#and even knowing they were immortal it was still scary seeing them get downed! A bit funny too depending on the circumstance but u know

[royalarchivist]

🥲

[justonemorechapternicercy]

I wish a happy, peaceful and stress-free birthday to my beloved @unbeknownstunknown I hope your day will be at least okay, but hopefully as wonderful as you are. (I'm not sure if you still like Nicercy or not, but hopefully yes. 🫣) I love you my dear. I wish you the best, because you deserve it!

Grover knew things. Most people didn't realize that; next to the big Percy Jackson, he was basically invisible. Even after following Pan's footsteps, he was still just a background character. Not that he minded, of course! He'd rather be just a side note than live through what Percy had to experience in all of his life. (He would NEVER want to be a demigod. No way.)

So, it wasn't like he minded being forgotten by people who weren't his friends. It made it possible to see things; to hear things.

To know things.

Like how the Stolls did most of their pranks. Or how Rachel found the loophole in her virginity oath. (That one was not something he wanted to know. Like, come on, girl! With Thalia?! Not something Grover wanted to know about his friends…)

Or how Nico di Angelo has been in love with Percy ever since the first time he looked at him. And how the literal second half of his soul has been in love with Nico ever since the guy saved their asses in the Battle of Manhattan. To be fair… the two of them weren't subtle. (Yet they still didn't realize their feelings. Idiots.)

Usually he stayed out of other's lives. He knew their secrets, but they were not his to spread. He just kept them. Like pretty jewels on a shelf; pretty, but basically useless. He only interjected when it was really important. Like in the battles. When he had to notify Percy about new rumors from Olympus. When there were gossips about Juniper.

But… maybe some secrets were more important to share than to keep.

For years, he saw the pinning grow. How crush turned into love, how suspicion turned into blind trust. Sometimes he suspected he knew them better than they knew themselves. He'd seen them grow up, from naive mortals to battle-hardened almost-gods.

He was the happiest he'd ever been with Juniper; didn't Percy, his soulmate, deserve the same happiness? Deciding to get involved was a scary thought. But not as scary as it was to imagine his best friend settling down with not having the best thing for him. To imagine Grover getting married and having the love of his life for the rest of their immortal lives, while Percy was thinking he wasn't loved, adored and cherished by Nico.

That was unacceptable.

He loved Juniper. He wanted to marry her, to have children with her, to spend the rest of their immortal lives with her. And seeing Nico and Percy laughing with each other, “talking” without any spoken discussion, being so comfortable with each other, yet believing their feelings were unreciprocated… Grover knew.

They deserved to have the same thing he had with his beloved.

Getting the two together was probably easier than expected, but harder than it sounded. He went shopping for Juniper's ring, taking Percy and Nico with him. For moral support, of course.

Not because he knew that as soon as they would get into the store, the two of them would stare at the rings with interest. Nope.

“Nico?” Grover asked. The younger boy raised his eyebrow curiously. “Do you think Percy's and Juniper's fingers are the same size? I forgot to ask about her ring size.”

Nico thought for a second, turning his head to look at Percy. Grover already knew the answer. “Yeah, I think so.”

They looked at the glass, studying the rings under it for a bit longer. Grover imagined how the rings would look on Juniper's gorgeous finger, and he suspected Nico was also thinking the same, except in his mind it was Percy's finger.

The Sea Prince was walking back and forth in the shop, like the ADHD demigod he was, before he walked up to them, throwing an arm around Nico's shoulder to check on their progress.

“Percy, I need your help,” Grover said. “Your finger is the same size as Juniper's and I want to see which ring would fit on her.”

Maybe seeing a ring on Percy's finger, Nico would realize he should put a ring on it.

“What do you think,” he turned towards Nico, “would look the best on-? I mean… If you were buying a ring for Percy, which one do you think would fit?”

His two friends were staring at him, bewildered. Too much? Probably.

“That.”

But it worked. Nico's answer was too quick, his choice was too perfect to hide he was thinking about it before.

“Oh,” Percy sighed. The ring really was perfect. Thin silver band with a tiny blue stone in it; deceptively graceful, just like Percy was.

“I would wear it,” Percy confessed, eyes still on the jewelry, his ears suspiciously red.

“Oh,” Nico exhaled.

“I would…” the Ghost King coughed, light blush pinkening his unhealthy pale skin. “I would buy it. For you. If you want, that's it. From me.”

It was painful to watch. Like a chariot crash. But Grover couldn't look away. It was happening!

“I mean… if it was you buying it, for me… That would be. Uh. I'd love that?”

They were so awkward. It was adorable. Grover felt like he was both the proud big brother of both, and the long-suffering love expert who has been waiting for this moment for years.

“You- really?!” Nico looked so excited; like a puppy. Hellhound, Grover admitted, but a puppy nonetheless.

Percy swallowed. “Yes,” he breathed.

Nico's mouth dropped open a little, as if he was surprised at how easy it was. Well. Probably it was surprising for him. Grover knew.

“Would you- really? Will you… Is it just…”

Percy blushed, redder than Grover ever had seen him before. “I will marry you. If. If that's what you- Was that? I mean.”

“Yes.” Nico was nodding, like one of those little toy dogs in the cars, bobbing his head up and down. “Percy. Will you marry me?”

Grover sighed, not bothering to hide his proud smile. Finally! After years and years and years… It was finally happening.

“Yes.”

[yarpharp]

Dragon Age Veilguard ramble (with some spoilers about the ending of the whole thing)

I... I know there are plenty of people defending this game. But on a story level, I am kinda confused. And frustrated. So The Veil is powered by the Evanuris who are immortal and trapped in a special alternate space veil prison thing where they serve as batteries until somebody cracks open the Veil.

So First Question: how the fuck didn't they (the Evanuris) escape from their prisons during Inquisition? I'm... I'm really confused how that didn't happen. I mean, Solas/Corypheus bungled it so bad it cracked a huge hole in the sky! TWICE! Once in the beginning of the game and then again at the climax! And what about the small rifts? I mean, Solas' knife ritual cracked open a hole in the Veil that WASNT MUCH BIGGER THAN A RIFT. Why didn't one of the Gods escape then? And you can't tell me those dumb little devices we helped hunt down for Solas were somehow keeping the Gods back. Most players didn't even find them all!

Second Question: did they seriously retcon Morrigan and her fucking son? And what is the deal with the Mythal lore? I mean, I ain't SHOCKED Solas probably once fucked Mythal or had feelings for her. That seemed obvious to me. But what the fuck about Mythal/Flemeth's scary warnings in Inquisition and DA2 about "reckonings" and "finally getting her vengeance"? ONE OF THE DA4 ENDINGS IS MYTHAL SOMEHOW REACHING OUT FROM MORRIGAN (oh and apparently Morrigan, she who feared her mom and feared becoming her mom's new meat suit for extending her life, decided to become Mythal's next host I guess???? Seriously???) TO TELL SOLAS TO LET GO OF HIS MISSION AND GRIEF? Are... Are you serious? What happened to all that fucking anger and plotting? Was that the ultimate plot of hers? Make Solas become a battery with the remainder of her killers? I... What. And what happened with the Old God Soul? Seriously, what about that? Is that supposed to be how Solas transforms into a fucked up hyena dog? (Sorry the design for the dread wolf is kinda disappointing to me.)

Third Question: Why is there a path option where somehow the Inquisitor Lover actually finally manages to persuade him to do the right thing? BRO, WHAT WAS TRESPASSER FOR THEN??? IF SOLAS IS WILLING TO DOUBLE-CROSS HIS LOVER AND ROOK TO GET HIS WAY, WHY WRITE THAT ENDING SCENARIO?

Fourth Question: Did the developers forget that Solas is actually pretty neutral about Blood Magic? Because there was a whole scene in the game where he claimed he abhorred blood magic and then proceeds to reveal the Veil is definitely partially a blood magic ritual. Or was it supposed to be a really lame "oh look he lies!" moment?

Fifth Question: Does this mean we retconned all those codex entries and Cole ramblings about how Solas was a spirit of Wisdom once and he LITERALLY HAS THAT SCAR ON HIS FACE BECAUSE HE BURNED MYTHAL'S VALLASLIN OFF WITH MAGIC? Because this makes the whole "Mythal and Solas are lovers and Solas did this all for her, blah blah" feel far more fucking malicious if that's still canon. I mean... Isn't it a bit weird to have at one point opposed the woman/god who quite literally owned you as an advisor/agent of her will, and then you burn her slave markings off your face, and somehow you became lovers somewhere in all of that? What kinda toxic bullshit is that? WHY TRY TO DESTROY THE WORLD FOR A TOXIC EX? Wanting to kill the Evanuris? Valid. Wanting to tear down the Veil to restore the elven people after seeing what happened to them? Fucked up but strangely valid. But arguing that he went through all that bullshit for his ex-lover because he "wanted to honor their promise and memory" feels really fucking janky and sloppy as a plot point.

And Sixth Final Question: Did bioware really not give me the ultimate bad ending of "Tear Down the Veil"? Because that's just plain disappointing.

[changingplumbob]

The clouds had cleared up magically quickly so Glenn shrugged off his cardigan before heading towards the house his grandfather had said was theirs. When he got to the door he could see Howard in side straightening things up. For so long his grandfather hadn't had a house of his own, and now he took pride in keeping it acceptable for company. Nothing to it, time to go in.

Glenn: Hey grandfather

Howard: Glenn! You got here sooner than I thought

Glenn: If I stayed in that hotel any longer I was going to eat the entire tub of ice cream. My abs don't need that

Howard: Come here

Glenn let his grandfather pull him in for a tight hug. He'd missed him. Before the show Howard had been his closest friend. Glenn had never really succeeded in making friends or lovers, they often took his self assured nature as snobbery. His grandfather was a constant support though and didn't judge any of Glenn's feelings. Technically he was friends with Grayson but... would he really want to keep in touch? Should he even want him to? Glenn wouldn't want to undermine Clive by overstepping.

Howard: You seem thinner, have you been eating

Glenn: Yes

Howard: Are you sure? I mean they showed your normal exercise routine on the show but not you eating

Glenn: That's because I waited for the cameras to turn off for the night before raiding the fridge

Howard: How did you find the show

Glenn: Do we have to talk about it

Howard: You were gone and fell in love, we can't just pretend it didn't happen. I won't have you shutting down on me

Glenn: Fine. It was scary. You know I've not dated much and then there I was trying to flirt with a camera like three feet from my face.

Glenn: And then there was Brandon. I'm sure he was just there to sabotage the rest of us. He flirted with me when the camera's were off and... you know how I like attention

Howard: You flirted back?

Glenn: Yes! I thought it was safe because the cameras weren't rolling but the producer found out and made it clear the only reason I wasn't getting booted was because it was the first week. Plus I swear it felt like the watcher was yelling at me about it for several weeks afterwards

Yeah I did yell at him in the comments a lot afterwards, guilty!

Glenn: I just don't know what to do now grandfather. I mean you always talk about how you loved my grandmother and the pain when she was gone and I nodded and sympathised but I didn't really understand

Howard: And you do now?

Glenn: I love him. It's hard to go in my head and correct and say, uh uh you loved him. Like my feelings are still here and I don't want them to be. I can't have him. How did you get over losing grandmother

Howard: My boy... I don't think I can say I am over it. She was the love of my life. But I have to believe there's someone else out there for you, and when I join your grandmother and parents in the timeless save I'm sure you will have someone still here by your side

Glenn: You still won't take an immortality potion?

Howard: No. I want to see them again. I won't be tied to this world forever

Glenn: Even for me

Howard: I'm sorry Glenn, my answer is still no

Howard: Don't despair! I'm not going anywhere yet. But that's why I came here. So I could have a community before I go. And I have to believe the watcher has a plan for you to

Glenn: I don't know. Sometimes I can hear her talking to me and other times it's radio silent. I think she wants me here but... these spellcasters are something else

Howard: You just need time to know them. When you met Phoebus you liked him

Glenn: Because I didn't know he was trying to recruit me

Howard: And you liked Gillian. You thought Ophelia was a bit odd but you and Miranda seemed to click

Glenn: *sighs* Please don't talk to me about Ophelia. I'd be happy if I never saw her again the... lying liar

Previous ... Next

[at1nys-blog]

Thunders leaving hints

Pairing: not much of a pairing to be honest

Summary: something out of the ordinary happens and Percy Jackson is furiously mad

A/N: I know I have WIPS piling up but shhhh. Also this was based on a post by @awesome-shoes-with-wings and I had to write this just for fun so is not as good as my other works but is something. For the requests, I’ll be finish them shortly I hope

They didn’t know where they were going, the only thing they knew was that wherever was safer than what it was supposed to be home.

New York had been chaotic the past couple of weeks both for the mortal world and the…immortal one.

They knew about the monster living among humans, knew about the gods and goddesses watching over them. The deities appeared in their dreams every now and then leaving cryptic messages that only made sense in dreamland.

The last one was the most weird message they received, talking about a camp in Long Island where they could stop by for a while before starting their journey back again.

It took them a couple of days, walking around the forest to finally see the entrance of the so called Camp Half Blood. Before stepping in, they looked around, making sure no monster were after them, if they were they didn’t want for the campers to be in danger.

Something, stroking their leg made them jump out of their skin but when they noticed it was just a cat, once again, they felt relieved.

“Why do you guys keep scaring me like that.” They started saying while getting down on the animal level. “Thank you for keeping me good company.” They added before taking out of their backpack a cookie to give the cat a piece of it. “Okay now…” standing up they took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.” And they stepped foot at camp.

Hestia was minding her business when she saw the kid getting inside, eyes still on the situation she called Zeus over.

“I think you need to claim them as soon as possible before Perseus pays us a visit.” The father of the Gods was caught unprepared for this, choking on his ambrosia.

“I don’t have kids to claim.” He said frenetically, looking around hoping his wife wasn't around, who knows what she might think of this.

“Are you sure?” The Goddess asked, she just wanted to make sure they were not going to get a visit from Percy anytime soon. She loves the kid, dearly, he is a sweet boy but she knows how scary he can be, just like his father’s domain.

“I’m 100% sure THAT is NOT my kid to claim. If anything they look like they could be Hera’s kid if she was anything like me.” Thunder, at the mention of Hera’s name, there were thunders which surprised both Zeus and Hestia.

“Are you so scared of her you can’t control your thunders?” Joked the Goddess but again, it wasn’t Zeus.

The two deities dropped the conversation there, if his brother claimed that wasn’t his kid after mentioning Percy Jackson than Hestia cpuld believe he was telling the truth. That was not his kid.

Percy Jackson was furious, it had been three hours since this kid got at camp at the Gods didn’t say a word yet. He made it clear, they were to claim their kids as soon as possible.

For the son of Poseidon it had been a struggle the first hour with the new camper, but everyone talked some sense into him, wait, maybe their godly parent is busy with something, but Percy was sure it wouldn’t be difficult to just send a little message even while busy. They didn’t had to drop at camp, looking at their kid and saying ‘yep that’s mine’ they just had to send a little glowing little symbol, nothing that would take literally a second.

“I’m going to talk to them. They are coming with me” He couldn’t wait longer.

“Whoah whoah whoah. Hold your horses man, Annabeth and Chiron asked you to wait until tonight. Maybe their parent is busy.” Stopped him Grover.

“Man, I love you, I do but I’m pretty sure is like sending a text message. You can do it everywhere you are, whatever you are doing.” It was a fair point, the satyr agreed.

“Okay, but what if…” the glance that Percy sent him scared his best friend, who just shut up. There was no way he would make him change his mind. “You are scary.” Grover commented under his breath, praying the Gods Percy didn't hear him.

“They only had one job. One hell of a job.” Another set of thunders and lighting rumbled on Earth. “Don’t get mad at me Zeus, fix that or else…” he shouted at the sky. “I’m going to take a shower since I have to wait. Keep them company.” He said pointing at the new kid, who was having something to eat with the Hermes’ kids.

Three hours and yet nothing. Zeus called a meeting 30 minutes after he noticed no one was going to claim the new camper but all the major Gods came with the same answer ‘is not mine’ but how was that even possible?

It wasn’t a kid of the minor deities either and he was going crazy about this.

“Can you guys tell me who is so stupid to go against Perseus?” It came out naturally, everyone looking at Zeus confused. “What? That kid is worst than Poseidon here.” The God of the sea was smirking, proud of his boy being feared by his “all mighty” brother.

“Not to be that Goddess but have you noticed they attract cats like they are catnip? Could that be used to find who between us is their parent?” Said Athena and, as if a lightbulb turned on in their little godly brains, everyone agreed, and the twelve gods turned their head to Artemis.

