[IC] Cataclysm 【bittersweetsymphonia & AllOurPrettySongs】

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon awoke with a gasp. He was in the alleyway of a crowded street, slumped against the filthy and graffiti ridden wall. Putting his head in his hands, he squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment, gathering his thoughts. Apocalypse.The word rang through his mind and he remembered. He remembered. A malevolent smile started to form as he stood slowly, adjusting his still - thankfully - impeccable suit. Abaddon glanced up at the sky, the sun eclipsed by the buildings that entombed him. 

He walked down the alleyway and stepped out onto the street. People were everywhere, chattering mindlessly into mobiles, hurrying to work, getting into arguments that would soon be forgotten. Abaddon's smile turned to a sneer; cockroaches and ants, milling about and bumping into one another. He was impatient to crush them.

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only." He murmured with a dry laugh. No, not even the Father would know of this.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Over the city, two feet swung leisurely over the edge of a building's rooftop. The owner, a young blonde woman, whispered a happy tune as her feet tapped the brick wall to the beat of her mind's song. Other than her current location and the manifestation of great, white wings on her back, nothing was remarkable about her.

"Kristiel," came a stern voice. The blonde angel turned her head and saw the owner of said voice, a woman with fiery red hair being gently set down on the rooftop by her wings. She was Camael, a Seraph. "What are you doing here? Were you not tasked to watch over a dying man?"

Kristiel pursed her lips, but didn't dare turn her back on her superior. "I simply came to view the wondrous sights the city has to offer. I thought perhaps I might be able to show Mr. Olivera one last look at the city he grew up in one last time before I lead him back to the Creator."

Camael arched her brow as she turned to scan the city. Grey, dull buildings produced black smoke that would become the humans' undoing. Every corner held a brothel or some other establishment of sin and disgrace. The humans' hearts were corrupted by darkness - each and every one of them. There was nothing beautiful about the city. Nothing at all like the beautiful utopia the Creator had gifted men before. No, this city was soiled with destruction and chaos. "There is no beauty here," she concluded.

"But there is," Kristiel retorted, a hand pointing towards a hole in the wall establishment. "The people here find happiness despite the disasters that befall them."

Camael's eyes narrowed at the name of the establishment; the Rave. Before the entrance was a long line of assorted people. She knew right then and there that it was not an establishment meant to honor the Creator. "Kristiel, say your prayers," she ejaculated. "That establishment you speak of is a place of sin."

The blonde angel shook her head. "Could a place that gives joy to the hearts of man be so horrible? I have seen many leave this establishment with a smile on their face and a beloved on their arm. It is a place of love, Seraph. Do you not watch over such businesses?"

"Do not question me, young one." The irritation was evident in her voice, but Camael could not deny that yes, she was the angel of love and if that place did give love, then it was her duty to watch over it too. But she did not like the darkness that enveloped it. "An establishment of love shrouded in the darkness of sin."

"Then cleanse it." Kristiel stood up, her feet inches from leaving the stable ground of the rooftop. Her wings had spread wide as she prepared for flight. Before she did so, she spoke softly, "Give the city a chance. We are here to protect it, dear sister."

Left alone, Camael pondered the merits of visiting the establishment. She would be able to see for herself what kind of happiness it offered, and she would be able to learn more of the people they were tasked to protect from the demons that lurked. If such demon would be there, it would be against the rules set upon them to reveal themselves. In a way, such a place could become a no-man's ground, and Camael could attempt to cleanse it from evil. She nodded to no one as she made up her mind. She jumped over the edge and landed in an abandoned alley with the grace angels were known for. She shook her shoulder, her wings disappearing as if they were dust.

"May the Creator's blessing shine upon us now and forevermore," she prayed silently. She took a deep breath, and stepped out into the city.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon seemed quite at home among the bustling bodies that scurried here and there along the street. Sinners unknowingly alongside their reckoning. He gave a slight smile at that; ignorance is bliss. He moved to the side of the pathway and closed his eyes briefly, breathing deep. There was a place of great sin close by, he could smell it. The place was abound with the sins of lust, greed and anger, somewhere he felt he would definitely fit in.

