( ☼ // banished from heaven ) ( viscet 2553 )

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☼ 1st stage
☼ 2nd stage
☼ 3rd stage

☼ personality
☼ relationship
☼ epilogue

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name. chen anling [ 晨安灵 ]xxxx
gender. malexxxx
take me to the adopt.xxxx

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[Unleashed Squiid]

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☼ • ☼ ☼ • ☼ ☼ • ☼

with a holy guidance set forth on the youth from their date of birth to the eldest counterparts lingering for eternity, perhaps it is easily assumed that standing in the light could be easy. the sins of the world do not falter an angel’s path for they live in a world of blind love and loyal following. as it commonly goes, darkness does not haunt an angel, and in return, the angel does not become swayed but the tantalizing temptations set forth by demons. in an incorruptible world, perhaps this would work without flaw, but the schemes of demons have grown ever stronger. they know in their twisted hearts, the most enticing words for any being, be it viscet, human, angel, and if that being has the gift of free will, they can be taken by the darkness too.

within a kingdom of light and love and prosperity, chen anling shone with the qualities of ethereal caliber. he walked in the purest of manors, rejecting sin as he came across it, basking in mortal kindness as it was presented, judging situations with fairness, and exerting compassion into the mortal world with all of his might. though he was strong in the ways of divine teachings, the angel was naive and was easily swayed by the tongues of evil. he tried to avoid the disdainful lips of demons, but the torment from the wicked words soon filled his skull with anguish. the angel who presented himself like an open book soon caught a taste of the darkness which he saw time and time again winning the battles within mortal’s brains. from that vision of corruption, the tiniest seedling of questioning filled his brain, and like an oyster turns a grain of sand into a pearl from irritation, the desires of sin soon temped everything within the angel. he knew the others could see inside his emotions, as was expected with angels, but shame drove anling into hiding. instead of humility tearing down his uncertainty, pride built up icy walls. instead of accepting the situation, hotheadedness rose inside of his gut.

the other angels soon caught on, reading anling like a book. they grew afraid of their friend as he cursed at them, and began to lay awake at night, screaming with anguish. they peered into his mind, his emotions, his soul, and learned, with a terrible horror, that he was no longer filled with holiness. after many heavy hearts and wet eyes, the sinning angel was cast away, and the thoughts of his previous occupation were spared from his mind as he was sentenced for a bitter existence within the mortal realm.

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[Unleashed Squiid]

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xixfrom the very moment they met, all odds were turned against them. it is unlikely that an angel and demon were ever to meet outside of war regardless, but entertaining friendly feelings towards the other is even rarer. banished from their own homes and stripped of memories, the two found safety and calmness in each other while a large storm raged outside of their walls. though in the end, it was never meant to be, a relationship between chen anling and ye xingfeng was formed. a bond between heaven and hell which would soon perish by those same forces.

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[Unleashed Squiid]

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indentit was a strange feeling; a confused epiphany as if one had been quite suddenly pulled from the bottom of the sea into blinding sunlight and dry air for the very first time. the world here was dark. unfriendly. the viscet pulled his weak arms tight to his chest in discomfort, eyeing the city around him as if it were toxic. citizens glanced up from their daily activities with sour expressions which only added to his fear. he had absolutely no idea who he was, or where, or why he was there; there was nothing inside of his brain except for a name, his name: anling. in a moment he had become sentient, clothed in simple, white attire in the light of a new and confusing setting.

indentthere were dark buildings around him, painted grey with filth and the people were not much better off than they. the citizens all appeared dirty and coated with layers of unwashed grease; their hair was unkempt, but their faces were the piece of this jigsaw puzzle that bugged him most. no matter where he walked, or how he moved, they would look over in an obvious disgust as if he were some kind of scum.

