It wasn't like Qrow to get nervous, but he couldn't help the nervousness in which he impatiently waited by his phone. He had bolted out of the cafe as soon as it vibrated in his hand, hardly even explaining to Godfrey that he was leaving to answer it. He just refused to let this slip through his fingers. He didn't care what he had to do to see it through.

Godfrey was looking significantly better these days than he had in the past, that was for sure. But Qrow couldn't deny that there was something in his husband that was certainly missing. Not just off, but missing entirely. He had the attention span of a mosquito; he was more skittish than normal; he even bruised easier. Qrow had tried feeding him different things, getting him outside to get some exercise, but it was like watching him slowly deteriorate.


I refuse to lose you again.


Qrow paced a few feet back and forth throughout the duration of his phone call. It was a marked effort for him not to yell, especially since she was giving him news he didn't want to hear. Threatening her was unlikely to work as well. She was one of the only people he could find that might have some experience with helping Godfrey and that Qrow didn't feel was a raging idiot. She, unfortunately, had the upper hand.

Finishing the call and stepping back inside, Qrow barely managed to stop Godfrey from drinking what wasn't his. Calloused fingers wrapped around Godfrey's thin wrist in a light, wordless warning. The dark-haired counterpart quickly adjusted and picked up his own mug. It took Qrow longer than normal to answer because he had to get his attitude in check. He had a schedule set out for the day that was now ruined.

"She's fucking pushed the time back," he complained in a low groan. "Something about her other appointments running late or whatever. Something that doesn't have anything to do with us. I'm fucking - ughhhh, we have a schedule to keep!" The man pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, finishing the rest of his cup in one quick motion afterward. Glancing at the typewriter, his perpetual frown softened into half a smile. "I guess that gives you more time to write. Anything you want to show me?"





Of course he could afford new pants. He could afford an entire new wardrobe four times over with how much work he did for Novevu. But that fact was beside the point - he liked these pants. He'd gone through the inconvenience of getting them tailored at Godfrey's insistence and the snug fit had grown on him over time. He didn't want to tell Godfrey because he'd complained so much about the idea of getting them tailored, and then the entire time at the actual tailor's, and even more when they had to go pick them up. It was very likely his partner already knew; after all, these had become Qrow's favorite pair of trousers ever since. But he still didn't want to say so.

He pulled at the chain around his neck that held his ring, tucking it back inside his shirt. It must've come loose in the fray. The blond man stood to his full height and looked to the sky for a moment. It was getting lighter outside. The fire lit up the night like a mock sun, reaching for the hues that reminded it of itself as they began streaking across the sky. This had taken longer than he thought - he supposed he'd gotten carried away.

Well there was a chance Godfrey would still be asleep. There was a little bit of solace in that.

The death claimant raised his knee to his chest and brought his foot down hard. He repeated the action at least ten times, caving in the skull of the man below him. He wished there was more he could do, but wiping out his entire family line would suffice for now.

First, Qrow had killed the man's daughters. Two of them, one about five and the other was probably eleven or so. That was two weeks ago. And then his only son. It wouldn't have mattered to him much usually, but there was a need to make it painful; that had been a week ago. And then his wife the night prior. Now it was his turn to die. Qrow had memorized all of their faces and painstakingly found their names: each and every knight that had survived his first onslaught on the king's palace. So far he'd found six of them. There was still more than thirty to go.

Qrow had considered the idea of purging anyone who ever expressed any modicum of loyalty to the king, but Novevu expressly forbade him from such actions. He already didn't sanction the way Qrow chose to cope with what had become of his lover, but part of him did understand. He couldn't say he was surprised; this was one of the most predictable aspects of this particular soul. Their anguish always ended in extreme violence. Novevu could see that for as far as the soul had been a part of his house and anticipated that trait persisting through time.

Turning around and taking in the house with its busted windows, doors hanging off of the hinges, and a body hanging out of one of the doorways, the man spared himself a self-assured grin. There would be no reason to follow a scorched earth policy here. He wanted anyone that was associated enough with the knight to be able to see what had become of him and his family. He wanted them to know he was coming.




Another sigh escaped Qrow's frowning lips as he ascended the stairs to the home he shared with Godfrey. It was miles away from any neighbors. Godfrey had complained minimally, probably because he'd gotten tired of Qrow murdering their neighbors and constantly being wanted by the authorities. It could arguably be said that most of Godfrey's worries could be traced back to his husband.

Qrow stripped of his ruined cotton shirt on his way up, using a corner of the sleeve to scrub at some of the blood that had splattered on his face and been forgotten about. Hopefully one of the servants could get the stains out of his trousers; he didn't care too much about the shirt.

"QROW! OH, FOR - SOMEONE GET QROW!"

His pace quickened to a sprint until he was bursting into the master bedroom like a cannonball. He couldn't tell who he had passed on the landing; he'd almost pushed them over the banister in his rush to get to Godfrey.

Qrow sized the situation in less than a second. The sheets and blankets were trailing off the bed as if pointing to where Godfrey lay barely moving on the wooden floors.

"Master Qrow, he -" came the shaking voice of one of their longest-surviving servants, Ears. He almost shrunk in the shadow of the doorway as if fearing however the blond was going to react. Not immediately seeing any reaction out of the man he served, Ears took a tentative step forward and immediately regretted it.

"You useless, sniveling, disgusting = YOU ARE SO SIMPLE YOU AIM TO JUST STAND THERE?!" Qrow Desdon's eyes flashed redder than blood in his anger, something Ears wished he didn't have to deal with. There was another servant - whom Qrow had named Fish because that was what he said her hair reminded him of - that hovered hesitantly in the doorway.

Both Qrow and Ears reached for Godfrey at the same time but Qrow shoved him away hard enough to send him crashing into the wall. Fish cowered more in the doorway as she watched, but she couldn't say she was surprised. The servants all but drew straws to decide who had to be the one by Qrow's side whenever something adverse happened to Godfrey.

The blond death claimant picked his husband up with as much gentleness as he could muster, bringing Godfrey close to his chest and making his way to the bathroom. Ears was thankful he'd run that water - now that Qrow was there, he could disappear somewhere else.

"I leave for a few hours and you throw up blood," came the man's annoyed growls. Godfrey felt so gaunt in his arms and he hated it. Placing him in the steaming water of the bathtub was like putting a leaf in the river. Godfrey had never been particularly well but this was... scary. And Qrow hated how powerless he felt. This was the only thing in the world he could do absolutely nothing about.

Qrow kneeled next to the tub and splashed some water over Godfrey's face, then used some of it to push the man's hair back over his forehead. He would've dunked his head under the water to try to wake him, but Godfrey was pretty pissed last time he was woken up in a manner that could've killed him. Qrow didn't need him coughing up another lung trying to yell.

"I have the most incompetent servants, you cannot so much as roll over in bed without getting hurt, and my pants - ! EARS! FISH!" he screamed over his shoulder through the still-open door. "GET IN THE DAMN KITCHEN!"

Things had been so different when they were kids it felt like a lifetime ago. There was no easy way to keep track of the passage of time after a while except the different stages of being that Godfrey went through. As far back as he could tell, Qrow had never changed. But Godfrey was like the turning of the seasons. It was all Qrow could do to hold on.

Godfrey came to dazed and confused - again. It annoyed the blond death claimant only because he was still yet to determine what was wrong with the man, let alone try to help him. While it was true Godfrey had been kidnapped to lure Qrow out, and Qrow had come as fast as he could, he still couldn't forgive himself. He was working on making it up to the man some way. When he was feeling better, maybe they could go somewhere they hadn't been before. Coming up with ideas like that sort of escaped Qrow.

"You fell," he finally answered his inquisitive significant other. Sometimes it felt like Godfrey talked at the speed of light when he was trying to make up for the fact that he was out of it. Waiting for him to stop could be thirty seconds or thirty minutes. It certainly didn't aid Qrow's mood that he had to essentially hold his husband down while he desperately flailed around in the water. "The mission was fine. I got a lot done. I know I was gone for a while trying to complete this one, but you're - I mean, I'm back now. You should feel a bit better."

He sighed, resting his chin on the side of the tub as Godfrey pulled his soaked clothes off. Smoldering crimson eyes settled over Godfrey's frame, analyzing him one limb at a time. He was already starting to bruise from the fall out of the bed. Not to mention the faint scars from his time in the torture chambers.

A sharp pang of pain shot through Qrow's heart once more at the reminder that that was his fault. He wished Godfrey was stronger so he could take better care of himself. Trying to be strong enough for the both of them was well within Qrow's ability, but he feared it wasn't working in practice as well as he wanted it to.

"I'll go see to it those lazy servants are cooking then," the son of death excused himself. He stood with ease, mussing his now-wet hair once more. If rage alone could evaporate the water then he'd be bone dry already.

His heavy footsteps echoed through the otherwise quiet house. Most of the servants were afraid of him and he knew as much - preferred it that way. Life was easier when everyone around you had no choice but to obey or die.

Qrow entered the kitchen feeling relatively better than when he had seen Godfrey struggling on the floor, but seeing that hardly anything was in progress ramped him back up into another state of fury. Godfrey needed something to eat. What the hell had anyone been doing all day? His own stomach grumbled as if to make a convenient point though his main concern was the fact that Godfrey hadn't eaten.

"Sie liegen unter dem Tisch. Sie sind beide Verräter." {They are under the table. Traitors both of them}

He nodded to Chef in acknowledgement, stomping over to the table in question and pulling out the trembling servants in one fluid motion. Ears was leaking onto his floor, droplets of blood from earlier's meeting with the wall falling onto it. Ears and Fish were holding each other initially; Qrow ripped them apart and bashed their heads together in annoyance.

"Not here, brute," came Chef's heavy accent from across the room. Qrow's head slowly turned to look at him until burning red eyes were trained on the life claimant. Chef crossed his arms over his chest before scoffing in exasperation and pointing to the entrance. "Back! Outside!"

"Don't piss me off, Chef," the Desdon boy growled. He dragged Fish and Ears by the scruff of their shirts back towards the foyer before dropping them there. Took a second to adjust his pants, which had fallen lower around his hips.

The two servants wondered if they should pray. The Wall of Fame wasn't too far from where they were now and they couldn't help but wonder if this was the day they ended up on it. Fish had always thought she and Ears would be the unlikely duo to survive for years. Something like Chef. It was something of a dream; a goal to strive for. As the deadly master of the house Qrow stood regarding them now with his unusual eyes and markings on his chest, Fish's breath caught in her throat for just a moment. Was this going to be the last thing she ever saw?

She considered all the ways she could plead for her life. She would appeal to his vanity or pride if it seemed it mattered to him at all - but it was as if the only things that ever affected his mood were Godfrey and his job, though Godfrey considerably moreso.

"Master Qrow," Ears started shakily, his forehead flush to the floor in the ultimate example of vulnerability. Even on his hands and knees he was shuddering. "I do not deserve your mercy, however, I - mistakes were made, and I - "

"Quiet," the master of the house spit through a clenched jaw. "I don't want to hear it. I don't care. I won't kill you now because I do not have the patience nor time to train another one of you idiots and Godfrey is too sick to do it. This choice expires as soon as Godfrey gets out of the bath and says he is hungry and there's no food for Chef to make. Am I understood?"

Fish perked up at that. From what she could gather, they were saved! "Oh, Master Qrow, thank you so - !"

Her words were cut short by a sharp cracking noise. She hardly knew what had happened, but for sure tasted blood in her mouth and had the worst pain in her jaw... And for some reason, she was looking at the floor now. Had he... backhanded her? It wasn't often that Qrow hit her (in fact, the exact last time was hazy) but this was enough to make her think about it for the next week and a half. Was he really so displeased with their performances?

"Shut up, you insolent scab. Do you reckon I have not noticed you?" He leaned down to her level as she held her cheek in staunch surprise. "I see the way you hide in Ears' disgusting shadow. Do you forget I am the one who named you? I see you, girl. I chose you out of a list of other incompetent applicants. Do you understand that?" When she didn't answer, he slapped her again. "Answer me when I ask you a question. Do. You. Understand. That?" The woman nodded hurriedly, terrified blue eyes pleading with his for some sort of indication this would be over soon. "Then get out."

The two scurried to their feet and out of the foyer faster than Qrow could think to swing again.




By the Void, Godfrey was so handsome. A truly beautiful person in every sense of the word. For a moment as he spoke, Qrow forgot to pay attention to his words because he was busy admiring him. Godfrey had to be one of the strongest people in the universe. He was unwavering and unbelievably resilient despite the fact that he'd never once had the upper hand in life. He also never complained. Somehow, he was content to just be with his murderous husband no matter which way that was. It was a sense of peace Qrow himself never knew.

Godfrey's voice was soft like flower petals brushing against the skin. As he spoke, Qrow had the urge to kiss him but restrained himself. Kissing him might make him lose track of his train of thought.

A sports car roared to life outside. Qrow had begun to recognize the differences in car sounds; he could tell this one had to be a sporty type because of the roaring of the engine. Discerning between cars backfiring and gunshots had been a harrowing week and a half. The noise didn't last for long; the car burnt rubber as it pulled off.

"Please leave."

Qrow looked up in confusion for a moment, having lost himself in trying to identify if the noise was a threat and being sure Godfrey was safe. To be honest, they were both still coming to terms with being freshly reincarnated. He was just a bit quicker on the draw.

The metal of a golden necklace suddenly felt cold on Qrow's exposed chest as he heaved, blood particles spraying on his nose and cheek as he sent a machete cleaving down the waitress's body at more than seventy miles an hour. Her voice had already been annoying him and her attitude only made it worse. Godfrey hadn't been bothering anyone. Sure, he was a bit odd, but humans were like fucking roaches with thoughts. Fuck them for ever thinking they had the entitlement to judge any other living thing.

There was the smallest sound of a gasp, quickly followed by tiny feet trying to make a run for the exit. Qrow made it quick for the little bugger - two clean shots in the back of the head put him down easy. The blonde brute dropped his weapons when he was done with them, small portals of the Void catching and swallowing them before they could hit the ground. Then he reached over the table to take a few napkins to wipe the blood off his face.

