Dark Side of the Moon

Cross Effects => Cross Effects => Areas => Topic started by: Kotomine_Rin on March 31, 2020, 11:29:26 PM

Title: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on March 31, 2020, 11:29:26 PM
The Heavenly Ruins

An archipelago of celestial landmarks, hills and locations, wrecked in an ancient battle and drawn into the Nexus after many years. It expands in the skies over the sea, as far as the eye can see...

The Grand Sky Theater

A palace built by divine beings, which floats above the clouds. It is a landmark of a forgotten age, with verdant gardens and pure stone marble that stretches wide above the sky. Its peak is the statue of a woman, a former goddess who was slain by her lover. A human girl who is now embracing the heavens, with that same brilliant smile. It is now a ruin, with its structures eroded by time and battle, but the singer stands nonetheless. The view is simply spectacular, and evokes a calm feeling.

This coliseum in the sky was her final resting place.

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on March 31, 2020, 11:49:09 PM
6:00 PM - Day 3

Zeke

Continued from Xibalba. (http://darksidemoon.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,762.msg64496.html#msg64496)

With wild acrobacies, Zeke flew accross the salty waters and touched them with one hand, splitting the currents as he dragged his body against them- only to soar back even higher with a splashing boom.

His dark wings flapped, and the dark beast flew like a black comet. The sun was setting beautifully in front of him, with its orange and purple hues, and its blinding light. Enamored as ever, he flew straight in its direction, never looking away. This black bird would simply keep flying towards the sun. And with a final soar, the two could finally see land.

Looks like we've arrived.

The sight was as shocking as it was marvelous. That otherwordly pasture's color, the pure beauty of the stone structures. She had seen something like this before though. It couldn't be... this was the place she saw in his memories. The ones of the man she killed.

It was broken, but there was no mistake. And so the wind sings quietly on the grassy and stony halls of this heaven.

THE GRAND SKY THEATER.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 01, 2020, 12:03:51 AM
Aruna

Aruna climbed out of Zeke's arms, spreading her bat like wings to catch her.  This place.... it was a real one?  It was strange, being somewhere that was supposed to just be his soul.  Did Zeke transport them into his soul?  Does that mean he lives still somehow?

With Ezekial at her back and her gaze in the distance she said, "This place.... How did you get us here?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 01, 2020, 12:19:44 AM
Zeke

No. This is reality. He smiled and closed his eyes patiently. He had seen some of her memories in her soul but... well... other blanks, he filled in himself. Not  like he'd be telling how, after all, what king of magician reveals his tricks?

This nexus pulls things and people from other dimensions. If that man could find his way here, why not the place of his dreams? No, I can't bring people inside the world of the dead. Forget all illusions or delusions. The man you killed can never come back.

He grinned and landed, dropping off Aruna safely. It's a pretty romantic place though, eh?
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 01, 2020, 02:51:34 AM
Aruna

"The place of his dreams?  Yes, the world of a soul was not unlike a dream," Aruna said.  She paused for a second then giggled.  "Maybe this is actually the city of dreams.  No wonder it is so horrifyingly absurd."

Aruna dived down, her cheeks caressing the grass.  In a way, the blades tickling her cheek felt less real than being in that man's soul.  Then again it was only natural.  The world feels so much more real when one has solidarity.  That was the one power the demons had that was on par with humans, the one of connection.  Maybe that's why the wind blowing through the trees felt like the forgotten wail of a man long since gone.

"I know..." she said, landing on the grass.  Her wings sunk into her back and she slowly approached the tree.  "That was the first time in a while I tried to save someone.  I forgot the pain of giving your all to protect someone, only for them to sink into the sands of time.  I always wonder if the pain that comes with grieving is just the selfish power of the dead, desperately clinging onto life once their body is long gone.  I remember the words of a human. A man dies not when his body becomes a husk, but when he is forgotten.  Its the only explanation."

After all, she didn't know him for long.  Sure, she dived into his soul, tried to save him from himself and took on his burden, but she didn't KNOW him.  Even worse, he was an angel, one of the light gifted with gods light.  Imagine, the oppressed didn't just include the demons, but the angels of light as well.  God tortured all those beneath him, even his own children.  The annoying thing about their time together was the realization that if he were born a demon, they would have been friends.  Maybe that is really what she was grieving, the loss of what could be.

Aruna turned around, frowning at Ezekial.  "Do you always try to court a woman by showing them a dead lover?  I suppose it can be romantic if you are into NTR.  For the record, humans stole that from us, as well as BDSM.  When they figured that one out, they started the middle ages. I don't think it ever really ended."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 01, 2020, 03:03:56 AM
Zeke

Enntee ah...beedee ess whaaa? What is this- what are you doing!? He raised an eyebrow in pure confusion and crossed his arms, pouting away from her.  Was this some kind of demonic initiation ritual? Of course, humans would only learn things like that from hellspawns. Of course.

Hmph. I wouldn't fool around with a demon.

He was totally pouting.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 01, 2020, 03:07:13 AM
Aruna

Aruna's eyes widened as she said,  "Do... do you not grieve?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 01, 2020, 03:22:39 AM
Zeke

Hm? Why would I? I never inherited such feelings. To be honest, I can't understand them. His nonchalant tone rung through her heart like a poison, and he just shrugged before pacing to the side.

But you're right. This place has gotta be the city of dreams. If you wish for it hard enough, even your wildest desires can come true. He touched the base of the woman's statue and smiled, even as the sun beat directly on his face he didn't waver.

Still beautiful as ever, eh? My poor wounded songbird...

Did he... know that woman too for some reason? No, it was impossible. So what was up with the feeling of nostalgia in the air? It was God's providence... gravity, that drew him to the living. To this world of endless possibility. And to her. And as he thought about it, he turned to Aruna.

If I truly loved someone, I think I'd like them to smile when they think back at our precious time. We've only got so much of it, you know?
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 01, 2020, 03:43:59 AM
Aruna

Aruna paused, walking behind Ezekial and resting a hand on his still shirtless muscular back.  "If you work hard enough huh?  Ezekial, you said you can not grieve, but what are you doing?"

As he turned to her, she simply stared into his eyes, looking deep into his soul for the true answer.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 01, 2020, 04:00:38 AM
Zeke

It's just homesickness. He sighed and grinned, but didn't find the strength or will to move. He didn't understand such things, and likely couldn't feel them anymore. Even if he knew about them on an intellectual level, these emotions were as far from his heart as possible. Even he didn't always know how it operated, so it was hard even for the demon to tell.

Just what maddening swirl of emotions mixed inside Zeke. But each one of these was a gradient of wapred joy.

It must be gratefulness. Without that woman, I would not have gotten where I am. A poor, broken divine shell slain by her very lover. It was a marvelous subject to study. I... admired her.

Incomprehensibly, he clawed at the foot of the statue and dragged his nails inside, marking it with a scratch. Her name was Lilith. A poor soul who ended up falling in love with a demon, and lost her everything to it. My father managed to collect her body in hyperspace... what a pitiful existence. Heh heh heh...

It was funny. Just like Aruna's newfound power, he too had received a gift from God, stolen from heaven's claws. Were they really so different, with their fancy words and pretty emotions or lack thereof? Don't humanize me so much. It's embarassing, coming from you.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 02, 2020, 03:40:42 AM
Aruna

"Too late," Aruna said, walking beside him, connecting her arms to his, touching that woman through him.  "Your as human as they come.  You can try to fool me, the world and even yourself, but you are human."

