|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 22, 2019 13:33:35 GMT -5
A foot morphed into a talon, gripping the top of a tree. Percy saw a sea of green as far as he could see. His wings melted back down to reform his torso, throwing his shirt and jacket back on. His head was clearer than it had been just minutes ago, when he was yelling at Leanne, getting yelled at by Leanne. Apparently, a few minutes of fresh air was enough. Still, there was just one thing he needed to do.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
After getting... that out of his system, Percy inhaled and exhaled a few times. Are we done yet?
"Just about," Percy replied, closing his eyes and allowing him to visualize a face. "My apologies. I just had to get that out before I went to..."
Yeah, you're going to do that right now. You were kind of an ass back there.
"'Kind of an ass?' Please." Percy opened his eyes, ears perking up a bit at something on the wind. "Imago, I was a complete asshole back there. Leanne deserves an apology. I just flew over here to get it out of my system and calm down a bit. Which I did. And besides," he added, turning around.
"... How long have you been there, Kelsey?"
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 22, 2019 13:46:56 GMT -5
"Barely even a minute."
Kelsey casually stood amongst the forest floor, hands in her pockets, wings still out but folded comfortably against her back, her placid expression directed up at the tree with the teenage boy perched atop it. She slowly approached the tree, keeping her gaze on Percy, but everything about her face and her posture was decidedly laid-back.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to chew you out," she calmly stated, stopping near the base of the trunk, leaning back to stare directly upwards at Percy. "Given the amount of stress being thrust upon us all at once, I'm sure the last thing you want is a full-blown therapy session. I was just worried, is all."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 22, 2019 14:04:48 GMT -5
"... Actually, I probably could use some therapy, but I'm broke and can't afford it or insurance. I don't go barefoot by choice, y'know..."
Looking down at Kelsey and meeting her eyes, Percy lowered himself until he was sitting down on the branch. "Even if you didn't come to chew me out, let's be honest, I need someone to yell at me for running out all the time. I mean, what, this is the third time in two days?" Inhale, exhale. "... Just not right now. Thank you."
He allowed himself to slowly slide off the branch, softly landing on the forest floor. Huh, was he actually taller than her? if barely? "... Thanks for the concern. No, really, I mean it."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 22, 2019 14:32:29 GMT -5
Kelsey just shrugged as Percy jumped down to her level, her expression and posture unchanging. "Any personal frustrations on that matter aside, speaking as a kettle to a pot, I'd say I have a pretty bad habit of that myself. When you live your life as a sentient timebomb, it becomes instinctual to blow up somewhere alone and away from anyone you could hurt in the process."
She slipped one hand out of her pocket and gave Percy a gentle, friendly punch on the arm. "If you'd rather I leave you to it, I understand. I just wanted to know for sure. If there's anything you wanna say, though, I'm right here and I'm all ears. You don't have to suffer through all this alone. Relatively speaking, anyway."
"Tiptoeing on a fine line there, chica."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 22, 2019 15:10:55 GMT -5
Rude. I've been here for all but a few days of this kid's life, and you still call him alone?
"Shut up, Imago," Percy said to the air (or so it seemed), before turning back to Kelsey, rubbing his arm. "Sorry, he was being quite rude. As for why I'm here, well, you know, had to blow off some steam before I went to apologize to Leanne." His ears perked up a bit. "I've always found these places relaxing. Nice to feel the dirt under my feet. Nice to feel like I belong somewhere at the very least..."
He began to slowly walk away. "Then again, you seem like you'd understand. As you said, you're a sentient timebomb, can relate."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 22, 2019 15:26:09 GMT -5
"No worries. That's kinda why I tacked on the 'relatively speaking,' but I find that it's a little risky to be emotionally vulnerable around demons."
"Triggered. I feel triggered, everybody!"
Kelsey simply shook her head at Tri's remark. Then she offered Percy a warm smile. "It's good to blow off steam. Get away from the chaos, breathe in some fresh air every now and then. Helps to clear the mind so you can better categorize all those jumbled thoughts. I'm glad you did."
