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The Nature of Good and Evil ||Open||
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Post by Tempest on May 30, 2010 6:30:28 GMT -5
"Those who forget good and evil and seek only to know the facts are more likely to achieve good than those who view the world through the distorting medium of their own desires." -Bertrand Russell
Damon caught his brother's sleeve and whispered warningly, "Angelo, that's stealing." Unfortunately, his brother was set on taking the simple-looking eternal-motion-device from the stand while the vendor was talking to a woman with a large mole on her chin.
Angelo shook Damon's hand away and proceeded to snatch the eternal motion device. The vendor, of course, noticed immediately that it had been taken and by this time, Angelo had bolted. The man saw Damon remaining and rushed around the stand, bellowing profanities and glaring at Damon's horns.
Despite the fact that Damon did not have the device, he could tell that this man would blame him. Thus, he did what he knew how to do very well. He remembered his feet and he fled after Angelo. Without Angelo's influence, the man would have been likely to be even more vindictive. Whatever the punishment was this time, Damon did not want to face it.
Unfortunately, his appearance didn't make blending in at all possible. Horns and a tail... well, those were very distinguishing traits. He spotted Angelo darting down an alley. Damon figured that it was for his own use rather than Angelo's. That corona of light made Angelo quite easy to spot in the dark. Meanwhile, Damon himself was always standing in shadow (a shadow that perpetually followed him,) so he easily went invisible in the dark.
Angelo waited for him with a wicked glint in his eyes. "This is so cool," he said through heavy breaths. Angelo, the one more prone to illness, was not as physically fit as Damon. Also, Damon typically needed to run away more often than Angelo. "How angry was he? Did he chase you? I wish I had a videocamera. This would have been a great video to post on Youtube."
Damon closed his eyes, knowing that he really should be charitable. However, he wound up saying in a very exasperated voice, "Angelo, you need to take it back! You didn't pay for it! If you put a video of this on Youtube, the police would see it and track you down."
He didn't add the rest of what he had been about to say: And arrest me.
Angelo shrugged. "Paying isn't nearly half the fun." He turned the perpetual motion device over and shook his head. "Damn. Got the one without batteries." The look on his face told Damon that he was already bored with this escapade. If you want to return it, return it. I'm not going back to that guy."
Damon thought for a moment, then said quietly, as though he were voicing something to himself, "Returning it will take much more skill than taking it. I can imagine that guy's consternation when he tries to report a theft for something that is still on his cart..."
Angelo's interest was piqued by this. "You may be on to something there," he commented, trying and failing to sound detached.
In the end, Damon managed to convince Angelo to help him return the object. With their plan clear in their heads, Damon strode out into the marketplace. He walked over to where the vendor had been parked and saw with falling confidence that the vendor was now talking to a police officer. That was fast, he thought to himself.
The vendor spotted him and shouted, "That's the one, officer!"
They took the bait. Damon hightailed it through people and under other carts, almost overturning a fruit stand. He made sure not to go too fast or the officer and the vendor (both not extremely fit) would still see him and chase.
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Meanwhile, Angelo was busy doing his part. Looking every bit the interested onlooker and not suspicious, he sidled up to the side of the cart and replaced the item. The woman who was watching it only gave him a kindly smile, her eyes having been on the chase instead of the wares. Angelo smiled back, then meandered away. He couldn't start running just yet or people would know that something was up.
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Post by aveira on May 30, 2010 19:32:44 GMT -5
Aveira was walking through the market place, trying to accustom herself to large crowds. This had become a daily exercise for her and she was definitely making progress. Though still shy of males, she could talk to them when in a group with other females. In time, she hoped her shyness would go away. Whether or not it actually would, she didn't know. Nine years of almost complete solitude could really mess up a person.
As she was walking, she saw a young boy that seemed to glow. She smiled, suddenly feeling really good. She almost stopped to talk to him. Almost. He was just so sweet-looking and good...she couldn't talk to him. She was a bad girl. Evil, bad, murderer! She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No. She wouldn't talk to this angel boy. She wouldn't corrupt him.
She continued walking, only to see a boy running. He was the exact opposite of the boy she'd just seen. He had horns and a tail and he looked so...evil. Like me, Aveira thought. No, V corrected her in a menacing voice. Like us![/color]
Aveira shivered. V sounded so much...scarier. She was always mean, but now she seemed...worse. Without quite knowing why, Aveira chased after the demon boy. V struggled to break free, but Aveira held her back. She focused on the demon child and ran, hoping he would stop soon. She wasn't exactly an athlete...
