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Post by Aveilthé on Jun 5, 2011 20:53:42 GMT -6
Sequoia gave a swift nod, frowning some at December's accusatory voice. "Okay, looks like we need to move him to a more secure location, and fast. He will be observed closely by security cameras, I feel like having anyone in close proximity might be in danger. I never met a human being--or whatever this guy is--that we couldn't kill. Glad you're okay December. You look real tired, maybe you ought to go get some rest."
Turning to one of the guys standing next to her, she said, "Maybe we ought to tranquilize him before we move him." Now there was an idea. Keep him under for the time being until they figure out... something. How the hell does one kill an immortal creature? She'll leave that for the higher-ups to decide. At least her job was easy enough... just follow orders.
Before they left, Sequoia turned to say one last thing. "I need to inquire a few things... about this guy. Will you come to the meeting room tomorrow morning?" Yes, Sequoia harbored some suspicion. Blood on the face and hair... Unless December bashed her head against the blood-covered... thing in there, something was up.
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Post by Felypsa on Jun 5, 2011 21:08:46 GMT -6
December had not voiced her opinion, but Captain Istas was smart enough to figure out a good course of action anyway. Fortune would be tranquilized and monitored by cameras. Sequoia was confident that they could get him in the end, and again, December felt torn. She was still hired as a mercenary by these people, but now she had renewed conviction that the good Fortune she once knew was still in there. She turned away; she would just have to stay out of it for now.
She started to look where Imi disappeared to when Sequoia had a final word for her. December gave a stiff nod, grimacing. She could sense the skepticism in her captain’s eyes. And with good reason. December had demonstrated the most knowledge about Fortune, and there were probably hints to their past together. “I will be there, captain.” She gave a tired salute. Bed was looking really good right about now.
Imi seemed to be furious with her for taking such a risk. December could not locate her friend anywhere. Well, she could worry about that later. Imi knew how to take care of herself, and she would forgive December eventually. Now, she just wanted to go back to her room and collapse.
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Post by Aveilthé on Jun 10, 2011 13:04:59 GMT -6
OOC: Fast forward time GOOOOOO
It was morning, but the Captain woke up with barely any sleep. She rushed to the kitchen to get a huuuge cup of coffee, and drained it slowly. Her nerves were shot at this point, and she wanted answers. Without going for breakfast, she waited for December in the ole meeting room, empty as ever unless something vital demanded all the very important people to come in and discuss how to solve certain events. Like this one. It was important enough, she mused, sitting down wearing only an old white tank top with some camouflage pants and boots. Her normally tanned skin looked pale today. And God, please don't let that giant, gross man come in here.
Why...
You still love her.
No...
She kissed you.
That wretch...
You kissed her back.
I hate her...
Fortune found himself hoisted upward, but noticed that his body was completely limp. Seems that when he dozed off, the humans put his body under some sort of spell so that he couldn't move. But why was he conscious? It didn't matter.
Nothing matters.
Oh God, why can't I just die?
"Why can't we kill him?"
She kissed you...
Voices, so many voices. Then the voices died down. Now it was just whispering. Whether it was his own brain making them up, or voices from the people handling him, he wasn't sure. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was wrapped up in some kind of metallic body-suit that pinned his arms and legs together. He was standing upright in a room full of bright light, with four different cameras pointed at him.
"You don't think...?"
"Vampires aren't real."
"We'll find out what we can do with him."
"You know that lab's picked up some interest on him, don't you?"
"You mean the one for especially talented people? You've got to be kidding me, I thought it was a myth. Just a hospital."
"Oh no, they're actually talking about buying him."
"Well, better off our hands. Do you realize what the public will say about the Thorian army that can't handle one man? If he's a man at all, ha... I don't even know."
"Well we did find a way to keep him under at least, lets just hope it works. He's better off dead or in that lab place."
"I still think he's a vampire."
"You read too many of those Stephanie Mayo books."
"Shut up."
Then total silence. Fortune blinked hard through the bright light, feeling like an animal trapped in a very tight cage.
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Post by Felypsa on Jun 10, 2011 14:41:59 GMT -6
December had slept poorly as well. To her shame, the physicality of the kiss had just as disturbed her attempt at slumber as much as the emotion behind it had. December’s dreams were haunted, and she found no peace there. When she awoke, she was troubled to find that Imi was gone. Her little friend would come back, she was sure, but this was clearly a gesture showing the shapeshifter’s opinion of what she had done. Just as well. December knew it was a mistake, but in the long term, it was yet to be determined.
