Discovery

[02:51] Celine says, ". . ."
[02:51] Darrel Hull says, "..."
[02:51] Darrel Hull says, "One o' tha snakes. Said they'd kill ya. If ya came back too soon."
[02:51] Darrel Hull asks, "Wha' are ya doin' here?"
[02:53] Looks around slowly before turning to look back towards Darrel, scarlet eyes examining him. It was hard not to notice the differences in appearance.

"I couldn't help it, and I don't see anything around right now."
(Celine)
[02:58] His eyes drifted to the corrupt ichor in the middle of the chamber as he thought. "As long as ya know tha rissks yer takin'." He said simply. He was starting to get used to the... New teeth.

Able to speak better with them, and less paranoid of stabbing his tongue. "Sso. Ya came ta say hi?" He questionned. Before briefly holding his arms out, as if offerring a brief hug.

"Once a year iss through... Tha' or... Veles said I might get thiss collar off early. An' m'flames full again... If I jus' work wit' it." He mentionned. "Learn tha magic ya hide." Not being able to burn things at a decent rate...

That was almost like torture for the pyromancer.
(Darrel Hull)
[03:06] "Hm. I do." She knew very well the consequences of coming here, especially this far in. She didn't care though. It had been too long.

Celine shifted in place as her short, lithe figure sways to one side and she places her weight upon one leg. "I did." She would say with a nod towards him before sauntering forwards and into the offered hug. Her hold upon him is tight, urgent even.

"Are they making you learn Occultism?" She would ask him as she firmly plants herself against him.
(Celine)
[03:11] Douma says, "... If either of you two."
[03:11] Douma asks, "Interrupt my breeding session?"
[03:11] Douma says, "I'll kill you."
[03:11] Sibylle says, "what"
[03:11] Sibylle says, "the "
[03:11] Sibylle says, "fck"
[03:14] As long as Celine knew the risks she was taking. That was the important part. A tight grip, and it was returned. Tenderly however. Sky-blue eyes inspected her, as they hugged. He'd enjoy it, the feeling of familiarity he'd been robbed of for nearly his entire time here.

Staying quiet... Until. A pause as Douma talked. His arms grew tense around her. Before refocussing on Celine. "They wan' me too..." He blinked a couple times. "An'... It'ss been keepin' me up. M' dreams had been me tryin' ta burn it away, an' drownin' anyhow..."

There was an awkward pause. "But... Ssince I said I'd accept. Sleep has been easier." Maybe that was part of what had been changing him. Pushing him into what was natural for the demons. "It'ss... Difficult ta figure out. Any time I'd tried... I juss' make flames."
(Darrel Hull)
[03:26] Was enjoying the moment, but demons had a certain knack for ruining them. Scarlet eyes turned to view Douma and the Witch as they passed by going first one way then the other.

"I shouldn't stay too long." She would say quietly, but she doesn't attempt to extricate herself from her position, and she falls silent as she listens to Darrel. "Not knowing the Occult actually bothers you that much?" She would question aloud, that had struck her as weird. Just what was it they were doing to him?

Or what had already been done..?

"I can, help. It wasn't exactly easy for me either, and I'm pretty sure I know why it isn't for you as well." And she did have a rather decent idea too, she even had a certain sense of confidence towards that.
(Celine)
[03:32] He'd let go then, slowly rubbing his face with his clawed hand... It wasn't that it botherred... It just felt like it was coming for him either way. "It's not like I planned ta. I juss' wan' m' flames back." And his freedom. Even if it was just the rest of a year left.

As for the help... He'd pause. "Maybe. Tha trouble hass been tha'... Well. I'd always fed m' flames tha ssame stuff as fuel." He elaborated. "Why whenever I lose to a magic..." He paused.

"I try ta learn ta incinerate it. An' leave nothin' b'hind." But that wasn't easy now. "So when I think o' tha ssame things. I think o' a flame. If ya remember tha' thing wit' tha ice giant."
(Darrel Hull)
[03:53] Once she was let go, she hesitates in stepping away from him, clearly uncertain if she would be able to be here like this again if there really was a snake out there with intentions like that towards her.

It made her uneasy, while at the same time he made her feel comfortably whole again. It was an odd sensation to say the least.

"I know. I didn't exactly plan to come here now either." To say it was a whim wouldn't be entirely accurate, she wanted to come here to talk to him for the moment she heard he was taken.

