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22:32, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire.

Posted by The Howling DarkFor group 0
The Howling Dark
GM, 815 posts
Sat 5 May 2018
at 16:34
  • msg #301

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"They absolutely do.  How do you think I knew there'd be a demon there to take our drinks?"  Sondok asks him, "You will always- always- be orbited by demons, Lucifer, if they're capable of reaching you.  Most are smart enough to know they're being disoriented, but accidents will still happen.  Some will allow themselves to be disoriented.  Without the Yozis, they- we- are adrift.  Looking for leadership.  Looking to serve."
Lucifer
player, 324 posts
Sun 6 May 2018
at 19:05
  • msg #302

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"I assumed you just sensed it somehow", Daniel replies as he throws a glance after the poor Tomescu.

He returns to the starscape in Sondok's eyes soon enough, though.

"I was aware us Exalts are bound to live in interesting times, but I was less aware of all the mechanisms making it so. Makes sense when you think about it. Humans are drawn to great men as well, although in a less literal sense."

A thoughtful frown appears on his brow.

"Why do you need to serve, though? You were born from the Yozi as incarnations of their will and essence, so I get why servitude comes naturally. I understand - superficially, at least - how shockingly adrift demons are after the sudden loss of your masters after so very long. And  I understand that the obvious solution to losing your master is finding a new one - but I wonder whether it really is the only one, or the right one. And even if you choose to serve, do you need to serve someone? What if you served something instead, like the common cause of the living, or justice, or retribution? Would it actually not be closer to serving the Yozi, fundamental building blocks of the universe as they were?"
The Howling Dark
GM, 816 posts
Mon 7 May 2018
at 21:02
  • msg #303

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Sure, that as well." She says.

"Something.  Someone.  The Living.  Justice.  Retribution."  She leans forward a bit to stare up at him, reaching out with a long finger, nail painted bloody red.  She taps his chest three times, "Embodiments.  You.  And the Infernal, Michael.  Growing beyond what you were."
Lucifer
player, 325 posts
Tue 8 May 2018
at 20:43
  • msg #304

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

His frown deepens as he responds to Sondok's stare and touch, not from dissatisfaction but contemplation.

"You're... Not wrong. I suppose I have been half-consciously cultivating a version of myself that embodies my ideals. I wouldn't presume ownership of concepts like the Yozi did, though."

A pause.

He raises his hand to scratch his temple, brushing Sondok's arm on the way. His eyes never leave hers.

"So you're looking as well?"
The Howling Dark
GM, 817 posts
Tue 8 May 2018
at 21:25
  • msg #305

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"In... a sense."  Sondok admits.  "I was created to guard the works of Ligier.  To protect his workshop.  Now there isn't one.  I move from door to door, looking for something worthwhile to demand my attention.  There... isn't much worth my attention."
Lucifer
player, 326 posts
Tue 8 May 2018
at 21:55
  • msg #306

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

He takes a deep, slow breath.

"So you're a protector looking for something worth protecting. After so long, after losing so much, I'm not surprised it's difficult to find. Is that what you look for in the stars?"
The Howling Dark
GM, 822 posts
Tue 8 May 2018
at 22:34
  • msg #307

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

She actually laughs once.  On anyone else that might be cute, but coming from her- her laugh is deep, dark, foreboding, liquid chocolate poured over a cyanide pill. "No.  Have you stood guard much, outside?  Listening to the dogs howl, the lions circle outside the reach of the light, the certainty that you are fell death to anything that comes close?  No, in times like that, in the boredom that is your everyday existence, you learn to appreciate something that is... different... every time you see it.  I look at the stars, Lucifer, because I enjoy it almost as much as fighting."
Lucifer
player, 327 posts
Tue 8 May 2018
at 23:05
  • msg #308

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

“I see. So rather than something new, your increased time spent stargazing is due to lack of better things to do.”

He heaves a deep breath, shifting from one starlet to another in the demon’s unusual eyes.

“I can see the allure.

 And yes, I’ve spent my share of time standing guard. Some are still debating which of us was last through the door, did you know?”

The Howling Dark
GM, 824 posts
Thu 10 May 2018
at 20:53
  • msg #309

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"What would you define as a better thing to do?"  She asks- a bit pointedly but then seems to relax through self-control, "I can answer that." She says proudly, "I happened to be there.  Though you may not have known it.  I could tell you."
Lucifer
player, 328 posts
Fri 11 May 2018
at 22:04
  • msg #310

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"I wouldn't presume to know with what little I know of you and your choices. No judgment was inferred, only observation."

He quirks a brow curiously.

"Do tell. You being there without my knowing is kind of a giveaway, though."
The Howling Dark
GM, 829 posts
Mon 14 May 2018
at 22:07
  • msg #311

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Is it?  I don't leave the doorways.  Only protect them.  I stood, incorporeal, guarding against other incorporeal threats, along with five gods of hearth and door.  Once they were old enemies, but the oldest of enemies might prove excellent friends." She sighs, "I miss those days."

She has a long pause.  The 'anyway' isn't spoken but it hangs there.

