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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Jan 29, 2019 7:41:43 GMT
In the middle of the night of the new moon, when no light seemed to fall upon the midnight streets of Bellerouge, a cold wind began to blow. It blew across the empty parks, ruffled the sails of the water vessels that lay moored along the vast river, and fluted in and out of the streets.
As the night wore on, the wind became more fitful and seemed to gain a voice, a voice that was horribly human and yet completely unearthly. It wailed and sighed as it raced down Lune Drive, pushing the leaf litter of the previous year before it, and although the wind shook the air over the whole of the city that night, in one single place it seemed to be drawn.
A gust struck the skeletal trees outside of Adeline's window, causing them to tremble and shake as if they were hands reaching out to grab the unwary. The panes in the window shook at the onslaught of wind and the whole house seemed to groan almost as if in protest.
As the cold wind gave voice outside, within the house something else began to move....
The shadows.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 29, 2019 21:18:47 GMT
Adeline was getting restless. With the end of the world over, it was up to Bellerouge's citizens to pick up the pieces and try to get things back to normal. Or, at least, as close to normal as a city like Bellerouge could be. And it wasn't just the police officers doing the work. Everyone was helping lower the super-high magic protecting buildings, take out any leftover monsters, locate loved ones, etc. And Adeline and her parents were no exception. Even when the apocalypse had been going on, they and other magic users had been doing what they could to help. If anything though, the fact that the end of the world was over made Adeline even more anxious. And it was mainly because she still hadn't heard from Pitch since the whole thing started.
At first, she'd just assumed that he was too busy to reply to any texts or phone calls. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, they'd all been running around like crazy. Adeline figured that Pitch was probably doing what he could to help people or take out any monsters. But ever since the sky had regained its blue color, she'd hoped to hear from him, even if it was just a simple text message. But so far, nothing. Adeline had tried distracting herself by offering whatever help she could, but even her parents had to put their foot down eventually and tell her to get some rest at home. And now that was where she was, laying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what the hell was going on. She wondered if Constantine had anything to do with Pitch's disappearance. She hadn't seen him since her run-in with him during the apocalypse. Anytime she thought about the guy, he made her mad. He missed the "old" Pitch and seemed to think that he was going against his nature by doing good. Not to mention, he had a weird romantic relationship with Cruella. The guy was weird, in Adeline's eyes.
Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the wind outside. It had been easy to tune out before, but it seemed to be getting unnaturally loud, like it was literally howling. She peered outside her window, but couldn't see anything. Maybe it was just some aftermath from the apocalypse? Maybe things like that could make the weather change randomly for a time after they were over. That was her first guess, but when the shadows literally started moving inside her room, the thought was disregarded. She jumped backwards, the palms of her hands glowing a dull purple as her magic power was drawn up. "Unless you want a spell in your face, you'd better tell me who you are," she threatened, deciding to err on the side of aggression until she figured out what was going on.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Jan 30, 2019 8:45:22 GMT
For a moment, the shadows seemed to grow still once more and the wind died as if Adeline's threat had been understood. It was as if the darkness were considering her words carefully, the rest of the house silent for several seconds as nothing moved.
However, the threat was not received well and the darkness once again began to move as if it were sentient, but instead of attacking it seemed to be trying to collect itself. The various shadows moved towards each other and collected into a single pool of darkness that writhed sluggishly on the floor. It grew in size and became so dark that nothing could be seen through its inky depths, yet still it did not move from the spot.
It was almost as if something within it were trying to form, to gain shape...
Suddenly, the inky pool shot upward and formed into a perfect circular shape, pulsing and whirling on itself as if it were a whirlpool and something lay in its depths. And within its very core, a hellish red light began to appear, pulsing like a diseased heart. At the same time, the wind hit the house with renewed force and seemed to howl in anguish, the gusts seemingly coming from all directions.
The wind outside swelled until the noise was almost that of a scream! And from the depths of the nightmarish vortex, a figure suddenly appeared and was thrown forward onto the ground with tremendous force.
Immediately the portal, for that was what it was, collapsed upon itself with no sound but a vibration that hit the entire neighborhood like an earthquake. The wind outside dropped and died so suddenly it was as if someone had cut it short with an ax.
The figure on the ground didn't seem to be aware of any of that but instead crouched panting hard and fast on the carpet, a single hand clamped to his side in pain. For several moments the only sound was the figure's panting. Finally, he raised his face from the floor and looked up directly into Adeline's eyes.
It was Pitch...
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 31, 2019 0:27:51 GMT
Adeline peered a little more closely at the shadows. It almost seemed like...they were alive. What were they? However, she quickly shrank back as the darkness suddenly shot up. There was a red light, the wind howled louder than ever before, and Adeline could feel her magic power kick in defensively. However, just when she was about to let out an attack, something, or someone, seemed to fall out. The light disappeared, and the wind stopped as if someone had hit the mute button on a TV remote. For a moment, Adeline couldn't exactly see what had fallen out of the darkness. But once she recognized who it was, her eyes widened in shock. "Pitch!" she cried as she instantly knelt by his side. "Oh my God, are you okay? What happened?" He looked bad, like he had fought his way to get here. And his hand was holding onto his side. Was he hurt?
