DEMONBOUND.

Fuyumine can empathize. The girl looked as young as she had been when she’d sailed across the sea with little more than travel documents and one dagger to her name.

She pauses. Over the weeks, she’d gradually accumulated a good stock of workable scrap that she’d scavenged from Yesteryear’s ruins and the odd, motorized carriages so commonplace in the city proper. Perhaps…

Without preamble, she opens the measly yellow notebook that her anonymous benefactor(s) had so generously provided, pen not included. She readies her pen against the page, already noting rough measurements of the girl’s height and hands.

“What type of sword was it?”

“An estoc. About this long.... it was a thinner blade.” She gestured the approximate length with the space between her palms. She was definitely no expert on the craft. If anything, though she was adept with the blade, it felt more like if a proficient artist had simply picked any tool their found to continue on with their art to her.

     melancholy. perhaps, if he was still capable of sniffing out feelings, that’s what he would be detecting. alas, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out this woman had been through a lot, and endured enough to the point of growing cold– maybe even distant? a cold front never scared the swordsman, and the fact she didn’t deflect him right away surely made tanjiro feel more confident.

     ‘ not even during the spring? ’  he inquires, red hues glancing at the book the other was holding. 

     ‘ ah, hold on!– ’  gently, he reaches up, retrieving a few petals from the other’s hair.  ‘ they got caught in there. heh. is that a novel you have there? ’

“... No. Is that what was common for you?” She didn’t step outside in any season if she could help it, though all it took was glance at the windows to know flowers didn’t bloom so vibrantly in spring. 

At the gesture she gently leans down, curious what he was thinking of doing, before watching pink petals fall from her crown. Ah. Of course. She probably looked silly, with all the pink decorating her scowl ( as much as Blackbird joked about it, she was perfectly aware of her expressions ).

( @sivvang ) ♥ ( X )

     ❝ Depending on who uses it, MAGIC can be despicable. It didn’t belong in my world. Though, I suppose ANY source of power can become a problem depending on the user.  MAGIC is just much more..problematic. ❞ She doesn’t endeavor to conceal her unfeigned detestation. Revulsion thickly coats her tone, and the corrosive sentiment is further bespoken by the bitter smirk upon her lips. It’s nothing personal, but this feeling cannot be conveniently veiled by cordiality. ❝ What did you use yours for? ❞

“Is that so. Magic has always been around where I’m from. If you had a soul, you could use it. Most humans are limited to demon magic, though.” She nodded at the idea that the user would make of magic for the better or worse. After all, she knew from personal experience what it was like to wield powers beyond kings. What made her different from her mother, though, was quite obvious to anyone who knew her.

     ‘ if memory serves me right, you didn’t seem to mind cozying up either. ’ that’s right, miss drinks-to-cope visrin, she remembers it. in fact, she doubts she’d ever let the sorceress live it down. no way in hell.  ‘ anything for you. you’re only fashionably late. ’  what for the assassin isn’t about to say, but that’s fine, since she’s not certain either.

     ‘ aw, is my smug aura bothering you? could it be that you’re mad because i know more than you? ’  poking at a lion with a short stick, blackbird sure doesn’t seem to mind pushing her luck, does she? but don’t worry, she would also be bothered if veloce happened to know more than her.  ‘ well, for starters i think you should get acclimated to the technology in here. do you have a phone? ’  she proceeds to pull hers out, fumbling with it a bit before checking the contact list, promptly finding veloce’s name there. wao!

“Let’s say it’s served you the wrong thing, then, for my sanity.” Though, she would never refute to being a sad drunk. Hey, sometimes you cope in very bad ways. Not that anyone was there to stop her, nor were there consequences.

