The beginning

Sure being a summoner was fine, even being a Lhar in the order was alright. But Baal had always had a hard time when it came to hunting the creatures of the light. Something about it in him just didnt see the purpose. But maybe that was the thing - Maybe there wasnt a purpose to it at all except pleasing Bael who would be nothing but happy than to see the seraphim die slowly seraph for seraph. He had his hands in his pockets, feeling the tough rain fall over him as he walked the streets. His curls would have been wet and stuck to his face if he hadnt pulled on his hood before walking out. It had been grey and cold the other days, but now it was colder and wet. He scrunched his face in dismay at the thought and continued his walk.
Summoners were easy to recognize on the way they were marked from hand to hand and their whole upperbody. He had been blessed or cursed with the darkest of them all, while he watched others bear marks that were barely visible to the eye. He had come to care less about them over time, but god how it was annoying to be recognized and hunted for them. He stepped into a coffee shop, sitting down at a table as he took his hands out of his pockets.

Leona had decided to take Buffy out on one of her hunts. Show her how the life of a Valkyrie wasnt all too easy. But it wasnt an actual hunt as Verity didnt allow it per say, but the valkyries had proven over and over that the more they did, the less seraphims had to die. She was drinking her coffee when a frown fell over her face and her eyes followed the dark clothed guy that entered. She turned her eyes to Buffy. “God I hate when they’re close. Feels like the air just got thicker,” she said with an expression of disgust as she placed down her cup.
She felt her hand itch a little like she could feel the dark energy in the daemon without even spotting the marks. She didnt have to look at his exposed hands. “I’m sorry Buffy, it’s just too much,” she said as she got up from her seat rather fast, making the chair squeak so loudly. Baal turned his head in confusion and curiousity and then he knew. When the valkyrie stomped out of the little café, he couldnt help but turn his eyes to the person remaining at her table, his green eyes looking at hers. Was he supposed to apologize?

Buffy knew her aunt meant well, but she really didn't like thinking of her family as people who fought other people. She knew it was in a valkyrie's nature, but she herself was a fenix, born in to at whole family of seraphim. Was it really necessary to show her the quote on quote family business? She was sitting across from her aunt, playing with a wooden stirrer as she was looking in to her cup. Buffy was not good at staying still for long, perhaps that was just a fenix thing. As a child she had been keen on getting in to trouble, and always be spirited, and it seemed some of it had carried in to her adulthood. She had just turned nineteen, going to the Institute when she had classes, but else she was living in a smaller studio apartment close in the central district. Her parents were paying for it, but they wanted her to focus on her studies before anything else. Well she wasn't living there alone, her brother Xander lived there as well, but he was out most of the time anyways. She noticed the shift in her aunt's expression, feeling her tense up made Buffy rather worried, reaching over to touch her hand, but before she could touch her, her aunt Leona just got up and moved out in the rain. She looked over her shoulder, sighing before she caught the gaze of the daemon responsible for her aunt's behavior. Buffy got to her feet, putting on her coat and fluffing up her blonde hair for a bit before she walked over to the daemon. She stood for a while, a saddened look on her face as she looked down before speaking.
"I know this isn't your fault, please excuse my aunt," she said in a sweet voice, looking genuinely sad that she had to explain her aunt's behavior like this. She knew it was in their nature, but she couldn't understand it. "I hope you don't take it personal, she's just not that good at handling situations like these ... And it seems neither am I," she said, putting on a sad smile before she walked out to her aunt. The rain was pouring down and Buffy took Leona's arm. "We can go see if Xander's home? He could give you some peace - Or we could go to the temple? You always seem so at home there," she suggested. She looked over her shoulder, her heart pounding in her chest. It was a strange sensation. Had she met the daemon before? Maybe in her past lives, but her body shouldn't be reacting either way. That was at least what the priestess had explained to her. She took a deep breath, looking out on the rain, already knowing how cold she would feel. She was great at heat, but the cold affected her like nothing else.

Before he knew it, the blonde had gotten up from her seat as well and he wondered if she would follow the other blonde that had looked much like her - They were most probably related, was what he was guessing. But then she started moving towards him and for a second he felt so oddly out of place in a way he couldnt explain. He was quite used to talking to people, even pretty ones like the blonde girl coming right his way, so he couldnt understand why he felt his body tense a little. He decided to ignore it, flashing a short smile at her first words, “Even if it was, it was neither my intention or will,” he replied, his eyes shifting between hers. He didnt feel any seraphim in her, he would have known right away if she was. It was like a killer instinct, distincting prey from the rest. He tilted his head a little at her next words, feeling a knot in his throat as he wanted to say something but it was like his body wouldnt let him. And maybe it was for the better. The Order was strict when it came to interactions, and even if Baal had ignored most of those “guidelines” this one was formed in a rule. He watched her go, making a deep sigh as he looked back on his table. His hand had started moving in impatient tapping as soon as she was gone. What was this feeling?