He sighed, closing his eyes for a second as he relished the kill. It was a good one. The little boy was unfortunate but necessary. Witnesses were a no-go in Qrow's book. He had left a witness once by accident - Gideon. And he paid for it every fucking day.

"Who will clean this up?" Godfrey was wondering aloud as his husband worked around him to make sure they had all of their belongings. Typewriter all packed up, Godfrey safe, keys, wallet, and phone in pockets. He pulled Godfrey by the wrist out of the restaurant and towards the car that had been gifted to him be DeVian Desdon. He didn't look back at the restaurant once in the entire time it took him to speed off.

"No witnesses," the blonde answered simply as he adjusted his seatbelt over his shoulder. They were venturing further from the apartment every day because Qrow was worried too much exposure to the city too fast would hurt Godfrey. So far, the brunette was doing well. Qrow was proud of him. When the man put his head out the window, it drew a smile out of Qrow for the first time that day. He was preparing to ask the smaller man to repeat whatever words had gotten swallowed by the wind when he noticed a car roll through the red light beside them. His body flew into protective mode and he got a grip that could rip Godfrey's soul from his body on his husband as he snatched him back into the car. The edge of his vision went red with rage. He couldn't believe someone was so goddamn reckless. Godfrey could've died.

But Godfrey was fine. Qrow took deep breaths to calm himself down, turning another corner quickly and trying to shake the jitters out of his mind.

He had not been expecting guests in their house. He smelled them as soon as the door cracked open under Godfrey's hand. He caught his husband when he came reeling back in surprise, his expression turning stormy. No words could come out of his mouth before Stasia was slapping him hard enough to make it sting.

"That was for earlier," she explained coldly, her eyes never once leaving Qrow's. They stared each other down fearlessly, his crimson eyes narrowing at her the longer it went on.

"I would do it again without hesitation," Qrow seethed at the tall blonde woman. "Tell me why you're here, girl."

"For him. And for Dev. Not you." She finally broke their eye contact to gesture towards the living room so they could talk somewhere a bit further out of Godfrey's earshot. "Gideon found you."

"What?"

"I don't know yet. But he knows so we're all cleaning house."

Qrow shot a concerned look after Lucas and Godfrey further down the hallway. They were stopped just outside the master bedroom door as if frozen. The house fell into silence as they paused there. Then, slowly, Lucas eased Godfrey behind himself and Qrow knew what was happening.

"Well, well. Missed me?"

The Desdon man reacted quickly. Stasia was still relatively surprised by the situation at hand; Qrow took advantage of her delay to shove her into a waiting portal to the Void behind her. Godfrey would be upset if he let Stasia die. She was safer anywhere else. The sound of Godfrey screaming felt loud enough to shake the foundations of the apartment building.

"GIDEON!" He shouted the name at the top of his lungs as his rage reached a boiling point. To his annoyance, the markings along his upper torso burned away the nice shirt he had on. He advanced down the hallway slowly, summoning a chain in one hand and a knife in the other. "I'm going to wear your Adam's apple on a necklace, worthless fucking scum."

"Careful. I already have some of Godfrey's." A genuinely gleeful-sounding giggle trickled out of his mouth.

"Take him somewhere safe," Qrow whispered harshly to Lucas. Then again to Gideon: "I always thought this room would look better covered in blood."

"Then let's redecorate."





Young Qrow


He hated oatmeal. He had told Novevu a thousand times now that he hated oatmeal even when it had the little fruits in it. So he hated that Novevu kept making it. Something about being big and strong, though that meant nothing to him now. All he wanted now was to eat something that he liked.

Tiny feet kicked at the air as Qrow swung his legs back and forth. Once, someone named Eviax (even though he struggled to pronounce her name) had told him he could eat anything if he pinched his nose and pretended he couldn't taste it. It worked sometimes. He tried it now, pinching his nose with his left hand and scooping a spoonful into his waiting mouth. Swallowing was easier with oatmeal because there wasn't much chewing to do. This revelation made him smile a bit with a sense of victory. She was right!

The sound of footsteps he had become familiar with echoed down a hallway somewhere behind him. Qrow didn't turn to look since he knew Novevu was likely checking to see if he'd made progress with his food.

"Aren't you done yet?" came the Ancient of Death's low voice.

"Almost," Qrow groaned.

"Hurry. Or you won't get your surprise."

At that, the little blond boy scarfed down all the food left on his plate and stuffed the remainders in his cheeks. When he stood to face Novevu, the tall man couldn't help the chuckle that rose from his chest. "Chew it before you choke," he scolded the boy.

"I won't!" He fell into step behind Novevu's heel, a bright grin on his face. It wasn't often that he got surprises. What could Novevu have gotten him without him noticing or having to earn?

Qrow was practically bouncing on his feet by the time they arrived at his bedroom door. He looked up at Novevu uncertainly, unsure what kind of surprise would be waiting in his room. The black-haired man swung the door open and stepped inside, pulling Qrow after him when the boy wavered at the threshold.

"Qrow, this is Godfrey," Novevu offered. "Introduce yourself."

The small blond child rocked on his feet, staring at the other boy in the room with them. He looked like something was wrong with him. Like some of the souls that traveled through here.

"I'm Qrow," he finally said in greeting. He cast a cautionary glance at Novevu before advancing deeper into the room until he was face-to-face with this newcomer. He pointed to the stuffed toy. "I never seen one in real life before. What is it?"

"This is Crow," the other boy's small voice answered.

"What? I'm Qrow. He can't be Qrow too."

Novevu chuckled to himself in the corner.




"Master Qrow, Master Godfrey requests your presence in the sunroom."

The tall man shooed the servant away without turning, biting his lip as he pored over the map he had spread out over the desk before him. The study was well-kept, much better than the way he'd left it. He couldn't tell if Godfrey or one of the servants had straightened it up.

He made one last mark on the map before rolling it back up and setting it aside. That could be dealt with later. Killing the knights that had spited him was more of a side endeavor; he was really striving to hunt the man responsible for Godrey's kidnapping in the first place.

Qrow ran a hand through his hair as he left the study to go to the sunroom. He still hadn't replaced his shirt nor put on clean pants since the bath had been taken. Normally he wouldn't have minded sharing, but not when there was blood in the mix.

"I hope you are feeling better," he began upon entering the room. He did his best to put a positive expression on his face though it probably just came out looking like a struggle. "Fish and Ears almost had their employment terminated today." Going to Godfrey, he kissed him on the forehead before settling in across from him at his own plate. "Eat more." Taking some meat from his plate, he dumped it on Godfrey's. "And before you begin, do not argue with me about this." He scraped at the food on his plate until there was nothing left, smiling triumphantly to himself after as he pounded his chest to see if there was a burp waiting. "Fancy you feel well enough to walk a bit? I saw something on my way home you would like." Knowing he piqued his husband's interest, Qrow winked at him. "You have to be well enough to walk, though. You have to see it yourself."

"ᴄʀᴏᴡꜱ, ᴡɪᴘᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʟᴀᴡꜱ,"
|| In the Past - 3 Days Before Execution||


Qrow had not slept in days. Had it been longer than that? It felt like more than anything, he fell into lulls of long daydreams. They morphed into nightmares if they strayed toward Godfrey. He sat in his study facedown on a map, deep breaths moving his chest up and down as he lightly slumbered. His body had had enough of his shenanigans and forced him to pass out; red eyes flicked furiously back and forth under low lids.



It was a long hallway. Qrow didn't know how to describe it other than that. He looked at the walls, putting his hands on them as he walked along. He was confused. When he looked behind him, it was as if he had covered no ground at all; meanwhile, it felt there was nothing in particular to move towards. Nevertheless, he continued.

It felt like seconds and hours that he had been walking before he heard a familiar laugh. It emanated from somewhere behind him, pushing down the hall like a soundwave. He turned curiously but didn't bother to pursue it. Whose laugh was that? He couldn't quite place it...

His walk turned into a brisk step as he tried to find an end to the hallway. The laugh tinkled behind him again, but closer this time, like it was catching up to him. It sounded like something he had heard recently. So he started running. The laugh followed him like the owner was running beside him until it surpassed him. Then he finally saw it: a glimpse of someone.

It was a man, clearly, but his frame was slight. He was laughing and running - giggling, really. Qrow couldn't catch him no matter how fast he sprinted or how far he reached.

The blonde death claimant found himself growing tired and his legs refused to move any further. He strained against the fatigue to no avail, instead watching the ghostly apparition laugh at his pitfall.

"What are you doing, slowpoke?" The voice didn't match the laugh. It was deeper than expected but still pleasing to the ears. Qrow couldn't help but smile to himself, putting more power into his legs to propel him forward.

"Slow down!" he huffed out. He had never been this out of breath before.

"If I slow down anymore you're going to miss it all." The apparition disappeared.

Qrow stopped in his tracks, head on a swivel as he tried to discern where his friend went. A bright smile appeared on his face and persisted. Feeling something else in the tight hallway behind him, Qrow turned expectantly and grinned harder when he recognized the familiar face and connected the dots at last.

"Gideon, what are you running from?" he asked the man.

Gold teeth glinted in the gloomy lighting as the silver-haired male returned the grin. "We have to hurry up. Godfrey's coming and we have to find a good hiding spot." And he took off again. Qrow's legs felt like molasses trailing after him but he didn't mind.




Qrow Desdon awoke with a jolt, instantly annoyed with himself when he realized he had been sleeping. Whatever the dream was eluded him. Rubbing the heel of his hand into his eyes, Qrow attempted to rouse himself to wakefulness. His hair hung limply in his eyes, facial hair unkempt and uneven across his jaw. Darkness crowded red eyes in the form of deep bags. He didn't care much for his appearance while he was missing the only thing in this life he bothered to care about.

The blonde man pushed himself up from his seat, swaying for a moment as he gathered his balance before descending from his office. The house had been quiet. He wasn't sure if it was because the servants were avoiding him or if they were just as distraught. He had hardly bothered to speak to them since Godfrey's kidnapping. Part of him was too ashamed - for all of his barking about keeping Godfrey safe, he couldn't do it himself. It was his one purpose. Qrow had never failed an assignment or undertaking before. The guilt ate through him like rats trying to escape the heat.

He knew his exhaustion was warranted but could not forgive himself for resting. He had been projecting himself forward for days on end, desperately searching for Godfrey. His body sat idly in the sunroom of their estate as his soul went forward to find his husband. They remained tethered throughout and Qrow did not usually keep himself away from his body for long periods of time like this for fear of an opportunist taking advantage of him not being able to defend himself. This, however, was different. Godfrey's life was on the line. There was not a sacrifice in the world that would not be made.

It had been months since he was taken. Qrow could recite the hours and minutes since he was informed if necessary.

The Void had no answers for the son of death. He traversed it as a last-ditch effort to find somewhere to start searching for his missing husband. Novevu was no help.

"And you're sure it was Gideon?" the black-haired Ancient was asking. His face reflected concern but Qrow couldn't tell if that was just for his benefit. Novevu scratched his beard pensively as he rose from his throne to approach his claimant.

"He signed his letter. It was something he said to me when we were younger and he signed it."

Novevu shrugged slightly. "Godfrey has his own tasks, you know. And his own enemies. Are you sure this isn't connected to his work?"

Qrow clenched his fists as a growl rumbled out from his chest. "What Gideon said, it has nothing to do with work. This is personal. He kidnapped Godfrey on his way to a mission. It's been damn near half a year."

"While you were on the battlefield."

"Exactly."

"Qrow, I... I can ask, but I don't know anything about this."

"Then ask." He opened a portal and went back home.



ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ.
||In the Present||


"Dead or still got that fight in you?"

Qrow could barely focus on hearing enough to catch the words. He ran purely on spite and survival, trying to get his breathing under control. The apartment was in shambles. There was dust and debris everywhere; parts of the walls and ceiling now on the floor; broken bottles and dishes and food strewn all about. It was the scene of a murder but no one was dead yet. Every breath felt like it was ripping through holes in his lungs.

The blonde man's mind drifted to how he had put that scar on Gideon's face - well, the most prominent one anyway. It brought a small smirk to a bloody mouth as the memory made him feel a bit calmer about how the situation was going thus far. It was ironic: Qrow hadn't always drawn pleasure from hurting Gideon; at one point, it was even considered a difficult undertaking. Now he would jump at the chance to rip Gideon's heart out for no reason.

Smoldering red eyes focused on the silver-haired life claimant, specifically the scar beneath his right cheekbone. It felt like yesterday that it happened. Qrow could remember it perfectly as if it were a movie playing out before him.



I want him to stop struggling so much but he won't.

I mean, what's the point? He's not strong enough to beat me and I'm not just going to let it go. I can't. I know one day he's going to kill Godfrey if I stay turned around for too long. Gideon always wants to call it euthanasia, says it's worse for Godfrey to live the way he does. But for a sad little weakling, Godfrey seems fine the way he is. Happy.

So that's why I have to get Gideon to understand. I don't care how long I have to sit on his chest or punch him in the face to do it. Novevu will already punish me for Godrey's injuries from Gideon so I may as well make it worth it.

"Why do you even care so much?!" Gideon demands, trying to block my barrage of punches. "STOP!" I manage to pull one of his arms away to land a good cross with the left. "Qrow, you -!"

"Shut up," I grind out through my teeth, grappling with him until I get the upperhand enough to force his arms to cross over his chest so I can sit on them. I try to crush his arms together with my thighs, my legs shaking with the effort as I pull out a pocketknife Novevu gave me.

Gideon's eyes widen at the glint of the blade. I can't tell if he's more scared or confused. Seaglass green eyes search through me as his mouth says nothing, chest heaving while I put the metal to his throat.

"I don't want to kill you." I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. "But I won't let you kill him either."

"You're a coward. Is that it? You're scared?"

My grip flexes on the knife as I move it to where he can see it, first showing it to him before pressing the metal into the skin under his cheekbone. It isn't hard enough to draw blood but it could if he moves.

"Gideon..."

"I'm never going to stop."

It takes a moment for that to sink in. Consulting his eyes to gauge how much he means it, there's absolutely no remorse in his expression. If anything his face reflects his sincerity with the statement. My brows furrow in confusion.

"Kill me now, Qrow, or you'll go to his funeral one day. Hopefully soon."



