Roleplay City
Administration => Infusco Archives => Archives => Old Roleplays => Topic started by: pinkroses on March 25, 2019, 03:59:38 AM
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The few hours of security snatched in the abandoned Oligarchy Chambers seemed long ago, but was only a couple of days. Alena felt like she’d walked miles in that time, trying anywhere she could think of to find a demon who might have any sort of idea of where to look for her God.
Eventually she had stumbled upon an air demon, who didn’t seem to be all there, so Alena wasn’t completely convinced that what she’d heard was the truth, but the demon spoke of a compound outside the borders of the city. He told her about the high walls, the feeling of demonic activity around it, about how it had been a buzz until the fall of the Oligarchy. Then nothing, a feeling of death, but the air demon was convinced it was still alive.
It wasn’t a huge amount to go on, but Alena had nothing else.
Clouds had been building throughout the day and now, as darkness fell, the storm had finally broken and the heavens opened. Fucking typical. She could feel the electricity gathering in the clouds above which gave her a bit of energy, but in the rain she felt helpless and out of control, even more so than she had since her family had died.
“Go back, go find somewhere dry. Come back when it’s dry,” she mumbled to herself, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her leather jacket. But her feet kept trudging onwards, she couldn’t turn back even if she was marching into nothingness.
Alena’s stamped through a puddle and she winced as a she discovered it was deeper than expected and the water splashed up to the top of her ankle boots, seeping inside. By the time she began the trek up the driveway her hair was sodden and hung in strings around her face. She was cold, but there was a spark inside her, driving her onwards.
The demon felt the tingle of electricity in the air before she triggered a floodlight, shining to show her the way. They were on sensors, so they didn’t mean anyone was home, but it was a good sign, it had to be. Then a security camera moved and she looked up at it with a glint in her eyes.
She legs felt like lead as she took the final few steps and pressed her body against the fence, her fingers trailed over the intercom for a few seconds. Alena wished she could just use her powers to seep into that currently and get inside, but in the rain there was no chance of that, it was too dangerous.
“I need my God, he must be here,” Alena whispered, a quiet prayer just for herself, to give herself a boost of strength before she pushed the button.
“I need the Oligarch, the leader, Zeus, is he here? Please,” Alena said louder to be heard over the pouring rain as she pressed the intercom button, her voice cracking with a combination of emotion and cold. Was this it? Was she about to find her God? A deep warmth stirred in the pit of her belly, full of hope, excitement, joy.
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Not many had dared approach the gates after the fall of the Oligarchy. Most were met with silence. Those that persisted at gaining entrance were given a thorough scare--and it was here that the guarding shadows were permitted a bit of creativity. Sometimes humans who had goaded one another to climb the fence ran away screaming something about ghosts. Let them think the place haunted, it was much better this way. Amongst the supernatural of the city, however, the compound had been largely forgotten.
The darkness everywhere teemed with movement if one had eyes trained enough to see. They watched the young demon as she approached, and were instructed to do nothing but wait--and to suppress any disturbances quickly. They murmured amongst themselves with disapproval as she grew closer. What a sad, sogging sight this creature was. As she finished speaking, there was movement in the shadows just to the side of the gate.
"Hush, girl. State your business." One of them flickered into view as he addressed her. An impossibly tall and rail-thin demon with short goat-like horns and leathery wings, every part entirely black. He seemed to press himself against the wall to the side of the gate, eager to remain in the shadows. Large black eyes studied her, waiting for an answer.
But then the air changed suddenly with a howling breeze, and the demon turned his head sharply as if listening to something in the din of the rain. Take her swiftly up the hill by wing and keep to the shadows. They were not to be spotted--the shadow-assisted darkness would keep them covered. He vanished into the shadows once again and the gate cracked open just enough for the girl to pass through.
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Alena’s eyes flickered towards the shadows where the demon emerged from and a grin spread across her face, brightening her pale blue eyes instantly. She was so young compared to so many demons, but she had just as much life in her which suddenly shone through as she gazed upwards at him. There was no fear, just pure joy at actually finding someone here, a demon here.
