The Mortal Realm
Earth, where humans frolic in the streets and live an every day life, unaware of the things lurking around every corner and of the immortal gods who watch down above them making their world what it truly is.
Damion, cursed to the mortal world with barely anything left of his powers, roamed kicking stones in his path. "Fucking brother. How can he banish me? This won't go over well with the elders. I can't allow it." He grumbled. He shifted his shoulders feeling lighter with the lack of wings yet it made him feel so much heavier. It had all started with a simple game that Damion played on a regular which turned into a feud and soon a war. In the end, it turned to his banishment and quest to have a female human fall in love with him. The niche; he couldn't speak of his being a god. He couldn't even use what abilities he had left to torture the mortals like he so yearned to do. The weight of being mortal was now setting in on him making him tired as night drew in. He was in a small town he did not recognize and there was only one motel he saw miles back. He obviously had no money. There was no need or even existence of money where he was from. He had no other choice. He would just have to convince the man to allow him a night. He was not spending his first night a mortal on the streets of a broken down small town. he began making his way back to the motel he had passed before.
Some ways down the road, heard before it was fully in focus, there was a car parked on the side of the road. A man, resembling some kind of chauffeur, stood beside the rather nice looking black vehicle, giving a worried look to a man who was currently have buried in the front of the car. The clean trousers and shined shoes spoke volumes that he was not, in fact, a mechanic. Still, there were destinct clacking noises coming from the engine area and after a few sounds and a couple soft grunts from the man hunkered over half out of sight, he finally sighed and stood up at last. His dress shirt (sleeves rolled up to the elbow) and sweater vest were further screaming he had no right to be under the hood of the car, even if his haphazard hair cut, piercings, lopsided grin, and greased hands (he was now wiping off with what used to be a pristine white hankerchief) said he had no problem doing so. "That should do it," he told the driver with a smile and a lilting English accent, tinged with aristocracy, before unlatching the hood and letting it fall back into place with a satisfying thunk. "Give it a try, yeah." The driver, seeming to come out of his thoughts started a bit, but quickly nodded and entered the vehicle, turning the key. The engine sputtered a little then purred into life, just as it should. The young man who seemed to have fixed it just grinned. "So much doubt you had, Charles! Father doesn't send me here for nothing." He laughed, a sound charming to most girls. Then again, so was his accent, so even talking wooed them, not that he cared much. It was not about the voice, but what it said, that mattered, after all.
At the motel that Damion was headed for. There was a woman who was running the desk. The Motel was not crowed at all, but it was lite up and cleaned up nicely. She sighed softly, as she began to draw on a blank peice of paper, waiting for someone, anyone to come by and rent a room. With her luck, she thought that no one would come and that she was doomed to be sitting at the desk all night, for nothing.
In and out of the shadows weaved an oddly dressed man with a tooth pick hanging from his mouth. He tipped up his hat and allowed sun to flood his face. It felt good against his semi-pale skin. He started to hum as the wind picked up blowing back his brown hair he nearly lost his fedora,though he quickly planted it back on his head.
Damion passed by the car and contemplated the many things he could have done if his powers were still in working order. With a snap of his fingers the tires could blow out or the engine could fall right from under the car. So many torturous things he could have done just a few hours before but his wretched good doing brother destroyed it all. Damion grumbled words to himself as he passed the men and the barely running car.
The young man who fixed the car was grinning until he saw the other man pass by, grumbling angrily. Curious, he frowned, and stopped rubbing his hands clean. "Hello there," he greeted, raising his voice a bit so the engine didn't distort it. The driver seemed to understand and shut off the power so the younger man could speak freely. "It looks like you've had a hard day," Aubrey commented gently, his voice quieter but no less clear this time. What an odd man... walking all alone, in the dark, looking like his wife just cheated on him. Aubrey frowned a bit more. "Car trouble?"
Damion looked in surprise at the young man. A mortal dare talk to him. he was astonished. He figured he'd better say something. He had to now please his brother somehow to award his powers back. "No. I prefer walking." That was a lie. He hated walking tremendously. He blatantly ignored Aubrey's first comment. "Can you help me? I may be a bit lost." He didn't care exactly where the motel was to begin with so why would he pay attention to its location? "I'm looking for a motel."
