BONES TO ASH ━━━━━ 1x1

[skydust]

ＢＬＯＯＤ ＴＯ ＳＴＯＮＥ,

[ＯＮＥ Ｘ ＯＮＥ ＢＥＴＷＥＥＮ ＳＫＹＤＵＳＴ ＡＮＤ _ＳＥＯ_
ＤＯ ＮＯＴ ＰＯＳＴ ＩＦ ＹＯＵ ＡＲＥ ＮＯＴ ＵＳ]

[skydust]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx─────────── "🇼‌🇭‌🇦‌🇹‌🇪‌🇻‌🇪‌🇷‌ 🇮‌🇸‌ 🇧‌🇪‌🇬‌🇺‌🇳‌ 🇮‌🇳‌ 🇦‌🇳‌🇬‌🇪‌🇷‌, 🇪‌🇳‌🇩‌🇸‌ 🇮‌🇳‌ 🇸‌🇭‌🇦‌🇲‌🇪‌." ── 🇧‌🇪‌🇳‌🇯‌🇦‌🇲‌🇮‌🇳‌ 🇫‌🇷‌🇦‌🇳‌🇰‌🇱‌🇮‌🇳‌ ──────────

┌──────────────────────────┐

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
└────────────────────────────────┘

x

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx────── 🇮‌. 🇴‌🇷‌🇮‌🇴‌🇳‌ 🇴‌🇷‌ "🇨‌🇱‌🇴‌🇻‌🇪‌🇷‌" 🇮‌🇮‌. 🇨‌🇮‌🇸‌ 🇲‌🇦‌🇱‌🇪‌ 🇮‌🇮‌🇮‌. 28 🇾‌🇪‌🇦‌🇷‌🇸‌ 🇴‌🇱‌🇩‌ 🇮‌🇻‌. 🇧‌🇮‌🇸‌🇪‌🇽‌🇺‌🇦‌🇱‌ 🇻‌. 6'2" 🇻‌🇮‌. 🇫‌🇨‌: 🇩‌🇪‌🇻‌ 🇵‌🇦‌🇹‌🇪‌🇱‌ ──────
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx𝖠 𝖢𝖮𝖭 𝖬𝖠𝖭, 𝖱𝖴𝖣𝖤, 𝖮𝖵𝖤𝖱𝖡𝖤𝖠𝖱𝖨𝖭𝖦, 𝖮𝖵𝖤𝖱𝖤𝖷𝖠𝖦𝖦𝖤𝖱𝖠𝖳𝖤𝖣, 𝖢𝖧𝖠𝖱𝖬𝖨𝖭𝖦/𝖲𝖴𝖠𝖵𝖤 𝖲𝖢𝖮𝖴𝖭𝖣𝖱𝖤𝖫, 𝖲𝖧𝖨𝖥𝖳𝖸, 𝖲𝖭𝖠𝖱𝖪𝖸, 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖠 𝖥𝖫𝖨𝖱𝖳.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx𝖡𝖴𝖳 𝖠𝖫𝖲𝖮 𝖲𝖠𝖣, 𝖦𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖫𝖤, 𝖰𝖴𝖨𝖤𝖳, 𝖨𝖭𝖢𝖱𝖤𝖣𝖨𝖡𝖫𝖸 𝖠𝖭𝖦𝖱𝖸, 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖮𝖵𝖤𝖱𝖶𝖧𝖤𝖫𝖬𝖨𝖭𝖦𝖫𝖸 𝖯𝖠𝖲𝖲𝖨𝖮𝖭𝖠𝖳𝖤 𝖶𝖧𝖤𝖭 𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖱𝖤 𝖨𝖲 𝖭𝖮 𝖬𝖠𝖲𝖪.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx───────────────────────────────────

ᴀ ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟᴇ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇ ɢᴜɪᴅᴇꜱ ʜɪᴍ. ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴀʟ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ʏxx
ᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ʜɪꜱ ᴅɪʀᴛʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ. ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ, ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ, ꜰᴀᴍᴇ, ꜱᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜ, ʟᴏᴠᴇ. ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛxx
ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛ ʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ. ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ᴠɪᴇᴡᴇᴅ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ ɴᴏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ʜᴏᴡxx
ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ, ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ꜰᴏʀ ʜɪᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏɴᴇ. ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ᴡʜᴏ ɪꜱ ᴅᴇꜱᴘᴇʀxx
ᴀᴛᴇ, ʜᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ɪᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʀᴀɢᴇ. ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀᴀʟʟ, ᴀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʟᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ɪꜱ ᴡᴇᴀᴋᴇʀ ᴛʜxx
ᴀɴ ᴀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʟᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʜᴜɴɢᴇʀ. ───────────────────────────────────────────xx

[_seo_]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxｋｌｅｏｓ　ｓｉｒｉｋｈｏｔ　|　ｊｉｎｘ​
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤ø¤¤ø

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

24yo | 5'7 | bisexual, ml | seller of magical artifacts, potions, & spelled objects | specialty in jinxes

Certified angsty gremlin boy with trauma so deep it would make a therapist cry. Kleos was born the youngest of five children with one older brother (Ajax) and three older sisters (Cilla, Danaë, & Ismene). Soon after his birth, tragic events began to befall the Sirikhot family; things would only worsen when his magic manifested on his fifth birthday. It was shortly after he was the only survivor of a deadly car accident that claimed the lives of his two oldest siblings, Ajax and Cilla, and in which he was the only survivor, that he began to be known as a "jinx" within the small magic community in the surrounding towns. By the time he was sixteen, his entire family was gone, and with all of his friends having distanced themselves from him, Kleos began to think he was cursed. His past and the name of “Jinx,” seems to follow him around, haunting him wherever he goes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

• petty xxxx • dramatic xxxx • snarky xxxxxx • traumatized
xxx • blunt xxx • self-destructive xxx • innovative
xx • self-deprecating xxxxxxx • lonely xxxxxx • willful

[skydust]

