Fantasy Angels Among Demons

[Early]

Detective Zhao Shukun

"Stop reading into this." He'd grumble right after taking a bite of his burger, setting it back down in the cardboard tray it came in so he could raise a napkin to clean his mouth of grease and thousand island dressing. After which he'd pick up his drink and wash his bite down to properly answer her. "You're a suspect, you make it seem like you're a convict already. You suffered a trauma, any time I pick up someone in your situation I always make sure they're okay before I bring them in to get their official report." He'd answered her finally, even taking a moment to look to her while speaking. As he did, his eyes would be fixed upon her own.

It's because where he was looking that his wall would budge for a moment, and he couldn't help but see that giddy girl in the rain who was confused by the most simple acts of kindness. It's because he was caught off guard by just looking at her that his guilt would speak immediately after when he should have stopped talking. "You just happen to be the first one of your kind I'm bringing in that I believe didn't actually commit the crime."

It's as he admitted to her that she was more or less his first haul that was both a Demon and also innocent of the crime she's being brought in for that he'd bring his drink back to his lips so he could silence himself with a long sip. "Just eat please, Lilith. I need you focused for the questioning." At this last comment he was back to looking out the window, bringing the Big Mac back to his mouth so he could chomp at it again. Chewing away, he couldn't help but find irony in the next song that began to play. Imagine, by John Lennon. Of course Spotify would recommend it, it was still by one of the Beatles. Yet, now of all times wasn't the best time for a song about a better world in which everyone is living in harmony.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

A scoff left the back of her throat, his little sign of compassion clearly not winning the demoness over. She couldn't help but be angry, and for good reasons too. Why wouldn't she be suspicious of kind acts by a cop, when had they ever treated her kind right? "Oh yeah, sorry for talking like a convict. Figured I would end up being one anyway in the end, given I stand about zero fucking chance in whatever trial or case may happen. For two seconds there, I thought you weren't as ignorant as the rest of them," she snapped out, a button clearly pushed. Had she been so quick to believe he wasn't like anyone else in society, because he saw the truth instead of prejudice for once.

"But you know, making history here! I love being the first at not being considered guilty, it's really an amazing feeling. I wonder if my cell mates will feel the same? No way I can afford to pay any sort of bond, or anything like that. You know what? I wasn't even formally arrested, I didn't even get my rights read to me!" She exclaimed suddenly, the realization hitting her. The cops simply cuffed her and placed her down on the couch, she was never arrested for any crime. "I don't have to even stay in the car, now do I? Here, enjoy your coat. I think I'm going to go walk a few miles back in the rain to the shelter," she said in a cheery tone, trying to ignore the song that was currently playing. Her fingers dropped down to unbuckle her seatbelt, and a moment later she was moving to open the door.

"It's great being red, yeah?"

 

[Early]

Detective Zhao Shukun

A look of clear surprise would cross the detectives features, listening intently while finishing yet another bite he'd slowly lower his meal and get ready for something. It's once she moved to undo her buckle that the sound of the car door locking would be heard, and he'd make damn sure to hit the child lock on the door and window alike. Knowing this would likely elicit a poor response from the clearly troubled Demon Shu would bring both his hands up and in view. "Woah, Lilith. Calm down for a minute. I promise, this is new for both of us. No offense, but when I bring your kind in it's always deserved. You're the first Demon witness I'm bringing in who isn't involved directly with the crime. You won't be in a cell except to sleep for the night since I know you don't have a place of your own." Shu would begin his protest, his voice actually rising from his clear defense of his own pride.

"I get Demons aren't treated fairly, but on Earth demons were feared since the beginning of human history. It's been fifteen years, and your kind came in overwhelming numbers. We're not like Russia and China where being a Demon is essentially a slave or death sentence, but you can't expect us to just get along with such a violent and mischievous species so soon." There it was, his prejudiced and opinion of her kind as a whole. They weren't even citizens, so he didn't have to read her any rights, but for some reason he was treating her just like he would any other suspect he was bringing in.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

Her head snapped to face him once the car was locked, and there it was for her. Black tear were forming in the corners of her eyes, just another sign of how inhuman she was. "What do you know about being treated like this!? My entire fucking existence is a death sentence, and so is everyone else with this stupid cursed blood! I work as a fucking stripper, because I can't even get a legal job. I'm this fucking close to being a prostitute even, just so I won't starve on the weekends when I try to get some food!" Her voice instantly raised, and she turned fully in her seat to jab her finger at him.

