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 Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:21 pm
Damned if You Do...
Solo #01
1,158 words
His life had been filled with the lessons and teachings of the priests and slayers alike, of God, and of a life without sin. He had been taught how to exorcise demons, how to use prayer to invoke His power by sacrificing his own energy. For a long while, life had gone smoothly, and Laurence Pershary felt as though he was doing something right in the world, helping to cleanse the evils of Hell from the Earth so that people could be safe. It had, of course, had its ups and downs. There had been the two demons—the ones he’d mistaken for civilians in need. Seth and Liam. Their last names escaped him even now, as he’d shoved them firmly out of his mind whenever he’d had the chance. Seth displayed more interest than he’d liked, and Liam... Liam was a liar, a snake, and it had only taken one proverbial knife in the back when he’d been young and trusting to harden himself as a defensive measure.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Laurence knew their church was much closer to God than the others, that he and the rest of the priests were meant to do more than just preach and ease troubled souls. They did that too, of course, but he spent more time outside the holy place than inside it. He’d honed his skills in banishing, and grew strong.
Well, then the very world began to fell apart. Never before had he ever witnessed destruction such as this, this chaos. At first it had been little things, extreme exhaustion, unfathomable envy. Then, far worse, sickness and lust and famine and war, and then... well, and then Hell itself had split open so that all sorts of horrors could spill out. Demons, nightmares, everything one could imagine and worse. The priests came together in nervous and agitated numbers, discussing furiously amongst themselves what to do, how to handle this situation. Their numbers were too few for this sort of outbreak, and it was unspoken knowledge that many more would die than they could save.
The tall, thin man had stretched out his long legs in a vague attempt to glean some semblance of comfort from the hard, wooden bench he was seated on, staring up at the stained glass window that was the pride and joy of the church. Even now, it practically seemed to illuminate the alter, and his strange, amber gaze drifted down to focus on it. He might have missed the grizzled, hunched form of the man clasping onto the ancient wood with his trembling, blue-veined hands had he not been specifically looking for him, and Laurence rose to his feet to quickly approach. “Brother Emeric.” His tone was light, but his features seemed grim.
“Your face will freeze like that if you wear that expression for too long.” The old man chided with a chuckle, lifting his tired grey eyes to rest them kindly on Laurence’s face.
“I want to go with the others.” Laurence said bluntly, pausing a respectful distance away to watch, his long, handsome face strained. “You said yourself that every able pair of hands was needed, so do I have to stay here?” Frustration trembled in his tone, but he held his composure. Emeric had been his teacher for many years now, was a man he respected and trusted. Perhaps that was why he felt so bitter now; did the man not think him ready or able to handle a situation such as this?
“You really think so little of me that I would do something apparently so foolish without good reason? Have I taught you nothing?” Came the snort, quivering fingers making to run through what little flecks of grey hair still covered his mostly bald head. It dawned on Laurence just how old the man was whenever he paused to focus on the small details like that, and it made a phantom pain unconsciously seize at his heart. How much longer did the old man have? “The angels have abandoned us, Laurence.” Emeric said more seriously, and the younger snapped out of his grave musings.
It was something he already knew—they all already knew, but to hear Emeric say made him reflexively swallow a little.
“Why?”
The head priest only shook his head, turning away from Laurence to squint up at the stained glass for a long moment. “I don’t know. ...We should prepare for the worst, in any case. Now, you will get to go with the others... but I wanted to talk to you, first. If you decide that you would rather stay here, help closer to the church, no one will hold it against you. And don’t grit your teeth like that at me, I haven’t even finished speaking yet.”
Laurence would reluctantly stop grimacing.
“There have been rumors,” The grizzled elder began quietly, his eyes growing distant as though physically recalling a memory to mind. “Of our own falling to the will of these demons. Despite all we know, we are still, apparently, able to be possessed by these beings... and the results are something truly terrible.”
Laurence felt as though he’d been kicked in the chest, eyes narrowed to slits as he took in the older man. Emeric did not possess a sick sense of humor—not when it came to something like this, and the mere thought of their men and women falling prey as mere puppets was almost enough to make bile rise in his throat. “Can’t they be cleansed?”
“If any of our numbers could stay alive long enough to perform the proper ritual, then perhaps.” Emeric sighed, rubbing wearily at his brow. “Where this group is going... the chances that said possession might occur is painfully high. Our wards seem to do nothing. ...Now. Can you kill one of our own, should this happen? To save the lives of many by destroying both demon or host, or to save the life of one in an attempt to exorcise the demon; from a logical stand point, the choice seems simple. It will not be.”
The two men were silent for a long time; Emeric patiently waited while Laurence took the time to consider. It made more sense now. The older refused to send him if he thought that Laurence might endanger the lives of many good men and women. But still, after a moment more, he would offer a curt not.
“I need to go. I can’t just sit here. ...I will do what needs to be done, like you’ve taught me.”
He might have been mistaken, but for a moment, he could have sworn the older man looked a little sad. “So be it. Pack your things, and hurry. Oh, and Laurence—“
The dark-haired man had already turned to go, pausing to glance over his shoulder with a clear question scrawled on his face.
“—may God go with you. All of you.”
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:22 pm
As We FallSolo #02 +1,001 words And so they set out, a small band of four, setting out from the church to one of the small, more desolate cities that had been ravaged by whatever destruction had settled over the land. Their task was a relatively simple one; to locate the survivors and potentially purify those who had been possessed. Then, the next thing to do would be to cleanse the city itself. There was no point in saving the people just to toss them back into the fray. He recognized the three by their faces, but didn’t know much else other than names and personalities gleaned from small, absent conversations. There was Simone, an older, dark-skinned woman with laugh lines around her mouth and crinkles around her dark eyes, an odd characteristic considering her line of work. Perhaps it was her love for God that kept her so joyful. Glen, a tall, grizzled man who bore the marks of many encounters, as told by his long, crooked nose and the scars marring his lips. Not a handsome man, and his grey, receding hair spoke volumes of how many years he’d sacrificed for the good of others, but he had a good heart. Lastly, the young blonde woman—just barely out of her teens—was Kali. He was wary of her youthfulness, equating it to lack of experience, but so far she’d displayed a steadfast determination to do her duty without question. They’d been attacked twice during the night already, the scuffles quick and savage. Taking shifts to play lookout during the night was elementary, and there had been minimal damage. Kali now sported a gash on her cheek, and Laurence undoubtedly had bruised ribs, but all and all, they were fine. It was, however, too dangerous to stay in one place; their magic would draw the things to them, as noticeable as a flare in the blackness. That was another thing that they refused to speak about; the state of the sky. It was just gone. Dead. Empty. No one wanted to draw attention to it, and so no one did. The days would continue to stretch on before they reached the nearly ruined city, and each night grew more violent than the last. “You feel it?” Glen would ask when they were standing on the very outskirts of buildings and suburbs. The very ground beneath their feet seemed cracked and dry, undoubtedly caused by the drought and famine that had hit them without warning. They did. It was like an overwhelming stench, a taint that seeped into the air itself and made it feel thick and poisonous. Demons. “Be on your guard.” Simone would move first, not daring to ward herself with a prayer for extra protection. They didn’t need to attract the attention of the hungry and the powerful. Kali would go next, her pale face almost ashen as she reeled from the corruption, but her feet were steady. Then Glen, and lastly, Laurence. They stuck together in a tight, functioning unit, four pairs of eyes skirting in every direction for any sign of movement. The city seemed dead, unnaturally so, and soon the smell of rot began to filter in among the demon stench. Kali clapped her hands over her mouth as a mound of corpses came into view, mostly women and children. Some were half eaten, others mutilated. Glen spat on the ground before he strode briskly forward. There were spirits to send here, less their bodies serve as vessels for lesser demons. The two women quickly joined him, while Laurence stood with a sneer of revulsion curling at his lips. This wasn’t right. They’d encountered demons before, and yet from the presences alone they could feel, he knew that these entities were something that should have been sealed in Hell for all eternity. There should be no feasible way this was happening. Breath tickled against the nape of his neck. Mine. Before he even had time to react, something punctured the back of his skull, bite into his brain and forced him to forget. Tense shoulders slumped a little too rapidly, and Simone snapped around to look. All she saw was the man walking up to join them. “You are well?” She questioned hoarsely, and her eyes were dark with distrust. “Fine.” Laurence replied. He was fine. It squirmed through his thoughts, a violent smudge of shadow against his vision that was punctuated only by the sound of a young woman screaming, a splash of wet heat against his face, his chest. His mouth burned, his teeth ached and sank into something sweet and soft so deeply that he could feel it touching his gums. He blinked. Simone's throat had been torn out. She fell with a perpetually surprised expression scrawled across her kind features, as though blissfully wondering what on earth had just happened. He was temporarily fascinated by the ragged edges of her skin, unconsciously ran his tongue across his teeth and dislodged bits and pieces of her flesh. Confusion hit next, rippling through him like a bolt of ice straight down his spine. What? A demon, an attack? Simone was dead?Laurence whirled, suddenly aware that Glen was shouting, and Kali was still screaming that high, unbroken note without pause. The older man lunged at him, and he understood that the demon must have been behind him, letting his body lurch out of the way without thinking. The shadows swarmed again, and a wild howling drowned out everything else. He blinked. Glen was falling, sanguine spurting freely from his shoulders, where his arms should have been. Where had they gone? The demon? Confused, Laurence realized his body felt thick, unnatural, and his bloody fingers touched at his face with utter bewilderment. Kali was still screaming, and he knew the demon was nearby. He stepped closer to try and silence her, but his lips felt wooden and wouldn't form the hiss he needed to make. She needed to be quiet, she was going to get them killed--and he felt the repository shatter against his chest even as she flung it at him with all her strength. Holy water. The man stopped dead as it sizzled against his skin, thick, black smoke welling wherever it touched... but he felt no pain, and more importantly, why was it reacting to him? He felt very cold. It's hiding in the dark,
Its teeth are razor sharp,
There's no escape for me,
It wants my soul, It wants my heart,
No one can hear me scream,
Maybe it's just a dream,
Maybe it's inside of me. The last thing he would ever remember was the sound of the girl's terror before he watched, numb, as his hand reached out to rip off her lower jaw without her consent. Then there was only that guttural howling--a howl of animalistic pleasure, and he was swallowed up and forgotten.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:23 pm
Salvation
Solo #03
+1,001 words
He remembered nothing, knew nothing, was nothing. There had been a time when he was Something, but now there were only foggy shadows and the occasional sound like shattered glass—a human soul breaking apart with one single scream. It soothed a part of him, some part that was wrong, and twisted, and foul... but as quickly as it would occur to him, the thought drifted away.
It was a monster that roamed through the decaying city, not a man, lips stained muddy brown with week-old blood. Ceaselessly, tirelessly, it hunted for survivors among the living, tracked them down and tore open their writhing bodies so it could feast upon their hearts and brains. Delicacies, something truly to be savored. There was no flow of time for it, not any longer, no passage of the moon or sun. It only lived to feed and indulge itself as it could not when it had been trapped within the barricades of Hell.
At some point, it was able to manifest itself even further within its stolen shell, forcing the man’s skull to split with an agony so intense that they were left screaming for hours. Bloodied ram horns forced themselves out from either side of the otherwise delicate human skull, laughter gurgling under the frenzied howls of pain.
The hunt went on for days. It was one with the ruined, broken down buildings, a grimy shadow that left a trail of ruined and mangled bodies wherever it slunk to next. To feed and grow strong, to stroke its own perverted pleasure with the death of whatever stumbled across its path. Half-starved rats were good, minor flickers of satisfaction within its center, and they had a certain chewiness to them that made them worth the time it took to scrounge.
And then, there was It.
It made the air itself shiver as it called out, wrapped around its heart and tugged in a way that threatened to tear it in two. One wanted, the other loathed, and they fought for a moment, struggled to understand. Struggled to obey.
There was Power in its seer-song, Power that would give it the chance to be More. If there was More, it could satisfy its darkest cravings, and further its existence. It wanted this Power, hungered for it now.
It moved.
It sought out the source blindly, staggering out onto the streets with curled lips, flexing hands. Close, near here, but where? It wanted them, needed them, called to them still, and hands gripped at either side of its head as though to keep it from exploding.
So loud, so close now! Bloodshot eyes lifted, squinted at the structure that lay just in front of it. A steeple, a church—a place of holy power, and it hissed and snarled through gritted teeth. Wrong, wrong, wrong, too wrong to enter such a place, made its skin crawl and shudder at the very thought.
But there was a command now. No longer was it a gentle, coaxing thing; it seized its thoughts and threatened to pull at its very essence.
Power? Deny the wrongness for it? It did not know, and it writhed with indecision, felt its tendrils slip, and it was the man who fell forward onto the pavement. Let him choose, let him decide, and then it would not have to suffer the consequences for his actions. He gasped for air like a drowning man, broken nails raking at the street for a moment with shivers that gripped him hard enough to be mistaken for convulsions.
Go. It demanded. He dragged himself forward, up the stone steps of the church, pulled himself up to his feet and shouldered open the rotting door.
The sickly sweet smell of decay hit him full on even as he blinked to adjust to the darkness within, stumbling forward, tripping on broken benches and slabs of plaster that had been knocked free. This had been a beautiful place, once, the stained glass that stood at the back now dull and dim with no true light to flicker through it. A blood-red carpet rolled down the center of the church, and many benches stood upon either side of it. People had gathered here in masses once, to celebrate, to mourn, to pray.
The altar, to the altar. It slathered and frothed, unable to resist the lull of Power when it was so close now.
He dragged his feet even as they tried to trip him up, red-rimmed eyes flickering uneasily over the thing in search for the cross that normally lay upon its surface. Memories here, fond, all-consuming. Needed the cross, needed to hold it, press it close to him, for... for something... some reason...
There was nothing. Smashed wood, jagged splinters where the alter had been destroyed. Nothing. There never had been anything at all.
The possessed one wobbled for a moment, indecisive, confused. Not here, then where? And what? And then he saw it, the sterling silver contrasting against the dark wood just enough that his gaze paused, then settled. Fingers caked with grime slowly reached out, caressed the serpentine figure for a moment before they closed around it and pulled it up, taking in the detail of the draconic form without really appreciating it. He was too far gone, for that, a calloused thumb trailing over the jade jewel.
His essence. Him? It was excited, humming underneath its vessel's skin. Him, if it was a gift from Him, then it would be a fool not to take it. It bore His mark, His serpentine figure, and it wanted.
It felt heavy in in his hand, the metal cool and unnatural compared to the feel of warm, fluttering skin, of pulses and hot, slimy insides. He pressed it to his chest, seeking comfort like a child with a favorite stuffed animal, and he muttered to himself. The stone was cold against his chest even as he slid it over his heart, the thick, clumsy movements of his tongue eventually beginning to resemble something like a prayer.
“Amen.” He managed at last, and the words burned his lips as they slipped past. It was a meaningless plea, as though he sensed on some, deeply buried level of his consciousness of what was smothering his thoughts, his mind.
It hissed with disgust at the words, ignored them in favor of investigating the treasure. As long as they were here, in this place, it could not touch, could not worship, but the man could, and it tried to get him to peel it away from his body.
It was not to be.
The dragon bit into his chest, his heart, and both demon and man screamed out an eerie, double-voiced cry of pain that echoed crazily off the walls. His pitch deepened several times, the man silenced so the beast could howl even as it felt itself being eaten away by this invader sinking into Laurence’s Self. The horns on his head chipped and fragmented, falling apart and clattering loudly to the floor below.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, shouldn't have come, should have stayed far away from Him-- It was babbling, screaming as it felt itself being Eaten away, replaced by His servant.
Laurence couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, there was only fire in his lungs, cleansing the taint...
...and blessedly, it was over, and he collapsed to the floor. Wide-eyed and wheezing, memories tickled the fringes of his mind, threatening to reveal themselves before—
Sleep. The voice boomed, and his eyelids sagged without his consent, seconds before his emaciated form would still.
Sleep...
And so he did, curled up on the church floor.