They were so close now.  She could hear the swirl of emotions screaming, his very soul crying out.  Thats right crying out.  The souls could be mistaken for a hyped up frenzy, but that wasn't true joy.  When a soul was happy, there was a soft hum and the soul was bright.  While the soul was bright, it cried out, a false joy rooted in a twisted yearning.  In other words, nostalgia.  Even so...

Aruna giggled.  "It is isn't it, a demon trying to humanize a fake demon?  Its almost as ridiculous as a demon befriending an angel and just as sad as one morning such a killers death!  You lust for more, yet you refuse your own humanity?  What a pitifully human sentiment."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 02, 2020, 04:11:28 AM
Zeke

His eyes perked up all of a sudden, and for a moment he looked confused. A raspy, dry chuckle somehow escaped his ravaged throat, and he finally had no choice but to shake his head. Be careful then. I get the feeling you're projecting your expecations on me.

My, my, my. What a pure girl he caught from the riverside. His old fart would be rolling in his grave if he heard what she were blabbering. This was just too great, he'd been called a thousand things... but never that.

He grabbed her hand in defiance, and grinned before taking the demon for a spin, twirling her in a dance before he twisted himself. IN that moment, he came face to face to her with a dramatic bow and his head lowered and tipped to her.

I hate to dissappoint.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 02, 2020, 04:24:21 AM
Aruna

"Oh you have," she said, lowering her eyelids just a tad at the flamboyant display.  "Thats why I know I'm right.  A connection is a connection all the same, no matter how perverted it is from human standards."

Lilith. Aruna wondered what on earth he admired so much about her.  Some poor soul who fell for a demon...  Was that it, that naivete, that open-mindedness?
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 02, 2020, 04:31:41 AM
ZEKE

Aw. I am so hurt to hear that. However... His wild grin faded, grew calmer, and he just pointed at her left arm - with a cheeky glance and a turn of his head. There was a sudden pull, he twirled her to his side, until the two were entangled like roots on a tree. A false demon, and a demon poser. An angel's copycat, and an angel's thief. The fake original, or the original faker. Light, and darkness. But before that, Zeke smiled patiently down on her. Green stares. Black stares. Golden stares. Bonds and shackles.

Zeke and Aruna.

In that case, you're no less human than me.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 02, 2020, 04:39:19 AM
Aruna

Aruna did not resist the pull, standing beside the false demon without any care in the world.  Her eyes glanced upward during the twirl, almost as if she was staring into the heavens themselves for thoughts.  Once she ceased her spin, she averted her gaze before returning it with a vengeance, the type of glare you give someone who just slapped you.  "I don't like that answer," she said, tightening her grip.  "But... I guess your right in a way."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 02, 2020, 06:43:29 PM
Zeke

In a way? Please. Don't you think it's rude? Holding me on a different standard from yourself? He pulled her up so her face was directly under his ghastly grin, even with their size difference. But that was expected.

What wasn't was the voice that called out behind Aruna. A soft, soothing female voice that sounded all too familiar. Standing behind Aruna was the very woman whose soul she devoured earlier! The one that Zeke consumed down to the marrow. Yet now, she looked better than ever before. Not a single broken tooth, not a single bruise, and with a dress that could belong to a princess, weaved with the night sky itself. Her hair flowed like tendrils, and she... they spoke.

"I told you. You should love yourself more."

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 02, 2020, 07:23:46 PM
Aruna

The demon sighed and said, "Its not that, its more...."

Aruna paused, turning her head to watch the monstrosity occur.  That woman from earlier, the one he assimilated, she was talking and walking.  The demon's arms morphed into a blade, one hand on his lower back, the blade at his throat.  "That.... that is why I hold myself on a different standard than you.  I should rip the gull right out of you, bringing this woman back to this form and speaking to me with such a tone.  Love myself?  What utter nonsense."

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 02, 2020, 07:44:45 PM
Zeke

"L-lord Zeke...!" The woman's eyes flashed with panic, she held her hand out to stop the demon but...

The dark being didn't stop her. He didn't even try. Instead, he smiled patiently, enjoying the sunset and the feeling of the demon's knife against his throat. Stable or not, that thing was not sane. He didn't exhude a shred of hostility. Not one drop. Even as his body pushed against her knife and he loomed over her, inching as close as a serpent until his back was completely hunched over.

He just getting closer and closer, gripping her arm even  harder until her back was forced to arch back just to keep some distance.

That's fine. Keep looking at me like this. Your light... your fire... it suits a demon well. That is what we'll start with. His eyes were now staring right at the demon, right at Aruna... and it would wish Zeke hadn't.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 02, 2020, 08:02:19 PM
Aruna

Two pieces of metal fell on the grass, both coated in blood.  Aruna's sword returned to a hand missing its fist.  The demon glanced at her arm before returning her gaze to Zeke, the pain only sharpening her glare. 

"Get that woman out of my sight."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 02, 2020, 08:47:49 PM
Zeke

The woman looked shocked... hurt, and clutched her hands to her heart.

Suddenly, daggers shattered against Zeke's skin like glass, and he spared them nothing more than a bored glance. Hmm? Why should I? She hasn't hurt anyone or done anything wrong. Are you going to curse her existance just because she exists? How awfully familiar. You're closer to the archangels than I thought. His smile... his eyes seeped right into her heart. Into her being.

Human bonds and desires or not, that thing truly smiled like a monster now. Its jaws were wide open and- laughing. Laughing at her, in a sick deranged way while he kept clutching to her other arm. And yet his eyes weren't laughing.

She emerged from her own free will. Who are we to deny her wishes?

His other hand moved forth like a hawk, preying on her neck with the intent to strangle the demon here and there.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 02, 2020, 09:39:20 PM
Aruna

Aruna looked at the woman, then back to Zeke.  To most, the laughter would be disturbing, upsetting even, but to Aruna, it was just a natural demonic reaction.  It was ironic that the fake demon seemed the most real when he was perverting the way of demon culture.

"Do you take me for a fool Ezekial?  I am a demon, one who has seen dozens upon dozens, nay hundreds of people like you.  You think I don't understand the nature of a collective mind?  Her own soul reaks of your own."

Aruna slammed her hand-less forearm into his chest, ignoring the hand threatening her throat.  "I'm hating that woman.  Her individuality has long since gone.  What I want you to do is get that perverted side of yourself out of my face."

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 02, 2020, 09:57:08 PM
Zeke

And then there was silence. The grass, the wind, the seas... everything was as still as a mountain. The only sound was the radiant noise of the orange sun, and her broken stump slamming in his chest. Aruna and the void were just standing there, clouded by setting light and the shadows of this ancient theater. And yet-

Are you done?

The wind pressure only registered after his arm already swung down. WIth a monstruous motion, he slammed the demon's neck on the stone ground. The ungodly impact smashed the ground, rattled her brain, and cracked her neck like a wrangled, sad towel. The entire island seemed to tremble for a second.

I'll give you that, you're a real man.

But he didn't stop there. His body seemed to lose balance and spun like a hurricane, and with the centrifugal force of a truck- he hurled the demon's snapped body straight into the opposite wall of the stadium, striking a pose right after he pitched Aruna. Or rather, whatever he mangled.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 02, 2020, 10:29:44 PM
Aruna

Aruna's eyes bulged open as she was slammed in the back of the neck.  The image of the ground flashed into her mind just before her face embraced the stone ground.  A web of cracks formed around her face as rubble flew into the air.  When Aruna emerged, she wore a scowl decorated with blood, her horns throbbing with pain.  Her neck was broken, she couldn't move.  Shifting the bones, she regained the ability to move.  However, before she could recover, her entire world spun as she was tossed into the air.