She just didn't want to take such a risk without being ready to do so. This particular instance was simply the result of a desire being unfulfilled for far too long.

"You summon your flames whenever something big happens Darrel. Whenever something intense happens, those flames become brighter, stronger. I've been around you long enough to have noticed it by now."

"What I understand, you feed your flames what it is you feel, using them as a source of magic. Most fire magi are wilder, more passionate. At least, openly so at any rate." The woman shakes her head slowly as she speaks to him further. "That's exactly what the Occult is- except instead of using your emotions to fuel the flames, you use them to fuel you. .

If that makes sense." She would add, arms folding beneath her chest as she does.
(Celine)
[04:03] She felt sad as she stepped away from him... It stung. Ate at him. However, there'd be a moment... As if he was considerring something. "D'you... Wan' ta be able ta come here? An' see me more?" He questionned.

Maybe... If the idea worked. "Could try talkin' Veles inta lettin' ya try ta show me." That and, it might lead to an escape. But that was much less likely. He wasn't counting on it. But he wanted to see Celine more.

A gentle warmth began to hum around Darrel. "An' then..." No, it was too risky. Wasn't it? He went quiet, listenning to her talk. "Guess I ain'... Quite like them. I'd always burnt tha' sort o' thing away." A strange way to put it.

But... As she explainned. Instead of fueling the magic. Fuelling himself? That was a better concept for him. Being something else he was familiar with. He'd take a moment then,before producing something from one of his pockets. One of his stir fries. "Take this fer ya." He commented with a smile. "They didn' take m'things so... I've been able ta at leas' make food an' all." Instead of fuelling the flames.

Fuel the self. Like with food.
(Darrel Hull)
[04:24] "Yes." Came the immediate reply, even if it would be dangerous for her, that danger would be worth it so long as she could get what she wanted. This meeting now was a good reflection of that hedonistic side of her.

The mention of Veles' name had brought about an abrupt change in the woman. Her hatred for the demon had evolved far past a simple word used to describe a feeling one had towards something.

"I could do that.. But, it would be probably be easier to learn it without," scarlet eyes drop downwards towards the collar around his neck, then glances back up towards him. "That." She would finish after a slight pause, her hues flicking back up to meet Darrel's own once more.

"That creature would probably just brush off the idea." She would say after another pause.

However, her attention is soon drawn back towards the nature of the Occult, and towards the topic, she simply shrugs. She could go much furtherinto it, but now didn't really seem like the time for it.

A familiar smile comes to her lips however as he pulls out one of his fry bowls. "At least they've.. Well, I guess they haven't been treating you well. But at least you aren't confined."

There was much more to the nature of Occultism than just a vague statement like fueling the self.

But she could talk about that with him more once the year's ended.
(Celine)
[04:31] Well... He couldn't help but agree on the mention of the collar. He'd long stopped fiddling with it, trying to remove it. The lesson that much was readily learned.

But he glanced away, as Celine brought it up. "Maybe. Might be ssmarter ta wait, than have ya in danger." He admitted the very thoughts that had been lurking in his head since he mentionned it.

On the occult, yes, he'd had a couple other explain it to him. He hadn't tried the newest suggestions yet, but maybe a mix of all of it would yield fruit.

As for being treated. "It's like they'd any other human. I don' exist ta mos' them." It was frustrating. "Other than some thing I guess. Or somethin' ta watch. Their fights are fun ta watch though." Maybe it was just that he couldn't display his own strength fully.

If he could just do that... He was definitely better understanding how they thought. "Jus' stuck 'round here. They'd know if tha collar goes too far." He murmurred. Then there was a moment, as he thought about when he'd given himself over.

"Agni... How's he? Has he been doin' anythin' wort'while?" That wasn't normally how he'd talk about his friend. But... "I don' hear much 'bout there."
(Darrel Hull)
[04:50] Celine watched him as he glanced away, She wanted to say something more substantial, but this much had taken months worth of restraint, even if she had some assurances towards the demons in general not paying her much mind- there was a particular snake out there that wouldn't seem to mind at all.

"Hm."

She could wait another few months longer, it would be better than walking into which ever serpent demon had taken a liking to seeing her dead.

Still, her hands slowly clenched into fists as he moved on. "We'll kill them all together, when I have you back." She would say in a bare whisper.

