“The number one stupidest thing I’ve ever done is kidnap my own brother,” Demi says, crossing her arms and meeting his gaze with a look of defiance, “and looked how well that turned out. So I don’t think boneheaded is the worst thing I can be.” That doesn’t quite prove she was right with this latest stunt, though, and with the way Dante is loudly vibrating it might be a good idea to change tack. “It worked! None of them got away, the breach is closed, I still have all my limbs, and I looked damn cool doing that. It’s not like we don’t take risks on the reg in this business, so what’s the harm this time?” She knows exactly what the harm is: one movement out of place and she could’ve fallen into the underworld. Of course Dante would be upset by that–but, by the same token, of course she’s going to be stubborn about something that worked.

She shrugs, “I’m not going to disappear again, I promise. On purpose or otherwise.”

“It is in this case!” Dante snaps. He’s trying very hard not to bristle and snarl, because he doesn’t want to spook Demi, but at the same time it’s tempting to put the fear of something in her for this last fucking stunt. Even so, he’s buzzing with anger and an undercurrent of fear and the very edges of something sharp and painful, claws dragged down old scars that will never heal, a blow directly to his rawest wound. “I don’t give a good goddamn if it worked, Demi, you could have been stuck! You could have---” She could have vanished right into the Underworld, fuck only knew where she’d have been, even if they opened a rift with Yamato in the same spot it wouldn’t necessarily--- he swallows a wheezing, hyperventilating breath, trying to keep from shaking. “There’s a hell of a lot of harm!” He shouts. “You could have--- we might not have been able to---” 

"...Say no more, I'll be in the enclave in ten minutes." What are friends for, if not to kidnap you away from boredom?

It takes a bit of effort to stay standing while she played with his ears, but he’s so glad to hear that what they’d done they had done themselves. But all the same he stood and listened to them explain their marks. He wanted to grab at Demi for the marks she’d done to herself, but given that he still wasn’t sure he was considered a friend by Tallyn, he’d refrain for now. Dia puts a hand on his head though, slightly mussing his hair while he looked over his sister’s arms.

“Where to start, kiddo,” she says (nevermind that Eli’s taller and possibly older than her, he’s still in some ways the kid she once looked out for).  “What’s the last thing y’remember hearin’ ‘bout?  ‘Cause there’s been war an’ death an’ possession an’ more death an’ more war–s’not good, to say the least.  Nearly died gettin’ thrown over a bridge, too, on a more personal note.”

“Like fuck it is,” Tallyn says dryly, resting his chin in his hand. “You’ve been pacing in circles for close to an hour now–what’s eating you?”

Okay, so maybe harassing the Lupin wasn’t the best idea of the day. In his defense, Kokichi thinks, he hasn’t seen one in ages. Most of them got conscripted when he was too young to even really remember! And now that he and the others are hanging around in the Enclave -- where else would they be now that the Empire had gotten their asses beat all the way back to their stupid homeland, after all, there was food and beds and relative safety, and what kinda leader would he be if he didn’t take advantage of it? -- there’s...a lot more Lupin.

Well, okay, there’s a lot of a lot of weird people in general, people not from Doma, but considering the fact some of them have swords as big as two of him? Not gonna risk it just yet. Even if some of them look like they’d be fun. (And/or have nice fat coinpurses.)

But right now? Lupin. Bad plan. Currently a good foot and a half in the air, swinging slightly as he dangles from one of his big furry paws. Hands? Claws? Ehhhhh. And is he going to shut up and apologize and go about his day safe from assaults by giant puppies? 

“Soooo, does this mean I can’t pet you? Awwww. Are you gonna bury me in the yard now, then? Are you? Y’know I‘m not a bone, riiiight? Do you need to sniff my butt to remind you?”

Ah, Altissia. City on the water-- rather literally on the water. Half the so-called streets were canals with gondolas running smoothly back and forth upon them, and the city built up in stone paths and bridges rather than out. It was honestly lovely, despite the creeping uncertainty about the proximity of Leviathan, and Ardyn had had quite a good time in his few days of peace nad quiet with Carina. The Leville in Altissia was fantastically high-end, and so were half the restaurants. Like a vacation for rich people. And thankfully, thanks to his books and his not-negligible salary as chancellor, he counted.

Then the kids arrived, and, well, the time was fast approaching. Ravus was already here, worrying himself in circles about his sister -- and probably worrying for so many other reasons given his adorable crush on Ignis -- and his sister, too, was here. Poor little Oracle, soft and compliant like a doll sculpted out of ice. She had fire in her still, he hoped, just under the surface of what Gentiana had made her into. But it was a matter of finding it, and the sooner the better. They needed her willing to listen. Willing to go along with the plan -- the one that would save her and her fiance both. And under her Messenger’s thumb, that wouldn’t happen. So first things first: fixing that problem. And then later, revealing the truth and the plan, once they were all sure everyone was amenable to hearing it.

[Dad] fetching luna now [Dad] whats room # [Dad] let ravus know

Sending the last message off to Demi, he strides through the hall of the building the Oracle sits silently within, ignoring the guards -- they can’t stop him anyway, he’s the Imperial Chancellor -- and thinking to himself. It’s funny. Not quite a decade ago he’d meant to kill her. And now here he was, saving her. In a manner of speaking, of course, but the fact remained. He wonders how much it will sting to look at her, if she too had Stella in her like her brother did.