Erin: How long have you been there?

Kuro: Does it really matter?

Erin: Well, I mean, I'm just trying to start conversation here. Can't do much else.

Kuro: So it would seem.

Erin:... Have you always been this cryptic?

Kuro: Only when I'm tired and groggy, kinda not fully mentally here at the moment.

Erin: What's that supposed to mean?

Kuro:...

Erin: Hello?

Kuro: *Out cold*

Erin:...I suddenly see why you don't add much when you're here.

"Well well well, look who's finally decided to join us in the land of the living~!"

Blythe groaned as light filtered into her sight, the normally dull torchlight feeling more invasive than usual.

"Not that it matters too much. I mean, with how badly you fucked the pooch, we're all going to be seeing each other on the other side any moment now!"

Blythe tried to blink the headache from her head, just barely able to take in the cot she was lying on. If she squinted, she could see a chair to her right, with someone standing behind it.

"Don't just stare at me like that, you absolute waste of human skin!"

Even with how mentally mixed up she was, Blythe could read Cynthia's unnervingly cheery tone and sugary-sweet smile: She was pissed to all hell.

Now that she was looking closer, Blythe noticed how Cynthia's fists were clenched at either of her sides, a thin line of red dripping down from where her nails had impaled her palms. "What… Where…"

"Wow, someone's exceptionally eloquent." Cynthia spat, her giant grin opposing the murder in her eyes, "Not that I can really blame you. No, not after that marvelous drug trip of yours."

Blythe rolled her head to the side, desperate to escape Cynthia's gaze. She stared at the medical tray standing to her left, eyes unable to look away from where it's wheels squeaked against the floor.

"Aren't you supposed to be the 'smart' one here?" Blythe was just barely listening to what the other woman was saying, unable to look away from those rust-covered wheels. God, just how old was this thing anyway? It matched the general ambiance and all, but it really-

Blythe jumped as best as she could when something collided with the wall, rolling back over to stare at the heaving Cynthia and the broken pieces of wood against the wall.

Cynthia all but stalked over, eyes boring into Blythe's limp body with what she could only describe as angered pity, "Well, I expected you to be the smart one. I expected you to take one and go from there. But no, if the empty glass container we found is anything to go off of, you decided to go ahead and down whatever was left."

Blythe opened her mouth to speak, to defend herself, only to go silent as Cynthia crawled up over her. Cynthia leaned forward, noses nearly touching with how close she was. For once in her life, Blythe found Cynthia's light blue eyes to be uncharacteristically icy, rather than her usual shade of mock childishness, "What, did you try to overdose or something?"

"With your body mass and whatnot, three would have been more than enough to kill you." Cynthia mused, her nail tracing down Blythe's cheek. All the while, Blythe tried to remain as still as possible, panic flooding her system as her body sluggishly attempted to get away. She felt her mouth open, unsure if the dry wheeze that exited was supposed to be a plea for mercy of a shout for help.

"You have no idea the shitshow you managed to start," Cynthia muttered, seemingly speaking into Blythe's hair at this point, "I have both twins up my ass about the whole Swinford mess… But hey, I guess I have to take some of the blame. After all, I did name it 'Operation Pig Slaughter', not 'Operation Pig Capture-and-return'... No, Operation Pig Slaughter sounds so much better, and it's easier to be angry with you…"

Cynthia giggled into the crown of Blythe's head, finally pulling away to straddle Blythe. The nail drawing circles on her cheek moved down, grabbing her chin while the other pushed down on Blythe's chest, holding her still.

"Yes, it's easier to just take it all out on you-"

"That's enough, Cynthia."

Blythe watched as Cynthia's monotonous expression twisted into a sneer of absolute disgust, her eyes the only thing remaining icy as she finally pulled herself from Blythe. She sized Claude up, before a giant smile split her face, "Ah, nice to see you've finally returned from your moping session. That's good!"

Blythe nearly choked on the sudden tension that flooded the air, Cynthia moving to stand toe-to-toe with the demon in the doorway. Claude seemed unmoving and uncaring, staring down at Cynthia with bored eyes and a tight line for a mouth, "The twins are asking for you. Something about one of your… 'outlier minions'."

Cynthia's whole mood seemed to dissipate at that, "The twins, you say?" She murmured, hands moving to fix her attire before taking a deep breath. She seemed to deflate almost, somehow looking smaller next to Claude as she turned to face Blythe, "We will continue this later. Now, if you'll both excuse me."

She didn't bother to move around Claude, instead shoving him back with her shoulder as she pushed through the doorway. The demon gave Cynthia an odd look before shaking his head, "She hasn't been quite right since we returned."

"No, she's always been all over the place." Blythe muttered, just barely coherent. Her tongue felt like lead, just barely able to move about and form words. Unfortunately, that was about all the movement she could manage at the moment.

