A LONELY BEAST BENDS HIS KNEES BUT NOT IN PRAYER; swathed in a light so holy, it may sear his flesh should he raise his face heavenward, this his eyes search the altar below. he keeps the company of demons and ghosts, and they whisper incessantly, tormenting his silence with echoes of battles past and old wounds that should have healed long ago. he is in his own hell, and not even the sanctuary of a church could save him from that darkness.

       what difference does it make? there is no salvation for a monster too far gone, no solace for the guilty. he may as well be treading the ashes of a thousand dead souls, drenched in their blood, staining the consecrated ground upon which he walks. he would never be free... and it’s what he deserves, and yet some part of him still seeks a reprieve. hopelessly.

      If there was one small complaint one could make about the Chaldea headquarters, it was the utter isolation from the real world. There was simply no culture there, only the cold steel of technology-- occasionally spruced up by the Servants and staff. Yet here... it was like the total opposite-- an entire collaboration of cultures and aesthetics. Some familiar, others foreign... And the most successful establishment of familiarity so far must be the Star Trail-- a location that caters to every patron’s idea of “home”... Even Avenger could feel a twinge of nostalgia creeping up his spine as he spotted familiar cuisines of his homeland.

     However, it seems as if he wasn’t the only Servant of France here. Just as the Count finished pouring himself a glass of Bordeaux wine, a striking figure of blonde hair caught his attention-- a familiar young girl dressed in blue, eating by her lonesome... and the meal itself was extraordinarily plain. It was undoubtedly a dish from France, but one more likely to be enjoyed by common folk.

     It was amusing, knowing that a woman of her renown still longs for a simpler time in her life. Avenger could hardly contain his smile-- one of simple amusement? Mockery? Hard to say.

Four months previously Jeanne had been kind enough to give them two tickets to the boardwalk. They still did not fully understand the holiday the gift was associated with, or why she had known to give them two tickets instead of one, but they knew that they owed her their gratitude. 

And, perhaps, a warning. 

Enkidu found her without intention, apparently absorbed in her own thoughts by the koi. They did not want to disturb her, so rather than approaching her, they sat a respectful distance away. 

It’s a cloudy day. The warmth of spring managing only to partially shine through patches of blue in grey. The flowers in Savior’s Respite are beginning to bud, colors primed to burst and waiting for the right sunny day to make their entrance. Ozpin finds the sight much more welcoming than the cliff’s visage in the dead of winter. There’s little left then, to distract from the steep drop and the heavy stories of sacrifice- willing or forced. 

In fact those myths start weighing on his mind, and the former headmaster finds himself perhaps too close to the edge, staring off in the distance. It could certainly look precarious to anyone just coming up the path in any case, and it’s only by chance that he glances in that direction to see a familiar face.

You’ve seen many types of people in your adventures. Souls intertwined with yours, some rooted in passion and courage ready to bring light to a new tomorrow, others tainted by the darkness corrupted and chaotic, others the still wind before a storm or a beautiful day you have no way of knowing. 

Broken chains and written words followed you’ve seen it all and yet each person you have met have had a story that pull at your heart or fill you with fear. It’s been quite an adventure. Today had been one of those days. 

The early morning had come and while waiting for the sun to warm the rest of the world you find yourself at one of the many establishments built to offer the best brewed tea. A warm cup of tea to raise your own spirits. 

You hold up a cup to your mouth as you watch the ebb and flow of the tea house. It’s seats filling up quicker then you expect. You notice a lone woman standing near the hostess, being asked to wait, however you have a perfect fine seat across from you and with a clear of your throat you speak. 

Sora glance around an unfamiliar area. Overhearing a conversation a while back, there seem to be a village with fox people. That’s what he understood. Though he was in too much of a rush to hear the exact location and details about this village. Making his way to Cotes Ward, the boy looked around to see if someone appear a bit suspicious that could turn itself into a fox. Or into a human? Actually... how did all that go again? “Hmm.... I wonder how I can spot one around here? Maybe they’re really good at hiding their appearance and look like every day people?” Sora glance around as he stared at a young woman, her hair caught his attention as a believable clue appear before him.