scarrfaze

[scarrfaze]

"Keep the sermons to yourself."

"The Mistwood is perfectly safe as long as you go in with a guide."

"I can offer complimentary sermons to any frightened souls who end up in front of our door."

The magical shaman angel that lives somewhere next door to the kid that lives in Mistwood.

[scarrfaze]

"I doubt any kids will be coming out to the Mistwood." correction: kids shouldn't be coming out to the mistwood.

[scarrfaze]

interesting -- and, perhaps, a tad disappointing -- that the pixies do not seem to change the maze from year to year. surely they must know people would choose to walk it more than once? although it's probably for the best. steven does not have to waste time on navigating, instead allowing himself to bask in the closeness of the man beside him. with the soft glow of the fairy lights they are a world apart from anyone else.

"Hard to forget when we moved in together back in the Lot." it had been after the first of the year, and klaus' birthday. what a birthday present to watch the whole of new york city go up in smoke -- memories steven has relived in his mind's eye far too often. he pushes them down and away, as he always does, stubbornly determined to move forward, and yet never quite being able to give up the past. "But I don't know. I kind of like the idea of our anniversary being when we got the house here."

a pause. the redhead giving voice to something steven has been feeling this entire time. the heavy guilt, the selfishness in wanting to be happy. steven knows he's a selfish man. he always has been. klaus, though? no.

"Yeah..." he doesn't mean to stop walking, but he does.

"Things are different here. Calmer. Back home I'm not sure..." that we could really have a life together, is what he wants to say. he doesn't.

He coughs in response to the question, quickly moving onto the next topic before his face turned too red. "Well, it would certainly be unfair if I were to be mad at you if I allowed it to pass as well. I would vastly prefer to think about a future date." Continuing to walk, the maze hardly requires solving for either of them, he fiddles with his cufflinks as he continues.

"Though it is certainly something that it all does blend together. Would we consider the date we moved in together to be back in Hellsalem's Lot? Or even when we first arrived here. Would it be when we moved into the house?" He smiles to himself, only a slight quirk of his lips.

"We have been through a lot together, here and in our home world. I feel selfish in not wanting to return, and yet I find myself simply not wishing to." Something difficult for someone as righteous and self-sacrificing as him, though he wouldn't call himself either of those things, as he was far too humble for such things.

"Don't you think...?"

[scarrfaze]

steven is relatively plain and average seeming compared to so many others in this city, but he is still not immune to the occasional odd look, the occasional pair of staring eyes. something about looking not too dissimilar to a mobster, as an old coworker once noted -- the scar certainly doesn't help, he figures. usually making direct eye contact with the offender is enough for them to turn away in embarrassment. but this?

he's being watched. followed, even.

breaking his stride and turning to check would be the obvious move. instead he waits until he passes a tree along the path, and casually moves to shield himself behind it, in the hopes that whoever is stalking him might either take the hint or reveal themselves in turn.

and reveal themselves they do. it's... a little girl. huh.

"Hey, are you alright? Did you need help?"

why else would a kid be following him? maybe she's lost.

★- Curiosity was gnawing at Anya, and maybe it was a bad thing. Well, not that the girl thought so, as she looked over from the corner the building. Right now she was following a stranger, a man in a suit.

The reason why she was doing this? Well, if anything, she thought he might be a spy like Papa. That train of thought was probably incorrect, but the girl was stubborn - she truly believed it to be so.

And maybe by following him - it'd lead her to Papa! Well, if Papa was here… she simply wanted to see -

But wait!

"Huh? Where'd he go?!" Scampering out, looking around back and forth. "He was here just a bit ago!"

@scarrfaze

[scarrfaze]

steven is nodding along at klaus' words, lost in his own thoughts about the suddenness -- or, perhaps, not so suddenness -- of their relationship. had it truly been so sudden, when apparently they both had been stewing in their feelings for years? but then klaus says something about the perks of being official, and steven cannot keep himself from the laugh he snorts. he does not need to look up to confirm his partner's face is that same endearing red it always is when such topics are brought up.

"Perks, huh? Like what?" he asks innocently, although the sly smile on his face is the very opposite of innocence.

they come to a stop at the beginning of the maze. steven should not find it so odd that nothing about it has changed in the year since he had last seen it, what with the proliferation of magic in this part of the city. and yet the feeling of deja vu he gets is strange.

