The Song

The Gatekeeper… the most powerful creature still remaining in this god-forsaken world… was slowly working her fingers through the luminescent strings of the Gate.

Melody was beautiful, kind, she would listen and she would smile and when she did one would instantly forget the mismatching wings on her back and the crackles of lightning in her snow-white hair. Many have tried to define the wonderful creature standing in front of them in their dreams, listening to their uttermost desire to cross the border….

They couldn’t. So she forever remained just Melody. Neither angel, nor human or demon. Compared only to a Mother or a Lover…

During the ages Melody’s instrument had become known as a “harp” because none of the three races had ever found a better way to describe the shape Melody had chosen for her Gate. They had always been sure they’ve seen it, stared at it, explored it with their eyes, but its physical description was elusive as dew in morning fog. And once passed they would have to wonder… did it even possess a physical form? It was majestic and intimidating yet soothing and humble. It was golden yet it was silver, shining and black at the same time. The only thing anyone could be sure of was that it had strings. Strings that she pulled… and strings that didn’t produce a sound.

The few humans who ever caught glimpse of the beautiful creation were so mesmerized by it they had tried to recreate it endlessly. They had tried, indeed, but never managed. Their creations always had a flaw.

They always produced sound.

They were just another humanly creation.

Melody’s harp was different. It was the essence of the world. It was everything there ever was and wasn’t in existence in the creatures’ hearts. It was the sole creation of Life itself.

.

.

.

Each soft fingertip was gently caressing the chosen string. Each touch was filled with emotions stronger than Aaurus himself. If the harp was to emit a sound it would have the power to destroy all foundation of a soul, and even the very foundations of the World itself. If the harp had a voice it would probably drive anyone insane with its endless string of emotion. If it had a voice, it could be capable of erasing all differences and uniting everything and everyone.

That’s why the harp didn’t own a voice. That’s why Melody was its voice.

And so Melody was omnipotent. She knew everything about anything. She didn’t belong to any race as she understood them all. And that’s the kind of music she played.

Her melodies didn’t hold a sound, but they did hold emotion. If someone was to sit and “listen” to her play they would “hear” a gentle hum rising in their very body and soul, a hum so familiar and warm as a mother’s hug. They would feel their own emotions stirring and reaching out to join the countless others they were touched by. They would feel the Essence.

And if the harp had a voice they would never be themselves again.

Now… who was Melody and how it was possible for her and the Gate to exist is still a matter of heated debate between the humans who always wanted to subdue everything to logic. Was she a God? Was she neutral or bias? Was she truly omnipotent? And where was she located? Did she hold the World together with her harp? And what would happen if she disappeared…?
…but the angels and demons knew better. They didn’t question or doubt the existence of the Gate, they knew about it… and knew it was within their reach.

They knew there were only two ways to cross the border. To go to the Gate by reaching its physical location through the cracks in the reality between Surface and Hell…

Or to let the Gate come to you.

Because when the soul is sound and the wish is strong enough…

Then the Gate will appear in your dream.

….

And his wish was always strong.

Melody’s finger slid down the fragile string of brilliant light….

… then a long dark nail caught on it and gently pulled…

… let it slip…

… her hand withdrew, fingers caressing the air before kissing the string again…

He was watching, mesmerized, his heart aching to stay and aching to go. It took minutes, maybe hours, before Melody finally let him take a breath by letting her hands rest on the harp and looked at him with a gentle smile.

“I see you’re here again” she spoke, her voice penetrating him and settling deep in his heart.

“Yes” he simply said.

She smiled again and he turned away, staring into the nothingness that filled his dream beyond the Gate.

That made her chuckle and he was thankful for it. Thanks to that his emotions were subsiding and he was remembering who he actually was, and what he was seeking.

“They say you are kind, Melody. I say you are cruel.”

“I am kind, Raizekiel. I am kind enough to keep your nature intact. I am kind enough to remind you what it is. You, my dear… you are not kind to yourself. And you are cruel to Vivian.”

Raizekiel smirked.

“Let me go to her, Melody.”

The Gatekeeper didn’t say anything. She smirked and playfully laid a finger on a string which made him shudder. Melody retrieved it, chuckling.

