For victory, for justice, I will pursue the truth within the world. Morality is a farce to keep us in line, force us to check ourselves. the real truth is buried deep within the heart and at the forefront of the mind.
Panting, panting…Rei ran as fast as he could from The Regal Club, daring not to look back at the flames behind him. Manson’s final words to him echoed in his head as he pushed Rei out of the bar: “Please…don’t let them kill you too. Let me know that at least you will live. You’re the only one who can make this world a better place now.” Manson ripped off his necklace and handed it to the vampire boy, recalling, “that was a gift from my wife before she died. Carry on her wish in my stead.” Manson gave Rei a pat on the back before returning to the bar. “What are you waiting for? They’ll be here any second now. Get the hell out of here, kid. I won’t forgive you if you die now.” By the time he reached Lower Pavane, he fell on his feet staring at the ground with bloodshot eyes. Tears began welling in his eyes as he slammed the concrete paved below with his arm again and again. “Dammit, dammit, dammit! Those goddamn pieces of-…GODDAMMIT!” he screamed ignoring the crowd gathered around at the base of Yggdrasil. Blood and tears stained the ground below him as he turned his head back slowly to the sight above him. There was no doubt… a horrible purge had begun. He looked around quickly at the confused and distressed faces around him. “Well? Don’t just stand there! We have to go and save them! We have to…” not a soul stepped forward. Most tried to ignore the clearly desperate man and went to attend to their business. “There’s an actual genocide going on right now in front of your own two eyes and you do absolutely NOTHING? Nothing at all?” Rage overtook him as he stood up and bit his lip, again drawing blood. From where he stood, he could just barely see it that figure – Amy Faye – finally making her way into the bar. “DAMMIT!” his hoarse voice yelled again. Was he just supposed to sit there and take this? …No, he couldn’t. Not after everything Manson had done for him. To just sit here and “carry on the revolution” or whatever… it was just too cruel. But it was too late to turn back now. The reaction of the elves and fairies around him was enough for him to realize the cruel reality. No one really cared about the ghouls to begin with. They were always destined to die with the bloodthirsty tyrants ruling Pavane. All that time spent making a life of their own… ultimately, it was for nothing. And now Rei was alone. After a sigh of deep resignation, Rei sat down by a small tree away from the crowd. He wrapped his hands around his legs and stared relentlessly forward. For duration of the Purge, he sat under that tree alone. He stared up at the Ghouls in Middle Pavane, a solemn, unchanging expression for days and days. He was horribly hungry, but he couldn’t eat anymore so he did not care. This was his sin anyways. The least he could do is watch the result to the end. After all, he was the one who really started this mess in the first place.
Cinders and ash slid off the misshapen parasol, leaving no trace on the inky black fabric but warping the ground underfoot. Town Center hid within it multiple triage sites and safe havens, each located in spaces obscured or otherwise hidden by scorched tenements and collapsed storefronts. A far cry from these instances of goodwill were the official camps set up for the displaced, the refugees created by the Council. From what Greta listened to, each race managed to skirt allowing the tent circles to be located on their unspoken territories, leading them to be in their present location of the slum ruins. Egregious insult atop mortal injury, she considered it. She closed her parasol and flicked whatever burning debris remaining on it off with her ungloved hand. Slinking out of a bent sewer grate, Greta returned to the street proper, not to mention Town Center proper. One would have believed leaving the underground sewers for aboveground air to be an upgrade, but the Council had, over the past week, seen to it that such would not be the case. Instead of dodging loose embers and flaming wreckage dropping into the sewers, Greta now contended with a deep scent of death and mourning. Her parasol would not help here.
She held the playing card up to the setting sun once more, ensuring she'd not made a mistake. It vanished into her sleeve upon verification. Cercis siliquastrum, what cruel irony, she thought. Even a long-lived demon like herself could appreciate allusion here and there. Paying no more heed to the species of tree he sat under, she approached him. "Won't you catch sunburn, sitting like that? What good is a hooded jumper if it has got more holes in it than hood?" Greta didn't look at him, instead focusing her eyes on the trunk of the tree. Her jacket slipped from her shoulders and into her hand, extended to him. Swaddled within the piece of clothing was a single curious candy, with which she'd been entrusted to pass on to him. There was a good bit work cut out for her than just this, however.
For victory, for justice, I will pursue the truth within the world. Morality is a farce to keep us in line, force us to check ourselves. the real truth is buried deep within the heart and at the forefront of the mind.
Rei's blank stare, unmoving, attempted to focus on the jacket to no avail. His dizzied vision was unable to make out much out. His roaring headache prevented even a single cohesive thought from pushing it's way to his mind. "Food," it begged as he stared at the succulent hand kindly extending it's way towards him. He made no note of Greta's appearance, or who she was. Just...her hand...
After more than just a moment of silence, his quivering voice pushed out, "It's a look," his voice dragged, "Thought it was time for...a tan." His trembling, pathetic arms barely pushed the jacket away from his face. He didn't know who this girl was, but her kindness was clearly undeserved. "I'm fine," his eyes finally trailed downwards before he finally closed them. "Careful...class F," he barely pushed out between his shallow breaths.
"You'll want this, then." Greta swung the jacket out and over her shoulder. The candy fell out, rolling on the ground to him.