"You know, most guys would be upset that their partner forgot their anniversary."

"But I guess you're right. The date doesn't really matter. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt to have one..."

or another very particular type of anniversary. a far more important one.

"Aha, it's...Huh." He chuckles, rubbing the back of his head, looking at the flowers, "It feels as though it happened so suddenly that I, too, am not quite certain." It seems without their additional staff to keep them in order, neither were quite as organized as they should be as the leaders of an organization, even if that organization does not exist at this moment in time here.

"Well, to be completely frank, it feels almost more difficult to parse out. Is it when we began living together? If so, where? We have lived together multiple times throughout the years."

"Personally, it seems the only difference now is that we are being upfront about our feelings. Among, ah, other perks." The very suggestion of it caused his ears to flare as red as his hair as he continues walking.

"...It is funny, I hardly think the date matters. It has been a year since it has been official, but it feels as though we have been together for so much longer than that."

[scarrfaze]

have some replies to do but slapping down a starter call here because i miss this guy. uncapped until i get overwhelmed!

[scarrfaze]

< -- guy who's engaged

[scarrfaze]

as the flower has only wilted in steven's absence, he has understandably not been around much to see its waxing and waning as klaus has -- and so he does not think as much about it as klaus seems to. even as unusual as the bloom is, it would not strike him as strange to know it could wither in time. that's what flowers do, as far as he's aware. although, admittedly, his knowledge on gardening is limited to what little he's picked up from watching and listening to klaus.

(but if it's truly meant to represent love, anything less than flourishing cannot be a happy omen for things to come)

"About a year, or close enough to it." steven confirms, easily allowing his hand to slip into the redhead's. something occurs to him, now, and he really, really hopes klaus cannot see the heat rising to his cheeks in the dimming light.

"Damn. This is going to sound terrible, but..." he's mentally kicking himself in the ass as he begins, because, really, wasn't he supposed to be the one who's good at remembering these sorts of details? "...I don't remember when our anniversary is supposed to be."

worst partner ever.

"Especially since the flower seems to be doing well." When Steven had been absent, it had wilted. As much as he had been trying to take care of it, there was no amount of gardening expertise that seemed to be able to make it back.

And there was the crushing guilt of knowing it was likely best for one of them to be home, just in case the worst were to happen or their absence would be noted.

But...

If he were to believe Steven was allowed to feel happy without guilt here, then certainly Klaus himself should be allowed to, right?

At least, he supposed, that was an idea to hold onto with the thoughts running through his head. A year together, then, mostly uninterrupted. And yet it feels like it had been so much longer.

"I do wonder if it will look the same. If so, we may have to consider where we currently place decorations." A distraction, mostly, as he holds out his hand for Steven to take. "This makes about a year we have been together now, yes?"

[scarrfaze]

Mist spills into the city -- creeping at first, only to pick up speed, pouring forth like a great spill of water. It would be easy to mistake it as simply remnants of the Mistwood if the Mistwood were not several miles from the city's center.

The ground trembles.

Steven can only watch, helplessly, feet rooted in place, as the buildings around him start to break apart, the scattering debris left to hang in the air above his head. This can't be happening here. There is no Beyond here, no gate between worlds. There can be no tear in a veil that does not exist. Yet he cannot deny what his own eyes are seeing. New York City again. New Year's Day.

Dread grips him by the heart and stomach, and for a moment he feels he might be sick. He takes a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm and focus.

"I need to..." he mutters to himself, not bothering to even finish his thought aloud. He fumbles his phone from his pocket. Klaus. He needs to call Klaus. And then text everyone he knows to be careful.

There is a sudden, stinging pain in his shoulder and the phone goes flying from his hands, skittering across the pavement, screen now cracked and useless.

He moves to feel the wound, pulling something sharp from where it has embedded itself in his flesh. It is difficult to tell what it is, smeared as it is in his blood-- a knife, a piece of the debris, a shard of bone? It drops to the ground noiselessly. And then there's a growl.

