Daemonic Madness II: Better Angels

[succy]

Characters: Closed to characters below!
Summary: Continued from our Daemonic Madness plot, the conflicts simmering below the surface of the community are finally coming to a head.
Date(s): May 2018
Warnings/Notes: Psychic coercion, sexual themes, etc. If you have not been contacted about a previous role that you'd like to continue, please reach out to shramp!

Daemonic Madness II: Better Angels

Of sinners I am chief

Delila (Closed to Hunter & Vanyel)

The two men are in the woods tonight. At least, it looks like it's just them.


It's been months since they went after the little girl, but that was in another tract of forest entirely— they've run into each other once or twice since then, and seen her abandoned car still sitting by the roadside. A few of the succubi and the other sex worker had asked after her, but none had been surprised when they were told Delilah couldn't be found. The amplification accidents are over and people are safe— if Delilah chooses to make it so, all they can do is look for her. But life goes on.

The weather is mild and Hunter is out for a run, listening to the song of the eerie, alien 'wolves' that inhabit this world. Their occasional, piping songs lured him out a few miles out to the North, but he's on his way back when he hears the thwok of arrows hitting solid wood targets, and the crisp crunching of someone else moving in the deepening dusk.

Vanyel is practicing his archery against a tall tree. Vanyel hears it too, of course. The weight of a body moving over vegetation.

But here's the rub: they know that it's not just each other that they hear. There's someone else out here, amid the trees and the thick brush, moving about. No telling if it's D.E.S.T.I.N.Y., or someone who means them no harm at all.

Guard Dogs (Closed to Rosie)

At this point, guard duty with the succubi is both uneventful and also pretty sexy. There are a couple different men and women, employees, who've gotten rather friendly with her— eager to flirt, or to talk about the culture of her home, to discuss music, the best soundtrack to discussion. You know. #justdemonthings. Just sexy demon things, specifically.

The reverse of normal businesses, it's usually the late mornings that they ask her to come in to the luxury apartment complex, with more of them sleeping or going about business that they don't get done during busy nights. There haven't been many thefts lately, and certainly not on the same scale. Some had started to suppose it might be over, and that they should let Rosalina get back to her usual, sexy life. But they kept procrastinating, perhaps flatteringly; they like having her around. She's one of them, this motley collection of those regarded as discards and freaks, even for those who come from the more progressive worlds.

The other guardstaff are pretty cool, too. There are a couple rumors floating around about why the last guy got fired, but that aside, it's typically Bill the Lizardman who hogs the couch between patrols and Akari the Human Ninja who doesn't say much, but did bring them take-out steaks this one time.

It's a nice way to earn some extra barter goods. And positive vibes, which are ever in short supply in Xistentia these days.

This morning, Rosie's hanging out on the orange couch, while Bill mutters and pushes at her leg. Akari is walking the halls for now. "I'm bigger than you," he says. "No penis jokes." They have already talked about the penis jokes. Just because his genitalia isn't always external doesn't mean he doesn't have a penis!! Rosie! "I should get more couch."

??? (Closed to Era et al.)

TBD.

Comments

[succy]

[As trees whip past Era, her mind's eye evokes a recent scene-- just remembering. The cadence of running feet below her, the thrill of pursuit in her veins. It was different back then, on her wedding day, but nonetheless, something of this moment hearkens back to the moment she drove her own tiny feet through the trees, her gown floating behind her, and the white animal up ahead.

She catches a vague glow of light from ahead. She's closing. Whatever the being is, he doesn't move very fast. A sudden stench needles into her senses as she draws breath. It reeks of decay. Old flesh. Something human, or close enough. She zings past the buzzing of a carrion fly.

Her daemon pings. A dozen more people on the search, but most of them are far away; further even than her Elezen companions. It looks like she might be on her own for this one.

She catches her first glimpse, finally. Human-sized. A being with black, matted hair, ashy skin. But its-- his?— neck is glowing, light slicing into view in the heavy dark. He's fumbled down into a ravine. A few hundred yards further, she can see it: a gateway, a portal, a little like several she has seen before. Surrounded by light geometry that weaves into the ground, leading off into the forest. It's drawing power from the substance of Xistentia herself. And wherever it goes, the spy desperately struggles to get there.]

[astralera]

[ Death and decay are no stranger to her nose, though it's been some time since she's last caught the scent of it. It still has nothing on the breath of a Morbol, thus it's easy enough for her to brush aside for the time being. She can search for the source of the stench later if need be.

