Anxiety Troubles [ OPEN ]

[Diana Rembrandt]

What in the world was that atrocious smell? Before Diana even opened her eyes she knew she would not be fond of her new surroundings. As her eyes began to adjust to the mysterious haze in the air, the realization of the situation finally struck her: she was now a slave. The shock collar around her neck served as an undeniable reminder that her body was no longer hers.

Diana tried to sit up and she winced as her head hit the top of her small iron cage. The collar rendered her as helpless as a human and she saw no point in keeping her body so contorted. But it’s not like she was asked if she wanted to be locked in a cage. No…her choices were gone forever. A normal person would probably cry, scream, pound against the bars until her fists bleed. But not Diana. The former heiress mourned her freedom in silence. It wasn’t because she wasn’t angry. It wasn’t even because she accepted her situation. But because she refused to give up the one thing that she had left: her dignity.

People of all different shapes, sizes and colors wandered past her tiny prison. She had never seen so many different beings in her life. Obviously she knew other species existed besides humans and elementals, but she had never had the opportunity to see one in person. Her father was weary of anything that could take a shotgun blast to the chest and survive. No demon slaves for the Rembrandt family. Diana didn’t inherit as great a prejudice as her father but she couldn’t deny her fear. One man who peered through the bars of her cage was blue. As in cerulean Crayola crayon blue. She couldn’t help but feel relieved when he picked the shaking pixie in the cage next to her.

Of course the Goddess only knew what sort of creature would actually end up taking her home with them. Chills ran down her spine at the thought. Perhaps what scared her most was the uncertainty. The person who bought her couldn’t possibly be as horrible as what she pictured in her head. Could it?

[Abstynencja Adamczyk]

Boring. Life was considerably more boring since calming down. He had had his adventures into the forbidden and terrifying and had finally recovered enough to return to his normal life. However, that didn’t mean that he completely forgot his adventures into hell. He still saw Belial and Reikas occasionally since their first encounter, but it wasn’t the same as it had been. There was something to just casually meeting them that wasn’t enough for him. Abstynencja felt lonely after running into the pair. He had never believed that loneliness would ever be something that he would feel. He knew that it was nice to have someone such as a friend in your life, since living forever would eventually get boring and lonely. However, he didn’t think that it would happen to him through such circumstances.

Those previous circumstances are what have led him to the trading rings today. Abby could easily obtain a companion here, but he hated the idea of their being his property. It was a horrible thing to do, take away someone’s freedom. Why should their freedom be unavailable to them versus his own? It wasn’t right how people’s statuses were ranked. Statuses now a day are based off frivolous reasoning such as species. There was no need for slavery to this extent when he was born. Sure, there were slaves in his age, but it wasn’t as widespread as it is now. Abby wondered how long it would take this trend to where off.

Even with his opposition to the slave status, he felt that this was the best solution for his predicament. It wasn’t as if Abby could walk onto the street, start a conversation with a stranger and he wouldn’t be lonely anymore. He would need someone that was around more often than that. He had considered other means to finding his companionship but there weren’t any other ways. He had wrestled himself into an ultimatum for whoever it would be that came home with him tonight. He would like to offer them a pay rate and house as long as they stayed with him. It sounded wrong to state that he was paying someone to be his friend, but wasn’t that technically the case? He didn’t want to think of it that way, but there was no other way to think about it. However, he would like to explain it better so that the person may understand exactly what he meant.

Walking through the aisles of cages, he couldn’t help covering his nose to the smell. What did they do in here? Train monkeys? It was repulsing and made him question how people could come here so often to browse their selections. Surely, the smell would turn them away. Looking through the bars of cages as he passed, it dawned on Abstynencja that he had no idea what he was looking for. He was a catholic health and religion teacher. Based on his experience with the younger generations, maybe he should be looking for someone around that age group. The only problem with that situation was what he hated about the age group, their constant attention to sexual activities. However, thanks to his adventures into hell, he had to assume that everyone thought about it.