"Have you ever even considered demons are so violent, is because we're treated like dirt!? I can't even remember the last time I was allowed into a middle class store just to buy new clothes, because they thought I would steal something!" She turned away from him now as she shouted, one hand reaching up to wipe at her face.


"You don't know what it's like to be born in what everyone thinks is the wrong skin. You get praised as an angel just for shitting. Hell, angels could probably go murder demons in the night and they'd get praised as heros. Of course I don't want to stay in that cell, it's not the other inmates I'm scared of. It's the cops there!"

A sniffle was heard, and her voice dropped down to a softer tone. "We didn't even do anything wrong, so why the hell does everyone hate us so much?"

 

[Early]

Her sudden burst of loudness in such a confined space definitely caught him by surprise, his own voice silenced. Typically he was a quiet and observant person by nature to begin with, one of the types of people to only speak up when he had something worth hearing. There weren't any rebuttals worth having to this, however. She was right, it was similar to the early nineteen hundreds when segregation was still prevalent. She'd be lucky to even be accepted in a fast food restaurant, or not being patted down when leaving a grocery store to simply buy bread. He knew how Demons were treated, and he didn't agree it was right. He also didn't have an answer, after all this world had gone to shit only fifteen years ago. What exactly could she expect from him, anyway? The way things are is because of an even more popular religion, one that still encourages fear and distrust of demons.

"People are afraid, Lilith. Scared, and ignorant." Shu began with his voice quiet, just barely audible over the music. Yellow by Coldplay came on next, the station now shuffling along to similar styles of music. Soft instrumental and simple lyrics. Also, classics, which Coldplay was considered by this point. A quiet rustling could be heard, and soon enough a hand upon her shoulder would be felt pulling her back against the seat while another rose up and pressed something against her face. One of the napkins that came with their order was in hand, and with care he'd blot at the tears upon her cheek and try and clean the black stains up the best he could. "It isn't fair, you're right, but things are happening. You have to hold on a little longer. Protests are happening, with humans and demons alike for Demonic rights. Just like movements long before to help close the gap between ethnicity in America not even a century ago. You'll be a part of seeing a better future, even if just a small part, I'm sure all you have to do is be patient. Stay safe, and keep your head down."

This was his best advice. To not do anything too dangerous and just let history write its path. Not very adventurous, but little did they both know what awaited them in the near future. "I promise I'm not like your mental picture of police officers. I really am just trying to do my job. Just... Don't become a prostitute, that's illegal regardless of species." A quiet joke, really just trying to move them back to either not talking or at least on a friendlier note.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

After her little shout of rage, Lilith allowed herself to be eased back into the seat. It's when he began to blot at the tears did she stiffen up for a moment. No one had ever done such a thing for her before, but she quickly recognized the action and relaxed. Her hands began to slid under the coat, allowing the warmth to seep into them. His little speech was something, but she still had major doubts.

"And what are you doing, Detective? Are you out there, waving a sign and screaming for rights that you already have? Or are you sitting in your office, silently loathing my species just because you've been taught it's the thing to do," she asked softly, the question genuine. She didn't have very high hopes for him, it seems. "You're not good at hiding your thoughts about my kind. You may think I'm innocent here, but you still think I'm dirty. Have you ever even talked to a demon before, besides when you're questioning them?" Another question, one with heavy implications. Did he truly only see the worst of the worst among demons?

Shaking her head clear, her eyes dropped down to the bag of food between them. "Well, at least I don't want to be a prostitute, or a stripper for that matter, so I don't plan to become one. I'm just hungry, and I just want to shower more than once a week in a communal bathroom."

 

[Early]

Once he'd finished cleaning her face up, and she was clearly done crying, he'd simply lean back in his own chair and give a quiet sigh. Of course he wasn't out protesting, he was too busy keeping the peace from all the other issues. Many disturbances which he does act on are still human to human, after all. "I do my job, period. These laws I enforce weren't made by me, but it is my job to keep everyone safe. Demons included. I can say with certainty if I saw a Demon being attacked by a human, I'd still arrest the human. I've done it before, and I'll do it again." He'd say, having had witnessed first hand hate crimes in the streets time and time again. He was no angel, and maybe that was for the best of both their kind, but he was human enough to know right from wrong and Demons were definitely treated unfairly.

"Look. We have a pretty nice washroom in the precinct for officers. When we get there you can take a hot shower and then we can get to the boring stuff. After that, I'll give you a ride wherever you want to go. Fair?" Shu would offer her with his voice still trying to sound as calming as possible, yet because of how deep it was he came off slightly defensive. After all, he was trying to defuse the situation.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

After a few minutes of silence, Lilith would just nod her head weakly. She hated this whole situation, she wouldn't lie. Sitting in the car with an officer, who was currently seemingly unaware of how see through his shirt was, whilst trying to figure out some way out of this whole mess. Should she throw his coat back over him? It was rather warm in her lap...

