11 A Warning

"So…What do we do now?"

"I don't know." Raifu turned away from Asrin's unblinking stare. "Just quit staring at me like that."

"You said we should come here!" Asrin gestured around her room. "It's your job to find something for us to do."

"I-I didn't expect to get this far!"

She suggested that they should both spend the night at Asrin's house in her desperation to calm down the situation ._. obviously that didn't work in her favour.

"Can't say I didn't expect that." Asrin grinned. "But I have a back-up plan!"

Raifu's heart sunk. What sort of deranged plan did she have?

The doorbell rung.

"Wait here, 'kay?" Asrin darted out of the door, leaving Raifu to look around her room. It wasn't much like she'd expected. It was a relatively small room, lit up by a dull orange light, giving it an air of coziness about it. There were posters of various martial artists plastered across the wall, with various thick books strewn on her thick drawer, which seemed to double as a table. Raifu got up from the bed, taking a closer look at the books. They seemed to be about some sort of philosophical ideas. It seemed strange Asrin was interested in that sort of stuff. She looked at a line at random.

"The eyes are the windows to the soul."

Weird. What was that supposed to mean? Raifu glanced at the mirror, staring into her own eyes. Her blank eyes stared back at her, reluctant to let her see any deeper into them. All she could see from them was the milky white surface she'd seen her whole life. If they really were the windows to the soul, either the windows were closed or there simply as no soul to look at…But it's not like that could ever be true, could it?

"Here's my backup plan!" A voice cried out, as a disgruntled Xena stumbled through the door.

"In Beel's name, can you not push me so hard!" Xena brushed down her clothes, glancing around the room, eyes widening slightly as she caught sight of Raifu. "Oh, hey there…" She shot a look at Asrin, who beamed back.

"Xena'll spice things up! You always know how to have fun on sleepovers."

"H-Hang on, I didn't agree to a sleepover-" Raifu protested.

Xena slumped onto the bed, chucking her bag to the side. "Don't bother arguing. She won't let you leave anyway." She pulled out her phone, half-heartedly glancing at it, before an irritated look overtook her. She closed her eyes, tapping her foot impatiently, before opening them again, and giving Raifu a weak smile. "I didn't get to properly introduce myself last time." She held out her hand. "My name's Xena, what's yours-"

"Why're you being so formal? Look, I'll make it quick." She grabbed Xena's hands. "This thing over here's Xena Alren, she's a complete bitch, always beating me in every subject, she's got anger issues and is really scary when you first meet her but she's a sweetheart really."

"You-"

Asrin gestured towards Raifu. "This is Raifu, the cutest person I've ever met (after Lucine) and she's got a weird shape-shifting abusive eldritchesque mum as well so that's cool."

They all sat in silence.

"S-She's not abusive."

"…What the fuck."

Asrin clasped her hands together, looking proud. "Introductions, check. Get Xena to swear, check. Hey, we even saved Asriel a really awkward dialogue scene to write!"

"This is still awkward!"

"H-Hey…" Raifu interjected timidly. "I really need to go home-"

"Only if I can come with you! I wanna see your mum in more detail," Asrin giggled, her wide eyes glinting.

"Hold on… What do you mean in more detail?" Xena turned to Raifu "What's she on about?"

"She's like-" Asrin started

Xena shot her a dirty look, signaling her to stfu. "It should be Raifu who tells me, and only if she's okay with it." She turned to Raifu again, a concerned look on her face.

She was relieved Xena had completed dismissed Asrin's description of her mother as an eldritch shape shifter, since that was uncomfortably close to the truth. "S-She just looks a bit different to other people, that's all!"

"Well she would, if you're her daughter." She tilted her head, staring straight into her eyes. "I've never seen anyone with eyes as beautiful as yours." She scowled at Asrin. "You made it look like it was something bad, when it was nothing!"

Asrin opened her mouth, as if she was about to say something, but caught herself, looking away.

"And let her go home for Beel's sake. She obviously doesn't want to stay here."

"Hey! You're not school pres here, you don't get to decide what people want and don't want."

"She literally said she wanted to go home!"

"Yeah but…" Asrin turned to Raifu, asking in a slightly aggressive tone. "Do you want to stay here?"

"I-It would be nice to stay but I really should be heading home," Raifu stammered, glancing away from Asrin's disappointed face.

Xena looked smug, flicking her hair out of her face. "Good girl. It's dark, so I'll walk you home."

"We'll walk you home." Asrin sighed. "I don't wanna be stuck here alone."

"Just a walk though, you can't come inside!" Raifu insisted. "M-mother wouldn't like visitors."

Yet she knew that Mother would be absolutely delighted.

The scent of fear was thick on the air, and it was clear whom it was from. Asrin walked along, tense, her tail's twisting far more erratic than usual. Yet her eyes were alight with a sort of perverse excitement. Was she getting off to the fear or something?

