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 Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:05 am
ＬＯＣＫＨＥＥＤ ↘↘ ｓｔｏｒｍｔｏｐ
If I wake up and I am not in pain, then I will know I am dead.
Lockheed watched Blair rocket past her only to U-turn in the air and fall after her with desperate eyes. It would not take her long to fall, to smash into the ground at top speed, to be crushed into pieces, brains and dreams dashed against the rocks below. Lockheed was not used to the feeling of utter helplessness, and this sudden immobility nearly pushed her over the edge. But even as her mental screams died away, she could see Blair inching closer, her enormous wings tightly closed for aerodynamic efficiency. Lockheed wanted nothing more than to reach out to her sister; better yet, snap open her own wings, ugly though they were, and fly to the safety of the heliplane. But no, Faith's siren call held Lockheed in its tight, merciless grip, and Lockheed could feel the ground nearing with every second, hear the wind hurtling past her at what seemed like a thousand knots, see that despite Blair's efforts, it would be too late.
Warning: Terrain. Warning: Terrain.
Lockheed could have snarled.
"Use your wings, Tempest. Do what you must to save yourself."
Suddenly, the hold that had paralyzed her seemed to vanish, and a new desperation clawed at her insides. Save yourself. Finally, an order she could be happy to obey.
Immediately, her engines kicked into gear, her feathers locked into proper alignment; within a fraction of a second, she reduced her speed by half and suddenly a very heavy Blair knocked into her, grabbing her and more than likely nearly tearing out the latter's wings. They careened haphazardly for a few seconds, struggling to slow down, both fighting each others' movements, but they eventually got it right and the pair began to ascend, mostly due to Blair's strong wings.
"I've got you, sister. I've got you."
Lockheed fought the urge to sag in her sister's grip, because that would not be good for the two of them. She was still slightly boneless and her heart continued to beat a mile a minute, and when Isis approached and tried to help, Lockheed struggled and resisted for a few moments, wings fluttering weakly, but relaxed enough to allow her sisters to stuff her into the heliplane.
Tempest rolled into the cargo hold, inelegant but flushed with life and relief. She had come so close, closer than before. Of course, that hadn't been her first suicidal move (and likely wouldn't be the last), but it was the first time she'd been completely unable to pull back at the last second, or snap open her wings and fly to safety. The irrational and fearful part of her told her to punish Faith, break her in half for her mindless intervention, but her logical side won her over, telling her Faith had only been trying to help. Still, Lockheed was quite unable to look that particular sister in the eye for some time, those blue eyes that instantly brought upon Lockheed the feelings of powerlessness and fear of not even being able to control her own body.
Back resting on the ground, eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling, Lockheed took the time to let her breathing even out and her heart relax before turning baleful eyes at Sarah. "Thank you, dear sister, I'm fine," she managed to grit out between her teeth. No thanks to you, she added silently. Her gaze flicked to Isis. The Stormtop's earlier words still haunted Lockheed and she looked away, bitter. Biting back scalding words, Lockheed rolled onto her side, turning away from her sisters' reproachful looks, and kicked the side of the hunk of metal that was a heliplane, signaling to the pilots to get them the hell out of there. Of course, she hadn't calculated the power behind it carefully enough, and her foot caused a sizable dent and rocked the heliplane slightly, shaking those inside. Scowling, Lockheed curled into a ball, wings tucked against her back, and let her eyes slide shut. Her exhaustion was taking its toll and it was all she could do not to pass out completely. Still, that would be preferable, because the scientists back home wouldn't be too pleased with her.
Lockheed could hardly bring herself to care.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:25 am
We are the eternal. Somehow it’ll be okay, I promise. Isn’t this supposed to make things better? Stormtop Iron Angels/Humans   Blair's heart rate hadn't slowed from the moment that she caught Lockheed until the moment they were finally safely in the heliplane, but her face didn't give any of that away. She looked calm, relaxed, at ease. She looked cold.
Properly, she should have been on the smaller plane with the other girls her age, but she didn't feel the slightest bit awkward sitting here among her older sisters. She belonged with the older group - hadn't she just proved that she knew perfectly well how to handle her wings? This was where she should be.
Resettling herself calmly against the wall, she tuned out the older girls' discussion - well, really it was more like bickering - and listened to the sounds of the heliplane around her. Though it really wasn't that different from the one she was normally in, it felt different. The hum of the engines sounded like the beat of a heart, the whispering of the pilots and crew felt like the air flowing in and out of lungs.
For a moment, just a moment, Blair felt like she was cradled safely to the breast of a parent.
Then her clear green eyes sharpened, her face set, and the moment was lost. Annoyed with herself for the moment of whimsy and weakness, she straightened her shoulders and sat quietly, precisely, waiting for the heliplane to deliver them to Chamberfire. Faith had her back against the wall, her eyes on the floor and her body very still. She did not look up while her sisters talked among themselves. She did not speak a word to Lockheed, to Isis, or to Sarah or Blair. She couldn't bring herself to look Blair in the eyes and thank her, or to look to Lockheed and apologize.
As though lost in a dream, she stared down at her hands. It took her a moment to realize that they were shaking more than was sensible for the amount of jolting in the heliplane.
I'm sorry. Sister, I'm sorry--
She wasn't broadcasting that. It was her own personal thoughts, locked inside her head. She didn't know if she would be able to speak the words, if she would be able to apologize to Lockheed, now or later, for the moment where instinct had overtaken rational thought and she had nearly condemned a sister to death.
Could they die?
More to the point, was it her job to find out?
She knew that once they got back, at least one of the scientists would want to speak to her. Most likely she would have to undergo some form of punishment for having been so careless. She would allow it, and take it, gladly. Though Faith had never heard the term penance, she had spent much of her life living by its principles. And for what she had done - and more to the point, what she might have done - to Lockheed, there had to be payment.
