A rose petal landed softly upon the cushion of a booth in the corner of the tavern, and only moments later in its stead sat a woman. This had been her sitting place many times before, though it had been years since she had been there. She looked around silently, looking for a familiar face, but it did not appear to be in the place. A small sigh left the woman’s lips and she frowned.
“Does not look like she is here..” Rose whispered softly to herself. She had come looking for the woman Akako, and figured this would be the safest bet on finding her. Akako and she had not seen each other in many years, life and all that comes with it had pulled the two of them apart. They had once been like sisters, and it was a bond that Rose was hoping would still be existence because Akako hadn’t been up to good things.
Alexander's eyes casually drifted over the new arrival, the luminous gaze of the time lord lingered upon her, he watched the currents of time that flowed through her, into her past and her future, those around her that directed the current of her destiny, and those that ended in broken threads, which could mean a number of esoteric things. He smiled, a friend of a friend was most welcome, the Malevolence had been quite lonely these past few days.
He had cleaned the place, imprinting a singularity throughout the establishment that garnered him extravagant control over temporal forces within and surrounding the entire building. Navigating the imprint around the building's natural defenses was tedious work, but worthwhile in the event he needed his full strength. It was unlikely he'd be challenged, but if it were to come to pass, he'd rather not have Leo's home ripped apart in colliding temporal singularities.
"Welcome, friend. The one you seek is elsewhere, for now." His voice was charming, enchanting almost, as he stood from behind the bar, gracefully walking towards her with a dashing smile upon his handsome face. There seemed to be a beneficent quality that lingered in the air surrounding him, as though something much much more than a mere physical presence approached her. If she was gifted with powers of greater vision, to see the flows and ebbs of energy and power, she'd stand before a beacon of golden light. Temporal energy cascaded from his body like a wellspring, the golden light twisted and turned in a silent maelstrom. The tempest of light would scatter before him, which each stepped it looked as though all the world broke before him into golden sand, cascading away only to reform once he passed by. He broke the bonds and flows of time with every step, with every word uttered from him, the world changed. This phenomenon could be explained in subtle ways, he was not of this timeline, so the world did not recognize his path, it bent around him, shattered before him, so he constantly found himself repairing it, stabilizing the flows so that his very presence would not bring great destruction to the space that accompanied time.
Rose was pulled from her silence as she heard a voice float towards her, and she snapped her head to the side to glimpse at the one who had spoken. She smiled softly, her lips parting only enough to show the whites of her teeth. She recognized the man, she had seen him a few times when she had come here before to visit Akako and Leo, but she did not remember ever speaking to him.
“I feared as much” Rose sighed softly, speaking more to herself than to the man who’s name she did not know. She laid her palms softly on the table in front of her and pushed herself up to stand. “Though I must admit it seems a rare thing to come to this place..” Her blue eyes gazed around the establishment as she spoke. “And not find a vixen within these walls.” Her voice was light and almost musical, and her smile widened a bit. It was obvious to her that the man in front of her was like herself, one that was not truly of this world.
Rose walked forward, reaching up to pull her bangs back behind her ear as she did so. It was a trivial habit, but the woman had spent years as a mere mortal and during that time she had picked up little nuances that humans seemed to have. She moved forward, approaching the bar in a quick but nonthreatening pace. Her hand raised, holding out with the palm open with the intention of shaking the man’s hand.
“Rose..” She spoke her name softly, but sweet as always. She figured the man could see her for what she was given that he appeared to be a special being himself. She was an angel, though no wings would be visible to the naked eye. What was once a park of pitch black wings was now one white and one black, and the fallen was no longer considered as such. She had found herself back in good graces, though as punishment she was left with the reminder of her failings.
“You are.. quite beautiful” Her words left her lips before she realized that they had been voiced, and she laughed softly as she realized that she had. Generally she did not make these sorts of comments to complete strangers, but the golden shine that surrounded him was too lovely to simply ignore. If there was one thing that Rose may have lost in the years past, it was a bit of tact.
With an adroit act of his hands, he cupped her within both, bowing forward before her, humbling laying a kiss upon her knuckles. It seemed to happen in such a cohesive, docile manner, as though everything that involved him seemed perfectly correct, as though each action was sublime. When he had come into contact with her, beams of golden evanescence radiated from the contact, a warmth would spread through her skin, radiate and resplendent, it would fade into a tingle of her skin as he broke the contact after the old fashioned greeting. It was one of great respect, showing humility and deference towards her.