"Hmm...Drive me anywhere? You act like I'm some child who needs some sort of...activity to calm me down. We can drive any place, as long as I get to sleep in the whole ride there." As she spoke, her gaze returned to his. Seems she had nowhere to go, and it was obvious she just wanted to settle down and relax somewhere nice. His car was the best place for that.

"And...Thanks, I guess. For doing what a lot of officers won't."

 

[Early]

"Don't thank me, please." He'd quietly grumble, at the moment trying to think of how to handle her request. "I'm just trying to do my job the best I can."

It's at this comment he'd turn the dial and gear of the car, only to start reversing. If she wanted to keep eating she could, otherwise he'd stick to just pulling a few fries out every now and then while he'd drive out of the parking lot and back to the dead evening street. It was already getting late, which made him grateful that it was about to be his weekend. Soon enough they'd pull out of the rain and into and underground garage, one absolutely packed with police cruisers and government official license plates. Admittedly he took the long way back, wanting to give her ample time to build up nerve for what is to come.

Pull into his assigned spot, one nearly as close to the elevator as the chief of police. After which, the locks would sound and he'd open his door to step out; Soon looking down and finally seeing the condition of his shirt. "Ugh." A sound of displeasure, one that came with a steam rolling out with his breath into the cold garage air. Looking then towards Lilith who by now should be getting out, he'd walk over to her side of the car and close the door for her once she actually exited. "Just stick close to me." With how stern he sounded it almost seemed like he was back to his cold way of speaking to her, little did she know he had a wall to put up to avoid any issues with the rest of the building.

Fortunately by the time they got to the elevator at least they'd be the only two taking it up. "First time in a station?" He would ask once they were actually in the elevator, an attempt at small talk since they had a few floors up to go.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

On the way over to the station, Lilith did indeed eat. She tried to be neat about the whole ordeal, spreading napkins down over her lap and the coat, and gripping the burger with about three. Still, she was clearly hungry as she devoured the meal, the fries soon gone. She even ate the soggy ones at the bottom, only pausing to suck the salt away from her fingers. Everything was so bland at the shelter, she couldn't help but enjoy the pucker the salt brought to her.

By the time she had properly wiped her fingers clean and shoved the napkins into the bag, they were in the garage. Her pointed ears visibly shifted backwards at the sight of all the cruisers, and she couldn't even begin to imagine what the station possibly looked like inside. How many angels would be there? Shu already smelled heavily like one, and he wasn't even full angelic. The thoughts ran through her mind as he opened the door up for her, and her heels were shoved back on as she stood up.

Making a show of rolling her eyes away from him, the coat was offered back to him. "Great body, don't get me wrong, but you need this more than I do. You're kinda showing everything, and it's a bit unprofessional," she joked, but the coat was still offered out. Now scented barely like a demon, and even a hint of jasmine, it was clear she had been rather enjoying the expensive garment as a heating blanket.

Once they were in the elevator, her head tilted back to look upward at the ceiling, and their disoriented reflections. "Yep. Try to avoid these places like the plague. Nothing good ever happens here for people with bright red skin."

 

[Early]

He took the coat back without so much as a word, though for a moment she could swear a smile was tugging at the corners of his lips as he threw the heavy fabric back over his shoulders and pushed his arms through the sleeves. Soon enough they were in the elevator, and she was answering his question.

"I can't blame you. To be honest with you, when I was a kid, I'd been here twice already. Dumb fights with the kids in Brooklyn where I grew up." He'd say a bit of his own backstory to her, only to give a slightly chuckle as he remembered back then. "So long as I'm around, I promise your time here will be even easier than mine was back then." It's at this promise that the elevator would open and she'd get a waft of... Humans? The main angelic presence she could sense was Shu's, and that was because anyone who was anywhere near as angelic as him worked a lot higher up the food chain. Full fledged of course running major branches of legislation and government by this point.

