[ToxicShadow]

Jakerz

What luck. A haunted house. There wasn't many places any better then this for a guy like him to linger within. Him? Him who? Why, Jakerz, of course. Clad in a tattered and eccentric jester's get up, he blended in perfectly with the almost demonic scenery. He was a pure evil in himself, a villain to villains. He was the ultimate torturer, making life a living Hell for all those who brought evil destruction to the world. He loved destruction, chaos, watching others fall. Particularly those who saw themselves in holding power. It explained why his targets centered around a particular group of Lucain, all five that preformed in theater. Most of his attention was given to the ones known as Karkaine and Aros, but you couldn't forget about their partners, Strages, Riddler and Kezarec. He'd just yet to get to those members of the underground mafia.

So, if he made his main targets that power hungry and mentally unstable group, what was he doing here? Well, they were far from interesting all the time. He'd set many things into motion already, long before this time, now he just had to wait for something entertaining to happen. He took on new random victims, since it took less then a day to really deal with any one and he was bored once again. Who knows how many that he'd toyed with? Most of them died far before their time, simply because he'd deemed them unworthy to live. Honestly, he kept very few of his toys and experiments alive. Very few of them had the potential he was looking for. For what? A mystery. But you couldn't put it past him that it was all just for his own personal fun. He had nothing else to do with his ever lasting life.

At this very moment, he was striding throughout the dark halls of the house. He blended in with the shadows, as if melting into them, and appear somewhere else further away. Was it a trick of the eyes, or was it a skill? Either way it went, it would be enough to startle anyone. Plus, due to his peculiar presences, it may have made him seem much like a ghost. He hadn't a beating heart, he'd lost it long ago, replaced with one made of paper. He hadn't any blood to shed unless you stabbed the origami heart within the whole in his chest. His fading in and out didn't help with the false assumption. But really, he'd sold his soul, so he was, by all means, dead, in one way or another.

A target. A target. Would he find one? Perhaps. Perhaps not. He could wait. A life like his was all about waiting.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Human Form

It was new. Exciting. An adventure. And Rein was more than ready to handle it. There had been reports of strange noises, voices, and lights coming from the house nearest the Cathedral. Considering that the place was old, and had been abandoned for years, there was the very real possibility that Rein's services would indeed be needed. So he came that night. Armed with a flashlight, holy water, a super-sensitive microphone hooked up to his ear, and an infrared camera. Why the last two? Because spooks sometimes had very human explanations. Such as a heartbeat and a heat signature. That's what he'd been listening and looking for. Flesh and blood was the single most cause of hauntings in most of the places he worked. Disappointing, yes - but getting the crooks out of the castle, so to speak, was all just part of the job.
He was a supernatural investigator. When the police couldn't explain things away, they called him. He'd been brought in on vampire feedings, werewolf maulings, hauntings, and even such ludicrous things as UFO and Bigfoot sightings. Most of these cases had proven to have human causes, but a few of them had been genuine. He felt sorry for the poor werewolves, vamps, and ghosts that got maligned by society. Many times, they just wanted someone to talk to, or someone to look up to. And many times, the weres and vamps were children. Not an unusual occurrence by any means. But sad, at the same time.
Tonight, however, tonight promised to be exciting. People had seen a figure moving in and out of windows, and seen lights on inside, as if someone was living there. But when police went to evict the tenant who had taken up residence in a condemned building, they'd found nothing. So he was most likely dealing with either a vampire or a ghost. He was more inclined to think vampire, since all of the sightings were at night, and none in the day. Either way, one of two things would show up on the mic if this were a real case. No heartbeat. Or a very, very slow one.

"Hello?" he asked, pushing the door open, and arcing the flashlight around the debris and rubble left over from the demolition a few months back.

He coughed as dust entered his lungs. Well, that, and he WAS quite ill. The precinct officer had expressed concern for him going to a case with a 102 fever, and a cough. But he'd blown it off, said it was fine. Heh. The closer he was to death, the easier it'd be to see and feel things. Another cough tore through him as he shut the door behind him, and shone the flashlight around again.

"Hello? Anyone hear me? I'm not here to hurt you."

