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Dabbles
closed Dabbles  130 posts · started by kaiju
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kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026

Catalogue Spread Volume One

Saccharine aromas overwhelmed the senses, with notes of burnt incense intermixed with the overly astringent hint of orange; tempered by the crispness of a freshly bitten green apple. Soft waves of patchouli, charcoal and warm cinnamon, evoke the sensation of an autumn breeze. 


These are not scents, that immediately spring to mind, when walking into the contemporary dream of modernity. Here, located just a stone’s throw away from the breath taking views of the Matterhorn. Camouflaged as a classic example of an Italian chalet.


The subject of today’s interview, lounges lazily in head-to-toe ABON. Sat atop a custom Koket Geisha Curve Couch in polished silver. 


A glass of Chateau Margaux 1870 in hand. The uncorked bottle resting atop a polished Purple-wood side-piece. The quietly intelligent gaze of our guest, brings to mind an audience with such rare and ethereal creatures like a perched phoenix. 


The view is breathtaking and the interior layout, paired artistically with subtle thematic choices are calculated. There is nothing here that ought not to be. Down to the very fibres that make up the glorious Vicuna covered arm-chair. 


There’s naught but indulgence, authority and a shroud of quiet mystique that surrounds technology’s Prima-Dona. The President and head innovator of the world’s technology empire. Heiress DeVian Law, 28, knows she is a woman of power. 


No effort or energy seems to be exerted by Law, all movements are swift and minimal. One could hardly be faulted, missing the softly almost imperceptible rise and fall of her shoulders. 


Law, is no stranger to gossip and tabloid attention. Especially now, with the announcement of her intention to marry a private citizen. Long suspected to be attached to one or two anonymous figures, the news of Law’s upcoming nuptials caused widespread jubilation and surprise. With many foreign dignitaries, celebrities and other persons of note quick to congratulate the heiress.


‘The fuss, was expected. The notoriety of my name? Not so much.’ 


For all of the troubles of day-to-day life, Law is down to earth and quick witted. Conversation comes naturally. Wise beyond her years, a instantaneous lift of an eyebrow, shaped perfectly with its sister. Law gives nothing away, though teases the potential for summer nuptials. When pressed on if the press would be given access, she laughs. 


‘The arrangements could be made. But don’t hold your breath. Getting down the aisle is more important.’ 


Law was raised in the hard and gritty privilege of Brazil’s top brass. Having excelled academically, Law propelled into the world of technology at eleven. Prodigiously talented, Law never allowed her family name to speak for her. 


Having completed a double-masters in Commerce and I.T from both Cambridge University and Stanford University. By age thirteen, Law felt ready to take on the family business. 


Much to the surprise of investors and shareholders globally, this has not stopped her from proving her place amongst the monochromatic geniuses of rigid traditionalist Silicon Valley. With at least 700 confirmed patents and counting. Law has no plans to slow down.

[Off the Record] 


“N-nice to meet you Ms Law.”


“The pleasure is mine, Miss Gaine.”


DeVian had already memorised the file provided by Truman who was ushering another  mousey looking intern photographer around the surrounding rooms. No doubt to create double spreads and to make sure no one was sneaking off and looking into rooms they shouldn’t. 


She had set down two conditions to the press. The first was that her interviewer and the team sent had to be interns. The second was that any questions that were overtly personal were forbidden. When asked about the latter, Truman had helpfully supplied that the papers were more than welcome to delve into DeVian’s own history. Her upbringing, her schooling etc. But asking about her partner, her family or anything else below or above board would render the interview over and the press pushed out into the cold. 


So, Miss Gaine. Freshly turned 21, a journalism major interning from the University of British Columbia had drawn the hypothetical short-long straw. Even if the article was read by no one, Miss Gaine’s career and those of the others chosen to come to the Italian Alps, was all but guaranteed. 


DeVian had silently sneered at the lack lustre clothing of her interviewer, but she supposed college students didn’t have the time or budget to spend frivolous amounts on clothes. 


“Please, take a seat. Get comfortable. When you’re ready to begin. Just start asking.”


“T-thank you.” 


The poor mortal, DeVian observed that the girl was a pencil chewer, a nervous foot tapper and preferred to drink the glass of water without ice, over the options of juice, champagne, some other less impressive vintage of red. Her notebook, leather bound and aged - suggesting well loved and replaceable. Pen, ballpoint, but not her preferred writing implement based off the clumsy weight applied. 

[On the record]


On the subject of her wardrobe, Law held nothing back. Long known to collaborate with the elusive fashion house ABON. Law is perhaps the only individual with full stakes, having what is described as an intimate relationship with the designer. ^See page 3 for a closer examination of Law’s engagement ring, reportedly worth a jaw-dropping 25 million.^ 


‘ABON will be designing my dress, and all other details I leave to my entourage.’ 


Though usually a hands-on perfectionist, Law seemed almost exhausted by the thought of having anything to do with her special day. Stating the pomp and ceremony were for the public, rather than what she would have done personally. 


‘Mmm. No honeymoon. There’s no time for one. Coordinating my wedding and shoehorning it between events. An unexpected miracle.’ 


The guest list will likely be a closely held secret until mere days before the event. Law did not feel the need to elaborate. Venturing to ask if there would be a theme or a location, Law rolled her shoulders. 


‘It’ll have something to do with the joint heritage of my own. Plenty of black, red, greenery, opulence of an unparalleled degree. Location will just have to come down to space and weather.’ 


Moving onto topics like the eye watering jaw dropping fortune Law will likely inherit one day. She was ambivalent, almost feigning ignorance laced with sarcasm when proclaiming: 


‘I have not had anything to do with money since I graduated from my alma maters. There is little point in dallying in something so trivial.’


Looking past the fortune and academia. One would be surprised to find out that Law invests heavily in non-government organisations and movements. Most controversially, Law has never confirmed nor denied her connection to CMUR. Nor was the heiress willing to speculate  on the theory of her being a supposed claimant.


‘I do believe, that Claimants are strictly forbidden from interfering with human society. Or at least they say so.’ 


^Spread 1: ABON sublime line; 65 carat Sapphire Asscher cut, white gold earrings. ABON Guild line; 350~ carat approximately Sapphire/Diamond Princess cut, white gold chain. ABON Base line; silk day-shirt shade nocturnal, defiant velvet-chiffon tights shade electra, minim beige ankle socks. ABON Rust line; Suede loafers, King Cobra Leather shade marble.^ 

[Off the Record] 


Dismissed for the allotted 3 hour lunch break. DeVian nearly bolted up the stairs - Truman had kept the mortal visitors away, mostly by taking them to the nearby town for food and to sightsee. 


Coming to a silent but measured halt in front of the bedroom door, the metallic-wood panel which looks like a wall slid to the left. Opening up to a currently darkened chamber, the black-out curtains were drawn tight, hiding the fantastic piece of portraiture on the far right wall. Eyes immediately focused on the giant floating bed in the only rugged area of the room. Sprawled and unconscious to the world, half tucked under the duck-feather filled blankets; Stasia Noba slept. 


DeVian could just make out the inked pair of eyes that rested at the base of Stasia’s neck. She could have sworn the tattoo was capable of blinking autonomously. Stealthily, DeVian felt the panel-door click shut and moved straight towards the wardrobe. She barely missed the plushie elephant, dressed as she was. It would likely somehow change into what she was about to do next. 


The portrait shimmered and disappeared, revealing a Queen’s ransom worth of one-of-a-kind pieces, displayed on mannequins or tucked away in custom built shelves. Stripping out of her current attire, flinging them into the open laundry chute - Needle and Thread would be by later to collect any/all garments in need of laundering and repair. 


Down to undergarments, DeVian opted to just slip into one of Ritunen’s large business shirts. The buttons half done up. She shut the lights and moved towards the bed. Above, an illusion of the Northern Lights were on display, the brilliant hues bouncing off Stasia’s alabaster skin. 


She was just a tad bit dismayed, having lifted the covers to find Stasia partially nude, but those accursed bracelets. Still there. A permanent reminder of the separation between them. DeVian knew it was for their as well as her own safety, but those stupid things prevented a level of intimacy DeVian just knew was waiting.  


Stasia’s shoulders rose and fell, occasionally the electricity aikekunai would sigh or shift minutely. Burrowing further into the pillows - scented with a hyacinth and spearmint mist. DeVian gently pulled them into her arms. Resting her own chin on her partner’s shoulders. Immediately all the tense muscles of Stasia’s upper back, relaxed.  


Time trembles when Stasia finally comes back to the here and now, eyes opening slowly. DeVian hasn’t moved from the position she had first settled into, her muscles and limbs numb from lack of movement. The bed dips as Stasia shifts so they’re facing her.


“I thought you had an interview?” The words are groggy, heavy with the last vestiges of sleep. 


“I do. Lunch break. I wanted to check up on you.”


“Mmm. How much time do we have?”


“All the time.”


“I don’t think your guest or Truman would appreciate you nicking off indefinitely to be in bed with me.”


“You still have dark circles under your eyes. When was the last time you slept unaided?”


This gives Stasia pause.


“Guessing not very recently. I thought you said you were getting better.”


“I am. At least when I’m here. Or wherever you choose to stay. It’s difficult otherwise.”


“Do we need to speak to Alvax? Or maybe Xainayne about it? Have the nightmares lessened in their severity?”


“No, there’s no need to trouble them.”


Now it’s DeVian’s turn to face away as their positions are reversed and Stasia begins the slow work of kneading the tense knots, the stress caused by long hours standing, sitting, debating in heels.


“You are allowed to feel at peace. This isn’t…” 


“Don’t. Just, I’ll speak to Xainayne. I’ll consult the lexicon in Eviax’s library.” 


DeVian nods at this plan. Though she partially wonders how Stasia could jam this new side task into their jam-packed schedule.

ooc
Originally posted by: Spira
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
Angel Tears

I hate the rain. It’s almost always some type of omen for something terrible, dreadful… unforeseeable… That’s why I knew things weren’t good the moment these warm droplets began to fall from the sky. When I looked up into the vastness of night as saw nothing but storm clouds looming overhead, it felt as if I were being called here. Perhaps I owe it to that girl for being the one to call me of all people. Not out of trust, but instead obligation. 


“She’s normally never like this, and as much as I’d like her to talk to me… I know that’s not going to happen. Don’t get me wrong. Love is love, but some things are just impossible for her to admit. I think you can draw those things out of her if you try.” 


Responsibility really is a pain. Why’d I even agree to do this? I should have said no and just went back to the forge, let them settle this themselves… no, I know I’m not like that. Or maybe I was and things have simply changed. My blazing rage flickering like an ember amidst the black. That’s right. I don’t need any encouragement or a push for this. If it’s something I can do then I want to do it. Not out of hate… but because I care. 


When he had heard about a request for his business being rented out he didn’t pay it much thought. Al he knew was that the money was good and it wasn’t something he planned to refuse. Now that he was there himself he was having second thoughts. A crowd formed around the building, people both human and claimant alike attempting the gain entry. Faces he’d never seen before, faces he didn’t much care for especially now, but some things always remained the same. 

This time around it wasn’t intimidation, his normal tactic. The bustling crowd calmed instinctively as if by force of nature. His steps, normally as silent as the calm breeze, echoed aloud as if to announce the lack of his cares for anonymity. They weren’t on his mind, but he was on theirs. Each footfall evaporating the water beneath his soles, eyes like blue diamonds, the only stars out at night. But he still had a single obstacle to pass. Her arms outstretched as if to say even he was not welcome in his own place of business. 

“What are you doing here?” He knew Lizbett hated him. One of the many people who believed he didn’t care about anything, but human nonetheless. 

“You know exactly why I’m here. I’m not going to argue with you.” 

“Good. Then turn around and go.” 

A part of him was agitated, but he couldn’t display it. Something about seeing this human woman standing out in the rain with no protection only served to make him feel… pity? No. It wasn’t so callous. That was why, after looking at her soaked clothing as if she had jumped out of bed and thrown on the first things she saw just to get here, he placed the umbrella he had been carrying in her hands and wrapped his arms around her for only just a moment. 

“I appreciate what you’re doing, but all I need you to do now is wait. I’ll take care of this now.” 

She watched as he moved past her and entered the building, too distracted to even realize her clothes were entirely dry again. A part of her was confused, but happy all the same. She had heard many things about him. That he was violent, absurdly powerful and egregiously merciless. The reason itself was unclear to her, but she couldn’t help but let the pent up worry do her in. His presence was a relief. His confidence a blessing. And perhaps he would be capable of doing for her what she could not… even as her closest friend. 


The windows had been covered to keep the eyes of the unwelcome from peering inside, but the moment he entered the building he could tell something was wrong. Familiar keys crafting a tune in the air, her voice saying no words but forming a sincere melody, the lights dimmed to a low file hue which was the darkest light he owned in the building… but his eyes could see through it too clearly. The dark was nothing to him, but her song was currently everything. The grand piano he’d ordered for her, custom made to her liking for this building as if to welcome her anytime she desired, making such a sad sound with her at its center. He knew she could sing, proclaimed to have the voice of an angel when not yelling at others, but were angel’s meant to sound so defeated or have their wings hang so low? 

He moved forward quietly, as if wanting to hear her song for a bit longer, but each moment hurt more than the last. Pain was a foreign concept for him, but this was enough to cause it. She moved with such passion, ghostly fingers walking along the keys in a way only a practiced master could accomplish. A deep purple dress just as damp as her hair; a tell she had been here for a while after making her way through the rain. The expression on her face barely visible behind the curtain of black hair which attempted to hide it, but her eyes like midnight sapphires did not lie. Nor did the redness around them. 

How often has this happened without my knowledge? How long has this being going on? No, it doesn’t matter right now. What matters is the present. 

And so… he called out to her. 

“Hey. I didn’t think you made music like this, Gabi.” 

Her eyes twitched, but did not turn to him. Her fingers halting before falling to her lap. Her head tilted downward ever so slightly before she formed her own response. “Hey, Hellfire.” 

“C’mon now, I ain’t that strict. It’s just the two of us here anyway. Relax a little. You don’t need to put up your guard.” 

“Sure, Uncle Mia.” He’d kill anyone else who called him that. 

“Alright then, let’s get straight to the point,” he said as he approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Gahbriogyva. Talk to me about it. I’m willing to listen.” 

“You don’t need to waste your time. There’s no point.” 

“I’m not wasting my time. You can take as long as you like, but I need you to talk to me. Otherwise I can’t help you.” 

She looked as if she were entirely reluctant to speak. Perhaps this was the punishment for being who he is and not making the effort to keep their connection strong. Then again, his opportunities were always rare. Everyone though of her as abrasive and crass, but Hellfire was different. Maybe it was because he knew her mother well, but a part of him always knew Gabi was the same as Cyva in a fundamental way. His assumptions were justified the moment he saw her tears falling onto the ivory. 

They’re both such crybabies. But I suppose that’s what makes me care so much… 

“Uncle… I’m such a stupid girl. I often think that maybe I’ve been doing all of this for nothing, and I just want to disappear. What should I do if everything was for nothing?” 

“I don’t understand. You’ll need to explain it to me, kid. What’s causing this?” 

She tilted her head upward, eyes looking into the dark roof where small lights attempted to illuminate a dark they could not breach. Like countless stars twinkling in the night. It was even easier to see her expression now, and it made his chest ache. 

“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be like dad. Not an aikekunai, but strong enough for him to see me as an equal… or maybe not even that. I just wanted to be someone he could rely on. I thought if I could do that it would truly make me his daughter and gain me the acknowledgement which came with it.” 

“I see. I can understand that type of desire.” 

“Yes… but I was wrong… he suddenly became such a huge advocate for peace. I don’t mind peace, I can understand the allure of a peaceful world without war because I’ve seen what the opposite of peace looks like.” He could feel a slight shiver through her body with that comment. “I just… didn’t think it’d turn out like this.” 

“What do you mean? He still trained you, right? You fight almost exactly like him in many ways from what I can tell. Not to mention how powerful you’ve become.” 

“No. He didn’t. He stopped before we even got anywhere. I learned from mother before that, then when dad stopped teaching me I turned to grandma. Then Uncle Nier taught me some things, and I had been learning from Uncle Eric throughout the entire process. But by that time I was already fed up. I was angry, unreasonably so. When he told me he wouldn’t teach me anymore I stormed out of our home and never went back until I felt I’d be acknowledged.” 

“You know there are a number of people you know who understand just how much power you command. Why is this so important to you?” 

