Church of St. Sebastian, Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts; Midnight
She was floating in light, feeling nothing but peace, warm and golden and free. The passage of time had become meaningless; she had no idea how long she'd been like this. A week? A year? Longer?
The first few days/months after Didi had left had been almost unbearable. She just was. There was nothing for her to do or see but think about what she'd done. How her father had ripped her soul from her body and replaced it with his own power. Azarath's fall. Twisting the world with Trigon's power and reveling in the suffering she'd caused. Attacking her friends with words and pain and their own fears. Dying at their hands.
The last bothered her the least; they'd stopped her. She'd always said she'd rather die than serve her father. But she hadn't been strong enough to resist him, and that failure tormented her with visions of the damage she'd done. Blessedly, the memories of her former life had slowly melted away before they drove her mad, allowing her serenity she didn't think she deserved.
But they weren't completely gone. At times she could feel something tugging at her, a faraway call that brought momentary confusion and the wish -- the need -- to respond. She'd follow the fragile thread but recoiled from the pain and sorrow she felt. Pain she had caused. Guilt and shame overwhelmed her, and she fled. It was safe here, why should she leave? No, she had to leave -- she did not truly belong here. Didi had told her that; it wasn't her time. She remembered that much. And as tempting as it was to stay here, and as frightening as the prospect of going back was, she wanted to return to what she'd left. But she didn't know how or when.
Ultimately that decision wasn't hers. Everything suddenly turned red and hot, swallowing the light. She struggled against the pressure she felt, like a giant hand clenching around her spirit. She tasted blood and screamed. She wanted to fly away, but the wings of her soul were wet and heavy now, and the hand was squeezing tighter and tighter, pulling her down.
Raven
Hot coppery liquid poured into her mouth. She spat it out, sputtering and fighting to breathe. She was physical again, though her limbs felt heavy and her movements were sluggish. She felt wrong.
Voices chanted around her. She sensed they wanted to be soothing and welcoming, but they only made her heartbeat quicken. "Our new leader has come," they said. "His bride follows. Daughter of the eighth devil, take form."
She opened her eyes. Blood dripped into them, and she lifted a heavy hand to try to wipe it away. Shadowy figures circled her as she rose within a pool of blood. Their desire and awe hurt her, and she stumbled back, holding out a hand as if to ward it away.
A hand clasped hers. "Raven."
Raven. That was her name. And the voice that said it had a tingle of familiarity. But when she turned to look at him, his pale face didn't make any joy sing in her heart. A spike of fear went through her instead, and she stared at him in confusion as he whispered her name again and began to lead her from the pool. She shivered as they left the warm liquid and the air chilled her naked skin. The boy gestured to two of the robed figures around them, and they approached with towels to wipe her skin clean, then wrapped a white cloak around around her.
It took her a few moments to remember how to form words. "Where...where am I?"
Sebastian Blood IX
"You are home, Raven," the boy said. His red eyes glowed as he swept his hand up her arm possessively. "Where you belong. You are with those who love you."
Raven
"Love," she repeated, savoring the word. She wanted love. She craved it. But something still felt wrong. This wasn't the love she wanted. The fear hadn't left her, and she tried to step back.
Sebastian
The boy grabbed her wrist tightly, painfully. "You belong here with me, Raven. It is your destiny. These people will love and worship you. They gave their blood to bring you to me."
Raven
His power washed over her, making her want to believe his words. He wasn't lying about the other people there; she could feel the pain of the wounds they'd inflicted upon themselves to bleed into the pool and fill it with their life's essence. There were others, too, crumbled on the ground, lives drained out of them in sacrifice. Some, she sensed, had not been willing, and the thought of any death in her name sickened her.
"Belong," she said, swaying unsteadily, appalled and frightened but unable to resist Sebastian's pull. "With you."
Some faint part of her struggled to find the memory of how to shield herself, but her past was still like wisps of fog, and Sebastian was yanking it further out of reach.
Sebastian
"With me," he said, smiling at her. The grip on her wrist eased, but he tugged her against him. He brought up his free hand to push her head to one side and pull her still damp hair out of the way, then he brought his mouth down on her neck and bit.
Raven
Raven felt his surge of hunger, but she couldn't pull away before his teeth sank into her throat. The robed people were chanting again, voices rising in prayer, drowning out her feeble scream. As Sebastian swallowed her blood, she felt his power growing in her mind, forcing aside her own emotions and replacing them with what he wanted her to feel. Painbloodlovefearpleasureworshipwantbliss...everything spun together in a dizzying vortex. Too much, it was too much.
