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 Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:27 pm
Kane had just pulled a dusty, thick, leather-bound book off the shelf when she noticed a change in Gabriel's state. Letting out an audible groan, she pulled a pair of spectacles off the shelf as well, setting both objects on her desk before standing. The musty literature was several inches thick, the edges of its pages darkened with age. Coffee-colored bindings had been branded with words barely visible; "Shadows" was all that could be deciphered from the side and swirling designs covered both front and back cover. The spectacles were made out of some sort of golden metal and had two lenses like an ordinary pair of glasses, but the color belied the true nature. Gleaming a strange rainbow of colors, the enchanted device deciphered a script not normally legible to its user.
Bare feet quietly shuffled across the wooden floor as she made her way over to the bed. It wasn't an altogether unpleasant sight. Kane would be hard-pressed to find a man wildly more attractive to find laying in her bad half-clothed. She wasn't horribly fond of demons or fallen angels, but many held that same sort of inhuman beauty as angels. Letting another sigh loose, she leaned over the bed, studying him more carefully. Hands on her hips and hair brushing over his chest briefly, eyes surveyed him quickly. It didn't seem like he was ill, but considering the last 24 hours she wouldn't be surprised if he was. A nightmare was much more likely, and thus her reason for grabbing him by the shoulders.
"Gabriel!" She gave him a good hard shake. Well, there goes one day of training. He isn't going to like Plan B. Seeing him embroiled in gods knew what sort of inner battle just made her more convinced that she needed to be patient. Manipulating powers of the darkness without becoming tainted and corrupted was complicated, and she wasn't sure how well she'd be able to teach it- much less to someone horribly conflicted or unwell.
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:54 am
The white arch lay only a few steps away when the room lurched, just as the entire world had before. Gabriel held on desperately, feeling everything around him dissolving into blackness. He could feel himself even slipping and disintegrating back to consciousness. Far off, he heard his name called, but he ignored it, struggling to take steps that now felt like lead weights. An arm lifted up in front of him, the Fallen reached, stretching his digits until they felt like they would disjoint. The glowing light taunted mere inches away, but already that was dissipating also, getting swallowed by the dark as if it were being consumed rather than falling apart. He tried to call out, to shout, though for what end he could not say. All he knew is that he wanted more than anything else to reach that light; not the dark, the light. He needed it, and for a moment his fingertips brushed a wisp of white mist permeating from the opening to grant his wish. A warm feeling enveloped him for the briefest of moments, blocking out the oncoming dark for a fraction of a second before the doorway vanished along with the rest of the room. His vision faded, and he crossed the line back into the world.
---
A few long moments after Kane had called his name, Gabriel's eyes snapped open. Reacting on nothing more than instinct, he sat up faster than it would take for one to blink, hand flying to the other's throat to grip in a vice-like hold. Even so, the grasp was steady and soft as it was firm and unyielding. Several slow blinks brought Kane's face into sharper focus, accompanied by an intake of breath and relaxing of his hand. The raised hand did not lower, but instead simply rested lightly on her collar bone hesitantly. His eyes were frightened and wide, vibrating almost as they strained to concentrate. Both hands shook with his body, sending rippled through the cold sweat. He looked much like a scared child, confused and far from anything he knew to be real and true.
"I . . . I almost . . . ." he breathed, voice shaking with the rest of him. "I felt . . . Who? The light, it was . . ." His weak stammers trailed off as he sought into Kane's eyes, not knowing what to search for, or even where to start. He could remember everything as clear as the woman in front of him, which frightened him even more. He could see the dead littering the ground, the fire and ash swirling around him in a giant inferno. Behind it all he could hear a faint laugh that had not been there before; it was a maniacal, sinister cackle. He could see Seras' lifeless body, her milky eyes pleading with him to help. He saw in front of him now not the Kane of real, but the one of his dream whom he had held briefly, whose no longer bright spheres questioned him, blamed him. He could see the man entering the archway, and himself reaching for the light. He could see it all, and he closed his eyes. It was more vivid. Gabriel leaned forward resting his forehead against her shoulder, trying desperately to make his muscles stop twitching. His whisper was barely audible, almost only the shadow of a shadow of a voice. "Don't go . . . ."