"You know, it could have been you and me. Not Godfrey and you."

Qrow blinked blood out of his eyes. His head was killing him and splitting in half at the same time. He couldn't remember when he had slid down the wall. He looked around for a moment, dazed before realizing where he was. Gideon wasn't moving so much either.

"That was never going to happen," the blonde responded. He watched Gideon struggle to lurch to his feet and decided he should follow suit, using the wall to put his weight against. "You've always been delusional."

"We would've been great. Instead you're a fucking babysitter."

"Eat shit."

"Aren't you tired of not even being able to fuck him because he's too frail?"

Qrow didn't dignify that with a response. His eyes flashed, heart lurching out of his chest as he forced himself up. Gideon was trying to advance down the hallway; Qrow prepared himself to face him by tenderly pressing his fingers against his shattered collarbone to see if he could use his arm. He couldn't. But at least it looked like one of Gideon's legs was in similar condition.

Qrow stumbled to the living room, grimacing the entire way as he held his useless arm. He pushed over a small shelf on the way, pictures of the Aikekunai clattering to the ground. Among them was his favorite, something they'd done in a photo booth. Godfrey had chided Qrow until he smiled and spent every frame after that trying to turn his husband's permanent grimace into a different expression.

Gideon stepped over it as he gave chase, an airy laugh leaving his heaving chest. He threw a book at Qrow, which earned him a couch pillow flying back. They threw whatever was in their reach at each other for a few minutes before they needed a break from that as well.

"You won't get him," the prince of death seethed.

"I already have." Gideon glanced at the photos under his foot and ground his heel further into one. "He screamed for you every day."



"ʟᴇᴛ'ꜱ ɢᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ʟɪᴋᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀᴍꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʀ.



Amarjeet Desdon tried to keep herself calm as news made it to her that Lucas had been attacked. He'd left suddenly, telling her only that it was something he had to help Godfrey with. A quick kiss on her curious lips and he had slipped out the door.

She thanked all of her blessings as she stepped out of a Void portal and into Law Tech's London headquarters. She all but held her breath as she waited for her escort to take her to where Lucas was recovering. They made sure to tell her he wasn't dead and she had no reason to be upset, which made her blush. She understood why but hated that what she'd done after losing Lucas followed her around like a shadow.

The dark-haired woman caught a stuffed elephant as it came her way. It made her smile faintly before dropping it off with Godfrey and continuing to her own husband.

"Mon Cherie. I am fine. It is Godfrey who is not fine," Lucas started.

"You better be!" The British-Indian woman fell into his arms and buried her face in his chest. She was only soothed when the only thing she could smell was him and the only thing she could feel were his arms around her. "I'd no idea Vincent even came back with us." Pulling away, she noticed blood on Lucas's shirt. She looked up at him to ask him where it was from but couldn't get words out of her mouth. There was an excruciating pain in her arm that she couldn't track the origin of and it felt... like someone had stabbed her in the gut.

"What's wrong?" he was asking, catching her as she stumbled and trying to keep her upright. "Why is your nose bleeding?"

She couldn't tell what was going on but it suddenly felt like she was falling apart. The brown woman dropped to her knees, emptying her guts on the floor and retching afterward. Lucas called for the medical staff to help her. Everyone seemed caught off guard by her change in state.

"QROW!" she managed to spit out, her entire body shaking now. "Lucas, is he killing us?!"



ᴄʀᴏᴡꜱ, ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴜʀɴꜱ ɪᴛꜱ ꜱᴋɪɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴀʟ,
|| Young Qrow ||



"What is wrong with you?" Qrow was finding himself increasingly annoyed with this new boy. He was weird, and not in the good way. He was stupid too. How was this supposed to bea good surprise? It was more like a nightmare that found new ways to horrify him with each passing second.

To make matters worse, he got back on Qrow's bed, fell off, and started bleeding everywhere. The comfortable scowl on Qrow's face deepened as he expressed his disapproval. What was he supposed to do with this? Godfrey didn't know about claimants, houses, or even how to get off a bed without breaking something!

Qrow rolled his eyes and sighed when he noticed the blood continuing to flow rather than start letting up. It made no sense. Godfrey didn't make any sense. Qrow couldn't understand why he was there - was he about to die? Then why didn't he pass through like all the other souls?

Novevu came storming in like part vengeful warlord and part worried caretaker. "What happened? Qrow did you hit him?"

The little blonde boy scoffed. "What do you care? He fell off the bed and did it to himself."

"I told you to be nice is why I care."

"Is he a human or something?" Qrow watched as Novevu walked over to the other boy and knelt to his level. "He fell off for no reason and just went straight on his face."

"Let me see it," Novevu was cooing to Godfrey. "Come on, it won't be so bad if you let me see it."

Qrow stomped over to his bed and grabbed Crow before moving over to his dresser. He mumbled to himself about how annoying it all was but picked out a shirt, bringing the two items to Godfrey and begrudgingly holding it out for him to take. "Here. You got blood all over yours so you can wear mine. Even though you're weird."




ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀꜱ ᴄᴏʀᴘꜱᴇꜱ ʙᴜᴛ ᴄʟᴜᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢᴏʟᴅ...
|| In the Past - Summer Before Execution ||



Red eyes narrowed as Qrow Desdon pored over a tactical map. He scratched at scruff that had grown around his jaw. He didn't look up when he felt someone enter his tent.

"Qrow."

The voice surprised him. Qrow looked up quizzically to meet Tonic's eyes. The man's grave expression gave the blonde death claimant pause. It was not unusual for Tonic to make an appearance on the battlefield but his mannerisms upon entering the tent queued Qrow to think there was an issue.

"Bored at home?" Qrow asked his old friend with a raised brow.

"Godfrey is missing."

"Missing?" Long fingers moved to smooth out the edges of the map before him. "He should be home."

"He hasn't been home since the beginning of winter."

"That's..." He shook his head, fully paying attention now. Godfrey being gone would explain why the letters Qrow had sent hadn't gotten any response. "Why wasn't I informed?!

"We thought it was a routine scout mission, Qrow. And he told us -" Tonic searched for his words, alarmed by the fact that Qrow was perfectly quiet and still. He expected him to try to kill the messenger. The blonde's stoic expression was scarier than his anger. "I'm sorry, Qrow. This letter and package came... I think he has Godfrey."

Qrow took the wax-sealed letter and leather pouch that was offered to him. He started with the letter since it was only one page, cracking the seal and poring over its contents. It was only two words but it stopped Qrow's heart cold.


'HOPEFULLY SOON.'


Tonic watched on anxiously. He did not fear Qrow - unless it came to Godfrey's well-being. Qrow was his best friend but Tonic was sure Qrow would not hesitate to kill him if he thought he had something to do with Godfrey's disappearance.

He was trying to figure out if he should comfort Qrow somehow. He'd tried locating Godfrey on his own when he could spare the time but had come up empty. It was like he'd turned into a ghost. Castor and Pollux were hopefully having a better time with the tracking.

Tonic finally lifted his head up to say something about what they'd been able to gather since realizing Godfrey was missing but - he was alone now. The man turned once in a half circle to see if Qrow had gone out the front. But the man was just gone.

Shaking his head, the dark-haired male stepped forward to open the pouch Qrow hadn't bothered to look in. The contents made Tonic feel even worse about the situation. He screwed his eyes shut and had to remind himself to take a deep breath. "We should have said something sooner..."

Inside the pouch was a preserved baby elephant head.


ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡɪʟʟ ʟᴀʙᴇʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪᴇᴠᴇꜱ, ᴡᴏʟᴠᴇꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴏʀᴇꜱ
ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟꜱ,
ᴄᴀꜱᴛ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ."


quoted lyrics - future wars by la dispute

ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴜᴘᴇʀᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ?


PRESENT DAY - QROW

Qrow never understood Gideon's obsession with him. They were both fated to be powerful Aikekunai of houses that normally should've rivalled each other, but their being raised alongside each other provided a path of alliance. Qrow didn't know at what point Gideon became like this. He wondered how much of it was his fault. Ever since Gideon had first met Godfrey when they were all still boys, Gideon had never made any effort to be the sickly boy's friend. If Qrow were honest with himself, he didn't see what allure he held for Godfrey either. He was violent and angry where Godfrey was soft and empathetic. He didn't fancy he had time for romantic endeavors while Godfrey was always doing something nice for him. He didn't feel he was redeemable while Godfrey seemed to solely focus on his good qualities.

That was why he couldn't let his husband down now. Gideon had to pay for all the pain he had caused them. While it had started with Godfrey, Gideon, and Qrow, it didn't end there. Gideon's hatred persisted through multiple lives and he had again found Godfrey's new life as Lucas and managed to end that as well. Qrow couldn't help in that case, sealed away into the deepest depths of the Void since his rage could not be quelled after losing Godfrey in their very first life together. But once he learned of it upon his reincarnation into the modern day, it gave him a newfound purpose: kill Gideon, Vincent, Carmen, and anyone they were connected to. Then he would kill Destodai for allowing a member of her house to behave in such a manner. He half wanted to destroy the entire House of Life for its transgressions against him, but Eviax being collateral gave him pause. She was actually a pretty fine woman.

Both men were in bad shape, the sounds of their various states of injury being met by the noises of the destroyed apartment. A burst water pipe spewed water wherever it had access to. There were wires hanging out of the walls sparking electricity. Blood covered more surfaces than not. Glass was strewn everywhere - Gideon was low on energy but found enough to bend down and pick up the framed picture he had shattered, clearing away the glass to pick the photograph up so he could inspect it closer. It was Godfrey and Qrow together. Godfrey smiled so big his happiness seemed almost tangible but apparently it was not enough to affect Qrow, who had his trademark scowl intact as ever. Gideon picked up one of the pieces of glass he had brushed aside and used it to cross out Godfrey's face.

Healing the wounds incurred during the still-ongoing battle was difficult. Both men's weapons were made for killing - the finish on them ensured they would slow healing on them when used against fellow claimants. The serrated edge of Gideon's blade ripped away more flesh than Qrow liked; meanwhile, the ultra-sharpened edge of Qrow's made it so that his blade pierced further into Gideon than he expected. The healing was slow, but not nonexistent. All Qrow needed was a little feeling in his arm and he would finish this cretin off.

"You couldn't kill me then," Gideon croaked from across the room. "You can't kill me now. Don't feel so bad. I don't know if I can kill you either."

Qrow rolled his eyes, using the wall he had slid down as support so he could rise to his feet. There was a burst water pipe spilling onto him. "I can kill you," he responded roughly. "I was merciful then. I'm not anymore."

"Always the tough guy. Have you ever thought about who you would be without me? What you would do with your life?"

Red eyes attempted to burn a hole through the two-tone-haired claimant's head, but Gideon was completely unbothered. The hateful aspect of the gaze could be completely ignored to simply focus on the fact that Qrow was looking at him at all. "I would spend it with Godfrey."

"You would be purposeless. I'm your archrival. Your nemesis. I complete you and you know it."

"Why are you so delusional?!"

Gideon simply smiled at that. He began working his way back to his feet as well so they could face each other. Both seemed to be waiting to catch their breath a bit before getting back to blows. Gideon was happy for the conversation, honestly - it had been too long since he heard Qrow's voice. "You're delusional if you keep denying what's true to yourself. You would have no purpose without me. No one to hunt, no one to hate." His golden teeth peeked out from behind the malicious smile. "You could never kill me. This fighting... it's intimacy for someone like you. You need this. Me."

"When I'm done cutting your tongue out I'm going to shove it up your ass."


ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴏꜰ


GODFREY'S EXECUTION

No matter how many he slayed, none of them knew where Godfrey was. Qrow grit his teeth in frustration, the markings on his chest burning with a fire unknown even to the Forge. Unknown even to Qrow himself until he was almost a man - the Void itself lived inside him. It was a sacrifice to it, as seen by some. A part of the Void found home inside Qrow Desdon, the crimson markings on the blonde man's body representing feeding the insatiable bloodlust that made up the Void. Every kill woke it up more, fed Qrow's own power, but also took him further away from sense. All this death and he still did not know where Godfrey was. All he knew was that he hated with every sense of the word.

This human they called a king had to know. Qrow threw body after body into a great fire the nobles had been so kind to provide. Holy Roman Emperor. Humans were such lowly, uninspired creatures. This was no more than a man. A sniveling, cowardly man made up of soft flesh and brittle bones and tainted blood. Would they have imagined him cowering behind his throne as he was now? He didn't even bother trying to run. There were no guards to call for. Qrow had slit the throats of the women surrounding him deep enough to almost decapitate them, so there was no one to check on. Still, if the prince of death could go back, he would have made their deaths slower. He would have roasted the first wife over the fire; cut the second from stem to stern... But there was no time for that, in his imagination or otherwise.

Qrow crossed the room in less than ten long strides until he was dragging the so-called emperor by his collar up to his feet. The man was rank with alcohol and the smell of bile, though his rotting teeth had to be the worst part about it. Qrow dragged him from behind the jewel-encrusted throne he had tried scrambling away from and instead forced him back into the seat. Qrow wanted him to get the full treatment of a human that found the gall to call themselves a king.

"Tell me where he is. Michele."

The man's dull eyes reflected a sudden realization of what was happening. It was almost as if he'd had no idea someone would come for Godfrey. Obviously he wasn't prepared for someone like Qrow. He barely knew anything about the Michele person, let alone the monster that stood in front of him now. The blonde man stood against the light but the greying man could still see how his killer burned with something that was indescribable to him.

"He is... Preparing for the gallows," came the crooked response. "I - I didn't know! Please - "

Small black holes began opening beside the blonde man - was he a man? - that the old man could not explain even if he were sober. Weapons began emerging from those holes. Murky eyes widened until they felt like they could pop out of his skull. His jaw dropped as close to his chest as they could get and he scrambled back in his throne as if it had an unseen space he could escape into. There were blades of all kinds: knives and swords and axes and polearms. There were javelins and spears and even a few arrows. All of them pointed at the emperor. He could not imagine what kind of death could await him if he continued to upset this man.

"Michele!" It was as if he were suddenly remembering who that was. "I - I know he's probably - it's - please don't, I'll take you to him!"

