genessia | "We opened the door to the shadows...

"We opened the door to the shadows...

The man sat alone, back slumped against a wall as he stared down at the pistol in his hand, unloading and reloading it in silence. Over and over again. How long had he been here, ignoring the sounds of life around him and the chatter and racket from the communication device on the ground along with the discarded necklace? Days? Weeks? Months?

It didn't really matter. None of it did anymore.

Load. Unload. Reload.

"You look like crap."

The man looked up, staring upwards at his only companion for what felt like an eternity. Himself... only different, like seeing a photo negative version. The colors were all wrong and there were a few things off.

It had no eyes. He'd found that strange once before the feeling had been bled out of him.

Load. Unload.

It was this thing that had shown him the truth. It had started with whispers in his mind when he was alone and had grown from there, appearing in shadows, taking the place of his reflection and finally standing right there beside him exposing the plain, hopeless reality of where he'd found himself.

An ugly grin split the negative version's face.

"So, what's the hold up, jackass? You know what you have to do now."

Load.

Yeah, he did.

-------------------

In the early morning, it happened without warning. A shudder ran through the entire city and for just a moment it was almost as if reality itself... bent for a moment, warping out of shape before snapping out of place and one of the buildings of Genessia's skyline vanished into a rising cloud of smoke and dust.

The thing rose up out of the cloud, standing over the buildings around it. Misshapen, grotesque, it could only be called humanoid in the most generous of terms. Its body was colored in splotches of red and black, its limbs twisted with the right arm many times larger than the spindly left and it stood on legs that should have been bent and twisted too awkwardly to support it at all.

The head swiveled from side to side on a too-long twiglike neck, wide, blanket white eyes that seemed painted on searched the city and a toothless mouth opened wide in a low, groaning howl that rumbled over the city.

The creature’s body convulsed and with a chorus of sickening splits and cracks its body bristled with weapons, and they all fired as one, shearing the top floors off of the next several blocks and covering the rest of the town in burning debris.

Through the city, every communicator screamed out a deafening alert, which was followed by the voice of the AI.

“CORRUPTED ELEMENTS DETECTED. PLEASE ASSIST IN PURGING IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SURVIVAL OF THE CITY AND ITS INHABITANTS”

[OOC: Subthreads are up. Post in them for combat, or go nuts with planning/reactions through the rest of the comments.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It did make things questionable when she acted the way she did. But the First certainly wasn't likely to tell them. "Good," Lucy smiled with relief. "Energy blades?" Echoed she, surprised. "Who was it?"

No she wasn't. Not unless the time and circumstances were right. That was how these things worked after all.

"Who? I think he said his name was Harrrr-puying ?" Natsu had a bit of a problem with some names but hopefully it was familiar enough to help Lucy out.

"Harpuy... oh! I think I know just the person you're talking about. He's a General - or at least he is back where he's from. I didn't know he could do something like that..." That's pretty impressive.

Although she had to admit had had trouble paying attention to what was going on above street level, what with her own fights. She cringed a little, shivering at the memory of that disembodied hand climbing up her back. Ew. ew, Ick -- er - she glanced over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't accidentally woken God.

Surely Natsu will do the gentlemanly thing and hold the door for her as they near the Inn! Right? Right?

"A general huh? Well he certainly acted the part. He came up with the idea to aim for it's skinny leg to bring the bastard down so he couldn't walk around and make more of those creepy freaks." Honestly he would have thought of the same though if he wasn't focused on the whole of the target.

Gentlemanly? No. But it made sense to open the door for Lucy since she couldn't do it. So naturally he opened the door for Lucy stepping into the inn to hold it open for Lucy.

"IT's a good thing he thought of something like that. We might have been overrun if it made much more of those things." She grinned quickly at Natsu when he held the door for her, stepping past with the sleeping deity.

"I wonder how long she's going to sleep," she didn't mind letting God snooze in her bed, but it'd get complicated if she was out more than a day. A quick glance around showed the innkeeper was out for lunch, so - no help on that end. No matter, she padded on up the stairs to get to the room she shared with her two friends.

God even gets the privelige of sleeping in Lucy's bed! ... if they can get her off her back first.

