"Listen, the book was important! I didn't expect everyone to leave us behind!"
---
Hi! New to the tumblr rp blog scene, haven't done rp since I was on the fanfic dot net forums, and since these three were a bit that went farther than anticipated, I figured I'd toss them into the ring.
Hi, I'm Star of @starsweeperskies! It's nice to meet you guys. TLDR: I made a doodle page after playing Fraud for the first time, ended up getting attached to the three Powers I drew for it and uh.
I have more OCs for this fandom than I anticipated. (Currently: 6)
Few Rules before the Character Introductions and major tags:
You can bully the characters, I just ask you to be nice and patient with the person behind them.
Nsfw allowed, please do not interact in that way if you're not 18+.
Also down for angst/whump.
Shipping is also fine! Just ask- two of these dorks have a case of 'a secret third thing' relationships in their fic canon, but relationships are open.
I'd suggest blocking the 'amgle tome' tag if you don't want to see the posts. Why is it that tag? I typo'd at 3am naming the document and had too much of a laugh at how poorly I spelled 'angel time' that it's stuck. Even once I pick a title for the fic it will always be amgle tome to me.
Character Introductions (and tags)
Abihail (He/Him Agender currently)
Power who hates wearing actual armor because it's 'itchy' and therefore summons armor or wears their cloak instead.
Generally acts as the face of the group, as well as their leader while separated.
Preferred weapon is the rapier.
Seems oddly close to someone named Metis who's still, last he heard, back in Heaven. Was with him when the act 2 interlude events took place
Charis (He/Him Agender currently)
By far the easiest of the group to enrage. Primarily uses the spear.
Doesn't understand social etiquette, is trying. He knows he's not great at it.
Has only heard of the events of both act 1 and 2's interludes second hand.
Favorite activity is sparring, is generally upset he can't do that now.
Eike (He/Him Agender currently)
Tallest of the group, prone to wandering off. Highly curious.
Witnessed up close the act 1 interlude. He's been trying to justify it in his mind and struggling with it.
Preferred weapon is the greatsword, but he prefers to not fight if possible.
Generally quiet, friendly if approached. Willing to donate blood as long as he knows the others won't catch him doing it.
Others Who May Be Mentioned (and may respond! Just not the primary focus)
Metis (He/Him Agender currently)
One of Michael's followers, and a good friend of Abihail.
Purposefully acts as a chill, hard to bother angel in public. An absolute dork in private who's willing to copy books to lend to Abihail.
Also has a collection of handwritten writings the he absolutely does not want others to see.
SH1EL0 (Shield, She/Her/It)
Mindflayer with one broken and taped off tendril, and a larger humanoid body.
Was damaged in a fight, managed to escape at a low fuel capacity. Eike repaired the damage the best he could and helped her refuel before they parted ways when they met in Gluttony. She has not found the Power Trio again, but is searching for them.
Has learned to interface with other machines in order to communicate with them through data transfer. She might have figured out how to do it with fleshy creatures.
Patience (She/Her)
Virtue, absolutely tired of the chaos going on in Hell.
Regrets not confessing her love to her best friend, Charity, in life, and doubly so now that Patience knows there's no after-afterlife.
They were stationed together in Heresy. Patience survived. Charity did not.
Has lost all of her namesake. Effectively permanently enraged.
Tags
#amgel tome - rp tag
#oc: (name) - tag for that specific OC.
#suggestive - suggestive or mature content
#art - ask involves artwork
#ooc - out of character
#(blogname) - interaction sorting
#fic - related to the fanfic that I started working on before this involving these characters.
Notes
there is absolutely a reason i put 'currently' as part of some of the character bios. :3 Shocker, local genderqueer who grew up in the church decides to give their characters gender related chaos.
Currently, they're in Lust, so they have yet to meet SH1EL0 (Gluttony) or Patience (Heresy) yet.
Here are the first batch of character references, for the main trio!
And the second batch of character references, for the secondary characters!
Currently rolling the idea of a disciples party rp event around in my head <3
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There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
[It receives the bread and just holds onto it, While still insisting on finishing that slice with jam for some reason.]
"The birds?- I- Oh!- yeah yeah uh, That.."
[Looking away from Charis, It thought about it for a moment. Marmalade wasn't sure if that really counts as a hobby. Though, It really didn’t want to start venting again out of nowhere.]
"Well... I guess when you're just busy doing nothing.. You kind of have to find new things to do...."
"You'd be surprised at how many books there are here that nobody reads, So.. Yeah- I just, Read and learn whatever I find I guess. The cranes are just..... Nothing special."
"I like them," he says through a spoonful of jam. "I suppose they would make for a good activity to pass the time. You found out about them from a book? That's really cool."
"Got any favorite books?" He asks. "My favorite is about a really weird house."
[It still continues to look the other way, They're mostly thinking quietly to themselves.]
"Well... I guess it's hard to pick one. I really like anything that's just.... human culture stuff- I'm not sure what you'd call that genre-"
[It starts pecking a bit at the piece of bread it held between sentences]
"I hate to admit this but- I'm not that good at reading. It's hard to explain, I just pick a random book, And then I take reeaaallyy long to finish it- I just have to keep rereading sentences and going back to pages and.. Y'know-"
"I also don't have the best memory so I just... have no idea what I read- But I guess that just means I get to spendmore time with books than others..? I don't know, I imagine that reading would be more fun when you actually can read normally-"
Charis nods along, occasionally grabbing a rock to try- and fail- at skipping across the pond. "Oh I've heard of that. One of my dormmates struggles to finish books for the same back and forth reasons. Usually he gets either myself or the other dormmate to read for him if it's important enough or he can't sneak into the archives to find his friend."
"I would imagine the memory issues would make it...harder, as well. My condolences."
[It stops for a moment, It felt a bit weird at how polite Charis was- But at this point, It really didn’t want to continue assuming that he was like most angels. Besides, The strange feeling wasn't inherently bad.]
"I mean... You.. kinda learn to live with it, I guess? Usually the problem is when I'm forced to do it in a way I can't- Like- In class. But since I'm just reading for fun, I can take months on one book and it really wouldn’t matter."
"Not that I know how much you keep up with lessons... For your sake I'd hope you're a better discipline than me-"
[After watching Charis skip the rock as he talked, Marmalade so decided to try skipping a pebble, However, It ends up just staring at that pebble instead- As if it just noticed something....]
Charis nods along, occasionally tossing another rock. "Sometimes the way of teaching is the problem. I've had to...learn a few things my own way because of it. Just fake it in class and study elsewhere."
[It tries skipping the rock its holding, But it fails too.]
"You know how many times I've tried skipping rocks here?? It just never works for some reason! I thought maybe I was just bad at it but maybe this pond is literally rigged!"
[While talking, It tries grabbing a rock without looking to prove their point- But because it was looking away, It ends up tossing the spoon it had earlier onto the pond]
"No, no, you're probably right." Charis watched the stones being skipped. "It's tricky, anyways. I've never been good at it."
He watches the spoon fall with a splash, falls silent for a moment, before shrugging. "You're fine. Although I have seen some cool rocks so far. I have a small collection."
[Marmalade is still staring at where the spoon fell, Though it does feel relieved by Charis' reaction, It can't help but wonder how does one even accidentally throw a spoon like that..]
"Hm.. I mean, I don't collect much- Mostly cause I don't know where I'd keep such a collection- you've seen where I live, Not much space in there.."
"So.. where'd you get all those rocks anyway? I don't think I've seen you collecting rocks around here- i mean if you were around here I probablywas hiding, I. Nothing personal I just do that just in case-"
Charis hums for a moment. "That's fair. I don't collect much either but most of the rocks were from trading favors with other angels. I also stole some from Hell. I should bring some back home...."
"Personal favorite is a chunk of slate I keep under my pillow. About the same size as my head. Good for digging my beak into when I'm frustrated."
[It didn't want to mention the fact it also has been to hell, Mostly due to the fact it went there "without permission". Though.. Seeing as Charis didn't care about it missing classes, Maybe there was no need to hide it as much. Even then, Just thinking of hell made it remember a lot..]
"I haven't.... Seen any cool rocks when I was there. I mean I guess I haven't searched for them- I remember finding sponges and sharing them with... hm.."
[Once again, It started getting stuck in thought. It sighed, Trying to shake the thoughts off- It really didn’t want to bring the mood down.]
Charis seems to perk up. "Sponges? Fascinating. I don't recall seeing any but I wasn't exactly keeping an eye out. They're great for ripping when stressed."
He tilts his head, chirping. "You're cool to talk to, too. I'm glad I did this."
[Its eyes light up a bit upon hearing anyone say something nice about sponges- It's an awfully specific detail to get excited about, But it isn't often when angels agree on that opinion.]
"My, I wish I could offer a sponge now for you to try- Though.. I don't exactly have one in hand."
[That phrasing might imply Marmalade talked about eating a sponge rather than just tearing it... It almost wished it did have one to offer in return for how Charis was treating it.]
"Maybe next time I'll be sure to have something to give you- I... well.."
"If... there will be a next time- Will there be a next time? I-I mean- I'm not exactly planning on going back to training.... But... y'know what I mean.... Right?..."
"There can certainly be a next time, Marmalade. I think after this my dormmates and I are planning on another delve into Hell. Shouldn't take us long, but I'll be sure to come back. We always do."
He gives a quiet laugh. "Hopefully by that time I can convince my dormmates that you're pretty cool, all things considered. I'd be down to do this more often."
[Doubt was certainly creeping up on it as it thought about reconnecting with other angels, But it tried to keep that out of its mind as it continued-]
"This is... going a bit fast- I mean, Maybe you just caught me at a bad time with all that's happened- And- I-I'm not saying you shouldn't have shown up!- just.. You talking to me kind of- Moved me out of.... This whole.... Y'know...... yeah."
[It really didn’t know how to express it in a way that made sense, But perhaps it was generally unsure of what to feel about everything in general. After all, Up until now, All its been doing these days was mope around. Maybe it was just scared to admit how much it actually helped to simply.. Talk.]
He shrugs. "I mean if you're not comfortable with it that's fine. Those two tend to run off and do their own thing all the time. I'm sure we're going to get separated in some unfortunate accident that will lead us path of developing new traits and skillsets that will serve us well in the future."
"It definitely seemed like you needed the company. Tends to help to just. Talk. Even if it's not about the problem." He tilts his helm back to give a big grin before sliding it back down. "If you see me around, I'd be down to talk again anytime."
There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
[It receives the bread and just holds onto it, While still insisting on finishing that slice with jam for some reason.]
