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Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)


Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

Looking a bit shocked at her question, Shimei soon lowered his head in humility upon realizing who he now belonged to. A part of him seemed a bit let down that this wasn't true freedom. "I'm not really sure what there is to say about me. You already saw the worst part of me back there." he stated. "And arguably my best parts."
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"Well, I'm not planning on mistreating you or anything if that's what you're worried about Shimei. I may be a fallen angel yes, but I do still remember the kindness I had within me. I fell because I refused to kill children who were tainted. I chose to forsake... everything I knew to protect the innocent, because that is just something that anyone should do I think. Those children didn't ask to be tainted, they didn't even understand what was truly going on. So I couldn't just kill them, it was wrong, and cruel," Clara said, looking off into the distance wistfully as she stopped in the middle of the street. "I will need loyal servants though I suppose if I'm going to live here now and make a name for myself. I hope you don't dislike me or hate me for buying your contract and all," she added as she started walking again, nearing the palace.

Soon enough the pair would enter the palace, where Clara smiled over her shoulder at Shimei. "I hope you like the looks of the entrance hall, because it only gets better my friend. I'll see about getting you some work done while we're here and all, so that you'll have something to do. What are your normal rates by the way?" Clara said as she led him inside and towards her chambers.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"Well, actual angels are known for their ruthlessness." he stated plainly, though he wasn't much to talk when Clara knew of the lack of forgiveness angels had for the tainted. Their argument would have been simple, 'those children will grow and attack people once they transform. Letting them live allows lives to be ruined.' Everyone claims to be on the good side.

Shimei blinked at her commenting on buying his contract. "Wha-? I... I'm the one who suggested you do it! Goodness Clara, I wasn't subtle about wanting to leave! I've had so many patrons that..." he shook his head. "Nevermind..." he sighed, going silent until Clara asked his wages. "I always went for ten silver for a full course, and lesser amounts for everything else. One silver for a massage like the one I gave you. Though I was always paid sufficiently less of a cut than that, and had to try and persuade the customer to give me a little more to make ends meet." he sighed again. "Especially when dealing with recent conversions, women used to a society where men pay for women, this was incredibly difficult. I was used, abused, and mistreated like trash by ninety-percent of the women who came in there to 'enjoy' me. Often times leaving the room after they had their fun having me fulfill their every desire without a single tip from them. I had only the meager wage my former manager gave me before I waited for another customer with the purse to afford me and the want to tip me. Every day was a damned battle." he cursed.

Then, Shimei turned to Clara with an earnest face, taking her hands into his own soft palms. "Clara, would it be too much to ask to... Be used as a personal servant than a whore yet again? I promise to make you happy, I will become your concubinus if you would have me. To serve you and only you, at your beck and call. I ask not for marriage, nor to be seen as your equal. I only ask for peaceful servitude." Shimei begged. Under the circumstances, it wouldn't be out of place to actually strike Shimei for what he was asking. The situation, and the society Clara stood in saw Shimei as a slave and nothing more, despite his kitsune appearance. A male kitsune is just a mating partner for whoever takes him. Just a whore. To speak in such a way, Clara would understand that he was overstepping his station. Even wanting to become a concubinus rather than a whore was being rude to the owner, as it means he was basically assuming he is worth more to Clara than society says he is worth.

She'd also detect it on his soul, especially after having had sex. He was tainted with multiple signs of other souls, other mamono under the succubus curse. As women lost their hymen, men lose what is effectively called their purity. A close inspection of a man's soul will show that he's been touched (or not) by a mamono. To some, being the one to become the one and only mark is important. As far as marriage goes, or even becoming a personal sexual servant, or concubinus, Shimei would be considered tainted and useless. Too filthy to be anything sacred. And indeed, even a man raped by a mamono is sometimes considered no more for marriage.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"Indeed we are. And that's not something that I am very fond of. I was ruthless towards my enemies. But when the higher ones dictated that my enemies were innocent children, I simply could no longer accept that. And so here I am now," Clara said softly, smiling kindly at Shimei. "And worry not, I won't mistreat you in that way... ever. And I won't let anyone else do so either. If they want you to massage them in the palace, then they'll have to adhere to your rules and mine," she added as they walked along.

