A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Erik smiled at the twins as they seemed to make their intentions clear. "Hmm, yes! I think you and Kala would get along wonderfully!" he declared. "I'm amazed that you'd be willing to do so much for others. I'm sure that if you bring THAT to the table, the stubborn fools are sure to hear your case!" he insisted. "I'm afraid we've little resources to spare you other than information. Everyone's here on guard and I'm needed to strategize with Lian regarding the possible events in our future." Erik said sadly, as if he would have loved to help Prudence with rescuing some mermaids.

"I mean no offense, but you'll mostly be fighting a battle of humans versus humans. How will that bode well for you?" Inquired the dark elf, Yevon.

"We ain't no mere humans, dark elf!" announced the familiar voice of Seras, who was walking towards the group with a pair of young men on either side, both with their arms wrapped around her waist as she strode with swagger. "You're lookin' at the leader of the meanest cutthroat corsairs these waters have ever seen!" she declared. "Even those mamono types learn to respect my dark flag!" she boasted, though Yevon didn't seem too amused. However, she did seem to quickly give up on the idea of convincing Prudence to think about the reliability of her current aid.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

"Now now, don't think too highly of us. We are pirates, after all." "And I'm obviously less than a perfect saint. We do expect to be compensated once all this trouble has finally died down." "But there's no need to worry. We're pursuing a specific goal, and this chance to do some good agrees with both of our natures." "And I doubt it will cost Undine or any of her allies anything in the long run." At that both of the twins showed the exact same smile, and should anyone ask what that goal was they would simply grin and say it's a secret. No need to add to everyone else's worries. Not unless there was good reason for it.

Though Yevon's curiosity was rather startling in the regards of pitting human against human Seras's appearance was even more so. The woman simply strode into view with a man at each side. Gods be damned, it was eerie how similar Seras and Katerina were. Hell, just stick a pair of wings on Seras and add in a dash of red and they would look exactly the same. Maybe that was why the twins felt a little more at ease once they'd been found.

The answer that followed the woman's arrival needed no further explanation, apparently, but that did nothing to satisfy etiquette. "Miss Seras, I'm glad to see you adjusting so well!" "Ladies... gentleman... I'd like to introduce my first mate, Seras." "Truth be told, she's been the acting captain for quite some time. We were only a recent addition to the crew, but she felt we would serve admirably as captain, and we trust her judgment." The pair had flourished their arms during that introduction, and once that was done the turned and started doing the same for the others. "Seras, I'd like to introduce you to Erik. He's been acting as Undine's liaison while she's been indisposed. The woman in the armor is his sister, Lady Alexis, and she's been guarding us this entire time." That was obviously a bit of a flub, both sides of Prudence were fairly sure she was attached to her brother like a bad habit, but there was no need to point that out. "The dark elf is Lady Yevon, and though she hasn't said much of anything while we've talked the rather exuberant slime is Pirupi, yes?" That last was asked of the jellyfish, and once all the introductions were all in order the halves turned back toward the new arrival. "We've been discussing how best to use our resources, and a raid to free the captured mermaids seems out best option so far. Would you agree?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Erik would indeed inquire about their nature and goals, but when met with their declaration that it was a secret, he raised a curious brow. "... I guess we all have secrets... But I hope it isn't a bad one." was all he had to say about that. "I also can't promise you any compensation. You'll have to take it up with someone who actually has resources to give." he chuckled. Of course he meant Undine herself. It did not appear that Erik wore more than his clothes that fit the scenery of shining water.

After some introductions, even though Prudence didn't voice it, it seemed Seras had far less manners. "Guarding you?" she inquired, noting the immediate distance between Alexis and everyone else besides Erik. "She looks to be sticking to Erik like a bad habit." she commented, voicing what Prudence was thinking and earning a silent look of scorn from the silver haired knight. "Hey!" Seras blinked at Yevon. "That's you, Yevon!? The hell, girl, you've changed! Nice new hair!" she complimented the dark elf, apparently having a history with her.

Yevon smiled and brushed her hair with one hand in a single, graceful motion. "Yes, it is a sign that I've given up the trade." she replied.

Seras gasped. "Yer pullin' my tit!" she gestured impolitely, implying Yevon is joking.

But Yevon shook her head. "I claimed my last slave a while long while ago, and left the tribe. You shall forever remain to be my favorite customer." she said with a smile, openly speaking of underground trade, while only earning glances from other mamono. Surprised, but not shocked. As if that was something people there just expected to happen.

"Someone had to give you a job!" Seras laughed.

"And I lost it when you became only interested in but one man." Yevon spoke of Alvin. "Became a mercenary."

"How's that workin' out for ya?" she asked.

Yevon shrugged, "It's actually quite nice. I'm working for Undine as well as a slime named Kala. Some bonuses to working for her, she's apparently into group sex." Yevon said, smiling as she made an implying glance at Erik.

"Okay... Back on track." Erik broke up their conversation, though they looked satisfied to let it end there.

"I'd much rather a straightforward approach." Seras replied to Prudence in regards to rescuing the mermaids. "We sail in, storm the place, free the mermaids, and take all the booty and men that we can carry!" she declared.

Erik blinked, and looked ready to speak before Yevon seemed to already know what he was going to say. "They're pirates." she explained. Such seemed to satisfy, as he closed his mouth.

And then, Pirupi made late introductions after all the talking was done. "Pirupi is Pirupi!" she declared, and then various other slimes popped up out of the water below and began speaking in chorus.

