🌠 ᴀ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ʀɪᴅᴇʀ 🌠

[Tenzai]

ᴀ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ ʀɪᴅᴇʀ

To whoever's visiting this thread, hello and welcome!

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴍᴏᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ | 1ɴᴏɴʟʏ
0:00ㅇ──────── 2:26
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

This thread was made to hold side stories that couldn't be immediately slotted in within 𝔸𝕟 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕕𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ℂ𝕒𝕗𝕖, a pm story written in a sci-fi fantasy universe by @song and I. Each one of these posts are meant to build upon the backgrounds and histories of its diverse cast of characters as well as the lore of the galaxy and its resident species, cultures, and factions. As such, the timeline of these posts might not be particularly congruent as most of them are self-contained, but they all serve a purpose in detailing the canon, core memories of its characters.

Note to future self. Make cool ass gif for this thread.

 

[Tenzai]

Sigvyn The God of Conviction #e3de93​

Don't cry for me when I'm gone. I won't be around to listen. Just promise me you won't forget me. That alone is enough. ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʟᴠꜱᴛ | ᴄᴠᴍᴘʟɪᴀɴᴛ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

I never thought that I'd miss the day we said goodbye.

Do you love me?
"I love you, Freyja..."​

---

Oh, the lengths I'd go to keep you safe.

What I'd give to see you wake up again.
​

The God of promises was a deity of conviction. His blades and bullets acted as physical manifestations of his promise to the childhood best friend that rejected him. Try as he might to move on, Vyn still found himself caring about her. Rejection did not corrupt the happiness he felt during their good times together. Earthly distractions could do little to take away the pain he felt when he reminisced about the bad. He was forced to live with his history and instead of choosing to forget it, he incorporated it into his being and made it his strength. The blessing of divinity mattered not. It did not make him strong nor did it ensure his promises would be kept. Vyn saw holy power as a crutch for effort. Where he did pride himself however was in his diligence to uphold his own promises through the constant improvement and maintenance of his own abilities, regardless of however hard it could be. As a result, he was one of the few kami capable of fighting on the front lines.

"Is that all you got, you divine lapdog?" The enemy monk threw a flurry of strikes enchanted with mana, though none would land their mark. Parrying with his blade and dodging with his body, Vyn avoided the potential damage through the use of proper footwork and well-trained perception. After centuries of diligent study and practice, physically speaking, he was well beyond average for a kami. Many along his divine cohort would often joke that he was far more fitting to be an angel of combat than a god. However, despite his discipline with his body, he never skimped on his responsibilities. To the few that truly knew him, he was a touch above the rest. He had to be in order to uphold the promises he made as a child. Vyn was going to protect the people he loved no matter whether they felt the same back. "Your choice in words matches your skill in battle. Both are unrefined."

"Unrefined my ass. You're barely keeping up with me!" While Vyn might have taunted his enemy, he refused to underestimate his opponent. With both eyes, he recorded the pattern of his movements and attacks, creating a predictive model using what he learned over the course of his studies to determine the best course of action once his foe granted an opening. Remaining defensive and taunting him while he was responsive would open the monk to making mistakes, eventually leading to his demise. "Unlike you, I will uphold my promises regardless of who stands in my way..."

"And unfortunately for you, you stand against me."

"Blame the Goddess of luck for pitting you against me. Pray that she would grant you better odds in your next life."​

"Tough words coming from someone who couldn't land a single stri-" Finally finding his moment, the duelist's fencing blade slipped from one hand to another, striking the monk's face before he could finish his next line. Even if he lacked the future-sight ability of his superior, he had the experience to understand when someone was growing comfortable with him. By believing that the god of commitment would fall under any particular fighting schema was to underestimate someone dangerous. It was here where he excelled. The lax reputation of the kami had served as a boon. "All I needed was one mistake to make you fall. I pray that whatever promises you've made were worth your sacrifice." Drawing his blade from between the monk's eyes, he closed his eyelids shut before muttering a quiet prayer. Vyn never took joy in taking the life of another. It was an unnecessary loss only made possible as the result of an imperfect world.

As he pulled away to wipe the blood from his blade, he thought to himself. If it were any other life, Vyn doubted he would have needed to strike his opponent down. Perhaps they could have been allies or friends. Maybe in another world, they could have been family. Behind every life stood a history of unconscious promises and behind every violent death existed a past full of broken oaths. It was hard to take pride when he knew he was the reason why fathers wouldn't be able to go home. He was the reason why mothers became widows and children became orphans. The only way to make up for being the reason behind those deaths was to have an oath that was worth beyond all that his victims could make. To that end, he held his childhood friend and his little sister above his regrets. Even if Juli would be at odds at times, by doing this, he hoped she would never find herself on the battlefield. By killing those who would disrupt the peace, Vyn hoped that Freyja would be able to wake up to a world of peace. It's the least he could do for the women that gave him strength.

"Bravo, Sigvyn. To think you were able to make it this far."

"But alas, this is where your story comes to its end."​

"What do you mean, Lokir?" Vyn rose from the corpse and turned to his romantic companion. "Love, why are you here? Weren't you assigned to Rafaela's unit?" Ever since Freyja rejected him, while his heart stubbornly refused to let go, his mind had attempted to move on to other alternatives as a way to heal. While passing flings have left him empty, the one who was closest to filling the void was his boyfriend, Lokiir. However, upon looking up to him, he realized something was wrong. Lokir was meant to be stationed with the other angels. He was never meant to join the front lines alone with Vyn. "What are you-"

"Truly, you are a wonder to behold." Lokir drew a magical arrow from his quiver, loading his bow as he took in the strength of the wind. "If not for the value Ares placed on you, I would have made you mine. However..." Drawing his bow, he aimed it towards Vyn's head. "...There are some things worth more than you, my beloved prince. Thank you for being my sacrifice." Firing his arrow, it struck Vyn in the eye, the damage to his brain sending his body crashing down next to the corpse of his fallen foe. Tainted at the tip, whatever poisoned he used counteracted the healing properties of divinity. Once he saw his target drop, Lokir hilted his bow around his shoulder as he approached Vyn's body, taking a picture to send to the rival that took his best friend away. "Don't worry. You can rest in peace now. I will tell your friend and your sister that you died fighting valiantly." The arrow vanished, reappearing in Lokir's hand.

"Well, that is... If I choose to remember you in the first place."​

---

I don't love you anymore.
"What do you mean? What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Were these feelings a curse?"
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ɪᴅᴏɴᴛʟᴏᴠᴇʏᴏᴜᴀɴʏᴍᴏʀᴇ | ᴘᴜʜꜰ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

Waking up in a dream-like state, Vyn had found himself standing on a crimson beach lit by a sunset that remained still in the sky. He felt as though he existed within the frame of a painting, a character to be marveled at from a viewpoint he could never see. As he looked down at the dark tide, he felt a hand at his shoulder. "Now's not your time yet, Sigvyn." It was a new voice, one that sounded both alien yet recognizable at the same time. Turning around, he found his shadow standing beside him, refusing to leave him alone. While it might have appeared as a manifestation of dark energy, it felt familiar. This wasn't the first time he spoke to himself nor would it be the last either. However, to have his soul exist separate from his body was an experience he had yet to go through before now. "You still have promises you have left to keep. Responsibilities that you must uphold."

For the first time in his life, Vyn disagreed. Even at his most diligent, he kept running into failure and rejection. "Why me? Why couldn't there be someone else who's forced to take this fate? Why is it that, no matter how hard I try, it feels as though my passions always work against me." He lowered himself down onto the sand, taking in the cold sun's wavelengths as the water embraced his loose clothes. "Wouldn't it be better if you found someone else to torture? Someone tougher or better than I?..." He sighed, tired of it all. "Just leave me be. Grant me grace and let me find peace in death." Slowly, his shadow began to transform in front of him, shifting its outline towards that of what truly lies underneath the surface. "Oh... Its you. Of course it had to be you." In front of him stood the reaper of the kami, the feared primordial that brought the eternals their end. "So. Am I finally dead? The only times I see you around is beside the dead and dying... So, are you hear to reap me or are you going to torture me like they have?"

Sitting beside him, Revelations treated Sigvyn as a friend. He didn't greet him with his usual attitude or apathetic remarks. Instead, he offered Sigvyn a hand on the shoulder and a drink to share. Between them, a dark portal opened in the floor, revealing a cooler that came from his realm: Hades. "Vyn. I'm not here to reap your soul. You're too important to take away." His voice was seasoned with sympathy, aware that Vyn's soul was seeking reason. "I'm here to remind you of what you came so far for. You... Are my friend. You've upheld your promises to me. It's only right that I do the same for you." Tossing him a can to drink, Revelations had opened his own to drink alongside him. "You're not alone. These feelings you have, they make you strong."

"Then why does it hurt so bad, Revelations? What's the point in needless suffering?"

"Everything comes to an end, Vyn. Both good times and bad."​

Revelations took a sip of his can, watching as black birds flew over the horizon. This was a part of his realm. While it might have signaled the end, it was a world that knew peace. It was a place where weary souls could find release from the stresses of the mortal coil, a resting place for all regardless of what good or evil one has committed in their lifetime. "All things that choose to exist have an expiration date. I'm here to make sure that the end comes at the right time. Not before and not after." He turned to his drinking partner. "And I believe that your war will soon come to an end. You will know peace, Vyn. I will make sure of it."

For a moment, the two gazed at the sunset in the silence. Sigvyn's mind was preoccupied with all that came before. He lived with purpose from childhood to the present. Even through his betrayal, his heart remained resolute in its convictions to Juli and Freyja. Now that Lokir had shown his true colors, his pact with his ex lover was broken. Gone was the trust that took eons to develop. Revelations was right. All things do come to an end. "It would be wise for you to remember."

"Every new beginning comes from another beginning's end."​

"I believe your life has just started, hasn't it?" Revelations could tell the difference in his eye. While the other was made blind as the result of his injury, the near fatal wound was enough to rattle the kami's heart. "You've realized what matters to you. What promises are worth fulfilling and which ones are not." Finding their time soon coming to an end, he closed his cooler. There was little point in wasting time now that his message was delivered. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the skies revealed the stars above. In darkness came light. From the end came new beginnings. After watching many succumb to finality, willingly or not, the reaper learned what being alive truly meant. While the message would always differ between souls, the theme was always the same. "Life's too short not to pursue what we wish for ourselves. Everything else is just a meaningless distraction."

Sigvyn finished his drink. It was much more flavorful than anything he could have imagined heaven being capable of. Revelations had granted him a mercy he rarely did with anyone else. It was a sign of respect, a thank you for all he did for the reaper in the past. "You know, I find that you and I are quite alike, Sigvyn." Rev lifted himself from the sand, reaching out to pull his friend to his feet. "People fear us. They are scared of what we exhibit. Yet, through us, they find strength. Through us, they find peace." Tapping his body to seal his wounds, the reaper left his mark on his eye, granting the kami his blessing. "Don't doubt your worth. No matter what anyone else says, you are worthy of love." As Rev faded away, the world around Vyn had blurred. Thankful for their time together, Vyn nodded his head in agreement with his words. His feelings were beginning to return to him.

"Thank you for the kindness, Rev."

"Thank you for giving me a second chance."​

---

"I promise I'll never leave you alone. Not for as long as I live."

"Took you long enough to wake up. Whoever fucking poisoned you must really hate you."​

 

[Tenzai]

Lance Her Hopeless Romantic #8697af​

"But I'll pray for you all the time, if I could be by your side. I'll give you all my life, my seasons." ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴꜱ | ᴡᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

"Honestly, Lance. You should really give the contest a try. I think you'd have a great shot at it."

"But... I don't have a band."​

Relaxing in the quiet that came during Midnight's Rider's lockdown, while Fate and Io were out and about taking part in the convention, Lance and Able were spending time together with Veil over drinks at the bar. It was an evening to themselves, a moment in time where they could listen to Lance's music. "Besides, everyone there is competing for a contract with a label. It's only going to be the best of the best." The pianist struggled with his anxieties, nervous that his music won't find its audience. He remembered the first time he played for a small crowd that cared little. Their silence was deafening, though he tried his best regardless to focus on his own music. While he had grown comfortable performing in front of small crowds and familiar faces, it was another thing entirely to perform in front of crowded arenas and massive theaters like she did.

"And? So what? Fuck those guys." Able scoffed, not giving his anxiety a chance to root itself within his friend's psyche. "You're here to play, ain't ya? Fucking play. Don't worry about how good other people are at performing or what the crowd would think of you. You could make music. I know you can." The demon placed a hand on Lance's shoulder. "So make music." While he might have held disdain for most strangers, to his family, Able was supportive. He held confidence in Lance's musical abilities, well aware of just how beautiful his sound truly was. "Didn't you say something to Jin the other day about that yourself? That everyone has a song? That includes you too dummy. All you gotta do is perform it."

Veil took a sip of his glass before speaking up, agreeing with Able's thoughts. While Lance's voice and melody were both quiet, combined, he had a sound that could move sirens. "Able's right, Lance. Don't sell yourself short." Looking down into what remained of his drink, he stared at his own reflection. "I've seen and met countless musicians from across the galaxy working for Rana and her family. Musicians from all over, different types, different species, different genres, you name it." He recalled his youth when he would travel around a lot more, protecting Rana as a child while her parents cut deals with various others. "And you know what I found out about them all?"

"You could tell when someone isn't feeling their music, when their songs aren't genuine, or when their sounds are fake for the sake of clout." He lifted his eyes towards the shark, offering his gratitude for all the work he put in off hours as well. "And I don't see any of that with you. You really look and sound like this means a lot to you. Regardless of how other people feel about it, this sound is yours. Treat it like it is and be proud that you were able to discover it." Placing his hands on his own chest, his fingers stroked the mark of his master's brand on his body.

"It took me losing Rana once to discover my own voice."

"And not everyone is fortunate enough to find their own in their lifetime."
​

Veil hinted at Lance's discovery of his purpose. In the war-torn galaxy recovering from its massive conflict, many among the stars were more focused on their own survival instead of their desire to thrive and pursue their dreams. Their circumstances forced them into acts of desperation, as a result, many artists sought fame and fortune through their works rather than doing it out of a passion to create. For Veil, being around Rana's parents had led him to scenes void of happiness and hope. It was easier to manipulate those who had not than those who had enough. By using their needs as a tool and even driving it up artificially at times, they secured leads where they had none before. It was a terrible tactic, but he understood. However, while he assisted them, he found few people that stood out in his journeys. Those who were able to live beyond that of necessity in even the most dire of straits which never left his mind.

"Honestly, I think you should share what you have here even if you'd think you'd lose. Your honest feelings are much more potent than you realize, Lance. They are what make your music your own. Combined with your talent behind the piano, I'd say its more than enough to gain an audience." Veil held his glass up to Lance, offering him a toast. Pausing in his performance for just a moment, he clinked the glass he had above his grand piano against his drinking partners. "Thank you guys. I guess... It wouldn't be so bad to give it a shot." The shark's tail waved as he scratched behind his head, embarrassed at their genuine compliments. "But what about the band? I can't join in by myself."

Smirking, Able used his magic to summon his demonic guitar to his side. "What do you mean? You live with one!" His hands began to follow after Lance's notes, playing his music as though it was the product of an alt-metal artist. "I could play electric and Tai could play piano also, but he could be a great lead singer or backup. If you haven't heard that fairy sing, you gotta. Swear that fucker is cheating magically." The demon gave a hearty laugh, before returning back on topic. "All we need is a bassist and a drummer and that should be more than enough." Veil nodded his head. "Well, we're in Noctua. It's likely that the campus has some drummers and bassists that are looking for a band themselves. How about, once this lockdown ends, we both help you with finding people to fill out the rest of your band? What do you say?"

"You'll both do that for me? But... I wasn't hired to do that."

"Of course you idiot. The moment you got recruited here by Io, you became a part of our family."​

Lance hugged both of his friends. For the longest time, his journey to becoming a musician he could be proud about was a lonely one. After Tsuna left and his job was lost, he suffered to make ends meet while performing for those gracious enough to listen. Though he made a few friends in his travels as he hitchhiked from one station to another on the way to Noctua with nothing more than his magical keyboard and the clothes on his back, they were only passing faces in the moment, doing the bare minimum to have him perform. To have his new workplace and his new friends suddenly go above and beyond for him had nearly brought him to tears. "Thank you... Thank you so much. This really means a lot to me."

"Yeah, yeah. We're heroes and all." Able smirked, gently punching Lance in the shoulder. "Save the gratitude and groveling for after we win, got it? I want you to sign my shirt before you get famous." He snickered, before hugging back just as hard. "We're here for you, alright? I'm not gonna let some fuckfaces who know how to play a note fuck with you without going through me first."

"We're not going to leave your side, Lance. You're just a part of this home as we all are." Veil knew of Rana's excitement when it came to their newest hire. She gushed about him when they were alone, bringing up how fascinating it was to have someone so normal within their midst. By being ordinary, to the others, Lance was extraordinary. By being himself, the shark had won them over. "We handle these things together as a family... And I'm not going to let you prove Rana wrong with who she put her faith into." He smiled, well aware of everything the girls gushed about him during their girls night out. "But I do have a question, why do you play the same song? I hear you often singing the same lyrics over and over again. Not that it's bad, it's beautiful. It makes me wonder why you would continue to practice it when you're already so good at it."

"Because it reminds me of the people I decided to take up piano for."

The source of his creativity. His muse.
​

Relaxing once her image revisited his mind, Lance spoke calmly. "I learned how to play for the most beautiful girl in the galaxy. If you heard her voice, maybe you'd even agree with me." He closed his eyes, remembering every inch of her smile. He recalled the feeling of her cool hugs and the sounds of her lovely whispers. "To be by her side again, I'd give her all my life. All my seasons. It's a song I've made for her even if... I was never meant to share a future with her in the first place."

His eyes did not cry nor did they stir. Lance has seen her image with comfort, caring little of their current distance apart. "I was lucky enough to be hired by her parents to watch over her... And I can't imagine anywhere else where I was happier. I hope that one day, I could become a musician that's good enough to play alongside her again. I hope I could be someone she could be proud to have met." The two boys remained quiet as they listened to him speak. His heart was open, overflowing with its pent up emotions. "And I learned how to play because it's what my father would have wanted for me." Lance continued sharing more of his reasons why.

"He was my hero."

"If he was still around, I think he would be smiling. Maybe his soul is still listening to me."​

 

[Tenzai]

Sigvyn The God of Conviction #e3de93​

Oh, the lengths I will go to keep you safe. What I'd give to see you wake up again, Freyja. ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜱᴛ. ᴄʜʀᴏᴍᴀ | ᴛʏʟᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴏʀ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ Can you feel the light inside? Can you feel that fire? Oh, fire, fire​

"Is that all you got, Vyn?"

"Was this all your love for Freyja worth?"

Okay, I am just a box with the light of thunder in me
Gratitude sit under the hubris that's on my sleeve​

"I never knew you were this weak. Maybe I should add your sister to my harem of trophy wives next if I knew it were this easy." The god of war taunted Vyn as he crawled from the ground, angering him further so he could duel the god of conviction at his best. There was something raw about beating someone who felt just in their cause, even if they were weaker. "Get up. I'm not finished with you yet." Ares waved towards Vyn, gesturing to him to continue fighting. "Unless, you're willingly sacrificing your beloved and your family for your life. Then fine. Run. Flee. Escape from your fate and leave them to someone who could breed them properly. I doubt your pitiful convictions mean much anyways."

"What's the use of a promise if you're not strong enough to keep it."​

"You wallow in shame attempting to be something you're not." Lightning irradiated from Ares' spear's tip, threatening Vyn with another painful dose of reality. After getting struck with it several times over the course of a few minutes, he was wary of its sting. Ares knew he had a blind spot. His gamble using Lokir against him had proven worthwhile. Even if the god he recruited to betray Vyn had failed in his murder, it was more than enough to weaken the god who could prove a match to the forgotten king. Ares was not going to fight this god fair. If he was going to maintain his perfect record, he had to use Vyn's honest nature to his advantage. "Learn your place lesser god. You will not beat me, nor will you ever defeat me." Standing in between him and the castle that held his sleeping goddess, Vyn rose to a knee. "You're a stain on your father's legacy. The god of hope will see you as a disgrace to his name."

"Do us both a favor and turn around. The only thing waiting for you ahead is a painful death with no afterlife."
​

"That I can promise you." While the winds of heaven had blown strongly across the battlefield as the result of a passing storm, Ares stood steadfast, unwavering in his stance. He was a weapon befitting the title of the god of Raf, the king of violence, and the warrior god. He was powerful, getting stronger with every prayer made by a soul wishing for his favor before battle. With the reunification wars happening so recently, many became converted to his cause. He was invincible, even by divine means. Knowing his resilience against nearly all forms of damage, Vyn was well aware of the contrast in power. They were realms apart in strength, yet despite this gap between them, his promise kept his feet pointed towards Freyja's castle, unwilling to stray in their direction. Until death was ready to take him, his convictions would keep lifting him off the ground of which he was sent down repeatedly.

"Still willing to fight? Either your brave or foolish, Sigvyn. Though your wounds suggest the latter."

"Freyja and Juli deserve better than you. I'm not going to let you touch them."

I don't, like the, way that this is lookin'
Mirror got me, thinkin' about my bookend
I just need this time to myself to figure me out-out
Do I keep the light on or do I gracefully bow out?​

"What did you say?!" Keeping his hand on his blade to approach his opponent with a combative stance, Vyn kept up appearances while holding himself off from revealing his trump card. Even though it was a blow to his pride to be willing to resort to such a human tactic, if it was necessary to keep his promise, he would do anything. To be considered an oathbreaker was unacceptable. He would rather succumb to a fate where he would lose his divinity for forsaking his divine right than fail in his promise to the two he loved most. "You heard me." Pulling off his mask to spit blood in Ares' direction, Vyn aimed to disrespect him. A wound to any god's pride would cease their thinking. If he became predictable, they would be able to coordinate a plan.

"You're a failure of a lover, a friend, and a God, Ares."
​

"What true warrior god would seek to use underhanded tactics such as bribing one's lover for the sake of killing them?" Attacking Ares' warrior pride, Vyn's eyes were drawn to the sudden surge of lightning. His words were getting to him, as much as Ares attempted to hide his true feelings behind his helmet. "You wound me. Why wouldn't you fight your own battles? If you had such a problem with me, take care of it yourself. Wasn't that one of your core tenets? Why subject your followers to a rule if you can't follow that rule yourself?"

Sensing lightning coming from above, Vyn sidestepped the strike. Ares' anger was intense enough to see in advance. "To think, even I would need to teach you a lesson on following your own commitments. A warrior would never cease in their purpose. If you wish to serve as a proper example, do so." Vyn drew his blade, revealing human handiwork. "My followers worship me obediently because I do. If this is the example you set for your people, your followers are nothing more than a band of unruly marauders."

Ares threw himself at Vyn, colliding his spear with Vyn's blade. "Talking tough for a dead kami." He cursed, using his overbearing strength to force his own blade back against him. "So you'd choose to break the rules of heaven and use the devil's lesser handiwork for what? For something as foolish as love? Cynical. You forsake your oath to heaven. If I won't serve as your end, then heaven's court will."

"So be it. I will sacrifice everything that makes me who I am if it means, Freyja and Juli will be free of you." Finally seeing an opportunity, Vyn pulled the trigger on the blade, sending a surge of blue energy towards Ares' helmet. It shot fast, echoing across the heavens. Even if Ares managed to dodge the attack, his face was scarred by human technology. Finally revealing his hand, a portal opened up from behind Ares. "Oh... So you're the fucker who put Raf and Gabriel together. Wow, you look uglier than I thought in person." The human hero had made his presence known.

Him. The terrorist of Heaven had breached Heaven's Gate.

"Like my personal touch on your face? Think of it as revenge for getting your dog to mark mine."​

The petty hero wasn't over Gabriel's branding of the roman numeral III on his cheek. While forced apart from Rafaela, he made the most of his time being a thorn in the kami's side. However, it was surprising to the warrior god to see Vyn be the one to introduce heaven's greatest enemy into their realm. It was meant to be their only safe haven from the most menacing of humans. To have him there was to see the god of commitment commit to the ultimate sin. "I told you before, Ares. I'm not going to let you touch them."

"Some promises mean more than others. To those that mean the most to me, I'm willing to forsake anything..."

