The Teller (Open)

[Onira]

The room was dimly lit, only three oddly-arranged oil lamps lighting the small traditional room. The decor was fine middle-eastern, or at least as far as one's experience would say. There was many bundled silks falling lazily from the dusty ceiling, all in purples blues and some amounts of greys. The light shimmered off of them in satisfying fashion, reflecting slightly off of Onira's skin, but more so off of his long blonde strands. Something about the light that only the sun had ever triggered was that mysterious glow, that blond increasing ever so much in intensity, lighting the room further but that eerie dim look still remaining.

"Would you like to begin?"

Onira's violet orbs shifted to the woman in-front of him. Her look did not match that of the room, far from it in-fact. She did try, wearing those loose cloths, mostly purple silks, but her skin was pale and fragile, eyes dark without any trace of passion. She had light brown hair, as well, falling to her mid-back, but also over her shoulders and to her breasts. She was slender, but leaning a bit more so to the anorexic side than that of gentle beauty. Onira sighed.

"I guess so."

He had asked himself a few times before why he was going through with such a thing. Why exactly he was sitting in a small wooden chair to hear from one he didn't even trust about his own life. Seeing anyone such as a fortune teller to get above his problems with spells, but every time he answered himself in the same fashion.

It's all I can do.

One would like to think he was lying to himself, but it was not so. Seeing a fortune teller was really all he had an idea of what to do, and he could only request to himself that it would help. He nodded.

Slowly the teller picked up a red-tinted candle from under the table, placing it gingerly on the wooden tabletop. She clutched her hands on it's sides, a flame instantly appearing atop the wick, but Onira not nearly convinced. After all, there was yet no crystal ball, but he would stay silent about that. Let her work what she would.

The teller released the sides of the candle, slowly cupping her hands softly around the flame, as if protecting it from the wind. Although Onira could not see the fire, he could see it's light on the young woman's hands begin to dance. He looked to her eyes, seeing the light's reflection, but now her gaze concentrating much more deeply into it, some sense of humanity one seeing in her. She soon began to speak.

"You are troubled."

"Well y-"

"You have talent, but you are a failure."

"I am a b-"

"You have no talent, and it keeps tearing you up."

Onira was silent now, saddened, but also interested with what she had to say.

"You can't do anything, and you know it. You keep kidding yourself, hoping that one day you'll figure it out, as you always have, but traditions are being destroyed. Nothing in your life is what it was, or truly life is now what it always was. Failure. And you continue to strive for more, but as you continue more and more people are lost, and this day you have none to look to. You continue to walk the lines, looking for anything that you can expend for more but now your resources have all run out. You have nothing more and it's making you're mind a ragged mess, but so much more interesting... you like it."

The mix of emotions built up after each word released, Onira pushing the table foreward and forcing the teller to the floor, crushing into her frail body. He pushed it to the side, and the scent of smoke had already began to hit the room, the candle catching ablaze one of the silk bunches, but everyone uninterested at the moment.

The young woman held her ribs, Onira pushing his knees into the floor on either side her, crushing her ribs more with his lower body as he pushed her hands to her side. He quickly adjusted himself so his knees were digging into the insides of her elbows, the young woman screaming for a moment but quickly looking up into Onira's strange, and now maliciously emotional eyes. He pushed his palm into her throat, teeth gritted in anger and his body crushing her frail figure. But his expression fell if only slightly, seeing the teller begin to... grin?! Yes, on her face was a look of evil enjoyment, either for that of the pain or the anger brought upon her, but either way it made Onira's heart skip a beat, weakening his push against her.

"Come now! Can you not finish it, or will you fail AGAIN!!"

Onira's anger quickly returned, quickly forcing his knuckles in anger against her jaw, hearing that of a sick crunch from the impact. She laughed in a voice that did not seem her own, deep and almost reptilian in nature, but it didn't matter. He just continued pounding in her nose and frail features, blood beginning to build on her face as well as on to his knuckles and his shirt. Meanwhile, the smoke was beginning to exit the open door of the small building, more than one person probably intrigued by the smoke. But Onira didn't care. His moment was that of an act of defiance against his failure, or so he saw it. Surely she would soon die for his rebellion, whether it be first from the fire or from the abuse, one did not mind. As long as she died. That was all that mattered.