ＯＲＩＯＮ
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


Sewer water splashed against his boots as he ran through the damp alley. Gross.
The only light illuminating it was the dim lights of the lamp posts peeking through the dark sky. He could hear voices yelling behind him, but he didn’t dare turn back. Being on the run never means you stop running. Obviously. He dodged the trash that was soaking into the ground, the normal smell of the sharp smoke sinking into his nose and skin. He slipped on his feet, almost stumbling face first into the dirt and cracked road.
He grunted, leveling himself to his feet as he kept racing further and further into the alleyway. This was no time for stopping to catch his breath. He could feel the blood dripping from his nose, he could taste the copper on his tongue, and he could feel his lungs struggling for warm air. “No where to run, Knight! We’ll get that money one way or the other. It’s your choice if your body is warm or cold when we get it!” a crackling voice boomed behind him. A gunshot snapped against the wall beside him. His eyes grew wide and his teeth shattered to a wicked smile as he heard that fake name. What a bunch of idiots.
“I love this ga-” another gunshot. “I love this game of chase we have going on with us! Is this what bonding feels like?”
His body slammed against a wall when he turned, only to be face to face with another. A tall one, with no way over. The end. His lungs took a cold air of breath, and shot out of his throat when his shoulder was yanked around to face his hunters.
“Woah, Is it my turn to be it?”
He earned one punch to the stomach for that one.
“It’s your turn to give us our own damn money!” Crooked yellow teeth filling his dark eyes as a horrible smell clouded out of it. He grinned.
“When was the last time you brushed your teeth, Smag?”
A punch to his face this time. He groaned as the pain sunk in.
“It’s not time for you to use your tongue, Isn’t that right, Minus?” Smag growled.
Minus nodded behind him, going along with his boss’s comment. His idiocy was shocking. “That’s right, boss,” he said.
Orion raised his hands as a fake laugh came out of him, “Look, fellas…It was only a joke y’know? I wasn’t going to actually steal all your money. I just wanted to see what you would do, as uh, as a way to establish how tough of a guy you two are. Just the standard for someone like me. Just to know in the future who I’m doing a deal with! I was-”
He shoulders were roughly shaken again as he was yanked forward.
“Yeah?” Smag drew his face closer. “Then where is the money, hmm? I think you know how much of a tough guy I am about now. So I’d like the money you took from us, or..” A gun was dug into his side. “We all know what happens next.”
“Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey! No need to be rash! It’s just in my bag. Lemme just…” Orion waved his fingers as a quiet prayer lifted from his mouth. And suddenly the alleyway was shrouded in darkness. He quickly slammed the gun to the side as it shot out. The bullet smaking against the wall as he started to run. He heard the two yell, but he was already far now. Only hoping that he didn’t run right into the bricked walls. When the light of the streetlamps slowly came back into his vision, he shot towards it. He was finally free. But right when he got out he slammed straight into another person.
They both toppled over into the wet dirty ground. A hiss escaping his lips as he felt his head smacking into the others. Combined with that punch, this will definitely be a wicked headache later. He quickly looked down, only to find dark eyes staring back at him in shock. He heard the footsteps of Smag and Minus slowly getting closer. So he shot to his feet, dragging this mysterious person along with him. “Time to go!” he ran away.
“I’m Clover by the way! Whatever you’ve heard about that name is totally not true, don’t worry!” he was notorious in the city for scamming others, so that name had been heard for a while, gracing anyones tongues like posion. Which earned him that nickname. He was always lucky. A fitting name. It was apart of his gift afterall.
He quickly rounded a corner, slammed his calloused hand against the mans mouth as he pushed him against the wall. He felt mumbling under his hand, and he pressed harder. “It’s time to be quiet,” he whispered harshly. They let the silence take over until the two business men ran past them. He waited a second or two, before pulling his hand away from the man’s mouth. “Sorry about that!” he puffed out a dramatic breath as he adjusted his ugly, dark, wet, red coat. “It must have been fate for our paths to collide! Y’know what they say about soulmates,” he winked.
He laughed bitterly at the mans response. “Right, right…”
“Well! I think it’s my turn to go,” he tilted his hat that matched his coat. “It’s been a pleasure, beautiful. But I gotta get this cash someplace safe. You understand right…” he looked down at the mans clothing trying to find some kind of identification on his clothing. Silk, velvet, shirt. Leather pants. Orion raised his eyebrows, impressed. Has he got money, maybe? He found a symbol in the shape of a downwards crescent moon with three tear shapes raining down. “Ah! Chaos by Kleous…Right? I’m pretty sure that’s right. You sell those potions and magical items. I will have to stop by soon for a visit soon.”
“Aaaand I think it’s time for me to go.” He turned on his heel and walked away. A plan already forming in his mind. Taking Kelos’s money has got to be easy. He didn’t look like much of a fight. His tongue was a different story, but Orion was up for that challenge. Orion felt giddy from his prize. He muttered a pray of gratitude, and a voice stung through his head. A hum of, “YOU ARE WELCOME.” He winced, that sting did not help the forming migraine. He was thankful anyways. His god was still his companion. Thank god. Literally. All he needed was him at his side. He knew he loved him, and that was enough.
Orion reached for his bag only to find himself patting his coat. He looked down. There was no bag to be found. Orion searched his body in panic only to realize that the bag was no longer there. He felt his body tense up as a growl raced through his mind. He needed that bag back. Desperately. Otherwise his good graces would run dry. He realized all too well what had happened. Kleous had stolen his bag.
Orion sneered. He was going to get that back, no matter what.

[_seo_]

XX

indentHe needed to stop meeting up with these people. It’s not like Kleos needed another spelled object to not sell in his store. It was probably another fake too, and then he’d just feel obligated to ruin the guy’s day. He shook his head as he walked, ignoring the way some people were looking at him.
It was then that he caught sight of a man dressed in the most ghastly outfit he’d ever seen in his entire life. The man was wearing a purple polka dot shirt that looked like it came straight out of the 70s and sickly green corduroy pants. It was as if the man had been frozen in time; he just screamed old-generation magus. Kleos fought to roll his eyes and prayed to every single god that existed to give them patience to deal with this pathetic fool. He cleared his throat as he approached, tapping the man on his shoulder once he got close enough, “Hi, are you Solsticeoak71?” The man whipped around with barely concealed excitement. Gods, he wanted to punch him in the face.

indent“I always love selling to young fans of magic. What’s your name, kid? I might have other things you could be interested in…" Solsticeoak71 held out his hand to him, and Kleos’s eyes slowly dropped down to it, “You’re sweating an awful lot. I’m good. And I’m 24, not a kid. Can we just discuss the item you posted, please? The amulet… Or do you not actually have it?” It was clear this man had not picked up on the fact that he could tell he was an actual magus and not some random kid from the internet he could scam. The man’s cheesy grin fell from his face as he narrowed his muddy brown eyes, “You’re not the friendly type, huh? I asked you a question. What’s your name, buddy?” He gritted his teeth as he crossed his arms, “Why’s my name relevant? Do you have the amulet or not?”

indentSolsticeoak71 stared down at him, irritation shining in his eyes as he stiffened and straightened his shoulders, “Name or I won’t show the amulet.” Kleos let out an indignant sigh, rolling his eyes, “Kleos of Inharens Chao…” As soon as he said it, he wished he had given him a fake name or not said his shop. Solsticeoak71 looked like he had swallowed a molten nail covered in spikes, his voice tight as he spoke, “Y-You're that Sirikhot clan boy whose family all died after his magic came in... the jinx? T-that’s you? Is it true what they say about you? Do people close to you actually start to get bad luck or die?” He clenched his fists at his sides as the man glanced around as if a piano might fall on him or a black cat was about to walk under a ladder, “Yeah, and? What of it? I don’t like you enough to give you my magic cooties. Now, are you going to show me the amulet so I can verify if it's real or not?”

