Shadowess Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 The world was already chaotic with a secret society of supernatural creatures hiding their existence from humans to simply survive. Throw in the afterlife and alternate universes and you've got some realms in desperate need of balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Shadowess - May 3, 2024 "Now we're talking!" Damien beamed and walked over to the bar. He said something to the barman in Dutch who nodded with a smile in response before turning to grab an expensive-looking bottle from the top shelf. "I'm pretty well known here," Damien explained with a shrug as the barman slid two glasses across to them and poured a sizable amount of whiskey into each. --- Kat's eyes moved to look over at Sawyer while he spoke. When he saw him crying, he was quiet for a moment. "We all have our demons but at least we can be sure of one thing. We're not nearly as evil as ADIEU." he sighed then shuffled a little to get comfortable and closed his eyes. "We have a lot of planning to do but first we need to rest. Get some sleep, Red Fox." --- Oliver hiccouped and whinged but his crying had all but dwindled. He began to suck his thumb and clung to Vincent's chest while he struggled to keep his eyes open. "Aww he looks so cute when he's sleepy." Neva giggled in a half-whisper. Oliver's eyes moved to look at her. "No, he's not, Oliver. That's not very nice. You have to be a good boy. If you're not a good boy, you will get in trouble... I don't know. Maybe soon? Maybe they'll come and pick you up after your nap?" she said to him as if holding a full-blown conversation with the infant. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her. "Neva, are you talking to Oliver?" "Daddies always say it's rude to ignore someone when they ask you a question." Neva shrugged. Blinking, Sebastian glanced between Neva and Oliver and then the realisation struck him. "I think Neva might be telepathic! That or..." he looked at Oliver. "Of course. Not Neva. Oliver! His father has strong telepathic abilities, it only made sense that he'd inherit them." --- At first, Carol had grinned proudly as Charles talked the Angels down but then he went one step further and in so doing had hurt her feelings. By calling her former master 'childish'. Her eye had twitched and her smile became more strained but she quickly buried her sudden rage, grief, and sadness. Now wasn't the time to be overly sensitive to an offhand remark. Before she could properly process and bury her emotions, the unknown Devil appeared and launched an attack against them. Seeing Charles in danger, Carol dove between him and this new Devil. "Sire, escort the Angels to Heaven! Leave the fighting to me!" she called over to him while keeping her eyes locked on the Devil. "I'm itching for a fight anyways," she growled angrily. "Flee!" the Angel that had been talking to Charles & Carol shouted to his kin. He turned and shapeshifted into a creature that seemed to be ripped straight from one of Earth's old myths. He changed into a lion that was at least three times larger than an average-sized lion. The lion had two pairs of wings on its back and its front paws were replaced by a pair of eagle talons. His fur and the feathers of his wings were a mix of silver and gold. A Griffin. It charged forwards, roaring fiercely as it went, then stopping beside Carol to posture threateningly at the new Devil. Carol couldn't help but give the Griffin some seriously excited side-eye while whispering to herself "First chance I get, I'm totally going to ride you into battle!" --- Bob paused to look at Pain numbly. Without a word, he turned to walk out of the graveyard again. --- Greif took many forms. Azrael knew this all too well. There was one being on Earth whose grief could cause unnecessary worry to the newest member of Death's family. This could make her settling in so much harder than it needed to be. Lilly slowly rose to her feet again and took a couple of nervous steps towards Death. Unable to help wondering what kind of a father he would be. "Then, if it's all the same, I think I'll call you father. I think that would help me to adjust a little easier," she explained while fidgeting with her hands. Maintaining his smile and the facade that all was well so as not to worry Lilly, Azrael took a quick bow while addressing them. "Please excuse me, your grace... and your grace. There is an urgent matter that I must attend to. But perhaps my absence can grant you both time to get to know each other?" he added the suggestion with a quick smile to Death. He did not doubt that Death would be aware of his reason for leaving and hoped he would understand that the grieving soul in question would benefit from such a visit. Lilly didn't know what that was about but was sure she'd likely learn the nuances of how things were run here in time. Once Azrael vanished and she was left alone with Death for the first time, she shuffled on her feet awkwardly. "This feels strange." she admitted then quickly added "Not in a bad way. I just never pictured myself having a parent before... I never even imagined that, well..." she shrugged. "That my parent would be royalty." she half chuckled. "It feels like I might wake up at any moment and be back in my world, hiding in an old shed..." --- When Bob had walked quite far from the graveyard, he stopped to look over a little brick bridge at the train tracks underneath. For the time of day, the bridge was quiet. No other pedestrians walking over it, no cars on the little road in its centre. He folded his arms on the wall and peered down at the metal and wood on the gravel beneath. No sounds around but the occasional birdsong and rustling of leaves in nearby trees as the wind blew through their branches. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Worse." A voice next to him made him jump back a little from the wall and whirl around to look at its source. "You. You were with him." Bob narrowed his eyes at Azrael who merely nodded in reply. "What do you mean, worse?" "You were wondering if it would hurt like how she hurt in her final moments," Azrael replied plainly and didn't react as Bob winced then looked away from him shamefully. The Angel looked away from Bob to walk over to the wall and looked down at the tracks. "Although her death wasn't exactly quick, the wound was clean and swift. Her body went into shock shortly after and she felt nothing in her final moments. That's what you wanted to know, isn't it? But what you are considering inflicting on yourself... you would be mangled beyond recognition. Your body contorted and broken painfully into unnatural positions. You would die knowing only agony. Not only that, but your death in such a manner would bring her an eternity of unbearable torment." Azrael turned to look back at Bob to see him shaking, staring hard at the ground. His chest heaved up and down as he struggled to hold back his tears and his hands were balled into tight fists by his sides. The Angel gave him a compassionate look. Slowly and gently, he laid a hand on his shoulder. "She is at peace. Surrounded by love and will never have to feel alone. You have my word on that. I know it is painful but it is time that you let her go. She gave you a gift. A beautiful gift. The gift of life. To live it how you choose and not in servitude. Do not squander it. Do not dishonour her in such a way." Bob gasped as he tore his eyes from the ground to look at Azrael in realisation. He was right! What an awful thing he'd wanted to do! He opened his mouth to say something but what came out were uncontrollable sobs as his grief overwhelmed him. Azrael pulled him into a hug and spoke softly. "It's alright. You are in pain and your senses are being clouded. You miss her. This is natural. Do not try to bottle up or hide this. It will only make the pain worse. Seek comfort in those you cherish. They will give you the strength to work through your grief, one day at a time until it becomes easier. When the time is right, you will be reunited with her. But for now, live." Bob nodded between sobs into Azrael's shoulder. When he'd calmed down enough to stop sobbing, he stepped out of Azrael's arms and took a few deep breaths. "Would you like some company on the walk back?" the Angel offered and Bob hesitated. Then after a last glance at the train tracks, he nodded and started to walk. Azrael would walk with him silently until they were close enough to the rest of the group again, and then he'd vanish before the others could see him. Bob barely noticed he'd gone as he'd spotted Grim and started walking a little faster towards him until he could fling his arms around him to sob again. --- Early morning. Alarms would just about be going off everywhere to wake people up for both work and school. The school was still empty as Stevie sat on a bench in the quad. He looked a mess. Messier than normal. His heart was pounding and his clothes were dirty. He held his flute tightly to his chest, its whispers bringing him the only comfort he'd had all night. He seemed a little twitchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - May 4, 2024 James picked up his glass. "Really? As who? I can't imagine you used your real identity." He took a swig of his drink. --- Sawyer sighed. He laid on his side and closed his eyes. --- Vincent nodded, "Actually, she inherited Atma's powers when she passed away. She's going to grow up and be able to help supernatural creatures with the process of pregnancy." Carter smiled, "Well I'll be damned. Not to mention, it sounds like Neva will have an easier knowing people when she first meets them." Elliot said, "Exactly. My kid's a genius!" --- "No! You fool! You must leave!" ,said Charles. He turned to the other two angels. "Go! Your friend may want to take this fight but you don't have to!" The Devil grabbed Carol but was stunned by the wings of the lion. Crying out in pain as his hand burned. He slammed his hand against the ground. Causing everyone to either lose their balance or stumble. He let out an angry scream before grabbing one of the Angel's arms. Ripping it off and throwing it into his mouth. Chewing it like it was candy. --- Death nodded. "That's quite alright, Azrael." He smiled at her. "I do believe you humans say, 'Pinch me, I must be dreaming.' Perhaps that would help you realize that this is not a dream? Unless that is not your saying. I'm not quite sure what your phrases for such an event would be." He held out the palm of his hand. A small black cloud appeared. "I must unfortunately let you know that you cannot touch anyone for the touch of death shall kill many except for us. You may use gloves to shield your friends from potential ends of their lives." He frowned. "I can only hope that you will learn to grow with this disadvantage. I am sorry if such a thing upsets you. Believe me. I wish many times that I could get close to other creatures." --- Grim smiled through the tears. "C'mon you silly goose! Let it all out!" --- Cory spotted Stevie to his relief. He hopped over the fence. Running straight to him. "Hey man. You ok? You didn't answer my calls." --- Theron could feel a sudden surge of energy coming from something filled with hate and despair. He wasn't sure why or where it was coming from. He just knew he needed help. He dropped to his knees as he grabbed his head. Black blood dripped out from his eyes. "Stop it! Whatever it is! STOP!" He vomited black blood. "Something is telling me. It's angry and sad. It wants my help. But I can't....I don't....!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 shadowess - May 4, 2024 "You bet. In those days if I told people who I was I'd be fighting Angels off daily." Damien chuckled as he took a sip of his own drink. He paused and looked at the liquid with a small frown then sighed and took another sip. It wasn't giving him the kind of buzz that he was used to. In fact, it even tasted a little weak. Of course, Damien knew why. He'd been subjected to a lot of vampire venom in a short space of time so his body was craving exactly that and the difference between venom and whiskey was immense. He pushed his cravings down, deciding that the best thing to do was try to ignore them and continue as normal. "So I'm known here as Kay Doler." he finished. --- "That's amazing!" Sebastian exclaimed as he looked at the little girl who had turned bashful from all the sudden attention. "I'm going to help cute little babies, aren't I Daddy?" she beamed. --- The other Angels fled, expanding their wings and flying as far from the battle as they could in order to attempt a safe teleportation to Heaven. Carol gasped when the Devil grabbed her and had been about to try fighting him off when the Griffin's wings had burned him. A few stray feathers had left burn steaks across Carol's arm and the side of her face in the process, but she seemed not to notice. "Hey asshole, at least buy me a drink before you get grabby!" She'd barked at the Devil in annoyance while stamping on the end of a nearby metal pole to make it jump up as if it were light as wood. She caught it in her hand and started twirling it around her with ease. It wasn't much for an improvised weapon but she would have to make do considering she didn't have the ability to shapeshift like the Angel had. But what she lacked in powers she more than made up for in martial skills, thanks to Lucifer's gifts to her. She could turn off her ability to feel pain and had extensive experience in many forms of combat so that when she hits, she hits hard! This made her formidable yet often underestimated by her opponents. The Angel had done some underestimating of his own and was shocked at how easily a limb was ripped from him. He shrieked and involuntarily transformed back into his angelic form before falling to the ground, holding his bloodied stump and whimpering helplessly. "Sire, get him and yourself out of here!" Carol shouted while still twirling the pole around her. "Let me do my duty!" she growled before stabbing the pole into the ground and vaulting herself over the Devil to land behind him. She aimed four strikes at the backs of his knees and the small of his back in quick succession before flinging the pole over his head to pull him back by his neck in an attempt to choke and subdue him. "Submit!" she growled into his ear. Whether any of this was actually effective on the Devil though, remained to be seen. --- Lilly watched the cloud in his hand with a small frown. "I can't touch anyone? Is it just my hands?" she asked curiously as she lifted her eyes to his. "I guess I could get used to it. I never really managed to get used to being close to anyone before anyway." she shrugged. --- Bob wept into Grim's chest and clung to him tightly. "I'm sorry." is all he could say for a while until he calmed down again. "I never thought something like this would ever happen. I didn't know how to handle it. I still kinda don't." he admitted as he slowly stepped away from Grim. "But I have you, right? I don't have to be alone? Can we go home?" --- Stevie jumped up to his feet when he heard Cory's voice and whirled around with wild eyes. When he saw who it was, he relaxed a little and smiled. However, something about his smile seemed a little... off. "Cory!" He grinned. "I did it! I don't have to be scared about being hurt anymore!" he laughed abruptly then stopped just as quickly. "Ever," he added in a half growl through his grin. --- Bianka rushed to Theron's side. Larissa had gone to help tend to the wounded in the medical wing. Bianka knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Breathe, Junge. Focus on calming yourself first and then focus on the source of this emotion and what it is. Then we can figure out what to do from there, Ja?