"You were not the last.  The Night Caste was.  You were second, Brahe was third, a mere first circle demon named Dasssssan was fourth from last, and the fifth was Secrets."
Lucifer
player, 329 posts
Mon 14 May 2018
at 22:34
  • msg #312

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

Daniel makes a nod to the side; the answer was unexpected but unsurprising.

“Lyla? Figures. She’s the unsung hero behind so many of our great deeds. And that’s the way she likes it, I suppose. Gives her room to move around and keep doing her thing in the shadows while my sort get the credit. Takes all kinds.”

There’s a moment of silence as he regards Sondok while pondering.

“It’s true, quite often. Old enemies you know in a way even close allies may find hard to match. One of the few better glimmers in the blazes of Ragnarök was how it forced even the most stubborn to reframe their thinking.”

He sighs, thinking back to the Grand Canyon and his numerous conflicts on the little blue dot.

“Those were simpler times, to be sure. I too miss those days when the world was wide but finite and full of color. Not that I really knew to appreciate it then.”
The Howling Dark
GM, 831 posts
Mon 14 May 2018
at 23:10
  • msg #313

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Nobody appreciates things so keenly as when they are missing," She notes to him, taking a half step closer until she's a very, very short distance from him. "Partners, colors, enemies, friends... so what do you miss the most?"
Lucifer
player, 330 posts
Tue 15 May 2018
at 21:33
  • msg #314

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Tough question."

A moment goes by as he thinks, but his eyes never leave hers.

"I suppose... In all honesty, my heart says "belonging". My inner skeptic would say "simplicity", or even "naïveté". Back then, the world was both small enough to feel like my actions made more of a difference and large enough that I didn't have to feel responsible for the fate of mankind, let alone demons, gods and all life in the universe. I was an angry young man with a chip on his shoulder, doing the right thing no matter the cost. It was easier, it was more rewarding, it felt more meaningful."

There's a faint glimmer of nostalgia in his eyes before he shrugs and sighs deeply.

"Now I'm an angry man with a chip on his shoulder approaching middle age with a wider sense of reality and the shades of grey permeating it. Everything I do or don't can affect millions or billions of lives in a world of painfully limited resources, so I can no longer charge ahead to do what my gut tells me is right without balancing it with what's good for the Living as a whole. At the same time, no matter how much stronger I am, how much I push and sacrifice and triumph, the best I can do is push back the apocalypse for a scant few moments more. It's... I can't go back to the past, and I'm not sure I would even if I could. I'm wiser now, more powerful, and my purpose and importance is clearer than ever. Objectively speaking I'm much more use to the Living as I am now. But it's... harder. More complicated. All this bureaucracy and planning and PR and compromise... It's necessary, but at the same time I feel less and less like a part of it.

He doubles down, inching closer so their chests are practically touching, his stare as intense as ever as he gauges Sondok's reaction.

"What about you?"
The Howling Dark
GM, 836 posts
Wed 16 May 2018
at 21:29
  • msg #315

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"You say 'Belonging', I hear 'MORTALITY'." She tells him, "You have ascended your mere flesh and become one of the god-kings of old- more than them, I'd say.  And you realize that being a god made flesh isn't what you necessarily desire.  Myself?  I miss Biryu, of course.  A cheater's response- missing a part of my own body, like you would miss a limb or an eye.  But I also miss the old days, of fighting and blood.  When the death of an opponent was something to be praised instead of just pragmatic necessity.  When the vicious victory came with the promise of further war and continuity."

She puts a taloned hand on his chest and finally leans against him.  She's soft and dangerous, like a molten sword blade.

"Throw away mortality.  I'll throw away the lust of perpetual combat.  We will find other desires to fulfill our time as we guard the gates of men, gods, and demons."
Lucifer
player, 331 posts
Thu 17 May 2018
at 21:37
  • msg #316

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Throw away mortality? Hm."

There's a while of contemplation as Lucifer weighs the demon's words, but in the end he shakes his head.

"I do feel misplaced at times, nowadays more often than not. But my hubris hasn't gone far enough to consider myself truly separate from mortality. Despite my power, regardless if I ultimately triumph or fail, one day I will die just like the God-Kings of old - and that's how it should be. How else could I represent my people? My lack of belonging is a failure of mine, one I need to overcome rather than give up on. Even if I am to reach peaks previously thought unattainable, even if I am to be the first of a new kind, I will not throw away the journey that took me there."

He reaches to put his hand on the small of Sondok's back.

"Let us guard the gates of man, god and demon as man, god and demon. Let us grow and change with the times. But let us never forfeit the core of who we are."

Finally, for a moment, their mutual stare is broken as he closes his eyes in concentration. He wasn't ready to give up all the shards of Malfeas he'd collected over the years... But he did feel the time was right for a little gift. A few small shards he'd collected from the last fight should be something he could still pull apart from the whole without too much trouble.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:24, Thu 17 May 2018.
The Howling Dark
GM, 840 posts
Sat 19 May 2018
at 18:27
  • msg #317

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Will you?"  She asks as he slips his hand across her back, "Will you if you-"

She pauses as he passes over a few shards.  She gasp/hisses, leaning forward and abruptly biting Lucifer's neck.  He's tough, too tough for her to immediately draw blood, though a mortal might not have been so lucky.  Her breath is hot, tinged with the faint smell of fresh meat and brimstone.