Abby stopped a few cages down and wandered into the human section. It would be easier to find a human slave than anything else would. Humans were common and there was nothing unexpected when you were to buy one. There was never an uncertainty to what the trader may claim about the individual trying to make a sale. Now that he had chosen the species, all that mattered now was the gender, what should they be . . .

Stopping in front of one woman in particular, he had to wonder why the cages always seemed so small. Couldn’t the traders find anything to larger to house the individuals? Looking at her, he noted that she didn’t see defiant, almost accepting of her lifestyle. Abby had to wonder if she had been a slave her entire life or if it was a new development.

“Hello,” His Polish accent clipped his words. “You look cramped, are you all right?” He didn’t want to seem cruel for asking since he knew that she would be uncomfortable in the space. Abby only asked since he had no idea how to start a conversation to a slave. He had never bought a slave before and didn’t even intend on keeping her as a slave. The status of a master wasn’t something he particularly wanted. Leaning down a bit more toward the small cage, he read her name on the tag.

[Diana Rembrandt]

Breathe in, breathe out. Diana tried to control her anxiety with a familiar breathing technique almost invisible to people around her. It was comforting, and soon she was able to drift off into a half-sleep state. She awoke this time to footsteps approaching her cage. Leaning forward a bit, she could make out a figure moving towards her. It....he...appeared normal. At least, he did not look AS terrifying as previous speculators had been. Was he human, or something else? Was this going to be her new Master?

Diana pushed her back against the rear of the cage. Perhaps he would just continue walking past her. Though she didn't enjoy living in a filthy cage, she wasn't too thrilled about becoming someone's property either. But perhaps even before her father sold her she never possessed much freedom. The young girl had lived in fear her whole life. Was this really that different?

Her breath caught as the man stopped before her cage. The stranger greeted her, even remarked on her physical well-being. This was quite surprising to her; maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. But looks could always be deceiving. A smile could mean many things. Diana retained her calm expression but did not respond to him. She was uncertain if she should trust the kind face peering in at her.

The slave trader on the other hand, did not react so coolly. He noticed the potential buyer and immediately strode across the floor to meet him. He arrived just in time to hear the gentleman’s question and the lack of response from the girl. “How dare you treat my customers with such insolence!” he bellowed as he removed a remote from his pocket. “ANSWER HIM!” The trader yelled before pushing a button.

Diana doubled over in pain as a small shock of electricity sprang from her collar and traveled through her body. She hugged her knees into her chest, grimacing from the sting. When it finally subsided a few moments later she blinked her eyes and tried to sit up again. Body weakened by the electricity, she couldn’t hold herself up and she collapsed back down. What would have been a mild sting for a human was an excruciating blow for an earth elemental.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” she finally was able to mumble.

[Abstynencja Adamczyk]

Abstynencja was a very patient person; it was almost required based on his species. If he were impatient, then he would never feed from the proper essences that he required. Abstinence was always acquired slowly and was hard to find. Patience was a very handy for his kind. When the trader started to walk toward them, Abby didn’t take too much notice of him. He wasn’t important now. He was only going to get in the way of what he needed to know. He wanted to know more about who she was. There was no point buying her if they didn’t have anything in common or at least a connection between them. He would love to get her to free her, heck; he would free everyone if he could. It was wrong to take away their freedom and give it to people like him, but he didn’t have the money to do so. It was cruel to think that he would have to walk away from her if they didn’t have anything in common, but it wouldn’t be fair to get her just because of guilt.

It was as if the seller was trying to instigate something, or he was just an impatient person. Either way, Abstynencja didn’t like it. This girl couldn’t be any older than 18, like many in his classes. It was an age where crucial events took place in your life. Being in a slave cage at a trading ring wasn’t a supportive event to happen in a teenager’s life. Abby was about to interrupt the man that it was okay if she take her time when he pulled out a device. The shock that he seemed to deliver through her body made Abby freeze. Why would this man do such a thing? Had he even asked if Abby were impatient or unhappy with the response time he had received from her? No, he hadn’t. Abby questioned why the man even had a shock collar around her. She was just a human girl; there was no need for such extents, unless she was a werewolf. However, she didn’t smell like one, so this only continued to confuse the abstinence demon.

