forum The Black Emissary (Closed!)

Started July 05, 2019 by @Shuri-the-Floof-Doggo

tune

(Heck, I missed so much… okay, I'm here now.)
She was here, again. Panicking, waiting at the door, the note grasped tightly in her fist. Night emerged, the moon escaping from wispy clouds. And the light revealed no father. No father running home to apologize. No comfort. The girl burst into tears… and opened her dry eyes.
The nightmare hadn't been present for over two months. Cleo gasped, watching as shudders ricocheted over her paralyzed form. Finally, they subsided along with the cold sweat. She couldn't hear his voice anymore, she'd forgotten its tone, sound. But Cleo imagined he would want her to be happy, all the same. Her eyelids fluttered shut, lungs taking in long breaths of crisp air from the open window.

The angel, handsome features enveloped by the light of the moon, stood over her bed. He reached for her, gently.
"Cleo, are you alright?"

Startling, Cleo jolted upright. A lulling, soft voice that did not belong to a half-demon innocently asked, "I think so - unless I'm dead. Am I dead? Hi, angel." The girl tilted her head, analyzing his features. "How did I die?"

"You aren't dead." The angel replied, offering her a hand, and looking out the window.

"No no no, I must be dead," she assured him, like a teacher convincing a student. "That really is the only explanation." Cleo stared at his hand, before gently giving him a handshake. "Hello, I'm Cleo," she introduced, completely oblivious.

Fran turned to Scipio and then glanced down at his dog. "So you have a dog now?" He commented watching the happy pup shake his nubby tail.

Scipio nodded and set Ragno down so the dog could investigate Fran. "I've had him a little while, now."

"You're still alive, Cleo, now would you like to come with me or not? The fate of humanity may rest in your hands." Marduk explained

Fran crouched down and let the dog sniff his hand before petting him. "He's cute, I can see why you went through the trouble of hiding him." He laughed lightly and stood back up.

Scipio smiled a bit. "Found him abandoned in the woods. Couldn't just leave him there, so he's mine now." He scratched behind Ragno's ears.

"Where will we go? How do you know the fate?" Cleo inquired, still in a lofty, dreamlike voice. Her hands twitched subconsciously as she rose from the bed, revealing completely unblemished skin. Her blue eyes honed into the angel. "I believe you. I must be alive… there's something in me, urging me to follow you."

"I was informed by higher powers. Do you seek proof?" The angel asked, laconically as ever.

She fixed her eyes upon him. “Proof, what proof can you give me? I’ll go with you, regardless of your so-called proof.”

"You'll get it soon enough." The angel replied, opening the window.
"How would you like to get down? I can jump down and catch you as you do so, or I can bring you down with me."

A shiver consumed her body as she glanced downward. “I’ll jump,” she proclaimed, missing the thrill of physical fear. Cleo glanced at the angel, stating, “Your call.”

Marduk immediately,gripping the bottom of the windowsill, hurled himself out and to the ground, again landing flawlessly

Impressive. Without another second of hesitation, Cleo was free falling. Gracefully, too. There was a certain peace in risk, in fear. Knowledge that she couldn’t control the outcome, that it would all be fate. She was tired of control.

Marduk snagged her out of the air and put her down safely, seemingly defying physics, with a smils he walked over to the others.
"Let's get going." He replied.

"Ok, um, I've made it clear that I'm staying, right?" Cassie clarified. "Just - wanted to make sure, so this won't be awkward."

"You still don't really have a choice!" Scipio stood up, carrying Ragno again.

"I don't think one dude is going to be able to drag along all of us, and anyway, I'm just straight-up refusing. Didn't he ask Cleo if she wanted to go? Am I worth less than her? I don't think so. Therefore, I'm making the brilliant decision to NOT go to… wherever this idiot decides to go," she said, leaning against a tree and shaking her head.

"Hey, what else have you got? What do you honestly have to lose? You gotta take risks like this now and again, and if you die, you die." Scipio said softly.

Cassie scoffed. "If I die, it's going to be because I decide to do so, not because I'm murdered," she retorted. "And I've taken plenty of risks in my lifetime, but I'd prefer to take them in the mortal world."