As Percy started walking, Kelsey took a few steps forward and leaned against the tree, letting out an airy, amused snort. "I can absorb some pretty harsh damage if you still need to vent. I might not have a comprehensive knowledge of your personal history, but I'm sure there's plenty more I could relate to than just being an unstable powerhouse."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 22, 2019 15:48:02 GMT -5
"... Y'know, I'm pretty sure you're an awesome friend wherever you're originally from. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to call myself one someday."
Percy stopped where he stood, allowed his shoulders to slouch, and sighed. "It's not you. Not anyone. Not directly or intentionally, at least. It's just that, well, I've always felt... out of place," he admitted. "I see kids go by with their mums, their dads, grandparents, uncles and aunts, whatever. I never knew mine, so, yeah... I don't know what it feels like." He inhaled to prepare himself for what he was about to say next. "And yet, I can't relate to the street kids, either, what with the fact that my foster fa- Mort- I mean, the commander, he always gave me a place to crash, something to eat, so long as I pay my rent, of course, and man, is rent in ode expensive." Percy gave a nervous chuckle, turning around to face Kelsey. "I've always been awkward. Am I awkward because I feel out of place, or am I out of place because I feel awkward? Or is there a difference? Kinda surprised Will and co accepted me. I'm always welcome at their apartment, and before their dad vanished they always had me come over for Tuna Tuesday. Mmm... I miss tuna eyeball soup..." he trailed off slightly.
Oh, right. "Sorry about the tangent. Must be boring hearing me out."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 22, 2019 16:14:53 GMT -5
Kelsey let out a low, somewhat sad chuckle directed at the ground. "I dunno about that. Any friends I make tend not to stick around for very long." Intentionally or otherwise, but she wasn't about to say that aloud.
Sensing that Percy wasn't about to run off or insist on privacy, Kelsey let her wings sink into her back, then resumed her casual lean against the tree. She stared at Percy's back, listening in respectful silence as he rambled about his lack of a traditional family, the relationships he did have, his feelings of being a pariah... All the while, Kelsey maintained a soft, knowing smile, hardly bothered by any of it, feeling nothing but commiseration for the kid.
Another chuckle escaped her throat. "You're fine, Percy. Really. I'm used to my fair share of heart-to-hearts. When it comes to helping people, I find communication much less strenuous than combat."
She leaned forward, pushed away from the tree, and started a slow pace, kicking up a few stones here and there. "I get where you're coming from. I never really got to know my parents either. I did have my grandparents, though, and I know that's nowhere near the same as foster care... but even still, it would just be nice to know what it would've been like. And... I don't even have them anymore..."
One deep breath later, Kelsey looked Percy square in the eye again. "Sorry. Don't let me make this all about me. The point is... that feeling of not belonging, of wondering whether it's you or the world that's the problem... I get it." She shrugged slightly. "And there really is no real answer to that question. We have no control over how the world works. We just have to work with what we've got. And from what I've seen... a lot of what you've got is pretty good."
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 22, 2019 16:56:18 GMT -5
"... Heh... yeah... could easily be worse," Percy admitted. "Could have literally nothing, not even the clothes on my back. Can count myself lucky to have a place to stay, food, clothes, friends..." He looked up at Kelsey, nodding with a small smile. "And now, someone who finally actually understands what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling..."
He felt the hair on the back of his neck stick up. His ears went from up to down, then held tight and low. Wait, what was causing this sudden feeling?! It wasn't Kelsey, no, if it was he would have felt it by now! It wasn't even some weird deadland creature that somehow found its way to Purgatorio, either, they had a strange odor, and he wasn't smelling anything.
Percy let out a gasp, watching as the ground below turned grey, the trees turn lifeless as the monochrome spread upward, the sudden silence, not even bugs or birds, just dead silence. Swallowing a lump in his throat, his hand shaking, the image of a sword appeared, but ever fully took shape.
"... I don't... I... 've got nothing..." He was scared, okay?! Even the death forest only turned red, not this, and he could still hear the wildlife! "But... I... Behind you..."