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - May 4, 2024 James could see something was wrong. He wanted to say something but he was never much for words. It pained him that this was the only way to deal with his own problems. By just drinking. Anger seeped through his veins. He suddenly broke the glass in his hand without meaning to. Giving himself a wake up call. He let the pieces of glass in his hand fall to the floor. He cleared his throat, "Sorry bartender. Got anything to clean this up? I could help." --- "Yes you are, my ice princess." ,said Vincent. Elliot's eyes gleamed, "She speaks baby! This is more awesome than that time I went mud fighting with everybody in my hometown." --- Charles grabbed the Angel and immediately teleported to Heaven. The Devil let out a frustrated scream when his knees were hit. He growled once he heard her tell him to submit. He grabbed the pole and chucked her in the air. Waiting for her to break on the ground so he could have a chance at eating her. However, black tentacles had caught her in time. Placing her gently on the ground. It was Abaddon with Insanity perched on his shoulder. The Devil let out a roar. Insanity flew over to Carol, "Are you alright?" Abaddon returned back the roar with more anger. He said, "Friend of mine. Stop! We are friends with this one. We are friends with the leader." The Devil laughed. He reached for him. Abaddon's opened his mouth. Wrapping his tentacles over his wrist. Holding on tightly before ripping his arm off. The Devil grabbed his stump and cried out. A river of blood flowed into their direction. --- "Thankfully, it is only your hands." Death looked at his own throne. "I would like to know your story if that is alright with you. In return, I can tell you mine." --- "Are you kidding me? You've got us all here supporting you!" ,said Grim. "That's right. We're always going to be here you." ,said Pain. "And that's never going to change." ,said Storm. Napoleon frowned. He realized now that although he was powerful and had a great title, he didn't have any friends. He suddenly appeared in Phineas Gage's home. His face went red. He cleared his throat. "I uh....Is this a good time for a conversation? Nothing serious, I can assure you. Just a talk." Phineas smiled, "Well I don't see why not. Nice to meet ya Napoleon. Have a seat." Â Napoleon took a seat at the sofa chair. He looked at Phineas before looking at his partner. "I'm going to ask you a question and I implore you to answer me honestly. Am I a bad guy?" Phineas fell silent. He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Uh well....It's more complicated than that. How do I say it? Um...." --- Cory sat next to him. "What do you mean?" --- Theron clutched his robes. He bent back. His blood dripping from every part of him. He bent over. Slamming his fists on the floor. "NO! I won't let it try to do anything! Nobody owns me anymore!" His black wings sprouted. A sudden gush of wind passed by everyone in the castle as his purple energy covered the castle too. The purple aura soon disappeared. He stood up as his blood went back into his body. He turned around to face Bianka. His eyes glowing purple. He smiled with tears in his eyes. "I banished it from here. I don't want anything to hurt my family." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 shadowess - May 15, 2024 Damien looked at James in surprise. He wasn't exactly going through a great time himself but hadn't expected such a reaction from his new friend. He glanced at the bartender, saying something to him quickly and quietly in Dutch to which the bartender nodded. The bartender poured another glass for James and set it in front of him before quickly scooping the glass off the bar with a cloth in one fluid movement. The bartender left them, walking to the back to dispose of the broken glass. "I wouldn't worry about it. It wouldn't be the first time a glass or two has been broken around me." Damien chuckled before his features straightened into a look of concern and he lowered his voice. "Have I offended you again?" He shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable as he admitted in a low voice "I'm still rusty at this whole 'having a friend' thing." --- "What's mud fighting, Daddy?" Neva asked innocently. In Vincent's arms, little Oliver had fallen asleep. --- The angel had been crying out from the loss of his arm and barely noticed when Charles had grabbed him. Then he felt it. The air that faintly smelled sweet. All at once he felt the familiar love, relief and sense of safety embrace him as a nurturing light brought warmth to his soul. "I'm home!" He gasped and looked around them in disbelief at the little market square that they had landed in. Of course, there was no monetary factor here, but some souls liked being able to share their art or hobbies with others in a manner that greatly resembled a marketplace. "I'm really home! You were telling the truth!" The angel began to sob. Initially, the souls and angels that had been minding their own business prior to their arrival had stood still, staring in shock at the sudden arrival of a Devil. The news that Heaven was gradually opening its doors to the citizens of Hell wasn't new but to suddenly be in the presence of Hell's King was a shock to them. Even more so that Hell's King was accompanied by a severely wounded Angel who seemed to be covered in dirt, dust and blood. The other angels that had fled Hell were nearby and they'd hurried over to them. They were all teary-eyed and full of gratitude as they each insisted on shaking Charles's hand. They had been locked away in those cells for decades but now not only was their nightmare over, but so was the war! They hadn't felt such hope for the future before and it was overwhelming to them as they cried and embraced each other over and over while laughing deliriously. Seeing such a spectacle, Heaven's civilian onlookers relaxed and some even smiled as they watched the joy that these Angels exhibited. Then they began to clap and cheer. In their eyes, Charles was a hero. Raguel appeared before them. He'd sensed Charles's arrival in Heaven and wanted to welcome him personally. "It's quite something, isn't it?" he smiled, knowing that Charles would have felt the same love and warmth that everyone in Heaven experiences. "Once upon a time, you would have felt like you were being crushed under an enormous weight for setting foot here. But times have changed. The war is over. To yours and your kin, Heaven welcomes you." Raguel's eyes moved over to the group of dirty, injured angels and his smile slipped as though he was just now noticing them. "Thank you for bringing them home," he says to Charles with a nod. "Knights." he addressed them and at once, the angels stopped what they were doing to stand at attention. Even the angel with the bloody, dripping stump of an arm had hopped to his feet. "Check yourselves into the hospital at once. All of you. Seek medical and mental aid. Once you have been discharged I want each of you to see me for debriefing. Then you may all enjoy a much-deserved retirement." "Acknowledged Arch Angel!" The men announced in unison before vanishing. Ragual couldn't help the small reminiscent smile creeping across his lips. It had been some years since his soldiers spoke like that. It seemed so old-fashioned now. With a heavy sigh, Raguel looked back at Charles. "I truly do appreciate it." He affirmed. "Is now a good time for you to join me in my office? We have much to discuss." --- Being flung into the air, Carol had flailed a little but looked down in horror at the height she had been left to free fall. The ability to stop herself from feeling pain could be useful in a fight but it cannot stop her from being wounded or worse. The ground was coming back to greet her at an ugly speed and she dreaded to think how helplessly broken such a landing would make her. Dark, wet tendrils gripped her, saving her from the fall. Although she was relieved, she also couldn't help grimacing at the odd feeling of those tentacles. She sat on the ground, whirling her head around to where the tentacles originated. Another Devil? Was he trapped in those cells too or did he come back from Oblivion like Donnie and Damien had? How many more are going to come out of the woodwork now that Lucifer is gone? Even more shocking was this Devil's companion. A smaller version of the lunatic she'd been hunting before. Insanity. She heard the question but there was so much she was trying to make sense of. She watched the short fight between the two Devils until one of them had been dismembered. She looked at Insanity again and then back to Abaddon. "What the Hell is going on?! Who is he?!" she pointed at Abaddon then looked back at Insanity. "What the Hell happened to you?!" she then turned and pointed to the wounded Devil, paying no mind to the blood pooling towards them. "And who the fuck is that?!" --- "Um, sure," Lilly answered while rubbing her arm nervously. "Well, it's like I said before. You already know I'm from another universe. I was an orphan and lived in an orphanage until I accidentally raised Bob from the dead... he was my first and only friend then... but I guess I could have been a better friend to him..." she admitted while looking away. "In my world, magic... especially magic like that... it was considered evil. If anyone found out, I'd have been burned at the stake. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Bob to, you know, die again. And he was a walking talking skeleton who wouldn't leave me alone. He couldn't, I suppose. He was bound to me. So, I did the only thing I could to survive. I ran away. Lived on the road. Hid Bob as best I could and tried to find someone else like me... not to learn about the powers but to get rid of Bob so that I could go back to a 'normal' life." She frowned. She regretted how cold she used to be toward Bob. She'd always blamed him for her life going awry. She sighed. "Then I met this boy. Armin. He was searching for lost components of an ancient spell. One said to open a doorway into another world. He wanted to escape ours because of... because of the Wraiths." She visibly shuddered at the word 'wraiths'. "I thought maybe if I tagged along, we could find a way for me to get what I wanted too... or at the very least cross through the doorway to a new world where I might be able to start again." She suddenly looked mournful and slightly distressed. "He found the components. But the cost to open the door was too great. The spell demanded a sacrifice. He said he didn't want to use it anymore. That it wasn't worth the cost. He was going to destroy the spell so that no one else would use it." She paused. Taking a breath, she lifted her eyes to look around the throne room. She was quiet for a moment. Contemplative. Sombre. Finally, she looked back at Death, having steeled herself to finish her story. "We were ambushed by Wraiths. They wanted the spell components too so that they could cross into a second world to continue their destruction. It all happened so fast that it's mostly a blur now but Armin..." She shook her head. "I don't know when he started the spell. But I saw him reciting it... and he was... he was disintegrating! I tried to fight my way over to stop him but he just smiled at me and pushed me through the portal. With me and Bob through, he closed the portal behind us. One wraith managed to get through but this man, David, was there when we fell into this universe and he pushed the wraith back into my world before the portal snapped shut. Armin had sacrificed himself to save us. I don't know why he did that... I don't know what happened to the spell after either... I know the wraiths didn't manage to use it because they'd be here already if they had. I am sad and... maybe even a little angry that he sacrificed himself to save me... but..." she paused again, smiling a little. "I'm glad. By pushing me through, he's given me something that I never believed I would ever have... a chance at a new life. A chance to be happy." --- Elsewhere in Death's castle, Azrael appeared in his office and began writing up preparations for Lilly's coronation. Death's domain had never had an heir to the throne before but Azrael was not deterred. He'd learned a thing or two during his years travelling and working on Earth about monarchy customs, etiquette and the like. He drew up plans for a ball, a banquet, as well as the coronation itself where Death would officially & legally crown Lilly as his daughter and heir. Invitations could be sent to high-ranking members of Hell, Heaven and even the supernatural figures of power that reside on Earth. A village fair and tournament could be held on the castle's vast grounds. So many ideas and possibilities flooded Azrael's mind but he contained his excitement. He would, of course, have to run all of this by Death himself first and obtain his authorisation before any planning could be implemented. But for now, he jotted down his ideas and the logistics for them. --- Bob looked around at them and couldn't help smiling despite his tears. "Gosh... I-..." the words caught in his throat and he swallowed before chuckling. "You guys are the best, you know that? I love you guys!" --- Kasper looked up from the little book nook in the corner of their cottage. He was lounging in an armchair, a blanket sprawled across his lap and an open book in his hands. One of the dogs was sleeping by his feet. "You wouldn't be in Heaven if you weren't good, Mr Bonaparte," he said simply. "Much less an Angel." Since living with Phineas, Kasper had become more relaxed and confident in himself. He even seemed physically healthier and had a bit more colour in his cheeks. "Why do you ask?" he asked, curious. --- "It's wonderful!" Stevie beamed. His left eyelid twitched briefly. "I was scared but I'm not scared anymore! I can do anything! I can BE anything! No more rules! No more homework! No more parents! No more 'bring me a beer, runt'! No more 'you were a mistake, runt!' No more! No more! No more!-" He paused. His grin had been growing more and more disturbing as he was talking but then it slipped disorientingly quickly into a frown. "Hang on-" he gasped then stood and turned away from Cory. He took something out of his pocket. The early morning sunlight bounced off the silver of his father's hipflask as he quickly brought it up to take a small sip of a strong-smelling liquid. While he was turned away, Cory would be close enough to notice that the 'mud' that was dried and flaking on Stevie's clothes had a hint of red. Quickly putting the hipflask back into his pocket with a sigh of relief, Stevie turned around to face Cory again. His pupils had widened from whatever liquid he'd swallowed. "I'm going to show them. I'm going to show them all! I am done being pushed around! I am done being everyone's punching bag! It ends today!" His eyes darted to the entrance of the quad, where other students were just starting to arrive. He smirked and something about his smile was deeply unsettling. --- Bianka had taken a couple of steps back and watched in alarm as things she couldn't explain unfolded. When it was done and Theron told her he'd protected them she smiled, although admittedly she was a little confused as she had only been able to see Theron's reaction to whatever entity had threatened them. "I-... I couldn't see what it was you were fighting, I'm afraid. But I shall take your word for it. Thank you, son." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - May 16, 2024 James awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "No, you didn't. It's just....I'm....worried....for....you." He sighed, "Took me a while to say that. Not use to expressing my feelings." --- "Well, ya get into a big pile of mud with another person and wrestle them. Fun for the whole family!" ,said Elliot. "Not for this family. Do you know how hard it is to get mud out of clothes?" ,asked Vincent. Elliot smiled, "Aw shucks! Maybe I can convince you soon." Vincent rolled his eyes, "Unlikely." --- Charles at first felt nervous to be in Heaven. When he saw the smiles and heard their cheers, he soon began to smile. Feeling that warmth in his heart. At Raguel, he nodded. "I've been meaning to help out at some point. Hell was just a big matter to attend to first. I think all is taken care of down there though." --- "Short story? That's Abaddon. An ancient devil who's on our side. I took away my own powers and buried it deep within Hell. Now, we're trying to help you!" Insanity flew up to her shoulder. Abaddon ran on all fours. The Devil attempted to hit him with his only hand but missed several times. Abaddon appeared to be good at agility. He soon jumped on the Devil's neck. He opened his mouth. Allowing his tentacles to wrap around his throat and push him down. The Devil hit the ground and struggled for air. --- Death smiled, "Your friend saw the good in you. He knew what you were meant for. To help people." --- Everyone gave Bob a group hug. "We can head to my place and hang out there. This cemetery isn't too far off from where I live." ,said Grim. --- Napoleon didn't speak. Slowly but surely, tears ran down his cheeks. "Because I have no one. I see all the people I have come across. I can see their love for each other. There is none like that for me. And all the dreadful things that the people say about me. Even the British continue to slander my name! The Americans think I'm an idiot!" He clenched his fists. "I have no one." Phineas frowned, "What about Frederick? He was the one who brought you here. He saved you, didn't he?" "Frederick? He does not love me. We are merely men in war." He suddenly smiled, "Napoleon I don't mean to be rude but didn't you see the way he looked at you? The way he talked about you?" Napoleon raised a brow, "Huh? I do understand." --- Cory placed a firm grasp on his shoulder, "Stevie? What did you do? Where have you been?" --- Theron sobbed, "NO! It's not enough! I have to leave. Whatever it was made me feel terrible! I imagined hurting everyone. I can't let that happen. I need to leave! I don't want anyone to get hurt!