He sighed "you'd think these places would still be interesting after you'd seen them a thousand times..." he lifted his hand from his fedora as he disappeared into nothingness. Soon after he pulled himself out of the void in a dark alley way the sky dark as night,most likely because he was now on the other side of the planet,From Asia to America in a matter of seconds being a god has its perks.
Aubrey looked at his driver, who merely shrugged, before answering Damion. "We're just on the outside Forks. There is a motel about five miles that way." He pointed the way his car was facing. "I'd offer you a ride, sir, you really look like you've had a tough... well more than a day really." The young man gave the fallen god a sympathetic smile. "But if you would prefer to walk..."
Damion tried to keep from getting sick at the pity he was receiving. He sighed and nodded at the men. "I'll be on my way." He tried sounding as polite as possible. As he walked away he rubbed his shoulders mourning the fact that his wings were gone. He ran his fingers through his long silky fire orange hair that was up in the back and had bangs hanging in to front.
"Uh-!" Aubrey wanted to say something and he even took a step toward the strange man, raising a hand as if to invite him back. He really was too caring, everyone told him so. But to see a man so downtrodden... It was heartbreaking to him. Best to do the polite thing. "Sir!" he called out slightly to get Damion's attention. "It.. really is a very long walk. Please, we've just gotten the car fixed, and we are going the same way anyway. Let us give you a ride?" He always found it better to phrase questions subordinately, as apposed to talking like he was doing the man a favor, he was simply offering something, and letting him decide whether or not to take it, leaving the stranger in control. After all, he didn't want to offend anyone, and people tended to keep their pride, even if they were homeless, or penniless.
Damion glared evily at the ground knowing it would be right to take the ride, but he felt filthy just thinking of sitting in a car with two mortals. Yet, he himself was a mortal now. He turned around and gave Aubrey a slight smile. "Thank you." he accepted and walked back to the men. "My name is Damion." He tried being polite.
"Aubrey, a pleasure," the young man greeted the god in return, holding out his hand. It only lasted a moment though before he held it up to show it was still a bit dirty, and retrieved it. "Sorry, I know it's polite, but.. I'd rather not make you dirty." He smiled apologetically before seeming to remember his manners. "Ah, please, then," he said, stepping up a bit to open the door to the back seat to hold it for Damion. Noting his driver waiting at the driver's door, as if waiting to get the door for Aubrey, the young man waved at him dismissively, making the driver sigh and take his seat in front of the wheel, waiting on his charge.
Damion simply slid into the seat of the car without a word. He thought he had been too nice already and he would decompose out of pure kindness. It was sickening to him.
A few moments later, Aubrey took the seat next to him, making sure to leave the middle open for some distance between them. The car really was quite nice, even on the inside. This was obviously a car for chauffeuring. Aubrey accepted a moist towelette from the driver and wiped off his hands as the driver once again started the car and pulled back onto the road, heading once more the way they were going, though this time to a motel for the stranger in the back seat. "So... Not to be pushy," Aubrey tried conversation after his hands were clean. "But why were you walking, alone, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere? Doesn't seem particularly safe." Not for Aubrey either, if this man was some kind of murderer.
Damion thought for a moment. What was something an average human would say? He remembered torturing a mortal back a few months ago. He had taken everything from the man. He had killed his girlfriend, blown up the car which conveniently was in the garage setting the whole house on fire making the man lose it all. He had watched the man for a few days and noticed that Aubrey was now describing the same position that man was in. "My girlfriend left me. She kicked me out of the house and took everything from me. I have no money left and no clothes or anything." He tried to sound depressed about it.
"That's horrible," Aubrey said with sincerity, not really noticing he had just complimented Damion's work. He frowned. "How do you plan on staying in a motel if you have no money? That's just... not going to work. Look, I have plenty of space back at my home. Why don't you stay there for tonight at least, and tomorrow we can see about sorting everything else out. You really do look like you've been wronged... You didn't deserve for that to happen to you." Even if Aubrey was talking about what Damion said happened to him, it didn't change the fact that it could be taken about his
actual situation as well.
Damion lowered his head and closed his eyes for a moment.