Leona turned her head as Buffy followed, making an apologetic smile as she ran a hand through her short blonde hair. “It’s gonna be fine in a bit, but thank you,” she said with a genuine smile. Leona had always seemed like the strict type but her softspot for the most part had always been Buffy. It was something she could explain, it was just something she knew - The first time she had held her sister’s daughter in her arms it was like she knew. Sometimes she wondered if her own children found it weird, but it hadnt made her a different mom to them. They were quite younger than Buffy and Xander, but they were good kids too. “But I do need to actually go to the temples. I need to make my offering to Verity,” she then said like she had forgotten. She smiled a little apologetic at Buffy. “As soon as that’s done, I’d like to see what’s Xander may be up to,” she said as she pulled out her car key, lifting it towards her car to unlock it. She hurried inside, sitting down as she rubbed her hands from the cold. “It always feels worse around a daemon,” she mumbled as she frowned a little lifting her eyes to look back at the coffee shop.”Just even looking at him, you can see that they’ve been wired to look appealing so you wouldnt think they’re that bad. It’s all deceit, Buffy,” she said as she turned her eyes to her niece.

Buffy felt so strange, it was like she knew the daemon, but she knew that was impossible. Most of her family was seraphim, and even if she had met a daemon, it would have just been passing them on the streets. She followed her aunt to the car, looking over her shoulder and back at the coffee shop. Why did she have the urge to turn around? She moved to sit in the passenger's seat, frowning a bit at her aunt's words. "You don't need to remind me, auntie Leo, you've said that for my whole life," she said in an absent minded speech, looking out at the rain. She felt her fingers itch. What was going on? "Could you perhaps make an offering for me as well, I just remembered I forgot to buy something that Xander asked for - We'll meet back at the apartment?" she said, smiling innocently as she grabbed the handle, moving out in the rain. She leaned in shortly, looking at her aunt with a warm smile, the fire behind her eyes visible as always. "I'll text you if I need a ride, he said he needed something for a potion, and you know how he is when I forget things," she chuckled, blowing her aunt a kiss before closing the door. She covered her head as she ran back over the street, standing under one of the coffeeshop's canopies. What was she doing? This seemed so stupid, looking in from the outside, spotting the daemon and looking at him like this must've looked rather creepy. She leaned her head back, sighing as she felt so strange. It was like her whole body was tingling and her head felt like it was spinning a little. Had he put a curse on her? She couldn't tell as she stood there, listening to the heavy raindrops hit the canopy above her. It became almost a melodic trance to be standing here before she moved inside. She felt stupid, felt her stomach in knots as she walked to the table her and Leona had been sitting at. Biting her lower lip she looked at the table a bit blankly. Would they think she had forgotten something if she just stood here for a bit?

Leona made a worried expression as Buffy seemed so absent-minded, wanting to ask but it was like she had already made her mind up about whatever it was dragging her away. She made a small nod but couldnt hide the little frown between her eyebrows that she could only make so often. “Alright, though you should only use that for emergencies. Offerings are important. We’ll meet at the apartment,” she confirmed as she took in a deep breath. She wasnt that good at handling things not going according to her mind but sometimes you just had to accept that. She turned the key as Buffy was getting out, not looking to happy about it all, but that was just because she knew this family had a bad habit of not being stopable once they had set their mind to something. “I’ll be there at 3. That gives you 2 hours on your own,” she said, tapping the steering wheel a little with her index finger. She sent Buffy a small smile, nodding at her words. “Fine. See you later, Buffster,” she then said - The nickname being an assurance that she trusted her on this. She couldnt wait to get away from this place and be surrounded by other seraphims while she tried to forget ever laying eyes on that daemon. The last she saw was Buffy taking cover under the coffee shop but she didnt think anything else of it than Buffy not wanting to stand in the rain.

Baal had ordered a cup of coffee, feeling quite thankful that this little shop served all races, so the little bit of soul in the black bean water dulled out some of the taste that just seemed horrible to him. He didnt quite understand why other species found it so appealing. He heard the clock from the door but he didnt turn his head. His dark curls were damp so they werent really that wild as they normally would have been, which showed as he had taken off his hood. He ran a hand through his hair as he had pulled out his phone but it wasnt like there was much on it - He couldnt grasp the concept of social media so he had never taken the time to use it. Instead he just read the news. A woman appeared next to Buffy as she stood by her table, holding her little order book in her hand. “Sorry Ms. I cleared the table after you left, but if you’d like I can bring you a new coffee since you barely touched the first? If you are here to finish your coffee of course.” She offered which grabbed Baal’s attention. He turned his head to look at the blonde girl with the beautiful green eyes as he frowned a little confused. Had she forgotten something, he wondered?

Buffy felt herself at a loss, because why had she decided to come back? She felt her heart race a little as she tried figuring it out. The barista took her a bit by surprise, but she tried playing it off by nodding. “Yeah, uhm, sure - I’d like a coffee then,” she said, smiling gently at the barista. She felt a rush of courage, moving over to look at the daemon from before. “Would you mind if I sit down?” she asked, looking at the light green eyes in front of her. Maybe her aunt was right. He was designed to to lure her in with his looks. But for some reason it didn’t really matter to her right now. If he agreed to let her sit, she would take off her coat, placing it on the chairs back and sit down in front of him. Now what? She had followed her gut, done what she had wanted to do, but sometimes her brother was right. She was like a dog chasing cars, but if she ever caught one she wouldn’t know what to do with it. Exhaling she looked down, placing her fingertips at the edge of the table. This was weird, but she didn’t feel like it was awkward. Actually, she felt more relaxed than she had that whole day.

The barista returned with her coffee, making Buffy look up and smile at the friendly face. The spoke briefly about the weather being a little weird today, but then it went back to Buffy just looking in to her cup, placing her cold fingers on the heat of the porcelain. To normal humans it would probably still be too hot to drink, but she didn’t seem to mind as she took as sip of her drink. “My name is Buffy, by the way,” she said, sending him a rather genuine smile as she placed her cup down.

