rayneidays

[rayneidays]

Been hearing a lot about AI art lately. Decided to do a test. The image in the top left is the synthesized art. The bottom is the finished work timelapse (cause I'm not a hack .) I guess this is the future, gotta ride with it. But I'll be dammed if I let it do all the work, so I added other references.

[rayneidays]

Ballad of Fallen Angels

I: The Lady Arbiter

The swelling mass of Souls, still wearing the clothes they wore on the days of their death, swaddled themselves closely. Weary looking, sleepy faced, They knew not where they were or even what they were. They look to one another, touched one another, even recognize each other, but could not speak. The ground on they stood felt soft, as if walking upon fresh snow. Strange fog, moving like smoke, floated all around them. Worst of all it was dark, a blue twilight, but not a fearful darkness, more like a room that had a glint of light peeking through the door.  But instead of a door, it was a gate. It was the only thing the departed souls could make out, attached to a great wall that whose height and length was incomprehensible. The gate itself was gold; Inlaid within it was a relief of Warriors and archers, both male and female, beating demons. A old man, curious, decided to touch the gate. He took three steps and extended one of his calloused hands, to touch one of the Warriors faces. But then, something even more beautiful caught his eyes.

A loud beautiful melody accompanied her, growing in crescendo every moment she flapped her wings. The moment she opened her eyes, they witnessed light. This creature was a sight to behold. Platinum blond hair like that fell like curtains, delicate tan skin, translucent blue robes, emerald gray eyes, bejeweled wings, and rune glyphs on her chest legs and back. She looked foreign, almost alien like, but there was an aura around her that reeked of Love and Hope, one that yanked those miserable little spirits in, and never let them go.  The souls "ahhed" with excitement. They extended their hands, they reached out to touch her.

"Rejoice!" cried out this beautiful creature, who's voice seemed to echo across the entire cosmos. "all ye who have ventured here!" 

She hovered above them and touched them back, patting their heads and shaking their hands to greet them. The light that emanated from her body erased the Twilight, turning the sky shiny blue and turning the fog into fluffy, fragrant clouds. From one of these clouds, she conjured her staff, long, white and pearlescent. With a simple wave of this staff, she purified the souls, erasing the souls from their bodies and the sadness from their eyes. She took up the staff again, and by pressing a sapphire near the top of it, transformed it into a key. She took the key tightly, pressed it against the gate, uttered the ineffable name of the Divine Lord, and commanded it to open. The Warrior's eyes within the relief began to shine blue and yellow. The gate started to open, a loud, guttural, powerful sound that stirred the clouds, frightened the spirits, and shook even the angel herself to the Core. But she feared nothing, and as High Priestess and Arbiter of Humanity, it was her duty to make sure these humans felt the exact same. So she spread her wings wide, feathers long enough to touch either side of the gate. 

"Behold children, the realm of Astrayon!" She announced.

As soon as those words escaped her lips, tiny little balls of light poured out from gate. They floated about the excited Souls with a loud pop these little bubbles transformed into small, adorable little bird like creatures, with cute fluffy little wings. They acted as ushers, escorting the weary Souls past the gate. They walked into the light, and found themselves in a city. Colorful and glittering. Filled with glass Towers and verdant fields, dotted with floating mansions.The latest invention crested delicately by the Divine Lord; Paradysos was a heavenly Metropolis made specifically, intentionally, and especially for humanity. Like a mother greeting her children, she led them to the hall of Reckoning, a place where new people are redistributed across the city. From there, the souls would find homes, places to work, places to play, and places to praise. With her work done she returned the gate to seal it shut once more. She raised up her Pearlecent Staff, commanding the gates to seal.

But then she saw something.