"I'm well aware of how temperamental she can be." Blythe couldn't help but feel just a little taken aback by Claude's sudden snap, his shoulders curling up ever so slightly before he took a breath to compose himself, "the past few days have been rather… Difficult."

"I know that. And, honestly, I don't think I can blame her." Blythe lied through her teeth, just a little too scared to speak the truth. Cynthia could be anywhere, and with how she was only now able to kinda move her fingers, she wasn't going to get out of that scuffle in one piece, "All of that preparation for this? I get that."

Claude gave her an odd look, glasses doing little to nothing to cover the visible confusion on his face, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"What do you think I'm talking about? The past few days wasted on training and whatnot only to get done in like this? I would be mad if I were Cynthia, too."

Claude seemed to take another breath, levelling Blythe with the most nonchalant expression as possible, "You've been in a coma for the past few days."

"...H-huh?"

As if to spite Blythe's sudden horrid expression, the corner of Claude's mouth curled up ever so slightly, "While Cynthia has been running around to clean your mess, you decided to take a three-day nap. Not too considerate, if I do say so myself."

"I was asleep for three days." Blythe muttered, eyes going wide as her mind took in that information. With everything else she was still processing, this may just be the cherry on top, "Holy shit, I was asleep for three days!?"

"That is what I said, yes." Claude almost grumbled, one hand moving to shift his glasses while the other raked down his face, "Are you understanding the words coming out of my mouth? Have you lost all possible cognitive thought?"

"Shut it, demon boy," Blythe scowled, her arm finally responding to her demands that it move, "I just… My god, I can't believe it."

Claude watched as Blythe slowly learned to control herself once again, shaking his head as she tried to pull herself up with only one arm and her elbow, "You look like a baby deer attempting to walk for the first time."

"Shush." Blythe muttered, sweat beading from her forehead as she finally managed to throw one leg over the cot. While it wasn't much, in her quest to get off of the bed for just a moment, it was more than enough.

"I don't see why you're the one losing their mind." Claude muttered, voice only barely loud enough to hear, "Out of the three of us, you've had it the easiest."

Blythe scowled, arms shaking from the strain of keeping herself upright. She made a wild grab for the medical tray, only to miss by a mile, "Well, next time, we can trade. You can take the coma, and I'll go and waste time with a 'moping session'."

Blythe took Claude's silence as a small victory, finally able to grab at the old metal stand. With a shaky breath, Blythe hefted herself up, one foot numb against the cold floor while the other refused to move from its spot on the bed.

Finally, Claude sighed, "You're not worth my words."

"And yet, here you are, still talking."

"I never said that you were above my pity."

Blythe cracked a smile at that, spite rising up at Claude's tone regardless of if he could see it or not, "Moments like these make me wonder how you're not tied down yet, demon boy."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Blythe could feel Claude's expression, her grin growing as she finally managed to get both feet on the ground. That mix of confusion, irritation, and underlying bubbling rage: it gave Blythe more drive than it really had the right to.

"I mean that, with your winning personality and dripping charisma, it's a miracle you haven't found anyone to share that with yet." She was hitting a nerve, she knew it. She could feel it. "Is dating just something your kind doesn't do? Is it more of a 'smash-and-dash' type of deal?"

"Do not speak of us as if you know anything."

"I don't need to." Of course, when her body was still trying to get back to it's usual standard, that's when her mouth refused to give in. She couldn't help but feel similarly to when they'd first departed for Swinford, that sort of rush of verbal power just too tantalizing to ignore, "Do you think us Denholms go in without any form of information? Our family library could detail all the best of your kind, demon boy. You're all cut-throat, conniving, and downright bloodthirsty. I've read accounts of backstabbing and trickery, brother turning on brother. You know what, I take it back, I can see why there is no 'Ms. Faustus'-"

Blythe jumped at the sound of rock crumbling, nearly falling over from where she stood as she whipped around. She stared as Claude's gloved fist, still buried in the wall behind him. What made it all the worse was that, despite the rage seething off of him, his face remained neutral.

Finally, Claude shook his head, muttering some sort of farewell under his breath before finally walking out of the doorway. Blythe listened to the tap of his dress shoes, noting how they were just a little louder than normal, before her knees finally gave out.

Blythe fell with a yelp, scowling down at her body before calling for help. She wasn't going to think about how two of the most powerful beings were most likely contemplating her murder, instead shouting mild threats at the nurse who finally rushed in, helping her back to the bed she'd tried so desperately to escape.

The moment Violet was in what Hope could call "stable condition", she finally allowed herself time to breathe.

She left Corvus in the room with Violet, muttering about needing a quick break from… All of this. She didn't bother to wait for Corvus to answer, instead stumbling out of the room with a crooked and tired smile.