indentThe man didn’t look at all soothed by his answer and was slowly backing away. Kleos let out an exasperated huff, throwing his arms up, “Oh for hex-sake! That’s not how it works! It’s not like the flu, idiot! You know what? I don’t want your stupid amulet anyway!” He turned on his heel and stormed off back the way he had come. Screw Solsticeoak71! It was so damn annoying. He wished it was like the flu just to give the guy a bad day; he wished him the very worst luck for at least a week. Kleos snorted to himself, not paying attention as he walked.

indentIt was because he wasn’t paying attention that he didn’t see the guy running until they collided and fell onto the game. This was the worst day he had in a long while. Kleos could barely process what had happened when the man was yanking him up and pulling him along, saying his name like he was just supposed to know he was from him saying it, “Clover? What are you, a leprechaun?” The only Clover he knew of was some magus con man that some of his sellers complained about, but it wasn’t like that guy was foolish enough to go around shouting his name out like that. His eyes scanned the guy's face and the sweat on his brow. Alright… maybe he was that Clover and was, in fact, foolish enough to announce that.

indentHe grumbled as Clover slammed his hand over his mouth, his nose wrinkling from the smell of the sewer wafting off of his skin. His eyes narrowed as silence filled the air between them and he was held against the brick wall. His brow raised at the feeling of something pressing into his chest. Knowing that Clover was clearly up to something and this thing was likely involved, plus Kleos was having a truly awful day and he deserved for something to go well. Kleos blinked slowly as two equally foolish-looking men, most definitely looking for the dummy pressing him into the wall, ran past. His brows shot up, and an unimpressed look spread across his face as Clover spoke, “I don’t think the gods would curse me with a soulmate that smells of the sewer.”

indentKleos rolled his eyes as the man tilted his hat. He arched a brow as Clover looked him over, matching the taller man’s expression. His brows furrowed as he referred to the name of his shop that typically only regular people used. Why the hell was this handsome loser, who had already sort of admitted to being a well-known magus conman, not using the proper name of his store? He sighed as he put his hands on his hips, “Yeah, that’s me alright. And that’s okay, I’d rather you di—” His jaw clenched as the man cut him off, turning on his heel and walking away. What a buffoon! Kleos shook his head as he walked off in the direction of his shop, half-expecting the idiot to come chasing after him. But when he got to the store and the man still hadn’t appeared, all he could do was laugh. What kind of con man didn’t realize he had been pickpocketed? What kind of con man even let himself be pickpocketed? The ridiculousness of it all. It didn’t matter, though, as he stashed the bag in his magic safe. Whatever it was, because he wasn’t entirely sure he believed Clover when he said it was cash, he didn’t want to risk worsening his curse by getting too curious about it before he had the proper protection ready. As he rounded the corner, the bells at the entrance of his shop chimed, relief washing over him when the second set of chimes didn’t go off to alert of magic-users entering.

indent“Welcome to Chaos by Kleos! What kind of chaos are you looking to inflict today?” The two kids snickered, for some reason thinking what he had said was funny, before asking for a crystal necklace. He gave the two kids a skeptical look, “Er… What kind of crystal? Protection? Healing? Wisdom? No? Uhm, moonstone? Rose Quartz? Opal?” When they continued to look at him with confusion, he just pulled out a few of the non-spelled crystal necklaces and put them out on the counter. He almost wanted to laugh when the kids just picked a random one and purchased it before running out. His talents and items were wasted on those who just cared about the aesthetic of his pieces rather than their actual charm.

[skydust]

ＯＲＩＯＮ
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


As much as he hated to admit it, Orion had to rest.
It’s not like getting beat up didn’t affect him after all. He could feel the bruises forming on his ribs, and his face wasn’t doing great either. Everything hurt, and being sleep deprived made him want to pass out on the street. Which was definitely saying something considering what was on those streets. The humming in his head was getting louder and louder. If he focused too much on it his head would start to hurt immensely. Apart of him wanted to curse his god out. He was going to get the money back after all! Sometimes Orion was confused on why his god needed money. But it’s not like he didn’t enjoy getting it. Satisfaction blossomed in his blood whenever he took something that wasn’t his. Bruised ribs or not, he lived for the thrill of it all. Even if it burned a little. Even if he got a headache at the end of the day. He so loves a good chase.
The next morning after sleeping at some shabby inn in the east district, he found himself with a new fire in him. Determination did wonders for his pain. The closer he got to Kleos’s shop, the more the pain in his body seemed to subside. Most people in the city seemed to ignore his presence, but every once in a while he would catch a glare thrown his way. Which he would always tip his maroon hat and give a grin. Oh, he did love getting them riled up. His blood burned perfectly. Eventually he found Kleos’s shop. He got a description of it from another vendor down the street. Which he took the liberty of swiping his money as thanks for the amazing help.
The outside of the shop held different shades of grey, light purples, and blues. The windows tall with bright light shining through them. You could peek inside at all the magical things inside if you wanted. Some shivering with magic and others with none at all. The building was sharp and right above the door was the name, ‘INHARENS CHAO.’ Orion licked his lips and smiled with teeth. Perfect. He waltzed on it, bells chiming once and then twice. Orion laughed under his breath.
“Oooo, what a pretty sound!” he giggled.
His brown eyes landed on the man behind the counter. He could practically feel the sharp sting in his eyes. The quickening beat of his heart. And his god gripping his bones almost like he wanted Orion to jump over the counter and relieve the shop of it’s owner. “Well if it isn’t the man of the hour! Jinx, amiright? I heard a couple of people call you that on the street. I love it. Kleos is such a boring name. I’m glad you prefer the alternative," Orion smirked.
He was well aware that the nickname Jinx wasn’t a pleasant one for the man. His suspicions only confirmed the way the Kleos’s face instantly turned sharp and annoyed. The fire in his eyes was exciting.
Orion peeked around the shop taking in the decor. He looked at the potions, weapons, books, crystals, and more around the shop. Things tucked away in counters and stacked on shelves. Lights strown up around the shop and twinkling in the light. If you focused enough you could almost feel the magic buzzing in the air. He practically purred at the opportunities. “So as you know I had a bag with me last time we met,” his eyes flickering away as he absentmindedly picked up a potion. The glow and feeling as it twang against his finger tips was familiar. A curse. He smiled. His eyes flew back to Kleos. “And funny enough after our interaction, It seemed to disappear!”
He quickly dropped the potion but caught it right before it hit the ground. “Woah there. Almost dropped this one!” Orion said, his voice sick with fake honey. He grabbed another one with his other hand. “So putting two and two together…” He grabbed the shadows from the corners and quickly covered the twinkling lights with them. His illusion making them disappear in an instant. The shop grew dark, only the glow of some magical items saving them from complete darkness. He took slow steps towards Kleos. “I can only assume that you stole it from me, Jinx.”
He could see the blank look on Kleos’s face, unimpressed with his show. He smiled, fake gasping as he almost dropped the potion in his other hand. “Whoops! Gosh, these are so slippery. I think I might get another,” he stepped back to the shelf, eyes never leaving Kleos as he did so. His new friend seemed just a tad nervous now. Orion practically preened at the sight. He turned away when he reached it. His face now shining with colors of the potions in sight as he put the two back. “Hmmm…how about…” he spotted a curse that made him smile, his eyes soft as he picked it up from the shelf. A sleep curse. One that would put its victim to sleep and plague them with nightmares.
“This one seems fun! What a silly color. How can it be black and blue at the same time? Must be expensive. Perhaps you can tell me what it does? I wouldn’t want to accidentally buy something that would be harmful.” He said, voice filled with fake kindness. He tilted his head, half of his face shifting in shadows as he made his way back up to the counter. His eyes moved from color to color in the light. Some might say he would be beautiful if they didn’t know he was trying to manipulate them.
“How much? I’m sure you can cover it with the money you took from me.”
Orion laughed at the comment Kleos made, before he partially lunged over the counter. Grabbing a fistful of hair with one hand and gripping the potion with the other. “I dare you to curse me, Jinx. You’ll find out I’m one lucky man. And I can easily curse you back right now if I wanted too. I’d love to see you twist and turn in your sleep. I bet you look just perfect with agony written all over your face.”
He leaned in close, letting himself sink into the look in Kleos’s eyes. There noses practically brushing together as he loosened his grip on his hair, only a little. “Now are we going to do this the hard way or the easy way? I’m more than happy to do either. I think I know who I’m betting on to win,” Orion said, his voice low and dark.
His god hummed in pride. Words of blood and harm chanting in his brain over and over.
Kleos mentioned his protections that lingered on him and Orion sighed. He sensed them as well. What a shame. Orion got rid of his shadows, the lights brighting the place once again. He smiled like he was just told a silly joke. He began to draw his face away from Kleos’s. “Gods, you’re no fun. Well, Jinx, I guess we’re doing this the hard way.” Orion gently set the potion down on the counter, tugged Kleos back by his hair roughly, and jumped over the counter to slam Kleos’s body into the wall.
God, he loved seeing the red.

