Forced Healing pt 1 | ||
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Summary: Is it even possible to heal a vampire? If anyone can accomplish this great deed, it must be the Great Mother herself; the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. |
Having to sneak into his own room at the DMC agency felt somewhat infantile to Kotal Kahn. Not only did he feel that he was much too old to be sneaking into his own home trying to not be seen by the 'paternal' figures. He also shouldn't have the need to sneak around in the place where he lives. Alas, it was for the best for everyone involved that he did so. After some time walking around with Morgana, the Aztec sensed that the mermaid would not be able to support herself on her two fake limbs and ended up having to carry her bridal style. In her starved and somewhat demented state, Morgana seeing any of Kotal's co-workers would just end up in a very problematic altercation. Therefore, Kotal simply opted to go the safe route and sought to sneak Morgana in without anyone seeing her. The turquoise skinned man carried Morgana inside the large building, looked around to make sure that Serenity or Dante weren't around and then went up the stairs to his room where he shut the door and placed the mermaid on a spacious soft bed. It had been decades since Morgana had bothered rouse herself from the sea floor and step out on dry land. She had been a wobbly as a new colt as she try to make her way, hand in hand with the turqoise man. She had not complained at the effort but didnt resist either when the man simply tired of her struggle and scooped her up and carried her. It was a serious strain on the siren not to simply turn her face into his body and take the flesh and blood she achingly craved. Anyone who suffered as she had would surely not be faulted for giving into that need but she resisted at create effort. Of course the effort was some what made easier for that fact that the further she got from the water the uncertain she got that she wanted to be here. She was a siren, a creature of the sea and land was a dangerous place for her. Each step away from the water made her more anxious so that she was too distracted to even think about the building they entered or how a ...GOD, was creeping around like an errant school boy who was late for curfew. When he carried her into his room and set her on the bed she curled her legs under her the same as she had that tail before and rested mostly on one hip and arm. "I..do..not like this place...the sea is to far..do you wish to keep me weak then?"
Surely, Dante and Amaterasu would have no problems fending Morgana off even if she were at full power, but Kotal was also looking out for Serenity's safe, the happy dancer had once described herself as having all the strength and fighting prowess of a wet sponge and the Aztec would prefer not to test her capabilities with a starved mermaid shark. Kotal looked through the pile of artifacts that he kept and pulled out what looked like a thick collar with a D-ring. He regarded the thing closely and then moved over to the mermaid on his bed, leaning down towards her to clamp the metal collar around her neck. Morgana watches with those inscrutable dark eyes as the man searched for something amid a cast off pile of what look to her to be assorted junk. She didnt trust him, or anyone to be honest and had not lived so long or survived the frenzy by being stupid and weak. When he found what ever it was he was looking for and came to her with it open and out streched, she recoiled with a hisss and a swipe of exposed talon like claws. "No!... You will not!" She twisted herself, dark hair spilling over the bed like silken cloth. The naked siren attempting to get away from that offending article. "I am no dog." she shreeks, though not to her fullest ability or surely a few windows in the place would be compromised.
Kotal Kahn brings his left arm for a sideways block, stopping Morgana's arm by hitting it with his outer forearm and then coils his own arm around her to pull her forward closer to him, using her own move against her by yanking her through her extended limb. "This is not for your benefit." He says as the siren struggles to resist her collaring, finally managing to do so through some effort that may involve pinning her again. "It is for everyone else that lives here." "Until you prove to me that you are able to control your urges, I cannot allow you to run freely and antagonize the residents of this building." "If you were to hurt any of my friends I would be most displeased with you." The siren writhes like a fish on a hook. She squirms and thrashes and hisses into the mans face when he yet again is able to over power her. Were she fed, were she as she should be, the man would have far more reason to be warry of her. She was not something to be trifled with. She had survived the frenzy, she had out swam, out fought, out hunted and out lived every other being in Nox. This was no mean feat. And yet, her decades of languishing had left her pitifully weakened. Even though the dark waters of Nox had be choked with the tainted bloods they did not sustain her as they once did and she had become a shadow of what she was decades before, some of this of couse had been intentional, she had given up and willed herself to die. Yet here she was struggling for life and fighting to no be made even less then. Shaking her head as the rude steal collar was snapped around her neck she spat defiance at the man "God or no, you will die if you seek to abuse me. I will eat your heart with the greatest of pleasure and use your skull for a drinking vessel!"