" I am Alexander Aurelius, you do me great honor, Azraelia. " The enchanting virtues of his words carried with the strong and charming voice. His sapphire eyes moved to the air above her, a warm smile caressed his lips as the luminous gaze returned to her own eyes. There was a knowledge within his sapphire blues, a wisdom rarely seen. Their two species were not so different, in a way, Alexander was once known as a watcher, a guardian of time. Guilty of terrible deeds, yes, but also great acts of kindness. He had earned his forgiveness in the eyes of her god through great self sacrifice, though the kingdom was not to be his home when the chapter of the mortal life drew to a close.
"Our friend is in great need of you. She is currently in Sigil, the City of doors. Are you familiar with it? " He always watched over his friends, a guardian from afar, it had brought him great trouble when she wondered into the territory of the goddess that watched over the city. Though he could see, read the currents and flow of time, he could not physically offer her aid, which worried him deeply. He was quite fond of her friendship.
Rose hadn’t expected the man to be quite so debonair and polite, but she was hardly offended by the way he was acting. It had been centuries since a man had shown her such courtesy. She almost blushed as the man’s lips touched her hand, but she managed to stifle it. It was a sad day when an angel was so taken aback by such action that she would react in this very human sort of way.
Her smile faltered as she heard the name pass from his lips, it was a name she hadn’t heard in so long that she had nearly forgotten it. Sapphire eyes widened, and her jaw laxed slightly as a look of utter surprise crossed her face. Azraelia had been the name she had been called when she had position, authority, and a true darkness in her soul. She was once the death angel, one who could wield great and terrible power of destruction and mayhem. The angel had certainly fallen for a reason, and after she had done so she dared not ever speak that name.
Rose had sensed a great power within him, but to have to ability to see who she was behind all of the secrets was a power that she did not expect. Blinking she tried to regain her composure as she forced a small, yet obviously painful smile. "H..how did you.." She barely got the words out. Her forgiveness had come at great cost, as it did with any who required it, and remembering her former self was painful for the woman who now possessed a kind, and mostly pure soul.
Her demeanor shifted the moment Alexander had told her of Akako’s need, and her body tensed slightly. Rose had begun the search for her old friend because she had felt that she was needed, though her motivation was deeper than that. Rose wanted to pull her friend back from the chaos she had been flung into.
“I am not familiar with the place…” Her voice was quiet as her mind reeled to remember. “If you would allow me though?” She look at him with urgency in her voice, as she raised her hand in a motion to ask for permission to touch his forehead. Rose could look into his thoughts, but she had a feeling that this being was not one that she could pry into without direction and permission. She assumed that with the knowledge he seemed to have about all around him that he would understand her purpose, it always seemed quicker to read the memories and thoughts of someone to learn these sorts of things. She was hoping he would not only show her the location of the place, but also the reason that her friend needed her presence.
In the touch, if he should allow it, she would allow him a moment to see into herself as well. It would not be the sort of looking that would produce memories, as it was obvious that the man was talented enough to see that for himself, but she would offer him a glimpse at the world of angels and even more so she would allow him to feel what it was like to be one- it was a gift of knowledge. It would seem like a strange thing to offer to most, but she thought that a being as advanced as he would consider it a gift. There was a purity that was in an angel newly born that was unobtainable without it being shown in this way. It would be a calm that would reach the very soul, and an understanding that Rose would be a strong and reliable friend- sometimes she found this way of communication easier than words. She figured he already knew that she was newly reborn and would lose this grace as experiences, emotions and interactions damped it.
He didn't explain how he knew the name, he was after all, one of secrets. He held many, some truths that were simple and modest, others that would shake the foundations of the world forever if they were to be spoken. He gave her a sincere and sympathetic smile, carrying an expression in which spoke of relation to her woes in a way words could not fit. Darkness was in everyone's history, in some way or another, without it, the righteousness and piety meant little if never challenged.
When she requested a touching of their minds, he cautiously paused, holding a hand to the air in warning. He knew what the link would entail for him, it would be like others, a sharing, but for her, the connection would be different. Alexander was a tempest, a great river in which was constantly restrained by mental prowess. To do as she requested would be to open himself, his thoughts and mind to her, for a being in which time manifested so differently, even a few moments could stretch into a lifetime. He would warn her before allowing it, so that she would not step before the wellspring unprepared.
"Yes, but with great caution. You must bolster your mind, focus on what you seek, the tempest may pull or push you from your goal." He was serious in his warning, if she was not careful, she would lose herself within a sort of limbo, where knowledge flowed like oceans and the shores of her mind would be a small island in a great sea.