She opened her mouth to speak, but she was halted by the demon suddenly looking away as though he had lost interest – or was listening to an order. She slid through the crack in the gate swiftly, wiping rain from her face as she stepped into the shadows close to the wall to follow the demon. Her jacket was already black, and the water in her hair and jeans helped her blend in, if you weren’t looking too closely. She wasn’t a create of shadows and darkness though, she thrived on light and sparks. Alena didn’t look back as they walked, not caring that the gate had shut behind them.
“The dead came for us,” she said quietly, unsure of whether or not the question still needed to be answered now, so keeping it brief.
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The gate slid soundlessly shut as soon as she passed through.
"We know. I'm taking you inside." was the simple, short reply.
From the shadows, he seized her around the middle and hugged her close to him. It would have been pointless to fight against the firm, though gentle, grip. The demon made every effort to be as non-threatening as possible, not wanting to alarm her unnecessarily as discretion was needed here. With a few quick flaps of his powerful wings the two were in the air, keeping as close to the ground as possible and moving with speed toward the Block. The demonic sigil on the front of the building took on a dull red glow as they drew nearer, and it would have seemed that they would collide with the structure but the shadow demon did not slow. In a fraction of a second, the door disappeared entirely and the demon landed promptly at the top of the stair inside. The girl was set down delicately and the demon vanished once again, stone doors firmly in place behind him.
The Receiving Area was dimly lit with plenty of shadows cast from strangely twisted light fixtures. In stark contrast to the pounding rain outside, the air here was filled with the kind of quiet one would find in a sound-proofed room. A single demon with bright blue eyes sat at the front desk, glancing up at the girl as she was whisked inside. A sympathetic expression flashed on her face as she beckoned the girl forward, reaching underneath the desk to retrieve a large, fluffy towel. She handed it to her as she approached.
"Name, please." Her gaze was on the monitor in front of her.
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Alena gave a short, sharp gasp as she was picked up, from the surprise of it, but she made no attempt to fight it and embraced the joy of flying (which she could do herself, but having someone else in control was exhilarating). If they hadn't taken flight so quickly Alena probably would had queried more the 'we already know', wondering why they had done nothing.
Once they were inside, Alena gave a small nod of thanks to the demon as he released her, watching as he disappeared before turning her gaze towards the… um… receptionist?
“Thank you,” she said with relief at the sight of the towel, grasping it tightly and giving a quiet growling sound of happiness in the back of her throat. Alena paused for a moment, then transformed into her demon form now they were safely inside, before beginning to rub the towel over her bright white skin, desperately trying to dry off and knowing it would be faster in this form due to the lack of clothing and her thick human hair was a bit of a nightmare to dry.
“Alena, electricity demon,” she said, knowing her type hadn’t been requested and was probably already known, but wanting to be as helpful as possible.
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There was rapid tapping at the desk, a few clicks of a mouse, and she was done. Looking back to Alena she gave a reassuring smile and held a hand out to take the towel once she was done drying herself.
"Can you tell me briefly the reason for your visit today?"
She would have nodded sympathetically at Alena's answer, typing away at the keyboard again.
"Thank you, Alena. Please have a seat anywhere you'd like. Someone will be with you shortly."
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Alena pressed her lips together. Briefly? She had hours of venom she wanted to spout, but now was not the time. It would come.
“I want revenge on the bastard vampire prince who killed my family.” There was no point lying about it, it would come out soon enough.
Alena glanced around the area and transformed back into her human form as she moved to take a seat, now she was dry. She unzipped her jacket, forgetting she was wearing a shirt she’d stolen from Zeus’ chambers at the Oligarchy building. She could feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach. This whole place was so well organised, so smooth, he had to be here, running it all, right? And if he wasn’t… well… there had to be someone here who would help her.
Her small feet tapped against the floor as she gripped her knees, impatient to be seen and heard.
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Alena had to wait only a short five minutes before she was joined by a hulking bald man (well, demon anyway) with a stern expression on his face.
