#ouroborius

"I'm sure it will be a nice surprise."

*Kieran was saying this to a clodsire as they travelled around Paldea to find Rika. Not that this was any old clodsire but this one was the paldean wooper that was given to him by the elite four member themself.

ㅤㅤ" AH ... crap. Did I fall asleep ? " Johann groaned as he stirred from his sleep, seemingly having passed out at his work desk... or at least he thought he did. He seemed to have been carried to one of the break couches in the laboratory. Of course... the person responsible was sitting next to him, leisurely enjoying a book.

A brow lifts as the blonde demoness studies one of the 'colorful' pages of Dante's magazines. After a moment, it's then she gives a nod of appreciation. She might not be the exact audience these photos are geared towards, but she's not BLIND. Trish is about to turn the page to indulge further, but the door to Nico's van slams shut. Brown-coloured eyes snap upward to see who has decided to join her. At the sight of Nero, a pleased grin laces her lips.

❝About TIME some entertainment comes my way.❞

"Your fault...? I mean, all due respect man - sounds like it was just an honest mistake. Like you said, you got distracted, yeah...?"

He would have been a hypocrite to get on someone's case for being distracted especially since that happened to him all the time - and besides, it all sounded like just a simple accident - nothing work getting upset over.

"O-Oh, sure...! I don't mind helping you out..." With a bit of an added flush to his cheeks, he hunched down and began to gather up some of the papers.

He was quiet for several moments as he mostly focused on piling up as many of the papers together as he could - he tried to do the decent thing and not look down at their contents but admittedly, he was curious. Eventually, that curiosity drove him to speak.

What has Ludger signed up for? Doesn't matter-- if it involves cooking, he's there. And every chef worth their salt likes a like daring experiment once in a while.

"Sadly I'm not too sure-- this'll be my first time cooking a Word Salad since books are rare finds now. But I think regardless, this dish'll definitely be a huge hit for the intended audience."

Will this 'hit' get him in serious trouble? Probably. But that is a sacrifice he's willing to make. Who knows, maybe somehow they'll actually make something as delicious as it is dastardly for your health!

Things  were  far  more  peaceful  now.  Even  if  Eito  did  have  to  live  surrounded  by  a  bunch  of  vile  monsters,  at  least  there  was  one  shining  beacon  of  light.  A  person  that  isn't  horrific  and  disgusting.  A  beautiful  creature  among  all  of  the  ugliness  around  him.  Takumi  had  been  interesting  from  the  moment  he  forced  his  way  into  the  gym  and  stopped  Eito  from  ending  their  worthless  commanding  officer.

But  he  hadn't  known  just  how  amazing  he  was  then.

Even  with  the  horror  around  him,  Eito  would  just  breathe  and  remind  himself  it  was  for  Takumi.  He  would  close  his  eyes  and  picture  Him.  He  does  it  right  now  as  he  enters  the  courtyard  and  finds  the  very  monster  he  wanted  to  see.

Nozomi  Kirifuji  was  by  far  one  of  the  most  horrific.  She  wasn't  as  large  as  some  of  the  others  she  had  seen.  But  she  was  ugly.  Her  voice  was  worse  than  nails  on  a  chalkboard.  Her  visage  was  horrific.  Her  scent  was  oppressive  and  awful.  But  if  it  was  for  Him,  he  could  face  anything.  He  was  confident  he  could  do  anything  for  Takumi.  Because  that  is  what  love  is.  Sacrifice.  Just  like  Takumi  sacrificed  for  them...  He  would  continue  to  do  whatever  it  took  to  help  Takumi  reach  godhood  and  stay  there.  No  matter  the  cost.

"You've a nostalgic scent about you. Are you, perhaps, a widow as well?"