"As if by magic, the young Japanese girl's anxiety had disappeared. It was as if all of the stress she'd ever felt had been massaged right out of her system, replaced with a serene sort of wonder. Was this how it felt, she wondered, to be at peace with oneself? For the first time in years, it was quiet; peaceful. There was no crazy fighting going on in the background, nor was there any immediate threat to her. She didn't need to keep on her toes, and thus, she could focus on something better: nothing. Yes, while it wouldn't last forever, these few seconds at the keyboard truly felt like centuries of tranquility-"
Amy: "Yanks Miu away from the keyboard* What the hell was that shit, dude!?
Azazel: *Looking around at the ceiling* I wasn't the only one that heard that weird narrator talking, right? Or am I just going crazy?
Miu: I knew it w-would be too good to be true...
Erin: So, it doesn't only work for the power-hungry water wanker. That's soothing.
Amy: Do yourself a favor and never say "wanker" again, yes?
Erin: Oh, my bad your highness! If it bothers you so much, maybe you'd like to go ahead and write me some different dialog?
Amy: *Picks Miu up and puts her on the side* You trying to pick a fight, Dusty?
Erin: How about you step away from the keyboard so we can settle this with a fair fight?
Amy: While I love a fair fight, I gotta be straight with you on this. It's more fun to fuck around with you. *Cracks fingers and walks over to the keyboard*
Erin: No you FUCKING DON'T! *lunges for the keyboard*
Lilith: *Almost finished reading Octavia E. Butler's "Imago" in the corner, eyes flicking over each word as she enjoyed her personal silence*
Amy: Holy fuck, what the hell!? *makes a wild grab for the keyboard, ripping it out of Erin's range*
Erin: I'm not going to just stand back and watch you try to rewrite us! You have the vocabulary of a teamkilling fucktard! *jumps the table and kicks both legs out, right into Amy's chest*
Amy: Your references are trash, just like your story! *tosses the keyboard up before grabbing Erin's ankles, swinging her into the wall*
Erin: *Gets thrown right through the wall, dust rising as she claws her way out* That's some low level shit and you know it, "Amber"! *grabs Amy by the collar before igniting her fist*
Amy: Oh, is that how you wanna play, "Ana"? *Throws her hand out, water collecting at her fingertips*
Azazel: *Slowly moves to grab the keyboard while the two fight* Hey, Miu, wanna help me figure this out? *Ducks as Amy going flying overhead, jumping when water splashes down on her* Hey, watch it!
Amy: That's some low shit, Dust bunny! *Roars and charges Erin*
Miu: It's j-just a keyboard, it works the s-same way you think it w-would. *Yelps and ducks, a stray fireball flying over head*
Azazel: Okay, but if that's the case... *Finger hovers over the "Delete" button*
Miu: I don't think t-t-that's a g-good idea-
Amy: *Throws Erin right into Azazel, watching as Erin attempts to get back up, only to crumple in defeat* Don't you EVER try that shit with me again, Ashford! Water beats fire, always!
Miu: (0_0) Umm...
Erin: Fucking oww, what did I land on!?
Miu:... Oh no...
Azazel: ...Oww...
Miu: Li...Lil...
Erin: Anyone ever told you that you make for a horrible crash pad, Azzy?
Miu: *eyes trained on a corner, eyebrow twitching ever so slightly* H-hey, guys? A-are you guys f-finished working out your aggression y-yet?
Amy: *Rolling her neck* As long as Erin stays down, I say I'm good.
Erin: Fuck you.
Amy: Swear all you want, I don't see you getting up anytime soon.
Miu: Azazel, did Erin fall on your h-hand?
Azazel: Yeah, why?
Miu: A-a-and was your finger s-still over the "Delete" b-button?
Azazel: Yea- oh shit.
Amy: What do you mean, oh shit?
Erin: Hey, wait, where did Lilith go?
Azazel:...
Miu:...
Amy:...
Erin:...Fuck.
Hope woke up on Jade's bed that morning with a headache and a missing shoe.
She groaned, pulling herself up as her mind attempted to remember what had happened the night prior. Granted, the headache wasn't making anything easier, but she felt like she could piece together most of it.
She remembered the forest, an empty bottle of Rifter booze, and Jade. She pulled herself to sit up on the bed, one hand on her head while the other helped to hold herself still. She ran through her memories, as if to make sure that everything was in place and that her brain wasn't messing with her.