"Alena?" He asked, voice deep and gravely. "Please come with me." He waited until she was standing before moving at a brisk walk past the massive center column and to the elevator in the back. He pulled a card key attached to a retractable lanyard from the front pocket of his jacket and held it up to the reader by the elevator. The door slid open with a beep and he motioned for Alena to enter, following closely behind her. Once they were both inside he pressed the button for the second floor.
Silent and staring directly in front of him at the door, the demon did not move until the elevator had stopped and its doors had opened again.
The second floor was dark, cold and modern with dim lighting. Lining the walls were spot-lit decorative sculptures, each depicting demons from various cultures. Cast shadows seemed to dance and pool around them, moving ever so slightly with their own sort of life.
Starting off with a brisk walk once again, the demon led Alena to the closed door at the very end of the hallway. He knocked twice, waited for a beat, and then opened the door to usher her inside. Once she was inside this demon withdrew, exiting to stand guard outside the door.
This office was the largest on the floor. Gleaming black hardwoods reflected the play of light and shadow from a massive twisted chandelier (https://mymodernmet.com/hilden-and-diaz-forms-in-nature/) hanging overhead. There was a comfortable seating area immediately off to the right with cream-colored couches and a roaring fireplace. To the left, there was a wall-sized bookcase and a relatively small glass conference table with six black high-backed rolling chairs. The back of the room, wall made of stone, was completely bare save the large fish tank in the center behind a massive desk. The desk itself was a deep mahogany, flanked by two stone gargoyles.
At the desk in a large leather chair sat Zeus, writing something rather quickly on a piece of stationary bearing a crest.
"Come, sit." He motioned at the two chairs in front of his desk but did not look up from the paper until she had taken a seat. The demon was silent while he finished, signing the bottom of the letter and placing it face down off to the right.
"Alena--" Zeus looked up at her, brows drawing together "Why are you wearing my shirt?"
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Alena kept pace with her guide with ease. Her family had rarely made allowances for her short statue so he’d got used to walking quickly as her normal pace. She had a dozen questions to ask as they stood in the elevator, but she knew they would not be answered yet. So for now she satisfied herself with looking around, admiring the sculptures and watching the shadows carefully.
She let herself be ushered into the office and her eyes were immediately pulled upwards to the beautiful shadows gliding around the room. Alena felt more confident now she was dry and able to touch her powers again properly, but in a room like this, knowing Zeus’ powers, she knew she was definitely in his territory.
There was so much to look at Alena was almost distracted away from her true cause to being here, but then he spoke to her.
“Oh, yes,” my God. She’d found him, she actually had. The hunt had taken her all over the city, and although it hadn’t truly been that long, it was the only time Alena could really remember being alone for the first time since she was a child. There had always been her family looking out for her.
Alena took a seat in one of the chairs opposite Zeus, folding her legs up underneath herself, a blissful looking smile on her lips. She could smell his scent and recognised it from the Oligarchy Chambers, it was definitely him. There was much work still to do, but she’d taken a huge step in the right direction.
She raised an eyebrow in surprise at the question and glanced down at the t-shirt. “You weren’t using it,” she said with a small shrug before raising her gaze back up to meet his. “I don’t have anything else if you wanted it back?” she said, plucking gently at the t-shirt.
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Zeus leaned back in his chair and examined the demon before him. She was just a child, he realized.
"No," His lips twisted into a small smile as he said with a chuckle, "Finders keepers." This was all very amusing. She must've broken into his apartment at the old chambers, which was clever of her. That could be useful for later.
"You've been trying rather hard to find me I see." Persistence and dedication were good traits. "Tell me what happened to your family." Anger could also be good, though it had to be controlled and directed. His face was solemn, but not cold. It could be read as a sympathetic look, though inside he was listening and calculating. McCloud had made many demons furious. Fury needed to be handled delicately.
