"I have determined the ritual will work as planned" Suddenly Said Azgoroth "It will require me to relapse into my home realm for a moment to gather the needed ingredients. But once triggered should summon an array of low to mid powered celestial spirits that will continue to harass the target of our choosing. Pair this with Darioth and we have, well a fairly good way to distract the beast if needed".
"Nice!" He put the top hat back on his head
(Here's a picrew of Vozreal, btw)
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(OOC: this WiFi issue is KILLING me. I can’t use my laptop which is what I mainly use for this stuff, but I can use my iPad. Idk it’s so stupid but I’m going crazy sorry for the lack of response this has been stressful cause school and stuff ugh.)
Keziah claps her hands together. “Excellent. Thank you for your contributions, Azgoroth. They will prove to be useful in the battle. We are very grateful for all of your assistance.” She summons a small, yet genuine smile. The idea of subduing the Beast fills her with an indescribable joy. But, Hel puts a hand on her shoulder and repeats with urgency.
“Listen to me, Keziah. She knows your scent. If she knows you’re here, she won’t come.”
Keziah eyes become filled with indignation and tightens her jaw. “That’s preposterous! It is a creature that hunts like a dog and would never pass up an opportunity to devour something! It-“
“Kezzy! Please!”
Keziah stops immediately. The sound that came from Hels throat croaks pathetically and lingers in her ears. Hel has both hands on her shoulders and is looking at her with such intense desperation that her eyes shimmer with fragile lights. Keziah stares into her deeply, surprised by the outburst. She slowly takes a hand to the one on her shoulder and gently takes it away.
“Hel… I… okay…. I’ll, I’ll hide. Somewhere. This room doesn’t have a lot of places to use as cover…” Hel clears her throat awkwardly and and breathes in shakily.
“I got that covered. Az! How much room is your shadow?” She asks it with her characteristic nonchalance without realizing that an explanation would be useful.
(Excuse the typos. Typing on a screen is different for me
(screen typing is weird. I also understand having super shitty internet, if any cloud cover hits us then the wifi just goes DEAD)
"Ah, It can be. Very large?" Says Azgoroth in a slightly confused tone "I have some practice in shadow manipulation, so it can be larger than it is at the moment".
Hel rubs her hands together and then clamps one on Keziah’s shoulder.
“Perfect! Kez may look about this size now but her true form is kinda… big.”
Keziah, who at this point has been maintaining a professional and mature demeanor, lost her composure as she sputters wildly with her fur fluffing up in embarrassment, not dissimilar to a cat.
“D-DONT SAY IT LIKE THAT!! IT SOUNDS, ER, RUDE!!!”
Hel looks at Keziah with complete unawareness of her phrasing and shrugs.
“I don’t mean it in a bad way. I’m just sayin’ you get kinda big with all the-“ she spreads her arms out to their extent and stares downwards with her eyes wide and intense. “-and the-“ then she puts her hands on her eyes and flings her arms above her head. “-also the-“ she puts her hands below her waist and wiggles them like they were worms. Keziah does not appreciate the demonstration.
“S-STOP THAT!! I DONT LOOK LIKE THAT!! I- I mean I d-do but, WAIT NO! I DONT!”
Her hair became more erratic and jittery, but did not emit malevolent energy. Hel just chuckles and continues her explanation.
“Keziah can transmit herself through the gaps of reality. In our species, shadows are classified as those gaps. Usually she can’t use shadows cause they’re too small.” Keziah makes a strangled squeal but Hel keeps on talking. “You being able to extend your shadow is really helpful! The bigger the better.”
“Hel! Please have some tact! You make me sound like a horrific behemoth!!”
"Now I am truly curious" Muses Azgoroth staring at Keziah "At what form of being you may truly be Faithless Acolyte".
Keziah regains what little dignity she has and faces Azgoroth head on. “The form I encompass now is one of my, erm, casual forms. It was one of the lives I lived when I used to exist. Only one other person has seen my ‘true’ form and… survived.” Keziah fidgets with her fingers awkwardly as she explains. “My true form was… acquired when I, um, ceased from existence. I forfeited my rights as a being for the sake of… saving someone.” Her eyes cast downward and her tone becomes somber. “…I am now a faint dream to the world. A memory erased and discarded.” Hel clicks her tongue and hums a little.