No, she was positive that, at the very least, last night had been a success.
So, when the shapeshifter walked in through the door, the scowl on her face couldn't help but throw Hope off.
Granted, she only had seconds to process that before Jade stalked over, adjusting the collar of her shirt as she did so, "You leaving any time soon?"
"Umm… No?" Hope muttered, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Had Jade's voice always sounded that desolate?
She could do little to nothing as Jade's scowled deepened, the faintest hint of red on her cheeks before she ripped the blankets off of the bed, "Well, if that's the case, you're not going to be freeloading off of me anymore."
Hope felt like her mind was lagging behind. She could hear Jade's words, she could read her body language, hell, she could practically smell the disgust rolling off of her shoulders in waves. But, for some reason, Jade's obvious anger and irritation didn't register until Jade finally grabbed Hope by the sleeves of her shirt, pulling her off of the bed, "Jade, what the hell!?"
Jade glared at Hope as if she had raised her hand to slap her, towering over Hope's confused form on the floor before pointing to the door, "I can't make you leave, I understand that. But, I did go out of my way to make sure that you'd have a place to stay in the Foraii's."
She felt like she blinked and, just like that, she was standing outside of the Main Hall. She could only assume how weird it looked to Foraii when he opened the door, silently sizing her up before stepping to the side, letting Hope in, "We cleared out the room down the right hallway, fourth door on the left."
Hope couldn't help but stare as Foraii walked on, his stance looking as casual as possible, "Are you not going to tell me what's going on here?"
Foraii turned around, as if only then noticing that she hadn't followed him inside, "Sorry?"
"I woke up to Jade kicking me out of her bed." Hope all but deadpanned, realizing the fault in her words only seconds after Foraii's face turned red, "N-not like that!"
"Oh? Then by all means, do explain." Foraii said, the grin on his face growing with Hope's flustered state, before shaking his head, "Look, I'm sure you have questions, and if I know anything from experience, you don't want to have this talk out here. So, let's get you settled down inside and go from there, yes?"
Hope took a glance over her shoulder, only then noticing the others beginning to swarm about, "Okay."
To that, Hope walked in, Foraii closing the door for her before moving to lead her down the halls, "No one really comes down here, so you'll have the entire hallway to yourself. I'm sure it'll be a great new change to your current living state."
"Not really." Hope muttered, more to herself than Foraii.
If he had heard her, he made no move to prove it. Instead, he stopped in front of a door, opening it for Hope, "I'll be honest with you, it's more of a walk in closet than a room, but it's something to call your own."
Hope eyed the bland grey walls, the crack in the single, dusty window, "It looks just like my place in the castle." She murmured, an awkward chuckle forcing its way out of her mouth, "My own personal hell."
Foraii's expression dropped, horror spreading across his face as he nervously began to tug at the bottom of his shirt, "Oh god, I didn't think that- Oh man, I'm so sorry, I can get another room if you'd-"
"No, don't worry, I was just trying to lighten the mood." Hope said, shame flush on her face. She had no idea how Kuro had managed to do it so easily, but lightening a mood was much harder than she made it look.
"Ah, yes, umm… Funny." Foraii said, the two standing in an awkward silence, before he finally cleared his throat, "So, is there anything I can do? Do you have any things at Lez's you need moved? I can go and get them if you want."
"I didn't bring much with me." Hope murmured, "But you can tell me what's going on now."
She'd yet to see Foraii look this uncomfortable, the way he scratched at the back of his neck, refusing to make eye contact, "I see, umm… Well… How's your day been?"
Hope couldn't help but laugh. Hell, she could have snorted and still be okay with it, anything was preferable to the suffocating air settling over them, "Not too good at small talk, are you?"
Foraii's expression was answer enough, "Normally, I like to get straight down to the point, but I'm not too good at approaching… Lezabel-related topics."
"I really can't fault you for that." Hope said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. Jade was never an easy topic of discussion, even with Corvus, but it wasn't like she could dance around it right now, "Just… Do you know anything?"
"Specific? No." Foraii muttered, "She just stormed into my office about a half hour ago, demanding that I give you one of the rooms here."
"Did she say anything else? Was there anything off about her?" Hope didn't want to sound invasive, but she felt the need to know. She was sure that they had a connection of some sort last night, so for Jade to do a complete 180 didn't feel right. She was missing something here, something obvious, and she knew it.
