| Forced Healing pt 2 | ||
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| Summary: Alright then, so maybe if the Sun Goddess herself can't get through Morgana, then perhaps a fellow sea critter can! This can't possible end poorly.    |
Alright, let's try that again, shall we? While Kotal's introduction to Morgana with Amaterasu went... rather strangely. The War God hopes that perhaps having the siren meet someone that doesn't represent the embodiment of all goodness and creation, but is still essentially good of heart, will perhaps soften the vampiric mermaid's heart a bit. Or at least show Morgana that not everything is bleak grim despair in her world no longer. For this reason, Kotal recruited the services of none other than DMC's esteemed secretary; Serenity. The Aztec requested Serenity to follow him up to his room where he'll be introducing her to a 'new friend'. There, he opens the door slowly and peeks inside to make sure that Morgana is still not trying to ambush him, and only after making sure it's safe does he lead Serenity in. The alarmingly fluorescent mottled mollusc lingers out in the hallway with an inquisitive but vaguely apprehensive air while Kotal checks the room. With a ripple of the aquamarine muscular sheets in the suspended mass of water, Ren flutters to the doorway and leans to the side to peer around Kotal. When the door creaks open and the turqouis man peeks inside the room appears still cause the siren is not really seeking to ambush him but she isnt in her pool either. The creature is in her more human form and is poking around amid the piles of what not she saw the man digging in days before. when the door opens she starts a little and turns, her dark hair flowing around her body from head to waist and her pale skin shimmering slightly in the room light. Around the sirens neck is a thick band of steal and she lifts her lip to bare her sharp teeth and hisss like a startled cat. She looks from the man to the pool and then over his shoulder to what ever he brought with him.
"Peace, Morgana! Peace!" Kotal raises his arms when the siren hisses at him like a startled, feral cat. His hands up and palms spread as if he was surrendering. Perhaps, for the first time since the mermaid has met the War God, and indeed even Serenity, Kotal actually looks like he might be scared. Apparently what people think of him means a lot to him. He slides sideways to interpose himself between the mermaid and the colorful slug, just on the off side that Morgana makes a dive for the fluorescent dancing mollusk. His hands are still up trying very hard to get Morgana to control her urges to attack. "I brought someone I think you'd like to meet!" Serenity flinches slightly and 'blinks' eyes inward at Morgana's greeting, evidently taking the display of aggression for what it is. Still, Ren pours around Kotal to 'stand' at his side and offers an amiable smile (or grin, rather, lacking proper teeth and jaw). Serenity looses a little of that optimism upon catching a glimpse of Kotal's expression but quickly returns eyes to Morgana. "Call me Serenity, if you please," Ren rasps encouragingly, making a bow to her. The siren blinks inscrutable dark eyes at the man and her face softens to a nearly blank expression as Kotal holds those hands up and looks actually worried. She sidles away from the collection of stuff and makes a rather wide circle toward the pool. When the other comes around and greets her she pauses and looks down right confused. Morgana tilts her head then lowers is slightly the way a hound will when it seeks to catch a specific scent or is curious. "you..are..not..another god...Serenity?" Her voice is soft and musical. Her feet are carefully placed one after the other in a slow, very careful forward movement toward the slug and her interesting suit.
Sensing that Serenity is sliding on around him, Kotal Kahn actually tries to move with her to continue to try and defend her with his body. However, one thing that the slug /does/ have over the God of War is that she's certainly a lot slippery than him. Kotal realizes too late that the dancing slug has somehow moved herself right next to him. The Aztec looks ready to wrap Serenity in a hug and peel her away from Morgana if necessary, but rather surprisingly, the siren doesn't launch herself at the colorful mollusk as the Cuachic feared. She looks.. surprised and curious. Definitely good signs, if Morgana looks curious, then that means she's not thinking about being hungry, at least momentarily. Kotal's shoulders deflate and he lowers his arms, for now he just lets Serenity introduce herself, still being watchful about Morgana doing any sudden movements though. The rusty-copper-colored eyes follow Morgana as she begins to approach. Ren's gaze and rhinophores dip just briefly to look over her... hair, but Ren quickly snaps eyes back up to the black ones. "No, I'm quite mortal, and frequently reminded of that fact of late," Ren replies, extending 'wings' from the water to gesture outward. Ren then motions a pair of fins toward Kotal, folding lines in them to vaguely hint at an imaginary human arm in a loose sleeve. "It's good to have friends." Ren then inquires, "And what about you?" Its the water and the movement that has Morgana intrigued. Her head tilts again and her eyes narrow. One hand reaches out and moves through the air as if she were feeling something through her palm or trying. "I, am...Morgana...not a god. I am...death....I do not have friends. They have all..gone..all." She frowns as she speaks and for a moment genuine pain fills her features and then is utterly gone with a harsh sound. The softeness leaves her and she draws herself up. "I smell brine, I have known your kin but they never spoke as you or look as you. They were small...prey. "
Although he knows all this, as the War God told Morgana before, he is no God of Healing and can only really speculate about all these things. At worst he is completely powerless to heal, and at best, all he can do is rely on his friends like Serenity. The Aztec winces when Morgana suggests that mollusk like Serenity are prey and he moves in between the two aquatic beings. "Might I suggest we move this conversation to the water where you two might be more comfortable?"