Qrow took hold of the man by the scruff of his neck once more, bodily dragging him over to the large broken window that Qrow had thrown at least two of the guards through. It was once a stained-glass masterpiece - now it was stained with something else.

The blonde death claimant shoved the emperor toward the window, breaking more of the glass off at the man's expense. He winced at the pain the fresh cuts provided and couldn't help but cry out.

"Point," Qrow spat.

A gnarled hand attached to a trembling arm began raising from the man's side. He could not fathom how he would be punished once it had finally reached its apex. The cuts on his face from the broken glass were already at the edge of his pain threshold - he didn't know how much more he could reasonably take. He pointed across the grounds, toward a courtyard almost out of sight due to a tall spire that reached toward the sky as if God was up there and creatures as undeserving as humans could reach Him. "The gallows are there," he sputtered. Every word felt like acid coming out of his mouth because he knew his death would follow soon after. He had gotten to the point of despair that he just hoped he would be killed quickly, as his daughters had been.

Qrow's red eyes scrutinized the area he was being pointed towards, his mouth in a thin line as he tried to imagine what he knew about the grounds and how it fit in with the directions he was being given.

"Where is the entrance to the dungeons?" the blonde demanded of his victim.

The trembling arm moved, across the horizon and then declining at a steady angle until he was pointing through the floors of his once great castle. "B-below the gardens."

Qrow did a quick calculation in his head to determine how one would take a prisoner from below the gardens to the gallows. It was not necessarily the longest journey... Still, there should be a bit of -

Smoldering eyes refocused just to the west of the spire he had noted earlier - thick black smoke wafted into the air, followed by a white billowing cloud and more black smoke. Those same eyes widened in realization that it was a signal meant for him. It meant Godfrey had been spotted.

The Desdon heir didn't waste another moment with the man who called himself an emperor. Qrow leapt from the great windows immediately, slipping through portals provided by the Void to allow him to quickly traverse the land. The old man left in the window thought he was saved, breathing a sigh of fleeting relief. Still, the air felt tense... He had to escape before that devil came back.

Then he turned. It was almost as if his eyes seeing the flint from the blades awakened and angered them, for as soon as he realized they were still behind him they had pierced him. Arrows and small daggers took his eyes first. His scream was strangled but high-pitched; certainly undignified and unlike anything a man would ever expect to have heard. He stumbled backward but barely made half a step when there was another barrage with enough force to pin him to the floor. They pierced his limbs one at a time - he couldn't tell what kinds of blades they were anymore. Two in his hands, then his arms, his thighs, feet, torso... All he could feel was excruciating fire. Perhaps something had been cut off at this point, he didn't know... Qrow had been sure to spare his heart and lungs so that he might feel as much of it as possible, but he still didn't last long. His weak heart pumped his blood all over the floor.


ᴡᴇʟʟ, ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʟᴏɴᴇʟʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴅᴀʏꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀʏꜱ


SUNROOM

"Where did you want to go?"

Godfrey's light voice prompted his husband to look up, the blonde man having gotten distracted by the napkin crane Godfrey had left. He put the little origami animal back where it had come from, on the plate, and returned his attentions to the moment.

"I don't have to tell you, you know you are intrigued regardless," he teased the smaller man. It was easy to repel Godfrey's comment about having his own life since he had ignored it so many times before. Qrow closed the small distance between them and assisted Godfrey out of his seat. Though the other man didn't ask for it, Qrow preferred to help him now so that he might have the best experience on their walk together. He moved Godfrey over to the bed they shared so that he might help his dark-haired counterpart put on his shoes.

"You will enjoy it," Qrow promised. He moved about the room diligently: pushing Godfrey's chair back into the table; gathering the man's cotton socks and leather shoes; trying to put them on him but accidentally putting the wrong shoe on the wrong foot and having to correct it. Godfrey talked the entire time - or babbled, rambled, whatever one wanted to call it. Qrow didn't mind. He sometimes didn't know what to say himself and appreciated Godfrey providing so many conversation topics. His life seemed so colorful in comparison to Qrow's according to the way he always had something on his mind. All Qrow thought about was Godfrey and making his enemies suffer.

The blonde Desdon abandoned his position once he finished fastening Godfrey's shoes, only a few strides taking him closer to the door where there was a long, wooden container holding an array of walking canes. Qrow picked his favorite, not caring if it seemed selfish - he loved seeing Godfrey with the marble eagle head. It seemed regal. It was fitting.

"Here." He had Godfrey all put-together but had forgotten all about himself. "Oh - sit back down, I have to change." He went to the neatly folded pile of clothes that had been gathered for him by whichever servant - he didn't bother to look - and hardly inspected them before throwing them off. Old pants off, new pants on; dry shirt; clean undergarments and shoes. He was ready to go within a minute and a half. He didn't want to waste a moment of their walk doing something as silly as a costume change.

"Ready to go?" Qrow's low voice was complemented by the acoustics of the room, its high ceilings allowing so much sun through it almost felt like they were outside. They could see the carefully-maintained gardens from here. It made Qrow happy because it felt like he could see pieces of Godfrey all over their home. All of the housekeeping was overseen by the dark-haired, sickly man, yet he made everything was pristine despite his persistent sickness. It was admirable. Qrow didn't bother to argue with him about it exhausting him just as Godfrey did not argue with Qrow about who he killed at the potential expense of their safety.

He had planned their route out ahead of time: they would go through the manicured gardens first, then out the south entrance toward the hill that marked the edge of their estate. There was a small meadow just beyond the hill, situated in what seemed like a mini valley between that hill and another. Qrow had already gotten seating arrangements by gathering a series of large rocks to form a seat for Godfrey. Chef had prepared light snacks of nuts, smoked meats, and cheeses to be delivered to them shortly after they set out, though he was unsure if they would be eaten after such a large breakfast. Qrow didn't want to carry anything in case he had to make room for carrying Godfrey. The blonde knew the walk may be out of Godfrey's range for strength but didn't mind carrying him to it at all. He knew his husband would enjoy the flowers even if he protested being carried. And perhaps Qrow could do something about these pearls that had been mentioned.

The muscular but lean death claimant helped his husband to his feet and placed the eagle-headed cane firmly in pale hands. Godfrey's skin was slightly feverish. Qrow did not worry about it aloud, simply made a mental note that they would do well to stop into the Void after this walk. Godfrey may not be happy about it, but at least he'd have gotten to see the flowers first. That should be a decent deterrent to the pouting.



ʙᴜᴛ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ


YOUNG QROW - CHILDHOOD

The boy called Qrow lay on the ground panting into the dust, his breath calling up plume after plume until eventually they just made him cough to match the panting. They were only using staffs to spar with but he was still bleeding from a blow to the head that was harder than intended. His heart pounded in his chest as if it had somewhere better to hurry and get to. This particular training ground was in the depths of the Void, somewhere Novevu didn't tend to too often because there had been no need before he started raising children there. The walls were half-formed courtesy of the void; some parts extended up indefinitely while others were hardly waist-level. Novevu still tasked the boys with cleaning it up every day. Godfrey didn't seem to mind too much but Qrow despised it with every fiber of his being. If there was no blood, what was the point of cleaning? Well, that defense might've worked another day, but definitely wouldn't on this one.

"You were saying Godfrey was weak?" came a taunting voice. Ritunen Desvoy had a light step as he bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet. Ritunen was a little older than Qrow but it felt he was leagues more experienced. Even though Qrow had managed to land a few blows on the other boy, they were few and far in between. It was like Ritunen was born with a staff in his hands.

"He is!" the blonde defended himself, finally finding the strength to get back to his feet.

"He's sick. What's your excuse?"

"He broke his nose yesterday falling off a bed. My bed."

"So?"

Qrow entered into a guarded stance and raised his staff as if he were prepared to attack. "Novevu said he doesn't have long, anyway."

Ritunen, otherwise known as Rit, shrugged. While he was older than Qrow, it wasn't by much. He figured Qrow was pretty smart for his age so it didn't feel like consorting with a little kid all the time. "So? Dad's wrong about stuff all the time."

"Like what?"

"He said Soi wouldn't last the first year and he was wrong. Soi's sick too. Plus he swore Tani was gonna be a boy."

"Soi can probably read," Qrow grumbled under his breath. He charged at his opponent, stopping just short of crashing into the black-headed male so that they could clash weapons. Ritunen was precise and quick where Qrow was daring and aggressive. Unbeknownst to them, they influenced one another's style with each session. Qrow was excited for when they would graduate to real blades. Then again... perhaps not in this exact moment. He was losing control of his breath and Ritunen seemed to know it, a slow smirk spreading over his pale features. Qrow lunged and Rit parried it, knocking Qrow's staff aside and letting the poor blonde boy flail for another step before tripping him with his own staff. This was a bad day of sparring for Qrow. It was obvious he was distracted.

The blonde death claimant gathered himself quickly, picking himself up and preparing another attack. He had multiple angry red welts on his body but they were much easier to ignore than the throbbing in his head.

"Let's say I beat you next round," Rit began, tossing his staff back and forth playfully. "Then you have to be nice to Godfrey."

"That's stupid," the younger boy instantly responded.

"So is losing."



ᴘᴀʀᴅᴏɴ ᴍʏ ꜱᴜᴘᴇʀꜱᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ - ʙᴜᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ꜱᴜᴘᴇʀᴠɪꜱɪᴏɴ


PRESENT DAY - AMARJEET

Amarjeet was injured, yes. Just because it was not new did not mean it was a familiar feeling; in fact, it was much the opposite. But it still didn't matter. She could hardly feel it in comparison to the way her heart was both beating out of her chest and refusing to beat at all. She didn't understand what was happening. She was very aware her being alive in the present day was a miracle and an oddity all in one, though she tried not to think about the repercussions too much and instead focused on being with Lucas again. They had enjoyed their little life. He woke up earlier than her most days and brought her coffee in bed; she got him necklaces she thought he would like - his favorite seemed to be a seashell and red jasper one; they found joy watching movies together after their days. She begged him not to go looking for Vincent. He was more than happy to vow they would never be separated again. She wondered if he knew his promise was broken.

He tried to make her laugh even as he was fading out of existence. She couldn't find anything to smile about. Brown hands pulled desperately at his shirt as if it could keep him in this plane, but it was nowhere near enough. He faded as if he were never a real man to begin with. She was left grasping at nothing but the air itself.

Amarjeet blinked once, hard, as if trying to wake up from a dream. This had to be a dream. There is no way life could be so cruel to her.

She reeled herself in before turning to face a room full of her lives and their counterparts. Everyone that was not a version of her was gone. Her heart skipped beats uncertainly. It could not figure out how to behave any more than she could.

"What's happening...?" she whispered to no one in particular. Her voice was failing her. It was stuck somewhere inside her chest. It was worse than the pain from whatever injuries kept appearing on her.

She looked around the room, at all those left behind. Her eyes felt like they were playing games on her because she could hardly recognize any of them. She felt an incredible duality of despair and rage. The Void scratched at the back of her mind, feeding on the negativity, dyeing the outer edge of her eyes black as if to remind her of all it could do. It could take the pain away. It could get revenge for her. It could, it could...

AJ blinked, taking a deep but scattered breath. Not again. She had given in to the Void's desires once and while it was true it had worked to an extent, it was not worth the price. Lucas still didn't come back. And Gahbreal, Shinzo, and Haden barely managed to restrain her. 'Restrain.' What a funny euphemism to underscore that her best friends had had to kill her to overcome the destruction her grief caused. Her mind briefly wondered where they were now.

Does it matter? Your boy is dead, the Void seethed. Again.

There was no way around that. It was right. She had not become acquainted with all her lives, but saw each of them mourning their partner. She was familiar with DeVian Law, the modern-day heiress who had afforded she and Lucas much of their life. The woman was burying her face in a tall, pale man's chest - was that Rit? She had not seen him in so long, yet it appeared he had barely aged at all. There were tears and sniffles coming from every corner of the room. Everyone was mourning. AJ's eyes kept scanning the room until they landed on a somber-looking man holding wilted flowers, turning a razor blade over and over in his hands. He looked more confused than bereft. She wasn't very familiar with him. His demeanor confounded her enough to make her walk over to him.

The man looked up with bright but sad blue eyes, offering her a grim smile. "Hey," he greeted her. It was as if they were at a park rather than watching their beloveds fade away into nothingness.

"Hey," she responded, her confusion clear in her tone.

"You're AJ," the man continued. The edge of his lip quirked up as he offered his hand, then stood to offer his seat as well. He was simply sitting on a gurney. His lover's blood was assumed to be what was dripping off the side. "It's okay. My name is Rene."

"Rene?" She begrudgingly took a seat on the gurney.

"Yes, miss." A moment of silence stretched on before he added, "I think Wisteria may be a little happy. I know it is expected to be sad, but... Maybe she is peaceful. For that I can only think to be happy." He shrugged lightly. "I know it lacks sense. But I say it because I think it could be worse. At least it was quick." When he saw her expression morph into something more stormy, he reached out and placed his hand on top of hers. It was warm in an unexpected way. She looked from it to him uncertainly. "Be still," Rene advised softly. "We came back to life once."


ɪ ꜱᴇᴇ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ: ᴍʏ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ, ᴍʏ ᴘᴀɪɴ, ᴍʏ ᴘʀɪᴅᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇɢᴏ

ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ꜱᴇᴇ ɴᴏ ᴇᴠɪʟ




quoted song: no evil by sir

Here lies the journey of Godfrey and Qrow prior to the events of Revolutionary Revolt

Godfrey by all manner of speaking was not a loud person, though he craved physical attention; with his occupation he preferred to be left alone to his own devices, that was not to say he was an introvert. No matter where he went, he knew that somewhere in the shadows, a man he knew to be his lover lurked; waiting ever so subtly for the chance to cut down whoever so much as looked at Godfrey in any way, shape or form. He was so deep in though, he hadn't even considered the fact that he had been staring at the woman at the counter for an inordinate amount of time; feeling his cheeks turn pink in embarrassment. "Sorry. Did you say something?"  Poor woman thinks I'm insane. He coughed, still trying to remember what it was he was doing in a cafe. As he tried to remember, she gestured to the counter where two identical navy blue mugs on saucers rested. That's right. Coffee right... was that Qrow order or mine... I recall ordering hot chocolate... My memory is the worst. He picked both up, gave the woman another apologetic look before turning on his heel and scanning the building. Qrow had gone outside, he remembered that much  – to answer a phone call... a phone was the new method of communication... As he began to walk to the seat that he saved – clearly marked as his spot because of his black type writer, he placed both drinks down and took a seat. Those around him – mostly humans had been watching his odd interaction wit the woman behind the counter; blushing even more he rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms respectively before placing his fingers upon the metallic buttons. He read the previous lines of his letter, a self letter; one that he had promised Qrow he would write for the impending appointment at some Life claimant's psychology office. 