Will this human ever leave me alone? But Damion knew the man was right. He couldn't just stay at a motel when he had no monet and killing whoever was at the desk would not help him get his wings back. He looked back at and over at Aubrey. "That would be very kind. Thank you." He accepted the offer and ran his hand through his hair. What strands of hair his fingers touched turned slightly from orange to red.
Aubrey looked slightly surprised to see the color change, but decided to call it a trick of the light and not address it. Instead, he nodded. "It is no trouble. So... do you have friends... or family, that live here in Washington?" he tried, not wanting their trip to be in silence.
Damion shook his head. "No. Actually I don't. I have no family or friends. Other than a brother....not like I would call him much of that. He lives far away though." He kept his voice slightly monotone.
"Oh..." Aubrey was silent for a long moment, sensing a sore spot. In the end, he could think of nothing else to say, and figured it was good to give the man some time to himself, even if they were in the same car, and settled for watching out the window. After some rest, maybe he would be more sociable. It would take just over three hours to make it to Seattle.. Ok, maybe one last comment. He looked at Damion with a slight frown. "My home is in Seattle, a little over three hours from here. If you haven't been there, it is a good sized city... I don't know if that's where you come from but.. Well, you shouldn't have to deal with people, don't worry. We're just going straight home. Right Charles?" He looked up at the review mirror where he could see the driver's eyes as he nodded.
"Yes, sir," was the polite response, with a little bit of a smile. It was obvious that he was fond of his young passenger.
Damion stared blindly out his window. "Yes, I know Seattle very well. I've had a few......encou
nters there." He summed up what he does in as few words as possible.
Sensing Damion was not a man for conversation, Aubrey became silent and simply stared out the window, only glancing at Damion as they drove through towns and empty stretches of road. When they finally pulled into town about three hours later, he sat up slightly, shifting around in his seat. He was used to long trips, but he was always eager when he knew he was close to being released. They pulled up to an upscale apartment building and Charles stopped the car, got out, and opened Aubrey's door for him to climb out first. Aubrey smiled appreciatively and exited the car with a small nod and waited for Damion to follow before heading inside, waving at the desk manager who smiled and waved, giving him a cheery greeting in return. He held the elevator for his companion before tapping the button for the top floor. "I have a few spare rooms," Aubrey informed his guest. "You can look around and find where you would prefer to stay."
"If it is just you, than why do you need more than one room?" Damion inquired. He hated being patient and it seemed that being with this mortal was a true test of his patience. His brother wouldn't allow for anything of the cruel nature so he had to stand perfectly still as to not let natural reflex take over.
"In case I have guests, I suppose," Aubrey replied, not sounding too sure of himself. When they arrived at the top floor, he swiped some card through a card reader at the door and the light changed to green. "You would have to ask my father." He gave Damion a small smile as the doors opened to reveal a rather spacious living room with thick, dark blue carpeting, stained wood accents along the cream walls, and very comfy looking cream colored, matching furniture. The wall directly in front of them, on the other end of the apartment, was entirely a window, looking out over the city. To their left was an open kitchen area with dark cherry wood, white marble counter tops, and black and stainless steel fixtures and appliances. Just beyond the kitchen, in the wall of the living room, was a gap that lead to a well lit hallway with a few doors leading off from it. "My room is at the end of the hall, but you can choose any of the others." As they stepped off the elevator, Aubrey was watching Damion, not sure what his reaction would be to the extravagance. Aubrey himself had told his father he didn't need the space, but the man had point blank insisted that his son be high, dry, safe, and comfortable.
In his head, Damion was rolling on the floor laughing. He had always known mortals to be selfish and wanting everything and this was the proof he needed. A mortal with a large extravagantly unneeded apartment. He walked down the hall looking for the smallest room. He found one which was still quite large but smaller than the others. "I'll take this one." He said and looked at Aubrey with a serene face. "May I ask a question?" He tried being polite.
Aubrey blinked at him, looking a little surprised, but not at all offended. "Of course. You can ask me anything."
"Why did you help me?" Damion asked.
"You looked like you needed it," Aubrey answered simply, frowning as if a little confused by the question. "And your story confirmed it. It wouldn't be right leaving you to walk for miles out there with no money, no food, and no place to go, when I have much more of those things that I could ever possibly need. I suppose you have my father to thank, not me, for all of this."