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Alena glanced across at Zeus suspiciously as he chuckled, disliking being laughed at, but the look on his face reminded her of Ekaitz and that softened her. He had often found things she did amusing, then pat her head in a patronising way, telling her she would learn in time. She knew plenty, just not always how to use that knowledge best.
“I have,” she said quietly, biting her lip as Zeus asked his question and curling her hand into a ball, resting on the arm of the chair.
“We lived in the West, just… living. Not hurting anyone, just… we helped other demons, we took in others, looked after them. Then he came.”
Her eyes shone brightly as she remembered, and a crackling began to surround her, making the hairs on her arms stand on end, her hair growing in volume with the static which encompassed her.
“The vampire leader told his sword and his army and destroyed the demon communities in the West. I heard afterwards he gave some a chance to just give up their leaders, but… Ekaitz fought and the others joined him. He made me hide, I went into the wires, but I watched.”
She felt sick just thinking about it and Alena leant forwards in her chair, her face screwed up in pain. She took a deep breath before sitting upright again, trying to clear that pain from her expression as she met Zeus’ gaze.
“You were supposed to protect us. You need to help us get revenge now. I know where he lives, but there’s a lot of them, I didn’t think I was strong enough to do it myself.”
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Zeus listened in silence, watching the crackling display of anguish with a sympathetic scowl.
He wondered at the validity of the claim that McCloud had given a chance for the demons to surrender their leaders. It sounded all too convenient in the face of an obvious grab for territory and power. A different approach should have been taken, addressing each community without the threat of a hanging sword, working with them to see what needs they had. Some gangs could not be helped--those careless enough to draw too much attention to their operations. Attention was never a good thing, it compromised safety for all. But to meet each community with senseless aggression could not be excused by this. Of course they would fight when backed into a corner.
Vampires, it seemed, only gave a shit about their own kind. He had learned that well enough when the Oligarchy had fallen.
As for protecting the demons in the West--Alena was right. That was his responsibility. While his lack of action had been strategic on many fronts, the demon didn't anticipate how aggressive and abrupt this scramble for power would be. McCloud's actions had left a jagged hole in the community with many calling for his head. However, this had conveniently destabilized the vampire's reputation. Better to have McCloud wedge himself in a corner with little allies. It would only serve as justification for anything that happened as a consequence of his actions.
"To meet him head-on deep in his own territory is...unwise." The demon finally said, leaning an elbow on the desk in front of him and tracing his jaw with his thumb. There was silence for a moment. Thinking.
"Do you know how many leaders were captured or--" Executed? He wanted to ask but had been making some effort to be as gentle as possible. Could she possibly have connections to other disbanded groups? It would be useful to have someone they could directly relate to. Zeus was all too aware of the possibility of hostility toward him for not stepping in sooner. But he was not about to explain the intricacies of strategy to every single demon in the West.
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“Murdered?” Alena said, filling in the gap Zeus had left behind. She disagreed that they should just go straight for him – they were powerful, demons banded together had such a huge variety of power, they could sneak in and take him out. Just like he’d done to them.
“All of them,” she added, with a small frown, before she realised what he actually meant and that he’d want more information.
“I don’t know how many there were. There were dozens of gangs, they weren’t all… stable. There was changing around, I know some who used to be in ours, their new families were affected too. Everyone I ran into whilst I was looking for you, they all were, they all knew what had happened. Even those who didn’t have a specific loyalty knew someone who was taken down.”
Alena had spoken to many over the past few days, but most had scoffed at her wanting to get revenge, mocking her youth and small stature. They would never have banded together behind her, which was why she was here.
“The West isn’t really his. We could draw him out there, or you could invite him here. How many demons do you have here?” Alena asked, eager to make plans and be a part of them and leaning forwards in her seat towards him. She desperately hoped she wouldn’t be pushed to one side and made to watch. She never wanted to do that again.
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That was about as much as he had surmised himself with the reports that he was given, but it was good to have a first-hand account of it.
"I have many," Zeus replied, "And hope to have more still."