The siren turns her eyes to Kotal and narrows her gaze "so long as you do not try to drag me out again by this thing" she motions to the collar. Morgana looked at the slug briefly then back to the man. She turns toward the pool, dismissing the pair before taking a quick upward leap, then bending forward into a jack knife and shifting into her natural siren form before she hits the water with a splash and disappears into its depths.
As Serenity questions to change of atmosphere, Kotal turns to explain her just as Morgana leaps into the indoor pool and shifts into her mermaid form. The Cuachic shifts back a little to avoid the splash and continue speaking to the colorful mollusk. "She is a siren, you see. A vampiric one at that. Her soul, heart and mind are all tainted to the very core. I thought it best that you speak with her..she might be able to relate to you better than most, Serenity."
"I can do better than simply that." He tells Serenity and grabs a somewhat undignified -but efficient- snorkel. Placing it on his face, the Aztec deity follows along and slides down into the waters feet first, floating just below the surface of the pools so he can still breath through his snorkel while still being fully submerged. As Morgana might expect though, it'll take him a moment to realize that the siren is singing and actively trying to enthrall Serenity. Hopefully the colorful slug has a way to resist a siren's call at least until Kotal can realize what is Morgana trying to do. Serenity pours out through the interface between the brackish wintergreen-scented water and the seawater, unceremoniously sliding into the pool in a compact shape and then spreading undulatory fins out in a loose halo. Well, perhaps it's a bit ceremonious. Ren does make a somersault to dissipate the momentum, making a smooth roll that flutters rhinophores and mane of feathery gills in the process. As for the singing, Ren doesn't display any resistance to magic (or to a sometime-humanoid dressed in her own hair). Ren inclines the 'antennae' towards Morgana attentively. Ren makes a fast flutter to the bottom to be level with her, then begins to cautiously drift closer. Morgana watches the slug slide into the water and shift the swirl of those gills and all her other soft wiggly parts. The sirens voice fills the water, growing in substance, the tones so clear and ringing, the sweet pain they hold calling to Serenity, urging her to come, to sooth the pained loneliness in the siren as only her touch can. As Ren reaches out, Morgana reaches out to touch her, curling fingers around what she can reach and drawing that soft form closer.
It is no secret to any that he has grown quite fond of the colorful slug, and just as he has said numerous times, he will defend her from anything he perceives as a threat. To see the dancing mollusk hurt in any way shape or form is simply unacceptable, even more so when its directly under Kotal's vigilant eyes. However, Kotal knows that he can't keep Morgana bound forever.. or rather, its not that he can't, its that he shouldn't. If she is to be of any use to him, she must learn to control her hunger, and thus he gives the siren the benefit of the doubt and refrains from making the collar lock her up in place. Rest assured, if it looks like Morgana is so much as baring her fangs on Serenity, he is ready to force choke the siren. Serenity remains respectfully quiet for the performance, initially ignoring the snorkeling colleague to approach Morgana. Ren partly matches her posture, folding tail end parallel with the floor of the pool with forward end still curved into a vertical posture. Ren slips closer with a gentle undulation of the fins, listening with with an expression of rapt attention that shifts to one of sympathy as she extends her arm. Ren reaches out with a pair of fins, scalloping vaguely hand- and finger like projections from the forward edge to grasp Morgana's reaching hand.