There was Seraphim, for instance. December drew it and gazed at the white blade. To her hope, she thought she saw a glimmer of its former brilliance. Perhaps it was her imagination…but then again, maybe her vow to Fortune was the first step toward redeeming herself in the eyes of her people. She drew in a breath. Then again, perhaps that was too much to hope for. She did kiss a monster of the night.
She had to sheathe her sword and not think about it. Instead, she focused on the meeting she had with the captain. How much of the truth did she tell? Perhaps if she confided in Sequoia, she might get her understanding and sympathy. Or she could get fired. Or worse, thrown in prison with Fortune, where she would not be able to do any good at all. December finally decided that the best option was to reveal the previous adventures she shared with him, but would keep the personal stuff to herself.
She showered, ate a very small portion of breakfast, and then went to the meeting room as told. The captain was dressed casually, but December still saluted her as she entered the doorway. “Captain Istas,” she greeted. Of course she was also wondering at where Fortune was now…but Seq might not even tell her.
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Post by Aveilthé on Jun 28, 2011 21:08:08 GMT -6
OOC: Omg... it's short... sorry xD
"Good morning, December. Sleep well?" Sequoia inclined her head. She looked tired with dark circles under her brown eyes, and a bit hard-faced. She tried to look more welcoming. It was not like she was ever a 'bunnies-and-huggies' type of person.
"So, where'd you get that nifty sword?" Might as well start it off right. Try to seem amiable enough without forcing. After all, Sequoia's interest was genuinely piqued.
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Post by Felypsa on Jul 17, 2011 14:07:51 GMT -6
If December were in the business of answering honestly, she would have confessed that her night had been quite hellish. But she knew that the captain was only asking as a courtesy, and in any case, December could tell that Sequoia had also not had a very good night. “Well enough,” the mercenary answered in her guarded way, still standing. It was ingrained in her not to sit down unless she was given express permission.
Captain Istas started out their conversation by asking about her sword, and December wondered if she was just making small talk or if she was genuinely interested. “It was a gift,” she admitted. “From my father, who is…probably one of the last great blacksmiths in the world.” Simply because there weren’t very many blacksmiths left. But actually, it was a group effort on Spiridon’s part, along with the other seraphim, who used their precious and magical metal to forge a sword that would protect December wherever she went.
Until she was stupid enough to betray everything it stood for.
Sequoia didn’t need to know any of those details, though. And since she could barely accept that her prisoner was an immortal vampire, December knew there was no point in trying to explain angels.
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Post by Aveilthé on Aug 6, 2011 22:28:55 GMT -6
Beyond the fort, the sun swept over the horizon, heralding the coming of night. A flock of crows circled, perhaps something was dead; something nobody, not even the soldiers at the fort, could see.
Some time had passed, enough to allow mercenary and captain to talk. The vampire was left alone in the dark. No one wanted nothing more to do with guarding the menace anymore. That meant no company. No one for him to call out in rage. How depressing.
Fortune blinked through the thick dark veil in his cell, able to see everything whereas others could not. Though he looked dead, he was very much alive. His limbs have healed now, but he did not care to test them out. The only thing that did not heal was his heart. If he still even had one, that is.
That was a good one. Fortune almost felt himself chuckle in dark humor. In a way, he was already dead, wasn't he? He never felt the deep pulse inside of his chest since... since long ago.
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Post by Felypsa on Aug 9, 2011 9:25:46 GMT -6
The discussion between December and Sequoia was, predictably, awkward, with the mercenary telling the truth as much as she dared, hiding the truth of her own identity and the nature of her and Fortuné’s friendship from back then. Finally, the captain released her, and December had a feeling that she was not entirely satisfied. A feeling of apathy took her: that was really the least of her problems.
Imi had returned, had chided her, and flown off; December knew that her little familiar was punishing her. Much like her own sword was. The half-seraph drew it out, staring at the white blade. If only she knew how to get it to blaze forth again. Right now, it was little better than a normal human sword. Really, she should not even use it to fight, lest she risk breaking it, which would break her soul in the process.
Sheathing it once more, December had gone to eat dinner, and then…like Alice drawn to the inexplicable rabbit hole…she went below. The dungeon was full of darkness, and this time, Seraphim would not light her way. The mercenary could still faintly see the figure of the vampire tied up and behind bars. She paused, a shudder stealing over her. Something was coming.