[Raiden Matsutani]

Raiden once again found himself trudging the city of Babylos which surrounds the academy. It was now day time and Raiden's current opinion of the city had changed. The first time he checked out the city it was dark hiding all it features, but now he can see everything in a better perspective. Over all Raiden felt well because the city had and old feeling to it. That was changed though because new age products were shown which Raiden had a certain disliking of. Once again the strange appearance this demon had attracted attention of all types. The usual street punk types moved about the city, quite a few caught eye of Raiden, but he evaded it only by running away.

All kinds of things happened to Raiden, but that didn’t stop him from completing his daily objective. That objective was to finds out what happened to him the day he went into an eternal sleep. He wanted to figure what day and age was he originally from. The problem is that frankly he hasn’t found anything helpful thus far. Most research he has done revolved around reading, but Raiden couldn’t understand any of it. Time after time he encounter dead-ends on his quest.

A little tired from traversing the large city all day Raiden sat down on a bench. He let out a sigh and scratch the back of his head, a common thing his does when stumped. That’s when he looked up to notice a small shop adjacent from the bench where he was sitting. He read the sign and figured that it must be a Fortune Teller’s shop. Raiden then got an idea that maybe…just maybe the fortune teller could reveal his past.
With that Raiden stood up nodding at his idea. He walked over to the building and opened the door.

As the door opened some smoke filed out. Raiden entered the eerie shop covering his sensitive nose from the smoke. He’s usually silent most of the time, but someone could be trapped in here. “H-Hello?” he said in a small voice. Raiden mentally slapped himself for not being any louder. Before he tried to repeat his words Raiden could hear a feint struggle going on in the back. Raiden’s ear twitched as he heard a crashing sound, and then a few screams out of pain. It was common sense that Raiden was going to go check it out.

The demon took a few steps quietly making his way to the room. He opened the door which let out another puff of smoke. His red eyes glow piercing the smoke as he looked around the darkly lit room. His eyes always distinctly glow when in dimly lit places. Raiden’s red eyes averted his attention to the ground to see a man sitting on top of a young woman continuously striking the woman with several blows. Raiden shocked by the sight Raiden immediately ran over and would grab the guy’s fist hopefully stopping him from assaulting the young lady.

[Onira]

Onira continued, blow after blow being thrust upon the teller and slowly more blood and damage becoming evident. The blood mixed with now angular and rough features, skin on both Onira's knuckles and the woman's face becoming raw. He wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop. Not after what she said, not after showing what she signified--what she stood for. Failure, and he would deny it in bloody glory. But in his act, Onira soon found yet another one to face him. Another person to wish him failure, but he would not have it. If all were against him, then he would kill them all. Let them all realize that he was the victor, and denial of such a fact was not allowed.

Feeling those hands against his fist, he realized something. Regret would always defeat those who would revolt, and so he would make them regret. They would bleed for their denial. Oh yes, they must bleed.

They must. For their insolance they must.

The now crazed alchemist changed his momentum instantly, a thin yet hard and sharp bone blade protruding out of his flesh, just below his elbow. His elbow would be fairly close to the denying fool already, so by launching himself in the right direction, Onira would be able to get a good stab in at the lower left ribs.

Whether it hit or not, Onira would continue to the side, falling in to a fast shoulder roll. He would come back up on to his feet, squatting and looking at the stranger with a strange mix. His eyes had tears in them, but he was smiling wide, brows furrowed in an angry position as well. It was a combination of sadness, enjoyment, and rage as he looked at that one. Yet, he did nothing. The bone blade absorbed back beneath the flesh, the bone becoming a normal one once again, but the skin still having a fair gash where the blades once were. The blood dripped, and Onira rested his palms against the ground, looking in to those glowing orbs but taking no notice. Denial. It would bleed for him, no matter what he had to face for it.

"You deny, so now... you must bleed!"