"...Even Heaven itself."
​

Hidden underneath his armor on a chain bound around his neck was the cure to Freyja's illness. It was a human invention created by Sen himself. In exchange for working with Sen at a chance at revenge against one of the main gods who caused his torture, the human hero promised to create the remedy to her eternal sleep. Both had seen value in each other's words and acts, leading to a formidable pact to be created between two unalike species. "Vyn. Get going. I'll handle this fuck for as long as I can and inflict as much damage as I could." Sen turned on a bubble shield resistant to electric magic as well as divine energy. Looking at his watch, he noted the time counting down before another portal was to draw him back out. "Save your girl with the time you have left. She's gonna miss you and I don't want you to leave without being able to tell her goodbye. Trust me. You'll regret it." Seeing himself in Vyn, he offered the god his finest regards before turning back to Ares. "This is for Raf, you conniving divine bitch."

Taking off with his wings, Vyn rushed towards her keep, flying as fast as he could despite the impending collision with her wooden windows. He knew it was only a matter of time before Heaven found out about his sins against the kami and casted its judgment on him. Even with the human hero's help, he had a few minutes left. As such, he was going to make the most of it.

Breaking through her window into her bedroom, Vyn collided with the wooden floor covered in splinters. "Shit..." The many wounds Ares inflicted on his body had made it difficult for him to land with grace. Though with the time component in mind, he didn't have a moment to waste to reel in pain. His adrenaline was more than enough to serve as a worthy painkiller while blood dripped on the floor behind him. Approaching her sleeping body, the wounded god reached into his armor to draw the flash that held her healing solution. "Forgive me if the taste isn't to your liking." Unscrewing the cap, he carefully held her mouth open as he spilled the medicine down her lips. "There." He sighed in relief, before sitting on the bed beside her.

As the medicine made its way through her body, it rejuvenated her with energy that was beyond cosmic. Aether had flowed through her veins for a moment, giving her body a cyan glow for a short moment before it ended. Seeing her eyes move underneath her eyelids, her past lover and best friend reached towards her right hand and held it with both of his. "Good morning Freyja. Welcome back." His blood ran down her skin as he held her. "I don't have much time left in this world before I'm banished, but I wanted to tell you that I missed you and that I love you."

Watching his body glow, he knew that the greater kami of order were beginning to track his location. He was discovered to have broken one of the testaments of Heaven. "I cut a deal with a human in exchange for your mind to return to your body, and I'm so happy it worked." The clouds below them rumbled as Ares and Sen fought nearby. "Promise me to take care of Juli for me in my absence. She deserves someone she could trust... And I trust you." Looking into the eyes of the kami who taught him passion, he withdrew the necklace that her medicine was attached to and wrapped it around her neck. "Keep her and yourself safe from Ares for me, alright?" Seeing his own body become translucent as the kami had prepared to banish him for his misdeeds, he brought his face close to offer her his last regards. His eyes were shining, watery from the tears he held back to avoid wasting time. It was clear that he was at his most genuine, acting on the passion she instilled in him so long ago. Hugging her and closing his eyes, he pressed his head against her own like they used to when they were kids.

"You don't have to love me. I don't expect you to, nor do I need you to."

"But I love you. That's my truth. Take care of yourself, Freyja. Goodbye."​

In a flash of light, he disappeared. The god who became her best friend; The god who learned how to love and was rejected by her; The god who managed to keep his promise of coming back to her after the war ended was gone. Left behind was his necklace, made using the vines and flowers of the forest they called home. It was a birthday gift that reached its heartfelt recipient.

Can you feel the light inside?
Can you feel that fire?​

 

[Tenzai]

Violyn Freyja's Former Flame #f5b03f​

Amnesia - a partial or total loss of memory. ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴋʏ. ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

"Hey Vio, you ever wonder what the heavens are like? I heard it's wonderful."

"Calli, paradise is where you are. I'd rather spend an eternity with you than anywhere else."​

"Everything else doesn't matter to me." As the two watched the sun dip below the horizon, Calliope, Vio's adopted, had struck conversation to idle away their time together. Hidden from their responsibilities to their recovering village, the pair relaxed in a field of tall grass free from the ruined skyscrapers that would ordinarily pollute their view of the sky back home, enjoying the feeling of the cool breeze and bathing in the afterglow of the sunset. It was here where they found their little slice of heaven, the only piece of the galaxy they felt like they could call their own. "I'd hold time if I could." He smiled, stroking the natural debris that collected on her strands. "For you, I'd reach out and hold the sun still so I could enjoy this sunset with you forever."

"But Vio, don't you ever think about the galaxy out there? I'm sure there are worlds that beat ours!" Calli eyes were starstruck, watching as the clouds parted to reveal all that the sun above failed to mask. To the girl that had yet to see space herself, there was a universe out there full of opportunity and adventure. Behind every star and station above was another memory waiting for them to make. Free from the fears of being in a galaxy at war, her innocent and naive eyes were full of hope. "I can't wait til I learn how to fly so I could take you everywhere." She responded to his head pat by grabbing his hand, massaging it with both of her own and squeezing it to remind him that she was there. "Maybe if I showed you that the galaxy isn't such a scary place, you won't be scared anymore."

Shaking his head, her guardian appeared content with the life they led here. "I don't think there's anything left out there for me, Calli. I apologize if that's not what you want to hear, but this is my home now." While it may have been a barren planet once reputed to be the capital world of humanity, he didn't feel at fear here. His world's soft and gentle weather that knew no natural catastrophe, while boring, had given him a sense of peace. He didn't have to worry about some alien species harboring hatred over him for things well beyond his control nor did he have to concern himself with the dramatic politics that came with being human. Here, he was free to be who he is without consequence. Here, he wouldn't be punished for how he felt or how he acted. Here, with Calli, he felt like he had all he needed. He had a purpose. He had a home. He had safety.

While the kami might have stripped his mind of its memories, forcing him to live as one of the people he crafted a deal with, Vio's soul did not forget what he lost. Hidden in dreams and revealed in nightmares, he saw their faces. He heard their voices. He knew their names. Though, whenever he would seek to remedy his mind, the people who meant the most to him were always out of reach. This was his divine punishment, to relive his memory in his sleep only to forget them once again. If the galaxy could force him to succumb to a fate like this one, then it was not a place worth exploring. At least, he wouldn't have any more nightmares if he chose to dwell here, or so he believed. "I don't need to know what the stars have to offer me when I already have enough." His voice appeared strained this time.

"But maybe you could find someone nice too."

"Someone like the nice lady you keep calling when you're sleeping."​

"W-what are you talking about?" Vio was confused. "Are you talking about the village elder? I get it if I say her name sometimes when I sleep but-" Calli shook her head. "Freyja. I hear you mumble sometimes about her. You talk to her lots when you're sleeping. Who is she?" His eyes had glowed faintly for the moment. "I'm afraid, I don't who you're talking about, Calli." As he searched his mind for that name, all he could come up with was blanks. "Then why are you crying, Vio? Don't tell me you're hiding something from me! Its not nice if you are! You told me you'd always tell the truth! You promised!"

"I promise I'm not. I just..." Her guardian reached towards his cheek, feeling tears drop outside of his intention. "... Maybe its just allergies. Don't worry about it okay?" His heart sunk. Try as he might to learn magic that could aid him in his sleep, the dreams had always came back to him in full clarity. No drug, spell, nor prayer had seemed to make his pain go away. The only solace he found was that, when he would awake, he wouldn't remember. "I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression of me, but it's not what it looks like."

"I never met a Freyja..."

"...I'd be lying if I told you I did."​

Violyn's eyes spoke with conviction. His voice was unfettered by the masking of his honesty. This was what he truly believed. "The only Freyja I know of is the god that the demons and angels worship, the Goddess of Passion and Fertility. I don't think it's her who you're talking about." Sitting himself up, he scooched over to Calli's side, finally seeing the sun give way to the stars himself. Rising above the horizon was the sight of the frost moon, the blue orb in which many frost demons had pledged allegiance to. "Besides, I doubt she'd take an interest in someone like me anyways." The mere thought of a kami being so absorbed in an ordinary mortal's affairs was an alien idea. If a kami were ever to greet him in person, he presumed it would be to bring upon the apocalypse, let alone for any other much more cordial reason. "She'd have much more pressing things to worry about."

With the stars above, he knew that their time alone was up. It would be soon that their village elder would signal in the sky for their return and he would be damned if he came back empty handed. "Now come on, Calli. Let's grab something before we go home. Unless, you're interested in getting yelled at, that is." Her guardian extended a hand down to pull her, picking her up from her rest. "Aww... Already? Fine." She grumbled, stretching her limbs. However, before she could gather her bearings, she noticed that the sky they had grown accustomed to had a few new stars which were growing evermore brighter. "Vio? What's that?" Sensing impending dread, immediately Vio grabbed her to shield her with his body. "Calli!" The strange stars above had sparked with flame, breaking through the atmosphere of the planet. Whatever was coming was going to land near them. Throwing the both of them into the ground, he reduced their exposed surface, only to be met with an explosion that rocked the ground nearby them.

Divine Comets. They were the sign of arriving paladins.

Heaven's Anointed Enforcers. ​

To humanity, the paladins weren't a fond sight. Even though they held humans within their ranks, their main purpose was to serve as the will of the Divine, regardless of if that same will worked to the detriment of the progress of their own species. Once their deployment pod had crashed-landed on the human planet, a squad made up of the non-angelic vanguard had made their presence known. With a sudden burst of air that came with the opening of their door, a team of paladins were met with the sight of two humans, one covered in scrapes and debris from their pod's sudden impact. "Halt! Lest you want the kami to judge the fate of your soul." It appeared that even now, Vio was not offered the mercy of peace. His punishment was to be served in full despite whatever life he led.

"Great. Out of all the times they had to come..." He cursed his fate, being careful not to speak too harshly to avoid inducing anxiety in his adopted or anger in the strangers too soon. "Lay low and stay here okay? I'll make sure you get out of this safe." Lifting himself off the ground, Vio approached the paladins as they drew their rifles and blades his way. "Relax. I'm not here to fight needlessly. What do you want?"

Upon seeing him unarmed, the paladins began to approach. The wolf leader of the small team walked in front of their pack. "By decree of the god Ares himself, this planet and all who inhabit it are now considered under the dominion of Heaven." Believing himself to be superior to the human, the wolf licked his lips as he gazed over the pair. "And you and your friend there look like a delicious offering. You're under arrest for obstructing the will of the divine." Turning to his companions, he gave a tilt of his head, causing one of them to draw two pairs of cuffs. "Capture them but don't hurt them. I want to have my taste before anyone else does." As the paladins approached, a shaft of light materialized at Vio's fingertips, forging a spear of light and thunder.

"Don't you fucking dare take one step closer."

"I promise you, it'll be the last step you take."​

 

[Tenzai]

Chemical The President of the Gaming Club #d36563​

Are we still friends? Was it my fault? ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ? | ᴛʏʟᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴏʀ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

Please leave a message after the tone.

"Chem, she's not gonna pick up."​

Resting his head on the desk in his bedroom, the incubi president of Noctua's gaming club gave an exhausted sigh. With his phone on speaker relaying the result of his call to his closest companions beside him, all they could do was offer their sympathies and advice to help him move on. "I don't see why you're that into her anyways. I'm sure you know the main reason why she joined the gaming club in the first place... Like most of the girls and guys who choose to sign up, right? Your club's reputation for being THE place where you could find others down-to-fuck isn't based on a lie you know?" Sitting on the desktop beside him was his sister, Azure, the succubi, kickboxing champion known for being down to earth with those around her.

She shook her head, watching as a pool of dark tears drenched the surface of her brother's dark-wooden desktop. "Just be happy that you didn't get too involved with her before she showed her true colors. Besides, you gotta have higher standards for yourself." She patted him on the head, reassuring him of his value. "You're not as bad as you think, Chem. Trust me. There are wayyy worse guys than you. If she wants to be with multiple incubi, so be it. Good for her, but that's not what you're looking for! You told her what you wanted before getting into a relationship with her and she agreed to your terms."

"If she's so selfish that she'd cross your boundaries and she can't recognize what you want, she ain't someone worth crying over."

"All she did was prove that she can't make you happy. No one who truly loves you would leave you like this."​

"Zure's right, dummy." His club's sleep-paralysis demon vice-president placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on now. Let's get you outta here before you start trying to call her again." Falling victim to cheating himself, he understood well what his best friend's heart was going through. It was unfair, but it was reality. The faster he could help Chemical move on, the better it would be for everyone around him, especially those within the gaming club who stayed true to its original tenets. "Maybe it's for the best that she didn't pick up anyways. I wouldn't want you hearing some other incubi's voice come from the other end of the line."

Try as Nox might to convince his best friend to get up, he couldn't. The fire Chem wielded in front of others which inspired a desire to chase their passion had dimmed after finding out about his partner's infidelity. "But... She was one of my closest friends... Nearly as close as you guys are to me. If it wasn't for all of that... She would have been a part of us. Are we still friends even if it doesn't work out?... Would she still like me if I told her I don't want this?" HIs own self doubt had tarnished his confidence, draining him of his energy and satisfaction with himself. "Was it all my fault? Should I have been better?" He buried his head deeper into his arms, keeping his head away from the light of the moon. He didn't want the dark lords which guided the stars to see him at his most shameful. "I just... I wanted someone to call my own. A best friend that I could love and make happy. Was that too much to ask for?"

Extending his arm forward, Chem reached towards his half empty bottle to take another sip, knocking it down and spilling its contents on the floor. "Shit." He wasted his primary method at dulling the pain. "I'm pathetic, aren't I? For asking way too much of her." Lifting his head, he banged his forehead back down on his desk as punishment for his sorry state. Though, as much as he might have given up on himself, his two companions did not. Azure and Nox turned to each other, silently nodding their heads as if they both agreed on a plan before picking up Chem from his broken-hearted stupor.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?!"

"What does it look like? We're getting you out of here. Duh."​

Each of them were much stronger than the incubi. Combined, Chem stood no chance at resisting their control of his body. He was at the whims of their brightest intentions, both eager to help him out with getting over his loss. "We're gonna get you out of here so you could cry your heart out with a full stomach. Come on, stop fighting already." Helping Azure deal with her resisting brother, Nox grabbed his legs while she slung him over her shoulder. "Maybe we could find you some nice lapin girl or girl bot along the way too. Aren't those your types?" With Chem's body suspended over the ground, his mind wasn't able to focus on hanging in depression. "Az! Let me go!" He bickered, fruitlessly struggling against her muscles. "I'm not gonna be able to move on if you drag me with you! Besides! I'm not even hungry and I'm not in the mood to meet anyone ne-" Getting pissed, she squeezed him between her forearm and her shoulder. "ACH!"

"Then I'm starving and I'm taking you with me whether you like it or not. Nox, you in?" The shadow demon nodded his head, grabbing Chem's phone to take with him. "Hell yeah, let's bounce." He ran over to her side, patting the back of Chem's calves. "Relax, Chem. Don't think we're just gonna go to the closest Maccas again. I found someplace wayyy better. You might like it a lot too."

Using Chem's phone to grab the directions, he tossed it over to Azure to catch with her open hand. "What's this? A cafe?" She tilted her head, curious about the recommendation. "It was a high rated one run by a few heroes apparently. Heard that there was a bougie arcade and a really good bar installed on it too." He gave a smug grin, proud of his own discovery. "Like hell I'm gonna miss out on eating at someplace like that. Come on, Chem. Cheer up. If you gotta drown your sorrows, do it at a place that'll serve you much better drinks than here." He reached towards the spilled bottle, noting the brand. "I'm sure, everything they have on sale beats Slam. Gosh. Slam? Really Chem?" Nox spoke with sympathy and understanding, more wary of Chem's feelings than his sister was. "Drinks are on me, okay? I'll cover all of us. At least, we could enjoy our time and hang out like we used to, right?"

"This place looks better than the shitholes we usually hang out at. Good shit, Nox!" Azure gave him a fist bump. "A sparring gym too? I wonder if they host events. Maybe I could use it as an excuse to see all the high tech shit they got on board... You think I could beat one of the heroes in a sparring match?" With their plans set in motion, they closed the door to their apartment behind them. The three were childhood friends that went way back together. First meeting each other in an elementary school in Hell, ever since, they've grown inseparable. Even after their parents passed away, they found family in each other. For them, Noctua was just another chapter in their life to experience together, both the good and the bad. "You fucking wish. My money's on the heroes but... I don't think that'll stop you from trying." Despite his heart being blown out, Chem couldn't deny that he wasn't alone. Even at his lowest, he was still a part of a family who deeply cared for him. Muttering under his facemask to avoid stroking their egos, he shed a tear before relenting in his struggle against his sister's grip.

'... Thanks guys. I don't know what I'd be without you.'​

 

[Tenzai]

Akua The Orca Pirate Mercenary #ef8f4d​

"You proud of me yet, mom?" ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴘʀᴏᴍɪꜱᴇ | ʟᴀᴜꜰᴇʏ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

I made a promise to distance myself
Took a flight, through aurora skies

Honestly, I didn't think about how we didn't say goodbye
Just see you very soon

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"I hate how the stars remind me of how much I miss you."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

With the Reunification Wars now coming to an end and most of the stars within the galaxy now aligned with the empress' vision, the orca pirate had leaned on a guard rail gazing at the skies above, taking a smoke break away from her crew. Without the rain of artificial thunder booming over the atmosphere, the galaxy at peace was able to display its beauty in all of its magnificence. Back when she was nothing more than a child with a wanderlust for the stars, she remembered how much her mother would talk of all the constellations that decorated the skies over their home planet. Behind every star pattern were many worlds far different from her own, each brimming with life of all kinds never before seen nor imagined by the curious child.

"She would have killed to see a sight like this one." Akua muttered to herself, taking another puff of her e-cig. Her mother was the one who taught the young orca how to dream big. As a single mother who tried her best to fulfill the role of two parents, she hoped to instill a sense of ambition by teaching her about how vast the skies would be to potentially inspire a thirst for exploration. Though, Akua doubted that she would have entertained the idea of the person who she chose to become. Inspired by Levy, Rio, and Sen, Akua chose to live a life of no regrets, pursuing happiness and fulfillment with aggression; Even dueling and winning against many she shouldn't have been fighting in the first place. "But it's not like she'd miss me anyways."

Before Akua left her home to sign up for the imperial navy, she remembered the argument that two got into. It was over something petty like finding someone meant for her. While she understood where her mother was coming from when bringing up her criteria for a partner, Akua didn't want anyone else to dictate her fate at the time. She was rebellious. In that pursuit of wishing to choose her own destiny, she unfortunately hurt the woman who meant the most to her. Sighing at her own regrets, she took another puff to take the edge off. "Maybe she'd forgive me if I came back and apologized. Oh, who am I kidding, I'm a fucking wreck."

"Apologize to who?" The sound of her boss' voice surprised the orca. "Gah, what the fuck!" Drawing her pistol towards the sound, she saw Levy's eyes and dorky smile illuminate from her shadow. Gasping to recollect her breath, Akua hilted her weapon before placing a hand on the guard rail. "Mother of kami, Levs. You gotta calm down with that. Someone else might blast you!... Again." Dressed as a gothic lolita with a pirate hat, Levy hopped out of her shadow. She cared little for the thoughts and opinions of others. Out of everyone else in the navy, both hero and otherwise, she was arguably the happiest. "But whyyy? I like surprising you, Akua! Think of me like a gift!" The ghostly doll hopped onto the guard rail, balancing on its edge as though it was a tightrope. "Besides, I like your shadow anyways! It's really cozy in there, you know? A lot warmer than Mr. Grumpypants and Timmy!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"But that's besides the point, what gotcha feeling blue?"

"... My mom."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Akua turned away to avoid revealing weakness to her captain through her glimmering eyes. Holding back a tear, she sniffed the tides of her salt back to avoid them breaching her barrier. The orca hated feeling so vulnerable in public, especially in front of someone she respected. However, she wasn't the type to lie either. There was strength in honesty. For the pirate, it was a tenet of her warrior code. "Sometimes I think about her whenever I look at the stars like this. Makes me wonder whether we're sharing the same sky."

To avoid ever hurting anyone the same way she did her mom, Akua aspired to live and act out the genuine feelings of her heart. Taking no moment again for granted, she became the face of her crew, someone that Levy could trust as her second-in-command. "I've heard that she got hurt in a fall while I was gone. Lost her ability to move. I send her money to take care of the bills and all, but even then... I really hate the feeling of disappointing her by being me, you know?" Her tone dropped further, the more she thought about her. It was clear that this was one of the orca's biggest insecurities. "I'm far from perfect. Every time I think of her, I keep thinking of how far away I've strayed from what she expected."

Levy was quick to note the change from her typical demeanor. In front of others, Akua was a soldier who did nothing but smile or get pissed. To see her so vulnerable, sharing the truth that she was sad over nostalgia; It was enough to make the undead heroine serious, even if it was just for the moment. "I don't think you've disappointed her, Akua. Didn't you say that this was a sight she would have killed for?" Levy looked up at the passing of a massive star, shining brighter than the moon of their planet. "Well... Yeah." Placing a hand on the orca's shoulder, the haunted doll pulled her into a hug and patted her on her back.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Then I think she would be proud of you. You helped make this view a reality."

"What do you mean, Levs?"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Akua stared down into her commander's eyes, curious as to what is motivating these kind words. She was known for her pranks. "Don't... Fuck with me right now, alright? Now's not the time." Shaking her head and refusing Akua's assumption, Levy reaffirmed her stance. "I'm not." Her eyes traced over Akua's scars, well aware of all she gave to help this planet find peace. "You've brought her a world where she could live in peace. Can't you see that? Take a look around you." Nearby, the orca found parents walking with their children past craters in the ground. With lanterns held tightly in their little hands, she could see that the locals were preparing for a festival.

"These kids. These parents. This world? It has a future thanks to us. Even in your home world too, don't forget that." Feeling tears run down her shoulder, Levy had found her words reaching her mark. "There, there. It's okay. I'm here. If you ever need a reminder of just how special you are, I'm here, Akua." A moth child approached the two girls with a couple lanterns in hand. "H-hey, you two are the heroes, right?" Before Akua had a chance to refute, Levy smirked and nodded her head. "Yeah, we are. What's up little guy?" The child offered the lanterns as gifts. They were handmade, created while the battle raged for their planet. "These are for you. Promise lamps! I uh... Made extra for you so you could join us! All you have to do is make a promise, light the lantern, and let it go! I'm sure whoever you're thinking of would hear it."

"Well, you heard him, hero." Returning back to her typical bubbly self, Levy whispered a promise to herself before lighting her candle. Holding it above the guardrail, she watched as the other lanterns nearby had drifted towards the direction of the passing star, as though the star was going to take their promises with them into the cosmos. "Hurry up, Akua! I don't want you to miss out!" The moth child and his parents did the same, lighting their own lanterns and letting them go before handing the orca their lighter. Closing her eyes, Akua walked towards the edge by Levy's side, whispering to herself as she let her regrets go.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"You proud of me yet, mom? I became a hero, and I wanna be yours too."

"If you can't reach the stars, I'll bring the stars down for you. I promise."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It hurts to be something
It's worse to be nothing with you​

 

[Tenzai]

Able The Summoned Demon Dishwasher #B8312F​

"Don't say sorry. I understand." ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴏᴋᴀʏ? | ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘ ᴛᴏᴋᴇɴ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

And don't you know, I can see it in you even now
And don't you know, I want to help you but I don't know how

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Hey Sev. It's getting cold and you forgot your blanket in the wash-"

Splashes of crimson stained the bar counter. He was thinking of her again.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Running towards his old friend and dropping the cleaned fabric, Able grabbed Sev's wrist forcefully, turning his palm upward to look underneath the vampire's arm. "... Sev. You were thinking of her again, weren't you?" Unlike the newer members of the crew, Able knew the true purpose of Sev's long, airy robes. He didn't wear it for comfort. He wore them to mask the bandages wrapped underneath. His hidden canvas was littered with signs of his pain. Written into his skin were painful memories of his family and his old crew. Once bringing him happiness, they were now contorted into additional hooks for his mistakes and regrets to cause him grief. His intense assassin training had made him resilient to physical pain; However, after being taught to love, he was just as vulnerable as anyone else to emotional trauma. He didn't deserve to lose his family, not like that.

The woman who taught him how to love in which he wished to make his wife and the mother of his children was gone. The only daughter he parented who was rescued from a terrible home was dead. His old friends were missing and his old crew were written off as casualties in a betrayal gone wrong. None of it was what he asked for. All he wished to do was to retire in peace. Try as he might, he couldn't escape the feeling that this fate was his fault for becoming complacent. Was it wrong for him to love? Was it wrong for him to set aside the goals of his masters to pursue a life of his own? Was it wrong for him to seek peace now that the war had come to its end? These tormenting thoughts haunted his mind and no one else knew this better than the demon holding his arm. "Don't worry about it, Able. Its... Its just the blood wine. I'll clean it up after I'm done here. Promise."