[_seo_]

XX

indentHe felt annoyed as soon as he heard the two peals of the bells on the doors at the front of his store. Kleos sighed as he straightened up behind the counter and nearly froze as soon as he heard the voice. Kleos swore under his breath, his eyes narrowing the more the man spoke. When he heard the name Jinx fall from the man’s lips, he nearly hissed. His brow arched as the man talked in a circle, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at Clover.

indentHis eyes darted to the potion bottle in the man’s hand, trying to recall which curse was inside it. Kleos watched the man drop the potion bottle, finally rolling his eyes as he caught it before it hit the ground. Was he trying to bore him to death or threaten him? He would be less annoyed if the game the conman was playing was entertaining. The man tensed as Clover picked up another potion bottle. It wasn’t even the curse inside that he was worried about; that potion had taken him a week to make, and he didn’t want to have to go through it all again. Kleos fought back another eye roll as the man put down the two potion bottles and picked up another, rambling on about the color and price of it, “I’m obviously the one who made it and is selling the damn thing, so why would I care if someone bought it even accidentally? And honestly, you’re mad that I pickpocketed you? You should be mad at yourself! What kind of con man gets successfully pickpocketed?” The redhead tried to dodge the man as he lunged over the counter but failed as Clover grabbed him by the hair. He gritted his teeth; his entire life had been a nightmare that curse wouldn’t do anything to him, not to mention the amount of protections he was wearing. 

indentHis brow arched as the man threatened him with the curse and snorted, “Are you drunk? Can you not sense the amount of protections I’m wearing, you daffodil?” Now, he was sighing? This was just ridiculous. When Clover leaped over the counter and slammed him against the wall, an inhuman, feline-like hiss fell from his lips. His eyes shifted into silver cat irises and pupils, tilting his head to the side, “You’re going to threaten me in my shop?” Kleos’s head twisted to the side, bones snapping as he shifted into his feline form. His paws hit the ground with a soft thud, and he took off, darting out from behind the counter. He could hear laughter from behind him ringing in his ears. Kleos whipped around, pressing his small feline body to the ground; the fur on his wildly thrashing tail stood up. He let out another hiss, glaring up as a mirror image of Clover popped up on his side. His tail thrashed as he ran, zigzagging across the floor and dodging the objects Clover and his copies threw at him. The small dark gray cat snuck up onto one of his shelves, tucking himself behind a large antique. His tiny dark gray ears twitched as Clover and his copies searched for him.

indentHe tensed as the man grew closer to him, his body tensing as the man called out, ‘Here kitty kitty.” Kleos hissed as he launched himself at the man’s head, scratching at his face with his tiny claws. His claws dug in as Clover tried to yank him off; he heard the man call out, and one of the copies grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. His silver eyes were full of fiery rage as he hissed and clawed at the air. Internally he rolled his eyes as Clover said something that he presumed the man thought was quite clever, but in reality was more annoying than anything. Though, he considered, annoying him to death could be the con man’s new goal. Kleos shifted back, immediately feeling a fist collide with his stomach, punching the air from his lungs. And then suddenly it was like time froze and he was stuck in a never-ending loop of the worst memories of his life.

indentHis eyes went completely black as a high-pitched sound filled the air as his head jerked to look at Clover. A voice not his own spoke using his lips, “You threaten us? You harm what is ours?” Black, blood-like liquid began to trickle out of the spellcaster’s nose and eyes, “He is not yours to harm, you puny little insect.” His hand shot out and grabbed Clover by the throat, squeezing it with strength that Kleos did not possess himself, “He is ours to harm. We thrive on his agony. Touch him in a way that harms this body again, and we will not be pleased. You do not want to see us when we are not pleased.” With that, Kleos’s hand dropped from Clover’s throat, and the black liquid receded back into his nose and eyes, his eyes returning to normal. As noise began to filter back into his ears and he could feel again, he saw a look of immense curiosity shining in Clover's eyes. The look filled him with even more agitation, and he lunged forward, tackling him to the ground, “What is in that bag that you want so badly?” The pleased tone in the con man’s voice as he spoke filled Kleos with confusion, “Money? That’s it? Money, seriously? Oh for….” Kleos slid off of him, swearing under his breath as he stood up. He stood up, crossing his arms with narrowed eyes, “Stay here.” He made his way back to his magic safe, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Clover wasn’t following him. The spellcaster placed his hand on the safe, muttering an incantation until he heard the safe click. He grumbled softly to himself as he removed the bag and closed the safe, waiting for the lock to click before walking back to the conman. 

indentKleos held out the bag as he got closer, a petulant frown on his face as the man snatched it out of his hand, “I thought it was a magic antique that I could study. But I suppose people do chase after others when money is stolen too. I won’t apologize because I am not sorry. I also don’t apologize to lunatics and weirdos; you qualify as both.” He whirled around, walking back to the counter, “Stop just standing there; either leave or buy something. I don’t like annoying people loitering around my shop.” His eyes followed Clover as he walked around the store, “If you try to steal anything without paying, it will explode within 5 minutes of you leaving this store. Put it back.”

