Author note: The tie-breaker never came… so I broke it myself. From now on I'll only give two choices to maybe circumvent this issue. As for that this might be a failed attempt at making everyone happy but I tried, I swear!
Clocksworkapprentice: Bingo! Yes, I did. But my demons and reapers are differently formed than the ones in Kuro as are the reasons for their existence. All I got from Kuro was the contract and the idea of demons at all. And it was your choice of 'C' that got used for this chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Germandelight: A demon with love? We shall see... certainly wouldn't be the strangest thing I've done by a long shot! As for Nathaniel he has his own OC story of mine out now. So this will be a strict competition between Lysander and Castiel only. I hope you vote on the choices and enjoy.
Rose14799: oh yay your here too? I love having people who read all my stories, makes me feel special. Forget what Nettie can handle, I couldn't handle Grell! He'd have me curled up in bed hiding if I tried to write him out. I have a small scene with Castiel, hope you enjoy!
Apocalupticandrea: There will be a big Deborah scene next chapter for you. I ran out of words... I sorry. But you sound like me. I love all the guys too! I hope you enjoy this one too!
Results!
A tie in every way... -_- My bad... I did my best to accomodate every one though!
Disclaimer: No… stop making me admit this.
Chapter start
The air chilled perceptively and Dimitri felt the goose flesh rise on his new preys flesh as he waited.
Only feet from them the shadows began to meld and shift almost sickeningly until finally they formed into the outline of a cloaked male with spiky red hair and a scythe. Dimitri bowed mockingly as the man glowered at him.
Redolphus was not happy. His pigment less eyes dropped down to where Nettie was hanging loosely by a single palm. If the demon moved that hand she would drop to the ground cruelly like a broken doll whose strings had been cut. How long, he wondered bleakly, until she learned she had signed herself over to being but a puppet in Dimitri's cold grasp? He was aware her soul had already been fed from; it was fluttering and circulating weakly under the demonic spell holding it down.
"Her fate was to die," he spat finally.
"It would seem her fate is always to die, every life. Is it any shock she would finally make a bid to an end," Dimitri mocked him with a smile.
"Damn it why are you always in my way?! Why can't you just stick to corrupt souls?"
"I fear I'm much too refined for such mess. As you know."
Redolphus swallowed as he clung to his scythe all the tighter. This truly was his fault. The reason Dimitri was so corrupt, why he was twisted, and why his job as a reaper was so difficult.
Dimitri was disgusted thoroughly as he looked over the reaper, the man he had known while living centuries ago. The man had once had the most luxurious golden locks and tanned skin from the long days spent working in the sun. Those muscles were gone, the hair dimmed and the flesh was repulsive in its loss of pigment. That was the fate of reapers. They were nothing, they were everything. And thusly they had no distinctive features, nothing to tell them apart beyond the voice. They all wore the horrible grey cloak that swirled like smoke in the air even when no breeze stirred.
That gorgeous male Dimitri had known had been a cover, a sham, a false god.
Demons were the opposite side of that coin death used as a calling card. They were the thieves of souls, the one who brought the true eternity of nothingness, total loss of emotions beyond the darker toned ones. Where reapers safeguarded a soul until its time of rebirth a demon tarnished it until vanishing it into nothing. In order to be successful hunters they too lost their original forms, becoming like air until they were summoned or they needed a corporal form to couple or fight with.
This current form was a result of Nettie. As soon as he had been brought to her he read her soul in a single taste of the air and became everything she needed to force a lowering of her guard. He did not have a true form, always becoming what the people he was contracted to or around expected him to be or needed him to be.
"It's the fate of some souls to suffer in order to better the livelihood of others," Redolphus said in a quiet voice as he swallowed his guilt again. It tasted no better this time than the other times. "Please for once show mercy for someone. The fate you'll give her is entirely more horrific than what we do by leading her."
Dimitri smirked and a throaty laugh escaped him. The reaper should have known that fact better than them all. Very deliberately he lifted his newest prey into his arms bridal style and challenged the reaper his claim. Redolphus ground his teeth together but he didn't move. It would take far stronger than abilities than his to break a contract between a human and a demon without being dyed by the dark taint and he would certainly lose horribly if he tried. His only choice was to alert a higher up and hope it could be broken before a bond could be formed in the soul for the demon as well.
Dimitri smirked when he dissolved and he was left with his charge. It had been expected and he had received nothing less than what he knew would happen. Still it wasn't as though he would have minded being able to use claws to shred the reaper.
Nettie rolled and groaned, feeling so very achy and weak. The bed was much softer than usual and it smelled faintly of lavender, confusing her greatly. Soft and heady…
Nettie's head shot up and she gasped in pain as her head split and everything in her protested the movement, her stomach rolling and she turned her head away to what she hoped was the floor as she choked and gagged.
