Their Best Bet (Closed for Lucian_Devine)

[Luna_Wolf72]

"Do you see the furious fighting each other on the surface of the river Styx?"​

Before​

Aosoth strode upon the river's edge. Small delicately clawed feet barely touched the burgeoning waves as they lashed the shoreline in a fury. Pointed ears heard the ring of steel on steel while the clash and fray of myriad bodies rose and fell amidst the putrid sounds of neverending death and drew a smile to mobile lips and blood-red eyes. This was home. Let others beat their chests and wail about the loss of HIS love. She did not feel it and did not care, not when the very wrath which had drawn her from above succored her like a child to a ballooning teat.

With nary a shrug, the petite form strode amongst the beleaguered warriors, sword flashing to clear the waves as souls fell in long swathes from the damage she wrought. A cheerful hum proceeded her into battle, the long low notes of a true contralto eddied and spun away, mimicking each motion. Here she spun, decapitating a soul that shrieked in despair. There, she lunged, skewering two where only one should have been. The Demoness moved with fluid grace, unhindered by the remnants of her burnt and tattered wings. In fact, they helped to offset her motion, giving her space where none had been before.

Later, much later, Wrath's General left her toys behind. One could not play for eternity, not when there was work to be done. Not when the World As Is beckoned.

Now​

"Have you waited long, my Lord?" The words were given to her toes and not the blindingly handsome form of Lucifer Morningstar, he who had led them all against Heaven's Ramparts.


"No. As always you came before I called, Aosoth."


"It pays to have spies, my Lord."


His laughter greeted her assertion and compelled her to settle herself at his left side as they awaited the rest of Hell's Generals. Eventually, the blackened table was surrounded by the various bodies and hues of those who had chosen to follow their leader. Drinks were had, gossip given, furious whispers and backbiting echoed around the vast hall as each and every eye eventually found its way to HIM.


"There is one above who will help to lead my army if we can convince him of our cause." Sky-blue eyes skated over the gathered horde, judging each form with disinterest until finally coming back to the svelte form of the demoness upon his left. "Aosoth. you will bring him to me."


A gasp greeted his assertion. She could not go to the world as is! "I can not! Let one from the Second (Lust), Fourth (Greed), or Ninth (Treachery) go and procure this soul for you. I will fail..."


To wear a human-seeming? To stride upon the Earth while searching for this man? The Great Betrayer would send his own to procure this soul. What if he sent one of those who heralded Vengeance? She'd not be able to withstand the urge to kill them. After all, they had allowed this to pass, they had allowed her to fall with their self-righteousness. She could not contain her nature. She did not WANT to. However, Aosoth had forgotten one small thing but recalled it as soon as she felt clawed hands tear into the supple skin of her throat. One did NOT tell the Lord of Hell--- NO.

Hours later, after healing enough to function, Aosoth ascended....looking for a skin to wear...and a soul to take.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Night fell slowly but steadily on a large and otherwise unassuming city, it's skyline continuing to light the skies as it's light posts slowly turned on one by one as the sun slipped down past the horizon. Cars continued to move, people continued to walk, and business continued as usual in all of it's forms; legal, illegal, natural, and supernatural. A small group of people crept around the back of one of the skyscrapers, one of them hooded and cloaked, most of them masked, and one of them softly chanting while one the person in front was rapidly working on the keypad of the door. "Hurry your ass up. You know the clock's ticking, and we can't afford to be even a second late." The man struggled for several more seconds, wiped his brow, and struggled for several seconds more before the hooded figure just shook his head and shoved his way to the front.

"Fucking amateurs..." The man said, wanting to say more, but just leaving his words hanging in the air as he lifted his foot and kicked the solid steel door straight off it's hinges, across the lobby, and left it indented the opposite wall. He stepped into said room, stepped aside, and turned to look behind him. "You've got nine minutes and counting. Let's fucking do this!"

Without another word Gadiel pulled his hood back, revealing his jet black hair and unnaturally violet eyes before turning to look back into the room and building the group was breaking into. There was plenty of time as long as there weren't too many more...delays...

The group moved swiftly now, all looking even more nervous than ever except Gadiel who looked more bored than nervous. The woman who'd been chanting was still chanting as the person who'd been handling the door keypad...badly...was now handling the elevator keypad while the leader of the group beside him kept nervously checking his watch while periodically looking back at Gadiel. "Bingo!" The man said as the keypad clicked and the elevator dinged and opened before them. Everybody let out a sigh of relief then, save for the woman chanting. They filed in with Gadiel going in last, and it wasn't until the door closed behind them that the chanting finally stopped.

Gadiel moved his hand to the button panel, letting two of his fingers glide down the columns of buttons without pressing them. When he got to the bottom he felt a slight bit of resistance, but the weak charm faded before his innate power, and his finger found the button beneath it, and his finger press it. The button, which showed 666, lit up, and the elevator started to move, and move downward. As it did so, Gadiel's hands moved to pull the strings near his neck that kept his cloak secured around his neck. With the strings pulled, the cloak fell away, and his flawlessly white feathered wings appeared from beneath it, tucked neatly against his back, waiting to be unfurled.

There was no sound for what felt like an eternity, save for the sound of the elevator as Gadiel stood like a statue near the door, waiting for it to open and for he knew was coming next. When the door opened, there was a brief pause before an otherworldly shriek pierced the air. After that Gadiel darted out of the elevator like a proverbial bat out of hell, unfurling his wings as his hand reached over his shoulder to grasp the handle of a large sword that had been sheathed between said wings and pull it from it's resting place. He darted into the middle of a large group of the Shriekers and swung the violet-hued eternium great sword in a giant circle, cleaving the entire group in half before giving his wings a single powerful flap that carried him back to the elevator once more. He surrounded the group with an empowering aura, strengthening their resolve as he darted this way and that, slicing and slashing while also defending the small group from anything that dared approach. He didn't forget the clock that the group was on as they moved slowly but steadily towards the end other end of the room. The small woman that had been chanting before was chanting again, this time something different, a longer and more complicated chant that was making her brow furrow and sweat. The Shriekers had stopped attacking the group now, and were focused purely on protecting the room with their lives.

"Time?" Gadiel asked the leader of the group, even as he moved to step in front of the man. "Three minutes." In the blink of an eye Gadiel darted forward once more, his sword doing the same, as though it were an extension of his hand as it cleaved first one group of Shriekers in half and then another, and another, and the final group...before they could even respond. With a flick of his wrist, he flicked the blood from his blade before using it to slash the set of double doors that had been their destination to shreds with a single motion.

Thankfully Gadiel didn't even have the slightest hope that there would be a respectable challenge waiting for him on the other side of those double doors. I mean if Shriekers were the best they could manage as guards, and that weak little charm on the elevator...He couldn't help but chuckle as he just strolled forward, his eternium blade literally making sparks as it scraped across the stone floor as he walked slowly towards the group of people as they desperately tried to finish whatever ritual they were trying to manage.

