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• 

  Legion July 28, 2024 at 7:06pm

  If only Legacy knew. Legion ate meat most of all. Just not any meat anyone else would want to eat, aside from honestly the most disturbed of creatures, or human beings. He probably wouldn’t have been fond of the thought of eating mice, either, but his sister did that, and he wouldn’t have been too put off by it. But anyway. That didn’t matter, did it? The demon’s gaze trailed toward Legacy and he moved to sit beside the witch, elbow on the table, leaning his head in his chin, blinking behind those glasses.

  He couldn’t help but shake his head with an almost-laugh as Legacy used her logic to justify her actions. Honestly, he didn’t need her to justify anything to him. He didn’t care whether she looked through the books for any specific reason, except that it seemed quite important to her to find the information she was looking for. And, of course, his general concern for her health. Even if the dust and mold around weren’t affecting her, surely the miasma and general discontent and emotional damage the mansion held onto would.

  His hand reached out to brush absently over some of the old pages of the larger book, until Legacy decided it didn’t have much use to her and pushed it away. Legion decided it was better to let the witch look through the books herself, not least because he knew she enjoyed it vastly more than he would. She seemed just at home here in the dust as she did in the library he had met her in earlier that day. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy old books or reading. Of course he did, although he’d never say so. It was just that Legacy seemed much more into it than he was. And anyway, this was her journey, how wasn’t it? He was just tagging along for the ride. And she seemed to hold all the knowledge she needed to do the searching.

  The question of Lucifer made him scoff and grimace in a way that made it clear the mere thought of all that was disgusting. It seemed he had his own history with the morningstar. He even solidified that disgust by saying, voice nearly entirely blank, “Gross.” And then he paused and shrugged a little at her continued questions. “Lucifer certainly wouldn’t settle down,” the demon agreed. “That’s not like him at all. But of course he isn’t above tricking people he thinks could be useful to him. If Agatha is powerful or if she is willing to do anything for him, it would not be above him to use her, to trick her into falling in love with him or using her until there is nothing left of her. But I’m sure Agatha doesn’t understand that. She will just see him as a powerful ally.” It’d be her funeral, then. Not that Legion cared about that.

  When she finally returned to the old oak table with a thin little book, the demon watched her and the book itself in a soft sort of way. Thoughtful, or maybe not. Maybe he wasn’t thinking about anything now. Now that he was sitting, he was tired, and he could feel it. It was a good thing there was nothing particularly horrible left in the mansion. He was sure he could deal with it if he had to, but he really didn’t want to.

  He gave a little sigh at the questions, and he leaned over to look at the circled places himself. “Exeter and Plymouth both being circled means she could have ended up at either place, I guess. Maybe you should check the University website at Exeter and see if there is any mention of a Margaret Blackwood either as a student or an alumni. Though her last name could have changed by now, I doubt her first name will have. If there was a way to check the places in general for their residents that might be most helpful.” Though aside from something as old and out of date as a phonebook, it didn’t seem like that would be possible at all.

  “We could check the internet,” Legion added. “See if there is an obituary from a specific place, or something like it. Children of hers, maybe. Facebook pages or other social media from any of them. At the very least, that might give you a location. Traveling all the way to the United States is easy for me, but it seems useless to travel to every place in the hopes of finding a lead. And there’s nothing to say she still lives there, or her children do if she even has any. Traveling is easy for me, but for people like you–” People who couldn’t travel so easily via teleport. “–it can get difficult, time consuming and expensive. And traveling through teleportation too much can potentially take a toll on your body, so we shouldn’t just be hopping around willy nilly. We have to be strategic.”
• 

  Legion July 28, 2024 at 1:45am

  There wasn’t much Legion could do about it anyway. He could share what his power did – he had a lot of it, clearly, almost an endless wealth of it, it seemed – but he couldn’t really share his “secrets” about it. The power was innate to him and lived inside of him. It exhausted him to use a ton of it at once, sure, but he didn’t have to think about how to use it. And if at one point he had had to, that was a long time ago. His abilities had become so central to him he didn’t think about them anymore.

