PopeAlessandros

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The sound of Hiro's voice causes the nervous man to jump slightly. His eyes dash to the man's face, worried that the prince would be upset with him looking over his body. The other man's eyes are covered however and he's able to relax slightly. Coughing, he sits up a bit and rests his back against the side of the large tub, His hair is still trailing in the water a bit though he's now only submerged from his collar down. He takes a moment to consider the assessment of how pleasant the hot bath is after the cold weather, then with a soft smile nods, looking towards his betrothed. “Yes, it is nice. . .” His voice luckily doesn't break despite the nerves, and he even manages to not duck back into the water as Hiro shifts.

He does however, against his will, take on a more bashful expression as the towel falls from Hiro's eyes, splashing softly in the water. He wills himself desperately to not look away, but he can't help but avert his gaze slightly when Hiro pauses mid sentence and stares. His hands fidget beneath the water. 'Is it really so shocking to see me like this? Is it bad I let my hair down? Maybe I should have waited, or maybe I was suppose to be wearing something like a towel. I've seen people in the public baths wear towels. I never used one, but I had work in a few of them. . .' He swallows, looking back up as the prince goes on to finish what he was saying, and sees that at least he doesn't look upset.

Instead, his interest seems to be caught by his partner. Hoko lets out a little noise at Hiro's touch, but doesn't seem bothered by being used a bit like a bath toy. The little nudge is enough to cause Hoko to drift towards his human partner and Akito lets his smile return as he reaches out to rub his belly. “Yes. He's surprisingly buoyant.” He gives Hoko's midsection a few little pushes to show how he just pops back up without having to exert any effort. Hoko lets out a few little squeaky whistles at the treatment, but looks more playful than anything else. The little critter ducks under the water and begins swimming around in the hot water.

Following his progress Akito flushes as his eyes land back on his intended and he has to force himself not to look away again as he trails up to look at Hiro's face. “I, um. . .”He tries to think of something to say. “On the march, almost all the baths we had were either with cloths only, or in rivers, so hot baths were always a rare luxury. . . .” Biting his lip he laughs softly, clearly still nervous despite his efforts. He looks back down at his hands, seemingly trying to strangle one another beneath the surface. “Forgive me. . .” he murmurs softly. “I must seems such a pathetic mess at the moment. . .” He closes his eyes, insides on fire as he tries to reconcile with feeling so alone and vulnerable around the man he's suppose to spend the rest of his life with.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba offers his assistance, but Kuro knows what he's going to do and insists the little angel stay put and let him work. 'I don't need to be getting all distracted with you wandering around so close to me, Little Mouse' He smiles to himself, the image of a house wife passing through his mind, replacing the woman in the frilly apron with himself in a Cerberus skin one. 'Yes, son of Satan, dutiful house spouse' He chuckles slightly, turning an ear to Aoba while he gets to work. He's ready to answer right away, forming his thoughts around his various powers, but the overly talkative angel keeps going, causing Kuro to wonder what's wrong.

'Usually he so calm and quiet. I wonder if he's stuck on what happened earlier. . .' He rolls his eyes to himself. 'Of course he is. He doesn't shake stuff like that of the same way I do' Humming to himself, he continues frying up the meat for the burgers he's planning on to go with the dinner salad. “That's okay Little Mouse.” he murmurs in response to the apology. “I have a lot of 'powers' so I'm not sure I can think of them all, but I can give an outline.” He takes another moment to organize his thoughts. “I can hide my wings, fly of course, generate hellfire, a rare skill I may add.” He grins wide. “Most demon fire is different, and I'm the only one of my siblings that has it.” He puffs up proudly before going on. “I can draw my weapon from the space I keep it in hell from anywhere I may be, I can use my pendant to travel between the realms of hell and earth, and from place to place when on earth. . .”

Chopping the fresh vegetables now, he wrinkles his nose a bit at them before going on. “I can contact my Papa at any time, I can sense demons, angels, and humans nearby. I can smell the flavor of souls, and tell which are most ripe.” He looks at Aoba out of the corner of his eye at this, wondering how the angel will react. “I can use demonic energy to create clothing on myself, and transmute certain things into other things, like the demon parts into charms. Among other things.” He rolls his shoulders, sitting against the tree for so long leaving him a little stiff as he works them in the repetitive chopping motion.

