side story Side Story: A Past Best Left Buried.

April 25, 2019

Description: After meeting in less-than-ideal circumstances, Alez and Cassandra had teamed up to put a stop to Mr Enron's plans and to find out whom or what they are working for. In their search for Mr Enron, they find themselves inside a Domain of a being from Cassandra's home universe, one sent to start Cassandra's 'punishment'.

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Alez was taken aback by the sudden light that emitted from the door. It was actually quite jarring considering the dark hallway they had just come out of, especially considering the fact that she was expecting to see the same pitch black void of nothingness she'd seen before. She shielded her eyes from the blinding light and when she lowered her arms, she was surprised to find that she was surrounded not by the server room from before, or even an empty void, but... a grassy meadow at night?

Where were they? What happened to the server room? She looked around and saw, to her dismay, even the door was completely gone! It was like they'd stepped through a one-way portal! This didn't particularly alarm Alez too much as she knew she could return to Coelis at any time as long as she had her pendant. But she was still bothered. What was that light? Was this where they were supposed to be? Had that demon set up some sort of trap for them? Maybe this whole area was just an illusion meant to protect whatever secrets the actual room held...

When Cassandra asked if she was okay, Alex just nodded silently before looking over at the woman. She seemed bothered by something which only had Alez more concerned for her. "Are you okay?" She finally spoke up, reaching over to gently touch Cassandra's shoulder. "Do you recognize this place?"

*Cassandra looked a bit aggravated on the outside, her expression rather grim and perhaps a bit apprehensive. Though, that was nothing compared to how she was feeling on the inside. Internally, she was hurting inside but she was not hardly showing it on the outside. That was due to Cassandra's own training and experience but even that...did not seem to help her cover up every single thing she was feeling at this moment. She knew this place, she had been here before. Though she knew that this place no longer exists now in her universe, the area and planet that this place was is much further along in time than here is, this place was once real...even if it only exists as part of this Domain. The Domain itself, which could take any form the owner wishes it to take, was a power given to special beings...chosen by the god of her own universe. She knew that fact rather well...given she used to have powers like that. That was quite some time ago, a lifetime ago in fact. Cassandra used to be much more powerful than she was now, given that she was meant to be the embodiment of the 'Eternal Hero' of her home universe. This 'Eternal Hero' was god's chosen warrior, whose sole mission was to defeat Evil in all of its incarnations. Her job was to defeat Evil whenever and wherever it would appear in her universe, slaying it was the point of her existence and she would reincarnate again and again to defeat it again and again. That WAS her life and all the lives she had previously were devoted to the task of killing this Evil...even if it kept inevitably coming back. She did her job without question nor complaint over her lives and gave her life to the cause when it came to it which it usually did. However, something changed with the present life she is living...she found Helheim...or Helheim found her and that changed her fate forever. No longer was she the chosen warrior, destined to win against Evil. No longer was her destiny to fight the 'good' fight against Evil. No...her destiny was no longer so simple...if it ever was. Now, she was no longer part of her universe and the use of the current god of her universe for her was now zero. She could no longer serve the purpose god gave her and thus was now useless and unneeded. The current god of her universe, whom she served so willingly and unfailingly over those lifetimes...no longer wanted anything to do with her. But why? As it turned out, her lives before this one were based off lies. Many lies, so many lies. Though she thought she knew how things were...she actually didn't know anything. Helheim had revealed the truth to her, that she had been deceived for all that time. That the god that she had served for all those lives...was not the god that created her world. The Evil she had been killing all this time...was the god that created the world and started life. Her life...before then...was just a sham, a false but convenient and appealing story for mortals and herself to consume. Her role...nothing more than disposing of the inconvenient past for whatever designs the current god had for the world. But that was history. Here, in this Domain, was someone she once knew very well...and was once someone she could call more than just a friend and comrade...someone she had cared for when they were alive together and even beyond that time. Yet...Cassandra suspected...nay...knew that their reuniting today would not start or end well. It could only end in tears.*

"I never thought...I would see this place again..." Cassandra said softly, her words wavering. "This place no longer exists in my home universe, you see. Though this is no illusion. This is someone's Domain and they will not allow us to leave unless they are...dealt with." Cassandra's voice stumbled, betraying her emotional state to Alez. That she was definitely suffering.

April 30, 2019

Alez was unsure how to react to everything that was going on. But listening to the way Cassandra responded to her tugged at her heart. The woman was trying so hard to be strong and yet, something about this location filled her with such an incredible sense of despair. Unsure of what to do, she slowly wrapped her arm around Cassandra in an attempt to hug her. Immediately following her arm, her wings delicately draped around Cassandra's body, giving off a gentle warmth around her body. She knew it wouldn't do much, but at the very least, it could hopefully help her to relax.

"There's no need for us to panic, alright? Because I have a secret..." Alez grinned as she released Cassandra from her hug and brandished her pendant. "This little trinket is more than just jewelry. With it, I can escape to the Kingdom of Coelis from anywhere, as long as there aren't any demons within a mile radius. Now, you seem to know this place better than I do, so I need you to help me find a spot where there aren't likely to be any demons around, and I can get us out of here, alright?" Of course, Alez may have been overestimating the reach of her lady's might. In truth, she had no idea where in the void of reality this particular world existed. All she knew was that the pendant was enough to bring her to and from earth and the kingdom of Coelis. If this world happened to be further away from Coelis than Earth, there was no guarantee the portal would even function properly. Still, Alez was confident in her goddess. She was here for a reason and she flashed Cassandra a reassuring smile. "We can get out of this without even having to worry about whatever it is you're afraid of, right?"

May 2, 2019

On 30/04/2019 at 15:22, Aura said:

Alez was unsure how to react to everything that was going on. But listening to the way Cassandra responded to her tugged at her heart. The woman was trying so hard to be strong and yet, something about this location filled her with such an incredible sense of despair. Unsure of what to do, she slowly wrapped her arm around Cassandra in an attempt to hug her. Immediately following her arm, her wings delicately draped around Cassandra's body, giving off a gentle warmth around her body. She knew it wouldn't do much, but at the very least, it could hopefully help her to relax.

"There's no need for us to panic, alright? Because I have a secret..." Alez grinned as she released Cassandra from her hug and brandished her pendant. "This little trinket is more than just jewelry. With it, I can escape to the Kingdom of Coelis from anywhere, as long as there aren't any demons within a mile radius. Now, you seem to know this place better than I do, so I need you to help me find a spot where there aren't likely to be any demons around, and I can get us out of here, alright?" Of course, Alez may have been overestimating the reach of her lady's might. In truth, she had no idea where in the void of reality this particular world existed. All she knew was that the pendant was enough to bring her to and from earth and the kingdom of Coelis. If this world happened to be further away from Coelis than Earth, there was no guarantee the portal would even function properly. Still, Alez was confident in her goddess. She was here for a reason and she flashed Cassandra a reassuring smile. "We can get out of this without even having to worry about whatever it is you're afraid of, right?"

*Cassandra's body tensed up the moment that she felt Alez put her arm arround Cassandra, an automatic response that needed no thought from Cassandra herself. She had grown unused to affection from others, especially strangers. All this time being alone and having no one else to rely on had taken its toll. How Alez would take this was out of Cassandra's hands, though it wasn't because Cassandra hated Alez or something along those lines. Cassandra didn't move or show a response for a few moments after Alez draped her wings around Cassandra's body, it seemed she wasn't sure how to respond to this. Maybe this would be considered odd to Alez but for Cassandra, expecting warmth and goodness out of anyone without a reason for it was asking too much at best and a trap at worst. It didn't mean that Cassandra didn't appreciate the gesture but she was genuinely conflicted about whether to accept it or not. Did she really deserve that kind of attention? Especially after what she has had to do over the lifetimes she's lived and died? Cassandra looked a bit conflicted as Alez let her go but listened to her when she started to talk about her magical pendant. Apparently, it served as some sort of teleportation device to Alez' homeworld. Now Cassandra could understand why Alez would make this offer to her, given the way she felt and the way she must appear to Alez but she also couldn't help but feel a bit insulted. Cassandra wasn't about to let such a trivial thing set her off though, not when something much more pressing was ahead. She thought for a moment on how to respond to Alez and her offer. She decided to answer honestly and firmly.

"I'm sorry Alez but for me, running away from this is not an option." Cassandra replied to Alez. "I can't back down from this and...I can't let her...the one that made this Domain...suffer any longer..."