"The birds?- I- Oh!- yeah yeah uh, That.."
[Looking away from Charis, It thought about it for a moment. Marmalade wasn't sure if that really counts as a hobby. Though, It really didn’t want to start venting again out of nowhere.]
"Well... I guess when you're just busy doing nothing.. You kind of have to find new things to do...."
"You'd be surprised at how many books there are here that nobody reads, So.. Yeah- I just, Read and learn whatever I find I guess. The cranes are just..... Nothing special."
"I like them," he says through a spoonful of jam. "I suppose they would make for a good activity to pass the time. You found out about them from a book? That's really cool."
"Got any favorite books?" He asks. "My favorite is about a really weird house."
[It still continues to look the other way, They're mostly thinking quietly to themselves.]
"Well... I guess it's hard to pick one. I really like anything that's just.... human culture stuff- I'm not sure what you'd call that genre-"
[It starts pecking a bit at the piece of bread it held between sentences]
"I hate to admit this but- I'm not that good at reading. It's hard to explain, I just pick a random book, And then I take reeaaallyy long to finish it- I just have to keep rereading sentences and going back to pages and.. Y'know-"
"I also don't have the best memory so I just... have no idea what I read- But I guess that just means I get to spendmore time with books than others..? I don't know, I imagine that reading would be more fun when you actually can read normally-"
Charis nods along, occasionally grabbing a rock to try- and fail- at skipping across the pond. "Oh I've heard of that. One of my dormmates struggles to finish books for the same back and forth reasons. Usually he gets either myself or the other dormmate to read for him if it's important enough or he can't sneak into the archives to find his friend."
"I would imagine the memory issues would make it...harder, as well. My condolences."
[It stops for a moment, It felt a bit weird at how polite Charis was- But at this point, It really didn’t want to continue assuming that he was like most angels. Besides, The strange feeling wasn't inherently bad.]
"I mean... You.. kinda learn to live with it, I guess? Usually the problem is when I'm forced to do it in a way I can't- Like- In class. But since I'm just reading for fun, I can take months on one book and it really wouldn’t matter."
"Not that I know how much you keep up with lessons... For your sake I'd hope you're a better discipline than me-"
[After watching Charis skip the rock as he talked, Marmalade so decided to try skipping a pebble, However, It ends up just staring at that pebble instead- As if it just noticed something....]
Charis nods along, occasionally tossing another rock. "Sometimes the way of teaching is the problem. I've had to...learn a few things my own way because of it. Just fake it in class and study elsewhere."
[It tries skipping the rock its holding, But it fails too.]
"You know how many times I've tried skipping rocks here?? It just never works for some reason! I thought maybe I was just bad at it but maybe this pond is literally rigged!"
[While talking, It tries grabbing a rock without looking to prove their point- But because it was looking away, It ends up tossing the spoon it had earlier onto the pond]
"No, no, you're probably right." Charis watched the stones being skipped. "It's tricky, anyways. I've never been good at it."
He watches the spoon fall with a splash, falls silent for a moment, before shrugging. "You're fine. Although I have seen some cool rocks so far. I have a small collection."
[Marmalade is still staring at where the spoon fell, Though it does feel relieved by Charis' reaction, It can't help but wonder how does one even accidentally throw a spoon like that..]
"Hm.. I mean, I don't collect much- Mostly cause I don't know where I'd keep such a collection- you've seen where I live, Not much space in there.."
"So.. where'd you get all those rocks anyway? I don't think I've seen you collecting rocks around here- i mean if you were around here I probablywas hiding, I. Nothing personal I just do that just in case-"
Charis hums for a moment. "That's fair. I don't collect much either but most of the rocks were from trading favors with other angels. I also stole some from Hell. I should bring some back home...."
"Personal favorite is a chunk of slate I keep under my pillow. About the same size as my head. Good for digging my beak into when I'm frustrated."
[It didn't want to mention the fact it also has been to hell, Mostly due to the fact it went there "without permission". Though.. Seeing as Charis didn't care about it missing classes, Maybe there was no need to hide it as much. Even then, Just thinking of hell made it remember a lot..]
"I haven't.... Seen any cool rocks when I was there. I mean I guess I haven't searched for them- I remember finding sponges and sharing them with... hm.."
[Once again, It started getting stuck in thought. It sighed, Trying to shake the thoughts off- It really didn’t want to bring the mood down.]
Charis seems to perk up. "Sponges? Fascinating. I don't recall seeing any but I wasn't exactly keeping an eye out. They're great for ripping when stressed."
He tilts his head, chirping. "You're cool to talk to, too. I'm glad I did this."
[Its eyes light up a bit upon hearing anyone say something nice about sponges- It's an awfully specific detail to get excited about, But it isn't often when angels agree on that opinion.]
"My, I wish I could offer a sponge now for you to try- Though.. I don't exactly have one in hand."
[That phrasing might imply Marmalade talked about eating a sponge rather than just tearing it... It almost wished it did have one to offer in return for how Charis was treating it.]
"Maybe next time I'll be sure to have something to give you- I... well.."
"If... there will be a next time- Will there be a next time? I-I mean- I'm not exactly planning on going back to training.... But... y'know what I mean.... Right?..."
"There can certainly be a next time, Marmalade. I think after this my dormmates and I are planning on another delve into Hell. Shouldn't take us long, but I'll be sure to come back. We always do."
He gives a quiet laugh. "Hopefully by that time I can convince my dormmates that you're pretty cool, all things considered. I'd be down to do this more often."
There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
[It receives the bread and just holds onto it, While still insisting on finishing that slice with jam for some reason.]
"The birds?- I- Oh!- yeah yeah uh, That.."
[Looking away from Charis, It thought about it for a moment. Marmalade wasn't sure if that really counts as a hobby. Though, It really didn’t want to start venting again out of nowhere.]
"Well... I guess when you're just busy doing nothing.. You kind of have to find new things to do...."
"You'd be surprised at how many books there are here that nobody reads, So.. Yeah- I just, Read and learn whatever I find I guess. The cranes are just..... Nothing special."
"I like them," he says through a spoonful of jam. "I suppose they would make for a good activity to pass the time. You found out about them from a book? That's really cool."
"Got any favorite books?" He asks. "My favorite is about a really weird house."
[It still continues to look the other way, They're mostly thinking quietly to themselves.]
"Well... I guess it's hard to pick one. I really like anything that's just.... human culture stuff- I'm not sure what you'd call that genre-"
[It starts pecking a bit at the piece of bread it held between sentences]
"I hate to admit this but- I'm not that good at reading. It's hard to explain, I just pick a random book, And then I take reeaaallyy long to finish it- I just have to keep rereading sentences and going back to pages and.. Y'know-"
"I also don't have the best memory so I just... have no idea what I read- But I guess that just means I get to spendmore time with books than others..? I don't know, I imagine that reading would be more fun when you actually can read normally-"
Charis nods along, occasionally grabbing a rock to try- and fail- at skipping across the pond. "Oh I've heard of that. One of my dormmates struggles to finish books for the same back and forth reasons. Usually he gets either myself or the other dormmate to read for him if it's important enough or he can't sneak into the archives to find his friend."
"I would imagine the memory issues would make it...harder, as well. My condolences."
[It stops for a moment, It felt a bit weird at how polite Charis was- But at this point, It really didn’t want to continue assuming that he was like most angels. Besides, The strange feeling wasn't inherently bad.]
"I mean... You.. kinda learn to live with it, I guess? Usually the problem is when I'm forced to do it in a way I can't- Like- In class. But since I'm just reading for fun, I can take months on one book and it really wouldn’t matter."
"Not that I know how much you keep up with lessons... For your sake I'd hope you're a better discipline than me-"
[After watching Charis skip the rock as he talked, Marmalade so decided to try skipping a pebble, However, It ends up just staring at that pebble instead- As if it just noticed something....]
Charis nods along, occasionally tossing another rock. "Sometimes the way of teaching is the problem. I've had to...learn a few things my own way because of it. Just fake it in class and study elsewhere."
[It tries skipping the rock its holding, But it fails too.]
"You know how many times I've tried skipping rocks here?? It just never works for some reason! I thought maybe I was just bad at it but maybe this pond is literally rigged!"
[While talking, It tries grabbing a rock without looking to prove their point- But because it was looking away, It ends up tossing the spoon it had earlier onto the pond]
"No, no, you're probably right." Charis watched the stones being skipped. "It's tricky, anyways. I've never been good at it."
He watches the spoon fall with a splash, falls silent for a moment, before shrugging. "You're fine. Although I have seen some cool rocks so far. I have a small collection."
[Marmalade is still staring at where the spoon fell, Though it does feel relieved by Charis' reaction, It can't help but wonder how does one even accidentally throw a spoon like that..]
"Hm.. I mean, I don't collect much- Mostly cause I don't know where I'd keep such a collection- you've seen where I live, Not much space in there.."
"So.. where'd you get all those rocks anyway? I don't think I've seen you collecting rocks around here- i mean if you were around here I probablywas hiding, I. Nothing personal I just do that just in case-"
Charis hums for a moment. "That's fair. I don't collect much either but most of the rocks were from trading favors with other angels. I also stole some from Hell. I should bring some back home...."
"Personal favorite is a chunk of slate I keep under my pillow. About the same size as my head. Good for digging my beak into when I'm frustrated."
[It didn't want to mention the fact it also has been to hell, Mostly due to the fact it went there "without permission". Though.. Seeing as Charis didn't care about it missing classes, Maybe there was no need to hide it as much. Even then, Just thinking of hell made it remember a lot..]
"I haven't.... Seen any cool rocks when I was there. I mean I guess I haven't searched for them- I remember finding sponges and sharing them with... hm.."
[Once again, It started getting stuck in thought. It sighed, Trying to shake the thoughts off- It really didn’t want to bring the mood down.]
Charis seems to perk up. "Sponges? Fascinating. I don't recall seeing any but I wasn't exactly keeping an eye out. They're great for ripping when stressed."
He tilts his head, chirping. "You're cool to talk to, too. I'm glad I did this."
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Gabriel seems a bit worried at the idea a power of his is lost ... They're his children! Well, metaphorically.... He hasn't gotten the adoption papers out yet.
He frets over Charis for a moment before holding out the messenger bag for Vivere.
"here, I packed fresh rations, water, a first aid kit, and a knife."
Charis also jumps, quick to leap between Vivere and the beam of light while calling for a spear, before almost instantly relaxing when he saw who it was.
"That's a relief," he says, letting himself be fretted over with a small chirp. "Glad to see you again."