indentsoon, anling’s pace quickened and his steps echoed against the stone below him as they turned into a jog. he felt very much claustrophobic in this terrible grey town and he wanted nothing more than to rid himself of it completely. each time he thought the horizon was beginning to peak over the busy buildings, even more seemed to pop up, “to hell with this,” he muttered under his ever-shortening breath. though the skyline would not reveal plants or nature of any sort, the quality of town seemed to improve drastically with each stride. people to his left and right began to smile as he passed, while others simply nodded. they had clean clothing and appeared well-put together. angling assumed that somehow he must have fit in with them better, for their treatment and actions toward him seemed to deem him as equal in their eyes.

indentthe sun slowly began to level out to the horizon and with the incoming night, anling slowed to a halt. his journey had led him to a small row of shops, but with no money or any belongings to his name, the viscet saw them as useless. there were more important things to worry about. evening meant sleep, and with no memories, finding a decent place would be difficult. his gaze shifted around. “something, something to sleep on,” he muttered. “come on...”

indentafter scouting the area for quite a while, mumbling and muttering about his choices and the embarrassment he was soon to feel, the two best options appeared to him in the shape of an enclosed alley way which, unlike the other alleys that were either guarded by store-owners or in plain sight to all of the townsfolk, was secluded by a trash can, and a bench along one side of the street.

indentthe viscet felt shame as he made his way over past the garbage, and into the enclosed area marking the alley. at least here, nobody would spy him and he would be safe. anling slowly brought his bearings together and talked his way into even a small level of calmness. he seemed healthy. that was good. he had a safe place to sleep. that was good. tomorrow would be a better day. good. and with that, he settled down next to the rotting rubbish and somehow edged his way into a deep sleep.

indentthe next morning, as if he were in a drunken stupor, anling became aware once more but his head was spinning and his stoumach began to knot itself with a fiery pain. he growled and clutched at his belly for a couple seconds before standing up on his two shaky legs. it had rained overnight and now he was coated in a layer of chilled droplets which had soaked into his skin. Only a few inches away from the tiny corner in which he had slept was a puddle, and the viscet dropped to his knees again near the liquid, half-desperate enough to try and drink it. Reason caught him though, and he knew this water would be no good to drink; it was terribly discolored and would most likely leave him even sicker and weaker than he was now. Instead, the viscet just stared into the shallow pool, feeling dejected.

indentthough it seemed like quite an inappropriate time, anling couldn’t help but catch his own gaze in his reflection. it seemed almost impossible that the viscet staring back was indeed him. anling was definitely pale, definitely thin-boned, feminine even, but the sharp and strong curves of his face and the way his features seemed to perfectly shelter the exhaust and discomfort he was feeling didn’t lie. he didn’t look like some straggling bum who slept in an alleyway overnight, and it sickened him that he suddenly had a feeling that this could be used to his advantage. desperate times called for desperate measures, and anling looking well put together could make him far less suspicious.

indentknowing that he would need to clean himself up first, anling ignored his body’s desperate calls for food. the viscet used the murky water’s reflection to fix his hair, ruffle his clothing, making it appear fresh and clean, and tidy up any remaining imperfections. he knew it was vain, but it was nearly impossible for him to pull away his gaze when it came time to leave the alley.

indentscouting the streets now, anling looked for people, his eyes swept for unsupervised market booths, for bulges of money in pockets or expensive and loose pieces of clothing. he felt incredible guilt, but his instinct, his hunger and thirst, was winning this fight. begging was an option yes, but he almost felt above that oddly enough. no way would he endure that shame. a small shop which looked to be selling fancy cakes and other varieties of beautifully crafted desserts caught his eye first. only rich people would be able to afford that, and rich folks meant money, and lots of it. the viscet glanced down at his simple attire, all pure white and untouched, and figured that this might as well be the best shot he had; white clothes were expensive to buy and keep, as it was such a picky color.