  Legion wasn’t profoundly uncomfortable at people trying to be nurturing to him. It was more like he wasn’t used to it. He didn’t exactly have a good track record for dating, nor were his friends typically the nurturing type. Or, really, his family. His mother was in her own way, but frankly he did not spend much time with her and his visits were quite brief. He took care of himself and his sisters, and he was often the one fretting over the people he dated. It was simply a strange change.

  At the mention of human food, Legion smiled a little. He knew the feeling. “It can be overwhelming.” He agreed. “For a long time I wouldn’t eat it at all. When I did start consuming it, it wasn’t for what it brought me – human food doesn’t give me energy. It was just because I liked the taste of it. Mostly sweets. And for years I couldn’t eat anything but sweet things. It all made me sick. I still can’t eat any meat.” Any meat that wasn’t human meat, anyway. But he decided not to delve into that right now. It was not the time. It probably would never be the time. “And I still mostly eat sweets. And coffee.” And alcohol, though that was less often than one might think. It took… way too much alcohol to have an effect on him, and it really wasn’t worth it in his mind. If he was looking to get drunk he could do it but it wasn’t exactly practical.

  Of course, Legion remained quiet for their walk down the hallways. He was surprised all the dust and likely mildew and mold that crept around the mansion was not making Legacy sick already. He knew she wasn’t a human, but those sorts of things could affect most creatures. If one had lungs to breathe with, things could get inside them. Or, maybe Legacy was just used to it. She clearly had a love of books old and new that carried her toward research. He couldn’t be too surprised that she spent a lot of time around them.

  The demon crossed his arms as he watched the excitement take over Legacy, watched as she dug around and climbed shelves and stole books to observe. He did raise an eyebrow as she stuffed a book into her bag, half-hidden beneath those sunglasses of his. “As fun as that might be to keep…” he started, calm but chastising, tilting his head slightly. “I can imagine most things in this house are dangerous to take away. You don’t know what kind of curse may follow you if you remove it from its home. You should leave it here.” He wasn’t positive it would have a curse on it, but why take the risk? He knew it was special to her, but still. “I… can try and find one similar for you, if you really want it.” Of course he would likely have connections to such a thing, being who he was. What he was.

  “Also, are we not supposed to be looking for books on Margaret, specifically?” The only member of the family that could likely help. Even if Duncan lived, he would certainly not be very helpful. “Gates of Hell?” Legion asked as he approached behind Legacy, and moved to lean over her shoulder, letting his eyes grace the pages of the book. “Yes. I mean… well, yes, but Lucifer Morningstar holds the keys to hell. To lock and unlock it is done by his hand only. For Agatha to try and do so herself would be asinine, and she would be staring in the face of one of the most powerful and dangerous adversaries known to mankind.” And other creatures, too, for that matter. Legacy did not have to say what she was thinking for him to understand her line of thought. “It would be extremely unwise of her to try and do so unless she’s trying to pick a fight with the devil.” Most people avoided that. But what did he know? Maybe Agatha wanted to pick a fight. Maybe she wanted to make a deal. Maybe she worshiped Lucifer. He knew people that did that, though they were few and far between.
• 

  Legion July 25, 2024 at 4:16am

  It was sad, in the way losing a friend or watching a sibling grow up and move away was sad. Children brought lightness to everything, and Emily was no exception. Of course, Legion had a soft spot for children, so he would think that. Her missing presence left a gaping hole where she should be. Legion and Legacy felt it. The house felt it too, letting the magic of the place loose like a wine bottle uncorked.

  The demon let out a sigh, but watching her go still brought a smile to his face, small and soft. It wasn’t fair, but then, what was? Emily deserved better than to be stuck in this wretched place for eternity, captive and bound, unable to be free from her past, no chance at a future, whatever that future may bring. That was for her and companion to decide, not the house. Not the magic that bound her to the house. And not the person that placed the magic there.

