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Post by Selice on Apr 9, 2010 21:23:19 GMT -5
The faint sound of wings could be heard as a faint silvery light filtered into the large sanctuary of the old Church. Selice slowly began to materialize as she fluttered into view, her wings flapping clumsily. She veered a sharp left, acting like a bird with an injured wing, colliding with a large stone statue. Her wings disappeared and she fell to the ground with a loud thud and a slight gasp of pain. Moments passed before she pushed herself off the floor and onto her feet, dusting off her thin white wrappings once she was standing.
This was the first time she had left heaven since her 'rehabilitation' period. The higher powers had felt she needed to be cleansed after her trial, just in case she might still be 'renegade' in their opinion. She had undergone weeks of agony and torture to whip her back into shape. Wasn't her lord supposed to be a lord of kindness, of understanding and forgiveness? Hell she wasn't even guilty, yet she had been treated like the worst kind of criminal, all for the sake of the higher power. Only one thing had gotten her through the pain, and that was the thought of seeing Asri again.. It had been far too long since she had last spoken to the angel, and frankly she had missed him. He was most likely the only reason she stayed on this rock. He was also the reason she had filed an appeal to The Father for a private meeting, but that was a thought to save for another time.
Selice wandered to the front of the large room, limping as she went, her body still recovering from the abuse she had been through. As she reached the alter she fell to her knees, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.
Was this truly freedom? To be at the mercy of a being that claimed to love her, yet allowed her to be harmed in such terrible ways? To allow her to be thrown into hell?
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Post by cyansky on Apr 9, 2010 22:12:28 GMT -5
"SYL?!"
Asri ran through the streets, panting, clutching at h si chest. He could feel his heart beating madly, his body barely dealing witht he strain. It had been so long since he had last been fit... he had spent almost his entire life, both as a human and as an angel, in crippling pain. Illnesses had plagued him for over two thousand years now, eating away at his endurance. Yet... why did the world come up with such uncanny ways to tests its limits?
"SYL?! Where did you run off to?" yelled Asri, "please come back, or Kiel will have my hide!"
He walked on, looking from one side of the street to another with unease. Syl's innocence was both a cause of joy and problems, as Syl had no shame and thus had few boundaries in the city on where it could or could not go. Anywhere was fair game, except perhaps the sewers and room #4... it also avoided the bar for some reason. It had no problems intruding on the mindless' personal space and homes, though... it could be anywhere... looking everywhere for sugar...
"SYL?" He yelled. These games of tag were getting stupid. How could Asri, among the most twisted of angels, be able to keep up with someone as child-like and energetic as Syl. Asri quickened his pace, desperate. When he said that Syl was a handful to babysit, he honestly wasn't kidding. "Where are you?!"
No answer.
Asri walked on, stepping through the streets, turning at random... Eventually he found himself at the church's courtyard. "Syl?" No answer... There were slim traces of Syl's aura in the nearby area, but from the looks of it, it had passed by here some time ago. Yet... there was... something else nearby... in the church... Asri's aura-sensing range wasn't very big, but he was close enough to feel something at the edges of his range... someone was in the church...
A desperate, yet impossible thought came to him.
Could they know where Syl went?
Oh, shut it smartass. I think you know this aura. I sure do. I've been wanting to... collect it... for...
Asri stopped, closing his eyes.
SHUT IT! You know Kiel knows about this right? If it doesn't approve, any relationship of yours isn't destined to end well! Just give her up... I'd love to have her...
By Luisine's Light, don't lump her in with the featherhead trio! She doesn't deserve what they got as their punishment!
Tick, tick, tick... Clock is ticking, ticking, ticking... how long will she last until Judgment Day?
Asri remained silent. He clutched at his heart and gritted his teeth, a pained expression on his face, as he dragged his feet towards the church. It didn't help that he had recently recovered from pneumonia and various other illnesses. The more he got closer the church, the more the aura felt familiar. As he approached the door, he felt his expression soften.
"... Selice?"
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Post by Selice on Apr 9, 2010 22:19:51 GMT -5
A voice cut through the silence of the church. Selice slowly lifted her head, silvery tears still rolling from her eyes. "...Asri?" she whispered softly, hardly able to believe he had shown up. Perhaps there was still a force looking over her, or perhaps it was just a cruel trick at her expense. She almost didn't want to turn her head, fearing his voice was just a memory locked in her mind.
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Post by cyansky on Apr 9, 2010 22:35:21 GMT -5
Asri opened the door to the church, peering inside. It was dark, but Asri could see the statues there, the pews, the altar where Christian rituals were once performed. Rituals in the name of god. Not the Lady of Light, some being that Asri had... worked for. This was a holy place to Veronica and to Selice, but it didn't feel as right to him. Where was Luisine on Animus? Ah, that's right, She was only influential on the world She helped create, over Her people. Of her human followers, of the humans that she had so kindly gifted with angelhood. Asri looked around, looked at the silhouettes of the statues around the church. Veronica had made progress with restoring them... the church wasn't as ruined as when he had first laid eyes on it.