Moving back into the fray, Abaddon brushed against the bodies he passed. With each fleeting touch, he could feel the sins and wicked desires of the individual. A business man who had embezzled thousands. A housewife who longed for an affair and intended to make good on the longing. A youth who had stolen from her father. And, his personal favourite so far, a young woman who had murdered her uncle. These cockroaches bred sin and Abaddon relished.

The smell was stronger now, rising above the fainter smell of the sins of the rabble. He stopped outside of a seedy establishment, realising it to be the source. The Rave . With a smirk, he entered the building, his senses almost immediately overwhelmed. Collecting himself, he straightened his tie and glanced around.

"Sodom and Gomorrah rebirthed." He murmured.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Camael straightened her clothing - simple and light. Even from two blocks away, she could feel the sin emanating from the establishment. It was like a live tumor, something that would devour her completely should she let even a tiny bit of it touch her person. A virus, chaotic and unrelentless, it had already claimed the establishment as its own. Cleansing it in the name of the Creator would be a difficult task, and should a lower ranking angel have entered there, she was certain that they would have fallen to the temptation it offered.

But she was different. She was a Seraph, stronger and closest to the Creator. Standing in front of the establishment, she was certain she would be able to overpower whatever heinous and malevolent spirit it would have to offer.

Oh, how wrong she was. She'd only set one foot into the club when she was assaulted with all the blasphemous thoughts of all that was inside. She couldn't even bear the wrongdoings some of them have done. Infidelity. Immorality. Murder. Her heart wept, not for the humans that found pleasure in canoodling in the palace of haram, but for the Creator who had given His unconditional and undying love for these blasphemous ingrates.

She shook her head but pushed on. She had to do her best to save whatever she could of this place, despite wanting to simply damn the entire establishment. It was her duty, and she could never turn her back on the very creatures the Creator loved so. She sat herself at the bar, cringing at the sleazy men and slutty women that littered it. Even the bartender reeked of sin, and when she was asked what she'd wanted to drink, she simply said she wanted wine. That was the closest she could get to something holy in a place like this. The bartended shot her a look, but went to retrieve her drink nonetheless.

In the meantime, Camael turned to face the mesh of bodies that was the dancefloor. It was then that she felt it - that dark, deadly feeling. A demon was in the area.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon had been speaking to a young, clearly drug addled woman when he felt a wretched twist of his stomach, as if a knife had been plunged into it. Ever composed, he excused himself and took a few steps towards the bar, peering through the bodies as if they weren't there. The feeling built as his eyes stopped at a seemingly innocuous young woman. Innocuous to the cockroaches, yes. But he was above and beyond. Abaddon felt a little ill at the constant pull of his stomach but smiled anyway. This could be fun.

With the faintest flick of his wrist, the music pulsing through the club changed. No longer was it a fast beat of techno but a slow and near hypnotic song. The revelers seemed to not mind, those who were drug fueled even seemed to appreciate the change.

"There's such a sad love,
Deep in your eyes,
A kind of pale jewel,
Open and closed,
Within your eyes, I'll place the sky within your eyes."

Abaddon moved seamlessly through the crowd, heading towards the young woman who he knew to truly be ageless. The bodies of the sinners moved slowly and time seemed to have slowed down with the music.

" As the pain sweeps through,
Makes no sense to you,
Every thrill is gone, wasn't too much fun at all.
But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down.
As the world falls down. "

[bittersweetsymphonia]

The music that blasted through hidden speakers around the enclosed space suddenly took a turn for the slow and low, and Camael knew that it was the work of the demon in her midst. What the demon meant to accomplish with the change was unknown to her, but it soon became apparent that the demon was getting closer. She already felt the soft grasp of temptation pulling at her being, like a sweet tune that lulled you to a sleep that you wouldn't awake from. It felt like comfort in front of the hearth. It was no wonder that the humans fell to its clutches.

The sinners around her seemed to sway in content at the music, falling deeper and deeper into the abyss that was Hell. She would not allow herself to be swayed, especially not by smooth vocals and soothing instrumentals. And never in the presence of a demon.

The pull grew stronger, creeping up Camael's system like a vicious snake. She shook it off, sending a silent prayer to the Creator above. This demon was strong if his presence could cause such discomfort to an angel as high up in the hierarchy as Camael, and she hated it. She knew from the very beginning that entering this pit of sin was a mistake, but stubborness and curiousity had pushed her in. And now, she would pay for it. She would be around a demon, but not have a way to dispose of him.