  Legion didn’t exactly notice Legacy staring at him, although it wasn’t a hard thing to suspect. He was quite used to stares, even from other supernatural creatures and deities. He was a strange one, to be sure, not an easy thing to put one’s finger on, not easy to categorize or even predict. Legion held a wealth of power living inside of him. It seemed to have a cap on it, a seal, because ordinarily, people could not feel that power, only that he happened to be quite powerful. The amount that was there was hidden. It was better that way. There was no reason to give people a reason to use him. He’d had enough of that in his lifetime. Though he wasn’t so easy to manipulate now, that hadn’t always been the case. And he was a sucker for people willing to show him love, unfortunately. Or, well, he used to be.

  As all the dark, oppressive feelings faded, Legacy would feel that overwhelming power dissipate, leaving just the two of them standing there once more. The witch’s questions made Legion blink, as if he didn’t know what he was supposed to say in response to that. “I don’t know what you mean.” He said, and tilted his head slightly in that catlike way he always seemed to do. “The… magic, the power is just inside of me. I wouldn’t know how to explain it if I tried.” He had never met another creature like him, another thing with the ability to do what he did. He had no words for it. It wasn’t magic that could be taught, and as far as Legion knew it wasn’t a power that could be taken from him either. It was just his alone.

  “I mean, the shadows are easy enough. I’m made up of them.” So he was shadows… but solid? “They have a mind of their own, I guess. It’s complicated.” Of course it was. “I have control over them, but I don’t exactly control them. They love me, so they listen to me.” It really didn’t make much sense once he tried explaining it aloud to another person. But then, maybe that was why he didn’t bother explaining it. It didn’t have to make sense, anyway. It was just the truth, whether one believed it or not.

  He laughed, a little, almost shocked at Legacy’s question on food, about whether or not he was okay. He gave her a dismissive sort of shrug. “Exhausted.” He admitted. Whether he showed it or not, there was no use in lying to her, or to himself. “But it will fade with time. I will probably have to eat soon.” Her question of a snack, though, of what he ate, made him smirk. Now was not the time nor the place to get into the complexities of what kind of creature he was, what he ate, how often, and why. He was sure, actually, that it wasn’t something Legacy would have liked to hear very much of, and there was no need to divulge that information to her right now, or ever.

  “I can eat human food,” Legion said carefully. “But it doesn’t do anything for me. It doesn’t even heal me or bring me energy in any substantial way. What I eat, I eat for fun and because I like the taste of it, not because it does something for me. There’s no need to worry. I will be fine for now. And when I need the food, I will eat. Nothing to concern yourself over.” Evidently, people worrying and fretting over him or offering to help him made him uncomfortable. Either something he wasn’t used to or something he didn’t like. It was hard to say either way.

  But with that comment in mind, Legion turned on his heel to head back the way the three of them had come, back into the ugly, dilapidated mansion. “Come,” he said, “the library awaits us. We shouldn’t keep it waiting. Anyway, I’m not sure how long it’s good for you to be in a place like this. Aside from the restless and unhappy spirits, the mold, dust and tripping hazards are enough to send any able bodied person to an early grave. No need to stay here longer than was strictly necessary.” Plus, it held all the bad memories of its previous owners. Dwelling on all of that was bad for the spirit inside of them.
• 

  Legion July 23, 2024 at 5:35pm

  Legion had not honestly meant the playful little quip to mean anything, and so when Legacy responded as if he were serious, he simply tilted his head and blinked. He didn’t need the compliments, but they were nice, in their own way. It was true that he was not cruel in the way many demons or other Hellish creatures were. He might have been, once upon a time, but that was not now. Now he was old and much more docile. He could be violent to protect people that needed it, but he wasn’t a particularly violent person.

  Of course the demon was keeping an eye out on the barn itself. It wasn’t as if he thought something might pop out at them there, but if anything were to happen anywhere it would have been there, he decided. With his arms around the little spirit to keep her steady, Legion continued to glance around the barn before finally settling on Emily while he listened to her and Legacy talk. He was more concerned about the wellbeing of the both of them than with the conversation. Not that he didn’t want to help, but, well… this was Legacy’s adventure. He was just along for the ride. Plus, it didn’t seem like he had too much to add himself. Vampires and demons were things he was intimately familiar with, but no two were alike, and of course they all had their own goals and personalities. Agatha being part demon only meant that she had some demon blood in her, but that did not mean she had all the power of a demon. She could have, of course. It just all depended on what she inherited.

