#LIKE WHAT WAS THE POINT !!! FAWK YOU MISS LI !!!!!

[bokutosbabe]

Texting the Obey Me! Brothers that your period is late

Lucifer

avid lucifer hater right here so like I'm making him in my brutally honest opinion ( mwah )

Literally would ignore your texts for hours upon hours

He's a busy man, he doesn't have time to be checking his phone every 2 minutes

I'd say he checks it like 2 hours after you've sent that text and he goes crazy

Normally the way he texts is very put together and simple but whenever you tell him he ends up texting you like this;

WHAT??

Y/N ANSWER RIGHT NOW

etc, etc

Turns out, your period had shown up about an hour after you sent that text-

And right now you were napping in your room

To which you wake up to Lucifer opening your door asking if he can speak to you about your child.

Which you have to tell him you're not pregnant now

And he'll go back to his work.

Mammon

Always on his phone

Gets the text IMMEDIATELY.

leaves his room and just busts in your room

I mean it's like he basically lives there already so why not just barge in the place?

You two freak out together 🫶🏽

He worries about how he's going to give Goldie less attention now that he's going to have a kid

You both calm him down and just start telling him how happy you are

You and Mammon both start making up some names for your possible child

Of course most of them are silly but you two enjoyed it nonetheless

You both take a nap, cuddling and now both of you thinking of your future

And unlike Lucifer, your period actually never does come

Well until like almost ten months later after you've had your adorable baby boy.

Leviathan

Another one who's always on his phone

But unlike Mammon, he ignores the text

For maybe 30 minutes until he gets through this whole manga series

Which doesn't take long

Immediately after he sees the text he freaks out

But instead of going to you, the lady who texted him

He goes to...

Solomon.

he texts the sorcerer freaking the fawk out

And the lovely sorcerer tells him these things you can get on akuzon called

✨ pregnancy tests ✨

He ordered like twelve of them and got them delivered straight to his room

He then rushed to your room and interrupted your show to make you pee on these twelve sticks

( they all came back negative btw )

the rest of the night you and levi cuddled and rewatch your favorite anime 🫶🏽

Satan

he's smart

He will text you back asking how long your period has been late for

And you'll tell him just a few days

but here's the issue,

Satan doesn't exactly know about female periods

So he just pulls something out of his ass

“ it has to be like months late for you to be pregnant ”

of course you believed your super smart and loving bf 🫶🏽

And then one month passed without a period

And then came the point whenever you were throwing up-

you took a pregnancy test and it came back a very strong positive

you immediately went crying to Satan, saying he lied to you!

and he made it up to you by taking you to cat cafes once every month until you gave birth to your beautiful daughter

Asmodeus

genuinely does not care

contrary to what others think, I think asmo would know if you're pregnant

he's the avatar of lust

of course you two have done it, but he makes sure to use the best protection possible.

it was exam time so he was sure you were just stressed

which would cause your period to be late

so he comes over to your room

( arms full of facial care and nail polish)

and you two relax and ✨cleanse✨

and after you'd taken your last exam, guess who came?

miss period 🫶🏽

and asmo got to tell you

“ i told you so ~ ”

Beelzebub

( i am a beel lover )

listen, biggest himbo energy right here

I don't think he'd be completely oblivious to the chances of getting pregnant

but i definitely think he'd be one of those people who think you can't get pregnant if you're standing up

( i'm so serious it's a thing )

and y'all have done it against the wall on multiple occasions

so when you text him, he thinks you're just being dramatic

until you're spamming his phone

“ beelzebub istg if you don't get the fuck over here I'm freaking tf out ”

and this big softie is immediately running to your room

1) because he's terrified of an angry you

2) he doesn't want you freaking out over him

you're contemplating your existence when he walks into your room

listen, you're still a teen, you were terrified of having a kid

so beel came and cuddled you and you two fell asleep in each other's arms

and five months later you're very pregnant and almost have the same appetite as beel

a complete nine months after , you were watching beel carry your twin boys with absolute love.

Belphie

is sleeping

he always has his phone on do not disturb

so he sleeps for about 12 hours straight before picking up the phone to answer you

In his drowsy state he really didn't think about it

Then he woke up completely and his brain went into overdrive

he may or may not have cared a little too much if you were pregnant

he went to your room and cuddled you, almost about to fall back asleep before looking at you

“ y/n we haven't even slept together ”

because truthfully you two had it because you didn't think sex was necessary in your relationship so far

“ oh. ”

and then the next day your period showed up.

My first obey me! Post and I'm literally in love with it, what?!

[btsinwonderland]

A Drop of Poison - Ch. 5: Dinner

A Loki fanfiction!

Previous Chapter --- Next Chapter

Full Chapter List

Chapter warnings: bit of self-smut at the end!

---------------------------------

As the stone gargoyle stopped, its last movement echoed through the Headmistress's chambers. At first glance, there was her desk, which seemed more the size of a bed than a table. On it were papers, books, bottles, and a large tray for her mail. Several trinkets and baubles were strewn across the desk, on the edge of which perched a beautiful phoenix bird that idly observed you and Professor Laufeyson enter the room. It ruffled a wing, and a small feather fell to the ground. You walked over to it and the creature raised its head, watching you. You stopped, and it clicked its beak once, as if giving you permission. Its eyes were very much aware and held an aura of deep intelligence. You picked up the feather and observed its gorgeous array of teal and aquamarine with flecks of gold at the tip. Professor Laufeyson smirked at you curiously before moving on.

Behind the Headmistress’s desk was a wall, where paintings of the former heads of Hogwarts hung, along with regional maps and a rather large painting of a giant tree in outer space. The wall blocked off an area of the room where you heard the clinking of plates and cutlery.

“Come in Loki and Freya!” You heard Headmistress Frigga’s voice. Your heart lurched when she said your name. Of course she knew you were there.

You followed Professor Laufeyson into the area behind her office. He took your book, despite your panicked expression, and placed it on a stool. You kept glancing at it as if it might disappear again.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be right here. No books at the dinner table,” he said in a low voice.

You sighed and reluctantly let your eyes wander. There was a beautiful oak table that was covered in glass. The slice of wood underneath had a blue light etched into it with violent streaks. You marvelled at the glow as Headmistress Frigga ushered you to sit down.

“This wood was captured at the moment of a great storm, and the pattern you see here was made by lightning. The light comes from the plasma itself, which has been preserved all these years with a sealing spell.”

You raised your eyebrows as you sat down and traced the rippling light along the glass. “It’s beautiful,” you said.

Professor Laufeyson sat down across from you and smiled at his mother. “Mother, what a pleasure it is to see you. You have not aged a day since I last saw you; your beauty is everlasting.”

“You must think I’m a piece of bread that needs to be buttered so thoroughly, Loki,” she said with a laugh.

He looked away with his mouth in a thin line. You concealed a smile. Perhaps this evening would be less mortifying than you thought.

Headmistress Frigga placed the last of the napkins on the table and looked at her handiwork. “Good, now we just need Thor.”

“Being on time was never his forte,” Professor Laufeyson said, casually picking a piece of lint off his shirt.

At that, heavy footsteps entered the chamber, and Professor Odinson walked in. His face was streaked in dried mud and his hair had chunks of dirt in it.

“Did you get dragged out of a pigsty?” Headmistress Frigga said sternly, waving her wand at him. He was immediately cleaned up as he patted his chest and arms, looking for smudges or marks.

“Thank you, mother,” he said. “No, it was a mess of a practice. The storm is only getting worse. There’s a Gryffindor-Slytherin match coming up this week and I need to get the students ready. The Wilson boy has joined the serpents team as their new seeker, and he’s very good.” He stopped talking once he noticed you and glanced at Professor Laufeyson. “Freya, I did not expect to see you here...at a family dinner.”

Your face warmed up, and you looked down at your plate, searching for the words. Professor Laufeyson interjected. “She’s my guest. A reward, for being such a prize pupil.” You glanced at him and he looked utterly serious.

“Prize pupil, eh?” Professor Odinson said as he sat down beside you. He smelled of earth and soil; a warm sort of scent.

“Well, your brother has deemed her worthy for my cooking at the least, and my dear, I’m not sure if that’s much of a prize,” Headmistress Frigga said as she waved her wand and a heavy looking white dish floated over to the center of the table.

The smell of meat and potatoes filled your nose, and your stomach rumbled loudly. You muttered an embarrassed apology. Professor Odinson laughed and patted your shoulder. “Too busy studying, I see! With that work ethic, you’ll make an excellent auror in no time.”

Headmistress Frigga waved her wand to dish out the stew on everyone’s plate. Professor Laufeyson raised a brow at you. “An auror, is that your goal, Miss Eves?”

You cleared your throat. “Well, I’m not sure. I’m still thinking about what I want to do…”

“Smart girl, there’s still time. You’re so young,” Headmistress Frigga said, as a warm buttered bread roll landed on everyone’s plate.

“It’s just what the ministry needs, more witches and wizards to indoctrinate,” Professor Laufeyson said.

Professor Odinson bit into a buttered roll. “The ministry isn’t indoctrinating anybody, they have rules, Loki. People need rules,” he said, pointing with the half-eaten roll in his hand.

“Now, where’s the fun in that?” he replied, leaning back. He gracefully popped a carrot into his mouth and you could not help but get caught in the subtle movement of his lips. He caught you looking at him and his mouth twitched slightly.

“The world would fall into chaos if we didn’t have any rules,” Professor Odinson said.

Professor Laufeyson smiled mischievously. “Perhaps the world needs a bit of chaos,” he said, eyes flashing.

“It is nice to have you both in the same room again,” Headmistress Frigga said with a gentle smile, looking at both her sons. She sipped a bit of wine and then took a bite of stew. “Oh bother, it seems I’ve forgotten the salt again.”

You continued to eat as they discussed mostly surface topics. Professor Odinson talked about the new Quidditch lineup for every country participating in the world cup this year. Headmistress Frigga mentioned news about the school; they were going to increase security since there were more students found out of bed despite the warnings to stay away from the Forbidden Forest. Professor Laufeyson very sneakily caught your eye and winked as she said this. This caused you to nearly choke on your potatoes and cough rather ungracefully, which earned you a chuckle from Professor Laufeyson.

You ate until you were stuffed and found yourself observing Professor Laufeyson as he talked to his family. He seemed attentive and present, yet there was something about his eyes that seemed distant; almost calculating. What went on in his mind was well beyond your comprehension and so you decided to concentrate on a newly conjured pile of rather delicious looking apple turnovers sitting on the side table.

Everyone had gotten up at this point while Headmistress Frigga cleaned up the dishes. Plates, knives, and forks floated in line into a dish tray, which disappeared with a flick of her wand once it was full. She went around the corner to find her shaker of cinnamon and cayenne for the turnovers while Professor Odinson and Laufeyson went back to the main office area. You wandered over to the wall, away from view, but within earshot.

“Why did you bring Freya here?” Professor Odinson said.

Professor Laufeyson laughed. “Are we having some sort of private meeting to discuss our sinister family affairs? You’ve grown so serious without my presence.”

You heard heavy shuffling of feet; it was Professor Odinson. “That was not of my choice, Loki. You left.”

Professor Laufeyson’s voice went cold. “I left because there was nothing here for me but lies.”

“What about us, your family?”

“What makes us family?”

You waited a few awkward seconds as their conversation went silent. Then Professor Odinson chuckled humorlessly. “This, brother, your contempt makes us family.”

“Turnover?” said Headmistress Frigga, right behind you, and you jumped.

She guided you over to the table where the turnovers were and you saw the phoenix perched beside it, pecking at the large crumbs by its talons. You had not even noticed it come into the room; it’s stealth was admirable. “What a beautiful creature,” you said.

Headmistress Frigga gently pet the top of its head. “Fawkes is bound to die anytime now, she’s been in a dreadful mood lately.” She glanced at you. “Professor Heimdall spoke to me, Freya.”

Your stomach dropped as you realized that the Headmistress must know nearly everything. It would not only be silly to lie to her, but it would be insulting. You decided to be honest. “Professor Heimdall told me that my visions were false.”

“And what do you think?”

You looked back to check if Professor Odinson and Laufeyson were still on the other side of the wall. When you heard their unintelligible voices, you turned back to her and whispered, “they were real.”

She sighed and brushed off some cinnamon from her fingertips. “Professor Heimdall warned you to stay away from Professor Laufeyson, and I’m afraid that I agree with him. My dear, I love my son, but he is a dangerous man now.”

“But, Headmistress, I think I’m getting these visions because I’m supposed to help him.”

Headmistress Frigga crossed her arms and put a hand to her chin. “Puzzling, indeed. You have us, your guides and teachers, telling you one thing. And then, you have your visions, your instincts, telling you the complete opposite.”

“And I don’t know what to do,” you said.

She put her hands on your shoulders and looked at you. Her hair was braided into intricate patterns and on her lips was a soft shade of pink. Just watching her. Anybody could tell that Professor Laufeyson was her son, adopted or not. Every look, every glance; it was just like him, though gentler. “You must do what you think is right. Look inside yourself and see. The trick is that you still might be wrong in the end. But regret comes from empty actions. If you go with a full heart, it will carry you through any circumstances. I cannot tell you which path is the right one, you will have to discover that for yourself.”

Professor Odinson came in and grabbed a turnover from over your shoulder, then popped it into his mouth. “Whatever she’s saying, it’s 100% right.”

Headmistress Frigga laughed. “A mother should be so lucky to have both her sons flatter her so frequently.”

“You will be at the game this Thursday?” Professor Odinson said to you.

“Valkyrie’s first game as captain? I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” You said with a smile.

He smiled. “She’s an excellent Quidditch player, perhaps even better than I was at her age.”

You saved that comment in the back of your mind to tell Valkyrie later. No doubt it would excite her for days on end.

“And where is our Potions master?” Headmistress Frigga said, looking past Professor Odinson.

He looked puzzled and glanced behind him. “He was just behind me,” he said.

Professor Laufeyson came around the corner with your book in his hands. “I was simply admiring our mother’s miniature obelisk collection. What a rarity it is,” he said. “Come now, Miss Eves, the hour grows late and we would not want to get you in trouble.” He handed you your book, and you felt the weight of another book underneath. You glanced at him and he gave you a hard stare. Do not say anything, his eyes seemed to say.

You nodded and turned to thank the Headmistress and Professor Odinson for dinner. She smiled at you. “It was a pleasure to have you, my dear. Remember our talk,” she said, sparing a concerned look at her darker haired son.

Professor Odinson nodded and glanced at his brother with a level of suspicion. He seemed to let it go since he said nothing when you both left. You clutched the books close to your heart as Professor Laufeyson walked with you towards the Hufflepuff common room. When you were far enough away, you looked at the book he had given you. The Writings of Odin Borson.

“These were the journals you’ve been searching for,” you said aloud.

Professor Laufeyson snatched the book from your hands before you could look inside. “They are my father’s journals. I have a right to them,” he said.

“Is that why you had to steal them?” You said and immediately realized that was a mistake.

Suddenly, he pushed you against the wall as he towered over your frame. His hand rested on the stone behind your head and he leaned in. “I have been very kind to you, Miss Eves, though you have been sneaking about the school and breaking the rules. Do not test my patience further.”

You trembled as you took in the entirety of his presence. His scent was a strange but alluring mixture of leather and flora. He enveloped you, and you could barely form coherent thoughts. His grey shirt pulled at the buttons near his chest and you could see the swell of his Adam's apple move as he swallowed. You stared at each other for several seconds. His gaze was intimidating, and yet, you did not want to look away.

He was domineering, but you found your voice. “You only brought me tonight to use me as a distraction, not because I’m a star pupil or because you hate awkward family dinners.”

He actually smiled. “Ah, Miss Eves, you do pleasantly surprise me when you catch on. I’m almost impressed.” He regarded you with a raised brow.

“What are you looking for in Odin’s journals? Is it the blue cube?” You blurted out.

His eyes darkened, and all levity fled. “Where did you hear about that?”

You did not respond, unsure whether to reveal your thoughts to him. He grabbed you by the shoulders and squeezed. “Where did you hear about the Tesseract?” His voice was almost a growl. You placed your hands on his chest, holding him there but not pushing away. He looked at you, eyes blazing with a conflicting sort of passion.

Someone cleared their throat in the hallway. “Is everything alright?” Said a voice just behind you both. It was Professor Fandral with crossed arms. He was glaring at Professor Laufeyson.

“Everything is just fine,” Professor Laufeyson said, not taking his eyes off of you.

“I was asking the student,” he said curtly.

You nodded and slid yourself away from Professor Laufeyson’s side. “Professor Laufeyson was helping me up. I nearly fainted, you see. Thank you, sir!” you said breathlessly, walking away from them, towards the Hufflepuff common room.

You were flustered beyond belief and looked back, seeing Professor Laufeyson regard you once again with a sort of surprise. Perhaps he was not sure why you kept covering for him. Your heart pounded out of your chest, though it was not from fear.

The scent of his body followed you, even if you were no longer close to him. The proximity at which he stood and the feel of his warm chest against your hands...Awakened a desire within that you had never thought about nor dreamed of. He had looked so cross, and though you felt a genuine fear, there was something else. Like a dim lamp across a foggy lake, you felt a part of you grow brighter around him. And tonight, it smoldered.

You returned to your room, burning with a need. It was a need that could not wait. You could not think of anything else but giving in to it. You passed your schoolmates with a subtle hello and goodnight and exhaled in relief to find your bedroom empty.

Hopping into the shower, you scrubbed yourself clean. Upon washing the soap off your body, you ran your hands over your chest and your stomach, in small spirals. You thought about Professor Laufeyson, from his blazing cold eyes to his illuminating smile. It felt so taboo for you to touch yourself, thinking of someone you knew and a part of it felt wrong. But you no longer cared. It was not something you could ignore, at least for tonight. Your body actually ached from the thought of him.

You dried yourself with a fluffy blue towel and slipped on a clean nightgown. It was by no means sexy, but speckled with green and orange dots. However, the cotton rubbed comfortably against your skin.

You checked outside your room for any sign of your elusive roommates. Most students were casually reading or conversing, and so you closed the door, returned to your bed and got under the covers. A deep sigh escaped your lips as you lifted your nightgown and ran your hands over your body. You skimmed your fingers over your thighs as you parted them. Your fingers went down a crooked path to your core and your breath hitched when you discovered how wet you already were.

You ran a thumb down your slit in slow movements, up and down. You imagined Professor Laufeyson’s hands on you. Would his tongue be cool or warm? His tongue ran along your neck in this vision, and he laid over you. He whispered unspeakable things into your ear and slid two fingers inside you. You let out a muffled moan. As your fingers pumped in and out, you envisioned him rubbing his hard body against yours. So close. Your skin heated so quickly. You came to the edge and when you opened your eyes, his name slipped from your lips.

“Loki!” you cried out as you climaxed. You ran your fingers over your slit as the aftershocks receded.

Your eyes closed, and you relaxed into your mattress like a stone. The burning need had been dealt with, but to your dismay, you felt the strong pulse of blood underneath your skin. It wanted more. Your body needed more. Stop it! You told yourself. You pulled down your nightgown roughly and switched off the lamp; frustrated despite pleasing yourself.

You gradually drifted away to sleep and in your dreams, Professor Laufeyson did things you hadn’t dared fantasize about. They were the kind of things that made you want to sleep forever.

[adarlingwrites]

Absolution

Summary:

noun: formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment

The Capital Wasteland lauded the Lone Wanderer as a hero, a Messiah, a savior who’s willing to give her life for the Good Fight. Beyond the legends, the propaganda, and the mythification that surrounded her legacy, there is only one person who knew her bare soul. She gave him his absolution, and now he will fight for hers.

XXX

February 11, 2278.

Ten fifteen in the evening.

I loaded my shotgun and watched the rear, gunfire bursting as the tin cans yelled. This was supposed to be a stealth operation. If only DeLoria hadn’t tripped on that one guard…

Truth be told, this was an absolutely fucking stupid plan. Taking away a comatose patient from the Citadel isn’t the brightest idea DeLoria and I came up with, but we had no other choice. Whatever secret about Percy that Dr. Li wanted us to protect, it seemed important. Seeing how Lyons figured out that she’s a living atomic weapon, I understand her.

DeLoria looks goddamn constipated as he helped me push the gurney with my partner in tow, secured with leather straps so she wouldn’t fly off. In the front, Fawkes soaks up most of the damage.

Of course we had a Plan B if the stealthy approach didn’t work. Thank fuck Fawkes is willing to cooperate, too. This wasn’t the first time we worked together to help Percy out of the tight spot. Then again, Percy got us out of our predicaments first. Knowing her, when she wakes up, she’ll scold us for risking ourselves for her, and for coming up with this awful plan.

Too bad. She can’t stop us now.

“Charon, what now? I only brought a pistol,” Butch yelps, narrowly missing fire.

“We’re gonna let Fawkes soak up the brunt of the gunfire, and we keep pressing forward and watch his six,” I grunted in return.

“Shit, this is a bad idea man! What if they hit Percy?”

“That’s why we’re fucking here to shield her! Are you scared of a little gunfire, DeLoria?!”

The younger man gulped and kept pushing. Our group kept pushing forward, already at the courtyard. How we managed to pull this off is beyond me. I expected to be dead right now.

“Hold your fire!”

Whoever issued the command is old, judging from their voice. Almost immediately, the tin cans stopped shooting.

“Father, what’s the meaning of this?” a more feminine voice called out. “They’re kidnapping a comatose patient! An honorary member of the Lyons Pride! I-”

“Sarah, please, enough. I’ll talk to them,” the Elder says, emerging from the crowd.

Another one of the tin cans interrupts. “Elder, they let in a Super Mutant in Citadel grounds! We-”

The old man gives the soldier a stern gaze, and he backs off. Coming face to face with Fawkes, the elder looks up, a neutral expression on his face.

“Please explain the meaning of this.”

DeLoria rushes over from the rear, facing the old man. “We’re getting our friend out of here! Clearly you assholes haven’t been doing her any good, so we’re transferring her to another hospital.”

“Another hospital?” the younger Lyons interrupts. “Listen kid, the Citadel is one of the few places on the Wasteland equipped to handle Zhou’s injuries.” Armor clinking, she marches towards the greaser, a livid expression on her face.

“What makes you think that whatever ‘hospital’ you’ll be transferring her to is equipped to help her, huh?”

A shouting match erupts between those two. Before things get ugly, Elder Lyons intervenes again, placing himself in front of the greaser and his daughter. Grumbling, I reach out and pull DeLoria back.

“I’ll take it from here,” I griped, and shoved past Sarah Lyons. I came face to face with the Elder, and I folded my arms.

“Before she left, Dr. Li told us she doesn’t think that whatever tests you’re running on Percy isn’t for her best interests. Percy trusted that doctor, so I trust her.”

Blondie scoffs, about to go off on us again, but she stops in her tracks, looking at something, or someone, behind us.

“Then, why don’t you ask Zhou herself, if she wants to stay here or not?”

My eyes widen, and I turn around and see Percy, sitting up on the bed, her restraints loose. I checked again, and no, they weren’t loosened. They were pulled away from the bed, and she’s gripping the leather straps.

My breath caught in my throat.

“Percy,” I mumble, taking slow, tentative steps towards her.

She’s looking blankly ahead, eyes glassy. No. Oh no.

What the fuck is happening?

Rough and calloused, my fingers brush against her arm, and her eyes flick towards me. “Percy? Are you there?”

Letting go of the leather strap, her small hand grips mine, and she exhales sharply, panic rousing within her. Through her hospital gown, I see a sickly green glow pulsing below her throat, at her chest.

Barreling her way through, Sarah Lyons points a minigun at my partner, ready to fire.

“Everyone, get back! She’s going to blow!”

“No!” I screamed at her, and instinct kicking in, I scoop Percy’s frail body in my arms and started to run to the exit.

“Move, fucking move aside!”

My lungs are burning as I run through the Citadel gates, Percy still pressed to my chest, unnaturally warm to the touch. Fawkes is following closely behind, footsteps pounding.

Away from the people, I gently laid Percy to the ground, the green glow emanating from her searing now, and covered her body with mine. If I’m gonna go, I’m gonna go holding her.

Screwing my eyes shut, I wait for the inevitable.

Instead, I was pulled aside, and Fawkes crouches over Percy’s body, careful not to crush her.

A bright, blinding light flashes from Percy’s body, and Fawkes covers her completely. Her body erupts, heat and energy bursting outwards, and Fawkes just absorbed all that. I watched the explosion barely made a dent on the mutant’s thick skin, and the mushroom cloud that billows towards the dark sky.

He pulls back, and Percy lies there, hospital gown in tatters.

I rushed to her side, checking for breathing, and felt my heart drop as I heard none.

“We need a medic, get a medic!” I snarl at the bystanders who witnessed the entire ordeal. After the initial shock has worn off, DeLoria weaves through the crowd and runs towards us, kneeling beside Percy.

“Shit man, shit! She’s not breathing, she needs CPR, oh my fucking God I don’t remember how to do it,” he babbles, tears pooling at the edge of his eyes.

Gnashing my teeth, I try to remember whatever first aid I learned from observing Percy in the past. I pulled away Percy’s hospital gown, and with my palms together, I pressed between her nipples, pumping and hearing her ribs crack underneath her skin.

I tilt her head, pinch her nose, press my ruined lips against hers, and blow. Twice.

Then, I go back into giving her chest compressions, and I look over my shoulder. I must’ve looked so feral at that moment.

“Where the fuck’s that medic?!”

I turned back to my partner, and after another set of compressions, I breathed into her again.

“Percy, remember what you told me when you got captured by the Enclave, huh?!” I rasped, gritting my teeth.

“Well, it’s your goddamn turn to listen to me now!”

January 14, 2278.

Fingers clacking on the keyboard, Percy hacked away at the terminal. Once given access, she terminates the hostile creatures in the other holding cells. I wince as I watch one particularly screwed up creature burst into flame, high pitched, inhuman squeals coming out of its… mouth?

Jesus Christ. I don’t want to think about it, ugh.

Then, Percy selects another command in the console, and the doors hiss open.

My partner turned around, footsteps urgent, and I followed her closely behind. Fawkes emerges from his cell, carefully, like an animal let loose from a trap, and he turns to us, towering us both.

“Thank you,” he boomed, and though his voice sounded rough, I felt his gratitude for Percy. “As promised, I will retrieve the GECK for you. This is a debt I am most happy to pay, my friends. Follow me!”

Percy smiles and nods, and she turns to me, looking over her shoulder with a pleased expression.

“See Charon? He isn’t bad at all,” she starts, and I only grumble in response. Percy senses the apprehension that lingered in me, and chuckles.

“To be frank Charon, the first time I met you in Underworld, I might have felt the same thing,” she says, and I look down with a questioning look.

“Dad told me to judge other people by what they looked like, but even then, I felt kind of uneasy around you. Then I heard you beat up Patchwork, and I was really angry for a while.”

I gulped. I never thought about what she thinks of me during that time. It was an entirely different reality back then; her thoughts, or anyone else’s, didn’t matter. Only Ahzrukhal’s did.

“But what Tulip said to me about you being Ahzrukhal’s employee really challenged my perspective. Getting back at you would only end in me getting hurt. You were at Ahzrukhal’s mercy as much as Patchwork was.”

“So is that why you bought my contract back then? You felt sorry?”

“No. I felt your frustration at being powerless. So, I bought your contract to create an opportunity to seize that back. Of course it wasn’t easy after that,” Percy chuckles sheepishly, and I sigh, remembering all the times I struggled with the contract’s hold over me.

But it’s gone, right?

No sense in dwelling over that.

“So, where were you going with this, Percy?”

“Give Fawkes a chance.”

I stop in my tracks, feeling guilty as hell. All this time, all I thought about is Percy, and myself. Meanwhile, she tries to consider everyone around her.

“Fine, Angel, I will.”

I felt a light jab on my ribs; Percy elbowed it playfully. “Whatever, big guy.”

“I don’t think that nickname suits me anymore, Percy. We’ve got a bigger guy now,” I tease her, pointing at Fawkes, who’s taking our conversation in stride as he pummeled a dumb mutie in our way.

“Nah. Fawkes doesn’t need a nickname anymore.  You’re my big guy,” Percy teases back.

Is this flirting? Is Percy flirting with me? Goddammit. If I had more skin left on my cheeks, I would have blushed.

I almost ran into Fawkes when he stopped walking. I look to the right, and see the sickly green glow of the irradiated room that the GECK is in.

“Alright. You better not enter, human. This radiation is lethal to you. Stay here, and I will fulfill my end of the bargain,” he grunts, and my partner nods at him.

“Thank you, Fawkes.”

“No. Thank you, human.”

He turns around, and enters the room. On her tiptoes, Percy watches him inside through the window, while I keep watch, guarding her six just in case. Soon after, Fawkes returns carrying a briefcase.

That’s the GECK? What the hell?

“You got it!” Percy exclaims, taking the briefcase off of the super mutant’s hands gingerly. “Again, thank you so much Fawkes. You wouldn’t believe how important this is to us.”

“It’s my pleasure, Percy. Now, I believe this is farewell.”

Farewell?

I turn to Percy and see her somber expression. Good grief, don’t tell me she’s already getting attached to him. This happened with the Big Town kids too.

“Farewell? Fawkes, why don’t you come with us?”

Okay. Okay, I am definitely accepting that Fawkes indeed is good and that I shouldn’t judge him because of him being a super mutant, or metahuman, but this? Had Percy gone mad? Travelling with him could get us killed!

Before I can open my mouth and say something that might possibly anger her, Fawkes already took care of the problem.

“Sorry, I’m afraid a Super Mutant wouldn’t be welcome in the places you frequent.”

“But you said it yourself, you’re a metahuman! You’re different from the other mutants we-”

“All I would do is cause you undue attention and probably get you killed,” Fawkes interrupts, a tinge of sorrow in his grating voice.

“I- you’re right,” Percy sighs, relenting.

“Take care of yourself, friend.”

And with that, we parted ways.

I can tell Percy is sad by the slump in her shoulders. As much as it pains me to see her like this, it’s for the better. The Brotherhood can barely tolerate my presence. Fawkes? They’d shoot him on sight. It’s definitely for his safety too.

“Do you think we’ll see him again, Charon?”

“I don’t think we’ll see him anytime soon.”

“I’m worried.”

“Worry about yourself, angel. Have you seen him? He pummeled that other mutie no problem, like a kid throwing a teddy bear.”

“I guess you’re right. I- Charon, get down.”

Out of instinct, I listen to her. Percy pulls up her PipBoy, and a worried expression is etched on her features. “So many red dots… Charon, I think we’re about to encounter a huge group of muties.”

“Should we go back and get Fawkes?”

Gripping her rifle, she checks the magazine, then she pats at the ammo pouches on her waist. I proceed to check my own ammunition too. Just two boxes of shotgun shells left, and a grenade; the same grenade Percy gave me when she first hired me. I haven’t used it yet, after all these months.

We’re running low on ammo.

“No, no. Stay low. We’ll sneak out of here,” Percy tells me, and she crouches low, the helmet of her stealth suit protracting over her face, then her suit’s stealth mechanism activates. All I can see is a faint silver-white outline.

“I’ll scout ahead. If I raise a fist, move to my location.”

I nod, and she proceeds.

Cautiously, Percy moves through the hall. My grip on my shotgun remains steady, watching her inch slowly but surely to the open area ahead.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

A pulse grenade drops from the ceiling.

It felt like time slowed all around us. Percy sees the grenade landing near her foot, and turns around, movement abrupt, her helmet retracting from her head and revealing her panicked gaze. Her eyes are wide in terror, lips trembling as she yelled at me.

“Charon!”

My feet are ready to take me to her, but what she screamed before the grenade fried her suit’s systems and took her down made me freeze in my spot.

“I order you to live!”

The pulse grenade burst, and so did the walls of the vault. The rubble flew at Percy, who was falling backwards, her helmet thumping against the metal flooring as she hit the ground. Losing consciousness, the GECK escapes her grasp, and skitters a few feet away from her.

From the newly formed hole in the wall, a man emerges. Colonel Autumn. I thought that asshole was dead!

The Enclave is here.

Heart in my throat, I didn’t know what to do. At that moment, I forgot the contract was gone. I turned around, and obeyed, fleeing from the scene with Percy’s words echoing in my head.

“Charon! I order you to live!”

“I order you to live!”

“Live!”

Live.

[sincerlypadfoot]

Shifters (Chapter One)

a girl get a task, go to the wizarding world and save the lives of the people writing on the list she got, she knows when they'll die but unsure how, so follow the life of the shifting girl

Word Count-2K

Send Requests Here

I looked around as the light infront of me disappeared, my senses all slowly came back, my sight first. I was standing in a hallway, dressed in my clothes. Students all around started running, walking and laughing with each other. Everything felt back to normal.

“Regulas Black,” I whispered looking down at my piece of paper. “Easy peazy,” I started walking around, unsure of where I was, nothing looked like Ilvermorny here, everything had color, people had smiles on there face and were created.

“Hello,” I heard behind me, I turned around in a fright looking at a woman with a green robe and witch hat on. “And you are?” She asked looking at me.

“Jamie Grey, I was just transferred here, from Ilvermorny,” I said as my normal excuse coming back in time, technically it hadn’t been a lie, if I hadn’t dropped out of Ilvermorny in my third year.

“Well we must get you sorted then Miss Grey, come now, the ceremony is just about to begging, I will let Dumbledore know of your arrival,” The woman said with a smile. “Professor McGonagall,” She said putting her hand out.

“Where is the feast?” I asked not knowing anything of where I was.

“Mr. Black!” Professor McGonagall shimmed, I turned around and looked at the black haired boy who was walking towards us. “Excord our new student to the great hall please to be sorted,” 

“I’m Sirius Black,” Sirius said with a smile on his face, I looked down at the paper in my hand, going down a couple rows and seeing his name.

“Jamie Grey,” I said smiling back at him, putting a fake face on. “Are you related to Regulas Black?” I asked.

“Yeah, he’s my profound of a git brother, you wouldn’t like him, but come on, I don’t wanna talk about him, i’ll bringing you to the great hall, i’m sure my friends would like you,” Sirius grabbed my hand and dragging me forward, I used my free hand, rolling up the parchment paper and pushing it into my pocket.

We soon got to giant doors that were pinned open, four tables sat in a row with students filling up almost every seat. We walked over to a red labeled table, causing Sirius to stop. “James my boy, i’ve made a new friend,” Sirius called out letting go of my hand.

“A friend, you don’t usual call your overnight people, friends,” A curled hair boy said.

“No, I haven’t slept with her, she’s a transfer from Ilvermorny,” Sirius said sitting down and patting down beside him.

“Lily Evans,” A gingered hair girl said sticker her hand out, I sat in between her and Sirius.

“Jamie Grey,” I smiled shaking her hand.

“Quiet down everyone!” A bearded man shouted causing everyone to quiet down. “Welcome to the nineteen seventy five hogwarts school year,” The man yelled causing cheerts.

“Year five boys,” Sirius called back high fiving two boys infront of him, one with a scar filled face and another with circle glasses.

“Nineteen seventy five,” I whispered to myself, taking the parshement out of my pocket, looking at the dates, I was four years away from anyone for me to save.

“Jamie Grey,” The woman I was talking to earlier shouted, the great all fell silent, I rolled the parchment back into my pocket and stood up, some cheers went on and others boo’d but I ignored it. “Sit down here,” She looked down at a chair that stood in the centre of the platform she stood on.

I did what she said, sitting down and sighing. A old ragged hat was placed on my head, and everyone was looking up at me.

“Very unusual this one,” The hat started to say. “On a quest, a unusual one as well,” 

“Stop,” I whispered shaking my head.

“GRYFFINDOR!” cheers came from the hall, everyone was clapping. “You won’t save them all, some deserve what they’ll get,” the hat whispered before being taken off my head. I ignored the old weird thing and stood up, walking back to my place.

“So i’m Lily Evans, but you already know that,” The ginger headed girl said. “This is Marlene Mckinnon and, Alice Fortescue,” She pointed to a blonde girl and a short brunette haired girl. “Sirius Black, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin,”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” I looked back down at my parchment, seeing almost all of their names on the paper.

“What's that?” Sirius asked trying to look at the paper, I rolled it up quickly, slipping it into my pocket.

“Nothing,nothing, you all seem like pretty good friends,” I said with a smile rubbing my neck.

“Come on, i’ll show you the common room, you’ll love Hogwarts,” Sirius said standing up and grabbing my hand, once again and dragging me out of the great all.

“Hey hey hey wait,” I laughed as the two of us ran along the halls. “I just got here slow down,”

Sirius stopped making me bump into him with a laugh, a laugh that I hadn’t heard from me in a long time.

“Sorry, I like meeting new people, and your new, tell me about yourself, we can walk,” Sirius said walking up the stairs, I followed him up already out of breath.

“Well I have a brother named Tommy, i’m just turning sixteen next week, and both my parents are deadbeats so I take care of my brother by myself,” I paused shrugging my shoulders, Sirius turned around and faced me. “What about you?” I asked changing the subject from me.

Sirius turned back around and continued walking up the stairs. “I have a brother named Regulas, both my parents hate me cause I don’t believe what they believe in and I wanna live away from everyone, on the lake when i’m older,” 

We stopped at a portrait, looking at a lady who was minding her own business until she saw us. “Good morning, new student,” She said with a smile, Sirius whispered something to her and the door opened infront of us.

“So this is the Gryffindor common room, it’s nothing much but it’s home for us, and i’m sure that it’ll be home for you,” I looked around the room and smiled, it was everything I had ever dreamed off, looking over a room, going to a school again, no problems.

“I love it,” I smiled turning to Sirius who was looking at me. “Thank you for showing me around,” I paused rubbing the back of my neck. “Do you know where I can get a book and quill from, I haven’t brought anything of my own,”

As I finished my sentence a owl came flying into the open doors of the common room, carrying two letters in its claws.

“That’s odd, owls never come in the common room, we only get letters in the great hall,” Sirius explained walking over to the bird and taking a look at the letters. “They’re both for you,”

I grabbed the letters, looking down, relaxing the rose symbol. “Thank you Sirius, it’s nothing,” I sat down opening the plain parchment once first.

Dear Jamie Grey

I know you are not from this world and if you are willing for me to keep this secret, I will need to know your intentions, if you look for the gargoyles you will find me

Ps: Pumpkin Pasties

I closed the letter up looking around the room confused. Not daring to open the second letter yet I stood up from the couch.

