horrifying desolation fact of the day: people touched by the desolation don’t consider themselves as being gifted with ‘knowing’ like followers of the eye, but that’s not exactly true. Desolation touched people can sense roughly how much someone has to lose once they’re in proximity to them. 

  the light stings and they can feel the remnant of burning heat from jude’s proximity. their head throbs and pounds and they grit their teeth. outwardly they keep their composure, but they can’t stop the way the shadows open up and swallow an unlucky passerby without warning. 

in the gray haze of a near hidden sun their eyes look like pools of impossible black. like holes. 

the darkness laps at jude’s feet, almost seeming to dissolve into steam against her. just as frigid as the glasses she plucked from their face. 

“ consider it as a warning. “ 

they’re voice is steady, cold, but in truth they’re shaken. moreso by the lack of guilt they feel than by the life they just snuffed out. still… it’s not encouraging to lose control like that. not after so many years trying to suppress it all. 

“ now would you mind giving me back my glasses? “

“Of course,” She’s still wearing that sharp, sharp smile. Jude studies Ramza’s face as she holds the glasses out for them; the impossible darkness of their eyes. She’s met several of the Dark’s acolytes but can safely say she’s seen nothing like them before. Color her intrigued! But further probing into what and who Ramza is can wait. They’re here about a mutual friend, after all.

“Our dear Olivia was born with a rare and precious gift, as I’m sure you have noticed, one that needs to be tended to carefully and diligently. We just want to see that her flame is fed.” Jude pulls another cigarette out of the carton with her teeth and lets it light itself. She’s never taken her eyes off Ramza’s, gaze cold and intense, “Or do you want to see that flame go out? Because I assure you. If she doesn’t feed that flame, it will go out, and it's going to take her with it.”

  their expression is unreadable, but their grip visibly tightens on the strap of their bag. around them the day seems to grow darker as ramza tries to hold down the anger that bubbles low in the pit of their stomach. 

long held frustrations at their difficulty finding information bundled together now with their concern for livvy. it seems fitting that jude would be so capable of lighting that flame. 

as she leans closer to them, heat radiating off her like a bonfire condensed, ramza doesn’t move away. they can feel the prickle on their skin, a tightening like they’ve been in the sun too long, but they aren’t afraid. 

the pool of black at their feet remains cold and still. almost frigid where it settles around jude’s shoes.  

“ i know she’s dead. “ 

there’s an odd urge to strike a nerve in jude, to push her. either she’ll keep talking and give them more information… or she’ll try and burn them alive. 

Jude has boiled people alive for less. Members of the cult know to watch their step where Agnes and Gertrude are concerned. Even that coffee shop idiot on her off days. Most don’t even mention that name around her these days out of justified fear that she’s never done anything to dispel. 

Her hand reaches and picks the glasses up off Ramza’s face in a single smooth motion. They’re frigid in her hand the way almost nothing has been since the early nineties and a sharp smile forms on her face as she lets them fall to the ground beside her-

The man walking by doesn’t even see the puddle that had once been content to rest at Ramza’s feet coming, not until it swallows him up before he can even scream. It pulls him into the dark leaving nothing but a cracked cell phone and two strangers having a chat.