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Shadowess - June 3, 2024 Damien couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly at James's last comment. "You and me both," he said then placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to worry about me. I might look scrawny but I'm stronger than I appear. I was trained by Lucifer's best, after all." he seemed confident as he said this. All while desperately ignoring the churning, gnawing cravings for vampire venom that felt like they would threaten to curdle the blood in his veins if he didn't give in. He turned back to his drink and calmly took a sip of his whiskey to try to quiet his inner turmoil. As the liquid hit his tongue, the longing to taste something stronger caused him to momentarily fantasise. It would be so easy to slip away. Pretend he's going to the restroom to then teleport to Tristan's cell. He imagined Tristan would be eager to taste his blood again and in return, he would get the venom kick that he yearned for. Tristan's teeth would break the skin of his neck. The venom would cause him to shiver while their bodies pressed together in an embrace- hidden from all. He'd relinquish control to hear the soft rhythm of the vampire swallowing his blood. He'd allow him to drink from him but only enough to sate both of them before teleporting back and pretending that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Â Damien blinked. He'd been staring silently into his drink for an unknown amount of time. Becoming aware of himself and his surroundings again, he placed the glass on the bar and slid off his stool. "Come on, I think I need to try something else. I know a good coffee shop that do edibles," he said while avoiding eye contact, as though scared that James would see right through him. He'd never thought like this before. Never longed for anything like this before. It was new to Damien and although he showed no signs of it, this frightened him. --- Neva's eyes had lit up. "I wana fight in the mud!" Sebastian lifted his arm and felt the back of his head. His wounds had all but healed and thanks to the bag of blood he wasn't hungry either. He looked up at Carter. "Do you know if your office was insured?" he asked. "We could probably rebuild it and start again." --- Raguel smiled knowingly. "You don't need the pretence here. I know Hell still has a long way to go but with yours and your wife's leadership, I believe it is finally on the right path." He turned and gestured for Charles to follow. He walked them to his office where he'd offer Charles a drink before he settled down in the chair behind his desk. Clasping his hands together on his desk, he looked at Charles seriously. "We have a prisoner here. One of Hell's fugitives that had been running around after Donnie and his vicious little family. Their name is Lilith..." he paused, sighing. "I know her punishment is your prerogative. Heaven will release her to your custody at once but I must ask you to be merciful to her. She has lived for aeons and suffered greatly already during that time. To the point of driving her to madness, it would seem. I don't believe she joined Donnie to be evil. I believe she was... lonely." he paused to allow Charles to respond. He anticipated he would have questions about Adam's first wife. Raguel steeled himself, ready to answer them if needed. After all, he'd known her since the beginning. --- Carol recoiled slightly when Insanity landed on her shoulder but didn't shoo him off. She looked back at Abaddon and watched the fight. She watched the way Abaddon moved and his brutality toward the other devil. It stirred emotions in her and had her feeling a little hot and flustered. But as much as she was enjoying the show, she reluctantly got to her feet and ran over. "Wait!" She called out to them. "I love merciless beatdowns as much as the next demon but I know my boss will have a few choice words for me if I don't try to intervene," she explained hurriedly. "He'd want us to have restraint... to show mercy." She gestured to the other devil while maintaining eye contact with Abaddon. "He's not a threat anymore. Surely by now, he's realised that you can best him easily if he tries to fight again. We need to try to help him see reason." --- Lilly shrugged. "I don't know about that... But I'm grateful, all the same." she now looked at Death curiously. "What about you? I know so little about this realm, let alone this universe. In mine, no one believed there was an afterlife because the wraiths feast on souls. But there are no wraiths here. I can't help but wonder if this is how our universe was supposed to be... How did all this come about?" she gestured with both hands, meaning the afterlife as a whole. --- "Mr Bonaparte, might I suggest that you and Frederick spend a day together? No war talk. No work talk. Just the two of you... spending time with each other." Kasper suggested while sharing a knowing smile with Phineas. If those two were meant to be, surely they'd figure it out for themselves while spending some time together? --- Stevie looked at Cory for a moment before lunging in and pressing his lips hard against his. The taste of liquor mixed with a stronger substance would transfer from Stevie's lips to Cory's. But unless Cory was familiar with vampire venom, he wouldn't know what Stevie had laced the liquor with. Stevie caressed his cheek as he pulled away and stared into his eyes. "I wanted to do that last time I saw you. You need to get away from the school. Get Autumn and Winters and ditch school today. You won't have long. Go!" --- "Slow down!" Bianka looked at Theron with a mixture of alarm and confusion. "Talk to me. Tell me what is happening. Is there anything we can do to help?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - June 3, 2024 James nodded, "Alright. Just tell me when you need to be alone. I'm good at finding abandoned places." --- Vincent rolled his eyes but smiled, "We'll see ice princess." Carter shrugged, "That's the least of my concerns. I just want to make sure everyone's alright. It's been a while since we've seen our friends. I wish I knew what they were doing." --- "Might I ask why Lilith was put into such a predicament in the first place? Sounds like romance wasn't her calling. Or her luck, I should say." ,said Charles. --- Abaddon looked at her before releasing his hold on the Devil's neck. Suddenly, the Devil grabbed Abaddon from behind. Cutting his tentacles with one sharp nail. Abaddon cried out. The Devil laughed. He held him in his hand. "You were once a most feared devil and now look at you! Such pathetic thoughts in your head. You are useless!" Abaddon struggled against his hold, "Friends showed me other way!" The Devil laughed louder, "You don't even deserve those powers! Let a better devil take them!" He opened his mouth. Suddenly, Abaddon's aura began to enter the Devil's mouth. Making him become weaker. Insanity shouted, "No!" He flew over to the Devil. Scratching at his face. Distracting him momentarily. The Devil lost his hold on Abaddon. He glared at Insanity before slapping him away. Insanity hit the ground. He tried to fly up but noticed his wing was broken. "Carol! You need to weaken him! We have to get him into a cage!" --- "You can thank God for all of this. He was the one who created everything. We just follow the rules that were given to us." ,said Death. --- Napoleon's eyes sparkled, "I guess it has been some time since I've relaxed with a friend." Phineas was suddenly holding a picnic basket that he had thought of. He handed it to Napoleon, "There's plenty of delicious snacks you could make with this. I understand that people from far back loved picnics as much as my family did." Napoleon looked at the basket in his hands. He nodded, "Thank you." He disappeared. Phineas couldn't help but let some tears show. He smiled, "It's always nice to see love like that." --- Cory's eyes widened at the sudden kiss. He looked Stevie over and realized something was wrong. He nodded, "Ok man. I'll go get them." He ran straight to the school. Not caring if he would get in trouble or not. He knew that everyone needed to be here for Stevie. To get him the help that he clearly was crying out for. --- Theron shook his head, "I need to leave! I'm sorry but I have to! I'm glad you all become my family but this is the only way. I want to protect everyone." --- While the world was in chaos, there was a hitman out there with a sickening grin. If you heard his voice, you knew he was Australian. And it's not like that mattered to him anyway. He just cared about the money. He landed nearby the police department. "Guess I can finally get these blokes off my bucket list." He aimed his silencer and fired at an officer's head. Killing him instantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Shadowess - June 3, 2024 "My friend, we won't need abandoned places here. I can get us a hotel room each. I've stayed in one of the rooms upstairs here more times than I can recall." He pointed to the ceiling of the bar. "Come on, let's take a walk across the canals and head over to the Bulldog Cafe." --- "Why don't we call them?" Sebastian suggested while nodding to the phone attached to the wall. "Or I'm feeling a lot better now, we could go visit them?" --- Raguel tensed at the question. For a moment, he seemed uncomfortable. "Be mindful of your comments. You are a guest in His home, after all." he reminded Charles before waving a hand to summon two glasses of water to appear on his desk for them. "But I understand your concern. Just remember, it was a different time then. Humanity didn't technically exist yet. Getting that right took... practice, shall we say? and the logical thing to do when breeding any new species is to put a mating pair together and well... hope for the best." Raguel cleared his throat before grabbing one of the glasses to take a sip. "Angels were forbidden from interfering unless the new humans were in peril. It was strictly an observational role. To study them. Nurture them by adapting their environment around them. At first, things seemed to be going well. Adam and Lillith had their differences but they were all each other had so they bonded. At least, that's what we thought. To no one's surprise but everyone's excitement, Lillith fell pregnant with her first child." Raguel gave a stained smile. "Adam was thrilled... until it came time for Lillith to give birth. The labour was long and difficult. Complications meant Angels had to step in to assist her. Everyone was anxious. Scared. Then, finally, Lillith managed to push out a healthy baby boy... with angelic wings..." he shook his head and took another sip of water. "This was the first hybrid child in existence but fascination and studies had to wait... Adam, understandably, was upset by the betrayal. We had to separate him from Lillith and the child... for their safety. But when God gave in to Adam's demands for a new wife by giving him Eve, Lillith felt she was no longer just being removed for her safety but that she was also being banished. She became even more enraged when the baby was old enough to be weaned off of breast milk and was taken from her to be brought to Heaven, where he could grow to be an Angel. Without the humiliation of knowing his true heritage. She tried waiting for her Angellic lover to return too but we never did learn who it was. Obviously he'd have been trialled and potentially even destroyed for interfering in God's creation, so he never went to her. She felt abandoned, cast out and alone. This all made her bitter. And she remained that way for centuries. Once Earth was established, Adam and Eve's children were born, and Angels started seeking Lillith out for... Well, let's just say they were fascinated by her ability to create hybrids. To try to put a stop to this, God altered her DNA. Changing her into the creatures you know as Leviathans. Again, this was meant to protect her... but she only ever saw this as yet another punishment." He sighed and placed his glass back on the desk. "So, now you know her story. I must ask again. Please, show mercy. She is a broken woman seeking comfort in the wrong places. She will need patience and kindness but I-... I believe that somewhere, deep down, the gentle and kind woman I once knew is still in there." Raguel quickly averted his gaze. He rarely showed emotion, especially to anyone from outside of Heaven. --- Insanity needn't have called for Carol to help. By the time he was shouting for her, she was already on her feet, grabbed the iron bar she'd been using earlier and had sprinted across to the Devil. She made swing after swing at the Devil's head and chest, hoping to beat him down. She hadn't actually thought ahead on how a Demon was supposed to beat a Devil with brute force but she wasn't going to sit back and do nothing. "And how do you suggest we do that?" Carol shouted back at Insanity between swings. "The Cells have collapsed!" She growled in frustration. Putting all of her strength behind each and every swing. After each swing she would shout each of the following sentences. "You son of a bitch! You want a fight?! You've got one! I back down to no one! Not even Devils! I tried to help you! But nooooo! I gave you a chance and what do you do?! Fucking moron!" --- Lilly furrowed her brows. She'd heard Pain, Grim and the others mention God a few times and she was sure she'd asked them about him at least once but she hadn't fully understood. Perhaps Death could enlighten her further? "Who's 'God'?" While Death was faced with the difficult task of trying to explain the beginning of all creation, Azrael had walked back into the throne room from the staircase in the left-most corner of the room. "Your Grace and... your Grace," he said with a small smile. "Forgive the intrusion. There are some important matters that I need to discuss with the King. Would now be a good time?" --- "You're such a sweetheart, you know?" Kasper grinned lovingly at Phineas. --- Stevie smiled, relieved as he watched Cory run from him. He believed that he'd agreed to get their friends and flee from the school. That they would be kept safe. The flute hissed at him and Stevie flinched before shaking his head furiously. "He wasn't lying. He won't betray me, you'll see! He understands me." he said, as if responding to the instrument. "They'll be safe... while everyone else will suffer..." he took out his flute and delicately placed his fingers over the holes. "You and me... we'll make them all pay, won't we?" he asked and another hiss came from the flute. Stevie smiled, as if reassured then placed the mouthpiece to his lips and began to play a sombre tune... Willing all who hear it to begin marching into the school building in a trance, up the stairs and towards the highest roof. Ready to throw themselves off. --- "Theron, I don't understand!" Bianka pleaded. "Please, if there is danger then we need to know what it is in case we should prepare!" --- Gunshots rang out. Shouting and chaos soon followed. Tristan jumped to his feet in his cell and watched as officers ran across the room with their guns drawn towards the door to the main reception area. One of them was Officer Hayward. "What's going on?" he tried to ask them but they ignored him and charged through the door, leaving him alone in the holding cell. Or so he thought. "In mortal danger, once more." An unknown voice in the room made him jump. He whirled around to see a strangely dressed man in his cell. The male had long, slick black locks that hung down to his waist. He was covered in dust and wore no shoes. His clothing looked more like tattered, grey rags. It was as if he'd recently risen from a tomb, yet his dark, glistening eyes and smooth, perfect face seemed completely out of place compared to the rest of him. "Most unbecoming of an immortal, wouldst thou agree?" He finished with a tilt of his head. Both his tone and his stare were that of a stern softness that only a parent could achieve. "Who are you?" Tristan asked nervously. "How did you get in my cell? I didn't see an officer bring you in." The male merely blinked. Despite the commotion in the next room, he seemed calm. Relaxed, even. "Thou art German. I believe I know thy kin." The male said as he took a step towards him. Tristan took an anxious step back, cornering himself. "You do?" "The castle in the forest. I ruled there, for a time. Come, it is time I visited my old home." "I can't go back! I'm banished! I'll be killed!" Tristan began to protest. The male merely raised a brow and then glanced at the door where the officers were still shouting. "Thou wouldst surely die, if you stayed." He said then placed his hand on his shoulder. "Come." In an instant, they were both standing in the main hall of the castle. Tristan turned around and around as he took in the sight of his old home in disbelief. "No, no! I cannot be here! Please, take me anywhere else but here!" "Relax child, you are of my kin and I will resume my throne once more." The male stated simply. "There is already a ruler here and I attacked him! Please, before he senses us!" "Silence!" The male snapped and for a second his eyes had turned completely crimson. "Only a True Blood God may rule Vampire kin." he paused, inhaling deeply. "I smell two Blood Gods here. One female and one male. Their blood is