Serenity seems not to have much of a mental association between excellent vocalists and people-eaters, and perhaps for this reason shows none of the reluctance displayed while waiting for Kotal to open his room. Ren loses the finger-shaped scallops to allow the pair of fins to slide through Morgana's fingers, letting the paired sheets of ultramarine muscle to extend behind Morgana. Aiming to offer her a comforting hug without getting too far into the new acquaintance's personal space, Ren twists halfway to keep the tail end lower and parallel with the bottom of the pool, a middle portion vertical and facing Morgana's side and head end vertical and facing the same direction as Morgana. For the first time since she has been here, the siren has been able to ignore Kotals presence, focusing her entire being on the slug girl. As she slides closer, Morgana lets her other arm flow forward to encourage the bright swimmer to come into her embrace. That song fills the water, even poor Kotal might feel its pull but weather the war god succums, the siren cares not, just now. As Ren moves closer the siren sings more, louder, more poinient and needfull if thats possible. Dark eyes find Rens rust colored ones. Those eyes , the bright colors of the slugs body bring alive an ancient memory of warm clear waters, sun dappled sea weed and the bright flashes of colorfull fins of mer-kin darting about, dancing with the sunlight, singing their joy just be alive. Even as that memory awakens, a surge of hunger rises in her, not just the usual ache that never sleeps in her but a fierce need that makes her fingers curl and talons become exposed. TORN....between the frenzy and memory, light and dark. Her song is sharply cut short as for that moment a choice is made. The siren shrieks a long pained discordant sound that sounds like nails on a chalk board. No doubt it causes those in her waters pain but it serves to break the sirens spell even as Morgana turns sharply, grabbing the slug, turning in the water and shoving Ren forcibly away. In that moment she tries to get the gentle child of the water far from herself. Spinning in the waters she violently launches herself at Kotal. She knows the war god has resisted her before but at least if she connects with HIM, she has not harmed the bright sea child.
What /does/ end up breaking the Aztec's concentration is the siren's piercing shriek though. The warrior shakes his head, a look of worry passing over his face before he focuses again on what Morgana is doing, moments away from squeezing the collar to choke her. But when his gaze manages to readjust back on the dancing and singing merfolk, he sees an unexpected sight. Morgana is coming straight for him! Kotal grins behind his snorkel despite himself. If Morgana is actually picking her targets now it means that she is at last managing to resist her taint somewhat. The hunger gnaws at her but she rather attack Kotal than Serenity. This is very good.. Except for the fact that the Aztec now has a frenzied shark mermaid launching herself at him. Fortunately for all involved, the God of War is unlikely prey to be sought even underwater. As Morgana surges for him, Kotal flings a powerful fist upwards that blasts water out of the poor and into the outside room, essentially catapulting Morgana out of her pool to put her back on dry land. Serenity's rhinophores droop as Morgana continues her melody. Still not speaking, or even dancing- as Serenity might be inclined to do during a song, Ren gives her a gentle squeeze around the back along with a sad smile. The verdigris eyes remain on the deep black ones... until the song comes to an abrupt end. The shriek, coupled with a crushing grip on the fins has Serenity taking an instant protective posture. Ren quickly shrinks from a more sinuous shape to a compact ovoid, pulling rhinophores in and away from the danger. But being shoved away was apparently not what Ren feared. Ren just hangs motionless with eyes glued to the tail of the rapidly receding threat. And then comes another threat -an invisible one- in the form of a hydrostatic shock. Ren doesn't have time to flinch before nor anywhere to escape afterwards, but is left hanging the same spot some fifteen feet down, surrounded by a growing translucent cloud. Morgana's eyes narrow on Kotal as she speeds toward him. When he lifts his fist she braces herself for what she is sure to come next, the squeezing of her throat by the collar. That how ever isnt what happens at all and Morgana has no way to prepair for what does. The blast of water stuns her as it drives into her body and lifts her physically out of the pool and sends her flying into the room beyond. Its with a rather sick thud that she lands on the stone floor, shoulder and hip first, tail fins flopping, looking much like what she is, a fish out of water. The mans action had come at such a surprise that the sire didn't even have a chance to shift to her more human form before ending up on land, such that it is. Water drips off everything around her and she shakes her head, as if trying to clear it from the force of that hit by the water.
