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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 16, 2019 13:17:13 GMT -5
(( That’s not too much at all! It sounds interesting (horrible for poor Winter though). If you don’t mind, I was wondering if Romi could get hurt trying to wrestle Winter away from his dad? I think this would be a good opportunity for Winter and Romi to bond a little. He sees that she’s serious about protecting him and she realizes exactly how far she’s willing to go to keep him safe. ))
Romi quietly followed him, a dark heaviness falling over her shoulders the closer they approached his father’s house. It was like walking into the heart of a storm, surrounded by dense and unwelcoming clouds, the threat of something worse looming above her head. She felt worse when she split away from Winter to find her hiding spot, getting into position to wait for his signal to begin her spell. With him by her side, she had still felt intimidated, but now she felt overly vulnerable. She felt alone, like there was no one here to help her, and struggled to fight off that sensation. This wasn’t about her and she wasn’t alone; no matter how much Winter didn’t like her, they were in this together, and neither of them would be alone in this. For now, they were a team. They would help each other tonight.
Taking another deep breath, she peeked out from her hiding spot between the cracks to watch the situation unfold. Her hands clenched around the collar of her shirt, where her necklace would normally be. It was awful, sitting and waiting by, uselessly watching. She didn’t like being on the sidelines, didn’t like the thought of seeing him get hurt at all.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 16, 2019 14:03:05 GMT -5
(I don't mind at all. I think in the moments between the silver being administered and the time he transforms into the demon, Romi would have made herself known. It would make perfect sense that she might be, and would get, hurt in trying to help. What sort of injuries were you thinking?)
Their father wasn't home when they reached it. Winter wasn't entirely sure where he spent most of his day, but, then again, he really didn't care. All he knew was that it never failed that the man wouldn't be home during this portion of the day. So they used the time to get set up. Walking into the small house, Winter was hit with the sights and smells that made him want to just burn the whole place down. The air was heavy with the stench of alcohol, burning his nose and churning his stomach. The layout of the house was simple enough. Down the hall from the front door about five steps, there were two doorways opposite one another. To the right was the little out-dated kitchen, and the left was the living room. Both rooms looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a while; dishes were piled up in the sink and on the kitchen table, the carpet of the living room desperately needed a good scrubbing, and everything was covered in a thin layer of dust. The hall continued another few feet before two more doors appeared right before the hall ended with a staircase leading upstairs. Both doors were closed. One was just a closet, and the other one lead downstairs. Both doors Winter avoided as it they carried the plague.
While Romi went to hide, the boy hurried up the stairs. They still needed something to attune the spell to their father. Romi said clothing would work, so he went to find something. Sure, hair from a hairbrush might have worked as well, but this was part of the house he wasn't allowed to go. Never had he tried to enter their father's room for any reason. He figured it would only end poorly if he did. Even knowing that the man wasn't at home still frightened him enough to be quick about his mission. The room itself was strangely normal, with little clutter or personal items anywhere. That unsettled him more than anything. Quickly, he found a shirt and took it to Romi. With that done, he went to wait in the hallway, halfway between the kitchen and the entrance to the basement.
It was two hours before he heard the car pull up. That was when his nerves kicked in. This was it. Now or never. He had never been able to fight their father, but that had been with his own efforts. Romi was hidden, her glamour in place. She would step out into the fray before things got bad. He took a steadying breath, straightened his shoulders, and raised his head, ready to meet the demon head on.
The door opened and admitted his father in side. There was no hesitation, no surprise. Just a grin that bade ill for him. "Well, look who decided to come home?" the man asked, closing the door and striding towards his son. It took every fiber in Winter's being not to step away or to snarl. "What? Did that little witch of yours change her mind? Did she see you aren't worth the trouble?"
"Quiet the opposite," Winter responded, struggling to keep his voice steady. "She seems too fond of me. I didn't like the how she clung to me. Why trade one cage for another?" That should have been the start. If Romi could hear, he hoped she was getting ready.
His father chuckled and drew ever nearer. "And you decided to come home, did you? Have you finally gotten smart enough to own up to your mistakes? Or were you hoping I'd have pity on you? I assure you, there's consequences that must be dealt, and there is no mercy for involving witches into our affairs."
"No, I came to get answers," Winter responded. "I have ever intention of walking out of this house in one piece. You just have something that I want."
"Oh? And what's that?" His voice was mocking. The boy wasn't in a position to be making demands.
"Information," was his answer. Regardless if he got an answer or not, Romi needed the clear signal of when to strike. "I want to know who our mother was."
That had the desired affect he had been hoping for. His father paused within reaching distance. If he wanted to, he could seize the boy and not answer at all. There was nothing stopping him from beating him senseless. For a moment, he studied his son, measuring him. This was the first time he had even asked about his mother in a long time, and even then it had been the other one, whatever name the personality claimed to be, the skittish one who would bend to his will. This one, the one with some echo of promise, of fight, never seemed interested. So why was he asking about that woman now? "And why should I be inclined to talk about such a wretched woman, hm? Why would I be bothered giving her the satisfaction of speaking her name?"
