[center][h1]The Demon Lady of Despair: Conclusion[/h1][/center] [hider=Where Did Vera Disappear Too, And Where Did Meredith Return From? The Conclusion.] Vera stood there, with Wolf's armored hand on her shoulder. He held her close to his side, as if guarding her. She was sure she was safe, but she didn't feel comforted -- just the bitter cold of the metal. And then, silent as ever, he released her and began walking back into the battered old building. She followed, reluctantly. That house was mostly bad memories, but Andras was in there. Her friend and fellow victim. She hesitated a moment. When Wolf got back to the main room, he stopped in front of Meredith, however the blade remained sheathed. She couldn't imagine him actually hurting Meredith at this point... or at least she was trying to convince herself of that. She heard Nas say something about 'everything belonging to her and Andras now' and shuddered. She didn't want to own the place, she wanted to burn it. It was also a hilarious insight into how the guy's mind worked. "Screw looting this dump, let's just get out of here. Gonna need more than just one drink before I can forget today-" Speaking of drinks, it looked like Andras had tried to mimic her. And made a mess of it. Vera stood there for a moment, her brain just shutting off. Andras failing at alcohol was such a hard shift from the all the shit she'd just been through. Finally she managed to finish her mental reboot. "C'mon," she held her hand out to the girl. "I had way too much of that stuff on an empty stomach, let's get moving while we can still stand." She couldn't tell how much Andras had actually had, but she hoped a novice like her wouldn't have managed to down much of something that strong. She glanced at Nas next, "If you really wanna help, see if you can find his car keys. I refuse to walk home like this." Nas's shirt was nice and all, but she was one stiff breeze away from flashing the world. Nasearph quirked eyebrow at Vera's...reprimand? He was just trying to get something out of this absurd situation. He scoffed, rising back up. The gal of this woman, telling him to not bother with looting then telling him to get right back to looting. "Fine." He grumbled, turning and regarding Andras. "You look like you enjoy," he leaned in and squinted, studying her intently, "Art." He concluded, turning around and starting toward the other room to find keys, his gift, and to hell with everything else. "I'll grab you an art." It would at least let him leave the drama in the main room behind. "Ah..." Andras's throat was still sore from the burning drink she took. She couldn't really think of anything to say. She was completely blanking on her fellow Vigilante's name. The realization of that made her more embarrassed, and while she tried to mouth a word or two her face burned bright red. "Y-Yes, art..." She managed to mumble, far too late for Nas to hear her. After Nas judged that he would have to find a trophy for her without her input, Andras sniffled, wiping her face. While she was painfully aware that Vera probably thinking she looked pretty uncool, there were extenuating circumstances. She decided to try not to call attention to it all and simply took Vera's hand wordlessly, standing up. Andras rocked a little, keeping Vera's hand to steady herself. 'Ah, I feel like I can barely stand. Is it the drink, or just the strain from today? Or maybe both? That drink seemed really strong. Does it work that quickly? I can't just ask. Play it cool Andras. It's probably just the stress. But there's a chance it's not too. What if the drink acts faster if you're stressed out? Is it supposed to kick in after the warmth stops? What if the warmth means it's already acting?' Her mind was racing in circles, and she backed up against the wall to stop from needing to clutch Vera to keep steady. [hr] Wolf stood before Meredith, staring down at her. Just... staring. And staring. His hands clenched into fists... and then smoke began to rise off of the armor, more and more as if it were disintegrating until it just completely evaporated, leaving a pale-skinned, completely exhausted looking Wolf standing before her. His mouth twitched, opening slightly, but nothing came out. So many words fighting for their place, and in the end only one, simple syllable was able to make it through. "Why?" Meredith was still hiccuping and sniffling, when she suddenly noticed the presence of Wolf. Her eyes met briefly for a second. That was her friend. But something was different. He had... become some kind of thing. Unapproachable. She tried to open her