"Do you really need me for the rest of...this?" Gadiel asked with a chuckle as he and the rest of the group approached the admittedly pathetic display as the clock continued to count down. "Actually, I have a better idea. I'm going to teach all of you stupid children what happens when you mess with things you don't understand." Gadiel lifted his own hand to his own blade and squeezed, drawing blood just because he could, and gave his hand a flick, flicking some blood into the center of the encircled pentagram along with the rest of the sacrificial materials the small group had there for their ritual, something that would already cause them problems, but then he went one step further by lifting his heavenly enchanted sword and bringing it crashing down, despite the protests of the practitioners, on the encircled pentagram itself, ruining the entire ritual itself, and causing their black magic to backfire on them, likely dooming them in the process.

No sooner was Gadiel done with this mission that was so far beneath him that it wasn't even funny the time ran out on the summoning itself. He was released from it, thereby freeing him from it, and allowing him to go back to the heavens from whence he'd come. Even as he returned to the heavens though, he reflected on the summoning and why he'd gone, despite it being beneath him. He was an angel of vengeance after all, and was thus created for such things, created to fight and destroy evil wherever it dwelled...

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14

​

To find a soul in the World as Is is a wearisome job, especially if one is considered Fallen. There are laws one must follow, unlike the Heaven Blessed who only need to be invited within a consecrated vessel. However, for Aosoth, she of Wrath's Shores, there are strictures. One must bargain for the vessel and be bound by the bargain made, not only the words but the meaning behind them. One can not promise something to a human and go back on the word. While the Morningstar could lie with impunity, the lesser Fallen are not afforded the same rights.

They are hobbled by the Great Law.

BEFORE
​

Kelly Kincaid sat amongst the gravestones, her dark skin barely touched by the moonlight's silvery rays. A large pentagram bound by four headstones held within its center a bowl filled with goat's blood. Low, dulcet tones echoed and crashed in a way that could not be described beyond eldritch even as candles flickered against barely felt breezes. She did not believe in the Fallen, no angels guarded her thoughts nor protected her from the work she had begun.

Instead, the tap of fingers upon taut drum heads gathered energy as she pleaded for Papa Legba to open the gates between this world and the next. Rum and cigar smoke, the rising and falling of small feet kicking up grave dust. All of it contributed to the calling, until she could hear naught but a whisper of sound, a velveteen sibilance within the somewhat oppressive silence. Dropping to her knees, she gave voice to her desire.


"I call to you, Bosou Koblamin, he who brings war to my enemies." The words were given weight, whispered into the void, a pleading. "I offer myself as a chevalier. Use me to ride the world."


Aosoth wasted no time. With the offer, she'd already slipped between the world as is and her home, settling within the darkened confines of the Mambo's flesh. Finally, she offered the bargain. "I am not who you seek BUT I can gift you what you require. All I ask is that you allow me to rest within your flesh until such time as I am no longer needed. I will bring war to your enemies until they plead for mercy and will offer no harm to the form I borrow. Do you agree?"


Silence at first as the offer was considered. Finally, Aosoth heard the agreement. She sent tendrils deep within the host, settling her consciousness into the form and taking over from she who had once been alone. Now they were one. Now, the search could begin.

NOW

​

Aosoth followed the scent of Purity from Boston to the vast confines of NYC. The form she held as her own moved with preternatural grace and drew the eye of men and women alike. Though the woman she had possessed was no true Satanist, Kelly held a wealth of anger, a veritable feast for one such as the demoness now hidden within. Where ever they passed, destruction followed. The pair took no prisoners and left steaming piles of demon sign behind, trapped within voided brains and bruised bodies. For Aosoth? It felt like a vast playground, one she would be loath to leave when all was complete.

But she would go.

She had given her word.


The pair found the soul in Chelsea, a pious man who traveled the area and preached of God's love to all. They spent time, following him, learning his routine. Eventually, the man had agreed to at least listen to Aosoth, convinced that he could turn her away due to his sinless state. Wrath's General knew that she could not fail as failure would result in punishment the likes of which she'd never undergone before. The plan was to take a room at The Maritime Hotel and meet him at the bar. All one had to do was protect the meeting space from being noticed by Heaven's Guards.


How to do that?


They consecrated the space so that only other demonic influences could safely enter the bar, casting darkness within so as to stop any angelic host from stepping foot inside. At each corner, small sachets containing dry grave dust, rat blood, small pentacles carved from bone, and other nefarious ingredients were hidden, causing those within to be more irritable and temperamental. By the time the contested soul had entered the bar at just after 9 PM, nerves and tempers were frayed and blood had already been spilled.


Aosoth was pleased.


Of course, any of the cohort tasked with Vengeance would feel the wrongness and come to investigate BUT the demonic signs would at least allow Aosoth a moment to escape if needful. Really, a moment was all she required. Unlike the cocoa-hued form she had been housed within? The demon could easily descend, ripping her spiritual form away from the World and returning to her circle within Hell's arid plains. For Kelly? Well, Aosoth had only promised to bring war and not to harm their shared body herself. If one of the host caused harm to the form? What did it have to do with her?


"Mr. Stratton, I am glad that you decided to come. Please, have a seat."


The gentleman in question settled himself at the small table, his lanky frame relaxed in an indolent sprawl. "What's the meaning of this?" His baritone drawl invited conversation as did the wave of one large hand.


At this point, Aosoth stepped forward. What followed was a conversation, each word spoken with a truthful slant that underlined the main differences between Hell's needs and what Heaven would require.


"Hell is the place of punishment, this is true. However, Hell is also the result of free will. Those of the Fallen desired the freedom to make their own choices as those of the World That Is had already been granted. Why should we continue to labor beneath his Aegis when He tossed us away? We need a pure soul, one such as yours, to lead us into battle."


More discussion was had.


Things were going well enough and she had just garnered his agreement when the darkness THRUMMED. One of Heaven's had arrived. Aosoth could feel the grace as it pressed against the protections and burned them out, one by one. However, the Fallen did not escape. No, it was too late for whoever had arrived to save THIS soul. The agreement was ironclad. Because of that, she chose to stay.


Perhaps she shouldn't have?

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Gadiel had only just returned from the summoning and was in the process of giving himself a whore's bath when he felt his head swimming, his body tingling, and a sudden hook-like feeling pulling from from his belly button pulling him backwards. His eyes closed as he dropped the cloth that he'd been holding, and when he opened his violet eyes he saw himself standing before a concave of seraphims and archangels.

"A vitally important soul is in danger of falling. The ground has been desecrated. So you'll have to drop nearby and enter manually."

"And who am I looking for?"

"Mr. Stratton."