Her blue eyes closed quietly as she waited for the heliplane to take them home.Somehow we’ll make this right. This must end. True Angels/Nightrifters
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SilentShadowDreamer Vice Captain
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LovetoCauseMayhem Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:50 am
 "We are the deranged..."
"We are the reborn..."
"We are the empowered..."
"We are the torn..."STORMTOP ANGELS "We have witnessed it all. But we have always been
here to save people. To protect people. And now look what we're doing." The rest of the flight passed by in silence. Above the whistling of the wind and the humming of the heliplane, there was an eerie howling that felt very, very distant, but at the same time seemed to be right below them. A few times, the heliplane violently shuddered, as if something grazed its underbelly or the wind blew too fiercely, and it was only because of the machine's bulk that it didn't spiral out of control.
Other than that, the ride back was largely uneventful.
A red light went on, signalling that the heliplane had breeched the Chamberfire walls and was ready to dock on top of the large, cylindrical tower that stood tall at the center of Chamberfire, towering over all else.
The door to the center of the world.
As one, as routine, the Stormtops stood and gathered at the center of the bay, waiting until they could feel the heliplane settle completely on top of the tower, no landing gear required.
The floor at the center of goddesses moved, sliding to the side to reveal another platform right beneath the heliplane's floor.
They stepped upon the new platform, and once they were all aboard, the light turned green.
The circular platform immediately sank, sliding downwards on seemless rails on the inside of the tower, a large elevator with no windows and no exit tower. The walls around them were several feet thick on all sides, and every one hundred feet they dropped another platform of iron and steel slid from the walls, sealing off the exit repeatedly and creating barrier after barrier of metal a few feet thick over and over and over again.
Even a powerful Stormtop like Lockheed would be exhausted long before she would reach the top.
Twenty minutes passed, and Lockheed's instruments, if unaffected by the many natural magnetic fields they passed on the way down, would show that they were two-thirds of the way deep through the crust of the world.
Eight miles down.
Light created by generators that were imbedded in the walls gave the entire hollow column a ghostly, mechanical feel.
Upon reaching the bottom, the final barrier closed above them, and a scientist's voice echoed in the dark, haunted chamber, one that they would recognize.
"Welcome back ladies, I trust you're all in good form?" Julius. Cheerful as always. His tone told them that he wanted to tell a joke, something comforting and warm, but his job wouldn't allow it. It was back to business. "Orders from Blackblade. Lockheed, proceed to level two for maintenance and repair. Faith, proceed to level one-a for disiplinary action and training. Blair, Isis, and Sarah, please proceed to level four-b for inspection and processing."
Level two = tweaking and tightening her nuts and bolts, along with the overnight mental therapy the scientists had produced. It was unlikely the other Stormtops would see her until the day after.
Level one-a = self-explanatory. Depending on how she performed, the others would see her sooner rather than later.
Level four-b = this was where Stormtops were inspected for physical damage or mental strain. Afterwards, Blair would go to her area with the younger Stormtops for rest and recreation, while Sarah and Isis would go to another location.
Blair's maiden voyage was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Unfortunately, this meant she would not take part in the unvieling of the Stormtops.
Something that probably made her rage inside.
"We're killing them. We're killing everyone. How could this possibly
be right? God, where are you? God, where ARE you?!" TRUE ANGELS "We are the eternal..."
"We are the pure..."
"We are the powerful..."
"We are the true..."
"It's obvious what has to happen now, isn't it?
This can only end in bloodshed."
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:47 am
ＬＯＣＫＨＥＥＤ ↘↘ ｓｔｏｒｍｔｏｐ
If I wake up and I am not in pain, then I will know I am dead.
Lockheed spent the ride back in utter silence, legs tucked against her chest, eyes clenched shut, back curved like a shield to keep the world out. That's all she wanted, really - to be out, to be free, free to live and die as she would, and not have to answer to some flimsy ramshackle meatsack of a human. All her life, since the day she'd begun to truly live, those who made her had beat into her brain that she was beautiful, she was pristine, and she was death itself. If nothing else, Lockheed had learned of her own immense and absolute importance, and her superiority, too. Why, then, was she subject to justice at the hands of humans? This was not the first time she had asked herself this, and she would never stop wondering that, at least not until she was no longer bound by the scientists of Chamberfire and their perverse sense of parenting. After all, godesses did not have parents. They just were, and that is what Lockheed longed for the most - just to be.
Tempest stewed in her dark thoughts for the rest of the ride, silent even as the heliplane shuddered to a stop and the Stormtops filed out, one by one. They settled in a cluster in the bay, quiet and faces blank - in Lockheed's case, anyway, and she did not care to gauge her sisters' emotions. This was so routine, so familiar, Lockheed could have moved about the compound with her eyes closed. She did close her eyes, briefly, steeling herself for the coming events. Lockheed did not much care for the part that came after her crazy stunts, but she would not admit why: because she loathed the pain. Goddesses did not feel pain, and neither would Lockheed.
The circular platform in front of them slid open and the Stormtops stepped onto the revealed inner platform. Lockheed moved woodenly, eyes unfocused as she sought to detach herself, even now. The sooner, the better, or so the years had taught her.
They would not hurt her.
The pad sank and steel walls soared above them as they sank into the belly of Chamberfire, miles beneath the surface. Lockheed did not need her pefectly functioning altimeter to tell her they were eight miles beneath the free world, far from the sky and the happiness it stood for. Once upon a time, just after her first flight, Lockheed had tried her hand at tearing at the plates of iron and steel that banded the tunnel down to the compound. She'd gotten through ten of the barriers before her young strength failed her, and she was forced to alight back down on the ground, only to be torn from her feet by angry hands and furious scientists.