She pushed her way into a room, any room, it really didn't matter at the moment. The first doorknob she managed to grab a hold of was the lucky winner, Hope closing the door behind her with just a little more force than necessary. She looked around, running her hand over the slightly dusty sheets, before turning to pull the drapes over the window. Content with the comforting darkness around her, Hope stood in the middle of the room, pressing her eyes shut before tilting her head back.

It was as easy as letting go, allowing the tears to trail down her face freely. The first couple seconds were filled in with soft sobs and muffled cries, but the moment she let go of all control, soft sobbing turned to shrieks and screams.

She barely realized she'd fallen to her knees, her body giving in as well as her mind. Tears were falling profusely from her eyes, hands shaking as they roamed across her face.

She stayed there, on the floor, crying for what felt like hours. Time had no precedence during the long awaited mental breakdown, but it wasn't like Hope was going to think about it. She had promised herself time to break down, and honestly, she needed it more than she wanted to admit.

After what felt like years, her loud, gross sobs had been reduced to small sniffles, eyes finally clearing from the access tears.

She rubbed the back of her hand against her face, only slightly grossed out by the mess as she pulled herself back up to her feet. She took a few stumbling steps forward, nearly walking face first into the wall before finding the doorknob. She took a moment to breath in, ensuring that she wasn't about to begin round 2, before pushing the door open.

She squinted as the bright light filled her eyes, cursing softly as she brought up a hand to cover her face. She did her best to stumble over to the nearest sink. Granted, the nearest sink was the one downstairs in the kitchen, but honestly it wasn't like she was very picky.

"God, eww." Hope mumbled, scrubbing furiously at her hands. All the while her mouth ran itself, still seemingly out of control, "Next time, I preplan my mental moments. Hey, alliteration."

Finally feeling better, Hope all but strutted out of the kitchen, throwing her arms up in a stretch as she made her way down the hallway. She had expected to find Jade still lying on the couch, out cold and dead to the world.

She was not expecting Corvus to be feverishly pouring over an old map on the table.

"Jeez, what time is it?" Hope muttered, only then noticing how disheveled the room had become. Not only was Jade gone, but the couch she'd been resting on had been overturned, thrown to the side of the room in order to make space for the papers on the floor, "Aren't you supposed to be watching Violet?"

"I had more pressing matters to attend to." With how enraptured Corvus seemed, Hope was almost surprised to hear him respond. Hope had to dance over numerous papers and overturned furniture in order to get to the table, most likely looking like an irate monkey as she did so, "Also, three hours."

"Excuse me?"

"You stayed in that room. Crying your eyes out like a child having a tantrum. For about three hours." Corvus didn't have to phrase it like that, but knowing that he went out of his way to do so irked Hope more than she wanted to admit. All the while he stood over the table, one hand helping to hold the map down while the other tapped a red pen against it.

"Alright, fine, be like that." Hope scowled, absentmindedly coming to stand next to him, looking down at the map that had all of his attention. She noted that, not only was he lording over the same map as Jade had used before, but he'd made additional scribbles and marks on it, "So, is there a reason that you're trying to play connect the dots with the map locations, or…?"

"I'm doing what has been asked of me." Normally, Hope would have called Corvus out on being all cryptic. But, she couldn't help but note how the hand holding the pen was shaking ever so slightly, leaving red scribbles in the bottom corner of the map, "Failure isn't a reason for us to become lazy. We do still need to find Sherman Sutton."

"Ah." Hope had completely forgotten about that. It was almost amazing how all of this, from Swinford to Violet's current condition, was all due to how they thought they'd find someone somewhere else. Speaking of Violet's condition, "hey, I've been meaning to bring something up. It's about Violet's… situation."

"Is that so?"

"Well, for starters, learning how she didn't immediately die of blood loss would be great." Hope muttered, leaning back against the table, "I know that Violet's far from human and all, but I honestly doubt that… Anyone could… Are you okay?"

She didn't know how she hadn't noticed it earlier: the way that Corvus' glove hand was bunching up the middle of the map, his other hand all but crushing the pen. His expression betrayed nothing, ignoring the glint of barely controlled rage behind his eyes, Whatever makes you think otherwise, Cenhelm?"

"There's no reason to get like that." Hope nearly hissed, just barely able to keep a cover on her tone. She didn't want a fight, especially not with Corvus when he was like this, but there was something that he was trying to hide. She could feel it, it was something big. "I just want to know what happened to Violet. Maybe it'll answer a few questions."

Corvus scowled, placing the pen down, eyes locked on the red on his glove rather than Hope, "We went to Lindow. There was resistance. Violet was hurt."

"Okay, how was she hurt?" Hope couldn't help but be a little surprised at how calm she sounded, despite the obvious irritation Corvus was radiating, "I only ask because humans shouldn't be able to bounce back from bleeding out that much. Now, I don't know a lot about the idea of reincarnated demons and whatnot, but there's something off here."