With a simple nod Gadiel nodded, closed his eyes, focused, and disappeared. Given the importance of the task he hated that he had to bother with a vessel, but thankfully he and the rest of heaven had an abundance of vessels on hand for a variety of tasks, and since this was just a routine consecration, it didn't take any additional time before he was dropping near the desecrated ground that he could feel and going to work on the sachets one by one. Even as he did so though, he could tell they they were made with stronger and more complicated magic than the charms that had protected the building he'd just helped infiltrate. He hated having to literally walk around the large building, but it couldn't be helped. Once the building was safe though, he did just as he'd done before though, and kicked an entire door, but didn't use enough force to kick it off it's hinges, lest it injure the soul he was here to save.

"Mr. Stratton!" Gadiel called out as he felt out with his aura, feeling for the evil entities(s) that he knew were here.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Aosoth felt a pull. That was all she needed to know who had been sent to put a stop to the trade she'd already accomplished. It was Gadiel. Once upon a time, they had been two halves of a splendid whole, before the war that ended with her Fall. Part of her wanted to leave, to take what she'd earned and leave the meat suit behind to deal with the consequences of being a demonic host. However, eons had passed since she'd last laid eyes on her battle mate. She wanted him to know he'd lost. She wanted him to understand that he had come far too late.

She wanted to bash his face in for not coming when she FELL.


"We have company. Exciting, yes?" She lilted the words and shifted in her seat, one small hand rising to twist deep within the tangle of curls that fell around her meat suit's pretty features. "Perhaps you should answer him, Mr. Stratton?"

The gentleman in question did just that, his deep voice carrying easily over the noise of other guests. "In the bar, whomever you are..."

"Ah, a poet..." Without allowing herself to think about it, Aosoth rose to her feet and turned toward the bar's entrance. "I shall return. This is going to need a ...personal touch."

Moments later, Aosoth slipped through the doors, only to be halted by the vision of some random puppet housing the very soul of one of Heaven's Angels. She paused, crossed her arms over her stomach, and allowed her gaze to take him in, seeing what was beneath the skin to the being housed inside.

"You are too late, Fluffy. Mr. Stratton has already agreed. You should run home and let them know we are coming. Maybe not today...but soon enough." A smile dimpled her cheeks and caused her dark eyes to crinkle at the corners. True, this form was not ONLY hers but she well knew it would piss him off. Maybe she could turn this into a game. She'd already won, right? Beating him even further would just be icing on an already delectable cake. "Unless you'd rather turn this into a game? I remember you were always willing to play before. Who knows? You might convince me to renege."

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Gadiel's senses picked up only 2 people in the bar, and even at this time of day that shouldn't have been right. What's worse though, were the auras his abilities detected from them. The first was small and faint, and it was that one that he turned his head towards when he heard a voice call out in response to his own words. He recognized the voice, and given the aura, he knew what that also meant...It meant failure on his part. There wasn't time to reflect on that part though, because moments later the other aura, and the person it was attached to, walked through the swinging doors of the adjoining kitchen and joined them.



The woman spoke to him with a familiarity that angered Gadiel, testing his patience and control, making the dark brown eyes of his current vessel briefly flash violet as his anger surged within him. His hands flex and clenched into fists as he turned towards her, completely focusing on her now, knowing fully that Mr. Stratton worthless as is, and wasn't a threat to him.

"You remember?" Gadiel asked, focusing his power to start to penetrate her vessel and look beyond? "And who are you to be able to remember such things when I am not normally one leave my targets alive?"

Gadiel continued to take slow but steady steps closer, wanting to the demoness to feel as powerful as powerful until he saw her for who she truly was. Little did he know though, that he wouldn't be ready to see her for who she truly was. He let out a primal roar his left shoving her back against a brick wall before lifting to her throat as his right fist lifted and cocked back and shaking with rage.

How long the two held like that, only the gods knew, but eventually, he did manage to compose himself. The violet faded from his dark brown eyes, his fist lowered, and he released his hold from Gadriel's neck. "Renege huh? Is that what this is about, my dear Gadriel? Are you trying to say that you did all of this so that we would take you back, because I'd be more than happy to go back up there and plead your case for you, or are you saying that you need to lose a game first to save face?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

'Oh, he's pissed.'

The thought came and went followed by a choked-off giggle once a rather large hand wrapped around her throat. Words filtered in, a staccato burst of derision. Aosoth COULD have calmed the situation but she did not want to. He was part of Heaven's Cohort. To her, he should have had a better grip on his emotions. He was Vengeance, not WRATH. This temper tantrum was out of character!

"Which one of us has Fallen, Gadiel? By your actions, one would think it was YOU." Dark eyes remained focused on him as he released her. Words spilled from his lips, an intoxicating growl of sound. Had he always sounded like that? She did not think so. She was the Fallen but he sounded as if he was on his way there. Maybe she could provide a little push? Well, she was always down for pushing. "I wouldn't come back to the Cohort if I was begged. I enjoy the freedom of doing what I want."

The demoness allowed a smirk to cross her features as she pushed herself away from the wall and took a step closer to the Angel who had once been part of the very fabric of her existence. "I don't NEED to save face. I've already won. However, I find myself intrigued by what has wrought such change in you." She allowed one hand to cup his chin as she stared up into his almost feral gaze. "So, I propose a game of hide and seek. Best two out of three. If I win, I keep Mr. Stratton and YOU. If you win, I release his soul. However, as easily as I talked him into leading Hell's armies, I am sure another will convince him. So, beyond his soul released from my care, what would be your prize?"

Aosoth was under no time constraint. All that was required was that she deliver the soul at his death. She could kill the mortal and her job would be complete. Until Mr. Stratton arrived on the Plains of Megiddo, he was a free agent, only now his soul held a marker. HER Marker. She would lose nothing if she lost because she could always send another in her place to make the offer again. The Morningstar would punish her if she did not complete her task BUT Free Will.

With a small tap, the demoness released his chin from her hand and placed space between them. "So, Gadiel. Wanna play with me?"

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Gadiel stood strong as Gadriel got in the stings and jabs that he'd indeed opened himself up for, even allowing her to step close enough to take his vessel's chiseled chin into her hand.

"If you are truly that intrigued by what has wrought this change, my dear Gadriel..." Gadiel said as he leaned close. and slowly guided her back against the wall once more, but this time without his hand around her throat. "You need only look...in a mirror!" His words started as he traced a gentle line across the curve of her neck, but ended as his fingers left her skin, his hand closed into a fist, and punched a hole in the wall. His dark eyes glowing violet as he was using but a fraction of his powers now to protect his mortal vessel from the physical harm.

Gadiel's dusty from the wall hand came back around and grabbed Gadriel's chin and held it in an iron grip so that his violet-glowing eyes could stare directly into her dark eyes. "I don't have time right now to talk about how I felt after you fell, when the other half of myself fell...In the meantime though, let me remind you of something that you used to know. You have the freedom to do whatever you want, but I do not have the authority to make such a deal without checking with my superiors first..."