They take the bag gratefullly, albeit a little faster than what they'd want to admit.
Thank you, They say quickly, already downing an entire bottle of water. Before they even finish swallowing, they're already putting a couple of the rations in their mouth.
It had been what, a day? two days? Granted they hadn't really stopped to rest much, maybe it had been longer?
They honestly couldn't care less in the moment, as they finally ripped away from the canteen. Even if they weren't from heaven, the rations tasted divine in their weakened state.
Haven't been this low in a while.
Definitely needed that. Thank you.
Where'd you say you got this again?
They close up the rations, preserving what supplies were left.
I wouldn't be surprised. It's definitely been a minute since a proper refuel. Although the wastelands didn't exactly have much either.
They trail off slightly, thoughts drifting before they snap back to attention.
Hey wait, what kind of things do you eat? Like--ambrosia? Nectar? I know I read something like that before. What's it like? If that's even what you eat of course.
Do you guys have different food classes? What about hierarchy, that's gotta be a thing. Do you eat for fun or does it actually like help you? What about water? Do you need it? From what I've read it says you guys are immortal--is that true? If so, then there's gotta be like TONS of you right? And---------
They launch the questions, one after another, swapping between the both of them as if they didn't know who to ask first.
"yes, as Charis said ... There's more normal foods such as bread, meats, vegetables... Safe for mortal consumption. Ambrosia is very expensive so it's usually reserved for nobility."
Gabriel explains, he thinks for a moment.
"I do have a few bottles of wine made from ambrosia, quite wonderful flavor it has, but very dangerous to mortals. Yes it can grant immortality like mythos states but only with a careful amount. Higher doses at once can cause great illness to a mortal. That and... Giving ambrosia to mortals is considered illegal in heavenly law..."
As for hierarchy...
"angels do have a hierarchy. Though it's.... Moreso rampant classism made by a cult."
... He really doesn't want to talk about the council.
Gabriel sighs.... Perhaps he can break the law a little today. Especially since the council is, uh ... Dead.
He vanishes in a pillar of light.
And he's gone for awhile ...
Like ... Twenty minutes. Before abruptly returning with another huge, blinding beam of light. Holding an incredibly fancy and ornate wine bottle written in a language Vivere wouldn't recognize. As it isn't a human language.
A little warning next time might be nice-- They say sarcastically, covering their eyes with an arm as the blinding light fills the small room.
Before they stopped dead in their tracks, stuttering lightly as they stared at the bottle.
I--you--That doesn't--but you just said--
Is that actually?
I never thought--
They take a deep breath, lacing their fingers over their head.
I was joking. Oh geez. I didn't think you would actually agree.
Despite their protests, they still eye the bottle with wonder flooding through them like their very blood.
I mean... it wouldn't kill me right...? They mumble, genuinely weighing the consequences of their actions (be it past or future) for once in their life.
Their pencil taps softly against their notebook as they fiddle with the pages. Ever so slowly, they drag their eyes to their research.
Charis crouches next to Viv, tilting his head. "I was going to say I was jealous, since I've never actually seen the bottle in person but...at the very least the ground's softer here than most places in Hell?"
Charis pulls his hand back and tilts his head the other way. "Well, you feel any different? Other than the obvious dizziness? No hallucinations, fever?"
"Well, I can hear one of the two dorks heading back this way." Charis summons a spear to hand and twirls it dramatically. "Doesn't sound like they've found the other one so..."
As the blue blur passes by, he throws the spear, catching on the other angel's cloak and pinning it to the wall. The other Power, one without armor and a large cloak, looks confused, then pissed as he turns bright red.
"What the fuck Chari-" he starts, before turning to Vivere and immediately dropping the rage. "Is that a living human? Holy shit."
The other Power quickly stands up straight and gives a bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Vivere! Sorry about the shock, I was just...not expecting to find a human in Hell!" He stands up straight and offers a hand. "I am Abihail, at your service."
"He doesn't bite, thankfully," Charis says with a chuckle. Abihail flips him off at that.
Abihail chuckles. "It is strange, but definitely not the strangest thing we've experienced so far, I'd say. And that's...fair. I know someone who would likely end up doing the exact same thing if he had the chance to."
"Oh fuck here we go..." Charis grumbles as quietly as possible. "Just punch his arm when you want him to stop talking."
"He'd actually be super handy right now, he's got a lot of knowledge on human biology especially in terms of recovering from injuries and dietary requirements-" he keeps getting faster as he's talking, gesturing quite quickly. "-not to mention the fact he's got records of every known disease since his creation-"
"-you can't forget about the humble leech and how humanity used to use it for-" It honestly seems like Abihail is barely breathing in between sentences, if he even needs to.
Charis chuckles. "Told you. When he starts talking about that person he just...doesn't stop unless you distract him somehow."
"-I think he also collaborated with another of his kind on a study of how certain machines were made to use humans as part of their blood flow but I couldn't stomach that one, personally." Abihail takes a deep breath. "I think you'd like him. He's pretty cool."
It seems like he finally has ran out of things to say. Hallelujah.
They give a gentle smile and thumbs up combo with barely contained relief.
"Yeah, I'm sure I would." With a quiet half-sigh, half-laugh, they respond.
It's not entirely false, the guy does sound fairly interesting, but there's only so much they can take before they're pretty sure their brain would explode.
"I think my notebook's about to burst at this point. Though I guess with you around I won't need some silly old paper for info will i?"
"That is, If you guys still want to explore with me. I'm sure you've got 'angel things' you have to get to."
They say it a little anxiously, moving their hands with every word they say, but still propose the offer nontheless. After all, it's not often that the last human gets to hang around the divine.
"Oh! I'm sure I can get you an additional notebook if you need one!" Abihail looks all too pleased with himself. "And we'd love to stick around! We're exploring this place as well and outside of avoiding the whole chaos going on upstairs, we're mostly on the hunt for...oh fuck I forgot about Eike."
Charis just nods. "We'd love to continue traveling with you, and I'm sure our missing friend would absolutely love to meet you as well. Afterwards we're heading to Greed."
Shit yeah, almost forgot. Better find him before too long.
But uh...where first?
Numerous hallways lined the room, each leading to other rooms, likely holding other-- more dangerous-- hellspawn.
I mean, I guess we pick one and go with it? Then again, we could probably cover more ground if we split and chose our own.
They wander over to one of the doorways, placing a hand on the lining. It squishes beneath their palm and they quickly retract, wiping the saliva on their pantleg.
"I say we stick together. Less likely to get separated again in case something happens, after all!" Abihail says, floating over. "I think we're both ready as we will be. I don't think I followed this path yet- I had been mostly retracing our steps before we lost him."
Charis walks over, summoning a spear to hand. "Light source. Just in case."
Vivere gathers up their small amount of belongings into a makeshift sling.
"Ready."
They give it a slight tug, securing it in place across their chest.
"If worst comes to worst, we return here and wait for the others. I would say be quiet on our way through, but alerting is better than nothing. And also just in case we find something cool."
They tack on the last sentence with speeding words, turning around without a second glance before they take the first step into the dim hallway.
Does this sort of thing usually happen? They ask quietly, making their way towards the walls.
They place a hand on...stone? Concrete even. It's surprisingly smooth, with just the occasional nick on the way through. They shiver slightly from the contact.
What kind of...? Squinting in the dim lighting, they try to examine the sudden switch in texture.
Are we even in gluttony anymore?
They turn back to the group, hand still on the wall.
"Honestly?" Abihail starts. "I'm not entirely sure. We've had pathways shift on us before, but never quite like this."
Charis makes a quiet clacking sound, almost like an owl that's upset at an intruder. "I do not like this. Not one bit." His grip on his spear is far tighter, poised to strike out at any sudden movement.
Vivere reaches to their boot, grabbing a small blade. It's a small dagger, and the grip is clearly worn from years of use, but the blade itself seems sharp still.
Well, then we're off to a great start... They mumble sarcastically, adjusting their grip as they look ahead.
You guys seen something like this anywhere else? I mean-- it's like the whole layer just cuts off.
Sorry for the unexpected but long hiatus, work has been chaotic to say the least and unfortunately, probably will be for the rest of the summer (and that's before life chaos- losing insurance, family, debating college, etc). Posting and responding will be sporadic, but I'm still working on the fic for these guys, and also planning on participating in artfight with them this year
However, I just want to say: Happy Pride Month! May you find joy and happiness, and may we live in uneventful times. I made these three and their friends to be delightfully queer, and I'm forever thankful for the reception they've gotten since starting this blog.
Gabriel seems a bit worried at the idea a power of his is lost ... They're his children! Well, metaphorically.... He hasn't gotten the adoption papers out yet.
He frets over Charis for a moment before holding out the messenger bag for Vivere.
"here, I packed fresh rations, water, a first aid kit, and a knife."
Charis also jumps, quick to leap between Vivere and the beam of light while calling for a spear, before almost instantly relaxing when he saw who it was.
"That's a relief," he says, letting himself be fretted over with a small chirp. "Glad to see you again."
They take the bag gratefullly, albeit a little faster than what they'd want to admit.
Thank you, They say quickly, already downing an entire bottle of water. Before they even finish swallowing, they're already putting a couple of the rations in their mouth.
It had been what, a day? two days? Granted they hadn't really stopped to rest much, maybe it had been longer?
They honestly couldn't care less in the moment, as they finally ripped away from the canteen. Even if they weren't from heaven, the rations tasted divine in their weakened state.
Haven't been this low in a while.
Definitely needed that. Thank you.
Where'd you say you got this again?
They close up the rations, preserving what supplies were left.
I wouldn't be surprised. It's definitely been a minute since a proper refuel. Although the wastelands didn't exactly have much either.
They trail off slightly, thoughts drifting before they snap back to attention.
Hey wait, what kind of things do you eat? Like--ambrosia? Nectar? I know I read something like that before. What's it like? If that's even what you eat of course.
Do you guys have different food classes? What about hierarchy, that's gotta be a thing. Do you eat for fun or does it actually like help you? What about water? Do you need it? From what I've read it says you guys are immortal--is that true? If so, then there's gotta be like TONS of you right? And---------
They launch the questions, one after another, swapping between the both of them as if they didn't know who to ask first.
"yes, as Charis said ... There's more normal foods such as bread, meats, vegetables... Safe for mortal consumption. Ambrosia is very expensive so it's usually reserved for nobility."
Gabriel explains, he thinks for a moment.
