Contemplations of a Rose Bush (SSoDI-N)

[ParamountKeymaster]

"Well, initially I was designing this armor with the long-term goal of mass-producing them for the armies. Y'know, to counteract one of our more glaring weaknesses. But, uh..." Mic drummed his fingers on the table, taking on the meek expression of a lost puppy. "That's obviously not happening anymore, so it's basically become a personal project. Something to keep my mind occupied so I don't stress myself out."

He did have a second purpose behind finishing the lightning armor, but he wasn't entirely comfortable discussing it. It was only a what-if scenario at that point anyway, and he was desperately pleading that it stayed that way.

Once Jordan headed upstairs to check on Kelsey, Mic picked his tools back up, ready to return to work. He froze before he could continue his progress, however, his thought centre having switched to a new topic. One that led him to set his stuff back down and lower his head with a heavy sigh.

Mic still couldn't quite wrap his head around what he had done. In the span of a single day, he had transitioned from loyally serving Paradiso and the commander he ventured to this island with, to questioning the moral implications of their actions and ultimately defecting. It all felt so abrupt that he had to wonder if this decision had been building for some time. Sure, he genuinely disapproved of the ritual Liderc was carrying out. Yes, he was frustrated that Paradiso sequestered him into roles he didn't like, never giving his true talents a passing thought. Yeah, he had grown to care about Paul, if not as a friend, then as a curious and kindhearted individual undeserving of the torment he was receiving. But why now of all times did he decide to leave? Mic honestly couldn't say, but even though it was a devastating change to the once-devotee, he couldn't claim to regret it.

But that wasn't what bothered him most. Tinkering with his inventions had always been Mic's go-to source of catharsis, but looking over his lightning armor, pondering what its original purpose was versus what it was being used for now, something felt... wrong. His creations, no matter their design, were always intended to serve some greater purpose. For his entire life, that purpose had been his people, but his people refused his gifts. Now he had no one to offer them to. It felt wrong designing gadgets only for himself. How could he make a difference with no one willing to make a change with him? How useful could his technology be with only one weak excuse for an angel manning it?

Mino's voice pulled Mic out of his slump. Hearing that his brother was seeking alone time was not surprising, but...

"M-MINO, WAIT-!!!"

He paused briefly to ensure that he had Mino's attention, staring desperately into the Prasino's sapphire eyes. Mic was not ready to let him go yet. He needed to know why both of them felt the way they felt. He needed reassurance from the only angel he could still call family.

"Why... Why exactly did you leave?"

---------------------------

"Thanks, Mino... We'll see you later," Paul sighed, his gaze trailing back to Kelsey as the angel left the room. Kelsey let out a low, pathetic whine as she slowly rolled over, facing the wall, shivering as she pulled the covers tightly against her body. Seeing this, Paul gently patted her arm, then adjusted the blankets until she was snugly tucked in. A day of rest was well called for.

Leaving Kelsey be for now, Paul walked back up to his chair and scooted it closer to the bed with little effort. Right about then, a knock on the door directed him to Jordan. "O-Oh, hey... She's, uh... She's better, but still not a hundred percent. Vomiting hasn't stopped and she doesn't remember my name, but she's thinking coherently enough to know she's not in danger and carry out conversations."

He sat down with a heavy slump. "Wish there was something else I could do besides sit here and wait."

[DanteMGalileo]

"Hmm. I see she's more or less a normal... ish human being at this point? Not like I have the right to call anyone but Will a freak, do I?" Snapping his fingers, Jordan conjured a small orb of darkness in his hand, quickly going out.

Hmm, what if there was anything...?

"Listen, Paul. I'm no motivational speaker, so please pardon my lack of charisma or tact."



Cough. Clear throat. "Look. Sometimes there are things that one person can't do by themselves. There's limits on everything. I mean, look at me. I ain't strong or smart, so I gotta leave some things to the people that are strong and smart. I know I've got a snowball's chance in the fiery brimstone hell of making even a dent in that army. So does she. You can't shoulder all the burden yourself or you'll end up breaking from the weight." Jordan clenched a fist, sharply exhaling. "But you can't lose yourself. If we keep stacking up corpses, are we any better? No, not really. I know it's rich for the contract killer to say, I get the irony."

He shook his head. "Just... just try to stay true to yourself. Neither you nor me are fighters. So we have to lean on the people who are. But in turn, we can be their support."

[Pink Moon Wolf]

Mino cringed when Mic hollered at him from across the room. Despite his annoyance, he stopped with his hand on the doorknob and turned to shoot his brother a deadpan glare over his shoulder. Whatever Mic wanted, he better have been prepared for a short answer.

So... why did Mino leave? A well expected question considering the position Mic was in, but one that didn't exactly need justification on.