Damion nodded and looked around standing still in his place. "I never did get the point of m-" he cut himself short trying not to slip up. ",people living with such luxury when it's not needed."
"I don't get it either. Again, you will have to ask my father," Aubrey replied, sighing as he looked around at his suite. "In less than a year I'll be in Nigeria or Zambia bringing fresh water to hundreds of people, living in a mud hut. Until then, I will just have to suffer." He was frowning, looking very much like he wanted to sigh again.
Damion chuckled. For the first time in a long time he smiled without needing someone to be suffering. "Well that's....."He hated saying this word "nice."
Aubrey smiled right back at him, glad the man was at least cheering up a little. "I'll accept that as honesty and not sarcasm," he decided aloud. "I'm going to make some dinner. Do you have any dietary needs I should address? I'd hate to make Greek salad just to find out you are lactose intolerant."
Damion shook his head. "Greek salad is fine."
A haze settled in over the city of Seattle as dawn light filtered through the morning fog. The misty whiteness seemed to glow slightly around the occupants of the town that had managed to struggle out of bed this early and wander into the nearest Starbucks before hurrying off to their menial jobs.
Aubrey, however, had managed to make it out of bed, but instead was viewing the haze from his apartment, a plain white mug of espresso roast coffee in hand. He looked thoughtful, his well organized mind reviewing the plan of the day as an assistant might read it off to their employer. He even nodded occasionally between sips of his steaming black liquid. The apartment was still for now, but he was sure it wouldn't last. The phone would ring or something. For now though, he thought of what he had to do. It was Saturday, so he had no class. He would take the man to a nearby store and see about getting him a few new outfits, as well as find out what else he might need. He wondered if Damion would fit his clothes. After all, he couldn't wear the same clothing two days in a row. Not after what he had been through.
Damion rose from his bed. He didn't usually sleep and if he did it was minimal. He had maybe an hour or two of sleep and he figured now would be a good time to awaken. He was surprised he didn't sleep with him now being a near mortal. He walked into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. He had to see human somehow. He never liked the taste of the mortal drinks but he had to settle for something. He went and sat at the table with Aubrey. "Morning." He said in as much of a polite tone as he could manage. His story he had told the stranger would appease for his unruly behavior.
"Good morning," Aubrey greeted in a more amiable tone, though he stayed very calm. He regarded the other man over the rim of his coffee cup, trying not to frown. Had he slept at all. "Did you sleep alright?" he decided to just inquire. After all, it wasn't a terribly invasive question.
Damion nodded. He did indeed have a nice few hours of sleep. "Yea. Thanks." His normal slang fell in as he would usually talk as if he were in the god world. "Sorry for intruding." He didn't want to be too impolite to the mortal who took him in, after all this mortal could help him get back.
Aubrey just shook his head kindly. "Don't worry about it. I'd offer the rooms to people in situations like yours more often, but my father would have this place crawling with security in no time to 'keep me safe'." He sighed and sipped his coffee before putting the small cup on the table, his hands wrapped around it. "... I'm not sure what size you wear," he said after a long moment. "But if you like, I can off you something to wear until we can find you a set of clothing of your own. Is there anything else I can do for you?" He was frowning, he knew it. But there was nothing to be done. He was honestly concerned. He wanted to help this man, but he felt like he was too proud to accept it. At least, for now. How did he show him he didn't think of him as a charity case? "Within reason, of course," he added, trying to show him that this wasn't out of pity, it was simply because he had the time and the means. At least so far. He wasn't God. He couldn't do everything.
Damion shook his head. "I can't ask for more." He decided he might as well speak his true case to this generous man. He needed help from someone after all. "In truth, you shouldn't help people like me. After all I am not human." He was hoping for the man to leave it at that, but he knew he wouldn't.
Aubrey regarded him for a long moment, trying to figure that out. In the end, he was forced to admit defeat. "I'm sure some people feel that way sometimes... but usually people who feel that way, are remorseful, and therefore human... I mean, you're not a monster." What could this man have done that was so horrible, he didn't even feel like he was human? After all, wasn't that guilt? To renounce kindness and basically punish oneself for one's own wrong doing? Didn't feeling that make him human.