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Illicit Romance Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 2:58 pm
The hand to her throat was somewhat surprising. In his defense, she had woken him somewhat violently from a nightmare, but this seemed to be a reoccurring thing for them. At least there wasn't a tree or crushing wings involved this time. Kane didn't really mind the grip on her neck, but it certainly wasn't a hidden fetish and she doubted it was really good for her health. Perhaps they'd discuss this reflex of his later.
"I don't know where the hell I would go. You're in my home," was the quick retort. Her hand had risen, unbidden by conscious thought, to lightly hold him. It had barely graced the bare skin on his back that glistened with cool sweat when she withdrew. Now it was raised behind his back, her eyes quizzically gazing at it as if there was an answer as to why she was acting like she was. Digits curled and relaxed as she tilted her head and them and frowned lightly.
What in the blazes am I doing? I barely know him and here I'm trying to what, comfort him? Me?
It wasn't that she lacked empathy. Despite her best attempts to dismiss it, she had hoards of feeling for those in trouble. Her heart strings were being pulled, however subtly, the longer that Gabriel was around her. It with self-depreciating scolding that and an impulsive desire to inject normalcy in the situation that she reverted her to her typical sharp wit. It'd do no good to have them both in emotional turmoil. By the gods, that's all she needed after this morning. A few comments and hopefully he'd back to normal, chastising her for her rash actions, stubborn streak, and caustic commentary. She didn't know how to handle all these... softer moments and tender emotions.
"And it's bloody obvious you need my help," she added more softly. Inwardly she berated herself, clearing her throat as if to chase out that gentler side of her. His head felt warm on her shoulder and his hand limply resting on her collarbone wasn't altogether unpleasant. The brush of his long hair on her made her shiver slightly. Long hair. He had to have long hair. If she could, she'd strap him down, shave him bald, rip out all of that lovely musculature, and castrate him to save herself the attraction that she had noticed ever so slowly building.
At least he's in love with someone dead she mused.
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 5:52 am
With a final shudder and shivering exhale, Gabriel withdrew his hand and head reluctantly. It felt oddly safe, almost nestled against Kane like that. He couldn't quite understand why; after all, he had only been leaning on her. Yet the feeling of a small loss persisted as he faced her almost sheepishly, yet defiantly, as one would dare another to mock him after that moment. "Of course. I don't know what I was thinking." he mumbled, rolling his shoulders and casting his eyes down to the hand that had been resting on her collar bone. His fingertips tingled, though not as they had before in response to whatever Darkness had been around. No, it was a warm tingle, similar in part to the light that he had reached for and almost touched in his dream. Yes, the light. It was important for him to reach it, but he never could. There was something standing in his way, an intangible something barring him. The most puzzling thing was that, even if he knew he wanted to reach it, he had no idea what the light held. It felt warm and familiar, yet strangely at the same moment, completely foreign and cold. He shook his head.
"I suppose I do at that." he responded with an attempt at a small smile. The Fallen thought that the dreams might have something to do with his crossing over, as they had become more vivid and real with a bit of time. For a moment, he wondered just how real they could be. It was a wild thought, though he mentally made a note not to do anything stupid when in his dream world. It was better to be safe than possibly dead. It had felt real. "When do we start, then? I suppose the sooner the better." The opposite hand of that which had grasped Kane's throat lifted to wipe tiny ebbs from his eyes. Though he had been asleep for only an hour or two at most, he conjectured, it felt like he had slept for a good six or seven. That's a plus, I suppose. He sat there awkwardly awaiting Kane's answer, unsure where all these new experiences, thoughts, and feelings were even coming from. Awkward? That word had never even been a part of his vocabulary until recently. That term was meant for something . . . Different. He expected that he looked quite the fool, sitting there with no shirt on, looking sheepish as a child who had just blurted out a secret to a stranger.
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Illicit Romance Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 2:32 pm
Kane quickly found herself in an uncomfortable position. The arm that had remained curled around his torso (but not touching), was suddenly holding him in the sort of awkward embrace she had tried to avoid. It was foolish to keep the hand around his back, staring at it like a damned fool over his shoulder. How long did she think he'd remain exactly there, keeping him out of physical contact with the limb that was a mere few inches away?