mouth, but nausea overtook her. As tired as she was, she could not move much, and she honestly wanted to tell something... "Well...I..." She began to fidget, grabbing the remains of her shirt, unable to maintain her gaze. "I ... mean...I..." "You need not to answer that if you want to, monster tits."Glass crunching was heard, as some sure steps grabbed the glass bottle next to Andras. That fool had decided to forfeit the medical equipment. Cat was out of the bag. He took a powerful swill of the bottle, before smashing it against a wall. "He still can't believe this sort of betrayal. After all it's his girlfriend, you should respect her." He said. "Even if she's a completely toxic, abusive shrew... and you've been always in love with him like if he was your morning sun." Celestine said, before picking up his bronze mask, and wiping it off dirt, placing it on his face. "Love... wars have been waged for that." "No one asked you..." Wolf didn't even have the energy to look at Cel. "Well?" He looked to Meredith to confirm or deny. "After all these years you can at least give me a straight answer, can't you?" It took most of what he had left to keep his voice from shaking. "Because for me, after all this time, if you said you were sorry right now and promised never to do it again, I'd want to believe you despite my better judgement. So the least you can do is look at me and say something!" Meredith just seemed to lose all energy, before trying to hiccup even more. Wolf, despite his best judgement was asking her why. And now that masked transvestite had spilled the beans. "I did it... because all this time, i wanted to be human to achieve my goals. To not be rejected. To have friends, and be h...happy. And yet, wicked people wormed their way in. They made you miserable. Nevermind me, who I am just a filthy halfblood, but you, Wolf." She added. Gritting her teeth. "You! The same boy who never scoffed at me and my weirdness! You were taken over! You never smile these days! You get ensnared in stupid plots! You let... that woman walk over you, when you're so much more worth it!" She said, her fists clenching. "And ... I ... was tired. I listened to whom I should not. Sacrifices. I tried to sacrifice an innocent girl for just your smile. That's how desperate I was!" She added, as she finally let loose. "And yes, I am sorry, I will not do this again! But I will -never- stop trying to wish for you..." "...your happiness. And I don't think -she- can give it to you. Because she's Mother given human flesh!" She let a glare at Vera, before keeping her poise. "Ooh snap". Cel's inopportune and bored comment followed. Andras tried to lean against the wall before letting go of Vera entirely and Vera, beginning to feel the alcohol herself, nearly lost her footing. She braced herself against the wall as well for a moment, but then froze up as she heard Meredith's rant. It was almost refreshing that she could still feel the familiar tension of anger welling up inside her. Feeling herself kick into "attack mode" deep down was a welcome change from the overwhelming sense of vulnerability she'd been swimming through this whole time. Andras might see or hear Vera's nails dig into the plaster of the wall next to her head. However, as Vera went to turn around, she stopped as her vision passed over Andras. Maybe she just couldn't bring herself to just abandon Andras while she was so vulnerable herself, or maybe seeing the girl in such a way reminded her of what she herself had just been through, dropping a wet blanket on her rage before it could even fully ignite. "Come on..." she spoke. There was still a slight chill to her words as she pulled Andras's arm over her shoulder to support her and began leading her out of the building. Even so, she stopped for a moment as they passed Wolf and Meredith. "Get on your high horse if you want, but after all this time you finally grew a spine just so you could use it to stab him in the back..." Vera spoke bitterly. "Vera." Wolf said. "Just... get Andras out of here." She had no idea what to make of this. Was he honestly not on her side with this one either? Either way, she just wanted out of the room now and did as he suggested. Wolf was silent. He couldn't think of what to say to Meredith at first. All this because of him? Maybe it was the word 'mother' that finally sparked a proper response from him. As Vera walked way, his lips finally twitched back into action. "After all the time we spent... to make sure you got to choose who you wanted to be... to choose this. How could you do that and then talk about my happiness?" He