“No, no. Don’t apologize,” biting his nail a bit, he had wanted to avoid buying someone’s freedom based solely on guilt. This situation only made him feel pity for her. What would this man continue to do to her if she repeated this incident? The potential guilt was playing him here. He could easily prevent it from happening, but he didn’t have the money to do so for everyone. However, it happened right in front of him, there was nothing he could do now. Walking away wasn’t the answer, not since he knew that the trader would continue to do this. Pulling out a checkbook, he wrote over the amount to the man. Taking it upon himself, he emotionlessly reached into the trader’s pocket, pulled out the key and opened her cage.

“Take that thing off, now,” Abstynencja didn’t look at her as he spoke, instead he was giving the trader a somewhat unforgiving glare. She may be his property but what could shocking her possibly accomplish? Would it make him look like a good trader or that she was subordinate? It was a futile attempt to get her to answer using that method. If he were an impatient man such as him, then he would have demanded an answer from her. However, he had waited; this man should recognise his choice to give her time to answer. Abstynencja isn’t going to take her with him until that man removes the collar. He has no need for stupid items in his house. Of course, he would tell Diana of her situation in his house as soon as they are far enough away from her seller. However, he will have to wait until then to do so. Abby hopes that she will accept the terms. He was just worried that she would want to leave right away and take her freedom as well. The offer he was going to give her meant that she would have her entire freedom back; it never guaranteed she had to stay with him. He hoped she would though.

[Diana Rembrandt]

Elementals were nearly impossible to detect. They looked like a normal human, smelled like one; even a simple blood test couldn’t firmly identify them one way or another. The only sure way to distinguish an elemental was to do a spinal tap, take that specimen to a geneticist, wait a month for her to discover the gene, and even then she wouldn’t be able to tell you what element to watch out for. It was an expensive and troublesome process for the run-of-the-mill slave trader.

It was more than easy for the trader to believe he had secured a human girl without ever suspecting something else, especially if she was exceptionally good at controlling her abilities. Diana was both reserved and powerful; the simpleton had no clue. Thus Diana was tagged and packaged as an ordinary human teenager.

But she wasn’t an ordinary human girl so the tiny electric shock was more than a sting. Her body remained collapsed on the floor though she could still hear what was going on. She heard the soft ripping sound of a fresh check and then a squeak as her cage was opened. She even heard the stranger order the trader to remove the shock collar. Diana signed in relief. The trader repeatedly muttered his apologies to the man as he reached down and unlocked the device from her neck. He then made some inaudible excuse and hurried off to another group of customers.

It was then that Diana knew she was sold. But she decided not to fight it. 1) She could hardly move from the shock and 2) the man had a kind voice and didn’t make her wear the collar. Now the only question was what type of slave he wanted her to be. Diana briefly flashed back to the slaves in her home screaming from her father’s tortures. No….this man was different. He had to be.

At that second the thing she wanted most was to get out of the cage. She tried to push up with her arms again, but couldn’t even crawl out of it. It would take several more minutes before she would be able to walk. Face red with embarrassment, she mumbled, “I can’t… I can’t stand up.”

[Abstynencja Adamczyk]

Abstynencja didn’t care much for the man’s apologies. They meant nothing to him. He wasn’t even a proper master, he was just fortunate enough to have the money if he so desired to be in that position. He would never understand how some people in this world would find that an attractive way to sell something. The fact that they were selling living beings was horrible enough, the fact that this man would do such a thing to get the deal done was even worse.

