#battlexfodder

He chuckled again lowly. “Tease.” It wasn’t often that Ravus got into such a mood, where he would tease and taunt Luche so openly, but apparently his absence had prompted quite a lot of feelings in the other man. Enough for him to tease.  He drew the belt from around Luche’s waist as he stepped back, wrapping the leather around his hand in a way that drew his eye. . Luche arched a brow at him, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t make you wait long.” Pausing only to grab a towel, he headed past Ravus to their small bathroom. 

⋞⁘♔⁘⋟ It was a ploy of sorts. One of the few slyer moments that graced Ravus' actions. He hummed as he watched Luche venture off into the bathroom, believing him to be left behind in wait.

He gave the other man a few moments to properly clean in the shower, because that alone had to be a glorious feeling after being out on his mission for so long -- Perhaps it hadn't been that long, but it had felt like it to Ravus. Eventually, he tossed the belt aside on the bed and along with it, his own clothing. A towel of his own in hand, he headed for the bathroom.

The towel was silently placed aside on top of Luche's as he stepped into the small room. It was a miracle the old floorboards didn't squeak under his weight, but he hoped the sound of the running water would have drown it out anyhow.

"Gimme just a minute," he called out.

The man who'd just come in was likely his interviewee. He needed more help around the bakery, it had gotten to the point that he just couldn't do it by himself any longer. Which was good for his bottom line, but a bit of a hassle, too, if he was honest.

He scored the top of each loaf of bread before shoving the tray into the oven, snagging a timer and setting it. He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands off as he stepped out from the kitchen, his eyes scanning over the man still waiting there.

"Can I help you?"

Ardyn had to duck to fit himself through the tiny door of the human shop. He’d seen it recently be replaced with a new business, one he hadn’t seen before. Rather than cooking little meals and fish he’d smell odd scents he’d never experienced before. He’d finally decided on leaving his nearby layer to investigate. Putting a tight pair of pants on at the last minute when he remembered it was a preference of humans.

So now he stood, hair dripping and scales decorating his shoulders and face as he stared at the blonde human before him. 

Shitpost Starters

@battlexfodder said:

you know whose problem that is? Not fucking mine.

everyone sending ‘💋’ in my inbox gets a kiss from my muse. // accepting!!

Johanne couldn't really help herself at that point. Their recent deployment had been too close of a call that even she had feared they wouldn't have made it out in one piece. When everyone else filed out from the debriefing and it was just her and Luche, she pulled him over where the others wouldn't see and pulled him down by the collar for a kiss.

Even so, he'd somehow expected the prince wasn't the sort to have gotten into many fights in  his life. Which was why he paused, catching sight of scars across his skin when Arctus was changing.

Luche turned his back to him to let him finish changing, not mentioning the scars. "When you're ready, the car is waiting outside," he said instead. He was supposed to escort Arctus out beyond the wall to heal some people.

Arctus didn’t miss Luche’s gaze when they lingered along the patchwork of stripes across his back. There were other scars too, from scuffles in Altissia and from defending himself on the field when he was helping Glaives. But the ones on the back were usually the eye catchers. He imagined it was a surprise to Luche too most Glaives who came after he was adopted didn’t know he was from Altissia, in spite the remaining accent. 

He appreciated the man not asking though. It wasn’t a huge surprise from a glaive, but he knew Luche didn’t have a high opinion of the royals. Not that Arctus thought he was wrong to. He got comfortable in the passengers seat and gave Luche a look. He should tell him right? Man deserved to know he’d be looking out for dangers on both sides when healing, after all. 

“A merchant in Altissia took a belt to me,” He explained as they started driving out. “I was homeless for about three years after mom died, before Dad’s people found me. Hence the whole ‘Refugee Prince’ Title.” 

Send "I didn't know where else to go." For your muse to show up at my muse’s door. Send "get in here." For my muse to show up at your muse's door. // accepting!!

Rarely does Johanne get past the point of being tipsy, her alcohol tolerance higher than most but tonight had been an anniversary of a decision she was glad had happened but still lingered in her mind every now and then. What confused her though was why her feet had taken her to Luche's apartment when he had nothing to do with it.

It was his fault.

He had done what he had thought was right at the time. And maybe he was stupid for that, but that didn't change the fact that they'd been lied to and played for fools. That didn't matter now. He'd wanted her to be safe. He'd tried to encourage her into a part of the mission that would keep her away. The other traitors were even told not to touch her. But the Empire had lied.

He'd known they would. He wasn't an idiot. They promised to give them their homes back, and he knew that wasn't ever going to happen. It would never be Galahd again. But even Galahd under Imperial rule was better than never being able to return to Galahd again. If the war was over, if the fighting done, then that would be enough.

Was it enough now?

They hadn't been told the kind of monsters the Empire would be bringing to unleash on the city. The kind of daemons it would set free. There was so much they hadn't been told. And now, because of that, one of the only people who mattered to him anymore was dead. And it was his fault.

He didn't leave Insomnia. When the Imperials came to sweep the ruins, he was still there, with Jo's body. He didn't even respond when they called out to him, shouting to identify himself. It didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore.

He'd done what he could to lie low after Insomnia. He'd stuck to the outskirts, survived off hunting and collecting bounties. He didn't want anything to do with anyone he'd known before. Mostly because he was pretty sure that would end up with him dying again. Which was why, when he saw Johanne, he immediately turned around and tried to leave the diner, hoping she hadn't seen him.

If there was anything working with the Hunters while leading the remaining Glaives has taught her, it was patience. Actual patience.

It was an odd position to be in, especially after she'd confessed her lineage to the others. Some were wary around her, but there was no denying that she did everything in her power to get them out of Insomnia and regroup with the Crownsguard. So for the time being, she was the Captain.

And Captains don't start fights in diners.