When he stopped her though and took her hands in his own, Clara listened intently, showing him the respect that she thought he deserved. She thought it over for a few moments, never losing the soft kind look on her face. "I won't whore you out for money like that Shimei. I'm not like that. I mean if you don't mind doing it with a certain someone that wants it after a massage or something, then that's one thing. But I won't make or order you to do anything like that unless you're completely okay with it. I would like to know what your regular wages were at that place though. And if you'd be okay with giving just massages for money, then I would appreciate it, as it would bring in some much needed money," Clara told Shimei with a serious look and awaiting his reply before moving along towards the palace again.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"For a normal massage, I'd personally earn one silver per hour, but at that place they charge more to pay for things like security and to put money in the manager's own pocket. But it would be about one silver per hour, since I am the most talented masseur in this city." he said with a bit of pride. "I wouldn't mind having just a clean, honest business going on. It'd be a lot less stress on me." he stated honestly, obviously the idea of a large minotauress coming in wanting some snoo snoo being a horrifying thought to the lithe fox man.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"I can respect that Shimei. But I'll go ahead and say if you want to do the... extra stuff, then I wouldn't mind, nor stop you. I'll see what I can do about getting you set up in the palace though in a sort of workshop to do your thing," Clara told Shimei with a nod as she led the way into the palace and towards her chambers.

Once they arrived at her chambers, Clara swung the doors open and gestured inside. "This is my new home, for now at least. And you may join myself and Yue, my butler," Clara explained, gesturing at Yue if he was in there.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

Yue, who was indeed waiting, would make a bow to Clara, though mostly ignored Shimei. "Welcome back, mistress. I've some tea on preparation for you. Shall I make some more for our guest as well?" he inquired. "I'd like some." Shimei nodded, though Yue seemed more intent on only listening to Clara's command. Yue seemed perhaps almost too cold to Shimei, in fact.

Regardless, her room was just as she remembered it. The window outside was witness to a mystical and magical void. An ever constant reminder that this realm was basically Pandora's soul. Ever changing such that no single glance out of her window was the same. Cycles of day and night were untrackable, as the sky was lit when she was awake and dark when she was asleep, giving evidence to a rather unhealthy sleep cycle. Yue seemed unphased by the nature of this world, while Shimei seemed fascinated.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"Yes Yue, if you don't mind please. And be nice, Shimei here is a new friend who is going to be staying with us. And we'll take the tea on the balcony, why don't you join us Yue," Clara said, heading out onto her balcony to sit and wait for her tea.

While sitting there having her tea, Clara looked around over the palace grounds. She knew that this wasn't her home specifically and that she was really kind of mooching until she could get on her feet herself. "Hey Yue, Shimei, do either of you know about how much a manor here in the city would cost? I want my own home, but nearby to the palace. I suppose I could ask Pandora about it if neither of you really know about that sort of thing," Clara asked the two as she sipped her tea.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"Yes, ma'am," Yue agreed, before departing to the kitchen to make the tea. As various clanks of kitchenware were heard, Clara would ask her question to the two men about how much a manor would cost.

Silence followed, the two men seemed to expect each other to answer the question, before Yue answered right as Shimei looked about to speak. "I've never looked in the market of buying a manor, ma'am. I could go find that out for you while you enjoy tea, or after, if the information is not important now."
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

Sitting and sipping her tea as she asked the two about purchasing a manor, Clara shook her head at Yue's response. "No no don't trouble yourself over it just yet. You can go find that sort of thing out after we finish our tea," Clara told him, taking another sip as she looked out over the balcony rail over the palace ground and city if both were in view.