“I don’t suppose you have anyone out there who might try to rescue your ass,” she said, looking square at that dark silhouette. She could not see his expression, could not begin to guess what he might be thinking.
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Post by Aveilthé on Aug 29, 2011 18:55:24 GMT -6
Oh no. Not her. Please, God no. There she is again. A deep rumble inside his chest sounded like an irritated growl, then ebbed as he let his head fall back on the filthy wall. In a lazy French drawl, he said, "Ta gueule! I don't expect to be saved by anyone, whether it be God, you, or the beetles infesting these walls. Go away and let me contemplate my insanity in peace, pétasse."
Something a odd happened then. A plethora of voices burst inside of the vampire's skull, forcing him to grunt loudly from the splitting pain they caused. He grabbed his disgusting head and doubled over. He was unable to make heads or tails of what they said; they all bleated with raw hatred. For the first time in a while, Fortune felt truly afraid.
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Post by Felypsa on Aug 30, 2011 14:21:50 GMT -6
His response was insolent, cold, hardly betraying any emotions he might be feeling. Yet the pure hatred he had once spoken with was dulled, as if he were tired. December was tired too. She shook her head. “I didn’t come to torment you.” She stopped close to him. “You and I are more alike than I would have originally thought…” She remembered when she had rejected any and all notions that she was anything remotely like the vampire, the creature of the night who fed on death. She knew better now. Oh, how she knew better.
That was when Fortune convulsed, doubling over, and December moved forward with a frown. Was it something she had said? She could not hear the voices, but she noticed that it began to get oddly hot the cell. A funny smell like sulfur entered her nostrils, gagging her. When she looked around, she thought she could see the walls bleeding dark shadows, dribbling down and pooling at the ground. Like the whole dungeon was being consumed. December darted forward, her hands wrapping around the bars. “Fortune,” she said urgently.
Something was happening here. Something beyond her control. Her heart was pounding, yet December refused to show fear. She reached for her sword, but it stuck in its sheath. December’s eyes widened. First Seraphim had ceased to glow, now it was not coming forth in her time of need? What was happening? The panic set into the cold mercenary’s heart, and it was all she could do to try to keep calm…though the hot black shadows melted away her exit path.
And now they were eating at the bars. All that stood between her and a creature who wanted to kill her…and her sword still held fast to its sheath.
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Post by Aveilthé on Nov 3, 2011 19:08:06 GMT -6
There was no way to truly describe how it happened. It was so... sudden... even Fortune had no clear memory of how the place shifted to how it became.
A towering figure cloaked entirely in shreds of black feathers peered from behind a most unusual mask, a sharply tapered beak pointed to the blazing ground. "I was not expecting two," said a voice behind the mask, a voice that sounded tantalizing and youthful but positively quavering with power.
Fortune found himself grappling subconsciously for December, groaning and grunting from the pain pounding inside his skull. He couldn't see or hear well, so very much like a child, tried to find comfort without really knowing what he was doing.
"No less a... halfbreed..." The voice hissed, obviously disgusted to be in the presence of a creature that should have been one of the most humble of all races. "Regardless, I am Malphas, at your service." The dark figure reluctantly tipped his raven-masked head to December. "I summoned the vampire here... for a purpose..."
Fortune used December to hoist his weakened body up, his legs snapping painfully. "Wh... where are we?" he groaned, blinking at the feathered thing standing amidst a blaze of fire and stone.
"Where else would you be, surrounded by fire and brimstone?" replied Malphas silkily.
As Malphas said it, Fortune already knew. The cell he was placed in was no different than this place. He couldn't feel extreme heat or cold, no less burn if he threw himself in fire.
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Post by Felypsa on Nov 3, 2011 20:26:06 GMT -6
 By the time Seraphim got loose in her hand, December knew it was too late to use it. For one thing, its glow was still dead, and for another, she was fairly certain she wasn’t on the mortal plane anymore. Like Fortune, the passage of time to her was vague and slippery. Had that taken only a few seconds, or had she been knocked out for hours…?
The voice that cut through was sharp and cruel like a knife, and December winced slightly. It was then that the first wave of heat flared up against her face. December, who preferred the cold anyway, felt her pale face start to drip with sweat. She looked up, vaguely aware of Fortune beside her, clinging to her. Not knowing what else to do, she reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
And this…this was definitely some devil.
December was having trouble focusing on his words, as if they were spoken in another language that she wasn’t completely fluent in. She managed to grasp that he was revolted by her, a half-angel, half-mortal creature. And his name, which dripped with dark power. Malphas. The mercenary shaded her eyes as she looked up at him, her heart pounding with adrenaline.