“And let's see. . .I can contact any of my siblings of course, and I can pass unseen by humans when I want to, and even call of some demon forces if I really, really want to.” He shakes his head, sticking out his tongue at the idea. “I can poison pure things and use charm to sway thoughts where I want them to go. . .” He peeks over his shoulder again. “I've not been doing that to you, if you're wondering.” He says this in a matter-of-fact tone, rather than sounding like he's accusing Aoba of thinking such things. “I'm not sure it counts as a power, but I can sense and manipulate human feelings fairly well. I think that's a learned trait though, and not exactly a power. . .” As he finishes up the meal he pauses, concentrating on what he's doing.

“Can you grab the drinks?” he asks, turning with full plates and heading towards the coffee table. “I also have limited access to the Ocularus, but that's more a right than a power. The power comes from being able to use it without my brain exploding.” He sticks his tongue out again, playfully this time. His plate holds two burgers and a small salad while Aoba's salad is much larger and he has only a single burger. He knows he can get some sustenance from vegetation, so he tries his best to learn to like them. Once Aoba is seated Kuro reaches out and gives his hair a little tug. “And as for going to town, I am sure we can find plenty of time. We should go early though, to try and avoid Dani. I'm sure he'll try and come back soon. . .” He growls a little at this idea, but then smiles to show he's not completely serious. “Any questions? I think I've covered all the ones I can think of. . .”

When the Roar Falls ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

Pleased to hear that the clothing isn't uncomfortable for his guest Viltez smiles a little wider and hums softly. His tail clearly wants to get back to being around the slender man, but Viltez knows he needs to pay attention so as to not burn the soup so he does his best to keep the appendage in check. It's a little harder when Aryx comes closer to grab the dishes they will be using for the meal, but he manages to keep it from completely wrapping around the other man with a decent amount of effort. It does however slip out to brush against Aryx when it can reach and Viltez hopes he's not being a bother.

From what he can tell, Aryx doesn't seem to mind and indeed, seems to be in a relatively good mood. “No more than usual.” he responds with a smile, nodding as he stirs the soup. The little bits of contact fill his mind with distractions but he manages to talk about his day without stuttering or pausing. He talks about the hard labor, the simple tasks, the mad dash to get the last minute ingredients for the meal near sundown. “The soup took some preparation, so other than the bath I've been working mostly on making sure it turns out okay.” He flushes a little. “I've never had opportunity to cook for anyone but myself before you came, so I'm doing my best. Not sure how well I'm doing, but. . .” He flushes a bit more, giving Aryx a sideways smile before removing the soup from directly over the heat.

Dividing it into two bowls he brings them to the small table along with the sides he prepared, setting the meal out on the dishes Aryx had prepared for them. He smiles, settling down opposite his guest, the fireplace at his back as he settles on the floor so Aryx can use the bench. His tail stretches out almost like a happy dog in front of the fire as it would be awkward to reach around to the guest while they eat. Trying to find a subject to talk about, Viltez decides to turn the question around a bit. “What job did you have where you come from?” he asks innocently.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

Things are happening around him, but all Seishu can focus on is the pain. Something, he doesn't know what, can't know what, but something horrible has happened, and there's nothing he can do about it. 'Kaila. . . .Kaila, it's you, I know it's you, what. . .What is happening, why. . .Why. . . .' He cries, not caring who sees him. His eyes are pressed closed as he sobs, indulging for the first time in just letting himself be upset. Someone he loves is in pain, possibly dying for all he can tell, and all he can do is suffer at a distance, unable to help. He can feel a hand in his own and his first instinct is to push the owner away. The outpouring of energy, the warm, soothing energy however, keeps him from being able to repel whoever it is.

A warm hand cups his cheek and he can feel someone wiping his tears away. The press of lips on his forehead draws a shuddering breath from him and he's finally able to begin the thinking thing again. His eyes creep open, his vision blurry as he tries to take in everything going on around him. He sees those lovely red eyes looking down at him, filled with tears of their own as Inui burrows himself against the hand clasped between his own. He sees that his other hand is occupied as well and he lets out a faint sigh, a small part of his mind annoyed, but mostly just tired. Inui presses closer and he lets out a faint sound to try and calm the boy.

