Attendre-Espérer

I’m just going to be real with you all: between running my other blogs, working on various projects IRL, and just generally lacking muse for my Fate characters, I’m probably going to set these blogs on an indefinite hiatus. It pains me to do it, but I think it’s for the best at this point, given how long I’ve kept some of you waiting... The very small handful of partners I have here, anyway.

I do hope to conclude our RP’s at some point in the future, and if you wish to see them done feel free to message me, but for now you can mainly find me on @infinite-xerath and @talesofruneterra.

After all that had transpired that day Luna had been looking forward to finally being able to rest but alas she could not even do that as many things were weighing heavily on her mind. However when she heard that all to familiar voice she was quick to face the owner of the voice though she did not speak instead she simply nodded her head in confirmation to his question.

“Hold still!” Aatrox roared as he slammed his fist onto the ground. A vortex of energy formed at the point of impact, followed by an ominous chain emerging from who-knew-where. Unfortunately, Noelle put up a barrier just in time to block the chain, saving her from being ensnared. It didn’t matter. She would die by his blade, one way or another.

“Rrragh!” Aatrox swept his blade along the ground, kicking up dust and stone. This served to obscure his next movement, which consisted of him darting to the left, intending to go around the barrier. In two swift motions he was on Noelle again, hoping to catch her with another sweep.

Meanwhile, Avenger could only laugh. He knew there was no point in humoring a mere illusion, and yet the sheer foolishness of what was coming from the masked man’s mouth was all-too-amusing. “The ugliness of man? You don’t know the first thing about it.”

Another bullet. This time. Avenger opted to dodge out of the way, only for the deranged artist to throw another ‘surprise’ his way. Normally, poison didn’t have much if any effective on a Servant, but Sinners were practically Servants themselves. The smoke caused Avenger to stumble, but he quickly brought his cape up to cover his mouth and nose.

“Hmph... Could it be that you’re so arrogant that you believe you can make even the grotesque beautiful, or is this simply how you excuse your lack of empathy? No matter...” He slammed his hand on the ground, causing pillars of black flame to erupted in front of him toward Jhin. “I’ll turn you to ash, regardless!”

Eerie music filled his ears even before Avenger stepped into the chamber. So, it was to be a duet after-all. Hardly surprising... Though there could only truly be one Sinner, it was possible to summon another avatar. At least, that’s what Wrath did, the last time he went through with Master. In that case, it was Gilles and Jeanne, but unlike them, these two figures seemed to hold no real connection with each other. No, their only shared link, it seems, is Noelle.

One is a grotesque fusion of splendor and horror; a creature clinging to past glories in more than one sense of the word. Aatrox, he presumed. The abomination brought to mind depictions of a certain Fallen Angel, but this was no Lord of Hell. This was just a beast disillusioned to reality, clinging desperately to what once was...

The other figure was far more dangerous. Avenger narrowed his eyes, watching every movement precisely. He couldn’t identify the piece being played, but that was to be expected. What he did identify was the tone of the music... This was different from Salieri. An undercurrent of bloodlust brought not by hatred, but by simple need. Insanity...

The bullet moved fast, but so did Avenger. With a single swipe of his hand, he cut the projectile out of the air. However, that was no ordinary bullet. Blood seemed from Avenger’s hand, his glove torn. It didn’t matter. “Zero.”

Red Velvet looked between the giant and the hat. The hat seemed flimsy enough to cut through if they tried something. “Fine.”

The cookie jumped into the hat without much of a running start. He had to admit though, being in the hat did block off most of the cold. And it would get him indoors faster. He wasn’t happy about it though. 

Well, that was one matter taken care of, at least. With that, Avenger strode into Chaldea with the living cookie in his possession. A few staff members gave him curious looks when they noticed the odd entity in his hat, but a quick glare quickly silenced them. Avenger was tempted to put his hat back on and hide the cookie under it, but there was nothing to stop his ‘passenger’ from leaping out, in that case.

“Yes, of course you’ll return then, but that’s then. Existence itself is oh so temporary everything that is eventually isn’t. So there’s no point considering the future when you’re living in the now.”

A nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. When their task was completed she would be down a conversation partner, several in truth, but in return they would regain a world that was lost. No point in feeling any disappointment over the loss when the staff of Chaldea would receive almost infinite possibility in return. 

“So until I’ve ceased, I’ll seek whatever conversation partners I please. I enjoy speaking to you Avenger and so I’ll continue to when the opportunity presents itself. Less I’ll feel disappointed when your time is up.”

Avenger had to admit: he never anticipated this member of the Church to interest him so much. Her outlook on life and her understanding and acceptance of his viewpoints was, frankly, a breath of fresh air. One of the few people in Chaldea he found tolerable enough to engage in long conversations with. That said, he was running out of things to talk about, but then another idea struck him.

