Sun, Surf, and Demons (insaney)

"There are... quite a few answers to that..."

She glanced down at the fizzy, goldish liquid as she swirled it around in her glass... she looked at it because she couldn't stand looking into those gold eyes of his when they had a hint of sadness... when she knew he was just putting on a fake smile. That smile only grew fainter with her answer...

"But... the strongest reason as of late has been... Sonya's passing, I guess... she was... my mom, but I hardly ever called her that. We had our... issues. And I never apologized for my part in them. I... showed up drunk, even, to the hospital when she was on her deathbed, because I... I... didn't... want..." the gypsy trailed off, shutting her eyes for a moment, tearing her gaze away to the floor. Her grip on the champagne glass went tighter for that moment... like she didn't want to let everything out. She bottled it up; clenched tight like a fist.

But with Rain's eyes on her, she felt like she wanted to let her grip... loosen up just a little. She was never one to heap her troubles onto someone else's back, but... maybe he was willing to share the weight of them? It was probably too soon to know that...

He frowned when she told him about her mother. Rain wanted to reach out to her somehow when she was telling him the story, but… when she pulled her gaze to the floor; something tugged his heart harder and pulled it up to his throat. He felt it there, and gulped, trying to keep it down. For some reason, to him, it was so sad—even though he had been through a lot of trials himself.

He’d never known his mother, but Cadenza and her mother were not on the best of terms…and she died without reconciliation.

Cadenza was still looking at the ground when a warm hand had reached across the table to caress her cheek. Rain gently rubbed his thumb against her skin a little, smiling at her slightly when she looked up at him—a slight hint of surprise in her eyes.

“Your shell might crack if you keep so much weight on your shoulders, Hard-Boiled.”

How did he know... just what to say? Just how to say it? As smiled at her, stroked her cheek... she just couldn't help thinking he was too good to be true. True, he was a vampire, but... she was already growing to trust him more and more, and... he was an angel too, not just in race, but... in his kindness, and caring, and... in those eyes and that smile, too. She knew her lifespan must just be another blink of an eye to someone like a Grim Angel, but still... that wouldn't stop her from letting whatever might happen between them happen...

Cadenza felt herself let go of the champagne glass, and reach up to softly place her hand over his.

"Rain... you... can't really mean you'd want to... shoulder a little of this wreck of a woman's problems... I... couldn't expect you to... it's too..."

Her protests just fizzled to a stop as he continued caressing her warm cheek with his thumb, her eyes meeting his once again. She was finding it hard to find words when he did things like that... and when he gazed at her like that. At least, she found it hard to find words of doubt. She wanted to smile back at him... she wanted to hold his hands tighter, somehow find the right way to say thank you for listening, and for caring...

“It’s too what…?” Rain asked softly, turning his hand to it held on to hers. He squeezed her fingers gently and smiled a little more. He figured that if she wasn’t going to smile, then he’d have to smile a little more just for her.

“You can talk to me, Latina,” he looked back into her eyes, “Sadness doesn’t suit you.”

For a moment, there was some silence. The two were absorbed in each other’s eyes; she was beautiful still, even if she was sad…and her voice, though melancholic, was still a gorgeous melody to his ears.

“You know how old I am, right…?” he squeezed her hand again, “I’ve been through my fair share of trials and I’ve learned that sooner or later, you’ll need someone to lean on.”

He smiled wider, “Lean on me, Latina.”

"But... it's too much, and... I'm sure it would seem like little things to you, with as long as you've lived..."

But there was something about the way he looked at her that she couldn't resist. It was hard not to look at that smile and have your heart feel a little lighter too... she reached her other hand up, resting it on his so that his hand was between her two, the warmth just radiating between them...

"The thing that... bothered me the most about losing her was that I'd... I'd spent so much time trying to help my dad get back to her... to help him see her again before she passed, and spend however much time she had left with her, but... their time seemed so short. They hadn't been together in so many years, and when they did... it just flew by. He tries to smile, but I could still see... how much that hurt him, and..."

Cadenza realized now that her cheeks were reddish, and her eyes... a little watery. She took away one of her hands to wipe away the tears before they could come--she didn't want Rain to see her like this. She was never like this... it... hurt to relive things a little, but it was... freeing, to be able to get things off her chest, too. With everyone else, she put on a strong face, drowned whatever she couldn't ignore in tequila, but now...