The second crash was even louder than the first, the sound of bones breaking and tearing as her body lay mangled on the floor, her head turned to the side.  The demon in human form lay lifeless, aside from her lips flapping but without any noise.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 02, 2020, 10:38:35 PM
Zeke

A dark aura seeped from the man, and his clothes returned on his body. It was as if shadows and darkness itself were what he was cladding his body with all along. He took a few steps forward, a hand on his hip, only to vanish.

He was gone. The last she could see was a brilliant flash of light. The night, and the stars.

But I told you. The current you doesn't stand a chance.

Suddenly, he was already above Aruna right in the sky! And with his wings stretched, he asserted dominance by falling straight on his two feet. Like a rocket smashing towards the ground. A shooting star. He used a technique like this before! If she didn't roll out of the way right now, he'd split her in half!



Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 02, 2020, 10:51:35 PM
Aruna

As zeke struck the would-be helpless body, it vanished into nothing.  Of course, she knew he would realize she was invisible.  It was the practically her signature spell at this point.  However, as much as it pained her to admit it, the damn fool was right.  Her old tactics wouldn't work on him, not anymore.  This time, she would need to try something new.

A voice echoed through the sky, coming from everywhere and nowhere.  "Do you mean the me you fought in the so called great dojo district or the me you attacked in an alley way?"

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 02, 2020, 11:02:12 PM
Zeke

His eyes glowed gold and black.

The one right beneath my feet. DARKNESS. The abyss seeped and spread from the insides of his being, and the void began to rip and tear the very energy that surrounded him. He was drawing it into nothingness, this was the nature of his darkness, a consumign force that pulled everything inside. Magic, energy, light, even shadow.

Thus, the coat she was so proud of litterally tore out of her skin. It was as if it were just a dress that was being sucked out of her body and pulled into him. It wasn't so nice to hide her broken and defeated body from him, but he could see the girl clear as crystal now. And the more he was standing on top of her, the more pulled magic and energy thrown into another dimension. He looked down on the poor demon with compassion, pity, and sadness. But it was all fake.

Do you get it, now? This is the gap between a fake and the original. You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light for ages and when I did it was nothing more than blight!

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was being touched by this void. This void that should be cruel, cold and alien to her. But the more they touched, the more it started to feel like the warm embrace of home.

And it was pushing her to the brink.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 03, 2020, 12:26:49 AM
Aruna

A dark mist flew into the void, little pieces of fog flowing from her skin into the black hole that is Ezekiel.  Even after seeing that void once, she did not move far from him.  Just like when they started, she was right next to him the entire time, just outside of arms length from him.  Even as the darkness that protected her faded and sunk into Ezekial, she still couldn't be afraid, because darkness was her home, her weapon.

Thats my line she said, smiling at him, a glint in her eye.  Since you haven't grown up with the light, let me show you my fear.

The arm, that cursed arm was shining like the morning sun, gleaming and growing to challenge even the darkness.  Fake? Original?  Who cares.  That fake demon proved his darkness is just as real as the original, just far more human in its lust.  In that sense, it surpasses the original.  Thats why she will do it for real.

"LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT YOUR MISSING, THE TRUE TERROR OF THE LIGHT!"

Aruna's left arm, the shifted into a claw, gleaming with power.  She lunged forward, her arm stretching.  However, even that light was not enough, slowly dimming as it was sucked up by the magic of the void.  Gritting her sharp devlish teeth, she poured all she had into the grace, forcing the light to shine even brighter than before.  Essentially, she was fueling the spell with so much magic, he couldn't suck it up as fast as she could pump the spell.

The demon's vision blurred as she got closer, her arm attempting to grab his face and slam it into the ground.





Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 03, 2020, 12:48:05 AM
Zeke

He looked down sadly at her resistance. It was pitiful, really. He wanted to release her from her suffering, and let her flame die in glory before she dirtied it further with disgrace. However, her shine was the one what resisted. She rebelled agai st his darkness, and refused to be disgraced! And as she shone even brighter than before, even his darkness seemed to falter. Zeke's shocked face was only second to the white claw rushing at his body, a light so blinding it shadowed the entire arena.  This was impossible...

It burned the void with light. Until even his gaping expression wasn't even visible.


However, before the bell of victory rank for the heavens- her hand stopped.

You've grown stronger. This light of yours... how dazzling.

And the light faded and shattered, only to reveal the man looming over her, holding her hand in his. His smile was calm and patient, even as he looked down at her. But this time, he didn't look down on her. His eyes were filled with a strange emotion, one Aruna could recognize well. Love.

But Aruna... you might be able to surpass my darkness with your light... but you won't surpass me. You still haven't unleashed your self. And as he held her hand in his, his dark grip focused on the grace. Her arm, her soul, her existance screamed and throbbed, even louder than back in the dojo. With this dark hold, he was crushing her hand slowly, causing the light itself to tremble and recede. It feared.

Light and darkness are tools. Compared to somebody's heart and soul, they're trifles at best. Sorry but...

The sounds of bones and her arm twisting and breaking slowly, ever so slowly, were the only sounds that echoed in this stadium. He didn't move, even when half his face and his left arm were burning from the touch. It hurt him, it truly did. And yet his emotion didn't change. Zeke didn't change.

All that her bite did was force more pressure on her fangs. And now he was shattering them. Next time, don't bring a tool into a true man's fight.

Pain! Pain! Pain! Screaming! Howling! Convulsing, merciless, world ending pain! But pain was nothing more than a safety net, an instinct that protected people from danger. Aruna proved she had guts, he gave her that. But as he nearly ripped her arm off, a new feeling started to erupt from the grace.

Terror. That was the lesson that was being imprinted in her.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 03, 2020, 03:57:50 AM
Aruna

That moment would forever be burning in her mind, the hand reaching outwards, stretching towards the center of his chest.  Her vision was fading but she continued to press on until at the last moment, it cut out.  In the end, it wasn't enough.

Looming over her was the man who catalyzed all of this, their battle triggering her acceptance of the light.  What she expected from him was wrath, but all she felt, smelled and heard from the whispers of his soul was... love.

For a brief moment, all she felt was fear.  Even her arm, the power of light itself trembled.  How strange.  It made sense, the light finally following her in fear after all that time.  In the end, it was the same.  The only reason god asserted his will over others is to keep them from taking his power and reminding him of fear.  So yes, at the moment, she had the fear of god placed in her.

"Wait..."

Bones snapped and she screamed. "S-stop!"  But he didn't stop.  All that awaited her was pain.

It was strange, even as her arm trembled in fear, even as her entire body shook, all she felt was frustration.  Punctuated by the pain, the only thing she felt was helplessness.  There was no fear there, just submission.  After trying her best to overcome him, she was just too tired to continue fighting.  The demon gave her best, fought her hardest.  That was all she could ever hope to do.  Yes, for now, she just waited for the pain to stop.

Please make it stop.

But there was no fear.

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 03, 2020, 04:17:15 AM
Zeke

Zeke's face looked... confused for a second. But the dragon doesn't stop once the sheep surrenders. And with the wildest of grins, he raised his other arm and forced Aruna's to glow even brighter. He opened his lips proudly, grandly, but what spoke wasn't Zeke. It was the world.