His ears finally tune in to what Enasi is talking about and he can feel his insides flip-flop. Going back to the human realm isn't ideal, but he knows that he will be able to recover faster there. He shudder, feeling outright sick as he thinks about going back to the realm he was kidnapped to so soon, but keeps his thoughts to himself. He watches Crios rush up to the bed and gives the foxy doctor a strained smile, looking away quickly as he realizes he's feeling too weak to even pretend to be okay.

Crios goes to work, trying to figure out if there's anything that he can do to help, probing here and there to try and find any tears in his injuries or fresh ones. In his pain, Seishu had indeed managed to open a few wounds and he goes to work patching them up immediately. The doctor's presence, while tempered by the injections of Rue's blood, is still like flames across his wounds, but the burn is definitely less than it was before. Looking up at his counterpart Seishu murmurs softly, “Something's happened. Something bad. I. . .I don't know what. While we're on earth, please, send someone out to find out what happened. . .I don't know how, just. . .Kaila. Something happened. . .I can still feel it now. Something, some pain, it's eating at him, draining him. . .”

~*~*~*~*~

He can feel it, as if it had happened to him. The burn of the blade. The ache of the wound. Not just in the flesh, but in the soul. True, it's never been proven whether or not their kind has souls, but Kaila has no doubt in this moment that his has been rent. Those under him are right to be cautious about letting him go, every fiber of him demanding he rescue his beloved brother, but at the same time he feels no strength to do so. He knows what has happened, he knows why, and he knows that it is better this way, but nothing short of Master Seishu would be able to convince him in this moment that leaving Jentou behind was the right choice.

Inside, the fire burns. The pain, the hatred, the sorrow. It burns brighter in the minion than it ever had before, and for the first time he begins to truly feel what it's like to lose oneself to the black pit of negativity they have forever been warned against. It clamps down around his mind and heart, dragging him down, pulling him away from reality. He doesn't even notice as they begin flying, nor when they land, his eyes seeing nothing but the darkness surrounding his being.

His ears however have not been completely dulled. He hears the voices of his underlings, the voices of the two younger men who may understand his pain more than anyone else.

'Have faith. . . . .'

The thought rings through his mind, cutting through the fog of pain and giving him a place to take a stand against the madness. For it is truly a madness trying to drag him down and keep him from helping his people. The draw on the being of every minion and nightmare when dark thoughts and feeling start to overtake is pure insanity. His eyes clear a little as he looks to the twin faces in front of him. Their worried expressions. Their tough demeanor. He can feel them here, with him, and he takes strength from that.

The pain does not fade, the sorrow does not vanish, but as he begins taking slow, steady breaths, he can feel his limbs once more, and that's a start.

~*~*~*~*~

The soft smile he's adopted since Master Seishu reset his mind is gone now. The slightly playful and pouty minion who's made a nuisance around the faithful's camp with high jinks and rowdy fun is nowhere do be seen. In place of that softness, that sweetness, is the part of Jentou that truly made him someone to fear. Hard cool eyes survey the furious face in front of him, the pain of the pricks on his chin and cheeks not even worth note. He doesn't struggle. It's not worth the effort, and when addressed, he doesn't reply. Gin isn't worth it. He does, however, let his lips slide into a smirk. The expression infuriates Gin who screams at him again before breaking his nose with a hard blow to the face and ordering the still conscious minions to leave the others and just take Jentou.

“Let the wild take them.” he hisses, turning on his heel and leading the way. The minions look to one another for an instant before complying. The white clad figure goes limp, letting them drag him along while he closes his eyes and focuses on making sure he doesn't bleed out.

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The pair walk along for a time, just listening to the rain and their own foot steps. Akito is relatively calm, but as the rain shows no sign of retreating he can feel slight nerves beginning to dig at the back of his mind. He thinks of how the last empress died of illness, and how he knows sicknesses can sometimes carry on to the children in a family. He worries for Hiro's health and despite still being calm and relaxed for the most part, he encourages the prince to mount up as soon as they reach the road. He knows they can not go too quickly in the rain, but at least with Hiro sitting in front of him he can provide a bit of warmth despite the chill of the rain.