indent anling tried his best to look normal but he knew that no average, law-abiding civilian had their eyes darting back to front over every person in the manor his did. each time he caught himself glancing suspiciously, he would cease, only to begin the annoying habit all over again. anling strolled casually, and pasted a charming smile on his face as passerbyers caught his eye. so far, everything was normal. he would enter the shop, then...then decide what to do inside, yes that seemed like the best plan. too rigid of an idea might lead to failure; in this case, adaptability was key.

indent inside, his nose was greeted by the most delicious sickly sweet aroma he had ever smelled; the wafts of sugar and chocolate and other delectable spices and flavors pecked at his stoumach like vultures, and he felt slightly faint in the painful grasp of this hunger within him. he smiled at the man behind the counter, and upon meeting his expectant gaze, quickly and confidently said, “Ah, good morning sir. Today, I’m just looking, unfortunately. I work for a lovely elderly woman and she’d like for me to pick out some delectables for a party she’s hosting quite soon.” a lie. anling felt guilty once again, but the clerk nodded and dropped his eyes to view other customers.

indent anling debated for a while more, pretending to view shelves full of sweets. it took everything within him not to start wolfing down some pretty gold-leafed cherry tarts before him by the handful.

indent“no way am i paying such a preposterous amount for a small biscuit. i’m not made of money!” anling turned to view ruckus began to play out behind him. an angry woman was shouting at the clerk, demanding rediculous terms and conditions for her purchase. by the looks of it, she was in fact made of money, or pretty close to it, for everything on her body was bedazzled with shiny jewlels and furs. she went off like a volcano, and anling was quite shocked to hear such indecentcy.

indenthad the situation played out any other way, anling would probably have been too cowardly to make a move, but now, when the woman began to exit the store after promptly receiving a discount for her childish behavior, he saw his chance. the doors were small, barely large enough for two people to slip through, but not large enough for them to pass without brushing against each other. he nodded at the clerk, “good day sir.” almost as if it were slow motion, he found himself slipping past the woman, his hand hovering for a millisecond above her pockets, and then the cool rush of outdoor air against his face. he glanced down, only once, to view his own pocket, now stuffed full, and then back to the clerk who was staring angrily at the wall. if he had noticed a single thing, he did not show it.

indentanling found himself traveling again now, further on through the town. he had decided that he was going to spend his life moving, just in case. when another suitable alley crossed his path, he slipped inside and began to count the guilty revenue from the day. “not bad at all.’ it was a fair amount of money, probably only enough to buy a day or twos worth of normally-priced food. immediately, he scowered the nearby vicinity for a location to do just that.

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indentit had been several days since his first robbery and time seemed to flow together into a senseless mush. he woke, scrounged rude or rich people for money, ate, then slept. but when he awoke next, there was something very different about the situation.

indent“i see that you've finally woken up, sleeping beauty”

indentwhat the hell. anling stared, completely dumbfounded at the face of a dark-furred viscet who stared back in the way a person would look at a painting. he opened his mouth then closed it again, unsure how to react. he debated who this other viscet could be, a drunk who had found himself far too woozy to take himself home? a criminal who would soon rob him? a policeman who would fine him for sleeping in an alley? it dawned on him that the longer he sat silently, the worse this pressing silence became, so he soon let his tongue drive itself and immediately regretted it.

indent"please do not call me that. i have a name, and it's chen anling. use it instead." was that rude? he pondered this carefully while the other viscet soaked in his words. luckily he seemed unfazed. instead of stepping back, he came forward and anling gaped as the dark-furred viscet’s paw clasped around his own in a firm grip. the other male introduced himself as xingfeng.

indent”anyways, what were you doing in the heap of cardboard boxes? one would think that you were a foreigner in this place, should they have caught you snoozing away like that. you really should take better care of yourself; certain unspeakable things might've happened if i hadn't been here, you know?" xingfeng’a tone was quite strange, but anling was so perplexed by this odd morning that he found himself with a humored smile.