That had been the first night they did not hurt her.
Lockheed was rocked back to the present as the platform beneath her feet shivered to a halt and a friendly, genial voice echoed toward them in greeting. Julius, the only scientist Lockheed half-trusted. He was seemingly the only man here who actually cared for the women playing at goddesses, or so she half allowed herself to believe. Still, so many years at the hands of those who said she was beautiful and perfect only to fill her with mind-searing pain that would have killed lesser beings made her wary of all of them. Even Julius. Especially Julius.
She listened dully as he rattled off the orders from Sir Blackblade (a sarcastic name she would never dare to think in front of the man), placing her at Level Two. Her favorite. Pracitally a second home, really. Mouth a firm slash of foreboding, Lockheed forced herself onward. To everyone else, she looked displeased but uncaring. Inwardly, however, she repeated to herself her only defense.
They cannot hurt me.
Lockheed marched on.
They cannot hurt me.
She presented herself to the scientists.
They cannot hurt me.
They welcomed her not with open arms, but with wrenches, pliers, and chargers.
They will not hurt me.
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SilentShadowDreamer Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:01 pm
We are the eternal. Somehow it’ll be okay, I promise. Isn’t this supposed to make things better? Stormtop Iron Angels/Humans
When they heard Julius's voice giving them directions, Blair's temper almost hit flashpoint, but the knowledge that they were receiving the orders from Father Blackblade and the steady look Faith was giving her kept her calm. Had she been with her younger sisters, none of whom she respected as she did her elder siblings, she would have lost her temper half a dozen times over by now.
As the remaining Stormtops were taken to level four-b, Blair sank into a sort of half-rant, half-reverie in the privacy of her own mind.
She wanted to be at the unveiling tomorrow. Why did she need to do a maiden flight to prove herself? A Goddess didn't need to prove herself to anyone. A Goddess did not justify herself to a group of humans. And even if they did, how did what had happened today not count?
She had been in the air with her older sisters, flying as high as they were with no safety net - none of her siblings that high up had been paying attention to her. If she'd tumbled out of the air, no one would have tried to save her. It had been her speed and ability to handle her wings that had allowed her to catch Lockheed; no one else had been helping her with that. No one had been there to catch her if she fell, but it didn't matter because she hadn't fallen.
After that, why should she even bother with a paltry 'maiden flight'?
The other girls her age were by and large jealous - Blair was having her maiden voyage rather young, after all. But she didn't care about the fact that she would be one of the youngest to take that maiden flight. All that she cared about was the fact that she was going to miss one of the few ceremonies that held any importance to her.
Why did she care, anyway? she demanded of herself angrily. It was just some stupid humans showing off the Goddesses to a bunch of other stupid, lowly humans. She was above standing there and showing off her wings for their empty-headed, mindless gawping.
A quiet, sad voice spoke up in the back of her mind. It rarely did these days, though once - in the Hurt Times - it had been her constant companion.
You wanna show them. To show Mama 'n' Daddy that you don' need them no more 'n' what they did to us.
Look at me. Look what I can do now. Look what you did to me. Look how you killed me. Look what you left in my place. Look, see.
Blair's eyes flashed with fury - she didn't care what a disgusting human thought of her, she was a Goddess - and she banished that soft, sad voice. Used to being sent away, it went quietly and didn't linger. But the anger it had stirred up stayed.
Woe to the first scientist who tried to do an inspection for her without gauging her temper first.~  Wren, sitting at her table full of instruments, only let out a full breath once all the Iron Angels were safely back in the hub of the fortress. Since she was sitting in the same room as Julius, tweaking instruments and occasionally checking various screens to see what was happening from one room to another, she could hear him talking to the women. She prudently kept quiet so that no one's voice but his would be heard.
Once he stopped talking, Wren looked up from the table of instruments she was tending. "The hell was that, Julius?" she asked tiredly. "Even for Lockheed, what was that?"
The more she saw of the way the women behaved, the more Wren's doubts rose to gnaw at her mind. So much pain, so much anger, so much hate, and for what?
She had never spoken of them out loud, not even to Julius, but she thought he knew about them. That was okay - she trusted him - but she was still careful never to talk about it to anyone else, or even let on that she had doubts. The only two who knew, if anyone did, were Julius and maybe Kenzie.
Sometimes she got the sense that Julius was thinking hard about something, too - it was in the sidelong glances he sometimes gave her, his too-thoughtful expression. She hadn't asked what it was that was worrying him so; she was sure he would tell her when he was ready, just like she'd tell him about her doubts and concerns when she was ready. They'd been friends since they were young. They knew each other. She was sure he'd trust her with whatever it was eventually.
But in the meantime, the Stormtop Iron Angels worried her more and more.
Frustrated, she ran a hand through her multicoloured hair, worrying her lower lip slightly with her teeth. She didn't really expect Julius to answer her, at least not with what he honestly thought - they were in a room full of scientists, all swarming from one thing to another, and talking honestly in such an environment was damn near impossible. ~ Faith was not in the least surprised by her assignment, and she did not protest it. She saw Blair's head come up and her eyes narrow as though she planned to say something, but with a patient, pointed stare she watched the girl reluctantly simmer down again. Faith and Blair, from the few times they had interacted while going out to fly, had developed a sort of tentative respect for one another.
Her long blonde hair falling over one shoulder as she pushed it off to the side, she moved to the elevation system that would take her up to level one-a. She had been through training before, and this was not the first time her power had slipped its leash, either. Though they varied the punishments, Faith was always very quiet and kept a tight hold on her feelings through it all; after all, it was always basically the same story. She would be fine.
Everything would be okay.
As she stepped into the elevation system, leaving her sisters without a backwards glance, she told herself that. Everything would be okay.