There were easily twice as many demons as vampires in the entire city. Numbers were not the issue. But to show your entire hand unless you absolutely needed to was a mistake of inexperience. There was the aftermath to consider. The potential for retaliation, for force being met with force in attempts to slake the insatiable thirst for revenge. He would not make the same foolish error that McCloud had, turning heads that needn't be turned--that would have a multitude of unforeseen consequences.
Yes, the demons together had unquestionable power. But sheer force was not the only way to wage a war--and immortals had eternity to develop cunning. Much was still left unknown, and the demon was reluctant to make a move until some key questions were answered. Though he doubted Alena could provide answers to those.
Zeus was beginning to admire the energy of this one, and it showed with the slightest of smirks.
"How would you propose we draw him here?" He leaned forward, mirroring her body language. Inviting him here was an interesting idea and he had intended to speak with McCloud at some point--but at a neutral location.
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She narrowed her eyes at his question, a sly smile spreading over her lips. Oh, she’d made so many plans over the last few days, most of them involving Jake ending up screaming in pain as he shot electricity through his body. But getting him here first… without raising suspicion?
“Take someone he loves,” she said, her first impulse, but it would need to be amended. She rubbed her hands on her knees as she mulled it over before continuing.
“But you don’t want him being suspicious when he gets here. So get on the good side of someone he loves. Convince them, as he wouldn’t trust us after what he did. Then they can help make him trust us, so he doesn’t feel the need to come with his people.”
Maybe she should have spent more time there, but the temptation to act had been too great so she’d left the White Rabbit before seeing too much. A couple of basics though.
“There’s a girl there, he treats her like family. Young, in form and years I think. She mentioned the Academy. But there’s probably others he’d close to as well.”
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Zeus listened intently. This was one of the many scenarios that he had been mulling over since learning of the fledge from one of his contacts in the field. He had expected Alena to be less patient with her approach, considering the anger he witnessed.
Perhaps he had seriously underestimated her.
"Assuming this is a simple matter--what then? We arrange a meeting here under the premise of peace, spring a trap and slay them both?" Here was the underlying question of how thirsty for blood are you?
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“Yes,” Alena said simply. “The one he loves first, then him. He should watch,” she added in a matter of fact tone, sitting back in her chair, her blue eyes fixed on Zeus.
McCloud deserved nothing less, but probably a whole lot more. Every demon in the city deserved to have a piece of him and she was sure they would all have their own ideas. She would prefer a swift blow, but she knew a little more patience could make it turn out better for their own kind.
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"A fitting punishment," Zeus nodded in agreement.
"But what then? When his rabble come to revenge the martyrs we've created--do we strike them down as well? Even still, will the remaining powers in the city look the other way, or will they band together against us out of fear? How many casualties will we suffer? Who will be left to enjoy the victory?" His tone was passionate, not patronizing. She had lost much, and he was all too aware of this.
"We will have our revenge," there was a dark glint in his eye as he sought to reassure her, "But it must be crafted with taking all of this, and more, into careful consideration." He leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head.
"Will you help me?"
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“They all follow him, they might all just fall apart once he’s gone,” Alena said, before pouting her lips slightly thoughtfully, “But I guess we can’t assume that. The powers of the city however, they haven’t cared about what he did to us, why would they care if we retaliated?”
She nodded quietly, calmed by his reassurance that they would take action and she was excited to see what would happen. Ekaitz was always better at coming up with plans than she had been, so she was more than happy to take advice and guidance from a more experienced source, as long as it made sense to her.
“Yes,” Alena said without hesitation at his question. That was exactly the question she had come to ask him, so there was no way she was going to reject that offer.
“Whatever you need me to do, I will. I need to be a part of this.” If he had turned her away Alena knew she would have just acted. The demons in the city might have resisted, but maybe she could have made one of them lead instead and lead them into battle. Or she could have just gone with her original plan of sneaking in. Who cared what happened to her once he was dead?
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"Good." Zeus pushed back from the desk and stood, walking around toward the front.
"We've only just met, so I have little information on precisely where your strengths lie." He leaned back against the front of the desk, arms crossed in front of his chest, and looked at her expectantly.