"Well, it's fairly simple," Mino muttered back. "Angels are *rseholes and I wanted nothing to do with them. It's not like my absence would matter to anyone. But you already figured that out, haven't you?"

Mino then opened the door and stepped out into the desert heat without another word.

[ParamountKeymaster]

"..........................."

Mic stared at the closed door where his brother stood mere seconds ago. He wasn't sure how to react to Mino's answer, if only because it was the exact kind of response he was anticipating. Mino was a simple guy with uncomplicated motivations. That was an aspect of his personality that Mic could empathize with, even though he couldn't relate. He was too much of an overthinker to be content with such a plain ideology.

Mino was right, though. Mic had already figured out how Paradiso felt about either of them. No sense in drawing that matter out.

But the idea that his absence from the army would make no difference...?

No. Mic was going to prove that wrong.

With a newfound fire in his eyes, Mic picked the wing frame of his armor back up and got right back to work.

---------------------------

Paul took a deep breath, watching Jordan out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't anticipating a particularly eloquent speech, and to be fair, he honestly wasn't in the mood for one. What Jordan had to say was fairly plain and simple, and Paul certainly appreciated his attempt at elevation, but he had little to offer in response.

"I don't feel like losing myself was ever the issue..." he eventually sighed, wringing his hands. "Heck, ever since this whole adventure began, I've only been learning more and more about myself. And it's weird to say, but it doesn't feel like I'm changing or losing what was already there. I'm just... being me."

Kelsey squirmed a little and let out a soft groan. Paul reflexively reached for the wastebasket, only for Kelsey to go still and quiet again, greatly easing his nerves.

"What worries me is her. She has been putting too much on her shoulders. She has been losing herself. We've both grown to depend on each other so much, and I'm happy to be here as her emotional foundation if nothing else... but I don't want to see her burn herself out again... and I don't know how to stop that."

[DanteMGalileo]

Well, that went as expected.

"You... Somehow, I think you're the one person that could keep her from losing herself," Jordan added with a shrug. "I ain't good at this whole empathy thing. You need to be her emotional anchor. Or something. I dunno. This is hard for me, I just kinda..." He uselessly raised his hands, before letting them fall down to his sides again. "Flop. 'M not good with emotional crap, so..."

He brought a hand to the bridge of his nose, pinching. "... I'm more of the guy who sabotages shit in the shadows or acts as a blade in the darkness. I'll do what I can. But you're kind of the main man here."

[ParamountKeymaster]

Something of a sad smirk crossed Paul's face as he nodded back at Jordan. "No sweat, man. Sometimes matters of the heart can't really be described with words. It all comes down to trust, and by now, I know Kelsey and I have that going for each other and for the rest of you guys. I'll be okay. When the time comes, I'm sure I'll know what to do."

With a deep breath, Paul stood up and gave Jordan a light slap on the arm. "I appreciate you hanging around. How're you holding up?"

[DanteMGalileo]

"I did some introspection. Thought 'bout who I was, how I became who I am now, the, ah, circumstances of my family..." Jordan's eyes looked away before resuming glancing at Paul. "I'm not a man who dwells on the past. It's not my style. Look, I'm going to miss my mom and Lobo, and hell, even Flint. Their deaths are going to pain me for the rest of my life, I know that."

Jordan shook his head quickly. "But you know what? Introspection fucking sucks. The dead are dead. They can't hurt you. The living are what matter. They can hurt you." A spark seemed to have lit up in his normally-dull eyes. "Just... Will needs to know that. Sometimes he acts like he's seeing things that aren't really there. Like he's seeing the ghosts of his blood family or some shit. ... Oh, yeah. Will isn't actually related to me and Leanne by blood, but you might've already guessed that."

[ParamountKeymaster]

"Hm..." Paul nodded sympathetically. "I getcha. Things like that never really leave you."

He continued to stare at Kelsey as Jordan went on. He understood what Jordan was saying, even though he knew that the dead weren't exactly dead. Flint and Lobo weren't wholly gone, but Paul still felt the painful weight of their deaths. In the case of Jordan's mother... in a way, she wasn't gone either, but Paul didn't feel inclined to say that aloud out of fear of sounding cliche or in bad taste.

The part about Will, though, drew Paul's eyes back to Jordan. "He's n...? N-No, it'd didn't occur to..." He pursed his lips with hesitation, then he dropped his head, ashamed of his ignorance. "I hadn't even considered it."

Paul then ran a hand through his hair, glancing between Kelsey and Jordan. "Well... I may be here for a while. What do you intend to do?"

[DanteMGalileo]

"Don't worry about it. Let's just say that we have to... falsify our identities a bit for our own safety. Pretending we're all full siblings is a good start," Jordan replied, shaking his head. "Leanne is actually only my half-sister, same mother, different fathers. Just... don't go telling people about this, or we'll have to disappear."