The barista wasnt too sure on how to react to Buffy’s surprise, but she was happy that the blonde was trying to play it off by nodding. She flashed a bright polite smile and scribbled down on her little pad before walking off to the bar. Baal looked at Buffy for a while before he looked back at his coffee to stir around it with the wooden stick inside it. It probably looked weird that a wooden stick was in his cup when he had neither milk or sugar in it. He looked at his fingers with the lines stretching as far as to the start of his fingernails. He was pulled out of his inspection when he heard her speak again, this time to him and he got to look into her green eyes once more. “Sure, sit down,” he said rather fast like he didnt have to think about it, gesturing for her to sit. He moved his hand back to rest on top of the table, watching her as she sat down. He smiled when it seemed like she wasnt sure what was going to happen now. Frankly he wasnt too sure either. He hadnt ever had to deal with being taken by surprise like this, though he didnt feel anxious or confused. He studied her face quietly with a neutral expression, his green eyes moving like he was imprinting her traits. The barista came with her coffee and he moved his eyes to look out the window like he thought he had been caught doing something he wasnt allowed to do.

The order wouldnt approve of this encounter. But they had always been so strict with everything, their need to keep everything in their control. He nodded at her introduction, smiling faintly with a raise of the corner of his mouth. “Interesting name... Buffy,” he felt the name like he was tasting it on his lips. Scoffing a little as he thought he might seem silly. “My name’s Baal,” he said as he turned his eyes from the window to hers. Obviously it wasnt but he couldnt tell her his real name even if he wanted to - The risk of having the wrong person hear it was too high. And he barely knew her anyway, despite what his gut was telling him. He lifted his cup to take a small sip, frowning a little as he didnt enjoy the taste that much, but he didnt want to show it too obviously. He tilted his a little to the side as he started to notice the fiery glow behind the green sea, making him narrow his eyes slightly in curiousity, “You havent really thought this through, right?” He asked with a little teasing smile on his lip - He didnt mind. “Especially since you probably already know what I am,” he added as he made a small frown but it was just because he couldnt understand what her intention may be. “So what would make you want to cross paths with me of everyone in here?” He moved his eyes out on the people but were quick to recoil his view back to her.

Buffy smiled at his comment about her name. She guessed it wasn’t all that common, but her mother had been very adamant about making her twins very differently named. His name. It sounded an awful lot like the god of the daemons’, however she refused to believe that would be him. He seemed to nice compared to the stories she had been told about Bael. “Baal...” she repeated, biting her lip a bit because she couldn’t explain why his name was so easy for her to say. It was pronounced rather different from the god, but she couldn’t say why she found it so easy. She liked different names, very much so, as she then didn’t feel like her parents had been the only one putting their child through some strange childhood. As he spoke again she started to chuckle, shrugging a bit because she guessed it was rather clear that she didn’t. “I guess I just always end up following what feels right, and my mind just kept going at me to turn around,” she confessed, looking at his eyes again. They felt familiar, and yet so strange. “My father always called me wildfire growing up - he still does when I seem to go against his wishes - so I think I mostly just follow what my body tells me,” she said in a thoughtful voice, smiling gently at him. His damp curls looked soft to the touch, but she wouldn’t dare reach out. At least not yet. “I think you peaked my curiosity, and I just had to figure out how you do that thing with making my fingers tingle,” she chuckled, not knowing if it was an ability he had used on her, or simply her own body reacting. Taking another sip of her coffee she breathed out, running a hand lazily through her wet hair. “I really hate the cold,” she said, feeling her body tense a little at how cold she felt. “But winter will be worse, I heard they are already preparing some of the older parts of the districts,” she said.

Hearing her say his name caught him by surprise as she seemed to say it so easily. He was used to having to say it a few times, which his face had shown when he had said it, but he was glad to know she could say it right away. Her chuckle to his question made him smile softly as he nodded at her words. He wasnt sure what it was supposed to mean, if it was because of him or something else. It couldnt be because of him, they barely knew each other. He tried to push the thought out of his mind. Her little explanation made him nod a little as he lifted his arms to cross them, not in a defensive way, but more to show that he was comfortable and maybe a little cold. But he couldnt get sick anyway so it was silly that he could freeze. “Your body tells you to go talk to strangers that scare your relatives away?” He guessed with a raised eyebrow and his eyes slightly squinted - Seemed a little silly.
When she spoke of a tingling in her fingers, he twitched his eyebrows in confusion as he was quite certain that it couldnt be his doing. “Is that the equivalent of telling me that I’m somewhat charming?” He couldnt hide the glimmer in his eyes at his own words, his smile growing. But hearing her chuckle made him feel content in a way he couldnt explain. He had always liked the sound of laughter and there was something about her chuckle that he couldnt pinpoint. She changed the subject and he made a nod as he shortly glanced to the outside, “It really is a harsh autumn,” he said, not really thinking about how they were talking about something as simple as the weather. It felt natural to just talk to her about anything and somehow it was bugging him a little as he hadnt felt that with many. He nodded at her words, looking back at her with a small smile, “Yeah, they notified the building I live in like a week ago. The isolation is horrible but you get what you pay for, as they say,” he said with a shrug as he couldnt help but chuckle a little under his breath. “The offer isnt much either way. There isnt anything to do about it, except getting extra blankets,” he added as he took a sip of his coffee, tasting a little of the soul in it, so he focused on that taste instead of the rest. He leaned back in his chair, running his indexfinger along the ring of the cup, looking at it for a bit before he looked back at her. He lifted the hand from the cup to run through the curls, fluffing them up a little. “It’s the cuddle season,” he said scrunching his face a little as it was clearly something he had heard others say.