“That.. yes, I do.” She pulled it from her pocket. Though this a rather new concept to her, she realized it was rather intuitive to use. The Carciphona had long scoured for information on her own, and she may or may not have spent a good hour or two tapping through things. So she texted the other, if only to prove a point.

to: blackbird from: veloce visrin

        RUBY   doesn’t even remember what she’d been talking about, really — only that she let out a soft sigh, and her shoulders slumped distinctly, as she and Blake parted ways. It wasn’t easy, living in different wards… And after sharing shifts more often than not ( we won’t talk about the chaotic, hours-turn-into-centuries shifts that Ruby works alone ), she would feel bad taking up her free time on top of it. That’s what the weekend was for, right… ?

        The sudden voice interrupting her thoughts was so jarring that it wiped the pensive frown right off her lips, replaced instead with a mild ‘O’ as she sputters for the right words. Her gaze flits to the woman’s face, down to the headphones in her outstretched hand — seriously, how did they even get unplugged ? — and then back up again with a sheepish grin. 

             ❛   Uh, wh — Eheh, those’re — yep, those’re mine !  I didn’t even feel them fall,   ❜   she adds as she glances around, trying to check around her neck as well as the hood of her cape — as if double checking they had, indeed, fallen in the first place. Not that the symbol on the left ear hadn’t eliminated any doubt.  ❛   Thanks — I probably wouldn’t have even noticed until I got back home…  ❜

“Don’t mention it.” Indeed there was a hint of Keritzel in the other. Perhaps it was something she’s only recently realized she lacked.

 There was a brief pause, as if she didn’t really think on what she was handling until now, but as she stared at it, she gaze it a quizzical stare before holding it out for the other to claim. After all, she wasn’t yet acquainted with all this world had to offer, especially with the technology she’s been given. 

     oh, and how she wishes it were true, but wouldn’t you like to know that? a sigh escapes the assassin whilst waiting for veloce’s retorts, what a silly game they played, never once putting it to halt even when they are skipping worlds and realms.

     ‘ at least this one isn’t freezing us to the bone, hm? ’  she didn’t mind the bark, after all, that was all there was to veloce most of the time.  ‘ maybe i wanted to wait and see if you’d show up since whoever is orchestrating this grand play really wants us to tag along… and here you are. hm, but no, you’re right– i’m stuck. we are stuck. ’  she says, reaching for a lock of white hair, twirling it around the index finger.  ‘ … say, want me to take you around for a little tour? ’

“You say that, but I bet you enjoyed getting cozy in the cold.” Not that it was hard for her to lean into any warmth after walking out in the winter wasteland. “And I’m touched, my dear assassin, for you infinite patience while I arrived.”

The pitiful wooden thing was already a bit damaged from her outing to the Fibonacci Ward the other day. She stared at it, as if in disbelief she was given this instead of the sword she’s always weld. But aren’t there weapons that exist, now? In the future? Her roommate certainly was an... expert on that, right? Perhaps swordsmanship had little use here.

    certainly he wasn’t the first one to seek the comfort of a quiet place to sort through his thoughts, so it’s no surprise to see someone else passing by. but something about this white haired individual just caught his attention: her aura. it just felt… down? there goes his poor little heart, bleeding for complete strangers.

     ‘ hellooo, miss? ’  he waves an arm over his head, attempting to catch her attention whilst waking up to her. maybe.. maybe all she needs is someone to keep her company?  ‘ lovely day for a walk isn’t it? ’

Immediately it felt like she was beholden to a puppy. Her eyes lifted in surprise at the greeting. Was this fate’s way of poking fun at her sullen attitude? Because it certainly felt like she encountered another Keritzel. Eyes wide with something she’s already lost... but then again, the other had no reason to judge her for her mother’s... merits.

The world was so quiet. She was made aware that even her innate ability to sense souls had been dulled, or perhaps even fully removed by some means ( which baffled the sorceress ), and so even in the midst of the chatter of passerby at the cafe the world seemed especially quiet.

“It’s... nice that titles don’t hold much here anymore.” Nothing she’s done ( or hasn’t ) mattered here. She was just a stranger, and while that provided both relief for a youth that has been shunned all this time, she also can’t find much purpose in being here. 