"Forgive me, the memory wasn't exactly pleasant." Corvus took a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut as if all his problems would fade with his vision, "She was stabbed in the side during a fight. I didn't think it was anything too serious until I had the chance to get a good look at it."

"Who were you fighting?"

"A human woman. I think her name was Cynthia."

"Did anything about her tip you off?"

"She wasn't normal, if I had to make note of anything."

"Normal how?"

"Does it matter?" Corvus finally snapped.

"Umm, yeah. Especially when you try to evade a simple question like that." Hope couldn't look away from how his hand left indents in the corner of the table, his expression just barely faltering, "Look, I'm just as concerned as you are, Corvus. I want to help Violet without causing more harm, and I can't-"

"Do give me a moment to think, Vanth." Hope didn't think that she'd ever heard Corvus that angry before, all while keeping that mask of a smile on his face. She could see the metaphorical cracks in the corners, the shift of his smile as he gripped the edge of "Forgive my clipped tone, but a lot has happened as of late. First, Tarrin results in fire, then the nightmare that was the trip to Lindow, and that's omitting Violet's mental break-"

"Mental break?" Hope's tone stopped Corvus dead in his tracks, as if he could feel Hope's iron grip tightening, "...What did you do?"

"I wouldn't be able to tell you, even if I knew what had happened." Corvus spat. If Hope focused just a little, she could see a faint red dusting Corvus' face. He looked sheepish, almost; like he had been caught doing something wrong.

"...You triggered something, didn't you?" Hope murmured, voice just barely audible.

"She had a moment." Corvus' jaw was locked, words just barely being pushed through his smile at this point. No, it wasn't the same shit-eating grin anymore, not with the murderous look in his eyes. "I couldn't do anything, there was a lot going on and-"

"Don't try and brush this off!" Hope nearly shouted, poking her finger against his chest, ignoring how his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "I want an explanation, not excuses!"

"I am NOT making excuses." It didn't matter that his words came out quietly. He might as well be shouting right back at Hope with the anger behind each syllable, "You DARE think that I'd want to get 'brush this off'? I know that it's hard for a mere chambermaid to understand, but there are many important things at stake here, the most important of which being the little girl Kuro is trapped inside of at the moment."

"Do NOT talk about Violet like that!" Hope couldn't recall the last time she'd yelled this loud, but she wasn't going to waste time trying. It didn't matter that Corvus was of a higher power, or a higher breed. Last she checked, he wasn't the one who could invade another person's mind and force them to see their deepest secrets and fears. "That little girl has a name and an identity outside of Kuro, and you'd know that if you could get your head out of your ass for even a moment and at least pretend to be a little concerned!"

Corvus' eyes narrowed as he finally reached up to grab Hope's hand. She expected him to push her away, not pull her up on her tippy toes, forcing their faces closer together, "What, pray tell, is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you need to stop treating Violet like someone she's not." Hope all but hissed, unwilling to back down from Corvus' cool glare, "Hell, even if Kuro is in there, I doubt that she'd want to go back to a slimly jackass like-"

"Woah, what's going on in here?"

Hope had enough time to turn to the doorway before Corvus unceremoniously dropped her, "What do you want?"

"I just wanna talk to a lil' someone, jeez. No need to get your panties all twisted." Jade did her best to keep that easygoing smile on her face, despite the red rimming her eyes. She yawned, discreetly wiping the back of her hand against her eye, "Spent a good amount of time looking for you, Hope. I was wondering if we could have a little chat? You know, about how… You know."

"Oh. Yeah, sure." Hope said, a smug smile crossing her face as she pushed her way past Corvus, "I'll be right there, I just need to-"

Hope nearly yelped as Corvus' hand came down on her shoulder, his grip threatening to bend bones, "We're not done here."

"Hey!" Jade took a step forward, eyes narrowed as she glared Corvus down, "The hell's up with you, Crow?"

"This has nothing to do with you, so I suggest you wait outside like a good little girl." Corvus hissed, his grip only growing stronger before whipping Hope around, bending over while still looking down his nose at her, "I do believe that you were about to say something before irritation incarnate decided to butt in?"

With his face that close, Hope had an odd ache to lean up a little and bite his nose. In fact, at this point, she wanted to do just about anything but try and talk this out. She didn't realize that her fists were shaking at her sides until a hand came up to hold one, "You really don't like taking 'no' for an answer, do you?"

Hope couldn't help her guilty relief when Corvus' attention turned from her to Jade, "And you don't seem keen on staying out of something that has nothing to do with you."

"Guilty. I can't help but poke my head in, especially when it isn't welcomed." Jade shot Corvus what Hope could only describe as a toothy smile before pulling Hope backwards, out of his hold, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need Hope for something more than petty bickering."

"Petty bickering." Corvus repeated, chuckling without humor as Jade tried to leave, Hope in tow, "And what exactly do you do in your free time, 'Wilkinson'?"