Do not resist conversion.
W̶̡̚ǫ̷̅ẓ̵͌ŭ̴̙n̶̫͝ ̵̧̓M̷̗̒ẻ̸̮i̵̹͐h̵͚̾è̴̖n̴̡̍ ̸͎̂K̷͙͂a̵͉͐
Abandon thyself, o holy grace.
̸͍̔I̴͎͂s̸̝̍h̵̡̿u̵̮̾m̶̩͊ạ̴͒ ̵̘̓Ṅ̸͕ó̸͎ ̷͕́J̵̥͠i̶̿͜m̷̞̃e̷̖̚u̵͓̇
Let heaven's shine be mine.
̸͕͊I̷͊ͅs̸̨̅h̵̉͜i̷̠̓m̶̞̂ẹ̶͌y̵̼͗ò̷̦m̴̱̎a̵̛̩
Come reside in me.
̸̨́Š̷͜h̶̛̟i̶̲̒ǵ̶̱a̶͉̚i̶̮̔ ̶̪͆E̶̘͋n̸̾ͅì̶͖w̴̘͝a̵̼͠ ̴̛͉Ḱ̵͖o̸̢͌ţ̴͂a̸͎͆
Become my power.
̵͉͝G̶̩̔ä̵̙́r̶̰̔a̴̤͝k̴͚͝a̶̘͌c̶͙̍h̷͇̋ì̷̜ ̷̺̋W̵̖͒a̸̮͝ ̵̞͛N̵͙͘a̴̫̋t̴̫̍o̶̳͌r̵̮̐ȩ̵́

A holy light brimmed from Aruna, and engulfed the entire stadium. Only his grin seemed wider, but she could tell his eyes were anything but jolly. Just what kind of face would she make when her grace, the one remaining shard of that archangel, was stripped from her and became his? It wasn't fear of pain, death, or even himself that he was going for.

The fear of losing a precious friend. This was what plundering her grace would entail. Would she still surrender herself?
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 03, 2020, 07:40:10 PM
Aruna

Aruna looked up as the man leaned over her, beginning to chant.  Those incantations... that must be the spell to take the grace.  Her body was shining, responding to the incantation.  This was it, her time with Asmeal's burden was done.  At last she could rest and return to a simpler time, one where all she had to concern herself with was that of darkness.



Aruna's Kingdom

700 years ago.

Aruna sat on a throne overlooking a massive field.  Her body was the same as her male form (https://i.imgur.com/EVMYx08.png), except the size of a building.  With her cheek resting on her fist, his red eyes surveyed the battle below.  Demonic servants clashed with human armies, ripping them to shreds, skewering them with spike spells and otherwise tearing them to pieces.

"Pathetic humans..." she mumbled.

Eventually there was only one left.  He stood on the tip of the hill, staring down the rest of his demon army.  "Oh?  The poor fool is trapped.  I suppose its cruel to let him just die like that," he said with a wide grin, signaling with a wave of his hand for the army to open a way out.  The demon horde parted behind him, giving him a free tunnel to escape.  "He can live the rest of his life with the trauma of watching his men die."

The man glanced at the pathway, then smiled.  Pulling his sword, he pointed to Aruna, pointing the tip at him.  "HEAR ME FOUL DEMON!  YOU MAY HAVE WON THIS DAY, BUT WE HUMANS ARE PROTECTED BY THE LIGHT OF GOD.  EVEN IN OUR DARKEST HOUR THERE IS HOPE."

Aruna stood up.  "Oh really?  Hope?"

Chains emerged from the ground beneath him, yanking tieing him to the floor.  "You could not even defeat my army, yet you think there was ever hope to defeat me."

"Faith...." he choked, the chains tightening around his neck.  "...in the light... needs not.... ack."

The sounds of bones cracking filled the very sky.  "....logic.  As long as.... I can.... go... beyond...."

And then it happened, his entire glowed with power, cracking, then shattering his chains.  The man, high on the power of light, charged forward towards his demon horde.  There was an explosion greater than a large city.  In the end, her vast demon army succeded, but not before 80% of it was wiped out.


Just a tool?  Was I not using the light as they would?  Maybe... maybe I'm just a demon after all...  Asmeal... I don't think I can carry your burden after all.  Sorry but I'm just not strong enough.

Aruna's entire body writhed with pain, the shock still in her mind.  Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized this wasn't the end.  That fake demon was just as sadistic as she was, more than willing to play with his food.  The pain it wouldn't stop, not anytime soon.  But, maybe if she endured this then when he took the grace, she wouldn't have to feel pain anymore.

Why am I taking the graces again?

Thats right, she never really knew Amseal all that well.  Why was she going so far for him?  All the sudden, she remembered that pained face, the feeling of oppression in his soul.  The light, it crushed all beneath it, even those who used its power.


Centuries after the fall of Aruna's Kingdom

An angel standing over the demon, a blade at her throat.  "By the grace of god, you meet your end here.  Your evil existance ends today."

"I left the humans alone!  Its been centuries since I desired conquest.  The humans.... they defeated me.  You can't kill me!  I've done nothing wrong!"

"You consume souls.  You deserve death!  Humanity will forever be free of you."

"NO!  I... I only eat the bad ones."

"Enough of your squabbling."


Would that have happened without the light?

Aruna grabbed Ezekial's leg.  "I... can't let you have it yet..." she said, barely clinging to consciousness.  Her vision was still blurry, her eyelids closing ever so slightly.  Just moving her arm was a struggle that felt like running seven marathons back to back.  "I... still need it."

What am I doing?  I can be a demon again.  Just let him take it.

"God's grace.  Its too much.  I don't want to ever see that happen again.  It hurts me.  I told him I would accept his pain and he gave it to me.  I'm... not a demon anymore.  I can't always run away from things."

What the hell are you talking about?  Of course, you are a demon.  Your not just a demon anymore.

"ZEKE!  DO YOU HEAR ME!  DON'T YOU DARE TAKE ASMEAL's PAIN FROM ME!"

Although she screamed in Asmeal's name, it never really was just about him.  She wanted to understand the light, the humans, the secrets of the spirit.  So no matter what happened, she would have to take the pain, the kind that comes with discovery, change. After all, the demon was old enough to know, that pain never really ends.  Avoiding it just made her weak like every other demon.

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 03, 2020, 08:30:15 PM
Zeke

Zeke's grin grew wilder and more passionate by the second. Yes, that's right! That fire! That is what he wanted to see. That is what he yearned for. He truly was fortunate, he had invested in the right person. Aruna was perfect. However, no one stops, even for someone as cute as this demon. The voice in the demon's head was chillingly calming. Too late.

He raised his finger to the sky, and soon her light matched wavelengths with his darkness. It was like being embraced by dark, comforting wings. And as the light reached its peak and it felt like something was coming out of Aruna...


Nothing happened.

The light and darkness vanished, and Zeke used that finger he held in the air to boop the demon on the nose. That is how you reclaim a grace.

Heheheh. Got her.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on April 03, 2020, 08:54:57 PM
Aruna

Huh?

Aruna let out a little giggle, then hysteric laughter.  Eventually, all that could be heard in the mirror of Asmeal's soul was the genuine laughter of someone truly happy to be alive.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 03, 2020, 08:58:20 PM
Zeke

Pffft...

Even through his raspy, carved up chords, he still managed to let out a small chuckle. He held it back, a little, but it grew and grew until he couldn't hold it in anymore. Just as Aruna's reached its peak, his laughter booked to the skies just like her. It was the genuine laughter of someone truly happy to be alive.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: Kotomine_Rin on April 11, 2020, 10:14:12 PM
6:15 PM - Day 3

Zeke

He was still chucking and wheezing when Aruna left, and just watched her silouhette grow smaller and smaller. He waved with that same confident grin as ever, until she was nothing more than a dot in the sky. Until she vanished form his field of vision.

Finally gone huh?

Then and only then, did he roll over and clutch at his body in a sudden snap. His fingers dug into his muscles so hard it looked like they'd break - his back convulsed like if a sea monster trashed about inside his spine. Indeed, his body twisted and contorted from the pain.

Damn, she got me good. That dagger of hers... haha... so this is how you feel... Joseph... heheh... what an awful sensation...