"Because I think it's only fair. If you're to hate me because of her, then I should have a right to know why."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 16, 2019 14:50:11 GMT -5
(( Yeah it definitely makes sense, considering how chaotic it’s going to be once the demon comes out. Any sort of injuries are fine, literally whatever you think fits best into your response/the situation works for me. Something slightly serious would probably be the most likely, since she wasn’t really expecting a physical fight. ))
It’ll be okay, Romi told herself silently as she hunkered down, out of sight, and waited for Winter to bring her something of his father’s. She didn’t know if she truly believed that it would be okay or if she was simply lying to herself to appease her own fears, but she did her best to put her faith into the words. More than an hour passed after Winter handed her an old shirt, which she quickly put into place. On the floor of her hiding spot, she had drawn the proper symbols for the spell in white chalk, the demon’s shirt in the center. Now all she needed was the signal to bring the spell into motion, reciting the words quietly in her own head so that she wouldn’t forget them. We’ll be okay. We’ll be fine. Everything will go according to the plan and the boys will be free of their dad.
Magic was as terrifying as it was wonderful, but this was something she had never attempted to do before. Not only was she not permitted to use banishing spells due to her age, she didn’t have much practice with verbal spells to begin with. Verbal spells were finicky and tricky, easy to mess up and get wrong. All it took was one mispronounced vowel, one too many pauses, one second of being tongue twisted for everything to go horribly wrong. Romi liked potion making, liked the smell of drying ingredients and the pride that came with getting a mixture absolutely perfect. She didn’t like the rush of energy through her veins when reciting spells, the way the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and her heart beat painfully fast in her chest.
There was no time to be picky about magic choices, however. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to help someone who truly needed it—to give someone a chance at a free, better life. Winter needed her, even if he wouldn’t admit it out loud. Derek needed her. Sam needed her. These boys meant too much to her now to back out. Besides, very little scared her in life, which was much too unpredictable to spend worrying about every little thing. She wouldn’t let her fear control her actions or her life.
I can do this.
The sound of the door opening, of heavy footsteps, startled her from her thoughts. She went incredibly silent, listening intently for her signal. The demon’s voice sent an uncontrollable shiver down her spine and she fought down the instinct to punch him in the face. Focus, she needed to focus on Winter, to be able to discern the signal that they agreed on. Not the time to let her stubborn protective anger get the best of her, as much as she wanted to.
When Winter called her too fond and said he didn’t like the way she clung to him, Romi tried not to sigh and roll her eyes. This boy was continuing to live up to his cold name, alright. She wondered when her irritation at his frigid attitude had started to turn into a fond sort of exasperation instead.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 16, 2019 16:14:30 GMT -5
(Fair enough. I'll also try to leave it vague enough so you can decide where exactly you want the injuries/think would be best in the moment and how bad each one is, for I'm assuming she will sustain a few of them, lol.)
There was a moment of silence as their father thought his words over. He hated the woman who given him his son, and had enjoyed every second tormenting her until she finally couldn't take it any longer. Thus leaving him with a son he thought he could shape into something useful. It only turned out he was a broken, useless half-breed. A cruel smile alighted his face. "You wish to know?" he asked, deciding to indulge him just this once. It wasn't like the information would harm him. "Fine. Perhaps it'll be a lesson to you the next time you run off to a witch for help.
"your mother," the man spat the word as if it was the foulest curse in the world, "thought she could manipulate demons to her beck and call. Already had one familiar, she did, but that didn't seem to be enough for her. Had a way of sniffing out demon blood, she did. Somehow she managed to track me down, bind me in a summoning circle, and offered me a choice: submit to her and be just another familiar in her arsenal, or banishment. I didn't take kindly to that offer, and I made it well know. For you see, for all her spells and charms, she underestimated me. Oh, she got a good three days worth of watching me squirm, of using her tools and tricks of the trade to make my life miserable. But enough was enough. She had thought little of me, and it was her downfall. I broke free and made sure to return her lovely treatment." His grin turned dark with twisted satisfaction. "Lasted nearly a year, she did before giving up. She lasted much longer than I would have wagered, but perhaps that just meant I wasn't as tough on her as I could have been. Either way, it's safe to say she learned her lesson with meddling with demons."
Winter listened to this in silence. "So she was a witch," he observed. He didn't know if he should be surprised or not. Really, she would have had to been a part of the supernatural world for their father to even take any interest in them.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 16, 2019 21:38:52 GMT -5
(( Alrighty, works for me! So do the boys have any magical abilities from their mother that might show up sometime later on, other than having a demon form? ))
His mother was a witch?
Romi was stunned and if she hadn’t already been doing her best to be silent, she would have been shocked into it by the revelation. She wouldn’t have guessed that the boys had a witch for a mother—none of them had displayed any of the usual traits, from what she had seen. No accidental magic, no strange connection to the phases of the moon. Perhaps they had traits that were less common due to their demon blood, but she didn’t know. She thought she would have sensed it if they were a fellow magic user, the way she could with Aries or her own parents. The fact that a demon and a witch could have a child together at all was beyond surprising. A union like that was one she had never heard of before, not even in stories.