She rose up to the level one-a. By the time she stepped out, there were already a group of scientists standing there. Oddly, even though she knew why it was so and shouldn't have let it affect her anyway, she found herself hurt by the wariness in their eyes. What had she done to deserve that?
Not once had she lashed out during a reasonable punishment. Never had she used her powers against them during discipline when that discipline was deserved. She hadn't meant to do what she had done, but intentions didn't matter, actions did. Her actions could have cost Lockheed everything. Whatever they did to her was deserved, and she would allow it.
So why the wariness?
She stood calmly, hands folded in front of her, her clear blue eyes on the men who would administer punishment and walk her through training. Finally, one of them shook himself out of whatever he was thinking long enough to gesture to her to come forward, and she did.
As they led her deeper into the level, she reminded herself of what mattered. Everything would be okay.Somehow we’ll make this right. This must end. True Angels/Nightrifters
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Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:51 pm
"We are the deranged..."
"We are the reborn..."
"We are the empowered..."
"We are the torn..."STORMTOP ANGELS "We have witnessed it all. But we have always been
here to save people. To protect people. And now look what we're doing." Julius sighed, elbows on the desk in front of him as he wrung his hands.
"That was..." he breathed. Then he shrugged and leaned back. "That was Lockheed being Lockheed." Then he stood and moved from the computer, pushing his chair in as the computer went stand-by. "Come on, let's go see them."
Wren and Julius were the two scientists that always greeted the Stormtops after any sort of outing or training. They would look over each Stormtop one by one, ask questions about their day, be pleasant, crack jokes, and check their bodies for anything unusual or unexpected. They would also check their wings for any signs of cracks, wear, or damage.
The thing that made this different from any other inspection was that Julius and Wren were always very, very gentle. Other scientists were in it purely for the results, the facts, the data. Julius and Wren, as scientists who spent the most time with the Stormtops, knew each individually, and they usually knew more than any other scientist besides maybe Blackblade.
Taking the elevator, they were sent down to the level holding the recreational facilities for the Stormtops, which had multiple layers of entertainment. Video games, movies, workout equipment, movies, a kitchenette, a couch, whatever. Usually, whatever the Stormtops wanted the scientists provided.
Nothing sharp, however. But it wasn't like the Stormtops weren't perfectly capable of slicing through meat (or iron) by themselves.
Julius wasn't suprised to see that Blair had managed to sneak into the older Stormtops' recreational center. Again.
"Good afternoon, ladies," he greeted cheerfully. "I hope you all enjoyed your flight?" His eyes twinkled as he looked at the youngest. "Hey there Blair. Fancy yourself ready for the big boys? That catch today was really impressive. It was terrifying and amazing all at once."
-----
They're here.
Kenzie leaped off the couch in her room as she somehow sensed a change in the air, and she all but ran over to her window, peering through the glass down below at the recreation center.
Simultaneously she was filled with a sense of awe and foreboding. Every time Julius and Wren stepped inside that place she was worried, fearful, nervous, and vengefully jealous.
"Will one of them die THIS time?"
But they always managed to somehow make it out okay. Pursing her lips, she could only watch.
"We're killing them. We're killing everyone. How could this possibly
be right? God, where are you? God, where ARE you?!" TRUE ANGELS"We are the eternal..."
"We are the pure..."
"We are the powerful..."
"We are the true..."
"It's obvious what has to happen now, isn't it?
This can only end in bloodshed."
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LovetoCauseMayhem Vice Captain
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SilentShadowDreamer Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:26 pm
We are the eternal. Somehow it’ll be okay, I promise. Isn’t this supposed to make things better? Stormtop Iron Angels/Humans
She angrily cut off that thought and went on to consider the other half of the equation, Wren. The girl with the multicoloured hair was quieter than Julius, but she had a quiet warmth about her that could soothe the sharpest of tempers, as evidenced by the fact that Blair, Sarah and Lockheed, among others, had not yet caused her any harm. Blair was forced to admit that those two, even if they were humans, made a good team. Julius leavened Wren’s quiet with his cheerfulness, and Wren kept his boisterous spirits from getting overly irritating.
If she had to deal with anything on less than her own level, she supposed these two would do.
But today, her mood was…itchier than usual. She wanted to snarl and lash out even at Julius’s opening words, though he was being nothing but flattering; in her current temper, she wanted more than a bit of soothing her ruffled feathers. Fixing him with a cool stare, she folded her wings more tightly against her back and interlaced her fingers – a slightly more subtle gesture than folding her arms across her body, but no less clear in its statement of distance.
Back off.
When he mentioned the catch, though – something she had not spoken of since it had happened – she relaxed a little. Her shoulders lost their aggressively straight posture and for a moment, she looked like the young girl she was under all the pain-added years. Letting her wings relax and her hands fall loose once again, she shrugged it off. “A simple thing,” she said flatly. There was an undertone beneath the words, which held the usual sting of Blair’s cold condescension to anyone who she considered less. The words suggested that any of the Stormtops could have done it and only simple humans like Julius would have found such a thing problematic in any way. The hint of tone underneath said something different.
Pride. It had not been a simple thing, and she knew it, and she was pleased to know that others knew it. She was proud of what she had accomplished. Pleased that Lockheed, one of her sisters, was alive, of course, but mostly proud that she had pulled off what she had attempted.
Though she would fiercely deny this if questioned, of course – why should she be proud of it? A Goddess could accomplish anything she wanted; failure was not even a possibility when you were the emblem of the Iron Angel.
~ Wren was only a step behind Julius as the two of them walked into the room, for quite practical reasons – the door didn’t open wide enough to allow two people through in step. Once they were out of the lift, she stood beside him. Though she respected the Stormtops deeply, she didn’t fear them as she knew a few of the scientists did; she knew them too well to really fear them. One of them might strike out at her, destroy her, on nothing more than a whim. She knew they could do that, and in knowing it, she accepted it. It didn’t worry her.
