Am I Still In France?

Chaos was having a hard time believing she was still in France. This place seemed to belong in a more isolated and gloomy place than the country that contained what is known as the city that emanates romance. The jagged cliffs and terrain were enough to make her wince at trying to get to this place any other way besides off the ground, nothing romantic about that. And the land stretched on for miles and miles. If it weren't for the huge castle, her destination, she would be lost for forever.

Chaos wasn't sure who's castle it was, if it was even inhabited, but she wanted to find out. Who would live in total isolation? If they didn't want to be found then they wouldn't have such a huge home. The castle itself was pretty magnificent and gave off that superior and very expensive look, yet it was in the middle of what looked like one giant death trap. Somehow the castle reminded her of a certain someone, she hadn't seen in a while. She rolled her eyes at the thought, swooping low until her feet connected with the worn down, rocky ground. She landed a bit away from the castle in case there was any guards, then she would notice before being surrounded or something of the similar mind. Chaos pulled her wings back as she started to head up the walkway to the front of the castle.

Her bare feet scuffed against the ground and she found herself surprised at how smooth it was. The ends of her jeans scuffed against the ground as she walked, breaking the almost unnatural silence. Chaos noticed that there were no birds, animals, and she couldn't blame them. She didn't even see any plant life. She was surprised not to see any guards around, a place like this should be brimming with security. Maybe nobody even lived here. Chaos felt her brow wrinkle at the gray skies, it looked like it might rain. She should've come in better weather. If she got stuck out here, she shook her head at the thought.

She could see the front door now, two huge wooden? doors that seemed to radiate intimidation. Chaos briefly wondered why she was here again. Oh right, her ever-so-persistent curiosity. The one that continually got her into troubling situations that she was likely would come out of this little expedition. But hey, she could handle it....probably. She was a goddess now after all, that had to count for something, right? Just as she was closing the small space between her and the castle, the door opened and who came out surprised her, but at the same time she felt like she should've known.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol had been having a fairly busy and fun week spreading chaos and panic throughout the world. Some of it had been simple and easy, some was rather complicated and time consuming. For example, Tuesday he had spread a minor plague through Taiwan, killing a few thousand and causing quite a bit of panic. Though on Wednesday, he decided to abduct 20 or so people from Pittsburgh, PA and mail them back in pieces to their loved ones. That one lasted him till Friday.... All in all, his week had been unoriginal and only a little bit interesting, but chaos had been spread, so he was content for now.

Sol always came back to his castle, Château du Soleil, to relax and wind down. He found the environment surrounding it to be serene, in its own harsh, unforgiving way. With this land he called his own, there could be no compromise. The jagged rocks, the cold, biting wind, and the eternally gray sky were possessed of a rugged beauty that seemed as barren as he felt at times.

Sol's castle was on top of the mountain's peak, built beautifully, but designed like a fortress. He had poured the wealth of lifetimes into its construction and it took decades to complete. The inside never remained the same for long though. From the large vantage point and the dedication of his servants, nothing could cross through this land without him knowing it.

Sol sat on a throne constructed of polished black mahogany that was decorated with carvings so elaborate it would give someone eye strain just to attempt to understand them. He had one leg up over the left arm as he leaned on the right, chin in hand, while he stared out at the far side of the room. His other leg was propped up by a human footstool of sorts who was dressed in a jester's outfit with a motley of red, gold, and black. Another servant, this one dressed in a bear costume, worked hard to polish his boot without ruining the obsidian dais the throne sat on.

A third servant entered the room, this one dressed like a cowboy, averted his eyes respectfully and dropped to his knees 200ft from the throne and crawled the rest of the way. Careful to avoid the white marble walkway which was veined with gold, for Sol would allow none but himself to walk on it, the man laid flat at the base of the dais until Sol permitted him to speak. He delivered a report that an unknown woman was approaching the great doors that led to the main structure of the castle.

Sol sighed, a bored expression on his face, and he shoved with his foot, knocking the jester and bear down the steps of the dais. He stood and smoothed out his black jeans and t-shirt. He glanced down at the two servants who had fallen and were laying very still, not daring to get up for fear of offending him. "I shall return shortly, when i do, i expect you to be back in your maid outfits." Sol said to the two female servants.