"I do have a few bottles of wine made from ambrosia, quite wonderful flavor it has, but very dangerous to mortals. Yes it can grant immortality like mythos states but only with a careful amount. Higher doses at once can cause great illness to a mortal. That and... Giving ambrosia to mortals is considered illegal in heavenly law..."
As for hierarchy...
"angels do have a hierarchy. Though it's.... Moreso rampant classism made by a cult."
... He really doesn't want to talk about the council.
Gabriel sighs.... Perhaps he can break the law a little today. Especially since the council is, uh ... Dead.
He vanishes in a pillar of light.
And he's gone for awhile ...
Like ... Twenty minutes. Before abruptly returning with another huge, blinding beam of light. Holding an incredibly fancy and ornate wine bottle written in a language Vivere wouldn't recognize. As it isn't a human language.
A little warning next time might be nice-- They say sarcastically, covering their eyes with an arm as the blinding light fills the small room.
Before they stopped dead in their tracks, stuttering lightly as they stared at the bottle.
I--you--That doesn't--but you just said--
Is that actually?
I never thought--
They take a deep breath, lacing their fingers over their head.
I was joking. Oh geez. I didn't think you would actually agree.
Despite their protests, they still eye the bottle with wonder flooding through them like their very blood.
I mean... it wouldn't kill me right...? They mumble, genuinely weighing the consequences of their actions (be it past or future) for once in their life.
Their pencil taps softly against their notebook as they fiddle with the pages. Ever so slowly, they drag their eyes to their research.
Charis crouches next to Viv, tilting his head. "I was going to say I was jealous, since I've never actually seen the bottle in person but...at the very least the ground's softer here than most places in Hell?"
Charis pulls his hand back and tilts his head the other way. "Well, you feel any different? Other than the obvious dizziness? No hallucinations, fever?"
"Well, I can hear one of the two dorks heading back this way." Charis summons a spear to hand and twirls it dramatically. "Doesn't sound like they've found the other one so..."
As the blue blur passes by, he throws the spear, catching on the other angel's cloak and pinning it to the wall. The other Power, one without armor and a large cloak, looks confused, then pissed as he turns bright red.
"What the fuck Chari-" he starts, before turning to Vivere and immediately dropping the rage. "Is that a living human? Holy shit."
The other Power quickly stands up straight and gives a bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Vivere! Sorry about the shock, I was just...not expecting to find a human in Hell!" He stands up straight and offers a hand. "I am Abihail, at your service."
"He doesn't bite, thankfully," Charis says with a chuckle. Abihail flips him off at that.
Abihail chuckles. "It is strange, but definitely not the strangest thing we've experienced so far, I'd say. And that's...fair. I know someone who would likely end up doing the exact same thing if he had the chance to."
"Oh fuck here we go..." Charis grumbles as quietly as possible. "Just punch his arm when you want him to stop talking."
"He'd actually be super handy right now, he's got a lot of knowledge on human biology especially in terms of recovering from injuries and dietary requirements-" he keeps getting faster as he's talking, gesturing quite quickly. "-not to mention the fact he's got records of every known disease since his creation-"
"-you can't forget about the humble leech and how humanity used to use it for-" It honestly seems like Abihail is barely breathing in between sentences, if he even needs to.
Charis chuckles. "Told you. When he starts talking about that person he just...doesn't stop unless you distract him somehow."
"-I think he also collaborated with another of his kind on a study of how certain machines were made to use humans as part of their blood flow but I couldn't stomach that one, personally." Abihail takes a deep breath. "I think you'd like him. He's pretty cool."
It seems like he finally has ran out of things to say. Hallelujah.
They give a gentle smile and thumbs up combo with barely contained relief.
"Yeah, I'm sure I would." With a quiet half-sigh, half-laugh, they respond.
It's not entirely false, the guy does sound fairly interesting, but there's only so much they can take before they're pretty sure their brain would explode.
"I think my notebook's about to burst at this point. Though I guess with you around I won't need some silly old paper for info will i?"
"That is, If you guys still want to explore with me. I'm sure you've got 'angel things' you have to get to."
They say it a little anxiously, moving their hands with every word they say, but still propose the offer nontheless. After all, it's not often that the last human gets to hang around the divine.
"Oh! I'm sure I can get you an additional notebook if you need one!" Abihail looks all too pleased with himself. "And we'd love to stick around! We're exploring this place as well and outside of avoiding the whole chaos going on upstairs, we're mostly on the hunt for...oh fuck I forgot about Eike."
Charis just nods. "We'd love to continue traveling with you, and I'm sure our missing friend would absolutely love to meet you as well. Afterwards we're heading to Greed."
Shit yeah, almost forgot. Better find him before too long.
But uh...where first?
Numerous hallways lined the room, each leading to other rooms, likely holding other-- more dangerous-- hellspawn.
I mean, I guess we pick one and go with it? Then again, we could probably cover more ground if we split and chose our own.
They wander over to one of the doorways, placing a hand on the lining. It squishes beneath their palm and they quickly retract, wiping the saliva on their pantleg.
"I say we stick together. Less likely to get separated again in case something happens, after all!" Abihail says, floating over. "I think we're both ready as we will be. I don't think I followed this path yet- I had been mostly retracing our steps before we lost him."
Charis walks over, summoning a spear to hand. "Light source. Just in case."
Vivere gathers up their small amount of belongings into a makeshift sling.
"Ready."
They give it a slight tug, securing it in place across their chest.
"If worst comes to worst, we return here and wait for the others. I would say be quiet on our way through, but alerting is better than nothing. And also just in case we find something cool."
They tack on the last sentence with speeding words, turning around without a second glance before they take the first step into the dim hallway.
Does this sort of thing usually happen? They ask quietly, making their way towards the walls.
They place a hand on...stone? Concrete even. It's surprisingly smooth, with just the occasional nick on the way through. They shiver slightly from the contact.
What kind of...? Squinting in the dim lighting, they try to examine the sudden switch in texture.
Are we even in gluttony anymore?
They turn back to the group, hand still on the wall.
"Honestly?" Abihail starts. "I'm not entirely sure. We've had pathways shift on us before, but never quite like this."
Charis makes a quiet clacking sound, almost like an owl that's upset at an intruder. "I do not like this. Not one bit." His grip on his spear is far tighter, poised to strike out at any sudden movement.
There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
[It receives the bread and just holds onto it, While still insisting on finishing that slice with jam for some reason.]
"The birds?- I- Oh!- yeah yeah uh, That.."
[Looking away from Charis, It thought about it for a moment. Marmalade wasn't sure if that really counts as a hobby. Though, It really didn’t want to start venting again out of nowhere.]
"Well... I guess when you're just busy doing nothing.. You kind of have to find new things to do...."
"You'd be surprised at how many books there are here that nobody reads, So.. Yeah- I just, Read and learn whatever I find I guess. The cranes are just..... Nothing special."
"I like them," he says through a spoonful of jam. "I suppose they would make for a good activity to pass the time. You found out about them from a book? That's really cool."
"Got any favorite books?" He asks. "My favorite is about a really weird house."
[It still continues to look the other way, They're mostly thinking quietly to themselves.]
"Well... I guess it's hard to pick one. I really like anything that's just.... human culture stuff- I'm not sure what you'd call that genre-"
[It starts pecking a bit at the piece of bread it held between sentences]
"I hate to admit this but- I'm not that good at reading. It's hard to explain, I just pick a random book, And then I take reeaaallyy long to finish it- I just have to keep rereading sentences and going back to pages and.. Y'know-"
"I also don't have the best memory so I just... have no idea what I read- But I guess that just means I get to spendmore time with books than others..? I don't know, I imagine that reading would be more fun when you actually can read normally-"
Charis nods along, occasionally grabbing a rock to try- and fail- at skipping across the pond. "Oh I've heard of that. One of my dormmates struggles to finish books for the same back and forth reasons. Usually he gets either myself or the other dormmate to read for him if it's important enough or he can't sneak into the archives to find his friend."
"I would imagine the memory issues would make it...harder, as well. My condolences."
[It stops for a moment, It felt a bit weird at how polite Charis was- But at this point, It really didn’t want to continue assuming that he was like most angels. Besides, The strange feeling wasn't inherently bad.]
"I mean... You.. kinda learn to live with it, I guess? Usually the problem is when I'm forced to do it in a way I can't- Like- In class. But since I'm just reading for fun, I can take months on one book and it really wouldn’t matter."
"Not that I know how much you keep up with lessons... For your sake I'd hope you're a better discipline than me-"
[After watching Charis skip the rock as he talked, Marmalade so decided to try skipping a pebble, However, It ends up just staring at that pebble instead- As if it just noticed something....]
Charis nods along, occasionally tossing another rock. "Sometimes the way of teaching is the problem. I've had to...learn a few things my own way because of it. Just fake it in class and study elsewhere."
[It tries skipping the rock its holding, But it fails too.]
"You know how many times I've tried skipping rocks here?? It just never works for some reason! I thought maybe I was just bad at it but maybe this pond is literally rigged!"
[While talking, It tries grabbing a rock without looking to prove their point- But because it was looking away, It ends up tossing the spoon it had earlier onto the pond]
"No, no, you're probably right." Charis watched the stones being skipped. "It's tricky, anyways. I've never been good at it."
He watches the spoon fall with a splash, falls silent for a moment, before shrugging. "You're fine. Although I have seen some cool rocks so far. I have a small collection."
[Marmalade is still staring at where the spoon fell, Though it does feel relieved by Charis' reaction, It can't help but wonder how does one even accidentally throw a spoon like that..]
"Hm.. I mean, I don't collect much- Mostly cause I don't know where I'd keep such a collection- you've seen where I live, Not much space in there.."
"So.. where'd you get all those rocks anyway? I don't think I've seen you collecting rocks around here- i mean if you were around here I probablywas hiding, I. Nothing personal I just do that just in case-"
Charis hums for a moment. "That's fair. I don't collect much either but most of the rocks were from trading favors with other angels. I also stole some from Hell. I should bring some back home...."
"Personal favorite is a chunk of slate I keep under my pillow. About the same size as my head. Good for digging my beak into when I'm frustrated."
There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
[It receives the bread and just holds onto it, While still insisting on finishing that slice with jam for some reason.]
"The birds?- I- Oh!- yeah yeah uh, That.."
[Looking away from Charis, It thought about it for a moment. Marmalade wasn't sure if that really counts as a hobby. Though, It really didn’t want to start venting again out of nowhere.]
"Well... I guess when you're just busy doing nothing.. You kind of have to find new things to do...."