After they finished with their tea, Clara decided to go check in with Pandora and see if she had anything that needed doing, as Clara had nothing to do and knew she'd get bored easily without at least something to do.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

The palace ground was in view, though since they were in Pandemonium, beyond that was just a gray fog that seemed to go on for eternity.

Yue, Shimie, and Clara would finish their tea. Yue would set about finding a manor to acquire, and Shimei would be lazy inside the room and continue making himself look more sexy. Approaching Pandora's throne room, a guard stopped Clara. "Pandora is currently addressing the hostile presence outside of the city. If you are one of her confidents, you are urged to go meet her immediately." said the dullahan guard. Indeed, if Clara searched, Pandora was not inside of her own realm. She was somewhere else. If Clara left the city, she'd find Pandora near the entrance gate to the town. From up high on the hill that leads to the portal to the other world, she could see more menacing demons facing off from the more approachable looking demons. The two didn't seem ready to ever agree with each other.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

When Clara was stopped at the entrance to the throne room by the guard and told where Pandora was, she nodded and turned to head down to where Pandora was at. Flying down once she was outside, Clara searched for Pandora and made her way over to her side, already preparing her powers just in case she was needed to blow something up. "Lady Pandora, what seems to be the problem here? One of your guards at the palace informed me to head down here right away, that you were facing off with a hostile force," Clara asked Pandora when she arrived to where the high lady of Pandemonium was.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

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As Clara came up and spoke, rather than Pandora, the demoness across from her began laughing in response. "A hostile force, she says!" she declared, as a demoness made herself known. She had a haughty appearance, and out of her entire army, she was dressed in a way that stood out.

"HAHAHAHA! You pathetic little creature, you have no idea who you refer to." she said, before Clara felt a sense of violation as probing tendrils ran through her quicker than she could react. "And you're a fragment as well! Lady Pandora, you're far too kind! I want more than this though, I know you shelter more fragments inside, hoarding them all to yourself." she demanded.

Pandora frowned. "I am providing those fragments shelter from monsters like you, Pride." she declared, bringing one arm in front of Clara to shield her, encouraging the fallen angel to hide behind her as if Pandora feared that Clara would be hurt by the demon across from her, who was named after the Cardinal Sin of Pride it seemed. Clara could feel it too, if she tried to examine the other demon with her magic. This demon, Pride, possessed immense power.

"Then there's only one way that this can end, right?" Pride inquired, shrugging with a wide grin.

"Why would you go to such lengths? Your influence isn't even that powerful here outisde of Hell. You cannot afford to take this risk." Pandora claimed.

Pride laughed again, throwing her head back as she put her hands on her waist. "Hah! You ignorant moron, that's where you're wrong. While you have all been keeping things nice and tidy here, closing all our portals and making sure things were stable, guess what's been happening in the frozen north?" she declared. "Demons overrun the snowy mountains! We're gaining more of a foothold than even the angels in this territory! You have no fucking clue, do you? Ha, ha, ha, ha!" she laughed hysterically, as if drunk off of her own success. "I'm not here in some temporary form, or some afterimage controlled by my thoughts. I'm sure even your precious little fragment over there could sense it!" she pounded her chest. "THIS IS ME! My true form! In all my glory! I've come here personally to take what rightfully belongs to the best!"

"So, what is stopping me from ending you right here and now?" Pandora inquired with menace.

"Maybe the fact that all of your precious citizens are all right behind you?" Pride reminded her. "Go ahead, KILL ME! You know another Pride will replace me, and the following attack will result in countless friends of yours dying. First and foremost, the fallen bitch behind you." she threatened Clara. "So, Pandora. Give me the fragments of fate you own. All of them. Then, you will have no more use to me, and I will spare you and your people. How about it? Let's start with her." she pointed at Clara.