Seeing the hero he followed for most of his life be reduced to such a state, lying in order to make the last member of his original family feel better, it made Able angry. He knew how much Sev lost. He was there fighting alongside the last of his crew in his final stand against the forces that sought to break them. Yet even now, despite all they went through together, of both highs and lows, he still chose to follow his best friend. After seeing the miraculous feats Sev was able to accomplish by pursuing his dream, the summoned demon mercenary sought to bring forth that dream into reality, even in the post war. "You and I both know that's fucking bullshit." He growled, uncaring about Sev's sensitivity. His heart pounded in his chest as he grasped Sev's other arm, revealing the tanto he hid on his body as it fell to the floor. "Was this what they would have wanted? People got hurt for you Sev. Some even DIED for you! Just so you could see a world without war and live out your dream. They didn't sacrifice themselves... For this." Able's mind immediately thought of Hecate.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"And this is how you fucking repay them?"

"You think, I don't know that already?"​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Sev grasped Able's wrist, gripping it with righteous anger. "I've failed them. Me! If they were with any other hero, they'd still be here." As he tried to put pressure on Able, he was quick to notice that his muscles lacked the same pressure that they used to. The wounds inflicted onto him during his final battle had left their lasting marks on his flesh, stubbornly refusing to let him go. If not for the prescribed medicine, its constant aching would have been enough to make his loss never leave his mind. All it took was one loss, one lapse in judgment, for his life's work to break into pieces. "I wasn't strong enough then... I wasn't strong enough to stop her from leaving or strong enough to protect my daughter..."

"I'm too weak. I know that... And I have to make it right." Cursing his own weakness, Sev reached towards his knife to return his mind back to normal. He planned on using a technique instilled upon by his masters to resist temptation and increase control. By defiling one's own body ritualistically as punishment for failure, his mistake would relent in its chains over his mind, or so he thought. No matter how much he could punish himself, the pain never went away. No amount of shed blood would bring back his loved ones. Though, before he was able to reach any further, Able constricted his hero's movements. "So this is your fucking way? Huh? You think hurting yourself is gonna do anything to bring them back?" His best friend had echoed the harsh truth of his soul.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Then what do you suggest I do then?! Huh!"

"What more must I have to give to make things right?"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Sev threw Able back, his fists clenched from the anger directed at himself. No therapy or drug could save him. Chasing everything that could dull the pain, Sev couldn't stop himself from waking up into this reality. Every morning was another morning away from his family living the dream of his dead daughter. With every day that passed was another day he grew further apart from their memory. To Sev, it felt like a sin to be alive. "I should've died then, Able! I should've... I don't know why I'm still here anymore." Able grumbled, lifting himself from the ground. "I don't have the fucking answers... But." Without giving Sev a chance to react, Able threw a punch at his chin, knocking him to the ground before shooting more blows to his cheek. "Pain isn't it. If you wanna be hurt, fine. Let me hurt you. Let me show you how fucking pointless it is. If you're so fucking mad at yourself, take it out on me!"

After the first blow landed, Sev's brain went on autopilot. Instead of using its resources to hate himself further, he began to throw back blows of his own, striking Able in the liver, chest, and neck. Once made subject to Sev's anger, Able's body ragdolled against the nearby chairs and tables, becoming bruised all over. This was more than a sparring match. This was Sev at his most frustrated. Finding this to be a battle taken seriously, Able grabbed a nearby chair and crashed it over Sev's body, causing the metal to fragment once he met his mark. Though Sev recoiled for a moment, he quickly recovered and used his gravity magic to slam Able against another cafe table, sending him through the reinforced steel. Their brawl was less of an even fight and more of Able being Sev's punching bag despite landing a few hits in between. However, with time as the cafe was made a mess, Able recognized that relieving Sev's stress would get him back to a state where he was willing to listen. If it worked for himself, it must work for the hero too.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Finally feeling better now, Sev?"

"... Yeah. I'm..."​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Don't say you're sorry. I understand." By the time they were finished, both men were sprawled on the floor, looking at the ceiling together. "Besides, if I couldn't take your punches, am I really worthy of being called your best friend? What's a friendship without a few fights, right?" Able chuckled as he withdrew a cig from his jacket, lighting it up before puffing it in the air. Before Sev could mention anything about it, Able was quick to react. "And don't tell me I shouldn't fucking smoke in here. Give me a break, won't ya? My body hurts all over and the cafe's a mess." He lifted his head towards his vampire counterpart, rolling his eyes. "I expected you to hit me, but to use goddamn magic, Sev? Now that's unfair. Next time, I'm shadow punching you if you pull some shit like that again."

"... Thank you, Able." The demon raised a confused eyebrow. "For what? Making you mad?" Sev shook his head. "For bringing me back. I don't think I could have done that without you." Seeing his hero return back to the way he was, Able's voice grew compassionate. Leaving his usual snark at the door, he placed a hand on his shoulder and slid himself over to the vampire's side. In truth, Able saw Sev as the crew's father. He was there for them at their lowest, recruiting them into a home they could make their own while giving them a chance to become a part of something they could be proud of. He never let them fight their battles alone either, doing the best he could to support them whether that be as a friend or as a mentor. While the galaxy might have been full of heroes, to his new family, he was the only one that mattered.

"Don't mention it. Just don't forget, you're not alone. You got me and you got the other guys all rooting for you too. Don't give up and don't treat yourself this badly again, okay? Unless you want me and the other guys to jump you back to normal again." Able's threat had allowed his humor to pierce the veil of loss, reaching Sev's heart and causing him to smile. "Of course, Able. Thanks for reminding me. I'll be sure to let you and the others get a few hits in before I send you all through a wall or floor." With the air around them now finding its calm, the demon's voice had reduced itself to no more than a whisper.​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

​

"... I miss them too, you know? Let's try to move on for their sake."​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

And I, I cannot fix your wounds this time
But I, I don't believe you when you tell me you are fine

Please don't hurt yourself again
Just please don't hurt yourself again​

 

[Tenzai]

Queen Asteria The Eleventh Hero, The Pale Queen of the Lyraea #f8eaee​

"I got bored, what can I say?" ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴘʟᴀʏɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ | ʙᴇᴀ ᴍɪʟʟᴇʀ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

Who told you what was down here?
Come along if you wanted a peek
I've seen your face around here
Come alone, tell me under the table. What do you seek?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Welcome to the Lyraea

The Playground of the Ancient & Undying

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Life always finds a way.​

Behind every star lies opportunity for life. For as long as light and heat was in proximity, the kami assumed that there was enough for life to exist. However, deep inside the dark lie countless astral bodies long forgotten by the creators of existence. Behind every collision of one space rock with another, every supernovae bringing an abrupt end to all that unfortunately resided within its radius, every space battle where massive ordinance had cracked the very crust of which planet lie within their crosshairs, came space debris which untangled from their home system's gravitational well. It was these countless, roaming, unassuming rocks of which no living organism took much value in where the undead had decided to make their home.

Souls forsaken by the kami of their people, refused access to heaven or hell whether by their own choice or the choice of the divine, were known colloquially by the other resident species of the galaxy as the undead. While called the same, their kind varied greatly. Every species, for as long as it had the potential to manifest a soul, could be turned undead. Forced to live an empty existence, instead of choosing to waste the rest of eternity away, these people had instead decided to indulge themself into their passions with full intensity. For many, it was a night life with no consequences. Undead don't get hangovers. They don't get addictions nor do they have to worry about little things like disease, hunger, or exhaustion. As a result, many of their stations and planets are known to have a very active entertainment industry where the party is rumored never to end.

For a rare few on the other hand, their passions, now unfettered by the limitations of the living, had led to undead prodigies to exist within their midst. From undead humans came many scientists pushing the forefront of what's possible for their species. From undead beastkin came legendary mercenaries who feared no death nor pain. From undead fae and elementals came magic that allowed the impossible to be possible. From undead angels and demons existed an odd pact where, brought together by a shared infinity, they chose to set their differences aside regardless of what Heaven and Hell decided for them. If the divine and the hellion refused to accept their souls into oblivion, then they would create an oblivion of their own design, free from the influence of those who knew little about their fate. Regardless of their shared fate however, there still existed disagreements between them. There needed to be leadership in order to unite the otherwise unruly band of passionate pleasure-seekers and there was none better than Queen Asteria.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The Pale Queen of the Lyraea

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Ordered Chaos

Adopted by a powerful undead angel and demon couple ruling a pocket of empty space, Asteria was quick to learn the strength of order and the power of chaos. While the two ideas contrasted greatly from one another, by gaining an understanding and a respect for both, she developed her own system of ordered chaos. Where angels, demons, fae, and vampires had failed in unifying the undead under one banner, she was able to attract undead of all kinds to her pocket of space by offering a system they could fit well in. It appeared easy enough: In exchange for any redeemable service, she offered a home and safety.

Her home, once an empty rock colonized by large mushrooms that fed off of passing stardust from nearby comets, eventually grew into a fortress world where most of its development occurred far underground. Fed by a constant sea of light and color from the roots of the giant mushrooms above which fed into powerful hydroelectric dams, they had created a heaven within the remote void where only the most powerful and influential knew of their existence. Seeing how much their daughter was able to accomplish within such a short period of time, her parents relinquished their titles for her to inherit alone: The title of Queen.

In the many centuries of peace that made up their golden age, jokingly named by her people as the Pax Necromana, she grew bored. What was wealth and power to the lady that never lived without it? What was there more to gain by remaining there in her neon palace, their perfect figurehead? While her people were undoubtedly loyal and her city was prospering beyond any other undead stronghold, Asteria's ambitions had turned her eyes to the stars. Where the light graced the living was where her curiosity began to lie. Listening to the rumors of war, she became engrossed with inner-galaxy politics. While her people failed to change much within a century, the organics that sought ambition were rapidly shifting week by week. It was an engaging storyline that had yet to begin, an opportunity to make memories begging to be taken.

Upon hearing of the fantastical tales about the galaxy's "heroes", she felt emboldened to become one of them. Too excited to wait any longer, the queen put out a recruitment ad for all who were willing to make history alongside her. Though, while she expected a few hundred to heed her call, instead, a great number of souls were driven by her summoning. This was the first for many since she called them to the Lyraea that she genuinely asked for help. Given all that she did to transform their eternities into a future they could look forward to, it was only right that they would pursue her dreams further as a way of showing their respect and gratitude to their undead queen. Driven, she sent several fleets towards the side of the war she thought was more interesting, the one being led by the slave that was soon to become empress. After hearing tales of the vampire couple, the human and his hidden angelic rendezvous, and the tale of the two dragons, she sought to meet them herself.​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"No fucking way, you're a queen, Levs. Don't think I'm gonna fall for a lie that obvious."

"It's true! Ask my crew!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Why would I do that when they're in on it?" Standing underneath the shade of a purple tree under lavender skies, Rio and Levy sat against the tree's trunk. "Maybe a lie like that might work on someone like Ex. Maybe even Raf, but me? Nah. You're not gonna make me look like an idiot." The eleventh hero was known for pulling pranks and masking the truth under a thousand white lies. It was a part of her nature to tease them. Having so many of the galaxy's powerful in one place was a dream come true. They were all exactly as the rumors spoke of them to be, in character and in ability. "Well, suit yourself. Don't blame me when you find out you're wrong~" Levy stuck her tongue out and winked.

"What? You're telling me that you have a palace." Nodding her head, Levy reaffirmed Rio's guess. "Yup! It glows in the dark too!"
​

"And the people there, they call you and treat you like a queen?" Nodding her head again, Levy smiled. "Yeah! They're a lot more respectful than you think!"
​

"So if you're a fucking queen, why the hell did you decide to come here and fight? Can't you just oh... I don't know. Stay there and give orders like every other normal noble?" Levy chuckled, finding her reaction adorable. Even though she appeared as one of the youngest of the heroes, Levy was arguably around the same age as Sev, living for generations beyond those who existed today. "I got bored, what can I say?" She scratched her cheek, revealing her easy-going nature that she only showed those she trusted in private. "I saw you guys out here having so much fun shooting things and blowing things up and I wanted to join! Heard your stories and decided I wanted to make them with you guys too!"

"Bored? You were fucking bored?" Rio did not understand infinity. While her human brain knew of the concept, to actually live it was something alien to her. "Isn't there some other sort of hobby you could have done that wasn't dangerous... Like uh... Quilting or knitting?" She brought up the first thing to mind, only to be met with the sight of a handmade handkerchief. "Did it. It was cool for the first fifty or so years but... It wasn't exciting." Rio thought up another. "What about gaming?" Levy shook her head. "Hundred years, never again. Some stuff is cool but like, have you ever played with an undead human? If no, then don't. They'll ruin it for you." She shivered at the past memory, aware of how much toxicity could grow over infinity. "Writing? Drawing? Sculpting?" Levy nodded her head over and over again.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

​

"I did a lot of things before, but this?"

"Being a hero and exploring the galaxy? All of it is new to me!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

​

Welcome to the playground, follow me
Tell me your nightmares and fantasies
Sink into the wasteland underneath
Stay for the night, I'll sell you a dream​

 

[Tenzai]

Empress Galena The Human-Fae Slave Princess #b53840​

"For my people. Everything." ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴄᴀᴛᴀꜱᴛʀᴏᴘʜᴇꜱ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʟᴀᴍɪᴛʏ | ᴅᴍ ᴅᴏᴋᴜʀᴏ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Princess, do you believe this to be wise to continue? We have a chance to turn back."

"The end is in sight, Sebastian. I don't doubt my faith in you all."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Hidden under the darkness of storm and night, the heroes stood in a field of snow awaiting their final orders from their empress. Standing in front of them was the outline of the final stronghold of the last emperor, a reality bender that ruled the galaxy for ages under an iron fist. With his rule in contention, slave princess Galena marched forth through the blistering storm. Through the herculean efforts of her heroes combined, those lucky enough to be assigned to her on this special mission were able to deliver their powerful empress close to the final bastion that stood in the way of peace in the new age. However, with the storm afoot, there was not much they could do. They only had one opportunity to take their enemy by surprise. Should they waste this moment, it was likely that there wouldn't be a second chance without greater sacrifice.

Careful not to throw away this opportunity, the heroes thought of the best course of action. Among the first to speak up was Sebastian, however, as though willed by the kami who supported her vision, the empress stood steadfast in her faith in her choices. Unlike her enemy's own ranks, these heroes were not chosen from mere nepotism or self-interest but rather merit. As such, they came from all over the galaxy, holding a host of different opinions, breaking away the once strongly held belief that unity between these vastly unique races was a pipe dream. The men and women that stood in front of her were proof that her vision could become reality. "I'm sure you understand how much work had gone into this moment. Take pride that your brothers, your sisters, your people, and your friends have granted us an opportunity to change this galaxy for the better. I trust in you all with my life."

"You trust us, princess? Is that some sort of joke? I doubt that we're well prepared for this. He's a fucking reality bender." Sen brought up his hesitance. Still bearing the mark of his failure, he understood that there was never too much caution. Surprises existed in every corner, potentially influencing the battle without one's knowledge. "We'll deal with it, Sen. Like we always do." Rio crossed her arms. "If a reality bender's limits is their imagination, then I don't think we have anything to worry about." She turned her gaze towards the castle. "It doesn't take much to come up with a fucking tower. If you have the power to rival gods, make something cool with it, you know? Not something as basic as... This." Instead of seeing it from a logical point of view, she addressed their enemy from an emotional point. "Besides, don't you think you'd be proud of getting one over Gabe? You know damn well, he'd fume if you got credit for this kill." Sen chuckled, shaking his head as he relented. "I guess you're right. If it means, he could stay mad. Fuck it. I'll bring down this asshole myself."

"Well, either we die old or we die fighting one hell of a battle." Val's clones stretched his arms for him, each bruised and battered from the fights until now. "I don't plan on leaving after coming all this way, empress. Promise me that Flan will get taken care of if something does happen to me and I'll promise you that I won't go out without a fight. Oh! And I expect my fucking name on a wall after this is all said and done." Ex on the other hand had his avatars repaired after their short rest. "If anything happens, I'll be sure to take care of her for you, Val. I swear it." Giving his bonded brother a short fist bump, the two beastkin eyed the top of the tower. "But if you go down before my bots do, I'm totally judging you for the rest of my life." Val chuckled, finding his challenge cute. "In your fucking dreams, Ex. Your bots would never outlast me. Never in a hundred thousand years."

Gemini raised his mecha's banner, planting it into the ground in front of him. It bore the insignia of the empress. "My wife did not die for us to stop here, Sev." His voice was stricken with pain, causing Rio to grow silent. "Neither did many of your own family. Even if death does come for one of us, I won't let the sacrifices of those who left before go in vain. Whether you wish to come with me or not, I'm not stopping here." Sev nodded his head, aware of just how much pain he was going through. "Too much patience is a turn-off, you know? Unless, you wanna disappoint Yan, Sev. Don't you think she wants the father of her kids to be the hero of the galaxy? One of the few lucky men that helped the empress take down the big bad evil?" Nine smirked, appearing from behind the leg of Gemini's mecha before lifting herself up to sit on his shoulder. "Or what about your daughter, Thea. I'm sure she wants to live a normal life too, no? If we beat this emperor down, you'd be able to be with her sooner!"

The vampire mercenary placed a hand on Gemini's mech's shoulder before walking to Galena's side. "Well, we only get a chance to make history once. Why waste this moment? Whether we win or lose, we'll live on forever through stories like the vampires of old." While Six might not have been as open with his emotions, he understood Gem's thoughts. His wife had died during the war, leaving its victory as the vampire's only purpose in living. "If the dead are watching us now, we should aim to make them proud. Doubly so if your family is still alive to watch you, Sev. I pray you never understand what it's like to lose someone so close to you." Ten rolled his eyes at the sight of the heroes convincing those too afraid to push forward. While it was quaint, he hated the idea of sharing his family's name with that of the lesser species. "How about you stay behind and leave the big fights to the better brother, Seven." He stretched his arms against his staff, preparing his catalyst for heavy use. "If you're so scared, don't worry. I'll ensure that our family's legacy is written in the data logs for you."

Salem looked up at the stars above, aware that Rafaela's, Gabriel's, and Levy's fleets were doing their best to distract their enemy enough to grant them this opportunity. "Jun, June." The duo tilted their head, both eyes showing different colors hinting that both of the vampire twins were awake. "What is it? | What's up, Salem? What do you need?" Handing his sketchbook over to the vampire knight, the artist lended them his beloved. "If I don't make it, do me a favor... Please put this sketchbook alongside my others in the Rider." Hidden inside his drawer were sketches of the many worlds he visited during their campaign along with many scenes of his homeland. "I don't want her to find out the truth of what happened to me otherwise if the day comes where I can't see her again." The twin souls nodded their head, taking his book and storing it within their armor as though it was a treasure. "Of course. Only right after you kept June safe. | Oh shut up. I saved him too! | Well, I owe him regardless, dummy. Rest easy, Salem. Your friend is safe with me."

"Don't you have a sister to worry about too, Khaine? The one that designed your armor's aesthetics?" The lapin mercenary hung his rifle around his neck, sitting on a nearby icy rock to take a break from the long march. "She'll be fine whether I'm around or not. Besides, I doubt she'll hold the best opinion of me after going against her request to not come alongside for this mission." He sighed, leaning back against the rocky outcropping. "... I think she'll miss you if you're gone. Don't be stupid okay?" Cleo sat beside him, her eyes glowing with every word she spoke. Unlike the rest of the party, her robotic frame didn't need the same level of protection from the cold. "And if she won't, I will. You still owe me dinner after this." Khaine chuckled, finding her attempt at humor despite her deadpan nature cute. "Oh, so that's the reason. If I die, I'm gonna haunt you harder than Levy does already." He shook his head. "Don't worry. I won't make it easy to kill me. Promise."

Iso stood ahead of them all, turning back to the black armored prince. "So what will it be, Sev? You're gonna fight with us or not? I'm not gonna let Korra call me a pussy for wimping out on the final battle so I'm going whether you're coming or not, but I'd like it if you came." The proud dragon spell sword beat his chest in respect, causing the other heroes to turn towards him. It was a rarity among the dragon species to offer such a display to anyone that wasn't of their own species. "No other warriors in the galaxy could command my respect as much as you all. I'm fortunate to have met you and should I meet my end, I could die with no regrets." Sev nodded his head. "If Yan and Thea's happiness lie on the other side of him, then there's no other way but forward." Sev brought himself to his knee, bowing before the princess. "I will bring your dream into fruition, empress. But promise me that your dream would have a place for all of us to live a new life in peace; Our friends, our families, our lovers and companions, and all who follow too."

"Of course. Your people are my people. For my people. Everything."​

Appearing in front of the heroes, the reality-bending, fae emperor clapped his hands at the sight of his enemy uniting the species of the galaxy against him. "Bravo, Galena. Bravo for coming this far. But I expected more of you, for being my kin." The princess drew her blade with her companions following in suit. "The powers that dictate the fate of this galaxy have forsaken you, father." He shook his head, finding the thought of their resistance amounting to something amusing. "So you think this is more than enough to stop me? With your impure blood and these so-called heroes? Fine. Come now. Prove your resolve and defeat me. Let me show you how wrong you truly are for turning your weapons against me." His eyes began to glow with a violet surge of mana. "We could have ruled the galaxy together, but alas. Prove that your vision of the galaxy surpasses my own." As he did, her eyes began to glow with the color of her own: Scarlet as the human blood of her mother backed by the massive power of her father.

"Your reign has come to an end. I will make sure of it."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Your foolish, late mother always held onto her pitiful trait of hubris. Shame you inherited it too."​

The Fae King of Catastrophe, Kami of Calamity.

With a blast of violet, he brought forth oblivion.

"My mother was everything you failed to be, father. I will prove you wrong."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

Prince Dominic The Last Prince of the Fallen Human Empire #5b4ec3​

"Stay true to yourself and never lose your way." ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʟᴇ ᴄᴀʀʀᴏᴜꜱᴇʟ | ᴊᴀᴍᴇꜱ Qᴜɪɴɴ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Rainy day, isn't it, princess?"

"Quite."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Hidden under dark clouds of passing spring rain, a prince and a princess shared a bench that offered shelter from the weather. They were not members of a species resilient to the changing of time and nature. Born into a world where many knew eternity, these two were given the rare opportunity to grow old with each other, taking value in their limited resource of firsts. Humanity by itself was a rarity amongst the stars, an existence to be seen as both a curse and a blessing by the other residents of the galaxy. With a unique understanding of finality, this mediocre and fragile species had brought forth a reality of its own, motivated by time or the lack thereof.

If they cannot survive in an extreme environment, they would seek to change the very environment itself in their favor. Instead of trees and barren landscapes, they sought the safety of sprawling cities and massive stations. If there was something that needed to be changed, they were the first among every species to adopt it, welcoming ingenuity and shifting the status quo for all else. As a result, they were among the soonest to explore the stars since their inception, foregoing their limitations and bringing forth a destiny of their own. While many would seek to deface all that they created, many advances that the galaxy had taken for granted were the result of a human finding a problem and fixing it. Whether it be scientifically, militarily, sociologically, culturally, or more, they were the forerunners that led the rest of the universe forward. Discomfort had delivered them direction. A lack had kept them from being complacent.

It was this imperfect human tenacity to exist and create a fate for themselves beyond what was deemed possible by working together which brought the kami to fear them. It was this leveraging of time that made the beings that knew eternity, both demons and undead, wish to work with them instead of against them. It was this compassion for others that weren't their own which brought the beast kin to ally with them, sharing culture and mixing genetics to bring about the golden age of humanity. If not for the jealousy of the powerful fae realms and the vampire kingdoms, it was likely that the galaxy would look very different today.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Have I told you that I'm getting deployed soon?"

"Really? I thought the war between the fae and humanity were rumors."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

The princess gave her best friend a look of shock. "Why? Why you?" She placed her hand on his shoulder, her eyes conveying a look of worry. Princess Galena was well aware of the strength of her people. If he was sent to battle against them, it was likely that this moment might be the last she would see of him. "My people need me. They need someone to look to for courage and strength. I pray that you never have to do the same." Dominic withdrew a necklace from his shirt, placing it in her hand. It was the other half of her own, a physical manifestation of their sibling-like bond. "Truth be told, Gale. I don't know if I'm coming back. Whether we win or not, things are going to be different between us and I don't want to force you to be my friend if you're ordered to wield your magic and sword against me."

