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Post by Mark Angelus Fri on Feb 23, 2013 18:10:20 GMT -5
Hours seemed to pass like minutes for Mark, whose thoughts seemed to preoccupy him. Yet no matter how much time passed by he wasn't able to work anything out...
Whenever he came even close to justifying their next move he was stung with the guilt of leaving his friend behind. What did the rest of the group think about it? Were they disgusted?
Soon the sun began to set and Mark wasn't anywhere closer to figuring out what they needed to do. He had tried contacting Heaven, but when nobody answered it only seemed to spell more and more bad news - gods know what story that damned god was spinning to the rest of the council.
He stared off as night surrounded him, it was so peaceful... it was nice. Who knows how many more peaceful nights Allorum would have.
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Post by shanira on Feb 25, 2013 21:45:56 GMT -5
Shanira had plenty of time to mull over her situation, though the more she thought about it in the hours that passed the more confused she became. She found herself riddled with questions for Solaris--or Mark--things that she found she may actually needed answers to before she came to a final judgement.
She found him sitting alone, and knowing that the smart thing would have been to have given her own superiors in Heaven some kind of info on this but instead she acted on the idea that should anything turn sour, she was "awesome enough" to deal with it somehow on her own. That and she had her own drama troubles up above herself that she really was keen on avoiding.
"Hey, do you...have a moment? " she spoke to him.
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Post by Mark Angelus Fri on Feb 26, 2013 14:09:59 GMT -5
"Huh?" Shanira's words snapped Mark away from his thoughts. He turned and looked at Shanira before nodding, "I have a moment, yeah."
He could still picture the face of shock she had when she heard the name 'Solaris'. Mark expected whatever she had to say wasn't going to make his night much better.
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Post by shanira on Feb 26, 2013 17:19:42 GMT -5
Getting her confirmation, Shanira wasted no time first glancing around to make sure she and Mark were alone. She looked at him while she pulled her sword out, making an obvious show of her tossing it aside completely out of her reach as though she were going into some kind of peaceful negotiation and wanted to ensure the message 'I don't want this to get messy'. It may not have been necessary, but when it came down to it she hadn't any idea if maybe he was trying to trick her the whole time. If anything, she wanted him to bring his guard down if it came to it, and the only way she could see it happening was if she appeared to let hers go.
She approached him then unarmed, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall while she stared at him analytically, like he was some sort of puzzle she was trying to figure out.
"I...have a question, actually. I feel like I said something earlier that might have...'ruffled feathers' so to speak," she shrugged as she tried to find a good way to word everything, she wasn't really much for talking, she was more for action, "and I mean not to, I'd like to ease some tension, so I'd be grateful if you obliged me here. Why does Solaris, a god, come to Allorum to be some angelic commander leading this crew against someone like Duo?"
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Post by Mark Angelus Fri on Feb 26, 2013 17:52:19 GMT -5
"I'd be lying if I said that the only reason I came here was because I was ordered to..." Mark began, not taking his eyes off the full moon that lit up the night, "There are people I care about on this world, and for the first time in a long time I fear I might loose everything..."
He sighed, "I came as an Archangel because the power I wield? It's destructive, I can do terrible things... I have done terrible things."
Finally Mark looked away from the moon and looked over at Shanira, looking her straight into her eyes he spoke, "Are you afraid of what I can do?"
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Post by shanira on Feb 26, 2013 18:28:37 GMT -5
This really was odd, Shanira wasn't aware that Solaris had the capacity to care about anything other than being a destructive menace. Her facial expression changed not a bit as she listened to his answers, noting that he not only acknowledged his own level of terror but somehow the way he spoke made it sound as though he were filled with remorse for it.
He turned to face her, his eyes locking onto hers as he asked his own question to her. Her arms dropped casually, and an unwavering confidence was apparent in her voice as she answered him almost immediately, "No. There is nothing I fear."
She wasn't sure what it was, maybe the cold blue of his eyes making a contrast to her fiery red but it stirred up a sensation deep inside her that was definitely not of fear, but something that insisted on making her heart beat wildly, even despite the knowledge of him being Felios's nemesis. Shanira had not a clue what to make of it.
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Post by Mark Angelus Fri on Feb 26, 2013 18:53:47 GMT -5
"Than it is blood lust I see in your eyes," Mark narrowed his eyes, "You work for Felios, right?" It wasn't too hard to piece together, she worked for the King of Santo-Luce and was from Heaven... it kinda narrowed down the options.
"I know about the fights Solaris and Felios have had, but know this - I am not the Solaris you've been told about. Weird, I know, but I never asked for any of this." Mark was damn near the point of pleading, Solaris had ruined his life over and over.
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Post by shanira on Feb 26, 2013 20:55:42 GMT -5
Her heart pounded louder in her ears as he dropped Felios's name. He knew. For how long she didn't know, maybe since she even appeared on the ship to begin with.
His story, it made no sense. What, did Solaris just decide to have a complete change of heart one day? Venture off to Allorum and hope he'd be left alone for all eternity? Or was this guy actually completely different, like some unfortunate sap who'd been named Solaris? Yeah, right, 'not the Solaris' she'd been told about. His calling her out on seeing the hate in her eyes, the want to spill blood, it was all true. It was true because she'd always known it to be right that Solaris and his allies were evil. Right now Shanira saw her sword several feet away and knew it had to be in her hand, this should really be the moment she ended Heaven's troubles now that she appeared to have Mark in a sensitive state.
