Scorn of the Ill-Mother

[June 28th, 4:45 PM

Wildomar, The Totenkopf Estate]

[10:59:08 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He's obviously in a poor mood, anxious, nervous, and angry from their fight with Ricky. He and Yuri are walking through the large mansion and back towards the library. They've both noticed that the strange storm seems to have let up, and though it's still raining, it's a normal rain and the sun has returned. After a few seconds they walk passed the large dining room, which is nearly empty except for Karen, who is sitting at the far end of the table eating a small piece of some kind of pie.

Karen: She notices them as they walk by and looks from her food. You're awake. Surprised you could sleep at all with the thunder. She wipes her mouth and stands up.

[11:03:37 AM] Arbi: Yuri: We had to make sure someone was telling us the truth about our friend being possessed... He scratches his arm. Your brother helped us before with another friend who was possessed by a demon, you got any experience with exorcism?

[11:05:02 AM] Omniance: Karen: Very little. I've only ever seen my brother perform various methods, never performed one myself.

[11:07:04 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He lets out a long sigh. We're going to need to find someone to help us then, but I don't know who. Murdoc directed us to the Prince, Veronica screwed up the last ritual we asked her to help with... He shakes his head. After a moment he seems to have an idea, but keeps it to himself.

[11:07:38 AM] Arbi: Yuri: What about grandma? He looks back at his brother.

[11:09:15 AM] Omniance: Lucas: ...That's what I was thinking. He looks at Yuri. Let's go find Ricky first.

Karen: By the way, if you didn't know already, Murdoc and your friends left when the storm let up. About a half hour ago. Most of them were anxious to see their families.

[11:10:31 AM] Arbi: Yuri: I figured they would leave. Did Murdoc find anything useful out?

[11:12:57 AM] Omniance: Karen: He did, but I don't think it's what he came here for. It was merely something about... She shakes her head trying to remember what he was droning on about. ...Coffins... Or something. I don't know. I let your friend borrow one of the books. She said she needed it. She sits back down at the table.

[11:15:37 AM] Arbi: Yuri: We'll ask him about it later... thanks, Karen. He turns to leave with his brother.

[11:16:28 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He sighs. Sounds like Mandy Lane took that red book back... Do we care? He shakes his head as they walk into the library.

[11:17:37 AM] Arbi: Yuri: If she becomes a power hungry monster we'll just have to take her down, won't we?

[11:18:05 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He nods. Definitely.

[11:18:59 AM] Omniance: About thirty minutes later they're at Murdoc's place, having decided to go there to ask him where Ricky might be, since he wasn't at his own house near where they live.

[11:20:16 AM] Omniance: Lucas: I was thinking that he might go to where his mom lived, that's where he grew up right?

Murdoc: He's shuffling through some papers in the cabinets behind his desk. Yeah, maybe, that place is just a ruin now. There was a fire that burned most of it to the ground.

[11:21:04 AM] Arbi: Yuri: Where is it?

[11:23:36 AM] Omniance: Murdoc: Go down mission trail, take a left on Waite, then a right onto Amberton. It's about a block from the high school. He turns to look at them. So was he actually possessed?

Lucas: Yes. He turns to leave.

Murdoc: You want me to go with you guys? He slides the cabinet door closed.

[11:27:38 AM] Arbi: Yuri: We talked to the demon inside him, Aibhleann... he told us not to bring anyone with us or else we'll never see Ricky again.

[11:29:07 AM] Omniance: Murdoc: He looks back and forth at them. ...Well I wish ya luck then. I'm going to head over to that mansion on the other side of the lake, see if that group's what stopped the storm. It's that big place right before the Ortega Highway turnoff.

Lucas: I know it. He walks out, not really caring.

[11:31:21 AM] Arbi: Yuri: Thanks, Doc. He follows his brother out back to the jeep.