Foraii looked like he was about to shake his head, only to snap his fingers, "Now that I think about it, her face was very red. Like, 'the kind of red that stretches to her ears' very red."
"I wasn't aware that was possible." Hope couldn't help but say, nearly snorting at the mental image her mind supplied her.
"It used to happen a lot when we first started setting up. Lez was a lot younger back then, it was the most adorable thing." Foraii's words trailed off ever so slightly, as if caught in a haze before returning back, "But yeah, that's the only thing that really stuck out. Normally, when her face gets like that, it means that someone caught her doing or saying something. Since she's a bit of a shameless person now, it doesn't happen nearly as much as it used to."
Hope hummed, her mind attempting to put these pieces together to form some sort of coherent picture. They had both been a bit tipsy last night, maybe she'd realized she'd said something when she woke up?
Hope wracked her mind, trying to remember what they went over, only to draw a blank, "I'll have to talk to her later."
"Word of advice? Give her time to cool down. She's kinda notorious for having massive meltdowns, that's normally why she goes off on her own when she's angry."
"Really?" Hope said, thinking back to every time she'd instinctively ran after Jade when she was having a moment. With her kind of anger, she'd assumed that being left alone did more harm than good, "You sure that works?"
"Hey, I'm just giving advice. I can't control if you listen to it or not, but you also can't say 'you didn't warn me' later on." With that, someone down the hall shouted Foraii's name, said demon leaning back out the door, "Shit, okay, you make yourself comfortable, I need to go to a meeting."
"A meeting? For what?"
"With growing threats, many like myself think it necessary to put some sort of evacuation plan into place." Hope thought she was seeing things, but she noticed how there was a hint of something in Foraii's eyes: fear. "Now that I'm thinking about it, we should have had one a long time ago. I guess we just thought we'd be lucky enough to remain hidden forever."
"Nevertheless, it's good that you're acting on this." Hope insisted, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Foraii's back, only to think twice and pull her hand back. Yeah, now that she was thinking about it, that would have been weird.
Foraii seemed thankful regardless, giving her a small nod before the same voice shouted Foraii's name again, sounding just a little more impatient than before.
"I'll be right there!" Foraii shouted back, shaking his head as his hands moved to adjust the collar of his shirt, "Well, it would seem as if they aren't too keen on waiting any longer for me. If you need anything, you know where my office is."
With that, Foraii walked out of the room, jogging down the hall as he fixed the cuffs of his sleeves. Before he could vanish completely, Hope worked up enough courage to poke her head out of the doorframe.
"H-hey!"
Foraii whipped around, giving Hope an odd look, "Yeah?"
She didn't know why the words felt stuck in her throat, but she pushed them through anyway, "If I can do anything to help, just tell me!"
Foraii's eyebrows narrowed in confusion, before shooting her a grin, "I'll be sure to remember that. Now, go make yourself at home, I'll be back to check in on you after the meeting." With one last wave goodbye, Foraii disappeared around the corner.
Hope closed the door to her room, looking over the barren area with just a hint of disgust. It wasn't like it was overly dirty, nor was it a small room. If anything, the absence of anything inside made the room feel sizable.
Sighing, she sat against the far wall, eyes following the dust particles down as she let her mind wander.
What had urged her to do that? To stand up and offer to help? She didn't know these demons, and if most of them were from the Rift like they claimed, they honestly didn't need her help.
She should have left. She had been given the chance to leave, and yet, she decided to stay and help. She should have left to find Corvus and Violet. She should have just let all of Swinford go, remain a lost location on the map, and moved on with her life. She honestly doubted that Jade would come back for them, seeing how she seemed more than happy to kick Hope out of her life permanently.
She felt like she should have left.
And it wasn't too late to do so.
With that thought, she stood back up, turning to face the door. She could leave right now, a part of her mind whispered to her.
Foraii and Jade be damned, she had higher priorities. The only reason she had agreed to this whole adventure was to help Violet, and even then she hadn't known that this is what awaited her. She should be the one protecting Violet from Corvus, now trying to help fix this town that she had no affiliation to.
It only made sense to leave. She owed these people nothing, really. It wasn't like all of their lives would come to a halt if she decided to go. Jade would probably be happy, and Foraii would probably be too busy to notice. She could barely remember the names of Jade's friends, it was only fair to assume the same on their ends.