Now things were becoming more clear. It looked like Cassandra knew the being whom made this Domain and seemed to indicate that they had history together. It was also apparent that whomever made this Domain, according to Cassandra, was suffering as well but from what?

May 13, 2019

On 5/2/2019 at 5:45 AM, Manni said:

*Cassandra's body tensed up the moment that she felt Alez put her arm arround Cassandra, an automatic response that needed no thought from Cassandra herself. She had grown unused to affection from others, especially strangers. All this time being alone and having no one else to rely on had taken its toll. How Alez would take this was out of Cassandra's hands, though it wasn't because Cassandra hated Alez or something along those lines. Cassandra didn't move or show a response for a few moments after Alez draped her wings around Cassandra's body, it seemed she wasn't sure how to respond to this. Maybe this would be considered odd to Alez but for Cassandra, expecting warmth and goodness out of anyone without a reason for it was asking too much at best and a trap at worst. It didn't mean that Cassandra didn't appreciate the gesture but she was genuinely conflicted about whether to accept it or not. Did she really deserve that kind of attention? Especially after what she has had to do over the lifetimes she's lived and died? Cassandra looked a bit conflicted as Alez let her go but listened to her when she started to talk about her magical pendant. Apparently, it served as some sort of teleportation device to Alez' homeworld. Now Cassandra could understand why Alez would make this offer to her, given the way she felt and the way she must appear to Alez but she also couldn't help but feel a bit insulted. Cassandra wasn't about to let such a trivial thing set her off though, not when something much more pressing was ahead. She thought for a moment on how to respond to Alez and her offer. She decided to answer honestly and firmly.

"I'm sorry Alez but for me, running away from this is not an option." Cassandra replied to Alez. "I can't back down from this and...I can't let her...the one that made this Domain...suffer any longer..."

Now things were becoming more clear. It looked like Cassandra knew the being whom made this Domain and seemed to indicate that they had history together. It was also apparent that whomever made this Domain, according to Cassandra, was suffering as well but from what?

Alez frowned slightly in response to Cassandra's rejection of her offer. Her choice of words particularly caught her attention. "Suffer... Someone is suffering here?" She glanced up at the starry horizon. Something about that completely changed the tone of the place they were in. It suddenly felt much colder than before. It genuinely made her uncomfortable. She wanted to leave and go back home to rest in Lady Caelisia's arms... But, of course, she had a promise to keep. She had sworn to be the greatest Celestial she could be to make her goddess proud. With her wings still gently wrapped around Cassandra, Alez slowly brushed the troubled woman's cheek and wore a soft smile herself. "Everything's gonna be okay. We promised to fight together, right? I know we just met, but you can trust me. It's actually impossible for me to lie or deceive you in any way. If I did, I'd be unable to return home with this pendant. I have to remain pure or I will suffer... But that part doesn't really concern you. The important thing is that I can and will help you however I can, no matter what it costs, because I can't just sit back and watch an innocent victim suffer." She spoke confidently as she stood upright, unwrapping her wings from Cassandra with a sly smirk on her face. "So, what's the deal? Has this creator been captured by some demon? Maybe everything they create gets destroyed or conquered? Just tell me where we need to go and who we need to fight and we'll have this world saved in no time by the power of Lady Caelisia!"

May 16, 2019

On 13/05/2019 at 14:09, Aura said:

Alez frowned slightly in response to Cassandra's rejection of her offer. Her choice of words particularly caught her attention. "Suffer... Someone is suffering here?" She glanced up at the starry horizon. Something about that completely changed the tone of the place they were in. It suddenly felt much colder than before. It genuinely made her uncomfortable. She wanted to leave and go back home to rest in Lady Caelisia's arms... But, of course, she had a promise to keep. She had sworn to be the greatest Celestial she could be to make her goddess proud. With her wings still gently wrapped around Cassandra, Alez slowly brushed the troubled woman's cheek and wore a soft smile herself. "Everything's gonna be okay. We promised to fight together, right? I know we just met, but you can trust me. It's actually impossible for me to lie or deceive you in any way. If I did, I'd be unable to return home with this pendant. I have to remain pure or I will suffer... But that part doesn't really concern you. The important thing is that I can and will help you however I can, no matter what it costs, because I can't just sit back and watch an innocent victim suffer." She spoke confidently as she stood upright, unwrapping her wings from Cassandra with a sly smirk on her face. "So, what's the deal? Has this creator been captured by some demon? Maybe everything they create gets destroyed or conquered? Just tell me where we need to go and who we need to fight and we'll have this world saved in no time by the power of Lady Caelisia!"

*Cassandra looked at Alez sadly as it looked like she would have to utter words that she hated so much...that this situation was entirely her fault. She was the cause of not only this being's suffering but many others that would invevitably come after. It was her turning her back on the divine plan that was given to her, where she was the Eternal Hero of the world, that caused this being's present and perhaps future suffering. It was her rejection of her 'god' that led to this...but what else could she do, given the information she had? Given the 'truth' of her universe, as she now knew it?! That she had killed the 'god' that created the universe over and over again, without remorse or regret...with no knowledge of what she was doing? That she was just a toy in some game that her 'god' came up with? How could she just do nothing and continue as she was, given who she was and what she knew?! There was no alternative in her view to this! And yet...why did she feel such regret and doubt about it? Even if she knew the truth, did it really mean anything? Was it worth damning everyone she knew to perhaps an eternity of suffering?*

"The being here...suffers because I live..." Cassandra said to Alez honestly. "Because of what I did, she and everyone I know and knew...will suffer. Perhaps eternally."

*Perhaps it was as Helheim had said on occassion, Truth was but one small flickering flame, attempting to light up the void of the world. Perhaps it really didn't matter to anyone and because of that, it meant nothing. Certainly, that was the reverse of what people said and what they knew...but what do we really know? Did mortals or even herself really know anything? Did that even matter? This...bothered her to no end. But, in the end...she knew that she was going to have to continue on for now even if she didn't want to. There was still something she had to do.*

"I'll try to explain on the way..." Cassandra said as she held back tears. "That is, if you still want to come..."

May 20, 2019

On 5/16/2019 at 8:14 AM, Manni said:

*Cassandra looked at Alez sadly as it looked like she would have to utter words that she hated so much...that this situation was entirely her fault. She was the cause of not only this being's suffering but many others that would invevitably come after. It was her turning her back on the divine plan that was given to her, where she was the Eternal Hero of the world, that caused this being's present and perhaps future suffering. It was her rejection of her 'god' that led to this...but what else could she do, given the information she had? Given the 'truth' of her universe, as she now knew it?! That she had killed the 'god' that created the universe over and over again, without remorse or regret...with no knowledge of what she was doing? That she was just a toy in some game that her 'god' came up with? How could she just do nothing and continue as she was, given who she was and what she knew?! There was no alternative in her view to this! And yet...why did she feel such regret and doubt about it? Even if she knew the truth, did it really mean anything? Was it worth damning everyone she knew to perhaps an eternity of suffering?*

"The being here...suffers because I live..." Cassandra said to Alez honestly. "Because of what I did, she and everyone I know and knew...will suffer. Perhaps eternally."

*Perhaps it was as Helheim had said on occassion, Truth was but one small flickering flame, attempting to light up the void of the world. Perhaps it really didn't matter to anyone and because of that, it meant nothing. Certainly, that was the reverse of what people said and what they knew...but what do we really know? Did mortals or even herself really know anything? Did that even matter? This...bothered her to no end. But, in the end...she knew that she was going to have to continue on for now even if she didn't want to. There was still something she had to do.*

"I'll try to explain on the way..." Cassandra said as she held back tears. "That is, if you still want to come..."

Those words pulled at Alez's heart. She couldn't imagine what Cassandra must have done to cause such suffering, but it was clear she greatly regretted it. There was one way she could theoretically empathise with Cassandra. She could perform a feeling search to truly understand what emotions were going through Cassandra's heart. Of course, Cassandra would have to be at least partially willing to allow her to do such a thing, and it would be an invasion of privacy for her to try and demand her compliance.