Ignoring the man, he waited until the collar was off, waiting patiently for him to leave. Kneeling down to the dirty floor, he peered in at Diana. She seemed to be in a lot of pain. Abby didn’t think that the collar was that strong, surely the trader wasn’t intent on killing her. He watched with slight interest as she tried to push herself up. Why didn’t she ask for help? His face was passive, no emotions visible. It was rare to see his emotions and even rarer to see a smile. They were coming more frequently; however, he would never be able to smile in this building.

As she told him that she couldn’t stand up, he shook his head a bit, and reached in to help her. Her weight was nothing to him as he slowly lifted her out with ease. Being an old demon did have its benefits occasionally. He was careful in case he accidentally injured her further. Standing up, Diana in his arms, he looked down at her, a calm and welcoming expression on his face. It was amazing really, how he could appear warm and welcoming without having to smile. Thanks to his lack of interest in this world yet his desire to be in its graces, he had mastered it quite well. “Hello Diana. I’m sorry this happened. I had hoped for a better chance to get to know you. Impatient man,” he grumbled quietly about the trader and turned his head to stare in the general direction the trader had gone in. He should have asked first instead of acting on impulse.

Turning back to look at Diana, his face had that same warm, smile-less feature. “I am Abstynencja Adamczyk. Though, that may be a mouthful for you,” this time, he did allow a small smile to grace his features. “So you may call me Abby for short, if you’d prefer. I hope my accent isn’t too hard to understand?” His Polish accent seemed to clip whatever he tried to say. It annoyed him but he couldn’t do anything about it. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too hard for her to understand what he was saying.

Shifting slightly, he didn’t know if she would be uncomfortable being carried around like a child. He knew nothing about her and it irked him a bit. He had wanted to get to know her before making a final decision. He didn’t even know if she would stay with him after he offered her a job and her freedom instead of enslavement. “This isn’t uncomfortable for you, is it?”

[Diana Rembrandt]

Diana held her breath as the man bent down to help. The pain had subsided and was replaced by a numbness that made her limbs temporarily almost useless. It didn’t hurt for him to hold her, but it made her uneasy nevertheless. The electricity had made her weak and she did not like to be weak. However, his expression was not the harsh scowl that she had been worried about in a future master. It was calm, inviting, open. Was this genuine or just a façade?

His next words surprised her even further, yet she tried not to change her expression. He actually wants to get to know me. She remained silent in his arms for a few more seconds, still saving up her strength. She listened quietly as he complained about the trader. The trader had been too fond of the shock collar but what she loathed most was the state he kept her in. Diana hadn’t showered since he picked her up from a slave transportation train weeks ago. Her hair was in knots and her skin covered in a layer of brown gunk. The exquisite blue silk dress that she had been wearing was now a ragged mess. Diana wasn’t so much vain as self-conscious. She despised looking and feeling so ….dirty.

The girl scrunched up her face when the man introduced himself. Aby-nena-whatabee? She could understand the accent for the most part but there was no way she was ever going to be able to pronounce his name correctly. It was quite a relief when he suggested the nickname. Abby didn’t sound nearly as evil as the other name.

After a few moments she was finally comfortable enough to speak. He was carrying her, if anything, he was in the comprisable position with both his hands full. And Diana really didn’t believe he would hurt her after all the trouble he went through to get her out. “It’s a little uncomfortable I must admit…” Diana wondered if she should tell him what she was. Of course, withholding it might just cause her more trouble later. What if he had a thing for sparklers…. She shivered at the thought. “It will be awhile before I can walk again. Electricity drains my energy. And fire. Fire hurts too.”

[Abstynencja Adamczyk]

Abstynencja was a little surprised that she hadn't said much since he picked her up. Maybe it was because she was still embarrassed at her state. Either way, it still surprised him. She didn't seem like she had been a slave her entire life. Maybe it was the way she didn't automatically add a 'sir' or 'master' onto the end of her sentences. Or it could easily be what she was wearing. Abby knew that even though her attire was in rags, it was once an expensive dress. It may be too big an assumption for him to make, but unless she had a kind master before here and she was taken without choice, she had been free before now. 