"My stars, what is that?" She inquired. A Strange blue light, glittery and dancing, was coming from what was known as the Soulstream . Likened unto a highway, when something died it found itself entering the Soulstream . It has existed since time immemorial, since before Astrayon itself. And it was acting...Strange. It appeared as if the Soulstream  was flickering, not unlike a dying flame. The Soulstream  flowed from Astrayon  to Desmodae and Aenvernos as it should, since the mortal realm was long since destroyed. But now, the Soulstream  was fluctuating, transforming into a storm of pulsating blue energy that spawned pale blue specks of light. The Priestess looked deeper, and saw that souls twisting and churning in the maelstrom, but were unaffected by its torrent.The Soulstream  was usually white in color, and it was something about this blue hue that was...mesmerizing. The Arbiter found herself staring at it blankly for some time, but her trance was then shattered by the gate, shutting itself with a loud clang. She fluttered her eyes in disbelief, embarrassed by the fact that she let something as minor as that distract her. Sure, the Soulstream  was acting strange, but the entire concept of it was Mystery in itself, So what was the problem here? Then the arbiter gasped in realization.

More Humans shouldn't be appearing at all. You see, the mortal world known as Earth was cleansed of sin 1000 years ago, and the Demonial Realm of Aenfernos was sealed shut. The spirits of light and dark vied for control of the planet, and waged a war so chaotic that eventually the humans themselves took part in it. Everyone one was fighting for so long, that had long since forgotten what they were fighting for; it was eventually called the Chaotic War. Lord Daimos, the ruler of Aenfernos, suffered heavy losses from the Chaotic War, and formed a truce with the Holy King: If they could allow Daímons to drift throughout Desmodae, he would seal the Blazing Gates himself. The Gates never blocked the Daímons from the outside world, but it acts as a prison to the millions of condemned souls dwelling there. Astrayon took half, Aenvernos the other half, down to the last soul. There should be none left.

"So why are more humans at our gates? How many have we forgotten? How were they left behind? If they were left behind, how did they make it here own their own? Where have they been this entire time? Did someone lead them here? If that was the case then who? And when? And why?" The Lady Arbiter pondered and pondered pondered, and before she knew it, she found herself crying.

The very thought of her failing her job in any way shape or form made the Arbiter's feathers twitch with anxiety. When the Arbiter gets anxious, her powers go Haywire. One time, She once flooded the Hall of Reckoning, a structure with a dome so tall clouds float inside of it, with her tears. Her crying fits can cause storms, her cries can cause lightning to spark throughout Astrayon. This Angel's fits are something everyone has to take seriously, because they risk being swept Away in a storm if they do otherwise. Luckily that doesn't happen, because someone manages to notice her sobbing.

"Lady Arbiter, Lady Arbiter," a clinical voice inquires from behind her. "What hurts you so, what has caused you to weep?"

The High Priestess find yourself staring at the Soulstream again. She was once again entranced by the blue light, probably wasn't supposed to be there. The blue light that brought forth the humans that should already be here. Something what's wrong, currently obviously and entirely wrong. But the very thought of it frightened her; she didn't think fondly of forgetting what she saw, but wasn't too keen on talking about it either. Anyways,if she thought about it any further her tears would cause a typhoon to swallow Paradysos!

“VALMYRIA!” screams the voice.

The Arbiter turns around to reprimand the Angelae yelling at her. Her Voice catches in her throat. "Oh, it's you, Ludicio! Don't startle me like that! You know how I can get!" The Eternal Judge of Heaven flashed a Wry smile. 

Ludicio was a great angel of renowned in Astrayon, so much that he called "Eternal Judge of the Stars". He was wearing his judicial robes, as usual, Dark violet and velvety. His face was youthful and soft, yet his blue-gray hair made him look way older. He was strict and unflinching at and away from work, but couldn't help but soften around the Lady Arbiter. Ludicio always tried to show a bit of Charisma around Valmyria, but she always saw through his ruse. Honestly, Valmyria thought he was a cantankerous old stiff who took his job a bit too seriously, and he honestly bored her to tears. She didn't want him to figure that out though, that would hurt his feelings. 

"If you are inquiring about my emotions, I've managed to bring them in, thank you very much." the high priestess ensured. Deep down, she wanted to ask him about the blue light. Was it really there, or is this just a flicker in her own mind? "Be truthful, Lady Arbiter," returned the Judge." I saw you crying. Storm clouds gather wherever you feel sorrow, something must be troubling you." Should I tell him? Valmyria thought. 