"Ah!" She let out a whispered strangled cry as her fingers found themselves in the hair that she had cursed mentally a few moments earlier. For a moment she appeared to be too flustered to actually move them, her face slowly being consumed by a crimson flush that refused to be suppressed. Frozen in time, she could feel the soft, silky lockets moving with his breath. This was not where she should be. Not not not. Her forearm was pressed lightly against his torso with his movements, his sweat mingling briefly with the light scent of fresh clean and soap left on her.
"W-well," she stumbled briefly. She cleared her throat again and swallowed, trying to chase away obvious signs of what she was thinking and feeling. A nervous jerk made the appendage in question return to her side where it should be. Kane knew he must know the reason for the blush: the room was pleasantly cool, her fever was gone now, and her face had retained its normal hue for a split second before he gazed up.
"It would do no good to try to train you now," she finally spewed out with slowly returning confidence. "Clearly something is plaguing your subconscious, you collapsed when I was showering, and my little demonstration did little but make you irate. I have no desire to subject you to the darkness this moment; rather than suppress it, you are more likely to be seduced by its strength." Despite the earlier faltering, her words were strong and steadfast. Before he had awoken Kane had already decided that she would not be instructing him today and repeating earlier thoughts restored her to her normal, slightly abrasive self.
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 4:34 am
Gabriel tilted his head to the side, wondering once again if it would fall off due to the number of times he had been adjusting it as of late. The things that were deeper embedded in him, such as values, morals, and beliefs, still clung and held his mind away from wanting to be even closer to this woman in front of him, who seemed particularly prettier than she had a few minutes before. And she felt awkward, it seemed - the word still had not formed itself around a meaning as of yet. Yet there she sat, stumbling over speech and getting flustered. She was even turning red. The side of the Fallen that had held for millennia maintained its grasp on the majority of his mind, yet the instinctive side raged to be let in. It wanted more music, although perhaps a different . . . Genre. Taking a deep breath and trying desperately not to notice - or let Kane notice - his urgings to close the distance between them, he spoke as calmly as he could, almost proud that his voice sounded only half embarrassed.
"If . . ." He took another breath. "If you think that is best, Miss Kane." The use of honorifics made it seem less personal, which was exactly what he needed at the moment, and he was vaguely sure that it would at least rile up Kane enough to make her irate rather than flustered. "What is the plan for this day, then? Stay holed up inside and do nothing?" Yes, purposefully sarcastic, even if only slightly. Blast this awkward feeling!
Although he was willing as hard as he could, Gabriel's eyes simply would not break from her deep brown spheres, even if he knew they were fake. Even when he tried to use that as a tool to pry them off, it only added to a mysterious allure. One side would win, if he did not do something soon. Cursing his lack of flow of thought, he bit down hard on the first thing he found to do so on: his tongue. A wince accompanied a flash-flood of crimson that flowed willingly into his mouth - which only a moment before had been slightly agape, as if wanting something. Before he knew it, he found that he was enjoying it. Not only the taste of his own blood, but the piercing pain that pervaded past the tongue and into his throat as he swallowed. Certainly, this measure had distracted him thoroughly, albeit not in the way he had planned. Some red leaked from his now crimson lips - extremely accentuated against their pallid surroundings - and made a perfect curving line from the left corner to the tip of his chin, where a drop wavered for a moment before falling directly in the middle of the back of Kane's hand, which had just been around Gabriel's back. Clearly, a good distraction for the both of them.
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Illicit Romance Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 1:44 pm
"My brother will be here tonight. Until then I'm going to read," she retorted briskly, taking the time to try to mentally detach herself from the physical proximity. "I don't care what you do," she added heatedly, the blush still apparent on her cheeks. It seemed even her anger couldn't push everything out of her mind like it used to. Things in her swelled and waned, a slowly ebbing tide of mixed emotions that refused to be so easily dismissed in a few moments.