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Did Aosoth expect to hear her dead name? NO. She hadn't felt like a part of a whole in an eternity. She had been Aosoth since the day she'd followed the Morningstar into battle. The demoness was no longer closer than a heartbeat that pounded an echo to her partner's name. There were no more shared breaks, fights, wars, or directions. There was only her. Only Aosoth.

“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,
he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
Jude 1:6​

"Seems to me that you are blaming Gadriel for something that she could not have done. After all, Gadriel is no longer here. How would my looking in a mirror help pinpoint the cause?" Sure, it was only a minor quibble but in all respects, it was not a lie. Aosoth was NOT Gadriel. She was something totally different. Still, she nodded at his final words, dark eyes locked to the glow behind his vessel's gaze. "And you wonder why I'd not rush to return?"


With nary another word, Aososth released her hold on the vessel that had brought her thus far and willed herself back to the Morningstar's throne room.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world:
he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Revelation 12:9

​

The sounds of screaming greeted her ears, low music to soothe a shock she'd not admit to herself or to another. Without taking a moment to pause or to center herself, the diminutive demoness strode along ash-darkened floors, her mind whirling with uncounted thoughts. She would have to tell the Morningstar that she'd put the marker on the mortal's soul but that she'd not finished the job. He was still free to change his mind all because she'd wanted to tweak Gadiel.


Punishment would be brutal and NOT swift. She'd pay for her choices but in the end, she'd do what she wanted anyway. Not even the Son of Mourning would be able to stop her. It was that thought which danced through her mind as her flesh was stripped from muscle and bone. It was that thought which stilled her screams as her body was used for training others from her circle. It was that thought, the knowledge that she'd not change a fucking thing, which allowed her to make it through.


After all, she had free will.


Time in the Pit does not pass in the same way as the World as Is. What felt like an eternity could be condensed into a day or two at most with plenty of time left over. As Aosoth labored under the slow piercing pain of yet another punishment, she held onto the idea that she'd not be punished forever. After all, though Lucifer ruled in Hell, he did not rule the Earth or those lands above even that. Once she was called? She'd go.


It would not do to make Gadiel wait.

​

 

[Lucian_Devine]

The desire to retort when Gadriel tried to deny her original name in favor of her Lucifer given one was so very high, but no. Gadiel held his tongue this time. Already he had a plan forming in his head as to how he would prove her wrong, and he was very much looking forward to wiping that smug little smile off of her face.

Without another word exchanged between the two former halves of the same whole, Gadiel felt when Gadriel released her hold on her vessel and willed herself back to the pit once more. Gadiel caught the woman as her body collapsed and laid her gently on the floor before he moved to lay on the floor himself and release his own hold on his vessel and will himself up to the heavens once more.

Even though Gadiel rose to the heavens surrounded by more than enough people to authorize the bet that Gadriel had proposed, he simply excused from their presence himself under the guise that he needed to make preparations.

The preparations that Gadiel needed to do mostly began and ended with a trip to the armory. Gaining access to the armory itself was easy enough. The hard part was gaining unrestricted and unsupervised access. There were only two ways to get that. One was of course filing the necessary paperwork, which took time that Gadiel didn't know if he had or not.

The other way...well...Gadiel stood before the door that led to what he needed, cognizant of the archangel guard on each side and the panel that he would have to lay his hand on to make the door open and bowed with his hands crossed in front of him. He laid his mind and plan open, hoping that it would be enough, knowing that it was all he could do, as he couldn't tell anyone what he had planned, as one never knew who could be trust. Anyone could be a spy of Lucifer these days.

Gadiel stood like that for exactly seven minutes before slowly lifting both his head and his left hand. He moved his hand slowly towards the panel, but was abruptly stopped by the guard who placed his own hand on the panel and then signaled him forward. "We've just been told to let you in, let nobody else in until you are done, and make no record of what is removed."

Gadiel was naturally a little caught off guard by this, and paused, wanting to ask the natural questions like "When?" and "By who?", but given the fairly time sensitive nature of his mission and it's general importance, he wasn't going to look this gift horse in the mouth. He stepped quickly through the doors, and was happy when they closed behind him, and moved quickly through row after row of shelves filled with various religious artifacts. His first stop was more near the front for a couple of vials of blood, one that was red with gold flecks, archangel blood and another that was red with black globules, archdemon blood. The third thing he needed was way back in storage where it had been placed a couple thousand years ago, and had been gathering dust ever since, and he just needed a metal grinder to get the tiniest speck of, which he put in a third vial. The fourth thing was along the side wall, along with a bunch of others that all looked the same, save some runes here, etchings here, engravings here, etc. The only real way to find the one you were looking for was the name they were filed under and hoping they weren't misplaced.

Once Gadiel had everything he needed, he walked back through the restricted section to the door. He recounted how he got in here and how he hadn't scanned his hand and figured that whoever or however he'd gained entry probably didn't want him to scan his hand to get out and just knocked on the large doors. After a moment they opened for him, and after the guards confirmed that he'd gotten everything he needed, Gadiel flew away with the 4 items in hand.
Gadiel's next destination was a familiar one, but it was going to be a much more involved one than normal. He needed to find a vessel. It wasn't just that he needed to find a vessel that could house his power though. He needed a vessel that could house his power and was capable of performing a summoning spell to summon Gadriel. The temple was large and full of candidates, and he took the time to look over all of them. Most were too weak, some were too eager, others were too meek. So few had the potential, and he spoke with all of them, measuring them up. Only after several hours and an honest thought about calling it a night and starting fresh the next morning did he finally find the right man. The monk had blended perfectly into the corner, sitting so perfectly still as he meditated for all those hours, but when he'd been approached he'd still been fresh, focused, and eager, despite the risks involved. The monk knew that he couldn't be told the full of the plan until they were on the mortal plane, but accepted all the same, even knowing that his very soul would be at risk. So the two, human and angel, shared one meal together, before Gadiel took control and the two headed down to the mortal plane start preparing the summoning spell.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
The summoning spell itself appears easy on paper, but a single mistake can damn a mortal's soul to any number of planes. It starts with a focus object, which must belong to the person you are trying to summon without it, the summoning is doomed to fail. It is placed in the center of the first pentagram. around that pentagram is drawn a circle, around which is drawn a pentagram, around which is drawn another circle. The final circle must be the exact same size as the intersection of the crossroads that the summoning must be performed at. Whether one starts from the other circle and works their way in or starts from the inner pentagram and works their way out, one thing is certain. If everything is not done perfectly, disaster is certain.

Gadiel picked a secluded crossroads carefully so that he could spend hours working on the summoning circle without worry of being disturbed. As the sun started to fade over the horizon, he rose to his feet in the center of the pentagram, holding everything he expected he'd need and spoke.
"Gadriel. Gadriel. Come to me. I beseech thee. Gadriel. Gadriel. Come to me. I beseech thee. GADRIEL! GADRIEL! COME TO ME! I! BESEECH THEE!"