A few eyes shifted towards Shu upon him stepping out, gesturing with his right hand for her to follow close. Some even greeted the seasoned Detective politely, though many others took note of Lilith and found their tongues still. Mainly by the fact that she was uncuffed, and still walking around the station. "So, questioning before or after a shower?" He'd ask as if trying to pretend they didn't have the attention of a couple dozen beat cops and few other detectives. Many of whom were a bit confused, since they knew the details of the call he'd responded to.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

Lilith chewed on her bottom lip as she listened to him speak, her pointed canine tugging lightly on the skin. She didn't break the delicate skin, but more and more nervous habits began to appear the higher the elevator climbed. The most obvious, however, was her visibly tugging on her own strands of her hair. The black silken locks were wrapped around her knuckles, and she tugged downward every now and then with a wince.

"Seems they straightened you out. I...Didn't caught as a kid. Leave it at that, I guess," she said softly, keeping her attention forward as the elevator gave a final ding. Showtime.

"Uh...Before. Before questioning," she said, her voice suddenly insanely soft. The attention was on her, and she knew it. The skin on her cheeks began to darken, and if he was wise, Shu would know it was a blush. Never before had so many cops stared at her, and suddenly she felt very underdresssed.

 

[Early]

Looking back as she spoke, her voice almost lost on his ears since it wasn't the tone he was used to hearing, he'd soon enough flash a warm smile. "Sure thing, Lilith. C'mon." He'd encourage her to follow, looking back ahead and soon enough leading them out of view as they went down a hall towards the lockers. A separate shower room was at the very end, and while it had a few stalls right now was not a time any others would be using it. This typically was just for morning shift use, or those trying to wake up when working a graveyard or double.

Walking in with her, he'd look around first before gesturing for her to pass him. Once she had, he'd simply walk to the door and lock it from their side. "There is some cheap stuff in the stalls to clean yourself with. Liquid body wash, shampoo, conditioner, stuff like that. Feel free. I'll stand here, just try to not take too long." Shu would finally offer, letting out a quiet sigh. If she took a moment to explore she'd notice the few stalls were actually pretty nice, and well maintained. They clearly had janitorial on staff here. Along with that, each had an area before the actual shower area to get dressed or change out of and hang clothing, as well as the fact there were fresh towels already hung for use.

Shu would take this time to pull out his phone and start going over his emails while he waited, not wanting to sit here doing absolutely nothing while he waited.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

Lilith never felt more exposed before in her life.

The eyes of the cops were clearly on her, and she refused to look at any of them. Instead her gaze was focused down on her shoes. Wow, look at that! There's a scuff on her black heels, and some of the paint was starting to come off. In the corner of her eye, she saw Shu begin to walk. The clicking of her heels soon followed as she hurried behind him, hoping this walk of shame would be over soon enough. Suddenly, showering in the station seemed a lot more daunting than before. After she heard the door shut in the bathroom, and the lock click into place, an exhale left her lips.

"They were looking at me like I was on fire or something. I really wish I was wearing pants now," she said to Shu as she began to walk towards one of the stalls, her fingers moving to push the curtain aside. Peering into the small changing area, the curtains were heard shutting as she stepped inside to strip out of her dress. "Is it just you who's going to question me, or will I be dealing with one of the many angry humans here?" As she spoke, the water turned on.

Her fingers stretched under the flow from the showerhead, and she groaned at the feeling of hot water. All her showers were cold and short, so screw Shu saying don't take long. Stepping fully under the flow of water, her fingers began to massage the water through her hair. Until Shu responded, she simply hummed as she showered.

 

[Early]

Detective Zhao Shukun

"Hm?" He would make a questioning sound, before the words she asked suddenly clicked in place. "Oh, it'll just be me. We don't typically do duo questionings for witnesses. We only do two people for suspect interrogations." Shu responded, his eyes not leaving his phone the whole time.

Weird. Seems the autopsy results were done, and the results matched a currently open case. Stab wounds, victims predominantly male but not exclusively. The weapon in all cases a type of scissors, as the stab wounds all had puncture marks roughly the same distance apart. On top of that, only one side of each puncture was bladed, and those ends faced one another.

In some cases, these blades sheers would be closed during the stab to create the deep wounds that they'd seen before. Apparently whoever was doing this wanted the victim to bleed as much as possible before dying.

His time would be spent going over digital photos of the body, and the general coroner's notes. His initial suspicion was correct, meaning he was glad to be as through as he was. So glad he found himself smiling while looking through pictures of dead bodies.

Upon hearing Lilith hum in the shower, he couldn't help but feel that she was just a girl trying to get by. Not a psycho murderer who has currently killed twelve people.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

After thoroughly getting her hair wet, Lilith let out another happy sigh against the flow of the water. Her black hair was now brushing against her thighs, flowing like ink against her skin. Standing up the warm water, steam was starting to rise up from the stall. She was most definitely wasting the warm water in the building, but she didn’t really care all too much. He offered the showers to her, so she was going to use them to her content. After about five minutes of just standing up the water and wiggling her toes, Lilith finally stretched an arm forward to grasp a bottle of shampoo. Giving it a sniff, she barely winced. Seems there were no female options of scents, so this would have to do. Lemongrass was an enjoyable scent, anyway. Squeezing a gracious amount into her palms, she began to massage the suds throughout her hair.