When she felt the warm droplet on her hand she gazed down with just her eyes, afraid to move her head and draw it too close to him. It was already strained enough without them touching, which was almost certain if she had bowed her head. "What....?" she started to ask as she glanced back up at him, her dark eyes nervous and questioning.
The hand was slowly raised in front of her right eye, the orb focused on the small bead of red that started to slowly creep down towards her wrist with the movement. The left stared ahead at him, at the pale skin, the ruby eyes, and the scarlet lips. The small curved line to his chin in itself seemed ominous; paired with his normal visage, it was altogether frightening. It wasn't that she was scared of demons- for was she not one herself? It was fear of the change that she still believed, in her mind, she had caused. After all, his wings had clung to their gray plumage before the night she had sought angels. Even if she wasn't a catalyst, she was certainly failing him now in not having prevented it, wasn't she?
It would consume him, wouldn't it?
With her eyes so strangely fixated, the left that was not blocked from view changed rapidly. In a blast, erupting from the black pupil, the iris was swallow with a burning, consuming red. The illusion on her hair stayed in place, as it had done before when her eyes had flashed similarly. It was just simply that this time... there was not merely a flash. This was the longest the colour had persisted already.
"I... I'm sorry," she whispered, knowing he probably didn't understand the apology. His gaze wasn't accusing, nor had his words ever been. But wasn't this what she had sworn herself to stop? To prevent? Was he falling so rapidly down that deep chasm that no rope, no hanging hand, could pull him to a secure level? Had she been so busy pushing him away then, her temper and experiences screaming to dispose of the man, that she had lost the time where a rescue could be made?
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:54 am
It took most of the will power he had to bring himself back to sanity, eyes flickering open as he swallowed a mouthful of bitter liquid. The bleeding had stopped, to part of his disappointment, though to the other's relief. He licked his lips hastily, unable to completely wash out the color that had seeped into his lips. Odd. Raising his hand, Gabriel used two fingers to wipe from chin to the corner of his mouth, the blood clinging to his hand as if it wanted to be there. Now partially cleaned up, he made the same motion he had before, rubbing his hands on his pant legs as if trying to rid them of something other than the blood. The Fallen lifted his gaze to Kane's with a response to her first statement already on his lips before he was brought to an abrupt halt.
Her eyes - or eye, rather; he could not see the other - had changed. The deep brown he had been admiring a moment before had now burned away into a hue to match his own, almost as if he was looking into a mirror. They were, if possible, even more striking than the previous. The one eye he could see seemed to draw him in like a bottomless pool of intrigue and allure. Not only mentally, but physically. Before he could realize his positioning, his eyelashes were a mere two inches from her own, fluttering rapidly as he blinked to make himself come to and notice his actions. Foolish. Rash. Temerity. Idiot. Move. Her breath was hot on his lips for less than a second before he thrust himself as calmly to the side as he could, almost jumping out of the bed with the force of a victorious will.
"Nothing to be sorry for," he stated in a matter-of-fact sort of way, "Don't be silly. I chose this path from the beginning; do you not think I knew what would be at the end of it?" He avoided looking at her as he cast around for something to put on, finding a button-up shirt atop the same pile of clothes and hurriedly throwing it on and fastening the buttons. All of this was done with a nonchalant air, an obvious sign of his flustered feelings. The brilliant red that nearly hid the blood of his lips did not help, though. "I'm the one who should be apologizing," He took a breath, "So I am sorry, Miss Kane." Gabriel was not about to explain his apology, but he assumed that she would be able to piece together that he felt like a complete idiot for what he had just been doing.
"I suppose I'll just sit around here as well. I'm not sure how keen you'd be on allowing me to read one of your books, but if not I could always explore a bit. The Inn - which I am still unsure where exactly it is located - or whatever is outside. Or I suppose I could start practicing on my own." He attempted an awkward smile, trying to lighten up the situation a bit. The man had no intention of doing such a thing, for he knew the dangers at least limitedly. Still, it would be . . . Interesting, to say the least.
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Illicit Romance Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:47 pm
When he moved so close that only mere inches separated them, her breath caught in her throat. Lips parted slightly in surprise as she stared back into his eyes half in wonder and half in shock. What... was he doing? He drew so near and so quickly with a captivated look in his eye that she was certain, certain that he was going to kiss her. The crimson flush was scalding hot on her cheeks for that brief moment, burning with anticipation of what she thought she knew was coming.