  “Your brother could very well be alive, considering he was half demon too.” Legion said softly to her, blinking at Legacy. If Duncan was indeed a grandfather or great-grandfather to Agatha, you could look into him. Though I have my doubts he’d be of any use… it does make sense that she would hate vampires, though, at least to an extent.” It was true that Margaret seemed like the smarter option to pursue, but she was human, or at least a witch. Closer to human than a demon was. She may have died long ago. “We can go back to the library and see if we can find anything about her.” And then, finally, he gave a shrug. “Or we could just head to Devon, though that seems a little short sighted. I’ve been there though.” Not that it would be hard to take them there. Legion had no trouble going anywhere at all it seemed.

  He gave a soft sort of sigh as he knelt down in front of Emily finally, and despite the glasses he held a steady eye contact with her, the sort of thing that could be felt despite not being seen. “As a demon, your death could either land you in Hell, to stay or be born again, or you may be forced to walk this Earth as a specter. I can’t say which. What I can say, though, is that spirits who are ready to pass over to whatever new world they will end up in are always accompanied by a companion. So you won’t be alone.”

  Legion had never had the pleasure of passing over, so he could not say how long the companion stayed by. But if Emily was stuck on Earth, it was possible the companion would be with her always. It was hard to say. Legion didn’t want to make promises he couldn’t keep, and that was certainly one of them. But she seemed confident in her decision to leave. Legion couldn’t blame her. If he was forced to be stuck somewhere his death had occurred, he wouldn’t be happy either.

  As long as Emily was sure, the demon would raise his hand, palm forward, without touching the girl. Both her and Legacy would witness a glow, something strange, but not bright. Instead it was black, emanating from his hand. They would also see, if they were really watching, that the edges of his hand blurred, become small black tendrils of shadows, and along the surface of his skin crept thin black lines, spiderwebs of what seemed like veins tracing over his skin, spreading and spreading. There was power there, as there was power in everything the demon did. Legacy would only feel it as an overwhelming pressure, but Emily would feel it like a pull, tugging her away from the spot she was stuck in. It wasn’t painful, exactly, but it wasn’t comfortable either, like the feeling of a tooth being extracted after the mouth was numbed with novocaine. There was a clicking sound – or maybe, instead, it was a snap, like a string being tugged apart. It took a lot of concentration, power, and effort, more than Legion ever let on that it did.

  When the snap happened, Emily herself would feel light, like she was floating, like a bird. Some spirits turned into other things when they left, but not always. And when Legion pulled his hand away from her, put it down by his side, the shadowy tendrils still tugged at his skin, as if trying to pull it apart. They left what appeared to be small red burns in their place, which dissipated almost as soon as they appeared. If they were painful, Legion gave no indication of it.

  And, of course, the demon had not been wrong. As if walking out from nothing, there came… well, a cat. It was not just any cat. It was Emily’s cat. Or, well, it looked like Emily’s cat, and it meowed at her as it approached, and sat by her side. Legion bowed his head to him. It was, of course, not Percy, not really. More likely, it was a god, or a deity, or something like it. One of death, one whose job it was to offer help and companionship to souls who were ready to move on. And it seemed to take the form of something comforting – in this case, Emily’s beloved cat.

  When Legion moved to stand again, he took on the appearance of one momentarily exhausted. But that look faded as soon as it was there, and instead his gaze trailed the empty, dilapidated barn. He still thought the whole place should be condemned. Or, better yet, raised to the ground. He wouldn’t tell Emily that, though, instead moving to clasp his hands behind his back with a soft smile. Being free was a good thing. Legion could attest to that.
• 

  Nascha Kaltain July 23, 2024 at 11:54am

  

  She tilted her head, lifting an eyebrow but choosing to swallow the retort she wanted to make, that no true witch worth their integrity made pacts or deals. That was demon territory. Or at least she'd always been taught that it was. Blowing out a breath she shrugged. "I'm a Kaltain, my ancestors would be turning in their graves to learn there are witches out there who deal in pacts like they're demons." She doesn't seem to realise right away that she'd given away more of herself in her outrage. At least enough to hint at her origins. Running her fingers through her dark hair and pinning Legacy with a look. "One would think you'd learned not to exchange servitude for perks. Nothing is worth that. And unfortunately you can't undo past mistakes, only live with them." 