A blood breed. A massive blood breed, with a face that seems made of static, constantly flickering. It takes a second for Steven to realize that the face is not flickering but changing, and that he recognizes each face he sees. Every vampire he has ever fought. Every person dead by his hands. All of Libra.

Instinct moves Steven's body even as his mind stumbles, kicking a barrage of bladed ice up at the creature. They shatter against the thing, shredding its skin, causing it to howl in pain, but it does not slow the thing down. It comes barrelling towards him.

Steven is only quick enough to avoid the brunt of the impact, hurling himself out of the way with so much force that he hits the ground just to the left of where the blood breed comes to a halt. The momentum of the charge disorients the creature for a moment, long enough for him to press both of his hands in turn to the open wound in his shoulder, hissing. When the blood breed bears down on him again, Steven grabs the thing's arm in a vice grip. Frost begins to spread from his fingertips until it becomes true ice, snaking its way up the blood breed's arm, to its torso, to its head. A blanket of ice, a cocoon of ice.

Soon the creature is frozen completely solid.

It is only then that Steven removes his hands, allows some of the tension to ebb from his strained muscles.

"Shit, what am I going to do with you?"

He'll have to find Klaus and bring him back here, make sure the creature is sealed away for good. He should probably get his shoulder looked at, while he's at it; even if he's full of too much adrenaline to feel the pain.

A crack appears in the ice. Steven does not notice. He is at the point of rolling himself over to get back up on his feet. Damn, he'll need a new phone, too.

Another crack.

They'll have to make sure no other vampires or beyondians have appeared with the mist. It's a shame there's only the two of them, now. They'll need help.

The ice shatters.

The creature is on him before he has the chance to stand, shoving him back to the ground. He can feel its breath on his face, its terrible maw gaping before its head ducks and he feels its long, sharp teeth tear into his flesh. He thrashes in a desperate bid to push the beast off of him, but it does no good. His hands are slippery with blood. Everything is coated with blood, steam rising from the puddles as the air rapidly begins to cool. Snowflakes form. Steven can see his own ragged, hoarse, heaving breaths in the night air.

Then he sees nothing at all, as the world around him goes black.

[scarrfaze]

"Hard to believe it's been a year already..."

hell of a year, too. if anyone had told him back then he'd go on and make something of a life for himself here in this city, he would have laughed. what purpose was his life without libra? yet here he is. rather than the crushing guilt he had once felt for all the things left undone back home, he now only feels content. it could be the warm glow of the pixie lights, or the warm memories this maze conjures up... the very place where he and klaus finally got their act together, months and months ago.

and the setting of a further development in their relationship, if he's lucky.

"I wonder if there will be another flower waiting for us when we get to the end. It'd be cute to have a matching set."

@crossfists

[scarrfaze]

new chapter confirming steven has vampire blood in him let me just sit for a minute

[scarrfaze]

it feels a bit odd staying in someone else's home so soon after moving into his own -- not that moving had been particularly troublesome, considering all of his things had magically appeared in the mistwood house one morning. one of the quirks of this place he can actually get behind. still... being in another person's private space has never been comfortable for steven. he feels he has to be too careful not to make any kind of mess. hell, what if something happens to the cat?

but it's only for a week, and he isn't by himself, so it isn't that big of a deal. everything seems calm enough. for now.

he's in the kitchen scrounging up something to eat -- and dutifully ignoring the plaintive, hungry pleas of kuroneko in the process -- when he hears the knock.

steven recognizes this woman from the cafe. he doesn't remember her name, but she knows wolfwood; enough to continually come in and bother the guy whenever he's around, at least. and it doesn't take a genius to recognize that she's probably dangerous.

"On their honeymoon. That's typically what newlyweds do after the wedding," he answers, dryly.

"But I'll pass along the message. I'm sure they'll be happy to catch up with you when they get back."

at this point he should shut the door in her face. he's sorely tempted to.

She had missed the wedding. It almost felt like dropping her back here right after the grand event. She'd even planned to object!

And so, of course, she was in quite the huff when she arrived on their doorstep, not spying any familiar vehicles around. More than that, her wardrobe on the island was not meant for the weather they were currently having.

Annoyances upon annoyances. Even worse when the face of the man who answered the door was neither of the newlyweds. Of course, she wouldn't dare let him know of her frustrations.