“Uhh, this may take a bit. Like twenty more minutes, I have a lot of hair!” She called out from the stall, knowing Shu was likely still there. It was true enough, she needed more and more shampoo to fully work through her hair. The small bottle would likely be depleted by the time she was done with it, but the station could afford to buy more. After finally getting her black hair fully sudsy, she stood there for a few moments to let the shampoo completely soak in. She then stepped back under the flow of water, and the process began again. Stand under the water for five minutes, soap her hair up with conditioner, stand still for five minutes to let it soak in, and wash it out. After finishing up her hair, she moved onto the bodywash.

Finally, the water turned off and the humming ceased from Lilith. The sound of the inner curtains opening was heard, before the humming started up once again as she patted herself dry. She didn’t exactly want to put the dress back on, but...No other clothes were given to her. So once dry, she shimmied back into the black outfit and stepped out the stall. Her hair was still brushing against her thighs, due to her inability to dry it fast enough. It would likely remain wet for several hours, but that was unimportant.

“Done.”

 

[Early]

Detective Zhao Shukun

Her comment about taking so long definitely got a look of annoyance on his face. He'd expected her to just rinse off, and warm up. Not wash herself head to toe. Wanting to speak out in protest, he was quickly reminded that his desire to rush her was selfish. Sure, he should be home already, but he had a whole weekend to look forward to. This was more important, especially to her.

By the time she was done she would step out and see something new was hanging on the hooks inside the first curtain. His coat had hung up, its outer coating already dry for the most part. Being as observant as he was, it was easy for him to see she wasn't comfortable here in her current outfit. While it did smell like ash and and cedar wood it was also great for concealing herself. She'd just have to hold the sides up slightly to keep it from dragging on the ground.

Shu sat on one of the benches in the shower room, his eyes still glued on his phone. By now he was more or less completely up to date on the untitled serial stabber. This meant his line of questioning would be specific and brief with her. It's as he looked up to her once she'd stepped out that he'd offer a slight smile. "Oh, I wasn't expecting your hair to be so long. That explains why it took so long." Shu said with genuine surprise in his voice. It was clear he'd accepted his afternoon by now. If anything, he was now painfully curious about the case. Damned workaholic.

Getting to his feet, he would walk towards the door again before pocketing his phone. Looking to Lilith, he would await for a sign that she was ready to begin before unlocking the door and leading her to an interrogation room.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

Once she had noticed the coat on the rack, she paused in slight confusion. Damn, did he really open up the curtains to put it on the hook? What a pervert. She wasn’t complaining about receiving the warm coat to wear, but she’d have to bust his balls about it after the little interview. Sliding on the coat and stepping out now, she was careful to place her hands the pockets. This allowed her to hold up the coat with ease, so it didn’t drag on the ground. Damn, she needed to be a little taller. It was starting to get embarrassing, even for her.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I took it out of the ponytail, and normally hair gets longer when it’s wet. I guess you don’t really see many females though, eh?” She said with a snicker, unable to help herself. It was clear how much she was trying to relax, especially with the officers on the other side of the door. If she could just get herself giggling, maybe it wouldn’t be all too bad. Between her legs, her tail was seen flicking to the side and back, before once again vanishing up into her dress. It was more comfortable around her waist, and no one tried to pull on it there. She couldn’t even begin to count the amount of times she had kicked or slapped someone for blindly snagging at the black tip. They just never ask permission! (Not that she would allow them then, anyway.)

“Also probably took longer because my God, that water was so warm. I could turn it up all the way, and it was scorching hot. Way better than the communal showers and shit, and the rain outside. Did you dry yourself off, or are you just gonna parade around outside with your shirt mostly see through? Actually, do that. Hopefully they’ll be distracted by your old man abs,” she chattered on as they moved over to the door, and it was clear Lilith was one who enjoyed talking. It’s not like she had normal conversations often. In fact -- She spent majority of her time alone now a days. It was more comfortable, especially in the ghettos. Weird and desperate people are everywhere, so hiding out in the back of the bar is always a safe option.