diluted... weak. What hath become of our legends?" "They were destroyed," Tristan answered nervously. "Heresy!" "No! They were! There was a war. Blood Gods were almost completely wiped out. Those that you smell are what's left!" It was clear by his strained features that this news troubled the ancient Blood God deeply. Tristan almost felt bad for him. "How old-... how long were you um... asleep?" "I know not." The male answered. "But my slumber hath left me thirsting. Fetch me mortals at once," he ordered with a dismissive wave. "Um-..." Tristan hesitated, biting his lip anxiously. "Like I said, I was banished. I'm not meant to be here. Besides... this castle stopped hunting humans centuries ago. They should have some deer blood stored in the pantr-..." he trailed off. Terrified by the ugly, furious and disgusted stare he was receiving from the male. He didn't know how to react or what to say at this point. The male seemed to be on the verge of rage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - June 3, 2024 James followed him. --- Carter sighed, "I guess I could but....Would that even be available?" He pulled out his own phone. "Who should I even call first?" --- Charles smirked, "I think God deserves a Father of the Millennia trophy." He soon wiped that smirk off of himself. "But I understand. I can see where you are coming from. Do not worry. I will help her. However, I suggest keeping her in that cell for now. I still need to rebuild Hell's Cells. She may not have her abilities because of the bracelet but she is still a clever fighter." --- Insanity ran over to Abaddon. Watching as his skin became a human pale tone. Eris appeared. "Alright! Time for tall, red, and handsome to go down!" She hopped on his back as the Devil was distracted by all the hits he took from Carol. She sank her fangs into his neck. Draining him of his powers until he slowly shrank down to a human sized Devil. The Devil passed out. She gave a thumbs up. "Mission accomplished!" Insanity took some steps forward, "Are you my energy? I buried it all to avoid using it. I didn't know it would become a person." Eris shrugged, "You dudes forget that technically everything is alive in what you bring out. But I'm just glad I get to kick some ass!" Insanity ignored her excitement. He tapped on Carol's leg, "Something happened to Abaddon! He looks like a human!" --- "Of course Azrael." Death nodded at her. "Give me a moment." He walked over to Azrael, "I'm under the assumption that there is more bad news?" --- "Well, when you've raised your own nephews and nieces, you get a soft spot for all the mushy stuff." ,said Phineas. --- Cory, Winters, and Autumn ran to Stevie. Autumn shouted, "Don't! This doesn't solve anything!" Winters said, "I know what it's like to be bullied but this isn't the way!" Cory stepped forward, "For god sakes Stevie! Look at me!" He cupped his face and forced him to stare back. "Please! Don't do this!" --- "Don't you get it? As long as I'm here, there will always be danger! I have to go!" ,said Theron. --- Jean appeared in front of the two men. He glared, "Who are you? Why are you here?" --- The hitman jumped back. Hiding behind a building as he watched the officers go out. "This is too easy." He fired another shot at a second officer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Shadowess - June 4, 2024 They left the bar and proceeded to walk down the red light district. On one side of them was window after window of exotic dancers with red backdrops. On the other, the canal. Ahead of them was a bridge which they'd turn to walk across, heading towards a different part of the city. "It's so peaceful here." Damien breathed, taking in the soothing sounds of the water from the canal and the birdsong from nearby trees. "Maybe we could get a souvenir while we're here? How about some clogs?" he joked with a cheeky grin. --- "Maybe try Atma? See if everyone at the mansion is ok." Sebastian said, wary not to mention Rickster in case this upset Neva. --- "I understand." Raguel nodded, concealing his surprise at learning Hell's Cells are apparently in need of repair. "Then we will ensure she is as comfortable as possible, despite her incarceration. In the meantime, I'm sure you noticed those quakes. Have they ripped through Hell just as they have with Heaven, Earth and Death's realm?" He would give Charles time to answer before going on to explain: "They were caused by a portal being opened between Earth and another universe. Much like the one that was opened before only this one is larger and hasn't closed itself. As yet, we don't know the reason for it being opened. Only that two boys stepped through. One was regrettably killed, the other fled and has yet to be found. I must appeal to you as the leader of your people to keep an eye out for this boy. Do not underestimate him. He is powerful, that much is certain. But he may be the key to closing the portal before anyone or anything else can step through." --- Carol paused mid-swing when Eris reappeared and finished off the Devil. She took a moment to catch her breath as she and Insanity talked. When she was tapped on the leg, she glanced down at Insanity before looking over at Abaddon. "Oh... no more tentacles?" she breathed, sounding slightly disappointed. "Oh well, not a complete deal breaker, I guess..." she mumbled to herself as she walked over to kneel beside him. She then quickly glanced over at the other devil, as if realising something. "Gabby, sweety? Your bestest frenemy in the world needs one of those fancy angelic handcuffs!" she called out before turning back to Abaddon. She brushed his hair from his face and tilted her head slightly while looking him over to see if he was ok. "Hey, are you still with us handsome?" she asked in a gentle voice. --- "Quite the opposite, your Grace," Azrael answered with a smile. "I was hoping to show you a few things I've been working on. To see if you would approve. My notes are in my office." Lilly watched the pair leave the room before looking around awkwardly, not really knowing what to do with herself just yet. She imagined she'd get used to living here in time and that she would find things to occupy herself with. Maybe she'd even find a hobby... imagine that! She wandered over to one of the tall stone windows and peered out over the village square below them. She watched reapers and spirits going about their business as usual. Her mind began to drift as she daydreamed of the kinds of things she might do once she'd settled down properly. Meanwhile, in Azrael's study, he showed Death his plans for the coronation. The village fair to bring the Reapers together to celebrate. The plans for the ball with honoured guests from each world. Azrael was both excited and nervous to share these with Death as he scratched the back of his head and showed him each plan. "They're only rough drafts... ideas mostly." he said modestly, although the 'rough drafts' were planned right down to the smallest detail. "I also drew up a schedule for the Princess's education. Seeing as she's from an entirely different universe, I thought it best to include all academics from science and mathematics to art and culture. So... what do you think, you Grace?" --- "Come here" Kasper chuckled and reached out to him with one hand. When Phineas would approach, he'd grip his shirt to gently pull him down and kiss him lovingly. "Never in my life did I imagine that this would be my idea of Heaven, but you know what? It is infinitely better than anything I could have dreamt up." --- Stevie's tune trilled as he stared hard at Cory and the others. Angry tears stung his eyes as he strained to keep up the melody. He wanted to scream at them. To ask Cory how he could betray his trust. But he'd already started playing and the flute willed him to continue. Whispering that it was the only real friend he had. The only one he could trust. They had their chance, now they had to die with the rest of them! Stevie played harder. Louder. Now willing the music to enrapture his friends. To force them to march to the top of the building with the rest. --- "There is always going to be danger, Theron!" Bianka snapped back. Frustrated that she still didn't understand what the problem was. "We, all of us, must face dangers one way or another. That is life, my son! It takes many forms and makes little difference where you are when it happens. But if you have friends and family to fight by your side then you will always stand a greater chance at survival. I appreciate that you wish to protect me but if my protection comes at the cost of losing one of my family or a person I love being isolated... then I'd rather not be protected at all! I would rather fight alongside you than have you leave. Do you understand me?" She was both fierce and passionate when speaking. Like a mother defending her child, she stood ready to tackle anything that threatened them. "Now speak to me, Theron. Tell me plainly. What is it that we must face?" --- Tristan's eyes widened. The last time he'd seen Jean he'd been about to do some unsavoury things to him before being beaten to a pulp by a burning Hannes. But now he was different. Something about Jean had changed dramatically and Tristan could smell it in his blood. He was more powerful now. "Shit!" he gasped as he took a couple of steps backwards, away from them both. He quickly pointed to the ancient Blood God while looking at Jean. "I didn't want to come back here! He made me! If you let me leave you'll never see me again, I swear it!" "Cur." The ancient one sneered at Tristan's plea. Unimpressed by his cowardice. He turned his attention back to Jean, looking him up and down. "I am Shezmu. Lord of Blood. Great Slaughterer of the Gods. He Who Dismembers Bodies. And I have come to reclaim my throne, as is my right. Dost thou contest this, half-blood?" --- "Hayward!" The other officer screamed as he watched her hit the ground. Haywards gripped her shoulder but scrambled to her feet. "Move!" she barked at the officer. "Take cover!" she darted behind a nearby vehicle with the officer close behind her. She quickly peered over the hood of the car and fired a couple of shots in the last known direction the hitman had been in. She then quickly ducked behind the car again while pinching the walkie-talkie on her shoulder. "Officer Hayward requesting backup! Shots fired! One officer down, one shot. I repeat. Shots fired! One officer down, one shot!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - June 5, 2024 James frowned, "Damien? Can I tell you something?" --- Carter nodded, "Good idea." He dialed her up. If she did answer, he would say, "Hey Atma? Is everyone in the mansion alright? That earthquake seriously made some damage." --- Charles shrugged, "If he wasn't powerful already, he is most likely more powerful now. It's interesting how anger and bitter hatred can lead to such an increase in power. Since his friend was killed right before him...." He tipped his glass over. Watching the water fall. "The battle has truly begun." He stood from the chair. "Unfortunately, Hell has been a victim to this earthquake too. I assume that your men have everything under control. I hate to end this meeting so quickly but I need to make sure Hell gets put back together as well." --- Gabriel only appeared for a split second just to be safe. But it was enough for the bracelet to be sent. Eris placed it over the Devil's wrist. Abaddon slowly opened his eyes, "Hm? Who are you? What am I doing here?" Insanity's eyes widened, "It can't be.....Did taking away his powers make him forget?" Abaddon looked at the bird, "A bird that talks longer than just phrases? That's interesting." --- With all the chaos that had happened so far, it was a blessing to find himself alone with Azrael. Reminding himself of the times when he had received help from him. He couldn't help but grab him and give him a kiss. Death stood back and smiled, "Oh Azrael. You must never change. These plans are simply amazing. I'm sure she will love her new life here." --- Phineas blushed. He couldn't help but return the kiss. He stood back and pondered, "I wonder if I should visit those who wish to see me? Those who want to know who I am? Like those scientists. It wouldn't be dangerous. I would be answering them all sorts of questions. It's just....I feel like they need answers. From what I heard, I left quite a hole in people's hearts. Everyone is sad for me? It's still strange to me but I don't want people feeling bad, ya know?" He awkwardly smiled, "If that's alright with you?" --- Everyone else walked back to the school but Cory fought on. Cory had been forced to take some steps back. Yet, he made himself move toward Stevie. "Stevie.....!" Tears ran down his cheeks. "I know.....it's hard!" He uttered each word as he continued to go against the flute. "But....I need....you....to know...." He suddenly grabbed the flute and threw it on the one of the benches. Breaking it in half. "I love you!" All the students would suddenly stop moving to the roof. Giving everyone a sense of relief and confusion. Cory collapsed. It was the first time he had dealt with something this strong before. "I know I was with Winters but ever since I got to know you things have felt different. It'll break Winters heart. I get that. He'll understand though. Because I need you as much as you need me. And I promise you that I'm never going to leave you." He tried to get up but was still too exhausted. Winters and Autumn ran back to the scene. "Is everyone alright?" ,asked Autumn. "Cory?" ,said Winters. He helped him to the bench. Cory sighed, "Winters. There's a lot to explain but we have to talk." --- Theron silently nodded. He stood up, "That earthquake only occurred because something came through it. A person with immense power. He is grief stricken. He seeks revenge against those who wronged him. He doesn't care who's in his way. He wants to destroy everything. He thought that we were similar. He tried to convince me to join him." He hugged himself, "Had he found me before the castle, I probably would have been a part of his plan. I know what he's feeling. I just wish I could tell him that everything will be alright." --- Jean clenched his fists. "You will leave! Now! Normally, I try to be nice but already I can tell that you're not an understanding person." --- As soon as Will heard that over the radio, he immediately appeared. The hitman took that chance to shoot at him. Will's shield appeared before disappearing. The hitman looked back. "Huh? Where did he go?" "Right behind you." He turned to Will's voice. Will punched him. Causing him to drop his weapon and fall over. He wrapped a hand around his neck. Picking him off the ground. The hitman struggled to get out of his hold. Will glared, "You come into my city and try to kill my officers?! Well guess what? You're in my fucking territory bitch!" The hitman shouted, "Fuck you!" Will threw him at the wall of a building. Causing the hitman to get hurt and pass out. Will took a deep breath. "Ok, my bad. That might have been a bit much." He turned to his officers. "Is everyone alright?