"You'd be surprised at how many books there are here that nobody reads, So.. Yeah- I just, Read and learn whatever I find I guess. The cranes are just..... Nothing special."
"I like them," he says through a spoonful of jam. "I suppose they would make for a good activity to pass the time. You found out about them from a book? That's really cool."
"Got any favorite books?" He asks. "My favorite is about a really weird house."
[It still continues to look the other way, They're mostly thinking quietly to themselves.]
"Well... I guess it's hard to pick one. I really like anything that's just.... human culture stuff- I'm not sure what you'd call that genre-"
[It starts pecking a bit at the piece of bread it held between sentences]
"I hate to admit this but- I'm not that good at reading. It's hard to explain, I just pick a random book, And then I take reeaaallyy long to finish it- I just have to keep rereading sentences and going back to pages and.. Y'know-"
"I also don't have the best memory so I just... have no idea what I read- But I guess that just means I get to spendmore time with books than others..? I don't know, I imagine that reading would be more fun when you actually can read normally-"
Charis nods along, occasionally grabbing a rock to try- and fail- at skipping across the pond. "Oh I've heard of that. One of my dormmates struggles to finish books for the same back and forth reasons. Usually he gets either myself or the other dormmate to read for him if it's important enough or he can't sneak into the archives to find his friend."
"I would imagine the memory issues would make it...harder, as well. My condolences."
[It stops for a moment, It felt a bit weird at how polite Charis was- But at this point, It really didn’t want to continue assuming that he was like most angels. Besides, The strange feeling wasn't inherently bad.]
"I mean... You.. kinda learn to live with it, I guess? Usually the problem is when I'm forced to do it in a way I can't- Like- In class. But since I'm just reading for fun, I can take months on one book and it really wouldn’t matter."
"Not that I know how much you keep up with lessons... For your sake I'd hope you're a better discipline than me-"
[After watching Charis skip the rock as he talked, Marmalade so decided to try skipping a pebble, However, It ends up just staring at that pebble instead- As if it just noticed something....]
Charis nods along, occasionally tossing another rock. "Sometimes the way of teaching is the problem. I've had to...learn a few things my own way because of it. Just fake it in class and study elsewhere."
[It tries skipping the rock its holding, But it fails too.]
"You know how many times I've tried skipping rocks here?? It just never works for some reason! I thought maybe I was just bad at it but maybe this pond is literally rigged!"
[While talking, It tries grabbing a rock without looking to prove their point- But because it was looking away, It ends up tossing the spoon it had earlier onto the pond]
"No, no, you're probably right." Charis watched the stones being skipped. "It's tricky, anyways. I've never been good at it."
He watches the spoon fall with a splash, falls silent for a moment, before shrugging. "You're fine. Although I have seen some cool rocks so far. I have a small collection."
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There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
[It receives the bread and just holds onto it, While still insisting on finishing that slice with jam for some reason.]
"The birds?- I- Oh!- yeah yeah uh, That.."
[Looking away from Charis, It thought about it for a moment. Marmalade wasn't sure if that really counts as a hobby. Though, It really didn’t want to start venting again out of nowhere.]
"Well... I guess when you're just busy doing nothing.. You kind of have to find new things to do...."
"You'd be surprised at how many books there are here that nobody reads, So.. Yeah- I just, Read and learn whatever I find I guess. The cranes are just..... Nothing special."
"I like them," he says through a spoonful of jam. "I suppose they would make for a good activity to pass the time. You found out about them from a book? That's really cool."
"Got any favorite books?" He asks. "My favorite is about a really weird house."
[It still continues to look the other way, They're mostly thinking quietly to themselves.]
"Well... I guess it's hard to pick one. I really like anything that's just.... human culture stuff- I'm not sure what you'd call that genre-"
[It starts pecking a bit at the piece of bread it held between sentences]
"I hate to admit this but- I'm not that good at reading. It's hard to explain, I just pick a random book, And then I take reeaaallyy long to finish it- I just have to keep rereading sentences and going back to pages and.. Y'know-"
"I also don't have the best memory so I just... have no idea what I read- But I guess that just means I get to spendmore time with books than others..? I don't know, I imagine that reading would be more fun when you actually can read normally-"
Charis nods along, occasionally grabbing a rock to try- and fail- at skipping across the pond. "Oh I've heard of that. One of my dormmates struggles to finish books for the same back and forth reasons. Usually he gets either myself or the other dormmate to read for him if it's important enough or he can't sneak into the archives to find his friend."
"I would imagine the memory issues would make it...harder, as well. My condolences."
[It stops for a moment, It felt a bit weird at how polite Charis was- But at this point, It really didn’t want to continue assuming that he was like most angels. Besides, The strange feeling wasn't inherently bad.]
"I mean... You.. kinda learn to live with it, I guess? Usually the problem is when I'm forced to do it in a way I can't- Like- In class. But since I'm just reading for fun, I can take months on one book and it really wouldn’t matter."
"Not that I know how much you keep up with lessons... For your sake I'd hope you're a better discipline than me-"
[After watching Charis skip the rock as he talked, Marmalade so decided to try skipping a pebble, However, It ends up just staring at that pebble instead- As if it just noticed something....]
Charis nods along, occasionally tossing another rock. "Sometimes the way of teaching is the problem. I've had to...learn a few things my own way because of it. Just fake it in class and study elsewhere."
There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
[It receives the bread and just holds onto it, While still insisting on finishing that slice with jam for some reason.]
"The birds?- I- Oh!- yeah yeah uh, That.."
[Looking away from Charis, It thought about it for a moment. Marmalade wasn't sure if that really counts as a hobby. Though, It really didn’t want to start venting again out of nowhere.]
"Well... I guess when you're just busy doing nothing.. You kind of have to find new things to do...."
"You'd be surprised at how many books there are here that nobody reads, So.. Yeah- I just, Read and learn whatever I find I guess. The cranes are just..... Nothing special."
"I like them," he says through a spoonful of jam. "I suppose they would make for a good activity to pass the time. You found out about them from a book? That's really cool."
"Got any favorite books?" He asks. "My favorite is about a really weird house."
[It still continues to look the other way, They're mostly thinking quietly to themselves.]
"Well... I guess it's hard to pick one. I really like anything that's just.... human culture stuff- I'm not sure what you'd call that genre-"
[It starts pecking a bit at the piece of bread it held between sentences]
"I hate to admit this but- I'm not that good at reading. It's hard to explain, I just pick a random book, And then I take reeaaallyy long to finish it- I just have to keep rereading sentences and going back to pages and.. Y'know-"
"I also don't have the best memory so I just... have no idea what I read- But I guess that just means I get to spendmore time with books than others..? I don't know, I imagine that reading would be more fun when you actually can read normally-"
Charis nods along, occasionally grabbing a rock to try- and fail- at skipping across the pond. "Oh I've heard of that. One of my dormmates struggles to finish books for the same back and forth reasons. Usually he gets either myself or the other dormmate to read for him if it's important enough or he can't sneak into the archives to find his friend."
"I would imagine the memory issues would make it...harder, as well. My condolences."
There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
[It receives the bread and just holds onto it, While still insisting on finishing that slice with jam for some reason.]
"The birds?- I- Oh!- yeah yeah uh, That.."
[Looking away from Charis, It thought about it for a moment. Marmalade wasn't sure if that really counts as a hobby. Though, It really didn’t want to start venting again out of nowhere.]
"Well... I guess when you're just busy doing nothing.. You kind of have to find new things to do...."
"You'd be surprised at how many books there are here that nobody reads, So.. Yeah- I just, Read and learn whatever I find I guess. The cranes are just..... Nothing special."
"I like them," he says through a spoonful of jam. "I suppose they would make for a good activity to pass the time. You found out about them from a book? That's really cool."
"Got any favorite books?" He asks. "My favorite is about a really weird house."
There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
"I don't know how you manage to continue living that way.."
[It takes another bite, For a moment- Its' feathers react by puffing up. It seems that Marmalade really isn't one to enjoy jam, Regardless of flavor, But it tries hiding that reaction by continuing to talk.]
"I mean.. I think i understand why you like it- I guess that I personally never managed to keep up with all of that. Or- yknow- Keep up after I had all this.. other stuff happen."
"I like challenges and pushing myself, but outside of that it's just...routine. Comforting but stagnant." He hands the bag of bread, about half full, over. "Think I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, now, if you want to trade."
"That's...understandable. I could imagine it'd be difficult now. It does seem like you've picked up a new hobby, at the least?" He perks up a little. "The birds. They're charming."
There is a knock at Marmalade's door, one that sounds rather cautious. A deadpan voice from the opposite side calls out.
"Hey, heard some shit happened. Brought you a good luck present, even if it probably won't help with...everything."
On the other side of the door is the Power named Charis, with a bag full of jams around his shoulder, holding one large jar of orange marmalade.
@threelostpowers
[Hiding in the lower layers of heaven was Marmalade's home. That house was so far secluded from most places- That simply finding it has taken you long enough.]
[Upon closer inspection, You notice the door is not even locked. Though, That is likely due to Marmalade's home being a literal treehouse. Due to the overgrown branches covering the windows, You can't make out much from what's inside.]
[After knocking on the door, You briefly hear what sounds like papers rustling- Before everything going silent again.]
[Nobody answers the door.]
[Suddenly, A lot stumbling and pacing around is heard- The door opens soon after, And Marmalade stands there, Frantically looking at Charis before slamming the door shut immediately]
[Some more pacing is heard, Along with a few words mumbled here and there. After a short time, The door opens again, More gently this time- Even though Marmalade is really trying to play it cool]
"Heyyy how's it going.. C.. Clar.. Char? uhm- You."
[They examine Charis, Trying to even recognize or remember who they're talking to...]
"If.. This is about.. like- The training of- The one from today like- I know I didn't show up- I swear I was gonna but I kind of had.............. Other training. Like....... Yeah, that."
[It leans on the door "casually" to try and cover up the inside of the house- However, By doing so, This only highlighted more how awful Marmalade itself looked. Their feathers all messy, With many of them falling out with every small movement- Its' armor is stained, And the smell of both the room and Marmalade are... Strong. You can't exactly figure out what's that smell, But it's not exactly nice..]
Charis seems surprised the first time the door opens and then slams shut, starting to mutter to himself by the time it opens again. He tilts his head one way then the other.
"Char works," he says, grabbing and holding out the jar in his actual hand now. "You're fine. Just haven't seen you around much and heard something happened while I was busy, so. Here."
While he doesn't say anything about the smell or how much of a wreck Marmalade looks, his feathers do raise slightly in alarm. "If it makes you feel better, I'm skipping training to deliver this. Took a while to find you."