"Pirupi is Pirupi! Pirupi is Pirupi! Pirupi is Pirupi!"
"Pirupi is Pirupi! Pirupi is Pirupi! Pirupi is Pirupi!"
"Pirupi is Pirupi! Pirupi is Pirupi! Pirupi is Pirupi!"

There were a lot of sea slimes named Pirupi. There were also sea slimes that did not speak in chorus. Their names were not Pirupi.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Ah, Seras. So much like Kat. So much so that the woman managed to bring a voice to the very words that were echoing across both of Prudence's twin minds. And it felt so right to see the self-righteous bitch with the brother complex being exposed so easily by someone who'd never seen her before. Which probed to be a bit of a problem. Prudence could feel herself preparing to snicker, and she fought it with every ounce of will power she could muster. Though there was something rather off-putting about Alexis the twins had absolutely no reason to estrange her after only meeting her. Even with her problems she could prove rather useful. And she definitely didn't want to estrange Erik. He was a sweetheart.

Who was also part demon.

Who was also betrothed to a mamono.

And a slime at that. This Kala must be something special.

And... Oh ho! The twins couldn't suppress the smile that sprang up between them once Yevon mentioned Kala's willingness for more... 'social' recreation. Perhaps that was something Prudence herself would get to see...

When talk shifted toward strategy the more human of the sisters didn't seem to hold quite the enthusiasm for Seras's straight-forward crash-smash-and-grab approach. That wasn't to say it didn't have its merits. They would be highly visible, and the kidnapped mermaids would see firsthand that there were humans they could count on, but the whole loot aspect might make it look like the mermaids themselves were a secondary concern. But then again they were pirates. Looting was expected... "Let's wait until we have at least a vague picture of what we'll be facing, first..." And of course there was no real way to know who or what held their target. If it was nothing more than an expanded fishing community then the hammer approach would be just fine. If it was an Order stronghold reinforced with Magi technology then they'd need to be a little more subtle.

But before they could bring up that point Pirupi chose to speak up. She introduced herself, and that was quickly joined by a chorus of nearly identical voices all spouting the same thought. "Pirupi is Pirupi!" It was... Well it was a bit of a shock to see all the sea slimes acting as one. Or most of them, anyway. One or two in the group didn't seem to share that same name, but they were few and far between. It had the twins wondering whether the sea slimes were all identical. Or maybe they shared a hive mind. Or maybe they all really like that name? Either way the two were flabbergasted, and all they could manage was a somewhat weak wave accompanied by a somewhat hesitant "Hi...?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

"Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!"
"Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!"
"Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!"

The whole army of sea slimes greeted Prudence in unison. It seemed that they were identical more than a hive mind. The Puripi sea slimes didn't seem too highly intelligent, as often enough you would see one run into the other as they all swam around together in the water. As well, the one Pirupi before them seemed separated from the rest, acting on her own.

"If it's the usual fair," Seras spoke on without paying the chorus of Pirupi too much mind. "Then what we can expect is a port holding all the mermaids in cages with some cannons and Order guards. I've raided such a town before, so I've got plenty of experience on the matter. Don't you worry either of your twin heads none!" Seras assured the twin Prudences. "Those Order boys are nice and fresh too. Most of them hardly know the touch of a woman." Seras chuckled, licking her lips lewdly. "If only I could wear the cherry of every man I've stolen on me belt. Shame I can't remember half of them, but I'm sure they remember me! Some even devote their lives to the sea just to take vengeance on me! Keeps my life interesting, ya know."

Erik seemed to slowly understand how dangerous of a person Seras was as he backed away a little, while Yevon seemed amused, as such a life wasn't alien to her either.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

While the question of the sea slimes was answered Prudence soon had another thought springing to her mind. It happened the instant she noticed the slimes bouncing against each other. The small bump caught both of the individual mamono off guard, but after a momentary bout of surprise they simply descended back into that playful, almost blissfully unaware smile they all wore before careening off to do whatever it was they did. A couple even chose to cling together for a second before they decided to splash off elsewhere to play, and as she watched the two jellies laughing that's when it finally struck.

That... That has got to be the cutest damned thing I've ever seen...

It actually left the twins grinning their own stupid grin, and at any one time one of them seemed to be watching the sea slimes play.

But that didn't mean they simply ignored what was going on. Seras gave the general layout of the other port towns she raided in the past, and if that was how their current objective was set up then it really didn't sound like that much of a threat. The twin souls found themselves agreeing with their first officer. This wouldn't be a problem at all.

But Seras's boasting didn't stop there. The mention of the Order boys had her crooning about her own conquests, and though it wasn't as detailed as any of Kat's stories she still managed to get her point across. She was a scourge of the Island's seas, probably the sexiest scourge the Island has ever known, and many a soul has fallen beneath her heal. And it seemed a number of them had developed a taste for her, or at least enough to comb the seas and seek their vengeance.

That last bit finally managed to capture Erik's... Respect? Fear? Awe? A combination of all three? Whatever it was it forced him to show some concern as he took a step or two away from the wily pirate, and this caused the twins to let out a small titter at his expense. "Now now, Sir Erik, you have nothing to fear. We are allies, are we not?" At that the demon leaned in a little closer, and if she were given the chance she'd hover close enough to his ear to give him a rather sultry whisper. "At least for now..." Should he turn to stare at her Pru would simply step back next to her sister with a slightly wicked grin on her face, and unless he returned that small tease she did nothing further.