As her nose scrunched up, he couldn't help shaking his head. It wasn't something bad or anything, it was just his reaction when people heard his name. Yes, it was Polish and hard to pronounce sometimes but why did he always get the same response? He noted how his nickname seemed to please her a bit. 

Diana answered that it was a little uncomfortable and he had to question in which way she meant. Was it the fact that he was carrying her that was uncomfortable or the actual way he was carrying her? He was just going to ask if she would prefer to walk when she informed him that she wouldn't be able to walk for a while. He also noted the odd comment about electricity and fire. He would have to ask about that layer. 

"Well, is there a position you would be more comfortable in? If you won't be able to walk, I'm sorry that I will have to carry you," He was sorry that he would have to carry her if she found it uncomfortable. His intent was not to make her feel uncomfortable and yet there was nothing he could do to help her feel at ease. 

Abstynencja started to walk toward the exit of the trading rings. It would be better to get out of the rancid building and it would allow him to help find a position she would be comfortable in until reaching his house. Among the things to change thanks to Belial, he had bought a house and sold his condo. It was too stressful for him there anyways. A house just gave him much more privacy than his harassing condo neighbours. Seriously, must they always engage in intercourse? Why couldn't they let him know beforehand to avoid migraines and blackouts?

Walking out of the building, he had to admit that it was a little chilly outside tonight. Finding a bench nearby, he walked over and placed Diana down. Sliding his long jacket off his shoulders he draped it over Diana to keep her warm. Those rags couldn't be all that warm. 

"I'll assume you've noticed I'm not much like typical masters," He glanced up at the sky as it continued to get darker. "I'm not sure if I'll explain it properly the first time, so keep it in mind." another warm, smile-less face stared back at her. This wouldn't be easy to explain. He couldn't even word it properly in his head, how could he even imagine saying it aloud?

"I want to make you an offer. I am quite lonely occasionally. And I've tried to find a solution but nothing worked. It isn't buying a friend, because I intend to give you your freedom back. Are you with me so far?"

[Diana Rembrandt]

Abby wasn’t really doing anything wrong; it was just an awkward and distressing situation in general which troubled her feelings. She was scared, anxious, embarrassed and angry all at the same time. Just a few weeks ago she was digging weeds out of her garden and now she was being carried out of a cage by a Master. But of course, he wouldn’t know what was going on inside her head. Diana never had been very good at sharing her emotions. So she allowed herself to be carried out by her new “Master.” There wasn’t much choice for either of them and Diana didn’t want to spend another minute in the horrible building. If it was possible to call the deplorable structure a building.

The air was cold against her mostly bare skin. Diana shivered as Abby sat her down on a cool bench a few feet from the door. She was grateful when he wrapped her up in his own coat. Without hesitation she pulled the fabric tightly around her. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Almost immediately he began talking again. She supposed it was good if at least one of them was a talker. It wasn’t that Diana didn’t like to talk, she just took awhile to warm up to people. A lot of it had to do with her trust issues. She listened and silently agreed that he was not a typical master. Diana had never actually been a slave before, but she had seen several slave owners, her father included among them. He was a cruel man who took pleasure in seeing the misery of others. But Abby was quite different. Diana didn’t need to know the man to see that he was nothing like her father. It was much too soon to trust him completely, but already he had proven to be capable of kindness.

His next words were a shock. Abby was going to set her free? He wasn’t planning on doing some vial thing to her when they were alone? Immediately the relief flowed from her body and even she the master of disguise couldn’t hide it. Her grip on the coat loosened, the wrinkle in her forehead disappeared and she could breathe again. “Do you speak the truth? Are you really giving me a choice to leave?”

[Abstynencja Adamczyk]

Abby didn’t know if he was doing things right. He knew that he wasn’t doing them completely wrong. If he were doing them wrong, he’d already have set out the rules for her to follow and probably done something horrible to her. At least, that was his opinion of what a master was. He hadn’t bothered to spend a lot of time with those kinds of people so he was only assuming that was what they were like. However, he didn’t know if he was doing things right. Was there even a right way to offer a slave their freedom? There probably was a right way to do it and it wasn’t the moment after buying them. He, however, didn’t care. He should do this the way that felt comfortable for him. Even if it meant that, he was risking being lonely quicker than he had hoped.