He remembered nothing.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:24 pm
Unexpected Aid(Reunion with Seth and Liam) Joint RP #01 +1,001 words Tsunake It was a frustrating predicament that Shuo Huang Zhe found himself in; a second chance at rebirth had finally come his way in the form of the demon-ruled shell of a man, but he was so weak from the possession that the Dragon King feared he may not wake up without aid. Any traces of the demon had been eliminated the moment his gem had been picked up and implanted, and he’d touched the man’s consciousness long enough to know that he was strong and capable. That wouldn’t matter much if he died from dehydration. To think! He'd finally been given a second chance after his shameful first attempt, and he was too helpless to even lend his aid. Laurence was still curled up on the floor of the decimated church; the broken alter stood before him like some representation of his once unshakeable faith. He stirred from time to time, made soft, pained noises, but could do little more than twitch his fingers as though desperately trying to wake himself, but couldn't. Freed from the hell that had gripped him for weeks now, and likely to die here in this place, hands still stained with the blood of innocents he’d slaughtered. It wasn’t looking good for Laurence Pershary. Quote: "See? I told you, there is someone in here." The voice was low, quiet, and if Laurence was aware enough, probably familiar. Quiet footsteps, followed shortly by harder, heavier ones, moved from the door towards the altar and the man lying beneath it. They stopped after a moment, still at a distance from the dying man. "Yeah, yeah... One of these days that's going to ge--" The second voice's reply was cut short, probably by a gesture or a Look, the kind the owner of the first voice is known for giving, and those quiet footsteps resumed at a much faster pace, clearing the distance remaining. Liam knelt by the man, calling his name, which is when Seth swore under his breath and joined the brunet on the floor next to Laurence, reaching out for his hand and diverting quickly to grab his arm; hopefully Liam hadn't noticed that. "Laurence!" Tsunake Amber eyes fluttered briefly as he was grabbed, his gaze sickly and dull before rolling back to again observe the back of his head. He was awake enough to mumble something now, something slurred and hoarse and unintelligible. The men would undoubtedly notice the silver dragon gem embedded in the man's chest, right where his heart would be. Whatever it was, it'd burned straight through his shirt in order to seal itself to his skin. He spoke, then, but it wasn't the dry and cynical voice that both Liam and Seth knew; it was a rich, smooth baritone, brought to mind the image of cherry wood floors and deep, red wine. "You must help him, he will not last much longer." Came the ghost of a sigh before silence came again. Quote: Both were quite surprised by the voice, Liam instinctively drawing back a bit, Seth's eyes narrowing as he leaned in to get a closer look at the gem. His confused expression was turned on Liam, who merely shrugged. "It doesn't seem malicious." At those words, Seth sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. "How? We're not..." He trailed off, brow furrowed. Tsunake Shuo had no more words of advice; even taking control of Laurence's ability to speak for that brief moment had all but sapped his strength, and he could do little more than listen to the two men murmur amongst themselves. They knew his host, and he could only trust right now that they'd be able to aid the man when he himself could not. Quote: "Well staying here isn't helping him," Liam offered, getting to his feet, "Let's find him some help." Seth just nodded and moved to gather Laurence up so he could carry him, worried by how light he felt. "He needs to eat," Seth observed, "After that, I'm not sure... If you've got some horrible infectious illness, Laurence, I'm gonna kill you." "Times like these, I wish we had a car," The brunet male whined when they got outside to the motorcycle, "I'll drive if you think you can hold him." Seth nodded, climbing onto the bike behind Liam, cradling Laurence between them and advising the other to drive slow. They found a long-since abandoned run-down diner a bit down the road, Seth lying Laurence down in a booth as Liam disappeared into the kitchen to find what he could. Tsunake The tall, thin man offered little resistance as he was scooped up, head lolling limply on his neck even as he was carted out. Had he been awake, there would surely have been protests--especially when he was sandwiched between the two men he could quite honestly say he despised. When he would eventually be sprawled out in the booth, something like a groan would be pulled from him, and an arm lifted for a moment before it only draped pathetically on his chest, fingers curling around the gem. They'd likely have to try and feed him by hand--or a give him a drink of water, at least. Quote: "Found these... And I'm not sure what to do about food, there's stuff back there, but..." Liam returned from the kitchen with several bottles of water, wiping the dust and dirt off them with his sweatshirt and setting them on the table. "Most of it's spoiled," Seth finished for him, already moving towards the kitchen. "Try and give him some water, I'll see what I can do." Liam frowned. Sorry, Laurence, he just still isn't on the best of terms with you. Grabbing one of the bottles, Liam slid up onto the table as he uncapped it and tried to sit Laurence up a bit, tipping the bottle to his mouth slowly. "Hey... Dunno if you can hear me but you need to try to drink this, okay?" Tsunake Those eyes cracked open again as he was shifted yet again, but there was only the swimming visage of a face that gave him an idea that whoever it was, was human. One of the priests? He had no idea. He managed to gulp down some of the water, rasping for a moment as he nearly choked on it, then swallowed a bit more. Soon, he was struggling to sit up a little, felt something gently encouraging him to do so and merely dismissed it as his own need. After a moment, the man blinked a little, forcing himself to focus on the still-blurring face until it resembled... well. Liam. And that's when everything hit him, and the man jerked so hard that the water bottle was smacked free of the other's hand, scrambling for a moment even as a hair darted to his hair. horns--they weren't there. What did that mean? Wild eyes snapped up to the other's face, and the priest could only stare silently for a moment, clearly at a loss for words. Quote: Liam let out a little involuntary noise of surprise as the bottle was slapped away from him, startled. He returned Laurence's stare, his likely similarly confused, though for different reasons. "... You okay?" Tsunake For a moment, he could only touch at his lips in a simply bewildered sort of state, straining to recall... well, everything. The other men, the abandoned city, that stifling darkness before... Shaking his head somewhat, he managed, "What happened? Where are we?" He forced himself to sit up, had to grip the back of the booth when all the blood rushed to his head. Quote: Liam reached out a steadying hand, frowning. "Not far from the church where we found you... I'm not sure, you were unconscious..." Tsunake "Possessed." He barely choked out, knuckles whitening as he gripped at the roots of his hair for a moment, rambling without thinking, without caring that it was Liam who would hear. "Remembered... Remembered what I'd done to them, to the survivors here.... and found this church, and then--" His gaze dropped to the gem suddenly embedded in his chest, feeling his breath catch in his throat. "--it was gone. And this was... here." Brows furrowed as his fingers probed more firmly at the strange, dragon jewel, trying to understand. Gently, please.His hand snapped back as though he'd been burned, and wide eyes flickered to Liam, as though trying to see if he'd heard the voice, too. It was impossible, but he hadn't quite figured out it was in his own head just yet. Quote: Liam was rather taken aback. Laurence was quite distressed and he wasn't entirely sure what to do, trying to piece together what happened from the man's ramblings. He didn't really understand, but he did have a vague idea. Eyes snapped to the gem as Laurence seemed to have been startled by it. "What? What is that?" Tsunake "I don't know." The man sounded confused, unlike his normal, scathing self. "...It made the demon go away. And it... spoke, to me." Now he was hesitant, and his gaze unexpectedly hardened even as he drew himself up under Liam's stare, daring him to accuse him of anything. Then he found himself staring at the dried blood on his palms. He didn't remember the details, but knew there had been deaths, knew he'd caused them, and his hands had started to tremble until he violently balled them into fists. What the hell had he done? Quote: Laurence had no reason to worry, Liam wasn't going to judge him or accuse him of anything. He had no room to and he knew it. He was just confused, and worried. For himself as well as the priest, for Laurence could probably kill him if he tried. Liam did try to comfort him, though, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Calm down, you're in no shape to get worked up..." Seth chose this moment to return, carrying a bowl of some kind of soup. Canned things at least were trustworthy. "Oh, you're awake," He set the soup on the table in front of Laurence as Liam slid out of the way, "Think you can eat?" Tsunake He was half-tempted to shrug the hand off, feeling his nerves beginning to fray as he struggled to piece together memories he didn't have. Still, again, there was that strange urging to take heed of Liam's words, and slowly, the tension eased from his shoulders. Seth appeared then, and the man's voice made him jump, and he shifted awkwardly to face him. The soup was stared at dumbly for a moment, though the smell of it was enough to make his insides ache. By means of answer, he only picked up the spoon and gingerly drank some of the broth, feeling his lips pull down dourly as the heat sizzled all the way down his throat. Too hot. "S'fine." Came the mutter, before his eyes tiredly lifted to take in the two men one more time. "You... survived." A simple enough statement, but he was clearly inquiring for their thoughts about... well, what the hell was going on with everything. Last he remembered, the world had been falling apart, and demons had been roaming the Earth as frequently as they did in Hell. Now... it felt like the foulness had lessened in the air. Quote: "What, you thought we wouldn't?" Seth smirked as he sat down in the booth across from Laurence, but the expression faded quickly. "What happened out there? They don't tell us anything. I mean, I get the basics and you know, that, but... Why? Why now?" Tsunake There was only a grunt instead of the usual sarcastic retort, but in all honesty, he didn't even know what day it was. How much time had passed? There were only bits and pieces that he could remember, and that was more disconcerting than anything else. "...I don't know." The man finally said, tiredly rubbing at his face. "I don't understand it. It was like... Like God just gave up on us." It was strangely painful to say, and every fiber of his being wanted to deny it. Quote: They both looked grim. Seth ran a hand through his hair and sighed, looking up at the ceiling as he sat back, slouching heavily in his seat. "What about... The angels? We haven't seen Rem yet..." Tsunake Lips parted for a moment before they thinned bitterly, and he could only shake his head. "...I don't know. They... vanished too, when this all began." And why? Where had they gone without a word, when they had needed them most? "Something happened, but now..." His gaze lifted tiredly for a moment. "Have things started to improve at all? ...If this city's abandoned, I can only imagine how many others have been lost." Quote: "There are survivors... We've been avoiding people, for the most part, with good reason. We help who we can but..." Seth shrugged, gaze lowering to the table, "Things seem to be turning around, yeah." Tsunake And for good reason; Liam and Seth's kind... well, bad enough they were already hiding here among the more normal citizens--the sudden outbreak of their kind had struck terror into the hearts of mortals. "...I'm sure you two have had many touching reunions with some of your friends." Laurence offered stoically, beginning to eat slowly at the soup once more. “...What happened to Valtiel?” Quote: "We don't have any friends among them!" Seth growled, slamming his fist down on the table and glowering at Laurence. Touchy subject. Liam was looking pointedly away from both of them, hands buried in his pockets. Seth just shook his head at the inquiry about Valtiel, anger fading. "I'm not sure. He disappeared." Tsunake It was strange how that was what invoked a bitter chuckle out of the priest, and lifted his gaze from the soup to stare at the man knowingly. "Bet it was nice, though. Finally getting to blend in." He would stand up roughly after swinging his legs to the side so he could properly remove himself from the booth. So the strange, lithe being had vanished. Dead? Dragged back to Hell? He didn't know. A hair tiredly ran itself through his hair, and he grew quiet after a moment, staring distantly out one of the dirt-smeared windows as though hoping to catch a glimpse of the sun. "I see." Quote: That comment made Seth's hand curl back into its fist, tempted to use it on the priest, but it was Liam who spoke up first. "Really, Laurence? Really? After everything, you'll still just lump us in with the rest of them? We just saved your god damn life and you're still rubbing salt in our wounds?" Tsunake He had little resistance to offer should Seth's temper snap, but he didn't seem particularly concerned. "No." He sounded thoughtful, quiet. "But nevertheless. I never said it was the demons that you blended in with. Just that it must have felt nice." Throbbing, hot, angry. It had gripped at his mind until he hadn't been able to tell up from down, and the pain was bad enough that he'd wished his skull would split... Quote: Liam fell silent, picking up another bottle of water and holding it out towards Laurence. "You should have some more water," He said quietly. Tsunake He reached to take the plastic without thinking, struggling with the lid for a moment before he would drink it quietly. Where would he go from here? Back to the church, unquestionably... but could he face his brothers and sisters? Could he really claim he was a man that had sacrificed everything for God when he'd been taken out and forced to murder his kin by the very beings he'd sworn to purge? A thin hand gripped at his brow for a moment, glazed eyes dropping again to his chest. And this gem, the voice he heard--there was no doubt in his mind that it had destroyed the demon. Fingers brushed uneasily against its surface, and his hand snapped away as he felt the acknowledgement by whatever it was. "I know you're there, whatever you are." He muttered, but there was no reply. Quote: The two men watched him quietly, not bothering to ask about it since they weren't sure even Laurence knew what it was. Seth's anger was gone again and whatever that indignance Liam had shown a moment ago was, it too was gone. They were in no shape to argue with the priest. The world was in no shape for them to argue with him. Tsunake "You should find Remiel." The priest said after a long moment, lifting the water bottle to take another swig of the somewhat warm water. "See if he knows anything." He was already beginning to move to the door, clearly debating on leaving. There were too many questions, not enough answers, but it was this gem that concerned him the most. "...I need to figure things out, first." Amber eyes tiredly pulled over his shoulder, watching the two faces staring back at him. "Will you keep in touch?" Quote: "We don't even know if Remiel's still here." Seth pointed out, getting to his feet, "Hang on, Laurence, you need to rest. I don't think you should be running off alone again just yet." Tsunake "He has to be here." The man only muttered, and he propped one shoulder against the door to lean against it some. "Don't know where the hell else they could have gone. ...I have to get back to the church." Slightly louder, directed to the pair. "I don't know how many of them are dead." Quote: "... Let us go with you?" Liam offered, making it more of a question than a demand. Tsunake Laurence shook his head in silent refusal. "No. ...No. ...There is a chance that they'll kill me, for what I've done--and they'd kill you too." Simple, blunt, but true. Especially in a church, his church, Liam and Seth would be painfully vulnerable. He was debating to himself now, weighing the chances of them actually listening and staying like he asked them too. It seemed slim. "..I'll stay with you, for a little while, if you promise to let me do this on my own. I won't leave until I'm... better." Quote: There was a pause, both men glancing at each other before Seth replied. "Fair enough." The blond man nodded. "Man, eat some more, please, you're more of a twig than usual." Tsunake He offered a soft snort before he would reluctantly turned and approach the booth again, settling himself back down so he could properly finish the soup that had been prepared for him. "Not by my choice." Laurence muttered under his breath between bites, finally listening to his aching insides. Some food, some rest, and then he could set out. "Have you been wandering, or did you find a place to stay? When the wars broke out, everything went to hell..." Quote: "Wandering," Liam replied as Seth went to get another bowl of soup, "It's best if we don't let anyone that might be connected to Seth's father catch up with us..." Seth returned and set it on the table, in case Laurence wanted more. Tsunake He made a soft noise at that, nodding curtly to at least acknowledge that he was listening. "...Seth's father?" The priest inquired with narrowed eyes, but was distracted by the fresh bowl of soup. He polished off the rest of what he had, sliding it aside before pulling the new one to him. "Anyone caught wind of you so far, or you've stayed out of sight?" Quote: Seth didn't seem inclined to answer the first inquiry, so was glad when Laurence was distracted by the soup. He sat down opposite him again, scooting over so Liam could take a seat. Liam chose not to. "Well, we tried sticking close to a group of survivors--humans, but... They started giving Liam weird vibes so we took off. Some of the demons we've run into knew who we were, but we didn't let any of them live long enough to matter." Seth sighed. "I figure they've given up on bringing us back over, but Liam's being paranoid." A pointed glance at the brunet, who just rolled his eyes. "It's not paranoia, I'm just being careful." Tsunake So, Seth didn't want to talk. The unanswered question was noted, but he allowed himself to focus on the soup instead of pursuing the answer--even if he knew, he probably wouldn't care very much anyway. "Last I saw, some were losing their minds. I don't know if it was the stress or possession, but..." A tired shrug was offered, as well as a grimly satisfied expression at the mention of their run-ins. "And I'd agree with him, for once," Like Liam wasn't even there. "You two have earned your weight in grudges and resentment, last I heard." Quote: "Well, our kind aren't exactly fans of the idea of 'being good'," Seth smirked, "But seriously, with all this going on, we've gotta be the last thing on their minds." Liam just crossed his arms over his chest, looking away as he mumbled something under his breath. "What was that?" "You're too careless." The other male spoke up that time, prodding at a recently healed mark on the blond's shoulder that spoke of what was probably a pretty serious wound when it was fresh, little more than faint scar tissue now, and even that would fade in a few days. Tsunake "So you're the strange exception to the rule." Laurence rolled his eyes before he straightened with a small sigh, gaze flickering absently to take in what looked like an old wound on Seth's shoulder. He knew of their healing properties--enough to know that it had probably been an ugly sight a few days ago. "Love bite from an admirer?" His weariness was apparent by now, fingers shifting to touch at his temple for a moment. "If you want to find a safer place to stay, we should do so now. Think it's been a while since I've last slept." Quote: "There was a hotel near the highway..." Seth mused, "Not too far from here. Or we could find something on this block, if you're that tired." Tsunake "I don't care." The man said bluntly, getting to his feet slowly once more. The hotel or closer--either was fine. He could make it that far, so long as his legs were willing to listen. "Hotel." He finally would offer by means of decision, figuring it probably wouldn't be wise, lingering too long in one place. No telling who was scavenging around, or who might stumble on them when they weren't prepared. With a slight roll of his shoulders, the priest stepped slowly out of the diner, wincing somewhat from the glare of the afternoon sun right in his eyes. Still, it felt good on his face, and he would only linger there for a moment before he started walking, figuring the two would join him soon enough. The highway, they said. It'd be a bit of a walk, but so long as he took it slow, it should be just fine. And the sooner they got there, the better. Quote: "Hey, uh, we've got the bike..."
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:25 pm
Mending
Solo #04
+1,001 words
The hotel was your typical run of the mill kind of place, had likely been booming with tourist business at one point in its life. It had suffered its share of hard times over the past few months, but was still in relatively one piece. The lobby had been dark and uninviting, and the stench of death was strong when they had made their way inside. Chunks of the ceiling had fallen loose, covering the carpeted floors with rubble, and the elevators that had once been used to easily scale the five-story building were entirely out of order. Laurence had gone behind the front counter, snagged a spare key, and had gone to find an unoccupied room without another word to the pair of demons. They let him go.
The place was empty, deserted. He had to wonder if people had moved out of the city to find safer refuge, or if they’d chosen places like this hotel, only to be dragged off and eaten by the demons that now roamed the streets. Or worse.
Had. Had roamed. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t feel... any of them, not here, not anymore. Even that inevitable tension that had been bearing down on their numbers for so long, that was gone too. But why? What had happened? Had Seth and Liam managed to clear out the masses? No, it was impossible. There'd been far too many of them for that. But what other explanation was there?
The key was roughly inserted into the hole just beneath the door knob, and it released with a tired sounding click. He pushed it open, gave the room a cursory glance, and locked the door behind him. It was nothing special; a rumpled bed, a bathroom to his left. All it took was a little alone time for his mind to wander back to just what all he’d done to his friends, to innocents, to everyone he’d stumbled across, and Laurence found himself retching into the toilet. It was too much take, too much to think about, and though the memories were fuzzy, hazy things, it was impossible to deny the big picture.
Eventually, at last, the man fell limp, gasping for breath. He vaguely heard the doorknob rattling a little, and Seth calling out his name with clear concern. He ignored it. After a moment more, he managed to get back on his feet, fingers numbly scrabbling for the handle as though that both the mess and the memories could be carried away and forgotten. Blessedly, the toilet flushes, and the sound of running water is a relief. Feeling hollowed out and little more than a shell, the man will remove his disgusting clothes and step into the shower. The water’s lukewarm at best, giving him no reason to linger, but he pointedly attempted to clean himself up with the tiny bottles of shampoo provided by the hotel. The outer layers of grime were scrubbed away, leaving his skin pink and almost raw, but he knew he was still filthy underneath the skin. Fingers bumped over the gem implanted into his chest several times, searching for a way to pull it free, but it was almost like his skin had given away so it could reside there instead. No matter how he tried, it was stuck fast. He couldn't even get a proper grip on it.
His skull was next, and his fingers tentatively probed for gaping holes, searching for any sign of the heavy horns that had marked him as cursed, as a traitor. There was nothing but healthy flesh and hair. Nothing to mark him for his sins. How was that possible? The flesh didn't even feel bruise, much less torn.
Eventually at some point, he’d started to pray with nothing but the quickly cooling water beating against his body, begging for forgiveness and eventually breaking down into rough, ragged sobs. Emeric had even warned him, yet he’d insisted on going. Now Simone, Glen, and Kali were dead because of him. So many were dead.
The water was freezing by the time he managed to compose himself, and the priest pulled the door open, bare feet pressing into the slick tile. He was loathe to put on his torn, dirty clothing again, but with nothing else to change into, he had little choice. Some stumbling around managed to produce a questionably clean razor, and Laurence set to work on his grizzled, scruffy face in order to render it smooth and hairless once more.
He wandered to the bed eventually, having toweled off his hair as best he could before he reluctantly let himself sink into the mattress, his head busy and his heart aching. So many familiar faces, dead by his hand. God, and how many others? There were hazy memories of roaming the streets, of people he could not quite place being struck down by his own, soiled hands. He'd done other things to them, too--but he didn't want to think about it. It was only going to make him sick again.
If he forced all his thoughts away, there was only one that continued to bob to the surface. The dragon-gem. It had spoken to him, he would swear as much—but what was to say it hadn’t been a delusion by his own mind?
Perhaps to quell the rising feelings of desperation and uncertainty, the man tried to think towards the gem, spoke aloud to—even touched it again as roughly as he had when the two demons had found him. There was only silence. Had it all been his imagination? Perhaps some sort of attempt to save himself from the demon's influence. God's protection? Some sort of blessing? The thoughts were jumbled and confused, not making sense no matter how long he tried to probe through them and sort them out.
Defeated now, confused and feeling somehow broken down by everything, Laurence decided to try and sleep. It wouldn’t come easily, and wouldn’t linger without the presence of hellish nightmares, but it was, to a degree, rest.
He needed it.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:26 pm
And You Will Be My Savior
Solo #05
+500 words
Predictably, he woke in the middle of the night, wild-eyed and gasping for breath after fleeing from some night terror who's face he couldn't recall. Oh, but he could remember snippets and vague glimpses of gruesome details--enough to send chills up his spine. Were they just nightmares, or was he trying to recall locked away memories? Swinging his legs over the sides of the bed, he ran long, pale fingers over his face for a long time, hiding behind them until they finally slid away from his face and came to rest in his lap.
What the hell was he going to do with his life now? He couldn't go back to the church with the blood of men staining his hands--and no matter how many times he washed them, he would never allow himself to forget. He was no better than any other sinner now, and worst of all, Laurence had no desire to seek forgiveness for himself. There was a deep, burning shame that couldn't be suppressed, and the thought had his fingers curling with frustration in his dark hair.
He will not abandon you, even in dark times like these.
The priest stopped dead at the unfamiliar, deep voice that floated gently from the corners of the room, casting a slow and cautious gaze around. Though his amber eyes gleamed, the shadows revealed nothing. It took him a moment before it hit him, and tentatively, his fingers reached to touch the gem that he knew was in his chest.
"How the hell do you know that?" He murmured, and perhaps that wasn't the first thing that should have been on his mind. Wary as he might have been, there was no way he could forget that it was this gem--and that voice--that had chased the demon out for good.
The voice spoke again, and Laurence could sense how tired it was. I am His servant. A Dragon King. My name is Shuo Huang Zhe.
"You're a servant of God?" The skepticism was obvious, laced with an almost snarled disdain. Laurence didn't appreciate being, in lack of a better term, ******** with. He'd seen a lot of things in his life, but a gemstone that claimed to serve God? Of course, the exorcism powers were not something he could soon forget, and his contempt sobered quickly enough.
Allow me to explain. And so the story began, of the being known as Creation and destruction--or who Laurence knew as God. The so-called dragon would pause at times, straining to remember, and in the end, admitted that his memory was poor. That was explained in time as well; there was not just one god, but many who ruled over different domains in all the worlds. A great sickness took them, however, and the gods began to die--at least until Creation sealed them away in gemstones, until they could again be awakened.
Perhaps stunned into silence, the priest said nothing for a long time.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:27 pm
The Road Less TraveledTo the Pantheon with AdiJoint RP #02 +1,001 words Tsunake Liam and Seth had yet to come charging after him, which would lead one to believe that Laurence Pershary could breathe easy. The priest, however, was wary; the last thing he wanted to deal with was two irritated demons who insisted on accompanying him wherever he went. Especially since he was heading in the opposite direction of the church, and that alone would trigger their suspicion. It was for that reason that he'd avoided the roads so far, stepping off to instead attempt to fumble his way through the wooded overgrowth in hopes that if he was indeed being searched for, it would be easy enough to overlook him. I'm sure they could have been reasoned with if you'd explained yourself--or I could have done it for you, if you insisted on being so stubborn. The voice was light with amusement, teasing. "Diplomat or not, you'd have changed your mind about them if I'd tried." Laurence muttered to himself, tapping at his chest somewhat. Though he'd searched, there'd been no spare clothes that he could have changed into, therefore keeping the gem embedded above his heart in plain sight. "Does this place have a name?" The Pantheon. Like I told you, if you're searching for answers, for your God, this is where we must go.It had occurred to him that this seemingly benevolent voice could have been manipulating him, could have been another demon, in fact... and yet, he didn't think so. Shuo's intentions seemed genuine, and there was no doubt that he'd been saved thanks to the Dragon King. He still didn't know the details of what this host business entailed, for the other was weak and tired easily. Still. Though he'd never admit it, it was comforting having someone to talk to after so long, no matter how briefly. He had little grace as he shifted through the dark woods, stumbling over a root that reached to snag his foot with a wordless exclamation. How much longer until did the trees stretch on...? Meepfur Now that it was safe, or at least more so than it had been for most of her short life, Adrienne spent hours on end in the woods. Of course, she was also older and somewhat more capable of defending herself - not that she had ever needed to or expected that to change. No one had ever taught her how to fight, really, only how to hunt, but she liked to think she had enough werewolf in her that she just knew. She had been quite proficient in biting people since her infancy, and to her, that qualified.
As ever, she'd continued to grow rapidly, and was now beginning to fill out as opposed to just growing up. She had, more or less, reached teenager status. Not that she'd taken much notice yet. Exploring, digging in the dirt, and slaying the occasional cute animal for its deliciousness were still what most occuppied her time. Recently, the latter had been of particular interest, as she had aspirations of eventually taking her first deer and marching over to the Hunt's temple to show it off.
But not yet. Smaller things were still much more advisable given her current stature. Still, that didn't keep her from practicing stalking her dreamed-of target, which was exactly what she was doing when a terribly inconsiderate someone yelled and scared the trio of deer she'd been watching.
Instinct would have had her leap after the startled creatures, but instead, she moved off in the direction of the sound.