He continued to speak as he walked up the creaky stairs, making sure to test each step before he took it. Even so, the staircase fell from under him when he was almost at the top, and only a mad scramble allowed him to grab the edge, and pull himself up onto the landing. He'd have to find another way back outside.

"If anyone, or anything is there, please respond? I won't harm you. All this equipment probably looks a little scary, but it's not to hurt anything. Please come out and say hello?"

[ToxicShadow]

It wouldn't be a shocker to anyone that a soulless reaper of souls would be able to sense new life, a new soul, when it drew near him. Before Rein had even stepped foot into the large house, his presence smacked Jakerz in the face. He became highly aware of it, and aware of all that he was. When dealing with the fragile thing that was life, it was quite easy to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of it. When the body was the wrong temperature, when it was ill in one way or another, it was as obvious to Jakerz as the difference between night and day was to a child.

Only because he was bored, did he pay any attention to the intruding sickly Lucain. He hadn't had a victim, even one just to watch, not touch, in quite some time. He listened to his words, watched him from the shadows. The others device would pick up something rather unusual. Not a single other beating heart, but a slightly warmer temperature. He wasn't much warming then the temperature that was the air around him, since not a drop of blood flowed through his veins, but he had a body and he breathed. He had some small form of heat just from friction at the least. He was here, and it would be known. As wise as he was, he'd just have to keep moving about, so he wasn't pinpointed at any one given time. The oldest trick in the book. Did these 'hunters' honestly think that they were that good? Maybe he'd give him a run for his money. Maybe. So bored...

When Rein nearly fell, he was watching nearby. He said not a word, only wishing to laugh at his attempts to draw him out, but he held his blue-black tongue between his teeth, and swallowed any single sound that his vocal cords wanted to release. It was a pathetic attempt that he'd like speaking kind words would make him show himself. No. He'd appear when he wanted, which, more then likely, wouldn't be at all. This one didn't appear to have any use in him. Not yet, anyway. He'd have to observe him more. Learn all that he was. Just watch. Just wait.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

After he finished his little speech, and was ready to move again, he had to catch his breath on the landing. Not much use in moving if you couldn't see straight. When the camera picked up something only slightly warmer, he watched it for a moment until it vanished. Not a ghost, then. Perhaps a vampire. But there was no heartbeat, so it was a very strange vampire indeed. This needed investigation. Now that he knew he wasn't dealing with a child, he became a lot more cautious, even as he climbed the next set of stairs.
His heart was pounding hard and heavy, attempting to deal with the stress he was putting on it. He felt it. But ignored it - which was probably a bad idea. He sounded like he was about to give himself a heart attack. But the case always came first. Before his own health. Before his own safety.

"Okay - I saw you move there for a moment, so I know you're upstairs. I'm coming up. I'm not going to FORCE you to show yourself. But I'm suggesting you do - there are a lot of people that aren't me that would very much like to kill or destroy you."

He rounded the top of the stairs, and paused on the top landing to catch his breath again, heart experiencing tachycardia. He grinned, and reached up to brush some hair from his eyes, feeling cold sweat cross his forehead.

"I've dealt with bigger and badder than you, but certainly not anything as clever. Hiding from me will only work for so long, however. If I don't find you today, I'll be back tomorrow night with more equipment. However, like I said before, I don't want to hurt you."

He had to sit down. The pressure on his chest was getting to be a little too much. But he did find an old stool to sit on, and shone his flashlight around while he tried to slow his racing pulse. Not an easy thing to do when your body is practically overheating and you have a fast heart rate anyway.

[ToxicShadow]

Boring, boring, boring. Could he say anything else about it? Not really. Most of these living beings were so arrogant. Anyone flushing him out? Best chance of that was to make him laugh his way out of hiding. Calling words or even proving to be a threat to a fairly 'normal' abnormal being wouldn't work with him. So far, not a way to destroy him. You couldn't kill what was already long since dead. He, in himself, was designed much like an immortal. He was to live as an undead, he was to reap souls. He didn't have those boundaries that held many within. He was free.

