The Faustian Contract. (A'zaia&Bree)

[Bree]

Winifred, or Winnie, had been waiting for this moment ever since she heard the rumors a mere two days ago. She had heard whisperings and tales in the strip joint of a demon who will grant you a wish in exchange for your soul, though she was still unsure how much of it was true since the tellers were sipping on many alcoholic beverages. But still, the desperate girl had to try.


So she gathered up the supplies from memory and on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, walking a ways from the city lights and into the woods. Winnie laid out her materials on the slick grass beside her before sinking to her knees, the dew sinking through her tattered jeans. Hesitation caused her hands to shake as she grabbed a kitchen knife. This probably wasn't even going to work, so she shouldn't be nervous. It was just a small burst of hope that, like the others, would get snuffed out as quickly as it was lit.


With newfound determination, Winnie sliced a thin line on her palm and squeezed the blood into an inverted pentagram with a spiked circle surrounding it on the grass in front of her. Biting her lip from the sting of pain, she lit two black candles and placed them in the symbol, dressing these with her blood also. This was the most crucial step. Getting the words right.


Winnie picked up a single, sleek raven feather and held it in the flames, watching it burn for a moment before whispering. "Demon as dark as night, I call thee to me. In exchange for your services, I offer you my soul. Come forth and do my bidding, demon!" Winnie held her breath and winced in pain as the flames on the feather reached her fingertips, waiting to find out whether or not the stories of evil creatures were true...


@A'zaia

 

[A'zaia]

Sebastian had been slumbering peacefully when he was roused by the familiar pull of his invocation. It had been decades since a human had readily called him forth. Humans in this age were not as believing as they once were, choosing instead to simply forget the strange occurrences they witnessed in their lives. Hardly any still believed in true demons like himself. Evil they still believed in, but only the human evil. And yet as it was it would appear that someone was desperate enough to believe. Desperation was what brought him most of his meals. Sebastian was eager to meet this brave new soul.


With a flap of his black wings Sebastian vanished from his dimension to answer the call still ringing in his ears. He appeared a black cloud of energy before Winnie. A gust of wind extinguished the candles within his mark. Carefully he folded his wings to the body of his least threatening form: that of a large raven. He watched the kneeling human curiously with red slitted eyes. She was younger than his last master, barely a woman.


“You have summoned me, human? What dark bidding would you ask of me?” Sebastian asked in a deep inhuman voice. The beak of his form did not move as he spoke aloud. The raven was just an illusion he used to keep humans from rethinking their offer. It was most disappointing when the humans rescinded their offers, robbing him of a meal. Of course Sebastian could live without devouring a soul for almost a century, but it was more than a little uncomfortable. “Tell me what it is you want so desperately that you’re willing to forfeit your soul to a demon?” Sebastian finished with a laugh.

 

[Bree]

Winnie gasped as the large raven appeared from darkness and spoke unnaturally. Her heart raced and she willed herself to focus on his voice. "I...I wish to get revenge on the people who have abused me all of my life. I want to make them suffer, to humiliate them, to make them beg for death." Her voice grew stronger with hatred as she spoke, looking the demon raven with her piercing green eyes. "Karma seems to have overlooked them and I find it a worthy cause to give up my soul." Winifred wasn't using it much anyway.

 

[A'zaia]

“Know that by striking a contract with me I will serve you to whatever end is necessary to achieve this, your darkest desire, but once it is complete your soul and life are forfeit. Do you understand what that means, human? You will not be able to relish the demise of your enemies…” Sebastian asked as the darkness around him swelled. He could practically taste the young woman’s anguish. The tortured souls were always the most enticing to demons. Innocence always left an unpleasant aftertaste in his mouth. Patiently he waited for the words he knew would come, this human would not abandon her quest for revenge.

 

[Bree]

She looked him evenly in the eyes as she replied without hesitation. "I understand the terms and I accept them. I only hope I get to torture them a bit before you devour my soul." She smirked slightly, a vicious gleam in her eyes. This was the chance Winnie had been waiting for and now she finally had it in her grasp. Her hell would soon become nonexistent and she will plunge her enemies into one of her design.