“A demon with a human heart? What is a demon to do with a human heart? Can he really keep it close and not suffocate its beat? Can he make it…” Her pale eyes pierced him, sharp and disarming. “…flutter…?” She looked down at her instrument again, bright red lips still pulled in a perfectly cruel arch. “Or can he just let it soar… and wait for it to crash in his merciless hands...”

The demon shook his head, the torment of amusement mixing with rage and adoration with hate almost making him laugh.

“I want to go to her, Melody. And I will. For you that should be enough. You have no reason to stop me because I haven’t laid a finger on her… yet. You shouldn’t be bias and deny me passage just because you don’t like me.”

Melody laughed and this time her voice was powerful and harsh.

“Who said I didn’t like you?”

And she started playing.

And she made it as painful as she possibly could.

Name: Mairyell Kasio.
Alias: N/A.
Nicknames: Mai, which he only allows his family to call him. Ahh yes, childhood~
Age: 24.
Species: Human.
Sub Genus: Vampire.
Relations: Elder brother of Aeris Naera Kasio; Son of Layna Kasio; Ally to Mary and Julian.
Appearance: It should be noted that Mairyell's eyes are typically a purplish blue, as his original eye color was blue, but his vampiric one is red, causing an odd mixture of pigments. He also has night vision from his vampiric traits, not to mention that the hungrier, or angrier, he gets, the more red his eyes will become. He stands at around 5'11, making him fairly tall, and he weighs around 160 lbs.

General Activity: Nothing much to report atm. Though he is trying to find his sister and fuck over a certain demon lord.

Personality: Mairyell is a cautious person, intelligent, but more instinctively so than anything. He is not intelligent in the intellectual sense, but he is certainly not an idiot either, thus lending him a sort of cunning and wit. He has a sense of humor, but calling it 'good' would be odd, as his demonic affliction has actually broadened the spectrum of hilarity. Thus, he has to be careful not to frighten others by laughing at humans being 'squished' or devoured by rampant monsters. He has a temper, but it is moderate, making it neither short, nor calm in nature. He's very protective of his sister, Aeris, causing him to sometimes smother her a bit with his affection and almost overzealous defense of her.

When it comes to people, he dislikes those who whine, or complain about how bad things are for them. This is mostly because the majority are entirely wrong, I mean, at least they weren't unwillingly turned into a bloodsucking monster. Mairyell is grateful, but not very trusting, disallowing him from easily coming to like or believe in both people and things. In fact, anything with a demonic nature, he strongly abhors, avoids, and distrusts. He finds the 'light' and 'good' of angels rather...annoying, mostly because the world has not seemed to improve one bit since they decided to settle in it. In fact, in many ways it seems worse, but that is just his opinion.

Additionally, Mairyell is rather ashamed of his vampiric nature, and when it comes to his sister he's embarrassed about it. In fact, he often will tell her to look away, or close her eyes when he has to defend her, or feed. Generally this shame comes from an event in their past, as he is exceptionally disappointed in himself for having caused so much pain, even if he was in fact forgiven. Furthermore, Mairyell, at times, feels like he is not entirely alone in his mind, as if there is a divergent personality, or something else, watching his every move. It is not something he has mentioned to anyone, but it becomes apparent that he 'hears' things no one else can, and this typically will make him very paranoid whilst it occurs. Generally though, Mairyell is very calm, trying to keep a cool head, with much composure, so as to comfort his sister in these hard times.

Yet, despite his intense shame and dislike, Mairyell cannot entirely deny his vampiric nature, as much as he wishes he could, and thus he finds himself enjoying bloodshed much more than is natural...for a human. Yes, for despite everything, he still considers himself human at his core, though in all truth this is barely a thread of denial that he hangs onto for dear life. He doesn't want to lose hope that perhaps one day he could be cured, but he isn't so naive, so he figures he'll have to get used to being a bloodsucking fiend. Get used to being a wolf in sheep's clothing. This aspect of himself is probably his biggest vulnerability, other than his intense love for his sister, which some would argue is a bit beyond brotherly, but who knows. Regardless, as mentioned, he is very protective of her, even a bit possessive actually. In fact, it makes him uncomfortable when he is not with her because as far as he knows she could be getting herself into danger without him there to protect her. As such, it can be implied that Mairyell is a worrier, which is actually why he takes pains not to trust anyone, as the more people he cares about, the more he has to worry about and protect. Funny how such a monster is also a very loving person.

