Do I Look Like A Damsel In Distress?

Chaos quickly settled for the hunting explanation. When Sol snapped his fingers she quickly sat down in front of the fire to warm her feet. She sighed in relief and wiggled her toes. She layed down on the soft carpet, her feet facing towards the fireplace and her head towards the doorway. She felt drowsy in all the comfort. Sol said something about being back and the door opened, she barely noticed. However, Chaos did notice when the door didn't close and then footsteps were heading back towards her.

As Sol mentioned that they had a problem the sat up. She turned to look at a very confused Sol holding a very familiar boot. She paused for a moment. "Please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I throw that boot off of a cliff in a fake hallucination?" She stood up, taking the shoe from him to examine it. Then she leaned down to compare it with the other boot on his foot. "What the hell?" She muttered.

She turned back towards the door. She walked to the threshold and looked at the pile of wood. A glint of something shiny caught her eye from under the firewood. She tensed and picked up the silver chain. It was a locket. She opened it to reveal a two pictures. On one side her nine-year-old face, and on the other Scarlet's 10-year-old face. Her whole body went rigid. This locket was ripped off her body 13 years ago when she almost drowned.
Chaos's stance became rigid and she started shaking. She turned towards Sol. Her look was one of fear.

"Okay, for one moment let's pretend you actually care about me. Did you put this here? Where did you find it? How long have you had it?" Chaos felt her voice wavering and held back tears. That moment of terror from almost drowning rolled over her in a harsh way. She was very scared.

Chaos didn't really think it was Sol. However, she needed someone she could blame it on. She needed someone to point the finger at, because she didn't want to think of someone else actually having this locket for all these years. Someone she didn't know knowing her; that was very scary, especially if they had actually witnessed her almost drowning. She turned to Sol for an answer, her eyes pleading for one.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol nodded gravely. It was the exact same boot that she had thrown off the cliff in the hallucination thing. Sol had notice that when hed woken up the boot was gone but he hadnt thought much of it. Now it was back and that did not bode well. Sol set his boot down beside the foot of the bed post. His faced took on a troubled expression but it quickly became one of confusion when Chaos walked over to the wood pile and pulled out some sort of silver locket. That wasnt there before... Sol thought as she picked it up.

Chaos began shaking in a way that concerned Sol greatly. It wasnt normal. What ever she had found, it must have been very significant to her in some way for when he saw her face it was... emotional, to say the least. But what disturbed Sol the most was the fear on her face. She began to ask Sol if he had been the one to put the locket there and how long he had had it in his possession. [glow=red,2,300]"I have never seen that before and i have no idea what it is,"[/glow] Sol told her truthfully. Her eyes pleaded with him for an answer and Sol would have liked nothing more than to provide one, but he could not.

Sol ran his hand through his hair, a nervous habit, and he put his hands in his pockets. As he did so he glimpsed a bright red from beneath one of the bed's pillows. He tugged on the piece of fabric and when it came out he took a step back and dropped it. It was a silken crimson stained cloth with the faded stitching on it that read '... Sol... M...'. The cloth was obviously very old, ancient even yet preserved amazingly. [glow=red,2,300]"No, no, no..." [/glow]Sol began saying while clutching his head and closing his eyes tightly. That cloth had been a present from his brother centuries ago when he had received his first blade. The color had originally been white but had been stained crimson shortly after the razing of Sol's home.

Chaos nearly died when Sol shook his head and claimed he didn't know where it had come from. For once, she wished he was lying. She dropped the locket to the ground as if it had burned her. She stared emptily at it. This was not happening. She looked away at anything but the locket. She noticed Sol running a hand through his hair before something caught his eyes. He pulled on a piece of cloth from under the bed's pillow and started mumbling no. When he had begun clutching his head, she started to worry he might actually hurt himself. Chaos left the locket on the ground and walked to Sol. She paid no attention to the cloth, it wasn't important to her at the moment.

"Sol, are you okay?" Her voice was timid, very unusually, but necessary in some situations such as this. She couldn't have him losing his mind on her, not when hers was delicate at the moment too. "I don't know what's going on, but its....it's gonna be fine." The words sounded like a lie even to her, but reassurance was in order. She just couldn't find anything. That locket unnerved her. Words were not helping so she decided to stop trying.

Sol's rigid posture was starting to unnerve Chaos. It was weird to see him showing this much...emotion to something. She put her hand on his arm in a comforting way. "Sol?"