There may be no aether currents here with which Peki can use to fly, but his wings most certainly slow their descent as he jumps down into the ravine after the man. Era has seen countless portals in the span of her admittedly brief memories, though none that look quite like this. It's clearly unnatural - all straight lines and sharp edges, much like the geometries she uses in arcanima, yet evokes the sense of something organic; a weed digging its roots into the earth, suffocating all the good in it.

It needs to be disrupted, yet the man seeking to reach the portal is of higher priority for the moment. Era leaps from her Chocobo's back, crossing the distance between herself and the grey man with a well timed Corps-a-Corps. She doesn't know what to expect from her opponent, but she also isn't about to run him through with her rapier without being absolutely certain she needs to.

So Era uses the hilt of her blade, bashing it firmly against the man's head in a spot that should stagger him (hopefully) and not outright kill him. ]

[zomby]

[Thunk.

Her blow lands solidly, and the head beneath the hilt of her blade feels-- squishy, in the way that she's familiar with, in her lengthy acquaintance with death, killing, corpses. He feels rotted already, and up close, the stink that erupts from the collision would be enough to make her gag were it not for the spirit of fight pounding through her body. She hears a grunt, and then—

--light bursts forth, out of the wound she struck to him. It's dazzling. Blinding. Painfully bright. She sees stars— literally stars, constellations warping in a black void under his skin.]

You seek to strike me down. [The rotted young man wheels to a stop, finding his footing. He looks up at her with dull eyes. It becomes obvious: he's wearing a corpse.

Literally. Wearing one. The creature underneath is unimaginable.] But it's more than desperation that gives me strength, young woman.

[astralera]

[ She has seen the dead come back as naught more than a necromancer's thralls but never encountered a situation such as this. As tempting as it is to shield her eyes with a hand she needs both to keep her weapon drawn, and so Era is relegated to squinting her eyes against the brightness while her rapier remains aimed squarely at the corpse's chest.

If the being underneath is incorporeal her rapier will do little, nor will her knowledge of the most vulnerable spots on a humanoid's body. Era cannot know how best to attack or defend unless she knows more about this creature, and yet she does not have the time. ]

And why is it you're so desperate, corpse wearer?

[ She does not trust D.E.S.T.I.N.Y., but neither does she trust F.A.T.E.S. It leaves her more open to listening to what this agent might have to say, if they're at all willing to speak. ]

[zomby]

[His lips twist against the grey of his face. Not a smile, not quite a snarl. Something halfway between, in civilization and intent.] Because there are worlds within me that I would not sacrifice for all your sweet friends and family. [He doesn't sound regretful. But there's an absence of glee from him to. If anything, his words are factual. He might as well be telling her that rain is wet.

But then he reaches his fingers into his neck. Twists. And out of the glittering brilliance of his neck, emerges in a rush of power—

a beast, standing on six wide paws, claws like scimitars, a leonine head. It lunges at her, unthinking— and in the course of it, funnily enough, it actually kicks the corpse-wearer aside. He tumbles away, ignored for the moment by the enraged creature.]

[astralera]

So you've been forced to spy to save your universe? [ Now that she knows what it is - that by slaying this creature she would be (possibly) forfeiting multiple worlds. Era wishes she could save them all, if there was but a way that she could. But there is none that she knows of at the moment and it is her duty to keep Hydaelyn and Her connected worlds safe. Her sole reason for existing.

She Displaces herself, backflipping a good few yards away from the beast. It's like some odd sort of chimera, perhaps with a bit of Behemoth added to it. Nothing she finds all that intimidating. She throws a barrage of rapid-fire spells at it - wind, fire, stone, lightning, light, and dark - before using Corps-a-Corps to get back into range, landing aetherially enhanced blows with her rapier before backflipping out of range once more.

Her Chocobo, Peki, assists her - kicks and pecks with single-minded determination, utterly vicious. A particularly powerful blow stuns the beast for a precious few seconds, giving Peki enough time to heal any damage she may have accrued.

Emmy, for all that it is a daemon, is still her Carbuncle summon. It shoots powerful blasts of air at the creature, slamming it with its body, running circles between all of the beasts' many legs to throw it off balance if it can.

If Era can seal the portal and trap the astral being in Xistentia perhaps something may be able to be worked out between them. There must be a way to save all of their worlds without sacrificing another's. ]

[zomby]

[Era's magic lands with ferocious intensity. Lightning, fire, stone. They rip away at the beast's body and form, crushing bones and raising a heinous stink of fur into the air. The margin of time between the creature thinking itself having a chance and realizing it doesn't-- it's too small. Blood runs freely, gory down its side by the time the barrage is done, its muzzle rended to pieces.