Over the last year Mairyell's steadfast nature has only gotten stronger, though his excessively short temper has been tempered somewhat. He has gained a good deal of self control and his dislike of what he is has also gone down somewhat, through the interactions with his mother. As such he has become more confident and self assured, allowing him to blossom into the man he should have been all along. His wish to protect those who are innocent or weak has also increased somewhat, making him more likely to defend others rather than selfishly stay away.

Biography: The Kasio Korp was a rich company that thrived on selling highly valuable potions and drugs, herbs, and their seeds to the highest bidder. Maurice Kasio, the CEO, was such a powerful tycoon that he even had his own private army and assassins. His late wife, Layna, also gave birth to two siblings: a son named Mairyell, whom he attempted to groom for taking over the company, and later a daughter named Aeris. Their mother died when Aeris was a young child, and it was public knowledge that the cause was cancer. From the start, the Kasio siblings had always been a little wayward, which was reason for their father to worry. Mr. Kasio, ever the busy man, hired lackeys to keep an eye on his children and stop them from ruining his image.

It was not generally known that Mairyell contracted a demonic disease from his mother while she was pregnant. Nobody knew where this influence came from, but when it came time to address the seriousness of the situation, Mr. Kasio's true colors were shown. His human greed for power had warped his mind and caused him to avoid pouring funds into finding a cure for his wife's illness. After all, it was far more profitable for a company to treat symptoms of a patient than to cure diseases--if word got out that there was a cure for a new disease, the media would be all over over it. He had weaved a lie for his children, but his son sensed that there was deception in this. Mairyell doesn't, however, tell Aeris the truth about Mama's demise, but he always told her bed time stories about Mama whenever she asked him.

Sanity became scarce as their father started to fear them, especially Mairyell. The boy was showing symptoms similar to his mother, but instead of weakening him, it only made the boy stronger. Sedation became his father's favorite method to control him and suppress the demonic symptoms. He still had some twisted dream of making his son inherit his legacy, but the mutations were getting faster and harsher. It was too much. Soon, sedation doesn't work so Mr. Kasio locked up his own son. Unfortunately, he was not able to hide the truth from his daughter. When she found out, the very same demonic influence inspired her to burn down the Kasio Korp HQ. She did some damage, but ultimately failed. But her father was furious for she had managed to release Mairyell from his prison. Their father then disowned them and cast them away to another continent entirely. Unfortunately, Mairyell didn't have any medicine to control himself, so he would routinely freak out on Aeris. This was a problem that would not go away.

Despite the risks, Aeris and her brother began to continuously steal from their father's company warehouses, for medicine to control and sate Mairyell's vampiric metabolism. Not only did this cut into profits, but word spread that Kasio Korp was collapsing due to civil strife. Rivals began to push in on Mr. Kasio, both legally and not. It was during this time that Maurice began to increase the security of his warehouses, as well as sending in more and more assassins to seek out his 'dear' children. During one of the duo's raids, they found themselves unable to procure the medication they needed to sedate his strange urges. Because of their failed attempt, Mairyell went into a frenzy, attacking Aeris. During the attack he bit her, getting his first taste of her blood. Unlike any of the other blood he had had up to that point, Aeris' blood almost immediately satiated him. Though he regretted the act later, and tried desperately to keep from doing again afterward, he found himself unable to care during the 'meal.' A strange thing happened while her brother fed on her: the puncture wounds, while present, had not hurt her. Not one bit, and immediately after Mairyell stopped, the wounds closed soon after.

They were interrupted. Three human assassins dropped in on Mairyell and Aeris. The two of them were immediately ensnared with an acid-etched steel net, and rendered helpless. Mairyell, despite his strength, couldn't break the nets apart. It would seem the Kasio siblings would meet their fate then, but before their father's hit-men could kill them, a large winged being ambushed them, instantly killing one assassin with a large rock dropped from above. The next two assassins found themselves beheaded (and scorched) as Rinyl the Bulwark brandished his flaming sword. Melting the nets carefully, he freed the Kasios and explained that he was Aeris's guardian angel, sent to protect her at all costs for she would soon do great deeds. He added that their father had actually sent several teams before, but they were dispatched quietly. Rin then apologized for being late as a 'demon from the west' had intercepted him at night and demonstrated 'strange foreknowledge' of his assignment. It was noticed that Rin had puncture wounds on his neck, even though the assassins hadn't attacked him.