The heart. The heart was something unmistakable to him. The beat of it, erratic. Oh how he sometimes longed for a true heart again. Lies. He didn't need a heart. He just would have liked to see how damaged it was by now. He did just fine with his paper replacement. But, because it was his heart that was taken in exchange for the skills that he'd gained, he was very open and very aware of hearts. Aware of them in all creatures. The spastic beating that this living man's heart was displaying caught his attention. Oooooh. So he was dead on his feet, almost literally. Walking around as sick as he was, he could very well keel over at any moment. Fun. A death scene. It wouldn't be much of an exciting one, yet it would entertain him for a split second, if he was lucky.

Now wait a moment....Something about this male's soul was familiar. Ah...That's what it was. Humm. Jakerz had often watched the relatives of this one, seeking something to do.

He laughed. Laughed at the comment made. It echoed through the building, and he soon faded from the posistion he'd given away. He appeared standing behind Rein, and breathed into his ear, breath icy cold as it brushed against the overheated flesh. "You dare to say you wish to see me? Then come find me." And he was gone again. Luckily, following him this time would be far more easy. He didn't fade off once he'd moved to a location into a hall way, he simply walked to where he wanted to go. Fast, but the trail of his slight heat was never broken.

Where was it that he was lead this hunter? A bedroom. It was old, like everything else, but wasn't so...decrepit. True, the thick curtains that normally would have kept the room perfectly black without a light in the building's functioning days was tattered, sending odd jagged slivers of light from the moon and stars about the room. There were a few furnishings, such as an old oak dresser, a side table with an antique glass lamp and a decently large bed with tall bedposts. The sheets were white and without a speck of dust. It was unusual, seeing as the other furnishings, the floor, and even the walls had a good coat of dust.

Jakerz was sitting cross legged in the center of the bed, his dark eyes narrowed as he stared at the door way, seeing if he'd push himself here after him.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Now THAT was new. New, and extremely intriguing. So it wanted him to follow, eh? Then follow he would. He closed his eyes, and steeled himself, before pushing up from his seated position, and tracking the being through the cluttered upper hallway, past debris and dust. And where did this lead him? A dilapidated bedroom. Victorian-style, from the looks of things. But it wasn't SO old that it was unlivable. It reminded him of his brother Atros' old room in the house that was never used. All except the bed. White, spic and span, not a touch of dust. And in the middle of that bed? Something Rein was not expecting to see. A male around his age, probably a little older. Dressed in odd and tattered clothing reminiscent of a harlequin doll. The hat, the odd leggings and top. Everything. So this is what was living here. And very much... well, alive would have been an okay word if the being had a heart. But he couldn't hear one. But the being was solid enough - that much was in evidence.
Rein's OWN heart was nearing fibrillation, though. Because one thing crossed his mind when he saw this being. This boy was HOT. And the increase in heart rate was not the healthiest thing to be trying this moment. He gasped for breath, and tried to slow his heart by putting everything else but the case out of his mind.

"So you.... are the one.... making noises.... at night."

Okay - since when did he sound that out of breath?

[ToxicShadow]

Well that didn't take too long. Unlike many of the beings that would normally be hunted, any of the true ones, this joker had not a reason to worry or fret about anyone or anything. It, frankly, didn't matter of any one being's power, since mortal life was such a fragile thing. It was was all just a matter of tearing at their thin little thread. Their weaknesses could never truly be fixed in any mortal means. No matter the flaw. Be it something as harsh as a medical condition, or getting annoyed with some tiny measure, like someone tapping their nails on a desk. Both were flaws, one far more dramatic, but neither of them were able to be fixed.

When he'd been waiting, he flicked one of the bells from his hat, it jingling lightly. He was still hardly interested. What could this being do? What use could he be? Nothing that brought interest to him. Even if, say, Rein was attractive, it wasn't a quality that Jakerz would pay any attention to. He didn't care about looks. He didn't care about sexual appeal or any of that. All he wanted were his experiments. Like some others, he could probably pretend emotions, just fake them. Still, not point for that. He hadn't any ambition to drive him into such acts.