What had they gotten themselves into?
Or, more likely, what had Fortune gotten her into? This was all about him, all about a purpose for him. Not that he was to be blamed. He was still in pain, healing from the intense beating he had taken from Sequoia’s crew, and now transported here. December closed her eyes as her worst fears were confirmed. Hell. She had never been here, of course…it was not a place for beings like her.
A shudder ran down her spine and her stomach filled with nausea, but she willed herself to be strong. She wished Imi were here, but her little friend had not been with her in the cell, and December supposed she should be glad that the darling bird was spared this torment. Still…it would have been nice to have someone to rely on.
Instead, she had Fortune. As if things weren’t already so complicated with him.
“What did you have in mind for him?” she asked, her voice on edge. What do you have in mind for me, since you did not mean for me to come? She could not ask that, though. December had to find her bearings…had to find a way to survive this somehow.
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Post by Aveilthé on Nov 3, 2011 21:15:56 GMT -6
Malphas slightly cocked his head to the side. Though no one could see his true face, he was grimacing. "Patience, patience... don't worry, I don't plan on keeping you two long, knowing I've brought you here." He inclined a little towards December. "Although that wasn't entirely in my control... wrong place, wrong time perhaps..."
Blinking several times, Fortune was now able to make out the features of what he at first perceived was a tall, birdlike figure, even through the awful haze that was thick in the air like fog.
The demon cleared his throat, sweeping an arm bedecked in satinlike, feathered cuffs with a flourish. "Mister Fortune... I--we--have watched you for some time... and we are quite... ahh, more than impressed with your skills. You see... there has been a bothersome individual on Earth that we are very displeased with. We need you to get rid of this individual... who is killing your kind." It seemed like Malphas expected some kind of shocked reaction, but lifted his head in annoyance when Fortune emitted a derisive, raspy noise from his throat. "Then let him... if he's killing my kind, then I'd be happy to meet him and ask him for the same fate."
Malphas placed a clawed thumb over the tip of his faux-beak, as if in thought. "That is a horrible way to end. What if we... gave you back your mortality in exchange for your services?"
Hearing this made Fortune turn whiter, making the blood on his face and arms stand out more, if that were even possible. "You could... do that?"
"Oh yes..." The demon could have smiled behind that raven mask. "It's what you always wanted, wasn't it?"
Fortune took a step back, bowing his head. Yes, it is what he desired. Then the vampire looked up, those green eyes alive and brilliant once more... alive with purpose. He gave a single swift, determined nod, which gave Malphas the incentive to lift up his arms, trails of feathers sweeping all around him.
"So be it... I will be watching your progress... as for you, halfbreed..." He turned a sultry gaze towards December. "There is a reason why your sword refuses to work... maybe it is because you are no different than I."
Suddenly, the world around them twisted and turned, and soon they found themselves in a place that was no prison, but a rather grassy knoll that seemed settled away into the countryside. Fortune stumbled some, and fell to his knees, but slowly got up, feeling--for lack of better word--invigorated.
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Post by Kikuyoshi on Nov 3, 2011 22:32:13 GMT -6
The streets of the night were strangely deserted, an unnatural fog floating in tufts here and there against a quaint scene of cobblestone and elegant households. A lone man walked the brick roads, footsteps echoing solemnly throughout the city....if you could call it such. Everything here was a throwback to times long ago, an age an era that for most was done and over with.
And he was sorely out of place.
Dark brown hair, that was almost black, was swept back, still wet after catching some sort of rain most likely. In fact, it looked as though he had walked here from some great distance instead of taking some form of transportation. Entirely cloaked in black he still stuck out like a sore thumb; the leather trench coat that snapped at his heels while he moved already a dead give away that he was no regular among these people.
His face was solemn, strong and smooth angles with a dusting of stubble along his cheeks and chin. His skin, pale and amplified by the night and the clothing he sported. Yet he was no vampire they knew; his kind it's very own and nothing that would threaten the villagers here at least. As for his eyes, they remained hidden, a pair of shades wrapping around his face even in the low light this place offered. He would not have removed them even if it had been black as pitch.
If one were to look close enough and just as the wind picked up, it would be obvious enough that he was armed. Two pistols holstered at his back...another oddity in these parts.