She inhales slowly, then exhales afterwards. Scarlet eyes fluttering closed along with the breath before she focuses on Darrel as he moves on towards Agni.

"No. He's been messing around with Alessa as he recovers." She would say with a setting jaw, there was clearly blame in her eyes. Of course she blamed Agni for Darrel's situation. Agni problem spouted off something stupid and got himself into trouble.

"Agni should be the one here Darrel, not you." She would say aloud, clearly stating her feelings on the matter of that particular friend. "I told him as much as well, when I told him that we are the ones paying for his mistakes. You more than me."
(Celine)
[05:02] He'd gone more towards staring at that ichor in the middle of the room as she spoke. Assurances of her own. Something he had been uncertain about. But once Agni was brought up.

That was when Darrel became more animated again. "Re... Coversss?" Why that word? But he could feel it. "It's a new year. If he'ss still recoverrin'..." Flames whipped wildly around him and ate at anything that drew near... They held an actual malice uncomparable to most anytime before. "He'ss got people!" People that would fix that. But if Agni wasn't moving forwards? What was the point to this mess! "People tha'd fix 'im fer free!"

"He ought be doin' ssomething! Anythin' wit' hiss self!" There it was, just like his normal fire aura, despite the collar trying to work it's magic. "He'd have died here. I know him 'nough fer tha'. Ifhe'ss jus' whingin' still..."

An angry glare was shot at Celine. It wasn't meant for her... But hopefully she knew that. "Then he'ss wastin' tha life I saved." Now... Now he could feel it.

"I don' care if he'ss not tried anythin' ta ssave me. But I do care tha' he's actin' garbage." Word's greatest swordsman. "He don' desserve tha title he claimss." What a joke.
(Darrel Hull)
[05:26] She knew precisely what he was feeling.

Her own words of condemnation of him held their own fair share of negativity. He was useless, a waste. Less than dirt.

For once, she could empathize with him completely. "He was going to come try to get you back. But I told him not to bother, that he would just make things worse."

Darrel's glare did not bother her at all, based upon context, she knew who that glare was really meant for. It was impressive actually, she hadn't really seen Darrel this angry before. There was a certain kind of pull to him when he was angry, though she would imagine it would be very different if that anger of his was actually directed towards her instead.

Rather, she found herself rather attracted towards him from the display of angry from him.

"Hmph." She would huff as she moved forwards until she was close enough to take his arm in hers, if he would let her that is, and leaned her chin against his shoulder as she gazed at him. "I told him the same thing already love." She would murmur towards him.

However.. It was getting late, or rather, it was getting early. She shouldn't stick around for much longer. It was already rather pushing it to have stayed as long as she has already, especially after that Spider demon and the Witch came running past.

Still, her reluctance was clear. "I need to go now."
(Celine)
[05:31] Honestly, the flames nipped at her. It wasn't intentional... But Darrel was feeling unusually strongly about this. Unusually angry. He hadn't even really thought about her approaching. Although, luckily... The flames died before long. The collar starting up its work once again. No longer overwhelmmed. Her first words blocked out.

That was his best friend? Why did it feel right what he said? On Celine's touch, a fist almost slammed into her. Pausing for a moment, as Darrel started to come back to.

A brief look, as instead he'd try to turn it into a hug. "I'll let him know later. Then." He mutterred, before squeezing her tight. And letting go quickly.

"Get outta here b'fore they all get more active."
(Darrel Hull)
[05:51] It was there.

The feeling of danger. Not because of where they were, or whether or not the circumstances were in their favor. But because of what Darrel was feeling. The flames that singed at her clothes and hair, she wasn't used to it by any means, but she had always been prepared for it.

What she wasn't prepared for, was the fist. A sharp gasped inhale. The straightening of her spine as an alarmed shiver ran upwards along it. The implications that were behind it.

She would never have believed someone if they told her that he would have almost punched her.

It honestly shook her.

The tension within her remained, and perhaps, when she stated the need for her leave, there wasn't as much reluctance as first imagined.

However! The hug that Darrel's halted fist shifted into was returned, though there was a slight delay in her doing so. She stepped away from him then, moving around the center of the room along the walls before she departed altogether.

Hurrying along to avoid the Demon's notice, though maybe Darrel saw her quickly retreating figure in a different light.
(Celine)