Tray of hot cakes line in order. She stickers each once cool enough and added to her storage. Plenty of spirit made jams and strange grain based breads. She frosts over cupcakes with glass rods, a strange glass crystal material made cupcake sculptures. Everything she made was abnormal. The material for such outcomes was questionable. But this was how she was spending her new free time. In secert using the cooking area in the school, the place where student would earn qualification for food licencing and chef mastery. She wasn't here alone. Her brother was on the teachers front desk using the computer for homework essay. He grumbling deeply about the demon classifications and how he can't wrap his head around the chaotic network.
"Eliza." He sighed, "What's the difference between a demon from nightmare and those from hell?"
"Each layer of hell has different features and law properties. A demon from a cold realm isn't like that from the insect realm. As for those made by the dream realms, they are separated existence entirely. They aren't the same." She didn't bother looking backwards at his mouth gaping at the reply, "The label of demon is a culture term. Just as we are humans. Someone from Japan isn't like that from someone from Egypt. But both are still human. Geography of where the demon comes from will define their assets. Many demon realms are eclipsed spaces that share ownership. This school is one. The headmaster is the hell territory leader." She puts the hot torch down and switched off. She smiles about how beautiful they came out. She leans looking at how pretty the cakes of solid stone look. She leans looking through it, the layers it took to make it so realistic.
"Who is in here?" A staff member slams the class door open, peers darkly upon both of them. The stop to the glass work, "This is a kitchen and only food should be made here." She sighed at this tamper on display. She ignores as she brought another hot try from a oven. The mits flopped aside once she was really done. Setting her cool trays to the window sills. A ledger she had a on going write up of her stock is being updated by a floating pen.
"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche." She muttered in putting the last cool rack in place.
"You're not some queen from the 18th century." Her brother was in grumbling in shutting down the computer.
"But I have a starving population on strike against me. If I am not some version of Queen Marie Antoinette, then what am I?" She jumped to sit on a counter surface, "I rebuilt the ashes of this fallen universe to be my house, even with all its flaws. I am no goddess that can claim owner ship over all these vast spaces but I am the very space it occupies." She smiled and he looked at her strangely.
"I liked it when you didn't talk crazy." He making exit as the staff was fuming them to. She looked outwards of the window view from this way, watching the outside. Smiles peering over the school field and fencing boundaries. Her eyes scaled the locals in car driving past and the heat waves.
"Ten!" The dreaded count down, "Nine!" She smirked of it not taking care for this staffs authority. That she stays without the need to follow orders. The window was interesting of people leaving and arriving. It was a lot of people that was walking into the place like this was a shopping mall. Plenty of peddlers pretending to not be there, the big coats and elicited strange actions.
"There isn't many who can cross the time dune. You have to came to seek her, haven't you? Many have been desperate and many had not walked this living realm to be this far. I give no judgement for guessing your a Ender, or a lost broken soul. The broken always managed it from the dunes." She heard spoken between the few humans she gained that didn't belong on this side of the living world. It be likely they came from the other living world outside this universe, as the curtain flexs differently. She completely didn't hear the count down to zero. The disgruntled demon staff member stomped to take her arm or just any contact to make her give attention.
"Orphir, this isn't a typical student. This isn't a human afraid of demons and undertakers." A passers-by at the corridor from the commotion the staff has screaming at her. Her brother stands behind the stranger with a worried expression. Not sure if he worried for her or the teacher. She tilted in study of this being angel type, going by the wings. This was not a heavenly angel, this was some made in a sub realm or pocket realm. A gods aura would explain the powers, the fate thread that binds is fraying. It was someone that was meant to be important to her brother and was cut away by omens change of fate. Suspects that they came when the fate thread failed to still have a deal.
"The universes secerts work in mysterious ways." She back focus on the humans down outside. She watched them turn back into the school, after speaking to the headmaster. The poor demon prince, his hands full of her guests.
"Hunteress, I wish to hire your services." The visitor asked this at a whim but it will not have triggered the prompt.
"The abyss seeks no gaze upon a bright thing made in the hands of divine." She at least clarified his mistake, "There a rather nasty warning attached to my way of work. You mustn't bother me if you have not ranks." She got down the counter now, and steps checking her sensitive stock, "But I am a greedy merchant too. I guess you like something from me. Its a shame I seek nothing in the exchange, making it unworthy business."
"I wish to have a weapon sharpened." She stopped at her pose over a cake. She hummed at this and then back to cake checks.
"A divine weapon doesn't need sharpening." She shook at this, "It's rather plenty a threat as it is. Metal to sap away power of demons and darkness. I don't need to do anything to a fine blade." The angelic man crossed his arms in how rude she picking his pockets, "The dagger is a tooth. You don't sharpen teeth. You fetch a new one and have a skilled crafter to refit the handle of curse and blessings."
The mad staff member got away from Eliza. Her Brother stepped into the room with closing the door behind. He stood looking up to an undertaker and back to his sister and this stranger. She used her mask to investigate the strange mock angel. Once she judged enough, she had other things to worry about. Her ledger was closed and gone from veiw. Startled the staff member to watch the ledger vanish.
