"Of Lasting Afternoons" (509 hits)
Category: NoneLabels: A_Complicated_Divine
Rating: 2 on 17 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by kaos-king (antius777) (View user info) at 2007-04-14 11:53:57 EDT
http://www.ubersite.com/u/kaos-king/l/a_complicated_divine
Part EIGHT- END
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"Thank you, Cain," I said.
"Not a problem. I understand the situation you have here and I saw no need to have both you and Dagon travel out to retrieve..."
"No, not just the clothes," I said, taking the Second Scion's arm gently, "I mean, thank you for everything."
Cain blinked a few times, almost as if he didn't understand me. He probably hadn't heard those words said to him with true empathy very often. The realization of what I was saying came over him and he suddenly grew uncomfortable, drawing away from my touch with a cough.
"Yes, well," he said. "This situation ultimately benefits the both of us, now doesn't it?"
I turned to hide my smile from Cain as Dagon came from the bedroom in a huff.
"She's proving difficult," stated the Sumerian with his hands on his hips.
"She's doesn't want to wear anything?" I asked.
"Oh no," replied Dagon, "She'd decided she loves all the clothes that Cain bought her. No, I mean all of them and she wants to wear them all at once."
"What?" I exclaimed. "Two days ago she wouldn't even acknowledge the stuff that Drai and O had left here. I wonder what changed?"
"I told you I had fabulous taste in women's fashion," Cain scolded as he lit up a clove cheroot.
"Well, you DID pick out some pretty nice...."
"Shut up, Dagon," I sighed.
"You really don't get it, do you?" Cain asked me in a quiet voice.
Before I could respond, he said, "Allow me to try," and headed back to Kylee's room.
I flopped down on the couch in defeat. Sitting there, my mind wandered back to a few hours previous. Cain and I had deduced the secrets to Kylee's powers and were considering the ramifications when she had come out and... and made her proclamation. She then announced that it was time she went outside the apartment. We explained to her that she needed to wear clothing for that event. Displeased, she returned to her room to sulk and route around in the clothing left by her former teachers. There wasn't much and most of it was random articles that the Lesser Divine had found here and there. Cain had been appalled when he surveyed her selection and had offered to go on a shopping spree for the young fleshed Acolytical.
Apparently, not only did the Oldest Earthen Entity know what the hip young ladies were wearing this season, but he knew what would catch the eye of a newly created Antithetical Being.
"So..." said Dagon as he sat down beside me.
"So?" I replied.
"Now what?"
"Now we go outside of the apartment. I suppose to that park down the street. It's warmed up quite a bit, maybe about sixty degree, so she won't..."
"No, you silly shite," smiled Dagon. "What about tomorrow? Or the next day? Next week? This was suppose to be a short-term job watching a Fallen Angel until it got its bearings. Not exactly the case anymore. What are your plans? What are you... heh, WE going to do?"
I simply looked at him for a moment before asking, "Dagon, what do YOU want to do?"
"Cute," he sneered. "You don't have to bloody well..."
"I'm being serious."
"Oh," the Sumerian said, taken off guard. "Um, I don't... I don't know."
"That's just it," I smiled. "Neither do I."
Dagon nodded as Cain strolled back out into the living room, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Gentlemen, with much pomp and circumstance, may I present... Kylee."
She edged out hesitantly from her bedroom, like she was now embarrassed to be seen with clothes on as opposed to her former nudity. She bit her bottom lip, a trait she had somehow picked up, and kept her eyes cast downward. Cain had opted to go with the attire of youth, comfortable yet trendy. Chunky heeled boots peeked out beneath olive green cargo pants that sat low on her hips. He had helped her layer two tank tops, a white and black one, and then placed one of those "distressed" black jean jackets over top. Adorned with various bracelets and a small necklace, Cain had even seen fit to brush out her hair and run some care product through her short, black tresses.
I had seen her every day, all day long for the last few weeks totally naked, but somehow now - somehow, in this state before me, she looked even more...
"Adequate?" Kylee asked. "Am I adequate?"
Dagon roared with laughter while Cain merely looked straight to me.
Without even realizing I had risen from the couch, I was standing in front of her, her small hands in mine.
"More than adequate," was all I could get out.
"Well then," said the Sumerian, breaking the awkwardness, "Let's get the fuck out of this apartment!"
"You'll come with us, Cain?" Kylee asked.