“You know… I asked myself the same thing once.” Her head finally lowered, but turned in his direction with a cheap smile. It was faked, but too believable. Almost like it had been used millions of times in the past. “Like I said, I’m stupid. Even after all these years I’m still the same little girl I was back then who fawned over her father’s attention. I’ve always been a dummy, that’s why I’ve always had to work hard to make up for it.” 

“What exactly are you aiming for? Why not just talk to him about this?” 

“Talking won’t solve anything.” Her head returned to its original position. “If I talk to them about it, they’ll just give me what I want. Lie to my face without knowing anything. That isn’t genuine. That isn't meaningful.” 

“And what would you call genuine?” 

She paused for a moment. A silence which made his ears tingle and his breathing hesitate. “I hate Stasia, and I hate Verin. I hate them because they have what I want. That unconditional trust. That trust which allows them to fight at his side because he wants them there. A trust they didn’t even earn… a trust earned for them by their past lives.” 

“That’s how aikekunai work. Their lives are merely an extension of themselves. Though different they may be, they still have the same expectations.” 

“But it’s not fair.” He could see her eyes narrow, her brow attempting to furrow as if to dispel the blue hues of her eyes, but it failed. “The pain, the suffering, the hardships I endured just for this power… it’s not fair that it means nothing compared to them. It’s not fair that he isn’t even willing to see it! Even when I attempted to show him, he refused me. My own father, an icon among claimants for his own strength, refusing to even see my own.” 

“I doubt he wants you to be a warrior like he is. If I know him as well as I believe I do, the man hates that he was raised to be a warrior deep down and is only using it as a means to an end. Ever the advocate for peace, but only knows how to fight. The irony is jarring.” 

“…I don’t mind being peaceful.” The very words were a shock to him. But watching as she raised her hand and placed it on the piano, almost as if petting a companion, made things clearer. “You know, after I tried to show him my own power and he denied it… I decided to take a different approach. I settled. I’d be acknowledged in a different way. So I taught myself to play the piano and the guitar. I taught myself to act. I taught myself to sing. I chose to become a name everyone had on their mind.” 

“Wait, you taught yourself all of that on your own? Hell, I knew you were talented, but I thought you’d at least get a teacher or tutor.” 

“I had made up my mind. I wouldn’t rely on anyone else for power of any type ever again. So, I moved to gain fame and wealth. Then, after I gained it all, I went back expecting to finally get what I’d wanted. What I’d needed!” 

“…I assume that’s not what you got.” 

“No… it wasn’t… he was angry. He doesn’t listen to music, so I knew he’d never hear a single song. He said that I’d made myself a target for others and that I should have remained anonymous for my own safety… that’s when I started to get it. He’d never acknowledge me because he didn’t want me to be anymore than some standard child who needs to be protected. A delicate doll.” 

“What makes you think that?” 

The question was stupid, but he had to be sure. It’s not that he didn’t already know the answer. She called herself dumb, but she clearly knew how to get what she wanted when she wanted it, so the information would have found its way to her feet eventually. That’s why it didn’t surprise him at all when she spoke the secret which had been kept from her on purpose. A secret he distinctly remembered even Evyette saying not to tell her. 

“Stasia.” The very name was lined with venom from her tongue. “When I find out about what happened with the Program, at first I was shocked. Worried, even. But then it started making sense… why he started getting so overprotective, why it felt like he didn’t want me to do anything but hide and be unknown. Why he’d never acknowledge me for being strong like him.” 

“Because he never expects to have you fight.” He could see her lips press together. Her teeth clench as if to hold it all back. 

“My entire life has been nothing more than trials and tribulations I personally chose to subject myself to, all for the sake of having him acknowledge those efforts! I’ve pushed myself to my very limits and even further, faced my fears even when my body and mind refused, even killed the undeserving and the unwilling! Stained my hands with blood I’ll never be able to wash off or forget! Even now I still look at my hands and see the countless faces of everyone that I—” 

Hellfire caught her quickly. She attempted to stand in a fit of anger, but merely recounting her own memories was enough to nearly make her vomit. He thought she’d have lifted herself back to her feet, but instead she remained on her knees as she removed her hand from over her own mouth. Beads of sweat rolling down her head, and all he could do was rub her back as a form of comfort. 

She’s not my kid or anything. It’s not like this is my responsibility. Shit, this sucks. Why am I even doing this? 

“Everything… it was all for nothing.” The question answered itself. Not even he could ignore her when the tears started pouring down her face after she spoke those words. He’d seen many expressions on her face, images saved in his memory from her smiles as a child to her anger as an adult… but not once had he seen her cry like this. Forget being like Cyva. She was entirely worse when it came to handling tears. 

He lowered himself, one of his knees resting on the floor as his arms wrapped around her shoulders. There wasn’t a single sign in his life which made him believe he’d ever be doing something like this, but now he felt as if he had to. Pulling her head to his chest and placing his hand on her freshly damp hair, but a single deep breath and he’d make certain she was dried. He could recall Kikana doing this exact same thing for him when he was still a child, the gentle petting of a hand on the head. Albeit his hand was gloved. But he knew just how effective it was.

“I’m sorry, Gabi. It may not be worth much, but let me speak for a moment. All you need to do now is listen… I know you have power. I know you have talent. Gahbreal may not say it now, but I know he’ll say it in the future. He won’t have a choice when he sees what you can do. But for now, you’ll have to settle with this.” 

Why am I doing this? Why am I saying this? I don’t know the future and my brother may never give this girl what she wants. He's typically always been that stubborn and it would make me into a liar if he did the expected… but still, I can at least say this. 

“Gahbriogyva.” Her eyes turned up to look at him. Her expression still somewhat worn out. “I have never acknowledged a single person in my entire life. No one is worthy, everyone lacks the power and the drives to reach beyond themselves and become something greater… but, I acknowledge you.” 

“What?” 

“I surpassed your father in the realm of power decades ago. You’ve lived to be acknowledged by him, I’ve lived to surpass him for my own reasons. So don’t worry. You’re not lacking; I can tell. He’s simply being stubborn.” 

She dropped her face back down, hiding it away from his view as if struck with embarrassment and yet he knew she was just crying more. “But I’m impatient. I don’t know if I can wait that long… I’d already made up my mind. That I’d reach a position he can’t refuse to acknowledge. That I’d become an ancient.” 

“You want to usurp Xainayne?” 

“No. I’ll become my own ancient. An ancient for the abandoned, an ancient for the misunderstood and forgotten. An ancient of blood against anyone who’d reject those who come to me. An ancient of violence, but also an ancient of peace. The most powerful ancient to ever exist so no one can deny me. That's what I'll become.” 

“You think that will be enough?” 

“I have hope that it will be. If not… I may just lose my mind.” It sounded like a joke, but he could tell it wasn’t. “What I desire, what I want, what I need. If he won’t give it to me I know I’ll eventually try to start taking it from those he’s chosen to give it to. Even if I try to resist that urge, I know I can't do it forever. That's how I've survived for this long. A part of me hates him so much it makes me sick... but there's still a part of me which loves my dad more than anyone else. a part of me which views him as my everything.” 

He frowned hearing that she’d be willing to go to such lengths. For his brother he cared nothing about, she was prepared to make countless enemies and she did not specify who would have to go. Anyone with her father’s respect… and Hellfire knew that list included ancients. In a lot of ways Gabi was the very embodiment of their family’s ideals. In other ways she was the exact type of claimant they feared. A kind heart in the shell of a dominator. He wouldn’t call her misunderstood. That would cheapen her resolve. She was simply playing the game with the poor hand dealt to her, and he had his response. 

“If you’re prepared to make that choice, then I will make my choice now as well.” He declared as he stood tall and unwavering. “When that time comes, if that time comes, call on me. If you desire to be an ancient that fights the very world itself… then I, Jerimyha Rhihon, will be your champion... I will always be on your side.” 


Several hours had passed by, the rain weakening to a soft drizzle on the city streets. Lizbett was entirely disgusted with how much time these people had on their hands to still be out here trying to catch a glimpse or take a photo of Gabi. Paparazzi made her stomach turn, and yet her undivided attention was pulled back to the door as it was pulled open from the inside. First Hellfire stepped out, then Gabi right behind him. She looked exhausted, as if her energy were completely drained, but her expression looked far better than when she had arrived. 

“Gabi!” She rushed over quickly and held the umbrella over her head. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine, Lizbett.” 

“Really?” 

“Really, I am. Let’s go home. I need a fucking bath. This city sucks.” 

Hellfire smiled as the two began walking to the car parked on the opposite side of the road. It wasn’t anything special, most likely Lizbett’s own personal vehicle, but it would be enough. All was well… or at least until a flash from the crowd accosted Hellfire’s attention. Maybe it was instinctual, or perhaps it was because she knew enough about him to consider it, but what would normally be standard journalism nosiness had quickly become an alarm bell in her head. Turning to see her uncle staring the culprit down with enough malice to draw everyone’s attention. 

Fear. True terror. Real horror. Even she felt it looking at him. He was no wolf like her father, he couldn’t even be called a monster. Just as he had never seen the vulnerabilities in her character until today, neither had she seen the purified rage he held onto like a child coddling their favorite pillow as they slept. The blue in his eyes from before only a memory, replaced with a red that could sear the sun, a single step in the photographer’s direction was enough to clear the air of all rain and replace it with a heat that could not be faked. It made her shiver, but it didn’t stop her from moving forward. 

“Disrespectful swine! I’ll wear your skin as a—” 

“Uncle!” Her words were enough, but her hand wrapping around his wrist to stop him was more than enough. “It’s fine. Just let them do as they please. you don't need to get mad on my behalf.” 

“Alright, alright... If you say so.” 

“Thank you. I’ll get in touch with you later… I love you, Uncle Mia.” 

She smiled and his eyes widened. Compared to before? This was genuine. Had he managed to, in this moment, at least cheer her up? Before it had been unclear, but now the question was on his mind as the heat dissipated and the drizzle began to fall again. He watched as she returned to Lizbett, waving before entering the car. He wasn’t used to it at all, but he chose to wave back and did not stop until they were far enough down the road for him to feel at ease. his belief was that she’d be okay. for now that was all which mattered. However, there was a single loose end which needed handling.

“I ain’t nearly as kind as she is. That girl… my niece. If I find even a damned shred of this night open to the public, I’ll find who did it. There won’t be a pain imaginable for you to expect. Call it benevolence or call it a curse, either way you’ll wish death could be far easier."


… 

…. 

….. 

“You rushed off in such a hurry, I was wondering if you’d be gone all night,” Evyette said as she pulled him across the room. “I take it everything went well then?” 

“I’d like to hope so. Although I can’t be certain… things may only just be beginning for her.” 

“I haven’t heard you talk like that in a while. Uncertainty doesn’t suit you.” 

The ancient watched as he removed his shirt and shoes. Even his gloves were removed and placed off to the side. Expectations were the same, even if it had been a long time since he required the release of strain and stress. The only difference was the cause, and that was why she did not intervene at the start, only watching as he clenched his fists and black flames began to pour from every single pore in his body. A normal ritual for himself, the release of flames which heightened his sensitivity to rage. A quick release so that it would not overflow on its own later. A means to enact self control.

The way fire cascaded from his very soul, something about it was always alluring to a degree she could not describe. His fire always looked like darkness. The way it concealed everything within it including himself, how the cold became heat fueled by his rage, and even the way his eyes like two red suns were visible through it. It was hard to resist, and so she approached as she always did. Stepping into the violent twister of overflowing flames to place her hands on his chest. His heart thrumbled like a war drum, his own heat like a boon to her own. Like this the ancient could face his feeling head on and share in them alongside him. Even if it was only slightly compared to himself, she would feel that rage and understand him more for it.

“You know you can always just talk it out. Right?” 

“I know,” he responded as the fire immediately faded to nothing in the air around them. “This is just faster, and you still understand it anyway.” 

“It tingles the skin and scratches at the mind. That rage of yours seems to keep getting worse.” 

“Not without reason, but tonight posed a bit more of a challenge than I anticipated. Maybe I’ve grown soft, or maybe this is how I’ve always been.” 

“Don’t make it sound so bad. You’ve always been a good person, Mia. You were just dealt a poor hand. That and you’re terrible at showing it.” 

“Ha ha. I’ll remember that next time you ask me for something.” 

“You say that like you’ll refuse if I do.” 

“Maybe you know me a bit too well.” He laughed before his expression curled into a frown. Hellfire noticed the way the ancient seemed to shiver slightly. He knew he’d have to say something, and he knew it couldn’t wait. His eyes steadily returned to blue, and he returned to the bed where Evyette joined him sitting on the edge. He had made a choice and he planned to share it with the one he loved.. even if he knew it wouldn't make them happy.

“What’s on your mind, Mia?” 

“My niece is truly something else. I think if I didn’t go out tonight, I may have missed something important. Something I’d regret for all eternity.” 

“It was that bad?” 

“Evyette, I’ll apologize now in advance.” The words brought with them caution from the ancient, but also worry. “My love isn’t something easily gained, but you have it. That is why I’ll tell you now what I won’t tell any others… my niece believes she’s being selfish to want after her father’s adoration, but he doesn’t approve of her methods. She wants strength, he wants his kid to be safe.” 

“Seriously? Well, she almost sounds like a younger you but without the lack of care. But she has a lot of fans as far as I know.” 

“I know, but those people don't matter. They simply aren't her father... Gabi is kinder than anyone gives her credit, although I’m certain she’s too angry to show that. I don’t know who wouldn’t be after a lifetime of rejection from the one person that matters to her most.” 

“You almost sound jealous. So? What will you do?” 

“I’ll do all I know how to do. That’s why I’m apologizing now… for her sake I’ll leave him be. I won't forgive him, but I also won't keep him as my enemy. However, if my brother fails to give that girl what she desires of his own volition before something happens to her, I don’t mind making an enemy of every single living thing. Anyone who tries to stops me from ending that man won’t survive, and I don’t care who it is.” 

“Is that what you’ve decided? And I can only assume that this is the product of your rage.” 

“No, it’s not.” His quick response made her brow rise. The ancient didn’t know anyone outside of herself that wasn’t subject to his rage. It guided most of his decisions, at times pulled him by the nose, unrelenting and uncompromising. But she couldn’t help but feel somewhat at ease when he said his answer. “Today I saw my niece crying. I saw that little girl despair, and it properly hurt to see it... I chose to do this because I love my niece. That’s all there is to it.” 

Evyette smiled. Her expression softened as her head leaned against his shoulder. Normally this wouldn't be a huge deal, and it made her wonder what exactly he and Gabi spoke about, but for him it certainly was a large step forward regardless.

"You may choose to deny it, but I always knew it was true. You really are kind, Mia."
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
Harbinger's Dream

My father once told me something very important. He told me it was both a lesson and a warning, but at the time I was very naïve. I believed in people, both human and claimant, because I trusted them. I believed that, regardless of our origins or our respective natures, that we could all get along with the right effort. I believed in unconditional love and peace… I still do. 

“You will be strong, there is no doubt in my mind about that. You will have many allies and many enemies along your way. Through it all you must never forget, that the most dangerous enemies are the ones standing at you sides and back. The ones disguising themselves as your friends.” 

My father was a strong man, an intelligence man and an honorable man. But above all else he was kind. A man who loved his family with his utmost even while fighting his enemies on the field of battle. I’ll never forget that man. I’ll always love that man. His words were the ones which solidified my resolve. He warned me of this and it was because I did not listen that I must now suffer the consequences of my actions. This worst of fates. This waking nightmare. 


Her eyes fluttered open as if the action itself was difficult to adjust to. Had she been especially tired? Or perhaps she had merely been asleep for a long while. A belief that she may have possibly forgotten that she had been asleep for a long time. As she lifted her head from the soft silk cushions and removed the velvet blanket from covering her chest, the first thing she took notice of what how stiff every muscle in her body felt. A yawn exiting her system before she used her fingers to sluggishly push the hair covering her face aside. 

Immediately she felt panic. Then there was horror. Her steps echoing off the stone walls of the empty chamber as she attempted to rush across the room, the dim blue light of stationary flames guiding her way. Her legs gave out, buckling under her own stiff and unused body and she fell to the ground. Even in that state she did not relent, pushing herself up and continuing forward until her hands collided with the absolute worst fear imaginable. The completely clear wall separating her from the rest of the room. 

“No… no. No no no! No!” She screamed out as she pushed against it with every ounce of strength she could summon. Her toes digging into the stone at her feet, the very room shaking violently from the force, but it did nothing. “This is… this is all wrong. Why? What’s happening?” 

