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Post by ColArana on May 6, 2018 20:22:14 GMT -5
Ranuen shook Leanne's hand as she greeted them. "Nice to meet all of you too..." He responded, taking note of her... intrusive? Personality. He overheard Paul quickly introduce everyone and it seemed things moved along quickly from there, so he did his best to keep up.
"Yeah, nice to meet you." Ranuen called over, as he'd moved past Paul and co. to give him his space for his reunion. "I'm kind of the odd man out here, so don't mind me too much." He admitted.
Kendall's statement caused Ranuen to raise an eyebrow. "Wait, actually?" He turned quickly to look at the door. "And I don't suppose we could exorcise the demon or anything?" He offered.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 7, 2018 15:21:46 GMT -5
Exorcise me?
The thoughts were projected into the heads of those present, which may have caused the uninitiated to jump. "D-Demon... Why did nobody feel the need to point it out until now?"
This earned William a smack to the arm, courtesy of Leanne. "Dummy! We're a quarter demon! And pointy-ears has that one stuck to him! But where the hell is that voice comin' from now?" As the older blonde summoned his sword, the pink-haired girl's hand became covered in pinkish flames.
I know this voice... I thought she was dead, said Imago, audible only to Percy. The brunette made a weird sound, hand covered in light magic.
"Is there any way you could give us an introduction, you stupid bug?!" Completely forgetting he had company until the words left his mouth, after concluding that sentence, Percy slammed a hand over his mouth.
My little mice, Some timeless, some mortal. Beware the locust that walks with you, Hiding in plain sight.
"I'm scared, sis. Can you make it shut up?"
"Let go of my arm! Geez, you're the oldest of us sibs, and some stupid poem sends ya into a fit of terror? Ugh, do I haveta do everything?!"
I am the one who lurks within the walls. I am the one with the breath of tortured souls. I am the one whose roar is a death knell for mankind.
A shadow began creeping up on the walls, resembling something vaguely feline, but the body's structure was more draconian. A pair of eyes, sickly green, stuck out against the dark mass.
I am the one who calls you to ruin. I am the one who beckons you to fell deeds. I am the lord of temptation and damnation-
"Oh, shut the hell up, Mara." It seemed as though while the group was distracted with the vaguely ominous poem, Imago had taken control of Percy's body. The shadow frowned, and dissolved, revealing a purple cat-like creature to be its actual form, frowning.
"Now, why did you do that, Imago?"
"It wasn't that great all those years ago, you stupid cat. And it hasn't aged well either, my dear."
"Tsk. You haven't aged well either, Sir Imago. Just look at the flesh-sack you wear."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 9, 2018 18:59:02 GMT -5
"I'm guessing because we were all talking at the time..." Paul mumbled in response to William's question, eyes darting around in a half-nervous, half-confused stare.
"Oh, great..." Scott grumbled, slowly and silently retrieving his gun from his belt. "More demons. Because that's what I need this week."
"Boy. Couldn't have picked a more ironic rendezvous point, could ya?" Kenny tossed in, looking only mildly concerned as he watched the shadow creep along the wall.
All the while, Kelsey remained silent, watching the demon enter the scene with little more than a cold, calculated frown. The poem (in the loosest sense of the word) being mentally projected to each of them didn't faze her; telepathy and theatrical demons were not exactly new concepts to her. The grinning shadow didn't bother her either; if anything, she was tempted to grab it and toss it across the room. Honestly, about the only thing that genuinely surprised Kelsey was just how quiet Tri was being. She initially believed he simply didn't want to project himself inside a church, but if this cat demon and Percy's inner demon were willing to set foot in this holy place, what was stopping the archdemon?
When Mara revealed herself in full, Kendall let out a protracted sigh and took a few steps forward. "Mara, I know you don't believe me, but I had made it clear that there is nothing for you here. I really must insist that you take your business elsewhere. Please... I say this as a kindness."
It was almost blatantly obvious that he was flicking his eyes in Kelsey's direction.