"Oh, you found me." as if that was going to be a surprise. His voice was dull. One arm positioned so that his elbow was on his leg and the fist was supporting his head. He listened to the pace of beat and just continue to observe, as if he was waiting for him to fall to the floor. He wasn't going to help, that was for sure. He'd just have to think of a little plan. The question was, could this Lucain be used for anything remotely useful. If he could, even if for a few moments, having his fun wouldn't be oh so bad. Torture. Humm, fun. "Why doth it mattah?" Changing ascent temporarily for his own pleasure.

Oh, so he was making noises. Whoo. Like people were truly around enough to care. Why would they hire someone to get rid of him? No one else was ever going to inhabit this building.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Rein gathered himself, and started breathing slowly to calm his heart. After a few moments, it worked. The rate was still high, but not quite so glaringly obvious a pain as it had been. The ghost-hunter's eyes focused on the being in the bed. He focused, and used a small smidgen of his power to increase the light in the place. He disliked using his inherited abilities. They took their toll on him after so long, and he didn't like feeling weak. Even though he was still sick, he was confident. And he sort of understood the projected feelings of those around him. Boredom, for one, was very easy to pick up on.

"You're bored." he stated, crossing his arms, and switching off his flashlight, now that the room was semi-illuminated. "You're bored and you lured me into this room to do something to me."

Well, that was okay with him. He didn't do well with pain, but there were things that he was trying to learn to adapt to. Pain. Fear. Exertion. All of these were things he was working on. Because he had one longing. One desperate desire deep in the bottom of his heart. And those things did not mesh with his desire. The night had always called to him. He only WORKED at night. Slept during the day. Stayed out of the sun as much as possible. Many of the people he worked for avoided him unless it was the last resort. They thought he was mad. But he was just living out the deepest, darkest fantasy of his heart. But the fantasy didn't matter here and now - aside from the fact that the pain and fear must be pushed aside. He must have none when he faced this creature. As strange as the quasi-clown may have been, he didn't want to be afraid of him.
Oh how he WISHED to use the full force of his power! But he dared not. It would drain him, and then where would he be? Instead, he steeled himself with mental strength, and ignored the physical.

"What is it you want with me? Be you demon, ghost, vampire, or other. I'm not afraid of you."

OH such a lie. But a good one. His heart was the only thing that gave him away, starting to hammer again. But to anyone with normal senses, the lie would have been bought, and the victim caught in it. Hook, line, and sinker.

[ToxicShadow]

"Wrong again." The joker stated, falling the rest of the way down against the bed. His back was now against the mattress and he uncrossed his legs, not even bothering to look at Rein really. Nope. He hadn't intended to do a single thing to him. What would be the point of that? How was this man worthy of even toying with? He'd probably just die off, like so many others. "Mind. It was not I who came seeking. Ye were calling to me. Ye're an absurd fellow." Leading him here because he wanted something to do with him? He was already thinking too highly of himself. Albeit Jakerz was quite bored. He got that much right out the situation.

If he had a tail, it would have been flicking, but that he lacked. He looked perfectly human, except that his ears came to unnatural points. Still not very interested in where anything was going, he extended his arms out above him into the air. Suddenly, held in his hands, was intricate harp, black in color and glowing with a dark aura. Likewise, the strings were glowing red. For a male, he was able to handle the delicate instrument well. With claws, if you'd learned the careful procedure of tugging against the strings without cutting them in two, made it fairly easy. Instead of dull fingers tips, he had the use of fine tipped nails. Black. Naturally. Not painted.
The room filled with beautifully ominous melody as his fingers worked across the usually omniscient instrument. How he could make something that usually sounded so heavenly appeal to darkness, it wasn't so well known.

Point of playing was no reason. He'd just...felt like it now. It proved more entertaining then Rein's meaningless chattering.  "Be you demon, ghost, vampire, or other." Hah. Other was right. He was able to own all of these things, and fell to no classification.