“You people have to be kidding me. I swore celibacy.” Her words did not affect the deities. “I would give up immortality than laying in bed with a man.” Disgust filled her tone at the use of that word.

“It was worth the shot.” Commented Apollo. “So who else here loves cats.” He added looking deep into Ares’ eyes.

“Stop staring at me.” If anything Apollo’s gaze on him intensified. “Oh for the love of me, just because I had a cat as a partner ONCE now that means every kid that like cats is mine?” The war God had to take a step away from Apollo, not standing the way he was looking at him so close and so deep. “Look if that weakly thing was mine I would send something else to keep them safe.” He added which only made the Sun God coo and teased him for being a softie. “I’ll show you how much of a softie I am…”

“Stop it. If you keep fighting between one another, we will never find out who between you created them. Now…” started Hera, who only wanted this day to be over.

“Maybe is one of the nymphs’ kid?” Suggested Dionysus.

“Man you should really shut your mouth. If that was the case we wouldn’t be here.” Iris interjected before anyone else could. “Listen, that one is not mine okay? Now I need to go.” And she left, just like this but she knew the others would believe in her words, she wasn’t one to lie. On the other hand… The pro liar between them did not say a word yet which Hecate had to point out.

“What if the cats are just a disguise? What do you think about that Hermes?” Oh Gods if she was having the time of her life at this exact moment. Knowing who the demigod belonged to was so much fun, she had to thank Freya for this. “Isn’t it weird that he didn’t say anything? Maybe they are yours? Or do you know something?”

“The only thing I know is that my wings are killing me right now. Good me, I never flew this much in ages.” He said.

“Why are you avoiding my questions? Am I right? Are they yours?” Of course she was mistaken but Gods if she was loving it. Now she understood why Eris loves to create dramas.

“That is not my kid. As Ares here, I take pride in my children’s talent and they are not good enough to be my kids.” Thunders once again. “Zeus you really need to check on your thunders. If the go ballistic once again I might start crying.” cried Hermes. While everyone was trying to figure out who was behind the kid’s creation Hecate was having so much fun, trying her best to not laugh at their faces.

It was at the end of the day, when Percy came to Mt. Olympus looking at the twelve Gods with eyes filled with rage that Hermes had an enlightment.

“Uhm guys, I think I might know why we couldn’t find out who is their parent.” Hestia and Hera rolled their eyes, while everyone else was so ready to jump him. “Is because their godly parent is from another pantheon.” Thunders started rumbling in the background, like a laugh.

“Dad stop this.” Zeus' kids said in unison.

“Is not me.”

“Is not him, that is Thor laughing at us. He had been sending them all day long, how could I not notice that sooner?” At the gods faces turning into a question mark, Hermes just sighed. “Didn't you noticed he would use thunders every time we belittled the kid? No one? Really? Wow.”

“So, you are saying that there are other Gods out there? And they still don’t claim their off spring? Alright, can you tell me where they are? I need to take it out on someone.” And Percy was ready, so ready to knock some good manners into the Gods, he didn't care if they are powerful being that could easily kill him.

The gods had to block him there before he went on doing something stupid.

“Kid, that is so nice of you but they are already claimed, pretty much since birth.” said Hermes, knowing about you from Loki.

“The cats.” The other said in unison.

“This is why Loki called me last week and asked me so many questions about Camp Half Blood.” Oh, that God was in for a good group jump.

Leaving Mt. Olympus Percy was content with the outcome: the new kid was already claimed, the Greek gods had nothing to do with it and another pantheon was revealed to exist. ANOTHER PANTHEON EXISTS?! He wished those Gods didn’t like him very much but with his luck? He was ready to get a quest the second he walked back into camp.

“I just hope it is local and I don’t have to go to Canada once again.” If only he knew what the Fates had in store for him.

[caramel1mochi]

Do you write ships? May i req chamber x yoru if so? Like brimstone makes chamber and yoru train together Im rly curious to see how you’d write chamber. You made him so scary in your chamber x reader ^^;

Heya, thanks for the req! Agent ships are super new to me but I hope I did this one justice. I also wasn't sure if you wanted them together or not so I kinda guessed hahaㅤ I might've gone overboard with this but I missed Chamber don't blame me please

ㅤ [ Yoru x Chamber ]

Words: 1k

Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked.‎ ‎‎ ‎  

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。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·

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If you were to describe eternal torture for a few agents, you'd get varying answers. For example, Kay/O feared losing his closest friends, Breach feared eternal imprisonment, Clove feared their immortality catching up to them...

And Yoru?

Well, Yoru had this unreasonable hatred for a peculiar Frenchman dubbed Chamber. And his biggest fear was to forcefully spend more than a few minutes with him, especially alone... Actually, no, it would be just as bad in front of other people.

Anyway, why did he despise Chamber so much? No reason. Well, okay, no discernible reason.

You see, getting any evidence against Chamber was like drawing blood from a stone. That meant that Yoru’s gut feeling that this man was a horrible malignant tumour who had enough money and ‘love for animals’ to cover up how evil he is would remain just that — a gut feeling.

So, in the meantime, Yoru hated Chamber for his haughty persona and… yeah.

In spite of all of this being public knowledge, this fear came true today, and nobody other than Clove was there to comfort him. Actually, no, he wasn’t even sure why they were in the training range with him to begin with.

But he'd still much rather have Raze set off an explosion right on his face instead.

ㅤ

"So, yer telling me ya gotta train with Chamber today?"

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Clove reiterated as they leaned on the counter, watching Yoru diligently inspect the Stinger he held.

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"Tch. Yeah. Thanks for reminding me."

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"Oooh, unlucky. Would ya like a wee butterfly? I heard Japanese people see it as good luck."

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Clove held out their hand and allowed a single butterfly to move across it, slowly making its way to Yoru. But he shoved the insect away with his free hand instead.

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"From where, TikTok?"

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"Dinnae knock it, Yoru. It can be useful. Ya know, I learned CPR from it just yesterday!"

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Yoru rolled his eyes.

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“Yeah, that’s reliable.”

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"Wait, wait, if you see the dafty, you'll tell him what I told you, aye? About his outfit, and all."

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"Do it yourself, you coward."

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He retorted nonchalantly, observing the magazine as he slipped it out of the weapon. Clove, however, was greatly taken aback by this.

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"Who're ya calling a coward?! I'll have you know, I jump off of cliffs for fun!"

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"Okay, prove it. Tell him."

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“Alright, I will! Watch me!”

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Just then, an unfamiliarly deep voice popped up from behind them that interrupted their little conversation.

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"Tell me what?"

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To accompany their surprise, a slew of butterflies burst from Clove as the duo turned to meet the gaze of the Frenchman.

Chamber stood before them with one hand in his pocket, looking down on the younglings. Seems like they hadn’t noticed him march down the hallway and finally go through the entrance.

Though Yoru greeted him with a look of pure disdain, Clove simply cracked an awkward smile.

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"Nothing! We were only havering."

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Yoru couldn't help but notice the drastic change in their tone as they spoke. And given how quiet the area is, their voices definitely echoed — that meant that Chamber also caught on to this little shift. However, ignoring the butterflies landing on their shoulders, Chamber simply kept his gaze on Clove without breaking eye contact.

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"You can tell me, Clove.” He inclined his head. “I don't bite."

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More butterflies emerged from them, much to Yoru’s frustration. With an audible click, he forced the magazine back in the weapon and hung it back on the weapon’s rack.

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"Tch. It doesn't take Einstein to know that's not true."

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"Agh, whisht. I was just about to leave."

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Clove pointed at themselves in an attempt to restore their confidence. Yoru, however, knew that they were only leaving because the rate of butterflies they were inadvertently summoning started to get uncontrollable.

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"Text Iso if you need me, aye? I'm off for today!"

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Clove took a few steps back, before taking the nearest turn to disappear as quickly as possible. Yoru knew this wasn't natural for the Scot, and he immediately shot Chamber another glare.

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"You just know how to make people uncomfortable, don't you?"

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In response, Chamber simply gave him a once-over; it was a look that subtly radiated disgust. Then, a sly smile etched itself on his features. He turned on his heel and began moving towards the control panel not too far away. Presumably to start the training.

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“What, are you too good to reply, now?”

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Yoru spat out as he turned back to the weapons rack and grabbed a Vandal.

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"Ah, no, not quite. I'd simply rather make this situation less bothersome. For myself, of course."

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"Yeah. Yourself.” He turned the safety off. “Because the world revolves around you, huh? I know how it works for narcissists."

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"Narcissist? That's quite a big word, Yoru."

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Yoru shot him a glare. But their position meant that he only stared at Chamber’s back.

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"What's that supposed to mean?"

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"I mean that narcissist is a big word."

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"No, you're saying something else. You're saying I'm stupid, aren't you?"

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Chamber lightly laughed, taking out his signature Headhunter and taking a few steps back. It was only when the bots were summoned did he realise that he’d started the training.

One bot appeared, and the Frenchman calmly took aim.

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"I'm impressed at the conclusions you're able to draw, Yoru."

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Just before he could pull the trigger, the bot was shot, falling limp to the ground. There, he noticed that Yoru was now moving towards his general area out of the corner of his eye.

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"Yeah, right. I know what subtext is. It's what cowards like you use to avoid saying what you actually mean."

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"Ah. Of course." Chamber aimed at another, but the Japanese beat him to it again. "I'd be flattered at how much you studied me if you weren't a mere afterthought."

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Yoru sighed and shot the third bot Chamber aimed at, further amusing him.

It felt like he was this close to shooting Chamber instead. But for the love of everything holy, he knew he couldn’t just do that. Killing a fellow co-worker was, you know, not allowed, even though Sage could totally revive them and all that stuff.

He really should've prayed for patience before this.

ㅤ

"Keep talking, Chamber. Sage won't undo what I'll do to you."

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The Frenchman lightly laughed. Again. But instead, he withdrew his weapon and glanced at Yoru, ignoring the bots as the appeared and disappeared behind them.

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"Okay, go ahead."

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He stopped shooting.

Yoru promptly glanced up at him in confusion.

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“What?”

ㅤ

“Truthfully, I believe all you do is hide behind empty threats.” He gestured at his Vandal. “So, prove me wrong. Shoot me.”

ㅤ

By the look in his face, his cocky posture, Yoru inferred that he wasn't riling him up anymore.

For a moment, he was tempted to actually rip his head off, but Yoru knew better than to expect stupidity from Chamber. There’s something going on, isn’t there? There’s no way he’d just do something like that without...

Yoru lifted his gaze. His eyes locked on an awry black circle on the ceiling above them, one with a faint red dot just beneath it. That’s one of Cypher’s cameras… Right, they were being recorded. Of course they bloody were, they’re in the training range.

But that also meant that Chamber did this on purpose.

Yoru opened his mouth to bite back, but he couldn’t really speak. Not with the knowledge that they were actively being watched. He was forced to bite his tongue and keep shooting, only mumbling a silent 'whatever'.

And he minded his own bots this time.

He felt the triumph coming from Chamber as he took out his gun once more and began shooting alongside him, their scores now slowly becoming equal.

And so, they continued training in silence. It was unbearable.

Even when neither of them spoke, Yoru could feel his judgemental aura mock him for everything. The way he held his gun, his posture, heck, even his outfit. Being around him just made the Japanese capable of feeling everything, even the sensation of his gloves as they pressed up against his hands.

This is gonna be a long afternoon.

[ice-cap-k]

Just Gold: CH2

Soooo, I forgot to cross-post here that I've written a chapter 2 for the team ranchers au fic I wrote up back in October. Tango's a dragon. Jimmy's a bird. Good fun.

Read it on AO3: Just Gold

Chapter 1 on Tumblr

__________________________________________________

Jimmy was a Phoenix.

That's not to say he was very good at being a phoenix, but that was what he was. Phoenixes were supposed to be all about death and rebirth and eternal life. It’s hard to be good at the ‘eternal life’ portion of the job, though, when he keeps dying all the time. 

Not like most phoenixes, though. There was almost never a cycle of burning to ash at a ripe old age and emerging as a newly hatched chick from the ashes. Even when he literally burned to death. He never got that far. It was more like he just woke back up having never aged or unaged a day. That wasn’t normal for his kind, but he supposed that after so many repeated deaths so close together over such an extended period of time, he must have somehow stunted his growth. Ungrowth? Aging, maybe? Whatever it was supposed to be, it was messed up for him. 

It had its ups and downs. Dying wasn’t necessarily pleasant, but at least he still came back. He always came back… eventually. And unlike other phoenixes, he didn’t have to deal with the crippling discomfort of old age, or the helplessness of reverting back to a chick. But he also could never grow back the brilliant plumage that people associated with his kind. The bright yellow feathers he was left with made him look no different than a larger than average canary. 

To be honest, he was a little self-conscious about it. 

It was partially his fault, as much as he hated to admit it. He was pretty accident-prone. Bird brains, ya know? It was hard living in a world with glass windows. You’d think after all these years he would have learned a thing or two about self-preservation.

But here’s the thing about immortality, when you know that nothing can actually do any permanent damage, you start to lose sight of the inherent threat. And when you don’t notice a threat, it’s easy to underestimate the world around you. And to overestimate yourself.

Case in point, Jimmy’s newest friend was a dragon. 

Dragons are meant to be big scary beasts with razor-sharp claws and fangs. They were meant to be merciless, and prideful, and very very dangerous. 

It never really occurred to Jimmy that Tango could be all of those things… Well, at least not until he watched Tango burn over a dozen people to ash. So yeah, now he supposes Tango could be all those things. 

But what he first saw when the golden dragon came crashing through his nest at the base of the mountain, after the initial annoyance began to fade, was someone suffering from the kind of bad luck he was all too familiar with. Someone who wouldn’t come back from the fraying edges of death like he would have.

Fortunately, Jimmy was still a phoenix. 

He had a long memory that reached back eons across his many previous lives. And in one such life, there had been an old ranch not too far from here. One large enough that the dragon could hide indoors. One that was out of sight of the nearby village. One that Jimmy knew had been left vacant. 

Someone with a healthy dose of self-preservation probably would have kept their distance until the dragon awoke, so as not to startle it into attacking. Or maybe they would have pointed the poor beast in the direction of shelter and been on their way. If they were feeling really reckless, they might have tested to see if the dragon would have let them help it get up, or bandage some of its many wounds. 

Not Jimmy. If Tango had burned him or clawed him off or rolled over and crushed him, he would have just come back anyway. And cleaning wounds or helping the dragon leverage itself up wasn’t in the phoenix’s wheelhouse at the moment. Tango was so big compared to the phoenix that Jimmy could fit in the palm of his hand comfortably. And what would he stem the blood flow with? His feathers? He didn’t have nearly enough to go around. 

Of course, Tango didn’t do any of those things when he woke up. He had done nothing to hurt Jimmy, except maybe the Phoenix’s pride when the dragon tried to shoo him away like a common pigeon. 

And while he didn’t have to go with Tango, Jimmy wanted to go back to the ranch with the dragon. The old building housed a lot of fond memories. That was one reason. The other was Tango himself.  

The truth was, Jimmy had been setting up his nest at the base of that mountain because he knew that people were nearby. Maybe not necessarily a giant gold and red dragon, but the humans of the village weren’t too far away. Phoenixes worked best in a flock. Especially Jimmy. He could handle being on his own, sure, but he thrived amidst others. And what a ‘flock’ looked like to Jimmy had changed over the lifetimes. Sometimes that meant coexisting with humans. Sometimes it meant flying with large groups of your more typical, non-magical birds. Sometimes a flock was only him and one other, and sometimes it was a large group of friends and family. He had been looking for his next flock. Had been planning on finding a nice family to settle down with for a while and play the part of a typical pet canary. 

And then came Tango.

Really, dragons and phoenixes were pretty similar if you think about it. Depending on how you define immortality, both species were technically immortal. Dragons could live forever as long as they weren’t killed. And sure, Jimmy died all the time, but death wasn’t permanent for him. A phoenix couldn’t breathe fire, but they still had the same fire in their belly that dragons did. They both could fly. They both could burn. They both could bleed gold…

According to that train of thought, dragons were practically big scaly phoenixes in their own right.

And as the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.

______________________________________________________________

“Tango Tango Tango TANGO TANGO TANGO!!!”

The lump of stone is heavy in Jimmy’s claws. He’s not used to feeling so imbalanced while flying. Not for this long. He kept having to remind himself that it would be worth the effort once he saw the look on his buddy’s face. 

That doesn’t make the uneven strain on his wings better, though. It’s so bad, he nearly missed the window entirely. The backside of his wing brushed against the wooden frame. A stray splinter caught at his coverts. There’s a painful twinge as a few feathers are pulled loose and he over-corrects, sending him spiraling to the floor inside. 