"Surrender yourself to me, fallen angel, if you care about Pandora and her people. Or would you rather I kill them all?" she asked with a heartless smile.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

As Clara came in for a landing and spoke to Pandora, she hadn't expected the foes in question to be right there to say the least. After listening to whom she believed to simply be the herald or whatnot of the hostile force talk, Clara felt a very unsettling feeling as she was called fragment or something. Shuddering as the feeling passed, Clara didn't need to be told twice to remain behind Pandora for now. While she was trying to stop herself from shuddering anymore, Clara heard Pandora say who the demon woman was and shuddered again.

"As in The Pride? And what's a fragment?" Clara whispered to Pandora quietly, glancing back across towards the demon as she did her best to examine her with her own magical power to see if it were true.

Listening to the two pretty much argue over her, Clara sensed that it actually was Pride, and she wasn't kidding either, it was actually The Pride, and not a temporary body or anything. When the arguing seemed to die down a bit, or rather when Pride seemed to have gotten drunk enough on her own seemingly flawless plans or whatever, Clara peered over at Pride, not stepping fully out from behind Pandora though.

"Pride goeth before a fall they say. I threw away my pride when I forsook my kin and my people, all because I believed that a bunch of children didn't deserve death just because they were somewhat corrupted, and their parents for not wanting their children to die. Now I don't know what these fragments are exactly, but if you want it that badly, then that's all the reason I need to not give it to you. And if you try to take it, then I will gladly destroy myself and it with me to keep you from taking it. I have nothing left already, so nobody would really miss me anyway," Clara said, the venom in her voice obvious as she held a hand up to her own chest threateningly before looking to Pandora. "Lady Pandora, I stand by you no matter what. Because you took me in and gave me a place to live when nobody else likely would have done so," Clara then told Pandora where Pride could easily hear her, preparing all of her power to either throw at Pride, or into herself to prevent at least one of whatever these fragments were from falling into Pride's hands.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

Pandora looked back to Clara. "A fragment is a piece of a god shattered across this world that found it's way into various souls. The fragments are popularly believed to be that of a goddess named Fate, who gave her power to select few people she thought would be important to changing the endless cycle of history." she declared. "Many people, like Pride, are after these fragments, to gain control of their great power and use it for their own selfish desires."

After that explanation, Pride nodded. "Very good! You've just about got it! It's a shame though that your friend back there is fine with all of you dying for her sake. You'd think she'd have a little selflessness, but I guess that's why your wings are black, huh? Instead of your little pretend story where you refused to kill children. This is the reason, I can tell." she chuckled. "You're a selfish bitch that doesn't care who has to die, and you only do what you want. Even willing to kill yourself just to deny me one little fragment, as if you have some kind of over inflated sense of worth. You know what that's called...? PRIDE!" she roared with laughter.

With that, Pride roared, commanding her forces to attack, and the battle at the wall began. The town was, and has been, in the middle of evacuation, as if Pandora knew this would be the final result. Meanwhile, the forces of dullahan and the Pride forces of demons rush at each other from around Pandora and Pride, their movements clear that they wished to stay away from the two powerful individuals lest they die in the crossfire. "Clara, run away." Pandora commanded. "Pride will kill you. I will handle her."
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"I see, well... regardless of whether or not I have this fragment or whatever, I rather like it here. It's the only place that I feel I could live in relative peace after all that's happened recently," Clara replied to Pandora, keeping a close eye on Pride.

"Think what you want bitch, I know the truth about my story and that's all I need. Whether you believe me or not makes no matter to me, and I swallowed my pride the day I turned on my own kin for the sake of those I refused to kill," Clara retorted back at Pride before Pandora commanded her back. "Be careful then. But I do want to help however I can to repay you for your kindness lady Pandora," Clara said softly to Pandora before flapping her wings and flying to the rear lines.