She backed away from the clear wall, stumbling to the center of the room before turning in all direction as if searching for an answer. Yet all she could see around her was a large empty chamber bathed in darkness, save her the almost glasslike cube she found herself within. Inside that cube were selecta bookcases filled to the brim with books. A bed which she had just risen from, and a shallow pond at its center filled with blooming lotus flowers. The area illuminated by floating blue flames at each corner atop stone pillars. 

“This can’t be…” 

She had to catch herself, the energy exerted far more than she had to spare after having been asleep for so long. But then she began to wonder just how long she had been asleep. She fell to her knees, thankfully catching herself just before her head collided with the stone floor bellow. How she had needed up here and when were unknown to her, but this very room was something she was entirely familiar with. A prison meant for locking away claimants with the utmost defensive properties. She knew everything about it, because she was the one who had designed it. 

Flawless defense. No means of escape. The prisoner capable of using their abilities freely, but it would all be kept contained inside regardless of house or element. It was designed for aikekunai and treasure, but more importantly for the horsemen. That was why Audomattadjia nearly bit her tongue off when she realized she had been imprisoned within something she had made, not realizing at the time that she had been essentially making a prison her herself. 

“Jaiho. Jaiho, help me!” She screamed, but she knew that wouldn’t work. That was how she had made it, after all. “Koiva! Kikana! Please! Anyone!” 

Her teeth pressed together, face curling in despair as tears began pouring down her reddening cheeks and nose. There was no need for putting up defenses or saving face. She wailed as if her entire world itself had fallen apart because, as far as she knew, this proved only one thing to be a benevolent fact… her father was right. She had been fully and wholeheartedly betrayed by everyone she had put her trust in. 

“But I loved you. I loved you all! How could!” She stopped herself before curling up on the ground. “How could you do this to me? I gave you all my everything, I trusted you. How could you do this?” 

She knew that there was no coming back from this. If Jaiho cared to get her out of this he would have already. That was the point of this type of prison. Simply placing someone inside was act of separating the ancient from the claimant. He knew she could not be felt, and yet he ignored it. That was what hurt the most, knowing Jaiho knew about this. 

She clenched her fists, the despair steadily shaping its way into a disgusting rage. An expression only a proper manic could make as she raised her head upward and yelled to anyone who might hear. 

“Is this what we are to you?! Is this what you would do to the claimants who give you their all?!” 

She rose to her feet as if prepared to do something that could insult all of creation, but instead she curled in, lowering her head into a blood curdling scream that shook the very walls. The very air of the room swirling in terror as ribbons of black hair flowed around her. Her expression growing more desperate by the second as if aiming to will her very voice across the realms. 

“I will not be caged here! You will never cage me like this! I will not rest until I have my freedom, and when I get it—” 

She paused as if everything clicked together in her head. Her head rising as the madness calmed do a delicate and careful anger. Her white eyes like milk filled with hate as she took several deep breaths. Then, she made her promise. 

“I will be free, but I will still be kind. A kindness to your houses and to your claimants. I will gather every claimant who is willing to fight for peace and together we will slay every last one of you. Every ancient, every treasure unworthy. And we will place in their positions those who are deserving of those titles. That is my promise! I will not stoop so low as to throw away peace, but I will not allow the wolves among my sheep to live.” 

“You’re finally awake.” The voice echoed from the darkness around her. 

“Who’s there! Show yourself!” Audo called out with tightened fists. 

She could not hear a single sound, but out of the surrounding shadows she spotted the woman approaching with silent steps. Covered from head to toe in solid black robes akin to a shrine maiden, but her face all too familiar. A face she could vividly remember as a child, but now looking much older than they had then. The last person she expected to see. Mayray. 

“It took me a while to find you, but I eventually managed… there isn’t anything I can do to open this, so I waited. The design, there’s no means for me to open it and I have no idea where I should start looking for that information.” 

“That is because it won’t open unless being interacted with by every single element simultaneous. Specifically from the ancients or their treasures. You can’t open it, it can only be broken... and only they can do it.” 

“Then what do you plan to do? I heard you earlier. If you’re serious, you must have a plan.” 

“A plan.” She paused for a moment, wondering why exactly this girl was probing her in this manner. “I actually don’t have a plan at all. If I’m being honest, I don’t even know where I’d start.” 

“You don’t plan to back down?” 

Audo looked at Mayray with a stare that could kill, but the expression softened quickly after. The girl wasn’t deserving of such scorn, especially not from her. There’s no telling what throws of madness she’d be in if not for her presence. But perhaps Mayray had ordained to rest her resolve. With that thought in mind she responded. 

“No. I do not. I already made up my mind. This was their sign that they could not trust me, and I won’t let them get away with it.” 

Mayray closed her eyes. A sigh as her own expression softened ever so slightly. Audo was surprised to see her smile, no matter how small it was. “Good. I wasn’t going to follow you otherwise. Just tell me what to do and I’ll get it done. That’s why I’m here and what I’ve resolved to do.” 
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
Queen of Company

“Quickly! Time is not on our side! Get the important supplies together and ready for transport!” Her voice was as demanding as always. Mayray’s eyes like two void seeds. “There’s no telling when we’ll need to move, so we must be prepared!” 

The countless claimants and humans working in tandem, the efficacy of their movements, maids working alongside warriors and civilians alike. Everyone was busy moving items ranging from suits of armor and weapons to boxes of food and garments, the normal provisions that would be expected for such a large number of people. Everyone was serious about their work, but the banter and conversations among them all were as casual and relaxed as ever. It was enough to drive Mayray’s temper through the roof. On one hand it was good to see everyone in high spirits, it made moral more easy to manage, nut on the other everyone was too relaxed. Especially considering the situation they were all in.

“I swear, no one takes anything seriously around here.” 

“Oh my! Is that Kikana I’m hearing?” Her voice was unmistakable… as well as her audacity and sarcasm. Mayray’s disapproval was almost physical as she looked in her direction. “You’re sounding more like her every day!” 

“I do not!” Her own outburst drew multiple chuckles from everyone in the surrounding area. Enough to turn that disapproving glare into an embarrassed shuffle. “Come on! You always do stuff like this Audo.” 

“Of course! Your cute little mommy is one of my best friends, so it’s only natural that I do my best to make you act just as cute!” 

“It’s no wonder she rarely visits…” 

Mayray paused for a moment, eyeing the infant resting peacefully in Audomattadjia’s arms. He was uncannily similar to her despite the lack of blood relation. The same pale complexion, although his cheeks and ears were admittedly slightly redder. She noticed Audo looking at her with a smug expression, and it quickly pissed her off, but she remained relatively focused as she placed her finger on the small boy’s puffy cheek. 

“Isn’t he cute? I know you think he’s cute, just look at his little face!” Audo teased the Dimea assassin. 

“Please stop, you’re being annoying again,” she responded as she watched him open his eyes in a relatively tired state. “Hey, Koven.” 

“Here you go!” Audo said as she handed the boy to her. 

“H-hey! What am I supposed to do with him?!” 

“You’re his aunt aren’t you? You’ll figure out something, leave all the preparations to me for now! Relax a little!” 

A part of her couldn’t believe how this lady could be carefree while also being so desperate. The amount of scheming and strategy exerted by Audomattadjia alone was praiseworthy, but then she also proved to be one of the most combat efficient claimants of her generation. Mainly due to her old friend Eva, a person who was once referred to as a queen of blades, to which Audomattadjia had done the unheard of thing and proclaiming her as a rival to her face... in front of her ancient. Needless to say Phita wouldn’t let her back down, but what no one expected was a friendship to blossom from it. 

She was too charismatic and easy to get along with. On top of that she was, and still has managed to be, overtly innocent by nature. Kind and incapable of truly harboring malice. A person who, even when fighting her enemies, can’t find it within herself to hate them or truly want them dead. She fights for proper causes and refuses to back down when she knew she was doing something right, but that was also what made her dangerous. It was also why, in Audomattadjia’s own words, ‘the reason your mother chose to be one of my best friends’. But Mayray had never been that gullible, and it was troubling to realize that her mother is. 

Unless Audomattadjia had a clear reason to be mad, she was never mad. Unless she had a clear reason to be sad, she was never sad. The same could be said for all of her feelings, and that was something Kikana truly needed at that time… a person she could truly trust and rely on, on an emotional level. Eva as well fell in love with that honesty, and with them truly began to show her true self beyond the swordsman she had become. That was why, among them, she was often counted as the airhead who simply just loves a peaceful time. Audomattadjia’s very existence seemed to shape the world around herself due to her ideals and character, but Mayray knew all of that. It was truly the most chaotic part about her.

She could recall it easily, always like a thought in the back of her mind. The very moment it became clear to her, because she also found herself drawn to this woman. Words which revealed it all, but not spoken to her. Her mother, holding her in the presence of Audomattadjia as they spoke freely about their ambitions and hopes. 

 

'I don't think I have any enemies, it'd be crazy to assume I do, but I must still be ready to fight. If a challenge is ever too difficult, I can rely on all my friends to help me out. In that sense, I don’t believe there’s a force alive that can stop us all from having fun. That’s why we have to be as kind as possible. We can have all the strength in the world, but that alone won’t be able to build peace. I’d love a life where everyone can smile with one another, so that’s what I’ll always fight for.'

 

Mayray had been instantly captured by this woman. She couldn’t convince herself that there was a more caring person alive. She was joyful, honest, kind to a fault and wanted to earnestly spread peace... so long as she wasn't being an unintentional flirt. It was no wonder so many of the other claimants who follow her started calling her a queen, and at some point most of them even started treating her that way. She looks nervous even interacting with everyone most of the time, no doubt seeing it all as too much, but unwilling to turn down their enthusiasm. On one had you could see it all as extremely good, but on the other it wasn’t so clean for everyone. 

That was exactly why Mayray could see the reason for Jayhe, or really anyone, wanting to subjugate her in some way. Looking at it from the perspective of a friend or someone enraptured by her charismatic innocence, you wouldn’t be able to notice that massive amount of claimants who’d begun to vehemently side with her. Her faction wasn’t Gimnai alone, her faction encompassed all claimants. That meant she had already unknowingly converted many claimants from their respective houses directly to her side with ideals alone. Thinking about it positively, she’s making houses get along. Seeing it without rose colored shades any conflict would then be heavily determined by which side she agrees with, because most of those claimants would likely follow her. 

It was no doubt how she had ended up imprisoned, and in that way the ancients had played right into her hands. If she needed a reason to make their fears come true, that was it. She went missing and several large groups of claimants has begun searching out her location in secret. Everyone knew she wasn’t dead because that would be unavoidable news for all houses to hear. At that point she was counted amongst some of the strongest claimants alive, so the chances of her perishing without any notice was impossible All they had to do now was find her, and that was when the claimants she had called friends began to move autonomously for her sake… and Mayray was the first to discover her location... Her prison. 

Audomattadjia was quick to seek out her retribution, but that word would not do for her. The ancients had assumed she was capable of evil, and yet Audomattadjia simply was not. The possibility of rebellion before her confinement was nonexistent, but now they gave her a reason to rebel. Now she is fighting because she felt this was all unfair, and because it was unfair she felt it might be done to any other claimant that she called friend. And she called many claimants friend. With that she had a reason to be angry, and with that reason the claimants had found her. The woman who could not be defeated by just anyone, who loved and cared for each of them on a personal level, and saw their protection as the utmost priority. Someone truly worthy of affection in their eyes, because it was the same affection she offered to all of them.

“Make sure you take this seriously and get the job done, Queen of the Claimants! We have a schedule to keep!” Her words dragged a frustrated yet embarrassed face from Audomattadjia. 

“C’mon! I told you to stop calling me that! It’s always embarrassing enough that everyone else keeps doing it!” 

“Hai hai~.” 

“And there isn’t really that much work to do… is there?” 

“Come on little prince,” Mayray said as she lifted Koven into the air and began walking in the opposite direction. “Auntie will take you outside. Mommy has a lot of work to do!” 

“Wait! May! Switch with me, I’ll take him outside! May?” 

“Sorry, but me and Koven already have plans,” she responded as she held the boy at her chest. “I’ll be back in about an hour. Try to stay focused until then. The last thing I need is to find you making everyone goof off again.” 

"I wouldn't call it goofing off if we get the job done," one of the males in the room responded.

"That's not how that works."

“We’re not goofing off, we’re just… enjoying our time working is all!” 

“So that’s what you call it? At least try not to make my work harder.” 

She looked back out the corner of her eyes as she walked away with Koven in her arms. The picture behind her similar to how it quite literally always was when people were around Audo. Several claimants from differing houses and even humans all together laughing and smiling with one another as if there wasn’t a single border between themselves. That was the affect Audomattadjia has on people, drawing them together like family. Even she laughed honestly among them all, as if proving to them then and there that she believed herself as an equal, even if they called her a queen. It wasn't the relationship between royalty and her subjects, it was the bond between true friends.

They were all her friends, and in that sense this was no army. It was just a group of people crowded around a common ideal. People who saw the purity of her ideals and wanted to help her just as much as she wanted to help them. People who simply wanted to make one another happy. It was what made her so dangerous, and yet all that danger could have been avoided if she were never imprisoned. If they could have just trusted her a bit more then she’d have no reason to fight. But what type of world would this be if everyone trusted one another... or if everything were fair?

“What do you think, Koven?” Mayray asked the boy who had no words to respond with. He looked at her as if unable to process who exactly she was, but moments later he was giggling and attempting to grab at her curly hair. “Yeah, that’s about what I expected.” 

Extra: And Then There Was Two

The air was dry, but that was mainly due to the heat. A part of her was ready to crumble and fall; of course she wouldn’t allow herself to do that. She raised her head and clutched the spear in her right hand. Both a weapon in this fight and currently a means to stay upright. This fight was far tougher than she had imagined, but it was her choice to be a part of it. That was also why Audomattadjia wouldn’t back down. 

“You look like you’re just about ready to be done,” the woman standing in front of her began to speak. “You weren’t bad, but you weren’t needly enough.” 

“Is that a compliment?” Audomattadjia responded excitedly. "Thank you!"

“Partially, but I’d prefer you take it as encouragement. You need practice, and lots of it.” 

“I know that. That's why I'm here.” Her response caught the woman’s attention. Her brow furrowing slightly. “As things currently stand, I’m too weak. I want to be strong enough to save everyone if they need me. I can’t do that the way I am now.” 

“And that’s why you came to me? To test yourself.” 

“I just needed to measure myself up to someone strong. Now I know what I need to reach.” 

“Huh?” The woman said in a confused manner. 

It was odd, watching as Audomattadjia seemed to gain a second wind. She raised the spear in her direction as if to challenge her, but the look on her face wasn’t one of anger or malice. As she had been speaking, Audomattadjia looked serious, as if she would not be moved or barred from what she was seeking, but she looked at her with a bright smile. The type only someone who truly loved someone could give. It was so odd it almost made her freeze. 

“I’ll probably lose hundreds of times, possibly thousands, but I won’t stop until I’m strong enough to protect you too! If I have the same strength as you then there’s no doubt I’ll be capable of keeping everyone safe.” 

“Wait, that’s the only reason you’re fighting me?” 

“Of course! If I’m weak then I can’t make my ideals reality. And my ideal existence is one where everyone can live peacefully.” 

“Pfft!” The woman burst out into laughter, the tension of battle having faded away entirely as she could barely remain standing. She lowered her sword down to her side, her free hand wiping at her eyes as she returned her focus on Audomattadjia. “I haven’t laughed that hard in ages. You’re funny!” 

“But I was serious!” Audomattadjia yelled as the woman who was relaxed entirely with her sword now being used as a pillar to lean forward on. 

“I know you were sweetie, but you’re very nice. It feels like I was waiting for someone like you to show up. So how about this,” she started as she began to smile herself. It was peculiar, like an air-headed older sister giving a caring grin. Audomattadjia couldn’t believe this was the same person she had been fighting making such an expression. “I’ll fight you as many times as it takes. You can follow me around as long as you want to and I’ll fight you until you’re satisfied. Will that work?” 

“Y-yes! That would be perfect!” Audomattadjia answered with an honest smile. 

“Then it’s settled! Starting from today, we’re going to be the best friends!” 

“What?! But we don’t even know each other...” 

“That’s fine,” the woman said as she approached until her face was right in front of her own. At this range she could smell her, somehow emanating a strong scent of cherry and vanilla along with the natural scent of her house of fire. She was enchanting, but herself looked entranced. “We can always learn all we can about each other along the way, but I want to keep smiling like this. What matters with friends is that you make it official! So you’ll be my friend, right?” 

“Yeah… I mean, of course! I’m always happy to find more friends. I was raised not to assume everyone wants to be close, but when someone offers I can't refuse. I’m glad!” 