 

[A'zaia]

“Very well then, human. A deal has been struck,” Sebastian said, a smile distinctly evident even in his inhuman voice. The darkness around him shifted, swallowing his raven form as it grew upwards. When it finally dissipated Sebastian stood in his human form before Winifred though his demonic eyes remained as he was about to seal their contract with his mark. “Forgive me, my mistress, but this will hurt,” Sebastian told her as he reached down to place his left hand over Winifred’s eye. Placing the mark on a human had always caused pain and he expected no difference today. But the human’s resilience towards the pain could still be different than others, humans still occasionally surprised him after all.

 

[Bree]

Winifred felt a burning pain tear through her left eye as a mark etched itself there. She let out a small squeak before silencing the scream that would have followed and instead screamed in the silence of her mind, letting a single tear roll down her cheek and nothing more. It seemed like eternity until the demon pulled his hand from her eye even though it was only a minute and she stifled her relieved sigh. "How does it look?" Winnie breathed, blinking a bit but not feeling anything different.

 

[A'zaia]

Sebastian watched Winifred with fascination as she braved the searing pain of his brand. She was strong for a human he could sense that much from their brief meeting. Her soul, once he devoured it, would keep him sated for many years. She might even prove more filling than his favorite meal, an Earl from the 1800s who had kept him from needing another contract for nearly fifty years.


When the contract was complete, he retracted his hand that now bore a shining miniature of his summoning circle. The mark was duplicated in Winifred’s eye, now giving her the most striking appearance. Slowly the glow faded from her eye leaving in a pale purple in color. “It is some of my best work, mistress Winifred,” Sebastian answered with honesty. He sunk down to one knee before her and bowed his head. “What is your first command, mistress?” Sebastian asked. He waited patiently for her words, because only her order would truly cement the contract they had just made.

 

[Bree]

Winnie thought for a moment as he asked her for his orders. Everything had happened so fast and she didn't really have a starting point of her plans. A small rumble in her stomach decided her demands for her and she smirked at Sebastian. "Find me some food, preferably blueberry pancakes. And while I eat, I can talk out my plans." Slowly, as to not get light-headed, Winifred stood up and wiped the drying blood off of her palm and onto her jeans.

 

[A'zaia]

“As you wish, mistress.” He stood effortlessly as Winifred did, unfolding himself from his crouch much like a cat. He watched as she wiped her bloody hand on her ragged jeans and he unconsciously shook his head slightly. “I believe I will also find my mistress something new to wear,” Sebastian said before vanishing in a cloud of black smoke and feathers. When he reappeared, mere moments later, he was toting several packages.


In a flurry of activity Sebastian assembled a table, complete with linens, and set a well-cushioned folding chair in place for Winifred. He fixed a place setting for her and placed a still steaming pile of blueberry pancakes on her plate. Beside it he set a small jug of warm maple syrup. Once everything was just perfect he pulled out the seat for Winifred to sit down. “Please enjoy, mistress. And when you are done eating I have procured some new garments for you,” Sebastian said indicating to the last package with a small gesture of his now gloved hands. “You should be able to find something to your liking inside.”

 

[Bree]

Her eyes went wide as she watched Sebastian work to fulfill her orders. "Oh my..." She whispered to herself as she took the seat offered. Looking up to Sebastian, the amazement in her face vanished and she nodded in thanks. "You've outdone yourself already. Perhaps you could also find me another home? Maybe a cottage not too far from town?" She asked as she drowned the pancakes in the syrup and took a bite. The food was heavenly, which made her chuckle a bit at the irony.

 

[A'zaia]

“I am simply following orders to the best of my ability,” Sebastian responded with mock modesty. Sebastian usually exceeded at nearly everything he did, it was necessary for his specified line of work. Her imagined he would see similar expressions of amazement as he helped Winifred in her mission for revenge. “If a cottage is what my mistress desires, I shall secure just that. Now please tell me of your plans, mistress, so I may know how much work we have ahead of us,” Sebastian requested after she had eaten a bit more of her meal.

 

[Bree]

Not being one raised with manners, Winnie wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand and leaned back in her chair. "The Mafia here has control over this town and a few sectors of others. My target is the Mafia family, my family, and I don't wish to just kill them. I want to defeat them, build my own Mafia and harass them before going in for the kill."