"Very well, then, we'll continue forward on Seras's strategy. We should be ready to depart at any time. But my crew is still enjoying themselves, and I'd like to give them some more time to relax and unwind before jumping right into a raid." And there were still a couple questions bothering Prudence. What were those demons doing up on the roof? Their presence couldn't be anything good. And probably of much more importance than even she realized, what was Alvin doing? Pru hadn't seen hide not hair of him since they landed. Was he out stealing even more hearts to add to his little collection? And would he return? He was still technically a prisoner on their ship. If he just decided to up and leave for elsewhere then that would just be rude.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Erik did blush at the demonic Pru's advance, but she didn't have much chance to tease before Yevon and Alexia had their hands on the demon's shoulders, pushing her back with slight warning. "His significant other is okay with the idea, but only when she's around." Yevon instructed the demon to keep her space until Kala gave the go-ahead to have her fun.

"You should also keep your hands off of him in general." advised Alexis, the armored woman seeming to dislike Prudence even more after that bit of flirting.

"Ahem..." Erik cleared his throat. "Anything you could do to solve the issue would be grand. If everyone together and ready to work as a team when Kala arrives, all the better. She's already on an important mission, so seeing us in this state when she returns will no doubt be very draining. I'd hate to rely on you so... But it would seem you've got your payment in mind. Just try not to make it 'too' unreasonable? Please?" Erik said with a weary tone. He was looking for mercy most of all, given that he had Alexis in his company, who's attitude was seemingly a burden to him.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

That teasing little grin was turned into a look of shock and dismay once Pru was pushed back, and as she was settled and rebuffed she looked genuinely hurt. "I'm not even allowed to flirt? Lady Yevon, you wound me..." A bit of playfulness did creep into the demon's voice, but the truth behind her words was plain for everyone to hear.

But that also led to a bit of misunderstanding, one which Erik voiced when he made his plea for mercy. "Now now, Sir Erik, we've already said that our payment won't cost Undine or her allies anything, and we meant it. That means I won't ask anything of you or anyone else here." A pause was given to let that sink in before she continued. "I won't deny that I have certain needs. You've already guessed that much... But I'm unlike any other succubus you may have met. Where others would take I prefer consent." At that the demoness relaxed, but even though she had been pushed back by Erik's guards she still found a way to pose and show off the curves that lay hidden by her dress. "I may tease and flirt, maybe even let my aura excite whoever has caught my fancy, but if that person says 'No' then I'll simply move on. I'm not the kind of girl to force myself on anyone else, and there are plenty of souls on Gaea. Be they male..." A direct look was given to Erik, but when it suddenly shifted to Alexis is would probably take the woman by surprise. "...female..." That look would shift again, and when it found Yevon a quick grin would be thrown in. "...or mamono. I am simply a demon of desire, and I am always at your service." At that Pru bent herself down into a curtsey, and as she did her wings followed suit until they were extended and practically laying on the ground. That pose was held for a couple of seconds, and when she rose she wore a smile and waited for everyone's reply.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Yevon waved one hand at Prudence. "I'm but a hired hand. Know that if I ever wound you, it's out of profit, not hatred." she said with a smirk.

Erik simply stood and listened with an almost stoic expression as Prudence explained herself. Alexis, when looked at, was indeed shocked, but quickly showed Prudence a hostile glare. Yevon didn't seem to show too much reaction one way or another. Flirtation and sexual words seeming to do little more than amuse her. Clearing his throat, Erik was the next to speak after Prudence's display. "Regardless... It'll be helpful one way or another to have you and this... Famous pirate around to assist. Whenever my significant other returns, you two can have a talk together about payments and the like. As it is, everyone looks to her more as a secondary leader of sorts, next to Undine, and will support her decision more than a man's choice. Trust me, you will be paid." Erik assured her with a business-like tone.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Though Pru's smile still remained it started to falter a bit at Erik's reply. The rather flat and unfeeling delivery he gave told her absolutely nothing about his own intentions, and if he intended to compensate her then she wanted to know how he felt. Because right now it only looked like a business obligation, and if that was how he would approach her then this entire thing would just be... bland...

But the demon would most likely accept it all the same, and with a nod of the head her attention shifted back to wherever the hell they were heading. She had offered to buy them all lunch, and if there were any cafe nearby she would swing around and head right for it. Hopefully it wouldn't take long to get some food, and once they were all seated and relaxing both twins would try as best as they could do simply forget about the bindings that kept them in check. At that point there didn't seem like much else to do, so Prudence would spend her time enjoying her small meal and keeping an eye out for anything interesting. Alvin had to be wandering around here somewhere, and hopefully Kat had been interested enough in the demons waiting atop the temple to check on them. Pru herself was becoming increasingly curious about them, and hopefully a messenger would arrive and offer a bit of enlightenment. Otherwise there wouldn't be much else to do but wait for this Kala slime to appear.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Moving on, Erik seemed to find Prudence's offer to go out and eat interesting to say the least. "Ah... Right, I'm sure you have questions." Erik said with an understanding attitude, before letting Prudence pick out a suitable location for their large group to sit together and talk. It was a bar called "Waves of Relief." and seemed to have a light air about it, as if it was a very casual place to dine in. It was also seemingly one of the only larger locations on the scarcely placed island pillars of stone, with enough space to house more then a couple dozen occupants unlike the rest.

So off they went, and into this cafe they entered. They had a large enough table available to all of their guests. The human and her demon twin, Erik, Yevon, Pirupi, and Alexis. Seras and her two hot young boys went off to enjoy themselves elsewhere until Prudence was ready to set out to do the job they were offered. Sitting down and getting used to the atmosphere, Alexis quickly took a seat next to Erik, and cast an evil eye at Prudence if one of her two halves sat next to him on the other side.

(Mood Music -

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With that, a waitress came by to prepare everyone's order. Erik ordered a simple plate of fried shrimp with cocktail sauce. Yevon ordered some fried calamari with a sadistic grin, and Erik seemed to know where her sadism was coming from as he cast the dark elf a nervous glance.