He lowered his hand, allowing her when ready to touch his forehead. When she would, the truth of his words would impact her without compromise. Akako had once before been given a glance into the world of Alexander's mind, viewing time and space through his eyes. What Rose dared was deepen than that in a sense, she sought a single mote of light in a universe of stars. Alexander perceived time not as a linear body, though that was the mode in which he was carried while exploring it with a physical form. But the true view in which he glimpsed was both from the start, since the age before even that of darkness, to the end, where light ceased and life was no more. Every living soul, every action, every potential, he was at some point a witness, or an intervening hand. She's have to focus on him, rather than the city itself, on his specific knowledge, otherwise she'd be drowned with the lives and events of all living souls that passed through the walls. The city itself, a mote of grey darkness in a background of light, the easiest way for his inability to effect change within the city was to be perceived. There were other forces, other such areas of his mind where information was extrapolated rather than known for certain, by reading the currents that passed through such places. Other realms were dark to him entirely, where time held no meaning at all.
Rose nodded slowly, she understood what she was asking and the risks that it entailed. Lightly touching her fingertips to his forehead she was instantly taken by the things in his mind. It was hardly the first time that she had entered into a mind that was hard to navigate, but she would find rather quickly that his was not easy.
A picture crept into her mind, a city in the shape of a large ring. She saw the place as if looking through a layer of cellophane, but it was enough for her to get the general idea. She had sensed Akako, and that was all the information she truly need- well that, and the method in which she could enter.
She focused further, pulling Akako clearly into vision as she entered the place through a portal. Akako seemed to do it on her own though, pulling the portal into existence with her own will. She pulled her fingers from Alexander’s forehead and smiled. She had not allowed herself to venture any further into his mind than what she had for fear of seeing, and feeling, far too much. “I thank you, and I will see you again friend”
She smiled softly, nodded, and within a moment she had disappeared from where she stood.
Alas, Alexander had accomplished all he could for now. Where they were going, he could not follow. He was not accustomed to being no more than a bystander to events, but places like Sigil were a sanctuary in which he held so little influence. It was starting to become problematic. His blue eyes scanned the room with little interest, he didn't really need to look around, it was habit more than anything. He could feel every iota of existence within the singularity he maintained, like a spider sitting in the middle of a web, any actions would send a cascade of information to him, alerting him instantly. Moving back behind the bar with a casual gait, he searched until he found a small bottle of Patron, it wasn't often he indulged in the delights of mortals, every once in a while it was a pleasant experience. He poured it into a clean glass without ice, deciding to drink it at room temperature to enjoy the flavors and bite of the drink.
He slowly made his way across the room to a horseshoe shaped both with a small obsidian black table in the center. He found the cushions to be just right to his liking, not too firm nor supple. Sipping the Patron, he stared before him above the table, with nothing else to do, he might as well do something constructive.
Before him, hovering above the table, a feint golden glow would take form, like a thin ribbon within the air it twisted and turned until it formed a complex rune of light. It flipped, hovering horizontally in the air, forming the base of a spell construct. Alexander tied off the flows of energy so that the rune would be self sustaining while he worked. Above it, a darkness formed, as black as night, at first it was a small drop, no larger than that of a marble. Immediately, the black orb lashed out with a tendril of darkness, slamming the thin appendage into the side of the containment field which was highlighted by a shower of golden motes that fluttered across the surface. The field was no larger than two feet in diameter, forming a sphere around the black energy within. The object in the center occasionally cracked with a dark indigo light, illuminating the booth with the outburst. Alexander held no control over the black energy, or object, exactly what it wasn't he couldn't quite classify yet. It behaved in such an alien way to other forms of matter, in a way it was similar to his Anathema or Leo's recondite, but much less stable. At times it acted as though it held intelligence, other times it seemed to react to things on instinct alone. Sometimes it was nothing more than black ball that did nothing, held no energy, and remained motionless within the field. It was perplexing, a puzzle Alexander intended to solve.
Few entities could dissuade the fickle concept of time, one monstrosity in particular brandishing such abandon through the multitude of universal streams designated each with their own muddled forward movement through infinite possibilities. A single conceptualized second transpiring eon's through the moment of another's point of view, the notorious incarnate finding himself no exception. While much had no doubt conspired, expired, and inspired in his perceived absence he found himself once more drawn to the Nexus of his own creation. Emerging into the very fabric of spatial existence consisting of the Malevolence of Innocence's physical property naught of a sonic boom, ripple or echoing momentum would mark his reappearance. Much as he had vanished so would he return seated just outside the establishment, a mirage from which some unknown source had breathed into existence with both legs crossed in the stance of one lost deep within a meditative state.
"What mirth is found without the birth of a sound?
Linger forth the singer born between discord, and scorn.