He took a glance at the sick girl in bed, then at the wall. "I can't really travel until it cools down a bit, but I'm not staying much longer. I have to find Will and Leanne. I can't stand losing what's left of my family. So... I guess I'll be gone once the sun goes down a bit. ... Yes, unlike some people, I actually know what the glowy thing in the sky is called."

[ParamountKeymaster]

"Sounds good to me," Paul warmly replied, glancing at Jordan with a sort of fraternal concern. "I know I should figure out what happened to Scott, but... I don't feel ready to leave. Not while I still don't know how long Kelsey will be like this. But I'm certainly not going to keep you away from your family."

He raised a fist, offering Jordan his knuckles to pound. "I'm believing you'll find them. Send my love when you do."

[DanteMGalileo]

"Mmph... I'll let your goody two-shoes brother know you're alright if I see him," Jordan replied. "I'm just gonna rest up a bit 'fore I leave. I've got no directions, but at least I know how to find north..."

He placed a hand on Paul's shoulder. "And... be careful. If you die on me, I'll be annoyed."

[ParamountKeymaster]

"I appreciate it, man. Take care of yourself," Paul mused with a little smile. At this point, it was all he could ask of any of his friends. Jordan's parting words elicited a mere, low chuckle out of Paul as he watched the young man exit the room.

He took a seat and turned back to Kelsey. Alone again. A day to recuperate. Truthfully, it was the only thing Paul wanted.

With her back turned to Paul, Kelsey stared at the wall, feeling distraught for reasons she couldn't articulate. Hearing the conversation that had taken place behind her and the names that had been exchanged... it filled her with a deep sense of pity, grief, and above all else, obstinance... but she didn't know why. All she knew for certain was that these people needed her for some reason.

She tightly closed her eyes, letting a few tears slip out. She felt weak, helpless, powerless, and she hated it. The nausea and body aches were certainly debilitating, but it pained her to just lie in bed when she could sense that something was amiss. Something that demanded her attention. Something that she was a major player in. But not only could she barely move, but if she couldn't even remember what that something was or who these people were, how useful could she be?

Why was she here? What did she need to do?

Wait... That Mino guy... He was an angel, wasn't he?

The angels... Yes... They were the ones who caused this, weren't they?

Or... was it the...?

............

There was still so much to unravel within this broken soul. Kelsey took a deep breath and let herself sink away, focusing on herself... focusing on what she knew to be true...



I am the Mistress's Maiden.

There is a God. Of that much, I am certain. He takes many names throughout the multiverse, as well as many forms, but His Essence exists in all things, permeating every universe. Eternal. Omnipresent. Benevolent. Passively watching over all, actively answering the call of those attuned to Him.

His servants and intermediaries are the angels. These angels are not the flesh and blood monsters who blaspheme the name of His divine creations, seeking to destroy and conquer for their own gain. These angels are celestial beings created from the raw, primordial Essence which pervades the very foundations of the universe they watch over. They are pure, holy manifestations of reality itself, their forms unlike anything that exists in the natural realm. Beautiful yet unfathomable. Equally as glorious as they are powerful.

All demons are descended from the original fallen angels who turned against God and gave into selfish whims. Their Essence was tainted, transformed into its dark, destructive opposite: Blight. Their malleable, energy-based bodies changed over time, adapting to the nether realm to which they were banished, gaining physicality, taking on widely varying forms. When the first man and woman, like the fallen angels, sinned against God, it allowed the demons a gateway to spread their Blight to the physical realm.

Within my universe, there have only ever been thirteen archdemons, those who have achieved the pinnacle of demonic form and power. They began their lives as ordinary demons of varying races before undergoing a unique, highly specific ritual. No one knows all the details of the ritual besides these select thirteen. I know only a few: Their bodies aged to five thousand years, their souls absorbed those of ten million others, they consumed the blood of the devil himself, and they let their old forms burn away in the lake of fire. The creatures they emerged as were too horrible for mortal men to comprehend. Even lower-class demons were rendered mere husks in their presence. So they resided in the void in between the branches of reality, watching over the physical and nether realms.

Most of the Noble Ring of Archdemons is currently roaming my Earth in the bodies of ten humans who were never allowed the opportunity to live their own lives. One archdemon of the Noble Ring has been banished to oblivion, separated from time and space, Essence and Blight, and his former vessel's soul now resides within me.

One archdemon, the Mistress, the leader of the ring, lies in wait in the In-Between, awaiting the day that my blood and spirit are purged of the foreign Blight that prevents her from properly possessing me. This was to be my only purpose in life. To be used. To be controlled. To have nothing for myself. Sometimes I wonder if this is still my purpose. Though I have been liberated from one archdemon, I now carry out a new purpose forced upon me by another. Everything I have, everything I am, I owe directly or indirectly to them. Every facet of my life has been dominated by archdemons one way or another. They are the reason I exist. They gave unto me, and they continuously taketh away. Now I fight them, and one of them, the thirteenth, the exile from the ring, is the one I serve.