"Hello...?" Tsunake The last thing he expected to hear was a voice--a female voice--all the way out in the middle of nowhere, and Laurence felt his spine stiffening even as he attempted to regain his footing. This was too far out for it to belong to someone who lived nearby, unless there was a cottage, a hut, something. The man wasn't inclined to answer, instead shifting warily to see if he couldn't catch sight of his mysterious company when a dry voice interrupted his thoughts. You sound like you're preparing to make enemies already. You think whoever it was would have attacked us by now, if they were planning to.Feeling strangely like he'd just been admonished, the man only only grunted before he raised his voice. "Is someone there?" Well, it'd do for now, and he stood awkwardly even as he peered about, searching for a face to attach the voice to. Thinking twice, he added, "...I'm no demon. I'm not here to cause trouble." Yet you have a remarkable affinity for attracting it. Came the chuckle, and the man only rubbed at his brow exasperatedly. Meepfur Adrienne sniffed curiously as she drew closer to the voice's source, trying to decide what the stranger smelled like. Male for sure, and human-ish. Maybe? She was much better at figuring out animals than she was people, and had determined some time ago that that was something she should work on, hence her current curiosity. She couldn't just stand around out of sight sniffing, though, as it was rude. Interesting, but rude.
She emerged just as he offered his assurance that he was no demon - which was a silly sort of thing to add, she thought - with a slight, friendly wag of her tail. She had dirt halfway to her elbows, a fair share on her paws, and smudges here and there from such things as scratching an itch with dirty fingers. "Hello," she said again, with a cheerful smile. "Are you alright? I heard a noise." Tsunake She had paws. And a tail. And Laurence was starting to touch at his face a little as though wondering whether or not the heat was starting to get to him. Don't be rude. Look at that smile! Shuo sounded delighted, much to the man's chagrin, but he only sighed and nodded before catching himself. Answering to voices no one could hear wasn't normally a sign of sanity. Shaking his head slightly as though to clear his thoughts, he noted the dirt that had practically swallowed up her forelimbs. "...Yes." Laurence managed after a moment, having enough sense to at least look slightly embarrassed. "Tripped. Did I, uh, disturb you?" She clearly looked as though she'd been up to something, though what, he wasn't exactly sure. "My name's Laurence. Laurence Pershary." He offered to fill the momentary silence, fingers brushing uncertainly over the exposed gem for a moment before it delved into his pant pocket. Meepfur "You scared away the deer, but that's alright," she answered, matter-of-fact but not particularly bothered. Even if she had been busy, she loved to meet new people! It was a fair trade. She swept some wayward hair behind one of her long, tufted ears as she looked him over. He was very tall!
"I'm Adi," the young lady returned, "Adrienne Seref-Korzha." 'Pershary' sounded a little bit like a kind of animal, she thought, but kept that particular observation to herself. Anyway, it was quickly replaced when she noticed the gem embedded in his chest.
Even more excited than before, she hurried closer to get a better look - personal space still wasn't in Adi's vocabulary - and declared, "You have a god!"
After all, why else would anyone have a jewel in their skin? Tsunake "Er... I'm sorry." He would offer, feeling his brows furrow slightly as he tried to figure out what exactly she was going to do with deer. Observing them? Possibly, and his mind settled on that before he could consider any less appealing options. The movement of her fingers brought his attention to the ears perched upon her head, and he at least had enough tact to just come out and ask what the heck she was. "It's nice to meet you." Laurence started before she was suddenly practically touching his chest, feeling himself blanch. Before he could stumble back with no little embarrassment, she said something that made him stop dead with surprise rather than horror. "You... a god?" Other gods, yes. Not your God, Creation, but those who rule over other domains. I spoke to you about it briefly, I believe. There was a brief pause, as though the Dragon King was considering. If she's accustomed to seeing other hosts, then perhaps she knows where the Pantheon is... And, it was clearly implied, Laurence should get to asking! "Ah... yes... A Dragon King." The man didn't normally stutter, but he was finding himself a little overwhelmed. "I was looking for... for the Pantheon, actually. I'm trying to find out what's going on... Do you know which direction it is?" Meepfur "Yes!" she exclaimed, tail wagging faster with excitement. Adrienne wasn't the least bit bothered by the whole mortal-sacrifice-to-resurrect-a-god thing, as she'd grown up with it and therefore found it quite normal. It helped, of course, that she'd grown up with the 'nice' version, involving a willing host who became part of the god rather than being consumed. But a dragon? She thought about this a for a moment, before recalling that her cousin had spoken about such a god as being another uncle of his.
"That's where I live," Adi answered cheerfully. "I can take you there!" Tsunake If you'd be so kind--"He says thank you." Laurence responded automatically, feeling a smile threaten to twitch at his lips even as he swiped at them with the back of his hand to disguise the gesture. "Adi..." He started with a faint frown now, unsure if she knew anything, but it couldn't hurt to ask. "The gods all live at the Pantheon, don't they? Do they know what's going on? A lot of bad things have happened, and I'm trying to find out why. Shuo--ah, the Dragon King--doesn't know either, he says he's been asleep for a very long time now." He took a tentative step closer, silently encouraging her to lead the way if she wanted to. "...And if you're busy here, we can wait." There was no rush, and the offer was made because he may or may not have felt guilty for scaring off her deer. Unreasonable, really; he'd had no idea she was even out here, but... Meepfur "Most of them live there, except my Uncle Ea. He's got his own temple and everything!" Adrienne then proceeded to supply nonchalantly, "Oh, that's because the world almost ended. Everything's fine now! Well, Universe died, so there's no sky, but I'm sure Harmodius will fix that eventually. And the Grigori might come back, I guess, but...otherwise, everything's fine!"
Even as she spoke, she started to move in the direction of the Pantheon. "Nope! I wasn't busy, really." Tsunake A temple... A religious man? Laurence was just beginning to ponder the significance of that statement when she dropped a bombshell he couldn't quite ignore, and he found himself staring at the wolf girl as though she'd suddenly grown two heads. "Universe... died." He repeated slowly, and flinched with surprise when the Dragon King made a wordless, sad sound in his mind. Was this Harmodius... God? Yes. The priest was surprised at the sudden bitterness within Shuo's tone when the girl spoke a strange word--Grigori. No, it wasn't the word that provoked it, but the death of this 'Universe'. "...I see. I'm glad to hear it." He shortened his stride somewhat to better match her own, glancing at her sidelong. Very much a child still, untouched and unphased by what the world could throw her way. "You said you live at the Pantheon. Are you... one of these gods?" Came the curious question. Meepfur Adi had been born in the Age of Destruction, and as such had never seen the world quite how it was supposed to be. Destruction and Gehenna made up nearly all of her life, and that combined with youth meant that she had yet to realize just how dire things had been. And besides, everything was fine now, so there was no use making a fuss over it. She'd also inherited Rio's unfailing optimism, which helped.
"Me?" she looked genuinely suprised by that question. "Oh no! One of my parents is, though. He's Love." Tsunake It was Laurence's turn to look surprised at that, tilting his head awkwardly as though to better look her up and down. Was she part-god, then...? Was such a thing possible? He only nodded after a moment, accepting it instead of pushing on and making things potentially more uncomfortable for both her and himself. Ask her how Love fairs for me. The dragon sounded tired now, his earlier enthusiasm drained. "..He'd like to know how your father has been doing." The priest said, only finding it a little strange to find himself potentially apart of a situation where he was merely serving as a translator. Meepfur Short of yelling at her, it was difficult to make Adi uncomfortable, although she was confused about what exactly her heritage made her. Aoide, ageless immortal, or nothing in particular? It seemed no one could tell her for certain; maybe she would ask Harmodius one day, if she saw him again and he wasn't busy. Perhaps he would know.
"He's fine," she answered, but corrected with a grin, "But he's not my father. He's my mother, sort of. She was a host like you, before she was Rio." It was a delightfully amusing mess to explain. Tsunake The priest almost tripped over his own feet at the words that accompanied her somehow cheeky grin, and the man was blanching before he could help himself. "Your--your mother." He corrected himself somewhat stupidly, feeling himself scrambling desperately for some logical sort of thought that would make sense of all this. But then he relaxed somewhat at her explanation, and his heart ached a little. "...I see." More quietly. She'd grown up in a world where this was apparently completely normal, he could understand that much now. To lose her mother... That was rough, reminded him of his own lack of parents. And yet, it seemed this god of Love had taken her as his own anyway, raised her just... well, as her mother might have. That made more sense. Sort of. Somewhere, he could tell that Shuo was deathly amused by all this, chuckling with good humor in the back of his mind. "Well." Well what? He was still somewhat reeling from the information, and eventually just muttered something to himself even as he rubbed at his brow. Meepfur Adrienne giggled at his reaction, unable to help herself. Clearly, she didn't mind the...circumstances surrounding her birth one little bit. Alex had already been a part of Rio by the time she and Kinsley had been born, which would never have happened in the first place had their vampire mother not been a host. For one thing, she was a vampire - and being fertile didn't usually go with being undead - and for another, she'd never have met Orin.
"Well," she echoed, still grinning a little. "How did you end up with Shuo? I thought Harmodius gave out the jewels." That was how Alex had gotten Rio, anyway. Tsunake If only Laurence knew; his entire world would have been reeling. Vampires, too? It likely would have had him stumbling over his feet for the umpteenth time today. With a mild blink for the question, the man stayed quiet for a moment. He wouldn't tell the whole story, not when there was no need for it. He himself still wasn't quite ready to grapple with what he'd done to his allies, his friends, and after wearily rubbing at his brow, he seemed ready to answer. "...Well, I was wandering around in a city, not too far from here. There was an abandoned church, so I went in there to pray I guess, and I saw the gem on the alter. When I grabbed it..." A shrug. The rest should have been fairly obvious. "I'm not sure." ...You are not my first host. The Dragon King would admit, though the significance of this statement was lost on the priest. "He says I'm not his first host." The man relayed with a mild frown. Meepfur "He didn't ask?" Adrienne knew not all gods were as considerate as Rio had apparently been, but still! "That's not very nice. Did it hurt? Rio said it was awful and Alex got burnt." She had a certain morbid fascination with the whole thing, given the circumstances of her origin, but hadn't had anyone but Rio to question. Laurence, therefore, was in for a lot of prying.
"Not his first? I didn't know that could happen! What happened to the first one? Did they pull it out or something?" Tsunake "...I was very sick. If he hadn't done it, I probably would have died." Been condemned to a fate worse than death, really, but again, he didn't feel comfortable with telling these things to a young girl, no matter her origins. "...It did hurt, I think, but I blacked out for a long time." Then Liam and Seth had found him, forced him to recover even when he'd been determined to storm back out and get back to the church. "But I knew he was trying to help, whoever he was, so it didn't hurt as bad as it could have." The second question, he had no answer to, and he tentatively prodded at the silent dragon until there was a sigh. He died.Laurence recoiled, carefully masking his features as he considered that. Questions surfaced, but he got the feeling Shuo was tired. Later. Came the promise. We will talk more about this later."...Yes, they removed it." There was no harm in being purposefully vague, unless she pursued it. Then he didn't know what to say. Meepfur "That's alright, then," Adi decided after a moment of thought. While it still might have been better if Shuo had asked, at least he was helping. Hopefully he'd continue to be nice to Laurence; god or no, there was no excuse for being mean! Especially where their host was concerned.
"I guess they changed their mind." That didn't seem terribly nice, either, unless the dragon hadn't asked his first host. Then she could understand getting rid of it! "I bet that would hurt. You'd have to, like, dig it out." How gross would that be?! She eyed her claw-like fingernails speculatively. Tsunake "I don't mind. ...He's going to help me set things right, so I'm glad he's here." Laurence said offhandedly, not feeling the need to go into more details yet again. Her innocence, again, was refreshing. There was a light frown at her mention of hosts changing their minds, thoughtful, and the man seemed to reflect on that. "I'm not sure." She sounded so shocked at the concept that perhaps death was one of the few ways of removing the gems... "Would be pretty painful." Laurence agreed with a wry little smile, watching her glance at her own fingers from the corner of his eye. "I won't be trying that any time soon..." The man lifted his chin some, peering through the woods some as though searching for this mysterious Pantheon to where they were headed. If Shuo had anything to say, he was too tired to say anything else. "Need to get to this whole voice-in-my-head thing, though." The man muttered to himself. Meepfur Well, as long as Laurence was okay with it, that was fine. It would have been more polite of Shuo to ask, of course, but there was no use harping on about that now. It was already done! But, nosy as ever, Adrienne latched on to the 'help' the man mentioned and asked "Set things right?"
One ear twitched at his muttering, and he smiled a little. "That would be weird. I talk to myself sometimes, but that's different." Tsunake Mmph. The man resisted the urge to scratch at the back of his head at her question, deciding how to phrase it without... well, offering too much detail. "I... Some bad things... happened, recently," It was hard to say it, and he felt his throat trying to well up with emotion for the thought of his lost brothers. Though feeble, he felt Shuo's presence in the back of his mind, and a rumble of wordless comfort flickered through him. Taking a slow breath, the man started again. "And it involved me. But if I help Shuo become himself again, then he can help everyone else." Or that was what he'd been told so far. There was a brief, faint smile for her words again, and he nodded. "...Used to talk to myself too, some. Never expected to get an answer, though." Meepfur Adi desperately wanted to ask what things had happened, but even she could pick up on the current 'bad subject' vibes. Rio had done his best to teach her that not everyone would want to tell her absolutely everything she wanted to know, even if she often tried to get them to tell her anyway. She was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out some roundabout way of asking despite that. Unfortunately - for her purposes, anyway - she had no 'I understand!' stories that would work. The worst thing that had happened in her short life was one of her flooxes dying. And that scary lady showing up. That was about it.
Laurence was off the hook, for the moment. "I talk to my flowers, too, but of course they don't talk back. What's it like, having someone in your head?" Tsunake That was a good thing about innocence; they rarely had sneaky ways of trying to get around his less than subtle 'do not want to talk' barrier. A brow quirked when she mentioned flowers, and he couldn't help but ask, "Do you have a garden of sorts?" Her question required a bit more thought, but he responded much more easily. "It's strange, to say the least. Sort of useful. If I forget something, he can remind me. Alternatively," He said with a grimace, "It means he can listen in on whatever conversations I'm having and add his own input to me, whether I want it or not." Despite the sternness of his tone, the man looked amused. He would take company any day after those weeks of blurred memories and isolation. Meepfur "I do!" she answered enthusiastically, always happy to talk about anything plant-related. "Well, it's sort of mine. Rio's and my rooms are like a little garden. I'm going to start moving some of it outside soon, though. We're running out of space, but now that it's nice out, they don't have to be inside anymore." It wouldn't have been any use at all to plant them before just to have them die like everything else.
Adi nodded. "Seems like it would get kind of noisy." Tsunake A room that was like a garden... "I've never seen anything like that before." Laurence said honestly. Greenhouses, of course, but. It sounded peaceful though, regardless. There was only a light chuckle when she mentioned running out of space, and he could only imagine how many plants she and her... odd family had to have. "I'm sure they'll like it much better now." The air itself just felt lighter these days, and that impending sense of doom had finally faded. It was truly bizarre. "It does, sometimes. I think I prefer noisy to being too quiet, though. Shuo's good about not talking too much. ...Sometimes." He added, just as a playful poke for the dragon. There was a pause, and he debated if his next question was tactful, but decided to go through with it. "Did you... ever consider becoming a host? Is that normal around here?" Meepfur "You can come and see sometime, if you like," Adi offered.
"Being a host? No, not really." It was a good question, though, and a bit of a stumper. She had to think for a minute. "I don't think I would. I haven't got any reason to want to stop being me. I'm only two," she added, "And I'm not even all the way grown-up yet. I've got lots to do still. Besides, Papa already had to go through that with Alex and Rio, and it wouldn't be fair if it happened again."
"I've never talked to anyone who was thinking about it." Did anyone? How many people around the Pantheon weren't a god or already affiliated with one somehow? Tsunake "I'd like that." Laurence found himself agreeing despite himself, and he looked surprised for a moment. He'd never been a very social creature, or a friendly one at that. Was it Shuo's influence? More likely he'd realized that life wasn't something he could take for granted. A sinless life, anyway. He listened curiously to her explanation with a small nod from time to time--and promptly blanched when she announced she was only two. It clearly had something to do with the, ah, canine in her, but it was still a horrible shock he was having to grapple with. He could sympathize more fully when she spoke of her father. "I understand." And it was good of her. So, for someone who had contact with all sorts of gods, she'd never met anyone who was considering being a host. The god or goddess chooses the host. Shuo reminded him wearily, and he made a thoughtful sound. "I imagine some people don't take it very well..." Meepfur "Good!" Adi beamed. "Our door's the plain green one, when you want to visit."
The idea of taking years and years to grow up was quite foreign to Adrienne. She knew she was different, but...still! Ten, fifteen, twenty years? That was such an awfully long time! She was glad she'd grown quickly, instead of staying little for so very long. If she were normal, she'd still only be a baby! It was a really weird thought, and she didn't like it.
"You're the first host I've really met," she admitted. "I only know gods and aoidei, and my uncle's human servants. I know Alex wanted to be a host, but Rio's told me not everyone's like that. It's kind of sad. They really should ask first." Tsunake The plain green door... He'd remember that. Hopefully. If there was more than one plain green door, there might be a problem, but he'd worry about that later. "Am I?" Laurence looked surprised again, brows furrowing slightly. "Aoidei?" The word was unfamiliar to him. He listened as she revealed more about gods and the choosing of their hosts, and he found himself nodding a little grimly to her last statement. "Being forced into something like that..." If someone wasn't ready to give up their life... No one should be forced into doing that. Surely there were those willing, like he had been, like this Alex had been. And from what Shuo had just revealed to him, at least vaguely, if there was no real way to remove the gems... The man shook his head wearily. Meepfur "Aoidei are servants, too," Adi explained, "But they're special. They're Ageless Immortals, and that means they never die - not from getting old, anyway. I'm part aoide," she added as a proud aside.
"Not all the Ageless are aoidei, though. My pet flooxes are Ageless, too. All the aoidei I've seen are, um...people-y? Just with extra things, like wings and horns and hooves, and my dad's werewolf bits. I think maybe some other Ageless are people too, but I'm not sure what the difference is between those and aoidei. It's sort of confusing." Tsunake He was starting to get so used to her saying things that made him recoil that he didn't do much more than blink as she spoke of... well... Immortals. That was a little easier to digest than the fact that she was apparently only two years old; if the gods were immortal, it made sense that faithful servants should to. Sort of. "You're immortal?" He asked her, trying not to glance at her paws and her ears and...well, 'werewolf bits'. "I see. Do these aoidei live mostly in the Pantheon, with the gods? Or are they found... everywhere?" He felt stupid asking all these questions, but she didn't seem to mind answering so far. Just in case, he refrained from asking what 'flooxes' were, and would nod empathetically. Confusing indeed. "Shuo can probably clear it up for me later..." Meepfur "Probably," she answered. "We're not really sure what I am, except for lots of things. I mean, Rio's a god, Papa's an aoide and a werewolf, and Alex was a vampire. So I'm just all sorts of stuff."
"Wherever the gods are, mostly. They had problems with the Fading too, though, or so Rio tells me. So a lot of them died, or fell asleep or something." Tsunake Laurence smiled a little at that, and would let it drop. Inwardly, he was shaking his head with disbelief; werewolves, vampires, gods and Ageless Immortals... He'd thought his life had already been abnormal, exorcising demons and the like, but this topped everything he'd heard of before. "They died?" The disbelief in his voice was apparent, and he could hear Shuo sigh a little. He knew the Dragon King had planned to fill him in later--he hadn't really explained much as to why he'd been in that gem, but... "I knew they needed hosts to help get their bodies back, their strength, but..." Meepfur "Yeah," she said, "Faded. They're not all gone, though. My Aunt Echo's aoide, Concerto, used to help Rio take care of me. And now we've got Shyamaath and Ishkhara, but they say they weren't always aoidei. They used to just be demons. I'm not sure how they got to be aoidei, and they don't really remember. I wish they did. I'd like to be an aoide, if I'm not already. Nobody's really sure."
Adi nodded. "They're missing pieces of what they were. They need help getting started again, you know? And maybe they'll be better this time than they were before." Tsunake Faded. She said it so simply, as if she hadn't just claimed something he thought to be impossible. And then she spoke of demons, and his face twisted instinctively before he thought of Seth and Liam and forced himself to relax again. From the sounds of it, they'd repented and were perhaps rewarded for it. He didn't know, and instead tried to focus on what she said next. Missing pieces... Shuo needed bits of him? "Makes sense." Laurence finally said at last with a weary nod. "...So if the hosts can help them be better, then that's a good thing." It means he could help, somehow, he could redeem himself for what he'd done. He just hoped it would actually work. Meepfur "Right," she confirmed with a nod as the trees began to thin and the Pantheon started to come into view. "So they pick whoever's best for them." And apparently, sometimes made a mistake in the process, if Shuo had had another host before Laurence. It would be the right one this time, though...right? Tsunake The same though seemed to occur to Laurence, but his footsteps slowed as he stopped to stare at the massive structure that seemed to loom up out of nowhere. " That's the Pantheon?" He asked incredulously, rubbing at his jaw for a moment before he tentatively picked up the pace again. Did he expect any less for gods though? For God himself? It certainly wasn't the Heaven he'd imagined, but compared to the destruction he'd witnessed over the past few weeks, it seemed like a sanctuary. Meepfur "Yep!" Adi confirmed. "It's really cool, isn't it? It actually used to be really dark and not pretty at all, and there was lava and stuff, but it's much nicer now! I definitely like this better." Tsunake What she described sounded like a perfect vision of Hell... Had that been when all the demons had been flooding everything? His brows creased with concern. So something had gone wrong... but it was better now, wasn't it? That was why things had fixed themselves. "I'm glad there's no more lava. I've never seen anything like this." He'd admit. Meepfur "Me too." Adi couldn't have agreed more. "Gardens are much better." There wasn't much risk of, you know, falling in and dying. And they were a whole lot prettier, to boot!