“What was it?” Sirius asked trying to peer at the paper in my hand but I placed the letter back in the envelope.

“Do you know where gargoyles are?” I asked nervously, not thinking of anything.

“Holy, not a day at hogwarts and dumbledore already wants to see you, must be trouble,” Sirius said playfully punching my shoulder, I let out a playful annoyed snicker. “But yes, I can take you there, come on,” I followed Sirius back out of the common room, walking down the pair of moving stairs once again.

As we walked I shot my eyes all around the school, wondering if there was anyone else here that I would know from my paper, getting way to far up from my thoughts to notice how far we had walked.

“We’re here, i’m sure you could make it back to the common room by yourself, but i’ll stick around just incase,” Sirius mumbled on, I nodded my head at him, turning my attention to the Gargoyles infront of me.

“Pumpkin Pasties?” I whispered unsure of what it would do, but as I had thought of a option, stairs started moving upwards. “Thank you Sirius, I appreciate it,” I thanked, walking forward and taking a step on the Gargoyles.

The stairs stopped in a fairly large decorated office, moving portrait looked down at me as I stepped off the stairs and onto the flat floors.

“I know what your doing here, let me see it,” The same man that announce the year in the great hall turned to face me around the corner. “The parchment,” His beard was about touching the middle of his chest with curly grey hairs sticking everywhere, his face was wrinkling, much much older then anyone I had ever seen.

“I don’t know what your talking about,” I lied rubbing the back of my neck. “I just came here from Ilvermorny, nothing more,”

“Jamie Grey, I can name every student I have met, and I sure have never heard you name, reserved a letter or heard of you, so who are you?” The man asked again.

I looked down at my pocket, pulling the rolled up parchment out of my pocket and pulling it forward, I shot my eye behind him, looking at the nameplate on his desk. “Professor Dumbledore, you have to understand that,” I paused as he took the paper out of my hand. “I work for high up people, the universe you could saw,”

I watched his expressions closely, his eyes rolling down the paper, then getting to the bottom. “I understand, you know why,” Dumbledore spoke, handing my back my parchment paper and turning to his desk. “Because I knew who you were, from the second you stepped in my school, you don’t think i’d be told of your presence?” He pulled up a letter from his desk.

“I don’t know how this is gonna work, i’ve never done anything like this before,” I explained looking around the office, spotting a red phoenix sitting on the railing off the stairs,  looking down at us.

“Fawkes, that’s his name,” Dumbledore complied, standing beside me now. “Why don’t you open up your second letter when you get back to your common room,” He paused causing me to turn and look at him. “You stuff has been put in your room, I trust you to understand your quest,”

“Thank you, thank you for understanding,” No one had understood, or even be told about myself, I was a undergoing, laid back, hidden in the shadows girl, but thanks to Sirius, and the grey haired lady, everyone had known my name. I gave my final nod and walked down the stairs.

“You get expelled?” Sirius asked making me lightly smile.

“Wow, just met me and already wanna get rid of me,” I joked, the both of us started slowly making our way back to the common room. 

“Sirius can we talk,” Sirius had stopped, dead in his tracks and turned around, I followed his actions looking at a curlied blacked haired boy who stood behind us. “Regulas Black,” the boy said putting his hand out, my stomach fell flat and shivers went down my spine as I shook the boys hand.

“Jamie Grey,” I smiled pulling back and looking at Sirius. “I could leave you two alone, i’m sure that I can make my way back fine,” 

“No no, it’s fine Jamie, my brother and I have nothing to talk about right now, come on,” Sirius gripped my hand rather hard and walked up the stairs, I had been in way worse pain so him gripping my hand was nothing.

As we walked into the common room Sirius marched up the stairs, leaving me alone, my letter was still laying on the couch where I got it. 

Dear Jamie Grey

You will be given how you people will die, soon, but in the meantime, we’ve placed some gallons and anything you may need in your room

But best reminders that in this reality, you fail to keep your peoples from dying, and changing their fate, you’ll be able to choose or go home to your brother.

Sincerely, Universe

[fallout-snippets]

Companions in a talent show is such a great request! Could you do FO3 and FNV companions as well? I’m imaging what they would do myself, ha.

Star Paladin Cross goes full Miss Congeniality and teaches self-defense. Makes sure both genders are the “offendors” so the audience can cover their bases. Never underestimate your opponent.

Butch does a few rock covers. Just like Hancock he doesn’t have the best singing voice but goes 100% into the performance and entertains the crap out of the audience. Has to be hyped up to high heavens before though, might need a few shots of encouragement too.

Clover starts a striptease but gets stopped before she gets revealing. This ain’t the place for that. Keeps dancing though, tries to get as much of a reaction as she can without being explicit.

Sergeant RL-3 wasn’t made to entertain. Doesn’t know what to do once he gets up there, but starts telling the crowd of his adventures and gets some of them interested. If anyone asks a followup question though he tells them it’s classified.

Jericho probably would’ve tried to sing some ballads to swoon a person enough to convince them to spend the night with him, but ends up getting kicked out before his performance for trying to hustle the other patrons.

Fawkes reads poems that he may or may not have created himself, isn’t a huge hit but no one boos him off stage. Only gets halfassed applauses afterwards though.

Dogmeat does a little obstacle course, finishes it flawlessly.

Charon doesn’t really want to get up there but gets convinced to display his massive guns. Lifts heavy objects, does that thing where a person, probably LW, lies horizontally and he lifts them above his head repeatedly.

Arcade does a lecture about good hygiene and infection-prevention. People try to sneak out of it but he points them out and makes them sit back down. This is important! There will be a pop quiz.

Boone cleans his gun in record time. He’s only up on the stage for like a minute and then walks off, people aren’t sure if he was performing or got lost and needed to quickly clean his weapon.

Lily tells people childrens stories but is very captivating. No one dares complain about it and honestly? It’s kinda comforting. Maybe sings some lullabies too. Some of the more drunk patrons definitely passes out sound asleep.

Raul plays the guitar and sings a few old songs. Definitely sets a mood that night, people are cheerful and happy.

Cass does a balance performance. Stands on a chair and makes it balance on the two back legs. Puts people in awe.

Veronica does a little fashionshow with a combat-friendly dress she’s made herself. Isn’t the prettiest garment but gets people excited about fashionable combat gear.

ED-E does a little show where he cuts and puts together lines from different radio performances to create a new one. Gets kinda popular.

Rex barks along with a song, can hit the notes fairly well too.

[rpchive]

Eighty Fifth Encounter-- The Endless Emerald Light

WELCOME TO S4, BABY!!

The lights of the IT abruptly cut off, leaving only the emergencies on; however, there is no alarm, and the IT seems to be making no effort to relocate its occupants. Collin: W- Huh? The heck just happened? Tori, you okay? alienrabtt: I am, but...this is so weird. Why isn't the IT trying to...? Something's off... Collin: Should we go check the engine room? alienrabtt: You can. I'm gonna check the console. Collin: Well, maybe splitting up isn't the best idea in this situation... alienrabtt: ...Maybe not, but if there's actually something wrong, shouldn't we be more concerned about the room that people could be in first? I mean, this thing's not exactly built to break down on its own or anything... Collin: That's a fair point. Alright, I'll go with you then. Though the pair heads for the console room together, the instant Tori enters the room, a green barrier appears behind him, blocking off the hallway and separating him from the rest of the crew. At the console itself are several people in matching uniforms; mostly white with some kind of borderline mint green accents. There is some sort of logo or something on the coats of the pair of scientists and the arms of the armor that their escorts are wearing, however it is entirely impossible to make out what it could be in the dimmed lights. Rio lies on the floor, either unconscious or inoperable, just behind the armored escorts.

sounds like one of the lobotomy corp uniforms sssorta

alienrabtt: You...who are you?! What did you do?! The scientist closest to the console is the first to speak. "So that's the target, right? The last of its kind? I feel a little bad coming after an endangered species like this...but if this is what the boss wants; I guess we can't say no. But what about the rest of them...? This was unexpected; there's a lot of things on this ship that we weren't told about..."

The second responds, looking over some sort of hologram clipboard. "We were only sent for this one; normally the companion wouldn't be ruled out, but...at this stage, he won't be needed. Cap the kleivenn; neuralize the rest."

alienrabtt: Wh...what?! I don't-- no! No!!

Though he summons his spears, Tori does not defend himself in time as a weapon is discharged. Something comes in contact with his amulet that causes his light-based form to burst, and the projectile used to do so snaps shut around the amulet, leaving little more than a black, metal ball that clatters uselessly to the mirror floor below. The clipboard scientist begins to leave with most of the escorts, though one retrieves the ball from the floor and leaves with the second scientist, who quickly types something into the console before rushing out the door and closing it. As the lights kick back on, the blinding white light begins to flood the IT, however Collin can feel someone grab him by the arm from the hallway as they start trying to outrun it. Collin sputters out several half-sentences as he turns to see who's pulling him. Nydins is frantically charging down the hallway towards Demo and Daedalus, tears streaming down her face as she refuses to look back or even speak. As she closes in on the pair, the light brings up the rear with a dangerous closeness, and, in a last ditch effort, Nydins quickly half-throws Collin in front of herself before tackling the trio through the door to the Grief House, the double doors slamming shut behind her as the four of them crash to the floor.

Demo: N-Nydins...!! What just happened?! Wh...where's Tori?! Collin: I... There were some strange people in the console room, and they... They popped Tori and trapped his amulet in some kind of ball. They did something to the IT and then took off and... Nydins: I-I didn't know they were going to board us! I didn't see this part, I...all I saw was Tori being held captive; by the time by the time I knew someone was on the ship, I couldn't...I couldn't stop it...I couldn't save everyone...I...

Demo: Why didn't you--?! ...L-look, can you get off of us first?!

Still sobbing, Nydins rolls off of the dogpile, pushing herself off the floor before trying to help Demo up.

Demo: Ehh, you.. probably shouldn't grab anyone right now. You're lucky you didn't do anything to Collin crying like that...

Nydins: That's--!! ...Y-yeah... Collin and Daedalus push themselves up from the floor at the same time. Daedalus adjusts his gauntlet slightly as he speaks.

Daedalus: So, that light back there. Did they self-destruct the IT? Nydins: N-no, they...that light is usually only caused by the emergency systems; it...it's supposed to purge the IT of potential threats, or evacuate the IT if...if it can't...but since the threat was those people, and they were the ones that did it...I...I don't know what it actually did...I didn't show up soon enough to see what happened... Collin: So Tori's been kidnapped and everyone else has been scattered to God knows where. Any other good news? Nydins: Th...they might have changed what the IT was doing! The emergency systems exist to correct wrongs...s-so if they classified something specific as wrong, it would...be changed...but they didn't want to be followed...and they only took Tori...

Demo: They couldn't shut down the ship while it was mid-transit; the IT can't shut off certain functions if there's anything alive on it; so the engine would be fine, and the ship would be fine...if they didn't want to be followed...you two were pretty close to the edge of that light; did it do anything to you?

Nydins: Um...w-well, everything happened so quickly, it was all kind of a blur to begin with, but--...! W-we don't have time for this! We need to catch up with those creeps!! I don't know what they're planning to do, but...!!

I kinda considered making stuff a little blurry for Collin due to being caught on the edge, but ultimately I kinda figured I was already gonna do enough

Collin: Fucking... Alright, well how're we supposed to find them without the IT? Heading to the double doors, Nydins attempts to open them, but cannot. She pulls on them several more times before answering. "Th-the Grief House can go anywhere I need it to! S-so if...if I need to find Tori...this should work...b-but...!!"

Summoning the Candy Cane, Demo walks over to the door and makes several attempts to force it to open as well, demanding to be taken to Tori every time, however the doors do not respond, and stay shut tight. Shaking slightly, she rears back before she begins to hammer the doors with the Candy Cane. "GIVE ME MY BROTHER!!"

YOU DO CARE

The doors do not open, however, a translucent, red barrier appears over them like, shifting the doors to a solid appearance so as to not obscure the contents as the projection of the room Tori is being held in appears instead. He is currently trapped in a room empty of everything besides two chairs; one normal, containing the hologram clipboard scientist from before, and the other significantly more bulky, with large, metal shackles keeping Tori stuck to the chair. There is something connected to his amulet, but with the bird's eye view the doors are giving, it is impossible to make out what that could be.

Nydins tenses up uncomfortably.

she knew this was going to happen; but this was all that she knew about; and again, she didn’t say a word in time; but why??

???: "...I cannot apologize for taking you from your ship; but at the least, I can assure you that no harm came to your companions..."

alienrabtt: "...Then what...what did you do to Rio...?"

???: "The robot? Well, our analysis of your ship showed us that neuralizing your companions would work for everyone except for her and the...well, other robot; so instead, we had it shut them down. The two of them are being held elsewhere in the facility and will be wiped manually; but as for your other friends, I'm afraid there won't be any point in concerning yourself. Even on the off chance that you somehow managed to escape; not a single one of them would know who you were. I'm afraid there's nothing left for you to go back to..."

alienrabtt: "You...you son of a bitch..."

???: "...But from the data we've collected so far from your two companions, we've learned enough that we don't have to find out where the missing ones ran off to. How fortunate...your name is Tori, yes?"

alienrabtt: "...No. It never was. That's the kid's name..."

???: "There were no children on your ship..."

alienrabtt: "...My name...my name is Jay."

???: "Well, Jay isn't the one we need to be speaking with. Where is Tori?"

alienrabtt: "...They're here, but...I won't let you...hurt them...you're gonna have to go through me...to get to them...like everyone else..." There is a moment where the scientist is quiet as they slowly lower their clipboard and stylus. Tilting their head slightly, they lean forward. "We have your body. Why would I need to hurt you? I can hurt you both at once."

They slam their hand down onto their clipboard, and Jay instantly cries out in pain as the projection shatters like glass, returning the doors to their normal state.

Collin's breathing becomes erratic as the colors of the markings on his arm flicker wildly. "Where. Are they?" Demo slams herself into the doors, ramming them open as she charges into the muted green hallway on the opposite side, stumbling slightly as she tries to stop herself from colliding into the wall, where the logo upon the equipment is emblazoned. In large, green letters written in a fancy script are the words "OZ: ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴢᴇɴɪᴛʜ" Daedalus follows after her in a much more organized fashion, flexing his fingers slightly. Collin follows in closely behind them.

Daedalus: So, just kinda going by the mood here, but are we clear to start messing people up? Nydins: I-if it's safe...I don't know if storming this entire building with just the four of us is a good idea, b-but...

Demo: ...We need to find Fawkes and Rio first. If what they said is true, we're probably their only chance. Unless you'd rather split up... Collin: ... No, you're right. We need as many people as we can get right now, and there's still a chance for them. Nydins: Then we need to find someone who can tell us where they are...! From there we can just...find um...Jay, I guess...and go home... Collin: What, and leave all the others? We can't just leave them "neuralized" or whatever the fuck they did. Demo: Then we'll just have to see if some brainiac around here knows how to fix it! Let's dodge some cameras; find that scientist; punch their teeth out; and save everybody!! Daedalus: I'm down. Dibs on the punching part.

Collin: Where do we even go though? We have no idea what this place even is. Nydins: W-we just need to find somebody first...! From there, we can figure out the rest... Daedalus: Alright, sounds manageable.

He heads down the hall as if he owned the place, rolling his shoulders and adjusting his jacket as he goes. Collin hesitates and looks back at the others for a second before following after him. Nydins and Demo follow after him as well. The four carry on down the hall for quite some time before somebody rounds the corner of a hallway ahead of them, but turns in the opposite direction, failing to see them as they carry on with the conversation into their walkie talkie.

"...Listen, I don't care how jumbled that disaster your team fished in is; if something malfunctioned and booted one up, you have to shut it down! Or at least shut off its motor functions; make sure it doesn't have any weapon systems online. If anybody starts firing explosives; this whole place will burst into flames; and since you took them to level 6, the building could implode. You know we try to keep the casualty rate to a minimum, right?" Daedalus kicks up his pace to a slight skip to catch up with the unsuspecting individual. He casually reaches over their shoulder and plucks the walkie talkie from their hand, then drapes his other arm over their shoulders and gives them a glance from under his sunglasses. "Robot troubles, huh? Man, been there done that. Tell you what, we can help you out if you'd be so kind as to show us the way to 'em." Stopping in the hallway, the personnel glances over to Daedalus for a moment, taking a deep breath before responding: "...You say that like there won't be guards. Every level past 3 has higher security than the last; same with everything down to Sub 9. You wouldn't even make it to the door..." Daedalus: Pretty big building, huh? I'm sure you've got a sneaky way around them though, right? Gotta sneak out for smoke breaks or whatever. ???: ...If you want to get up to 6, you... there's a fire escape on 4; no guards. It'd put you on the other side of the room; but you'd be there. Daedalus: And uh... what level are we on now? ???: Three. You just have to find the stairs. Daedalus: Alright, easy enough. Hey guys, did we decide between lethal or non-lethal yet? Demo: Does it matter?

Nydins: M-maybe don't kill a stranger who cooperated... Daedalus: Alright, fair enough. Thanks for the help, bud. Sorry about the walkie talkie.

He suddenly shoves the personnel against the wall and decks them in the face with their walkie talkie, simultaneously destroying the device and knocking them unconscious. "So, time to find some stairs!" With a nervous laugh, Nydins carries on down the hall. "Y-yeah...!" Collin: You could've asked them where the stairs were...

Daedalus: ... Hey, you could've chimed in too. Why do I have to do all the work here? Demo: ...Well, the good news is that there shouldn't be any guards on this floor. Once we find the stairs, we just need to hope there's none of them between us and the fire escape.

Nydins: Th-there shouldn't be...I'm getting the impression we're going to have a clean run...s-so far... Collin: Fingers crossed, I guess. Let's find that stairwell. The four find the stairs without a hitch, and seamlessly manage to locate the fire escape, which doesn't seem to be occupied on any of the lower levels. Outside of the building, the cool breeze of the night air blows calmly. Nydins walks a little closer to Demo as she glances around anxiously. Collin hurries up the fire escape ahead of the others, but Daedalus hangs back slightly.

Daedalus: I wonder where we actually are. Is it our Earth, or...?

I have an inexplicably clear, vivid memory of the view from that fire escape

it would’ve been gorgeous if everyone hadn’t been in trouble. beautiful sunset and night sky; had a clear view of the stars...real shame

Nydins: I've never seen this place before...never even heard of it until I saw what the doors showed us...this can't be our Earth. This couldn't have slid under 51's radar...

Demo: What the hell do you think these Zenith guys are up to anyway? They kidnapped Tori, but they weren't interested in Collin? And they probably found out about everyone through...whatever they're doing to Rio and Fawkes; they weren't interested in anything else? Not the core; not the gods...just Tori. Why?

Nydins: People like this...they don't always do things for a reason...sometimes, people do things like this just to see if it can be done...I think they left Collin and the gods alone because they knew they couldn't keep a handle on them... Collin responds from up above the others. "Their mistake."

Daedalus: Yeesh, and I thought I was supposed to be the grumpy one. The four make it to level 6, and the fire escape lets out into a hallway with a large, metal door to the left. On the right wall beside the door is some sort of keycard reader, which Demo rolls her eyes at and immediately gains passage by using her Candy Cane, causing the door to slide open.

Within the room is an absolutely immense computer tower of some sort that stretches up through the ceiling, which is at least 20 feet high in the room alone. At the base of the tower, Fawkes and Rio lie a few feet apart, wired to the machine. Every once in a while, Rio attempts to reach up to try and disconnect herself, but cannot seem to raise her arms more than a few inches off the floor before being forced to lower them again, her visor flashing an array of colors as some sort of progress bar progressively counts down. Collin immediately rushes in and stops next to Rio while Daedalus starts searching for any kind of terminal or access point.

Collin: Rio! Oh my God, are you alright? Rio struggles to respond coherently for a moment, incapable of proper speech temporarily as her communication is limited to garbled static and beeps before she manages to get her vocals functioning. "...I don't...want to...go back..."

now, do you suppose she meant that she didn’t want to go back to being a normal glitch, or do you think she meant she didn’t want to go back to the IT?

A strange mix of heartbreak and fury shapes Collin's expression for a moment before he grabs the connection between her and the machine and rips it out. Her visor bluescreens for a moment before shutting off entirely as she collapses. There are a few seconds where she simply lies there before it lights back up again, several icons lighting up briefly before a green check mark flashes for a few seconds. The display vanishes as her eyes flicker back instead, and she shakily tries to push herself upright. "...Wh...what...happened...? This isn't..." Collin: Oh thank God, you're alright. Daedalus, go unplug Fawkes now!

Daedalus abandons his search to run over to Fawkes and sever his connection as well. Collin turns back to Rio and helps her sit up. "Easy now. Don't push yourself too hard. You and most of the others were kidnapped by these Zenith freaks, and they're trying to mess with our memories so we'll forget Tori and everything that's happened so they can keep him."

Rio: ...I...I'm sorry, I barely even recognize that name...b-but I think I still know you...I think I understand...

Collin: O-Oh... Oh God, Rio, I'm sorry... There's gotta be a way to undo this. We just have to find it. Rio: Um...o-okay...is...is everybody else okay? I don't remember what happened... Collin: We still have to find them. They've already wiped their memories, so we'll need to figure out how to fix them too. Rio: I, um...I don't recognize the name, but I think I heard...one of the guards was saying that someone was being moved to level 8...it must be who you came for... Fawkes and Daedalus come around the computer tower to meet back up with Collin and Rio.

Collin: That must be where he is. What about the others, though? They didn't mention anyone else?

everyone else is still back on the IT; they only took people they couldn’t wipe with the ship

Rio: Nobody else is here...they kept talking about the ship...but the only person they talked about was just one person by themself. Collin: Damn, alright, level 8 it is then. Can you stand? Pushing herself off the floor, Rio staggers for a moment, but manages to balance herself properly. "...Y-yeah." Collin: Good. You alright, Fawkes?

Fawkes: I'll be fine. I'm currently deleting a sizable backlog of "unauthorized patch" messages, but for the most part I think I'm still intact.

Collin: Alright, then let's keep going. Does that fire escape go up to level 8? Demo: Looked like it went all the way up to the roof.

Nydins: B-but if the security is higher the higher up we go, we'll probably need a way to get in...

Demo: I can open the doors; just hope there's nothing on the other side ready to gun us down when I do. Fawkes: I should be able to cover us there. Rio: Then we should head up... Daedalus: Let's just hope the big tin can doesn't go over the poor thing's weight capacity.

Fawkes: I'm not that heavy... The group backtracks to the fire escape and makes it up to level 8 without any problems. Though there is no security by the fire escape door, Nydins looks even more concerned than she did before they found anyone. Daedalus: What's up, Nydins? Got more bad news from the future? Nydins: ...I think...I know where he is...but...I don't think we...we're not gonna... Collin: Don't you dare say it. Demo, get us in there. Fawkes, get that barrier ready. Nydins, just tell us where we need to go. Demo once again Canes the keypad, though there is no security waiting for them. Glancing down the hall, she gives Nydins a curious look, but Nydins just stares past her as she answers: "Right...then a left...5th door on the right...somebody's there...but they can't hurt us..." Fawkes steps ahead of the others with his barrier active and follows Nydins' directions with Collin following closely behind. When they reach the door, Collin tries to open it. There is no resistance; no alarms; no security; the path is entirely clear of any danger whatsoever. The door opens up to a room lit only by thin, green, neon lights lining the walls, creating a square about 5 inches away from the ceiling. Sitting in the room patiently is an old man who does not seem to be dressed like the other Zenith personnel, but does have the letters "OZ" sewn onto his coat. He is mostly bald; only a little bit of gray hair remaining. His eyes are obscured by the glare of the neon lights upon his glasses; large, circular lenses set into thin, fragile frames. Behind him lies Jay, who is unconscious. There is nothing else in the room.

Demo: ...Is...is this some kind of joke? That's not the real him, right? Or you're actually planning on calling security or something?

???: Oh, no; no, no...I'm all you'll be dealing with. We don't put lives on the line here; you came looking for two things: your friend, and answers; and I'll be providing those both. Daedalus: Alright, well first question: who the hell are you, gramps? ???: The founder of the Operation. My name is Oswald. Oz for short. Daedalus: Ah, and Operation Zenith. Clever.

Collin: What did you do to Tori? Oz: We've broken down his amulet as a component for the Zenith. He's going to be assimilated. I'm almost certain he won't last upon integration if what your mechanical friends knew was true. Collin: YOU WHAT? Oz: He was the end piece we needed. The final thing to stabilize the Zenith. No more kidnapping; no more interrogation; no more shady business...the Zenith will be completed, and from there, nothing will stop it. I used to think that this day would never come...now that it has; I'm starting to think it might not be what I really wanted. But of course; this is...the zenith. This is the end. There is nothing that can be done; positive or negative...it's over.

Oz sits and waits with everyone Zenith is forced to assimilate so they don’t die alone; though I’d hardly call it an act of kindness

Collin: Give me one fucking reason why I shouldn't splatter you across this goddamn room for ripping apart my boyfriend for something you didn't even want! Oz: I can't give you a reason. There wasn't anything rational about any of this. I started because I was curious; kept going because I was intrigued; and ultimately, finished because it was simply all that there could ever come of this. There are so many people that came before you that would have suffered all the same had we not done what we did to your friends to every single one of them. Hundreds upon thousands of people missing friends; family; lovers; pets...and they're none the wiser. They'll never remember; never know...and it's all for this.

Behind him, Jay has woken up, however the light of his injured arm has since faded out. As he breathes heavily, he can only give a sideways look to anyone in the room, incapable of getting up. His form flickers as he destabilizes; his color muting and dimming until nothing but an oily blackness remains, incapable of taking on a form even remotely humanoid as it desperately attempts to cling to something that no longer exists. In what is presumably a last ditch effort to take some kind of physical form, the black mass rises up, bubbling and dripping like boiling tar as some vague mouth opens slowly. Frozen to the spot, overwhelmed with fear, Nydins attempts to stammer something out, but cannot make a sound whatsoever before the mass snatches Oz up in its powerful jaws like a closing bear trap, leaving nothing in his wake. Collin: Wh... What the fuck... Demo backs away slowly, her heart caught in her throat as she breathes heavily, on the brink of tears as she silently contemplates simply trying to run away. As she backs into the wall of the hallway, she flinches, averting her gaze as she closes her eyes tightly and chokes out some kind of response: "...This can't be happening...this can't be real..."

The hollow, inky form of the former hermes staggers forward aimlessly, stopping as it gets to the other side of the chair. It turns its sightless gaze towards the hallway, where Nydins is already crying. There is a moment where it flickers various colors, only for it to finally attempt to take on a humanoid shape once more. It successfully manages to return to a humanoid appearance, but it is neither Jay nor Oz; rather, a child with short, jet black hair and brilliant green eyes that is currently wearing Jay's clothes, which are comically oversized in comparison. Struggling to keep them on, the kid pulls themself into a seated position, placing their hands behind them on the floor as they stare up at the ceiling for a moment, attempting to catch their breath before speaking. "...Sorry to...to keep you waiting..." They look back at the small crowd. "...I wasn't sure what to be..."

BUILD UP OUR MACHINE YOU DIE TONIGHT

Collin: Wh... Who... What the fuck is going on?

Jay just had a meltdown is all

???: Uhh, I'm...the Zenith, I guess... Collin: B...But what are you? Zenith: Uhh...short answer? Yes. Long answer; I'm a little bit of a lot of different things. Like Frankenstein, but cooler. Maybe Oz could've told you more, but I kinda...broke him down a little...so he's uhh...gone now. Collin: And so is Tori, and everyone else... Zenith: ...Well, no; that's voluntary. Tori and Jay are fine. I'm pretty sure only Jay can wear this stuff, though... Collin: What? But... That bastard broke down his amulet... Zenith: Yeah, he did. Now it's a part of me. So I...am his amulet now, I guess. But he's still here. We're just not physically separate. Collin: This is... This is too much... Zenith: Look, I can hand him back to you if you want. I mean, I can't separate, but we can switch out. You came all this way to get him back after all, right? Daedalus: So now he's got another person inside him. Put another mark on the tally, boys. Zenith: Hey, three's not so bad. Three's a crowd, but... Daedalus: If you only knew all the other people that have shared that dude's body... Zenith: ...Well, whatever. Do you want him or not? Collin: I.... Yes. Zenith switches out for Jay, who collapses in exhaustion. Collin dashes forward to catch him before he hits the ground. alienrabtt: ...Ugh...C-Collin...? When did you...? D-did they...hurt you...? Collin: ... Are you serious right now? alienrabtt: ...Wh...? Why wouldn't I be...? Collin: After everything that just happened to you, you're asking me if I'm okay? alienrabtt: ...I...I didn't even think I was going to see you again...they told me they...they made everyone forget...I didn't think...you'd be here...I thought I was just...I thought I was gonna...I don't want to think about it anymore... Collin: it's alright. They didn't get to me, Nydins, Demo, and Daedalus. Everyone else though... We still haven't even found them yet, I'll put it that way. alienrabtt: ...What do we do now...? Collin: I... I don't know. I don't know how we're going to undo this, or if it's even possible. Nydins and Demo rush in from the hallway, Demo still on the verge of a breakdown as Nydins frantically cries out: "The hall's getting crowded; if we don't get out of here now, this whole floor is covered in guards...!" Collin: Do we go back through a Grief Door? I don't even know where the IT is now... Making a Grief Door, Nydins throws it open. "I can take us back; we just need to go now!!" Collin picks up Jay and rushes through the door, quickly followed by all of the others. As security floods through the doorway of the neon room, something barrels through the crowd and takes aim for the Grief Door. A weapon fires from inside the crowd as the person sees the door start closing, and something strikes Collin like a harpoon, though there is nothing visibly there. Whatever has pierced him is pulled back towards the crowd, and in this instant, the door closes; Collin collapses; and the group in the Grief House begins to panic.

Demo pulls Jay off of Collin as Nydins turns between Demo and Rio, being careful not to touch anybody as she worriedly tries to figure out what to do. Though Collin is physically unharmed, the conversations around him seem temporarily incoherent until he returns to his senses, however, everything seems significantly more dull. Despite how concerned everyone seems, he can't seem to pick up a similar urgency.

Demo: ...Did anybody see what happened?! I didn't see anything come in here; he's not shot or anything, right? He's not dying?

Nydins: Th-there's no physical injuries, b-but...but I can't place what happened. Something just feels horribly wrong... Collin sits up and rubs his eyes for a second before he pushes himself up and dusts himself off. Rio: Collin, are you okay?! What just happened? Collin: I'm... not sure. I guess I'm okay though. Demo: It sounded like a gun went off. You're not hurt, right? Collin: No, I don't feel any pain or anything. Nydins: S-so you don't feel any different at all or anything...? Collin: Um... I wouldn't say that, really. Demo: ...We need to get back on the IT...I don't know what they just did to him, but only Firefly or XL would be able to give us an answer at this rate.

Nydins: B-but...nobody knows who Tori is...!

Demo: So? You still have that letter somewhere, right? Pass it around again; problem solved. Now we just need to fix Collin and Rio...and hopefully Tori...

alienrabtt: ...You know my name's actually Jay, right? Tori's the kid...

so to clarify; Jay is the person we all know as the canon “Tori;” Jay’s the actual hero of the story, and Collin’s actual partner

Tori is the kid that died in the box in the ground, and who “reincarnated” through the FPF to create Jay. Jay is a direct result of Tori’s death, and exists as Demo’s second half now that Demonstrator no longer exists by these universal standards due to the rewrite

so Demo and Jay are two halves of a whole that can never rejoin by these universal standards due to Demonstrator dying; and Tori is just...some kid that got brought back from the dead and keeps Jay alive by allowing him to use their body

basically what I’m saying is, Jay and Tori are a canon system

Demo: I was wondering how long you were gonna use their name. C'mon, let's fix this mess. Nydins: W-we can't go back just yet...! Believe me, I want to just...pack all this up and go home like everyone else; but until we can figure out what happened to Collin, we shouldn't go...I mean, what if something's seriously wrong? What if he tries to hurt somebody? A-and the gods don't know uh...Jay now; so since something's wrong with Collin, and this 'stranger' is to blame, after what you did to bring Daedalus here? I feel like you're trying to skate on flat out water here...

Demo: ...Yeah, getting banished or vaporized by gods really isn't on my agenda right now; you have a point there...but if we don't know what's wrong, how can we fix it? We wouldn't even know where to start looking... Daedalus: I mean, we could just ask him. He seems talkative enough, don't you think? Demo: Yeah, okay. So, what do you think happened back there? Collin: I'm... not entirely sure. I felt something hit me and everything became... muffled, I guess. I couldn't hear very well for a bit when I came to, and everyone seemed worried. Demo: Well yeah, I mean, we heard something like a gun go off and suddenly you were on the floor; why wouldn't we be? Collin: I guess that makes sense. At any rate, I still feel a little numb and I think my vision might be a little weird; everything seems duller. Aside from that, I'm okay. Nydins: That doesn't make any sense...why would anybody fire a weapon like that into a crowd, especially if it's only going to hit one person? It just sounds like some sort of weird stun gun... Collin: I don't know. It definitely did something but... I can't quite figure out what's wrong. Demo: ...Then for now, maybe we should just try to figure out what they shot him with. If we can find the weapon, we can figure out what it really does, yeah? Daedalus: Who knows, maybe they even left their copy of "Bizarre Sci-Fi Weapons and You" along with it? Nydins approaches the double doors and opens them, letting out a sigh. "Why is this part the one you're leaving out...?" Collin: I'm not sure what you mean by that. Nydins: ...If some sort of...serious situation was going to come up, I would've found out about it by now; but I have no idea what that weapon was or even what it did...but I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong... Collin: Oh, you were talking to your powers, I see. So are we going out or do we want to talk to more things that can't hear us?

who said it couldn’t hear you?

Face turning a little green, Nydins steps out into the hallway apprehensively as she mumbles "You don't have to be so rude about it..." Collin stares at her blankly for a moment but decides not to say anything as he follows her out. Daedalus raises an eyebrow and shrugs at the others before following suit, with Fawkes close behind him. Rio, Demo, and Jay follow out into the hall as well, though Rio is the first to comment. "There's no guards...? Wouldn't they be expecting us to come back to a lower floor?" Fawkes: I'm not sure. I don't hear any sirens or other alarms either, which is shocking considering what just happened above us. alienrabtt: ...Do you think they gave up?

Demo: Don't be ridiculous; I'd be willing to bet they sent some people out to look for where you could've gone. They'll probably check the IT first, but nothing will be there.

Rio: A-and they won't hurt anybody if they don't find anything, right?

Demo: They only ever wanted Jay; so I'm sure they wouldn't. Innocent people are still innocent; it doesn't matter what they do to somebody who has no idea who or what they're even talking about. While the others have started talking, Collin's already headed off down a hallway, idly looking around him. Surprised to see Collin wander off, Rio quickly follows after him. "W-wait up! Don't just go off alone...!"

Demo: ...What in the world is going on here? Does he not realize we walked back into this place? Even if he got stunned, you'd think he'd recognize where he got shot...so why doesn't he care...? Collin: I just figured you were all busy talking, so I thought I'd go ahead and start searching for something. Maybe an armory or a "research bay" or something. Rolling her eyes, Demo follows after him. "We can walk and talk, you know. You're being awfully blunt right now..." Collin shrugs, changing the topic as they continue on. "I don't think finding another person here and asking them for directions will work as well this time around, will it?" Demo glances back in confusion at Nydins, who has also started following them, before looking back to respond. "We shouldn't try walking up to anybody like that this time; if there's any way for them to suddenly contact security, this hall will be swarmed in an instant. If this whole place is looking for Jay, we're the only people they can get answers from; and something tells me what we saw of Jay's interrogation wasn't even remotely as far as they'd go for this crap.” Collin: Duly noted. I suppose the real question in that case is, "Do we go up or down to find their weapons?" Rio: It's uhh, probably something they'd want to guard; s-so I'm sure that their weaponry would be on higher levels... Daedalus: Up it is, then. Think we should take the stairs, or...? Nydins: We need to get to level 4 first; from there we can just...keep sneaking around on the fire escape! ...Unless they learned their lesson... Collin: Can you not look into the future to see that? Nydins: I haven't seen anything yet...not really. I just keep getting a vague feeling that we need to go further up, and that something about you is off... Collin: I guess that's true. I still don't really feel like myself. At any rate, we need to get up to level four, so let's find a way up. Exploring the building, the group doesn't run into any personnel on their way to level 4; though the hall to the fire escape seems to be blocked off by a large, steel door this time, with no visible locks or anything from their end.

Nydins: Demo, can you open this...?

Demo: No; it's not a door. It's more like an extra wall that just lifts up...but I can't jack this thing up so we can go past it. Fawkes: Knowing this place, an alarm would probably trigger if I tried to force it open. Maybe we should try looking around here for another way up, or perhaps a floor plan posted somewhere? Demo: Right; left it is... Collin is already three steps ahead of them again heading down the left path. Leaning over to Nydins, Demo lowers her voice as the group follows along. "Seriously, did that gun just zap out all of his damn sense or something? The way he's acting right now, I'm pretty sure he'd just flat out chase something into moving traffic if he thought he needed to do it..."

Nydins: ...Something is seriously wrong with him...we need to find out what, and we need to fix it as soon as we can. I can feel this being on the edge of something I can solve alone, but nothing's really giving it the push I need yet... Collin: I almost wish someone would stumble into us again. It'd be a lot easier to just force some answers out of them than wander around the place aimlessly. Rio: Wh-what? You...why would you do something like that? Collin: We need to find out what that weapon was and how to undo whatever it did to me, right? People are far more talkative than corridors. Besides, it's not like I owe them any courtesy. Demo: I'm sorry, are you the one suggesting we find and beat up just...whoever we find first? Collin: If they don't give us answers immediately, maybe. Demo and Jay exchange two very different kinds of expressions as both of them tell him "no" in drastically different tones.

Demo: Oh my god, this would be hilarious if I weren't genuinely concerned for your well-being. You're barely even the same person right now; that's a little terrifying.