  At that Nascha sighed, her expression growing carefully blank once more. "Artifacts? How does a novice witch come into possession of items like that?" She pinches the bridge of her nose, wondering just what kind of chaos this untrained witch might have wrought. 

  She lifted an eyebrow, turning to eye all the locks once more. Her lips quirking up into a wry sort of smile. "A well trained witch would make quick work of those." As if to prove her point; she flicked her fingers towards the myriad of locks, tripping each one into the locked position with barely a swell of energy. 

  She watched Legacy begin to brighten when the subject switched towards spirits. Tilting her head with a mild look of surprise at how passionate she sounded, as if she were fond of the spectral creatures. "Depends how long they've been dead from what I know. With enough concentration they can make themselves visible to others..." she didn't sound sure, what she knew of ghosts was...limited at best. She'd obviously never seen one herself, but an ancestor of hers had. It was written in one of the family grimoires. She shook her head to clear it of the memories rising to cloud it. "Interesting specialisation for a witch, the necromantic arts." 
• 

  Legion July 22, 2024 at 9:22pm

  Legion considered that. Sometimes epilepsy occurred only in childhood. It was possible she could have grown out of it completely given the chance. However, he would have been surprised if she had been killed just for the seizures. Certainly there was much more at play here. If they had thought her possessed or just a danger, they could have locked her up, which was what most people did to their sick and troubled children and other family members.

  “Poor thing.” Legion mumbled, a quiet sympathy for the soul who could not rest and who certainly didn’t get what she deserved. Of course, Bonnie also deserved better than what she got. It seemed like every female of the Blackwood household was a victim of its master. Except, maybe, Margaret. And that was assuming Margaret had indeed made it scott free. It was possible they simply didn’t know where she had gone and heard not a word from her.

  Legion had opened his mouth as if to answer Emily’s question, but Legacy’s flustered response only made him close his mouth and smirk, giving a dismissive shrug. He seemed to have no issue telling the little ghost what she wanted to know. She was dead, anyway, and though she still had the mind of a child, Legion seemed to have at least enough tact to answer her questions without feeling embarrassed by them. But then, he was a demon, or something like it. Sex was a part of his life in a way it wasn’t to most other people, whether he wanted it to be or not. He felt little shame in regards to it. For the most part, anyway.

  But Legacy was changing the subject anyway, and Legion moved to rest his hand upon the spirit’s head gently, in a familial sort of gesture. Quiet for a moment, and just as thoughtful. “Frankly, I don’t think Alistair would have ever loved her again.” As cruel as it was to say, it was very likely the truth. “Once someone has decided they’ve been wronged in a relationship, that feeling never goes away. The relationship sours, even if it’s one sided. There’s nothing Bonnie could have done aside from… well, from his perspective anyway, provided him more children. Even that may not have been enough, if the heir wasn’t male.” Even living throughout all of human history, Legion could not bring himself to understand their obsession with males. Almost everyone he was fond of or saw as a powerful being was or took the form of a female.

  His eyebrow raised at Legacy as she further mentioned Duncan, giving a bit of a nod. Great grandfather, or grandfather. “Or father,” Legion added, “depending on how old Agatha really is.” He couldn’t help but smirk in a somewhat wicked way as Legacy said something about evil demons. He simply shrugged. “Who said I wasn’t evil?” Though all things considered it seemed as if Legion didn’t have an evil bone in his body. Then again, as a demon, or demon adjacent, that couldn’t possibly be true… right? Well, then, it was hard to say.

  He didn’t say anything to Legacy’s quiet discoveries though, and instead followed the two of them down the hall as Emily mentioned her barn and horses. Once again, spiderwebs, of which he was not particularly fond…

  “I could try to free her.” He mumbled to Legacy. He was sure it might have been more difficult, though, considering she died as a demon. He wasn’t sure if that would work, or how easy it would be for either of them to do so. Legacy being a cat, of course it was possible for her to contact a cat ghost. Probably with ease, too.