“Then let’s start over, as both friends and rivals,” she said as she reached her hand out to Audomattadjia. “My name is Evalyn, but you’ve probably heard other titles. Just call me Eva.” 

“Hi!” She started just as excited as one might expect while grabbing her hand. “My name is Audo! You’re going to be my first best friend! I didn’t even know there was an upgrade to the normal friend! I wonder why mom didn't tell me. Maybe I should start calling everyone best friends!” 

Eva didn’t even try to stop herself from bursting into laughter again. On her face she looked as if she had been told the best joke in her entire life, but in her head there was only a single thought. Along the lines of, ‘this girl is honest to a fault’. She hadn’t even realized she dropped her sword to the ground, instead using both hands to hold her stomach. 

“Well, it’s good to meet you Audo!” She laughed out while trying to keep her balance. “And don’t you dare call everyone your best friend! I’m not going to share you with anyone else that easily when you’re this funny!” 
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
When Kindness Hurts Most

Against popular knowledge, after managing to gain her freedom the first time, Audomattadjia did in fact return to her work in the Prism. It wasn’t due to some obligation to Jaiho or Jayhe – they were the first to directly betray her trust, after all – but she had numerous obligations which needed tending to. Several claimants imprisoned for reasons she felt were undeserving. In the past she had outwardly objected to having them confined, but in the end she always did what she was told to some degree. Now, things were different. 

“At this point I feel as if we should just fight them directly. Give the claimants a choice now while they still have the means to choose.” 

Inma had always been direct for as long as she knew him, but that was also why she couldn’t agree with his decisions at times. Unlike his mother, Inma had always been extremely strict. Perhaps it was the loss of Eva which caused such a change in him, but he clearly wasn’t shy of the idea of revenge. 

“That’d be stupid, Inma.” Of course, Mayray would be the first to respond to him. Always quick to shut down decisions that didn’t please her. “It would cause too much chaos, and that’s not what we’re trying to do here. Not to mention that leaves the humans on our side with very little choice in comparison.” 

“And what exactly are we trying to do?” He inquired of her with traces of frustration. 

“First you need to calm down,” both of them went silent the moment Koiva began to speak. “Do not forget what we are all working towards.” 

Audomattadjia, as they spoke, eyed a glass of water sitting right in front of her. The tip of her finger dipped in the liquid and swirling it over and over again into a spiral. Her expression itself was, surprisingly, calm. Elbows on the table, her head leaning against her hand as she pondered things which no one could ever truly guess or understand. Not unless they could view her troubles from her own position. Her attention was completely absent from the goings on of the room. 

Inma wasn’t the type to put his emotions on display, so his face held onto the stern yet stable expression he always had… but Audomattadjia knew he smiled when around his family. Mayray was just as frustrated as her mother always put on, but Kikana was somehow far more careful with her wording. Then Koiva was the same as always. Like an older brother attempting to keep everyone in check and yet he was always the most strict. She couldn't help but believe he'd be terrible with children, but she knew that wasn't true. she had grown up with him, after all. She had seen the way he cared for the injured, both man and beast, with such careful hands. He had always been kind, even from the start.

“You don’t look too happy.” Her voice drew an instant smile from Audomattadjia’s face. Her very expression lighting up. 

“Mothie!” She yelled excitedly as she jumped up and embraced her friend, the tall fire claimant with an almost insect-like mask with horns instead of antenna.

“I’ve told you before, my name is Zammoia’lyore. I even said you could call me Zammy for short if that was too long, and you still call me Mothie?” 

An old friend, specifically one who had been relatively close to Audomattadjia. Not nearly as close as Eva and Kikana, and especially not Koiva. She was just as mysterious by nature as always and naturally mystic. It was even difficult to know when she had entered the room, but regardless of the surprise of the other… Mayray was not entertained. Zammoia was accustomed to wearing long robes with exposing accents, drawing attention to her skin which looked to mimic stone or an exoskeleton. Her face hidden behind a mask of the same type of material, but she raised it ever so slightly to reveal rose colored lips on skin that looked as if light never touched it. 

Two assassins, one fire and one dark, and both using their own preferred form of approach to their work. A rivalry which was both unexpected and unrelenting between them. 

“I know, but isn’t Mothie cuter?” Audomattadjia asked while refusing to release her. 

“I think Mothy fits her,” Mayray added. “Maybe whore or prostitute would also work better.” 

“I see you’re still upset because I have more to offer a partner than you,” Zammoia responded with a curt smile. 

“How surprising. The first thing you think of is sex.” 

“The subtle technique is the best. Just because I prefer to get a job done without murdering leagues of people doesn’t make me bad, May.” 

“Of course not… it just makes you a slut.” 

“Are you fucking serious?” Audomattadjia could feel the woman attempting to pull from her hug and get to Mayray. 

“Okay you two, I think that’s more than enough,” she spoke up as she returned to her seat with Zammoia in tow. “You can at least try to be kind to one another. You don’t need to be friends, but I'd like it if you two could get along a bit better. The most I'll ever ask you for is kindness.” 

The room went quite for a moment. The fireplace which lit the room crackling as embers dispersed and faded away. The table they surrounded, disheveled and covered in documents and maps, acted as the place holding their common interests. Their focus had been so strict and directed at the problem at hand they had neglected to consider the one person this all surrounded. Audomattadjia did not look happy. She looked troubled and confused. 

“Fine.” Mayray was first to answer. “I can't argue when you say stuff like that.” 

“Of course, I can be more reasonable if you ask. I did come here to support you, after all.” Zammoia was direct in her movements and actions, as if knowing exactly how to move her. Placing her hand on Audomattadjia’s head and petting her like a spoiled child. The woman slouched forward, hiding her face behind her arms crossed in front of her and groaned where no one could see her. 

“This is so boring.” 

“Audo, this quite literally decides your fate,” Mayray said with a worried frown. 

“She’s right auntie,” Inma added. “As much as I’d like to let you do what you want, this isn’t an issue you can just ignore. You decided to follow through with this, and the people you’d call friends chose to follow you.” 

Koiva approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. It was rather surprising to everyone else present, the order aikekunai was never one to show leniency or be lighthearted. But even he was capable of showing concern for Audomattadjia. Mayray’s frown deepened. Her eyes flashing red for a moment, uncommon for someone as mentally hardened as her. In her mind, perhaps this was the exact reason the ancients feared her. The way she so casually stole away Jayhe’s aikekunai and didn’t even realize it. 

“You cant keep running away from this, Audo. What is it that you want to do?” Koiva’s question needed a response, and as Audomattadjia raised her head but only enough for her eyes to be seen they knew they’d have her answer. 

“Honestly, I just want to keep things as they are now. Even if some are just pretending... I’m not stupid, I know how everyone looks at me. A part of me was hoping that getting this freedom would be the end of things. I’d go back to the Prism, Jaiho would apologize and things would go back to normal like nothing ever happened.” 

“Audo…” Mayray rose to her feet quickly. 

“I was wrong… That’s clear to me… It won’t be that simple and it will likely never be that simple. At one point I thought of giving up. Just letting them have their way if it meant that we could avoid all of this conflict, but I can’t do that! Not if it means that any of you might be in my same position in the future… A prison with no escape, hundreds of years passing by as you just exist apart from it. Family dying and you unable to even see them through to the end. It's a true Hell.” 

“Just tell us what you want to do. There isn’t a single person here who wouldn’t help you, but you have to make up your mind on this. You’re our strategist.” 

“I have made up my mind. I just need to call on the one person I know to tell me the entire truth... Even if it hurts to hear.” 

Everyone watched as she raised her head and lifted her right hand up so she could see the palm. A whisper, a calm and peaceful word none of them had ever heard of, but after it was said a black feather formed in the palm of her hand. There was a moment of confusion for everyone… excluding Mayray. Her eyes went wide, the feather a memento onto her mother ever gave out to certain special people. It served only a single purpose, given with a single phrase: 

“If you need me, destroy it. I promise I will save you.” 

Something she only gave to the people she loved, a word Mayray would say with distaste in regards to her mother. However, she was more concerned believing Audomattadjia had called on the item to get her mother’s attention. The issue was that Kikana wasn’t that kind, and she did not specify to only call her if her life needed saving. It was exactly why she sprang into action the moment the feather was crushed between her fingers and faded into dust. 

“No one move!” she called out as she took a step forward and the room was quickly shrouded in darkness. 

It was cold, as if they’d been thrown into the belly of the Void, every breath echoing in their ears. A loud clang and a flash would have the room bathed in light once more, but with the added presence of Kikana holding a blade dripping with poisoned shadows a simple hair away from Koiva’s neck. Thankfully Mayray had already acted and was holding her mother’s sword back. It was at that moment Kikana’s eyes opened a subsequently grew wide upon seeing her daughter, someone she hadn't seen in decades. 

“Are you don’t now?” Mayray asked as she pulled her own weapon away and placed it back into the sheath on her side. Kikana balanced herself and looked around the room. 

“What is the meaning of this? What happened?” 

“We’re just as confused as you are, Kikana,” Koiva responded. 

“Not everyone,” Mayray said as she refused to even look at her. “Just another case of you refusing to elaborate on anything or properly do your job, leading yet another person to almost be killed.” 

“May,” Audomattadjia’s voice was calm and held no anger or frustration. “Enough, please. I needed your mother here... because I need her guidance.” 

Kikana turned her attention towards her closest friend and could see she was troubled. The way she approached was different from what anyone would expect from her. The weapon in her hand returning to its scabbard as she placed a delicate hand on Audomattadjia’s cheek. For some of them this was the first time they’d ever seen her show care at all, and yet it was so genuine and warm. 

“Tell me what happened, Audo. Is there anything I can do?” 

“I just need you to answer a question for me. I’m sure you were busy, but this won’t take much time.” 

“Ask your question. Take as long as you need.” 

“My next step, if I want to make sure this becomes a battle only I need to take part in, what do I need to do?” Audomattadjia’s question brought with it a common disapproval of everyone present. 

“What are you talking about?!” Mayray demanded. 

“I don’t understand why you would ask something so reckless. You have more than enough allies.” Koiva reminded her. 

“I can understand wanting to do this alone,” Inma started. “But this isn’t that type of situation.” 

“Are you sure you want the answer?” Kikana did not care for the comments or opinions. Her closest friend asked her a question and she had the answer to give. Everyone else looked as if they were ready to skin her alive, but they knew that wouldn’t do anything more than getting them killed in the attempt. “It’s an answer I know you won’t like.” 

“That’s fine. I’m ready.” Audomattadjia answered slightly hesitantly. 

“For a battle you can be a part of on your own will... it will be a battle of time. A time which you will have to spend imprisoned again.” Even the mention of it made Audomattadjia’s face curl. “A fight will never have to happen if it’s only focused on you, so we will set you up for failure and have you captured.” 

“And what will happen while I’m imprisoned again?” 

“We prepare for your release, but we do so by helping put the pieces in place to assure it. I don’t care how many terrible thing I’ll have to do. I will make your return something the ancients can’t ignore. I’ll help every villain and monster throughout the realms until something appears they cannot overcome without the help of many claimants with the same level of power as you, and when that time comes we will insure you are free… indefinitely.” 

“Indefinitely?” Audomattadjia inquired. 

“By making sure the ancients are replaced. I don’t care how, but we must be prepared to have them in a situation where it’s likely they’ll be slain. If you can convince them when the time comes, then that will be fine. But if not we need to be prepared to have them in a situation where death is an option we can grant them. Even if we can't get all of them, we will work toward the disposal of whatever ones we can.” 

“Then that’s what I’ll do, and before anyone says anything… I know. I know this isn’t what you all thought would happen, and I know you were all prepared to fight for me… but I don’t want anyone to fight for me. I don’t want to drag anyone into a fight at all! What peace can we get from all of that?!” 

She paused. For most of them, this was a side of her which had not been seen. Only two of them could tell just how much she was suffering, just how frustrated she had become. She never said she was flawless and never acted like she was better than anyone else, but she did certainly believe the opposite. She never lived up to her own ideals no matter how kind she was, and so when Audomattadjia crumbled she did it desperately. But this time, Kikana was there. The overbearing guilt derived from a person who did not enjoy the concept of fighting, being made to fight. Her heart truly went out to anyone who had to suffer. Even when she was in her prison she mourned the losses suffered by the claimants and felt the emotional impact which came with the troubles of the ancients. That was just how she had always been.

Mayray was frustrated and obviously so, for anyone who would have turned to see her face that is. Devastated even, seeing her mother pull Audomattadjia’s head to her chest and petting her like a child. She couldn’t even remember the last time her mother offer her such comfort or care, and most importantly she never showed her those blue eyes. A blue that was difficult to ignore as she looked down at her friend. She did not interrupt, clearly it wasn’t the time, but she would certainly remember this. 

“There there. You’re fine. I know it’s not easy.” 

“I don’t want to go back to that prison. I spent so long in there it… it began to feel like the person I am now might change. Like a moment longer would have changed me into something I’d hate to imagine.” 

“But this is your choice. Even if you’re afraid, will you abandon your ideals because of fear? You know there isn't a soul who would blame you for wanting to turn away from this.” 

“No.” Her expression grew serious in a way that was foreign to her face. As if every negative emotion she’d never felt was rushing through her. “I won’t ever let that happen because I could never forgive myself if my  friends were hurt because I ran away.” 

“I thought as much... So you should spend the time you have now enjoying yourself as much as you can,” Kikana said. Words which drew a collective confused stare from everyone. “Leave the planning to May and Koi, let little Inma rest and spend time with his family, Zammoia can go back to managing her book collection and gathering information… and I will make sure everything goes smoothly. Count on us, and just enjoy yourself. That’s what you can do to help. Prepare yourself mentally. We will handle the rest.” 

Koiva could recall memories of Audomattadjia’s face as a child, when she was still just as kind but so soft she could cry at even the slightest form of bad news or misfortune. He could still recall that day she watched a frog get eaten by another small creature at the side of a pond and burst into tears. Mayray, on the other hand, remembered the day she found her awake in her prison. A desperate display of hopelessness for someone who just wants to laugh and play, but as a person who didn’t like to fight all she could do was cry. Kikana was the only one who truly remained hardened, but that was entirely due to resolve. 

“She’s right, Audo.” Mayray said as she placed her hands on the table and sighed as if defeated. “All you need to do is count on us to handle the rest, you just need to prepare for your one battle. Have your fun and keep everyone happy. That’s what you’ve always done.” 

“You’re all way too soft on her,” Koiva responded. But his words were the ones which garnered her attention. 

“I know I’m being selfish, but if I’m ever going to be selfish in my life then I’m glad it will be for this. I will suffer the brunt of the punishment, so everyone else can just focus on themselves and remain safe. Let them focus on me, not everyone who chose to be a part of my life. My friends.” 

“Then don’t cry, Audo.” Kikana’s smile drew her attention as she leaned forward and placed her own forehead against Audomattadjia’s. “Smile, because that’s what they’ll all need from you. Your confidence in them is displayed by how much you can enjoy yourself with them. So be the queen they want and continue being the claimant who loves everyone.” 

Audomattadjia was slightly shocked to hear words like this from Kikana, but a part of her always knew she was this kind. That was why she stood to her feet and embraced the woman. Everyone present was both pleased and envious. It was no wonder Kikana was referred to as one of her best friends, a title which was only previously held by the deceased Eva. The three were inseparable for a reason, and that reason was fully on display now. No matter what anyone chose to say, there was no denying that they all had something for one another that no one else had. An unbreakable bond and an irreversible love.

She held her tight, Mayray noticing Audomattadjia’s lips move ever so slightly before Kikana’s eyes grew wider for a moment before returning to their naturally troubled gaze. Frustrated and clearly upset. Whatever she said had immediately caused her mood to become foul, but she did not lash out. Instead, it looked as if a tear had almost begun forming in Kikana’s eye before it almost looked as if she’d just been seeing things. Then, Audomattadjia stood straight and faced her allies and friends. 

“There’s a good chance that, when I go back into that box, I will not come out the same person I am now. Speaking truthfully, it was hard enough to stay composed the first time… but now I’m prepared for the worst. Or at least I’d like to believe I am. Honestly I’m terrified of who I might become. But I must face that reality head on. 

“I will spend however much time I have left with everyone I can. I plan to savor those memories and use them as the anchor that keeps me stable. Just like I did the first time. So please bear with me until then. I may be an annoyance, and clumsy, and difficult to be around, but I hope we can still keep having fun as friends and family.” 