Kuro, on the other hand, she owed everything. From the moments of peace to her new life, if Kuro hadn't given it to her, god knew where she'd be now.
It made logical sense to leave and return to Violet, she assured herself, hand clasping around the doorknob.
So, if that was the case, why did it feel wrong?
She couldn't bring herself to open the door, and that's when it hit her.
Her eyes went wide as her mind whispered the poisoned thought, as if opening the door to a horrid but truthful idea. She jerked her hand away from the doorknob as if it had burned her, mind at war as it attempted to fight against such a thought.
It felt wrong to return to a person who wasn't there anymore.
She shook her head, as if attempting to force the thought out of her mind. That wasn't true, how could she think such a thing!?
But it was true, her head whispered back, no matter if you like it or not, that doesn't change the truth behind it.
She didn't realize she had fallen back until her arms moved to pull her knees up, wrapping around them before her neck bent forward, allowing her forehead to rest against her knees. She didn't realize she was crying until she felt drips against her bare knees, nor did she notice the shaking until a loud sniffle escaped her mouth.
Unable to do anything else, she sat there in silence, curled up at her mind tore itself apart with her painful truth.
"I'm nothing if not a courteous man," Claude said, his pompous tone matching the expression on his face. BLythe hated how his voice just loud enough for the echo of the room to carry his words, "At least, I attempt to hold myself as one. Thus, if you decide to back out, I will not hold it against you."
From the other side of the room, Blythe forced out a laugh, her expression anything but humored, "Sounds to me like you're trying to back out yourself, Faustus."
"Perish the thought."
"Oh, I'll perish something alright." Blythe rolled her neck, jumping from foot to foot as she stretched out her arms.
"Wow, what an excellent comeback, Denholm." Blythe's expression tightened at the deadpan voice, knowing that Cynthia's expression would be anything but bored at the moment, "You really are a master of words."
"I thought you were here to ref, Saclut. Not commentate." Blythe snapped, eyeing the older woman. Cynthia had decided to bring a metal chair from the meeting room, sitting on it as she swung her weapon around, more than once getting the scythe end stuck in the concrete wall behind her.
How she did it, Blythe had no clue.
"Are you sure that you won't be using any weapons, Claude?" Cynthia asked, "Last I checked, you have a pretty impressive sword being held in the vault. Would it not make sense to practice with it?"
"That sword is reserved for one person and one person only. Unfortunately, Blythe is not that person. Were I to use it, the fight wouldn't be fair." The arrogance in his voice was palpable, practically begging for Blythe's wrath.
Of course, having played his cards well, that's exactly what he got from the Denholm hunter. Blythe was sure that, had it been possible, her hair would have caught fire and smoke would have started pouring from her ears.
"You're gonna wish that you gave yourself every advantage possible, Faustus." She growled, her hand reaching for the sword at her hip, the wood of the handle creaking as if, at any moment, it would snap in her grip. She walked forward to the line on her side, standing behind it, "Ready when you are."
Claude shrugged, opting to yawn rather than ready himself, "Remember, I gave you a chance to back out." He said, casually walking over to his own line, shooting Blythe just the hint of a smirk as he adjusted his glasses.
"Both at the ready." Cynthia said, moving to stand from her chair before pointing her scythe end to the air, meeting both of their eyes with her own excited ones before throwing her hand down as if holding a flag, "Begin!"
Blythe didn't give Claude time to think, quickly rushing in from his right. She faked a wide arc to his abdomen, her hands slipping just a little to let the hilt shift in her hand. Holding the sword like a dagger, she dropped to one knee, thrusting the blade forward.
Blythe was sure that she took no longer than five seconds at most, with each movement perfectly placed and time. And yet, even then, Claude was able to reach down with one hand, catching the blade between two fingers, "Excellent form."
Blythe sneered, ripping the blade away before throwing her body to the side, narrowly avoiding Claude's half-assed kick. No, it was more like a nudge forward with his the tip of his shoe, "Outstanding reaction time."
"My god, you do realize what a fight is, do you not?" Blythe hissed, watching as Claude, more preoccupied with the dirt under his nails, began picking at his fingers.
"I do apologize, I find it hard to fight with such a large distraction." Blythe's anger only went higher at Cynthia's snort.
Growling, Blythe whipped the hilt to the side, pointing at Claude with the point of the sword, "Would it kill you to take this seriously, Faustus?"
