INFORMATION
622 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
▲
"Tall, lean and Gamma Green- that's me!"
|
Post by Judi Strange on Aug 31, 2021 14:00:20 GMT -7
"Some things exist only to burn..."
“A deception that elevates us is dearer than a host of low truths.” ~Pushkin
It was as brutal as it was sudden, the scent of pyre and flesh permeated the ritual chamber where moments before the mutant called Pixie had attempted a spell to return her and the other meat to Earth realm, it had gone badly and S’ym could only presume the pink one's death. The other screeched and accused knowing nothing. He walked around the scorched circle, the flame and arc of the gateway between realms had overloaded and burned and crushed it seemed what had laid within.
S’ym regarded the hurled insults and accusations, if this were any other meat a swift end would come by tooth or claw. “S’ym is no mage,” he spat plainly as she moved around the circle but refused to go inside it. “The ritual room is plain and empty, there are no distractions. This is where the boss perfects her spells.” His voice hinted an edge at her presumption, this all could go very wrong for him. The boss seemed very taken with the little pups, he however was not they were a distraction. They were ultimately dangerous to her new found sharpened purpose.
He snorted as the words kept falling out of her high pitched screeching mouth. At least Belasco let him handle such things the old ways. The Darkchylde usually did not, but seemed to be bending more and more in such ways. “I Will inform her, you stay here do not enter the circle, it may be hexed, touch nothing or you may lose more than your physical life sweet meat ” He warns, then turns to depart the chamber.
|
|
INFORMATION
59 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
|
Post by Starlight Pilgrim on Aug 31, 2021 16:30:32 GMT -7
FLORA
Flora was livid. She was furious. She was sadder than she had ever been in her life. All of this was her fault, even if she hadn't been the one to actually mess up Pixie's spell. It had been an incredibly long day, and she finally sat on the floor and leaned her head back against the wall, trying to recall it all.
It had started when she decided to run away fropm home... was that only the night before? She had sneaked out of bed after she was sure her parents had gone to sleep and took the suitcase out from under her bed. She had stolen some cosmetics to save a few dollars; she would need everything she could to get to New York City by bus.
After applying the make-up, slipping on her gloves, she took one last look at her parents through their cracked door, and sneaked out of the house, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. She had left the vase full of her mother's favorite flowers. She had cried then, too.
The bus ride had probably been the scariest part for her. It was overnight, so there weren't many others on, but she felt like she was sweating the entire way there. The cool air helped a little. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, overall. Getting off the bus in the city had opened her up to so many things. So many smells. So much pollen in the air to absorb. If only she hadn't been covered in makeup to the point of not even being able to absorb much sun.
That was when she had first met Pixie. The mutant girl had just leaped out of nowhere. She was so vibrant and outgoing that she knew she liked her from the first moment. They walked through the city, with Pixie talking through most of it and Flora--then just going by Ronnie, or Veronica--just listening. She was taken to Central Park, where she showed Pixie what power she was aware of, before the men attacked. That was when she had first discovered what she could do to herself. She thought she had her arm broken by the man, but she had converted it into a vine just before; it was still bruised, but not broken.
Pixie had saved them, by flying off and taking Ronnie with her. They had ended up in Limbo, which had surprised Pixie. And from there, so much more had happened. Snowflake. The plant monster she had accidentally created. Meeting Illyana. Defeating her own creation. She thought she had spent more time with Pixie then, in the baths, at dinner; they had kissed. But it turned out to be Illyana the whole time.
She still wasn't sure how she felt about that. It had felt so nice, to be accepted for being strange, both as a mutant, and for being gay. But did Illyana really feel that way? Would Pixie feel that way if she came out to her all over again and for the first time? The deal she made back in the dining room would probably haunt her.
Now she had lost Pixie. Maybe forever. What had happened to her? Was she truly gone? Only one person could answer that. She stood back up and wiped her tears. She would not let Magik see her like this. She could not be weak. She waited for the big purple oaf to return with his mistress. What had he called her? Darkchylde? She would have answers or there would be Hell to pay.
She began to walk around the circle, staying outside of it, but looks inside of it to see if she can figure out what happened... did something disrupt the circle? There, at the southern side of the circle, where she had seen the golden color blossom from, she saw a golden gemstone with a cracked, flat look to one of the facets. She didn't touch it, but she was ready to point it out when the Darkchylde finally came to call.
|
|
INFORMATION
622 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
▲
"Tall, lean and Gamma Green- that's me!"
|
Post by Judi Strange on Sept 1, 2021 14:24:19 GMT -7
"Some things exist only to burn..."