This thirteenth archdemon is Trielvyr'auvryar. At one point, he was referred to as the Master. These days, he's referred to as the Disgraced Noble. Me? I just call him Tri. Calling him by his full name is the only means through which he can be temporarily summoned to the mortal plane. I'm currently suffering the consequences of attempting this.

Though Tri can possess my body if he so chooses, my blood pact permits me free will, and most of the time, he makes good on that stipulation. The only reason I can channel Tri's powers at all is because of my physical and spiritual compatibility. Thanks to the Blood Elders' tampering, my body was already adapted to the normally degenerative effects of archdemon energy, and my spirit was already so tainted with Blight that I'm sure that even before I entered my pact, God would not grant me access into Heaven. My soul, however, is weak compared to most humans, granting me limited access to my archdemon powers and leaving me easily corruptible to both outside influences and the dark instincts my new blood imbues me with. Like the archdemons, I can strengthen my soul by consuming others' and absorbing them into my own.

I missed my first opportunity to do this. To better myself. To save a friend. To keep something for myself. To keep Jeremy by my side.

Never again.

[DanteMGalileo]

"Mmph... Man... wish it hadn't come to war..."

Jordan plopped himself down on a couch, pulling a blanket close to him. It was already nicer than his actual bed back home. And certainly nicer than a coffin. Heh. Then again, what wasn't? He pushed some of his hair in front of his eyes as a makeshift sleepmask. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to...

What an inhuman thing war is. I know I'm a professional killer, but... that's a one-on-one deal behind closed doors thing. Not armies colliding, or a clash between beasts of incomprehensible strength.

---



Snow fell. It would have been a tranquil sight, had the white blanket of the earth not been speckled with corpses, ash, and blood. No. It wasn't a tranquil sight at all. It was...

It was revolting. He glanced down at his hands, the light material that made his gloves covered in a rainbow of blood. They had been unable to tell friend from foe, and to be cautious, they had slaughtered everyone besides their own. It was a fiasco for everyone involved. Some had retreated. Most died. And a few, such as him, were lucky enough to survive. At what cost, though? So many deaths, and for what? So they could claim a victory?

He glanced around. One of his allies was on the ground, alive, but maybe he would've been better off dead. He had pulled his knees up, face in his hands, shaking, his formerly light clothing a rainbow of blood. He made out some babbling, although what he was trying to say, if anything... Well, he couldn't tell.

To avoid looking at his broken comrade any longer, he glanced at one of his fellow survivors, a girl several years younger than him. Her robes were not stained as much as he and his companion, as her magic let her maintain a distance. Still, some had splattered on her anyway, but it looked almost artistic on her. She had closed her eyes and was kneeling in prayer. What was she praying for, anyway? For the fallen to find peace? For forgiveness? Was there even anything out there that would take prayers from bloodstained warriors such as them?

Heh.

He doubted it.

[Pink Moon Wolf]

Mino watched the dunes roll by beneath him with little interest. It was the same old desert with the same old arid landscape, offering next to nothing in terms of visuals, but monotony in and of itself never bothered him. The vast, empty space had practically become his home, an isolated region that separated him from the meddlesome outside world, if only for a few short years.

But this wasn't a leisurely flight. Sure, Mino needed a moment of privacy away from his guests, but he had set out into the desert with a purpose in mind.

A flurry of sand and dust danced on the horizon, peppered with arcs of electricity. Spotting this, Mino made a beeline for the sandstorm, picking up speed and sailing effortlessly on the dry updrafts. As he drew closer, the silhouette at the forefront of the storm became clear. The enormous sandworm tore across the desert with grace and ease, its slender form weaving through the dunes but never burrowing beneath the surface.

A familiar shape stood atop the head of this sandworm.

Mino dipped into a steady descent, landing atop the great maker just behind its rider. "Thought I might find you out here."

[ParamountKeymaster]

El-Sayal glanced over her shoulder, her gaze mostly obscured by her hood and scarf, her hands still firmly gripping the maker hooks that dug into the sandworm's scales. She let out a low sigh through her nose and faced forward again. "It's not often that you come out this way. I take it something is troubling you."

Leto bucked somewhat beneath their feet. El-Sayal slowly, tenderly dragged a foot across his hide and, noting the direction in which the anxious worm was attempting to turn, adjusted her hooks to guide him in that same direction, graciously leading him westward again and away from the distant city.

"I'm going to assume you didn't leave Kelsey completely alone. I hate to imagine what might happen to her while her doctor is away."