While he does dismiss her threats very casually, it seems that Kotal really doesn't intend to abuse of Morgana in the sense that she might fear. Kotal doesn't have the power over the DMC building that Dante has, though when his room was built he was granted full control of how to shape his own room. Being a very experienced magic practitioner, Kotal was able to pick this art up easily and master it, allowing him to now shape his room as he sees fit. He makes ripping motions with his hands to the air, and the floor before him parts to create a large spacious hole. Then, he makes a raising motion and the chasm begins to fill with sea water, making for a very effective indoor pool. "The collar you have now will only prevent you from biting or singing if I deem it unnecessary." He says turning to face her, "That is your only restriction as far as I am concerned. I intend for you to live comfortably besides that, so that you may one day mayhap recover your sanity." "My leader, Dante, might have some other concerns about you that will need to be addressed though. I will have to speak to him about you in due time." Morgana scowls at the man as he simply latches the thing in place and moves away from her. Eyes narrowed, she shoves herself up on the bed and tosses that mass of dark hair back over her shoulder. She fingers the collar with distain and sighs her irritation. So the man has in effect muzzled her like a hound. She bares a mouth full of teeth and for a moment simply invisions his chest torn assunder and her up to her elbows in his gore. It is only when he starts flailing his arms that she is brought back from her dark bloody thoughts and she watches him form this pool in the floor from nothing. Neat trick, but that doesnt make her like him. "I thought you said you were a god Kahn, and yet, you skulk about like a child, you say you must beg permission from another for what you want, poor god you seem to be" for a creature that has been all teeth and little sense to this point she has a certain sharpness of tounge it would seem and some wit.
"I am naught but the God of War; battle, destruction, strength, honor, discipline. All these things are in my domain. I can sense every fight happening from universes away, and I hear the voices of my supplicants everywhere when they address me by any name." "But that is all I can do. I cannot mend, I cannot heal, I cannot protect, nor restore nor rejuvenate.." "Being a God is a very restricting thing. I lack the freedom that mortals have.." "I am in need of them, just as I am in need of the likes of you." She doesn't like him, whats worse is his being tickles old memories of another she liked even less and it does not help his cause. Her head tilts to the side though and she watches that moment of rueful thoughtfulness and it pulls at her. For all her starvation fueled madness she is having moments of clarity and they hurt. Memorys, faces from long ago, small flashes of emotion she had thought had died. Pushing herself to the edge of the bed she rose to her feet and straightens herself up. The light caught her pale skin and made it shimmer softly as she stepped toward the opening in the floor and the waters now there. Peering into the depths she makes a small sound "it is not the sea , but it smells ..fresh..and properly briney. It seems deep enough to rest in with some comfort." It is all she is able to offer him, she is not a social creature, and so nicetys are still beyond her. She can not be greatful yet for what has befallen her for it seems only a breath better then what she had before and she is not certain still if oblivion would not have been better.
Civility is not something that will come easily to the siren who seems to have no tact whatsoever. But it is fine for Kotal, who will simply continue to treat her like an animal until she proves that she isn't one. He approaches behind her silently and with a rather unceremonious move, pushes her into the waters by kicking her lightly in the rear. A demeaning method to shove her in, though its yet another tool he can use to establish his position over her. With a clench of his fist, he bids the building to drop the live fish he was holding in the kitchen for that day's dinner, filling Morgana's pool with living things that she probably hadn't seen in ages. He'll just have to buy more fish later. For now, he simply lets her feast to gather her strength while he goes back to his bed and prepare to sleep the rest of the night. THE LAIR OF THE WAR GOD AKA Kotal Kahn's room.
Naturally, Huitzilopotchli's first thought was to go get his good friend; the sun goddess Amaterasu. Because who better than to restore a darkened soul than great mother herself? Life giver and restorer of all. Surely her warm light would touch the creature's cold, horrid heart once again. Having slipped out of his room while Morgana slumbered, Kotal had gone to inform Amaterasu that there was someone she needed to meet. He enters his room first with the wolf in tow, peeking warily inside first just to make sure Morgana isn't laying there in wait to try and ambush them.
Whatever Kotal might have told Morgana about the sun goddess Amaterasu, what enters Kotal's room is... a wolf. A white wolf, though those with supernatural power can see she is much more. A white wolf, with red markings on her coat, and winglike tufts of fur at her front flanks and her ankles. The tip of her tail is stained black, as if it's been dipped in ink. And a large green bronze disk, slowly spins over her back, burning with a calm fire. The wolf does have a kind of warmth about her that seems to radiate in the space around her. Like the sun on a spring day when it's not too hot, just warm enough to be pleasant. Oddly, she doesn't smell like a dog. The scent of cool grass and fresh flowers surrounds her. She's not alone, either. There's a small, glowing speck upon her head, an inch or so tall, that looks like it's wearing a bug-shaped hat or helmet. And it speaks as they enter. A squeaky male voice with a brash tone sounds out, "All right, Morning Glory. What's this fix you got yourself into?"