looked down at the floor. "You..." he shut his eyes tightly, but then just went sort of limp. "Go home... Meredith..." He didn't want to look at her again, as if avoiding her would keep what she'd become from cementing itself as her image in his mind. He didn't want that. Meredith's flames seemed to recede as soon Vera left the room. When Wolf finally spoke, Meredith looked at the ground. It was what she feared. She was truly at loss. For listening to her dark side, she could count her blessings by being alive. How deluded had she been. Wolf... was after all the one she had wounded the most. But it was so hard to ask what he truly wanted? Did he want that shrew that much? She would never find out, as betrayal stung even more. And that's what she was, a betrayer. Wolf had told her to go home. That had never been truly a home for her, at least not without Wolf. Cel, for his part, just began to giggle initially. And then let out a more prominent laugh. "Fools and fools tales. Takes one to know one, believe me. Just ask Vera who was the first one who fell for her wiles, nerd. " He began to walk past the exhausted knight. "You say that, and you do not realize two important things, Wolfram Koenigsmann. One is that you're sentencing her to go back with her hellish mother for atoning for her crimes, and the second is ..." he leaned to whisper. "Who do you think would try to tear my throat apart should I try to kill you here and now. Vera or Mer?" He indicated, before moving onto the distraught half -succubus. "Well, my sympathies, you've been Vera'd. It feels like crap ... doesn't it." He eyed the stunned junior. "Fortunately, I find you interesting. I can rebuild you. I will make you a dark angel worth of songs and tales. I only will ask for what is due, a small fee for my... tutorship." Celestine added. "I also have a nasty mother, you know. Someone who would rather remember to water the plants than remembering he has a child." He stretched his hand for Meredith to take. Like the once broken, flightly thing she had been, the girl hesitated at first. But in the end choose to take the hand of Lightbringer. "Yes...home is not what I want to go. There was one, once, but I burnt it." She confessed. "Excellent... do you want to dance in the moonlight, Meredith? Do you yearn for happiness?" Celestine added as he drew the taller woman towards him, making her dance. "One...two...three...very good." The Lightbringer said, a smile underneath his mask. "Pity the man who let such a fine girl go. You can fly, you have allure, and you have enough firepower to bring down Vigilantes to their heels." He finished, his dance stopped. "Let's get out of here. Let's have a nice dinner, and tomorrow will be a brighter day. " The masked man announced, before leading Meredith past the spent Wolfram. "Waste not. This one is better than Andras." He whispered once to the Vigilante, before resuming his pace outside the building. "I couldn't find his keys, but there were...other...spoils." Nas trailed off, stepping out of the other room with a handful of paintings under one arm, a velvet purple sack clutched in his hand, and a pair of fancy looking pants slung over one shoulder. He looked around the largely empty room. Looked at Wolfs face. Looked at the spot where the Meredith wasn't. "Wolf," he said. "Where do we go from here?" [hr] Andras's looping thoughts slowly settled down as Vera guided her out of the room. "Ah. Um. Ah." Andras quietly mumbled to herself, trying to think of what to say. The situation was clearly still fairly heavy, but she was also concerned with how close Vera was. She couldn't come up with anything. As they left the room, walking from the hallway, Andras was lost in thought. 'It's normal. We're supporting each other. Calm down. Saying "calm down" doesn't help. It's because you're not staying calm. She's warm. Maybe you should stop arguing with yourself in your head. Maybe YOU should take your argument and-' Andras found herself hugging Vera, and sniffling. "Veraaaa... That was awful... How did this all come to this?! Jusht- Just as I find new friends all of this happens..." She groaned, trying to keep herself from crying again. "Uuu... I couldn't stop you from getting shto- stolen from that guy... And my eye hurts... And my legs... And I'm hungry..." She tightened her embrace around Vera. "Wh- n- bu- can y-" Vera's protests were drowned out by the tick known as Andras as the girl clung to her pathetically. "OK, OK, OK!" she choked out as the girl's grip tightened. She awkwardly patted Andras's shoulder, "We'll find food, but first I need better