"You shouldn't move so swiftly for a few hours yet."
Nettie felt a cool hand press against her forehead and she leaned into it, reaching up to grasp it with shaky limbs and she clung.
Dimitri felt a small satisfaction when she actually kissed the hand gently, lips petal soft against the smooth skin. Already she was bonding to his energy, proof lying in the fact she craved his soothing touch and had been eased of some of her sickness by his nearness. Redolphus would soon be too late if he intended to save this girl.
"Why do I feel so horrible," she muttered.
"I fed from your soul if you recall."
But that felt good!" the protest was weak.
"Of course it did. However it was still part of you. Human ailments are really nothing more than the soul being battered beyond weakness, lowering the bodies' ability to fight things off."
Nettie nodded as she finally felt alive enough to glance around. She was in a gorgeous room… it was old fashioned but she had a feeling the furniture was steady and used and she loved it all the more for that. It was done up in polished wood and aesthetically pleasing.
"Where are we," she asked groggily. "And how long have we been here?"
"This is a house I acquired three nights ago, soon after you fainted. It's relatively close to the school, also to where you live with your Aunt. However that arrangement has been… terminated, as of last night."
"What? Three days? What about school! And what did you do to my Aunt?!" the fragile bond tensed and he felt the discord traveling up it as it singed his contract to her.
"I called in and explained you were filling ill," Dimitri soothed her coaxingly and sat beside her to comb his fingers through her hair. "As for the Aunt I did nothing untoward to her. She held no custody over you; your mother never signed it over. I simply persuaded the judges to list you as an independent. You are free to make your own choices now. To live here or at your Aunt's," he clarified when she looked confused.
It was all too much. Nettie had almost believed she had dreamed him up yet that pleasant thought had been shot upon wakening. So it had all been true. She had formed a contract with something that would be the guaranteed death of her. A proverbial leech, who would feed from her constantly until he closed the curtains on her eyes, that came wrapped in the form of a Greek god. Smooth, Nettie… nice execution of avoiding dangerous men.
At the least… it didn't matter really beyond a moment to let it all sink in. She was going to die… she had an expiration date. It was almost surreal. At the least she wouldn't die alone and with him here, she felt that loneliness seep away. That horribly choked feeling of being lost and without an anchor in a storm when the whole school had turned against her was dissipating to a dull throbbing in her chest because she had a guaranteed person to stand beside her now.
"You'll be late for school if you don't hurry," he mentioned suddenly and she found she had fallen into his arms.
She blushed red and yanked from him and jumped from the bed. She pointedly ignored the way he was cocking an amused brow at her. "Where are my clothes?"
Dimitri gestured to a closed door behind her. "I took the liberty of purchasing some things for you. I hope they please you."
Was she imagining the faint line of sarcasm in his tone?
She imagined she must have been for when she flung the door open she was startled by just how few of the pieces were her own clothes. The closet was stuffed unhealthily full with numerous things that still held price tags. Her eyes goggled out of her head when she tugged one forward for examination and saw the price.
"Dimitri! I can't wear these!" She said as she began flicking through them all.
"Why ever not," he asked with a small chuckle.
"They're too expensive. What were you thinking? Where did the money even come from-," a thought crossed her brain. "Please tell me I won't be hearing about a bank robbery or several if I turn on the news."
Dimitri hid his next smile. Humans were such interesting specimens. "You won't."
"Dimitri!"
"I am a demon my dear girl. I've had centuries, a millennia nearly, to total it up in various ways for my own amusements."
A snag of unease filtered through her and she swallowed any more complaint or protest she might have voiced. Eventually, he thought, that would go from her and she would be as demanding and needy as his other many, many 'masters'.
He took her to school. She didn't bother asking where he got the car, thankful only that it was black and fairly nondescript. It wasn't until she was prepared to get out that she hesitated.
He had anticipated it and smirked at her lightly. "Faltering already?"
It caused her to glare at him and he dropped his smile to look almost cold, making her shudder. "Honestly… those humans in there aren't worth your concern. Once they betray you once they'll do so again so it would be best if you forgot such things and simply went about your own remaining time."
"Easy for you to say," she muttered.
He clucked his tongue disapprovingly before he got out of the car. Nettie felt her eyes go wide when he was suddenly on the other side to open her door and held out his hand for hers.
"My strength is yours to use dear girl. All you need do is call my name."
"Promise?"
"I swear it," he responded and she gave him her hand allowing him to pull her from the car. She didn't protest when he kissed her hand. "I swear to come whenever you call by our contract and this kiss."