She glanced at Julius as Blair said her maximum of one sentence while the ‘lowly humans’ were in the room. Wren didn’t resent the girl’s ridiculous arrogance – partly because, well, she was entitled to it. A Stormtop was the closest one could get to the Iron Angel, and each and every one of the girls knew it. More to the point, though, Wren felt something oddly akin to sadness whenever she was around the young Stormtop; she was so promising, so far ahead of her age group, and yet somehow…
Pushing it out of her mind, she smiled. It was that relaxed, gentle calm that endeared her to those Stormtops who were still cognizant enough to respond to such things.
Blair, for all her arrogance and temper, was one of those Stormtops who responded well to Wren’s calm. Faith, who wasn’t here right now because she was still…in training (the thought of it always made Wren wince), was always well-behaved, though distant. Isis was a pleasure to work with. Sarah…well, Sarah and Julius were related, though semi-distantly, and Wren knew that Julius preferred to deal with Sarah instead of having her do it.
So she looked up more steadily until the youngest Stormtop in the room looked back. Once the two women made eye contact, Blair took a casual step forward, as though it was her idea to offer to go first for the examination that everyone knew they were there for.
As the girl walked off to the side, Wren followed her, letting her decide where to go and when to stop. The young Stormtop eventually turned to face Wren, spreading her wings out so that Wren could examine them carefully. While she began to do so, Wren said softly, “It was truly impressive, Blair. I don’t think I’ve seen such a display of skill in anyone your age in a long time.”
Feeding the arrogance, sure, but it was true, and honest praise might help soothe the young woman’s ruffled feathers.
Somehow we’ll make this right. This must end. True Angels/Nightrifters
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 11:53 am
Elijah Daniel was humbly playing his wooden violin, though he had seen far in
the distance the Stormtops flying, diving, moving upward and doing other
maneuvers that he could never possibly fully understand. He spent much of
his time just playing his violin and getting small bits of change from passers-
by. Dressing in pauper clothing, he had a brown dusty newsboy cap, a barely
clean white button up shirt, black vest, and brown trousers on, as well as
black shoes that desperately needed a shoe-shiner to take a look at them.
His humble and meager attire suited him just fine for his job at the moment,
but his real job was to free the Stormtops from their horrible life and shut
down the project that was creating them. His own sister had been wrenched
away from his family when he was young, and she did not survive the
procedure that was forced upon her. Ever since, he had dedicated his life to
learning more about the Stormtops and how they become the Iron Angels that
were modeled after the city's so-called goddess.
Once the air-craft could be seen flying the Stormtops back 'home,' Elijah
packed up his violin and headed towards the main building, and though he
could never enter or get particularly close to the main structure, he always
found a way to play outside and hoped that some of his playing would reach
the iron angels above; to provide them with a bit of comfort if nothing else.
~ Every Soul Can Be Saved ~
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LovetoCauseMayhem Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 7:53 pm
"We are the deranged..."
"We are the reborn..."
"We are the empowered..."
"We are the torn..."STORMTOP ANGELS "We have witnessed it all. But we have always been
here to save people. To protect people. And now look what we're doing." As Elijah packed up his violin and passed through a small, empty black street to get to the main building, a small ringing twinkle met his ears, and if he were to look up he would see a small, glowing form - not a complete circle - but more like a gathering of stardust. Like a constellation or a galaxy without defined form. A presence would wash over him - serene and true and beautiful.
A True Angel.
"Elijah..."
Of course she knew him by name. They had met before. Lumina, the Earth Song. Her voice was a twinkling of bells in his head- a symphony of violins and wind and flute. The voice of the world.
"Elijah..."
No other creature besides another Nightrifter or psychic would be able to see her. Only those with the Gift.
"Elijah, the others and I grow restless. Have proper vessels been yet located?"
((With this Wingtip, please feel free to make another character if you so desire. Or just answer 'no'. Whichever pleases you. xD Or 'yes', if we could figure out a way to make it work.))
----
As Wren inspected Blair, Julius looked over Sarah. She said nothing, and her face was expressionless as she placidly allowed him to inspect her hands, her arms, her armor. The connection of her wings to herself, the rockets to the wings. The solar panels for any dust or scratches or debris. Her legs for any injuries. The pain of gaining the wings had been so extreme that for most Stormtops, they could have broken bones and not even notice. Therefore a thorough inspection after each flight was always necessary, and always immediate.
Though he was inspecting Sarah, his thoughts were on Blair, and Sarah seemed to notice this with a scowl at his thoughtful expression. Feeling her eyes on him - it was hard not to notice - he glanced up from where he was palpitating her ribs beneath the armor to look at her.
"Yes?"
Sarah eyed him in distaste for a moment before looking away and choosing not to say what she had been thinking.
They were related, yes. And sometimes, Julius wondered if Sarah was jealous of his humanity.
Doubted it though.
After several minutes of inspection, Julius nodded to Sarah to tell her she was finished and without a word she turned and walked away, the solar panels her wings carried almost shining. Isis was up next. Julius felt much more at ease with this Stormtop than he did Sarah, but Sarah was one of those creatures that gave you chills with those fierce red eyes and flaming hair. Isis, however, fascinated him, because he could literally feel her organs moving around as he inspected her, the girl occasionally giggling as he felt her ribs.
"You would like Kenzie," he wanted to tell her. "Sure, she's just a human, but she's very cool. She's always admired your courage to stand up to your sisters."
But Kenzie wasn't ready, he knew. After he spoke to Blair, he and Wren would probably go back to her room again and try to coerce her into saying hello. Like they did all the time. And it, like all previous attempts, wouldn't work.
She was shy. She was frail. They could crush her in between their fingers.