[11:32:57 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He starts the car as he puts his seatbelt on. There's a constant sound of sirens in the distance, and there's still very few people out on the streets. He pulls out onto the main road and heads south to find Waite street. ...What are we going to do about Ricky when we find him?

[11:33:46 AM | Edited 11:36:01 AM] Arbi: Yuri: Grandma knew how to seal a demon inside both of us... she has to know how to fix this.

[11:36:03 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He nods, still unsure. Yeah. He's clearly not driving the speed limit, going almost 80. They turn onto Waite after only a few minutes and drive up the road. If anything happens to Ricky... He frowns, his anger losing against a surge of sadness. Even though he's wet from the raid it's obvious that he's crying a little bit.

[11:39:44 AM] Arbi: Yuri: He notices his brother crying but doesn't say anything, quietly getting out of the car and looking at the ruins of Ricky's old home. A large portion of the roof is gone, like something fell through it and half of the house looks charred from the fire. Besides that the house is still standing.

[11:41:38 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He gets out of the car and looks around, then pushes aside a chain-linked fence, most of which already fell over in the storm, and walks up the driveway. The neighborhood seems empty despite there being a few other houses around.

[11:47:39 AM | Edited 11:47:56 AM] Arbi: The two of them walk up to the entrance. The frontdoor is on the carpet inside the living room, there are visible burn marks all over the wood on the doorframe. It's pretty obvious that it was blasted open recently. Besides that the home looks fairly the same as it did before although once they're inside they can tell all the carpet is wet, the hole in the ceiling letting much of the rain inside.

[11:48:24 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He looks around the living room. After a moment of hesitation he yells out. Ricky?!

[11:49:29 AM] Arbi: Yuri: He stops moving, waiting to see if he hears anything. The two of them suddenly hear something, almost like crying coming from the hallway in one of the bedrooms.

[11:50:18 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He turns and runs towards the sound, slipping a little bit on the wet carpet, but he catches himself and runs down the hall towards the room with the noise.

[11:54:05 AM] Arbi: The first bedroom on the right is burnt black from the fire and the door is falling off the hinges but Lucas sees no one inside. The door on the left further down the hallway is open and has a large bed, it obviously belonged to Hailey and her husband. That just leaves the closed door on the right at the end.

[11:54:50 AM] Omniance: Lucas: He slows down as he reaches the door, and then slowly opens it. Ricky? He looks inside for his boyfriend.

[11:57:36 AM | Edited 11:58:26 AM] Arbi: Half of the room is burnt black but the rest was saved by the firefighters the night of the fire. Ricky is curled up on his bed looking away from the door, the charred wood on his arm beginning to fall off, much of it on the bed and the floor. The missing wood is beginning to reveal demonic flesh underneath.

[11:59:20 AM] Omniance: Lucas: Ricky! He runs over and grabs him. He's relieved just to see that he's here. Ricky... He tries to look him over, seeing his demonic arm.

[12:04:12 PM] Arbi: Ricky: He opens his eyes and turns, looking up at Lucas and smiling weakly. Vera? Is that really you? He looks unsure, almost like he thinks it could be an illusion.

[12:04:56 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He turns Ricky towards him more and hugs him as tight as he can. It's me!

[12:19:18 PM] Arbi: As Lucas reaches forward to hug him Ricky vanishes in tiny embers and wisps of smoke. A possessed Ricky reappears behind Lucas, his eyes glowing with fire.

Yuri: Lucas! He tries to warn his brother but something sharp stabs him in the back and his eyes go wide.

Helena: She pulls out her firey hand out of Yuri's back and watches him fall to the ground.

Ricky: He grabs Lucas with his large demonic arm and pulls the fire out of his lungs before he has a chance to breathe fire, causing him to gasp for air. Where's Brendan, Lucas? TeLL mE!

Helena: Despite her firey appearance her voice still sounds slightly human. I don't see the boy. She frowns slightly. What a shame...

