Aces Away

The City Of The Fallen §eraphim

"let's go get drunk." Akseli piped up, not moving his arm from its place across his eyes. "You're upset, right? People get drunk when they're upset."

A sigh from the other man allowed a smirk to alight itself onto his face as he waited for the higher being's inevitable response.

"Angels cannot get-"

"Drunk. Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I can't." He snorted, hoisting himself into a sitting position. "And maybe just the act can change your mood; who the hell knows."

"You should learn to abstain from-"

"Sinful acts. I know that one too." Akseli stood up and stretched, grabbing his brass knuckles and pocketing them before making his way out the Shul doors. "You really need new material."

The scuffle against gravel alerted the young man to his guardian's following. "It's dangerous to be out on the night of a freshly Fallen." Aharon warned from behind the careless boy. "Imagine my power, with no inhibitions. And they're here, in Santa Muerte. Fallen flock here like bird to seed."

"And yet you're the one that turns into a bird." Was the biting reply. "I can take care of myself."

"Around humans, perhaps." Came the mutter from behind him.

"What?"

"I'm just adamant you stay careful and pick no fights tonight."

"We all know that ain't happening. Seriously, why do you even still try with me?" They made it to the doors of the Inferno and Akseli stepped in, stopping with a smirk at the scene of a man's face being introduced to the bar before him. "Call it quits and go help someone who wants it."

Silence was his reply, and he turned with a raised brow to his guardian.

"Can't handle all the sin?" He teased, going over and sitting at the only two empty seats at the bar, pulling the Seraphim down next to him and grinning at the bloodied face two stools down.

"Why must you sit next to one gallivanting around with weapons on display?" Aharon asked, ignoring the other's jab. With a cursory look around the bar, he flashed his eyes and Read those nearest to him, muscles tightening and his whole body shifting closer in protection to his charge.

A smirk and raised eyebrow was the only reply as Akseli waited for the bartender to acknowledge him. She must be a little busy with the current predicament, and he wasn't going to be an ass and demand attention from her.

The City Of The Fallen §eraphim

Yay more people :3

The City Of The Fallen §eraphim

2 Years Later, Present Day

Aharon looked to the moon, dismay clear on his features. His wings curled around him protectively as hi pulled his knees to his chest. The slight crimson aura of the moon seemed to sting his very being. The mist was unnaturally chilled and his wings pulled around him tighter, the other occupant of the Shul unaware of the Seraphim's turmoil.

"Not another..." The being whispered to himself, leaning against the back of a pew, letting his head thunk against it without any thought. "And so we wait to cross paths." The pain in his words were obvious to any paying attention.

"What're you mumbling about?" Came a tired and irritated voice from the inside of the pew. Aharon didn't even flinch as a hand came over the top of the pew and dropped heavily onto his head. The sleep-drunk human heaved himself over the back of the pew and landed in front of the solemn angel, stretching out on the dusty floor and squinting up towards the moon. "It's a red moon man, shut up and sleep."

Aharon rolled his eyes and stared down at his charge. "It's a Crimson Tainted moon." He explained. "It signals that a Seraphim has been lost in a way worse than death."

Blank eyes stared back at him, hand motioning impatiently for him to continue.

"It means one of us has Fallen from Grace, from the light of heaven. One of us has been swallowed by the shadows that so consume you humans." He looked down at the young man and touched his nose, smiling when he jerked his head away and glared. "It's very hard to taint one of us, you should know that after having me around for so long."

"It's not like I've tried." Akseli snapped back. "Besides, one of your buddies isn't all high and mighty anymore, who cares?" He asked, smacking the Seraphim's shin- he couldn't kick him with his position perpendicular to the being the way it was. "You said they aren't dead, right? What's the big deal?"

"There are fates worth than death, Akseli." Aharon answered, ever the patient one. "I've heard that falling is painful. I came across a brother that fell many years ago. Not only was he unhappy to see me, but he was unlike his former self in every way. Where he was once charitable, he was now envious and a glutton for all others had. Where he would abstain from pleasure he now lusted for it. I asked him what had happened and..." A brief pause belied Aharon's discomfort. "He said his light had been torn out by the dark claws of reality."

