the city is as old as life itself, and thus the citizens remain as staunch in their views, steeped in tradition. the streets have eyes, and they talk too. as one who walks amongst them, sariel has heard it all.

the so called savior is a MONSTER. she looks like a monster, and she acts like one too.

she places the basket between them, kneeling before the pool of water before unpacking the tea. from her thermos came hot water, poured over dried leaves and petals. nostalgic was the scent that filled the air, crisp fruit and florals originating from their land.

her measured movements were familiar despite years of disuse; long ago, she had also done the same for the girl's mother. now grown, she can see the parts of her mother reborn into her mannerisms. but freya had yet a path to walk down, destiny uncharted. she was still young. she thinks my-hoa would have called someone like freya an older sister.

sariel closes her eyes, letting the scent of brewed tea take her back to warmer memories. it was bittersweet, interlaced with the scent of sea salt.

"a house is not always a home; sootpolis will become whole again, piece by piece." sariel says. she was now a priestess after all; what comforts she hands out is dressed in cryptic riddles and harsh truths. she pushes a warm teacup into freya's hand.

"you cannot repent for an affair you had little choice in, child. is this what you wanted?"

freya morningstar

a week prior, she had believed that rapture had arrived. with her very eyes did she witness the second calamity; of the gods and humans, of power and war. she had seen it all, and having survived it, she knows that she is cursed. for she is a mother without child, and a priestess without a god.

she had no reason to pray. the gods had forgotten her as they are wont to do. and she could not blame them, for she is nobody.

but in the very least, nobody has a home.

sootopolis. a holy place marred by war and wrath. and yet, despite what it had endured, it was still alive. sootopolis was where she was born, and sootopolis would be the place she would die. she would always have returned no matter the circumstance. and now the time has come to rebuild the place she had been born; the origin of all creation. EDEN.

where there had been blood had been wiped away by her hands. where there had been bodies—abandoned and unidentified, had been buried according to the rites of her parish. and where there used to be torrents of rain and cracks of lightning, was now blue skies and the occasional shadow of a god. the presence of one that leads to another.

"welcome home, miss morningstar." she says. resting on the edges of a crater, sariel greets her with cautious reverence, having witnessed the girl's rebirth. in the draconid's hand was the control of one god, and the killing of another.

indeed. SHE had killed the god.

is SHE really a savior, or a savage?

what is SLEEP but a premature death?

draped on her shoulders is a simple cloak, reminiscent of her old covenant. there's a basket hanging from sariel's hand, and in the basket laid floral tea: dried buds and flower petals, harvested from the garden that had bloomed in her home—what little that had remained after the calamity.

"did you miss it?"

home...?

freya morningstar

one must imagine the type of destruction a legendary pokemon must bring in its unbridled rage; the entei that chases after them roared once again, forcing her to keep up her pace. around them, the air heats, and she feels SACRED FIRE billowing behind them, crashing onto the walls of the cave they ran through. she looks back to the priestess, ensuring that she was still there, still safe.

surprisingly enough, the other entei had tailed the two, ensuring their safety with moves of its own. regardless of its own intentions, and whether it had accepted her deal, it did not matter now. what mattered now was getting out alive—by any means possible.

and so they enter the next chamber. it is filled with the typical tera crystals, glowing softly, though with no depictions of other universes like the one before. but crystals were not the only thing present in this chamber; there are murals from ancient times. despite the illusory entei on their tails, sariel still cannot help but gaze curiously at the murals around them.

carvings stained with ink stood the test of time; it was an ancient ritual. and there was none so more vivid than the red blood. it ran down from the creature's wound, having just been sacrificed. underneath it laid an orb, freshly covered in its crimson hue.

sacrifice it demands. she understands it well.

a few seconds pass, until she can hear the hostile entei's footsteps echoing down the hall. they had little time to prepare. and so the shepherd releases the sheep, one of pure white fur and pure intentions.