[12:23:50 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He seems unaffected by Ricky trying to pull the fire from his lungs. No! He looks over to Yuri as he's stabbed in the back. Black veins rush up from his chest into his neck and he suddenly breaths a torrent of Black Mist that slams into Ricky and launches him through the wall. He turns and looks at Helena.

[12:25:49 PM] Arbi: Helena: She looks around, acting defenseless. Help.

[12:30:16 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He breaths deep, just as he's about to breath out shadowy hands wrap around his mouth and throat, preventing him from breathing out.

Maria: She seems to just suddenly be there, almost walking from a shadow in the corner. She looks over at the hole in the wall, then to Yuri. She looks displeased with the situation. They didn't bring the boy. She raises her hand and motions to the hole in the wall, waving Ricky to come, and after a moment he's carried back in by a half dozen shadowy hands and arms, they seem to also be restraining him. She looks at Helena and shakes her head. I'm beginning to think destiny lay elsewhere... She narrows her glowing white eyes at the burning witch.

[12:42:08 PM | Edited 12:44:39 PM] Arbi: Helena: She looks down at Yuri on the floor, he's not bleeding out because her hand cauterized the wound. I can work with this... She reaches down and grabs Yuri's shirt, picking him up. It's obvious that her new firey form has given her supernatural strength.

Yuri: He looks at her but he's in too much pain to respond.

Helena: They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. She pokes Yuri's stomach, burning his shirt slightly and causing him to groan in pain. Does that mean I'll have to burn that ribcage open to retrieve my dear Guaricana?

[12:45:21 PM] Omniance: Maria: She sighs, No. The hands let go of Lucas and he falls to his knees coughing out black liquid onto the floor, the mist seeming to have partly congealed in his lungs. Hands grab Yuri and pull him away from Helena towards her. We're done with demons. You had your chance. Now we do this my way.

[12:46:42 PM] Arbi: Helena: She looks at her when she pulls Yuri away, although she doesn't appear mad. Whatever do you mean, dear sister?

[12:50:23 PM] Omniance: Maria: She looks at Ricky. This one is withering and dying... She looks back at Helena. You may have been seduced by that blood fiend, but I've moved on. There are creatures other than demons that provide more power. She pulls Yuri to her and grabs him, looking into his eyes. And the one residing in this one is already weak. She looks from Yuri to Helena. We will not labor to bring forth Guaricana or his bumbling brother.

[12:55:06 PM] Arbi: Helena: She walks forward past Maria towards Ricky. She stops infront of him and slides her firey hand down his demonic arm, slowly caressing it. She frowns. They have become weak...

[12:59:03 PM] Omniance: Maria: We'll take this one. The hands throw Ricky away, back through the wall, and wrap themselves around Yuri, bending around him like a snake.

Lucas: He coughs. No...

Maria: She looks over to Lucas a, a look of sadness on her face. I've been told that their fates are linked. If we kill him... This one will die as well. She looks at Yuri again. Fate smiles on you for now. She looks at Helena. We must work quickly. Without the storm we are vulnerable.

[1:12:02 PM] Arbi: Helena: She nods and looks down at Lucas just as her violet and orange form begins to dissipate and vanish. Oh, Lucas... so much... wasted potential. She frowns as she disappears, leaving only a few violet embers that fade away after a few seconds.

[1:15:27 PM] Omniance: Maria: She looks at him sternly as he gets back up. Now we wait and see what you are capable of. Alone.

Lucas: He leaps at her, but goes through them both as they fade to a shadow and he lands on the bed, breaking it slightly. He slams his fist into the wall several times, his anger of everything that's happened compounding over the sadness. He turns and gets out of the bed, running and leaping through the hole in the wall, he looks down at Ricky.

[1:16:52 PM | Edited 1:24:30 PM] Arbi: Ricky: He's unconcious on the floor, having been knocked out by Lucas's anima breath before.

[1:34:53 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He coughs, wipes his mouth and grabs onto Ricky's hands, dragging him out of the room.

