World Tree MUSH

    So things on this world... Well. Stuff happened last time people were here. An angel descended and almost levelled a town until people stopped a sacrifice to the local sun god. That happened.
    Well not too far off from Sol's Bastion is another town by the name of Ampleforth. And that's where Castiel and her crew find themselves today... It's a hot day, oppressively sunny, and the local population- a budding thousand or so people that have come together to make the new town flourish are trying their best to stay cool. But it's like the sun itself is angry with everyone with how hot it is.
    Castiel is standing not too far off from the local temple, a small squat building that was recently constructed.
    "Huh..." She muses, pursing her lips.
    The iconography is... Different.
    They don't seem to worhship the sun here.

"It's really not so bad," Itana muses as she looks up at the temple. Among the group of visitors, she seems unaffected by the oppressive sun. She's pulled her hood up, but that's about it.

Itana lived most of her life in a desert wasteland. Heat and sunlight don't phase her all that much.

Moving up to one side of Castiel, the archer draws her cloak up with one arm, creating a sort of tent that intersects between the sun and Castiel - it casts the angel in a somewhat more comfortable shadow. Steady eyes search the iconography of the temple without fully understanding it. "It does look different from the one in Sol's Bastion. Newer, anyway, but those pictographs aren't the same." Knitting her brows, she turns the clues over in her head without coming up with much.

"Maybe this world has many gods."

    "What are the odds there's gonna be a war between 'em?" Dante suggests. He's not doing good in the sunlight, covering his face from the blazing sun. His poor, pale skin, it's so weak to sun! He's practically a skip from being a filthy albino, poor bastard was cursed with pale genes.

    Then again so's Vergil, so maybe he's getting sunburnt somewhere.

    He steps towards the fancy new building, if only to get the hell outta the sun. "Whatever it is, it's better than sunburns."

    Frequently, Hyouka Kiyama is stuck with whatever element she's got on hand. A lot of jobs or crises don't leave her the time it takes to swap out one of her crystals for something more appropriate. However, this time, she had warning! This time, she had a chance to know where she was going. This time, she was able to think about her last foray here, consider what all she saw, and make an educated choice on what element she should equip beforehand.

    "...I feel like I should have brought ice instead of lightning."

    This time, Hyouka chose wrong all on her own.

    It's hot. At the very least, with her artificial body, Hyouka isn't horribly uncomfortable. But it could be a lot nicer here. "I'd certainly hope there isn't a war," she grouses. "Innocent people tend to get swept up in those even when it's ordinary humans. If it's the gods..."

    Illumiel stands beside her sister, interlocking fingers with the other for grounding. "Itana may be correct... this may be a pagan world." she suggests. She's opted to wear a broad-brimmed hat, one of those straw hats people wear when in fields farming or the like... but even the divine can't protect the angel from the sweltering heat entirely.

    Fingers lace with Illumiel's as Castiel frowns. It may very well be that there are many gods on this world but something is so... Odd here.
    "I hope that is not the case." The blonde girl replies to Dante on the topic of holy wars while trying to hide in the protection of Itana's shadow. "Much for the same reason as Hyouka, the innocent would be the only ones who suffer in a war like that..."
    SPEAKING OF A WAR LIKE THAT... There's a tension in the air. One that's broken by a commotion not too far from the town center where the temple is. It's just a few 'blocks' to the edge of town in a small one like this and it looks like something is happening at the outskirts.
    "What could that be?" Castiel asks, before blue eyes widen in realization of what it is.
    The glimmer of armored and armed men approaching en masse. Maybe just a few hundred men in gold armor approaching the town, with one larger than life figure clad in gold and jewels within a bejeweled palanquin approaching the city.
    "Ah... Um." Castiel murmurs at the sight as they draw near and the people of the town quickly retreat to their houses.
    This is when the temple doors open and in spite of the heat, about twenty men in heavier armor emerge, led by a young man maybe in his twenties with short cut blonde hair and... Well. He's not wearing a helmet. He must be important.
    "If a fight breaks out... I do not think the town's defenders will be enough to stop a force like that..." Castiel mutters.

God cannot help you here, little angels. Itana tries, however. She keeps the cloakshade up to try and keep the worst of the sun off of Castiel and Illumiel.

