[EVENT RP] When the shadows attack
[Who] Alma Maia, dangerous creatures and anyone else in Metropolis out at this hour.
[Where] Starting from the northern labs and spreading down towards the center city
[When] Around Midnight. Actually the bell just struck.
[What] An infestation of an experimentation
[Notes] Ok. Not planning any deaths of characters but there will be much violence, ( Read more... )
[Where] Starting from the northern labs and spreading down towards the center city
[When] Around Midnight. Actually the bell just struck.
[What] An infestation of an experimentation
[Notes] Ok. Not planning any deaths of characters but there will be much violence, ( Read more... )
His weapon was neither blade nor whip, it simply WAS, and it followed his commands. His spells lent him grace of foot and strength inhuman.
He had not fought like this since before he died.
He had forgotten the thrill.
So it was that he was surprised when suddenly, the demons backed off.
"... what's this? Afraid of me...?"
No matter. If they were going to give him a clear path, he could easily get into the building.
Running up the steps, he burst through the doors, searching around for any survivors.
The heartless still fled from him, which was unnerving... and much to his dismay, the halls were empty. Though there were clear signs of struggle - the blood of others, for instance - he could see no bodies.
... destruction of the corpses themselves...
It hurt, to not be able to look into Death and question the lingering souls, or to feel who was still alive... but it would have to do. Surely, there was SOMEONE...
Running down the corridor towards the elevators, he did see someone alive. But it didn't make any sense. And there was something... wrong about her.
"... Alma?" he asked.
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It wasn't that she cared about him. Alma did. And his well being in the end could mean her own well being. The heartless, once in her arms, scurried away, all the monsters backing off in the corridors to the walls, resisting the need to attack. To their eyes, he had a large heart, a delicious heart, and they weren't aloud to eat it!?
Her tense body relaxed, and she turned from the door to face Lucien. Her back pressed against the metal frame. The moment it opened, she would be inside, and closing the door with her companions faster than Lucien could catch up to her. Only a little bit longer..
"Hello Lucien..." she whispered, her voice still musical, calm, a smile on her face. If she could lull him closer...
He would be hers.
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"... you are not Alma. Who are you? What do you want?"
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"Come now Lucien.. don't you recognize the body of your own lover?" The soft smile stayed, but all accent of friendly happiness erased by those dead grey eyes. "Don't you trust me?"
Her body stopped for a moment though, lips curving to a sad smile, eyebrows tilting up. "... Don't you love me...? Anymore..?"
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This... thing... this demon wore Alma's skin, but it was not Alma.
This was... bad.
Quicker than thought, he threw the blood-blade. As it flew through the air, it lengthened and changed into a long tangle of coiled red rope, binding the girl's arms to her sides.
"You wear my love's skin, but you are not she. Call off the Shadows. Now.."
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But fooling him was now impossible. No. She needed a different method. Standing strong she scoffed off his words. "Wearing her skin... that sounds..." She paused. "... That ACTUALLY sounds disgusting..." Sticking out her tongue she motioned her dislike to it. But Maia's body shifted back, testing the strength of it. This body wasn't meant for strength, but she needed to calculate the level of a de-spell... "But no, you are horribly, horribly wrong..."
The smirk turned sadistic, and she laughed ever so delightfully. "... I am Alma... or at least.... her other side.... and no. I will not call off my little heartless, they need to feed... and how about you release me? You are bruising me with this thing..."
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His voice totally lost the previously teasing tone and dropped into something cold and vastly serious. "... you have chosen to harm Life. I cannot allow that."
Despite his bravado, his heart burned with pain. Was this really his Alma? This?! She'd spoken of being a monster before, and he'd felt... problems... with her, but this...? He had not expected this.
The worst part for him was this - that somewhere in there, his Alma yet lived. Give me time, lass. I'll find a way...
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For a moment she paused, standing there as she looked to him. Even from there she could see his shock, his strain and confusion. He looked as if he was trying to hide the fact he wanted to free her from the prison inside. Alma would be free, and even after this incident.
She would lie. The poor girl would try all she can to cover up the fact that there was a monster inside.
"So.... are you going to try to destroy me? Lucien? The heartless do not attack you because poor Alma would destroy herself over your death... that would harm me as well... I mean....
she made me..."
It was then that her hands shifted. This was magic, no matter what the form. This was his blood, wrapped around her. And the form on it's own meant that they were connected. She didn't need to touch his skin to dive inside. He may have plenty of cells inside from mixing blood with her by his healing properties, but it wasn't enough at this distance. But with it, right here, before her, they were connected. She grabbed hold of the whip tight, and smirked.
The images would flash before his eyes. Quick, but clear.
There was two of them inside. The one who lived on outside, and the one she wished to talk to, knelt on the pure white floor as she played with a small white daisy. She turned up to the girl, who's eyes were streaked with tears.
"I need you..." she choked out hard as she stood, choking on her tears hard.
The images passed over the white background. People throwing stones, chasing after her as she ran into the green fields. Murderer, destroyer, cursed, monster. Familiar faces, family, her village, chasing her down to kill.
Her other stood, grey orbs staring back at the crying eyes.
"Kill them..." the timid girl whispered first, before raising her head strong, eyes filled with rage, hate, betrayal.
"Kill them all!"