About twenty minutes later...

Lucas: The front door to his house slams open and he looks around, it seems to be empty. He has Ricky draped around his shoulders, it's obvious that he's not strong enough to carry him, and he's having trouble carrying him. Avo!? He drags Ricky into kitchen. Avo?!

Luana: She's cooking something on the stove, turning and looking at Lucas. What happened?

Lucas: He pulls Ricky onto the kitchen table, laying him across it on his back. You're going to fix this. He glares at his grandmother. If you don't, I'm going to MAKE you.

Luana: She stares at him for a moment, then turns the stove off. Your mother went out looking for you and your brother. Where is he?

Lucas: They took him.

Luana: Who took him?

Lucas: The witch that caused the storm. He motions to Ricky, black veins pulsing up through his body. He bellows out black mist that makes his voice sound almost ethereal and echoing. Do something!

Luana: She wipes her hands with a towel and throws it to the side, walking into the dining room. She looks down at Ricky as she walks up to him. After a moment she puts her hand on his arm. He's possessed.

Lucas: So unpossess him! NOW!

Luana: She runs her old fingers up the demonic arm and pulls it away, the tips of her fingers look burned, small trails of smoke rising from them. She rubs her thumb and forefingers together. ...I already told you I wasn't going to help you. She looks to Lucas.

Lucas: So help him! He motions to Ricky, he looks like he's ready to attack her. Because you don't have a choice!

Luana: She doesn't look too concerned with Lucas's threats, but after a moment she looks at Ricky. Breath your black breath onto his arm. She motions with her arm and the sound of the front door slamming shut is heard as she shuts it with telekinesis. He's too weak to survive an exorcism as he is. He needs to be awake. She turns and walks passed Lucas, up stairs and disappearing from sight.

Lucas: He walks up to Ricky's side, and after a moment slowly breaths out a small stream of black mist from between his lips. It turns bright violet before as it flows into the demonic arm.

[1:39:40 PM] Arbi: Brendan: He climbs up onto the couch in the living room and stands on it beside Rodin, looking over towards the kitchen table. He looks afraid like he already knows that Ricky's possessed by a demon.

[1:43:17 PM] Arbi: Ricky: After a moment he slowly begins to come to. The fire in his eyes are gone and he looks calm but that may be because of how weak he is.

[1:43:49 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He whispers quickly, unsure of if it's really him this time. ...Ricky?

[1:44:44 PM | Edited 1:46:02 PM] Arbi: Ricky: He doesn't respond as he's been tormented with illusions the past two days and doesn't believe Lucas is really standing beside him.

[1:46:17 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He hugs him tightly again. We're going to get you through this alright? Just hang in there... Please...

[1:47:00 PM] Arbi: Ricky: He stares up at the ceiling, trying to ignore his touch because he thinks it isn't real.

[1:48:01 PM] Omniance: Luana: She walks into the kitchen carrying a velvet bag and a short stick with feathers wrapped around it. Brendan, come over here for a moment.

[1:48:40 PM] Arbi: Brendan: He hops off the couch and quickly runs up to Luana.

[1:49:16 PM] Omniance: Luana: Grab there. She motions to Ricky's human arm. At the wrist.

[1:51:07 PM | Edited 1:52:48 PM] Arbi: Brendan: He looks at Ricky's human arm hanging slightly off the table before slowly grabbing Ricky's wrist. Like this?

[1:56:15 PM] Omniance: Luana: She looks at Lucas for a moment before reaching over and tearing Ricky's shirt open. She sets the purple velvet bag on his stomach, right on top of his belly button. Yes, hold tightly.

Lucas: He can see that the bag has golden writing on it that says "Crown Royal", it's a bag used for whiskey, he's seen it a few times before. This seems to irritate him slightly and he sighs.