Phantom pain. A pain so large, so terrible, it had already overcome his entire world hours ago. A torment his self still wasn't finished experiencing. This was the price for greed, which was causing his vessel to crouch down and gasp for air. It clutched at his skull and began bashing his face on the ground again and again, as if there were insects burrowing in his brain matter. Sudenly, he rubbed his temple on the ground as if his marrow was roasting and his nerves were splitting into mush. His eyes were spinning and bouncing as the signals overwhelmed him, until they looked like slot machines.

Just what was the cause of this sudden pain? No, it wasn't sudden at all. Was it the attack from her grace? No. No, no, no! It was -

The dagger of lust. He stroked it around his belt, admiring the feel of it. What a fascinating artifact. It was good he took it from her. This sensation still hadn't finished growing from the beginning of the conversation. Only when the demon was gone did he care to stop hiding it. As if he'd show a filthy creature this side of him. Ah. It hurt, it really hurt. Hehehehe~

Zeke just curled into a ball and trembled, until the convulsions began to quiet down and the pain started to recede. How long would he have to look forward to this harrowing experience? Let it end already, jeez. Damn you, Aruna.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 08, 2020, 12:02:06 AM
Aruna

Aruna stood before the statue of that woman, the one smiling like the sun itself.  Asmeal was cursed with the burden of the light and twisted by its influence.  Zeke the false demon carried darkness yet pushed forward with the power of a human.  Lulu held a creature of darkness as her equal, even despite holding the power of light.  Although her personality was eccentric, he held no fault with her ideals thus far.  Light and dark magic were both wielded by the demon, yet he never considered if they could coexist.  After spending that time with Lulu, feeling their bodies meld together in intimate touch... Maybe...

Wings emerged from the demon's back and he shot into the sky like a giant black rocket, a tail of dark stardust tailing behind him.  His right palm glowed with darkness, his left a bright light.  One side of the sky shined with bright light, the other blackened by shadow.  The two forces began to spin meld and spin together, consuming each other but never truly mixing.

"....I can't conceptualize it yet, not fully.  Why...?  I made love to an angel for lucifer's sake."

Still it wasn't bad.  The forces weren't really consuming each other, but mixing.  Perhaps if he could mix the two elements he could advance his own magic, perhaps develop a new art.  "What is light and dark really?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 08, 2020, 03:54:52 PM
Orcus

An unyielding voice boomed from the shadows, providing answers that the demon had not asked for.

"What a guileless question to ask in this place. They are each what shall be destroyed by compromise to the other. Fire and water. Or perhaps, vapor and ice?"

A man stepped out from behind a crumbling arch, inky lips curved faintly under a heavy hood, and the dark flapped about him like a cast-off shroud. He made no move to approach, only raised his head to the benevolent statue.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 09, 2020, 12:35:45 AM
Aruna

"I suppose it would appear that way to a human," Aruna said, the light and dark being sucked back into his body as if it were a vacuum.  The demon's body twisted and distorted upon hearing the newcomers voice, forming a sort of blob.  All that remained on the blob was the bat wings as he descended to the earth.  The form that emerged was Aruna's female form (https://i.imgur.com/EVMYx08.png).  The batwings shrank down to the size typical of this form and the demon approached with a curious look in her eye.  Holding her head up, she sniffed the air around him.  "Oh I was mistaken.  You are not a human it seems."

The way he emerged from the darkness, it was something akin to the silent step and other dark arts.  Still, what he said was interesting.  It was probably what he himself saw in the sky.  That is what the demon's magic looked like.  "Destroyed by compromise," she said, staring into his eyes.  "I suppose that is all I can muster right now.  Compremise....  I wonder... if there is something beyond compromise?  Tell me, what is your purpose here?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 09, 2020, 04:00:26 AM
Orcus

His gaze moved down to meet her, and then his head tilted the same direction. He spoke with confidence through a slight, lopsided smile. "You can call me Orcus. I'm a salvager of sorts, or if you'd prefer, a seeker of certain truths. To who do I owe the pleasure?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 09, 2020, 12:36:23 PM
Aruna

"What a calculated way to answer that question Orcus," she said, sniffing him again like a dog trying to identify something.  "My name is Aruna and in a way I would say I am similar, a demon seeking the truth.  But you know Orcus.... there are many truths in this world.  Coming to this place, this specific area in this city raises some questions.  Despite not being a human, your presence reeks of one who is looking for things far outside of their depth."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 09, 2020, 06:47:26 PM
Orcus

"Outside my depth? And what of yourself?" Raising a hand to the sky, he continued to speak while curling each finger towards himself, seizing the phantom of a covetous desire. "I find this place very curious. It has a familiar voice, but it did not arise from any past that I know."

Orcus withdrew his gaze from the demon, approaching the statue. He was standing by the dais, reaching out a clawed finger to touch it, but holding back as though it would shock him.

"It is a discovery, though not an opaque one. Do you know the truth I hear around us? War and peace cannot coexist. One must always conquer the other. This broken kaleidoscope of a world contains multitudes of both, but look to the smallest fractal and you will see something is either white, or black."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 09, 2020, 08:13:41 PM
Aruna

Aruna merely lowered her soft feminine eyes at Orcus, blinking once or twice before answering.  "I am out of my depth as well," she said with a sigh.  The demon followed Orcus's gaze to the statue, standing side by side with him.  "But at least I belong to this domain.  White, black.... I can't accept those simple binaries anymore, even if I still cling to them.  Strange how you call such things truth.  What evidence do you have that the world is black or white?"

As the demon stared at the woman, she couldn't help but think about what he said, a familiar voice yet not from any past he knew.  Was that just god's whisper or something else?
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 09, 2020, 09:04:41 PM
Orcus

His masculine laughter rang in her ears. "I have none. Ontology is founded on belief, not evidence. Suppositions and argument. Even if all is black and white, monochrome pictures are no less vivid, no less complex than those in colors. Would you deny this? Then what of love and hate?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 09, 2020, 11:21:38 PM
Aruna

Aruna thought back to her experiences with Asmeal, the humans of the past, Valarie and Lulu.  After a moment of silence, she said, "Love and hatred, two sides of the same coin.  I have loved people I have hated and hated people I have loved, sometimes simultaneously.  Its a strong complicated emotion that is colored by pettiness."

"If the world is monochrome then why do we see in color?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 10, 2020, 12:55:49 AM
Orcus

"Then love and hate are no binary at all," he spoke, and his expression curled fondly. "But one and the same, confounding us by its currents and states and transitions."

Inhaling, the primal raised a single finger. "Vision comes from light. If the world is a painting, then we may see it only because something shines on it. But is the light monochrome and the canvas where colors rest, bereft of shade or clarity by themselves? No. There is no such thing as black light. It is the eyes with which we see that cast color on the world painted in tiny dots of black and white, constantly at war with one another."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 10, 2020, 02:01:07 AM
Aruna

The demon's eyes traced over his body, looking for any tells of his true intentions, yet she found none.  "Vision comes from light huh?  Thats your answer?  Let me tell you the story of the origin of humans.  You see, humans consider themselves above other animals, but once upon a time they were no smarter than primapes.  One day, the angel's came from the heavens and granted them the power of light.  This power granted them fire, a simple technological boost that jumpstarted everything.  Yes, just as the flame can augment life, so can it corrode other lives.  In the end, through the flame the light consumed all, a gift wrapped in the bone marrow of corpses and colored with the blood of the fallen."

Aruna sighed.  "I suppose I can't disagree.  If love and hate are merely colored by other things, then light is the basis for black and white.  Then.... what is the light of the light?  What colors the darkness and light?"