The little bird lands in a messy heap on the floorboards, losing his grip on the pretty rock. It went rattling across the floor in front of his beak. 

He tested his toes, gingerly flexing each one to make sure he hadn’t broken anything in the crash. Nothing appeared out of place outside of a few wisps of broken yellow feathers. That would probably leave a bruise or two, but nothing more severe. Jimmy wasn’t about to die this time around. Even the rock looked completely intact after its little tumble.

He had landed in the old ranch house kitchen. It looked warm and inviting in the late evening haze, despite the unused furniture strewn across the floor. The smell of smoke still clung to the walls and floor. Enough time had passed that the uncomfortable burn of brimstone had begun to fade. The ruined walls had been stripped away and patched up with new oak and spruce timber. The smell of the hewn wood boards mixed with the lingering scent of ash. It almost reminded him of sitting alongside a nice warm bonfire under the stars on a cool summer night.

“Tango?”

The dragon wasn’t answering, but something was creaking nearby. Floorboards groaned. Hinges squeaked. Jimmy had a good idea of where his friend could be, but he wasn’t about to go flying around indoors while carrying that stone around. So he hopped to his feet and took flight. The kitchen floor was as good a place as any to leave it for now. 

“Can you hear me, buddy? I brought you something?”

With the slightest shift of his wingtips, he banked around an open archway into the living room. Sure enough, there was Tango. The dragon had his back to him. His claws scraped at the inside of a makeshift hopper he had managed to fashion out of an old shovel head and a little fire-breath metalworking. Looked like something had gotten stuck in the sorting system again. 

“I can’t believe this. This is ridiculous,” Tango was saying as Jimmy landed on his favorite perch; one of the ridges of the dragon’s right horn. It was just so nice and warm; glossy and easy to nestle against. It shifted as Tango tried to look up at him, his head tilting to compensate for the slight weight change. “Oh! Hey Jimmy.”

“Hey, I’m back. How’s the progress coming along?”

A wisp of smoke wafted out of Tango’s nostrils. He turned back to the funnel in his claws. “Well, it was going pretty fantastic for a while there until this thing decided to jamificate the whole operation.” Jimmy tightened his grip on the horn as the dragon beneath him let out a sigh. The delicate swirls of smoke turned into a turbulent stream as he breathed in then out. “These quick fixes just aren’t cutting it.”

“Quick fixes?” Jimmy chuckled. “Tango, you know you can take all the time in the world, right? Automatic sorting will be nice and all, but we don’t absolutely need it right now. We barely got the house patched up. The barn’s not even rebuilt yet.”

If anything, the sheer amount of work that he had managed over the last few days had been impressive. With the barn gone, the two had taken shelter in the farmhouse. In that time, Tango had thrown himself into making the place as easy to live in as possible. The ruined portions of the wall had been stripped away and replaced. A door had been renovated so that there was an entrance large enough for the dragon to pass through. Bedrooms had been ransacked and rearranged so that they had a place to sleep at night. For Tango, that meant a padded stretch of floor space for him to curl up in. For Jimmy, a simple shelf with a nest he had put together all on his own.

And then there were the projects! The redstone projects were in every room. The sorting system, a trash dispenser, a line of automatic cooking furnaces. Whatever materials he and Tango had gathered into a tiny hoard while the dragon had been grounded were gone, put to use in whatever idea his friend had thrown himself into. 

But they hadn’t touched the barn. 

Jimmy could tell that the memory of the attack was still a bit of a sore spot for Tango. Sometimes, the barn served as a reminder. Even after all the bodies had been cleared away. 

The stream of smoke coming from Tango’s nostrils petered out. He could hear the dragon's claws clicking against the shovel head as it turned in his claws. Gold wings still trussed up in their splints stretched ever so slightly, nearly knocked over a dusty grandfather clock they had shoved into the corner of the living room. The contact was enough to make Tango wince beneath him. 

“You’re right,” Tango relented. He placed the funnel down on the hardwood floor at his feet. It rolled unevenly away to bump against one of the chests. “There’s not enough room for us here.” 

The feathers along Jimmy’s shoulders puffed up. “Us? Excuse me. I find this place rather cozy. I think what you meant to say is that there’s not enough room for the two of us.” He almost tented his wings to make himself bigger. A show of fluffed feathers and bravado as if he could square up against the massive creature beneath him, but his friend wouldn’t be able to see that. Not as long as he was perched on the horn. “I’m a big man. The big man!” 

 There was a jolt below as Tango shook his head. The sudden movement knocked Jimmy’s feet out from under him. With a shrill cry, he went tumbling down the glittering gold slope of Tango’s head until he skittered to a halt hanging halfway from his nose. Yellow wings stretched and pressed against scales as his feet dangled uselessly over open air. “TANGO! HELP!”

“You know you can fly, right?” the dragon huffed, a smile evident in his voice. Still, he reached up and scooped Jimmy up in his claws. 

“Y-yeah. Of course I do,” he sputtered, adjusting his jostled feathers back into place. It took a bit of time, considering how ruffled they were from the tumble. The wave of embarrassment washing over him did not help. 

“Sure thing, buddy.” The corners of Tango’s mouth pulled up for a moment, before his head swung back and forth to take in his surroundings. “You’ve got a point, though. This place isn’t big enough for us. I should just settle down until my wings finish healing. It’s not like I have to wait much longer.” As if to illustrate his point, he shuffled his wings against his back. He didn’t recoil from the movement. His eyes didn’t crinkle at the corners from strain. He seemed fine. 

The only apparent problem was that there wasn’t enough room to risk spreading them out. Just that little motion knocked a faded family portrait off the wall with a thumb claw. 

It had been more than Tango had been able to manage without wincing in pain a couple of weeks ago. The membrane between the wing fingers had healed over a while ago. Dull scars pitted the skin, stubborn reminders of how badly the dragon had been hurt. The bones were less obvious, but beneath the scales and muscle, they were well on their way through the healing process. Tango had been good about keeping them still and letting them mend. And when he had been tempted to put pressure on them early and take a risk, Jimmy had made sure he was there and ready to give him a solid peck upside the head to chase those thoughts away.

“You… you want to leave?” The question hung in the empty air. There was a moment of silence. Not even the grandfather clock ticked with the passing seconds. They had never bothered to wind it.

Eventually, Tango shrugged. “It’s an option. Beats accidentally busting this joint up. Feels like I’m trying to put a square peg through a round hole, and I’m the peg.” He held his claw up to his head for Jimmy to hop back up onto his horn. The small bird gratefully settled down against his perch while Tango reached down to scoop the picture off the hardwood floor. He watched the two smiling faces centered in the frame as Tango hung it back up on the wall. One a woman. One a man. Both familiar to the phoenix.

When the dragon’s claws pulled away, the frame was crooked. “This place is made for humans.” There was a sad note in his voice. Something distant. Something angry. A shiver ran down Jimmy’s spine as he thought of men on fire. People rendered down screaming smudges of light on a dark night.

He didn’t like where that train of Tango’s thought seemed to be going.  “Or human-sized people,” Jimmy blurted in a rush, trying to bring the conversation around to something more his speed. Something that didn’t involve Tango leaving. Or humans. “Or me-sized birds.”

“Or that,” the dragon agreed with a snort. 

“You know, we could get back to finishing up the barn. It was a lot of fun. You know, before it burnt down… And there was a lot more room for the both of us.” 

Tango’s head swayed thoughtfully. Jimmy rocked along with him, shifting with the movement instinctually. “Yeah, we could do that,” Tango hummed. They turned towards the door. “That’s another option.” 

“I say we just focus on getting the roof back up and then worry about the walls after.”

“That’s not going to protect us from much.”

“I’m not concerned.”

“Well of course you’re not, mister ‘I can’t die.’”

“Hey, I don’t appreciate that coming from you, mister ‘immortal.’ You very well know I can die.”

“That doesn’t count.”

“EXCUSE ME?!”

By now, Tango had lumbered back into the kitchen. It was the only way he could go to get to the only door big enough for him to fit through. There was the stone in the middle of the floor, right where Jimmy had left it. “Here I am, all excited, bringing you a gift, even,” he twittered, alighting from his perch. This time, the little bird landed on the floor with much more grace and intention next to the glittering red gift. “And you’re bad-mouthing me. I will not stand for such slander.”

Jimmy watched with satisfaction as Tango’s eyes glittered. He had just noticed the large chunk of redstone. “Wait-a-minute…”  The dragon had to hunker down, practically resting his head on the floor so that they were eye level. “Where did that come from?”

“I found it.” Pride warmed Jimmy over from head to tail tip. Chest feathers puffed out as he pushed the rock forward with one foot. “Had to go pretty far out for it to. We’ve picked the nearby valley and mountain clean, but I know how much you’ve been wishing for more. You practically used up everything we were using for your temporary hoard, so I brought you back the biggest piece I could find.”

There had been more past the villages, but Jimmy hadn’t been physically equipped to tackle an entire ore vein, even if it was on the surface. Mining was out of the question, and what was readily available was usually no bigger than fine grains of dust. What was he supposed to do with dust? Sweep it up with his wings? But this! This he could bring back on his own.

“And it’s for me?!?”

He gave the rock another tap with his clawed toes. It rocked, then rattled and rolled to its side. “Well, I sure ain’t gonna use it.” 

“Oh my gosh. I don’t even know what to say.” With careful claws, Tango plucked the stone off the floor. He held it gingerly, like he was afraid he was going to break it. Knowing Tango’s strength, it was entirely possible he could have crushed it to dust if he wanted to. “Thank you, Jimmy.”

It felt good. It felt good to see Tango smile like that. “Don’t worry about it. Just use it towards something cool, ya hear?”

He nodded. “I don’t even know what I’d do with it. Or if I’d even do anything with. I think I’m just gonna hold onto it for now.” Then, to Jimmy’s horror, he tucked it into one of the folds of his bandages.

“No!”

Tango whipped his head around, eyes wide, pupils shrunk down to hairline slits, thrown utterly off guard by Jimmy’s outburst.“What- What? What??  WHAT?!?”

“No. No. NO,” he repeats unhelpfully. “You’re not putting it there,” he chirped. “That’s just asking to aggravate your injury. I’m not letting you go and do that.”

The phoenix hopped towards the dragon, who scrambled away with wide eyes. Considering their size difference, it would have been a comical sight to see the little bird scaring the dragon. But Jimmy wasn’t laughing. He was too concerned for that.

“But I-”

“No buts!”

“Fine!” Tango still looked a bit baffled as he pried the rock back out from a layer of gauze. 

It had only gone beneath the first layer of clean linen. There were plenty of layers that would have separated the rock from skin and scale. There were also plenty of spare bandages to replace it if necessary. As far as the phoenix was concerned, it still wasn’t worth the risk.

“I’ll just stash it in my nest or something instead,” the dragon huffed. “Just gotta find a spot where I won’t roll over and crush it first.”

“You don’t have to do that. Why don’t we find you something to help you carry it? A safe place to put it until you decide.”

The sharp scales making up the ridge of his eye raised in a way that Jimmy thought looked uncomfortable, what with all those sharp edges. Tango made no sign that it was uncomfortable in any way, though. “You’ve got something in mind?”

“I’ve got an idea.” Jimmy bounced forward, craning his neck so he could see past his friend through the kitchen door. There was a trapdoor in the hallway ceiling. Cobwebs dusted the corners and the wood looked warped and faded from years of disuse, but it was still there. “If memory serves me correctly, I bet ya there’s something in the attic we can use.”

“The attic?” Tango turned, following Jimmy’s gaze to the hatch in the ceiling. “Oh no way. I’m never going to fit through that.”

“That’s why you’ve got a big strong man like me to help.” With a sweep of his wings, Jimmy took off. “Mind lifting the door for me a smidge, though?”

He was too busy circling the hall to get a good look at Tango’s expression, but he could still hear his friend’s voice. “Will you even be able to see up there?” 

“Sure I will.” 

A golden tail snaked its way to the ceiling, pushing the trapdoor open a few centimeters. That was all Jimmy needed. With a twitch of his tail and a twitter, he pulled his wings in tight and swooped through the opening. Almost immediately, he crashed headfirst into the long thin wires of an old bird cage.

Bam!

“What was that?! Is everything alright?”

“Fine! It’s fine Tango!” It was fine. There were a few more bruises added to the number he already had from crashing into the kitchen, but his wings weren’t broken and he hadn’t hit his head. Another potential death avoided. Another win in his book. 

The birdcage was ruined, though. It had toppled to its side after the impact and rolled into a forgotten rat trap. He looked it over as he settled feathers back into their places. There were massive dents in the wires now. One gap was big enough for someone his size to easily pass through.

The sight sent a twinge through his chest. What a shame. 

“Could you hold the door for me, Tango? I need a minute to look around.”

“Yeah. I got it.”

“Thank you!”

Well, there was no reason to dwell on an old cage. It hadn’t been used in years anyway. Instead, Jimmy turned his attention to the rest of the attic. Trunks and boxes and chests, oh my. The space was piled high with more junk than he recalled. The abandoned items were dusty from years of neglect. It made what should have been a brightly colored, overstuffed room feel dull and hollow. 

Again, there was no reason to dwell on that now. The old inhabitants were long gone. It was him and Tango now. So Jimmy flew, passing over a dress form with a long wedding gown and a crate painted with a hot air balloon. He instead began his search with the piles of boxes on the other side of the room.

_____________________________________________________________

Night had fallen.

Jimmy felt nice and snug in his nest. It was perched in the Y-bend of the support beams holding up the newly built barn roof. If you could call it that. Slats of timber had been screwed together and raised onto the supports at an angle. There weren’t any shingles or insulation to keep the water out if it were to start raining. There definitely weren’t any walls. Tango was right, it wouldn’t protect them from much. It wasn’t much, but it was still a lot for a day’s work.

At least it was a nice night outside. Almost like they were sleeping under the stars. The twinkling lights were just visible through the spaces where walls would eventually go up. And it was spacious. Jimmy didn’t have to try very hard to coax his friend into sleeping there for the night. He had a feeling that the dragon hadn’t been excited about spending another night cooped up in one of those too-small bedrooms. In a show of solidarity, he had even helped the dragon carry his nest out. That is, if ‘helped’ meant ‘asked Tango to do it.’ What could he say? Tango could carry the whole thing in his claws. If Jimmy had tried doing it himself, he would have had to carry it twig by twig.

Still, the dragon hadn’t seemed to mind. He was in good spirits, curled up beneath Jimmy in the bedding they had pulled from the linen closet. The leather coin pouch Jimmy had found in the attic was tied around one of his wrists, the redstone rock nestled inside.

“Okay, my turn,” he was saying. With one claw, he traced a line from one star to another, to another, and another as if connecting the dots. 

Jimmy followed the motion, trying to find a pattern in the movements. “Looks like a triangle with a line down the middle. Is that supposed to be one of your hoppers?”

Tango shook his head. “I was going more for a cross shape. I’m also ninety-nine percent certain that it’s a real constellation I’m pointing at. Come on. Try again.” He traced the line of stars once more. Jimmy’s head twitched, following its path intently. Left, right, center, a small swipe up, and then a long trail down. A real constellation, huh? He’d never been very good with those. He wasn’t some lowly pigeon that had to worry about keeping track of directions.

Wait a minute…

“Is it a bird?”

“Ding ding ding! We have a winner!” With a grin, Tango knocked his tail into the base of the Y-beam. The shockwave made Jimmy’s nest shiver around him. “Pretty sure it’s supposed to be a hawk or something, but I don’t remember the name of it.”

“Well, don’t look at me,” he said, pushing the twigs back into place. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about that sort of thing.”

“Really?”

Jimmy peered over the edge of his nest. There was Tango, staring up at him with red eyes brimming with curiosity. His friend tilted his pointy head as if seeing him from a new perspective would help him understand. “Well, yeah,” he mumbled. “I’ve never really needed it.”

“Then how’d you navigate?”

He didn’t. Jimmy shrugged his wings, a motion that probably wasn’t visible to the dragon below. Not over the ledge of his nest. “Usually my other flock mates handled that.”

“Flock?” 

“I’m a bird, Tango. That shouldn’t be so weird.”

“I don’t know! You’re the first Phoenix I've met. For all I know, you’re all meant to be hermits.” With that, Tango pushed himself up to a seat in his makeshift bed. Bandaged wings trailed at his sides as he craned his neck back to get a better look at Jimmy. “Besides, you’ve never talked about a flock before. Where are they now?” Scales scraped the bare dirt as the dragon worried at it with his claws. “I’m not keeping you from them, am I?”