"Oh, the cousin, right? Of puppy's?" She doesn't move to go in, but she does recognize the man. "And just where are the newlyweds. I've come by to give my apologies for not being able to attend."

@scarrfaze

[scarrfaze]

NAME / ALIAS: jules AGE / AGE GROUP: 29 PRONOUNS: they/them TIMEZONE: pst (gmt-8) WHERE ARE YOU FROM?: socal CHARACTERS IN THE GROUP: steven a. starphase from kekkai sensen, zevran arainai from dragon age (over at @corvisque) A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF: extremely tired all of the time, catch me napping 24/7. very into dragon age, ffxiv, kekkai sensen, and anything horror. i like writing sweet tooth-rotting things but also angst. find me on that stupid twitter hellsite @/wyrmsblud or ask for my disc.

[scarrfaze]

"What an ominous feeling all of a sudden..."

[scarrfaze]

empatheorem info !!

abilities

uses his own blood to create ice (esmeralda blood freeze)

able to create five baseball sized projectiles of ice per day

able to create five ice shields per day

able to partially freeze a person five times per day

mannerisms/physical

(typically) cool, collected, and in control

suspicious and/or paranoid enough to be obnoxiously observant

has a bad habit of overthinking things all of the time

piss poor posture, this man is always slouching

most of his strength is in his legs since he uses them to fight

memories

watching new york fall apart and reform as hellsalem's lot

anything from kekkai sensen and kekkai sensen back 2 back, particularly the calamity auction arc because i love reliving pain

anything from here in spirale! these are happier memories (with a few exceptions)

naturally i'm willing to share icons! like this and i'll come running to your DMs to plot things out. <3

[scarrfaze]

empatheorem info !!

abilities

uses his own blood to create ice (esmeralda blood freeze)

able to create five baseball sized projectiles of ice per day

able to create five ice shields per day

able to partially freeze a person five times per day

mannerisms/physical

(typically) cool, collected, and in control

suspicious and/or paranoid enough to be obnoxiously observant

has a bad habit of overthinking things all of the time

piss poor posture, this man is always slouching

most of his strength is in his legs since he uses them to fight

memories

watching new york fall apart and reform as hellsalem's lot

anything from kekkai sensen and kekkai sensen back 2 back, particularly the calamity auction arc because i love reliving pain

anything from here in spirale! these are happier memories (with a few exceptions)

naturally i'm willing to share icons! like this and i'll come running to your DMs to plot things out. <3

[scarrfaze]

"They won't even miss them."

why would they? all of the weddings steven has had the pleasure of attending have been, in comparison, far more casual than what he's sure klaus has experienced, given their difference in backgrounds. keeping the bouquet was always kind of expected, if not outright encouraged. although usually there was an actual toss involved, with a gaggle of young women pushing eachother out of the way.

not that he imagines either groom cares about how weddings are "supposed" to go.

it's easy to fall into step with klaus. it's easy to let klaus lead -- as easy as it is in battle, in everything. steven has never been much of a dancer, but he is graceful, and there's no danger of stepping on his lover's toes.

"Keep talking like that and you're going to make me blush." that might actually be true. sometimes klaus says things that make steven's heart ache in the most pleasant way. klaus says them so genuinely, so frankly that steven almost finds it funny. like saying the sky is blue and i've never cared for anyone the way i care for you are both universal truths everyone should know.

it suddenly strikes steven how far gone he is. how utterly, ridiculously enamored he is with the man whose hand rests on his waist.

"I love you."

he's a bit startled at how the words leave him before he has time to think -- but he can't take them back, and he doesn't want to.

"I know I don't say it often enough..."

"Do you think...?" Klaus trailed off. Most of the weddings he had attended were far more formal affairs, and certainly didn't involve one of the newlyweds ripping open his shirt and tossing a bouquet at someone's head.

With ease, he puts a hand on Steven's waist, moving their held hands into position and joining the other guests on the dance floor. As Steven knew well enough now, Klaus was quite graceful in these situations, guiding Steven in a more formal dance than many of the others.

"Neither have I. Typically, I only danced when required of me, and I otherwise stayed to the side."

"...And I have never danced like this with someone I cared for in the way I care about you."