[Marmalade looks down at the jar in his hand, Quietly processing what's going on]
"I... What.. Delivery??- Wait- How'd you even find me?-"
[As it's talking, It kicks back a few pieces of paper which fell nearby- From the looks of it, There's a lot more papers scattered around the room.. But Marmalade is still trying to block the view]
"Y'know what just- Don't tell anyone I'm here I am not going back to- I mean. I'm like. Busy and stuff so I can't be at training. Very very busy."
"It took at the least five favors from a friend of a friend that I don't like." He shrugs. "I...also have at the least seven other jams if you're not a fan of your namesake. You can pick anything but the pepper jam. That one was a special order." He gestures to the bag.
"I won't tell a soul about you being here. Only three people know I was looking for you, and two of them called me crazy for it. But it's been weird not seeing you at training so I wanted to see what was up."
He does tilt his head when he sees the amount of papers scattered around, but he doesn't bring it up.
"What's with all the jams?....."
[They don't pick out any of them, Just tilt their head curiously]
"I mean- You don't have to give me anything.... I really don't deserve a gift right now.."
"Unless you were like- Told to do that. I- You still don't need to give me whatever those are-"
"Restocking. They're my favorite so I run through them quickly, plus my favorite birds like them." He holds up the jar of marmalade again. "And this one is your namesake, hence why I offered it."
"I'm not under orders, Marmalade. I'm offering them because I saw it and was wondering how you were doing. The whole 'vanished for a few years, showed back up, and now not showing up again' thing and all that."
He shrugs again. "Want to at the least sample some of them? I keep extra spoons, plus I think there's a pond somewhere around here that'd be nice to sit by for it. Quiet."
"I- It.. It is? A.. Marmalade?-"
[Namesake? A jar of... "marmalade"? That felt awfully specific to them... Its' mind focused so much on the name, That it only now realized what was being offered-]
"Wait wait wait! you're- You're talking about like- Hanging out??? I mean I don't know about- That's just a bit sudden and it's..."
"I.. I guess I... Can?... I'm not.. Doing anything- I think- I mean if you'd really want to just.."
[The more it tried to come up with excuses, The worse it felt about turning the offer down. It's strange that someone decided to show up at all... Yet it was still distrustful. Not of Charis, But themselves.]
[As soon as they noticed, Their entire demeanor changed. It went quiet and straightened up, Spreading out their wing instinctively to appear larger. And stepped closer to Charis.]
"You're not scared of me, Are you?"
[They wanted to scare him off, Just to prove themselves a point.]
"Yeah, you know. Part of why I thought of you. Same name and...all that. It's not my favorite flavor but it's pretty good." He swaps the jar for a set of spoons, chirping happily.
"And yeah, I know it's sudden but I'm not gonna be upset if you don't want to. Just seems like you nee-" He stops and tilts his head at the changed demeanor. "Not particularly, no, but if you're wanting to spar we're going to need to get you cleaned up first."
Definitely seems like he got the wrong idea, or he's purposefully ignoring the attempt to scare him off.
"..."
[It looks down to their own armor, They already knew how much they've been ignoring those stains- But it being pointed out immediately made them go back to being ashamed. Its' wing tucked back in as they lowered their entire body, It wanted to hide away again so badly.]
"I.. No that.... I- That would hurt you."
[As they looked away from Charis, Their body was no longer covering the room as much. Since it was just a simple treehouse, There wasn't much beyond a mattress on the floor, and a box with random stuff inside. However, It seems like Marmalade has been keeping themselves busy with paper cranes, Of all things.]
[Many paper cranes were lying all across the floor, Each with a number scribbled onto it. There were hundreds of them. While most were slightly crooked, There was a single one on the mattress which looked worse. It was crumpled up, Yet you could make out the number "1000" on it.]
"I mean, I am okay with sparring. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I'll help you get cleaned up if you need it. I like cleaning." It's subtle, but he almost seems...disappointed.
Charis looks at the cranes, making a small chirping noise. "Those are cute. I'm impressed." His voice is still mostly deadpan, but it sounds like he's trying to sound curious. "There's a lot. Did you make these?"
[Marmalade's first instinct is to try and cover up the room again- However, They do realize quickly there's no point in hiding since he already saw..]
"I- No- I mean... Yes but like...- I didn't... Make all of them just... roughly 300?- T-The rest are actually from..-"
[It couldn't say it, But they were about to name someone else. It immediately began sinking further into its' thoughts, It went quiet, Before starting to overthink Charis' demeanor. It stepped out of the house, Closing the door behind right after.]
"I see why you're here."
[It teleported to the ground, Slightly away from the treehouse as to not accidentally destroy anything there. It jumped to conclusions and already prepared itself for a fight. It adjusted its' stance for the unavoidable, Yet its' wing was still tucked in- Now more tightly, Indicating to Charis just how scared Marmalade was to do this. Yet for some reason they were forcing it now.]
"Get the fuck over here! I don't need you accidentally wrecking my house just cause you wanted some revenge or whatever!"
"They're really cute. I love birds. Could you teac- oh." Charis looks down at him, then back at the door. Then back to him, then the door, then the bag. "Revenge? The Hell are you talking about?"
He sits at the edge of the platform, legs over the side, and watches for a moment. It seems to take a bit to register that Marmalade's afraid, and he snaps his fingers when it finally clicks.
"Ohh. Hm. Are you absolutely sure you want this to be a fight, then?" He takes the bag off and puts it by the door before teleporting to the ground a few paces away. He glances in the direction of the pond he mentioned earlier, and tries to make himself look visibly relaxed with a decent bit of struggle to get it to look natural, stretching.
[It took a step back once Charis teleported over- As if they were caught off guard]
"Y-Yes just!!- let's just- get this over with."
[They summon a rapier into their hand, Even before the fight started- Marmalade was already struggling with the simplest task of holding onto their weapon. Yet it still shakily pointed the rapier to Charis' direction.]
"Just do whatever you want. As long as you don't wreck my house, I've got no rules."
"Just fucking destroy me if you wish, I can take it."
Charis presses his knuckles into the palm of his golden arm to crack them, rolling his neck. "Alright then. I won't go easy on you." He watches Marmalade like a hawk, especially with the shaking, as he stretches his wing out. "Your territory, you go first."
He readies himself to teleport to dodge backwards, no weapon in hand.
[For a moment, It's like all that "confidence" left their body. The thought of having to be the one to hurt the other first scared them, Making their wing tighten again, Now with its' feathers standing more than before. Even the color of its' wing was sending mixed messages, As it switched between yellowish and blue tones]
"...Y-Yes- Right."
[Slowly, Their unsteady steps turned into sprinting, As they attempted to charge towards Charis. While it was still holding out the rapier, They didn't try to do anything specific beyond.. run and hope to tackle, Apparently]
Charis teleports out of the way, keeping his eyes on Marmalade. He seems more confused than anything, then downright concerned.
"It'd be better to use a spear if you're going to charge like that," he calls out. He yells for his own spear to come to hand, bracing it to use to block. "Are you still sure you want to fight?"
[Marmalade stumbles over before using their weapon to balance. It clearly didn't enjoy the comment, Their wings finally turned into a solid yellow tone- Strangely, It was still too scared to say anything]
[So without thinking, It tossed the rapier over to Charis' direction. But their balance was so unstable, That the rapier barely came close to hitting anything. The rapier vanished after hitting the ground, Barely making a shockwave- showing just how weakly it was thrown.]
Char drops the defensive position and leans on his spear, head tilted. "Seriously, Marmalade. I didn't come here for a fight. We can stop this at any time. Just say the word."
He then looks at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I am...so glad I didn't tell the others where you are." He takes off, then dives down with the spear, missing by a good foot when the spear hits the grass. He stills for a good moment to give Marmalade an opening to hit him.
"shut up shut UP SHUT UP !!!!!!"
"EITHER YOU FUCKING ATTACK ME WITHOUT MISSING, OR YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
[Its' voice was breaking, Even when enraged, They sounded scared. Like it was trying so hard to not cry. It summoned a glaive, Taking that chance to hit- It swung the weapon right beside Charis, It was close. Too close. Almost hurting him.]
[Marmalade realized it soon after, So they quickly switched their weapon over to the other side, As to not use the sharp edge on him. Instead, All they did was give a push using the weapon.]
Charis yelps, stumbling forwards and then flat onto his face. While he was expecting to get hit, he clearly wasn't expecting the amount of force behind it. He groans as he pushes himself up, then teleports to stand back up. He calls a spear to hand and twirls it in his fingers.
"Okay," is all he says before swinging the blunt end of the spear towards Marmalade's leg. There's not much force behind the swing, though, just a light tap.
[Marmalade barely moves after hitting Charis. And once Charis attacked back, They just took it- barely attempting to defend itself in any way. Which makes them stumble over slightly-]
[Its' anger died down fast. It only now noticed how worked up its' gotten over this fight. Seeing Charis fall over immediately made it feel scared again. It extended its' arm to summon a weapon, Yet they found themselves unable to even say a word.]
[It froze there, Simply staring at Charis. Like it was expecting the worst.]
Charis watches for a moment after the summoning fails, clearly bracing to block a potential hit. When nothing comes towards him, he tosses his spear to the ground and lets it fade.
"I'm alright, Marmalade. It will heal."
He slowly extends his hand, palm up.
"Why don't we...talk about something else? Maybe those pretty birds?"
[That was exactly what they worried about. The whole point was to not hurt him, Yet here they are. Seeing at Charis' hand, It took a step back. Their wing puffed up again, Feathers falling out like petals. It was afraid, as always.]
"Y-You.. don't have to make me feel better. I understand if you actually just hate me for.. whatever it is that I did to you-'
[It couldn't bare to look at him, Even if it has barely recognized Charis- The thought of having hurt them was still there.]
"I mean, in a contextually acceptable way? We were in combat. I goaded you into hitting me." Charis just tilts his head and drops his hand. "Honestly probably have six or seven mild injuries at any given time. I fight a lot. Double that if I fight one of my friends. Fucker's vicious when he tries."
"You keep talking about the fact I should hate you. I don't. I don't quite get why the others hate you, but I don't." He plops onto the grass with a quiet 'oof'. "Besides, it's in the past. Life moves on."
"..... Did.. Did we not.. know each other in the past?... Seriously- is this like- your first time seeing me or something??"