Luana: She seems to sense Lucas's annoyance and reponds. The bag just needs to be purple. Doesn't matter what it's made out of. She holds the short feathered stick over Ricky and says a few words in Portuguese. This demon is becoming a part of him. She looks at Brendan. Close your eyes.

[1:57:12 PM] Arbi: Brendan: He tightly closes his eyes.

[2:03:28 PM] Omniance: Luana: She suddenly slams the back end of stick into the middle of Ricky's chest, stabbing into him deeply.

Lucas: What are you doing!?

Luana: Quiet. She twists the stick and his whole chest suddenly cracks open like a bear trap being released, only it's his ribs, revealing his organs from his chest down to his belly button, where the velvet sack still rests. Ricky looks like he's about to scream, but Luana's magic stops him from making any noise. Ricky's heart looks charred, and it's beating weakly, like someone roasted it on the stove for a moment before sticking it back in his chest. He's dying. She reaches into Ricky's chest and grabs his heart, pulling it up a few inches to look it over, the veins holding it draw tight as she seems to clutch it without much regard to Ricky's health. After a moment she lets it go and it snaps back into his chest.

[2:12:30 PM] Omniance: Lucas: What the hell are you doing to him!?

Luana: Quiet. She pulls his right lung up, revealing the back of it to be charred black. This has been happening for weeks. She puts the lung back and then moves her stick over the center of his body. She turns it again and his chest snaps back shut, there isn't even an opened wound. Like it never happened. She moves over to his demonic arm and lifts it up, looking it over. The fire seems to burn her, or at least blacken her skin, but she doesn't seem to be affected by it. This is poor work, whoever did this didn't do it right, but it likely saved his life. She slams the back end of the stick into his shoulder and wedges it in there, moving it to get leverage, after a moment she pulls it away and the demonic arm pops loudly as it rips from his shoulder socket. She moves the stick again and the whole arm comes off, she then picks the arm up and looks it over. This demon's days are done, and he knows it. She slams the arm against the table and a small image of Aibhleann appears hovering over Ricky in a flash of cinders. What do you want, demon?

[2:18:30 PM] Arbi: Aibhleann: There are many things I desire, cursèd shaman! But what I want most is for the witches to burn! They have betrayed us and will suffer for it!

[2:19:55 PM] Omniance: Luana: She looks at Lucas and then back to Aibhleann. You're in no position to fight a witch, and neither is your host, let alone two.

[2:20:46 PM | Edited 2:20:58 PM] Arbi: Aibhleann: He seems to almost growl, knowing she's right but not wanting to admit it.

[2:24:16 PM] Omniance: Luana: She puts the arm back against Ricky's shoulder. Normally I would just destroy you, but... She looks at Lucas. It would seem my grandson wants this boy to live. She snaps the arm back into its socket and it seems to fuse back into the flesh instantly. So I will just have to bind you to his soul, and you will serve him until the end of his days. She looks back up at Aibhleann. Even if it is against your brothers.

[2:28:33 PM] Arbi: Aibhleann: Release me, wench or my brother will devour what remains of your pitiful husband!

[2:39:34 PM] Omniance: Luana: The lights in the house flicker. [Portuguese] There's a long list of things that shouldn't be said to me. That was one of them. The house becomes dark, like it's just them and the table in a sea of blackness. Her form lights up and she looks young and beautiful suddenly, her voice booms out from the darkness all around them. NOW YOU WILL LIVE A LIFE OF NO LIFE! Aibhleann's image crushes inwards into itself, causing him to scream in agony for split-second before he vanishes. YOU ARE NOTHING! A VOID! FORMLESS, SHAPELESS, WORTHLESS AND WITHOUT ANY WILL OTHER THAN THIS BOY'S! She slams her open palm onto Ricky's chest and his hole body lights up, pulsing with power. FOREVER BOUND TO THE SOUL OF A MORTAL! YOU WILL FIND NO SLEEP, NO REST, NO REPRIEVE FROM AN ETERNAL FATE! FOREVER DAMNED BY MY SCORN TO EXIST ONLY IN A STATE OF NON-EXISTENCE! Ricky rises off of the table, he looks like he's glowing on the inside. ALL OF HELL WILL LOOK UPON YOU AND ITS FOUNDATIONS WITH TREMBLE IN FEAR AT WHAT YOU HAVE BECOME! AND YOU WILL FOREVER KNOW THAT NOTHING WILL SAVE YOU FROM THIS SCORN!!