Alas, hide all your women, covets, and booze.
For what thirst of inquiry is quenched for a legend without a past to assume him upon?"
Smirking softly to himself at the ghostly disembodied voice's introducing him back to his roots the ancient incarnate would bereft of a flashy entrance roll his shoulder's as if to work out a knot of two before gradually bringing himself up to a stand. It had been long since last he had inhabited a mortal coil while his consciousness had wandered to place's both mundane and unimaginable. Tilting his head left, then right with audible pop's of loosening muscle tension his first priority would begin with the act of patting down the pockets of the simple jean pants he was clothed within with an expression of curious questioning. Bingo. Fishing out a single nearly destroyed rerolled blunt from his pocket he'd quickly place it up between his lips with an almost eager expression. Igniting the tip with a conjured flame he'd find himself turn fully about to face his tavern a short distance off, content to soak in the sight a moment as a long drag seeks to establish himself back to a familiar place he hadn't thought he would return to any sooner then he had.
The door of the Malevolence boomed open with though force to shake dust from the doors, it slowly cascaded down like a fountain of water. From the depths of the open doors, out was hurtled a very polished crystal glass, it looked to be a whiskey glass by the size and dimensions of it, though as it soared through the air right towards Leo, being that he was the only other observer around, he probably knew that immediately. Leo was quite meticulous about the things surrounding him, an attribute he and many other relics of a bygone era shared. How many chloroplast were in each plant cell in the surrounding area, how much energy did they leach from the sun every second, at what wavelength were they operating, and finally how that information could be contorted into a weapon of opportunity. These tiny sources of information, thousands of them unique in their own right, all folded together being near instantly processed. These were base levels of senses long since refined and honed to a razors edge. Alexander believe Leo capable of something similar, done in his own ways. The hurtling glass flipping on an erratic axis beamed towards leo, fast enough to form a thin layer of vapor which flickered in the light before dissipating into the air.
"You are so cliche, it's painful. Go back to killing people." Could be heard, shouted loudly from inside the bar, with no mirth resting within the words. Alexander Calmly spent the following minutes dismantling some of the defenses he had set up throughout the building. If he was going to take it upon himself to watch over a bar like Malevolence, he felt it prudent to assemble a mechanism which could sear a god like force from a reality like a blowtorch could sear an ant into a crisp. Just in case.
Paranoia was something Alexander never seemed to let go, then again, he was always ready for when s**t hit the fan. He justified his insane tendency with how often it had allowed him to turn the tables on a foe. Though it seemed like worthy foes were in such short supply these days. With a grin, Alexander pulled forth from himself a combination of runic magic and temporal energy which glittered in golden rays of light for a moment before they formed a small metallic sphere in Alexander's hand. His luminescent blue eyes reflected his image back to him on a constantly rippling parabolic surface. He grunted a little, looking at the hybrid of powers, at how they were perfectly formed in unison to one another. The metallic orb was tossed into the air, where it hovered still in the air before a film of light covered the interior of the Malevolence in a fully saturated picture of a birds eyes view of the Zodiac. Alexander was observing a fight with curious blue eyes. The orb's light transformed the bar into a virtual scene, accurate to the most minute variables. Alexander watched from a high vantage point, the two fighters were not the only active entities being watched. Measurements and graphs occasionally formed in the air, written in a language Alexander alone understood, since he was the one who invented it. The feint ghostly blue hue that the letters and symbols appeared in seemed insignificant, but the symbols themselves seemed to constantly change and wiggle together forming different patterns constantly.
"Finally, something decent to watch." He said casually, his hands rested on his sides, he seemed less than enthusiastic, though his eyes were curious. Savic had seemed to find himself a fight. At the moment, the field of view remained overheard, which made Alexander grin when seeing both of them react to the visible aperture Alexander implemented. He could have just as easily hidden the thing, but he didn't see any fun in that. It wasn't as though they could do anything about it. Two marker beacons appeared around them, each spewing off readings, a third beacon glittered faintly in the distance of the two. Alexander stood in the center of the room, where chairs and tables should have been, but walked freely within the field of light. He had temporarily adjusted their position in time to shift them out of phase. He placed his right hand on his chin, resting his left hand beneath his elbow.
She was still as cold as the stone tomb in which she had risen from.
Skin like white marble, still hardened by rigor while her body remained without signs of decay despite the empires that had risen and fallen in the wake of her prolonged slumber. A deal with the devil some would call it, the female centurion of Rome whose blood ran deep with Brigantes history. A child of both Rome and the Celtric tribes that opposed it, her loyalty to her father until he had fallen. Disappearing from the legion in which she had disguised herself, the stripping of armor and she was no longer another helmed centurion but a woman and the Romans did not see women in their armies. To the tribes she had turned, blending into the Brigantes tribes and then the Picts, and so forth until her very identity was blurred.