“Mmmmm, not exactly. I thought, like, two people still know who you are.”
Keziah stiffens slightly at her words and exhales slowly. It was caught between stress and relief all at once. “That doesn’t matter right now. Is everyone prepared for the Beast? Is there anything we are missing in terms of power or ability?” Keziah suddenly changes the topic on its head with no warning and Hel looks a little startled at the sudden shift in attention.
“Kez, I didn’t mean to make-“
“Anything at all? Anyone?”
"Not really…" Vozreal said, leaning on his pimp cane
“Okay so all we need to do now is-“
“Kez! Come on talk to me!”
Keziah turns to Hel with her eyes soft and mouth tightly shut in a thin line. “You do not need to acknowledge anything that was previously stated, simply take it out and pretend it was never spoken.” Hel furrows her brows in concern and guiltily looks down at the ground. “I’m sorry…”
Keziah suddenly reels back and opens her eyes wide in surprise. The lines softly twitch on her face and her mouth was slightly agape. “What?”
Hel looks up slightly perplexed. “I’m sorry. I know it’s a sensitive topic for you. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I can be kinda blurty and not think about what I say. It’s gotten me in deep trouble a lot. I’m sorry.”
Keziah mainatains her expression and stays frozen and silent for an uncomfortably long time. Hel looks at her and bites her nails into her mouth. She turns to the others with great concern etched on her face. “Did I say something wrong?”
“I believe she is in shock” observed Azgoroth “I shall be right back, I must fetch the ingredients needed for the ritual”, with that, he popped out of existence for a short moment then reappeared. Holding a few vials “I have returned”.
“Oh goody!” Hel turns to Keziah, who is still frozen. “DID. YOU. HERE THAT?” Hel starts to speak loud and slow directly at her face. “AZ. GOT MORE. STUFF! AINT. THAT. GOOD?” Still nothing. Hel lifts a finger and is about to poke her in her eye until Keziah suddenly reanimates herself.
“You shouldn’t be sorry at all! I’ve been the one who’s been, for lack of a better word, a total ass to you! You shouldn’t be apologizing in the slightest!”
Keziah frantically flings her arms around and speaks in a high tone as she berates Hel for apologizing. “I have wronged you! I’ve been mean to you! Cruel even! I-I don’t understand what need you feel to apologize to me!”
Hel stares at her in shock. She darts her gaze between Keziahs left and right eye, processing her words before laughing softly into her hands.
“Well, you have every right to be upset with me. I don’t have any excuse to expect an apology from you because between the two of us, I did the most wrong.”
Keziah shakes her head rapidly and stutters. “N-no! You’ve been nothing but a positive force in your life!”
“Keziah, like ten minutes ago, you told me it’s my fault Hex exists.”
“EXACTLY SO YOU SHOULDN’T BE APOLOGIZING!”
“By that logic, I should be apologizing.”
“NO I MEAN. Ugh… I… I mean…. I ….I contradicted myself huh…”
Hel claps her hand on Keziah shoulder and laughs boisterously.
“We’re a family of paradoxes! Of course we contradict ourselves! The Void itself is a paradox so it’s no mystery as to why we counter our own words or thoughts! You, me, Hex, and your lil girl are all part of the same web of bullshit! So don’t feel bad if you find yourself getting caught up in it! Okay?” Keziah sighs and laughs softly at her words.
“I suppose so… kind of hypocritical almost…”
“Yeah, who’s gonna stop us?”
They laugh together, finding solace in their haphazard realities. Even in the wickedness and coldness of death, they have each other to see as company. Keziah rubs her eyes slightly and Hel turns to Azgoroth. “Okay Skelly Boy! Give us the deats for this ritual! How many teeth do I need to give up?” She gives him a toothy goofy grin. It’s unknown if she’s joking or not.