Still... it was too dark to see anything clearly. The sun had set an hour or two ago, and night had fallen. Asri flicked his wrist, and a small, glowing ball of light appeared above his hand. He smiled. Ever since he had been cursed, all but the most basic of his light-based abilities were taken away. Key word was basic. He was grateful to stil have been able to retain this.
"... Asri?"
Asri tensed as he heard his name. That voice! It definitely was Selice! His smile grew wider.
"Yeah, it's me," he said, chuckling, "some time no see."
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Post by Selice on Apr 9, 2010 22:43:46 GMT -5
It... it certainly sounded like Asri.... did she dare turn around? Her nerves got the better of her. Selice slowly stood and turned to face the entrance of the church. It really was him....
"Asri" she said softly, fresh tears rolling down her pale cheeks. Slowly she began to move towards him, her frame shaking like a leaf. Half way to the entrance she sank to her knees, too tired to continue.
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Post by cyansky on Apr 9, 2010 22:50:11 GMT -5
Asri looked at Selice, concerned at the way she steped towards him. It was as if she was weakened, exhausted. He remembered that she had a touch that could kill, and so he hastily applied hand sanitizer and slipped on some white gloves as he approached her. Smiling, he knelt down beside her, the light still hovering around them, illuminating the immediate area, while leaving most of the church in darkness.
"Selice, it's okay," said Asri, "I'm here."
He knelt down before her, touching her cheek with his hand. Very gently, he wiped away her tears.
"Relax," he said gently, "I'm glad to see you again."
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Post by Selice on Apr 9, 2010 23:00:46 GMT -5
"asri" she whispered again. It felt like a life time had passed since she had last seen him. "I....I...missed you so much" she whispered, her body shaking violently as silent sobs escaped her throat. As Asri wiped her tears away she wanted to force a smile to her face, but she just couldn't.
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Post by cyansky on Apr 9, 2010 23:22:34 GMT -5
Asri gently hugged Selice, holding her as close as he could. He felt sympathy for her... Asri was there when Selice was on trial and sentenced, fighting for her. The good news was that she was spared the worst punishment. The bad news was the lighter punishment, 'rehabilitation' was quite painful. Apparently Heaven thought Selice fit enough to be salvaged. The meaning of 'salvage,' of course, was arbitrary. For Heaven, it was in terms of loyalty.
"I missed you too," he said, still smiling. "From the looks of it, they didn't treat you well in Heaven at all, did they? At least... you didn't get sent to Hell. That is a place you do not want to visit. I know from experience. Relax, I'm here for you."
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Post by Selice on Apr 9, 2010 23:29:38 GMT -5
Selice looked up into Asri's eyes. He... he didn't know what they had done to her, and really, why should he know? Obviously the higher powers weren't about to tell other agents they sent an angel to the pit to teach her a lesson. "The pain.....it was...it was..." she started, but her thought went unfinished as she slowly returned Asri's embrace, burying her face into his shoulder. "Thank you" she whispered.
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Post by cyansky on Apr 9, 2010 23:50:34 GMT -5
Asri hugged her tighter. He didn't know the details of what she had been through, but he knew that it was painful. The irony about Heaven was that the devil was in the details.
"It's no problem," whispered Asri, "you're alive and you're here, and that's what matters. If there's anything you need, please tell me, and I will do my best to help."
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Post by Selice on Apr 9, 2010 23:54:47 GMT -5
Selice started to say something, but the words died in her throat. Her exhaustion had over taken her and the angel had passed out in Asri's arms.
There was so much she wanted to say to him. She wanted to explain everything that had happened while she was in rehab, but mostly she wanted to discuss business. Yes she still had to iron out the details of her contract with him, but there was something else. The appeal she had filed.....
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Post by cyansky on Apr 10, 2010 0:32:03 GMT -5
Asri sighed as he watched Selice went limp in his arms. He could still feel that she was alive; just unconscious. He grunted as he lifted her up; Selice was surprisingly light. With some effort, he carried her out of the church. Slowly, he flew out of the church, carrying Selice.
He flew until he reached their home, the hospital naturally. Asri had set aside living quarters for himself and which Syl and Kiel shared. A good chunk of the top floor of the hospital was converted into their living quarters, renovated with the help with the mindless and surviving, which was procured thanks to Kiel. Asri selected one of the guest rooms in the hospital, a dull, plain room with only a couple of beds on it. Unlike with the rest of the hospital, these were... normal... bed, as opposed to the hopsital beds that held various patients on the lower floors.
Asri sighed; there was no way he was going to let her sleep with him; Kiel wouldn't like it, and there was the risk of making skin-to-skin contact. He wished that she wouldn't have to sleep in such a dull, undecorated room - white walls, no pictures or wallpapers, just beds and some drawers nearby. He laid Selice down on the bed, pulling the covers over her, before retiring to his own room.
Asri undressed and went to bed, falling asleep slowly, his dreams quickly turning into nightmares.
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Post by Selice on Apr 10, 2010 9:38:33 GMT -5
Selice was plagued with nightmares as she rested uneasily in the spare bed. It seemed that since her short stay in hell, all of her dreams were nightmares, sometimes so terrible she didn't want to close her eyes at night.