Damion gave in to disclose his truth. "I am a god. I am a god of wrong doing. I was banished from the other world by my brother, taking away the majority of my powers and given one goal- finding a woman to fall in love with me on her own and my work." He explained as quickly as he cold without tell the man his exact position as a God. He thought the man before him would throw him back on the streets and shunned if he were to tell his existence was for torture the petty humans.
Aubrey stopped moving, watching Damion with an indiscernible expression. Was this stranger... mad? He knew from his studies that if he WAS crazy, he would honestly believe what he was saying, and wouldn't be saying it as just a joke, and he appeared to really believe it.... Best to go along. Better to appear a fool for believing a lie, than an ass for not believing him at all. "A... god," the young british man repeated, seeming to try and take in that information. "And... your girlfriend? The woman who kicked you out? You had hoped she'd be the one who loved you?" He lifted his cup slowly, taking a sip of the dark liquid as he kept his eyes on Damion, trying to really assess the man.
Damion looked down at the table. "The story I had told you was all quite a lie except for having nothing." He tried to start back as far as possible. "It started with my brother, Nemamiah," He knew that if the man believed in the gods and goddesses, then he would most certainly had heard everything of his brother, "who is the God of Just Cause. He controls what is right and wrong and punishing the wrong doers with something of equal. I am that wrong doer." He said and went back. "Nemamiah is my twin. Him and I only yesterday had a war up above from where we are here. The war was of my wrong doing. He managed to defeat me and shunned me out from my own world. He sent me here with no abilities other than the very few I was specially born with which he can not take away nor grant. He his high above almost all others in our....area so stay. He controls most of what happens with the Gods. That is why he was able to shun me. He put me to only one task. Mortals may find this easy but for me it will be quite difficult. I must have a mortal female fall in love with me. Not just any love but the true love that, as Nemamiah believes, will make me see my wrong doings as wrong rather than them only being the goal and field of my immortality." He now looked up from the table when he finished speaking. He could care less of what the man before him would do. He could kill him if he so pleased. He may not have his powers or his weapons but he most certainly has his strength.
"That's.... quite a story," Aubrey said evenly, still looking at Damion. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of this man now. Was he truly that mad? "So that would make you... THE Damion... God of... torture." He seemed to just be trying to get the story straight. This was insane but... he seemed quite serious. "Well then...." He calmly put his cup down and slide it slowly a short distance from himself, a clear indication he was done with it. "How exactly... do you plan to go about, um... completing this... task." He wasn't exactly sure how to phrase it. This was insane. Sitting here, at his table, in his apartment, with a god, who had to.. what? Find a woman to honestly and truly fall in love with him? Was true love even real? That kind of love? Still, his natural disposition urged him onward, wanting to help this man.
"So I am known of." Damion acknowledged. "I don't know how to do as my brother asked of me." He really didn't know. "How would a human find a mate?" He asked quite seriously. He had watched it and merely laughed, never took notes.
"Eh..." Aubrey looked a little more than uncomfortable. "'Mate'... isn't exactly a term humans use for their companions.... Try.. 'girlfriend' or.. 'wife'? 'Partner'? Or just.. partner.... Anyway, I'm not sure... 'mate' would be what.. um.. Nemamiah... has asked you to find." He paused, trying to think it out, before sighing and looking at Damion with a slight frown. "And typically.... you just find someone doing something you enjoy... Like... if you go to a club, and there is a girl dancing near you, without a partner, to the same songs as you are.... or drinking the same kind of drinks, or bowling at the same place, or in a bar and you ask a single one playing pool to a challenge... something like that. That would be meeting them. But there is a lot more to it than that... More often than not, you just wind up being friends."
"Friends?" Damion asked. The word sounded awful coming out of his mouth. "But where do I begin?"
"Well... is there a human activity you thought you might enjoy?" That sounded awfully weird coming from his mouth. He felt crazy. Aubrey looked at Damion. If this was the god of torture, hates humans that much, that was a stupid question. ".. Or.. A town you liked at least?" Better to be more general and generic.
"Well I chose a lot of victims in Missouri, so I know there the most. I always wanted to stop by that odd looking arch there...." Damion pondered as he thought about it. "I never got the point of the mortal fascination with such simple things."