She saw him then, moving through the masses as if he was Moses and the club was the Red Sea. She almost scoffed at herself, comparing such a wretched creature to a prophet of the Creator.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon was beside the angel in a heartbeat, among the dancers in one moment, leaning against the bar and into her personal space in the next. Being this close made the invisible knife give a heated twist but he suppressed the feeling. He could deal with discomfort, especially if it meant the torment of an angel was the reward.

" As the world falls down,
Fallin', fallin',
As the world falls down. "

"And the world is falling, isn't it, angel?" Abaddon murmured as he tapped the bar top with two fingers, signaling he wanted a shot of vodka from the bartender. The bartender stared at him for a few moments, feeling unsure, but soon complied. Abaddon sat down beside the woman and turned his gaze on her. "Have you come to watch the flames consume the failed work of your Father?"

[bittersweetsymphonia]

The bartender had just set down her glass of red wine when the demon settled in the suddenly empty area next to her. Camael sneered in disgust and did little to try and hide it from her current company. She felt the pull intensify, but sending a silent prayer above seemed to deliver her from its clutches. The Creator was watching over her battle, and Camael was certain she would not fail Him.

And when the demon spoke, Camael felt the anger bubble up like a volcano awaiting a signal to erupt. "Such folly," she gasped. "The Father has never once failed. It is them that have failed Him." She was letting her disappointment towards men show once more, and she needed to reel it in. She lifted the glass to her lips, preparing for a calming sip, her eyes never omce leaving the danger before her. She felt the warm liquid slide down her throat and strength return to her being. "Leave now, scoundrel," the power in her voice returned and she bristled. She was prepared should things come to blows.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon gave a throaty laugh, the sound more intense than it had any right to be. He gave a slight nod in the bartender's direction when the shot was set before him. The bartender had done terrible things and the sin only gave Abaddon further life. "The children have been quite naughty, that is true," He downed the shot in between words before leaning in close again. "And scoundrel is not my name. I am Abaddon, but I prefer Abe when in this realm."

[bittersweetsymphonia]

"Naughty does not begin to cover it," Camael muttered into her drink. She side-eyed the man, cringing at the sight of his drink. She wanted nothing more than to ignore his existence, but the manners drilled into her wouldn't allow her to cut a conversation so abruptly, no matter how horrible the company was. Apparently, the same couldn't be said about the man as he leaned in close, having no regards for personal space whatsoever. Camael cringed and shifted away before offering a slight nod. "Scoundrel suits you much better, Abe," she gave a slight sneer at the name. "I am Camael, but here I am known as Cameron."

She arched her brow and continued in her usual, rigid tone, "Now, if that is all, please leave."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon gave her a look of exaggerated hurt. "And you call yourself an angel?" He smirked as he placed the empty shot glass on the bar top and straightened his tie. "I simply came over here to ask you to dance. Come now, it's hardly a dance with the Devil."

His smirk grew into a grin, canines too sharp, and offered her his hand.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

"A dance? With you?" Camael cringed in disgust. She shook her head in a vehement negative. "I think not," she snapped, waving her hands around to gesture to the masses that surrounded them. She felt eyes on them, awaiting their next action, so she lowered her voice, "Take your pick of these wretched humans, but leave me be." With that, she turned her back on him and called for the bartender.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon's grin remained as his arm returned to his side. "If you change your mind, I'll be just over here," He gestured to a grouping of youths near the end of the bar. He lowered his voice in an exaggerated tone. "They're all damned and I intend to usher them accordingly." Winking, Abaddon moved away towards the aforementioned youths and seamlessly involved himself in the conversation.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Camael stiffened at Abaddon's words and her fists gripped the edge of the bar to keep from lunging towards the demon. She watched as he moved towards the group, involving himself in whatever they had to say. He was right, they were damned... But, Camael felt it. Amidst the group was a kind soul; a young lady who seemed for all the world like she didn't want to be there. Peer pressure, Camael guessed correctly. She couldn't let Abaddon further corrupt the young lady's soul. She could still be saved, taken away from this vile place before the demons feasted upon her soul. Oh, she could just imagine the chaos Abaddon could do. She had to stop him, even if it meant luring him away with a dance. She sighed and gathered up her courage.