Demons were wild, uncontrollable, and sometimes had children with humans. That was rather common, actually, as half-demon humans were often the familiars that many witches sought out. A demon and a witch having a child together was far above bizarre. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so shocked by it, but she couldn’t exactly help it. This was new information to her, both because it was a fact about the boys she had never known and because this was the first time she had ever heard of someone having a demon for a father and a witch for a mother.
All she could think was, Winter sounds calm. I hope he’s okay. Romi had never seen him truly lose his cool over anything, though she still admired the way he kept so calm and collected in the face of this dangerous situation. He must have been used to it by now, being in the presence of his cruel father. No longer would he need to worry about protecting the others from this man—they would put an end to this tonight.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 16, 2019 22:40:12 GMT -5
(I haven't thought that far through, so that can be explored later. XD If nothing else, that may be why he got the invite to the party. Someone in the Council might know who his mother was and wanted to see who he is and see if he has any magical abilities.)
Winter was silently counting the seconds that went by, steadily growing more anxious. How long did it take for her to cast the spell? Could she even hear them? His worry over Romi's end of the plan battled with his focus for the conversation at hand. The information he was given was not expected. So they were part witch, well warlock, on top of everything else. Great. Was there anything else thrown into their blood to make things more complicated?
His brain was struggling to come up with what to say next. He hadn't thought this far, and now he was regretting it. "I blame that witch blood that's made you so useless," the man said. Faster than he could defend himself, a hand collided with his head.
Winter stumbled back, leaning against the wall as his vision blurred momentarily. A growl escaped his throat out of reflex. He wasn't going to stand there and make it easy for him. "So you took your revenge on the witch. Why keep us here?" he spat, pushing himself so he was balancing on his on feet, hands clenched into fists by his sides.
"I thought you'd might be good for something," the man replied. "Turns out I was wrong."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 17, 2019 15:12:57 GMT -5
(( That’s fair, there’s no rush either, so you’re free to add whatever anytime you want. I like the idea of that being why he was invited to the party, though! Makes a lot of sense. ))
Romi didn’t start the process until she was certain that Winter’s father was distracted enough. The spell was slow going. Even after Romi started to recite the familiar words that she had been studying under her breath, she knew that it would be some time before the spell came full circle and was completed. A minute or perhaps a couple minutes—it wasn’t like she was able to practice the spell beforehand, on account of needing a demon to actually banish in order for it to work at all. She kept her voice very, very low, so quiet is was not much louder than a whisper, and dedicated the majority of her attention to the task at hand rather than their ongoing conversation.
Magic buzzed through her blood like adrenaline, made her feel dizzy, and she closed her eyes to steady herself. If she slipped and stumbled her words, she would ruin their only chance for success.
It was hard to focus, though. There was something nagging at the back of her mind, biting at her skin, that was bothering her. The sensation was unfamiliar and very distracting, though she tried her best to ignore it and keep her mind turned to the spell, the words that slipped out of her mouth with some difficulty.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 17, 2019 15:45:18 GMT -5
(Perhaps since it's never happened before, the Council doesn't know how unsteady he might be with his magic/abilities. So they want to find a way to contain and observe him? But that could also be what has kept his demon powers at bay up until now. Maybe having both set of magic parents, it hasn't allowed one or the other to fully take control.)
Winter opened his mouth to spit out another response, but the boy didn't have time to say anything. A hand found itself wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air supply. The boy clawed at the hand and kicked out with his feet. While he did manage to land the blows on their father, the man didn't seem phase him.
"Enough of this, boy," the man growled. "Do you think I'm stupid? You might have hidden that witch well, but did you really think I wouldn't be able to feel her casting that spell? Do you think that I would allow such a spell to be cast within my own home?" He pulled the boy away from the wall, only to force him back against it, reveling in the resounding crack that followed with the impact of his head hitting sheet rock.
Panic was well and truly settled in Winter's gut at his words. How was he to know that the man could sense magic being cast? Now that he had brought it up, he could sense their father's presence as he willed it throughout the house, the cold, ominous, and angry energy surrounding him and seeping through the very walls. How he was doing it, he wasn't sure. He cursed himself for knowing so little about the demon. He should have learned more before rushing into the plan. However, it was to late to regret it now. He knew sooner or later this encounter would happen. There had been no escaping it. Yet even with that knowledge, he couldn't stop himself from trying to struggle out of the man's grasp as he started dragging him to the basement door.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 17, 2019 19:57:57 GMT -5
(( I love that idea! It would be great to incorporate them trying to observe him into the main plot and I love the reasoning that both sides of his powers are essentially canceling each other out. I think it makes everything have an extra sense of mystery to it. ))
Romi’s attention broke with the sudden revelation that she and her work were no longer hidden—he knew she was there, could feel the magic that she was using. Although she tried to keep her concentration steady enough to finish the spell, she found herself faltering between words, and ultimately ruining the incantation she had nearly completed. It had been difficult to focus before and now she knew why, that the demon was actively trying to thwart her efforts to banish him from this world. As her words died and her heart raced in her chest, she heard the sounds of a struggle just outside of her hiding place. Feet scrambling on the floor, a vicious growl from one of the two men—she couldn’t tell who at this point.