“Of course not,” Jimmy exclaimed. He almost laughed at the thought. “Far from it.” 

Those big red eyes narrowed at him. “I don’t understand.”

 Jimmy wanted nothing more than to sink further into his nest out of sight. Of course Tango wouldn’t get it. It's not like Jimmy had ever talked about it. It was his own fault of course, but had his reasons. The main one being that it had simply never come up in conversations. Another one was that he had gotten his hopes up about Tango sticking around, and with it came the fear that if he voiced his feelings about flocks, it would only make things awkward and ensure Tango would leave.  Now he wasn’t sure what to do with the sudden rush of self-consciousness. “Sorry. I guess this is kind of confusing. What I mean is, I don’t really have a flock right now. Not anymore.”

“Oh…”

A shadow passed over Tango’s eyes and Jimmy realized that his wording probably hadn’t been the best. “It’s not like anything bad happened to them,” he quickly added, trying to set the record right before his friend got the wrong idea. “It’s just, every so often, time passes and you’ve gotta move on. Kinda comes with the territory of being tangentially immortal when everyone else around you isn’t, you know?”

Tango blinked. “So it’s not a flock of phoenixes, like you?”

“Nah.” Jimmy waved his question off with a flick of his wingtip. “I haven’t flown with my kind for a very long time. I guess flock might be the wrong word for what I’m trying to say. I’ve lived with flocks made up of birds, sure, but I’ve also stayed with people. Humans. All sorts. Could probably call it family, or friends, but ‘flock’ feels right. Like it works the best for what I mean.”

He expected Tango to start shooting off more questions, or to laugh at him. Maybe even squint at him with those brightly colored eyes as if that could help the dragon figure him out. To his surprise, his friend instead looked back at the farmhouse through one of the many gaps in the barn’s foundation. His wings slumped to the ground as he let himself fall back into his bedding. “Humans, huh?” While it was technically a question, there was no hint of curiosity in his voice. If anything, it sounded strained.  

The two sat in silence. Tango stared out at the other building, tail-tip twitching, and Jimmy picked himself over to the edge of his nest, not sure what to do or say.  Now he’d gone and done it. This was exactly the type of reaction he had been trying to avoid. At least since the barn burned down. The little bird wasn’t sure what else to do, so he decided to fill the silence himself.

“They’re not all like that, buddy. I swear. And the ones I hung out with…” Jimmy found his own gaze drifting towards the barn house as well. It had changed so much but was still so similar. “They’re long gone. I promise you. And even if they weren’t, I can also promise you that they weren’t the type to go around harassing folks like us.” He blinked and saw green eyes and a cheeky smile in the empty space behind his eyelids. “Well, not like those fools who showed up here,” he corrected himself. “Harmless. Good people living a good life and I was there helping them out. Rooting ‘em on-”

“Hey, Jimmy.”

Jimmy blinked. He shrank down against his nest a little lower. “Yeah?”

Tango didn’t look at him. Just kept his eyes locked on the farmhouse, his head propped up on a lump of fabric. “Is that how you knew about this place? When you first found me? Is this your human friends’ home?” 

The little bird sighed. “Yeah.”

“What were they like?”

Oh. “Um, really nice actually,” Jimmy twittered. “There were two of them. You know that portrait in the living room, right?”

“Mmhmm.”

“That was them. The man, the- uh- the one with the green streak in his hair, he liked to annoy me. Kept reminding me I was small and rubbed it in my face, but he also threatened to punch a guy in the face for almost breaking my wing. He had a big head, but he was a really good friend…

“And the woman with the pink hair, that was his wife. She was the one who found me. I had just gotten tossed around in a nasty storm. Wasn’t pretty. I was probably just as hurt back then as you were when I found you. She picked me up and took me back here. Took care of my bandages and gave me plenty of seeds to eat while I was on the mend. We got along really well. It was just how I’d imagine having a sibling is like.”

“And they knew what you were?”

Jimmy couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped his beak. “Yeah. Yeah. They thought I was a normal bird at first, just like you. Didn’t take them long to realize that wasn’t the case after I started talking.” Another thing they had in common with Tango. “They were good flockmates once they figured it out, though.”

“I see…”

Was that an invitation to talk more? Or a dismissal? Jimmy couldn’t tell. He wasn’t sure what to say. He could talk about old memories of this house. Of the ranch. Of the people inside. Would it help? Would it only make things worse? Tango didn’t say anything else, either. He just kept looking at that farmhouse, away from Jimmy.

More silence. More of that infuriating quiet that made it feel like time had stopped around them. There wasn’t even a breeze. No whisper of grass or whistle of wind. Empty. Jimmy hated it. And after what felt like hours but couldn’t have been more than a minute, he decided he had enough of it.  

The little bird jumped off of the beam to glide down to Tango. At the last second, he pulled in his wings and dropped, clawed toes catching on Tango’s horn.

“Tango I-”

Jimmy cut himself off. The dragon’s eyes were glistening. Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes. Wet streams left streaks from his eyes down to his chin. As soon as he noticed Jimmy looking, he tucked his face beneath his claws. 

“Tango, are you alright?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m so sorry Jimmy.” Bright little droplets began to fall from between his claws. 

“For what?” The phoenix leaned down closer, patting one wing against his friend’s head. He wasn’t sure if Tango could feel the brush of feathers through the scales, but he hoped that the pressure and motion could comfort him. “What on Earth do you have to be sorry for?”

“I messed up. I lost my temper. I ruined everything.”

“What are you on about? Of course you didn’t.”

“But I did. It’s because of me the ranch burnt down. Here you are telling me that this was your home, that you lived here and had family here and they were humans, and I- And I went messed it all.”

Jimmy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Tango, you’re being silly. They were trying to kill you,” he said, exasperated. “And they were the ones who started the fires.”

“Exactly! They wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for me. They wouldn’t have shot you or ruined your home if it wasn’t for me. I led those people here, and then I killed them. Humans, just like your friends.”

This was ridiculous. Jimmy hopped off the horn. Tango moved his claws away automatically, making room for the little bird to avoid accidentally bumping or crushing him. With the space cleared, Jimmy perched instead on the end of the dragon’s nose so that he could look his friend in those big, teary eyes. “It’s fine, really. And it’s not your fault by a long shot. The ranch, the house, it’s been vacant for years. I haven’t been there for years. Neither have my old flockmates. They’re gone. This hasn’t been home to me for years. Not until I came back here with you. And it’s not because I lived here before. It’s because I’m here with you and these past few weeks have been a blast. And yeah, I’m sad it burned, but I’d rather those guys burn the place down than get you.”

Tango sniffed. The rush of air and smoke nearly knocked Jimmy from his perch. It certainly left his feathers in a mess. But he stood strong as his friend wiped at an eye. “Really?” he asked.

“Really.”

“But- but what about the humans?”

“What about them? Far as I’m concerned, they got what was coming to ‘em.”

Tango’s eyes widened. “But… but I thought… The way you’ve been avoiding talking about the fire, and we don’t ever mention the humans… I thought I really scared you.”

Well…

“I mean, I won’t lie, you’re temper took me by surprise. But you thought I was dead. And like I said, they were out to get you. I don’t hold it against you if that’s what you're thinking. I’m not scared of you.”

Tango seemed to melt beneath him. Massive wings that were once wound against his sides untensed and pooled across the ground. A massive sigh escaped his nose. It was less violent this time, though, sending the oddly comforting smell of bonfire smoke wafting over Jimmy. The guilty glisten in his eyes turned into a reassured glitter. “Oh thank goodness. I thought we were avoiding talking about all this time because I scared you. You would keep mentioning it and then dropping it right away. I felt so guilty all this time, you don’t understand.”

“What? No,” Jimmy huffed, settling his feathers back into place. “Is that really why you’ve been shutting down every time I bring up the fire or humans?”

“Uh… yeah…” he said sheepishly, trying to look away. It was a difficult task, considering Jimmy was right on his nose. 

“I thought it was because you didn’t want to think about it. Every time I mentioned it you got that look in your eye and I thought you were still angry at them or something. And then you were talking about leaving today-”

Tango cut him off. “I thought you’d want me out for ruining your place and losing my temper!”

“Of course NOT!” That was the farthest thing from what he wanted. “If anything, I’d hope you might stick around for a while after your wings were healed. It was finally starting to feel like-” Jimmy snapped his beak shut, realizing what he was just about to say. Was it too soon?

“What? What what what?!” Tango asked. He pushed his head forward, trying to lean in, but Jimmy was perched on his nose. The little bird just moved with him. He blinked, realizing his mistake before reaching out with his claws to scoop Jimmy up. “What were you going to say?”

He debated. He warred within himself, thinking so hard there was probably smoke coming out the sides of his head in a similar fashion to the smoke coming from Tango’s nose. If there was ever a time to say it, now was that time.

“It was starting to feel like we were flockmates.” 

[wearelondonhq]

TWILIGHT SAGA SENTENCE STARTERS.   feel free to change pronouns   /   change the sentence(s) to your liking.  

Happy Meme Day!!! If you want to take part all you have to do is reblog this post. Remember if you reblog to send them out to EVERYONE who also does. Meme lasts from today until the next Sunday (the 26th of May).

��  i’ve got it,  i’ve got it!  i’m all right!  ❜

❛  you fell down two flights of stairs.  you went through a window.  ❜

❛  i’ll do whatever it takes to make you safe again.  ❜

❛  you’re in here because of me.  ❜

❛  ( name ),  calm down,  everything’s alright.  ❜

❛  you just can’t say stuff like that to me.  ever.  ❜

❛  rip him apart and burn the pieces.  ❜

❛  where else am i gonna go?  ❜

❛  where should i meet you?  ❜

❛  i put a new can of pepper spray in your bag.  ❜

❛  i’d never given much thought to how i’d die.  ❜

❛  c’mon,  we gotta talk boys!  are you being safe?  ❜

❛  dying in the place of someone i love seems like a good way to go.  ❜

❛  i have to go home now.  you have to take me home.  ❜

❛  you were a stubborn child,  weren’t you?  ❜

❛  when everything’s done,  i’m going to come back and get you.  ❜

❛  leave me alone!  it’s over!  get out!  ❜

❛  that’s gonna be a home run,  right?  ❜

❛  i’m gonna make it go away.  i’ll make it go away.  ❜

❛  what am i gonna say to him?  ❜

❛  death is peaceful.  easy.  life is harder.  ❜

❛  i just want to try one thing.  stay really still.  ❜

❛  i can’t hurt him.  ❜

❛  ( name ),  you are my life now.  ❜

❛  this isn’t real.  this kind of stuff doesn’t exist.  ❜

❛  we can do more stuff together.  ❜

❛  you’re not gonna drive home right now.  ❜

❛  ( name ), c’mon. i just—  i just got you back.  ❜

❛  why don’t you lemme drive?  ❜

❛  if i don’t leave now then i’m just gonna be stuck here like _.  ❜

❛  what if he kills one of us first?  ❜

❛  babe,  c’mon,  it’s just a game.  ❜

❛  is it enough just to have a long and happy life with me?  ❜

❛  i’ll keep her safe,  ( name ).  ❜ ❛  you’re ready right now?  ❜

❛  i/we won’t be bothering you anymore.  ❜

❛  i dream about being with you forever.  ❜

❛  if anything happens,  i swear to god.  ❜ ❛ 

❝ I decided as long as I'm going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly. ❞

❝ I said it would be better if we weren’t friends, not that I didn’t want to be.❞

❝ What if I'm the bad guy/girl/person? ❞    

❝ Do I dazzle you? ❞

❝ The right thing isn't always real obvious. ❞

❝ You’re still waiting for the running and the screaming, aren’t you? ❞

❝ I am not really breaking any rules. ❞

❝ You think I regret saving your life? ❞

❝ I always say too much when I'm talking to you. That's one of the problems. ❞

❝ I know love and lust don't always keep the same company. ❞

❝ Do you like scary stories? ❞

❝ No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end. ❞

❝ I miss you. ❞

❝ Distract me, please.  ❞

❝ You really should stay away from me. ❞

❝ It's too easy to be myself with you. ❞

❝ It's not the end. It's the beginning. ❞

❝ Your hair looks like a haystack, but I like it. ❞

❝ I'd rather know what you're thinking - even if what you're thinking is insane. ❞

❝ Can't you just thank me and get over it? ❞

❝ You've got a bit of a temper, don't you? ❞

❝ I don’t like to lie – so there’d better be a good reason why I’m doing it. ❞

❝ Without the dark, we'd never see the stars. ❞

❝ I hate you for making me want you so much. ❞

❝ Immortality must grant endless patience. ❞

❝ I'd rather die than stay away from you. ❞

❝ I love you. It's a poor excuse for what I'm doing, but it's still true. ❞

❝ I wished there was some way to explain how very uninterested I was in a normal human life. ❞

❝ I'm feeling extremely insignificant! ❞

BONUS! UNDER THE CUT, FIND A FEW MORE FROM NEW MOON AND ECLIPSE:

"what  part  of  'mortal  enemies'  is  too  complicated  for  you  to—"

"i  don't  think  you  should  dump  all  your  other  friends  for  your  boyfriend."

"sure,  sure.  i'll  stop  by  your  crypt  after  school."

"do  you  really  think  hurting  her  is  better  than  protecting  her?"

"i  thought  it  would  be  something  faintly  realistic."

"look  after  my  heart  —  i've  left  it  with  you."

"if  i  get  hurt,  it  was  because  i  tripped."

"i'm    not    going    to    hide    out    in    the    forest    while    you    all    take    risks    for    me."

"let's    get    this    stupid    party    over    with."

"i    am    not    really    breaking    any    rules."

"i    wondered    why    i    was    being    so    formal.    must    be    the    nerves."

"how  can  we  be  friends,  when  we  love  each  other  like  this?"

“you  try  very  hard  to  make  up  for  something  that  was  never  your  fault.”

“you  didn’t  choose  this  kind  of  life,  and  yet  you  have  to  work  so  hard  to  be  good.”

“you’re  the  very  best  part  of  my  life.”

“it  was  exactly  what  was  to  be  expected.”

“i’d  rather  deal  with  real  zombies  than  watch  a  romance.”

“can  i  help  you  with  something?  you  look  lost.”

“your  friends  are  a  lot  more  interesting  than  mine.”

“five  foot  four  is  perfectly  average.”

“you’re  like  a  little  doll.”

“do  i  look  like  i  tripped  in  your  garage  and  hit  my  head  on  a  hammer?”

“you  can  be  so  out  of  it  sometimes.”

“i’m  in  the  mood  for  action.  bring  on  the  blood  and  guts!”

[murderbirds]

It is really baffling to me that DC made one of the potentially most dangerous enemy imaginable in the form of the court of owls and they just don't know what to do with it. The concept of the elite group of a city as dangerous as Gotham City forcing Gotham to remain what it is and always has been for the sake of their own never ending greed and cheap work makes so much sense and works so well as a parallel to Bruce who is all about how to use his fortune to try and 'fix' the city, but instead people will dumb it down to just 'oh, we are so scary, we have this maze, you see.' The court of owls shouldn't be just another enemy. They should be the very essence of what Batman fights against because their reach is so great that every single one of the rogues and batman's villains were created by them, directly and indirectly. They are the ones who refuse to allow Gotham to change. You can't have all of this potential and just throw it as "villain of the week!" C'mon!

Gotham almost did it well. In season 2, we are introduced to the Court as this entity that controls all of Gotham, from Wayne Enterprises to Arkham. At this point, Strange is our main antagonist in the season, and even he is terrified of them. Season 2 of Gotham is the Court at its best. You witness how little they care about human lives and just how powerful they are, but of course, in comes season 3 and ruins everything.

Not only does the court of owls become a bunch of idiots in season 3, but they also make no sense. I understand that the big reveal is that 'oh, they are actually just being controlled by the league of shadows', which, mind you, makes no sense. The court of owls is the definition of everything that Ra's hates about humanity, but pop off, I guess. And it is funny because Ra's is probably the most effective antagonist in this show besides maybe Sofia and Strange. Ra's is an actual threat, he feels imposing, he feels powerful and it is gratifying to see him go down. He is a man led by his desire to die and to create a better world though Bruce and I could go on a whole tangent about how powerful of a narrative this can be, but I won't. This is about the Court. Not Ra's. The Court is a representation of greed from those on top and how their actions perpetuate this cycle of hate and destruction. The court is about capitalism. The league of shadows is about nihilism and trying to force the next generation to do what you wish you had. They don't work together. They are opposite extremes.