As he spoke the last words, the sheer power of what he was doing would make it hard for him to hold his grip on his vessel while still keeping his own powers at bay, meaning that when/if Gadriel did appear, the first thing she'd see would be...
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca8...9.hAISjsGKkhqvEc4Jb6oYuJHg2h47tx56ZaPrCIm5KQo

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,
and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment-
2nd Peter 2:4
​

Even Hell's Torturers get bored when the one they flay from stem to stern no longer responds to the pain. That had always been the case and it would not change any time in the near future. In fact, Aosoth had always assumed that was part of the punishment for both sides. When the screams no longer moved you? When the pain no longer mattered? What in the fuck was the point of continuing?

True, she was a bloodied mess. Her wings were even more torn up than they had been in an eon and her left leg was STILL two inches shorter than her right but it did not matter. After she'd been made aware of just how disappointed the Morningstar was with her choices, he'd decided to allow her to leave the throne room and return to the solitude and safety of her own home further down. Leaving was painful but she managed well enough, taking the byways through each circle until she'd found herself back in Wrath.

Silence pervaded every inch of her home, beneath the crying and wailing, the thud of souls as they drowned and were killed, only to rise again and again. The very sameness of it soothed away the final rage and pain in ways nothing else could (or would) have. By the time her healing was completed, she was more than ready to return to the World As Is. However, she could not return yet. No, she had to plan for the bet that she KNEW Gadiel would give into. Supplies had to be gathered, and things needed to be set into motion.

A lot of her plotting concerned vessels that she could use to work upon the skin of the world. While Kelly had been fit enough, she was a vodoun mambo and not truly given to corruption or pain for its own sake. In some ways, that particular vessel had been almost too pure. It was only that particular woman's rage that had made staying within that fleshy confine somewhat comfortable. To play hide and seek required compatible vessels, ones that could use the power she provided and thrive in the darkness of her regard.
It was in the midst of one mock battle or another that she heard the call-- the summoning.


"Gadriel. Gadriel. Come to me. I beseech thee. Gadriel. Gadriel. Come to me. I beseech thee. GADRIEL! GADRIEL! COME TO ME! I! BESEECH THEE!"


Three times it was given and on the third, she felt herself pulled up and out, into the center of a pentagram, a perfectly consecrated one so that there was no escape. Dark eyes flashed to the locus by her feet before snapping toward the form of Gadiel in all of his heavenly glory. The sheer righteousness drove her to her knees as pain daggered through her corrupted soul from the sheer purity before her. Closing rubied orbs against the onslaught, she waved one hand in his general direction.

"I have come. What would you have of me, Bringer of His Justice?"

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Seeing Gadriel be ripped from hell in her true from was almost as satisfying as seeing her be bore to her knees before the power and divinity before her.

"You have come or you HAD to come?" Gadiel asked as he stepped forward and around the prone woman, putting extra emphasis on the word "had". "I ask of course, because I brought you here to bargain, and we really should be honest and straightforward with each other if we're going to bargain, bet, or dare I say...play...with each other?" He let his words linger in the air for a moment as he finished his circle, ending it where it began, standing in front of her, looking down at her.

"I'll tell you what though." Gadiel said as he crouched down and removed the cloth that covered the focus object, revealing a sheathed sword that was by all currant appearances identical to his own. "I'll go first. As a token of good faith. You told me just yesterday that Gadriel was gone, and that your name was Aosoth. That can't be the case though, because this is what I used to summon you. Do you recognize it? As he asked the question he grasped the hilt and the sheathe and slowly pulled the blade free. Fortune seemed to favor them, because as he did so, the moon slipped free of a cloud, and the light hit the violet eternium blade just right, letting the uniquely runed, etched, and engraved blade reflect beautifully into the fallen angel's face before another cloud covered the moon once more. "These blades are only given out to angels of vengeance, note that's vengeance, not justice." He said, lifting his gaze from the sword of his fallen partner to meet the ruby gaze of said fallen partner. "Justice is fair and impartial. Vengeance is much more personal and satisfying. So next time you speak about my profession. Give it the respect it deserves."

"Anyway..." Gadiel continued, dropping his gaze once more, semi-reverently to the sword of his fallen partner. "They only give out these swords to angel's of vengeance, and they uniquely mark each only while also giving them special enchantments so that the only people who can wield them are the two angel partners themselves."

With his last words spoken, and for no other reason than because he could, Gadiel pulled on the scabbard with his right hand while pulling on the blade with his right, and drew Gadriel's greatsword. He went one step further though, and reached behind himself and drew his own greatsword with his right hand while spreading his wings to their full wingspan and holding out both of his arms and taking a full and deep breath.

"Now, Gadriel, officially propose your game here, and we will, officially discuss terms, location, and the wager itself. Agreed?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

His voice caused the very air around her to shiver in response. Beyond the brightness of his person, the demon could see little, not the vessel he had chosen, nor the ground beyond the Devil's Trap. Instead, she could only listen as he pointed out that she'd come to him without being called by her given name. She had felt the tug of his focal point and responded to a name that was no longers her's to claim. Still, kneeling at his feet was not a good look and no matter his power, she had some of her own.

Aosoth rose to her feet and allowed her burnt and blackened wings to rise against buffeting winds even as she forced herself to look at Gadiel. Her full lips crooked into a smile that flashed more than a hint of fang as she answered his charges, her husky contralto touched with the darkness of a crypt or a war-torn field after a battle.

"I misspoke. After all, it's been so long. You are sent out by your Lord, for his Vengeance. I come out because rage is fun and I like to inspire others." The smirk that finalized that particular bit of nonsense only underlined the fact that she KNEW it was nonsense. "Regardless, I answered because I was waiting, not because of the name you chose." She flicked a hand at him and allowed herself a proper pout. "The soul marks on the edge of that sword belong to a dead Vengeance Dealer. The fact that she and I seem to share something at heart means less than nothing. After all, I did not FALL, I skipped away with a song in my heart and blood on my blade."


Aosoth twirled in the midst of her trap, blood-red gaze hungrily eying the world beyond her prison. With each repetition of the name that no longer belonged to her, anger licked at her skin, burnished it a bright copper. He was doing it on purpose, trying to make her fuck up but she'd not do that. She would just stash each disrespectful sentence away and pay him back in kind when she could.


"The deal I propose is simple. Three cities, three different vessels each, hide and seek. Capturing the other and ejecting them from their chosen vessel resets the game however, only ONE Vessel per chosen city. No leaving to fly into another puppet as that will register as an immediate loss. All powers that can be used by the chosen vessel are allowed and any tricks or traps found only upon the Earth once the game starts will be considered fair use." She paused for a moment, her rubied gaze studying the long claws of her bare feet. "If I win, I will keep the soul and you. If you win, I will release my claim on the soul but I will not promise that I won't send someone to renew the mark. As long as he breathes, he still has a choice."