[skydust]

ＯＲＩＯＮ
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


The last thing Orion expected was for Kleos to suddenly turn into a cat.
Out of all the animals it was the one that Orion didn’t expect but also found fit perfectly. Even though Kleos had escaped from his grasp, he couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of it all. Orion had seen so many different kinds of magic. But even though he was twenty eight, about to turn twenty nine, he couldn’t recall ever seeing someone turn into an animal. Once steadying his brain just enough, he waved his hand and felt a rush of wind sweep buy him. The mirror images of himself walked away from him, spreading out around the shop. One instantly found the cat, grinning down at the angry grey eyes. Kleos bolted immediately upon seeing him. His copies, well, copied him as he picked up an item off a shelf and threw it at the cat. Hoping that maybe one of them might knocked it off its feet.
When the cat was no longer in view he and the other version of him searched around the shop. A haunting harmony of, “Here kitty kitty,” ran all of their mouths. Suddenly the cat was on him, scratching his face, sharp cat claws digging into him as he tried to pry Kleos off. Well Orion had many scars littering his body and face, he didn’t usually like the sting they held. One of the illusions grabbed the scruff of Kleos’s neck and yanked him off. He didn’t really feel the pain on his face as his blood raced through him. Magic sinking off him as his god oozed it from the pours of his skin. If you listened just enough a quiet hum could be heard in the shop. His eyes changing color so fast it was almost dizzying. “Now a cat wasn’t something I expected!” Kleos said, voicing his previous thoughts out loud. He could barely contain his laugher as he said, “It truly does fit. Are you a stray or do you have an owner?”
Kleos shifted back, and immediately Orion let go of his shirt and punching him in the stomach instead. While the chanting was no longer in his head, a comforting warm hugged him. A small part of him wanted to tuck himself away in it. But if he did that he knew only pain would find him. He would savor it though, his god the kindness touch he had receive in a very long time. Quickly the feeling shifted. Orion would have been annoyed if he didn’t witness what was happening right in front of him. Kleos’s eyes turned the color of horrors under your bed. A high pitch sound ringing from seemingly nowhere as he looked at Orion.
A voice spoke and it was not Kleos’s. A garbled mess that was not quite feminine or masculine. Not quite human either. The black liquid that was held in Kleos’s eyes spilled onto the floor. Dripping from his nose and staining his lips as the entity talked. It grabbed onto Orion's throat, squeezing. A low growl exited Orion, but instead of his god beckoning to attack whoever was in the shorter man, it simply watched. His magic almost leaving him as his god watched the entertainment of his follower being strangled by something that Orion could not explain
A reminder that Orion was nothing without the gifts his god bestowed.
Finally Kleos let go of Orion's throat. He gasped as he took in air, rubbing his throat with one hand. A low laugh sounded from inside his head, his god finding the threat humorous. Orion didn’t realize he had mirrored the laugh until he felt it leave his throat. Him and his god both agreed on something immediately. They needed to figure out how they could use the man in front of him. Both hoping that secretly this curiosity would kill the cat. In some shape or form. All depending on the willingness of the man held in Orion’s brown eyes. When Kleos seemed to have came back into his body, his usual annoyance returned to his face. The man lunged forward and tackled him to the ground. While normally under any other circumstance he would very much hate this act of violence thrown against him, he simply watched the anger in the others eyes. It was beautiful. When Kleos mentioned the bag, Orion sighed. Finally. “Oh, I’m sure you’re enjoying this,” Orion purred. “And, money. Did you even look inside? What kind of thief are you. I must say I am a bit disappointed,” he tutted. “It’s for my…prayers?”
That wasn’t technically a lie.
Kleos slid off him and went back to another room. Orion took the time he was gone to put himself back together. He stood, adjusting his suit jacket and brushing off the dust balls that seemed to have attached itself to his tail. He let it fall back behind him. It swished with a hiss, black scales shining in the light, a true devils tail. Even Orion could agree it was a bit fitting. He did nothing with his hair, it was bound to get wild as it did eventually throughout the day. A few black curls fell into his face as he heard the slam of a safe.
He tucked that information away for another day as Kleos appeared in front of him once again. He sprouted hurried words out of his lips as he twisted around back to the counter after giving him the bag back. Orion peaked inside making sure it was all there. As the pain went away, a quiet sigh left him. This was not how this was supposed to go. And while a part of him was already exhausted from this news, another part of him was eager to twist everything in Kleos’s life around by his will.
“I’ll take the ‘weirdos and lunatics’ comment as a compliment. I’m positive I am more exciting then anyone in this city, and I’d very much like to keep it that way. Even if you just. Can’t. Stannnd me,” Orion said dramatically, his strides long as he looked around the shop after the comment Kleos made. “I’m surprised you are still letting me even stand in your shop after…well…everything. You make me more curious second by second.” Orion picked up an item and examined it. A standard light spell written out on worn paper. He put it back down. He was tempted to steal it just to annoy Kleos but as if the man read his mind he commented on it.
Orion put it down. A shocked ‘I don’t know what you could mean!’ look on his face as he dramatically put a hand on his chest. His expression dragged into a smirk as he lingered on the mans eyes just for a second before turning back to the array of magic items. “I suppose you might just be as curious about me as I am about you. If I’m mistaken then well, wouldn’t be the first time, Jinx.” Whenever Kleos talked, Orion would turn to him. Eyes wide like he was hanging off of every word, and lips tilted upwards as if he was already discovering opportunities of using it against him. While that might be true, he also enjoyed learning more. A small quiet part of him yearned for this connection, but it was always given an annoyed hush in his head. He’d indulge this time though. He walked up to the counter, pretending to look at the few items on the table as he twisted one in his hand.
“Why do you do it?”
Kleos seemed to pause at the question, confusion written on his face. “I apologize. I mean,” Orion straightened up, putting the object down and looking at Kleos, their eyes sticking together so strongly that it would be hard to look away if Orion wasn’t examining the small flecks of blue in the others eyes. “Why do you put up with it? I mean. C'mon, you know I know your real name. Everyone knows your real name if they’ve met you. And yet you still entertain the idea of this ‘Jinx’ that people keep calling you.”
As Kleos responded, Orion listened, and only got angry. He knew what it was like to hear disgust dripping down someone's tongue when they said your name. Maybe it wasn’t exactly the same reasons, but Orion understood. The name Clover came with it, but Orion wasn’t concerned over that part of him. His name, Orion, had been said so many times full of malice that it stung even when it was said without. Different circumstances, same result. When Kleos finished, Orion drew his face closer. Just a smidge. “Then don’t take it anymore.”
Kleos talked, Orion responded. “When they start saying that name, you don’t need to hold back. Do you understand the power that you wield. That you can use? Instead of hiding this power hoping it will go away and everyone will forget you have it, show them that it isn’t going anywhere. You have captured their fear, now hold it steady, and use it to your advantage.” Orion spotted a small spider in the corner of the room, and created an illusion with it. The small black arachnid appeared in his hand, he didn’t move, only let it wander along his fingers.
“It doesn’t have to be right in their face. Preferably it isn’t. Not unless it needs to be. You can make some powerful allies if you keep it close, and if you need to make sure that they know who you are...” He turned and threw the spider against the floor. The minute it hit the ground it grew until it could barely fit into the room. It’s eight legs crashed down on the floor with loud thuds, and it’s beady red eyes twirled in all directions as it hissed. “Make them know it.”
Orion turned away from his creation to look directly into Kleos’s eyes. “I can help you. I know quite a lot of people who would be interested in your gift. And quite a lot more who would gladly listen to anything you had to say to have you use it. I have heard that disgust and hate in my name thrown back at me before, but after a while I learned that if you can’t get rid of it then you might as well use it. No harm in using something that was already created.”
Orion winked, “I would know.”
He waved his hand and his creation disappeared. Now it was just him and Kleos. “I teach you how to use your fear and take what you rightfully deserved with my extensive and amazing knowledge, practices, and favors. And pull a little strings for you to get you going of course. And if we happen to make a little money along the line, who knows, maybe some of it might end up in my pocket,” Orion held out his hand, a devilish smile to match his tail forming on his lips. “Deal?”
Orion laughed a genuine laugh as they shook hands. A new beginning and a new end.