It won't take too much effort to get her off, but defintely some effort. But as soon as she's on the bed, it's like Lucy is all but forgotten with that grin on her face that spreads over it.

It's not the best of beds, but looking at her face you might have think she'd died and gone to heaven. Uhh... in a manner of speaking. She's fidgeting enough to get right down and comfy, and even if put on top of the bed, she's going to somehow worm her way into the covers.

...This is the one that's going to be a real pain to remove her from.

Natsu could only watch her settle in as if this was the most normal thing ever. He looked questioningly to Lucy.

"Well. This Just got a lot more complicated.' Still he had no intention of waking up the one calling herself God.

.... yeah this would be a problem. Maybe she should have made up another bed. Or put her in Erza's bed, and let Erza sleep in hers. She stared at God when the woman got all snuggly and cozy, She reached up, scratching her head awkwardly and looked back at Natsu.

"Eheeh, I'm sure she won't sleep too long. I'll..just ask the innkeeper for some extra blankets." She could sleep on the floor, no problem. Because she had no intention of waking God up either. She earned that rest!

IT was even harder to bring yourself to try and wake her when she was acting like that.

"Not like you need that many since I'm on the floor too." She would just have to stay close to him and she would be more than warm enough. Flawless logic!

Before Lucy didn't have the heart to punt Natsu out of her bed, when he climbed in it because he looked so comfortable. Now it's God. Deities shouldn't look so adorable, honestly.

That flawless logic though. That. Flawless. Logic. She mentally chokes for a second, glancing away. "U-um.. I...I'm pretty sure it won't need to come to that...!" Though she WOULD be warm. And comfortable. It'd be like before, when he climbed into her bed. Except, floor.

At this rate others would claim that bed. Sure he made an exception for God but Natsu was gonna put his foot down at some point. ESPECIALLY if a certain lion dared to invade that kind of territory.

He looked at her with a curious tilt of his head. "WEll if you're sure. Still just keep it in mind if it does."

Loke likes living though! Not even he would ... uh... probably wouldn't..maybe.

Actually if Lucy went to climb in bed and found him there, she'd probably shriek and punt him out of the bed. And that was if Natsu himself didn't sniff him out first. Or Erza didn't chop him into little lion bits.

Honestly why was her bed so comfortable anyway? She understood why Natsu did it but sheesh. "Of course." Maybe. She grinned, "It'll be kind of like a camp out." In her room. .. actually that'd be really cool, come to think of it.

It's for the best then that they don't try it.

Knowing him though he'd feel his scent from before even entering the room. His nose was after all one of the sharpest around

"A camp out. Come to think of it I saw something in one of the stores in the other cities. It said something about setting up blankets in a wide open room to make like a sort of tent." It was a peculiar idea but it certainly looked cozy and fun.

Definitely for the best. They'd wear out their welcome in the inn that day.

She cast a curious glance at him, "Really? Which city?" She might have to poke around - maybe there was one in that store Rose was working in. It did sound like fun.

Maybe Natsu would think of it as a dragon den. She chuckled a little at the thought. "I bet Erza would enjoy something like that too." She stretched a little, "I'm going to get the blanket. I'll be right back - keep an eye on her?"

Hopefully they would be settled into their own place by the time that development occurred. Then they would only have to face Erza's wrath.

"I think it was in Nova. Saw it on a TV there." Natsu hummed before Lucy decided to go sort things out with the inn keeper. He looked to God sleeping on the bed then back to Lucy with a confident nod.

"You bet. I won't let her outta my sight."

With luck it shouldn't be long now. Erza's wrath aside, the redhead punting Natsu out of Lucy's bed every now and again wasn't really even enough to discourage the crazy dragon from going back was it.

Which was fine by Lucy. She had to admit (to herself at least), she felt warm and safe when he was close by - and they did kind of promise to stay close to each other, the last time Lucy got hurt, and when Natsu was sent back injured by Jackal.

All nice and neat and logical. With Natsu agreeing to keep an eye on God, Lucy slipped out of the room to fetch a blanket, returning a few minutes later with her quest complete. "Well, this is all she could spare, so .. it'll have to do." The blanket was kinda thin though, alas. Don't be surprised if she winds up curling up next to Natsu in her sleep.