What was she supposed to do now? They hadn’t planned well enough, she realized. They didn’t have a plan B. There was no backup ideas to deal with the failure of the overall spell. Should she start over and try it again? Did she even have time, when Winter was being dragged away? No time to go back to the beginning of the spell, it would take too long. Winter could get hurt in the time it took her to finish and she wasn’t sure she trusted herself to be able to do it.
Dumb as it might have been, Romi pushed herself up to her feet and scrambled to find something to defend herself with. Anything, anything. At last, she found what might have been a cane near the front door, before she took a deep breath and rushed for the basement after them. She was not being smart—not by a long shot—but she couldn’t bare to stand by and let a Winter get hurt.
This was her fault, anyway. She shouldn’t have been so naive.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 17, 2019 20:53:48 GMT -5
(Cool! I'm glad you like the idea. ^^ And truthfully, I didn't know that what I wanted to go with until I had written it out, so I'm also glad it works with the flow of things. XD)
The basement, while to most might have looked like a normal, bare basement, was Winter's most hated place in the world. There were many areas of the house that he avoid, and it transferred to other houses and buildings as well, but the basement was the worst. All the way down the stairs, airway still restricted, he recklessly kicked and clawed at their father. He didn't care if he got dropped and tumbled down the stairs. That would be far better than whatever was in store for him.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, the lights were brought to life, though no light switch was turned on. The cold, musty air of the room held the years of torture tight in its grip for Winter. Even with eyes closed, he couldn't stop the rush of fear that overtook him. Desperately, he opened his mouth to try and drag in a much needed breath. It was easier said than done.
"Come on down here, witch," the man called, knowing that his voice would have carried through the entire house. Her glamour still kept her hidden for the most part, but he knew she wouldn't be far. If she cared anything about the boy, then she would be there soon enough. "If you want fight me, then let me show you what you're getting into."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 17, 2019 21:40:10 GMT -5
(( Tbh, some of the best and greatest ideas are decided in the heat of the moment when it comes to rps. It’s nice to just go with the flow and see what happens. ))
The taunt—and the subsequent threat in that taunt—were as transparent as glass and just as thin. Ice this thin was doomed to break, to plunge her into danger and foolish recklessness. Not that it could be helped. Magic didn’t work much on this demon, who was very much like an insect. Always finding a way around her foot, always avoiding the one thing that could squish him out of existence. There was no choice to be made, only action. A fight, as he put it, because if there was one thing that remained true throughout the night it was that Romi cared.
Her compassion was as much of a weakness as it was a strength.
Despite knowing that he couldn’t sense her due to the glamour she still struggled to keep up, Romi’s hands were shaking as she approached the basement door. She had never fought a demon in her life, least of all with a wooden cane, and she couldn’t foresee this playing out well. Adrenaline and determination were a hell of a thing, though. When she reached the bottom of the basement stairs and was close enough, she swung the cane as hard as she could like a baseball bat over the back of the demon’s head.
The wood splintered and snapped like a twig, leaving her with nothing more than the pathetically broken remains of what the cane had once been.
Uh-oh.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 17, 2019 22:08:37 GMT -5
(That is very true.)
The man, whose name had not been mention but is Urzilan, waited still as a statue while his son struggled in his grasp. He could still draw in breaths, it just wasn't easy. He listened as the footsteps of the witch grew louder, soon descending the stairs with obvious caution. He didn't turn around, not even when he knew she was standing right behind him. When the cane came crashing down onto his skull, he didn't even flinch. Instead, a chuckle resonated throughout the air.
"Seems you'e got more fight than this one," he said. He drew back his arm, dragging Winter with it, before throwing the boy into the concrete brick wall that supported the house. There was another loud thud, a small cry, and then he was lying on the ground, stunned and gasping for air. For a moment, he would be occupied, so he let his attention shift. He turned to face the girl.
As he turned, the room seemed to grow darker. Despite the lights that were on, the shadows collected and deepened around them. By the time he face Romi, the man was no longer a man at all. He had transformed into his demon form, towering over the witch. He no longer held any human resemblance to the body he once had. Dark, leathery looking skin, glowing red eyes, jagged sharp teeth, and claws adorned his hands. He looked more beast than human. "You're going to have to do much better than that." And with those words, his hand shot out to grab hold of her arms.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 17, 2019 22:47:08 GMT -5
Illustrations of demons in books were disturbing to look at, enough that they gave Romi the creeps. She knew that they were meant to be naturally dark, sinister beings that instinctively struck fear into the hearts of the victims. Still, she could handle looking at a few old, faded ink pictures. On the other hand, to see a demon up close and person in real life was…
Horrifying.
Romi didn’t have enough time to dwell on Urzilan’s leathery skin or glowing red eyes, as his hands shot forward and his claws dug painfully into her skin. The pain burned through her like a hot iron, spreading up her arms and making her teeth clench. Angrily, she yanked her arms back—a poor decision that only worsened the bleeding gashes—and tried to lash out at him with her fists and feet. Physically, she was no match for a demon, and she knew that. Her nerves were too wrecked to use her magic, which was going haywire enough these days as it was. She couldn’t focus to think.
“Stay away from him!” The witch spat, vicious in spite of how out matched she was, and scrambled to dig her nails into his leathery skin. In his demon form, she couldn’t scratch him like she had last time, even if she wanted to. “Don’t touch him, don’t hurt him. He’s not your punching bag!”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 18, 2019 13:12:21 GMT -5
(Quick question, which name do you like better: Xorros or Void?)