[_seo_]

XX

indent“I really don’t care how you take it, Clover. It wasn’t an insult; it was just a statement of fact.” Kleos pursed his lips as he stared at Clover blankly, far from impressed by Clover’s antics. He let out a sigh as he put his hands on his hips with a brow raised, “Why bother? You don’t look like you would listen to me if I did tell you to leave.” The redhead began to fiddle with one of the crystals on the counter as he looked over some of his parchments, “Well, contain your curiosity.” He glanced up to see Clover placing the spell parchment in his hands back down before going back to reading over his parchment.

indentHe let out an empty laugh as he looked up from his work, placing his hands palms down on the counter, “I’m not curious about you in the slightest. I have a feeling that you are wrong quite often.” Irritation flashed in his eyes at the nickname before forcing himself to glance back down at his work, “You enjoy pissing people off, don’t you? You also just have one of those faces.” He gestured in front of his own face with the hand not fiddling with the crystal. When he didn’t hear any noise come from the taller man’s direction, he glanced up to see him standing much closer. The man’s eyes were darting all over the items on the counter, and before he could look at the crystals, Kleos reached over and pulled them towards him. He cocked his head to the side in the same way a confused cat would, “Why do I do what?”

indentHe scowled as the man began to explain, the expression deepening as his irritation rose, “I don’t entertain anything, nor do I put up with it. I can’t control what others call me. And as much as I despise it, I’d be called Jinx, then some of the other things those people have called me since I was a child. And I’d rather they say Jinx with that fearful, disgusted tone they use than hear them say my actual name with it.” Kleos gently placed the crystal down on the counter before crossing his arms, “Again, as much as I, despite being called it, I try to embrace it because there is no changing their minds about me.” A devious smirk spread across his face as he leaned forward, eyes twinkling with mischief, “You act like I let them get away with it. When that sort of person comes into my store and makes the poor decision to use that name, they either learn their lesson and come back the next time, behaving more respectfully, or they don’t come back at all. People don’t tend to like it when the jinxes they want to use on others backfire on them. It can be bad for business, but if that is the way they wish to view me, then I might as well prove them right to an extent.”

indentKleos’s lips pressed into a line as frustration flashed into his eyes, his hands slamming down on the counter, “I don’t hold back, and I don’t hide it!” His voice had been almost a hiss, cat eyes flashing, “You expect me to believe that you of all people wish to help me? I don’t want allies, and I don’t want friends. And I don’t know what else I could possibly do to make people know not to mess with me. I don’t wish to actually hurt them! I’m not violent!” He hadn’t shifted, but he was very much the image of an angry, hissing kitten. His heart was racing in his chest as he began to pace back and forth behind the counter. People always assumed he was violent because of the rumors and what happened to his family, because he was Jinx, and he was cursed. It didn’t matter that anyone who had ever checked couldn’t find an actual curse attached to him, but he just knew that he had to be.

indentKleos wasn’t a violent person, he didn’t like seeing other people in pain. And he hadn’t been an angry person either until other people made him into one. Kleos wasn’t scary, it was what the curse had done that was scary. He ran trembling hands through his hair as a cat tail slowly grew, thrashing back and forth. What he truly wanted was to be free of the darkness that had hung over him since he was five years old, to be rid of the curse that he knew had to exist. His head jerked in Clover’s direction, ‘pull strings…’ Clover said he could pull strings… He slammed his hands down on the counter as he leaned over it slightly, “Counter offer. You have connections and have offered to pull some strings, but I don’t need your help with using people’s fear. Rather I… I am cursed, but no one I have gone to has been able to find anything.” The redhead hisses the last word as his eyes drop to where Orion is still holding out his hand, “I’m not… I.. Well, I don’t know many people, or really any outside of the customers that come in here. Help me with this curse and in finding resources that I have been unable to locate because of my lack of connections. I’ll pay you; money is the one thing I have in abundance. Do we have a deal?”