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Post by Tempest on May 30, 2010 20:04:39 GMT -5
Damon broke off from his mad-dash through the marketplace and darted into an alleyway. He knew that if worse came to worse, he would just... fly away. He leaned against a wall, hiding in the mingled darkness of two shadows, his and that of the alley. The boy hugged his chest and turned around to allow the leathery masses room to sprout from his shoulderblades. It stung and he winced, but Damon was well used to pain. He had to close his eyes for a moment, though, and that took his attention away from the alley entrance.
He muttered to himself, "Don't even know why I put them away. S'not like they think any better of me without wings..."
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Angelo wondered if his brother would wait for him before leaving the marketplace. He knew all too well that Damon would probably go find a place to hide out until he thought the coast was clear. His brother didn't like being around people without him, he knew. He watched as a dark-haired girl walked by. She looked at him and smiled.
She was awfully cute. Angelo was just reaching the point in his life where girls were not quite so icky and this girl was... shaking her head?! What the heck?!? It wasn't like he was a kid anymore- he was TWELVE. That was one year away from being a teenager! What was she shaking her head at? His height? His skinnyness? What?
After a few moments, he sped up. She had been walking in the same direction he had been going, just faster. Maybe he could figure her out.
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Post by aveira on May 30, 2010 20:15:08 GMT -5
Aveira was panting hard. She was terribly out of shape. V was still struggling to get out, but Aveira was persistent in keeping her at bay. Once she caught her breath, she slowly walked into the alley, only to find that the boy had disappeared. Or so she thought.
She heard a rustling sound, then muttering. She couldn't hear what was said, but it was enough to tell where it was coming from. She squinted and was barely able to make out a form. It was him! The demon boy!
"H-hi," she said softly, not wanting to scare him. This close, V was almost strong enough to get out. Fortunately, Aveira was still stronger. She walked a little closer. "I am Aveira and I followed you and I don't know why and I think you make V act strange and I don't know who you are, but you look evil and I don't want to judge you, but you kinda scare me, but I still find you interesting." She spoke very quickly, the words tumbling from her mouth in an avalanche of vocal vomit. She couldn't help it. She was still shy, and slightly afraid.
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Post by Tempest on May 30, 2010 20:38:20 GMT -5
Damon whirled around, the wings finally ripping through the back of his shirt. He groaned. Darnit, forgot to wear the one with holes in it. I'll have to mend it- mom won't send me a new one until Angelo asks for one. The girl's words made no sense in this particular order.
"Wha....?" He usually felt more confident with his dark wings unfurled like this, but the girl had caught him at a really bad time. "Uhhhh.... Hello..." He went back over what the girl had said and hope blossomed on his face. She was being nice to him. He looked around and saw that Angelo was nowhere in sight. She was being nice to him under his own influence despite being afraid of him.
A small smile tentatively curved his lips, then disappeared. The fact that she was afraid of him was not a good thing. And she had noticed that he made whoever this V person was act strange. His hope fell away a little, replaced by nervousness. Suspicion that this was some kind of trick. He took a step back and asked shyly, "Who is V? Why do you think I'm interesting?" Nobody looked past the shadow and the horns, the sharp teeth, the tail, the forked tongue, the crimson eyes. "Do you go to Foresta?"
If so, that might explain why she would find him interesting. But it wouldn't explain her motives for following him. He looked her up and down. Very pale skin (despite it being summertime), very dark hair. Were her eyes... purple? It was difficult to tell in these shadows. Black clothes. His already overactive imagination conjured up all sorts of theories. She reminded him of movie vampires. Or goths. The type of people he would never have met if he was still home.
Was that why she found him interesting?! Was she a vampire, following him to an alley to drain him dry and leave his dried corpse behind?!? Damon took another step back and said warily, "My blood probably tastes REALLY BAD."
He also remembered a movie he had seen when he was younger. The Witches. Those women had purple eyes too! If her eyes were purple, did that mean she was a witch?!? He took a look at her hands and relaxed a little. They didn't have gloves. That was supposed to be another sign of a witch.
Damon shook his head and quickly said, "Nevermind. I should be the last person to leap to conclusions. Sorry. I don't mean that."
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Post by aveira on May 30, 2010 20:54:21 GMT -5
"V is the other me and she's being very mean right now. She's usually only a little mean." She winced as V yelled obscenities at her. "I do go to Foresta. I found you interesting because you were running away. You looked evil at first, but if you were really evil, you wouldn't have been running. You would have hurt the people chasing you. And also, I have these." Aveira touched her necklace and the glamor spell turned off. She opened her mouth to reveal two long fangs, much like his own.
"I have these, but I wouldn't hurt anyone." She paused, guilt crossing her face briefly as she remembered her parents. She had hurt someone. Several people, in fact. "Well, I wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose." She smiled slightly. "I don't think your blood is bad...And I wouldn't bite you unless you let me." She looked down shyly.