Nydins: ...Wait, I think...I think I know where we need to go now, but...I wasn't expecting... Collin turns to face Nydins. His head tilts to the side slightly but his expression remains as flat as ever. "Wasn't expecting what? Where do we go?" Nydins: ...You...I know where to go because what I'm seeing...it's not the weapon that they shot you with; it's where they're keeping your soul.

alienrabtt: ...Hi-...his...his what...? Collin: ... I suppose that would explain a few things. Jay stares at Nydins in disbelief for what feels like forever before he switches out for Zenith, who properly scales the outfit down and shifts the colorscheme to be black and cyan instead. The star on their shirt has changed to the strange symbol that appeared several times before they became a part of Jay, however. "Wow, okay, we really need to get moving then! Which way is this thing?"

Nydins: ...Down the hall; take a left, then a right; 5th door on the right...no guards... Collin: Finally, directions. My head was started to hurt from all the rambling everyone was doing.

Not waiting for a response, Collin heads down the hall at a notably faster pace.

Daedalus: Wow, I might actually hit him again if he keeps this up. Nydins: I really don't think he realizes how he's acting right now...even if he does, I don't think he can register it as wrong or strange...even if we've been calling it that...

Hurrying after Collin, Zenith waves at Nydins dismissively. "Whatever! If we can find his soul, we can fix this, so let's get to it!" Daedalus pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs for a second before chasing after them, followed by the others. When the group arrives at the room, Zenith is the first to charge inside. Though this room looks similar to the neon room they had formed in, there are three squares of neon lights lining the ceiling, and two figures waiting for them inside the room itself. One of which is a girl around the same age as Collin and Jay, and the other appears to be a large, bulky suit of armor with a grate in the chest piece that allows the view of something brilliant shining inside. Two glowing, blue eyes stare from inside the visor, though there doesn't seem to be anything else inside of the armor.

???: I knew you'd come back for this. I'll admit; we weren't aiming for him; but Alzedeth will hold whatever he strikes regardless. He was built for you; but if this is what it takes to keep you in line; we can use your friend instead.

alienrabtt: ...You...you were trying to separate me?

???: Our job was to keep you here at all costs. If you hadn't tried to run, we would've just put you in here entirely; but a piece of you would've worked as well... Collin enters the room behind Zenith and glances between the girl and the armor a few times before speaking. "You were going to put something like Zenith in a mechanical shell? For what purpose?" ???: To prevent exactly what you were trying to do! You can't convince something to run away when it can't do anything by itself. The Zenith was never intended to become a person...this isn't what my father wanted. Collin: So Oz was your father. Is your name an acronym for something else in this building? ???: No. My name is Clair. Collin: I see. And this suit, Alzedeth. It controls and runs on the soul trapped inside of it, I assume? Clair: Well, you're right about one thing...

Alzedeth draws a weapon that had previously not been there; a sword with a jagged blade that splits halfway up like the pincers of a beetle. "...He answers to me first."

Before anyone can react, Alzedeth clears the distance between himself and Zenith, piercing them with the blade before pulling the sword apart into two separate weapons, which begins to split Zenith from Jay. Zenith: W-wait!! You...you don't understand what you're doing! Without him, I'm not stable...! And without me, he wont survive...! I-if you separate us, w-we'll both die...!!

Clair: Originally, that might've been true; you hadn't combined yourself with anything that could stabilize based upon the wishes of another person; but since you've integrated the amulet, all he seems to be providing is an outlet for you to gain free will and sentience of your own...so yes, you'll destabilize, but you'll return to a form that can be properly manipulated. Him, on the other hand... Abruptly, Daedalus suddenly uses Collin as a springboard and leaps over Zenith and Jay. He unleashes a precharged shockwave from his gauntlet at Alzedeth, knocking it back and away from its weapons. He then spins around and grab the hilts of the swords and tries to merge Zenith and Jay back together before pulling the weapons back out. As the swords conjoin back to their original state, Zenith rejoins with Jay, who quickly takes Zenith's place as the weapons are removed, but collapses in exhaustion from the suddenness of it all. Daedalus spins the sword with a slight flourish as he turns to Clair. "Good grief, lady. You guys have a weird fascination with taking things apart and slapping 'em back together, don't you?" A little stunned that anyone would have the audacity to do what just happened, Clair stalls for a moment before she finds her words again. "Y-you...you just...charged into it...!! You can't seriously--...!!" Daedalus: Don't tell me what I can and can't do. That shit just pisses me off. Now, I believe you have something of ours.

He dashes forward and thrusts the sword into Alzedeth before splitting the weapon back apart and pulling one half out to the right. The thing shining from inside Alzedeth remains connected to the removed weapon, causing his eyes to stop glowing as the armor goes still. Disengaging from the machine, Daedalus turns around and hops back over Jay, swinging the soul-laden weapon toward Collin. "One soul, courtesy of our wonderful host, Clair!"

all this sorta implies Alzedeth is like, mostly robotic; but I’d argue that it’s just like, stereotypical knight armor with a little technology rigged inside to house and trap the soul. the soul’s not even trapped as much as it is...strongly “encouraged” to use the armor as a body since the armor is humanoid

from there it listens to what Clair has to say because of its...other contents...

Once the sword nears Collin, the light upon it bursts like a tiny firework, rejoining with his body as the blade clatters to the floor. Collin suddenly gasps and drops to his hands and knees, coughing and shivering violently. Shaking with a mix of fear and rage, Clair rushes over to Alzedeth and attempts to pull him off the floor by herself, despite the armor being much heavier than her. This does not work whatsoever, but she doesn't stop trying regardless. Demo: ...What in the world are you trying to do? That thing's empty now...

Clair: ...Y-you wouldn't understand...you don't understand what you've done... Daedalus: Stopped you from killing someone from our crew, stole my twin's soul back, and gave your super important project with no real purpose free will. Seems pretty by the book for this bunch, I'd say. Clair: ...You...you--!!

Turning around, Clair breathes heavily as she tries not to cry. "L-let me talk to that stupid thing!! The thing my father made!"

alienrabtt: ...After everything you've done?! To all of us?! Hell no! You're lucky you aren't dead right now!

Clair: How could anybody call this lucky?! How could anyone call any of this fortunate?! Do you seriously think my father succeeded on his first try; that what you stole from us was the only one?! How do you think he realized he wasn't supposed to start with a person and work his way up?! Why do you think Alzedeth listens to me?! He was my brother! HE WAS MY BROTHER; AND THAT THING STOLE HIM FROM ME!! Daedalus: ... Your brother is gone, kid. I don't take any pleasure in saying it, but it's true, and no amount of soul stealing or other crimes against nature are going to change that. Besides, even if you could bring him back, do you think he'd be proud of what you did to do so? Do you think he'd be happy with this?

A: YOU WANNA DATE HER AND THIS IS HOW YOU’RE TALKING?

B: IF ONLY HE  K N E W

Clair: M-maybe not, but is leaving him like this really better?! Leaving him as this empty...thing...? This can't be...this can't be all that I can do... Daedalus: It's no different than when he passed the first time, y'know? Make your peace, do what you want with his body, and do... literally anything other than this. Your dad was a murderer and a psychopath, and that says something coming from me. Believe me when I say that there are some things that science wasn't meant to do. Follow in his footsteps at your own peril. We won't be so merciful if there's a second time. Clair: ...You can stop me all you want, but the rest of the people here won't stop until they have a Zenith they can work with...

Demo: ...Well, they've got you two, right? That's a start.

Nydins: D-don't say that!! There's no way we could just...leave this kid here with all these lunatics!

Demo: What, you want to take the kid that literally tore Collin's soul out of his body and turned Jay's amulet into fondue back to our ship full of amnesiacs? Yeah, no way. She's just gonna try to take that sword and do something stupid again. Daedalus: Oh hell, do you guys seriously drag every misfit onto that damn vending machine? Nydins: W-well she's more like a refugee...

Demo: Hey, we kept Rio. Daedalus: ... Shit, fine alright. No more people getting turned into biomasses today. You're coming with us, lady. Creating the Grief Door again, Nydins carefully helps Jay up off the floor while Rio heads over to Collin to help him. Collin accepts her help, as he still seems fairly shaky and disoriented. "Th-Thanks. I'm... sorry about earlier..." Rio: Um...i-it's okay, I think. You weren't exactly...you didn't really know what was going on, I guess...but are you okay? You were stuck here for a while... Collin: Let's... talk about it later... Nodding, Rio joins the others in the Grief House once more. Picking up the other half of Alzedeth's sword, Demo comically stuffs it down her scarf, where it vanishes without a trace before she joins everyone else in the Grief House as the doors close. "Gonna have a hard time making a third Zenith without these, huh? Let's go the hell home." Daedalus looks around his person for a place to put his half of the sword. After a moment, he gives up and rolls his eyes as he rests the weapon over his shoulder. "Yeah, we've still got some cleaning up to do there too." Nydins opens up the double doors to the console room of the IT, where XL has dozed off at the console. "Oh thank the gods, everyone here's safe..." Sanglied pokes their head out of the kitchen doorway. "Huh? What'd we do?" Demo: Don't think she was talking about you guys, but it's nice to see you again. Did you miss us? Sanglied: Yeah, we were starting to wonder where you kids ran off to. Looks like you made a couple of new friends too. Demo: ...Well, I wouldn't call one of them a friend, but she's certainly here. Collin: Oh hell, right, hang on.

He lets go of Rio and walks as quickly as he can down the hall to his room, keeping one hand on the wall to support him. He returns not even a minute later with the page of the Script in his hand. "Here, just read this. It'll do a better job of explaining things." Collin hands the page over to Sanglied. After a moment of reading, they suddenly clutch their head and let out a loud groan. The pain passes after another second or two, at which point they look back up at Collin. "Y'know, you could've warned us about that. Try having several massive headaches at the same time."

Collin: S-Sorry, I didn't really think about it.

Sanglied passes the page back to Collin, who then approaches XL. Looking up finally, XL looks at Collin. "O-oh, you're back! Where'd you guys even go anyway? We were starting to get worried..." Collin: I'll have to fill you in on the details later. For now, you should read this. XL takes the letter for a second, and her plasma brightens briefly before flashing a few times and regulating. Shaking her head, she hands the letter back. "...What in the world...? This happened a second time?" Collin: I know. I'm hoping it doesn't become a trend. I'm gonna go drop by Silky and Firefly. You guys can do... whatever you want with her.

He vaguely gestures in Clair's direction and leaves the console room for Silky's room. Silky answers her door with a yawn, looking down at Collin curiously. "You guys ran off somewhere without us! Well... what's up?" Collin: It's... a long story. You should read this first though. Silky reads the letter briefly, blinking her three eyes in confusion a few times before nodding quietly. "...We got caught up in something strange again; guess I should've known..." Collin: I'm sorry. Everything happened so fast, it's a miracle any of us dodged it. Silky: It wasn't your fault. You can explain the rest later...I'm sure you need to anyway. Collin: Yeah, we should probably get everyone that's out of the loop together for that. XL and the pantheon are already in the console room. I just gotta get Firefly back in. Silky: Catch her up; I'll meet you two back with the others. Collin nods and takes the letter back before heading over to Firefly's room. Firefly carefully opens the door before immediately looking for a place to set down a flower she has temporarily potted. "Y-you're back!! Are you okay?! I...I know everybody else thinks you just left on your own, but once I saw Fawkes and Rio were both gone, I just...couldn't believe that." Collin: I'll be alright. More importantly, you should read this first. We're filling in everyone else back in the console room once you're up to speed. Firefly takes the letter and looks it over as well, her cheeks flashing out something curious for a moment before returning to their usual state. "...Let's not keep them waiting." Collin leads her back into the console room to meet up with the others. XL: ...So what actually happened? Why did we all forget Tori?

because everything is terrible, of course

Collin: Uh... I guess the short answer is, "some crazy scientists showed up to kidnap him and triggered something on the IT to wipe our memories of him so we wouldn't follow." Demo, Daedalus, Nydins, and I managed to escape with Nydins' Grief Door so we avoided the effect. Oh, also Tori's name is actually Jay. "Tori" is a different person in their body. Demo: From there, we had to storm some building where this...massive team of scientists and god knows what else were trying to create some sort of Super Frankenstein out of various things they found with powers of any kind, which is why they targeted Jay. We were gonna leave as soon as we got him back, but between him suddenly being bound to this thing they call the Zenith and them ripping Collin's soul out, we kinda had to make a U-turn before we could come home. Sanglied: ... Are we going to have to start babysitting you guys? Demo: Hey, don't blame us! You could've blamed Oz, but the Zenith kinda... M-maybe don't mention that...! Uhh, long story short; guy responsible...isn't a problem anymore; and uhh, we got Collin back together, and now we have the Zenith and Oz's...daughter?

Clair: ...You also stole their means to try making a third Zenith, but that won't stop them from trying to take everything back...even if all they have is Alzedeth; it's still a start in comparison...

Demo: Yeah; I'd like to see those assholes try to storm us now that we're expecting them. Collin: I'd love to see them try. Clair: ...Sorry for messing with your robot friends, by the way. I can't make up for any of this, but at the least, I can start saying sorry. Collin responds, although he still doesn't turn to look at her. "It's a start, alright. You should apologize to them directly though. It's not like we own either of them." Rio: ...I....I don't think I can really trust you yet after what you did. I won't lie, I'm scared of you. I don't really want you staying here; and I don't want to be alone knowing that you're going to be here now. You can apologize, but...I'm not ready to forgive you. I'm sorry; but that's something you're going to have to earn.

Clair: ...I understand. I'll keep my distance. Fawkes: Similarly, I don't trust you either. However, I do not fear you in the least. If anything, you should fear me. Lay a hand on anyone aboard this ship, and I will deal with you personally.

A skull and crossbones blinks on his visor for a moment before going dark again. Clair nods with a silent understanding, nervously keeping "eye" contact despite the threat.

Demo: ...Don't think you're getting your weird sword back, either. If you try to loot my stuff, you're gonna get way lost trying to find anything. ...Though you'll probably be more concerned about what will be looking for you...

alienrabtt: Hey, okay, I think the kid understands now...

Demo: I just don't get how you're not absolutely livid about her being here, all things considered. I mean, she tried to break your boy toy after all.

alienrabtt: ...I'm gonna pretend you didn't call him that, but honestly? I can't be assed to be upset right now. I've been through too much today to feel much else other than pain and exhaustion; it's kind of a miracle I can even stand up right now...

XL: You, Collin, and Rio should definitely come to my room then. I'd check out Fawkes, but he seems to be a lot better off than you three look. Fawkes: My intrusion systems probably helped slow down the memory modification process they were attempting. I think I've managed to repair most of the damage on my own over the past hour or so. I appreciate your concern, however. XL: Suit yourself. Just you three it is, then.

Grumbling a little bit, Jay heads off to XL's room with her. Collin starts after them and turns back to Rio. "You coming, Rio?" Hesitating for a moment, Rio catches up with Collin. "...Y-yeah, sorry!" He talks to her for a minute as they head down the hall. "You okay?" Rio: ...I'm fine, I guess. I just...really don't know what to think about Clair. Collin: Yeah, I know what you mean. I wasn't entirely on board with bringing her here either, but when the only alternative was to leave her to be broken down into another amalgamate, I... I couldn't let that happen. Rio: Y-yeah...but I just...I guess I'm scared she'll get fixated on trying to fix her brother...I mean, she said that Zenith took him or something after all...do you think she'll try to do something to get him out? Collin: I... don't know yet. She's clearly still trying to get through that grief, and I don't know what she'll try to do so. But from what I understand, being absorbed by Zenith is a one-way street. You can't un-burn a log, after all. I'm not going to let anything happen to Jay, though. If she tries to touch him... Well, don't worry about that. Back there, you said you didn't want to be alone anymore while she's here. I'm sure we could accomodate that, but do you have any preference on what would make you feel safer? Rio: ...You should probably prioritize hiding the other half of that sword. Though maybe Daedalus can handle her... Collin: I need to talk with him on what he plans to do with that thing now that you mention it, actually. But you're right, he probably could. Anything else? Rio: ...Just as long as she stays away from you and Jay, I think I'll be okay. Once Nydins told us what had actually happened to you, I...I guess I'm a little glad that I'm not physically capable of expressing emotions like a human... Collin thinks about her words for a second and then smiles slightly. He puts an arm around her shoulders and pulls her into a small side hug. "I'll be alright, Rio, don't worry." Rio: I was just so scared about you! You were acting so weird, and then she said that, and once I saw that armor I just...I know that Jay's important, b-but...I don't know what I'd do if I lost either of you... Collin: I know. Believe me, I know. It wasn't much fun finding you hooked up to that computer back there either. We all just have to look after each other, y'know? Rio: ...Y-yeah! ...Where I'm supposed to come from, we don't have anything as close to the concept of a family as most other organic and inorganic life does, but...I'd like to think that you're pretty close.... Collin seems caught off guard for a moment and then struggles to say anything for another. Finally, he takes a deep breath and pulls Rio into a tight full hug. "... Yeah, I think you are too." Rio returns the hug, slightly confused, but mostly just to return the gesture. She rides this out for a moment before letting go. "W-we should catch up with XL before she starts worrying about us..." Collin wipes something from his eye as he lets go. "Y-Yeah, sorry. I'm a little all over the place still, sorry..."

Rio: It's okay! Hopefully the worst of this is over... Collin nods and opens XL's door for Rio before stepping in behind her. Zenith is lying on XL's hovering bed, kicking their feet boredly, their head resting on their arms as they look up at the pair. "Took you two long enough! I was worried one of you passed out or somethin'..."

XL: ...I'm guessing this is the...Zenith? You picked up? Collin: Yeah, that's... them? I don't really know what pronoun you use, sorry. alienrabtt: Oh no, you're right about that. Feels pretty fitting...

XL: Well, the...news, I guess, is that I haven't found anything physically. Whatsoever. By all accounts, they don't physically 'exist;' they're just...sort of around? No organs or anything, they're pretty much like Jay was; just with no...anchor, I guess. alienrabtt: Oh, I am his anchor now! It's pretty weird, I'll agree there. I guess most people expect some kind of object... Collin: That's... okay, sure. But what if something happens to you? Or to him, for that matter. alienrabtt: Then we switch out to the person that didn't get hurt! Collin: And if everyone gets hurt...? alienrabtt: ...I don't know about that one. I mean, I'm technically only a few hours old anyway, so I'm still learning about all this too.

he’s like Rocky but way more intense and less naked/sexy

Collin: I... guess that's fair. XL: ...So, give me the rundown. What happened to you two? Collin: Well, I was fine until I had my soul taken out and put into some... thing. Physically I'm still okay, it's just... a lot of unpleasant experiences with a sprinkle of really bad flashbacks. Rio: They...they tried to wipe my memory entirely...once they realized that I was still functioning despite being hooked to their machine, they toned down my motor functions, but those are back online properly now...

XL: Those damn bastards. Maybe someday we'll get to burn that place to the ground like they deserve...I'll see what I can do about repairing what you lost. Still, at the moment, you at least seem to recognize everybody, and you know where you are. All things considered, this could've gone a lot worse for both of you. Collin: No kidding. Is Jay okay? alienrabtt: Hm? Yeah, he's fine; just really tired. They tried to rip us in half like a newspaper, after all. Collin: Yeah, I understand. Here I thought I was trying to save him, and instead he got hurt even worse trying to save me... alienrabtt: Oh hush; us getting torn up was nothing compared to what they did to his amulet immediately after interrogating him. That whole place is rotten to the core...I wish my name wasn't all over it. Collin: That's not really... Uh, yeah, sorry. Maybe we'll be able to do something about that place later on. alienrabtt: ...Well, whatever. If those creeps come busting your door down again, they've got one thing after another coming for them. They might be desperate, but they'd be stupid to chase us immediately after losing so much abruptly. I think we'll be safe for a little while; so maybe you guys should worry more about keeping that true for as long as you can. I'm kinda picking up on the vibe that this isn't your first rodeo, and it won't be your last either... Collin: As long as I don't get stuck in another God forsaken robot suit or something, I'll be fine. I think if that had gone on for very long I would've gone insane. alienrabtt: Were you actually aware of all that? Collin: I... Unfortunately, yes. Some of it is kinda hazy now. I don't remember a whole lot until you guys came in. I desperately wanted to tell you to run, but instead I could only do as Clair asked. When I attacked you and started trying to pull you apart, I... L-Look, this isn't a very nice conversation and I don't think any of us really need it right now. Between those memories and the ones from my body while it was with you, I... have a lot to think about. There is a moment where Zenith flickers to Jay only to cover their mouth and switch back, shaking their head as they choke back tears for a second. "...Y-yeah...sorry I...sorry..." Collin: It's fine. I was trying to not make anyone cry, but I guess I said too much, sorry. I just need a little time to process everything before I talk about it. XL: ...I agree; I think you guys should just try to rest for now. Silky and I will try to figure out what to do with Clair; the three of you should take it easy. Collin: Alright, I think I can handle that. Sliding off the bed, Zenith yawns. "Fine by me...! I won't say no to a nap right now."

XL: Good; I'll check in with you again in the morning, then. Collin: Uh, do we need to get a seperate bed for you or anything? I doubt you're gonna want to share a bed with a stranger. alienrabtt: I can sleep in the beanbag chair; don't worry. Jay'll probably wind up waking us up just to go sleep with you eventually anyway... Collin: Alright, whatever works for you.

With that, he and Zenith leave XL's room.

I think the log after this is uhh, mostly getting to know the new people; but yeah!

[torestoreamends]

Moramortia: Chapter 9

Albus, Scorpius, and Rose pay a visit to the headmistress’s office, and Rose makes her first mistake.

Read it on AO3 / Pick a chapter

*

Chapter IX Riddles and Clues

His clothes are wet, that’s the first thing he realises. Soggy and damp and heavy. And cold. He’s very cold. His fingers feel icy and… they’re trailing in water too. Why is it so wet? 

It takes considerable effort but he opens his eyes, squinting against the light. Above him he can see a floating candle, bright and golden. He blinks. There were no candles in the Chamber of Secrets. Does that mean he’s somewhere else? But where? How? 

Suddenly an intense pain seizes hold of his heart and he gasps and rolls onto his side, coughing and clutching at his chest. Immediately there are hands on him, holding him still. 

“Scorpius!” Albus’s voice. Breathless and panicking. “I’ve got you. Here.”

Something glass presses against his lips and liquid dribbles down his chin before he realises he’s supposed to be drinking. He starts gulping it down and immediately a sort of cold numbness floods through him. He shivers but keeps drinking, because it does feel better. He drains the bottle and lies still for a moment, head in Albus’s lap, Albus’s fingers threading gently through his damp hair, waiting for the potion to take effect. 

Finally the pain fades to a dull gnawing that he can ignore, and he lifts his head and twists round. “Where- This is Myrtle’s bathroom." 

"I know,” Albus says, smoothing his hands over Scorpius’s shoulders. “Just… Lie still, okay?" 

"I’m fine. The potion, it works fast.” Scorpius scrambles onto his knees, arms and legs almost too weak to hold him, but far too determined to let that stop him. Albus’s hands linger anxiously, ready to support him if he falls. 

“How did we get here?” Scorpius asks.

“Rose did… something,” Albus says. “I was a bit preoccupied." 

Scorpius nods. "I’m sorry.” He rubs his eyes and looks around. Rose is kneeling in the doorway with the Marauder’s Map open on her lap, frowning down at it. Myrtle is currently nowhere to be seen, although there’s a gurgling and sighing sound coming from one of the cubicles. 

“No, I just wanted you out of there. Didn’t want to spend any more time down there…” He looks at Scorpius, and Scorpius looks back to see concern sparkling in his eyes. “Are you okay?" 

"Better,” Scorpius says, rubbing the heel of his hand against his chest. “Did you get the teeth we needed?" 

Albus pats the bag on his back. "They’re safe in here.”

“Good.” Scorpius rubs his forehead and only then does he realise the Gauntlet is gone. “Where did the-”

“It sort of… Melted into the ground. After the barrier disappeared and you passed out…”

“Fine,” Scorpius says, nodding. He still feels so lost, his brain struggling to catch up with everything it’s missed. “That’s fine. I didn’t want to keep it anyway.”

He sways a bit on his knees. The room is spinning just a little bit, enough to make him feel unsteady, like he can’t get a grasp on the world. He puts both his hands flat on the floor to support him, but as he presses his right hand down he feels pain burn through it. 

He hisses and hastily withdraws it from the floor. When he turns it over, he sees there’s still a long, red gash across his palm. It’s not bleeding anymore, but it doesn’t look great. He’s not sure if he’s capable of doing magic right now, but he draws his wand to have a go. He waves it over the cut, murmuring a string of words that make it seal up into a thin, pink line. Tiredness floods through him, and the world slides sideways. He doesn’t realise he’s falling until Albus’s arms wrap around him and hold him up.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be doing magic right now,” Albus says softly. 

“Maybe,” Scorpius agrees. He puts his wand away and lies in Albus’s arms for a moment, just because it’s easier than sitting up for himself. “What’s the plan now?" 

Albus hesitates for a moment. "I don’t know if you should be thinking about-”

Scorpiis glares at him. They don’t have time for Albus to get overprotective and cautious now. They have things to do. 

Albus sighs in response. “Fine. We’re waiting until the coast is clear, and then we’re breaking into McGonagall’s office.”

“Okay…” Scorpius says slowly. He frowns, thinking hard, trying to work out if he’s missed something obvious in his exhausted state. “Why?" 

"What’s one of the ingredients we still need?” Albus asks.

Scorpius shakes his head. “Most of them?" 

"Phoenix tears!” Albus says triumphantly. He smiles, seeming to expect some kind of recognition from Scorpius. 

Scorpius looks blankly at him, and he sighs.

“There’s only one person we know who ever had a Phoenix." 

Realisation dawns on Scorpius, and he sits up, flailing in excitement, all pain and tiredness forgotten. "Dumbledore! We’re going to talk to his portrait?" 

 Albus grins and nods. "If anyone knows where Fawkes has gone, it’ll be him. We have to start somewhere, right? The only problem is that our parents are here.”

Scorpius’s heart stops. “My dad is in the castle?”

“Not anymore,” Rose says from where she’s sitting in the doorway. She looks up from the Map. “They’ve all just disappeared. I don’t know where they’ve gone though.” She gets to her feet and walks across to them. “I’m glad you’re awake. I was worried you might… well, anyway.” She pats him on the arm and turns to show Albus the Map. “Look, they were in McGonagall’s office, and now they’re all gone. It looks like she’s heading down to the Great Hall.” She looks between the two of them. “I’d say this is as good a time as any." 

"And we’re just going to break into her office?” Scorpius asks. “Is that even possible? Do we know the password?" 

Rose waves a dismissive hand. "The password is easy. I visited her last week, and it only changes about once a month. We’ll have to be quick though; I don’t know how long she’ll stay away.”

Albus looks at Scorpius. “Do you feel okay to-”

“Yes,” Scorpius says before he can even ask. “I do. Come on.” He gets to his feet, holding the edge of one of the sinks for support, but trying not to be too obvious about it. His legs still feel wobbly, but he thinks he can manage. When he pushes away from the sink, Rose takes hold of his arm. 

“We’re going under the Cloak,” she says. “Since it’s the middle of the night and you’re meant to be in St Mungo’s. I’d rather not be expelled, and if we just go wandering around the school someone will see us and this whole thing will be over.”

Scorpius nods. “Agreed." 

He certainly doesn’t mind slipping under the cloak. It’s warm under there, especially with Albus and Rose pressed in close beside him. Albus wraps an arm round his waist, and he leans against Albus’s side. Rose keeps hold of his arm, and he’s grateful to have the support from both sides. Even though his legs are weak and stiff from recent underuse, the two of them are giving him the strength to keep going, almost to the point where he can pretend, even to himself, that there’s nothing wrong. 

"Do you think there’s a chance any of the heads’ portraits will raise the alarm?” He whispers as they leave the bathroom and set off up to McGonagall’s office, tiptoeing along the corridor.

“It’s definitely possible,” Rose murmurs. “The ones who know you and your dad seem the most likely to tell. We’ll just have to be quick. In and out. No hanging around." 

Scorpius nods in silence. He feels a bit apprehensive about the idea of breaking into McGonagall’s office. The information will be useful, and it’ll be amazing to talk to Dumbledore, but at the same time it’s such a risk. He doesn’t want to get caught. If they get caught… He has a feeling it would be bad. Even through the cold numbness of the painkilling potion, he can feel an ache in his chest. His whole body feels weak and shaky, and he isn’t sure either thing is going to improve. Whatever Dumbledore tells them, it had better be really useful.

After ten long, stressful minutes spent creeping through castle, all three of them wincing every time a staircase or door creaks too loudly in the silence, they make it to McGonagall’s office. Rose glances around to check the coast is clear before she slips out from under the Cloak and walks over to the gargoyle guarding the entrance. 

It’s raining outside, drumming hard on the castle windows, and wind rattles the glass, pushing through the gaps and sending chilly gusts down the corridor. Rose leans in close to the gargoyle and whispers: "Ginger Newt”. Despite all the noise, it still sounds painfully loud in the deserted darkness. Scorpius glances around, anxious and twitchy, but there’s no sign of anyone, and no approaching footsteps to be heard. There isn’t even anyone else on this side of the castle according to the Map, which Albus has open and is inspecting by the light of his wand. 

Thankfully, the gargoyle unfreezes and springs aside to let them in, so they don’t have to stand exposed in the corridor any longer. The three of them rush past before it can change its mind and step onto the staircase to McGonagall’s office. It ascends far too slowly for Scorpius’s liking. He pulls the cloak off and shifts from foot to foot, staring into the air, willing them upwards. Beside him, Albus also fights his way out from under the cloak and shoves it into his backpack. 

“Do you think McGonagall knows when someone uses the password to her office?” Scorpius muses as they rise.

Albus looks at Rose, who nods, somehow looking serenely calm.

“Undoubtedly." 

"Merlin,” Albus mutters. 

“We’ll be quick,” Rose says brightly. 

It feels like an age before they reach the office door, and by the time they reach it they’re all standing on the top step, desperate to get inside. They spill through the door the second they reach it, and Albus and Rose rush straight across the room, towards the biggest painting, just to the side of McGonagall’s chair. Meanwhile, Scorpius pauses by the door to have a proper look around. 

He’s only ever visited this room on a handful of occasions, most of them under less than brilliant circumstances, or on Prefect business. It’s a shame, because it’s a joy to be here. There’s so much history, so many interesting books and artefacts, not to mention the possibility of fascinating conversations courtesy of the portraits on the walls. This place has played host to some of the greatest witches and wizards to ever live. It’s full of inspiration, and if this is the last time Scorpius will ever be here then he’s going to enjoy himself. 

He wanders over to one of the bookshelves and runs a finger along the spines. It isn’t quite as exciting as the shelf in Hermione’s office, nothing will ever top that, but there are some fascinating old books here. There’s one dusty, leather-bound tome about Animagi, which he’s about to pull out, but a bored, drawling voice speaks from the wall above him, drawing his attention. 

“Scorpius Malfoy. If it isn’t my great great, Merlin only knows how many greats, grandson. You’re supposed to be in St Mungo’s." 

Scorpius stumbles away from the bookcase and stares wildly up at the portraits on the wall. There are so many up there that it takes him a second to spot the headmaster speaking to him, but when he does he grins. "Phineas!" 

Phineas Nigellus doesn’t look even a little bit pleased to see him. He folds his arms and surveys Scorpius with a haughty expression. "Your father was just here, boy. He’s very worried about you. Very keen to find you. He seems to think you’re dying.” He leans forward in his seat and peers down at Scorpius. “Are you dying?" 

"I hope not,” Scorpius says, looking back at him. “Sir, please don’t tell Dad I’m here. It’s important." 

Phineas ignores Scorpius’s plea. "Why are you here?” He asks, a hint of curiosity in his voice, even though he’s feigning indifference. 

“We’re here to talk to Dumbledore,” Scorpius says. 

Phineas sighs and sits back in his seat. “Of course. Everyone is here to speak to Dumbledore." 

"It’s nice to see you too!” Scorpius says. 

“No, it’s not.” Phineas nods in Dumbledore’s direction. “Go and get on with your chat, boy. You don’t have long.” There’s something in his tone that sends a shiver down Scorpius’s spine. It sounds almost like a threat, and there’s a hint of a nasty smile in it. Scorpius doesn’t waste another second as he scrambles across the room to join Albus and Rose. 

Professor Dumbledore is already awake. He’s talking to Albus, twinkling down at him, while Albus looks a bit uncomfortable. He’s gone pink and is shifting his feet like he’s considering running away. 

“I always found it to be an excellent name,” Dumbledore says brightly. “Not too long or too short, not overly complicated to spell. Highly convenient. And I hope my impact upon it doesn’t have adverse consequences for yourself.”

Albus mumbles something and stares down at the floor.

Dumbledore smiles kindly at him. “I’ve always thought one should have a chance to make one’s own name famous, but alas, as there are far more people in the world than names, that is often easier said than done." 

Scorpius steps up beside Albus and gives him a gentle nudge. "Um, hi!” he squeaks, trying not to be intrusive but far too aware that Dumbledore is right there. 

Dumbledore’s piercing blue eyes turn from Albus to Scorpius. “Ah. You must be Scorpius Malfoy. Now that is certainly a name you have complete control of.”

Scorpius’s heart is racing and he’s not sure he knows how to breathe anymore. He’s never had chance to speak to Dumbledore properly before. He gives him a little wave, then clasps his hands behind his back to try and keep them under control as he bounces on the tips of his toes. “It’s an honour to meet you, sir,” he says, very fast and very high-pitched, giving Dumbledore a half bow. 

“Likewise,” Dumbledore says, inclining his head in return. 

Not for the first time, Scorpius is thankful that Albus knows him so well, because as soon as he feels like he might collapse on the floor with excitement, a hand closes around his waist and holds him up. He pats Albus gratefully on the back, fans himself with his hand, and grins up at Dumbledore, so wide that his cheeks are starting to hurt. 

“Sir,” he says breathlessly, “I always wondered… The seventh use of Dragon’s Blood. Was that an accidental discovery? Because in your book, you said-" 

"Scorpius,” Albus mutters, nudging him. 

Scorpius nudges Albus in return and looks up at Dumbledore. 

“I suppose,” Dumbledore says, “if by accidental you mean that my elbow slipped and knocked the vial of Dragon’s Blood into the container of coagulant, thus forming the resultant elixir… then yes, I rather think it was an accident.”

“Wow!” Scorpius squeaks.

“Honestly,” Dumbledore continues. “I’m rather amazed it was never discovered before. My mistake was one anyone could have made.” His eyes sparkle as he smiles down at Scorpius. “But thankfully, I seem to have been the first person with both the skill to identify what had happened, and the brains to write it down succinctly.”

Scorpius feels like he’s about to explode. He’s never been so excited. A hundred questions pop into his mind all at once. “And when you-”

“Sir,” Albus says softly, cutting Scorpius off before he can get going on a tirade. “Um. I’m sorry, but we didn’t just come here to talk about your discoveries-" 

"As amazing as they were,” Rose adds diplomatically. 

“Right,” Albus agrees. “Well, we did actually have a question for you." 

Dumbledore surveys the three of them over the top of his half-moon glasses. "I’ll admit, I did think it a little… over-committed to break into the headmistress’s office in the dead of night, risking quite serious trouble, just to talk to me about Dragon’s Blood.” He smiles at them. “How may I help you?" 

Albus glances at Scorpius, then looks back at Dumbledore. "We’re looking for your Phoenix." 

"Fawkes,” Scorpius adds. 

Albus nods. “We need some Phoenix Tears, you see. We, um… there’s a potion. We’re brewing this potion, and we need Phoenix Tears for it. But Fawkes is the only one we know about, so…” he trails off, and Scorpius glances over to see him looking desperately up at the portrait. 

“We were wondering if maybe you would know where we could find him,” Scorpius finishes, with a hopeful smile.

Dumbledore sighs, some of the twinkle in his eyes fading as he shakes his head. “Alas, the thing you’ve come here to ask is something I do not know the answer to." 

"But you have to help!” Albus steps forward, and when he speaks his voice is tight, like he’s on the verge of tears. “Please, sir. If there’s anything you know at all… It’s for Scorpius. He’s sick. He might be dying, and this is the only thing that can help. We need this. We’re counting on you." 

He’s glaring at Dumbledore, shoulders squared, determined. Like he’s going to get the answers through sheer force of will and desperation. Scorpius has seen the force of Albus’s will reduce solid objects to dust, conjure Patronuses bright enough to make the sun look dull in the sky, and create concoctions that could kill a person or restore them to full health. He’s certain Albus could move mountains and part seas if he put his mind to it. But Dumbledore is the greatest wizard to have ever lived, and if anyone can say no to Albus then it’s him. 

Scorpius turns his back on the portrait, and on Albus, and digs his hands into his pockets. He doesn’t want to see his boyfriend’s terrible disappointment. His own is hard enough to deal with. 

McGonagall’s desk is littered with papers and books. There’s a diagram of the school there; all sorts of letters on official-looking parchment. There’s even one letter from St Mungo’s. A letter about him. Reporting his disappearance, and expressing deep concern for his wellbeing. 

He bows his head and scuffs the toe of his shoe on the floor. If this is it, if it’s all over, he doesn’t want to go back to St Mungo’s. Maybe he can come back to school for a bit before the end. Maybe he can go to his classes, eat in the Great Hall, curl up at night in Albus’s bed, everything he usually does, and just be normal for a few days. If he has to die anywhere, he’d rather it be here. 

"Well,” Dumbledore says from behind him, tone still light despite the gravity of the situation. “I may not know exactly where you can find Fawkes now, but I always did enjoy visiting the Hebrides. Admittedly, they were a little cold and wet on occasion, but the island of Jura in particular had some rather excellent mountains. They offer quite a spectacular view on sunny days, as I recall." 

Scorpius glances round to see Dumbledore beaming down at them now. Rose and Albus glance at each other, then they both look at Scorpius. 

Rose hesitates for a second, then looks back at the portrait. "So… you think Albus and Scorpius should go to this island?" 

"It’s the sort of place I think I would have liked to retire to,” Dumbledore replies, apparently ignoring the question. “Being remote enough that people would have had great difficulty contacting me, but also not being entirely inaccessible." 

"Phoenixes live in mountainous terrain, don’t they?” Albus asks quietly, glancing at Scorpius. Both he and Rose nod together, and Dumbledore smiles.