clothes!" Something nice and normal like eating might go a long way to making her feel better, she hoped. It had been too close. She'd fought back with all she had, but someone like Galbrek could have easily just forced the issue a little harder and then who knew what could have happened to her. But Wolf had shown up, just like she knew he would. Like he always did. Whenever she needed him. Even though... "Now calm down, everything is fine now. We're safe..." Vera herself managed to relax just a little as well, resting her chin on Andras's head. Whether it was out of affection or just because the other girl's height made her a convenient head rest was hard to say... Wolf took a moment before he responded to Nas. "I..." He let out a long, defeated sigh. After everything, he still felt like he'd lost. In the end he'd still lost someone, hadn't he? He wasn't sure he could just accept that fact, but he could do nothing about it now. He was all out of fight. "Let's just get them someplace safe for now." Their goal had been to save Andras and Vera and they had, so actually getting them away from this hellhole was as good a short-term goal as any. And so he began tiredly limping his way outside... Celestine's steps were brisk and energetic. It did not feel like he had witnessed such a struggle and revelations, as besides his bruises and cuts, his attitude was like of a completely detached new arrival. He only showed a noteworthy reaction when he noticed Meredith, who was tensing upon the sight of Vera, the remnants of the fiery feelings she had not experienced long ago still stirring. "Forget it, today is not-eat-faces day, my sweet demon lady." Celestine calmly remarked, as he eyed the wreck. "No, the reckoning will be more drawn out." He whispered under his breath as he began to fiddle with his phone as he picked it up, brushed it aside and made sure it worked. Luigi Vile certainly knew how to craft things. He made a gesture to move towards the girls. "Safety?" He added, letting a loud, debased laugh. "Well, here's a funny thing for you people. Apparently the city's going aflame with some sort of demon fanboys crossed with goat worshippers or something like that. And the stadium was one of the targets. So... if you had not been kidnapped and being made actresses of this cheap boo hoo horseplay, which -by the way- ended in some ugly things like berserker idiots, and people kneecapping people we would've been actually doing something useful. Oh and slit throats... I guess I had a bad day." Celestine then showed the containts of some blurry footage that he had managed to snag. "Andras is drunk, the nerd is spent, birdboy is plundering, Vera is a joke who only knows how to talk back. Don't you know the meaning of saving up some cards? Ah well..." He eyed Andras. "Well, I guess I will take my leave now. Be happy and safe and all of that. I kept my promise not to harm your friends, after all. If someone commits betrayal is no longer a friend, i guess." His eyes then rested on Meredith, who was still trying to rein herself in, biting her lip, and with a ghastly, stunned visage. "Oh, but I guess I could consider myself fortunate, there is an actual demon lady before us. Meredith is the real deal." He smiled, in feigned warmth. "Say, I think our dinner could wait. You feel terrible. So do I. We could bash a few skulls, rescue some people, let the bile out." Meredith looked left and right, and her eyes finally left Vera. She was... smiling. "Sounds like a plan." Meredith said, her visage becoming composed all of a sudden. Her arms reached for the Fallen one. "We can reach the place flying." She added. [i]What's done is done...Wolf doesn't want me near him, so he will have his wish. And... I feel so hungry. So tired and hungry... [/i] She somberly added mentally as she carried him away, her wings fully spread. Nasearph watched the pair leave with nearly the same detachment Celestine displayed. He had walked out just in time to catch the tail end of their little rant and really couldn't make out the point of it. He really couldn't make out the point of anything they had done today. Coming to save one person from another person who'd kidnapped them. Murdering the kidnapper. Shit talking the person you'd come to save, trying to get them killed, the leaving with the kidnapper as though you were friends with them? Naseraph was insane. He knew that. It was what everyone had told him since he was a young child. There was something just wrong there, something broken inside his head that made him...difficult. Unruly. Empty. Looking at the actions of this