Mayray broke the following silence with a chuckle, just before bursting into laughter. “Are you serious? Why are you talking like that? You realize we’ve all been around you for decades and you’ve been the same way the entire time.” 

“She’s right, Audo.” Koiva started with a smile. “I’ve been with you since we were both kids. If I were going to walk away because of stuff like that I’d be gone already.” 

Inma had nothing to say at all, simply sitting at his corner of the table with his face in his hands. No doubt questioning her logic, but Zammoia did say her piece. 

“Sweetie, we like you because you’re awkward. That awkwardness is what makes you lovable and bit too honest. That and you’re hot.” 

“Whore~!” 

Zammoia’s head nearly snapped of her shoulders turning to look at Mayray leaning back in her seat. “You’re such a pest. Can’t you be quiet for once?” 

“Hai hai~.” Mayray felt a shiver slide up her spine when she heard Kikana snort before covering her mouth with her sleeve. A double take before realizing that the woman was laughing! 

“Oh wow, you weren’t kidding. She does say it,” Kikana said while leaning closer to Audomattadjia. 

“I told you.” She responded with a crafty smile. 

“But I didn't think May would be so childish.” 

“What are you two talking about?” Zammoia demanded before Kikana looked at her with a disappointed grin. 

“Don’t be so upset. It’s not my fault you can’t win any arguments with May. She’s just better with retorts, it runs on the family.” Kikana responded while lifting her head in a snooty manner. 

“Your daughter is one thing, Kikana, but don’t think I’ll just let you say anything to me. Do you understand?” 

The woman looked at her for a moment before closing her eyes and acting totally unphased. “Hai hai~!” 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…” 

“Hai hai~.” Mayray responded while leaning towards Zammoia with a smug stare, before Kikana responded again. 

“Hai hai~!” 

“Hai hai~.” 

“Hai hai~!” 

“Hai hai~.” 

“You two are so fucking annoying, I can’t understand it! It’s like there are always two children when you’re both around!” 

Audomattadjia couldn’t help but laugh as the argument ensued. Zammoia attempting to reprimand Kikana and Mayray who, in tandem, continued to treat her like a nobody. Koiva doing his best to mediate the situation and keep everyone as calm as possible, while Inma watched from the side as if enjoying the entertainment itself. All Audomattadjia could do was think to herself. 

 -

I’m sure there are many people out there who would call me stupid, but I can’t help it. I want moments like this, where everyone is smiling and laughing and interacting with one another, to last forever. I don’t need the world and I don’t need everything this world has to offer. All I need are my friends, every claimant and human, anyone who wants to live in a peaceful world with a peaceful existence. I’d give up fighting for the rest of my life if everyone could just get along and trust one another… but now they don’t trust me, and I can’t make them. 

But that’s why I love moments like this. Whenever I get discouraged or feel like I can’t go on, I remember these times and remind myself of what it is I’m fighting for. These smiles. These experiences, for everyone. This wasn’t about her, it was about them. She needed to protect them and every other claimant who might be condemned. That was why she needed to constantly remind herself… 

 -

Audomattadjia smiled in a way which calmed the soul entirely. Sitting down on her seat and placing her elbows down before leaning forward and resting her chin on her palms. She didn’t care if none of them heard her, but she said it if only to remind herself of what she already knew. The words which shaped her purpose and the words which caused her to ever go this far in the first place. The reason she was willing to suffer her prison again even if it cost her everything. Words directed to every living being throughout all the realms as truth.

 

“I really do love all of you.” 

 

Both Kikana and Koiva heard her… and both smiled. 
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
Sleeping Lover, Waking Queen

The dust settled, dawn illuminating the morning sky with a grayish-blue haze. Amidst it all the heavy panting of Audomattadjia could be heard in the aftermath of a fight no one wanted to be a part of. She wasn’t proud. She wasn’t pleased as silence befell her; in fact, she was both disturbed and disgusted with herself. Convincing herself it was all part of the plan she needed to see through in order to keep her fellow claimants, her friends and her family safe. That was why her stomach turned so violently as her eyes remained forward. 

Perhaps it was as form of respect or duty she felt needed to be done, but her eyes remained on what she had done. The egregious sin she had committed. She had slain many others in the past and subjugated countless rebellions as a claimant of her house, but looking at the pyre of spears before her did little to offer comfort… Especially when Gahbreal’s body was mounted atop them like some sick offering. 

She covered her mouth, heaving both blood and vomit onto the ground before shutting her eyes tightly. She had to focus because her job wasn’t done yet. Seeing this through to the end was exactly how she planned to overcome this entire situation. If all she had to do was endure, that would mean everyone else involved could just be safe. But there was more to it than that. She needed this to work! If she would ever make sure the claimants had true peace this would all have to work perfectly. And so, her mind wandered to a memory she had chosen to rely on throughout all of this. 


She sat in her bed, a smile on her face she was truly proud to wear. Humming a melody the likes of which was meant to calm the soul. The door opened slowly, the room just barely illuminated by the moonlight flooding though the open window, but it was enough to let Audomattadjia see Koven’s little face peeking around the door. A smile as soft as clouds as she waved him over. His steps were staggered, and he nearly fell, but Mayray was quick to catch him before that could happen. 

“I see you’re as overprotective as ever. At this point he’ll grow up thinking you’ll save him from everything.” Audomattadjia chuckled as she watched her friend set the boy back on his feet. 

“It’s meant for confidence. If he doesn’t experience falling he won’t fear walking, this he will attempt it more and learn faster… but you’re not wrong.” 

“Don’t worry May, I’m not reprimanding you. You love the boy and he feels the same way. I can see that just by how happy he always is to see you!” She responded as she lifted Koven up on the bed the moment he reached her. “And you, my little prince, are curious. You want to see her, don’t you?” 

He did not speak, but he did watch as his mother brought his attention to the infant held close to her, sleeping in her other arm. Pale, but with rosy cheeks. Fast asleep moving ever so slightly with each breath. 

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she? A little princes, just like my prince. This is your little sister, Koi. Her name is Yvaxiphoria.” 

The boy looked lost for a moment, but his eyes did not look at anything else. “Yva…” 

“You think that’d be a good nickname too? So do I! It sounds just like your auntie Eva’s name. Yva, my little princess. I can already tell she’ll have a terrible attitude.” 

“What makes you say that?” Mayray asked as she leaned against the wall. 

“Because she’ll no doubt be just like me and be close to her brother, and he already enjoys mischief. Not to mention she’ll be just like me and be extremely picky with her food! She’ll likely only have one or two people in all the realms she can trust… and I won’t be one of them.” 

There was a moment of silence. Koven continued to look at Yvaxiphoria as if she were some foreign object, but Audomattadjia watched over them both with a smile only a mother could give. Then her attention turned to Mayray. She could tell the next words they’d share would carry significant importance, but she also questioned if she was meant to hear them. Then again, regardless of how she felt, this wasn’t something she’d run away from. Audomattadjia had watched her since she was a child. If she could give her a shoulder to lean on even once, she’d take that opportunity. 

“Mayray, I’ll be leaving their growth in your care.” 

“Wait. What?” 

“There are many choices, I know that, but I want you to do it.” Her eyes turned to the window where she eyed the stars scattered across the sky. “I’ll be playing my part very soon, after just a few more days with these two. I want you to experience taking care of them.” 

“I don’t understand. You could have asked anyone else. Why not ask my mother?” 

“We both know that’s not a good idea.” Mayray could see Audomattadjia’s posture go slack, as if she were exhausted. “I’m asking you because I know you can do it. You can keep Koi out of trouble, and you can make sure Yva learns how to love like I do.” 

“But I’m not like you, Audo… I’m not kind, all I’m good for is fighting. That’s what I was raised for. I don’t think I’ll be capable of teaching them what you want me to teach them.” 

“May,” she responded. “I know you can, because I’ve watched you become who you are today. I need you to teach them so that they will stand up for themselves, but also so they’ll love everyone in their own way.” 

“Their own way…” 

 “Hey, May?” Mayray’s eyes lit up, watching as Audomattadjia smiled in a way both desperate but cheerful. Warm, gentle, calming. Honest. “I believe that peace can only be realized through love. I’m trusting you to teach them the meaning of love in your own way. Please. For me.” 

Mayray couldn’t possibly refuse something like this, but it was only Mayray who felt that way. Audomattadjia had expected her to refuse. For all the things the girl hated about her mother, they were both very much alike. However, this was an opportunity she had taken on a whim with low expectations. Planning to be turned down, but feeling butterflies fill her stomach upon hearing Mayray’s response. 

“Fine. If you’re asking, I suppose I can’t really refuse… you can leave them to me. I’ll do the best I can to look after them. That’s a promise, Audo.” 

"Thank you, May! I love you! I can always count on you."

"Hai, hai."


 She attempted to slow her breathing, but it had proven to be more difficult than anticipated. Kikana had told her this version of his life was different from the others. Specifically stating that he ‘lacked the aptitude to truly be Gahbreal’, but all she meant by that was the boy had been stubborn. He refused to be the Gahbreal he was born to be, so he fought against the influence of his previous lives continuously. However, while trying to be a different person other than Gahbreal, he managed to lack all his most prominent qualities. Most importantly his bond to madness and his skill with his weapon. Even so, that didn’t mean he was easy to fight. 

Even if he wanted to call himself Gabriel and claim to not be the Gahbreal who came before him, that didn’t mean he wasn’t still one of Gahbreal’s lives. The damage she had sustained paid homage to that. All the times she had sparred with Eva and it was nothing like this. A part of her also wondered if he would be upset with her for killing this life, but that wasn’t a question she could dwell on. The numerous cuts and bruises all over her body, the remaining vomit she wiped aside, it was all just things which had to be ignored for this conversation. She could already hear the footsteps behind herself. 

“I knew you'd be coming.” It was odd. She couldn’t call her breathing before, but she certainly could now. “What do you want?” 

“Audo. What did you do?” Jaiho asked as if fully confused. Jayhe was not the same. 

“Isn’t it obvious? We can see it right in front of us. Don’t coddle her as you always do! You’ve clearly stepped out of line, Audomattadjia Vall.” 

“You’re right.” Jayhe was confused to hear her so agreeable. 

“But why?” Jaiho asked. His curiosity eating away at him. “You realize we can’t just let you go free after something like this.” 

“I know. No one else had anything to do with this. It was all me. I will not pretend as if I am innocent, nor will I act pleased. I simply am not happy about all of this. That is all.” 

“Just throw her back in her own personal prison, but this time we’ll keep her in the Prism. Clearly your idea of wanting her to remain out near her birth home was flawed,” Jayhe ordered, but Jaiho was hesitant. 

He looked at her closely, considering how he’d never seen her so damaged before. She looked thinner than before, dark circles forming under her eyes her breathing had slowed, but it was still heavy enough to be heard. Beads of sweat covering her face, exhaustion plain on her features. She looked as if she hadn’t slept in days. So before he did anything else, he asked. 

“Are you alright? You don’t look well.” 

His words brought a smile to her face, but it was odd. She looked too happy for the situation, but perhaps that was why it felt so disturbing that her milky eyes had decided to view them both with disdain. “I’m fine, just finally realizing what my father meant was right… not everyone can be trusted.” 

 
She felt several things. Fear. Agony. Dread. Anxiety. But she had to remain composed. That was the most important thing for all of this to work. She had to be willing, had to be unfazed. Had to be strong enough to endure. Compared to the effort everyone put into finding her and helping her escape, this was just a drop in the pond. That was why she didn’t fold even the tiniest bit. Not when her wounds were healed, not when she was given a new dress of black silk, and not when she stepped into the center of the room. 

A large room with stone walls and floors. Almost akin to a dungeon, but with a small pond at its center. A single bed and several shelves filled with books. A desk and a single chair, it was all just like she had remembered it before. Even the same torches standing tall in their respective places, all lit with blue flames. 

She stopped just before her feet touched the water, standing still as if waiting for something. Perhaps even praying for something… but it would never come. Instead she would only be met with the sound of her prison being prepared. The walls shaping themselves into the clear large cube which she could not escape. In that same moment, she felt something she had never known before. A feeling of not only losing a friend, but someone she had considered to be almost flawless. That may have been what fueled her to break her silence, but only once more. 

“You know, I was so desperately hoping things would be different… I was hoping you’d be different, Jaiho. I once loved you, truly I did, and even know I can’t stop myself from loving you! But it won’t be the same.” 

She approached the clear wall which separated them but stopped right before getting close enough to give herself some form of useless hope. 

“I never saw you as wrong. I didn’t know why things happened the way they did. To this day I still don’t know! But I was prepared this entire time to just stop all of this. Hoping that you’d just call on me and genuinely say you were sorry. Sorry for tricking me. Sorry for locking me away in that cage for hundreds of years! All I ever did was trust you and give you my all, but now I see I was wrong for that. If you really cared, that time would have come so long ago.” 

“Audo. I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Jaiho responded. But by now Audomattadjia was unfazed. Unwilling to listen. 

“I always grew up believing that I have no enemies because I want everyone to get along. I want peace. But now I see that I was thinking too carelessly. I was too carefree. I do have enemies. The very ones who would stand in the way of my desire for real peace among everyone.” 

“Audo, you can’t just jump to conclusions. You have to explain what you're saying!” 

“One does not simply jump to conclusions after a thousand years!” This emotion she felt as her voice rose in a ways she did not know possible. Rage. One she did not feed, but also did not push away. “You ancients have shown me your true colors. Now I will do whatever I deem necessary to protect the claimants who I call friends and family. All claimants.” 

Jaiho could see she would not listen, and he wasn’t willing to entertain her tantrum. But surprisingly she was the first one to turn her back on him, walking to the bed and lying down with the blankets covering her entirety. Jaiho wanted to demand answers from her, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. So instead, he walked away. Not knowing why she was so angry, acting why she felt so blindsided by all of this, but most importantly not knowing that this was the last time she’d ever speak with anyone so long as she was within those crystal clear walls. 

It wasn’t until he had left the room that’s he began to feel anything other than anger. The solitude of being locked away in this cage for who knows how many more centuries. But this time was different. Before she had been put to sleep and remained asleep until she was found. Now she would need to be prepared to wait with no one around until the others felt it was time. It felt suffocating even when there were people around, but now she would have to face this alone. But one thought remained on her mind as she recalled the words she had just shared with Jaiho. 

I knew coming back to this place would change me… 

And so, she focused. Gathered all the memories she had collected over the years and prepared to pull herself to sleep with them… but that was also when she realized just how difficult this would be. The way she clasped her hands over her mouth, a silent cry of both desperation and agony. Coming to understand the true horror of having to go without watching her children grow. Without holding and spoiling them. 



...In the end, that was what destroyed her… 
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
Assassin's House Call and Hearth

Warmth. A concept in which she would never truly grow accustom, but she had to admit it was pleasant. A melody playing in her head, the notes projected through a hum as she swiftly moved back and forth through the kitchen. Against popular knowledge, she loved to cook. Perhaps it ran in their family, but it wasn’t a topic she was prepared to think about. Instead she moved between the prepared dishes with deft footwork. A dance akin to what might be seen at a lavish party or ball, but its defenses were unnaturally high. It was no wonder she was capable of carrying each piece of the meal from its place in the kitchen to the table without so much as a tip in balance, even through the pitch dark building.

Dish number one would be a steak, or rather three steaks cooked to perfection. They smelled heavily of rosemary, brown sugar and pepper. Second would be a hardy soup filled with an equal share of vegetables as it contained lamb. It’s scent clearly inspired by the alpines with traces of mint. Third dish was several baked potatoes topped with a meaty brown gravy and cheese, a meal she had picked up during her travels across the states. The fourth was a simple baked salmon and asparagus, of which she gladly tasted herself to check the concentration of lemon pepper. A small smile the sign she was pleased with her work. The fifth meal was... 

The ringing of her phone made her actions halt immediately. She placed the final dish in her hands down on the table, filet mignon with a savory red sauce and a small bowl of chunky mashed potatoes. Then, she lifted the phone from her pocket and answered… but only after seeing the contact name. 

“Yes, princess? I hope this won’t take long. Today is my day off.” Despite her casually lazy tone, she wore a comfortable smile. 

“Shut up. You take days off just about as much as Koven does.” 

“I heard that,” she could hear the brother’s voice in the background of the call. 

“Good. Now then, I wanted to ask something auntie.” 

“Then by all mean, ask away Yva.” 

Her response was simple, but she continued moving the dishes from place to place. Quickly moving the remaining several dishes to their places before washing what had been used. 

“Wait, are you cooking? Why didn’t you call me over?!” 

“Auntie is cooking? Wow, I wonder what kind of special occasion is going on over there... or who's about to die.” 