“Of course,” he says, eyes twinkling, “this is pure speculation. I don’t know exactly where Fawkes is. He could be in Egypt, or Tibet, or really anywhere. A visit to Jura may be a waste of time that you don’t seem to have. However, it may also be rather fruitful." 

"Go,” Rose murmurs, turning to the other two. “It’s the best we’ve got, isn’t it? And an island can’t be too big. It won’t take as long to search as if you were wandering randomly through the Highlands." 

"We’ll Floo to your house,” Albus says to Scorpius. “It’s big enough that even if your dad is there we’ll be able to sneak through without him seeing. And then once we get out, we can Apparate to this island.”

Scorpiis looks dubious. “It’s a bit of a long way from Wiltshire to the Hebrides. Have you ever Apparated that far before? I don’t think I have…" 

"I can do it,” Albus says, full of confidence. “I’ve been up there before so I know where I’m going. Once we’re there, we’ll find Fawkes and everything will be fine. Like you said, Rose, the island can’t be too big. We can do this.” He looks directly at Scorpius, and his eyes glitter with life and determination. “We can do this." 

It’s impossible not to believe him. "Alright,” Scorpius says. 

“Is there anything else I can help you three with before you set off on this daring adventure?” Dumbledore asks. 

Scorpius shakes his head. “No. Thank you, sir. It was a pleasure to talk to you." 

"The pleasure was all mine,” Dumbledore says, inclining his head politely to each of them in turn. “Now, I don’t wish to alarm you, but I think I can hear the stairs moving again. The Headmistress seems to be returning, and I think it’s time to take your leave. I wish you the best of luck." 

The next few seconds are pure chaos. Albus summons a pouch of Floo Powder from the depths of his backpack. Rose hugs him, and then Scorpius. She squeezes Scorpius tightly, and murmurs: "I’m going to see you again. I know I am.” Scorpius can’t find the words to reply, so he just squeezes her in return and closes his eyes against the sting of tears. 

A few seconds later, she releases him and starts shoving him towards the fire. He goes, because she’s impossible to argue with, but before he steps inside he catches hold of her hand. 

“Rose-”

“Go on,” she says, pushing him away. 

“Goodbye,” he says, one foot in the emerald flames, the other planted firmly on the hearth rug. 

She shakes her head. “See you later. Have fun.” She kisses him on the cheek, then she gives him one final push, and he steps into the fire.

His last glimpse of Hogwarts shows him Professor McGonagall bursting through the door into the office, and Rose turning resignedly to face her. 

—

“Miss Granger-Weasley,” Professor McGonagall thunders. Her tartan dressing gown swirls around her, and her hair is escaping from its severe bun. Somehow she looks even more intimidating this way, and Rose shuffles her feet and pushes an innocent smile onto her face as she blocks the fireplace from view. 

“Hi, Professor,” she says. 

McGonagall strides across the room. “It is the middle of the night and you are up here without permission. I hope you have an excellent explanation for this." 

Rose glances over her shoulder at the fire. The flames are now crackling their usual red and yellow again, no more emerald. The boys should be safe now. She shuffles a step to the side, trying to come up with a plausible lie.

"I was told,” McGonagall continues, “that there were three people up here.” She stops beside her desk and rests a hand on it. Somehow it lends her even more authority, and Rose struggles to hold the piercing gaze she’s now being fixed with. “I don’t suppose you would happen to know anything about that, would you?" 

"Th-three people?” Rose asks, trying to arrange her face into a surprised expression. “No, I don’t think so… Who were the other two people meant to be?" 

McGonagall removes her glasses and sets them down on the table, then she gestures at one of the seats opposite. "Sit down, Rose." 

Rose twists her hands together and drags her feet as she crosses to the chair. She perches on the edge of the seat, certain that absolutely nothing good can come from this conversation. Around the walls, every single one of the portraits is awake and watching them. Rose can feel the weight of their gaze on her. She straightens herself up and tries to look confident, like she belongs here. She tries to sit the way her mum does in meetings, tall and authoritative. When she glances up she meets Dumbledore’s eyes, and he gives her the briefest flash of a smile before fixing his gaze on McGonagall’s back. Somehow that smile gives Rose heart, and she lifts her chin and fixes her eyes on the headmistress. 

"I received this,” McGonagall says, picking a letter up from the desk. “From St Mungo’s.” She eyes Rose. “Do you know what it says?" 

Rose hesitates, then shakes her head, doing her best to look curious and a little apprehensive. "No. No, I don’t.”

“It says that Scorpius Malfoy has gone missing from his room." 

"Missing?” Rose gasps, letting her eyes go wide. “But how- But he might- Where has he gone?" 

"We don’t know,” McGonagall says, putting the letter back down. “All we know is that Scorpius and Albus were together this evening, in Scorpius’s room at the hospital, and about half an hour after they were last seen, they were discovered missing.”

“But that’s-” Rose shakes her head, and prays that she’s doing a good enough job here. “He was safe in St Mungo’s. He was getting better… Why would he run away? Why would Albus let him? I don’t understand…”

McGonagall folds her arms on the desk, leaning forward a little in her seat. “I was hoping that that might be something you could tell me.” She takes a breath and lowers her voice. Rose gets the impression that she’s trying her best not to sound suspicious. “I know that you are friends with Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy. I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything about their plans? Where they might be going? What they’re up to? I don’t suppose you would have met them in the school tonight to help them with anything?" 

"Met them here?” Rose asks, trying to sound surprised. “I don’t know- They were in the school? Tonight? I didn’t know! I would have-” She takes a deep breath and thinks about the sight of Scorpius spinning away in the emerald flames. It could be the last time she ever sees him alive. She already misses him. 

“I-I would have liked to see them,” she says, letting the emotion filter into her voice. She can’t really help it right now, and even if she could she wouldn’t because it’ll be more convincing this way. “I haven’t seen Scorpius properly in weeks.” There are tears stinging her eyes; she doesn’t blink them away as she looks up at Professor McGonagall, and she knows her eyes are sparkling with sadness in the candlelight. “I’ve missed not having him around.” A couple of tears spill down her cheeks, and she brushes them away hurriedly, making a show of sniffing and trying to hide how upset she is. 

Unfortunately, McGonagall doesn’t seem convinced. She gives a quiet sigh and sits back in her chair. “Rose, I understand you wanting to protect your friends. Your mother and father would have done the same. But this is a matter of life and death. Scorpius is in a very serious condition. He may well die if we don’t find him soon. So I will ask you again, whether you-" 

She breaks off as a whoosh of rushing wind starts up in the fireplace across the room. Emerald light flashes as the flames roar, and Draco Malfoy steps out, fists clenched, set with determination. 

"Where are they?” He asks, marching across the room. 

McGonagall stares at him, and Rose’s heart sinks. He knows they were here. One of the portraits must have told him. 

“Did you stop them?” He demands, walking right up to the desk. “Where are Albus and Scorpius?" 

McGonagall gets to her feet. "Draco, I thought you were at home.”

Draco points across the room at one of the portraits. “Phineas told me they were here, all three of them. That Scorpius was here. Are you telling me they’ve gone again?" 

McGonagall blinks at him, then turns her gaze on Rose. Piercing, and just a little bit terrifying. "Explain yourself." 

Rose looks between the two of them and know she’s trapped. "Okay,” she says, holding her hands up. “Okay. So maybe I heard they were in the castle. Someone spotted them outside the Great Hall, and this is the only fireplace you can get out of when everything’s locked down, so this is where I came.” She gives a little flourish of her hands, indicating the room around her. “I wanted to stop them. I thought I could- But they seemed so set on… I don’t know what they’re doing, but when they said they needed to get out of the castle… I had to help them! They’re my friends. And they told me that whatever it is they’re up to, that it might make Scorpius better.” She lets tears well up in her eyes again and sniffs. “I want him to be well. I want him to get better. I want my friend back." 

"You’re lying,” Draco snaps, drawing his wand. “You do know where they are. You’ve been working with them this whole time. If you helped them to escape-" 

"Draco!” McGonagall says indignantly. “Put that away. I won’t let you threaten my students.” She glares at Draco until he slips the wand back into his pocket, then she turns to Rose. “Miss Granger-Weasley. You are my Head Girl, and I know you understand the consequences of breaking the rules. You have already lied to me this evening, and if you do so again now you will be in very serious trouble. Do you understand that?" 

Rose swallows and meets McGonagall’s eyes, brushing a couple of tears from her cheeks. "Yes, Professor." 

"Good. In light of that, is there anything you wish to tell us about where we can find Scorpius and Albus?" 

Rose thinks very hard, then she shakes her head. She wipes her eyes on her sleeve and looks down at her hands, and she doesn’t have to fake the way they’re trembling. "N-no, Professor. I don’t know where they’ve gone.” It’s not a total lie. She doesn’t know exactly where they are now. They’re planning to go to Jura but if something goes wrong with the Apparition, or if they can’t make it the whole way in one go… they could be anywhere. 

McGonagall scrutinises her for a moment longer before straightening up and looking at Draco. “I saw no sign of them when I got here. If they came this way then they left before I returned." 

Draco turns his back on both her and Rose, shaking his head in disbelief. "What is the point of having the school on lockdown if they can still escape?" 

"My office was locked,” McGonagall says softly. “The only people trusted with the password are my fellow teachers and the Head Boy and Girl. Any other student wouldn’t have been able to get in." 

Draco turns to shoot Rose a venomous look. "Then perhaps you should rethink who you trust in positions of authority." 

Professor McGonagall’s eyes blaze with intense rage and her nostrils flare. "I understand, Mr Malfoy, that you are very upset, but that does not give you the right to question my judgement around matters to do with this school. I trust both Miss Granger-Weasley and your son to maintain the security of Hogwarts. We are dealing with exceptional circumstances here, and you should understand that Rose will be punished for this.”

“As she should be,” Draco mutters. 

McGonagall looks at Rose. “You will receive detention for this, and I will be writing to your parents.”

Rose nods and shuffles her feet. “Okay." 

"Do you understand the gravity of your actions?" 

Rose nods again. "Yes, Professor." 

"Good. Then you are dismissed for tonight. I will be in touch tomorrow to arrange your detention. Now get out of here, and go straight to bed. If I find that you’ve wandered any further tonight you will be in much deeper trouble." 

Rose nods for a third time and sprints for the door. 

As she hurries past Draco, something flutters out of one of her pockets and falls to the ground. She turns to pick it up, and realises, to her horror, that her grimy, tattered copy of the Moramortia recipe is lying face up on the ground. She reaches down to snatch it up, but Draco gets there first. 

He picks it up and is about to hold it out to her when he stops, eyes scanning the parchment. 

"What’s this?” He asks. 

“I don’t know,” she lies, and she can feel her cheeks burning. “I found it on the floor by the door when I was coming to find Albus and Scorpius, and I just… picked it up. I didn’t look at it." 

Draco looks at her, and Rose doesn’t understand how eyes the colour of ice can seem so much like they’re on fire. "You just picked it up?" 

She nods. "I thought it was rubbish, or… I don’t know.” She shrugs and twists her hands together. “Is it important?” She tries to keep her voice light and curious, and she hopes McGonagall and Draco can’t hear that it’s shaking. 

Draco looks at her for a long moment, then he glances down at it. Rose watches his eyes as they flicker across the paper. It’s like seeing two brooms collide in slow motion. The impending doom of it, knowing exactly how this is going to end, in pain and disaster, is awful. Draco is already pale, but by the time he looks up again he’s gone sheet white, and his hands are shaking as they grip the parchment. 

“Moramortia,” he says very quietly. “This was theirs. Albus and Scorpius’s. This is what-” He breaks off, holding the parchment out to McGonagall as he buries his face in one hand. 

McGonagall takes it from him, and as she reads her eyes go wide with horror. 

“This was on the floor?” She looks at Rose. “You picked this up?" 

Rose swallows and nods. "Yes, Professor." 

"This is what they think is wrong with him,” Draco says in a strangled voice. “With Scorpius. Not Astoria’s disease, but this- This awful thing.” He looks at McGonagall. “It says- it says it’s fatal." 

"Basilisk Fangs,” McGonagall murmurs, still reading. “That’s why they were here. They were in the Chamber, and now they’re… Where are they now?" 

"None of this means anything,” Draco spits in pure frustration. He pulls the parchment back to him, screwing it up as his fingers clench on it. “A sacrifice, a memory of love. These aren’t potions ingredients, they’re riddles. How is this supposed to help us find them?" 

McGonagall puts a hand on Draco’s arm but he pulls it away. He thrusts the parchment at her and starts pacing through the office, black robes swirling in a whirlwind of anger and misery. 

"Did you ever hear them talking about this?” McGonagall asks, gently smoothing the parchment out and looking at Rose. “Any plans? Anything at all?" 

"I don’t know,” she lies, digging her hands into her pockets. “I mean… Albus was working on Healing Potions a lot, but we were doing them in class, and he always has projects. I didn’t hear them talking about anything to do with running away, or…” she trails off, trying to sound helpless. “Why didn’t they tell me?” She asks forlornly. “I’m supposed to be their friend.” She sniffs and shakes her head, burying her face in her hands once more. 

“Rose,” McGonagall says kindly. “It’s been a long day. I think you should go to bed.”

Rose nods and draws in a gulping breath that she hopes sounds tearful. “Okay. Will you tell me if you find them? Please?" 

"Of course,” McGonagall says. “Goodnight, Rose." 

"Night Professor.” She looks at Draco, who has his back to her at the moment as he strides around the edge of the room. “Goodnight, Draco." 

She makes a show of wiping her nose on her sleeve as she walks to the door, but as soon as she gets through it she flees. Down the stairs, out past the gargoyle, and when she hits the corridor she starts running flat out, heart pounding in her chest.

Draco knows everything, or, almost everything. He knows about the illness, about the potion. He knows that Albus and Scorpius have been in the Chamber. But he doesn’t know about Jura. He doesn’t know where they are now. He doesn’t even know which ingredient they’re looking for. They still have an advantage, and now they need to keep it. 

One floor up from McGonagall’s office she slips into a bathroom and draws her wand. It’s dark and silent, apart from the constant dripping of a tap. The scudding grey clouds outside keep the moon at bay, so once the door has swung shut behind her, there’s no light for Rose to see by. But that doesn’t matter. She won’t be in the dark for long. 

She raises her wand in front of her, thinks of her mum and Hugo laughing at her dad’s jokes, and murmurs: "Expecto Patronum”. 

Immediately the bathroom is filled with blinding silver light, and she has to squint to see the pine marten standing on the edge of the sink, looking at her. 

“Hi,” she whispers, not daring to be any louder. It may be the middle of the night but this place is full of ghosts and teachers who could hear her. “I need you to take a message to Albus and Scorpius. They’ll be somewhere in Scotland. You’ll find them.” She takes a breath. “I need you to tell them… Tell them this: ‘Draco knows about the potion, but not where you are. Don’t do anything stupid, and be careful when you come back from Jura. Good luck!’” She pauses for a second, considering the message, then she nods. “That’s it." 

For a moment the pine marten looks at her, then it seems to understand that she’s done, because it springs lightly from the edge of the sink onto her shoulder. It brushes past her ear, like a breath of warm summer wind. She reaches up to touch it. 

"Thank you,” she tells it, and its tail curls briefly round her neck before it leaps from her shoulder and vanishes into thin air. She turns to follow it, but the bathroom is plunged back into darkness again and she can’t see anything at all, except the pattern of the tiles directly beneath her feet, and the faint grey glow of the moon through the clouds beyond the window. 

With a sigh she turns to the door, fumbles for the handle, and lets herself out. There’s nothing she can do now, except watch and wait, and hope that this doesn’t all go terribly wrong. 

Next chapter >

[kaitouhime1412-blog]

We are in 2017 and I’m still not over Lelouch and Suzaku’s fate.

We knew all along that Suzaku had the mentality “If you are going to take someone’s life you have to be ready to lose your own.”

But I personally never expected it from Lelouch. But in the end. He always was ready to die.He just didn’t want it to happen too early. So that every lives he took would count for something.

It doesn’t excuse what he did. what either of them did In anyway. But he was just a teenage boy, trying to undo what his father had done.Just like Suzaku killed his own father to stop the war and protect his peoples.Lelouch wanted to destroy his family's reign to protect everyone, especially Nunally whom he had taken care of his whole life.

And in the end both of those boys accepted their punishments. Lelouch died even though he had fought so hard to live, even though he knew he would never again see Nunally’s smile, would never see her grow up and fully knowing that no one would ever know what he had done for all of them and that is name would be cursed and slandered throughout history. And Susaku lived, even though he had so dearly wished to die, Suzaku lived, Wearing the mask of his most hated nemesis, with the blood of his father, best friend and countless others splattered across his hands.His own name further slandered and having to bite his tongue for the rest of his mortal life as peoples slandered Lelouch. Being the only one who knew what he had done for them.

I still wish to this day that someone else could have stepped up and uncovered the whole plot. Could have told everyone what those 2 stupid teenage boys were trying to accomplish. Could have revealed what they were about to do. That both of them were committing suicide in their names. And tell the world about what was done to them. Because I’m sorry, but using Lelouch as Julius Kingsley was absolutely abhorrent.

Both of them would never have been happy about it. Both of them would have felt guilty to live after killing so many themselves.And I wish everyone could have known how guilty they were.

I wish that Schneizel, Cornelia and Nunally could have run up to them and hugged them both. I wish that the world could have understood everything they had done for them. And found it in their heart to put their hatred aside to build the better world they had dreamed of without killing them. That they could have find it in their heart to punish him but in an humane and understanding way.

And beyond all.... I wish that the peoples knew what they did.... And Realized that they owed their peace to two teenage boys. Not to some over glorified monsters. Two teenage boys, whom both faced their families and friends in order to achieve peace. Two teenage boys who cast away everything that made them themselves. In order for the world to be at peace.

I wish that those teenage boys sacrificed their lives to create a symbol of hope in Zero. In order for their wish and to wish of every single ones of them, to be granted.

I wish that everyone could know the relief that Suzaku saw in Lelouch’s eyes just before his blade stabbed through him. The deliverance of knowing that at last, he would be freed from the guilt. That at last everything he had done to culminate to this point would have a meaning.

I wish that everyone could have seen the tears running down Suzaku’s cheeks and the determination in his eyes as he killed his best friend. The knowledge that with this act he was killing the last vestige of Suzaku Kururugi together with Lelouch Vi Britannia. That with this act he would forever be prisoner of the mask of Zero he had so hated.

Perhaps the worst part is that Suzaku had to live on with the pain of it. I wonder how many times he wished that he could have truly lied in his own grave or died by his friend’s side.

 “Beneath this mask there is more than flesh, Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."  

“There are no coincidences, only the illusion of coincidences” 

“People should not be afraid of their government, government should be afraid of their people.”

The past can't hurt you anymore, unless you let it.

“No one will ever forget that night and what it meant for this country. But I will never forget the man and what he meant to me. “

“Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot... But what of the man? I know his name was Guy Fawkes and I know, in 1605, he attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. But who was he really? What was he like? We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later, an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed first hand the power of ideas, I've seen people kill in the name of them, and die defending them... but you cannot kiss an idea, cannot touch it, or hold it... ideas do not bleed, they do not feel pain, they do not love... And it is not an idea that I miss, it is a man... A man that made me remember the Fifth of November. A man that I will never forget.”

“Delia Surridge: Is it meaningless to apologize?                                               V: Never                                                                                                          Delia Surridge: I'm so sorry”

“A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. Alone, a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the world.”

“It is to Madame Justice that I dedicate this concerto, in honor of the holiday that she seems to have taken from these parts, and in recognition of the impostor that stands in her stead.”

“V: What was done to me created me.  It's a basic principle of the universe that every action causes an equal and opposing reaction.                                         Evey: Is that really how you look at it?  Like an equation...?                                V: What was done to me was monstrous!                                                             Evey: And it created a monster...”

“It is strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years I had roses and apologized to nobody. I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish... Except one. An inch. It is small and fragile and it's the only thing in the world that's worth having. We must never lose it or sell it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I don't know who you are but I hope you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and things get better and that one day people have roses again. I don't know who you are but I love you. I love you.”

“Happiness is the most insidious prison of all, Evey”

“I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better.”

“But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that, even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you, I love you. With all my heart, I love you.”

“He was Edmond Dantes. And he was my father, and my mother, my brother, my friend. He was you, and me. He was all of us.”   - V for Vendetta        

May they all rest in peace at last. And may we all remember. Remember that ideas and wishes transcend time.

[gyromitra-esculenta]

Synchronicity 8

Finally <3 Fear!AU introducing FPS tropes, Abominations, and 1st character death (though not the one I was gunning for). Take your meds and stuff.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

(...)It was – it is – human, Jack realizes. And if there is one thing Jack knows, it is that killing humans is easy.(...)

(…)

And crimson can seduce and turn a district into sleepers

Infect a righteous leader with a case of scarlet fever

Now let that crimson rise within, begin to see red

Catch that surprise, crimson reveals, begin to seem red

(…)

The glass starts to give up under the fire, spider web cracks splintering slowly through the entire surface. Jack jerks when something bites into his forearm, pinpricks of claws feeling as if they broke the skin.

“Remember your training, Sunshine,” the Beast hisses with urgency and he scurries back and then up, towards the exit, turning back in the doorway only to open fire on the extinguisher mounted on the wall. A cloud of dense white dust spreads wide just as the glass shatters, covering his escape.

Two concussion grenades he had found earlier follow in short succession, two seconds apart, and Jack darts down the corridor, almost blindly. The first explosion blows the dust into the hallway behind him as he barrels through the door to the side, almost tripping on the steps when he stops on the barrier securing the staircase. The way up is blocked by the debris. Down is a risky jump, almost an entire flight of stairs is missing, and Jack does not hesitate to take a running start. He lands with a slight roll. Closes his eyes for a few calming breaths before he stands up and ducks into another corridor.

“Morrison,” Shrike calls him over the radio. “You need to hurry up. Blackwatch is going to bury this facility one way or the other. They are setting charges in the lower levels right now.”

Lena is not answering.

“The closest route?”

“Go forward then cut to your left. Some of the feeds are dead in the archives but that is to be expected after Fawkes’ group went through.” The mere mention of the name sends again phantom flashes of something crawling up his arm. “You are reading off the charts. With any luck, it will follow you.”

“It?” Jack spits out the question even if he knows the answer.

“Reaper.” Shrike disconnects.

“But then, Sunshine, she did always try our patience, didn’t she?” The Beast murmurs, its voice too tangible, and Jack stumbles, sight focused on his left palm where between his fingers weaves something black and oily, glistening – a pulsing mass of tendrils that split and come together like a living creature – yet cold and damp to touch. A slight lump is forming in the mass and ever so slowly it breaks up down the middle giving way to red – crimson – a strange eye gaping back at him. “Long time no see, Sunshine.”

“You are not real,” Jack whispers, continuing on the route given to him by Shrike. He feels like laughing. Like screaming. Like crying.

“Only as real as you yourself are, Sunshine.” A part of it travels up and coils around his neck once, twice, and then slithers to his cheek in a mockery of tender gesture – almost akin to a hand cupping his face. “Which isn’t saying much these days, is it?” A whimper escapes his lips.

“No, I guess it isn’t,” Jack answers through clenched teeth, all his muscles locking momentarily. Each step feels like he drags behind a dead weight above his limit. “Fuck. The pills…”

“Yes, Sunshine, your medication that you threw away so frivolously. Or did you?” With the next step, he hears a distinct rattle and panicked, leans on the wall, fingers frantically reaching for the pocket in his pants as he digs out the white plastic bottle. Jack unscrews the lid and shakes it over his sweating palm. Nothing. It’s empty. “I hear the withdrawal’s a bitch, Sunshine,” the Beast laughs derisively. Jack throws the bottle away, it bounces off the floor once, twice, and then rolls into a corner.

“What the fuck are you?”

The black mass recedes and slowly slides back under his collar, but Jack can still feel its invading presence.

“The question you should ask, Sunshine, is,” the Beast murmurs into his ear, “are you even still alive in there, under all those layers of lies you call yourself?”

Claws slowly ghost over his cheek and Jack turns, trepidation stabbing his insides, to stare into red eyes set in a discolored face of a dead body, the tissue shifting with the indiscernible soft sound of something crawling – like a chitinous whisper of an anthill swarming in the early spring sun. His teeth are chattering and his vision swims, capillaries bursting and then constricting with each thundering beat of his heart.

“Remember your training,” the Beast chuckles from afar.

His hands are coated in blood, fingers hurt where they grip the handle of the knife. He smells of smoke, soot, and ash. He stands before a body crumpled under the wall, almost mangled, face and throat torn up in a fashion that reminds him of a wild rabid animal.

And yet… and yet Jack knows it could not have been him because on the wall there is a bloody imprint where the body was thrown into it with enough strength to pulp it internally and force the blood out in showers where the flesh burst - skin stretched and torn like an old suit coming apart at the seams. Up, above, there are rusty red tracks on the plaster, almost like smeared and rushed handprints, leading up, into the pitch-black gap between the ceiling paneling.

His teeth are chattering and the blood on his hands refuses to crust mingled together with his own sweat he’s drenched in. He lacks the frame of reference to account for the missing time.

Down the corridor, in the gloom, something shuffles and howls.

“Run,” the Beast orders and Jack obeys. The creature follows, the meaty thuds of bare flesh on polished floors marking its impending progress with obscene slapping behind him. “Left.”

He dashes accordingly along the wall, the thing behind him closer and closer, its ragged breath joining his own in unison. Jack grips over his shoulder for the rifle and feels a momentary panic bubbling up when the shape is just wrong in his hands.

“Right now, Sunshine.”A shotgun. He checks the chamber, loaded, and then looks up, the creature just steps away from him. Dead end, reinforced door bolted shut. Too little space to maneuver. On the side, there are slanted windows behind a metal railing, angled like an observation dome. One is broken, jagged splinters glinting with each sway of his head.

Jack feels joints in his leg crunch with violent protest when in the middle of the run he plants the foot forcefully on the ground and then launches himself to the side, turning in the air, right through the hole. One of the crystalline edges grazes his arm leaving angry pain in its wake.

The creature rounds the turn and leaps after him. He fires falling. Its head bucks back, bits and pieces of flesh and bone flying to the side and up, the muscles tense for a fraction of a second and then it goes flaccid.

He hits something with his back hard enough to drive the air from his lungs and tumbles to the ground gracelessly. The monstrosity lands halfway between his legs with a wet meaty squelch, one hand on his shin, and he kicks it off. It’s vaguely human, emaciated – ribs visible under taut skin, arms strangely long and fingers curled like claws. Jack inhales slowly. Doesn’t feel like anything broken, the pain in his spine blunted to a dull ache, not a hot point of suffering it was immediately after the impact.

There are charts and screens all over the room, several of them still working, information displayed demanding immediate attention judging by blinking red. Something sparks above. A wet drop hits his cheek and Jack wipes it off with fingers, sticky substance slightly brighter than the blood already on his hands.

Slowly, he lifts himself off the ground. An operating theatre. He knows instinctively he doesn’t want to turn around. The edge of the stainless steel table digs into his back, aggravating the already forming bruise. His hands are trembling, lax on the shotgun.

Then, with a low growl, something tackles him from the side, and he slides on the broken glass, twisting, bringing the gun up braced sideways in both arms to serve as a guard as teeth crack together audibly in front of his eyes.

It’s the same type of creature, but now Jack can see all the different details. Its face is bloodied, the lips and eyelids are cut or torn off. It snarls clawing for his face and he bucks under it kicking, left hand reaching for its neck and the dark sludge surges upwards like a gravity-defying trickling stream of oil from under his cuff. The creature howls flinching back when it touches its bared skin.

It was – it is – human, Jack realizes. And if there is one thing Jack knows, it is that killing humans is easy.

His right hand goes for the knife and he stabs the blade under its chin, then twists it to the side and drags it down through its trachea. Hot blood pours on his face as it convulses over him and Jack casts it off to the side with a jerk, then crawls to a safe distance away.

It stills soon. The glass crunches under his soles when he comes closer to admire his work.

A large hand comes to rest on his shoulder.

“Good job, my friend,” Reinhardt agrees. “But this is not the end, you know it.”

“No. Just the beginning.” Jack nods. There is a sink in the corner. He can use it.

“He needs you for his vengeance, and it is indeed righteous. You have to help him have it.” The man laughs lightly.

“Probably because I’m batshit crazy already.”

“That I do not know, my friend.”

Jack closes the distance to the operating table that now seems more like a butcher’s slab and slides closed the eyelids over Reinhardt’s glassy eyes staring emptily into space above. He feels nothing. It must be shock.

His reflection drenched in blood in the mirror above the sink stares back at him, eyes almost shining, and the black pulsing tendrils creep out from under his collar, join together and form a wriggling mass that gives way to a single crimson eyeball set snuggly within it.

“This look suits you, Sunshine,” the Beast hisses affectionately. Jack turns on the tap and with gratitude splashes cold water on his face, washing off the blood. He scrubs his hands, and the knife.

He feels nothing but this dark purpose and the Beast is riding in his skin.

[ejmcmoon]

HP and the Birthday Weekend: HBP Reaction

So I’ve been doing reactions for Freeform’s HP marathon. Freeform is skipping OotP, so here’s HBP (stupid Freeform). If you don’t want spoilers, don’t read.

Poor Harry. He looks so sad while his picture’s being taken. Poor kid needs a break.

I’ve always found it weird that the Death Eaters can fly without brooms. In the books, only Voldy and Snape can do it. Here it seems like they just add it for flashy effects.

Lol Dumbles is like “Forget the pretty girl and take my arm.”

Slughorn is so damn Extra. He fucking destroyed the place so that it looks like he’s already attacked. What a drama queen.

“I do love knitting patterns” Dumbledore is the embodiment of gay stereotypes and I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

YASSS the twins’ joke shop!

“How much is this?” “Five galleons” “How much for me?” “Five galleons” “I’m your brother” “Ten galleons” I LOVE THESE TWo

When Fenrir Greyback almost saw the trio spying on the Malfoys in Borgin&Burkes, I got literal CHILLS

GINNY’S SO CUTE WITH HER PYGMY PUFF

Honestly,  I don’t understand why Romione (especially Ron) don’t think Malfoy is a death eater. After all the animosity between them and Malfoy, I think they’d be a little suspicious Malfoy.

DRACO STOP BEING A BITCH

Lo Flitwick is being petty af 

Luna’s great. “No but I’ve done several toes. How different can they be, really?”

Hermione gets mad at Ron for eating while  Harry’s missing, but honestly I would be too. It’d be more like stress eating, but still.

Draco looks so depressed my poor bby

Minnie ain’t got time for that slacking off shit lmao. Also, I feel so bad for Ron. People always sideline him for Harry

OMGS SEAMUS IS StILL BLOWING UP SHIT

Okay, but the potions lesson scene is the one time where Hermione’s hair is as frizzy as should be. Smh

Ugh, NO DUMBLES. Harmione is NOT a thing. It’s all about Hinny and Romione.

I really wish they’d shown more of Voldy’s memories. They were really important plot points.

Whose decision was it to make Draco consistently have a green apple? Not that it’s bad but I’d just like to know which department instigated the Drapple fandom.

“SHUT IT” The one part where Movie Ginny acted like she was SUPPOSED TO

Why you little snitch Ron. Harry’s relationship with his book is very intimate and personal (Jk I love Ron.)

Ron jfc. Ginny can snog whoever she wants to

“What if she saw you here snogging me? Would you expect her to get up and leave?” Hermione you sly mofo.

Aww look at Hermione wrapping her arms around her boys

Katie NUUUUUU

“Why is it when something happens, it is always you three?”  Because they’re protagonists and shit must always hit the fan around them

“How grand it must be to be the chosen one” Would you like some fries with that salt, Sev?

“She’s got nice skin” YES SKIN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KISS

“Hermione’s got nice skin” Lol they’re both WHIPPED

Belby devouring his desert like a caveman is my aesthetic and mood whenever ice cream is in the vicinity

Good job Harry just abruptly stand up and making A HUNDRED TIMES MORE AWKWARD

Ron why are you acting all condescending?! She low-key asked you to the dinner party!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Luna’s lion hat?

YAS GINNY YOU FLY THAT BROOM LIKE A BAMF

Damn the Weasleys are on fire today

“You didn’t put it in. Ron only thought you did” Yes because Harry is slick af and also Slytherdor af.

“I think this room’s taken” Yes now gtfo. Also, I hate how Lavender was black but they made her white when she had any huge significance to the story

“But I am the chosen one” *slap* Come on Hermione let the boy have some confidence. Hitting him is a bit abusive

LOL when Cormac threw up on Snape’s shoes I was like, “Boi you’re fucked.”

Wow Lavender is so extra. She has good writing on foggy windows skills, tho. Mine usually turn out really ugly

I wish she’d (Ginny) fed him a canary cake and then he turned into a canary. And ugh Ron is such a cockblock.

Ugh they fucked up all of the ships in this movie? All of the Hinny scenes were awkward as hell and Ronks wasn’t even canon during that burrow scene.

Speaking of the Burrow scene, I think it’s cool, but they could’ve taken it out to include scenes like Voldy’s other memories, Hinny scenes that aren’t bullshit, tc.

Also, Ginny wouldn’t have just been STANDING there letting Harry defend her. She’d’ve hexed those Death Eaters into next week!

“Excuse me while I go and vomit” I’d wanna vomit too Mione

Oh gods here comes the scene where Harry is so unbelievably not smooth about asking Slughorn for the memory. Prepare for a massive cringe attavk.

“Is that what you told Tom Riddle, sir?” WHY ARE YOU SUCH AN IDIOT HARRY???? LIKE FUCK

“The map’s wrong” THE MAP NEVER LIES HERMIONE

“They [the cauldron cakes] were lying on your bed. I thought I’d try one.” Oh Ron your love for food is gonna be the death of you.

Rupert’s acting like he’s wasted is spot on. OMGS when he hugs Slughorn, tho!!!

Gods Slughorn is such an incompetent teacher. DON’T JUST STAND THERE DO SOMETHING GOSH DAMMIT

“And for the record, I’ve always found him interesting” We know Mione we know.

Ugh wonderful the Sectumsempra scene is close. Harry does so many things that give me second-hand embarrassment in this movie.

What I don’t get is how Lav is at a different table when she’s in Gryffindor. They could’ve had her sit at the Gryffindor table for the trio’s in sync judging stare

OH NO THE SCENE’S COMING

NO HARRY DON’T DO IT YOU BLOODY IDIOT

UGHHHHHHHHHHH

“Did you and Ginny do it then?” “What?” “Hide the book?” *wiggles eyebrows* They did more than that

Ugh why did he drink the whole damn bottle of liquid luck? He was supposed to save it for Ginny and the trio!

On the other hand, Harry being high and cocky af is the best thing!

“How on earth did you get out of the castle?” “Through the front door”

“Harry!” “Sir!”

Aww Hagrid bby don’t cry #ProtectHagrid2k17

Wow Slughorn and Hagrid are so fucking drunk.

Hey at least they included the fish story! That was super cute and feels destroying. Damn this scene tugs at my heart strings. 

WHY WOULD A FORBIDDEN SUBJECT BE FOR HYPOTHETICAL USE???? (I mean unless you’re writing a book, but that doesn’t apply here) I love Slughorn and think he’s an interesting character, but fuck he’s so dense

YES THEY ACTUALLY EXPLAINED THAT THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENT ISN’T ON THE MAP. They should’ve included it on the DVD! This would’ve made Ron’s line about Mione saying that in DHpt2 make so much more sense. Ugh this movie has so many plot holes it physically hurts

“Has it ever crossed your brilliant mind that I don’t want to do this anymore?” For once I agree with Snape. Dumbles is a manipulative asshole.

Okay, so in the books when Sumbles and Harry get to the cliff they swim across the sea or ocean or whatever to get to the cave. And I guess they skipped that part, but still had it happen? So how tf did they swim across it here? The water is way too strong? Apparition maybe?

THAT BOAT LOOKS HEAVY. Why make Harry pull it out all by himself?! You’re a wizard, Dumbledick! Use magic!

Dumbledore yelling that it’s his fault breaks my heart now that I know the context. Like, yeah, he’s an asshole, but poor guy. It’s so tragic.

“Don’t worry, sir. We’re almost there.”  “I’m not worried, Harry. I’m with you.” Oh the fucking irony.

The added choir scene is so haunting

NO DRACO DON’T DO IT DON’T LET THEM IN

The way Snape walked in gave me GOOSEBUMPS. And “Severus...please.” UGH MY HEART

Nooooo! Hagrid’s cabin! What about Fang?!

So Harry just walked in Dumbledore’s office and ARE THOSE LEMON DROPS ON DUMBLEDORE’S DESK??? FTW!

Ugh I hate how Ron’s in the background for most of the last scene. He’s a part of the trio too!

Aww Fawkes don’t make me cry! Great now I’m emotional.

So overall HBP is my least favorite movie adaption because of how sloppy it is. But damn that ending scene got to me.

I’ve had loads of fun doing these. I guess I’ll both DH movies tomorrow and then OotP on Monday. Later!

[phoebeboard]

DSA: Act 3, Scene 1

RADA Preliminary Audition

Starting with RADA was, in the end, probably a good idea. However, I did come out of it feeling as though it would have been nice to do my first audition there with a clearer idea of what I was doing. Just because I like it there so much.

Everything I did on the audition day was deliberately planned, to avoid getting too stressed. A combination of planning my outfit the night before, getting to London two hours early, knowing where to go (pretty much), strategic timing of my anxiety meds, eating wisely, leaving problems at home, and not rehearsing were all meant to limit the chances of last-minute nerves. On the whole, this was successful.

I took my mum with me, because London alone is pretty scary, and she insisted on killing time by going to the British Library so she could do something or other, so I busied myself with their museum of all the really impressive stuff they have there like a book of Jane Austen’s own writing and a Shakespeare first edition and Bach’s hand-written well-tempered clavier. They had some sort of event on, to do with Harry Potter and mythology or something, and there were images of Fawkes the phoenix everywhere. Since Phoenix is a nickname I use, and so far have associated it with good luck, I took that as a sign that things would go well. I mean, a kid was even walking around with a stuffed phoenix toy, and even though there was a bunch of HP merchandise, that was the only thing I actually saw anyone with.

Co-incidence? I think not.