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 22, 2019 21:18:15 GMT -5
Kelsey's smile dropped. Percy was on edge about something, and even if she wasn't sensing anything herself, she knew better than to ignore it. "Percy...?"
Tri let out a long sigh. "Uh, yeah, remember what I said right before we left? The monster in the woods?"
"Sh*t..." Kelsey looked down at her feet, her spine going rigid as she watched the forest somehow steadily start to die all around them, a deafening silence enveloping them. "I take it this isn't something that normally happens on this weird-*ss island?"
"Unlikely."
Kelsey glanced up at Percy again, unsurprised but no less unsettled to know that the confusion was mutual. At his warning, Kelsey quickly whipped around, a black aura springing to life around her form, a fierce scowl spreading across her face.
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 23, 2019 13:40:32 GMT -5
From Percy's point of view, there was no real form to be seen. Whatever was attacking them was invisible. However, he caught patches of distortion, forming a quadruped creature whose head was dominated by an oversized mouth, fangs bared and ready to take a bite out of Kelsey. He wasn't sure if she could sense it, she probably could, but-
This thought was cut off by sudden intrusive thoughts that didn't belong to him or Imago. He couldn't make out what they were saying. "I-Imago? What the hell is going on?!" As the creature launched itself at Kelsey, Percy let out a scream, a burst of purple coming from his left hand, darkening the area immediately surrounding the two.
"Imago?! Why are you sudden si- AUGH!?" He felt something slash into his arm, prompting Percy to whip around and find the shape of his attacker, a vaguely weasel-like creature with claws. Muttering a daemonic swear that the damn bug had used a few times, a blast of pink light came from his right palm.
More of those invisible creatures seemed to emerge from the air, he couldn't sense their presence, between him and Kelsey.
The weasel creature was stunned, and Percy took advantage of that to run towards it, grabbing the damn thing and throwing it against a tree. Its body burst into a multicoloured mist upon impact, quickly dissolving.
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 23, 2019 17:58:16 GMT -5
Kelsey let out a startled yelp and immediately responded to the creature lunging by unleashing a flamethrower stream from both hands. She leaped aside with catlike grace, anxiously looking around and trying to get a read on their situation, her eyes unhindered by the darkness Percy conjured. "So no context for any of this, I take it?!"
Smaller creatures started to appear, to which Kelsey responded either with flame attacks or by flinging them aside with shadow tendrils, her frantic expression ever apparent all the while. "Tri, can you tell me anything about what these things are?!"
"Ehhh..." Tri hovered in place in the center of the fray, weighing his hands back and forth. "It's a little complicated to explain in any quick and concise manner under these abrupt circumstances."
"Well can you give me an abridged version?!"
"Uh, yeah, they're monsters. Punch 'em."
"VERY HELPFUL, TRI!!!"
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 23, 2019 19:12:33 GMT -5
"Gah!" When something slimy grabbed his leg, Percy swore and released a blast of pink light into what he assumed was its face. Whatever he hit, it made the damn thing let go. Distortions, more distortions- he made out Kelsey's form through the bent light. "Hey, Imago! Imago!!" Several creatures lunged at him at once, forcing him to spin, pink light and purple shadow swirling around him, knocking them back. The sudden static in his head wasn't helping. "What are these things?! Anything I should be aware of?!"
"͝The̡ ̷on͟e̵s who visit̷..."
"What?! What's this about a visit?!" Kick to the face. One down. However many more to go. Hang on, was Kelsey further back? Or was it just how it looked? "What are these?! Help!!"
"If y͡o̵ù s̨ee ̵th͢e̸m,̨ ̕th̕e͞y ̧c͢a̸n ͘h͞e̵a͟r̸ you͜. I͠f ̴y̷ou͢ c͢an̵ ̧he͠ar͡ ̡th͟em,͘ th̡e͝y͢ can ̀s̀ee͠ yǫu. ͠"
"I meant like actually important information!"