Kotal spits out his snorkel and allows his weight to carry him down to the depths of the pool where he kneels next to the immobile Serenity. Attuning with her chi, he senses that she received some bludgeoning damage when she was tossed aside, and is suffering from some internal bruising because of it. As one might expect, the slug is quite physically fragile. These wounds could be fatal if not treated soon, but Kotal has no intention of rushing her to a hospital, it might be too late by then. Although the Aztec is no God of restoration, he does have some minor healing powers, after all, he is powered by the sun itself, life giver of all there is. He raises his hand even whilst underwater and makes a tight fist. Morgana might be able to see that sunlight shines right through the stone ceiling of Kotal's room and down into the pool, washing upon Serenity's injured form. There, the sun rays begin to knit all the wounds the slug received together, healing her for as long as she stays under the warm sun ray. Serenity is indeed suffering from a bit of bruising in the fins and midsection, and a most uncomfortable feeling in the gut, but doesn't seem to be the victim of bubbles in the blood as a human might. The more unfortunate shock appears to be the mental one... There is also the small issue of being unable to breath properly. Rather than stay where Kotal began to shine the healing rays, Ren seems to be in a hurry to get to clear water. Ren lengthens as much as possible and twists in a knotting motion while quickly scraping at the skin of the abdomen with fin edges. In a few moments, Ren is wriggling away from a translucent mass of jelly some six feet in diameter and crackling with some very impolite expressions of frustration and disgust. The Siren though nearly immortal and hard to kill, can still be hurt and being bodily thrown any where and landing hard is gona be decidedly uncomfortable. Morgana shifts, her tail scales shimmering then receding as it forms her legs. When those legs are fully formed she pushes up with a groan , sliding back on the wet floor to lean against the far wall. She draws those legs up against her chest and wraps her arms around them, holding herself tightly in place. She is not badly damaged but the clawing hunger still rides her and other then making another attack on Kotal, she is at a loss for how to bring it back under control. Kotal inwardly chuckles when he sees Serenity making all those impolite and disgusted expression -- a sure sign that she seems to be out of danger. Apparently the sun ray healed her enough that she can swim out of the pool through her own will power and having done its job, Kotal makes a dismissive wave of his hand to call back the powered ray of sun. He wipes some of Serenity's slime out of his own body and swims upwards along with Serenity, making sure to help her get back inside her bubble once they make it out to the surface. The Aztec shakes his head and actually takes off his soaking wet helmet, squeezing the eagle feathers to dry them off the excess of water. Seeing Morgana in such poor condition, he approaches her, ceremonial dagger drawn out, and slices open his own palm to feed the siren some of that Godly strong blood, dripping it down towards her mouth. "That went better than expected." Says the dripping wet God, rather strangely. Serenity doesn't meet Kotal's eyes on the way up, appearing mortified, shocked, relieved or some droop-inducing combination of all of those. All the same, Ren does accept the boost toward the surface. Nearing it, Ren pours upward through the environment-suit forcefield where it touches the water. Ren then twists to see where Kotal is going, eyes following him to Morgana. A portion of a trailing edge disengages the 'park' mode on the disc, but Ren looks inclined to continue lying horizontally just above the poolside. Morgana is all to aware of the movement in the pool and out of it as Kotal helps Ren up and into her suit. She does not bother to raise her head or look directly at either of them. Her fingers did into her own arms as she forces herself to stillness. Surely oblivion would have been easier, an end to this hunger, an end to the pain and madness . When Kotal lifts that dagger she lays her head on her folded arms, hair falling to the sides exposing the place where neck and shoulders meet. Let him strike and be done with this. The scent of blood brings her head up and her eyes meet his. Those dark eyes do not show him welcome. His offer of blood brings to her mind why she dislikes him. He seeks to feed her from hand as if she were some pet to be tamed. She would prefer to hunt, prefer to take her pound of flesh the way she was ment to and not to have it doled out bit by bit when he feels benevolent. If she could resist him she would, but with the frenzy of hunger upon her , the blood is to much to turn down, so in humiliation the siren lifts her mouth and parts her lips, allowing the man to spill his potent blood to at least quiet the chaos in her.
"I put you in tremendous danger for the sake of an experiment, Serenity. For that, I beg your forgiveness." "Rest assured, I will never seek to do so again. Your life, is far too valuable for a simple test." He closes his hand, forcing the blood to cease flowing down to the waiting siren, hoping that she's satisfied for now at least. "But at the very least our friend here show some signs of improvement." The way that the Cuachic may look and sound condescending, though he does so only because he realizes the siren has a condition. It's half treating her like a wild beast, and half treating her as someone with a sickness. Both are true. "What are your thoughts about her, Serenity?" Other than the obvious that is. "Do you think there is hope for her?" Serenity 'blinks' at the feeding, remaining quiet for a few moments more. Ren then shifts to a standing pose while surreptitiously checking sides for any remaining strands of slime. Serenity frowns and raises a portion of fin to ruffle the upper portions of the maine of gill-feathers. "Kotal," Ren hisses, sounding more confused than accusing, "I would very much appreciate an explanation at the earliest opportunity. For example, why you have a roommate who wants to attack you, what she was screaming about, and possibly why I was hugging a stranger at whom you were making worried looks before we'd even had our first conversation." Ren then adds in an even less-confident tone, "Hhh... and what *is* the danger for which you are apologizing? Morgana drinking *my* blood?" Morgana knew the man who stood over her was certainly not appologising to HER. She accepts the softly trickling flow of blood into her mouth. The hot ,poten god blood swallowed and nearly instantly absorbed by the sirens body. She can feel the warmth of that power suffuse her , warming her from the inside out. The clawing frenzy quieting, her hunger not fully gone but then it never truely is. She licks her mouth clean even as he heals himself. The condesending tone, the discussion of her as if she were simply a thing anoying her. What difference does being restrained mean if this was to be her life? The clarity of that moment in her mind had her remembering another time and one who trusted her, adored her, loved her. Her brow knits at her memory and she lowers her head again tucking her face into her arms as a singular tear spills to trace along her cheek.