The doors flung open violently, the force so jarring that the hinges partially separated and rested against he wall broken and loosely connected if at all. In came Illyana alone, no servitors or copies, her visage offered a look that could kill as she surveyed the room, the mess of fluid and the circle itself. “What happened,” she said,turning her head slightly to Flora. Her skin seemed paler than usual, the attire a simple black tunic, black leggings with rips and cuts up along the legs. “Tell me every…single…damn…thing.”
The voice was as cold and dispassionate as always, but the body language told a very different story. Her gauntleted hand lifted and it ignored casting long shadows as the red fluid again come to colorful life. Her booted feet moved across the smooth black rock floor with an echoed retort. The fire cloaked her face in partial shadow, it seemed haunted with the inset inhumanly blue eyes and of course, the same shadow on the floor of her form in general that told you either it, or she was visually lying.
“Begin at the beginning, speak it and I will play the ghosts of your memories. This way I can see what you saw, omit nothing and offer only the truth.” There was not asking, no glib games or pleasantries, if Megan had died Illyana would know the cause and mete out vengeance if need be, none were above it.
|
|
INFORMATION
59 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
|
Post by Starlight Pilgrim on Sept 2, 2021 11:48:56 GMT -7
FLORA
Flora almost lost her balance and fell into the circle when she heard the sound of the door slamming open. She had been kneeling down, trying to get a good look at the crystal that had been wedged into the crevice of the circle when the angry blond woman came in. She straightened, leaning away from the circle, and used the wall to stand. Flora looked over Magik, struck for a moment at the plainness of her clothing and how it suited her pallid skin.
A surge of anger came back to her, steeling her spine. She approached Magik. "She was supposed to be safe! We almost got separated, too; I almost stepped into the circle with her right before this happened." She takes a deep breath, and looks Illyana in the eyes, not shying away from her own, not even to glance at the shadow dancing on the wall, almost mocking her. "From the beginning. Okay."
She inhaled, and began to relate the tale. She was surprised and stuttered at first when she saw the ghosts, like pale, white doppelgangers with a silvery outline, of herself--did she really look like that now, her hair more wild and out of place, like an overgrown garden?--and Pixie, followed by the hulking S'ym behind them. She saw them walking through the doors, and her excitement at seeing the circle.
Flora watched the silvery Pixie walk around the circle, inspecting it thoroughly, and wondered how she could have missed the crystal now. As she continued to explain the story, she watched Illyana's eyes to see how she reacted as well; the story was accurate, showing no omissions or twisting of facts. She finished up her tale with her sobs, and then her discovery of the crystal.
"I was examining it when you came in. It looks... broken, and I have to wonder if it has something to do with it." Tears still shone in her eyes, especially after telling the tale so soon after it happened, but she was being brave and not over reacting.
|
|
INFORMATION
622 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
▲
"Tall, lean and Gamma Green- that's me!"
|
Post by Judi Strange on Sept 3, 2021 5:39:24 GMT -7
"Some things exist only to burn..."
The witch queen of limbo moved around the shades, the speed animating them uncannily to Flora’s words. It was a simple but clever spell, if Flora lied the shades would have turned red at the lie. None changes, therefore truth. She walked around them as they went through their last moments, the dour intense expression did not change with the pretty little Fae girl walked through her to the other side.
She knelt where the crystal lay, the dark tunic flowing around her as she reached in and pulled it free from the ritual circle groove. It was not lost on her that it had been wedged in tight, deliberately so. “Broken, and enchanted.” She offered more aloud than to Flora as she turned it over in her hand.
A bitter chuckle escaped her pale lips. “It’s really a little clever," She walked the circle counterclockwise, "There’s a small barely worth mentioning enchantment." From that direction it would seem to blend into the rock itself. "A cantrip, or parlor trick that wouldn’t work on anyone of great experience.” She demonstrated flipping the stone in her pale pale, on the left facet it seemed to vanish.
“Had she walked from the right, she might gave seen the glimmer as you have; it is not her fault as she is taught my way, the way I have walked this very room since I was 6.” She held the shard up and with a gesture fire the color of black and blood swallowed the shard as she looked at it with greater scrutiny. “She may not be dead, the red about the room isn’t blood, but an ectoplasmic discharged form the spell misfire, the gem is a very damaged spell focus, the flaw in the shared cased the energy passing through it to refract and unbalance the flow of power.”