Winifred stood up once she was finished with her food and headed towards the last package and opened it, finding a pair of nice bell-bottomed jeans with lace patches and a pink tank top to highlight her curly black hair. She grinned, loving the outfit instantly and noted happily that it was an ample improvement from her co-worker's hand me downs.

 

[A'zaia]

The demon winced at the unsightly display of Winifred’s nonexistent manners but he did his best to hide it from his new mistress. “Your family, I see. These people must have performed a number of egregious sins against you to warrant a contract with a demon to ensure their demise. Rest assuredly, by the terms of our contract I ensure that you will achieve this goal,” Sebastian promised her.


Respectfully Sebastian turned his back to allow Winifred to change into her new clothes. He smirked realizing he had managed to find at least something to her liking. When she was safely dressed Sebastian turned back to her. “Mistress, I regretfully must admit I seem to have forgotten some of my own manners. I have failed to properly introduce myself. My name is Sebastian, Sebastian Michaelis. Now that we have formalities out of the way, why don’t we head to work on obtaining your lodging? Is that alright, mistress?” Sebastian asked with a polite bow in her direction.

 

[Bree]

Winnie changed quietly into her clothes, pondering his comments on her family. A brief look of contemplating crossed her face once she was finished changing but quickly dispelled it when Sebastian turned around. "Nice name for a demon." She spoke carefully, as if picking her words in a delicate manner. "Finding a new home sounds lovely for now." Winifred nodded her head, eyeing his bow like it was foreign. It was so odd to have someone be so formal as to bow, especially since it was towards her.

 

[A'zaia]

“It was bestowed on me by a former master. I have kept it since…” Sebastian said in response to her compliment. For a brief moment he was pulled back to the brief life he had lived with the Earl before their contract had been fulfilled. The memory brought a smirk to Sebastian lips but he quickly straightened his expression. “Mistress, please do not be afraid to offend me. The basis of the pact we have just sealed with my sign means that until the moment your darkest desire is realized, I answer to only you and could not harm you even if I wished to.”


“Now if you would wait here for just a moment, I will procure suitable housing per your command,” Sebastian said before bowing once more to Winifred and then vanishing in another cloud of black mist. It took him a tad longer to reappear before his mistress. When he did reappear he wore a small smile on his thin lips. “I apologize if this is jarring but it is merely the swiftest way to reach your new home,” Sebastian informed her before taking Winifred’s hand and pulling her through the dark cloud rising around them.


When the darkness finally cleared they were standing in the walled front garden of an adequately sized stone cottage. “Your new home, my mistress,” Sebastian announced with a sweeping gesture of his hand before striding to the front door and unlocking it for Winifred. “It belonged to lovely elderly woman who agreed to let you borrow the place while she stays with her son indefinitely. Please let me know if it is suitable for now,” Sebastian finished as the front door swung open behind him.

 

[Bree]

Winnie pondered what the demon had said as he disappeared. He seemed to have liked that contract quite a bit. The thought made her giggle a bit but she shut it up quickly when he reappeared in that cloud of black smoke. He grabbed her hand before she was pulled into darkness that unsettled her stomach. When they finally stopped, Winifred had to close her eyes to keep the sights from spinning.


Winifred opened her eyes and smiled at the cottage before her. Surround the walls were gardens of plants and flowers all expertly placed and she stepped inside when Sebastian opened the door "How do you do that?" She asked, her mind mostly preoccupied with her new home. The living room was modest and very homely, with a fire blazing in the stone hearth and nice, comfortable looking red couches and chairs surrounding it and a wooden coffee table. Just beyond that was a country styled kitchen with a gas stove and a small table for three.


There was a glass door leading to the backyard but Winnie turned to peer down the only hallway. There were four doors matching the style of the front one. She opened each in turn, finding a pink blossom styled bathroom, an old fashioned sewing room, and two bedrooms. She knew which one she liked best. The four poster, queen-sized bed had green velvet curtains that matched the green velvet comforter and pillows on it. In the room, the walls were painted a light pink and had small bookcases strewn about along with a large vanity and dresser. Her favorite part was the window alcove with velvet cushions facing the gardens in the back.


Winni then called out from the room to Sebastian. "Nice work, again, Sebastian."