She was not out right starving any more but a little god blood and a few fish would not fix the damage of decades of starvation. The collar that felt like an anchor around her neck annoyed her more than anything and someday, she may well see the war god dead and his innards her play thing and feast. Kotal first sent a grumble Issun's way for his boldness of giving him an insufferable nickname. He narrowed his eyes at the little flea man, looking more bored than annoyed and gave a snort. Though its somewhat fitting, Kotal still would have preferred something a little more intimidating.
Issun seems utterly unconcerned by Kotal's displeasure at the nickname. Though in his case it's probably obliviousness, he rarely seems aware of much that doesn't directly concern him in the moment. Amaterasu doesn't seem to bother herself with the smell of the room, though she doesn't get near the pool. Since uh. Water. Amaterasu doesn't swim very well!
The siren was not asleep, merely resting and when she felt the tug of that collar she fumes. She would feast on the war gods heart. How dare he pull the blasted thing on her neck as if she were some hound to summon at his will! A sigh spills from her and sends bubbles up into the water. Annoyed at the tug and unwilling to allow the man to force her up to the surface, she lifts herself, rising in the water and breaking the surface with a hard rush, quite intentionally sending a gout of water toward the bodies she was already aware of in the room. Funny thing with water, vibrations pass through it quite well and most aquatic predators are wondrous at reading those vibrations.
As Kotal senses that a very irritated Morgana is coming to the surface, Kotal Kahn shines a sun ray through the ceiling to act as a barrier right in front of him and Ammy, turning the splash of water sent their way into harmless mist. He waves his hand and the sun light retreats back, but he is still taking some precautions despite not leaving the light barrier around. "Careful, my lady. I placed a restrictive collar on her neck so she is unable to sing. However she can still be quite ravenous." Kotal then glances to Morgana to address her directly, "Morgana. This is Lady Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun. I believe she might be able to help you." The Aztec then nods to Issun giving him his cue to herald Ammy properly.
The siren is introduced... and Amaterasu sniffs at her. And immediately whuffs as if something unpleasant's gotten into her nose, shaking her head and emitting a growl. It's not aimed at the siren, no. And it's probably not the siren personally that's aggravated her nose, but the darkness Kotal was speaking of. Issun on the other hand? "Hi there babe! Name's Issun, the Wandering Artist! The furball is Ammy!" So much for 'heralding his goddess properly'. "You seem like you got some problems! Don't worry though! We'll figure out a way to help you!"
The War God has been very accommodating thus far with the siren too, giving her plenty of leeway on her actions. He's fed her, taken for her, given her a home and introduced her to people that may be able to help her with her disease. Kotal would like to give Morgana the benefit of the doubt and think that his generosity is making her at least think somewhat rationally again. Instead; Morgana opts for the unwise decision to try and enthrall Amaterasu through a siren song. If it where /anybody/ else, Kotal might just let that happen to see if Morgana mayhap has better intentions for her singing victim, but since this is Lady Amaterasu we are talking about, his very patron goddess, Kotal takes absolute zero risks and moves in to save the white wolf, and by extension Issun too. Just as he sees that Morgana is singing those hypnotizing tunes, the Aztec makes a movement with his hand and the magical collar on the siren's neck gives her a good shake to break her singing concentration. "As I said.. stop acting in beastly manners, Morgana."
Issun is rather instantly struck by the beauty of the music. He sort of just... stops what he's doing. It's really hard to tell, but he's quite entranced. Even Amaterasu seems affected by it, and lowers her head. She seems like she's going to start to walk towards Morgana... And then something changes. Whether it's Kotal's interrupting of the skill or Amaterasu reasserting her will, she suddenly shakes her head, as if clearing something from her ears. A whine follows that turns into an annoyed growl. It's not an angry one, just annoyed. In the meantime Issun just sort of.... falls off Amaterasu's head. As he does, the wolf-goddess picks him up in her mouth and steps back, to make sure he's out reach. Considering he's sort of @_@ right now...