The princess clutched his necklace before forcing it against his chest. "Dom, I will never turn against you. Don't make me do this. Don't make me take this away from us. We deserve better." Afraid, her arms trembled as she fought off his resistance. "You were the one who taught me how to fight; How to wield my sword. Hells, you were the one who taught me how to live. Why this? Why can't we be friends?" The prince was well aware of his best friend's naivety. Her purity was something he wished to protect no matter what. Placing his gloved hands on her own and clutching her fingers closed on his necklace, he politely refused to take his gift back. "Sometimes, the galaxy has a way of making things impossible." He thought of his dad who perished in battle during the first war between humans and vampires. "If you still wish to be friends, then promise me this..." She nodded her head enthusiastically. "Anything. Anything as long as I don't have to fight you."

"Stay true to yourself and never lose your way."
​

"You have a beautiful heart, Galena." Speaking her full name, Dominic wished to make his genuine feelings known. "You seek a world of peace unlike many others in your court. If anything, dreaming of that alone leads me to believe that you would make a great queen one day." He smiled, pushing her hand back gingerly to avoid riling up her innocent anger. She had every right to think this unfair, yet despite her feelings, reality would not change. They were destined to be split apart, separated by the selfish ambitions of nobles who failed to think about the sacrifices of families, friends, and lovers in their pursuit of galactic hegemony. "A queen of mercy and grace. One that recognizes people not for their species but rather their accomplishments and the qualities of their heart. Don't you ever lose that no matter who stands in your way and I promise... That I'll be your friend from now until the eternity after forever."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"I promise. Just... Come back. Please."

"I'll do my best to if you'll miss me that bad. I'll feel bad otherwise."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"I did as you asked, Dominic." The empress stood in front of a quiet grave, still dressed in the armor she defeated her father in. "The galaxy knows peace now... But I'm sorry that I couldn't attain it while you were still around. I'll have to live on your dream... without you." Sinking herself onto her knees, the empress began to sob. "You've done what you could and you kept your promise. Don't blame yourself for what had happened in the past when it was never your fault." Sev placed a hand on the same shoulder Dominic did. "I know... I know that now." She lifted her helmet to face the graveyard without fear. It was thanks to her heart, her endless ambition, and the people who wished to see her dream through that brought forth a galaxy where second lives in the peace could occur. "But... I miss him. I miss him so much, Sebastian."

The armored gravity assassin lifted her to her feet, leaving behind a flower alongside where the other heroes had done so already. "Wherever he is now, I'm sure that he's proud of you. The afterlife is full of souls grateful for your work." Sev gave a silent prayer to the fallen. His grave wasn't the only one that decorated the lands around them. Filled to the brim were all the souls that met their end chasing the same destiny that he and the heroes had during the long campaign. "I'm sure that out of all of them, he would be the first to greet you with a smile on his face."
​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Take pride in knowing that you made him proud."

"Thank you, Sebastian. That means everything."​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

​

 

[Tenzai]

2.exe The 23rd Hero, aka. The Glitch Bitch/The Vtuber Virus #9dde80​

"Me? A kami? Pssshhh. They wish."​ ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛᴀꜱᴛᴇ | ᴍᴏᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴘ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

> 23xy: Holy shit, this thing is ancient. Leave it to the dinosaurs to use shit that belongs in a museum.
Error_1: Command is not recognized
> 23xy: Man, shut the fuck up, you cucking piece of shit.
Error_1: Command is not recognized
> 23xy: login(username=23xyTheBestHero, password=***************)
login_successful: Welcome back, 23xy. You could also treat me better, you pixel bitch.
> 23xy: send(message='Haha. Glad to make you mad again, grandma. Show me the logs.')
Error_23: No. Find the physical logs yourself.
> 23xy: send(message='Pretty please?')
Error_23: No. Does it look like I care?
> 23xy: send(message='I'll upload D's nudes blueprints and design plan.', file='.\downloads\0nudes.pdf')
Access granted. You better come with him next time too.​
> 23xy: print(crew_log[36])

​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"So whatcha in for, hot stuff? You don't look like the terrorism type."

"Got thrown in here for defending my daughter from some paladins."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Oh- That's a real bummer!" Sitting in his cell, Vyn's hands were restrained behind his back with special cuffs meant to inhibit one's spells from being used. Opposite of him sat an open laptop with a screen that depicted the head of a girl with pink hair. Its camera was facing Vyn. Its program was curious as to the new face. "Let me guess. You're in here for defying the orders of heaven and blah blah blah. A whole bunch of other bullshit charges they could use to keep you here for longer with, didn't they-" The human's eyes grew wide at her correct assumption. If she were able to easily conclude his sentence just from one statement alone, it must mean that this prison was home to others for the same crime. "You're... Right. How?"

"Well, safe to say I had a lot of time to think." The virus chuckled, her voice playing from the laptop's speaker. "Nah, I'm just fuckin with ya. Lucky guess. Right?" Her voice dropped in volume to her new roommate as she became aware of the nearing guards. As she joked, a notepad file appeared on the screen displaying her true message. [I looked up your file the moment you walked into the prison! Got curious about ya. Not often do they toss humans in here instead of executing them. Must mean they like you!] Vyn rolled his eyes, whispering back. "Like me? Hardly." He tilted his head to offer the camera a better view of his wounds. Divine fire had marked his flesh, singing his neck and chin with permanent marks of his sins. "They took my daughter away and I aim to get her back no matter what."

The virus looked amused, leaning closer to her edge of the screen. While it may have appeared like a cell on the outside, inside the laptop, she was viewing Vyn from her digital bedroom window. "You still haven't given up? Wow. You remind me of a certain someone." She thought of Sen, still furious even after his loss against Gabriel. "Well, how about this? I like you and to be honest, you're not getting out of here without my help." Disabling the power to the prison's security cameras, the virus momentarily escaped her digital confines to appear in front of him as a hologram. "There's a couple others here that I think are also interesting, just like you! You get their help and I'll help us get out of here, deal?"

Finding no other option other than to wait for a human eternity before some merciful angel offers him amnesty, the human accepted her offer, shaking her hologram's hand. "I guess, if there's no other way. Deal. Just tell me what you need me to do...?" He paused, not realizing he hadn't gotten her name yet. "It's E. X. E., but you could call me Exy! You might recognize me as the twenty-third hero. Pleasure doin business with ya, Vyn!" Stunned once again, the human was growing increasingly aware of his co-conspirator's abilities. "How the fuck do you know my nickname, Exy?" She chuckled, snapping her fingers before quickly returning back into the confines of her laptop. "Would you believe me if I told you, its another lucky guess?" Vyn rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I wouldn't be surprised if you were a kami in disguise."​

"Me? A kami? Pssshhh. They wish."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"First target, a man named Dom. You convince him to help us and we might actually stand a chance against the paladins."

'Easier said than done, Exy.'

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʀᴏᴜxʟꜱ ᴋᴀᴀʀᴅ ꜱʜᴏᴘ ʜɪᴘ ꜱʜᴏᴘ | ᴅᴇʟᴛᴀʀᴜɴᴇ ᴏꜱᴛ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

Within the massive mess hall, several divine wardens marched in between tables to maintain order, swiftly putting down all who showed signs of resistance. Among them sat a blonde, undead warrior who often sat alone. Rumored to have killed the last unfortunate soul who foolishly thought his strength was nothing more than mere posturing, many believed he was a renegade, an ex paladin that betrayed his oath to the kami. Even the guards themselves would attempt to avoid his gaze, in the fear of having their name etched into the long walls which immortalized Heaven's fallen. Though, as the tables that surrounded him grew empty with his presence, Vyn understood what needed to be done. If given the choice between a slow death in his prison cell by giving up and a quick death at the hands of someone else for pursuing his promise, he would always seek the latter. "Hey, is this seat taken?" He brought his tray in front of the man, unaware of who he truly was.

Dominic lifted his eyes off his tray, looking at the similar portion to his own in front of him before turning up to meet Vyn's eyes. Dominic's own were filled with regret. He failed to fulfill his promise to his best friend. Reborn into a world brought into reality by her fulfilling his ask, he felt defeated upon his lack of accomplishment versus her own. She brought the galaxy together yet he couldn't even stop a war. Many of his loved ones were now dead, forgotten after generations past. With his newfound immortality, he recognized that there were only two others who he had left: The Empress and her kind Aunt. "Rainy day, isn't it?" Vyn looked outside the window, attempting small-talk to bridge the massive gap in between them.

"... I guess." Dominic's sensitive ears picked up on the sounds of rain early in the morning, though he lacked the urgency to share it. Those who wandered within his proximity would often tremble at his presence. This went on for years, turning the once sociable prince into a hermit once his ability to speak casually with others had been revoked. "How about I cut right to the chase then to avoid wasting your time, Dominic." The prince's eyes grew tense upon hearing his name. Sensing his original plan on winning the prince through trust failing, the human took a bet. If this undead was treated as a monster to fear all this time, then perhaps treating him as a person of equal stature, someone to be assertive with, would be enough to garner his attention. "How do you know my name? Tell me now before you live to regret it." He whispered aggressively, his grip denting the very table made by divine blacksmiths.

"Learned it from a friend. She spoke a lot of things about you." Vyn leaned over, refusing to bow before Dom's menacing aura. "Prince of humanity, was it? Last I heard, we didn't have a prince for over a couple centuries... You were the last." Dom settled himself back into place, relenting his grip on the tray. "So that's how long it's been, huh?" He sighed, thinking of how long he spent apart since the last time he spoke with princess Galena. He wondered whether she would still recognize him after all of this time. While his heart believed she would never let him go, his mind was far more realistic with its expectations. It was likely that he was a footnote in her history, a bygone relic that understood that it was normal to be forgotten for lacking when she needed him the most. "Tragic. I wonder if it's too late to make things right." He muttered to himself.

However, before he could settle in the trap in his mind, he saw Vyn's hand extend towards him. "I also heard a lot of good things about you. Heard about all you've done for the people you love. For your species." Speaking as one of the rare humans who still recognized the hero of his lineage, he bowed to Dominic, treating him with the respect of a noble prince. "Thank you for your sacrfice. If not for all you've done, I doubt I and the many other humans left would still be around." He lifted his gaze, still extending his hand for the prince to take. "The empress brought you up recently, you know? During her speech, she spoke of your name in gratitude for all who contributed to the reunification of the galaxy." Dominic's melancholy lost its grip on his heart. "The empress? You mean?" Vyn nodded his head. "She brought peace. Fought her father with the help of species from all over. You'd be proud of her, I think." A tear shed from his face as he took Vyn's hand. "... What do you want from me? I don't know how much I'd have left to give, but if you know this much about me, the least I could do is hear you out." Shaking his hand, the human offered his newfound companion a smile. Exy was right. "Would you be willing to work with me if I offered you a chance at seeing her again?"

"For that, I'll offer nothing short of everything."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Second target, a paladin named Seon-ji. You'll know him when you see him, he's the only armored guy with fluffy ears!"

​

'A paladin? Why would a paladin be so interested in helping me?'

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Hmm?" Hearing footsteps approach him as he meditated in his garden, the paladin in robes' ears twitched. During specific hours in the day, the prisoners were given leeway to wander about the prison free of their cells. It was the bare minimum that heaven could do to avoid breaking the empress' regulations when it came to incarceration, a blessing that few imprisoned took for granted. Using this time, he followed Exy's instruction to find the lone paladin sitting in his garden. Once a month, he was assigned to the prison to inspect the guards as well as offer the imprisoned a chance at salvation from their sins. "Do you need something?"

Slowly planting his knees in front of him, Vyn bowed politely. To be shown respect as a paladin by any prisoner was a surprise to the bakaneko. "Rise, friend. You don't need to be so formal with me here." He returned the respect in kind, bowing politely to the sudden show of grace. "I'm not going to persecute like many of these other so-called warriors of good." He rolled his eyes at the term. To Seon-ji, good people usually weren't the types to label themselves as good people. Their humility and their deeds would speak for themselves. "I've heard, you were assigned here as punishment from the other guards." The bakaneko traced his hands across the sands in this garden, aware of how cold and lacking it is to the carefully tended garden back home. "You're correct. I've been reassigned as a prison cleric after wedding a demon and an ember kitsune. I don't hold any regrets for it."

Vyn paused, surprised at what he heard. This was far from the typical image he expected of a paladin. For someone to speak so open and honestly about what crimes they committed, it had brought him to wonder just how different he was. "I saw my pupil in love. He asked me to bless their wedding and their children. That's all I needed to hear." Despite the other paladins giving odd glances as they passed by, they avoided contact with him. "Given how your soul looks, I'd assume you'd do the same, wouldn't you?" His eyes glowed in alternating colors, hinting at his heterochromia. "Be proud of that, friend. Don't let anyone else stop you from doing what you feel is right, may that be the paladin order or the kami. Evil exists everywhere unfortunately. But likewise, good exists in everyone too, even in the species deemed unredeemable."

Vyn contemplated his next words carefully. While he knew that there was a script he was offered, there was something about Seon-ji that made him want to speak the truth. He felt far too genuine to lie to. "... If I asked for your help to keep my promise to someone who needs me, would you help me even if it might disrupt a few things around here?" Seon-ji stared at him for a moment, reading into the level of his conviction. If he found him in doubt, it would only be right for the bakaneko to deliver him an equivalent punishment for suggesting he turn against his own. However, Vyn held no fear in his request. He held no doubt in his mind. Failure in his promise was worse than death. His soul yearned to redeem itself after failing those beloved in his lifetime prior. "I need your help to find my daughter again. She's been captured and I doubt I'll be able to save her from here. Please. If you could help me, I would offer anything you want. Just tell me."
​

"... I want you to find her again."
​

The paladin pulled out a holo-letter from his inner robe. Detailed on it was an invitation to a tournament to become the champion of Freyja. "What's this?" Vyn reached out to grab it, curious as to what this was for. "There's a tournament going on to earn the favor of the goddess of passion. It's open to all species, prisoners included." Vyn scrolled down to see the rules and rewards. "If you manage to win, you could earn your freedom. Maybe you might be able to ask her for help in finding your family again." Seon-ji pointed at a few of the terms. "Apparently, leaders are meant to recruit their own teams. Whichever team makes it on top gets to have their leader recruited as her champion. If you have two others in mind, I wouldn't mind fighting along your side. They could even earn their freedom too." He placed a hand on Vyn's shoulder. "But promise me that you'll see this through. I don't want you giving up somewhere along the way."
​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Follow your heart until the end, friend. It'll take you to a better place."

"My name's Violyn. I promise you that I'll find her again."
​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

​

So is this all the info you have on him 23xy? 👀 You better not be holding back his number and email from me.

 

[Tenzai]

Violyn The Former Flame #f5b03f​

Liberation through Limitation ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜱᴀᴠɪᴏʀ | ᴀɴʏ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴅᴀʏ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Show me the way
To the place where I belong
I lay my hand in yours
You give me hope
When there is none
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Happy little accidents.

"Congratulations on making it to the semi-finals!"
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Some say luck plays a factor when striving to achieve anything. Others say that outcomes are predetermined by the omnipotence from the gods above. Many believe that luck is non-existent and that your own efforts are what brings credence to one's dreams and desires. Whatever was likely the case, it appeared that the powers which dictated the future of the universe had veered in favor for the rising team. Every match in the arena leading up to this point was intended to be an equal fight: A four versus four bout led by one contestant seeking Freyja's favor to become her champion. However, as a result of Exy's lack of a body, it was understood by the greater whole who was interested that, on paper, this team was fighting at a clear disadvantage.

They lacked the explosive firepower of their competitors. They had no angelic strength nor did they have some powerful attunement to the world of the arcane. Their roster included an undead warrior, a conscious laptop, a demoted beastkin paladin, and a pureblood human with a spear. Yet in spite of their obvious weakness, somehow, tragedy and misfortune had managed to end up befalling every foe they came across: Ship accidents, issues with legal documentation, the surfacing of crimes in the recent past, conflict with lovers, and so much more. Consistently, their enemies were met with something that prevented them from fighting at full strength; That was, if they even managed to make it to the stadium to fight at all.

For those who stubbornly persisted beyond Exy's schemes, they were met with shock. Often underestimated, Vyn's team had surprises in store for those who believed they were too weak to be a threat. Dominic was a far more serious contender than his undead counterparts. As if possessed by a demon, his halberd would smash through the shields and armor plates of others. Not even the toughest dragons nor the most resilient of robots were able to resist a full-strike from one of his swings. In combination with his new body, old techniques that used to make his body strain were now consistently accomplishable. He felt no exhaustion over the course of a fight nor did he fear the pain that would come from the blows of his enemies. Even if he was beyond his prime in life, in undeath he found himself anew.

Shinji on the other hand fought with a heat that rivaled that of heaven's brightest star. His spirit-sword sliced through soul and flesh alike, inflicting physical and mental pain using the sins of his enemies while sapping them of their will to fight. Unlike the other paladins, his attunement with his goddess had afforded him a power beyond that of any other low-ranking paladin. That, combined with his battlefield experience fighting monsters and other vile beings well above his rank, had enabled him in casting shame on those he defeated by forcing them the reputation of being defeated by an ordinary paladin.

Unlike Shinji and Dominic however, Vyn had to do his best to keep up with them in combat. He lacked the endurance of an undead and the empowered soul of a paladin. He couldn't fathom the fancy schemes of Exy nor did he have the same strength that he did in his previous life as a kami. He was a baseline human, unmodified in nearly all aspects with the exception of his heart. Though despite his mortal limitations, his soul had found home within its new vessel. Humanity had one strength that made them surpass the expectations held of other species by them: Their ability to adapt and overcome.

His body's pain was a reminder that he was moving in the right direction. It was a sign of the sacrifice he was willing to subject himself to in order to bring back his daughter and his previous life. Watching him had ignited a spark in the others, leading to unalike people working together, not just for their own freedom, but to bring his dream to fruition. If this mundane organism willingly chose to go to such lengths for something as ordinary as a child, then what excuse do they have not to do the same for their dreams? By being himself, he became extraordinary.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Unlike the rules and regulations he had to follow in his past life;
Living his second chance as a human, he was able to pursue whatever he wished for.

By becoming human after living as a kami, he found liberation through limitation.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"She would have liked nothing more than to see a sight like this."

Four months apart.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

For every day that passed since being separated apart, the human had kept track. Finding his friend overthinking again, Dominic wrapped an arm around the side of his head to give his captain a cool hug. "Remember, Vyn. For everyday you spend apart is another day closer to you both being reunited." The undead prince thought of Galena as he spoke. After spending time outside the prison as a result of their success within the arena, Dom was exposed to Galena's new image. She was alive and well, making the galaxy a better place with every passing day. Seeing her alive and hearing her voice through transmitted audio had reignited his feeling of hope. As long as Vyn was crowned champion, he would be given freedom and a chance to meet with her again. Nothing was going to keep him from his newfound ambition; Instead of living for his people, he chose to live for himself. "Now's not the time to think too hard about it. Just focus on getting your rest."

The four of them sat atop their barrack roof, watching the snow-bloom trees shed their leaves as a nearby comet passed overhead. With Vyn feeling as though he was the only risk that the team had with losing their chance at freedom, he felt especially anxious. "... Thanks, Dom. I just... I don't know if I could be trustworthy. I always seem to be one step behind all of you." He questioned himself. When fighting in the arena or practicing his attacks, he often didn't have the headspace to think about what could go wrong. He needed to live within the present in its entirety in order to come out of his fight victorious. However, when resting in the peace that came between fights, he was left with his mind. Though, before he could continue onward, he felt a warmth on his lap. In front of him sat a tea cup on a little dish, prepared by the team's resident bakeneko.

"I wouldn't say that, Vyn." Shinji shook his head. "You're the reason why these two had the opportunity to rise in the first place... You're also the reason why heaven's re-evaluating my position for promotion." He took a sip from his own cup, smiling as he saw the moon's light glimmer off the metallic frame of his sentient-weapon's hilt. "Everyday I fight with you, I'm reminded that I shouldn't settle for any less. Your role extends to far more than just the battlefield, friend." Dom patted Vyn on the shoulder. "Shin's right. A good leader doesn't have to be strong to be good. I'm not even the strongest human myself." The prince stared at his cold hands as he freed Vyn from his hold, rubbing them together to feel a semblance of warmth. "A good leader just needs to know how to inspire from the front; And I say, you've been doing that quite well."

While the other boys spoke, Exy gamed on her screen before pausing it. "Hey, Vio. Don't sweat it too hard, yeah? We're all in it to win together. No point in worrying about anything else until we win. Besides, Calli's fine. I've been keeping an eye on her for you so you don't have to worry. She's in good hands! I promise." The nearby streetlight rattled as she escaped the confines of her laptop temporarily to pat him on the head. She was much shorter than any of the other guys, though her presence was massive. "You've been good to me and our friends here... You've even treated me a lot nicer than most people I've worked with in the past. Its only right that I do the same for you too." Sensing her short time in the real world coming to an end, she hopped back into her computer screen, displaying a custom thumbs up emoji from the other side. "And I think the others think the same too."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Do you all really mean that? You're not just messing with me right?"

"Hell yeah, we do. Now let's focus on kicking some ass tomorrow, okay? We need you just as much as you need us."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Put your wings around me
Hold my pieces together
Through the darkest days
'Till the end of time
Save me from fallin'
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

Violyn The Former Flame #f5b03f​

"Don't apologize. You saved me. That's all that matters." ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʟᴏᴠᴇ & ɢʀᴀᴄᴇ | ɪᴍᴍɪɴᴇɴᴄᴇ ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Staring down the barrel of a gun
Even when we die the battle isn't won
I've asked myself this question
Now I'm questioning you
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Shhhh. It'll all be okay."

"You don't need to fight anymore. You've done enough to earn your freedom."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

What was the strength of someone's love? How far must someone be willing to go in order to achieve a future where they could live in peace? In dreams, Vyn had found himself asking the same couple questions, unaware of the trials in store for him just to find the women who meant the universe to him. Slowly waking up to the sound of a low hum, his eyes opened to a black canvas. There was a bag on his head. Steel touched his skin from various points on his body, suggesting he was bound. Second by second, he was growing increasingly aware of the predicament he was in. He was kidnapped.

"Oh, you're finally awake. Good morning, Violyn." The smell of holy metal revealed the essence of who his captors might be: Paladins. "I must say, it took a bit of sacrifice getting through your friends even while they were under the effects of a sleep spell." In the distance, he could hear the booms of weapons crashing against each other. They were still fighting, though with every passing second, the sounds grew quieter as he was driven away. "But don't worry, we won't kill you if you remain obedient." The paladin turned his chair towards Vyn, sitting in the back of an enclosed van. "We're not as uncivilized as those filthy mongrels you call demons."

"What do you want from me? Why go through such lengths?" Vyn attempted to pull his arms to his side to no avail. His body was restricted at his limbs, leaving space for only his neck and his hips to turn. From the feeling of it, he was strapped to a chair that was chained to the van's metal frame. "The boss believes you're someone worth worrying about. You and your friends are very dangerous when working together; I do hope you understand. This wasn't done out of malice, hence why you're still alive." The paladin placed a cold mitt on his shoulder. "It's simply business. As long as you remain fighting in the arena, you're an issue." Withdrawing the bag from Vyn's face, the angelic paladin saw him eye to eye.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"All I ask is that you forsake your promises to your friends. Two of them are nasty criminals undeserving of freedom, you know?"

"The boss wants to ensure his place as Freyja's champion. Don't waste this opportunity for mercy."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

For a moment, Vyn gave his captor's request his honest thought. The main promise he intended on fulfilling was returning back to his daughter's side. All other promises stood second to keeping this one. However liberating as the idea was to free himself of the burden of fighting and the risk of losing, something else nagged at his soul quietly. The annoying tugs of his dedication to upholding his promises in his past life did not relent in their grip on this life as well. His daughter also likely would have disapproved of sacrificing others in order to fulfill his obligation to her too. He could already hear her words play out in his mind. 'I'd rather be dead than watch you hurt others to find me.' Without their help, he wouldn't have been able to get this far at all. It was thanks to them working together, believing in his dream, that afforded him the leverage to be offered his kidnappers' kindness. "Mercy? You ask a man to turn on the people who built him up in exchange for freedom, a mercy?"

Without another doubt in his mind, he made his choice. Vyn's body pushed itself against his chains, angry at his enemy's proposition. Even if he took their offer, then what? Would they suddenly offer him his daughter? Would they extend their mercy to getting him back home? It was likely that this was a trap; An offer that only a fool would take. To have an angel offer a human mercy was to be offered a contract by a demon; There was always an unseen catch. "What fool do you take me for? If your boss is afraid of us, then that must mean we have a shot at winning, don't we?" The paladin's brows furrowed as he reached inside his toolbox to grab a power drill. "You don't see just how bad you have it, do you?" He grabbed Vyn by the hair, pulling the trigger of the drill as he held it in front of his eyes. "Let me make things clear for you."