indentanling decided to toy back, "is that so? well, i extend to you my gratitude.” he paused and found even more of himself slipping away into conversation, “honestly, i don't believe i am from this area. i have no memories about my past, and i only remember how i got here in the first place, in addition to my own identity." he made eye contact with xingfeng who looked...concerned? about him? “i don't really remember anything, so i was wondering if you might be able to help me out. hey, are you even listening to me?" he felt himself sigh, and looked to the floor. i’ve said too much, he thought. "sorry, never mind what i just said. it's... it's a foolish thought. please don't pay it any mind, and i'll get going now. good day to you, ye xingfeng." he got up, feeling kind of embarrassed but also disappointed. why had he hoped for help? this was not a good world. good things didn’t happen, and he of all people knew that best.

indent"wait!" the word burned into anling. he turned around to view xingfeng, confused. "i'm sorry for not paying attention; something had distracted me. i think you said something about helping each other out? i'm totally down for that, since i don't remember much about where i'm from, either. hey, don't you think this is kind of coincidental? rather... instead of a coincidence, this is almost like fate. i'd certainly be happy, if i was fated to meet such a pretty viscet as yourself."

indentif angling had expected anything, this was not it. he blinked in disbelief. he was pretty sure this was the strangest thing he had ever heard, and he began to wonder if this somehow wasn’t real. was this some sort of sick joke? then it dawned on him. such a pretty viscet. was xingfeng....no. or maybe. what was going on?

indentanling’s brain seemed to have stopped. he was so confused and couldn’t tell if he wanted to be angry at this joke or grateful for the help. instead of properly making a rational or normal choice, all he could do was stand and feel the heat growing in his cheeks. "y-you...! quit joking around, the fact that we've both lost our memories is a serious problem." he paused. xingfeng began to grin, and anling’s rosy cheeks had probably evolved to a terrible scarlet.

indent"now, that's a reaction i'll never get bored of seeing. anyways, i'll be serious now, so let's get going. we might as well start finding a place to stay during the night, don't you think? it's certainly a lot better than just staying in this dingy alleyway, in my opinion."
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[Unleashed Squiid]

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indentthat silly grin was what seemed to get to anling most. it was that sly expression when xingfeng knew he had said something either highly questionable or just plain and funny. life most certainly was not easy for the two, but the company made it all the more tolerable. angling found their relationship growing, and soon thought of this strange dark furred viscet as a close friend. he always seemed to be good at making him feel better even when anling had experienced failure. in return, he tried his best to do the same.

indent“how are you,” the voice came from xingfeng’s room as he sauntered out of it, ready for the world to take him on. the two had exchanged their strengths, their weaknesses. xingfeng had taught anling how to be extra manipulative while anling had returned the favor by teaching his friend how to look innocent and pure.

indent“i’m well, yeah. you?” his words must have sounded empty because anling could see a layer of curiosity growing on xingfeng’s face. his friend studied him, looking up and down for a weakness, a givaway of anling’s true emotions, but then their eyes met, and his expression faded.

indent“i’m alright, i think i’ll head out now. saturday’s a busy day, and i want to make the most of it.” anling felt distant, but these words seemed to tug him back into reality at least temporarily. his expression must have been dark because xingfeng continued, it’s temporary. don’t you look at me like that, frown at someone else.” a slight amusement lit his face, and then he was gone.
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indenthis stomach twisted that evening and all traces of hunger had fled his body. anling didn’t want to speak to xingfeng right now; the zealous nature of his friend was too much for him to handle right now. he was a great person, but overbearing at times, and anling just needed a break. all the pale viscet needed to do was think. maybe tonight he would dream of that strange pale room again. the one with the stars and the lights and that made him feel warm and safe and wanted. strangely as it was, he had dreamed of that place multiple times in a week. every week, ever since he had just came to be in the middle of a dirty street. he lusted more than anything to fall asleep and appear there, just for the few dreaming moments of ethereal happiness.