And then he was gone.
All at once the emotions that had wound into a tight ball in her chest exploded. She gasped for a moment, suddenly remembering that she needed to breathe, her heart beating so hard it felt as if it were knocking against her lungs. Her hand dropped, his blood changing direction briefly before it finished drying, its streak a momento of what had just transpired. Jumping up, he could see the fury in her eyes now that they were now visible. The flashes had concealed the true force of the orbs: they seemed to burn with the same intensity as the flames in the artwork above her bed. The saturated, rich hue was so close to the canvas's oils one might wonder what the scene was really of...
"I'm not ******** daft!" She snapped back at him. A weird combination- an old term and a profanity. Kane had quite the range. Taking several large, swift steps towards him, the smaller female stood toe to toe with him. Although she was tall for a woman, he still had several inches on her at the very least. "Maybe you did choose it, but I'm not bloody oblivious to the fact my presence has agitated, instead of help matters. Don't pretend it's any different." Even if she was completely factually wrong and completely unreasonable, he could be certain he'd have to shake a lot of sense into her before she believed any different.
As her glare centered on him, she wasn't totally sure that she was really angry at him and not herself; that some of the seething wasn't directed at that foolish moment where she had led him to a moment that forced him into an abrupt change. Even if he was a tempest of swirling convictions and feelings that was damaging her well-maintained walls, some part of her was continuing to stir the storm. Even now.
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:32 pm
Gabriel almost took a step back as the tempest raged at him, almost yelling back immediately before his thoughts gathered tight around his own pent-up fury. "How selfish of you," he said coolly, brushing back a bit of hair that had been hanging over a shoulder. "To think that you were a catalyst? That because of you I have boosted an inevitable change down a road that I would not have been able to avoid anyway?" All the while his voice had been rising, and now it had reached a plateau that made Kane's speech sound like a squeak. Seemingly unaware of his thundering, he continued on in a rant.
"Do not mock me by saying I am so weak. I chose this not because of you, but because I hate them!" He threw a hand toward the window in a physical gesture of who he meant, even if it was obvious. It was more for the drama. "I don't know what got you so full of yourself since last night, but I can piece it together well enough. The smell of their blood has filled me since I woke up; I know what I did. You blame yourself because I was blinded by bloodlust? Because I wanted to kill? This sped up because I wanted to see their end, to tear them apart with my own hands." Said hands were now clenched at his side, flexing and relaxing like a pulse. He was lying, though he did not think she knew that. In his mind he knew that she must have been in trouble, from what he remembered before he awoke and after. From what the Fallen could piece together, he had saved Kane from the Angels that had suddenly appeared in the room with her and the contractor. He could remember nothing past that moment. And she had had bandages on. Must not have done a very good job. At least she can still heal herself, unlike your useless self.
"You're just like Daz," he said suddenly, lips breaking into a smirk, and not one of happiness. "Stubborn, full of yourself, and clearly frightened of something, although what I have no idea. Is it of me? Are you scared now that I have become my own antithesis?" Gabriel let out a crisp, ringing laugh, even lifting his head a bit to give it some effect. "Not completely yet, but I will, I'm sure. And what then? Am I going to be drowned in the Darkness so far that you will have no choice but to destroy me? I'm sure you've not become attached to a stray you've only known for a day and a half." For a moment, he wondered what he was saying and why he was, but it was too late to take it back now. Then, blinking and looking as if all of the vigor had drained from him, his left hand flew up to grasp at his throat, covering the dangling pendant that he had all but forgotten about. Standing there like a statue for a few seconds, he breathed a deep sigh, though neglected to let go of it still. "And . . . ." Great. Lost my train of thought. He prepared himself for her onslaught now, standing straight again, and matching her fiery gaze.