In reaction to the angel's appearance, Mairyell would at first be skeptical, and would likely remain as such throughout the majority of the two's interactions. Nonetheless, the vampire would accept Rinyl's assistance from then on, grateful for its help in rescuing them, but unsure of how he felt regarding the angel protecting his sister. After all, he did not know the fellow, and merely being of a certain caste among the angelic hierarchy did not warrant trust from the ever cautious Mairyell.

Aeris regarded the strange angel with caution, shielding her eyes from the bright flames licking across his sword. Her throat had dried as she witnessed him kill their ambushers. When it was all over, she looked up at him--worry seizing her face--but then realized that he was there to guard her, much to her confusion. Their first handful of exchanges were awkward, as she couldn't read his emotions, nor figure out his motives. It was all so very weird and alien to her, for she was only used to her big brother being her sole protector and guardian.

It became routine that during their travels, Rinyl would advise Aeris by scouting ahead where they wished to go. He was forced to trust Mairyell to protect his sister during this time. After months, the two began to accept Rinyl as a constant presence in their life. Though Mairyell kept his distance, Aeris began to show her gratitude towards Rinyl, mostly by trying to be friends with him and learn about him. The angel indulged her, somewhat reluctantly, but soon became, well, rather enamored with her. He kept those feelings to himself, however, as he knew what happened to angels who fell. He kept his mind on his mission, for the trio could rarely relax in one place before something else happened. It would seem that a curse followed their every footsteps. 

One night, as another of Mairyell's manic episodes ensured, Rinyl fought Mairyell as he seemed, for some reason, meaner and more hostile than before. It worried Rin, and his honed instincts kicked in--the warriors ignored Aeris as they battled each other in a contest of wits and strength; however, they were both weakened from the fight. Having more experience and stamina, the guardian angel managed to whisk Aeris away and they disappeared into a sanctuary in which he had longed to shelter her, and train her to fight and protect herself. He never got that chance, though. When Mairyell found her again a couple days later, Rinyl was dead and Aeris was being consoled (in vain) by the sanctuary monks. He wasn't sure what had happened, but soon began to think himself to blame. Before they left, they attempted to bury Rin's body, but were denied. A squad of four pure angels emerged and while two of them wrapped Rinyl's body and picked him up, the other two brandished grimaces and scimitars at the Kasios. The angels uttered not a word as they left them behind.

The Council, however, were not done with the Kasio siblings' fate: they sent another angel, a specially trained one known as the Aurist...

Since then, Mairyell and the rest of their small three-person group have traveled here and there, trying to stay alive and well fed, avoiding the ongoing investigation that follows them, with Mairyell suffering from constant nightmares. Of course, he has yet to say anything to either his younger sister or her guardian angel. At this point, the vampire feels like he is being watched to some extent and has become just slightly paranoid.

--Mairyell and his sister have been split up by who Mairyell has come to know as Szayeis, one of the demonic lords, the same demon who was responsible for his mother's death...and his own vampirism. He took it hard, initially becoming frozen with shock after which the appearance of two vampires sent him over the edge, forcing him into a rather terrifying destructive state that drove him to first annihilate one of the two vampires and then a werewolf who arrived soon after, though he had some help from a certain Solus Grim. Following this, Mairyell was reunited with his mother and transported to a place of his childhood. From there he has trained and caught up with his mother.