"I suppose" He said after a time, having noted more details now, the heart, the fear, the powers that he possessed. "that you could be entertaining. Do as you please." He said with a wave of his playing hand, before it returned. He didn't otherwise break tune even while talking. It'd be wise not to think of getting rid of him, though. It'd be a fruitless feat to attempt.
Let's see the human-lucain's reaction to this.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Now, he had to exercise his power. From Aaron, he had inherited some, from Strages came the rest. But neither of his parents knew what he could do. He'd never shown them. The sound. The music. It was near-tangible to him. Flawlessly flowing through his fingers and hair like wind or water. Once he completely closed his eyes, the music took on a life of its own, leaving the instrument in bursts of color, providing a light show for the senses. That wasn't all. He made things audible. His breathing. His heartbeat - as well as Jakerz lack of one. Audible and visual. The room started swirling in a mass of color and sound. No longer was there a bedroom, but a void of swirling rainbows. But this, even, wasn't the extent of his power. It was simply a taste. Psychokinesis, telepathy, mind-reading, illusion, creation. All of these powers were at his command, even though he hadn't unlocked a fair deal of them. There was also something else that was quite unusual about this youth. His ability to channel. An ability he didn't realize he had.
All of a sudden, the colors, sights, and sounds vanished, and they were in the bedroom again. Only this time, Rein's hair was blowing as though he were standing on a windy hill. And his skin was glowing ever so slightly to those who looked. His voice... sounded different. Sounded not like his own.

"We know what you are. If you desire the boy, then take him. We have no use for him. He is powerful. But his power is untempered. Underdeveloped. At this rate, all he'll ever be is a ghost-hunter."

The spirits were talking through Rein to Jakerz. And ABOUT Rein's future. Ghosts had been following the boy pretty much since he was born, sensing the latent power within. A power that Rein had tried so very hard to hide up until now.

"Take him. And be done with. We have no use for weaklings."

Of course, Rein's body being sick definitely helped strengthen the bond he had with the dead. As it was, he didn't really know where he was - or what he was doing. Probably would not remember this conversation at all.

[ToxicShadow]

This was something that Jakerz hadn't seen. He'd seen a whole heck of a lot of unusual things in his days. What thirty? Forty? Maybe even fifty years. He hadn't the faintest idea on how long he'd been alive...or alive and 'dead' put together. Time was null and void. A lost concept years ago. His claws continued to strum and the strings made from life forces of other living beings. So sick and twisted. His disturbing tune producing brilliant colors to explode around them. It made it even more twisted. Evil music, usually either used for bringing one's good spirit under illness or to attract the darkness that rested within. Those of pure heart felt uncomfortable to the music he often played. Those will darker or enigmatic intentions were often fascinated by it. Blackness in the melody, but physically displayed in a rainbow of colors...

"Oh? Hummm." It wasn't a difficult task for the Gallizar to recognize that the voice didn't truly belong to the other man. It changed drastically, at least to his own analyzing ears. Plus, he could sense that he wasn't himself. How could a dealer of souls not recognize ones that had passed on?

He let go of the harp held in his hands. Instead of falling once free from his grip, it floated up a foot or so above him before vanishing into thin air, going like it had come. He sat up, rather irritable that his moment of peaceful entertainment was being disturbed. He waved a hand. "Be gone with you, before you're at the risk of being destroyed over yet again." How could you destroy a spirit? Oh, it was very possible.

"Whilst ye invade him, he remains useless."

The spirits were blind. Very unintelligent. Now, Jakerz was beginning to realize that he could have some fun with this ghost-hunter. He'd just have to snap out of it first, and he'd have some plotting and discussing to do.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

The spirits left in a hurry, and Rein staggered backward, hand to his head. He had no idea what had just happened - only that it probably wasn't good. His heart rate had slowed though, even if he still had the fever. A yawn escaped, and he coughed, before sitting down on the bed with Jakerz - apparently not at all afraid anymore. He HAD been afraid. That was probably what invited the spirits to come into his body. But now, he wasn't. He knew he should be, but he wasn't. He yawned again, and looked over at the jester-type person, curious.

"So.... what exactly are you?" he asked out of the blue.

Not a bad question, all things considered. There wasn't much he wanted to know about the odd boy, but that was one of the very few questions on his mind. Another cough, suppressed, and a glance around the room showed that he was finally back to himself. And the light he'd been generating while possessed had died down, leaving the room in blackness again. Rein drew out his flashlight, and pointed it directly at the joker, waiting for an answer, if any were to be given. He had this suspicion... that this creature was more than met his eye. And knowing that, it put him a little on edge, and another question bubbled to the surface.