[Solemn Creed]

[glow=black,100,300]"Im fine!" [/glow]Sol snarled. He was too caught up in his own personal memories to notice the look of distress on her face. He could here his voice again...

Sol stumbled through the burning maze of homes in the general direction of the market square. He had to see if there were any survivors although he new in his heart that there could not possibly be any of his kin left alive. Sol pushed on anyway. He himself was in no danger for those who had come had left already. He finally arrived on the field of where his fellow demons had attempted to make a stand. What Sol saw were no signs of a battle, but that of a slaughter. Hacked pieces of demon lay every where, some were cut down as they fled and others before they had know what was happening. Sol felt guilty, he thought that he should have been there to die with them although they had tormented him his entire life...

Sol shook his head. It was such memories that drove him mad in the first place. He emerged from his mind just in time to here her ask him more questions about his feelings. He frowned. The part of him that felt sad had died a while ago. He could still be irritated though and his expression showed it.

Chaos physically stumbled back at Sol's tone. He sounded...well he sounded demonic. Believe it or not, she had not run into a demon and heard a demonic voice before. It wasn't very common these days. However, she knew one when she heard it. Panic-stricken she turned away from him. She didn't like the look of vulnerability she was probably showing. Her eyes crossed the path of the lockets and she closed her eyes. She could almost feel the water lodged deep in her throat, and she could almost feel the pain of her tired limbs struggling to bring her small body to the surface. And her sister's smirk. God, how she longed to hurt Scarlet that day.

Chaos found herself walking over to where the locket lay on the red carpet. The colors didn't contrast as well as it would've if the locket had been gold. Gold went better with red than silver. She broke out of her thoughts as the glanced at the picture of her sister. That- that little-! She found herself lifting a foot to crush the locket, but stopped a couple centimeters before it touched the silver trinket. She couldn't do it. God she was so pathetic. She couldn't do anything.

Chaos sunk to her knees in front of her locket. She couldn't take care of those two demons tonight. She couldn't save herself from the dimension. She didn't build the fire. She didn't find the house or stop herself from probably freezing to death. She didn't even walk to the house herself. And Chaos couldn't break free of her sister's hold constantly holding her tight within its grasp. With that hold so tight, she was useless. She couldn't even help Sol, who despite being slightly infuriating and despite the fact that she did just meet him, she wanted to help him. She couldn't do that. Not now. She stared at the locket with dead eyes. Chaos pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"I'm sorry Solemn. I really am."

[Solemn Creed]

Sol's expression shifted from annoyance to puzzlement as Chaos stumbled backwards at his words. Maybe he had been to harsh. She had only been trying to help him. She couldnt possibly have known that he didnt feel like a normal person. Sol thought of a way to apologise. The very word tasted of bile and it disgusted him but in his weakened mental state his memories of emotion actually fooled him into beleiving that he was sorry for what he had done.

Sol sighed and walked over to Chaos. She had sunken to her knees before the locket that had so distressed her earlier. The sight did not fill Sol with pity. Sol realised just then why he had saved her before, why he had allowed her to knock his boot into the ocean, and why he had allowed her to demean him as though he were some beast of burden. Sol frowned and crouched down beside Chaos who looked quite the picture of self pity and weakness with her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped about them.

She apologised to him. She actually apologised. Sol could be idle no more and he spoke [glow=red,2,300]"You have no reason to say such a thing." [/glow]he paused [glow=red,2,300]"Do you know why i did those things i did earlier?"[/glow] he asked her [glow=red,2,300]"It is because I admired your strong spirit. You can tell alot about a person when they are faced with impossible odds. Most flee but you fought."[/glow] With that Sol returned to a standing position and he snapped his fingers, burning away the red cloth he had been holding. He walked over to the door and prepared to leave by putting on his recently recovered boot. [glow=red,2,300]"I want nothing to do with this pitiful thing you have become." [/glow]As he opened the door and as he went out he called out behind him [glow=red,2,300]"Pull yourself together."[/glow]

Once Sol had left the cabin he stood out in the snow just a few feet beyond the porch, inhaling the beautiful nothern cold. His mind could no longer comprehend the weakness of others. All he knew was that it disgusted him.

