"Nothing shall forestall my return"

Whether or not offense was intended, neither intention held sway. It couldn't anymore. "I happen to make a business of it." He commented with a dry laugh, hopping up onto the slick stone rail lining the bridge. As he did, the cover of the umbrella went with him as he walked the dangerous edge a ways. "Some people spend an entire lifetime searching, you know...." Blithely, he spun on a heel to smile at the stranger. "True love, that is. Some find it in a person, sure. But others cast it in gold. Maybe it is that vengeful dagger in a traitor's back, reclaiming what is lost, burning it all down--" A crack of lightning shattered overhead, and between the flashes, the visage of a man was distorted-- a wing instead of an umbrella, electric blue eyes over dull, cloudy ones.

Vicious, swift, like a cat toying with its food and laying the trophy of its accomplishment at one's feet. Proof of a hunter. A terrifying, and twisted creature profaned from the mortal coil into whatever eldritch monstrosity she was now. Noriko Sparda was in good company. It was easier when they did not pry. In one, fluid movement, Genesis took hold of the slippery tongue that still twitched and wriggled, knowing precisely what he would do with such an oversized organ, and the displeasure he anticipated it to cause the recipient was... amusing to say the least. With his free hand, the man crossed his stomach to stoop in a small, courteous bow on the huntress' approach, head inclined. "A shower and a check for the lady of the hour?"

Sheer force smashed the devil through the car door and into the parkinglot where he hissed in an infernal tongue some curse against Noriko, something foul and unflattering. And his glimmer began to melt, a pair of black eyes, beady and hateful blaring up, his big bulbous nose retracting in a snarl, shriveling and upturning into something more batlike. But just as he tried to snap up with a mouth full of jagged teeth, he was twisted around and plastered onto his stomach. A fang chipped in collision with the pavement, causing him to let out a horrible screech that shattered the windows of the nearby cars. "My, my... Someone wants to be in bed before midnight." Genesis hummed, his form gradually descending down to perch atop the nearest lightpost that overlooked the scene, the fluttering of his wrapcloak just returning to its more subtle form, save for a few black feathers that drifted downward. "You!!!" Urazafel howled his voice reverberating within itself. "Think you are making a point you sniveling refuse???" Infuriated, Urazafel squirmed, the bones beneath Noriko's boost disconnecting, sinew tearing until pop, the upper torso disconnected with the lower, offering enough leverage for Urazafel to twist around and swipe with his claws at the hired she-hunter. "I do."

Cold, direct, as always. Even if it was Genesis who had opened fire with hostility, somehow, the return of those icy words shredded through him. Even still, he was prone to picking fights, especially with Tobirama. They had been close, once. Maybe that was why the ongoing feud lit a fire that much more for Genesis to prove him wrong, about everything. Only... more and more, especially now, it felt that at every turn, Tobirama was right. He had been right, about SOLDIER, about the sort of aptitude and discipline it would take. Things that Genesis felt particularly lacking in himself. It stung worse than any injury he currently bore. "My hero." Genesis ended up hissing out as the train car jerked, pulling on his body in ways it was not ready for. A hand plastered to his side to put pressure on the open wound as it reddened the bandage. It was nothing serious, not for a First Class SOLDIER, at least. They would regenerate far before they bled out, but it did not make it any less painful. It was even worse to have made such an expression in front of the very person he was still actively trying to prove wrong. "Well, don't worry. You'll only have to put up with my gratitude for the next four days." Now, as difficult as Genesis could be, he could occasionally be useful and offer pertinent information. "Dropping off the critical cases at the next stop for air-evacuation. Last word is we will be receiving our next assignment soon. If the weather doesn't play nice, you'll end up on your own." A quirk, a thorn in Genesis' side was that peculiar affinity to fire that had him boast great strengths in the right conditions. But depleted as he was, it would take ages for him to replenish his mana without a little bit of sunshine.

Sheer force smashed the devil through the car door and into the parkinglot where he hissed in an infernal tongue some curse against Noriko, something foul and unflattering. And his glimmer began to melt, a pair of black eyes, beady and hateful blaring up, his big bulbous nose retracting in a snarl, shriveling and upturning into something more batlike. But just as he tried to snap up with a mouth full of jagged teeth, he was twisted around and plastered onto his stomach. A fang chipped in collision with the pavement, causing him to let out a horrible screech that shattered the windows of the nearby cars. "My, my... Someone wants to be in bed before midnight." Genesis hummed, his form gradually descending down to perch atop the nearest lightpost that overlooked the scene, the fluttering of his wrapcloak just returning to its more subtle form, save for a few black feathers that drifted downward. "You!!!" Urazafel howled his voice reverberating within itself. "Think you are making a point you sniveling refuse???" Infuriated, Urazafel squirmed, the bones beneath Noriko's boost disconnecting, sinew tearing until pop, the upper torso disconnected with the lower, offering enough leverage for Urazafel to twist around and swipe with his claws at the hired she-hunter. "I do."

"As much as I like letting big, strong men tell me what to do, " A note flirtatious, if the tongue of a viper was capable of doing so. "... I think I'll decide for myself if I stay, am, or am done being offended." But there this strange merchant went, flaunting the skill of taking from the very earth what ShinRa scientists would often scour veins of mako for years to even come across something that even looked remotely as viable of what he saw. Not one pretty piece of jewelry, but two. Perhaps the man indeed had something to worry. "A sweet gesture, I assure you." But Genesis shook his to decline, gently pushing Hugo's hand with the gem downward. "But I quite like to earn the things that I value. And clearly, your work is not some cheap trick to take for granted."

Immediately, the proud pyromancer's expression fell. Across various planes, terminology was a rather easy thing to assume meaning one way when it was another. But now, it clicked. And it did not please him. "You... could say that..." He grumbled, already wracking his brain on what sort of loophole he could scavenge up and dismiss himself from this embarrassing situation. But that required far more information than he had presently. He crossed his arms, tightly. "What exactly were you trying to contract a demon for?" Maybe if he could quickly fulfill it, he could get off easily.

Not me wanting to bring back someone from a dead fandom. But I can't help but love the dumb ass man name Cross Marian

// D Gray Man was my favorite show growing up and Cross is an absolute legend. I used to write Yuu Kanda and Tyki. Orz

wip promo here A trigun OC who scavenges deep into the desertscape where most would not venture... Living in the moment! Living for the thrill! Miss him with that regret shit and existential dread. He did a cool flip-- wanna see him do it again?