At the talk of who gets caught up in wars of gods, the archer is silent. Her expression is unreadable, but not quite fully neutral. She looks off into the distance for a long moment, at least until things begin to stir. Something at the outskirts of town is going down, and she looks over with a blink, reaching for her bow.

A tension races through her. The thoughts she'd been entertaining seconds ago seem more pertinent now.

"Don't rush in," she murmurs before shouldering her bow again and taking a few steps back. Tossing back her hood, Itana begins to move towards the temple. She raises her hands at shoulder height to demonstrate that she's coming without a weapon in them.

"Hello, the temple," she calls up. "What have we walked into the middle of? Who are these men girt in gold and what do they want with this town?"

    "Ain't it the truth?" Dante says bitterly. He's seen that plenty of times, especially in a backwards hellhole like Fortuna. His eyes scan the town briefly as he waves at a local awkwardly. Dante's walk towards the temple is interrupted by the arrival of a gold-clad guy being carried in.

    Oh, Dante already hates this guy. Guy's too important to walk, so clearly he's evil.

    "Is the pope in town or something?"

    With a commotion stirring, Hyouka moves with the group, a frown on her face. She hasn't forgotten their last trip here - a religious spat between divine messenger and rival worshippers there, too. So whatever is going on here, she's got a bad feeling... but Itana has already asked the most important question, so for the moment, the cyborg is quiet.

    Illumiel's eyes turn onto the approaching army, if it could be called that. Her entire body seems to bristle at the sight of the 'man' on the palaquin, Castiel could feel the growing anger in her sister... something is triggering off her righeous fury something hard.

    A lot happens. A small army is approaching the town, and the meager defenders are spreading out and working as best they can to corral the locals into either taking shelter or to the opposite side of the town from which the army is approaching.
    "--Oh you're not locals." The youth in armor says, blinking when Itana calls out. "Man, what a terrible time to meet." He mutters, before flashing a big goofy grin.
    "I'm Kyner. Paladin Kyner Dorsett." That's his introduction and he's sticking with it.
    But then his smile is gone.
    "Thaaaaat's Helio. The local sun god... I don't know what happened but he doesn't look too happy. Hopefully we can talk him down though, the town doesn't have enough knights to defend it."
    Castiel is, meanwhile, squeezing Illumiel's hand tightly. "Peace, sister, peace..." Trying to de-escalate her sibling's wrath.
    But that's when the army stops. And the palanquin continues to approach. Until the carriers set it down and lay on the ground.
    The nine foot tall man in silks and gold that emerges, proceeds to be too good for the ground and walks on the backs of his men.
    "I am... Displeased that my last sacrifice was not duly given." He announces. "I am told those responsible are in this town. Give me a good reason I should not raze it to the ground."
    A dawning look appears on Castiel's face.
    "... Oh."

"We are not locals, no." Itana pushes back a few locks of silvery hair.

Paladin Kyner explains things, and Itana moves her hand down to the flare of one hip. The story is revealed: A local sun god, one with some grudge. "I take it this town does not particularly follow Helio."

Indeed, down come the men in gold and the man they carry with them - a large one, indeed. Itana looks towards Castiel and Illumiel for a second, then back towards Dante, before glancing at the paladin with a simple nod. She turns and listens for a moment to what the enormous man has to say.

    'Give me a good reason I should not raze it to the ground.'

There is a sudden ripple of fabric as Itana unshoulders her bow and notches an arrow with one swift motion, aiming it square for the tall man's skull but not firing. "This is your reason. Leave or be prepared to add death without resurrection to your theology."

    Dante grins cheekily at the paladin. He's practically walking heresy to most religions, being half-devil. "Dante. Son of Sparda and Eva." He says, clapping the paladin's shoulder plate playfully. "At least the gods 'round here actually show their faces. The ones I'm used to are aloof bastards." He slowly reaches for his sword hilt as Helio approaches and...oh. That guy's REALLY TALL.

    "Oh." Dante echoes Castiel's response.

    "Well today's your lucky day, Sir Sonney Dee, 'cause you found us."

    His sword is drawn, and Dante hefts Rebellion like it's a stick as he brandishes it and points the weapon at Helio. "You really don't wanna do this."