"Well, I don't turn a shared area into my personal conspiracy room, for starters." Jade muttered under her breath, prompting a huff of a laugh from Hope.

"Ah yes, because spending an entire day crying and screaming over my dead friends is a much better way to spend my time."

"...Excuse me?" Jade hissed, going dead still. Hope didn't need to be in Jade's head to feel the turmoil of emotions behind her eyes, the flurry of emotions rushing about in her head.

"Do you wish for me to repeat myself?"

"Corvus." Hope strained his name, nearly strangling the word as she would his neck if she could, "Stop."

"No, she knows what she's getting into." Hope moved in front of Jade, as if the action would help deflect the words dripping from Corvus' mouth. His sneer twisted into something between annoyed and sadistic, "I gave her a chance to leave, and she didn't. She can't be mad for not taking the warning when given the chance."

Corvus leaned to the left ever so slightly, sending that cheeky grin over Hope's shoulder, "Do you still wish to add to that thought of yours? Or are you going to glare at me through your tears?"

Hope felt Jade's hand clench around her own until she finally let go, eyes burning with unbridled rage. There were thin tear trails leading to the bottom of her cheeks.

"Ah, so now you choose to be silent?" Corvus said, the corners of his mouth curling up ever so slightly, "Is your throat sore? I can only imagine how scratchy mine would feel after the hell you put your own through."

"Corvus."

"You complain about me doing my work, but I can't take credit for the entire mess." Corvus spat each name out before gesturing to the overturned piece of furniture, "I didn't tip it over, mind you. I found it like that."

"That's enough!"

"Oh, don't worry, Hope," Corvus popped the p, not bothering to look over to the other girl, "I haven't forgotten you. But you'll have to wait your turn now."

"Now, where was I? Ah, that's right, Jade; you're still with me, yes?" Corvus' smirk only spread as Jade's lips pressed together, the side of her mouth twitching, "Ah, still with me I see. Excellent, would be a shame if you suddenly decided to leave now."

"Shut up." Jade finally managed to growl, one hand coming up to grab the other. Hope winced when Jade's fingernails breached her skin, leaving crescent indents on the side of her hand, "You think acting all high and mighty and shit is going to change anything? Doesn't change the fact that you're basically an entitled child that can't take what they try to dish."

"Oh? Is that something that 'Foraii' told you often?"

"That's enough!" Hope took a running start, hands reaching almost desperately for his forehead. She just wanted him to be quiet, and if that meant putting him to sleep then so be it.

Corvus caught both of her wrists with one hand, eyes still trained on Jade's deteriorating expression, "You just don't like waiting your turn, do you, Hope?"

"That's enough out of you!" Hope flailed and kicked about, toes skimming across the floor. Corvus had her held up by her wrists, both arms pressing against her ears. She did her best to kick and shout, only to yelp as Corvus' squeezed her wrists.

"Oh, do you require a verbal reprehending as well?" Corvus chided, before turning back to Jade, "And what of you, hmm? Do you plan to remain silent as Hope tries so desperately to defend you?"

Jade looked frozen, hopelessness carved into her face, "Come now, I'm giving you the stage here! You always seem so keen on throwing in your own two cents, and yet you choose to remain silent when I give you the floor?"

At best, Hope expected Jade to try and spit on him. She wasn't prepared for Jade to pounce on him, missing just barely when Corvus side-stepped her. Scowling, she pulled a knife from her boot, snarl evident on her expression, "I should have done this a long time ago!"

"Oh, how cute." Corvus cooed, ducking and weaving around Jade's stabs, all while whipping Hope around like some sort of rag doll, "Now now, adults are supposed to use words to get through conflicts, not fists."

Not that Jade seemed to care much. No, she was too busy trying to get her swings in, teeth threatening to crack against the pressure of her jaw. She zipped around like a fly almost, dashing back and forth while just missing Corvus' legs, the taller demon almost twirling around her, "Not going to listen to words, eh?"

Hope's blood ran cold as Corvus moved her around him, eyes going wide as something sliced right into her calf. She could feel Jade's confusion turn to dread, watching Jade's horrified expression reflect in Corvus' eyes.

"Do you still not get it? Or are you both that thick headed?" It didn't matter that Corvus was holding Hope up so that they were face to face, it didn't change how he looked down his nose at her, at both of them, "Your cute little 'Surface Skills' don't change anything. At the end of the day, I am faster than you, I am stronger than you; I am above you."

"Oh, back to your stunned silence, Jade?" Corvus taunted, whipping Hope just in time to watch Jade drop the knife, wide eyes staring down at her trembling hands, "Maybe you'd like to give a few words of wisdom, Hope? She did come to talk to you, after all."

Jade mumbled something to herself, only to clear her throat before snapping her head back up, glare burning through Corvus' skull, "You're a fucking monster."