"May I share your cocktail sauce, Erik?" Yevon inquired.

"Uh, sure." Erik agreed, much to Yevon's amusement.

"So, you welcome my indirect kiss~" Yevon cooed, breaking the rule she stated herself about flirting. Erik didn't seem to welcome it.

"Get your own sauce." he replied flatly.

Pirupi ordered smoked trout, and Alexis ordered exactly what Erik ordered. With the food on the way, Erik looked to Prudence. "So, Kala will be a while yet, it seems. You should have enough time to go and take care of that task and be back to discuss how you'll be paid." Erik explained. "Since we're here..." Erik looked ready to continue, before a familiar red haired demon strolled in.

"Got room for another?" Kat inquired, before joining them at the table, and ordering herself some shark meat. "Hey, Pru." she said with a wide grin. She had her red hair, and green eyes, but all her demonic features were gone, and she was lacking a collar, which she seemed rather proud about.

Erik blinked at the sudden appearance. Kat offered the white haired half-demon man a wink, before he shook his head. "Since we're here... Go ahead and ask your questions. I'll do my best to answer you." He announced seriously, the expression on his face seeming like he was ready to answer the most dire of questions Prudence might wish to throw at him.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Erik was right. There were a number of questions hovering between the twins, but... they probably weren't what he was expecting...

Question 1: Where do we sit?
It was a valid question. It appeared the man wanted to speak with them, and sitting near would be best for it. Ah, but Alexis already stole one side... And that death glare of hers was waiting for whosoever chose to take the other... But if they couldn't sandwich him then so be it. The seats across were available, and it would make conversation just that much easier without needing to look back and forth.

Question 2: What do we order?
Obviously anything they chose would be a product of the sea. It simply fit the atmosphere that ebbed through Undine's realm. But what? There were so many options, and though they were hungry they weren't terribly so... But the order of fried shrimp caught their attention, and after looking through the menu a bit they found a more foreign delight that would have been easily missed. "Takoyaki, please. Large." "We'll be sharing a single order." Small, bite size, they would make for the perfect snack of a meal, easily shared between themselves and maybe a couple other people...

Question 3: Is Yevon abusing her position?
Of course. She was a Dark Elf. They were notorious for being rather dominating little minxes. Abuse of power simply came with the territory.

Question 4: Oh you cheeky little demon! <3
True, that wasn't exactly a question, but the two Prus couldn't help but give Kat their own grin once the demon made herself known. They never expected to see her walking around so freely, and in human guise no less, but then again this was so like her. Her demonic presence was completely hidden, and it allowed her to walk around freely without any of those damned collars keeping her heeled. Hell, she could be living dangerously simply because she was running around right under everyone's noses, but then that's what made her the Wild Card. She needed something to spice up her life, and risking her life simply to pull one over on everyone else must have been exactly what she needed.

"Of course!" The twins answered as one, there voices oddly merging as it usually did when they spoke with the same thought, but that could be counted as twins simply being twins. "Erik, I'd like to introduce Kat. Kat, this is Erik, Undine's liaison for the time being." The girls made no mention of what Kat truly was. They didn't even concoct a story for the woman. She must have had her own circulating around already, and they didn't want to end up contradicting whatever she may have said earlier. And they were interested in what she would say. Just how much of her true past would she reveal? For as long as Kat has existed there had to be some legend of the demon known as the Wild Card, and with an audience like this she had to start boasting eventually...

But...

Question 5
Erik told them they could most likely accomplish their little rescue mission/raid before Kala returned, but in the meantime they were free to ask him anything their hearts desired. So they considered it. "Well, there's not much more we can ask about our mission. We'll need to run some reconnaissance of our own." "And anything involving you and me directly is best left discussed in private~" "But there is something I've been wondering about. You said you and Alexis both were former Magi? They're not known for being the most receptive of groups when it comes to mamono. So what brought you both here? What has you siding with one of the Elemental Spirits as she struggles against just about everyone else?" Alexis was probably simple enough. She was just chasing her brother. But what brought him over specifically? It had to involve his betrothed, but how could a man who followed Magi doctrine suddenly accept a slime of all things as his future wife?

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

(I'm going on the observation that the questions listed were merely things Prudence thought about, rather than asked, mostly because I highly doubt Prudence would call the disguised Kat a demon at this point )

Erik leaned back in his chair as the demonic Pru made her addition to the conversation. He seemed a bit surprised that he was being given so many successive flirtations; however, it also seemed to make him more immune as he didn't react to her flirting beyond just the surprise of being flirted with just after Yevon did. Despite his reaction to that, he still listened to everything else, nodding to her observations. "Well... You're kinda right, and kinda wrong. You see, the Magi still uphold the idea of the differences between humanity and mamono being too great to consider one another as equals. The difference between the Magi and others is that we actually do involve some mamono into our lives. We've even managed to trade with a dragon to get her scales. We didn't think it possible, but apparently she can grow them back." Erik shrugged. "Granted, the price she asked for was steep, and her attitude towards the negotiators only reinforced the idea of a necessary border between our kind. I highly doubt a dragon of all things would want to side with the idea of peace and coexistence anyway, along with many others. So according to the arguments on the human side who've tried to make peace, it's the mamono who don't want it. It's a vicious cycle, if you think about it. Mamono want peace, but they need to steal off with human men just in order to continue to thrive by the means of children. Then, the humans think that the mamono don't want peace because of the measures they take. I think that neither side truly wants to fight, but both find it difficult to take the first step, due to a lot of reasons... Among those being the war mongering mamono, and the war mongering leaders of the Order Church. Too many want war for peace to be made so easily."