Anyway, we finally got there, and CAN I JUST SAY there is one entrance to RADA on one street, then you follow that street up and round the corner there is a giant Waterstones, and then turn the corner again and there is another entrance to RADA. I mean, I might be able to study somewhere that close to loads of books? Yes please.

So, first of all, I went in the wrong door. We weren’t sure which side was where we were supposed to go in, and we chose the bigger door. Apparently, it was the smaller door. So a lovely person at the café area told me to basically walk right through the middle of the building and use a button to ask the reception guy to let me in. Fortunately, this meant I didn’t actually have to introduce myself to the guy at reception face to face, he just asked what my name was and handed me a sticker with “RADA Audtions” on it which flat out refused to stick to my jumper.

There was one other girl in the waiting area and THANK GOODNESS I actually went over and had the guts to sit next to her, because we talked for a fair majority of the 1/2hr I was waiting there. She, and another girl that sat with us, had both auditioned at RADA once before and were both working in a planned gap year now after being at school the year before. We talked about other schools and what we were doing at the moment and secondary schools and all kinds of things.

One thing I discovered was that if you talk about some of the things you might need to bring up in the audition with other auditionees, it actually helps you loosen up about the interview questions. Don’t try to intimidate them, but the kinds of responses you get from them about stuff you’re doing or stuff you want to tell the panel kinda helps you feel more confident about saying them later.

Eventually, when everyone had arrived, we were lead off to a room I swear I’d already seen in a picture during my research (this is why looking for pictures of the school helps!) only there was an unexplained bed at one end of the room, and a big table in the middle for us to sit round. The woman who brought us there said her name really fast, so I missed it, but I think she would probably have been the person who sent out the emails. Anyway, she talked for a while about the audition process, handed us our forms, got us to write our audition pieces on the sheet added to the back, and got us to check everything on the forms was in order. Then she seperated them into two piles and said each group would be in a different building for their audition.

The number of people we had was pretty unusually small. There were four in one group (including the two girls I’d been chatting with), and three in the other (including me). The first group were wisked away by a runner (a graduate of the school) pretty quickly but it was about half an hour before myself and the other two remaining auditionees were picked up. This was another talking opportunity, which I lapped up. Any chance to make friends before the audition starts is 100% worthwhile. We made jokes, discussed pieces, auditioning in general, where we lived… etc. I was pretty glad they thought I was older than 17, when we discussed concerns about being called “too young”, because at least if I seem older to them then that’s one more point towards having enough maturity to be considered for the course. Again, these chats build confidence, because everyone is just like you. In fact, they were ALL younger than I expected, and just as excited and nervous as me.

When we were FINALLY brought to the Chenies St building, we were brought upstairs and into a long narrow corridor with a couple of fold-out seats (which I went for straight away, as my audition was going to be the third and last one). We were there for a good half-hour again, partly because there were only three of us so the panel was taking their time. Another girl came out of her audition pretty soon after we arrived, and she was buzzing about how nice they are (just as everyone else was). Loads of students of the school were also in and out of the door at the other end of the corridor and many of them said “good luck”.

My favourite experience of that was this one guy who came right up to us and said, “They’ve seen a lot of shit people today, and they are tired. They don’t want to see shit people. Just don’t be shit, and you’ll be fine. You’ll do great.” Whoever that guy was, he has given me the advice on which lies the foundations of every audition I do from now on. Thank you, kind stranger.

The first audition of the three of us was a really lovely bubbly girl with short black hair, and she seemed excited but that familiar expression of “what the hell am I doing” was most definitely in her eyes. We waited patiently for it to be over, and when it was, she came out smiling and proud of herself. She was another one of the many who said how lovely the panel were (one of whom had actually come down the corridor earlier) and she wished us luck, so I wished her luck on her results and before I knew it, the next person had gone and I was the only one left.

Being alone for a moment helped a lot because I was able to focus in peace, not worry about what anyone else thinks, and just make sure I was confident and ready to go. The wife of the guy on the panel came up to me while I was standing there, actually, and she told me her husband would be really nice to me which was nice of her. I was called in soon after, and the confidence in my walk was really unexpected.

The panel reached out to shake my hand, and so I shook theirs and smiled as they introduced themselves. There was a woman and a man, both of whom were very attentive and kind. They offered me a seat in front of them and I can’t for the life of me remember what they asked but they asked a couple of questions before I started as well as after the monologues. 

The monologues were fine, although there were obviously things I couldn’t do as well as I wanted to. I was un-nerved by how much my Leah monologue dragged after a while, and so I made a little more of some of the pauses just to try to regain interest. I’m not sure if it worked though. I am proud of what I did, but I know it wasn’t my best, and yet I also know I was fully immersed in the characters and that is the most important thing.

Afterwards, I sat back down to answer more interview questions at their request, and touched on the fact that I was going to Hamilton (which was absolutely amazing), I was able to talk about Tartuffe and the theatre I performed at which was certainly beautiful and one of the panel seemed familiar with the village it was in so we discussed that. I said my A Levels were going well, without a second thought, but I realised I wasn’t being completely honest so I explained that it’s still possible to get an A* or something but that it’s not my priority anymore. I think they understood that. I also said I was applying for RCS and LAMDA, and I got the dreaded “what actors are your favourite?” question, to which I had prepared a pretty well-thought-out response with a few examples of actors whose kind of work impresses me and has impacted me as an actor but pointed out that they don’t on their own represent the variety of actors I admire. They mentioned the fact that the Leah monologue was “dangerously long” and advised me to actually cut it down for future auditions. They actually said they chose not to stop me part way through because they understand how helpful it is to get to the emotional end of the piece but warned me I won’t always get that treatment. I thanked them, and will definitely be taking that advice now that I have a bit of time before I’ll be using it again.

I can only hope that my answers reflected how much work I put into researching possible interview questions, and how much I want and perhaps even deserve a place. I also hope that the feeling I got of being firm and confident in everything I said was actually something that they saw, and that it actually benefitted the success of the audition.

I left smiling, feeling confident and prepared to face whatever comes next. My other auditions are still pretty far off, but I may hear back from RADA quite soon. Whatever happens, this has been a really useful experience, one that I will make use of regardless of whether I get a rejection or recall this year.

[elliotthezubat]

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 104

more monte cristo stuff and the agency gains a new member!

[[cont from part 103]]

 Francesca: *looking at photos on the walls* <...I see where you get your eyes.> *points to one photo of a child with Valentine's grandparents--who are also much younger in the photo*

valentine: ^///^; aww...

Francesca: *sad smile* <Sorry. I know you didn't...>

valentine: it's fine, fran, really.

Francesca: "..." *shudders, holding onto herself*

valentine:...fran? are you ok?

Francesca: *shakes her head* <I-I see how well you get along with them...and I miss him...>

valentine:....*hugs*

{*a little girl smiles as her father enters...he's in a military uniform*}

{Fran: <Daddy!>}

{fran's father: *hugs her* <hello, sunshine.> ^^}

{Fran: <Hee hee...Daddy hasn't shaved!>}

{fran's father: <oh my, seems i forgot> ^^; }

{Fran: <Go shave before Mommy gets upset!>}

{fran's father: <ok, sunshine, i will.>}

Francesca: <...> *holds onto Valentine*

-elsewhere-

Joker: *smoking on the roof, looking out at Amaterasu*

nana: .....

Joker: *points* "Don't go near that place..."

nana: ....someone died there, didnt they?

Joker: "..." *nods* "Lot of people..."

nana:.....do you remember your mom and dad?.....i only remember my mom....she left and never came back for me....it's because of what i am, wasnt it?

Joker: "...Beats me what happened to my parents. But given what I know of the Shadows, I wouldn't blame your mom...If she came back, the Shadows wouldn't let her have you."

nana:.......i wish she would....but i know she wont....

Joker: "...Sorry."

nana: ....if i wasnt born romani, i wouldnt be here....

Joker: "It's not fair, is it?"

nana: *sniff*

Joker: "..." *pat on shoulder* "I'm sorry, kid..."

nana: 7~7

Joker: "Just let it out..."

nana: *gross crying*

Joker: "..." *hug*

nana: !!!!

Joker: "I'm so sorry for what they put you through..."

nana: ........

Joker: "It can get better..."

nana: how?

Joker: "Find something you want to do to make this world better."

nana:....

-elsewhere-

stocking: *enters, looking exhausted*

Kid: "Welcome home...Tired?"

stocking: *walks past him and flops face first onto the bed, groaning into the mattress*

Kid: ._.; "..." *sits on the side of the bed, rubs her lower back gently*

stocking: *pleased groan*

Kid: "Rough day?"

stocking: *responsive grunt*

Kid: "I'm sorry...Just rest. Can I get you anything?"

stocking: i demand cuddles. =3=

Kid: "..." *lies down, holds her*

stocking: *purrs* can i lay my head on your lap?

Kid: ^^; *sits up, letting her head rest on his lap*

stocking: =///w///= *purrs*

Kid: *strokes her head* "So cute~"

stocking: hehe~<3 u/////u

Kid: *hums*

-elsewhere-

heloise: ......

Villeforte: <You took your time getting home...>

heloise: ...<traffic was terrible.>

Villeforte: *spots her shopping bag* <But not so bad to waste more money on cosmetics...>

heloise: <is that so wrong?>

Villeforte: <...Valentine is at her grandparents tonight. Did you put down Edourard for his nap?>

heloise: <of course i did!>

Villeforte: <?! ...Thank you. I have some work to finish...> *turns away on his cane*

heloise: ......*glares* *heading upstairs to her room* ......*unpacking her bag and looking at one bottle*

*it looks like a liquid...labeled 'brucide'*

heloise:....

{Fawkes: <Brucide?>

{heloise: <yes. i can offer you any ammount of money you'll take for it.>}

{Fawkes: <...What do I need money for? Besides, it's a common enough medicine--I'm sure a physician could write you a prescription...>}

{heloise: ..... }

{*behind Fawkes are different insects in glass cages*}

{heloise: !!! <what are those ghastly things?!> }

{Fawkes: <...Bugs. You know? Insects?>}

{*one seems to be on fire...*}

{heloise: ?! }

{Fawkes: *sighs* <These things--> *taps the glass* <--may clue us into why humans are blowing up.>

{heloise: <these?>}

{Fawkes: <Yes, these...Between you and me, I think they turn humans into those Infernals.>}

{heloise:.....<how dreadful...>}

{Fawkes: <Indeed...That's why we need to learn how they can cause that in humans...to stop it, of course...> *turns his back to her, while he adjusts something on the cages...*

{heloise:.... *glances at a bottle* }

{Fawkes: *still turned away from her...*}

{heloise:....*takes the bottle*}

{Fawkes: "..." *smiling while she's not able to see him*}

heloise: (im amazed how i managed to get away with it so easily... oh think of what i can do with that money. vacations in milan, penthouse in new york, and then....) *thinking about wilmore* =w= hehehehe.....

{Wilmore: *strokes her face* <Such soft skin...>}

heloise: *drooling*

-elsewhere-

Dumas: *shudders*

marquis: ?? <is something wrong?>

Dumas: O~O; <...Did someone leave the window open? I felt a chill...>

-elsewhere-

Aizawa: "...This means keeping the location secret even more important..."

nezu: indeed.

Aizawa: "You briefed Kan yet?"

nezu: indeed i have. the buses will take different routes to the location.

Aizawa: "What did background checks on the bus drivers turn up?"

-elsewhere-

Twice: "Okay, so, according to the Internet, a typical human can lose 3 pints of blood before dying..."

himiko: take two pints, got it.

Dabi: -_-# "They only take _1 pint_ when you _donate it_..."

himiko:....one and a half pints, got it.

Twice: *slides the panel on the door* "Hello! Please put your arm through here!"

Queen: *curled up in the corner* "..."

himiko: queeeeeeeniiiiiiie~ we'll give you a cookie if you doooooo~

Queen: "..."

himiko: owo want me to come on in? OK! *goes in* wanna talk about crushes? OwO

Queen: *gets up, back to the wall, assuming a fighting pose*

himiko: aww, she wants to play! ^^

Dabi: "We're not supposed to cause undue harm..." *takes out a rag* "Let's just knock her out..."

-elsewhere-

Stevi: *still 'wearing' Reina's face* "No luck finding her...Damn...They hide in public, no one spotting them...Inside person...Spies...Whole plan they have going..." *mutter mutter...*

reina: ._.;;;;

Stevi: "...I made it awkward..." *reverts, to their faceless appearance* *their voice seems to come out of nowhere* <Is this better?>

reina: ^^;

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: "Wash up."

sonia: ok papa.

miyuri: ok! ....how do you wash dishes? owo;

Chuuya: "..." *gets the step-stool*

miyuri: *watching*

Chuuya: "First, use a fork or paper towel to brush the big food off into the trash can..."

miyuri: *nods*

Chuuya: "Then we take one drop of dish soap...to scrub the plate clean."

miyuri: ooooh!

sonia: ...*smile*

Chuuya: "Right...Make sure to scrub the rough greasy spot..."

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: "Be careful."

gin: we will.

Tachihara: "I promise, nothing bad will happen to me."

naoya: i got you guys covered. ^^

Akutagawa: *nods* "Thank you...Give them hell."

-elsewhere-

Mantis: -^- "At least he paid us...but that Church fiasco..."

nailfile: no shit.

izzy:....

Lust oni: "What's wrong, Izzy?"

izzy: just...still annoyed is all.

Lust oni: "D'aw, that's too bad, sweetie...That clown man bother you?"

izzy: not him....it's burns that's pissing me off....

Lust oni: "??? The Church?"

izzy: he went full name basis on me. and THEN he had to bring up those fucks from haijima. like, FUCK, let me live my damn life in peace already!

Lust oni: "You're right--it's not fair...Want to kidnap him?"

izzy: nah, it aint really worth it.

Lust: >w> "...Could I~?"

izzy: ....

-gunshots from outside-

izzy: the fuck?

Mantis: "?!" *grabs a knife...*

-silence-

-the door then is shot into the room at high force-

izzy: !??!

nailfile: what the hell?!

hirotsu: good evening. i hope you dont mind us dropping in.

Tachihara: "We're just in for the drink special..."

hirotsu: and i believe you're in our seats.

izzy: tch- _your_ seats? just who the hell are you anyway?

Tachihara: "The people who control this bar, this port--" *aims his pistol at Izzy's head* "--and soon this town..."

izzy: *whistle* well arent you cocky.

Tachihara: "I don't like to brag..." *wink*

Lust oni: o\\\w\\\o

Mantis: "Nuts to that! We're the Hell Blaze Gang!"

hirotsu: so we've heard. tell you what, we'll give you two options, the first being leave now without any troubles.

izzy: and if we refuse?

hirotsu: then it wont be pleasant for you.

Gin: "..."

Mantis: *bug hiss*

izzy: really....well then gramps....*holds up her dice* wanna gamble with fate?

Gin: "???"

izzy: *drops the dice, which releases a smoke screen*

Gin: -_-;

Tachihara: *covers his mouth...*

izzy: *PUNCH*

Tachihara: *knocked down* "OW, MY NOSE!"

Gin: "?!" *aims...tosses--*

Mantis: *catches*

Gin: "?!!"

Mantis: *throws--*

Gin: *dodges, leaps behind overturned table*

Waitress: "FUCK THIS! THE TIPS AREN'T WORTH IT!" >~<

Tachihara: *shooting at their table*

Mantis: *sneaking on Tachihara through the smoke...tackles Tachihara, dragging him into the smoke*

Tachihara: "SHIT!"

hirotsu: !!!

nailfile: *lunches*

hirotsu: *dodges and grabs her by the arm and throws her*

nailfile: GAH!

Gin: *pulls out something from her jacket*

naoya: BEHIND YOU!

Gin: *tosses the kunai over her shoulder, and the bomb at their table*

-FWSSHHHH-

Lust oni: *coughing* "Ugh!"

Gin: "Naoya, close the exit..."

naoya: got it!

Lust oni: *frowns* "Oh, no you don't!" *stiffens their body--which becomes engulfed in flames*

naoya: !!!!!

Lust oni: *runs at Naoya*

Gin: "Naoya!" *finds the extinguisher ball, tosses--*

-nice catch-

-TOSS-

*sonic vibrations shake around Lust, their flames going out as they cover their ears*

Izzy:  mantis, get in there!

*from the lingering smoke, Mantis's blade flies out--it pins Gin to the wall by her sleeve*

Gin "?!" *ripping at the sleeve*

*looks like Mantis is emerging from the smoke behind Izzy*

izzy: took you long enough-

*a sound of the safety being taken off a gun is heard, its muzzle at the back of Izzy's head, and a knife put in front of her neck from behind*

izzy: ?!?!

???: "Now, then...How 'bout giving us back our table?"

*Tachihara, wearing Mantis's clothes, stands behind Izzy*

izzy: you little shit...

Mantis: *punched, collapsed without his clothes on the floor* X~X

Tachihara: "Hee hee..."

-elsewhere-

Kid: "Zzz..."

stocking: *snuggles*

Kid: =w= *sleep snuggle*

stocking: love you kiddo~

Kid: "Love you, Stocking..."

-morning-

naho: =~=;;;

Sakuya: "What's wrong?"

naho: just got into a ship war with some person online last night. =3= kinda in a sour mood.

tsubaki: want us to call your friends over?

naho: *nods*

Sakuya: "That should be fun..."

Black Star: "..."

naho: yeah, i know maki's wisdom and naomin's open-mindedness will cheer me up!

Black Star: "Good attitude!"

-elsewhere-

Gin: "One torn sleeve...Not terrible."

higuchi: im just glad you didnt get hurt to bad. *sewing the sleeve*

Gin: "Likewise. Now to be ready for their inevitable counter-attack..."

higuchi: yeah....im still worried about the rats to be honest....

Gin: *nods* "Even with the pardon, they could be anywhere...We'll need new security."

higuchi: and allies...

-elsewhere-

Lucy: *doing push-ups*

kirako: *reading the paper*

-more ability users appearing from the woodwork! could it be the fallout of the death city mist incident?-

Tanizaki: "Scary stuff..."

kirako: i guess those abilities had to go _somewhere_ if not to their original owners...

Lucy: *finishes* *pants* "But...could you imagine that? Like, if my Anne went to someone else? Or if Tanizaki's did?"

Tanizaki: "..." ("Or if I got mine...")

kirako: it would be quite scary.

Lucy: "Y-Yeah..."

Tanizaki: *looking dour*

yosano: or if i got some other ability entirely.

Dazai: "Good morning, everyone--" *he's in a furry tiger suit*

kirako: .....

ranpo: cool pjs.

Tanizaki: O_O;

Dazai: "Thankee!"

atsushi:....im gonna take a nap in the clinical room now.

Lucy: -_-# "I find this offensive and will kick your butt down the street..."

Kunikida: *hears Lucy* "..." *single tear*

fukuzawa: before you do that, we got a case.

Tanizaki: "O-Oh?"

fukuzawa: it seems a middle aged man in the suburbs has recently awakened an ability and refuses to leave his room. his wife contacted us in hopes we could convince him to leave the building.

Lucy: "Oh, like Mr. Katai?"

kenji: i'll help!

Tanizaki: "I'll go, too."

atsushi: same here.

kenji: ^^

Lucy: "Have fun!"

Kunikida: "Don't screw up."

-elsewhere-

valentine: <thanks for having us over.> *hugs*

Mrs. Saint-Merand: ^^ *hug* <You're always welcomed.>

Mr. Saint-Merand: >_>;

Francesca: "..."

valentine: <see you soon.> *waves*

Mr. Saint-Merand: <D-Don't be a stranger...> >_>;;

Francesca: ^^; ("How sweet...")

-elsewhere-

maki: ^^

naomi: thanks for inviting us out today.

naho: ^^

Master: "Orders are on their way...Here are your drinks."

naho: thanks!

Sakuya: *sips on his cola* "How've things been at the Fire Company?"

maki: we did get some new recruits. ^^

Tsubaki: "That's exciting. How are they getting along? They becoming new friends?"

maki: yeah. petra's a bit stubborn, but rita's really sweet.

Sakuya: "Those are the nuns, right?"

maki: mmhmm. ^^

Tsubaki: "Anything special the Agency is doing for summer, Naomi?"

naomi: still thinking on that.

Tsubaki: "Same, I'm afraid. It's been surprisingly busy..."

naomi: yeah, especially since the mist incident.

Sakuya: "What was that, anyway?"

naomi: i still dont know. bro's still shook up about it...

Sakuya: "Sorry."

Tsubaki: *nods* "That's too bad...He's still at work?"

naomi: yeah, he's actually working a case today.

Sakuya: "Hope it goes well.

naho: *nods*

Tsubaki: "..." *smiles* "How about a get-together? We could cook something for him."

naho: yeah, that's great! it'd be like sebby cooking for ciel! >w<

naomi: i know! >w<

maki: ^w^

Tsubaki: "...Um...Yes." ^^;

Sakuya: *sips*

naho: now that i mention it, i should probably bring up what's bothering me. you know 'youkai gakuen' right?

naomi: um, YEAH! the anime announcement just came up and im so excited!

naho: yeah! takagi and shima-kun are so OTP!

naomi: totes!

maki: you mentioned a ship war, please dont tell me you got into the TakaShi vs TakaMoto drama.

naomi: i wont judge, im a multishipper anyway, gotta keep an open mind. ^

naho: it's not that, this person ships TakaShi too...

naomi: but you said-

Tsubaki: O_O; *whispers to Sakuya* "What is--"

Sakuya: -_-; "Just listen sympathetically..."

naho: the PROBLEM IS THEY SAID SHIMA IS AN UKE AND TAKAGI IS A SEME! THEY'RE WRONG! IT'S TOTES THE OTHER WAY AROUND! SHIMA-KUN IS THE SEME AND _TAKAGI_ IS THE UKE!

naomi + maki:............*FALLING OUT OF THEIR SEATS*

Master: *looks up* "???"

Sakuya: "?!"

Tsubaki: ._.;

naomi: is...is that so. ^^;

naho: *nods*

naomi: i can understand where you're coming from, it's one of my switch ships.

naho: really?

Tsubaki: ("...Is that...a transformer? A 'switch ship' into another vessel, like a plane or--") @_@

maki: you're probably confused. allow me to explain, a switch ship, AKA Riba ship, is a pairing in which the positions of seme, the top partner, and uke, the bottom partner, can be easily interchanged.

naho:...naomin...maki....Q~Q you're so wise.

Sakuya: -__-;;

Tsubaki: .\\\\. "...Oh..."

naomi: oh, the food's here!

-elsewhere-

Tanizaki: "Just around the corner..."

kenji: here it is! ^^

-it's a small two-story house in a suburb, a middle aged woman is on the lawn, concerned-

Tanizaki: "Hello, ma'am. We're from the Armed Detective Agency..."

woman: yes, thank you. my husband's in our room, and he's refusing to leave. he developed this ability to shoot blasts of ice a few days ago...

Tanizaki: "Hmm...I promise, we'll do our best."

kenji: *heading in and knocks on the door*

???: d-dont come in! please! s-stay away!

Tanizaki: "It's okay, sir. We're ability users, too, from the Armed Detective Agency--"

-ICE BLAST-

kenji: woah!

Tanizaki: *falls back, just dodging icicles* "Damn!" O_O;

???: "STAY AWAY!"

kenji: wow, that was pretty strong, sir! i bet you'll be able to keep really cool during the summer!

???: "ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO ME, CHILD?! I DON'T WANT THIS ABILITY! JUST--JUST--" *sobbing*

kenji: it's ok, mister. you're still the same person you were, right? you just have powers now is all.

???: "I don't want them! I'm a freak, and I'm scared I'm going to get someone killed!"

kenji: we know a place you can get help. the agency building also has a consultation office you can talk to.

???: Q_Q "I can't leave here!"

kenji: dont worry, i'll carry you there! *opens the door and lifts him up*

???: "EEEK!" *swinging his arms*

Tanizaki: ._.; "...I-I'll just make a cover?"

kenji: when i first developed my ability, it was scary, but i soon got used to it, and now i have so many new friends. ^^

???: "Why would I want friends?! I just want to not screw this up!" *crying...ice*

woman: *hugs* there there, you're still the same person you were.

???: "!!!! I-I don't want to freeze you!"

kenji: dont worry, the consultation office can help you to understand your ability and try to control it.

???: T~T "F-Fine...Just don't let the neighbors see me..."

-elsewhere-

marquis: <crepes anyone?>

Dumas: -_-; <This is a bad idea...We're supposed to be incognito...>

marquis: <we are!>

Dumas: *he's just in a hoodie* >_>; "..." <My other disguises are being washed...>

boy: *bump*

Dumas: "???" *looks*

Cervantes: ^W^ <Pardon, little one.>

boy: *running*

Dumas: "Hmph." <Must be in a hurry...Fine...Let me buy some crepes--> *pats himself* "..." *pats himself more* "... ... ..." *frantically patting himself*

boy: *sprinting*

Cervantes: *cackling* <You got pickpocketed! The brilliant tactician and strongman got his stuff stolen--> *pats his side--and notices his rapier is missing* "... ... ..." *fierce frown* “FIND THAT CHILD, AND SEND HIM TO HELL!”

boy: Q~Q *runs into an alley* WAAAAH!!!

Dumas: *in pursuit* <YES, HIDE IN THE SHADOWS--THEY MAKE ME ALL THE STRONGER!>

Cervantes: <I'LL USE HIS BONES AS MY NEW SWORDS!>

boy: *crying*

-DOUBLE CHOP-

marquis: <now both of you stop it! cant you see he's scared senseless?>

boy: <p-please, i-*hic* i'll gi-give your stuff ba-ack..>

Dumas: >_<# <What the hell did you steal our stuff for anyway?!>

Cervantes: X_X

boy: <pl-please, my mama and uncle, we're poor and dont have much!>

marquis: ...

Dumas: -^- <And that makes it right to rob us?>

boy: Q~Q <w-wha-what else can i do, huh??>

marquis: *hug* <there there, it's ok. we'll help you.>

boy: <r-really?>

Dumas: "..." <What?>

marquis: *nods* ^^

boy: *sniff* <t-thank you...>

marquis: <anytime. what's your name, sweetie?>

boy: <b-benedetto..b-but my friends call me 'benny'!>

Cervantes: *gets up* <How blessed!>

Dumas: -_-; <We're not adopting kids...How are we supposed to walk around town with him?>

marquis: <well......does wilmore have kids~?>

Dumas: "... ... ..." *sneers at Benedetto*

benedetto:... *gulp*

-elsewhere-

Lust oni: -3- "How humiliating..."

izzy: damn, they dont fuck around, do they?

Mantis: "I SAY WE GET BACK AT THEM!" *he's covered in a blanket*

-elsewhere-

Dumas: *evil chuckle*

benedetto: *disguised as a girl* =~=;

marquis: <oh, you look absolutely adorable!>

Cervantes: <What should we name our child?>

benedetto: >n<

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: "How was school?"

sonia: it went well.

Chuuya: "I know it's another big adjustment..."

sonia: yeah, but mr cavendish is nice enough.

Chuuya: *smiles* "That's good...How much homework tonight?"

sonia: just a bit. im gonna go do that now.

Chuuya: "Okay. Miyuri was lying down earlier..."

miyuri: *busy doodling upstairs*

Chuuya: "I'll make some snacks..."

-elsewhere-

eiko: so, i hear you're looking for information, eh?

Kurogiri: "Yes. We could use some muscle..."

eiko: i see. well, i did make up some profiles from reports and photos i've taken. *hands him a folder*

Kurogiri: *takes it, opens one file* "Hmm...The locations of some of these are not known...What about this one?"

eiko: oh, taken an interest in muscular, eh? from what i've heard, he's currently on the run. from what i hear, he was supposedly last seen somewhere in yellowstone park.

Kurogiri: "...How convenient. We had some other business there..."

eiko: is that so now?

Kurogiri: "Well, around there...Having Muscular would make the labor easier."

eiko: i see. i wish you the best of luck in your search then.

Kurogiri: "And I'll trust you to keep us up to date on locations of people of interest."

eiko: as always. my camera is always ready for a snapshot~

Kurogiri: *nods* *takes the file*

-elsewhere-

Shinoda: *prepping something in the kitchen*

nea: =w=

Shinoda: "And you want a cherry on top?" *scoops more ice cream*

nea: yes please~<3

{little nea: *walking through the hallways* ^^ }

{Mafioso: *standing upright against a wall, holding a gun*}

{little nea: <hello~ is papa in?>}

{Mafioso: <Yes. He is meeting someone...>}

{little nea: =3= <im bored.>}

{Mafioso 2: ^^; <...Want to play a game?>}

{little nea: *nods* ^^}

{Mafioso 2: <Okay, what're you up for? A puzzle? Tag?>}

{little nea: <boss practice!>}

{Mafioso 2: OwO; <...'Kay...Um, 'Boss,' what are your orders?>}

{little nea: <get me ice cream! chop chop!>}

{Mafioso 2: TwT <Okay...I think we have vanilla, chocolate-->}

nea: hehe ^^

-elsewhere-

Wilhelm: "You can't catch me!" >w<

jakob: *laughing*

Kafka: -^-; ("Stuck babysitting...again. Typical...")

{gretchen: *playing with her doll*}

{Franz: *reading* *looks up* <Having fun?>}

{gretchen: *nods* <claudia seems to like her new dress.>}

{Franz: <That's good. You'll need to keep it clean--it was pricy.>}

{gretchen: <i will!>}

{Franz: *nods* *looks out the window* <...They still aren't home...>}

{gretchen: .....}

{Franz: "..." *sighs* <Should I start dinner?>}

hans: kafka, kids, dinner's about ready now!

Kafka: *still sitting, motionless*

hans:...kafka?

Kafka: *wipes his face* "I-I heard you..."

-elsewhere-

maki: im back!

Takehisa: "Welcome back. I'm setting the table now."

maki: sweet? what're we having?

Takehisa: *stares at her* "..."

{Takehisa: *sitting at a curry stand, with a satchel of his belongings* "..."}

{maki: ...?? *salutes* sir? }

{Takehisa: "..." *salutes* "Private Oze...What are you doing here?" *he's not in his uniform...*}

{maki: just on a patrol run, you off duty?}

{Takehisa: "...Off duty, permanently."}

{maki: !!! oh no! you werent discharged, were you? D8> }

{Takehisa: "..." *nods* "Dereliction of duty, defying protocol, interfering with rescue and recovery--"}

{maki: yikes...}

{Takehisa: "...Can I be blunt with you? I know I'm no longer your superior, but I have some advice."}

{maki: what is it?}

{Takehisa: "You're soft."}

{maki: excuse me?}

{Takehisa: "You're soft. Now, I am not referring to your physical abilities--I have monitored your training regiment, your endurance is admirable. But emotionally, you're too soft to be a soldier. And this military has no place for soft people: your commanders will stomp on you to ascend higher in the ranks, and you'll be nothing more than a sacrificial lamb in any military engagement."

{maki: ...well _that's_ depressing...}

{Takehisa: "You should quit."}

{maki: i would, but my dad would flip...}

{Takehisa: "Yes, he would...Do you like being in the military?"}

{maki: hm....}

{Takehisa: "..." *pours a drink* "I think your talents are better elsewhere."}

{maki: like where?}

{Takehisa: "...How good are you with fire?"}

Takehisa: *sets down her plate*

maki: thanks for the food!

Takehisa: "You're welcome." *sits with her* "How is your friend doing?"

maki: she's doing better now.

Takehisa: "...That was kind of you."

maki: ^^

Takehisa: "..." *small smile, eats*

-elsewhere-

Daisy: *slams down her beer mug* "Another!"

Jordan: ^^; "Good to catch up..."

owl eyes: indeed.

Daisy: "Yo, Erina--you need a refill on your drink?!"

Allison: ^^;;;

erina: im fine, thanks. ^^;

Jordan: *pats her hand*

Daisy: "Then Owl Eyes! You can't just keep being a tea total--tea total--a sober guy!" *hic*

owl eyes: -)_(- someone has to be the designated driver here.

Daisy: -3- "Fiiiiiiiiiiine."

Allison: "So, your boss still all rich and stuff?"

owl eyes: yes, pretty much.

Jordan: "He's going to Italy!"

erina: wow!

Daisy: "Shhhhh...It's a secret!" >_<

-elsewhere-

Joker: *checks on Nana's room*

nana: *asleep, holding something under her pillow*

Joker: "???" *sneaks in...*

nana: *jumps onto him, holding a butter knife up to his throat*

Joker: "..." ._x; "...No, see, you want to aim here where the jugular is--"

nana: =n= dont go startling me then.

Joker: "I was checking to make sure you were sleeping well and not suffocating on your pillow!"

nana: for your information, im a light sleeper.

Joker: "Milk usually helps. Or a hot bath. Or pills--"

scarlet: *ahem*

Joker: "??? Yes, Red--you got an idea?"

scarlet: im about to head home for the night, and i have a spare room-

nana: *hug*

Joker: "Super! I'll pack an overnight--"

nana: *HISSSSS*

Joker: Q_X "You're so mean tonight..."

-elsewhere-

{???:....<traitor....>}

{Fernand: "?!"}

{-a corpse like man grabs fernand by the neck-}

{???: <you killed me!>}

{Fernand: <L-Let go! Who the hell are you?!>}

{???: <you killed me! you killed me!>}

{Fernand: *growls* <Then I'll have to kill you again!>}

???: <fernand?>

Fernand: *screams*

mercedes: <fernand! please, calm down!>

Fernand: *panting...hugs her*

mercedes: !!!.....*pat pat*

Fernand: *shaking* "..." <Sorry for waking you...>

mercedes: <bad dream?> ^^;

Fernand: "..." *nods*

mercedes: <need something to drink?>

Fernand: *nods*

-morning-

hermine:.......*looking out the window*

*there's a garden outside...looks like the spring saplings are growing well...*

{hermine: *rubs her stomach*}

{*knock on the door*}

{hermine: !! }

{*a man walks into the room*}

{???: <Pardon. Your maid let me in...>}

{hermine: !!! <you...> }

{???: "..." *nods* <...I had not seen you at the last fundraiser party...> *sits across from her*}

{hermine:..<why are you here? if->}

{???: <...I had heard you and your husband were expecting...>}

{hermine:.........*shakes*}

{???: <...He doesn't know, does he?>}

{hermine:....*whisper* <it's not his...>}

{???: <...You don't mean...?>}

{hermine:...*she nods*}

{???: <...Oh.>}

{hermine: <im scared.....>}

{???: <Hey...> *holds her hand*}

{hermine: .....}

{???: <You know what would happen if your husband learned...or what would happen to you...or to my career.>}

{hermine: ...<what should i do?>}

{???: <Let him think it's his.>}

hermine:.....

Eugenie: <Mama!> ^w^

hermine: !!! <oh, gigi, you startled me...>

Eugenie: *rests her head on her lap* <I'm sorry...You look sad.>

hermine:...<would you like a snack?>

Eugenie: *nods*

hermine: *smile* <how about pudding?>

Eugenie: <Yes!>

-elsewhere-

Nurse: <I put him down...> -_-; <What a cranky old man...>

noirtier:....

{Villefort: *opens the door* <You!> *he's holding some files*}

{noirtier: hm?}

{Villefort: *slams down a file* <Another lie, Father?! When does it ever stop with you?! Now I find out you're...you were...>}

{noirtier: <-part of mimic? the only thing they did wrong was to be decieved by the government.>}

{Villefort: <...When _exactly_ had you planned on telling me, your son, who is _part of this government as one of its top prosecutors_?!>}

{noirtier: <i think you have more pressing matters to worry about...such as that woman...>}

{Villefort: <?! ...I have no idea what you mean...>}

{noirtier: <that look on your face says otherwise...>}

{Villefort: <...Are you attempting to blackmail me? You're a traitor--that's far worse than whatever you think you're accusing me...>}

{noirtier: <says the man who has an affair with a married woman. and so soon after his own wife's death...>}

{Villefort: <!!! You bastard...>}

{noirtier: *chuckles* <will you really turn in your own father, gerard? after all i've done to put a roof over your head?>}

{Villefort: <...If I did...the knowledge I was the son of a terrorist would have me expelled from my position in the court...What would you suggest? This man was trafficking in Mimic materials to be delivered--to you!>}

{noirtier: <asking me for advice are you? figure it out yourself!>}

{Villefort: <...> *spots his cigars* <...> *takes two, offers one to him*}

noirtier:...heh...

-elsewhere-

peppino: *looking around* <mr vampa, remember when you saved my life?>

Vampa: *packing his suitcase* <Hmm...>

peppino: <it was a while back, and you saved me from some nasties who were trying to beat me to a pulp! and all for being myself! >3< >

Vampa: "..." *sighs* <I did what anyone would do...And it was on my way. And I hate elitist jerks. And-->

peppino: <i still appreciate it.>

Vampa: <...Any time...At least we paid them back in kind...>

-elsewhere-

francesca: <i can take the next person in line now!>

*a priest walks up*

francesca: <yes, can i help you?>

Busoni: <Taking these out...> *look to be European history books*

francesca: <ah, i see....>

Busoni: <Sorry--our church lacks such resources to reunite families...>

francesca: .......<families...right....>

Busoni: <After the casualties of Mimic, we've been trying to locate remains...>

francesca:........... <my father was killed in a battle with mimic....>

Busoni: <Sorry. You're probably too young to remember...>

francesca: <i'm nineteen.> -_-;

Busoni: <That's still practically a kid...At least you didn't have to read about these wars...>

francesca:.....

Busoni: <...Wait...Did you lose someone in the war?>

francesca: <i just said, my father was killed in a battle with mimic.>

Busoni: <What was his name?>

francesca: <monsiour d'epiany.>

Busoni: <Ah, I saw his record...Shocking that it's only know that we discovered that he-- ...Sorry, I ramble.>

francesca: <what, discovered what?>

Busoni: <...You know how he died--those injuries. At least, that's the official record, since they found him in that bombing, but...Well, a bomb that size would've been spotted on radar, enough time to escape.>

francesca:.....

Busoni: <...> *sighs* <I suppose I should tell you...The church requested some additional tests on remains and found a high concentration of sulfur in the remains. Now, sulfur is what you smell when a corpse decomposing, but the record showed the concentration higher than I expected, so when I checked on various poisons-->

francesca: <are you-....> *whisper* <are you saying my father was murdered?>

Busoni: <In war, all are murdered...and I don't think it was a bomb that killed your father.>

francesca:.....