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 shadowess - June 6, 2024 Seeing that James didn't laugh at his joke and seemed to want to ask something serious, Damien's own smile slipped. "Of course. What's on your mind?" --- "We're fine, everyone's fine. A few things fell off the walls and some delicate stuff broke but that's it, thank God. I don't know who built this place but they did a damn good job! Glad to hear you're all ok, too!" Atma replied. "Have you seen the news though? This wasn't just in the US, it happened across the world! Turn on the TV, doesn't matter what channel." Sure enough, there would be extensive coverage of the damage caused across the world on every channel as 'breaking news'. So far none of the reporters had any idea what the actual cause was. They would continually mention that scientists and government officials from across the world were working on getting answers but then as typical media does they'd sprinkle in their own speculations while simultaneously urging the public to remain calm. Some cities were hit worse than others and in some places, the civilians were so panicked upon learning that the quake had hit the entire world that they believed it was the beginning of a global extinction event and had begun rioting. "This is insane!" Sebastian gasped as they watched. "Daddy?" Neva became nervous and looked to them for comfort. Despite the coverage, not one channel mentioned anything about the portal or even reported anywhere near it. This was, of course, to prevent any civilians from trying to make their way there in case they tried to cross over into the other world or potentially make the portal bigger. --- Raguel nodded. "I understand," he said again. "I imagine both yourself and your wife are run off your feet trying to fix Hell," he commented, having no idea that Amelia was currently sick. "Just know that should you run into this boy, you will have Heaven's support in subduing him. In the meantime, I wish you and your family well." --- Hearing Abaddon's questions and Insanity's conclusion that he had amnesia, Carol frowned. "So... no tentacles, no memory and no more brutal Devil-beating strength?" she asked, sounding disappointed before standing up and dusting herself off with a sigh. "And just like that I'm dryer than the Sahara desert..." she rolled her eyes. "I wonder if Frenchie boy is free after this..." she mumbled to herself then glanced back at Insanity. "You uh-..." she faltered, realising the size difference between Abaddon and Insanity. "Are you able to take 'mr-no-memory' to a hospital? I need to help 'lady-you' with the psycho Devil." --- Surprised by the kiss, Azrael tensed for just a second and then melted into Death's arms. Entranced, he couldn't take his eyes off Death as he spoke. He'd always found him to be inspiring but right now he seemed particularly beautiful to him. He blushed at the compliment and felt his heart flutter with excitement as he dared to lift his hand to glide his fingers over his cheek. Tracing his jawline with his fingertips. It was a small movement but doing so had felt so improper, so brazen, so... thrilling. He pulled his hand back quickly and cleared his throat while clasping his hands behind his back. "Forgive me, your Grace. I forget myself," he said quickly. Thankful that they were both alone. --- Kasper frowned. He understood Phineas's want to do something like that but was hesitant to agree with it. "I don't think it'd be as straightforward as you might like," he said carefully, contemplating his words before saying them. "I know you'd like people to understand and to not feel sad but I believe some things are better left in the past. For the next few generations to speculate. You could go back to explain your side and have everything go perfectly but then would you really want to do that again and again over the next millennia or so when Earth's history becomes vague again and the newest generations of mortals are digging for answers once more?" he asked. In the short time that they'd been in Heaven, Kasper had spent most of it coming to terms with their new immortality and what that meant. "Or, hear me out, you let the past go. All of it. Let it lie and focus on the here and how. On us. On our new life together in paradise. Mortals will always be asking questions and trying to solve mysteries. Sometimes they do it even after a mystery is already solved and hold debates over its meaning. I don't think that will ever change. But, if it would make you feel better, you can always answer those questions when they inevitably arrive in Heaven, once their own time has come." --- The shock of having the flute ripped from his hands made Stevie freeze. He watched helplessly as the flute broke against the bench as if it had happened in slow motion. His eyes snapped back to Cory as he professed his love and he watched him collapse without moving from where he stood. He stared at Cory for a long moment as he spoke and slowly his eyes drifted back over to the broken flute. He couldn't hear it anymore. The voice. The whispers. They were gone. Leaving a deep emptiness in Stevie that he simply couldn't bear. This rapidly gave way to rage as he watched Cory telling Winters that they would need to talk. Through bitter tears, he gritted his teeth. "You bastard!" he raved. "You talk of love and trust?! Hypocrite!" His eyes were wild with anger and hatred. "What about Winters? He loves you and trusts you! Now you ask me to love and to trust you?! Or is this an act to save your own ass after making the mistake of already betraying my trust?! Do you mean to go back to him when I'm no longer a threat?! Because if that's so then why bother at all?! YOU'VE KILLED THE ONLY ONE THAT REALLY CARES ABOUT ME! THE ONE THAT GAVE ME THE STRENGTH AND POWER THAT I NEEDED TO FIGHT BACK! HE'S GONE! YOU THREE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MY FRIENDS BUT YOU DID NOTHING! NOTHING! YOU TOLD ME TO HIDE MY POWER THEN WENT BACK TO YOUR HAPPY FUCKING LIVES AND YOUR HAPPY FUCKING FAMILIES WHILE I WENT BACK TO MY SHITTY HOME AND MY DRUNK ASS PARENTS WHO HIT ME IF I JUST BREATHED WRONG!" Tears streamed down his cheeks. He was seething as he continued to scream at them. His anger had hit boiling point. "AND IT'S NOT LIKE I COULD ESCAPE IT ALL AT SCHOOL EITHER WITH THE BULLIES ALWAYS PUSHING ME AROUND, STEALING FROM ME OR BEATING ME FOR FUN AND THE WHORE ASS TEACHERS WHO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT!" He breathed heavily but switched from screaming to growling. "But I was going to make it all stop. They were all going to get what they deserved like my parents and those twats that cornered me in the park! But you..." he glared at Cory darkly. "I was going to spare you. The three of you. But you ruined it. You took the one thing I had that gave me control over my life. The only real friend I will ever have. And you killed him." He strode over to his broken flute and picked it up, cradling it gently like an injured pet in his hands as he let out a short, bitter sob. He looked back at the trio and glared at them in turn. "Don't come looking for me," he warned, then took off. Running from the school grounds as fast as his legs could carry him. --- Bianka thought about Theron's words carefully before responding. The news was certainly surprising but stranger things had happened in the castle lately. "You're able to converse with this person? Are you able to find them?" she asked slowly. She wanted to know as much as possible to consider their position and whether there was anything they could or should do. --- Not knowing what else to do, Tristan remained still and silent as he watched the pair with bated breath. The ancient Blood God smiled. There was no malice in his smile, yet it wasn't friendly either. He took a step towards Jean and standing at over six and a half feet in length, a surprising height for a man of his era, he loomed over Jean. Looking down at him. Up until now, he had been suppressing his own aura. The others could only identify him as a Blood God from the scent of his blood but this was no indication of how powerful he was. But a Blood God of his age, who had once spent his time hunting and drinking from Devils and Angels alike until he absorbed their very essence to grow his own strength was very powerful indeed. And for just a split second he let both Tristan and Jean feel the extent of this power. An intense, overwhelming and almost suffocating sense of this being's potential. For less than a moment, both Tristan and Jean would become aware that if this creature should so choose, he could snatch them both up easily to drain them and drain them until there was nothing left of them. Then their own essence, their very souls would empower him further. 'Great Slaughterer of the Gods' his words would echo in their minds as they felt this and know that it was no mere title bourne out of ego. Only the 'Gods' he consumed were once Blood Gods that had challenged him or tried to take his power for their own. But this ancient one, this Shezmu, was not without mercy. He was willing to overlook Jean's slight this one time, but only if he'd bend the knee. Shaking and looking paler than normal, Tristan had dropped to his knees. Bowing his head to the Blood God. He didn't say a word but his short, quick breaths gave away his struggle to contain his fear. Just as quickly as he'd extended it, Shezmu suppressed his aura once more. Not wanting to intimidate them more than was necessary to get his point across. "I can be understanding, young one. But my mercy has its limits. Art thou willing to step down or wouldst thou challenge me further?" --- Relieved that Will had neutralised the threat, Hayward and the other officer moved out of their cover to greet him. Hayward was gripping her wounded shoulder but waved it off as not a big deal. After all, it could have been worse... she could have shared the fate of the officer who had been downed. She told Will who it was and where their body was still lying. She and the other officer were still in shock, as she was sure Will would be, too. But now wasn't the time to mourn. They still had to deal with the situation professionally so as not to cause further panic to any onlooking civilians. They would need to cordon off the area and wait for the coroners to collect the body. Then there would be paperwork to do. A lot of paperwork. That's not even mentioning how they'd need to handle the criminal but for now, they could at least place him safely behind bars... where they would likely soon discover Tristan's random disappearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - June 7, 2024 "Are you ok? I know I'm not the first person to go to when it comes to feelings but I figured I should ask." ,said James. --- Vincent grabbed the remote from Sebastian's hand. Turning the TV off instantly. "It's ok sweetie. Everything's going to be fine." He glared at Sebastian. "Don't ever do that again." Carter glanced over. He focused back on the call, "Thanks for the update. I have to go check on everyone else. Just stay safe." He hung up. --- Charles nodded. "Thank you friend." He disappeared. --- "I can only teleport but that will be enough." ,said Insanity. He sat on his shoulder. Both Insanity and Abaddon disappeared. Eris pointed at herself, "If you're feeling feisty, I'm your gal!" She winked at Carol. Charles appeared. "Ah I see everything has been taken care of. It is good to see that I can trust you with anything, Carol." --- Abaddon immediately stood up. Causing Insanity to fly to a counter. Abaddon's eyes widened. He was shaking as he stepped back, "Where am I?! I don't want to be here! Get away from me!" He pushed past the nurses and doctors. One of them jabbed him with a needle. He could feel himself losing consciousness. He was placed on a moving bed as he soon as he fell asleep. Insanity flew over. Sitting by his head where he rubbed his head against his. Making sure everyone would see him as a concerned pet of his. --- "No need to apologize. I enjoy your sudden actions." Death gave him a seductive grin. "Please continue to do so. Of course when we are not surrounded by others." --- Phineas clenched his fists, "Is that why you don't want me to go down to earth? Or is it because you think I'll get hurt again? Like a pathetic damsel?" He grabbed his own arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that. I'm just....I don't know." --- Winters shouted, "Wait! Stop!" Cory slammed his fist on the ground, "Damn it!" Autumn helped Cory up with Winters on the other side to help. "We need to head to the school. C'mon!" Both would help Cory to the front office where he would be taken in to the nurse's office to rest. --- Theron clutched his head. "Never again! I made him leave for a reason!" He gasped when he felt the Ancient Blood God's aura. --- Jean pressed himself against the wall. Using it as support. He shivered but continue to glare. "H-Hannes!" Theron suddenly appeared. His eyes glowed as he opened his mouth. Spatting out his blood which hardened into daggers all heading straight towards the Ancient Blood God. --- Will ran over to the body. Once he got a good look of the officer, he immediately punched the side of a cruiser. "Someone better take that bitch to holding before I do it myself!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 shadowess - June 30, 2024 Hearing this, Damien slowed to a stop in the middle of the bridge as they'd been crossing over the canal. He glanced down at the water for a moment before looking around warily, as if checking if anyone else was within earshot. Finally, his gaze rested on James. "To be honest, I don't know," he answered. "My son is having a leg removed. Although it won't affect him when he enters his afterlife, it will be a permanent change in his mortal life. So, of course, I'm concerned for him. Aside from that, for the first time since I can't remember when I was made to feel vulnerable by that fucker of a vampire... and yet... " he sighed, glancing over the water again. "I don't know... maybe it was the thrill of feeling human and helpless again. Or maybe it's just withdrawals from the venom. But I sort of... want it again. I was bitten before. Donnie forced two other vampires to drink from me but even then I didn't feel what I felt with the last one." Damien shook his head and looked back at James. "I know it doesn't make sense. It confuses me too." he shrugged. "But it doesn't matter anymore. He's safely behind bars and I have a son to worry about. For now, though, I don't want to think about it anymore. None of it. I just want to forget... and feel nothing. I need to..." --- Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed as Vincent snapped at him. He glanced at Neva, feeling awful that the news had frightened her but that was rightfully so, wasn't it? Shouldn't they all be worried? The entire world was hit by this freakish event and now looters were taking advantage of the chaos. Making the streets dangerous even after the quakes had ceased. "Would you rather have remained ignorant?" he questioned Vincent as he pushed himself, with a grunt, to his feet. "We need to be aware of what is happening to remain safe. You saw what we saw, there is chaos out there still. We now need to take steps to prevent it from reaching our doors and harming the ones we love. I understand you don't want your child to be frightened but she is old enough that you can explain this to her calmly. Coddling her won't help." he gestured to Neva and for once, her current age and regressive behaviours were brought into question. She was an eight-year-old with the mannerisms of a four or five-year-old child. (I can't remember her actual age but she's definitely older than she's acting lol) --- Carol glanced in Eris's direction and looked her over with a smirk. "Maybe," she replied coyly. She then grinned at Charles with pride when he arrived. "You've got that right!" she announced then caught Eris's eye as she said this and shuffled on her feet awkwardly. "And Eris helped, I guess." she shrugged with a smirk as if reluctantly sharing the glory. "But we really should get this guy somewhere a little more comfortable. He was pissed before we knocked him out. So he's probably going to be irate when he wakes up and realises his powers are out of reach while he's wearing those cuffs." --- "Like now, your Grace?" Azrael asked as he gave Death a cheeky grin. Whenever he'd reported to Death in the past, he'd always conduct himself professionally. So, although Death would likely be aware of his, Nate's and Gabriel's shenanigans on Earth from Raguel's many complaints, Azrael had been very careful to not let Death see that side of him. But ever since Death confessed his feelings, Azrael thought it would be best that he simply be himself whenever they had a moment alone and didn't need the pretence. He lifted his hand again, caressing Death's cheek before gliding his thumb over his lips. "Your lips are soft," he whispered. "I'm glad to have been gifted to you. To me, you are perfection. I have and would do anything for you. You began with just my loyalty. Now you have my heart." --- Kasper was taken aback by Phineas's reaction. "Of course not. Phineas..." He shook his head and carefully put his book on the little table by the armchair. He stood and walked over to him, placing his hands on his arms and gave them a little, comforting rub. "I don't think that of you. I never will. If anything, you're stronger than I am. I don't think I could ever go back to Earth after the way I died. Being here with you is enough to make me feel safe." Kasper sighed. "That you could even consider going back at all makes you so brave. But going back now for what you want to do... I just don't think that it's wise. You can explain your side of the story but eventually, your account will be lost to history again and again and again. Because that's how history works on Earth. I think it'd be best to leave it to the mortals to interpret. Eventually, those mortals will end up here and if they want to learn the truth, you can tell them." --- Stevie kept running to the one place that still mattered to him. The place he'd found the wood to make his flute. He sprinted across the park towards the dead tree. He ran up to its split trunk and wrapped his arms around it, sobbing. Both halves of the broken flute still in his hand. "Please talk to me again. Please, please still be here." he wept. "I'll make a new flute. I'll use a stronger varnish this time to make it sturdy. Just talk to me, please... I need a friend... I need your power... Your guidance... I need to make them pay!" he slid to the base of the tree and hugged his knees when he still didn't hear the familiar voice. With all his soul he reach out to the tree, wishing for a friend. Wishing for power. Although he aimed these wishes at the tree, perhaps his mental pleas reached out further than he intended. Especially with vampire venom in his system, amplifying his thoughts and desires. (Perhaps your character