She stood and slid through the sweaty bodies, cringing at the disgusting manners of these pesky humans. It didn't take long before she reached them and saw the light that the young lady produced. A lily among the thorns. And the biggest thorn of all was sat right there. "Abe," Camael called through gritted teeth, "A word, please."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon had sensed there was still a single pure soul among the group and had looked forward to leading her into temptation. It wouldn't be difficult; she had been pressured into coming to this house of sin by her friends. Her friends had already fallen too far and would be easy to manipulate, who in turn would manipulate the woman. He focused his attention on her, pulling all the tricks of seduction that humans always fell so easily for.

"Abe. A word, please.". Ah, so the angel had sensed the young woman too and sought her salvation. How quaint. Turning from the group, Abaddon beamed at the clearly furious angel before him.

"But of course, angelus meus. Have you reconsidered my offer?" He arched his eyebrows.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Camael sighed inwardly. She'd intervened just in time. The young lady's purity would be saved if she could just get her away from Abaddon and the delinquents that surrounded her. It quickly became apparent that Camael's priority would be seperating the demon from the humans. Once she did that, the rest would be easy.

She was sure that if she gritted her teeth harder, she'd have none left. But it was all she could do to not attack the demon right then and there. "My angel? Can you be any more obnoxious?" She rolled her eyes, not waiting for an answer. Instead she grabbed him by the arm and moved him away from the group, pushing him towards the direction of the dancefloor. Ignoring him for the moment, she returned to the group. She effortlessly slipped the young lady away from the group and towards the direction of the exit. "Make your exodus from the palace of sin, young lady, and never return." She made a subtle sign of che cross and blessed the woman before pushing her out.

With that dealt with, she returned to Abaddon, rage emanating from her body in waves. "Was it you?" she inquired. "Was it your nefarious ways that led such a pure soul into this pit?"

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon laughed as the angel's fury grew. He knew the discomfort had been worth it once he caught sight of Camael's face. If only he could torment souls with as much fire as this fierce Daughter of the Lord. The music had returned to it's usual techno, much to his displeasure. A flick of his wrist, as he did before, and the speakers sung with a melodic male voice.

" Welcome to your life,
There's no turning back,
Even when you sleep, we will find you.

Acting on your best behavior,
Turn your back on Mother Nature,
Everybody wants to rule the world. "

Abaddon did enjoy music that connected to the coming events; he was a fan of irony. Looking at the angel as she spoke so seriously, he couldn't contain a wicked smile. "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew tongue is Abaddon." He recited then gave a light shrug. "Really, dear, it's in the job description. So, yes, I did."

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Camael ran a hand through her hair as the music changed once again. "Will you stop doing that?" She knew it was futile, but she couldn't help herself. The soft music did nothing to calm her nerves. She saw the amusement on the demon's face and only felt her anger grow. "Angel of the bottomless pit? And the only way you can feel satisfaction is by destroying the purity of other's souls? How-" She was caught mid-sentence as a random body bumped harshly into her, causing her to stumble a few steps closer to Abaddon. The demon's closer presence did nothing to abate the discomfort Camael felt and her sneer grew as she continued, "How pathetic."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Abaddon chuckled at her reaction to his music change. "Don't you feel it appropriate, angel? I feel it to be quite fitting." He stumbled back a step as the woman was pushed forth by a drug addled body. It seemed the sinner enjoyed her torment just as much as he did. He raised his hands to her, daring not to touch but hovering above her arms. "Steady. If you wanted to be closer to me, all you had to do was ask."

His sharp canines flashed in the light once again as the grin returned.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Camael shrugged. "It is a nice tune," she admitted, though her lips were still curled down into a snarl at the mesh of bodies that surrounded them. The sinners in her midst continued to move to the music, pushing her closer and closer towards Abaddon. One thing she was thankful for at the moment was that the demon kept his hands to himself, not daring to touch her in the salacious manner that the humans promoted. Huh, maybe the demon wasn't all that bad. Camael smirked, shifting slightly closer. "I don't think you're ready for that, demon."

That word, acting as a metaphorical bucket of ice on Camael, caused her eyes to widen and for her to attempt a step back, only to find that there wasn't much room to distance herself from the man. She was caught.