The Demoness studied the masculine presence before her and offered another handwave. "If you agree, then I will allow you to choose the first territory or city. The winner of the first contest chooses the second. If you have rules or rewards that you require, NOW is the time to voice them, Gadiel." Finally, the slightly mocking tone turned hard and fell from her lips in an icy blast. "My name is NOT Gadriel. Call me Aosoth or call me not at all."

 

[Lucian_Devine]

While Gadriel's attempted bravado in the face of his divinity, and Gadiel knew it was just that, bravado, was adorable, Gadiel did have to give her credit. Most creatures of darkness would not have found the strength to stand, let alone twirl and skip around, in the face of such power. Gadriel had been strong in her own right when she'd fallen, and had clearly not been idle in her time in the pit since then. He'd have to be on his guard around her once she was freed from this trap.

Gadiel listened to the terms that Gadriel proposed, with most of them being simple enough, though he of course listened closely. She was a creature of darkness after all, and this was a game with very high stakes. It paid to have a silver tongue.

It was of course the last thing that Gadriel said that caught Gadiel's ear. While some might have tried to sneak it into the middle, she spoke it loud and clear at the end. He'd stood strong and firm in the center of the pentagram, but took that exact second to round on her with her own sword, holding just the flat of the blade mere millimeters from her throat.

"Let's get one thing straight, my dear and beloved GADRIEL. Your name is, as it always was, Gadriel, from the moment the creator made us. Whatever happened after you fell doesn't, and will NEVER change that. However..." Gadiel said, in a softer tone as he took a step back, pulled the blade back from her throat and flipped it back around in his hand. "If you are willing to let the loser of the first and second games, assuming it's not a clean sweep, choose the next city, then I am willing to accept your terms on location AND...and... He cocked his head and sucked his teeth as he braced himself for what he was about to say. "And I will agree to call you Aosoth until our negotiations are compete. Are we agreed on the game, the location, and your...name?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

By now, Aosoth was just a bit more pissed than her expression showed. Not only was Gadiel being obstinate but he had been beyond rude and seemed to believe that she did not have the wherewithal to retreat from this particular trap. She meant what she said. Gadriel was NO longer her name and his continued use of those syllables had her ready to depart back home without a deal being finalized. After all, one could not bind a higher-tier demonic entity to a devil's trap without the proper name being honored. She could easily go home with her win intact.

So, once he swept the sword that used to belong to her and pointed it at her throat, Aosoth frowned. Then she simply reached out and pushed the offending weapon point away, thus corrupting the edge with rust and ash. One dark brow rose even as full lips constricted into a tiny smirk, rife with condescension. Words flitted into the air in a mere whisper, meant to underline her point once more.

"I am Aosoth. You will refer to me by that name, period. I do not disrespect you nor have I taken a shit on your purity. The very least you could do is refrain from being a giant feathered dick and use the name I have been given." Her rubied gaze met the searing brightness of his eyes before she glanced elsewhere. "We both know how the Trap works, Gadiel. By refusing to use the name that I consider to be MY true name, you are leaving an opening for me to leave. Until we have the signed contract between us, I am free to walk away. You would do well to remember that."


The demoness then paused, her head cocked slightly to the left as she considered his words. Finally, she allowed a nod. "So yes, we are in agreement on the game and location choices. However, my name is to be used from now on. Not just for the negotiation. If you can find it within yourself to do as you are bid, we may continue."


With that, Aosoth stalked away from him, putting a few feet between them. "Now. What do you bring to this game?"

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Though he was surprised that Gadiel was able to touch the hallowed blade with her bare hand without getting burned, and even more so, was able to affect the blade in a negative way, he didn't show it as he pulled the blade back. He simply tacked it up to the blade being bound to her soul and her being able to do with it as she wished. His head bowed as he turned and walked back towards the discarded sheathe of her sword, lifting his other hand to sheathe his own sword before crouching down to grab her sheath, sheathing hers and laying it to rest in the center of the pentagram once more.

"What do I have to bring to this game you ask, Aosoth?" Gadiel asked as he rose to his feet once more. "Well, aside from myself, which you asked for, there is my vessel, whom I've already discussed this with. This vessel is capable of not only holding me and my power, but also casting the summoning spell that summoned you. As collateral I would like Mr. Stratton and you. These four things are equal in most ways if you ask me. The body and powers of one comparable to the soul and destiny of the other.

Gadiel then turned towards Aosoth and walked slowly towards her as he reached slowly into his belt pouch and, with an exaggerated motion, pulled out the last two vials that he hadn't yet used. "I also bring these Aosoth, to be used as part of the binding at the end of our negotiations." He held up the two vials for her to see as he slowly walked around behind her, letting his arm graze against her as he closed both his arms around her as he loosely hugged her and held them both in front of her to see clearly. "Archangel blood in one to be spread on my palms and archdemon blood in the other to be spread on your palms." He shook each one as he mentioned it, even though they were fairly obvious by appearance alone.

With his demonstration done, Gadiel bent down and pressed the softest of kisses to her jet black hair before withdrawing his arms from around Aosoth, taking several steps back from her. His divine power spread slowly through her even as he started to talk once more, and he wondered how long it would take her to notice what he'd done. "If I'm not mistaken, the last detail left to be discussed is the time frame, how long until the first game, how long between games, and of course how long the seeker has before they lose the game, correct?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

To hear her name in his roughened baritone felt good. Back when she still cavorted on high at his side, she'd always felt closest to her bond mate but never had a way of actually defining what it was that she felt. Now, she finally had an inkling. Lust. Definitely lust. Still, it wouldn't do to think about that much. It wasn't like she could jump on him and ride him into the ground no matter how tempting he was. They were at odds and besmirching him wasn't in the cards.

She wasn't doing this to destroy his purity. No, she was not THAT petty. Aosoth was doing this to punish him for not coming with her when she left. He deserved to suffer for leaving her to Fall alone. He should be broken and bleeding at her feet but the love she felt in the remnants of her cold, dead heart would not allow his true demise. He was still the better part of her. She was sure that he always would be.

'Fuck, quit whining and focus!'


What all of this angst and disconcertion meant was that as Gadiel came closer, his scent enraptured Aosoth just long enough that she forgot to be wary. In fact, the feel of him at her back caused her pulse to pick up, even though she had no idea WHY. They had often trained that way together, in that long ago time. They had always fought, back to back, side by side. His scent and much larger frame shouldn't be so distracting.


'Pull it together!' That was easier said than done because 'Did he kiss my hair??' Shaking that nonsensical thought aside, Aosoth breathed in deeply and forced herself to listen to his explanation of the blood in the vials as well as his final thoughts. Her broken wings bridled in the silence, tingling slightly while sending a touch of unease through her. Still, she ignored it and answered his queries.