    As Helio approaches, it doesn't take long for Hyouka to figure out what's going on... and when he speaks, she knows for certain. Her response is to simply take a few steps forward, crossing her arms.

    "Hello. I'm one of those responsible. And the reason you shouldn't raze this town is the exact same reason I prevented your followers from sacrificing someone to you - if they went through with it then, and if you go through with it now, innocent people who have done nothing to wrong you will die. Including children."

    Her arms unfold, and she hooks her thumbs into her belt, glancing briefly over her shoulder at Itana, then back to Helio. "And yes, even if you are actually a god, we're more than willing to fight you on this. Think about that for a moment."

    Illumiel's wrath cannot be quelled, even by the soothing calm of her sister. She releases Castiel's hand, and steps forward. "Demanding the life of a youth, barely into their adulthood. What 'god' who is meant to love his subjects would demand such? Thou art a heathen. And I am His righteous judgement made manifest."

    As Itana nocks an arrow, Illumiel's armour manifests, little wings sprout from her hair, and she draws her Actual Sword she took from that one guard, letting divine symbols etch along it, and wreath the silver metal in golden flame.

>> SUMMARY[Illumiel] >> GOOS AM ANGY

    "Nope!" That's Kyner's answer to Itana as he motions to the temple. "Our god is new. Just arrived in this world, and started a congregation. We're mostly peaceful, but our knights and paladins like myself mainly serve to keep the peace for our communities like this one."
    Dante claps him on the shoulderplate of his pristine white armor. "Oof! Haha!" He has a good natured laugh about it at least! But on to more serious matters... Kyner motions for his men to take defensive positions.
    "Now Helio," He says, "Last time you were here we were able to talk things out- let's try that again."
    "The words of a dying man do not concern me, Kyner Dorsett." Helio cuts him off, before the sun god's blazing golden eyes turn on the outsiders.
    Castiel is fervently trying to hold Illumiel back, but, wow her sister isn't having it.
    "... An angel of a god that is not here. And outsiders not of this world. Oh how menacing you all are." He muses, stepping forward, more men scrambling before him to give him someone to walk upon.
    "I love my followers very much, just as they love me. IF they did not love me would they sacrifice one of their own? I let them choose what they give and partake all of their gifts with joy. And if they choose to give me their life then so be it. That is the choice of my people not yours to make. But if you are willing to fight me on this... I will be certain to have the bards sing many tales of your bravery and your folly."

Itana steals a look back over her shoulder towards Kyner, lips pressed together. "I see. And the locals seem rather unhappy with that. At least, insofar as these ones are local."

The archer's focus snaps back towards Helio. She can feel Illumiel's anger swelling alongside her, and for once she feels no urge to try and constrain her. Holding her tongue for now, she takes stock of the towering sun god, eyes traveling him from tip to toe and back up again.

Tip to human platform, anyway. Her shoulders tense a little more.

The moment hangs in the air. Tension floats there like an overbloated bubble. The heartbeats stretch out. For Itana, they feel like hours. A drop of sweat traces down the side of her face. She doesn't blink for what feels like entirely too long, eyes settling on the sun god's and staring a hole through him. She finally opens her mouth just slightly and says,

    "Sanchir."

The arrow snaps off of Itana's bowstring with a sonic boom that displaces a cone of smoggy, sun-saturated air and a ring of flash-vapourized humidity. It breaks the speed of sound in an instant as Itana lets it go and attempts to bury it in Helio's forehead without so much as an argument back.

>> GAME >> Itana el-Zayl spends an Edge for: Itana tries to shoot a god in the face.

    "If you loved them, you wouldn't ask them to sacrifice one of their own," Hyouka replies, eyes narrowing slightly. "In fact, if you loved them, you would punish them for offering their lives. Where I come from, the relationship between god and man is a pact. A give and take. Worship for protection, obedience for guidance. Love for love. The kami are owed nothing they don't earn. And apparently, other gods of this world agree. The town where we stopped your sacrifice? It was to be wiped off the map for your followers' behavior. Where were you then?"

    She unhooks her thumbs from her belt, and there's a brief little crackle of lighting mana along her arms. But it's DARGN that speaks next, rather than Hyouka. "You're also letting your ego talk rather than your brain. If a bunch of mortals are trying to fight you, knowing full well what you are, shouldn't you be considering the possibility they're capable of hurting gods-"

    A sonic boom splits the air, and Hyouka jumps back in startlement that quickly turns to alarm. "Itana-?!"