person, though, he realized that he didn't understand what empty even was. He held out the pants and bag to Andras and Vera with one hand and said, simply "That person is a lunatic," Before starting down the stairs. As he stepped he carelessly knocked over one of the potted plants on the stairs, sending it crashing ton the pavement. As it did so he noticed a glint, and reached down. He rose holding a shiny ring of keys between his thumb and fore finger. He turned back to Vera, and held them up. "Found them." Andras cast a sideways glance towards Cel from her embrace. She didn't have anything to say, but tears welled in her eyes, distorting his figure. She couldn't understand why - or how - someone could be the way he is. And furthermore... What about her made her interesting to him? It made her feel uneasy. As she blinked the tears away, he was gone. As Nas approached them, Andras looked blankly at the pants. "I can't eat these-" She had begun talking before her brain figured out who the pants were for. "Oh. Ohhhh." Vera was after all, barely clothed. Just a little bit donated from the bird boy. It was almost like she was wearing nothing at- Andras almost leaped away from Vera. "Omygosh I didn't- You're- Erm-" Andras loudly hiccuped, stopping her bumbling stream of words. She covered her red face with her hands and turned away. She weakly mumbled, "Just tell me when we're leaving... Before I make things worse..." Vera slow blinked at Andras's panic. "Right, because me not wearing pants got more embarrassing over the last thirty seconds..." she sighed and walked over to Nas. She took the pants and quickly pulled them on before anyone could find out if the carpets matched the drapes. She didn't bother trying to turn around or make Nas look away. For some reason the bird boy didn't register on her radar, not that she had any shame left after today anyway. The pants were... loose, hanging low on one hip. She adjusted them only for them to slide off her other hip. With a defeated sigh she just snatched the keys from Nas and did her best to hold the pants up with her other hand. "We're leaving..." She grumbled and made her way to the car. She didn't need them to fit, just to stay on until she made it to the car. As she sat in the drivers seat, she recalled that she was technically drinking and driving... well the adrenaline had probably burned off all the alcohol right? No? Whatever, it had been one gulp, she'd be fine! "Get in!" she turned the key and revved the engine to make sure it hadn't been somehow killed in the crossfire. Once everyone was in the car with her, she began driving. She was glad she'd learned how to because she was pretty sure no one else still there ever had. If Andras knew how to drive she'd eat her sho- . . . Oh right. On a related note, driving barefoot wasn't very comfortable. Neither was the drive itself. It was... creepy. The streets were barren, for some reason there was a pillar of smoke rising in the distance, and there were strange people staring at them from the sidewlaks and alleyways they passed by. Not a lot of them, just the occasional group of two or three here and there. She was pretty sure they'd also passed a body or two. All that was missing was an air-raid siren. Then they came across a police barricade. "Shit..." She recalled hearing that masked psycho mention something about how rescuing her had wasted time better served elsewhere. This must have been what he was talking about. Fortunately in the end they were just able to take a detour. She drove them toward one of the outer rings of the city. Whereas where Galbrek had taken her was practically a slum, this was a rather upscale area. More importantly, it seemed the chaos in the city hadn't quite reached this far out. She pulled along the side of the street rather than a parking lot and shut off the car. "This'll do for now... unless you want me to drive back into whatever all that is..." Vera said. "Wait, isn't thi-" Wolf began to speak but Vera got out of the car. She went to Andras's door and dragged the girl out of the car -- she didn't trust her to walk on her own right now. She'd probably get lost or something... "Come on," she said and led them to the front door of the nearest house and opened it. "My parents are out getting murdered or something, so make yourself at home. Just try not to break my shit." She deposited Andras on the nearest sofa. "I'm gonna go take a shower and [i]die[/i]. No peeking unless you're Andras." Whether that was a jab to make Andras uncomfortable or just because they were both girls was impossible to say... [/hider]