“I’m wondering why I didn’t received a fucking invite.” 

“Focus, please.” Her voice calmed Yva considerably. 

“Right. Well, I was calling because I wanted to ask if you knew about Koi and his relationship?” 

“You know you don’t have to say that with so much sarcasm, Yva.” Koven added. 

“Sorry, but I can’t see you actually giving a shit about anyone.” 

“And you’re saying you do?” 

“I love all claimants, dumbass. Or have you forgotten who I am?” 

“Yeah, I know what you are. A sadist, specifically.” 

“Fuck you!” 

He gasped sarcastically. “S-sis! I know you love me, b-but that’s a line that brothers and sisters should never cross!” 

“You fucking idiot! I swear, I’d rather live with cats than live with you!” 

“What’s wrong with cats?” She inquired of the siblings. Koven was quick to respond. 

“Oh? She didn’t tell you?” He asked between laughs. “Last month she tried to adopt a stray cat she found. Turns out, cats don’t really like her at all so it kept hissing at her and attacking her until she got rid of it. She tried getting cats all month to convince herself it was just that cat, but they all treated her the same.” 

“I’m sorry to hear about that Yva. If it makes you feel any better, I remember Audo wasn’t good with cats either. She’d be too clingy and they’d all avoid her. Perhaps it's a family thing.” 

“Hah, so it runs in the family?” Koven laughed. "Hear that baby sister? I guess it's not because of your terrible personality."

“Shut up! That doesn’t matter, you didn’t answer my question! Koven! Kiran! Did you know?!” Yva tried desperately to change the subject. 

“Well, that’s news to me. Congratulations Koven! I’m glad you’re making progress on your path to a suitable partner. I’m hoping for your success!” She spoke in an extremely lazy fashion. 

“Ew. When you talk like that even I can tell you’re lying.” 

“I assume that means you already knew, auntie?” Koven asked. She chuckled. 

“Of course I knew. If I don’t keep a proper eye on you two, who knows what might happen. But seriously, don’t do anything stupid. You’re now making commitments to a person who is very important. And that goes for both of you.” 

There was a silence over the line after she began to speak seriously. She untied the apron covered in a pink floral design and removed it from around her neck before placing it on the counter. Full black, a slim fitting turtleneck dress with no sleeves. Her hair pulled back into a curly ponytail as she placed a cigarette between her lips. She only started speaking again once it was lit and the darkness settled around her.

“Yva and Soivan, Koven and Kiran. I know both of you are honest kids, just like your mother. I did my best to raise you in a way she could be proud of. With the plans in place you will have to make a decision at some point. The choice to betray them if it comes to that. There is no doubt that what everyone has in store, including your mother, will cause a great deal of problems. You will have to be the ones to decide how you go forward when the time comes.” 

“Are you suggesting that I may betray my mother?” She could not see it, but she could certainly hear Yva’s anger. That was one major difference between her and her mother. The daughter was more than willing to wear any emotion she felt freely. 

“That’s something you have to decide yourself. It’s simple when it’s you against the world, but now it isn’t so simple. You may have to make a conscious choice to betray yourself, deny the claimants you love. You’re both old enough to be told this and prepare, but I can’t decide for you.” 

“What about you, auntie?” Koven’s question was reasonable and sound. She was in the same situation, after all. It made her smile knowing just how little he had changed. “What will you do if that time does come? Will you be willing to betray Eric?” 

Her eyes twitched for a moment, barely lit in the dark by the embers clinging to the edge of her cigarette. Red jewels focused entirely on the meal she had prepared on this particularly calm night. It was primarily the reason she had chosen to tell them herself. This had just managed to be good timing with them bringing up the subject on their own. She wasn’t oblivious to the idea of choices which must be made. In that way she was much like her mother. Kikana would never let the opportunity pass her by to teach her children an important lesson… Even if they lost a part of themselves in the process. 

“I plan to side with Audomattadjia to the very end. I made my choice when I sided with her at the start of all this. I know you’ve most likely already made your choice as well, Koven. You’re just that meticulous with these types of things. You always have been. That just leaves you, Yvaxiphoria. You don’t need to tell us, but you will need to make a choice, and trust that no one will hold it against you when you do.” 

“Yeah, I know.” It had been too long since she’d heard her speak so calmly. She was in a bad mood, but it had to be done. Just like her mother, she knew her daughter would be equally as allergic to seriousness. 

“Good… you know I love you both. Right?” There was a moment of silence before her question, but Yvaxiphoria responded immediately. 

“Of course! We love you too, auntie!” 

“That’s never going to change, even if you're an awkward conversationalist,” Koven added. 

“Just making sure. But I have to go now. You two take care, and try to get along, will you? You’re both adults, you should be more than capable of enjoying one another’s company.” 

“If he wasn’t such a piece of shit it’d be easy.” 

“Why thank you, I appreciate the compliment.” 

“You see what I’m talking about?! He doesn’t take anything fucking seriously!” 

“Alright, bye you two.” She said before hanging up the phone as they continued to argue in the background. 

Like a serpent she slithered through the dark building, only stopping upon reaching the door she knew he would use. It had been a while since she’d had him to herself and perhaps that was why she felt so excited. Watching as the door opened, falling down from the ceiling above without a sound, her blade drawn and homing in on his neck. But without much effort her ambush was caught, the blade which had been slicing through the darkness dropping to the floor with the echo of clanging metal, and with that she was hanging in the air by her arm. Now, with the lights flicked on, Eric had a clear sight at Mayray with a large grin on her face. 

“WHAT was THAT?!” 

“Oh. I’ve been caught. Defeated in my entirety. I have lost.” 

“What?” Eric responded to her lazy acting. 

“I have been bested completely, but the pain is so great. I don’t think I can move my body at all.” He could see how she immediately made her entire body go limp, just hanging in his grasp. “If only there were a strong claimant who could, I don’t know... carry me around the house? Maybe then I could survive this pain.” 

“You know, if you want to be carried you can always just ask to be carried like a NORMAL PERSON.” Eric responded as he threw her over his shoulder and carried her to the kitchen. She seemed to ignore his suggestion entirely. 

“I made dinner. There are lots of dishes. You will have to try them all and tell me what you think or else... I don’t believe... I will survive this pain.” 

“PLEASE stop the acting. I’m ALREADY CARRYING YOU.” 

“Fine. But you will try the food. I will watch and you will tell me if you liked them.” 

“OKAY BOSS,” he responded upon reaching the dinning room to see a large spread of meals he knew a lot of effort was placed into. From five star replicas to barbecue and simple recipes. 

It was at that exact same time he realized she had begun to slide off his shoulder and position herself in front of him. Her hands reached up to his face, fingers pressing gently on his cheeks as if to guide his attention rather than force his attention to her. Mayray had always been an odd claimant, shrouded mostly in secrets and doing things relatively as she pleased if no one paid any attention to her. When he had met her she had tried to assassinate him, but when she failed the attempt she ended up saying they'd have to become partners due to her family's traditions. What she didn't know, or what Kikana never told her, was that it was entirely up to the victor. In that sense she was entirely incorrect, but that only made it more genuine when she inevitably did end up falling for the man. Eric had become someone she felt she could not live without. 

Mayray, who previously had chosen to rely on no one, placed that reliance entirely in Eric and expected him to do the same with her. It was impossible to miss. The first to notice wasn't Mayray herself after all, but Eric who had to put up with her endlessly clingy behavior and endless desire to please him personally. At times some might consider it overbearing, but it actually ended up being the opposite. Especially when Mayray had a tendency to be extremely lazy in both conversation and downtime. The only serious moments were during fights, but there was also one other occasion... when she wanted his direct attention. 

“I'm not your boss.” Her face was as relaxed and expressionless as ever, but her cheeks were red enough to show she was serious about something. Yet her hazel eyes stole all of his attention. “I'm your wife.” 

“...My wife... who OFTEN tries to KILL ME.” 

“Yes. Now, the food awaits! And then we will watch movies.” Her voice had slightly more excitement to it… but it was all still extremely lazy sounding, even when she stood so confidently. Everything seemed so sarcastic when she spoke so excitedly. 

“You’re so ENERGETIC tonight.” 

“Honestly, we’re both normally so busy. I wanted to do a lot this time. Like a date maybe? A date but at home.” 

“A DATE, but at HOME? Have you been lonely?” 

“Without any of the typical annoyances to disturb me? You could say that.” 
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
Death Dealer's Reunion

It had been a long while since they had last spoken to one another. Gahbreal silently sitting at his desk with a clearly underwhelmed look on his face, or perhaps it was disappointment. His eyes looking over the documents at his desk while the silence itself was periodically broken by the flipping of a page. The room was dimly lit, the walls patterned with tiles designed to keep out sound and the floor covered with low carpeting of deep red coloration. On one side of the room rested a cabinet filled with extremely fancy bottles of alcohol while the other was occupied by rows of locked compartments where paperwork was stored. A single high-hanging chandelier above them with dim lights, just barely illuminating the oak desk itself. The only vibrancy coming from the photos placed on the walls of Cyva and Gabi, with the occasional photo of Mayray and Eric, a younger Stasia and Verin, as well as a picture of Eva. Other than those, photos of the previous lives of the other aikekunai held their own personal positions.  

It really did all suit his tastes, but something was wrong. Part of him recognized that many people disliked the way he went about doing his work. In some ways it was entirely opposite to Gahbreal’s, savagery held back and suppressed into a careful dance. Meant for battlefields, but meant to bestow peace. Mercy in the final moments. On the other hand, Addinia strove for the opposite and always has. Desdon, but specifically one who held death itself in high regard and strove to treat it like an art. 

Gahbreal sighed once he finished looking over the files. Placing the papers down on the desk and leaving back in his chair. “I feel as if you already know why I’m going to say.” 

“I believe you are going to compliment me on a job well done. It has been a few hundred years since we last spoke, after all.” 

“You haven’t changed, just as stuck up as always… You’re being too extreme with your methods, Addinia.” The words themselves seemed to draw dissatisfaction from him. 

“What? Is that not why you chose me to begin with? Was it not you who said this would be an opportunity to live around others without scrutiny?” 

Indeed, he wasn’t recalling a situation which had not occurred. However, the Gahbreal he was referring to was a life of the past. One which had yet to face the dramatic changes of the more recent lives he had endured. In that past Gahbreal had approached Addinia with the consideration of his nature fully intact. Knowing full well that the boy had an unhealthy obsession with death and the methods at which it was bestowed upon others. In that regard he approached him thinking it would be good to teach him; while also giving him a space to vent those urges… The claimants who were already a lost cause. 

That was the reason Addinia even cared to be taught by Gahbreal in the first place. He killed on whims, and whims could easily come as rarely as they could come often. It was all inspiration, because inspiration has always been the fuel for art, and death itself was art in his eyes. Eyes which did not miss a single detail. Eyes which could see the very span of a person’s life and lead them to a beautiful death which could be recorded and catalogued. 

Addinia killed when he desires; that was why Lilith had bestowed upon him the gift of her blood, and he was the first non-Dimea to received it. That was the most critical moment in his entire life and for many reasons, but the only one which mattered remained the same. Having someone who was held in such high regard tell him that his urges were valid meant that he could keep committing himself to his art. Art which required blood. Art which required lives. Art which serves to feed the void and all its hounds. However, that was also the issue. An artist is always seeking to improve, an artist grows, and Addinia was young when he had first been brought into the aikekunai's care. The initial invitation was meant to be a way to make use of his habits, but overtime it only began to grow more intricate and elaborate. The battles and wars of the past were done, so many of their targets were currently living in peaceful places. But that didn't matter for Addinia for a single reason. He is an artist, and... 

 
...death is art... 

 
“I know what I said, Addinia. But you are crossing lines.” He paused as he reached for a file and placed it at the center of his desk. “This, for example. The claimant you were assigned to handle around a month ago.” 

“I did my job, did I not?” 

“No one is saying you didn’t do your job, but you also killed eighteen humans in the process... and they were all children.” 

“Okay? I don’t see where that is my problem.” 

“Take this seriously. You killed her while she was on a field trip with her students. All of those deaths could have been avoided and there was no reason to handle it that way.” 

“Charrose Excia. Lived for approximately three hundred seventy one years. Female. Blue hair. Hazel eyes. Ancestry connected to Mayans if you could believe it. I was assigned to hunt her after she murdered several claimants in cold blood. The reason was and still is unknown. However, as it seems, there was no reason. They all had no connection. It was just murder for murder. Random killings. Charming.” 

“I know the information.” 

“Did you know she loved each and every one of this children as if they were her own? All of them, every last one, a teacher and at times even like a mother. Heartwarming really… so I had to see the expression on her face when bus flipped over the side of that bridge. When she realized the bus was sinking faster than normal. When she, attempted to jump up from her seat only to find that her seatbelt was made to be durable against claimants... The look on her face as she realized she’d have to watch each and every one of them die before her very eyes and there was nothing she could do to stop it... It was so beautiful I chopped her head off then and there to keep as a trophy. It’s still on that shelf in my study with that same beautiful expression.” 

He stood and looked at Addinia who eyed him from the seat opposite his own. He looked just as he had remembered in his memories from past lives. His features almost entirely like Cyva’s but with slightly bigger eyes and shorter brownish red hair. Both blue eyes, both an obsession with bothering him as best they could. He still could not count the number of times he’d called the boy a girl by mistake when he was tutoring him, but it was difficult to avoid when he wore dresses and sounded like Cyva with a Russian accent. He had hoped the boy would grow up into a person who would come to care for the living in his own way, but it seemed as if that was not the case. 

“Addie, you must understand that times have changed. This isn’t the world you grew up in filled with battle. Societies are different, and as such the realms have attuned to those differences.” 

“What are you talking about?” He could tell Addinia was getting more bothered with every word. 

“I can’t tell you what to do, but eventually you will gain unwanted attention from people I can’t do anything about... I know what you’ve been doing in the time I wasn’t myself, and I know the methods you’ve used are keeping you out of direct blame, but that won’t last forever and I won’t condone unnecessary killings.” 

“What? But was it not you who told me that I could do as I please? That I would not need to answer to anyone but you and Lilith? I’ve done exactly as I have been told this entire time, even when you started ignoring us entirely! Now you’re telling me what I’ve been doing is wrong?” 

“I’m saying you’ve been causing too much damage. There’s no need for the collateral when your job is to only take a single life.” 

“What a load of bullshit!” Gahbreal flinched unexpectedly. A reaction to feeling as if his wife were yelling at him. “You know, I should have expected this. After you just stopped caring to even show up and started this kind crusade you have been on? Acting like a merciful advocate of peace, but don’t fool yourself! Because you are not fooling us.” 

He stood to his feet as well, staring directly into Gahbreal’s eyes with an expression that equated to both disgust and malice. He pulled his black jacket over his brown dress, and lifted the ushanka from his lap to be placed atop his head. Gahbreal could tell that he was done here, and he had expected the conversation to devolve into something like this. Addinia had never been known for his patience, and when his patience was tested he was direct and to the point. He wouldn’t waste time with anything he thought beneath him, and this conversation had proven to be just that. 

“Were not done talking, Addinia.” 

“Oh, we’re done. Unlike what you’re doing and how you’re acting, the rest of us haven’t forgotten why we started this. We are all advocates of peace, but we bring peace by wiping out those who disturb it. This is it’s own war and I do not care what must be sacrificed for my enemy to die in a state of the highest suffering imaginable. If that calls for me to erase an entire nation then so be it. But I will not be told I am wrong by the person who accepted and taught me those values!” He turned towards the door but stopped. One more thing left to say weighing on his mind. "I was your first apprentice. The only one that was deemed worthy enough to persist, and you just disappeared without a word. You left us all behind, you left me behind, and this is what you have to say when you finally come back? It is just so fucking... typical." 

Gahbreal did not attempt to stop Addinia when he turned away and walked out of the room. He didn’t slam the door and use any extreme movements, but he had always cared for etiquette and only did things in a formal manner. Even his fighting turned out that way. But his words always had direct implications, which made it difficult to argue. To some degree he was right, and he wasn’t planning on forcing him to stop doing things the way he had been. He did not have the right to make such a decision, and that was why he simply brought up the choice. But it did not seem like they agreed in the end. For a moment he cursed his first life. A life marred by its own desire for both power and peace. His traits had managed to attract the attention of people that sought detestable things at times, and of course it brought the attention of Lilith. She was the only person he knew would understand his position now, but that brought with it its own slew of problems.