After hours of tossing and turning in bed, Selice jerked awake, sitting up quickly and a silent sob escaped her throat. She hugged herself tightly, silent tears rolling down her cheeks as she rocked back and forth, trying to force the nightmares out of her head.
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Post by cyansky on Apr 10, 2010 11:05:01 GMT -5
"Dear, dear, Asri, what am I supposed to do with you now?"
The voice echoed throughout the hall, bouncing off the walls, and creeping soundly into every corner. Asri looked around. Darkness. He was in a castle, wasn't he? A dead... castle... He took a deep breathe, feeling the acrid smell and toxic gases each at his lungs. Asri clutched at his chest, sobbing, as he began to run. Run where? He didn't know. He ran through the corridors, turning at random, climbing stairs two at a time... with only a dim torchlight to guide him. The torch was floating behind him, lighting up the castle dimly so that Asri could only see what was immediately in front of him.
He looked back at it, noticing that the light was... it was like a normal fire at first but... it was starting to turn purple. He saw a silhouette carrying it, its shadow ont he wall, but then it was gone. Asri gasped, collapsing, suddenly clutching his heart. That person... it looked so familiar...
"B-brother?" whispered Asri. "Is that..."
Asri's eyes widened as he looked at his hands. His skin had become almost white, and he saw claws begining to grow.
"Why don't you embrace who you are, Angel of Plagues? To think that little Asarek has fallen so low. Little, little Asarek..."
"Brother, are you here?"
"Your days as an angel are numbered you know. Maybe there will come a day when Heaven will no longer open its gates to you, when it finds out exactly what you did with your squadmates in the Battle for Brimstone Pit."
Several shadows appared around Asri, coming from his own body. Asri's shadow disappeared giving way to those of several angels, both male and female, all once of Heaven. Asri recognized them in an instant. They were once his friends.
"Stop it! I know... just don't tell Selice... if she knows I can do this to angels, she'll-"
"She's only the next in a long series of heartbreaks, only another piece to collect. Isn't that why you have so many hunters on your tail every time you arrive in town. You're a freak, an abomination, and one that must be destroyed."
Asri jumped in surprise when he heard a sword being unsheathed behind him. He turned, seeing a swordsman, but whose face was hidden in shadow. He was clad merely in traveller's garments, a cloak hiding most of his outfit, but wore light shoes.
From the shadows emerged more people. Some looked like prostitures, others looked look like lords that could get whatever they wanted by virtue of wealth. Asri's eyes darted from one man to another, realizing that none of them looked particularly friendly.
"You're on your own, little brother."
The torch went out. It landed on the floor with a dull clink.
Asri didn't havemuch time to react as he was pushed against the wall, feeling his clothes getting ripped off... and the painful feeling of a poison-tipped blade in his shoulder. Asri screamed in pain,struggling to break free, but the poison slowing down his mouvements. Before long he saw another light... that of a hot poker. The dim light revealed face of the man holding it, that of a young man that resembled him closely, but with black hair and red eyes.
The man grinned. The poker got hotter. Asri looked on in fear.
"Are you ready for Judgment Day?" he asked, "I know I am, and now, I'm going to make you mine. We will be one someday, and nothing will stop us from fulfilling our purpose. Be proud, Angel of Plagues, it is an honour to serve my father."
Before long, Asri's agonized screams echoed throughout the castle. He writed and twisted in pain, and he knew what was coming. It was going to get worse.
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A piercing cry echoed throught the hospital as Asri suddenly awoke. He buried his head in his pillow, unable to shake off the feeling of being violated. Indeed, it was done to him in his nightmares on a daily basis. Asri began to sob, curling into a ball beneath the covers. How was he supposed to be pure when he was subjected to such impure acts every night?
Asri paused, something was missing. He sobbed, but a strange feeling of emptiness overcame him. At this point he expected to hear Kiel's calm reassuring that everything would be alright, their gentle embrace as Asri sobbed in its shoulder. Now, Kiel was no where to be found. At first Asri felt dejected, then he realized that Kiel was off on business again and Syl was who knows where. With no ressurances, Asri's sadness changed to despair and soon to anger. Thoughts that he should have stayed locked deep into his mind began to surface, and without Syl or Kiel there, they were about to go out of control.
"You're such a bastard, you know?!" yelled Asri. His voice was unusually harsh, and he spoke not in English, but in demonic. "You know I'm not going to forgive you?!"
The answer, though, was all in his head. The tone was mocking, condescending.
You know I love you, eh Asri? We'll never be parted.
"SHUT UP!"
Asri's eyes suddenly narrowed, the pupils become catlike, their sclera turning black. Claws appreared on his hands, and his aura began to darken. Both of them knew well that if Asri wasn't able to control himself, he was ready to go on a rampage. His face twisted in an expression of rage, as a cut on his wrist began to form.
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Post by Selice on Apr 10, 2010 11:15:29 GMT -5
A scream reached Selice's ears. "asri...."she whispered. Slowly the angel stood and began to navigate the cold halls of the hospital, following Asri's aura, which was becoming noticeably darker as the moments passed.
She shortly found Asri's room, and gently knocked on the door. "Asri?" she asked softly. "Are...are you alright?" she added quietly.
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