Then he was at the entrance of the great doors, teleported, where two demon guards dressed in full suits of black gothic styled steel plate armor stood to the sides, vigilantly. At Sol's appearance, the guards quickly snapped to attention, and at his telepathic command they struggled to open the twenty feet high steel-reinforced, oak doors, tugging on the bronze handles with their considerable strength.

After a few moments, once the huge doors were fully opened, Sol strode out to face the woman he had been informed of. She had been approaching the doors, and when Sol saw her, his eyes widened slightly and a small grin split his face. Eyes so bright they seemed to be of azure flame, Sol attempted to ask in a calm voice that stilll betrayed his excitement, "Chaos?" before she could answer, he put his hand up to his forehead and frowned slightly, "Where are my manners! I must invite you in, of course!"

Sol turned to the side and motioned towards the open doors, "Would you like to come inside?" he asked. After she had entered he turned and walked in as well, the great doors closing with an almost ominous sounding slam. The were now in the the entry hall which extended forward from the great doors to a smaller pair of more elaborately carved doors that lead to the throne room, and off to both sides, curving so one could not see more the 100ft or so in either direction.

Solemn Creed, God of Entropy. Chaos hadn't seen those piercing blue eyes in a while, she was surprised. She returned his grin with a smile of her own. Before she could say anything he welcomed her and ushered her into the castle. Chaos walked up the steps and stepped through the door. The doors slammed shut behind her and she started at the sound. Sol didn't even flinch at the sound.


"Long time, no see, how have you been?" Chaos asked as she looked around the hall.

The entrance hall was lit up by a chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall. It brightened the way towards a smaller set of doors straight ahead. However, the two extending hallways on either side of Chaos were only visible a little ways before becoming completely dark. She wondered what was down there, but also she wasn't sure she wanted to know. So, she opted for the set of doors straight ahead. As she walked down the hallway she looked at the walls which were bright white and they seemed to be some kind of stone. Intricate patterns were etched into the walls in a way that made Chaos want to stop and just study for a few moments. The floor was a deep reddish mahogany color and warm on her feet, making her tilt her head. Floor heating?

As they came to the doors they opened by themselves leading into what looked to be a throne room. The thing that gave it away was the throne of course, it was in the far side of the room. Chaos flipped a lock of her dark hair away from her face as she took it all in. And as they stepped onto a marble walkway she turned to look at Sol in amusement.

"A throne room? Now why would you need one of these? What does one exactly use a throne room for?" Chaos couldn't keep the smile off of her face. Sol came off as someone who enjoyed great things because they themselves were great. Chaos thought highly of herself, but she didn't have a castle. "Why live here? Did you build the castle?" Chaos asked as she studied the throne. Very, very elaborate. She also noticed to girls standing way off to the side, looking very nervous. "Even servants huh?"

[Solemn Creed]

Sol brushed a strand of ebony hair back from his face, still smiling. "Why of course. I am daemon royalty, technically." he told her without a hint of modesty to be found in his voice. "Well, I have actually had this castle for quite some time. Everyone needs a home, even me after all." Sol admitted to Chaos, rubbing the back of his head.

He glanced at the throne, tempted to go sit on it, but he settled with the view. It and its high dais were a reminder to all his servants that he was a being ultimately above them, but not out of reach, and ultimately caring when it came to their problems. Sol felt it was best to rid himself of such passion and 'good' feeling where it wouldn't hurt him. Having such a large number of servants to take care of gave him the perfect place to dispose of such good will.

"So," Sol began "What brings you to this fair part of France?" He asked Chaos, curious as to what she was doing there. It was a pleasant surprise, but a surprise nonetheless and Sol had long ago learned to be wary of surprises.

Sol had replied to her questioning of the castle saying he had had it for a long time, which surprised Chaos. She didn't really think him the type to have a permanent home, but he was right; everyone needed a home. He asked her about he reasons for being here and she turned to give him a smile.