A stalling tactic. Just enough to help her scan the brain and find a way to break the spell. Shock him into nulled senses, and break free.
The door dung behind her, and Maia's head whipped around.
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His head rang with pain. Thought-magic?!
no no NO. Alma, don't that's NEVER right, don't!
"STOP. That isn't RIGHT. No matter what, you don't..."
What was he supposed to DO then? Was this really Alma then? Some shadow-side he'd never known?
Shaking his head to try to clear the foreign thoughts, he looked around.
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Smirking in happiness she gazed up to him. The connection had been broken, but she could still hear him, screaming in his mind about Alma. Of course back then, she was young. Very young. And her Master had gotten killed. The village blamed her, her family. An irony that they saw her a monster instead of a savior after fiends killed Nabuhito...
Seeing her escape she turned towards the elevators. Heartless were already gathered, waiting for her to enter. But... the moment was so great. If she could just get closer to Lucien.... he could be a grand ally. A great puppet. His powers were strong, and she didn't understand them! That was so.. beautiful about him.
Walking forward she moved to Lucien in his shock, and cupped his face with her bloodied hands, smiling soft. "I killed them for her... I burnt that entire village, her once home to the ground.... does that make me the murderer or the savior... Lucien..?" she questioned.
At this closeness it was easier to dig, even when she drew her hand up and brushed her fingers through his hair to leave soft red streaks in the white hair. Pinpoints, that's what she needed. Those loops to set the strings. Everyone had one... she had a lot of practice. But it varied from person to person. Just had to find them, and bind them. And then he'd be hers too.
"These heartless need to feast on hearts to live... does that make them murderers or just trying to survive?" It was when you balanced the situation, that right and wrong seemed to flip, or even mix.
Right and wrong were lies. And humans were too stupid to turn their heads from the illusions they made... "And I'm ripping through anyone to destroy the greatest evil at the top of this tower.... will you really stop me?"
Her voice paused and she moved to stand on her toes, brushing lips over his own as she talked. "Or..." a couple were found. Maybe they would be enough... "Will... you.. help.. me?"
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He pushed her away, summoning his strength again. The blood that was his returned, taking the form of a few floating rings around his body. He stood then, shaking his head.
"No. To take life without permission, to take the lives of those unwilling to die, this is the greatest sin. If you are her, you know that I do not eat meat or eggs for this very reason. I know not what evil of which you speak, but the destruction of any evil is not worth the taking of life."
"The only help I would give is to bring back the Alma I know. No matter what pain she's endured that created you, she still exists, somewhere."
And then, he intoned the Wizard's Oath. "In Life's name and for Life's sake, I say that I will use the Art for nothing but the service of that Life. I will guard growth and ease pain. I will fight to preserve what grows and lives well in its own way; and I will change no object or creature unless its growth and life, or that of the system of which it is part, are threatened. To these ends, in the practice of my Art, I will put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it is right to do so -- till World's End."
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"Well then.. congratulations... you've found both Alma and I.... was it all worth it, rushing over here?" She stretched her arms. "Do you hate us? Because we are monsters? I don't hate you..."
She turned her head to the side, a soft pout to her lip. Even with those grey eyes, it still looked like a saddened Alma. "Will you kill me here? Save your bonny lass from the darkness in her heart? It's murder........ what did I ever do to you...?"
Her head turned down, hair brushed over her face, blocking out her eyes. Much like the image of young Alma, in tears, begging for a savior through death. Her voice peaked through, over Maia's. "You don't even care... do you..."
She turned away, smirking a bit as she moved towards the open elevator door, and as she passed through the hand raised. The heartless shifted hard. They were preparing to attack. at the single swing, he would be swamped. Even with his power, there were still too many she could send after one man. But her hand paused.
Please... I love him...
Fingers twisted in the air, agitated, but gently released. The door began to close.
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Either way, he had nothing to lose.
One life for many. I died once already. Was it so bad...?
The bloodwhips reached out to hold the elevator doors open as he tried to dive into the elevator.
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As she did, she felt a tear drip down from the corner of her eye. It wasn't her tear... but it still showed.
They snapped shut, and she hit the top floor to move up. For a moment she shuddered hard. Was it fear? Not of Lucien... no... A heartless clung to her leg as it felt her emotion and she sighed.
"... he scares me to..."
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He lay there, dazed for a few moments, as his blood-loss almost caught up with him.
Can't. Too much at stake...
Shaking himself awake, he gathered up what was left of the bloodwhips, purified them (since they seemed to have picked up some parasites or such), and re-integrated them into his body.
... I'm not sure how much longer I can do this...
As soon as the spells of speed and strength wore off, he'd be finished.
Then I'll just have to solve this problem before I finish.
He looked around for a stairwell and began to spring upwards. Halfway there, he found someone still alive - an office lady. She was unconscious and quite clearly delirious. Picking her up, he looked around for somewhere safe.
The heartless still kept away from him, but he wasn't so sure that he could protect this woman. damn!
Using a little more blood, he instructed her own blood to create a shield around her heart - she would not even notice if she awakened, and it would wear off in a few hours. He then did the only other thing he could do - give a brief prayer to whatever gods would listen for this woman's safety.
That done, he once again began to mount the stairs, running as quickly as his spell-enhanced legs would take him.
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