Busoni: <...I can look into this more if you-->

francesca: <i just...need a moment....>

Busoni: <...> *takes his books*

francesca:....

-elsewhere-

Dabi: *looking at a map*

himiko: hehehe...hello froggy~

frog: 0-0

Twice: "That something else you gonna kiss to turn into a prince?"

himiko: maaaaaybe.

frog: 0_0;;;;;;;;

banshee: please dont disturb the wildlife.

Dabi: *checking nearby caves* "..." *gets down on all fours, looking at the ground*

himiko: owo~?

Dabi: "...Okay. See that mark? Something was killed here..."

himiko: ooooh.

Dabi: "..." *sniffs the ground* "...Deer. He must've pulled it into the cave to eat..." *follows a path* "And be quiet--I don't feel like dying today."

Twice: "...Were you raised by wolves?"

banshee:....

Dabi: *leads them to a cave* "..." *gestures for them to stand around the exit...* "..." *summons flames along the cave's interior walls*

himiko: ^u^

*something roars inside...*

himiko: hiya!

*it's still roaring, as thumping steps are heard from inside...*

banshee: ...

Dabi: "...We're not here to fight, just to talk..."

Twice: "The whole fire thing was his idea, BT-dubs!"

???: *from above the trees* "Then you mis-aimed..."

Dabi: "?!" *looks up*

banshee: !!!

*a muscular man lounges in the trees*

Muscular: *smiles* "Now...for some bloodshed..."

*out of the cave comes out a bear, running at the Villains*

Twice: O_O; "Dabi...YOU DONE FUCKED UP!"

Dabi: "Shut up and run!"

himiko: WHEEEE! ^o^

Muscular: "HA HA HA! I'm going to enjoy this! Seeing you ripped limb from limb--"

banshee: *inhales* *SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

Bear: Q___Q *gets down on all fours, trying to cover its ears*

Muscular: "?!"

*the sound knocks the bear into the tree--*

Msucular: *falls out of the tree--slamming onto Twice*

Twice: "..." *muffled* "Ow."

banshee:....too much?

Dabi: *hanging from another tree* "You knocked out two birds...I'd say that's enough..." *leaps down, walks to Muscular...slams his foot onto his head*

Muscular: "Ow! Watch the eye..."

himiko: hi mr muscle man! ^w^

Muscular: "Who the hell are you freaks?!"

banshee: part of the league of villains.

Muscular: "...So you want me? Hmph. I know you're all pumped up on what people say about you, but I don't just join up with some team because I'm asked nicely...I need some proof you deserve me."

banshee: we can provide you shelter and protection from the authorities.

Muscular: "Lady, I can provide for myself just fine, so I don't think you understand what I'm saying..."

Dabi: "..."

Muscular: "You see what you did to that bear? That's what I want...I want to see what you got..."

himiko:....i think he's asking you out, banshee!

banshee:.......*facepalm*

Dabi: -_-;

himiko: *whispers* i ship iiiit....

Muscular: "Nah--I'm asking to fight you..." *smirks, as he grabs Twice up from the ground by his ankles, as his body mass increases* "And if you survive...I'll join your group...what's left of it."

Twice: X_X "Fire my remains into the sun..."

banshee: !!!!

Dabi: *charges flames...*

Muscular: *cackles...as his body starts to get bigger, his muscles seeming to rip apart his skin...*

himiko: *shiny eyes and takes out her knife*

-SLICE-

Muscular: "Ha! That tickles..." *tosses Twice at Banshee and swings his fist at Himiko*

himiko: *giggles and stabs*

Muscular: "Really, this is getting cliche..." *his fist gets bigger, as he clutches Himiko by her neck*

himiko: GRK-

banshee: !!!!

Dabi: "Let go of her!" *leaps onto his back, slamming his flaming palm onto his back--*

Muscular: *muscle forms along his back*

Dabi: "?!"

Muscular: *slams into the tree behind him, crushing Dabi*

Dabi: *coughs up blood*

banshee: !!!!! *SHRIEKS*

Muscular: "?!!!" *lets go of Himiko, covering his ears*

himiko: *throws a rock at him*

Muscular: "URK!" *swings, missing Himiko*

Twice: *shiny eyes* "Now it's my turn..." *his ears are bleeding* "RAAAAAAAWR" *kicks Muscular in the head*

Dabi: X____X *collapses*

Muscular: *K.O.*

himiko: we did it! *hugs dabi* and dabi! you _do_ like me!

banshee: *coughing* ugh...

Dabi: X___X

Twice: *shouting* "He can't hear you! I think he's dead!" *his ears are still bleeding*

Muscular: *grumbles, gets up* "Ugh...Well, 3 out of 4 of you are losers..."

himiko: =3= meeeeean.

Muscular: *sits up, leans against a tree, laughs* "One question...Do I get to kill some people?"

himiko:....*griiiiins*

-elsewhere-

Fernand: *walking...enters a bar*

peppino: OwO;;

Vampa: "..." *smiles* <Mr. Mondego.>

Fernand: *his hand is in his pocket* <...Bartender. Three bottles of Crown Ambassador.>

Vampa: <Oooo, expensive...This our last drink?>

peppino: Q~Q;;;;;;

Fernand: <...>

Bartender: *serves the drinks...*

Fernand: *pays...* *sips his beer*

Vampa: "..." *picks up a beer, sips too*

peppino:.... TT~TT <I DONT WANT TO DIIIIIE!> *sobs*

Fernand: <Could you shut up for 1 minute--you're drawing attention, you stupid bastard.>

peppino: TT~TT

Vampa: <Don't fucking call her a stupid bastard.> *paps Peppino* <Relax. If this dumb bastard wanted to kill us, he'd have done it already...>

peppino: *sniff*

Fernand: -_-; <Don't call me a dumb bastard--I'm not the one who kidnapped my child in broad daylight.>

peppino: .~.;;;;;;

Vampa: <Yeah, that doesn't make sense...> *puts out his cigarette* <Why would _you_ kidnap _your own kid_? Your phrasing made no sense. Also, it's kind of hard to kidnap a kid from your house at night, so we figured during the day-->

Fernand: *HARD GLARE* <ARE YOU SERIOUSLY STILL NOT AFRAID WHAT I CAN DO TO YOU?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I HAVE DONE TO PEOPLE LESS THAN YOU-->

peppino: >~<;;;;

Vampa: *holds up a hand* <Calm down...We'll be out of your hair...>

Fernand: "..." *pulls his hand out of his pocket--*

peppino: !!!!

Fernand: *slams down--an envelope*

peppino: ._.

Fernand: <Take it and get out of here. If you're not gone by sundown, you're dead. That is what happens to anyone who touches my family.>

peppino: Q~Q;;;;;; *gulps*

Vampa: "..." <Is there white powder in this thing that'll kill us?>

Fernand: <When you die, it'll be to your face, not poison like some coward.> *leaves a tip, walks away...*

Vampa: "... ..." <Peppino...> Q____Q <THAT WAS SO FREAKING FRIGHTENING!>

peppino: *hug* <hold me> QAQ;;;;;

-elsewhere-

Danglars: -_-; <He's late again...>

-knocks-

lucian: <yes?>

'andrea': =n=;

Wilmore: ^^; <Sorry--my daughter took forever to get dressed.>

andrea: 7n7

Danglars: -_-; <I am not here for babysitting--go have her play in the backyard.>

eugenie: *peeks*

Danglars: <???> *points at Eugenie* <You. Go take this girl to the backyard and play.>

eugenie: <yay! new friend!> *takes andrea's hand and heads to the yard*

andrea: 0_0;;;;; *shoots a glare at wilmore*

Wilmore: ^^ <Have fun, sweetie! Daddy loves you!>

andrea: >n<

Wilmore: <Children really are incredible, aren't they? They have such potential...It's important to foster it while they hold onto such hope, isn't it?>

Danglars: <Hmm? Oh, yes, of course...That's why I hire only the best help.>

Wilmore: ^^; *sits, gestures to his assistant* <Please show Mr. Danglars the stock prices...>

lucian: *sweatdrop*

marquis: <of course, sir~>

Danglars: *looks* <Hmm...You've had a downturn in your stocks.>

Wilmore: <Keen eye. I'm afraid we have had a set-back on our Paris orders. My company fell behind on a deadline to get the next product out, as we're finishing the new scents for your upcoming international shipment. I may have to expedite the local orders first before we can proceed with your order-->

Danglars: <?! Unacceptable! Your contract promised me that shipment on time!>

Wilmore: OwO; <...I-I'm so sorry! But we're pressed for time without extra labor to meet the deadline, and I already invested so much into your shipment-->

Danglars: <Too bad! You have your commitment to me first!> *stands up* <Lucian, kick them out so they can hurry up with their work>

lucian: <sir, they came all this way->

Danglars: <And they can go all the way back! A man who is not of his word-->

Wilmore: <--is not worth living at all.>

Danglars: <Yes, exactly! ...> *does a double-take* <...>

lucian: ._.;

-in the garden-

andrea: .....

Eugenie: <I never get to see other kids around home--this is so neat!> >w< *SQUEE!*

andrea: mhmm...*looks at a spot on the ground*......*looks up at the window*

Eugenie: "..." <Oh. We're not supposed to play there--Mama says not to...>

andrea:....*wipes eyes*

Eugenie: <??? Hey? What's wrong?>

andrea: !!! *cough* *ahem* ^-^;;

Eugenie: <...I cry sometimes, too.> *hug*

andrea: !!!! >->;;;

Eugenie: <Let's be friends! And make sure the other doesn't cry! Want to play with my dollies? I'm okay sharing...>

andrea: ....*makes an 'ok' sound*

Eugenie: ^^ <And it's okay to be shy...> *whispers, points to a doll* <Mrs. Bonacieux is rather standoffish...>

Mrs. Bonacieux: O^O

andrea: ._.;;;

Eugenie: *sits in the grass* ^w^

-inside-

Wilmore: <So, I can't afford to lose _both_ of these excellent opportunities! I turned to Danglars Shipment because I knew they were the best at meeting their deadlines, and you are absolutely correct, I have to meet my own...But an adult also knows when to ask for help...I need more money to pay for them. If you could invest-->

Danglars: <Investment? As in...own part of you? And your company?> *smirks*

Wilmore: <Yes. I'm willing to sell shares in my company-->

Danglars: <49 percent.>

Wilmore: <?! Sir, that is quite a lot-->

Danglars: <Then we're done. Lucian, kick them out.>

Wilmore: D: <F-Fine, sir! 49 percent! I'll need my lawyer to complete the paperwork for your review...>

Danglars: *smirks* <Very well. Please send them to my attorney...>

Wilmore: *gulps* <Y-Yes, sir...>

marquis: OwO;;;

Danglars: <If that is all, I'll see you for the tour of the ship next week...Goodbye.>

Wilmore: *sad face* <R-Right...Let's go...> *turns to exit...smirking*

-elsewhere-

Bon: =_= "It all smells...It's all dirty...And I don't know what I'm reading any more..."

lewin: find anything interesting yet?

Bon: *sighs* "I made a list of former Blue Cross exorcists..."

lewin: that's a start!

Bon: *stretches* "So, what do we do? Call these people?"

-elsewhere-

Asher: *reading notes* "Okay..." *jots something down* "So, different things screw up soul energy, like lack of sleep..."

cassidy: hint hint.

Asher: =_=; "Sleep is for the privileged..." *yawns*

-elsewhere-

Simon: *trying to type on a laptop--and cringes from neck pain in his brace* >_T *searching on villains*

peter: find anything?

Simon: *nods* "Yes...Medical report on a UA student who encountered them...Lost his eyes..."

peter: yikes....

Simon: "...All the more reason we need to get Queen back, now...I've been trying to contact these UA students and...Um..." >_>;

peter: yes?

Simon: "...'Go die.'"

peter: ._.;

Simon: ^^; "I did contact some others, so maybe they will be friendlier than..." *squints* " 'Kacchan'? ...Huh. Odd name."

-elsewhere-

hitoshi: *feeding stray cats*

???: *sounds like fast footsteps*

hitoshi: ??

???: "Gotta get back to the lab to finish it before I forget the design--OH, LOOK, KITTIES!"

hitoshi: *takes out whiteboard and writes* [hi mei]

Mei: ^w^ "Hi, Fluffy! How are the felines holding up?"

hitoshi: *writes* [doing well]

Mei: *drops a satchel of parts--with a loud metallic THUD* "Great!" *holds out a hand to one*

cat: *sniffs the bag*

hitoshi: *writes* [bought more parts from the scrapyards?]

Mei: "I'm building new goggles! And voice changers! And wrist guards! And a catapult!" *nodding*

hitoshi: [i see.]

Mei: ^w^ "..." >w> "..." <w< *glances back and forth, whispers* "I know a secret~"

hitoshi: ??

Mei: "...TOILETS."

hitoshi:...........*blink*

Mei: "See, I was hard at work in the lab--"

{Mei: *asleep on blueprints*}

{Nezu: "...Um...Cementoss? Could you wake her? We need those..."}

{power loader: *nudge nudge* um, miss hatsume?}

{Mei: *grumbles, rolls over off the table--falling onto the floor* "...Owie..."}

{Nezu: ^^; "We are almost done designing the new facility...But we'll need to customize some locations--"}

{Mei: *bounces up* "Like the elevators to handle the varying weights of students, the different door dimensions, making sure the individual bathrooms are customized--"}

{power loader: mei! focus!}

{Mei: "BUT YOU NEED TOILETS! Some of your students have dimensions not accommodated by these small facilities. Please consider the size limitations!"}

{Nezu: "... ... ..." *FLASHBACKS OF BAD TIMES* Q_Q "Yes, size considerations are vital...Please get to work on them...I need to lie down now..."}

{Mei: ^w^ *offers a pillow*}

Mei: "DORMS. STUDENT. FRICKIN'. DORMS!"

hitoshi: .....huh....

Mei: OWO *freezes*

hitoshi: !!! .-.;;; *CHOP*

Mei: *awakens* "FLAMING SWORD TO SLICE THROUGH WALLS BY REVERSING THE POLARITY OF THE ELECTRICAL IMPULSES AT VARIABLE RATES! ...Thanks."

hitoshi: *writes* [sorry]

Mei: "It happens to me all the time--I go off on tangents then freeze anyway! But imagine it--DORMS! And they don't look like those icky boys' dorms the DWMA students use." -3-

hitoshi: [as opposed to the girl's dorms?]... *writes* [not that'd i'd know.]

Mei: "Me neither--but I heard the girls' dorms had expensive plates, sun room, bath--" *frowns* "--but no toolshed..."

-elsewhere-

Kamui: *looking from atop a roof* "..." *into incom* "Nothing in Sector 4-3. See anyone on your end? Over."

mt lady: all clear here, so laaaame... =3=

*someone walks past her, mumbling to himself...he's carrying groceries*

???: "Having to shop for this crap...What a joke..."

mt lady: ??

*looks to be a pretty average looking guy...*

???: "She said 'I need paper,' I said, 'I'll give you paper!' BUT THE CHARCOAL LOOKED NICE-- Shut up!" *keeps walking towards a bar...*

mt lady:...*shrug*

*inside the bar*

Kurogiri: "Welcome back. Did you get everything--"

???: *shaking* "I did it--I WAS REALLY SMART TO SAVE MONEY BY TAKING HERS--Shut up! Why am I here?!"

Kurogiri: "Oh dear...Someone, get the mask back on this one..."

magne: *masks him there you go. ^^

???: *pants...steadies himself...then does a dramatic pose* "Thanks, sweetie~<3 !" ^^

Kurogiri: *checking GPS mapping*

magne: anytime. ^^

???: "So...How's other me doing?"

-elsewhere-

Twice: X___X "I need medical..."

Dabi: *ice on his head at a motel* "Shut up..."

banshee: *patching them up*

Muscular: *bouncing on the bed he's seated on* "Where's your next stop?"

himiko: aboooout.....*points to a map* here!

Muscular: "What's there?"

himiko: we're gonna find out!

Dabi: "Something called 'Orion.' May be a weapon, may be a person..."

Muscular: "...If you're looking for a belt, I'm going to strangle you at the end of this."

Twice: "Your big-boy pants look like they need a new one--"

Muscular: "...Yo, school girl. Get me something to drink."

himiko: you got it!

banshee: ...

Dabi: *groans* "Where'd you learn medical?"

banshee: someone has to know these things.

Dabi: "No kidding...And given what we're facing next, we needed the muscle...and ruthlessness..."

Muscular: "..." *sick grin*

-elsewhere-

Hyde: *checking the register at the grocery* "...?! Oh, for Pete's sake..." *checking the bills* "Who the hell still writes on money nowadays?" *rubs the ink off his hands* " 'Queen'? Feh. Lord Death's not a queen--Wait, do you elect Lord Deaths, or are they installed?"

ochako: i always figured it was handed down through generations, but then again, he _is_ like, super duper old.

Hyde: "...Well, going by 'queen' is progressive...Not bad doodle, either..." *another bill shows some girl on it with a grim face* *snaps a pic* "And...go viral!" *send*

-elsewhere-

Dumas: <And now, the dumb oaf will be paying us for shares in a company that doesn't exist...Perfect.>

Cervantes: "?!" <B-But the catalogue shows such excellent fragrances! Can't we go into this business?>

Dumas: -_-;

benedetto: ....

marquis: <is everything ok, benny?>

benedetto:...<i think...i dunno...>

Cervantes: <Is it the dress? We can buy a new one.>

benedetto: <no. that garden....it feels...familiar, i guess...>

Dumas: <??? Did you steal from the Danglars before?>

benedetto: <...my uncle said to stay away from that place...>

Dumas: "..." -_-; <You were going to tell us _when_?>

marquis: <dumas, dont yell at him.> =3=

Dumas: <I'm not yelling--I'm asking a fair question...Why did he say not to go there?>

benedetto: <i dunno, he just told me not to.>

Dumas: <...Where's your parents?>

benedetto:............

marquis:....<you dont have parents, do you?>

benedetto: .....<i have an uncle..>

marquis:...*hug* <it's ok. i dont have my parents either...>

benedetto: !!

Dumas: >_>;

Cervantes: Q_Q *hug*

benedetto: !!

Dumas: ("Of all the corny--")

Cervantes: *pulls him in for the group hug* <We'll be your family!> T~T

benedetto: ._.;;

Dumas: -_-; <You're making this uncomfortable, you weirdos...>

-elsewhere-

lewin: *whistling*

*a slight bell sound is heard...but only by Lewin*

lewin: well, what have we here?

???: *someone is watching him, but can't be seen, even by Lewin--*

lewin: come on out. i know you're there...

*??? steps up, revealing...*

Shima: "How did you know?"

lewin: i marked you with a sylph bell, i have sylph spies all over the place.

Shima: -_-; "Tch. Am I that untrustworthy?"

lewin: they're not the best with communicating, but when you return from their base, then i'll have a vague idea of where it is!

Shima: "?! You mean you're tracking me back to the Illuminati?"

lewin: bingo!

Shima: D:< "They'll kill me!"

lewin: do you really think you can become a spy and still die a peaceful death?

Shima: "...Honestly? I was hoping when I die it would be resting in the lap of a beautiful woman."

lewin: talk about straight forwards.

Shima: "So, I might as well lay the cards out...What're your intentions with Bon?"

lewin: hm?

Shima: "If you're using him to get to me, you should know better: he's too proud, serious, and pure-hearted to fall for that shit."

lewin: aw, you do care!

Shima: O_O; "Hey! Don't undermine my moment!"

lewin: no worries, i just admire his talent is all...

Shima: -^- "As well you should...Just warning you, if you cause trouble, Sir Pheles will know..." *fades into the shadows*

lewin:...

-elsewhere-

Valentine: *knocks* <Heloise? Can I get the keys to take Edouard for a drive?>

heloise: <they're on the table!>

Valentine: <?! ...Thanks...Keeping busy?> ^^;

heloise: <yes, yes.>

Valentine: <...Well, if you need anything, I'll have my phone...> *walks away* ("Jeez, what a cranky old person...")

{heloise: *looking at a smaller valentine* ...}

{Valentine: "..." <Your tummy is big.>}

{heloise: <that's because i'm having a baby.>}

{Valentine: <Ooooh...With Daddy?>}

{heloise:...<yes>}

{Valentine: <Daddy used to have other women visit after Mommy died.>}

{heloise: ?! <....is that so...?>}

{Valentine: *nods* <Some used to stay in the guest room, or come over for breakfast.>}

{heloise: ......}

Villefort: *knocks* <May I come in?>

heloise: !! <i'm changing!>

Villefort: -_-; <Oh, like there's any surprise there...We got tickets to a fundraiser. We're going.>

-elsewhere-

Max: *carrying a box* T~T <So heavy...>

fawkes: <need a hand there?>

Max: *shiver up his spine* QwQ *shakes his head* <I-I'm fine! Just working out that muscle...>

-elsewhere-

francesca: <-and that's why i'm here...>

Beauchamp: <That was quite a while ago...>

francesca: <please...i just...need to know the truth.>

Beauchamp: *sighs* <This kind of work will take time. If governments from more than 3 nations haven't routed out every last bit of Mimic, I don't know what you can expect from me...500 Euros, upfront.>

-elsewhere-

Daisy: =_= "Still nothing new learned about that Danglars creep..." *yawns* "Why is the boss having us do this?"

jordan: free trip.

Daisy: "...I am getting drunk on the beach every last day."

-elsewhere-

Ice Person: "Th-Thanks..." *sips his tea--then frowns* -_-; "I was hoping it'd be hot..."

frances: it was. ^^ a small side effect.

Ice Person: "...Well, that's just worse..." T_T

frances: it shouldnt be too awful, mr o'neill.

O'Neill: "I didn't ask for this ability...I just woke up with it, and it's awful..."

frances: you're afraid, that's normal for such things as this.

O'Neill: "Normal when reacting to something so stu-stu-stu--AH-CHOO!" *sneezes--an icicle, which strikes--*

???: "?! MY HAT"

frances: oh dear.

barrie: ._.;

London: "That's some no-good rootin' tootin' mess right there!"

O'Neill: Q_Q; "I'm so sorry!"

bierce: 'least yer skull didnt get iced, mate.

London: "..." *shrugs* "Good point..." *pulling the icicle out of his hat*

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *drawing on a tablet* "..."

miyuri: *napping*

Chuuya: *looks out the window at the tree* "..." *holds up the tablet to the tree*

miyuri: *yaaaaawn* whacha doin?

Chuuya: "?!" *puts down the tablet* ^^; "Drawing..."

miyuri: oooh, is sonia home yet?

Chuuya: "Soon--her bus should arrive."

miyuri: she promised to tell miyuri stories about school.

Chuuya: "I'm sure she will...You're excited to hear them?"

miyuri: *nods* miyuri's learning soooo muuuuuch! the world is super big!

Chuuya: ^^; "Kajii been talking to you about that?"

miyuri: *nods* miyuri heard of something called a 'zoo' with lots of animals! can we see one? can we?

Chuuya: "Well, this weekend would be best..."

miyuri: YAAAAAAY! ^o^

sonia: im home.

Chuuya: "Welcome back."

sonia: .....*sits down*

Chuuya: "How was your day?"

sonia: next week the kids are doing a performance for their families...

Chuuya: "Oh?"

sonia: there'll probably be a lot of mommies...

Chuuya: "...Ah..."

miyuri:....*huuuug* i can draw mama for a bit if you want.

Chuuya: "..."

sonia: thank you, but i'm fine for now.

Chuuya: "...I'm sorry. But we'll be there..."

sonia: ok.

Chuuya: "...So...What kind of performance were you planning?"

sonia: i havent decided.

Chuuya: "Well, I'm happy to help..."

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: *walking through the Port District...*

Mantis: *watching from binoculars* "...Following him..."

izzy: good.

lucy: *walking home with groceries*

Mantis: "??? Wait...I see someone else...He's approaching her..."

Akutagawa: O^O

lucy: oh....7_7 hello.

Akutagawa: "Why are you here?"

lucy: im buying ingredients for a dinner party this weekend.

Akutagawa: "...With the Tiger?"

lucy: with the whole agency, so yes, it includes atsushi...

Akutagawa: "...How nice for you. Are you now part of the Agency?"

Mantis: *watching, but can't hear* "Wait...He's talking with someone...Looks kinda scrawny..."

lucy: not officially, mind you. but sort of an honorary member.

Akutagawa: "Hmph. Congratulations. I hope you're happy with them." >_>;

Mantis: "I could probably knock her off, but then that'd alert him and he'd be off and running...Any advice?"

lucy: ???

Akutagawa: "...I don't know why he welcomes you back. Your Guild tried to destroy the city."

lucy: well, people can change.

Akutagawa: "...Well, that's obvious."

Mantis: "...Eh, screw it..." *aims a knife...and tosses--*

*the knife comes towards Akutagawa...*

-SLICE-

lucy: MY BRAID! D8>

Akutagawa: *clutching his ear* "Damn it!"

Mantis: "Shit! He moved..."

lucy: *turns* !!!

Akutagawa: "Get moving, fool!" *grabs her arm, pulling her away*

lucy: *runs*

pixie: aww, where ya going~?

Akutagawa: "...The hell..."

nailfile: *flame claws*

izzy: well well well, look what we found, the black hound of the port mafia. and his little red-head friend.

Akutagawa: " 'Friend' is rather loosely used--"

lucy: im an innocent bystander in this!

*the heat feels like it's coming from the wall behind them*

Akutagawa: "?!"

lucy: ?!?!

*BOOM*

lucy: AH!!

*the brick wall explodes, revealing a half-Infernal*

Lust oni: "D'aw, aren't they just precious~?"

lucy: wha-what the....

Akutagawa: *trying to shield with Rashomon, but fire is still on it...*

Lust oni: *leans down over Lucy* "We need the Hound, but probably not her~"

lucy: !!! *bites lip and punches*

Lust oni: *direct hit to the jaw, which is not on fire* "OUCH!"

Mantis: ._.; "...Well, shit..."

lucy: skunky, do something!!

Akutagawa: *roars, aims--then stops* "...Right. No killing--" *swings at the Gang, knocking them into the wall--*

lucy: come on, run!

Mantis: "UMPH!" *knocked into the wall*

izzy: grk- after them!

Akutagawa: "I know!" *follows* *looking around the alleys* "It's a labyrinth...Use it to our advantage..."

Mants: X_X

Lust oni: "Oh, of course~" *chases*

lucy: *looking around*

Akutagawa: *spots a dumpster* "..."

lucy: that's too obvious...

Akutagawa: "True...But this isn't..." *picks it up with Rashomon--and tosses it at the direction where they came*

lucy: OxO

Lust oni: "?!" *dodges under it, still in pursuit*

Akutagawa: *sighs* *picks up Lucy*

lucy: h-hey!

Akutagawa: *tosses her up, while he uses Rashomon to try to pierce at Lust*

lucy: *SCREAM*

nailfile: *jumps in and slashes*

lucy: !!! skunky!

Akutagawa: *Rashomon is sliced* "You stupid bastard--"

Lust: "Heh heh~" *and Lust burns Rashomon off his back, lighting his back on fire*

Akutagawa: "?!!!" *rips off his shirt, rolling on the ground*

lucy: *falls* *scream*

-OOF-

*She lands atop Akutagawa's burnt back, who is already face-down on the pavement*

Lust: OwO "~<3"

lucy: why you....*grabs lust oni's arm and with all her might, flings them to the ground*

Lust: *SCREAMS--and slams into Mantis*

Mantis: *MUFFLED SCREAMS OF PAIN*

Akutagawa: X_X

lucy: *picks up akutagawa and runs*

Lust: O_O; "...Well...This is embarrassing..." >w< "But so hot~!"

Mantis: X__X

Akutagawa: *grumbling*

-elsewhere-

Kyoka: *hanging up streamers*

demon snow: *rearranging furniture*

Kunikida: "Be sure to vacuum under the rugs, too...Where are the others?"

-phone buzzes-

Kunikida: *answers* "Hello?"

lucy: hey, sorry im late, ran into a little trouble on the way.

Kunikida: "Hmph. That's not being on time. Get here ASAP. Did you get everything on the list?"

lucy: of course i did! it's safe in anne's room!

Kunikida: "...Well, that is efficient to avoid carrying a heavy load..."

lucy: impressed, right? and due to some circumstances that i'll explain when i get there, im bringing something else too....just...promise not to get mad.

Kunikida: "...WHAT."

lucy: um.....^-^ it's a surprise?

Kunikida: -_-; "The last 'surprise' had me in prison."

lucy: ._.;;;;;;;;;

-and so-

atsushi: .______________.

Kyoka: "?! Oh no..."

naomi: .....

Kunikida: "...I repeat...WHAT."

Akutagawa: *passed out*

lucy: *explaining everything*

Tanizaki: "..."

yosano:...*cracks knuckles* leave him to me.

Kyoka: "Is he technically _near death_ yet?"

yosano:.....*smirks*

Tanizaki: "...DO IT."

Kyoka: ._.;

naomi: ._.;;;;

Kunikida: *glares at Lucy* "Brat...DO YOU KNOW HOW BIG A MESS THIS NOW PRESENTS TO US?!"

lucy: look, im sorry, ok, but what else could i have done, huh?

Kunikida: "I don't know--the hospital?! Now the Mafia is going to think we did this--"

*explosions are heard blocks away*

Tanizaki: O_O; "Oh no...They're starting early..."

lucy: i dont think that's them.

Kyoka: "It's those gangsters...Well, if you could take out two of them, this can't be too difficult..."

Tanizaki: T_T "I'll get ready..."

Dazai: "Have fun!" *dipping chips into the guacamole--*

lucy: no. i already brought enough trouble for you, im going to handle this myself so you dont get involved too.

Kunikida: "...Noble, although rather stupid, since if you get injured, the doctor will already be busy with one patient..."

*the window breaks*

sylvia: *screams*

Kyoka: *shields Sylvia*

*it's a knife with a message attached to it...*

kenji: *looks*

*it's horribly written but seems to want Lucy, with the line "We want the redhead!"*

lucy:....

Mantis: *on the rooftop across from the Agency* -_x "In one week, I've lost my clothes, my pride...and now my back is killing me!"

Lust: *shouting* "WE WANT THE REDHEAD~!"

izzy: they heard you!

Kunikida: "..." *sighs* "If you get killed, I'm not tolerating Atsushi's whining."

lucy:....im going out there. *hands them the groceries and turns*

Kyoka: "..."

Tanizaki: "..."

Dazai: "Have fun!"

atsushi: lucy wait! *holds her hand* .... *kiss* at least...let me be able to do that.

lucy:....dont worry. i have a plan.

-and so-

Mantis: *tapping his foot* >_X "Get your ass out here!"

Lust: *filing nails*

lucy: hey, jerkheads! come get me!

Lust: "??? No! How about you come here--"

Mantis: "RAWR!" *runs towards her*

pixie: *flies in*

lucy:....

Lust: "..." *shrugs* *follows*

-the other hell blaze members rush at her-

lucy:....*wicked smile and snaps her fingers*

-they appear to be in...a doll room?-

Mantis: *leaps at her--and falls onto a giant plushie* "..."

izzy: the hell?!

Lust: "..." *looks around* "..." -3- "Oh, this won't do..."

lucy: hello hello everyone~! welcome to anne's room! shall we play a game of tag~?

Mantis: "..." *muffled screams, as he starts slicing up the plushie* "YOU STUPID ASSHOLE! I DON'T WANT TO PLAY TAG! I WANT TO STAB YOU--REPEATEDLY!"

Lust: "Now, hang on--tag can be fun~"

lucy: now, that's not nice! emengarde hasnt done a thing to you. anne, show him the door~

Mantis: "WHO THE FUCK IS ANNE?!"

-something grabs him and the lust oni-

Lust: *looks up* OwO "..."

anne: owo

Mantis: *SCREAMS*

Lust: "OOOOOOOOH~" =w=

-arms reach from the dark room and grab them, pulling them in-

izzy: !!!!

Mantis: *biting Anne's hand* "BURN THIS THING!"

nailfile: what the fuck is that thing?!

Lust: "I'm trying!" *lighting up--but Anne keeps extinguishing...*

lucy: two down, several more to go~

Blaze Gangster 1: Q_Q "...Have I mentioned I have a phobia about dolls?"

nailfile: <oh fuck this shit!> *turns to run, but something has grabbed her leg* ?!?!?

-small dolls are climbing up her-

nailfile: *SCREAMING*

Blaze Gangster 2: *shrieks, running from toy soldiers*

izzy: motherfuck, what the hell are you?!

lucy: just an ability user, that's all. and i have a little favor to ask 💗

izzy: you want a favor?

lucy: leave the agency alone, and i'll let you all go.

Mantis: "WHAT THE FUCK IS THE AGENCY?!"

Lust: =w= "I'm in no--AH!--rush~"

izzy: *puts her hands up* we dont have a beef with you, girly, we just want the mafia dog, and we'll leave.

lucy: *glares*

Mantis: *SCREAMS, as Anne tightens her grip*

Lust: "AAAAAAAAH~!"

lucy: then i guess we'll be trapped here forever and ever then~

nailfile: *on the verge of panic*

Gangster 2: *climbing a giant tea set to escape toy soldiers*

izzy: ....tch-, fine then, we'll go, for now.

lucy: promise?

izzy: ...deal.

lucy:...*snaps fingers*

-back to reality-

nailfile: gross....

izzy:....let's go.

Mantis: *face-down on the pavement*

Lust: =o= "I-I need a moment..."

Gangster 1: *holding onto Gangster 2* Q_Q

Mantis: *grumbles* "Just let me stab her once..."

izzy: *holds hand up* we're going now.

lucy: and dont let me see your mugs around here again or else!

Lust: *gestures "Call me"*

Mantis: *gestures a knife along her throat*

lucy: *flips them off*

Lust: ._.;

Mantis: *MANTIS NOISES*

lucy:.....

fukuzawa: ........

Kunikida: "...Sir?"

lucy: !!! m-mr fukuzawa!

fukuzawa: miss montgomery. what you just pulled was reckless, foolish, and could have potentially killed you.

lucy: i-i know, but-

fukuzawa: and even so, you risked your life to protect us...

lucy:.....

fukuzawa: now, having said that, let me be the first to say.....*head pats* welcome to the armed detective agency.

lucy: ?!?!

Kyoka: "..." *tosses confetti* "Yay."

atsushi: lucy! *tackle hug* congrats!

naomi: *clapping*

sylvia:...*small smile*

kenji: you did it!

lucy:...ah....*tearing up* uu...*hugs atsushi, sobbing*

Kunikida: "..." ("I suppose I can keep my lecture to her for later, after she's done sobbing...")

kirako: oh, that's wonderful news!

Dazai: *mouth full of chips* "Yay!"

yosano: well, the patient's been taken care of, did i miss anything?

ranpo: new member.

yosano: !!

Tanizaki: "So I guess this is now a welcome party."

ranpo: here here!

-elsewhere-

Meme: *in the Deathbucks outfit* "Welcome! How many for your table?"

Izuku: "4. We may have 1 more."

mio: hey meme. .///.

Rin: *at another table, staring at notes* Q_Q

fani: =~=

Meme: ^^; *waves* "Hello!"

shinra: yo!

Rin: T_T "Hello...I'm going to fail my test..."

Izuku: "...Well, that's no good..."

shinra: im sure we can help you out.

Izuku: *nods* "What's the test for?"

Rin: "Exorcism stuff..."

???: well, allow me to assist.

-a wild annabelle warren appears-

annabelle: ta-dah~!

rui: *waves*

Rin: >~< "SAVE ME!"

-elsewhere-

Valentine: *pulls over* <Ready, kiddo?>

edouard: *responsive noise*

Valentine: "..." *sad smile, opens the door, gets to his side, opens the door for him and unbuckles the belt* <Want to feed the ducks?>

-elsewhere-

Danglars: *eating dinner* "..." <So, I'm going to have near-majority holdings in a cosmetics company.>

hermine: ...<that's nice...>

Danglars: <Yep! Imagine--me, selling those fruity perfumes and makeups! Ha! Never thought that'd be me...>

hermine: ....

Danglars: <Ha! Maybe I could get you a discount! ...> *looks at Eugenie* <Hey. Did you upset your mom or something?>

eugenie: <i didnt do anything. i was just playing with andrea in the yard today.> =3=

Danglars: <And you better treat that girl well--lot of money now riding on her.>

-elsewhere-

Sakuya: "How you feeling now?"

naho: much better. also kinda hungry.

Sakuya: "What you hungry for?"

naho:...crepes.

Sakuya: *nods* "Let's do this."

-elsewhere-

Gin: *checking her phone* "..."

higuchi: still nothing?

Gin: "No..." *pulls up a GPS app on her phone*

-elsewhere-

Mantis: Q~Q "Well, I can now add 'dolls' to the list of nightmare fuel..."

Lust: =w= "Same."

izzy: hmm....

Mantis: >_<# "Let's find the rest and kill them!"

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: *lying on the surgical table, looking up* O_O;;;

*sounds like fun outside...*

Akutagawa: "..." *gets up* *looks at the chair...there's a shirt there*

-it’s a pink shit that has a kitten hanging from a branch that reads ‘hang in there’-

Akutagawa: *picks it up* "..." =_=#

-outside-

Kunikida: "--and if you ever do something that foolhardy again that makes this organization look bad--!"

lucy: yes sir. -_-;

Kyoka: *slaps Ranpo's hand* "Hands off my cake."

ranpo: >3<

atsushi: never a dull day, huh?

Dazai: ^w^ "Nope..." *looks* "Is it going to be awkward?"

atsushi: what do you mean?

Dazai: "Which part: the awkwardness of working with someone you're dating, or the awkwardness that one of my former proteges is in the medical ward recovering from getting saved by your girlfriend, which is likely only to make things more awkward for all of us and Lucy?"

atsushi:.... .w.;;;

*the door opens*

Akutagawa: "..."

lucy: um... hey sku-

Akutagawa: *GLARE* "...Thank you for not letting me die."

lucy:.... ^^; no problem.

Akutagawa: *GETS UP IN HER FACE* "I do not like being in someone's debt."

lucy: ._.;;;;;

Akutagawa: *points at Dazai, still staring at Lucy* "DAZAI! I have managed not to kill, not for you, but to grow as my own person!"