Plenty has occurred, but you'll find out exactly what later.--

Demonic Abilities:

Drastically Enhanced Physical Aptitude: As a human infected by demonic influence, Mairyell's physical strength, stamina, durability, speed, reflexes, and instincts have all been amplified greatly. His vampiric nature causes him to be capable of throwing, or lifting, the equivalent weight of a small car, or at least 4 fully grown humans. It'd be fairly simple for Mairyell to break down brick walls and the like as well. His speed, to a human, is very exceptional, but remains in the area of being physically traceable by the eye, but not by much. His durability, normally, is not too much greater than a human's and it is not as if he could block a sword tip by just standing there. However, when it comes to blunt-type weapons, Mairyell does not take as much damage from them as a human would, not to mention that he does in fact regenerate at a certain rate, allowing him to heal from wounds as long as he has blood to fuel this ability. The less blood he has, the less physically enhanced he will become, this does go the opposite direction when his thirst is sated, but this essentially covers the maximum strength already.

As to Mairyell's senses, well they are essentially enhanced, but it isn't like you could make loud or high pitched noises to mess with his hearing, this is due to the fact that his senses are magically enhanced, not physically enhanced. This magical enhancement is, however, passive, but can weaken when the amount of blood his body holds is lessened. His sense of smell could be compared to that of a bloodhound, except greater, allowing him to track things. In fact, he can actually smell someone's blood through their muscle and flesh, which can be very disconcerting, especially when he describes someone as 'tasty'. His vision, last, but not least, could be described similar to a bird of prey's, allowing him to zoom in either for fine detail, or for enhanced range from afar. He, as a human, does not have to move his head, or cock it to the side, to see better though. Lastly are his reflexes, which simply put, should not be fucked with.

Beyond this, there are some weaknesses that should be mentioned. For, while Mairyell will not be killed by it, light does weaken his vampiric abilities somewhat, and causes his blood magic to not be as exceptional. Additionally, sunlight will force him to use more blood, as it is essentially constantly regenerating his body when he is exposed to sunlight. Another unique aspect of Mairyell's brand of demonic affliction, is that while most vampires only possesses two 'bloodsucking' teeth, ALL of Mairyell's teeth serve this purpose.

'Blood' Magic: Mairyell, upon becoming vampiric, gained an odd and ironic ability. He refers to this as 'blood' magic, as it deals with the manipulation of blood. This manipulation to be compared to water manipulation, as he is capable of solidifying, liquifying, and turning to vapor, any blood under his control. Of course, for him to control blood, he must either take it into his own body --by way of feeding-- or make physical contact with any blood that has exited a body. This blood magic thus allows him to levitate, and move blood as he wills it. However, the amount of blood he can control depends entirely on how much he can gather. On the other hand, his bloodcore allows him to literally store gallons worth of blood in his body, without bursting. As seen in Mairyell's fight with an ascended werewolf in the last season, his blood manipulation is a very powerful ability.

At current time, with the assistance of his mother, Layna, Mairyell has managed to mostly master this ability. However, he is still lacking in the extremely fine tuned manipulation that this magic is truly capable of. It will take a good deal of time to get there, though he has found a way to temporarily bypass this.

Black Blood: Due to Mairyell's increasing skill in the manipulation of his own essence via his blood and Brisn, he has discovered that he can increase and decrease the acidity of his own blood to a certain degree. This particular brand of blood has become so dense with essence that it appears black. The properties of this blood are its increased acidity and density, allowing it to take stronger physical and magical attacks when solidified. This ability takes more effort (essence and/or blood) to maintain and is thus more taxing physically and/or magically for him to utilize. While the normal acidity of his blood can burn through wood after a time and can sear flesh, black blood can begin to melt metal and weaken concrete somewhat.

Bloodcore: In the center of his chest, over where his heart is, Mairyell's body sports a ruby-red crystal-like biological structure. This is the primary mutation of his vampiric affliction and is his most fatal weakness, not to mention the cause of his abnormally high metabolic rate. Essentially, Mairyell's bloodcore stores any blood that he ingest, and while it will keep him from dying should he lose the majority of his gathered blood, it also serves as a dangerous weakness. The Bloodcore takes blood directly from Mairyell's body, which is why he is near constantly thirsty to some degree, and why he has to almost constantly devour blood, unless it is his sister's blood which appears to be the closest to his own original human blood and thus will sate him for at least 4 times as long as normal, not to mention amplify his human abilities and strengthen his sanity. If his bloodcore is removed, he will die, if it destroyed he will also die. Essentially, it is his greatest weakness, not to mention that it glows slightly.... Mairyell's bloodcore is intriguing in that it will show the state he is in physically by how brightly, or dimly, it glows. If he were near death, there would be but an ember of redish light at its core, while the rest would be dull and nearly gray. If he is satisfied (aka has gotten his fill by way of feeding) the bloodcore will glow a fierce red, almost like fire.

