[ He doesn't mind battles, anyone who is familiar with Crowley should be aware of that. They give him a thrilling feeling, he finds join in swinging his blade, pushing himself to his limits and beyond that just to feel some sort of adrenaline rush. It was what he lived for now as a vampire and because of that he could easily shrug off any sort of injury or danger.
But this battle was different. Much more than what he experienced back at Nagoya or anything in the past hundred years--no, this battle reminded him of a history from so long ago.
Initially he thought of this all to be a plan devised by Ferid who held a reputation of making questionable decisions for the sake of entertainment.
That idea is quickly swept aside in the midst of battle, however, when he witnesses the vampire who forced him to turn be slaughtered. There's no feeling of regret or sadness, Ferid was perfectly capable of protecting himself so there was no degree of responsibility that weighed on him, but it still managed to surprise Crowley. Red eyes flickering wide-eyed, pausing between his next step that would ultimately lead to something he would regret: watching Horn throw herself between himself and an enemy attack, despite having warned both her and Chess of the borrowed power these livestock were using. Her body slumps over and he feels every word caught in the back of his throat, that familiar, pathetic, feeling of being able to do nothing as he watches her turn to dust.
Instinct reacts in time to save him (something that should have been done earlier to save Horn) and he doesn't hesitate to cut off the human's head.
Horn would not return, Horn was gone, and that reality hit harder than he was willing to admit as he searches the ruined battle ground for Chess. The entire atmosphere was stained was blood and trying to smell her out was near impossible, but when he meets a familiar head of blue already among the rubble and struggling to keep alive Crowley doesn't hesitate to rush over. Which, again, would be a bad move on his end, the hand that reaches out to her being met with a blade that cuts his left forearm off.
Maybe it was the rush of the battle, or perhaps from already losing this much so far, but the pain he feels coursing through what is left of his arm was so raw and real that he nearly, nearly felt human again. Flustered, the next swing of his blade that cuts through the torso of the human that attacked him was made with only half of the strength he possessed.
Once he's at Chess' side, his arm long abandoned, he's met with the realization that he would be unable to save her. Despite no longer having a heart or body heat the feeling he has in his chest was much colder than he once remembered; that is what he thought when she offered him what little left of blood remained inside of her, fangs piercing through skin and draining what little life she had in her body.
If Crowley didn't already hate himself enough before, he definitely did now.
Another pointless battle, more acquaintances lost, and all for what? Because those humans were so afraid in living in a world where they realized they were no longer at the top of the food chain? He wish he could be surprised, but the seraph proved itself as a product of the selfish lengths humans would go--taking a life was so common among their history (he had done so many times, more than he did as a vampire) that doing so now must make them feel some sort of comfort.
Like before he wants to give up.
It takes him a moment to realize that the figure just a distance away from him was moving--alive--and a shorter amount of time to put a name to that person; Krul Tepes.
He almost wants to laugh, greeting her among the destruction and death with a smile best reserved for friends. ]
Ferid's dead. [ As if sharing that news would brighten their day somehow. ] Everyone is.
So what are your orders, Queen? If you want me to be perfectly honest I think we should just lie down and die.
[ Blood drips down her chin and against her throat, hands drenched in crimson with drops falling from each of her fingers- it's almost difficult to tell her nails are usually painted pink. The sight of being covered in blood is not so uncommon for their kind, especially when in battle like this. But it's the amount of blood and how some of it is her own along with others that has it appear a little excessive, even on her.
From the looks of it, Crowley's seen better days himself, what with the loss of a limb thrown into everything else going on around them.
The news of Ferid's death would, normally, cause her to smile in delight. With one less thorn in her side, it's almost a cause for celebration but given their current situation- their current dilemma in which they find themselves, she simply looks to the taller vampire before gazing off towards the blackened sky.
