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Exodus
Apr 19, 2020 4:04:54 GMT
Post by Duo Maxwell on Apr 19, 2020 4:04:54 GMT
Sunlight ... sunlight. Gods, he had missed the feeling the warmth the everything, daylight blinded him ever so briefly that he was forced to reach up and shade his eyes with a hand. Where was he? Memories and thoughts congealed in his mind, new and old mixing with all the ease of oil and water. Rome. Oh, how it had changed. Machines ... no, electricity? No matter, he had time to explore later. His brief pause had allowed him to barely catch the girl speak. But the words made sense, and he nodded slowly, still attempting to adjust to the sunlight. Breeze, air, aahh the smells. The world smelled different, crisp, sharp, something mingled with the air, many somethings that he needed to discern and find out and learn."Distance, yes." He acknowledged, still a bit behind the curve. He watched idly for a moment as the girl's servant gathered her up, head tilted to the side just a little as he puzzled out what was abo-- oh. That made sense, yes. They were off, and Duo hummed for a moment, understanding. Still, he would follow. This girl could answer so many questions that he had, and he was sure that if they stayed close enough, he'd be able to follow. A small chuckle escaped as they took off, yes, that was fine. He had work to do before he fully departed the building that had housed his prison ... Vatican .. the word drifted to him as lazily as a summer breeze and he nodded slowly, an understanding dawning on him as information trickled in. With one hand already gathering his wild hair, he turned to face the building and muttered something under his breath. "You won't know who to pursue, will you? No, you won't." His right hand lazily drifted across the air before him. Any records, any words, any memories simply ... gone. Evidence, yes, but there would be no descriptions, no understandings, simply a broken prison and a sea of corpses. They could infer, maybe, with enough time and resources, he was sure. But this, they would have never known he was there. Or the girl and her Saber, a gift perhaps, a peace offering, he wiped their faces and names and memories from that building. It would buy him time, but would not a sure thing. They would find and figure and puzzle it out, but he wanted time to put enough space between him and them. This task done, he glanced in the direction the Saber had bolted. Slow enough to follow, yes, and he let himself run. Gravity had never felt so good, so real. Ah, he wanted to shout out, to proclaim his joy, but he couldn't not yet no not yet. As he moved, almost allowing himself to see every detail, his vision overwhelmed with new and bright, he slowed down at intervals to allow a sight to sink in, and in these brief moments he did his best to adjust what remained of his tunic. As he slowed finally, close close close to his destination, he returned to a walking pace. He began to search his person for a tie, any strip of fabric he could temporarily tie his hair back with. As he walked up to the girl, he held his hair back in one hand while absently tearing off a tattered scrap of fabric from his tunic. As he got closer, he continued attempting to tie his hair back with creative usage of both hands until he had managed to gather his hair enough at the nape of his neck that it remained borderline contained. "Good to see the vices of humanity remain." He spoke with a hint of amusement, a wide smile on his face as he nodded towards her drink. "Sorry about all of ..." He waved a hand in the air, releasing the hair he still held in his hand in the same motion. "Duo ... Duo Maxwell, at your service." He mock bowed, playful glee plastered across his face. "Been cooped up since ... hm. What year was it? Well, last time we saw sunlight the sky was thick with soot and Rome was burning." His face scrunched up momentarily, tugging at his lower lip with his teeth as he puzzled out something. "Ah, well, no matter. You are a mage, no?"{Combat Notes}Invoked Information Erasure Rank A towards escape. |
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Exodus
Apr 19, 2020 16:18:02 GMT
Post by Serafina Celestina Ignatia on Apr 19, 2020 16:18:02 GMT
It wasn’t until Duo had spoken that Serafina had even registered his presence. She was spent. Who was he to judge her. Really though, who was he at all? That one still stood as quite a bit of a mystery. Reflexively, with no regard for her situation whatsoever, she groaned back at him. “Do you have any idea how much you ruined my life today?” She caught herself a moment later, as she remembered that this man could end her life in an instant if she so chose. A hearty sigh escaped her as she offered a sincere apology. “Okay so I get that wasn’t your goal. Sorry.”She glanced over at the proprietor of the cafe. English hadn’t been tested yet. She had assumed that before, but that wasn’t a chance she was about to take. “Do you speak English?” she asked the woman behind the counter. Sure, the law of secrecy was no more, but she had a feeling that this conversation would hit topics she’d rather not have anyone else know about. Thankfully the only answer she received was a confused look on the woman’s face. A “fuggetaboutit” gesture was thrown back her way as the Magus downed far more of her drink in one go than she should have. “Where do I even start with you…” She looked Duo up and down. This whole thing was crazy. Her brain had