indentWhen he glanced down to see Clover’s hand still held out, he let out a small hum, “Bloody fantastic.” Kleos took Clover’s hand and shook it; he had a slight feeling that he would come to regret this. But he would rather regret the deal than regret not taking advantage of a chance to rid himself of the curse that plagued his lonely life. His brows furrowed as Clover continued to clasp his hand despite them having stopped shaking them. The redhead tugged his hand, trying to free it and narrowing his eyes at the taller man. He let out a soft hiss as the con man finally released his hand with a laugh, “Lunatic…” Kleos’s eyes remained narrowed as he took a step back, “Because of our new partnership, I’ll do you a favor and offer 5% off anything in the store, with some exceptions, of course. I'm sure you understand.” Another wave of regret washes over him as Clover leans over the counter with a smirk. The tips of his ears go pink when the man purrs, “How about I purchase you?” The flustered shop owner narrows his eyes, his nose wrinkling, “I'm not for sale.” The man makes another flirty remark, and he lets out a hiss, “4%, object or spell parchment, pick out, go.” His eyes remained narrowed as the man walked away with a laugh.

indentHe pulls out a notebook from under the counter and begins to write with a blank expression on his face. His body tenses when he hears something clatter, “You better not have broken or damaged something!” Kleos stormed out from behind the counter and raced in the direction he had heard the sound come from. His mouth dropped as he saw what was in the con man’s hands, an old spellbook that had been encased in a glass cube, “What are you doing? That book is obviously not for sale; otherwise, it wouldn’t be encased! If you want a spellbook, you can find the ones available to purchase over there!” Kleos gestured with his hand to a bookshelf on the other side of the store, “Do I need to watch over you like a child?”

[skydust]