"̢I͝f̀͘ ̧̢y̛ǫ̡u͞ ̴̕w̷̢̕e̸̷nţ̢̕ ̴̢t͏o̶ ̕͢t́͟͟h̢͡e̷i̷r ̡͝l̀̕a̧n̡͟d̵,̧͜ ́͘͞t̀͝h̨̡eỳ̷͡ ̵̷͜c̛a̶̧n͠ ͝t̵͞o̕u͞c̶h ̵͡y͜o̕͢ù͘͡.̡̛̀"̨̕͏
"... Why are we talking about sand?! And why are they..?" A burst of darkness got another of the things off him, but forced him back further. "Kelsey! They're doing the divide and conquer routine! We need to-"
Something tackled Percy, cutting off that sentence. Several more of those creatures stood between him and Kelsey, bearing their claws, teeth, and whatever else they possessed at the demonic girl.
|
|
|
|
Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 26, 2019 21:26:04 GMT -5
"GAAAHHH...!" Sparks, ash, and iridescent mist exploded all around in colorful bursts as Kelsey hurled fireball after fireball at the encroaching weasels. Her reflexes proved their worth as she sniped any that got too close, well before they could touch her. At one point, on edge and quickly getting fed up, Kelsey lassoed at least three of the creatures all at once and slammed them into the ground with all her might. "SLIMY! LITTLE! BASTARDS!!!"
She heard Percy calling out to her, his voice much more distant than it had been the last time she heard it. Glancing over her shoulder, Kelsey spotted Percy through the tangle of trees about twenty or so yards away, currently just as swamped by the weaselly freaks as she was. "Percy!"
"Kelsey!" Tri stuck close to Kelsey's back, keeping a sharp eye on her six o'clock. "Maybe now's a good time to give the Dancing Dark a try!"
Looking around, noting the creatures that were starting to surround her and block her direct path to Percy, Kelsey frantically nodded back to the archdemon and decided there was no time like the present. The duo spun in place, back-to-back, swinging their arms in a perfect circle. The shadows one the ground rose up around them, forming a semi-transparent, semi-permeable dome of darkness.
"WUSLX, WUSLX!"
At Tri and Kelsey's simultaneous command, the shadowy dome erupted into a chaotic tangle of black tendrils, blindly and rapidly lashing out in every outward direction, each one whipping about too quickly to dodge or even keep track of with the naked eye. The surrounding weasels were quickly smacked away, tossed high into the air and slammed down, even sliced clean through the middle before fading from this plane.
Eventually, Kelsey sprung free from the knotted weave of shadows, slipping between the tendrils and taking wing, flying in the direction of the young man in peril. "HANG ON, PERCY!"
|
|
|
|
Post by DanteMGalileo on Jul 27, 2019 10:28:14 GMT -5
"Ah, Kelsey the hero, man I wish I could be that."
F̵̱̣̻̯̼͉ͅi҉̗̪̤̘̹̮ͅg͔̹̳͢ḩ̖̺̪͙̠̯t̟͉̮͉ ̟͇̣̜͖̹͞no̫̥̻͚̻̝w̸̬,̭̭̼̟͎̣̰ ͓́sn͖̝̕a͏͉͍̩rk̡͓̥ ̝l҉̘̗͕̭̫a̯͍̟͇͍̭t̤͚̦͈͕̬̙ḛ͔̣̺̱̕ŕ!̘̳
"I don't know what the hell you just said, but..." Percy slammed a palm onto the dirt, releasing a pulse of darkness that was meant to scatter his immediate attackers. Instead, the ones closest to him merely stumbled, quickly regaining their footing. Something slimy, a tentacle, ensnared his wrists and ankles, quickly pulling him to the ground, away from Kelsey. Several creatures, easily several feet taller than him judging by the size of their distortions, charged at the demonic girl.
"D-Damn you! Theia-!!" A fifth tentacle slammed over his mouth, cutting off the burst of pink light in midair. His voice muffled, he felt himself being dragged off, to a darker part of the dead forest...