"What makes you think I'm not, Denholm?"
The inhuman sound that escaped Blythe was Claude's only warning before she rushed forth once more, furiously swinging her sword about. Claude duck and dodged under each one, watching as Blythe became increasingly irate.
"Are we sure that I'm the one not taking this seriously?" Claude said, his smug grin opposing Blythe's bared teeth, "Last I checked, you said you were a demon hunter."
"Most demons fight rather than dance around!" Blythe spat, taking a step back before thrusting the blade forward, cursing when Claude took a step back. She whipped her left arm around as if to punch him, only to grab toss the sword to her left, attempting to fake him out and get a stab in.
Not that she could land a hit on him when he was dancing around like that.
"With all due respect, dancing and fighting are one in the same. For example," Claude waited for her to swing once more, grabbing her wrist as the blade passed by him, squeezing it with just enough force to make her let go of the hilt. Holding her left hand with his, he spun Blythe around, the other hand landing on her waist, "It makes for quite the masterful defense."
Blythe did all she could to ignore how red her face felt, the matter only made worse when Cynthia wolf whistled, "Could you NOT?"
She tugged at her hand, only to have Claude's grasp grow tighter. Huffing, she took a moment to put a plan into place, more than done with this demon's bullshit. She was supposed to be helping to eradicate them, and if he wasn't going to take it seriously, then she would just push herself harder.
Raising her left foot, she stomped down on Claude's shoe with as much force as possible. She took that moment to rip her wrist out of his grasp, throwing her left elbow into Claude's side before completing the spin, kicking him square in the back.
She couldn't help the giant grin on her face as Claude fell forward, just barely catching himself on his hands and knees, "Maybe next time you'll take this more seriously, Faustus." Blythe sneered, unsheathing a knife from her boot before pressing the tip against the small of his back, "Ha, from here, it almost looks like you're going to cry. Does someone need his mommy?"
Claude muttered something under his breath, something she could only assume was some sort of smart comment, "Sorry, what was that, demon boy?" Blythe's voice was nothing if not sickeningly sweet, not bothering to wait for an answer as she brought the blade straight down.
"I said, do NOT speak down to me."
It happened quicker than she could comprehend. One second, she's able to bring the blade down into his shoulder blade, and the next, she's stuck in the opposing wall. The pain registered late and sluggish, as if her body wasn't able to completely understand what just happened.
Cynthia was shouting something, and it was then that she realized that her ears were ringing. She blinked, vainfully attempting to get rid of her blurred vision.
She felt someone grab her wrist, "You wish to see me serious, you IGNORANT child?" She could barely put his words together, so lost in her foggy mind that she was sure she was moments away from passing out, As. You. Wish."
Claude dropped her to the floor, the cognitive part of her mind waiting for the impact that never came. She heard shouting as she fought to pick herself up, arms shaking as she hoisted her torso off of the ground.
She finally managed to blink away the blurriness, just in time to throw her body to the side, narrowingly avoiding the demon that flew past. Her brain couldn't process what she'd just seen, and even if she did, her ears were ringing too loud for an answer to be provided.
She felt someone pick her up by her arm, throwing it over their shoulder before moving Blythe away from the middle of the room. Lolling her head to the side, she could see Cynthia's fuschia hair bouncing about on her shoulders as she walked over to the chair, all but dumping Blythe on it.
She said something that, judging by the grim look on her face, was probably some cheerful comment about how she would be fine. With that, Cynthia adjusted her so that she could see the whole room, posing as if she was about to give a show just as Claude pulled himself from the wall.
Blythe couldn't tell for sure, but she was pretty sure that Claude was yelling. Cynthia said something back, hands raised in a sort of surrender, only to have Claude push forward. If she squinted, she see the murder in his eyes, especailly as he began to stalk over to her.
Cynthia put a hand on his chest, somehow bringing him to a complete halt. She must have said something funny with the way that Claude laughed, flicking her hand off of him before walking on.
Not that Cynthia let him get too far.
Blythe blinked as one of her hands came up to cup over her mouth, tossing something in before it shot straight down, grabbing Claude's wrist. She seemed to repeat what she said once more, giving Claude a few seconds to react before bringing his arm to bend behind him, kicking the back of his knee as she forced him into an arm lock.