Now, let's get back on track. In season 3, the court decides that they want to 'start over' by killing off most of Gotham's population through the Tetch virus, but they never really explained why besides 'oh everything has gone wrong so we will now start over' and I just want to understand what exactly is it that has gone wrong. At this point, the court is still almost unanimously the one on top. The one who was actually the biggest threat to them, Galavan, is dead. Bruce is still a kid, so even if you do need to do something about him eventually, wouldn't it be easier and more practical to just get rid of him? Wayne manor has basically no defenses. One almost immortal guy nearly killed Bruce, Alfred and Jim, and you have an entire army of those available. Oswald isn't a threat either, at this point, he is more interested in his own greed than anything else. Hell, if they had offered him to join them, chances were, he would have accepted it. Would he be a problem in the future? Possibly, but if you are willing to try to get Jim "golden boy" joy your organization, the guy who wins a medal for not following rules, I think letting Oswald in is fine as long as you make him think he is on top. That leads us to the only remaining threat, Jim. James Gordon, at this point, isn't a part of the police anymore. He is just a private investigator. He has little to no power. Kill him, arrest him, threaten to destroy everything he loves if he doesn't stop. It doesn't matter, but don't invite him to join you. He has no power at this point, why do you even want him? Because he sorta promised Bruce to help save his parents? What? It just makes no sense that they would want Jim in their organization, who doesn't even have a place of his own at this point in the story, but not Oswald or Barbara or Butch or any actual major player in the city. And the most mind boggling thing of all is the fact that the court would go out of their way to subdue both the Riddler and the Penguin and throw them both into cages and do nothing about it. Why? What was the point of that? Weren't you going to destroy the city anyway? Why not just place them in the blast of a bomb or get rid of them? Or better yet, just kill them and get rid of their bodies! Why do you want them alive?! You didn't give two shits about Edward in season 2, why are you keeping him locked up now?! If you want something from them, why don't you talk to them?! What are you trying to accomplish?!

In any case, what I'm trying to say is, the Court of Owls makes no sense in season 3 and is just there to do what the plot requires them to do, and that is true for most other Batman media I have seen with them. They are there just to fill a role instead of being an actual threat, and this goes all the way back to their introduction, when, once again, they are treated as just a villain of the week with no further development.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 3 - Sweet Perfume

"Finally, some new, fresh faces around here, and how wonderful it is, seeing something other than demons around. It was seriously beginning to get old and boring." the teacher for this class was a beautiful woman with long, ebony hair, slightly wavy, with blue eyes like a gargoyle, penetrating your soul with a single gaze; and her lips were plump, red and shiny. Her make up was done bold and dark, making that deadly shade of blue-grey stand out even more. "Let's see... You must be Kitsune... And my, what a gorgeous lady we have. I was lucky enough to have Solomon in my class too, and he's quite the excellent student. As to be expected of someone who bonded with none other than Asmo~." the woman giggled lowly, leaning back on the teacher's desk.

"The pleasure is all mine." though having good intentions behind her response, Kitsune didn't realise the implication, or the way demons think, thus, not comprehending the reason behind the woman's devious smirk.  "Oh, I'm sure it is~." a low, seductive hum resounded through the place, making some of the lower demons sigh and lean forward on their desk. "Yikes. That's a succubus for ya. She's really scary." Mammon whispered in the fox girl's ear. "What's a... Su-... Bus? Whatever you said." she discreetly eyes the Greed Avatar from the corner of her eyes. "It's a Lust demon. They can charm and seduce anyone. Well - I guess it matters whatever power level they and their victim have, but it's still scary. Ye may be immortal, but you're still an earthling and stand no chance. Careful of Asmo too, he's the most powerful charmer. One look in his eyes and ye'r under his spell!" his agitated warning made Kitsune realise that all demons have their own abilities their are proficient in, and that somehow, she has to understand them all... And learn their undoing. "You see, Mammon... That is just my luck. I have the aid of all of you, yet nobody knows anything about me or my abilities. The way I see it, the advantage is solely mine own." subtly, the Greed demon saw the corner of her mouth turning upwards - If he thought succubi looked stunning and devious, Kitsune looked other-worldly and enigmatic.  "Oh, how naughty of you, Kitsune. For a new comer, you have the guts to be whispering in class, thinking I wouldn't be noticing? How adorable. And you, Mammon, though you are attractive, you fail at seducing anyone with that goofiness of yours, yet you dare disturb the class. Should you have been cutipie Asmo, then... That wouldn't have been such a problem. What have you to say, in your defense? Or, perhaps you are ready for a demonstration in front of the class? Do you wish to be seducing the new student?" the teasing from the teacher only made Mammon yelp and blush furiously, trickling down from his chair, and under the table. "Oh, so you're more of a hands-on, tongue-out type, hmm~? How shameless of you, in front of all your classmates, to show such exhibitionism --" the more she talked, Mammon must have jolted up in his skin, for the desk was hit roughly with his head, and it was set up in the air. "So you say, should I be successful in this class, I will be getting certain... Privileges? Then... Asmodeus, would you like to... Teach me... What this class entails?" raising up from her chair, she prowled in front of the Avatar of Lust, who looked up at the girl with the fakest sweet smile there was. "Wait, Kitsune, don't--" Mammon tried to warn the girl, but was silenced by the teacher. "Ohhh, how daring, I already like you, Kitsune! I have to admit, you're rather pretty - Though, not nearly as pretty as me, obviously. So, you want me to teach you? I'd just love to teach you everything there is to be taught about the art of charming." he hummed, raising his hands and slowly reaching towards her face, cupping and caressing her soft cheeks. "Your skins is so delicate, it is as if I am touching Ranunculus flowers. Did you know they are said to have the softest flower petals? I think you're putting even that to shame." the more he spoke his honeyed words, the closer his face got to her own, and his amber eyes that shone like gems were staring deep into her soul.

"What a lovely attempt at trying to charm me. Unfortunately, I am not touched in the least. I wonder if it is because of my age, or because..." eagerly pushing his hands away, Kitsune allowed her spiritual form to take over and she grabbed his face - Her eyes flashed green, and she brought his lips so close to her own, that he could feel the silky plumpness of her rose-like petals.

"You're not my type." from the shock of not only his pristine clean record of seducing being splattered with blots of dirt, but also being rejected and having a tiny bit of his life energy taken away, he jolted away from her, watching as she let out a rather amused laugh. "What is it, Asmo~? Were you shocked? You see... Silly enchantments like seducing and charming will never work on me... For, I am a Fox Spirit." her hand was raised up, hiding that annoyingly attractive taunting giggle of hers.

"You see, Asmo... I think that... You rely on physical beauty far too much, and you fail to realise that there is more to life and beings than their appearance. Or... Mayhaps is that... All you have is your outer beauty, and you cling onto it so desperately? Is it that... You secretly wish to be recognised for more than the pretty face that you are? You want to prove that your inner beauty is just as profound as your exterior one? Do you wish to be praised and exalted for your kindness? Or... Is that beneath you, demons?" though she would brush her fingers over his fringe, just like a ghost, or the tip of her pointer finger nail would leave traces down his face like a phantasm, it only made the demon get angrier and angrier. He started making a fuss, and with a childish stomp of his foot, he stormed out of the classroom furiously.

"I've never seen that cutiepie Asmo get so angry before. I'm not sure whether or not you're a master or a complete failure at Seductive Speechcraft, but at the end of the day, I suppose I can conclude that I am rather impressed... In an odd way." the teacher let out a scoff of disbelief, turning back to her seat and beginning to go over the introductory lesson of the day.

Were all lessons going to be problematic, Kitsune wondered, amused at how immature some demons can be. Though, the easier it is to annoy them, the better - They sure are fun to tease, and Asmodeus was such an easy target, with that awfully fake high self-esteem facade of his. Satan is adorable to fluster, and Mammon... He's an easy victim, and whilst the vixen would like to tease the life out of him... He's already mocked by everyone, so she feels protective over him. Though he tries very hard to be cool, he's just a child looking for praise and validation. What a darling.

Before the class ended, the door to the room was opened, and Diavolo himself stepped inside, a large, cheerful grin on his face.  "L-Lord D-D-Diavolo, what are you doing here?" the succubus teacher widened her eyes in surprise upon seeing the Prince. "I was just passing by and I remembered Kitsune has this class now. I wanted to see how she was enjoying her first classes at RAD." just as he explained, the sound that called for the end of the class rang, and the fox girl chuckled. Kitsune was the first to get up, and stepping next to Diavolo, she reached out to grab his chin, pulling him down to her level. "I am enjoying this new environment very much, thank you." with a wink, she walked right past him, and out of the classroom, hearing his mirthful laughter in the background.

The last class before lunch was Magical Potions, luckily enough, it was very close to the other classroom. Unfortunately, Mammon wasn't in the same class that day, and neither were Satan or Asmodeus. By the time she arrived and saw the placard above the door, she entered - There weren't many students present, save for three that were garbed in a completely different kind of uniform, and their silver haired friend - One of them felt like a human that possessed great magical powers, while the others held a warm and kind, white and bright aura around them. They must be the transfer students, the woman concluded, as she made her way towards them.

"Hello. May I deduce that you are the other new students? It is our first class together, I am honoured. You may call me Kitsune." though she bowed to no one, she offered a brief nod of her head and a pleasant smile. "Sound deduction, and I have to say, I am the honoured one. Though I am hundreds of years old, I never met any of your kind. I am Solomon, a wizard, and these are Simeon and Luke - They are Angels from the Celestial Realm." the wizard nodded his head back, all of them greeting her with warmth and friendliness. "Celestial Realm, huh? Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't conform to the uniform rules anymore. Is it safe to assume you are more familiar to the subjects? Because I am honestly clueless, though interested." the girl explained, smiling lightly at the trio. "Wow! Are you really a human? I've never seen humans with fluffy ears before!" the little one had wide eyes from shock and surprise. He looked up at those ears as though he wanted desperately to feel them up. "A human? Hm... Am I, now~?" Kitsune hummed, amused at the naivite of the little angel. "I suppose I should say that I, at least, do count as a representative of the human realm - Although I have been born as a kit, and grew as fox-kin. Naturally living for as long as I have, afflicted naught by growing old  and wary, nor of the humanly diseases - So, am I really fit to serve as a human standard? Well... I would say that is for everyone to decide for their own." 

"...So... You're a non-human living in the human world, yes?" Kitsune nodded. "How did Lord Diavolo manage to choose two immortal non-humans as human representatives, out of the billions of normal humans on Earth?!" the boy gasped in disbelief. "That, little one, is something for you to ask him." Luke looked up at the taller woman and stared in awe at that calm, passive smile of hers - It felt as serene and heavenly as Simeon's. He deduced she must be a good-hearted woman - Yes, she had to be! He feels no ill-will from her either! Thrown in the deepest pits of hell, he must protect her and bring her to the warm, Celestial light! "Now, now, Luke, stop staring at the poor girl, you're going to give her the creeps." Simeon chuckled softly, patting the boy's head. Kitsune took this brief moment of silence to analyse the three. She felt absolutely no malice from the little one, though, she could see the silly innocence, born out of ignorance and indoctrination - Maybe even some prejudice and anger issues. Simeon, on the other hand, was the exact opposite - Devious and easy-going, with a tint of treachery, but good-will overall. Angels were a weird race, Kitsune concluded - From her brief interlude, she picked up that Angels were supposed to be the ultimate good, while Demons were sitting on the exact opposite end of the spectrum, the ultimate evil... Yet it seemed not that way, from what her esper feelings gathered. It was... Peculiar.

And then, there was the sorcerer before her. She could barely read him - It had never happened before. It was almost as though he had put some kind of barrier to keep out any thing that might penetrate his heart and mind. How intriguing, yes, very interesting indeed  - For a human turned sorcerer, that is a fantastic feat to accomplish, how impressive.

But the problem was - No matter how intriguing the silver haired man before her eyes seemed to be... There was something about that Demon Lord with that silver tongue and sweet smile, all those which they harbour an endless void of rage. For what reason? What is it that he is suppressing to dearly? Shackled with magical chains, away from even his own knowledge?

The teacher then entered the room, and the four exchange students had to scatter to their desks - Luke, surprisingly, wanted to sit with Kitsune, under the pretext of 'protecting' her from the evil demon, thus, Simeon paired up with Solomon. It was a complete disaster, as they had to brew a potent poison, and Luke would only speak of cooking analogies. Kitsune turned back to her two fellows, staring at them with a pleading look, to get some aid at what the hell they were supposed to do. Stirring clockwise and anti- clockwise, in zig-zag, up and down, left and right, and on each diagonal. At certain intervals, they had to add minced herbs of some kind, crushed powder made by them, and some juice made out of flowers and beans. All these words were completely foreign to Kitsune and all the knowledge that she held paled in comparison to everything that was written on the textbook laying innocently on the desk, almost taunting her.

And the teacher did little to explain the basics of potion-making to the single newbie of the class. 

"It's alright, Kitsune, I only know because that is what I've been doing my whole life, after all. Your kin is known for their remedy-making, antidotes and poisons, with a sprinkle of magic - But there are certain peculiarities that only happen with Demon magic." Solomon smiled gracefully at the girl, and the two pair become one. They united the two desks and started working on their potions. First, the sorcerer showed Kitsune how to properly crush the Nightlock berries under the knife, and mix its juice with the Deadly Nightshade fermented wine - The Fox Spirit mimicked his actions with careful movement. "That's very good, Kitsune. Now, let's cut the Angel's Temptation flowers. As you can see, they all are in various shades of the rainbow, and we must add them in the exact order shown in the recipe." as Solomon explained, the red haired woman reached out to pick the flower up, only to have her hand held by the brunet Angel, who looked at her with concern, yet also, a kind of brotherly kindness.  "Kitsune, don't touch that flower. It's incredibly poisonous to the touch, even for us, angels, and demons alike. I don't want to imagine what it could do to your delicate hands." he said, caressing it dearly.  "A beautiful flower such as this, poisonous to mere touching? How can that be?" her green eyes widened, looking forlorn at the gorgeous plant sitting lonely on the desk. "Everything can be dangerous, one way or another. That's why it's called the Devildom. Even the things you least expect can harm you. That's why you should exercise caution. But don't worry, I'm sure the demon brothers are taking good care of you." contrary to the previous worry, he now seemed almost shady, speaking of the demons, almost as if there was some kind of undertone she wasn't quite picking on. "Then, how are we supposed to cut it and add it to the potion?" Simeon, once again, smiled brightly and after gingerly letting go of her smaller hand, picked up a scalpel and a pair of tweezers, and proceeded to demonstrate with perfect accuracy and delicacy how and where to cut each of the flowers, then guided her own hands to do just as well. "You're doing great, Kitsune. Now, that the flowers are added, we should stir in the cauldron - Five times horizontally, ten times anti-clockwise, 3 clockwise, once vertically and twenty times on each diagonal, starting from top left to bottom right, and vice-versa." "It's easy, just like in cooking! Let's do it together!" Luke's cheerful voice boomed, urging the fox lady to put her hands on the large ladle and stir as instructed - He had such a focused, yet happy expression that Kitsune simply let him do most of the stirring, as she gazed at the beautiful pearl-like sheen of the potion, iridescent - Once they stopped and allowed the liquid to rest, it started glowing powerfully, and changing colours. A glittery, thin thread of smoke was coming up from the potion, and it emanated a sweet perfume, inciting, almost encouraging you to drink it whole, like the most luxurious dessert there was. "I must thank you dearly for all the aid that you have given me for this lesson. Without you, I would have been entirely lost. Is there any way for me to express my gratitude properly? A simple invitation to tea simply cannot do justice for the amount of help that you have offered." her hand was over her heart, nodding her head in thanks. "No need to be so formal with us, Kitsune, it's alright, we're all friends here. Us, exchange students especially, must stick together. How about you come over to the Purgatory Hall when you have the time? It's where we stay." Solomon suggested, and the others were in agreement. "Maybe I can cook something for you!" in an instant, the two angels had alarmed, horrified looks - There must be something wrong with the sorcerer's cooking... But how could such a talented man be so atrocious at something so similar to potion-making?

In the end, they were quite literally saved by the bell, and also, by some kind of sound that her cellphone made, followed by the faint vibration that she felt coming from her sleeve. With the help of Solomon, she realised that she had received a text, from Diavolo himself, asking her to come to his office at RAD once her classes were over. Surely, he must know this was her last subject for the day, otherwise he wouldn't send this text at the exact second that the bell had rung - Yes?

With a mischievous smirk on her face, Kitsune picked up the cauldron, and although heavy, she wanted to show the very curious man what she had been up to. It was already enough that he checked on her barely two hours prior - It was no wonder, with such a child-like curiosity - It was adorable and amusing, and of course, she was going to indulge him.