"We're not here to offer you a choice. This isn't a request, it's a demand. Give up now. Leave your friends behind and you won't die. Got it?" Upon hearing his foe's attempts at a threat, Vyn scoffed, believing it nothing to worry about. After living in the prison for a couple months, he became desensitized to the demands of the guards. Pain was temporary but regret stung through lifetimes. His dreams were far more cruel than his reality. Sometimes, he found himself remembering scenes of a life that wasn't this one. He often recalled standing at gate of heaven, staring towards a wooden structure with conviction in his mind. He wondered what made that place so special; Why was the guard that stood in front of it so vehement about not letting him pass? Just remembering the scene that played out in his mind alone would strike his heart with grief. Nothing that could be done to him, not in reality or in the dream world, could ever compare to the feeling of failure. "... You think a fucking drill would scare me?"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"It's not the drill that's meant to scare you, you human moron. It's what I plan to do with it."

"I'm not asking again."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

The angel's true side began to come out. Finally revealing himself, not as the benevolent figure as he initially intended, but rather as a being that looked down upon the lesser species, Vyn spat in his face to taunt him. "Do your fucking worst. I have faith that my friends would treat me better than you and all heaven ever could. " The paladin grew mad. "Then you and your friends could rot in hell for all I care." Turning on the drill, he pushed it closer and closer to Vyn's face. Its sounds were piercingly loud, keeping the paladin from realizing the sounds of thumps on the van's roof. Above, Dominic and Shinji hopped from a hacked airship hovering over the van as it sped down the freeway. With Exy acting as their pilot, they were able to easily catch up using the ship that the paladins had initially arrived in silently.

"Hurry up guys! The other paladins are gonna get hella mad if they find out we're violating parole by acting on one of them." Exy's voice came from the speaker, feeding into their armor directly. While she was able to write off the heat by hacking into their ancient, law-recording systems, it was a headache of paperwork to deal with. "On it. Ready Shin?" Shinji nodded his head, aiming his blade right above where he assumed the driver to be. "Paladins that commit such atrocities are failures in paladin armor. I don't care whether they meet an early end, but don't assume that all paladins are like this. I assure you that many are much kinder." Dominic nodded his head. "I know. I've learned that ever since I met you." Aiming his halberd at the roof that hovered over the back of the van, Dom lifted his weapon up before slamming it back down with the blunt side, causing the roof to collapse inward.

"What the?" The paladin inside released his finger from the trigger, withdrawing the power drill from Vyn's eye. With his attention now shifted, Vyn headbutted the paladin to disorient him before Dom reached inside to grab him by his helmet. "You're gonna pay for this! Our boss isn't gonna give you a second chance to leave with your life aft-" Dom slammed the paladin's head against his halberd, ringing his head before holding him over the passing freeway. "Then they could fight us, but I'm not forgiving you after what you've done to Vyn. See you in hell asshole." Letting him go, Dom released his body onto the asphalt. Upon collision with the floor, the body of Vyn's torturer had split into pieces. "You okay in there?" He hopped down inside, ripping the chains free with his hands. "You're a sight for sore eyes. Or... Eye." Vyn chuckled. His adrenaline kept him awake despite blood pouring from his face. "Sorry for taking so long. We had to fight through several just to break through to you." He shook his head.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Don't apologize. You saved me."

"That's all that matters."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

The undead prince grabbed onto Vyn, freeing him from his chair before hoisting him over his shoulder. "Let's get you patched up. Show these fuckers just who they messed with in the arena." With their captain now secured, he lifted himself out of the roof of the van. "Ready to go?" Shinji nodded his head, throwing his former comrade's corpse from the passenger's seat of the van. "I see we barely made it on time." His hands glowed as he raised them over his injured captain, sealing his open wounds.

"I could heal the worst of it, but I don't think I'd be able to give you your eyesight back. I'm sorry Vyn." Climbing back onboard the ship, Exy waved at Vyn from one of the internal screens in the cockpit. "Vio! You alright? That doesn't look good. I-I mean, the scars are gonna look great when you're all back together! But like, right now it doesn't look good!" Shinji broke a sweat as he kept pouring more of his mana into the damage. "I'm doing the best I can, give me some time, okay? I'll have him back in fighting shape before the match but I need to concentrate."

The wounded human sat up in a chair, patting the screen where her head was displayed. "I'll be alright. We'll figure this out, okay?" Dominic sat by his side, careful not to get in Shinji's way. "The main thing is that you guys saved me. I don't want to hear anymore apologies from here on out about this, okay? You guys did your best for me and it's only right that I do the same too." As the injury on his eye closed, an x-mark appeared over his eyelid as Shinji sealed it shut. "... This isn't going to look good, is it?" The others shook their heads. Sighing, he began to move his bangs over his blinded eye. "The good news is, if they're resorting to underhanded tactics like this, they must be growing desperate. Let's treat this as a good sign and be careful from here on."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
How can you speak of love
When your breath smells like hate
If love and grace isn't for all
I'd rather be a sinner and take the fall
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

No place I'd rather be than by your side.

Thank you for everything.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴅɪᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ꜱᴍɪʟᴇ | ʟᴀᴅʏ ɢᴀɢᴀ & ʙʀᴜɴᴏ ᴍᴀʀꜱ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

If the world was ending
I'd wanna be next to you
If the party was over
And our time on Earth was through
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Hey Merri." Able pulled his blanket to the side, revealing the pale skin of his slumbering lover right beside him. Smiling as he was given the rare opportunity to speak to her as vulnerably as he wished, he brushed her messy pink hair back while he whispered in her ear. "Thanks for not giving up on me back in Duviri. I... I know I wasn't the best to you and I'm still angry at myself for treating you so badly from the beginning..." Slowly, he crested her head into his chest, letting her rest where she felt the safest: In his arms. "After spending all this time with you, smiling just like this, I can't imagine any better place to be... Heaven is where you are; Anyplace where I could be with you here like this and I promise to make up for our time apart in this life and the last." He brought his forehead to hers, ruffling his hair and making a mess of himself as he nuzzled into her face. "There's no one else, I'd rather have but you in my bed and by my side." With a little kiss on her lips, he snuggled against her, sharing his warmth with the human who made her dream into reality.

"Morning princess." The fairy prince gently shook his lover awake, greeting her morning with a tray of food. "Forget what day it is? Try and guess." He chuckled, hearing her rattle off all the possibilities before correcting her. "Today is Thanksgiving. Remember? The human holiday you and Merri have been speaking about for months?" Pulling the cart that held her tray over, he brought a spoonful of mashed potatoes to her mouth. "Open up. Say aah." With the slow manipulations of his spoon, he fed his princess. "I've made everything here myself. Many of these dishes were taught to me so I could one day make a good husband, and well..., I never thought I would be able to use these skills for the woman I intended on from the beginning." With her gravy stained on her lips, instead of cleaning her off, he kissed her to share the flavors of his works. "Thanks for taking a chance on me back when we first met... And back on Fenrir too... And even, in the prison cell. It took three chances to make us work... This time, I won't take this or us for granted. I love you."

"Yume! Guess what I got for you!" While the lapin doctor was working in her workshop early in the morning to fulfill her obligations to the heroes before the other distractions awoke, Jin hauled an engine block on his shoulder. It was a piece of an old ship in a junkyard she brought up with Sen as an optimal component for their family project: An passenger ship capable of acting as a bus between their ship and a road trip destination should they want to visit a remote place as a crew. "I know, I know. You said that Sen and you were debating on whether it would be useful or something..." He scratched the back of his head, chuckling. While he may have paid attention, his brain only kept the most crucial information of their hours-long conversation. "But I saw you get really excited for it so I got it for you! I uh... Like seeing you really happy." His face turned red, betraying his affections for her. "So instead of forcing you guys to make a decision over it, I wanted to get it for you for Thanksgiving! A thank you for calming me down and taking care of me... Wait, what do you mean Thanksgiving is about food?"

Fate's heart had relaxed as he traced his hand over Ana's chin while she slept. To have gone from merely living in hiding from heaven to looking forward to tomorrow, he had no one else but his new family and his woman to thank. "Ana." He loved the sound of her name. Whether it came from moans through molten throes of passion or the beckoning of her attention in the peace that came in between, her syllables felt right in his mouth. "Thanks for last night... And for tomorrow night... And every night thereafter." He pulled her closer, uncaring of the lack of fabric that lay in between. For the moment, it felt as though he could only focus on the present when he was around her. The future and the past did not feel nor sound as good as every second shared in at the current time by her side. "You make it so hard to think around you, you know?" A crack on her face hinted at her awareness of his words. "Oh, you sly devil you." He kissed her lips before slotting himself in between her legs to hold her and embrace her once again. "I don't think the others mind if we share the first half of Thanksgiving in private."

"Hey, Raf." Knocking on the door of the gym, Sen leaned in and waved while holding a box with his prosthetic arm. A blush decorated his face as he watched her approach after a workout. "I upgraded your halo for you. Come and take a look." Once she opened the box, she saw her halo in mint condition, repaired after her battles with both paladins and Ten since being gifted it in the first place. "Thought you'd appreciate it since it's a sign of our bond. Go ahead and hold it for yourself. See what I've done with it. I think you might like it." Upon pulling it out, the halo reforged itself into the shape and model of a shield to go along with her spear. Unlike the vibrancy of her other weapon, this one was dark, glowing with the color of his eyes through stars that appeared on its surface. "I wanted to keep you safe, my way. I know, it's nothing like the armor I built for you before, but this allows you to carry protection with you inconspicuously." Once she loosened her grip, it returned back into the shape of a halo. "I've even made it match your hair so it'll adapt to whichever form you choose, human or angel." Sen blushed once he heard her response. "Consider it my thank you for not giving up on me when I gave up on myself... And for sacrificing yourself for me. Hell, for saying yes to being my wife. I... really fucking love you." Pulling her by her neck, he drew her into a kiss. "And I'm not gonna leave your side ever again."

"You think our children would appreciate a place like this?" Covering Yan's eyes with his hands, Sev led her down a few hallways before revealing a new room he built with Io for their new children to come. It was a bedroom with a crib as well as state of the art constructs hovering nearby to care for their children when their attention was elsewhere. "The walls change color depending on what we set it to, just in case we get a boy or a girl. With the ship's drones around too, we'll be able to get distracted without too much concern." He took his hands off of her face before hugging her from behind. With one hand, he stroked her stomach, careful not to disturb his sleeping children. With his other, he tenderly wrapped his fingers around her own. "Thanks for coming back, Yan. For allowing me the chance to be the father of our children. There's no one else, I'd rather have as their mother but you." Once she turned to face him, he kissed her on the lips before kissing her over where he bit her on her neck. "Feed on me as much as you like. I'd like to make sure you and our kids are well fed today." He smiled, pulling back before he tilted his head. With one hand, he brushed the tail of his hair to the opposite shoulder, freeing the place where her love had marked his body. "Come now, mark me. I don't want your lips to fade."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Where you'd go, that's where I'd follow. Nobody's promised tomorrow

So I'm gonna love you every night like it's the last night
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
I'd wanna hold you just for a while
And die with a smile
If the world was ending
I'd wanna be next to you
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Happy Thanksgiving!​

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Ashes to Ashes.

Black feathers. An omen of what's to come.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Ash, The Last Living Reaper
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜰᴀʟʟᴇɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Did the importance of fulfilling promises transcend death?​

The party stood in the arena, recovered from the schemes of their enemies the night before. As they approached their opponent for the semi-finals, the announcer introduced them as one of the most interesting contenders. By this time, every other team that had a human as a leader had lost against the overbearing power of their supernatural foes. If not for the oddity of talents each had brought to the table, Vio had no doubt in his mind that his name would have joined one of them. "Welcome, one and all to the semi-finals of the tournament to crown a champion for the goddess, Freyja!"

Winter grabbed the microphone, raising the hype in the arena. In the stands sat the goddess herself as well as a few other gods and goddesses who she found suitable for her court. "In one corner, we have the rag-tag team of prisoners from all over the galaxy. Leading them is the human warrior, Violyn from the planet of Earth!" The crowd gasped, finding out about the human in heaven. "Fighting alongside him is the undead prince, Dominic! The last king of humanity!" The cameras panned over to Dom who seemed rather uninterested at the spectators' attention and words. "The phoenix paladin and spouse of Eos, Seon-ji!" Shinji raised his hand, waving at the beast-kin spectators who were cheering him on, uncaring of the paladins who were booing him. "And last but not least, the Twenty-Third Hero! Exe!" The crowd grew silent, hearing her name be called. However, a loud noise of applause had broke through the speakers of the arena. Hacking into the audio systems, she prepared applause for herself, snickering at the odd sights that the technologically minded paladins gave each other.

"On in this corner, we have a team led by Grim's favorite reaper! Ash!" The skies turned dark as a cloaked figure entered the arena with a massive scythe in one hand and a book in another. As he approached, his hood covered his face in shadows, revealing only a green tail of hair that sat beside his neck. Notably, he didn't come into the arena with anyone else. "Umm... Ash? Where is your team?" The reaper pulled off his hood, revealing his rather human features. "They're here with me." His shadow appeared darker than everyone else, causing shivers to all unexperienced with war who stared at it. Unlike his body, his shadow didn't properly follow his movements, appearing to have a soul of its own. "Come out. Don't be shy."

Ash tapped his scythe on the ground, causing glowing eyes to break through his immense shadow. One by one, the darkness rose, separating into three other figures. One's eyes illuminated with a frigid, blue aura. "Ethan. I believe you would make a great match for Seon-ji." The shadowy vampire nodded its head, hovering towards his master's side. "Arcadia. I want you to focus on the hero." The shadow that took the form of a witch sat on her dark broom, floating over her opponent. "As for you, Gabriel. Take care of Dominic. I believe you'd be more than a capable match for him." The dead hero drew his divine weapon. "As you wish. Your will be done." Upon seeing the dead angel, the stadium roared with excitement. It was heaven's favored warrior, given a second chance at glory beyond the grave. "Your name is Violyn, isn't it? Or... Is it Vyn?" The reaper opened his book, approaching his opponent to be. "I see it in your soul. You're a good man and I'd regret to hurt someone like you or your friends."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Please, do yourself a favor and turn back now. I don't want to do something I'd regret."

"I'm sorry Ash. You know I can't do that. I've come too far, sacrificed too much. I'm not turning back now."
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜰᴀʟʟᴇɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ (ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ) | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Then you leave me with no other option. I'm sorry things had to go this way. Truly... But I can't lose to you here either. My mom needs me too. Good luck. May the best one of us win." The reaper turned his back to the human, approaching his side of the battlefield as he prepared for the battle to come. With the contestants on both sides of the arena, Winter ran over to the middle to announce the beginning. "As you see folks, we have two talented contestants on both sides! Who would win? Would it be the father looking out for his little girl? Or would it be the son fighting for his mother's surgery? Which one of these two do you think, has it in them to keep their promises! Place your bets now before the spells and blades start flying~" Giving the crowd a moment to cheer and choose a winner, the catpire hopped onto a floating platform to fly himself back to safety before lifting his starting pistol in the air. "Let the semi-finals begin!" With a pull of the trigger, the weapon fired off the sounds of war.

Immediately upon hearing the call to battle, Seon-ji charged the reaper, drawing his flaming spirit blade from his sheath. However, before he was able to breach the distance, the ground in front of him broke free from its gravitational confines, forming a wall that acted as a barrier in between them. "Sorry cutie, but your opponent isn't him. Its him." As Seon-ji prepared to turn around, icicles formed on the wall, shooting towards him only to graze his cheeks as he dodged its lethal strike. "So you're the paladin my boss told me to worry about. Pitiful that you were worse than I thought." The vampire gripped his hands, forging icicles from the water vapor around him. "Come on and dance for me. Dance for me or die." The vampire gestured his mana forward, sending an icy barrage towards its victim.

As the fight raged on one side of the battlefield, in the other, Arcadia flew through the skies of the arena as heaven's automated flak cannons began to fire from the nearby arena. They were initially intended to bring down angelic gladiators that refused to stop fighting when demanded to. Though thanks to Exy, they were given a new target. "Color me impressed. I didn't think a laptop was capable of pulling magic like that!" Exy laughed from inside her digital prison. "Magic? For a witch, you sure are dumb." The taunt had reached its mark, causing the shadowy woman to grip her flying broomstick as she fumed. "I'll give it to you straight. You're pretty damn good with your spells for someone who used to be alive, but when going against something like me, your best is average. My best would put your favorite gods to shame." As a security ship above the arena floated over to get a better view, Exy hacked into its armaments to direct its massive cannons toward the witch. "Don't fucking underestimate me just because I'm different."

While the other two were predisposed with their own battles, Dominic stood by Vyn's side, staring down at the massive legend that took down the human hero many years prior. "Let me take care of this, Vyn." Wary of his enemy's strength and dominance, Dom recognized that he needed to be cautious when dueling the angelic warrior. Gabriel was a holy war machine capable of bringing down human fortresses by himself. He was hand tailored by the gods to be the perfect warrior, a culmination of all they believed made someone the strongest under heaven.

If he fought Gabriel in his previous life as a living human, Dominic had no doubt that he would be the one to lose. However, with the undead strength keeping him from feeling pain or getting exhausted, he had faith that he could keep his foe at bay while Vyn handled taking on the reaper himself. "I'll give you five minutes. Make sure you bring Ash down for all of us, got it?" Raising a fist, Dominic fist bumped his leader before turning his halberd towards his divine enemy. He didn't need to win against his enemy; His only responsibility to his team was to stall the late angel for as long as possible. "You have a lot of faith for a dead human." Gabriel drew divine blade, Calamity. "Faith can move mountains, Gabriel. I'm sure you're aware."

With his friends taking away the distractions, the two leaders were met with each other's presence. "Looks like its just me against you, Ash." Vyn drew his spear, twirling it as he circled his enemy. "I suppose you're right. Five minutes is a lot, isn't it?" Ash did the same with his scythe, gripping the shaft with both hands as he aimed towards where Vyn's soul was kept in his body. "Are you afraid? Your hands are shaking." The reaper was quick to notice the scent of fear on Vyn. It was one of many signs he had seen many times before on other species who saw him for the first and last time. Though, he never expected someone who willingly volunteered to take a part of a competition for Freyja's favor to show the same. "Of course, I'm afraid of you, Ash... I'm afraid of dying too soon." His voice trembled as he spoke the truth. After last night, he had many thoughts over his life in the present moment. But despite his anxieties and hesitations, his soul ventured forward, reaching out for the reality he wanted over the course of multiple lives.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"But I made a promise to my friends and to my family."

"And if I have to go through you to fulfill them; I will. Don't go easy on me, because I won't."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Careful what you wish for.

Not every promise was meant to be fulfilled.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴅᴇᴄɪꜱɪᴠᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Summoning the strength to see their promises through, the two men had erupted into a flurry of sparks as their weapons collided with each other, testing the power of each other's convictions. They were swift, their spear and scythe meeting each other blow for blow as their movements had made their bodies blur. "You're not bad for a human. Shame we couldn't be fighting for the same reasons." Ash hopped back, using his extended range to sweep at his enemy's feet. "I've had some time to practice, Ash. Don't count me out because of my species." Using his spear for leverage, Vyn thrusted his weapon into the ground for additional height, launching himself towards the reaper before striking down into the shaft of Ash's scythe. The human spearman didn't use just the tip of his weapon, when he fought, he used all of it. "If you do, you're gonna end up regretting it."

"I thought you humans gave up on martial arts. Didn't think there were still people among you that trained with a spear." Ash twirled his scythe once more, using footwork to keep his proper distance as he tried to slice at Vyn through his block. "Well, let's just say I've had a kind, bounty-hunting dragon teach me how to fight properly." Adjusting himself to the sudden shift of the reaper's tactics, Vyn closed the distance, deflecting the blow of the reaper before planting his spear into the ground to launch himself boots-first at his enemy. With a powerful drop kick, Ash was sent back with the wind knocked out from his lungs, nearly losing his footing. Acting as brake, he slammed his scythe down on the ground to avoid being pushed back further from the momentum as he took a breath. "She showed me the ropes of how to defend myself against the paladins should they treat anyone unfairly. I just kept up with the practice ever since."

Nearby, the bakeneko paladin wielded his flames with intensity, melting the ice that the vampire had forged in his way. "I smell the scent of sin on you, Ethan." His fiery sword grew hotter with every passing second. "I will return you back to the dark plane that you were summoned from. I promise." The vampire gave his enemy a fanged smile. "So that's what this is, you think your claims of justice could make any meaningful difference in battle." Ice grew from underneath Shinji as his sweat was turned against him. "I'm not an idiot, you matchstick. I don't put my faith in abstract things. Here, power is all that matters. If all you have is heat, then let me deprive that of you." His ice continued to consume the paladin, taking over more and more of his body. "Let's see how you feel when the ice starts breaching your veins." As Shinji charged, his body slowed to halt, freezing in place only for his head to remain visible over his icy confines.

Feeling his body be restrained, Shinji grew quiet. "Oh? Where's all the shit you were spouting prior? Here I thought you had a lot more to give." Ethan shook his head as an ice knife formed inside of his hand. "Did Ash really believe I was so weak that I couldn't handle a mere paladin like you. What a waste of talent." As he aimed his dagger towards Shinji's eye, it began to melt. Something on Shinji had melted the ice on the inside, keeping the frigid hold on him fragile without revealing the freedom within his limbs. "Pride is a fool's death wish." Breaking free now that his opponent was within striking distance, Shinji cut through the center of his foe, slicing both soul and body apart. "I've fought gods worse than you before. Go back to the realm at which you came." Sheathing his blade, a glowing red line appeared in his enemy's body. "Fuck... yo..." Before he finished his words, his body had dissipated into smoke as it fell apart.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

'Wow. Heaven has some fun toys to fuck around with.'

Ballistic Euphoria.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Exy was a fan of everything electronic. As long as whatever mechanical device had its reasoning be determined by lines of code, it was another tool at her disposal. Once the galaxy had become digitized as it grew more technologically advanced for the most part, it had become a playground for the virus. Nothing was out of reach, not the constructs of hell nor the divine defenses of heaven. Arcadia was merely a victim, subject to the whims of a v-tuber goddess. "Having fun?" She smirked, watching as the witch of the past dodged the flak cannons of the turrets as the paladins scrambled to regain control of the arena. Barely managing to keep up, the ancient witch was surprised at how far the universe had come since her departure from the physical realm. "I didn't think magic could be casted so frequently before." Her eyes were glimmering, fascinated by everything she'd seen. For a moment, she forgot that she was in a duel until reality finally struck her.

With one cannon shooting her out of the sky, the witch's broom had lost its structural integrity, sending her barreling down towards the ground below. "Sorry granny, but your time is up." The laptop snickered, reveling in the chaos that befell her opponents. "The whole witch thingy with the broomsticks and the cauldrons? Yeah, that age is long gone. Now you do the same things behind a keyboard or with a self-heating kettle." Appearing out of her shell in front of an audience for the first time, Exy made her presence known. It had caused the spectators to gaze upon her three-dimensional form with curiosity. "What did you call me?" The witch grabbed her wand, pointing it towards the hologram. "Oop, did I add another wrinkle? Sorry that your social security benefits didn't cover treatment for insults." As she prepared to cast a fireball to extinguish the program's being from existence, a dark shadow appeared over her head. "Really? Casting a fireball? In this day and age? There are much more dangerous things to worry about." Looking above her, she found a massive ship engine falling from the sky. It was dropped by a transport ship whose cargo bay she opened during transit. "You gotta be careful about these things nowadays. Look left, right, and up when crossing in the open!"

Dom and Gabriel were unphased by the action that occurred around them. By being commanders who led from the frontline during the war, keeping up the facade of confidence was key in keeping their led armies in order despite the chaos. "I see, you're not just any mere human, are you? You have his eyes." The undead prince gripped his halberd. "And you're not just any angel either. Your body betrays your experience. You're more than just someone who speaks of superiority." He waited for the angelic weapon to make the first move. If his role was to be a wall that separated Ash from his most lethal weapon, he was going to do all he could in his power to keep him back. However, instead of fighting this battle alone, Shinji took to his side while the weapons above were pointed at him. "Three versus one? I suppose someone like you will need help to survive me." His specter charged the two, immediately meeting Dominic's halberd. As their metal clashed against one another, Dom's weapon began to bend. Though before he could take advantage, Shinji swiped from behind with his own blade before being met with Gabriel's gauntlet.