"That little building's a teahouse," she offered, pointing out the one of the three most visible from where they were. "There are two more, too. And that big one with the columns is where everyone lives, up the stairs." Tsunake "Gardens are better." He muttered under his breath, finding it hard to imagine how this place could have been so drastically different. Not that he didn't believe her--that was almost easier to accept than the gods dying--but it was still strange. Tea houses... He wistfully cast his gaze to them for a moment. "Wouldn't mind some tea..." And then he found himself craning his neck back even as he tried to stare at 'the big one', blinking faintly with surprise. "Right up there, huh. So it's all just here in plain sight..." Meepfur "We can go get some," she suggested cheerfully. Adi liked tea, provided there was also a lot of milk and sugar. The same could not be said of coffee, which no amount of sweetness could improve. Why it failed to taste as good as it smelled was one of the great mysteries she had yet to find an answer for. "Are you hungry? We could find something to eat, too." Tsunake For the second time, he was surprised to feel himself grinning a little sheepishly at her. "I'd like that." Been a long time since he'd had a luxury like tea--at least, that's what it felt like. "Should probably eat something too... Any suggestions?" She knew her way around here, after all, and he needed to learn if this was going to be his new home. Their new home. Meepfur His agreement set the werewolf's tail to wagging again, and she reached for Laurence's hand with the intention of tugging him (gently, of course) towards the teahouse. "What would you like?" she asked. "There's some fruit trees around here, and I bet Shy's done making dinner by now, if you like rabbit. And I can get some chocolate from Rio, too. I can find something else, though, if you want." Tsunake The man didn't think too much about his hand being grabbed, though he was much more aware of it than he let on (and that provoked a chuckle out of Shuo), following docily behind her. "Whatever you feel like sparing; I'll appreciate anything at this point." Rabbit... Did the other inhabitants of the Pantheon hunt as well? Chocolate seemed such an oddity compared to the more 'natural' offers that he snorted a little. "Chocolate... I haven't had chocolate in months. I think." He'd never had much of a sweet tooth. Meepfur "Wait here, then!" Adi proclaimed once they'd reached their destination, releasing his hand and dashing off for the building she'd pointed out as being where everyone lived. She could have taken Laurence with her, of course, but that wouldn't be nearly as fun as having a picnic in the teahouse! He could meet Rio and Shy and Ishkha later, when he came to visit.
The werewolf returned several minutes later, walking instead of running. She had a bowl in each hand, and was being very careful not to spill the stew they contained. Behind her came one of the flooxes she'd mentioned earlier, dragging a heart-shaped box along by its dark red ribbon. Tsunake He caught a glimpse of her tail as it whisked out the door, and though he watched after her for a moment, the man would soon slip inside and, after a moment, kneel on one of the cushions with a grunt. It'd been a long walk, and his feet were aching a little, but overall, he was feeling more than content. The Pantheon... We will be able to meet our Lord soon. The Dragon King sounded wistful, but Laurence felt oddly blank. Was he ready for this? Would sacrificing himself be enough for forgiveness? Adi's reappearance was enough to snap him out of his thoughts, and the strange, fluffy creature had him staring with open bewilderment. Was that... a floox? His lips quirked sardonically at the chocolates it was undoubtedly dragging along, and an appreciative sound slipped from him at the smell of the stew alone. He was starving, to be sure, but there was nothing quite like a more-or-less home cooked meal. "I appreciate this." The man said sincerely, suddenly feeling awkward that he had no way to really... well, repay Adi and her family for their kindness. Meepfur Adrienne sat the bowls down gently before taking a seat herself. She was considerably cleaner than she had been minutes earlier, having been prevailed upon to wash up before eating. She often forgot - it was just dirt, after all! - and had to be reminded. She'd also been reminded at the last moment that stew required spoons, and Shyamaath had slipped them in even as she went out the door, or else she'd've had to run back for them.
Some things were just hard to remember when you were in a hurry! Not that Laurence was going to run away or anything. "We're always happy to share."
Phlox caught up and, leaving the chocolates next to her, climbed into Adi's lap. "Phlox, this is Laurence," she told the creature, and proceeded to explain, "Phlox is a floox." Tsunake He'd noticed the lack of dirt on her, er, paws, but it didn't seem important enough to call attention to. The man was still staring at the strange, fluffy creature, as though trying to comprehend how this was an... Ageless, had she said? "If I can repay you somehow..." He'd let that trail off; the meaning was clear enough, he assumed. He'd be willing to do whatever Adi and her family needed, if there was something he could do. Unable to help himself, he'd take the spoon and lift some of the broth to his lips, gulping it down hot and making a low sound of satisfaction. "It's good." He sighed, grateful for food that didn't come out of a can, and dark eyes flickered again to this... 'Phlox'. "So Phlox is an immortal." He stated, seeing if he'd been keeping up with the information so far. "Are they... common, around here?" Meepfur Adrienne accepted the offer with a smile and a nod of understanding, then leaned forward to blow on her bowl of stew.
The werewolf tilted her head in thought over Laurence's next question while Phlox proceeded to help himself to some of her stew. "Pretty common," she said, apparently unbothered by...sharing with her pet. "Most of the gods have at least one aoide, I think."
"I only know about three flooxes for sure, though. There's Phlox and Dogwood - and Violet, but she died." An event that clearly still troubled the young werewolf, as evidenced by a momentary fall of her ears and darkening of expression. "I'm pretty sure I've seen another one sneaking around lately, but it must be shy or something."
Licking his maw, Phlox seemed to affirm this assumption with a low chirp.
"I wish it would come out, 'cause I think it's another kind. It looked sort of colorful." Tsunake Silently, Laurence would prod at the dragon to see what he made of all this. Shuo roused a bit sleepily. No, I have no aoide yet. Not that he remembered, anyway, and though that last bit was unspoken, Laurence sensed as much. He wouldn't push the subject any further; perhaps they'd meet one of these so-called immortals that recognized the Dragon King. "Died?" He found himself repeating before he could help it, wincing a little at his lack of tact. "...I'm sorry." She was clearly quite fond of the little creatures, and he could see why. "Hm. Guess I'll keep an eye out for them, while we're here." Not that he particularly wanted one... He had nothing against animals, other than the fact that he had little to no experience with them. "Another kind?" He asked curiously between bites. "How are they different?" Meepfur Adi nodded, unoffended. "It was back when that Grigori lady hurt Harmodius and started the...Gehenna thing. It hurt a lot of other stuff, too, when she did it."
"Well," she began, plucking Phlox from her lap and holding him so Laurence could have a better look at him, "See how Phlox has this fur sticking up along his back? Dogwood hasn't got that, and he's kind of a bluish-white instead of gray. He hasn't got the stripes on his legs, either. Violet was the same way." Phlox, for his part, patiently endured the 'show and tell' as Adi pointed out his defining features. "I haven't gotten a real good look at the other one, but it's definitely a lot bluer than Dogwood."
"The difference is just how they look, as far as I can tell," she added, but the ridgeback made another sound, one she took for a correction. She tilted her head at him. "Oh, really? Huh..."
"Anyway, they're pretty smart, they just can't talk." Tsunake The alarm that shot through them both was astounding, and Laurence accidentally inhaled some of his stew. Stopping to cough into his fist, he sat up a little straighter, one hand curled into an anxious fist. "Hurt him? Is he all right?" Agitation also rippled through the dragon. Something severe must have happened for there to be such drastic effects...He tried to pay attention to the floox she'd held up for him to see, eyes wandering distractedly down the ridge back the little creature seemed to possess. Color differences, slight variations in fur, maybe... The man shook his head, rubbing at his brow. "I see. Maybe you'll be able to lure it out one day, then you can show me..." Then, the little creature... seemed to correct her, and he started again with surprise. He'd somewhat lost his appetite, but he vainly attempted to resume eating. "How smart, do you think? Like a dog, or...?" After a moment, he'd glance apologetically at the creature. "...No offense meant, of course." Awkward. Meepfur Adrienne set the floox down again so that he could resume eating, and had a bit herself before returning to answering questions. "Oh, he's fine now! She took his name, and he turned into this weird...pod-thingy. That's why everything went really bad for awhile. But there was a big ceremony to fix him, and he came out of it. He does look different, though."
As to the next, she hmm'ed for a moment. "About like a kid, I think. They understand what you say pretty well."
Phlox's tail swished. Tsunake A slow sigh pulled itself from his lungs at her words, and perhaps he felt more relieved than he should have. Her description of... well, this 'healing' process made him tilt his head some, a frown creasing at his lips. So the devastation had indeed been caused by something gone wrong. And this... Grigori lady, whatever that was. Silently consulting the Dragon King didn't provide him with any answers. Shuo didn't remember, and the thought seemed to make the dragon a little sad. "As long as he's all right." Laurence muttered as he took another bite of stew. His eyes slid to Phlox again, as though considering. Were they really that smart? "Sounds useful. Having an extra pair of hands--paws around. Good company, too." Meepfur "He is," she assured Laurence, "I talked to him just the other day."
Adrienne nodded in between bites. "Phlox is my best friend, even if he can't talk. And he helps me garden, too. He can dig holes a lot faster than I can." Unless she was using a trowel, but where was the fun in that? "He didn't get along so great with our cat at first, but they got used to each other." Tsunake The man would nod silently at that, reminded of his own desire to see God. It was his whole reason for coming here, and now that the opportunity was right in front of his face, he was finally starting to feel uncomfortable. Would the Lord even tolerate his presence, knowing what he'd done? For some reason, the thought of the little fox-like creature and the were-girl digging side by side together was a funny mental image, and he snorted to himself. "You'll have to show me, when I come to visit you again sometime." He shouldn't have paused when she'd mentioned a cat, really, but it just seemed so normal in comparison to everything else in her life. "A house cat?" Or did it shoot laser beams out of its eyes? Meepfur "Well, not quite," she admitted. "She's actually got some spiky bits, but mostly she's like a normal cat. She does like to swim, though." Dinah was more normal than the flooxes, though, that was for sure! And Nanda, but she wasn't sure the little lovebird stuffed animal counted. Tsunake "Uh-huh." Laurence said with amusement, letting his spoon scrape at the bottom of the bowl. At least his hunger had come back--he'd forced thoughts of meeting Harmodius away for now. "Never heard of a cat with spiky bits, but I'll take your word for it." With a sigh, the man leaned back a little, unconsciously stretching his limbs some. "I appreciate your help and the stew, Adi." Laurence looked tired. "But I think I probably better get going. I know Shuo wants to meet with Harmodius, and I need to as well. Is there a good time I can come see you though, afterwards...?" Meepfur "Oh, anytime!" She was a little sad that he had to go, but she could understand why, and at least he was going to come and visit sometime. "I'm outside a lot, but whoever's there can just send Dogwood after me if you come by and I'm not home." It was hard to really give a time when there wasn't any day or night to go by. Tsunake "I'll remember that." He promised, and he meant it. "The green door, you said. I won't forget. Take care of yourself--and Phlox. I'll see you soon." It was a little strange, to think he was already making promises to a girl he hardly knew, but he could honestly say he'd enjoyed the company. She'd been helpful, expected nothing in return for what she'd done for him. That in itself was something hard to find these days. "I'll see you later, Adi." The man found himself repeating as he got to his feet, lifting his fingers in a wave before he'd slip silently out the door. He had a lot to think about.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:27 pm
No Shame In WaitingSolo #06 +500 words I don't understand. What's wrong...? Shuo was confused at the sudden, violent rebellion of his host. He'd been so eager to come here, to speak with God and perhaps relieve some of the burdens weighing on his soul, but he'd unexpectedly dug his heels in and had taken to roaming around the outside of the main structure Adi had pointed out to them. "Nothing." The man muttered under his breath, and his tone was bitter and filled with scorn. Not exactly convincing. Shuo was quiet for a moment, allowing his host to work out his irritation by stretching his long legs. After a while, however, he would speak again, almost casual in his manner. You are nervous, I think.A wordless growl. Shuo had better rectify that statement right-fast, or Laurence was going to see if punching himself in the chest did anything. You fear what our Lord will think of you...and it is no easy task, to meet the one you've struggled to serve for so long. Privately, the dragon was satisfied that the man eventually slowed, lifting his eyes irritably to the sky. There is nothing wrong with that, Laurence. It is an important step in the right direction, for both of us. You don't have to rush yourself."You wanted to meet him, too." He snapped, a hint of guilt creeping into his tone. Yes. But I have also slept for centuries. Waiting a day or two more will make no difference. In truth, the Dragon King wanted so badly to see Him, but he also shared the blood splattered nightmares that still soundlessly wracked his host whenever he nodded off. If he wanted Laurence to work with him, he would need to show patience and compassion. Laurence wasn’t buying it. It wants my soul, It wants my heart— “It’d be better to go straight away.” Came the abrupt decision, and he moved again. The sooner, the better. No matter how he tried to distract himself with the new found wonders of this place, the simple truth was that he didn't deserve any of it. It should be a happy occasion for you. You don’t even want to look around the Pantheon first? The dragon wheedled, knowing he was powerless to do anything. The priest would not reply, silently working out his agitation with long, aggressive strides. “I killed them. What would He want to do with me?” You did not kill them. Shuo chided sharply, and that was enough to silence the man for a moment. I will not argue with you. Just know that I think it would be best if you took some time to yourself, for now.Silence. Adi said something about gardens. Now he was just been optimistically annoying, and Laurence grunted with irritation. “******** off. “ But he subtly changed direction, heading away from the main structure of the Pantheon to instead wander towards the tree line. The dragon said nothing more, but the priest had the infuriating feeling that Shuo was quite pleased with himself.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:28 pm
A Confidence Boost, Perhaps?Meeting ItztlacJoint RP #03 +1,001 words Tsunake Laurence was feeling tired, but better after his discussion with Shuo, and on the dragon's insistence, was doing them both a favor and exploring the gardens around the Pantheon. It was beautiful and nothing quite like he'd ever seen before, and he'd slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat. So the Dragon King had... failed to merge with his first host. That was why he, too, was hesitant. He wanted to prove to God that he wouldn't fail again. It was ironic, he thought with a grim smile, that they had thought themselves so devoted, only to slip up and tumble down into the dirt. I do not remember this place as well as I feel I should. Shuo admitted quietly, and Laurence felt a pang of sympathy. The Fading had done this? He couldn't imagine all his memories being wiped away, thrust into a new life... but that was what he would be sacrificing himself for, to help the dragon regain his true self. With a sigh, the man lingered near one of the teahouses he hadn't eaten with Adi in, glancing towards the columns where the gods were said to live. Soon, they'd go. Both of them just needed a little more time to gather their thoughts. Meepfur Itztlac had been in the forest, enjoying the semi-dark it provided and visiting with some of the animals there. Possums and raccoons might not be everyone's idea of good company, but he was, of course, partial to anything nocturnal. More magnificent animals of such persuasion did exist, but the small, overlooked ones were just as useful - if not moreso. Not that he needed them for anything at this particular point in time; he just enjoyed their company. He did have to be careful, though, as small furry creatures and large equine hooves were not a good combination. He'd very nearly squashed a mouse.
Now returning to the Pantheon, he leapt easily over one of the streams along his way. Tsunake He'd have to be deaf to not hear and feel the hooves striking the earth, and the man glanced over slowly only to feel his face go slack with disbelief. A centaur. Was that seriously a centaur? It was seriously a centaur. Shaking his head a little as though to better help his eyes focus, he was surprised by Shuo's sudden, eager voice. More than that, he is kin. Call out to him, if you'd please?"You have got to be kidding me." Laurence muttered under his breath before he would, reluctantly, clear his throat, raising his voice to call out. "Hey! Uh..." Introduce yourself. Tell him Mang offers his greetings, and wishes to speak with him if he has the time.Why don't you just say that yourself? The man grumbled inwardly before he spoke. "Mang... offers his greetings to you, and wants to talk, if you have time. I'm Laurence Pershary." This felt like one of the most awkward things he'd ever done, but perhaps that was because he was still grappling with the fact that it was a centaur.Aren't you used to demons and all sorts of things? Shuo sounded very amused indeed. Meepfur Mobile ears twitched in the direction of the direction of the call. It was...unexpected, to say the least, but he masked his surprise well before turning to see who spoke. Though he didn't get out much, as it were, it seemed he had a knack for running into hosts when he did; at least this one's god talked in some fashion and might actually be polite. It was an improvement.
Rather than call back - Night rarely cared to raise his voice - he approached to speaking distance before saying anything. "And I give my greetings to Mang," he offered as he came to a halt, "And to you. I am Itztlac, Night."
Mang...one of the dragons, perhaps? It had the sound of it, but he could not say for sure. Tsunake Tall was the first thing that came to mind when the god-thing gracefully approached, and Laurence could do little but tilt his head up slightly the centaur eventually came to a stop. Itztlac, the god of Night? "He is Shuo Huang Zhe, the Dragon King." Laurence responded, knowing that would undoubtedly be the next thing that the dragon asked him to do. From the soft, pleased sound in the back of his mind, he'd been right; the dragon was delighted that his host was beginning to pick up on his mannerisms. Ask him if he is well--and perhaps, if he'd be so kind, if he could explain a little more about the Gehenna, and our Lord being injured... The deep, smooth tone darkened with disgust at the very thought, and Laurence was surprised some by the vehemence. "He wants to know if you are well... and, if you didn't mind, if you could tell us about the Gehenna, and," He paused, thinking of how to phrase it. 'God' wouldn't exactly suffice, as they were all gods, "...Lord Harmodius being injured. Is he all right?" He had to be; Dragon King and host were in firm agreement of this. The fact that he was addressing a higher power was probably the only thing that kept him from making a horse quip. Meepfur Itztlac actually found being tall quite pleasing, even if he didn't enjoy the bulk that came with his host's form. It had its own grace, he had to admit, but he would have preferred something...sleeker. And also less troublesome when it came to navigating stairs or going through doors. They always hit him on the way through, and it never got any less annoying. The height was nice, though, good for looking down at people, if not for getting through low doorways.
The god inclined his head respectfully when told more of the man's god. Shuo was that Mang, then. "I am well, and I will tell you what I can, though one of your brothers might serve you better if you wish details. I did not...become myself until after everything had passed. My host was among those who confronted Samyaza, not that it did any good; beyond that, he remained largely removed from what followed."
"Harmodius is well, to my knowledge. Some might say better than before, as he emerged Creation rather than Destruction." Personally, he had no preference. Tsunake My brothers... The dragon's tone was wistful, and very fond indeed. Though most things were still beyond his grasp, he remembered them, longed to reunite with them shortly after meeting with his Lord. Distracted only slightly by Shuo, Laurence seized on the name with sudden interest, his eyes narrowed ruefully. So, the Grigori lady that Adi had told them about now had a name. "Shuo didn't manage to find me until after the worst of everything had passed... Neither of us really understand what's going on." The priest made an irritated sound, long fingers rubbing at his brow for a moment. There was a small request in the back of his mind, and he let his strength reach back for the dragon, granting him the chance to speak. It was probably just as well; he'd been about to inquire about this Creation and Destruction switch. "It is a pleasure to meet you in this life, Itzlac." Though soft and a little weary, the deep, smooth tone was warm. "One day, we will sit and reacquaint ourselves, I hope." Though if his memory of Night would ever return, he did not know. "What Laurence says is true; we have learned very little. But so long as you say that He is well again, I would not trouble you further with questions." It seemed important that he at least address the god himself out of courtesy and respect, no matter how it taxed his strength. Feeling at least satisfied with himself, the dragon allowed Laurence control again. "Is this... your true form? Or was your host...?" Laurence would venture cautiously, not meaning to offend, but unable to stifle his curiosity as well. Shuo might have sighed. Meepfur Night was mildly surprised when Shuo himself spoke, and responded with another inclination of his antlered head. "It will be my pleasure, Dragon King."
"My host," Itztlac answered Laurence, with a small smile and slight nod. He was unoffended, increasingly aware of just how odd his choice had been, compared to those of the other gods he'd encountered. "My form is yet mostly his, though the wings are mine." He flexed said appendages, which were too small and in the wrong place to be of any use to him. They were merely...ornamental, as yet. Tsunake It was more... well, ridiculous than odd; centaurs were supposed to be mythical creatures that, as far as he was concerned, didn't exist. Not to say they couldn't, and perhaps it was odd for him to be so close-minded when he'd hunted demons on an almost daily basis, but at least he could honestly say he was intrigued and perhaps a little awed rather than remaining stuck in his disbelief. "I didn't realize you'd physically change, once you started to take root." The man said honestly, rolling his shoulders a little as though uncomfortable with the thought of sprouting wings. Dragons had wings, right? "Can I ask... what it was like? Painful?" He didn't sound concerned about it, so much as he was interested. Was it an actual, physical process? Or did more magical properties come into play? Shuo couldn't have been more pleased that his host was taking such an avid interest in one of his kin, and the dragon only wished he could have joined in the chatter. Meepfur "Eventually, we eclipse our host both mentally and physically to become the dominant entity. I am..." He paused for a moment, deciding how to describe it, "Halfway between what he was and what I will be. A little less, perhaps." His face had undergone the most noticable change, while his coloration had only just begun to turn. By and large, the changes had been underwhelming.