"Generally, I'd let you make the choice but I lost a wager and you're a part of seeing it through." The demon opened up the parasol, extending her shadow to him. "I'm not your friend yet. But I knew a friend of yours. Please come along. There are people around." Greta hoped the candy still held potency, for his sake. She'd been assured it would, when she received it.
A certain amount of Ilyushin family whimsy had been deployed so as to keep this exchange uninteresting for ineffectual passersby. "This tree is not a fitting resting place, come. Step in and see." She nodded towards her expanded shadow, touching the tips of his.
For victory, for justice, I will pursue the truth within the world. Morality is a farce to keep us in line, force us to check ourselves. the real truth is buried deep within the heart and at the forefront of the mind.
Rei stopped for a moment examining the candy before him before snickering and looking away. "A bet? That's all this is to you?" It felt so simple when she put it that way. That candy...it must've been the one Manson requested before everything when to shit. Was this all just a joke? A cruel joke being played by the goddesses? He wasn't really sure. He had half a mind to reject it again, but he could think nothing but of quelling his hunger. He got up on his feet slowly, plopping the candy in his mouth. "Ah, ow! Shit, legs' asleep. One sec," he limped for a second. "Knew a friend? You'd risk your own life on a dumb bet to an old friend? Just who are you anyways?" Rei's voice loosened a bit asking for the demon's name. "...Fine. I'll play your game. That kind of magick is a little risky though, you know?" He stepped forward toward her shadow as the life seemed to return to his voice.
"Come and see," she repeated, "But don't just lay on the floor, it'll get you all dusty." Greta nudged Rei with the tip of the closed parasol and tapped her shoe on the marble checkerboard tile.
Amber sunset light peered through the arched windows, casting the young vampire and floor in a warm orange. The various homes in the Tria Mansions overlapped one another, projecting power through verticality. Their spires and balconies cut up the horizon below into a jagged jumble. "There's a bowl left of the candy. But I won't take offence if you reject them outright, seeing how difficult it was to get you to take the one. House key on the left of the bowl, gate key on the right." said Greta, pointing at the items arranged on the granite countertop in the kitchen. "I suspect you'll prefer the tunnels, though. The wine shelf, push left."
"I can run a bath for you. Only joking." she delivered from a scribbled napkin, deadpan. "Your friend had a strange sense of humour. Your friend was also very lucky with roulette tables." The demon dropped the napkin into her shadow.
Greta dipped a foot into one of the black marble tiles. "If you need me, any one of these will grab my attention. Do not tap the tiles repeatedly. Do not. Is there anything else you need of me? I have evening cards to attend to."
For victory, for justice, I will pursue the truth within the world. Morality is a farce to keep us in line, force us to check ourselves. the real truth is buried deep within the heart and at the forefront of the mind.
Taking a quick look around the building, Rei was met with sudden awe and skepticism. "So this is how the other half lives, huh?" He looked at the tiles below her taking careful note of how she traveled. "Giving up such a secret to a stranger... I could be with the Council or something you know." He didn't wait for her to respond.
"Wait! I have a ton of questions still. You still haven't given me a name, or a motive, or-- shit, just anything about you really. I don't see any markings. Vampire? Lucky ass elf?" He asked frantically. To be honest, the sudden luxury of this home unsettled him. He wondered how close he was to Ookami or Takuto, but especially...
He caught himself panicking. No use rushing anything at this time, he thought. "Sorry. Thanks for all the hospitality. I mean it."
Her visage softened for a second. "I wish I could give up my real secrets, boy." Greta tucked the parasol under her arm and pushed the wine shelf open, revealing the metal staircase vanishing downwards. "Your friend specified that you would know me as 'Lady Luck', presumably pejoratively. Ilyushin is my family name, Greta is my given name. I am of a lineage of angels that fell from grace. A demon, by any other name."
"Please, don't apologise. This place is yours now. If it's no longer to your liking, let me know. There are others. Some feel tile floors to be too cold." She looked at what the tile reflected below her.
Greta looked up, pretending to study the vaulted ceiling. "I can try answering whatever questions you have now. My evening card game can wait, I suppose. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable now." The sunset had about finished, with the last rays of light diffracting off of the demon.
For victory, for justice, I will pursue the truth within the world. Morality is a farce to keep us in line, force us to check ourselves. the real truth is buried deep within the heart and at the forefront of the mind.
Rei could think of a million questions that immediately came to mind, but he decided the majority of them he would find out soon enough. Sighing, he did not want to inconvenience his benefactor any further. "It should be good enough for me, Lady Luck," he decided to adapt the nickname. "Nah, I will let you know if there's anything that comes up. If you need anything from me, well, you'll know where to find me I guess."
Living in a dystopian society, seven mystic races are trapped due to their own selfishness. Tensions rise between the races and the different social classes, leading up to the constant struggle for power, with no end in sight.
News
4/11 - With the Ghoul Purge complete, Pavane's fear shifts from the goddesses towards the Council. Check out the aftermath here to get an understanding of the current situation in the plot.
MYSTICAL SOULS belongs to YUMEKUI, DYLZOE AND LUNARIS. This is an original plot created by staff members.. The skin "Midnight Madness" was created by Dorothia. This includes Board Mod, Mini-Profile Mod and such. Thread list was made by Kagney. User Profile mod was made by Pharaoh Leap. Graphics belong to their rightful owner. Plagiarism is not appreciated and will not be tolerated.