The truth was, Aruna might have already known the answer.  The demon had never once thought about her biological identity, or rather, never reconciled it with the rest of her.  It was simply easier to put it aside and consider the social constructs that defined her.  This grace, it whispered at her sometimes, fueling her rage towards the angels, even pushing her own frustration with others and herself. 
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 10, 2020, 06:57:18 PM
Orcus

"What a curious story. And who gave angels their fire?" The immortal leaned down until his shadow covered Aruna in her entirety, and his sneer bore down on the demon like a knife caressing her face. "The light comes from behind your own eyes, and everyone's colors are different."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 11, 2020, 12:33:14 AM
Aruna

Aruna took a deep breath and said, "God."

The demon folded her arms over her exposed chest and sighed once again.  It was as if this revelations itself was burdensome.  "Supposedly the light is its own force, created by god and used by all who have access to its power.  I suppose an argument could be made that we all see everything differently."

Another pause.  "Then how is your world colored then?  What are you exactly anyway?  I do not think I have been exposed to your species before."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 11, 2020, 08:29:47 PM
Orcus

In life, there were many things to beggar comprehension in the minds of those who had the capacity to ponder. But there were few so ancient and universal that in every century in every people had an inescapable pull, that provided a mystery so vast and complex that they could possess lives from beginning to end, swallowing countless spirits in devoted inquiry even when there was no answer in sight, and no clue that could be yielded came any close to making sense of what surrounded them.

God was one of these, but seeing Orcus now, it was as if it amounted to nothing more than a bad joke.

He distanced his face from Aruna, straightening himself, but his shoulders shivered as from the cold. They trembled softly, his cheeks becoming swollen with restraint, and then rattled in tune with his laughter. Gentle and pitying, the sound suddenly peaked like a tsunami spilled from the depths, and the Primal supported his roaring chest with a spread hand.

"What is a God?" He asked. The laughter ceased at once, and he twirled once, showing her his back. In an instant, there was only the onyx curtain of his cloak, but the next, great fans of blades and iron hooks opened before the demon. Bellicose wings riddled with gaps, like a warlike mockery of the limbs of angels and demons alike. "I am what I am, but I was made as something else. The prelude to light and darkness."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 11, 2020, 10:47:48 PM
Aruna

"What is a God?"  The demon couldn't help but be stifled by the question.  Who questions god?  A god's very nature is incomprehensible.  How could one ever hope to understand god.  Even with centuries, many consider such a thing an impossible task.  It was only natural that Aruna did not answer the question.

Aruna took a step back upon seeing the wings.  She stood between Orcus and the statue, staring at the wings.  To think there was such a thing, a prelude to light and darkness.  In theory it made sense.  Who could say that light and darkness was the beginning?  Perhaps there was something before that.

"Exactly how old are you?" she asked, placing a finger on her lower lip.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 11, 2020, 11:19:47 PM
Orcus

His metal-tipped shoes echoed on the worn pavement, and Orcus turned with a knowing smile to Aruna. But his eyes smoldered like smoke, and whether he saw the abyss or paradise within was beyond anyone else to discern.

"Before a universe can be divided, it must be conquered," he said, sword-feathered wings bending close to his shoulders. "Before the laws can be written, it must accept only one lawgiver. When the final verse is sung at the eve of a new concert, only one voice must remain. That is the egotism of God. But the light and dark that came after me, I was not there to see. It's either funny or fortunate that I should find traces of it here."

He flicked away golden locks, sticking to his face beneath the cloak, and his blond braids swayed after it.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 12, 2020, 02:58:31 AM
Aruna

Aruna stood firm, her own red hair ruffling in the breeze.  With a soft voice she said, "Well then if you are the prototype and we angels and demons are mere second models, then maybe I seek to evolve into the next version, something beyond light and dark."

The wings on Aruna's back expanded, the one side turned to angelic feathers, glowing with light.  The other was coated with a dark energy.  "You know, maybe god's voice is the only true one, but echoes are hard to distinguish from a true voice.  One day, god will fall to one of his creations.  I am sure of this, but it won't be a demon, nor an angel.  I think... it will be a human."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 12, 2020, 03:52:24 PM
Orcus

Orcus chuckled. "You will melt away, caught between them. As long as they are black and white, damnation and glory."

The words hung, floating between the two like a banner of challenge. The immortal's mood made them flutter with a life of their own, like a mischievous wind. More questions followed, but they danced with tones of approval. "What a thought. Don't you think that sounds outrageous? Aren't you proposing that demons and angels have no free will outside the creator's designs?"

If it was, then her impossible desire for evolution was the correct answer, he did not say. Correct because one has no ability to change the world if they can only act within its axioms. Impossible because to fulfill it, one would cease to be the same creature.

"Ah, but dear demon. What do you think god was, before they were god?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 13, 2020, 02:59:30 AM
Aruna

"Melt away....." Aruna repeated, thinking of the mixture of light and dark.  They were consuming one another.  Having both... it was unnatural.  Perhaps that could be her fate if she kept abusing that power.  To take the graces... that was her goal, but she didn't consider what would happen to her as a result.  Perhaps she would die instead.

"God huh?" she repeated the lingering thought, wondering how exactly to answer it.  "Odd for a mortal to ask such a question.  God alone is beyond your comprehension yet you ask what existed before god?  Why exactly do you ponder an existence before god?"

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 13, 2020, 03:02:35 AM
Orcus

He hummed, a pleased tremor echoing like a tiger's contentment. "Because my god is already torn to pieces."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 14, 2020, 12:59:59 AM
Aruna

Aruna's eyes widened, another breeze howling through the empty ruins.  She backed up, tilting her head and softening her eyes, a frown on her face.  "I see.  In that case, I could tell you what I know about ascending to the level of a god.  However, this information won't come cheap.  You need to help me with something in return."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 14, 2020, 03:08:13 AM
Orcus

His expression narrowed, and through his smile teeth glinted like knives. "And what qualifies you to offer a boon like that? The gift within your body, that grace of heaven, which has enlightened you?"

The steel feathers flexed and bent but did not retreat, and their master drew a deep, unbothered breath.

"I am roused by the proposal, and intrigued by your motive." He said, and opened his tanned palm, where black mist rushed to gather and crackle. "But before I accept, we must make sure you can trust the skills of your aid. It won't do for me to cause disappointment."

The metallic clack of a black halberd around his fingers announced the primal's intention.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 14, 2020, 04:07:14 AM
Aruna

He knows about the grace?

"I am Aruna, demon of the guardian clan.  The qualifications are built into my very way of life.  Although telling a mortal such as yourself such things is likely to lead to some unforseen consequences, but i've made worse choices since coming to this city."

Another few steps back and this time grimaced.  "You insult me with your bravado.  For your hubris I wall happily take advantage of your naivete," she said, flapping her wings, sending her soaring into the sky.  "Very well Orcus, godless mortal.  If you survive this skirmish then you would have proved your worth."

And thus, her lips began to move, yet no words came out.  She had begun her first chant of the battle.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 14, 2020, 02:32:50 PM
Orcus

"A man once said hubris is a coward's word. Let's see if you can fashion yourself my nemesis, then."

Tiles split beneath his feet, and Orcus launched himself after Aruna. In an instant he'd closed the distance, an awful hiss of wind on his heels, thrusting the blunt tip of his weapon at the demon's throat.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 15, 2020, 02:57:45 AM
Aruna

And just as the tip approached Aruna's neck, she vanished, disappearing into the void.  The only evidence of her presence was a voice that echoed through the sky.  "I can't imagine a man who said such a thing with confidence is still alive.  Try not to die too easily."

