THE OLD GODS ARE DEAD

GLARES

“ do you normally face the phoenix head on? ”

“  what other choice do i have ?  ”    

the world doesn’t go easy on would-be kings, on boys dipped in sunlight and destined to carry that sort of fire in his bones for all his life. khalid never asked for any of it, of course, but humans are uncaring and the gods are just laughing.

“ hey. you going to finish those? ” legosi points his fork at the eggs on claude’s plate. though the wolf may have scarfed down a few plates of his own food only moments ago, he still had enough room in his belly for more. he never truly realized how much he ate until recently– for fasting had caused him nothing but pain. 

at least he did not have to worry about that… for now. this late night diner food may have just melted all his troubles away.

“ if you are, don’t worry about it. i’m just… really, really hungry. ”

“  oh, yeah, go right on ahead !  take all of it if you want.  ”

sweetly, khalid pushes his entire plate to legosi, smile encouraging, his now empty hands tenting beneath his chin. the food wasn’t likely to get eaten, anyways. khalid’s mind is on too many things, currently, to care about meals. his stomach couldn’t hold it all down.

“  i can imagine, being a big guy like you. i can order more food, if you need it.  ”    he’s already flagging down the waitress, asking her for whatever legosi’s plate is. afterwards he’s back to merely looking at legosi, chin resting on his fingers.   “  late night places like these are convenient. it’s a wonder that it isn’t cramped full of people right now.  ”

Ever so often, he’d find himself wandering towards the walls of the city, until someone of the guard stopped him. Ritsuka would give an apology, and walk away, although he was very very curious.

He’s not the type to stopped by such obstacles but… well, he didn’t have anyone to back him up if he did get in trouble. So there’s that, of course. Somehow looking back, his actions backed via the help of others. So now here he had only his own responsibility to look after himself.

Which, he supposes was an unfortunate cause. So, he’d have to change tactics. Or well, try not to think about it, as much as his curiosity yearned for it something to discover.

“… I should find something new to do.” He mutters. “Or like, I gotta wonder if they got something like shogi around…”

thing is, khalid’s taken notice of this man and how he’d get close to the city walls, his intent clear as day. curious like all the rest of them, taken from their homeworld, and just bold enough to go seeking answers. smart, though, to heed the guard’s refusal and turn away, when he has only himself as company, as protection.

so khalid takes an opportunity when he overhears him, approaching the man casually. 

❝   no.   ❞

             A pale eyebrow quirked ever so slightly in curiosity upon the sight of the other. The outfit the man minding his own business was wearing was… strange. Of course, Solomon was not one to comment too much with a cape appearing to be littered in stars, along with the fact that he regularly encountered those of his ex classmate’s demonic forms. Ah, but the foreignness of the other’s outfit was not what had him intrigued. It was the familiarity of it feeling somewhat… historic ? 

            This place’s ability to bring people from different dimensions of sorts was truly intriguing and was likely brought from magics far stronger than his own, but raising the dead ? Truly intriguing. Well, if this was the case — but there was only one way to find out.  Taking a step towards the other, he spoke, “ Excuse me, I’m sorry for such a forward question, but where exactly are you from.. ? ”

“  i’m not sure it’d mean much to you if i said.  ”   

khalid takes his own look over the stranger, a quick up down, list forming on observations alone. well dressed and upfront. confident, or just apathetic ?  both, maybe. polite enough, though politeness to strangers means very little. khalid’s head cants and his posture shifts to openness, despite his earlier deflecting.

his surprise is exactly what sypha was looking for   —   lips curl into a smug grin,   pride practically flowing from her.   it’s all in good jest,   but what good is friendship if not to occasionally brag   ?

❝   god may hate me,   but even it cannot stop   —   what was it that you called it   ?   the blessing of rngesus   ?   ❞

khalid knows he’s giving too much away but some things are beyond even him. there is no force more powerful, more impossible to keep under wraps, than the outrage over gacha rolls. he’s happy for her, he is  –––  but he also kind of wants her account hacked, and all her units lost.

no introductions,   no segue   —   sypha immediately barges into khalid’s apartment,   phone in her hand and shoved abruptly into his face.

❝   i   ——   pulled two cost 65 units.   ❞   she’s so smug.

eyes bugged, khalid takes the phone from sypha’s hand and stares, swiping through the units. a featured unit, too. his jaw is unhinged, and clacks audibly when he closes it.

so this is what pure envy feels like, huh ?

