one thought, fills immensity.

how fascinating. V’s gaze from a safe distance is careful, quiet and subtle. he almost wanted to laugh at the irony of the other’s words; it hits deep.

❝ dead or alive, some things never change. ❞ what little weight he has, all of it is now shifting to his cane. he didn’t feel weak or much of anything at all for that matter - it’s used as quick and convenient weaponry more than a walking aid, so whether he’s able bodied or not is a nonissue.

V couldn’t contain his own bit of dark humor and entertainment for much longer.. the can of worms were now pried open at this rate. ❝ if you’re ever looking to die in an unconventional way… let’s just say I know a thing or two. ❞

❛ When you have lived as long as I have, death is but a minor inconvenience. ❜

It's late, or rather early in the morning when they notice a presence outside the front door. Although Adrian is hardly unaccustomed to company at odd hours of the day, the sight of V on the other side is . . . unexpected to say the least, let alone the fact he's covered in blood. Layers of it. But wordlessly and without hesitation they guide him past the threshold of the entrance and over to the nearby couch.

Whether it's their home out in the countryside or their apartment here in the city, Adrian always makes a point to be prepared. There's protective covering draped over the cushions where V settles down, for situations just like these. They never know when they'll have to play doctor in the dangerous world they live in.

V's relationship with assistance is unhealthy, almost nonexistent. if it wasn't for the other party's obligation, he could simply thrive without implying it were ever desired; it's always someone else suggesting on his behalf. in the blink of an eye he was already being whisked away for examination and at this point, he just took it. they were entrusted enough to get physical, let alone be one to none of those he would seek hospitality from. they ne'er turn their nose in the face of his vulnerability.

the issue was this: it's not his blood. none of it was, at least not from an outside inspection. if he were injured in battle, the black blood within should have taken care of it. after the one sacrifice made long ago, he was practically hell born but not in the most organic way. the red fluid stained onto his flesh and rags belong to the mortals, or so it did prior to what led up to this moment. the agency adores the facade of treating human casualties like they were nothing to sneeze at. V isn't the hero and reminds them of such. payment is priority, the one and only rule he abides by in the horrid scheme of things.

❝ I feel normal. ❞ a light shrug to top it off. despite his lack of reassurance, he'd allow them to press on as they desire. eventually they'd figure it out, no?

"Hey, care for a flower? It looks like you could use one." The woman spoke up as she reached upon her basket of golden flowers to offer him one. He did appear pretty gloomy...looked like he was keeping to himself as he read through the pages of his book. Aerith couldn't help but to be curious (she had been taking glances now and then during her peddling) and considering it was also part of her job, may as well push some flowers to sell too. "Hm, you do seem like the type to be so...gothic and romantic, right? Maybe you can win a girl over with that kind of charm, a poem and a flower!" It may seem unusual for her to be that brave encountering strangers, yet she just naturally has such a flow of confidence to add on with stubborness.

V wandered into this town rather aimlessly, and now, the amount of locals prying at him to sample their cuisine or purchase "magic items" is an annoyance. in his sought after solitude upon the nearest bench, his right eye twitched as a voice calls to him. he doesn't budge, at first, gaze trained on a page scrawled in foreign languages about purification spells. unhelpful... it wasn't until the stranger continued her pursuit of him that his head tilts upward, a sigh in wake as he shuts the book. does she expect a tip for the kind of service she's providing? not a very sound and solid one, it seems..

❛ I've never heard something more foul in my life. ❜ even someone like him can appreciate the beauty of a flower, but her offer is declined by the wave of his hand. while unamused, he's prepared to be bothered into acceptance at least once if not twice more.

" how did you come to be in this line of work? "

curiously eyeing her companion, chiyo sits cross-legged beside v as they take a short break from sparring. there's still much for her to learn, and the more time he spends with her, the more chiyo grows comfortable. there was a time she would have avoided prying -- v has never been one to plainly offer information -- but there is a certain comfort between them now, she thinks. she won't go so far to assume he likes her just yet; until she can hold her own, chiyo will consider herself a nuisance he's showing kindness to.

still, she'll admit to herself she likes him. just a little.

finally, his breath caught up to him by then. V was visibly winded for a brief period after their session had ended, hunched over his own lap; as if his posture wasn't already ruined, how much worse could it get? after a string of soft panting and wiping sweat onto his glove, his attention is robbed from the patches of grass below to his counterpart. he couldn't maintain the few seconds of eye contact for shit, but it lingered far longer than way may have felt necessary. a few inches to the right of Chiyo is where it falls and stays, looking in her direction but not upon her entirely.

❛ self hatred. ❜ a soft shrug during his admittance. V bore the habit of sacrificing details in most cases, she probably already knows this. how do you tell someone you should have died many moons ago and what's keeping you alive is related to the same thing that almost killed you? he feigns the appearance of a human, but deep down that humanity was sacrificed long ago.. ❛ you could say I'm alive out of spite, hunting the demon I'm akin to. I couldn't be slain by one long ago, so I've been siphoning their energies to keep my blood flowing. ❜

during V's tale, he would glance quickly at the other's eyes for a flutter of confusion or disgust. she was more expressive by comparison, that much was apparent once they started meeting up so frequently. well, Chiyo, do you regret being so curious? ❛ I'm half human, half demon because of what I've done to strengthen this corpse of a vessel. killing them is the equivalent thrill of self harm and the enrichment of death. ❜

he didn't want to elaborate further of his own volition, not unless she asked any follow up questions, which he knows she will.

note: actions are from the receiver’s pov. send ‘reverse’ to change perspective GENERAL: [ sit ] for your muse to quietly sit by mine [ lay ] for your muse to come rest their head in mine’s lap or against their shoulder [ need ] for your muse to come to mine for help  [ want ] for your muse to show up in mine’s room in the middle of the night [ shower ] for our muses to bathe together [ flower ] for our muses to grow something together [ peak ] for your muse to teasingly sneak up on mine and put their hands over mine’s eyes  [ hike ]  for my muse to take yours hand and lead them somewhere [ sleep ] for our muses to wake up in the same bed  [ caress ] for your muse to hug mine without explanation  [ kiss ] for my muse to kiss yours forehead [ assist ] for your muse to help mine with their appearance (braiding hair, fixing tie etc) [ first ] for our muses first kiss [ hurt ] for your muse to find mine injured [ heal ] for my muse to treat yours injury  [ scream ] for our muses to find something horrific  [ body ] for our muses to stumble on a crime scene [ martyr ] for my muse to die/almost die for yours [ sob ] for my muse to open up about a traumatic experience  [ share ] for our muses to share something for survival (food, water, body warmth, clothing etc) NSFW: 1. for your muse to give mine oral  2. for my muse to finger yours  3. for your muse to top mine  4. for your muse to pull mine’s hair  5. for your muse to tie mine up  6. for our muses to have drunk sex  7. for the morning after a one night stand 8. for my muse to wake yours up with sex 9. for my muse to spank yours 10. for your muse to tease mine/withhold orgasm