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Post by KD on Jun 27, 2011 3:11:02 GMT -5
 Anibel made a startled sound as Karine suddenly slumped against the wall, her form fading until she could barely be seen as more than an outline as a man stepped out of her. He was dressed in a long silk, lace edged black skirt and an elegant lace blouse which his white skin shone through, wearing both with the same ease as any high class lady. His white hair fluttered around his shoulders like a cloak as he walked out of the alley toward the two angels and his long fingered hands came together in a slow, leisurely clap, applauding Azazel's performance. "Very nicely done. If only you had some more of that delightful lightning, though, that always makes the drama quite a bit more effective." Marissa snarled as he approached them. It was a testament to anyone watching that she turned to face him instead of Azazel, clearly considering the newcomer more of a threat, at least at the moment. "Bates..." her voice was a hiss.
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Post by Jenny on Jun 27, 2011 3:19:09 GMT -5
Azazell did not look at Bates, turning his head away, his chest heaving as he seethed with anger. The lightning was not of his doing, it was the anger of the Father that had brought that storm, it was his anger that had cast Azazell out. The storm clouds remained, but they had become docile and a light mist of rain started to drizzle down. Azazell cringed from the tiny drops. They did not hurt him, it was simply a small reminder that up there, the Father was frowing down at him. Azazell had only confirmed Marissa's judgements against him. But one of his falts was that he was not slow to anger, he was volatile.
A soldier in the angelic ranks, Azazell himself had seen to the downfall of demons, of hell's own angels. He refused to take his place among them now, even now. He raised his eyes to the sky. Father in Heaven, forgive me for what I must do. They laugh at me, they insult me. I have to punish them.
He closed his eyes and lowered his head, wincing with the pang of guilt and loathing for himself. But he must do this, for his terrible pride. It was almost human. Without another word, Azazell held the seraph sword and the holy blade in each hand and took to the sky, darting upwards with strong beats of his black wings, and disappeared into the storm clouds.
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Post by KD on Jun 27, 2011 3:22:17 GMT -5
"Aw, he won't even play." Bates said, frowning upward.
"Leave, demon," Marissa, likewise, didn't pay any attention to Azazel's departure. She'd already resigned herself to the fact she would have to wait to get her other blade back.
She also knew it would do no good to threaten Bates. He wouldn't fight. He considered it beneath him.
"My most holy dewdrop, I merely had to applaud that darling creature for his performance." He bowed to her mockingly and faded from view. In the alley, Karine suddenly jerked back into existence, gasping.
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Post by Jenny on Jun 27, 2011 3:32:34 GMT -5
Orpheus realized his jaw was open and slammed it shut. Then he smiled. Bates was quite the interesting individual. Strange, yes, but interesting. "Does that happen a lot?" Orpheus looked to Karine. "Are you ok?"
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Post by KD on Jun 27, 2011 3:35:45 GMT -5
Marissa looked over as a huge group of the church came to carry the wounded away. She followed them, needing to recover, even her protection wouldn't save her if they decided to gang up on her now. Luckily for her, the faith of her followers was enough to repel them for the moment.
Anibel shook her head, her eyes wide. "That's only the second time I've seen him manifest himself outright in decades, he rarely shows himself."
Karine shakily climbed to her feet, closing her eyes and slowly recovering her composure. "I'm...I'm fine..."
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Post by Jenny on Jun 27, 2011 3:43:32 GMT -5
Orpheus watched the faithful leave with the wounded, circled around Marissa as they returned to their Church. He remembered what the dark ones said, that they would be behind the reluctant fallen angel and would welcome him into their ranks.
"The fallen angel has done what many could not, everyone was waiting for a sign. Gods and demons have taken sides, the battle has just begun." Orpheus said quietly.
"There will be war. And we're in the middle of it."
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Post by KD on Jun 27, 2011 3:48:58 GMT -5
"Another war, more destruction, the same old same old." Karine was distinctly unimpressed. "And when it's over there will be some more peace and posturing and then another of the fools will show up and the whole bloody thing will start over again."
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Post by Jenny on Jun 27, 2011 3:50:58 GMT -5
Orpheus lowered his eyes. "Karine, can you and I talk privately?"
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Post by KD on Jun 27, 2011 3:56:27 GMT -5
Anibel gave a little wave and nodded, disappearing into the shadows.
"As privately as is possible with me." Karine's smile was a little bit sour as she led him into a building where prying eyes and ears would find it hard to hear. Because Bates manifested so seldom, it was easy to forget he had complete control over her, these manifestations of his were an unwelcome reminder.
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Post by Jenny on Jun 27, 2011 3:59:23 GMT -5
Orpheus looked so serious, there was an uncharacteristic frown on his lovely face as he followed Karine. If Bates could manifest through her, he would know what Orpheus would reveal to her, but it was of no consequence. Personal matters like these were most likely nothing to Bates in the scheme of things.
He took a seat on a dusty chair, placing his hands on his legs. When she took a seat beside him, Orpheus looked at her. "Karine, how old are you?"
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Post by KD on Jun 27, 2011 4:02:52 GMT -5
"I don't know..." She said honestly. "Several centuries at least. Time in general doesn't mean much to me anymore." Like him, she looked different from the woman she'd first appeared as, the coolness gone, replaced by a tired, sad look in her eyes.
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Post by Jenny on Jun 27, 2011 4:15:23 GMT -5
Orpheus fidged a little and looked embarrassed. "When you said I was a new one, that you had never seen me before... it was the truth. I'm very young, and I try not to let my inexperience show. I suppose compared to you, you could say I'm a newborn." He was being uncharacteristically shy. "The fire from which I was born was within the cradle of Hell. The hottest fires only flare once in a while in a time of great evil, perhaps once a century, when Hell has a strong holding of the mortals between Heaven and Hell, when enough evil souls have been sent down by the reaper. I imagine a brother will be born soon, when the fallen angel brings about a reign of chaos."
"I cannot say that I know much about war on earth, for I am very young yet, but I will gain much satisfaction when more like the Sisterhood are sent to their deaths. It's in my nature, after all." He looked at her again with his amber eyes. "Are you akin to darkness like myself?"
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Post by KD on Jun 27, 2011 4:31:10 GMT -5
"I'm not anything, really..." She said slowly. "Who I was or what I was before Bates I've long since forgotten. Bates is...an old force. Good and evil don't really mean much to him though I suppose he leans more toward the darkness, yes."
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Post by Jenny on Jun 27, 2011 4:36:35 GMT -5
"So you do what he tells you to do and that's it?" He narrowed his eyes a little, trying to understand.
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Post by KD on Jun 27, 2011 4:44:00 GMT -5
"Orpheus...I AM him. Part of him. What you saw there was his real form, but he can't interact with the world without either Adrian or myself..."
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