ＯＲＩＯＮ
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


Kleos was pathetic but he had potential.
He had believed all the things Kleos had talked about at one point in his life. He believed he wasn’t the person he was made into. Or the person that everyone saw him as. He believed he wasn’t violent. But then he learned that the only universal language in the world was violence. So, desperate to be heard, he used it. Most saw a shady conman when they looked at him. The unlucky few saw something a lot more violent, and a lot more hungry for anything he wanted. He came back into his body when Kleos mentioned that their new partnership gave him a discount.
Putting on his best flirtatious mask, he leaned forward on the counter and said in a low voice, “How about I purchase you?” He smirked as Kleos narrowed his eyes and responded with a hiss. But Orion didn’t miss the way his ears turned pink. Orion laughed and kept a mental note in his brain as he wandered around the store. His brain started to wander, and think of what it was like to be less violent.
──
The air was still as something stepped through the smoke.
The only tell of it’s existence a swirl in the debris as it stepped forward slowly. It’s eyes trained on a lone head laying down in the snow. An axe lay near. Blood staining the metal soaked into the snow and created a sharp crimson against it’s white. The lips of the human were blue, and it’s tanned skin almost as white as the snow underneath. It was growing colder as the seconds ticked by. It’s dark curls sticky with grime.
The figure stepped forward, its presence causing a low hum to sound as magic radiated off it’s presence. The entities eye turned to the body. It was littered with wounds, it’s clothes stained with dirt and it’s shirt soaked in red. It trained it’s eye back to the head. The entity drew a book from thin air. The books pages coming to life and quickly switching until it found the right magic for the job. The entity didn’t even blink as it preformed it’s magic. The book snapped closed and disappeared from existence when it was done. And it simply watched as the head’s brown eyes shot open.
The entity had no mouth but said, “RISE,” all the same. The body near shuttered and then stood. It’s footsteps stumbling as it almost tripped in the snow. The human secured its head back on it’s neck. The skin knitted together in a second, a large scar the only way to recognize that it had not been attached at one point. The human gasped, sobbed, and spat up it’s own blood. Brown eyes quickly fixating on it’s savior in fear. The human stumbled back, it’s voice rough as it said, “What are you?”
“I SAVED YOU FROM DEATH. WOULD YOU LIKE TO KEEP YOUR LIFE, HUMAN?”
“W-what? Yes, of course. I…How? I don’t understand. One minute I was dead, and I was somewhere…I don’t remember where. All I remember was that it was…so dark. So-” It shivered in fear. “Dark.” The human said as it wrapped itself in its arms to try and stop the cold from biting it’s skin. The entity tilted it’s head.
“WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR FEAR? WOULD YOU LIKE TO ME TO SHOW YOU HOW? WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO DO SO?”
The human paused, licking it lips as it slowly nodded. “Y-yes.”
“ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU FOLLOW ME. AND I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE TRUE POWER. TO FINALLY HAVE SOMEONE TO SHOW YOU HOW TO GET WHAT YOU DESERVE. TO SHOW YOU WHAT LOVE REALLY IS.”
The human stopped shivering, finally standing up straight, even if it was with a hiss of pain. It’s face morphed into something twisted. Something that was not entirely human either. The figure had seen humans since the beginning of time. This was an animal that had been stuck in a cage from the beginning of it’s pathetic existence. The entity could feel it’s terror. It’s suffering and pain. It’s helplessness. But most importantly, it’s anger. The human steeled it’s jaw, and steadied it’s wrecked form. A wild smile splitting it’s cheeks.
“Deal.”
──
The memory faded as Kleos stormed into the room yelling about something. Orion furrowed his eyebrows and looked down to what he was holding. A spell book that by the looks of it he had taken out of it’s enclosure. He looked down and felt his body grow colder as his eyes fixated on the page about ‘Possession.’ He handed the book back to Kleos and shrugged. “Hey, I’ve never been here before. And who are you calling a child? I think out of the two of us that title would fit you a bit more,” Orion said as he used his hand to compare their heights. Mouthing out ‘short’ to Kleos before turning away with a snicker at Kleos’s face.
“Anyways! I am incredibly bored now. No offense but this place isn’t exactly where I’d usually hang out. And since we have our business deal now I thought we should go actually meet people that could help us with our deal,” Orion said, facing Kleos and adjusting his satchel. “I recommend bringing money to where we are going. It’s a bit of a fancy establishment. They like to entertain themselves with the finer things in life. You’ll see.” He winked.
Once they were both ready to go they started making their way over. Now Orion was very much used to the looks he had gotten. Annoyed, disgust, wariness. All things he had gotten frequently simply walking down the street. But this time it was mixed with something like fear with Kleos by his side. Orion had seen fear before. He had caused that fear. But with the persona he put up it was usually not there. Unless you truly knew him. But with Kleos it was there as clear as day. He could see Kleos shrink a bit every time he got that look. Like if he hid from it enough the look would simply not find him anymore.
Orion loved it.
When someone looked at them with fear, Orion would smirk back. It was almost easier to entertain the looks of fear. He didn’t need to mask so much for it. He put one hand on Kleos’s shoulder and drew him in as they walked. “You have more power than you know, Kleos. C’mon, we’re here,” he whispered darkly. They paused to stare up at a tall brick building with big shining lights and the word ‘RED LOVERS’ on the front. He dragged Kleos with him to the front, completely skipping the long line. He heard and saw plenty of words and looks thrown at him but completely ignored them as he approached the bouncer. He was enormous. Tall, muscular build, and looked like a giant. He had shaggy yellow hair and blue eyes so bright that they might as well glow.
“Carlos! Hey, you remember me right?”
“Unfortunately,” Carlos growled. He turned to Kleos. “And whose this?”
“This…” he grabbed Kleos and shoved him into his side with a grin, “Is my business partner. Kleos.”
While Kleos struggled to get out of his hold, Carlos winced. “Willingly?”
“Willingly,” Orion said as Kleos finally broke out.
Carlos sighed. “Whatever. You know the rules. Razane is in a bad mood today. Just letting you know before you do anything stupid to upset her.”
Orion bowed dramatically, tipping his hat. “I appreciate it, sir.”
Carlos rolled his eyes. “Just get inside.”
“Gadly.”
Orion guided Kleos inside and immediately heard the loud music that seemed to consume every thought in your brain. It was dimly lit, and everything was either in a shade of red, black, or gold. The air hung heavy with magic and it took an effort from anyone to not get drunk on it. The club was crowded with people. Dancers had their own stages and the air smelled heavy of iron. Orion cleared his throat. “I have to go find our friends. They should be close by. Don’t touch anything. Don’t interact with anyone. And especially, do not eat or drink anything. Trust me. Okay, I’ll be back in a flash,” Orion said quickly before immediately rushing away.
While he liked dancing, he usually tended to stay away from ‘Red Lovers’. It wasn’t like it was a good place to party. It was just top full of vampires. And he’d rather not loose himself and agree to become someones dinner. He spotted one of his vampire friends, Razane, looking like she was about to kill the person she was talking too. He quickly scooted over and interrupted whatever conversation they were having. She was dressed in a long tight red dress. Her brown skin sparkling with gold dusted glitter. Her red eyes shining brightly against her dark makeup. Her curls neatly styled into a short bob. All accented with a mole just under her lip. She saw him quickly and immediately relaxed.
“Razane!”
“Clover!” Razane practically shoved the man she was talking to as she made her way over. “I haven’t seen you in forever. You would not believe the idiocy I have had to entertain without you. Everyone thinks they can get away with trying to take all my money. I am over 400 years old!” She scoffed.
Orion laughed. “It’s because you’re so beautiful.”
“It’s because I’m a woman,” she said with a deadpanned tone.
“That too,” he said. He kissed her on the cheek.
She hummed, wrapping her arms around herself. “So why are you here? I know it’s not because of the drinks,” she laughed. Her sharp fangs on full display. “Sorry, vampire humor.”
He fake laughed. “Yeah. Well I was wondering if you could possibly talk to my new business partner. He’s looking for a cure for his uh…situation. And well you and Charles are the oldest people I know. So I figured you’d know something.”
She scowled immediately when he mentioned Charles. “Do NOT mention Charles around me right now. He’s driving me crazy.”
Orion raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Razane threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “We are supposed to be running a business together! I mean look at all of this,” she gestured to the club around her. “I have been doing this all by myself for months. All because he won’t stop partaking in…well. Food.”
Orion raised an eyebrow. “Human?”
“Quiet!” she hissed. She leaned forward and whispered, “I’ve tried stopping him. Nothing seems to be working. He won’t touch animal blood anymore.”
“Where is he?”
She sighed and gestured with her head to a stage.
Charles was dancing with blood staining his lips and chin. He had a hazed look in his eyes. They seemed to shine a stronger red than Razane’s as they hit the light. His skin was paler than the last time that Orion had saw him, contrasting his styled pushed back black hair. He was smiling, his mustashe following the movement. His golden glasses grew crooked as he twirled. It was like he was in his own world as he winked at a blushing man staring at him. Razane grimaced next to him. Orion put on a frown for Razane but he was gleaming inside. This was going to be fun. He made his way to the stage and waved. “Charles!”
When Charles eyes found his he smiled wider. “Orion! Hold on.” Charles made his way down from the stage. Razane was glaring at him as he walked over. “I haven’t seen you in a while. Did Razane bore you to death yet?” Charles teased, his musical accent shining. Razane didn’t seem to partake in it at all. She only scoffed and looked at anything but Charles. The vampire frowned but turned his attention to Orion. “What do I owe this pleasure?”
“Like I told Razane, I need help with something. My business partner seems to want to find a cure for a curse. And since you two have been around for a while, I assumed maybe you knew something about it. So I wanted you to meet him.”
Charles brightened. “Of course! Where is he?”
Orion gestured for the two of them to follow him to where he had left Kleos. He made his way over and froze. No Kleos in sight. Orion growled, his face darkening as he looked for the younger man. He spotted him near a table with a vampire who was sucking on his wrist. Immediately alarm bells started to ring in his brain and he quickly made his way over. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Orion hissed, shoving the vampire away from Kleos.
Razane bared her fangs at the vampire. “How dare you? You know the rules. Carlos!”
Out of no where the bouncer made his way over. He grabbed the vampire by the collar and dragged him away. The vampire screamed like he was about to face death and maybe he was. Orion had no clue what their policy was. He turned to Kleos. “What did I say to you?! Don’t interact with anyone!”
“Taking blood from humans is illegal you know,” Charles purred. But his eyes never left Kleos’s wrist. He looked hungry. As if he wished he was the vampire drinking the blood that was dripping down Kleos’s wrist. Razane hissed at him in disgust, and then turned to Kleos. She ripped a part of her dress like it was nothing and then tended to his wound, staining the fabric a deeper red.
“Are you okay?” she said softly. Almost too quiet to be heard over the loud music. “That was not very smart of you. Vampires will not stop at just a sip when it comes to humans. He would have killed you,” she said, sounding like she was scolding a child.
Orion shook his head. “Well this is him. Kleos, these two are Razane and Charles. These two are the oldest people I know. They can maybe help you get some answers.”
Charles gasped dramatically. “You keep making me sound like I’m an old man! I’m only 416 years old. I’m still bloody smashing to look at, as you can see,” he exclaimed, gesturing to his body and face as he gave a full smile, his fangs showing. They both looked striking, even with the blood on Charles’s lips. While Charles was all sharp angles and long limbs, Razane was soft features with a plump body. There was no denying vampire beauty.
Razane waved him off, “Ignore him. He’s not in my good books right now,” she whispered to Kleos. But this time she did have a small smile on her lips. “But I would like you to tell us about your condition. It’s true we have lived a long while. I’m 437 years old. I’ve seen a lot,” she said louder so everybody could hear. Razane checked to see if the wound had clotted, and when she seemed satisfied enough she withdrew the fabric and shoved it into Orion's hands. He grimaced at the blood that started to soak into his hands. Charles’s eyes found it, and he leaned forward to whisper into Orions ear. His glasses almost bumping Orion’s cheek. “Can I have that?”
Orion's eyes sparkled as he turned to Charles. “How about something better?” he whispered.
Razane grabbed Kleos’s hands in hers. “I promise I will never judge.”