Strands of pink with bits of crimson stained here and there to them, blows around her in the wind, her eyes fixated on the scene high in the sky and, if one looks close enough, there's something close to fear lingering in them. This isn't good and they need to get out of here if either of them are to survive this. The humans have gone too far this time and, with any luck, it will trigger yet another apocalypse accidentally and have them all be killed like years ago. But for the moment, the scales seem to have tipped in the human's favor, so long as they are able to control the seraph wreaking havoc to all around it.
It's Crowley's suggestion to roll over and die that causes her attention to fall back to him and no sooner does he suggest such a thing, does she see a stray human take up his weapon against them from behind the fallen vampire.
Regardless of the cursed gear they wield, Krul is faster- always faster, and snatches the human by the neck within a matter of seconds to which she thrusts her hand inside his chest and tears his heart out in a bloody display of ruthless anger. The corpse is tossed in Crowley's direction then, falling in front of him. ]
Drink that. [ She orders, staring off to the sky with hair billowing around her. ] I need your strength if we're to get out of here. I'm not about to give livestock the satisfaction of killing us.
[ If yesterday someone were to have asked him if he could ever imagine this--their entire world shattered, their kind dying left and right, and even their own Queen bloodied and disheveled due to this long battle--he probably would have laughed. Even if it may seem pathetic, if he was told that this was all a dream a very faint part of him would believe it.
He knew that Krul, a vampire of higher rank, was both stronger and faster than he was, but seeing it for himself has his eyes widening for a brief second. By her demeanor he intentionally couldn't read her plans of action and for a moment he thought his time of being alive would end by her hands. But he's quickly proven wrong the moment the smaller vampire tears through a human's chest, lips pulled into a bitter smile as he glances at the corpse she throws at his feet.
Crowley mumbles a small "alright" that isn't necessarily meant to be said at all, crouching down to his knees and grabbing the lifeless human by the front of his uniform before bringing his fangs to a limp neck. It's still warm, but after years of experience he knows that what enters his mouth is the blood of a dead human. ]
I shouldn't be surprised. [ He states, blood peppering his lips before he uses the back of his hand to clean his mouth. ] But I suspect the humans have every means of exit blocked, and if our numbers are small they'll be confident to call reinforcements.
[ Crimson eyes continue to stare to the blackened sky above them, to the out-of-control seraph raging war on humans and vampires alike what with it being a slave to the human army that's done experiments on the poor girl. Everything about this is bad, not just for them, but for everyone left on this planet. With a power like that under the control of that human army, who was to stop them from taking over the world, from making it their own with their own rules and so-called laws?
It's a troubling thing and yet there's not much either of them can do about it for the moment.
Crowley's arm is picked up and tossed over to him, Krul having spotted it when she approached the taller vampire from afar; he would need that if they were to get out of this alive.
Ash falls from nearby buildings that continue to burn and crumble, the sound and scent of death almost choking everything out around them as she looks around their surroundings. Crowley's right in that the humans would be blocking off any means of exit for them. But they're faster, even when wounded like this and so there's a way they can get out of here if she has anything to say about it.
That's when she spots a manhole nearby and the thought to move their way underground strikes her, moving over towards it then. ]
We'll move underground. [ Even as she says it, slender fingers sink their way into a couple of holes and she rips the top off, granting them a means of escape. ] Keep to the shadows like we have before this happened the first time around.
[ There's a glance over to the other vampire, an expression that reads she's waiting for him to follow her and that she has no intention of leaving him behind. Despite the lack of "bonds" vampires often form with one another, needing each other to survive is never out of the question and it's mostly why she needs him. ]
[ He's tempted to tell her thanks for 'lending a hand', but stops himself mid-thought when realizing how inappropriate of a joke that would be. Especially in his position.
Wordlessly he takes his arm and hovers it over his open wound; a few seconds later and his nerves are already reconnecting, pulling his arm from his hand as it connects to skin and muscle before it's back in its original state. His sleeve is torn now but he doesn't roll it off, instead leaving it to hang.