from the portal could hear?) --- Bianka was still concerned and confused about the first danger Theron had told her about. She was then surprised by his gasp. "What's wrong? Did they come back?" She asked then blinked and suddenly Theron was gone. "Theron?!" --- Hannes appeared, still weak from giving his blood to help the vampires earlier. But hearing the fear in Jean's voice and having also felt the overwhelming aura from the ancient one, he stood firm in front of his beloved. Ready to protect him. The ancient Blood God saw this and only had enough time to raise an eyebrow slightly before Theron appeared. Frowning, the Blood God lifted his hand in a calm manner. The blood daggers were diverted upwards and all of them embedded into the ceiling instead. "Childe of Lillith. Dost thou not wonder why thy power stems from blood?" he asked calmly then flexed his fingers. As he did so his power radiated and in an instant he had seized control of the blood in Theron's veins, forcing him to kneel. "Cease this violence, at once," he ordered him as he let go of him then turned his attention back to Hannes and Jean. "Most curious," he commented as he studied the two interestedly for a moment. --- "Yes sir!" one of the officers said quickly as they turned to escort the prisoner inside. It was only once they'd walked towards an empty cell that they noticed another empty cell which had previously been occupied. The officer pinched the radio on their shoulder. "Uh, sir? There's a prisoner missing," they said uncertainly then within half a second of him letting go of his radio, another transmission came through. This time it was from the emergency operators, reporting several cases of looting and rioting across the city and calling all precincts to assist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - July 1, 2024 James placed a hand on his shoulder. Though it was a tight grip, he meant it as a gesture from a friend. He sighed, "I know I'm not a vampire. But I want to help in any way I can. I can't exactly bite you but maybe I can do something else. Whatever that is, just let me know. From my experience, especially with you, I've learned that holding those thoughts back only make you feel worse. That's why I use to lash out." --- Vincent clenched his fists, "Who are you tell me that?! You're not her father! I am!" Carter walked over, "Whoa! Hey now. Let's just all try to calm down, ok?" (definitely) --- Charles sighed, "Unfortunately, we don't have any standing cells. I'm not sure but I think I might be able to fuse the broken metal together into a new cell. We'll have to escort him to Hell's cells first." Eris winked at Carol, "You can count on us!" --- Death suddenly grabbed him. Bending him back as if they had been dancing. He then brought him close as he caressed his leg and kissed him. "You are my moonlight in the darkness. I must see all of you." --- Phineas wipe his tears and caught his breath. He turned his head. Looking at him with a nod, "Ok. But that means I have plenty of neighbors to visit in Heaven. Looks like I'll be taking a walk around the neighborhood. It shouldn't take me long." He held a small smile. --- (yeah I can make this work) The boy from the portal had appeared. His eyes continue to glow green. "I know how you feel. I came to this world in hopes of finding a better life for my lover and me. Yet, as soon as we entered, my boyfriend was immediately killed by a pathetic creature. I can see that you had nothing and no one except for that beautiful flute which brought you a voice. A great power against those who would destroy you. Even though it is gone, I can give you the very same abilities. Only far better. You and I can show these bastards what it means to lose something very dear to you. We can make them all suffer." He held out his hand, "My name is Raven. Will you join me?" --- Theron's eyes widened. Shocked that anyone else could control his power. On his knees, he groaned. Trying to catch his breath and still trying to understand what had happened. Jean saw what he had done. His aura became blue. His whole body had changed his anger rose. He flew up, "You don't get to hurt my people and walk around like you belong here!" He raised his hands and fired his energy at the Blood God. --- "I want someone to lock him up and stay behind to keep an eye on him!" Will had said over the radio. "Everyone else can help the city!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 shadowess - July 1, 2024 Damien hadn't flinched when James squeezed his shoulder. Now that he had his old strength back, he barely felt anything more than pressure. He nodded at his words. "I really don't know what I want," he admitted. "I definitely don't want a bite." he then chuckled. "I think I'm done with teeth for a while. As much as my cravings want me to believe otherwise. I just need to unwind. Relax, and I mean /really/ relax." he sighed and started to walk again. They left the bridge and entered a new street. "Maybe some weed will help." --- Sebastian had opened his mouth to say something to Vincent when Neva snapped at them tearfully "Stop shouting! You'll wake up Oliver!" Immediately the temperature of the room dipped by a couple of degrees. Not enough to be any danger but just enough to be noticeable. She then turned to Elliot, seeking comfort as she lifted her arms up at him. "Daddy, why is everyone mad?" Sebastian paused, watching her carefully for a moment before bringing his eyes back to Vincent. He took a breath and lifted his own hands to gesture that they should talk more calmly. "Vincent, I apologise. I didn't mean to question your parenting. That was out of line." he started then shook his head a little with a concerned look. "But surely you can see my reasoning? Look at her, she's not a small child anymore. She's growing and this world is dangerous. By all means, do what you must to protect her but sooner or later she will need to be prepared to live for herself...and part of that will be learning how to live in such a dangerous world." he explained in a gentle tone. --- "Well, no time like the present." Carol chirped as she walked over to the Devil's legs and lifted them. "A little help, Eris?" she called over. Once the pair had lifted the Devil between them, she'd look at Charles. "We'll need to follow you, then." --- Being dipped in such a way sent Azrael's heart fluttering. He felt impossibly weightless in his arms. He smiled as he felt Death's lips against his. His body shivered in ecstasy as he felt his hand on his leg. His words were silk to his ears and he caught himself sighing dreamily. "And you shall, my King, my love. I am yours." he purred as he tilted his head forward to capture his lips again. --- Happy to see Phineas with a renewed sense of purpose, Kasper smiled warmly and kissed his cheek lovingly. "Just don't push yourself too hard. This is paradise after all." he chuckled. "And I'll always be here, ready to welcome you home from your visits." --- Gasping, Stevie's eyes shot up to the source of the new voice. He was taken aback by the green eyes but the boy before him spoke as if he knew him. As if he could see him for who he really was. When the boy mentioned the flute, Stevie's eyes widened tearfully and he nodded. "Yes..." he confirmed, surprised that this boy seemed to know about the instrument. Then came the promises and the pivotal moment that could change Stevie's life completely. It would seem to Stevie that this boy, this Raven, was the very answer to his prayers. He stared at the hand offered to him for a moment before steeling himself and reaching up to grab it. "I'm Stevie." he nodded. "and yeah, I will." --- Hurt his people? Shezmu had not inflicted any pain, yet. If the Leviathon was who he'd been referring to, then all Shezmu had done was take control of his blood to manipulate his muscles into a kneeling position. This, although admittedly jarring for the target, would not be painful. The Blood God rolled his eyes in an exaggerated way as Jean flew up and prepared an attack. "Must thou?" he asked irritably. He even sounded slightly sarcastic. Then he vanished before the energy could hit him, leaving a small burned crator in the middle of the hall's wooden floor. Triston had just managed to roll away in time and he looked back at the crater fearfully. What had happened to Jean in the time he'd been exiled?! Hannes had only blinked and saw the creature had vanished, then with a sickening realisation he glanced upwards towards Jean in time to see Shezmu reappear, hovering right in front of his beloved. Fangs bared. "Jean!" By the time Shezmu had grabbed Jean's shoulders and pushed him into the wall, Hannes had sprouted his wings and flew up to attempt to pull the Blood God off of Jean. But it was impossible. Even with Hannes's Angelic strength he couldn't move the creature. Shezmu's fangs had barely grazed Jean's throat when he felt Hannes's relentless tugging on his ancient and tattered clothes. Some of which seemed to disintegrate at Hannes's touch due to age. He chuckled and retracted his fangs. He turned his head slightly to regard Hannes curiously. "As I predicted." he let go of Jean and then hovered away from them, declining into a gentle landing on the ground. There he stood, with his hands clasped in front of him as he stared up at the two expectantly. "Now, I ask once more; wilt thou be civil or dost thou need further demonstration?" Shaking, and taking Jean into his arms protectively, Hannes stared down at the Blood God for a moment before exchanging a worried glance with his love. "Meine Geliebte, we should be cautious," he warned in a quiet voice. "Let's not antagonise him further and just see what he wants." --- "Come on, this one." the officer with the hitman said as he pushed him into an empty cell. Considering he was the one who'd brought him into the precinct, he guessed he would have to be the one to guard him too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - July 2, 2024 James bit his lip. He thought for a moment before nodding. He followed Damien, "Ok. Let's see what this plant can do." --- Elliot picked her up. Keeping her close, "It's ok. Just some dumb argument." Vincent continued to glare at Sebastian, "You will never understand. Just....get out. I don't want to see your faces right now." Carter's eyes widened, "Vincent..." "Please Carter. Give me some space." Carter sighed, "Alright. We will." --- Charles guided them to Hell's Cells. Once there, he raised his hands as he melted the metal from some of the iron bars. Transforming it into a new cell. "There. That should do. Put him in there." Eris smiled, "Let's throw him!" "Not this time. Gently put him in there." "Ugh! Fine!" --- Death grasped at his lips. Passionately kissing him as he ran his hand through his hair. --- Phineas smiled, "Of course." He kissed him. "I will be back soon." He stepped out of the house and disappeared. --- Raven smiled, "Good. We have a lot of work to do." Both teens disappeared. It would be a while before Raven and Stevie would show up again to wreak havoc. But soon, Stevie will be just as powerful as Raven. And some poor bastards would have to deal with that chaos. --- "NO!" Tears streamed down Jean's cheeks. "I know what he wants! He wants to take over this castle! I won't let him! He doesn't know anything about being kind or loving someone! He's ruthless! He's a horrible person!" Jean stomped over to him, "Get out of my sight! People like you just want power! Not joy! Not love! You don't care about anybody but yourself!" His blue aura suddenly became more powerful. Making everyone cry. --- "Oi! Don't need to get all prissy about it!" The hitman rubbed his crotch, "But hey! You let me go and I can show you a great time." He winked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Shadowess - July 7, 2024 "Alright!" Damien beamed and led them to a large Bulldog cafe. There was an entrance to the main bar in the centre of the building and a small staircase leading down to a smaller door that was off to the side. Smoking or purchasing weed wasn't allowed in the main bar. That's what the smaller entrance was for. Damien greeted the doorman politely and showed him his ID before being allowed to enter. Although cannabis was legal here, there were strict laws about its purchase and consumption. They could buy it and smoke it either in the small cellar bar area or sit at one of the tables outside to smoke it as long as they remained on the premises. Alternatively, they could buy it and then take it to a private residence to consume it there. Damien bought four packs of pre-rolled joints and two edible brownies. Once bought, he sat at one of the tables outside and passed half of what he'd bought to James. Knowing his tolerance was already quite high from simply being a Devil, Damien started off by eating his brownie and then lit up a joint to smoke. Before long, his eyes were bloodshot and he'd slouched slightly in his chair. For the first time in a while, he was completely relaxed. "That's better!" he sighed after having stared across the street for a while. "I don't even feel the cravings anymore. This is perfect." he grinned and looked at James. His eyes lit up as he had an idea. "We should visit the zoo while we're high!" --- Speechless, Sebastian stared at the little family for a moment before turning to leave. He didn't understand why this was such a problem. Didn't they realise that by sheltering her like this they were doing more harm than good? Once outside, he stayed quiet for a few minutes. Frowning to himself he replayed the conversation in his mind. Then he turned to Carter. "Was I wrong?" he asked, insecure. "I didn't mean-... I just-..." he flustered, obviously upset at how quickly things had turned. "I just worry..." he said finally. --- Carol chuckled at Eris and helped her to place the Devil carefully within the cell. As she walked out, she looked at the metal bars uncertainly. She wasn't sure how the old magic on the cells had worked but wondered if Charles's power would be enough to reinstate it. Or perhaps that secret, along with many of Hell's original structures and magics, would be lost to the ages. After all, these cells had been standing since before Lucifer's time. "Well, now that that is taken care of, what's next?" she asked once the cell would be locked. --- Warm. Hot. Hotter. Burning. It's all burning. The roaring. The screaming. Smell of Burning hair. Burning clothes. Flesh... All turning yellow, then red, then black. All of it assaulted the senses. Overwhelming. Choking on hot smoke. Throat burning. Can't breathe. It's so damn hot. It hurts. Eyes shut but it's so bright that the room is still visible behind the eyelids. Still able to see the fire. The crumbling walls. The flailing bodies. Faces contorted in agony. Then white. Everything white. And silent. Skin is so sensitive, like a sunburn. All over. Can't see a damn thing. Ears ringing. The smell of smoke and burned things lingered. Like it was stuck inside the nose. A sound breaks the silence. Someone is crying. Soft, broken sobs. Then a rustling, like gravel underfoot. Starting off slow and quiet as if from a distance, then grew rhythmically faster and louder. "Amelia?!" "Damien?! Make it stop!" "Amelia, it's ok. You're dreaming. You're ok!" "I don't want to burn them! I don't want to burn anyone!" "Amelia? It's just a dream! Wake up!" But it wasn't a dream. It was a memory. Every detail felt as real as the moment it had happened. Except for the voice. Amelia opened her eyes to find that the voice hadn't come from Damien. She had simply remembered Damien being there at that moment. But the voice had belonged to Tuzo, who was now holding her close. Running his hand through her hair and looking at her worriedly. For a moment, Amelia was still as she caught her breath and snapped out of her dream-like state. Her eyes darted around the room as the whiteness faded and she could see Tuzo's apartment gradually come back into focus. She felt dazed as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I- I couldn't stop... Th-They burned... I couldn't stop and they suffered because of me..." She whispered through quiet sobs. "Shhh, it's alright. It's over now." his hand ran through her hair again. She was still on his couch but he was now sitting on it with her. Having pulled her onto his lap to hold her. The blanket had become tangled around her legs from how she'd tossed and turned in her sleep. Slowly, she came back to herself and realised what Tuzo was doing. She looked up at him questioningly. Into his eyes. As soon as their eyes met she felt something unseen grip her mind. It took her by surprise but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. Whatever it was weighed on her heavily. She felt tired. Almost dizzy. "...Tuzo?" "It's all going to be ok." his voice was soothing and she believed his words immediately. At least, she wanted to. Or did she? He shouldn't be holding her like this. She didn't trust him. Yet, his eyes had a hold on her in a way she couldn't describe. Was he doing this? She tried to resist