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Illicit Romance Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:30 pm
She just stared at him. The red seemed to lessen, somehow, but retain the same ferocity. It was not just anger that fueled these demonic eyes, but other things as well. Small variations swirling hypnotically in the irises, she pursed her lips together. It wasn't that she didn't have something to say, something to vocalize, something she felt, but her tongue was held for a few moments in slight awe at the tone he had assumed. It was not until this topic that he had raised his voice, belting at her with equal anger. Perhaps it was a touchy subject, perhaps his patience had broken, or perhaps he was more changed than previously assumed.
"Then wade in it yourself, drown yourself in darkness," she finally added, her voice as cold as her temper was hot. Exasperation seeped into her words, as well as a bitter resentment that no doubt dated back to the decades before she had mentioned earlier. "I've seen it before and I have little desire to see it again." She turned on her heel as a bright pink started to surround her eyes, giving them an unnatural look. Redness crept around the edges, seeping into the lashes as she faced the door. Something inside her twisted and lurched violently.
"Idiot," she whispered, realizing she was barely audible. He was so much more than a stray already, but he had so soundly denounced the notion as idiotic even were she brave enough to voice it, she would not now. It had been a while since Kane had what had been good intentions thrown back at her face. Her delivery and attitude were piss poor- it wasn't surprising, but it was still hurtful. Oh well, it wasn't like another person ready to piss on her grave was anything new.
With surprisingly quick and deft movements she made her way out her apartment door and outside of the inn, not really considering where she was going or what she was doing. She just knew that she wanted to get away from the source of her vexation, to breathe and calm herself. Not one singular shred of thought was given towards the fact she was out of the safety of the wards, a large target for angels, or perhaps not in the best of conditions to battle one.
So bottled up and preoccupied with Gabriel she was that she wandered into the street completely unprepared for what might rain down on her.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:21 pm
Gabriel stood there for a moment, rooted to the spot by a mixture of different things. Fury, confusion, guilt; everything and anything in-between milled around in him like an eddy of unsettled dust. It took a long moment before he let out a breath, having only just realized that he had not taken in air since she left. An attempt to reflect back on what he had said and the reason behind it yielded no results. Distancing, he thought, Am I just trying to distance myself? If so . . . For whose sake? Mine or hers? He shook his head; it stayed on. A few tentative steps were taken towards the door Kane had vanished through before he sighed and stopped, turning to the window instead. There were too many people, he reasoned, and he did not have the ability to hide his wings like her. The window would at least be a bit safer. From what he had seen the night before, the forest was only a little ways off, and what little population there was in the area seemed widespread. Trees were always nice anyway; better than people at any rate.
As he approached the window and reached to swing the halves open, the Fallen stopped mid-stride, eyes flashing dangerously as a hand plunged into his new shirt, yanking out the archaic pendant only to stare at it searchingly for several long seconds. Cursing under his breath in the same rough, old tongue, Gabriel ripped the glass latches open, diving through the opening and spreading new, eerily familiar black spectres, Gabriel shot into the light blinking. He payed no mind to the brightness, nor the chance that somebody might see. He made a wide arch, ignoring what might have been an interesting experience any other time, both having the freedom to fly in the day and also the new wings. No, right now he had something more direly important to attend to. Kane . . . You fool! Why did you leave your own wards?
He could feel them approaching, swift as any blessed wings might carry their owner. Maybe two or three at most; they were too cowardly to travel alone at any rate. The usual cold black metal burned against his chest, bouncing with every stroke of the shadows behind him. A faint tingling pervaded into his fingertips, but he ignored it, trying to focus on the streets passing rapidly below him. Burn you, Kane! This is what you get for trying to make yourself a target! He knew they were going towards her. There was no mistaking it, unless he was getting to used to being safe after a day. Safe . . . The word felt as unfamiliar as "awkward". Attempting to adjust his coarse in concordance with theirs, he flew on, zigzagging and curving, trying to find his mark. No, much more than just his mark. His charge. His . . . There!
Up ahead, down a wide, roughly cobbled street strode Kane, unmistakable even from that distance. Her dark hair did blend in a bit with the drab surroundings, but he knew it was her, somehow. Beating his wings hard to increase his speed, the distance between them was closing rapidly, yet at the same time, Gabriel kept looking around quickly, trying to take in everything at once. The symbol against his chest seared hotter by the second, a tell-tale sign that they were drawing far too near. No doubt she would see him soon, either from looking to investigate the thunderous flaps, or simply from feeling his presence. Oddly enough, he thought he could feel her there, as if something inside of her resonated with him in a sickening sort of way that made him want to vomit. Kane . . . He growled and moved faster, buildings below moving past in a blur. I have to reach her first. I have to.