Could and being able to are two very different things. If Kotal could cleanse Morgana's spirit with a gesture he would too, and yet as this realm has demonstrate ample amounts of times, there are many things that are beyond even the grasp of a God. Kotal doesn't share the anger that flashes over Morgana's eyes. He seems to be sad, and he lowers his head, sighing in disappointment like a frustrated parent with an unruly child. Although he can read chi and magic quite easily thanks to his powers, Kotal is notoriously bad at reading feelings. Warriors such as himself are trained in steeling their hearts and feeling no emotion, no fear or doubt in the face of danger. As such, the Aztec is quite good at resisting Morgana's allure seeing that he can't even understand it in a fundamental level. Morgana feels sad and only his presence can comfort her? Too bad, the God of War has no sympathy for such supplicants. But this is why it pays to have friends. Surely the Sun Goddess would be able to discern what ails this siren better. "She uses her song to attract hapless victims." Kotal turns to Amaterasu in explanation to what just happens. "Once they are compelled to go to her she feasts on their flesh and blood." "She has tried to do that with everyone she has met thus far, including myself. I see no way of making her stop. What do you make of this, Lady Amaterasu?"
It takes a few moments but eventually Issun starts to move again. "HEY! Getcher foot outta my face!" He starts to bounce, the glow changing to red. "I was havin' a great dream and then you gotta go an' wake me up!"
Rather ironically, Kotal has always been a stickler for good manners and customs. For a War God, and one who is essentially the deity of all things that concern fighting and killing, he's surprisingly polite. Always saying please and thank you and opening doors for people. But it is perhaps for this very reason that he is putting Morgana in a collar. He considers trying to eat him and his friends to be rather tremendous breaches of etiquette, and naturally, there would be some reprimands for that. By now, Kotal has gotten well accustomed to Morgana getting fussy with him. The Aztec looks away from the infuriated siren and focuses on the dizzy Issun just now coming back to. "Issun." His voice rumbles through the room like a faint thunderclap, heard in the distance. "Get a hold of yourself, man." "Lady Amaterasu has need of you to speak for her."
In fact, Amaterasu whuffs gently. "Huh?" Issun pauses. "...Yeah, I guess so..." He looks in Morgana's direction. "So uh... is that how it works? You wanna eat us?" he asks her.
Point is, that even though Huitzilopotchli is a kind leader, he has no time for sympathy, even less so when those who wallow in their own self pity dare to throw challenges at him. "Do not posture, Morgana. It is unbefitting of one as ancient as yourself." "You know quite well I could end you any time I wish." It is not said as a threat, Kotal is simply stating what appears to be a irrefutable fact. "Killing you has never been my intention. It is why I have gone to such lengths to try and help you cleanse your soul. I wish you could understand this." He turns to Amaterasu and her speaker. "My lady, you know much of purification rites. Would there be a way to at least restore Morgana's sanity if the taint cannot be fully removed from her?"
Amaterasu takes a step forward at Morgana's words, and emits a firm bark! She even seems to glow a bit, the flames on her disk burning more brightly for a moment. Issun pauses again. "Ammy said no, that oblivion won't heal you. It would erase you. Only those who are beyond hope deserve oblivion. Those who deserve it never seek it except to drag others with them." Issun sigh. "...That was a really strong thought...." As for purification? Issun hmmmms. "I don't think Ammy could do anything strong enough to fix her instantly, even at full power." Amaterasu shakes her head. "But, if she were at her full power, she might be able to do SOMETHING..." Amaterasu whuffs in Morgana's direction. Issun blinks again, and asks Morgana, "How'd you end up like this, anyway? Ammy doesn't think you were born this way, if you wanna die so bad." Sagging in the water Morgana let her head fall sligtly forward even as her body lowers till only her neck and head are out of the water. Kotals words and attitude seem to only make her oddly tired. "so typical, you warriors, you hear what you wish, do what you wish, threaten and demand. I wish you would do it and I would be free. Free of you, free of hunger, free of sorrow , free of it all. " What did gods know of suffering anyway. Had the great warrior felt the madness of hunger and startvation till he fell upon those he loved most, unable to sleep or do anything but blindly feed till everything in his wake was ruin? Yes she was a beast when the frenzy was upon her but she knew what she did after, knew the faces of those she fed on, knew names and remembered,...remembered all, untill the madness came and took it away again. When the little bug speaks she sighs and moves across the pool to give herself distance, she would go benieth but she didnt doubt that, that blue bastard would drag her up by the collar again. The bugs words make her want to scream, surely nothing was better. She hears the talk but keeps silent and only speaks again when the question is put to her. Her mind is clouded with hunger still, the memorys jumbled like so many childs blocks. "it was long ago, I know not how long but, many ages. I was different, I remember sometimes. " She shakes her head and with a harsh sound smashes the water in frustration. " I know the thoughts, but the memorys will not come and what comes is pain...."
