|
Post by Fainis the Sadistic Pansexual on Jul 19, 2014 2:45:49 GMT -5
"Huh," murmured Alex as he consider Mara in her newly revealed form. "Not as extreme as I was expecting honestly. And you still look friendlier than Sam here."
He yelped as the scowling woman in question hit him hard in the shoulder, staggering him. He rebounded with a smile though.
"Seriously though, it's not bad. It works for you. In fact, back home, there's plenty of art and stories that I could show you as proof that the ears and tails look-"
Sam struck him again, this time knocking him off the sofa and onto the floor. His smirk had vanished.
"Alright, ignoring that," growled the blonde. "Is there a plan here? If all these badies are trying to grab the empty top slot, then there must be some alliances going on as well. Guys like that don't go it alone when the stakes are this high. So what are we going to do about that? We can't win this alone. We need allies. Who are our friends? The ones we can count on to bring the fire when we need it?"
"I thought you wanted nothing to do with this stuff, Sam," groaned Alex as he flopped up from the floor. "Why so involved suddenly?"
"Because of you, Shepherd. You got yourself dragged into this mess, so now it's my business. I'm not going to lose a GAAF asset to some crazy conspiracy of demons and dragons. Least of all our only real Aberration expert. Soldiers and scientists we can replace. A maniac like you is harder to come across."
He sighed. "Would it really be so hard to just say that I'm your friend and you care?"
"Yes. I make it a point not to lie."
|
|
|
Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jul 20, 2014 0:31:19 GMT -5
"We do have allies here, allies who will stand by our side when this place is threatened." Crigan explained. "Those who fight together against the terror of Orsa Terminus, those like Mich, Sid, Behemoth, and Pavorok. However, the UCA's inhabitants might not be unified against these new threats as they were agaist Orsa Terminus. Orsa was one entity that clearly threatened everyone who lived here. While Salavance itself is clearly that, the person weilding its leash can veil how much of a threat they truly, as can the Maluvor and Ommadon. It would be hard for those who don't know the truth to be unified against a not so clear enemy..."
"And worse... they might gain allies of their own to advance their cause..." Diamen growled, fists tightened. It was stupid. So very stupid. He wanted to see the Maluvor wiped out as badly as everyone else, but given just how uneven the balance of power was, and the fact they weren't as obviously evil as Persephone, it was going to be a nightmare ahead...
|
|
|
Post by Fainis the Sadistic Pansexual on Jul 20, 2014 23:48:23 GMT -5
Sam curled her lips hatefully. "An enemy hidden in plain sight..."
"We've dealt with those before," said Alex wearily. "Not fun in the slightest. I guess all we can do is to be on our guard and wait for them to make a move."
"The ball is in their court." Sam clenched her fists angrily. She hated being helpless. "We're going to have to play by their rules for a while."
|
|
|
Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jul 22, 2014 18:20:35 GMT -5
Crigan growled under his breath as Sam said the words. Playing by the enemy's rules... he hated that. He already had to deal enough with that with Persephone and her "home rules" for 300 years, and it tore him apart internally. "No, I refuse to let them get the initiative and have up reacting to everything. We have to take the initiative and strike them down as soon as possible. Now when those monsters nearly killed my family."
"But we lack the firepower." Mara said. "We'd be murdered if we tried anything without backup, and we lack that right now."
"I know..." Crigan growled, smashing his fist into the wall. "It's just... I don't want to deal with it again. Not after what Persephone's done..."
|
|
|
Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jul 27, 2014 15:31:43 GMT -5
Vesica stirred at Crigan's outburst. Her heavy eyelids struggled for a moment as she teetered on the edge of consciousness. At first her face was one of sleepy confusion.
Then her tired eyes snapped wide open in unmistakable terror.
"NO!"
She threw herself off the couch, falling as her weak legs collapsed underneath her. Scrambling as fast as she could manage on all fours, Vesica pressed her back up against the wall. The lights darkened, only covering the room in shade for a second before shining as bright as ever. She tried again, once, twice, three times... and then Vesica slumped, exhausted, against the wall.
Too tired to escape, much less defend herself, she shrank up against the wall, her body trembling, panicked eyes sweeping the room. "Don't hurt me."
|
|
|
Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jul 27, 2014 17:49:26 GMT -5
All attention was immediately brought to Vesica. Crigan, Diaman, and Mara all turned to look at the timid, shaking girl, a sweatdrop dripping down Mara's face. She should have expected her to react like that, no doubt thinking she was in the thrall of the Maluvor. She needed to be calmed down, and fast. "Well, great to see that you are awake now, Vanessa. You were unconscious when we found you..."