At least she was polite. Sensing the change in the atmosphere, he knew that she wasn’t expecting him to offer her freedom to her. She was probably even more shocked that he was offering it to her immediately after purchasing her. He smiled to her, a normal and decent sized smile, which was rare. He was happy that she would be able to appreciate his offer. He knew that most slaves would immediately take the offer without hearing the rest of it but he hoped she would at least listen to the rest. She had been polite so far so he believed it would continue.

“Well, yes. I don’t own slaves; I never want to own slaves. I’m just, lonely. That’s why I felt this would be a valid option to my loneliness. I am giving you your freedom and offering my home as a place to reside for however long you’d like. I can also help with a job if it would be something you would like.” it was rather a lot to take in. It would be something that may take a while for her to get used to. She had prepared herself for a life of a slave where the best to hope for is a kind master. He assumed she hadn’t expected someone to buy her and then release her.

“I was worried that it may come across wrong. That you may have the wrong assumption as to what kind of company I had bought and then freed you for,” Abby started to bite his nails a bit. He was getting nervous. He wouldn’t want her to assume that he intended her company for something such as a mate. He didn’t want a mate he just wanted company. He was a lonely guy and it hadn’t bothered him until Belial had shown him that contact and relationships with people didn’t have to be a bad thing. He had denied any form of friendship throughout his life in fear that it may kill him one day. Now that he knew it wouldn’t if monitored, he wanted to end his loneliness.

[Diana Rembrandt]

Diana forced herself to sit on the bench long enough to hear him out. It was just overwhelming to hear that she wasn’t going to be sexually exploited. Or exploited in any other way for that matter. While still in the building, she was worried that he was some kind of nice creepo who made his prey laugh before he ate it. It was a suspicion that she was thrilled to have proven false.

She listened quietly to his explanation and began to empathize with the man. Admittedly it was much easier to like him once she confirmed that he was not out to get her. Maybe he would be able to understand her earlier hesitance and allow her to open up slowly. She could tell that he was genuinely lonely and just wanted someone to talk to. Diana was far from a comedian but she could be a loyal friend.

After he offered his home, Diana’s first instinct was to politely refuse. But after she mulled it over in her head for a few moments she began to realize that it wasn’t such a bad idea. The girl really didn’t have anywhere else to go. She had attended a private school which gave her a general education in mathematics, history, languages (except polish), philosophy and basic science but she didn’t have the chance to attend university. A low-paying job wouldn’t be the easiest task for a girl who had grown up having everything done for her. Diana wasn’t even sure how to wash laundry much less fry French fries. Living with Abby would allow her to have a roof over her head while she adjusted to this new lifestyle.

The main thing Diana missed (apart from clean clothes) was her garden. Working with the earth not only kept her strong but it made her happy. If Abby needed the money perhaps she might find some way to sell her plants…if he allowed her to grow them.

“I am just going to start by apologizing. I am not a very open person at first. I haven’t had much practice at opening up to people. But I am willing to try, if you will have me,” she finally answered, smiling a little. "I like to grow things...perhaps you have a place for me to garden?"

[Abstynencja Adamczyk]

Abstynencja continued to bite his nails, hoping that she wouldn’t think his reasoning was lewd or disturbing. It wasn’t intended to be that way and he knew, thanks to Belial that it very easily could be. He didn’t want her to think of him that way. In fact, he didn’t want intercourse or nay such act to ever take place in his new house. Since he wouldn’t have such close neighbours, it would be easier to avoid his constant migraines and blackouts.