Red Velvet had no idea what ‘Greek Caster’ was. Greek was not a magic system he had heard of. Still, a fight was the probably a last resort. He thought he he could beat this giant but it would be very rough. Better to do this peacefully. Red Velvet was very certain he could outrun and out maneuver them.

That, and the sheer cold of the surroundings was starting to get to him a little. He needed shelter at the very least. 

He grunted at the giant. “As long as you stay in front of me, I will follow. But don’t try anything” 

Avenger rolled his eyes a little. He was being threatened by a cookie... Never a dull moment in Chaldea, even after the world had been saved. Still, there was one matter that became very apparent very quickly: said cookie was small, and would have to follow him through several feet of snow up and incline toward the base. Realizing this, Avenger sighed, and turned around.

 A story that ends in blood

The world has always been unkind, and when you have turned to yourself for comfort you have come face to face with an empty pit which seems to be laughing. You don’t care if it kills you but once you find someone whom you love and who loves you back, you will make sure nothing happens to them. They are yours. You will make a tear in this world and create a new place for you and your love if it comes to that. Because it has always been about love, and it is how it always ends.

Tagged by: @constellatea

“Of course.” She nodded. “Where to begin..?”

A wave of confusion went over Red Velvet’s face before it went back to aggressive grimace. This… this thing was most likely related to a witch. “Ha… even if I knew the name of the cookie who sent me here, I would not tell you, Witch!” 

“And I am Dark Enchantress Cookie’s greatest general! I will not simply be burned to ash like any normal cookie or cake!” 

Avenger raised a brow. This... Talking cookie seemed wildly confused. It even referred to him as a witch, something that earned a wicked laugh from Avenger. “I’ve been called many things, but a witch? Certainly not.” His gaze and demeanor returned to normal. While it would be prudent to burn the thing here and now, unfortunately, he still hadn’t deduced who was responsible for this.

Noelle’s sleep is brief. She wasn’t taxed terribly from their previous encounter. However, she still takes her time to take care of herself. Making sure she eats a meal.

Knowing she’s reaching the end, she allows herself a light indulgence. A sweetbread snack and a cigarette. She wanted to have a drink of mead, but decided she would prefer to have her mind clear. The mage doubted the next one would be a pushover. But who did she know who was prideful?

Some names and thoughts come to mind, but nothing that crystalizes the notion of ‘pride’ to her. Being so unprepared could be dangerous, but time wasn’t on her side as she awakens in her cell once more.

She sits up. “…I should’ve packed some gum.” She mumbles to herself, displeased by how much of her resources that came with her she’d already burned through.

“Avenger…I don’t know who might be best represented by pride. Some might fit the bill, like the darkin Aatrox, but I don’t know him that well, or maybe master Jhin. But it all fades together.” She was anxious, but as ready as she was going to get.

Avenger crossed his arms in thought. Pride... While every sinner was dangerous, Pride was arguably the most dangerous of them all. Not because it was the most powerful, but the most versatile. The ways that pride could manifest were numerous; pride in oneself, typically referred to as arrogance, was the most common... But one could just as easily hold pride in one’s occupation, nation, race, bloodline, and much more. It was little surprise, then, that Noelle had trouble pinning down their next adversary.

Red Velvet groaned rather loud. His eyes cracked open as his regular hand gripped his cleaver. “What in Earthbread…” The cookie pulled himself up, back to the servant for the moment. As Red shook snow off himself, he mused on how he got to this mysterious snowy area. 

The explosion of multicolored lights, the pain, the mysterious cookie.

Then he turned, his plan to try and find shelter and find a way back home. The sight of the much larger being gave him pause. And made him think of Dark Enchantress Cookie’s enemies. The Witches. It was close enough to their appearance. 

His grip tightened on the cleaver with a growl. 

Avenger only felt his suspicions grow when the candy suddenly moved, and then talked. Alright, this had to be some sort of ungodly creation of a Caster. Who else could make a gingerbread man talk? ...And give one a weapon, as well. Avenger narrowed his eyes a little when it growled at him.

“An outsider…” She repeated mostly to herself.

That was a scary thought. Thinking about it watching their progress right now was also unsettling. She raises her hood and adjusts her cloak unconsciously to count how exposed she felt with that thought.

Nodding to Avenger’s suggestion, she follows him back to her cell. Was it her cell, or simply another in the line? It was difficult to tell sometimes.

The halls were feeling almost familiar by now. She felt like she almost knew the way back to the cell, but when she looks, she finds a hall turns a different way than she expected. Maybe the feeling was just her imagination.

Upon their arrival, she takes her seat on the simple cot and lays down.

“What sinner is next, Avenger? I fear I’m losing count.” She yawns as she looks up at the ceiling.

When all this was said and done, Avenger would have to do some digging. Perhaps he’d even try and get into conduct with that irritating detective again... The power to force clues to be unearthed could be useful, after-all. For now, though, there was nothing to do but prepare for the next battle.