It's already falling, slumping over on its numerous legs. Its tail traces a huff of dust from the ground.]

Countless universes, [the zombie creature says. And with another flick of his fingers against the open seam in his neck, the beast that she saw is abruptly replaced--

—by two.

One is the shape and size of the creature previous. The other is a massive lizard, with talons as wide as Era's arms. Six-legged again, which seems to be a unique identifying trait of the beasts native to the zombie creature's world.] I am a universe, [he says. It sounds grandiose, but it isn't. It's factual, for him. There's more and more light bleeding out from under his neck, even as he steps toward the portal.] I have billions arrayed against you. Billions within me. You cannot defeat me.

[astralera]

[ Era ignores the being's words, realizing quickly that it cannot be reasoned with. It would condemn all other universes for the sake of its own, without fighting for an alternative.

The portal is where her focus needs to be. Emeraldd and Peki can handle themselves, though she will toss a few rapidfire spells back if need be. Her companions have tackled larger groups of monsters than this with great success. Era just makes sure to let Emmy know to take its time - draw it out to try and avoid even more creatures spawning.

The corpse is slow, but Era takes no risks. She needs to buy herself more time and has just the spell for it. She casts Tether, a spell to bind the target for twenty precious seconds. Seconds Era can use to examine the portal and figure out how to deactivate it. ]

[zomby]

[Her spell snaps into place immediately. The zombie creature arrests on the spot, his feet rooted to the ground, one arm bent forward and the other back, mid-run, mid-step. It's hilariously awkward. He'd probably fall, were it not for the strength of the magic holding him upright and in place, his jaws half-locked around the next comment he had been about to make.

But even as he stands there, somethings' happening with him. His undead skin is tearing, more and more brilliant light beginning to crack, chink out of it. Slicing through the air, perhaps even the holding spell itself.

In the meantime, Era's own fleet steps take her easily over the ground. She hears the creatures combating her companions-- the lizard is considerably more formidable than she expected, landing a heavy blow against Peki. In the meantime, the other creature starts to fall.

She assesses the situation. And as she measures the distance to the portal, the zombie thing, maps the moment in her head, a sudden flash of an image splits through her mind's eye. It's that same symbol she saw only weeks ago.



A spitting image through her head. Emeraldd's eyes begin to change, a holographic bubble popping out into the air over it. It reads simply:

CONVERSION PROTOCOL

AWAITING USER INPUT

as the energy of the moment sweeps through Era's slight frame.]

[astralera]

[ It's difficult to ignore Peki's pained cry, but it is not the first time her beloved Chocobo has taken a powerful blow, nor will it be the last. He will survive, and she will tend to his wounds as needed. That doesn't mean she won't toss a powerful Verflare over her shoulder at the offending beast, however.

Era stumbles momentarily as the all too familiar image flashes through her mind. When Emeraldd suddenly acts strange. She vaguely remembers Tony saying something about his gift to her involving the use of her daemon, but it's all a blur at the moment. Regardless, she hesitantly sheathes her rapier that she might pull the odd device out of her inventory. It could be a mere coincidence that this gift of Tony's has the same symbol the unicorn showed her, yet Era is not about to question it. If it works it works, if it doesn't... Well, Estinien and Aymeric should be here soon and they can figure something else out then. ]

[zomby]

[As Era moves to grasp the odd device that Tony gave her, her thoughts start to clarify. The edges of that strange, searing vision come into clearer definition. It's a strange and stressful situation to be sure, but the Warrior of Light has always had a complicated relationship with the world around her, no matter what that world might be. Responsibilities that would cripple anyone else.

Tony's typewritten words come back to her. The way that people -- our people — would change to fit those worlds? Memory loss, changes in physics, abilities, that kind of thing.

Emeraldd's dialogue box jumps and rolls with the little daemon, as its remarkable finesse takes it around the lizard creature and the other monster, moving to target their eyes and throw their attacks off Peki. Emeraldd signals too, that Estinien and Aymeric draw close. Adrenaline pours through Era's veins.

The zombie creature is breaking free. More light slicing through its skin, which forms cracks, like a shell.

And in that moment, she remembers—

Primals. In her own world, they would be the equivalent of a creature so powerful that it contains its own worlds, has its own creatures, unimaginable power. And with an interdimensional gateway right there, she could conceivably take it to the world where it belongs— and regain her own powers, unhindered, as she was.]