And, with that, Jade ran right out of the room, knife forgotten on the floor.

"Well, if that wasn't the flair for the dramatics, then I don't know what is." Corvus shrugged, finally letting go of Hope's wrist. Hope yelped, falling to her knees as Corvus shook his head, "Honestly, I thought that she'd come along further than this by now. How one demon is capable of being that inconsistent I'll never understand. For what it's worth, it would seem as if she still has a knack for running away from things-"

Corvus' went still when Hope slapped him across his face, chest heaving as red filled her vision. It didn't hurt Corvus, hell, it really did little to shock him. He looked down at Hope with irritation, "Yes?"

"What the FUCK is wrong with you!?" Hope shouted, face flushing red with rage. She didn't realize how heavily she was breathing until she placed a hand over her chest, the other hand pushing Corvus', "Who do you think you are!?"

Corvus scowled, slapping her wrist away before placing a gloved hand against his forehead, "And here I thought you were the smarter of the two. Or no, are you planning to finally answer my question?"

"You wanna know what I was gonna tell you earlier, jackass? You really wanna know?" She could barely hear herself over the pounding in her ears, hands shaking as they curled and uncurled at her sides.

"Do indulge me."

"You're a control freak, Corvus." Hope spat, words shooting from her mouth like water out of a hose, "You always need to be right, always in control, always. The moment that's taken away from you, you turn into a condescending, irritating, arrogant shitlord that does whatever it takes to grab that power again."

Corvus made a sound between a scoff and a laugh, as if he couldn't believe what Hope was saying, "You've got to be kidding me."

"No one is real to you, isn't that right? We're not people to you, we're stepping stones; and Violet is the grand prize. Just like Kuro was." Hope threw a hand to the doorway, pointing to the stairs, "No, you know what, Violet's just the cheap wrapping paper to your gift, isn't she? You couldn't care less if Violet exploded; hell, you'd probably be the one to do it if it meant getting Kuro back."

"And who are you to say that's wrong?"

"Do you even hear yourself!?" Hope couldn't feel her fingers cramping up, nor did she notice her knees shaking. No, at this point, she didn't heed anything but the white-hot blinding rage coursing through her veins, "I don't care what you think, and I sure as hell don't care about your stupid single-minded motives; there is a girl up there that looks up to you, and you pretending to care for her doesn't change what she is to you: a trophy."

Corvus scoffed at that, "Tall words from such a small child."

"Oh yeah, cause I'M the child here." Hope's throat felt raw, barely noticing how she'd begun screaming at this point, but she didn't care. Hell, she couldn't stop herself even if she wanted to, "I'm the one that forced a girl to be mine just to prove a point. I'm the one that mentally manipulated people to get what I wanted, and used my status to ensure they wouldn't back out. I'm the one that mentally, physically and emotionally breaks people just because I could. I'm the one that decides to kill the 'love of my life's' best friends in order to make a point. Cause, in the end, nothing matters as long as I come out on top."

Hope missed the sudden drop in his expression, instead moving forth to push him squarely in his chest, anger clouding any sort of self preservation. "You're a prideful, power-hungry, self-centered slimly jackass that could not care less for the others around him. As long as you're right, it doesn't matter who you step on. And, deep down, you know that Kuro knew it, too."

Hope finally let herself breathe, nearly hacking up her lungs in the process. It felt as if all those words had fought in order to escape, pent up from centuries spent waiting on the Prince. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and help Jade. Then, I'm going to come back for Violet and leave. I don't care if you're not going to make it easy, I will take her from you and I won't hesitate to send you right back down to Hell."

With that she pushed past Corvus, shoving his shoulder for good measure. She all but stomped her way out of the manor, the refreshing outdoor air so much nicer than the stale tension from inside that room.

With a deep breath, Hope made her way down the mountainside, letting her body take over as she searched for Jade.

Corvus was speechless.

At first, he had wanted to disprove her. Normally, a condescending word or two was enough to get most people off of his back, but Hope… Vanth had just…

Corvus looked down at his hand, confused as he watched a deep red drip from his gloves. When had he torn them? Had his fists been curled that tightly?

"Bother." Corvus muttered, pulling the useless garments off before tossing them to the side. It was then that he got a good look at his mark, the sign that sealed him to his contract.

The only thing that got him to snap out of it was the sound of light footsteps dashing up the stairs, followed by a light yipping noise, "That damn dog." He muttered, slowly making his way out of the room.

He rested his hand on the cold wood of the stair's handle, finding himself unable to look away from the mark once more. His mind flew back to when he first made the contract, shaking his head at the memory of his foolish scramble to solidify a deal that he himself didn't know much about. Hell, he'd locked it to her ring rather than her own body, much to his past idiocy.