    Illumiel actually sheaths the Actual Sword on her belt, and as the 'Sun God' steps up and squares off, she lifts up off the ground, her full wings spreading from her back as a halo draws into being above her head. "His blessing stretches to all corners. Everywhere that Kindness and Love exist, His will is present... can you say the same?" she asks, her hands grasp the air, and two flames emerge from them, forming into burning swords. One of gleaming Gold, and pale flame, the other of icy onyx and dark miasma, Dawn and Dusk. The Beginning and the End.

    "Come then, ye wretched. Feel His Wrath through his Righteous Right Hand."

    She follows Itana's bow shot, swinging both her blades in a cross slash across Helio's chest.

>> GAME >> Illumiel spends an Edge for: Dawn and Dusk. The Beginning and End.

>> SUMMARY[Illumiel] >> GOOS. AM. ANGY. RAAAWR.

    Dante raises an eyebrow. Weird. "How new? Like, a few years new?"

    As the team faces off with Helio, Dante points his sword at the god of sun's stupid face. "He's got you there, Lumi, you're outta your jurisdiction. I, on the other hand, don't have to worry about that. So, Mr. Conditional love, you're cool with human sacrifice? That's kinda bush league cult shit, not gonna lie. Not the best first impression."

    Suddenly, Dante's body is enveloped in flame and red light, hellish energies surrounding him until he's got wings instead of a coat, some form of bug-dragon taking shape as he laughs with a flanging echo in his voice. "You just picked the worst possible squad to try to bully, buddy." He says with a cocky smirk, before he rushes Helio with his wings buzzing loudly.

    He rushes at Helio, his sword thrusting out to skewer Helio directly in the chest.

>> GAME >> Dante spends an Edge for: We're fightin' a god.

    Helio's blazing eyes narrow as he listens to Hyouka.
    A pact.
    Worship for protection.
    Obedience for guidance.

    Love for love.

    The god's lips purse thoughtfully for a moment. As though he were considering...
    'Am I so out of touch?'
    There is a poignant pause and silence as he turns the outsider's words over in his mind.
    But then Itana reminds him...
    'No, it is the children who are wrong'.
    Castiel gasps, taken aback as her adopted human and her sibling turn so very hostile, so very fast. "ITANA! ILLUMIEL!"
    Dante does not help.
    There is an instant startlement and tension amongst Helio's small army and the town's defenders as the attack comes.
    Itana's arrow screams through the air, the sonic boom of her shot resounding like a thunderclap as Helio brings his hand up.
    He clearly did not expect the arrow to impale his hand as it did, judging from the look of bewilderment and shock as golden blood trickles from his palm where he stopped the arrow mere centimeters from his face.
    Illumiel and Dante lunge in next, and to his credit he has the reflexes to draw a golden khopesh sword, but not in time to halt the attacks that draw more sprays of golden blood and show his army that their god can bleed.
    "... Kill them." He says, hastily. "Kill every one of them!"
    A pained look crosses Castiel's face as she tugs on Hyouka for attention.
    "I'll try and get the people to safety, please look after Itana and my sister."
    Dante's on his own.
    Kyner however seizes the moment.
    "Oooookay if you're gonna fight the sun god, I'll have my knights get the people to safety, but that's a lot of guys and you're gonna need some help." He says drawing his own blade.

    Illumiel, Avenging Angel. His Wrath Made Manifest, presses the attack. "Raise sword against any of these people, mortals, and you will face His Wrath alongside your false idol!" she bellows, pressing her assault on Helio with practiced swipes, each swing melding into the next with preternatural speed and poise. She's dancing around Dante's more brash combat style, darting in quick enough to follow up his attacks, but also darting away again in time that his next strike isn't impeded.

    Who'd have thought, a Cambrian and an Angel, working in concert.

>> SUMMARY[Illumiel] >> Roll for intimidate.

    Everyone attacks. Hyouka hisses with an alarm that quickly shifts into frustration at her own companions. "He was coming around! He was listening-!" But no. It's too late. Castiel's tug prompts Hyouka to whirl around - and any anger on the faux elf's face quickly shifts to stern resolution. "...I'll do what I can. But I'm going to give them an earful afterward."