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 1, 2019 8:57:47 GMT
The Boogeyman looked anything but threatening or powerful in that moment. In fact, he looked downright horrible. From where he knelt on the carpet, he appeared extremely weak and his black robes hung upon his figure loosely, as if the already thin Demon had lost weight. Wounds marked his hands, neck and face, vicious-looking and in various states of healing. Some where old, fading bruises that were barely visible anymore while others were fresh and bleeding as if they had only just been received. His black robe was also riddled with rips and tears, indicating that the injuries were not limited to what could be seen. Locks of his black hair hung in his face, giving his appearance an even more disheveled look.
However, by far the worst thing was the very energy that breathed off of him. Pitch had always had an air about him, one of carefully controlled power and quiet intensity, a calmness that seemed impossible to break. Now, all that came off of him was the feeling of someone who had gone through torturous attempts to break them.
In short, the Demon of Nightmares looked as if he had gone through Hell. And indeed, he had....
Upon hearing her voice, Pitch slowly raised his head so that he was looking at her. It took a moment for his yellow eyes to focus upon her where she knelt next to him.
"Adeline."
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 2, 2019 0:12:22 GMT
Adeline swallowed. She could feel panic rising inside her. What could have led Pitch to such a sorry state? The closest she'd ever seen him to this was when Thrax had thrown emerald dust in his eyes and stabbed him afterwards. At least those were the only injuries he had gotten during that fight. Now, he looked like he'd been hit by a train. Repeatedly. Just thinking about what might have done this to him made Adeline frightened. But she couldn't afford to lose her head now. Pitch needed help, and she was going to be there for him. "It's okay, I'm here," she said softly, her forehead lightly touching his. Whatever had hurt him, he'd gotten away from it. It was gone. And Adeline was here to protect him and keep him safe.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 4, 2019 4:57:22 GMT
Pitch didn't say anything and instead looked slowly around Adeline's room, taking in everything with a slow focus that would make one think he was looking at pieces of art in a museum instead of perfectly mundane things like the books on the shelves, the cover on the bed and even the carpet underneath his own hands. He ran a hand over the latter, feeling the slightly springy softness beneath his palms.
He looked back up at Adeline as she slowly pressed her forehead against his. He closed his eyes, taking in everything with his other senses; the feel of her hair where it pressed against his forehead, the sound of her worried breathing, the scent of the laundry detergent her nightclothes had been washed in. It was all there...
"You're real.... and I'm really here..."
Even his voice sounded rough, as if he had been badly sick and still hadn't recovered from it. Yet the tone of relief that filled it was easy to discern. Slowly from where he knelt, he reached out a single hand and almost hesitantly brushed it along Adeline's cheek.
"I thought it was just another trick.... just another punishment."
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 5, 2019 0:52:23 GMT
Pitch was silent for a long moment, and Adeline wondered for a second whether he'd even heard her. Was his mind somewhere else? It was like he was slowly taking in everything at once. He finally spoke though, and his hand brushed along her cheek, and she breathed a sigh of relief. His voice sounded weak, but she was just happy to hear it. Pitch's injuries worried her though, particularly the ones that she could see that were still bleeding. Any questions she had about what happened and where he'd been would have to wait. She wasn't a doctor, but she figured her magic was at least good enough to close up Pitch's wounds. "Those look bad," she said. "Let me see." Her right hand started to glow with magic energy as she placed it on Pitch's side. She wondered if she would end up having to call an ambulance, even if she did heal Pitch's wounds. Would he even want to go to a hospital? Could the doctors even help? Who knew what made these injuries.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Feb 6, 2019 8:38:10 GMT
When Adeline moved to heal him, Pitch jerked away from her slightly as if trying to avoid a blow and something almost feral flashed within his eyes. His body was tensed in that instant as if he were about to run or attack...
However, the moment passed and she was able to place her glowing hand over where his own rested on his side just below the ribs. He slowly lowered his hand from the spot, revealing a gaping wound in his side. However, while the wound was horrible to look at it seemed different from all the others that covered his body. It was too precise, too neat and carefully placed. It almost looked surgical...
Pitch didn't say anything at all as Adeline's magic went to work and the opening slowly began to close. He merely kept his eyes shut and remained perfectly still. However, despite outwardly appearing calm, his mind was a rolling and confused mess.
I'm back. Everything tells me I'm really back here in Bellerouge, in the Mortal World. Back with Adeline. But... why? Despite everything, I escaped far too easily. Those punishments, the price paid... they were nothing. And what he said, he said something about it only just beginning....