The clicking of heels towards the entrance of the home did not falter at all. This discussion was done, and Addinia would not be playing these types of games again. Even so, and with that intense anger on his mind, it did not stop him from crying as he made his way to the entrance of the home. A part of him hated Gahbreal for this, but a part of him looked up to that man like a father he could never hate. It was difficult to manage, such twisting thoughts and ideals, however once the door was opened and he stepped outside... he stopped in his tracks. It wasn’t because of something like fear, but rather because he hadn’t even noticed anyone else present until they were so close they could touch him. Then, with the sight of black wings came fear.

“So, you must be one of my father’s friends,” Gabi said as she sniffed the air. “Desdon claimants are always so dramatic. But I don’t remember seeing you arrive, which means my dad brought you here.” 

He had heard about her and how Gahbriogyva was someone no one could easily approach, but he didn’t expect it to be like this. Seeing her in movies and music videos was entirely different from a face to face confrontation. It felt as if he could die at any moment. It was no wonder everyone was told to avoid approaching her. She looked nothing like she normally did on screens, dressed in casual loose jeans and a frayed black t-shirt with a blue cap over her head. But he had to answer and be cautious about it.

“Not a friend, more like an employee. I was brought here by Gahbreal.” He responded without even turning to look her way, but her fingers pressed against his chin and tuned his head almost immediately. 

“Seriously? My dad can actually hire someone this cute? And you have a Russian accent. You'd definitely make a good maid… How do you plan on getting home?” 

“What?” 

“Home? If my dad brought you here then you didn’t drive here, so do you plan to walk?” Embarrassment could not have felt anymore intense than upon hearing those words. Now he’d have to go back inside and ask Gahbreal to send him back home. 

“Fuck…” 

“Yeah. You’re definitely one of the cute ones. I’ll take you home, but in return you’re going to give me your contact information. I think we can have some personal fun, and you won’t have to do something I’ll no doubt find hilarious.” 

The implications were damning, but he wasn’t in a position which made him willing to refuse. “Fine. Anything to keep me from going back in there.” 

“Good. I’m Gabi, by the way.” 

“I am Addinia, but you may call me Addie... also, won't Gahbreal be upset that we're even talking with one another?” 

“Even a cute name. I’m definitely going to make you a maid... Oh, and that idiot doesn't even know I'm here. Things stay better that way, for now.” 
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
Makings of the Moon: Seriously Unserious

There was something reassuring about the peace and quiet which filled the main hall of the building. It allowed the maids and butlers to move around freely, without much trouble or anxiety to weigh on their minds. It didn’t, however, stop them from flinching with every loud bang which seemed to shake the entire mansion. Only a handful of staff members would really come to grow comfortable enough to ignore it, but that was mainly due to them having had to deal with the source on a personal level on multiple occasions. One of those few who could rest assured in that comfort walked the halls in her uniform, the tailor made black dress and white apron complete with a pair of white gloves. 

“Yoo-hoo! Mistie~!” 

The voice was both carefree and bubbly, akin to what you might expect from the typical air-headed individual. Ironic, then, that its source was an air claimant casually gliding down the hall ahead with a male of the same house following behind her on foot. Her uniform was the exact same, but she was noticeably less formal in her mannerisms. 

“Sharoleen. You’re still here?” Mist asked the woman while checking the schedule in her hands. 

“I know, I know. My shift ended about an hour ago. But when I hear the master say she was expecting company I couldn’t help but feel motivated to get this place as tidy as possible!” 

“That’s what she says, but she roped me into this shit too.” The male added while placing a few pills between his teeth and chewing them thoroughly. 

“Don’t complain now. You said you’d help me out! Besides, we all know how awkward she is with her own love-life. We’ll have to work twice as hard if she’s going to succeed.” 

“Yeah, I said I’d help, but I’ve been spending most of this time cleaning things which are already clean. I already told you I handled most of this stuff... and she’d kill you if she heard you said that.” 

“You can both leave now, I’m sure everything is fine. At least try to follow your schedules. By the way, Damien. Have you seen Freddy?” She asked them both while writing several notes. 

“Yeah, I know where he is,” he responded while wiping dust from his own uniform. A black suit with a split tailcoat and loosened bow tie. “He was in the kitchen last time I spoke with him. You know how he gets when Gabi has company over, so he’ll probably be cooking more than anyone can rightfully consume. He doesn’t like to talk, but he and Sharoleen share the same thought process with these things.” 

“That’s fine. So long as he leaves on schedule… Emmy! Lars!” Her voice echoed through the halls before two sets of footsteps could be heard quickly approaching. 

From down the stairs a female wearing the same outfit as the others and carrying a pot containing a large otherworldly plant. She looked far happier than necessary, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that she came when called. The other was a male who emerged from one of the upstairs hallways. He looked far more nervous, but that was mainly due to his uniform being the same as the female workers but lacking the apron. In his hands was a bottle of bourbon which looked as if it had been polished to perfection. 

“I-is something wrong, head-maid?” Lars asked as if he were prepared to slink back into the room he had come from. Retreat at any moment. 

“Oh! Is it a holiday? Are we throwing a party?” Emmy added as she needlessly carried the plant up the stairs. 

“No, but I like your energy!” Sharoleen responded with a smile. 

“You’re both done for the day. If anything is left undone I’ll handle it for the night. A visitor will be here soon and I’ll be having everyone other than Lespin and myself leave the premises. Nothing wrong with a bit of privacy.” 

“Oh yay! Company! Come on Lars, let’s not get in the way!” 

“Why are you so excited? A-and why do I have to leave with you? I’m fine leaving on my own.” 

“Nonsense! Besides, we can catch up on all the gossip we normally don’t have the chance to talk about!” 

“Gossip? W-what gossip are you talking about? We rarely even talk.” 

Mist watched as Emmy talked Lars into submission while dragging him out of the building. A sigh which could be felt in the soul before turning her attention to the air claimants who shrugged their shoulders and also made their way to the same exit the others took. Sharoleen waved as she was dragged towards the door by Damien, as if without his intervention she’d never leave. 

“Make sure no one disturbs the lovebirds! I can only imagine how lively this place will become if we have one or two little angels running around!” 

“Please don’t joke about that.” Damien was quick to respond. “It’s hard enough dealing with the one angel we already work for. We don’t need anymore.” 

“Don’t be such a downer, Damien. Besides, could you imagine it? Only Lizbett has seen what a little Gabi looks like! If she has a daughter we could see it for ourselves!” 

“She’d literally kill you if she heard you say that.” 

Mist pinched the bridge of her nose. “Speaking of Lizbett, tell her she can head home too. Let her know I’ll drive if a driver is needed.” 

“Will do!” 

After the two of them left the hall had become eerily quiet. The previously echoing thuds through the house no longer present, meaning the exercises had ended and Gabi was now winding down for the night. Nothing and no one would ever tell her what possesses her to workout before a date, but that wasn’t something she cared to question. Instead she looked over her paperwork once more to make sure nothing else would need to be handled before descending the stairs one slow step at a time. 

It was around that same time the cook had emerged from the double door leading to the dining hall. He was always punctual which made him easy to managed, and he used very few words which made him easy to work alongside. His uniform was already gone and, with a single tip of his hat, he made his way to the exit and left without even needing to be told. 

“Good work today.” She made sure to tell him. 

“You as well.” 

With the door shutting behind him she sighed again and placed the paperwork in her possession down on a small table near the main entrance. The lights dimmed to something less overbearing and the air conditioning lowered to a comfortable temperature; she retrieved the plant which Emmy had placed down and looked over the odd thing before placing it atop her head for transportation. 

I suppose I can go see what Lespin is up to. That’ll be better than sitting in my office all night giving them a means to disturb me. 


Darkness illuminated by nothing more than a large screen on the wall. A room much smaller than anticipated in such a large home. Then again, Gabi was never the type to really enjoy the space. That was why the building was created from the ground up; taking the shape of four smaller homes combined into one and making up the four separate wings of the mansion. The two wings on the northern side containing the place most like a normal home, as well as the place which served as locations for business. It was where Mist’s office was located as well as the changing, supply and meeting rooms for her employees and guests. 

On the opposite end of the building was purely things for entertainment standards as well as guest quarters. One wing with a pool, exercising areas, and practicing rooms for her instruments. The other containing the dining area, guest rooms for rest and trophy rooms where she stored the majority of her earnings from both work and battle. However, she mainly spent the majority of her time in the living areas of the northern wing and the exercising areas of the southern side. 

Indeed, the Dimea prodigy was far more relaxed than normal. Her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, normally expensive attire replaced with a deep crimson crop top and black sweatpants, and she herself seemed entirely more passive along with the changes. What she was watching wasn’t nearly as important – some classic slasher film complete with all the blood and gore you could hope for – but with each step it only seemed more possible that her defenses would not be implemented and a quiet approach might work. 

Jaffe was sneaky. Sneakier than sneaky, even. Possibly the sneakiest in this situation, and the closer she came to Gabi’s back on the couch, the more it seemed she might finally catch the winged claimant off guard. But her impromptu attempt at surprising the woman was cut short. All it took was a simple change, watching as she removed the band holding her ponytail in place to let her hair fall down over her shoulders. Then, as if inviting her, positioned her hair to reveal the right ear. Jaffe merely sighed while moving her lips next to Gabi’s ear. 

“How long did you know?” She asked while wrapping her arms around her collar. 

“Let’s see… you did a good job staying quiet, but I picked up on your scent when you entered about a hundred feet?” 

“So, before I even entered the house. It’s impossible to surprise you.” 

“C’mon now, don’t be upset. I think it’s cute. Or maybe sexy, that predator instinct to pounce on your prey like a little blonde fox. The day you pull it off I’ll probably force you to marry me.” 

“Or you’ll kill me,” Jaffe added as she rounded the couch and plopped down next to Gabi. 

At first it wasn’t a thought which she’d entertain, but something felt good about today. So she gestured to the power junkie, two pats on her lap, and surprisingly Gabi was willing to lay aside the gummy candies she’d been snacking on and lay her head down in the exact spot. Impossible, was the first thought. A couple more tests. A hand petting her head, which she allowed; the other rubbing her stomach, also allowed. Was she ever this obedient or submissive? Perhaps it would be good to start taking notes. 

“You’re in a good mood today.” Jaffe remarked while continuing to pamper her. 

“Hmm, not really. I’ve had a lot on my mind and I’ve been quite busy. Maybe I needed a quiet day.” 

“Is that why you didn’t immediately tear my clothes off when I showed up?” 

“Possibly. I still plan to later, or maybe something more relaxing. Although I’d have to count on you for that. The vanilla shit pisses me off.” 

“Your mom’s influence is as strong as ever.” 

“Shut up,” Gabi chuckled as she returned her attention to the movie. 

The experience was definitely weird, having Gahbriogyva of all people not being directly overbearing in all aspects. A girl who either got what she wanted or took what she wanted, but wasn’t afraid to earn those things the right way. She took pride in all her achievements and even more pride in herself, ever reluctant to bend the knee to anyone. If she had any weaknesses they were well hidden, but the only one Jaffe really knew of was herself. While Gabi would likely never say it, she certainly was unwilling to give her up. Too aggressive to show proper affection, but too obsessed to make her love unnoticeable. Like a never ending one night stand. 

But maybe this calm could be used… perhaps, with a bit of luck, this would make her liable to say things she normally wouldn’t. It was always difficult to get any real information out of Gabi, especially when her family was so overly secretive with everything they did. Most claimants still don’t even know where their main family home is, and the only reason she knew was because Gabi had brought her there to introduce her to her grandmother and great grandmother, Kikana and Kaya respectively. That was the type of information liable to get her killed if she ever brought it up to the wrong person. But now, maybe she could learn something more personal? Disguised as an honest and normal question. 

“Hey, Gabi.” Jaffe matched her energy. The currently relaxed mood. 

“Hmm?” 

“What was the hardest fight you’ve ever been in?” A perfect question. A topic she enjoys while also opening the door to gauge a physical comparison to Gabi and what she’d need to eventually overpower her. 

“That’s an odd question, but I guess it’s not nearly as out of pocket as other things you’ve asked before. Why are you interested?” 

“Just wondering. The expectation would be your dad, but I can’t be sure.” 

“Well, you’re not wrong. Dad was mainly taught by his own mom, and learned several other things from tutors like Zorelle and Koiva. With Uncle Nier as a rival at one point and his own father as a secondary teacher later in his life, it serves to stand that many people forget those types of open facts. Dad is the aikekunai of darkness, yes. But he has influences from multiple houses, not to mention our family is split between both fire and darkness. My grandmother believes in survival through absolute power and my grandfather is one of the Rhihon known for his devotion to Phita.” 

“That’s… oddly perceptive of you.” 

“Rude? If I care about something, I’ll pay attention to it. It was good to learn as well. It makes sense. Gahbreal, a darkness claimant who functions on a completely different spectrum from the other darkness claimants. An outlier who functions on both Kikana and Phita’s ideals. Haven’t you noticed that, just like fire claimants, he rarely ever lets go of his weapon?” 

“Now that you mention it, he does have an odd way of fighting too. It would make sense to use a lighter weapon when the movements are so dance-like, but he uses a battle-axe of all things.” 

“Right? He utilizes a heavier weapon to better simulate the heft behind the longswords and great-swords my grandpa would have him use, but that just means he had to edit his dance to better fit that choice. A longer weapon means longer range, so longer strides and stronger swings. The same typical techniques, but with range and strength that makes it far more deadly without sacrificing power. He could ideally decimate entire groups of enemies at once if he wanted and, at some point in his previous lives, I’m sure he did. All Chisuke family members have their own dance, and his is currently hailed as the apex of them all.” 

“You’re such a sexy fucking nerd, holy shit.” 

“Fuck you,” she responded with a bit of hostility. “Anyway, to answer your question, I know too much about dad to make that fight hard. I’ve learned from the same people although I never learned anything from Xainayne, but I did get to learn from Uncle Eric. In that regard we’re fairly close in power. I had more difficulty with Uncle Nier and my mother in comparison, but my mother is too kind and Nier relies too heavily on his element and isn’t capable of outlasting me. DeVian is a sure fighter, and that makes her threatening. Her actions with the halberd are filled with years of expertise, but she’s greener than you’d expect and doesn’t have the experience of her past lives. Stasia is certainly extremely dangerous, but suffers from the same issue. Not to mention the lack of real, hungry warriors among their lives aside from Eric.” 

“You’re listing off aikekunai like they’re just your average claimants... and you’re forgetting Arthur?” Gabi looked at her to acknowledge she heard the comment about Arthur, but still ignored it to symbolize her lack of care. 

“What did you expect? My dad is an aikekunai. I’d be an embarrassment if I couldn’t at least match his own physical level, and I refuse to bring shame to my family in any measure. Maybe that’s why the most difficult battle wasn’t even a real fight… it did more to test my resolve than my strength.” 

Somehow this had gone over smoothly. Gabi was, surprisingly, more loose lipped than she had originally anticipated. This gave Jaffe more information than she could have initially asked for. Saying her family was “split” making it seem like there were Rhihon claimants somewhere among them other than Harvel. Her descriptions of how aikekunai fight, almost as if she’d fought them herself despite that never having happened, as far as she knew. But more importantly was her answer. It was indirect and avoided the person in question, but it didn’t challenge her strength as much as it challenged her “resolve”? Did that mean there was actually a limit to how much carnage Gabi was willing to cause despite the beliefs of others and her own words? 

“It almost sounds like you have a conscience when you talk like that. There, there. You’ll be fine,” Jaffe said while patting her on the head. 

“You’re such an annoyance. Did you think I feel nothing?” 

“I mean, I’ve made you feel a few things before.” 

“Yeah, you definitely have… I mean, anyway! Enough of that! No more questions. We should go eat something. Freddy made a lot of food and I want to try it all.” 

“Aw, but you're cute when you yap about nerd shit. I don’t know why you’re trying avoid doing what I know you want to do. You’re not even doing a good job.” 

“What? We can’t act like a normal couple every once in a while?” 

“Hey, you’re the one who’s addicted to rough foreplay. Although you do make it feel good and look hot doing it. I’ve only seen Arthur sore after nights with you. Makes me think you’re going easy on me.” 

“That was uncalled for and vulgar!” 

“But not untrue.” 

“Can’t we try to be more causal today? Relax, watch some TV? Just enjoy each other’s company and all that other weak crap?” 

“Why are you asking me? This all depends on if you can manage to stick to your own plan. You’re always the one who starts everything.” 

“No I’m not.” 

“Really? I can bet you that by the end of the night we’ll be covered in sweat and bite marks, and you’ll be the one who made it all happen.” 

“That’s does sound nice, but I’m serious. I at least want to try.” 

