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Post by MeloraBelikov on Aug 4, 2010 13:42:49 GMT -8
And here it was, the pain that would bring her back to her current situation. The wounds in her stomach burned like crazy and she came to her senses with a start. Dizziness overtook her as she attempted to stand, not entirely sure of what she'd really just done. It took her a moment to remember just where she was, and get her sequence of events in order. Once all that was finally sorted out in her mind confusion faded into fear as she reminded herself that in a short while, she'd likely be a vampire.
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 4, 2010 13:47:56 GMT -8
Azura moved as quickly as possible to steady her, grimacing at his own wounds as they pulled in protest, though they'd already begun to heal themselves with the aid of Melora's blood.
"Calm down, you're too eager to move around. Your body needs to rest, human." he said the last word with a certain degree of reverence, upset with himself that he would be the one to take it away from her, though her soul was a more precious commodity.
But if one were to really examine it, they'd find that Melora would lose either way. She'd be without a soul, or she'd be without her humanity and a living body. She'd never be able to have children, enjoy food in the same way, or retain relationships with other humans. It would be a drastic loss in the quality of her life, and if it were him, he'd rather be dead.
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Post by MeloraBelikov on Aug 4, 2010 14:08:55 GMT -8
"Sorry Azura..." She mumbled, only half able to focus on what Azura was telling her. She gripped his arm to steady herself, hoping she wouldn't fall over, but her knees began to shake and they gave out from under her. Dammit Melora, get a hold of yourself.
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 4, 2010 14:16:59 GMT -8
"Don't apologize," he said quietly, moving to stand and finding he could do so relatively easily. Blood did wonders. Tugging her up with him, he once again found him bracing her body weight against his and silently berating himself for being so gentlemanly when there was absolutely nothing in it for him. Honestly...
He looked back at the swathe of vines, rolling his eyes at the showmanship of it all. "Since prince charming is off in dreamland, perhaps now you can tell me just what happened with this trip. How did you meet the Akoto and what landed the both of you in this place?"
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Post by Doctor on Aug 5, 2010 1:11:07 GMT -8
Anshel watched Christopher’s retreating back, eyes clearing of the previous daze. He was whole again, which meant his faculties had returned and the reality of what happened and all it implied was free to crash upon him.
What had he done? How did he let himself fall into these trappings again? These questions were posed in distress, for losing Satan’s blessing always resulted in suffering, both the temporary kind that would remain until restitution and the kind that would leave him irreparably torn apart in deep places he let no one see.
Anshel would get his answer sooner than he thought in an uncharacteristic show of mercy. Before he could lift himself up to follow the boy, he was falling, suddenly slipping through a tear in reality’s cloth into a familiar dimension.
He landed unceremoniously with a thud on a rug and knew immediately where he was from the taste of the air. There was none of the foul stench that permeated the plains of repentance. No, this place tasted like warmth and spice and indulgence, the piquant musk of other sybarites that frequented the Palace. He had too much pride to admit in sober state that this place brought just comfort enough to touch him without at all tempering the foreboding in his nerves.
The judge knelt, and then stood, even though he might have been content to take a breather and lose himself in the lushness of the carpet. Despite how relaxed and blasé the Dark Prince always seemed, he did not take well to wasted time. So, the demon strode shakily towards his master to take the seat opposite him at the familiar tea table where most of there conferences took place. Lucifer chose his masculine guise this century it seemed, because the Devil was just as he remembered from their last meeting: blonde, features patrician and handsome, and eyes red in the iris and shot black along the sclera like a reptile. Like a snake. The robes he wore were golden, but otherwise plain and his horns turned down which meant that, unfortunately for the demon, his master was in a testy mood. Anshel would not have known otherwise, because his lord was as cunning as existence would allow any being to be, eyes glinting with something mysterious that even Anshel could not interpret, but nonetheless had a bad feeling about. And as usual, his lord remained silent in false patience. At least with him, Lucifer was never the first to speak.
“Why?” He asked softly, drowning in anxiety.
With aristocratic countenance, the Devil leaned across the arm of his chair and lifted a hand to his face. And twice tapped his nose with a finger.
Anshel groaned, smothered his face in his hands and cried through them his dismay, “No! No, I don’t know what I’ve done. I don’t know what you want. I don’t know!”
“Anshel.”
He was quick to compose himself and give attention when addressed by that dark, rasping voice, the sickness roiling inside his stomach more perceptible in his stillness.
“Look down at your clothes.” The order was too calm and too simple. He would be making a point soon, the demon knew.
Anshel looked down at the angry, red stain. He really needed to stop wearing silk when working with vampires. Eyes full, he looked up again to face Lucifer, nodding his head to let him know he’d noted what he was meant to see.
“That’s your blood, son.”
He nodded again to confirm, before looking down at his lap, ashamed at his stupidity. His sins were obvious, really.