Buffy couldn't hold back a small giggle at his question, shrugging as she knew it sounded silly. "All I'm saying is that sometimes my actions don't make sense, but I guess it's more of a me thing than a fenix thing," she smiled. She liked talking with him. It felt like a breath of fresh air from all the daemons are bad talk that her family always spoke about. Maybe it was because she was born a different species, but she couldn't see daemons as any different than seraphim. Although you would never catch her saying that out loud, simply because her family name had quite the value to the seraphim. She took a sip of her coffee, almost choking a bit as he asked if she found him charming. Coughing for a bit she felt her cheeks gain color. It was strange, she was normally never shy, but something about the way he said it made her think if it was true. If so, she would be on deep water, but then again it wasn't like her family would ever approve of anyone that wasn't at least clergy. She ran her thumb over her lower lip, catching a drop of coffee before popping it in her mouth. "I guess I didn't think about that - you are rather charming," she said with a rather sassy smile on her lips. Was this flirting? She changed the subject, just to avoid thinking of it further.
Listening to him speak about mundane things like having a cold apartment just made her lean her elbows on the table, leaning slightly forward to look at him as he spoke. She had seen the black marks, of course she had, but she seemed more focussed on his eyes. Some said she was quite intense with eye contact, even her brother found the flames behind her iris as rather intimidating, but she didn't mean any harm in it. "Cuddle season?" she scoffed as it sounded quite out of place for a daemon to speak about cuddling. Although she had never really sat down to listen to someone like Baal before, mostly because those of his race rarely bothered with the fenix race. "Well whomever you're cuddling later, I hope you have a fresh pair of clothes so she doesn't have to sit so close to dampness," she giggled. Why did her heart sting at mentioning that? She frowned shortly, placing a hand over her heart. She knew she had to be mindful of herself, but her body reacted so strongly. It was actually frightening her a bit, but not enough to scare her away. It actually made her more intrigued.
"So Baal, a daemon and a fenix sit down for a cup of coffee," she said, giggling a bit to herself as it sounded like the sound of a joke. "What does that mean to you? Have the fenix gone mad? Has the daemon found a new prey?" she asked, honestly being rather curious.

Her reaction made him smile brightly as he fought back a chuckle so she wouldnt feel that he was just sitting here to laugh at her as she was choking on her coffee. Maybe he had been quite keen on making it to an unexpecting turn. Her words made him shake his head, "I'd thank you but I practically forced the words out of your mouth," he said with a chuckle as he shifted between her eyes.
He made a shrug at her scoff, knowing it was odd to talk about, especially for someone like him. Frankly he wasnt really seeing anyone as it wasnt allowed. He narrowed his eyes at her, tilting his head slightly to the side, "Well, I'm sure she would be thankful. But she isnt anyone... Well that is, if I dont invite in the local stray cat that always seem to scratch my kitchen window," he said a little polite as he made a small smile to show that it wasnt that big of a deal to him. He felt the need to fiddle something with his fingers, touching the handle of the cup once more, only this time he wasnt really looking.
He smiled with anticipation as she seemed to be referring to them in the ways a joke would start, but her question didnt surprise him much. He made a deep sigh as he untangled his crossed arms, looking a little up at the ceiling as he seemed to think about it. He leaned forward to place his elbows on the table like he was about to reveal some deep secret he had, "You ought to think they are," he said in a low tone, lifting his hand to stir the stick around in his coffee, watching the dark water swish around in a hypnotizing motion before he let go, letting the stick follow the calming flow. He looked up at her again, smiling softly, "Or maybe we're just two regular people for one, sitting in a coffee shop, watching the rain pour outside in the nice comforts of warmth and the refreshing smell of black beans linger in the air," he then said, keeping his eyes on hers for a bit before he made a shrug and leaned back, breaking the closeness that had been before. He made a faint scoff as he thought he was onto something with his words, but he probably wasnt - That would be silly to believe.
He lifted his coffee to another sip, "You're lucky that this daemon isnt feeling that hungry in this moment. Your soul would be mine, I feel quite certain," he said with a rather confident smile, though there were also some charm behind it. He looked out the window again to look at the rain. It didnt look too bad from the safety of shelter in the little coffee house.