Claude scowled at this, attempting to reach over and grab her with his other hand, only to have Cynthia pull his arm straight back. At the same time, she brought her heel down on his back, as if trying to pull his shoulder from its socket.
It seemed to do little more than irritate him though, Claude pulling himself up to glare down the shorter woman. It didn't do much to kill Cynthia's wide grin, nor did it do much to stop her from bringing her arm down in a sort of hammer chop.
She squeaked as Claude grabbed her descending arm, tugging down and out to flip her much smaller body over his and straight down into the ground.
Blythe couldn't help but compare Cynthia to a rubber band, watching as her right leg shifted up, knee bent before shooting her heel up from under Claude's chin. Claude stumbled back, Cynthia taking her time to push herself back up on her feet.
Blythe squinted, barely able to make out Cynthia's insane grin as she rushed Claude, kicking at his shins and ankles before throwing her whole body into a roundhouse kick.
Before Cynthia could react, Claude grabbed the offending leg, throwing Cynthia's body away. She straightened her body out, catching herself in the plank position. Pushing herself up, she had no time to react before Claude's right fist reeled back, his weight shifting to move with gravity as the punch connected with the side of Cynthia's head.
...Not that it did much.
From where Blythe sat with wide eyes, she could see Cynthia's grin widen. No, it honestly looked more like she was baring her teeth at this point. She looked overjoyed, as if he had just given her a birthday present rather than a skull-shattering blow, "Oh, that was cute."
It was then Blythe realized the ringing in her ears was gone, just in time for Cynthia to bop back, assuming a boxing stance for a few seconds before throwing the exact same swing at Claude's cheek.
Who all but crumpled the moment her fist made contact. Blythe had to blink at that, her mind insistent that Claude's body had bounced off of the floor at least twice.
Cynthia laughed, the very sound something that would haunt Blythe for the rest of her life, as she turned around, her cheshire-grin anything but friendly, "Now that's how you hunt a demon! Now, come on, we need to get you to the infirmary! The Operation is going to be very soon, and I can't end up going alone because both of you have head trauma!"
"About time you arrived, Arita!"
Violet watched as the room came into view, the corner of her vision just a little fuzzy. She walked inside, noting the three others already inside.
She recognized their faces before they introduced themselves, some part of mind supplying them from previous flashbacks.
If Arita knew them from previous encounters or not, she didn't voice it. Nor did she think it. Violet could only assume this was a first meeting, judging by Ezequiel's awkward laugh-turned-cough and eye contact.
"...So, what are you in for?" Ezequiel asked, having taken the chair on her left.
The angel in front of her, Seidax, made a sound before a grunt and a scoff, "You act as if being assigned to each other is a punishment."
"Is it not?" The angel on her right, Revana, deadpanned, "Because, if not, I don't see another reason Famulus Coren and Kandiss would assign me to two children and a General."
Only good things can come from a group already at odds with each other.
"So, do you guys want to do the whole introduction thing, or…?" Ezequiel looked like he was going to go on, only to go silent under Revana's gaze.
"Did you not read the reports we received on each other?" Seidax took out a folder from what Violet could only assume was his armor's side pocket. Now that she noticed it, he seemed to be the only angel dressed in full armor, the white accented by gold feeling almost blinding.
"We got reports about each other?"
"How utterly hopeless." Revana said, tone bordering sarcastic with how dry it was, before turning to her, "But you, on the other hand, are a bit of a legend, are you not?"
"I'm sorry?" Violet heard Arita question, as if she'd been spacing out up until now.
"There's no need to act as if you're on the same level as us, Lux angel." Violet couldn't help but feel as if this angel wanted something from her, something she had no clue about. Not that that stopped her from rising from her chair, stalking over to where Violet sat, "The great Arita Lux, receiver of the first Laurel Crest in the last millenium, and a freshmen at that. You must be placed on quite the pedestal."
"What are you trying to get at?"
"I'm just saying that, speaking as an angel of truth, your story is more than a little questionable." Revana paced about the room, her grey eyes unreadable, "You Lux angels are known for exaggerating, are you not?"
"I do not think that I'm at liberty to answer that question." Violet's perspective shifted as she too rose from her chair, moving to stand right in front of the other angel, nearly nose-to-nose with the scary winged lady, "So, if you wouldn't mind, maybe you'd like to stop beating around the bush and say what you so obviously want to say."