Illyana rewound the image and watched their casting, “She cast correctly, the point you saw with the second color, it is when the overloaded, unbalanced energy push into her normal flow, luckily between this and the ectoplasm, I can find where she has gone. You’ll remain here while I go get her, she may need your remedies.” Not a request, but a command. Illyana seemed set to go wherever, whenever Pixie had gone, but that would leave Flora alone with the demons, with S’ym.
|
|
INFORMATION
59 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
|
Post by Starlight Pilgrim on Sept 4, 2021 15:03:07 GMT -7
FLORA
Flora was confident in her retelling of what had just happened, but she was still a little concerned that Magik wouldn't believe her, not knowing that the witch had made sure she wasn't lying. She couldn't think of anything she had omitted, and so she moved to the side and merely watched as Illyana followed the shades, and found the crystal she had pointed out.
When Magik excavated the crystal from its wedged location, Flora pushed herself from the wall and joined her, her eyes drawn to the blond's tight outfit; was she wearing that to show off, or did she just like tight clothing? She moved behind, looking over her shoulder to look the crystal over as well, to see if she could see what Magik saw.
If she leaned close enough, would she feel invisible horns coming from Illyana's head? Would she feel the swishing motion of a tail, brushing against her legs?
"So that means," she says, listening to the explanation, "That whoever did this has some magical training. Maybe they figured something so easy and lowly would be missed?" She watched her flip the stone, and let out a soft gasp when it seemed to disappear.
She bit her bottom lip. "Does this mean that they had to be familiar with how Pixie was trained, familiar with how you would have trained her?" I can't think it was you; there was no reason I know of to get rid of Pixie, and maybe me."
Flora began to to perk up a little at the news that Pixie might not be dead. "I watched her, though! It was like this... this... field of gravity was crushing her! It was even beginning to bend her wings at an odd angle! Hw could she still be alive? That's such a relief to hear if it's true, though!" She resisted the urge to hug Illyana again.
She was a little more eager to watch the watch three dimensional recording that Illyana was rewinding; it was interesting to watch how Pixie held herself just so, how she inflected words and motions in order to activate the portal. She would have to take Illyana's word for the accuracy of the casting, and took a step back when the witch evoked fire. She was not afraid, per se, but she could almost feel herself withering around the heat.
She pressed her lips together, forming a thin line. "I want to go with you. She's my friend, and I want to save her. I'll be honest... I don't trust the big purple guy. I like Snowflake, but I don't know how wise it would be to leave me with the other demons as well. Please, let me come along! I promise to not get in the way."
Now it was up to Illyana to determine if she could go.
|
|
INFORMATION
622 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
▲
"Tall, lean and Gamma Green- that's me!"
|
Post by Judi Strange on Sept 4, 2021 17:05:23 GMT -7
"Some things exist only to burn..."
The motion off the phantoms was subtle, controlled by delicate movements of her fingers. It controlled the speed of the images as they played again, as Flora leaned close she lightly tilted her head. Did it mean Illyana sensed her closeness? Her fingers curled almost claw like at it, but she continued her viewing, the tilt however, when flora got to close afforded a considerable cut. Something unseen, sharp had gashed her cheek, as she turned her head sharply the thing moved unseen as well, perhaps horns after all. Cloaked to the naked eye, but why? She didn’t seem to have any reservation about anything she did, why that?
She spoke on, only a slight smirk at the cut. “Mystic training or knowledge in mystic artifacts, there are few here who are trained. It would seem they assumed it would be missed or perhaps the person it would snare would be a novice.” It was a dry, clinical telling. “Possibly, they know how I work and thus by proxy would assume Pixie would be the same, it would not be me. If it were I wouldn’t need to play silly games to do it, so it was for you or her or the both of you. I would have time to counter spell, and I rarely use Magical teleportation.”
She turned, looking at the wound, then looked to the bench where there was a cloth if you so chose as she continued. “She could be wounded, or it could simply be how the light was bending in the magical pull in the compression field. We’ll have to examine her to see.” As she caught you studying a thin, hard smirk bloomed on the cool features as she dismissed the images before any retention could be possible.
A sample was harvested the rest burned away by flame as Flora spoke on. “It could be dangerous, you might die.” She began to read the usual school protest, which seemed so very silly given that she had bleed and died quite enough for causes she did not believe in fully for them. She wanted to hold her distance from this creature, for that matter from Megan, but she had given the Professor her word she would try. A feat he surely did not appreciate all things considered. “Trust none of us, we are all monsters under the skin and we do monstrous things to each other and worse to outsiders.” She left it vague whether she meant Humans, Mutants or Demons.