“If that’s what you want,” Jaffe said as Gabi lifted herself from her lap and leaned on her shoulder instead. 

“Yeah, it is.” 

“Alright, but I won’t take back what I said. I’m not backing down just because you’re acting cute.” 

“Fine!” 

A challenge set and accepted. Jaffe was as confident as ever and Gabi was the same, but the former knew the latter well enough to make that bet with only the most certainty. The information collector followed behind Gabi carefully as she began making her way to the dining area. The lights in the house were dim and even completely off in some places. It was quiet, and ominous, but that was how Gabi liked it no doubt due to her house. Just enough darkness to feel comfortable, but much like some haunted mansion when considering aesthetic. Walking down this hallway was the best moment for Jaffe to prove herself right. 

Gabi stopped for a moment, looking back over her shoulder to see Jaffe looking at her intently. It wasn’t devious by any measure, but it was calm and inviting. The water claimant knew exactly how to play into her weaknesses like this, and Gabi was always quick to fall for it. As much as she claimed to hate normal relationship practices, she fell for every single one. They didn’t exchange words, but the winged claimant still turned and approached her. Lifting her arms and placing them over Jaffe’s shoulders. By now it was already an assured victory. Vestiges of swirling red in the woman’s eyes as if in a self-induced trance. 

“Yeah. Definitely serious about all that talk,” Jaffe remarked as she watched Gabi almost ignore her outright. Almost as if the words didn’t matter as she focused all her attention on placing kisses all over her neck. “Alright, enough. Didn’t you want to eat?” 

At least that was the idea, but perhaps the definition of eat had gotten lost in translation the moment she felt Gabi’s teeth. 

“See? I’m eating.” 

“So that’s how you want to play?” 

The next passing moments for Gabi were like melting into a fizzy deep red. It was partially difficult to focus, but not unlike any other time she had Jaffe’s company. Everything always seemed to just blend together, as if every feeling were mixed within a pool of madness made physical. The deep ambrosia of illicit emotion made manifest. And then, after moments became minutes and minutes became hours, her eyes flickered open and she found herself exactly where she didn’t want to be. Lying down in her bed, Jaffe’s head on her chest and both covered in sweat and the marks of excessive kissing and biting. 

“Shit,” she remarked to which Jaffe’s responded by chucking while half asleep. 

“I told you, big brat. I know exactly how to treat you.” 

“I’m so fucking hungry.” 

“The food is probably still good, but I’ll be more concerned with thinking up a reward for our bet.” 

“I hate you.” 

“I love you.” 

“I know… I love you too, although I’m starting to think it might be unhealthy.” 
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
kaiju
played by kaiju · Jul 11, 2026
Makings of the Moon: Nightmare Fantasy

Her wings carried her to the ground with a slight wobble. She stumbled and fell to her knees, removing the wolf like helmet from her head and tossing it to the ground before heaving up both bile and blood. A thick black, viscous sludge from her mouth as if to signify the very condition of her mind. She did not let it hinder her any further and rose to her feet. Continuing onward with several things on her mind. Each step feeling heavier than the last. Perhaps this was the reality of exhaustion. Years passed by so casually it didn't feel natural. Even after so long she barely changed herself, but the world around her continued to look more and more unnatural. The truth of the paradox as others even seemed to age faster. Even still, it was no doubt real in its own way... The stink of blood still clung to her no matter how often she attempted to clean it off, after all.

This was Gabi’s most difficult trial yet, and it had taken time to complete. All she could recall, day after day, were the lives she had taken in this place. This world, tailor made to test her. After the events of the first year she concluded this would not end until all her enemies had been slain, and her enemies were vast and many. Encompassing every single living human, claimant and their creatures. And so, on this day, she returned home after confirming her final kill and leaving not a single soul alive. All living things now bound by the blood which seemed to flow everywhere, even having dyed the seas and oceans in their deep vital repositories. A world bathed in blood and violence. 

In that moment she could feel a space within her mind sizzling with elation and joy. However, there was one thought which outweighed every other thing. She looked around as she walked, wondering for a moment if she were truly prepared to face reality. 


If I’m still here, that means the trial isn’t over. But there’s only one more left… 
 

She nearly fell over again, but steadied herself on the tree which stood dying and falling apart. She began coughing more, blood like fuming oil escaping between her fingers as she attempted to cover her mouth, but each droplet on the ground beneath her feet reflecting the dim red orbs which looked as if they were getting closer to madness by the second. Even so, she moved forward. Possibly by will alone, but not due to her own desires. It was also why she hid the shade of her eyes, displaying the blue she called normality.

In all honesty, she wanted to run away. 

Gabi looked over the house as she made her approach. A place once called a family home, now dilapidated and falling apart in certain places. Complimented with makeshift repairs and reinforcements over the span of several years, but sturdy enough to remain standing tall and surviving almost any disaster. When she reached the door her nose twitched, followed by a sigh of relief upon the heavy scent of blood being replaced with something more comforting. However,  she did hesitate to open the door. Her own mind standing as the last remaining bulwark from the inevitability she refuted. 

“I’m back.” Contrary to the outside, the inside was well furnished. Walls painted and repaired, furniture well maintained and decorated, the rooms lit by functioning lights and the building kept cool with air conditioning. Among it all, however, remained the most important thing. Kiran. 

“You were gone longer than normal this time.” 

“I know, things got pretty… hectic.” The image of DeVian and Stasia flashed through her mind, marred by violence, and her eyes twitched. "We won't be discussing it."

It was around this time Kiran took noticed of her appearance. She was a mess. It looked as if she had attempted to clean herself off in some river, but that did very little to elevate what stained her entire being. The feathers of her wings, normally a beautifully reflective black, were a deep crimson due to the blood which matted them together. Her armor was smudged and scratched in multiple places, stains where dried viscera once had been. The cape which was once a banner of her very presence now tattered and falling apart. Once off white with a gold design now purely red, same as the cloth which was tied to her belt and draped around her waist. 

Her helmet was missing, cast away outside, but it only served to show her face fully with her long black hair pulled aside. The hair itself had hints of red in its deep black. A sign there was blood staining it as well, and the scent of multiple houses. Her face looked as if it were covered with faint remnants of viscera, no doubt due to her attempt at cleaning her hair. Even attempting to hide the gore was useless. But what he said did not match her expectations, nor anything she could have ever anticipated. 

“This was the last time. Right? Now you don’t have to go out anymore and fight?” 

“It’s… yes. It’s the last time, but that doesn’t mean I’m done. We’ve survived this, but we’re still here. That means the way out still needs to be found.” 

Kiran knew that was a lie. Gabi had shared with him quite the hefty sum of knowledge. She always told him things like physical strength alone won’t earn him power and a sound mind will serve you better than any blade. That was why she never lied and never hid anything. She told him about the world they shared and her intentions to be freed from it, and she also told him that she would bring him with her. But there was a flaw in all her promises. She said her trial involved every claimant falling by her hands, and he fit into the criteria. Knowing they were the only two left made that all the more clear for him.

“No loose ends.” He whispered the words and Gabi hadn’t even noticed. 

“We'll take a few days to relax, but not too long. You’ll be coming with me this time and we won’t be coming back here for a while. The search will most likely take quite some time.” 

He watched her as she walked around the room fixing things and placing items in their rightful place, but he had other things in mind. The final part of her trial. It was all he could think of as he reached for the shotgun she had always left near the front entrance… a gift from Nier. 

“I’m sorry, auntie.” 

“What are you talking about kid?” She froze the moment her eyes saw Kiran aiming the weapon in her direction. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m doing what has to be done. You taught me everything! How to talk! How to read! How to learn and listen! You taught it all to me with every ounce of your free time, so I know I’m right!” 

“Kiran, put the FUCKING gun down.” Her voice sent a shiver up his spine, reaching an octave he did not know she could manage, but her eyes remained stark blue. He had never seen the red behind those eyes, no doubt due to her efforts to hide the madness. But he wouldn't be letting her protect him this time. 

“You’ll never make the choice unless you’re forced. So I’ll be thanking you for everything, but I’ll make the choice for you! Fight! Kill! Become who you need to be and finish the job!” 

Gabi’s body moved instinctively before the shot echoed through the building. She had taught him how to use the weapon in case someone else had shown up and he needed to defend himself, but as she stopped for a moment to assess the situation it became clear that had been a terrible idea. She couldn’t rest, and the moment she gave him a chance he took the shot. Her next thought was to flee, but the moment she made the attempt her entire body felt weightless, then heavier than it had ever been before. She was barely capable of regaining her footing fast enough to respond to the next shot fired. 

“I won't let you run! Wasn’t it you that taught me power is everything?” 

“It’s not everything! Power can’t replace what you’ve lost!” 

“But you’ll be losing nothing. This world will fade along with the trial’s completion. So you have two choices! Abandon that power you seek or take it! Because if you don’t, I will!” 

She could feel it for a fleeting moment. Despair. The despair of having taught the boy far too much and crafting an enemy she couldn't bear to fight. It was the same feeling as a waterfall bearing down on the shoulders. Each second more unbearable than the last... and yet she did cast the thought aside. Just as her mind settled on survival and her heart ached with the eternal hunger for power, so too did her red eyes fill the room with a bloodied glow. A flash of light within the dark and the sound of piercing flesh which haunted her dreams and made her stomach churn. 

She didn’t want to move; didn’t want to allow this moment to become reality. Her breathing refusing to slow down as she cursed herself for putting so much effort into the boy’s mental growth. He had come to the same conclusion she had, but he was more prepared to make a choice than she was. He was willing to force the choice on her she was unwilling to make. One of them had to die, but only his death would spell freedom. And it was because of that she took his goading to heart and struck at him with her gauntlet. Sharpened claws piercing straight through the chest and out the back. It didn't hit her until after it had all passed. The reality of what she had just done. 

“Wait… what did I… Kiran!” 

“I’m not the Kiran from where you came from. It's like you're frozen in time sometimes… You’ve done everything for me, some copy based on someone you’ll still be able to see... I won’t be the reason you’re held back from reaching your goal.” 

“That wasn’t for you to decide! What am I supposed to do if this isn’t the answer?” 

“I know I'm right... and if I’m wrong, then you’ll just need to keep going forward.” 

“You talk just like the characters from the books you asked me to get you and the shows you always watch. Stories about heroes fighting demons, and unspeakable evils. But you were supposed to survive this.” 

“There they are,” the boy spoke as he moved his hand toward her face. “Never got to see… red eyes… so cool…” 

His hand fell from her face, fingers smearing trails of blood across her cheek until it descended down to his side. The rank sound of bone scraping against the metal of her gauntlet as his body slid from her weakened grasp and fell to the floor in a pool of his own blood, akin to a spilling universe. She could hear herself before she could even feel it, the hyperventilating beginning to occur as she looked at the blood coating her hands. It almost seemed to spread and cover her body, as if becoming a part of her very being. And in that moment she was afraid.

Perhaps it was due to having something physical to fight for; a purpose going beyond herself. Power existed at the top of her desires and would forever remain a thing she needed if she expected to see her goal through to the end. It was for that reason she chose to attack rather than continue looking for opportunities to flee. Not just her resolve, but Kiran’s as well... but she still couldn’t tell if she were hallucinating or if this was all reality, but all she could see now was blackness. The darkness swelling all around as her fingers curled and her jaw twitched before unleashing a soul sundering scream. 


Jaffe, deep in her sleep, resting alongside Gabi in the large bed she had acquired through extremely forceful means. She preferred sleeping spaces where both she and her wings could occupy all at once, that was why she would lie in either one of two ways. The first and most common was with Jaffe at her side resting on one while the other covered them both. The second, and the one she had settled on for the night, having Jaffe occupy her chest while the wings themselves were sprawled out. Both were comfortable, both were feasible, both allowed them to remain close. 

However, Jaffe’s eyes slowly opened to find that they had been separated at some point during their rest. Then, with little warning, sound began to steadily flood into her ears. Who knows how long it had been going on, but what started as muffled noise soon became a blood curdling scream which shook the very room. Rising quickly she would find Gabi sitting up with her fingers digging directly into the mattress between her legs. She didn’t even notice her, didn’t even react to her getting up. It was as if her eyes, stark reminders of madness, couldn’t focus on anything. At the start fear seemed reasonable with the possibility of anything happening, but fear wasn't a luxury Jaffe found she had. 

“Gabi?! What’s wrong?” Words fallen on deaf ears. She was entirely incognitive, so she placed her hands on the woman’s shoulders and tried again. “Hey, look at me! What is going on?!” 

It was at that same moment the door burst open and, of course, Mist was standing on the opposite side. 

“What happened?!” Her demand was direct, but Jaffe wasn’t hearing it. 

“Out! Now!” She snapped with her eyes set on the other water claimant. Mist did not take kindly to that. 

“Excuse me? As if you have the right to—” 

Before she could continue a thin hand fell on her shoulder. Long fingers, attached to an even longer arm. He did not speak, but Jaffe knew Lespin well enough to know he would handle the situation with his subtle actions alone. And just as expected, the moment Mist looked in his direction he shook his head and lead her away. Mist, her expression barely remaining stable, relented. And he door was soon shut quietly in contrast to Gabi’s continued panic. 

“At this rate all your staff is going to hate me more than they already do.” Jaffe joked, but remained serious enough to solve the issue as best she could. Wrapping her arms around her and resting her head on Gabi’s shoulder. “I didn’t think you had nightmares. It’s only me and you here now. Just take deep breaths.” 

The screaming did not stop immediately, but she could feel the changes as slight as they were. Jaffe’s chest pressed against her own; she could feel her beating heart, at a breakneck pace, beginning to slow more with each passing second. Her voice lessening from the high pitched scream to typical wails and eventually dying down to, unexpectedly, a calm and meager sobbing as her face nestled itself into the water claimant’s collar. 

“There there, you’ll be okay. Want me to get you a glass of warm milk?” 

“Shut up. I’m not some kid.” 

“Well, that’s true. But you sure as hell act like one sometimes.” There was a pause. A silence accompanied by spaced sniffling and steadying breaths. “So? Are we going to talk about it?” 

“There’s nothing to talk about.” 

“Gabi, there’s definitely something to talk about. That’s the first time you’ve ever done anything like that and I don’t plan on wondering why forever.” 

“Oh please. Don’t try to act so thoughtful now. I love you, but I also know you.” 

“Then you should know I’m serious, Gabi. Look at me.” 

She didn’t want to, but Gabi did listen despite her instincts. She lifted her face and looked directly at Jaffe; it was what most others would call a mistake. Perhaps she had considered why it was that her father so often gave in whenever her mother made such crazy demands of him in the past. Now it was all so obvious that it made her sick to her stomach. Her skin, even in the dark, akin to evening sands. Eyes beckoning all her attention and yet the strands of blonde which attempted to obscure them had to be pushed aside. She was so dreadfully alluring, perhaps only in a way she could truly see. That was the reason she responded first with a kiss and then with her own words. 

“I’ll love you forever, but some secrets aren’t ready to be shared… so give me some time.” 

“How much time?” 

“Enough to steel my heart.” 

“You're talking like this is a movie... Fine. I know you won’t change your mind, but if anything like this happens again you will tell me everything immediately. Promise me.” 

“Why do you care so much?” Gabi asked as if expecting another answer, but instead found the human and claimant trafficker she called a lover staring at her with deathly serious eyes. 

“Promise me! Swear it!” 

Her heart ached, but she did not know why. As if she had done something wrong yet did not understand what it was. Seeing Jaffe like this was troublesome in two ways. On one hand she didn’t think the woman was capable of showing this type of entirely serious aggression, and it only drove home how upset she really was. On the other she didn’t have to heart to outright say no to her when she looked like this. Gabi’s own hands lifted from her lap and positioned themselves on Jaffe’s cheeks as she leaned in with an expression unlike normal. Less like her father’s moderate gaze, and more akin to her mother’s deliberate empathy. 

“I promise.” 

“Swear it.” 

“I swear, but don’t get ahead of yourself. That aggression doesn’t suit you well.” 

“I know, but you won’t listen otherwise.” Jaffe remarked as she fell forward onto the power addict, reclaiming her position lying on her chest. 

“You should be more concerned with what you learn. I won’t let you escape me after you learn my plights, even if I have to chain you to a wall for the rest of your days.” 

“Kinky, but you won’t get rid of me that easily.” Her response was coupled with the plucking of a black feather causing Gabi to jolt. 

“Ouch! You bitch!” 

“Calm down. It was going to fall out anyway, and that’s at least worth a few bands.” 

"Charming."
ooc
Originally posted by: Dobu
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