Dazai: ^^ "And that's just grand--but I think you meant to say that to Atsushi..." *nudges him*

atsushi: .w.;;;;;;

Akutagawa: *turns, looks at Atsushi* "...Hello."

atsushi: *ahem* hello.

Akutagawa: "...She saved me. But I could've handled them fine." >_>;

Dazai: ("Wow. High praise.")

atsushi: ^^; yep, that's lucy for ya.

lucy: =///3///=;

Akutagawa: "Hmm...Well, good for both of you. I need to leave before the Mafia tracks my GPS chip back here and assumes you all kidnapped me."

Kyoka: ._.; "...They're doing _that_ again?"

naomi: ^^;

Tanizaki: *glare*

Akutagawa: "...Oh. Hello. How are you?"

Tanizaki: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"

-elsewhere-

beauchamp: hmmm....

???: *cough cough sniff* <Hey, mister--mister! You got a smoke?>

beauchamp: <oh, sorry, i dont smoke.>

???: *pulls out a lighter, illuminating his own face, revealing a scraggily man with missing teeth* <Good for you!>

beauchamp: !!

???: *chuckles* <What's wrong? You wanted to see me, didn't ya?>

beauchamp: .....

???: *coughs, wipes his face* <Mosqueton, as your service!> *holds out his hand...it looks unappealing*

beauchamp: .... <likewise. call me beauchamp>

Mosqueton: <And a good chap you are!> *loud laughter* *wheezes* <...Okay, enough pleasantries. So, you were looking into the Mimic war?>

beauchamp: *looks around* <yes>

Mosqueton: *whispers* <Didn't the history books give you enough info?> *smirks*

beauchamp: ......

Mosqueton: <But you know you can't believe everything you read there...After all, think about the people Mimic must have still hanging about...In your neighborhood...at your local police station...in the president's office...>

beauchamp: .... <what do you know?>

Mosqueton: <I know a few members of our fine society who have been working in the background for Mimic...You ever look into the kidnapping of Alexandre Dumas?>

beauchamp: <kidnapping?>

Mosqueton: -_-; <Work with me here, my fine gentleman...Look him up. He was 'arrested' for being a courier for Mimic. Now, who was the recipient for the mail he was delivering?>

beauchamp: *listening*

Mosqueton: <There's no evidence left--because the prosecutor on the case burned it up.>

beauchamp: !!!

Mosqueton: <As for Dumas, the lad was sent to some black ops prison--the entire case isn't even on public record--they disappeared! That prosecutor did...>

beauchamp: <but why?>

Mosqueton: <Aren't you listening to me? Mimic has its people everywhere--so that prosecutor must have some connection to them. I only know the package Dumas delivered was listed as a recipient at Artagnan Plaza--some chemist--the addressee was listed as 'Colbey' or something...Dumas probably knew something he shouldn't have, so--> *imitates a beheading*

beauchap: .... *gulp*

Mosqueton: <You sure you want to go down this path, my fine sir? If you do, no telling what you'll find--or who will be gunning after you.>

beauchamp:.... <i'm already in this deep...>

Mosqueton: <Yes...You are. Now, about my payment--> *opens a switchblade*

beauchamp: !!!

Mosqueton: <I'll take my payment, now.>

-elsewhere-

valentine: <hey max> ^^

Max: <!!! H-Hey, Valentine!> ^^; <How are you?>

valentine: <just brought my brother to the park for a bit.>

Max: *looks* <He looks like he's having fun...>

valentine: <yeah. how was work for you?>

Max: "..." <Odd.>

valentine: ??

Max: <...You see your step-mom around?>

valentine: <she's at home. why?>

Max: <...I saw her at work.>

valentine: <really?>

Max: *nods* <...And she didn't recognize me.> -_-;

valentine: ^^;

Max: <Any idea what she would be doing there?>

valentine: hmmm...

Max: <I'm not sure, either--we haven't done anything special aside from the relic collection and whatever Mr. Fawkes is up to.>

-elsewhere-

Fernand: "..." *steps away from the phone, enters the living room...*

mercedes: *asleep on the couch*

Albert: *snoozing with her*

Fernand: "..." *sits beside them* "..."

mercedes: zzzz....

Fernand: *tucks a blanket over them*

-elsewhere-

marquis: <you can sleep here if you want.>

Benny: -^-; <...Better than the floor...>

marquis: ^^

Benny: "..." >_>; "..." <Do you know any stories?

marquis: <i do know one.>

Benny: *pulls the blankets around himself, listens*

marquis: <a long time ago, there was a prince. he was very small, and very lonely, as his mama and papa were always elsewhere...>

Benny: <...>

marquis: <one day, the prince left his home, in hopes of finding somewhere he could be loved. at first, he thought he had found it, with a large man in a mansion in the woods. but the man didnt love him the way he hoped, but he pretended to be happy anyway...>

Benny: <Why pretend? Why not leave?>

marquis: *sad smile* <because the prince was so desperate for any kind of love at that point, that he stayed. then, two men came and rescued the prince, and he's been happy ever since.>

Benny: <...> *curls up* <Okay...So, running away was good for the Prince?>

marquis: <in a way. he had finally found a place to call home, and people to call family.>

Benny: <Hmm...Does this family love him?>

marquis: .... <i think so.> *smile*

Benny: <...Okay...> *yawns* *lies, down, closes his eyes*

marquis:....*gets up, rubbing his eyes and exits the room*

Cervantes: *whispers* <Hello! He's asleep?>

marquis: *nods* *sniff* ^^

Cervantes: *concerned look* <You okay?>

marquis: *hug*

Cervantes: <!!!> *pat pat*

marquis:....<thanks>

Cervantes: ^^ <Any time...Want a drink?>

-elsewhere-

Kid: "Feel more relaxed?"

stocking: ^^

Kid: *smiles, rubs her shoulders*

stocking: =w=

Kid: *kisses the back of her neck*

stocking: ah~<3

Kid: *continues massaging* "So cute~"

stocking: =///=

Kid: *hugs her from behind* "I love you..."

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *drawing...yawns* *looks out the window at the city at night*

mito: *resting by his feet*

Chuuya: "...Mito...Rain..."

mito: *meeew*

Chuuya: *pet pet stroke*

mito: *purrs*

Chuuya: *sad sigh*

-upstairs, the girls are asleep-

sonia: *sleeping peacefully*

miyuri: *sprawled out on the floor* zzzzz

Chuuya: "..." *picks up Mito, walks upstairs*

mito: *mii?*

Chuuya: *goes to the girls' room...sets down Mito*

mito: *walks over to miyuri, licks her cheek*

miyuri: hehehe... =w=

Chuuya: *small smile...picks up Miyuri*

miyuri: zzzzz....

Chuuya: *sets her in bed, tucks her in*

miyuri: =w=

Chuuya: *strokes her head...looks at Sonia*

sonia: mmn....*holding her teddy*

Chuuya: *tucks her and the teddy in*

sonia: *she seems happy*

Chuuya: *sighs* ("...I wish you could see this...")

-silence-

Chuuya: "..." *wipes his face*

-early morning-

Archivist: <Court cases?>

beauchamp: <yes>

Archivist: <Which year?>

-beauchamp explained-

Archivist: <Hmmm...I'm not familiar...Let me open the files for 6 years ago...>

-elsewhere-

Villefort: *sipping tea* <I will be reviewing cases for next week, so I can't be interrupted...>

Valentine: *sighs*

heloise: <im going to be running errands.>

Valentine: <I think I'll call up Francesca...>

Villefort: -_-;

-elsewhere-

Jeje: "Wake up."

mikuni: zzzzzz.... =w=

Jeje: "..." *picks him up...*

mikuni: mmn, that feels nice, darlin'...zzz....

Jeje: -_-; *slams Mikuni into the ceiling*

mikuni: YEOWCH!

Jeje: "Work is starting."

-elsewhere-

Dumas: *snoring*

{Dumas: *his wrists are chained to the interrogation table...he's in a prison jumpsuit...the laces are removed from his shoes* <LET ME OUT, DAMN IT! I DEMAND TO KNOW THE CHARGES!>}

{villefort: *entering*}

{Dumas: *stares, trying to recognize the person...* ("Prosecutor?") <...Who are you?>}

{villefort: <gerard de villefort, as the prosecution.>}

{Dumas: <...Monsieur, I was taken out of my home--it's my wedding day. I don't even know whether she knows I'm here! No one is explaining to me what I'm charged with!>}

{villefort: *examines the envelope*.... !!!!!!!}

{Dumas: <What? It was what my captain asked me to deliver-->}

{villefort: ....<we will investigate this matter immediately.>}

{Dumas: "..." *nods* <When can I be presented to the judge to post bail?>}

{-...-}

{villefort: <as you can see, this man's knowledge of mimic's actions makes him a liability. it makes him a dangerous man. i find it is only fitting to lock him away where his knowledge is unable to harm anyone.>}

{Dumas: <You can't do this! I'm innocent! I don't even know what I had! Please, your honor-->}

{Judge: <I'm inclined to agree. Officers, please escort the prisoner-->}

{Dumas: !!! *shakes*}

{juror: !!! <w-what is that?!>}

{Dumas: *dark energy is around him--as he snaps the handcuffs offs and throws the table into the ceiling lights, knocking them out*}

{-there is panic and screaming-}

{villefort: !!!! <what the devil-->}

{Dumas: *in the dark, he grows only more powerful, before he grabs Villefort by the throat* <YOU LIED TO ME! I HATE BEING LIED TO!>}

{villefort: !!! <GU-GUARDS!>}

{Guard: <Shoot!> *fires a tranq*}

{*the tranquilizers hit Dumas...he's still moving*}

Dumas: *shaking in bed* <No...NO!> *slams his fist onto the bed--smashing its frame*

marquis: <dumas? is everything ok-.... ._.;;; >

Dumas: <...> *sits up* =_=# "..." <What?! YOU'VE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE BREAK THEIR BED?!>

marquis: eep! >^<; <b-breakfast is ready!>

Dumas: <FINE! THANK YOU! IS THERE ORANGE JUICE?!> *pushes the broken bed to the wall*

marquis: <please, dont shout? ^^; >

Dumas: O^O *angry whispering* <WHY NOT?>

marquis: <you'll upset the neighbors.>

Dumas: <...> =_=; <Fine. Good point...> *buries his head under the pillow*

-elsewhere-

Max: <I'm heading out...>

morrel: <take care.> *smiles* .........*sigh*

Max: <...I'll be home at 4. Call me if you need anything...> *sad smile*

-elsewhere-

Izumo: -_-; ("I finished sweeping the apartment, so just need to find food...") *checking cupcakes at the grocery* ("How did I get talked into a 'sleepover'?")

-phone ringing-

Izumo: "???" *answers* "Hello?"

shiemi: hi izumo! when are you coming over?

Izumo: "I'm on my way--I'm just picking up some items." -_-; "...Should I be bringing anything?"

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: "--then she buried the cleaver into me, nearly killing me, before activating her ability to heal all injuries." *sips tea* "...Hm. This is quite good."

lucy:.....*awkward laughter*

Akutagawa: "...My fatal injuries amuse you?"

lucy: oh no, i didnt mean it that way!

Akutagawa: "In what way, then? What was funny?"

atsushi: anyone want cupcakes? ^^;;

Akutagawa: "...Fine." *takes one* "Who made them?"

atsushi: kyouka did.

Akutagawa: "...Have you been taking good care of her?"

atsushi: of course.

sylvia: *peeks* .~.;;;

Akutagawa: "...And who is that person?"

atsushi: that's sylvia, she's a new member as well.

sylvia: >~<;; *ducks behind the wall*

Akutagawa: "...These are your recruits? In the Mafia, we focus on power..."

atsushi: well, lucy has proven herself willing to give her life for the sake of the agency, just like i did.

Akutagawa: -^- "I could've saved myself--I was busy not killing them and making sure she didn't get killed..."

lucy: and i appreciate that

Akutagawa: "...You're welcome." *bites into the cupcake--gets frosting on his nose*

atsushi: um...you got something on your- *points to his nose*

Akutagawa: "Yes? ..." *looks* "..." *wipes with a napkin* "...Thank you." >\\\\>;

atsushi: ^^;

-CRASH-

atsushi: ?!

lucy: ???

sylvia: EEP! >~<;;

Akutagawa: *already aiming Rashomon* "!!!"

???: "Now, calm down--we're not here to--" *suddenly, his voice goes up in pitch* "OW!" *Tachihara collapses into the room*

Akutagawa: "???"

gin: GIVE RYU BACK!

hirotsu: gin, i understand you're upset, but we need to be diplomatic about this.

gin: diplomatic my ass! *runs into the room and hugs akutagawa* WHY DIDNT YOU ANSWER?!

Akutagawa: O\\\\O; "...I was busy, recuperating from injuries. Also, there were cupcakes."

gin: *glares at atsushi*

atsushi: ._.;;;

lucy: ._.;;;;

Akutagawa: "...Wait, you don't think they injured me, do you?"

hirotsu: *ahem* greetings, armed detective agency, we're just here to recover one of our members.

yosano: he was injured before he got here....granted i helped, but that was to heal him.

Akutagawa: *nods* "Granted, I was first attacked by some fire-users--the same that took the Mafia's bar."

gin: !!!

Akutagawa: "They followed me back here, attempting to destroy the Armed Detective Agency as well."

hirotsu: hmm...

Kyoka: *walks in with more tea* "And obviously we were not destroyed--and Lucy sent the Hell Blaze Gang away."

lucy: *beaming*

Akutagawa: >_>; *opens his mouth to repeat his point--then stops* -_-;

Tachihara: T~T "Who the hell is Lucy?"

lucy: .... that would be me. -_-;

Tachihara: "??? You mean ‘carrots’ over there?"

Akutagawa: *stifling himself*

lucy: *PUNCH* WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE CALLING 'CARROTS'?!

gin: -_-; ignore him, he's a moron.

Tachihara: X___X

Akutagawa: "..." *pokes* "He's not dead, so no need to treat him..." *picks him up* "...Thank you for the shirt."

atsushi:...right... *sweatdrop*

lucy: er-...sorry about your coat.

Akutagawa: "It's fine..." *takes hers*

lucy: D8

Akutagawa: "Let's go home."

gin:....*nods*

-elsewhere-

Joker: "Welcome back!" >w<

nana: =A=;

Joker: "How did you like staying over with Aunt Red?"

nana: it was nice.

Joker: "Does she have nice furniture?"

nana: yeah, it was fancy. we ordered pizza.

Joker: "Oh..." *looks up* "I guess I owe you for that..." *opens wallet*

nana: ??

scarlet: it's fine.

Joker: "Well, owe you for the pizza..." *hands her a $20 bill*

scarlet: um...thanks, i guess.

Joker: "So, when can we have a slumber party?"

scarlet: ... -_-;

-elsewhere-

-knocks-

mrs saint-merand: ?? *opens the door* <oh, heloise, what a surprise!> ^^

Mr. Saint-Merand: -_-; <Hmph.>

Heloise: <Hello.> *smiles* *holds up a box* <I brought tea.>

mrs saint-merand: <oh, how lovely!> ^^

Heloise: <I was hoping we could catch up...> *adjusts her pearl necklace*

mrs saint-merand: <why of course, dear.>

Mr. Saint Merand: *stares at her necklace* "..." ("Familiar...")

Heloise: <Shall I brew?>

mrs saint merand: <are you sure dear, we dont mind->

Heloise: <It would be my pleasure...>

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: -_-; "I appreciate your concern, but I think this is going too far--"

gin: im seriously not letting you out of my sight for a week!

Akutagawa: "YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!" >_<# "I WAS DOING JUST FINE!"

gin: DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS?! WE ALREADY HAD YOU GO MISSING ONCE! *hug* i cant....i cant let it happen again...*shaking*

Akutagawa: "..." T~T *hug* "I'm sorry."

gin: *sniff* you're a real jerk sometimes, ryu...

Akutagawa: "I love you, too..."

gin:.....

Higuchi: Q_Q *watching from around the corner*

Akutagawa: "...Can we just have lunch already..."

gin: ..r-right.

Q: i want omurice! ^o^

Higuchi: "!!" *runs back to the kitchen*

Akutagawa: -_-; ("Q gets kidnapped all the time--why do I get in trouble when I do...")

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: "Okay, so there are the tools, the wood planks--"

Motojiro: "The death laser--"

Chuuya: "..." *STARE*

ayako: OwO

Chuuya: "...How...How about instead a kaleidoscope in the treehouse?" ^^;

Motojiro: "Hmm...Colorful...I suppose.............."

leo: perhaps a light show for the reception would be nice?

Motojiro: "...YES...We shall build it!"

-elsewhere-

Kunikida: "Let's not rest on our laurels--you're now in this Agency, so now you're going to start with the grunt work."

lucy: yes sir.

Kunikida: "Good. You're on Ranpo duty."

lucy: *sigh* i figured.

-elsewhere-

Lord Wilmore: <Don't fall behind, sweetie...>

andrea: =~=

Lord Wilmore: *knocks on the door* ^^

lucian: <yes? ah, lord wilmore, please, come in>

Lord Wilmore: <Hello, Lucian--a pleasure to see you again. I am here to leave paperwork for Monsieur Danglars to review...>

lucian: <right this way>

Lord Wilmore: *follows* <Maybe Andrea would like to play with her new friend?>

eugenie: <andrea!> *hug*

andrea: !!!

Lord Wilmore: <Have fun, you two!> *smug wave at Andrea*

Danglars: *in his office, muttering over financial records*

-elsewhere-

Izumo: "Hello? Anyone here?" *looking at the garden*

shiemi: oh, you're here! ^^

Izumo: "Hi..." *holds up bag* "I brought some snacks..."

shiemi: oh how nice! come on, my room is in the garden storehouse.

Izumo: "The storehouse?" *follows* *looking at the garden*

-it's quite a lovely garden-

Izumo: "...It must take you a lot of work to tend to all of this..."

shiemi: it does, but it's worth it. *opens the door*

-inside is quite cozy-

Izumo: "...Um...This isn't bad..." >\\\>; "...Where should I put these?" *holds up the bag*

-elsewhere-

*knock on the 8th's door*

shinra: ??

Ogun: *waves* "Hey."

shinra: ogun! great to see you!

Ogun: "Same!" *hug* "How you holding up?"

shinra: pretty well. *calls out* hey guys! ogun's here!

Arthur: "Finally--pleasant company."

Ogun: ^^;

karin: OwO nozomiiiin~ someone's heeeere~

Petra: "..." *whispers* "I have no idea who he is."

iris: he's a friend.

Petra: "Hmm...I hope he's more dependable than some people..."

rita: ^^;

maki: so what's new with you?

Ogun: "...Is Commander Obi here?" *he's holding some files*

maki: yeah, he's out training in the garden.

Ogun: *nods* "I can wait...I think you, Dr. Itou, and Vulcan may need to hear this...You too, Shinra."

shinra: what is it?

karin: ...

Ogun: "I overheard Commander Huang and Captain Arg visiting Commander Arg...They sounded really upset about what happened to some patients they had...The 6th and multiple hospitals have been transferring burn victims..."

karin: oh jeez...

shinra: ....

Ogun: "The Captain wanted me to tell Obi, especially given where the burn victims have been transferred..."

-elsewhere-

Dr. John: "...Son of a gun." *kicks a garbage can*

sachiko: !!

Dr. John: *she's looking at empty beds* "Burn victims...in comas, moved against my orders...How dare they..."

-there is murmurs amongst the hospital staff-

nurse: how strange...

nurse 2: what about the moriyama girl?

Dr. John: "Everyone, listen up! Do not let another patient be transferred--not until I give Haijima Industries a piece of my mind!" *rolls up a sleeve* "Or my fist!"

-elsewhere-

Scientist: *looking out the window* *sighs* "Get another bed ready..."

*a child lies motionless behind the glass on the stone floor...*

???: right away.

???: "..." *walks up to the glass, staring at both scientists...bangs a fist on the glass*

scientist 2: !!!

???: *muffled through the glass* "Bring me another."

Scientist 1: ^^; *speaks into the microphone* "Take an hour break--you earned it, champ--"

???: *bangs on the glass again* "Another."

Scientist 1: OwO; "..." *looks at Scientist 2* "Get another kid."

???: now come on, they're kids for cripe's sake.

???: *looks at ???, glaring*

Scientist 1: >3< "SHHHHH! Do you want to get killed?!"

scientist 2: always the moral one, eh fujimi?

kahono: well _someone_ here has to.

Scientist 1: -_-; "Then you convince him..." *hands Kahono the microphone*

kahono: kurono, quit being a dingus and take a break for an hour, you'll burn yourself out otherwise!

Kurono: "Hmph...I don't have a lot of time, and a break is just wasting time..." *clenches his fist* "...Get a doctor in here to check on this..."

kahono: *entering and checks on the child*

Kurono: "..."

Child: *knocked out, barely breathing*

kahono:...im so sorry for this, kiddo. *picks them up*

Kurono: "Weakling."

kahono:…

-elsewhere-

Heloise: *walking up the steps, one at a time* "..."

{Heloise: *sets down the tea* <Such lovely cups you have...>}

{mrs saint-merand: <why thank you.> ^^}

{Mr. Saint-Merand: <Hmph.> *sniffs the tea* <What is it?>}

{Heloise: <Hibiscus.> *looks* <Where are your servants?>}

{mrs saint-merand: <oh, we dont have any.>}

{Mr. Saint-Merand: <Yes. You've been here before, haven't you?> *sips*}

{Heloise: "..." *smiles* <Sorry. I'm so forgetful...>}

{mrs saint-merand: *sips hers*}

{Mr. Saint-Merand: "..." <That necklace looks familiar...>}

{Heloise: <...Oh? Does it?> *knowing smile*}

{Mr. Saint-Merand: <...What the hell...?>}

{mrs saint-merand: .... !!! *coughing*}

{Mr. Saint-Merand: *his hand is shaking* <Wh-What...WHAT DID YOU DO?!>}

{Heloise: *keeps sipping her tea*}

{mrs saint-merand: *collapses*}

{Heloise: *smirks* <Well, that settles--GRK!>}

{Mr. Saint-Merand: *strangling Heloise, his hands shaking from the poisoning*}

{Heloise: *desperately swinging her arms at him*}

{Mr. Saint-Merand: *his grip loosens...as he clutches her pearls, ripping them off, scattering them on the floor*}

{Heloise: "?!" *coughing...settles herself, noticing he's convulsing but motionless* "..." *picks up the string of pearls and the ones that fell off* ("That's all of them...") "..." *kicks Mr. Saint-Merand...he's not moving...* *smiles, coughs...* ("Now to wipe the tea set...Well, _my_ tea set...")}

{*she doesn't notice something shining from under Mrs. Saint-Merand's couch...*}

Heloise: *walks into her room, sits on the edge of her bed* "..."

-elsewhere-

Asher: =_= "Why are you doing this to me?" *staring at a roller coaster*

Kanin: *eating cotton candy*

izumi: we thought it'd be a nice change of pace.

lei-lei: yeah!

Saria: "If you don't want the coaster, we can try something else, like bumper cars--"

Asher: "Done. Enjoy getting heart attacks." *walks to bumper cars*

izumi:.. ^^;

Axel: "I'm not scared. The Hell-Scarer 8000 isn't as bad as the Hell-Scarer 9000. I heard this one only had 4 injuries this week--"

zeke: true, true.

Yafeu: *AGGRESSIVE NOMMING ON CANDY APPLE* "LET'S DO THIS!"

-elsewhere-

Shamrock: *vacuuming...lifts the couch up and--* "...TSUBAKI. THEY'RE DIGGING TUNNELS AGAIN!"

Belkia: *pops up, wearing a miner's hat* "We'll get to Asakusa in less than a month!"

otogiri: -_-;

Black Star: "GET OUT OF THERE!" *pulls Belkia up by the neck* "NOW WE GOT TO FILL THIS HOLE!"

Shamrock: "Hmm...Maybe just lay a rug for now..." *sets the rug*

Sakuya: *walks in* "What's all the noise--" *falls through the rug into the tunnel*

Black Star: D8

Shamrock: X_O;

Belkia: "..." *snort laugh*

naho: D8 SAKKUUUUN!!

Black Star: O_O; "We're all so dead..."

Belkia: "What, again?"

Shamrock: X~T

Sakuya: @~@ "Please...Beat the shit out of them for me..."

-elsewhere-

*knock knock on the Agency door*

lucy: ??

*someone outside carrying a futon*

lucy oh, mr katai!

Katai: O~O "H-H-Hello, Lucy...Visiting today?"

lucy: oh, i actually work here now.

Katai: "Oh, I see..." ^^ "...HUH?!"

-atsushi explains what all happened-

Katai: Q_Q "I'm glad I avoided that...After the last time I met Mr. Akutagawa, he got angry with me..."

kirako: oh, katai! please, come on in.

Katai: *walks inside, sits down* "H-Hello. How's the baby?"

kirako: coming along.

yosano: so what's up?

Katai: =_= "I was kept up all night by loud noises..."

yosano: loud noises?

Katai: *nods* "I heard some scuffle outside my window, like someone was stealing from someone. I looked up but didn't put on my glasses in time before the potential thief and the potential victim ran off..."

yosano: hmm...

Katai: "M-M-Maybe someone could do a stake-out--"

Ranpo: "SLEEPOVER."

aya: yeah!

Katai: O_O; "Not what I had in mind--"

Kyoka: "We'll need to order pizza."

-elsewhere-

Izumo: *pointing at the books* "That's the name of this technique, so memorize it--no cutesy nicknames for it."

shiemi: oh... *looks*...... ._.

Izumo: -_-; "Okay, look, your nicknames are a way for you to memorize. So how about we use that to our advantage..." *holds up the book, showing a plant* "This is the osha plant. It is used to ward away spirits. So, what do you nickname this?"

shiemi: kumako-chan.

Izumo: ._.; "...Where did you get that name?"

shiemi: they call it bear medicine, right? kuma means bear in japanese, hence, kumako-chan.

Izumo: "...That...is actually impressive. Okay, so now you need to remember the actual name, so, um, maybe..." *doodles a bear* "This is, um, 'Osha the Bear'?"

-elsewhere-

Beauchamp: =_= *yawns* ("I can't find anything on this 'Dumas'...It's like he really was wiped from public records, not even a birth certificate...") *opens a web page for Judge Villefort...*

-there is a photo of himself, a young blonde woman, and a young blonde girl-

Beauchamp: *reads the caption* " 'Mr. Villefort is seen here with...'" *tries to read the names* "Hmm..." *searches for the name of his wife* <Deceased...> *pulls up family records* ("A few of them are dead--his wife, his dad...That's troubling...") *pulls up a file on Noirtier Villefort...*

-confirmed MIA, assumed to be deceased-

Beauchamp: *pulls up a photo and--* "!!!" *hunts through his photographs of Villefort from following him around town--* "?!" ("That old man in the chair...That's him! Who is he...") *searches the nursing home...* "...COLBY?!"

Librarian: -A- "SHHH!"

Beauchamp: O_O; <Sorry...>

francesca: ._.;;;

Beauchamp: "?!" *whispers* <Hello...>

francesca: <hey.>

Beauchamp: <...This is something big...>

francesca: ??

Beauchamp: <I was given a clue to follow the person in communication with someone involved in Mimic--and I think he knows something about poisoning people during the war...>

francesca: .........

Beauchamp: <And this man is a chemical technician, retired, who I think was the person involved with mimic--Villefort, assumed dead in the war but still alive!>

francesca: !!!!!!!! <y-you dont think....>

Beauchamp: <I do. I think Judge Villefort is involved with Mimic, and when he found out the person he was prosecuting could out his dad's involvement, too, he had the man killed and put his dad into hiding...>

francesca: *shaking*

Beauchamp: <This is big...We can't even go to the cops with this...Hey, you okay?>

francesca: <he.....noirtier....he's my girlfriend's grandfather....>

Beauchamp: <...Oh no...>

francesca:...<i have to know...if he really did kill my father...>

Beauchamp: <...What, we talk to him?>

francesca: hmmm....

Beauchamp: <...> *texting* <I know someone--hang on...>

-elsewhere-

Dabi: *pulls over* "We're here..."

himiko: *looks*

*looks to be a dusty ghost town with a railroad near it...the sign says 'Orion'*

himiko: ooooh.

Twice: "Ooooo..." *snaps a pic on his phone--*

Dabi: *slaps his hand* "Stop. We can't be tracked here..."

Twice: -3-

banshee: ....

Muscular: "What's supposed to be here? It's just sage brush and dust."

Dabi: "Appearances can be deceptive..." *tosses a shovel* "Start digging."

-elsewhere-

Steinbeck: *on the phone* "Sir, I really don't understand what you're--...Okay. Okay! We'll be on the look out...Right...Right..." -_-; "Sir, we don't work for free--" *shouting heard on the phone* >_<# "..." *hands the phone to Emily*

emily: ._. um. h-hello?

???: "--and I said this is important to these kids! How would you like it if you were kidnapped or if I put my boot up your--...Oh, Ms. Dickinson. Hi. This is Salinger."

emily: mr salinger, hello!

Salinger: ^^ "Hello, dear. Spencer, say hello to Ms. Dickinson!"

*a dog barking is heard*

emily: ^^ so, what's the occasion?

Salinger: "I'm afraid I have some bad news--a kid in my neighborhood's friend was kidnapped, and he thinks she's in your area."

emily: oh goodness!

Salinger: "Could you look out for her? I could mail you a news clipping, but that'll take a long time--maybe there's something on the World Wide Web on your computer?"

-elsewhere-

Lord Wilmore: <A pleasure, sir...> *takes the signed paperwork, shakes Danglars's hand*

Danglars: <Yes! I can't believe I get to own your stuff now!>

Lord Wilmore: ^^; <49%, sir...>

-upstairs-

andrea: *staring at the teaset* ...

Eugenie: <It's pretty, isn't it? Mama tells me to be careful so not to break it because she wants it for when friends are over...But she never has anyone over...>

andrea: ......

Eugenie: <...> *smiles* <Maybe you could be Mama's friend, too!>

andrea: !!! .///.;;;

Eugenie: <Mama? Meet my new friend!> *takes Andrea's hands*

andrea: ._.;;;

hermine: ??

Eugenie: <This is Andrea!> *whispers* <She's really shy...>

hermine: ...<h-how do you do?>

andrea: .~.;;;

Eugenie: ^w^ <May we have snacks?>

hermine:...<of course> *heads downstairs*

-elsewhere-

Duncan: *struggling to pick up the 'strong man' mallet to hit the weight to strike the bell* *huffs, puffs* "Hang on...Hang on..."

Axel: "Bro, this is just sad."

zeke: *shakes head*

hibiki: i might die from second hand embarrassment.

Duncan: >3< *swings--and hits the weight's countermeasure--and the weight barely goes up*

Hyde: "Aaaaaaaaaand you got 2 out of 100..."

Asher: "That sucks." *their hair is blown back*

amelia: may i give it a go?

Duncan: "Pfft! Like you can even lift it--"

amelia: *takes the hammer* *intense look* *SHA-WING!*

Kanin: *watches*

-she just knocked the bell off-

amelia:....................oops.

Duncan: Q_Q

Axel: 0_0

zeke: ....bruh.

Kanin: O_O

Hyde: -_-; "...I got to stop running this in Death City..."

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *sawing*

naoya: *streeeetch*

Chuuya: "...Think they'll like it?"

naoya: hell yeah!

Chuuya: ^^; "Thanks...I just want this to be perfect...Maybe paint some of it with animals..."

naoya: good idea.

Chuuya: "And Kajii and Leo are working on the kaleidoscope...You know what would be cool? Maybe some playground here..."

naoya: maybe a pool?

Chuuya: "Yeah! Wait..." ._.; "I don't know whether Miyuri can swim..."

naoya: i'd suggest starting with an inflatable pool.

Chuuya: "Sounds good--I'll add it to the shopping list..."

-elsewhere-

Heloise: *rubbing her neck*

edouard: <mama?>

Heloise: *quickly turns...nervous smile* <Oh, Eddy...You startled me...>

edouard: <are you ok?>

Heloise: "..." *nods* <Yes...> *picks him up* <Much better...>

edouard: ^^

Heloise: <Hee hee...> *forehead kiss* <Let's make snacks.>

-elsewhere-

Lord Wilmore: <Andrea? Time to go home...>

andrea:...*nods*

Lord Wilmore: <...You okay?>

andrea: *nods nods* ...

Lord Wilmore: <Okay...Wave bye-bye to your friend...> *looks at Mrs. Danglars and Eugenie*

andrea: *wave*

Eugenie: ^w^ *happy wave*

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: "Jeez...This is pretty serious, folks..."

Ogun: *nods*

karin: ......

Vulcan: "I think we're also forgetting something big--this isn't the first time Haijima has been up to some shit. My family, Giovanni's connection to the Hoods, what they did to Lisa--even the 5th's commander was up to sneaky stuff."

shinra: yeeeah... >->;

Akitaru: "And something that's been obvious for a bit...that Viktor was put here by Haijima to keep an eye on us."

Ogun: "...Huh. That...makes a lot of sense."

Takehisa: "Obviously."

Vulcan: "No duh."

Arthur: "Totally."

karin: i fucking knew it.

Relan: ._. ("...I didn't...")

nozomi: !!

iris: ._.

rita: ????

Petra: -_-; *signing* <The Viktor boy is a spy for Haijima--because of course.>

rita: <oh.> .... <wait, is haijima the enemy or no?>

Petra: *signing while talking* <So, now that you know Haijima is the actual threat, when do we treat them like you treated the Church?"

shinra: *looks to oubi*

Akitaru: "..." *looks to Karin* "I don't suppose you could find some floor plans for their buildings?"

karin: just leave it to me!

Vulcan: "I also may have some jamming equipment to see if we can listen into their security guards' PA system."

-elsewhere-

Noirtier: *sitting by his window* "..."

-two nurses enter-

francesca:...

Noirtier: "..." *smirks* <You're new...>

Beauchamp: "..."

francesca: <do you need anything?>

Noirtier: <Yes...Do you intend to kill me here, or kidnap me first?>

francesca: ._.; <erm...>

Noirtier: <Oh, come now--you're so transparent. Do you know how long I've waited for this? Just--Just pour the water already, and let's chat...>

francesca: .......

Noirtier: <Now, then, what did you want to ask me?>

francesca:.... *shaking*

Beauchamp: <Mr. Colby...or, should I say, Mr. Noirtier...>

Noirtier: *smiles* <Who told you?> *looks at Francesca* <Oh, come off it--are you a welp or an adult? Just spit it out!>

francesca: <monsiour d'epinay, did you kill him?>

Noirtier: <D'Epinay? Oh, I was stationed with him...Heh...He convulsed for minutes...>

francesca: !!!!!!!

Beauchamp: <Sir! You killed this woman's father?!>

Noirtier: <I killed them all.>

francesca:......*she collapses*

Beauchamp: <!!!> *picks her up, supports her head*

Noirtier: <Pity...Where's a nurse when you need one...>

francesca: <why you->

Noirtier: <Why? Have you seen this nation, this continent?> *coughs* <After the horrors I've seen, I'd rather see it all burn, so something else could be built...>

francesca: <shut up...>

Noirtier: *smirks* <Or what? I've been running my mouth longer than you've been alive-->

-PUNCH-

Noirtier: *knocked out of his wheelchair*

francesca: <YOU SON OF A BITCH!> *kicks*

Noirtier: *collapsed, wheezing* <St-Stop! Help me!>

Beauchamp: *too stunned to do anything...*

francesca: *tries to strangle him*

Nurse: *breaks down the door* <Stop! You'll kill him!> *grabs Francesca*

francesca: <let go of me!>

Nurse 2: *grabs Francesca by the hair*

Nurse 1: *pulling away Francesca's arms*

Noirtier: *coughing* <Get her away!>

-elsewhere-

sonia: *writing*

Chuuya: *wipes his brow* *looks*

sonia: *looks up, wave*

Chuuya: *smiles, waves...walks into the school, looking at the halls' walls*

-there are several posters and drawings by the kids-

Chuuya: *smiles, laughs a bit* ("Where's Sonia's...")

-the is one with a drawing of a girl in a sundress in a field of sunflowers-

Chuuya: "???"

-it has sonia's name on it-

Chuuya: "Wow..."

teacher: quite amazing, isnt she?

Chuuya: "Hmm? ...Yes, she is. Thank you."

teacher: ^^ its quite remarkable, she's so mature for her age group.

Chuuya: ^^; "I keep telling her that..."

teacher: *chuckle* ^^

Chuuya: "I was just here to pick her up..."

teacher: ah.

Chuuya: "How is she? Is she getting along okay?"

teacher: she seems to be doing well.

Chuuya: "...Good. It's been a big adjustment again for her..."

teacher: i've heard...

Chuuya: >_>; "I'm kind of worried whether she's making friends..."

teacher: she does talk to her classmates, but spends more time talking with the teachers.

Chuuya: *nods* "Yes, she tends to get along better with some adults..."

teacher: truth be told, we're considering having her skip ahead a few grades.

Chuuya: "Oh? That would be a big change..."

teacher: it would indeed.

Chuuya: "I think I'll talk with her, too..."

teacher: *knocks* sonia, your father's here.

sonia: ok. *collects her belongings and exits into the hall*

Chuuya: "Hi, Sonia. How are you?"

sonia: good. *hug*

Chuuya: ^^ *hug*

-elsewhere-

Kuro: *paws at cupcake*

mahiru: ok, now we need three eggs.

Kuro: =_= *picks up eggs* "Here. Where do I put them?"

mahiru: crack them open and put them into the bowl.

Kuro: "I was kidding..." *tosses the shells* "Stir now, or..."

mahiru: *nods*

Kuro: *stirs* "What flavor will these be, when can we eat them, and where's the frosting?"

mahiru: it's a strawberry cake for the school bake sale.

Kuro: "...That doesn't answer 'when can we eat'..."

mahiru: we'll have the second cake later.

Kuro: =_= "Fine...I'll help bake these for your bake sale..." *stirs more slowly*

-elsewhere-

Kyoka: *rolling up a sleeping bag* "We'll also need soda."

sylvia: *nod nod*

tamaki: oh, hey kyouka!

Kyoka: *shiny eyes* "Tamaki." *hug*

tamaki: ^^

sylvia: um...h-hi...