"...and when I see him hurt, it hurts me. He's lost so much time... the girls he's raised have grown up, his wife is gone, and... I don't know what to do for him. I'm not... very close to the family anymore. Not since I came to the Dome so long ago... he's alone. I'm..."

Rain squeezed her hand gently, and the gypsy looked back up at him, her deep blue eyes still soft, and vulnerable... with him there, giving her someone to lean on, could she really finish that thought? Was she really "alone" anymore...?

“He's alone. I'm...”

Rain looked back into her eyes when she looked at him, and he smiled that smile. She wasn’t alone…at least, not anymore, but Rain thought that she seemed as if she needed to be reassured. He leaned closer, getting off of his seat. His lips parted, and he finished her sentence for her.

“…Not alone, anymore.” His lips brushed against her cheek softly, wiping away a stray tear.

He closed his eyes, and his lips lingered there for a moment, gently caressing her skin. His heart skipped a beat, forcing the few words on the tip of his tongue to come out.

“C-Cadenza … I…”

“Ahe-he-he-he-HEM. Ahem, yes.”

THAT was the most over-the-top clearing of the throat that I have ever heard… Rain opened his eyes, watching the moment crash and burn before casting a sideways glare at the waiter from before. The Grim Angel sat back in his seat, glancing at Cadenza for a moment before looking to the waiter, avoiding her gaze, his cheeks flushed pink.

“Such a touching moment!” the waiter said enthusiastically, “Such a romantic couple! It’s too bad…”

The man put the medium-sized pizza on the table, casting a quick glare at Rain, “It’s too bad this buffoon ruined it by ordering…Peat-zah. Humph.”

And then he hobbled off.

“…Not alone, anymore.”

His soft lips caressed her cheek, making it turn all the warmer, all the redder, as if all her nerves were just focused on that one soft touch, the little gentle sensation of him brushing those lips against her...

“C-Cadenza … I…”

Her ears seemed to perk up without her control, straining to be sure they caught the words that followed...

...until the bumbling fool of a waiter chose that very moment to barge in, and ruin it all. When he cleared his throat, Cadenza thought it sounded worse than a cat hacking up a hairball.

“It’s too bad this buffoon ruined it by ordering…Peat-zah. Humph,” he was saying when the gypsy finally cooled down enough to listen, and he rudely plopped down the large, metal plate onto the table, before he started to bustle off.

She would see to it that he didn't make it very far.

It was just a little push, just a little nudge through the shadows--but it was enough to knock the man off balance, trays and dishes and all, and send him pitching forward towards a table. His head struck the wooden edge, plates and cups clattering and crashing all around, before his tall body hit the floor with a thump!

Cadenza made sure to keep her face innocently blank.

He wasn't injured seriously, the other waiters rushing to him soon announced to the diners at large, but he was going to be left with a nasty bruise to remind him to be a little kinder to his customers next time... I happen to like... pizza, the woman thought, holding back a smile. Call what just happened "karma".

Rain watched as the man plummeted to the ground, slamming his head against the edge of a table. Cups and plates flew up into the air and landed around him—some landed on tables nearby, causing some people to yell in surprise. One woman was audible enough when something splashed into her soup, droplets clung to her white blouse, staining it. She shouted loudly, reflexively jumping up and smacking the nearest waiter, who was just rushing toward to fallen man.

“Bad karma?” Rain’s chuckle couldn’t be stifled. He had to cover his face with a hand while he laughed softly into it.

He glanced at Cadenza, who was sitting there innocently—Rain swore that he could have seen a halo over her head.

“Did you just…?” he asked, narrowing his eyes a little.

A tiny smile appeared on her lips as she responded, “Me…? Of course not. I was here the whole time.”

He narrowed his eyes more, but couldn’t help the smile growing on his lips, “I wish I could have done that.”

Rain smiled a little more, gently taking a small slice of pizza and bringing it to his lips.

Cadenza busied herself with selecting a slice of pizza and nibbling on the cheese as two other waiters helped Mr. Amateur Actor, as she'd mentally nicknamed him for all his theatrical throat-clearing and behavior, limp away into the back. The excited murmuring around the restaurant slowly began to fade, ending in a little speculation about how bad the bruise was, and comments on how they'd never get that soup stain out of the carpeting...

She tried her hardest not to grin when she heard Rain laughing. "He really should have watched his step. It's so dark in here... you never know what you might trip over."