"We are not here to hurt you. From what Mara told us, you were in way over your head and lost conscious. Trust me, you are safe here. I am a god after all, a death god at that, and no, you are not dead, but very much alive."
"Make that two death gods, a fox, and a pair of humans." Diamen corrected his father, before turning back to the shaking Vesica. "And besides, father here wouldn't lay a finger on you. He's too much of a softie around girls."
|
|
|
Post by Fainis the Sadistic Pansexual on Jul 27, 2014 19:22:20 GMT -5
Alex wanted to say something. Something that would help Vanessa, that would make her stop shivering and be still. Be calm and at peace. But nothing came to his lips. It felt as if he had been muted. Perhaps that was for the best. He was more used to working with laughter than tears, and he liked it that way. Smiles were easier. He was notoriously poor in sensitive situations. Even Sam had more tact than him towards the scared or mourning. And beyond that, there was nothing he could add that Crigan had not already said- and better than he ever could have really. So, for now, he would hold his tongue. Nothing he could say would help Vanessa right now.
...
His lips drew back hesitantly as words finally came to him.
But perhaps... perhaps he could say something to help himself, as selfish as the thought was. Something to lift a weight that he had felt on his shoulders since his rescue.
"Thank you." He shuffled uncomfortable. Being sincere had never been his strongest suit. "You saved Ran... oh, sorry... Mara and I back there. I don't know what would have happened to us if you hadn't showed up. So... thank you. And I'm sorry that I couldn't help you... either of you.. when you needed it."
|
|
|
Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jul 28, 2014 2:04:19 GMT -5
Although their words seemed well meaning, Vesica was not about to trust Crigan and Daimen's promises. Both were strangers, Daimen in particular she had never even seen before in her life. She had no way of knowing whether or not they could be trusted. And the talk of death gods and foxes only confused the stressed girl further.
As hard as it had been for Alex to speak, it was his words, above all other attempts, which reached home. They were not words of compassion or understanding, not an attempt to ease her fear; such things could be fabricated. These were words of deep, sincere gratitude. And with those words was a distinct lack of fear or hate, feelings Vesica was all too used to hearing. It was that moment she realized Alex would not hurt her, and, perhaps, the others by extent. Relief washed over her like a wave of warm water.
As she calmed down, she finally noticed Mara’s ears and tails. That explained the lighting earlier.
She struggled to stand, still weak with fatigue. Her eyes fell upon Sam, who had said nothing so far. When Crigan had mentioned two humans, she had at first interpreted it to be Alex and Ran, but it was obvious she was only half right.
“Where am I?” she finally asked once she had calmed down enough, speaking mostly to Mara and Alex. “Who are these people?”
|
|
|
Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jul 28, 2014 2:14:02 GMT -5
"You are in my husband's living quarters." Mara said as she rushed over to Vesica's aid. She helped the tired girl over to where Proteus had been sitting, and laid her there. Atleast there, she could feel comfty. "Me and Alex brought you here when you were down and out." She held a hand over to Crigan and Diamen. "You've already met my husband, Crigan, but you haven't met Diamen before. He's my oldest son."
Diamen waved. "Sorry if we spooked you. By Death Gods, we mean we are in charge of collecting souls and escorting them to the afterlife. That's not why we're here with you. You're time hasn't come yet." That earned him a slap outside the head from Crigan. "Owwww. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
"Considering what our guest has gone through as of late, now isn't the time for that kind of joking."
Ignoring her son, Mara then pointed over to Sam. "That there is Alex's friend, Sam. From what I can tell, they seem to be in a relationship... boyfriend and girlfriend maybe?"
|
|
|
Post by Fainis the Sadistic Pansexual on Jul 28, 2014 2:43:41 GMT -5
A deep crimson color swept across Alex's face while Sam merely turned her amber eye on the fox and glared.
"No," the woman said coldly. "We're strictly employer and employee. You'd do best to remember that, mutt."
"Sam, c'mon. Be nice," Alex muttered chidingly. His face was still red and he tried not to look her in the face.