The cool breeze that brushed Akseli's arm caused the boy to shiver and shift away. "This got you that upset?" He wondered, squinting at his guardian and the fuzzy glow illuminating his form.

"Hmm?" Aharon asked, confused. He noticed his charge's shiver and caught on. "Apologies. I didn't even notice that I had released them to your presence." After a moment's concentration, the cold of the wings became warm and the glow disappeared, allowing Akseli to once more become comfortable.

Tucking his arms under his head, the boy looked to the higher being with a very rare hint of concern. "Dude, you never let your wings out around me unless you're upset. And, you never get that spacey."

"..." His eyes never left the bloody moon as he whispered his next words. "I fear the damage of a single Fallen more than that of every shadow of Hell."

The City Of The Fallen §eraphim

Flashback, First Meeting

The sound of a fist meeting a rib and cracking is the first thing that registers to Aharon as he is swept off to his newest charge. Shaking off the slight disorientation at being forcibly moved- he was not warned of a relocation this time- Aharon relaxed and excepted the information on the young man he was to help; Akseli, a derivative of the Hebrew name Axel, meaning Father of Peace.

"A strong Jewish name for a strong Jewish child," He looked into the alley where fist met flesh once more. "...if not an accurate name." He added. This boy certainly didn't want peace with the man he'd just left bleeding on the grimy ground of the alleyway. With a tilt of the head, Aharon began to follow the young man at a distance, winding through the city's darkening streets until they got quieter and they came upon a broken down house of worship. He watched the young man go in and gave himself a moment to think. He could already tell this boy would be a tough one; not yet old enough to drink away his sorrows and the boy's shadow is darker than many twice his age that Aharon has had to deal with. Taking an unneeded breath, the Seraphim opened the creaking door, raising his hand just in time to catch the bat directed at his head.

"You used a great force behind that swing, young one, it could have killed a lesser being." He always did like to get straight to the point, honesty and patience did wonderfully balanced together.

---

Akseli quickly retreated into the shadows of the Shul as the man made his voice known, eyes narrowed and muscles coiled tight, ready to attack. His Magen David clicked against the button of his jacket and he slipped it under his shirt to silence it.

"I tend not to be soft on people who followed me for an hour and a half." He spoke up, letting the empty building carry his voice and hide his location. Never the less, the man seemed to stare straight through the shadows and discern his figure out of the objects surrounding him.

"So you noticed me?" The man asked with a sincere smile. "Good for you."

"Gee, thanks." Akseli replied sarcastically, unnerved by the mans eyes finding him wherever he moved. "Glad I could impress someone who's not a 'lesser being'."

"You should be." The man replied, sitting on the dusty ground and watching Akseli pace like a cornered animal. "Though I admit humans impress me much more than they do many of my brothers and sisters, your ability to notice me following you so quickly is something to be commended." He watched, expression static as Akseli paused and mouthed 'humans?'. "Seraphim are not easily spotted if they do not wish to be; to be fair, I was following you for 2 and a half hours so it still took you some time."

"2 and hal-?! Seraphi- what the hell are you talking about?!" He demanded, throwing a piece of debris at the man lounging so casually on the ground. Said man merely caught the offending object and set it to the side.

"Hello Akseli, age 20, Jewish ancestry and sufferer of the Sin of Wrath; I am Aharon, a Seraphim Angel of the Lord, and I'm here to be your conscience as you seem to have a bit of trouble listening to the one you have as of current."

The City Of The Fallen §eraphim

Name: Akseli (Ahk-Seh-Lee)
Actual Age: 22
Race: Human
Appearance:

Sin: Wrath

Possessions: A metal baseball bat, a pair of brass knuckles, clothes, 1998 Valkyrie, his mother's Magen David necklace, and some loose change.

Residence: Akseli lives in an abandoned Shul a little ways away from the most lively part of Santa Muerte. It's a good place to avoid rainy days and get a good night's sleep, but food and clothes require theft.