Once she was to the rear lines, well far enough back to keep Pride from getting at her without Pandora destroying her, Clara would use her magical powers as a sort of battle meditation to enhance the fighting capabilities of Pandora's forces against those of Pride's. Clara couldn't risk getting on the front herself to fight, she knew, but she could at least make it so that the ones who were up there would fight better, surely. If it turned out though that Pandora wanted her to retreat further than that, then Clara would do so, but she would insist on helping somehow at least, because doing nothing just wasn't something she could do. If nothing else, Clara would simply use her powers to heal the wounds of those brought to the rear lines for treatment.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

After fleeing the scene, Clara would find the chaos too thick with the castings of magic for her to try and spread her powers so thin between so many people. Her threads were immediately threatened with just being blown away as she tried to cast out them all as the enemy threw fireballs and caused massive explosions. Demons poured through destroyed gaps in the fortifications, their forces met with dullahan that were reinforced by dark priests. With Clara seeking to aid, a group of succubi dressed in purple to match the colors of Pandora were rushing down the way to aid the others in the defense of the wall. Upon seeing Clara there, they urged her. "Don't stand around! Either flee or defend the wall, fallen!" they criticized Clara without knowing who she was other than a fallen angel.

Despite being up against true demons, the dullahan were living up to their names as former heroes by matching the high ranking demon's power. These weren't just footsoldiers fighting on the front lines, they were elites battling it out. And considering true demons were on par with an angel in terms of power, some weaker than others, they'd be a match for Clara as well.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

After leaving Pandora and heading to the back, Clara found that her attempt to bolster the fighting strength of Pandora's forces just wasn't going to work. There was simply too much chaos and everything going on for her to manage it. After the passing succubi called out to her to stop standing around and do something or flee, Clara took a deep breath and let it out slowly before giving her cheeks a little slap. Deciding it best to remain as far from Pandora and Pride as possible, Clara found the flank of the battlefield furthest from them and went there to help.

She had a lot of excess energy in her thanks to Yue and Shimei, so Clara knew that she could throw around a bit more power than normal right now. However, she also remembered that she was fallen now, and had to feed to regain it all, so she had to be careful and not waste anything. Clara found the group of dullahans and other warriors that were pushing forward the most, and then focused her power there to help them breach through the enemy lines and throw them into disarray, blasting any demons she could hit without hitting Pandora's troops, and aiming at the strongest demons first, giving just enough oomph in her abilities to take them out with the help of the dullahans and whatever else was attacking them.

"I have to help. Pandora's given me a home when nobody else would have. If she is just wanting to use me herself, well... I'll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it. Because I am definitely not going to give myself up to Pride or any of the other seven," Clara thought to herself, her mind focusing as she let her instincts surface to keep her alive.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

As Clara entered the fray, it seemed that she got immediate attention. Firing one of her blasts at the demons, she'd find it countered by another blast that detonated both their attacks in the middle. The one responsible for this jumped forth, grinning. A
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stood before Clara. She was smiling wide with confidence while wielding a longsword at her hip. "Oh myyy~ A little fallen angel flapping about like a confused bird~" she cooed in taunting to Clara. "Are you one of the chosen Pride told us to capture? If you surrender yourself to me, I'll make you my pet and give you lots of love~" she cooed.
 
Re: Welcome to Castle Pandemonium (Clara;Flayer)

"So what if I am. Why don't you help us instead of that crazy bitch and we can have all the fun we want together, and give each other lots of love after this fight is over. I have a couple of guys that wouldn't mind indulging us and have lots of energy," Clara said back to the demon girl, keeping herself ready to counter any attack thrown at her and preparing to fight this demon girl, since she seemed to be her opponent here.

Clara knew that this could be a tough fight for her, so she wanted to keep some extra energy in reserve to get away if she had to run, but if she had to use it in order to win, she would do so. Waiting until the demon girl made the first move, Clara would weave her energies to increase her speed and maneuver out of the way of any attack, using her increased speed to stay ahead and using quick attacks to whittle away at the demon girl here. Clara was fairly sure that she had more power stored up within her than this demon girl did, but that didn't mean she could let her guard down any. When the opening presented itself, Clara would weave herself up a sword and impale the demon girl as she darted in at her, aiming for her chest but for an incapacitating blow rather than a killing one, though if forced to, Clara would aim for the heart and kill.
 
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