"The trade on either end sounds more than fair and I agree to the use of the blood in the binding. As for the time frame? My assumption is once we settle upon the first city, we will start three Earth days from the time of my release from this Trap. Because time is of the essence, each round will last no longer than seven days. To win the round, after finding each other, one has an hour to get the other to relinquish their vessel, in whichever way one pleases. If neither of us finds one another during the game week, then we each take a three-day break after the new city is chosen...and start again. If we both fail at the end of three cities, three chances, we both walk away with nothing changed."


Another gentle tingle ran along her spine as her wings flexed and quivered once more. "Is this acceptable?"

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Gadiel took a long and slow breath as he listened to Aosoth's terms. The part that naturally worried him was the part at the end about them both walking away with nothing changed. As much as that might sound like a draw, give the circumstances, that still ended up as a loss for him, and hearing those words made him swallow hard.
When Aosoth asked if the terms were acceptable, Gadiel did something that he had a feeling that she'd never expected. He tucked the two vials back into his belt pouch, turned and walked back towards the center of the pentagram, and carefully lowered himself to a sitting position inside of it. He extended his hand, inviting Aosoth to join him as he looked up to her, sought out her ruby gaze, and started to speak. "So...three days for you to find a vessel, contact any spies you might already have, make new friends, and then no more than seven days to find me. That much is obvious enough, but the part I find most curious is the one hour part. Part of me thinks that you know that you wouldn't be able to control yourself over a full week, and would kill my vessel instantly, but another part of me wonders that if it's not revenge...what is it you're really after?

Gadiel spread his arms wide as he continued to look at Aosoth. "I mean if I sword by the the almighty right now to answer any question you asked me with nothing less than the absolute truth, what would you ask me, Aosoth?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

The tingling continued and a sharp bout of pain swam through Aosoth's tiny frame as she turned away for a moment to find her center. Gadiel being so close had enraged her while also making her wish that things weren't so hard. Still, she would not bow beneath the memories of before. There was no point to it. Before was long gone...and so was she. Instead, she drew in a deep breath and then turned around to face him, only to be startled by his apparent ease as he settled himself in the center of the Devil's Trap.

Rubied orbs studied him before she strode over and settled herself a foot away from his position, her smaller, darker form a direct contrast to his glory. The rough timbre of his words drew a startled glance upward as she pondered the answer to his question, one dark brow winging upward in consternation. Still, she tried to answer him...mostly.


"The one-hour limitation is to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Period. While others of my ilk thrive by causing harm to mortal forms, I never have. It bores me. Humans are the playground but they are not toys to be discarded. Especially when they do nothing to warrant my wrath." Aosoth paused in consideration, blinking rapidly as her wings bridled and fluttered. sending yet another bolt of pain through her nervous system. "And it is revenge BUT maybe not one you'd understand. I will not share more than that though you are welcome to try and figure it out yourself...eventually."

Aosoth sighed and shifted. "The only question I have, I will not ask yet. Maybe another time."

Honestly, what was the point? She would not admit that she wanted him to feel what she felt before she fell nor would she ask him about his emotions during the war in Heaven. All of it was moot and would not add anything of importance to their discussion. All that mattered right now was finalizing the deal and getting away from him as soon as possible. To hasten that outcome, Aosoth shifted once more and leveled her best no-nonsense look upon her one-time partner.

"Is there anything else we should discuss, Gadiel?"

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Gadiel couldn't resist the involuntary, if soft chuckle when Aosoth said the words "unnecessary bloodshed". It was just too strange to hear such words uttered by a fallen angel. While she wasn't a true demon per say, she was still a fallen angel, one didn't normally expect either of them to shy away from unnecessary bloodshed.
While he'd remained seated while Aosoth approached, Gadiel had still held her gaze respectfully. He wanted her to speak after all, wanted to settle this without the need for the game, involving vessels, mortals, and spies. He'd hoped, if naively, that if he could just get her talking, that they might be able to come to some sort of agreement...
Gadiel just sat there, holding Aosoth's ruby gaze for the longest time, desperately looking for even a hint of Gadriel, the true Gadriel that he knew had to be in there somewhere. When he knew he could stall no longer though, he bowed his head, slowly shaking it as he reached into his belt pouch and pulled the two vials out once more.
"Lift your hands then, if you please, palm up." Gadiel said, softly and politely, still holding her gaze as he removed the stopped on the blood of the archdemon. "I've decided on New York, New York as my city of choice." Gadiel said before dipping his fingertip into the blood and lowering his fingertip to start tracing his desired symbol on her palm, a sword of vengeance surrounded by a circle. It naturally took several dips, and he had to hold her hand with his other hand to ensure there were no mistakes, but the job was done quickly enough.

"I do have one question though." Gadiel said as the two prepared to do Aosoth's left palm. It wasn't needed for the binding, but it was needed for his final plea, but she didn't need to know that. "You said before that you have an hour to get the other to relinquish their vessel. Does that include killing said vessel, or does death of the vessel by the seeker's hand mean that the seeker loses the round?" While he held Aosoth's left hand, he had not yet started the process of tracing the binding sigil on it, thus giving them time to talk once more.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Between the bridling of her wings and the shock of what felt like new growth, Aosoth managed to maintain her bland expression. Watching Gadiel as his face shifted from one expression to the next, she felt an undeniable urge to express some sort of comfort but there was NONE to be had. They were on opposite sides of a Great War and the soul at the heart of this infernal battle was only one piece of a much larger plan to drag Heaven into the depths. Feeling sorry for her part in any of it was not only stupid but detrimental to the plan.

Beyond that, the Fallen Angel needed him to HURT. Aosoth needed him to feel the pain she'd gone through as her wings darkened and burned away, as her wrath overcame the love she had for her compatriots and their Creator. This wasn't JUST about a bet, not to her. It would never be JUST about a bet.

At the low timbre of his voice, she lifted her dusky palms up and offered them to him, a benediction given, a request fulfilled. Her rubied gaze studied him thoughtfully before darting down to take in the very first sigil on her palm and in doing so, she almost missed his question. However, she shuddered slightly and forced herself to pay attention, a small frown marring the delicacy of her features. There was no need for death at all!


"The time limit is not about the death of the host vessel! It's about giving us BOTH a fair chance as both captured and capturer. If neither leaves the vessel within that time frame, then it is simply a draw. We use what we know. Maybe there will be pain for the vessel, maybe there will be pain for US, maybe pleasure...who knows? But death only prolongs the game. Killing the vessel does not mean one of US gave up. It simply means a lack of imigination on the killer's part." Aosoth scoffed. "This contest is about punishment, in some respects, but it is also a GAME...death is not the final outcome." She rolled her eyes nd shook her head. "Have you devolved so far in your mind that death is always the answer now? Be careful, Gadiel. With that mind set, you'll fall soon enough."


With that, she grew quiet and waved her still empty palm in his direction, a wordless direction for him to finish. Sparks and fire ran along her back, a deep agony that she refused to show. Instead, she waved her palm once more.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Gadiel silently thought on Aosoth's words while his hands still held her left hand. Both were motionless until the fallen angel grew impatient and waved her empty palm. When he didn't respond though, and she waved it once more. He did finally snap out of his own head, dip his finger in the archangel blood once more, take hold of her hand once more, and begin tracing the same sigil on her left palm that he'd done on her right.