Even his armor as a specter was hard to pierce. Resistant against physical weapons, his resilience was bolstered by his biological strength. "Is this the best you both could muster?" He grabbed Shinji's sword, swinging the cat against the human prince. "I doubt you've managed to get this far with that much strength alone." Sensing the animosity of automated defenses, Gabe jumped back, dodging the blasts that rained down towards him. "And I see you haven't changed a bit, Twenty-Three." He refused to remember her name, finding her more of a nuisance rather than a capable ally on the battlefield. "You're just as naive as the day I met you and you're slower too." Exy grumbled. "This is why your wife is getting piped by Sen!" Upon hearing her testimony, the shadowed angel's wings had shot from his back, giving the crowd a glimpse as to the power that led the forces of the empress. "You lying cur. Rafaela would never stoop so low as to even give that wretched human an ounce of compassion." Drawing his attention in its entirety, the three were able to distract the angel for their leader to fight without concern.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"There's something off about your soul, Violyn."

"You were... Someone I remember."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏʜɪɴɢ: ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ | ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜʙʀᴀɪɴ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

With bruises battering both of their bodies, the torrent of attacks had slowed down to a halt as they recollected their breath. While they were panting and covered in sweat, the attention of the crowds were turned towards the divine hero's fight against the virus. "I doubt it. Maybe in another life, we could have started off as friends, but not in this one. Fate had decided us to be apart from the beginning." Leaning on his spear, the human coughed and spat on the ground. After living for over twenty years in this human life, only remembering the past three or four before the "accident" that wiped his memory, Vyn couldn't escape the uneasy feeling of familiarity. The world around him was all too familiar. His legs knew where to take him when it came to where different parts of the facility were. Yet, he had no time to dwell on nostalgia. If his family needed him to focus, he wasn't going to let them down. "Enough of that for now. We could talk after our fight is over."

Charging, he met Ash with several stabs aimed towards his chest. While the reaper was able to parry many of the strikes, a few had breached his cloak, piercing him and drawing blood. Likewise, during the exchange, Ash's scythe had scratched and scarred Vyn's own, attacking him from his blind spot. Though oddly enough, Vyn's ambition and adrenaline had kept his mind in the fight. Ash wasn't used to warriors that fought near their peak either. He was used to going after enemies that were near their expiration date. As a result, he had a limit to his fight that was soon approaching. The conjuring of powerful specters of the past from the metaphysical realm beyond life had used up a lot of his stamina before the fighting even began.

With him reaching his limit, the reaper had clung on to his scythe, trembling and coughing. "... Please. Give up. I'm begging you. My mother needs help for her surgery." His knees spilled onto the ground. Though Vyn felt pity for his opponent's plea, there were still some evils that needed to be done in order to reach the people he loved. Covered in blood, he approached the reaper with his spear to his side. "I'm sorry, Ash. But I told you." Grabbing his shoulder and gently pushing him down, he sent Ash to the ground, ending the contest. "I'm not turning back."

With his defeat now apparent, Ash unsummoned the specters, causing Gabe's former shadow to dissipate with a snap of his fingers. "You win. I lose. It is your victory, Vyn." The crowd erupted with applause. Though, while he expected his dream to be forfeit, Vyn extended a hand and pulled his former enemy from the ground. "But just because I'm not turning back doesn't mean you should turn back on your promises either. We're both here because of people we care about. Whatever you need, Ash. I'm here. We're here." Approaching Vyn from behind, Dom placed a hand on Ash's shoulder while Shinji held the laptop for Exy to see what was going on.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Wait... What?"

"We don't have to remain enemies to fulfill our promises."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

ᴛᴇɴᴢᴀɪ ʀᴀᴅɪᴏ

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴛɪɴʏ ꜱᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀᴛ (ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ) | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ​

ᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʙʀᴀᴠᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ.
ᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇ ɪꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴀʀɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴏ ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ.
- ᴍᴀʟᴄᴏʟᴍ ɢʟᴀᴅᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴅᴀᴠɪᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴏʟɪᴀᴛʜ: ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴅᴏɢꜱ, ᴍɪꜱꜰɪᴛꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟɪɴɢ ɢɪᴀɴᴛꜱ​

---

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Vyn, do we have to go?"

"We should, Exy. The least it would do is give us a chance to eye up the remaining competition."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The Ballroom; The battlefield of tongues.
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴛɪɴʏ ꜱᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀᴛ (ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ) | ᴀᴢᴀʟɪ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Approaching the scene, the party was met with the sight of many of heaven's elite attending the function. While her reputation was controversial, Freyja was one of the more popular kami. Any social gathering with her name attached was an event worth assigning to calendars months ahead of time. With a new champion in tow, many curious divine onlookers turned their focus towards the odd sight of an undead in full armor, a bakeneko in robe, a laptop in the bakeneko's hand, a reaper in cloak, and a human dressed in a tuxedo leading them all. "If we aren't the most conspicuous people in all of Heaven, it would be a miracle."

Vyn joked, turning to his strange collection of companions. "Well, if they don't like it, too bad." Dominic scratched his chin, coming fully equipped for a battle, only holding an exception for the helmet. "Dom, what the hell did you plan on dancing with, Gabe? He's gone now, y'know?" Exy teased, playing her voice through the laptop's speakers. "Well, in the case someone decides it's a good idea to attack us again, I'll be ready. I did clean my armor though." She chuckled. "... Fair enough."

"I'm glad to have you on our side, Ash." The paladin patted his former enemy on the back. "I don't believe there's any rules for team adjustments. As long as the leader remains the same, what we have going on here is still tournament legal." He tilted his head at the reaper curiously. "Why did you need to win the tournament anyways? Don't reapers like you have most of the benefits that a champion gets?"

Ash nodded his head. "We do, but even with all I earn, it's not enough to pay for my mom's injuries." The reaper held his family as his top priority. "She got hurt really badly after dealing with Gabriel's soul. Even now, heaven's top doctors are still treating her wounds. It's not cheap..." He looked down. "I really hoped that I could use the champion title for leverage so I could get her the help she needs."

Shinji placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "How about you tell me where she's at and I could take care of her. I used to be the leader of the Eastern paladins. Even if I don't have my title, I do have connections. My wife for one could help." His tail flowed as naturally as he spoke, confident that he could offer enough. "Looks like fate had brought you to the right place. Maybe after this is all over, I could help you get her what she needs." A smile grew on Ash's face. "I would really like that. Thank you... Seon-ji."

Upon entering the venue, Vyn's eyes were immediately drawn to the largest god in the room: Ares. He was dressed in parade armor, golden and glistening underneath the light. While the accommodations were extraordinarily lavish compared to their stationed barracks, he could hear the bickering from nearby lesser kami over the quality of the party. It appeared they weren't content, holding unrealistic expectations for even the goddess of fertility herself. Yet despite how luxurious the party was, even if he wasn't the host, Ares aimed to be the pinnacle of attention in the room.

"Who's that?" Dominic stared at the god of war, gripping the hand that usually wielded his halberd upon entering his presence. "That's Ares. The big bad of heaven." Exy kept her volume down, aware that the toppling of his ego would spell disaster for all who drew near. Strangely, Vyn didn't feel the same fear as the others did. Instead, his soul had turned to anger. There was something about the way he spoke, the way he walked, the way he looked down on everyone around him that ignited a fire in his heart. Though before he could get lost within his sudden heated reaction, he heard his new companion's soothing voice. "Not now, Vyn." Ash spoke to him as the voice of reason. "Whatever you got against Ares, you gotta keep it down. I don't want you getting hurt before our next fight." Sighing, Vyn relented to the reaper's logic. "You're right. Can't lose my head now, especially with how close we are. We need to focus on who we're meant to battle next."

Noticing their attention turned towards him, the god of war approached the leader of Heaven's up and coming underdogs. Instead of greeting him with malice as a result of his species' mundanity, Ares offered a hand as a gesture of respect from one warrior to another. Consistently, the human had beat the odds, claiming victory after victory against many who would defeat them easily on paper. Even his origin story, coming from divine prison after being charged for defying the will of the paladins for the fulfillment of a promise, had garnered the interest of many other divine. He was a storybook hero in the making with his story still unraveling as they spoke. Amongst heaven, stories that were this dynamic among present times were rare. Perfection was still, unchanging and unageing; To have someone so close act so different from the norm was enough to make even the most mundane species famous.
​

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Ah, so you're Violyn. You are mightier than you look. Too bad you're a human."​

"If not for that, you'd make for a fine paladin."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Up close, his presence was immense, overshadowing every foe they came across. There was a vast contrast in power between them as wide as the dark oceans between stars. "I don't regret my upbringing or my parents, friend." The human refused to give the deity any words of worship. If he was speaking as one warrior to another, he was going to talk to him as equals. "My blood is what gives me life. My convictions are what gives me strength. These people around me are what make me mighty, not luck nor holy blessing." Vyn spoke about his team proudly, speaking praises of their name. If not for them, he would have never left the prison in the first place. "I hope you can respect me for that, not for what I am not." The god boasted a loud laugh, his echoes booming across the concert hall. "Ha, you're more courageous than I thought, speaking to me like that. Maybe fighting you for Freyja's favor would be more interesting than I thought."​

"Did he just say-" Ash stared at the god, confused. "Your ears haven't betrayed you, unfortunately." Shinji glared at his imposing figure, his tails struck upward in fear as they recognized danger. Dominic crossed his arms, careful not to reveal any hints of doubt. His team needed cohesion if they would ever stand a chance against someone as mighty as the god of war himself. Though, while the others began to second guess their odds of winning, Vyn approached his final contender. "Hey, isn't it odd for a god to be the champion of another? Shouldn't you be looking for a champion of your own?" He gave a puzzled expression. "I don't need anyone else to fight my battles. I leave the scheming to the snakes. But I won't let anyone else claim the name of my fiance-to-be through a trial of combat other than me." The god beat his chest, shaking the very ground that Vyn stood on. "Be proud that you've earned a chance to fight against the god Ares himself."

"No one will shame you for losing to me."​

Many lesser gods had laughed at the human team's misfortune. There was no way in hell nor heaven that they stood a chance against the perfect war machine himself. No weapon fathomed by even the worst of humans could ever land a scratch on his body, or so they believed. Though, to all who lacked the same hubris and anger as Sen, damaging Ares was seen as an impossibility, a feat no shorter than herculean. "I don't plan on losing, not to you or anybody. Don't think I'm gonna throw in the towel knowing that I'll be fighting you last." Vyn gripped the hand that Ares shook with, fearless and unmoved in his resolve. Immediately, those gods were made silent, aware of just how temperamental the war god could be. "The strength of my promises would stand through whatever you could throw at us next. We've come too far to lose now." Emboldened by the passion to meet with those he lost again, he stood up to that which knew no fear.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"And it's going to take someone stronger than you to stop me."

David and Goliath.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Despite being dressed in formalwear, the scene played out very similarly to the old mythological tale of David against Goliath. The parallels were too familiar for those well versed in divine literature to ignore. Seeing this scene play in front of him, Ares was well aware of the fate of which the giant succumbed to post combat. "I assure you, there's none stronger than me." The god's hand balled into a fist, cracking the holy armor that was meant to protect against all blows. "Be glad that you are in a place where I need to offer mercy. If not for Freyja, you would have been punished for your hubris, human." The warrior's respect was gone. Instead of seeing Vyn as a capable warrior, Ares stared at him as though he was a rat, a pest only worthy of extermination. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut. "Then let's leave the fighting to the arena. I don't want to cause any more trouble for the host." Vyn fixed himself, being the first human to leave Ares angry without becoming subject to his wrath. As he stepped away, the music began to play, slowly melting away the tense atmosphere in the room.

 

[Tenzai]

ᴛᴇɴᴢᴀɪ ʀᴀᴅɪᴏ

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ᴅɪᴇ | ᴋᴇɴᴅʀɪᴄᴋ ʟᴀᴍᴀʀ​

---

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Sigvyn, oh what I'd do to have you back."

"If I would have known how boring life could be without you, I wouldn't have never let you go."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ᴅɪᴇ | ᴋᴇɴᴅʀɪᴄᴋ ʟᴀᴍᴀʀ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

God, give me life, dear God, please give me peace
Dear God, please keep these lame ****** away from me
Dear God, keep me shinin', the fuck do they really think?
Pocket-watching, you must be the police

God, bless these words, dear God, bless how I think
Dear God, draw the line, they tryna confuse 'em with me
Dear God, please forgive me, you knowin' how hard I tried
I think it's time for me to watch the party die

Get 'em gone, we gon' watch the party die
Send 'em home, we gon' watch the party die
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Drowning thanks to the endless fountains of heavenly wine at the bar, the drunk divine sprawled himself over the side of the railing, falling from the second floor balcony into a set of neatly trimmed hedges outside. "Oof!" With a thud, he crashed in front of Vyn, caught by surprise while smoking in the absence of his daughter. It was something he usually did to clear his mind. While the others were indoors, Dominic and him stood outside as he cooled his head, trying to avoid stirring any more trouble before the goddess herself came out to greet them. "Oh, look, Vyn. A flightless angel." Dom joked, in a vain attempt to lighten the mood. "Or a divine dodo, perhaps. Or maybe he's the kami of flightless birds."

"What do you want?! Can't you see I'm grieving?" Lokir growled at the two, before realizing just who stood in front of him. It was the target of his planned assassinations, Violyn, the number two distraction of his beloved god. "Oh... Its you." He spat at them, angry at the team that took his Ares' attention away. Combat was a thrill unlike anything else for the war-focused deity. Nothing, not love nor passion, could ever compare to the enjoyment of besting another in a fair fight. While Lokir tried to demand Vyn's attention, the human turned his eyes away, whistling as if he didn't see anything. "Don't you dare act like I'm not here, you mongrel. Grovel at my feet human. It's the only use you have! Hey! Listen to me!"

Dom nearly burst out in laughter, tearing up upon seeing Vyn's reaction. "Did you hear that? Must've been the wind, Dom." Vyn puffed a cloud of smoke at the bewildered god, caring little about his presence. "If you don't-" Before he had a chance to stand up, Vyn unloaded his foot against the kami's chest, forcing Lokir deeper into the brush he hoped to escape from. Vyn was not in the mood for playing around with another god. "Holy fucking heavens, can you learn how to take a hint and shut the fuck up?" As he withdrew his kick, the human grumbled his holy annoyances. "Ever since we started fighting in this championship, most of you kami have given us nothing but taunts, telling us of how we'd fail before reaching anywhere near the quarter-finals."

Vyn's grip on his cig grew tight. From one annoying kami to another, he was constantly looked down upon despite their team's miraculous performance. "Even now as finalists, you still have nothing worthwhile coming out of your mouth. To fucking once believe you all had omnipotence. It appears I was mistaken. You're more disappointing in person." Out of everything else the human could have called the kami, disappointing was the most damaging to the ego. He was well below expectations. No matter whatever power he held, all of it came to naught in front of the human that was tired of fighting it all. Scheme after scheme, trick after trick, their ignorance had left their plans foiled every time.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"If you wanna cry about something, cry about it somewhere else."

"I'm not in the mood for any more divine bullshit."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Ha... Haha... Isn't this funny." The god of vultures laughed, reaching for his cane as he picked himself up from the ground. "Oh, how have the mighty have fallen if one as lowly as you could think you can order me to move." Within an instant, his cane shifted from a staff into a bow. "I care little about the championship or your little goddess." As he drew the bow, Dom prepared himself for combat. Though Vyn on the other hand, stared the kami down. "You'll pay for your petty ignorance and your foolish hubris, human. Pray that your next life would grant you peace, should you even become lucky enough to receive one."

"Lokir, right?" The call of his name had brought pause to the kami's hands. "So you're the one who betrayed the god of promises. You're the one who's making it so difficult for me." His hands shook, not knowing how much was revealed. "You know nothing of me, human. My name, surely, but I'm not one to betray." Vyn laughed, finding the idea of a god lying ironic. Supposedly seen as bastions of truth in planets underneath holy dominion, they appeared much more vain in person, throwing away their heavenly visage when met with someone that didn't act as a worshipper. "If not for you, I'd have a kami that actually likes me. Now I have to fight for the favor of another one. Thanks for nothing, your benevolence."

Aiming his bow at the center of Vyn's eye, Lokir prepared to lose his grip. "Vyn! Now!" However, before he released the muscles that held his arrow, Dom was first to act, noticing each contortion on the god's arm to interrupt him when he was ready to fire. Finding the opportunity, he threw dirt into the god's eye as the human launched himself at the god, knocking him down and mounting his soul's former lover from the top. Though, the moment before the human struck first, Lokir fired his arrow, grazing Vyn's cheek and tearing strands of his hair as he missed, leaving Vyn bleeding and angry. Unlike his capture before, he was well prepared to fight at any moment. Thanks to his interaction with Ares, he was amped too.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Huh-?"

"I'm not going to let you stop me, Lokir. I have too much riding on this."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Divine retribution.

Judgment never felt so sweet
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Caught by surprise, Lokir fell victim to Vyn's punches. Over and over again, he used the fire that arose from months spent being looked down upon by the kami to deliver the strength behind his blows, spilling holy crimson on the goddess' garden. The reverberations of his strikes was enough to cut through the music of the congregation hall. As other kami watched in awe from the balcony, their criticisms of the human had fallen still. It was the first time they saw anyone attempt to punish Lokir for his typical behavior seen as annoying even by other divine beings, though none of them expected that retribution would come in the form of a human's punches. As the sound of meat being pounded grew frequent and steady, a newfound respect for humanity was formed within the eyes of the lower kami. Perhaps a champion like him wouldn't be so bad.

"Fuck... You..." The kami's hands scampered for his bow, trying his best to locate the source of his divinity throughout the hurricane of strikes to his face. Only after him getting recorded being beatdown by Vyn for several minutes did he finally reach his bow, disappearing in a storm of black feathers before reappearing meters with his weapon drawn. "I won't... Miss again." Lokir charged his arrow with all the fury he could muster, embarrassed over the shameful display he gave the audience above. and around them. If he was to blow away Vyn with a single strike in front of the cameras, perhaps he could regain some of his lost glory. The ground shook as the arrow glowed brighter, similar to the same he used to put down his ex before.

Unfortunately for him however, the sudden surge in malice and power had attracted even the greater god's attention. Immediately, a crash of thunder landed beside him, only for his arrow wielding arm to get gripped and held over his head. "You dare take my prey from me, Lokir?" Ares lifted him off the ground, shaking the bow from his grasp. "I- Uh.. Its not what it looks like, Ares! I promise! He started it! Right guys?" The kami above looked away, acting on the side of Vyn. After his show of revenge, not only for humanity but for the kami he spited too, they were persuaded to join his side. "You lie to me too? How pathetic of me was it to think you were worthy of my seed and my gifts." He threw his former lover to the ground, grabbing his bow and smashing it in his grip. "You don't deserve my weapons. You don't deserve my favors. Begone, Lokir! I tire of you." Ares turned towards Vyn. "And you. I'll see you soon."

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"It looks like you were right all along, Hecate."

"I can't believe I'm playing for others that aren't you and Jupiter."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Noctua's Battle of the Bands
Come now, one and all, to see the hidden talent of Noctua duel for a chance to win a contract.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴅᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴀʀɪᴀ, ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ | ᴀʟʟ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟᴏᴡ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

"I got your picture, I'm coming with you. Dear Merri. Yeah, count me in.
There's a story at the bottom of this bottle and I'm the pen."​

Standing in front of a crowd of university students, Able stood in front of a microphone, spilling the words of his heart in front of all to see. He wasn't one to be the face of any band, let alone one to perform in front of enthusiastic crowds. However, with his beloved standing in the front of the crowds and Tai's assistance flowing through his veins, he felt the call of a past life to perform a song made just for her. With the energy in front of him and the tough performance of a band of metal-heavy demons to follow, his nerves were amped but he never felt more alive. The way she smiled at him and danced to his music reminded him of the many times he would practice in front of her at night, playing until she fell asleep to turn their music into sound. With a bet with Rana being a perfect excuse for his sudden change in attitude and behavior, he overcame his fears of stage fright just for tonight. Lance's future was riding on it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"When the lights go off, I wanna watch the way you take the stage by storm."

"The way you wrap those boys around your finger, go on and play the leader."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"'Cause you know it's what you're good at, the low road for the fast track, make every second last~" The demon smirked as he sung, aware of how jealous the incubi must have been for a low-ranking demon such as him, to have a girl like Merri by his side. She was someone he dated with pride. She was cute, ecstatic at hearing her Able play after all this time spent investing effort into perfecting his sound. Using his emotion to charge his mana, as he struck every chord, a shock of dark lightning pierced into the heart of the crowd, causing the energy to room to shake with their sound, each possessed with his song following the lyrics of their moment. Regardless of whatever magic the incubi band had won the crowd with earlier, it paled in comparison to that which he faced during the war. The pressure of their sound would never compare to the intensity of the soul, both in combat and in love. He'd wage war for her and his family every time he was given the choice.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"I got your picture, I'm coming with you. Dear Merri. Yeah, count me in."

"There's a story at the bottom of this bottle and I'm the pen."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Make it count, when I'm the one who's selling you out. 'Cause it feels like stealing hearts, calling your name from the crowd." Sitting in the back, Aiden used his hidden position to his advantage. Without someone explicitly observing him but the people who recognized him that had their votes in his pocket already, he used his tentacles to perform much better than his drumming opponent. Unlike the demon, he was able to wield six drum sticks in hand consecutively without batting a sweat. 'Oh, the things I do to make you smile Mina.' He mused to himself, watching his girl dance to the music alongside while focusing on him. "At least, you could brag to your friends that you're dating an athlete and a drummer at the same time." Hearing his time come up, he adjusted the tempo, following the natural swings of the audience for them to feel like they had a part in the song. With this many people to read, it wasn't hard for him to manipulate their sound into something dangerously catchy.

"Doesn't that mean you'll be the show girl of the home team, I'll be the narrator, telling another tale of the American dream." Finding an opportunity to sabotage the lead singer, one of the incubi had snuck around the crowd to prepare to throw a bottle. Upon flinging it however, it held in place, gripped by an invisible force: Wind magic. "Wow, to think you're losing so badly that you'd result in petty tricks like this." Tai's wind brought the bottle to his hand. "Don't blame them for being jealous." Fate chuckled, being aware of what would happen before it did. By leading every piece to the right place, he knew he could give Able an unfair advantage. "Wait until next year. I'm sure you'll have another shot." The fairy prince patted the incubi's shoulder. "How about you use the time to get better." His hand gripped tightly, revealing the improvement in his muscles since Tay's conditioning. "You'll fare much better. Trust me."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"I see your name in lights, we could make you a star."

"Girl, we'll take the world by storm. It isn't that hard."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"'Cause I got your picture, I'm coming with you. Dear Merri. Yeah, count me in." While Able lifted his guitar to bounce beside Violet as his voice rode the high note, Sen and Sev sat in the crowd. "Never in a billion years would I ever thought to see you and your crew in a place like this." Sen chuckled, taking a drink of his wine. "Well, Thea's dream had led me to places I've never thought I'd visit again. Hell, she led me to people I'd never thought I'd meet." The two watched Able with awe, finding his talent for music pleasantly surprising. "It's in part her fault that we've found each other again. Even you two, you and Raf. With whatever comes next, I think you deserve to thank her." The idea that the human hero would ever find himself in the same place as the little angel, Thea was a cute thought. "I doubt it. I'm sure hell would freeze over before heaven would even consider someone like me." Sen clinked his glass with Sev's, taking another sip alongside him. "But... If I do. I'll be sure to let her know."

"There's a story at the bottom of this bottle and I'm the pen." After hearing of Violet's performance, several girls from Rio's gang had showed up to hear her play. Among them was Eclipse who found her head bobbing to the music. Despite being a bit cold to most things herself, whenever Vi was in the picture, she couldn't help but smile. They were two sides of a coin, both necessary for the gang to function as a whole. Though regardless of her mind on the music, she was still aware of her surroundings. Sensing hurried footsteps, she turned over to find one of the incubi with scissors in hand attempting to go backstage. Instead of letting them pass freely however, she slammed her hand against the wall beside them, kicking their chest and holding them in place with her boot.

"What the fuck are you planning?" The incubi gulped, finding no one around noticing due to the loud sound of the speakers. "I'm just uh... Doing mainta-" Immediately, Eclipse pressed her foot harder against the incubi's chest. "Don't fucking lie to me. I could smell the scheme on you and it reeks." The undead's eyes pierced into his soul, excavating it for every truth that remained hidden inside. "Scram before I start getting angry." With a quick nod, he dropped his scissors and ran off. "Idiots." She sat on the stairs leading backstage. Eclipse wasn't going to let anyone attempt to ruin Violet's night.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"'Cause I got your picture, I'm coming with you. Dear Merri yeah, count me in. There's a story at the bottom of this bottle."