Skills: Pick Pocket, Silver Tongue (Manipulative), Street Fighting, Stealth, Speed (Fast runner), Lock Picking, Disabling Cameras, Quick Thinker.

Demeanour: Detached and irritable, growing up on the streets of Santa Muerte have hardened Akseli and desensitized him to the crimes he commits to survive. Quick to anger if insulted, and impatient when he needs something done, Akseli is a hard man to get along with if you have a good disposition.

History: Left behind at a young age when his single mother committed suicide, Akseli grew up on the streets, learning to survive and cheat. As he got older his strength and skills were put to the test when he joined an underground fighting ring for money. Beaten down and thrown to the ground too many times to count, he trained constantly to hone his fighting ability and soon rose through the ranks to become one of the best fighters by the time he turned 18, 4 years after joining.

He was 20 and in the middle of a fight when the authorities swooped in, but Akseli grew up on the streets and made sure to know every escape route and which ones were best depending on the situation; He grabbed the money- he was winning, after all- and High-Tailed it out of the ring through the window and down the alley's manhole second before the police turned the corner.

Navigating through the dark sewer system, Akseli made it back to his home of 10 years and collapsed onto his makeshift bed in the corner of the the Shul's main room. He realized he'd have to do something else for money and set to work on learning how to disable security cameras. While the cameras came rather easily to him, the money did not, but he made due with minor theft and was glad to have another skill under his belt.

Still young and angry at the world, Akseli has a habit of purposefully getting in fights with anyone that so much as brushes passed him and looks to be a challenge. Even before the fighting ring, he seemed to spend more nights in a jail cell for assault or public disturbance than he did in his Shul. Someone must have been sick of his ways because next thing he knows, the twenty year old has this tall guy that only seems a few years older than him following him around and trying to save him from his own darkness.

And with his life, yeah...sure, why wouldn't that happen?

---

Name: Aharon (Ah-Hah-Rown)(Meaning: Light Bringer)
Apparent Age: 28
Race: Seraphim
Appearance:

Wings:

Viture: Patience

Possessions: Clothes, Rope-He doesn't like purely lethal weapons-, First aid supplies, and fantasy novels.

Residence: The Shul Akseli resides in.

Skills: Cooking, First aid, Fast reading/speed reading, Defense.

Seraphim Powers: Flight, empathy, healing, Shape Shift (Dove), Virtue Touch, Inhuman Perception, Aura Read.

Demeanour: If Akseli is irritable and impatient, Aharon is the exact opposite. It seems as though nothing short of the end of humanity(And Akseli's stubbornness) can break through the calm attitude he exudes. While patience and kindness come easily to him, Akseli has proven that exasperation does as well, testing Aharon's patience with his antics.

History: Until Akseli, Aharon has a wonderful track record for bringing his charges better into the light. His patience and kindness has been able to turn even his toughest charge in less than a few years before he is whisked away to deal with another. However, for 2 years he has been living with and attempting to help Akseli, with no visible signs of improvement. He talks to the boy, asks him not to lose himself to his anger and thievery, and inevitably patches him up when he returns with cuts and bruises from yet another fight.

Aharon doesn't recall the last time he felt frustration like he does around the young man now in his charge, and hopes that he won't be reminded due to another mishap on Akseli's half. He's seen far to many brothers and sisters fall due to the sins of their charges, and he prays to his father each day that he does not become one of them.

The City Of The Fallen §eraphim

Name: Akseli (Ahk-Seh-Lee)
Actual Age: 22
Race: Human
Appearance:

Sin: Wrath

Possessions: A metal baseball bat, a pair of brass knuckles, clothes, 1998 Valkyrie, his mother's Magen David necklace, and some loose change.

Residence: Akseli lives in an abandoned Shul a little ways away from the most lively part of Santa Muerte. It's a good place to avoid rainy days and get a good night's sleep, but food and clothes require theft.