but the sickness that had been ravaging her had left her weakened. Yet she also couldn't shake the horrid feeling that what was happening now felt all too familiar. "Tuzo-!" she gasped, furrowing her brows as she tried to look away from his eyes. He placed a finger on her lips and gave her a sweet smile. "I know," he said softly. "We shouldn't. But you can't deny that there is still something between us." he licked his lips and Amelia's heart raced. But not out of excitement. From dread. She tried again to tear her eyes from his but before she could he'd pushed his lips against hers. It was the small break in his concentration that she'd needed to pull herself free. She pushed him away then brought her hand up to slap him hard across his cheek. "Get off me!" she raged, slapping him again and again. She scrambled off the couch, almost tripping on the blanket and stood over him, despite feeling woozy from his failed attempt to hypnotise her as well as her illness. She continued to smack him. "How dare you?! I knew I couldn't trust you! You scheming, lying, son of a bitch! You've done this before, haven't you?! Did you do this when we were dating?" she stopped and took a step back with a look of realisation. "You DID, didn't you? You didn't love me. You lured me in and then set me up! You're the reason those Angels knew where to find me. You-..." she trailed off, the betrayal she'd felt when he'd first left her felt just as fresh now as it had at the time. "You were using me..." she felt sick. "I should've listened to Damien." "Amelia, I-..." Tuzo looked up at her shamefully from the couch but seeing her glare, he knew there really was no going back now. "I swear to you, I did love you." She scoffed but Tuzo pressed on. "I did! I-... Ok, alright. It started off that I was sent to spy on you. I was only supposed to keep tabs on you and Damien. I was ordered to seduce you so I-... I did what I do best and hypnotised you into thinking that you loved me... but then I started to care about you. But I was stuck. I was scared that if I stopped hypnotising you that you'd stop loving me. I couldn't pledge myself to you because that would involve telling Damien that I tricked his sister into bed and he'd have destroyed me for that... and I couldn't tell-... I couldn't quit my job because that would've been treason and I'd have been destroyed for that too." Amelia folded her arms and glared at him hard as she listened. "Is that why you stood me up and sent me that note?" "Note?" Tuzo looked confused as he looked up at her. Then he hesitated. "I didn't send you any note. Like I said, I was stuck. I didn't know what to do back then. If I had suddenly disappeared and didn't report in, then my boss would've assumed I'd been made and you would've been targeted for retaliation and I didn't want that... But I guess that... is actually what ended up happening anyway." "What do you mean?" Amelia asked, confused. "Are you saying you just up and disappeared and that's why four Arch Angels tortured me for a week?!" "In a sense..." Tuzo replied, still hesitant about whether he should say any more. "How?! How the fuck did you just disappear?!" "Maybe... you should ask your brother that," Tuzo answered reluctantly as he stood and placed his hands in his pockets. Shocked, Amelia blinked at him. "N-no, you're lying. Damien had no idea about us." "It's honestly amazing that he's had you fooled for this long. But back then your brother had more contacts and spies than he ever let on about. As soon as he found out about me... Let's just say, my removal was swift. I can only assume he sent you that note to make you think I'd left you. Shame he didn't foresee the consequences of me not reporting to my boss on time." Amelia's head was swimming. She swallowed hard to try to stop herself from feeling so sick. "Where did he take you?" "Take me?" Tuzo laughed coldly. "He destroyed me. Completely. But I guess I had that coming." "But- you're-" "Not destroyed now, I know. You can thank Damien and Donnie for opening up the rift from Oblivion. The only solace I got from my destruction was that Damien ended up joining me in Oblivion sometime later. But I suspect I'm not the only one to come back either, so you may want to keep an eye out for 'old enemies'. If I'm honest, I don't think that rift is going to close anytime soon." "W-Wait, hang on-..." Amelia pressed a hand to her head and closed her eyes briefly as the room spun for a moment. "I know, it's a lot," Tuzo said gently and he took a step towards her with the intention of comforting her. But her eyes snapped open to glare at him and she moved away from him sharply. He stopped and lifted his hands while giving her an apologetic look. "You said you needed to report in and that's why I was targeted when you didn't..." Amelia started slowly and Tuzo tensed, knowing what she was about to ask. "I can't tell you who," he said quickly. "Bullshit!" "Ameli-" "No! You owe it to me! The bastard or bitch who gave you the order to fuck with my heart and then gave the order for those Angels to kidnap me, I want their name! Now!" Tuzo became quiet. They stared at each other for a long moment and just as Amelia seemed to be getting impatient, he shook his head. "I can't." "You fuck-!" Amelia growled furiously but Tuzo walked away, towards his bedroom. "Come back here! We're not finished!" "Yes, we are," Tuzo answered as he opened a wardrobe and took out a suitcase, apparently having been prepared to leave at a moment's notice the entire time he'd been looking after her. "Look, Amelia, I'm sorry about what happened. I'm sorry I broke your heart and tricked you. I'm sorry that those Angels hurt you. But believe me when I say, some things are better left unsaid." he gave her one last sad look as she'd marched into the room after him. "You're leaving me alone? What about the black vain?! How do I treat it on my own?" Amelia sounded afraid and Tuzo hesitated once more. "You don't have black vain... you never did. I wanted to get close to you and get you alone to see if I could get you to love me again. I hypnotised you into believing you had it. Turns out the placebo effect also works when it's done through hypnotism. So, I was hoping it would also work as a kind of Florence Nightingale effect if I 'nursed you back to health.'" he confessed. "and I think I might've stood a chance if you hadn't already found love while I was gone..." he pointed to the ring on her finger. Then he shrugged. "But, c'est la vie." "You-..." Amelia's eyes widened. She felt a white-hot rage wash over her. Without thinking, she'd grabbed the nearest thing to her, which happened to be a heavy lamp from on top of a chest of drawers, and threw it at Tuzo. But he'd vanished before it could hit him, causing it to smash against the opposite wall. She was alone. Within seconds she felt just as strong as she'd always been. Either the truth of what he'd done had rid her of the placebo effect, or his hypnotism had worn off when he'd left. Either way, that didn't stop her from feeling crushed and betrayed all over again. Breaking down, she fell to her knees and wept. "Charles..." she whimpered, hugging herself. "I need you." --- Black, silky curls tumbled effortlessly as Death's fingers moved through them. The kiss sent excited shivers through Azrael. He lost himself in his arms and in the ecstacy of the moment. Clicking his fingers, the door to his office locked. Clicking them once more, his desk cleared and tidied itself, putting all the plans safely into a drawer that opened and closed itself. He returned Death's kisses, deepening them while slipping his hand between the buttons of his shirt to caress his chest. --- Tristan wiped at the tears falling from his eyes and stared at his wet hand in confusion. Out of everyone in the room, only Shezmu seemed to be unphased as he stood firm with his hands still clasped together, staring intently at Jean. Hannes used much of his willpower to resist the urge to cry but it was a struggle. When Jean told him what Shezmu wanted, he moved his eyes over to the ancient Blood God pleadingly. "Y-you can't! Our people have been through enough already! Walls have collapsed, we have injured to attend to and we have only recently ended our fued with the Steinheils. We need Jean!" Shezmu didn't move but he seemed contemplative. Although it was difficult for him to understand this new, strange way that people spoke and was frustrated by how odd it sounded to him, he had been surprised by Hannes's claims. In his time, when he had ruled alongside other Blood Gods in this castle, the Steinheils had been a constant thorn in his side. If what Hannes had said were true, perhaps the castle would benefit from Jean's continued rule. Though it bothered him that this half-vampire's heart was soft. That in itself could create a weakness to be exploited. Afterall, Shezmu had been in his presence for the whole of five minutes and already he had identified Hannes as Jean's achilles heel. In fact, before Hannes had pleaded with him, he had considered using this knowledge to his advantage. But now, he'd changed his mind. Finally, after a moments pause, he regarded Jean thoughtfully. "I understand." He began calmly. "But tis my home, too. My family. My heritage. Wouldst thou turn me out when I have such knowledge and experience to offer?" he tilted his head slightly. "Much hath changed since my reign." he nodded understandingly. "I once ruled within these walls with my brethren but took to slumber in the earth some centuries ago. I know not these times, nor their customs. In that there lies an oppertunity to us both. That thy shall teach me about this era and I shall offer my council, from one king to another. What say thee?" A thought then occurred to him and he walked causally over to one of the dining tables to pick up a cup that was already half full of deer blood. He lifted his finger to his mouth to prick it on one of his fangs before allowing just a few drops of his own blood to fall into the cup. He took this cup over to Jean, stopping just a few feet from him and lifted the cup for him to take. "For thy injured ones. Allow them just a small sip each. No more. My blood will be potent enough to heal them quickly. Take this as good faith that our deal will be for the benefit of your people." --- The officer watched the hitman for a moment and walked towards the bars as if he was interested. Then he aimed a punch at his face through the bars. "Bastard! You killed one of our officers and shot another. What makes you think I'd be interested?!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - July 8, 2024 James smoked his share but didn't show any signs of effects. Nor did he feel the effects. "I can play along with what being high is supposed to feel like. Unfortunately, I can't experience it. I was genetically modified to be a soldier." --- Carter sighed as he crossed his arms, "You weren't wrong. Neither was he. You're both just trying to do what's best for her. I get that. When me and Jack had our first kid, it was hard. I was unsure as to how I should teach Nate anything. But eventually, we got a decent idea of things. It's hard to really think of what's the right thing. All we can do is help in our own way. I'm sure if we give Vincent some time alone then he'll be willing to talk to you again." He kissed him, "You're good person Sebastian. Don't forget that." --- Charles cleared his throat. "Do forgive me but it would seem that my wife needs me. As much as this may be difficult for many to trust in you from your very words, please explain to the freed prisoners about the redemption program. I must have at least someone spread the news. I'm sure you two will manage just fine." He disappeared. Eris raised a brow, "If he means those angry demons are going to trust a chick like me and a chick like you then sure. I think we can convince everyone that things are all safe and sound." --- Charles appeared. He immediately went to Amelia's side. Wrapping an arm around her and bringing her close. He glared for a moment as he read her mind. Understanding what had happened. He quickly composed himself. Knowing that Amelia would need him at this very moment. "It's going to be alright. I'm sorry I couldn't see through his lies. He's a clever one. I'll give him that. Still, if he happens to end up on our doorstep again, I will turn him into a roasted marshmallow." --- Death gently placed him on the desk. He trailed his neck down to his collarbone. Kissing there gently but biting only a little. --- Surprised, Jean looked at the cup then him. He hesitantly reached out. Once he held the cup, he turned to Hannes. "Take this to everyone. Make sure they only take a sip. I...I'll be alright Hannes. Don't worry." He smiled to give him some encouragement. --- The hitman grabbed his now broken bloody nose, "Fucking damn it!" He bent over as blood hit the floor. "Figured you coppies could care less! All you lot are only after your own gain. Doesn't sound like we're so different, does it?" He set his nose back in his place. With a smirk and blood staining his lips, he said, "What do you say? If not a good time then what do you want?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 shadowess - July 9, 2024 Damien's smile slipped. He looked at James with a mixture of sadness and surprise. "That sucks!" He said. He took another drag on his joint. "Well, we should visit the zoo anyway. It'll be fun." he smiled again. "Hey, maybe the monkey thing is open. There's this little thing there where the monkeys are loose and you can sit with them and sometimes they sit on you! Oh but keep an eye on your things, they like to steal." He chuckled, talking rapidly and excitedly. This was the most animated he'd been since meeting James. --- Comforted by his words, Sebastian smiled a little. Although he was still quite upset that the conversation with Vincent had ended the way that it had. But maybe Carter was right. Maybe he just needed some time to cool off and think. Sighing, he hugged Carter before looking around warily. Half expected the riots to come down the street but luckily for them, this neighborhood was pretty quiet. "We should go check on Parker at the hospital. See if he's ok," he suggested. --- Carol was obviously worried about Amelia as soon as Charles said she needed him. She watched him leave, wondering what had happened to make him risk disease to be with her. She then glanced at Eris and chuckled at her comment. "Come on. Two dynamite gals, like us?" she said and opened her arms. "Who could stay mad?" she winked. "We'll charm the pants right off them all! Then we can go about charming the pants off each other." she grinned and then looked down at the Devil in the cell. "I hope that metal holds... and those cuffs. Putting him in there once was hassle enough!" she commented as she turned away from him and draped her arm around Eris's shoulders. "But I think you and me make quite the team," she said as they started to walk away together. "Now, I do have some ground rules if you want us to have any fun. Rule number one; don't fall in love with me. Rule number two; no jealousy. I'm polyamorous, so tend to have more than one partner at any given time." --- Sobbing softly, Amelia pulled herself into Charles's arms as soon as she felt his arm around her. Her stomach churned at the thought of having to explain everything to him and relive it all over again. But then he spoke and she knew he'd already looked into her mind. Despite her sorrow, she felt immense relief that he could understand her so easily, without the need for words. To be so thoroughly seen and known brought her such profound comfort, such joy that she could scarcely put it into words. But she was in such emotional pain from all that had happened that she couldn't even bring herself to smile at his last comment. She was far too wounded and angry. Part of her burned with a desire for vengeance. To hunt the Angel down and hang him by his heels. To hurt him relentlessly until he screamed the name of the one who had ordered him to seduce her. But mostly she just wanted to be with Charles and to be reunited with their son. Particularly after being made to think that she was so horribly ill that she might not survive to see either of them again. Of course, she clearly needed to address her trauma from her first Super Nova at some point as well as confront Damien about what Tuzo had said, but that could wait. Right now, she just needed some time and comfort. "I want to go home." She said quietly, after finally calming down enough to speak again. --- Tuzo appeared in a little French street. The houses here were a mixture of modern and old buildings. He wasn't far from the town's center and he looked around, reminiscent. He walked down the road with his suitcase trailing along behind him, noting how much of the town had changed since he'd last been here. Granted, it had only been a handful of years ago, but a lot can change in that time. Certain shops had either been replaced or moved entirely. Scaffolding on an old pub. A convenience