Chuckling a bit at the comment about the stray cat she felt her body relax in a way. She didn't know much about daemon culture, if anything at all besides what they ate. She took another sip of her coffee, this time making sure not to get it down her windpipe, as she looked at Baal. His black marks reached close to his jaw, and she wondered if they hurt or they were more like a branding type of deal. Like how a farmer would brand their cow to recognize them later. She didn't like that analogy, but she couldn't really compare it to anything. Or maybe she could. Being a fenix meant she herself had a mark looking like a flame, and hers were placed on her left shoulder blade. Not that she noticed it a lot, if at all. She could remember her brother always being a little jealous that something like that told them apart so easily, but she supposed there was a place in time where all twins wanted to look identical.
As he untangled his crossed arms she seemed to realize that his marks stretched all the way to his fingertips, but she didn't stare. Instead her eyes moved back to his as he leaned closer. Her breath haltered for a bit as she looked down to his cup shortly before back at his eyes, feeling her heart beat a little faster. Was it fear or simple interest? As he leaned back it was like she was released from her hypnosis, however she still had her elbows on the table, holding her own cup in her entangled grasp. "To two regular people," she said in an almost breathless voice as she lifted her cup a little lazily as a toast before taking a slurp. His comment about her being lucky made her chuckle. She was known to get herself in to trouble quite often, so a daemon wanting to feast on her soul could impossibly be much different. Only in a life ending way. "My soul would be yours ... Do you think you could handle such fire?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. She didn't like toying around with ideas that others might find morbid, but speaking of her soul as his didn't seem to bother her much. Perhaps because she couldn't grasp what a soul truly was. "And what does a soul taste like anyways?" she added, not in a judgmental way, but more so because she wanted to understand.

Maybe it was a little easier for him to grasp situations where he knew he was in control because he could hear her heartbeat when his mind focused to? But it wasnt even in that predatory sense as he had always found heartbeats to be the sound he liked. It was weird because daemons didnt have hearts that could pound as hard as a species closer to humans, it was faint and slow, so what had triggered inside him so be so fond of something that wasnt in his own kind?
He was surprised that she wouldnt even object his comment about her soul, as many others would have right away. But then again, he had a feeling that she was going to show more of how different she truly was the more they’d talk. “I dont think I want to find out,” he said rather truthfully as he touched his cup again, trying not to think of the thought of sucking her soul out. Something like that hadnt ever bothered him before, why was it now? He addition made him shrug as he sighed a little, “That would be the equivalent of me asking you what coffee really tastes like,” he said, raising his eyebrow a little before lifting his cup to take a sip, only to realize he had finished the cup just then. “But I suppose it depends on what kind of soul. If it’s good or bad, if it’s been through much or little. I suppose we taste that,” he said, making a small shrug as he had moved his eyes to his cup while he explained, biting the inside of his lip a little. He hadnt ever felt fond of having to feast on others but he had also learned that he couldnt do much about it. Regular food made him feel like so sick to his stomach and too much of it would eventually make him throw up.
He would have usually gotten up and left by now, but something in him was begging him to stay. He lifted his eyes from his cup to look into hers, watching the flames flash among the green. Why did it feel so calming to watch, yet at the same time it felt like his heart was pounding out of control? He was just quietly watching her eyes for a bit before shuffling a little in his seat to sit comfortably with his back straight. “Would I be foolish to assume that we find each other enticing? Isnt that why you came back and I havent gotten up and left yet?” He asked, sighing deeply as he knew it was forbidden. He should really just leave with the way his mind was starting to think - Like if her skin was as soft as it looked, thoughts he hadnt entertained that much before. And yet he had always rebelled in one way or another. He however felt quite conflicted on staying or going, staying to find out what may or may not happen, going to ensure it wouldnt be bad? “Isnt it odd to live the life of a fenix? You could die just to come back in a new life, a slate wiped completely clean for you only and not everyone you had been around?” He tilted his head a little as he was genuinely interested in hearing what she had to say.

It depended on the soul. She frowned slightly, because she guess that gave her more questions than answers. "What defines good and bad? I mean, what I consider great might be horrible for others," she said, her lower lip pouting a bit as she seemed to drift off in her own wonder. She was good at that. Disappearing in to her small world while her lower lip was slightly short forward. Her eyes eventually chose to focus back on him, sending him a gentle smile as she looked in to her now empty cup. A faint sigh leaving her lips. Then it was like he knew what she was thinking of, making her chuckle. "I guess I can't deny that, however I've been quote on quote enticed by others before ... This just seems different," she said, as always speaking her mind. Her mother always warned her that speaking so carefree could end up with hurt and heartache, but Buffy just couldn't stop. When ever she spoke, you could see the gears moving in her head, her eyes burning a little brighter as she seemed to figure out herself. "Or maybe you're just being polite to the lonesome girl who pretended to forget something," she said with a small giggle. She really hope he didn't just do it to be polite, but she couldn't tell. All she knew was that she felt a pull towards him, wether she wanted it or not. She moved her finger around the rim of her cup, looking at her green nail polish that was a bit chipped. She needed to fix that, she thought to herself, but she also knew she would get distracted by other things once she got home.
His question made her look at him, tilting her head a bit to the side as she bit her lower lip. "I guess it's kind of weird to think about, but it's not really something I think about daily," she confessed with a small smile gracing her lips. "But I think it's a nice thing; you get to move on even after death, you can discover the world once more and be in just as much awe as the first time you did," Buffy said, chuckling a bit at herself. "Think about how many first times you get to see a sunset, all it's colors just spread out before you - that feeling of wonder and a hunger for discovery is something people might only feel once or twice in their lives; I potentially get to do the for eternity, right?" she said, her eyes seeming a little distant as she spoke. taking another deep breath she shook her head. Maybe she sounded silly, but it was how she saw it. "I think that having a short life puts more meaning in to that one existence than having eternity with the same experiences," she said, a faint hint of sadness lingered in her smile, but it quickly disappeared, replaced with her happiness once more.
She sat for at while before her eyes widened, looking at the time, mumbling something under her breath. She got to her feet, taking out her phone and sighing as she saw a missed call from her brother. She still had plenty of time before she needed to be back at the apartment, but she put her phone to her ear anyways, listening to the voicemail he left her. She chuckled a bit as she heard her brother's voice, hearing something fall over and break in the background before he seemed to realize he had gone to voicemail. "Heeeeeeeeeey wildfire, listen I need you to pick up something from the market, herbs, just speak to the owner at the corner and make sure you get the freshest ones he has - I'll catch ya later," his voice sounded before he hung up. Buffy sighed, slowly putting her phone in her pocket as she looked at him. Then she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, pushing out her hip a bit. "I know I'm just a crazy girl you've just met, but what would you say for a walk?" she asked, looking out to the streets. The rain was still falling, but it was not as harsh as before, more like lightweight specs of dust. "You can tell me about those cool marks of yours while we walk?" she suggested, raising an eyebrow because she really wanted him to join her. She wasn't ready to say goodbye, and as it was right now she didn't want to ever say goodbye to him. She grabbed her coat, pulling it on as she then turned to him, seeing what his answer was.