"You misunderstood the purpose of my question, Aosoth." Gadiel said, flicking his violet gaze upwards for a moment to see where her ruby eyes were looking, hoping to catch her gaze. "It is not, nor has it ever been my intention to kill either you or one of your vessels." His voice was soft, and his gaze cloudy as he remembered how things used to be between them, even as he continued his work. "I simply asked so as to know the extent of the rules. The stakes are high after all, and it's easier to establish them here than it is to change them later, and anything I don't know can and will bite me in the ass."
When the last line of the sigil was traced and ready, Gadiel let his hands fall away from Aosoth's, flawlessly smooth one. "Perfection..." He found himself saying softly before he could stop himself. He put a stopper on the vial of archdemon blood and tucked it back into his pouch, removing the archangel vial as he did so. "Would you care to do the honors, Aosoth?" He asked, once more not adding anything before or after her name, simply honoring and respecting her with her chosen name once more, offering the vial to her as he extended his left hand, palm up, at the same time.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

While Aosoth heard his explanation, she offered nothing in response, merely nodding along. She chose to ignore the flash of heat that throbbed at her center in much the same way she chose to ignore the idea of MISSING her once compatriot. She had no time for emotion and refused to indulge in sad "what ifs". There was no point to any of it. However, once he'd finished his self-appointed task and asked his question, Aosoth finally dredged up some words.

"Yes. Palms out please."

The burn of angelic blood as it accosted her pointer finger was not shown in the small frown that marred her features as she pondered the best sigils to use. Finally, she traced her personal sign to represent wrath on the battle-scarred palm of his left hand, the constant back and forth between the vial and his hand a task that would have soothed her had she not felt the pain of the blood and her wings. A smile slipped along her bottom lip as she handled his right palm and slowly etched out the binding she'd chosen.

"Ba- the Raven of Binding." She paused, her clawed finger held in abeyance for a brief moment before she resumed the delicate task. "I learned this long and long ago. I find the lines are easy enough to draw and the sigil is POWERFUL. Once we finish this, we will both be bound to the contract."

She was ready for this all to be over...after all, she wanted to hide away from those eyes....and lick her wounds in peace.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

When Aosoth asked for both of his palms straight away, Gadiel didn't hesitate to do as she asked, waiting of course until she had the vial of archangel of blood securely in hand before he turned that hand over.

Two things were impossible for Gadiel to not think about as he sat across from Aosoth. The first was of course what a sight they would have made for any mortal, if it had been possible for them to happen upon this place. I mean imagine seeing an angel and a fallen angel what looked like just sitting inside a circled pentagram while one painted the palm of the other.

The other thing that was impossible to not think about was how intricate both the sigil and seal Aosoth had chosen were when she seemed so impatient and ready to be done with all of this. The small smile that slipped along her bottom lip as she slowly and diligently worked all while delicately holding his hands just so, also didn't pass his notice. Still, he made no comment of any of these things. He just breathed softly and slowly, keeping his violet gaze down on the admittedly beautiful, if sinister, work she was doing.

Once both of his hands were done, Gadiel knew that all of the preamble and foreplay was done, leaving just one thing left to do as the two of them slowly and carefully rose to their feet without ruining the bindings and sigils on their palms.

"I suppose it's time isn't it?" Gadiel asked as he slowly adjusted his feet and positioning, putting himself the correct distance from Aosoth. His eyes closed briefly as he took a long and slow breath before opening as he slowly lifted his hands, palm up, between a clear sign for Aosoth to do the same. As her palms came up his left palm moved to the side so that it could slide under hers while his right palm remained on top, each remaining inches from it's counterpart. Next came movements that were slow but seamless and subtle, yet somehow required no communication between the two of them, despite the thousands of years since that they had been apart. When they were finished though, the two of them stood close within the center pentagram with their hands still still inches apart, but their right palms facing each others' heart.

"And now we choose, Aosoth." Gadiel said in a soft and pleading tone as he looked into her rubied gaze, knowing that there was almost nowhere else for her to look with them standing this close. "We can turn our right hands around, right now, close the circles, return to heaven, and I can guarantee you that all will be forgiven. We can start over in whatever kind of life you want, with as clean a slate as you can get. Lucifer will never be able to touch or track us, and we can be free...forever." A tear slipped down Gadiel's cheek as he talked of the life the two of them could have. He looked down at the ground, looking around at the demon trap around them, and finally lifted his gaze back to the ruby gaze of the fallen angel before him. "Or we can do...this...press our right palms into each others' hearts and do...all of...this...Please Gadriel..."

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

The air within the pentagram seemed to pause in its ever-widening circle as Aosoth felt feathers against her bare skin, where they hadn't been in far too long. The shock of it widened rubied eyes even as she fought to keep her face from expressing both the joy and pain of her innermost thoughts and feelings. He must have done this. A ragged frisson touched her spine and caused her wings to bridle upward, the pain of the motion stopped by an upwelling of joy so incandescent that the demoness could not breathe.

Losing her feathers during the fall had been the worst part of turning away from the Creator. Knowing that with every inch away from His Care, she would lose what had marked her as a weapon of His design had almost broken her and caused such an uprising of pain, panic, and WRATH that she'd never once doubted her intention to follow the Morningstar. She had ached when she realized that her other half had not come, and the RAGE that filled her made the loss of those feathers bearable enough, BUT now? He had given them back.

Why would he do that?

Shaking away the confusion, Aosoth focused her attention on Gadiel. His words, low, throbbing with intensity and emotion, drove a spike of anguish deep into what should have been her heart, throbbing there like an infection and battering her resolve to carry out the bet. She could not give in. Not because she didn't understand WHY he was offering but because she'd been away from that light for far too long and had no will to return there. No, she wanted HIM with HER...but she'd not go on high to get it.

As for freedom? They would never be free, not while he suffered from a lack of Free Will. He was no more than a weapon without the ability to choose, just like she had been long ago. She would not return there, where the gift of willfulness and sexuality was erased. She would not LOWER herself nor bend a knee without being forced, not even for the angel who stood before her.

"Even with forgiveness I did not ask for, I would not return, Gadiel. I will not be a weapon when I can be ME and decide what I will do. Suffering the loss of His Light is nothing; when to return means I would no longer be myself. Let us finish this."

She knew that he could hear the finality of her words. There were far too many things between them and a complete disconnect concerning ideology. Best to finish this and return from whence they had come. She would rage about it later. With a glance at his face, Aosoth widened her stance slightly and felt the pain of her wings once more as they lifted from her shoulders and flicked against the air. Without giving herself more time, she reached out to him, her small, delicately clawed hand mere inches from his chest.

"On three. One. Two. Three."

And then...the burning.