She surrendered gratefully to unconsciousness.
[ooc: Oh, my canon. NFB, of course, but OOC is welcomed!]
The first few days/months after Didi had left had been almost unbearable. She just was. There was nothing for her to do or see but think about what she'd done. How her father had ripped her soul from her body and replaced it with his own power. Azarath's fall. Twisting the world with Trigon's power and reveling in the suffering she'd caused. Attacking her friends with words and pain and their own fears. Dying at their hands.
The last bothered her the least; they'd stopped her. She'd always said she'd rather die than serve her father. But she hadn't been strong enough to resist him, and that failure tormented her with visions of the damage she'd done. Blessedly, the memories of her former life had slowly melted away before they drove her mad, allowing her serenity she didn't think she deserved.
But they weren't completely gone. At times she could feel something tugging at her, a faraway call that brought momentary confusion and the wish -- the need -- to respond. She'd follow the fragile thread but recoiled from the pain and sorrow she felt. Pain she had caused. Guilt and shame overwhelmed her, and she fled. It was safe here, why should she leave? No, she had to leave -- she did not truly belong here. Didi had told her that; it wasn't her time. She remembered that much. And as tempting as it was to stay here, and as frightening as the prospect of going back was, she wanted to return to what she'd left. But she didn't know how or when.
Ultimately that decision wasn't hers. Everything suddenly turned red and hot, swallowing the light. She struggled against the pressure she felt, like a giant hand clenching around her spirit. She tasted blood and screamed. She wanted to fly away, but the wings of her soul were wet and heavy now, and the hand was squeezing tighter and tighter, pulling her down.
Raven
Hot coppery liquid poured into her mouth. She spat it out, sputtering and fighting to breathe. She was physical again, though her limbs felt heavy and her movements were sluggish. She felt wrong.
Voices chanted around her. She sensed they wanted to be soothing and welcoming, but they only made her heartbeat quicken. "Our new leader has come," they said. "His bride follows. Daughter of the eighth devil, take form."
She opened her eyes. Blood dripped into them, and she lifted a heavy hand to try to wipe it away. Shadowy figures circled her as she rose within a pool of blood. Their desire and awe hurt her, and she stumbled back, holding out a hand as if to ward it away.
A hand clasped hers. "Raven."
Raven. That was her name. And the voice that said it had a tingle of familiarity. But when she turned to look at him, his pale face didn't make any joy sing in her heart. A spike of fear went through her instead, and she stared at him in confusion as he whispered her name again and began to lead her from the pool. She shivered as they left the warm liquid and the air chilled her naked skin. The boy gestured to two of the robed figures around them, and they approached with towels to wipe her skin clean, then wrapped a white cloak around around her.
It took her a few moments to remember how to form words. "Where...where am I?"
Sebastian Blood IX
"You are home, Raven," the boy said. His red eyes glowed as he swept his hand up her arm possessively. "Where you belong. You are with those who love you."
Raven
"Love," she repeated, savoring the word. She wanted love. She craved it. But something still felt wrong. This wasn't the love she wanted. The fear hadn't left her, and she tried to step back.
Sebastian
The boy grabbed her wrist tightly, painfully. "You belong here with me, Raven. It is your destiny. These people will love and worship you. They gave their blood to bring you to me."
Raven
His power washed over her, making her want to believe his words. He wasn't lying about the other people there; she could feel the pain of the wounds they'd inflicted upon themselves to bleed into the pool and fill it with their life's essence. There were others, too, crumbled on the ground, lives drained out of them in sacrifice. Some, she sensed, had not been willing, and the thought of any death in her name sickened her.
"Belong," she said, swaying unsteadily, appalled and frightened but unable to resist Sebastian's pull. "With you."
Some faint part of her struggled to find the memory of how to shield herself, but her past was still like wisps of fog, and Sebastian was yanking it further out of reach.
Sebastian
"With me," he said, smiling at her. The grip on her wrist eased, but he tugged her against him. He brought up his free hand to push her head to one side and pull her still damp hair out of the way, then he brought his mouth down on her neck and bit.
Raven
Raven felt his surge of hunger, but she couldn't pull away before his teeth sank into her throat. The robed people were chanting again, voices rising in prayer, drowning out her feeble scream. As Sebastian swallowed her blood, she felt his power growing in her mind, forcing aside her own emotions and replacing them with what he wanted her to feel. Painbloodlovefearpleasureworshipwantbliss...everything spun together in a dizzying vortex. Too much, it was too much.
She surrendered gratefully to unconsciousness.
[ooc: Oh, my canon. NFB, of course, but OOC is welcomed!]