And then she draws back just enough for Lucifer to see a small necklace of green shards pulsing on her chest.

"I wasssss- about to say that given time, and enough shards.... you would not die."  She practically gnaws on his neck again, "A fine gift, from a god."
Lucifer
player, 332 posts
Mon 21 May 2018
at 22:12
  • msg #318

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

Daniel jolts somewhat at the unexpected show of... affection? Arousal? Teeth?

Good thing indeed he was made of tougher stuff than most men, or he might be missing a carotid artery about now. As is, though, he just grins with satisfaction and some amusement at the gift's reception.

"You're not going to find any more in there, y'know", he quips before taking a look at the necklace formed by the shards.

"Suits you perfectly, of course. It's what I reclaimed from the battle here. And I'd rather spend a mortal lifespan giving than an eternity taking and hoarding."
The Howling Dark
GM, 845 posts
Wed 23 May 2018
at 20:51
  • msg #319

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Promises- I could do for an additional gift," She hisses into his neck, "But spend too much time giving and a mortal's lifespan is all you'll have."

She pauses.

"The last door has opened."
  She pulls away from his neck abruptly, looking out the window at ONYX SPIRE, "The seals are broken.  They are not in- insurmountable- danger."
Lucifer
player, 333 posts
Thu 24 May 2018
at 19:35
  • msg #320

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"A mortal's lifespan is all I ever had. Never expected more."

He doesn't take long to re-orient as Sondok suddenly pulls away, striding to the window to keep an eye on ONYX SPIRE.

"Not insurmountable sounds better than usual. Can you see what's going on without going in?"
The Howling Dark
GM, 849 posts
Tue 29 May 2018
at 21:48
  • msg #321

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Nnn."  She steps in front of him, laying back against Lucifer's chest.  "They run.  A few seconds now."  She hisses, "Keep your eye on it."

He barely has any time to.  He can see twin specks of light, the Konnidan and likely the Benisuzume, rocketing away from the planetoid...

ONYX SPIRE starts to fall into itself.  The tall spires sink into the planetoid, causing hundreds of secondary explosions like twinkling lights within the structure.  One section of the planetoid explodes outwards catastrophically- away from them, towards the remains of the dead star nearby.  The rocks are each large enough to flatten the Jagganathika.

The warp field falls, bringing out a low moan of happiness from Sondok.  There's all of a half second before space is completely full of Dead ships, a vast armada, including three flagships.

The Benisuzume rockets into the hangar, all but crashing in.  ONYX SPIRE finally finishes its implosion.  The planetoid shatters like a glass bottle, sending shards of itself out everywhere, and there- a howling black hole is sent out, away from them, and directly into a portion of the Abyssal fleet.  A full Buchenwald-class flagship and several Nanking-class cruisers are sucked right in, and the rest of them are pulled out of alignment.

"ALL HANDS, JUMPING!"

The Konnidan and the Jagganathika linger just long enough to see the ruin of the enemy fleet before jumping to safety.
Lucifer
player, 334 posts
Wed 30 May 2018
at 20:34
  • msg #322

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

Daniel loosely wraps his arms around Sondok's waist while keeping an unblinking stare on the spectacularly flashing planetoid. It was magnificent. A wide smile bordering on a grin spreads on his face as the destruction escalates, interrupted by a jolt of instinctively reaching for his gun as the enemy fleet warps into view but then turning into a bit of schadenfreudian laughter as the black hole decimates their ranks.

He instinctively grabs on to the railing, one hand remaining wrapped around Sondok to brace for the jump. Not that it was actually necessary for her, but...

As the situation de-escalates, he exhales with satisfaction.

"Clearly they succeeded. Let's see if everyone got out ok."
The Howling Dark
GM, 854 posts
Sun 17 Jun 2018
at 21:55
  • msg #323

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

Sondok is not one to giggle. SOndok is one to howl with bloodthirsty laughter, pointing at a particularly smashed cruiser just as they jump.

"Do we have to?"  She asks with snarling joy, "I believe they're fine."

"All hands from ONYX SPIRE, we will have a report to the briefing room in 30 minutes. Standby for a shuttle from the Konnidan."
Lucifer
player, 343 posts
Mon 18 Jun 2018
at 22:08
  • msg #324

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

”Hmh. Well, I suppose I’ll see them soon enough. Not like there’s much I could do even if they weren’t ok now that we’re safe”, Daniel concedes.

He throws her a sideways glance.

”Well, that’s the mission done, but a bit of time left till the briefing and arriving at Last Refuge. Seems we have a deadline.”
The Howling Dark
GM, 862 posts
Sat 23 Jun 2018
at 14:40
  • msg #325

Arc 1, Special Thread 1:  The Onyx Spire

"Emphasis on dead if we don't finish on time,"  Sondok hisses at him.

There are kisses and there are avalanches.  If Lucifer was a mortal, he would not survive the next half hour.  There are wounds from battle and then there are the sweet wounds of - well, something approaching love.

((Thread end, moving to a briefing thread))
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