But Angel, how she admired them.
-----
The scientists eventually remembered what kind of creature Faith was, and relaxed. After inspecting her post-flight, they steadily walked her through the training, relentlessly commanding her to control multiple objects perfectly, tossing them through hoops and sending them through obstacle courses that if she hit the walls of the maze she would get a mild jump of electricity along her spine. Then they hid a device that emitted sound waves at a frequency that made her very wings start to rattle, and she would have to find it before that quivering made her entire body sore and painful. And while she looked for it she would have to dodge attacks and deflect projectiles headed her way.
All in all, it was exhausting. Faith was not an incredibly physical Stormtop, and they knew that.
Afterwards though, she was inspected by one of the many scientists, and her wings were wiped down and polished very, very delicately by mechanical hands with buffers as she was given drink and meal (which by then, she probably craved very badly) along with an iron tablet to help insure her body kept withstanding the wings.
Then, post-training, she would be released back into the recreational room with her fellows.
But that wouldn't be for quite a while.
-----
Kenzie kept a steady eye on the Stormtops and the two scientists with them, wondering how Blair would react when Julius told her the news.
She knew about his deal with Blackblade.
Speaking of which, he would probably be down as soon as the inspections were done...
"We're killing them. We're killing everyone. How could this possibly
be right? God, where are you? God, where ARE you?!" TRUE ANGELS"We are the eternal..."
"We are the pure..."
"We are the powerful..."
"We are the true..."
"It's obvious what has to happen now, isn't it?
This can only end in bloodshed."
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 10:36 am
 ~How can we seek heaven.....
.....When we've sunk so low in hell~~Will we ever see the end..... ~Theirs is not to reason why..... .....Or will we travel this dark path forever~ .....Theirs is but to do and die~ Kiara sat in the far corner of the recreation room, sulking. She'd thrown another hissy fit earlier and thus had been prohibited from going out flying with the others. The scientists had deemed her mood a 'flight risk' one. They suspected she would take off and just fly away, despite the fact that she had no where to go. They were probably right too, she realized morosely. She hated being here, hated it with ever fiber of her metal body. Surely anything was better than this, even death by the unknown outside the city.
She knew it wasn't that easy though. She'd tried before, but very little could actually do serious damage to her. The scientists had always managed to catch her before she could do more than just minor damage to herself. After the first three tries too, they'd taken to having her monitored a bit more closely, something that annoyed Kiara even more. She was a rat in a cage here, always watched, always studied, forbidden from taking the release she desperately craved.
One day though.....She was sure that, one day, the true Goddess would return. She would come back and wipe the earth of these scum and their sickening creations. Kiara would welcome the day she could step into oblivion. Until then, she was forced to do as she was told. So she stayed inside like a good girl, sulking.
~We are not the Goddesses.....
.....We are the forsaken and damned~ ~Save us by killing us..... ~Bring the Darkness..... .....Kill us to save us~ .....Bring the Light~
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SilentShadowDreamer Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 9:28 pm
We are the eternal. Somehow it’ll be okay, I promise. Isn’t this supposed to make things better? Stormtop Iron Angels/Humans ((OOC: Will post for Boyo next time and possibly Angel as well, but I've kept you all waiting long enough. orz)) Wren took a little longer than strictly necessary to examine Blair, and from the side-eye the young Stormtop was giving her, Blair knew it. She only wanted to reassure herself completely that Blair was in no way damaged from that ridiculous dive – it surprised her how shaky it had left her, shakier than it seemed to have left the young Goddess who had actually performed the lifesaving manoeuvre. Lockheed and Blair could both have been killed in a movement like that; Goddesses or no, they still had human elements to their bodies. At least that was how Wren justified the thought…perhaps deep down, her doubts were colouring her words and thoughts.
Her fingers gently traced each steel feather on the Stormtop’s incredible wings, making sure they were still clean, sharp and in place and that none of the framework underneath was broken. As far as she could tell, they were perfect. Blair stood calmly with her wings spread, not saying a word – as Wren had already noted, Blair had already spent her maximum word allotment to the humans, and she was done talking. Crouching, Wren worked her way up the girl’s legs from toes to the big thigh bone; she noted Blair’s slight twitch when she touched the Stormtop’s knees with something vaguely like amusement. Though the young woman would never have admitted to knowing, Wren found it kind of funny that Blair was ticklish.
When she was finished – at last – she stepped back with a nod, and Blair’s wings folded smoothly before the Stormtop turned and walked away. Even folded up, those wings looked too big for the young girl’s body, because they were. Wren couldn’t even fathom how such wings had come from such a small body, much less how that body had survived their first opening. Maybe that was why so many of the scientists were interested in Blair; she was still somehow an enigma, even despite all the study and all the discussion.
Looking around, she realized that they were finished – Faith was still in training, Lockheed was still in checkup, and Kiara hadn’t gone out for a flight. Faith and Lockheed would need to be checked, but the scientists in charge of training and checkup would do that, and there was another group of scientists checking the young ones right at the moment. Glancing sidelong at Julius, she gave him a questioning look.
Was Blackblade going to come down, or was he going to leave it to Julius to tell Blair about…whatever it was? Wren half-hoped that Blackblade would come down to give Julius support – even Wren didn’t know what Julius had to tell the girl; all that she knew was that it was a deal. And she had no idea how Blair would react to whatever it was. The young Stormtop wasn’t precisely stable. Brushing some of her multicoloured hair back from her face, she glanced up at the window where she knew Kenzie was watching from.
She wanted so badly to get Kenzie to come down, to meet the Stormtops – Faith would be gentle and Isis would be friendly, Wren was sure of it. Sarah, Lockheed, Kiara and Blair, well…Kenzie didn’t need to meet all the Stormtops. But why shouldn’t Kenzie at least meet some of the ones she adored and admired so much? But Kenzie kept refusing, and Wren always felt so empty and helpless afterwards.