indenthe often wondered where the room was, whether it was only a figment of his dreams, or it it truly did exist somewhere, in some wonderful place. it looked far too perfect to be of earthern craft. and though anling was aware that over these last few weeks, his head had slowly drifted away from reality, and had filled up the wonderful room even when he was awake, he did not mind the fuzz, for where the room was, happiness rest.

indentfor a few moments before he fell asleep, the pale viscet’s thoughts drifted to his friend. he knew that he stole too, but he always wondered what he thought about it. was it the same guilt that angling felt, or was there no shame deep beneath his cold dark eyes. surely xingfeng knew about his own dark habits, but he had never brought it up. the dark furred viscet was much more intelligent than anling, that was for sure. he seemed to have the ability to twist words to sound how he liked and make people think or feel a certain way all by the lure of his silver tongue. anling trusted him, however. together they had bought this home, together they lived and together they would stay. he knew that xingfeng would always have his back, and anling in return would protect him.

indentanling had hoped that he didn’t give away too much of his negative emotions are dinner that night. he had been short, tart, and to the point, but then again, but then again, his friend hadn’t stopped when he would have liked him to. he had mentioned that same, repetitive future inquiries he liked to ask about, and anling wasn’t even sure that he was aware of how much he spoke of it. the thing about the future was, in completion, that it was uncertain. anling didn’t like to think of it very much because that would lead to hope which would lead to disappointment. he wasn’t sure why he heard this ideology, but it stuck into his brain even so. he hadn’t wanted to be rude, it had just slipped out. looking back, it was the first time either of them had truly been angry at the other. in the morning, he vowed to be better.

indentthe viscet desired to fall asleep, into the world he longed for when we was awake, but no rest would come to him. the more he tried, the less tired he became, until sleep seemed completely hopeless. anling decided to step outside just to calm his reckless brain, but as he stepped into the shadows, something bright filled his gaze, forcing his eyes closed. in complete confusion, he tried to open an eye just in case his imagination had played a trick on him, but as his eye peeled open, no fancy lights greeted him. the pale viscet shook his head in confusion, but felt much more tired now, so he decided to attempt sleep once more. as he had hoped, as soon as his head hit the pillow, the world faded away.

indentthat morning, when anling awoke, xingfeng was already gone. anling let out a sigh. he hoped it hadn’t been because of his own mistakes that his friend had left so early. the viscet pulled himself together once again, putting on a grey shirt and darker pants. his new clothing brought him pride; only a few weeks before, he had nothing but that one single white outfit to wear. now, there was variety, purpose, pizazz in his outfits.

indentwalking out of the house, he was greeted with rain once again. he cursed the weather, annoyed at how miserable it had been lately. even the heavy, damp but pleasant smell had gotten old. the relaxing taps of rainfall had grown into little less than an irritation. anling decided to first walk around town, just to see what it had to offer. then he would look for food to purchase. besides the necessities, the two had scarcely shopped before. clothing, hygenic products, food. that was all.

indenthe decided to let his curiosity wander, and entered a jewelry store with quite handsome displays. the viscet practically drooled over the glittering gems and fancy pieces bedazzled with gold and diamonds. he was not stupid enough to steal from this place, but he definitely saw nothing wrong with looking. he saw all sorts of incredible pieces which looked like they should belong in a princess’ private collection rather than a store. everything was going along as well as it could, but then there was another strange blinding flash. this time, anling stumbled back a few paces. he almost could have believed that a voice had spoken to him.