"Cassandra..." She started with a soft tone. She gently rubbed the girl's shoulders with her hands. "Sometimes people just make mistakes... Maybe you're not perfect, but that doesn't mean you aren't deserving of love and support." Of course, Alez knew nothing about what was happening with Cassandra, but her heart ached for the woman. She clearly needed help in some form. "Of course I'm still going to come. We're a team right now and you saved my life, so I'm also indebted to you... But I can also tell that you're struggling and I hate to see people in that situation because I understand that completely, even if I probably haven't been through as serious of problems as you..." She trailed off and slowly unwrapped her wings from around the girl. She then stood in front of Cassandra and slowly raised her hand to wipe the tear from Cassie's cheek. "Um... if you don't mind... there's something I can do to more accurately understand your feelings. It might be a little weird, but I think knowing how you feel will help me work better with you. It'll also help you to understand my feelings as well, which will improve our bond further."

May 29, 2019

On 20/05/2019 at 15:34, Aura said:

Those words pulled at Alez's heart. She couldn't imagine what Cassandra must have done to cause such suffering, but it was clear she greatly regretted it. There was one way she could theoretically empathise with Cassandra. She could perform a feeling search to truly understand what emotions were going through Cassandra's heart. Of course, Cassandra would have to be at least partially willing to allow her to do such a thing, and it would be an invasion of privacy for her to try and demand her compliance.

"Cassandra..." She started with a soft tone. She gently rubbed the girl's shoulders with her hands. "Sometimes people just make mistakes... Maybe you're not perfect, but that doesn't mean you aren't deserving of love and support." Of course, Alez knew nothing about what was happening with Cassandra, but her heart ached for the woman. She clearly needed help in some form. "Of course I'm still going to come. We're a team right now and you saved my life, so I'm also indebted to you... But I can also tell that you're struggling and I hate to see people in that situation because I understand that completely, even if I probably haven't been through as serious of problems as you..." She trailed off and slowly unwrapped her wings from around the girl. She then stood in front of Cassandra and slowly raised her hand to wipe the tear from Cassie's cheek. "Um... if you don't mind... there's something I can do to more accurately understand your feelings. It might be a little weird, but I think knowing how you feel will help me work better with you. It'll also help you to understand my feelings as well, which will improve our bond further."

*Cassandra thought if Alez knew what she had done, she wouldn't be saying that at all. From what she had seen of Alez, she was acting mostly exactly like she did in the 'old days'. Although nowhere near as skilled and as vicious as Cassandra had to be in her line of work, Alez did display the same kind of zeal and belief in her 'higher power'. Unfortunately for Cassie, her belief in her higher power didn't really amount to anything. The fact was, even if she was still faithful to the cause she once believed in, the moment her 'god' decided her part in its plan was over would mark her end. In her universe, where the current god got to decide the value of everything, nothing was innately valauble...all was expendable and a tool for her 'god' to use as they saw fit. Her life and her 'worth' in her universe had, by that logic, always been conditional and never was secure. Whether she deserved 'love and support'...was up to her 'god', whom it seemed didn't have to justify itself to anyone or anything except itself. In her universe, where god was the centre of all value, perhaps no one but god mattered.*

"If you think it's going to help, then please go ahead." Cassandra replied to Alez uneasily. "Just keep in mind...that you may not like what you will find."

June 6, 2019

Cassie's response was more than all Alez needed to put her power to use. It was an ability she'd never really had the chance to use before as in Coelis, there were no secrets to be kept. Emotions were worn on everyone's sleeves. With a friendly smile, Alez gently placed her hand on Cassandra's chest over her heart and stared into her eyes in absolute silence. She focused onto Cassie's pupils and before long, she could feel her heartbeat changing pace to match the beat she felt from Cassie's own heart. Her hand began to give off a faint, golden glow as she peered into the woman's eyes as though they were a window into her mind. It would only be a matter of seconds before that window opened up and she had successfully established a bond with Cassie.

If Cassie chose to peer into Alez's eyes in the same way, she could perhaps feel the bond growing between them as well. Despite Alez's attempts at projecting a calm and supportive tone, Cassie would be able to feel an almost overwhelming, yet perhaps familiar, sense of sorrow, anger, and fear. It was clear that not all was well in Alez's own life, but despite her problems, she also found joy in the world around her enough to balance her emotions. It had taken a massive amount of hard work and training to be able to do this, but it was exactly what enabled her to maintain her ethereal form. After all, if any one emotion grew too much and threw off the balance, she would become stuck in her physical form until she could restore the balance inside her. No doubt, it is a scary situation to be in, especially considering getting stuck in the form for even a second can make an untrained celestial panic, causing their fear to grow exponentially...

If there was any particular emotion Cassie was curious about in Alez, now would be the perfect time to explore her curiosity, or she could completely ignore the opportunity if she was uninterested... The main purpose of this link was for Alez to better understand her, anyway. Just what was going on in the heart of this poor girl? By understanding her emotions, she should be able to find a more appropriate way to combat the problem.

June 15, 2019

*Surprisingly, Cassandra was taking things quite well considering Alez was indeed laying a hand on her body and looking straight into her eyes. This was something that Cassandra was not used to doing and it made her rather uncomfortable. Any form of intimacy or even something as little as this was somewhat of a foreign experience for Cassandra and she found it hard to concentrate and focus. Still, she managed to look back at Alez straight in the eye as well, though it was obvious from the way Cassie looked at Alez that there was something about this that bothered her. Though really, the 'bother' only existed in her mind. Cassie was so unused to being close to anyone or letting anyone in, that doing so constituted somewhat of a relationship progression...and relationships were something she was never good at. Poor Cassie looked quite embarrassed and somewhat bewildered that this young woman was touching her in such a way and her own body was betraying it. Despite this, even feeling disconcerted as Cassie was, even she could feel some sort of connection growing between them. Though she wasn't quite sure what specifically was going on, she felt some of Alez's emotions that were going on behind the scenes...as well the more obvious ones ones that Cassie was more familiar with. Now while Cassandra was not one to pry into the secrets of others, she was a bit curious as to why she felt some familiar dark emotions inside Alez which seemed more at home with her.*

"Alez...I..umm..is something on your mind?" Cassandra managed to stammer, even her voice sounded like a smitten young girl though she was far from that age. "I...It's like I can 'see' your heart..."

June 26, 2019

As Alez peered into Cassie's heart, she could sense a great clash of confused, negative emotions. For a celestial so inexperienced with the feeling search, it was actually quite overwhelming. She'd never really had the chance to try it on anyone outside of celestials who typically only experienced pleasant emotions. Cassie clearly wasn't a human, but these feelings seemed to be more human than anything she'd ever felt, assuming what she'd studied on humans was accurate. The clash of emotions was so great it was actually rapidly becoming physically unbearable for her. At this moment, she merely assumed she could handle the intensity and continued trying to search Cassie's heart. It took every ounce of willpower to keep her emotions in balance long enough to keep the feeling search open. It wasn't too long before Cassie broke the silence. Perhaps it was the straw that broke the camel's back, but suddenly the light from the feeling search had closed and Alez collapsed to her hands and knees, panting as if she were out of breath. Her wings were gone and she had returned to her physical form.

"Ah... S-sorry... I guess I'm just not as good at that as I thought..." She slowly rose to her feet again and brushed herself off. "Yes, there's a lot on my mind..." She sighed. "I've never felt these things before coming to the surface... Anyway," she shifted the subject for the time being. "What I just did was a feeling search. It allows us to see into each other's hearts through our eyes and feel everything each other is feeling. It can only be done voluntarily and it's a key ability for us Celestials to get to know other. You, though..." With a frown, Alez gently reached out and touched Cassie's shoulders, almost in tears. "I don't know what you've been through, but whatever it was must have been awful... to the point where you don't even know what to feel... But the biggest feeling I'm getting is this overwhelming sense of loneliness... guilt, as well... I'm really sorry you've had to endure such intense pain." Having just experienced the same emotions as Cassie, even for as brief of a moment as it was, she knew very well just how horrible the girl's life had been. She was nothing like Caelisia or the other celestials who had an overwhelming aura of comfort and love. Still, her feeling search wasn't all-powerful. She had no idea what had happened to cause these emotions to stir up inside the woman, and her past still remained just as much of a mystery.

"For what it's worth, I care about your well being. I will stand by your side throughout this, and thanks to our feeling search, you should know that to be the truth. I'm scared and a bit insecure, but I'll give this problem my all and I want you to as well!"