I understand that this process is meant to assist with finding out who I am, and even then do I know who I am or is this just a facade? I don't quite know where to begin in general, when people ask me about myself I tell them I don't remember much of anything – most of my mind is filled with the voices and memories of the memories I have taken either willingly or otherwise. I have been banned from getting this device called 'mobile phone' – primarily because according to Qrow, if I was given possession of one, I would likely fall down a metaphorical and literal rabbit hole. I also understand that this task is meant to be a prompter. Something you can use to evaluate me if the results come off as inconclusive. I also understand that you expect me to write about my childhood and adolescence and to be honest; it is better to ask Qrow about such details. My life starts and ends with him Qrow. 

Perhaps I annoy him, perhaps he thinks that I ought to not be... so reliant? As far as I know, or have been informed it seems that I suffer from a condition known as elemental rejection – not a single soul I know apart from myself is afflicted and so I do not know if this will kill me – and if it will kill me then why hasn't it already? There is a long persistent joke that I was born into the wrong house, that I should be a member of the house of Death and yet I was not fortunate enough, my soul considered below standard for many of the more impressive souls – the type of souls that Novevu looks for. I suppose you also want an explanation about other things too... it's hard to explain but I will do my best – no promises though. 

He didn't bother to check which mug he ended up picking up, as it was about to touch his lips a solid set of fingers grasped his wrist and he turned to see Qrow shaking his head – so he had picked up Qrow's drink and not his own, lowering the mug away from his lips, Godfrey replaces it with his own proper cup and takes a sip of the now lukewarm liquid... that's not the only thing that he observes – the place is about to close... he had become hyper focused and had written so deeply that he had forgotten to keep an eye on the time... the woman at the counter who was wiping down a display case full of assorted sweets – cakes, tarts, other things too... like pie – apple? Peach? Pumpkin? As he began to pack up, he expected Qrow to say something, anything. No words yet; his spouse did not smell of blood and yet something had to be wrong for Qrow to be so silent. "Did I do something wrong? Are we late?" He shuttered, still unsure of his own voice and whether or not the whole "speaking thing" was just an illusion, a dream still. "How was your day?" Still no response, this was bad... really bad. "Did she cancel the appointment?" He was trying to keep his tone light, but again no response. 


"Sir? Sir? Are you alright?"

Godfrey shot up, his chest heaving as he looked around, one of their servants – who Qrow had named 'Ears' - because of the male's large ears looked at Godfrey in concern, he winced. What was that? Memories of the future? His future? It couldn't be. Turning his head, he realised that the other half – his other half was no at all in bed... he had been gone off back to the Void. Godfrey inhaled before answering Ears.

"Where's Qrow?"

 "He did not say sir. Breakfast?"

"In the sun room please."

"Shall I draw a bath?"

"Please Ears. Don't tell Qrow about this."

"You have my word Sir. This is however number six for the month. You may want to ask the apothecary for their sleep draught again. As I recall that seemed to alleviate the nightmares." 

He knew Ears was just trying to be helpful, but Qrow had asked that he stopped drinking the draught because it caused him to fall too deep into sleep – at one point Qrow nearly threw him out and off the balcony in what was considered his attempt at a peaceful but forceful wake up – after Godfrey had failed to respond to him calling his name several times. He fell back on the straw mattress and yawned, another night of unrestful sleep. What was he going to do? As he rolled onto his stomach and stretched out on the mattress, he tried to smell the sheets, anything really for the scent of Qrow – he was already beginning to feel ill from being without his spouse. As he listened to the copper tub being filled, he examined his bare skin – invisible except to everyone but Echowix, Eviax and of course Qrow; the marriage marks were beautiful and intriguing, they resembled a pattern a sort of clockwork that pulsed with the caress of Death and the magnetic force of his own 'rejected' element of Metal. How pretty... that we would be represented by Death Blooms and links... metal links... the same kind in those... uniforms that the knights.... He blinked, why was he finding it so hard to... he clapped a hand over his mouth as blood began to seep from his stomach, up and up until it sat in the back of his throat – he tried to swallow, but the blood continued to insist – wanting to escape out of his mouth... he could not afford to ruin the sheets again. Rolling over and off the bed, the sound of him crashing caused Ears to run back in, he gestured away and tried to swallow, to no avail his blood spilled out of his lips and he began to choke, Ears – who had only ever witnessed this one other time, ran out of the room screaming that someone ought to get Qrow. Godfrey himself, wiped at the blood, which now covered his arms, his cotton shirt, and heaved again, no blood this time but he trembled nonetheless. "I don't understand." He told himself, why was he reacting so badly? Why was he... he felt the pain of his head smashing against the floor. Help me. Qrow.

Godfrey hissed and flailed around when he realised he was in a tub full of hot water, thus splashing the clear liquid to and fro until he finally realised he was just in his bathroom and that he had managed to soak Qrow from head to foot. He composed himself, wiping his face, part of the water had turned a rusty brown – what had caused that? "Hi." Wait was he supposed to be saying something else? "Oh. I ruined your shirt... Where did your pants go? Why is the water... is that blood? Are you hurt?" He was confused, he remembered asking Ears to run a bath, and now Qrow was here? That was miraculously quick. He looked around, where was Ears? "Did something happen?" The scowl he was met with, told him that he had done something wrong... what had he done? Maybe the blood wasn't Qrow's? He sunk deeper into the water. "I feel ok. You've been killing people again." He really had no idea what he was supposed to say in a situation like this. "I'll be a out in a minute, I'll join you for breakfast. I'll be ok... besides. Crisis averted?" He then rolled over in the tub, realising he was entirely clothed he cursed under his breath; removing his shirt and then his pants, both which were thoroughly soaked he tossed them towards the basket with out dirty items. "How was the mission? If you're here then people are dead?" When Qrow still refused to answer, Godfrey shrugged, he really had not a clue about why Qrow was upset. 


||Ten minutes later||

Neither Fish nor Ears dared moved, or rather Fish dared not; she had watched as Ears became a part of the wall, not quite dead – yet not quite intact and alive either. She wasn't actually sure why she had accepted a job like this to begin with... heck she could barely remember the day she was hired; but she had always remembered the rumours: 'The house has two masters, one is fragile and the other deadly. Pray the fragile one is awake when the deadly one is around... lest you lose your head or life.' At first she had, like most been a skeptic – however after working for Godfrey or rather the fragile one and Qrow the deadly one, she had come to appreciate the fact that she had remained in their good graces up to this point.

The most eerie thing about working for them? The picture frames of all of the dead employees – part of their 'wall of fame' or rather 'how quickly one managed to be killed.' most of the living employee's had their heads still fixed to their pictures... those who were dead well, a picture of their decease form and their 'total time survived' was stamped in big black letters on their former picture frame. By Fish's count, since her arrival, at least forty-five people had come and only six of them had survived as long as she. Ears was the only person prior to her employment – disregarding 'Chef' who had survived any longer than a year – mostly because Ears was very good at making sure someone else was to blame for Godfrey's illness. 

They watched as Qrow moved into the bathroom, Ears staggered to his feet and pointed towards the door, Fish hesitant to leave after that showing off of brutality shook her head. She'd end up with survivor's guilt if this was the last time she saw Ears standing. They both nearly jumped into the ceiling when Qrow shouted for the both of them. Taking his hand, Fish led the partially limping Ears back into the kitchen where the other servants were gathered. Fish had no idea what their names were, all she needed to know was that unlike the rest of them – most of them were human, the only one who stood a chance against Qrow was 'Chef' who was a life claimant and about as aggressive as Qrow during pastry hour. 

"Vat zis zee meaning of zis?" 

When neither answered. Chef threw his hands up and started on them in German – never a good sign, and most of the fury was directed at Fish. 

"Die Eier sind ruiniert und wir haben kein Kaninchen mehr. Ich dachte, ich hätte dir gesagt, du sollst das Kaninchen holen? Warum bist du noch hier, Mädchen?" {The eggs are ruined and we are out of rabbit. I thought I told you to go and get the rabbit? Why are you still here girl?} 

Fish couldn't think of a response as the heavy footsteps of one particularly pissed master of the house came thundering towards the kitchen, rather than jumping out of the window – which is what she would have done, she ducked under the table, taking Ear with her and they hid. Chef who was not surprised anymore by anything – except for when they found themselves out of ale. Chef went back to the stove, as though he hadn't just spat a round of curses at Fish. 

"Sie liegen unter dem Tisch. Sie sind beide Verräter." {They are under the table. Traitors both of them} 

If there was one question in that moment to be asked, it would have been why Godfrey hadn't bothered to teach anyone German? He had taught them all Italian, Spanish, French, Swedish, the list went on and on but not German. It meant that neither of the human staff members knew what had been said until they had been dragged out from under the table by their legs. Both of them whimpering and holding each other – if this had been a leaf imitation competition; the pair would have won. 




||In the present|| 


Were we expecting to meet someone? Oh right! The therapist? It's not so bad... them being late or asking for us to come later. It just means more writing for me. More, trying to get my memories together, why did not one explain being detached from the others would mean nothing but confusion? I can't remember my lefts from rights sometimes and sometimes I forget that I am able to speak... can I speak? Yes. I'm not dead anymore and my tongue is fine...As if to check, he ran his tongue over his teeth. Qrow had asked him something, if he had anything to show. "Oh yes. Here. I think they're closing..." That's why the chairs are stacked up and the other tables moved around right? He was forgetting something. What was he forgetting?

"How was your day?" Didn't I already ask that? I need to make a mental note that my memory is failing me... badly. But isn't it normal to ask someone a few times how their day is? The hot chocolate is now a cold chocolate... maybe I can ask the lady to heat it back up? What was I writing anyway... Oh right! An introduction to a memoir? Is that what they call it these days? No... I don't know. He suddenly felt the urge to hit his head hard, that's what he he done when he had been tortured. He had hit his temple to jostle his mind, to try and clear it... control it. But something told him that Qrow would not be pleased if he decided to punch himself in the head. The first time he had been caught doing it, Qrow had ordered a pair of overly large mittens. 'The next time you have to hit yourself at least you won't leave a bruise.' and then there was the fact that he had cut himself on the first knife he had ever found – again, Qrow quickly banned him from the kitchen – which was somewhat amusing seeing as Qrow could not cook. 

Somewhere close, a motor kicked into life, he had gotten used to some noises – traffic light, buses, bike bells, coffee machines, cash register, cats, dogs, birds, he liked those ugly ones that seemed to be everywhere and nowhere... what was their name again? Pigeon? This noise, was new and had him jumping under the table – causing the woman who owned the cafe to sigh in annoyance, impatient and something close to disgust. Clapping his hands over his ears – the typewriter having toppled off the table in all of the commotion, crashed again causing Godfrey to jump his head bashing into the table he had dove under. "Ow. Is the noise gone?" 

"Please leave."

The lady seemed to say over the buzzing that filled Godfrey's ears. The buzzing had started about day nine into two hundred and seventeen the first time he had been captured and tortured. He had never realised that the noise was his brain, or rather the element inside trying to shield him from the damage and to keep his ability intact. Now the buzzing came back whenever he was overwhelmed. Gone were the days of vomiting up blood and tripping over objects, now instead his body refused to do anything. It was like a disconnect.




He stepped into the Sun room, his hair still slightly damp; nonetheless he was glad to be out of the room – which was being hurriedly cleaned by two female servants he had never met but assumed had been there long enough, or maybe they were being borrowed from the neighbours. Either way, as he moved towards his seat, Chef stepped in with a tray full of savoury and sweet goods. Where was Qrow? He inhaled and smiled. Though he couldn't really be around the life claimant without feeling like someone had removed his lungs, the scent of food buried any protests his body would have already thrown. Thanking Chef with a nod of appreciation, he sat down and began to dig into everything and nothing. Usually, he found it was best to hurry the food into his system and then bite down on something to prevent the food from coming back up. "I really like the quail eggs..." He wasn't sure if Chef could hear him. He just assumed he could. "Berry? Are you there?" Another male servant showed himself. "Can you please go get Qrow?" Berry had been named because his temperament was sweet and because when all else failed, the longest surviving staff member was able to wrangle corpses and other such... things out of Qrow's arms. "I think maybe a trip to the Void is in order." 



"Where are we?" He looked up to his ancient, his teddy bear in tow as they walked. Nammay hadn't said anything and he was starting to think that he had been whisked out of his mother's arms for doing something wrong. As he toddled after the much taller and much faster ancient, Nammay refused to look down or to look at his claimant, how could he? Godfrey was terribly ill and his element was all wrong. Course, elemental rejection was rare but for a child to be this badly afflicted? Why Nammay had no idea what to do except to somewhat abandon the child in the Void in hopes he would die quickly and return a stronger form. It felt cruel to say... to think and yet Nammay could not think of any other solution. "I don't like the way this place smells... where's mama?" Nammay gritted his teeth and kept walking, just a few more steps and they would be at the front door of his best friend, and hopefully the saviour Godfrey needed.  This place that Nammay had shown Godfrey, was scary... but it also felt right? As he tripped over the last space, he felt Nammay's steel like arms picking him up and nudging on the large obsidian covered door with his foot.

"Nammay?" Still no response. 

"So this is the child?"

"Nammay?" 

"He's very close to" 

This strange man did not finish his sentence, rather as Nammay gently placed Godfrey down and walked out without another word; Godfrey finally understood where he was. This was the Void, his mother had always told him that only terrible monsters ended up in the Void, so that had to mean that he was a monster himself? He suddenly found the urge to try and run after Nammay, to beg for forgiveness, instead the tall man whose eyes were an impossible indescribable colour lowered himself so that Godfrey would not have to crane his neck.

