one of surprise at her comments. When she was finished, the demon began to laugh. It was a warm sound, one that was powerful, and hinted a slight undertone of danger. He lowered his eyes to her face, smiling down as she stared down at her feet. The demon hooked a slender white finger underneath her chin, so that she had to look up at him. There was an odd kind of warmth to his eyes as he smiled softly. "Just as I more than kind of like you the way you are, Kaz."

With a sudden impulse, he leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead. The height difference made it easy for him, he didn't have to bend very far at all.


Kazehana’s eyes fluttered shut at the gentle press of his lips to her forehead, and she swallowed thickly. Oh, screw it! She’d never been one to beat around bushes, and the not knowing was killing her a little bit. Slowly, and with a hesitance that was not usually in her repertoire, she allowed the barriers around that last little part of her mind to dissolve, flooding their shared consciousness with all the parts of herself that he did not know. The fear of losing one of them, of losing him. Of failing to do what she needed to do to protect them. Her affections for each of them—and the way that her affection for him was different, laced with a crimson thread of desire. Her reservations, because she knew he had given his heart once before, and it had ended badly for him. She could not, would not, expect him to give it again, and that laced her emotions with a certain kind of melancholy. The way something beneath her skin, in the very core of her person, heated to a burn when he touched her, even a little.

These were Kazehana’s secrets, and they were few, but they were mighty. She gave them to him, then, because she did not want to keep them to herself any longer. Or rather, because she did not think she could. It was her reservations, about what she might not be to him, that had held her back before. But he was giving her a little bit of hope, and she had to know if his words, if his gestures, meant what she wanted to believe they meant. Opening her eyes again, she forced herself to look up at him, the expression in them raw and bare. She was vulnerable, oh so vulnerable, and she’d just given the ability to exploit that to a demon. But he wasn’t, to her. A demon or a fallen or anything else. He was just Asmodeus, someone she cared about enough that it scared her.


He had not been prepared for the sudden flow of feelings and emotions that the simple action he had performed elicited from her, but he was not overly shocked. There was something in his eyes when she looked at him, something akin to sorrow and longing, of years of being alone, and something else. His own response was one that showed her the inner turmoil that he had been going through, of not knowing where they stood, of not knowing what he meant to her, while he would gladly give the last shred of his humanity if it meant it could save her.

He couldn't recall what Yuimei looked like any longer, they were just hazy images of something long ago, replaced by ones of a girl who had more spunk than sense, and it was that attitude that was exactly what drew him to her. The looks, the gestures, the conversations in the middle of the night when she couldn't sleep, everything that meant so much to him, was relayed silently through the link they shared. No words were needed, and none were spoken.

Each of his hands were placed on her shoulders as he stood in front of her, and with slight trepidation, as if he was afraid he might break her, his arms encircled her, drawing her to him as he lowered his face to her, their lips brushing softly, hesitantly.


The images and thoughts that he reciprocated did manage to floor Kazehana. She had never imagined that any of those things had mattered to him at all, and yet
 relief flooded her system, some of the tension draining from her visibly, only to return in a very different fashion when his hands slid from her shoulders to twine around her back. His lips brushed hers, and she sensed the hesitation in it. Well, she wasn’t having any of that. Not when they’d come this far.

She pressed herself more firmly against him, running her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and spearing her fingers into his hair. She stood on her toes to approximate his height, slanting her mouth over his with much more certainty. Her nails scrubbed over his scalp just lightly, and she smiled against his mouth. You’re not going to hurt me Asmodeus, she murmured lowly into his mind, At least, not in any way I don’t like.


That really was the only invitation the Demon needed as he captured her mouth with his. He had long since given up on anything even remotely close to this, that someone, anyone, could love him, truly, with no reservations. The longing, loneliness, and desire was conveyed through touch, as well as a sense of belonging. He was no longer just drifting through the world, he had a reason to do what he would do, a reason to live. And it was her.

Pain lanced through the demon's body, and he abruptly pulled away from the woman in his arms. A mixture of shock and confusion crossed his face as he stepped back, away from her, holding his head. A soft grunt escaped him as he fell to his knees. An upsurge of energy exploded from somewhere deep within him, and without warning and with even less of an explanation, two wings of midnight black sprouted from the demon's back. The look of utter sorrow only deepened when Asmodeus looked up at the sky. He was crying.

It wasn't a complete form of forgiveness. He knew that. He was still a Prince, but...some part of him, his transgressions, they had left him, a great weight being lifted from his shoulders. And he had his wings back.


Kazehana was initially very worried when he seemed suddenly to stiffen and push away from her. She could feel his pain, rebounding through their mental connection. It was a little like she imagined being flayed must feel, but there was something else, too, like a weight was being removed from her—his, she supposed—chest. “As?” she asked, frowning and kneeling beside him. She was halfway to reaching out for his shoulder when she was stopped by the sudden eruption of energy, which forced her to shield her face from it with the arm she’d been using. When it was over, she lowered it, blinking.

For a second, she couldn’t really think of anything to say, or what to do, because this was so far out of the range of what was normal, even for them, that she found there simply were no words. Then again
 maybe words weren’t really necessary. Scooting closer, she wrapped her arms around him, mindful of the extra appendages, and rested her head on his shoulder. It was obvious that this was as much, or more, of a shock to him as it was to her, and she could think of no other way to help.

After a few minutes, she pulled back a little, her own eyes not entirely dry, and tried for a small smile. “Reserved for the angels, huh?” she asked, a trace of playfulness reentering her tone.


Asmodeus found himself laughing through the tears, his own arms encircling her again. "Hey, don't ask me. This is all new territory for me."