Reeling in her thoughts, she took a step back towards the lift and waited. Julius had to talk to Blair before they left, but she didn’t want to hang around for too long. Even she and Julius could press their luck when it came to the Stormtops.
~
Faith gritted her teeth and went through with the training, but not a single step of it was helpful in any way – at least not as far as she was concerned. Since for the majority of the time she also had to stay in the air, well above the ground, in order to avoid the minor shocks used as punishment, she tired even more rapidly than she would otherwise have done. By the end of the first exercise, she was struggling just to stay in the air; more than once, she was hit by one of the projectiles during the second exercise, leaving bruises and cuts on her fair skin. She caught flashes of pity from some of the scientists walking her through the relentless training exercises, but it only spurred her to keep going; Faith could put up with a lot of things, but pity from the scientists always put her on edge.
Her body was shaking by the time the second exercise finally came to a close, and she had never felt so fragile before – this was a harder exercise than she had done the last time she’d come to training, and she couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was really training and how much was punishment. As her feet finally touched the ground, her legs almost gave out from beneath her, and only snapping her wings out again to catch herself kept her upright. Her blue eyes were watchful as she waited to be told what she was doing next, but the light in them was almost extinguished. If the scientists knew their subject at all, they would know that pushing her to another training session would knock her right out of the air – because she would not argue or try to stop them. To compensate for what she had done to Lockheed, she would do anything they asked; she would push herself until she dropped, she would demand more of her body than it could give, and she would do it all without a whimper of protest.
When one of the scientists came forward to examine her, Faith stood quiet and still. Well, as still as she could, anyway – undoubtedly the scientist would be able to feel the trembling of muscles pushed to the breaking point and the shudders of pain that were running through her body. They had pushed her almost too far, and already her body was beginning to pay the price for it – any other Stormtop would have acted out in order to put the brakes on the training session before that point. But Faith was Faith, and it seemed that they had forgotten that.
Eventually, she was guided to a seat and gently settled there. She left her wings open so that they could be inspected and cleaned – she was as used to this part as she was to being in the room. Her eyes closed as she waited for them to finish checking her over; she was fairly sure she had no injuries aside from the minor cuts and bruises that she could see. (She was wrong, as it so happened – there were other such cuts and bruising in areas that she couldn’t see, but nothing terribly serious.) When at last someone brought her water, food and the iron tablet, she took the tablet and the water first. Lately, she’d been having some trouble with food, losing her appetite when it was brought near and struggling to finish even the most meagre meals; she hadn’t mentioned it because she hadn’t thought it was that important. She’d be all right. She always managed somehow.
Somehow we’ll make this right. This must end. True Angels/Nightrifters
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Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:23 pm
Elijah closed his eyes and rested his bow and hand over his chest in a sign
of respect as the light and beautifully serene presence washed over him. He
savoured the intoxicating feeling of peace for a moment longer as he heard
his name called softly. He opened his eyes as his name was called a
second time and smiled at the angel in his presence.
"Not yet, m'lady... but I will continue searching earnestly for ones suitable for
you and yours," he said with a respectful dip at the waist. He noted that a
few people were going to be passing by them and may look strangely at him,
so he opened his violin case and gingerly brought the instrument against his
shoulder and under his neck.
Drawing the bow along the strings lightly, he played a soft lullaby that met
the angel's melodic voice harmonically in order to still be able to see and
hear the angel as she spoke to him. It was a rather beautiful little song that
he improvised on, but it was just one of his talents and he never grew
egotisical with his gifts from God. The harmony intermingled with the angel's
own in a complimentary fashion (even if others would not be able to hear the
angel if they were not of his own kind or with gifts similar to his own).
"Has there been any word on the Chosen?" he asked softly, refering to the
Stormtops in hopes that their condition and resolve had not been so broken
that they could not possibly be saved. He wanted to reach out to them and
convince them that one cannot make a goddess, but he also knew the
dangers in talking to the Stormtops directly.
~ Every Soul Can Be Saved ~
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LovetoCauseMayhem Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:23 pm
"We are the deranged..."
"We are the reborn..."
"We are the empowered..."
"We are the torn..."STORMTOP ANGELS "We have witnessed it all. But we have always been
here to save people. To protect people. And now look what we're doing." The shimmering dust flickered brightly in response to the music, and the presence in Elijah's mind grew warmer.
"The sins of Man are to be revealed to the iron world at dawn tomorrow," the angel stated simply, speaking of the Unveiling Ceremony that had been the talk of the city for weeks. Even now, if one were to go to the circular courtyard surrounding the massive tower that housed the Stormtops, they would see workers buzzing around like bees, cleaning and setting up shops and getting ready for the big event, bright lights blazing like the sun above them as night fell. "During this time, I believe Basandra will attack them in the body she is currently housed in. Seek out the fellow by the name of Carel Kirson. He is just like you. You will need him to protect yourself against Basandra's rage. She is quick-tempered, and will not hesitate to destroy humans. I will know when you find her. Her vessel goes by the name of Kavita Karata, but alas I cannot sense where she is. Since there are no proper vessels to be found, I must make one of my own using a little of your own heart, if you are willing. We are not ready to launch an assault. There are not enough of us on Earth. Basandra must be stopped!"
------
"Hey, Kavita."
Sharp, angry red eyes flashed open, and the man swallowed in response to that piercing, unexpected gaze landing on him.
And here he was told that Kavita Karata was actually a nice person.
"WHAT?" She snarled, making him swallow.
"Um... Lord Blackblade was wondering if the fireworks for tomorrow have been set up."
Blackblade. The human monstrosity that created those hateful abominations. Basandra thought within the body, pulling the name from Kavita's memory. She smiled icily.