"Which brings up another issue. Despite being rather bloodthirsty, the angels are actually a barrier of sorts protecting mankind from mamono who wish to invade. With the impending attack on this temple suspected to come, I feel that even if we win, our victory will hurt the angel's ability to protect the kingdom of man. This will allow the scales to tip far in the favor of many other factions, allowing them to grow and rise in power. Me and Lian, another strategist I speak with, suspect that a victory against the angels is likely to follow a war against forces even stronger than the angels. Whether or not we should even fight this battle is an important question, but we cannot flee due to certain circumstances... So we're left only with the option of somehow preventing the battle entirely... As far as that goes, we've drawn no conclusions. It just seems impossible if the angels want it bad enough." Erik sighed with a bit of a defeated tone. It seemed he was at a loss as to how he might plan out a solution to the situation.

Purpi's food came first, which the slime took, and swallowed whole. The smoked trout then just floated in the middle of her body as she spoke. "Pirupi thinks that not all angels are bad! We should talk to the good angels!" Pirupi voiced her opinion.

Yevon chuckled, rubbing Pirupi's head. "Even if a 'good' angel existed, I doubt her attitude would earn her much respect up there in those clouds. If we resort to that, then we'd make it obvious to them that we're clutching at straws in order to avoid this battle."

Erik sighed as he slouched back in his chair. His defeated aura intensifying as the conversation continued towards suggesting that only bad things were ahead. He decided to focus on a different topic. "Kala, the slime woman I am to wed, is also an ex-Magi like myself." Erik said, though his sister seemed quick to interject. "That wedding will not happen." she stated firmly. Erik seemed to ignore her statement entirely, though he did grimace a bit. "She was someone I came to respect. Kala was an expert at thinking on the fly and gaining many friends. She was a beautiful, and influential person. When she was scanned and found to contain a shard of fate, no one was shocked. She was like our second leader, next to Cleska. But she and Cleska didn't get along at all. Cleska was cruel and strict, while Kala was more kind. They disagreed on everything. As I came to love Kala, she was on her way to a mission given to her indirectly by Cleska herself. I confessed to her my feelings, and she rejected me, telling me that she already had feelings for another, the head strategist of the Magi, Lian. It's a bit weird being friends with him again..." he chuckled. "Anyway... I was naturally heartbroken... Then not long after, I heard news that Kala had died. Cleska had apparently set the stage for her demise. Kala was apparently eaten by a slime monster, and became a mamono. When I learned that there was a chance she could still be alive, I searched for her like crazy. Eventually, the Magi scanners picked up a trace similar to Kala's soul. It was obvious then that she was not the same as she used to be..."

Erik looked a little sad as he continued. "I boarded a Magi Golem, and went down into the water to fight Kala. She didn't remember who I was at first, so I was convinced that the real Kala was long gone. I wanted to set her spirit free, but Kala defeated my golem. I thought I was going to suffocate... But then Kala saved me and brought me up to fresh air. After a time, she seemed to slowly remember me... But in a weird way. I went with it... And kinda lied. I convinced her that she loved me when she was human, and she seemed to believe me. She remembered rejecting me, but she simply thought it had something to do with her duty... In truth, I was guilty because Kala made me promise when she was human, that if something were to happen to her, I'd help her remember who she truly loved. That would be Lian..." Erik went quiet for a moment, as if still guilty about it. "So, that's about what did it. I'm here because I was chasing after Kala."

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

For a few moments Pru simply remained silent. She held her tongue when it came to the Magi's 'incorporation' of mamono into their society, and her own prejudices left her reluctant to accept how Heaven worked to preserve humanity against the more dangerous and martial mamono that probably would subjugate and crush any humans they came across. But this inevitable battle Erik spoke of caught the twins' attention. Apparently nearly everyone believed that the angels would eventually attack Undine and her assorted forces. And if the allied forces managed to emerge victorious then something even worse could rise to pick apart the survivors. That meant the temple was under watch, and that had Pru thinking of the demons that sat on the roof. Could they be scouts waiting to see who would win in this struggle between mamono and angels? Or were they simply acting as jackals, waiting for their chance to swoop in and carry a few people away once those poor souls were exhausted? Well Kat was right there. All Pru had to do was ask. But that may reveal the truth about her lover... Then again maybe not. Pru never really did say anything about Kat being a demon, so an open question wouldn't be too much of a threat.

But that could wait for the moment. Following Erik's explanation of the Magi and the angels and how everything seemed ready to simply explode in an orgy of violence the man chose to speak about his betrothed. The fact that Kala was herself an ex-Magi was a surprise, and it wouldn't take much to figure out how she was turned into a slime, but the circumstances surrounding it were quite interesting. Kala was found to contain a shard of Fate, and with all of her influence and ability she had garnered quite a following. And Cleska wasn't going to have any of that. That woman proved just as devious as any demon, and she arranged Kala's demise. But the Chosen usually aren't defeated so easily, and by some twist the slime woman regained her identity. The fact that Kala retained her identity left the whole affair sounding eerily similar to Prudence's rebirth as a demon, and this left her desire to meet this woman all the stronger.