Kyoka: "Sylvia, this is Tamaki. She saved me at the Sports Festival."

sylvia: n-nice to...m-meet you... .~.;;;

tamaki: shy?

sylvia: eep! >~<

Kyoka: "Yes. Her ability has not been a lucky one."

tamaki: i can relate. too well. *excalibur face*

Kyoka: *sympathetic pat* "We were getting ready for a stake-out / sleepover."

tamaki: oh, sounds fun.

Kyoka: *nods* "This will be a first for Sylvia since joining the Agency." *whispers* "We're worried about organized crime around a friend's apartment."

tamaki: jeez.

Kyoka: "So be careful...We already had the Hell Blaze Gang attack us. And some weird fire woman with an eye mask..."

tamaki: !!!!!! what did her eye mask look like?

Kyoka: "??? Like a Burger King crown? It was in the Nether months ago--"

tamaki: holy-..*shakes* y-you were lucky to get away, that person, she's....*looks around and whispers* she's part of a group called the knights of the ashen flame. all im gonna say is that they're bad news.

Kyoka: "I know. They ripped my friend Atsushi to bits, then burned the bits, then burned him alive again. Twice."

tamaki: D8

Kyoka: "He got better. He can regenerate."

tamaki:.....bruh...just....bruh.

Kyoka: "He's also the weretiger, so he also has a cat theme."

tamaki: ....riiight. ^^;

sylvia: .~.;;

Kyoka: "It's better now. We have more recruits now, and we put a fundamentalist extremist into prison."

tamaki: wow, you've been busy. we've been busy too, but that's classified info, sadly.

Kyoka: "I understand. Good luck with confidential work."

-elsewhere-

Hyde: "Here you go..." *hands a neon glow-stick necklace*

izumi: thanks hyde! ^^

Hyde: "Don't mention it. Say hi to Soul for me!"

Axel: *wearing a balloon hat* "Need the bathroom before fireworks. Bro, I entrust this to you..." *hands off the balloon hat*

zeke: *salutes*

hibiki: *looking for a good spot*

*looks to be an open spot on the hill...*

hibiki: how about there?

Duncan: "Allow me to roll out the blankets..." T~T

izumi: ^^

Asher: *their face is painted* ._.

Saria: ^^ *sits on the blanket, pats a spot next to her*

lukas: *takes a seat*

Kanin: "Here you go, Amelia."

amelia: *noms on cotton candy*

Kanin: ^^

Yafeu: *putting on 'fireworks glasses' "KALEIDOSCOPIC!"

lei-lei: ^^

*the PA system turns on*

???: "Is this thing on? Hello?"

???: "You're already pressing the button, Lord Death..."

lord death: ah yes, welcome to the festival everyone! how's everybody doing tonight?

Sid: -_-; ("They can't respond--")

Audience: "YAY!"

lord death: are you ready for some fireworks?

Audience: "YES!"

lord death: alrighty! let's get this party started!!

*WHEEP* *something fires into the sky before exploding into a firework*

amelia: wow!

Axel: *runs up* "Crap! What have I missed?"

*another shoots off to form a skull head*

-clapping-

-elsewhere-

valentine: *knocks*

*no answer*

valentine: <grandma? grandpa? it's me!>

*no answer still*

valentine: ... (maybe they're asleep...) *tries the door*

*it opens...*

valentine: !!! *coughing* *dialing 112*

Dispatcher: <112, what's your emergency?>

valentine: <there's a gas leak in my grandparent's home!>

Dispatcher: <Please give me the address to send emergency.>

-she explains the situation-

Dispatcher: <Emergency is on its way. Are your grandparents in the house?>

valentine: <i dont know, should i check? i tried to call them but they wont answer!>

Dispatcher: <You should not be in there to breathe--you need to leave to let emergency provide oxygen to your grandparents...>

-elsewhere-

Heloise: "..." *knocks on Villefort's bedroom door before walking in*

villefort: <it's open.>

Heloise: *already inside...locks the door behind her* <...Gerard...> *walks up to him...*

villefort: *turns-*

Heloise: *holds onto him in a hug*

villefort: !!!!!

Heloise: *kisses his cheek down to his lips*

villefort: <ah- what's gotten into you?>

Heloise: *downcast eyes* <Gerard...I was so lonely...I just want to be close to you...>

villefort: .....

Heloise: *rubs a hand over his chest, leans against him* <I'm sorry for being so cold...Gerard...I love you...>

-elsewhere-

francesca: ......

Beauchamp: *sitting in a jail cell* =_= <Well, I can add this to my resume...>

Jailer: <Hey, are you Beauchamp and d'Épinay?>

francesca:....<what about it?>

Jailer: *opens the door* <Bail posted.>

francesca: <wait, really?>

Beauchamp: ._.;

Jailer: <He's outside for you...>

francesca: *looks*

Lord Wilmore: *waves*

francesca: ....

Beauchamp: <Um...Thank you, sir-->

Lord Wilmore: <Lord Wilmore.>

-elsewhere-

Kid: *crawls into bed*

shiori: *peek*

stocking: oh, seems we have a visitor.

Kid: *smiles* "Hey, Shiori..." *waves*

shiori: *crawls into bed with a picture book* story book!

stocking: want us to read to you??

shiori: *nods*

Kid: *takes the book, opens it up* "Pretty drawings, aren't they?"

shiori: *nods and points*

Kid: *looks*

-seems to be a book of fairy tales-

Kid: "Any particular tale to start?"

shiori: dat one.

Kid: " 'Beauty and the Beast,' huh? Sure! 'Once upon a time, in a castle far away...'"

-elsewhere-

Katai: >_<; "It's kind of cramped in here..."

aya: *noms on taiyaki*

Kyoka: *sitting under the kotatsu* =w=

Ranpo: *sipping ramune* "What's with all the cat toys? You adopted one now?"

sylvia: ._.

Katai: O\\\\\\O "..." *looks out the window* "L-Let's just look for those loud crooks..."

atsushi: ....

[that-girl-you-were-warned-about]

All the questions!!!

1. How long have you had a Tumblr? Off and on for 4 years2. Describe your first kiss, who was it with, what was it like, where was it etc? At my high school’s winter dance. It was super cute. 3. What’s your biggest regret? I know we all say we don’t regret things but obviously it’s how we learn, from our mistakes. So what’s something from your past you wished you could have changed? Basically the whole summer after senior year. 5. Favorite Songs at the moment? Stella and all other songs by All Time Low5. What is the craziest thing that you have ever done? I had sex in a park during the day 6. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you? Probably when I ate some bad food and threw up on the city bus. 7. Do you have any scars and if so, how did you get them? Yep. Scar on knee from 1st grade when I fell down, lot of self harm scars, one from my cat (it was my fault for not watching where I was going), one from when my best friend accidentally grabbed my arm8. Where would you like to be in 10 years? Part of me wants to be in a grave but part of me wants to be in a castle. So yeah. 9. What are your views on drugs and alcohol? People all have their reasons for doing drugs and alcohol. So long as you don’t endanger others, I don’t really care what you do. 10. What are your views on religion? Don’t have one, but I don’t have anything against people who follow a religion. 11. Have you ever thought about ending your own life? If so, why? Oh yeah. Every single day for years. Heartbreak and depression are the main reasons I have thought about it. 12. Write 5 facts people might not know about you.I get really attached to people, I will never have children because I will never be able to give them 100%, I really want to have a pet donkey and Shetland pony, I have a Japanese sleeping mat rather than a traditional bed (helps my back), and I want to learn about coding and hacking because I find ethical hacking to be super interesting. 13. last really important text you got? “I love you”14. Can you let go? Letting go of people is really hard. 15. Discuss your first love. Was meh, guy ending up being pretty shitty. I don’t talk about it but I don’t regret it. 16. Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up. Explain why each song is on there. My iPod is dead. Send me this ask separately and I will answer once it is charged. 17. Name somewhere you’d like to move or visit. London19. What are your views on mainstream music? Not a big fan usually, but some is catchy18. Are you currently missing someone? Yeah19. At what age do you think people should have sex? Not before they start high school, but don’t think there is ever a time people should have it. 20. What are your highs and lows of this past year? Highs would be passing acting class, moving, and lows would be just about all of it. 21. What are your strongest beliefs? That there are good people in this world even if they are hard to find. 22. Who are you closest to in your family? Probably my mom, but we aren’t very close. 23. How important do you think education is? Extremely important. Education doesn’t have to be in a classroom, but learning is the key to making the world a better place. 24. What’s one of your favorite shows? Bones 25. How have you changed in the past 2 years? I self harm less and drink more. 26. Name 5 people who are famous who you find attractive. Andy Biersack, Ruby Rose, and idk who else. They are pretty much all attractive. 27. Name your favorite movie and what it’s about. V for Vendetta. Religion has taken over the government and a man is inspired by Guy Fawkes. Everyone should watch it. 28. Who is someone who fascinates you and why? Most politicians because I find it fascinating that they can care so little for the people they are supposed to represent. 29. What kind of person attracts you? Not afraid to laugh loud, loves music, supportive, doesn’t reject me because of my scars. 30. What’s a problem that you have recently had or are currently having? Anxiety over social interactions has gotten really really bad. 31. Name something that you miss. My cat Abby. 32. Share 5 goals you want completed in the next 30 days. Lose 5 pounds, not cut, not get drunk, read a book, run 4 days a week. 33. What’s been the highlight of your month and the lowest point? I can hardly remember the past 30 days… I guess the high is not failing any tests and the low would be my emotions. 34. What’s something that you’ve done in the past that you would never do again? Probably a sex thing or two. 35. What is you’re biggest insecurity & why? My height because I have been made fun of for it consistently since 4th grade. 36. What were the last 3 songs you listened to and what did they mean to you? “Wicked Ones” makes me happy, “these are the lies” basically how I feel most days, and “this is gospel” fun song and one of the kids I nanny adore the video of Brendon playing it on the piano. 37. Do you have a toy that’s really special to you and if so what is it, how did you get it etc? Not a toy, but my stuffed animal dog. My mom and I went to baby’s-r-us right before I first left for college because I was sad about leaving my cat and thought a big stuffed animal might help me. 38. Have you lost anyone close to you to death? No39. What is your purpose in life? Be there for people when they need it. 40. When was the last time you cried and what was it over? Yesterday because my computer isn’t working and my head hurt and I missed my best friend. 41. If you got to spend an entire day with your favourite celebrity what would you guys do? Go to the zoo42. If you could only listen to one artist for the rest of your life, who would you choose and why? Probably fall out boy cause they got a lot of good songs 43. What are 3 traits that you like about yourself and what are three that you dislike about yourself? Personality wise. Dislike: hard time letting things go, stubborn, tend to throw safety to the wind. Like: persistent, not ashamed of my mental health, and caring 44. Can you cook? If so what are your favorite dishes to make? I can cook basic stuff. Love this couscous with Tumerick and lemon. 45. What was the last decision you regretted making? Drinking 46. Do you believe in the saying “once a cheater, always a cheater”? Yeah47. Do you ever wish you were famous? Nope48. What’s the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to YOU? Or something that’s hurt you above anything else and why? It was said to me but they didn’t know it applied to me. A person said they think gay people should be put to death. 50. What mark would you want to leave on this world after you are gone? Just help people smile. 51. Have you ever thought of having plastic surgery? No52. Have you ever jumped in the pool with your clothes on? Yeah53. Have you ever slapped a boy in the face? No 54. What’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you? Kissed my scars when I was crying 55. What is one of your favorite memories? Stayed at a friend’s house all night and watched shows58. What’s the nicest present you’ve ever received? Globe from my grandma before she died 59. Have you ever had your heart broken? Yep60. Have you ever wanted to change anything about your life? If so, what? Yeah. Would love to have curable depression 61. What is something you feel like you are really good at? Nannying *idk why so many numbers are missing here*65. What’s one thing someone has done for you that was really small but made a huge impact? Got dragged to church with my family, was feeling mentally horrible so I went outside for a few minutes and a stranger asked if I was okay and said things will get better. 66. What do you do when you can’t sleep? Take meds until I do. 68. If you could change 3 things within your government, what would they be and why? I can’t even answer this cause there is so much wrong with our government 69. What’s your favourite holiday and why? Halloween cause I love all the costumes 70. What’s the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for you? Even if it’s TINY like holding a door open for you, something that you remember even though they were a complete stranger. See #6571. Who’s your favorite cartoon character? Louise Belcher 72. What’s the first song that comes to your mind while reading this and why? These are the Lies cause it’s stuck in my head. 74. What would you like to be the first dance song at your wedding? Idk, guess I try not to think about it. 75. Have you ever been told you look like a famous person, if so, who? Nope76. What’s one thing you can not live without? Animals 77. What is the most selfless thing you have ever done for someone? Idk. I do things for other people, but it just seems like what a friend should do. 78. Are you a girly girl? Sometimes 79. What color is your bed? Like the sheets…? Light purple right now80. Do you prefer light or dark haired guys? Dark 81. Are you currently frustrated with a boy? Little 82. Do you have a best friend? Yeah 82. What song makes you cry the most? Lucy 83. What’s the funniest film you’ve ever seen? Horrible Bosses was pretty funny 84. What’s something crazy that you’ve always wanted to do? Skydive without a person attached to me85. Has anything ever happened to you that you just can’t forgive? Most of the stuff my father has said 86. Ever been really drunk? No 😕87. Is there any type of rumor going around about you? Not that I know of 89. Have you ever felt ashamed about something? If so what was it & why? My height cause I was taller than all my classmates 90. Do you keep a journal? If so what mostly goes in it? Random thoughts, feelings, stories? Nope 
91. Do you like somebody? Yeah92. Craziest shit ever done? Same as #593. What’s the saddest story/one that’s touched you the most that you’ve ever heard on the news? Anything to do with dog fighting 94. If you were told you were going to have 3 daughters, what would you want to name them? Ophelia, Anastasia, Lucy 95. Do you have a middle name and if so, what is it? Rose96. Are you in a relationship? No97. Do you enjoy drama? Yeah98. Are you a virgin? No99. Are you short or tall? Tall100. Do you have siblings? If so, what are their names and how old are they? Claire age 17

[rpchive]

103rd Encounter-- One of the Deadly

okay so I wanna start this off with a suicide warning. it’s near the end of the log; it involves poison; and once it comes up, it’s talked about off and on until the log’s over, so if you don’t wanna read that then Skip This

Seras walks into the console room and stops by the door. "Uh, hi again." Nydins: Oh, you're...together again! Seras, right? What's up? Seras: Right. Well, we were thinking it's about time we go back to Sabraith. Nydins: Are you sure you're ready? Seras: I'm- We're pretty sure. We just don't wanna let too much time go by while that weird... fog kleivenn is still loose to do whatever. Nydins: ...Alright, I'll take us back to Sabraith, then.

She swivels her chair back around to the console and changes the coordinates, sending it off.

After a little while, the IT lands back at Sabraith's home in the desert, where she is currently rolling a barrel into her house. Seras walks out of the IT and waves over to her as they approach. "Hey again. We interrupting something?" Stopping to pull the barrel upright, Sabraith turns to face Seras. "So you're here again. I take it you're gonna go looking for that kleivenn...you guys seriously don't waste any time when something hits you hard, huh?"

Seras: Look, if it weren't for that thing, Zenith's mom wouldn't have even been like that...we owe it to him to stop this thing.

Sabraith: ...They're responsible for the entire war, and everything that happened after it. Even if they're dying, underestimating them could get you hurt or killed too...I'm only gonna ask this once; are you absolutely sure you think you can handle this as is? Seras: I'm not sure what else we could really do. Our powers mix in weird ways like this, but they're still our powers. If there's anything new we can do combined, we haven't figured it out yet. Sabraith: Suit yourself...yourselves? Uhh...so be it, then... She retrieves the emblem from her pocket and presents it to Seras. "Just...try to be careful." Seras carefully takes the emblem from her hand. "Thank you. We will, promise. There's no way we're letting them take anything or anyone else from us." With a quiet nod, Sabraith closes the door to her home.

Seras: ...So, where should we open the gate, anyway? And should we get anyone else involved? Collin: {Y'know, talking out loud probably isn't gonna work out in the long run. You can hear me like this, right?} alienrabitt: {Huh? Of course I can. But I guess that make sense...} Collin: {Okay, cool. To answer your question, I'm... Well, I can't really lie to you like this, can I? I'm not sure going alone is a good idea, but I'm equally terrified of taking other people with us.} alienrabitt: {I know. I don't know what this kleivenn is capable of around other people; especially since everyone they ran into in the past wound up mass-slaughtering others...I don't want to go alone, but I feel like a big crowd's a bad idea too...} Collin: {Well, Fawkes is probably a safe bet since he's, y'know, not organic.} alienrabitt: {So what, just Fawkes? I doubt Rio or XL could help much...} Collin: {Oh, I think I still have that amulet Firefly gave me a long time ago when I went to go deal with Charmant. We could give that to someone and it'd probably keep them from being affected.} alienrabitt: {Yeah, but who?} Collin: {I'm... not sure. Do you think kleivenn would be a better bet against this thing? Maybe Demo?} alienrabitt: {Demo's gonna have to come either way; I can't open a gate without her.}

weeeeeellllll, yes and no?

Collin: {Right, forgot about that... Well, the amulet should keep her safe anyway, I think. Unless we're dealing with something /completely/ out there. Do you think we'll need anyone else?} alienrabitt: {I have no idea. I don't know what this kleivenn's capable of...} Collin: {Yeah, it's... not exactly exciting, huh? Do you think you're gonna be okay? You got a little weird when they showed up last time...} alienrabitt: {...I wasn't expecting to see her again...} Collin: {I understand, but... You know that was never really her, right? That was just that thing trying to get to you.} alienrabitt: {I know /now/...I don't understand what happened; thinking back on it still messes with me. By all accounts, I oughtta know that thing wasn't my mom, but even conceptually, I just...it feels like it /was/...I don't know what this kleivenn can do; but if it wants to convince you of something, I think you'll listen, even if you know it's not right...} Collin: {Well that's... terrifying. God I wish we didn't have to do this...} alienrabitt: {...We should make our choices...} Collin: {... Right. Well, we've got Fawkes and Demo at this point. Do you think we need anyone else?} alienrabitt: {Not unless you think we could use one more...} Collin: {I... think we might be good. I think you're right about keeping this group small...} alienrabitt: {Then let's go get 'em.} Seras heads back into the IT to assemble their team. Fawkes and Demo join up with Seras upon request outside of the IT.

Demo: So, assuming things go absolutely belly-up, you guys...do have a way back to the IT planned, right? Seras: Uh... We hadn't quite gotten that far. We could set up an emergency portal here or in the IT so we could fall back. Demo: Sounds like a good idea. Better than getting stranded in some weird place with no way out and no way to contact the IT. Seras snaps their fingers and opens a golden portal on the side of the IT. "That oughta do it. Anything else we're missing?" Demo: Not that I can think of. You ready? Seras: As we'll ever be... Summoning forth the Candy Cane; Demo helps Jay open a gate to the smokey kleivenn's location, where it lies in wait, shrouded in smog as it watches them from across a large, dark, empty room of a building that has long since been abandoned and weathered. The remnants of shattered lights; smashed desks; ceiling tiles; and even parts of the wall litter the floor, and water can be heard running somewhere nearby. In a gravelly, rasping voice, the kleivenn speaks out to the group:

"...I thought you'd never find me..." Seras: Hell of a place you've got here. Could use a little sprucing up though, if we're being honest. ???: Haha...it looks like you've come prepared for something...were you expecting a fight? Seras: I mean, we're here to stop you, unless you want to give up now and surrender nicely, in which case we're not complaining. The kleivenn shakes their head. "No, I never had any intention of fighting any of you in this state...after all;" The smog surrounding the kleivenn clears away, revealing the skeletal structure of a dragon-like kleivenn stained a deep purple; rotted remains of its true form desperately attempting to reform around it in vain as its magic burns out into the smoke that had previously surrounded it, leaving little more than the black and blue glow of its ruined form. "...I've got nothing left to lose..."

she uhh

yeah she doesn’t look great

Visibly tensing up, Demo takes a shaky step backwards. "Wh...what the hell is that thing?!" Fawkes: Something very bad, by the looks of it. I've never seen a kleivenn in such a state... ???: In the window where humans were starting to forget that we existed; and where cooperation between our kinds was minimal; as a cruel joke, you humans gave me a title similar to our own gods. But you hated me; you feared me; your narrow-minded ways led me to this...the curse you've placed upon us as a whole...my name is Avarice. Fawkes: Avarice.... Well, at least we have a name now.

Seras: Wait, are you saying you're like the kleivenn gods? Avarice: I would argue that humanity considered me to only be similar to one of the gods... Seras: Which one would that be? Demo: Xentrilis...I can feel it. You were one of his...

Avarice: And, like all the rest, I was forsaken.... Seras: I guess that answers a few questions, but that doesn't change why we're here. Avarice: Do what you'd like. I won't be able to defend myself like this. I did all that I could; and I have no regrets.

Seras: ...Why aren't you trying to do anything? You're just gonna let us stop you?

Avarice: ...What could I possibly do like this? I don't even have the power to maintain a physical form...not like you'll be much different. Your arm was like this...my entire body is like your arm...even if you lose the arm, it won't stop what you've already put in motion...you will become me, with or without me.

Demo: Sh-shut up! You don't know what the hell you're talking about! How would you even know what would happen when there's only ever been one kleivenn like you?!

Avarice: There are thousands of kleivenn like me. The only difference between me, and a typical shalvenn, is that I've sacrificed my body, not my mind. You will be no different; I can tell... Seras: That's enough! We'll find some way to fix this; there's no way in hell we're letting that happen! Avarice: Hahaha...if you could even prove that there's a single human out there that wouldn't kill us all; I'd finally have something to live for... Seras: Well you're... sorta looking at him. Letting out a tired laugh, Avarice shrouds themself in their smoke again, taking the form of Jay this time. "Demo; are you sure your marble's safe? If this thing was with Xentrilis, do you think it could reach your Anubis?"

Seras: Wh-what the--!? I'm right here!!

Demo: Of course they can't; I'm the only one any Anubis will listen to; I...kinda was Xentrilis for a little while, after all...

She summons forth the Anubis with her oracle. "See? It's perfectly fine." Looking back from the oracle, Demo realizes that 'Jay' has disappeared. "...Wh--...?" Seras: Demo, no! Put that thing back now! Frantically, Demo sends the Anubis away, however a spray of black sand is sent flying in all directions as the Anubis is struck before it can fully vanish. Both Demo and her oracle hit the floor upon impact, Demo immediately rolling onto her side to look at her oracle, which has cracked cleanly open into a V shape on one side, preventing it from rolling away. "Nnh...! G-get away from me!!"

wakka wakka

Seras summons a rain of golden spears down from the ceiling that fall in Avarice's direction while Fawkes charges forward and activates his barrier, planting it between Demo and Avarice. The wreckage of the room only adds clouds of dust and debris on top of the fog created by Avarice in the onslaught, making it difficult to see anything on the floor as the spears rain down. When the dust settles, Avarice is nowhere to be seen. Seras: Shit, where did they go?! Seras: Did we kill them? There's no oracle...just Demo's...

Demo: W-we need to get out of here...my Anubis aren't fast enough... Fawkes: Retreat portal, now!

Seras opens up the other portal next to Fawkes and Demo. Fawkes grabs Demo and retracts his barrier as he follows through the portal, and Seras drops in behind them. Seras: Ugh...I hope we got it...Demo, are you okay?

Demo: My oracle's fractured, but...I think I'm alright... Seras seals the portal shut while everyone unwinds for a second before Fawkes speaks up. "I'm still concerned that Avarice just...vanished. Surely they didn't just run away after everything they did that led up to this..." Demo: I don't care where the hell they went...that thing busted my oracle like a fucking pecan; I'm lucky I wasn't shattered. Seras: No joke. I'm sorry we couldn't stop them sooner. It just happened so fast... Demo: It's...fine. I'm alive; that's what matters.

Seras: ...If Avarice got away, how are we supposed to find them? They looked like they were about to die of natural causes; are they really a threat...? Fawkes: Maybe not, but we still don't know what to do about your arm... Seras: ...Didn't really look like they knew what to do either.

Demo: All we really know is that it's caused by being a shalvenn, yeah? So just...don't work against your wish until we can figure something out...

Seras: Look, there's so many other little details that could've caused this that I genuinely have no idea if it was just because of the shalvenn thing...

Demo: Can we please get out of the desert before you start arguing with me? I'm getting sand in my scarf... Seras: Alright, alright, let's get back inside for now. Nydins: Well, that went fast. Is everything alright?

Demo: Bastard chipped my oracle, but otherwise, yeah, I think so... Seras: They pulled some weird vanishing trick though, so we didn't actually stop them... Nydins: So you think they might still be somewhere? Seras: Yeah, but where is the real question. Nydins: Unfortunately, I can't answer that. Despite all the grief that they've caused, without a name, I can't really look for them. Even then, I wasn't the one to see them, so I can't find them myself. Fawkes: Their name was Avarice, but unfortunately I wasn't really thinking of taking pictures at the time, so I can't help with the second issue. Nydins: Well, you saw them yourself, right? All you'd have to do is ask the grief house doors to show you Avarice; if they're still alive, you'd know exactly where they are and what they're doing. Seras: Seems easy enough. Mind making one for us, then? Nydins creates a grief door on one of the walls of the IT. "Feel free." Seras: Alright, we'll be back in a few.

They step through the grief door and approach one of the doors inside the house. The grief house remains clean, yet as empty and unoccupied as ever. Seras: Yeesh, it's kinda weird being in here alone. Well, alone. Anyway, uh... Show me where Avarice is? The doors produce their projection screen, however it quickly flickers out.

Seras: Looks like there's not enough of Avarice left to find... Collin: {So what, they just... attacked Demo and then died?} alienrabitt: {Well, they /tried/ to attack her. I'm not sure if they got further than cracking her oracle...} Collin: {There's something wrong about all this, but I can't figure out what...} alienrabitt: {I know. Something's not totally adding up...but I don't think she'd be able to hide from the concept of grief itself...seems like a little much for just a simple kleivenn to do.} Collin: {Especially one that's done everything that this one has... Should we go talk the others about this? Maybe they'll have an idea.} alienrabitt: {I don't know. We could check on Demo...I mean, don't you think that it's weird she didn't act confused about anything when a big chunk of her oracle got snapped out?} Collin: {That's... a good point. I was too busy focusing on Avarice to really think about it, I guess. Let's go, then.} Seras sets out to look for Demo only to find that her bedroom door has gone missing. Seras: Uhh... That's... not good. Seras: What the hell do we do about that?! Seras: Okay, just calm down, uh... The grief door, maybe we can use that to find Demo instead. Seras: H-hopefully...!

Seras quickly backtracks to the grief house. Seras: Okay, uh, show us where Demo is. The projection flickers again, though this time, it manages to remain stable for a moment. Demo appears to be in her room, though it looks like all of its contents have vanished. Lying on the floor, Demo struggles to breathe as she stares up at the ceiling, her oracle lying on the floor beside her. "...I knew you'd try something...I knew you'd try to hurt him...so I let you take me...it's one thing if someone hurts Collin, or Jay; they're so much more important; but me...? Haha...you're a damn idiot..."

Demo?: "I don't understand...why would you have that?!"

Demo: "...Normally, I wouldn't; but when Jay was holed up in the bathroom, I heard him close the cabinet behind the bathroom mirror when Collin showed up, so I went and checked it after they left...nobody on the IT would keep speedwell on their person...now you and I both know why that was in there...I didn't have the heart to tell anybody else; but whatever. I never had one to begin with; now I never will...so shut up and rot like you were supposed to...we can both go to hell for this..."

A cocktail of guilt, shame, and fear rises up from Jay as he realizes he can't hide this any longer. "...W-we have to...wh-what do we do? How can we...? This is all..." Jay feels a swell of questions, confusion, and anger swell up from Collin in turn. Before anything can solidly bleed over to him, a frigid sense of urgency freezes it in its tracks. {... We have to get to Demo and stop this. There's got to be a way to counteract the poison, right?} Jay physically chokes up, anxiety tightening in Seras' chest. {I-I don't know, I didn't even know it existed until Asra used it on me...Karumet might know something, but without a way into Demo's room...} Seras: You make gates, I make portals; we can probably make a way in there. First we've got to get to Karumet, okay? Seras: We need to hurry. A swirling cloud of air swirls at their feet, and they dash back out of the grief house and barrel down the hallway to Karumet's door, practically slamming into it when they reach it. Karumet hurriedly pulls her door open. "What's happening?! Is something the matter?"

Seras: D-Demo drank speedwell poison, we have to help her!! Karumet: She did what?! ...I...we need to work fast; pay attention; tell Firefly to get hibiscus; bluebonnet; sunflower; and lemon; mix it all up and juice the stuff; it's the only thing that will help. You don't need to ferment it; the things alone will do, now hurry!

the antidote is all my favorite flowers (+ lemon); the poison is a reference to Taggerung

Seras moves so quickly to Firefly's door that they practically blink there. They frantically knock on the door and call out to her. Firefly comes running to her door as well. "What's wrong?!" Seras: Demo drank speedwell and we need an antidote. We need hibiscus, bluebonnets, sunflowers, and lemon mixed up and juiced together. Firefly: ...Okay, I'm on it! I'll meet you where she is; just make sure she's safe until I get there! Seras: On it.

Stepping inside Firefly's room, they turn and snap their fingers while looking at a bare section of the wall. A golden doorway-shaped portal opens up on the wall while another is created inside the remains of Demo's room. They waste no time making their way inside to see if Demo is still alive. Demo's clothes seem to be sticking to her body as her breathing remains slow and strained;  her oracle reduced to little more than an eggshell in terms of size and thickness as the speedwell continues to corrode her. Unable to look at who's entered, she simply speaks out assumingly. "Jay, I'm--...I'm sorry. I'm sorry anybody ever hurt you this...much. Back when you killed me, I...hoped that you wouldn't have to feel something like this someday...but it looks like I couldn't help you...after all...not-- really...but maybe in doing this...I'm finally doing the right thing. I...made a promise, after all; right? I told...Fawkes...I wouldn't let anybody...get the best of me again, so...so I had to do this...sorry to let you down again..."

Seras: Sh-shut your mouth, you idiot! I can't believe you did this...I...I never wanted you to--...

Demo: Save it...I don't want the last thing I see...to be you crying again...

Karumet and Firefly come rushing into the room, Karumet desperately pointing at Demo's oracle and shouting "Dump it, dump it, dump it!!" before Firefly quickly dumps a bowl full of Karumet's semi-pulpy plant mixture all over the remains of Demo's oracle, preventing it from breaking down any further. Seras: What's next? Anything? Does she need magic, or...? Karumet: Normally, yes; but with you synced, I wouldn't suggest it. I don't know if you'd pull anything from Jay, and there's no telling what would happen if you tried to grab it like this. But her oracle's so weak right now, she would need more magic than you probably have right now... Seras: We could split apart again, and Firefly's still got mana saved up, right? Or is /that/ not enough either? Karumet: That...might work. Seras splits apart in a flash of light, separating Collin and Jay. Collin hurries over to Demo's oracle and lifts it up within a small bubble of magic and then darts back through the golden portal to Firefly's mana tanks. He slaps his hand on the nearest tank and begins channeling mana from his hand into the bubble, where it flows into Demo's oracle. Demo's oracle slowly reforms back into its proper shape, and her room begins to take on its original appearance as a result. Relieved and exhausted, Jay takes a seat beside Demo on the floor. "You're gonna be okay..."

Demo: ...I don't understand...why'd you help me?

alienrabitt: Did you think we'd leave you to die?

Demo: ...I didn't think you'd want to save someone like me... Collin returns to the room with Demo's oracle after it turns back to normal. "We already lost one person, Demo. Like hell we're just going to let someone else die on us on top of that." Demo: Yeah, but Zenith wasn't...he didn't try to hurt you guys.

Firefly: You haven't either since you came back. You're not a villain now; quit acting like we should treat you like one...

Demo: I just...I didn't know what else to do... Collin: Literally anything aside from suicide would've been a better option. You could've told us what was happening. Demo: Listen, I needed to do something fast; that thing was eating me alive; I didn't think I was gonna be able to tell anyone what was happening, so I just...I did what I could! Collin: I get panicking, but... do you seriously think we'd be okay with just letting you die? Demo: ...I didn't really have any other options. It was a miracle Avarice even let me do that much. That's why the door disappeared; I couldn't even think straight by the time I got back to my room, so instead of closing it, I just...made it go away. I just needed to stop Avarice; I couldn't let them get to everyone else; I couldn't let them take me; I needed to do something fast, and I couldn't wait for help. For all I know, they could've run if I'd called out to somebody...maybe it wasn't the best option; but in the situation, it was all I could do...

this is the most selfless, overly loyal thing Demo has ever done, but it’s also reckless as shit

Collin: Well... God, we're just glad you're alive. So uh, what did happen to Avarice? You look a hell of a lot better now. Demo: They didn't have an oracle, and there wasn't much left of her to begin with. The speedwell killed them before it killed me. Collin: Good to know. At least we managed to actually stop her, even if the method was uh... questionable at best. Demo: Seriously...anyway, I'm kinda tired after all that, could you guys get out of my room? The door should be back now... Collin: Uh, sure, sorry. Oh, you'll probably need this though.   /He dismisses the bubble and catches Demo's oracle, then hands it over to her. Taking her oracle, Demo pushes herself up off the floor. "Thanks..." The portals linking Demo and Firefly's rooms close as Collin takes Jay's hand and leaves. They exit into the hall and Collin begins pointedly heading back to their room. As they enter the room, Jay sits down on the bed and stares down at the floor quietly.

Collin remains standing, covering his face with his hands for a second as he takes a deep breath. He drops his arms as he lets it out, and finally speaks a moment later. "I don't really know where to start but... why?" alienrabitt: ...I can't take it. Ever since you got connected to the pantheon, there's just been this massive...strain or something; my oracle is fine, but my tether's really pushing it. I was made to be your saa; and that's fine, but with all these other people suddenly attached to you, it's like you're bordering on both existing and not, and that's seriously messing with my wish... you're technically alive, so it can't kill me, but when you aren't just you, well...it starts to tear me apart.

okay so originally that wasn’t why Jay was holed up in the bathroom thinking of killing himself. there was some other big reason, but unfortunately I kinda forgot due to Our Jay

Collin: Babe, that's... I've been this way for a while. Why didn't you just say something sooner? If I'd known that this was so bad for you that it was literally driving you to suicide, I would've tried something to help you. Did you think that I wouldn't care?

alienrabitt: No! It's just...what could I say? They can't leave; you can't just...get rid of them; I don't want them to die again, especially not for something like this; so I mean...I just thought this was the better option. One life in exchange for several others; that's just how things go sometimes. Maybe it's not the happiest choice, but if they can finally live in peace... Collin's eyes tear up as he takes a few steps toward Jay. "No, there is no way in hell finding you dead in a bathroom would be the best option. How could I possibly accept that as the only way to help you? How could I ever be okay with losing you? We can find a way to fix this, or at the very least make it bearable for you. I don't care what it takes; I'll do whatever I need to if it means you won't feel like dying is a better option than living."

okay uhh so...we haven’t touched on this in canon; I mean, not exclusively? but with Zenith we kinda had a vague idea, and here and now, I’m gonna go on record and solidly say that kleivenn, especially saa, are born from wishes and concepts. those things don’t have physical forms; but an oracle legitimately gives them physical form and life. without the oracle, there’s no kleivenn. without the magic; there’s no oracle

if a kleivenn dies, since they’re entirely inorganic, they don’t leave behind bodies

if Jay’d killed himself, he would’ve just disappeared

alienrabitt: But what could we do? Nobody even really knows what you are now, let alone how your connection works; how would we be able to separate you, and would it be safe for them? I don't want to hurt anybody else... Collin: We can figure that out. I mean, we're talking about a bunch of literal gods; I'm pretty sure they've done some complicated things in their time. Maybe it won't be easy, but there has to be a way to split us apart. I'll make a way to do it if I have to. alienrabitt: But what will that do to you? Would you be the same? What if separating you--...? ...I...I really don't know if you should do this for me... Collin: I'm not letting anyone die because of this. It would defeat the entire point if anyone did. alienrabitt: But what if it just...reverts you? You'll be venerable again, and I won't be able to help you... Collin: Assuming it does, I'll still have some ability. I wasn't totally helpless before all of this. Shit, even if I lost all my power, I wouldn't care. I'd probably have to stop going out and find some other way to be helpful, but if it means that just being alive isn't agony for you, it's a small price to pay in my book. alienrabitt: ...I think you should take this up with them. Get an idea of what exactly you'd be getting yourself into... Collin: I'm planning to. I don't think I can do this without their help, frankly. alienrabitt: ...Alright. Let me know what you find out... Collin: I will. But I'll do that later.

He sits down on the bed next to Jay and pulls him into an almost uncomfortably tight hug. "I'm sorry, Jay. I didn't know how bad you were hurting..." alienrabitt: ...Between this and Zenith, I just...I didn't know what to do with myself, suddenly. I couldn't help anyone, I'd somehow managed to botch my entire existence, and now...I...I just don't know what to do anymore...

the entire point of this arc wasn’t just to offload a throwaway villain

the entire point of this arc was to show that Jay’s hurting severely; he’s doubting himself; he’s going against his wish

but we’ll talk about all this more at some other time, I guess. we’ve got several more cans of worms to fry before we circle back to Jay’s busted-ass arm

Collin lets go of Jay and takes a gentle hold of his face, looking straight into his eyes. "That's not true. You're not some helpless mistake. I literally would not be alive if it weren't for you. And Zenith... He gave up his life so that everyone else would be safe. That wasn't anyone's fault but Oz's for doing everything that he did. None of that was your fault, none of that was a mistake. As for what comes next, that's something we'll figure out together. That's what we've always done, right?" /ears well up in Jay's eyes as he chokes up trying to answer. Breathing strained, he responds: "...Okay...okay...we'll figure this out..." Collin pulls Jay back into a hug and holds him as tight as he can. "I love you so much, Jay..." A cocktail of emotions, Jay does not audibly respond beyond sobbing as he buries his face in Collin's shoulder and cries.

so I think we address this/fix this next log but still

oof

this is midkey centric around chronic pain; disability; and depression I guess? just...a lot of heavy shit