July 6, 2019

*Cassandra could tell that Alez was not comfortable with the question she asked as Alez seemed to change the subject without giving her much information on what was going on inside of Alez. She did tell Cassandra though what she was doing though so that helped. So that was what that 'light' was. Though Cassie wondered why the girl's form had seemingly changed, no wings and all and why Alez seemed so tired. Perhaps this 'feeling search' was exhausting for her or something. This wasn't good as Cassie would have preferred Alez to be in a better condition since she assumed that they were going into battle soon. Well, this was going to mean more work for her. Cassandra also noted that she said something about 'coming to the surface' which was unusual. From what Cassie expected that this girl was from another world or something, not from some place underground. Unless of course the girl meant that she was from underground in another world...then that would explain that too. As Alez seemed to cry from what she may have saw or felt during the 'feeling search', Cassandra did not seem too emotional about it. From her perspective, what happened was unavoidable. Anyway, her current position was bought on by her choices and the consequences that followed, Cassandra couldn't really complain about how the dice fell given that complaining would do little to change things.*

"Well, if you want to help me in this, it would help if you could explain to me why you seemed to change 'form' just now?" Cassandra asked politely. "Was that process of 'feeling search' that draining on you? Do you need a rest afterwards? Unfortunately, I don't suppose we have much time for a rest in this place. Hmm...would a restorative potion help? I believe I have a few on me."

July 18, 2019

Alez nodded in agreement with Cassie's words. "Yes, I suppose I should probably share how we celestials work..." She paused for a moment to think of how exactly to explain it, as it was such a natural feature of her body. It's like explaining how one can maintain balance on two feet without falling over. "Well... our forms change based on our emotional state. You see, our ethereal bodies are entirely projections of divine light. We can maintain that form as long as our minds are pure and our emotions are perfectly balanced. But, if our emotions are out of balance, we enter our physical forms instead. That can be really bad, especially for someone like myself who really lacks confidence in their own abilities..." She paused again, tapping her fingers against her elbow.

"Long story short, we can tap into magic and we have no physical presence while in our ethereal forms. Plus, we can't be seen in that state except by other divine beings, demons, and any mortals we allow." With a deep breath, Alez's wings returned, stretched out wide on either side. She then flapped the wings in an effort to draw Cassie's attention toward them. "The color of our wings reflects the purity of our hearts. If we sin, they become darker as we distance ourselves from Lady Caelisia... That is the most shameful thing that could happen to one of us. If we aren't pure of heart, we cannot return to the kingdom of Coelis and we just end up slowly withering away without our mother's embrace..."

Alez frowned slightly and slowly the wings disappeared. "In our physical form, we appear just as any normal human would. We don't have access to our magic or any other powers. We're just flesh and bone. We can only return to our ethereal forms when our emotions are balanced. That's why we go through extensive training to have perfect control of our emotions. However, even though I graduated... I'm still not totally confident in my ability to do that. That's why I find myself getting stuck in this form a lot. It's by far my biggest weakness. If I get particularly angry, sad, happy, or afraid... I can become temporarily trapped. It gets worse when it happens at a bad time, because then I just get more afraid that I'll be stuck like that, which only causes it to become harder to return... It's like being bound in such a why that the bonds only get tighter the more you struggle... it's really scary..."

"Anyway, that's pretty much the extent of our form change. I hope that answers your question!" Alez put a smile on her face before returning to her ethereal form and spreading her wings again.

July 30, 2019

*As Cassandra listened to Alez's explanation of to what celestials were and how Alez herself seemingly changed form, she could hear Helheim's voice in her mind. They didn't seem overly impressed with the explanation that Alex was giving. In fact, they didn't seem to be taking it very seriously at all. This reaction bothered Cassie and so, without changing her outer expression of intent listening (both out of consideration for Alez and so that Alez wouldn't think Cassie herself was crazier than she was), she tried to reprimand Helheim about their behaviour.*

Are you done? I'm trying to get some useful information about Alez and... Cassandra 'replied' back to Helheim by merely concentrating on that thought stream. While out the outside, it looked like Cassandra was intently and seriously listening to Alez (and she was), she was also having an internal conversation with Helheim...who she really didn't know much about other than what she could get out of them...which did not tend to be much.

I bear no ill intent towards our young companion and I do not think she speaks falsely.

Then what's with some of your comments? Cassandra snapped back at Helheim mentally, acting a bit protective of Alez whom she thought they were disparaging. Such as that they seem more akin to the dead than to the living?

*Helheim seemed to sigh audibly though obviously no-one but Cassandra would hear them or know they had a channel of access inside her mind.*

I am merely just making an observation, based on what they have said. It is interesting that they talk of their mortal body as being a cage when their 'celestial form' seems much more restricting. Isn't it interesting that the emotions and minds of these celestial beings must be so tightly controlled and regulated just to 'be'? 'Pure' minds..balanced emotions...do you even know what that means? Have you ever met a mortal like that, whose mind is 'pure' and whose emotions are 'balanced'? What would such a mortal even be like? Is it not the case that mortality is a condition where such things are not achievable or even meaningful? What do those terms even mean, Cassie? In mortal terms, do 'pure' and 'balanced' mean anything...if they intended to mean or refer to anything at all?

To those questions, Cassandra had no answer. Of course, she wasn't really interested in answering those sorts of questions. She was more interested in the 'now'.

No response? I would have expected someone of your stature to be concerned with matters as these. After all, you are...

"...Shut up." Cassandra responded back to Helheim internally, interrupting them. She figured she knew where he was going with that and she didn't particularly like the direction. She so wasn't in the mood for it. Now, she felt she had wasted enough time with Helheim and now since she had sensed that Alez had finished talking about her Celestial form, was now more inclined to talk to her.

Very well. For someone supposedly concerned with practical matters, you certainly have your theoretical priors.

Ignoring Helheim for now, Cassandra went back to talking to Alez. But before she did, she heard music coming from what seemed to be a small settlement further down the grassy knoll which Alez and Cassie were on. The music itself was nice but there seemed to be a tragic undertone to it that was very palatable even to an untrained ear. Cassandra looked at Alez with a rather grave and serious expression on her face. "Looks like we're expected. We best get going. I hope you are ready, Alez."

November 10, 2019

Alez blinked in response to Cassie's curt assertion. She blushed faintly to herself, realizing that she had been rambling on about herself for quite a while. Perhaps she had gotten a bit too excited about having an opportunity to explain her powers. It was entirely possible she'd only bored Cassandra with her broad explanation, but she did feel every bit of it was important for her ally to understand, and she didn't feel she had any need to fear betrayal. Alez could sense no ill intent from the young goddess. She turned her attention back toward the music, which she could now sense a more chilling undertone from. Still, she wasn't going to allow that to get to her. She'd made a joke of herself in the past two encounters, she wasn't going to hold back this time. She was going to prove her abilities as a hunter one way or another!

She nodded and spread her wings. "If we're going to fight, then I'm ready. I won't let these monsters have their way with me again. I've embarrassed the Celestials enough and I'm going to remedy that right now! If you understand whatever is going on, then I guess you should lead the way? I'm at your command." It felt.. strange saying such a thing to another person aside from Lady Caelisia. However, under the circumstances, the two needed to work as a team and she had no business fighting over leadership. She knew she could trust Cassie but Cassie could only trust her so much. It was best to humble herself for the sake of their team's growth. By working together, she was certain they would have the strength necessary to fight whatever enemy they would be dealing with.

December 20, 2019

On 11/11/2019 at 09:35, Aura said:

Alez blinked in response to Cassie's curt assertion. She blushed faintly to herself, realizing that she had been rambling on about herself for quite a while. Perhaps she had gotten a bit too excited about having an opportunity to explain her powers. It was entirely possible she'd only bored Cassandra with her broad explanation, but she did feel every bit of it was important for her ally to understand, and she didn't feel she had any need to fear betrayal. Alez could sense no ill intent from the young goddess. She turned her attention back toward the music, which she could now sense a more chilling undertone from. Still, she wasn't going to allow that to get to her. She'd made a joke of herself in the past two encounters, she wasn't going to hold back this time. She was going to prove her abilities as a hunter one way or another!

She nodded and spread her wings. "If we're going to fight, then I'm ready. I won't let these monsters have their way with me again. I've embarrassed the Celestials enough and I'm going to remedy that right now! If you understand whatever is going on, then I guess you should lead the way? I'm at your command." It felt.. strange saying such a thing to another person aside from Lady Caelisia. However, under the circumstances, the two needed to work as a team and she had no business fighting over leadership. She knew she could trust Cassie but Cassie could only trust her so much. It was best to humble herself for the sake of their team's growth. By working together, she was certain they would have the strength necessary to fight whatever enemy they would be dealing with.