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Post by ColArana on May 13, 2018 6:59:58 GMT -5
That voice.... Ranuen looked around the room. Where did it come from? Wait no... where was a relevant question but Ranuen quickly realized that the words he was hearing were not with his ears. They were spoken directly... to his mind? Brow furrowed in consternation Ranuen glanced at the group as well to see if their attention was focused somewhere he had missed.
Then he saw it. Creeping along the wall. A shadow in the shape of a feline. A shiver crawled up Ranuen's spine. "Really...? Why did it have to be cats....?" He grimaced. As he heard the words in his mind, despite the chill striking through him, he couldn't help but be annoyed. Mice.... Locust!? Ranuen growled a little. "Wh-who are you calling a mouse or a locust you... dragon cat!?" He snapped, taking the line just slightly too personally. Failing to notice that those lines had probably not been directly aimed at him to refer to his usual lack of height.
However, when the being called Mara was called out by Imago, and appeared, slipping out of the wall, Ranuen winced and stepped back behind Leanne's group. It wasn't that he was necessarily afraid of cats, he just... did not like them. Too many encounters while being small enough to be a toy for them, and an intelligent cat? One with intent, and maliciousness? Yup, yup, wanting nothing to do with that at all. Ranuen was NOT okay with this, and was keeping people between him and Mara. True, he probably didn't have anything to fear at the moment, but hell. He didn't know if he mistimed things and was moments away from shrinking and if that happened, better to have someone between him and the cat, right? Shudder.
However, it seemed that Imago recognized the cat, whom he referred to as Mara, and vice versa. "Mind doing the introductions?" He inquired. "Seems at least a few of you are familiar with our... visitor."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 13, 2018 17:47:23 GMT -5
"Gladly," Imago turned his red glare on the cat demon. "This cretin here is Mara, and she styles herself as the 'lord of temptation and damnation.'" A scoff and an eyeroll. "Because compared to me or whatever dwells inside Kelsey, a cat is such a terrifying creature." Oh how thick the sarcasm was laid.
Mara, as the cat demon was called, gave a surprising chuckle. "I'm flattered you remembered me and my reign, Imago. How is Princess M-"
"Queen."
"Oh, how silly of me. How is the Queen? And her lapdog, Salsu?"
"They'd pay me handsomely if I brought you back dead..." The feeling of hate in those red eyes could just be felt. "But you're of more immediate use alive, cat. I knew you. You were a more complicated beast than the dead you raised. You wouldn't show up in this place unless you had a reason."
"And you would be correct, dear." In a manner reminiscent of the cat she appeared as, Mara nuzzled what appeared to be just the air. "Mirror of Light, Mirror of Shadow... I call upon you to turn this church into a sanctuary for the clean..." Two mirrors, one made of a pink light and the other of purple shadows, materialized, before phasing through the walls. A semitransparent dome, flickering between pink and purple, materialized over the church for a few seconds, before vanishing. "There. Now they can't enter this church..."
"Uh... Who is this they you speak of?"
"Can I set her on fire yet?"
"Who the hell did that?! My cig just went out!!"
Imago's glare refocused itself on Mara. "Explain yourself. Now."
"Put down the weapons and magic, and I will do so with joy."
The red-eyed boy went silent for a few seconds... before dispelling the dark shadows that had begun to form around his hand.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 22, 2018 18:03:54 GMT -5
Kelsey raised an eyebrow at Kendall, then Imago, then she looked around the room and tried her best to mentally contact Tri. Still no sign of him. Seemed like he really didn't want to be there. As nice as it was to take a break from his constant, obnoxious commentary, part of her actually wished he was there to back her up. It wasn't that she felt intimidated by this cat; if anything, she was just irritated by it. She just had a feeling he would know what was going on.
When Mara cast her spell over the church, Kelsey observed with narrow eyes while Paul and Kenny looked slightly more unnerved by it. After a while, the latter spoke up, "Ah, f***. Did she trap us in here? 'Cause I don't know how long I can be in the same room as the cloak guy, never mind the cat."
