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Opened Doors [1x1; BullfinchxNeoMiniTails]

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Bullfinch

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It was dusk out, little sunlight left and street lights bright as firebugs. The air felt cold and damp, clogging up his lungs and reminding him of a dream; walking through a raincloud and feeling the water particles around him swirl and huddle. His target's breath was noticeable; even from more than thirty feet away he could hear the other demon's pants. Such a young Turned, too, it was almost painful to have to kill this one. He looked familiar, like a childhood friend long forgotten. Hopefully he wasn't, because soon he'd be little more than dust in the street.

He snuck up behind his target, tilting his fedora downwards and tightening his leather glove-covered hands into fists. The other demon turned at the minute sound, eyes wide with fright like a scared doe. His entire body was shaking, and his ears were completely flat against the sides of his head, a classic show of submission when facing a more powerful demon. Nias tilted his head, fedora covering his eyes but showing the smirk that graced his face. "Now, now, Daren. No need to be frightened." The demon yelped and turned on all fours, darting away. Nias cursed, following after him as his boots clicked against the pavement.

Lamplight soon brightened their path, and Nias' eyes widened as he realized where exactly Daren was headed. The Temple. Shit. "Stop! Daren, stop!" The younger paid no heed, running up the stairs of the Temple and bashing through the doors... only to crumple to the floor with a moan as the holy power inside burned him. Nias rushed to his side, pulling the other out only to swiftly snap his neck. The body crumbled to gray dust, and he groaned.

Great. Just great.
Here he was, one of the most notorious Hunters in the realm of Hell, crouched on the steps of his former best friend's home.
Whom happened to be a Priestess.
This day could not be any worse.
 
The miko watched as the hunter named Nias grabbed onto the youner of the two to no avail. Her violet eyes screamed and her hand held onto the ofuda angered and scared, the paper crinkling up from her hold.

She seemed cold with her lack of expression to the death of the young demon, only bitterness for Nias to show up at her temple.

"Why are you here?" The words came natural for her as if she had always hated him although she could remember how the question used to be reversed, asking him how come he didn't come to see her. She wasn't sure how they got to this point but all that mattered was that they were at this point.

Cat verse mouse.
Priestess verse demon.
Love verse hate.
Rei verse Nias.

It was an unspoken rivalry and hatred that none of the senshi were aware of as Rei never spoke about him. Why? She didn't know. Maybe, it hurts her more than she can admit... Or maybe, she just didn't care enough.

It didn't matter. It never did. This was destiny, this moment, this fight.
 
Nias' head shot up, and he bared his teeth, the years having brought out his demonic side much more than anger or terror ever had. She looked much like she had all of that time ago, granted a bit more menacing. Fleeting feelings or remembrance and even love had long ago been crushed under the knowledge that being a Hunter was what he had promised. A chance to see his mother for his soul and freedom. Now, it was just too late for doubts or regrets.

He got up quickly, shifting into a defensive position and grabbing his dagger with one hand. It's handle squeaked as metal touched leather, and the gold and silver of it's design glinted in the false light. He could remember her asking him why he wouldn't come, the guilt of making her suffer through the life of a Priestess without even him.

"I was on a job. Idiot decided to get himself toasted. Not my fault," he stated, sadness tinting his cobalt and gray eyes. "I don't want to do this, Rei," he whispered. "I never wanted to do this."
 
Rei listened to him speak, hearing the same boy that she knew in a man that she didn't know anymore. They weren't the same, never will be, that she was sure of even after all this time.

It was odd to have a demon strong enough to enter temple grounds and not to be there to kill her, because it happened often and she killed often without a second thought. In all honesty, she wanted to hear him say that he came for her, no matter the reason. It didn't make sense even to her and she wasn't sure she wanted to make sense of it.

Her eyes softener upon hearing the last statement. "Then leave... You have no business here." There needn't to be a fight, not tonight. Usually whenever he'd come, she became the one that was the hunter and he the hunted.---However, those fights stopped a long time ago--

It stopped when she realized that she didn't love him anymore. Or maybe she convinced herself that...

"You don't belone here, not anymore." With that, she walked back into the temple, never looking back, never wanting to look back.
 
The demon flinched, schooling himself as she turned and walked back inside. "I guess I don't," he muttered, sighing and pulling his fedora down to hide the suspicious film over his eyes. When had everything gone so wrong? He remembered when he was a newly Turned, moaning over being jilted and still freshly wounded by both his mother's demise and Invictus' betrayal. Back then, they'd been close, close enough that love had trickled in to the mix - at least on his end. Tonight, he wasn't so sure that it wasn't unrequited after all.