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Feb 8, 2019 0:56:52 GMT
Pitch shrank back for a moment, almost like a dog that had been hit too many times and was afraid a person would hurt them again. It surprised Adeline, and it broke her heart. What could have happened that would make him flinch from her? But he soon relaxed, and she got to work closing up the wound on his side. It seemed less like a scratch and more like he'd been cut open with something sharp. Had someone attacked him with a weapon? It reminded her too much of when Thrax had stabbed him and she put any unpleasant memories aside. He was quiet as she healed him and she had no idea what he was thinking. While the wound itself looked pretty nasty, healing it wasn't too difficult. "There, that should help a bit," she said as she pulled her hands back. "Should I...call someone? I know doctors aren't the best when it comes to healing demons and stuff, but they might have a better idea since they've worked with you before."
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Mar 5, 2019 11:03:46 GMT
"NO!"
The word was almost ripped from Pitch and contained far too much force. It was in complete contrast to his normally calm and almost emotionless persona and underlined that the wounds he had suffered were not physical alone. Something else was at work....
Pitch blinked as he realized how out of proportion his reaction had been and tried to backtrack as he slowly rose to his feet. While the pain from the wounds Adeline had healed still lingered in his flesh, it was good to know that at least he could stand on his own.
"No, no. I'll send out my Nightmares to contact the necessary people once I'm ready. Not yet though. I need to know what has happened since..."
He left his sentence hanging, uncertain how to finish it without revealing more of the nature of his disappearance and torture at the hands of Disparion. Whats more, he needed to know if the threat was still present. After all, this could easily have been some trick of his former Lord and Master, another cunning means to try and break him.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Mar 6, 2019 1:50:32 GMT
Adeline jumped. She hadn't expected Pitch to react like that. What was going on? What had happened to make him act like this? He almost seemed...afraid. It was an emotion that she hadn't really seen him show before. And it worried her. What could be more frightening than the Boogeyman himself? He rose to his feet, although it looked like his wounds still hurt. Adeline stood up as well, not wanting him to push himself too much. She caught his hesitation in his words and she felt like she couldn't stop herself from asking anymore. "Since what?" she asked. "Pitch, where were you? What happened?" Could he tell her? Did he trust her that much? Adeline wanted him to. He'd trusted her enough with his past, bloody as it was. Couldn't he trust her with this?
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Mar 6, 2019 7:28:43 GMT
Pitch managed to stand without staggering but even so he still seemed far too weak, almost vulnerable... And maybe it was for that reason that he answered Adeline's question. Normally he would have never even entertained the idea of telling her about what had happened but now things had changed.
"Hell."
He closed his eyes and put a pale hand to his face, trying to arrange his thoughts into something, anything close to order. It was all so confusing, happening far too fast for him to track and switching back on itself without any warning. Images flashed through his mind in no particular order.
Darkness that only a Demon could know. An emerald knife cutting into his flesh with delicate ease again and again. Lilith standing in gloating glory before him. The feel of his wrists cracking and breaking as he struggled against unbreakable chains. And Disparion, Disparion standing before him and speaking in a voice that no human could produce.
Time to come home, my treacherous little Pitch.
In Adeline's room, Pitch's whole body clenched down on itself and the darkness itself seemed to writhe as he tried to escape the memories flooding his mind.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Mar 7, 2019 2:04:56 GMT
For a brief second, Adeline thought that Pitch might have been making a dark joke or something. Surely he didn't mean Hell Hell? But she saw the look on his face, the way he held his body, it showed that he wasn't fooling around. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized that he was deadly serious. "Oh my God..." She didn't even know what else to say. What kind of horrible things had Pitch endured in there? How did he even manage to escape? If getting out of Hell was easy, more people probably would have done it already. She saw pain flash through him and her arms were around him in a second. All she wanted to do was hold him close and keep him away from anything that might hurt him. After a moment, she looked up and asked "What did they...I mean, who did..." She couldn't even get the words out. What had happened to him in Hell? What terrible creatures down there had hurt him like this? Adeline wanted him to trust her, but would it hurt him too much to even talk about it?
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Mar 20, 2019 7:49:00 GMT
Pitch's body remained as taut as piano wire and his muscles as unyielding as cold steel under his own skin. Even when Adeline put her arms around him, the tension didn't ease from his body as his mind fought with the memories of what he had escaped. However, slowly her own gentle warmth seemed to seep into him and gradually his mind managed to return to the present, his body slowly relaxing and his own arms moving to return the embrace.
For a time they merely stood like that, each of them with their arms around the other. If Pitch still doubted that this was real and not just some cruel illusion to further his punishment, the touch and feel of the young woman in his arms was enough to tell him otherwise. Disparion would never be able to understand that single feeling, to be needed by someone but also need them in turn.
The Fear Demon's grip tightened ever so slightly at Adeline's hesitant questions but he didn't open his eyes or speak for so long that it seemed he simply wouldn't answer. And yet he did.
"Disparion. After the Portal opened, when the sky turned blue again, I knew what it meant and.... he found me."
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