The Judge stared at the Priestess, puzzled by her behavior, until his eyes darted off into the distance, puzzled by something even stranger. Judge Ludicio looks back at the Soulstream , then Valmyria. Though he would never admit it, he was just as confused as she was."Wait, if I said I figured out what has confuzzled you, would I be correct?"

  "Well, maybe," the Lady Arbiter's eyes dodged his, refusing to meet out of awkwardness."It depends on what it is."

Without saying another word, the Judge pointed towards the Soulstream , it's casual green white aura interrupted with blue, dancing around like distant flame. Valmyria could no longer handle the truth just bubbling deep inside her guts, so she finally decided to let them spill. 

"Fine!" surrendered The High Priestess, "But you have to consider my feelings okay? Because if you thought little of what I saw, thenIwouldgetaSterntalking-to. AndthenI’llprobablycryandthenthestormwillcomeandthenyouwillbestruckbylightning!"she said in an emotional fervor.

The Judge looked away out of awkwardness. Not for himself, but for the Priestess.

"Um,okay?"

The Lady Arbiter let out a long sigh, turned to the left, and pointed towards the blue light. "You are looking to the horizon, as I am right?" she asked. "That blue light, do you see that? Emanating from the Soulstream ? You see as I see, right?"

"I see it,"Judge Ludicio admitted."In fact, I've been seeing it for quite some time now. Every time you've carried some weary soul, specifically a human soul, they appear."

Valmyria's eyes snap wide."Wait what? What do you mean you've seen them before? Does that mean you know what they mean?"

"Not exactly," Ludicio admits. "Anyway, I highly doubt it is a matter for you to conjure up a storm about."

"But-"

"None of that, Lady Arbiter." The Judge chided. " Your duty is to protect this city, and every human soul that dwelleth within it. It matters not where these little Souls come from, but that you do the task our Divine Lord bestowed upon you, the one you were born to do!"

Ludicio's voice slowly shifts into that Stern inflection it's famous for. Valmyria now feels like a scolded child. She crosses her arms like one too. She knows that if she protest any further, the lecture will only get longer, so she purses her lips shut.

"Good, I am glad you understand," Ludicio smiled,"Now I suggest you seal the gates, and avert your mind from Distant Fire. You have things to attend to in Paradysos." The Judge turned away from the Priestess and flew to the South.

Rolling her eyes, Valmyria took up her Pearlecent Staff, uttered the sacred name once more, and sealed the gate shut. The gates had shut up with a loud clang that reverberated through the clouds. Valmyria looked up at the Soulstream  one final time. Deep down, she wanted to believe Ludicio, to believe this was naught but an uncommon anomaly. Alas, she could not help but feel like it was an omen, something she couldn't comprehend, something that twitched her mind for just trying to comprehend it. And that was when Valmyria realized what helped her comprehended things: A nice hot bath in her own sacred spring!

"Ah, that's right!" Said the Lady Arbiter, "A nice, restful bath to give me the clarity I need to understand this! I shall take one right away!"

Valmyria spread her wings and flew back into the city. "I can only hope whatever I see does not drive me mad," she hoped...

[rayneidays]

Stories,Stories

Okay, this account has been Barren for quite some time now, I've been stumped as to what I can do with it. No I have an idea. It's been ages since I actually just wrote something, so that's going to be with this account is all about writing s***. I've got this one story that I've been working on since 2015. A little tale about Angels and Demons, a fantasy story. A story I kind of forgot about. 

I'm going to give myself a bit of a challenge. Instead of spending entire days editing one chapter, I'm only going to spend 30 minutes editing each chapter. By doing so I can focus more on the content of the chapter and how it flows. What I'm afraid of is that I might have to delete entire chapters. I was about 19 when I last edited this, and I was a completely different writer then how I am now. There's going to be a lot of crap I'm going to have to Wade through and even more than I'm going to have to add. Jesus. Well, wish me luck.