Lost in the shifting sands of war horses and vanished among the fallen.
A deal with the devil. Sleep until she was roused, 'reincarnated' back to her body which was placed within stone and then dragged down to the depths of the Earth until she was ready to claw her way out. Here she was, awake.
Darkened eyes surveyed the forest in which she now found herself, clothed warmly despite the humid weather in a fur-trimmed winter coat. Black fur lined the raised hood, the cowl of which cast her pale white visage in shadows except for the vibrant crimson red of a full lower lip that was parted. She didn't breathe as she lifted a gloved hand, dragging the middle finger along the swell of her lower lip as glowering garnet eyes pierced the veil of black. Despite the heat around her, she was still cold. A pain in her chest signified the attempts of her heart trying to work, weak palpitations to rouse her circulation to start the process. Black blood filled her heart, sluggishly trying to rewind the process of coagulation, ready to start flowing with ease and carrying the various venoms and toxins her little deal with the 'devil' had cost her.
Worn boots rested upon the rocks she sat upon, fraying laces keeping them together barely upon her feet while fitted black jeans tucked into the boots themselves and a heavy black belt was secured to her hip. Those that passed by (unlikely) would find her rather still, her movements still slow and twitched here and there like a puppet on the strings of a novice. In due time she's come to grips with her body, in due time she'd feel like she owned it again. For now, she suffered the indignation and frustration in silence.
Then she'd get her bearings straight...and only then would she find the witch once more.
He felt it like a lone chime struck in an empty auditorium, the echo of her presence kept Alexander mildly alert as he stood in the center of the bar's floor space, staring down unto a virtual battlefield of the highest most profound clarity. The small metallic orb which spilled light like water across the room hovered above the ceiling, the light shimmered down from it like a fountain, it saturating the surface of the room with the visual overlay. It was a more visceral experience, watching events in time like this, rather than within the structures of his mind. It also provided entertainment for guests who were interested in a fight, though the Malevolence wasn't exactly lively. In Leo's absence, he'd been keeping up with the place now and again, manning the post. There was little else Alexander enjoyed more than simply being alone, it was a rarity for him to find interest in others. He found parts of human behavior curious, rather than personalities, few of which could arouse his interest. Sometimes though, interests needed to be monitored and protected.
The map turned and twisted around Alexander, the room was a maelstrom of light for a moment, colorful streams of light glided through the room, as the aperture of the eye shifted through time and space. It gave him the birds eye view of the female his mind had sensed. Far above her, the hidden eye loomed, If her sight were keen enough, she'd see the hidden image above.
.
It would be accompanied by wind which would sweep down then abruptly up into the eye, these unnatural atmospherics was one of the few other ways of knowing it was there if it could not be seen. Alexander looked down to the floor, to the silhouette of a female figure before him, struggling to walk, as it looked.
"Interesting..." He muttered aloud, standing still. His luminescent sapphire blue eyes glistened in the dimness of the setting, like embers glowing within a blue flame. Currents of information were observed and collected by the eye which silently loomed above. Alexander studied her and the conditions of her arrival.
She felt it like a weight upon her shoulders though she didn't make any motions or look about her in order to alert the presence that she was keen to its observance. Beneath the fur lined cowl though, her smoldering garnet eyes glanced raised only slightly as she felt her lips twitch into a scowl. Yet overall, she kept her head bowed, gloved hands adjusting the densely packed fur around her jaw as she gained a normal gait to her footsteps.
Each footstep was mirrored beneath her it seemed, another presence walking beneath her in tandem. A sort of pulse beneath the dirt, pushing back against her as she made her way unknowingly towards the Malevolence. Garnet could feel the witch but she couldn't locate her so that must mean the witch was still stuck there
"Do you follow me little witch?"
In no time she found herself upon the Malevolence and she gave pause, admiring the architecture since it was something she wasn't familiar with while in a tangible form. Recovering from her admiration, she walked up to the doors and slowly placed her right hand upon the door. The hardness beneath her fingertips sent a shiver down her spine, the realization that she was no longer a spectator of this world but an actual participant...it made her eager once more. Her hand fell from the door, resting upon the handle and the mechanism opened the door with ease as she found herself automatically opening it without hesitation. A push, and the door swung open and she crossed the threshold.
Immediately she became aware of the being in the center of the room and she scowled beneath her hood. Had she been lead like a sheep?
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