Violet didn't like how, now that she was this close, expressionless Revana looked. From other flashbacks and memories, she had no objection that she was the serious one. She was the one who wanted to get right down to it, and wanted the black-and-white of the situation.
Standing face-to-face with her just made her look like she was willing to kill people for the information she wanted.
She's trying to act in control. How cute.
...Umm, no, actually, it really wasn't.
"Your file says that you received the Laurel Crest for preventing the jailbreak," Revana said quietly, not daring to back down now, "It states that you, a freshmen, single-handedly managed to contain a coordinated jailbreak of some of the most ruthless, heartless creatures of Tenere's keep."
If she plans to threaten me with my successes, she isn't nearly as terrifying as she attempts to be.
"I did tell you to get to the point, did I not?" Violet could just barely see that, from the edge of her fuzzy vision, both Ezequiel and Seidax just kinda watched on from where they sat, as if they too wanted to get to the bottom of whatever Revana was implying.
"I'm saying you're lying."
The low chuckle that echoed from Violet sounded haunting. Revana's composure broke, if only for a second, at the laughter, "Pray tell, what's so funny?"
"That's adorable."
"...Pardon?" Revana said,
"I said that's adorable." She watched as, finally, Seidax cleared his throat from behind them both.
"Hello, my name is Seidax. It's great to properly meet you three. I do hope that we become closer."
Revana turned to stare at Seidax, expression all but dropping, "...I'm sorry?"
"It would appear as if, despite the files having been provided, we have much to learn about each other." Seidax didn't back down from Revana's gaze, rather, he rose from his chair.
The room fell silent as the armored angel moved to stand before Revana. Finally, he placed a hand on Revana's shoulder, "What is your name?"
Revana's expression went from surprise, to anger, and back to stone-cold serious. She held Seidax's gaze for just a bit longer, before shrugging his hand off, "Revana." With that, she walked over to the door, opening it before stepping out, closing the door behind her softly.
Ezequiel looked like he was going to say something, only to have Seidax place a hand on his shoulder, "...I can tell that we're all going to end up the best of friends."
"You couldn't have put that any better." Arita murmured, her sentence growing softer the longer it went on as Violet's eyes slowly blinked opened.
Violet, for once, didn't wake up suddenly and with a jump. Her eyes didn't snap open, nor did her heart attempt to race out of her chest. She just woke up.
Which, in turn, felt so much weirder than it should have.
"Glad to see you awake, my lady."
Violet turned to Corvus' voice, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she did so, "Is… Is something cooking?"
"I couldn't allow you to wake up and remain hungry," Violet couldn't help but smile at that, stretching her arms up and out with a wince, her joints felt stiffer than she would have liked, "And, while the 'kitchen' is severely outdated, an oven is still an oven."
With that, he placed something warm on the blanket over Violet's legs. It didn't matter what it was, nor did she really care that there were no utensils. Her drowsy mind decided that, whatever Corvus had cooked, was now a pizza.
So, with that thought, she dug in.
"I don't know how you do it, Corvus." Violet managed between bites, nearly choking with how fast she was eating. She wasn't sure if it was because she was super hungry, or if Corvus' cooking was just that cook. Her mind decided that figuring it out wasn't important at the moment.
"Honestly, you have the eating habits of a toddler," Corvus tutted, taking a moment to hold cup her chin with his gloved hand, his thumb darting out to wipe away some sauce, "May I recommend you invest in a bib, or something similar?"
"S-shut up." Violet muttered, taking a moment to turn away as she made a show of clearing her throat, doing her damndest to force the red from her face.
Not that Corvus made the situation any better. No, he just had to pull his glove off with his teeth, her only warning being a shift in the weight of the bed as he moved oh so closer. She jumped when the skin of his hand pressed against his forehead, the sudden touch much too intimate for her to contain the squeal that left her mouth.
She was sure that, if she managed to pry her eyes open, she'd be greeted with that shit-eating smile.
Huh, for some reason, those words sound familiar.
Violet all but jumped, much to Corvus' surprise. He'd anticipated the first reaction, but not an encore. He retracted his hand quickly, head tilted to the side ever so slightly, "My lady? Are you alright?"
"H-huh?" Violet said, only then noticing the cold sweat that had settled over her, "Yeah, I just, umm… My mind isn't exactly quiet, even on the best of days." Her following laugh was meant to sound reassuring, not delirious.
That's one way to put it.