He doesn't spend any breath in talking on the trip back, the whole of his attention on keeping the horse at the fastest pace it can go in the rain while also keeping an eye on the road to keep all three of them safe. When they arrive he helps his betrothed down and stands a bit stiffly, as if waiting to get yelled at. None of the guards say anything however, though he does notice some clearly less than pleased looks from them. He's not sure if it's from them having to come out in the rain or if it disapproval of letting Hiro get into such a wet and cold state.

Either way no one says anything and they walk inside and Akito lets out a slight sigh, thinking them in the clear. His heart jumps to his throat however as he spots the emperor's long, sharp stride as he sweeps over to his son. He stands stiffly once more, just barely refraining from standing at full attention, and watches the familial exchange out of the corner of his eye. He notices the glances, but he's too worried to speak up and simply nods that he's fine. His insides burn that his neglect to keep an eye on the weather worried his soon-to-be father-in-law, thinking that his beloved son may have been hurt, and he closes his eyes with the effort to not hang his head in shame.

They are once more released without direct chiding, but Akito most definitely has a distinctive sag to his stance as he trails along behind his intended. He doesn't even really realize what they are up to until he sees a couple bits of cloth being loosed from the other man's figure and he feels his heart jump into his throat for an entirely new reason. He's seen his fair share of unclothed men in his day, most of them he's fought wide-by-side with them in battle and seen them at both their best and their worse. But for him, there was never a response quite like this as he tries to listen to Hiro's words while fighting back his urge to flee the room at top speed.

“We have met.” he murmurs, keeping his voice steady in an effort to not look like a trapped rabbit in a wolf's jaws. His hands stay at his sides even as Hoko slips to the ground and creeps over to him, curious as to what's going on. He looks down as soon as Hiro is no longer looking his way and keeps his gaze firmly off the delicate body moving away from him as Hiro makes his way to the bath in nothing but his skin.

He has no idea what to do with himself, standing rigid with his eyes locked on the ground. He knows what is being asked of him, or more like, offered to him, but he's not sure what to do. There is no instructions to be had here, he needs to make his decision. His insides twist and heave and he's not sure how long he can even keep his feet as he stands undecided. But then, the servant, Kaede, speaks up, pulling him from his raging thoughts.

Her words make his face burn hot and he looks once more to the floor. 'I'm nothing special. He just isn't fighting it because I am who he's stuck with, and I'm not a copy of his father. . .' Swallowing, he blurts out randomly, “I should have kept better track of the weather. . .”

Her soft laugh makes him look up, meeting her twinkling eyes. “Even if you had, if Hironori wanted to stay out and enjoy himself outside of the palace, nothing you had to say would have gotten you two back any sooner.” She shakes her head, chuckling again. “He has a strong will, and don't you go feeling bad that you're not quite caught up to it yet.” She smiles up at him warmly, still waiting to collect his clothes.

Akito takes her words to heart as best he can but it takes him a long moment to realize why she's still in the room. Flushing again he looks out towards the bath and mumbles something unintelligible. She prompts him to repeat with a tilt of his head and he mumbles out, “I don't know if I can. . .I've never been undressed around anyone but my unit. . .” He glances her way and sees a sympathetic smile. The smile however is almost worse than if she'd laughed at him and he moves over to a bench to flop down pathetically. Burying his face in his hands he lets out a long, slow breath.

Walking closer she speaks up softly. “A bit of advice, if I may, young lord?” The emphasis on the words makes him flinch, looking up at her with a wide eyed gaze, silently asking if he really has to give her permission. She doesn't press the issue however and gives her advice without permission. “He will be your partner for life, very soon. I can think of no more peaceful and neutral way to get used to that face than an innocent little bath.” With that said, she goes back to tidying up the room.

Akito suppresses a whine and instead takes a moment to fortify before standing and beginning to remove his clothing. He keeps his eyes down and works slowly, but eventually he's in the buff, his flush spreading over much of his upper half and with a little bow wanders out towards the bath. Swallowing, he keeps his eyes carefully averted as he moves a good six feet away from where Hiro is before slipping into the water and sinking down up to his nose. Hoko decides he needs a bath as well and slips into the hot water, paddling along the surface and diving under to get himself completely wet before rolling over to float on his back.