"Uh..." Paul warily looked to Scott, ever alert with his hand mere inches from his belt. Then he turned to the angel standing next to him. "Kendall, do you know what this thing's deal is?"
Kendall stared solemnly at the floor and took a deep breath but said nothing otherwise. Mara was about to explain herself anyway. He would have plenty to say afterwards.
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Post by ColArana on May 24, 2018 14:41:34 GMT -5
Kelsey may not have been intimidated by the cat, but Ranuen was at least concerned when he saw the cat cast some kind of spell. The dialogue between the cat-- Mara as Imago was calling her, and Imago himself carried a lot of terms and information that Ranuen couldn't quite parse at the moment. "Who exactly is they?" Ranuen asked anyone who might have known, in reference to Mara's comment. He glanced over at Paul and Kenny. "Yeah... I feel that way too." He admitted, grumpily. At the demand to put down their weapons and magic, Ranuen shot an uneasy glance around the room. This was.... kind of what they'd been looking for at least? Ranuen sighed. He did not want to put the group as vulnerable around the cat, but it felt like the only way to move forward. "Fine, fine..." He murmured, looking around the church still. "Ah. Yeah. Guys, just watch where you step for a few, okay?" Rather than remove his sword from his belt though, Ranuen simply stopped maintaining his size, shrinking back down as his own form of disarming. Symbolic, more than anything, since he could always turn back to normal size in a pinch, as long as he wasn't silenced.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 24, 2018 19:37:14 GMT -5
"All right." Imago's voice was laced with venom. Clearly, he hated this cat. "You're armed, we're not. Now start speaking, before I decide to retract my mercy."
"Temper, temper, Sir Imago." Mara's tendril-like tails formed a hand-like shape, making a 'tsk tsk' gesture, before becoming loose again. "Now now, my dear Kenny," She approached the orange-clad boy. "I did not trap your or your companions in this holy place. I'm actually offended that you think so poorly of me."
"Probably because you're a devil in plain sight," Imago coldly snarked.
At this, Mara levitated herself over to the red-eyed boy, grin not fading. "I consider soul cannibalism distasteful, but if you value the lives of your comrades and yourself, you would refrain from your sarcastic commentary."
A cold, hollow laugh. "What're you gonna do, blow me to death?"
Not wanting to give the other demon satisfaction, Mara turned away in a huff. "As I was saying before that brazen brute interrupted me-" Imago was now making rude hand gestures behind her back. "Consider this a warning. A warning against them," The cat spat at the last word, the fur on her back standing up.
Imago actually stopped his gestures at this, eyes wide. "You don't mean... the Cult of the New-... New-... Goddammit. I see that the stupid censorship curse is still in effect."
"Obviously." The cat turned her eerie gaze on the other attendees. "Consider this a warning. Beware those who warp the fire into a hellish blaze. Beware those who desecrate the water of life. Beware those who command the wretched air. Beware those who plunder and poison. Beware those who hide in the impenetrable shade. Beware those who use the light to blind. And above all... beware the angel who commands none, yet drains lifeforce like a man inhales."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 25, 2018 20:10:21 GMT -5
Another deep breath from Kendall as he somberly closed his eyes, calmly taking in the demon's words, letting them weave through the passage of time playing out in his head. He knew people would ask him what Mara was talking about. He also knew there was only so much he could actually explain to him. Not for lack of knowledge, but for fear of changing it.
"Wow." Wide-eyed and stupefied, Kenny placed a hand to his forehead as if to keep all the information from spilling out of his brain. "That totally answers everything! It's amazing how much more I know now and how not utterly confused I am! Thank you so much for explaining all of that to us in such intricate detail! No, but seriously, if you're gonna blow Imago, maybe blow me while you're at it."
"Dude..." Paul grunted lowly.
"Kid has a point," Scott jumped in. "What's this alleged 'censorship' curse he's talking about?"
"Plot convenience, if nothing else," Kenny answered.
"I'd ask if you'd be so kind as to try being a little more specific in spite of it, but I get the feeling you'd just act more difficult to spite us if I did."