He sighed, walking to the limits of the grounds and spotting the most hated creature that existed in his life. "Invictus." The taller, more muscular demon nodded, grinning as his cold, dried blood red eyes sparkled in the light. "Nias, my best little Hunter. You've taken care of Daren, then?" The underling in question frowned with a solemn nod. "Yes." Invictus raised an eyebrow, the grin fading to a neutral expression that somehow made him feel very, very insignificant. Nias clenched his hands into fists to prevent himself from hissing, and grimaced around the words he spoke. "Yes, sir." Invictus regained his grin, observing him with a smug expression. "Good little lower-level. Now, here's your new target." The demon withdrew a picture from his jeans pocket, handing it to Nias with clawed fingers. "Girl by the name of Renee. She decided that targeting some priestess would be a good idea, so you might not be the only one after her."

Nias' head shot up from it's bowed position, and he blinked in shock. Invictus took this in with a half worried, half disapproving gaze, and shrugged. "Right then. You kill her before anyone else does, and I won't kill you... this week. Deal?" The underling sighed, ears flat to his temples and tail metaphorically tucked between his legs. "Deal."

Not like I have any other choice.

The older demon winked at him, snapping his fingers and vanishing with a puff of dust that smelled like brimstone and death. Nias groaned and resisted the urge to go out and kill something, to revert to what would be a normal demon's natural state. However, he was a Hunter. They were more disciplined, more controlled - the very best at what they did. If they weren't, they died pretty easy. Over the years, many demons had come to learn to respect the name Nias Madriarch, but Invictus would always be above him.

After all, he was his creator.
 
Rei walked through the empty, this place she claimed home although it lost it's homely feel five years ago when she lost her grandfather to death. He died holding her hand, asking her to let go of the bitterness she held in her soul for Nias although he hadn't a clue why she hated him in any kind of way.

This place was supposed to be where her and him would come together and laugh and talk together. However, he chose death over her and the thought killed her everyday. When her mother died, he listened to her and allowed her to cry on his shoulder but when his died, he didn't allow her to comfort him---just some awful demon to trick him, as he called it.

Taking some water, she placed it in a pot and began to let it brew, deciding to make some celestial tea to relax and let her mind go away from him. Sitting there, she imagined herself and him talking to eachother like they used to, his awkward smile lifting her in many ways.

"I guess those memories meant nothing to him..." Silence filled her temple and suddenly she couldn't wait for tomorrow's study group.
 
Nias was practically bubbling with indecision. On the one hand, he could walk inside, tell her one of his own kind was after her, potentially get slapped and/or killed, and then try to protect her with what was left of his measly life. On the other hand, he could wait it out and act like a Hunter who's best friend wasn't on the menu.

Screw that.

He gathered up his courage, and headed back towards the temple, jogging up the steps and hesitating before quickly knocking on the doors. Here goes nothing. Do or die.

Literally.
 
"Come in, idiot." Rei said, sipping her tea, trying to imagine that she hadn't told him to leave. For some reason, she imagined he'd be back, probably this time to kill her but she somehow doubted that as hebhad the chance earlier.

She tried to imagine he was the same guy that she knew as a teen, offering him tea to drink.
 
He could almost have whooped in relief, trying to hide the tiny grin that stole across his face when he stepped over the threshold. Nias accepted the tea with a thankful nod, sipping it and trying to stop his eyes from wandering over her form. Now, looking closer, she looked even more beautiful then when they were young. Rather odd - he'd always thought she'd been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and now here she was, even prettier. Life sure loved to taunt him.

"Seems like the nicknames haven't changed," he said with a chuckle, tone deeper and darker than the once semi-innocent demon he'd been. "I have no doubt you believe I'm here on a hunt, but it's quite the opposite. You're in danger." The and I'm worried about you was squashed under his wavering will. "And while you might prefer to have my head mounted on a wall, I would like to have you stay alive."
 
Rei was good with making small talk minimal. However, she did want to speak to him, just this once. "Arent you presumptuous?" She laughed, pouring herself more tea and handing a large loaf of sweet bread to him, a nice treat Makoto left earlier for her.

She frowned slightly, not listening to a word he said, "Why'd you choose becoming a demon, knowing I'm a miko and have always been one? Was that your way of saying you couldn't stand me?" Her eyes were hurt even as she smiled, speaking as if it were casual conversation, her tone the same as her smile.
 