"Very well, just be careful and don't try to play 'hero'. I don't want you to get in over your head." Cassandra replied to Alez, in a sincere voice. She was a bit concerned that Alez might try to overcompensate for her 'failure' when they met by accidentally getting into more trouble. That was a classic 'newbie' mistake and one that cost many a life on the field. "I will keep you alive as best I can so you can return home in one piece."

*Cassandra had a realisation that Alez was doing her best to be humble before her as she had the most battle experience out of the both of them. It felt a bit odd to be accompanied...even if it was someone who seemed fresh out of basic training. Cassandra felt a responsibility to keep Alez as safe as possible, even though they just met and that defending this girl might make things a fair bit harder. Though it might be quite an inconvenience, she couldn't stomach or consider the thought of letting such an inexperienced person fall here...not when they have somewhere to go home to.*

"If you would follow me for now, I will take you to where I think we are wanted. There's a small village further down this way. It shouldn't take long to get there by foot. Ordinarily, I would have suggested that you fly there and scout out the village. But something tells me that might not be a good idea. The being that most likely made this Domain would most likely be able to spot you and would attempt to take you out."

*Cassandra sighed to herself, as she knew she was going to have to reveal what she knew about this place to Alez. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be a problem as it was the most practical thing to do. However, this situation was unique as it dealt with Cassandra's own personal matters and she always found it hard to share that with other people...especially now. Cassandra started to walk away from Alez, towards the village and small amphitheatre. She motioned Alez to follow her.*

"Now this village we are heading to was where I and someone close to me lived out the remainder of our lives after we 'saved' the world from another recurrence of the Source of All Evil. Though life was simple and dull compared to our adventures together, we considered it a blessing to be able to live a peaceful life away from conflict...and with each other. If memory serves, the music you are hearing is just that person playing one of their stringed instruments though its name escapes me at the moment. They usually play more...upbeat and pleasant songs than this though...well, at least they used to when I was with them last."

*It would be obvious from what Cassandra was saying and the way she was saying it that this person and her were VERY close, most likely lovers. The distant and longing expression in Cassandra's eyes strongly suggested this.*

January 8, 2020

It was a good thing Cassandra had explained that flying to the village wouldn't be a good idea. That most certainly would have been Alez's first instinct. But the thought that some being was watching over them with ill intent made her skin crawl. Just what were they up against that Cassandra was so afraid of...? Perhaps the Alez from several hours ago would have been cocky enough to test her limits and fly ahead anyway, but she'd been more than humbled after making such pathetic mistakes so recently. She had to know her place and, though she certainly didn't seem nearly on the same level as lady Caelisia, taking orders from Cassie was the best thing she could do to discipline herself. She simply started walking after Cassie while the woman started to walk away from her and beckoned her to follow.

While the two girls walked together, Alez's anxiety still lingered, but she started to relax a bit more. Perhaps it was because they'd yet to be attacked and had this downtime to relax. She was finally going to be getting answers to the questions she'd been asking. She listened intently to every word of explanation Cassie offered and could feel a frown drooping across her own face. Thanks to the synch, she could already feel the same sorrow from her aching heart. "So then... what happened to this person? How did you get separated from them? And surely, if you were so close, he'd be happy to see you, right?" She didn't want to barrage Cassie with a bunch of questions at once, so she decided to stop there. After all, the woman seemed like she was at least somewhat interested in sharing. She certainly didn't want to step on her toes and ruin that. She wanted answers and she had to be patient if she wanted to get any at all!

January 16, 2020

On 08/01/2020 at 16:16, Aura said:

It was a good thing Cassandra had explained that flying to the village wouldn't be a good idea. That most certainly would have been Alez's first instinct. But the thought that some being was watching over them with ill intent made her skin crawl. Just what were they up against that Cassandra was so afraid of...? Perhaps the Alez from several hours ago would have been cocky enough to test her limits and fly ahead anyway, but she'd been more than humbled after making such pathetic mistakes so recently. She had to know her place and, though she certainly didn't seem nearly on the same level as lady Caelisia, taking orders from Cassie was the best thing she could do to discipline herself. She simply started walking after Cassie while the woman started to walk away from her and beckoned her to follow.

While the two girls walked together, Alez's anxiety still lingered, but she started to relax a bit more. Perhaps it was because they'd yet to be attacked and had this downtime to relax. She was finally going to be getting answers to the questions she'd been asking. She listened intently to every word of explanation Cassie offered and could feel a frown drooping across her own face. Thanks to the synch, she could already feel the same sorrow from her aching heart. "So then... what happened to this person? How did you get separated from them? And surely, if you were so close, he'd be happy to see you, right?" She didn't want to barrage Cassie with a bunch of questions at once, so she decided to stop there. After all, the woman seemed like she was at least somewhat interested in sharing. She certainly didn't want to step on her toes and ruin that. She wanted answers and she had to be patient if she wanted to get any at all!

*Cassandra was expecting many questions from Alez about what this place was and what the relationship she had with the being whom made this Domain was. While she wasn't exactly thrilled about answering them, Cassandra knew she would have to answer as best and honestly she could, if she was going to hold the trust of Alez in any sort of fashion. The answer to the first two questions was relatively easy, they lived out the rest of their lives in the village they were headed to with the peace of the world seemingly restored. Though that was what Cassandra herself knew at the time, she now knew that was not true. While those Cassie and the other being did live out their lives peacefully, the world was not at peace...nor could Cassie actually be certain that what she recollected was still the case. The fact was, given her betrayal of the order of the world and the will of 'god', her place in history was no longer certain and a given. Who really knew what 'god' would do, to punish her for her betrayal? She was going to have to explain this to Alez, though it was going to be difficult. It seemed that Alez was like her in the past, earnestly serving a seemingly divine force and order.*

"To be honest, I really cannot tell you what she will recollect." Cassandra said softly. "The fact is I...chose to abandon my place in the Divine Plan...and thus lost my place with the 'god' of my universe. I could not, in good conscience, continue to serve them given what I have learnt recently about the truth of the universe I lived." This was going to sound like either the ramblings of an insane person or a heretic. However, it was the truth. "In return, my place in history as the Eternal Hero is no longer and I cannot be sure if anyone will know of what happened."

*It seemed that Cassandra was telling Alez that even history and time itself was up to the will of the 'god' of her universe and if they found things inconvenient, even time and history could be changed to suit.*

"Given my betrayal, there's no guarantee that the happy ending I had with her ever happened. I guess that is the price paid of my universe being solely based of the will of a single 'god', that everything else is...dependent on that single fact."

January 24, 2020

Alez's heart ached for Cassandra as the woman answered her questions honestly. From her own personal experiences, she could totally understand wanting to leave her goddess' command. She herself has had several doubts about Caelisia's commands in the past. Yet it was her own impulsiveness and impatience that always got her into trouble that her goddess had to dig her out of. It filled her with guilt and shame every time and it never ended well for her. Faith was... rather difficult when hope isn't in sight.

Then again, at the end of the day, everything felt worth it when she returned home to her goddess' loving embrace. She could make mistake after mistake over and over again but as long as she remained faithful to her goddess and asked for forgiveness, she would be forgiven, loved, and accepted. But if she were to do as Cassie suggested she had done... she shuddered at the thought of what her own punishment would be. If she'd crawled back to lady Caelisia and begged for forgiveness... maybe she would be made pure again. Her fears and doubts washed away once again in the gray river...

After feeling Cassie's despair and hearing her last statement, Alez reached out to take her hand. "Let's not worry about what is and isn't guaranteed. Any goddess worth worshiping would be happy just to see her people doing the best they can. If this being took away your happy ending, it only means your story isn't over. We won't give up until we make our happy ending!" She gave her a reassuring smile before looking up at the sky. "Now then, if your 'goddess' controls this whole world, then there's a good chance she already knows we're here... That must mean there's some level of mercy in her. Otherwise it would simply be impossible for you or I to exist here at all, right? All we have to do is seek her out and appease her..."

As the words rolled off her tongue, she could already feel a sense of unease. Maybe she was oversimplifying the issue in her head. Mortals tended to get anxious over silly things with obvious solutions, but she couldn't forget that this was no mortal she was speaking to. Surely Cassandra would know what her goddess wants, which would mean there was only one thing that would be stopping her from fixing everything with that simple solution.