"To be honest, I was just curious. I heard of a castle in the darkest part of France said to be owned by the devil himself." Chaos said with a roll of her eyes. "As it was completely impossible in my mind, I came to see what it was all about. Though you're clearly not a devil, I can see why people would make the mistake." Chaos said with a teasing smile. She noticed the servant to her right tremble and give Chaos a pitying look. She blinked; did they think he was going to hit her or something?

She walked down the marble walkway slowly, taking in the whole scene of it all. A throne was a bit much in her mind, but she supposed that it suited Sol himself. She stopped in front of the throne, admiring it. A deep obsidian, really very beautiful. Chaos noticed the intricate designs on the throne seemed to move and...change. It was all very grand. She didn't touch it though, she wasn't the type to touch others belongings without permission.

"It's very beautiful, really. Did you design all this yourself?" Chaos asked absentmindedly, still staring at the throne.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped himself and rubbed the back of his head, messing up the 'unkempt' but cute hairstyle it had taken his servants hours to put together for him. He had been about to spew for a steady stream of bragging and egotistical dialogue the likes of which had not been seen since the last time someone had asked him that exact same question. Sol had stopped himself not because he was not proud of what he had accomplished, but because he did not wish to make a fool of himself in front of Chaos.

He studied her face, noting her kind look but recalling how fierce her temper could grow and her tenacity in a fight. Chaos was one of the few beings in existence that Sol truly considered a friend and he trusted her.. to an extent.

Following her through the throne room, Sol looked to see a few female servants who were completely naked begin to enter the room through one of the side doors and he waved his hand urgently, motioning for them to leave and close the door. Sol turned back to Chaos, hoping she hadn't noticed "Well, yes.. This entire castle is my brain child of a sort. It is constantly changing in appearance and structure to match my own whimsical nature."

One of the voices began to enter Sol's conscience and it gave him a small mental poke, whispering of horrible things, regrets of what could have been. Sensing weakness, the other voices flooded in, depression at their head, attempting to take control. having expected this, Sol withstood their attacks behind a mental barrier until he had enough energy gathered which he then released, repelling the voices. To those on the outside, nothing had happened, the only tell tale sign was a slight twitch in Sol's smile.

"So.. what do you think?" Sol asked Chaos, curious as to what her opinion of what his home would be.

Chaos looked away from the throne to see Sol open his mouth as if to say something, but close it with a sudden change of heart. Didn't he know he could tell her just about anything? She shrugged it off and watched as he rubbed the back of his head in an almost sheepish way. It made Chaos smile. She looked back at the throne.

Chaos didn't miss the naked women making their way into the room before Sol ushered them out. She saw out of the corner of her eye, but ignored it and put her hand to the throne. She withdrew quickly at the feel of cold stone moving beneath her hand. It was interesting, but startling. Sol said the castle was always changing in appearance which was interesting to Chaos. If things were always changing, you couldn't get bored of seeing the same thing. But could you get bored of things always changing? She wondered.

Chaos removed her stare from the throne once more and looked back at Sol. She noted the twitch in his smile and wondered what was wrong. Before she could ask he asked her opinion on the place. She smiled.

"I like it; it seems like a hard place to be bored. Does everything change? Show me more." Chaos said in a mock-demanding tone.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol chuckled and began with "Well.." drawing off the last syllable, he continued "NOt everything is constantly changing." He lifted his arm and waved over at the guards posted at the doors of the throne room and then to two female servants busy polishing the marble walkway that led to his throne. The two had obviously not been there when they had entered.

"The one constant would have to be the people." Sol looked at Chaos, his smiling expression growing a bit softer "The majority of my servants and such who live here are daemons, humans, and various other peoples who have no where else to go.. Here they find a haven for beings not unlike themselves, and a powerful being to protect them as if they were his own."

He chuckled as he remembered the state many of them had been upon arriving at his doorstep. "The daemons whose previously murderous and destructive habits had caused them to bed hunted by humans and supernaturals alike have abandoned those stereotypical traits upon finding solace and safety among their own kind here.."