“go into the back room.” anling’s eyes looked up to a curtain draped down across a doorway. no way. “go on,”

indentCuriosity got the better of him, and the viscet found himself walking over to that door. first came his hand, slowly pulling back the curtain, and then...then, he saw it. pure, heavenly and bright. it called to him as if it were a piece of his soul wishing to be found. without even realizing he was moving, anling found himself inside the room at once, the curtain draw back around. he wondered why it was even here. all that was inside was a single box. what could be inside?

indent the pale viscet lifted open the lid slowly. all at once, everything was shrieking at him. “sinner, sinner!”
“traitor” a wave of power overcame him, a rush of pain inside his shoulders, ripping, ripping at his flesh. he screamed in agony.

indent with all of his might, anling forced the lid back on the box. he had not comprehended what he had seen, but in a terrible and odd way, the pain felt right. his palms were still shaking. it had felt real. as vivid as last night’s memories, as vivid as his whole life had been. in fear, he dropped the box, and began to speed out of the room. he couldn’t run away, else the store managers might think he was stealing, but even so, he moved as quickly as possible.

indent anling was so intent on getting home, he nearly forgot to buy some steamed buns; a feast more fancy than usual, but he felt it was the right thing to do. xingfeng would appreciate the more fancy food, and if his own head would stop spinning, anling would too. he opened the door to his home, cautiously. as if there would be that wicked box on the table or the coutner. there and then, he made a vow to himself not ever to return to that room. something about it reeked evil, and he didn’t trust any part of it.

indent xingfeng hadn’t arrived yet. anling sat in silence, waiting for his friend to make an appearance. he hadn’t decided whether he would share his tale or not, but one thing was for sure: anling wanted to know xingfeng was alright. soon enough, he dark furred viscet strolled into the room only moments later. relief melted into anling’s body.

“how were things today, anling? i see that there's food on the table again, so i'm guessing that things went well." xingfeng broke the silence which had spread throughout the room. anling wasn’t sure what to say. his mind was still working on the events from this afternoon. he decided that it was probably best to stay quiet about them. play it cool, anling, he though.]t.

indent "... yeah, things went well today. i had enough money to buy some steamed buns, so i got two for both of us and kept the rest of the money in that pouch. what did you manage to do today, xingfeng?" anling hoped his voice wasn’t shaky. as the dark-eyed male's expression softened into a small smile, he knew that tonight must have appeared completely normal, just like any other day. the white furred viscet handed him a steamed bun, and let out a small smile.

indent "me? well, as usual, i took on some odd jobs, and brought back some money. hey, these buns are surprisingly good, where did you get them?" anling was barely listening anymore. what was in that box?

indent right, xingfeng had asked a question. "i got them from down the street. i had always meant to buy some of their steamed buns earlier, but they were pricier than i had expected. nonetheless, everyone i spoke with suggested that i try out their buns, so here we are. normally, i wouldn't have spent so much money on food, but i guess we can afford to celebrate how far we've come together every now and then." that part at least was true. they had come so far together. it truly was a beautiful thing. but anling seriously has to leave this situation. he couldn’t bear any more company. "i don't really feel hungry today, so i'm going to save it for tomorrow morning. since there's nothing else for us to do, i'll go sleep earlier... i'll see you in the morning, xingfeng. good night."

indentxingfeng looked briefly surprised but anling snuffled it of the room before he could push anything.
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indentwhen anling woke up, he was hungry which meant that his stomach had settled since yesterday. he wandered into the kitchen where his untouched bun lay. ravenous, he began to eat, and immediately felt much better. xingfeng walked in just as he took the largest, most undainty bite of his life. the dark furred viscet looked amused, but sat down next to him and began to eat his breakfast as well. after a few minutes, he broke the comfortable silence. “good morning. what are you gonna do today?”

indentwell, i don't have anything planned for today, so perhaps we can allow ourselves to take a small break, every now and then. it does look like you're enjoying the steamed buns i brought back yesterday, though." he looked surprised as xingfeng wolfed down his meal even quicker than he had. there was an amused paw, but the tone shifted. anling was aware that there was about to be something serious spoken.