Malice State: Possessing a weaker amplification level than Bloodlust State, Malice was created by Mairyell as a go between where he can amplify his focus through adrenaline and the manipulation of his own essence. By balancing himself partially with Brisn and his own willpower, Mairyell is capable of briefly amplifying his blood manipulation and awareness. This tends to last for only 5 or so minutes before knocking him unconscious, weakening him, or sending him hurtling into the currently uncontrollable Bloodlust State.

Bloodlust State: When Mairyell's body runs out of blood, or he becomes enraged, he will enter 'Bloodlust' state. This state, more or less, is caused by intense stress, either of the body or of the mind, and will be triggered also if he is in immense pain or danger. In fact, since it is linked to his mind, and thus emotional state, it can be triggered by fear of loss, specifically losing his sister, who is his only living family and in a sense represents his apparently lost humanity. When entering bloodlust state, Mairyell's bloodcore will release some of its stored blood through his pores. This will coat his skin in the substance, then it will harden like a shell as two bloody wings, and a tail, burst from from his body. His face is almost entirely obscured by the same blood, his eyes becoming burning pits of swirling coagulated crimson, and his mouth almost appearing to shift as small, thin, but strong teeth form. Once this transformation is complete, and believe me it completes rather fast, Mairyell will temporarily lose the majority of his rationale, becoming an animalistic (usually) monster intent on destroying the object of his anger, hatred, or otherwise physical distress. Mairyell DOES in fact remember small amounts of what occurs during his changes into this form, but not everything. It should be noted that as his control of his abilities strengthens and balances out, he may be capable of turning into this state willfully, while retaining his sanity during, but that is far off it seems. Additionally, in this state all physical attributes are peaked and he becomes even faster, making him almost appear to vanish when moving at top speed.

Magical Abilities:

Brisn(Blue energy): A barely active magic inherited from his late mother, Mairyell is capable of manifesting a water-blue energy with properties reminiscent of its elemental color. This magic has one simple ability, and that is the ability to absorb other energies. However, it is capable of effecting only living beings and elemental energies, thus it is weaker against non-elemental varieties of magic. Its effects on both living beings and elements is essentially absorption, but in two very different manners. When applied to a living being, this absorption will occur on any wounds, essentially 'absorbing' them from the body and thus healing them. When effecting elemental energies it will pull them into itself, amplify them slightly, and retain some of the properties. After which, the Brisn can be utilized to blast back the element, though both this and the healing does cost the user magical energies, as all magic should. There are likely other uses for this magic, but at the moment this is all Mairyell knows. He is not yet very capable with this magic. When Mairyell utilizes Brisn, his eyes go from a purplish coloration to a blue one, becoming increasingly lighter blue with every use, or the length of use. After a few minutes, the blue coloration will begin wearing off. This is similar to his use of 'Blood' magic, as that will cause his eyes to redden.

TO BE REVAMPED ^ (need to talk to Mikael about it)

Blue Blood: This ability, while relating to Mairyell's blood manipulation, is in fact governed by his control over Brisn, making it a magical ability rather than a demonic one. Mairyell's blood, when augmented with Brisn to this extent, loses its acidic and poisonous properties completely as a trade off for its healing and absorption properties. This ability more or less makes up for Mairyell's inability to fully utilize Brisn as his mother does. It allows him to use his blood as a sort of conduit for the ability, thus making it possible for him to channel it through his blood stream to amplify his capabilities, including his regeneration, or to heal others. Mairyell has not mastered this ability and thus cannot use it very well. However, Mairyell can still use his Brisn in his normal blood, though it weakens in intensity making it less useful.

Skills and Learned Abilities:

Combat: Mairyell is skilled in both hand-to-hand and general melee combat as he and his sister have had to survive essentially alone for a good couple years. He also has some knowledge regarding magic, which allows him to be wary of spellcasters and their ilk, not to mention demons. Mairyell's combat prowess has increased over the past year as he has been training with his mother, Layna Kasio.