Chaos would have to take a bipolar test when she got back to Paris. One minute she was wallowing in her self pity over her weakness, and then with just a few words said by that- that ass she was boiling over in anger. He wanted her to pull herself together? Who exactly did he think he was? She stood up and headed for the door. She paused for a moment and turned back around. She picked up the locket, closing it, and pocketing it. She would deal with that later. Right now, she had a demon to set straight. She stomped through the door, spotting him just outside. She marched up to him, giving him a firm push in the chest. That would drag him out of his staring contest with the sky.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?! You have no right!" Another firm push against his chest moved him back a couple more steps. "I'm sick and tired of you looking down at me! What give you the right, to look at me as if I'm beneath you?!" Another push sent him barreling into the snow. She loomed over Sol, snow flowing around her in a and covering her head.

"I'll be the first to admit I'm not the strongest of all people. I'll be the first to admit I'm weak. However, at least I try and do something about it! At least I try to change! I don't accept being weak! I never will, I'll always strive to be better. At that's the last thing I could say about you." Chaos spit the last sentence at him. She took a deep breath and swallowed, calming herself. When she opened her eyes, they were softer with a burning fire still there. "If there's anyone I feel sorry for, it's not myself, but you."

Chaos turned and walked back into the cabin. In all honesty, that last part was a lie. She didn't feel sorry for him, only because that's not what he needed. Sol needed to be told that acknowledging his weaknesses and letting them be instead of changing them wasn't okay. He needed to be yelled at. She doubted many people had done that. She meant everything else though. And despite everything, she did care about him. That's why she wanted him to stop looking at everyone as weak for displaying their feelings and admitting their fault just because he couldn't admit his own. She sat by the fire and silently hoped that he would come back.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol wasnt kept waiting for very long. He heard the door open behind him and turned to see Chaos headed towards him. He managed to keep a straight face at the sight of her angry one.

Sol had chosen his words very carefully while he had been inside the cabin. He had meant them but he had also spoken them to achieve a desired effect: this. Sol had lived for quite sometime and after such a long while you start to learn a little about how people of all races behave. With the way Chaos had been acting he had known that he needed to snap her out of it quickly and the best way to do that was to make her mad.

She shoved him a couple times while yelling at him. He did nothing but wait for her to cool off. When she kept pushing him he allowed himself to fall. She stood over him angrily for another few seconds before returning inside. Satisfied his goal had been acheived Sol stood back up and dusted the snow from his pants.

Sol walked back up to the cabin door and went inside. He noticed she wa back by the fire and he took his boots off so as not to track snow through the smalle haven. Once they were off he sat down on the bed and looked at her.[glow=red,2,300] "Feel better?" [/glow]he asked her.

"I'm still angry with you." She said turning her head so she wouldn't look at him. "I can't believe you called me pitiful."

Chaos wasn't really mad at him. She was grateful for the move he pulled. Even if he meant the words, at least she wasn't wallowing anymore. However, she hoped that he took her words into context too. She did mean most of what she said. Chaos believed that he would be happier talking to someone. Talking to someone close to you was one of the easiest ways to feel better about a situation. You had to get it off your chest. Like Chaos talked to Minttu, a little green-haired Fae. She told her about her daily problems and complained.

Chaos nearly hit herself in the head. She felt like such a hypocrite. She talked about things, but she never talked about the main thing that caused the rest of her problems. She never talked about the root of her problems. That was something she really needed to do. She glanced over at Sol and assessed him. Telling anyone her story benefited him in no way what-so-ever. He probably wouldn't even care. She'd only met him after all. Chaos took a deep breath and layed back to stare at the ceiling.

"When I was five...when I was five, I almost drowned." She stopped for a moment. So far, so good. "I was flying too close to the water that's all. My foot caught on the water and I went head first in. I was terrified. I passed out, and was convinced I was dead. I woke up with my dad leaning over me worriedly. My mom looked like it was a waste or her time and my sis- and my mother's other child looked like it was the most hilarious thing she had seen in ages. I swore again never to walk in Scarlet's shadow again." She said acid seeping into her voice as she spoke the last sentence. The pain in her chest felt lighter so she continued.