"No, my dear," he replied. "I have a number of things that demand my attention. The Nox has done me a great service today, not only in the information he has given me, but most importantly, in introducing me to you."
The 'World's First Villain' leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "We will meet again, Kylee. Take care of these two."
And like smoke, he disappeared.
"I like Cain, he's nice," mused Kylee.
"Yeah, that statement is just great in itself," laughed Dagon pointing at the door.
Out the door and down the steps. Kylee, who I thought would be like a puppy let loose, instead clung to my arm. She didn't seem frighten, just... cautious. She told Dagon he looked funny when the Sumerian switched to a typical flesh tone, but her laughter was tense. We hit the street and began walking.
The sights, the sounds, the movement. The city of Chicago had taken joy in this first day of warm weather and was running wild. I was confused by Kylee's reaction to it all. I had expected something more. She seemed almost disappointed in everything. We traveled the few blocks and came around the corner to a small city park. Only when the trees came into view, did her eyes light up.
"Can we sit here?" she asked.
"This is where we were heading," I replied.
The three of us found a sturdy wooden bench unoccupied under a tall oak tree. Sitting down, I was relieved to see her smiling. She still held onto my arm, but not as tightly.
"Kylee, do you want to wander around? Look closer at the trees or anything?" I asked.
"No, I'm fine. Thank you."
Dagon and I exchanged quick glances. This was not at all what we expected.
We sat there in silence for perhaps ten minutes.
Finally, Kylee looked at me and said in a whisper, "I'm sorry."
"What? Sorry for what?"
"I'm sorry I've been such a hassle to you both."
"Honey," said Dagon, "It's been fun!"
"Then, I think it's about to become a hassle," said Kylee staring straight ahead.
"What do you..." I started to ask, following her eyes to see Draimanus and Ophediel walking towards us.
"Well, good afternoon everyone!" spoke Ophediel the Archangel in a pleasant tone.
"Hello, O... good to see you Drai," I said, my eyes narrowing.
"How are you, Kylee?" Draimanus asked his former pupil.
Kylee said nothing back.
"Yes *ahem* well, thank you very much for all you've done Nox." said Draimanus.
"Yes, you can't imagine what a help you were," said Ophediel. "I have no doubt you have many of your own personal affairs to tend to."
The Archangel stepped forward and reached out a hand to Kylee. "We can take over things from here now."
I smiled, nodded and in my sweetest voice possible said, "Nope, no way."
The Lesser Divine were obviously not prepared for this answer from me. They both stood there in shock for a second then began to stammer out responses over each other. I let them babble for a minute while I got out a cigarette and lit it. Finally I held up a hand for their silence.
"You can plead and argue all you want. Kylee's not yours anymore, if she ever truly was. You're not getting her back; End of discussion."
"So what?" spat Draimanus. "You're willing to go to war with the combined forces of Heaven and Hell over this? Willing to battle the Pantheon itself over some fleshling?"
Ophediel chuckled. "Be serious, Nox. You may be powerful, but one former Sumerian Deity cast insubstantial on your side? You, a single lone Antithetical Entity against all the Pantheon?"
"No," spoke Kylee from beside me, letting go of my arm and standing up. "TWO Antithetical Entities."
And with that, our little Kylee brought it hard.
Without doubt or hesitation, she tapped straight into the Meta-Cosim and allowed the Numena to course through her. The Primordial essence of Proto-reality leaped out from her, rearranging the feeble existence of "being" surrounding the two Lesser Divine. While they were simple numbers in the Genesis Equation, Kylee was united to all of the variables that strung Eternity together.
She used this non-moment that was perpendicular to the space/time continuum to sear a message onto every meta-atom of the two Lesser Divine:
- am the kylee - beyond the beyond and before the before - we are constructed to (sic) be - everywhere, everywhen, all at once - valid - am the kylee -
She pulled it all back, returning everything as it should be to this realm. I had thrown a protective barrier around Dagon as soon as I realized what she was going to do. He hadn't really understood what had happened like I had, but he got the gist of it. Mostly from the sight of the two Lesser Divine lying on the grass, weeping and vomiting aethyr.
"Hmmm..." I mused, "I think the young lady has proven my point."
Draimanus sneered before vanishing into smoking brimstone while Ophediel coughed out, "This isn't over."
"Yes," said Kylee. "Yes it is."