  When they reached the barn, despite how innocent it appeared to be, Legion could sense the horror that had taken place here. Even if he could not put his feeling on the tragedy or the exact occurrences, it was obvious something had happened there. Something sad and unfortunate, and of course something involving Emily.

  As Legacy collapsed, Legion was quick to move to catch her so she wouldn’t completely fall on the ground. And he watched Emily with the same caution after he realized she was also evidently affected. He tried to make sure Legacy was solidly standing before he moved to Emily’s side, but the girl seemed more important to take care of. The witch could take care of herself, he was sure.

  “Someone tried to drown her.” He repeated, frowning deeper. He seemed distracted. “Not her father. Her brother?” Just a guess. But he seemed like enough of a killer. “But she wouldn’t die.” He shrugged slightly, wrapping his arms around the little ghost girl, letting himself glance momentarily at Legacy. “Demons can, technically. Some of them. She’s half demon though. And not all of them can die by drowning. For some it takes a specific tool.” Another pause, before he added, softer, “So the dagger then, possibly… you wouldn’t die, so he stabbed you to death and left you here?” It seemed incredibly unfair, but not unlikely.
• 

  Legion July 22, 2024 at 4:44pm

  Legion did not respond to Emily’s comment about the graveyard, but he did give her a slow nod, letting her remain close to him. He seemed to be considering everything she was saying. Her father was dead but not buried here. It made sense. There was no telling how long ago this had happened, but certainly a century ago or more. And Alistair was just a man, even if he was a witch. While witches could live for a long time, they didn’t always. Not that he deserved to. It was comfort, but little comfort, that the bloodline continued, that the children who were not Emily lived on.

  Even as Legacy ran into him full force, he seemed rock solid when he had caught her. He gave an understanding nod again as she talked about the house holding memories. He had suspected as much. Abandoned places often did, and this house was rife with emotion, with wandering souls. Emily’s, of course, but also likely Bonnie’s, even if she didn’t make her presence known or show herself to people.

  Evidently, Legion seemed perfectly comfortable standing back in silence and allowing the girl and the witch to have their conversation. He had little to say in regards to being able to see spirits, or Emily’s solidity which was unusual for specters. But when he noticed Emily staying close by, he made sure to put his arm around her in a way that was comforting and brotherly. He seemed like he would have been a good father, or sibling. Well, he was technically a sibling, but that was neither here nor there.

  Emily’s story did make him frown, though, and he shoved a hand into his jacket pocket, the one that had not wrapped around her. “So you were sick.” Epileptic, by the sounds of it. “But because you got the physical traits of a demon, they thought there was something wrong with you.” It made sense. Even without the influence of a demon lover, it was not uncommon to believe that children were possessed by the devil or influenced by a demon when it came to health problems. Epilepsy, of course, was a big one, but also schizophrenia, and other mental disorders that caused people to act ‘different’.

  Legacy’s comment simply made Legion nod. She wasn’t wrong. Men seemed to always be the problem when it came to the past. What was more, they seemed to always blame women, and twisted their stories to suit their agenda and their world view. “Unfortunately.” Legion seemed to sigh in a forlorn sort of way. “Not that that’s changed much. Men will hold to their traditions because it means they are in charge and can get what they want.” And who didn’t want that?”

  The mention of sex also made Legion nod, but Emily’s question made him blink, and smirk, evidently amused by Legacy’s floundering. He considered the question and Legacy’s response, glancing between the two of them before looking down at the spirit, tilting his head a little.

  “Sex brings people pleasure, and sometimes power. It also makes children.” Easy enough. But he didn’t seem nearly as sensitive to the question as Legacy was, which was to be expected. Most people would have been put off by it from such a young girl. “Unfortunately, it can be abused in many ways, and it’s considered… bad, and hurtful, to have sex with one person when you are with another. That’s what your father did.” And that was why she existed. To some that may have seemed like a burden, but life was precious. It wasn’t all bad. According to Legacy, Bonnie loved the twins as if they were her own, and the affection was evidently mutual.