Illyana turned, and scrutinized her hard for a few moments. “You may go, are you ready do you need to get anything?” Children did amazing things, she had beaten the devil, maybe it was Floras moment, the girl was right about one thing, whoever had placed that crystal would still be here while she went to hunt for Pixie. It was infinitely safer to be with her, she hoped.
|
|
INFORMATION
59 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
|
Post by Starlight Pilgrim on Sept 4, 2021 17:49:05 GMT -7
FLORA
Flora was surprised, but she was not alarmed. She jerked up, her hand going to the wound. It was shallow, but it did sting a little. Dark green blood trickled down her cheek, and when she brought her fingers away from it, she was actually a little surprised at the color. "It's still getting greener," she muttered to herself.
She would take a step away from her, but she wouldn't go running for the cloth on the bench. She was standing too close and she paid for it; besides, it confirmed something for her. "You don't need to hide them, you know. Not around me," she said, quietly. "I'm not afraid of what you are. Maybe a little scared of you, but, well, that just healthy, right?" She offers a grin.
"Look, I want to go with you. I could die there, I could die here. I could step out onto the street in New York City and get hit by a bus. I would rather die trying to help someone who I feel is a friend than just sit here. I'm ready to go whenever, but... where is it? Do I need to.. like... change my clothes? Bring a weapon?"
She began to eye her up. "I never thought of it, but where was she sent? Another world? Another time? She was talking about how these portals can do all of that." She looked apprehensive, now. Could they change the timeline? Would her using her abilities in the past cause some kind of plant change over time?
|
|
INFORMATION
622 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
▲
"Tall, lean and Gamma Green- that's me!"
|
Post by Judi Strange on Sept 5, 2021 13:15:56 GMT -7
"There are no Snowflakes in Hell..."
“It could be your mutation, or, it could be Limbo itself. It tends to have a bit of a cumulative effect over time on some souls.” The Queen of Limbo offered with a thin smirk, still taking the girls measure of commitment to this foolish, but amazing endeavor. She narrowed the inhumanly blue eyes as she spoke on addressing the matters of trust. “You should be on both counts, but you do not know the whole story, not yet at least.” Whether she spoke of Humans, Mutants or demons she seemed not ver=y interested in elaboration as she delicately flicked her wrist letting her Cantrips of visage and glamours drop. There was, Illyana reasoned, little use for the parlor trick at this moment as the girl dabbed blood from her face after getting a bit too close to her horns. Taking her into an unknown realm, a "live fire" situation was of course against the rules, the very sort of thing she endured much younger than Flora herself before she was even a New Mutant. Xavier would be furious if he knew, but really that was honestly more a boon than a hindrance. Magik was already risking her life to save the rest of his lost sheep that didn’t have the will to do it themselves, this was a fair trade by any reasonable person's standards. Besides, not that it mattered to her, but the new girl seemed rather fond of Megan. Distantly, abstractly, she felt a pang in her long, cold heart for a similar connection that was clearly never going to be returned.
As the visage fell from Flora’s vantage point the calm, doll like appearance was radically changed as great horns split out from her brow and curled back into the ash bond hair, the inhumanly blue eyes were replaced by cold solid white eyes that seemed to follow you with a predatory glare crouched in the darkened sockets. The Tunic, the fetish laden armor replaced with something born of this place with hammered plate and leather. Cloven hooves of the darkly demonic Child of Rasputin retorted off the flat stone as she finished the Circle walk.
It was a drastic change she kept hidden from her fellow X-men, her team the New Mutants. It had happened often int he pst but rarely so strong, so lingering as it seemed these days. Usually the change resulted from undiluted naked hated or gross expenditures of dark magic such as those she had resorted to using for the coming battle had left its mark.
Physically she seemed caught in the setting sun of her humanity, with her dark soul pushing, growing stronger every day to rise once and for all. It had already seemed cost her appearance and it was becoming impossibly hard to hold on to anything that had been human, if indeed it was hers to begin with.
Illyana Rasputina had died, is that what was awake now, clawing to get back home or what she something all together different, Was she a Darkchylde of Death as imagined by Apocalypse ultimately. Until the battle came, she was caught in this existential topor, more at home here in the realm that tore her apart as a child with the reast of the monsters than at the school, with those she called friends and family.