“I’m gonna start smelling like smoke, though. Don’t you have cologne to smear on? It at least hides the fact you’re basically killing yourself every time you take a drag,” she said, before coughing loudly. Of course, the cough was fake, as she was trying to slightly guilt-trip him. If there’s anything she hated besides cops, celestials, lettuce...It was smoking. Her mom used to blow smoke into her face to get her to shut up, and even left a few unsavory burn marks on her back. But that was a story for another time, and one that surely wasn’t for Shukun.

 

[Early]

Detective Zhao Shukun

The comment about his old man abs actually roused some laughter from him, a sound that just came natural during the conversation. If there was one thing he could agree on with her, it was that he sure felt old. At least his hard work keeping the body he had when he first joined the force wasn't totally unnoticed. The smoking, drinking, and dedication to an incredibly exhausting job had definitely aged him beyond his years; a totally avoidable issue. All he had to do was drop his vices, and stop taking his job seriously, then he just may live forever! Walking with her, not ahead of her which would just feel like leading her to trouble, he'd respond casually. "Yeah, yeah. Even after a single pack raised to thirty bucks I just can't help myself." Clearly Shu had submitted to this nasty habit of his, one he'd had since he served during the Bush Jr. Administration in Afghanistan. Of course, at that time a pack of smokes was only two-fifty, ever since 2011 the price has gone up nearly a dollar a year. The world was just done with smokers, making it a 'luxury drug' at this point. A still legal one, surprisingly.

By now they were definitely getting looks from those they pass in the halls. Tim on the scanner even accidentally starts feeding a few pages that are still stapled together into the copier, too focused on Shu and Lilith to see the damned thing jam up until it started beeping at him. It seemed his company was helping to keep her distracted, and he'd noticed she had loosened up a bit. The hot water of a shower probably doing wonders to melt away the frost that built over what he assumed wanted to be a bubbly and snarky personality. "I also do wear cologne. It's a Jo Malone, I get compliments all the time. Usually in the morning, before I start smoking I suppose."

It was easy to tell he was actually making an effort to talk with her, and by now he'd reached a metal door in the hallway only to press his thumb to a censor under it and then pull the handle down and open the door. The room inside was simple. A steel table chained to the floor, and four metal chairs around it, chairs that were also chained down so they could be moved but not lifted. Along with that, the far wall was totally reflective. "Please, have a seat there, Lilith." Shu gestured then to the seat that was facing the reflective window. Once she entered, and he made sure she did as he'd asked, he'd then pause in the doorway. "So, I skipped the part where I should have gotten coffee for us both. If you want I can go get us a couple cups, but since it's so late I have a box of hot coco packets in my office I usually use when a kids in the precinct for one reason or another." With her now in his very comfortable and warm coat, he was now offering to get her a hot drink before starting a pretty tedious process.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

As they began to walk down the hall, Lilith couldn't help but grin herself at the laughter she roused from Shukun. It always felt good to make someone laugh, especially with her stupid ass remarks. Either the person bursted out in laughter, or they tried to hit her with a purse. The latter was the more popular option. Her gaze had been mostly focused on Shukun as they moved down the halls, though she shifted her eyes to look around now and then. Catching Mr. Tim loading the paper in incorrectly, she did something she probably shouldn't of. Her head turned away from Shu, and a second later, a forked tongue flicked out at Tim. It was an easy shift for her, and it was gone faster than one could blink. While she was still terrified of being in the station, she wanted some control over the environment. Spooking Tim was just the dose of confidence she needed at the moment.

"Ah, really? Stupid to spend that much money on little sticks that murder you slowly. You could be donating it to good causes, or something. I dunno, maybe just not on something so wasteful," she commented to him once her focus was back on his face. A shrug graced her shoulders, raising the coat up a bit more than normal. "I don't know who Jo Malone is, or what it smells like. I'm guessing kinda cedar like, with a hint of 'I'm filthy rich.' Personally, I prefer the Victoria's Secret body mist that I took -- That I borrowed from a fellow dancer. Smells like jasmine and apples. Weird combination, but it works, yeah?" She said to him, not even seeming to mind she just admitted to stealing from a fellow co-worker. Not like he was gonna arrest her for it...Hopefully.

Once they had reached the little metal room, a look of discomfort returned to the visage of Lilith. She knew that reflective window was likely a two-way mirror, so she opted to walk to the seat on its side. Sitting down, her back was now to it. Something that was likely going to piss Shu off, but she didn't care. Something about someone watching her when she couldn't see them freaked her out far more than she'd like to admit. "I don't like looking at my reflection when I'm talking, sorry. I don't want any coco either, I just drank in the car. We should just get this over with." Her legs crossed under her slowly, before she began to bounce her foot in the nervous habit. At least her fingers were preoccupied digging into the coat to tug at her wet hair.