If she could, she would have mentally slapped the monotone voice. She didn't know why the voice had scared her, it wasn't like this was anything new. Maybe it was because, in the back of her mind, she was hoping that they'd just never start talking again.
It was only then that she noticed Corvus' lingering stare, her embarrassment and hostility attempting to get rid of the attention, "What the hell did you think you were doing, anyway? I don't know if it's a demon thing or something, but we humans don't usually greet each other by putting hands on foreheads!"
Corvus gave her an odd look, looking like he was going to ask, only to shake his head, "I do apologize for not warning you, my lady. I simply wanted to check your temperature."
Violet was positive that, even if she had tried, she could not have looked anymore sheepish, "...Oh."
You'd think she would have put two and two together.
Like you'd do any better in this situation.
"I knew that. Totally knew that."
God, someone tag her out, she's dying here.
Why can't she just see that keeping her mouth shut would be the best option here.
"Thankfully, it would seem as if your fever has finally gone down," Corvus' voice snapped Violet from her thoughts (Thank god, they sounded like they were going to team up against her or something), "Unless you are still feeling unwell?"
"I feel like I need to get out of his bed and stretch my legs." Violet muttered, sliding her legs out from under the blankets, only to jump as the cold air invaded her skin, "I don't suppose you have an extra pair of long pants on you?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Drat." She said, mimicking his voice as best she could, only to snort half way. She missed the smile on his face in favor of doubling over, her laughter loud despite the hand over her mouth, "Oh god, that wasn't even that funny! Why am I laughing so hard!?"
"Do be careful, my lady. It would be a shame if you were to throw up." Corvus muttered, walking over to pat her on the back, his shoulder bouncing ever so slightly as he attempted to contain his own laughter.
"I'm sure you'd just whip me up a second delicious breakfast." Violet managed, her laughter finally dying down as she wiped the tears from her eyes. In an attempt to take her mind off of her horrible impression, she couldn't help but wonder when he had learned to cook, especially with how everything had been handed to him on a silver platter as a prince.
...Wait, what?
...You weren't supposed to actually tag out with her.
"...My lady?"
"Hmm?" Violet murmured, before shaking her head, "Sorry, I kinda just, you know."
"Spacing out again?" There was a chuckle in his voice, as if he were laughing at an inside joke.
"No need to tease me for it." Violet grumbled, "Anyway, what did you say?"
"I suggested that we leave as soon as you're ready. The rain stopped this morning, and it doesn't look like it'll be starting up again anytime soon."
"Yeah, okay." Violet said, her voice a little softer as a hand came up to hold her forehead, an uneasy silence falling over her quiet mind, "Sounds like a plan."
Amy: OH MY GOD WE DELETED LILITH OH FUCK.
Erin: I honestly don't see why you're panicking so badly.
Amy: I don't see how you're so calm about this right now! We deleted Lilith, you know, the one with a sequel running as we speak!?
Erin: *Shrugs* So what? She's not here anymore, and if I know Lilith, she's probably happy wherever she is.
Amy: How can you not be-
Azazel: *Typing away at the keyboard*
Amy: Az, what are you writing right now?
Azazel: Long story short, I'm trying to make Miu as calm as possible.
Amy: Why?
Azazel: *Stops typing and gives Amy a look, before gesturing to Miu*
Miu: *Instantly falls to the ground, rocking back and forth while holding her knees, eyes shifting from right to left as if the shadows were about to pull her down into them*
Amy:...I get your point.
Azazel: *Nods and resumes typing*
Miu: W-w-what do we do!?
Amy: Umm... I'm gonna be honest, I have no clue.
Miu: Is there anything w-we can do? M-Maybe we could try to use the monitor? Redirect Lilith? S-something?
Amy: *Walks over to the desk with a frown* Hey, Az, come over here please? And bring the keyboard.
Azazel: *Walks over* Yeah?
Amy: Just keep tying here. I'm going to call a friend and see if she can help us out here.
Miu: W-why do you need a f-f-friend? It's just a c-computer.
Amy: Besides the fact that I'm prone to breaking things? I don't want to trip any traps Crim might have set up in here.
Azazel: You think that she boobytrapped her desktop?
Amy: Do you have any idea how paranoid she is?
Azazel:... Good point.
Amy: Glad we all came to an agreement. Now, try to keep Erin in one piece. *Whips out her phone* I need to make a few calls.