All the while, Kelsey said nothing. She simply leaned over to gaze around Paul, shooting a sharp stare at the angel whose eyes were currently closed.
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Post by ColArana on May 25, 2018 21:08:06 GMT -5
Ranuen paid very close attention to the conversation to gather as much information as he could, now that Mara was being a little more talkative. Between the banter between Mara and Imago, Ranuen was able to pick up some information, at least. Apparently the cat ate souls. ....And could fly. Well. Float. Close enough. As Mara hovered towards Imago, Ranuen moved back from him, backing up a bit, not wanting to be anywhere near anything that even resembled a cat at this size. And then he got something interesting. This was something he actually understood. Magical theory? That was well in Ranuen's ballpark of understanding, and he glanced over the distance toward Scott, Kenny and Paul. "Censorship spell? Simple enough. Certain words or phrases are restricted. They can't be said. Although if it's a curse... is it on Imago?" He asked. "It'd have to be amazingly powerful magic if it's on the name of the organization itself, so that nobody can say it...."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on May 26, 2018 17:57:36 GMT -5
"You lot try my patience." Mara's eyes narrowed, grin growing. "This church is now a place where they cannot enter... Though I imagine this may also be an issue for one of your group." The cat's eerie green gaze flickered to Kelsey. "You can choose whether or not to believe me. After all... how do I know I can trust you?"
"Uh... what did the scary cat mean by that?"
"You're really that dumb? She means we can't trust her, and to be frank, I'm gonna give her a reason to not trust us!" Only a quick seizure of Leanne's arm by William was the pink-haired girl prevented from doing anything rash. "Lemme go! This bitch has it comin'!"
"No, Leanne. We don't need to antagonize the creepy cat." With that, the cat demon departed, exiting surprisingly normally out the door...
"Coward," Imago snarled. "I wouldn't place much faith in that cat. She's a known liar... our queen has a most generous bounty on her hand, after all, it's that fucking cat's fault that we're all trapped in hell..."
Realizing he wasn't going to get a smoke break any time soon, Jordan leaned against a wall, eyebrow raised. "Oh? Do tell."
"To cut to the chase, the cur absorbed a bunch of souls, became a monster, and attempted to exterminate all humans. All demons were scapegoated for her actions, and yet she escaped the same hell." Imago's glare intensified. "As for that... cult, I was excited when I heard that the great war had eliminated them all... But I can feel it. That cult may still survive..." A twisted grin. "They have the delusional belief that sacrificing a billion lives to the Destruction Father will resurrect that thing and bring about the end of time." A tongue-click followed by a shake of the head. "Who willingly follows what's practically a suicide cult? But that's enough of my breath... I'll be seeing you all a little later..."
The body collapsed slightly, hair briefly covering his face, before going upright again, eyes back to purple. "Guh... huh? What did I miss?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 31, 2018 20:03:59 GMT -5
Rrrrreeeeeaaaaallllllllllyyyyy???
Kelsey tore her glare away Mara to glance around the room before she realized the voice was solely in her head, prompting her to cast a scowl at the ceiling. Oh, NOW you decide to join us?
I can still hear everything going on around you, Tri muttered. I could've jumped in anytime I wanted to. I just didn't want to.
Okay, then, what exactly caught your interest?
This cat reminds me of someone.
You mean yourself?
Well, look who's a smarta**.
Scott lowered his eyelids. "Well, at least someone acknowledges how f***ing stupid it is to bring about the end of time."
"Time has no end," Kendall spoke lowly, eyes still closed, his mind a million places at once. "Time is eternal, forever expanding, twisting and collapsing in on itself. Even when all else fails, time will perpetuate itself, forever repeating, forever correcting itself... repeating... endless repeating..."
Kenny blinked and took a few, slow steps away from the angel. "Wow. I guess every party needs a pooper, huh?"
Ignoring them, Scott turned to the group and continued, "Why does this cat even care? What difference does it make keeping cultists out of this church? Feels strange that a demon would even want to safeguard the House of God."
