He's being manly broody, not emo. Honest.

[birthmural]

Due in part to his cooperation, Daimon was released from the brig after several days. The experience had certainly given him further incentive to control his darksoul he hoped.

There were several people he wished to talk to but he was tired in his soul if not his body.

He wandered the city. He wanted to return to the Vatican but he was afraid of what he would see. He was even more afraid of what he might do.

If Leon Kennedy had not stopped him, what would he have done to Sawyer?

Comments

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

Pixie's Google-Fu is strong, Daimon.

Also, Patsy Walker's books are a fun read.

"Yes. Well. I'm an impressive little Pixie," she replied, feigning fearlessness. "And an X-Man. -Girl. -Person. Something."

[birthmural]

Daimon raised an eyebrow. "I am aware the X-men recruit adolescents but I am not familiar with you." He paused. Patsy hadn't recognized him when he first saw her but...

No, this girl couldn't be from his future. He was in a monastery. He retired from his life as a hero- and as an exorcist. He had not informed Patsy the other Defenders but he had all ready made his choice.

"Perhaps we hail from alternate universes, Miss..?"

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"Gwynn," she replied. "My name is Megan Gwynn. My code name is Pixie, though." She was still keeping her distance from the man. Oh yes, Daimon, Pixie's heard of your temporary incarceration. "Alternate universe, future, a hoax, a dream, an imaginary tale. Who knows," she shrugged. "This place is weird like that."

[birthmural]

"Indeed." He looked at her carefully. "You may be with the X-men, you may claim you are not a witch, but you are more than a mutant."

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"Darn right I am!" Pixie said, nodding her head. "I'm also a back-up dancer for Dazzler!"

[birthmural]

Daimon was mistaken, this child was not more than a mutant- she was missing her brain.

"...Dazzler?" What in God's name was a Dazzler?

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"Uh, the pop artist? The best pop artist ever? The goddess of disco? You've heard of her, right?" Pixie tilted her head. "She's, like, totally profound."

[birthmural]

He was going to ignore that. "...I was referring to your magical abilities, not your dancing ones."

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"...oh." Pixie blinked. "Right. Those." Pixie brushed back a lock of her hair. "I lost a piece of my soul in limbo. It created this," she said as the souldagger sprang to life. She showed it to Daimon as non-threateningly as possible.

[birthmural]

"By the Hadean Chimes!" Daimon cried. "You lost a piece of your soul?!" Perhaps that explained the obsession with a musician- especially one named Dazzler.

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

What? No it didn't! Dazzler was awesome in general!

"Yeah, I did. It was tragic, but I'm learning to deal with it." By her words and tone, it was obvious that Pixie wasn't learning to deal with it, that she was compartmentalizing and trying hard not to think about it. "Uh. So. What's a Hadean Chime?"

[birthmural]

As someone with an overabundance of soul, Daimon was horrified that someone missing part of it could be so dismissive of it.

"How did you lose a fragment of your soul? And how could it form a dagger? Were you partaking in a Satanic ritual by or against your will?"

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"We're really gonna talk about this?" Pixie asked, tilting her head. "Alright then." She brought her legs up under her and folded them in a lotus position, so it looked like she was sitting in mid-air. Her wings flapped lazily behind her, keeping her afloat. "I don't know if you've ever heard of Belasco's Limbo, but that's where me and the other X-Men sort of ended up. Anyway, a girl named Magik was there and she wanted me because of my soul's innocence. I guess innocence holds power in Limbo or something. So, she was going to create a soulsword out of it, but my friend Victor came by and stopped the process and..." she shrugs. "I don't understand the magic of it all yet, but the part of my soul that she tore away is filled with black magic, and the part of my soul that she took forms the dagger."

[birthmural]

Rage filled Daimon's soul. He frowned and gripped his trident tighter. "Evil cannot stand innocence. To have corrupted the soul, especially the soul of an innocent, young girl..." More than likely a virgin as well. "It would have given Magik great power and caused you great harm. I am sorry you were the target of such a despicable trespass against your very soul. Would that I could undo it."

Daimon gazed at the dagger. He could feel the darkness pulsing off of the blade. "I am not familiar with this dark magic." He dealt principally with his father's domain, not other lesser demons. "What powers does the dagger have?"

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you know, the usual magic stuff, I guess. From what I've discovered, it can disrupt magic and stuff - exorcise demons and entities possessing people - but I guess the mutant in me makes it work differently, too, because it's exorcised non-magical beings who have tried to take control of people too. It can break spells that are cast on people, and...well, it helps me with magic...which I have the potential for now. Up until now, my only powers were flight and a hallucinogenic dust." She looks out beyond Daimon, into the distance. "Both Amanda Sefton and Dr. Strange have offered to teach me about magic once I turn eighteen. I don't know that I can wait that long."

[birthmural]

There was a very pronounced pause.

"You can exorcise demons?"

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"Uhm. I'm not going to stab you unless you go all hellfire and brimstone and apocalypsey evil on us."

[birthmural]

And an even more pronounced pause, one so pregnant it could have delivered a full term infant.

"If you require a teacher, perhaps I may be of assistance."

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"..."

Blink blink blink.

"..."

Blink blink blink.

"..."

Fwooosh!

Suddenly, Pixie's hugging Daimon and squeeing.

[birthmural]

Daimon stiffened and tried to step away from Pixie but the child had him in a tight hold.

He stared at the ceiling and counted backwards from ten. "Hugging me is hardly necessary, Miss Gwynn." Now if she were older, had red hair, and named Patsy Walker, that would be a different matter entirely.

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"Right. Sorry." Pixie pulled herself off of him and flitted back to where she'd been floating moments earlier. "I've just been dying for some magical training and..." she trailed off, confusion and doubt flooding her eyes. "Look, Mr. Hellstrom sir, I don't mean to insult you...but I don't know you all that well, and..." she didn't meet his eyes as she asked the question. "How can I be sure that I can trust you?"

[birthmural]

"I may be the son of Satan but I am a man of God. He reached into his podsuit pocket and pulled out a Bible. "If it assuages your fears, I shall swear upon the Word of God that I will not harm you and shall train you to resist the dark magics and utilize your own magical energy to the best of my abilities."

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"Thank you, Mr. Hellstrom. I appreciate that. And your offer. It means a lot to me, sir."

[birthmural]

"You are welcome, Miss Gwynn. We may begin training at the time of your choosing. Perhaps you can tell me of your education in the paranormal."

[sniff-my-dust.livejournal.com]

"Uh. Wikipedia and Charmed and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Bewitched?"