 

[Early]

Detective Zhao Shukun

Standing in the doorway as she got seated, and looking a bit annoyed and letting out a quiet groan as she directly did the opposite of what he'd asked. Giving a roll of his eyes, he'd step back into the hallway and keep the door open. "Well fine. I need to get myself a cup, I've been here for nearly twelve hours now. I'll be back in a jiff." While he was offering her something, it was mainly for himself at this point. She wasn't a suspect, so this wasn't to make her stew, and he'd already taken pretty good care of her all evening already. Before she could protest his plan the door would be swinging shut and close with a click. Now locked inside, she'd realize just how quiet these rooms are designed to be. Meant to lock you in your own head, and hear every sound you make.

Meanwhile, Shu was passing colleagues on the way to the break room, knowing well a pot of black was always hot for whoever needed it. Piss quality and about as acidic as an orange, but hot and caffeinated; All he wanted. Little did he know he'd more or less bumped shoulders with someone on the way there, suddenly having tunnel vision and thinking nothing could go wrong. By the time he got to the pot and started pouring himself a cup, the door to the waiting room would swing open. Detective Winters came in, getting the door behind himself and flashing a smug smirk to Lilith. In his right hand was a file, and it was clear he had something in mind for her.

"Name's Lilith, right? Exotic Dancer is a creative term to avoid being booked for solicitation. What do you call your other job? Barber?" It's as he spoke with his incredibly cocky, yet commanding tone that he'd step up across from her and just toss the file to the table. It's as he did that a number of photographs would spill from it and slide across the table towards her. Once coming to a stop, she'd see the bloody corpses of roughly twelve, one of whom autopsy photos of her latest client. Peculiar enough, there was even another former client of hers in the mix. Someone who enjoyed watching her time to time. All human, and unfortunately, two she recognizes.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

A tiny smirk formed on her lips at Shu's annoyance, a small victory in her book. She wasn't aiming to actually piss him off, but she made her stance clear. If they were doing this, she wanted to be as comfortable as possible. A hand raised in the air to signal she had heard him, before she began to softly hum to herself in the small room. The lack of sound did disturb her, but it was just a quick little interview. The door creaked back open, and Lilith turned her head to the side to peer at whoever ended. She had presumed it was Shu.

"You make coffee very--" She began, before her voice slowly died out. Her eyes widened barely at Winters, confusion clear on her face. There's no way Shu would just leave her like that-- Unless he had. She barely knew this dude! All she had was his coat around her, and suddenly that was starting to feel very hot.

"I-I don't understand, barber?" She questioned, before the files were dropped onto the table. Her eyes left the smug mug of Winters to look down at the images, before the color actually drained from her cheeks. They became a pale red, and she shoved the chair back with her hands over her mouth. A moment later, her shoulders hunched inward as she attempted to hold in her dinner.

Stumbling back and away from both the table and Winters, Lilith kept a hand over her mouth. "W-Why would you show me those!?"

 

[Early]

Detective Zhao Shukun

It was normal to second guess, to expect being played. Especially from serial killers, who typically are chameleons when it came to showing emotions. This being said, Winters wasn't buying it. "Don't mock me, Lilith!" He'd shout, and in doing so he'd walk towards her. Outright kicking one of the chairs over on his path to her, the metal would clatter loudly to the ground, the chain attached to it simply making more noise in the confined room. If anything, this was designed specifically to get this noisy and startling. Once he'd finally gotten around the table, he simply walked to her while raising his leather gloved right hand which pointed harshly in her direction. "You are the only one on the cameras going up through the lobby. You are the only person the concierge rang up to Mr. Millers apartment!" A scare tactic was being used, the much larger and clearly not afraid younger and albeit handsome detective shouted and aimed to intimidate her to illicit a response to prove his point.

Meanwhile, Shu was stirring a packet of splenda into his coffee. Not exactly taking his time, but also in no rush. "Hey, good catch out there Crusader. We'd been trying to bring in this stabber for a while, and your good cop routine before will definitely work." A familiar voice came from behind Shu, which lead to him turning and looking to the chief of police with confusion clear across his face. "Excuse me?" Shu asked, a white noise suddenly surrounding the office in his head as he completely focused on his higher up. "Yeah." The Chief began. "Winters said he saw you bring in that Red, he told me he planned on teaming with you during the interrogation to make up for something that happened at the crime scene. Guy has been putting stuff together like a tornado since he arrived." The Chief explained casually, only to reach out and pat Shu on the right shoulder, soon after walking away and to the fridge in the break room for an evening snack.