She minded naught the weird looks she was being given, nor the amount of times she had to ask for directions... Or when she was on the verge of being attacked, under the pretext of attempting to kill the Prince. Ha - As if Diavolo could get himself killed with something as silly as a poison brought in a cauldron. After a long journey through the maze-like Academy - Why was everything a maze in this Realm anyway? - She ended up in front of the large, deep black ebony massive wood door. Though she was unable to properly knock and announce her presence, she summoned one of her tails to reach inside her sleeve and lightly tap the phone on the door frame. Once the Prince allowed her entrance, Kitsune used another tail to open the door. And another. And another. In total, seven tails, and her own back pushing against the door.

"Forgive me, Little Prince - Alas, for my human strength, this door is far too heavy to open by natural means. Could it be that demons naturally possess strength far above that of the average human, then, if you can afford such a continuous workout everywhere you go?" the red haired woman stepped inside, demonstrating her struggles as she pushed herself against the door, this time, to close it.  Diavolo, in turn, blinked crestfallen for a few seconds, only to burst into laughter. "My, Kitsune, do forgive me - I, and everyone here, is so used to these things that we didn't realise it took more effort to other races. On a lighter note, it's only my office door that is made of the most massive wood in Devildom - I wanted it to be shiny and black. I always thought it's a beautiful colour, and it helps me relax and think in peace." he rose from his desk, walking from behind it. "I am glad that you could come over on such a short notice - I hope there was no urgency though. I simply wanted to ask your impressions on your first day of school here." he gestured over for her to on the comfortable arm chair, made out of burgundy wine-coloured velvet and it had a black and gold cushion. In front of it, another black, wooden tea table, and its armchair twin just opposite of it. "Prince, you are far too generous, thinking of someone like me. Though it is you who has come up with the scholar-program, your benevolence is above that which most demons have the reputation of having. In fact - I have figured out your intentions, thus why I have gone through the hilarity of this situation, to bring the potion we have made - Myself and the other three exchange students, in fact. I found it to be rather beautiful, though most deadly. Is that not completely fascinating? Its colours, the glow, the glittery twinkle of the fine smoke, and even this scent." she spoke as she comfortably sat down, placing the cauldron on the table and motioning for the Lord to follow. "Oh, I see! To think that you would start with a poison, of all things. I haven't changed the schedule to accommodate the exchange students. I apologise, I didn't realise the curriculum wasn't beginner-friendly. I will have to make adjustments immediately, thank you for bringing that up to my attention --" but the woman raised her hand up, in a motion as to stop him from speaking any further. "Us, 'humans', as you so silly call me, have a saying - When in Rome, do as the Romans do - Which means, of course, that one must adapt to the living conditions of the parent home where you take temporary residence at. It was not my intention to make you feel guilty or reproach you, by any means. Considering that I have had at least one of the brothers, or the other exchange students with me in every class so far, I was guided, very patiently, might I add, on the right path. I have nothing to complain about, thus, there is nothing to be changed." those shining, molten gold eyes of his peered with interest into her own. For a few seconds there, they shared deep looks. "There's no need to be so formal with me, Kitsune. I may be the Prince of this realm, but I'd like for us to have a friendly relationship. And, above all, I wish for you to have a comfortable stay here, but also, learn something new from us. If there is anything I can change to the way this school works to accommodate you and make you feel at home, I would gladly do anything in my power to achieve that. I just hope we can work together for the betterment of this exchange program and all the participants involved." he explained with a serious tone - Determined, but also kind and understanding. "Adaptability is one thing, but you are not alone here. The brothers and the other three exchange students are there to help you... And, of course, you have chosen me as your guide. Let me do my job, please."

Kitsune blinked at him slowly. The Prince could see her pupils dilating just a little bit. She seemed intrigued, but judging by the way the corner of her mouth twitched upwards, exposing one of her elongated canines, it seemed she had some kind of mischievous, playful thought running through her head. "Could it be that you wish to... Tame me, Little Prince~?" the man was taken aback, and he straightened his back instinctually.

"Tame you? Kitsune, you are not an animal to be tamed. I wish to befriend you, not tame you." he immediately defended himself. "Forgive me, there might be some kind of conversational barrier that I cannot understand. I only hope my feelings and intentions are received."

The Fox Spirit smiled, her eyes closed as she looked away, shielding her mouth with her sleeve. "It is you who should forgive my manners, Little Prince - I have come to love teasing you, for whatever reason unknown even to me. I suppose it was a fault in my logic, however, to think that you might have been able to not only acquire, but also, finish reading the book that I have mentioned before." a lightbulb seemed to appear above that red hair of his, and he grinned widely.

"In fact - I have! Barbatos is fantastic when it comes to these things. He was able to get to the Human World and get this book just before the bookstore closed! I tried to have some light reading, but I haven't been able to finish it yet." surprising the vixen, Diavolo rose to his feet and went back to his desk, and from one of the drawers, he revealed the book itself, winking at her playfully.

"I'm supposed to do work here only, but sometimes, a little break, a little reading with some tea, can up the productivity levels. But don't tell Barbatos that, he'll scold me again."

"What a naughty, naughty boy you are, Little Prince." the woman let out an amused hum, leaning forwards and pouring some tea into both their tea cups. "I recommend Chapter 21 especially. It ties well into our conversation. And, to answer your previous concern - There is no misunderstanding - Once again, it is a fault on my part. I have been rude to my host, teasing him too much. You will have to forgive me on that... And, should you wish to... Tame me... I shalt not be opposed to it." the questioning look on his face was answered by a nod of her head towards the book - He needn't any more hints. Now, he understood, and he was even more eager to finish reading said book, just to get into the game she weaved for him. Somehow, he felt caught in the web of a spider, and he didn't want to struggle at all.

"Mind if we have some tea tomorrow as well? Surely, I will be done with the book, and we can discuss it properly." he watched the way she casually nodded her head, that beautifully luscious, crimson hair dancing softly around her with every move. He has seen many females before, so why was she any special? There are plenty of beautiful women with red hair and green eyes... But somehow, none can match her glow. Why? Why was that taunting spark in her eyes so attractive, and why was that hue so out of this world? Why were the features so graceful, and visage, flawless? Every expression was calculated to with perfect accuracy, and each wave of her hand was changing the rhythm of his heart beat.

"Forgive me, Little Prince, it seems that I have cause you a great disservice. Tachycardia is a nuisance, I would know. Allow me to alleviate the damage I have caused." though she apologised, there was no trace of truth on that smile playing on those pink, wet lips. She took the smallest sip of tea. Diavolo's mind was a complete mess - Though he wouldn't allow himself to show weakness so easily, he wondered, how can a being so much younger than himself, thousands of years his junior, be capable such calculated schemes that work even on him?

There were hundreds of witches with far more experience, and even lust demons - Asmodeus's disciples even - And none succeeded in getting his attention quite so easily, like the fox lady before him. Not only that, but she so easily teased him, without fearing any consequence or repercussion.

Does she not know how dangerous demons can be? Monsters, beast - All of them falling prey to sin and temptation. She may have some powers and years of knowledge, above the average human, but she knows nothing of his own kin, or the atrocities he is capable of. Burning the three realms with a flick of his hand is measly. 

But then - He realised, what it was that attracted him from the very first second that Kitsune appeared before him - It was her pure soul. No - It wasn't innocent by any means - It was broken, and lonely, and in desperate need of mending and sewing together all the shattered parts. It was in need of protection and analgesic treatments... But underneath all that pain, loss and sorrow that accompanies every being that has roamed the world for so long, there was a certain bright light, desperately flickering through the cracks, begging to be dragged out to the surface. It was calling for him, just like a crash survivor reaching out to the single thread of hope that is nothing more than a spider's web.

"Were you listening, Little Prince~?" by the way he blinked and showed a guilty smile, she needn't an answer. "My, my, have I bored you so already? How awful of me, do forgive me... Allow me to wipe away the sleepiness from your lashes." before he could blink, Kitsune was towering over him, her hands daring to cup his face, as her thumbs traced gently the smooth skin from underneath his eyes. The Prince was breathless, unable to break eye-contact with her. Was this how all victims of Asmodeus felt? "Feeling any better, Little Prince~?"

Oh, how he craved her warm touch on his skin, more and more... And more. "Yes, in fact, I am already feeling refreshed for the day, thank you, Kitsune." he gave her a sweet smile, leaning into her touch and kissing the inside of her wrist so shamelessly. "If I may be so bold, I would also like to request you to continue calling me Your Little Prince. It is quite endearing." though surprised at the way he so easily regained composure, and even retaliated, she couldn't help but grin.

"O, but Diavolo, my dear, you are mistaken - You are not mine, and nor am I yours. For now, you are simply that - A little prince, just like a thousand others little princes that have existed, and will exist, and still exist even to this day." the man frowned at her enigmatic, harsh words. "I have not tamed you, nor have you tamed me. I am, for you, just another human, like a hundred thousand other humans alike - And for me, you are just that, a demon, from a hundred thousand other demons alike. You are not special to me, and nor am I, to you. It is familiarity that makes one special - Thus, once we have tamed each other, the next time I gaze upon a field of wheat, shining in the burning sun like gold, I will be reminded of yours eyes. Do you understand what I am trying to say... Little Prince~?"

"I see walking through my flower garden will be a delight." he grinned, alluding to the beautiful glow of the red flowers growing in intricate flower beds and arches. 

"Then, will you be responsible for that single rose that you have tamed? You become responsible forever for the rose that you have tamed." she explained softly, only to feel herself being pulled to sit on his leg, a cheeky grin on his face. 

"And if you tame me, will I become unique to you? Will you be responsible for me, as I am for you?" the red haired maiden scoffed in amusement.

"You have grown bold, little lordling. Bold, yet not unwise." the proximity allowed Kitsune to smell the sweet perfume of the Demon Lord - It was strong, yet not unpleasant, and it drunkened your whole senses. She suddenly felt her own heart arrhythmic, and her body was warming up.

What was she feeling? It was a feeling akin to no other. It has been almost five centuries since she last felt her body so tense and hot, yet never from something as mere as sniffing this particular scent. What was it? Something that seemed like an intricate floral mix, with hints of wood fragrance? Diavolo couldn't hide his grin for long, as he felt her own heart beat rising in count, and thanked his heightened senses for that - It was then that Kitsune realised the type of rich perfume the Lord was wearing.

Similar, yet more masculine than the scent she felt from Asmodeus. In stead of roses and vanilla, Diavolo wore more cinnamon and sandalwood, with some Jasmine and chocolate. It was the sweet scent of an aphrodisiac.

"I will change the curses professor and disallow practicing on unwilling participants to the class. I will make sure the seductive speechcraft lesson goes without any rude comments that might lead to misunderstandings... Though, I am impressed with the way you made Asmodeus run away like that. Also, I will make sure that all potions and ingredients are revised beforehand, to reduce the risk of accidents occurring. As well as that, of course, I will make sure to have the freshest human ingredients delivered to the House of Lamentation every morning. Are these solutions to your liking, Kitsune?" her otherwise enticing expression changed to surprise. "Yes, I was listening to you just before, to answer your previous question. I was taking some time to deliberate on the right course of action." that roguish side grin of his only made her chuckle, looking away in amusement.

"Very well, Little Prince, you impress me so. I dearly hope you continue doing so in the near future also." Kitsune jumped to her feet, twirling playfully back to her seat. "Though, I have a curiosity! Do humour me, will you?" 

"Why, of course! What is it?" the giddy way in which he responded almost made the fox lady feel a swell of her heart.

"What would happen if the most powerful demon in the realm drinks a sip from this potion?" she asked, taking her own tea cup and crouching besides the table, dipping the small cup carefully into the cauldron. "The sweet smell, the pretty colour, the pearly sheen, the sparkly fumes -- They're so attractive, and I feel like a child once more. I feel compelled to drink a sip of this rainbow coloured potion... But I fear the consequences. I fear the unknown. I was poisoned this morning by a simple salad - I am afraid of pretty things now."

"Do you know what this potion does, Kitsune?" the man asked, stepping next to her.

"I know all ingredients are highly poisonous. Three poisons must make for quite the potent killing liquor, yes?" she guessed, slowly raising up, handing the tea cup over to the man.

"I have to say, I am impressed - This potion is masterfully made. For your first try, you did wonderfully, Kitsune. Well done. Even the scent is sweeter than I remember." he said as he put his large hands over her own and brought the cup to his lips. "If I promise you that it will not harm you, will you drink it with me?"

"Wh-What...?" for the first time, Diavolo saw the playful vixen break her composure from sheer surprise. 

"Do you trust me, Little Fox?" his voice was low and alluring, sweet and captivating. Asmodeus cried over being denied yet another conquest, yet he failed to realise that there was one far above him in skill and speech. One single devilish look from those amber eyes, and she felt herself grow faint.

"It is you that I have chosen, Little Prince. If I do not trust you, then who will I trust in this realm?" those attractive plump lips of his stretched into a gorgeous, confident smile as he sipped from the potion, not once breaking eye contact. Then, he slowly brought the cup to her own lips, feeling no fear nor reticence from her decision - And it really smelled sweet. "So... If three poisons do not make a whole poison... Then what are its effects?" the girl asked after a while.

Instead of answering, Diavolo grinned and took out his phone - Then made it so that Kitsune could see herself. She gasped at her reflection, her hands slapping over her mouth. "Wh-What trickery is this?!" she asked, seeing her hair change colours every minute - Then looked up at the man towering over her, and started laughing. "Y-Yours, also!"

The Lord forgot all kind of formalities, the same as the Priestess, and he let out a mirthful guffaw that echoed through the place. "Don't worry, it will only have effect for about two hours at most, it was just a small sip after all." he said, yet he didn't take his hands away from her own.

He remembers the shy way in which she behaved once he asked her for a dance, and expected the same reaction - He had heard a story once from Barbatos, about some marriage rituals which include drinking from the same cup - Surely, she must be aware of that, judging from the soft pink painting her pale cheeks. He wanted to see more of it. Wanted to be the cause of it.

To think that the perfume alone was enough to make her heart beat like that... Like his own, in fact. He wondered what it would be like, what he would do to her - He wanted to see her starstruck expression after he claims those kissable lips of hers, or when he whispers words of hell into her ears, his warm breath on her skin, devoiding her of her own inhaling. "Did you have fun, Kitsune?"

She hummed in approval. "Most fun I have had for the past many centuries, in fact. I must thank you for that." slowly, she looked down and stepped backwards, placing the tea cup back on the table. Diavolo frowned for a split second - His hands felt cold and empty now, without her own to hold onto. "I must take my leave now. I wish to stall you from your work no further. I, also, must prepare for lunch, and a good rest. These new academic endeavours have made be grow weary and tired. It will take a while until I get used to a never-rising Sun, or this educational schedule filled with studying - But it will be quite the interesting journey. Thank you once again, Little Prince. I shall be seeing you again... Soon." though she had some difficulty opening the massive door, she looked no less graceful, lazily wiggling her fingers goodbye at him.

"...What is it that you're hiding, little fox?" Diavolo asked himself in a low voice as soon as the door was closed, and he was left wondering, aimlessly reaching for the enigmatic book, and continuing his lecture. "So lonely, so filled with sorrow... Kitsune, are we more alike than we care to admit? Or is it that an immortal among mortals is doomed to a plagued eternity embellished with misfortune alone? Would you not feel more at home here, among those like you, who would not fall prey to deathly illnesses, nor wither away from the passing of the years? What is the life of a Priestess?" the Lord sighed, hitting his head with the book - How can he concentrate on the simplistic words that hold such complex metaphors, when his own heart is swimming in the dark abyss that Kitsune's void-like feelings succumbed him to. 

He remembers when she said good night to him - She avoided his question. Did she know he can smell lies? Even if she did, it didn't take away from the uneasiness that he can sense on her as soon as he approaches. He wanted her to feel good around him - Warm, welcomed, maybe even to the extreme of love, if it made her feel more comfortable - But there was always that uneasiness that plagued her, a reticence akin to... Fear, even. Is he truly that intimidating? If he were, he thinks, why would she be so daring as to tease and taunt him like that? Surely, it cannot be from his royal rank. So... Is it his appearance? Did he not smile enough? Did he frown at her? He felt guilty, yet unless she confesses, there is nothing that he can do to right the wrong that he had done against her.

Perhaps, the little fox that guided the little prince for a whole chapter would be able to also light the path to his own understanding...

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[mylungsdontw0rk]

"Hey, Guqqie," aimsey began, their voice shaking slightly "I have something to tell you."