store where a tiny cottage had once stood. With relief, he found that a certain hotel he'd used to frequent was still standing and seemed to also still be in business. It was one of the few places in the world that he'd never visited with Amelia and thanks to the gift he'd received from passing through Oblivion he, like Donnie and Damien, was no longer tracable. Which meant that if he didn't want to be found, it was impossible for anyone to teleport straight to him. They'd have to go through the hassle of actually looking for him. Confident that he would be safe to lay low here, he walked brazenly into the foyer of the hotel. Soft, red carpet. Burgundy wallpaper with a thin gold strip running horizontally across the centre of each wall. The skirting boards and cornices were also painted gold and embossed in a decorative floral pattern. Crystal pear drops hung elegantly from each of the beige lampshades. The front desk was sleek and made from old mahogany. It shone as if it had just been waxed several times over. Red velvet curtains hung by the entrance to a corridor that would lead to the hotel's rooms, giving any prospective guests the feel for the kind of privacy they would have here. While the shades and tones of the interior projected a sense of warmth and comfort. This was one of the most expensive hotels in the area and it would seem that its sense of being 'high class' had not slipped during Tuzo's 'time away'. There Tuzo noticed a handsome, tanned man with short, tight brown curls and equally dark brown eyes. The male hadn't noticed him as he seemed to be busy looking at his phone while leaning against the wall, so Tuzo took a moment to appreciate his beauty with a small smirk before approaching the desk. The male against the wall was Tom. He and Nate had been staying in one of the rooms in this hotel. Of course, if Tuzo knew this he'd have avoided the town entirely. Being a similar type of Angel that Nate had once been, the two had a history... and Amelia hadn't been the only one Tuzo had ever betrayed. Blissfully ignorant, Tuzo accepted his room key with a smile and gave Tom one last sly glance before heading into a corridor adjacent to him in search of his room. Meanwhile, Tom finally looked up from his phone. He had been completely unaware of Tuzo's staring and had been utterly engrossed in trying to find an anniversary gift for Nate. It wasn't for a few weeks yet but he wanted to make the day perfect for the two of them. By now, they had lived in France for so long that he was practically fluent in the language. --- Tilting his head back slightly, Azrael let out soft sighs as Death's kisses moved down his neck. Feeling his teeth, a subtle moan slipped from him while he ran his hand through his hair. He caressed his leg with his own. His other hand slowly started to unbutton his shirt. --- While Death and Azrael's passion was just getting warmed up, on Earth John and Adam were just cooling off. Covered in sweat and still panting, John lay on the left side of his double bed. One leg straight, the other bent. His blanket draped over his hips. He rested his head on one of his hands and stared up at the ceiling with a conflicted expression. His wings cushioned them both. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed every moment of what they had done but once it was over, he wondered if it had been an error. He couldn't afford for either of them to get distracted. Not with Eden at steak. "We should get back to the plan." he breathed, looking over at Adam. "We need to build you a haram for the world you will rule." he bit his lip and hesitated. "I-... you're difficult to resist," he admitted. "But we can't afford to be distracted again. At least, not until we have succeeded in our mission. Then perhaps... once you have your new kingdom and the day is won, would you consider having me as one of your chosen? To bed when you tire of the company of women." --- Hannes took the cup gingerly and eyed Shezmu suspiciously. The ancient one took no notice of his glare and walked calmly away from them towards Theron. Hannes looked back at Jean worriedly but didn't argue. "Be careful, meine love," he said quietly before turning to leave the hall. Meanwhile, Shezmu stopped just short of Theron and regarded him with softened eyes. "Be not discouraged, childe of Lillith. Your effort to protect thy home was valiant. Thy courage is admirable. You must have questions. I may yet answer them. Meet me in my chambers later. For now, there are important matters that I must discuss with the current ruler of this castle." He held out his hand and the blood shards that he'd redirected into the ceiling earlier pried themselves free and floated down to them. They hovered around his hand momentarily before spinning around and colliding with each other. Merging and stretching to form a regal-looking black sword. The weapon hardened and its hilt landed in his hand. Though it weighed a little more than a standard broadsword, Shezmu seemed to hold it rather effortlessly. He flicked it around carefully to rest the blade in his open palm, then held the weapon out for Theron to take. "Take pride in thy lineage, Tyrs- Theron. of Tyr." The ancient one had seemed to stop and correct himself when saying Theron's name but once it was said, he didn't give it any further thought. He simply accepted Theron's current name, without question, as soon as he'd heard it in his mind. Without another word, nor further explanation, Shezmu turned and walked back to Jean. Stopping at a short distance so as to keep him comfortable in his presence. His arms were relaxed in front of him, his hands clasped together. "Now that thy concerns have been eased, might I assume that my old chambers have been unaffected by the destruction that your beloved eluded to earlier? I wouldst have need of a place to rest and a mortal concubine to drink from." he glanced down at himself with a blank expression then lifted his head to look back at Jean. "And I suppose some new garments would not go amiss? I would be happy to answer any of thy questions and offer my guidance, as promised. But only once I have been sated and settled." --- "For you to sit quietly and wait for my boss to get back." The officer answered snidely as he walked over to a chair on the far side of the room and sat down. He crossed his arms, glaring at the hitman. "Why did you do it, man?" he asked, visibly upset. "and you're wrong about us! In this precinct, we're practically a family. You fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - July 10, 2024 James flustered. Unsure as to how to approach this new Damien. "Well, I hope my reflexes don't get the best of me. I rather not hurt the monkeys. They may be dangerous to humans but I'm a different story to them." --- Now, it was Carter to look sad and frustrated. He turned away. Trying to avoid Sebastian looking at him. "I can't. Not after what I did." He clenched his fists. "I let him down. I couldn't protect him like a friend should. Like....I don't want him to see what's left of this pathetic detective." --- Eris grinned, "I could care less! As long as we're having fun! Besides, we're friends at this point. That's enough for me!" --- Charles glanced at her before teleporting in Vincent's home. Elliot smiled for a moment until he saw Amelia. He frowned and lowered Neva to the floor. With his hands free, he walked over and knelt. "I'm starting to think no one's having a good day." Vincent cradled Oliver in his arms. Gently holding him close as he brought him to her, "I believe someone missed you." --- "Well, why did you think I had sex with you?" ,asked Adam. "You're the first guy who's trying to get me back on the spotlight. Might as well give my number one fan a good time." He winked. --- Theron hesitantly took the sword. Once he listened, he appeared in his room again. He looked at Bianka, "It's ok. There's no more danger. Everything's alright. Just be aware of the new guest in this castle. He's not nice." --- Jean had calmed down. Transforming back into his red ribbons and long flowing hair. He glared when Shezmu mentioned a concubine. "We don't do that around here. We have plenty of animal and human blood. You can always have a jug in your room just in case you get thirsty. I will ask you questions. But for now, if you're going to stay here, then you need to give everyone respect. I know things were different back then but things have changed for the better now. You don't need to step on someone to get what you want. People are willing to help each other so long as there's respect and kindness." He took a deep breath. "For example, a hug." He did his best smile before wrapping his arms around him. --- The hitman chuckled, "Oh I'm sure! You guys are totally besties!" His sarcasm flew through his words. He shrugged, "But look I can't say a thing. Confidential and all that. It's how business goes. I was given an assignment and I nearly finished it. So guess either way, I'm screwed." He gripped the bars as he leaned forward. Licking his lips, "But c'mon. At least tie me up. Makes this bit even more fun." He rolled his eyes, "Oh wait. I forgot. You're the boring stiff. No fun at all. Probably never even did it in the cell with one of the loudmouths you caught." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 shadowess - July 10, 2024 "They're only little ones," Damien said with a goofy smile. He finished his joint and tucked the packets he had left into his pockets. "Come on, I wana see the giraffes eating from the tall poll. Ha! Tall poll... sounds like something from a tongue twister." he jumped to his feet excitedly. "Come on!" --- "Carter, there was nothing anyone could've done," Sebastian said, gently holding Carter's face in his hands. "None of us saw it coming but when it happened you did everything you could to make sure Parker and I got out safely. As far as I'm concerned, that makes you a hero." he kissed him. "Come on. Our friend needs us." --- Carol grinned widely as she looked out at the expanse of Hell. "Me too, bestie. Now let's go spread the 'good news'" she chuckled at her own pun before walking with Eris to begin their mission. --- "Oliver!" Amelia gasped softly as she reached up to take him in her arms. The maternal need to hold him close to her was strong and feeling his little sleeping head against her chest simply felt right. Tearfully, she looked up at Vincent and gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She kissed the top of Oliver's head then turned to kiss Charles tenderly before burying her face in the crook of his neck. "For a while, I thought... but God, I'm just so glad to see you all again!" she wept. --- Satisfied that he'd found a suitable gift for Nate, Tom placed his phone into his pocket and glanced at the clock on the hotel foyer wall. He'd be back soon from his new business venture. The excitement that Tom felt in anticipation of Nate's return was as strong as it had been when they'd first started dating. They'd come a long way since then. To think, if not for the interference of Carter and his friends, he would never have become what he is now, nor met Nate to begin with. In fact, he was willing to bet he'd still be a Watcher for that awful organisation. How glad he was that he was taken away from such a downward, doomed path. That his life now had new meaning and his heart had never felt so full. Smiling to himself, he walked over to the front desk and requested that a bottle of champagne be taken to their room for when Nate would arrive. Then he headed to their room to freshen himself up and dab a little perfume onto his neck. --- John couldn't help smiling. His cheeks turned pink. Then, just as quickly, he wiped the look from his face and turned away from Adam to get up. He tucked his wings away as he did so and began getting himself dressed. "We should get to work. I was thinking, the chaos from those quakes may have afforded us an opportunity. We can pluck the wives that you choose from Earth and people will assume their absence to be related to the quakes." he told him while pulling a new shirt over his head. "Once we've relocated them to your harem we can then get to work on guaranteeing their obedience to you. To help them realise that being chosen by you is a blessing that they should be thankful for." --- Bianka had been pacing the room, anxiously. She was relieved when Theron appeared again. "How so?" she asked, curiously. "Bie-bie!" Larissa entered the room excitedly. She slowed down when she saw the look on Theron's face and the sword in his hand. "Woah! Did you make that?" she asked then looked at them both with the same excitement she had come in with. "I just saw Hannes giving some blood from a cup to the injured ones. You wouldn't believe how fast their burns healed! It's like they've never been harmed at all!" --- A cross between frustration and disgust flittered across Shezmu's features as he was told that the castle no longer had concubines and that the vampires here drank deer blood. At this as well, Tristan had visibly tensed as he recalled the look of rage he'd received from Shezmu earlier when he'd told him the same thing. But the ancient one didn't argue. There was a lot about this castle that had changed and Shezmu had sensed this from the moment he'd set foot in it. For one, there were a few more species present here than just vampires. Not including the two other Blood Gods that he'd sensed earlier. He had sensed Jean and Theron. Curiously enough, he'd sensed a Fae and even more shockingly, a werewolf. He had also sensed a Demon somewhere in the castle. All of these he was very curious about but was sure he would have the opportunity to meet them soon enough. Shezmu grunted uncomfortably when Jean hugged him but he didn't move. He tensed, standing stock still until Jean would release him. "Be careful thy kindness does not get mistaken for weakness, young one," he told Jean flatly. "Very well." he then sighed. "I wilt respect thy customs whilst I am welcome here. Alas, my needs persist. My clothes are tattered and aged. I had chambers here once, in the Lower East Wing. Has this room been occupied in my absence?" Catching sight of movement in his peripheral, Shezmu moved so quickly that neither Jean nor Tristan would be able to register the movement until he'd stopped. He had moved to grasp Tristan's arm, having caught him attempting to slip away. "And what of this one?" he asked calmly. "I plucked him from death's grip to bring him home. But he informed me of his banishment." "I just want to leave!" Tristan said again quickly, holding his hands up and giving Jean and pleading look. He winced, Shezmu's grip was like a vice around his arm. "I-I swear, I won't return. Just please let me leave. Please, please don't give me back to him. He'll kill me." he referred to X. The last he'd seen of him, he'd been one of the few prisoners that had managed to escape the facility but not before witnessing him killing off any prisoner he'd managed to catch. "I know you hate me and I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry. Just don't call him. Please. I'll just leave and never come back. I'll do anything. I swear!" his pleading became more desperate as he recalled those events. --- "Stop it." The officer growled angrily. He was trying hard not to lose his cool and just guard the hitman. "And what do you mean you 'nearly finished it?' What exactly were you hoping to achieve?!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 Denix Vames - July 10, 2024 James smirked, "Well alright." He stood from his seat. "Lead the way." --- Carter took a deep breath, "Ok." Once both of them were in the car, he drove straight to the hospital. --- "Hell yeah!" Eris ran for joy momentarily. Stopping already so she could save energy in case there would be a fight. "So, how easy will it be to find somebody? Hell is pretty expansive." --- Elliot couldn't help but have tears roll down his cheeks. He smiled at the whole scene in front of him, "I'm glad ya'll are ok." Charles rubbed his head against Amelia's. He smiled at Elliot, "Never would I have thought that we could have formed this friendship. I'm glad I can trust everyone here." --- "Where can we have a harem?" ,asked Adam. "Not sure if there's any available spaces around the world." --- Theron nodded, "That was his blood. Shezmu. He's an ancient Blood God but don't think he's here to be a friend. For now, him and Jean have a truce." He looked at the sword in his hands. "And he gave me this. Still, I will keep my eyes peeled." --- Jean glared at Tristan with hot tears in his eyes. He clenched his fists. "Just go. Leave this place and never come back. I never want to see your disgusting face." --- The hitman let out an annoyed sigh, "Already told ya mate. It was an assignment. Once I did my part, I'd get the dough." He laid on the so called bed in the cell, "But there's no point in talking to ya anymore. Looks like you've been on that high horse for a while." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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