Being the patient man that he was, he continued to wait for her to make a decision. He had to admit that it was nerve wrecking and agonizingly long. It felt like an eternity had passed and he had no need to feel like things were too long. He was supposed to live much longer than this, if he was already feeling like it was an eternity; it may be a bad thing. He continued to wait and practically held his breath as she answered. Apologising? Why would she apologise? She hadn’t done anything wrong. He nodded his head and listened to the rest of what she said. His breath still contained inside him until she said ‘if you will have me’. Breathing out in relief, he couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped him.

Nodding his head, he smiled a little wider to her. It was unusual to have already smiled twice today and now he’d actually given a third. “Of course. I just moved to a new house. My condo wasn’t working so well for me. But, there is an entire garden and grounds for you to use as much as you want.” And he wasn’t joking. The house he had bought was more like a mansion and the grounds were just as large. He had no idea the exact amount of land the property had, but it did have a nice, solid, black metal gate enclosing the entire area. Surely she would enjoy sculpting the land and planting items on such a large area to work with. Of course, he had no idea to the extent she would use this land since she was an earth elemental, but it didn’t matter. Even if he knew that detail about her, he wouldn’t hesitate or change his mind. He knew what a slave would feel like, and since he had given her freedom back to her, he knew that anything to help her transition would be appreciated.

Clearing his throat, he straightened up a bit and looked at her with his welcoming, smile-less face. It wasn’t that his smiles were insincere they were just rare. He hoped that Diana would come to understand and tolerate it. “There is just one thing I think you should know about me,” He paused, questioning if he should tell her what he was. As Diana had told him that she wasn’t a very open person to start off, he had to admit that he was usually the same. It was just that this situation feels so awkward to him that he didn’t know what to do and couldn’t stop himself from talking so much. Abby wondered if she would notice the difference once they were settled in with the new person’s rhythm.

“And it’s that I’m an abstinence demon. I feed off abstinence and the negative energy when people refrain from intercourse. Don’t worry, about it though. On a scale of demons, I’m about as pathetic as we come.” He really meant it. Of all the types of demons in the world and all the types of energy they could feed off, it was pathetic of him to feed off the negative energy from such a powerful force. Lust demons had it easy when it came to feeding. The energy that they could steal from just thinking about intercourse was so great that people would think the negative would be just as great. In fact, it isn’t. The negative force is so little and so rare that it was pathetic of his species to need to feed from it. “I hope this doesn’t . . . umm . . . unnerve you? Other than that fact, I’m pretty normal. I eat regular food. I actually like to cook. I sleep like a normal person. At least, I think I sleep like a normal person,” he trailed off, feeling that nervousness returning. He had never offered for someone to live with him before. It had always felt a little awkward to the demon. Abstynencja just hoped that it wouldn’t change her answer. Biting his nails again, he shifted and crossed his legs, waiting for some kind of response.

[Diana Rembrandt]

The idea of a person living in a colossal network of metal all their life chilled her to the bone. Condos and apartments felt so out of touch with the earth. With the growing population she could see how it might be cost effective to dwell in such a place but she couldn’t see herself ever succumbing to that. A house with a substantial yard in a suburb was doable. A tiny room in the air with a pot hanging out the window was not. The way he described his home caused most of her remaining worry to fade. If he owned at least half as much land as Antridge (her family’s estate) then it would be more than enough. The horrid circumstance she had found herself in suddenly changed for the better. Perhaps her life was finally turning around.

Diana was pulled from her thoughts when Abby cleared his throat. She pulled her legs up to her chest on the bench and listened to what he had to say. The girl was literally on the edge of her chair when he told her there was something she should know. Was there something wrong? She hoped it wasn’t some stipulation that would be difficult to follow.

She let out a breath she had been holding when he told her what he was. It was unexpected, but not particularly fearful. She herself had never done anything sexually. Her father had kept her so isolated as a child and when he did let her leave the estate, he sent her to an all girl’s private school. There really wasn’t much of a chance for her to experiment. Diana probably would be the perfect person to feed pent up sexual frustration from. The possibility of him feeding from her was a bit discomforting, but as long as Abby wasn’t obvious about doing it, she could handle it.