"maria," she whispers. her sheep, who held her heart as much as any other. she holds its head in her hands and stares into its blank eyes. "in witnessing a god, shall we be spared in its presence and our offerings duly received." she murmurs.

she keeps it still as she motions for everyone to move into positions, hiding in the shadows, behind the large crystals that jutted from the entrance.

in her hand is a knife, eager for blood.

when the illusory entei enters the chambers, its eyes first alight on the wooloo in front. vicious it was as it leaped onto the prey animal, ripping it to shreds. the wooloo cried in pain, confused and frantically trying to escape. but it was weak...so weak was the animal against the rage of a legendary. sariel's face contorts into pain, her chest feeling tight against her bleeding heart.

into the shallow waters did the blood drip, the shepard's legacy now stained. the priestess had foretold it after all—

blood in the water.

"COPYCAT."

from the manifestations of a god witnessed, on its last breath came a STONE EDGE. weak as it were, but still effective; the sharp stone cuts into the legs of the entei, thin cones that kept it in place for the finale of their swan song. they lept out from the shadows. an ambush.

a blade glints in the facets of the many universes, and she strikes it from behind its neck, sinking the blade deep into its flesh. where there had been fire before—illusory as it were, was now blood. real in every sense: in warmth, in its thick viscosity.

all gods must die.

[attr="class","poketeam"]

verona santillian kyle lopez

10 MP per IC post in your prelude thread.

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it is to her surprise when she hears the priestess laugh, the sing song melody of her voice reminiscent of a bird's call. in the past, sariel had found it grating, having been a victim of the mockingbird. but now it seemed sweet, honeyed words that asked sariel if she had found her answer. she pulls verona to her feet.

"no..." she admits. but her hands squeeze the priestess's tight, and she glances at the priestess with a renewed sense of vigor.

"but i have found purpose."

she turns and walks, the priestess obediently following her as they leave the chamber. the entei may be walking, but it would not wait forever. their journey was quiet, only the sounds of their footsteps echoing through the walls. deeper they went, occasionally pausing to take note of the increasing vibrations, and with each step was the subtle rising of water; shallow for now, but with the primal god's arrival, they may not be so lucky should they waste time.

the entei seemed to be leading them to yet another chamber even more spectacular than the last. it had been some time since she had seen so many of these crystals; and they had never shone so bright before. with their light came darkness—form. upon closer inspection, what amorphous forms that had lived in the crystals were in actuality visions.

tempest skybringer. will of continents. primal seas.

ancient titans.

all these visions of other worlds. of other gods.

in her own vision, she imagines each and every one of them bleeding, dying. for as long as she lived, she would fulfill this creed. a new world reborn; may she one day return to find none of these legendary pokemon in the reflections of these crystals, having wiped their existence from human society. it filled her with hatred, seeing them alive.

remembering her daughter dead.

the crystals slowly dim.

from the darkness materialized another ENTEI, one that which can sense their ill intent. but this entei, as opposed to the one that had guided them, responds with hostility instead of curious benevolence.

the ROAR makes her stumble, makes her heart beat furiously against her chest. was it an illusion like the past, only to disappear after death? perhaps the illusion had only been a prelude to what was to come. the look in the other entei's eyes...she could sense that it was far more intent on murdering them.

she looks back at the entei that had healed them, wondering if it had only just led them into another trap. but it had not shown them any hostility other than the ones they had drummed up in their mind. if it was truly kyle lopez 's ward, should it not embody the hopes and dreams of its late champion?

"if you are who you show yourself to be, ENTEI, then you seek the truth. let us live to see another day, and i shall return the favour twicefold." she says quietly, wary of the hostile legendary.

the illusory entei charges at them, bounding towards the humans at an extreme speed. "priestess, run!" she says. wasting no time, sariel grabs her hand and turns. panic was setting in—a new feeling. for so long she wished for death, and waited. but now she runs, seeking to preserve herself for her new purpose.

will they return to origin, or will they be reborn anew?