"Are you a celestial being?" Asks Azgoroth Wryly "Unless you are, none. This ritual will only work if we have pure celestial ingredients". He lays the vials on the floor and begins to open them, A white chalk triangle appears on the ground before him and he begins laying the items in different places "This ritual uses Blessed Chalk, Angelic Ichor, the eyes of a Throne, and a few angel feathers. In order to make it more potent I have managed to retrieve some hair from a Cherubim. Once activated it will summon a few artificial celestial spirits, All I need is for you to step back. with the addition of the Cherubim hair this could get a bit volatile".
“Ohhhh, I see…” Hel nods in understanding. Then she glances aside at Keziah with a rigid pondering face. Keziah looks back surprised at her intense gaze.
“What?”
“Do you technically count as a-“
“No! Of course not!”
“Okay just checkin’.”
The two witches back up and allow Azgoroth to perform the ritual with plenty of space.
Azgoroth placed the final ingredient then quickly slithered backwards. The triangle bloomed into a massive maelstrom of light and wind, when the chaos ended three armored figures that shine with celestial light stood in a triangle formation “I am honestly surprised” mused Azgoroth “We managed to create archangels, this is much better than I expected”.
“Wow! That’s incredible!”Hel gawks in awe at the celestials with childlike wonder. She walks forward cautiously and reaches out to touch one of them, only to stop abruptly. She looks back at Azgoroth. “Can I touch it?”
Keziah has her forehead in her hands and shakes it. Hel is regarded as the most intelligent, innovative, powerful witch to exist in the world, but will touch a dangerous angelic being for no ass reason other than it’s shiny.
(Me doe)
“Voz, you seein’ this shit!? They shiny as hell! Or heaven. How does that work again?” She half listens to her own ramblings and half starts reaching out to touch them anyway. Keziah, shaking her head even more, doesn’t notice that her fellow witch was about to touch the dangerous angel being.
“I suppose so, they shouldn’t attack you… I think”.
"Yes. yes I do." He stated
Hel excitedly starts lightly stroking their armor. She grasps at the shoulder armor and starts making ‘pew pew’ sounds as she pinches the edges gently.
Keziah sighs that this is the apex of sublimity in her realm and calls to her. “Hel, please refrain from touching the angels. They are here to do their job.”
Hel waves her hand dismissively at Keziah and continues poking and pinching them curiously.
“Not gonna lie… they’re kinda hot.”
Keziah sputters an otherworldly sound and has to bend herself over as to not reveal the face she just made. She looks up with pure shock painting her features.
“HEL! That is incredibly inconsiderate towards your spouses! They would not appreciate you… admiring another being in that manner!”
Hel snorts and cackles and doubles over. “That’s how we got together man! We all were just kinda ‘oh I like you but I also like them and I dunno what to do!’ And I just said ‘meh! Let’s just date! All three of us together! Why not!’ And centuries into death, we are still together! Modern love story at its finest. Plus, we got a witch, a dragon, and a nerd, so an angel could really tie our theme together.”
Keziah squints her eyes crinkles her mouth. “What THEME??”
Hel doesn’t acknowledge her as she looks over at Azgoroth. “Hey are they single?”
“I don’t believe they are fully sentient” replies Azgoroth “they could potentially be but that would require the entire brain of an archangel. And that isn’t something I actually have”.
(OOC: THE WIFI'S BACK ON MY LAPTOP! I GOTTA TYPE SOMETHING BEFORE IT GOES OUT AGAIN!)
Hel hums and nods at his words while she observes the angels up and down. "Bummer. I was hoping they could at least talk a little."
Keziah rubs her face roughly and groans a little. "Hel, if you are done ogling at your new fascination, we need to discuss something important."
Hel rolls her eyes. "Can you blame me for having a type? I know yours is apparently farmers with a penchant for talking to birds."
Keziah does not react. She simply closes her eyes and nothing more. She does not even breathe. Hel flinches and approaches in concern. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I know you two are close. I didn't want to be mocking or rude, I-" WHAP.
Hel earns herself a smack to the back of her head. She doubles over in pain clutching her skull and whining.
"OWWW! I'M SORRY OKAY!?"