"What's your name?"

"Godfrey."

"Do you know who I am?" 

"Novevu." 

The ancient nodded, and offered him a gloved hand, had he always been wearing gloves? Godfrey was confused still at the entire situation... the circumstance he was in. He supposed this was an excursion or maybe a test! Maybe Nammay wanted to test his bravery and his loyalty! Taking the Death ancient's hand cautiously, Novevu smiled, it was a heartbreaking type of smile, the type of smile that children did not understand until they were grown. "Let me show you to your room. We'll take our time." He nodded eagerly and began to follow Novevu, who as promised took short small steps so that he wouldn't trip or hurt himself. This entire time, Godfrey whilst curious also kept his other hand tightly wrapped around his soft toy. His elephant, the only thing that Nammay had allowed him to take from his room. "This is my elephant. I call him Crow. I know he's not a Crow. But I like it. Mum likes it too." Novevu nodded occasionally – as if he was listening to the small metal child talking. "This is your room." Novevu unlocked one of many hundred identical doors they had passed. Stepping around the Death ancient, Crow in tow. Godfrey peeked into his new room, there was a giant bed... no two giant beds! He felt his jaw drop and he looked to Novevu as if he couldn't believe it. This room? Was his? "Your room mate is eating breakfast at the moment. He'll be back soon and you can say hello to him then." "Ok! Thank you!" He toddled into the room, gushing to Crow. Why things couldn't be so bad if he was being given a massive room, and not just that but a new best friend! 

One of the beds, he noticed was semi-done as in to suggest the person who owned the bed had forgotten how to finish fixing their bed, hauling Crow onto the untouched bed, Godfrey set to work fixing the bed up, occasionally humming a soft tune, a lullaby that his mother had taught him. I hope they're nice and I hope they're a boy. Maybe we'll be friends. Maybe he'll find out why I'm here for me. He examined his work, stepping back and smiling, clapping his hands together, he returned to his own bed and sat down with Crow. His feet swinging. 


||In the present||


As he climbed out from under the table, he reached for his typewriter; examining it for damage and feeling half relieved that it was just barely scratched – Qrow had mentioned it was pretty indestructible, as he packed it up into its case, placing the papers he had been working on into their folder, he heard a soft sound of metal being thrown. Turning his head he watched as the woman who had asked them to leave was split down the middle in two, the blood splattering everywhere, he was immune to the sight of death but not so much the scent, pinching his nose he looked away. Spying a little boy who had witnessed the murder, Godfrey opened his mouth, as if he hoped to warn the kid to run – another dead body. Godfrey winced. "Who will clean this up?" No response was provided, the next thing he knew; they were back in the sleek black car that Qrow had been given by one of his lives, DeVian? They sped away from the scene, as they rushed off he watched as several death claimants appeared from portals to clean the mess up.... so that's how Qrow remained out of sight and out of reach, the humans really must have been stumped. "Did he have to die? The child?" He was a tad bit terrified that Qrow would lash out for questioning his decision, when no response was given immediately; he sunk further into the car seat and shut his eyes... he really wanted to hug Crow. 

Though neither was new to travel, this was the first time either of them had ever lived or visited the city of Algiers, Algeria. It was by all means spectacular and it did have that old city charm to it, some parts were artful whereas others had been completely neglected. As he lowered his window, he stuck his head out just a bit and inhaled lungfuls of air – he hadn't actually realised that he had been holding his breath, nor that the scent of blood and death lingered in the vehicle. "Do you think they'll mind us visiting?" He seemed to shout to Qrow as his voice was consumed by the wind that rushed past them. Moments like this, where he was able to scream into the wind and just feel nothing but unadulterated joy, reminded him that he wasn't always sick. Just as they turned the corner, a out of control vehicle seemed to swerve into their lane. Qrow, not one to take chances – probably because Godfrey had little to no sense of self preservation; practically ripped Godfrey back into the safety of the car. A gasp leaving Godfrey's lips as they narrowly avoided being utterly destroyed by aforementioned vehicle. "Sorry..." He rubbed his chest, damn it he was apologising again. 

The apartment they had been given, had by every means been an utter 'fucking' disaster as Lucas had commented when they had first arrived. Primarily because and mostly because it was in the busiest part of the city. Lucas had promised to find them someplace else to live, someplace where Godfrey was likely not to find himself falling into harms way. Course, Godfrey had profusely refused to leave once they had explored the small two room apartment. "Home sweet home!" tossing the small key into the bowl by the coat rack, Godfrey slipped his shoes off and was about to turn the light on when someone cleared their throat. 


"Hello." 

"Stasia? Why are you here?" All of a sudden, Godfrey had the sense to turn around; crashing right into his husband he rubbed his nose as his uh... other life? Supposed to mostly present life? What was he supposed to call Stasia? His descendant? As he rubbed his nose and readjusted his glasses; the tall almost feline like woman, brushed gently past Godfrey and slapped his husband.

"That was for earlier."

"Earlier?"

"Go to the kitchen Godfrey."

"You can't just slap him." A sudden urge to destroy Stasia overcame Godfrey and he was ready to fight the younger woman, who when he did not move initially shoved him towards the kitchen and into the awaiting arms of Lucas.

"We had to come... sorry. It's not safe here anymore, for either of you. So we've come to take you to another city."

"Why?" 

He wanted to return to Qrow's side, but when Lucas turned Godfrey on his heels and towards their bedroom to pack, he grasped the wall and stuck, looking at Qrow for answers as Lucas tried to 'shove' Godfrey towards the intended destination. He started to feel sick, had something happened? Something that Qrow had been too afraid to tell him about. Biting his lip to stop from throwing up on what he realised was a very expensive likely Gucci cashmere shirt of Lucas. No one seemed to make a sound when something that sounded very much like Crow being ripped in two came from the bedroom. Godfrey looked to Qrow in fear. Lucas, realising what situation they were in. Switched so that Godfrey was behind him as the door swung open.

"Well, well. Missed me?"

"Fuck! Godfrey. Run."

"Not going to say hello?"

The voice was laced with venom. Godfrey staggered back, he hadn't realised he had shrieked. As the door opened, a slightly shorter man, with two tone hair stepped out holding Crow's head. He threw the decapitated head at Lucas who caught it and placed it gently in Godfrey's arms. Gideon smiled, his gold teeth looked ugly in the dark.

"Seems I'm just in time to get rid of at least three of you."

||Back in the past|| 




It had smelt like white pepper, bitter orange and coriander. The day the bells tolled twelve; it had been thirty three days since Godfrey had been given the chance to smell scents that reminded him of home. The King had warned him that the day the bells struck twelve, would be the day he would finally be brought forward to face the blade of the executioner. 




“Rose water? How strange, what an expense to be affording me.” 




Godfrey stood there, naked… he had gotten used to being naked, the only things that were new about the pale male were the fact that the bruises that had marked his skin had now turned an ugly shade of green perhaps like pine needles, he detected yellow – it reminded him of daisies. The male attendant a stranger dabbed at Godfrey’s skin, Godfrey wondered just for a moment if this human was appalled by the state that he was in, the fact the Holy Roman Emperor would afford him, a traitor, a spy such a luxury even though the rest of the political prisoners held within the palace walls would die smelling like vinegar, piss and whatever else they could still produce out of their mouths.




To add insult to injury, rather than being dressed in the rags he had gotten so accustomed to, Godfrey was put into fine silk, cotton even… his toes had almost forgotten what it was to be in shoes. Course, Godfrey would not comment on the fact that these shoes did not fit him whatsoever; he was grateful that he would be dressed when he finally ended up in some nameless ditch with the rest of the men and women who would be murdered for their beliefs today.




He held his hands out in front as the shackles that they had made specially for him, slipped on for the last time… the first time Godfrey had been put in them he had laughed with glee, why he had felt so light to be without his element… but now all he felt was this dread of knowing that he might as well be dying incomplete, broken. He was shoved towards the iron door, it’s metallic hinges scraping against the granite, it hurt his ears as he lilted towards the right, when they expected for him to go left… that was quickly corrected by the guard who punched him in the jaw, he toppled to the floor. 




“No breakfast?”




“Priest is here. You’ll eat after.”




“Lovely.” 




There would be no priest, just Gideon. Godfrey knew that but refused to cause anymore issues for his guard, wiping at his cheek and getting off the floor without assistance, though it took using the wall and three attempts before he was back on his feet. Godfrey straightened himself to his full height as he was lead through the damp flame lit corridors of the castle’s dungeons; really the only sounds that he could hear that he bothered to focus in on were the rats that were full of garbage, the howling of tortured inmates and the dripping of water; supposedly the castle’s dungeons has been built around a small cavernous area that constantly produced dripping sounds. Godfrey nearly hit his head on the basement ceiling as he was shoved into another cell… this one was different from the rest, as it had a view of the outside… the sky. 




“Good morning Godfrey.” 




“Gideon, how nice to see you.” 




“Damn, they weren’t kidding. The skeleton thing.”




“Pleased by the sight?” Godfrey sneered 




“Me? Pleased? You’re still breathing. So no.”




“How nice to know you still give a shit.” Godfrey sat down. This was their routine. 




“Me? Give a shit? Godfrey, you humour me. No.” 




“Aren’t I going to see your face one last time? Or are you too busy trying to fix your face from your last encounter with my husband?” 




Gideon kicked the chair out from underneath him and his head whipped back before crashing against the floor. Gideon’s laughter was the only thing Godfrey could hear as he sat back up and stared directly at the sky… it was grey, so perhaps it would rain as he died? Gideon grabbed Godfrey’s attention back by kicking the fallen man in the chest, causing the fallen to topple over onto his stomach and cough as though he only had one lung. Gideon took pity on Godfrey after a while, and forced the dark haired male back upright and on the chair  – really just a stool with three limbs that had been kicked in far too many times, it used to have four limbs but Gideon had broken that off one time to beat Godfrey with it; said limb now sat forgotten to the wayside in the corner.




||In the Present||



“Good to see you’re as fuck ugly as ever.” 



The two males stared at each other, eye to eye. Godfrey was relying on his sass to piss Gideon the fuck off; which to give the brunette credit… it was certainly working – although how Gideon would get retaliation? Godfrey was less sure.




Suddenly, they were not two males at the bottom of some Spanish castle acting as prisoner and interrogator. They were no longer there but instead in a dimly lit hallway, Godfrey was not alone; rather he was with being protected by his futures who were acutely aware that Gideon cared not for their continued existence; only the pain he could cause to Qrow. Godfrey, could barely squeal when they were shoved into the portal, when they fell atop each other and groaned at their bruised limbs from the impact of the fall. 


“Qrow needs to stop treating us like we’re luggage.” 




Stasia hissed as she rolled onto her side and rubbed her chest, Lucas had changed their positions so that Godfrey would land atop the frenchmen, Stasia looked down at her chest, it was not just mere pain that had hit her but rather a very large machete in the chest. She coughed, frozen. Lucas had noticed, as had Godfrey who both began to bleed exactly where Stasia bled… though neither had been hit by the blade. There was another presence, the strongest of the trio, Lucas got up depositing Godfrey with Stasia; the Frenchman shrugged his jacket off and tossed it on the two before summoning his weapons, they knew from experience that Gideon never worked alone - well hadn’t worked alone since becoming friends with Vincent, Lucas’ murderer in the 1920s. 




“What do I do?” 




Godfrey panicked, he had no idea if he should put his hands on Stasia’s chest, had no idea if he should remove the massive blade that impaled her chest, he looked to Lucas who was holding his scissors in a defensive position… to shield the both of them. Stasia in the meanwhile looked up at the sky, where three gulls seemed to be flying in a circle, she smiled.





“Just lie next to me Godfrey, panicking will make it harder for Lucas to concentrate. He meant this blade for you.”




“Gideon will pay for this.”




“Qrow will see to it.” 




Lucas murmured as he threw one of his scissors into the distance, they heard what sounded like someone losing their eye before the bloodied scissors were back in his hand. Godfrey did as Stasia instructed and laid down next to his future life; whose eyes were now closed. 




“Are we going to die like this?” Stasia whispered




“No, it’s ok. We’ll be ok. I’m sure the others know.” 




“Stasia, I know you’re dying but you need to get up and help me. It’s Vincent and Carmen.” 





Lucas who could just see them, the man who killed him and his female companion, Lucas could commend them for the strategy to wait to see where Qrow would send them and then finish them off whilst Qrow was busy slaying the dangerous one. He could hear Stasia struggle to stand up, he could feel the pain of the blade in his own chest and he was doing his best to stay conscious… they had to protect Godfrey for he was the primary target.




“We should portal out of here.” Godfrey was still on the floor, unable to move.




“Stasia won’t survive the process. We need to fight until one of our lives. Or Qrow, comes to get us.” 




Godfrey lifted his right arm up and traced his markings, they trembled with a furious beat; Qrow was working up a sweat fighting his worst nightmare and here all Godfrey could do was lie on grass… on some random cliff bleeding to death with his future lives. He coughed and rolled onto his side, the blood was dark… was he already dead?




“I can take three shots before I’m down Lucas.”

“I can take five. Stay behind me, as long as Godfrey survives. We’ll make it.” 




“Where the fuck are Jillian and Eric.” Stasia cursed.


Gideon spat the blood and whatever else was there out of his mouth, the apartment which had been so thoughtfully put together by Godfrey and Qrow just weeks ago now looked like it had seen a nuclear missile. He heaved, leaning against his own blade, Qrow had made quick work of his axes, cleavers and one of his guns… now he was down to his personal favourite. A blade he has stolen from Godfrey himself, melted down and shaped into a sword. Standing up as straight as he could manage despite having a very shattered right leg, the silver-haired male smiled sinisterly.




“Dead or still got that fight in you?”




Though he could no longer run, he made some effort to stumble, sway and swing at Qrow who like any other warrior on the battle field rolled away and got back on his feet – and whilst it would have been nice to have said that Qrow was coping, he was in fact dealing with a dislocated shoulder and a partially destroyed left collarbone (the cleaver had done it’s job of leaving Qrow with a sizeable chunk of his shoulder missing) this was how they fought… dirty, destructive and sometimes if one was watching… maybe even like lovers.