She took in the girls' reaction to her true form, offering a wry fanged smile “Then come, we go to take back what is mine, with fire and blood if need be.” The stern, voice edged in anger commanded. Besides thought Magik (If indeed she was, if in name only), S’ym would likely do rather terrible things she was familiar with to her had she remained. “You have the right to your passions to bleed for whoever you choose, when you choose.”
The clawed hand outstretched disappearing into a mini Step disc, only to withdraw offering a blade. “The world is a pocket world, not Earth realm I can tell from the ectoplasmic residue, I have never been to this one so there are quite a few unknowns until we get there."As the sword was taken she watched Float examine it for herself. “Sword training will be live fire, do not pull the blade unless you are going to draw blood, it is enchanted with Sins Flame.” Illyana for adored herself in a cloak, offering one to Flora.
“This means it cuts and burns with an intensity of spectral fire equal to the sins of the victim…if they sin and have a soul they’ll burn and bleed, let us begin.” With that the Demon Queen of limbo focussed, this step disc edge glowed with a reddish semi transparent flame. "Let's go get Miss perky."
|
|
INFORMATION
59 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
|
Post by Starlight Pilgrim on Sept 6, 2021 8:32:29 GMT -7
FLORA
Flora was thoughtful. It could be that now that she's fully acknowledged her mutation, and started using it more, perhaps she was just showing more effects from it. The increasingly plant like hair really showed a difference, too. She almost had to clip some of the vines out. Well, she would worry about that later. "I would like to hear sometime," she says to her. "I would like the story. Just because I lack knowledge doesn't mean I wouldn't like to know."
Illyana could see the surprise in the emerald girl's eyes, but there wasn't fear. Was it... fascination? She kept her gaze locked with the Darkchylde's, not even trying to defy her expectations, but to show that perhaps she understood what she was in for. That didn't stop the surprise, however. She obviously didn't know just how far it was going to go. She slowly reached out a hand as though to touch the now visible horns, but pulled her hand back at the last moment. "Don't be rude, mutie girl," she muttered to herself.
Her gaze dropped down as the outfit changed, averting her eyes for just a moment before glancing back once more to examine the almost fantastical armor. It looked like something out of a movie, or a fairytale. Perhaps something the villain would wear, for sure, but... finally, she looked upon the cloven hooves, and tilted her head at the dark fur creeping up towards the bent knees. "Beautiful," she murmurs, this time not catching herself before it escapes her lips.
She shook her head clear. "Sorry, this isn't the time for me to be reacting like that." She didn't even blush this time; they had to rescue Megan, and get the teacher and student back together again. "We need to make sure Megan is okay. I know you miss her. We'll reunite the two of you again." She reached out to touch the Darkchlyd's hand to comfort her. Comfort! Her! As if Magik wasn't doing all of this for Flora and Pixie's sakes.
Flora took a step back when the clawed hand delved into a step disc, and her eyes widened when she saw her drawing a sword from deep within its depths. She took it and tilted her head. It was a long sword, slightly curved at the tip; The hilt appeared to be covered in plants with flowers wrapped around it. She loved it. She took it, hefted it. It was a good weight; she was not strong, but she felt like she could handle it. Perhaps she could make matching shield out of hardened bark.
"I will either not disappoint you, or die trying," she said with a soft laugh. "It does all that, does it? I didn't know a weapon could attack philosophy... or I suppose there's more to it than I know. I'll make sure not to cut myself." She grabbed one of the extra cloaks, taking a moment to adjust it after putting on the sword and belt. "I'm ready," she says. "As ready as I'll be." She looked to Magik, trying to look brave, but terrified inside.
|
|
INFORMATION
622 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
▲
"Tall, lean and Gamma Green- that's me!"
|
Post by Judi Strange on Sept 7, 2021 16:19:54 GMT -7
"There are no Snowflakes in Hell..."
Illyana drew up the dark hood as they prepares to depart. “Save your friend, survive and maybe you will.” She offered dryly, her eyes glowing inside the hood, the horns jutting out making the hood frame her face showing only the lower half. At the proposed touch her lips curled back showing glistening fangs warning that was a bridge too far. “Listen to her, she is wise beyond your years.” She wryly suggested. The tail swished as she walked past Flora to the center.