Listening to her speak seemed to be something he wanted to more than he thought, as he sat there quietly watching and hearing her drift off in her own wonder. He smiled rather softly for a stranger sitting in front of her, his eyebrows tensing a little with wonder as to how much she had to say. It had to be something she had thought about before, he was sure of it. But he still couldnt stop thinking about those who would be left behind while the fenix would be off to start a new life. He sighed at her last words, making a shrug, “Eternal life isnt that bad. Most of the basic first-times have been burnt long ago, but those hidden first-times that happen in a fleeting moment - Those we discover with surprise,” he said, keepig himself from wandering off in his own thoughts. He leaned back, looking at the mark in his hands, “You could have been the love of someone’s life times and times over.... but you’d have a new one every time,” he said, frowning a little as he thought it was a weird track he followed. Thankfully she seemed more fixtated on checking the time, he chuckled as she seemed in such a rush as she grabbed her phone to call or listen to someone - He wasnt sure which. He let her do her thing, resting his hands on his thighs as he was leaned back, looking out the window.
He raised an eyebrow at her offer, clenching his jaw slightly as he considered it. But when she suggested he told her about his marks, he shook his head as he got up from his chair, “I can join you for a walk. But I’d rather not talk about my marks,” he said in a rather serious tone about the marks. They were just off-limits as they didnt really serve him much of a purpose. Sure they would light up a little and burn when he made a summon, but they seemed to be more of a way for others to recognize him so they could kill him. He gestured for her to walk outside, joining her outside. He looked up at the sky for a bit before he looked back at her smiling a little, “I didnt mean to be rude in there. It’s just when it’s about something I didnt choose for myself.” He said with a shrug, following her as he slipped his hands into his pocket to not feel too much of the cold. He was quite warm naturally though it didnt serve him a purpose. He turned his eyes to her before looking back forward, wetting his lips as he seemed to consider something. He shook it out of his head as he didnt want to be weird and it definitely was a weird thought. He kept his eyes ahead, “The good about winter is being able to cover up,” he said, scrunching his face as he had said that he didnt want to talk about his marks and now he was here doing it anyway.
He glanced up at the sky before he sighed, shrugging, “I just hate that they define who I am in people’s eyes at first glance. They see the marks and soon they’re ready to assume that I’m out to get them,” he admitted, turning his eyes to look at Buffy. “And then there’s someone like you who sees them and dont care,” he frowned a little confused as he didnt understand that part of it at all, “Maybe you’re just one of those weird ones,” he said with a teasing smile.

Maybe she was strange, her brother had always called her wise beyond her years, but it seemed like her mind just worked differently. Not that there was anything inherently wrong with that. Hearing him speak about the people she or rather her former self had left behind made her shrug. She couldn't quite explain the feeling, but it wasn't like a sad feeling. It was more of a nostalgic one, very strange and not something she felt like she could think too much about before getting a headache. "You make it sound like every lifetime might be the same, I don't think it's like that at all," she said with a faint smile on her lips.
Moving outside she shuddered a bit, feeling a few drops of rain run down her back. She hated the cold, hated that she had to feel the wetness around her, but she tried to ignore it. It wasn't that she was afraid of looking weak, she more just didn't want to look like someone complaining. He had said he wasn't going to speak about his marks, yet there he went on about them, making Buffy smile as she dug her fingers deep into her coat's pockets. From time to time she was shuddering a bit, but she was listening to everything he said. When he said it like that, she frowned a bit, but perhaps it was just because she hadn't considered it. "Well don't really like winter; it's too cold and wet," she said with a small chuckle. "But I do notice the marks, I just guess I see something different - I mean if I had something like that I would show it off," she said in a thoughtful ponder, looking up at him. He was really tall, not just the average height, but she guessed he was even higher than Xander. Some might find towering people as quite intimidating, but Buffy was rather used to being the tiny one of the bunch. She was small and slender, and most took her as fragile just by looking at her. She couldn't help but giggle a bit at his comment about her being a weird one. That might be true. "Under any circumstance, I like your marks," she said with a smile, her eyes a little brighter as she complimented him. She shuddered again, her teeth clapping a bit, but she tried her best just to grind her teeth together. "I have a mark as well you know - not as spectacular as yours, but it's there," she said, smiling as she looked ahead. The walk to the market wouldn't be long, and to be honest Buffy already missed the heat of the coffee shop.