No it certainly wouldn't. He'd just bide his time until he could sneak in again. It would come to a war of endurance and a dragon would never be kept from his treasure.

That promise. It certainly reinforced his desire to be near her. But even before that he always sought her company.

Natsu looked up from God when Lucy returned with the blanket. He eyed it briefly and quickly saw how thin it was. Again his offer came to mind. Hopefully Lucy wouldn't forget it.

"We'll make it work somehow. Did they say anything about what we should do with this lady?"

Lucy certainly wouldn't say no to him climbing into her bed. Not anymore at least. It felt.. weird sleeping in the bed and knowing he was on the floor, near her. Rather than sneaking into the bed too. She'd been tempted to nudge him awake in the middle of the night just so he could sleep on the bed, since it was more comfortable.

Even if that meant defying Erza, which terrified her to no end. "Mm," Lucy studied the floor to pick out a spot that she would sleep for the night, settling on a spot on the floor near the foot of the bed. "I don't think anyone really knows where she stays. She asked if we wouldn't mind letting her sleep here until she wakes up."

Lucy placed the blanket on the floor and quietly dropped onto it. "Whenever that will be...if she hasn't woken by morning, maybe we should try waking her?" She'd feel awful if something was wrong and ... what kind of physician does a God need?

That was dangerous knowledge to say the least. One Natsu would take advantage of in no time at all. But that was something for another time. This time Lucy would be sleeping fairly close to him after all and that would be more than enough.

"Well it's not really a problem. Sides she earned it really." Natsu agreed with Lucy's unspoken decision.

"Maybe. She seems to be sleeping pretty peacefully though. Just look at that smile." Natsu pointed out as he helped Lucy set up the blanket so it was smooth with no lumps anywhere.

He'd find out sooner or later. Especially if she gave in and nudged him awake. Though her insistence that it would be One Time Only, would only turn into frequently because she had a hard time admitting to herself that she honestly didn't mind and even preferred him there next to her, to him on the floor.

"Yeah, and then some." Lucy agreed, peering over at God with an amused look. "She really does look comfortable, doesn't she?" It was adorable. Once the blanket was set up and lump free, she stretched a little. Yes, this spot would do for the night. Erza should be back soon - hopefully she wasn't going to be out scouting and making sure those monsters were dealt with TOO long. Lucy might doze off before she got back, and that would be terrible.

One time only. As if that ever applied to any of his home invasions. Honestly it was all mostly for show. Either way they still ended up in more and more of those situations as time passed on.

"She does. How long do you think she'll be out? I mean she hasn't stirred once since we brought her in and I'm not exactly quiet."

She shifted to get more comfortable, folding her arms over her knees. "Yeah, I know." She answered with a teasing grin, sticking her tongue out at him in response to his lack of being quiet.

He was the most unsubtle person she knew. Well okay he could be quiet, but it wasn't his style. "Hmmm... maybe until tomorrow at least. If I had cast a spell as big as the one as she did, I feel like I'd be out for a week!" She chuckled...though the chuckle trails off weakly in quiet horror. What if God WAS asleep for a week?

He joined, sitting cross legged opposite of her. A cheeky grin stretched at his lips when she confirmed his claim. He didn't see the allure of subtlety. Since when had beating around the bush helped anyone? Oh the hypocrisy of that stance.

"Well you recovered pretty quick from Urano Metria. And you're still a human like all of us. I don't think it'll be a week if she's really God."

Beating around the bush never helped anyone. It only caused awkwardness and misunderstandings - and that's something they were masters of. "That's true.." She wasn't sure where Urano Metria stood in terms of power scale compared to restoring all those buildings, but comparing her power level to that of a God was kind of ridiculous to even consider.

She found herself grinning at the sight of his grin, shaking her head idly. If she ever told him how much she loved that troublemaking grin he'd use it to get out of trouble all the time. Granted she didn't scold him nearly so much anymore. "It still seems strange to me, to think of her as ...well.. God."

So much denial and awkwardness. Still they would overcome it. If anything they were making some progress already. Even if the circumstances of that progress weren't the happiest.

"Hmmm. Maybe she's like Virgo and she can transform into other forms?" He immediately pictured the fat maid Virgo had been when they met at Everlue's mansion.

"We opened the door to the shadows...

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