Nettie felt a little better about going into the school and leaving him behind. It was odd but she swore she could still feel him near, his presence. It must have been the contract, surely. What else could it possibly be?
She wasn't expecting that as soon as she entered the school there would be Castiel and Deborah. Locked in an embrace as obvious as a slap to the cheek. Deborah must have seen her from the corner and she pulled away. It didn't help when other eyes focused on her and she remembered that she was the enemy here.
"I can't believe she had the nerve to come back," one voice whispered.
"She shouldn't have."
"What a bitch."
"God and did you see the guy she was with just now? Didn't take her long to turn those tears off and spread her legs for another guy did it?"
"Three days though? Sounds like a street deal to me!"
It was on the tip of her tongue to call for Dimitri already. He couldn't have gotten far in the car after all. Castiel had pulled away and was now looking at her. She dropped her gaze immediately, unable to face him with his cruel words mixing in her head with what her other classmates were saying. Even Alexy was against her and that stung since she had been so close to him especially.
The first syllable of his name was from her mouth before she felt arms wrap her in a hug. She tensed and prepared to shove until she recognized the perfume Rosalya wore. Rather than shove away she relaxed until she remembered again Castiel's words and she tried to yank away.
Castiel saw the small panicked look that crossed Nettie's face and knew he was the cause. She took things too literally and he knew he had been unnecessarily cruel. God did it hurt to see her try and get away from Rosalya when he knew the two were close as sisters normally. But he was still angry and with Deborah beside him he was able to hold onto it with true stubbornness.
"I don't think so. Lys and I were so worried about you, you idiot!" Rosalya said and Nettie heard the choked emotion in the words. It was that more than anything that made her relax again.
Lysander was there too and he frowned heavily as the whispers started up again. He caught Castiel's gaze and saw the annoyance in them as he publicly declared he was on Nettie's side by being beside her and dropping a hand onto her head to ruffle the black strands.
He did not want to be against Castiel. Yet he knew that this was the correct course for him.
Deborah hid her irritation when she saw that she hadn't crushed the little annoyance fully.
Rosalya pulled away and smiled as she touched the wet cheek of Nettie's. Her friend didn't smile back but she did lift her own hand to grab Rosalya and the two clung. Finally they smiled at each other and a small giggle came from Nettie's lips.
"You have some serious explaining to do girlfriend!"
Rosalya pulled her along behind her and Lysander followed. The silver haired girl caused them both to sweat-drop when she put her hands on her hips and bellowed at the gathered students until they moved out of their way and they could go into the courtyard.
It wasn't until they were all settled at a picnic table that she found herself under the golden eyes and the heterochromatic ones.
"Now then. Where have you been?"
Nettie didn't have a proper response. Though Dimitri hadn't said she couldn't talk about him she was sure it wouldn't lead to anything good. In fact it would lead to a hospital. As in mental ward. Nobody would believe she had contracted with a demon who spoke like he lived in the Victorian era and had claimed to be centuries older than that even!
Hell. She didn't believe it herself…
"I was… with a friend." what a stretch.
"That good looking guy from before," Rosalya asked and Nettie nodded. It seemed more people than she had thought had seen him getting her from the car. "We'll talk about him later. Where does he get those clothes though?"
"They were rather nice," Lysander said softly.
"Right?" Rosalya nodded. "Any way… I want you to swear to me."
Nettie glanced up at her a little wearily. "What?"
"Swear to me that you will never, ever, run off like this again! And you can't be so reckless in traffic again," Rosalya said seriously.
"But-" Nettie opened her mouth to deny things but Lysander cut her off cleanly.
"You didn't see it… how close that car came to hitting you that day. It's a true miracle it didn't do so."
She had a feeling she knew where the 'miracle' had come from.
"For all Rosalya knew you might have been killed or abused and left to rot in some alley."
"… I'm sorry," she whispered. Her only defense was that having her soul fed from seemed to have wrecked her body but that wasn't a card she could play.
"Just promise that next time you'll talk to us before the theatrical vanishing act," Rosalya said and grabbed her hand.
"Okay then."
"Aw how sweet. Excuse me while I wipe the vomit from my mouth."
The three friends turned to see Deborah there and she blinked, her pleasant smile more of a sneer now.
"So you came back? How pathetic! I figured you'd have been in a puddle a little bit longer at least."
"What do you want," Nettie asked a little wearily.
"Just wanted to say how fun it'll be to keep you down," the singer answered in a sickeningly sweet voice.
Nettie made to rise, wanting nothing more than to tear the eyelids from the monster before her, blood boiling. Rosalya grabbed both her hands and Lysander shook his head subtly. It boiled her worse that she felt her urge subside under both their looks.
"She isn't worth getting suspended over," Rosalya told her lowly.