'She's right. I mean, the wedding isn't too far away, and everyone's going to expect. I mean, it's how the whole thing works. The public ceremony, the party, the blessings, and then, con. . .consu. . .' He somehow manages to flush even deeper red and he hopes that it just looks like his skin is red from the heat. He's tempted to try and hide under the water, but instead he forces himself to look over at his betrothed. He knows if he doesn't make himself, all he will look at is the man's face, so he tries to focus on other parts of his body that are relatively safe.

His neck, arms, shoulders. . .So smooth, and pale, and the tendrils as his hair as they cling to his skin. Using the excuse of having forgotten to let down his own he looks away quickly and pulls the tape from his hair. Far longer than Hiro's, it floats about the surface of the water like a stringy version of Hoko as he goes back to barely having his eyes above the surface with the whole mess floating around him.

When the Roar Falls ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

The second he pulls back slightly it's clear that Aryx isn't a fan of this idea. Viltez shudders as he feels his guest's face against his neck, the tickle of him inhaling making him feel a little weak. Letting out a small noise his eyes slide closed and he lets the feeling wash over him. The moment is brief, just a passing instant of heart pounding closeness, then Aryx is pulling back and the beastman is forced to come to his senses. “Yes, it is good that you are back.” he murmurs, flushing deeply at his momentary lapse and with a force of will he makes his tail retract itself. Holding up the clothes he murmurs something about taking care of them before shuffling awkwardly out of the room, flashing the dragon a warm smile so he knows he's not mad or anything before closing the door and scurrying over to where he puts the dirty clothes.

'I will have to wash these first thing tomorrow' he muses, the light feeling in his head making him wander a little before he winds back up in the kitchen, the clothing tucked away in with the rest of the filthy things that need washing. His breath still isn't quite settled as he sets back to the task of finishing dinner and he doesn't quite get his bearings until a bit of hot food jumps out and “bites” him on the arm. Cursing softly as he comes fully back into focus, he licks the burned spot and whines at it, his focus fully back on the task at hand.

'I really need to get control of this' he thinks with a scowl. 'I mean, it was just a little contact. . .What am I, an animal? I'm not some dog in heat, I can't be letting every little thing affect me like that. . .Even if it feels so good, and he doesn't seem to mind. . .Well, almost, he did pull back, but he was the one that moved in after I pulled back, and. . .Why is this so complicated!?' Letting out a huff, he finishes with the more active part of the cooking and settles against the counter to wait, keeping an eye on the sweet soup. When he hears Aryx leaving the bathroom he can feel his heart jump but he keeps himself still, calling out instead of rushing over to greet him. “I hope the clothes fit you well enough. I will take care of the wash in the morning so you don't have to put up with them for long, I promise.” He smiles warmly as the dragon comes into view, his tail coiling happily this way and that at the sight of him.

Who Will Break? ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

Kiel looks over the emerging bushel of flowers and smiles. “It is coming along very well. I like it.” he murmurs, handing the sketchbook back to Zach with a warm, encouraging smile. “My time in the church was well spent.” he says with a nod, giving Sarah a quick squeeze as she comes to stand next to him. “We can stay in the garden if you two want to keep working on your lovely artwork, but if you'd rather head inside I was thinking we could do some bible studies before lunch. I got a look at what they were preparing, and it looks to be chicken and rice!” he announces the meal plan cheerfully knowing that home cooked meals are not something these two likely have had a lot of. Sarah gives Kiel a look when he mentions bible studies but doesn't say anything, clearly not enthusiastic about the idea. She does however perk up at the idea of some real meat for lunch and smiles up at the priest happily.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

'Well, he doesn't look nearly as upset any more, so I guess I can count that. . . .Blessing. . . .We need to come up with a better word for that, though I suppose there is such a thing as a dark blessing, but that just sounds like a bad thing. . .' Letting out a sigh he watches Aoba out of sigh before glaring at Kyou. “Coast is clear. Betting get down from there before Dani finds you up in his space.” With a yelping whine Kyou races out of the barn towards the fields, intent on hiding in the crops for now.