"Painful? A bit. I anticipate it will be moreso, in the event that my four legs become two." Regardless, he rather hoped that they would. Itztlac shifted absently, relaxing the weight off of one hind leg. Tsunake Mentally and physically... Would he fade away entirely, to give birth to the Dragon King again? Would there be a Heaven for him, or he would disappear in order for the dragon to live on? It was a disturbing thought, but he'd been resigned to his fate a long time ago. He'd been dead as soon as the demon had touched him. Better to live as a host for one who served God, rather than one that devoured and slaughtered everything that lived. A faint grimace pulled at his face when the god spoke so casually of his legs shifting, and Laurence nodded after a moment. "Lot more convenient as far as getting around goes. ...If I can ask, what does Night entail? Do you actually control when night falls, or is it something more than that...?" He was being nosy. With a god. It was probably not one of his smarter ideas. Meepfur "Our domains are not so much what we do, but what we are. Our abilities then stem from that." Itztlac paused again, tail flicking idly while he considered his answer. "But I do not control when night truly falls, no, as I do not control the sun. I can bring darkness to an area, though for now the result is more twilight than night." Tsunake The man's eyes narrowed slightly as the impact of the god's words sank in; Itztlac was the Night, in other words? Truly? "I suppose that would conflict with other gods, even if you could do that." Like the sun, exactly. "Does that make you the moon, as well? Is that in your power? Or that's something else entirely...? Hm." He'd never... considered the presence of other gods before; Christianity didn't exactly encourage such thinking at all. Laurence didn't really care. There was the true God, Shuo had said; the rest were there to serve, keep the world steady in a system of checks and balances. That was good enough for him. Meepfur "No, I am not the Moon," the god said with a shake of his head. "That is another god - or gods, as it were." Then, assuming Laurence would most likely ask, he explained, "There are male and female aspects of most domains, save the Dragon Kings, Primordials, and a handful of others."
Itztlac was somewhat impressed by the man's curiosity. He was quite unlike Finn-att; perhaps he'd even been willing. Tsunake The question was on his lips even as Itztlac answered it, and so he seemed rather quiet while he mulled over the answer. Male and female aspects. So there could be a female Night, stalking about the place? Or, like Adi's... ...mother, a female Love? (Or was it male?) But Shuo had no counterpart, and the dragon spoke to him as though he knew where his host's mind was going. Was he really so readable? It was irritating. We are different. Perhaps other aspect is Harmodius himself. So the Dragon Kings truly were servants of God. The man rubbed at his temple for a moment. "I see. Are the female and male aspects... similar? Like siblings?" Or were they closer than that--or did their relationships even function like human ones did? "I'm not meaning to be nosy." He interjected quickly, meeting the god's strange, silvery eyes. "...Just. What I've been taught never covers other gods, only Him--Harmodius." Meepfur "They can be," Itztlac supplied after another brief period of thought. His long, inhuman ears twitched idly, catching some slight noise from elsewhere. "The relationships of gods are...complex. They are particularly difficult to explain now, when I - we - have forgotten so much. I remember little of my, ah...counterpart."
Truth be told, he had a rather distant nature, and always had. That much he was certain of. "A more...involved deity might be able to tell you more." Tsunake The priest rubbed at his brow for a moment as he briefly tried to imagine what these gods must feel like, knowing so little even though they'd finally, finally been reborn. Trying not to let himself stare at the slender, somehow elegant ears set upon the sides of the god's head, Laurence ventured another bold statement. "Regardless, I appreciate it. You spending your time to speak with me. The gods don't normally speak with mortals where I'm from." He reflected on that for a moment, cynical, but then had the sense to be ashamed. His next words were accompanied by a slightly bowed head. He'd meant no disrespect. "You'll be around these parts, then? This forest?" Hopefully Itztlac wasn't hoping this would be the last time he'd ever see the mortal again. Meepfur "You carry one of us, and a Dragon King at that. It affords you attention even from those who might otherwise pass a mortal by." And, like it or not, they all needed mortals - not just as hosts, but as believers to sustain them. It would be a foolish god who refused involvement entirely.
The god nodded. "I will. I make my home at the Pantheon, as most do." Tsunake His sudden grimace came and went like a flash, but if he had a comment, he kept quiet. Laurence only nodded wordlessly at that, mulling it over. A Dragon King at that. So Shuo had kept some secrets on his end, it seemed. Then again, the priest had never inquired much. With that, the man dipped his head in a short, but respectful bow, and straightened. "Hope you don't mind if I drop in another time, then. Once I've got more information and have some of this sorted out. ...Thanks for your time." The words felt awkward on his tongue, wooden, but the priest meant them. If Night had nothing else to say to him, then the man would respectfully take his leave and go.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:29 pm
Crazy Little Thing Called Love Religion
Solo #07
+500 words
Tired, but enlightened. It was an odd state of mind, to say the least, but the meeting with the centaur god had put thoughts in his head that he’d never even considered before. Sacrilegious, perhaps, considering his religion, his faith... but a lot of things had changed for the young priest over the weeks of the Apcalypse, as well as his coming here, to the Pantheon. Receiving the Dragon King, Mang, speaking to gods such as Night, and half-immortals , godling daughters such as Adi—all of those had set a chain of events in motion that had him thinking now.
What’s on your mind? Shuo questioned, ever curious, and if he was being honest with himself, rather fond of the way the priest’s mind ticked and worked.
“My religion.” Laurence kept it vague for a brief pause or two before he continued. “We believe in one God and one God only, and the teachings of Jesus. Jesus Christ is, or so it’s believed, the son of God. The savior of humanity.”
He wasn’t quite sure, but he assumed the dragon was listening... well, to listen. “Now, what you’ve been telling me—what I’ve seen so far. That doesn’t exactly match up with the teachings of the church, mm?”
I understand that this all might be difficult to process, at first. Mang started, tentatively probing about to see how Laurence would take this. Was he upset, irritated, in disbelief? It was hard to say, though he’d privately admit to himself that tentatively rooting about for the answer seemed familiar and enjoyable, in a way. There was no denying that he was rusty, however.
The priest snorted to himself. “Easy for you to say.” A hand ran through his hair for a moment, considering. “I guess... Well. I’m thinking of it this way. Religions; different fingers on the same hands. It’s not the specifics that matters—Lord Creation doesn’t have a son, does He?” Laurence’s eyes narrowed a little as that thought came to mind.
Technically, We are all His children.
He grunted a little, but seemed satisfied with that. “And He’s here, right?” He didn’t wait for an answer. "It doesn't... Matter though, that's what I'm saying. Trying to say." Laurence paused near the edge of the woods for now, tilting his head up. He hadn't believed the Dragon King at the very beginning, and, if he was remembering right, had scoffed at the whole thing.
His faith in God was what had brought him here, even though he very well knew that the strange, deep voice in his mind could have been leading him on a wild goose chase. He’d been too tired to care anymore, hadn’t been worthy enough to go back to the church, and didn’t feel like he could stay with Seth and Liam.
There was more than that, though. Mang had called to him.
“I believe you now.” He continued, like it was some casual, simple thing even as he leaned against one of the tree trunks. “Hell if I know why. The centaur was cool though, gotta admit.” He was exhausted, and if Itaztlac had been close enough to overhear him, he’d have been more or less mortified. Centaur or not, he was a god, and deserved no less than full respect.
I’m pleased to hear that, Laurence. Shuo’s tone had softened. ...Do you know why I chose you? The dragon asked.
”My faith. My devotion.” Laurence said, recalling what he’d been told back in the hotel, when he’d first truly gotten to speak with Shuo.
Partially, yes. But there’s... a strength to you, Laurence. A determination, and a stubbornness that... well, frankly, I think would help make me better fit to serve our Lord.
Lips quirked a little, his smile quickly swiped away by the back of his hand. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone say it so nicely. “ Long legs stretched themselves out and he headed away from the trees now, content to roam about for now. “...I want to do this. Sacrifice myself, for what I’ve done, for you.” This was short, more curt, but frankly honest.
And for once, the dragon didn’t know what to say.
I will not forget what you’re doing for me, Laurence. Mang eventually sighed. ...Thank you.
“Don’t thank me yet.” The man muttered. “We still aren’t going to see Him yet.” There was a quiet chuckle that trickled through his thoughts.
Unlike you, I am very patient. Let’s talk another walk. Who knows who else might be near the Pantheon? I’m sure they could prove to be quite resourceful.
“You just want to talk everyone’s ear off that you possibly can.” The priest muttered, but obediently veered towards where he knew the moss gardens would be.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:30 pm
The World Beyond The VeilMeeting NergalJoint RP #04 +1,001 words Thabara While the sky remained gone, with only starless, inky blackness in place of the former cerulean blue, it certainly didn't stop the world from having weather. Right now, the disconcerting sight of the un-sky was hidden by a layer of thick clouds of leaden gray, allowing only little light of the shining orbs Illumin had put up to pass through. It was cold. By no means chilly, but – combined with the dampness of misty air, and the steady drizzle – to creep into one's clothes, causing the fabric to uncomfortably cling to one's skin. It seemed like just the right sort of dreary weather for a funeral, which indeed was the case, judging by the look of a small group of persons clad in black exciting through the rusty gates of the nearby graveyard. They spoke only in hushed voices with each other, if at all, and soon departed. None of them looked back at the graveyard where the misty air curiously had thickened to outright fog, and none of them seemed to take notice the ghostly lights of the will'o the wisps which flickered erratically through the lazy swirls of white. Tsunake It never ceased to unnerve him that the very atmosphere seemed... off, ever since those hellish weeks. Both Adi and Itztlac had reassured him that God was well and fine, but surely something was still off. And somehow, despite it all, it had started to rain. The priest sullenly pulled his dark trench coat closer around his body, not particularly fond of the wet. It was a good sign though, surely, it had to be. Shuo remained unconvinced, and though Laurence had poked and prodded at him, he still refused to voice his opinion on things. He caught sight of what had to be mourners as they slipped out of what had to be a cemetery, and stood uneasily for a moment, forgetting the rain as it pelted his hair, his face. More and more graveyards these days... Just how many people had died? You wish to pay your respects? Came the query, and Laurence replied by lengthening his stride and moving towards the old, creaky gates. Amber eyes flickered and caught sight of the menacing, thickening fog, as well as the orbs of light that seemed to dance within its arms, and a prayer was on his tongue without thinking. Shuo was more than a little shocked to feel a spark of power quite literally sear through the man's body, not knowing his host was capable of such a thing. Wait, wait! Don't be so hasty--do you sense a demon?The man paused with a frown, his shoulders tensing. "No." Came the low, embarrassed mutter, and the Dragon King would not chide him. He was clearly still on edge from his situation prior to when Shuo had bonded to him, and could hardly be faltered for such a thing. Curious now, wary, he began to circle, knowing this was a little too deliberate to be a naturally occurring event. Whatever it was, a lost spirit or something more threatening, it shouldn't be walking among the dead. The Invisible Couch  There was a tall figure at the center of it, one that might have been mistaken all too easily for part of the cemetery's statuary at first, especially given the appearance of white-on-white and that it seemed quite undisturbed by the steady drizzle.
White was the hair, dreaded into thick, rope-like braids, ending in ornaments seemingly carved from bone. White the skin, harsh features like they had been chiseled from rock. White were the robes, heavy folds of fabric draped over the shoulders. And white were the wings, though they seemed less solid, somehow, but rather part of the overall fog.
Unlike its silent marble brethren, however, this figure was moving, speaking quietly to a pale, slender woman. Finally she nodded, something like resignation on her face as she longingly looked over her shoulder one last time, before she stepped forward … Straight into the other, and then … she vanished.
Nergal closed his eyes momentarily, following her trail inside himself. It was rare for him to pick up a soul directly – this was his brother's task, after all, and given how she'd pleaded with him, begged to be allowed to stay just a little longer, because: Her sister! Her children! He was quite glad to not have to deal with this on a regular base. He certainly didn't envy the Spirit Guide.
There'd been nothing special about that woman even, he'd merely happened to be around by chance, visiting his Beloved and Children and driven by his curiosity to take another peek at how the construction of his temple went along. He had made it somewhat of a habit (or was trying to, at least) to attend to funerals, if any took part while he was arround, but he never came especially for them. Usually his presence was unbeknownst to the mourning party, though at times they seemed to be able to guess at it.
He blamed the fog for it, the visible miasma of his domain, and the wisps which were all too eager to flit to and fro in their incomprehensible games and patterns whenever he'd allow some of them to accompany him to the realm of the living.
It was one of them that whispered to him about a living person nearby, one whose presence had slipped his attention. Had a member of the mourning party returned to say their last farewells in privacy? If so, they were too late – the soul of the woman was already gone.Tsunake Where Laurence's eyes wandered straight over the craggy features of the god without pause, Shuo hissed sharply in his thoughts, a wordless command to take a closer look. The man obeyed with a grimace, and found himself blanching at the sight. Whatever it was, it was not seemingly human, and the figure of the woman had him inhaling rather sharply. This did not bode well. Whatever the other was, he was dressed elegantly, the quality of the fabric apparent even from here. But there was no time to dwell on that, however, for with one, seemingly despairing glance over her shoulder, the young woman stepped into the creature... and vanished. He was starting to gape, but found his teeth clenching with open animosity. What had that been, all of that? "The hell did you do with her?" The man snapped, his shoulders beginning to tense even as he strained to recall one of the more powerful prayers he knew. Undoubtedly, it would destroy his health, but wherever a demon was about, he would be there to destroy it. He'd hunt them until the day he died. Laurence. The Dragon King was speaking slowly and calmly, trying to soothe his agitated host. He hadn't been quite sure at first, but now that the priest was beginning to advance some, there was no mistaking the sheer power that radiated from what had to be one of their kin. Laurence, I do not believe he is an enemy, but a god.The man jerked to a halt at that, wary, his expression still unforgiving. Perhaps he simply wanted to work out his pent-up aggression after all that had happened to him. "...You're... a god?" His tone was rough, and though still sullen, the bite had vanished. Thabara „I merely sent her to where she belongs now,“ Nergal replied cooly, turning to face the newcomer. There seemed nothing out of the ordinary about the man, a mere mortal seemingly, though there was a faint inkling about him being more than just that. Unfortunately, the Judge of the Dead had never been among the most perceptive of his kind, so he first and foremost took notice of Laurence's upset features, and the obvious hostility, making him wonder what he had done this time.
The thought that the sight of him inviting her soul into himself might thave appeared somewhat suspicious, to say the least, blissfully never occured to him. „It spared her aimless wandering, or rather, the haunting of this place for weeks and months to come, as she had intended to.“
„You mentioned Hell. With that realm collapsed and gone, the souls of the dead are too easy a prey for its hungry denizens left to stalk the realms of the living. That woman … if you are a friend or relative of hers, she is safe now, where she has gone.“
„You inquired if I were a god.“
The tall, pale figure of Nergal stepped forward, the bone ornaments in his hair faintly clicking as they hit against each other.
„I am. The Overseer of Souls, their Judge and – first and foremost – the Realm which hosts them, Underworld. I go, on this plane of being at least, by the name of Nergal.“
„And who would you be?“ Tsunake Laurence was listening carefully, the faint glow of his amber eyes narrowed with the suspicion clearly written all over his face. When the being turned to acknowledge him head on, he was struck with unease, unconsciously sensing the might of this so-called god. Then, the other said something that hit a chord, and the priest would straighten slightly. Haunted? "She was dead." And he'd sent her on? Obviously, that went against everything he'd been taught, and so he appraised the situation now with a little more interest.'' "Hell is gone?" Laurence was stunned, gritting his teeth with disgust. "That's why the demons are overrunning everywhere." What the hell had happened, what had caused such an event? If Hell itself was destroyed, what had been powerful enough to do that? The god stepped forward and he snapped back to attention, distracted for a moment by what looked like... bone, somehow weaved into the other's thick, coarse hair. The Overseer of Souls, their Judge...? Underworld. Shuo sounded pleased, and somehow admiring. This god--Nergal--seemed somehow so much different than Itztlac, more powerful. Had he fully taken over his host's body, then? It seemed so. "Laurence Pershary. A priest, and a demon hunter. Host to the Dragon King, Shuo Huang Zhe, or... Mang." He resisted the urge to rub at the gem implanted above his heart. The Invisible Couch A demon hunter? Nergal's expression was hard to read for a moment, but first and foremost it seemed to display some sense of grim satisfaction. The less demons the better, really. It quickly turned to surprise, however, when in quick succession the words 'host', 'Dragon King' and 'Mang' fell. The name of the Dragon King meant nothing to him, but the title … the title …
Having been unable to recall the face and heritage of his Queen in ages past, or even as much as the fact that he'd had a brother back then, it left him considerably shaken to have come across something so eerily familiar all of a sudden. „Mang,“ he said, bowing only slightly, but with utmost respect. „The Mediator of Crowns. I recall little of the Past, but at least this much: You have been a frequent guest in my realm, my court. The news of your rebirth is a welcome one.“
„But yes, that woman was dead.“ Did the young man possess the gift of sight, that he had mistaken her for one of the living? Or had been it his own influence on their current surroundings causing him to see her so clearly? He had no idea – obviously, to 'get the hang of things' would take much more time than he'd anticipated.
„And Hell is indeed gone. All of its instances, everywhere. Demonkind is a homeless race now. It seems like a miracle, almost, they haven't come to me yet, begging …“ His voice trailed off. And what would he do, then, if they did? He'd always loathed that accursed race, and his most recent encounter with their kind had done nothing to better his opinion of them – on the contrary. More or less, it was only the oath he had sworn to remain neutral, which had kept his general loathing of them in check, preventing it from turning into sheer hatred.
They did not belong on the same plane of being as the mortals, clearly. But was it truly his problem to take care of, on top of everything else? Likely. Hell was where the sinners among the dead had been sent to suffer for their deeds. Relations to his own realm must have been close.
There'd been a Throne once, in the depths of Hell, a seat reserved just for him …Or so he'd been told.
„If you wish to discuss matters further, both of you, perhaps we should do so someplace dry,“ he suggested. The rain did little to affect him now, merely a minor bother, but the downpour seemed to be growing steadily in strength. He remembered all too well just how much time he'd spent soaked, feeling cold, wet, and generally miserable when he'd been reborn into the body of a mortal. The mausoleum was out, as he preferred to let the dead rest, even if only their bodies were present … The next entrance to the catacombs too far away …
„There is a small chapel close by,“ he suggested, indicating the direction with a motion of his hand. „Where the funerary service for this woman was held. It should be deserted by now, and even if not …“ He shrugged. His intimidating appearance, if not his rank, would make sure they were left alone.(( Sorry for this wall of text. XD;;; )) Tsunake The sudden (was it reverence?) inflection upon the god's tone had both host and dragon shifting with surprise, the former confused and the latter deeply flattered. A frequent visitor, Underworld said? Shuo seemed to understand, even if Laurence didn't; where better to confer with mortals than visit the domain of the one who oversaw them after their time was gone? The dragon most eagerly wished to speak now, and Laurence lent his strength yet again to give the other voice. "You honor me, Underworld, and to see you so magnificent is a relief, indeed. Though I do not--remember," A slight hitch there, and though the priest was curious, that seemed to be knowledge the dragon was not quite willing to impart upon him yet. "I do not doubt your words, and I pray that the time will come where I may visit you yet again." Laurence would bow his head to the other, sensing Shuo's intent. Shuo had frequently visited the Overseer of Souls? Who else did he know--or, had he once known? Clearly the dragon remembered very little now, and Laurence knew it bothered him. His tongue clicked briefly against his teeth in thought before he jerked to attention once Nergal confirmed that the woman, indeed, had been dead. "...I apologize." And the man would tip his head in another bow. "...It's no excuse, but I didn't realize. I've been having to expect the worst, these days." A mild grimace. Like all his brothers, he had been blessed to see what others could not, a tool to help him better destroy demons that roamed the earth. When the god confirmed his suspicions, his grimace turned itself into a wordless sneer, and the priest was shaking his head with disgust. "Think you could wipe them all out for good in one fell swoop." He muttered to himself. Such a thing would be impossible, and he knew it, but if only there was a way... Blinking slightly at the mention of rain, Laurence snorted to himself. He'd been so surprised that he'd forgotten the miserable wet, and now that Nergal mentioned it, he was all too aware of it drizzling down his neck. "We'd appreciate that." Still, he hesitated. A chapel? He'd never refuse a request from a god from sheer respect, but was he really worthy of entering? You will be all right. The Dragon King soothed, and Laurence would nod to Underworld, as though reaffirming his voiced assent. Thabara „You think of me as magnificent now, in this appearance?“ Underworld's expression seemed smug, almost mischievous. Having come across Mang by sheer accident had definitely put him into a very fine mood, and it was a shame neither Laurence nor Shuo knew how rare of an occurence that was. „Just you wait until you have seen my realm, my real form. Though …“ He hesitated for but a moment, before he admitted the truth. „It is quite unfinished yet, such things take time … Especially having to start from scratch. But it will be glorious.“
„I look forward to the time that I may welcome you within the boundaries of my realm once more.“ He would taken him there right now, but such did not seem advisable … yet. Only once a mortal had stumbled into his realm by accident, and he had no means of knowing what the lasting effects on her were, from the brief time she'd spent there. Lest alone what it would do to the mortal body of a host to a fellow deity. „Your presence is definitely welcome. When the time comes, the guards will know to let you pass.“
He accepted the apology with a brief nod, slightly disgruntled that he'd been mistaken for … what, a demon himself?
