3.05 OBSESSIVE LOVE: Shallow

When Kyden goes outside he spots Voir alone, reclined against the wall outside the duplex. He's shielding by the overhand from the light drizzle that persists, a cigarette hangs in his mouth.

Voir perks up when he sees Kyden and offers him his pack, "Cigarette?"

Kyden scowls.

"Oh, sorry, my bad." Voir puts his pack away and extinguishes the stub on the window sill like the professional that he is. 

Kyden turns a blind eye because he can't bring himself to care beyond the basics. "Where did that investigator go?"

"Hm?" Voir hums and scratches the back of his neck, "Guess he clocked out."

The auburn-haired recruit wears a visible frown. Kyden watches him closely and realizes that he's not busy rambling about all the things the investigator fed him or hounding Kyden to chase after their target based on those leads. 

"What are you thinking about?" the priest asks.

Brown eyes widen, Voir is visibly surprised that Kyden's even asking and it isn't long before that eager look returns to his eyes, dazzling with youth and naivety. "Actually, I was just thinking about something that didn't really make sense."

Kyden nods and encourages Voir to continue. 

"The Phasing Demon never killed any of his victims, or he never really intended to," Voir says as he taps his chin in contemplation. 

This isn't what Kyden expects him to say and he can't help but raise his brow, "Oh?"

"Yeah, like. Most of the time, he kind of just let his victims die, you know? That's how we ended up even getting leads on the guy. It just seemed he was conveniently getting rid of the victims he kidnapped, but there was never really an incentive to kill. If Belle wanted revenge on her ex, it doesn't make sense for the demon to be going around to kill random guys that looked like him, you know? And plus the ex is still alive! You'd think he'd be dead by now if that was really part of the contract."

Kyden hums in agreement. It was indeed odd and he also didn't believe that revenge was the motive behind the contract. Belle has a different desire that she wishes fulfilled. It's honestly not that difficult to guess.

"I believe that I know where she went,"  Kyden folds his arms over his chest. He explains what he found in Belle's room in detail.

At first glance, the room had nothing in particular that stood out, plain, modern, and decidedly feminine. There were pictures of friends and family littered on the wall. A few articles of clothing had been left on the bed. When Kyden was strolling over, he noticed that her computer was still on and walked over, jostling the mouse to rouse the machine. 

A lock screen shows the handsome face of a well-known celebrity, his eyes were obviously edited for the color to pop so vibrantly. The computer needed a password to end so Kyden backed away, not bothering to waste time in guessing. 

So he sauntered over to the pile of clothing on the edge of the bed. Holding them to his nose, he could pick up the soft waft of laundry detergent. There was a short black dress, a low-cut top, and black skinny jeans that laid there. 

Kyden then turned his attention to the young woman's closet where everything had been neatly filed away. He found that Belle was a very organized person when it came to her attire; everything was neatly sorted with casual wear in the front, and her more eye-catching evening wear in the back of the closet. Also, hidden in the very back were several rolled-up posters of hot male celebrities. Each of them sported a very specific look.

Kyden wanted to slam his face with his palm right there and then.

The answer is as clear as day!

Belle is simply a very shallow person!

…

Voir sputters at Kyden's words. "A shallow person," he echoes in disbelief.

Kyden shrugs, he's worked with demons enough to understand how 'desire' works. "The contract latches onto a person's deepest desires. Sometimes these desires are suppressed depravity, other times outright absurdity. Humans have a lot less control of their hearts than they think they do."

There's interest that twinkles in Voir's eyes. He leans in, with the sharp smell of nicotine that clings to his exorcist's uniform, "What about Rev. Kyden? What kind of hidden desires do you have?"

Kyden sends a pointed glare, clearly unimpressed, "That isn't any of your business or concern." 

"Oh! Sorry," Voir flinches back and scratches the back of his neck, "Right, I forgot! You're a priest."

Kyden sighs heavily, even if he wasn't a priest, it wouldn't change how inappropriate Voir's question is! But he's tired of scolding his stupid partner for every tiny thing so he strolls out from under the cover of the overhang and into the drizzle. "Let's go."

"W-where are we going?" Voir stutters as he wrestles to get an umbrella and chases after his partner, trying to angle it so that Kyden could be shielded from the rain.

Kyden, without any regard to either Voir's struggles or the light drizzle, continues towards the car. "Think. She's a shallow girl with a shallow wish. The demon wears her thoughts and knowledge. It will go where she believes her dream might be fulfilled." he spits out, waiting at the passenger side for Voir to unlock the door.

The younger exorcist fumbles like an idiot as he tries to balance his umbrella while he searches for the car keys. "You don't mean…like bars or clubs right?" Voir makes a face. 

"…Exactly that," Kyden sighs as he rubs his temple, sliding into the car. It's not like he likes the idea either. "Did you not see her fridge wall? There is a haunt she frequents with her friends a lot."

"Ah, that's right! I've heard a lot about that place. 'One Night', huh? I heard it used to be called 'Box Club' but they changed the name after some scandals." Voir chirps loudly as he slides into the driver's seat, animated and happy to share his knowledge. But his expression falters when he looks Kyden up and down, "But we're not going to go there in our uniforms, right…?"

Kyden glares at Voir, "Are you saying you forgot the drones?"

"The…drones?" Voir blinks like an imbecile.

Kyden groans, leaning into his hand that he props up against the car window. "Don't tell me you forgot."

"I…"

"We pack casual outfits in there, for situations precisely as such!"

"…Oh, right! I knew that!" 

They haven't even gotten to the club yet and Kyden's already sporting a headache that rivals the depth of the sea.

…

One Night is about what Kyden expects. When they enter, the entire place is dark and lights are flashing. The music is so loud that the ground shakes. Kyden trades his exorcist uniform for a black dress shirt and tight fitting black jeans. He looks passable, he supposes.

Voir is much more in his element with a casual fitted t-shirt and a smile that stretches ear to ear. With his handsome face and friendly disposition, he attracts attention left and right. Bosoms get flashed, and before long, Kyden catches the kid with two ladies, one hanging off each arm and Kyden doesn't even have it in him to reprimand him.

Kyden decides to split off. There's a lot of ground to cover and he doesn't see how floundering around the bubbly Voir will benefit.

Instead, Kyden tries to imagine himself as a demon who shops through the crowd, looking for the perfect candidate to fulfill its host's desire to have the contract fulfilled.

There's no telling what the demon's abilities are if they might help in this endeavor or not, but Kyden doesn't think too hard and looks around. 

He pushes through the dance floor, watching people move and sway to the beat of obnoxious remixes with alcohol saturated in their blood, and whatever other substances that might get passed around in a place as such. 

People give him looks as he passes, some with eyes bright with hunger and others scrutinizing. 

"Hey, cutie."

"Watch where you're going."

Their voices are, however, drowned out by the sound and Kyden has no interest. He imagines searching for a blue-eyed blond, tall and built with a winning smile and good taste in fashion.

He spots one, and how convenient it is for their eyes to lock. Ah, he looks a bit like the professor, Kyden thinks, only younger.

Kyden quickly looks away and keeps on moving, deterring the man from following him. However, in his imagination, he sees himself approaching the stranger. Their bodies mingle and they make out. That's probably not enough for the contract though. The host will desire more. So then…

Kyden's eyes sweep the floor, spotting a side exit where a lot of gossipers and couples are crowded around. Kyden heads in that direction, pushing past the thicket of drunken bodies and lustful gazes. 

Voir sweeps his gaze across the club, managing to spot his partner leaving through the side door. He frowns and follows.