"It's not the first time someone rudely looked into my pockets. The darkness are cautious beings." Mock angel now moved his arms behind him and removed the broken tooth dagger with bliss left hand, "So what tooth? What creatures have such things? It's not a god eater I seen. Not a crimson soul. Not a typical world of the abyss. Or at least I haven't the ecology paper for such study of that place."
She wipes her hands with a towel between batch checking, walking freely of mix distances. At her furtherest, she whispered to herself.
"Gladly its not mine." She lifted packaging bits and was ready for the coolest batched to be finished. The ledger was floating at her back, the pen making swift blurred notions. She used the ledger to block the dagger from flying through her back, stuck on the leather. Even the angel guy is impressed by that leather. She had not even stopped or flinched at the action.
"What does it take to become among the Noctorm Shadows?" The guy going to take the dagger back.
"Burdens of suffering and the choose of food or prey." Her mask replies of which she smashed it across the counter like glass.
"The mask isn't wrong. It is not somewhere or something you want to play parts of. Your very pathetically reliant of your form. You would be at best a pet of one them. They do love corruption of things." She makes so many thing disappear, "You were lucky to not be taken into the void with such a dagger. I suspect your goddess warned you. She is a wise lass. I respect the true ones." Steps in breaking his personal space and plucked a feather, it changed from white to black, "You would be a interesting monster to be ate. I suspect you make poor omens drool. You are here to continue in fates plans. You didn't come to seek me. You here to convince my brother. I am a fluke. You don't bother me and I don't eat you. That's sounds good. A shame though... you make good stake." Pats his arm with return of his feather back to his hand. She exits past her brother and he rushed to follow her.
"She not human." The guy frowns slightly, "It wears a human shape."
The staff member rushed about feeling the equipment ovens and look of the student kitchen equipment. The only thing out of place is a blow torch that didn't belong there. The slam of them closed as they are stone cold. The only thing that was used is the computer, it's data wasn't note worthy. The angel guy felt his belt, his dagger in a holster.
"You failed attempts to convince them to your side was a pity to watch. You had even pushed her brother closer to us and made a disinterested monster roll eyes at you."
"I will not fail!" The guy stepped once and then collapse. He was awash of his own sweat and his wings all tainted grey. He wasn't able to even breath. He looked at the spot she removed his feather, the posion view spreading black.
"Well that's terrifying." The staff member helped them up and drags them to the infirmary. The undertaker stuck around last tips his hat to her mask, a dust breaking object that was proud of this. It reformed as a whole object and vanished to return to her face. Her right hand wiping her grin away for some composure. Taking the stairs down and following the one way system around to the ground level. The gates open in both the school to the public and the living across to the demon realm. She looses her brother in a crowd and she slinks into Shadows. She pulled a trade stall of her own, everything was the typical wards and salts. Safe trade and helpful for the sigil path. Nothing that suggested grander plans. Only the abnormal display skull was unnerving. She all cloaked and hidden enough in shadow to hide her humaniod ways.
"Damn it, Eliza. You know that salt wards are hated here. Your the only one brazen to sale it." The headmaster growling at her. She now sets a candle and lite it. This protected demons from salt wards. How this works is based on the ingredients of that candle, trade secert. She posed hands in showing some of the other wards that aren't part of the bland display. She watched the eyes flick with recongintion to some these necklances and the snarls to the material its made from. A human had even flinched as the original amulet that omens used before he drifted himself here. She wiggled fingers about her salt pouches. Prompts the headmaster to slam the table.
"These humans are your responsibility!" She twisted in being shy and left hand fluster at such things.
"They aren't in the tomes!" Added the headmasters demon sectarian for hell affairs.
"Pish posh. They aren't in your tomes. They are still human and dwell in living law boundaries. They aren't that extraordinary. They read just fine, the tome pages are in fine condition and the universe they come from is woven so neatly. You mustn't threat over nothing." She held her chin and leans sad of her lacking sales.
"That's the prompt response I expected from a death god." A hunan sighed.
"They are under educated in beyond concern. Such matters only are whispered among the cogs and true titles. It means little to the wider public." She watched someone attempt trading money with her. The currency is from a clothus realm. She counts it exactly and was able to provide change. She allowed the trade of salt, that they pocketed carefully.
"Since when was that a currency?" She tucked it away to her cash box nonchalantly.
"It takes a clothus to understand those values. It was as much a test on her as it was of me. Anyone of high ranking and worth the price on sigil works to extraordinary qualities." She locked away the box and now changed her trades along her table with pulling material over the surface. Swapping it all to more ideal trades to those whom encountered Clothus. The change of product at this fast had meant she hide plentiful bounties. Everyone leans looking about the stock, from gifts and interests a clothus would want. These was wards and prevented spells to keep clothus off you for a moment. It was contradictory of how the two sides were displaying at equal price. Hands doing all the talking, gesture and posed fingers. The occasional extra hands and finger from underneath her cloak, discomforts even the headmaster at such illusions.