"Scarlet is the epitome of perfect. She's beautiful and follows the rule like there's no other way to live life. She is a lie. Her whole being is a sham. She couldn't care less about anybody, but herself. Yet, I was the one born with black wings making me look like a source of evil. I was the one named Chaos because no one expected me. I was the one who fell into the shadows. And when i tried to stand in my own light, when i tried to be myself, no one wanted anything to do with me. My sister flaunts herself around me and my dad won't even speak to me. My mother tells me I'm a failure as an angel. She says I should join the bottom feeders. Sometimes I don't think it's be too bad. I mean once you're at the bottom, the only place to go is up, right?" Chaos sighed deeply as she voiced her thoughts. She felt better than she had felt in years. She didn't look at Sol, her eye were firmly staring at the ceiling.

"I'm not saying this so you'll pity me and I don't want you to tell me you understand. I don't even want your life story. I just need someone to listen and not judge. Nothing more, nothing less." Her voice was firm.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol listened to her tell him she was still angry but he could tell that she wasnt anymore, not really. She did not like that he had called her pitiful though. Sol smiled [glow=red,2,300]"My apologies for that. I figured the more angry i could get you the better distracted you would be from your problems."[/glow] he said to her in an apologetic voice.

[glow=red,2,300]"You have to understand, i dont really think of you as such, if i did i wouldnt waste time on you." [/glow]he told her in an explanatory way, but not offensively.

Sol listened to her as she told him of her close encounter with death when she was a child. When she also told him of how her family and others of her race treated her he felt like he could empathize. Sol nodded at her story [glow=red,2,300]"I was treated in a much similar fashion when i was younger. I know you dont want my pity but then its not like i have very much anyways."[/glow] He told her

[glow=red,2,300]"And believe it or not i truly do understand. You dont have to worry about me judging you," [/glow]Sol told her [glow=red,2,300]"I recognise myself as an extremely flawed creature and because of this i find difficulty in even holding a grudge."[/glow] He gave her a look of respect [glow=red,2,300]"If all you want is someone to listen then i will speak no more." [/glow]And with that Sol became silent as he had promised and waited for her to speak more if she had to.

Chaos was actually surprised by his understanding. She thought he would just wave it off as a typical sob story. The fact that he cared to listen and even relate to her, made her feel relieved. She was glad to know there wasn't anything wrong with being different. When Sol mentioned he found himself full of flaws, she was surprised. He carried himself well with all those insecurities. He became silent and she spoke again, a little more softly as if to reassure him.

"In all honesty I can't really find any flaws in you yet. Besides the fact that you seem like the type to bottle things up. You carry yourself well, you can protect not only yourself, but others. And to top it all off you can empathize with people." She said shooting him a knowing look. "However, I also recognize that people look at themselves differently. We judge ourselves harsher than other people would. We know who we are and we know our own flaws and how much they effect our daily life. It's how we are. So just because I'm not looking for flaws doesn't mean you don't have them and the same with me."

Chaos thought about what he had said earlier. He admired her strong spirit. She didn't feel that strong. Maybe people also noticed things you missed about yourself. She was positive Sol had missed some of the best things about himself. Honesty is something she thrived on and that's what Sol had given her. He had given her his honest opinion every single time whether she wanted it or not. She respected him greatly for that. Chaos wondered how his life was different from hers. How he grew up to make him who he was. It brought her back to her earlier question. She turned her body onto her side, her cheek pressed into the carpet and looked up at Sol.

"Is it better? In your opinion, do you think its better to start at the bottom. Demons must have a lot more freedom than angels. I mean I'm walking a tight line as it is. The archangels told me I have one more chance. And then...and then they're going to strip me of my wings." Her eyes cast down solemnly at the fire by her feet. "It'll hurt. And falling, I hear its the worse pain an angel can endure. However, I do wonder if it would just be easier. To just fall. I think about too often. I get paranoid thinking the archangels can hear my thoughts and they'll just bust in a door one day and haul me off." She laughed a humorless laugh. Her voice wasn't depressed as it was more contemplative. She waited for Sol to give his opinion on the subject.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol listened while she told him that she hadnt found any flaws in him yet. Thats odd, Sol thought, she must not know im insane yet. He listened as she talked about that particular subject.

When Chaos asked whether or not it was beetter to start on the bottom Sol seriously considered the question. To work ones way from the bottom up would take alot of work. It would be easiest to become the best if one started above the bottom though it was true that at the bottom there was no where else to go but up. Finally Sol gave his answer after careful consideration [glow=red,2,300]"I think that being on the bottom is bad, which is why no one is ever eager to remain there for long. It takes work to climb and sometimes it may hurt but it is far worse to have all of your effort, or any of it for that matter, taken from you. No, i do not think that it is best to start on the bottom." [/glow]

When Sol was done giving his answer to his question he looked her in the eyes [glow=red,2,300]"I have taken an interest in you. I may be no god, but i am a force to be reckoned with. As long as there is something i can do about it I will not let you come to serious harm so long as you ask for my help. I give this humble vow, my most solemn creed."[/glow] Sol swore to her. He had officially given his word and would be bound to honor it. He waited patiently to see how she would react.