He laughed in a maniacal, almost clownish way.The pitch was screechy, and it continued. If it was the end of them, he would destroy the denial.

[Raiden Matsutani]

Raiden had succeded in catching the fist of the man assaulting the young lady. Raiden glanced from the beaten face of the young lady to the bloodied fist of the male stranger. The smell of fresh blood stained Raiden's sensitive nose. His gaze still on the bloodied fist of the man. The man had a derranged crazed look in his eyes...as if this kind of act was satisfying to him.

Memories started to flash before Raiden's eyes, but before he was completely taken away by his old memories he felt a sharp needle like pain grazing his skin. Without a second though Raiden let go of the man's fist pushing away the strange apendage the man had sprouted.

Raiden leapt back a few feet grabbing his rib cage the area the man scratched him at. Raiden looked down taking his hand away to see blood slowly dripping out from the minor cut. Raiden's red eyes gleamed as he looked at the blood again. Raiden gripped his forehead with his free arm which was the one that was armed with that strange taloned gauntlet of his. For some reason, this demon had bloodstained memories that were trying to resurface.

In side his mind Raiden once again snapped out of it. The situtation isn't right for Raiden to be swept in an ocean of his old memories.

"--- deny, so now... ------- bleed!"

Were the few words Raiden caught. Raiden was now sure that this situtation screamed a hostile environment. On thing that was on his mind was the young lady, whom seemed she needed medical attention from the assualt from this strange derranged man. For common sense Raiden was going to try and hatch things out with this man. Come on terms with the guy and be sensible. Raiden didn't speak perfect english what so ever, but this situtation proved to be dire.

"Please......calm...down...." he said in awkward way. Once again Raiden's voice was almost like a whisper this time. This demon needed to get past his timid streak sooner or later.

[Jason]

Ahhh another day out in the city. Gotta love this place. thought Jason as he strolled through the city once more. He loved walking here when he wasn'y in class or training. It was bright and normally cheerful. h knew he'd have to make a point at walking around at night at some point.

His peaceful demeanor was soon shatterd though. He saw a large crowd of people. Of course this wasn't the thing th3 disturbed his good mood. No it was when he got closer and saw what was happening that he was disturbed.

He saw Onira and a guy he had seen in the halls a bit seeming to face off with each other. On the ground was a woman who seemed terribly beaten. this was what changed his mood. Jason shoved his way through the crowd and he grabbed the cylinder at his waist and activated his energy sword by channeling his mana through the cylinder. The blade rested between them but was angeld more at Onira since the blood on his hands got Jason thinking it was he that was the aggressor.

"I don't know what is going on but this needs to stop NOW!." he said in an icy tone much unlike himself. He knew he was not supposed to be doing this in the city. But he'd rather face the repercussions for useing his magic in the city like this over letting this spin out of control by too much.

[Onira]

The deranged student eyed the stranger, those tears still falling but the grin still wide. Hearing his words he was silent for a moment, expression not flickering from such chaos as it so possessed, almost paused in the moment, but only for so long.

He realed his head back in amused laughter, falling to his butt, and at the moment paying no attention for he who now stood in the doorway. He continued hysterically, dead to the world, laughing from such a comment. Only barely did he get out the begginings of a sentence.

"C... calm?"

He steadied quickly, that same eratic look on his face as he stared, still ignorant of Jason who stood in the doorway. His sights were on the denying stranger, he who so sought to prove Onira's failure. Truly he could not have such a thing. Such people who wanted him to admit defeat. No. No defeat. He would defeat them. They would not defeat him. No failure.

"I am calm. I know what I want, and it is perfection, that which you stand against. So, you must not be allowed to stand. You must not be allowed to live."

On that last word, Onira launched foreward, using his hands as well as legs to propel him. However, as well as leaping, he used alchemy just before his hands left the ground, a large but thin stone wall appearing right in-front of the stranger, blocking all of his view. Still propeled by the leap, Onira rolled foreward, quickly coming to a squat with his hands to the alchemized wall. Almost instantly the middle of the wall exploded in a gunpowder explosion, Onira rolling backwards as the explosion went off and, although still taking a fair bit of burns to his back, his injuries were not serious. Of course, if the stranger had not escaped, he would end up with some terrible burns, as well as a few broken bones in his face. It wouldn't be enough to kill him, of course, but the damage would be exactly that: Damage.