[attr="class","poketeam"]

verona santillian kyle lopez

10 MP per IC post in your prelude thread.

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in her bloody hands is a knife raised, and she does not think about what she does next. she does not need faith, gods nor believers. she has no doubt in her mind, in her soul that this is the most righteous decision. her voice is a low growl, hand trembling with rage as she grits out her next words. "all gods must die."

with two hands grasping the knife's hilt, she plunges it into its throat. it goes in smoother than she expects; cutting through muscle and sinew. and then she stabs the legendary again, making sure to get its head and its heart. again she strikes, even as her arm tires. she wields the knife in such fervor that she does not notice the lack of blood.

only when the fire wholly consumes the entei does she stop, her chest heaving with heavy breathing. she coughs against the smoke and soot, watching as the light in the room fades, slowly consumed by darkness. she wonders if she had died after all, and that she was bearing witness to her finale.

and then like water, blue flame floods the cavern. the god in front of her disintegrates, and she could not help but feel a twinge of a strange emotion as she watches it fade away. it was something she could not name, only something that was not there: no relief, no happiness nor comfort. only purpose.

she does not move when the flames come close, as if she could instinctively sense of its divine power. sariel slowly reaches for it, dipping her hands into the blue fire. cinders spring forth; it seemed to seek out her wounds, dancing across the marred flesh. where she should feel searing pain, she instead feels warmth, mending her wounds and her bruises. it is a gentle sensation that communicates kindness. she knows, then, what had truly transpired in this cave.

at the end of the tunnel, she sees the body of whom she had just killed: ENTEI. alive and well.

the flames flicker, but there were no burns. when it turns around, it walks without hostility, as if to beckon them deeper. sariel's eyes flicker to the chamber, tera crystals now dimmed, water and electricity evaporating in the fire. this was not a true battle after all—no, it wasn't anything of that sort. she would be foolish to say that she has won in any sense. it was only a test. a sign for what was to come.

the first step towards EDEN.

and so with her wounds mended, sariel duong picks herself up and tucks her knife away, still covered in blood. the shepherd calls for her sheep, recalling therese. now the lamb, freshly reborn, she intended to follow the entei deeper into the cave. but first...

she walks to the priestess' and kneels at her side. with a clean hand, sariel parts the strands on her face, unveiling those watchful eyes. "i apologize, priestess." she murmurs. she takes the priestess' hand, touching it to her forehead. "you must be weary. but we have yet to reach salvation."

[attr="class","poketeam"]

verona santillian kyle lopez

10 MP per IC post in your prelude thread.

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the priestess...

perhaps it made her selfish to injure others so willingly; to see her vision through no matter the sacrifices. electricity spares none, not trainer nor pokemon, as shocks ripple through their bodies. a look of guilt flickers across her face as theirs contort in pain.

but her will, her purpose had been set in stone. it was for THEM that she would see it done. and when it is done, she will tend to the priestess's wounds, clean her blood and wash her feet. she will care for the ones who follow.

water from the dragalage pulses from its body, a conduit for her flaaffy's electric attacks. "THUNDER WAVE." she calls forth; a weak but insidious arc of lightning, that which would slow and paralyze limbs. quick as electricity was, would it be able to catch the legendary before it got to her?

she had no time to consider the question. the entei rushes and leaps at her. sariel braces her arms, a weak preparation for the battle to come. she grunts as her body hits the floor of the cavern, her head smacking against the hard floor. weaponless, she shields herself only with what she has: her own body. a claw rips into her arm and she screams, the echoes of pain as her flesh tears open. blood splatters into her hair and her clothes, the legendary's fur.

a prayer raises her tongue, and yet she cannot utter a sound but to gasp in pain. what had she expected, a human so defenseless, who had to control another creature to protect her? these creatures that owe her nothing, and yet she subjugates her pokemon to pain on her behalf. but now she no longer runs, giving her own body as sacrifice. there is blood on her hands and it is hers.

blood. so sacred it was. and yet here it stains the legendary's fur and claws.

blood, the essence of life.

that which coursed through not only her veins, but the legendary's.

her breath hitches, and through the haze of pain did she finally see the truth for what it was. it was SHE who was destined to spill its blood. SHE who has never harmed, will be REBORN anew.

in her bloodied hand was a blade, their faces reflected in the gleam of its smooth metal. a dagger that which had been stowed in her sleeve, now glinted in the light of the TERA CRYSTALS.

SHE will kill god today.

SHE will get her revenge.