  His gaze slipped once again back to Legacy, shrugging. “Some demons were just created. Some can be born of other demons, or of relations between demon and other creature. And some people can be turned into demons, too. Like vampires, or zombies. It all depends on the power the demon has, and what kind of demon it is. Some were created with the intention of producing many offspring and flooding the world with versions of themselves. Others have only the goal to seduce, or to eat, or to strike fear and suffering into others.”

  But demons had minds of their own, of course, and had their own goals in life. The ones that primarily resided in Hell worked for devils, mostly, or waited to be summoned and fulfill requests in exchange for something, usually food or a life.

  “It makes sense, about Agatha. What doesn’t make sense is wanting a weapon to slay demons if she herself is one, unless she has some sort of vendetta against a specific one.” He blinked, glancing back at Emily once more with his hidden gaze. “You said when you died, you remember water and pain and hay. Do you have a barn or a farm on property, or nearby? A pond or river, maybe?” Though that could have been a bathtub. Water could be found anywhere. Sometimes ghosts could travel around if they were lucky, though he had a feeling that Emily was not one of them, and was forced to reside in or around the mansion.
• 

  Alexander July 21, 2024 at 7:51pm

    A fox-heart? For a moment, Alexander had to process the insult. It was an insult, right? She threw a fit, admitting she wasn't going with him. Alexander stopped almost instantaneously, but it wasn't her reply that pulled his attention. His body turned partly to look back at the bar, or more so past it.

    Voices, far off in the distance, met his ears. Could she hear them as well? There were several different people talking, and they were probably not human. Their conversations were jumbled, but every so often a keyword stuck out: "Amulet. Treasure. Strange Lady. Bar." Alexander's eyes shifted back and forth as he listened from afar. If they were inhuman as he suspected, Alexander couldn't fend them all off. Maybe he could, but it wasn't on his agenda for the night.

    It was at that point that he heard her speak again, breaking his concentration on the distant voices that no human could detect from their location. It seemed like she had finally realized that he might be right. "We are going anywhere but here.."

    With that, Alexander turned back around, his pace quickening to a brisk walk. He assumed she'd catch up.
• 

  Legion July 20, 2024 at 11:26pm

  There was no rush. Legion seemed like a patient person. Only when the girl took his hand did he turn to make his way back down the darkened hallway, toward the room that now glowed with the soft flame and heat of the lit fireplace. It produced a strange amount of heat, but it wasn’t so hot that it was stifling. Emily likely hadn’t felt that kind of heat in a very long time.

  Like the fire, Legion’s hand was warm too. Well, his skin, in general. Like a heater from within keeping him warm even in the coldest spaces. It might have been alarming or comforting, depending on the person who touched him.

  “I see.” He said to her statement about the other visitor. He frowned to himself in thought. “The same place where you buried your cat? When did he come here?” What could have been so important as to grave rob? Actually, even thinking about it, that didn’t sound too out of the ordinary. Graverobbing was quite common not even a couple centuries ago. Depending on when Emily had died and when the visitor had come, that could have put him right in the middle of the craze. Of course, it was most common to rob graves for their bodies or for expensive items to be sold for high prices. That didn’t explain someone coming to the grave with the intention of taking a specific item.

  “Your father, is he still alive? Do you know?” He didn’t necessarily think Alistair himself could have done it. In fact, that was almost out of the question. Surely Emily would have recognized her own father. But it could have been someone working for him, stealing evidence. Or maybe something else. Actually, Legion decided without ever speaking aloud, likely something else. A powerful item, or a dangerous one. That made the most sense.

  As he turned to go up the stairs, Legion could feel the weighty presence of the spirit hidden in one of the rooms pressing down upon the house. That was the problem with houses. They were living, breathing things, sometimes even sentient, whether people believed that or not. They held memories, joy and horror and sorrow, absorbed those feelings like sponges. It explained why some houses had oppressing or eerie auras, and some felt light and welcoming. Legion understood that more than anyone, considering how he fled places he had lived too long in.