„I honestly wish I could,“ he admitted, catching onto Laurence's darkly muttered words. „However, within the realms of the living, I am virtually powerless. I rule only the dead, and can force the undead to do my bidding, though I cannot create them – and would not, even if I could,“ he explained as he led the way to the funerary chapel.
The interior was still lit after the recent service, and a young priest – no, too young, an acolyte, that was more likely – was busy sweeping the floor. As he laid eyes upon the menacing figure stepping through the gates he paled, and almost dropped his broom in shock, before he remembered himself and bowed reverently.
„Some tea for my acquaitance, if you please?“ Nergal suggested in a surprisingly friendly tone. It wasn't the first time he'd been here, and he already knew that youth, and what would come of making it sound too much like an order. „It does not need to be anything special (hopefully Shuo Huang Zhe would forgive him for that, but he didn't want the boy to be gone for hours again, before showing up with the desired beverage), only hot.“ He quirked a hairless brow, prompting another reverent bow before the young man ran off on his errand, dropping the broom after all.
Nergal sighed, flinching slightly at the sound of the broomstick hitting the tiled ground. Well. This time, at least, the boy hadn't fainted in his presence.
„However, despite my lack of power on this plane of existence,“ Nergal continued on the previous topic, „demonkind has found that some souls at least can be a rather troublesome to prey on. Rest assured, the sight of a demon rent to pieces by a powerful horde of poltergeists is a spectacular one. And rather satisfying as well.“ Yes, he was definitely looking smug now, and quite pleased with himself.
He stretched a little, clasping his hands behind his back in a rather formal pose as he took in the sight of the interior of the chapel. It seemed awfully small, compared to the temple they'd started building for him … But he still vividly remembered the time shortly after his rebirth, when such a chapel had offered shelter and protection to him in a stormy night.
I must not forget about this, he reminded himself. My time spent as one of the mortals. How harsh Life can be. „If you have questions, both of you, ask. I will answer to the best of my abilities, though my knowledge is oft second-hand, and bound to be out of date.“ Tsunake "Magnificent." The dragon repeated, and there was a sly playfulness in his tone that Laurence hadn't heard before. "Awe-inspiring, at the very least. Truly impressive, and I cannot help but admire." This time, he would not fail his Lord. He, too, would grow back into himself as Nergal quite clearly had. "Ah! No doubt you've been hard at work, and my only regret is that I cannot see it now and then be able to compare it to when it is finished at last... But, then again, it will be something to look forward to, and no doubt I will only be able to look on admiringly." That last was said rather cheerfully; it took quite a lot to get him to hush, and Underworld's temple would surely do just that if it was as glorious as the god claimed it would be. This felt very natural, somehow, and though it was his gift to be skilled with words and flattery, Shuo was sincere. He already knew one thing, however; he liked Underworld very much, and Laurence couldn't help but wryly figure the dragon would like anyone who would talk with him. It was odd, having a conversation that required his body but not his actual presence, and so the man stayed respectfully quiet. Of course, when Nergal addressed what was meant to just be a grumbled thought spoken aloud, the priest would straighten. "Oh--no, I didn't mean to question." He sounded a little embarrassed. "You just think... someone, could do something. Is there a god of them, that you know of? Demons?" He kept his tone carefully neutral. He was distracted as they ducked into the chapel, feeling somehow like he was violating the peace of this place, though he had to admit that it was a welcomed reprieve from the rain. Both he and the dragon watched the young boy with mingled sympathy and amusement--though Shuo seemed very much delighted with the mortal, and the fact that Nergal seemed to know him. Neither of them minded simple, ordinary tea; the heat alone sounded extremely nice to Laurence right now. "I'm glad." The priest sounded grim, but pleased at the violent thought. Not befitting of a religious figure, perhaps, but most demons... they didn't deserve mercy nor kindness. The chapel felt a little like home, somehow, but he could not ignore the knives of guilt that thrust themselves deep into his gut and twisted menacingly. More of this destruction, perhaps... Shuo suggested when Nergal offered his knowledge freely to them, and Laurence would comply. "He apologizes," The man said. "He's still new, with me, and he gets tired easily." From the host's tone, he sounded disapproving that the dragon continued to waste his strength greeting every god he met. He was struck momentarily by how regal the god looked, how his broad form lent itself to his seemingly menacing countenance. He certainly couldn't blame the acolyte for reacting the way he had. Remembering himself, Laurence spoke. "We wanted to know a little more about this..." What had Adi called it? "Gehenna? We heard that..." His brow furrowed. "This Grigori injured our Lord, and that was what caused all the destruction..." There were too many gaps in the story though--but perhaps the pieces hadn't been found even now. Thabara For but a moment, Nergal blinked at the statement, and stared, trying desperately to figure out if the Dragon King actually meant what he said, or if he was being teased back. He usually just knew with his brother, but … While his features might appear expressionless to the human, Mang of all was probably able to read his momentary confusion quite well.
„I shall look forward to your visit, then.“ Nergal bowed, only slightly, but certainly deep enough to acknowledge the Dragon King's rank. There was no doubt left about it, that Mang and his brethren were … 'special'.
„Demons … They have their own Lords, powerful enough to take on a god not fully regrown into his powers.“ Nergal's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing to slits. It was obvious he had little liking for the demonic races, and might even be talking from his own experience. „But no gods or religion that I know of. I was told, by one of them, that I had a Seat within their realms once, well respected, considered a King amongst them.“ He certainly did sound doubtful about it. Demons, after all, had a tendency to utter nothing but lies as soon as they opened their trap.
He nodded at the Dragon King's formal apology for his retreat from the surface, simply accepting it. He himself had been able to hold on for but a few minutes when talking directly through his host at this stage, on the rare occasions he'd actually done it. „Save your strength,“ he advised, his tone surprisingly gentle. „I know you can hear and observe perfectly well, despite you not speaking for yourself. I have walked the same road, after all.“ It was by no means visible through the layers of robes and tunics he bore, but there was a gem set into the white flesh of his chest as well …
„Yes. There was one lone Grigori, their leader, Samyaza, brought back from their exile, and into the Crown's presence. She stole his Name, and thus brought about The End before its time. Those involved had no idea … Certainly, you too have barely any memories of our time before the Fading?“
„Actually, this story goes back quite some time. Where the actual roots lay … it is impossible to tell, for me. In this new Age, it all began when Universe sought Creation's love, and when rejected, decided to take Him by force. From where he has gained these blades, capable to cut even Creation's flesh, I do not know. But we All felt the blow, all of us Reborn. Universe was halted, but the wound he struck brought forth the Crown's other aspect – Destruction. Such is the Age I was reborn into, and I know only through my host's memories what it has been like before.“
„But even before, it seems, Creation's strength was waning … He had a consort once, a mortal prince. Beloved enough to be granted the boon to be ever reborn to be at the Crown's side. Word has it, that He would be the only way to restore True Balance, to put an end to Destruction's influence. But the prince's last rebirth had been long before the Fading. Sudden weakness struck him while …“ he hesitated for but a moment. „While being as a guest in my realm. A weakness of which he did not recover, or so I am told. He died within a week, Aristogeiton, Sanatruces, or whichever name he bore back then. After that he was never reborn again, his soul never found.“
„It was because it seemed to have fallen into fragments, it was later found out, seven in all. The Grigori held one of them, so they were sought out in their exile, knowing nothing of the reason for it. Coincidence, mayhaps, that they held that one piece. I am rather inclined to think it was part of their ploy. To imagine, though, they may have been thinking that far ahead …“ It made them a formidable enemy, to say the least. There'd been word they had been at War with the gods, at some time, and he had not the slightest doubt about it. There he was, fully reborn, at the hight of his power once more. But when he thought of the Grigori, he felt … fear. Tsunake Laurence resisted the urge to stiffen with surprise as the god actually dipped his head briefly in acknowledgment of Mang, leaving him wondering on just how high of a rank the dragon possessed in order to earn such a reaction. It sat strangely with him; he and the dragon had yet to discuss what it was that Shuo actually did for God, and in all honesty, he now wasn’t sure if he wanted to pry. Shuo seemed amused about something, but didn’t feel the need to share, and the host irritably left it at that. There was a brief tightening of his jaw, a hot flash of anger through his eyes, but his tone was cool and flat when he trusted himself to speak again. To think that demons—and the higher ranking filth among them, he would not call them Lords or any title of respect—could prey on the newly reborn gods. Surprising, no, not quite, but still disgusting. Then the Lord Underworld dropped a secret that forced him to openly grimace before he caught himself, and he averted his eyes to try and hide any disrespect. A king? Well, perhaps someone who could keep them in line with a title like that was needed—and who better than a god who already harbored little respect for those fiends? Before he could think how to properly word these thoughts, the almost gentle words from Underworld made him vaguely uncomfortable. He muttered an embarrassed thanks on behalf of the dragon, though Mang was anything but. Rather, he was touched by the concerned, and would take the wise words to heart. A lone Grigori, a name that he held onto fiercely... but what she had supposedly done was what tripped up the man. His Name? How was that possible? But it wasn’t his place to question, and he held his tongue to keep himself from interrupting. Still, the fact that God had been weakening before this was enough to make the man glower, his face looking impossibly hollow while dark, damp hair threatened to obscure his vision completely. "A prince—" Laurence bit back his words once more, swallowing them down and resisting the urge to say something else that might embarrass himself, but still. The shock faded as Lord Underworld continued to explain, and eventually, when he had finished, the man sighed slowly. “So they’re still out there. They could do something like this again.” And though he wouldn’t say it, could the gods really stop these Grigori if they did move into action? Besides for Nergal, he hadn’t seen any that were at their full strength once more, and it was definitely a cause for concern. "The piece. Was it returned? Have the others been found?" He was speaking impatiently now, but there was no mistaking his concern. Bringing God--Creation--back to full strength, that should be the important thing. These Grigori demons... could they be planning another attack so soon? They would talk until Laurence felt he was, grudgingly, intruding upon Nergal's time. He bowed low as he excused himself, thanking Underworld for taking the time to educate him and help broaden his knowledge of the current situation. Shuo was grateful, too, and, pulling his coat more tightly around his shoulders, the pair would weather their way back out into the storm. fin.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:31 pm
Flooxes In The Rain
Solo #08
+500 words
After he’d begged off from Lord Underworld, there had been nothing but the cold rain waiting to embrace him once he left the safety of the chapel. It was just as well, he supposed. Being back in that holy atmosphere had made him feel filthy, somehow. Unworthy. He was still tainted from the possession, and though Shuo’s presence had freed him of the demon’s grasp, he imagined he could still feel it coating him like oil. In some ways, that made the rain a welcomed distraction, though it wouldn’t be too long before he was chilled and shivering lightly as it seeped through the front of his shirt. The coat was good in situations like this, repelling most of the wet.
The dragon did not seem to mind the rain either, though in truth, Laurence wasn’t sure what was going on in the Dragon King’s head. Since talking to Underworld and finding out more of what had happened to God, he was contemplating. Or rather, fretting. How could he blame him? It disturbed the priest, shook the very basics of his faith in a way that unnerved him to the core. What sort of demon could lash out and nearly destroy God?
With a grimace, the man lengthened his stride, seeking to get out of the rain, out from underneath these surmounting thoughts. There was the tea house, though whether or not it was the same that he’d visited before was impossible to say. He slid the door open, shaking himself like a dog before he awkwardly settled himself onto one of the cushions on the floor. Some tea would warm you. The dragon had developed an annoying habit of mothering his host, concerned about his welfare at all times. Laurence did not appreciate the sentiment.
Before he could retort, there was a soft sound from the corner of the room—tiny claws scratching against the wooden floors. The priest’s head snapped around even as he instinctively started to get up, ready for an assault. When he first saw the miserable, shivering pile of wet fur, he thought it was Phlox at first, and the pit of his stomach dropped uncomfortably when, upon closer inspection, that it most certainly was not. For one thing, it looked... well, like it had been running around in the forests for some time now. How it had managed to survive the Gehenna, he had no idea, but it didn’t look good.
If you leave it on its own here, it may not make it, Shuo observed all too casually. No one else would likely even know it was here.
“You’re a b*****d,” Laurence replied, hating himself even as he warily approached the tiny creature. It hardly seemed afraid of him, staring up with shiny black eyes and offering a feeble, friendly chirp of greeting. The storm was really starting to pick up now, and after a moment of indecision, he crouched and slowly reached a hand out to the tiny, water-laden beast. To his surprise, the creature promptly sprang at him, tiny claws seizing hold even as it wiggled its way into his trench coat. It was an extremely unpleasant experience, and he was ashamed to admit that he yelped with surprise, very nearly swatting at the lump in his shirt. Wet fur against bare skin was something he didn’t ever care to repeat, and the draconic laughter in his head only made it worse.
He had to find some place warmer than this if any of them wanted a good night’s sleep tonight, and though Laurence stared balefully out at the storm for a while, he would eventually shoulder his way back out into it. Maybe he could find another of these gods, and ask for their help.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:33 pm
A Brother In The StormMeeting Jin Huang, Futs-LungJoint #05 +1,001 words Tsunake He was now wet, cold, smelled suspiciously like a drenched dog, and was having to deal with the furry little floox burying its wet self against his chest. Laurence Pershary was not a happy man. He could feel the tiny creature shivering miserably underneath his trench coat, and there was no way, despite his gruff attitude, that he could have just left it. Still, the tea house smelled too badly for him to stay there, and that was why he'd trudged back out into the storm, black hair plastered against his brow and dripping into his eyes. Thunder rumbled ominously just overhead, and the creature trembled even harder. There should be shelter in the Pantheon, some place you can rest. Shuo was rumbling anxiously. The rain did not particularly bother the dragon, but he was concerned for the floox they had rescued. Yes, rescued. Laurence just grit his teeth and didn't even bother to respond, stumbling up the steps of the large and impressive structure to just get some semblance of a roof over his head. He was drenched, dripping from head to toe and sputtering from the cold. The entire structure was open, somehow, and whenever the wind blew, it effectively soaked him thoroughly all over again, forcing him to move deeper inside in a vain attempt to dry off. Mang was left to worry over his host's health, knowing that if he caught a cold or grew too chilled... well, bad things could happen indeed. Someone must be around, surely they will help you. The dragon said, trying to encourage. "Or you're full of s**t and they'll slam a door in my face for looking like a homeless vagrant." The priest said, ill-tempered. Still, he'd pick up the pace some, and eventually would call out, "Hello? Is anyone there?" Hard to make out, considering how hard his teeth were chattering. Ithiltari Jin Huang looked outside and sighed miserably. He hadn't wanted to return to his house once the storm had started; in fact, he'd already made arrangements to stay at the Pantheon when he'd been contacted about some emergency back home. Luckily, he had Huore close at hand, and now he was simply waiting for the Erras to show up so they could both make the trek back in hopefully record time. Fortunately, Huore was telepathic, which meant that Jin Huang had merely to listen for the announcement of his arrival before leaving the dubious shelter of the Pantheon's main building, which was rather ineffectual at keeping the wind at bay.
At the sound of Laurence's speech, and shouted greeting, Jin Huang turned slightly from his vantage point on the stairs. He debated ignoring the man, but Huore had just informed him that he was taking shelter near one of the tea houses until the storm died down a little more. Perhaps this rather battered looking man would provide some sort of diversion while he waited.
"Hello," he called out in reply, descending the stairs, tail ticking back and forth slowly as he eyed Laurence curiously. Despite the wind and rain still blowing through the building, Jin Huang amanged to appear tidy and unruffled, simple black clothing elegantly tailored to fit him rather perfectly. There was no embellishment to his outfit today, though a small flash of gold on his hand revealed a bit of jewelry. "Was there perhaps something or someone you were looking for? Besides a way to make this storm stop," he finished with an amused smile. Tsunake He stood there for what felt like hours, straining his senses just in case anyone was nearby while the wind slapped at his eyes for his impudence, threatening him to seek better shelter or else. The priest was stubborn though, trying not to shiver as the animal against his chest continued to tremble and doing his best to block out Shuo's concerned advice. The dragon was stuck in his head, not out here, so as far as Laurence cared, he could shove it. The greeting made his head shoot up a little, his amber gaze seeming to gleam until it locked onto the dignified looking man making his way down one of the staircases to join him. More importantly, he was trying not to stare at this guy's tail.More importantly, before he could even think to be wary, he felt the dragon practically hum with sudden delight and longing, an ache that echoed through Laurence's entire body. My brother!"What?" He demanded through his shudders, impatiently shaking his head before focusing back on the dragon. "Uh, yeah, the storm. I w-was looking for somewhere to stay and get out of the rain--" And keep this damn, shivering rodent from clawing a hole in his chest. Laurence hesitated very briefly before deciding just to be blunt about the whole thing. "You--are you a dragon?" Ithiltari Having finally made his slow descent to the main floor of the Pantheon, Jin Huang looked mildly irritated as the rain continued to sheet through the open walls. "You might have chosen the area behind you," he replied with a wave of one hand towards the once place on the main floor that had closed off walls. "Although I cannot speak for the long term comfort of the place."
The wind and rain made it more than passingly difficult to carry on a conversation, and so the dragon was starting to move closer to where Laurence was standing when the man blurted out hi question. Startled, the dragon stopped, brows furrowing and tail idly moving from side to side. "I am Jin Huang, the Dragon King Futs Lung, Treasurer to the Twin Crown. Who are you, and why do you ask?"
Clearly he wasn't close enough yet to sense the still gem-bound presence of one of his brothers, else...well, Jin Huang wouldn't have unbent enough to actually hug someone, but there would have been some sort of reaction if he'd noticed. Tsunake Amber eyes slid to their corners to take in one structures of the Pantheon almost critically, but from what he could see, it would do. Anything would, at this point. He just wanted to dry off and change his clothes--and maybe make sure the little floox got fed. To know that he was speaking to Dragon King made him uneasy, despite himself, and with a bit of reluctance, he the top of his trench coat open. The small creature squeaked in protest, and the priest shivered at the cool air, but now the gem in his chest could be easily seen. "I... I'm host to Shuo Huang Zhe, the Dragon King Mang." He awkwardly mirrored Jin's pattern of speech. "He... recognized you as his brother." Were they really brothers? How much of the dragon was host, and how much was Futs Lung's true form? It was a little unnerving, to say the least. Ithiltari He maintained his appearance of polite interest as Laurence opened the top of his trench coat, revealing something small and furry that squeaked, but also....something much, much more interesting. There was a brief splash of surprise on the dragon's face, but it was quickly smoothed into somewhat surprisingly genuine happiness.
"In that case, I don't think that the room behind you will do at all," he said firmly, though tempered by the small smile playing about his lips. "If you've no objection, I was on my way back to my home when the storm picked up in intensity and could easily arrange accommodations for you as well." He paused and gave the man a more thoughtful glance. "I know my brother can hear me," he continued after a moment in a more light-hearted and mischievous tone, "But if you would be so kind to relay anything he has to say to me?"
Another pause, and Jin Huang's expression softened once more. "Welcome back, brother." Tsunake That certainly took the priest for a loop, and though he fumbled mentally for a moment, he inclined his head roughly to show his appreciation. "Thank you." Some place warm to spend the night? He'd be stupid to say no, and Laurence may have been many things, but stupid was not--usually--one of them. His lips grew thin at the request--not at Jin, but at the soft,purring chuckle that rumbled through his head. He already had a bad feeling about this. Tell him he looks wonderful. As stylish and commandeering as always. Tell me, how many new trinkets has he acquired already?Laurence looked like his head was about to pop. "He thanks you," He growled through gritted teeth. "Says you look wonderful. Stylish and..." Some other ******** words, he was not going to repeat them, he swore Shuo was doing this just to make him uncomfortable. "Something about trinkets and you." Ithiltari Jin Huang nodded graciously at Laurence's thanks. It was really the least he could do, under the circumstances. While he would have offered the man the comforts of his quarters within the Pantheon, those were undergoing a bit of construction. An entirely unnecessary undertaking, since they had been imbued by Creation with magic capable of shaping the interior with a thought, but it gave the demons something to do. Which consequently left fewer of them underfoot.
At Laurence's next words, the dragon pressed a finger against his mouth in order to stifle a laugh. That would probably not go over well, as he seemed somewhat touchy. He did manage to look appropriately pleased at the compliments. "I have a very good tailor," he commented after a moment to get himself back under control, preening a little bit. The mention of trinkets cause his brow to wrinkle slightly. Too bad Laurence seemed disinclined to accurately relay his brother's words!
"I have located some small items," he replied diffidently. "Nothing so grand as the hoards of old." Tsunake Dragons had tailors? Laurence managed to keep his face from arranging into a more skeptical expression, and offered a respectful nod in hopes that it would be a satisfying response. The last thing he wanted was to offend a god--and Shuo's brother, to boot. He did note that preen, however, and quietly thought to himself that this Jin Huang was a pompous son of a b***h. He'll get there. Jin is the Treasurer of the Twin Crown for a reason. Shuo sounded pleased, as though he was confiding in his host. "Shuo has no doubt that you'll fix that soon enough." He murmured, wishing awkwardly that the two dragons could simply speak to one another without him having to act as a translator. "I don't mean to come off as rude or ignorant, but what does God need with treasure?" he asked, his brows furrowing. Ithiltari A dismissive hand wave was all the response to the comment about restoring his treasure really deserved, in Jin Huang's opinion. Of course he would.