barely even processed how he was dressed, or undressed, until that moment. She gestured at the chair across from her. “Sit.” An invitation, not an order, even if it was spoken like one. “I am Serafina Celestina Ignatia. Heir to the Ignatia name. Magus.” There was so much to unpack in what Duo had said, but she figured an introduction was in order first. A hand was offered. The Grail should have taught him what a handshake was right? Her hand was small. Dainty. Fragile. She did not have the hands of a killer, a soldier, or even an artisan. These were the well cared for hands of a girl whose primary worry in life until recently had been her appearance. Vanilla and jasmine scents subtly emanated from her person. Perfume. Though her appearance was not one of a warrior, there was an intensity within her in that moment that offered a glimpse of her future, of her potential. In that moment Duo might just realize that though her power was weak now, her body held the potential to become a splendid Magus. Magus. That word though. Whether Duo took the offered handshake or not, that was where she took the conversation next. “There has not been a Mage alive for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, Duo. I am but a mere Magus, practitioner of Magecraft. None that I know holds the power to cast Magic. Such power has been lost to us since the end of the Age of Gods.” She slumped back in her chair and sighed once more. This whole situation was unreal. “Oh, and of course you’ve already been… introduced... Boy there was an awful lot of shade thrown with that one word. Fucking idiot Servant. Literally screaming his name in the middle of murdering a bunch of people inside the literal headquarters of the Holy Church. How dumb was that boy? “to my Servant, Levi. That is the reality of modern magecraft. My contemporaries struggle to reach power that even begins to approach his level, and from what I’ve gathered I botched his summoning enough that he’s only able to wield a tiny fraction of his power.”Rome. Burning. Wait. Fuck. They were in Rome right now weren’t they? A realization dawned on Serafina at something Duo had said a few moments earlier. “Did you… did you burn Rome?” Could that be the true identity of the man before her? Was this man actually the long dead crazed emperor of Rome, Nero? {Combat Notes}
Fully Healed
Mana 390/500 |
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New Member
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Exodus
Apr 19, 2020 17:34:06 GMT
Post by Duo Maxwell on Apr 19, 2020 17:34:06 GMT
Duo had to laugh at the first words out of her mouth, a genuine laugh of amusement. There it was, there was humanity stretched before him, bare and open, the honesty of emotion. Oh, it was beautiful, magnificent, incredible. "I had no intention of that, I apologize. I wasn't entirely sure what had happened when I did manage to break through. Frankly, I'm not even sure that's where my prison was initially, the memories are hazy." English? Was that what he spoke now? Good, that was good to know. He continued to fiddle with his hair, trying to tame it into some semblance of respectable. He hated being so disheveled looking, and he wished he could simply just ... stop time and braid his hair, the sheer magnitude and volume of it was becoming unreasonable. Nodding to the girl, he pulled out the empty seat and sat down, looking around as he did so. Everything was so different, but still so incredible. Humanity thrived, oft at the expense of other living creatures, but they thrived like no other species and it was fascinating.
She introduced herself, and what a mouthful of a name. He giggled a little, then ducked his head. "Sorry, that was rude of me. Your name's just quite complicated." He offered an apologetic smile, brushing aside more of his hair that had drifted back into his face. Damn his own vanity with his damned hair. Still, he took her hand and shook it, the memories and knowledge was slowing, he was becoming caught up and it no longer felt like a tidal wave of information battering him from all sides. Greeting, truce, yes. He shook her hand, a little awkwardly as his own hand barely surprised hers in size. Delicate, dainty, he preferred his form this way. Unassuming. Not ... oh, was that way they thought of death these days. A skull, a robe, and, well, they got the scythe part right at least. Well, he was anything but that.
He nodded slowly along as she spoke, absorbing the information she relayed. Mage ... magus, ah, he misspoke. That was to be expected, as an uncontrollable torrent of information and centuries of solitude had jumbled things a bit in his head. He continued to listen, though he was puzzling things out, collating the information of then and now in his mind. So long, it had been so long. She seemed inclined to speak without prompting, which let him just absorb his surroundings. Ah, lights, electricity, what a marvel. Cars? Hm, those intrigued him. Ah, planes, so many new things to explore. Humanity had created a world that was so entirely different, and somehow unburdened by disasters they marched on.
"Ah, yes. Impressively old, too." He smiled as he nodded. "Even a fraction of his power is impressive, don't discount that so easily. I sincerely doubt summoning Leviathan was truly a botched job, as you call it." The fact that such an old and innate power existed at the same time as ... as all of this was no mistake, the laws of the universe did not make mistakes.