But what followed appeared to hurt Erik as he went into detail over how he came to stand at Kala's side. In a sense he betrayed her, or at least the woman she used to be before her transformation, and that led to the betrayal of the love Kala felt for another. It seemed to cause Erik no small amount of grief, and Prudence simply watched him as he wallowed in his own guilt. "Erik." The human spoke up to gather his attention, and she looked quite serious as she continued. "You still count Lian as a friend, correct? And Kala is still to be your bride? Then I can only assume that both realize what has already passed. So I want to know, why do you still feel all this guilt? I'm not saying that you should feel nothing, but if you're still engaged then Kala and that piece of Fate she holds have chosen you. You should simply accept it. Human existence is far too fleeting to worry about the past so deeply."

At this point the human Prudence was focused on Erik, and he and his partly was most likely focused on her. This left the demonic Pru a chance to slide a little closer to Kat and whisper in her ear. "Did you learn anything about these demons up top?" Even if Erik seemed unwilling to dwell on the impending battle a part of Prudence still wanted to know how everything fit together.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Erik's red eyes looked to Prudence as she called out his name. He blinked as she began speaking, his full attention on her. He focused on her words, letting her meaning reach him. His fingers drummed along the table, his eyes diverted for a moment after she finished speaking, and only silence followed. It seemed he was searching for a way to respond, but was trying to find the right words to do so. With a sigh, he looked back to her, seeming semi-confident in his response. "It was the reason why I did it that I'm guilty for. Being forgiven by Kala and Lian is all well and good, but I cannot forgive myself personally. I didn't do it with any good intentions, I simply... Wanted Kala all to myself." Erik said truthfully. "I normally wouldn't have broken a promise like that, nor lied as I did. Because of the reason I had for it, I still hold myself guilty with myself as the judge and jury." Erik stated, a concept concerning law that was quite limited mostly to humans, though in some more civilized mamono settlements within Zippangu and Pandemonium, they also practice similar forms of law.

Then, while Erik and the human Prudence spoke, the demonic Pru whispered to Kat, who shrugged in turn to her inquiry. "I didn't learn much. Though the demons up top are rather angry. Apparently some have lived here for a while and are upset that they were kicked out because one demon apparently made a human cause a little terror." Katerina said. "They all seemed like low class demons that are hiding out among another population because they'd get eaten alive where we come from. The only possibility I can see of a lower class demon actually working with a more powerful demon is if they're paid off in some form, which wouldn't be too hard. Offer a little energy to a starving little demon and she'll rape her own father for it." Katerina said with a chuckle towards the nature of a desperate demon. "Girls like us with power and the means don't have to worry about that. Sucks to be them. Hehehe~"

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Erik took some time to gather his thoughts. Now it was Prudence's turn, only she crossed her fingers over themselves and rested her chin within her hands. Not once did she turn from the man, and once she felt ready she brought her hands back down to the table. "I can understand that. 'Sometimes a man is his own harshest judge.' But you still shouldn't linger on it. It will become a wound on your relationship if you let it, and that wound can fester. You'll end up poisoning your marriage over your own guilt. Besides... I doubt things would have been all that different even if you'd kept your mouth shut. Kala may be the same person she was, but she has changed. Otherwise she would have simply gone back to Lian all on her own instead of choosing you." And now she wished she really had a drink. It would help drive that last point in as obvious fact if she simply started nonchalantly sipping from some glass. But alas, all the best laid plans of mice and mamono...

Meanwhile Pru was considering the fact of the demons quietly fuming over being kicked out of their own home. "Hm... I wouldn't mind speaking to them... If it weren't for this damned bounty on my head. *sigh* I could have probably put them to use..." It was the truth. The she may have never suffered all that greatly thanks to her very nature as a twin-soul Pru remembered just how painful starving yourself for too long could be. The services of the demons at Undine's Temple could have been purchased at quite a bargain, and having extra eyes and ears simply lying in wait would be perfect considering just who was trying to capture her. But those same starving souls would probably cut off their own arms for a chance to cash in on Jezebel's prize. Dammit all, how bothersome can that bitch possibly be?

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

"You're absolutely right. I just need to let it be past me... Eventually." Erik said, acknowledging Prudence's words and announcing his intent to overcome his guilt for the sake of his future slime wife. With that, Erik looked content to mull over his thoughts. His sister, Alexis, looked rather bitter that the conversation had lasted so long in regards to Kala, the slime of such apparent fame around Undine's Temple; however, she seemed more concerned about Prudence herself, as if viewing her as some other woman trying to get near Erik. Yevon in the meanwhile, always gave Prudence a rather fond smile whenever the dark elf looked at her, though it was not a sincere smile born from pure kindness. It seemed impossible for the brown skinned elf to ever not show a little sadism no matter what expression she adopted. Her smile seemed like how a girl might look at an interesting doll sitting in a shelf, her devious mind pondering how much fun the doll would be if she invited to her party. Indeed, Yevon's smile was a playful one. Then there was Pirupi. She always seemed to have a smile, with something eerie about it all if she looked closely. The sea slime was completely see-through, almost like a ghost of the ocean. Her mannerisms and expressions looked blissfully blank and blissful. She smiled, but unlike Yevon, there didn't seem to be any reason behind it. It was just pointless smiling, or perhaps smiling for the sake of it, or perhaps smiling because being so blissfully absent minded was a fantastic way to be. It wasn't easy to tell what the sea slime was thinking at a glance. Maybe she wasn't thinking of anything at all?

Then, of all things, Pirupi began giggling at Prudence. "Hehehe... Hehe!" she giggled while her food visibly floated in her center. Hearing this, Erik looked at Pirupi, most curious at her sudden giggling and lack of good reason for it to his knowledge. "What is it, Pirupi?" He inquired, as if wanting to not be in the dark as to what amused her. However, Pirupi took her fresh water cup, and poured it over her head, making her body moist, far less water spilling onto the floor as one might expect from such a gesture. "Her clothes are funny to me!" She replied. Then seemed to find that fitting of an answer as she seemed to drop the subject entirely, leaving Erik looking at her with confusion. "I guess Miss Prudence is wearing... Well, more clothes than most mamono would wear... But I'm not sure how that's funny." Erik said, a bit lost. "It's funny to me!" Pirupi repeated with cheer. Erik gave a silent look of apology to Prudence for Pirupi's verbal abuse of her choice of decent clothing.