Kotal is an Aztec after all, and if Morgana knew who the Aztecs were, then she would know just exactly what kind of despair and suffering Kotal Kahn has gone through. She is doing a fair bit of assuming herself too as the Cuachic can tell, but to tell her all that would only frustrate her and make her that more unreasonable. The Cuachic allows her to believe what she wills for now, if her self-pity makes her feel better then that is wholly her own decision and he would be remiss to take that from her. That he felt forced to put her in a collar annoys him enough as it is. Perhaps one day Morgana will know all the history behind Huitzilioptochli, just as he suspects that one day he and Amaterasu will know all that needs to be known about this strange mermaid. "That I can understand." Says Kotal strangely when Morgana begins to look frustrated in an attempt to remember. "Relieving painful memories is always a challenging endeavor." "Mayhap I can suggest that we take this retelling of Morgana's story slowly. If all goes well she'll be staying with us for a while and I imagine that the healing process will take quite some time." He nods to the siren. "Morgana, feel free to relate your tale when it is comfortable. You have gone through enough pain already for us to force more upon you." Kotal thinks that Amaterasu would understand his reasoning behind that decision.
Another 'hmmm' from Issun. "Well, at least we have that it was a long time. That helps. Ammy will need to get the rest of her power back before she can help you much... but if we have some clues how it happened, we might be able to do something about it! Probably not all at once, if it was that long ago... but she might be able to at least dampen it a little." Amaterasu nods to Kotal's words, and emits a low whine. Issun says, "Ammy's having some of that herself. It's like a book, you know? A story she read. She knows the events of how Orochi was sealed, but can't remember them, you know?" The siren rests in the water with her head bowed and sighs "yes, like a locked box and I can open it only so far before the agony of remembering to much and the madness returns. if it helps, this madness, it is not just hunger but more..." she shakes her head again unable to express more. Frustration leads to anger and lashing out more and she is trying not to, though she doubts anyone knows it. The siren like most preditors is not disposed to willingly show weakness. "if you mean to keep me here Kotal, fish will not sate me..." her words are soft, no demand, no poking at the blue man, only as much sense she can give him about her needs. If he truly wants to help her then he needs to find a way to quell the frenzy brought on by the hunger.
"I know." Kotal says thoughtfully and apparently to both Amaterasu and Morgana. He lowers his head, the beak of his eagle knight helmet covering the glow of his golden eyes while he's having a pensive moment. After briefly debating things internally, the Aztec lifts his gaze again and regards both Morgana and Amaterasu. "I am certain that you can handle whatever it is that the waters of Twisted hold, Morgana. I would offer that we can let you roam the oceans when the your hunger gnaws too fiercely, on the promise that you return to us when you can momentarily quench your thirst." "I suspect you can imagine why Amaterasu and I cannot let you simply be free. You are the kind of creature that we normally would slay, after all."
Kotal's words get a nod from Amaterasu, and she makes a grumble. "A lot of the things in Nippon that had the same problems as you do... they tended to cause some serious problems and not really care who they hurt. You're hurting too, though, and they call furball here 'Mother to All'! So that means she wants to help you, for however long you wanna be helped." Morgana takes a long and very visible breath and lets it out. She turns her head and simply looks over her shoulder at those behind her. She hasn't come far enought to offer thanks for the allowance of life and survival especially not when she didnt truely wish to . How ever she doesnt offer any further prodding of the war god and looks to the wolf and bug. She turns more to regard them , in near still silence for a long moment then answers "I do not know that I want help, my mind is not my own often but solitude is not something I seek and yet I can not keep from trying to devour all those near. Perhaps that is a wanting of sorts." She sighs and looks to the bug knowing it was his question not the wolfs she answers next "to the hunger, not all life is equal, a snail is not a fish, a fish is not a whale, a whale is not a man and a man is not a god...."
It is why Kotal nods in understanding and knows that Morgana suffers not only from hunger, but from solitude as well, a side effect to her unending lusting for blood. "As I told you before, Morgana. Here you will want none for companionship. You now have people that care for you, co-workers, friends and allies." "Just as Lady Amaterasu said, you do not deserve the abyss that you desperately seek. The Old Ones brought you to us for a reason, and I believe it is to help us rejuvenate this land, just as we will restore back your soul and sanity." "Rest for now and know you are amongst powerful allies. Ones that will allow you to overcome this hunger at long last." | |
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