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Illicit Romance Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:48 pm
When she saw the angels she stopped dead in her tracks. Several obscenities ran through her mind including a few conjured on the spot in the heat of the moment. Angels. She had completely forgotten about that little escapade and white lie the night before. Was being around Gabriel so distracting? There was little time to dwell on whose fault it was that there was an unanticipated ambush, but she had to give them credit: they were quite the opportunists. Were she a little less preoccupied their strategy would have merited them much more than a melee.
A split second after she paused mid-step the sound of rapidly beating wings behind her also grabbed her attention. Kane need not turn around to know who it was, although she did so all the same. A spin on her heel and brief eye contact was all it took for her to decide to use the spell and convey to him with a gaze that she would not simply be rescued or joined. Loud words cut through the air, commanding in words he had not heard her utter before for something to come forth. The gap between them had been nearly closed when a bold flash of light swallowed up the grays and browns of the small street, erecting a glistening, glowing fluorescent barrier that extended into the sky. While it had not been conjured as quickly as she would have liked, she was pleased that it had worked at all. The only spell not woven in darkness she could manipulate easily before was the illusion- and that was merely a parlor trick, child's play.
Kane did one more unexpected thing. She flashed a fleeting, sincerely warm smile from her side of the wall, soft glitters that now separated them now giving her a gentler look. There was no fury, no cockiness, no self-righteous indignation in that smile. "I can't let you do it," she proclaimed enigmatically. She knew the light would be hard for him to break through, especially if he just enveloped himself in darkness again. No explanation was given as to what she was preventing or why, but she knew he was able to reason it: selfish and deluded she may be, Kane would try her best to keep him from succumbing to the darkness in front of her eyes and losing himself as Mercy had done so many years ago.
Abruptly her face shifted, suddenly aware of the lapse. Rolling into an infuriating grin and her eyes erupting into the intense blood red of before. "If you are so determined to be a demon, let this be your first lesson. Demons care only for themselves. There is no room for anyone else in their hearts. Now go!"
Turning back towards the angels, she held out her hands. Drawing in her strength (and sucking in her breath as she did so), she uttered a couple more incantations. From the digits of one hand were wavering splays of light that curled and twisted elegantly into a long, straight blade; from the other steady tendrils of inky black threw themselves out into a curved devilish edge. It was best to be prepared: since she hadn't actually really fought an angel the night before, she wasn't entirely sure if one sort of magic was more deadly than the other. From Gabriel's tale she had gleamed that angels could hurt each other with the light, something that wasn't necessarily true on her plant. It stood to reason if they weren't immune to its effects on each other than perhaps the magic that came from the depths of the hell wasn't twice as effective either. There was no time for trial and error to test her theories: they had had more time for preparation and rest than she had. All her effort would be poured into maintaining these weapons and striking at them as hard and quickly as possible.
And quick this had better be: healing him earlier, that little display, and letting her wings mutate inside of her (that was a ******** inspired idea for certain) had taken its toll. If she didn't lose copious amounts of blood, all would be well... certainly. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully the buggers would blast at her like the pompous angel from the night before and cauterize the wound instantly. Kane could tolerate quite a few of those before she would go down.
.... assuming that Gabriel wasn't ready to pounce on her himself with a snarl and a murderous intent.
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:26 am
Letting out a relieved sigh, the Fallen shook his head, not slowing his pace even this close to Kane. In a way, he was glad to see her, though mostly it was a happiness to see her still alive and well. The feeling lasted only a moment, however. Gabriel's eyes widened as she turned to him, a wall of light erupting from the ground and flowing upwards seemingly unendingly, almost blinding in its glittering brilliance. Any other time he may have been impressed or in awe, but now, only a snarl and yell found their way to his lips. "Damn you! I will not stand by and watch this!" He had seen the Angels now, three glowing forms descending slowly to alight in front of Kane, their smiles all plastic, masking fiendish delight. Even with the wall there, the Fallen did not slow, the yell coming as he slammed into the light, cursing the woman's lack of sense. "Kane! Lower this now!" A clawed fist pounded against the shield to no effect as he slid down slowly, landing in a kneeling position on the ground. This would have been easy before . . . Burn you!