At Laurence's question, the dragon arched an eyebrow. "You mean Harmodius?" He pursed his lips in thought for a moment. "It's not so much that He needs the treasure," he replied, slowly. "The items are often a spontaneous offering, or, to put it crudely, a bribe to sway Him." Jin Huang shrugged one shoulder; it was all the same to him, truly. "Are you familiar with the concept of tithing? It's broadly similar." Tsunake "Oh." That was a simple enough explanation, he guessed. It didn't mean that Laurence had to like it, per say, but... well, men often worked in materials. What they saw as a tribute, God accepted as a measure of a faith, and it probably spoke volumes for them to voluntarily give up so much wealth. Harmodius wouldn't care so much about treasure, wouldn't He? "So you keep track of all these... tithes." Ithiltari Jin Huang did not often think about what he did for the Crown, and why, so the man's question was an interesting one. Perhaps in this new Age, his role would be different. That would be something to think about, certainly.
In the meantime, however, there was a mortal in front of him asking questions. "In a manner of speaking, yes. I have charge of the Treasury, though I do not do all of that work alone." He tilted his head to the side briefly as Huore announced his arrival outside. "Ah," the dragon said, waving one hand towards the entrance. "Our transportation awaits." He looked at Laurence and offered a small smile. "I do hope you know how to ride a horse." Tsunake The priest nodded, slow, uncertain, but accepting. He supposed that gods would have people who served them, as did the Dragon Kings. All of them working together to serve Harmodius. He'd seen what had happened when that balance fell apart, after all, and a shudder wracked his spine that had nothing to do with the rain. His eyes narrowed silently at that. He'd heard no... well, no real sound of anything. Guess it'd be hard to, with the rain. Of course, then Jin mentioned a horse, and Laurence felt his face slacken. He'd never ridden before in his life. Now the dragon was telling him he'd have to learn, in the rain? Nearly chewing off the tip of his tongue, the man only bobbed his head in something that could be taken as a nod. Just wonderful. Ithiltari The dragon quicker another smile, this one much more amused, at the priest's reaction. Ah well. It was probably a good thing that Huore was not precisely a horse, and was capable of adjusting himself to an inexperienced rider. "Don't worry," he said smoothly, "You won't fall off." Which that..reassuring comment, Jin Huang led the way outside, to where Huore waited.
"The story's lifted slightly, but it could get worse again without notice," he commented after they mounted, made easier by the Errais' assistance. "So I do apologize for how rough this ride will be." Tsunake Indignation flooded his system before he could stop himself, and Laurence found himself opening his mouth even as Jin stepped past without even a glance. Fall off? Like hell. He was probably going to fall on his face and get stomped to death, if he was lucky. He'd never quite seen a horse like this one before, and he gingerly, awkwardly pulled himself onto the animal's back. He was going to do what he could to not grab hold of Jin. "S'fine." It was a mutter, and Laurence was using all of his willpower to keep from cursing. This wasn't going to be fun.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:34 pm
Escape
Solo #09
+500 words
He couldn’t handle it anymore. The stench of demons was thick and cloying, choking out every other good thing about this house until he could hardly stand it. The Dragon King had generously allowed the three of them (two, really, Shuo could hardly be considered tangible) to spend the night, but the priest felt as though he was about to be sick. Though Futs Lung’s... servants had done nothing malicious yet, the memory of his possession was still too fresh and raw for him to even tolerate their presence. Enough was enough. It was past midnight, but he swung his legs over the side of the bed anyway, his feet pressing against the floors to help minimize noise.
The floox lifted his head curiously at the movement, having curled himself up at the end of the bed happily once he had gotten fluffy and dry. “C’mere.” The priest grunted, and was surprised when the beast yawned and obediently did.
What are you doing? Mang sounded just as sleepy as the critter.
Laurence tried not to flinch. The last thing he needed right now was a lecture about how he would be mortally offending his brother. The fact that a servant of God could work with such foul ilk—he couldn’t understand it, and didn’t want to. It didn’t sit right with him. “I’m getting out of here.,”
The demon kind? Shuo was quiet, and suspiciously neutral. Laurence found himself waiting with bated breath for his response. Yes. Had I realized, I would have thought to ask that they be dismissed—but it is hardly my place to ask such a thing. I apologize. It..did not occur to me. And now, strangely, the dragon sounded guilty. I was too overwhelmed upon seeing Futs Lung again. Forgive me, Laurence.
That wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting, to be sure, but he only shrugged it off with a gruff sound. He wasn’t in the mood for apologies, let alone pity. Definitely not pity. He didn't deserve that. A quick glance out the window at least assured him that the rain had slowed, if it hadn’t stopped altogether yet. With the floox tucked under one arm, he silently made his way to the entrance, half ready to fry any demon that had the misfortune of leering at him from the dark. Thankfully, his process wasn’t impeded, and the priest soon shouldered his way out into the night. It would be a long walk, but he’d make his way back to the Pantheon, somehow. He at least knew the general direction—and bad came to worse, he’d wander about until he could find someone who could direct him to the Pantheon?
He could have left a note—probably should have—but it was too little, too late. All he could do now was move forward, and pray Jin didn’t send demons to try and haul him back. There would be time for apologies later, and he could only hope he hadn't offended Shuo's brother too badly.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:47 pm
Unnaturally Good LuckMeeting Illisia and Xun Jiang, Ti LungJoint #06 +1,001 words Tsunake It was amazing how much better he felt just to gulp down air that was free of demon-taint. Though Jin had been very formal and accommodating, Laurence hadn't been able to stand the presence of those creatures scratching in his brain, threatening to overwhelm and invade him like... The feel of claws against the back of his neck nearly had him jump out of his neck, and he tried to snatch at the fluffy floox with a snarl. Squeaking, the unnamed creature zipped onto his head, and it chirped as though reprimanding him for being so twitchy. It wasn't like it was something he could exactly help, but with a snort, he would lower his hand and let the floox be. He needed to find Adi, maybe persuade her to take the little thing off his hands. I don't know. It could be useful. Shuo mused. "Yeah, right. You're just smitten with it." Laurence snorted. I am not smitten, I am merely thinking that it would be nice to have something to run little errands, and it would make me seem less intimidating. It makes you seem less intimidating. That last bit was said so cheerfully that the man was rolling his eyes. "Now you're just making stuff up." He was weaving his way through the woods, trying to remember exactly how to get to the Pantheon from Jin's house. It had been dark when they'd left (well, it was always sort of dark, with no sky about), and he hadn't gotten the best view of their surroundings. Still, they had to be close. You could send the floox to scout ahead. Shuo suggested slyly. And we must find out its gender somehow, give it a name of some sort."Floox is a fine name." Laurence grunted, but seemed to agree. "And unless you want to check up its skirt, we're doing that later." Getting back to the Pantheon was the most important thing, so long as they didn't get lost on the way. Zero Dream And it was on that way that Laurence would see something he had likely never thought existed.
Thankfully, it was no demon - the figure lacked any of the telltale signs, no claws, no horns and no hooves, and looked much too graceful, much too elven for that. Long limbs, way too tall to be an human woman - no way she could even pretend to, with her pale lavender skin, long purple hair tied in a neat braid, and those ears, those eyes...
Well, this was some kind of elf, but what kind of elf was the question. She was balancing onto a large rock in a way that looked downright impossible, peering at the lake in front of her and... holding out a net ?And just what exactly are we doing here, my dear ? The dragon asked in her mind, very amused indeed. It was just like Illisia to fix the problem directly, so to speak.Fishing. She had such a carving for fish and was more than willing to spend days at this lake until it finally surrendered her some. She wanted some fish and she wanted some fish yesterday, thank you.
It's not funny. The night elf mentally muttered at the amused chuckle of the dragon king, not once noticing Laurence at all. Tsunake He had seen things from oozing, writhing puddles of sludge to beasts that spat flame and unfurled bat-like wings. Just recently, he'd met an immortal werewolf, a centaur-god, and had gotten himself saddled with a ball of fluff that could apparently understand what he was saying. Laurence didn't think it could get much weirder than that. That was before he stumbled across the young... woman? She was tall, from what he could deduce from her hunched posture--even taller than he was, and the lavender hue of her skin, the glowing eyes and pointed ears... Still, he sensed no malice, nor the taint that had coated Jin's house like a protective sheet. This was no demon he was dealing with, but she certainly wasn't human, either. An introduction, perhaps, would suffice here. Shuo suggested mildly, and before Laurence could think back a retort, the little floox weighing down his head leapt and scrambled up the stone where the woman was seated, quick as a wink. Both man and dragon winced. A curious chirp would be offered to Illisia, clearly puzzled as to what she was doing, peering with big eyes at the net, and then at the lake down below. "Er." The priest voiced cautiously. "It's friendly..." Not that she looked like the type to be scared by what looked like an overly large furball, but one never knew... Zero Dream ...Chirp ?
One long eyebrow rose slightly, and Illisia leaned backward (a movement with would have likely sent most flat on their a**) to look at the little creature. How curious.
"I noticed." The voice certainly was womanly, as was her figure, as well as amused rather than annoyed, reaching out to pet the floox. "And just what are you, hmm ?"Illisia... There was something familiar about that man. Extremely familiar. He had met enough of his brothers to know exactly what it was.Illisia, however, was clearly a little too busy cooing over the floox to give her dragon much thought. She looked up to Laurence, a smile on her face. "Are you lost ? Not many people wander that far from the city..."
But, more importantly, there was something all too familiar curled around her arm. Tsunake The way she moved was enough to have black brows arching with surprise, his own body wincing a little. All grace and no limitation, it seemed; he wasn't exactly sure what she was still, but 'elf' was beginning to seem less and less unreasonable. Said floox would close its eyes at the feel of her long fingers gently stroking, the chitter turning into something of a rumbled purr. "A floox. Some sort of Ageless Immortal." Laurence snorted at the beast's antics, and felt it was all right to approach slowly. The smile that curved at her lips was enough to earn one in response, and the priest gave a halfhearted shrug. "I'd like to say no, but I'm not quite sure. Trying to get back to the Pantheon, if you know what that..." He trailed off at the sight of her arm, the dragon's tail coiled around and a gem that was impossibly identical to his own, save for the stone. The man was staring stupidly now, a hand clapped over his chest. "...Um." The resulting explosion in his mind was enough to make him wince, feeling Shuo surge up and, with permission, claim his vocals. "My brother!" The deep, smooth voice was trembling with excitement and joy, so much that Laurence was looking a little overwhelmed. Another dragon..? Zero Dream "Ah, yes, I know where that i-" Illisia had started to answer, but the other eyebrow rose up to match it's twin when a completely different voice cut her off. Allright, that was akward on many different levels.Well, if you had been paying attention... Xun sounded definitively amused. But a brother... a brother yet within a mortals... He feared that his theory was about to be proven correct."A brother indeed." It was Illisia that answered, but her physical language did not quite match up with what was spoken. She was relaying, even as she continued to stroke the floox's fur, the other hand holding her net. "I am Xun Jiang, Ti Lung." Then, with a shrug, "He can't quite speak yet. At least I don't think. Ill just relay things, im getting quite used to it."
And after what she had just witnessed, she kind of preferred how she had it. Tsunake Lighten up, would you? Laurence was grumbling mentally at the dragon, folding his arms over his chest. Despite his apparent irritation, he wasn't about to deny the dragon his chance to reunite with apparently what was a long-lost sibling. The fact that it was the woman that had to speak was something that caught his attention; not all gods could speak right away? Wouldn't that be something nice to deal with... "Ah, forgive me." The Dragon King did sound at least partially apologetic, but was too delighted to truly regret a thing. "I've forgotten my manners; I am Shuo Huang Zhe, Mang. This is Laurence Pershary. I hate to ask such a thing of you, when we've just met, but would you mind serving as a translator of sorts?" Polite, but hopeful, and had he a tail, it would have undoubtedly be wagging. The little floox paused to peer at the sound of the deeper tenor, but would go back to politely nudging at the woman's hand, snuggling into it with a soft sound. Zero Dream Mang.
Well, there they had found him. By pure accident. Illisia, it seemed, was skilled at finding dragons by pure accident. This also revealed who it had been that Adrienne had met. At least, there was one more found.Illisia had been able to say something, but she darted upward, careful of her little furry companion as she started to pull the net out of the water. There were indeed a few fishes wriggling inside. Score ! She was not quite sure what kind of fish they where, but as long as they were tasty, the night elf certainly didn't care.
"I don't mind." It saved her having to guess how to directly interact with deities. So far most had been more friendly than she had thought, like Glyph and Rio, but there'd been Evadne to prove her that they were not all this way. "But if you're hungry, I seem to have just caught dinner."
There'd be more than enough for all of them, really.
Illisia crouched again to work at the net, and she started relaying the words of her dragon again. "I am glad to see that you are well, my brother. No one else knew where you were... Much like I." There was emphasis on that. "You... would have not heard about Shen, by any chance ?" Tsunake The floox squeaked with surprise at the woman's movements, but recovered quickly to hone in on the wriggling fish caught within the weave of the net. That seemed to have effectively snagged its attention for good, fluffy tail twitching with anticipation from time to time. Silently, the Dragon King conferred with his host at the kind offer; it was early, but Laurence could go for a bite. "That is most generous of you; we would be honored." Lay it on thick, there.As Xun's words were relayed once more, Laurence's brows would furrow. Much like I... That seemed weighted, somehow, and he realized that Shuo never had exactly explained what had happened to him--why he had ended up with the priest. He'd had a host before, he'd said. Later, perhaps, he would be able to interrogate the dragon. "Ah. Shuo sounded... hesitant. "You as well... ...I do not remember much at all, brother. I am... concerned, that perhaps, it was too much for my memory. But no, I have not heard anything about Shen, or his potential whereabouts. Did he also...?" There was anxiety, however well suppressed it was in his tone as the question trailed off. Laurence was growing irritated. It was only too obvious that he was being left in the dark about something, but Shuo was worried now, and he would hold his tongue. "Someone at the Pantheon has to know, about your brother." He interrupted. "Surely He has to know about where he is, right...?" You are correct. We should not fret, all will turn out well. The dragon was quick to chide himself, but somehow the man sensed his worry would not be so easily driven off. "Might I ask your name?" He'd inquire of the woman as he stepped closer, hissing at the floox under his breath in an attempt to keep it out of her way. Zero Dream Illisia did not seem to have much problems with the happy little floox - there was definitively enough fish for the little creature as well, after all. She did look a little startled for a moment, a frown covering her own face, but she shook it off. "Neither do I."
Xun had never told her anything about that first host of his. She had thought that it was because he had not wanted to, not because he simply did not remember.I did not want to worry you further. Came the sheepish admission.The look in Illisia's eyes softened. I understand...
"I am hoping we will find him." It was all that was said about that - Illisia scooped up the little creature when she nearly tripped over it and settled it on one shoulder as she headed back toward where wood had been gathered for a campfire. "If I fall on my face, you won't get any fish." She chided the creature with all the skill of a mother, before turning to make sure Laurence was following her.
"My name is Illisia." She said softly. "You are likely wondering just what I must be..." She continued, amused, as she sat in the grass. "I am a night elf. I come from another world." That was the condensed explanation. Tsunake It should not have relieved him to hear that his brother was struggling to remember things as well--and it didn't. The dragon, for once, wasn't quite sure what to say, and Laurence tilted his head in acknowledgment. Lord Creation will be able to do that. Unless you doubt him, now. That was a deliberate jibe, and Laurence wasn't exactly sure why he'd done it. The Dragon King remained mild, however, not so easily roused. Never. But things are not so simple. ...And I understand you are irritated with me, rightly so. I will tell you everything, after we part ways with them.Mollified, the priest would begin to follow after the strange female, only snorting a little when the floox snuggled up against the side of her face, seemingly content with its perch. A whole different world? A night elf? "Yes." He finally said with a slight nod, and after a moment, he would take a seat across from her. "How did you come to this world, then, if I can ask...?" The logic was perfectly sound, but it was still a hard concept to grasp. Zero Dream Clearly not minding the antics of the little creature now that she was not going to faceplant from walking onto it, Illisia started up the fire and started to prepare the fish. It was messy, but hey, someone had to do it. She certainly did not seem to mind.
"When things started to go wrong..." She was not sure how much Laurence actually knew. She certainly knew little herself, and understood even less, so it was better to keep it simple. "The mages of my world pinpointing the sources of the power that was affecting us, and I was sent here with my son to figure out what was going on. We were separated... and the sky was gone soon after. I don't think I even have a way home at this point." Not that it mattered much now. She had found her path, even if it had not been what was expected.
"Are there only humans here, normally ?" Well, she presumed he was human. He looked much like the humans of her world did. She was a bit curious, now. Tsunake Laurence had seen enough blood for one lifetime, but his facial expression hardly even twitched as she began to quickly gut and clean the fish. Food was food. The floox's little nose wriggled with interested, but it was patiently staying on its perch. Clearly, the notion that it was going to be fed was enough to keep it still. He had a vague idea as to what she was talking about, and remembered with a grimace what Nergal had told him. If Hell was gone, did that mean other worlds had been affected by demons, and other catastrophes? It sounded like it. A grimace flickered briefly over his features as she spoke of her son--and if she was host to a Dragon King now, she'd probably never see him again. She was strong, he could tell that much, for her voice had remained calm and steady. "...I'm sorry to hear that." He had no one to leave behind, after all. He could never face Emeric again, after what he'd done. "From what I've seen, yes." The priest said after a moment. "But humans are also naive to anything but themselves. I'm a demon slayer, myself, and these days, there have been plenty... but here at the Pantheon, I've seen things that I didn't even know existed, so there has to be more than I know of." He was frowning a little at that, annoyed with his own lack of knowledge. Zero Dream Her ears pinned back a bit at the mention of demons, but nothing else showed. Apparently she did not quite appreciate them as well.
"Elik will be fine." She nodded, not a ounce of doubt in her voice. She knew him alive, after all, thanks to Ashoka. And she knew he would come to the pantheon... but when ? Would it be too late, then ?
Would it be best if he arrived too late to see her before she died, as it were ?
"He is a strong man. I know he is well, and that he will find his way." With the fish gutted and ready, she laid it close to the fire - indirect heat was best, given that she only had wood as a surface. Cherrywood, to be exact, planks she had carried as part of her supplies because she liked the flavor it imparted on the meat.
"I am a druid." She offered information in turn - idle talk, as it were. Both dragons seemed quiet now, with Xun's attention still focused, but he was only listening. It was getting easier for her to tell. "I can heal wounds though the power of nature, or coax plants to grow and mend. I also have a knowledge of plants to use for medical purpose, though the plantlife of this world sometimes elude me a little." She offered Laurence another warm smile. Tsunake The reaction was subtle, but enough to satisfy the man; so there were demons in her world, too. And clearly, her thoughts were similar to his own, on the matter. So Elik was her son. She spoke so confidently that he was fine, and it was all that he could do to nod. Whether she really knew, or was merely staying positive, it was the best thing to do; to stay strong and to keep walking forward. He observed her methods with interest, unable to place the type of wood it was. The fact that she merely carried around planks for this told him that she was probably used to hunting for food. Had Shuo not been brooding, he likely would have liked the color. A druid... "Magic?" He asked, and his interested, indeed, was piqued. Healing and controlling plant life--definitely not a normal trait here on this world. "The most I can do is help exorcise demons, enhance physical qualities." A mild shrug. "Prayer, and the like. Healing would be much more rewarding, I'd wager." Zero Dream "Not exactly magic in the sense of the arcane." That was another thing all together and she did not quite want to stray down that path. It reminded her too much of her first husband. "And neither is this power truly mine, per-se, beside the shapeshifting. The earth itself lends me the power to help itself heal. Itself or others, really. But I cannot heal someone or force plants to grow unless they wish it to be."
His methods were similar to the priests of her world, really, safe that the priestesses of the moon were indeed able to truly heal... but that was a different thing. "I was never strong enough of faith to become a priestess. Which is not to say I hold no faith, but I wasn't able to go the extra mile, I figure ? I was a sentinel, before I became a druid. A warrior, to make it more clear. I was bodyguard to many priestesses of Elune." Tsunake They didn't have enough variation as far as magic went for him to instantly understand her meaning of arcane, but he would nod to at least show he was paying attention. There was a flicker of understanding in his gaze when she spoke of borrowing her strength from the earth--but then he doubled back, stuck on the word shapeshifting. "You can change forms? At will?" And he'd thought Itztlac's form had been bizarre. "I see." And he did. God lent His power so they could exercise His will, the earth did likewise. He wondered briefly if they were one in the same, really. Her words of this 'Elune' confirmed it for him, though there was no reason to voice his opinion. "I understand. It's... strenuous, in ways I don't think most understand. But it sounds like your duties were no less than honorable, defending them so they could do what they needed to." He was nodding with approval, a thoughtful looking his eyes. "I lack the experience for some of the duties that work closely with God. Instead, it's my job to try to cleanse as many demons as I can, and put up wards to ensure they can't come back." Zero Dream It was the elf turn to nod, gaze flickering quickly to the cooking fish then returning to Laurence, raising her hand to pet the little floox still nested on her shoulder. "At will, but not into like... another person. Only into animals and such. Natural things." That always seemed to amaze people so much. This in turn amused her, but she kept it in check, in fear of accidentally insulting her companion.