There was quite a striking similarity in the two of them sitting nearby each other, what with their eye colors and even the white hair. Perhaps this is what Blackbird meant. It made her feel... amused, to say the least, to see that characteristics that caused her to be shunned was common enough that a stranger beside her could almost pass for blood.

She was no gardener, but there was enough of the basics to know this... didn't seem quite right. Maybe, just maybe, it was just the fact that the water looked like it was drowning from the outpour of the watering can. Though hesitant ( the other was in such a good serene mood, after all, ) she spoke up.

Fashion was never her strong suit. There was no need to flaunt anything- or perhaps there was nothing to flaunt. Regardless of the reason, this was the first time she’s exercised her metaphorical fashion muscle. And it’s in sore need of use, considering how she was dubiously eyeing the top the other had suggested. 

Not only was this a challenge of her taste, but this was some whole other era she was trying to fit into.

She was both tolerant of gazes upon her and adept at simply slipping into a crowd to pass by, and yet the prolonged stare of this certain stranger made her rather uneasy. Bothered, perhaps. It was attention that she never sought, and so made it clear with both the mere aura she radiates and from her RBF that she wasn’t looking to be stared at.

「 ✦ 」 ── ჻ STARTER CALL: COMBAT 「 ✦ 」 ── ჻ @sivvang

「 ✦ 」 ── ჻ LEVEL 001-002. FIBONACCI WARD. it’s where shiro spends most of his time ( when he’s not trying escape the city, gathering intel or training. ) from what he’s discovered so far, this is a hot spot for crime. since shiro’s titles don’t mean anything here ( the black paladin of voltron. junior officer of the galaxy garrison ) —- he’s operating as a … a vigilante. if only his family could see him now. would they be ashamed ?? or would they at least understand ?? because he can’t just do nothing. not when the blood of soldiers run through him. not when he’s been training to defend lives, since he was a child. 

            he has no paladin armor. no combat features for his galra prosthetic. but he has a BB gun. && years of training. && the unwavering conviction to fucking do something.

            that’s how shiro ends up in the midst of a fight in LEVEL 001. he’s been keeping watch. when there’s a group of thugs attempting to ‘collect taxes’ from a store through violent methods, shiro interferes. his close quarters combat is swift && strategic. no flair. he’s all about efficiency– immobilize the enemy, move onto the next. at one point, shiro draws out the BB gun to fire. it’s unlikely that someone will die from his current basic model that isn’t modded. but it’s still going to hurt like hell && cause some serious damage. just as shiro catches a man by the arm to hurl him across the street, he realizes he’s not the only one caught in this mayhem. ❝ you holding up okay ?? ❞ his back faces the other’s while they’re being crowded in. the thugs charge in. shiro grits his teeth, striking back with clenched fists && powerful kicks.

It seemed she wandered into a completely different world all over when she descended into the lower levels of this ‘ward’. The state of this place sickened the young sorceress. It was anyone’s worst nightmare, really. A place of strife with no way out.... Faces filled with sneers did little to deter her, but having been left more than a little powerless, she was cautious to take on more than she could bite.

... Or, at least, that’s what she said she would do, but no matter what world she lands in, it seems trouble finds her. She couldn’t stand by when the innocents are threatened ( a little to familiar of a sight, is it? ), and so when a knife was raised in a threat for money she was quick to twist the arm that held them, sealing her fate in this mess. In the midst of the ruckus she met the eyes of someone who... at the very least, wasn’t an enemy.

It was hard not to stare at the young girl’s animated gestures. It was rare to see someone so full of life and cheeriness, and briefly there was a fond resemblance to Keritzel and Weirin’s antics.

She was going to return to her readings before the noise of something falling reached her ears. Looking from the object to the retreating figure, though she hated to break the barrier that guarded her from interactions, something nagged her to go forward, picking up the thing and quietly walking up to the animated youth.