Skills: Pick Pocket, Silver Tongue (Manipulative), Street Fighting, Stealth, Speed (Fast runner), Lock Picking, Disabling Cameras, Quick Thinker.

Demeanour: Detached and irritable, growing up on the streets of Santa Muerte have hardened Akseli and desensitized him to the crimes he commits to survive. Quick to anger if insulted, and impatient when he needs something done, Akseli is a hard man to get along with if you have a good disposition.

History: Left behind at a young age when his single mother committed suicide, Akseli grew up on the streets, learning to survive and cheat. As he got older his strength and skills were put to the test when he joined an underground fighting ring for money. Beaten down and thrown to the ground too many times to count, he trained constantly to hone his fighting ability and soon rose through the ranks to become one of the best fighters by the time he turned 18, 4 years after joining.

He was 20 and in the middle of a fight when the authorities swooped in, but Akseli grew up on the streets and made sure to know every escape route and which ones were best depending on the situation; He grabbed the money- he was winning, after all- and High-Tailed it out of the ring through the window and down the alley's manhole second before the police turned the corner.

Navigating through the dark sewer system, Akseli made it back to his home of 10 years and collapsed onto his makeshift bed in the corner of the the Shul's main room. He realized he'd have to do something else for money and set to work on learning how to disable security cameras. While the cameras came rather easily to him, the money did not, but he made due with minor theft and was glad to have another skill under his belt.

Still young and angry at the world, Akseli has a habit of purposefully getting in fights with anyone that so much as brushes passed him and looks to be a challenge. Even before the fighting ring, he seemed to spend more nights in a jail cell for assault or public disturbance than he did in his Shul. Someone must have been sick of his ways because next thing he knows, the twenty year old has this tall guy that only seems a few years older than him following him around and trying to save him from his own darkness.

And with his life, yeah...sure, why wouldn't that happen?

---

Name: Aharon (Ah-Hah-Rown)(Meaning: Light Bringer)
Apparent Age: 28
Race: Seraphim
Appearance:
Wings:

Viture: Patience

Possessions: Clothes, Rope-He doesn't like purely lethal weapons-, First aid supplies, and fantasy novels.

Residence: The Shul Akseli resides in.

Skills: Cooking, First aid, Fast reading/speed reading, Defense.

Seraphim Powers: Flight, empathy, healing, Shape Shift (Dove), Virtue Touch, Inhuman Perception, Aura Read.

Demeanour: If Akseli is irritable and impatient, Aharon is the exact opposite. It seems as though nothing short of the end of humanity(And Akseli's stubbornness) can break through the calm attitude he exudes. While patience and kindness come easily to him, Akseli has proven that exasperation does as well, testing Aharon's patience with his antics.

History: Until Akseli, Aharon has a wonderful track record for bringing his charges better into the light. His patience and kindness has been able to turn even his toughest charge in less than a few years before he is whisked away to deal with another. However, for 2 years he has been living with and attempting to help Akseli, with no visible signs of improvement. He talks to the boy, asks him not to lose himself to his anger and thievery, and inevitably patches him up when he returns with cuts and bruises from yet another fight.

Aharon doesn't recall the last time he felt frustration like he does around the young man now in his charge, and hopes that he won't be reminded due to another mishap on Akseli's half. He's seen far to many brothers and sisters fall due to the sins of their charges, and he prays to his father each day that he does not become one of them.

The City Of The Fallen §eraphim

Can I make more than one character or should I stick with a single character to focus on?

Medella Offices

Azzy

Azeti's head whipped up towards Milo when his younger brother called out to him from a little ways down the hall. He let his exasperation and disgust show for the slightest second at his brother's crass exclamation. He quickly covered it up with his usual grin and walked over to them, patting Sarco on the shoulder as he passed the older man.

"I think we'd be smelling it if he truly did that, Ach-Milo," Azzy admonished. "Taleitha's inscents can only cover up so much smell." he looked over to Owen and gave him a once over. "However, you do have a stain on your pants." He tilted his head. "hmm...there are some changes of clothes and belts in the cabinet closest to the door in my office, feel free to grab what you need to be more comfortable." He said with a warm smile to the older man. He then put an arm around his brother and steered him back towards Lulu. On the way back to the cubicles he whispered in his brother's ear.