"Oh, yes," she cooed, almost cackled. "You can be rest assured that everything is prepared nice and proper for tomorrow's ceremony." Ceremony of destruction. "Now." Her hand slammed onto the desk in front of her, making the man jump. "Get out of my office."
The poor male fled. Smirking, she lounged in her office chair and turned, looking out of her floor-to-ceiling windows deep into the black and dirty iron city of Chamberfire.
This place is swimming with sinners. Basandra thought angrily, eying her host's white hair and dark skin in the faintly reflective glass. It's time I crush them all.
------
Julius, finished with the inspection, turned and smiled at Blair. Blackblade would be down to see his children soon, and he wanted to make sure he told Blair about the agreement before the man arrived.
"So, Blair," he began lightly. "You know, Lord Blackblade was really impressed by your quick thinking and strength today. And I know how upset you are that you won't be at the Unveiling Ceremony tomorrow. We really think you deserve to be there too. You're top of your age group, and you're mature enough to be with the older Stormtops and have them accept you. That really says a lot, and we believe you deserve to be recognized. So I talked to Blackblade about it." His smile widened. "Tonight, if you want, you're going to have your first maiden flight. The other Stormtops that have already passed, as per tradition, will be there to witness it, as will I, Wren, and Lord Blackblade. Of course, your sisters can't give you any tips, but I doubt you'll want them or even need them anyway." He laughed lightly. "We'll only be able to do it if the grounds are relatively quiet outside, but that shouldn't be a problem. And when you pass, you'll have earned a spot at the Unveiling tomorrow. How does that sound?"
((You know what? ******** IT. WHATEVER. ANGELS DON'T NEED CHARACTERS AS HOSTS. THEY CAN TAKE OVER CHARACTERS, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARY. UGH WHY DID I MAKE THAT A RULE?? >.<))
"We're killing them. We're killing everyone. How could this possibly
be right? God, where are you? God, where ARE you?!" TRUE ANGELS"We are the eternal..."
"We are the pure..."
"We are the powerful..."
"We are the true..."
"It's obvious what has to happen now, isn't it?
This can only end in bloodshed."
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:29 pm
We are the eternal. Somehow it’ll be okay, I promise. Isn’t this supposed to make things better? Stormtop Iron Angels/Humans
Probably it was a lucky thing that she had her back to the other Stormtops – for a moment, the briefest of moments, there was a queer sort of childlike vulnerability in the green eyes that stared back at Julius. Only Julius and Wren could see it, however, and it was gone so quickly that it might have been an illusion. But for the moment it had been visible, it had been so very strong.
(they’ll see us after all ‘n’ they’ll see what they did ‘n’ maybe—)
Shut UP! she screamed inside her own mind, frustrated beyond belief with that sad little voice that made her feel so small, so childish, so weak and scared and human. Once it had gone silent, like a frightened child trying to avoid the notice of its hateful parent, she forced herself to breathe again.
Well, it was no less than her due. She had the power, the agility, the maturity and the strength. She had proven herself, even if there was no need for a Goddess to do such a thing. Among the Stormtops, she was advanced, particularly for her age. She deserved everything he was offering, and a maiden flight would be simplicity itself after what she had done today.
Not that it wouldn’t have been any other day as well, of course. After all, a Goddess did not have trouble with her wings. Ever. Certainly she would not require the help of her sisters; she had performed her earlier manoeuvres with no help from them whatsoever, and basic flights were simple. There was nothing to fear.
Gradually, the cool arrogance bled back into her beautiful eyes, rendering them marble-blank once again. With a graceful lift of her shoulders, she fanned out her wings and replied, her voice clear of any emotion whatsoever, “Should my sisters be pleased to witness, I will take my maiden flight tonight.” Somehow she managed to make it sound like a favour she was granting Julius rather than the other way around. No thanks, no mention of the inconvenience it would be to him, to Wren or to Blackblade, no mention whatsoever of the poor soul who might have to drive one of the heliplanes out there in the middle of the night if there was no clear area to fly within the city proper; the only others who mattered were her sisters.
As it had always been, at least as far back as Blair could clearly remember.~  Carel had never been fond of the filth and the disgusting grey of Chamberfire. The soot and shadows settled over everything, making everything look a uniform shade of grey – the buildings, the ground, what few plants remained, the people. Until now, he had been keeping to the outer edges, scouting for possible vessels. Though he’d found a few that showed some potential, most of them would require more preparation and time than he had to give right now, with the Unveiling tomorrow.
Just the idea of the Unveiling filled him with a cold sort of loathing. Not for the Stormtops, never for the Stormtops; for them, he felt nothing but pity and grief. But for the humans who had done this to those girls and now dared to show them off, as though the cruelties they had wrought were something to be lauded. Something to be praised.
It made him sick.
Brushing aside some of his messy dark hair, he walked ever closer to Chamberfire’s centre. The streets around him were bustling with folk, but he never slowed and spoke not a word to anyone. He was sombre, lost in his own thoughts, which weren’t getting him anywhere; he simply went around and around in his mind, going nowhere, understanding nothing.
They have to be saved. This must be ended. The humans deserve punishment, and the girls must be freed.
No new thoughts there. They had been running obsessively through his mind since the very first time he had heard the voice of one of the True Angels, reminding him of his calling and bringing him back to Chamberfire, the birthplace he had avoided for so long.
As he walked towards that enormous central tower, looming above the people that bustled below as though just begging to be the first thing destroyed, Carel stared up at it and wondered what sort of torture the women inside were currently going through. He wondered if they knew that someone was coming to save them.
He wondered if they were still pure enough to care.Somehow we’ll make this right. This must end. True Angels/Nightrifters
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SilentShadowDreamer Vice Captain
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