Alez glanced over at Cassandra, now much more concerned before. "That's.... not an option for you, is it...?"

February 9, 2020

On 25/01/2020 at 07:36, Aura said:

Alez's heart ached for Cassandra as the woman answered her questions honestly. From her own personal experiences, she could totally understand wanting to leave her goddess' command. She herself has had several doubts about Caelisia's commands in the past. Yet it was her own impulsiveness and impatience that always got her into trouble that her goddess had to dig her out of. It filled her with guilt and shame every time and it never ended well for her. Faith was... rather difficult when hope isn't in sight.

Then again, at the end of the day, everything felt worth it when she returned home to her goddess' loving embrace. She could make mistake after mistake over and over again but as long as she remained faithful to her goddess and asked for forgiveness, she would be forgiven, loved, and accepted. But if she were to do as Cassie suggested she had done... she shuddered at the thought of what her own punishment would be. If she'd crawled back to lady Caelisia and begged for forgiveness... maybe she would be made pure again. Her fears and doubts washed away once again in the gray river...

After feeling Cassie's despair and hearing her last statement, Alez reached out to take her hand. "Let's not worry about what is and isn't guaranteed. Any goddess worth worshiping would be happy just to see her people doing the best they can. If this being took away your happy ending, it only means your story isn't over. We won't give up until we make our happy ending!" She gave her a reassuring smile before looking up at the sky. "Now then, if your 'goddess' controls this whole world, then there's a good chance she already knows we're here... That must mean there's some level of mercy in her. Otherwise it would simply be impossible for you or I to exist here at all, right? All we have to do is seek her out and appease her..."

As the words rolled off her tongue, she could already feel a sense of unease. Maybe she was oversimplifying the issue in her head. Mortals tended to get anxious over silly things with obvious solutions, but she couldn't forget that this was no mortal she was speaking to. Surely Cassandra would know what her goddess wants, which would mean there was only one thing that would be stopping her from fixing everything with that simple solution.

Alez glanced over at Cassandra, now much more concerned before. "That's.... not an option for you, is it...?"

*As Cassandra listened to Alez, she couldn't help but notice how naive the girl sounded. It almost made her frustrated because despite all the information that Cassandra had given her about her circumstances, Alez seemed to still maintain the 'goodness' of the deity that ran her world and was the one that put Cassandra in this exact circumstance. Then again, Cassandra couldn't exactly blame Alez for it. It was an apparently normal assumption that goodness and creator gods went hand in hand, though nothing really bound the two concepts together. In Cassandra's circumstance, the god that ran her world and had her working as the Eternal Hero was a creator god...but one that was not that interested in mortals other than what it could get out of them. While working for them as the Eternal Hero, slaying the Source of all Evil over and over throughout the ages, Cassandra herself began to realise that the god she worked so hard for...didn't really need anyone and was just using them for its own ends. For all the talk of the Divine Plan by its agents, the awful truth was that mortals were not really required by it and the value of their lives was never certain...only being valuable when the god wanted them for whatever purposes it had. When that purpose faded, so did their use and thus their value to god, which meant they were no longer needed. Of course, given that Cassandra herself had abandoned her place as the 'Hero', she too was no longer needed and now had no value. Looking back at all the things she did, she wondered why it took her so long to realise this truth that she saw clearly now. Why had it taken her so long to realise that all beings in her universe...were only living because they were serving as 'entertainment' for their god and the moment they failed to entertain...they were dispatched? Cassandra suspected that she knew this for quite some time...and yet she still served her 'god' unquestioningly. Perhaps it was her inability to handle that truth that drove her to deny it and blind herself to it for so long.*

"Alez...I'm sorry but I don't think you quite understand." Cassandra said calmly and as politely as possible to Alez. She did feel a bit horrible for what she was about to say next but she felt she had to say it. "The god I served under in my universe...frankly does not give one iota of a thought to the lives of the many mortals it feels it owns, even my own. To it, the only purpose we serve, including myself, is to praise and do what it wants for the duration of our existences. While mortals and even myself until recently assumed that its will must be good as it created us and the world...it's not the case. Goodness has nothing to do with its will, which we will obey or be condemned to death. Now, the being whom created this Domain was once, like myself, a servant of god who I fought alongside with to defeat a recurring evil...though now I'm not sure what purpose we actually served. Now, given my betrayal...of the Divine Plan and my place...I suspect that the being whom created this Domain has been assigned to kill me, dragged out from time and peaceful death..."

February 13, 2020

On 2/9/2020 at 3:24 AM, Manni said:

*As Cassandra listened to Alez, she couldn't help but notice how naive the girl sounded. It almost made her frustrated because despite all the information that Cassandra had given her about her circumstances, Alez seemed to still maintain the 'goodness' of the deity that ran her world and was the one that put Cassandra in this exact circumstance. Then again, Cassandra couldn't exactly blame Alez for it. It was an apparently normal assumption that goodness and creator gods went hand in hand, though nothing really bound the two concepts together. In Cassandra's circumstance, the god that ran her world and had her working as the Eternal Hero was a creator god...but one that was not that interested in mortals other than what it could get out of them. While working for them as the Eternal Hero, slaying the Source of all Evil over and over throughout the ages, Cassandra herself began to realise that the god she worked so hard for...didn't really need anyone and was just using them for its own ends. For all the talk of the Divine Plan by its agents, the awful truth was that mortals were not really required by it and the value of their lives was never certain...only being valuable when the god wanted them for whatever purposes it had. When that purpose faded, so did their use and thus their value to god, which meant they were no longer needed. Of course, given that Cassandra herself had abandoned her place as the 'Hero', she too was no longer needed and now had no value. Looking back at all the things she did, she wondered why it took her so long to realise this truth that she saw clearly now. Why had it taken her so long to realise that all beings in her universe...were only living because they were serving as 'entertainment' for their god and the moment they failed to entertain...they were dispatched? Cassandra suspected that she knew this for quite some time...and yet she still served her 'god' unquestioningly. Perhaps it was her inability to handle that truth that drove her to deny it and blind herself to it for so long.*

"Alez...I'm sorry but I don't think you quite understand." Cassandra said calmly and as politely as possible to Alez. She did feel a bit horrible for what she was about to say next but she felt she had to say it. "The god I served under in my universe...frankly does not give one iota of a thought to the lives of the many mortals it feels it owns, even my own. To it, the only purpose we serve, including myself, is to praise and do what it wants for the duration of our existences. While mortals and even myself until recently assumed that its will must be good as it created us and the world...it's not the case. Goodness has nothing to do with its will, which we will obey or be condemned to death. Now, the being whom created this Domain was once, like myself, a servant of god who I fought alongside with to defeat a recurring evil...though now I'm not sure what purpose we actually served. Now, given my betrayal...of the Divine Plan and my place...I suspect that the being whom created this Domain has been assigned to kill me, dragged out from time and peaceful death..."

Due to the link, Alez was able to identify every ounce of frustration in Cassandra's heart. It caused a seed of guilt to swell up in her own. Perhaps she shouldn't have made it out to be so simple after all. She simply couldn't fathom serving a god that didn't regularly make her love clear for her. But as she searched Cassie's feelings, she came to understand a truth that she found hard to swallow. This woman was just like she herself was now. She must have had a genuine belief that the deity she was serving loved and cared for her the way Caelisia did her...

Still, the genuine bond she shared with her goddess was far too strong for any form of doubt. Even when she lets her goddess down, mother never failed to remind her of how much she cared. The goddess was harsh at times, but only because she worried for her safety. She didn't like sending her children out for scouting and hunting... It was dangerous and scary. Not a place her kind were meant to be...

"I'm... Sorry..." She started. "I can't imagine what that must be like... Your world... This world... Sounds terrifying. A world whose god doesn't love its inhabitants... Do demons and monsters just run rampant here? Uncontrolled? How could anyone be entertained by such horrors...?"

Alez shook her head after retreating to her thoughts for several moments. "That is no god. It's evil. It sounds like a demon who's risen to power. A demon that needs to be stopped by Mother Caelisia's grace. Nevermind about appeasing that monster. We'll make it face judgment and save your world once and for all!"