And then her question ... he had to laugh, smiling widely again at her confusion. "No, not at all. I don't start disasters, and I certainly don't start fires. You're terribly confused at who or what I am, and your Levi was as well. Rider, he called me, and he was ... slightly correct." He reached up, brushing another lock of hair out of his face. "While in legends it is said that I rode a horse, and rode with other horsemen, we both know legends dwell in half-truths. I'm as inherent as the world around you, Serafina. The Church tried to play gods, thinking they would pursue and trap me and lock me away and the world would live forever. But I existed long before they ever did, and I have persisted despite their foolishness in locking away my connection to humanity. Tell me, in all your lore and legends, what being has always carried a scythe? What being rode with three other horsemen?" He would let her draw the answer out of her mind, he wanted to see her reaction as honest as it could be. He needed to know where her mind would settle.
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Exodus
Apr 19, 2020 20:18:43 GMT
Post by Serafina Celestina Ignatia on Apr 19, 2020 20:18:43 GMT
Laughter wasn’t too unusual a reaction at her name. It was… flowery. That was the nice way to put it. Most of her contemporaries simply referred to her as Sera. No more and no less. She just shook her head and shrugged. It didn’t bother her, especially when compared against all the things that had just happened. Someone thinking her name was funny was the least of her worries.
Rather than throw a fit over something so inconsequential she just sat back and sipped at her drink until Duo spoke of who he was. Goosebumps blossomed over her entire body as the realization of his identity dawned on her. This was a legend that all knew. Not some mere fairy tail herd by the citizens of one nation or a tale lost to time. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. War, Famine, Plague, and Death. Given the scythe, there could be only one answer. Her glass dropped from her hand and shattered on the floor.
“Death.”
The words were the slightest whisper. Barely even spoken. This… this thing. This was Death? Capital D Death? Serafina was feisty, but she was no warrior. She was not ready to face the horrors of such a primal force. Had he been a long dead emperor or conqueror? Sure. That was human. She could deal with something like that. But this was different. He… It… this thing wasn’t human. It was beyond even the realm of her Servant. Leviathan was a monster, but he was… a being. This was a fundamental force of nature stuffed into a human body. What sat before her was the end of mankind.
Thankfully the worker there was completely and utterly oblivious to the identity of Duo. She came over and placed a hand on the Magus’ shoulder. “Va bene signorina?” Of course Sera had no clue what that woman had just said, but the contact snapped her out of her state of fear and back into reality. She grabbed some more money out of her jacket’s pocket and offered it to the shopkeeper. A gesture for “one more” accompanied it.
Still, what in the world was she supposed to do with this man. No. He was no man. That was naught by a guise of flesh. She wasn’t sure how she managed it, but she regained her composure and forced herself to remain strong. He had expressed no desire to harm her. She was at no risk. “Well I think I can safely say that I didn’t expect to meet you today. Or ever. I… I don’t even know where to begin. You say the Church locked away your connection to humanity, yet here you are. Flesh and blood. Or at least that’s how you appear to me.”
Once more she looked over the man...being before her. It was a slow, studious process. Duo could probably see the gears in her head turning as she tried to come to grips with his existence. “But why do you have a belly button? Surely Death was not born of a human mother.” She wasn’t sure why, but Sera was completely and utterly hung up on that one detail. Everything else seemed to make enough sense to her, but that one factor just didn’t compute. He was a primordial force. A biblical entity. A force akin to a God. But he had a belly button. Why!?
Another drink was brought over, and once more Serafina downed more of it than she should. The world she was in made no sense. Why did Death have a belly button. Why was he in Saint Peter’s Basilica? Why was Death kinda hot? There were so many questions and so few answers. Perhaps she would get them, or perhaps not. Death seemed pretty talkative though. Some instinct in the back of her mind told her that this was a good thing. If he was silent, then she was likely dead. But if he was talking, then he wasn’t here for business. Right? Right. As she reflected on his words she realized what she was to him. An amusement. In that case, Death was basically the same as any other guy. Just another guy who saw her as a good time. Bright side, only one of them was drunk, and Death seemed to be having plenty of fun while they both had clothes on.
“Wait why don’t you have a real shirt? Did they not have shirts when you got locked up or what?” Boy, she really didn’t always think before she spoke did she?
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New Member
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Exodus
Apr 19, 2020 20:57:27 GMT
Post by Duo Maxwell on Apr 19, 2020 20:57:27 GMT
A wry grin spread across Duo's face at that statement. He had suspected she would have caught on, she didn't look stupid and he had dropped heavy enough hints. "You are correct." Ah, the surprise was replaced by a primal fear, flashing across her face. He hadn't meant to frighten her in particular, but he had needed to see how this would go. He barely acknowledged the glass shattering on the ground, though the briefest thought drifted by reminding him to be wary when standing, he currently lacked any sort of footwear. Ah, the fear was suppressed. It wasn't gone from her, no, but she diverted admirably. This wasn't the first time he had revealed his nature to a human, but typically said reveal was followed with some sort of threat or fight. No, this was calm, relaxed, quiet. He liked it, this was nice. Tangible. Real. Such a stark difference from his prison of nothingness, absence of everything replaced with too much everything and he loved it, oh he loved it so much.