“Nybras told me you weren’t content in your current assignment. I take time out of my busy schedule and what do I find?” Displeasure was becoming exceedingly apparent in his accusations. “I find you martyring yourself. Like a damn Christian.” He shook his head in disgust, horns exaggerating the movement. “You know what, Anshel? This happens every time, like clockwork. You get too comfortable with your invincibility and suddenly it’s all mercy and charity.”
“You,” Anshel began, “assigned me to this,” he tried to reason away his lord’s disappointment, scared of what might happen if he didn't. “It’s delicate and I don’t have a choice in w-”
“Who the fuck are you?”
Anshel cringed at the anger of the interruption. Lucifer projected darkness now. And heat, the kind that scorched. Eyes livid, power radiating around them making him feel so tiny in the other's presence.
“You talk about choices like you’re restricted by dogma! You’ve changed and I don’t like it. Look at you! Putting others before yourself. Denying yourself? What kind of example are you setting for the others? Think of the demon children!”
“This is how I’ve always conducted myself.” He replied weakly.
“No,” Lucifer disagreed. “No, no, no. A vampire disembowels you and you let her live? A human child shows you disrespect and you bargain for her life? You lust for that friend of yours, but choose to abstain.” He leaned back in his chair with a look of anger and perplexity. “Before you were a fucking enigma, you know that? You loved so much, and it made you happy helping other people. That was disturbing enough, but at least you still held to my tenants of self-service and lived carnally, shamelessly, happy and damning all else.”
He was still happy, wasn’t he?
“No, no you’re not happy anymore,” Satan answered the unvoiced question for him. “You’re a sheep now. You’re a fucking lamb. And that is unacceptable. I’ve observed you for a month now and it’s become clear to me that you have fallen into the mortal rut: content with discontentment. You've built yourself false boundaries, you refuse to take what you want. That is not our way!”
Anshel shrunk back at the outburst. He'd fucked up. “I’m sorry. I… I’ll do better.”
Lucifer laughed, but there was no joy in it. “I’m not going to leave you to your own devices.” He surveyed him again and whispered, mostly to himself, but Anshel could hear him clearly, “Sometimes, I forget how human you are.” It didn't sound like a compliment.
“I’m sorry I’ve disheartened you.”
“The thing is, Anshel, you have no idea how much you have.” The switch from disapproving to wistful was jarring, but Anshel relaxed when Lucifer reached over a possessive hand to lift his chin up. It reminded him of his mother. He never asked if Lucifer knew this and mimicked it accordingly as a means of manipulation, because if he knew the truth it wouldn't be nearly as comforting and he needed all the sources of comfort he could get.
"You’re my prize, you know?" He stroked the line of Anshel's jaw. "A reminder of an era when I could still make things like you. You're not like my thugs who always seem to take my sentiments to the extreme; your evil is far more subtle, joined with grace in a way that would have made the battle for your soul such an interesting one. A combination of He and I. A contradiction. Your life evidence of our insanity and ultimate triviality…” He chuckled and pulled his hand away. “And you've gotten me rambling again, kiddo.”
Anshel frowned at him.
“No more pouting. I’m so tired of you pouting. You're not fun company anymore.” He complained, twisting the end of his braid through his fingers. “I’m going to light the fires of Hell under you." The Devil decided. "Metaphorically. And I’m going to see if I can purge this sickness and save your soul.”
He wasn't going to cry. He felt overwhelmingly defeated but he wasn't going to cry. “What’s my punishment?”
“I’m not going to punish you,” the Devil dismissed it as if it was a silly notion to entertain.
Anshel stared at him disbelieving. He shouldn't have been, though. He wasn't to be reprimanded, he was to be taught a lesson, and Lucifer's lessons had finesse and a sick sophistication that ensured his morals were ingrained in you for life. The judge's most shameful and haunting memories were a testament to that.
The Devil grinned. “You’re going to prove yourself to me. Or else I put you in a little box down here for a few hundred years to give you some time to rethink your priorities.”
A wave of nausea and panic hit him. No, no, no. He was not going into the darkness. Never back to that. Oblivion was lonely and maddening. Being trapped in the horrors of your mind’s own making left the soul twisted and mangled without hope for repair. He’d take torture. He fisted his hand into the cloth of his pants. He’d take death.
“The fear’s back in your eyes.” Lucifer commented as if surprised, though he’d known exactly how his orchestrations would go. “That’s good. That will serve you well, because the world is a scary place, and you’d do well to remember that. Now what’s your first priority?”
He resented this. So much. But his compliance was bought. Anshel refused to let himself be locked away to suffer. Nothing was worth that.
"What are my laws?" He coaxed, teasing. "I need to know you remember them. Now what's your first priority?"
“You.”
Lucifer chuckled at that. “No. Aside from me.”
“Myself.”
“And when someone gets in your way?”
“Destroy them.”
“And when you want something?”
“Indulge it.”
Lucifer beamed in pride. “Now this is what I need you to do for me.”
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Post by Christopher Saunders on Aug 5, 2010 21:53:20 GMT -8
Christopher cracked his eyes open, pupils in slits, to peer at Azura. "If I'm Prince Charming, then who are you?" He mumbled, running a hand through his hair.