He shrugged at her argument, he couldnt know what it really felt like and he wasnt sure if she knew either. Going outside he almost felt her reaction to the cold on his own body and that was odd because it hadnt ever bothered him before. He smiled a little at her words about the cold, it wasnt that he didnt agree with her, he most definitely prefered the warmth of sun and summer over this cold wetness. But the warmth meant less clothes and that meant he couldnt pack up to mask his marks as easily without standing out either way. He frowned when she said she would show them off, “You’d do that for an hour and then never again when you realize that barely a quarter of the people you meet agree with your show-off. Trust me, it’s better to just hide them away,” he said as he looked at her, shifting between her eyes. Why did she like them so much, he couldnt really understand.
He scoffed at her compliment but he couldnt hide his smile even if he wanted to, “Oh you definitely are one of those odd ones,” he said with a chuckle as he shook his head. But then her teeth started clapping again and he raised an eyebrow as he didnt think it was all that cold. He was pulled from his thoughts as she spoke, narrowing his eyes a little at her, “Mine are anything but spectacular. You have only seen my throat and hands. It’s my whole upper thats covered,” he said as he lifted his hand out of his pocket, looking a little at the mark in his palm before looking at her, “Bring out your hand and form it into a fist,” he instructed her, waiting for her to either do it or dont. If she did, he’d place his hand around hers, close his warm fingers around her hand that would be like a ball, but he wasnt squeezing her. He was surprised to feel how little and soft her hand was in his, trying to ignore the way it made his heart beat a little faster. He chuckled, looking ahead as he shook his head faintly, “If the other daemons could see me now, holding hands with a fenix, some of the ancients would have a stroke,” he said as he watched the street slowly transition to the market area.
“What are you supposed to get from here?” He asked as he glanced at her, the curioisity shining in his voice again. He was cautious with many things but he wouldnt seem disinterested in her.

"Well people already look at me weird; I'm a fenix born in to a family full of seraphim," she chuckled, shrugging a bit. She guessed it was different, but she couldn't help but find the marks rather beautiful, even though he might not see it. "But there is something so wonderful about standing out, even if other people can't see it," she said, looking ahead as she lifted her shoulders up to heat around her neck a bit. Then he said something that made her frown at first, a bit confused, but she did as he said, holding her hand out in a fist. When he wrapped his hand around hers she made a sigh of relief, feeling his hand warm her. Quite instinctively she leaned her head against his arm, looking ahead as she felt his heat slowly spread through her fingers and up her arm. She couldn't help but smile a little at his words. "I never really understood the whole forbidden aspect that some races seem so busy with," she said calmly, her jaw relaxing as she felt his warm through his hoodie, even if it was a little damp. For a second she drifted off for a bit in her own mind, enticed by his smell, the calming notes of anise hitting her senses. It wasn't before after a couple of minutes that she realized she had spaced out, blushing a bit as she felt a little flustered. "Is it really so weird for races to intermingle? For a simple human to fall for a clergy, or for a seraph being in love with a lycan?" she asked with a faint sigh.
As the streets turned in to the market place she looked around for a bit before he asked his question. "My brother likes tinkering with small potions, potions that could help people," she said, looking for the market stall located at a corner. "He needs some herbs for a specific potion he's been brewing," she explained before she spotted the stall, guiding both of them in that direction. She felt his hand around hers, feeling so safe in the moment, and why was that? As she reached the stall she felt herself blush a bit, mostly because she needed to remember what he had said. Closing her eyes for a while she frowned, because she couldn't remember. "You're Xander's sister?" the older human man asked, making Buffy open her eyes with a hopeful look in her eyes, making the old man chuckle, finding a brown package. Buffy found her wallet, letting go of Baal's hand as she handed the man his money. "Tell your brother that his creme for my wife helped a lot with her aching hip," the man said in a grateful tone, making Buffy smile gently, nodding at his words. "I will," she promised, putting away her wallet before reaching over to take Baal's hand. She took a few steps away from the booth, chuckling a bit before she realized she was holding his hand. Not as in her hand clutched in a fist, but her hand in his, her fingers aching to intertwine with his. She stopped, looking up at him with a confused look on her face. Her lips separated as she felt like she wanted to say something. Maybe apologize, but she was still holding on to his hand. "I ... I should be heading home," she said, but she couldn't make herself let go of his hand unless he let her go.

She was on to something about it the whole keeping to oneself being silly, even if he didnt really understand it now, he would eventually. He sighed, looking forward as he already knew what to tell her, like it was some automated message ingrained in his system. Did make him kind of wonder if it was truly what he thought or just what Bael wanted him to believe.
“You’re forgetting that I’m not just any sort of daemon. My kind have been blessed by Bael himself, our blood is not to be mixed with anyone else than what the order may choose for us. We’re taught to forget love and focus on keeping the bloodline clean,” he explained rather short compared to it being a far more complicated matter. It wasnt even that they could deny a match, it wasnt allowed. They could interact with other species but with no intention of love - Making them less human and more controlable. Baal had figured it out a long time ago but he hadnt bothered to rebel per say. At least not yet.
He smiled at her answer, nodding a little as it didnt seem like something weird for a seraph to do. Always out to help people and do good - He wasnt as disgusted by the notion of good as his kinsmen seemed to be. “I see,” he said but he felt a little odd to talk about a seraph and not feel the need to say something crude. Frankly he hadnt decided to the whole “we-hate-each-other”-thing, though naturally there was a repellant in his body whenever he felt that calm aura. He watched the interaction between Buffy and the seller, feeling his hand a little cold as she had let go, frowning slightly. The same question kept rising in him the longer he stayed with her: Why? He sent the man a friendly smile as Buffy got what she needed, but as she grabbed his hand he was taken by surprise. Sure it wasnt that weird when he was the one instigating but now it was her pulling the strings, making him feel this weird feeling of content from just a touch. It seemed that she realized as well, but he was just looking at their hands before he finally met her eyes. He felt his throat dry but she was the one struggling for words. “Uhhh...” he voiced a little flustered as he pinched his lips shortly. He let go of her hand, feeling the lack of warmth annoying. “Maybe that’s a good idea... but how about I give you my number?” He suggested, not sure why on gambion that thought had invaded his mind.