[Marmalade also starts getting confused, It remembers hurting just about anyone they knew in the past- But its' memory was really not helping to pick up on who Charis was to begin with. It started pacing around, Moving it's hands frantically as it talked-]
"I know I hurt you! Not- Now I mean- at some point in the past? I think? I don't... exactly know who you are so I can't say for sure-"
"We did know each other, not well but we fought a few times. Abihail tended to jump in a lot when we did... Tiny fucker, doesn't wear armor, used to have big claws if that helps at all. He really doesn't seem to like you and was upset that I was doing this."
Charis watches. "Then guess we can get off on a mostly clean slate? I'm Charis. I like jam and nature and sparring and coffee."
"C-Charis? Okay that- I mean- Huh I was close with the name- Yeah I fought- A lot of angels- I think I remember a short one-"
[From the looks of it, Marmalade could definitely recall most things Charis had told it- Yet it still seemed worried about the situation, As they kept pacing even when reassured]
"Agh!!- That's not the point! I just don't think that... I don't- I don't get how you can just be so calm about this, You're confirming I did hurt you- But then you're just- Just- Asking for a 'clean slate'..?"
[It sighed, And sat down on the grass near Charis. While still keeping a small distance between them, As it was still scared of something. Yet, Their tone sounded a lot softer as it went on]
"...S-Sorry I just... I don't know if I can call this a clean slate if I'm still the same. I'm sorry if you were hoping for anything."
"Eh, wasn't hoping for much." He shrugs and picks at the grass a little. "Figured I'd give it a shot and see how you were doing, all things considered."
He holds up a blade of grass, then sounds a bit more rehearsed. "Had a weird friend say to always give at the least a second chance, even if they don't deserve it."
Then back to his normal tone. "She also taught me what poisonous plants could be disguised as herbal teas and at what doses they became lethal for the average human. Very strange Virtue, kinda scares me, even if the information is useless now."
[The more this conversation went on, The more Marmalade felt uncertain of itself. Looking back to the house, It remembered the initial offer- And felt bad for supposedly changing Charis' plans.]
"I-I really wouldn’t say I deserve that second chance but... You... Actually want to give me that chance?... y'know- Again- You don't owe me anything-"
[Without noticing, Marmalade was starting to drag itself closer to Charis- There was some sort of excitement in its' voice, Even though its' feathers remained puffed up in fear]
"Well, yes, I'm still down." Charis stands up by teleporting and chirps, giving a big stretch. "Let me grab the bag and we can race to the pond. First one in wins?"
"It's pretty much a straight shot in that direction." He points. "And it's a healthy type of competition where neither of us should end up getting hurt."
[It looks over to where Charis pointed, Despite the fact it already knew what pond he's referring to- Clumsily getting up as it stares]
"A race?- I- I'm not much of....- I mean- I guess... we can do that?"
[It shook some more loose feathers from its' wing, Nervously preparing for the race- before immediately stopping to think about it again, It barely looked at Charis while going on and on about... whatever it was talking about]
"Wait you mean flying right? I mean I can run too- I think- Actually wait there's trees here maybe flying isn't a good idea- actually we can fly above them- And- Wait what are we racing for? What are we winning?-"
"How about you fly and I run? I struggle with sharp turns." He flies up and grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "And for fun. If you need a prize, first choice on the jam."
He hops back down, landing with a soft thud. "It's not a serious competition. We don't have to. I just figured it might be enjoyable. We can walk."
[While flying was definitely less troublesome for Marmalade, You could still see them take a moment to even leave its' current spot once the count reached 3. Flapping its' wing faster on the start, And slowly becoming more stable as it went on.]
[Their speed was roughly near Charis' running speed- Though, Marmalade was constantly looking down to try and find Charis, Seemingly adjusting the speed accordingly. Once the two were getting nearer to the pond, A thud is heard by one of the trees. Looking up, You could tell Marmalade's silhouette has suddenly disappeared from the sky.]
Charis winces at the sound and stops running, looking over in its direction. Seeing that Marmalade isn't in the sky now, he starts heading towards the tree in question.
[Marmalade is just lying on the ground, Somehow barely reacting until Charis actually shows up.]
"....Sorry- I was just- I may have miscalculated a bit on my dive.. As if I needed more damage to my head.... ow..."
[It gets up, Shaking some leaves off from their body- There's no visible damage, But Marmalade does stumble quite a bit while walking]
"Maybe we could just.. walk from here?- We're kind of right next to the pond anyway...."
[It extends its' hand to Charis, Only to immediately hesitate- Making it put their hand away. Instead, It starts heading to the direction of the pond, Looking back at Charis as they go.]
"D-Don't worry about it! I'm fine! Just fine!- I can be a bit careless-"
[Exactly after saying that- It almost trips over again due to not looking at where they're going... It seems that it hasn't learned from its' mistakes...]
"Godfffuckin-"
"Uh.. Yeah!- A-As.. I was saying... This is... A normal occurrence- I guess-"
Charis just shrugs in response and puts his hand back down. "Alright, suit yourself."
As he approaches the edge of the pond, he places the bag down a few feet away from the edge and goes, "Can you swim? I'll test the depth beforehand, but better safe than sorry."
"I- Yes I- yeah I'm... already familiar with this pond...."
[It looked back and forth from the pond and Charis, The question caught it off guard, Mostly due to how... nice, Charis is being. It felt like it didn't deserve such kindness. It sighed before speaking again.]
"You really don't have to do anything for me. I mean- You won't get much out of befriending me."
[They crouched near the edge of the pond, Staring at it's own reflection as it let its' thoughts sink deeper. It was trying so much to not get attached in any way, More so, It was trying to make Charis not get attached.]
"Ah, I suppose you would be." It's subtle, but he sounds a little sheepish. "Eh, you're good. Just with the extra donk on the head I wanted to make sure you'd be safe in the water."
He plops down next to the bag. "Admittedly, not much of a water person. Or, getting into the water person. I like looking at it." He grabs one of the spoons and hands it to Marmalade. "Here."
[It looks at Charis, For a moment, unsure of how to react. Seeing that Charis only reacted with more kindness to the question made it feel guilty for doubting him so much. It quickly took the spoon out of Charis' hand, With as little contact possible.]
"Yeah I... Water is..... nice to look at... I probably should be going in regardless..-"
[Even with its' doubts, Marmalade seemed to be comfortable enough to at least face Charis more. It looked to the jams with curiosity, Or.. likely hunger, But they didn't want to be too obvious about it]
Charis pulls out a few jars and pops the seal on each of them, humming as he sets it up. There's a rather squished loaf of bread at the bottom of the bag that he also pulls out, looking pleased with himself.
"It's up to you. I probably won't join you but I'll be here." He starts preparing a slice of bread for himself. "Take your fill. I used one of my dormmate's money for these anyways. He owed me."
"I'm afraid I might accidentally keep skipping showers if I don't do anything now.."
[It clearly looked embarrassed to admit that, But at this point, It was pretty obvious how dirty and messy they looked. It picked up a jar at random just to stare at it with the same curiosity from earlier, It had no idea which jar they even picked up..]
"Sorry about... Y'know- being so weird-"
"Like- Weird now specifically- Sorry I just... I don't know how to explain it.. I suppose I've been just a bit different these days, I really wasn't expecting anyone to show up."
"But I already did change!- There's no reason for me to struggle to begin with!! You would imagine a fucking spear to the head would be enough to change anyone- But no!!-"
[Its' hands flail around while still holding onto the jar and spoon. It almost drops the spoon before realizing how much they were yelling.]
"Sorry, Sorry- I just.... I did some things I kind of.. regret. I suppose."
[It awkwardly tries opening a jar, Seemingly using it to avoid eye contact.]
"I-I...oh- I mean..... Maybe you weren't really... there when it happened-"
[Marmalade too has a moment of realization after seeing Charis' reaction. Like it's now remembering how ashamed it tends to feel about it, Or how much it affects them. It noticeably got stuck in its' own thoughts for a moment, So much so that its hand subconsciously reached to its own helmet.]
"It's just... A bit complicated- Well, You roughly know how I was in the past... But after.. that- I kind of just? Stopped being that way? I don't know, That's kind of why I assumed I've changed already.."
[Its head lowered, While its hand remained near their head. Even if Marmalade didn't want to draw attention to it, its' position naturally did so. The broken helmet it wore had that same gaping hole from that day, And along with it, Their missing index was notable too now.]
Charis looks it, tilting his head. "Ah. I think I've heard of things like that happening. I suppose I'm here if you wish to talk about it- I wasn't given that much information after the incident. You're different than you were but I don't think that's exactly the same as the changes people usually want."
"I'd offer assistance in repairs, but unfortunately I am banned from the forge after the last time I dropped in. I could ask one of my friends but he seemed...the most upset that I was doing this, even compared to the other."
"W-What repairs? I can't just- Repair my own brain!-"
"..R..Right!? I don't think that is supposed to be possible- I mean I fucking WISH!! For crying out loud I cannot be this!-"
[Once more, it seems that Marmalade is paying attention too much to their own tone. Just like last time- After yelling that out, It lowers its' voice- Not wanting to yell at Charis for no reason]
"A-Ah- Wait you're- You're talking about the helmet?- Sorry- I just-"
"Okay that was a stupid assumption... I.. I suppose I appreciate the sentiment though?"
[It sighs, At this point, Marmalade has still yet to eat anything- But it didn't show any intention of doing so anytime soon for some reason. It kept focusing on articulating how it felt, Even though it could barely explain those feelings as a whole.]
"It is.. A nice change of pace to talk to somebody who isn't as familiar with me- I don't know, I just never- You're like- I mean I do know you- Roughly- And we just-"
"Just. I don't know... Thank you for being here. I guess."
"I...wish it was possible to repair it like that, but I don't think it'd work like that sadly...could ask the same guy who helped me find you, I guess, but I don't think he'd have much in the way of actually...doing it."
Charis hands it a slice of bread, one with jam already on it. "I just know that a lot of people I know tend to identify more with their helmets than their own faces, so having it broken can be emotionally painful."
"You're welcome, Marmalade. It's been nice getting to know you again. And honestly...you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be." He tips back his helm enough to smile at him. "Think you'd be able to convince others of the same, with time."
[It receives the slice of bread without really thinking, It was very focused on what Charis was saying- Which simply left them speechless for a bit. It lifts its' helmet to give a small peck to the slice awkwardly, For a moment, With its' helmet lifted, It looked like tears were forming- Yet their tone remained rather calm]
"I don't blame anyone for staying away. I know some angels don't believe I've changed- And honestly.. I don't know if I believe I've changed either."