"I think it might be best not to ask," Paul sighed, taking Imago's words into consideration. "We have enough to sort out as it is. Throwing this Cult of the New Spoilers into the mix is just gonna make things more difficult than they already are."
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Post by ColArana on May 31, 2018 23:40:05 GMT -5
Ranuen raised an eyebrow at one of Mara's statements. "How do you know if you can trust us? You were the one who approached us in the first place!" He countered. "If anything, you're the one who should be trying to earn our trust, given the circumstances."
Even after Mara was gone, Ranuen kept glaring in the direction she'd left. "Geeze...." And then he allowed himself to grow back to his human height, while listening to Imago's brief explanation and summary of Mara. "A billion!?" Ranuen asked. "Where are they-- how are they planning to pull that off!?" He exclaimed. "That's.... wow." He looked at Paul as he brought up the point of not overcomplicating matters. He disagreed. Slightly. "It's something though. And while I don't trust that cat, it's probably worth checking out..." Then he heard Percy's voice. "Oh! You're back! Welcome back Percy."
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Jun 1, 2018 21:47:10 GMT -5
"Glad to know someone missed me..." Percy rubbed his eye, acting like he just woke up. "What's this about a billion lives? What, is like, Purgatorio at risk or something?" Genuinely unaware as to what his body had been saying just minutes ago, it seemed. "And where's the stupid cat?"
"I could recall it to you, but this is more amusing to watch." Percy rolled his eyes, clearly not amused at what the demon was saying in his head but not wanting to give it the satisfaction of a response.
"The stupid cat said somethin' about sacrificin' that many lives to... somethin' would bring about the end of time! ... Or somethin' like that," Leanne replied, fired up. "Argh, where the hell are those stupid cultists?! I'll burn 'em down myself!" Pinkish flames formed in the girl's hands...
"Whoa, whoa, no! No fire inside unless it's an extreme emergency, didn't we establish this ground rule?!" William hastily lowered Leanne's arms and held her back until the pink flames dissipated. "Still, I'm sure there's at least some truth to what that demon said. ... Uh, as to why a demon would want to safeguard a holy place? Not all demons are evil, dude. Hell, a few of them became the first priests back on Old Earth..." Noting the odd looks he was getting, the blonde quickly retorted. "What? Yeah, I dropped out of school, but that doesn't mean I can't read."
"You can read?"
"Not funny, Jordan!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jun 4, 2018 18:31:17 GMT -5
"I'm just saying, between the conflict at the club, the angels, the demons, the monsters... I still have no idea what the heck is going on," Paul admitted. "And I'm starting to wonder if anyone else really does, to be honest."
Kenny scoffed. "You're just now figuring that out?"
"My point is, I'd kinda like to get whatever beans we already have in order before we go throwing any apocalypse-heralding cults into the mix. If they happen to get involved in the process, fine, I'll deal with it as it comes, but right now... why are we here?"
"I agree." Scott folded his arms and turned his attention on the angel. "Kendall, right? You seem to know what's going on. Care to elaborate, particularly for those just joining the party?"
Kendall finally opened his eyes, staring somberly at the floor. Part of him wanted to argue with William on the matter of demons' involvement in the church, but he knew there were more pressing matters at hand. "Even without Mara's involvement, they wouldn't have laid a finger on this place. It already has all the protection it needs."
"What, like the hand of God?" Kenny questioned.
"In a sense..."
"You think she already knew this?"
"Yes."
"Alright, so the demon Cheshire cat has ulterior motives. Not really surprising, dude."
"I need to talk to Kelsey."
At the sudden mention of her name, Kelsey perked up with a raised eyebrow of confusion. She glanced at Paul for a moment, then looked around at just about everyone else, then turned back to Kendall. "Uh... Yeah, sure."
With an awkward shrug, Kelsey followed Kendall out the door, the former oblivious to and the latter completely ignoring Scott's wide-eyed look of indignation. "W...? Okay, so we're just walking away without a full explanation?!" When the two disappeared outside, Scott groaned and rubbed his temples. "Okay, can somebody tell me what I've gotten myself into?!"
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