    Back around wheels Hyouka, arms already deploying the massive FISTEAU gauntlets. Magical lightning is dancing across them even as they form, and the magitech cyborg asks a simple, terse question. "DARGN. How's my output level?" The AI answers smoothly, addressing the real question, "Not high enough." Hyouka swears under her breath, and as her massive smashfists finish forming, she rushes into the fray, swinging massive, wild punches with superhuman strength that crackle with lightning magic on every hit.

>> SUMMARY[Hyouka Kiyama] >> Robo-elf cranky, but no choice now except to start swinging.

The arrow doesn't do everything Itana wanted. But it does enough. The archer runs her tongue over her lower lip. "There, you see, he's just a man," she remarks drolly as she notches another arrow.

Never mind that most men do not bleed gold. If it bleeds, it can die. If it dies, there's a non-zero chance Itana can kill it. Having backup helps, as much as she's loath to admit it. As Illumiel and Dante lunge in, she dips back a few more metres and draws another arrow. A word hangs on her tongue --

She opts against it. In other circumstances, a fire arrow might clear some of the crowd. She's not convinced it'd help against beings who worship a sphere of fire.

"Please do as you need to do," she calls back to Kyner before glancing to Castiel. There's a look in her eyes that's almost apologetic. But soon enough she's turning her eyes back to Helio, not entirely confident that Dante and Illumiel can keep his attention off of her forever. With a twirl of her fingertips, she whips the arrow to her bowstring and leaps, sailing above the fracas and swinging her aim downward.

"Sar!" she shouts as she lets the arrow fly, again aimed at Helio himself. There's a peculiar green glint at the tip as it sails towards the sun giant - and should it strike true, it will burn with a painful poison.

Or so she hopes. She has no clue if poison works on gold blood.

    Dante's recklessness means this was a foregone conclusion. He and Illumiel face off with Helio directly as Dante parries and dodges khopesh strikes. Dante will give Helio props for the choice in sword. Khopeshes are cool. He wishes Agni and Rudra were those.

    Long as Kyner is aiding the evacuation it'll make this way easier. "You can surrender at any time, just lettin' ya know!"

    Kyner's men and Castiel set to the task of getting the townsfolk to safety. It won't be easy and the group will have to hold off a lot of guys. But the army is halted long enough by seeing their deity bleed that it gives a good moment of a head start on the evacuation.
    "Believe me, I will be right there with you." Castiel says to Hyouka with a huff, before she sets to her task.
    Kyner himself takes to the field, taking on way too many soldiers all at once as he goes to join in the fight at Hyouka's side.
    It is a fray now, soldiers rushing to Helio's aid, others rushing towards the town itself. Though Illumiel's intimidating fear aura slows them to a degree, making them much more manageable for Hyouka and Kyner to take on.
    Helio himself however... Is no longer caught off guard. Surely, Dante and Illumiel have drawn his blood but soon enough he's matching their blows, face contorted with anger and pain as he lashes back with his sword, and then... Itana's arrow strikes him. Though it pierces an already open wound, the poison either doesn't seem to take or does not take as fast as the nomad might expect it to, but the sun god has had...
    "ENOUGH."
    A roaring bellow breaks over the whole town as Helio raises his hand to the sky.
    It... It's suddenly so much hotter. Suddenly so much brighter as it seems like the sun itself has taken a side in the battle, scorching the earth and baking it to cracked dust in seconds.
    Rays of searing, scorching, sunlight descend like lasers, aimed for Itana, Dante, Illumiel, and Hyouka.
    However with this divine smite, he backs up, staggering back to his palanquin.
    "We are leaving...! But do not think you have not earned my wrath! I will burn your lands to cinders, everything the sun touches in this world is MY kingdom, and I will make you all remember it!"
    It's a moment of rallying before he and his army begin their retreat, leaving a bruised and battered Kyner with the rest of the group.
    "Phew... That was kin of nuts." He huffs. But you guys are strong- hey maybe you should come to our capital and meet the Bishop; I'm sure he'll totally reward you for helping out here."