Meanwhile, Kat continued their secret conversation. "Technically, I should have returned with your soul a while ago. Either I'm assumed to be dead, or there's a price on me as well. I don't care though, let any demon come and try and take me. I'll end them faster than I can down this whole glass of ale." Kat boasted, before taking her recently filled mug and tipping her head back, guzzling it down to the last drop before slamming it back down on the table, giving everyone a start as she exclaimed, "FUCK YEAH!" within the bar. A timid mermaid waitress came over and requested Kat not make such a ruckus, as people come here to rest quietly. "Yeah, my bad." Kat agreed with a roll of her eyes, usually not one with an objective of making friends.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Prudence was perfectly content to let the man muse over their little conversation, so that left the woman simply letting her gaze wander over everyone assembled. The first and far easiest to notice was the ever-present Alexis since she was protectively hovering over her brother, and she did not look pleased. A part of it had to be the conversation that ran straight in the face of her declaration that Kala and Erik would never wed, but the look she was giving the human twin was a little more jealous than that. Prudence had a very strong sense that Alexis saw her as yet another rival vying for Erik's affection, and though the hybrid souls wouldn't mind a little one-on-one-on-one time with him, especially given that he was a hybrid just as they were, neither had any intention of actually keeping him. They already had enough man problems with Alvin. No need to throw an already marked half-demon and the throng of women that pursued him into the mix...

So how did she signal that to Alexis? There didn't seem to be any real look she could offer, so Prudence simply chose to casually look elsewhere and leave those two to do whatever they wished. That brought her to Yevon and her casual smiles, and the more Prudence caught them the more she didn't quite like the sadism behind them. Granted she'd seen that plenty of times from any number of her sisters back when she still lived in Hell, and there were plenty of ways to be sadistic without being abusive, but those dark elves had a reputation for getting a little too overexcited... That wouldn't stop her from offering a small smile back, but she hoped Yevon would notice the unwillingness to delve into the rather darker side of dark elf relations.

That brought Prudence's wandering eye over to Pirupi, and just as always the sea slime seemed utterly serene and content. The girl always had a smile to share, and though she appeared to be vacuously blank Prudence wasn't all that surprised. It was a common trait among the more prominent slime species, their limited minds able to find bliss and amusement in some of the most mundane of things, and Pirupi proved this a moment later by openly giggling in the twins' general direction. That little surprise caught more than Prudence off guard, and before she could ask Erik's curiosity had him wondering just what was so amusing. The answer caught Prudence by surprise, and she gave herself a looking over before turning back to Pirupi with a smile on her face. "Is it the squiggles?" By that she meant the self-inflicted sealing tattoos, and she had to admit that they did look a bit ridiculous as if someone did paint them on, but that probably wasn't it. But while she waited for an answer a rather silly thought came to mind, and as odd as it was she figured Pirupi might actually enjoy it all the same. "You know, Pirupi, I bet you'd look really cute in something like this. Maybe in something a little more frilly..." It would probably be weird to see the self-styled fashion queen critically looking over the adorable little slime, but she did anyway and even motioned the girl closer. "You can change your shape a little bit, right? If I made a few changes could you hold them in place?" It was an odd request and an odd choice to do, but Prudence was starting to get a little bored waiting for her food to arrive. This would help pass the time, and it would help take her mind off of the seal placed on her. She just had to hope Pirupi could actually manage it.

Meanwhile Pru was quietly smiling as Kat started to get into a rather raucous mood, and as she boasted she couldn't help but answer. "My my, that's a rather bold thing for a little human like yourself to say~" Of course she was being rather playful with that, and when Kat decided to demonstrate just how quickly she would dispatch whatever fool was stupid enough to face her the demonic twin could only grin and smirk as that mug slammed the table. The sudden ruckus and the yell that followed was just too Kat, and while the demon was admonished by the timid mermaid for causing such a racket she let out a little snicker. "I bet you can't wait for someone to try. And I bet you can't wait to laugh in Jezebel's face and say you managed to keep me all to yourself, hm?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Pirupi perked up as she was addressed by Prudence. She had a cat's grin, quite literally, while one of her tendrils lifted up and danced back and forth while her slimy eyes looked right at the human twin. "You want Pirupi to dress up like you? Kala might like it, so okay!" Pirupi agreed, on the note that she would earn more favor from the famous slime everyone mentioned. In the meanwhile, the food arrived for everyone else, specially prepared for everyone that wasn't a see-through slime that could consume anything without worry for sickness. Everyone began to dig in, causing a bit more silent from everyone at the table, mind Pirupi, who already ate her share. "Kala wants to have sex with other girls without turning them into slimes! Do you know anything, Prudee?" Pirupi cooed with cheer, eager to understand the demon's knowledge. The obvious answer would be similar to a demon's consumption of energy. It all came down to control over one's body and soul, but that would get in the way of enjoyment. Another method was something written in a book called 'sealing'. The contents of said book told the tale of a succubus and a human girl who came to be partners, then friends, then 'very good' friends, but were worried about the human of the duo becoming corrupted, and ruining their business relationship. So, the demon developed a weaving technique called sealing.