"It is strenuous." She agreed. She had seen many priestesses in action, many that gave their life out of faith and want to protect the rest of them. Give their lives in ways she simply could not have prevented.
"I have had to battle many demon invasions in my lifetime." The woman sighed. "The first was so massive that it downright split my world in two. It was a long time ago, though..." So long ago. Long enough that Laurence would probably not believe her if she thought of it. "I hope things are holding out well now, for them... But there is nothing more I can do." Nothing more than this. In a way, she was also making a sacrifice of faith. Tsunake Animals. Her movements drew attention to the ball of fluff still happily cuddling against the side of her neck and cheek, and Laurence stopped dead for a moment. "So you could turn... into that?" He gestured at the floox, and his expression clearly said that he was torn between disbelief and utter intrigue. "Any sort of animal at all?" That was certainly convenient, and it'd probably make traveling a hell of a lot easier. Brows furrowed sharply as she recalled her own wars with demonkind, and the man's eyes looked temporarily sunken. "It's not come to that, here. Not nearly that level." But with Hell having vanished entirely, who was to stop it from turning out that way? He didn't know what to say to her, but he sympathized--probably more deeply than she could have known. "Things are getting better here. I'll bet it applies to your world, too." It was his feeble, but genuine attempt at comfort, whether she needed it or not. "Most humans don't even know about the existence of demons, here. To them, they just don't exist." And in comparison to a world nearly overrun by them, from the sounds of it, perhaps that was a blessing. Zero Dream "Not exactly into... that, no." Illisia answered, clearly amused by the idea. "Nothing that small. Things like... bears and hunting cats are more accurate." Shifting into something that small just had to be painful. Her first few times shifting had been near-agony, until she'd gotten used to it, so the idea of shifting into something as small as the furry creature on her shoulder...
She would pass, thank you.
"I am glad to hear that. I wouldn't want anyone to live though that. The repercussions are felt even today." The separation of the highborne from the night elves, some of which evolved to become high elves, for instance.
She smiled at his attempt to reassure her. "It must, you are right... It will be a matter of rebuilding at this point." She was not so certain, but she was glad, all the same. Tsunake Ah. Bears and large cats. Things that could snap your neck and drag you off into the foliage and eat you. That very quickly sobered up Laurence's ideas, but also added a well-needed pinch of reality. The man quickly recovered, though his face had undoubtedly given him away for a moment. He nodded wordlessly at her words, and another smile would flicker to his face. "A slow healing process. It already feels like whatever was weighing down the air has vanished. It'll take time, but..." And he sighed a little. There were so many people undoubtedly struggling to recover in the aftermath, and he was powerless to help them. "...And with these," He paused to shift aside his trench coat, letting the dragon emblem embedded in his chest be revealed at last. "Maybe we can help speed up the process." He didn't know if she knew exactly what would happen to them in the end, and so he left it lightly at that. "How did you find Xun Jiang, if I can ask?" Zero Dream If she had noticed Laurence's reaction, Illisia showed none of it. She busied herself with tending to the cooking fish for a moment, nodding along to the priest's words. "Yes... this what why I chose to do it. If I can assure a better future to my son, and to whoever might follow..." Elik, after all, was an attractive man, much like his father, and that time would come sooner than anyone provably would think.
"It happened after I came here." She started. "I wound up far away from this place, further north of the continent, and I tended to a small group of survivors until one day... It was like someone was calling to me, but I wasn't hearing any words. It's actually hard to explain it..." She made a bit of a face, clearly struggling with her words. "But it guided me all the way here. Another god brought me to the pantheon, and Lord Creation gave me the gem." Tsunake Floox was starting to fidget from the delicious smell of the fish, wise enough to keep his nose out of the fire though he looked rather tempted to see if he couldn't snatch a piece. It'd serve him right if he got burned, Laurence noted with a snort, forcing himself to pay attention when Illisia spoke once more. He felt strangely at peace with this woman, pleased to find that their trains of thought, as far as the Dragon Kings went, were similar. A small sacrifice for the greater good of all--though, from the sounds of it, she didn't have more personal reasons behind it. That didn't mean such a thing wasn't true, but he highly doubted she'd been possessed and forced to slaughter her fellow kin because of her own weakness. So Lord Creation himself had given her Xun's gem... "I know what you mean." The man said with a frown, thinking of the moment of clarity he'd had, even under the demon's influence. "It was like an irresistible tug, almost. I found the gem inside of a church, however--there was no one else around." How had it even gotten there in the first place? From his expression, clearly he was frustrated with not knowing, but he supposed it didn't matter. "What do you plan on doing, until he's strong enough to manifest?" It was a genuinely curious question, figuring they could at least make small talk. Zero Dream Illisia did not seem to share the same idea - she caught the little floox by the scuff of the neck when it looked like it was getting too close to the fire, leaning forward. But then, she was a mother. There was nothing more loving and more wrathful when provoked than a mother.
"Fish looks done." A test poke teared the flesh off quiite easily. "Yep." That perticular bite went to the little creature as she let him go, taking both panks and holding one to Laurence. "I don't quite carry plates... or ustencils... I hope you don't mind."
That last question had her silent for a moment. "I... Im not quite sure." She admited. "See if anyone has a need for me, maybe. Or help Glyph along in the forests... Oh, Glyph is the god of Forests." She elaborated, taking a bite. This wasn't so bad, tasted like salmon. "And if there are still people injuried, I can probably take care of them... I've been wandering around, for the most part. Getting to know the surroundings, meeting people, all that." Tsunake There was a slight 'awk' noise when the creature was grabbed, but the sound was out of surprise than pain. He wriggled once and stilled, intelligent enough to understand that the gesture had more or less meant 'no'. He would be patient, really! A furry cheek briefly rubbed itself against the woman's as though to apologize before it settled. Then, of course, he chirped happily for the fish, taking the piece in a small paw and nibbled contentedly. "Smells good." Laurence commented, having been watching Floox with some amusement. He muttered his thanks as he reached to take the plank, waving off her concern. He'd done worse than eat with his fingers before, and was careful not to burn them as he plucked off bits of the fish. It tasted just as good as it smelled, even without salt, and he silently was nodding in approval. He filed away the name of the Forest god for later reference, nodding at her words. She'd said she was a healer, after all. "I don't know what I'm going to do with myself yet." The priest reluctantly admitted. "...I want to talk to Lord Creation, first." Zero Dream "I saw him in the gardens." She pointed out for the priest's benefit. This was rather vague, but maybe it would help ? "You can stay with me, if you don't have a room." She offered. Laurence certainly was not bothering her so far, and the idea of having him around wasn't a bad one. Xun, of course, was literally thrilled with the idea of his brother close. "It's a little... forest-y, though. And I just sleep on the ground, so there's no bed per-se..."
Well, this could require some thinking. Tsunake "The gardens... I'll look for Him there." He nodded his appreciation, ignoring the way his guts twisted with unease. He needed to seek out God eventually. It wasn't fair to Shuo, for him to keep shying away. He just needed to prepare himself to accept whatever fate would be pushed onto his shoulders. The offer surprised him, and his gaze warmed. "...I'd appreciate that. Been ducking around in the tea houses, so far. So long as the ground's soft, I don't mind..." It was company, and the fact that she would be willing to share her space with him was greatly appreciated. Shuo had no objections, rather delighted with the thought of being able to learn more about this fascinating Illisia character and spend more time with his brother! There were no complaints from either of them. Zero Dream "Well, it's grass for the most part." Yes, grass indoors. She seemed just as foreign to the concept as he might be. "It's a little unusual for an inside room, but... it worked out, when we made it. It's a little confusing. Im sure ill be able to find something for you if you're uncomfortable."
No one would miss a few cushions if they vanished, right ?
This did bring a bit of a thought to Illisia, however, that she would need to avoid wandering around naked in there. Humans tended to... react oddly to that. Had it been only for the elf, she likely would not even have been wearing what little clothing she was wearing in the first place.Thank you, my dear. It would be a relief, to know both Laurence and Shuo close and safe."He is..." Illisia was silent for a moment, munching on her meat a bit in thought. "...Unlike anything I've ever seen before. Larger than life." Tsunake Grass. His brows arched a little before he could help himself, and he shook his head slightly. "No, no, I'm sure it'll be fine. Different, but fine." Laurence was clearly amused with the thought, and curious to see what exactly she meant. Very nature-orientated; it suited her, from what she'd told him of her abilities as a druid. That, and the fact that she'd seemed very much at home fishing in the morning, like it was perfectly natural. "I can only imagine." The man sighed, pausing from the fish to rub at his brow. "In my religion, it's thought that one would only ever see Him when they passed on and went to Heaven. It's almost overwhelming to think I might be able to speak with Him here." And beg for forgiveness for his sins. You will not be alone. Shuo said gently. Though he knew not why, he had a sense of... unease. It was true that he had failed to retain his true self with his first host, but it felt as though he had failed his Lord even more than that. He could not remember though, and it did little to settle his own nerves. Zero Dream "Well, it's not like I ever thought I would meet a god face to face." She was picking at her fish, pulling out the small fish bones before sliding another piece of meat to the floox. "And if anyone told me ill'd one day wind up rebirthing one, well, I would just have laughed in their face and called them crazy." Why her, after all ? She had never been something great, something important.
But she was herself, and she was what Ti Lung needed. As awkward as such a thought was.All this talk of seeking Creation made Xun Jiang long to do the very same thing. The want was almost impossible to resist, and had he had any control on Illisia's body, he would have likely bolted right there and then and dragged Laurence and Shuo for a ride. But yet, the unease the host felt was apparent - he should not impose himself to such. Tsunake "True." The man couldn't help but crack a grin at that, almost looking slightly mischievous. "Seems strange to think that... well, at least in my case, they'd need help from someone ordinary. It's a good moral, I think." Something along the lines of even the smallest and seemingly insignificant creature could do something great. Of course, he'd never thought that would entail restoring a god--a dragon to power, but he wasn't picky. "I think I'll look for Him, once I head back." He seemed to decide to himself with a sigh, sensing the happiness that swelled within Shuo. "Eventually." That was a bit more stern, and it was clear he was probably not talking to her so much as he was the dragon. No false hopes, now. He'd get to it eventually, he needed to, but... Laurence sighed. He felt like a coward, attempting to put off the inevitable. But if God were to forsake him... "So this Glyph, you talked about. How did you meet him?" Zero Dream Her brows furrowed a bit at his sigh and his reaction. Something was clearly bothering him, but... she couldn't force him to speak about it. She rather hated when others tried to pry information out of her, so she did her best to avoid doing it to others when it was possible,
That question might very well have been a chance of subject, and she took it. "I met him while I was traveling toward the pantheon, when Xun was... calling for me." It was the best way she could think to explain it. "He sticks mostly to forested areas and I accidentally stumbled onto him while he was taking a nap." Gods taking naps. Yup. "He recognized the direction I was going toward as the pantheon and led me here. It was amazing... the forests literally bend to his will. It should have taken us quite some time, but it only took us a day or so to get here." Tsunake The soft puff of air that slipped past his lips signaled that Laurence might have been a little amused at the thought of a god taking a nap. Were they really so human? It seemed so strange, but the Greeks had always written their gods and goddesses to have rather striking personalities. It was easier to relate to something similar to oneself. Forests bending to his will, huh? "Sounds impressive." He admitted, unconsciously casting his gaze to the forests just behind them. Could he use the trees as his eyes and ears, the man wondered? "So far, I've met... the daughter of Love, Night--ah, and Jin Huang, Futs Lung." He started a little. "That's right, have you met up with him again? I didn't even think to bring it up..." Shuo had been so excited to see his other brother that he'd temporarily forgotten as well, and the priest shook his head as though he couldn't believe it had slipped his mind. Zero Dream "I have met him." Illisia nodded, as she finished her fish. "As well as a few other dragons. They didn't really know where Xun or Shuo went... so they were pretty relieved to see me." The elf sighed a little. "There's still Shen, that no one really knows where he is. I hope he's fine, but..." It certainly didn't look this way, given that the two other 'missing' ones both wound up in new hosts.
"I've been trying to find everyone." She noted. "I wander around a lot, so I've had quite a bit of luck." Tsunake "It almost sounds like..." Laurence's lips twitched, threatening to curve into a frown. Jin had clearly manifested into his host's body some time ago. Why were Xun and Shuo still stuck as gems, then? "Shuo said his former host died." He said carefully, studying Illisia's face as though her strange eyes would help him puzzle out this mystery. "Do you think the same thing happened? To Shen?" And to Xun, really, but he wouldn't put the other dragon on the spot. We'll find him. The dragon sounded tired. Laurence offered his silent consent. "Good luck." He added, snorting slightly. "What were the odds we'd find each other, really? But it's for the best, I guess." If the Dragon Kings were so important, the more of them there were, the better. Zero Dream ""...Xun's died too." She still didn't like to think about it. "Xun doesn't remember anything at all of that. Tian Yue had to tell us about it." And what a shock had that been. Had she known before actually accepting the gem... would she had even done it ?
"I hope he's okay, and just.... busy elsewhere." She finally looked back up to Laurence. She could relate, in some way, with the deaths of her parents and husband still fresh on her mind. Tsunake The priest grunted a little at that, rolling his shoulders as though to relieve the tension that had settled. Was it a common thing, for hosts to die? With how Shuo was acting about the subject, he highly doubted it. Regardless though... He had no qualms with sacrificing himself. Not for a cause as worthy as this. Death awaited him whether the dragon succeeded, or failed--and if he could repent for his sins by doing everything he could to ensure the Rebirth, so be it. "I hope so too." Laurence met her gaze for a moment, attempted to offer a smile. "When I go to see Him, I'll ask. And I'll let you and Xun know, as soon as possible." He could promise that much. Zero Dream Illisia's ears perked up a little, and she smiled again, at least. "That... would be nice. Thank you."
The night elf stood, going toward the lake to wash out the planks. "We should probably be heading back soon, if you are ready ?" There weren't any 'day' or 'night' anymore, not really, and while it had the side effect of having the normal noctural elf out and about at the same time as everyone else, it made it hard for her to be able to recall just how long she'd been out. Tsunake "Don't worry about it." Laurence waved off her thanks, but would offer another faint smile. It wasn't even something to thank him for, more of an obligation. He felt sort of a strange kinship to Illisia and her position, and therefore would help Xun out just as he would Shuo. "I'm ready." He got to his feet, carrying his own plank and idly swiping his fingers on his pants. "Thank you, for the fish. It was good." Floox was carefully grooming his face, tail flicking with pleasure even as it stilled temporarily when the elf gracefully got to her feet. There was a curious chirp, and if she got close enough to the water, he'd snake a paw out to get it wet before returning to his cleaning. Zero Dream Illisia watched Floox dip his little paw in, and almost laughed. That was so cute ! The little guy definitively seemed more intelligent that he looked like.
She rose again after washed Laurence's plank, sliding the both back in her bag, and heading toward the direction of the pantheon, slower than she usually would for Laurence's benefit. She was barefoot, but the pine needles and rocks on the path did not seem to bother her at all.
"It was pretty good." Illisia nodded along. "But then, I always liked salmon, so... It looked different from the salmons where im from, but it tasted pretty much the same." How odd ! Similar species across multiple worlds. Tsunake If the man caught a glimpse of her bare feet, he said nothing, realizing just how much longer her legs were compared to his own. Of course, surprise rippled across his face when she spoke of salmon, wondering... well, how bizarre were the odds that they were called the same thing? And tasted the same, apparently. Overlapping aspects in worlds...? It didn't seem impossible, but just thinking about it threatened to give him a headache. "Was never a big seafood eater, myself. Don't mind it, but... It's just generally not available, where I travel." It was usually more expensive than he could afford, too. Zero Dream ((Ahaha, night elves have longlong legs, yes.)) "I've always lived near lakes, rivers, oceans, into forests..." Illisia mused, looking back at her companion. "So I've always just caught my own." She'd learned how to fish when she was very young, so young that she had issues remembering most of what had gone on during those times. The human equivalent of a toddler, maybe ? "Learned to hunt when I was very young, too. It's just... a huge part of our culture as a whole."
Well, at least Laurence wouldn't be likely to starve in Illisia's presence.Tsunake From her description, he was getting a very... Native American-esque vibe about her culture and its people. It wasn't a bad thing by any means; it was just something he could easily relate it to. "Living on the land." He nodded thoughtfully, careful not to trip over stray tree roots while he was mulling. "We don't have that much, where I'm from. Everyone lives in big cities, mostly. Buy food in stores, so on and so forth..." That was probably why the unexpected famines had hit everyone so hard. But really, would it have been any different if one was hunting for their food? Probably not. "Does it feel like home a little, in forests like these?" He was curious, cursed as his foot caught and he had to stumble to keep himself upright. Because all he needed was to break his nose on his way back to the Pantheon, right? Zero Dream "Yes, it does." She answered him without hesitation, making her way around the roots and obstacles with a grace that almost like her look like she was dancing. "There are big cities for our people, large settlements, but even these do not quite compare to the human cities." Nature was still taking over even Darnassus, the last time she had seen it. Rock paths, grass, willing tree bent to create buildings instead of them being made of cut lumber...
"I have never quite felt at home in human cities. They feel... alien. Dead." She turned when she heard him curse and stumble, ready to catch him, but she turned out not needing to. The trip would probably go smoother if she shifted to carry him on her back... but that might very well be awkward for Laurence. It was awkward for most people, actually. "Am I going too fast ?" She asked, genuinely concerned. Tsunake "No life in them, really, not besides humans." The man would mutter his agreement, glancing ruefully at his feet as though to glower at whatever had reached up to snag his foot. Sure, there were rats and pigeons, cats and dogs, but all the plant-life in the cities somehow felt unnatural. He waved off the question, feeling a little embarrassed by his own lack of grace. "No, I'm good, sorry." Clumsy as hell, but good. "You really know your way around here." Laurence commented, watching the way she practically seemed to glide through the forests. Something to do with the magic she received from it? Possibly. It wouldn't honestly surprise him, at this point. Zero Dream "I don't spent a whole lot of time inside." The night elf admited. "So I've gotten to know this area quite well, I pretty much pass though this forest daily." Looking for lunch or otherwise. "I did get lost a few times, before I managed to get myself some bearing. Like, this tree-" She pointed at one tree that forked into two separate small trunks or sorts. "Is the only one that splits in two for a few other meters, so I know im going in the right direction."
Looks like Laurence would neither starve or get lost. Others would say he'd be good to go at this point.
"We'll be out of the forest soon." She added for his benefit. "Then we just need to follow down the road and we'll be at the pantheon in... maybe ten minutes or so." Hopefully he would be less likely to trip there. Good or not, Illisia was keeping ear on her companion, so to speak. Tsunake "Well, if we're ever in a city, maybe I can be the one to show you around." Laurence seemed amused with the thought, wondering how he must look at her, stumbling around in the forest. An obliging glance was given to the tree, his gaze thoughtful. He'd have likely overlooked such a detail, but there was no question that it'd be a good marker. "I'll try to remember that, when I'm wandering back through here. Unless... I guess I never asked where you and Xun are staying at, exactly." Maybe she, too, stayed in the Pantheon? He didn't now. He'd nod. Ten minutes. He could surely last ten minutes without killing himself. "Sounds good to me." If he hadn't found Illisia, how long would he have been wandering in circles, again? He was taking bets on an hour or more. Zero Dream "You probably would be able to guide me." Illisia was amused as well. "I can't find my way though a city most of the time. There's no landmark, really, all the buildings kind of look the same to me... Gray rock or... whatever the hard black stuff is made of." She wrinkled her nose a bit in distaste. That was uncomfortable, and hard on her feet.
"I live at the pantheon." Illisia nodded. "There's one building in the garden with stairs, it leads to a very long corridor - with a lot of doors. The one with the large tree on it is mine." That would do good, for reference. Even if he did wind up getting his own room, both host and dragon king would be welcome to visit whenever they wished. Tsunake "Concrete, I think." He supplied, but paused with a slight frown. "Maybe. I'm not sure, maybe they use different materials where you're from. That's what they use here, though, and they pave the streets with it, too." So Adi lived in a place with a plain green door, and now there was one with a tree. "I'll remember that. With grass inside." Laurence snorted a little; it'd be almost nice to have a place he could stop by in and rest for a while, and nicer still to recognize a friendly face inside it. "...I appreciate your help, Illisia." He said more seriously, and was somewhat amused when Floox chirped what sounded like a quiet agreement. Zero Dream "Yeah. That thing." Illisia said, nose wrinkling a bit. Or perhaps the latter reaction came because she had finally exited the forest and happened upon it. The road had seen much better days, and it would probably be a little hard for cars to pass though, even if most of the debris caused by decay had been cleared. But then, it wasn't like there were many cars even still in working order.
Illisia, for her part, was completely oblivious of this fact.
"And a lake." She said, amused. "Don't forget the lake." Tsunake "A lake." Laurence said slowly, like he was expecting her to start laughing at some point. There was no laughter, and he blinked slightly. "How big is this room, anyway?" He chuckled under his breath, only half joking. And, on that note, how exactly did grass and a lake qualify as being a room indoors? He quickly glanced over their surroundings with a shake of his head and a sigh. This world had much rebuilding to do before it was anything like its former self, but if there was one thing about human beings, it was their tenacity and their endurance. They'd pull through it, somehow. With help from the gods, of course.
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