Yet there were his words, 'I never asked for any of this', full of anguish and something he seemed desperate to keep hidden. Something pumped in her, a strong urge to physically reach out and pummel him because it was the right thing to do but something conflicted in her mind, his words, tone of voice, the look in his eyes when she first addressed him as 'Solaris', and his demeanour this whole trip and attitude towards her despite knowing she was essentially his enemy and he'd done nothing to harm her. Even now with it out in the open he made no move, but she felt the urge in herself rising.
Her fists clenched, the one that Mark had healed earlier for her still tingling slightly, either because it hadn't fully healed yet or as a subconscious reminder to her, she wasn't sure. But it was there, and she acknowledged it, and being this deadly close to her enemy and glaring in his eyes was making her want to act even more though her brain conflicted with her facts.
He was evil.
He was good.
He was Solaris.
He helped you.
I want him...I want to kill him!
Unable to keep control of herself Shanira's hands shot out at Mark, every intent on delivering the first blow, retrieve her sword, behead him if she moved fast enough. That was all she needed.
Her hands reached the fabric of his shirt and automatically unraveled, instead of punching him she grabbed ahold of him, pulling him in towards her as she moved in, her own actions moving faster than she could process that it almost scared her.
Their lips touched instead. Nice 'attack'
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Post by Mark Angelus Fri on Feb 26, 2013 21:29:33 GMT -5
Whoa Mark thought as she kissed him, is this even really happening?
He couldn't believe it, one second ago they were nearly at the point of physical confrontation and than a moment later, well, it was a different type of physical confrontation.
Perhaps it was just complete shock, but he was frozen for a moment as thousands of thoughts ran through his head...
Shanira was beautiful, Mark thought so the moment he saw her on the warship. She was a great fighter and her personality is something you'll never run into in a million years, hard headed yet so upbeat.
Aside from the blaring reason that they were technically enemies, there was really NO reason why he should push her away. So Mark closed his eyes and told himself that even if this wasn't really happening he was going to enjoy every moment of it.
He pulled her close and returned the kiss.
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Post by shanira on Feb 26, 2013 22:24:36 GMT -5
The thudding in Shanira's chest softened, feeling like though completely unheard of, she'd somehow glitched herself into making the right choice. Her anger quickly dispelled and in the moment that her brain managed to catch up to her body's actions, taking in what was happening she'd wondered how angry Mark might have been with her actions. It was bad enough she'd inadvertently insulted him earlier, now here she was boldly grabbing the crew's commander into a kiss after she'd only barely started getting to know him.
It didn't matter to her, though. He was brave and fun, hotter than the pits of hell and built like a mountain, and though it may have been him honestly just being respectful, she felt just a liiiiittle bit special when he called her "Lady Shanira", given her problems with her fellow guardians who she usually just fought with. It was nice to have things they didn't.
As Mark pulled her in closer she felt as though in ecstasy, with her own thoughts sweetening every moment, from her being content beyond dream-like belief to
'I'm going to be in so much crap if Felios finds out about this...'
But maybe that part was her favourite. It tickled her more just thinking of how her god would react knowing this 'meeting' with her and, essentially, Solaris took place. She felt naughty, and it felt good!
As their kiss deepened she ran her hands up along his chest, eagerly feeling and enjoying every muscle she felt that lead up his neck and ended with her fingers running through his hair. Shanira pulled away afterward barely, enough to give her the space for her eyes to gaze back up into his and her lips hovered over his as she whispered almost breathlessly, "Mark..."
It was the first time she'd actually said his name.
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Post by Mark Angelus Fri on Feb 26, 2013 23:01:32 GMT -5
"Lady Shanira..." Mark said with a smile as he slid his hands from her face down, feeling the many curves of her body before lifting her up and whispering, "Lavio te-sa."
It had been such a long time sense Mark had felt this way, and with all the death and destruction that had been occurring, he decided not to think too deeply on it...
---
"I have it!" Mark yelled as dawn shined onto the warship. He marched out onto the deck, stamping his feet loudly onto the wood and smiling happily at the crew that came to see what was going on, "I know where we're going next!"
The answer seemed pretty simple and Mark questioned himself why he hadn't come to the conclusion sooner. He felt like a freakin genius.
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Post by Kain Angelo on Feb 27, 2013 16:32:40 GMT -5
"And this conclusion being?" Kain asked as he stepped up from below deck. Mark turned to him before motioning out southward.
"Duo has to start somewhere, right?" Mark said to which Kain simply nodded, "So of course he'd start with Unda. He knows the territory and he'd receive the most support there... if his goal his world domination than of course he'll go there!"
"Yeah..." Kain nodded, his thoughts drifting to what else Duo could do...
World domination seems like the only choice right now. No way he can afford to do what he tried to do last time... either way, Unda is the place to start.
"It seems like a logical choice," Kain finally said before stepping up to Mark and grabbing him by his shoulder, "But Mark, what are we to do about the god?"
"There is too much to deal with, no way he'll come after us." Mark shook his head, "He'll have us AND Duo to deal with."
"Have you considered the thought of him trying to make a pact with Duo?"
"...Is that even a possibility?"
"Everything is a possibility, Mark." Kain warned to which Mark frowned.
"We'll keep an eye out..." Mark nodded before turning his attention over to Zaria, "Captain Zaria, please set us on a path to your homeland!"
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Post by Zaria DeGantz on Mar 1, 2013 15:44:08 GMT -5
Zaria could see the pain in Mark's eyes from having to leave behind a good friend. She understood how it felt: not only to leave behind someone you cared about, but also knowing that it was for the greater good.
She remained silent for the majority of the voyage. That is, until requested to set course to her homeland. "Yes sir." She responded, giving the crew orders to head in said direction.
She was looking forward to being home again, she was anxious to see how Benajmin was holding up, and being surrounded by water made her much more Comfortable. Both of these things would be found in Unda...or so she thought.
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