He couldn't help but think of it as he made his way up the stairs, each step heavy with his own uncertainty. What would happen after the contract was completed? Hell, was it possible to be completed when there was no real end goal?

Would this bring Kuro back?

That last one made him stop, eyes frozen on the step ahead on him. He really hadn't thought as hard on that as he should have. He'd just let things happen as they did, positive that the answer would end up falling into his lap at one point. The harder he thought on it, the tighter his grip on the rail became, mind locked on the thought. How would he get Kuro out? Could she be taken out of Violet without hurting her? If so, what would happen then? Would Kuro give him a chance even after all he'd-?

He was snapped from his thoughts at the sound of a crunch, looking to his left at the wood that had snapped in his hands, "I'll have to fix that later." He muttered to himself, finally moving on.

He could do it later, not now. Now he had other things to do, and honestly, thinking on it right now wouldn't do him much good.

Finally, he got to the top of the stairs, shaking his head. Hope had just been trying to get into his head, under his skin, all of it. Who was she to assume she knew him like that, attempting to pick him apart like some sort of predator.

Finally, he pushed the door open, releasing all of his tension before replacing it with a practiced smile, "My lady, are you awake yet? I've already prepared the map for your… convenience…"

He stared at the empty bed, mind just barely able to process the pieces in front of him. He turned to the window at the sound of barking, eyes boring into the dog barking at the open window, and then to the window itself.

He almost didn't comprehend the wind blowing in, or the broken glass that sat around the dog's feet. He shuffled over, hands coming up to grip the window sill as he looked over, ignoring the glass cutting into his palms.

If he squinted, he could see indents in the ground below him, most likely where a pair of feet had fallen.

Corvus backed away from the window, mind reeling. It wasn't the bridge he thought he'd ever come to, but dammit here it was before him. Corvus turned, ready to hunt the girl down. As long as she had that ring on, he could… He could…

He hadn't noticed it before, the small thing blending in with the red on the sheets. He all but lurched over, hands shaking ever so slightly as he reached out to touch the ring.

"...Oh no."

Violet paid no heed to her aching bare feet as she barreled down the mountain side, hands throwing twigs and leaves out of her face as she ran.

She had woken up cold, confused, and in bloody sheets. She had walked downstairs hoping she'd find answers to what had happened, what she might have missed.

She didn't expect to find Corvus and Hope arguing.

Woah, wait, where the hell are we heading?

"Shut up." Violet muttered, wincing as another breeze blew right through her thin cloth gown. She did her best to ignore the goosebumps crawling up her arms, instead forcing her legs to keep moving.

That doesn't do much to answer the question.

"Shut up, both of you, just shut up!" Violet finally yelled, nearly tripping over her own feet as she forced her breathing to slow down. She felt like her chest was pounding, just as it was earlier.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get Hope's tone out of her head. The words that flew out of Hope's mouth, as wrong as they sounded, felt so honest and crisp that it was a bit scary.

So what if that's what she said? You don't know, maybe she meant something else. Hell, maybe she was lying.

"No, she wasn't lying." Violet insisted, legs ablaze with how fast she was forcing herself to run. No, sure it wasn't scientific fact, but she was sure that Hope hadn't been lying. It was like some sort of deep, inner gut feeling. Almost as if, somehow, she could validate her.

As odd as it sounded, it made so much sense.

That isn't exactly evidence to stand on, you know.

"I don't recall asking for either of you to give opinions." Violet all but snapped, jumping when a crow's caw was her only answer. She whipped around, eyes only growing wider when she couldn't spot the bird. Jade and Hope so often referred to Corvus as "The Crow", which only made sense since that's what his name meant in Latin. But, what did that mean? Was he named "Corvus" for a reason? Did he have a connection to birds?

Was that him just now, watching her from a spot she couldn't quite see?

Keep breathing like that and you're going to faint.

She'd only then realized how lightheaded she felt, taking a moment to rest against a tree. Just a moment though, only a moment. She couldn't stay still, not now. It didn't matter if Corvus was chasing her down or letting her panic, she felt like she was seconds away from being caught.

Violet pushed herself forward, her light jog quickly turning into a sprint, as if trying to catch up with her own mind. Her mind couldn't help but replay Hope's accusations, each of them ringing true regardless of how outlandish they sounded.

She didn't know why it bothered her, or maybe she just repressed it greatly. After years of being the center of a cult, a person becomes desensitized to the horrors around them. So why did it send chills down her spine, knowing that he'd committed atrocious acts just for the sake of it? Just to prove a point?

What did you expect from a demon? Of course he's done terrible things, what made you think you were special?

"He isn't supposed to hurt me!" Violet screamed, as if her voice would be able to drown the other out. Well, there went trying to repress it. Violet nearly tripped over her own two feet. She reached out to grab the nearest branch with a yelp, nearly hurling herself over the side of the cliff.