The man smiled, chuckling a little more under his breath. Cadenza found herself smiling a little back at him... but in the back of her mind, she was trying so hard to figure out a way to broach a particular subject... a way to ask just what he had been about to say before they'd be so rudely interrupted. He'd been... about to admit something, maybe, tell her something... her heart had fluttered, wild hopes running through her mind of just what it could be. But there was no way to really recapture that moment again... she'd have to just wait for another chance.

The waiter had neglected to bring extra napkins--he wasn't using to serving "peat-zah", as he'd kept insisting on calling it before it led him to trouble. Without thinking, Cadenza began to reach up, to wipe away a little sauce that had gotten on Rain's cheek...

"You have a little bit... right here..."

Rain’s cheeks flushed pink as gentle fingers touched his skin, wiping away the tiny bit of sauce. But it seemed her hand had remained there long after she wiped it away. He closed his eyes, enjoying the soft touch—he didn’t want that moment to be a fleeting one; his hand raised over hers hand, and his fingers ran along her fingers.

He exhaled, leaning his cheek more into her hand and rubbing against it softly.

“Cadenza…”

And then his mind had to get in the way; Maybe I shouldn’t say anything now… We’ve just… It’s too early, isn’t it? What if this is just a moment and nothing more…?

That’s when he held her hand tightly and pressed a kiss into it.

“…Thank you,” he whispered.

Was that... it? Had that been all he was going to say...? The way he was caressing her hand, brushing his cheek against it, holding it, kissing it gently... it seemed to say more. If body language could be trusted at all, his actions and his words... one outweighed the other, communicated a little more affection.

But... if he hadn't said it, she wouldn't believe it. She'd never just go with an assumption... actions could be read in too many different ways. She needed something more straightforward, more concrete... needed to hear the words with her own ears, not just feel it in an soft touch. Cadenza could understand, though, that maybe he was reluctant to get that close too soon...

"Don't thank me..." the woman told him, squeezing his hand a little gently, giving him a small, sweet, sincere smile. "It..." she looked down, her eyes wandering along the table, searching for the right words, until her gaze got back to his hand over hers... her voice came out softly, barely audible over the music, "...it barely compares to all the nice little things you've done for me..."

“Nice little things…?” Rain chuckled softly, gently massaging the palm of her hand. These hands… he thought, they’ve been through lots of trials—no one was there to hold it for her? Is that why her hands feel so…

“What nice little things have I done?” he continued his slight laughter, looking at her hand instead of her face, “whatever I’ve done…it’s a lot less than you deserve…” He kissed her hand softly, keeping it on his cheek, and once again, a string of thoughts rose up inside his mind.

Tell her!
It’s too early!
I…might not get another chance.
That’s just it, what if this is the only chance—the only time?
What if there’s nothing afterward?
What would happen if I don’t?
What would happen if I do…?
For which question do I desire the answer more?

Rain inhaled, gathering up his courage. His heart skipped a beat; he squeezed her hand and closed his eyes.

“Cadenza, I—”

From the moment he spoke, his breath came out like a thick mist, as if winter had descended in the room. His whole body began to shiver, not from usual cold, but from something entirely different. The coldness felt like it…embraced and pulled the very life out of what it held. Even his skin went cold, his misted breath came sporadically, and his trembling eyes lingered toward the source.

The shadow under a table moved into the light, where it began to stand up. The glob of shadow formed a man—or something that looked like a man—dressed in a jet black suit, as black as the void, complete with a tie, and a jacket with one button fastened. His silvery-gray hair was brushed completely back, his skin pale as the moon. But the most interesting, and disturbing thing about this…creature, was that his face never stood still. The whole thing twitched and blurred randomly without its head even moving.

And no one in the room seemed to noticed—Rain couldn’t pay attention to anyone else right now, not even Cadenza—he didn’t even know if she knew or not.

It glided through the aisles, moving gracefully, as if it were not moving its legs at all.

And then it stopped.

It was behind a man, now—who was just sitting normally, chatting heartily with the woman across from him. It was at that moment when it dawned on Rain; the reason why he felt this way.

That’s a… “Reaper,” he managed to whisper.

The Reaper plunged his hand into the man’s back, and ripped—literally ripped—the soul out of his body. The soul’s haunting, high-pitched scream rose up as the spirit faded, and was soon drowned out by the people shouting as they watched the man clutching his heart before falling over onto the table—there was no hole in his back, then.