He took away his hand, making her own hand clutch in to a fist from feeling this empty. The way he looked at her, she felt the need to reach out, grab him and shake him. Ask him why he let go when she felt the need to hold his hand. However what would that do? She swallowed, looking down at the brown package in her hand. Was he angry? She didn't know, but once he spoke she looked back at his light green eyes, her own with the flame inside them, nodding at his suggestion. She found her phone, handing it to him with a faint smile on her lips.
Buffy headed back to the apartment after that and that night she felt herself turning in her bed. She turned over, grabbing her phone as she started typing. Then deleting. Then typing. Then she pressed send, holding her breath.

[Messages between Buffy and Baal]
[Buffy:] Hi
[Buffy:] Are you awake?
[Buffy:] Or don't you sleep?

This was dangerous, just the notion of sparking something that wasnt allowed. He felt an odd need to pull away yet stay at the same time, making his head feel like it was spinning around itself to make a horrible headache appear soon. He grabbed her phone as it was handed to him, tapping in his number before handing her the phone. He looked into her eyes, swallowing hard as he made a small nod as a farewell, walking away when he wanted to stay. He looked at his marked hand as soon as he got home, frowning a little before clutching it slowly. It was a passing feeling, it had to be.
Night struck and he had let in the stray cat like he said he would, scratching her behind the ear as the tv infront of him was simply serving as noise in the background. In his free hand he had a book, not really feeling like he could have slept if he went to lie down. His phone buzzed and he laid down the book to grab it, a faint smile appearing on his lips as the messages he read.

She felt her heart beat faster as she saw him typing, biting the side of her thumb, smiling to herself. Buffy looked at the screen, sighing a bit as she wanted to see what he was doing. However she could imagine him with a cat for some reason, she couldn't imagine how he was sitting or doing besides that. Closing her eyes for a bit as she felt her heart flutter. She heard another buzz, opening her eyes to look at the screen.

[Buffy:] Truth? I was thinking of you.
[Buffy:] And typing that out sounded a little creepy ...

She chuckled to herself, grabbing her duvet to cover her face. She felt like a child as she hid under the covers, texting him. Weeks passed, every day she seemed to text him, sending a picture of something she saw or maybe just typing about her day at the institute.

Texting her felt innocent. Surely nothing could happen with that? He made himself thinl that,and it made it a little easier to not filter what he wanted to type, as he otherwise would have run everything through a double check before sending to ensure he didnt make a fool of himself. It didnt seem like he could when it was her and it was refreshing. Her reply made him frown a little as he bit his lower lip a little to conceal the smile on his lips.

[Baal:] Do you think of every stranger you meet in the middle of the night?

He sighed deeply, wondering if she was sitting on a couch like he was or if she was comfortably tucked into bed. He sighed at the thought and forgot all about the book as he resolved to texting her till either of them fell asleep. He hadnt expected her to text him every day and for a few days he had to get used to check his phone as he hadnt cared to in the past. Eventually he started texting her first sometimes with something he wanted her to know, most of it being related to the books he read. She told him about her days at the institute and he told her something he had read.

[Baal:] I should really just take her to a vet and get her cleaned. She’s been hanging around for days now.

He turned his eyes to the cat on the ground purring and rolling around in a blanket on the floor.

Buffy felt all giddy. Every time she got a text, her face would lit up and Xander was quick to notice. He was a little cautious, but that was to be expected. Every time he wrote about a book she had made a habit of writing down the title and author, just to keep tabs on them all. As he wrote about the cat she sighed, leaning back in her chair as she sat in the study hall. She was supposed to be studying, but she had felt herself drift off in to daydreaming again.

[Buffy:] Have you tried giving her a shower?

She smiled a bit to herself, but as she thought it through, she knew perhaps his suggestion was the best option.

[Buffy:] On second thought, maybe you should take her to the vet
[Buffy:] Someone might be missing her too

She bit her lip, because she kept typing and deleting the same thing over and over, but she couldn't get herself to send it.

He chuckled at her suggestion, he shook his head as he looked down at the cat, kneeling down to scratch her stomach gently. Maybe he had become more attached to her than she to him, but she was a loving cat either way. She replied again and he read the messages, lifting his eyebrow a little. He sat down next to the cat on his kitchen floor, typing out a message.

[Baal:] Well sadly no. I knew her owner. A nice old lady somewhere in the bullding. She passed away a couple of months ago but the cat disappeared before the shelter could get her.
[Baal:] But I wouldnt really know which vet or what to do.... Hmm.

He knew exactly what to type next but he wanted it to come off as a natural suggestion rather than something he was actively aiming for.

[Baal:] Would it be rash to ask for your help in the matter?