“You know, it could have been you and me. Not Godfrey and you.” 




Gideon swayed, barely managing to turn as his leg buckled once more and he was forced to readjust his weight. 



Vincent stood over Lucas, it felt almost like the past all over again. Lucas remembered this position well as Vincent like his dear pal Pickering talked on and on about how he loved this chance to redo his greatest achievement… and perhaps this would have been a perfect reenactment – except Vincent, like most villains of the past did not and had not ever been informed about the existence of Jillian; until of course three holes formed in Vincent’s skull. Jillian having shot out both eyes and then in-between just to make sure the man was dead. A shrill scream left Carmen who ran towards her now dead for a second time husband. 




“Well that’s over with.” Stasia wheezed.




The sound of an aircraft got louder and louder and for once the trio who were quite literally about to drop dead; were able to take a huge sigh of relief as one particularly pissed off miniature assassin and a very loud viking – who was shouting over the engine noise; made their appearance. 




“We MISSED the FIGHT?”



“Well yes and no, yes for Vincent. No because Carmen still has to be dealt with.” 




“I WILL DO that. YOU LOT on PLANE.” 




Carmen reached for Vincent’s firearm and took aim at Eric, who despite being the eldest life (just before Godfrey) was not bleeding, nor was Jillian for that matter. Eric stretched his arms and then like Thor descending swung his battle-axe into Carmen who let off two rounds, both were deflected by the blade as they began their own tango on the edge of the cliff. Jillian who was satisfied that Vincent was dead, helped Lucas who was smiling like a maniac; onto the helicopter - Jillian had taken one look at Stasia’s chest and mentioned something about Eviax and surgery. 




“It’ll leave a scar.”




“Who cares about a scar. I’m just glad it didn’t kill me.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want to have to explain that to DeVian.” 




“Can we just go?”




“What about…”

“Eric will be fine.” 




They lifted up and away, Jillian moving her equipment away so that she could tend to Godfrey who hadn’t stopped in his persistent hacking up of blood and whatever else… what the fuck was happening with Gideon and Qrow for Godfrey to have such a reaction? Taking off her jumper, Jillian placed her bare skin on Godfrey. Lucas and Stasia both snapped their attention towards Jillian who was doing what Wisteria would have done, if the red head was here and not in some Victorian manor playing Princess.




“Stay with us Godfrey. I’ll take the pain away but you need to keep breathing.” 

"Sao Paulo!” Stasia screamed at the pilot, who immediately changed the course of their flight trajectory. 




Godfrey rasped, like a fish out of water… despite Jillian’s efforts… he knew it was not enough and he started to realise that just like when his head had been removed from his body, he was starting to see shapes… but no colours… were had the colours gone? 

"London is closer ma'am." The pilot radioed into the headset that Stasia had managed to jam on her head.

"Then go to London dipshit. We're dying, and your boss doesn't pay you to waste our time. Especially when one of us is critical." 

"No need to use that tone." Jillian sighed.

Both Lucas and Jillian were now tag teaming to keep Godfrey alive as Stasia argued with the pilot over location, whilst also keeping DeVian informed, the impromptu Death Ancient had been informed rather unfortunately that her wife was in danger because when she had been in a board room meeting with human officials regarding the recent destruction of the city of Berlin to 'unknown' forces; DeVian had started bleeding from her chest. She had told everyone to get out and had immediately gotten in contact with the rest of the lives that happened to be associated with her wife.



It felt like a Hollywood movie, when Godfrey and company had touched down at the Law Technologies Industries headquarters in London, all the lives - including Jillian who insisted she was absolutely fine and that her binder had absorbed all the blood. They were all rushed into the medical area in the basement, by now Godfrey was on a ventilator and his pulse as erratic as a hummingbird. Stasia and Lucas for their part were actually entirely fine, though the surgeons had a heart attack at the sight of Stasia's chest x-ray. 

"It's not even that close."

"0.000001. THAT'S HOW CLOSE IT COULD HAVE SEVERED YOUR AORTA." 

Was what the surgeon had said when Stasia had just mentioned ripping the blade out of her chest, course the surgeon was utterly human and therefore didn't understand the whole 'claimant healing thing.' Over in the critical care corner of the basement, Godfrey looked about as dead as ten day old corpse, the only notable difference was that he was still breathing - barely, and was calling? mumbling? for someone... presumably Qrow. 

"Did you bring Crow?" Stasia asked Jillian

The chibi assassin, who had been stripped bare and was now inspecting the new scar between her breasts with furious intent, reached into her black leather bag and threw a sizeable soft toy out and into the air, caught midair by Amarjeet who had made her presence known as well after she too was informed that Lucas had, had an altercation with Vincent - she was glad to know he was dead, not so glad that Vincent had been seconds away from repeating history and blowing Lucas' brains out again. 

"Mon Cherie. I am fine. It is Godfrey who is not fine."

Amarjeet tucked the soft toy into Godfrey's flailing arms. The metal Aikekunai was no longer in this place however and was slowly falling back into the past. 







||Young Godfrey||



"Can I have this bed?"

"That's my bed."

"Oh, can I have this desk?"

"Also mine, can't you read?"

"No?"

"You can't read? How stupid are you?"

"I was never taught..."

"Jeez, your house must be full of idiots."

"What's 'idiots'?"

Godfrey sounded like a songbird, replicating sounds. Qrow slapped his temple and tried not to think terrible thoughts. Why was he being given an illiterate fool for a roommate? What kind of torture was this meant to be? What was Novevu planning. First it had been the elephant named 'Crow' not 'Qrow' Godfrey had to draw the letters, which looked nothing like the English alphabet but Qrow managed somehow. 

"But this place is nice."

"I wouldn't call the Void. Nice."

"Is that where we are?"

"Yes, are you a human?"

"Human? What's that?"

"You have got to be kidding me."

Be Nice was what Novevu had reminded him, Godfrey circled around the room before once again accidentally climbing onto the bed that Qrow called his own... no sense of direction either, Qrow noted that down in his mental catalogues of things to blame Novevu for. Godfrey swung his feet a bit and then jumped back off the bed, however unlike the previous time... this time the kid fell flat on his face and so broke his nose. The blood that streamed out of Godfrey nose and the fact that he did not heal immediately alarmed Qrow.

"What is wrong with you?"

Godfrey was trying his best not to cry... again... he didn't want to be seen as weak in front of this new friend, but now it seemed very likely that he would indeed cry. It really did hurt, as he clapped his hands over his nose and moved away from Crow. Novevu, seeming alert to the sudden lull of death that came from Qrow's room entered and located Godfrey who was now hiccuping; again to stop the tears that threatened to fall. 

"What happened? Qrow did you hit him?"

Your body’s in the room but you’re not really there…

-Numb Little Bug, Em Beihold- 

 

||PRESENT||

 

He felt like he was floating, despite being on solid land. Could he even wiggle his toes anymore? What was he supposed to call the lights he thought he could see; did fluorescence even have a describable colour? What was happening to him? Why could he feel someone touching him, someone’s? He let out a breath, at least he could still feel the air entering and exiting; but he supposed the movement was so minute that no one would or could notice. He had never been a fan of the machines humans had made to show that someone was still alive… what was it? As long as he had a pulse. Ha, his heart had been weak and getting weaker for centuries. What did it matter now? Not like it would continue to effectively pump blood. BLOOD. 

 

I don’t want to die.

 

No one had said it, not even Jillian whose fanatic whispers could just be heard over the beeping of the machine; it had come from within, he was losing his grip on reality. He had to blink, move… do anything to suggest he was still hanging on; still fighting to be there in the now with Qrow. 

 

I don’t want to die.

Please 

We have to live

We cannot leave 

Not without saying goodbye. 

 

It had been hell, the fact that he couldn’t speak in his first life, to assure Qrow that things would be alright. 

 

 

 

And I’d save everyday like a treasure

-Time In a Bottle, Rob Lane, Jim Croce ft. Julia Church-

 

||SIXTY MINUTES BEFORE DEATH||

 

“I suppose you won’t be needing this.” 

 

Gideon held Godfrey’s tongue in his hand triumphantly, how someone could be so gleeful over the mutilation of another made Godfrey feel even worse than he already did, he continued to throw up copious amounts of blood. They shouldn’t have cleaned him… shouldn’t have done anything to pretty him up for his death. He was barely able to open his mouth to inhale a gulp of fresh air before something, like a gag. A sponge? It stung of sea salt and vinegar, it filled his lungs with acid, and he tried with all his might to spit it out; to no avail as the black cloth was placed around his eyes, lowering over his nose and then finally his clamped mouth. He could sense the padlock before they had even picked it up, and the wailing that came… another one a claimant like him had suffered this exact fate. 

 

“Take him down the scenic path, not like he’ll see anything.” Gideon mused 

 

If only Godfrey could have spoken, for he would have said something along the lines of ‘you won’t get away with this’, the guards who were used to Gideon being slightly mad did not take Godfrey down the scenic route – for there was not one that existed, and instead just took Godfrey like every claimant before him down the same set of stairs he had first climbed down initially when he was being hauled off to his cell. Occasionally Godfrey could feel the sensation from both men that carried/dragged his body towards his final presumed destination that they did not think he was deserving of this fate; how peculiar, for one would think that guards would like their masters to be absolute in their thought that if a man is sentenced to die then he deserves to die. Though the gag made it hard for him to smile, he did anyway. Now, in this case one would think that would be it, that would be the end or rather this would be the end to his tale; however, one could not have fathomed or known what chaos was partaking upstairs… at that these very moments. 

 

Tonic kicked the limp guard’s body, the gown around him swished and he inwardly groaned; why the hell was he the one stuck in a fucking dress. He lifted his head as Qrow finished off another three guards – all of whom would fall into the moat and drown. To his right, Ears shivered he was not entirely trained nor equipped to be holding a polearm and the fact that he was trembling made it even more obvious that he was not a guard, nor a knight. Tonic was no fair maiden – the bonnet and ruff made it easier to trick the eyes, but one close inspection of Tonic’s face and one would be able to tell immediately that the face powder was too much, the lips were too red, and he looked like a botched jester on a three-day bender. 

 

“Come on, towards the gate.”

 

“He hasn’t given us the signal though.” Ears teeth refused to stop clattering 

 

“He’s off to kill the Holy Roman Emperor. We need to find Godfrey and besides if the intel is right, we have at least forty minutes before his head is removed.” 

 

Ears didn’t want to argue with Tonic any more than he wanted to be in this position as they started to make their way towards the last of the nobles who were here to witness the first of many executions – Godfrey was schedule to die last. 

 

Rather be the hunter than the prey

And you’re standing on the edge face up 

-Natural, Imagine Dragons-

 

||INSIDE THE THRONE ROOM||

 

“You must not pay your guards enough, to make it this easy.” 

 

Trembling behind the velvet and silk lined throne, around the puddles of blood and the scent of death peeked a pair of cloudy grey eyes; it had long since been rumoured that the Holy Roman Emperor’s habit of heavy drinking of somewhat tainted mercurial wine and late reading of less than solicitous material had led to the man being somewhat blind if not entirely afflicted by double vision; in any case he had not foreseen that Qrow would find him like this, with his closest members of his court celebrating the soon to be execution of the traitor that they had known by the cover named of Michele {a.k.a Godfrey} the man practically pissed himself as Qrow moved a step closer only to take another stab at one of the guards who tried to get up; Qrow wanted silence and blood. 

 

“Where are you keeping him?”

 

“Who?” 

 

Even though he was terrified to death, his words still slurred. He was intoxicated. He tried to get up but his grip was far from strong and so he remained hidden behind the throne unable to do much except wait for his death he supposed. Perhaps, the emperor thought that he could appease his would-be assassin; he started to think up all sorts of things, like land, title, power anything! If only to stave off his inevitable demise. He wondered almost selfishly where his friend was; the one who wore a jester outfit who could do wonderful things with the click of his hands, or the blink of his eyes… who could take the emperor and his esteemed guests off to paradise. He was brought back to the situation at hand when this unnamed murderer began tossing the bodies of the now deceased nobles into the fireplace, the scent of melting human flesh made the emperor wish he had not had so much to eat during his morning meal… his feast of oysters and suckling pig no longer sat still in his stomach and he was forced to clap his hands over his mouth and to breathe into the surface of the rosemary throne that merely minutes ago he was sitting on comfortably being fed all manner of sweet treats by his wives and daughters. They had not suffered when they had died, all of them and their throats slit until their blood sprayed upon the emperor; but he had gotten so used to the gore that he could barely even smell their perfume now mixed in with the iron tang of human blood. 

 

“Fuck this!” 

 

Sick of being stuck in this stupid dress – one that Qrow had picked at random for Tonic to wear, the male tore at the fabric until finally his legs were somewhat freed. He tossed the heeled slippers away and reached up to where Ears was semi dangling off the stone wall; it had been too easy sneaking away from the festivities and now they were trying to shimmy their way into the guard tower so they could pin point where exactly the entrance to the dungeons were, it hadn’t been inside – Qrow had seen to that, seeing as he had massacred anyone or thing with a pulse, there were death claimants inside idly keeping the appearance up that everything was fine whilst also clearing away the corpses and tidying up any signs of disturbance. 

 

“See anything?” Ears asked, his back turned away from Tonic as they took turns to use the single eyed telescope. 

 

“There!” 

 

Ears gave Tonic a look of astonishment as the male stripped clean of the dress – how he had managed to become entirely nude within the last minute or so was something that Ears clearly didn’t need to know, quickly switching attire with the unconscious guard who Ears had promptly kicked in the head when he was trying to ascend the tower, Tonic without so much as looking at his mortal companion dove from the window towards the direction of a trio of individuals, one of whom looked a little like Godfrey though Ears couldn’t tell from the blindfold and the gag… and now he was alone. 

 

“What do I do?!”

“START A FIRE. GET QROW.”