"Do not mention him again and all is forgiven."
"Fine! Geez…" She rubs her head with discomfort. Keziah has quite the right hook. "Now, what did you- oh wait! Give me a sec!" Keziah groans and waves her hands as Hel runs up to Azgoroth and claps her hands together with a cheeky grin on her face. "Now… don't take this the wrong way, but I'm just a liiiiitle curious considering your, y'know, situation." She puts an elbow on his shoulder (if he's taller than her, she's floating) and asks with a cheesy, lame smile on her face. "You got yourself a cuddle buddy? Eh? Eh???" She nudges him slightly and Keziah puts her face in her hands again. The progenitor of innovation. Creator of the Guardians. The Great Witch herself. A total dork, and a nosy bastard.
Azgoroth raises his eyebrow “No. I do not have a cuddle buddy. I have a wife of sorts, but she and I have been separated for a while. Kuu is extremely patient so I’m sure she’ll be fine.. I hope”. For the first tome Azgoroth looked genuinely worried “I’ll be honest part of the reason I’m here was ingredient gathering, my damned brother Cer’Sherad ‘accidentally’ locked her in a pocket dimension. I’ve been gathering the needed components for a forced entry into said dimension. It requires a few more exotic artifacts not found in my home realm so I was forced to go on an excursion, a pillar of Stonehenge is the last one on the list. I just happened to detour to here because I smelled agony. And before you ask no I do not have children”.
Hel sniffles pitifully at his tale and wipes a straggling tear from her eye. “Ohhhh, I would have never taken you as the marriage type! That’s sounds terrible to be separated from your beloved! I’m so sorry your brothers an ass. Siblings amiright? But seriously, I hope you and your Kuu will reunite soon. She sounds very important to you.” She gives a genuine, warm smile before crossing her arms and snickering. “And I wanna wasn’t gonna ask about kids. Obviously, you guys aren’t ‘compatible.’” She pauses. “I mean, that’s if isn’t she’s also a snake person. Well then again, you are kinda dead, so it’s a no brainer.” She pauses again. “Then again, there is the possibility that you’re undead up top, but maybe down below, you got some-“ THWACK! Yet another strike is applied to the back of her head as Keziah delivers yet another devastating blow to Hel. She clutches at her skull pathetically and whines. “Okay… no more…. I was just trying to be funny….”
Keziah breathes in impatiently. “Please do not be so invasive about other people’s personal aspects. That is none of your business. How you are so powerful yet impulsive is a mystery.”
Hel shrugs as she continues to nurse her injury. “Ah y’know…. I actually don’t know. But uh, sorry Az, haha.” She shrugs again and laughs.
Keziah attempts to address her once more. “Now Hel, we need to talk about-“ Before She could finish, Hel looks over at Vozreal and waves at him. She feels bad that he got quiet all of a sudden. “Heyo! Vozzy Lad! You got a sideways tango partner or are you riding solo?”
Keziah slaps her forehead at Hel’s words and groans. This witch. Was the Prime Negotiator and Ambassador between the Necrotzen and the Kleiname. How????”
"I'm not the one for sex, but I had a fiancee… I left her when I found out she was pregnant. But for now, I'm single."
Hels eyes flung wide open. “You left her when she was pregnant!? With your child!? Why?” Hel is shocked that someone could do something like that, but she figures maybe there’s a good reason for it. Although Keziah was intrigued by Vozreal’s decision, she tries to focus on her talk with Hel.
“Hel, I need to speak with you about-“
“Wait, Kez, let him finish.”
Keziah groans but stays patient nonetheless.
Hel looks at Vozreal with curiosity and concern. “Was there relationship problems? Or were neither of you ready to have a child yet?”
"I wasn't really to have a child yet. she was all for it, but… I got scared. I was a naive demon and didn't know humans could do that…"
“Oh… I see. Is the child… okay? And your fiancé, is she okay?”
Hel hopes she isn’t being too nosy. There’s some things people shouldn’t ask. She can’t help it most of the time, but will stop if she’s asked.
"The fiance died from old age. The child, having the curse of immortality, is alive."