Chaos contemplated Sol's answer. She could see what he had meant. Starting at the bottom is like starting with no credibility, having to work so hard and not even know if all of your hard work will amount to anything. It was definitely not the best option. However starting at the top place immense pressure on you.

"Being at the top is a harsh world. Sometimes it feels like you're being set up for failure. It's like being on a balance beam and every time you take a step, the beam gets thinner and thinner, just waiting for you to tip."

She's tried her hardest to stay on top, but what if it was all inevitable. What if she was struggling to stay on top even thought she would fall anyways? What if it was her nature to fall? She would be stripped of everything she had ever known. She would be nobody. She contemplated it for a moment when Sol gave her his vow of protection.

"I give this humble vow, my most solemn creed."

Her eyes widened. He had sworn to her. No one had ever, ever thought her special enough for something like that. She was the screw-up that no one wanted to deal with. She was too aggressive for most of her friends. And yet, Sol gave her his vow. She smiled a very sad smile -tears blurring her vision- as she grabbed his hand. She pulled him down to lay next to her so she could whisper the words that broke her heart.

"Even when I fall?"

[Solemn Creed]

Sol understood what she meant when she spoke of being set up to fall from the top. When he had been born a red among his people, almost at the top from the very begining, everyone seemed to make it their mission to torment him. [glow=red,2,300]"Some people cant stand being under that kind of pressure while others thrive under it." [/glow]Sol told her. He could tell that Chaos wasnt doing so well and she had stated that she was worried she might fall.

Also Chaos seemed afraid that her wings would be taken. To Sol's knowledge that barbaric practice among most angels was abandoned centuries ago but Chaos' kin must still practice at least some of the old ways. Too bad for them, Sol had already given his word to protect her and he was pretty sure having your wings ripped off was something to be protected from.

After he gave Chaos his word she began to act strange, as though no one had ever trusted her with such a thing before. Sol tilted his head slightly when she took his hand. He hesitantly laid next to her when she pulled him down. He was uncomfortable in such a position. Reminded Sol too much of past childhood beatings. Also someone had tried to kill him in his sleep once. Or several times. But thats a different story. She whispered to him [glow=green,2,300]"Even when I fall?"[/glow] and Sol responded [glow=red,2,300]"Of course."[/glow] as though such a thing was a given. Neither time no deed seperated a man from his word and to Sol his word was everything and must not be broken.

At Sol's answer Chaos breathed a relieved sigh. Knowing that someone was on her side whether she fell off her beam or not was very comforting. She brushed back tears that hadn't exactly spilled over and sat up a bit, allowing Sol to do the same. Sol didn't look very comfortable laying down. She didn't want to ask why. She cleared her throat as if to clear away any emotion trying to seep its way through. The fire was dying down and she felt sleepy. She looked over to where the bed was. That was definitely too far away. She'd rather stay by the warm fire.

"If you're tired you can take the bed, I'm contemplating sleeping by the fire." Chaos said, though Sol didn't look very tired. She still told him though in case he became tired later that night.

Chaos couldn't help, but think about what her mother would say if she saw this. Chaos treating a demon as an equal. Her mother would rather cut off her head. Scarlet though, she's probably due worst things. More hands on activities. Speaking of unwanted things, Chaos pulled out the locket from her pocket. She opened it taking in the two details. Scarlet had beautiful red hair, hence the name. She wore it long like Chaos, except kept it pinned up most of the time. She had Chaos's blue eyes that they inherited from their father. Scarlet looked very happy, smiling and waving in her little picture. Chaos was happy too, though she looked more reserved. A small smile meant for her father rather than the camera. She really did like this locket. She would return it when she got the chance to visit her parents.

Chaos thoughts wandered to Sol's parents. Were they still alive? When she asked his age he just replied old enough. She wondered what he parents were/are like. Did he have any siblings? Any pets? Chaos never had any pets, her mom never allowed them.

Her mother, she was probably the worst bond Chaos had ever forgotten to sever.