"You look young. I don't think I would bite you even if you did let me." She closed her eyes as a wave of pain wracked her body. V was trying to break free again. I want to KILL something!! she shrieked in Aveira's mind.
"Can you make her stop? She's hurting my head."
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Post by Tempest on May 31, 2010 12:07:01 GMT -5
Damon was still unsure how to take this. People didn't talk to him. Sometimes they yelled, sometimes they rebuked, oftentimes they teased and taunted, but they didn't talk. Only Angelo talked and he was Damon's twin. Splitting them up had been a cruel joke, Damon decided.
"The other... you," he repeated flatly. He was still preoccupied by the fact that he was right. She was a vampire. A nice, not-especially threatening vampire, but a vampire nonetheless. However, she did seem to be having trouble. Damon wasn't going to leap to any more conclusions without any evidence... but he felt sure he finally figured it out.
"She's another... side of you?" His eyes widened. "Don't get any closer. I can't turn... it off. You need Angelo. He negates the effect I have." Damon sighed to himself. Yep, another person who would probably prefer to be around his twin.
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Angelo cast his eyes around the marketplace again. The girl was nowhere to be seen. He decided to give up the search. His brother was probably waiting for him somewhere anyways. Time to go find Damon before the kid got into any more trouble.
Somewhere dark... probably an alley or someplace like that, he thought. Unless he took to the air to avoid getting caught. I wonder how big a spectacle I would make if I took my wings out. Angelo relished the thought of more attention. Typically the reception he got was very favorable when he flew... I'll just add some spark to their day! Damon can wait for a little longer. Besides, I can probably find him more easily from a height.
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Post by aveira on May 31, 2010 15:14:53 GMT -5
Aveira frowned. "But if I stay far away, then I can't talk to you." She shook her head. "I can handle V, I guess. She's being mean right now, but I'm still in control." Aveira shook her head hard to get V's attention. Stop that! she said firmly. You're being very rude right now.
V growled back, but stopped fighting. She obviously wasn't getting anywhere like this. She contented herself with making fun of Damon and Aveira. So we're pedophiles now? she taunted. I bet he still wets the bed. Come on, I know you're afraid of real men, but chasing after some brat is a little extreme.
Aveira blushed slightly, but otherwise ignored her counterpart. "I apologize if I'm acting strange," she told him. "I'm not used to being in front of people...Oh!" She'd suddenly remembered the last thing he'd said. "Who's Angelo? Is he your other you?"
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Post by Tempest on May 31, 2010 17:08:35 GMT -5
Damon tilted his head. She would fight her other self just to talk to him? He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. He simply didn't know what to say at that. It was... utterly strange. And why did she shake her head? Because she was in control? Or did she think that it was futile for her alter-ego to be mean to get power?
This situation was getting all the more confusing. And with confusion came more nervousness.
He shrugged when she apologized for her behavior. He certainly couldn't hold somebody else's awkwardness against them. An expression of surprised flashed across his face when she asked about Angelo. He shook his head at that and replied, "No, my twin. My opposite."
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Angelo's wings seemed all the whiter in the sunlight. He basked in the awe that the shoppers around him expressed. Then he took a running start and leaped into the air. His wings beat hard and he climbed higher, until he could see the entirety of the marketplace. He hovered, shading his eyes with his hand so he could reduce the glare and spot his brother better... and see the reaction of the people.
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Damon's eyes caught a glimpse of something in the sky and he nodded up at it. He said for Aveira's benefit, "That's him."
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Post by aveira on May 31, 2010 17:18:35 GMT -5
Aveira looked up and smiled. Just the site of him had V calming down. "I saw him..." she said, distracted by his wings. "He's pretty." She blinked a few times and looked back at Damon.
"No, I can't talk to him. He looks too pure. I am bad. I won't turn someone else bad." She shook her head. "You looked bad, but you aren't. If you can stay good looking like that...people probably treat you like a devil, right? Talking to a bad lady won't make you bad." She smiled at him.
A thought came to her. "You said he's your opposite. But you're not evil. Your brother looks nice...but...is he bad? You said he's your opposite..." She blushed. "I don't mean to offend you!" she said quickly. "I like to analyze things and sometimes people get mad at me."
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Post by Tempest on May 31, 2010 18:29:52 GMT -5
Damon took another step back, just to make sure and muttered, "Yes, yes, very pretty." Her tone had taken a sudden turn for the... the what? The loony? It just... felt different. "Angelo... pure? If I haven't turned him bad, then you probably can't." And the next part just made no sense whatsoever.
He looks bad, but he's good looking? He squinted at her, trying and failing to understand. "...What?" He rubbed the back of his head, trying to figure her out. "Uhhhh.... people do treat me like that sometimes... Why do you keep saying you're bad? You seem alright to me... And you don't seem to have the problem I have with other people."