[2:41:39 PM] Arbi: Brendan: He feels Ricky rise off the table and he gets pulled up with him but he keeps his eyes closed, too scared to look.

[2:44:16 PM] Omniance: After another moment Ricky suddenly falls, slamming against the tabletop loudly. The darkness is gone, and Luana appears old and frail again, hunch over and shaking slightly.

Luana: She slowly looks over to Lucas, who has obviously been shaken by what he's just seen, supernaturally affected him on multiple levels. She grabs the velvet bag off of Ricky's stomach. You can let go now Brendan. She turns and walks passed Lucas like nothing happened, going back up stairs.

Lucas: He watches her leave, not saying anything. Afterwards he looks back to Ricky.

[2:47:25 PM] Arbi: Brendan: He lets go of Ricky and quickly goes into the backyard with Rodin.

[2:48:20 PM] Arbi: Ricky: He opens his eyes and quickly looks around, as if waking up from the a nightmare.

[2:48:58 PM] Omniance: Lucas: Ricky?! He walks up and grabs his human hand. Please tell me that's you. Please...

[2:50:13 PM | Edited 2:51:00 PM] Arbi: Ricky: He sits up and looks at him, a little calmer now that he saw Lucas. Who else would it be? He looks confused about everything. ...What happened to me, Vera?

[2:51:35 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He hugs Ricky tightly and starts crying tears of happiness. You were possessed by that demon, and... He hugs him tighter.

[2:54:02 PM] Arbi: Ricky: He slowly hugs him back and pulls him closer as he realizes everything that's happened.

[2:55:27 PM] Omniance: Lucas: I love you so much. I thought I lost you so many times and I just... He somehow hugs him tighter.

[3:06:17 PM] Arbi: Ricky: I love you too... As he's holding him he feels more of the burnt wood on his arm fall of as it brushes against Lucas's back. He raises it up while hugging Lucas and looks at it. ...What happened to my arm? More pieces fall off, revealing something between demonic and human flesh underneath that is partly light red like a sunburn. He takes off his shirt and scraps the rest of the wood off, letting the pieces fall onto the kitchen floor. It looks nearly identical to his human arm in shape but there are very slight differences that make it look demonic. Not only that but is looks perfectly connected to his human shoulder, both colors fading into each other.

[3:09:24 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He wipes his eyes. My grandma did something to the demon... Sounded like she did something to him that he might never come back from... I think she bound him to you like how Belxephon was bound to us... But  maybe even worse for him... He puts his fingers on his arm and runs them up it's length, now that it's soft and smooth like skin. He pulls his hand away after a moment. They took Yuri.

[3:11:23 PM] Arbi: Ricky: He sighs and closes his eyes for a moment. My mother took him, didn't she?...

[3:11:50 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He nods slowly. ...Her and another woman.

[3:13:29 PM] Arbi: Ricky: Maria... He looks at him and gets off the table, standing up. We have to go after them.

[3:16:21 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He shakes his head. I don't know where they went... He wipes his eyes again.

[3:26:42 PM] Arbi: Ricky: My mother is made of fire and souls now... He turns his head towards the right. ...but I can barely even sense your fire right now. He sits down on the couch in the living room.  I feel like I haven't slept in days, Vera.

[3:29:15 PM] Omniance: Lucas: He really doesn't want to wait, but he sighs quietly knowing that his boyfriend must be exhausted. You can go up to our room and sleep then... I'm... Going to go look for Murdoc... Maybe he'll know what to do.