The Lesser Reaper; always bound in some contract to do the work for someone, or something, hated immortals with an otherworldly passion. Immortals were the only ones who were able to defy the Reapers’ Hand, even though the Reaper might have been more powerful, and their presence sapped all the immortals’ energy and made them feel the cold embrace of death. This was not like the Fisher from Cadenza’s world—it was not part of Death itself, but a separate being, a giver and taker of life. To give life, to heal, it demanded a life be taken, that was the rule.

Its job was done, it turned to walk away. When it did, it turned its head toward Rain and spread a clearly visible grin across its blurring, twitching face. The Grim Angel felt his mind being invaded with multiple whispers of the same line and voice.

“Next in line, Immortal.”

He felt something extremely cold pressed against his chest, sapping the rest of his breath away. The frigid force lifted him off his seat and threw him towards the window, ripping away the remaining energy in the process.

He was already unconscious before his back hit the pane.

Something had seemed wrong. Of course something had seemed wrong--they were at that moment again, that moment they couldn't seem to get all the way through. It was like the world was dangling the promise of happiness over her, like a glittering prize on a string, only to yank it away when it was just within arms' reach... she felt like some god's plaything, where they'd build up her hopes only to knock them down again for their own amusement. To see her sink again.

That was the feeling that ran through her when Rain was jerked up in the air, and hurled away by some unseen force, into the window. The glass shattered, and she stood, wanting to cry out but catching herself before the sound left her mouth. Other patrons shrieked around her. She just ran, as fast as her legs could carry her, to the Grim Angel, feeling a wavering in the shadows... a foreign presence, like a cold needle's tip on the back of her neck, prickling and threatening.

She was bending down to brush the broken shards away from Rain, to lift him up and see how badly he was hurt, when she felt the shadow move again. It was leaving the restaurant. Trailing away, slinking by like a black cat, like a feather floating on the wind. She could hear no steps to judge where it was exactly... could feel no warmth to say it was a living creature. It just... brushed against things, leaving a vague feeling, like something just beyond the edges of perception...

But Cadenza couldn't worry about it just yet. Rain was unconscious... and cold, and she wasn't sure what to do for him. She took him gently into her arms, resting his head on her shoulder as she stood, refusing the hesitantly-offered assistance of the alarmed, pale-faced waiters. All the diners that hadn't fled were in a state of shock. Several had fainted. No one would be of much help. She didn't trust them to do anything but make matters worse.

"What just did this to you, Rain...?" she stroked his hair softly, blue eyes scanning around. She wondered where the thing she felt in the shadows was headed--and how long it had been there, just waiting to strike. Had she... distracted Rain? Had him off his guard, with... all her silly words and... and feelings... so that he was open to attack? It seemed that way...

"I'm... I'm sorry..." the gypsy pressed a single kiss into his raven locks before sinking them both into the shadows, away from the prying eyes of the people in the restaurant. At least, down there, he might be safe...

Back in the dark, violet expanses of the realm, she laid him down, her hand gently running down his chest over his tattered clothes and bare skin... she told herself it was just to check for his wounds. Anger boiled up with every cut she found, rage nagging her more and more to go out and find whatever had done this, and tear it apart piece by piece--but concern overwhelmed that, made her stay by Rain's side. She sang her spell quietly, letting the healing magic pour from her palms to circle around the man in glowing rings, surrounding him in soft light and warmth...

Cadenza couldn't stop herself from caressing his chest a little softly even after she was done, circling around his heart, wondering who it might hold space for...

"Please... wake up. Be okay... tell me what did this, so I can find it and make it pay any way I can..."

She leaned forward... closer and closer, her cheeks a soft shade of pink... she wanted so much to kiss him, to hold him again, but... what was she going to say when he opened his eyes? Would he open his eyes?

His breath came out in pieces when he exhaled, as if he were coughing silently in between. He didn’t open his eyes, but he knew she was there, right next to him. He felt her warmth right next to him, gradually getting closer. She probably wanted to know if he’d be okay; but he felt he couldn’t move his lips to tell her.

Rain’s hand rose slowly up around her, climbing up her back until it reached her shoulder. His fingers curled in a little, grasping on to the cloth. He gradually began to pull himself up, feeling her arms around him. He rested his head against her chest, finding himself unable to lift it up to rest on her shoulder. He heard her heart beat, and felt the welcoming warmth of her body after feeling so cold. It was soothing… but, sooner or later, he’d have to get up.