Turning his attention quickly to the one in the doorway, he forced his hands against the ground, setting off another gunpowder explosion, but this one smaller, and right beneath Jason. Once again, burns would be had, as were broken bones a possibility.

[Jason]

Da,m though Jason rocketing away with a burst from his feet as soon as Onira showed he wasn't going quietly and saw an explosion where he had stood.
"Onira cut it out. Don't you realize someone from the Acdemy is going to come and take this into their own hands. They aren't likely to let you live at this rate." he said not yelling but being loud enough to make sure it was heard as he landed lightly.

[Raiden Matsutani]

Raiden glance for a few seconds went over to the blonde haired kid. His strange blade was pointed more in the direction of Onira so Raiden didn't feel threatened. It became obviouse the person may know this crazed man.

Quickly Raiden attention averted to the man when he began to utter some words. Perfection? What's wrong with this guy? he said to himself. Raiden though heard the obvious threat to kill him from the crazed man. After that final word the guy had leaped forward in Raiden's direction. Raiden was slightly saddened that this couldn't be handled in the correct fashion. He just didn't feel like fighting...

Suddenly a wall sprung up infront of Raiden. Before anything else happened Raiden jumped back a few feet instinctively. As Raiden landed and explosion followed. Raiden quickly covered his face as pieces of stone flew at him accompained with some ember. Raiden felt the impact accompanined with the ember, but was luck enough only because he has some resistance to heat based attacks. Raiden metal gauntler intercepted anything prone torwards the head. Overall Raiden ended with a few deep bruises to the torso area.

"Please stop this! I'm not trying to stop you from doing anything. I simply want this to end so we can get this lady to the hospital," he said pointing over at the young woman. This time Raiden was able to speak up. He was still reluctant to go offensive yet.

[Onira]

The smoke was quickly beginning to thicken in the room, the fire spreading along one of the walls, melting and burning all on it's surface. Onira's eyes darted towards the sight, reflection becoming quickly evident in his violet orbs and giving them an eerie glow to them. He could hear the stranger beginning to speak beneath the thick grey dust in-front of him, caused completely by the explosion only seconds before.

He looked back to the doorway, now empty as Jason had moved away before the explosion. His hands were still pressed hard against the floor, but although his face showed no sign of difference as it had been since the battle, his lungs were beginning to struggle from the smoke and dust in the air. However, it was then that the stranger mentioned something, causing Onira to remember.

"Ahh yes... the woman."

Sight was now minimal in the space but he could still see the woman, unconscious and bloody on the floor. The failure. Even unconscious it stared at him, reminding him all the time. It was simple. He had to destroy failure's eyes, so that it would never look down upon him.

"the woman..."

He pushed in to the floor yet again, and immediately the floor vibrated, a loud bang going off near the stranger, directly under the teller, in-fact. Onira had set off one last gunpowder bomb, the explosion much larger than the others, and the tremendous pressure ripping through her body, forcing charred flesh and warm blood about the air inside the room. The force was enough to knock Onira back into the wall behind him, but the grin now was even wider. He chuckled in a low tone, tears even more on that face of chaos.

"No more failure now."

[Jason]

"No!" Jason yelled seeing the explosion. His right hand came up and he used his energy blast hitting Onira with a moe powerful strike than he had used even on Chephros. it had the power behind it to creat severe burns and launch Onira away probably knocking him out. Considering Onira's focus wasn't on him the likelyhood of it not hitting was very low. Jason knew he couldn't help the woman now but he wasn't going to let Onira cause any more damage after this.

[Raiden Matsutani]

The environment was getting worse as flames grew and the smoke rose. Raiden covered his sensitive nose from the smoke. The visuals grew to be alittle tougher, but Raiden could changed that for atleast himself. Raiden blinked for a second and his round pupils turned into slits. His vision just like his eyes became red. The smoke clouds now were able to be penetrated by Raiden's strange vision.