During this time Crowley's fully aware of every sound around them: the crumbling city, the distance cries, the sound of a monster being let loose, but reacting to any of it now would be a waste of time. The only thing that he can think of now as his own kind dies around them is that humans are still the most selfish and self-destructing creatures on this Earth,
Krul grabs his attention once more, sword returning to its sheath as he strides over in her direction. That stare she gives him doesn't send shivers or even receives a questionable look in return, despite being mildly confused as to why she hasn't already jumped in, but instead he seems rather content. He regrets that Chess and Horn are dead but if he's given the chance to move forward he would be a fool not to take it. ]
Reverting back to something like that? Gosh~ I really hate it.
[ For eight hundred years he's had a goal of revenge and now he has a new one: to remain well and alive to spite these humans and kill them on his own. Krul is, for better or for worse, company. ]
[ The fact that they need to move underground like this annoys her but there's not much either of them can do against a raging seraph under the control of a handful of humans who have indulged in more taboos than she ever has what with wanting to play God essentially.
Even with being stronger than Crowley, she rarely carries a weapon with her, typically relying on her speed and so if she were to lose him should anything happen, it would place her in a rather difficult spot what with his skills in swordsmanship and being much larger than her in general coming in handy.
So, it's into the sewers they go in hopes to make it out alive by moving under the chaos.
She drops herself down first, not needing a light or anything to guide their path what with being a vampire and all. Still, she lands in a mess of sewage that is strewn with waste and corpses and rather than scream or seem horrified by such a sight, she kicks a few floating bodies away from her, making a face only at the smell down here. ]
Let's hope they didn't have the same idea as us.
[ She mutters in regards to the corpses here, wondering if they simply ended up down the sewage tunnels somehow during battle as opposed to running into something down here.
She moves ahead only a little, wading through the dark water before she stops to ensure that Crowley is actually following her and doesn't have other plans; running with Ferid often leaves her distrustful of the other vampire though it's not like they have much of a choice with all things considered right now. ]
Sanguinem is no doubt in ruins and will be under human control.
[ Another fact that annoys her and leaves them without much they can do about it. ]
[ Yes Krul use this big man as a flesh shield #queen.
He jumps down shortly after she does, not giving their destroyed city a second glance. There's no reason to, after all, Chess and Horn have already turned to ash like the rest of their fallen kind. What scatters the ground now were the corpses of humans, all who didn't deserve a single second's worth of sympathy after they had attacked them.
The smell hits first before the sewage and it causes the corners of his mouth to tug into a frown. He can feel the way the water seeps through his boots but only releases a small sigh; a silent complaint. ]
If they smell corpses they'll probably take it as a warning. Or if they are down here their numbers will be small, the tunnels aren't wide enough for them to do their usual tactics.
[ To her comment on their 'home' he raises a single brow. ]
Yeah, that's pretty obvious. I doubt we'll be getting it back either.
no subject
But this battle was different. Much more than what he experienced back at Nagoya or anything in the past hundred years--no, this battle reminded him of a history from so long ago.
Initially he thought of this all to be a plan devised by Ferid who held a reputation of making questionable decisions for the sake of entertainment.
That idea is quickly swept aside in the midst of battle, however, when he witnesses the vampire who forced him to turn be slaughtered. There's no feeling of regret or sadness, Ferid was perfectly capable of protecting himself so there was no degree of responsibility that weighed on him, but it still managed to surprise Crowley. Red eyes flickering wide-eyed, pausing between his next step that would ultimately lead to something he would regret: watching Horn throw herself between himself and an enemy attack, despite having warned both her and Chess of the borrowed power these livestock were using. Her body slumps over and he feels every word caught in the back of his throat, that familiar, pathetic, feeling of being able to do nothing as he watches her turn to dust.
Instinct reacts in time to save him (something that should have been done earlier to save Horn) and he doesn't hesitate to cut off the human's head.
Horn would not return, Horn was gone, and that reality hit harder than he was willing to admit as he searches the ruined battle ground for Chess. The entire atmosphere was stained was blood and trying to smell her out was near impossible, but when he meets a familiar head of blue already among the rubble and struggling to keep alive Crowley doesn't hesitate to rush over. Which, again, would be a bad move on his end, the hand that reaches out to her being met with a blade that cuts his left forearm off.