 

Ears blinked, Tonic was gone, and he looked around, what the hell was he supposed to start a fire with? He bit his lip and decided perhaps it would be better to find a way out of the tower, not including the way they gotten in and perhaps then it would be clear, picking up the torn fabrics of the dress and the corset that Tonic had wenched in half, Ears decided he would now play the role of lost noble servant, if anything if he looked like he knew where he was going well enough; then perhaps he could secure them an escape route. 

 

So light me up, my little projector 

And eat me up like Hannibal Lecter

-Projector, Set It Off- 

 

||SUNROOM||

 

Godfrey had barely looked at the spread that had been laid out in front of him, instead focusing on the bag of pearls that had been handed to him by a very sorry looking Ears. Godfrey had waved Ears away with a smile and he hoped that would do now in regard to forgiveness; if he had to be honest, the scent of the meat made him slightly ill, and he tried his best to wave the fumes away. The pearls were nice, smooth but not the quality he needed, he would have to go to the markets again and fight the old woman who did sell these pearls for the sake of being able to see oriental sort. He was so focused, so consumed by the sensation of pearls running through his hands that he barely even felt the kiss that Qrow had planted on his forehead, had only come back to the moment when he heard the scraping of a fork and his sizable plate becoming even more sizable… 

 

“Like a mountain of food… what was that tall one you wanted to climb called?” He glanced at his husband, why he was so clearly distracted; concerned Godfrey for just a moment. He continued as best he could. 

 

“The one near the orients… maybe you can get my pearls for me, and I can skip the old hag by the docks altogether…” 

 

Now that he was actually able to think straight, discounting the fact that he was still running his hands. Through the bag of pearls was that Qrow had not changed and was so smeared with his own blood… he looked towards the back where the entrance of the sunroom sat and waved for Ears, well Ears was not there but Carrot was – she’d have to do. 

 

“Go up to the tower… have them bring something down for Qrow to wear.” 

 

Carrot looked at Godfrey once then at Qrow before running off to do as she was told. He then put the pearls away and finally decided he would attempt to eat what was; he thought an impossible amount of food. Sometimes it made him want to grind his teeth whenever Qrow moved food from his plate; it reminded him of when they were kids, when Godfrey was still new to the Void and entirely unaware of the customs that the house of Death seemed to share (or at least appeared to share where Qrow was concerned/involved). 

 

“They were only doing their best; my condition is not something they can control.” 

 

He tried to seem firm, tried to glare but it was impossible to glare at Qrow without feeling like glaring would be the last thing you’d ever be able to do. Carrot re-entered the room and placed a tray of clean identical clothing near Qrow before scurrying away. As the door was about to close, Godfrey threw one of the pearls he had recently bartered over, towards Carrot who without a backwards glance caught it, she barely had a moment to register what it was but held it to her chest regardless; he liked to do that… pay the servants with little trinkets like that – he could always afford more pearls. Picking up his spoon, he tried to tackle the mound of potatoes first, they were covered in thyme, garlic, and butter and even though he was starving… he just didn’t have the energy or need to eat. He tried to sit a little taller when Qrow mentioned something about a walk. 

 

“I think that would be nice, the fresh air…” 

 

The mosaics needed changing, that could be his next project! What materials would he need? Would he need to go to Venice? He felt a nudge and then he was back in the sunroom with Qrow who was looking at his plate pointedly, course not that Godfrey had realised because he was forever stuck in his own thoughts – Qrow had decided to effectively take over and was feeding him without his realisation; hell he hadn’t even tasted the food he had just chewed and swallowed and now his plate was empty. 

 

“Did I eat all of that?” He reached for the napkin 

 

“You did.” 

 

“On my own or did you feed me?”

 

“What does it matter, you’ve lost weight and it’s my job to keep you alive.” 

 

“You forget you… have your own life…” 

 

It was a point of constant conflict, the whole ‘own life’ aspect of their relationship… as Godfrey was constantly in need of care, he had gotten mostly used to the relative peace of being coddled and moved about like a pawn on an empty chessboard, Qrow silently in the background making moves and plans to keep the board empty of all threats and possible annoyances; just so that Godfrey would be forced to sit in their little piece of mortal paradise and rest. He wiped his mouth, before placing it back on the emptied plates in the shape of a crane; he knew that Chef hated the habit, of him folding his napkins but it felt nice to leave something of his own… 

 

“Where did you want to go?”

 

Pills n potions, 

We’re overdosin’

I’m angry, but I still love you

-Pills N Potions, Nicki Minaj- 

 

||SEVERAL YEARS AGO||

 

“Come on, this way… not much further.” 

 

Gideon persisted in this quest, this foolish embarkment to change Qrow’s mind. He had to change Qrow’s mind, they were meant for each other and the only thing getting in his way was this sickly boy that barely managed to stay upright when the wind blew the wrong way. He had managed to get Godfrey away from Qrow, separated by the promise that they were going to the bathroom, when instead Gideon had transported them to a tall rocky cliff in the realm of Naiick. If Qrow really loved Godfrey, he’d come for him. Gideon just knew it.  For his part, the metal future-Aikekunai was doing his best to keep up, it wasn’t made easy by the rocks or the branches but if Gideon had something that he thought Godfrey would like to see… then why not? 

 

“Almost there.”

 

Gideon looked behind him as Godfrey bent over to take a few breaths, what the hell did Qrow see in him? Gideon wasn’t too sure and decided to wait for Godfrey to take a few breaths, not like he was going to survive the fall anyway. Once Godfrey had composed himself and was no longer wheezing Gideon stepped aside and allowed Godfrey to see the view, the clearing itself wasn’t so spectacular; nor was the view really but Godfrey didn’t want to say anything… after all Gideon had gone to all of this effort to take him to this new place, perhaps this was a new realm? Like the Void? But different? 

 

“Isn’t this lovely?”

 

“Yes of course.” 

 

It was a lie, but Godfrey really didn’t want to insult his new friend, he wished he had brought Crow and Qrow along… maybe Qrow was coming with Crow later? Gideon moved so that Godfrey would be given the space to explore the none-to-stable cliff, but course he didn’t know that, only Gideon knew, and he was making it seem like the earth beneath them was as hard and solid as any tree. Finally Godfrey ventured just far enough that Gideon knew that any step further would send him straight to his watery death. 

 

“GODFREY. FREEZE!”

 

He had been bending over to tie his shoelace and nearly toppled in the wrong direction when Qrow dispelled of the trees and what have you with his blades to get to Godfrey, there was no Crow alas, but it was nice to see Qrow. 

 

“You came! I knew you’d be coming to find us!” 

 

Godfrey stood up, proud with his knot work and wanted to head towards Qrow who felt like a stable anchor in the world, felt like a presence that would never leave him… just like the ones he occasionally heard in his head; like him but not quite. Qrow looked rather displeased by the sight and Godfrey wondered if it had anything to do with him… he hadn’t done anything wrong, and this new friend named Gideon hadn’t been rude or mean in any such way. He wanted to move, he wanted to be with Qrow but something in Qrow’s eyes told him to stay still and not to argue or make any moves. So he decided to sit down instead, his head was starting to spin, and he didn’t like that he was cold. Rubbing his arms, he watched as Qrow, weapons drawn turned his blades upon Gideon. Gideon for his part was smiling like a deranged cat, he took out his own weapon and took a small step in Godfrey’s direction. 

 

“You’ve got a choice, me or him.”

 

“Why would I have to choose?”

 

“Because I said so. Him or me.” 

 

Gideon wanted more than anything for Qrow to pick him, he’d push Godfrey into the water and the kid would drown, Qrow would see how weak he was and then – then he would only care for Gideon, care, and love the stronger of the two… Qrow was however entirely unconcerned with Gideon’s words and was instead trying to calculate mentally a way to get Godfrey back out of danger and perhaps… Gideon in the water. 

 

“Come on, pick me. I’m the one who’s better. Stronger. I won’t die.” 

 

“Shut up.” 

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I’m cold.” Godfrey wheedled, not that Gideon heard that. 

 

“Godfrey, in a minute you are going to get up. Jump towards me. Into my arms.” 

 

Godfrey contemplated the words, it sounded like a command but was offered like a lifeline, like rope to take him back to shore. He nodded so softly that even Qrow had to have sworn he had missed it if he wasn’t staring so intently. Qrow opened up a pocket into the Void just in case he was calculations were off. Godfrey for his part was still entirely innocent and still totally unaware that his life was at risk, he got onto his knees first and then left leg before right he straightened and dusted himself off... there was a soft sound of earth crumbling but nothing so serious that Qrow wanted to hurry the kid up. 

 

Qrow mouthed the countdown as Godfrey, sure that he was able to make it into Qrow’s arms leapt… just as he thought he was going to crash into the dirt and hurt himself terribly, he was saved by Qrow as the sound of someone else landing in the water and the cliff face disintegrating caught him off guard. Qrow had barely managed to catch Godfrey and even then, only by his collar before sweeping him into a tight hug. Gideon in the meanwhile was suitably soaked the bone and pissed. He screamed up at the wind as the rocks plummeted into the water and he was forced to swim back to shore… Qrow had not needed to say anything to make his choice, he already knew in his heart of hearts that it would be Godfrey he would save. 

 

And I look the other way as they are kissing their hello’s

And I’m pretending not to see them 

-Tom’s Diner, AnneMayKantereit, Giant Rooks- 

 

||PRESENT||

 

It began with Godfrey, as the monitor finally let out once last indication of the mortal definition of life, he himself did not fade but it was if the world for a fraction grew dimmer as a man charged in, covered in sweat, and holding onto two still bodies, one of which was already beginning to fall away like petals on a rose, just like when the rain is two days late.  This man, as tall as he is, barely manages to lay them in each other’s arms these broken companions; one of whom gropes the air attempting to find the other only to be met with the freshly abandoned night gown of a body who once resided there.

 

The next is a sight to behold, as a tiny woman with a bandaged chest clutches at her heart and attempts one last time to kiss the lips of her lover as she topples off the bed into oblivion, their cries of pain are in earnest… they don’t know what to make of it. It’s heart wrenching for they were supposed to board a plane later that evening to begin the first of many treks around the world. They’ve got nothing left but an old battered soft toy whose missing it’s left eye. 

 

The third is different, for the pair are not sad nor angry but defeated, the male is laughing and waving his arms around as they dissolve into invisibility. The woman is hitting his chest and trying to grip onto him, hoping that she is enough… but like the others he fades; though his smile tells her that he is not going away in vain. 

 

Finally, it reaches the most recent who having watched her past lives begin to dissolve in front of her, like some cruel memory has nothing she can do as her chest begins to fall and hollow out; the blade topples and crashes to floor as she does nothing but cry. It’s silent… she doesn’t want to be heard. Like the whisper of a gale on a hot summer’s night she too is gone, the last thing she sees is the woman she loves being consoled by a man she never really liked but accepted because that woman; her happiness meant everything. 

 

Ordinarily their souls might have flown, gone to the Void or off to Elysian if that was the path they wanted to take; to begin again and yet that is not the case for a skeletal hand reaches into the air and those souls are forced into a sort of suspended space where they cannot quite move nor do anything to free themselves. This dark mass whose eyes are not on the people but rather on the souls who are scratching, clawing, and howling to escape. 

 

“Did you catch them?” 

 

It’s the only important question that can be asked, the only appropriate one as this the son of death approaches the centre of the room; it’s utter chaos otherwise but he does not seem to care these petty mortals and their false memories; it’s the next woman who enters the room who tries to make sense of it all, she is bouncing on her feet and barely bothers to touch the cloaked figure as she settles upon bringing back to life, a life cut too short by pain. 

 

“Wake up, wake up!” 

 

Minutely and probably only detectable to those connected and concerned another three bodies make their way in, though one body is attached to another who is despite the loud protests on their part too frail to get away. His red hair is grossly damaged, no doubt the fault of the dye or maybe his own amateur hands misreading and mixing the appropriate chemicals. Like how humans destroy dams built by beavers, this protesting man is thrown onto the bed beside the woman whose arms around that of a deceased man. 

 

I feel so light. 

 

Well fuck we die looking like we lived. You got a fucker of a sword inside you.

 

Remind me to wash your mouth out with soap.

 

Gross, I died wearing a binder fuck of bandages 

 

Why are we all such potty mouths? 

 

Haven’t heard that term being used in a long time 

 

Could you wake up please so we can come back?

 

I know life was hard and you were sick most of it, but we did not consent to being evaporated. Is that the right word?

 

SHUT up. Just let the man think. It’s his choice not ours. 

 

Streets not safe

But I never run away 

Even when I’m away 

-One Dance, Drake ft WizKid, Kyla- 

 

||CHILDHOOD||

 

He really was crying, his nose stung and it might have been broken as he approached Novevu, whose eyes were full of concern and something else; like glue being applied to be a broken frame, his nose was healed and the blood disappeared being reabsorbed back into his skin; though the same could not be said for his clothes which had taken the blunt of the blood that had escaped from his previously broken nose. A ruffle of his hair and a quick word to be a little more cautious about climbing back onto furniture before the Death Ancient departed and left Godfrey, Crow and Qrow alone. 

 

He hadn’t expected for the other boy to be so nice as to give him a shirt, which he quickly tried to change into; only to fall on his butt with the shirt on inside out; a sigh was let out and Godfrey felt even further embarrassed. He could put on his own clothes! He wasn’t trying to be what was the word the other kid had used? It had started with the letter ‘s’ that much Godfrey could be sure of. He was no longer there, from the arm hole that Godfrey had somehow put his head through… he was alone. 

 

“He was so stupid and…”

 

“He’s close to death Qrow.” 

 

“So is he a human?”

 

“No, he’s just like you.”

 

“How could someone so weak be like me?”

 

“He’s unwell. He has a disease.”

 

“You told me that our kind couldn’t get sick.”

 

“And that is normally true but the elements… don’t seem to agree with Godfrey. At least not the element he was born with. Nammay is too scared that the changing of elements will kill Godfrey and so we haven’t decided until now what to do.” 

 

Qrow kicked the rug, he hated being in this office, it was god awful how Novevu liked to arrange his rooms and the furniture, he partially wanted to destroy the current layout and redo it in a way that would look far better; he watched as his Ancient took out a bottle of amber liquid and poured himself a glass.

 

“Look he won’t be around for very long so just try to be his friend. He needs it.”