Raiden looked back in the area he last saw the crazed man, but he was gone. W-Where did he go? Raiden said to himself. Then Raiden felt the ground quake for a few seconds beneath his feet. His attention then shot over to where Onira was. He was over near the body. Suddenly there was a flash and then an explosion. Raiden got thrown back into a wall leaving an impacted.

Raiden was unaffected by the wall, so he stood up immeadeately looking for the crazed man and the young woman. Thats when suddenly a droplet of blood dropped from the ceiling onto the tip of Raiden's nose. Raiden looked up to see the arm of the young woman pasted to the ceiling by her blood. Raiden's red orbs narrowed into a highly disgusted look.

NO!!! You didn't have to kill her!!

[Onira]

He could quite easily hear those around him, that grin becoming less toothy, a now less crazy but more satisfied smile on his face. He had successfully denied the woman who so clearly fought for his failure, and he could feel that pure ecstacy inside of him. So beautiful it was to finally succeed. As if little droplets of joy had fallen on his face. Oh yes. It was so wonderful.

Even as he felt the pressure against him, he was trapped in happiness, his body reacting with instinct, forcing his long blond strands in to a metallic state, and protecting him from what would be contact with another wall. He sagged foreward after his metal hair had collided with the wall, strands becoming blond once again, and his joy slowly making way for the current situation. The smoke around him was stinging his eyes and burning his lungs, heavy pain against his chest from the attack from Jason. He was becoming light-headed, and task succeeded his mind could make logic enough that escape would be needed, a task easy enough to fulfill.

Hands now loppy against the ground, he performed another feat of alchemy, his light-headedness increasing, his energy now quite a bit lower than the day's beginning. The alchemy drew him in, stone layers folding over his body in a spherical protection against everyone. Slowly it pulled beneath the ground, no trace of any alchemy used in that one spot he had been enveloped. The ground served as reasonable protection, Onira using the last of his alchemy in a last constant feed to send him a good six feet beneath the Earth, and in another completely different part of town, beneath a large, green field. Many small holes appeared in this field, which would serve as air for Onira. They were not uncommon to see in a field, for the holes would have been made anyways from birds picking out worms from the ground. It looked as natural as could be, and it gave him some time to rest. He muttered to sleep, letting his alchemic energy cease and letting him rest in darkness in his orb beneath the Earth.

"Perfection... they all... think so..."

[Jason]

Curses Jason thought as his blade slashed through the ground but it was too late. He had run over when he noticed what Onira was doing but he had escaped. Jason let the blade dissipate and returned the cylinder to his belt and looked over at the remains of the poor woman and closed his eyes looking away in regret. Even with his efforts he hadn't been able to keep onira away from her and then he couldn't even stop him from getting away.
"I'm sorry." he said softly and left the sceane knowing there was nothing he could do here anymore. he'd have to find Onira and settle this later. He found it odd a person he found as a friend could do this. He knew something had to be wrong. He wouldn't report this. if anything he had to find Onira and figure out why this happened.

[Raiden Matsutani]

Blood, guts, and body parts were splattered throughout the room. The whole site was horrific...Raiden found it to be horrific... He was covered in the woman's blood from the explosion. After his outburst Raiden went completely silent...keeping his mouth shut... The one thing he did want to happen was get her blood in his mouth. He feared he might start to hunger again for humans...

Raiden face showed absolute terror from what happen...but that terror morphed into hate... Raiden's hair started to stand on in as an electric current started to flow about him. Still slightly in control of his emotion only focused on the crazed man who was trying to escape.

Raiden lunged at the man, but a stone ball encased the guy protecting him. Raiden punched the ball with his fist several times and made an impact, but it was to thick. Then he watched as it sunk underground escaping. Raiden didn't give up yet...

Raiden suddenly started pounding the ground with his fist several times making impacts...

Come back! Come back! Come back!

Finally grabbing hold of his emotions he stopped and stayed on the ground haunched over. He sat there in silence...