Shrugging, Kuro makes his way out to the site of the incident and picks up his lover's blood stained shirt. Giving it a long look he lets out a real growl before burning it to ash in an instant. The black flame consumes the shirt in it's entirety and the demon does his best to dismiss it from his mind. He walks slowly out towards where the animals still cower, hopping the fence and staring at his feet as he strolls along. Waving his hands he makes comforting noises, trying to prompt the beasts to stop cowering, but he doesn't really pay attention to whether or not it works.

It's not too long however before Otto is bumping into him, demanding attention, and he reaches out to pat the baby absentmindedly. His mind wanders over his brothers and sister and about how foolish he was to think that, maybe, they would never find out. 'And now heaven is not only aware, but we have an actual Arch Angel looking down on us almost all the time. I mean, I don't imagine it will bother me too much to have him watching, though he claimed he doesn't watch when we're getting touchy feely, but Aoba is sure to lose his “concentration” if he thinks about it. . . .' Letting out another sigh he looks up as Aoba approaches and smile, waving back.

Once the angel reaches his side Kuro nods, shrugging. “For now. I mean, we still have to bring them in later and all, but yeah, for now, not much to do. . .” Looking around he lets out a faint yawn, the sun overhead making him a little tired and desiring some shade. “We could always do some reading. You know, we haven't finished those farming books yet. . .” He looks up, shading his eyes. “It's a little too sunny for flying lessons, and we know reading time with be rare once Dani gets back. . .” He looks back to Aoba, smiling softly.

When the angel agrees to go read in the shade Kuro coos softly and takes Aoba's hand, leading him over to the tree near the pig pen and settles down, spreading his knees to accommodate the smaller male. Once in place, he snaps his fingers and pulls the book out of nowhere for them to read. Handing it to Aoba he wraps his Little Mouse in a hug and settles his head on the smaller male's shoulder so he can read along with the angel. The dusky wings press against his chest and cheek, but he's careful to not put too much pressure on them so that they can sit comfortably like this and peacefully read.

Hours pass like this and eventually the sun is setting, prompting evening chores. Putting the book away, Kuro kisses Aoba's shoulder softly before letting him loose to deal with the pigs while he himself shoos the birds back into their respective coops. They work together to put the larger beasts away and at last, the sun is set, and they have reached the end of their work for the day. It's in this moment that Kuro realizes that they'd skipped lunch and he resolves to make an amazing dinner to make up for it. Having Aoba take a seat in the living room he goes to work, smiling at the blank patch of wall that will soon make this whole process just a little bit easier.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

Kaila's most trusted have, for the first time in living memory, truly question their leader's wisdoms. Normally they can at least feel somewhat what he is, but the pure acts of self sacrifice have always escaped them for anyone but their master in the midst of battle. But planned self sacrifice? Planning on putting oneself in danger. . . Lan and Ran don't have words but look clearly upset at the idea. Tyar drifts about, eyeless, just a shadow in the air as she thinks. Tiski however is able to find her voice, though it is quiet.

“Are you. . .Sure, this is the correct course of action to take?” There's only the slightest waver in her voice as Kaila's sharp eyes land on hers and she looks to be trying to stand her ground against his focused gaze.

He lets himself watch her for a while, indulging her objection – for an objection it is – with another pass over his plan and his resolve. When the thoughts are past however, and he once more comes to the same conclusion, he gives her only a nod and watches her bite her lip painfully. Reaching out he brushes a finger across her now bleeding lip and whispers for her not to do that before turning once more to address his team. “We will be the only ones going, and we will tell no one. We can not hesitate, and we do not have time for me to handle all the objections I know the camp would have.”

Jentou holds tightly to his brother, the slight scowl on his face clearly showing his objections but he says nothing. He can't. He knows Kaila can not be swayed. He knows it, he feels it, but that doesn't stop him from not wanting it to happen. Despite Kaila clearly wanting to looks strong in front of his team, the white clad man pulls him into a fierce hug before letting him go so they can take off.

The others shared a brief glance with one another as Kaila and Jentou prepared to take off. They all had an understanding that none agreed with the plan, however they all would accept it. By the looks of it, there was no suading the verdict. It was clear Jentou had already tried.