The God of War is a poor deity to show remorse and sadness. Kotal Kahn, also known as Huitzilopotchli, is no God of mercy, or kindness. Though the Aztec can sense Morgana's despair, her longing for another life long lost, he can do little to console her. Not only does he not know how to, he literally can't, it goes beyond his understanding. Kotal doesn't have the freedom of a mortal and is limited to aspects that pertain his domain of war. A warrior's heart must always be strong and though he feels sympathy for Morgana, he has no way of expressing it. All he does is stare down as the siren curls into a ball, looking at her with impassive glowing golden eyes before turning back to Serenity. "Of course, explanation are in order." Says the Cuachic as he kicks his helmet back up and places it back on his head, making him look somber once again. "It pertains the announcement I made in TASK about Diablo's new bodyguard, Alucard." "Never before had I fought such a powerful vampire, and I was at a loss of what to do since he can tap into his full power at will, without having to worry of Twisted's restrictions. I beseeched the Ancient Ones after that and sent to me her.." He motions to Morgana. "She shares the same taint as Alucard, dare I say, it manifests in a far more pure way in her than it does on Vlad the Impaler." "I brought her here because I thought if I found a way to cure her of her vampire taint, I could also find a way to somehow diminish Alucard's power. Surely you realize that my intentions are good despite my heavy handed nature. I seem to lack the tact for these things.. and I can be very impatient when people who need my help refuse to cooperate." And as for the danger that Serenity was in.. he glances back at the weeping Siren. "Hmm.. it is more likely she would have tried to eat you whole. She eats her victims' flesh along with the blood, just look at what she did to the fish I brought her." Kotal potions to the piles of fish bones littering the edges of the pool. Serenity regards Morgana with a concerned expression while Kotal explains, the frown deepening as he continues. Ren glances to the bones as they are pointed out, then turns eyes up to Kotal. "Hhhh... I'm not especially upset at the danger, as you can clearly protect us from that as much as anyone here... while you are paying attention." Ren stretches out briefly while starting to move closer to Kotal, though keeps him between Ren and Morgana. "But I don't like being ignorant." Ren looks briefly to Morgana and back up to Kotal, pausing to 'stand' a short distance from them. "...Also, you're terrible at delivering bad news." Serenity looks toward the door. "Is there someplace we can all talk without risk of bites or futher explosions?"
Serenity peeks around Kotal as Morgana speaks accusingly. "It doesn't sound as though the kitchen is going to solve this, unless your latest shopping trip included some new items." Ren leans to the side to address Morgana around the protective barrier, also sinking closer to horizontal to match her current height. "You are speaking of a literal hunger, Morgana? Perhaps we could come up with a..." Ren seems to consider this a moment before finishing in an uncertain tone, "...cow?" Morgana snarls and lifts her head as Ren speaks of cows. She bares a mouth full of jagged needle like teeth. Her eyes narrow and her fingers curl and flex, exposing her talons. "my hunger know no end, even when I had fed upon the great charybdis' flesh and blood and there was not but bones. The stronger the life the greater the feed and still it does not stop. This ones blood has offered some respite but not enough to quiet it fully. I am death and I am sorrow. Go , leave me to suffer in piece before you join chorybdis in oblivion!" Her eyes move to Kotal "take her from me, war god, protect what call friend and leave me to my pool and peace till I no longer crave to bath in her ichor!"
With a sigh and a shake of his head, Kotal accedes to Morgana's demands. "Fine.. it will be as you wish." Says the Cuachic and turns to escort Serenity out the door. "Come, let us leave her until she has calmed down some." | |
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