Itana is pretty fast. Itana is used to fighting in intense heat and sunlight. Itana is not as comfortable dodging lasers from god. She touches down with a click of heels and turns with an arrow in hand, only to be thrown spinning to the ground as a solar beam slashes across her left shoulder and arm. There is the distinct scent of burning meat wafting up from where she lands.

With a hiss of breath through her teeth, Itana takes a couple of seconds, focusing and trying to compartmentalize the pain of the vicious-looking burns across her upper limb. There's no blood only because the heat simply cauterized most of the impact into a mess of hideously blackened and reddened tissue. Wincing, she pushes herself to one knee, left arm hanging uselessly at her side. Her bow is left at her feet as she reaches for her knife, struggling to keep from vocalizing more pain than she needs to.

But enough has been done. Helio and his army say their last and beat a hasty retreat.

"Give us a moment," Itana answers Kyner tensely. With unsteady fingers she roots through a hip pouch and comes up with a bluish potion. With care, she drips it out across the burn. Some of the worst of the injury begins to shimmer and knit, but it's making only a small amount of headway. Her personal alchemy is no substitute for true white-magery.

    Dante and Illumiel have already done enough, Itana too. They managed to make a god bleed. That'll drive dissent among the ranks and tank morale. That's plenty enough in Dante's book. Helio blasts the area with sunlight, leaving Dante cooked hard enough to de-trigger as he's knocked back, scorched but alive. "Yeah? I'll be waiting." He grins cheekily as Helio and his forces leave.

    He nods to Kyner wordlessly before letting out a cough. "Phew. No kidding. You don't gotta do much, just give us some shade and sunscreen."

    Illumiel gets Orbital Laser'd. The intense sunlaser burns, scorches, and causes her armour to melt slightly. Her wings, the golden-white feathers blackened from the intense heat, flap as she comes up short.. boots crunching against the heat-baked ground. She glares at the retreating 'god'.

    She wants to pursue, to finish what she started, but even her Divine Authority can't force her wounded body to move. "His Wrath is ready and waiting. Heathen." she shoots back, before looking over at Kyner. "Your hospitality is welcome, but we will have to tend to our wounds before that."

    She's not looking forward to the absolute reaming she'll get from Castiel for this.

    Gone the solar army is, and when Hyouka lowers the gauntlets she's been using to defend herself from the sun's wrath, she's... scorched. Singed. In several places. They'd be grievous injuries on a human. Thankfully, between her artificial body and the sheer toughness of her defenses, she's not in nearly so bad a state. Physically, at least.

    Mentally, the entire tale is told when she turns around, and splits her attention between Dante, Illumiel, and Itana. It is probably the most angry the latter two have seen her. Dante has seen her angrier... once. On Nevarro.

    "WHAT WERE THE THREE OF YOU THINKING?!"

    Stomp, stomp, stomp. The cyborg is not walking, she is stalking, closing back into something resembling conversational space. Her volume isn't going down, though. "We have an entire town of innocent people behind us! Children, elderly, people who have nothing to do with fighting and nothing to do with whatever the hell Helio's beef is! If he had made it clear he wasn't interested in talking, that would be one thing! But none of you EVEN WAITED TO FIND OUT! You just saw a face you needed to punch! You put ALL THOSE PEOPLE in danger, and now who knows how many more besides with this divine temper tantrum he's on! I know this is rich coming from Hyouka 'fuck the paperwork, let's punch things' Kiyama, but did you even STOP to consider WHY we're standing up to that golden ass?! And the worst part of it is, HE WAS LISTENING! I worked in an office for over a decade, I know that look! That's the look of an upper manager who's actually finally starting to consider what you're saying! I can't believe I'm tne one saying this-"

    The longer it goes on, the more she sounds like a furious mother.

    Even DARGN is a bit aghast.

    "And furthermore." Oh.
    Oh no.
    A haggard looking Castiel has returned from helping the knights evacuate the town, rubbing her temples.
    "On top of all the lives now endangered by the possibility of Helio's wrath, the lot of you managed to get yourselves hurt. This is, on top of the injuries sustained by the townspeople fleeing in a panic." She huffs. "I want you all to think about that. How much worse it could have been if that army broke your line, or that smite hit the townsfolk. Or what I would have had to go through if any of you had been lost."
    Unlike Hyouka, Castiel's voice is calm and placid.
    But the look on her face.
    Itana and Illumiel are going to hear this for a while.