Kaila and Jentou took off into the sky with Tiski following underneath them. It hovered closer to the tops of the trees in order keep watch of any of Gin’s forces should they be ahead or in hiding.

Lan, Ran, and Tiski, kept to the ground as they exited the camp, wanting to be sure that there were no enemies near the camp’s perimeters. When they were far enough out, the other three took to the skies as well.

To what could be considered their fortune, the group had to travel a little ways away from their own camp in order to find Gin and his small band. Tiski waved an airy limb, signalling for the group to slow their pace and then waited for instruction. “Circle them. We can’t let them know which direction we came from.” Kaila’s voice was low, but they all heard him clearly. With swiftness, each of them dived back into the forest, not wanting to be caught mid-flight. “Remember the plan.” His voice was stern and finite. The way he never looked back as his wings retracted left no room for argument. The second in command could feel the faint repression of complaints, but he lead them forward.

They were all aware of what he meant. They were to follow the plan and that’s what they would do no matter how much they didn’t approve of it. Save for Jentou, the rest kept a bit of distance as they followed, staying low and under cover. The closer they got, the more they could hear Gin’s group. They weren’t doing a very good job at being sneaky to begin with so it was easy to pinpoint just where each of them were. Tiski peered through a few bushes before slipping next to Jentou and Kaila. It created a fingered hand to point out there were five in that party, including Gin. Not wanting to risk their cover, it said nothing and floated into the branches above to hide. Kaila simply nodded, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

~*~

Gin has had it. Even with both wings broken and an eye gouged out, this prisoner of theirs is till causing them trouble. She thrashes and kicks, slowing their progress back to the palace. He thought getting a life traitor would be more amusing, but as it is, she mostly just spits and hisses, leaving him more and more furious. He'd had a moment of triumph with this one, but that was hours ago. He scowls fiercely as once more she forces the procession to stop by curling her spine and getting a kick in on one of his minions.

He draws his blade, Seishu's blade, and stalks up to her, pressing the blade hard enough against he blue throat to draw a considerable amount of blood. She spits at him and his eyes glow a sickly yellow. “So, this is what I get for being nice to you traitors!” he snaps at her. “I was going to bring you back, let you live, have a little fun and maybe even a few more of those oh so enjoyable chats with you, but I suppose a traitor is in the end a mindless beast that really should just be put down.”

It's clear from the copious cuts and bruises littering her body that these little chats with Gin are anything but fun, but she doesn't back down. She looks back at him fiercely and spits, “How dare you befoul Master Seishu's blade with that grimy mitt of yours! You're not even holding it right!” That little bit enrages Gin more than anything else and he lets out an unholy sound of fury and draws the blade back, ready to run her through.

~*~

The cry is the perfect cover and without a sound, the team pounces. Tyar wraps around Gin, obscuring his view and stunning him for a moment. Lan and Ran know their part and in a flash the minions holding the captive are down, the two of them removing her from the scene and handing her off Tyar as it's thrown forcibly from around Gin. The formless nightmare is able to scoop her easily up and without looking back, takes off in the opposite direction of their camp.

Meanwhile, Kaila works on taking down the remaining two minions, using all care not to harm them too badly. Unfortunately, this leaves Jentou charging the screaming Gin to watch his brother's back. It happens in a flash. Kaila feels the white hot burn of a blade piercing his brother, but he's unable to turn around for risk of getting them both killed. He manages to knock the second one out just as he feels his twin collide hard with his back and he spins to a gruesome scene. Gin is moving in, Jentou's blood dripping from their beloved master's blade, and as he places a hand on his brother's shoulder he can see the pant leg of his white outfit already stained red.

The wound is straight through the blond's midsection, a painful wound that gushes as it's impossible to stem completely. Kaila impulsivly slaps a hand over the hole in Jentou's back, slaming some healing energy into it, but in a flas the other turns and sends him into shock with a firm kiss. When he pulls back, the smile on his lips says it all. He tries, lord does he try, to object, but Jentou has already knocked the air from his lungs with a hard kick to his midsection that sendfs him flying back into Lan and Ran's arms. Tears in his eyes he screams at them to run before turning on Gin, his entire body beginning to glow with his specialy: blinding light.