The air was tinged with blood, making his nostrils flare and his stomach growl. Frenzy usually got blood, after burning through any and all reserve, and when the opposite occured, it was quite interesting to even go as long as he had without biting anything.
The vines wilted and seeped back into the earth as he rose to his feet, scratching the side of his throat, annoyed with the stubble that brushed his knuckles from his jaw line at the motion.
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Post by MeloraBelikov on Aug 6, 2010 21:18:35 GMT -8
Melora explained how Naoto found her and insisted on following her, then turned on her while they were in the cave. She made it a point to tell him about how obnoxious the man was, even adding the words "You're so much better than him."
When Chris finally awoke, she greeted him with a somewhat still sleepy smile. "Hello. How are you doing now? Feeling better?"
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Post by Christopher Saunders on Aug 6, 2010 22:21:45 GMT -8
"Tired, ravenous." Christopher shrugged, wincing at the tingling sensation that ran through his skull as he stood. Since when did he get vertigo? Oh wait: hunger, that basic need. "Make that extremely ravenous." He added as a quieter after-thought.
He cocked his head to one side, much like a curious child. "You know, you aren't nearly as annoying as they've made you out to be by Anshel and Azura, quite interesting really." Chris complimented, studying her carefully.
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 6, 2010 22:55:53 GMT -8
Despite the feeling of pride that he had in himself and Melora's words, and the toothy grin he shot in Christopher's direction, he felt that something was inherently wrong. As he began walking forward, he realized what it was. The sun had set, and Anshel was nowhere to be found inside the tunnels' entrance, nor was he outside.
Easily he shirked off the notion that he might have been taken prisoner. Anshel wasn't good to use as a bribe, especially not in Melora's case and everyone and their grandmother knew that. He got the two back into the rickety SUV and drove back to the small village where he deposited it in favor of the country's wonderful transit system.
After that, and having a severely bruised backside, they made it to a main city, the same where he and Anshel had arrived. With his endless supply of spending credit, he purchased the three of them tickets to Turkey, even Christopher.
He was of the opinion that the Moroi would be safest with the Gallu, as would anything that needed protecting. Only an idiot, like a Blackraven, would simply waltz into the Castle now.
Hours later, traveling with the moon, they'd made it to the outer wall of the castle and were promptly ushered in my a contingent of armed guards.
"Well, here we are. Home sweet home."
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Post by MeloraBelikov on Aug 7, 2010 21:22:05 GMT -8
Melora shifted uncomfortably before grabbing Azura by his wrist and dragging him inside, directly to his room. She had remembered the way from her previous visit. Without a word she turned and locked the door before turning back to face him, green eyes shimmering in the dim light. "Azura, we need to talk about my plans."
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 7, 2010 21:24:28 GMT -8
He stood stock still, speechless. Had she-? Did she just-? Fucking tease! He almost cried, pathetic expression crossing his features before her words sunk in. He'd nearly snapped out of it, but he didn't come with an off and on switch. Going on took all of two seconds, off took more like two hours, or in Melora's case, two fucking never's.
"What about?" he managed, throat feeling constricted.
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Post by Christopher Saunders on Aug 7, 2010 21:31:35 GMT -8
Christopher’s eyebrows knit together, scowl coming to draw his lips tight as Azura was dragged of by the human. Perhaps his wording had been wrong, she actually was obnoxious sometimes, like right now when he had questions that he wanted answers, no, demanded answers, for.
No single vampire seemed to show aggression toward him unless caught by surprise in the hall, seeming to remember the pale-haired, young Lord either by Sargon’s mentioning or seeing him in the past. At least he had the maid to show him to his room, if anything, he desperately wanted to find out what was going on back home, with Serena. By no means was this brutish, fortress or a castle a ‘home’ to him. It never would be.
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Post by MeloraBelikov on Aug 7, 2010 21:46:54 GMT -8
Melora drew closer to him, and her hands wandered to his. She smiled up at him. "About my plans. And..." She paused, shifting in her spot. "What I owe you for following through, Azura. I'll do anything..." She paused, considering the word. "Anything."
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Post by AzuraGallu on Aug 7, 2010 21:51:07 GMT -8
Azura pulled back with a hiss. "Just who the hell are you and where's Mel?" This behavior was so completely unlike the Melora he knew, it nearly terrified him. She was supposed to be cranky, obstinate and obnoxious; better then the rest off em with her snarky attitude. What had exactly happened during their time apart that would make her act in such a way, especially toward him, a vampire.
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Post by MeloraBelikov on Aug 7, 2010 22:12:35 GMT -8
"Oh, dammit, you caught me." It was the demon, and Melora's voice changed to match her. "I only have a day left in this body, so I thought I'd make it count." Vetis made Melora's hip cock to the side, and she raised her hand, placing it there. "What do ya say, Azura? Wanna go a few rounds before I have to give her up? This might be the only time you get a chance." An out of character grin spread across Melora's face.
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