"You're such a waste of life," she hissed between tight teeth when she knew she couldn't do anything else to her.
"If that's all you got then I can't believe anyone ever saw anything in you," Deborah laughed.
"You should leave now. We're all well aware that you aren't as nice as you like to claim," Lysander spoke slowly as though he was speaking to an idiot.
Deborah sniffed and giggled. "I used to think you had some class. Now I see you're just as much a freak as those two are."
Lysander didn't even blink. "I'm asking you to please go and spew your venom elsewhere. Surely that isn't too hard for you to comprehend?"
Deborah left and Rosalya got up too, muttering about getting some drinks. Lysander sat in the space she had just vacated. Nettie gave him a look.
"Thanks…"
Lysander studied her and she thought she must have imagined the softening in his miscolored eyes. "I wish you would not make that face. I much prefer you smiling."
Nettie felt a small thrum of her heart but she was more raw than anything else. Still for him she tried to give a smile. It was an unconvincing pull of the lips that couldn't even reach her eyes and it sat incorrectly on her face, making him frown.
"I do not like it when you try to force yourself to be happy."
"But I want to be… happy, that is, again."
"You will be. Life goes on and it isn't possible for you to remain sad forever. Ten years from now we'll all think about this and recall it fondly."
Except… she only had two years now. And she had done that herself. And Dimitri had told her he'd make her happy. She just had to be patient.
Still Rosalya didn't show back up for half an hour and the two had a nice talk. By the end of it she could say the smile she gave him was genuine and he smiled all the more warmly for it.
When it came time for second period she made the decision to skip. They left her alone and she dropped to cradle her head in her arms. What was she going to do about Deborah and Castiel? Did she even have the right?
Maybe she should do as Dimitri said and let them all fall on their asses.
It must have been like the devil because there was Castiel suddenly. "We need to talk."
"I don't think we do," Nettie said softly. Dimitri, I need strength now…
The thought was almost immediately followed by a sudden rush of warmth and she breathed deep, recognizing the feeling of his presence. He wasn't with her but he had given her something and it steadied her immensely. Enough so that when Castiel grabbed her she was able to shove him away.
"I'm serious! About what I said I-"
"-Don't want to hear it!" Nettie snapped back with the sudden rush of anger she felt. "You made your feelings quiet clear. So now you can listen to mine. You don't get to just come back and think I'll forgive you. I never will!"
Before he could protest she rushed off and into the woods. Of course he followed her and was annoyed further by the way the bushes and trees blocked him. Castiel yelled her name but she didn't respond, rejecting him.
Nettie fell next to a pool of water and angrily slammed her fist through its surface when she saw the bitter tears on her cheeks. Despite the tears that told her she was still miserable she felt angry.
Where was it all coming from?
"It's because Dimitri is a demon. All the darkness he has is too much for you to master in a single day. He sent you too much of his 'help'."
She jerked up and glanced behind her but there wasn't anyone there. Still there was now a presence and she tensed as she knew it was there.
"I came to talk only. There are things you need to know. Things only I can explain to you. Dimitri never will, even if you commanded him to."
"Who are you?"
The air chilled and she was shocked to actually see her breath. Shadows that hadn't been there before formed and swirled and she gasped again and took a step back. A figure was there suddenly with a cloak that seemed to be made of grey mist. She followed it up, heart pounding with sudden fear, and then she saw that horrifying and empty face.
A scream tore from her throat and it sent a call of terror through her. Her foot slipped and she fell into the far from clean pond and swallowed some of the water as she kept screaming. She choked on it and when she broke surface she immediately tried to swim away, peddling back to move away.
"Please stay calm Nettie," Redolphus tried to sooth her, letting his scythe dissolve into shadow again.
But she was having none of it as she finally clawed onto the opposite bank and shivered in terror.
"Go away!" She shrieked.
"Please it is about Dimitri!"
That got through to her and she calmed a degree. She decided too…
End chapter
Author note: … she decided to cliff hanger! Boo-yaa! Fun aside here is your two choices for next chapter!
Choice a- Listen to Redolphus
Choice b- summon Dimitri to her side.
Available guys
Castiel
Lysander
Allow me to explain a little further about the system set up. The point tally for the guys is the favored male for her to be closest to in the end. I had one for Castiel and one for Lysander. So I had her get closer to Lysander and I had a scene with her and Castiel. Relationships won't be established until later so right now I'm mostly just collecting data on what you guys want with the guys and it will manifest soon. Now the choices are important as they dictate the end this will have all together, be it happy or tragic.
So leave your choices and I'll see you all next time!
Scheduled time to begin typing next chapter: December 19. Once I start it generally only takes a day to type it all up and do an edit through.