Though Orcus could not see it, another chant had started.  "Orcus.... you seem to harbor the "honor" of a warrior.  Although I have my own sense of morality, I do not share some warrior's code.  I will fight to win, or erase you if you prove to be unworthy.  I hope you do the same."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 15, 2020, 03:51:08 AM
Orcus
Early Morning

The man who had said it was long dead, and Orcus's life here was proof of it. But that made it no less true. Hubris was the greatest chain that tripped those destined to tragedy down the rotten, filthy hills of hell. But those who allowed it to control them were no less than cowards, willingly looping the chain 'round their necks. Was it better to know what invited the fall, and to guide your path away from it like a sheep that scorned the sheppard; or to live and fail greatly, and perhaps rise from the mounds of trash and sin one day and break the chain upon the flensed, scorching knee of reprisal?

It was pointless to offer words in response, because this fight would decide the answer. Aruna did not know it, but she could offer him no greater gift.

The instant the tip of his weapon found empty space, Orcus twisted the haft in his hands and swung in a vicious crescent. The reflexive retaliation filled the space around him with killing will, and anyone who wasn't quick enough, regardless of their intent to make distance or the utter disappearance of their presence, would have tasted the black edge. "And we were having such nice talk," he said. The savage grin that stretched on his cheeks couldn't be helped. "I'll do you one better."

The demon's eclectic magic was everywhere, but not sound, sight nor scent announced it. And yet Orcus heard the voice clearly, and its echo bounced for a sliver of a second off the faded pillars that circled the arena, before disappearing into the deeper shadows between each pair in the misty shades that preceded the twilight that would soon arrive from over the horizon. Like a shark only needed a drop of blood in the ocean, Orcus, swifter and more certain than a bat, only needed that slip.

His wings cut the air with a whistle, carrying him after the hidden Aruna.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 16, 2020, 02:33:23 AM
Aruna

"I see where the bravado came from, such a fine warrior," she said, her voice coming from just behind him.  Her dainty famine arm had shifted into a sharp claw radiating with the power of light.  If Aruna's voice didn't tip him off to her presence, the bright light would.  The light was so encompassing that it evaporated the concealing properties of the coat, without negating the spell altogether.  As she thought, none could hide within the light.  The claw threatened to dig into his back and blast it with holy power.

In reality, Aruna only needed to get distance from the first strike.  The second she cleared the first attack, she transformed into a rock, landing on the ground.  With his attention to the sky, the demon shot up completely silently, activating her arm just as she stepped within his range.  That wasn't all. A portal opened on the woman's face and chains flew to grab hold of Orcus's body.  Because of the distance, the blast would hit first, then the chains afterwards.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 16, 2020, 05:01:47 PM
Orcus

It was more than warning enough. His wings screeching, Orcus twisted mid-air to face her, bringing up his weapon in a graceful ascent. The haft crossed the length of his torso and struck Aruna's wrist, pushing it away. As the chains materialized, the decimating light blasted past his shoulder, and Orcus discarded his two-handed grip to intercept the biting links - with a snap, all of them were wrapped around his forearm and caught in a gluttonous grip.

It happened in an instant, like two thunderclaps, and his retaliation followed like a flood. Cackling, he inverted the direction of the halberd and swung the blade under the chains, towards the demon's belly.

Bravado was for fools, and while fools could be mighty, Orcus had no need to be one to make Aruna realize that her carelessness might cost her the contents of her guts.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 17, 2020, 04:54:15 PM
Aruna

The chains began drawing from Orcus's magical power reserves, feeding off of his magic.  Aruna's mouth curled into a smile as she felt the intensly powerful magic flow into her body.  "Oh..."

This maneuver was far better on fighters who were already grounded, less time to react.  In the past few battles, the power of the light was enough to grant her a chance at victory.  However this time, it exposed her intent too much.  If she had simply used her arm as a blade, that would have been the deciding blow.

The halberd slammed into what should have felt like cold hard metal.  Spikes had emerged from her belly, ripping apart the thin cloth that hid her already mostly exposed skin.  The follow through from the swing sent her flying back into the ground.  The light faded and darkness covered her body, causing her body flung like a comet to disappear into nothingness.  There wasn't even a crash that accompanied her fall.

 More chains emerged from the portal, attempting to grab hold of his other arm.  Meanwhile, even more chains emerged from the ground, threatening to grab his legs as well. 
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 17, 2020, 07:42:20 PM
Orcus

Umbral and luminous currents swirled from Orcus through the chains, and his lips twitched at the enfeebling sting. The joy he found in the resistance put up to his deadly swing did not falter even when the spikes shattered at the apex of the halberd's arc and Aruna vanished into traceless darkness again.

The primal effortlessly circled the portal and severed the chains with a flashing hew. When the next set flung itself from the ground, he shot away and spun around each of them. They reached for his legs like hooks, and he danced with them like they were the furthest thing from a burden. If they were leading him somewhere, he allowed them. He zoomed through the air in a clear route, without gaining distance from the earth.

"So annoying, these darlings," he cooed. "We could go for a while, but I wish for expediency. Show me the power that could rip me to shreds, Aruna."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 18, 2020, 06:41:08 PM
Aruna

"Oh and smart too," her voice echoed.  It seemed to come from everywhere, yet no where.  "Taunting me to grant you an opening is smart, but I desire survival above almost all things."

The other issue was that Aruna was fully aware of the pros and cons of her own arsenal.  She was an assassin first and a fighter second.  It was foolish to show this man all of her cards.  She had already made that mistake with Zeke, she wouldn't repeat it.

Chains continued to emerge from both portals, more and more conjured from the dark void.  Rather than the front, Aruna appeared just in front of Orcus, matching his flight path with her own.   Her arm transformed into massive blades.  Although this time she was still completely invisible.  One threatened to pierce his chest, the other came down on his shoulder, threatening to separate it from his body.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 19, 2020, 01:11:37 AM
Orcus

It was too much to hope for an opening, and perhaps too much to desire that Aruna would out herself. As long as there was no sign to follow and she did not strike, he truly could avoid the chains forever, and fail to as much as disturb a hair on her for just as long. But as Aruna motioned to attack, Orcus felt the resistance of the air shift above him.

His right wing swept up and knocked away the blade that would have severed his shoulder. Metallic ringing pierced their ears, Orcus's whole body jerking back, but the second blade plunged in, slipping between his lower ribs. It jutted from the front with a crunch, and the primal's eyes went wide.

Then his empty hands blurred, bolts drawn for this very heartbeat released, and he seized the sword-arm slick with blood in an unbreakable vise. His voice was a wanton, predatory slur. "There you are."

To the left and right of Orcus, four black edges in total glared at Aruna with droplets of violet caught from the stained horizon. She had only that instant before the black mist that revealed them pulsed and the swords shot in unison at her.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 20, 2020, 02:00:33 PM
Aruna

All Aruna had time to do was remove the blade from his chest.  Blades were flung into her body, piecing her skin.  The darkness covering her body evaporated, revealing the face of the redheaded demon girl.  "Very good Orcus," she said, her mouth creeping into a wide smile.  Blood trickled from her lips and stained the blades that entered her body. "I think you have proven yourself a valuable asset."

The chains begun retracting back into the portals and Aruna let herself fall from the sky towards the ground.  The girl closed her eyes, allowing herself to be taken by fate.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 20, 2020, 05:33:27 PM
Orcus

He let the blade slip free, laughing through the convulsion that followed it. Blood painted the air, but Orcus turned his tumble into a dive, and before they could meet the floor of the ruins, caught Aruna at the waist like a feather.