Shu however remained quiet, and took a second to bring his untouched coffee down to the table while he looked through the break room window for Winters; Not seeing him in the bullpen caused him to quickly look towards the interrogation rooms. "Shit." Shut quietly cursed, leaving his coffee and quickly walking out of the room. "Oh, yeah. I have some Thai food in here like I promise. I got you some p-" The chief paused, having pulled out a bag of takeout from the fridge only to see Shu was gone. Looking out over the bullpen he'd see Shu walking quickly towards the interrogation room, the confusion now on his face.

"Your kind always have an alibi, it's in your blood to do this-" Detective Winters would grab a handful of the photos off of the table just behind him, now between the table and her. Then raising them up as if to force her to look, only to throw them at her in the same fashion her clients throw bills when she dances for them. "-this fucked up shit. You give me a confession now or your time in the salt box will be indefinite." He'd threaten, a very serious threat at that. The Salt Box was the Demonic prison. More or less all of New Jersey had been turned into it, a Hell beyond any her kind came from. Not only could she expect to not survive there, but living would be certain suffering when inside.

It's a moment after his threat that the door would click and Shu would be in the doorway, totally oblivious to what had been said due to the soundproof room. So both Winters and Lilith would simply see what looked like a very confused Shu who first looked to the two of them, then around the room.

 

[calypso]

Lilith

Lilith had quickly backed herself into the corner to avoid Winters, and the clattering of the chair only caused her stomach to stir more. What the hell was going on? Shu said she wasn't a suspect, so why the hell was she being treated like one? Those images were disgusting, there was just blood all over them, and their eyes were lifeless.

Visibly shaking now, Lilith reached upward to keep her hands pressed over her mouth. If she moved them an inch to speak, her entire stomach was going to empty itself all over the floor. It didn't help she was being yelled at, and that Winters was slowly growing closer and closer and closer. The image were tossed at her once again, along with the threat of the Salt Box. That enough was to push the poor demoness to her end, which made the next chain of events very unfortunate for both her and Winters.

As the door opened to reveal Shu, Lilith hunched and stumbled forward, only to drop her hands away from her face. A moment later, she had grown close enough to Winters to empty the contents of her stomach all over him. Everything has become blurry for the poor woman, and she was soon backpedalling rapidly towards the corner of the room again. With a chair knocked over, vomit on the floor and Winters, and murder scenes littering the space around her...

What did Shu walk into?

 

[Early]

Detective Zhao Shukun

This was... A lot to take in. Winters was covered in vomit, while seemingly totally silent and still while Lilith had scurried back a few feet away from the man. The aggressive detective looked down, his coat which was a similar style to Shu's was just covered in Big Mac and french fries, or the partially dissolved remains of that meal. His whole chest was messy, and there was even some splatter on the bottom of his cleanly shaved chin.

It's about now that Shu would speak up. "What. The. Fu-" His words were cut short as something that absolutely astounded him happened. Winters stepped forward, and brought his hand outward and just slapped the disoriented Lilith across the face. He wasn't holding back, and while he didn't use a fist the leather gloved hand would certainly leave a stinging welt upon her cheek. Even this kind of treatment was on the wilder expectations for Lilith. Sure, police brutality was pretty common on her kind simply because they weren't legal citizens. There weren't exactly laws on how you can't treat Demons yet, after all...

Shukun however disagreed, and even if the strike didn't connect the attempt was enough to make him spring into action. "Winters!" His warning called out, one that sounded before the door even closed behind him which meant the entire bullpen was alerted that something was awry. Moving around the table, Winters would turn with a disgusted look on his face that was simply red with anger. A face that would soon be pretty purple too as the moment he turned to face Shukun he was laid out in the puddle of puke Lilith spilled on the floor. A loud clap sounding in the room after Shu busted open Winters eyebrow with a heavy blow to the head. While Winters was definitely still big, and young, Shu was packing heat and experience beyond the expectations of the younger detective.

After being laid out on the ground, covering his now bleeding eyebrow and and letting out a loud hissing groan, he'd struggle to stand by pushing his gloved hand against the floor only to have it slip out from under him do to how much liquid was present, only to flop back down. It's upon looking down to Winters that Shu was now breathing heavier, a certain anger clear on his face. Though, this anger soon shifted to surprise, followed by guilt. 'What have I done...' He thought, both his gloved hands still clenched in fists.

Hopefully Lilith had something constructive to say...