"I assume it has to do with the perceived impossible feat of defeating gravity, which is a force created by the entirety of Earth, and therefore it is a 'god-like' accomplishment, if you'll pardon the saying," Aubrey explained, a little frown playing at his lips. He felt like he was humoring a mad man. "... Excuse my human doubt, Damion... But is there any way to prove you are really the God of Torture?" If it really was proof, which he doubted, then he supposed he could take him to Missouri... But if Damion just perceived it as proof, when to the rest of the world it was nothing more than a trick that didn't even go right, then he supposed he could take him to the asylum...
Damion contemplated for a second. "I guess I could try a few thing. Things a mortal can not do." He sighed. He grabbed a strand of his hair. It had a reddish tint to it as well as orange from the natural blonde. He took a deep breath in and his hair changed to an emerald green. "I suppose that wasn't enough?" He sighed in contemplation again. "Ah. How about you meet my dear friend Iophiel. Oh Ioooo!" He called out to the skies. He was normally a cold hearted man but he had always been close to the beautiful and magestical Iophiel. A gorgeous woman appeared infront of him.
"Oh dear dear Damion look at the trouble you're in." The woman said in a musical voice. She turned to look at Aubrey. "Oh dear, who is this handsome man?"
The humans hazel eyes widened slightly in surprise, but almost out of reflex his manners took over and he bowed to Iophiel properly, extending his hand palm up for hers. "Aubrey Ashford, madam. A pleasure."
Iophiel giggled. "Wow. Damion, I am quite surprised you have brought yourself to be around such an........interesting creature." She said before placing her hand in Aubrey and smiled kindly. "I am Iophiel, the goddess of Beauty." She paused and looked to Damion then back at Aubrey. "Do you require proof for that too?" She joked.
"No I suppose that would be a ludicrous request at this point," Aubrey replied after placing a small kiss on the back of Iophiel's hand and releasing it to stand upright again to regard them both with a very slight frown. "Well... Do you.. have a plan, for your task?" he asked Damion, still glancing occasionally at Iophiel. He wasn't sure what to make of a god (let alone two) standing in his living room.
Damion shrugged. "I have no idea." He looked to Iophiel hoping for advice but she merely shrugged.
Aubrey barely resisted the urge to sigh. "Alright.. well... I guess Missouri would be the best place to start.. You said you know there best.. I'd hate to start that far away but.. I suppose just some girl won't due. I suppose you are looking for someone specific, and I'm sure that Nemamiah is smarter than to make a punishment task easy for a.... that is, for you." He smiled apologetically at Damion. Well this was fantastic. Flying half way across the bloody country.. Well, it wasn't like he had any where to be. He had just graduated, and his new job didn't start for months. Very well then. "I'll contact my father to let him know I'm staying in the states a bit longer.. He had expected me to come home and I don't fancy him unleashing secret service to recover my corpse. We can leave tomorrow, I suppose. If you like." He couldn't stop glancing at Iophiel. He knew what he was being asked to do for Damion, but he wasn't sure what to do about her... "As for you... is there something I can help you with? You know.. while I'm at all this planning?"
Iophiel giggled. "No. Not really. I just enjoy watching this little pest get what he really deserves." She sighed. "I guess I must be on my way." She started walking away as if towards something. "Oh. And something for the journery. It may help a little." She bent down and touched a ceramic cat that was in the sleeping pose. Suddenly the cat moved and the fur was real to the touch. The cat stretched as if it's been asleep for centuries. "Enjoy." Iophiel said and suddenly vanished.
"I didn't even know I had that," Aubrey commented mildly, looking at the cat. After that short moment though, he looked at Damion, seeming to shake his head of thoughts. "Right so.. you need some clothes, right?"
Damion nodded. He looked down at his own clothes which were borrowed from Aubrey. "Yea. I guess so."
Aubrey called his father to let him know he and a friend were taking a trip before he returned home to London, and not to worry, he would stay in touch. The rest of the day was spent in clothing stores getting about half a whole wardrobe for Damion, dinner out, and basically getting to know the whole situation. Aubrey was having a horrible time trying to explain his Earth life and situation to Damion, who didn't really seem to care, but he listened avidly to the tidbits of explanation he managed to get out of the god. They arrived back to the apartment late that evening and the human more or less crashed into bed from a day well worn.