The purpose of sealing was to obviously prevent the ill effects of demon on human female intimacy. The method involved wrapping oneself completely in their threads so as to prevent the natural predatory threads of corruption from escaping from the demon's body. So effectively, it was like a condom, but for the entire body, and with no loss of pleasure. After this discovery, the two partners ended their tale with many successful scams of trickery and deception, followed by passionate sex. It wasn't revealed if the demon allowed her partner to die of old age or if she turned her into one of them at some point so as to allow them to stay together forever. Though perhaps the author (a demon) wrote another book to clarify that. It was a succubus named Sparkle, who had quite a cheerful biography and throughout her works, often cited sources to various facts about sweets and candy. The protagonists often ate candy as well during the lulls in the story. Proof that it's hard to remove personality from written works.

If Prudence revealed this information to the others, Erik would smile, "You should explain it to Kala. It'll be a nice ice breaker if you want to talk to her." Erik said encouragingly, seeming to be intent on Kala becoming friends with their recent arrival.

Then came Kat, all grins, a sign that she was both in a good mood, and up to no good. "I'd like to kick her off the throne." Kat admitted to Pru. "The old hag has gotten careless, and is biting more than she can chew with her invasions to capture more men. She's hoarding all the meat to herself, and her followers are feeling cheated. One day, I'll fuck her blind and assume control." Kat boasted. In her statement, Kat saying meat is a commonly used definition of human men that are used entirely for their souls and their dicks, with no need nor use for their opinions or feelings. Such things are deemed annoying and useless to some demons that are far more wicked, and various measures are taken to ensure that captives aren't allowed to even speak. The amount of cruelty these acts entail can be extreme. An example being when a little bird came back with word of Wrath's domain. Men are mutilated, and their mouths stitched shut. Wrath's male property are vividly marked with scars and signs of torture. Men who manage to escape are said to have their legs removed. Such was Wrath, a demon of pure evil.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Well well, was this heroine-worship that crossed Prudence's ears? The little smile the woman gave to the innocent little sea slime said she thought it was, and after a bit of thought she was nearly convinced. This Kala was proving to be quite the accomplished goo girl, so it made sense that her more aquatic cousin would look up to the slime that could do just about anything. It also made her wonder just how many of the multiple Pirupi felt this same way. Could there actually be a growing Kult of Kala?

Either way it didn't matter. Prudence had a willing lady before her, and it was her job to make this slime girl as cute as she possibly could. So she started by simply running a finger across Pirupi's surface. She needed to see exactly how pliant the girl's mass was, what kind of give it had and how well it kept its shape, and after a couple more tests Prudence went to work. She started by smoothing out Pirupi's outer layer, making her look like a blank mannequin more than anything, and once the slate was clean Prudence started pulling out what simply looked like large layers of slime. At first she appeared to be simply making what could only be seen as sheets of fabric, but once they were large and long enough she started folding them over themselves. Back and forth they went, each one creating one large organic frill that spiraled around Pirupi's body until Prudence finally reached the slime's bell. That feature wasn't something the woman could move, and she lamented that little fact as she tucked the ends of those folds into the bell and urged Pirupi to absorb the excess mass so they simply vanished into Pirupi's waist. Prudence started the entire procedure again from under the slime's skirt, though this time she actually fashioned a dress out of the 'fabric' that wrapped around Pirupi's legs without threatening to cause the girl to literally trip over herself.

Of course the work wouldn't pass silently. Pirupi brought up a rather interesting question, and the demon of the Prudence duo mulled it over for a couple seconds. "Well, there are a couple ways to do it. The first needs her to learn how to focus and simply prevent her version of the curse from reaching out into the her partner. But that takes a lot of effort, and it simply kills the mood. Neither person can have any real fun. So that's why a rather enterprising demon developed her own little technique. She called it 'sealing', and what it does is turn the demon's threads over onto themselves and practically wraps her entire soul within her body. The demon's essence has nowhere to go, and that prevents any bit of the curse from flowing into a human's body. It works a little like the collar I'm wearing, but its stronger and lets both partners feel everything. In fact that's what Miss Prudence used to seal herself."

"And right now I wish I could get rid of it..." The human popped up to her feet with a sigh once her work was done, and at that she looked Pirupi over. "I can't do anything about the bell around your waist, and I can't create an umbrella that would match it." Anyone with a keen eye would notice the rather thin tendrils swaying down from Pirupi's bell, and if she were holding an umbrella that looked exactly like it then the jellyfish slime would actually look like two jellyfish, one encompassing her top half while the other covered her lower. It would be a rather elegant design that matched Pirupi's nature to a T. Too bad it was somewhat spoiled...

(Note: reference pic with a flared skirt around the waist)

But even if she couldn't accomplish what she wanted Prudence was still proud of the work she did, and though she was still a bit sullen she still managed to triumphantly pop a single takoyaki ball into her mouth. Erik's suggestion that they share that little bit of info with Kala earned him an appreciative smile from both the demon and the human, and with that Prudence gave Pirupi a little prod to go show herself off to the hybrid man. That in turn let Kat speak her private boast to her fellow demon, and though the mention of 'meat' made both sides of the twin souls a bit nervous neither would do anything about it. The majority of demons were simply different in that way, and no amount of admonishment from her would change that. Especially not within Kat. "Just as long as you don't end up hogging them all to yourself. Or get as bad as Wrath." That was something she would NEVER condone. Torture simply for torture's sake was simply disgusting, and with the thought of that Sin's domain idling in her mind Pru grabbed her own snack and nearly attacked the thing. Thankfully she managed to keep herself from savaging it, and after that she started to calm and eat in the more refined manner that was more like her.