She curled her lips into a snarl. "Why should I? Why should I even trust someone who admitted to being possessed by an evil spirit for three centuries, whatever the hell that means? You all seem awful quick to forgive her, but of course you would. You all have personal connections with her. Husband, son, friend... it just makes you blind. How do you know she's been freed of this spirit? How can you be sure this isn't some elaborate scheme by this Persephone person to infiltrate your ranks and destroy your numbers from the inside?" She shook her head savagely. "You're all being fools."
Alex frowned at the fuming blonde. "You're being more paranoid and hostile than usual. Is this because she thought we were a couple." A blush returned to his cheeks as he spoke.
"No, Shepherd," Sam growled. "This is because I don't want to see you get killed for being too quick to trust."
|
|
|
Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jul 28, 2014 3:03:56 GMT -5
At that moment, Sam froze. She could feel it, the sensation of a certain pair of eyes burning deep into her skull she looked over, expecting Diamen or Mara to be glaring at her in return, but no, instead it was Crigan, the young man's eyes glowing with a dull golden hue as he took a step forward. the sole dim light in the room was now flickering, being tampered with by powers that were running rampant. "You would be wise to watch your tongue, human. I know better than anyone Mara's condition, and I can tell you, with one hundred percent certainty, that she is fine." His body began to morph, the clothes and flesh giving way into a more draconian appearance. Where there was once a human, now there was a floating ghost-like dragon entity, eyes narrowed at Sam. "Do not ever question my wife's staus, do you understand?" He hissed...
"Crigan, no need to get angry with her." Mara said, bringing a hand onto her husband's head. "She's got every right to doubt, to not trust me."
"Still... those words were unneeded." Crigan never had his gaze leave Sam's own. "To call my loved one a mutt, to degrade her to the level of a base dog... That was uncalled for. We know for a fact the evil spirit within is deceased and gone. The one responsible for it confirmed it herself."
|
|
|
Post by Fainis the Sadistic Pansexual on Jul 28, 2014 3:32:25 GMT -5
Even as the lights flickered and made her squint her eyes, Sam managed to throw a glare towards Crigan. Three months ago, the sight before her would have paralyzed her with fright. Perhaps even driven her mad on the spot. But after dealing with the likes of Quetzar, Kedos, and Fainis- especially Fainis- it could barely phase her. She would take the floating tapeworm in front of her over that crazy bitch any day. A twinge went off in Sam's skull as she looked at Crigan's true form though. Why was it always serpents in the guise of friends that gave her the most trouble? First Quetzar and now this one...
"If I found out that one of my people had been forced to smuggle a bomb onto my base, I would never allow that person to come back, no matter how sorry they were or how certain I was that it would never happen again. I still think you're being a fool to believe her without question, but that's your business. I won't lose any sleep if it gets you killed. But don't you dare let your foolishness endanger Alex. He endangers himself enough already and I don't need the extra hassle."
"Sam." For the second time that day, Alex looked dead serious. That paused Sam more than the death god had. "He literally gave his life to help not just me, but everyone in the UCA. Every single one. I promise you, he can be trusted. So can Ra-... Mara. Even if you don't believe them, can you at least believe me?"
Sam did not answer for a moment. Her lips pursed together in thought. Then: "Yes."
She cut her eyes across at the rest of the room as if in warning. "For now."
|
|
|
Post by The Merry Lambfish on Jul 28, 2014 13:35:51 GMT -5
A voice broke the silence.
"Alright, I haven't the slightest clue as to what you guys are talking about," Vesica said. "But I'm sure this arguing isn't any more 'destructive to our ranks' than an evil spirit."
|
|
|
Post by Tenshi the Sunkern on Jul 28, 2014 18:32:06 GMT -5
Crigan's eyes dulled as he looked away from Sam. "Thank you." he said. "In regards to what you have said, Vesica, this arguing is indeed pointless. As I told the others, Mara was once under Persephone's control, but now, she is not. When you first met her, she was not herself, and only in the last time we met, was she freed from Persephone's grasp..." He stopped, shaking his head slightly. "Of course, that meeting had its own issues... especially in regards to one Yuuka Kazami"
"Don't remind me." Mara growled. "The plant bitch went too far with that little stunt."
|
|
|
Post by Fainis the Sadistic Pansexual on Jul 28, 2014 20:30:27 GMT -5
"Agreed," grumbled Alex. "You know, I've heard that cactuses explode when they're struck by lightning. Turns the water inside to gas and expands it."
He looked to Mara. "Think you could replicate that?"
|
|