indent“i haven't given it much thought, to be honest. however, i always thought that it's might be nice if we got matching tattoos, or something of the like. i know a tattoo shop that does a pretty good job at applying the designs to our bodies, and while it might not be up in your alley, i'm sure that you should be able to find a tattoo design that you like. however, we're definitely getting matching tattoos in one way or another; this is non-negotiable." anling let the comment sit, watching xingfeng’s face searching his own expectantly. it was quite funny to see the slightly nervous look on his face.

indent "matching tattoos, huh? now, that's a new idea. normally, i wouldn't want to alter my own body because i think everything is fine, but if it's to commemorate how far we've come, then i'll do it."

indent“that's great! in that case, i suppose we should get going as soon as possible. the day is still young, and after we've gotten our tattoos, perhaps we can go around the city together. we haven't really seen much of the city, despite living here for a while, because all we've been trying to do is survive," anling felt oddly touched by this. he really like the sound of that. the two hadn’t really had a day to themselves in a long time. it was always chaotic and busy and quick conversations over meals but not much more.

indent"sounds good to me. it'd be a little boring if we got tattoos and instantly headed back home, am i right? it would certainly be a shame if we weren't going to enjoy ourselves," he tried to hide his excitement, but that was impossible.

indentthe two made their way through town. perhaps the tattoo building wasn’t the nicest of the buildings in town, but walking in, anling had a sensation of attachment to it. this day would mark an important date in history in his life. he turned to xingfeng, was trying to stop himself from looking elated but failing miserably. "come on, let's go," he said, before entering the shop. anling followed.

indentthe tattoos turned out lovely-yin and yang. on the walk from the tattoo parlor to the rest of the city was relaxing as well. anling noticed that xingfeng kept snatching glances at him, but he didn’t acknowledge them. he doubted that his friend would like him to notice.

indentthe evening was so close to being perfect that anling felt like his entire week had been made by the end of it. he wished more than anything that it could remain the way it was forever. but then came that unmistakeable flash of light...and the terrible curiosity of his that anling knew would not be ignored.
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[Unleashed Squiid]

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indentin and out of the room anling would go. he didn't even care that xingfeng had noticed. it was like a terrible addiction. each time he entered, he would feel a strange pull, and would open the box to endure the powerful slap of memories colliding with his hungry brain. he had learned terrible things, which only fueled the addiction more. anling knew his friend was worried about him, angry even, but he didn't even care anymore. all he wanted to do was travel to the room.

indentthe two had fought more than ever before, and it seemed silly for xingfeng to be upset at such a silly as anling's travels. the pale viscet had become quite irritable with his friend recently; he kept asking where he was off to when it was truly none of his business, and even had tried to follow him. anling was never the confrontational type, but he had definitely made his opinion known after catching him in the act.

indentone day anling had traveled to the room as usual. just as his paws hit the box, a voice sounded behind him. "anling, why do you come here with such repetition?" it sounded smooth and calm, like a stream or the rain. something about the tone, or the fluid sound of it was beautiful.

indentanling jumped, afraid it was a store clerk or even worse, xingfeng. but when he turned, his jaw dropped as it was neither of these things. instead, a glorious pale figure stood, clothed in garments far more perfect than anything anling had ever seen. at once, his knees felt weak and they began to shake. his eyes stared at the being for quite a while before realizing that it was appropriate for him to speak

indent"i...it, just is right. i want to know about what this box has to offer." he paused, then thought. "how do you know my name?" with each waking moment, he felt more afraid of this being.

indentthe beautiful viscet replied, "well shouldn't you know this by now? piece it together." but then she answered her own question, "you're an angel, or you were one...but you shall not remain here any longer. each day puts shame on all of us." her eyes narrowed. "you have an offer to return, and i'd take it. things like that do not occur often, and heaven is far better than anything this mortal realm could provide."

indentanling sat dumbfounded. so much information had been poured over him at once. an angel. return?heaven. this almost sounded too good to be true. "i'll think about it," he said softly. even though he and xingfeng had fought recently, they were still friends and that was that. he didn't want to leave him, but...heaven. it would be better than that room in his dreams. his mind was practically made up by the time he left. it was strange that he was returning at all, but something within him must have wanted closure.