"He is my blood, and I shall do what I wish," Urzilan answered, his voice more guttural and deep. He dug his claws in deeper into her arms as he dragged her over to one wall. There, just out of reach of the lights, hung the silver shackles that he used to keep his son when he needed time to think of his mistakes. Completely unmoved by Romi's words and attempts to hurt him, the demon was able to close the bracelets around each of her wrists.
Then a hand struck across her face. "You witches think you run things, don't you? Like to walk about, putting yourselves above us, using us for your biding," he rumbled. "I think it's time for me to give you a wake up call as well, just like the whelp's mother."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 18, 2019 13:44:01 GMT -5
(( I really like Xorros! It sounds strange and otherworldly. ))
Romi swung out her legs to try and kick Urzilan as he dragged her toward the wall—she was in so much pain, but adrenaline numbed the majority of it. She would feel worse once it wore off and the shock faded. If it was awful now, she didn’t want to imagine what it would be like in a little while. Panic settle into her chest at the sight of the shackles and she scowled, struggling to free herself fruitlessly. In the end, her thrashing did nothing to save herself from being chained to the wall.
“Blood doesn’t mean anything,” she said and spat on him from her place, attitude no less sharp, even in captivity. “He’s not yours to bully.”
When he insulted her and her kind, Romi only sneered and bared her flat teeth. Every word hurt as she gritted out a fierce, “Our familiars are a part of ourselves, whether they’re demons or something else. They are family and they are friends. It’s a bond that you could never understand. Maybe your witch was a bad egg, but you’re no better, and we’re not all like that.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 18, 2019 19:08:32 GMT -5
(Xorros it is! x3)
Urzilan chuckled. "My witch? I want no affiliation with her. She tried to turn me submissive and failed. She merely turned herself into a way to pass my time," he told her. "A shame I won't have that mercy on you. Perhaps if you hadn't tried to banish me, I'd think of going easy, let your time stretch out a bit. Sadly, you will not get that option."
And with that, his hand struck her face once more, this time with more claws than palm. He left deep gashes across the left side or her face, from ear to nose. If she didn't use magic to heal it, then they would leave quiet the scars, but she wouldn't have to worry about that. With the iron tang of blood feeling his nose, the demon prepared for the next blow, only to have his arm seized.
Winter stood at his side, teeth bared in a feral snarl. Something in his ribs had cracked on impact with the wall, making it hard to recover his breath. However, the boy wasn't going to let Romi be hurt more than she was. His promise to her brother didn't include protecting her from death, but he couldn't just sit back and watch the monster do what he wanted. So he clung to the Urzilan's arm with both hands, using all his might to keep him at bay.
"Oh, look, have you a soft spot for the witch after all?" Urzilan sneered, shaking the boy off easily. "Then I'll deal with you first." Turning, the demon strode over to the set of cabinets lined up on the opposite wall. He opened one and the draws and pulled something out. It wasn't until he turned around that Winter caught sight of what it was. In the monster's hands was a syringe. That alone made his blood run cold. How many awful things had been put into his bloodstream in the past? Some with only minimum effects, and others that had long lasting effects? As he passed under the light, the contents of the syringe gave off a mirror like shine. That was when Winter's resolve broke.
"N-no," he whispered, feeling his hands starting to shake. He shook his head, mentally willing their father to stop, but it wasn't happening. The grin on his face growing. His moment of wanting to protect Romi was gone, replaced with the need to save himself. The boy took a step away from her. Then another. Fear paled his face, and whatever mask he wore on a daily basis had shattered. When he was eight feet away, he turned and made a desperate dash towards the stairs.
Shadows followed him, spreading along the floor and walls, engulfing his feet and tripping him. Winter was thrown face first to the floor, his nose smashing into the bottom step as he did. Blood trickled down onto his lips, but he hardly noticed. The darkness had solidified itself as to wrapping around his body, restraining him. No amount of thrashing was breaking the bonds, and no amount of begging was going to free him. He turned frightened eyes towards the demon towering above him. "I thought you had learned your lesson about running away from me," he tsked. "I gave you too much credit." He crouched down beside the boy and held out the syringe. Winter could only stare at the liquid silver in horror. "This, I've been saving for whenever you decide to cause too much problems. I think it'd be most appropriate to use now." The shadows disappeared around the upper part of his arm, giving plenty of space to administer the injection. There was a small sting, then hell.
There was no bracing himself for the pain. Silver in a solid form was uncomfortable at best if he just accidentally brushed against it, and burned hotter than fire when the shackles were wrapped around his arms and throat. Only the purest ingots had been used to forge them, and it was was than most of the silver found in regular, everyday items. This... This was much worse. Imagine if someone had just crammed the sun into your veins. The screams he produced weren't human. They were pure pain and agony, filling the basement and echoing off the walls. The shadows around him vanished. There was no worry of him running now. All he was capable of doing was writhing on the floor, clutching his arm, clawing at it.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 18, 2019 19:56:40 GMT -5
(( Oh snap I feel so bad for them ))
A burning remark was on the tip of Romi’s tongue as the demon’s hand came down, claws reaching for her face. There was no time to duck or turn away, and even if she had been able to move while bound by the chains, there was no way to be certain that she would have. No time to think, before the blinding pain ripped across the left side of her face. Her cheek was on fire, a flaming line of agony that forced a cry out of her throat, choked and broken. She closed her eyes against it, but the warmth of blood trickled down her cheek, the coppery taste of it on her tongue. Tears welled up in her eyes, unwanted, and she fought to collect herself enough to take in the situation. There was too much going on in her own head—a chaotic discord of pain, pain, pain. In her arms, in her cheek. Burning like acid.