~*~*~*~*~

Laying shivering for a time, Seishu does his best to keep himself inside his own mind and not pass out. When he feels hands trying to help him up however he lets himself be lifted and does what he can to help. He manages a small smile when he finds himself in his lover's arms once more and wonders what his underlings would think seeing him like this. Thinking about them hurst too much however and he buries his face in the smaller man's neck for comfort. “That would be great.” he whispers against the still damp skin on front of his lips, holding Enasi a little tighter.

~*~

Still under orders to bathe the little ones scrub furiously, wanting desparately to get to Seishu as fast as they can. Rasha and Rue have to help Inui who seems only capable of staring after his master until they announce he's clean enough and he bolts out of the water. They have to wrestle his outfit on as he tries to race through the palace naked to find the Nightmare Guardian. Once he's dried and dressed they let him go and dress themselves, Rasha hitching a ride on Rue since the fairy is faster. They catch up with Inui right outside Seishu's door and follow behind as he bursts into the room, his red eyes a little frantic at this point.

Seishu had spent most of the trip just trying to get what little comfort he can when the darkness is trying to eat away at him, only coming out of it enough to make a joke about how a good romp could “raise his spirits” as Enasi places him on the bed. Soon enough however, his bed is occupied by smaller bodies that all seem intent on making sure he's okay with the most avid cuddles he could hope for short of bedding them. He pulls out a few laughs as Rasha takes his chest, Inui burying himself in his left shoulder and Rue gazing at him worriedly from his right. He is both uplifted and saddened by the image as it reminds him of home and the little ones there. He tires to enjoy the worry coming off of them however and lets it soothe him for now.

The plan doesn't work however. Even not seeking out his realm, his connection to Kaila is is too strong to filter out his personal devastation. Arching back he lets out a scream, Rue instinctively tackling Rasha off the bed and hitting the wall to give them some distance from potential lashing out. Inui is openly shaken by the scream and starts crying, clinging to Seishu in a vain attempt to stop his pain. The guardian doesn't know what's happening to his beloved second in command, but it's enough to cause tears to flow freely down his cheeks as he sobs to the empty air in grief.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The smile is heartening to the heartless demon and Kuro returns the hug with perhaps some over zealous vigor. Careful not to break his Little Mouse's ribs he lets him go when prompted, not completely removing his hands, but enough for Aoba to not be squished. He wishes Aoba would look only at him but doesn't take it personal when the little angel looks away to talk. He can't help the smirk that comes to his face at the mention of halos and chuckles softly. “We can't let Misha find out. He'd start a collection of them, or at least try.” Humming softly he gives the smaller male a little hug, silently assuring him that he would be going around telling everyone about the halos. He does however take a moment to glare at Kyou so he knows that he is to keep his mouth shut as well. The young demon's headwings flatten against his head and he nods in terrified understanding.

Feeling Aoba settle back against him Kuro delights in the feeling, burying his face in those lovely chestnut locks. Breathing in the smaller male's scent he hums happily, letting himself relax and holds the angel gently. At the mention of needing a new shirt and Dani finding the blood he growls slightly, still not happy about the accidental wound.

The growl is short lived however as his hand seeks out the wounded spot. His fingers trace over the spot, glad to see it's healing well. His hands don't stop their trek immediately however and he finds his hand wandering over Aoba's midsection and up to his chest. “You've actually gotten a little more muscular since you've come to earth.” he murmurs absentmindedly, running his fingers over his chest and collar, getting a little lost in his exploration of the half bare angel in his lap. It isn't until he catches a flutter out of the corner of his eye that he realizes Kyou is watching intently and that once Aoba catches on to that he'll probably call an end to his exploration anyways soon enough that he lets his hand drop down so he can hug Aoba around the middle before letting him go.

Standing up, he settles Aoba gently on to his feet and pulls him into one last kiss before looking towards the barn entrance with a faint smile. “You head in and get a shirt, I'll grab the bloody one and get rid of it. I'll meet you out by Mama and Otto?” Without waiting for an answer he takes them both down to the floor of the barn in a hop, setting Aoba on his feet once more with a cute smirk on his face.