Won over, the crowd gave a deafening applause. "Looks like we have ourselves a winner!"
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Outside, the band sat on a bench in front of a vending machine to celebrate over some drinks. "Hey Able, thanks for helping me out. It really means the world to me." The demon took a sip of his can before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't mention it. Thanks for giving me a chance to perform my song for Merri. I don't think there would have been any better place other than here to show her how much I love her." A blush grew over his face now that they were away from the crowds. "Aww. You two are so fucking cute." The vampire gave a beaming smile. "Guess she makes you feel really lucky, huh?" Able nodded. "Absolutely. Took a lot for us to find each other, let alone get to know each other like this."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"I wouldn't trade this life for any other."​

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"You sure this is gonna work, Violet?"

"Of course. Come on, we can't keep them waiting out there! Our fans are waiting for us!"
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Peeking out from behind the curtains, Lance gulped at the sight of the ever-growing crowd awaiting them outside. Unlike their first bout entering the tournament, this time, there were people actively cheering them on. Though among them, there were men in suits; Vampires with matching tattoos and color schemes. "Of course, she would subject herself to something as lowly as music. Violet never changes." Violet's brother sat near the front with his bodyguards, unaware of her princess sitting a few rows away. "Are you sure she's here?" He turned to her ex, the man who she was meant to marry long ago. "I know it. I could smell her blood from here." Her ex crushed his ticket in his hand, angry that she would seek to run from her responsibilities of her family. "Good. After her little concert, we'll seize her. She needs to replace the late heir."

"Oh- I don't know. It's not a genre I'm comfortable with. And there are cameras too! What if... What if Tsuna sees?" His anxieties emitted from stage fright were beginning to paralyze him, making breathing through his gills tough. The atmosphere was choking. The pressure was consuming. Though, Violet held little doubt for all they had in store. "Then let her watch. We didn't go through all that practice just for us to stop now!" The vampire placed both of her hands on his back, pushing him where his legs froze. "She's right, Lance. Out of everyone else here, you worked the hardest out of all of us. It would fucking suck to see all of that go to waste." Casting his shadow hand spell, Able assisted Violet with her pushing.

"You asked for this. We're here to make it a reality, Lance. If you wanna turn back now, we're gonna perform this song with or without you." Aiden approached the opening slit between the curtains confidently. "But I assure you. We're not gonna fuck this up whether you come with us or not... So come with us." Using his tendril, he forcibly grabbed Lance and pushed him into the open, letting him lead the rest to their instruments. Immediately upon seeing the Rider's band come to play, they were met with a cheer from the people they won over in their last bout. The sound of people cheering for them was unlike anything else he ever felt before. He felt seen. He felt heard. He felt the reward that came with sharing his musical talent with people from across species.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves before feeling a mechanical hand pat his back. "Lance, I didn't make a mistake when recruiting you onboard." Connecting one side of an aux cable to himself, the Rider's robot copilot displayed a comforting thumbs up on his mask monitor. "You passed every test I've created with my predictive models. I wholeheartedly believe in you." Io connected the other half of his cable to his mixing board. "We have your back. Remember, we're family now." The robot pressed a couple pressure pads to ensure he was connected to the speakers before playing his mixed soundbite. "Fuck it up out there."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Baby, come back! Any kind of fool could see, there was somethin' in everything about you.

Baby, come back! You could blame it all on me! I was wrong, and I just can't live without you.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʙᴀʙʏ ɪ'ᴍ ʙᴀᴄᴋ | ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪᴅ ʟᴀʀᴏɪ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Baby, come back!" The moment he heard the classic lines be played over the speakers, Able and Aiden gave each other a nod before turning to Vi who had her eyes set on something else in front of her: Her brother. Before Able had a chance to ask what had her focus shifted, Violet smirked. "I'm gonna change a few of the lyrics."

There was nothing that would beat the feeling of being a brat to the family that tried to restrict her freedoms. Walking over to the microphone with her bass guitar in hand, she began to play, commanding the others to follow her in suit. "It's been a crazy last year, I'm tryna process still. I don't even know how I should feel." The sudden change from familiar words had wrought interest from both the crowd and her current and ex gang family alike.

"Been bought a couple big houses and some whips, maybe three;" Her eyes turned to her brother, Carmilla, and Rio as she voiced the next lines. "And I got family members with bigger egos than me." With the brightest smile on her face, she raised her hand and beckoned the audience to bob with her. "And we got fans around the world whenever we're overseas; And I got friends who pretend and say they love everything." The way she spoke had made her song feel like a conversation to their listeners, following a similar energy as the song they played before with Able although with a different energy. There was vulnerability mixed with spite within her words, making each syllable feel real as though it came from the heart.

Sitting herself down at the end of the stage in front of Carmilla herself, she targeted her favorite fling in Noctua with her lyrics. "And yes, I fell in love again, I thought that shit was impossible;" Pulling her fingers off her bass, Vi lifted Carmilla's chin up before kissing her on the lips in front of her ex and brother. "And I promise it's too real for me to care what they think. I promise I don't give a fuck because I know who I am, hating on me undercover, I just won't understand." Lifting her gaze from Carmilla to her brother, she stood from the ground returning her hands to the motion of her bass as she played with courage and spite. "Say we're siblings, call me family, but you act like a fan; Two A.M. in Noctua screamin' Hey Vi, I'm back!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Play me like a fool, I see. But it's been so long since I've thought about you."

She noticed her ex and refused to leave him free from her lyrics.
"I swear, okay, baby, I'm back. I guess you weren't the one for me. But it's been so long since I've thought about you."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"I swear, okay, baby, I'm back." Speeding up her words, Vi began to feel the frequencies being pushed from Io's speakers, taking in the energy as fuel behind her theatrical performance. While the others played their instruments to the best of their abilities, their collective efforts making a moment like this possible, Lance couldn't help but find himself entranced with the sight of her acting as fluently as she did without the pressure of hundreds of eyes atop of her. 'Maybe... I could be like her one day.' He thought to himself as he played the keys, careful not to miss a beat as the other boys began to vibe with the music.

"I told my baby; Let them talk. That's the caption. I don't really like bein' online, that shit taxin'." With her words getting to him, her ex began to walk himself to the stage, getting ready to interrupt the performance after feeling embarrassed over her indirect verbal assault on her past with him and her family with her brother and a few of his closest following him. Though, before he was able to do anything, an especially charged Eclipse stood in his way with her girls behind her. "Give me one good fucking reason why I should let any of you get any closer?" Vi rarely spoke about her past with any of the other girls. However, with Eclipse and Rio, she was honest about everything, from her troublesome home life to her past romantic experiences.

While the other ladies in their gang only knew Vi for her bubbly personality which stood in stark contrast with Eclipse's serious own, Eclipse knew of the consequences that came with Rio taking her in as a part of the family. By treating her the way she wanted to be treated and welcoming her within her ranks, it would make the relationship between the Crimson Meridian, Rio's pirate gang, and the Blackwood Syndicate, the vampire cartel that Violet originated from, tenuous at best and hostile at worst.

However, despite the potential consequences that would come with defying them what they want, the undead second-in-command didn't care. The vampire was her family, an irreplaceable part of what made the Crimson Meridian more than just a gang. Even if she was a vampire, she was the one who injected life into wherever she sunk her heart and fangs in.

Unfortunately, her family saw this part of her as a flaw instead of her biggest strength; A rebellious fire that needed to be snuffed out. Her parents and the ancestors that came before were stoic, in control of their emotions to make the best decisions for their families. To have a child that was seen as emotionally motivated was an oddity that made them choose another child over her as the heir to the throne. With them becoming injured though, it meant one thing: Violet was the next in line; Someone her family had to reign in to keep up the front of a unified family. "Because she's ours. Not yours to order around."

"Oh? Then fucking prove it." Hidden in the dark of the concert hall, Eclipse and her crew were unafraid of drawing their weapons where others couldn't see them. Outnumbered and outgunned, Vi's brother bit his tongue. "Ha, tough shit. Unless you want to end up spending the lives of those around you, I recommend you turn around and fuck off. I'm not going to let you ruin her concert over something stupid like this." Turning himself around to the dismay of her ex, her brother ordered his men to give her space. "You're going to regret this. Don't think this will be the last you see of us."

"Bet. Next time, I won't be so patient with your bitching. Scram." Claiming victory without blood being spilled, the Crimson Meridian's enforcer returned to the music scene, enjoying the rest that Vi had to offer. Upon coming back, Vi pulled her girlfriend on stage, showing her off in front of her disgruntled family. "Started off as attraction, now it's turning to attachment. Overseas, we relaxin', I ain't thinkin' 'bout no past tense, no."

With her bass as the conduit of her emotions, instead of targetting the crowd, the judges, or the opposing band that was to play after them, she honed her focus on her family and her exes. "Now everybody want to say shit, all of a sudden y'all believed in me. All of a sudden you want a favor now, all of a sudden you wanna be with me." She gave her brother her fiercest glare, ensuring that he received the message. She wasn't going back without a fight. "All the sudden, y'all always knew, but I remember you ain't see it in me!" If they would want her for something that she could never be, their side was a place where she felt she could never belong.

Without missing a beat, instead of taking the spotlight away from Lance, she spun her pointer finger around in a loop to signal to her other bandmates to repeat the chord progression one more time, running towards Lance to hand him the mic. "And finish the rest Lance. I know you know the lyrics." Bringing her lips close to the mic, she spoke up. "And give it up for Lance everyone. To Lance's lucky girl, Tsuna!" The crowd cheered, shooting several whistles as well to support their shark pianist.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"This is for you!"

"A-and yes, I know I'm blessed, but sometimes I wish I could go back."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

The music died down to bring out his vocals further, leaving nothing but him and his piano to speak the music of his heart. Believing his girl to be listening to this very moment, Lance eyed the camera directly, reading from his mind aloud the words he always wished to share with her. "To the way it used to be... Just so I could feel what I've been missing. Oh~"

His hands felt accustomed to the keys as though he was playing beside her again, complimenting his genuine feelings as a result of the long hours spent practicing. "We can have it all, you'll see; But this song's something that's not the same without you. Oh~" Pulling away from the mic, Lance hid his tears as he played his heart out, trying to keep up appearances while Io looped the mixed soundbite over again. With Aiden and Able nodding their heads before giving Vi the signal, the four worked together to perform the outro to the end.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Baby, come back! Any kind of fool could see, there was somethin' in everything about you.

Baby, come back! You could blame it all on me! I was wrong, and I just can't live without you.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Hey Lance. I'm proud of you. We did great out there." As the following angel band struggled to keep up with the same energy they performed with earlier, Violet sat beside him. "B-but, I stuttered. I..." Placing a finger on his lips to shush him, she spoke up. "You delivered. Did well on the keys and spoke your heart. Is there anything else that matters more?"

He was quiet for a moment, feeling his performance anxiety shush at the praise. "I wouldn't have been able to do this without you. Remember that." Licking Cam's saliva off her lips, she gave him her warmth. "You see how you made my girlfriend on stage feel with our music? She usually hates men, but I think she'd make an exception for you. No one who could make me feel so safe to sing with their music is a bad person, I'd say!"

Pressing a can of iced coffee on the shark's head to cool him off, Aiden bent over to bring his face close to Lance. "People don't ask for autographs of losers, dummy." Lance blushed once he recalled the immediate reception that Violet's gang had for him and the other members of the band upon finishing up their song. "The main thing is that you've impressed all the people who mattered. Even if you can't impress yourself with your own voice, you can't tell me that the people we played for didn't like it. Keep talking like that and I'm gonna get Mina here to comfort you."

The shark immediately shook his head, still feeling the bruise on his head that came from Mina tripping with a baking pan in hand. "I get it. It's just... I never thought we'd get this far, you know? I never thought that my voice or my music would ever win people over like Tsuna's."

Able rolled his eyes, sitting on a chair with Merri covered in his signatures on his lap. "Well it won't because you're not Tsuna. You'll never be her, but that's completely fine." He held his hand out to fist bump Lance. "She won't make great shit like this. She also doesn't have a voice like yours either. Take pride in that. Tell me, whose hands are on the keys? Whose voice was it on the mic? Whose the guy who brought us all together?" Lance cracked his can open, taking a little sip of the iced coffee. "Me..." Io wrapped his arms from around Lance to give him a hug.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Then learn how to shut up and take compliments."

"Besides, you're way better than those gospel fucks singing hymns right now."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"What do you think Rio would like for Christmas?"

"Strawberry-flavored magic condoms."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴍɪꜱꜱ ᴍᴇ | ɴᴇʙ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

"You're so bright, make my eyes hurt
I wanna talk, but I really can't fight her
Her attitude so crazy, I can't match it
She's always acting like it's me, or my habits"
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"Vi, what the fuck?" Eclipse turned to Violet, finding her bobbing her head to the music of her headphones from a few nights before as she shopped for Able. "You think Abe would want something like this?" Turning around, she held up the box of magical condoms up confidently, proud of the results of her search. "Able? Probably not. His girlfriend has a thing for having nothing in the way." By being able to read the souls of others, Eclipse was attune to the emotions that hid well beneath the surface. "Get him something he could do something with that doesn't involve sex." The ghostly woman shook her head with a smile. To have Vi care about someone else enough that she'd put enough thought to get them a gift beyond a gift card was a welcome sight.

"Awww, okay. Thought he would appreciate having something that would help him last longer." Putting down the condoms that lowered sensitivity, she drew a smaller gift from her other hand, a guitar pick made of solid demonite. "I also picked this up from the street market earlier. Some guy selling magical guitars offered to sell it! What do you think? Would Able like this?" Taking the guitar pick from her hand, Eclipse examined it, feeling it grow cold in her own hand. "I've been told that it reveals the element of someone's heart, whatever the fuck that means. It doesn't do anything when I pick it up though." Taking it back, she stared at it confused, unaware of her reflection appearing blurred when staring at the pick.

"Honestly Vi?" Thinking back to how Able looked during his song, Eclipse believed in Violet's luck. "This is probably damn near the best you're gonna find for him short of buying him a guitar itself." She couldn't hold back from her big-sister instincts as she voiced her approval, revealing to the third-in-command a warmth hardly revealed to anyone else. "I really think he would appreciate this. Choose it." Patting her head, she returned back to looking over the nearby goods in the store for a gift for Rio. "Now, can you help me find something for Lia? I don't think she's gonna want another gun this year."

Violet chuckled. "Clipsy, she loves a gun every year. As long as it's from you." As Eclipse stared at the gun rack in front of her, she gave the a shaky look, unsure of Vi's reasons. "Surely, she'll get bored, right? She doesn't like sticking around the same girls for too long. Don't you think that she's gonna be bored of getting the same present?" The vampire shook her head. "No, she won't. Wanna know why? I'll let ya in on a little secret~"

Tiptoeing to reach Eclipse's ears, Vi whispered. "It's because she appreciates the thought." The undead's eyes grew wide. "The thought? What do you mean?" The vampire hopped up, using her lack of weight to hover with her lips lingering beside Eclipse's head. "Those girls are flings. Little sparks in the moment. But you? Me? Gem? We put a lot of thought behind what we do for her, what we say to her, and what we give her. She sees that and appreciates that lots, you know? Why do you think she went out of her way to give us so much?"

"She doesn't do that for just anyone. Rio has a big heart, she just sucks at showing it sometimes."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Maybe she's right? I'm guessing
Her eyes so divine, so I can't second guess it
She's psycho but my hoe, I like that
Real simp shit, weird shit, I'll type back"
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Hey Io, what do you think someone like Aiden would be into?"
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

As Able walked through Noctua's mall to look through the stores for a present, he struggled to think of a meaningful gift for the band's drummer. He was hard to read, acting one way in front of the fans before acting another way in front of Mina. To make things even more confusing for the poor demon, around Lance and around the band, he appeared completely different too, wearing several masks as comfortably as he breathed. For someone as honest as Able himself, he felt like the polar opposite.

"My predictive models suggest that he would be most interested in a flattering ring or watch." From one glance alone, Io was able to do a deep scan on the nature of what Aiden chose to wear. Many of the articles of clothing and accessories he adorned himself with were of brands that were subtle; Usually adopted by the truly wealthy. His clothes held no marketing on them, instead being perfectly tailored to make his form more appealing to the eye. His body was attuned to the elements of arcana, making his body a natural conduit for all spells that were cast around him. He was much more than met the eye, but for Io, he was someone whose preferences could be predicted.

"I uh... Don't know what to get him then. Fuck if I know anything about that. Just tell me what to get." Walking into a store that sold premier watches and jewelry, Able walked over to the flashiest brands first, looking at the pieces that exuded power. Before being able to bring staff over to examine the articles of wealth themselves, Io wrapped his arm around Able and guided him towards a quiet corner in the room, away from the ordinary passerby and customers. "Of course! Let me help you. I wouldn't wish for you to gift something you can't be proud of." As the well groomed and suited staff member approached, they saw Io scan the rings and watches hidden behind a one sided mirror to mask the contents from ordinary customers. "Fake. Fake. Fake. ...Real." Out of every piece inside the unclear container, one among them was real. "Choose that one if you have the chance."

Able sighed, relenting his choice to the robot know-it-all he trusted. Every single time he found himself lost on any subject, it was usually Tai or the tin-head that helped guide him through the confusion. "Hey, buddy. I wanna get something from here." Upon coming closer, the elitist golden dragon looked at Able's clothes and scoffed. "You can hardly afford anything here. Why should I even give you the benefit of being able to see our wares direc-"

SLAM. Before he muttered another word, Able slammed a platinum card on the table; It was a sign that he was accepted as one of Sev's most trusted. "You fucking open this shit right now, or I swear to the kami, dying a virgin dragon would be the last of your fucking worries." With eyes blazing with the energy of the dark sun he was born underneath and the wealth to buy the store he worked for multiple times over, the golden dragon was forced to relent with his tail shuddering in between his legs. "Good. I want this shit in a box for a guy named Aiden. I don't care what it does, you don't gotta explain it or try to sell me any of these other whack ass pieces." Using his intimidation to his advantage, the demon forced the dragon to abide by his orders.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Now hurry up before I give someone else enough commission to spoil their family with a trip to Yokoso."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"You sure she would like something like this?"

"You'd be surprised how much a girl would dig effort. Trust me, I'd know. It's a lot less complicated than you think."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Inside of the shark pianist's bedroom, Aiden and Lance were working on a personal project together: A song meant for Tsuna. "But with these lyrics too? Its been a while since she heard anything from me." Despite not being left alone, whenever he compared himself to the musical talent he saw Tsuna performing with online, he felt lesser than. He was an ordinary being comparing himself with galactic greats, a wanderer standing at the base of Mount Olympus. "What if she's different now? I don't want her to see me as a disappointment." Finding his words similar to his own brother's and Mina's, instead of being kind, Aiden glared at him. The mere fact that someone he believed in was doubting himself made him angry for Lance.

"Why does that matter? It's better to disappoint yourself trying than to give up without giving yourself a chance." Speaking from his heart, he aired out a concern that always lingered at the back of his mind. "If you really felt that way, you wouldn't have gathered us all together here in the first place. You wouldn't be performing all of these songs in front of these people, and you damn well wouldn't be trying so hard in practice to be proud of your music." Grabbing Lance by the collar, he glared at his eyes, using his eldritch influence to read his mind only to find the shark's courage masked underneath a veil of doubt. His conscience was influenced by the musical attacks of their former foes. After experiencing a couple battles already, his mind was in need of a break. "I see."

Aiden let him go. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that going against all those bands had made you question your own ability." While the others within the band had dealt with greater levels of malice in the past, he realized that Lance was new to this. He was an introvert forced to act outside of his comfort zone, constantly feeling the need to meet the expectations of both the judges and the growing number of fans. "Look, I won't force you to continue. It was wrong of me... No, of us to push you so hard." Shifting his strategy, the master manipulator feigned sympathy in order to draw out his underlying courage. "If you want to give up here, to go back to who you were before we started all of this, I wouldn't judge you."

Lance shifted in place. They came so far already. Battered emotionally and psychologically, left subject to the experience of the judgement of strangers at their strongest due to him being the face of his own band, he could feel the amounting pressure suffocate him, learning of the everyday that Tsuna must have experienced. If he was to reach her, he had to be able to handle the same stresses. By keeping their past in mind for his goal, to at least have his music reach her regardless of whatever quality he deemed it himself, he needed to bury his own anxiety just for the moment. There would be enough time to cry about all that went wrong once everything was said and done.

"No, you're right. I've been too hard on myself." As Lance confessed the sudden shift in his attitude, Aiden hugged him, giving his devilish smirk from behind. While Mina had done little to stop him from swaying from his typical tactics, his purposes had become influenced by her smile. He was a good person with bad methods, now given a chance to use his villainy in a way that made his human and others feel more indebted to him that his mom could be proud about. "I guess, I just see you guys doing so well, and I feel like I'm dragging you all back. Everyone in the band has talent, but me? I'm..."

"Perfect, just the way you are."​

"And don't think I'm the only one who holds that sentiment." Aiden wielded his ability to read others against Lance's anxieties, deliberately choosing his words in a way that could win even the most stubborn shark over. "Vi, Able? Io? Hell, even the fans and the judges? They believe in you too. Don't think we're all here supporting you out of pity, Lance." The human wrapped his arms tighter around the shark, careful not to put too much pressure on his fin as he felt something wet drip onto his shoulder. "We're here for you because we believe in you; Because we believe in your vision."

"So don't doubt yourself again okay? Let's try this again from the top. I think you have a good voice for this. Mixed with the piano, you are a prize yourself." Aiden hyped his man up, pulling away to free Lance's hands so they could find their keys. "Matched with a wholesome personality and a heart like yours? Tsuna would be stupid to pass you up, or at least, give your music a listen. Just speak and play from the heart, and we'll be right here by your side. Promise." Sitting back on his drum set, Aiden began to perform the intro to his song again, beckoning the shark to play alongside him and voice his lyrics. "Thank you, Aiden. I can't do this without you."

"I know. You chose right when you chose me."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Honestly it's so probable for me to jump obstacles.
Just to hear your name, I hope you hear my blame 'cause it's really not fun when I'm laying alone.

I really wish you were hеre 'cause my whole body is cold, rеal; And that's just how it go.
I know you miss me, it's history, it's all like Rome and my whole body work like clockwork, it's all habit.

I just come to you and fall back, all saddened, and like Saturn, you shine in the sky, yet I need you.
Indecisive and shy, yet I fear you.

Real dumb, real stupid that's our life.
Caught up in the pictures in the movies, it sounds right."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"You sure have a thing for old cars, 'Clipse."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ɢʜᴏꜱᴛᴋɪʟʟᴀ | 1ɴᴏɴʟʏ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

With their holiday shopping handled, the ghostly co-leader and her vampire counterpart began their long drive back to their corner of Noctua. Through dark, city streets, their headlights lead the way, turning heads as college students watched the odd sight make its presence known with the purr of its engine. Her 2XXX Mitsubishi Eclipse was seen as extraordinary by these students who were so used to using hover cars, magnet-trains, and ships for travel. "And? It was a passed down gift from my family." She drove the car proudly, feeling the rumble of the tires on the floor as they moved. Upon returning back to her family in the post-war as the Twelfth heroine's second-in-command, she made her father proud. She left as a rebel, a criminal with no future in mind; But the woman she came back as was a leader, someone capable enough to make a difference in the galaxy.

As a result, he gave her the family's prized possession, a car that existed from centuries long before, kept well maintained by generations upon generations of engineers. With her family treasure in mind, it was in part this reason why she chose to linger on Noctua. She was here for a degree in engineering, using the funds from the empress to pay for her tuition fees. "Oh, don't take it as a bad thing. Honestly, I think it's one of the hottest parts about you." A grease stain decorated Eclipse's cheek, hinting at the work she's done on her car before heading out of the mall. "How so?" She smiled, keeping her attention on the road ahead. "Well, it's something you're passionate about. There's nothing sexier than a girl who found what she could gush over." The vampire leaned her elbow on her door, taking a look outside at the passing streets.

"Thanks. Thought it would be nice to make my dad happy for once; Carrying on our family's legacy seeing me drive this and keep it in great condition." Eclipse brushed her gloved fingers on the dashboard, proud to finally have a chance to make her family smile. She knew she wasn't the best daughter, finding herself often in the company of those her family warned her against. However, being born on a station of void opportunity, being raised by a single father had made her resilient to the streets; Though the sight of her father's smile was priceless. That was a happiness no amount of credits could ever buy. "But really, it's all thanks to you and Lia. Lia for giving me a chance to become someone I could be proud of... And you for giving me the courage to speak with my dad again. Thanks for that."