 

[A'zaia]

“If you are referring to how I was able to secure lodging for you within minutes, let us just say that I have a precarious talent for getting precisely what I want. Which of course truly means I am capable of obtaining whatever my master or mistress desires,” Sebastian explained casually as he strolled into the cottage behind Winifred. He had already surveyed the home so he simply followed her as she explored her new home.


“However if you were in fact referring to my talent of vanishing, that just so happens to be a talent of my species,” Sebastian added as he came to the door of the master bedroom Winifred had just claimed as her own. As he stood in the doorway watching Winifred inspect her bedroom he heard a welcoming sound with his sensitive ears. Strolling back down the hall he made his way into to the back door in the kitchen. When he opened it a black cat scurried in and immediately began weaving in and out of his legs.


When Sebastian reappeared in Winifred’s doorway he was holding the small cat in his arms. “Mistress, I pray you have nothing against cats, for I do believe we have a house-guest.” Sebastian said with a smile as he scratched affectionately under the cat’s chin.

 

[Bree]

Winnie wasn't expecting to see the adorable cat when she turned around, but she did expect her reaction. It was something she couldn't help. "Aw, such a beautiful cat!" She promptly forgot about the house or the answers he gave her as she walked up to the demon and started petting the cat. A childish look of happiness overcame her features for a few minutes before she realized she was smiling like she had been given the last slice of ice cream cake and shook her head to snap out of it.


"Nifty talents," She said before returning her features to a look a indifference and walking back out to the living room. Winnie glanced at the clock and frowned a bit. "Sebastian, make sure the cat is comfortable, he will be an honored guest in this house. I will be back shortly, alright?" She was late enough as it was.

 

[A'zaia]

“Yes, he is,” Sebastian responded to Winifred’s momentary lapse in character. The pieces of his mistress were beginning to fall into place. She proved to be quite an interesting puzzle, as was the case with most of the humans who dared to enter in a pact with him. He watched her happiness be wiped clear of her expressions and after a shake of her head was replaced with a mask of indifference.


Sebastian followed Winifred out of the bedroom with the purring cat still cradled in his arms. “I assure you, he will be most comfortable. I am quite fond of cats myself, so he may have the bed in the spare room,” Sebastian said just before placing the creature on the couch nearest the fireplace. “You have a prior engagement, mistress? Are you sure you need no accompaniment for this trip?” Sebastian asked, choosing his words carefully. He did not expect Winifred to ask him to come with her, in fact he was quite certain she wouldn't. He could distinctly sense that Winifred was trying to hide something from him.

 

[Bree]

Winnie watched the clock tick the seconds away as she answered. "No, I can handle myself at the moment. Relax or take a break or whatever it is you demons do in your free time. I will be back in an hour." She didn't say anything more as she closed the front door behind her and began walking back into the slum side of the city. It was nearly one in the morning, and she mentally cursed herself for being so late.


Signs advertising female escorts glowed in neon colors that turned her pale skin different colors. Winnie wasn't stupid when came e wrong side of the streets and she kept her eyes downcast and strained her ears to hear everything around her. She heard faint footsteps behind her but reached the strip club without any incident. Winifred ducked in the dancer's entrance to meet the glaring face of her tattooed, pierced boss. "You're late."


"I know." She said, keeping her shoulders' squared in a confident manner. "Something came up. I'm here to collect my last paycheck, late or not."


"You aren't getting it." He replied gruffly, looming over the short, petite girl. She glared up at him, her emerald eyes turning into ice.


"We had a deal." He shrugged with an annoying smirk. He knew he had the upper hand and he had the gall to nod in the direction of the door heading to the stage. "I am not dancing tonight and you are going to give me what I earned before I get p!ssy." She replied as calmly as possible.


"Then you haven't earned anything, trash." The boss laughed at her, unaware that she had reached her breaking point. Winifred was tired of everyone walking on her. Even the demon she had summoned was using her. In a blind rage, she turned to one of the make up tables and grabbed a hot curling iron.


Winnie smirked as he let out a yell, the skin on cheek being burned as she stood on her tip-toes and hit him with it. "Keep the money. This was far more satisfying." She kept the iron on his cheek until it began to sizzle and he pushed her to the ground. Her weapon fell out of her hands and away from her.


"You b!tch!" He shouted, earning the attention of the guards outside the door. Her former boss lunged at her but Winnie, pumped with adrenaline, managed to scramble to her feet and run back out into the streets. Heavy footsteps followed her and she tried to loose the guards. Winnie regretted her actions as one of them brought out a gun and fired at her.