He laughed with her, shrugging. "Being presumptuous comes with the job." He broke off a piece of the loaf with a grateful smile, tucking in. He hadn't had human food for so long, it could have been asparagus for all he cared, the comfort it brought more than tempered his anxiety.
Her next words brought it back. His eyes shot up to hers, the blue irises having grown steadily grayer over the years. Now, they looked like tiny motes of blue surrounding black pinpricks, the gray sclera having almost taken over the natural color completely. He stood up, setting the tea and bread down with a tremble in his hands. Nias noticed it, and steadied them by sticking them together in a mock version of prayer.

"You think I chose this?" He snickered, the gray covering the blue bit by bit every moment he spoke. "You know what happened, Rei. I never chose this. I deserved this. That doesn't, and has never meant I felt anything negative towards you." He frowned, no longer showing his sharpened teeth that were reminiscent of a shark's. "I've never wanted to harm you, no matter the rules of our... positions."
 
"Stop it!" She screamed suddenly, her hands shaking on the table. "You didn't deserve this. I couldve helped you---we couldve... Helped eachother deal with it. When you left, I finally felt alone again---and I needed to find another reason to go on..."
 
He jumped at her scream, flinching and rubbing his hands together like he had caught a sudden chill. "I'm sorry," he murmured, grimacing as a tiny voice in his head reminded him that sorry was never enough. "I didn't mean to leave, really. I just... I couldn't take it." He sighed, sitting back down. "It would have been selfish, to stay here. You would have been in direct danger. Hell, look at the reason I'm here! A demon's trying to kill you, Rei. That's my point."

Nias rubbed his temples, the leather doing nothing to soothe his oncoming headache. "If I'm here, you have the chance of getting hurt. I won't let that happen."
 
"I don't care about getting hurt..." she whispered, drinking her tea again, trying to relax again. "Gomen nassai, I didn't mean to scare you. I-I just..." Miss you? Maybe, hate you for what you did? You coming back reminded me that I still don't hate you, but I'm still in love Rei stopped in mid-sentence, unsure if she had just felt another demonic aura or was it just his?

"Would you like some more tea?"
 
Nias caught the hesitation and huffed, putting his hands down and encircling his tea cup. "Yes, please." He eyed her for a moment, taking in what looked like apprehension in the worry lines on her face, and frowned. "Something wrong?" Please don't let Renee be here already... If the little wayward demon was here ahead of schedule, it would just be one more wrench to add to the stack he'd piled up today.

The holy power of the temple felt like a heartbeat thundering right in his ear, causing his usually calm and certain attention to be distracted. Plus, the tickling sensation that crawled along his arms and legs like spiders was very, very disconcerting.
 
The dark aura disappeared.

"Here." Rei smiled, pouring more tea. "Meet me in the park tomorrow... I'm sure you'll feel much more comfortable there." She said, almost as if she were reading his mind.

"I guess if I die... Then I'll go to hell with you for betraying my promise as a priestess, eh?" She laughed half-heartedly, half-serious. Even after all this time, she still couldn't hate him to kill him although that was her job. Her job was to keep her world purified of creature like him and yet, she didn't even have the nerve to spike his drink.

She let him in for answers.... And realized that she may have a death date planned by someone else.
 
"The park?" He hummed, smiling softly and sipping his tea. "Alright." The tall, thin Hunter hid a grin and chuckled in response to her attempt at dark humor. "I suppose you would... but you'd have me, wouldn't you?" His tone became more melancholy, and he sighed, getting up once more and tipping his hat to her. "Thank you for the hospitality, Rei. I appreciate it." Nias flexed his fingers, and lingered in indecision before simply patting the Priestess' shoulder with a smile, turning on his heel and heading out the door.
 
Rei smiled and maybe the face may have had the same expression of loneliness. "Maybe it won't be that bad then. Maybe, it won't be that lonely."
 
The park was most decidedly pleasant, now that the sun didn't have the chance to burn the flesh right off of him. He made sure that his fedora covered his face with it's rim's shadow, glancing around in an attempt to locate Rei. "Now if I was a Priestess... where would I be?"
 
Rei sat on a tree, above him, using a spot that a senshi wouldve chosen rather than a priest. Most priest would sit underneath the tree, calmly claiming how nature calmed them with either an arrogant or angelic smile on their face, next probably asking a question that the person in front of them didn't care to answer or never even thought about before that moment.

However, Rei was a senshi. Sometimes, she wondered if she were more senshi than anything else, more like Nias than a priestess.

A nice breeze came over them, her hair flowing majestically with the wind. "Nias... Come up here."
 
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