She backed up, turning to run somewhere else. She'd been trying to get down the mountain, but at this point, she just wanted to get away from the manor.

Who said he would?

"Who said he wouldn't?" Violet hissed right back, jumping a log only to land with a squish. She tried not to look down, knowing fully well that her feet were now caked in what she could only hope was warm mud, "Who said he can't?"

Regardless, I don't think that running away from a possible threat is the best choice of action.

Yeah, turning tail isn't going to solve anything. And that's assuming that this whole assumption of yours is right.

If you really think he's a threat, we should go back and take care of him.

"Both of you are insane and need to shut the fuck up." Violet said as snidely as possible, ignoring how the bottom of her dress kept catching on low shrubs and bushes.

Oh, is that so? Then, by all means, since you're the great and mighty, why don't you just MAKE us silent?

We are only trying to give options, more than your "run away from the scary possible threat" mentality.

"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care!" Violet all but screamed, holding her hands over her ears as if that would help do anything. All the while she ran through the forest area, hoping that the slight decline meant she was heading in the right direction.

You know what, I blame you.

What, me? What the hell did I do in this!?

Exactly: you contribute nothing. You're here to make snarky comments and bland jokes, both of which are stale.

You're seriously calling me stale? Have you looked in the mirror lately?

Look around here and tell me there's a mirror. Go on, I'll wait.

You know what, at least I contribute something. What exactly do you do, stand in a corner and try to sound all "I'm greater than thou". Newsflash: people don't like being looked down on.

Says you.

Yeah, I am. What about it?

You are, without a doubt, the very personification of a hypocrite.

Yeah, well, at least I'm not some face-stuck-up-my-ass greater-than-thou jackass that thinks that everything would be better if I took the controls and ruled this space like a fucking dictator.

All the while, Violet ran faster, as if she could outpace their building argument. Her head pounded, feet throbbing, and quite honestly, she felt like she was about to explode. She mentally pleaded, begged for them to calm down.

That was neither funny nor insulting.

Yeah, well, fuck you.

Oh, how eloquent. You know what, I'm glad that we don't have control. God knows that you'd most likely steer us right into a ditch.

Yeah, cause you'd be so much better. You'd probably end up boring us to death. That, or we'd lose oxygen over the sheer altitude of your ego.

You see, lines like that feel like they should be funny, but then they come out of your mouth.

"Both of you shut up!" Violet didn't even realize that she'd been shouting, her own voice seemingly blending in with the other two's. The hands on her ears only made the pounding in her head louder, mind unable to think outside of itself.

It was so dark and cold, yet also burning and intense. It felt like a dark battleground, filled with echoing screams and accusations. It felt like too much, it was too much, by God she just wanted it to-

Violet yelped, foot finally catching on something. She tried to throw her hands out, attempting to stop the fall, only to wince as red hot pain shot up her wrists.

She didn't just fall over, no, she began to tumble down the mountain side. Her hands tried to claw at the soft damn dirt around her, trying to latch on to anything to stop the fall, only to come up with bloody fingernails and scratches.

I bet this wouldn't have happened if I were in control.

Yes, we'd probably be dead by now.

Violet landed on something solid, chin-first. Her head felt like it was abuzz, like someone had shoved a few bees into her ear on her way down. Something was dripping from her chin, and touching it only made it sting more.

Violet tried to blink her eyes open, vision foggy as if a heavy mist had settled in. Her legs were on fire, lungs were aflame, and she was pretty sure that the fall was killing her. Violet managed to pull herself a tiny bit farther from the mountain's bottom, doing her best to crawl without her legs, only to fall face first back onto the grey ground in front of her.

Oh, yeah, that's a broken nose.

I think that's the least of our problems at the moment.

Violet laid there, teeth grit as she tried to pull herself up with the one hand in front of her, only to have her hand twitch before going slack. Violet urged it to move, to get a finger to shift, only for a familiar numbness to encase her whole hand.

The panic welling up within her was only met with the numbness, Violet too tired to panic properly, too weak to process her fear.

She could just barely hear the sound of footsteps, head tilting up ever so slightly in order to watch as a pair of dress shoes came to a stop right in front of her. She felt something nudge her hand, before a pair of arms picked her up. This person was much warmer than she was, only now noticing how badly she was shivering.

She heard the person say something before slipping completely.

Erin:...You're terrible company.

Kuro: Zzz.

Erin: I mean it. One second I'm trying to hold conversation with you, and the next you're fast asleep.

Kuro: Zzz.

Erin: god, even Lilith is better verbal company than you are. Fucking Lilith.

Kuro: Zzz.

Erin: ...Your cat ears look stupid.

Kuro: Keep saying what you want, I'm going to continue to repeat Z and pretend I don't here you.

Erin: I don't know why I expected anything else.

Violet: You know, you could always try talking to me.

Erin: Excuse me, bUT WHEN THE FUCK-!?