K̻͇̻̮̀ḭ̩̩͕̥͉̗͙d̠̼̯͝!̗̗͓̬͙͍̼́ ̩͖̤̲̕͝ͅD̻̖̕ͅo̴͇̰̜͉͢ ̘̬̀̕͢s̛͍̳̳̜̮o̡̬͙̟̣̠̲͞m̜͔̥̖̙̻̯̀e̤̳̱̫͚̼̥ͅt̶̴̘̪̗̩͞h̢̘͚͖̹͇͇̘̫͘i͏͏͚̹̖͇͔̹̼̳͖͡n̢͍̖̝̳̞͟͞ͅg̣͚̲̮̹!̗̥͕͇ ͖͡͠B̠̳̤̟̩͓̲ͅu̵̖͓̥͖͙̰r͏̨̺̟̣̻̲̲͞s͏̘̖t̶҉̙͎̪̹̭!͔̱̲̬͚̟͓ ҉̡̘̘͕͙͍̺͕͡Ṕ̠̟͉͇̮̭̘͎̦͠u̸͈͕̜̦̬͇l̳͓͢ś̟̠̯̻̞̕͘e̬̥̦͈͜!͎̠̩ ̬͕̪͕̙͕͞A̷͇̺̹̠n͉͉̳͓̬̩̦͘͝ͅy̧̛̫̞̱̱̜͕̬͜t̴̗͓̱͈͖͡h̛̲̺̬i̧͎̟͚͎̰͎̤ͅn͏̪̹̭̥̘g̬͟!̜̫̰̭̖̭͉͜
What the hell are you saying!? I can't hear a damn thing!
What seemed to be the leader of this group had a humanoid shape, the facade only breaking when its hand shifted into a claw, sinking into Percy's chest, although leaving his skin unbroken...
I-Imago, what the fuck are they doing?! I... I feel... feel...
A grey light began to rise from Percy's chest, the invisible claws slowly exiting...
Kid?! Kid! What are you... They're... NO!
Suddenly, an unseen force forced the invisible claw back in, the grey light fully retreating into Percy's chest.
Ī̸̼̙͉͕͕̙͉̰̎̏͘f̹͖͗̓̒͋́ ̧̨͚̦̘̤̮̱̠̳̆̋̂̌ͤ̉ȉ̪̗̙̭͔̯̦̀̽̀͟͢t̶̪̦͇͉͉̎̑̆̄͂'̵̔̄ͬ̐͋ͣ͋͜͏͖̪̘s̨̝̯͚̗̮̭̩̙̬ͥ̇ͪ̅̄ͧ͌́͟ ̨̡̯͍̻̼̙̻̖͖ͫ̑ā̶͙͉͑̆̄̌̂͊ ̬̣̞̱̓̊̓̆̊̆s̈ͬ̇ͮ҉̪ö̹̰͖̭̭̠̭̤̦́̓͐ͩ͟u͑̋̋͂̐͏̷̨̼̗ĺ̷͚̮̣͙̤̙͞ ̶̧̰̱̱̄̅̍ỷ̥̫̣̼̞̲̿̅͗̋ͨ̓o̥̲͍̜̜̱̞̓͆͘ų̳̹̜̠͎̈́̎ͪ́̿ͬ͋̚͢ ̝̗͔͕̱͙̘ͣ̏ͥ̕wͬ͆̓҉̗̳̥̺̲̱̜̀a̠͓̖̭͈̖̯͎ͤ͠n̖͔̠̗̩̽̎ͭ̃́̆t̹̺̰̝̰̣̙̙̫̓̾͆͢.̻̪̎̇ͭ̉͝.̫̺̝̬͆͂̆ͯͬ̓̎̿ͪ.̴̝̬̫̘̭ͭͣͣͭ̍
The hand began to rise up again, this time a red light emerging...
Then you can damn well take me!
The invisible claw fully retracted, an orb of red light in hand. It made a motion suggesting it was speaking, but no sound was audible.
At this apparent command, the creatures that were still standing retreated, some sinking into the ground, and others simply vanishing. Percy lay on the ground, eyes shut, facial muscles still tense.
The red marking shuddered, and began to twist on itself, turning blue...
|
|