It was just before dawn the next day that found Aubrey up, hair still slightly damp from a shower, trousers on and pulling on a dress shirt. His socked feet padded over the thick carpet as he walked through the living room to look out at the city one last time, flipping his collar down properly. He wanted to leave early so they could arrive in Missouri today and get settled into accommodations he'd make in a while. He heard the coffee pot stop and headed to the kitchen to get a cup, buttoning up his shirt as he went, humming a soft little melody.
Damion laid in the bed waiting till he heard Aubrey was up. He rose from the bed and, already dressed, walked into the kitchen to confront the mortal who was now his 'chaperon'. "I guess I'm supposed to say good morning now?"
Aubrey's eyebrows rose slightly as he peered at the god over the rim of his fresh cup of coffee. "Is it?" he asked, referring to this morning being good. "I certainly hope it turns out to be," he added as he continued sipping his hot drink while leaning back against his kitchen counter. "We'll be on our way to Missouri in about an hour and will arrive quite a few hours from now... late this after noon I presume."
"It would be so much faster if I could just teleport there." Damion grumbled to his self. "Why the hell would she give us this?" He growled loudly looking at the cat sleeping on the couch. "Damn thing. What the hell are we supposed to do with it? Play catch?" He didn't like this ridiculous task his brother had sent him on and the affects of not having his abilities were finally catching up to him. He was growing angrier by the minute.
"I'm not sure..." Aubrey said, his pleasant features marred with confusion he, too, had. He set his cup aside and went to the couch, crouching in front of it to look at the cat. "Felines don't play catch.. at least not usually, and I certainly hope you don't imply we should throw it. I wonder if it's friendly..." He lifted one hand, moving very slowly to try and stroke the cat's back gently.
Damion rolled his eyes. "So I can't throw it out the window?"
"Er... no. If we knew that was it's purpose, then I... No, I'd probably still be hesitant about it." Aubrey scratched the cat gently behind the ear before he stood up again. "Come on then, we should hurry anyway."
It was a few hours later when Aubrey and Damion were on the plane, close to landing in Missouri. Being a small, personal like plane Aubrey was allowed to keep the cat which was currently curled up in his arms, asleep, as the young man watched out the window. They had hardly talked, but he supposed that a plan of action might be nice.
"Do you know anything about humans? I mean... Where do you want to go? We can't just walk around asking people to go out with you. Perhaps a club or something..."
Damion grinned in an evil manner. "Ah. A club. A great place to lure stupid humans into my hands for such amazing torture."
"... Right... ok.. Yeah, no torturing," Aubrey told him, giving him a disapproving look. "I don't know much but... Ladies do not enjoy being played with, much less being tortured... We'll start with a club though. You are right, there are a lot of people there." He felt like he was teaching proper English to an uneducated underprivileged person. That wasn't quite the case, but the terms Damion used... Well, they were only going to prolong this search. "Do you know what a club is for? Other than finding a 'target'?"
The rest of the short trip passed as Aubrey instructed Damion as best he could (as he didn't party often) in the ways of human socialization. He doubted it would much good however, and later as they stood outside a well known club in down town Springfield, his hopes were not high, and his face showed it. He himself, in no mood to try and impress a lady friend, was simply dressed in fitting dark jeans, a white t-shirt, and a white button down closed over it. The looks girls were giving him as they passed into the club, however, made him wish all his clothing had not been tailored to fit him. He looked at his companion. "Ready when you are," he submitted.
"Let's get this the fuck over with. I want to go home..." Damion muttered and walked into the club. When he entered the lights above were blaring in many colors of dark shades of red, green, blue, and yellow. It took his a few moments for his eyes to adjust and see the many people swarming throughout the place. He seemed so out of place. He wanted to snatch the first unsuspecting victim and run to the most secluded area in the world to have his fun, but yet he knew he couldn't. He knew he had to hold his ground and keep his facade of a normal human male just out for a fun night with a friend trying to pick up ladies. "This is pointless!" He grumbled to Aubrey, spoken loud enough to be heard only by Aubrey over the music. "It will never work."
An Immortal's Quest
The Mortal Characters
The God Characters
Stumble!