  Though he was taking Emily with him up the stairs, he was careful to leave her outside of the room he felt the blackness in. He waited a moment, sure he had found the witch once more. But it only took that hesitating moment for the suppressing nature to vanish, as quickly and suddenly as it had come, leaving Legacy gasping for air. He felt no ill will from the house, more of a desperation for its history to be known, although he could have been wrong about that.

  And as Legacy fled the room, she would run right into the demon, who put his arms around her to keep from dashing into something else. For a second he stood there like that, before he let go and held her at arm’s length, concern tracing over his face, even seen despite the glasses.

  “Are you alright?” He asked with his usual calm tone, though it didn’t drip with apathy like it usually did. He even sounded concerned. “I suppose the house doesn’t want us snooping. But the house–” He said, and glared at one of the hallway walls, as if he were talking directly to it, “– is just going to have to deal with that for the moment.” And then he took some steps back, letting Emily be revealed. “Anyway. We have a guest. Or rather, I suppose we are guests in her home. Emily, this is Legacy, the cat you sensed. Legacy, Emily. Oh, and I found this…” With that statement, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, or rather into the strange void it seemed to lead to, to produce the found diary, and handed it off to Legacy.
• 

  Legion July 20, 2024 at 12:48pm

  Legion didn’t say anything at first. He sensed no ill will from the form, only a child wronged and a life taken before its time. Still, Legion always operated under at least a hint of caution. Although he was not particularly affected or afraid of creatures like this, others would be. Anway, he always thought it was better not to get others involved if he didn’t have to.

  His head tilted slightly as he listened to the girl talk and ramble. When she noticed him noticing her, Legion smiled in that subdued, polite way he always seemed to. Once again he let his hands clasp behind his back, a completely non-threatening pose. He was going to say something like ‘Of course I can see you,’ but that seemed a little too mean and dismissive, so instead he gave only a nod. It was easy to listen to other people talk, and talk she did. Not that he minded. It reminded him of Legacy in a way, full of energy and excitement and putting puzzle pieces together.

  Anyway, he knew a thing or two about loneliness, and he had no doubt that Emily was lonely. All the time spent with no one to pay her attention, no one to talk to, everyone looking right through her.

  “Emily.” Legion repeated curiously, tilting his head again. “I see. You may call me Legion,” he added, because it would have been impolite not to. At the mention of his eyes, he only smiled softly. Perhaps they were similar, woven from the same kind of thing, but they were very different in their own ways. Legion was only a demon in name. He might have resembled one – it was why he used the title – but he was far more than that, and barely seemed like one at all.

  “I suppose.”  He said, vaguely, and reached up to tap at the black glasses he wore. “We may be similar. I don’t have a father, though. My mother would never make me hide such things. Though, she is blind, and has been since I’ve known her, so I doubt she would ever even know what they look like.”

  He took her words to heart of course, though, and tucked the thoughts away for later. It didn’t surprise him. Alistair didn’t seem like the world’s greatest father. “I hide them because it makes it easier for mortals to look upon me. They can be fragile. No sense in giving them a start if I don’t have to.” Mostly he wore them because, although the glasses drew stares, especially when worn in unnecessary places like the dark or inside a building, the stares were nothing compared to the whispers, gasps of shock, and scurrying away he was often met with when he didn’t wear them. It was more irritating for him than anything, but he felt no need for the grief if he didn’t have to endure it.

  “There were some interesting things. It was mostly about your father, though, not your mother.” Secrets were told, that was true, but not regarding her location. “I am here to help a witch. Or, a cat, as you call her.” With that, he allowed his hands to once again rest at his side, and held one out to the spirit.

  “Come. We shall find her now. Maybe we can locate your body.” Finding out how Emily died felt… pertinent. It was sad to be an unresting soul. Legion had encountered many, and while some could be dangerous and vengeful, for the most part they were lonely and sad.

  If the girl took the chance to take his hand, she would find himself turning… solid. Well, more solid. She had the glow to her still, the soft ghostly one, and the far away, ghostly voice, but her form would be solid. She would be able to touch things. And, more importantly, Legacy would be able to see her. Others could, too, if they were here. It was probably a good thing they weren’t.