"Yes," Guqqie replied anxiously, they could tell this wasn't going to be good news

"I kept working on the stronghold stuff, and now I am going to find the answer to becoming mortal. I want to feel human" aimsey said, studying guqqie's face for her reaction

"B- but you promised" guqqie said as her heart dropped "you promised you'd stop working on it, at least until we figured out if I was immortal"

"I know, but I don't think I can live forever, I want to experience getting old and dying, for good" aimsey's voice cracking as they tried not to cry

"Please, please don't , what if you die, and I never get to say goodbye, I never get to see you again" guqqie's voice became higher, as warm tears began to roll down her cheeks

"Guq, please, remember I will always love you, no matter what happens" aimsey said, voice cracking, as his eyes became filled with tears.

"If you love me, why are you trying to die? Am I not enough for you?" Guqqie's sadness turned more to anger.

How could he leave her. They promised they were going to stay. They said guqqie was their reason to stay.

"I do love you, I love you so, so much guq, I just can't do this anymore, I can't live forever, it's so... isolating"

Guqqie began to walk away.

*What a stupid excuse, am I not good enough them?* Guqqie thought to themself, tears still falling down their cheeks.

"Guqqie, guqqie please, come back, I love you so much, I'll miss you when I'm gone, please, never forget I love you" aimsey calls out, as they fell to the floor, sobbing.

Guqqie ran home, sobbing. "They promised they would never leave me, he said I was his reason to stay. And then she said she was leaving. I have no one now. No one to see, no one to talk to, no one to love."

Aimsey began to walk home, sobbing softly to himself. They arrived home, opened a book, and starter writing

-to guq,

I'm sorry. I have to go, I can't live like this, I don't want to live forever. I feel trapped, death may be my only escape. I know it's scary, I'm scared too, but I need to do this, I need to be able to die. Living forever scares me, I'm scared I will lose you, and have to grieve forever, knowing I'll never see you again. I love you so much, never forget that. I will always love you, no matter what happens. Please, if I die, go and see the stars, imagine I'm with you, imagine were together, forever. We will always be together, even I f you can't see me, I will always be in your heart, always watching over you, always living you.

I love you forever and always

aims :) -

Still sobbing, they close the book, and title it 'i love you'. They start wandering over to guqqie's house, contemplating their decision, but they feel no regret. They have to do this, or he will go crazy.

He sees guqqie's house on the horizon, and whispers to himself "these fucking walls, they're so stupid"

She reaches the walls and places a chest down, labelling it 'letterbox'. He smiles to himself, remembering when guq had done the same thing to him, not that long ago. Placing the letter in the chest, they dry their tears and softly whispering "I love so much guq, I really do."

Guqqie wakes up, and heads outside, seeing whether they can catch aimsey before he leaves, possibly forever. They see a chest, and open it. They open the book, and softly read it out loud to themself. She begins to cry again, realising how much they love, and will miss, aimsey. They close the book, and begin to sprint to aimsey's house, wanting to stop him, to get him to stay. They arrive at aimsey's house, and call out "aimsey, aimsey, are there, aimsey please", but it was too late, aimsey had left, they had left forever.

After leaving guqqie's house, aimsey began walking straight to the stronghold. Walking there gave him time to think, time to make sure this is what they want to do, but they felt no regret, he finally felt free. They reach the stronghold and head straight to the portal, almost running towards it.

They step up, to the portal, whispers to himself " this is it, the moment I have worked so hard for", and jumps.

[theressomethinghappeninginparis]

It's been a while.

Let me tell you why. I left the Croft Manor and went to Utah.

I know, it's a leap of faith I took, but it was worth it. I have retrieved knowledge and information and shared all I know with Lara Croft as well as with Mister Trent. I needed a day's rest at the Croft Manor and I felt slightly ashamed, but I am no superwoman like Lara, and my knee is still throbbing. I hope I haven't relocated anything, lol.

Transcript of the first, second and third page:

Here's a whole list of things I asked Lara Croft. She was kind enough to sit by me while I was sipping tea, moaning, and trying to recover from *points at everything*. Q: The piece of the Sanglyph I have given you, what do you know about it? A: From what I have gathered: the Sanglyph is a relic created by Eckhardt. You surely crossed paths with this psycho already. It's a disc that can be parted into five pieces. To prevent mortals from using it, he was hiding it inside the five Obscura Paintings. Q: So the paintings were his idea, too? A: He commissioned to get them painted andhid the pieces in there until his glovey-dovey hands could get onto a Nephilim. (me: the Lux Veritatis later seized them, let them be painted over by Brother Obscura, and scattered them). Q: This guy's not normal, right? A: Best actor in history. No, he's neither normal nor human. He was. With a deal he was made immortal, and the cost was reviving the Nephilim race. He's a vessel for over 500 years of evil, alchemy and hatred for humans. And the LV. Q: The Lux Veritatis were a pain in his life? A: You guessed it.They tried anything to stop him, even putting him in a ditch for several hundread years until an Ally bomb hit the castle and he could break free. The Shards were recollected by Heissturm, who gave them to his son. I think you've met him already. Q: If you mean Kurtis- yes, I've read about him. But I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. A: In case you can offer something, he'll talk. He loves teamwork. (Lara chuckles, is that a smile?) Get the Sanglyph to him and ask him to get it here, at some point. I trust him, he'll do so. (me: I think we all know Lara Croft will not hesitate to track me down and shoot me if I were to disappear with it, so I guess...it'll do.) Q: (...) Thank you, again. What do you know about him? A: He's a tough cookie, a mercenary. Who is out for revenge. All he can think of now is to stuff Eckhardt's and his allies' faces with bullets or sever their heads. He was of great help, although I took care of Eckhardt first...anyway. He was of great help, especially in our escape out of the Louvre. Q: Speaking of Louvre- the killings in Paris and Prague. Was that Eckhardt? A: Not all of them. The murder of Werner was Karel (she looks aside). He's almost weirder than Eckhardt, I don't know much if anything about him. And, he is, you won't believe it, a shapeshifter. These Nephilim guys (she looks at me again) are a whole lot of strange. Q: (...) You mentioned the Shards... A: Kurtis knows way more. All I know is that they're way too scary to Eckhardt. You know, maybe bring him his, the one I have...he surely misses it. Q: Are you sure he wants to talk to me? Kurtis, I mean? A: If you have trouble convincing him with the Periapt Shard, just tell him (she smiles) I'd love to see him again. That'll convince him (she gets up to leave), trust me.

Transcript of the fourth page: This is all I can write in this journal. We talked a bit more, obviously, and she handed me Kurtis' contact information. He should be in Utah now, but I have his number in case I don't find him at home- it's somewhere in dumbfuck nowhere. Lara lets me stay for as long as I want and I can roam the Manor's museums (or "rooms" like Lara calls them") freely. I got a ticket to visit the USA, and am preparing a catalogue of questions for Kurtis Trent. I kind of hope he lets me write down more. In case he gets back to being a ghost he might allow me to publish more. It feels good to not be on edge all the time. Not having a maniac roam the streets is nicer than I ever imagined. I feel relief.

I'll take some rest and gather nerves and strength for the- hopefully- last trip regarding this case. I want it to be over, it's exhausting.

Transcript of the fifth and sixth page: Questions for Mister Trent: 1. What do you know about Eckhardt and what's he to do with the LV? 2. What are the Lux veritatis anyway? Why was it founded and where is everybody? 3. Your father Heissturm, is he involved? 4. How did you cross paths with Lara Croft? 5. The Periapt Shards- what are they made of? Do they really kill immortals? 6. The Nephilim are conected, just like the Sleeper. But what about the guys in the Sanitarium? 7. The guy in cell 42, know him? And the "Nephilim Proto" he mentioned?

I'm on my way to Utah. Lara was on a call fow a few hours with what I think was Kurtis, had a good laugh, and mentioned that I'll hand him something and he should leave me in one piece. Really reassuring...she handed me one of the Shards. Such a weird...thing. It is made of crystal I believe and is purple-ish black-ish depending on the light. The lionhead makes the Shard heavy to carry and I can hold it, but itfeels like it carries a weight, maybe even a metaphorical one, like there's a power stored within. Absolutely supernatural and strange. I'll try to sleep now. Miss Croft has sent me all my luggage and food, along with a return ticket and her direct contacts. She was so happy to have the piece of the Sanglyph or rather the whole thing now, but kinda happier to speak to Kurtis.

Is it her stubbornness that keeps her from visiting him herself?

Transcript of the seventh and eighth page: I literally got a map to Kurtis place. He is in the middle of nowhere. of course. I'm not kidding: Lara printed me a map I found in the folder she put my tickets in. It's more of a guide and she got me a driver to get me there. Why the fuck is Mister trent living in dumbfuck nowhere? Don't ask about the sigils, the driver could read them, but Lara didn't bother explaining.

After several hours of driving in the middle of the fucking desert and taking the wrong way once I found it. I found him. Was greeted with a gun to my face until I mentioned Lara's password-sentence: Move along, mon chère. I am still surprised he didn't shoot me on sight.

The weapons of the Lux Veritatis: Kurtis has given me a detailed description of the tools the LV have used and/or continue to use. It's surely not all of them.

Betyl (training stones) Betyl is an ancient metal that the LV shape to resemble arrowheads. Most of the time there are engravings in them and they're used as training device for the Shirugai. They have some main skills:

guide (compass)

impulse (attack)

crisscross (whatever)

pattern (uhm?)

There are also five stages of control: 1. Aronsäid 2. Gyllais 3. Tuleic 4. Ömsa 5. Veruta

And of course Mister Trent didn't bother elaborating. I guess he's too busy being excited to get the Shard and then bring it to Lara- just out of kindness with no self-interest, of course.

Shirugai Translated as throw-star. The LV have their own invention, it's a disc-like thing with five spikes on the edhe. These blades are retractable. The disk is being held by putting five fingers through the holes in the middle. A shirugai is connected to a single member of the Lux Veritatis and can only be used by them. It's controlled via telepathy and can be used within a radius.

The Betyl stones are not needed if the member has enough skills. I bit my tongue to not imply Kurtis surely needed them. The blades are so sharp they can cut through steel. Although fairly popular the shirugai has seen not much use: there's barely people left that can more than just hover it.

Transcript of the tenth page: The hut is pretty small and Kurtis seems to live here by himself. When I explained to him I was accidentally crossing paths with this whole murder plot he laughed and admired my skill to stay alive. I mentioned Miss Croft cleared the path for me, and he replied that anything that gets in her way dies, and he barely dodged that fate himself. He is a grim dude who listens to Nirvana and fits perfectly to Lara's love for Nine Inch Nails. Depeche Mode anyone? I feel like he never has visitors- his tables are full of books on mysticism and ancient history. And guns. Holy shit guns.

Not too inviting, but he answered all I wanted to know and will fly back with me to London and I will continue further to Paris. Back home. At last.

Forgive me, the rest of the interview is there, but I am so, so tired. Here is the first question: Q: What do you know about Eckhardt and what does that have to do with the LV? Eckhardt is an old-ass dude who is about 600 years old. He made a deal with the Nephilim to help them take over the world - he is a bit insane- and in return, they made him immortal (he takes a smoke). The LV always wanted to prevent evil int his world, and an alchemist that seeks for organs and organ harvest is not the good guy. After being put in chains in a castle pit an Ally bomber freed him (he looks at me and raises a brow), definitely planned, and he plotted revenge.

I will continue my notes tomorrow. It's way past midnight. I nudged a talk on Lara Croft and am listening to Mister Kurtis talk about her in admiration. I wonder. What keeps them from hanging out? Both of them shoot first and ask questions later. Perfect match if you ask me.

[mostlymobilegames]

HS2 first impressions

(spoilers from both books and complaining)

((This isn't as coherent as I would've liked it to be but I've spend too much time writing it already))

So after getting my ducks in order the beginning of HS2 wasn't really a bad experience, even though I still have a lot to complain about.

First of all, the MC is just not what I would've liked her to be after 10 years and like 2 consecutive wars. She still comes off as hotheaded and stuck in her own ways at times, which isn't what I want from a +30 year old high ranked immortal, especially from one who considers herself a "leader" (c'mon now). It gives off the impression that, even though she was basically Heaven's main weapon some time ago, getting a cozy spot on the Council didn't push her to get better. You can't possibly be in such a high position for such a long time and not get a better and less sensitive attitude (sure, there can be something said about the amount of trauma Vicky suffered in her Academy days which probably had an impact in her growth and is the reason for her nightmares but I'm not a psychologist, I'm just here to complain).

This isn't the worst thing (and my expectations are high because it's Alice and RC keeps creating top tier MCs) but it annoys me how small the development is after such a long time. It's not a good look, it's a look that makes it seem like she literally only got the place on the Council after graduation because she had been useful (which is somehow true, considering your average immortal had to spend years climbing the hierarchy), and that isn't completely bad unless she's not developing any skills afterwards. I do understand that she accepted that she had darkness inside her, she has power yada yada yada, but... why didn't she look into it more? Malbonte always kept talking about getting his power back from her, so why didn't anyone, not even Rebecca, look into this at some point? I don't mean immediately after winning the war, but some time down the line.

I will say that I might be too quick to judge (we started off with solitary confinement and relationship breaking) and that maybe I'm too harsh, too soon, and Vicky will prove herself in the future. I'm sure she will (proving herself is like one of her most redeeming qualities) but for know... she's not impressive. She's literally back to square one, no power, no status. Actually, she's worse now.

Now, returning to the power swap moment done by Plague, I really liked that. Not the part about how the MC became powerless, but that it was really the moment of "omg this is actually the villain". The fact that it was so easy to take away MC's only hope is horrifying but it also leaves her completely vulnerable. There's nothing there for her to use anymore.

Speaking of Plague, she's so annoying. I can't even try to respect the prowess because she's so shit. She is powerful, but the fact that she's an unknown danger and sadistic contributes more to her scary factor than her actual powers. I can't deal with villains like her, their good looks just aren't enough. Not even gonna get into the leashes scene or how creepy she is with the men, she definitely can't take refusals. I dislike that in bad guys. She's also not as bad as she likes to think she is, her power is fuelled (at least partially) by people's desperation. Her presence makes me wanna scratch my skin off.

I don't know what the plan is with characters like Loy and Andy. I only had Andy alive just for him to die immediately in HS2 so...

The rest of the LIs are as I would expect after probably being tortured for at least 3 months. I'd be really surprised if there's any genuine betrayal happening, cause I only see them as being beaten (not necessarily in a literal sense) into reluctant submission. Maybe characters like Fencio and Torendo were willing, but I doubt any of the others wanted or expected this when they went with Plague. I have no explanation for why she saw Dino as not loving the MC anymore but I'm sure there will be one.

Their new looks are superior tho, at least. And I really like how the relationship between the MC and her long time partner is being presented. Regardless of who the player was romancing, their relationship during school ran pretty hot because it was forbidden and dangerous: sneaking around, getting in trouble because of the ban, worrying about death for 3 seasons straight and so on. It's not surprising that after so many years things not only settle down drastically but they see each other more clearly. Being closed off isn't sexy anymore, it causes real tension, working late puts a strain on the relationship, being on different sides isn't exciting, it's exhausting. Real life gets in the way, they aren't college kids (who fight for their lives), they're adults who are responsible for many other people (Mimi for her students, Dino, MC and Luci for the people under them, Andy for his squad not anymore but whatever). Although it is sus how very little opening up happened in 10 years, it's expected and not surprising that the relationship turned out kinda meh.

I am curious if there will be other LIs. Part of me doubts it, there are already established romances, but idk.

The flashback in Mexico is... not that good. It isn't bad in the sense of visuals or writing, it just doesn't make sense, the four of them were never in a close friendship to the point where they'd just chill on earth. When would something like that even had happened? In season 1 of book 1 Lucifer wasn't really part of the team and idk why Dino would've agreed to go on vacation with him anyway, and in seasons 2 and 3 (in 3 more) there was a bunch of drama and wars and breaking people out of jail and being captured and training etc. WHEN did this holiday celebration happen? It couldn't have happened after defeating Malbonte, since they all graduated pretty fast and my Lucifer wasn't even alive (it makes even less sense for it to have happened after the MC sided with Malbonte🗿). It's just such a weird situation, the group was never the kind to have holidays together, even if we were to accept that Lucifer eventually warmed up to Dino enough for them to be buddies (that's not their relationship)

I have very high expectations from Rebecca and Mammon. Idk where Rebecca disappeared in chapter 2, cause I'm pretty sure no one said anything about her, only Mammon is confirmed to have ran away, so they're literally the only ones not captured (who we know exist, I don't know how many characters Plague resurrected).