Sol cared greatly for his own kind. Racism among the world was rampant and daemons as a species were rather close to being endangered as they seemed to be favorites for hunters and the blind righteous who would extinguish not only their individual lives but their very race itself. But this would never come to pass if the God of Entropy had any say. And when have you ever seen a mortal steal the last word from a god?

Sol made a gesture with his hand and in came two female servants who immediately started cleaning the walkway they were currently standing on. They seemed dedicated enough to their job, not complaints or hesitance. So was it fear or admiration that inspired their obedience, Chaos wondered.

As Sol explained more about his servant, Chaos could see his features go softer and it was obvious that he cared about them. So gratitude was their motivation. Well Chaos had never seen this side of Sol before, she wasn't even sure he had this side of him. She knew Sol as a demon who didn't believe in modesty, thought very highly of himself, and was very forward with how he felt towards a situation, easily disregarding things he deemed unimportant.

However, now Chaos sees this softer side to him, this god who takes in people in need, changes the direction of self-destruction he sees in people, and waves away women in respect towards hid guest. It was nice to know that there was more than just a surface Sol and that he was willing to show her that. She smiled at him, taking his arm and leading him around the cleaning girls and out of the throne room, wanting to explore more.

"This is a nice side of you, I must admit. I didn't think you would think to be so kind to so many people in need. I always figured you the type who enjoys his solitude, but here you are proving me wrong. I might fall for you after all." She said jokingly pulling him into another hallway. "Now where does this lead?"

[Solemn Creed]

Sol smiled but was slightly worried. The area she was pulling him into was the trophy hall. He was unsure of how Chaos would react to all of the magnificent beasts he had had preserved and posted there. Still, he allowed himself to be pulled along, chuckling with a nervous smile on his face

When they came out into the hall, Sol looked around at the various creatures that were stuffed and standing along the walls. One, a great human kin from a long time ago, standing at nearly 8ft tall, dressed in his viking armor and looking as proud as the day he had fallen at Sol's feet. Shortly down from him was the gryphon Sol had slain not too long ago. After painstakingly reconstructing it, it stood on a small pedestal in the middle of the wide hallway, forcing all to notice it and its splendor.

"Well.. This is the trophy hall... Showing just a few of my many victories.." Sol could not keep all of the pride out of his voice when he said that, though he tried. He really did. " It leads to the dining hall." He stood, shifting slightly, wondering how she would react. Strangely enough, Sol was worried Chaos would be disappointed with him.

Chaos had ironically pulled the two of them into a trophy hall, and she couldn't help but look at all of the beings he had conquered. She wondered slightly how many he had defeated on his own, surely not all of them.There were just far too many and they were so great. She glanced over to Sol to see him wearing that almost sheepish look again. She tilted her head; he had never acted like this around her before. She shrugged at the thought and pulled him down the trophy hall.

His bashfulness reminded her of a certain someone. A pale face appeared in her mind and she felt her face fall a bit. She wasn't sure how Sol would react. She certainly hadn't thought that they would meet again so soon, though a couple of years was hardly soon. Although he had the right to know. Their last night at the cabin in Canada had been...rather eventful. In a different way than Chaos would have thought and resulting in a very different lifestyle.

Chaos stopped Sol when they reached the end of the hall. She stepped in front of him, letting go of his arm. It was her turn to give him a sheepish look. She really wasn't sure how to go about this.

"So, I was being truthful when I said I came here to explore, but I did have something to tell you." She looked to the side and then back at Sol giving him another smile. "So the uh last night in the cabin...years ago. Well funny thing is-" Before Chaos could continue there were two little shouts.

"Mommy! Mommy!"
"Mommy! Mommy!"

A little girl and boy, 3 years old, came running down the hall. The children, twins, both had black hair, pale skin, and their father's eyes. The boy ran into Chaos's arms and she scooped him up. The girl clung to her leg. The boy took notice of Sol and shyly buried his face in Chaos's shoulder. Chaos looked bewildered, but happy all the same. She turned back at Sol.