My legs…I can move them, but I can’t feel them… That thing took all my energy…I’ll need blood to get it back.

He hesitated, because he was ashamed of it, because he was afraid that she’d back away as soon as she heard what he had to say.

“Latina,” he whispered, “I…need blood, and I need help.”

Cadenza was surprised by how easily she decided what to do. How... little she had to debate with herself before she brushed aside her hair, letting the dark curls fall behind her shoulder, and tugged down her turtleneck a little... left the smooth, tanned skin of her neck open for him to take the drink he needed.

She didn't say anything--she just closed her eyes, turned her head a little away so she didn't have to see him, and he didn't have to feel guilty by being forced to look her in the eye when he bit. She felt... bad that she couldn't do anything about her breathing, though--could hardly make it sound any less anxious about that moment when his fang would sink in... her cheeks were still bright red from when he'd rested his head against her chest. Anyone else, she would have slapped right away... but for him... here she was, offering this now...

Do I... h-how deeply do I... ah... care for him...? the gypsy thought, wincing inwardly. She couldn't even bring herself to be completely honest in her own head--could she... ever say anything to him?

Cadenza didn't know the answer to that, but... she knew she didn't want to see him feeling so weak again, like on the ship. She clenched a hand just a little, trying to appear calm, and readied herself...

"Please, Rain..."

“Please, Rain…”

The Grim Angel’s hand rose up and clung to her chest, hoisting himself higher. Should he take it from her…? He needed it, but he didn’t want… he didn’t want… His lips were resting against her neck, he breathed softly on her skin, hesitating.

That same hand went up to her cheek, his fingers meeting her skin first, gliding over it before his palm caressed it.

There was that scent again…the scent of her hair, of her body, filling his nose, intoxicating him. He inhaled a little more before his lips caressed her skin, pressing soft kisses onto her neck, sugar-coating what was about to come next.

“I’m sorry,” he exhaled, a whisper escaping with it. Rain opened his mouth; his fangs grazed her skin softly before finding their targets and penetrating as he bit down. He pulled his first sip, feeling her wince in his arms, but that only made him hug her tighter. His fingers moving gently against her cheek, ready to wipe away any tear that would fall…

It was an excruciating minute for them both; but it was only a minute, and it was over. He gently lifted his fangs out of the holes and kissed away any blood that ran down from them. He let his own fang pierce his lip; so that when next he kissed, his blood would seal her wounds. Rain moved his hand from her cheek and wrapped it around her, hugging her closer as he rested his head on her shoulder.

He wasn’t about to let her go just yet…

She... wanted to tell him it was okay. He seemed so apologetic about it... tried to make up for things with kisses, seemed hesitant to even look at her face, just whispering a "sorry" and resting on her shoulder... she wanted him to feel... like he didn't have to worry. Didn't have to apologize when he was with her for something he could do nothing to change.

Her arms wrapped around him tighter, pulling him closer so she could kiss his cheek. Here was... this angel in her arms, clinging to her, looking for some comfort and help, feeling guilty... Cadenza had to stop trembling slightly, had to compose herself and put him at ease.

"It's all right..." she finally said softly, and her lips brushed his ear tenderly, her cheek resting against his, "It... it was... important to me, to help you... I'd... I'd be willing to give you... everything that I'd have to give, Rain..." Her cheeks turned redder when she'd fully realized what she'd said. But it was out in the open now, for Rain to take however he would... her heart fluttered a little, spurring her to go on, continue to let the words fly... "...You don't have to apologize... I... I..."

She'd turned him a little towards her, so she could look into his eyes... she leaned closer, her heart beating ever faster, and let her lips caress his softly... "I want to... be here for you... for you to lean on, too..."

All these things, she thought, were just clever little ways she kept rephrasing what she truly meant: ...I think I've ...fallen in love with you.

“I’m sorry…” he still apologized, looking into her eyes with a soft, but dull gaze—as if he was still completely sapped, and hadn’t taken all that was needed. “I don’t mean to be a burden,” he caressed her cheek gently, running his fingers down to her neck.
“Thank you…” he whispered, brushing his lips against hers. The brush turned into a soft caress as he parted his lips slightly, and then it turned into a soft kiss. Rain leaned against her a little more, leaning a little deeper into the kiss, wrapping both arms around her and hugging her tightly against him.