"Todah rabah, Ach-milo, you got me out of there without true confrontation." He spoke up in thanks, trying not to show that he was shaken, before reaching Lulu and the fedora-boy. "Lulu! Always a pleasure. Mr....." He trailed off wit a small smile, not bothering to ask for the boy's name.

Tally

"Oh dear." Tally tilted her head at the young Medella's exclamation. "Excuse me you two, it seems I need to light more inscents." She turned back into her desk and took a stick-inscent out, striking a match and watching the smoke waft off the burning stick. "Now, where were we?" She asked as she turned to face them again.

Jonathan

"Damn spoiled brats always interfering so I can never get a prope- aagh!" Sarco stopped as he grabbed his chest. He grabbed his pill case and quickly crushed and swallowed three dry, the ache in his chest receding as he leaned against the wall. "Damn kids and their... damn health...damn...smelly sticks...fuck." The man rested his head against the wall and glared in the Medella childrens' direction.

The Catch (Sunja and Reap)

"We shall." Taeyang agreed, bowing before leading her hand into the crook of his elbow, his other hand covering her slender one. They reached the dungeon in no time, just as the fledglings were stirring. He led Avalai to the cell with the boy as he waited in the one with the girl, leaning against the bars and keeping an ear out to make sure the boy didn't attack Avalai.

*_*_*

"Ugh..." She woke with a groan and pushed her body up from the floor. Looking around to let her eyes adjust, she noticed the slim figure leaning up against the bars. 'Wait, bars? Am I in jail? What did I do?' she ranted in her mind, not moving an inch. 'I should cal...I should...I should call...who?' her mind stuttered to a halt. "Who- where-"

"You, castle." The one in the room replied, a smirk obvious in his tone. "We don't know your name so you'll have to figure that out yourself." He knelt down next to her. Her body felt paralysed by the knot in her stomach, and she stared as his face came into focus. He was older than her, but he still looked young. Her body tensed in warning when he touched her shoulder and pulled her into the sitting position. "Calm down, kiddo, I won't hurt you. Drink this, you've been without for a few days at least." Her lips remained firmly sealed up until she caught the smell of the drink he had picked up from a table in the cell. Without a second thought her lips were parted and the liquid was going down her throat, making her feel stronger by the second. When her limbs finally unlocked, she snatched the cup out of the surprised man's hand, tilting her head back as far as it would go and savoring every last drop. "More" she demanded with a growl when there was nothing left. She reached out to the man, glaring at his empty hands.

"Whoa, woah, it's ok. C'mere, Yeoja Avalai is with the other one, and we'll all get more after grouping up." He held his hand out to her and helped her up. With a slight bow, he led her out of the room and down the hall, where a woman in a red dress was with a boy just a bit younger Anrah herse-

"...Anrah?" She whispered as the two of them entered the cell. The Korean man looked at her over his shoulder and gave her a smile. "I'm guessing that's your name. Yeoja Avalai, this is Anrah." He introduced after bowing to the woman I'm red.

The Catch (Sunja and Reap)

"There is one male and one female, both in the latter half of their teen years." Taeyang began. "They were dropped at our doorstep three days ago with an untraceable note, simply saying 'For You'. We don't know who turned them or why they left the fledglings to us, but perhaps it was one of the other covens who wanted no more in their own." He knew that was a long-shot, but his only other thought was that someone else in his own coven may have made them and dropped them off; of the three Avalai had found, none of them chose to return to the castle, and all but renounced their coven. One would never sire a fledgling, so it was down to two. But that was only one line of thinking...

"The girl has no background I could find, yet her clothes are fairly nice, so I'm to assume she was a wanderer, a nomad. The boy I traced back to his family, but after observation they seem to not have even given his absence any thought." Taeyang tried not to let it show how troubling that idea was to him.