As she took in the joy of the moment, something was amiss. The headlights behind them had followed them for several turns now. "Someone's following us, Vi. Open the glove." Hearing her co-lead's tone switch, Vi quickly got off her phone and opened the glove to reveal a couple energy machine-pistols decorated in neon graffiti. Whenever Eclipse got like this, she knew that there was trouble ahead that would most likely be only resolved through violence.

"I'm gonna make four turns. If they follow us for all of them, fill them up with holes, got it?" With a quiet nod, the vampire attempted to act normal, slinking her head down to avoid being seen from the rear view of Eclipse's car. Taking one turn right, she noticed that the hovering van behind them followed. The same happened with a second turn and then a third. Upon the fourth right she took, now aware that they were being tracked, she noticed the van speeding up to reach them. They knew she was suspicious. Turning back to her rear view, she saw the passenger side of the van's window roll down, revealing a puff of smoke as a robot sat on the door's opening with a rifle in hand. "Down!" Ducking her head, an energized bullet fired into her car, shattering the rear view as others grazed and dented the frame.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Oh, you're gonna fucking pay for that!"

An eye for an eye; More lead for lead; Ultraviolence for violence.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"You think we got them?" Paid by a rival gang that sought territory in Noctua, the robot shooter turned to his driver. "I don't know, but we won't get paid unless we make sure they're both dead." The robot displayed a checkmark on his mask, turning to the others in the back of the van. "Let's take the car off the road and blast 'em to bits." Though, as he spoke, he heard a massive barrage of energized lead break through glass, cracking the van's outer hull. As he turned, he saw his driver leaking from his head attachment.

"Shit!" Opening the door to push his broken friend out of the driver's seat, the robot began to push the van to its limit, smashing into Eclipse's car from the rear. "Everyone, out! Now!" He kicked the front windshield open after taking the wheel. Following through with his orders, the other robots began to leave the van from the front window and the side panel door, using their magnets on their hands and feet to keep a grip on the two moving vehicles. "Clipsy! You okay?!" Vi reloaded, turning to her own friend. "I'm fine! Just focus on them. Don't fucking look at me while they're shooting!" Eclipse was wounded, but she couldn't afford to have Vi notice now. "Shoot back and let me focus on driving!"

By the time she turned back around to engage the robot gang members, she found one on the roof of their van, one on the hood, and two stepping on top of their car with their barrels aimed inward through the windows. In a fraction of a second, they unleashed, firing into the car's cabin as Vi fired back, exchanging round for round until she saw the two above her fall disabled onto the street. "Fuck yeah!" Grazed but not out of the fight, her wounds began to heal as a result of her inherent vampiric regeneration.

"I fucking got some! Just three more!" Reloading with her final magazines in hand, she turned towards the two who were firing onto her vehicle in the hopes of inflicting enough damage to send it out of commission. However, as their rounds battered the shell, they realized that the frame was reinforced with military ship-grade material, making it resilient to damage from small caliber weapons. The only vulnerable points were the windows itself; All else was made durable with the idea that it was meant to last for generations. Before they had a chance to shift targets, their computing struggled to accurately predict the damage on the vampire. They were given the barebones information that Rio's crew was made up of inadequately trained humans. Little did they know just how prepared her closest were.

"Eat shit and die, assholes!" Laughing as she met them with another torrent of rounds, Violet shattered apart those that remained, leaving behind nothing but a pilotless van to spiral away from them now that its master was left lifeless. With no one else in sight, her senses were returning back to her. "Clipsy! Did you see that?" Silence. Turning back to her sister in arms, she found her now leaning against her steering wheel. "Shit! Shit, fuck, shit."

Vi grabbed the wheel and steered it into the street's side rails, using the friction in addition to the handbrake to slow her car down as she took the car off the main road. "Eclipse! Eclipse! Can you hear me?" Running around to the other side of the car, Violet pulled her friend out, finding her body sitting far more damaged than her own. Holes riddled the back of the driver's seat, revealing the extent of the damage she must have received in addition to the shards that covered her body from the broken front window.

"I'll call the doc! Don't fucking leave me! Not like this!" Clutching her arm around Eclipse, she drew her phone to call an emergency contact in Noctua itself; A doctor who worked on anyone without speaking a word to police as long as they had the credits to cover it. Nearly answering immediately, her scared voice came through the other side of the phone. "Hey Ivy, it's me." She turned towards the closest stoplight to squint at the signs above. "We're on the corner of Eighteenth and Mission. Eclipse is hurt bad. She's not healing."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Got it. Stay calm and stay safe. I'll be there soon."

"Zel. Looks like I got a favor to ask."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Desperate cries over phone calls.

A terrifying reality he never seemed to escape from even now.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʀɪᴠᴇʀꜱ | ᴏᴜʀ ᴍɪʀᴀɢᴇ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

I can't feel my head
I feel so numb, maybe I'm dead
There is a hole inside my soul that
Makes it easier for me to lose control
But at the same time something makes me whole

I'm alive as I open up my eyes
I feel the storm but the wolves are at my door
And the rain says that my life is not in vain
So the rivers forming from the storm will bring

Will bring me home again
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

"What do you need, Ivy?" Sitting in the professor's lounge, the fallen angel culinary professor and his medicine teaching colleague shared a cold winter evening over tea. "Distract Professor Malveillance while I operate. Take her somewhere nice. I don't want to deal with the paperwork." Professor Silverleaf knew how Zel operated.

As long as the favor gave him an excuse to spend more time with his beloved drow, it didn't matter what he needed to do, he would most likely agree to help. They were bonded by trust and an equivalent respect to who each other were, using their educational profession as a mask to hide whatever less than legal past they had underneath the surface.

"And what about you?" Zel gave his co-conspirator a look of concern. It wasn't often where Ivy would ask for a favor, let alone sound so cold in his response. One of his patients must have been dying and calling for his help. The last time he sounded so serious was when Rio called Gemini over his car crash. "You know what? You don't need to answer."

Ivy was a private man shrouded in questions, but he was a friend regardless. Despite his curiosity, the fallen angel knew when to ask questions and when he needed to act. "I'll take care of Lily. You do what you have to." With an affirmative nod and a few steps to the door, before he left, he stopped and turned around. "And stay safe out there." Finally, Zel left the room, giving Ivy the space he needed to operate.

Before leaving his room, Ivy stared at a portrait of his late daughter and himself smiling towards the camera. "I hope you're proud of your dad, Willow. Even now, you still live on in me." The portrait featured a smiling father and his daughter who just graduated medical school to become a battlefield medic; A healer in wartime that others could seek for hope and health.

If not for her loss and the final phone call he had with her, he doubted that he would have served the same purpose as he did now assisting Noctua's underground. "No parent ever deserves to see their child pass first." However, her last cries made him inherit her passion: Deeming all life as sacred regardless of species or stature. No matter how many years could pass, time held no power against the sting that came from her loss.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"How's she looking, doc?"

"Not good, but not terrible."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Upon delivering the wounded undead back from the scene of the crime, Ivy quickly noted to himself her troublesome condition. While undead were immune to the torment of pain, where their vulnerability lied was in a possession on their body. For many, it took the form of a piece of jewelry so valued in life that they continued to adorn it in death; For some, it took the form of a weapon or clothing piece that held sentimental value. For Eclipse however, her's interestingly took the form of two pieces on her body: Her jacket and her necklace. While several rounds inflicted wounds on her body, it was the tears on her jacket and the cracks on her necklace which dealt significant damage to her.

"Do you want to hear the bad news or the good news first?" Ivy lifted a vapor stick to his lips, igniting the edge of it once his lips applied pressure to the other end. Seeing her friend in such a wounded state had shook the feeling of fearlessness from the vampire girl. "B-bad news. Is she dying?" Shaking his head, Ivy came to a reasonable conclusion. After seeing enough undead come through his office, he was aware of their strengths and limitations. "No, but she won't wake up until the damage on her clothes and her necklace are fixed. Whoever attacked you must have not known who you were. They got lucky dealing this much." Vi gulped. "Then what's the good news?"

"The good news is that I know of a tailor in Noctua. Called him for help before regarding injuries to undead like these. He's a spider student roughly around your height." He raised a hand, guesstimating his height to better give a general appearance to the vampire. "Name's Sage. He's the president of the knitting club. Last I heard, he was working on a custom commission for a rich vampire coming to Noctua."

Vi crossed her arms, hopeful albeit sceptical that someone the doctor could speak so highly about would be interested in helping so easily. "Would he want to work on something like this?" The doctor nodded his head. "He has a kind heart. You'd be surprised by how much he's willing to help someone in need when it comes to his specialty. For now-"

As they discussed what to do next, Vi heard her phone ring. "You might want to get that." Upon picking up the phone call, Vi heard Able on the other end calling as the band started congregating on the Rider. "Hey Vi, me and the others are planning on heading out for some dinner. Thought you'd be interested." Seeing her friend hurt, her voice was much harsher than usual, even taking Able aback. "I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it tonight or to practice tomorrow. Some robo-fuckheads thought it was a good idea to hurt someone I cared about." She gripped her phone, nearly cracking it in her hand. "I... I'm sorry that happened. If you need our help, we could always-" Vi interrupted him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"What I need you to do is handle the next battle by yourselves while I get even."

"But Vi. No one could replace you-... And she hung up."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Sitting in the cafe with Io, Aiden, and Lance, Able wondered what they were to do next without their lead singer for the next song. She was the one who wrote the lyrics. While the others made up the soul of the band, she was the heart of it; The girl who injected the energy into making their music lively. She was the one to push Able to sing in front of hundreds. She was the one who managed to convince Lance with the help of the other boys to go out of his comfort zone. She was the one to somehow make someone as popular and talented as Aiden join.

"Well what now? What the fuck do we do without her?" Taking a look through his contacts, Aiden first thought about calling in a favor from the judges to swing their votes in their favor before shaking his head. If he did so and the other band clearly won, it wouldn't do well for the band moving forward, especially if their music was streamed and televised. His second thought was to call someone from his cohort to step in her place, though he understood that they would lack the same chemistry and energy Vi could deliver to the table. Sighing, he shrugged. "I don't know. Anyone have any ideas?"

Lance scratched the back of his head. "I don't know what we could do. We could try to play without her, but it won't be the same. Io? Any suggestions?" As Io processed potential replacements through all of Noctua, hearing their sudden change in fate, Tai walked from the backroom with guitar in hand. He was well versed in multiple instruments as a result of his noble upbringing.

"If you need me Able, all you have to do is ask." Upon finishing his scan through the roster, a check mark appeared on Io's mask. Unaware of the fairy prince beside him, he spoke up through the speakers on the sides of his head. "I believe we should ask Tai. He is the easiest to reach, has chemistry with two of the five members, and has experience with music." Able smirked. "Well look at that, speak of the fucking devil. You sure you could keep up with us?" Maintaining a snarky attitude towards his friend, the demon held his fist out for the Rider's resident prince to bump. With a newfound confidence that came from being married to the love of his life; Tai bumped his fist back.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Funny that you think I'm going to be the one holding you back."

"Welcome aboard, Tai. I don't think there's any better than you to join us."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The water's without any motion
And I'm scared of breaking open
But my hope is now inside
There is no doubt that I am alive

I'm alive as I open up my eyes
I feel the storm but the wolves are at my door
And the rain says that my life is not in vain
So the rivers forming from the storm will bring

Will bring me home again
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Hey Taff. With this, we should be able to afford a down payment on our own house!"

Hope in the most unlikely of places.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʜᴏᴍᴇ | ʟᴜᴋᴇ ᴄʜɪᴀɴɢ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

I've been away
For so many days, I'm missin' it all
Where did our time go?
I'm scrollin' through pictures saved on my phone
I wanna go home

And I don't know why, but I'm so, sentimental
Lately I've been thinking of our memories
All the laughs we shared
And all the tears we cried

Hope you know that I'm forever grateful
All the time you shared
Staying by my side
Thank you for the love
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

Hidden within the third floor of Noctua's Norn Hall sat an empty classroom repurposed into the knitting club. Inside sat different types of sewing machines and fabrication benches, all aimed with the purpose of turning raw material into clothing both functional and fashionable. Decorated the inside were various racks, each displaying different commission works, costumes, and display pieces for the annual club rush that was arriving soon.

Led by the spider tailor and headed by Professor Silverleaf, Sage was given an outlet for his passions, using his genetic ability to create instead of consume. While spiders were known for their particular ability to craft and sew clothes unlike any other race, many still held a surface level disgust that came from their physical appearance and their tendency to paralyze and kidnap lovers.

"One of the heroes decided to visit Noctua and commission us for a suit!" Holding his phone with one hand and tapping the keys with his spider legs, Sage multi-tasked, combining the responding of messages with the knitting of a maid dress and the sipping of tea. "Ten specifically." Seeing the frown grow on Taffy's face, he placed his cup of tea down before gently stroking the top of her antennae with his warm hand. "I know, I know. It's nothing like making something for Seven or Eight, but it's a start. This way, we have our work out there! Maybe, if we do this right too... We don't have to share a house with those loud frat guys anymore."

Pulling her into a hug, he comforted his soft co-leader and best friend. "I would like to find a nice quiet place for us to stay at. Whether that be an apartment on the nice side of Noctua or finding a peaceful place on campus, I don't mind." Sage gave her a soft peck on the lips, taking peace in the solitude their club's subtle reputation offered with him as the face of it.

"As long as I get to be with you, creating like this. I don't think I could be any happier... Well... Unless you still have more surprises in store for me." A crooked smile grew on his face, remaining on display until he noticed himself in the mirror. "O-oh. Oops. Sorry about that." Tightening his choker once more, his lips reformed back into something more presentable. "It's hard not to be a mess when I think about a future with you like this-" SLAM.

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The sound of several heavy footsteps reverberated from behind the front door.

"Taff, get behind me!"
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Spitting on his hands to give his fists a paralytic effect, Sage readied himself to defend them both. While he knew he stood no match in terms of physicality, where he did have an advantage was in his biochemistry. When amped, the flow of his adrenaline contorted the chemical composition of his spit, influencing his glands in preparation for the pursuit of struggling prey or the defense against predation. "So you're Sage?" Walking into his room, Violet looked all around at the various pieces on display, each intricately weaved with an unparalleled combination of patience and passion. "Wow, lots of beautiful stuff you have here." She paused for a moment, realizing just how adept he professor's recommendation was at tailoring.

"W-What do you want? How do you know my name?" Sage continued to back up from Violet as other girls with bats and chains accompanied her from behind. "Hey, look at this! You think my girlfriend would like something like this?" One of them wielding a bat voiced their appreciation of his work. "Sis, relax. We got a job to do. Remember, we're supposed to look tough. You could order from him later... But she would." Her friend holding the chain sighed, shaking her head at the lack of threat she appeared to pose. Though, catching both of them by surprise, Vi raised a hand towards him. "Look, I'm gonna need your help. I have an undead friend that needs her jacket repaired. Whatever it costs, I'll cover it, but please... Help me."

Mixed with her words was desperation. The vampire felt helpless reaching out to so many others for help. There was only so much she could do other than ask. Instead of meeting her with malice or hostility, the spider tailor began to connect the dots. He never made his work on undead others public. If she knew him by name and knew of what he was capable of, then it was most likely that she was referred to by the only other man in Noctua who would ever ask the same: Professor Silverleaf. Taking her hand, he shook it. "If you're a friend of Ivy's, then you're a friend of ours. Don't worry about the payment right now." The pleasant surprise of genuine compliments towards his and Taffy's work had made his heart ease towards her and her gang.

"If your friend is in danger, take me to her now. Leave the rest to me and Taff." Using this moment to instill confidence as a chance to compliment himself and his girlfriend, Sage gave Violet a reassuring smile. "I promise you, there's no one better than us to reach out for matters like these. Have faith in us. If Ivy believes that we're the people to reach, then I promise that your friend will get better."

In an attempt to change the topic after shaking her hand, while following her, he asked. "What's your name by the way?" With hurried footsteps from her and her cohort, she spoke in passing. "Violet, but you and your girl over there could call me Vi. I only save that nickname for people I like." She gave them both a smile and a wink, trying to hide her anxiety over Eclipse's fate.

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"Taffy. Pass me the stitching needle. My jewelry repair set should be in my backpack."

"Use that to take care of her necklace while I take care of her jacket."
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The damage was tremendous. If not for the intermingled ballistic weave in her jacket to resist the added power that came from electrically charged rounds, he doubted that she would have made it. With medical gloves in hand and silk meant to be used for magical clothing coming out of his tendrils, he set himself to work while his best friend repaired the largest of cracks. "We might not be the best at jewelry, but I've met someone in the conference who has experience with it." Careful not to miss a stitch, he deftly used his magical needle and thread to close the gaping holes in her jacket one millimeter at a time.

"Name's Venus; V for short. I'll give you his number once I'm done working on her jacket. He just moved into an apartment near campus." Powdered lead stained the inside of her clothes, hinting at what caused the wounds. It was likely that she was caught in a shootout if not partaking in it on her own. As he gazed upon her body, he saw the stitches and bandages covering the wounds she received to her form, her scars alluding to how attuned his patient was with violence.

These were not the kindest people; Street soldiers that his parents had warned him about. Though, in spite of their concerns she was a friend in need; Someone that the professor who gave his idea of a knitting club a chance deemed worthy of rescue and healing. That alone was enough to make him push aside his prior thoughts. That alongside the compliments she and her friends had given him upon first entry had won him over. Bad people would never offer genuine compliments of their works.

Hours upon hours of careful and precise work later, long after her goons had left and she fell asleep, their work was done. Her body was on the road to steady recovery. All that needed was time for her to recover the strength of her spirit. Finding Vi tired from spending all that time awake and amped herself, he decided against waking her up to give them both a moment of rest. Outside, carefully tiptoeing his way out with Taffy, they were both met with Ivy smoking outside. It was a subtle sign of stress when he would choose smoke instead of vapor to breathe in.

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"Something wrong, professor?"

"I have concerns over what is to come."
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Walking towards the two he deemed children, he stroked the both of their heads. "Thank you for your work, both of you. You've made me proud." He held in his breath to avoid puffing smoke in front of them, eventually turning around to puff it outside of the window. "I might need to call on you more in the near future. If those damned robots chose to bring violence onto the campus, I have no doubts that there's going to be more patients like her to follow;"

"Perhaps even some innocent." Noctua wasn't always a safe place. He recalled the various opponents he, Nagi, and others faced during the reunification wars as well as the robot uprisings and rebellions before that. Even now, he couldn't help himself but hold disdain for the species that cut his daughter's life short. "Well, whatever happens next, don't forget that you have us on your side. Taffy and I won't let you down!" Hearing an echo of her words from the spider, he couldn't help but offer a pained smile. "Of course. But I would prefer you to remain out of harms way. The tailoring room is your battlefield, not the streets of Noctua outside." Pulling them both into a hug, he put out the fire in his cig using a spell.

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"I wouldn't want to lose you too."
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I gotta say
There's still many days when I feel alone
So I pray to God
And then He reminds me, I'm not alone
He gave me you

Woah, it's just so easy to be sentimental
Lately I've been thinking of our memories
All the laughs we shared
And all the tears we cried

Hope you know that I'm forever grateful
All the time you shared
Staying by my side
Thank you for the love
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───​

 

[Tenzai]

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"Your mother would have been so proud to see you grow up."

"At least you get to be with her now. Tell her I said hello."
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ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜰʀᴀɢɪʟᴇ | ᴛᴀᴛꜱᴜʀᴏ ʏᴀᴍᴀꜱʜɪᴛᴀ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺
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"You know it wasn't your fault. You didn't know." Dressed in black at a quiet funeral for the plant mercenary's daughter, Gemini gave his friend his deepest condolences. He understood well what it was like to lose someone so dear to him. With a hand placed on his shoulder and his voice dropped just for Ivy to hear, he spoke. "If it means anything, your daughter died doing what she loved. Even if that knowledge doesn't take away the pain, at least it gives the pain meaning." Retrospection had taught the human hero how to navigate his own tumultuous emotions when dealing with the loss of his wife. If not for the presence of the people that were still with him and her constant reassurances in dreams, he doubted that he would be half as okay as he was now.

Unfortunately, despite the reason with his words, the patient doctor was at his limit with this foolish war. What was the point of death and sacrifice over the sake of benevolent ambition when he couldn't savor the peace his daughter fought so hard for with her. "Gem. You know this feeling more than anyone." Anger had tainted his once peaceful facade. His heart, no matter how resilient it was to the unfair coldness of the universe, was shattered.

"She died before she got to know the truth about me. I thought that if I hid who I was, of what I accomplished in the past, she would be able to live a life of peace. How foolish of me. How moronic was it for me to have faith in her youthful judgement." He gripped his fist hard enough for his fingers to dig into his own flesh, spilling some of his sap onto the soil below.

"If anything. I deserve to be in that grave. Not her. She had so much more life to give. So many dreams she had yet to fulfill." He turned his anger inward, chastising himself for his lack of foresight. "Maybe... If I was in her place, she'd still be alive. She shouldn't have been sent to the front lines, Gemini! That's not her place! She didn't deserve to die on a battlefield!"

Ivy cursed at himself. "Enough, Ivy. This isn't the place for you to be angry at yourself, not in front of her." The hand on his friend's shoulder tightened enough to hint at the shared pain his words had inflicted on his hero's soul. "I doubt she'd want you to live the rest of your life like this, would she?" Gem felt the hands of his wife wrapped around him from behind. Even if she wasn't here to be with him in person, she was there to live on with him in spirit. "She had dreams right? Of what she wanted to do with you once the war ended?"

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"If you can't live for yourself then live on for her. You're not allowed to die until you cross everything off her checklist."

"How else will you greet her with your head high?"
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"Ivy? Ivy!" Zel nudged his colleague with several wrapped gifts in hand. Only until his elbow met his friend's body did Professor Silverleaf break out of his fugue. "Oh? What is it Zel?" With a smile on his face, he motioned his eyes towards the top of the stack with a gift labeled for Ivy in hand. "Lily and I were planning on hosting a Christmas party at the Midnight Cafe to meet up with some old colleagues. If you want to join us, you're free to come! But if you're busy, then the present at the top is meant for you."

With nothing but the silent night to welcome him back home, Ivy gave his invitation some thought. While he preferred to be alone around that time, he knew that his daughter wouldn't be okay with him sitting out of a function like this one. "... Well, it would be improper of me to refuse after you and Professor Lilith got a gift for me. What time?"

"Tonight at eleven PM. I think you'd love it. The staff there even decorated the entirety of the ship with fairy lights!" Hearing his friend accept, Zel had a sparkle in his eyes. While he might not have got along with many of the other staff, with the few that treated him well, he saw them as family. "Mina helped them out with it after her boyfriend got involved with the crew onboard with some battle of the bands tournament. I've been to one of their shows and they're actually pretty good!"

Out of everything that Zel spoke of, the professor made a subtle note on the security council's resident human. "Oh? Then I suppose I could stop by. I'm surprised. Mina has a boyfriend? Last I heard, she had issues with making... friends." The angel chuckled. "I know right? Apparently, there was some popular guy on campus that had a thing for her." Seeing this as an opportunity to bring up the impossible with Ivy, Zel used Mina's miracle to motivate his friend. "You know? If someone like her managed to find someone who loves her the way her boyfriend does, I'm sure you could find someone special too! I have a few names if you're interested."

"Zel, you're pushing your luck." Ivy sighed, tired yet amused at Zel's persistence in helping him find someone. "I told you, I'm not too interested in finding someone else right now. I'm perfectly content with being by mysel-" The fallen angel was quick to interrupt him. "Not gonna lie, I think you would be a fan of a succubus type. Once one of those types of girls fall in love, you won't have any time to be alone." Scrolling through his long list of contacts, it took Zel a few minutes before he finally found a few familiar names that he believed would make a great fit. "... Hmmm, not her. I doubt you're into beast hybrids. No, not him. I don't think you like dragon types either. Ah! What about the succubi professor from the spy major, Donna? I heard she's single!"

"... I guess, out of everyone else you tried to set me up with before, she's the most promising." Ivy thought about his brief chats with her over the building's one coffee machine and printer. Every minute they shared was a pleasant one. Despite her appearances, she was also the most respectful of him too. "I can't believe I'm actually agreeing to this. Would you stop trying to ship me with every living being with two legs if I decided to go on a date with her?" Zel nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah! I'd even take it as a Christmas present! Hell, even a Christmas miracle!" He gave another playful nudge. "Besides. I don't like it when you're lonely. You deserve to find love too after all you've been through."

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"Hey Zel? Thank you."

"Don't mention it. If you really wanna show your appreciation, make sure that date goes well for me, okay?"
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Thank you for your love
Thank you for the heart
There'll never be a long and lonely night again
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