The visuals in HS2 are great, no complaints there. It does seem like I've had more bad things to say than good things about the book but I am expecting abnormal levels of badassery in the future to make up for the humiliation and pain received so soon. There's just no way MC isn't gonna have her revenge on Plague. I'm really hoping she figures this powerless shit out, but I'm really liking the new partnership with Shephamalum, I'm 100% down to fill the empty vessel with god powers 🤞

[ace-the-fox]

Based on what I see on your blog, i know you have other jojo oc kids besides Haruka and Momo. Is it alright if I know who they all are?

I WAS SO EXCITED THAT I GOT THIS ASK AND THEN I FORGOT ABOUT IT WHOOPS-

I was gonna maybe do quick sketches to go along with this ask, but I don't have the time rn and I drew them for this dumb meme a while ago anyways. I'm just really talking about my main villain kids here, and also a bonus girlie 👀. Also some of these aspects, especially in later parts, are a little underbaked. I haven't really rewatched Jojo in a while (and I also have yet to finish part 6, let alone even sniff at the manga) so if it contradicts with Jojo canon... don't talk to me lmao /lh

So, let's start off with Ciliegia, my DIO kid. She's also Giorno's twin sister. She seems aggressive and a little scary, but she's actually just a lil chihuahua. She can and will hurt you if deserved, but she's also just a lil guy you know? A lil vampire lady who just wants head scratches and cherry lollipops. She goes with Giorno to join the mafia, but it's kinda just because home and school suck and she wants to help keep him safe. She's got a crush on Fugo, which eventually develops into a real relationship later on (when exactly is a difficult question, because I haven't decided wether I want her to get on the boat or not. I have reasons for either side, but this section is long enough as it is...) She's also kind of "One of the Boys" but not in a Pick Me girl way (she and Trish have a very nice friendship :) ). Her stand, Dresden Doll, can essentially disintegrate anything (or anyone...) into an ash like substance, but she doesn't use it after a... pretty traumatic experience of her accidentally activating it.

Izei is my Kars and Esidisi kid, who was in the care of Santana as an infant during the events of Part 2. He, thus, was adopted by Stroheim without literally anyone else's knowledge... oof. Stroheim kept him to have further insight on Pillar Man development, but kinda had a father/son bond but the experimentations and the fact that Izei was cooped up in the facility all day really hindered that. He does end up in the care of Joseph and Suzi Q somehow as a teen though, and becomes besties with a younger Holly. He also joins the Speedwagon Foundation later, around Part 3, specialising in animals. I like to imagine, in this universe, he drops off Iggy to the crusaders. He doesn't get a stand, because he obviously doesn't really need one with his ultimate being ass dad, but he does inherit Esidisi's nifty heat powers (they are mostly used to reheat Joseph's coffee). He's a good, quiet lad, if a little snarky and rebellious at times.

Livia is my Diavolo kid, the product of a one-night stand. Her mother quickly became a drug addict when she was little, to cope with her young and single motherhood and being kicked out by family due to it. She has, therefore, probably had the worst backstory. Taking care of her mother, dealing with the often sleazy and aggressive boyfriends she brought home, living in poverty etc. And then her mother died of an overdose and Livia, not wanting to end up in foster care, ran away and got donuted by Diavolo in the process... but then her stand kicked in. Nine Inch Nails' ability is literal immortality (and also makes wounds heal faster - she can heal a papercut in under five minutes), but she can still feel the pain of everything, she just can't die, so it's not as fun as you might think.

Miel technically doesn't count, as she has no biological or even legal relation to Pucci, but idc lol. She sees him as a father figure anyways, as their dysfunctional family were very attentive in the church he preached at. I'm not sure exactly what role she plays in Part 6, but she is very much aware and on board with his whole plans, as he's one of the two people they trust. The other being a boy named Peter who they have a crush on, and he does reciprocate those feelings but she turns them down. She claims it's because she wants to be a nun and doesn't want to affect that, but it's really because witnessing her parents' terrible relationship really affected her. Their stand, Oh Klahoma, makes them able to disguise themselves in objects like desks and walls while still being able to see and hear.

Jamie is my Funny Valentine kid (even though I despise that man), originally from a separate universe where his wife can have kids and then brought into Part 7 by D4C. He actually really looked up to his dad until he met Lucy Steel shortly after being brought to this universe, which just so happened to be after the... you know. He didn’t look upon him so favourably after that (mmm... yummy rebellion arc). There's also stuff going on before he switched universes, like his dead boyfriend who was also engaged to someone else at the time... yeah. His stand, Achilles, can also see into the future, meaning he can change the future. It's a little tricky, though, as 1) he can't just choose to see the future, they just come as random prophetic visions and 2) he has no idea when these future visions are meant to be, they could be anything from five minutes to five years away.

Kia is my Tooru fankid. Not sure how exactly it happened, but one day a 17 year-old just popped out of the dirt like nothing. They were immediately taken in by a teenage boy who they almost immediately developed a crush on. Unfortunately, he's taken. Fortunately, Kia's stand, "Breaking Glass", allows him to shapeshift. So, he pretends to be the guy's girlfriend. If you feel bad for their crush, I would also like to say that he had a feeling it was Kia the whole time BTW and let them do it anyways... *sigh* men.

And lastly, as a bonus, Concetta! My Cioccolata/Secco kiddo. They should probably not be allowed anywhere near children, but their aesthetic and relationship is fun and I just had to. Concetta was raised by her dads up until the colleseum fight, which she was present for, and the police found her as a newly made orphan at ten years old. She goes through foster care for a couple of years, and then runs off to get revenge on Giorno. Just teenage girl things, yk? Her stand, Brittle Bones, allows her to take off her own limbs and have them still be fully functional without causing her pain... fun!!

[ac-liveblogs]

Deadass first thought when I saw jing yuan and blade was "bitch, cut your bangs".

As much as I love Yanqing for trying to solo The demigod, most infamous and divisive political hot potato in his culture, AND an immortal ranked at the top of the IPC's most wanted list, AT THE SAME TIME, blade and dan heng's first encounter being them fighting /together/ wasn't a good look, given their history and dan heng canonically having nightmares abt the dude.

Then again, most of the hsr fandom probs comes from genshin, with the lack of critical thinking that entails - exhibit A, see the most popular ship for dan heng in ao3...

Also with jingliu I was like "...weren't you dead...?" Bc I, like a fool, watched the animations before playing the game, so I thought the Imbibitor Lunae transformation would be a lot cooler than it was and that Jing Yuan actually put down his mara-struck master. Knowing she's a playable character completely ruined the dramatic tension in the "A Flash" animation for me lol

I liked Jing Yuan's design but his role as 'moral upstanding always right hero guy' really started to grate on me. It was in pretty sharp contrast to Herta and Bronya as the previous 'leaders' of their worlds. Disappointing downgrade.

I mean, Blade did still stab him. That's still a thing that happened. The issue is more that him doing that ... wasn't really about Blade and Dan Heng. It was about Imbibitor Lunae.

And when you've got-

"that man [Blade] only has a killing intent toward him [Dan Heng] — even the spaceships he had traveled on were all annihilated."

-plus. You know. Blade's lore...

Based on Blade's handling in everything I've seen so far (bear in mind that I don't go to HSR's YouTube page or watch any shorts or trailers so whatever information is conveyed there is a mystery to me), I never would have guessed anything even remotely close to that level of intensity was going on with them.

Which is really like... the issue...

I don't think, necessarily, that the first fight with Blade being against Yanqing is the problem in isolation. It's that it muddies what Blade and Dan Heng's actual dynamic is. If Blade's introduction had been him, I don't know, attacking the Express to get to Dan Heng and the reason they stopped in Xianzhou was for repairs (absolute bare minimum of establishing conflict), they would've set up what's up with them and the team-up would've been less damning later on.

Just less. Still not great as Blade's first playable fight. But. Less. I assume they wanted a playable NPC Blade for that patch since he just dropped and because they also wanted DH:IL ... eh...

But because Blade is almost completely out of focus in XL, when he shows up his conflict with Dan Heng loses impact due to the team-up and his role in it is just to reveal Imbibitor Lunae and then he leaves... and the lore is 1) buried in Character Stories and 2) infodumped after the fact...

The man is utterly lost in the weeds. He's a hologram. He's off-screen. He's standing to the side while Dan Heng does cool things. He's locked in a room while Kafka and Trailblazer chat about their shared past. He's absent while Jingliu explains his history with Dan Feng to Dan Heng. He's nothing. He does nothing.

I don't even buy he's that crazy. Him or Jingliu. They can have the scary eyes in their Ultimates all they want, I don't believe it, they're both way too rational for that.

In my opinion, Blade doesn't bring anything to the table right now (like, at all, the Quintet's lore wasn't really structured in a way that makes the best use of him or his hatred for DH or... the themes of Abundance vs the Hunt... grrr).

Blade's entire situation here is. It's just bad writing. I was pulling for him because I knew he was connected to Dan Heng and he's a stupid useful support character, almost got to hard pity, and then stopped pulling because the man bored me to tears!

Then again, most of the hsr fandom probs comes from genshin, with the lack of critical thinking that entails - exhibit A, see the most popular ship for dan heng in ao3…

I'm a little surprised that you're surprised by that, given those two being popular makes sense if you're accustomed to fandom. It seems like their lore would've resulted in a lot of speculation and (depending on what's in all the lore books I haven't read or animations I haven't watched) theorycrafting, plus Dan Heng being a playable MC with a rival team counterpart (guaranteed future interactions in a main story capacity) with whom he has a dynamic, drama, a mysterious shared past...

No real shock fandom latched on. Them even being the most popular makes sense, since it's not like there's a whole lot else on that level in HSR at the moment. At least not that I've seen, and especially not with the main team (setting aside whatever's up with Welt and Luocha). Fandom loves filling in the gaps and 'fixing' things too. So. There's that.

...God, you really would've expected their dynamic to matter?? Christ a moment of silence to anyone that got invested in that what a shit payoff, I've been here for a week and I'm mad? You could completely remove Blade from this chapter and the only change you'd need is a different reason for Dan Heng to leave the Express to go to Xianzhou. My guy deserved better than this??? How come Trailblazer and Kafka get so much time and attention but Dan Heng gets shit all with his counterpart in his own chapters??? Atrocious, absolutely atrocious.

I have no idea what to think about Jingliu. The High Cloud Quintet's handling is weird. I suppose it's still better than Genshin's Adepti-obsession given 4+1/5 are playable but. Why she was brought back here, and for this, is beyond me.

[butchcraftwrites]

For the ask game, Rhea and Manuela, please?

Look, I'm just going to tell you straight up. This has been about Rhea. This has always been about Rhea. From the beginning of this seemingly endless FE3H rabbit hole that I have for some god forsaken reason thrown myself down, it has been about Rhea. Rhea, my beloved. Rhea, you parallel of a demigod or angel. You eternal victim of a hate crime. Baby. Baby cakes. Honey.

*Blows a kiss up to the sky* For the Immaculate One.

First impression: I honestly didn't piece together that Rhea was Seiros until the end of my first run (Silver Snow), so I didn't realize it was her in the opening cut scene. What I DID realize however, when she noticed Byleth walk into Garreg Mach for the first time from her Star Terrace, was her VOICE. Cherami Leigh's voice echoed from my speakers and immediately my ears perked. From like the first conversation she had with Byleth, I pretty much fell in love.

A friend of mine who was also in the middle of completing the game asked me which character so far was my favorite and when I told them, they were like "Oh." (as in "oh, of course") and then told me that I could only S-Support her if I played Edelgard's route. I had already picked Claude by this point and I really am not the type to restart a game once I've already put a few hours into it.

Anyway I restarted the game immediately and my head has been filled with pretty much nothing but Rhea ever since.

Impression now: *GESTURES TO MY BLOG. GESTURES TO MY MERCH COLLECTION. PUSHES YOUR FACE INTO MY DOC OF FIC IDEAS. SHOWS YOU ALL OF THE SAVED PHOTOS ON MY PHONE* *Breathes* Okay. So. I love her. So much more than I could have ever imagined. Dear Lord. I love her for being so resilient. I love her for loving the very species of people that massacred her family. I love her for her stumbles and oopsies in governing (which, to be fair, all in all she's done a pretty great job). I love her for being born with a purpose, having that stripped away from her at a fairly young age, and still day after day striving her hardest to choose kindness. I love how much energy she dedicates towards nurturing other people even though she knows they are going to die long before she does. I love how she is a Scary Big Dragon but treats children delicately and with tenderness (Cyril, the students who have anxiety, the mentions of how much she loves visiting the orphanage and playing with children). She just. She has so many reasons to be cruel and tyrannical and she just isn't. I know a big part of this is her trying to prepare the world for her mother's return (which no doubt is a delusion she's committed to false-memory) but that's honestly also another reason why I love her character. She is flawed. Very flawed. And yet after 1K years of life, we get to see her slowly decide to develop and change. And I love watching how immortals decide to finally do things. Anyway tl;dr She ticks like all of my boxes and I would die for her in a heartbeat. Also. EARS.

Favorite moment: HOW DO I PICK THERE ARE LIKE 5 CUT SCENES AND THEY ARE ALL GREAT. Maybe when the Empire invaded Garreg Mach and she morbed off of a cliffside (fun fact, I went into this game completely oblivious to the series and when I saw that she was a dragon I SCREAMED ENDLESSLY. In fact, I am still screaming, and writing is the only way to bring the eardrums of those around me peace). Or perhaps it was when Byleth woke up with her fucking head in Rhea's lap like it was a fucking pillow, another moment that made me scream and sob the first time it happened. Or perhaps it was in Hopes when Edelgard asked Rhea for the assistance of the Knights of Seiros and Rhea very quickly decided that she would lend a hand but immediately established her boundaries in doing so. It was such a small moment, and yet...

Idea for a story: :) Oh, wouldn't you like to know... I DO have a one shot Rhealeth fic in mind that's another Crimson Flower AU that plays lightly on the French texts of Guinevere and Lancelot. It will give me the opportunity to play more heavily with purple prose.

Unpopular opinion: I love Rhea as much as the next person in this small section of the fandom, but I think the crown she created is absolutely ridiculous and probably a constant strain on her neck and or shoulders. Don't get me wrong, I love her for it, but it just gives me another excuse to make fun of her(affectionate) and for me, it's True Love when I pick fun at a character relentlessly.

Favorite relationship: I'm pretty sure at this point, shipping her with Byleth has overridden everything else in my life.

Favorite headcanon: I like to think that the children Sothis created herself (those not born of Nabateans already created) were made fully grown. I imagine Rhea was born exactly as she is now, and she already knew how to fight, dance etc. I think she had a nice few years surrounded by family and loved ones, but that didn't last for much more than a decade or two before her mother was slaughtered. Strange that this is one of my favorite head canons, but hey, my favorite classical works are all tragedies, so.

AND NOW FOR MANUELA. My beautiful, glorious disaster. I love you. So much. You deserve everything. Everything. I raise my glass to you, sweetheart.

First impression: I was firstly annoyed with her. I generally dislike depictions of feminine flirtatious women in media (bit of aftershock from being tomboyish and coming out as young as I did), so I thought "Oh, it's that trope" and thought nothing of her. Clearly, I was wrong.

Impression now: Manuela is so nuanced. A lot of her motivation comes from needing to be loved, sure, but she gives as much love as she desires to receive. Like, dude, at some point between being a diva at a renown opera company(full time job) and coming to work at Garreg Mach, she became a physician. And a Professor. Like, HOW. I calculated this once, but at the start of 3 Houses she's only around 35??? At some point she must have started cramming her studies as hard as she could, and each field of study she chose benefited others. I also love that her ending cards sometimes mention that she dedicated the rest of her life to educating students from less fortunate families. Girl just wants life to feel good, and I love her for it so much. I think I've said this about every character I've been asked about so far, but she's one of my favorites.

Favorite moment: When she rants about wanting to stab the Death Knight herself. Or when the Death Knight isn't on the battlefield and she's like "Great, even the Death Knight is running away from me..."

Idea for a story: Manuela finds a spellbook on the ground that someone dropped. It's unlike anything she's ever seen, and that WILL show Hanneman, damnitt! She starts casting spells from this book that go HORRIBLY wrong, but she's oblivious and thinks she's doing great. Also she hasn't pieced together that the book she found is from Abyss.

Unpopular opinion: Is it popular to have an unpopular opinion about Manuela? Everyone has so many... Unpopular opinion: there's no way that Manuela is straight. Nope, nope that's also a popular opinion. I give up. I'm just sheeple.

Favorite relationship: With Ferdinand... I know, I know. I just think they are Rally Cute, and I love how he becomes a stay at home dad while she becomes Prime Minister.

Favorite headcanon: I am not the creator of this headcanon at all, but I love the headcanon that she stabbed the knife into the anatomical dummy to help her through the stress of getting attacked.