He knew what had to be done, even if it frightened him. I will stay in control this time. A devilish smirk broke upon his features as he inverted his hands, claws digging into wall of light, facing the ground and breathing deeply. "You're a fool . . ." The words came slowly, taking on a rough tone, a growl almost heard through them. "To think that this could stop me. When he lifted his head, the grin had turned into something not his own, something twisted and purely evil. The bloodlust coursed through him, focusing on every little light it could find. There were people around, oh yes, but the Angels were most important for some reason. Angels . . . Kane? Her light almost resembled one. Grinding fanged teeth, Gabriel fought to stay in control of his mind, ignoring Kane and focusing on the other three. He let it loose then, knowing his target and what he must do.
A deafening roar exploded from his lips as his appearance visibly changed, for what he expected vaguely in the back of his own mind to be the second time. Eyes that had simply been scarlet before now glowed red with a malicious intent, pupils elongating into sinister slits. Claws were now longer and jagged, making dark scratches in the wall as they slid slowly down, making an ear-bleeding screeching noise. Aside from those small details, he was the same; it was nowhere near as dramatic as the night before, but it held the same effect. All at once, however, he began to chant, words springing to his lips unbidden and spilling forth in a dark incantation.
"Daes ysere scinthaemos ja'gre, ja'gre e'laile yse Daemonae . . . ." The guttural language came naturally, unbidden and unhindered. Under palms pressed flat against the wall seeped dark tendrils, feeling and spreading like vines across the light, expanding further and further as he continued. "Daes syne ul'rae yse jen'ae. Kir'nesce . . . Verai!" The feeling darkness had expanded almost out of sight at this point, but when he shouted his last syllable they ceased moving, instead turning inwards and pointing inwards, as if thousands of tiny needles poised waiting for a command. Acquiescing, Gabriel spoke a single, soft word, staring directly at Kane as he did so. "Break." The feelers delved into the wall like spikes, the huge expanse of black vines pushing inwards in an attempt to shatter the wall before the Fallen. Tremulous cracks broke through the air, a groaning noise accompanying it soon after. More . . . More! The smirk twisted into a snarl of concentration, more lengths springing from his pressed palms to take up a position, latching themselves to the light to add to the effect. "Break, damn you . . . Break!" He could feel himself slipping away from himself, but he didn't care. All he needed to do was destroy the wall and kill the Angels. The desire consumed him as his last personal thought drifted across an unfeeling abyss. Wait for me . . .
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Illicit Romance Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:14 pm
Eyes were trained on the angels, carefully watching every fold of their clothes and twitch in their muscles for a sign of their next move. Breathing slowed as she tried to ignore the commotion behind her, drowning out the noise with inner silence. Still. Be still, Kane. The sword made of light flickered and seemed to die momentarily before rekindling. Time was not on her side: she didn't trust or believe that Gabriel would be able to stop himself after spilling the blood of the angels. He was too crazed, too fresh to his form, too lost in the endless maze of pitch black.
"I'm not her," she breathed to Gabriel, although she was sure the noise of his spell, thoughts, and dark swellings would blare over it. "I don't need you to save me, not like this." Her eyes fluttered shut, hearing the crackling of the wall behind her.She needed to be on the other side of her winged enemies unless they were wise enough to reinforce the barrier. Somehow she doubted they were.
Opening her eyes a moment after they had been closed, she rushed at the trio brazenly. No time for planning, no time for considering their tactics, and no time to parley. Kane gambled that they'd go for her head and her abdomen considering the tempting lie, so she protected her torso with the glowing blade and charged with the one wrought of twisting darkness. It wouldn't be easy, and she doubted she'd land a killing blow, but hopefully they would part and she'd be able to put them between her and the snarling Fallen.
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