It wasn’t until she heard Winter gasping in pain that she managed to collect herself enough to come back to reality. Moving hurt so bad and she couldn’t be sure how bad the damage to her face was. A normal person might give up or focus on getting themselves out of danger, but not Romi. Her first thought, as seemed to be a growing trend, was Winter, Winter, Winter. He was in trouble, in danger, in pain—worse pain than she could ever imagine. The agony in her face certainly couldn’t compare. Shutting her eyes, she tried to steady her thoughts enough to focus. To do something, anything, that might help. She didn’t know what she could do to help when she was like this, though, bound and injured.
But she couldn’t stand to watch Winter be tortured.
“Focus, focus, focus,” she muttered to herself, the words slurred and painful to recite. Each one made her wounds ache further, but it didn’t matter, because they might very well die down here if she didn’t do something. Magic. Magic, she needed magic—it was always there, in her blood, a part of her. Always. Her mother once said that no matter how distant a relative was, if a person had any amount of witch blood, that the magic was there. Fused into their DNA, a piece of their own soul. Impossible to get rid of.
How do I use magic like you? She had once asked her mother, as a small child, too young to know how to handle the elaborate rules of spells.
Her mother had smiled and patted her head. Your magic is a piece of you. Tell it what to do.
Andromeda didn’t know what could help in this situation, but there was only one thing she could think of. She knew what to tell her magic to do and she hoped, prayed, that it would work. At the very least, that it might buy them some time to come up with a better plan.
The cabinet that Urzilan had opened began to rattle and shake violently, banging against the wall and floor. It’s contents scattered as if pulled by unseen strings, jars and syringes furiously soaring toward the demon like makeshift weapons. Glass shattering, liquids spilling out onto the floor, a mess of various substances she couldn’t name.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 18, 2019 20:32:34 GMT -5
(Yeah, I almost feel bad... But it's necessary. XD)
Urzilan, for his part, was savoring the screams, the misery and the pain. He knew the torment that the boy was enduring because he had once had the same treatment. It was the only reason that he knew of the substance in the first place. The silver would burn, causing the veins to blacken and die. Eventually, the silver would dilute itself out of blood system, but it would cause plenty of damage in its wake. In time, it would heal, but it would take months, if not years, to be fully recovered. Yet something interrupted his focus on the wails of agony coming from his son. The sound of rattling and glass shattering. Looking behind him, he saw the cabinets were shaking as if by an earthquake. All of the contents were flying out of it and landing on the concrete floor. His eyes moved towards the witch.
"Impressive," he commented, raising his voice to be heard over Winter's screams and striding back over to where she was secured. "However, it's going to take more than a rattling cabinet to do me in."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 18, 2019 21:03:08 GMT -5
(( Very true lmao ))
“You’re…full of yourself,” Andromeda slurred, her words mostly ruined by the gash across her cheek. They held more fire than they ever had, though, and her eyes were cold as she met his gaze. After a brief second, she gave him a wily half-smirk that shot agony through her face. “Don’t underestimate me.”
As she spoke, the shards of glass scattered across the floor began to slide closer to one another, crawling quickly across the floor. They fitted themselves against each other, flying upward, clumped together without the use of glue or any adhesive. Her eyes were cold, and while she doubted that this would be enough to kill him for good, she hoped it would keep his attention on her instead of Winter. Now, she thought, and those shards of glass came rocketing toward Urzilan like a broken glass sword.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 18, 2019 21:24:35 GMT -5
Urzilan felt the magic being used, however, as he turned to look at what was being done, he was a little slow to react. He threw his arm up to destroy weapon, but there was still plenty of glass shards that pierced through his skin. He gave a growl of pain. "And you're so naive. How did you ever think you could banish me if all you can muster is petty spells like this?" he asked. As he turned back around, he crashed his fist into her sides, knowing that the force would have cracked, if not broken, several of her ribs in the process.
It was also at this time two things happened at the exact same time. One, all the nights in the basement exploded, plunging the room into darkness. Two, Winter's screams fell silent.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 19, 2019 18:32:47 GMT -5
“Maybe a petty spell is what I was going for,” Romi hissed and, at the same time, the lights in the room exploded. Everything around her went entirely dark, which initially sparked panic into her chest, but she tried to calm herself down. This wasn’t the work of Urzilan, judging by the split second she had to witness the surprise on his face. Which meant that this could only be caused by Winter, who had stopped screaming. She hoped he wasn’t… If he was too hurt to make any more noise, she needed to get out of these chains and help him.