“Silly girl, philosophical words, Ideas- They are all weapons, this is simply an obvious, direct manifestation.” As she proclaimed herself ready the Dark soul that was all that remained of Illyana Rasputina grinned, tilted her head and moved stepping close. "No," she hissed simply then grabbed her by the throat and lifted. “DO not touch me without permission or there won’t be anything left of you to save your friend.” She tightened her grip so it was very, very clear she meant what she said only releasing the throat when it was clearly understood. “You seek a thing that does not exist, perhaps a person who does not either.” It was for the best after all Illyana reasoned, even the special ones you let in ultimately were betrayers. The former Horseman of Death stepped onto the disc without another word as the world around flora again erupted into the brilliance of the full spectrum on display, but for only a moment with a fire burning away revealing the new world they had journeyed to.
Emerging from the disc it was clear, like Limbo, to Flora quite alien. The ground Lovely, soft and beautiful with tall grass that seemed to radiate colors flowing from reds, to pink ending in purples. The earth itself was a rich scented fertile dark gray to browns, all of this however would be lost when turning her gaze upwards, the sky was a radiant cosmic blue to vermillion. Remarkably Illyana was unmoved by the beauty of it, it made the heart virtually soar and yet all she did was kneel and examine the ground. “Be careful, the ground, the air, it’s all steeped in high Magicks." The tone bore a warning as the forked tongue licked her lips as if she could taste the Mystic elements in the air itself. “Alien, Demonic, but twisted, a very different direction than I know.” She cast the same scrying spell again, to see what had happened as Megan landed in this very same spot. This time it was less clear, less distinct as the circumstances were very different, neither of you knew what had exactly happened to narrate to aid the imagery.
The scene played out; Megan had landed, but not to an empty field as expected. Her arrival drew the attention of others, humans by the look at them and a battle ensued! She fought them off bravely with her soul dagger, but the numbers eventually took her down as one savagely struck her with a shovel blow to the head. The truly interesting thing here was that it is the very same place. It can be readily seen in the rocks, but there is no grass in the image, the place looks how Flora might expect an ecosystem in collapse. Wilted, dull in color even the sky lacked its radiance they now saw before them.
Rising Illyana looked the direction they had gone according to the scry. Her jaw set and squared as her clawed fingers curled into fists. “We will follow, “ she said from under the hood. Just that rapidly the DarkChylde shot forth on the hunt, the equation a simple one as she saw it. Others had taken what is hers, her feelings, or lack thereof for Megan were irrelevant. They and whoever aided them in this would burn, with enough pain they would tell who helped them and why.
|
|
INFORMATION
59 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
|
Post by Starlight Pilgrim on Sept 8, 2021 23:31:06 GMT -7
FLORA
Flora groaned. The hand shot out to grab her neck, and she saw stars at first, the edges of her vision blurring. "I'm... sorry," she huffed in between rare, short inhalations through her nose. Her eyes were wide, and most of the empathy she had felt for the Darkchylde drained away. Most of it. There was still some in there that felt... bad for her. She didn't know exactly what had happened to Illyana in the past, but she would find out somehow. But could she help her? Was there anyone that could?
She inhaled harshly when she felt her feet touch on the floor again, and that maniacal grip loosen from her. She leaned on her sword for a moment to catch her breath again, and touched tenderly at her neck, expecting that there were still hand prints there. "I'm sorry," she repeated when she could speak again. "I'll control myself in the future. I thought we had... a moment, I guess, back in the springs." She cracked her neck, and sighed a little, throwing the cloak around herself. She hefted her sword, and followed the Darkchylde through the portal.
She landed next to the Queen of Limbo, feeling queasy, ready to throw up as she had when she first landed in Limbo; she didn't think teleportation agreed with her after all. Her dark eyes widened as she looked around. She was stunned. It was so... so beautiful! She kneeled into the tall grass, and ran her fingers through it; such a strange, strange feeling was coming from that luminescent grass, but she enjoyed every second of it.
Flora absorbed some of the grass into her, her eyes shining for a moment. It made her feel... dizzy. Tipsy. As though she had too much to drink. She giggled. The lurid field seemed to spin before her, and she laughed as she fell onto the ground and felt the fertile ground writhe against her. It was so soft, so inviting. It smelled so good, especially compared to Limbo. This seemed to be the opposite of that place. Her breath caught when she saw the sky dome, and she reached a hand up towards it. She could dig her feet into the inviting ground and just... just...
What was she doing? She was acting ridiculous! She sat up and got to her feet, heeding Magik's warning. "Steeped in high Magicks? This place?" She took a look around. Oh, it was colorful and smelled wonderful, but magical? "Demonic?" She began to brush her fingers over the grass, the tips of them extending outward to almost a foot in length in order to feel more of it at once. "It makes me feel... mmm... what's the right word... giddy?" She gave an almost too big, toothy grin. "I've never felt so... at peace."