Maybe it was the rush of the battle, or perhaps from already losing this much so far, but the pain he feels coursing through what is left of his arm was so raw and real that he nearly, nearly felt human again. Flustered, the next swing of his blade that cuts through the torso of the human that attacked him was made with only half of the strength he possessed.
Once he's at Chess' side, his arm long abandoned, he's met with the realization that he would be unable to save her. Despite no longer having a heart or body heat the feeling he has in his chest was much colder than he once remembered; that is what he thought when she offered him what little left of blood remained inside of her, fangs piercing through skin and draining what little life she had in her body.
If Crowley didn't already hate himself enough before, he definitely did now.
Another pointless battle, more acquaintances lost, and all for what? Because those humans were so afraid in living in a world where they realized they were no longer at the top of the food chain? He wish he could be surprised, but the seraph proved itself as a product of the selfish lengths humans would go--taking a life was so common among their history (he had done so many times, more than he did as a vampire) that doing so now must make them feel some sort of comfort.
Like before he wants to give up.
It takes him a moment to realize that the figure just a distance away from him was moving--alive--and a shorter amount of time to put a name to that person; Krul Tepes.
He almost wants to laugh, greeting her among the destruction and death with a smile best reserved for friends. ]
Ferid's dead. [ As if sharing that news would brighten their day somehow. ] Everyone is.
So what are your orders, Queen? If you want me to be perfectly honest I think we should just lie down and die.
no subject
From the looks of it, Crowley's seen better days himself, what with the loss of a limb thrown into everything else going on around them.
The news of Ferid's death would, normally, cause her to smile in delight. With one less thorn in her side, it's almost a cause for celebration but given their current situation- their current dilemma in which they find themselves, she simply looks to the taller vampire before gazing off towards the blackened sky.
Strands of pink with bits of crimson stained here and there to them, blows around her in the wind, her eyes fixated on the scene high in the sky and, if one looks close enough, there's something close to fear lingering in them. This isn't good and they need to get out of here if either of them are to survive this. The humans have gone too far this time and, with any luck, it will trigger yet another apocalypse accidentally and have them all be killed like years ago. But for the moment, the scales seem to have tipped in the human's favor, so long as they are able to control the seraph wreaking havoc to all around it.
It's Crowley's suggestion to roll over and die that causes her attention to fall back to him and no sooner does he suggest such a thing, does she see a stray human take up his weapon against them from behind the fallen vampire.
Regardless of the cursed gear they wield, Krul is faster- always faster, and snatches the human by the neck within a matter of seconds to which she thrusts her hand inside his chest and tears his heart out in a bloody display of ruthless anger. The corpse is tossed in Crowley's direction then, falling in front of him. ]
Drink that. [ She orders, staring off to the sky with hair billowing around her. ] I need your strength if we're to get out of here. I'm not about to give livestock the satisfaction of killing us.
no subject
He knew that Krul, a vampire of higher rank, was both stronger and faster than he was, but seeing it for himself has his eyes widening for a brief second. By her demeanor he intentionally couldn't read her plans of action and for a moment he thought his time of being alive would end by her hands. But he's quickly proven wrong the moment the smaller vampire tears through a human's chest, lips pulled into a bitter smile as he glances at the corpse she throws at his feet.
Crowley mumbles a small "alright" that isn't necessarily meant to be said at all, crouching down to his knees and grabbing the lifeless human by the front of his uniform before bringing his fangs to a limp neck. It's still warm, but after years of experience he knows that what enters his mouth is the blood of a dead human. ]
I shouldn't be surprised. [ He states, blood peppering his lips before he uses the back of his hand to clean his mouth. ] But I suspect the humans have every means of exit blocked, and if our numbers are small they'll be confident to call reinforcements.