>> SUMMARY[Castiel] >> But what if I lost any one of you? ._.

    Dante is...well he's never seen that kinda anger from Hyouka for a WHILE. Not since fighting those Stormtroopers on Nevarro yes.

    "Counterargument." He explains calmly, "What's to say he doesn't go on a purging spree of nonbelievers just 'cause they so much as _LOOKED_ at us? Gods ain't exactly the most level headed types, y'know?"

    He doesn't meet aggression with aggression. Dante is surprisingly calm, even if his eyes radiate the same sort of frustration. But when Castiel steps up, Dante's frustration breaks away. He just stares at her puppy dog eyes and sighs. "...damn it."

Itana fishes around for another potion and begins dabbing it onto her arm with the aid of a bolt of white cloth. Dark blood comes up with each dab. The skin left behind seems tangibly less charred. Bit by bit, she's healing her way out of the problem.

She pauses, however as Hyouka starts yelling at her. For a long moment, she doesn't look up from her arm.

It gets worse when Castiel starts yelling at her too. She doesn't look up for an additional moment.

"...Listen to me," she says finally, her voice pinched with constrained emotion. When she does finally look up, the intensity behind her eyes practically crackles. "There was a time when I stood by and did nothing while a power like that destroyed a city. Everything I held dear was lost. /Everything!/" Itana's voice rises for a second before settling to something icier. "One shot could have averted it from happening again. And it nearly did. And I would do it again. I will not - /WILL NOT/ - watch from a distance while more men claiming dominion and power destroy the lives of the innocent. I don't /care/ what happens to me."

Itana pulls herself to her feet with a wince. The glare etched into her expression deliberately avoids Castiel. She can't bring herself to so much as look at the tiny angel. She knows all to well that she'll read what's behind even the fire behind her eyes. She's shed tears on the angel's shoulder. Let her in to see the pain and guilt.

She turns away nevertheless, pulling her hood up with her good hand and beginning to walk slowly off. "...Do what you want. When Helio returns, I'll finish him. There will never be another Damcyan."

There are tears standing in Itana's eyes. She won't let the others see them. She already knows Castiel knows they're there.

>> SUMMARY[Itana el-Zayl] >> > Itana has left the party...? possibly...?

    Itana's words bring Hyouka to a halt at long last - and her expresion morphs from shock, to pain, to fury... back to pain. Fingers curl, then uncurl.

    When she speaks next, her voice is calm - but bears the unmistakable hints of someone who would very much like to NOT be calm.

    "My concern isn't what will happen to you. It's what will happen to the people we're trying to save. And if you think I would 'watch from a distance', then you have misunderstood me at such a fundamental level I'm not even sure what I can say at this point."

    Castiel was not yelling.
    Castiel does not yell.
    It is simply not a thing she does.
    And for a moment, as Hyouka goes through a whirlwind of expressions and emotions etched so clearly on her face, that the angel sets a small hand on the cyborg's arm delicately. The look she shares with Hyouka says many things.
    'It's okay. I understand. I'll make her understand.'
    Voices are raised. Tensions are high and hotter than the sun itself as Itana says something very painful and turns away. The woman won't get more than three steps away before Castiel's voice lifts gently.
    "... I care."
    Her tone is soft, delicate, fragile and threatening to break then and there as she adds on so much more quietly...
    "The lord giveth and the lord taketh... But I don't want him to take you from me..."

Itana slows to hear what Hyouka has to say, making it precisely three steps indeed. She scowls off into the distance and curls her right hand beneath the folds of her cloak.

Castiel fills the silence with something simpler. Itana says nothing for a long moment. A breath of wind tugs at the edges of her hood and the hem of her cloak.

The archer lowers her head. She closes her eyes and bites down to her lower lip. The fist she's bunched up tightens enough that her nails begin to dig into her palm.

The moment hangs there, leaden with something, as though the slightest pressure could cause a universe of tension to come crashing through the boundary of seconds and heartbeats. Then, Itana's voice comes through.

"...I... just... don't want to be... don't want to be helpless again. How could I..." Her voice is smaller. Thicker with something.

She looks back over her shoulder. Even with the hood partially shadowing her face, tears can be seen streaming down her cheeks.

"How could I live with myself if I were just a bystander again?!"