The Archangel disappeared as well, the humans in the park all oblivious to what had just occurred.
"And while that was fucking beautiful," observed Dagon, "We now have made enemies of the current Pantheon."
I managed to give Dagon a shrug, unable to take my eyes off of Kylee.
"I think the Dynamic Duo just became the Terrific Trio," said Dagon with a smile. "Perhaps I'll go for a short walk."
I still owe the Sumerian for wandering off as far as he could that day.
I sat there staring at Kylee, trying to think of what to say, how to express myself to her.
"Are you mad at me?" she asked.
"Eh? Why the... why would I be mad?"
"Because I've been practicing without telling you," she replied.
"I don't care at all. Good for you."
"Why did you not... why did you decide to keep me?" she asked.
"No one owns you Kylee. That's what the Pantheon doesn't understand. I just want to protect you. You're like me now, an Antithetical, so... so we should stick together, I guess."
"That's good." she said.
"Good," I repeated, not entirely sure what she meant.
"I don't think I would want to be alone," Kylee said. "Besides, I like you and Dagon."
I nodded with a smile, then was suddenly surprised when she leaned in and kissed me quickly.
"I like you the best," Kylee said.
Like an idiot, I simply continued nodding.
"Now," she said getting up off the bench and removing her jean jacket, "I'd like to see one of those cigarettes."
"Um, are you sure? They really aren't something..."
"Yes," said Kylee taking one from my hand and glancing up, "I think I may need one while I inspect this tree."
User Reviews
Submitted by oam (user info) at 2007-06-18 09:32:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Absolutely fantastic!
Submitted by eric_the_bread (user info) at 2007-04-18 11:25:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2007-04-17 13:34:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Beautiful.
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2007-04-16 20:13:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
'bout freaking time.
Submitted by sideshow (user info) at 2007-04-16 20:10:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Amazing series, the best I've read on Uber.
Submitted by Benny (user info) at 2007-04-16 19:33:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I love your writing style. I know it's been said a million times before but if you happen to get a book published I will buy it.
Submitted by orph (user info) at 2007-04-16 05:46:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by ChaosJester (user info) at 2007-04-16 05:37:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by St_Jimmy (user info) at 2007-04-14 16:48:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent. Very enjoyable series.
Ever think of doing a book a divinity-themed short stories? Between this and the New Hell series, you're pretty damn good in this genre.
Hell, I'd buy it anyway.
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I agree quite a bit with the review above, but I think you use Gaiman a little too liberally in your writing. He's a really good template to base your own style on, but his method is so unique that it's really difficult to make your creations stand out as being different from his.
Still, you obviously put a lot of thought into this. Good stuff, in any case...
Submitted by Merlina (user info) at 2007-04-16 05:14:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Antioxident (user info) at 2007-04-15 09:37:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Barnymeinhoff (user info) at 2007-04-15 03:09:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-04-14 21:25:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2007-04-14 17:30:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My curry was tasty.
I won £200 on the national today!
Submitted by St_Jimmy (user info) at 2007-04-14 16:48:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent. Very enjoyable series.
Ever think of doing a book a divinity-themed short stories? Between this and the New Hell series, you're pretty damn good in this genre.
Hell, I'd buy it anyway.
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2007-04-14 13:28:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Typical Kaos, well-done.
Submitted by silent1 (user info) at 2007-04-14 12:11:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I missed these somehow. Off to read!
I really enjoy your writing style. Great visualization.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-04-14 12:06:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I put chapters 6 & 7 up today as well.
NUUUUURRR, ONE POST A DAY, n00b!!!
Anyhow, the whole complete series is now here on Uber in the "A Complicated Divine" lable. To answer the major question that I was asked through out - I found ALL 8 pictures before I even started writing the tale. I actually fashioned the story based off of the images that I had gathered, using them as a template to focus each chapter. Each is actually a different girl. And let me tell you, it was a real bitch after the firt one; I kinda screwed myself. I knew that Kylee was naked most of the time, and I needed to show a slim young woman with short brown hair, but I couldn't show her back because I had established in the first picture that she had the Ashen Wings tattooed there. GAH!
Regardless, I had a lot of fun writing this series. It's been finished for a while now but so much time had passed, I didn't think anybody cared anymore. I actually received a number of messages asking me about it, so I figured I might as well post the the ending here after all. Thanks for reading...
BRIAN