[attr="class","poketeam"]

verona santillian kyle lopez

10 MP per IC post in your prelude thread.

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the legendary did not even bother to flinch as the electricity struck it; a THUNDER so striking should have at least singed its fur and slowed its limbs. and yet it bulldozes it away, grounding itself into the floor. such power was unthinkable to someone like her. humans have certainly evolved alongside pokemon in order to resist their various attacks. and yet the sheer power of ENTEI was enough to make a non-believer faithful.

of course sariel duong believed. but in belief was also the capacity to reject.

steely eyes linger on the priestess, her dragalge floating near. "you test your faith for a god that will not protect you. but do your pokemon share such piety?" sariel asks. most ordinary pokemon are simple creatures; and like humans, there is nothing more innate than the drive to survive. it was said that a good trainer suppressed that urge—and sariel intended to put that bond to the test.

and so trainer and pokemon approached the entei, sariel on one side, and therese on the other, closer to the priestess and her pokemon. sariel took to entei's flank, her limbs steady despite her trepidation. she only needed to close the distance.

"therese, DISCHARGE."

electric builds again, friction in her woolen coat creating an air of static before it launches the elecricity in all directions—mainly, ENTEI and VERONA.

[attr="class","poketeam"]

verona santillian kyle lopez

10 MP per IC post in your prelude thread.
130 MP running total

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she sees the brown fur streak across the crystals before she feels the impact. the shove comes from behind; and she stumbles, her feet barely catching her from falling into the sacred fire that it'd left behind. rose-tinged flames so intense that it distorts the air before them in waves. sariel bares her teeth, her eyes locking with the creature. she despised it for reminding her of her own mortality; how fragile this body was. how this creature could kill her in one fell swoop.

but pray tell, what was stopping it?

did the legendary ascribe to its own version of morality?

or was it perhaps testing her?

what a fool she was. an old woman and a legendary. the priestess her witness. she was not so blind as to forget the pitiful limits of her own power. she who shepherds the sheep, her hands still clean, her heart still soft. even seconds before, she had wandered unknowingly close to death.

what use was fighting against the inevitable?

her eyes linger on the priestess's hand, red from the flames. shouldn't she be evacuating? what was she doing here?

she hesitates for only the briefest moment of time.

and yet her body still moves despite her inner conflict. she pulls out a pokeball, letting her FLAAFFY materialize in a shimmer of bright red light. she does it regardless of her fear, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. in her soul was a decision already made, not by her but by my-hoa. she was only the vessel by which she would make her daughter's wishes come true.

"i'm finished running, priestess." she says. the air tingles, THUNDER arcing from the flaaffy's wool. the lightning attack pierces through the flames, following its path to the source. her hands tremble but she does not falter. she stays close to her flaaffy, biding her time.

"i've no need for a song and dance. i do not fight to live. i fight to die."

[attr="class","poketeam"]

verona santillian kyle lopez

50 MP have your character self-doubt.
10 MP per IC post in your prelude thread.
120 MP running total

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time had passed.

she had not stepped foot on this land for three years. it was different yet the same; the evacuation alarms that blare across the city in cryptic rings, the rumours of war, and of course: the arrival of an ancient god.

she supposed she should have come to expect something like this. why else would have she felt the alluring pull of a home that no longer was, after all the time spent apart? the priestess who lingered in her house had already marked her homecoming an omen.

surrounded by rocket guards, sariel vuong joins the civilians gathered in the cave of origin. it was a pitiful sight: what few remnants of religious iconography existed had fallen to the test of time, weathered paint on white stone and torches extinguished. a result of the silver spire's fall, especially under the hands of rockets no less. memories past, of festivities and ceremonies, no longer existed.

but she would not evacuate sootopolis, even if her life had depended on it. she would die for her homeland if need be. she slips away from the rockets easily enough—they would never know this cave as intimately at her. she descends, deeper into the cavern, and emerges from the shadows unseen. this chamber, filled with tera crystals, was now lit in the reflections of other worlds and faintly glowing facets.

kyogre's proximity seemed to agitate them, causing them to tremble and shake alongside HER prayers. it was unsurprising to find HER near them.

