taiyou's noticed it for a while now. ( the odd, shifting figure hiding in one of the alleyways just across the street from the cafe. ) it was in the shape of a man -- a familiar one at that. someone that was actually inside the cafe not too long ago, himself. why he was just standing around, behaving rather suspiciously ... it was unclear at first until taiyou slowly clicked it together. he was staring at elodie a little oddly when she first came inside the cafe today. at first, taiyou didn't think too much of it ... perhaps some fellow that had some strange, creepy habit of staring at pretty strangers. by the time he left, it didn't warrant any initial suspicion. but the hunter didn't need to do basic math to register the obvious intent that he was waiting for elodie to leave ... alone. unaccompanied. in the dark.

" miss elodie. " he puts up the last of his glassware as he addresses her. " you're just about finished, right ? why don't i walk you home ? i'm just about wrapped up with my own shift, and i don't have any plans tonight. plus, it's getting pretty late, so i'd be happy to accompany you on your way home. "

@gracelis / MWAH !

A concussive blast had rocked the atmosphere, a sun-like blaze careening from the firmament hurdled from the upper atmosphere and shattered through the cloud cover, a wind hole forming as the unknown object smashed into the ground with meteoric force, a dull thunder that rocked the earth. An ominous glow radiated above the tree line, brightening the sky like a flash of lightning that maintained its illumination for several beats until gradually waning. At first blush, most would simply think this was a meteor, a common enough occurrence. Yet, through the strings of causality that crossed every spectrum of the cosmos, Clear somehow knew this was something else.

Crossing the boundary of the woodland might have been trespassing any other time, but as he advanced, other fauna drew forth with curiosity instead of fear. Perhaps he was just as guileless as them, but then and there, fear was the last thing he felt.

stirring the pot starters // still accepting this whole time, and you didn't say a word? ( @gracelis )

the only reason he had hidden the truth from her was solely because he thought it would protect her. he had assumed it was easier for her if she did not know he had first agreed to spend time with her as payment ( and the advertisement for his band ) to a man with hands in too many places. he had lied by omission because the truth was messy and ugly and had teeth that would devour ( in a damn heartbeat ) what they were trying to build together. he had even told himself that the end ( her safety, her comfort, her peace ) justified the means, and had convinced himself it was noble to shoulder the shame alone. the accusation was simple, and so was the betrayal implicit in it. so many excuses had been told in the silence of his solitute that now, whilst facing them, they sounded thinner than the last.

in the reflected light of her hurt, they all sounded like cowardice.

“i hired you to escort me but i will not tolerate being treated as fragile…as long as you understand that we will have an agreeable but chaotic time.” nose rose in the air as she placed hands on her hips. petite maiden smiled as she swiveled on her heel. “i tend to attract danger…so good luck.” @ jianyu

AN AGREEABLE CHAOTIC TIME… Why did those words make it sound like Elodie had a tendency to attract all manner of things just be merely existing? Honestly, she did look rather delicate, and so he had already made assumptions about how she might act just from appearances alone. Perhaps that had been a mistake. Her previous words had certainly taken him back a bit more than he cared to admit. There was a hint of amusement felt, his lips twitching slightly into a small smirk. ❝Heh, never would have thought that you lived such a wild life, Miss Delwyn.❞ Well, well, this was a rather pleasant surprise. Then again, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t heard words like this before from others fairly similar to Elodie. It was just…there was something about the way she held herself that made him wonder if she actually really even needed him. It was probably best not to overthink things like this. After all, he was paid to serve as a temporary guard.

     Nothing more.

he will not be pet like a common dog!! how dare she lay her hands on him, the god of pestilence, the reaper of souls, one of diyu's most f... feared...........