Flora shook her hand, and her fingers returned to their proper length. She returned to Magik's side, to watch her cast the scrying spell again. It seemed so... vague this timme, almost like a storybook drawing. She laughed a little, seeing that Megan was alive! That was great! But her look of joy quickly disappeared. "Those... those bastards! They just... attacked her! And she was probably already pretty stressed out from thinkin' she was gonna die! And with a shovel! Rude!"
Something wasn't adding up here. "Wait, how long ago was this? Why are the plants here now, and weren't then? There's no way that the plants could grow this fast, unless there was someone like me around..." She frowned, and wondered if it had something to do with Pixie's magic or mutant abilities. Was some of her glitter in the air, and these were all hallucinations?
Feeling anger, she loosened her sword from the scabbard, and began to follow the Darkchylde, following the sound of her hoofbeats on the soft earth. They had to get to the bottom of this mystery, and save Pixie. That above all.
|
|
INFORMATION
622 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
▲
"Tall, lean and Gamma Green- that's me!"
|
Post by Judi Strange on Sept 9, 2021 12:25:33 GMT -7
"There are no Snowflakes in Hell..."
The dark soul of Magik replied with nothing to the springs, no apology for being a hair away from breaking her neck without even so much as a hesitation. She watched the display, saw the colors shift through the visage of Flora. It was unwise to bond with the demon kissed realm, no matter the beauty. The darkness could be very enticing until it chose to not be, she knew her own when she saw it.
The ecstasy in the green, now multihued mutant was obvious, she said nothing watching the indulgence and pleasure run through the X-baby. As she reached to the Skydome proclaiming its singular beauty The DarkChylde smirked in the deep hood that only showed her silvery-white eyes. “Yes, it is that and more, you cannot feel it,but it is, drenched in it and singular pain.” The eyes narrowed as Flora seemed off, and the proclamation of lightheaded, almost drunken like pleasure it offered. At once halted the Russian.
“Peace is a lie, unless it is bought by blade and blood” she spat as she worked a spell, the eyes became thing glowing slits that shifted to red. “Case in point, The grass contains a similar ability to Megan's to cause pleasure, not as intense except for people like you.” The vented anger of the attack, and the questions that followed in rapid order at least implied flora could still focus despite any side effects from being one with the local plant life. “It’s impossible to say, I don’t know the time cycles of this realm yet, it could be minutes, hours, decades, if she is dead we'll slaughter all who even looked her way and did nothing.” The latter added to keep the students hopes from running wild, it was possible what Pixie they find could be radically different, if not deceased all together.
“There will be blood, if you can’t spill it or see it when it flows pull back,” she paused what she was going to say, something felt off as the hooded figure looked down to her hand turning away. “If you feel..unwell, if you feel anything that will risk this say it.” She commanded as they set out.
Tracking the progress through the plains the trail led the pair into a forest, she paused raised a now gauntleted hand. “They took her this way,” the voice sounded a bit off but none the less she continued. “Something knows we are here, it’s coming for us.” The Darkchylde hissed and looked to the ground “High ground!” She yelled and disc teleported herself into a tree as the ground itself erupted sending soil and rock everywhere.
“We know who you are, what you are- both of you, only one is welcome and it is not the child of death!” There, in the epicenter of the eruption of soil stood a Golem of sorts made of all the beauty of the forest around them, it spoke with the beautiful voice of an angel. “You cannot lie here, tricks, disguises will help you not devil, your own true nature lay revealed by the blood of your disciple!”
The beautiful earthen woman reached into the ground and pulled forth a sword of her own, made of the same natural elements in elegant arrangement. “Veronica, bend knee and be welcomed, you must abandon the dead husk of the demon you aid, she will devour your very soul!” It sounded truly earnestly alarmed for Floras very life as it kept the blade leveled at the DarkChylde.
|
|
INFORMATION
59 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
|
Post by Starlight Pilgrim on Sept 9, 2021 15:35:38 GMT -7
FLORA
Though she was worried for Megan, of course, Flora was having trouble concentrating. She was viewing a world full of colors, and she felt the alien life thrumming through her. It was a hard thing to deny. She fought through the vermillion haze to try to concentrate on the Darkchylde before her. She seemed like... Death itself. Shadow cloaked around her like night. She almost seemed to absorb the color spectrum into her, rather than reflect it back out.
