Teeter Totter [Algos x Iota]

Iota wasn't the kind of girl who could easily tell emotions, but even a monkey could tell that something was wrong with her cousin.

Algos seemed on edge, and through the few moments that Iota was able to catch glimpses of her, it worried her. Algos has already proven herself to be a wildcard in terms of decisions, and that was when her emotions had gotten the better of her. If something like that were to happen again, then it would most likely spell disaster for the demon world. And Iota needed it to exist so she can conquer it, and that wasn't going to happen if Algos had her way.

Thus led to now, where Iota had invited her cousin out for a meeting. There weren't a whole lot of sites to go to in the demon world as opposed to Earth, at least not that Iota was aware of so she just figured some random establishment would suffice. At least for now, in the future, they would have a dedicated room for this stuff. At the moment Iota sat alone, twiddling her thumbs and bouncing ideas against the walls of her skull. Iota knew that she was entering into a minefield that could very well end up in a horrible place if she didn't play her cards right.

All that was left was Algos to deal the hands and show up if she does. The both of them got on the wrong foot last time they interacted so it wouldn't be surprising if the other party just flaked on showing up. Iota wouldn't put it past her anyways.

The mind of Algos churned in so many directions. The amount of strain on her being felt as if it were going to make her head implode. Regardless, she was willing to weather the storm to endure whatever this destruction of herself would bring. That seemed to be a truth that was ringing truer and truer by the day. All the things around her that she cherished were just turning to ash in the mind. To her first child, her loves, her family, her kingdom, and even to the clinging embers of a dead child; it all was just turning to destruction and leading her towards being reconstructed as a new form from the ash. What that form would be? Not even Algos herself knew, but this time was critical.

Thus, the woman held a dry chuckle that escaped her lips when the likes of Iota requested a meeting with her. Unlike before, there wasn't a need for any hostilities as far, for now, they were both on the same page of trying to maintain the security of their realm. While some of their ideals may be opposed to one another, that is the nature of society and she welcomed it as it provided further input to configure this new phase of her life.

Hence, on that note of change, the woman tore through the space as a vortex of crimson fog bled into the room and the woman's ozone of death, decay and suffering soaked the room in a thick atmosphere as her expression soon shifted from neutral to a soft smile at her fellow Asthavon.

"Greetings. I take it you want to speak to me about something?"

Now stepping into the room, the pitter-patter of her bare feet against the floor echoed in the room before she sat down and observed the woman; holding her crimson stare until speaking again.

"Feel free to speak your mind. I have no intentions of becoming violent with you like last time. I apologize for that."

Wow, she actually came. Perhaps Iota was making progress with her, slowly and passively but progress nonetheless. Her greeting was simply met with a wave to the seat in front of Iota.

"Oh don't worry about that, it was a very tense situation for all of us. I'm sorry for not bringing you in with everyone else, just could risk any faults in the plan. Though your input was much appreciated and I was able to take the whole experience as a lesson for the future." She spoke calmly as if she thought about every word she said but was still able to keep up a smooth conversation. This next bit was going to be awkward though, so Iota was going to have to be careful with her words. The avant readjusted herself in her chair and sat up straight, preparing herself for the oncoming exchange.

"The reason I called you here was because my mother told me that you had some... issues. Now, that's not to say there's something wrong with you just that I'm concerned. You-you're a great asset Algos and I know you're a good person, but even good people can do crazy things when their emotions and thoughts catch up with them. I'm worried about my cousin. Are you okay?" Iota had a feeling that what she said was going to fall on deaf ears. She just felt like mental health wasn't high on the list of things her family talked about, outside of her mother but even then Inami seemed to only really open up to Iota as far as she could tell. There was a good chance this meeting was for nothing and nothing would be said. But deep down, she hoped.