I guess that's what daddy issues do to you.

This prompted a questioning look from Xena, who was hastily dismissed by Asrin.

"What's wron-"

"Shhh."

Xena still looked confused, but seemingly couldn't be bothered to pursue the matter any further.

"We're here." Raifu stopped infront of the small house, her pale skin illuminated by the moonlight. She had to get the two of them away as fast as possible. She didn't know what mother would do to them, especially Asrin. And she most certainly couldn't let Xena see what mother was like as well.

"You guys can come in too if you want. I don't think Mother would mind." The words slipped out of her mouth without her even realizing. Ah. It was happening again.

"Didn't you say your mother wouldn't like visitors?"

"Fuck it, Xena, let's just get inside." Asrin bounced on the balls of her feet. "I can hardly contain myself."

"And what's gotten into you?" Xena started to look worried. "You're all acting really strange." She took a wary step backwards. "You know, maybe we should just go back-"

She was met by the unblinking stares of both silver and white eyes.

"Or not."

Asrin knocked loudly on the door. "We're home and we've got your daughter!" She started muttering under her breath. "Now open the door so I can deal with the filthy little monster that you are..." She paced around, her tail stiff as the smell of fear filled the air.

Raifu's heart was pounding in her ears. This was going to go downhill really fast. If Mother opened the door, and they both saw what she looked like again, there was no telling what would happen. But it's not like she would. Mother wasn't stupid. She wouldn't open the door and let everyone see her again; she'd just wait for her to-

Raifu's heart dropped as the door opened. Breathing heavily, Asrin whipped around, expecting to see the monster she had seen before. "Who…?"

There in front of her stood a tall woman, looking more beautiful than any other demon she'd ever seen before. She was lazily dressed in a dressing gown and slippers, although she had a golden choker around her neck. Curiously, a large crack ran through the side of it, somewhat ruining the appearance. There was no apparent reason for her to be wearing it. She had abnormally large horns for a woman, although it wasn't surprisingly, given her height. Her white eyes seemed to somehow glitter in the moonlight, as she blew away a strand of auburn hair, gazing down at them.

"Huh, what?" Asrin's eyes were wide. "You-"

"You must be Raifu's mum!" Xena cut across her, holding out her hand. "My name's Xena, and that's Asrin." She gestured towards Asrin, who was paralyzed in shock. "We came to drop Raifu off,"

"Is that so?" She smiled "Back when I was young, we slept over on sleepovers."

"Oh, it's not that, Raifu just wanted to go back home, but it was dark out so we thought we should drop her off." Xena explained, pointed staring away from Asrin and Raifu.

"That's nice of you." She tilted her head, her smile fading. "Say, would you two like to come inside? We haven't much to offer, but I'd love to get to know Fantoche's friends. I'm sure she'd be willing to make you some tea to keep you warm." To which Raifu nodded feverishly.

"I'm sorry, Mrs Fanten, but do you mean Raifu when you say Fantoche?"

"Yes, it's a sort of pet name for her." Something like a smile touched her lips, but it was hard to place. "And, please, call me Vesperi." She glid inside, gesturing for them to follow her. Raifu ran after her, without looking back.

"Okay…Vesperi." Xena glared at Asrin, lowering her voice "Seriously, what's up with you? You've been acting weird for a while now."

"You can call me weird when you just met that bitch?"

"That's a rude thing to say about someone you just met."

"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes, her tail erratic behind her. "Don't tell me you don't think she's just- just not right!"

"She's Raifu's mum, Asrin."

Muttering something inaudible under her breath, Asrin stood in the same place, shaking, as her scowl darkened.

Xena really didn't understand why Asrin was acting the way she was. Nothing added up. Everyone was acting really strangely, as if they all knew something she didn't.

She sighed, grabbing Asrin's hand. "Let's just get this over with."

They followed the mother and daughter into their lair.

Veperi sat on the armchair with her head on her fist, eyes closed as if she were asleep. They talked for a while, with Asrin eying her in silence throughout the entire ordeal, and Raifu standing sheepishly in the corner. Despite Asrin's warnings, Xena found that she was pleasant enough. She seemed just like any other person; there was nothing about her that made her seem weird or not right in any way. Moreover, it seemed as if her health wasn't doing her any favours, so it was even ruder for Asrin to just assume those things about her. Xena took a mental note to scold her for it later.

Although, Xena thought, she did strangely remind her of Lucina, for some reason. Perhaps they were related? Raifu did come to visit Lucine in the hospital…

"It's getting late." Vesperi announced, eyes still closed. "You two'd better leave. Your parents will be worried."