Quietly and with worry, she murmured, “Winter?”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 19, 2019 18:47:08 GMT -5
There was no response. For a span of thirty seconds, the darkness and silence remained. Even Urzilan had turned in the direction he knew his son had been left in. He had been surprised, but not really concerned. Whatever the boy was doing, he was sure that he could easily handle him if he got too rowdy. Another five seconds, and the atmosphere of the room shifted.
Suddenly, Urzilan's cold and dreaded presence wasn't the only one filling the room. There was another, restless, hungry, and chaotic energy bouncing around. It didn't trickle or ebb into existence. No, it crashed against the other demons like a flood gate had been open. Out of no where, a small orb or orange fire appeared, hovering in the air in the center of the room. Two more followed suit, spreading out from the first. Soon, there were enough orbs in the air to light up the entire room, not well, but enough to illuminate the figure standing by the stairs.
Where Winter had once been lying now stood a figure of about the same height of the boy, but clearly not human. Purple skin glowed under the torchlight, reflecting off the set of ram horns that curled about his head. While demonic in nature as he was, it wasn't the same as Urzilan. Where Urzilan was more grotesque and beastly, the figure held more human features than many of the illustrations of demons portrayed. The eyes, however, were red for the irises, surrounded by black. For a moment, he said nothing.
That's when Urzilan let out a laugh. "Finally! You show yourself! I was beginning to wonder if you even had it in you to transform," he said, leaving the witch as he strode towards the figure. "I thought that first half transformation might have been a hoax. Turns out it just needed a bit of silver to draw it out of you."
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 22, 2019 10:31:37 GMT -5
(( I’ll reply as soon as I can! Possibly Sunday or Monday. I have a lot to do this weekend so I might not have a lot of time. ))
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 27, 2019 10:04:31 GMT -5
(( Sorry the long break. Traveling and writing is difficult for me ))
Whoever this person was—not whatever, because despite their monstrous appearance, he was still a person—he must not have been Winter after all. Urzilan greeted him eagerly, like he had been waiting to do for years, but Romi was a bit more hesitant. While Winter may not have liked her much, he tolerated her, and this was someone new that she had never met before. He might not know her at all, if he had never shared consciousness with any of the other alters, and he might not be so welcoming.
Her face hurt as she watched the demon, wet with blood and tears, but she held no fear for the newcomer. Deep down, Romi knew that no matter what, she couldn’t be afraid of any of the alters. Not Derek or Sam, not Winter with his cold personality, and not whoever this new one might be. They all held a very special friendship to her, whether they wanted it or not. She didn’t know this demon, but she did know one thing: Urzilan should not have been so casual about striding closer to him.
“Nice to meet you,” she called out weakly to the demon, soft and maybe a little pained. Even bound and restrained, injured and bleeding, she wanted to make a good impression. Wanted this alter to like her, too, even in the face of danger. He was a friend. “I’m Romi, if you don’t know already. I’m sorry you had to show up at a time like this—I would have preferred we meet under better circumstances. But your dad is a bit of a jerk, so.”
As in, circumstances that didn’t involve Winter being tortured with silver against his will.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 27, 2019 18:37:09 GMT -5
(Don't worry about it. I haven't been on much either. My grandmother passed away Saturday, so I've been pretty busy these last few days.
Also, I added this to the front page, but just so you know, Xorros's appearance is heavily inspired by Talesin Jaffe's character Mollymauk from Critical Role's second D&D campaign. There will be some differences in his appearance, and his personality will be completely different, I'm hoping. I haven't actually watched the second campaign, but I've seen clips of it. Just enough to know who this character is. )
The demon's eyes flickered from Urzilan to the girl. Silence still went unbroken. He knew of the girl, barely. This was his first time being in full control of the body, first true time he had transformed. He didn't exactly have communication with the other alters who weren't even away of his presence in the mind. Well, one knew, but he hadn't told the others. He new a name, nothing more, but he would get to her in a moment. His eyes returned to the other demon striding towards him.
"Scrawny little thing, aren't you boy," Urzilan commented, looking his son over. "Not much to look at, and still bearing human features. Can't say you got the good end of the bargain there, but maybe you'll be able to make up for that in power." He stopped when he was in front of the boy, towering over him. As far as he was concerned, he was still the one with all the advantages. He reached out and placed a hand on his son's shoulder... only to let out a sharp cry of pain.
"First things first," the demon finally spoke, his voice deep and rumbling, yet ringing clear. It wasn't as guttural as Urzilan's, but it held the same notion of commanding attention whenever he spoke. He didn't have to shout for his voice seemed to carry naturally through the air. The moment Urzilan's hand was on his shoulder, his hand grabbed a hold of it and snapped it backwards, causing the wrist to break. At the same time, his aura flickered, more hungry and grasping at the chance to do harm to the monster before him. "I am not 'boy.' You might treat the others with such indifference, but you will not do so for me. You will call me Xorros when you plea for mercy."
His words seemed to only anger her father, but the older demon had no chance to voice his protests. For, quicker than the eye could see, Xorros had moved behind him, bringing the broken wrist with him. He pulled violently on the arm, dislocating the shoulder with ease. As another howl of pain escaped, he stomped on the back of his father's leg, sending him to the ground.