February 25, 2020

On 13/02/2020 at 12:16, Aura said:

Due to the link, Alez was able to identify every ounce of frustration in Cassandra's heart. It caused a seed of guilt to swell up in her own. Perhaps she shouldn't have made it out to be so simple after all. She simply couldn't fathom serving a god that didn't regularly make her love clear for her. But as she searched Cassie's feelings, she came to understand a truth that she found hard to swallow. This woman was just like she herself was now. She must have had a genuine belief that the deity she was serving loved and cared for her the way Caelisia did her...

Still, the genuine bond she shared with her goddess was far too strong for any form of doubt. Even when she lets her goddess down, mother never failed to remind her of how much she cared. The goddess was harsh at times, but only because she worried for her safety. She didn't like sending her children out for scouting and hunting... It was dangerous and scary. Not a place her kind were meant to be...

"I'm... Sorry..." She started. "I can't imagine what that must be like... Your world... This world... Sounds terrifying. A world whose god doesn't love its inhabitants... Do demons and monsters just run rampant here? Uncontrolled? How could anyone be entertained by such horrors...?"

Alez shook her head after retreating to her thoughts for several moments. "That is no god. It's evil. It sounds like a demon who's risen to power. A demon that needs to be stopped by Mother Caelisia's grace. Nevermind about appeasing that monster. We'll make it face judgment and save your world once and for all!"

*It was at that point that both Cassandra and Alez would hear a voice, seemingly carried by the wind. It was a beautiful feminine voice, yet one dripping with venom and hidden anger.*

"Oh? And you would know the difference between the two, little one?" the voice was heard saying sarcastically. "Freshly removed from her mother's breast, this babe speaks of things it remains innocent of!"

*It was at that point that Cassandra interjected unexpectedly. She seemingly rushed forward more than a few steps, in the direction of where the voice was coming from.*

"Mei Yi, is that you?!" Cassandra implored emotionally, her voice cracking and her emotions getting the better of her. "Mei Yi, it is Cassandra...I...".

"And what of it?" the voice replied in a rather emotionless fashion, as if Cassandra were the last person it wanted to see. "Do you expect me to rush over to you with open arms after what you've done?!"

*Cassandra looked rather taken aback at this reply of this "Mei Yi", as if she were not expecting it at all. Apparently, even now, the past with this person was not yet buried for Cassandra. The passion she had for her was still strong. And yet...she was shot down without a second thought.*

"Heretic, you thrown everything you had with me into the abyss when you left the side of god." the voice of Mei Yi continued on, the anger in its tone was obvious. "Every last bit of it! Tell me now, "Hero'. Was I not enough for you?! Was I just some harlot you obtained on the way?! To be cast aside when you got your fill of me?!"

*Cassandra looked rather emotionally hurt as Mei Yi tore into her with what they said. She knew that there was going to be trouble when she effectively rejected god.*

"Mei Yi! Our love was true, it still is! But you must know that Utopia..." Cassandra shouted emphatically at the voice...before being interrupted.

"And I ask again, what of it?" Mei Yi replied. "Utopia is our god and their will is what must be. So you say that they 'break' things that should not be broken. What of those things? Such things are not of god but of mortal make! Such imperfect things cannot, should not and will not bind a god! For they are above and beyond such things!"

March 6, 2020

On 2/25/2020 at 7:05 AM, Manni said:

*It was at that point that both Cassandra and Alez would hear a voice, seemingly carried by the wind. It was a beautiful feminine voice, yet one dripping with venom and hidden anger.*

"Oh? And you would know the difference between the two, little one?" the voice was heard saying sarcastically. "Freshly removed from her mother's breast, this babe speaks of things it remains innocent of!"

*It was at that point that Cassandra interjected unexpectedly. She seemingly rushed forward more than a few steps, in the direction of where the voice was coming from.*

"Mei Yi, is that you?!" Cassandra implored emotionally, her voice cracking and her emotions getting the better of her. "Mei Yi, it is Cassandra...I...".

"And what of it?" the voice replied in a rather emotionless fashion, as if Cassandra were the last person it wanted to see. "Do you expect me to rush over to you with open arms after what you've done?!"

*Cassandra looked rather taken aback at this reply of this "Mei Yi", as if she were not expecting it at all. Apparently, even now, the past with this person was not yet buried for Cassandra. The passion she had for her was still strong. And yet...she was shot down without a second thought.*

"Heretic, you thrown everything you had with me into the abyss when you left the side of god." the voice of Mei Yi continued on, the anger in its tone was obvious. "Every last bit of it! Tell me now, "Hero'. Was I not enough for you?! Was I just some harlot you obtained on the way?! To be cast aside when you got your fill of me?!"

*Cassandra looked rather emotionally hurt as Mei Yi tore into her with what they said. She knew that there was going to be trouble when she effectively rejected god.*

"Mei Yi! Our love was true, it still is! But you must know that Utopia..." Cassandra shouted emphatically at the voice...before being interrupted.

"And I ask again, what of it?" Mei Yi replied. "Utopia is our god and their will is what must be. So you say that they 'break' things that should not be broken. What of those things? Such things are not of god but of mortal make! Such imperfect things cannot, should not and will not bind a god! For they are above and beyond such things!"

Alez tensed up at the unexpected response she'd received from the unknown voice. She was being looked down on. She had no idea who this voice belonged to, but at first assumed it was the voice of the goddess that was supposedly watching over them. Before Alez had the opportunity to think of a witty response, she heard Cassandra call out to the voice. Her own voice sounding distraught yet displaying a dash of hope that ached Alez's heart. It seemed clear what the cruel 'god' of this world was doing to her. Just for her entertainment. The very idea made her feel sick. She wasn't going to allow poor Cassandra to be bullied by this demon in power.

"Your god is a fraud!" Alez finally shouted to the voice as she flew over to Cassandra's side. "A goddess who does not serve her people as they serve her. What is the meaning of such a relationship!? Does a mother not love her child? Does a flower not benefit from spreading its seeds? Does an artist not feel joy when his work is complete? You call me a babe yet it is just an excuse! You are a coward who dares not stand for what is just and right! You know the truth yet deny it for the purpose of inevitability. What a foolish concept! If the needs of the people are not met, then the goddess is a failure and I will see to it that she is judged accordingly! Go back to your goddess if you so wish and face judgment by her side if you truly feel your Utopia is right and just! It is no coincidence that fate has brought me here as it was my own mission that led me here. And I will fulfill my mission for the goddess that loves me and all life above all else or I will die trying. But I will not sit idly by while the ignorant mortals of this world are lost without guidance and tortured relentlessly for no reason other than the whims of a cruel mistress!" She spoke with a fuming confidence that she, quite frankly, had no clue where it came from. Perhaps it was the spirit of lady Caelisia guiding her in her righteous intolerance. Yes, that must be it. Even here, some of Caelisia's love and support still lingered. But it was not the time to back down. She knew she was right and she also knew it wouldn't be long before she had to fight for that truth. Although who or what she would be fighting was unclear at the moment, she was certain that with Caelisia's gentle guidance, she would come out on top.

April 6, 2020

On 06/03/2020 at 16:39, Aura said:

Alez tensed up at the unexpected response she'd received from the unknown voice. She was being looked down on. She had no idea who this voice belonged to, but at first assumed it was the voice of the goddess that was supposedly watching over them. Before Alez had the opportunity to think of a witty response, she heard Cassandra call out to the voice. Her own voice sounding distraught yet displaying a dash of hope that ached Alez's heart. It seemed clear what the cruel 'god' of this world was doing to her. Just for her entertainment. The very idea made her feel sick. She wasn't going to allow poor Cassandra to be bullied by this demon in power.

"Your god is a fraud!" Alez finally shouted to the voice as she flew over to Cassandra's side. "A goddess who does not serve her people as they serve her. What is the meaning of such a relationship!? Does a mother not love her child? Does a flower not benefit from spreading its seeds? Does an artist not feel joy when his work is complete? You call me a babe yet it is just an excuse! You are a coward who dares not stand for what is just and right! You know the truth yet deny it for the purpose of inevitability. What a foolish concept! If the needs of the people are not met, then the goddess is a failure and I will see to it that she is judged accordingly! Go back to your goddess if you so wish and face judgment by her side if you truly feel your Utopia is right and just! It is no coincidence that fate has brought me here as it was my own mission that led me here. And I will fulfill my mission for the goddess that loves me and all life above all else or I will die trying. But I will not sit idly by while the ignorant mortals of this world are lost without guidance and tortured relentlessly for no reason other than the whims of a cruel mistress!" She spoke with a fuming confidence that she, quite frankly, had no clue where it came from. Perhaps it was the spirit of lady Caelisia guiding her in her righteous intolerance. Yes, that must be it. Even here, some of Caelisia's love and support still lingered. But it was not the time to back down. She knew she was right and she also knew it wouldn't be long before she had to fight for that truth. Although who or what she would be fighting was unclear at the moment, she was certain that with Caelisia's gentle guidance, she would come out on top.