"I have several things I will need, the first of which is to gather those who have been scattered in the West. The second is gathering intel on the ground." There were specificities of course, but this was just the beginning. "Discretion in both is top priority." His firm gaze then softened slightly.
"Do you have a place to stay? I have basic accommodations here should you need them."
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Alena leant back in her chair, resting her hands on the arms of it as he came to stand in front of her, a smile playing on her lips, enjoying him being closer rather than feeling like he was invading her space.
“I can be discrete when needs be,” she said, he eyes drifting over him now that he wasn’t half hidden behind the desk. After hunting so vehemently for him, she hadn’t really known what she was expecting. He didn’t appear out of the ordinary, however the way he held himself, his commanding presence, she was in awe and wanted to be her best to impress him.
“I’m good at getting in where I shouldn’t be, I can get information. I could talk to those in the West, but I’m not sure I’m the look of strength they would rally around to bring them here,” she said, wrinkling up her nose. She disliked admitting weakness, but she couldn’t say she’d do something then let him down. When she’d been hunting for him she’d seen the way the other demons looked at her – a child, on a wild goose chase. Why would they change their minds now?
At the other of somewhere to stay Alena blinked in surprise, before she stood up, pacing across the room and then back towards Zeus.
“No, I don’t…but… If I’m going in there to get information I probably shouldn’t be coming back here afterwards. Not very discrete,” she said, twisting her fingers together nervously. She could really get there and back without being seen – electricity was everywhere, not being seen wasn’t a problem. However Alena couldn’t remember ever being offered a place to stay (which actually had a roof and four walls) and that hit her right in the pit of her stomach.
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His eyes followed her as she paced, noting the sudden change in demeanor. Not entirely sure what to make of it, he didn't press her.
"The offer stands should you change your mind." Zeus was sure that she could get in without being seen, and made a mental note to allow security to permit her to travel through the cameras posted at either gate without interference. She was in their systems now and would be recognized on sight. "You could at least wait out the storm." He offered with a shrug, relaxing his stance.
"To start, I would like you to assess McCloud's presence in the West. Numbers, weaknesses, signs of unrest within his ranks. Keep your ears open to any interesting rumors circulating that could be useful leverage." He paused, briefly searching her face for signs of understanding before continuing.
"Report back to me when you feel you have made an adequate assessment." It shouldn't be a terribly long or difficult assignment. He was interested in seeing what she would find and if she would go above and beyond the basic request. He began to walk towards the door, assuming she would follow.
"Unless there is anything else you would like to discuss, I look forward to your report."
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Alena nodded firmly at Zeus’ instructions. She could do that. Most of the time she paid little heed to what was going on around her with regards to the city and rumours, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have the opportunity to listening.
The demon bit her lower lip gently as Zeus dismissed her. If felt like she’d only just arrived, after hunting for him for so long. Yes, she didn’t especially want to stay, it would feel like being trapped, but he had so much knowledge and experience she could learn from.
Alena didn’t want to be a burden though, so she dropped her gaze and gave a small nod, determined to do everything she could for their cause.
“I’ll leave when the rain stops, I won’t let you down,” she said as she looked back up at him, her eyes sparkling, eager to prove herself to her god. If there was nothing else said then Alena would leave him alone in his office to wander the hallways, exploring as much as they let her before it was time to leave.
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He smiled down at her, opening the door. The demon waiting outside stepped aside, ready to escort Alena back to the elevator when she was ready.
"Thank you for coming in. It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Alena." He held out a hand for a firm shake.
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Alena let herself be led out of the office, and paused her step at Zeus’ thanks. She glanced down at his outstretched hand, but ignored it, instead reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck (having to jump slightly to reach) and pressing her cheek against his.
“Thank you. I’m so pleased I found you,” she whispered before dropping back down, her hands resting against her chest for a second before she stepped back. She felt like a weight had been lifted. That sorrow and anger were still there and ready to be tapped into when needed, but for now she was full of joy and looking forward to carrying out their plans.