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 28, 2019 16:12:22 GMT -5
(( I’m sorry for your loss. I really hope you’re doing okay and don’t stress over replying. Hope you’re having a good day, too. <3
Xorros’s description sounds really neat! I’m not familiar with that character, but I’ll be sure to look them up. ))
Xorros.
Well, the more people, the merrier—Romi guessed, anyway. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the growing amount of alters that all inhabited the same body, but they were all a part of each other’s lives, and she would accept all of them with open arms. It was impossible for her to say that she liked any one of them more than the other. To her, they were all equal, even Xorros. A stranger though he might be, she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
A demon was a demon, but maybe they weren’t all bad. After all, she had only met two personally. While Urzilan might be a horrible father and an awful person to boot, that didn’t necessarily mean that Xorros would be just as bad.
“Really hate to interrupt the family bonding,” Romi spoke up, teeth gritted and voice a bit strained. Every movement, every word, hurt—she really did hate to stop Xorros from giving Urzilan the treatment he deserved. The sound of snapping bones would have made her happier, if she wasn’t in so much pain and currently still restrained by the shackles on the wall. “But could you untie me, Xorros? Please?”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 28, 2019 17:36:01 GMT -5
(Yeah, I'm doing alright. I don't think it's fully set in, to be honest, but I've been doing okay with it for the most part.
If you click Mollymuak's name on my last post, I linked some fan art of him that I thought looked closer to Xorros than the original character, not sure if you saw it or not. ^^ Really, I just wanted to use his looks as the base of the demon form.)
Still keeping his grip on Urzilan's arm, Xorros's eyes slid once more to witch. He contemplated the benefits of letting her free no rather than waiting until after his need for revenge has been met. It really was no concern of his whether or not she stayed there. At the same time, he really didn't need her here either. Really, he wasn't even sure why she was here to begin with. Eventually, flames sparked to life along the floor covering Urzilan's form pinning the demon to the floor the same way his shadows held Winter. Satisfied that he wouldn't be going anywhere, Xorros straightened and turned to walk over to Romi.
"Little witch," he started, stopping just in front of her. He leaned down a little so his face was leveled with hers, "how ever did you get yourself stuck in this situation, hm? Seems to me you would have been better off staying anywhere but here. But tell me, why should I free you? My time out and about may have been nonexistent, but there are some things I know. One of them being that witches never truly fight their battles alone. If you go free, what's to say you won't bring someone else to dispose of two demons?"
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Post by 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓑𝓮𝓮 on Nov 29, 2019 8:45:56 GMT -5
(( Yeah, I know that feeling. Sometimes it just doesn’t feel real for a while. I’m glad you’re doing okay, though, and I know we’re kind of strangers, but I’m here if you ever need someone to talk to.
I hadn’t seen it, but I checked it out and that’s a cool reference for Xorros’s character! I really like that the demon part of them is his own separate entity. ))
Red eyes leveled her with a careful stare and Romi met them head on, face mere inches away from the demon’s. His appearance was bizarre, to say the least, but it wasn’t enough to turn her away out of fear. There were much stranger creatures in this world, even if she hadn’t met too many personally. “My name is Romi,” she corrected him, softly, and without any fear. He could threaten her if he wanted to, somewhere in that demonic form was Derek and Sam. Winter, too. Her friends, whom she could never bring herself to fear. “I wanted to get rid of him—” She jerked her chin in Urzilan’s direction, a hint of coldness in her voice. “So that the others would be safe. He doesn’t have any right to put his hands on them and I wasn’t going to stand by while he did it.”
Maybe Xorros would believe her, maybe he wouldn’t. She could only tell the truth and hope he would put a little faith in her.
“I would never do that. You’re a part of them and they’re a part of you. If I put you at risk, they would be at risk, too. Besides, I’m willing to trust you and say that you’re not bad,” she answered, trying to speak each word carefully. Even still, it made her wound sting, and she grimaced. “I always give people a chance. Just because you’re a demon doesn’t mean you’re not a person. So if you release me, all I’m going to do is finish banishing your father, and probably pass out in my car.”
The last part was mostly her attempt at humor, but it would probably wind up happening anyway. She was tired and in pain and using so much magic drained her energy like crazy.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 29, 2019 13:11:50 GMT -5
(Thanks, it means a lot to me. Even if we haven't known each other long, I still appreciate that you're willing to lend an ear. The same goes to you if you ever need it.
Yeah, I figured it'd make sense. Xorros holds all things demon related in his own being, and I figured Winter is more of the warlock power, which would explain how he knows more about their abilities and is able to access them, though not well. Derek and Sam are the ones who can use the powers, but they just aren't skilled in it like the other two.)
"Such civil talk for one in as rough shape as you," Xorros commented. He could sense the pain she was in, see it written in the grimaces she gave. Yet she still spoke with such self-control, it intrigued him. He straightened up and slashed his hand in the air above her head. A few seconds later, the silver shackles shattered, releasing her and clattering to the ground. "If you are able to move, then do so. Just be sure to keep out of my way. If you cannot, then I advice you at least turn away. I highly doubt even witches can stomach what I am about to do. You have been warned." And with that being said, the demon returned to here Urzilan was struggling to free himself from the flames.
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