“I’m fine with you if you will be fine with me. I’m not exactly human either…” she admitted, before sliding off the bench. Diana knelt on the ground in front of Abby. The concrete was cool against her bare knees but it was somehow comforting. Gently she tapped her hand on the pavement and it caused the rock to crack in a long line about a foot on either side of her hand. With her eyes locked on Abby, she drug her hand across the crack and a line of beautiful over-sized daffodils sprung up from the ground she touched. “Concrete is easy to crack because it’s just mashed up rock. But I can’t manipulate the metal bars inside, so it’s much harder to wield...” Diana then focused her gaze on a small pebble under the bench. Magically it began to slide out from under it and then rise slowly into the air until it floated in front of Abby’s hand. “…unlike free-form rock.”

[Abstynencja Adamczyk]

It felt weird to be so open to Diana. He had never been this open with anyone. Abstynencja didn’t believe that he was capable of being this open with anyone. Of course, intercourse with Belial had been intimate after he wasn’t worried about dying. However, it wasn’t the same. In a way, Belial had used him and he used Belial. There hadn’t been much sharing of information between the two of them. At least, nothing he considered open. This was a first for him. Even when he had first met Belial, he had been careful with his words. Yet, he had practically spilled his guts to Diana. Spilled his guts, that was the right phrase, right?

Abby turned his gaze to her; a puzzled look creased his brows. She wasn’t human? She smelt human and looked human. He knew that there were many strange things in this world but he didn’t think he’d ever come across something like this. Maybe she was a demon or vampire that was able to cover her scent. He had no idea but was curious enough to watch intently as she slid to the ground, kneeling in front of him. Shifting a bit to get a closer look, Abby lent forward so his elbows rested on his knees, his hands joined.

He honestly didn’t know what to expect. He had thought that she would do something, that much was obvious, but he hadn’t expected her to crack the concrete slab that their bench was situated in. His amazement and shock rose even further when she ran her hand across the area and flowers sprouted from under her fingertips. Listening, but not exactly looking at Diana, he stared off into space for a moment, trying to figure out a word for what she was. There had to be a word, he just couldn’t think of what the English equivalent would be. Noticing a rock suddenly in front of his hands, he looked over at Diana, feeling rude for spacing out. “Sorry if I was rude, I’m trying to think of a word,” Resting his thumb nail between his teeth, he sat up straighter as he finally figured out the word he was looking for.

“You’re earth. Or, is that wrong? Umm, someone born from the earth?” He reached that little distance further and picked the rock out of the air. He wondered how she could be able to do that. There had to be something to it. He knew that everyone had their differences and powers. He was able to feed from people without having to actually touch them. It was a necessity that was required for his species. It was too difficult to even find his food source, being able to touch it was even harder. It helped when he was able to touch the source, but it was rare.

“Well, don’t we make a pair,” he chuckled quietly, sitting back against the back of the bench. He hadn’t been able to get to know her before purchasing her but he didn’t doubt their future friendship. He knew that they would get along perfectly fine for company.

[Diana Rembrandt]

For once that day, Diana wasn’t nervous or scared. Though she underestimated herself, she never questioned her ability. It was the most natural the most…right part of her. Using her gift made her happy, but it also strengthened her very core. Not to mention she was very good at it and a bit of a show-off.

There was something about Abby that made her lose her usual suspicion of others. He seemed sweet and easy to talk to. Maybe a bit secretive but who was she to judge? She was a human dam with all the personal information she kept walled in. Maybe she would eventually be able to spill a little to him…or maybe she was just getting ahead of herself.

One thing was for sure and it was that her life was never going to be the same. With an unknown future and (for the first time) a smidge of hope Diana picked herself off the ground. She was still a little wobbly on her feet but could stand.
“Let’s go off see your place now hmm? I’m hungry and I don’t even want to know how bad I smell.”



OOC: I'm just about done with this thread. But you can do another post if you want