indentthe pale viscet felt bittersweet, but he knew this was right. he wanted to go home, and he knew that heaven was immortal. but xingfeng...

indentthe walk back was painful. upon returning, he was greeted with the usual words of welcome, but they all played mutely in his mind. angling was there, but he wasn't actually existing in that moment. everything was murky and cold and confusing, and then he just couldn't take it anymore. he blurted, "sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden, but i'm going to leave this place."

indentxingfeng took it as a joke at first. he even let out a chuckle. but anling's gaze burned so hotly into him that his expression fell. then came the argument. perhaps it started off alright, but things took a turn for the worst within minutes. soon the two were on their feet, voices raised to heaven and hell themselves.

indent"why, anling?! why can't you tell me a single thing? i never know what you're up to, and now you're expecting me to let you leave just because you want to see something for yourself? i've... i've honestly never heard of such a preposterous thought!" he was livid. "do you even care about me at all? we've come so far together, and now you're telling me that you want to throw everything behind?! what about our memories? the food we shared? our tattoos?" anling felt himself bristling. the beginning of this argument had turned out as best as it could but now...he did not want to finish. he was aware of terrible, vile things being emitted from his mouth, but the true words he said came and went so quickly that the pale viscet wasn't even sure half of what he said.

indentthen came the coldness. he had hit a point of anger so raw in xingfeng, the only word his friend could say was, "leave."

indentshaking, furious, jaw dripping with froth from shouting, anling let on last hateful look at xingfeng and stormed out.

indent"angel, take me." he muttered, and was engulfed by a splash of painful light.

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indentheaven was interesting, yes, but the remaining hurt from his fight rang loudly in anling's mind. never before would he ever even consider screaming at xingfeng, never would he have said those hurtful things. the pale viscet found anguish in the memories of his old friend smiling at him like he was his entire world, and perhaps then it struck him how much the dark viscet had cared for him.

indent anling's gaze was cold, angry even. he only was so angry because he cared about you... what a terrible thing to have happened. heaven was in need of soldiers and anling was automatically a volunteer from his redeemed status as an angel. the level of purity and forgiveness in the angels was not something he'd soon forget, and while he was surrounded by so much love, the thoughts of all of his sins seemed so evident. he had not wanted to change his ways this much, ever. the ways of the angels were truly remarkable in that sense.

indentheaven didn't feel so heavenly when anling was there. through it all, he couldn't help but wonder, even now, where xingfeng had ended up. he wondered if he were off thinking about him too, and if the pain remained in his heart the same way it now radiated within his own. anling looked to his shoulder and saw the tattoo there. forever a reminder of his friend, of his past life. he wondered if the memories would ever truly fade, in the same sense that the tattoo would not.

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[Unleashed Squiid]

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though the pain of the war and the suffering was soon subsided from the angels minds, grief lasted much longer for anling. the tattoo on his shoulder reminded him of shame and suffering in a world which was now so far away, and it was shame that would probably never subside. the viscet was deeply hurt from this conflict, deeper than words or scars would fall,and was so deep that only experience could possibly convet it.

anling tried his best to move on again, to begin living like the war had never happened. though it would work some days, other times, he would wake up crying because of nightmares or terrifying memories which lingered in the cool air, never to fade away. he tried one time to settle down with another viscet, and for a while he was happy again; the pain seemed more distant when she was by his side. yet who was anling kidding? all he had used this lovely woman for was to forget the elephant which still remained in the room, growing ever larger as the days passed by.

soon he was alone again. alone with his thoughts. alone with his memories of love and loss and war, and of xingfeng. and that would be how he remained for the rest of his life.
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all art by myself, unleashed squid
coding is by .kaede
writing on this form is by myself, unleashed squid
writing on my partner's form is by .kaede
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