He shrugged at the list part. "It's cool."
---
Angelo finally spotted an alley with not one, but both of the people he had been looking for. He crowed with delight and descended to land on one of the adjacent rooftops. The alley was too narrow to land in without having to drop several feet. He called down to the two, "So that's where you've been hiding! Damon, why don't you introduce your friend?"
Damon said confidently, "This is Aveira." He was feeling the boost that his brother's presence typically gave him. He wondered if Angelo was going to do something wrong again. He didn't like the idea that he would have to clean up after his brother again.
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Post by aveira on May 31, 2010 18:42:19 GMT -5
Aveira smiled. V was back to normal. "Hello, Angelo. You're pretty." She was feeling a lot better now that her head wasn't hurting. "I saw you earlier. You didn't have wings then."
She touched her necklace casually, activating the spell that hid her fangs once more. She didn't want to angel boy to see them. She didn't want to talk about being bad in front of him, either. Best to just change the subject entirely.
"Will you land, please? The sun is a bit blinding and it makes it hard to see you." She sneezed. She always sneezed when it was really bright.
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Post by Tempest on May 31, 2010 20:31:32 GMT -5
At Aveira's sneeze, Damon said politely, "Bless you."
Angelo frowned. "I'm not 'pretty', I'm a boy" He looked around and tried to figure out how, exactly, he would get down from his perch on the roof. He spotted a dumpster and figured that he could get to it without breaking a leg. He hopped and lightly fluttered his wings to soften the landing.
The top of the dumpster made a protesting clang and squeal, but it held and Angelo hopped off to the pavement. Unfortunately, this second landing was not as well-executed. He collided with Damon and they both fell to the ground in a heap of skinny arms and wings. As they started to untangle from each other, Angelo said angrily, "Watch it, Damon!" He punched his brother in the arm.
Damon shook his head, "You landed on me, Angelo." And he punched him right back. He normally didn't rise to this level of challenge- it was too minor- but his brother was an exception. They fought to channel energy and to reestablish boundaries.
Soon, the two were tumbling around, whaling on each other. Damon held back some, but he made sure that Angelo would take as much damage as he dealt.
The sounds of their fight was beginning to attract attention in the marketplace, though. People standing nearest to the alley's entrance began to edge near it so they might see what was going on.
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Post by aveira on May 31, 2010 20:41:59 GMT -5
Aveira blinked, watching the two boys fight. She looked around at the growing crowd of people. Setting her mouth in a stern frown, she walked right into the fray and shoved the two boys apart. Hard.
"Stop acting like idiots," she said firmly. "You're fighting like small children. If you want to embarrass yourselves, then go ahead, but don't do it in my presence. I was trying to have a nice conversation and you two decide to beat each other up."
She rounded on Angelo. "And you! Just because you look sweet and soft doesn't mean you can get away with anything. I saw you throw the first punch. You can look as pure as you want, but you won't charm me with your powers. I have eyes enough to see bad for what it is."
She took a breath and crossed her arms, scowling at the two boys. "You should be ashamed of yourselves. Angelo, apologize to your brother. And Damon, apologize for retaliating and hitting him back. And don't give me any 'he started it' crap."
She was acting very bold for someone who was once so shy. For the two boys, that was unfortunate. For Aveira, though, it was a good sign. She was finally coming out of her shell and speaking her mind. All it took was two squabbling siblings to do it.
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Post by Tempest on May 31, 2010 21:06:21 GMT -5
They had not been expecting this sudden end to their brawling. Angelo had the beginnings of a fine black eye and Damon's mouth was bloody. There were other bruises and welts forming on their arms and, undoubtedly, beneath their shirts that were now kind of dusty. A couple white feathers stuck out of Damon's hair. Both of them managed a shamed look, though they had to try really hard to keep from grinning. The twins breathed heavily, but they were relatively relaxed for a couple kids who had just gotten into a fight.
Angelo's chin tilted up slightly when Aveira scolded him. He didn't need this from a stranger. Just because Damon had been talking to her for a little did not mean that she knew him. What had Damon told her?! He shot an expressive look at his brother. He said a resentful, "I'm sorry."
Damon saw the look in his brother's eyes and didn't understand it. What was Angelo so mad at him for? Aveira had pegged him with the little information she had gleaned in the past few minutes. Damon did not feel responsible at all for that. And if he was blaming Damon for the fight, then whatever. If anything, they should both feel bad for what they had done. Hell, it was lucky that the vendor from earlier hadn't come over to find out what all of the commotion was about. Damon replied, "Sorry, Angelo."
He glanced at Aveira, who had somehow changed her tone and stance again. It was bewildering, but he was pretty sure he didn't understand girls in general. They all kind of confused him. He kicked at the ground with one foot, swallowing some saliva that tasted like metal.
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