 

[A'zaia]

Sebastian watched as Winifred closed the door behind her. He waited a few moments before petting the cat once more and trailing Winifred out the door. One of the many things he had not yet explained to his new mistress was the fact that the mark she now bore on her eye allowed him to find her at any time. The mark was like a supernatural homing device to the demon. He could even follow her at a greater distance if he were to so choose but he was rather interested in what she was trying to hide from him.


He was not at all shocked when he wound up following Winifred through the red light district. Humans were often ashamed of anything that was even perceived to be connected to their or anyone else’s sexuality. Sebastian was able to infer from the fact that she ducked into an employee entrance of a strip club that she currently or formerly worked there. From her appearance and size Sebastian concluded that she was a dancer.


Once the door closed behind her, Sebastian entered the alley and walked to the closed door. From where he was positioned in the shadows he was concealed from view. Just standing there allowed his heightened sense of hearing to pick up the argument between Winifred and her former employer. When the fight from within sounded, Sebastian’s muscles coiled to strike. He heard the running footsteps of several persons, including Winifred’s lighter tread. Once she had breached the door he stepped into the path of her pursuers.


Sebastian could see the gun of the nearest guard and knew that if he moved Winfred would take a bullet. That simply wouldn't do for Sebastian’s plans. The sudden appearance of a strange man in their path startled the gun-toting guard enough to cause him to fire off a few rounds into Sebastian. When it didn't faze him the men halted in a panic. Their fear gave him the opportunity to silence them permanently in a matter of seconds. Winifred’s boss had followed them out and he was dispatched in a similar fashion.


Leaving the bodies where they lay and pursued Winifred. He caught her before she had made it very far at all. “Mistress, please relax. It is only me. Your pursuers are no more and as it would appear so is my favorite tailcoat,” Sebastian said with a frown as he examined the bloody, tattered mess that was now all that remained of his suit. “Perhaps now that your business here is concluded we may return home so you may rest?” Sebastian asked before motioning in the direction of cottage. Despite the fact that bullets could not kill him being riddled with a few holes did limit the effectiveness of his other abilities so walking home would have to suffice while his body healed itself.

 

[Bree]

Winifred sped up her footsteps as she realized the bullets had missed her. She was breathing heavily and began to struggle, throwing whatever limbs she could, as someone grabbed her. As soon a recognized the voice, Winnie stopped and whirred around the see a bloody Sebastian with bullet holes.


The sight actually made her chuckle. "That was your favorite tailcoat?" She shook her head in amusement while aching her breath. "A rest sounds nice." She looked around the dark streets before walking in the direction of her new home. "Don't those bullets hurt?" Winnie was quite curious about his surprise appearance and didn't seem at all phased by the fact that she could have been killed if he had not came.

 

[A'zaia]

“Do you have any idea of the lengths one has to go to in order to obtain an authentic Victorian tailcoat in this day and age? I assure you it was more than slightly tiresome. However it was worthwhile so now I will have to go through it all over,” Sebastian explained with a tried sigh. He didn't particularly relish the idea but he would feel rather exposed without the garments he had grown so accustomed to.


Sebastian followed slightly behind Winifred on their walk home. “I will be all right in a few moments. My body will heal itself,” Sebastian said as they walked. He could feel his body working as the silence passed; broken only by the soft clinks of the bullets hitting the sidewalk as they were expelled from his body. “Now could you please tell me why you are so calm right now. Most humans panic or go into shock when they are almost killed. You however, my dear mistress, seem to be neither.”

 

[Bree]

"...Put the clothes in the sewing room, I'll use them as scrap. Until you find one, perhaps you could try and blend in?" It would seem odd if she walked down the street with a butler in this day and age. But Winnie knew his pain, she too liked the Victorian outfits.


She began to smile as heard the bullets fall as they walked, her eyes alight with interest. Winifred took a moment to think of her answer to Sebastian's question. "...I suppose since my life has been threatened many times, I've grown used to it." Her delicate shoulders shrugged as she began climbing over fallen branches and logs, taking a short cut to the cottage. "Why do you care? Is it normal for a demon to ask his mistress such questions?"