*Unfortunately for Alez, she was entering a fight in which she had no personal stake and no knowledge of what was. While there was no way for her to know, attempting to argue with Mei Yi would prove fruitless. To Mei Yi, this young upstart was just a fool like she was once. To Cassandra, Alez wasn't exactly helping her. Not that it mattered at this point. The only possible resolutions that Cassie could see at this point was this: either Alez and her would die or Mei Yi would die again. All this talk of morality, truth and justice was just a veneer to cover the ugliness of what was about to happen. The only thing that would move either of them was the sound of clashing steel. Cassandra just sighed.*

A god serving? What kind of self-indulgent rubbish is this?! God is still god, whether or not they deign to help us or not. It is we, mortals that owe our existence to gods, that serve them. It is our innate duty to serve them, as they have created us and give us countless blessings! It is not for us to judge gods, as we are not fit to do so. We shall serve for that is why we are here! God is not bound by anything nor are they below anyone! You speak of 'truth' and 'justice' as if they could exist without god, that they are somehow above them. What nonsense! What kind of deity would deign to debase themselves to be bound to the imperfect squiggles of idiots and fools that we are?!

*Cassandra shook her head sadly, wondering for a second what fate had fallen on Mei Yi to make her like this. She was never like this. But in her heart of hearts, she could guess the answer. Utopia must have had their way with them, in one way or another. A mortal mind, even one like Mei Yi's could not and would not stay intact or the same once in contact with god. The very moment that Mei Yi was contacted by Utopia would have been the end of her as Cassandra knew her. Her mind and spirit would not have survived the contact.*

"Alez, that's enough. There's no use talking to her." Cassandra said to Alez in a quiet yet firm manner. "We're not here to engage in theological debate."

That is correct. You are here to be judged, Cassandra. By me. You didn't just betray me though. You betrayed all the comrades you've ever had and all the people you knew and that have supported you over all your lives. And what do you have to show for it? Nothing. 'Justice', 'Right and Wrong', "Morality'. Mere words of mortal make with no power or existence in this world! You sold everyone you knew out...you sold ME out...for things that don't even exist?!

April 6, 2020

As she listened to Mei Yi speak against her, Alez started to put two and two together and recalled that this wasn't just some pocket dimension in her own world. She wasn't under Lady Caelisia's jurisdiction at all. She really had no clue how she was supposed to behave. Suddenly, she could feel an overwhelming sense of guilt... No, what did she have to be guilty for? She was acting in Caelisia's name... right? If not, then what was that sudden burst of confidence? Where had it gone...? The more she tried to justify herself, the weaker her powers seemed to grow. Before she knew it, she'd fallen back to her feet, her head tilted downward at the ground she was no standing on, no longer able to maintain her ethereal form in this confused state. Was this really another goddess she was dealing with? But that didn't make sense! Caelisia was the one and only, the all powerful! She loved all and protected all that she could... Alez had to ponder. Was she not sent here to protect...? The pit in her stomach now only grew as she realized she wasn't sent here by command but by her own decision against Caelisia's word. Could this be why...?

No love. No support. Alez was nothing here. When she heard Cassandra scold her, she could only feel her distress amplify. "Well what am I supposed to do? This place is obviously wrong! A-and we have to get out of here..." She winced as she spoke that last line. How was she going to get out? Was she going to waste away here? Her pendant wasn't working, after all. What, indeed, was she to do? Just stand there and watch as Cassandra was scolded like a child? She took a deep breath and assessed the situation. Clearly, this whole situation came to because this goddess wanted to punish Cassie. She could gather most of what was going on with the exception of the specifics, obviously. Was this place related to that horrible app that was creating demons in her world? It must be, right? That's what she came here to deal with. With an exhale, she looked up at Mei Yi. "Very well, I'll let it be for now, but I have reason to believe this place is related to demons being released into my homeworld and I've come here for answers!"

May 13, 2020

On 07/04/2020 at 04:19, Aura said:

As she listened to Mei Yi speak against her, Alez started to put two and two together and recalled that this wasn't just some pocket dimension in her own world. She wasn't under Lady Caelisia's jurisdiction at all. She really had no clue how she was supposed to behave. Suddenly, she could feel an overwhelming sense of guilt... No, what did she have to be guilty for? She was acting in Caelisia's name... right? If not, then what was that sudden burst of confidence? Where had it gone...? The more she tried to justify herself, the weaker her powers seemed to grow. Before she knew it, she'd fallen back to her feet, her head tilted downward at the ground she was no standing on, no longer able to maintain her ethereal form in this confused state. Was this really another goddess she was dealing with? But that didn't make sense! Caelisia was the one and only, the all powerful! She loved all and protected all that she could... Alez had to ponder. Was she not sent here to protect...? The pit in her stomach now only grew as she realized she wasn't sent here by command but by her own decision against Caelisia's word. Could this be why...?

No love. No support. Alez was nothing here. When she heard Cassandra scold her, she could only feel her distress amplify. "Well what am I supposed to do? This place is obviously wrong! A-and we have to get out of here..." She winced as she spoke that last line. How was she going to get out? Was she going to waste away here? Her pendant wasn't working, after all. What, indeed, was she to do? Just stand there and watch as Cassandra was scolded like a child? She took a deep breath and assessed the situation. Clearly, this whole situation came to because this goddess wanted to punish Cassie. She could gather most of what was going on with the exception of the specifics, obviously. Was this place related to that horrible app that was creating demons in her world? It must be, right? That's what she came here to deal with. With an exhale, she looked up at Mei Yi. "Very well, I'll let it be for now, but I have reason to believe this place is related to demons being released into my homeworld and I've come here for answers!"

*Cassandra could see that this whole situation was bothering Alez a lot, given that the girl had indeed lost 'her wings' and what Alez called her 'ethereal form'. Of course, to Cassandra herself, she looked 'normal' despite the wings and the aura. Given that 'normal' is at best a relative term in Cassandra's experience, it should not come as a suprise. Cassandra could see the girl physically shrink down and look like a lost child. This was a pitiful sight to see and Cassandra did wonder who in their right mind would allow for someone so inexperienced to take the field? Unless this was an unauthorized excursion out of their comfort zone or that Alez' superiors did not give a rats' ass if those they sent out did not come back, Cassandra was not happy about this. Not that she blamed Alez for this situation, it was not the girl's fault she wound up here. Cassandra looked at Alez as she seemed to be losing the confidence she had before and tried to approach her. Cassandra wasn't sure what she herself could do but she couldn't just let this girl just shrivel up and die like that, not when this one's life was just beginning. Cassandra felt an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness as she tried to show some sort of intimacy and gentleness to Alez, something she hardly shown anyone. Her left arm trembled sightly as she raised it to try and calm Alez down by rubbing her shoulder. The movement was awkward as anything, though given the link between Alez and Cassandra had been established, Alez would be able to sense a warmth in her actions that hopefully would do more than cancel out the awkwardness.*

"Alez...look at me." Cassandra asked Alez in an attempt to get Alez to focus on something else. When their eyes met, Cassandra has to force herself to make eye contact. Alez would hopefully be able to feel something of the struggle that was going on in Cassandra's mind at the moment. For her, looking at Alez was like looking into an old picture of herself and all that meant. Hopefully, Alez would be able to grasp the complex feelings of Cassandra...that she wanted to help and protect Alez and yet at the same time attempting not to blind her from what she knew to be the world as it is. "Alez, I'm a bit tough on you, aren't I? You said nothing wrong or disagreeable to me nor was anything wrong with what you said. I, too, wish for truth and justice and to do what's right. I'm sorry, I'm not making sense, am I? This is hard for me, I was not made to be an idol or someone to look up to..."

*Cassandra was trying her best to express what she was feeling but it wasn't exactly coming out the way she had planned it. Perhaps if Alez concentrated and focused on Cassandra, perhaps the link between their hearts would strengthen more and she would get a better idea of what was going through her head.*

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