"Tell me then, Aruna," he said, bringing his face close. "What do you require?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 21, 2020, 02:10:26 AM
Aruna

Aruna felt the warrior's strong hands wrap around her wide hips, her entire body growing limp in his grip.  The second they hit the ground, it sprung back, a dainty hand gently stroking his cheek.  "Nothing that you would ever give me," she said, staring at him with a gentle gaze.  "Do you hold me as a key to be handled gently or a woman to be helped?"

Either way, she was a simple object of his desire no matter the kindness he showed.

"God gave fire to humans, the power of light, the harsh power of growth and destruction.  Just as the sun exists as a gas ball of immeasurable destructive power yet grants the earth, the single target of its love, everlasting potential and happiness, so too does the light grant its user the ability to grow its dream.  I firmly believe humans never should have gained this power, for they were curropted by it."

Just as Asmeal was.

"The graces have been spread through the city.  A spark can be put out, but a flame once big enough is a war that needs to be won."

Then she smiled at him, the blood that was running down her chin dropping onto his arms.  "But you don't really care about that do you?  You just want to know how to become a god right?  Or do you merely want to know how to kill one?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 22, 2020, 03:35:42 AM
Orcus

The immortal did not breathe for as long as she spoke, drinking in every word and glance. He righted Aruna, and the swords that skewered her dissolved into mist.

"My, my, you fail to acknowledge the breadth of my talents, or you slight me for my glowing temperament. I should be outraged, either way."

Shaking his head, his lips thinned into a stony line. "There are many ways to topple a throne. Name your price, and tell me of the Graces. You knew the one who shed them, did you not?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 22, 2020, 03:52:08 AM
Aruna

Aruna let out a giggle and caressed his cheek with her small hand before placing her finger in between where his lips parted.  "Oh you misunderstand Orcus," she said.  "I understand your talents well and truly from our bout.  Such a girth of magic and skill with hands...  No, the lips of a man such as yours only touches a woman such as I after he has mastered his craft and learned how to please."

The finger touching his lips went back to her own lips and a forked tough licked his saliva off of her finger.  "How do I know that once you get the power within me that you won't leave in my hour of need or pawn this off to other women?"

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 22, 2020, 04:28:28 AM
Orcus

The primal held his silence for a moment longer, then burst into giggles, a boisterous sound echoing to her face. "Dear demon, you would know, because I would never leave you and the Grace you carry without first tearing it out of your back through your wings."

He continued, flashing his eyes like embers at her and his teeth like fangs. "And right now, you're quite whole. Does that not prove my sincerity?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 22, 2020, 01:47:50 PM
Aruna

The demon smiled, her red eyes fixated on the face he made when he said the words "tearing it out of your back through your wings."  In that moment, she realized that despite her conditioning and training to avoid danger as much as possible, she could never resist flirting with it.  That is probably why she smiled.

"It proves your patience," she said.  "A demon such as myself knows how much the flavor of pray sweetens when they achieve the right kind of high.  Sometimes the satisfaction of the meal is built on the labor of the hunt itself."

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 24, 2020, 01:21:02 AM
Orcus

His features shook like she had affronted his honor. He seemed to swoon at it, and Aruna could tell she had hardly been a slight more theatrical in her life, whether from mortal or immortal.

"My, dear demon, you mean to say I am in just as much danger from you as you are from me," he said. "Birds of a feather, aren't we?"
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 24, 2020, 02:03:45 AM
Aruna

Human kind was always a slave to their shallow judgements and personal constructs.  Soft features take advantage of a human's desire to protect, sexual ones an object.  Combine the two and you get something so passive that it never registers as a threat at all.  Aruna's breasts grew slightly larger, filling out her thin dress, her hips slightly wider and her rear just a tad bigger and plumper.  Her face became noticeably more soft, rounder eyes and softer skin.

"But Orcus," she said, staring into his eyes.  "I was genuinely trying to kill you but couldn't....  Well, lets not dwell on my failure.  If you bring me a grace, I shall tell you one method of slaying a god.  Bring me more and i'll tell you how you can slay a god."

Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 24, 2020, 02:18:58 AM
Orcus

His breathing paused for a moment, long enough to level lidded eyes up and down her frame. His fingers curled into her petite waist, as though Orcus was going to pull her closer, but he did not handle her like a maiden. In all ways but physical, it seemed as if he was regarding a predator, and yet that did not make him immune to its lure. Orcus breathed again.
 
The next second, he dropped her.

"How salacious!" The primal beamed, spreading his arms in a disarming gesture. "You know how to tempt a fiend. But is there meaning to possessing those Graces if you do not retrieve them yourself?"

His bladed winged folded back into their cloak as he paced, twirled, and faced her with a smirk. "I happen to know where you can find one."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 24, 2020, 03:59:31 PM
Aruna

Aruna fell to the ground with a thud, but never disconnected eye contact until the moment she stood to her feet.  Mirroring his body language, Aruna's large wings shrank into cutter useless ones that emerged from her now fluffy back.  There was no need to address that question.

"Oh?"

That explained why he knew of the graces so soon.  Going from that statement alone, it was likely that he encountered a grace and was either able to analyze it somehow, or more likely some fool high on its power blabbered about it to him without killing him.

"Well all that matters to me is that the graces are held out of the hands of foolish mortals," she said, lowering her eyes at Orcus.  "The power of light should not be allowed to spread so seamlessly through the human realm like a virus.  This is for their sake as well, despite my hatred for them."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 27, 2020, 01:38:39 AM
Orcus

He brought a hand up to his jaw, and rubbed his chin with an amused glint to lidded eyes. "Is that right? So altruistic," he said. "Seek out the squirrel-eared, bushy-tailed fighter called Nanako then. Ask anyone who saw the tournament, and they'll be able to point you towards her. I had some hopes for her constitution, but... one fight was enough to bore me. There are better things to taste in this world."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 27, 2020, 02:54:04 AM
Aruna

The demon walked past him, her wings growing on her back.  They spread outwards in either direction, leaving only enough room for her red demonic eyes to peer over her shoulder and the bat like wings behind them.  "Altruistic?," she echoed, her soft sultry voice opposite to his more gruff one.  "Its about as self centered as it comes."

Squirrel girl huh?  That would be surprisingly easy to find.  "If I return alive from this encounter, I shall seek you out and grant you your first hint.  You understand right?  I cannot merely trust your words on a matter such as this."

To taste battle.  In truth, it was only recently that she enjoyed fighting opponents greater than her.  Battle was nothing but a burden to overcome before.  Maybe this one would be something worth taking apart.  "This tournament... were there any others?" she asked turning her attention towards the sky that existed beyond the clouds.  "The graces should have been scattered into pieces."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 27, 2020, 02:54:48 PM
Orcus

He chuckled, more to himself than the demon. "If not altruistic, then you are a liar. Or both," he said. Orcus shook his head slowly. "She was the only one who held the power you seek."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 28, 2020, 02:04:29 AM
Aruna

With a single flap of her batlike wings, Aruna shot into the air.  "Curiosity is the devil that compels us to sacrifice our souls, while our own ego is the angel who compels us to deceive.  The easiest person to lie to is oneself, despite knowing all.  Who do you lie to?"

The angel turned around, staring at Orcus one last time.
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: YOLF on October 28, 2020, 04:48:08 PM
Orcus

He tilted his head at Aruna like she was a curious specimen. "That's for me to know. I wouldn't want to defeat the point of it."
Title: Re: The Heavenly Ruins
Post by: yinsukin on October 29, 2020, 02:16:56 AM
Aruna

Aruna didn't reply.  Instead, she smiled.  The air boomed as she shot into the sky, flying into the world beyond the clouds.  The demon's voice echoed through the sky, appearing just in front of Orcus as if she were standing in front of him. "You can't lie forever Orcus," it said.