"I want a lot of this." She crossed her forearms at this offensive offer. For such meek amounts and lack of training. She gave a side glare in posing the judgemental accusation. The person got the picture that she is a stickler for laws.
"I need enough for the portal back the other side." Another human sighed in admitted for what the intent was.
"Mmm... such a amount wouldn't be up to the quality of that casting. You want it sourced from both where you want to go and the edge of this boundary can take you. So really two sets would work... the walk through the sand time dunes isn't hard. You survived the first time without being devoured by them." She shurgs at this, "You got a price for such favor? You gave something useless to give up? It doesn't have to be physical items."
"Why trade in something not physical?" The headmaster hearing the trade and she posed waiting to make that deal.
"Your a keeper of tomes that don't belong here." Said to spook her but instead she posed being flattered, "You must have a lot of sins to carry."
"No child. I repented plenty. I gave up plenty. Not even hell can care for the depths. Even nightmares scream in my dreams. When eternity was shattered between my hands, I had plenty of reflection over my inner core. I am no longer afraid of the things that make who I am." She plucked the mask off their face, "Such a damaged soul, poor child. You just can't close this. You will find a way. You never alone in the abyss. It's a fearful comfort to understand. To not be the only one." She snapped her mask in half at proving a point and pasted his face back on. She click back the mask.
"What do they taste like?" Asking about the undertakers around them, its new to them it seems.
"Physically they are the same clay that makes your face. Crunchy... porcelain China like. The soul however." She purred slightly, "human like."
"I didn't ask about the taste of thier soul." Making a correction, "You are a freak."
"Great. I am glad we understand together. I am the freak and you the poor broken mask." She clasped both hands and smirked playful. Her eyes have already skinned over the oddities that they have the normal humans don't. The irregularities that cause humans to be cursed or divine Sainthoods. From energy, devoted faith or mask of being cursed. The fact they made it here meant there is also another issue. It be that the gods were have a tiz against the concepts laws that are made by souls. Rules can be broken and even bent to help a wider picture but if there to many of these breaking laws happening to often in a short span. This makes a invitation to worse things. Although a spot of tragic happens can stem creativity and fears. This universe grows to stagnate in dragging itself back to often. Humanity hasn't even developed into anything weird yet. They haven't nuked the place or made machine servants to revolt. There isn't a strong stay for magic, divine casting or demon contracts which was a staple in other universes. Science isn't far fantastic to brag yet.
"If you can summon the tome we belong to, then you can send us through the pages." Someone left out behind the crowd.
"That's not how that works. Only souls can transfer between the gates like that." She frowns at them, "Not the your tome keeper would be stupid enough to trust me."
"You're the tome maker. Why would anyone not trust you with the tomes?" Exclaimed by one them and she laughed at this.
"wow! it been a few lifetimes since someone called me that." She brushed away a real tear from this, "None of the universe you in now would even believe that. They all judge me to be the least worthy tome keeper in all of this existence. They don't even let me touch the pages without being cursed."
"How have you not torn this existence from the roots and wrote it up back?" Pondering nonsense and she gets herself chilled. Back to posturing hands in the sale of her goodies. Driving the a hard bargain for some useless bits. Once they made trades, they were equipmented to take the dangerous trail to leave this universe. She happily sent them past the hard navigation parts. She shuffled her stock back to bland basics since there wasn't worthy rankers to take the higher upgraded stuff. The headmaster had long left with being a busy man. He didn't have the nerve to spend more on her.
Back to being alone, watching life pass itself around and its many shapes it takes. She reclined at watching the draft changing from public to student body. The return of students from their time with family and those who are transferring to here. Being showed the ropes by those who found them. She had no other trades after that small event but this wasn't a bad thing. She had even curved her own content grin to herself. Relaxing at such peaceful times.
"I am taking this." A bullying student to pester her. Seeing her face value in judging her to be a weak fragile girl. She left them suffer, she has to many creatures at her shoulders to make them regret this choose. They shall be having nightmares until the item is returned or they pay for it. Payment doesn't always mean physical exchanges. She has taken the cost of stealing good dreams or gifting a minor curse. So the fool will pay, krama has tickets. The leave of the idiot marked the end of trading. She packed away swiftly and was plenty of time to the food court for dinner hour. Some basic chores before bed and doesn't bother going for a hunt spree. Her brother did. He came back to this realm injured and on bed rest. The bullies of both families played his nerves but Eliza kept him functioning as a student. Being him the study books and teacher set tasks.
She inspected the nearest clock, be it a classroom window open with students on a group study group chatting among themselves. Otherwise this was free time for students. Some went to their family homes for a visit and those stayed behind to level up their status with Sigil. Folks like her who have a business to run away from prying eyes. This was the new normal. When there isn't an undertaker to change things up or a request from the headmaster to do. She works her human studies, rebuild her general knowledge of the living world and its common senses. It's relaxing. Compared to back then.
Some thoughts are left unspoken.