"Did you just... quote Star Wars at me?" she asked, the words breaking through. She had to focus. They had to find Pixie. She locked her gaze with the newly reddened eyes, beginning to question things. Not just whether she could trust Magik, but if she could even trust herself. Trust this realm, trust the very earth beneath her toes. She had been barefoot this entire time, and her toes dug experimentally at the rich soil. She finally stopped herself.
"We'll find her," she reassured back. "We need to. No matter what it takes." She tilted her head. "I feel... fine. I feel good. I feel... better. I am myself, don't worry." She offered a soft smile. "I will use the sword you gave me to rescue or avenge Pixie." She felt... oddly stilted, in a way. She couldn't quite place why or how. Was it the pollen in the air? She pulled her sword out and began to follow Magik through to the forest path, looking around to get more of a view of the realm.
At her command, Flora not only found herself at the top of a tree, but found she had produced a tree beneath her, lifting her up higher still than even the Darkchylde had gone. The tree was alien to her, but it was like those in the forest around her. It was slender and purple, with crystalline deposits in it from the earth itself, the branches curling upwards like tendrils. She stared, fascinated, at the strange, glowing leaves that seemed to open up before her, releasing a sparkling dust to the wind. It smelled nutty, like the lightest scent of cinnamon and nutmeg.
She climbed down the tree, almost merging with it and using it to glide down to the ground. She stared at the beautiful maiden of the forest. "What... and who... are you?" She asked, and looked towards Illyana. The Earthen woman seemed to know her, or perhaps her ilk. But what really caught her attention was... how did this elemental woman know her name? Her back stiffened, and she raised up the sword given to her by Illyana.
"How do you know my name?" She mmoved closer to Darkchylde's side, keeping the sword leveled at her, her fingers extending and wrapping around the hilt, twisting. Her whole arm became a vine, and it seemed ready to extend to attack. "Explain yourself. How do you know us?"
The problem was, part of her did want to knee before her, this beautiful goddess of the earth. She wanted to kneel before, worship her, protect her, defend her... but she could not bring herself to do it. "And where is our friend? Where is Pixie?"
|
|
INFORMATION
622 posts
► ◄
Awards:
0
▲
"Tall, lean and Gamma Green- that's me!"
|
Post by Judi Strange on Sept 10, 2021 15:32:13 GMT -7
"There are no Snowflakes in Hell..."
As both the Dark Child and Flora, now mixed in color with the local samples of plants she had interacted with moved to the ground Illyana drew her blades. One was the Soulsword, devastating in its own right, the second a companion blade, its properties unknown, for a brief moment the Soulsword illuminated inside her hood and something seemed wrong to the plans girl. The skin was too red, redder than she’d ever seen before, the skin too dry, eyes sunk deep into dark sockets and the smile showed only sharp teeth.
“Of course I know you Flora, I love you.” Came the strong, husky tone from the angelic golem. “It’s me, Megan. I’m right here, can’t you see me?!” For just a moment in the beings confusion the golems defenses were down and in, that precious moment Illyana attacked with a savage glee!
“It’s a trick!” The demonic Russian launched herself Soulsword shining. “I sense nothing of her in you, you try to play with feelings, I play with realities!” The first blood went to Magik as the companion blade cleaved into the larger golem's arm as there arm bearing the Soulsword as deflected! The golem cried out in agony and backhanded Magik, the blow drawing blood from the savage rocky fist slamming her back into a tree with tremendous strength! “You are not Illyana Rasputina, I know that now.. You’re a monster, a fiend… the Real Magik is dead, You're a walking abomination to nature!”
The two rushed to meet as the blades slammed together again. “Help me Flora, I cannot destroy the evil alone! Help me kill the monster who wears the face of a friend! She’ll steal your soul, just like she’s taken some of mine!" The Darkchylde recovered, then pressed the attack vaulting over her landing behind and went for a killing strike, the sword of the golem parried but in doing so all its mystical properties died and it shattered.
"Enough, you speak of the dead so much, time to join them in earnest!" Somehow this thing knew, That resonated on a deeper level to Illyana. Deep down inside, in places she didn't want to think about lay the idea, it was an idea that would not relent no matter what she did for the X-men. The notion that she was in fact dead or rather Illyana Rasputina was, that she was a puppet of their enemy Apocalypse.
It presented the very real danger that if she returned to them he would somehow use her to kill the very last decent part ofof herself that existed. That she would simply be his servant when push came to shove in the final battle, for all time a false life, devoid of soul on bent knee at his altar.
|
|