Algos gazed with an empty expression for a few moments as she started mulling over the words spoken to her by her cousin. The notion of her being okay would have made the woman laugh if she dared to give into those manic impulses from her own mother. With both of her palms opened, The Princess gazed at her right palm and she could see visions of Mana's extract in her laughing at the fool she was turning into from the madness within. While a gaze her left saw the judging, calculating observations of Khala and Devata watching their daughter make a mess of things in the demon world.

It was -- tiring.

All she could feel was the burning decay of so many influences in her body. The demented affection of Calypso to fill a void, the submitting love for Ulv to have someone strong to hold her demented nature, the abusive touch of nurturing mother Mana gave to breed strength and the influence of such primal influence of Devata were all dancing in her mind as the visage of a long-dead Neoveta stood at the top of the burning flames which was Algos's life.

It is when this visual broke that The Princess spoke:

"No. I am not okay."

Those words were pained, but she did not over-extend her hand. Face deadened, the woman spoke what her heart felt as it was in the process of trying to mend a new identity to attach itself to. This mask of a long-deceased person wasn't going to work anymore in this new world she was in. What she was then is buried in the past, thus it was up to all her stubborn will to keep her heart from shattering any further.

"It's hard to tell where I begin and end as a demon, but I will not let it decay things further. You do not have to worry about me going off the handle as that'll make this hell even worse."

The woman soon reclined in her seat, closed her eyes, and wondered what else her relative could want. The notion of love, closeness, and bonding with her family were distant ideals that seemed lost in this sea of blackened strife, madness, and death their family was drowning in. So, Algos was wondering what angle the woman was coming from with trying to open her heart to expose such foulness; there was always something to be gained as this world never came without a cost for such tenderness.

"Perhaps it is my own twisted perception of reality, but even at this moment, I can't help but think you want to take something from me. I see a burning world of enemies to where I'm uncertain who I can trust when I lose Ulv...."

In Algos, Iota saw herself from a few months ago. Lost, afraid, and confused. The only thing missing was anger, but it probably wasn't that far away if Iota just sat her and let Algos wallow in her feelings. She was going to have to take a leap here to really make sure that Algos was going to be in the right state of mind. Because when you boil it down, even if Algos was a demon she was still a person and Iota was able to see her as such. Plus, she was family and even Iota cherished her family.

"You're a demon, no matter what you do. You don't have to worry about if you're doing it right or doing it wrong, you're doing fine. The wonderful thing about us is that we can be whatever we want, whenever we want as long as we have the means. The real problem only lies in how people perceive you, but also how much you care. Don't get me wrong, it's one thing when you act out of line and reive the consequences for it, and another when you try to learn and grow but people refuse to care or listen. Fuck 'em."

"Algos, I love you like family, and because of that, you can trust. Because you can trust me, I will say this: one day, I will take something from you. I'm on a quest for power and you're just one bump on the road, but that's months, almost years, away. But right now, I'm concerned about you. In my past life, my father killed himself. I don't want to see the same thing happen to you."

She probably said too much but Iota had to get it off of her chest if she wanted Algos to not do anything dumb or irrational. There was truth in everything she said, but if she should have said everything was another matter. It may prove to be a problem later but at the current moment, it was of no concern. Iota stared down her cousin, wondering what the demon would say next if Iota was going to be impaled in the next few seconds and have her story ended abruptly.

No matter what Algos would do, there was always the sense that her inner core was rotten. One which was dried up, a husk and empty of anything which resembled human attachments and bonds. This black void of a soul possessed such daunting will, desire, and possession to consume anything in this world to fill that empty hole within. Entire countries, armies, and constructs of the universe itself were just food for this creature to consume again, again and again until her limit finally arose and such boundless hunger had to be kept in check; lest it destroys the world.

So her bloodied eyes focused in on Iota as she tried to pierce that grandiose appetite to ground herself back to this reality. The fellow Asthavon started speaking notions of desiring to love her, to pay no heed to those who mock her progress, and to take heed that perhaps she may take something from Algos, but that she doesn't desire the fate of suicide. There were many concepts to unpack in what the woman said, so The Princess spaced out for a few moments as her eyes dulled over before closing them.