His kisses left her lips and made their way down her jaw-line, and then her neck and shoulder. He closed his eyes and lifted his head again, rubbing his nose against her cheek, where he whispered, “I’m sorry,” he said again, “I… I didn’t want to hurt you, so I didn’t take what I need…”

He was right. He didn’t take much from her, only a few sips, enough to get the energy just for those kisses alone. But staying in her arms would mean so much more…

I… love you… I…think I do.

“I’d like to stay in your arms a while longer…”

And at that moment, his breath went ice cold as his skin crawled. Shivers slivered up his spine; and out of the darkness of the realm, the Reaper’s hand reached in, grasping his leg and ripping him out of Cadenza’s world and arms and into the real world.

The thing flung him hard against a car, denting, almost tearing the vehicle in two.

Rain slumped to the ground, but his eyes were open, and not looking at the Reaper at all. He was only focused on how his hand had sunk half-way into the shadows, without any help from Cadenza at all.

"Rain...!"

Her voice came out in a gasp, her breath catching in her throat.

Silent terror overtook her for that second, when something like a nightmare had just happened right before her very eyes. There had been that... wonderful moment, one of the kind that there always seemed to be right before the worst... and then Rain'd been ripped away again, leaving her alone, her arms cold and empty... Why couldn't you just... take more? Because it'd hurt me!? Can't you see that wouldn't matter to me... that I just want you to be able to take care of yourself... maybe even... let me take care of you, so that these things don't keep happening?

The gypsy clenched her hands, making fists; part of her felt like she wanted to just scream. She barely noticed how rapidly her heart was thumping, the amulet around her neck gleaming brightly... the shadows swirled, rippling outward at the magic she was exuding. At the back of her mind, she could sense a hand dipping into the realm, one that shouldn't have been there--but all her thoughts were focused on a single thing.

The Reaper.

She had no idea what it was, or that it even had a name. She hadn't the faintest idea how it kept catching Rain and hurling him away so effortlessly. What she did know was that if this thing was a spiritual being in any way, she could have some effect on it--maybe she couldn't tear it to shreds like she wanted, but she could possibly harm it--and that was good enough for now. Being the Spirit of Shadow had so many downfalls... it could at least, in return, let her help this man that'd captured her heart so quickly and completely now.

She reappeared in the material world with the quiet sound of her boots clicking on the street. In that moment, she felt like she'd always been described in newspapers--a Rubatoian sand panther, hunting down dangerous prey. The softness had left her eyes, now a cold, steely deep blue that could have cut diamonds. Her breath evened out. She moved in a way that reminded her of all the daggers she had hidden on her in the shadows, nearly every part of her a weapon.

When she felt the first flutterings in the shadows--when she first glimpsed the Reaper, the gypsy whirled around, her finger slashing the cross shape into the air, without even a instant of hesitation. She'd never needed to use it before, never felt the pulse of holy energy run through her, seeming to emanate from the amulet--but that didn't change how quickly or powerfully the gold-white energy burst through the air now, leaving behind a faintly-shimmering cross.

The blast hurtled through the air, tearing into the Reaper with a blinding flash.

Rain laid down on the ground with his cheek against the tarmac. His hand dipped more and more into the shadows; the darkness rippling as if it were a pond disturbed by a stone. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the Reaper beginning to approach him, flitting through the shadows that it hid so much in. Cadenza had appeared as suddenly as Rain had been pulled away, and the Reaper showed itself, just in time for the woman to fire a bright golden-white light at it.

But the Reaper was quick, it bent its legs to leap away from the blast. It would have escaped, too, if a single hand hadn’t filtered itself thorough the shadows and grasped its leg and held it to the ground, making it take the attack head-on. It wriggled and squirmed in Rain’s grasp as its body began to burn away, smoldering and eating away slowly. And out of the wound crawled large, black centipedes, huge cockroaches, tiny snakes and wriggling worms.

The creature then began to sink into the shadows, but not because he wanted to. Rain pulled him down as hard as he could, ripping him away, the same way that the Reaper had pulled him away from Cadenza. The Grim Angel stood up, using the momentum and pulling him from the shadows, flinging him into the path of an oncoming bus. Bugs and snakes scattered everywhere, and the ones that were left alive huddled together and crept back into the darkness, leaving a whispering message in the mind of the Grim Angel, who sat on the ground, leaning his head back against the destroyed car.

I have business at your girlfriend’s place. Come play with me, if you can.