"I suppose…"

"Fantoche, go escort Xena out." She gently opened her eyes, her choker gleaming in the soft light. "But, Asrin, would you mind staying here? I want to talk to you a bit longer."

"No, we both should get-"

"S-suRe." Asrin cut across her, trying to sound confident, but her shaky voice gave her away.

Vesperi's lips arched upwards. As she was lead away by Raifu, Xena glanced at Asrin one more time, wondering what in Lucifer's name she was going to do this time.

Asrin's tail was stiff behind her.

"So how are you, Azzy?"

"Don't c-call me that."

"Why not?" Vesperi's tail curled around her. "You know, that's what I used to call my husband, a long time ago." She closed her eyes again. "A long, long time ago."

Asrin wanted to leave. She was terrified beyond anything she'd ever felt before, but she wanted to know just what this mother bitch was. She had seen what sort of monster she was like before! She had to know the truth "How long ago would we be speaking? Ten years? A hundred? Or maybe a thousand. I doubt you ever lived like us demons ever did."

She opened her eyes. "I don't look that old, do I?"

Asrin glared defiantly at her, not saying a word.

She sighed. "You may have seen more than I'd anticipated, but even so-"

"You were hurting Raifu!" Asrin jumped to her feet, her fear filling her with a hollow confidence. "You have no right to be talking as calmly as you are, as if you're not a filthy little-"

"Enough." Vesperi got to her feet. No, that wouldn't do it justice. I say got to her feet, when really it was more like she melted to her feet. Asrin stumbled backwards, the confidence melting away with the monster's form. The room glowed purple as her eyes darted around.

She sat in the corner, staring with wide-eyed horror at the metamorphosis taking place. Was this how Raifu felt whenever she saw this monster?

With a final pulse, she stopped melting.

"Ah...hah…" Taking in deep breaths, she forced herself to look at the thing before her.

"I didn't call you here for you to berate me." Blank eyes stared out of an uncountable number of wings. "So tell me, that boy you call Lucine, does he love you?"

"Yes." Her voice was frail and childlike.

"Really?" Her voice came from the walls, the ceiling, and the floor at once, as tendrils of something swept around her. "So if I killed you right now, would he care?"

Asrin couldn't bring herself to say a word.

The eyes narrowed. "If I killed him, would you care?"

Asrin's eyes gleamed silver.

"You were being mouthy before, but I'll leave you with a warning." The tendrils retracted, as the thing melted back into a shape more pleasant on the eyes. It was the woman from before, but her hair was white, and a pair of feathered wings had sprouted from her back. "That boy, whatever you call him, he's dangerous for you to be around. He's nothing like what you think he is, no matter how much he charms you or persuades you otherwise. He'll use you and he'll get rid of you without any care for you at all."

"Don't h-hurt me…" Her voice wavered as she hid her face in her arms.

Vesperi's expression softened. She stepped towards Asrin, as a schoolgirl might step towards an injured cat. "I won't hurt you. It's just, you need to know that-"

The knife slashed through the air.

Asrin's eyes were wide in anguish, as she desperately summoned every bit of her strength to force the blade through. To make contact with the pale skin of that bitch who had dared try to hurt Lucine, to shred the monster who had been abusing Raifu for Lucifer knows how long."N-No,It c-can't…!" She struggled, but it was useless. As quick as she had been, the angel had been quicker. Her wings had wrapped around her wrists. She watched in horror as the wings melted into hands, gripping harder and harder, until she wanted to scream.

She dropped the knife, as a tendril quickly swatted it out of Asrin's reach. She went limp in despair, collapsing to the floor. Her only hope at killing her was gone.

Vesperi was shocked. How had a demon been able to attack her so bravely, after seeing what she had shown her? She looked down at the motionless figure, muttering under her breath. "It looks like I underestimated your kin..."

"Get up. They'll be worrying about you if you stay here for too long."

Asrin's head whipped up, stunned as she saw the demon Vesperi was back. "You…!"

"I'm not as bad as you think I am. Soon enough you'll come to me asking for help, and my arms will be wide open for you." Vesperi slumped back into her armchair, closing her eyes. "Now go. I've kept you here long enough. And also…" She smiled. "Make sure you take a shower. I'm sure Fantoche can smell you from outside."

"...Are you alright?" Asked a concerned Xena. Asrin had just exited the house drenched in sweat, and Raifu had hurried back inside the house after a hasty goodbye.

"I don't know if there was LSD in that tea Raifu served or what." Asrin stretched, yawning. "I'm just happy I'm out of that place already. She was confused. She could hardly make sense of the events that had taken place, not least the apparent forgiveness that monster gave her. What the fuck did all of that mean?

"Ah, shit, I left my knife in there."

"A KNIFE?"

Xena's scoldings carried the two confused girls home, into a warm bed. Asrin swore she could hear Xena in her dreams.