SHE who prays, another martyr for unjust gods.

but the priestess's prayers go not unanswered, because the ghostly apparition of a legendary creature appears, smoke gliding across its back, brown fur and curious eyes. ENTEI, a god of flame and fire, resurrected from the ashes. what could it possibly want in the cave of origin?

sariel puts a hand on the priestess's shoulder and squeezes, willing her to follow. she still did not know what the priestess wanted of her, but she knows now her purpose, eyes fixated on the legendary pokemon.

"come, priestess. i see what you've provided for my-hoa's return." she says.

and so they follow, deeper into the cavern. ever winding. the tera crystals seemed to pulse at the presence of another deity, the shimmering iridescence disorienting not just to the eye, but to the mind as well.

she slows to a stop, squinting against the lights as they enter a chamber. the legendary had disappeared.

where could it have possibly gone?

[attr="class","poketeam"]

verona santillian kyle lopez

50 MP include a motif or recurring symbol of some kind in your thread.
10 MP per IC post in your prelude thread.
60 MP running total

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"peace?"

she asks of many things, but sariel has never asked for peace. peace was not even in her vocabulary of words; for she had so rarely known a moment of peace in her life. peace was never real.

peace was only achievable if you were dead.

a world without suffering and cruelty, without worries. it tempts her. it would be so easy; the human body is a fragile thing, and it could certainly break should she will it. but what if she died only to find that her daughter was not there? what then? the fabled world that was said to be so peaceful could never be, a paradox in the making.

hope was a foolish thing, and yet she holds onto it like a sinking ship, ever finite. she held to the priestess's hands, a lifeline in this deep dark sea. it wraps around her neck, pressing into her throat. so warm it was, so delicate and soft. she had not touched another in so long, and she savours the feeling if only for the briefest of moments.

but reality was not so forgiving nor sweet. she must assume her daughter dead even though it was her reason to live. for her own sake, her mind.

"do not make promises you cannot keep, priestess." sariel warns. she flips her hand, snapping her fingers shut. a clamp on the priestess's wrist, strong enough to bloom bruises. love and death were two sides of the same coin, and sariel was not so desperate as to spend it all on an empty promise.

"you've caused enough trouble thus far."

verona santillian

BATTLE OF SOOTOPOLIS SIGN-UP

THE FIRST WAVE PRELUDE

OOC NAME: cila[break]
CHARACTER: sariel duong [break]
FACTION: league (civilian)[break]
SCENARIO: a[break]
PREFERRED PARTNERS, INCLUDING OPPONENTS IF PVP?: verona santillian [break]
POKEMON PARTY (MAX 6)

[attr="class","poketeam"]

[break]
NOTES/COMMENTS: cave of origin. religion, ancient powers, spirituality, false gods, prophets, faith, betrayal, trust, philosophy, pokemon death, sacrifice, reincarnation, revival. brainrot really.

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again that blasted laughter. the priestess takes her for a fool, as if her all-seeing eyes knew something that sariel did not. sariel was only a watcher after all; what she bore witness to was transcribed into her memories, so that when she approached the gates of heaven, that her memories may be recorded in its illustrious halls. perhaps the divine had a reason as to why she had seen these things, but she did not know how to interpret what she had experienced; only that she could not bear its consequences.

her words had been filled with venom, disdain even, to drive the priestess away. but it seemed to have the opposite effect, for the priestess falls back onto her lap. she could not help the look of shock, barely holding back a gasp at the scarring on the priestess's thighs; marks of the ancient sea. blasphemous it were, to engrave the markings of a god onto your own body.

and yet, sariel found beauty in such devotion.

a hand reaches up, gripping her face. her gaze linger on the scars, but the resistance is only brief as the priestess turns her head, and her own dark hair falls around the priestess, blocking out the rest of the world. she could only stare into the eyes that which were usually closed; in those deep depths was the call of the void, beckoning her to jump.

"if this is so cheap to you, then i cannot imagine what you would consider lavish." she mutters. no matter the fate of the gods, sariel was still a pious woman. she did not greed for material objects. but admittedly, she was still curious as to what the priestess wanted. her hand touches the priestess' as it pressed into her cheek, gentle as if to repent.

"what does SHE offer for the likes of me?"

verona santillian