[It once again continues eating, This time taking a few bigger bites- It wouldn't admit it, But it really was hungry. It continues talking with its' mouth full, Most of what it said was not very comprehensible, Considering the food in their mouth- But eventually, It stops halfway through their rant.]
"Wait."
"Was- This? Marmalade?"
Charis nods as he prepares another piece of bread for himself. "Yeah can't really blame them for that either. Just got to focus on bettering yourself for yourself and maybe they'll come around, maybe they won't. Had to do that myself."
[It continues eating despite the fact it admitted that it didn't like it, It seems like hunger was stronger than whatever opinion it had on a bit of jam.]
"Either way.... I guess you're right. I don't know, It's all a bit complicated- I'm still surprised you don't hold any grudges towards me, I mean just the fact you even came to visit is... something-"
"Try a different kind, then. There's plenty. Took me a while to find my favorite." He gestures to the collection.
"Honestly I'm still not sure how the friend of a friend was able to figure it out either. I just followed his directions." He shrugs. "Just...felt right to do, I guess."
[Despite there being other jams, It already ate the other slice. But it actually started preparing a new slice instead of just staring this time.]
"Yeah but it's just that...-"
[Its' hands stopped moving for a moment, Like it was getting scared of something again. After thinking quietly for a bit, it resumes and continues talking]
"Well.. You wouldn't know about that- uhhmm... yknow I've... I've kinda talked a lot about myself that's- Probably not the best-"
"I uhh....what are- what have you been... up.... to?......"
"Oh." Charis turns away, looking at the lake. "Outside of delving into Hell occasionally? Nothing much. Training, I guess?" He leans forward towards the water, resting his arm on his knees.
"Just feels odd around Heaven. Like it's an empty shell of itself, I guess."
It's honestly the most obvious emotion he's shown so far, wing drooping and his usually flat tone sounding almost wounded.
"..To be honest I'm surprised there's still anything going on in heaven- Y'know- After everything that happened, You start to wonder why so many angels even insist on training or grades- Like, What are we even preparing for?!"
[While distracted in their own rant, It continued preparing a slice- Not paying attention to the insane amount much jam it already put into the slice as they go on. Only now it looks back at Charis, And feels as if that rant was probably not helping right now.]
"But uhm. Y'know.. some.. angels probably just- Enjoy that- I think. If you do enjoy training that's fine-"
[Ashamed of itself, It went back to focusing on their slice- Which was by now full of.. some jam, It seems that Marmalade did not even check which one it was they were holding.. But it simply ate regardless, Without further comments]
Charis nods. "It's a hollow comfort, honestly. I enjoy it, but it's not quite the same anymore now that I've gotten the feel for a real fight. It's fun at the least."
He picks up a nearby rock and tries, failing, to skip it across the pond. "It feels like parts of it have stalled, and no one's ready to push it forward anymore. I certainly don't have the energy or people skills for it. And who's to say it wouldn't end up being more of the same?"
He grumbles and prepares another slice for himself. "Something, something, endless cycles and fractal patterns. I wonder if there's a world out there where there never was a Council to begin with."
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Gabriel seems a bit worried at the idea a power of his is lost ... They're his children! Well, metaphorically.... He hasn't gotten the adoption papers out yet.
He frets over Charis for a moment before holding out the messenger bag for Vivere.
"here, I packed fresh rations, water, a first aid kit, and a knife."
Charis also jumps, quick to leap between Vivere and the beam of light while calling for a spear, before almost instantly relaxing when he saw who it was.
"That's a relief," he says, letting himself be fretted over with a small chirp. "Glad to see you again."
They take the bag gratefullly, albeit a little faster than what they'd want to admit.
Thank you, They say quickly, already downing an entire bottle of water. Before they even finish swallowing, they're already putting a couple of the rations in their mouth.
It had been what, a day? two days? Granted they hadn't really stopped to rest much, maybe it had been longer?
They honestly couldn't care less in the moment, as they finally ripped away from the canteen. Even if they weren't from heaven, the rations tasted divine in their weakened state.
Haven't been this low in a while.
Definitely needed that. Thank you.
Where'd you say you got this again?
They close up the rations, preserving what supplies were left.
I wouldn't be surprised. It's definitely been a minute since a proper refuel. Although the wastelands didn't exactly have much either.
They trail off slightly, thoughts drifting before they snap back to attention.
Hey wait, what kind of things do you eat? Like--ambrosia? Nectar? I know I read something like that before. What's it like? If that's even what you eat of course.
Do you guys have different food classes? What about hierarchy, that's gotta be a thing. Do you eat for fun or does it actually like help you? What about water? Do you need it? From what I've read it says you guys are immortal--is that true? If so, then there's gotta be like TONS of you right? And---------
They launch the questions, one after another, swapping between the both of them as if they didn't know who to ask first.
"yes, as Charis said ... There's more normal foods such as bread, meats, vegetables... Safe for mortal consumption. Ambrosia is very expensive so it's usually reserved for nobility."
Gabriel explains, he thinks for a moment.
"I do have a few bottles of wine made from ambrosia, quite wonderful flavor it has, but very dangerous to mortals. Yes it can grant immortality like mythos states but only with a careful amount. Higher doses at once can cause great illness to a mortal. That and... Giving ambrosia to mortals is considered illegal in heavenly law..."
As for hierarchy...
"angels do have a hierarchy. Though it's.... Moreso rampant classism made by a cult."
... He really doesn't want to talk about the council.
Gabriel sighs.... Perhaps he can break the law a little today. Especially since the council is, uh ... Dead.
He vanishes in a pillar of light.
And he's gone for awhile ...
Like ... Twenty minutes. Before abruptly returning with another huge, blinding beam of light. Holding an incredibly fancy and ornate wine bottle written in a language Vivere wouldn't recognize. As it isn't a human language.
A little warning next time might be nice-- They say sarcastically, covering their eyes with an arm as the blinding light fills the small room.
Before they stopped dead in their tracks, stuttering lightly as they stared at the bottle.
I--you--That doesn't--but you just said--
Is that actually?
I never thought--
They take a deep breath, lacing their fingers over their head.
I was joking. Oh geez. I didn't think you would actually agree.
Despite their protests, they still eye the bottle with wonder flooding through them like their very blood.
I mean... it wouldn't kill me right...? They mumble, genuinely weighing the consequences of their actions (be it past or future) for once in their life.
Their pencil taps softly against their notebook as they fiddle with the pages. Ever so slowly, they drag their eyes to their research.
Charis crouches next to Viv, tilting his head. "I was going to say I was jealous, since I've never actually seen the bottle in person but...at the very least the ground's softer here than most places in Hell?"
Charis pulls his hand back and tilts his head the other way. "Well, you feel any different? Other than the obvious dizziness? No hallucinations, fever?"
"Well, I can hear one of the two dorks heading back this way." Charis summons a spear to hand and twirls it dramatically. "Doesn't sound like they've found the other one so..."
As the blue blur passes by, he throws the spear, catching on the other angel's cloak and pinning it to the wall. The other Power, one without armor and a large cloak, looks confused, then pissed as he turns bright red.
"What the fuck Chari-" he starts, before turning to Vivere and immediately dropping the rage. "Is that a living human? Holy shit."
The other Power quickly stands up straight and gives a bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Vivere! Sorry about the shock, I was just...not expecting to find a human in Hell!" He stands up straight and offers a hand. "I am Abihail, at your service."
"He doesn't bite, thankfully," Charis says with a chuckle. Abihail flips him off at that.
Abihail chuckles. "It is strange, but definitely not the strangest thing we've experienced so far, I'd say. And that's...fair. I know someone who would likely end up doing the exact same thing if he had the chance to."
"Oh fuck here we go..." Charis grumbles as quietly as possible. "Just punch his arm when you want him to stop talking."
"He'd actually be super handy right now, he's got a lot of knowledge on human biology especially in terms of recovering from injuries and dietary requirements-" he keeps getting faster as he's talking, gesturing quite quickly. "-not to mention the fact he's got records of every known disease since his creation-"
"-you can't forget about the humble leech and how humanity used to use it for-" It honestly seems like Abihail is barely breathing in between sentences, if he even needs to.
Charis chuckles. "Told you. When he starts talking about that person he just...doesn't stop unless you distract him somehow."
"-I think he also collaborated with another of his kind on a study of how certain machines were made to use humans as part of their blood flow but I couldn't stomach that one, personally." Abihail takes a deep breath. "I think you'd like him. He's pretty cool."
It seems like he finally has ran out of things to say. Hallelujah.
They give a gentle smile and thumbs up combo with barely contained relief.
"Yeah, I'm sure I would." With a quiet half-sigh, half-laugh, they respond.
It's not entirely false, the guy does sound fairly interesting, but there's only so much they can take before they're pretty sure their brain would explode.
"I think my notebook's about to burst at this point. Though I guess with you around I won't need some silly old paper for info will i?"
"That is, If you guys still want to explore with me. I'm sure you've got 'angel things' you have to get to."
They say it a little anxiously, moving their hands with every word they say, but still propose the offer nontheless. After all, it's not often that the last human gets to hang around the divine.
"Oh! I'm sure I can get you an additional notebook if you need one!" Abihail looks all too pleased with himself. "And we'd love to stick around! We're exploring this place as well and outside of avoiding the whole chaos going on upstairs, we're mostly on the hunt for...oh fuck I forgot about Eike."
Charis just nods. "We'd love to continue traveling with you, and I'm sure our missing friend would absolutely love to meet you as well. Afterwards we're heading to Greed."
Shit yeah, almost forgot. Better find him before too long.
But uh...where first?
Numerous hallways lined the room, each leading to other rooms, likely holding other-- more dangerous-- hellspawn.
I mean, I guess we pick one and go with it? Then again, we could probably cover more ground if we split and chose our own.
They wander over to one of the doorways, placing a hand on the lining. It squishes beneath their palm and they quickly retract, wiping the saliva on their pantleg.
"I say we stick together. Less likely to get separated again in case something happens, after all!" Abihail says, floating over. "I think we're both ready as we will be. I don't think I followed this path yet- I had been mostly retracing our steps before we lost him."
Charis walks over, summoning a spear to hand. "Light source. Just in case."
Vivere gathers up their small amount of belongings into a makeshift sling.
"Ready."
They give it a slight tug, securing it in place across their chest.
"If worst comes to worst, we return here and wait for the others. I would say be quiet on our way through, but alerting is better than nothing. And also just in case we find something cool."
They tack on the last sentence with speeding words, turning around without a second glance before they take the first step into the dim hallway.