"What are you, and WHO are you? What are you capable of?"

[ToxicShadow]

The light directly pointed to him made his eyes narrow into slits. He wasn't much one for lights, especially when so close and direct on him. Darkness, shadows, they were his allies far over their opposite. He redirected the light by pushing Rein's hand down. Other then that, he didn't appear to have a prob;em with how things went. He didn't mind sharing one of the only clean and comfortable furniture pieces throughout the whole building. The sheets and all had been exchange for his own purposes. Just because anyone in a medical field could consider him dead, didn't mean that he was okay with lying around in dirt. No, he liked the bed for it was a clean place for himself to rest when he felt like doing so. Simple enough reason, no?

"For all sakes and purposes, you could simply call me a granter of wishes." Which was true, relative. One wanted something, he could almost give anything, in exchange for their use to him. The victim, so to speak, always wanted something, but Jakerz wouldn't tell the, precisely what he'd use them for in return. Something along the lines of 'Just swear your loyalty to me' would be the words. He'd usually say that he'd decide what he wanted later, them not realizing that he'd already taken from them or placed them into one of his games.

"As for who I am, that is not relevant. Why would I tell you, boy, when I know not your own name?" He chuckled a time or two before adding, "Oh yes, and what you're thinking to do with me." That last line was simply for kicks, to see what the answer would be.

[Rainbowfox Ari]

Thinking to do with him? Nothing. He HAD been wanting to capture and study him if he were a spirit. But seeing as he wasn't, he didn't have the right to do anything to him. Since he was a living creature. One without a heartbeat, but living nonetheless.

"I don't see as I have a RIGHT to do anything to you." he said quietly. "If you had been some sort of spirit, I might have captured you for study and release. But since you aren't... you have just as much right to live free as I do. My name is Rein."

Tossing that in there. The name. It was important, he assumed. And he really wanted to make a good impression here. Not like he'd been doing that, but still... He was also still sick, with a high fever, and a high heart rate. Not to mention a developing headache, and the undeniable urge to just lie down here and now. Which he did. He curled up right beside the joker-boy, and closed his eyes. Breathing was heavy, so were his eyelids. Heart was fast. Body was hot. There was really not much of anything he could do as of right now. Too sick to move. Too sick to care.

[ToxicShadow]

Spirit or no, was it truly right to capture any being that was once living? After all, some spirits were wise even after death, perhaps even wiser then they were before death. In many cases, spirits were still filled with emotions as well, often more traumatic ones because they had died. Personally, the Gallizar didn't care what was done to spirits, since he was pleased by torturing them. He didn't care about the state of any being, save for himself, and his most prized toys. And if a prized toy failed to live through his experiments, he would fail to care about them any more. They were only worth it if they lived. Right or wrong, morally? Jakerz certainly wasn't on the good half of morals.

"Contradicting fellow you are." He said in a mumble, not saying much in return only because he could feel the other's health and body growing worse. He didn't have to come in contact to know. And for now...

It was awkward to have someone curled beside him, simply because he didn't care about anything or anyone. It wasn't a common thing that anyone ever got so close without dying soon after. Heh heh. At the rate this 'Rein' was going, he'd end up the same. Ah well, why not endure him for now? It could prove a tad bit fun. Certainly, the stealer of souls was going to stake a claim to this one's when he got the chance. Live or die, what would the outcome be when it was all good and over?

Setting something into action, the joker pulled back from the other young man, jingling faintly as he moved and adjusted the sickly one's body down perfectly against the mattress. It'd be better then curling up, more comfortable for a body fighting something off. Wow, he could even die here, maybe. If that was the case, he wasn't worth it. But lets see....

There was enough space on the bed for the one to be stretched out and the other to sit beside him. One clawed hand rested carefully against the burning forehead. The heartless one's temperature was nearly as cold as ice, the heat was somewhat scorching against his cold flesh. It wouldn't really do any damage though, since he couldn't exactly die. Pain, in any form, was nothing to him. Just a bump in the road. Besides, he was like a living icepack. Ice or cold being the old fashion remedy for lowering fevers.