So what had called him to this place when his usual habitat was more along the lines of somewhere like Thor? Stink and rumors. Foul and corruption oozed out of the cobblestone cracks in the ground right under his very feet and there was nothing Styx seemed to enjoy more than digging his hands into messes he probably shouldn't get involved in....let alone try to win. Maybe it was his own way of a death wish. Fight for the least likely party member when they matched his own moral codes....or they had the coin to spare.
So far, having only just arrived, no one had yet to approach him. The tiniest hint of a smile touched the edges of his lips then on that thought, wondering if anyone would even dare for this sort of place. The ripple of emotion was gone within a blink, having paused to glance at his surroundings a moment earlier. He moved again, in no particular hurry down the main road, his mind open to the idea of a bar but not particularly willing to believe such a thing existed in these parts. A tavern perhaps? Is that what they were called?
Styx almost smiled again. He hoped his hunch was right.
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Post by Felypsa on Nov 4, 2011 8:22:50 GMT -6
The demon in the mask was there to make a deal with Fortune, that much was clear. As for December, she had no idea what she might be doing here. Her head snapped up when their captor, or host, or whatever you might call him, spoke of a threat to vampires…a being that fed upon them. A flicker of a memory, like the barest hint of a flame, danced in the back of her mind. Why did that sound so familiar?
She heard Fortune’s answer initially and gave him a look that could be defined as a mixture of compassion and impatience. At the same time, it was so much more typical of his former self—her friend from back when, who had a moral conscience—that it was almost a relief to hear him speak so self-deprecatingly. Almost.
Malphas’s offer changed everything, though.
December, in shock, looked from him to Fortune. She could have told him that this was a deal with the devil, that Fortune would ultimately regret making. She could have told him that, but she didn’t. Maybe because she was suffering from so many self-doubts at that moment that she couldn’t be sure of anything; maybe because she did not want to rob Fortune of the hope she saw on his face, hope he had not felt in so long. She had already brought him to despair on her own, she didn’t need to do it again.
So she kept quiet…at least until this horrid demon looked upon her. The words he said were cruel and mocking, and December’s initial reaction was anger, sweeping up Seraphim as if to attack him. But she did nothing, knowing it was futile. Still, the threat was there, the violet blaze in her eyes making up for the lack of her sword’s shine.
As everything around them began to swirl, the folds of reality bending in on themselves, December risked taking a swing at the demon after all. It did nothing, and she gave a sharp cry as she was dragged into the whirlwind.
-----
Beside Fortune, Seraphim would plummet straight into the earth, point facing down. It sank into the dirt and stayed fast, but it would take little strength to pull it out. Its sheath landed beside it. Its owner, however…she was nowhere to be seen on that hill. Fortune was alone—with her beloved weapon.
Instead, the half-breed found herself back on the cobblestone streets of Escavas. December got up immediately, her hand reaching behind her shoulder instinctively for Seraphim…but all she grasped was air. Sudden panic laced through her as she grappled at her back. No. She searched around her, thinking that perhaps it had landed somewhere else. But in her heart, she knew the unsettling truth: her sword, a piece of her soul, was separated from her.
She just prayed it was in good hands.
Forcing her panic down, December paused and closed her eyes, focusing on feeling out where Seraphim might be. Outside of Escavas. Not too far…but definitely not here. She had to leave the city.
She had a vague sense of direction, and she hurried, running lightly. She was tired, yes, but she felt so naked and defenseless without Seraphim. Even if the sword wasn’t right, so to speak, she still relied on it for everything. It was her livelihood, her lifestyle, her life. She needed it back—immediately.
Her rush was almost careless, and she nearly ran into a traveler who had just come into the city. December stopped herself in time, about to go around him…but then she caught sight of those pistols and stopped. She knew those guns, knew them well, and recognized the man who carried them. During her time away from Fortune and Escavas, she had served alongside Styx briefly in a mercenary company. They had never become terribly close—both were too used to their aloof, loner mentalities—but December respected his abilities, and they had saved each other’s lives a few times on the job. It was astonishing to see him here, in such a place.
December was so surprised that she momentarily forgot her urgency to find her sword. Fortune too—where was he, what was he up to, serving that grotesque demon they had encountered? “Styx—what are you doing here?” she blurted. All sense of proper distance was lost; December had had a long, rough night so far, and it was far from over.
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Ave: sorry I left Fortune alone! ;-; I figure he can use Seraphim to find December & Styx...and he doesn't have to be too far away n.n;
Kiku: I hope the history between Styx & December works. I figured not quite TWAAD-based but some familiarity was more fun than them being perfect strangers.
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