"I am Death, and this form is my connection to humanity. I ... came into being as humanity began to understand death, to personify it and worship it. That intrigued me, and so I choose to walk among them. And I did, from the dawn of humanity until ... hmm, somewhere in the early ... A.D.? You would call it that, probably, I was never good at tracking human years. Humanity has always tried to avert and avoid death, though the nature of death exists so that the cycle of renewal can continue. Without death, no new life can come into being. The Church ... they were just beginning, early and so new and fresh. Arrogant. They wanted to stop death, to live forever, and they began to hunt me down. Now, the tricky thing is this: This form is absolutely human, so I can feel and hurt and bleed, though I cannot die. I wanted to experience the world as you do, because humanity is such a bright and strong force within the world. And, I began to grow ... bitter? Probably the word for it. I was hunted, pursued, chased and beaten down until weak enough that they could trap me. But death didn't stop. This form allows me an understanding, a kindness and connection, to spare and spoil as I judge fit. Without this form there was no judgement, no rhyme nor reason to wanton death." He sighed, closing his eyes and bowing his head. "I chose this form because I loved humanity, and I walked this earth to find the brightest forces, to see the wonder and change and beauty you can bring about."
Belly button? Oh! Duo lifted his head and laughed, he absolutely had to, such a small detail yet ... Hah, it was hilarious to him. "I picked a form that was human, as choose to mimic humanity perfectly. I'm sure a man waltzing around without a naval would draw some suspicion." He smiled at her, a genuinely happy smile that belied no ulterior motive, for in this moment he had none.
"Ah, they had tunics, yes. Togas, too. All sorts of ways to cover the torso, but I'm afraid my clothes were of mortal make and didn't survive my final battle very well. Where I was trapped ... time did not pass, but it did. There was nothing, an absolute lack of every sensation. So this is what I wear for the moment, until I track down fresh clothing.. And shoes. And a damned proper tie for my hair, it's becoming aggressively unruly and rather annoying." He blew a puff of air, attempting to push even more wild bangs out of his face.
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Exodus
Apr 20, 2020 0:52:42 GMT
Post by Serafina Celestina Ignatia on Apr 20, 2020 0:52:42 GMT
Okay. She was right. She didn’t like being right. This was literally a god-like entity. Breathe in. Breathe out. Just a normal conversation with the physical embodiment of death who had come to hang out with humans because he was bored, but had been locked in nothingness for a millennium or two and wanted revenge. Yes, this was a perfectly normal conversation. Completely normal. Couldn’t be less stressful.
She took another drink.
About that time, you might me wondering. Hey, isn’t Sera pretty dainty to be drinking that much that fast? Yeah. Yeah she is. Girl weighs under 100 pounds, and she didn’t have an outstanding tolerance, or even anything in her stomach. Literally everything she had done on that day was a bad idea. Why should she stop now?
Red hair bounced to and fro as she shook her head at the ridiculous situation she was in. “Well I can help with part of that at least.” She pulled one of the black and crimson ribbons from her hair and offered it to Duo. With that done, taken or not, she went to work tidying a section of her own locks back into a single ponytail rather than the twintails she had sported before. “It’s the least I can offer I suppose. Can’t really do much about the shirt though. I’m just a student, and I’m not from a noble lineage, so unlike a lot of Magi I don’t have a blank check to just do what I want with. In fact, I’ve got…” she paused to count the bills she had left tucked away. ”About twenty seven pounds until next payday.”
For a moment she just sat there in silence. The conversation was weird, yet normal. The topics were insane, but he still felt strangely human. Eventually some words slipped from between her lips. “And… I’m sorry. On behalf of humanity, we’re not all as big of jerks as those stuffy bible humpers.” She didn’t know if it was her place to apologize, or if it even made sense to do so. But it felt right. Besides, it didn’t sound like locking up Death was exactly a smart play. Who knows though. Hard to tell what the ramifications of attempting to control a fundamental force of existence were. Figuring out that much was certainly beyond her capabilities.
“So what will you do now, Duo? Travel the world? Exact revenge by killing everyone in the church? Go on a shopping spree? Go start killing Servants who have all technically been dead for hundreds or thousands of years and shouldn’t be left on this planet anyway?” She was hopeful that maybe he hadn’t considered that last one, and that it would catch his fancy. Of course all the Servants that had manifested weren’t really “alive” per say, but perhaps Death would see them in the same vein as Alaya did. An abomination that shouldn’t exist. That should be reaped. Maybe she would get lucky and have earned Death as an ally on the side of those who wanted things to go back to normal? That was a weird thought.
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