‘ It must be a pretty important symbol if people are willing to die for it, huh… ‘ of course, Ichiro would know all about dying for the sake of a symbol, even if it was metaphorical. 

It leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. 

‘ So what kind of symbol are we talking about here, anyway? Like a symbol of honor, family, what? ‘

death always will taste bitter, won’t it ?  even khalid can’t make that taste sweet.

“  more powerful than that, i think.  ”    the concept of sages is nothing new to him. it’s a different word for the same thing :    “  hope.  these sages, they grant power, protection, security. there’s hope to be had in that, especially for people who aren’t born with those things.  ”

isn’t that just a tragedy in the making ?  another landscape but it plays out the same way. hope as a thing with wings, and their backs bloody with the weight of carrying it.

“acta… um, let’s see…” at a table tucked into the corner of the, er, ‘wizard-ing headquarters building place,’ ruby pokes her tongue out momentarily as she flips through another page in the borrowed tome in front of her, mindful of the dust that flicks out every now and then that makes her nose scrunch. “acta does… m-mortality? no, that’s not it…” what had that lady said to her again? a heavy sigh escapes her as her shoulders slump, book work already making her skull throb. “agh, this is the worst.” from somewhere in the stacks comes a ‘ shh! ’ and ruby winces sheepishly. whoops.  

sitting across from ruby, chin in his palm and reading from the same tome, khalid cranes his neck to shoot his most winning smile the librarian’s way. there’s a finger wave and a mouthed  ‘ sorry ’  thrown out, too. then he’s looking back at the same tone, fingers interlocked beneath his chin.

    “ If LOVE is a lie, then why do we need it? We swear we’re alive, but we’re falling to pieces.“

Thank Bahamut that even in the hustle and bustle of this environment the gods were charitable enough to provide a place of solace. Where the verdant call of the trees converse with the azure winds above, reminding you that even now you could still find a piece of home. 

Kicking your slippers off, you plops yourself onto the soft grass, still slightly wet from this morning dew as you cross your legs and shut your eyes. 

“Oh gods. Running water is good and all but people are mighty rude, especially since I’m just trying to survey the area. Forgive me lord for i almost fought a defenseless person.”

laughter isn’t hard to get out of khalid, not when he wields it as he would any other weapon  –––   but genuine laughter ?  the sort that surges from him, like water spit from the lungs, bones left tinkling after ?  that’s harder.

the back of his hand pressed to his mouth, khalid tells himself to reign it in and waves in apology to the speaker.

❝   you are crazy if you think a sword with a bell could compare to this.   ❞   trust her.   as someone who has traveled with the esteemed belmont survivor,   his and his family’s collections of weapons cannot compare to this;   or at the very least,   that chain whip of his never made such a delightful sound.   ❝   there must be some sort of mechanism   ——   a man i once knew called it science.   but even he had to take an entire dungeon to light lamps.   this is too small to have any of that   !   ❞

“  oh it most certainly is science, but it’s beyond whatever i know.  ”

which means there is a whole world of science laid out for him, to go and find out. khalid is near to bursting with the anticipation of it. he pouts, then, thinking to his own toy weapon.

              ❛   But no princessias…   ❜    IT   was just as well. What would she have done with them anyway ?  The sign says these flowers are free to pluck, so long as they aren’t budding — but what would she do with them ?  Where would she lay them ?  Perhaps there was no need for them here… After all, they bloomed in the face of any adversity — and flowers of every type seemed to be defying their normal growth season just fine here. 

        But she isn’t alone — a sensation she wishes she’d felt just a few moments sooner.   ❛   Some of these shouldn’t be blooming yet,   ❜   Velvet continues a bit louder, opening her eyes to glance the stranger’s way.   ❛   But if you wanted to send a message, just about every message you can think of is blooming here.   ❜

“  every message, huh  ...  ”

he takes a spot by the stranger’s side, two stride’s away. that far a distance is polite, but khalid can still get a good look at her in his peripheral as he peruses the flowers, hand rubbing at his chin. 

ending up at a flower shop is par for the course with khalid. he’s a romantic at heart, and weary with destruction that all he wants is to stand among blooming life and let his skin soak in it, knowing things could be this pretty and this gentle, despite everything.

the added interesting conversation is merely a bonus.