"So this is Tyrant," Chaos said rubbing the little boy's back. "And this is Trance." She said touching the girls head. "My- um our children." Chaos finished with a small smile.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol's head tilted curiously when Chaos looked at him, his face twisted up with confusion until he heard two shouting voices, one male and one female. He turned and looked to see two children, no older than three running towards the two of them to be scooped up by Chaos who was apparently their mother. When Chaos told him that they were his, all of the blood drained from Sol's face. He was a father? The deathly pallor of his already pale skin became flushed with color and warmth when the thought finally settled in. He had a son. And a daughter.

While the two held many of his features, particularly the girl who held his signature smile, brilliant and blinding. The boy on the other hand, Tyrant, more closely resembled his mother. Having her cheekbones but the slight turning up of the corner of one mouth that seemed reminiscent of the cruel smirk Sol wore at times.

A thousand thoughts began flowing through his mind a minute, the voices were even too stunned to speak up. All of the possibilities flowed through him. Sol had always wanted a son, but had never expected a daughter. Nevertheless, he loved them both, immensely and equally. When Sol spoke, it was with a slight tremor to his voice "M-may I see him?" he asked, holding his arms out for the handsome little boy who looked so much like himself and carried his young frame with his father's pride.

Chaos watched as the color drained from Sol's face for a moment and she felt her face fall. Maybe he wouldn't want anything to do with them. Chaos had been hesitant to tell him when she found out; she hadn't known his location and also because she was unsure of his reaction. Maybe she should have told him without the kids- though they were exactly invited. However, when Sol asked to hold the boy her heart felt like it was gonna explode. She smiled a brilliant smile and leaned her head down to Tyrant's.

"Look Ty, this is your daddy." Chaos said in a quiet tone, the word sounding foreign on her tongue. The boy peeked out at Sol with curious blue eyes.

"D-daddy?" He asked in a quiet tone. Chaos hummed. She held the boy out to him slowly and Tyrant reached for Sol. He wrapped his arms around the god's neck and tugged a lock of his hair.

Trance tugged on Chaos's pants and held her arms out. Chaos swooped her up and brought her closer to Sol. "My daddy too?" She asked quietly and Chaos nodded smiling. Trance poked Sol's cheek and giggled making Tyrant giggle too.

[Solemn Creed]

Sol took the boy, a broad smile on his face as he looked at him, and he accepted the girl as well. He pretended to stumble to the side and fall, sliding down a nearby wall, laughing while the two giggling children climbed all over him. He could not remember the last time he had been this happy. Even in his childhood he had been miserable, never truly feeling at home... But now, for once maybe, he had a family.

He lifted Tyr up, to the little boy's delight and smile at him, laughing as Trance began tugging on his hair, seeking his attention which he gladly gave to her. Setting Tyr down, he spun Trance around a bit, delighting in the broad grin on her face that reminded him so much of his own. After setting them down, Sol shooed them off to go play with the gryphon which they immediately became in awe of to his satisfaction.

Turning back to Chaos, Sol's smile did not dim. "I hope you plan to stay here, all three of you, that we may raise our children together." Sol said to her, glancing back at the twins to make sure they were not getting into too much trouble.

Chaos was so surprised at how well Sol was taking all of this. He was playing with the kids, their kids. It was all a bit much to watch; she brought her hands to her chest. She watched as he sent them to go play around one of the beasts and turned back asking her and the kids to stay. After watching them together for the small moment, she wasn't sure why she was so surprised by the offer.

"That would be nice, I suppose I need a moment to take all this in. To be honest, I wasn't sure how you would react to them. I mean that night was kind of hectic and...unplanned..." Chaos said trailing off, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

She looked over towards the kids. Tyrant was pulling on one of Trance's pigtails. Trance punched him in the arm and the two fell down wrestling. She watched in slight amusement, but as they rolled over to one of the "trophies" Chaos went over and pulled them apart.

"Be careful not to knock anything over."

"Yes mommy." They said in unison and ran down the hall, turning a corner. Chaos bit her lip nervously.

"Now is the time to start hiding the expensive and priceless stuff." She said half-jokingly staring off in the direction the two kids went.