"The only answer I have is to move forward. I do not know what I will turn into, nor what the consequence of it will be, but we have no choice but to develop our sinful existence until we die or are killed."

Now with her eyes opening, the woman took her gaze out towards the blackened skies at the window behind Iota. The rain, the thunder, and the lightning; all of these sounds and visuals put the woman at ease. It was as if the world were as in as much turmoil as her own essence. A churning of uncertain emotions, thoughts, and reflections of self that were spinning in a vortex seeking for that endpoint and that light of a new day to see what is at the end of this violent storm of progression.

"That is all you can do, that is all I can do. I cannot foresee what will come of your action or mine, so you are free to love me as much as you wish, and you are free to try and take if you accept the consequences of said actions as much as I have accepted the own corruption and decay of my own soul for my past self's actions."

With a dry chuckle, she added:

"If such a thing as love can even exist among us demons. Perhaps it's just greed to feel our urges and nothing more..."

For once, Iota was silent, at a loss for words. It's like Algos lifted the world off of her shoulders and just dropped it on the table. Iota had no idea how to deal with it. So, for a few minutes, they just sat in silence before Iota would break it once more.

"Okay." That's the best she could sum up at the moment. No feelings, no pandering, no bullshit. Okay.

"Forward is good. Forward is all you got, not a matter of your choice or answer or whatever. Just keep in mind: don't fuck it up. You've fucked up in the past, your sister has fucked up, your mother has fucked up, royally. Pun intended. Don't forget what I've said and remember what I will say, I'm here to clean up your fuck ups. Once. Only once will I clean up your shit and that's happening as we speak. You fuck up again? I'm not your maid. I'm not Calypso's maid, I'm not Mana's maid. If your short fuse, lack of insight, or greed end up jeopardizing the people, their image, or our well-being again?" She let that hang in the air.

"But I'm not saying you can't make mistakes. We all make mistakes, I'm going to make mistakes, my mother has made mistakes. That's not my problem and it's not yours either. When you make mistakes so fatal, so drastic, and our people are riding on your back but you walk around every day without care? Like nothing changed? Like a demon can't leave their world anymore without getting spat on because of their leaders or lack thereof? That's my issue. Blame it whatever you want to make yourself feel better. Blame it on your genetics, blame it on your upbringing, blame it on the wrong place wrong time, just a bad mood whatever the fuck! Just... learn. Please, for your sake."

"Royal or not, people are sick and tired of your... of our shit. Either you pick it up or I'll pick it up for you. Now will you walk with me or am I going to have to carry you?"

The words from Iota lingered as The Princess continued to gaze at the visage of the other royal. However, it wasn't a vacant stare. It was one that was contemplative as her eyes narrowed and a gentle sigh exhaled from her breath. If nothing else, the devil understood the way she was operating prior to this war was dead and gone. It hurt for a favorable phase of one's life to be put to rest, but it was what was necessary as things had changed in herself, family, and the world around her, and that was something this demon had to comprehend to move forward.

"I'll walk forward on my own. I'm sorry I let the shadows of our past cause so much trouble for us all."

And that was the truth, was it not? Despite how rotten her heartfelt, there was still an inner core that could express remorse as at the root the devil desired many things in her possessive sense of self, but bringing ruin to her people and the world wasn't in that center. Even if it all felt like a distorted vortex of pain, perhaps it was worthwhile to endure the suffering if there were people that relied on her power and to get herself better under control to prevent further misery from swelling in herself and the world around her.

"I'll try to be better for myself, us, and our kingdom."

And with those somber words, the demons hesitantly held the other family in her arms. As her face turned a light shade of cherry, it felt rather awkward to hug the woman as she wasn't used to love which didn't possess the usual exciting, possessive, and clingy stings of affection she was used to. However, that type of love brought nothing but hell, so maybe trying a new approach isn't all bad.