So what do you say we do, Krul?
no subject
It's a troubling thing and yet there's not much either of them can do about it for the moment.
Crowley's arm is picked up and tossed over to him, Krul having spotted it when she approached the taller vampire from afar; he would need that if they were to get out of this alive.
Ash falls from nearby buildings that continue to burn and crumble, the sound and scent of death almost choking everything out around them as she looks around their surroundings. Crowley's right in that the humans would be blocking off any means of exit for them. But they're faster, even when wounded like this and so there's a way they can get out of here if she has anything to say about it.
That's when she spots a manhole nearby and the thought to move their way underground strikes her, moving over towards it then. ]
We'll move underground. [ Even as she says it, slender fingers sink their way into a couple of holes and she rips the top off, granting them a means of escape. ] Keep to the shadows like we have before this happened the first time around.
[ There's a glance over to the other vampire, an expression that reads she's waiting for him to follow her and that she has no intention of leaving him behind. Despite the lack of "bonds" vampires often form with one another, needing each other to survive is never out of the question and it's mostly why she needs him. ]
no subject
Wordlessly he takes his arm and hovers it over his open wound; a few seconds later and his nerves are already reconnecting, pulling his arm from his hand as it connects to skin and muscle before it's back in its original state. His sleeve is torn now but he doesn't roll it off, instead leaving it to hang.
During this time Crowley's fully aware of every sound around them: the crumbling city, the distance cries, the sound of a monster being let loose, but reacting to any of it now would be a waste of time. The only thing that he can think of now as his own kind dies around them is that humans are still the most selfish and self-destructing creatures on this Earth,
Krul grabs his attention once more, sword returning to its sheath as he strides over in her direction. That stare she gives him doesn't send shivers or even receives a questionable look in return, despite being mildly confused as to why she hasn't already jumped in, but instead he seems rather content. He regrets that Chess and Horn are dead but if he's given the chance to move forward he would be a fool not to take it. ]
Reverting back to something like that? Gosh~ I really hate it.
[ For eight hundred years he's had a goal of revenge and now he has a new one: to remain well and alive to spite these humans and kill them on his own. Krul is, for better or for worse, company. ]
Ladies first.
no subject
Even with being stronger than Crowley, she rarely carries a weapon with her, typically relying on her speed and so if she were to lose him should anything happen, it would place her in a rather difficult spot what with his skills in swordsmanship and being much larger than her in general coming in handy.
So, it's into the sewers they go in hopes to make it out alive by moving under the chaos.
She drops herself down first, not needing a light or anything to guide their path what with being a vampire and all. Still, she lands in a mess of sewage that is strewn with waste and corpses and rather than scream or seem horrified by such a sight, she kicks a few floating bodies away from her, making a face only at the smell down here. ]
Let's hope they didn't have the same idea as us.
[ She mutters in regards to the corpses here, wondering if they simply ended up down the sewage tunnels somehow during battle as opposed to running into something down here.
She moves ahead only a little, wading through the dark water before she stops to ensure that Crowley is actually following her and doesn't have other plans; running with Ferid often leaves her distrustful of the other vampire though it's not like they have much of a choice with all things considered right now. ]
Sanguinem is no doubt in ruins and will be under human control.
[ Another fact that annoys her and leaves them without much they can do about it. ]
no subject
He jumps down shortly after she does, not giving their destroyed city a second glance. There's no reason to, after all, Chess and Horn have already turned to ash like the rest of their fallen kind. What scatters the ground now were the corpses of humans, all who didn't deserve a single second's worth of sympathy after they had attacked them.
The smell hits first before the sewage and it causes the corners of his mouth to tug into a frown. He can feel the way the water seeps through his boots but only releases a small sigh; a silent complaint. ]
If they smell corpses they'll probably take it as a warning. Or if they are down here their numbers will be small, the tunnels aren't wide enough for them to do their usual tactics.
[ To her comment on their 'home' he raises a single brow. ]
Yeah, that's pretty obvious. I doubt we'll be getting it back either.